Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Your Mama made you do What?!

When I get the photo bug, there's just no helping it. I have to take pictures. Lots and lots of pictures. For some reason, I've been dying to take photos of the corn fields near our home.

The area we live in is partly rural but also growing and developing in leaps and bounds, so the acres of corn fields have numbered days left, I'm sure. I love the rows and rows of corn and other crops growing alongside the highway and backroads. I made the kids come with me, pulled over along the side of the road and got out with my camera.




The boys were suprisingly game after they were bribed realized how important it was to me.

I used them to show how tall this corn was. Taller than them, as you can see. Donny's about 5 feet tall (and only inches from being taller than I am!!).

Let me take a moment to apologize for something. In my last few posts Remy has been wearing the same shirt...over and over and over again. I'd like to say he has several of the same shirt or I am washing it nightly, but no, this child hates to change clothes and has been wearing this shirt for like a week straight. Bad, I know. He really likes that gold shiny team shirt.

Ok, back to the corn. I went into the towering corn and crouched down to get a picture down the row.

Well, it doesn't really look like corn yet...more like cute little stringy pompoms, actually.




I made the kids come in with me. We went so far in we couldn't see the road or our car anymore. I think they enjoyed venturing into the wild corn forest with me. They're such good sports and still smiling, although Donny started to mention snakes at this point and Remy began to freak out a little!!

Now I'm crouching down even lower. It's like a corn tunnel!! Very cool.
I don't see any snakes.


Now, this is me sitting on the ground, looking up into the sky. I'm a little person, living in the corn field. Look how tall they are!! I'm lost in my own little corn world.


No freakin' way. Look at the bottom of these stalks! They are like little feet or pedestals. Have you ever seen this before? I had no idea it looked like this on the bottom. I'm totally fascinated.




I think I've gone corn crazy. We never grew it on our ranch when I was growing up. But, I do remember playing in a corn field once with my little sister, pretending we were lost in a maze of corn. It was fun. I wanted my boys to feel a little bit of that...and I needed to get in touch with nature again. I love living so close to the country...yet having the convenience of the big city so close by.

I'd really love to own more land. If we weren't so concerned about being in a good school district, I'd be tempted to go for it. Grow plants or animals. I think I could be very content this way.

The sun flowers (or are they black eyed susans?) grow wilda round the corn. So photogenic.



Then, get ready for this, as I'm taking a picture of this thistle...


a butterfly flies into the frame just as I take my photograph. My miracle moment, the money shot!!! I was so excited!! The magic of nature and photography coming together serendipitously.

At this point, I was content. I'd gotten pictures of the corn and nature, and I was happy again.

So, yes, I went a little crazy, but weren't these fun pictures? Did you enjoyed our little field trip?



27 comments:

Chatterness said...

Children of the Corn!! LOL! You take the BEST pics in the whole wide world, girly!! Love em and thanks for sharing them!!

Anonymous said...

I love the pictures!
http://nottryingforaboy.com

Alison B. Osborne said...

What a spontaneous and totally creative thing to do. Your shots are wonderful. Your boys are lucky.

CrystalChick said...

A field trip where no one has to swat bugs, or feel the heat, or deal with a group of kids all wanting to do something different, yeah, your field trip rocks!
Neat butterfly. :)

Jennifer said...

LOVED the "field" trip!! ;)

great pictures. I don't think you over did it at all. i just took 413 pictures the other day in less than an hour. I'm usually the one that has out the camera and goes a little over board. lol

BUT these pictures are really good. your boys are cuties... even if Remy is wearing the same shirt... oh well, he'll grow out of it... I mean the shirt... not sure if it is phase or not. lol I didn't know that corn had "feet" like that either. We live near some farms too, I might have to see what pics I can get of the corn growing by us. :)

and the butterfly! wow! what else can you say?? great shot... it is so clear and peferct! you can see every. single. detail on the butterfly. amazing.

what kind of camera do you have??

have a great day!

xoxoxo

Skeller said...

How fun! Thanks for taking me along on your photo field trip!!! Such wonderful photos - (mostly) happy boys (I bet!), totally happy Mama, and a gorgeous butterfly/thistle piece of art. What more could one ask for?!?

The CDM said...

A-maize-ing.

*token pun punk card thrown*

i beati said...

Here's the thing- we farm girls used to smoke cornsilk cigarettes behind the barn- also those boys in the field,reminds me of those movies with kids coming out of the corn hahahaha I would frame the flowers in the gfreen field stunning.. little award for you at my house blog house that is .sk

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

There are so many times that I have wanted to pull over and take pictures by the side of the road. But didn't because I didn't want to trespass. Or I had no where to park. Or the driver wasn't willing. I am so glad that you just did it. I can live vicariously through you.

