Finding Direction “Summer Desktop” Photo Contest Winners Featured
August 7th, 2006 at 7:05 pm by Dee O'Neil Andrews
Finally. At long last. Although typical of Finding Direction's somewhat scruffy ersatz creater, writer, editor, publisher, photographer - well, you get the "picture" ha! (and that was an ALF "ha!", btw, for you fellow ALF aficionados and those of you not quite sure yet what's going on over here at Finding Direction) - who's always running a day late - make that a month (?!?) late in this instance - and dollar or $10 short.
Yep - it's the moment you've all been waiting for. Below are the winning entries in the Finding Direction Summer Desktop Photo Contest. (Check out last winter's winners here. It's worth your two minutes or so of time for some cool views and laughs on a hot boring summer day.)
But first - a quick question here. How many of you have been thinking the past several weeks that a contest requesting tree pictures to put on someone's computer desktop must be about as boring a subject as you can think of for a contest? If so, then you're in for a big surprise when you see all of the winning entries. Not only at how interesting and artistic they are, but by how many of them have neat stories.
Here goes.
As in the last contest, the above mentioned somewhat scruffy, blah, blah, blah was the sole judge. All decisions are final, all winners deserve high accolades and each and every entrant and reader, even, here at Finding Direction is to be highly commended for - well, uh - just showing up over here once in a while.
First, all the Special Awards: The first Special Award goes to Donna & Tamie, non-photo entrants this time, but who sent me over to Photobucket to set up the winning photos to download here. I haven't had the time to get all of the kinks worked out yet (partly due, most likely, to the jinx placed on the current contest by the pouty Nancy French, of "Nancy's Niche," who didn't get her tree photos entered in time) , but at least you've got the pictures to look at today, even if they are, for the time being, all on the left side of the post. Thanks, girls. Without you two, there'd perhaps have been no awards post ever.
The first two photo awards - "The Most Unusual Tree" Award and "Photo Sent From Farthest Away" Award both go to Anthony Parker of Clay Pot Journal (a previous winner, btw) for his entry of "The World's Largest Baobab Tree" taken in South Africa by some missionary friends of his. (If you'll look closely, you'll see his friend standing at the base of the tree.) The circumference, no doubt, is what makes it the world's largest. At one time it even had a bar inside of it.
The "Best Photo of A Tree Disguised as Kids" Award goes to the illustrious Bobby Ross (who won by a bare thread, Bobby, com'n!), male half of the infamous "Bobby & Tamie's Blog" wherein the truly inside stories behind the inveterate Christian Chronicle are revealed, for his entry of the mere mirage of a tree next to him and the kids in front of the Texas Rangers' Stadium. No doubt the female half of the Ross CC editorial team, Tamie, took the photo.
The "Best Use of Color" Award goes to my long time blog friend (as blog years go), David Barnett, of "A CORE Life," whose entry has a poignant story with it. Not about this particular tree, but one similar. Here's his story in his own words: "Sweetgum is my favorite tree because my father planted one in my honor in front of our house at 5618 Woodgreen Lane in Houston, Texas. He planted the tree in July 1958 when I was 21/2. The tree is still standing tall, however, my father died six months later."
Gina Burgess, a writer and poet among us over at "Refreshment in Refuge" is the winner of the "Best Swamp Tree Photo" Award. Gina sent some excellent photos and I had a hard time deciding among them. Plus, I received several other good swamp photos, but this one really hit home since we've lived so many years now down here near the swamps. Thanks for all your photos, Gina. I may use some of the other ones later on in posts, I think.
