I Heart Faces: Pets

So last week I missed the deadline, and this week I'm early. But when I saw that the theme at I Heart Faces for this week's photo contest was pets, I knew which one I had to enter. About a month ago I rented the glorious Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 lens. Holy smokes, it's a beautiful lens. Sending it back was painful. This was one of the first shots I took with it, straight out of the packaging. When an image can make me think more fondly of my furniture-destroying, loud-yapping, barf-on-the-rug, but lovable dog, that's sayin' something.



Be sure to check out other entries over at IHF!

Earth Day Goodies

Tomorrow is Earth Day. In honor of the environmental movement in America, land of gas-guzzlers, McMansions, and overconsumption, I thought I'd also add the overwhelming cuteness of Evan.



AAAANNNND, if you're really feeling the green, Yahoo.com posted a list of retailer freebies that you can spend the entire day driving around town to get! (Please tell me I'm not the only one who sees the irony in this?)

* At participating Starbucks, you can bring in a reusable mug on April 22 to get free brewed coffee or tea.

* Origins is offering a trade-in program on Earth Day. Receive a free full-size face cleanser when you bring one of your empty skin-care bottles (from any brand) to an Origins retail store or department-store counter for recycling. Choose from A Perfect World Antioxidant Cleanser With White Tea or Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash.

* Evos is giving away free organic milkshakes on Earth Day. The healthy fast-food chain has locations in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina.

* At the Disney Store, you can trade in five disposable plastic bags for recycling and receive a free reusable shopping bag on April 22.

* Lowe's is giving away one million trees on April 23.

* Kmart is offering discounts on everything from air conditioners to TVs on April 22.

* Drugstore.com is giving up to 60% off on green and natural products through April 22.

* All 394 U.S. national parks have free admission now through Sunday, April 24.

* Travelocity has green hotels on sale for up to 40% off. You can also enter to win two round-trip Virgin America tickets and a couple of nights at an eco-friendly hotel.

* The Yoga Journal offers a free digital download of the May issue.

* The Sierra Club's Earth Day contest gives a chance to win a trip for two to Vieques Island in the Caribbean -- you just add a green pledge to the map.

* On Target's website, you can enter the Refresh Your Nest sweepstakes through the end of the month. The grand prize is a home makeover that's valued at up to $50,000. You can also win a trip to Napa Valley, a Nikon camera, products from Burt's Bees or Tom's of Maine, and more.


Confession: I'll probably still go to Starbucks for the free coffee. I can't fight the addiction.

Wind

I missed the deadline for IHF's photo contest this week but I'll still post this since it was one of my favorites from a recent trip and I thought it fit the IHF theme of Wind. Over the weekend I visited the plains of Colorado. The wind intensity was second only to the Ring of Kerry in Ireland.

This photo was taken at the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg. The sanctuary is an illustration of both sadness and hope, where exotic animals are rescued from dire and often abusive situations. Here they are cared for, rehabilitated, and allowed to roam in wide open stretches of land for the remainder of their lives. I'll post photos of the animals soon, but the picture below shows the flags waving (and, as you'll notice, ripped to shreds!) by the intense wind of the Colorado plains. The woman in the photo stepped into the frame at just the right moment, hanging on to her hat (and her camera!) while casting her eyes towards the lions in the distance.

This is wind.

Puny Bunny

Evan had his third set of ear tubes placed last week, as well as an adenoidectomy. I think I must have been focused on Evan or mentally blocked the part where they told us in advance they'd have to intubate him and give him an IV. Poor little guy, the tube was the worst part. It irritated his throat and he refused to eat or drink until that evening. He's now back to his normal, happy-go-lucky, pop-song-singing self. But this was what my puny little bunny looked like that day. No one call the paci police on us. You'd have done it too if you'd seen how pitiful he was that day.

Baby Sings the Blues

It's not really the blues, but the lyrics are pretty funny coming from a 2-year-old.

And, pardon the outburst at the Mamarazzi at the end. Like most celebrities, he gets a little tired of the camera in his face.

Toddler Unleashed

Spring has sprung in the Ohio Valley and I don't think anybody is happier about this than Evan. I can get him to do all sorts of things he'd normally scoff at, as long as he's outside.

Example 1: Fill the bird feeder.




Example 2: Walk the dog (and the dad).



Example 3: Practice yoga outdoors.



and Example 4: Go for a Sunday drive.





He's also pretty adept at watering the flowers. As soon as we get home after school he goes to check on them. I think he's doing a pretty good job.