Hot Blown Glass

As a kid who grew up watching endless programming from PBS, those programs helped to shape a great sense of curiosity in me. I especially loved seeing videos of how things were made or how they worked behind the scenes. I know I’m not the only one—I’ve had conversations with other people about the “how crayons are made” video in particular.

I now love tours (see my post from a few years ago about the Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory in Boulder, CO) and taking classes to try my own hand at new projects.

Glass blowing is one of those arts that I’ve seen plenty of on TV but have never before had the opportunity to see it in person. When I learned that there’s a glass-blowing studio in Hendricks County, I put it on my radar. Finally, an opportunity to visit and profile it for the HCCVB blog came up.

Seeing some glass blowing done in person, then getting to see samples of finished pieces next door, really made me appreciate the practice and artistry that goes into this. If you have any desire to try it yourself, check out my post on the HCCVB blog for a list of several workshops coming up this fall. 

Second Saturdays: Hot Blown Glass

Just south of Cartersburg Road between Danville and Plainfield, Ind. in Hendricks County, marked with a simple white sign by the road, you can find one of the most unique, hands-on art studios in the state: Hot Blown Glass, Ltd.

As part of the Rural Routes to Main Street Second Saturdays schedule, Hot Blown Glass is open to the public from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month. Lisa’s hot shop is one of very few of its kind in the state of Indiana, and after seeing glass-blowing many times on TV, I was excited to see this done in person.

It was just as fascinating as I’d hoped. Read more…

Interesting stories from the life science industry

I went to the Indiana Life Sciences Summit a couple weeks ago for work, and the keynote speaker shared some really interesting stories about what's new and exciting in the industry.

I wrote a blog post about it for the company blog, and you can check it out there. Then come back and let me know what stories you found most intriguing or exciting (or scary or disturbing, if you want to go that route)!

Late bloomers

It's the time of year when people from miles away flock to the Midwest to see the leaves turn color in their Autumn glory.

For those of us who live in such an area that cycles through four distinct seasons, it's easy to take the change of seasons—and the arrival of fall colors—for granted. Indiana will be seeing its colors peak over the next couple of weeks.

Brown County, in particular, draws thousands of visitors each year who want to witness the change of seasons and perhaps get a start on their Christmas shopping in Nashville. There's even an online Leafcam where you can check the progress of the fall colors as often as your heart desires, from the comfort of your chair at home. Weather.com also has an ever-changing map of the status of fall colors.

People are a little crazy about their fall colors!

Looking for more?

The Indiana Office of Tourism Development has a site devoted to fall activities around the state, including festivals, wineries, markets (Beasley's Orchard is highlighted, as well as one of my favorite places on the northwest side of Indy, Traders Point Creamery), and they even have a blog category devoted to fall color.

As we approach peak, I'm going to be toting my camera around. In the meantime, I caught these late-blooming flowers—a petunia above, and a rose below—that are sending us out of summer in style. 

Balloon glow

August means it's State Fair time in Indiana, and this year, I got to see something that I've been wanting to for years: the evening glow of the hot air balloons.

The annual balloon race has been a tradition for many years, though it was just moved to Saturday morning (from Friday) a few years ago. For me, this is great news, because it actually gives me a chance to see it. The night before the race, the balloons gather in the infield of the fairgrounds. They inflate but don't leave the ground, and as the sunlight fades, the light of the propane burners turns the balloons into giant lanterns.

The field is clear of spectators while the balloons are being inflated, but we were able to watch from outside the fenced area and see part of the process.

Each balloon, as it was inflating, had one or two team members holding tight to a tether on the very top, keeping it straight and (for the most part) away from its neighbors.

It looked a bit like they were playing tug-o-war with Goliath.

The sight of the illuminated balloons is truly spectacular. You can help but smile in awe, whether you're six or 86.

The evening's emcee had the pilots do several coordinated "all glows," where they all lit up together (as you see below).