This next award was for a very creative entry by Melanie Morales, who wins the "Best Blog Post on Trees" Award. And it's not even her blog or post, but one she'd read by a young man named Scott Simpson, who lives and writes in Spearfish, South Dakota, a good ways from here. It's an outstanding blog post he titled "Listening to Trees" that I highly recommend all of you read. Here's an excerpt photo from Scott's post that you'll have to read to appreciate the picture:
The "Most Romantic Tree" Award is given to Denise Waldrop of "not-so-deep thoughts by Denise" for her entry "Abilene Mesquite & Mistletoe." This one wins for two reasons. First, how can you not find such a tree romantic and motivational when you can stand under it and kiss your beloved (or your kids or anyone else you might have an inclination to lure over) any time and not just once a year during the holidays in someone's doorway? Second, it's proof practical that there are trees in Texas (for those of you who still have your doubts) and even in Abilene, that vast desertscape on the edge of the sun, as has been pointed out here of late.
Moving on, the "Most Inspirational Reminder That God is Good" Award goes to my non-blogger, dear friend Susan Carter for her entry "Sunshine After Ivan." You will see by the date stamp on the photo, Susan took the picture (in her back yard) the morning after Hurricane Ivan came through south Alabama in July 2003. Susan is currently in treatment for Stage IV lymphoma and I ask you each to join me in a moment of prayer for her complete recovery. She and Ron have been close friends for more than 33 years and a source of constant inspiration the entire time.
Keith Brenton, of the renowned "Blog In My Own Eye" that fount of ever insightful, entertaining and creative topics, wins the "Most Creative Use of Photos of One Tree's Seasons" Awards for his creative gif entry below. Watch as the sycamore goes through it's seasonal cycles that remind us all God is in His heaven transforming us in similar ways, if over a longer period of time. Thanks, Keith.
As we near the end of the contest's Special Awards and get to the top 3 winners, I must interject, as I did last time, a strictly politically motivated winning selection - the "Best Gulf Coast Sunset & Tree" Award - which goes to the esteemed Tom Andrews, whose accomplishments, accolades and attributes I cannot begin to ennumerate, so won't. (As before, however, no money changed hands, but that's all I'm saying, except perhaps to refer you back to Denise's award.) Suffice it to say he (and the photo) are true winners in all respects, most of which are definitely not political in origin.
Sadly, the tree is no longer in existence except here as photographically captured since being catastrophically destroyed last August 29th by Hurricane Katrina as she stormed over Pass Christian, Mississippi. Not only does the picture remind me of God's power in the wind, as it sculpted this tree in it's life, it reminds me I, too, will come to the last sunset of my life and then be no more on this temporal earth. So, perhaps it's winning is not so politically motivated, after all.
The last two, but certainly not least, Special Awards are the "Most Dramatic Tree Photo" Award and "Best Composition" Award , which both go to my good bloggin' buddy TCS, or "Believing Thomas," a previous winner (and always a winner in my book, despite what Nancy French may say about him), who's an inspiration to us all in his thoughtful writing and good works.
He brought a young Christian posse of 7 down from Starkville one weekend last February to re-shingle our storm damaged house in Slidell, saving us mucho denero despite a humongous two day grocery bill! (Just kidding, fellas, we were more than happy to feed you all.) Tommy sent in several outstanding photos, including this winner I call "Tree in Water at Sunset." Isn't it stunning?
Now to the moment you've all been waiting for - the top three winners. Third Place (and Honorable Mention in the Best Composition category) goes to Peggy C. of Beaumont, Texas for "Tree and Tractor," with it's story in her own words: "This is a special tree that represents the new part of our family. My daughter was engaged on Easter Sunday and married on June 3rd. This picture was taken from the front porch of my daughter’s mother-in-law’s porch in New Hampton, MO. I had never been to Missouri and this was special to see this kind of view from her front porch. We have great memories and now we have a great new son! added to our family."
Second Place goes to TCS for "Foggy Swamp" below which happens to look great on my 19" desktop here, one of the criteria for the contest, of course. (And, Nancy - let's not hear any grumbling from the non-winning neighboring state of Tennessee this time on Tommy's awards as you know you won a Special Award last time - "Best Winter Northern City Photo by a Southern Girl on Her Way Out of Town" Award as you rapidly exited Philadelphia for more accepting climes amongst Southern conservatives, of whom you number yourself, which award you've lorded over Tommy ever since, so be nice!).
