Thanks For Everything

Greetings to the wonderful community of Blogland! My sincerest apologies for being absent, and I regret to say, that it will be a permanent situation, at least on Blogger. All is well, though! My life is so full; fuller than I ever imagined it could be. 

This last post is an effort to express my deep gratitude for the blogging community. For almost 8 years you let me vent about life and hone my photography skills. Many wise souls in my circle offered advice and counsel for life's struggles. And even when some photos (many) were of questionable quality, you'd still find a way to say something positive. Some of us exchanged gifts and cards with each other. Phone calls were even exchanged with a couple of you. Without YOUR encouragement I would never have grown as much as I have, especially these last three years. I hope I have been a source of support for you, too.

As wonderful as blogging is, in the end, I just couldn't keep up and still do all the things I enjoy doing outdoors. On some days I had to decide if I wanted to kayak or blog. Hmmm, gardening or blogging? Photography or blogging? You get the picture. Unfortunately, I'm not one of those energetic types that can go all day and all night. This ol' gal needs her beauty sleep (and lots of it). 

In November, we lost Sparky to congestive heart failure. Double D purchased this beautiful marble frame and gave it to me for Christmas. Oh, the tears! Sparky disliked having his picture taken, so I didn't have any crisp images to put in it except this one. I called him my "little monkey" because he had such a cute face that I adored. Anyway, I thought the frame said in essence what I want to say to you: Thanks for everything. 

2/9/2002 - 11/16/2015

If any of you are interested in my new ventures, please add my new website to your feed: www.gailadixon.com.

Thanks again for everything. I truly did have a wonderful time.

Oh, Happy Day!

My daughter's wedding in Portland, OR was the most beautiful setting for a ceremony I've ever witnessed. Yes, some things went wrong, but there are so many moments we'll be laughing at later. Like the judge who was late because he was stopped for speeding; then his iPad died while he read the script my daughter had so carefully written. However, my daughter--planner extraordinaire--made two hard copies just in case.

Our connecting flight home was missed because Alaska Airlines had a mechanical malfunction in Portland. The first two days home I slept more than I've ever slept in my life. So here are the only two photos I've been able to edit. Hope you enjoy!

Jason and Autumn - 9/5/2015

Trillium Lake near Mt. Hood - 9/6/2015

A HUGE "THANK YOU" to my dear friend, Bridget for watching our precious Izzy and spoiling her rotten while we were gone. This was an image that B made up for Autumn's wedding day, along with a blessing. Sweetest thing I've seen in a long time. I am so happy to have a creative and caring friend like B!

I'll be 'round to make the rounds soon!

Goin' to the Chapel...

This is my last scheduled post until I return from Oregon around the 8th of September. MY DAUGHTER IS GETTING MARRIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

God truly blessed me with Autumn. She is the perfect daughter, always carrying herself with grace and dignity. She has her father's blue eyes and intelligence, and my mother's gracious personality. I thought I couldn't be prouder when she graduated Cum Laude from college in 2004. Now, I find myself marveling at her life choices and achievements, feeling incredibly proud, and happier than I could've imagined. She simply excels at everything she does. Jason is a warm, loving person and has fit in beautifully with our family. It's a beautiful thing, man.

Hope you enjoy these engagement photos from the talented Haley Lovett. Location is Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens in Portland.

See you all in a few weeks with lots of Portland/wedding photos to share!

Rip Van Winkle Gardens

Here it is, August 16, 2015, and I've finally run out of scheduled posts. Looking through my archives I realized that I never posted my Mother's Day pics. Boy, I have really been slacking on my blog and picture sharing this year. So let's get to it!

We spent a delightful Mother's Day at Rip Van Winkle Gardens in New Iberia, LA. Cafe Jefferson, located on the property, overlooks Lake Peigneur. We chose a table near the water and enjoyed a delicious, sinful meal. The Live Oaks, roaming Peacocks and meticulously manicured grounds made you feel as though you might run into Scarlett O'Hara at any moment. I do declare!

"Seafood Heaven"
Creamy basil sauce with jumbo shrimp, crabmeat chunks and crawfish.
OH. MY. GOODNESS!

White Chocolate Bread Pudding
served with white chocolate and raspberry sauce

In less than three weeks my daughter will be married! Next Monday will be my last scheduled post until I return. Hopefully, I'll have plenty of photos to share of our 10 days in Portland.

Port Hudson

On March 21st I was traveling through St. Francisville, LA and noticed the entrance to the Port Hudson State Historic Site. Curious, I pulled in and stumbled upon the end of a Civil War reenactment. These were fun photos to shoot and edit, although I didn't do much to them. Three presets were used in Lightroom: Sepia Chic, Sugar and Spice Sepia, and B/W Dependable. There were a couple I left in color to break up the monotony. For a few images it was necessary to crop out people in street clothes.

I don't normally post this many photos in one post, but I didn't want to drag it out over two posts. Hope you enjoy.

KABOOM! I caught this right as the cannon in the background went off.
Very surprised it didn't knock me off my feet!