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Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend.

This is what cheers me up these days… Love the little videos Tracy puts up on FLickr so we can see what is going on in Alaska, especially with my grandson

This is the video of our family visit with my daughter Tracy, her husband Rick and my darling 3 year old grandson Gunther in October of 09. We had such a fantastic time – a family BBQ, a day at the Zoo, A day at Blake’s Apple Orchard fun Yard, …and lots of time just playing and getting to know each other at home. Lot’s of great toys found from when my older grandson’s, Aaron and Steven, were little (They are 13 & 15 now). This is such a treasured time since they live in Alaska and just can’t get down here as often.

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See lots of images from their visit on my Flickr Account – it is best to use the sets on the right.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyspice/

Julie is so is excited and proud to have been slotted to be Vice President next year to the Detroit Professional Photographers Association!! That means she will be President in 2012-2013. “I look forward to helping DPPA grow! It is such a great association to be a part of!! ”

This is already her 3rd year on the board of directors. Her term as vice president officially starts in June of 2010, but this gives her the opportunity to start lining up some great speakers now, since that will be her main duty. She already has some great ideas. Then she will be President elect to work with the speakers she brought in the following year, and then she will be our president in June 2012 – June 2013.

She will do a fantastic job and I am so proud of her. She was such a great support to me when I was the president 2007-2008 and I will be so proud to support her through this amazing journey. 2 generations of DPPA presidents! What an honor!!
I am SO proud of her!!!

Along with her official duties as a board member every year, Julie has been our smiling friendly “raffle Girl” at DPPA for many years, she has perfected this position – this is her in charge of choosing the winners for the 50-50 and winners of the many donations we received from our vendors at the last meeting in August with David Humphry on senior high school photography.
It is going to be a fun adventure that she and all the members of the DPPA will enjoy.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=572306&l=8639156130&id=1417072807

This is a direct link to my facebook album that anyone can see!
Tracy, Rick, her friend Angie and Gunther drove north of the Arctic Circle on the Dalton Hwy – known as the Haul Rd, toward Deadhorse on the North Slope. The last camp was 20 miles south of Deadhorse (on Prudehow Bay) Rick drove up alone to try to fine the Caribou herd but it was still too far west. The “public” can only get to about 17 miles of the arctic ocean – the rest is gov land with all the oil fields of the north Slope.

It was quite an adventure and Gunther just loved it – he is in his glory when he gets to go fishing!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=572306&l=8639156130&id=1417072807

This is a direct link to my facebook album that anyone can see!
Tracy, Rick, her friend Angie and Gunther drove north of the Arctic Circle on the Dalton Hwy – known as the Haul Rd, toward Deadhorse on the North Slope. The last camp was 20 miles south of Deadhorse (on Prudehow Bay) Rick drove up alone to try to fine the Caribou herd but it was still too far west. The “public” can only get to about 17 miles of the arctic ocean – the rest is gov land with all the oil fields of the north Slope.

It was quite an adventure and Gunther just loved it – he is in his glory when he gets to go fishing!

Happy Fathers Day to the dad’s

Julie and I and Steven and Aaron (now 13 & 15) just got back from a little vacation in Florida. Julie has a friend who let us use his condo for a week and we couldn’t pass that up. We drove and Aaron did about 80% of the driving – it got old and boring even for him. It was about 20 hours total. We were able to stop and sleep and Amy and Rick’s house in Kentucky both ways – that was awesome – and we couldn’t have done it without that.

We had so much fun of course, so much fun and sun and lots of beaches and a great pool at the condo complex!
We have photos published and more will be to come.

You know those cute little hard drives that don’t need their own power source and are meant mainly for lap tops – well, I do not like them! I only use mine for travelling and the laptop and everything there is in at least one other place (always a good rule). I was walking it to the laptop and it slipped out of my hands (yup it fell aighhh) – but it was not on, so I thought it would be OK, but NO, it is not being recognized. I had the beginning pics on the main hard drive already, and the last stuff was still here, but I have to get some of the middle stuff from Julie – she has it all, we just have to get together –

Wally’s flickr  – I was even able to post a video of us swimming
2009 Florida Trip, June – link to slideshow of set
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyspice/sets/72157619935272971/show/
I’ll be adding more as I get the other images.

Julie made the first post on her facebook – these are albums anyone can see without having to be on facebook. This does include some of the images Julie has that I don’t have here.

If you are on Facebook and would like to “be our friends” -join us – we love it!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=26997&id=1260314900

I have 3 albums started – I’ll be adding more as I get the other images.