Finally, at last, I am very happy to announce this summer's First Place prize (which has yet to be determined but which, I will remind you, was never promised as an incentive for entering said contest beyond being here in front of me for hours at a time daily on my aforementioned 19" computer desktop probably until the next contest is over - if and when you guys are up to the challenge of another one).
So - First Place, with all of it's prestige and privileges, goes to Danny Sims. Danny is author of the creatively named "Danny Sims Blog" and winner last time of the Honorable Mention for Best Use of a Cell Phone to Take A Picture Award for "Lanterns in Trees," which, btw, he's featured on his blog page ever since, so check it out (as well as all of his timely posts and his lots-of fun, full-of-guessing, weekly-on-Sundays "What Is It?" contest of cell phone photos he's taken). His winning photo is his phenomenal recent vacation entry below "Lake Fishing at Sunset" with trees silhouetted in the background. Congratulations Danny, from we all!!
In conclusion to this marathon post (which has taken me hours on end to get to this point for whole days at a time the past 5 or 6 weeks), I just want to say thanks so much to all of you - every one of you who passes by this way and stays for a while to visit, whether reader, commenter, contest entrant, whatever.
You guys are all an inspiration to me daily, whether reader, commenter, contest entrant - you each contribute to my life in a positive way, and that's what it's all about in this life. So thanks!
I really enjoyed the pictures on your post! Great post.
morning Dee,
I love tree pictures, they have character of their own.
Awesome pictures
i went back and read the post you wrote on ALF last year, and was sad to hear that he had died , I loved that show m and I have an AlF
doll :0 then I read the date you wrote it , and it was on my bday
well anyway , great post
take care
God bless!
oh did you get my e-mail
Woo Hoo! 2nd Place! and another award too! Its like voting in Mississippi. You can enter early and often.
For those of you not familiar with our laws, there is no ID required to vote here and so you can (and some do) vote multiple times. (just like my multiple entries) You can walk in and vote, walk out and back in pick another name off the role, say “that’s me” and vote again. OR, my prefered method is to go by the cemetary and write down some names of the recently deceased. Its like a tribute, a way of keeping their memory alive.
All that to say, Nancy, wow that was a great picture….oh wait, you didn’t even show up! Chicken.
The POUTY Nancy French??
Okay, so maybe. Here is my problem. I was in the middle of a move,and I lost that little cordy thing that connects to the computer, and David had more on his mind than for me to add to it by demanding a cordy thing. So, after I took all kind of lovely aboreal photos — MUCH better than TCS’s of course — I had no way to give them to Dee.
Instead, I decided to make a deal with the BlogSpot folks to make sure that Dee could never ever upload any photos to announce the winners.
Alas, she must’ve outsmarted me. Finally, weeks after the deadline, Dee broke through and got to announce the winner.
I only regret that TCS has an inflated sense of ego now that he beat me in this photo contest, but I am glad that he can stop weeping at night over his devasting loss last time.
So, really, I was doing just trying to encourage the talentless, I mean downtrodden.
N
Wow.
I am honored and feel a bit like the kid who had no idea he was supposed to dress up and then found himself called up on stage at a school program.
THANKS!!!!
Danny, I think what you meant to say is that you thought you deserved to win, especially after seeing TCS’s photo. Right?
Beautiful! Yesterday I didn’t blog nor read blogs, so to read your’s first thing this morning was quite a surprise. A delightful one at that!
Woohoo! The only thing I can take credit for is submitting Scott’s blog for an entry - his amazing pictures and blog gets all the attention and brings so much glory to God! LOL! I read this and I was thinking - ahhh I forgot to submit my OWN picture! hehe Oh well, that’s the way it goes some times.
