Cowboys, Cowdogs, and outlaws beware! It was a cowboy and cowdog theme this year for our non-Halloween evening. Chip, who got a small stuffed cow earlier in the day, wanted to dress up as an outlaw.

And Parker dropped by for a super hero moment dressed as Woody from Toy Story. There was lots of cowboy talk and partnering up. Here he gives Cocoa a friendly talk about being home on the range!

Chipley revealed his good looking side as he sat for me to take his photo in the afternoon sun. What a cute cowdog!

Cocoa, while not quite a cowgirl, certainly was a good greeter to those who dropped by.

For months, I have driven by this industrial lot that is filled with old gas pumps from another century. I can’t explain why, but I always wanted to stop and photograph them. Finally this last week with storm clouds gathering, I stopped and asked the owner if I could take some photos. I live in a small town, where people are nice but not immediately open to requests like this.

“What you goin’ to do with them pictures?” he asked while measuring me up. Was I a local or an outsider?

“Not much,” I answered feeling a little uneasy and not wanting to admit they would end up on a Web site. “I just like taking photos.”

“You gonna sell ‘em or something?”

“Nope, not going to sell them.” I said smiling while remembering that too much talk in a small town means you have something to hide.

There was a long pause and I allowed my eyes to scan his office. It was a tumbled mess of oddly arranged desks that contained stacks of papers and file folders. Two co-workers occupied a couple of old metal office chairs near the front door. Both were munching away on a small bag of Cheetoes.

“Think it will be okay?” I asked again wondering if this was a good idea.

“You have any idea how many people want to buy those gas pumps?”

“No idea, but I bet there’s a lot,” I replied. People from Atlanta will buy anything in the mountains. They load stuff up and drive off thinking that what they have is quaint.

“Plenty, but the owner’s not selling any of them. They just sit out there and rust. Go ahead,” The man said squinting through a set of clouded glasses. “Take your photos. Just be careful.”

I thanked him, turned, and quickly headed out the door. I was grateful to return to my car, to my dogs, and to take the above photos on my way off the property!

Isn’t this just about the strangest pumpkin you have ever seen? Living so near the mountains, I have seen a lot of different harvest items this past fall. This little pumpkin is just one of the many things people from cities like Atlanta buy like crazy for decoration. And yes, the pumpkins behind it were really that orange. They almost looked fake.

Here’s another shot taken at Lake Burton. Years ago, this lake (one of the seed lakes in northeast Georgia) did not feel as cozy. In fact, it felt open and vast; but lately whenever I visit there, I’ve noticed that it feels wonderfully inviting. The clouds really make this photo a little special.

It may be fall, but sunflowers are still blooming! I was riding in the mountains this weekend and passed a field full of sunflowers. I turned around a quickly as possible and headed back.

And while I didn’t have lots of time, I did have enough to take these photos. And I learned a lot. First yellow flowers that are this size really reflect light. So, my camera settings went wild. I used the D 40 on a couple and the D 200 on others. Because I just enjoy taking photos, I don’t know which one of these belongs to which camera. Why worry with details when you are just having fun!

I would guess this was was taken by the D 200—not as vibrant. But the one below was not taken by the D 40. It was taken by the D 200 with a close up lens that has not (as yet) stolen my heart. Still, it is pretty fun stuff. And yes, there were lots of clouds because the weather was changing and the sun was in and out.