Beautiful Countryside of Stoughton, Wisconsin

I've come to realize that corn fields and sunsets go good together.  Unique clouds with that warm hazy glow. Here is a close up and far away view.

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Just remember that you're absolutely unique… just like everybody else.  


CSD "Compulsive Shutterbug Disorder" © is copyright of eDOOZIE, but feel free to use or refer to it with a link back to eDOOZIE somewhere within your website, blog or publication.

Gorgeous Lake Waubesa, Wisconsin

Just a simple drive by with a second thought to have a crazy CSD turn around and see what could be captured via camera..... B-e-e-e-e-a-U-T-i-ful!

It's always better to be looked over than overlooked.


CSD "Compulsive Shutterbug Disorder" © is copyright of eDOOZIE, but feel free to use or refer to it with a link back to eDOOZIE somewhere within your website, blog or publication.

Grand Finale... Exceptionally Stunning

This particular evening had a spectacular early sunset show (*see blog insertion called "The opening act!")....so I had a gut feeling that the last few minutes of the sun going down was going to be a beauty.   I told my sister... "let's go catch the sun setting!"  Shoot me for wanting some cheap entertainment.  She kind of looked at me like I was nuts.  I said "let's go in the car and pull over on the side of the road to get a good view of it."  My guess is that she was thinking... how does she know there is going to be a sunset worth the energy to go and view?  It's been years since I used this phrase, and especially not on my sister....but basically I said "let's go parking!"  She again gave me a look of concern or perhaps an "uninterested" look.  I threw in the bait...."I'll even turn on the heated seats for you!"  I know she likes the heated seats in the car and says they are therapeutic for her ....so, I knew I had her undivided attention!  With the mention of the heated seats, her eyes got bigger and she finally gave into my bartering as she could see me squirming to hit the road.  She replied with a sounding "okay, let's go!"     *Sigh*  It takes bribes to console a CSD individual. 

We told the kids, we will be back in 20 minutes or less.  So we rushed out the door to capture every minute of our 20 minute escape.....and I was right, the sunset was over the top beautiful!  We drove about a mile down the road and found a perfect spot in a quiet little subdivision.   To think we would of miss this had we just sat in front of the television!  That would of been a crying shame.... 

The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this…"decide what you want".
CSD "Compulsive Shutterbug Disorder" © is copyright of eDOOZIE, but feel free to use or refer to it with a link back to eDOOZIE somewhere within your website, blog or publication.

The opening act!

I was on my way out the door to fetch our "to go" order of fried chicken when out of the blue sky was an incredible bunch of sun rays just streaming out of the clouds. I started scrambling through my purse for my camera .... "shoot, I left it at home!"  I was bumming as I know how fast these sunsets can transpire and disappear.  I went with the flow and continued on to the restaurant admiring the beautiful rays of light pouring out of the clouds.  As I drove viewing this incredible sight, I was thinking it was still fairly early in the evening and if the chicken was ready to go once I got there that that I may have a fighting chance of getting this incredible visual on the camera after all.   I'm telling you, I was starting to also think, seriously, I must be off my bloody rocker for getting all pumped up about this sunset!

I was in luck! The restaurant was quick and fast!  I grabbed it and I was back out the door to do the CSD dash.  Once I got back to the house, I quickly sat the order of fried chicken on the counter top and scrambled to find the camera.  As I am searching for the camera, I am also yelling out to the family ... "you've got to see this sunset, it's uniquely beautiful!"  Did they budge to come outside?  No.  They just looked at the crazy lunatic with a blank deer in the headlights look and continued on with whatever they were doing.  Oh well, it's kind of like that catching the big fish and having no one there to validate that you really in fact caught the fish.  Then having to throw the fish back in the water.  The camera never does give justice to the actual visual of seeing the sunset in person!

Anyways, so I was in luck, a quick find of the camera and back out the door I went!  The visual of sun rays had faded some in all that matter of time from when I first spotted it, but I was still able to get a quick snap shot of it's fading glory.

Once you take a look at these pictures then go to the next in line blog insertion titled "Exceptionally Stunning" and you will see the grand finale! 

All people of action are dreamers.


CSD "Compulsive Shutterbug Disorder" © is copyright of eDOOZIE, but feel free to use or refer to it with a link back to eDOOZIE somewhere within your website, blog or publication.

A kick off to colorful leaves galore

Well, the time is nearing for a plethora of color in leaves.  Late August and September are my favorite times of the year.  There is not a lot of autumn colors right now but the hint of the season about to change is lingering in the air.

The pictures below show a little something I stumbled onto while walking along the river.  Bold red leaves with unique speckled designs.   The berries are always a nice addition to transitional autumn's splendor.

Autumn is a second spring, when every leaf is a flower.


CSD "Compulsive Shutterbug Disorder" © is copyright of eDOOZIE, but feel free to use or refer to it with a link back to eDOOZIE somewhere within your website, blog or publication.

amazingly different

Okay, so I am a sucker for leaves.  I admit it.  I'm pretty much a sucker for a lot of stuff, including men.  Okay the "men" part was a joke.  But seriously, leaves....well, there is just something about autumnal leaves that pulls me in to escape the world.  I love the unique varieties of color and shapes.