Nancy, I understand the moving thing - losing those all important things… I just moved (yes again) as well - and this time, I put every set of cord to every electronic device in baggies; and then put all the ziploc baggies together in a bigger ziploc and labeled it and I made SURE I knew where it was at all times! So, is there a support group for digital dependency? hehe
Thanks, Dee!
Dee,
Great contest. I’ve really enjoyed checking out the winners (and whiner; Nancy, that’s you :-).
I hope the next surgery, next house thing, etc. all go well.
I’ve got a tree branch off a peach tree for Nancy Jane, and I am about to drive up the road and “present” it to her!
Well, guys -
I’ve had to be out and about in the real world all afternoon (make that “surreal” world to the nth degree, as I ventured forth into the Picayune, Mississippi Super Wal-Mart, which is not like any other I’ve ever seen or been inside in my life and which is absolutely going to have a blog post of its own sooner or later), so had to check in here immediately upon my return to see if Tommy and Nancy had totally demolished each other yet.
TCS is about to go over the edge, I can tell, but Nancy - I’m proud of you, girl! You’re actually holding up admirably well for a former Catfish Queen reject and more recent victim of a heavy loss here in the latest Finding Direction photo contest.
In fact - I have to give you a bunch of sympathy AND empathy points for the cordy thingy problem associated with your move, as I, myself, am a victim as well to the effects of making such a move.
We have not one single usable whatsoever item anywhere within our reach or even within our apartment except hidden away somewhere among the 5,762 assorted boxes we’re living around here, with the remaining 7,843 more boxes uptown in the storage center.
You would not believe the number of everyday household gadgets we’ve had to go buy to survive for the next few months until our house gets built.
But - back to the issues at hand, here with Nancy Jayne and TCS. Tell you what, Nance - if you can keep your cool (as you’re doing well, as I said above), I may have to award you some kind of special consolation prize award to tide you over until you can retrieve your cordy thingy for your camera/computer hookup and send me your belated aboreal gems of photos! How about that?
Plus, there’s always the next Finding Direction desktop photo contest to look forward to and I might even give you some insider head-of-time info so you can start preparing for your return engagement against TCS and the remainder of the worthwhile entrants.
And, DANNY - your photo may have been a last minute entry and spur of the moment, under the wire submission, but it really is an outstanding picture and I’m happy to award you the grand prize, such as it is.
I was really hoping we could get together last weekend on our way through Ft. Worth from Abilene back home and was all set to email you to see when and if we could meet, but as it goes with family/business trips many times, time got away from us and we just didn’t have time to stop to visit.
But, NEXT time I promise we will, or I will, maybe, once my daughter gets moved back to McKinney the next few days. Tom’s daughter and family live in Grand Prairie, too, right off I-20, so they’re close to you all.
I’m glad the rest of you commenters and emailers to me today are enjoying the winning photos. You all outdid yourselves this time with the great varieties of trees you sent in.
So - you all need to be thinking about what our next contest subject should be, okay? Anyone inspired or motivated yet to come up with a good subject for the next Finding Direction photo contest? Let’s hear it.
Oops - gotta go for now.
Cheers, y’all!
Dee
Wow! I’m a winner! Thanks, Dee, for including my photo. This post was worth the wait! (And, yes, Tamie did take the baseball stadium photo.)
– Bobby
I really enjoyed the post and pictures. But I don’t know, the comments are way up there too!
Okay — I have an idea for the next photo contest. The BEST PHOTO of NANCY FRENCH, CATFISH QUEEN REJECT.
Since, I know none of you in real life (do I hear a collective, “thank goodness” coming from all of your screens) except for TCS — you know the story, he ignored me at church camp — I could definitely win that contest.
In fact, now that I think of it, I bet this whole peach tree branch of peace offering thing that TCS is so kindly offering is some sort of sly ploy to get an advantage over me for the next Dee Photo contest.
