Memories Are Made of This

As I posted recently, I was visiting family in Minnesota. Aside from the catastrophic event with the Interstate 35W Bridge collapsing, the trip was absolutely wonderful. Although the highlight of the trip was quality time spent with family, I also had the opportunity to see some of the sights around Minneapolis and St. Paul.

It seems that I have always been the "family photographer", clicking away with my 35mm camera -- when I remembered to bring it along or had room in my purse or carry-bag for it. However, that problem was solved a few months ago with the purchase of a Kodak EASYSHARE V610 Dual Lens Digital Camera. Not only is it small enough to easily fit in my purse or a pocket, the 10X zoom made it a perfect accompaniment for snapping pictures of active family members or to zoom in a bit on Mother Nature at the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory (Images reduced in size to 25% of original):

Nesting Duck at Como Park Zoo and Conservatory

As beautiful as the new housing developments and outdoor malls are in the still rapidly growing communities outside Minneapolis, I preferred the beauty of Summit Avenue in St. Paul. The 100 year old Cathedral of St. Paul, modeled after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, was absolutely breath-taking. The Cathedral has a massive copper dome, incredible stained-glass, and beautiful woodwork. Although it is likely difficult to get a bad picture of St. Paul's, I am quite pleased with the results of my effort:

Side-View, Cathedral of St. Paul, Summit Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota

Almost as amazing -- or perhaps even more so because it was such a stunningly beautiful day -- was the view from the front steps of St. Paul, particularly this shot of the Capital Building:

Capital Building, St. Paul, Minnesota

Another feature I particularly appreciate about the EASYSHARE V610 is the 2.8 in. (7.1 cm) high resolution color display with wide viewing angle. Instead of cut off heads or other missing parts, the display provides an incredibly clear view of the scene, making it easy to nicely frame the picture.

Not to be overlooked, of course, are the beautiful prints I have been printing on my Windows Vista compatible Kodak EASYSHARE 5300 All-in-One Printer to send to family to share the memories.

Of course it goes without saying that the family pictures are even more special but I will keep those memories for sharing with the family. I hope you take the time to make memories of the special times in your life.

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...