When all the balloons had successfully inflated, we were cleared to come closer and wander amongst them.

I was amazed by the intensity of the heat that emanates from the propane burners, and I didn't get any closer than about 15 feet away. I can imagine that the people in the actual basket stay pretty toasty on cool morning rides!

If I had a good opportunity to go for a ride in a hot air balloon, I'd take it. So far, the cost has been prohibitive for me (expect to shell out around $300 for a trip!), but maybe someday I'll suck it up and get a chance to do it.

Have you ever ridden in a balloon? Would you?

Historic Indianapolis 500 weekend

When you live in Indiana, the month of May features one very big event: the Indianapolis 500. Life during this time of the year revolves around the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. It's so big, road construction calendars all around Indianapolis are structured around the incoming traffic for the race.

It's an incredible event, and the 500 Festival plans dozens of activities with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to celebrate it and get fans involved. It really kicks off with the Mini-Marathon on the first Saturday in May -- the largest Mini in the U.S. -- which deserves attention all by itself.

Six years ago, I earned the opportunity to be involved with the festivities as a 500 Festival Princess. Thirty-three of us (the same number of cars in the starting lineup of the race) represented Indianapolis and Indiana at all of the events leading up to the race, and it was an unforgettable experience!

Today officially kicks off both Memorial Day Weekend and Race Weekend. This year's race is especially worth paying attention to, because it's the 100th anniversary of the very first Indianapolis 500-mile Race. The Indy 500 is often listed as one of those things you MUST do before you die, and I agree!

If you're new to the festivities, you can fill your long weekend with race activities. Here's what you can expect to find (with some of my photos from 2005 to help illustrate!).

On the Friday morning before Sunday's race, a memorial service is held on the Circle in downtown Indianapolis. It concludes with a ceremonial flyover that is sure to leave goosebumps on everyone's arms.

Usually, Saturday's main event is the 500 Festival Parade. All 33 drivers can be seen in the parade, in starting order, and it's bigger than ever this year, with 300,000 people expected to come and see it. (Can you picture what 300,000 people looks like?) Anderson Cooper is this year's Grand Marshall, and local mascot-celebrity Butler Blue II will be a featured honoree in the parade.

As I said above, usually Saturday's main event is the parade. But I actually think a special event at the track this year looks really cool: To celebrate the centennial, more than 100 veterans of the Indianapolis 500 will be on hand for one big autograph event. Activities at the track on Saturday aren't often publicized, so this is really a cool opportunity.

Race day morning on Sunday starts bright and early for anyone going to the race. The race itself starts at noon ET this year, but if you want to park anywhere near the track, it means hitting the road by 9:00 a.m. -- and that may be pushing it.

My experience as a Princess -- the one time I've been to the race -- probably spoiled me for life. We met early at the Festival House and had the luxury of being chauffeured to the race in buses with a police escort.

Yeah, that's not the normal experience.

Each member of the 500 Festival's Board of Directors gets to drive a special car during the month of May, which in 2005 were yellow convertible Chevrolet SSRs.

The Princesses arrived at the track around 9:30, and we got to take a couple quick laps around the track to wave to the crowds already claiming their seats. The track is a 2.5-mile oval, and it takes a trip around it (which the public can do on Community Day the Wednesday before the race) for the sheer size to really sink in.

 The glass building in the center of this photo is the Pagoda. This current building was finished in 2000, but there have been several iterations of this building during the history of the Speedway. It was from the 500 Festival's third-floor suite in the Pagoda that I got to watch the race. Again, it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Even if you're not a race fan, you can't help but get swept up in awe during the race. The sound is incomparable. In 2005, I was there to see Danica Patrick lead some laps of the race -- the first time a woman has ever led in the Indy 500. Each time she came around the track, the cheers from the crowd outdid the roar of the engines. Goosebumps again.