Hum…
Thank, you dear Dee, for the sympathy and empathy. It made me happy after I got trash talked by that guy Frank.
Still considering whether I should accept the peach tree branch from TCS. What do y’all think?
You do need to realize though that he was the “cool” guy at church camp — which explains why he’s into that Emergent Church stuff, to keep up his uber-coolness factor.
So, he’d have nothing to do with me back then. Only after I received the prestige of winning the “Best Winter Northern City Photo by a Southern Girl on Her Way Out of Town” Award, did he try to offer the peach tree branch of peace.
(This is for all of you Dee readers who haven’t followed our photo feud from the beginning.)
Oh… Nancy is going to get Ms Congeniality again! How nice.
You know I have some photos of Nancy. I even have one that was photoshopped a wee bit.
And I am surprised having met Nancy’s parents that she is not familiar with a peach branch. But maybe her lack of memory of cutting your own switch from a peach tree explains her attitude. I mean really who else amoung us has their name as a dot com.
As for the photo contest. If you can’t even hook up the camera… yeah I’m sure it would have been great. Ha.
Ohhh…. You were being sarcastic with the peach branch comment. How unlike you, TCS.
No, I never had to get a switch from a peach tree branch. Like real Southerners, my parents had me choose a switch from a more, um, substantial tree. (What, did your parents not have lillies you could pick for your spankings, so a peach tree had to suffice?)
You better NOT pull out that photo, TCS. (Note to Dee fans: this is NOT a photo that he took of me while we were chumming around at church camp back in the late eighties. You might remember that he was a tad too good for little ole me. This photo instead tries to make fun of my devastating loss of the Catfish Queen crown back when I lived in Paris, Tennessee.)
So, I guess I don’t have to feel bad about not accepting your “peace offering,” although I have to admit: I’m a little impressed that you had the guts to threaten physical violence against an innocent mother of two right here on Dee’s popular blog.
So, I’ll lock my doors unless you come get me with a basket of fuzzy peaches.
Those are all wonderful pics and I am glad I didn’t have to choose, they would all have made first place
I was too late to enter my tree, but you can still see it if you like on my latest post.
God’s Grace.
Sorry I missed this contest…I will be back next time. I KNOW I can beat Catfish queens from TN and Quip King from MS.
Congrats to all the winners!!
Great contest! Thanks for the “Color” award. I am honored to be included. Now I finally have something to put on my resume under achievements!
Well, friends -
This morning’s dawn reveals that the fur was flying fast and furious far into the night last night as a couple of Finding Direction’s Summer Photo Contest winners and would-be winners flung several barbed arrows in one another’s direction, some of which hit home, it appears, with a zing (and sting).
In the aftermath of the latest confrontation, and feeling perhaps a distantly indirectly related cause of this commotion somehow, although I highly doubt it, I feel it is only my duty to propose a truce this morning until such time as the next Finding Direction photo contest begins.
So I’m waving a white flag this morning on a freshly shorn peach branch that TCS so kindly prepared, although inadvertantly, last evening, for such a time as this.
So if the parties will agree - or at least acquiesce temporarily - I propose they shake hands and go back to their respective corners until the next bout, at which time, I’m sure, all gloves will be off again.
In the meantime (Nancy) - I must reject your proposal that the next Finding Direction photo contest be of moi in rejected Catfish Queen costume, whatever that may be. (Does it have whiskers on it or anything like a catfish?)
Y’all have a good day today, hear?
Cheers! Dee
I think that I shall never see
A blog contest lovely as a tree
Now with thanks to the lovely Dee
I’m reminded of our time in Tennessee
Where many trees made Keaton sneeze
But gave us many happy memories
Thank you, Dee, for sharing these!
awww, I had another reply. I guess I have to go to Nancy’s blog….
TCS,
As mean as you were to me back in Henderson, TN, you are always welcomed to go to
http://www.NancyFrench.blogspot.com
to mouth off.
