26 Things is a photo scavenger hunt project. Participants are given a list of 26 words. Their mission is to photograph subjects to represent these words.
The following is a description of the photos I took for this project. I used a Sony Mavica digital camera. A few of the photos required numerous shots in order to get them just right. Many friends and family members contributed to this collection of photos either by offering ideas or by posing as subjects. Many thanks to all of them!
High Point High Point – This photo was taken in Annandale, NJ. It was an extremely windy day. However, this horse must have been lame. No matter how hard the wind blew, it didn’t move a bit.
Familiar Familiar – Taken with sepia effect. Plenty of books. Plenty of movies. Plenty of pics of my kids. And a never-made bed.
Too Much Too Much – The idea for this photo came from my daughter, S. It’s a large housing development made up of big houses set too closely together. This is in Pohatcong Township, NJ. So much of this land that was once open farmland when I was a boy has been developed. It really is too much.
2 PM 2 PM – Just a sense of humor here.
Shadows Shadows – This is a black and white photo of S in a large concrete pipe.
Layered Layered – This is one of the man-made walls of Round Valley Reservoir. It’s not actually layered. But the lines in the grass and the concrete drainage system give it the appearance of being so.
Three Three – How convenient for a niece to be turning three when I needed a photo to represent three!
Contemplation Contemplation – I contemplated for quite some time on this one. Finally, I had the idea to take this photo in black in white with the candle giving just enough light onto this professional model’s handsome facial features. **cough**
Warning Warning – Along the railroad tracks in Washington, NJ.
Electric Electric – Not much to be said here. Just an electric meter.
Sharp Sharp – Wanna come over for dinner? I’ll cook!
Red Red – A diner in Washington, NJ. I lucked out to find a red truck parked in front of it on the day I went to take the photo.
Reflection Reflection – This is Frank Zappa and me reflected off of a window full of smiley faces. This was taken at the Mansfield Township School.
Movement Movement – This is my daughter, H, showing me some of her great swimming abilities in the summer.
Soft Soft – When I stopped to take a photo to represent “old,” I found a small marshy area nearby, along a road that I travel so often. Sometimes you can find the best subjects for photos right along your every day travels if you just take the time to look for them.
Cold Cold – This photo was taken by my seven-year-old daughter, M, when we were in the car on our way to the movies. It was a rainy, cold day.
Close Up Close Up – I discovered this green light on the side of a building in Washington, NJ around midnight recently. It is not over a door or anything. It is just on the side of the building near the back. I had to balance on some gas pipes to get this close up shot. I have no idea why this green light is on the outside of this building. Since taking this picture, the bulb has been replaced with a red one. Maybe green was too inviting for crazy midnight photographers.
Old Old – That is exactly what this little building along Route 57 in Mansfield Township is. It is falling down and useless. It has been there as long as I can remember.
Team Team – What an “odd” team! But they sure do get the “job” done! My how those two cuties in the middle make those guys look bad!
Oversized Oversized – This photo has not been tampered with. Those bulbs are actually that large! I just had to buy them to hang from my bedroom ceiling! No, I am not the main subject to represent “oversized” in this photo. And, no, I am not naked in this photo. At the least, I do have socks on.
Intimidating Intimidating – Don’t get in his way! He’ll hurt ya! I know. I played football with him a few times! Owwww… my ribs…
Culture Culture – This is a wooden Vietnamese figure given to me by a Vietnamese friend. I find that it is easier to carry on a conversation with a real Vietnamese girl than it is with a wooden one. Somethinng to keep in mind.
Energy Energy – Fire. Just your basic energy here, folks.
Famous Famous – Two redheads clowning around here! Boy, did we have fun taking this photo! This Ronald figure is inside a Wal-Mart store nearby. We Snyders don’t mind making a scene now and then. If you hang around us long enough you won’t either. Our beautiful model here is living proof. She knows how crazy we can be and fits right in with us. However, we were one step ahead of the poor dear. We got her to hug Ronald and face away from us so we could see the back of her head. When she did it, we quietly scattered, hid among the ladies’ clothing section and waited to see how long she would stay in that position before realizing that we weren’t there. People were walking bye and looking at this young lady, so in love with Ronald McDonald and seemingly all alone. Ha!
Community Community – The Usual Suspects online forum. Plenty of good stuff and good people here. This is where I found out about the 26 Things project, as well as others.
The End The End – That’s it, ladies and gentlemen. We bid thee adieu and end this gallery with a Snyder butt. Butt nothing! It’s over! THE END!
26 Things is a photo scavenger hunt project. For more information and descriptions of the pictures in this gallery, please see the journal entry by the same title.
What am I doing today? It’s a beautiful day out there. I’m staying inside. I’m content with that today. I’m working on an article for the journal section of the website. As well, I am working on a photo gallery and article for the 26 Things Photo Scavenger Hunt Project. The deadline is tomorrow. So, for today, I am happy to stay inside my little cave, my own creative retreat, nestled high upon the third floor of the house.
