Wagoner High School Marching Band

This is a clip from the Oologah Band Contest. Wagoner placed 5th out of all the bands that played Saturday!! Great job Dave!!!

Photography "bug" is back!!

Ok, so I got the photography bug again last night---my family went to our church and had portraits shot by a local, well-known photog company. We get a free 8x10 but of course we can order additional prints-they had us do several poses and had the "package" prices conveniently available. I was observant of everything going on and particularly observant when I saw the prices!! WOW I thought, I gotta get me some of dat!! So, stay tuned for more pictures through the eye of Jeff Smith!!

Might go get me a "nifty fifty" at lunchtime & start taking senior pics this week!!

Went out & shot the sunrise today....at least until I had to bail in order to get to work. Here are a couple of samples....

How 'bout some critiques??

Storm over Tulsa/Broken Arrow....

No tornadoes, but a cool shelf cloud!!

Cool shots....

I shot these as storms were firing in the heat/humidity last Thursday. Enjoy!

Labor Day 2009 At the lake....

For all of you that have been wondering.....the boat ran flawlessly last weekend!! Finally got it right! Just in time for the boating season to wind down...oh yeah......

We did have a blast at Lake Hudson. Probably the most fun that I have had since my last storm chase.....lol!

PS...that's a pic of my nephew Nolan Michael Smith--he was with us and kept us entertained:-0

Brothers...

I really don't know what to write, or even if I should, but I'm gonna tell you a story about brothers...

Well, yesterday was a bad day. I rarely have them, but they do happen. You see, I lost one of my brothers yesterday. He was older than me by 20 years, and lived by himself on land that our dad had given us. Growing up, I always looked up to my brother, even in later years as we grew distant. I know that he had problems, and serious ones, but I tried to overlook them when I could, and tried to simply see my brother. He and I got "sideways" with one another in recent years, and I haven't spoken to him for a while, and that is what I want to convey to my readers....

The last words that we had were fierce, with him calling me every name in the book, and me threatening to call the sheriff on him. I now feel terrible for not going to him and reconciling because I will now never get that chance. I have to live with that pain now.

In Matthew 5 Jesus tells us that if we have a problem with our brother, to leave the altar and go to him fast and reconcile with him. He didn't say that it was okay no too if it wasn't your fault, He just said go and do it--and do it now. This passage had been on my mind lately and I had been thinking of going to Donnie to make up. We had argued over a stupid 350.00 worth of hay! 350.00 isn't even a car payment in these days, much less enough money to keep two brothers apart!! I believe this is why Jesus told us to do this; we may never have another chance. You never know what tomorrow will bring. Please, if you have family that you haven't talked to in a while, please give them a call......tell them you love them.....forget your differences and swallow your pride and just go to them. I will never have that chance to do that with my brother, and that hurts deep within me right now.

Farewell my brother, Don Eldon Smith 1949-2009