As a photographer, I found this especially interesting: when the race is nearing its conclusion, a metal stand was wheeled out with numbers marking spots, and a bevy of photographers lined up and whipped out their massive lenses. The toting the weight of those cameras and lenses must have been a real workout for them, especially since the race often falls on one of the hottest days of spring!

One of the most recognized traditions for the winner involves drinking milk in the Winner's Circle after the race. Dan Wheldon won in 2005, and I got to stand just above the Winner's Circle and see it up close.

Finally, each winner's face is sculpted and added to the Borg-Warner Trophy, which is housed in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum 11 months out of the year. It's not until you get next to it that you realize the sheer scale of this trophy -- it weighs 110 pounds! The winner gets a replica to keep.

This is a really exciting time to live in the Indianapolis area. Memorial Day weekend always signals the start of summer, but I can't imagine it without the Indy 500.

The Speedway has a great YouTube channel with lots of clips from memorable Indy 500 moments over the years, if you have time to check some of it out. I'm sure they'll be adding more in the coming days.

Happy holiday weekend! How will you be celebrating?

Magnolias in bloom

One of my favorite sights in early spring in Indiana is the blooming Magnolia trees. I love how they explode into color, granting us a break from the dreary monotones of winter.

I dedicated part of my lunch hour recently to photographing a tree. I essentially stood in one spot for 15 minutes, changing lenses a few times, and walked away with nearly 100 images. Here are a few of my favorites!

Happy Easter, and happy spring to you.

Butler Blue 2 is making a big splash in social media

As a proud Butler University alumna whose desk is decorated with plenty of BU paraphernalia, I wrote a new post for my company's blog today that highlights some of the great work BU is doing on the social media front. I'm by no means an objective author, but don't hold it against me!

Lucky dog knows how to leverage the power of social media

Butler Blue 2, Butler University’s charismatic English Bulldog mascot, has embraced national-celebrity status and is putting his personality to work in promoting the University. What began several years ago as a blog and collection of cute videos has now become a top-notch integrated social-media campaign that is engaging fans – including potential students and donors – around the country.

He blogs. He Tweets. He connects with fans on Facebook. He has his own photo stream on Flickr. A live webcam allows fans to check in on him during the day while he’s at work. He even has his own channel on YouTube.

Blue 2 first earned national attention when Butler surprised the nation by becoming the Cinderella team of last year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. With the tournament being held in Indianapolis that year – Blue 2’s hometown – he was able to easily attend the games, as he does regularly on campus at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Fast forward 11 months, and the NCAA ruled that he would not be allowed to attend this year’s early-round games. The rule says no live mascots are allowed in the first few rounds. A maelstrom of fan disappointment ensued, and the University communications team admirably leveraged that support. They created Blue 2 masks for fans to print out and wear to the game to show their support of their mascot, protest his exclusion, and allow Blue 2 to be there in spirit.

When Butler made it into the Final Four, the NCAA decided he would be allowed to travel to Houston to participate in the festivities and support his team. In the spirit of a true celebrity, Blue 2 shared the announcement with his 4,500+ followers on Twitter and Facebook.

Local and national media alike have jumped on board, interviewing him (and his “dad”, Michael Kaltenmark, Director of Web Communications), covering his 7th birthday party thrown by the University, even following him through his pre-travel pampering session (which included a bath and pedicure). National entertainment-network TMZ has even been profiling the happy dog’s movements. (ESPN's Kenny Mayne doesn't appear to be a fan, but he's one of the very few.)



Butler’s marketing efforts during March Madness have extended well beyond Blue 2, though he has arguably become the University’s second-most sought-after spokesperson, er, dog, following members of the basketball team, of course. After each win, alumni received eblasts within hours that included printable posters (to show your spirit at the office), trivia contests for prizes, viewing-party information, and an invitation to send fan photos that would be shared through the various alumni social-media accounts. Word has it that the students who man the school’s telemarketing efforts have been especially active this week, too, looking to capitalize on the spirit and capture monetary support for the University.

