Photo Club

WOW! I attended my first meeting at the Photo Club yesterday and was so impressed with the group!! The meeting contained a wealth of information about transferring photos from your camera to your computer, how to create file folders and organize your photos, renaming photos, and most importantly--how to back up and save your photos. My mind was buzzing with new ideas on how to organize my picture albums when I got home. Thank you to Jim Cornell for such an informative and interesting presentation!!

The meeting started with a "show and tell" display of photos from the club members. Each week they are given a topic and members go out to photograph subjects after which they then upload their favorite photo to the club website. These photos are shown at the beginning of each meeting, the group votes on their favorites, and the winners are printed and put on display in the Activities Center. Some of the photos are critiqued and suggestions are made as to making the photo even better. I learned so much new stuff!!!! I wish I could have joined this group sooner!!

 

 

Member photos shown & critiqued by Jerry Smith

 

Be sure to check out the photos in the Activities Center every week.  I don't know who got that hummingbird shot, but it is definitely a winner!

 

There won't be a meeting this coming Monday (Feb 1) as the members are taking a field trip to Saguaro National Park near Tucson. The theme for photos is desert landscape so they'll be in the perfect area for some spectacular photos. I can't wait to see their finished projects!

 

The final session of the meeting was instruction on PhotoShop Elements software. This program allows the photographer to crop, resize, and touch up their photos. Wish I could have stayed for that part of the presentation...but I had to go to work and couldn't stay.

 

Another project the group is working on is taking photos for the huge pickleball tournament coming up. The club has been asked to take photos of the tournament participants, etc so volunteers signed up to assist.

 

What an exciting club!  Come join the group at their next meeting on February 8 at 10:30 in the SanTan room.  It will be awesome to see their photos from the national park.

 

P.S.  Thank you to Ray Valentine for the three photos on this post.

PHOTO CLUB HANDOUT

• The photo club exists to help members have more fun taking and sharing photographs. We welcome all skill levels – absolute beginner to accomplished photographer.   
• We try to cover a wide range of topics such as how to use your camera, photo composition, use of the computer to fix and organize your photos, and different ways to show your photos.   
• We select a weekly topic to photograph. At the Monday meeting we form random groups to go together at a mutually agreeable time to shoot the weekly topic.   
• After you review your photos from the weekly shoot, and if you choose, you can post your two best pictures to the club's Yahoo Group –PCphotoworks. (We will teach you how to do this and if you don't have access to a computer, we will do it for you.) Each week members choose favorite photos from the weeks shoot and some are posted in the Activities Office.   
• We have a Photo Scavenger Hunt for the season with a list of ten photo topics; you may enter one photo per topic. The deadline for the hunt will be in early March. An independent panel of judges (not from the club) selects two winners from each category; the photo with the most judges' selections is Best in Show. There is a prize for each category and for Best in Show, and the winning photos are posted in the Activities Office.   
• Dues for the club are $10 for the season ($15 per couple), or, if you are in the park for a short time, $2 per meeting. Dues cover the cost of prints to post in the Activities Office and copy/stationery costs.
• Meetings are Mondays in the SanTan Room starting at 10:30 AM and run from 1 1/2 to 3 hours depending on which parts you choose to attend.   
• Tentative plans are to have a three part meeting. Part 1 – Showing and discussion of photos from the weeks photo shoot. Part 2 – Presentation on a photo topic of general interest to all photographers. Part 3 – Specific training to meet needs and interests as requested by club members:  Photoshop Elements every week; others such as camera use, doing aslide show, organizing photo files as requested.

Winter Storm

It seems the entire state of Arizona received a "winter storm" this week.  To those of us who live here, that meant some awesome sorely needed RAIN but it also meant a lot of blowing dirt and dust.  To our winter visitors it meant a day robbed of sunshine and warm weather.  It was good for them to see a dust storm so they get a glimpse of what our summer storms are like.  We had 1 1/2 inches of rain so instant ponds, little lakes, and some huge puddles appeared rapidly.  The desert ground is very hard so water runs off rapidly which can result in some true flash floods. 

Here's the "little puddle" that typically forms when a heavy rain drains off to the golf course.  This is the fairway for Hole 7 as you enter the resort.

Our Palm Creek resort is built so that all the water flows over to the golf course and doesn't flood our streets or RV lots.  The golf course turns into a collective lake in a hurry during a heavy rain as can be seen by these pictures.  (Thank you, Verna Sheppard, for sharing your photos!)  Our lucky landscape crews then wade out to the center of the 7th fairway and "pull the plug" to pump the water into the pond system.  The next day after this storm, golfers were back on the course again.  I believe a few holes were kept off limits to allow them to dry out more, but the golfers were back chasing the little white ball again in no time.

