Old Habits Are Hard to Break... - 06/30/11 06:26 AM
Old Habits Are Hard to Break...     And so here I sit. Staring blankly at my monitor wondering what to write. Not that I don't have anything to say or things to write about and the dreaded 'writer's block' is not an issue. My quandary is nothing is really pushing my 'hot button'.      Sure, I can post another picture of a flower, bird, or something that resides in my 2TB digital abyss, but as most of you, who follow my blog know, I don't like to post the same 'ol same 'ol.     My other dilemma is habit. It is rare … (29 comments)

Anything Is Possible... - 06/29/11 05:42 AM
Anything Is Possible...     In my (not so) Wordless Wednesday department, I firmly believe anything is possible. Sadly, we live in a society filled with angst, hopelessness and is full of "I cant's". Understandably so, especially when viewed in the light of today's current social, economic and political woes.      If ever there was a time to embark upon anything worth doing, now is the time. Our time on this celestial orb is limited; have fun and start living your dream.     Trust in your instincts, and believe in the power of your mind and heart. I was told that taking a … (32 comments)

You've Got to be Kidding Me... - 06/28/11 05:48 AM
You've Got to be Kidding Me...     One of the things that makes for a good home inspector is exceptional bedside manners. By this I mean just staying calm and collected no matter what one encounters. Believe me, I have seen stuff that just makes me want to scratch my head with a pick axe.      In the "You've Got to be Kidding Me" department, comes this interesting little diddy I ran into yesterday while inspecting a "Flipper". My first impression was, "Oh, this is a CO detector." Wrong! This be a smoke detector. Guess where the CO detector was? I'll give … (30 comments)

Needing Some Feedback... - 06/27/11 06:24 AM
Needing Some Feedback...     As most of you know, I run two businesses, a home inspection company and a photography company that focuses primarily on real estate. As I am wanting to grow the photography side more, I am looking for ways to make the product better for my customers. So I need some feedback from you, my ActiveRain critics. Below is a YouTube video of a listing I just shot and the link to the listing is as follows: 6326 Sunnywood Dr.
     What do you like about the video and what don't you like? The same goes with the webpage. … (38 comments)

(not so) Speechless Sundae... - 06/26/11 06:15 AM
(not so) Speechless Sundae...My friend, Craig Rutman, and I immerse in several deep, meaningful and engaging conversations every week. Say What? Okay, let's say we talk several times a week. Nevertheless, we did hit on the subject of whether it is better to be a little fish in a big pond or vice-versa. While puttering around in one of my ponds yesterday, I noticed this little fry swimming around above one of the lily pads. My thought turned immediately to, you guessed it...  "Well, I guess fish are going to be fish." Seriously, though, if you had the choice or option, … (56 comments)

Dog Gone It... - 06/25/11 06:23 AM
Dog Gone It...We all like our animals, however; animals in listing photos and showings is definitely a no no. Yesterday while shooting a listing for a client, Pooch Face would not relinquish his favorite snoozing lounge. What's a photographer supposed to do?

My friend, Craig Rutman, reminded me the other day of a feature in Photoshop called Content Aware. Since I could not get pooch face to physically remove himself, I removed him from the photo in post production. I highlighted him and "Presto Chango" using the content aware feature, he was gone in the click of a mouse. … (49 comments)

Parting Shots for Friday... - 06/24/11 06:09 PM
Parting Shots for Friday...As I said in a post the other day, I have been in the home inspection business for years and nothing really rattles my cage or surprises me. But there are things that make me want to burst out laughing and scratch my head and wonder, Why? Maybe they... Nah! no one can be that obtuse can they? <sigh> All in a days work I reckon...

… (30 comments)

Friday's Photos ~ Rediscovering My Community... - 06/24/11 07:20 AM
Friday's Photos ~ Rediscovering My Community...I am often guilty of driving through communities in my area and not even giving anything a second glance. Why? If I have seen something once, I have seen it a hundred times. I find it ironic how one turns a blind eye towards one's own community yet when I go somewhere, out comes the camera and before I realize it, I have filled the card with photos. As a professional in the real estate field, my business depends upon clients who are purchasing or selling property. People buy on emotion, yet I often feel nonchalant … (42 comments)

Thankful Thursday Ramblings... - 06/23/11 08:37 PM
Thankful Thursday Ramblings...Can you believe it? Tomorrow is Friday. Where did the week go. It seems as if it were only yesterday that I was goofing off and this week has been just a total blur. And to top it off, I have only posted 4 articles this week. I must be slipping.I just read an article that said home sales were up 24% in the south. I can believe it. The first quarter of the year was slow, but this 2nd quarter has been robust. I have appointments scheduled into next week already. Not complaining - just very thankful. Although … (13 comments)