There, we appreciate the value of free speech, whether or not a lawsuit will come of it. (in fact, since David’s a lawyer, it could drum up some business.)
Come on over, everyone.
NJ
I was honored to have 3rd place in my first photo contest! Just didn’t have time to thank you for the honor. I too feel unprepared to accept such an honor.
It was fun and thanks for all the pics. They are lovely.
Looking forward to the next contest already. I have my camera ready!
Peggy
No, no, no, Dee . . . a true ALF laugh is, “Ha! I kill me!”
[…] Okay. I’ve decided it’s time to start a fan club.I’m even feeling magnanimous today and will invite Bubba, should he choose to participate, which I’m just sure he will love to do. But I’m stuck already because it needs a name. So today begins one of Finding Direction’s famed contests. In fact, today heralds a new day for Finding Direction because the new contest is a first here. It’s going to be a "Mini-Contest." Isn’t that exciting?!All of you, and that includes a large number, who have been players (contestants) and/or winners in Finding Direction’s two previous contests (and you remember them well - they were the "Finding Direction Winter Desktop Photo Contest" from nearly a year ago, which photos had to have a winter theme, and then the "Finding Direction Summer Desktop Photo Contest" held last summer - of course - in which trees were the subject, although the renowned Bobby Ross of the world famous Bobby & Tamie’s Blog and editor of Christian Chronicle tried to bend the rules a bit, but was still a heppy winner, even displaying his winning photo on his now more than ever world famous Bobby & Tamie’s Blog site) and all of you who have followed the escapades of the contestants and winners know how much fun the Finding Direction contests are. They are, to state it in one apt word, a BLAST!! (Make that in "bold" with not one, but two exclamation points!!)My mini-contest is to choose the best name for my new fan club. Following the selection of the winning name by the official fan club contest judge, who is also world famous and renowned for witty repartee on rare occasion when the bed bugs are in season, or something like that, and that judge would be none other than me, that person’s name will be officially entered into the following Finding Direction mini-contest to select the officers of the newly named fan club.The reason the Finding Direction staff and board of directors decided on this process is because of the late snit raised by the less than erudite Bubby which caused the Finding Direction board of directors and staff to be concerned that reinforcements might be needed to head off the next Bubby attack. Besides, the season is boring, winter looms but is still too far away to initiate the second annual Finding Direction Winter Desktop Photo Contest (but stay tuned because one is coming in the near future, so be thinking about those photos, which this winter are going to have the theme of "water." Yep! That’s it. Water. I know that’s a difficult subject, but hey (yeah right, Dee Ann), but hey - it’s my contest and I can pick whatever subject I want) and I’m bored.So, put your thinking caps on and come up with the winning, brilliant (that’s assumed) name for the Finding Direction Fan Club. Oh yeah - the rules (as usual) are simple. Basically there are none. Except you only have two weeks this time, beginning today and allowing for Thanksgiving (WARNING - remember that’s coming up so you’d better get your entries in in a hurry!) to get your entries in. You can submit as many as you want and be as creative as you’d like. In fact, I encourage you to do so, remembering Finding Direction’s "theme," Finding Direction: The Wind Vane Chronicles, and remembering the attributes of the founder of Finding Direction and the strange bent to her mind on occasion.Tell you what? Since I’m really in a great mood this moring and in a humorous frame of mind (the bed bugs bit last night, I suppose) I’ll throw out a couple of possibilities for names of the fan club that whoever’s first by here after I post this can snap up to throw into the contest pool to see if they sink or fly (with the judge, that is, and of course, since the judge is thinking them up, they are bound to be some kind of winner!!).The judge is thinking perhaps the Finding Direction Fan Club’s official name could be "The Sheep & The Goats" keeping to a religious theme, which Finding Direction is want to do Bubba could lead the Goat section and whoever throws in this name first (see, I’m checking to see if you’re paying attention to my posts when I write) can lead the Sheep section.Or maybe the "Wind Vanes" Finding Direction Fan Club. That would be fun because all of the fan club members could engage each meeting in the Wind Vanes officlal cheer which would include bowing to the four winds (north, south, east and west) for guidance at the meetings to see what direction we wanted to take the club’s activities next. Okay. That’s your assignment so let’s get the comments flying in to enter the "Finding Direction Fan Club Name Mini-Contest." The race is on!! […]
