Great Pit Bull Dane

What do you get when you cross a Great Dane with a Pit Bull?

You get a beautiful dog!

I had the pleasure of doing a photo shoot with a handsome guy named Boomer.
Boomer is the epitome of power, beauty, and grace in a dog.
And it was so much fun to try to capture him in action with my camera!

At times, he reminded me of a pit bull with his broad chest and head.

Then at other times he resembled a Great Dane.

I have to say the mix of the two breeds is amazing!

Watching him run was like watching a thoroughbred race horse...

And he loved to play ball! 

I have to say he was one of the most photogenic young men I have ever met!

Three Women I Have Never Met

This is a story about 3 women. 
Each of them is connected to me.

One is from Canada.

One is from the Netherlands.

One is from Wisconsin.

I have never met any of them.
If I did, I bet I would like them.

We all have one thing in common:
We all have the same kind of dog.

I have interacted in one way or another with all 3 of them this week.

The woman from Canada loves animals.

She has beautiful dogs, cats, and horses.

She is a talented photographer and artist.

She seems like a person who is always striving

     to learn and excel at whatever she does.

This week I helped her out with some photos in Photoshop.

The woman from the Netherlands loves animals.

Her dad passed away a year ago.

I think that is around the time  that she read a 

      blog I wrote about my dad's passing.

This week I reached out to her in her sorrow as 

    she told of memories of her last days spent 

    with her dad.

The woman from Wisconsin loves animals too.

She has a niece and nephew that mean the world to her.

She has been like a cheerleader to me for 

       my photography and my blog.

She has also had some major health problems recently.

I believe she had surgery at the end of last week.

After getting a few updates from the hospital on the 

     weekend, there has been no word from her in 3 days.

I am worried that things may not be going well for her.

How do I know these women?
I know them only through Facebook.
Most likely we will never meet face to face.
That's ok.

The mission of Facebook is to
     "help people connect and share".
Mission accomplished.

Spontaneous Reproduction

Spontaneous reproduction is when out of no where, something is reproduced.

I'm not a scientist - there may be cases where this may happen.

If I had to make an educated guess, I would have to say it happens in fruit flies.

If you're one of the lucky ones, you've never had an infestation of fruit flies.

If you live in a house with children or teens,
I can almost guarantee you have dealt with
too many of these little pests at some point.

They just don't seem to understand that you
can't leave rotting food around the house!

Fruit flies are not easy to get rid of.
When you see one and try to kill it,
inevitably it blends into the surroundings
and is lost to sight.

I did a little research on fruit flies recently.

Did you know that a single female can store sperm and use it for MANY reproductions?

Did you know that a single female fruit fly can lay from 500 to 1000 eggs in her lifetime of about 30 days?  They lay eggs on the surface of moist, organic material, preferably but not limited to rotting fruits and vegetables.

The period from egg to adult fruit fly varies depending on the temperature.  It is about 8 days - shorter in warmer temps and longer in cooler temps.

 How do you get rid of these little creatures?

You will NEVER succeed by just killing them by hand.

You have to set a trap - which is easy to do because the word is they have a very small brain.

There are many home-made traps you can try. 
They are made by putting an attractive liquid in a cup (apple cider vinegar, wine, etc) and covering it with plastic wrap with holes poked into the top. The fruit flies can get in, but can't figure out how to get out.

I usually get these commercial fruit fly traps at our local Agway.  They work great!

More tips:

Empty your garbage often.
Run your garbage disposal often.
Pour a diluted bleach solution down your drains.

OR

Get rid of your kids.

Whichever is easier.

Girls with Balls

My girls have both played a LOT of softball.
It seemed to come naturally to them.
They both excelled at the game.

Where did this talent come from?

This is a picture of Kerry's grandmother running to first base in 1948.

And here is Kerry running to first base today.







This is a picture of the Seabrook Farms softball team in 1948.  Grandma Alice is in the first row - 5th from the left.  Her sister Nancy was also on the team (2nd from the left in the back row).

And here is Kerry with her current team representing the University of Vermont.  Kerry is 3rd from the left in the front row.

So DIFFERENT but so much the SAME.

Girls with balls.  

I predict there will be many more in this family!

Food for Thought

food:  noun. 1. any nourishing substance that is eaten, drunk, or otherwise taken into the body to sustain life, provide energy, promote growth, etc

Our genes determine many of our traits.  Brown hair, blonde hair, short, tall, blue eyes, brown eyes, green eyes, skinny, full-figured, intellectual, creative, introvert, extrovert...