Functional or Sloppy Workmanship... - 06/23/11 06:35 AM
Functional or Sloppy Workmanship...As a professional home inspector for the past 11 years, nothing rattles my cage. I think I have seen it all - the good, the bad, the ugly and the sloppy. Which brings me to the point of today's post. Yesterday while in the 'Boro, inspecting a new construction property that looked like who did it and ran, the client was upset by the way the plumbing was run under the vanity. I agreed with them that the job was less than stellar and falls under the category of poor/sloppy workmanship, but as plumbed, the job is within … (57 comments)

(not so) Wordless Wednesday... - 06/22/11 06:15 AM
(not so) Wordless Wednesday...Many of you who follow my blog know my passions for gardening and photography. When encountering a scene, sometimes I am guilty of seeing with out looking. It is easy to be overcome by the presence of your subject and shoot without taking a moment to first study your shot. Lighting, angle, composition and secondary objects are vital to your shot; not just the subject. Although the first bloom of the white water lilies in my water garden is my main subject, I also wanted to capture the dragon fly larva on the leaf above (1 o'clock). Although … (32 comments)

It's Back to the Old Grind... - 06/21/11 06:39 AM
It's Back to the Old Grind...After spending a day to decompress and do the typical truckload of stuff that awaited my return from holiday, it is back to the old grind today. One doesn't realize how many chores one does during the course of a week until one takes a week off. The amount of work is almost staggering. And to get it all done in a timely manner takes the strength and stamina of a super hero or one or more helping hands. Thankfully, the cat dropped by without Thing 1 or Thing 2. He was wanting to try out … (35 comments)

It's Pay Day... - 06/20/11 06:55 AM
It's Pay Day...There doesn't seem to be anything more daunting than your first day back to the old grind. Suitcases to unpack, mountains of soiled clothes to wash, house-hold chores and pile on tidying up business details. I am looking at my To Do list and am wishing I could whip out my magic wand and "Ta DA", make it all go away. Done! finito!<sigh> Alas, there are no magic wands, just magic fingers. So here I sit, writing out my list of what is important and what is urgent. I reckon this is the pay day one gets for going … (43 comments)

(not so) Speechless Sundae... - 06/19/11 05:33 AM
(not so) Speechless Sundae...Sunday finds me somewhere between where I was and home. Batteries recharged, I am ready to hit the ground running when I return. Although I wasn't able to see and do all I wanted, I was still able to have those quiet morning walks. The ones that inspire my creative juices.This will be my last post for the week. I hope to see you all bright and early tomorrow. Happy Father's Day to all you Dad's out there...

… (40 comments)

Parting Thoughts for Saturday... - 06/18/11 03:28 PM
Parting Thoughts for Saturday...Photography is a unique blend of subject, composition, lighting and technical knowledge. Mastering these techniques takes time, persistence and willingness to take a bunch of bad shots. But it through the trial and error process and the help of others we learn and begin to master our art.For me, low light and night shots were my nemesis, especially, taking shots "on the fly" without the aid of a tripod. While this technique will not work on point-and-shoot cameras, it will work on most dSLR's. ISO settings are how the camera film or sensor reacts to light. The lower … (17 comments)

The Wow Effect... - 06/18/11 06:13 AM
The Wow Effect...This week I have the opportunity to visit a lot of attractions. Some good and some not so good. The difference between the really great and the mediocre boiled down to detail and the experience; whether expressed or implied.Reflecting back, this is what separates the really good from the rest of the pack in the real estate business. I liken this to the "Wow" effect. I am guilty of falling into the trap of giving "good" service. This holiday week has left me with thoughts of; If my business was a theme park attraction, what would my customers say … (34 comments)

Friday's Thoughts... - 06/17/11 06:54 PM
Friday's Thoughts...I like the Britt's and some of the verbiage they use especially when it comes to taking time off from the normal, grinding, rat race, that we refer to as our "Work-a-day World", they go on Holiday. Makes perfect sense to me. After all, it is a holiday from all the afore mentioned and then some; but we here in the States, we go on vacation. How boring and mundane. However, most of us cannot take a holiday from those thousands of horrible pictures we take to remind us of all the fun we had, or were supposed to, and memories we … (30 comments)

Friday's Photos... - 06/17/11 07:06 AM
Friday's Photos...What I find interesting is how we look upon and perceive an object. We can all look at the same objects and see them totally different. But then, that is what makes the human race to the finish line so interesting. Our colors, tastes, opinions, viewpoints and how we see the ordinary we encounter.  I often get envious, when I gaze upon the artistic works of others and wish I could be more so. I reckon we all have our talents. Walking through the entrance of the Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando, I had to stop and take this shot. … (37 comments)

Good Night ActiveRain... - 06/16/11 08:57 PM
Good Night ActiveRain...Wow! Today was a stark contrast from all the hustling, jostling and mayhem. The order of the day was to lay back, chill, and enjoy. Gone were the groping, pressing, shoving long lines. Instead, Sea World was a breath of fresh air as compared to Universal Studios. At times, I felt as if I almost had the park to myself, as lines were short, and the attractions were really cool.  The high light of the day was seeing One Ocean. To me, there is nothing more impressive than seeing those big wales jump out of the water, turn somersaults … (21 comments)

