So I had read about the Lunar eclipse about a week ago, but whatever bogus thing I read said that we would not have a clear view of the eclipse in Oregon, so I figured “Oh well”. Then Yesterday about 5pm the local news station put on their Facebook page a whole article on it and how we should have a great view….EXCEPT, it starts at 4:30 am…..YUK!!! Other than Nature Photographers and Starbucks employees who on earth wants to get up that early…..not me…..usually at 4:30 am, I have only been asleep for about 3 hours and have probably woke up twice to deal with my children so 4:30 is NOT MY CUP OF TEA………..Well about 10pm last night I was determined, and I was READY. Batteries Charged, Reserve Batteries Charged, hand warmers in pockets, sweatshirt and long johns out and ready to go….I even sneaked out in the yard and snapped a few pics using different lens and cameras to see what the best combo was….Keep in mind I’m usually shooting small things that can barely walk, or are running circles around me, yelling and screaming and wiping boogers on me…..and that is what I love….sitting in the dark cold grass in silence in the middle of the night…is foreign to me. But here are my test shots…..

Then when I FINALLY went to bed at 12:45 I thought FORGET IT…..4:30 is going to suck, I’m not going to do it….

5:30am…………………DANG IT! I woke up automatically, and then I TRIED to go back to sleep but my photographer voice in my head whispered “just get up and look at the moon and see what it looks like” so I stumbled to the bathroom and opened up the bathroom window….a rush of cold air hit me like a brick wall, it froze my eyeballs….I said “OOOO thats pretty” stared at it for a minute and then got back in bed…..

I laid there for about 10 minutes when those darn voices kept me awake “Just go out and watch it, there is not another one til 2014″ UGH UGH UGH………..I got up…..went outside with 2 blankets and of course grabbed my camera. My tri-pod was in the back of the Tahoe and I did not want to wake up the kids, so I figured “I can just hold the camera” HAHAHHAHAHHAHAAHAAAA

So there I sit…It was about 20 degrees and I had a stupid blanket to try and keep me warm….it wasn’t even a blanket it was a really thin quilt with nothing warm and fuzzy, just cold cotton squares….

UGH…..and some under my breath 5am not nice words…..the neighbors house had all their porch lights on, and, AND the stupid Street Light that I swear is attached to their house was brighter than I had ever seen it…..AND it was EXACTLY where the moon was while I was sitting on the ground…..DANG IT…I knew I should have gone to one of the many “out in the boonies” locations but honestly I refused to take my kids, and they couldn’t stay home alone, so it would have been me, my camera, and every creepy craigslist killer in Redmond Oregon, and of course the lions tigers and bears…..so my front yard had to do….I didn’t account for that DAMN STREET LIGHT….

the moon was about 1/2 way covered by the shadow of the earth when I first got out there….I just watched it for awhile….I took one pic…pure black

had to adjust the settings becuase there wasn’t hardly any light compared to that of the full moon that I had captured at 10pm last night….

As I sat there it got darker and darker as the moon slipped away into the shadow….I was hand holding my camera don’t forget…the pictures look OK on the internet, but zoom up and they are no NASA pictures thats for sure! They serve the purpose though. So here are a few of what I got….I learned a lot though sitting out there and I REALLY wished my tripod had been set up, but oh well! Guess I’ll go big in 2014!

The weird light in this first picture is that stupid street light, the more I changed my lens settings the more that light showed….UGH….Oh well…. ENJOY

OK- this is a no picture post….but only because the pictures are all coming soon….I’m editing away I promise….but as I edit these pictures, I was thinking that many of my best customers are also my best friends……imagine that right? Friends that support me in everything I do…..ANYWAYS….It got me thinking, probably because the High School Senior season has gone so much later than normal this year,  I’m still shooting seniors and normally I’m done by October….but it seems just like yesterday when I was that girl..that 18 year old girl getting ready to say goodbye to my best friends and head off to U of O……..we were young, carefree and for the most part a responsible group of girls…..all heading off to bigger and better things for our lives….now like 14 years later we are all still BFF’s. Things have definitely changed, we don’t hardly ever get to talk, and we get to see each other even less then we talk, but we are all there for each other and THANK GOD for Facebook, seriously because we can watch each others lives as we change, as our children grow and as our hair turns grey (UGH). But what have I noticed this year you are asking? All my friends have turned into such beautiful, smart, caring women and mothers and wives with beautiful families. Mindy Hawkins, April Bex, Alicia Kunkel,  Tanna Kraus, Jenni Chapanar,  I miss you guys and I want you all to know that I’m so Proud of who you’ve become and thank you for being in my life even if it’s long distance and if it’s via Facebook most the time….. I’m SOOOO glad that I get to see you every once in awhile even if it’s just to photograph your children!!!! Can not wait to see you guys during Christmas Break!!! I lied…here is our senior prom picture….thats a little embarrassing but OH WELL Pictures are GREAT!!! FWIW I think we all hate our dresses looking back on this picture….hahhaa