Kudos to Butler University for embracing these opportunities and using it to promote the school. They’re showing what a truly integrated marketing campaign can do for an organization, and we could all learn something by following along.

Butler Blue 2 has managed to master social media, and he doesn’t even have thumbs.

(And I can’t finish this without saying GO BULLDOGS!)

142/365 Ice storm, round 1

[This just in: we now bring you breaking news, interrupting the "breakfast" theme. Because this is more important. And timely. Regular programming will resume soon.]

So, did you hear that there's a winter storm happening? How could you miss it?

The forecast for central Indiana is calling for up to an inch and a half of accumulating ice. Ice. Yikes. You know I'm a fan of weather, and I'm generally fascinated by storms, but this has me downright nervous. I had to turn off the TV and switch to the radio, because coverage of the storm has been nearly nonstop and was only making things worse.

I made two decisions: 1) I'd stay home and ride it out, even though I don't have a fireplace if we lose power. My grandmother, when she lived in this house, rarely used the heat, so I know it won't get that cold. (I hope.) And 2) work from home today. My office ended up closing at noon, anyways, and I was able to be really productive with so few distractions. The kitchen table was my home today.

The first wave let up this morning, leaving nearly half an inch of ice on every surface. Last night, in preparation for the first wave of the storm, I filled bottles, and jugs, and buckets, and pitchers of water. Drinking water, hand- and face-washing water... I think I have enough drinking water to last me at least four days:

 And, let's not forget, buckets of water nearby for flushing the toilet!

I also made a big pot of soup (a new recipe, three-bean chili, and it was great!), so I should be set! Now I'm just crossing my fingers that nothing will happen because I'm prepared. Isn't that how it's supposed to work?

Wherever you are, stay safe -- and stay tuned!


Camera: Canon 40D
First photo: With 60mm macro lens, 1/125s, f/4 at ISO 125 at about 1:00 p.m.
Second and third photos: With 430EX Speedlite, 1/125s and 1/250s, f/5.6 at ISO 100

100/365 Corn, ready for harvest

It's harvest time in central Indiana!

For some reason, it seems like harvesting began earlier this year than usual, but that perception may just be due to the fact that I'm flabbergasted that we've reached the end of September. It could also be influenced by the lack of rain we've had since July, so the crops dried out sooner.

Regardless, it's now officially fall, and that means harvest time, squash time, cool-evening time, dark-morning time, and apple-cider time.

Where did the year go? Are you as shocked as I am that it's nearly October?

Camera: Canon 40D, 1/640s, f/5.6 at ISO 100 at about 5:30 p.m.

60/365 Symphony on the Prairie

I love Indianapolis, and having access to annual events like Symphony on the Prairie just makes me love it even more.

For those of you scratching your heads, saying, "Huh?", allow me to elaborate and make you just a teeny bit jealous.

Each summer, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra holds weekend performances at Conner Prairie, a living history museum on the northeast side of Indianapolis. Conner Prairie is a must-do field-trip destination for school kids all around central Indiana, because they can spend a day walking through the 1800s, seeing blacksmiths in action, watching how food was cooked over a fire in cabins, and marveling at their ability to wear shorts and tennis shoes that light up when they walk.

(For those of us who grew up west of Indianapolis, we also got a similar experience on a slightly smaller scale with field trips to Billie Creek Village in Rockville.)

Then, on the weekends, it's the adults' turn. They (I can say "we" now) flock to the Prairie, toting their collapsible lawn chairs, wheeled coolers (though I didn't see any that were nearly as cool as this one), deluxe picnics and bottles of wine. I went to the performance over the Fourth of July weekend, which happens to be one of the highest-attended performances of the year. I haven't found the exact figures, but I do know more than 15,000 people were expected for the weekend of shows.

And boy, did they ever turn up!

