I am so excited about the warm weather we have been having. That means that it soon will be giant pumpkin planting time. For the past few years, I have been trying to grow giant pumpkins. I have had some success, but not the type of success that I would like. Last years pumpkin, weighed in at 425lbs. I would really like to get to the 800 lb. mark this year. I have chosen my seeds and am in the process of getting my patch ready to plant. I can't wait to get started! In the picture you can see some of the pumpkins that I grew last year, including the 425.

Well, I have sad news....I did not win... However, I am just still floored that I even got into the final round. We had a great reception for the photos this weekend and right after the reception we went to the Banff film festival at Appalacian State University. Unfortunatly, I was sick as a dog (that is funny) during the whole thing. Well, I guess there is always next year. The photo that won was the one with the dog hanging out of the window. I really think that is a great choice, because the theme was "share the journey". It is a great shot with the viaduct on the Blue Ridge Parkway in the back ground. Thanks again for everyone that voted for my photos!!! I really appreciate it.

Here is Benson.....

Here is Comet....

Well, things around here have been very quiet. I do have some news. The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition is going on and I have TWO pictures in the final judging. I am very excited about the whole thing. The pictures are of my beloved dogs, Comet and Benson. They used to love to go hiking and camping with us. They were always good for a laugh and they really got into posing for the camera. There is also a People's Choice Award and if you want to vote for my pictures, you can do so here. http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=E8AS7&m=1fRjYAI4yxhWcr&b=EXgasRQPQ5Bqp4MeC9oVLg

Miss Bumble

Zippy

Mud Puppy

I tried to take advantage of the unusually warm days that we have had recently. I wanted to work on my little pond that needed to be cleaned of debris from the fall and winter months. I also needed to fix a small leak in my return hose and had to drain quite a bit of water from my pond to do this. Now, this is where the dogs come into play. Zippy, the English Bull Terrier and Bumble the Bulldog helped me excavate a small hole to divert the water. Got to love these dogs.

Introducing Oracle

Today started out nice. Beautiful day, warm weather, and I was excited about dropping off a painting at a local art show. As I was getting ready to leave, I heard a horse. No big deal, they "talk" to each other here and there. Then, I heard it again! I thought hmmmm..........that is strange. I looked outside and did not see the horses. I find my shoes and go out to see what is going on. Well, there is Oracle on the wrong side of the fence. The other two horses, Danza and Eco, were running beside Oracle on the opposite side of the fence. This is a problem because when the horses are excited, they are rather hard to catch. So I called my trusty steed Eco and he and Danza came running up to me at the barn (which is our house too) and I let them into their stalls. Oracle followed along the fence and came into the back yard. Instead of trying to catch him, I just calmly opened the gate and he walked in. Of course, then he did not want to go into his stall. I let him calm down for a moment or two and then FINALLY got him into his stall. Oracle is a wild soul. I do love him though.

Intro

A little background info. My name is Jill Smith. I work in the design industry mainly doing furniture rendering and architectural rendering. I also paint, draw and play with concrete. I live in NC in a little corner of paradise. Every day of my life, I am thankful of where I live and the family and friends around me. My husband and I also have several animals around to keep us busy and to give us lots to laugh at. We also have one of the neatest neighborhoods in the world. More on that later.