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

When we were in Texas last week...I kept seeing fields and fields of those sunflowers, black-eyed susans, daisys, or as Cindy called them "weeds." They are so pretty. And I so wanted her to pull over so I could get pictures. But she wasn't playing my game. I mean I even got strange looks, questions, whatever for taking bird pictures...

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

Oh, and the butterfly shot...how amazing! Something like that would never happen for me. When I was doing my cactus pictures at the Alamo, there was a bee in one of the flowers, but he wouldn't pose for me.

Okay...am I winning yet?!

Indy said...

The shots are gorgeous. I totally get why you had to take these photos. Beautiful.

Kiera said...

Serendipitous...

KP said...

a couple of things:

1. you should watch King Corn. Its an interesting movie about how EVERYTHING has corn in it.

2. GREAT pictures!!! i love the one with the butterfly.

3. I GOT THE PACKAGE AND OMG I LOVE IT. i wish i could have filmed me opening it. my housemates were jealous. I'll take a picture with all the wonderful fabulous things you sent me and post it soon. the HAT. omgosh the hat. i was in target the other day with my boyfriend and was like, I really want to buy this hat but WAIT i have one similar coming in the mail and it was the EXACT same one. so i'm really excited. my roommate practically stole the purse from me, we both love it. thank you so much for everything!!! it's great and i cant wait to show it off!!!

Rhea said...

Chatti Patti - I almost labeled this post Children of the Corn but then decided not to.

Not trying for a boy - Thanks!

Alison - Aww, you're so sweet! I think my boys think I'm nuts sometimes.

Crystal Chick - No bugs or heat with this field trip, great, I know!

Jennifer - over 400 pictures in one hour IS impressive. wow I have a Canon Poweshot S5, which is sort of in between a point-and-shoot and a SDLR. It has amazing zoom.

skeller/Susan - I was so happy with the way the pictures turned out. Thanks!!

Complaint Department Manager - GROAN, that was a good one. lol You're so funny.

Rhea said...

Sandy/i beati - Thank you SO much for the creativity award!! I LOVE it. It's just perfect. You're so sweet.

Kat - Love all the comments. Surely you back to lead commenter. hehe I just can't call wildflowers weeds...they're awesome. :o)

Indy - Thanks! I keep passing miles and miles of corn fields driving around and finally HAD to stop. I didn't want them to get harvested before I had a chance to photograph them.

Kiera - That butterfly shot was totally serendipitous. Totally.

KP - I'm so glad the package arrived!!! And that you loved it! YAY!!! The hat wasn't smushed, was it?

Unknown said...

That is F U N .... you always do such fun things with your boys.... & thanks for being honest about the stinky Gold shirt.... (OK I don't KNOW that it stinks....)
But had you lied... we would have busted you one way or another... ; ) Thanks for all of your support.... I really appreciate it! Tressa

Anonymous said...

You are Outstanding in your field. Get it? Get it? GETTIT???

Lol!!

I am Laura said...

very fun. I love the picture of the roots of some plant and how exciting to have the butterfly come into your shot. Awesome. Good job.

Valarie Lea said...

Those are great pictures, and I do the same thing. :) I got out the other day to take pictures of wheat as it started to grow. It was all green and pretty. :)

Irene said...

Great shots. You're right, the butterfly one is the money shot.

Enjoy those wide open spaces while you can. It wasn't that long ago here in So. Cal. that driving out to Redlands (about 90 minutes from Long Beach) or further reaches of Orange County or on the way down to San Diego it was wide open spaces. Hardly any orange groves left in Redlands and between here and San Diego it has been all built up with housing tracks and shopping centers.

Like County magazine says, I live in the city but long for the country.

KP said...

nope the hat was perfect! :)

thanks again!

Angie's Spot said...

Those are great pics! I learned so much about corn. Thanks for the beautifully illustrated, educational post! :-)

KG said...

I'm with Chatti Patti and immediately thought "CHILDREN OF THE CORN" and then got really excited.

*hangs head in shame*

Catherine said...

Never forget your camera, pleeaase!
Those pictures are great! Hope you don't meet the field owner!

Utter Basketcase said...

LMAO at Remy and his love for his shirt! I was sooo the same with my favourite clothes! Still am!

Great piccys you clever girl! xx

Jules said...

Loved the pictures. City girl that I am, I didn't realize that corn grew quite that big!