Wednesday, September 17, 2008
New blog
It's got new photos of my new baby girl; and the rest of us get into shots occasionally as well.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Church at night
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Christmas 2007
Can't believe we're already marking our second Christmas season for this little blog. The year sailed past without us doing much to keep this thing going. Mostly that's my fault, as Rochelle now has a blog of her own that she posts to regularly.
Ally continues to grow and thrive. She's blossoming into a fascinating and fun little girl. She loves spending time at the church; so much so that she sometimes throws a fit when it's time to leave, even when we've only been dropping in during the week when nobody's around.
Ally's new favorite activity is gymnastics, which seems a perfect outlet for our little dare devil. She's into her third session of Saturday morning classes, and is having a blast.
For me, 2007 could probably be best noted as the year that I got back into photography. I've spent countless hours on Flickr, sharing photos and comments with other fanatics across the globe. Come February, I'll be shooting niece Jill's wedding in Minneapolis. If all goes well, that may become a nice little sideline for me. Right now, though, I'm reading everything I can get my hands on concerning wedding photography, and practicing as much as I can. There will only be one chance to get this right, and I'm a little nervous.
The church still loves Rochelle and we're all very happy to be here. Check out Rochelle's blog (revrochelle.blogspot.com) for more of what's going on in her head.
Merry Christmas, everybody.
John
Monday, October 15, 2007
Over the Edge
over the edge
Originally uploaded by johnrite
Fall has arrived and the rain has started early. I snuck out on a dry morning to check out some of the fall colors and see if I could find Victor Falls, a great little gem not too far from the house. It's a rough climb down the side of a slippery slope to get to the bottom, but it was a great find. The great thing about it is that it's just a few hundred yards back from a busy road I've driven many, many times. Most people who didn't grow up here don't even know it's there. I'd love for you to view the rest of the set. Just click on the photo below.
against the stream
Originally uploaded by johnrite
Friday, September 14, 2007
At camp
dock
Originally uploaded by johnrite
Although it wasn't originally in our plans, we ended up at church camp this summer when Rochelle stepped in at the last minute to rescue one that was in danger of being canceled when the director pulled out. This peaceful shot, taken on a quiet, foggy morning, belies the anarchy and noise that typically defined the place. But, all in all, it was a good experience.
I was on the periphery of the experience, because I had to work. So I'd zip into the IBM office in Olympia most days, and then hang around camp when I could. I was around enough to put together a photo show that I sent to the kids on DVD. I was really pleased with how it came out.
Follow this link to see an online version.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Peacock
Here's another fun shot that's received a lot of attention on Flickr. Click on the photo if you want to read the many comments (nearly 100 at this point) and "awards" it's received. Mostly this is just a self-gratifying, ego thing (nobody has offered any money!), but Flickr is a fun way to indulge a photo hobby without annoying your friends and family too much. To see a big version with a black background click on "Peacock" above.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Rainier Ultralight
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Gone Camping
Reflections
We enjoyed camping together in our new garage-size tent, although it was a bit chilly at night. This trip also introduced babygirl to two other essentials of camping: s'mores and hot dogs cooked over a campfire.
Although she had a terrific time, two nights seemed to be her limit. We were congratulating ourselves as parents for the prescience not to have planned to stay through Memorial Day weekend.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
New Camera
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Spring Break 2007
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Babygirl can ride
On a whim, I went out and bought a bicycle for Alexandra on Monday. I'd expected to have to coax her into riding up and down the sidewalk a little; but as you can see in this video I made online (click the picture to open it), she knew exactly what she was doing first time her feet hit the pedals. Watching her on this video, she seems much older than 2 1/2. (Note: The video doesn't start automatically, you need to click the little black triangle. And the smooth transitions that looked so good on the Jumpcut editor come out a bit jumpy on the finished product, but it's still a fun little site.)
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Friday, December 22, 2006
Christmas 2006
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Our Home
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Big Blue
Life at Vallent is about to change in a big way -- a really big way. We announced in November that IBM is acquiring us into its Tivoli software group. I'll go from working at a company with fewer than 450 employees, where I am on a first-name basis with the CEO and most of the senior officers, to one with more than 350,000 employees and a CEO who will never know I exist.
But that's OK. These are exciting times for us. Vallent was a privately held company constantly looking for a suitable buyer or an opportunity to go public. IBM is a leader in the field and known for taking care of its employees. As I look into this vast corporation, I see nothing but opportunity and open doors. With any luck, they'll enable me to prosper in this corner of the country where I hope to make my home for many years to come.
The sale will be finalized sometime in the next couple of months once we get all the necessary regulatory approvals.