[…] Winter has arrived in full force (I mean, it’s a whole 40 something degrees here this morning, but sunny), the extended holidays are over (the longest I’ve ever seen school out for Christmas) and the boredom has set it. So now what? Why the Second Annual Finding Direction Winter Desktop Photo Contest, y’all! I’m happy to announce that the 2nd annual FDWDPC kicks off today (the first was held here a year ago) and will last through the weekend of February 2nd, which is three weeks from tomorrow. (But I’m lenient and allowing last minute stragglers to get your photos in by the end of that weekend, before Monday 2/5.) That should be plenty of time for even those of you who haven’t dug your cameras out to get them out, shoot some winter shots and email them in to me.What should you shoot this time, you ask? Well - the rules are few, simple and easy. You have to shoot some type of "winter" (and by that I mean the months, not the location, allowing for those of you in sunny California - Greg, Arizona - Vonnie and now Bobby, and Florida - Cecil) photo with some type of water in it. It can be frozen water - ice, rain, sleet, snow, the ocean, a lake or pond. The locations are rather endless. I mean if you’re land locked in Arizona, for instance, like Vonnie, find a fountain or a swimming pool to shoot.They can be old or new, borrowed or blue (just like the wedding thingys) and the FD Judges employ a "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy, so whoever you steal your pictures from, just don’t mention it here and get them in first (Greg, who asked about using Bill’s great sunset over the ocean photo). Just don’t break any copyright laws.The internet is a great place to look for good shots, if you’re so inclined, and they can include people and pets. You can take photos of your kids or dog in the bathtub for all I care, if you think they are good enough (and cute enough - no ugly kid or dog pictures) to be in the running. I mean, the stakes are pretty high and we don’t want anyone slouching around about this.As usual, there will be no out and out fighting, although a "tad" of bickering amongst some of us is likely to happen. Just fight - uh - bicker clean (Nancy Jayne and TCS). I think TCS is out of pocket for a day or so, so Nancy, behave in his absence, please, and BE NICE!!!Okay - I think that about covers it. Oh yeah - there will be a wide variety of awards given, as is customary, and so funky and unusual photos (and even lousy ones) might have a chance to win something. Use your creativity. Barring no creativity, be sneaky and get something off the internet over at Google Images.You all know (don’t you?) that the top prize winner is awarded the grand distinction of being displayed on the FD Judge’s desktop until spring, which is a worthy and high honor. So before you send in those photos, think how they’d look on your desktop. Mine is big, so that’s a double honor - big picture in front of me.All of the entries, however, will be esteemed and will fly by moi at a slow rate until spring, as well, as moi’s screen savers. Plus, all of the winners will be shown here on the 2nd annual FDWDPC’s Awards Day when winners are announced and everyone who enters or drops by is appreciated unendlessly just for showing up.You may enter as many photos as you’d like - just keep the size of them under control so as not to tie up the FD Judge’s email box for hours on end each day. One final thing. Take a look at last year’s winners and winning photos to get some ideas. You can find them here. Last summer’s contest winners are here. Let the shooting (of photos, that is) begin and send them in here to "dee@deeandrews.net". Good luck and have fun!Cheers! from the FD Judges. May the best photos win, although in the FD Judges’ book, you all are winners! […]
