141/365
Our facility has a staff party at the opening minor league baseball game of the season every year with free food and drinks. This year we enjoyed the game for about an hour before the skies opened up and a downpour of epic proportions was dumped on us. We all screeched and ran for shelter, ducking into the walk-in pantry for some protection against the wind. I was tipsy and irritated, feeling trapped and bored as I restlessly paced throughout co-workers. I finally asked the stadium employees for some trash bags and told Dylan that we were braving the storm to slog to a bar down the road where some of our friends were gathered. He complained bitterly as we pulled on our trash bag ponchos, but both of us were in awe as we ventured out into the storm. We had to ford small rivers that soaked through Dylan's shoes and completely inundated my own flip flops (I almost took them off). Our trash bags helped keep our electronics dry, but did little else as lightning split the sky repetitively above us. We finally made it to the bar and waited for the storm to die down before heading home.
142/365
Even though cities are probably not the best environment for most horses, I still enjoy seeing a well-decorated horse-drawn carriage.3
143/365
With Elise's wedding coming up I knew I needed a wedding gift, so I donated to her honeymoon fund and started a scrapbook for her and her husband-to-be. I love the look of the scrapbook (I'm a sucker for gold foil). This shot was hard to make happen.
144/365
Bagel breakfasts are the best breakfasts.
145/365
I flew to California for Elise's wedding weekend - we were at a beautiful ranch property just an hour or so away from Yosemite. It was absolutely gorgeous, with a scenic lake overlook, a flower and vegetable garden, and a dove loft.
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The aforementioned flower garden, where we took many of our bridal party photos a couple of days later.
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Before more guests showed up, the core crew of ladies (aka the bridesmaids) wandered off into the flower garden when we weren't needed and swung from the limbs of a gnarled old tree with a thick trunk. We could also be found cuddling with the ranch golden retrievers, who were absolutely darling!
148/365
We got in early for a REASON! There's nothing I love more than a good lake day! We all drank beers and floated in the water with Brady, one of the goldens, hanging lazily onto the floaties with us (or otherwise hunting for minnows in the shallows). Earth barked at us from shore while other dogs belly-flopped off the dock. The enormous lake trampoline was hard to actually jump on, but it worked well as a giant party boat. We kayaked up the small tributaries feeding into the lake, watching red-winged blackbirds flitting through the reeds while listening to "Just Beyond the Riverbed". When it was time for the rehearsal dinner, I had to catch a ride with Laura as she canoed back to shore, considering I'd floated to the far end of the lake while sipping a Landshark. It was a GLORIOUS day.
149/365
Elise's wedding day!!! I did get a few photos of the bride and her groom, but honestly they paled in comparison to what the actual wedding photographer captured. I instead focused my lens on the smaller details - the pouring of champagne into personalized glasses made for us by one of the bridesmaids, new and old friends (my loves), sweet puppy faces, and DANCING! So many dancing photos! It was a beautiful wedding with beautiful souls.
150/365
On our last day at the ranch, we woke up incredibly early to spend time down at the lake with Laura. We sat on the dock with cups of coffee, early morning mist clinging to the lake, and nuzzled Brady as we said our goodbyes. I had seen Laura just a week prior to the wedding, but this was a more permanent farewell. We hugged one another and quickly wiped tears from our eyes as she left for the airport. Drea and I did the same a couple of hours later after one last beer in the terminal at Fresno Airport.
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