Last month the youngest and I went to a number of places taking pictures. One was the Columbus Museum for “A House Divided: Civil War Reenactment”. I have only recently had the time to work on the pictures from that day. These pictures weren’t the usual download off the camera, process and move on pictures. I have worked in photo restoration for many years. Ever since an old family album was almost lost in a fire back in Dec 1997. Hubby showed me how to scan, and I found a man on the internet in Australia who I emailed. He gave me tips and I taught myself how to restore the photographs. Wow, that was 16 years ago, and when I look at how much I have learned since then. But yet how much the software is the same now. It has expanded, yes, but much is still the same. Very interesting when you think about it.

Anyway, I digress – as I am still trying to find my niche in photography we went to the Civil War reenactment so I could take the pictures, and then make them look more Civil War aged. So I have used some old techniques, and learned some new ones, and here are some of the results, enjoy!

This one is my favorite!

The last two weeks have been a whirlwind. Hubby just celebrated his 50^th birthday. I wanted to make it something special, but it wasn’t easy. First he works virtually. You ask, why this is a problem? Well think about it, if you are going to throw someone a surprise party who do you invite? If I just invite the normal crowd it is just a ‘normal’ party. So you would invite other people. Friends from work, etc. Well his friends are all over the world, which just wasn’t going to work. One of his old friends (who lives in Calif.) and I tried to figure out something, but no matter what we came up with it had flaws. Until finally I figured it out. He is really a hermit at heart, and he is very hard to buy for because if he wants something he will just get it, or it is something I just can’t get without his input (like I need to know the make, model number etc.). So instead I decided to find things that interest him.

Wright-Patt AFB Museum has behind the scenes restoration tours on Fridays during the summer. They have high security, and you have to register individually online ahead of time. So I asked him to arrange for the day off for a special birthday treat, then told him about it. He went with his Dad and brother and they had a wonderful time.

That evening we went to one of hubby’s favorite restaurants for dinner, and afterwards to the “Friday Night Cruise-in” just up the street from our house. I wish I had my camera with me, as we saw some beautiful antique, classic, muscle and hot rod automobiles there. They are there every Friday through Sept. 26^th so you should check it out.

On Saturday I did get to give hubby a surprise. I took him on a day-trip and wouldn’t tell him where we were going. We drove about an hour north to Wapakoneta, to the Armstrong Air and Space Museum. It was the perfect follow-on for him from yesterday’s AFB museum tour. His love of space, and it was smaller and quiet (after how big yesterday was, and his feet were hurting). You have to remember, this is a man who rarely goes out. For him to be out like this two days in a row was actually a landmark event! 😛

But the best part of the whole birthday weekend had to be Sunday morning. He woke up to a front lawn full of flamingos!

What a wonderful sight to behold; especially before your coffee! But then the hunt began . . . who could have done this? Well the first hint was when we opened the front door. Sitting on the stoop was a bag of cucumbers. Ah-ha! That would be our neighbors across the street! Nope, I had a text from her saying she had seen the birds when she dropped the cucumbers off. As we thought about it we realized there were quite a few people that it could have been, and as the day wore on one-by-one were eliminated. But how wonderful that our lives are full of so many people that would do something like this. Finally we were down to only a few culprits left and the phone rings. It is his Mom, and would he come out front. It was them, his parents! And they kept it secret all through brunch earlier in the day too!

Hubby ended the day with some of the kids from our “Village” coming over for dinner with presents and cake. They had really put a lot of thought into what they gave him. Some had years of history to draw on, and came up with something extra special. While others came up with something extra yummy. But in their own way told him just how much he means to each one of them. It was a pretty special way of ending a very special weekend.