This is the exact spot where all that deep water existed on the 7th fairway yesterday! 

This particular pond by the 9th hole is obviously over its banks but should recede in another day or so.  The goldfish, koi, and catfish love to explore the new territory so there is always some good news.

Everything in these photos looks so nice and clean and green.....BUT....not our houses, cars, and patios!  The blowing wind really stirred up the desert dirt and left us some heavy duty clean up chores.  Take a look at the grit on my patio table and our golf cart! 

Welcome Back Party

Thank you, Palm Creek, for another fun Welcome Back Party.  I've been to these events several times already, but this time had special meaning for me as I worked the table for our computer club which means I had to be there early.  I had a senior moment that morning because I went up to the area at 9:00 instead of 11:00 as I was supposed to....but I was glad to be there to see more of the set up arrangements.  I was in awe to see all the work that had already been done before 9am in preparation for the event.  We forget about all the work involved in making an event like this happen.  I took a number of photos for you to ponder.  There's not only the physical work of hauling out all the chairs, tables, food equipment, etc. but there are also hours of behind the scenes prep in making the layout, traffic flow, banners, signs, ordering all the food and supplies needed.  There's kitchen staff to order food, drinks, condiments, etc. plus someone to schedule the famous Budweiser truck, and arrange for music and entertainment.  In other words....WOW....congratulations to all those staff members and volunteers who "make it happen."  I stood there by myself (trying not to get in the way) while I took these photos and realized how proud and lucky I was to be a resident of this resort. 

Pat Mitchel is a familiar face around the resort.  Thanks for all your work, Pat.

Hundreds of tables, chairs, and tablecloths.  The red color really adds cheer.

Every club, sport, organization, event, and resort department has a booth at these welcome parties.  It's a fantastic way to get acquainted with all the opportunities we have to offer.  Everyone behind these tables is eager to talk about their activity and encourage new people to join in the fun.

Here is Sandi Feller from the Special Events Dept. busy at work with list in hand and checking it twice.

Peggy Fetzer (fearless leader of the Computer Club) and active member from Special Events.  That chili pepper guy on the right is Ray Valentine.  He and his wife, Sue, are active volunteers.

 Ray's costume was a fun way to advertise the upcoming chili cookoff.  Check your activity calendar for details.

Patio Sale Day!

Here are some early morning photos of my industrious friends and neighbors as we set up for the Palm Creek patio sale on Saturday.  The sale runs from 8:00am to noon and as you avid garage/yard sale folks know, the early bird gets the best worms.  For those unfamiliar with patio sale day, you're missing a lot of fun.  Usually several of us "shoppers" will hop in our golf carts and drive around looking to see what "treasures" we can find.  There's usually some pretty fun stuff where a resident has redecorated or has extra items no longer needed.  The RVers always have "stuff" to sell or trade.  None of us in this life style have the room to accummulate too much so a patio sale is a great opportunity to clean out the storage sheds, closets, and cupboards.  What's left usually goes to a charitable organization and hopefully not back in the closet again.  There didn't seem to be a lot of participation this year, however.  I don't know if it wasn't advertised enough or what, but it was a fun event anyway.  Be sure to watch for the event next season.  Some residents/guests put out their hobby items for sale...like homemade hotpads, towels, jewelry, etc. so it's always interesting.    

Another week at Palm Creek

Okay....it has been another fun-filled adventurous week at Disney Land for Seniors here at Palm Creek.  I have so much FUN here that I sometimes feel guilty.  Tuesday was a bright sunny day and perfect for our softball teams.  It was the kickoff event for this season.  Don and I hurried off to the field to watch the Rattlers vs the Sidewinders and what a great game it was.  Both teams are Palm Creek residents so to us it didn't matter which team won as long as everyone had fun and I believe they truly did.  While we soaked in some rays of warmth and sunshine and cheered and bantered with fellow fans, the rest of the country was shivering in icy temps and blinding snow.  Like I said, I "almost" feel guilty for having such a good time.

Even if you're not a true softball fan, you should at least come out to the games and cheer for the players.  I'm sure you know someone on one of the teams as these are some very active residents.  Mark your calendar for game days and plan to have lunch at the concession stand.  They serve some awesome hamburgers that put Burger King, MacDonalds, and even In/Out Burger to shame.