I have been thinking a lot about food lately. 
Specifically,  is there there a genetic component that determines the way we eat?

I am NOT referring to how much we eat.
I am NOT referring to whether or not we are picky eaters.
I am NOT referring to whether we are carnivores or vegetarians.
I am NOT referring to our individual tastes in food.


The trait I am referring to is a little harder to describe.


FOR INSTANCE


I have a kitchen full of food.  
Many types of food.


So how can it be that some members of my family can come into the same kitchen and declare

"THERE IS NOTHING TO EAT IN THIS HOUSE"


and others are perfectly satisfied and have no problem finding something to eat?

I firmly believe there is a gene that determines this trait.

My father, whose nickname was Orks, had the ability to go into the refrigerator and concoct what he believed to be a gastronomical delicacy.  Don't get me wrong - he enjoyed a good meal - but he truly loved going into the refrigerator and making a meal out of whatever was available.





I believe I inherited that same trait, and so did my daughter, Annie.


Whenever my husband goes away on a business trip and it is just the two of us left at home, nothing makes us happier than to find our own dinners.  


We like to eat, but we arent' picky about what we eat. 
It's not hard to satisfy our hunger, and be happy about it.


It's in the genes.


I call it the "Orks" gene.

Where You Lead I Will Follow

For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin-real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.
Alfred D’Souza 

I went on a hiking trail with my dogs the other day.

The trail was very inviting, with an
     easy groomed path through towering oaks.

Halle led the way, as always.

Sami, ever wary of new things, stayed by my side.

A few minutes into the walk, we encountered 
                an old building on the edge of the river.

As I was busy taking pictures, I saw Sami stiffen, ears cocked, tail down, staring straight ahead.


I focused where Sami was looking - into the darkness under the old building.  Someone was inside sleeping next to a smoldering fire for warmth.  


A trickle of fear ran down my spine, and I quietly retreated from the building and made my way down the path.  I was thankful that I was with my dogs.

The trail led us on a beautiful path next to the water.  It was so peaceful and serene under the canopy of trees.

The path was blocked in many spots by downed trees, thanks to hurricane Irene a few weeks back.  Halle would stop and wait for me to show her the way around the obstacle to get back on the path once again.

After climbing a pretty steep hill, the trail led us to a railroad trestle.   There was a pedestrian walkway on the side of the train tracks made out of open steel grates.  

The grates opened a drop of 40 feet or so below.
The dogs would NOT walk on it.
They wouldn't even put a paw on it, no matter how hard I tried to lure them.


I really didn't want to turn around and backtrack.


Then Sami took the lead for the first time on the hike and began walking across the railroad ties between the tracks.  There was a gap of about 8 inches between the ties, but that didn't seem to bother him.   I followed Sami, and Halle followed me.  Slowly, step by step, tie by tie, we made our way across the trestle to solid ground on the other side.


After that, nothing we encountered phased us at all.  We had all gained confidence and courage that we could make it through whatever obstacles stood in our way.


We finished the hike tired but exhilarated.
It was a great hike.

Isn't this true of life too?
Life is full of obstacles.
Sometimes we take the lead.
Other times we follow.
But we make it through together.
And when we make it past the obstacles we fear most, 
we realize an inner strength we never knew we had.

If You're Happy and You Know It....

At the age of 52 (I think), I have had my share of loss:


bone density
hair
muscle tone
eyesight
memory 

I try to do whatever I can to slow down this aging process.
I take vitamins for my eyes.
I take calcium and vitamin D for my bones.
I do weight training at the gym for my bones and muscle tone
I wish there was something to do about thinning hair because I never had a lot to begin with!


I was sooooo happy when I read an article
the other day about how to increase brainpower!


It's a very simple thing that I can do anywhere, 
although it is much more fun with a partner.

Hand clapping games may be the answer 
to all of us aging baby boomers with failing memories!

A recent study has concluded that
clapping games build brainpower
for children AND ADULTS!

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands

If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it,

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands

 So clapping games aren't just child's play anymore.

College students are doing it!
Men and women!

People of ALL ages are doing it!

All over the WORLD!


So hop on the bandwagon!


You might be sorry in a few years if you don't.

When Did you Realize You Were an Adult?

As we are growing up, we look forward to the time when we will be an adult.   In our minds, we picture just when that time will be.  Maybe when we get our driver's license!  Or our first job!  Or .....

I guess it's different for everybody. 

For sure, when you turn 18 you are getting close, right?

I have been thinking about this question lately, and after 52 years of growing, I now know exactly when I realized I was an adult.