Now I must get back to etching that scene of the woolly mammoth hunt on the wall…
The elephant laughed.
“Why, of all silly things!
I haven’t feathers and I haven’t wings.
ME on your egg? Why, that doesn’t make sense…
Your egg is so small, ma’am, and I’m so immense!”
HOW TIME FLIES when you are having fun! It took forever for Tuesday and H and M to arrive. Now it is already the day after they left and I am sitting here writing about it. It is already a memory. It’s a good memory. We had a good time. We did some special things that will anchor the memory of this Thanksgiving holiday into our minds.
For H and M, there is always the excitement of seeing their older sister. They spend most of their time here with her. The poor girl can hardly go to the bathroom without the two little ones following her. She takes care of them like a pro and has the utmost patience with them.
I am happy that the bond of love between us has remained strong. When families are separated it is easy for their members to drift apart in their emotions. Hell, even families that live under the same roof are often living in separate and distant universes. Right from the start in our ordeal of family disintegration, I determined that the bond between all of my children would be strong. All the long miles of driving, the phone calls, the piling into the little car together, the making due with what we had, the equality of treatment between all of us, has paid off. S is the big sister who is greeted by the overwhelming love and desire of two younger sisters. T and J are the older brothers who are the coolest brothers anyone could have. I have the privilege of being the man of whom a seven-year-old can say, “You are the best daddy that I ever had!”
But at that very instant, the egg burst apart!
And out of the pieces of red and white shell,
From the egg that he’d sat on so long and so well,
Horton the elephant saw something whizz!
IT HAD EARS
AND A TAIL
AND A TRUNK JUST LIKE HIS!
ANOTHER THING the girls look forward to when they come to visit is seeing two other girls that live on our street. The four of them became such good friends over the summer. The original plan was to let the girls play together the day after H and M arrived. But the bonds of friendship are too strong to be patient after enduring separation for four months. Soon there was a knock at the door and the four months were gone as a dream. Such as friendship should be: do not wait when you know your friend is close at hand. Knock!
Do not be as casual as a slug!
Knock on the door, give your friend a hug!
Life is too short for you to ever waste,
Embrace your friend, put a smile on his face!
THANKSGIVING DAY was nice here, weather and company. I took some photos in the morning while the sky was clear and the sun was low enough to produce great colors and contrasting shadows. My brother and sisters came over for dinner. There were nieces and nephews, sons and daughters, fathers and mothers. The food was outstanding. The wine was nice. It was a good day.
On the fifteenth of May, in the Jungle of Nool,
In the heat of the day, in the cool of the pool,
From the egg that he’d sat on so long and so well,
He was splashing… enjoying the jungle’s great joys…
When Horton the elephant heard a small noise.
A HIGHLIGHT of the girls’ visit was the time we spent reading Dr. Seuss stories. We read “Horton Hatches the Egg” and “Horton Hears a Who.” Of course, Snyders don’t simply read Dr. Seuss. They make up all the voices too! You have to have character to read a Seuss story out loud! You have to become characters. You must feel their passion, their distress, their joy! You must become one with the Seuss! Use the Seuss, Luke! (Huh?) All the little Whos listen up that way. They pay attention. They follow along and learn to read better.
They snuggle and wuggle and cuddle up tight.
They laugh and they giggle. It’s the bestest of sights!
NOT ONLY did we read Seuss, we saw Seuss. “The Cat in the Hat” movie that is. The day after Thanksgiving Day, the girls begged me to go see it. I was very hesitant to see it. There are certain things that you do not do to a Dr. Seuss story. One of them is Jim Carey. The other is Mike Myers.
Oh dear! Oh Dear! I have bad news!
Look what they’ve done to Dr. Seuss!
First, they stole the dear old Grinch!
Now with the Cat they’ve made me cringe!
However, the kids liked the movie. I just liked being with them.
Well, Thanksgiving came and went. The girls were here. The girls are gone. We have to adjust to being apart again.
But Christmas is coming. The girls will be back. At the top of our list of things to do at that time is: Read “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” by none other than Dr. Seuss.
But the sound wasn’t sad!
Why, this sound sounded merry!
It couldn’t be so!
But it was merry! VERY!
He stared down at Who-ville!
The Grinch popped his eyes!
Then he shook!
What he saw was a shocking surprise!
Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small,
Was singing! Without any presents at all!
He HADN’T stopped Christmas from coming!
IT CAME!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!
The girls will be back. The bond will be strengthened. More memories will be made. Seeing each other will be the best Christmas gift of all.
I went to see the movie “Master and Commander” with my friend, Greg Hartline, tonight. We purchased two of the last tickets before the show sold out. We got to see the movie, but the theatre was pretty much full by the time we got in. So we had to sit in the very front row. Being so close to the big screen was kind of cool for some of the scenes. However, it was a little too close and became tiring on the neck after a while.
I thought the movie was very good. For most of it, I was “there.” I like it when a story can transport me from my “real” life into some grand adventure. Stories about the sea especially have this effect on me. Two thumbs up for altering my state of consciousness for a few hours!