This being the kick off game for the season, our Park Manager (Wendell Johnson) and Diane Gaines were present for the opening ceremony.  We were very thankful to the park for supporting the teams and assisting with the installation of a brand new scoreboard for us avid fans.  Diane had the honors of pitching (well.....sorta tossing) the ball to home plate and Wendell was skillful enough to ceremoniously hit one.  It was nice to see them present. 

For those folks who don't realize how active the softball teams are, I'll put in a good word for them.  The teams really support the park by volunteering to help with a lot of set up and take down at events.  I know for sure they show up every Monday night to put up all the tables and chairs after bingo.  That's no easy chore either so I personally thank them on behalf of the bingo players.

Since Diane's name appears here, I'll put in a plug for her too.  In my book, Diane is part Super Woman with all she accomplishes for us.  I don't know what her official title is and I hope I don't miss something, but I believe she is in charge of the Pro Shop and Golf  Leagues, she is the Sports Director to oversee all the sport teams and events, she is in charge of that beautiful newsletter we receive monthly, she is involved with all the special events in the park.....and please forgive me Diane if I missed anything else.  I can always come back here and edit later.  The moment you give her a compliment though, she immediately gives credit to all the wonderful volunteers who assist with "getting it done." 

There is ALWAYS a line at the concession stand.  Great food!!

Tuesday was softball and Wednesday was another weekly meeting of the Palm Creek Computer Club which I truly enjoy.  I'm rather addicted to a keyboard and am fascinated by the cyberworld so I want to share that enthusiasm with anyone who will take the time to listen.  This week we talked about blogs, Skyping with friends and relatives, and a plethora of other computer issues.  The exciting part of the club for me is the fact that there are so many different levels of "users".  No matter how much you use your computer, there is ALWAYS something new to learn.  You can click on the link for "computer club" at the side of this blog to learn more.  Our attendance this week actually tripled in size and we're hoping even more folks will come to join us.  I tried to snap a quick photo at the end of the meeting but wasn't fast enough.  I'll do better next time.  If you have topics you would like to learn more about, you can always email our fearless leader, Peggy Fetzer, and she can add items to the agenda.  Email:  palmcreekcomputerclub@gmail.com

And now a word about AVATAR.  For those of you who have not yet seen that movie.............GO see it!!  WOW!!  It is a true technological wonder, fantastic, awesome movie.  We saw the movie here in Casa Grande at the Harkins Theater and just loved it.  After talking about it with neighbors, they advised us to see it in 3D.  Don and I needed to make a Costco trip so we took the time to go to the Imax 3D at Arizona Mills in Tempe.  Oh my gosh!!!  The world of 3D has come a long way.  It was sooooo awesome.

Gotta run and get started on another day of adventure.  Must get ready for tonight cause the gals will be coming over to play cards...another fun event for me.  Hope all you readers are having a great time too!!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all. I had to stop and snap this photo as I was driving by Site 1713, Ron and Nancy Mangini's home. Poor Santa sums it up. I hope he'll recover soon.

The holidays have had me out of commission with a nasty cold plus I've been working nine hour days at Print & Pack while the boss is away on vacation. I am soooo looking forward to getting back in the groove this coming week.

Just a reminder to all that the Palm Creek computer club meets again this Wednesday at 9:30. No need to bring a laptop, just come and get acquainted. This week's presentation is on how to create a blog. We'll also be asking for input for the next meeting so if you have requests, be sure to raise your hand. Participants are of all skill levels ... from beginners to more advanced and experienced techies. Hope to see you there.

Jeep For Sale

Here is a wonderful buying opportunity for anyone who has secretly desired to have a vehicle for exploring the wonderous scenic areas of Arizona. Steve Pedbereznak is selling his 2008 Jeep Wrangler. Call his cell at 203-305-7288 or email SSCamperBugs@aol.com. 

Devastating Dust Cloud

I believe Casa Grande made national news yesterday when gusty winds stirred up our Arizona dust into devastating "brown outs" that made driving a disaster. Don and I were on our way to the mall when the huge dust cloud blew through dramatically reducing visibility. We commented that we were glad not to be out on 10 at the time as it would be dangerous. The crash must have occurred at that exact time. As we were crossing the overpass, we could hear multiple sirens and saw police cars headed down the ramp toward Highway 10 but couldn't see any farther because of the dust. About an hour later, we left the mall to head back home. Traffic was backed up solid in all directions. When we got to the overpass, we could see that everything on 10 was backed up for miles in both directions. West to Phoenix wasn't moving at all and east bound was crawling slowly with many trying to get off at the 194 exit ramp. We still didn't know exactly what had occurred till we got home and turned on the news.