We went to Saturday night's performance, and I completely believe there were more than 5,000 people there with us. We arrived nearly two hours before show time, and it took some searching to find a spot to sit. As you can see in these photos, we were in the trees. It was both a good and bad thing: good, in that we were in the shade until the sun went down; bad, in that our view of the amphitheater was a little obstructed.

But isn't that the great thing about the symphony? You really don't need to see much at all.

Perfect weather, fantastic performance, great experience. I'll definitely be going back!

Camera: Canon 40D, 1/125s, f/5.6 at ISO 100 at about 7:30 p.m. and 1/50s, f/3.5 at ISO 800 at about 9:00 p.m.

49/365 Indiana wine country

I don't ordinarily think of grapes being grown in Indiana, but I think that has more to do with my awareness rather than a statement about the land and climate. Exhibit A: My parents' grape vines are loaded with fruit this year.

Indianapolis Monthly actually published an article last year about the owner of Oliver Winery in Bloomington and his belief that Indiana is actually a great place to grow grapes and produce wine. I found the article to be really interesting, and it gave me some different insight into the ins and outs of cultivating grapes for wine.

Who knows, maybe Indiana is the next big wine region on the horizon!

Camera: Canon 40D, 1/125s, f/4 at ISO 100 at about 5:30 p.m.

265/365 Growth in Indianapolis

I attended my second positive press conference of the year last week. This one, like the last one, announced the creation of jobs in Indiana, and both the governor of Indiana and the mayor of Indianapolis were on hand for the announcement. This time it was the announcement of jobs being added by the newly renamed BC Forward.

[Excuse that big Christmas tree, it was blocking my view.]

I find it interesting to see how things like this work behind the scenes. You see press conferences on the news all the time, but it's always different to be in the audience watching it in person. Unless you're directly affected by the news, it's honestly not that exciting.

A bunch of people gather around, out walks the Important People, they make their announcement, take some questions, and that's that. I'm sure it's much different when the news is controversial or negative. But both of these in my experience have been low-key and positive.

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD1000 with flash

150/365 Road closed

It's been said that there are two seasons in Indiana: winter and construction.

Well, right now, it's definitely construction season. I feel like I can't drive in a straight line in any direction without being forced to take a detour. And my car ends up coated in a fine layer of dirt and cement dust.

I had just found a new, predictable route to work, too, and this week I had to alter it. Again.

Sigh.

Will it ever be done?

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD1000 at about 5:30 p.m.

146/365 The amazing Keith Urban

I don't go to many concerts. I usually spend my big-ticket money on Broadway tours and theater performances instead of music concerts.

In my lifetime, I've been to just three of what I would consider "big" concerts. The first, a gift for my sixteenth birthday, was Ricky Martin. Talk about a high-energy concert! Definitely enjoyable.

The second was just last April, when Mom and I saw Michael Buble at Conseco Fieldhouse. A fantastic concert, well worth the ticket.

And now, I can add a third to my list: Keith Urban! The part that's a little sad is the fact that I've been a fan of country music for as long as I can remember, but last night was the first time I've ever attended a country-music concert. I grew up listening to it, my radio alarm has been tuned to WFMS since I was in elementary school, and no matter how much people look down on it, I continue to love it.

Well, if you're going to go, go all out, right? The part that truly made this opportunity unique is the fact that I won these tickets in a radio contest! It wasn't until I got to Will Call to pick them up that I found out where we would be sitting.

Fifteenth row. Awesome!

That meant I had the chance to get some great photos, even if it meant standing up all night long.

Jason Aldean opened the concert. He's a rising star in the industry, with some recent number-one hits.

Many people in the crowd actually bought their tickets to see Jason Aldean, not Keith Urban.

I don't know what's wrong with them, but to each his own, I suppose.

Jason Aldean was good, though not fantastic. I don't think he's headliner material yet, but he certainly has plenty of fans already.

