Turning a hobby into a business!

From the first time I put a camera in my hand I enjoyed clicking pictures. Every Christmas or birthday, every vacation there I was click, click, clicking away. Well now that I am older and retired. I have used the camera so much more.  When the bears came to our house in Pennsylvania to traveling in the RV, I always had a camera in hand.

Since moving to Flagler Beach and walking the beach and the marsh at sunrise. I have a whole new bunch of things to take pictures of. Beautiful sunrises always different. Birds in the marsh and sometimes rare sighting like the Roseate Spoonbills.

Well recently after getting compliments from everyone on Facebook about my daily uploads of pictures and friends who love my photos. I decided to make a small business of it.

First I went to Michael's and got matte note card stock and decorated them and made cute note cards. Then I sent away to Vista printing and did note cards and Postcards.

Well, Now I have Postcards and note cards in several local business and next I am going to do some matted prints.  I know I won't make much money at this but the pride of knowing someone likes my photos enough to buy them really will make me feel good.

So now I have joined the local  artist here in Flagler Beach and become part of this creative community,  to me this is such an honor.  Wish me luck in this new adventure.

Comments welcomed.

Happy to be a Mom

There is nothing more important in the world than being a mom. It is a hard job and there is no rule book to tell you what is truly the right way to be a mom. You go through life and sometimes you made huge mistakes. I am here to tell you I have made huge mistakes in life as a mom. But I have learned one important lesson. The most important thing you can do for your child is love them.

I love my children more them life itself. And I know sometimes they don't realise it. I have made hard choices in my life and I did what I thought was best for my children.  Some may not agree with me about my choices but all my choices were made out of love.

So Mom's out there this very in perfect mom's advice Just love your children and make your own choices that you feel are best for them. I am so lucky with all my bad choices my children all of them have turned out well.

So to all the mom's in my life and all the children in my life I love you!  Happy Mother's day.

Dolphin Adventure!

Well, it is the last day of my daughter's vacation and we are going to Marineland.  Theresa my daughter waited all week to go and swim with the dolphins. Well, the swimming part did not happen because I was told to book Dolphin Discovery. So I booked it. well, that program turned out to be 30 minutes of learning about the dolphins and 20 minutes interaction, but not swimming.

I found out later the swimming was $200.00 and this one was $160.00. We were alittle upset that it wasn't what we thought because we waited all week for this, but putting that aside Theresa really enjoyed herself playing with the dolphins and I had an interpreter there so she understood all she needed to know.

But she feed the dolphins, rubbed and petted them, gave them commands and they had fun splashiing her. All and all it was a fun day.

Now she is back home in Bangor Maine, and I am going back to my routine of old folks doing their thing.  I will always remember this visit. When she was a child we were never close because she was always away in deaf school and she never felt comfortable around hearing people even her family. But now after all these years we are growing closer and  am so grateful for this.

Road trip to St Augustine!

My daughter's visit continued.  We started out in Flagler beach and headed to Fort Matanzas. Since it's founding in 1565, the military outpost town of St Augustine had been the heart of Spain's coastal defenses  in Florida. After the big Fort Castillo de Marcos was competed in 1695, the town had only one weakness, the Matanzas Inlet. Beginning with Francis Drake's raid on St Augustine in 1586 England had repeatedly harassed the Spanish colony. so to prevent the British controlling the inlet Fort Matanzas was built in 1742, and it was maned by only 7 solders but their canons drove off 12 ships from England and no ship got passed the fort. but as part of the treaty of Paris ending the french and Indian war, Florida was transferred to Britain in 1763. after that the fort was not maintained.  when the United States took possession in 1821, the Fort was never occupied again. 

It was a very small fort and so surprising what a big part of history it had in Florida.

Our trip continued to the St Augustine Lighthouse. Notice the look on my daughter's face she is yelling hurry and take picture, my sunburn legs are burning. So our time at lighthouse was short and sweet. So we continued on to the Fort Castillo de San Marcos in St Augustine.  Our time there was even shorter than the lighthouse so we decided to head home.

On our was home we were passing the Alligator Farm Zoological Park and my daughter said she really wanted to see the alligators so we stopped. And that is when the fun began.  Not only was there alligators but a great bird sanctuary and crocodiles.

I was most impressed with the birds. so many and so beautiful. so before we watch the feeding of the alligators we spent quite a bit of time watching the birds. In the mean time my daughter had to keep putting water on her legs for the sunburn.

 From the birds we went to watch the feeding of the gators and what a show that was. They were very active and it was a good show.  So after a long day and lots we saw we headed for home and another day in my daughter vacation here in Florida. i am so hoping she is enjoying her time here. She deserves a good time. And I am enjoying having her. I really miss my family and spending time with her has been great.

Visit from my daughter Theresa from Maine!

My deaf daughter from Bangor Maine, made a trip down here to Flagler Beach to visit her dear old mom. It was the first vacation she has had in years.

So we started it off with a trip to the beach where she got burnt to a crisp. So today we are taking a day off so she can heal. She has spent the most of the day with her soaking in vinegar baths. We did do alittle shopping for gifts for her to take home. Then alittle lunch. Tomorrow we head out sightseeing!

My favorite Hobby!

Taking pictures is something I have always loves. Whether it was of the family at get to togethers or traveling around the United States, or cruising in the tropics, or just walking the beach daily at sunrise.

But for the first time, I am getting more serious about it. I joined a group of artist on a site called Redbubble.com and I have submitted my work to be sold and I even entered in a couple of contest.

I would have never done this before but i am hooked and I keep striving to be better and I think I am improving every day.

I was never talented at much of anything, but I feel I have a eye for a good shot and now I am always looking for a shot that will be good enough to submit to Rebubble.

So wish me luck as I strive to be a better photographer.