Oh my gosh...I just found these videos of the fire on youtube. click on the links below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzVhPNkYtE8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSB1KCpRxac

More Activity

I would put this blog "on vacation" for the season except for the fact that so many people keep asking for updates and I don't want to lose my avid readers. Life at Palm Creek during season requires a bigger calendar and a sharper pencil to write in all the activities that are occurring.

This week 56 casino fans hopped on the bus to Fort McDowell again for our monthly trip. We arrive in time for breakfast, have time to hit the slots for a while, and then head to the wonderful smoke free bingo hall. It only costs $35 to get a machine and a few cards for dobbing but the jackpots are nice and big. It's a fun day for us plus we always enjoy the entertainment provided by our gracious bus hostess....Marilyn. Thanks again, Marilyn. If you would like to go on one of these excursions, be sure to sign up early as the bus definitely fills up. I registered yesterday for the January 19 trip and there were already 30+ people signed up.

Someday I'll have to ask Marilyn for her last name. That's another quirky thing about Palm Creek. I probably know hundreds of people here by now as many return year after year......but it's amazing how many I only know by their first name. AND....as I age....I become even more grateful for Palm Creek's rule about wearing name tags. When memory fails upon seeing a familiar face, it is sooooo nice to glance at the name tag for assistance. My son teases me about being forgetful and directionally challenged so says I should write my site number on the name tag so I'm sure to find my way back home again. Bless his young heart and sharp mind.

I'm so excited about joining the Computer Club this year. Now that I'm only working part time, I can finally get involved in more activities. We've had two meetings so far this season and thanks to the direction of our President Peggy Fetzer, we have had some fun and informative sessions. I volunteered to maintain the blog for the computer club and will work at keeping it updated with our projects and classes. The members are a great cross section of talented people. We have everyone from the raw beginners to folks who have used computers for years. There is ALWAYS something new to learn about a computer so please come join us. We meet on Wednesdays at 9:30 in the San Tan room. (No need to bring a computer). See the link on the right side of this page to get to the computer club blog.



There isn't a formal "club" or scheduled activity for my other hobby, but there is certainly enough to keep me happily entertained. There are many of us "beaders" at Palm Creek who enjoy getting together for classes or just fun times to share our hobbies. We have two wonderfully talented instructors that give classes as well. If you're interested in more information or would like to get started, send me an email and I'll put you in touch with either Sharon Marchant or BJ Rasmussen. We also make occasional trips to Ruthie's Gingerbread House downtown behind Wendy's Restaurant as Ruthie gives classes numerous times during the week.


Okay...between the computer club blog, this blog, and answering my email, it's time to get ready to scurry down to the baseball field and cheer for the good folks on the Palm Creek softball team. I love to watch them play and have a good time. PLUS the hard working folks in the concession stand serve up some awesome hamburgers.

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with our two sons, Anton and Kevin, who (at least temporarily) are residing here in Casa Grande. Don and Anton did the cooking with the typical delicious turkey with all the trimmings. Being the only photography aficionado of the family has its drawbacks, however, as I always want some family photos to remember an occasion. If you know my family, you can only imagine how difficult it is to get them to pose for a serious family photo. Here are the results of family photo day. Reluctantly they came outside for a "quick" photo.....but then had to figure out how they would pose. First we went through their "Heisman" trophy routine.

Then came "Captain Morgan".

Then we decided to look off into the future.....but Father didn't participate.


Then we had to have a group huddle and a lecture from me to get serious.

This is the final result and the best we could do. It may not be a professional posed result, but it certainly brings back happy memories for me and I'll cherish the series.

Fall Activities

Thank you one and all for the compliments this blog has received. I've had so many people come up to introduce themselves and chat about how much they enjoy reading the updates. It's really nice to hear your comments and it keeps me motivated to keep on writing. Now, however, I feel guilty for not writing more often!! I keep thinking that once the season starts, no one will have time to read the blog but then I receive an email from those who come much later in the season and learn that they're still very interested in reading the latest news.

I'm having soooooo much fun this season that I negotiated with my boss at Print & Pack where I work and we agreed on much shorter hours for me during "season". Vicki has been very gracious in allowing me to cut back and still keep the job. This is also her busiest season of the year so she will probably hire another part timer to fill in for my absence. Thank you, Vicki!!! For those who aren't familiar with Print & Pack Express, stay tuned for this informal commercial.

