Between The Lines

...wednesday afternoon...

I took these of KayKay.  Just a sneak peek.  Can't wait to tell you about this one.  Another model in the making, I think.

 

..sneak peek..

of Pat, Deb, Lance and Kara.  Will share more later.

   

...happy thanksgiving..

Just wanted to take a few minutes and say Happy Thanksgiving.  Hope yours is filled with family, love, food, and thankfulness. 

...special reason...

well...I have to tell you the honest truth on this one...not that I've lied before on a post...but you deserve the truth.  I've sat here for a long time thinking what will I write for this post.  I think I should have gotten Marley over here and let her write this.  Anyway, she isn't here so I will do the best that I can.

The reason I wanted to take Marley's pics was because a while back I heard through the grapevine that she had gotten a tattoo.  I had seen a picture on her Myspace but didn't know the full story behind it.  I knew in my heart I had to find out the reason why and what everything stood for.  I saw Marley and got enough guts to ask her "could I photograph her?"  She is only the second person I have asked if I could take their picture.  Sometimes you just get a feeling, and boy, did I have a feeling that this would be special and it would take a while for me to get over it.  I have thought about Marley every day since the shoot.  I just want this post to be as special to her as it was for me taking her pictures.

The reason that she got the tattoo was because of her dad, Eric.  In memory of him.  You see, Eric passed away on July 24, 2007.  (I have Mel's permission to tell you whatever I want about it but I have prayed and thought about what I would say about his passing and I have decided to keep my fingers from typing about it.)  Really, IT'S all about the tattoo.  So when I talked to Mel the other night she told me that Marley thought about this tattoo for months.  She wanted to make sure that everything was perfect.  I think she did a good job.  It is awesome.  With me talking to her...the tattoo fits her.  Marley has this toughness about her...I have to say I love tough girls.  I was raised to be one so I like hanging around other tough girls.  I can't imagine the pain that she went through to get this tattoo, but I'm thinking for her dad she would endure any pain that she may have gone through just because he was so worth it.  She also has a softness about her too.  I can tell by the way Marley talks with (and to) Mel that she loves her mom with a passion.   Also through all the tragedy of Eric's passing they still have laughter.  Now, I know, there wasn't much laughter to begin with, but to be able to laugh now and LIVE life to the fullest, after all the sadness, says much for them.  

Marley, (and Mel), you will never know how much you blessed my life.  Both of your lives spoke volumes to me.  This also was the best photo shoot I've had.  It is hard for me to describe why, but I feel in my heart that I don't even have to try to explain it.  I hope one day we can do it again.  My calendar is always open for you...no matter what.  Marley, I love ya!!  You are special to me!!

Here's the explaination of the tattoo.  Eric was a BIG fan of Willie Nelson...so 2 guitars for that.  His surfboard is in the middle.  He bought Marley a gold necklace that had a medallion on it.  It's at the bottom of the tattoo along with Eric's date of birth and death.  The musical notes and the words "every little thing is gonna be alright"...that's from a Bob Marley song and he used to sing it to Marley and Dustin, Marley's brother.  

          

Thanks again Marley!!   

..marley..

As promised....here are some more.  Tomorrow the special reason and story.  Isn't she gorgeous? 

              

..i've been tagged..

by Cathy's blog.  From what I'm understanding...my instructions for this tag are to: pick the 4th picture folder on my computer; choose and post the 4th picture; explain the picture; and tag 4 other people to participate.  So here is my picture.

 

This is a picture of Adam's turkey that he killed in March.  The same day that his sister Megan was getting married.  This is Adam's first turkey and he was so proud that he had to come show his Uncle Daniel.  It was a beautiful bird. 

Now the ones that I am tagging are:

1. Ellen

2. Jeremy

3. Tiffany

4.  Molly

So now it is up to y'all to pick your fourth file and fourth picture and post on your blog.

..awe..

I posted some pics of Marley a couple of weeks ago and almost couldn't wait to post some more.  I knew that I wanted to take some pics of her a while back after seeing some pictures that she had done with some friends and for another special reason.  I didn't know Marley all that well but after this shoot I know one thing....I love her.  She is so awesome.  I can't even express how I feel about her.  How can you sum someone up with a few words...words like sense of humor, cool, beautiful, laughter, eyes to die for, body to kill for, camera loving her?  I just want to be able to take more pics of her later and forever. 

D went with me to meet Marley and we saw Mel, Marley's mom, with her.  Mel is a couple of years older than me and I was so excited to see her coming along for the ride.  At first, I did more talking and catching up with Mel than shooting.  I finally got it together and started doing my "job". 