I, on the other hand, have been a fan of Keith Urban's since before he made it big. He's one of the most talented guitarists in country music, he's an excellent singer, and when I buy one of his albums, I'm confident that it's one I'll enjoy listening to from beginning to end.

If I were to name my favorite country artist, he would be it. And that made last night's concert even sweeter.

He -- and his bandmates -- put on a fantastic show. The icing on the cake was the gratitude and appreciation he showed for his fans. He made multiple trips into the audience, and not just quick little jaunts into the fourth row.

He sang one whole song at the front of the grandstand, which started behind a fence past the first 30ish rows of seats. When he got to the mike, the first thing he said, laughing, was, "So, who has the good seats now?"

Through the rest of the concert he made more trips to the far edges of the grandstand, singing for the people on the fringes of the "cheap seats." He spent verses in the middle of the aisle at ground level, where we were, and when a woman fell in the crowd's enthusiasm to get closer, he helped her up and gave her a hug on his way.

The night was fantastic, higher than my expectations could have ever been. And it makes me feel even better about supporting this fantastic artist.

Camera: Canon 40D, 1/125s, f/5.6 at ISO 200 (first photo) and 1/80s, f/4.5 at ISO 1250 (second and third photos), between 7:30 and 11:00 p.m.

128/365 U.S. Senior Open

I think of my friend Aaron as I write this post. Why? Because he's the biggest golf fan I know, and he probably would have given his left pinkie to take my place yesterday.

The U.S. Senior Open is being held this week on the north side of Indianapolis, at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel. One of my clients at work was involved in putting on the event, so I went to the course during one of the practice rounds yesterday.

What would really make Aaron laugh is the fact that I, being completely uneducated about any players not regularly mentioned in the media, could only discern players from caddies by watching to see who carried the bags.

Sorry!

I did make sure to get a photo of each of the relevant boards displaying the players' names, though, so I could later Google them and try to match faces and names. So here it goes.

In the top photo, the guy in the black hat might be Larry Mize. And the guy in the green shirt is either Mark Wiebe or Scott Simpson.

The guy walking below? I think it's Javier Sanchez.

The final photo here isn't of anyone famous (well, at least I don't think so), it just makes me chuckle.

Check out the kid, intent on his putting game, bent over assessing the situation. Now check out his dad, not quite as enthralled, checking his watch.

Looks about right, doesn't it? Maybe I'm wrong and this kid is the next Tiger-in-training, the guy checking his watch is his trainer, and they're working on making his putting the fastest, most accurate putt possible.

Doubt it. But who knows?

Oh, and for the weeping Aaron, wishing he could be out watching practice himself -- if it makes you feel any better, my uneducated self wore the wrong shoes and now has a blister. I guess it's just karma.

Camera: a borrowed Nikon D300 (talk about a mental challenge -- everything spins or is located in the opposite way as a Canon), 1/250s and 1/500s, f/8 at ISO 200 between 3:15 and 4:00 p.m.

79/365 An earlier season

This blog has proven to be useful in more ways than one, and in this case, it's serving as seasonal documentation.

In what way specifically? I've found that the cherries have ripened several weeks earlier this year than last.

Last year, I posted my photo of ripening cherries on June 15. And we picked them and made crisp on June 22.

This year? We picked and enjoyed our cherry crisp on June 8. The cherries on the tree in this photo are post-picking.

I wonder, what aspect of our difference in seasons made the cherries ripen early? Is that a good thing, a bad thing, or just a thing?

Camera: Canon 40D with 60mm macro lens, 1/125s, f/2.8 at ISO 250 at about 7:30 p.m.

74/365 Roses and rocky weather

Having a birthday at the beginning of June more than once has meant rocky weather and canceled outdoor plans.

But not this year! The day itself, June 4, 2009 was a beautiful, breezy 70-degree day. I clipped a rose from a bush at home and photographed it in the warm evening sunshine.

