Say Cheese!

Hello, all!

I have always loved taking photos, but since I moved to Japan, the occasional urge to take a shot or two has blossomed into something more.  I took my camera with me everywhere, to work, to the store, on vacation, wherever I went, my camera went with me.  I took photos of everything!  People, things, events, you name it, I shot it!  I love traveling, and every time I went off on my adventures, my camera was along to document the stories I found.  And after years of waiting, debating, and researching on what models were available, I finally made the big purchase... a DSLR.  And just when my new camera and I were getting acquainted, it happened...

My son was born.

                                                                                                My and my Tigger

Nothing can describe my joy at the birth of my healthy, happy baby.  He was everything I was hoping for... and a whole handful more than that!  And before I knew it, months had gone by, and my camera was doing nothing but collecting dust.  Oh, I was taking photos of Tigger, but mostly with my smart phone, or my husband's compact camera.  The photographer in me began stirring, and as my son and I would take our daily walk, that little voice in the back of my head would say... "Now there's a nice shot."  "If only you had your camera." And so on.

And so, here we are!  Mommy Camerman, that's what I am!  Time to dust off the camera (the good one) and take it with me on our daily walk.  You never know when the perfect shot will come along!

Let's begin with one of our first family outings, at the end of June.  We had decided to go searching for hydrangeas, a very popular early summer flower here in Japan, known in Japanese as "ajisai."  We found ourselves at Matsutaneyama Park in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, with a hillside FULL of blooming hydrangea.    Tigger had recently reached 6 months of age, and we decided that we should take advantage of the nice weather before the heat and humidity of Japanese summer set in.

He's not quite sure what to think about them!  (^o^)

So, these come in different colors, huh?

Some butterflies came by to say hello.  They don't stay still for long, so we had to be quick!

Some were just starting to fill out.

Other flowers were also in bloom,

Including some roses!











Thus ended the Great Hydrangea Adventure.  It was a great day! June 6, 2013
On to the next adventure!