These are usually some of the same as on Flickr – usually fewer.

Travelling to Florida:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=25999&id=1417072807&l=919c7b207a

Pool and close by areas:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=26001&id=1417072807&l=3620e91676

Treasure Island area and Beaches:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=25997&id=1417072807&l=5b4f40dbba

I just got back from 2 weeks in Alaska visiting my daughter Tracy, her husband Rick and my grandson Gunther who is now 2years 4 months.

I had a great time – spending a lot of time watching Gunther while they spent some time out together.  Tracy still had to work some of the days (she works nights as a nurse in Anchorage) – and even then Rick got to spend some time on the snow machine.  It was so great to really got to know that darling little man.

There was quite a bit of extra excitement.  While I was there, Redoubt volcano, which is about 103 miles south west of Anchorage as the crow flies erupted – about 5 times the first day – March 23rd and a good 18 major times in total.  We are in the Mat Su Valley – in the Palmer area and were not really affected too much.  It was not a lava flow – but an ash and gas emission that sent plumes int o the air as high as 65,000 ft.  In most cases – the winds drifted them away for m us – but on the Sunday/Monday before I left the did hit Anchorage and our area nd we got a light dusting.  This caused havoc with the airport – causing it to shut down. Even when I left Thursday night, Alaska Air was canceling many in state flights – but my NWA flight did fly out on time.  Rick collected a little baggie of ash for me from our front porch and we saw a lot of ash  on the snow – especially in Palmer itself – which seemed to have gotten more that us.

These collages are made with images form the Alaska Volcano Observatory which was monitoring the situation carefully and had updates every hour.  They have awesome images on the site of every stage of the eruptions, even live webcams that were sometimes clear enough to see.

Hope you are enjoying the holidays – are  working on the blog to make it look and work better.

We realized that what I had worked on earlier was showing up great in the Firefox browser, but not in Internet Explorer.  We did figure out the problem and I re-uploaded the posts. I apologize for the inconvenience.

Thank you – Wally

These are cards that I designed and made for myself and  for Julie.

Have a happy Holiday from Wally & Julie at Wally Spice Photography

Please click here to view our Holiday Video, made into a holiday card from the Animoto team. 

http://animoto.com/play/fQVWXa0pTFvmPCb9hdLt0A/greetings/holidays2008

These are from our very favorite personal images of 2008 – of our family here in Michigan: Wally, Julie her boys Aaron and Steven; my brother Gunther and his family as well as some from my daughter Tracy up in Alaska.  Some of these are from my trip last April to visit them as well as some of my favorite images that she posted on Flickr and I was able to download.

http://my.slideflickr.com/nE5NjKRn

This is a slideshow made from the images I have in my 2008 Holidays set at Flickr – taken from celebrations around Christmas.

My personal FLickr account is at  http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyspice/
It is easiest to view my images using the sets.
Tracy’s Flickr site in Alaska is http://www.flickr.com/photos/spicegirl
Lots of great images from my cute little grandson at 2 years.
Julie’s Flickr siste is http://www.flickr.com/photos/30828448@N06/3118625241/
We use these sites for our personal images mainly – since images can be directly downloaded in any size from the site.

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS – enjoy

On June 17th, we held our anual banquet for the Detroit Professional Photographers Association at the Roostertail in Detroit for a “Night out on the River”. It was a great evening – Julie was the banquet Chairperson and did an awesome job – everyone enjoyed the food, the ambiance of a great location and the camaraderie of friends.

For me it was an ending to a great year as the president that I will never forget.  My gavel always looked so great on my display shelf among the antique camera collection.  But John Glass, the Past president before me, presented me with a new permanent gavel on a plaque for me to enjoy as “Past President”.  I will be on the board for another year as the Past President and look forward to serving this great organization another year.  Julie will be the secretary for the upcoming year and as she has been doing for so long so well – she will continue to be our “raffle girl”.

We thank our newsletter Editor Hugh McLean for taking our formal background photos and Brian McElhone for taking the candids. Thanks also to my brother in law and his wife Steve and Pat for taking some photos and being there to support Julie and I. Congratulations to everyone who received prizes and honors.

I have the files for all images taken, so if someone wants any, please contact me.

http://www.wallyspicephotography.com/blog/wp-admin/www.wallyspicephotography.com
wally@wallyspicephotography.com

I hope you are enjoying the holiday season and had a great slide into the New Year. My wish for all is Health, Happiness and prosperity in 2008!