In past years, some of the state's most turbulent weather has occurred within a week on either side of my birthday.

June 2, 1990 -- One of the largest and most widespread tornado outbreaks ravaged Indiana and the surrounding states. 37 of 65 tornadoes hit Indiana.

I remember this day clearly. We lived in my family's previous house, which did not have a basement. My grandparents were in town from Michigan, celebrating my birthday a couple days earlier, when the sirens started sounding the alarm. We gathered various birthday items and ran to the neighbor's basement under green skies.

I think that day may have ingrained in me both my fascination with meteorology and fear of tornadoes.

May 30 - June 9, 2008 -- Nine tornadoes hit central Indiana during this time span, and serious flooding followed. SightSalad was up and running during those 10 days, so I was able to document some of the activity. First, I was at the opening of Sex and the City when we lost power and had to be evacuated from the theater. Then, on my birthday, vibrant lightning lit the skies. Finally, some areas of Indiana received nearly 11 inches of rain, causing unprecedented flooding.

And this year? June 2, 2009 -- Baseball-sized hail hit northeast Indianapolis.

Nevertheless, I enjoy having a birthday that falls in warm-weather months, six months from Christmas. I'd rather battle thunderstorms than snow.

Camera: Canon 40D with 60mm macro lens, 1/125s, f/2.8 at ISO 100 in direct sunlight at about 7:00 p.m.

67/365 Positive press conference attendance

I attended my first press conference today for work. BioStorage Technologies, a company in Indianapolis, is expanding its headquarters here and will be adding 125 new jobs (more than doubling its current size).

Mitch Roob, Indiana's Secretary of Commerce, was on hand for the event (speaking in the photo above), as well as Indianapolis' mayor Greg Ballard (below).

This is certainly good news for Indianapolis and the rest of the state, and I'm sure both the state and local government offices were glad to be on hand to share positive news for a change.

All four Indianapolis TV stations were on hand, though only one (WRTV 6) sent a reporter to do a live shot.

I don't know if all press conferences are like this, having never attended one before, but one of the first things that struck me was how incredibly quiet it was in the room. It almost reminded me of a funeral, even though everyone was there to hear and share good news.

Perhaps the silence was just a result of the formality of the event. Regardless, it was definitely an interesting way to start the day.

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD1000 indoors under fluorescent lighting

66/365 Wishing for more wheat fields

I don't hold anything against fields of corn and soybeans, but I do wish that more farmers in central Indiana grew wheat. It's beautiful in both its alive-and-growing and ready-to-harvest forms.

Right now, fields like this one are awash with waving, healthy greens.

It's attractive up close, too.

Then when the crop matures and is ready to harvest, these same fields evolve into a warm, golden sea. I caught that stage in time to photograph last year, and it's one of my top ten favorites from the first year of Project 365.

You can bet I'll be revisiting this field with my camera in the coming months.

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD1000 at about 5:45 p.m.

61/365 Congratulations, Chase!

As evidence that time has flown by, my little (relative term) brother has officially completed his college education.

He's now an alumnus of Indiana University in Bloomington, holds a degree, and is ready to for his trek into the real world.

Can he -- and I -- really be that old?

It seems like just yesterday that I was helping him scour through the IU course catalog, searching for a major that didn't involve Calculus and did involve spending time outside. We found one that suited him perfectly, he stuck with it for four full years (an accomplishment in itself), and he's done!

I'm incredibly proud of him. I loved seeing him enjoy school and enjoy going to classes that taught information he was truly interested in. I thought I would fall out of my chair one day when he mentioned the idea of one day going to grad school for more education.

Can this really be the same Chase I've known and loved for 22+ years?

We honored him with an open house (which, of course, had a cake with red and white icing) on Saturday and stamped an official end to his college career.

Now, what's next?

Camera: Canon 40D with 60mm macro lens, 1/125s, f/2.8 at ISO 500 lit by window light at about 7:30 p.m.