The shop is located on Florence Blvd just west of Trekell....across the street from Pizza Hut & Kentucky Fried Chicken. Vicki Stonebraker started the store 15 years ago. Her husband, Jack, is the Edward Jones advisor and has his office in the same building. You may see Jack on the local television channel as he gives the stock market update on TV every day.

At Print & Pack, we make color copies....enlargements, reductions, etc. We can print up to 36" wide. We do blueprints and can enlarge patterns for woodworking and stained glass and quilting. We package and ship for both FedEx and UPS. We make keys, print on T-shirts, typeset and print business forms, business cards, letterhead, raffle tickets, vinyl lettering, street signs, and street banners. We have a good number of artists who ask us to create custom Christmas cards and/or note cards to display their art work. These are some of the primary things that our winter visitors may find useful. So if you need any of the above services, come on down to see Vicki or any of the gang that works there. There are 7 of us on staff and it's like a little family of friends. Be sure to tell them that Sue sent you. While walking across the golf course the other day, I saw a funny catastrophe in action. There was a large gathering of folks for a happy hour enjoying the sunny sky and pretty view of the golf course. They were comfy in their lawn chairs with food and drink in hand, when suddenly the golf course sprinklers came to life and immediately blasted them with cold water. We heard screams and yells erupt as folks scrambled to get out of the line of fire from the jet spray. I had my cell phone with me so tried to grab a quick photo. The host and guests may have been uncomfortably interrupted from their fun, but I assume they will laugh and reminese about it at future events.

Once a month the resort has a bus trip to a local casino. This year we are traveling to Fort McDowell. What fun!! You must register in Activities and pay $10 to reserve your seat. When we arrive at the casino, we receive $10 in slot money on our player cards, a ticket for discounted breakfast, and extra discount for bingo games. We had a full bus load in November and had a great time. This was my first experience at Fort McDowell and I really liked it. Being an avid bingo player, I can attest that they have challenging bingo and nice jackpots....and even a separate non-smoking room which I truly appreciate and don't find at any other casino. I didn't win prize money, but would surely like to do so! Marilyn is our hostess on these trips and she does a GREAT job of getting everyone organized, accounted for, and entertained. She always has some fun jokes to share and some door prize giveaways. Thank you, Marilyn!! I'm looking forward to the next trip already.

That's my update for now. To those of you who aren't here yet............I'll soak up some extra sun for you this afternoon.

P.S. I received an email from Bill Murr who has started a great blog about his winter home here at Palm Creek. Visit his blog also for even better updates!! Thanks, Bill.

www.williammurr.blogspot.com

Happy Halloween!

I'm certain you've all seen this charming statue located along side Bill Wrightson's home at Site 1535. He originally bought this up at the Mesa flea market and has received a multitude of compliments from folks as they pass by.

Occasionally, a few sly friends like to decorate the display. This one is truly great! Check it out.

Update

Good Morning Readers,
Brrrrrr......it's 56 degrees this morning so I'm sitting inside for morning coffee until the sun gets up to warm us back to our normal 80+ temps. I actually slept with a blanket last night and turned off the ceiling fan. The cool temps feel great after our scorching summer....but I guess my blood is still thin.

Our winter visitors are returning in droves now so activity has certainly increased. My calendar is getting crowded with all the fun stuff being scheduled. Love it! I figured with so many people returning that the blog would become idle but when I checked in this morning, I found there were 380 hits this past week. Yipe. That means folks have been checking in and I'm not writing.

Attached is a copy of a flyer that came in our mailboxes this week. The front 9 is so pretty with the new green grass and the lawn bowling area is gorgeous. It always looks so fresh and immaculate with the way it gets mowed.

I had to laugh with our neighbor, Don Blair, this week. Carrie wanted a shepherd's hook in the yard so she could hang a hummingbird feeder. Ha!! Have you ever tried to dig a hole in this desert ground?? We loaned Don a foot long concrete drill bit for the project. It is no easy task!

And.....I've heard the saying several times already that if there is such a thing as reincarnation, it would be nice to come back as a pet at Palm Creek. We do love our little furry pets! Benny here is getting up in years and has a heart murmur so doesn't get around much on his own but certainly enjoys his daily stroller walk with Mom Lana.

Community rumor has it that the Room Store is going to open a location here in the old Wal-Mart building on Florence Blvd. Ashley Furniture has also recently opened a store here.


Asbestos Cancer