Last of the Deeetroit Sunrises for a while!

I won't promise but I'll try.  It's just so hard not to try to capture this kind of magic on my camera.  I really should start bringing in the good camera instead of shooting these with my cell phone.

I think this one looks like someone did a quick rub with a black crayon in the sky.

This one they chose a red crayon.

A very different sunset

I had to catch this one while driving and it wasn't my normal full of reds and oranges kind of sunset.  It was almost devoid of all color except a faint rainbow effect around the sun itself.  The first one I had the camera aimed a little too high but I loved the effect of the clouds.  So thick and ominous.

The "good pic" still showed those clouds but also the actual sun breaking through those thick clouds to create a pretty cool show.  Nature gives us so much to appreciate.

Sunset at home

I think I've figured out my sunset/sunrise obsession.  Our house is situated where most of the windows face north and south and there are lots of big trees to the east and west.  This makes it tricky to see the sunrise and sunset.  I only caught this one because the whole darn sky was pink even to the south.  I had to run outside to shoot this one looking over the garage but it was worth it - totally beautiful and it truly did have almost the whole sky a beautiful pinky-orange color.

CONGRATS to my daughter!

It seems like yesterday but in early 2005 Equestrian Girl rode in her first horse show.  A few months later she was a seasoned "pro" riding a green broke lease horse name Leggo.  This was also when she became consumed with the idea of showing on the Paint Horse circuit some day.

Fast forward to 2011 and she is completing her 3rd year riding on that very same Paint Horse circuit in Michigan competing with some of the best riders around in the 13 and Under and Novice Youth divisions in the all around events - showmanship, western pleasure, horsemanship, hunter under saddle, equitation, and trail.

She has a beautiful little Paint horse that loves her and does EVERYTHING she asks and does it with heart.

She has become a fierce competitor but also a good friend to so many other girls she competes with, offering them tips and offers to practice with them.

All those endless hours of practice and trailering to shows all over the state paid off.  Equestrian Girl had set some high goals for herself with the highest being to make it into the Top 20 for 13 and under at the NATIONAL level.  I'm more than proud to say...they did it!!!!!  My beautiful little girl and her pony are #17!!!!

On top of that, they are top 3 for the Zone Award (Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky), and are the year end high point winners for Michigan Paint Horse Club for BOTH 13 and Under and Novice Youth!!!    Team Stanley ROCKS!!

Wacky Weather

I was so excited the other night to look out the window and see this:

We've had so little snow this winter and it was coming down HARD!  Would we get buried in snow?  Nope.  It stopped not long after this picture and two days later...it was 50 degrees.  It's January and we live in Michigan and the lack isn't even frozen over.  This is getting ridiculous.  Our horse is even shedding - he thinks spring is on the way apparently.

Birthday Dinner

While Equestrian Girl and I don't actually share a birthday, with mine being a few days before Christmas and hers a few days after, we do share a dinner out to save the budget.

She tried mussels.  Liked them.  A lot.

She liked her dinner a lot too but was getting tired.  A full day of shopping, first with mom and then with dad, is pretty tiring.

Scott cleaned his plate.  As always.

Motocross Boy/Man didn't do as well with only half of his meat (Cajun beef tenderloin tips) gone.

I had a seafood dish - mostly lobster - in a puff pastry that was delicious.  We were at Stillwater Grill in Brighton.  Yum!

Another Deetroit Sunrise - December 28th

One of the things I enjoy the most about working in the RenCen is the sunrises over the Detroit River.  Some are uneventful but so many are just stunningly beautiful.  This was just before 8 am this morning.  You can see Caesars Palace Casino at the far right...