Last day of class...forever!

Hey Everyone!
Figure I add an image taken like an hour ago of Midna, my cat, underneath our porch. She was running away every time I tried to get near her today, most annoying.
Anyways, tomorrow is my last day of class ever! Well unless I decide to go to graduate school or something but as a undergraduate it is. Lots of work put into this and I am thrilled to get done. It is really a big step to take out the door, but it really is a vast world with so much that you can do. See how it goes.
Well I haven't posted in awhile and that is because there was so much going on like I stated in the last post. I really haven't had time to work on my photography or pictures let alone upload and post :(
I actually went out the other day and took some photos and I went to a Cosplay Picnic at Maymont on Saturday, it sort of rained on us a little. Look forward for those photos tomorrow too.
I still have exam days Thursday and Friday and all next week, but only two in class  exams and one take home. I still am sprucing up my Research proposal that I have to do for my major!
I have updated the "Japan Plans" page with all the places that I am going to go to, or at least try to go to.
I have about 2.5 weeks to go before I am in Japan, I can't believe it! I am super excited indeed!!!!!
I also have some major plans for next year but t here is some things that I need to sort of for that so it will stay under wraps. I need to find a job right away when I get back to help fund that excursion or at least move out and start something new. I hope after my Japan trip and I start getting a job I can focus again on my  sites and perhaps expand and do more for it. I really am excited for the prospects that I can do with my sites.
Tomorrow is my grandfathers birthday and the home that he has been at did something extremely nice for him. They had over heard that he really liked NASCAR, auto racing in the U.S., and started to set things in motion. They got him a bunch of little things from Nationwide Insurance and then got him two VIP tickets and parking for the race this past Saturday! My dad didn't really want to go so my cousin went with him and they sat in the box at the top of the stands. He said he really enjoyed what they did for him. He had a great view of the track and there wasn't much noise being inside. He said he sort of missed the noise a little but it was great because there was servers that brought you all the food that you wanted for free. Oh and it was good food he said! He also met someone famous as well!
What my family didn't know was that when we went to see him yesterday to take him for lunch for his birthday, my aunt was there and that a news crew was coming to interview him about his experience! Big surprise to see my grandfather, my dad and myself on TV last night and this morning! This really was a nice thing for the owner to do for him and make a big dream come true. With the passing of my grandmother last month this really cheered him on and will push him. I had went to visit him this past Friday and he was telling me all about it how they came in his room with the tickets and the nice gifts that they gave him. He got an autographed hat and car from the driver of the Nationwide driver. I'll say though that it isn't his favorite driver haha.
Oh, I will have ton of flowers to post soon and talk about all kinds of plants that bloom during the spring here! I will have tons of posts and I might set it so they are posted while I am traveling as I wont be able to do full blog posts while in Japan with my tablet. I will update my Google + account and my Facebook. If you are not friends with me on either you can find the links to my profiles on the right side under "My accounts." Just friend me its all good. Plus I'd love to talk to people and perhaps meet you in Japan if I can!
Oh you know what my Skype username is "thesamshio" if anyone uses that as well!!!
Well that is all I have now for a update but look forward to some new photography on the site soon!

Last month of College, and boy is it busy!

Hey Everyone!
I just wanted to touch base with you guys!
I have had a rough past weeks starting with my Spring Break, then I had surgery on my wrist like three Monday's ago and had to take some leave time from school. The Wednesday in the same week I had gotten a call from my father that my grandmother had past (we was with her at the time). I spent the end of the week trying to figure out what I missed in school and the ceremonies for her funeral. I was upset and I made a separate post for that awhile ago.
This is the final two weeks of classes followed by exams as I graduate in literally 1 month and 1 day and I leave for Japan a few days later. I am been super stressed and have seamed to be trying to play catch up sine that horrible week.
I have to put together a research proposal and such and that is time consuming with lots of research!!
It's about the native oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay. I hope it comes out great since I need to do well if I want to graduate from College. It is stressful times and exciting times!!!
With all of this going on, I haven't really had time to go out and take photographs in the past week or two and haven't put together any new posts to the blog. The past 6 were pre made awhile ago when I had a feeling that I was going to get busy! I did spend some time yesterday working on some new photos and getting them ready but I have to find time to make a post! It might be soon it might not since my school work load is crazy!!! Not only that, but I have to find a career job as well! So much! Also touch up planning for my trip to Japan!
Oh if anyone wants to help me out with a photo contest at Maymont, click this link (here) and vote on one of the photographs that has votes on it since I guess the one with the most wins people's choice. The link has all the photos that  submitted. A ton of them are older photographs to.