[…] I have to tell you the Finding Direction Judges are most excited about the quality of photos that are coming in already. Eight entries have been received from six contestants, two of whom are non-blogging readers, so far, with one contestant (one of the non-blogging readers) sending in three good ones.Competition is going to be stiff, the Judges can tell. And, already, thinly disguised bribes have thrown out and abuses are in the making. No names will be named, YET, but warnings are given. The Finding Direction Judges are not up above a little corruption if and when the best offer comes in. So if you want to make a difference, consider your offer carefully realizing that only the best offers will be accepted.Ignore that last paragraph - that was all just said in jest as everyone of you knows good and well the Finding Direction Judges have impeccable credentials, as humble officers of the court, being an old fashioned, hang your shingle out attorneys (peruse the "Resume" tab at the top of the page here), and such persons are far above the pits of corruption that bring some prideful politicians and pundits down. Actually, the offers so far have been rather "cute" in the Finding Direction Judges’ eyes, which appeals to the Finding Direction Judges’ inner child and made the Finding Direction Judges have some good laughs, so all is well with the world AND the ongoing 2nd Annual FDWDPC.Moving on. A few questions have come up which need to be addressed. First, fellow blogger Patrick Mead is concerned that the size of the photo he sent in might not be big enough for the Finding Direction Judges to see very well to determine whether it might look good as desktop wallpaper or not. He assured the Finding Direction Judges that he was not attempting to offer a bribe by suggesting that he could send in a larger version the would great as desktop wallpaper and the FD Judges didn’t take his offer that way, so all is well there. In fact, the photo he sent in is plenty large and the FD Judges appreciate his concern. Patrick, being of the William Wallace Scottish tradition, would never stoop to inducing bribes and the Judges did not think that he did.Then fellow blogger Greg England asked in comment last night whether or not he could send in multiple entries and somehow be entitled to a cash prize for, the FD Judges suppose, wearing them down with the number of entries so that they felt that the expenditure of some prize money was good riddance. Actually, that’s not a bad idea. Winning money. The FD Judges would be all for that if they had extra around to dole out. However, due the the enormous expenses of the house building project in which the FD Judges are engaged (with one of the early entrants, by the way, who has just a "slight" inside edge in the contest, but these things can’t be helped) no monetary awards will be given this time. Perhaps next time, if the planned TV ministry that the psycho-dog Chipper is considering comes through and donations are received by the FD Judges to use for "charity" purposes over here in blogland.But that is a stretch, so don’t count on it. Finally, fellow blogger Brad Palmore, who lives in suburban Virginia and who couldn’t find a drop of water this morning anywhere in his neigborhood (read his comment from this morning at the last post, it’s hilarious) asked if he could be considered for a special "non-water category" due to his difficult circumstances. For this question, the FD Judges refer the readers back to the winners post (here) for last summer’s 1st Annual Finding Direction Summer Desktop Photo Contest (when the subject was trees) wherein the esteemed fellow blogger, and editor of that heralded publication Christian Chronicle, Bobby Ross won the "Best Photo of a Tree Disguised as Kids" Award with the slightest hint of a tree off to one side of the photo of Bobby and his three kids in front of the Texas Rangers Baseball Stadium. In other words, dispensations and special categories have been given before, so the FD Judges will honor that slight bend in the rules where circumstances make it necessary. The FD Judges have already stated that the term "winter" applies to the months, not the locations of the photos and that water is a relative term, including bird bath water, fountain water, bathtub water, whatever the contestant thinks might win. There could even be a special category of non-water photos. These situations will be determined on a case by case basis.In other words, make your case a good one (and Brad has already done that in his comment this morning) and the FD Judges will accept it! So, Brad - not to worry - take your best shots (er, photo(s)) and you’re in.Okay, let’s keep those entries coming. I know a lot of you read FD all the time without commenting, but you ALL take pictures, I’m confidant, so send me some good ones. I’ve received one already from a reader I’d never heard from before, so that’s good! That’s what it’s all about. Christian camaraderie! Let the contest continue!Cheers & Blessings to each of you today! Dee […]