It wasn't when I graduated from high school...

I wasn't even close to feeling like an adult back then.



Was it when I graduated from college?

No, but I felt I was getting close!

It wasn't when I got my first apartment...

It wasn't when I met the man I knew I would marry...

It wasn't even when we bought our first house...

You would think I would have felt like an adult when I had children and all the responsibilities that go with that that role...

But no.  I kind of felt like I was playing house.  I wasn't really an adult yet.

I remember wondering when I would stop feeling like a kid. 

When would I finally feel like I was all grown up?

When my mom was at the end of her life after her cancer diagnosis, I still felt like a kid.
My dad was still in charge.

I started to feel growing pains after my mom died. 
I felt like my father needed me. 

For the first time, he wasn't my tower of strength.
For the first time in my life, I felt as if I needed to carry him.
Our roles were reversing.

When my dad had his stroke and was in the hospital, I really felt like my childhood was ending.
It was a scary thing.
My tower of strength, wisdom, and stability had fallen.

But I held onto a glimmer of hope that he would stand tall once again.

But that was not meant to be.

I know the exact moment I realized I was an adult.

It was the moment I was no longer anyone's child.

Blessings in Disguise

We pray for blessings all the time.
We ask God to help us do this, or do that.
We ask God to watch over our loved ones
              and take care of them.
We ask God for guidance.
We ask God for wisdom.
We ask God for protection.
We ask God for healing.

If things turn out the way we want, then we thank God for answering our prayers.

What if we don't get the expected result?

I came upon this song last week that really touched me personally.  Take a listen and see what you think.


 When Laura Story wrote this song, her husband had just had surgery to remove a brain tumor.

As I think back on all of prayers I fervently asked God to answer, there were so many that didn't get answered, at least not in the way I expected.

I had a pretty uneventful life until I was in my mid-twenties.   Things had always seemed to come easily to me - school, home, friends, life.

Since then, I have had my share of heartache and loss.

Miscarriage, five years of infertility. five years of unanswered prayer.

Or was it unanswered?

Those 5 years of working, saving money, and desperately wanting children enabled me to be a stay-at-home mom, something that has been such a blessing to me and my children.

My mother passed away of throat cancer a few years ago. 
No answered prayers here.
Well, she always prayed that she would not want
                        to survive my dad.
She was no longer suffering.
I was given the chance to "be there" for my dad
                        in his pain.
I became even closer to my dad.

Two years later, my father had a stroke and other health issues.
I knew what a fighter he was and prayed that he would recover.
He passed away 2 months later.
During those last months of his life,
                                       he showed me real determination.
He gave me courage I didn't think I had.
He touched so many people during that time.
During those months, I got to know my brother
                                                     like I never had before.
My family pulled together to do what was best for my father.

If all of my prayers had been answered the way I expected,
                                 I would not be the person I am today. 
I would not be as strong. 
I would not be as wise.
I would not be as courageous.
I would not be as close to God.

Googles

 Blogging is a nice way to keep in touch with friends and family so they can know what is happening in my life.

I look at a stats report pretty frequently so I can see which posts are popular.

Another piece of information given on the report is how people get to my blog. For instance, it tells me how many people enter the site through Facebook (where I always post a link) or if they just type in the blog name directly.

 Another way people find my blog is through a google search. 

Many people just google "gayle tales".

BUT others are obviously not trying to find my blog. These are really interesting to look at, and at times makes me laugh!

I'd like to share some of these googles with you.

1.  "how to create a glee background in photoshop"

There are sooooo many people that want to know how to do this!  Glad I could help!

2.  "happy baby baptism"

This is from the blog I wrote on Annie's birthday.

3.  "minga gumby's sister"

This is Kerry from the blog I wrote on her birthday.

4.  "What eyes look like on crack"

Hahahahah!  This was from the blog on my bloodshot eyes!

5.  "images under the Charter Oak Bridge"

There's Mel! It's from the day we had a photo shoot in Hartford and we took this picture under the Charter Oak Bridge.

6.  "build a city for matchbox cars"

This is from Adam's birthday blog!


 7.   "upside down faces"

This picture is from the blog I wrote about how awful I look with my head upside down!


8.  "cats and dogs together animal big eyes"

 Kerry!   Very funny!


 9.  "Unusual photo session"

 Hahahahaha!

10.   "girls eat rabbit"

 11.  "jojo six"  This was a google search from someone in Egypt. 

 I don't know what a jojo is in Egypt, but I'm sure this wasn't what they were looking for!