Well I hope I can post more and I really will try to update some plans on Japan. I can't wait and I will love to post a ton when I get back from the trip. I wont have school work in the way!

Seya!

Graffiti of Belle Isle

Hey Everyone!
Well I took some photographs of the graffiti on Belle Isle and figured I dump them in their own post for everyone to see. Richmond sure has its share of graffiti all over the city. The other post is here.

Graffiti in the secret tunnel...

Camera on a skateboard?

I liked the intricate design in the left side...

The Azalea - Rhododendron

Hey everyone!
Figure I share about my lovely Azalea plants. I love the azaleas that we have and they are great to have in the yard. Green all year around but really produce spectacular flowers in the spring, all kinds of colors.
They are a flowering shrub from the Rhododendron genus. Their flowers will last for a few weeks, depending on the weather conditions. They prefer to have shade majority of the day as they look more healthy and produce great looking blooms then. Also love to grow beneath or by other taller trees. They grow one blossom per stem rather then the multiple like the plant Rhododendron. Also, like the Rhododendron's, the azaleas are also mildly poisons and you should not consume any parts or the plant at all as it can cause abdominal pains and cardiovascular problems as well.




Taken with EOS T3i with 18-55mm Is II Lens

Belle Isle Isle - March 2012

Hey Everyone!
So went to Belle Isle about a week ago with my father. It was nice to get back over there. It has been a while since the last time I was there.

The water level was still high at this time but earlier that week the water was a lot higher.

The river City, Richmond, Virginia

The Robert E. Lee Bridge goes over the isle

Gives a cool perspective...

 

This is the part of the James River that is the fall line.

Cherry Blossoms at VCU

Hey Everyone!
Figure I share these with you guys a small little posts with some flowers that are long gone now. VCU is quite a beautiful campus that is still ever growing in the city of Richmond. Sorry I didn't take more as I was on my way to class, botany go figure haha.

My Grandmother

Hey Everyone.
So this post is for my grandmother.
On March 28th, 2012 (this past Wednesday) she past away after what seamed like years of cheating death. It was my fathers mother and she was 80 years old. She is from Brunswick County, Virginia, the country of Virginia. She was married to my grandfather for 62 years and he is still with us. She was only a few months older than him. I am happy to say  that she was sleeping when she stopped breathing and passed away in a peaceful state.
She was the kindness person you would have ever met. I don't think I can ever picture her without a smile on since she always had one. She cared about everyone she met, that see knew and all of her family. I wish I could learn more about her and what it was like out there. She had some amazing cooking and everyone in the family says that if you are from Brunswick County you can cook and I can believe that.
She would always ask how my friends were doing even though I haven't seen them in a long time, she cared and she loved.
She has fought off lots of medical problems for years and had heart surgery years back. She was diagnosis with a baseball sized aneurysm on her heart last spring and they said that she could die in an instant at anytime if it burst. They said maybe till the Summer is what she had left but we had her for another year.
I wont lie, that was the first funeral that I have attended and it was draining and upsetting. Most upsetting was seeing my grandfather cry. I have seen him do it before from frustration when he got paralyzed but this was totally different. I could not image losing someone that you have loved and been with for the past 62 years to leave your side. It was a joyous occasion as friends and family came together to eat and laugh and enjoy our company as we remembered someone that had a significant impact in their lives. That brought joy to them through her kindness and smile.
I will miss you and will remember you grandma.

Our family and a lot of other friends and family donated a lot of gorgeous flowers to the service and I appreciated them all. They were beautiful and smelled wonderful and she enjoyed her garden. She will be happy to have them. I am adding flowers below that I knew she would have loved to see. These are flowers that have been on her before and have not.