weekend shots

Hiya folks.  I've missed you terribly and normally don't apologize for lack of posting but... sorry!!  I have been so busy working on the magazine for my father-in-law's annual dove hunt.  Every time I have wanted to post to my blog or think of something to write I wound up guilt tripping myself and working on the book.  So now, outside of proof reading, printing ad receipts and taking it to the printer this Friday, the dove book for 2014 is finished!  YAY!  

This past weekend I was working on the centerfold for the magazine.  I was inspired by a blog that I frequent who has a segment called "7 vignettes."  I wanted to create shots of events that happen at the Sleepin Bear Lodge and Farms.  I collected items from our house, shop, porch and from the farm next door.  I was able to create seven vignettes of my own all pertaining to things and happenings throughout the year on Gary's (Shaun's dad) hunting lodge and farm next door.  It took a bit of creativity and turned out to be so much fun.  My favorite is first here.

The Bed & Breakfast

The Dove Hunt for which the magazine is for.

Graduation Party at the banquet hall.

Weddings.

These vignettes turned out to be so close to my heart.  For instance, for the wedding shot I used my wedding dress, rose pedals from my Julia Child rose bush, our wedding rings, a turkey feather that I found, the pheasants from the top of our wedding cake, a piece of slate from Windrock Mountain with chalk writing on it and the passage of 1 Corinthians used in many a wedding sermon.

Some of the other pictures housed things like a picture of my Granddaddy on tractor day, a picture of Shaun, his Dad and Granddad quail hunting, I just love them all!  I think the B&B one would make a good puzzle and think they all would make good postcards for his business.  Don't you?

If you would like a copy of this year's dove hunt magazine please email me your address and I will make sure you get one through the mail when we get them back from the printer!

Also, here are 2 or 3 more shots from our farm over the weekend.

I got a little nostalgic with my wedding dress.

I found time to lay underneath my clothesline on the crunchy grass with the warm breeze blowing to the tune of 96 degrees.

Miss Kitty being extra lazy on a hot day.

A fly noticing me too.

Did you know there are parts of Queen Anne's Lace that are edible?  A wild carrot they call it.

We have fields of tousled wheat and blooming sunflowers right now.  It remind me of Tuscany... or my thoughts of Tuscany having never been there.

weekend adventures: dove hunt 2013

My Father-in-Law hosts a big dove hunt at Sleepin Bear Lodge and Farms each year on opening day of dove season here in Tennessee.  It's a whole lot of fun.  We have a huge lunch, incredible door prizes, skeet shooting and after all that... we hunt.  We each walk or get delivered to our stations around the fields and get to see all of Gary's hard work pay off.  This year we harvested around three hundred doves.  The weather was fantastic and the doves were flying.  I brought in more birds this year than I ever have, still not reaching the daily limit though.  The whole event, from the dove hunt magazine (that I put together) to the tickets bought, is set up to benefit the Ronald McDonald House in Nashville.  Including this year's proceeds, we have sent over $30,000.00 dollars to the Ronald McDonald House of Nashville over the last eight years of putting this dove hunt on!  That's incredible guys.  If you are interested, I really hope you look into coming to the hunt next year.  We have a blast!