It's August and I really don't want to see fall come anytime soon.  But today we were out walking on a bike path and amongst all of the green this particular pop of color caught my eye. I absolutely love the speckles or design so to speak.  So there you have it, my CSD moment of the latest 2011 intro to autumn leaves!  I'm sure by the time October hits, you will be sick of looking at my collection.

Autumn's the mellow time...


CSD "Compulsive Shutterbug Disorder" © is copyright of eDOOZIE, but feel free to use or refer to it with a link back to eDOOZIE somewhere within your website, blog or publication.

OH BOY, FARMER'S MARKET

I've seen flowers at the farmer's market before and yes they are pretty and all...but typically they look kind of major wild flower looking, sometimes droopy and scraggly.... but oh boy, either I wasn't looking hard enough before or my eye sight has taken a turn for the better.

Today's display of blooms at the market were exceptionally beautiful!  I suppose a lot of outdoor blooms are in peak season right now too, which would explain the flower power show today.  Trust me, I am in the wholesale floral industry so I notice these things.  I typically don't get all giddy with flowers as when you work with them constantly for a career, you kind of become... you know, desensitized.  So when I saw all the wonderful varieties and colors of flowers...my heart started to race.  I got the CSD urge to take some snapshots, so grab your seat for an explosion of color show!  Too bad there is no smellavision with today's computers...

Our new slogan at work is "Love People...Give them Flowers!"  So here I am in a virtual sense, sharing the love with you...awe ;)

These flower bouquets were located at the farmer's market in beautiful downtown Appleton Wisconsin . 

Nature's pretty lucky…I don't think I could get away with wearing that many colors at once and still look good. 

CSD "Compulsive Shutterbug Disorder" © is copyright of eDOOZIE, but feel free to use or refer to it with a link back to eDOOZIE somewhere within your website, blog or publication.

Simply ethereal

As I was traveling, I was blessed by this view.  It prompted CSD action.  I am fasinated by it's beauty. Looking at this sunset is simply ethereal...need I say more?

The future's as bright as you allow it to be; sometimes you need to turn the light on.  


CSD "Compulsive Shutterbug Disorder" © is copyright of eDOOZIE, but feel free to use or refer to it with a link back to eDOOZIE somewhere within your website, blog or publication.

Duck, Duck and no goose...

It was early morning, everyone else in the room was sleleping but my back was killing me as I laid in the hotel sofa sleeper bed wide awake.  I thought to myself "self, you can lay here on this thing they call a make shift bed in pain or sneak out on the balcony to get some fresh air and get rid of the pain." I took the second choice.

I was pleasantly surprised...ducks, ducks and more ducks!  I got me 'ol camera out and shifted into CSD gear!  Amazingly enough, I was taking these pictures quite some distance away from the ducks.  I was in a building,  on the second floor balcony and the ducks were about 20 feet from the building.  I believe I was pretty much in full zoomed mode on my camera to get a close up but as you can tell from the "before" images, they still looked far away. The focus detail is not the greatest but not bad for the distance.

I'm telling you, I'm learning that object placement and cropping is essential for photo emphasis.  Putting an object dead center of a photo while taking a photo is a first impluse but the process of cropping the object off centered makes for a much better end result.  I find that searching the image for the best cropping spot after it is taken is like finding a lost treasure.  These were kind of plain Jane pictures, but once I cropped them and clicked on the Apple MacBook Pro image enhance wand, they took on a whole new story!  I will try to include a before and after image.  Of course the larger images directly below are the cropped after versions.  The last image will show all three in their before stage.  

I love the end result of these images.  The clover was non existent in the before cropping images.  I really did not even notice the clover there while taking the picture.  But once I zoomed in for cropping ...tadah,  the clover magically appeared!  No lucky leprechaun in the clover, but it makes for a nice backdrop on the photos with the little white blooms and the ducks nestled amongst them. These ducks were my entertainment for the morning while I was watching them.  I know, I lead quite an exciting life.   

Don't aim for success, just do what you love and believe in and it will come naturally.

CSD "Compulsive Shutterbug Disorder" © is copyright of eDOOZIE, but feel free to use or refer to it with a link back to eDOOZIE somewhere within your website, blog or publication.

Green Bay Botanical Gardens, Wisconsin

These pictures are from a recent trip to the Green Bay Botanical Gardens in Wisconsin. A lovely place to visit and a sweet spot to let a crazy CSD individual loose.  I totally recommend going there if you are in the area!  Lots to see so be prepared to be lost in all of it's beauty and forget about the woes of the world!
http://www.gbbg.org

Seize the day and spend it as you wish.

CSD "Compulsive Shutterbug Disorder" © is copyright of eDOOZIE, but feel free to use or refer to it with a link back toeDOOZIE somewhere within your website, blog or publication.