I know I have said once before that I am not the type of photographer that does all the posey stuff.  Don't get me wrong I do get the ones to begin with that are posed but after a while I want to have fun.  I don't worry if the wind is blowing and your hair is freaking out.  I like when the person that I am shooting has the ability to do whatever they want and me just have fun with my camera.  This is exactly what happened on this day.  Marley is a pro and should be a model.  Marley is comfortable with who she is.  She, at one point, talked about her clients...I don't know what I was thinking..for some reason I thought...I really don't know what I was thinking...yes, I said that twice..anyway, I asked her about it and she told me she is a personal trainer.  Yikes, that's all I have to say about that. 

Spending time with her I found out that she is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.  I wanted this shoot to last for as long as it could.  It was so much fun!!  So this will be a long picture looking post.  Enjoy!!  

P. S. I'm thinking you will see more of Marley this week.  I have a lot to share.  It isn't about the kind of job I did taking these pics...it's about sharing someone who I think is awesome that I was blessed to spend some time with.  Also, I have to show you the "special" reason why I wanted to take her picture.

                 

..daniel's hunt..

Last Friday was the last day of the hunt and Daniel still did not have a deer.  D had filled her tag on Wednesday and Jen on Thursday.  Let me just tell you what kind of hunter Daniel is.  He isn't the type of hunter that kills just to kill.  He has some wonderful mounts in our house and gameroom.  When he hunts he is looking for something bigger than he already has.  Some men were at the hunt while we were there and they didn't have this same mind set.  Anyway...we were able to ride in the truck to look at deer and see if we could find one that Daniel liked.  We saw some awesome deer but not what Daniel was looking for.

So Friday afternoon we were all in the truck and Paul was driving us around.  We drove around for a while and came up to a feeder.  We could see a buck feeding in the background but looking through the binoculars the men could tell that is wasn't quite big enough or he was too young.  But Daniel saw something else and Paul told him if he wanted to kill it he could.  It is something that even hunters around here can't stand.  Farmers dislike them very much.  Daniel and some friends have killed over 200 on our hunting lease that we have.  Can you guess what it is? 

Daniel ended up shooting this monster.

   

Well now.  After they made sure he was expired,(that sounds so much better than dead, huh?), Paul and Daniel had to load him up on the flat bed truck.  It was just two men and three girls.  I had to hold the camera so I couldn't help.  Ha.  Paul was thinking the hog weighed around 200 pounds.  Beware some nice hiney shots of Daniel coming up.  Sorry...I couldn't help myself.  I had to make sure Daniel was being careful..the tusks were getting too close for comfort.   Watch Danielle's face.  She tried to help.

      

Where was Jen?  She was getting out of Dodge.  This proves it.

    

D decides to jump back in and help.  Her facial expressions crack me up. 

             

The hog ended up weighing 255 pounds.  Daniel decided to have the head mounted.  It's going in the gameroom with the two bucks.  I hope that next year we will go back to Clear Fork Outfitters in Albany, TX.  It was a fun trip.  Will share more about this trip later.  Don't panic, no more hunting shots.  KayKay told Jen yesterday that she is still waiting on more pics of Marley.  They're coming soon too.

..jen's deer..

just a few more.  Jen with D and Paul.

   

Jen with Daniel.  We had to pick him up from a deer stand.  He heard the shot and was hoping that Jen got a deer.  He was so proud of them both.

 

~~jen's deer~~

ok...so last Thursday morning they all got up real early to go hunting again.  D had gotten her big boy but she was going with Jen or Daniel to help "scout".  I got up out of bed not too long after they were gone because I wanted to sit on the front porch and watch the deer that I could see.  I sat there wrapped in a blanket..the mornings were cold..as I was sitting there I could see 2 deer feeding in the field.  Here's proof.  See the two small specks?  I was a long way off.

 

Then this started happening.  FOG!!  Oh no!!! 

   

I knew that this fog would mess up the hunt.  The deer just disappear in the fog and laugh behind your back because you can't see them.  So what is a mom to do?  Pray, of course.  A little while later I hear Daniel's truck coming and it is D.  She tells me that Jen shot one but the fog was so bad that they didn't know if it was down or not.  She told me they came back because Paul needed coffee.  Paul is one laid back guy.  So we went to the cookhouse and jumped in Paul's truck to go look once again.  D video taped the hunt and she told me the fog was so bad that she even "lost" the deer on the tape.  Here is Paul and Jen looking for the deer.  See her deer?

       

***Update***  the man hugging Jen is Paul, the owner and guide, not Daniel.  Sorry for the confusion.