As I sit here enjoying how pretty the snow scape looks outside, I wanted to catch up on some of my more personal holiday collages.  We have been so busy getting out all the wedding uploads, proof books, orders, etc. that I have just not taken the time to do so.
I have tried to take some time to enjoy my family here – Julie and her boys – Aaron who is now 13 and Steven who is 11. My brother and his wife Sandy and their daughter Candice who just moved into a new apartment in Northville.  Even my Ex – Russ, came over for the family Christmas party here on Christmas Eve, as well as his sister Pat, my brother in law Steve an their daughter Dawn home from California. As in previous years Aarom helped mw make the great German dish of rolladen.

All of my holiday images are on my personal Flickr site: www.flickr.com/photos/wallyspice/

Tracy’s Flickr site has lots of great images of their life with my little grandson Gunther in Alaska. I really miss being with them over the holidays. He is growing so much and you can really see his character developing in the photos. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spicegirl/ 

 

Hope you are enjoying the holiday season.  We have been super busy trying our best to get caught up and our weddings uploaded and orders out.  We are getting there and everything WILL br out before Christmas if it was promised.

We have desisgned quite a few holiday cards and I did take a little time to design one for my self. I love the bubble motif I can use in getting many little images in. It was fun getting in so many family fun images – especially of my 3 great adorable grandsons – Julie’s son’s Aaron (13) and Steven (11) and baby Gunther (1), Tracy and Rick’s son in Alaska

I also designed a card for the Detroit Professional Photographers Association.  As president this was the invitation from myself and the rest of the board members to the upcoming holiday party for all our members.

Don’t forget we ahave a new link on the main web site page for the 2007 Holiday specials and prices.  I am still getting out orders in time for Christmas, even Holiday cards – but please do try to get them in as soon as possible.

By baby grandson Gunther in Alaska turned 1 on November 2nd in Alaska.  From the photos Tracy sent on Flickr – he sure looks happy. He does not normally get to eat much sugar – so getting to have a piece of chocolate cake was a real treat – In his high chair with only a diaper on – he devoured the cake and when done was ready for the bathtub.  Happy birthday Gunther – Oma wishes she was there.
See more of Tracy’s images on www.flickr.com/photos/spicegirl
Use her sets for Gunther’s first Birthday.

Tracy, Rick and Gunther came home to Michigan for a week in September. They also spent time up in West Branch to visit with his parents since they were not able to make it up for the renewal of vows in Alaska in July. The main reason for the trip was Patti’s wedding – Patty has been one of her bests friends since nursing school and like a daughter to me. Patti traveled up to Alaska to stand up for Tracy & Rick at their renewal of vows and Tracy was in Patti’s wedding also.
We watched baby Gunther while they were at the rehearsal dinner Friday, after the wedding Sat, and then hosted a BBQ so her friends and family could visit with them on Sunday – many had not met baby Gunther – who was the hit of the day.

See all of the best of their images on mu Flickr site – using the set by the same name

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyspice/sets

Patti is like a daughter to me – she is one of Tracy’s very best friends and they spent many a night studying for Nursing school at my house.  They were roommates for a few years while working here.  She came up to Alaska when Tracy and Rick ne-newed their vows this last summer to stand up in her ceremony and Tracy – along with Rick and baby Gunther – came into town for this. Tracy stood up in her wedding – so this was was like family! Love it!

The girls got ready at their home in Royal Oak and then had a beautiful ceremony at the First United Methodist Church in Royal Oak. We had so much fun with the romantics.  Patti’s theme was all natural nature, – flowers, trees, butterflies etc. We were able to get 4 of them plus 2 of us into the zoo to photograph in the outside butterfly garden and then even inside the butterfly atrium inside for a short while.  Then we enjoyed some time along Quarten Lake in Birmingham.  Everyone had a lot of fun at the reception at Farinas in Berkley.

A beautiful day and wedding.  I even got to take my grandson home a little early while my brother Gunther stayed to finish a little more of the fun dancing. 

Last week Tracy took her boys to the Alaska State Fair – and they won a first prize blue ribbon! Rick and Gunther entered the Carhart Fashion show as a father-son team. With a cute baby and a silly man – how could they loose!  Rick won a warm heavy Carhart coat that he will get a lot of use out of.

 They also had a moose wander through their property.

I also have the many images from the Alaska trip, the last 2 weeks in July, on my Flickr account. I have a site that gives all the sites where various family members/photographers have uploaded images – take a look at http://www.wallyspicephotography.com/AlaskaJuly07.htm
With my FLickr account it is easiest to look at any sets you would like – smaller groups – these are listed on the site above.

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