For A Moment Photography

Smore's, Camp Fire, Sing-Alongs and Outdoor Book Nook

 

Race ya!

Dancing to Ratlin Bog Song.

Singing camp song: you can't ride in my little red wagon!

Dad and Bugga making smores.

Look, it's perfect!

Presley had her first camp fire of the summer!  Well first camp fire with her camp group, The Woozles.  It was a small group because summer is just getting started here in the North country.  That worked out well because Presley is still getting to know some of her camp leaders.  She seems to have her favorites, but it's still early in the season!

We walked out ot the fire ring just a short walk into the woods.  We made a camp fire and sang a few camp songs!  I love it just about as much as Presley does.  I'm really hoping this year I can talk someone here into making a book of all the camp songs.  Last year we only seemed to remember three of the dozen or so sing-along songs.

There are a lot of new counselors so it's fun to see Presley when she recognizes a few of the counselors from last year.  She just starts hoping in place with a huge smile on her face.  Then she can't seem to say a word to them and just giggles while hiding behind my arm or back...

Before we went to the camp fire we set up her book nook or as Presley has named it, Presley's Secret Book Hideout.  It's sort of nestled between the trees and away from the water.  I really hope to add and change things to the nook (it needs color) as the summer rolls on but it's a great start for now! 

Presley's Secret Book Hideout  (named by Presley).

Lake George, we're here!... Ahhh....

Sunset.

Camp Fire.

Our Dock.

The Blue Truck.  

 

I can't believe we've only been here two days, it t feels like so much longer.  I have to believe it's because Ticonderoga/Silver Bay is such a small community.  On our arrival we ran into some friends at the pizza place and made plans to meet up for Ticonderoga's High School graduation the following morning.  In less than 24 hours Presley had her first play date and did a little swimming with some summer friends...

I'm hoping that the next few days we can create a bit of a routine and get into the swing of all things summer.  As usual we have lots of plans and not enough time!  I plan on taking a lot of photos and would love to make the annual trip to Boston, Burlington, Saratoga, Middlebury and maybe Cape Cod.  I'll be happy if we get to do 50% of those trips...    

I'm lucky that I've already have plans on photographing a couple different clients this summer.  This year I have a wedding in Speculator, NY which I'm really excited about!  We'll also be taking some engagment photos so I have lots of planning to do already...  I was sad to discover my blue truck is no longer here!  Ugh, I wanted to get a photo of Presley there again this year.  I'm sure I'll find something else to fall in love with here!...

It's great to be back in the Adirondacks and I can't wait to see everyone and hear all that I've missed in the past 9 months.  The idea of the photos that I have yet to take is thrilling, I'm a dork I know...  Ahhh, so excited I can't even focus!     

 

The Payson Getaway

The Getaway

The kiddos

The Roger!

With the weather creeping up my girlfriend Keri and I decided to make a run for cooler tempurtures in Payson.  Having just been there a week before I knew exactly where we should stay!  Dead Mule Ranch, Geno and Roger (his dog) are the owners and visionary of this peaceful getaway.  

Dead Mule Ranch is located outside of Payson, Arizona on a dirt road nestled in the woods.  Most of the time all we heard was the wind blowing thru the trees and our two kids running screaming and playing!  It was the most relaxing weekend I've had in a while.  For the most part my phone didn't work except in the meadow- sometimes, no t.v. and it was perfect.  

Our day consisted of eating, sending the kids outside to play while we sat on the porch, small walks in the woods (this places backs up to National Forest), walks to other parts of the property and that was it!  The kids had so much fun they played outside all day, they didn't fight and they ate their vegetables (hee hee).  I was worried we would be bored or they would, but it was just perfect (have I said that yet?).  The night sky was so dark and there were so many stars.  It felt so nice to just slow down and enjoy, well the porch.

The cabin was reconstructed by Geno and he has such a great eye for rustic design.  The stove is from the 1930's and the refrigerator is from the 1950's you know a time when they made things to last...  If I'm not mistake all the wood used is reclaimed so it's a green building.  The one thing that stands out in my mind is that yes it's all rustic but it's made well so nothing feels fragile or old.

The price is so reasonable!  We rented the place for $125 a night.  The rates may change with the seasons I'm not sure but it was so worth it and I want to go back.  Every morning I would wake up and hear Keri's son say, "This is awesome, I never want to leave".  He also said, "I will remember this trip for like a year!"  I love it, he's 5 years old.

Geno was so great and so accommodating.  Roger the dog is such a cool old dog he hung on the porch and when Geno said "bang" Roger would roll over and pretend to die.  The kids loved both Geno and Roger and asked several times to go to Geno's house to ask him questions about spiders, bones and elk...

If you want to escape the heat, see some snow, or elk go to Dead Mule Ranch!  I promise you'll love it.  Stop at Safeway (for supplies) in Payson and don't plan on leaving the ranch, trust me you won't want to!  I added a few photos below from the Facebook page of Dead Mule Ranch.  I don't get anything for posting this I just love it want to share this spot with all of you!   

Elk in velvet.  This is the back yard!

The neighbor.  

 

How to Care for your Swimwear ♛

So I have a lot of swim suits and buy a few every year.  We spend a lot of time in the water and I look at swim suits like outfits.  If I'm going to be on a beach for a week I don't want to wear the same suit every day.  I think most girls think this way, guys I'm not to sure about.

Not to long ago I had a girlfriend mention to me she likes my suits but doesn't buy stuff like that because they get ruined in the wash (even though she washed them on gental cycle).  This surprised me, I always hand wash my suits so I figured every girl did.  Then I told her how I do it and she said, "I never thought about that!  You should blog about it"  Ok why not!...

Here's my secret to keeping my suits from losing their shape!  I take them in the shower with me and hand wash them with baby soap or femine wash.  Baby soap can be expensive so most of the time I use femine wash because I know it's a gentle wash and it's cheap...

Occaionally I will put a suit in the washer but only after a beach swim.  It drives me crazy when I get sand in between the two lining layers.  I also try to only swim in my more casual suits on the beach, I've ruin a few with sand.  We all spend a lot of money on our swim wear and they should last a few seasons.  I'm sad to say I have a few that are starting to lose their shape but I've had them for over 5 years so I think I've got my wear out of them!