Thankful Thursday... - 06/16/11 05:58 AM
Thankful Thursday...'Tis the calm before the storm. Having survived the swirling, ebbing and flowing tides in the mass sea of humanity at Universal, it is off to see Flipper and Friends as I trek onward to Sea World.  Yesterday, I said good bye to the colorful, surrealistic colors of Tune World, Dr. Suess, Jurassic Park, the Marvel Comic Characters and of course Harry Potter, Hogwarts, and Hogsmeade. It will take some time to sort through all the pictures, as I took many on the fly. And like so many "tourist type" shots, they suc but then, what the heck. I'm on … (36 comments)

(not so) Wordless Wednesday... - 06/15/11 07:41 PM
(not so) Wordless Wednesday...Have you ever had one of those days were everything is a blur? These past few days have been for me. But then, it  seems that when one has a week to do nothing but goof off; time seems to move in an accelerated pace. Who knows. Could be that one is hell bent on packing 30 hours of activities in a 24 hour day. Then too, maybe the time gods trick us. You know, they speed time up; giving us 20 hours and saying, "Dude, I just gave you 24." What ever the case, time moves way … (20 comments)

Life is Hard... - 06/14/11 05:30 AM
Life is Hard...Hard Rock, that is. Yesterday while most of you were hard at it, doing the daily grind bit, I arrived at my destination. It was a real bear I tell you, sitting under one of the palms by the pool, sipping the Nectar of the gods from the golden goblet on the table, not having to think about the "W" word. Yes, life is hard when you are on Holiday. I did pack my camera, and today I will be wearing it out as I will be visiting Universal Studios, mainly to see the Adventure Island side of the … (32 comments)

Good Morning, ActiveRain... - 06/13/11 05:43 AM
Good Morning, ActiveRain...While not my usual Monday morning post, I just thought I'd pop in for a few. I am somewhere between where I left and where I want to be later today. I did the major portion of the trek yesterday while the traffic was light. All was good, save for the typical road construction in Atlanta. Will they EVER have all the roadwork done in Atlanta? Gawd only knows. Anyway, I will make every attempt to post something daily, however pitiful it may be, (kinda like this one) and comment as much as I can. If I don't make … (32 comments)

(not so) Speechless Sundae... - 06/12/11 05:29 AM
(not so) Speechless Sundae...There's nothing like a beautiful sunrise to start the day. Somewhere in this world, both a Sunrise and a Sunset is happening. How grand it would be, if one could zip across the heavens, and forever witness a beautiful sunrise or an awe inspiring sunset. Talk about a gift too beautiful to describe.Every day dawns with a sunrise. Celebrate! New hope, a new beginning is on the rise.Today, yesterday's tomorrow is here.Yesterday and whatever you didn’t like is behind you.Make the change; reach into your unfathomable depths; greatness is within.Today, is a gift; laugh, learn, love.Make someone happy; … (43 comments)

Water Gardening... - 06/11/11 05:32 AM
Water Gardening...  I had posted the picture below and had gotten several comments, most asking what it was. The salmon colored flower is blooming on canna lilies that fall into a group of foliage called marginals. Simply put, marginals are aquatic plants that like to have their feet wet. Aquatic plants, like normal garden plants, do better if placed in the correct environment in your water garden. Some water garden plants are happy when grown in the bog (muddy) area of your garden while others, like water lilies and lotus, are deep water plants and are best grown in 18-36" of … (14 comments)

How Much Money is in the Pot? - 06/10/11 08:07 PM
How Much Money is in the Pot?  So how lucky do you feel? Any guesses as to how much money is in the pot?  For years, I take all my loose change at the end of the day, and throw it into this old honey jar. When it is full, I count the change and do something useful with it. Seeing as how I will be going out of town soon, I thought that it just might make some cool spending money.So how lucky do you feel? Any guesses? The closest guess without going over will win accolades from me and … (47 comments)

Friday's Fotos ~ Up a Lazy River... - 06/10/11 06:09 AM
Friday's Fotos ~ Up a Lazy River...  Can you believe it? It's finally Friday. After last week's short week, activities and the busy schedule made this week seem even shorter. Time is really fun when you are on the fly. Kinda makes it go by quicker too.  Needless to say, the Nation has been in the grips of an unusually hot spell for this time of the year. Seems like the dog days of summer have arrived and summer didn't get the message that it is supposed to be here. Strange weather. If you don't have to work, do like I … (39 comments)

Good Night ActiveRain... - 06/09/11 08:57 PM
Good Night ActiveRain...  There is something about hummers that is endearing. How can the tiniest of all birds capture the hears of so many. They have mine. In all my years of taking photos I rarely stumble upon a hummer nest. And I can only count on one hand the number of times the nest was active. The photo below is one. With this post I bid you all ado. I started today with a frumpy hummer, and I end the day with one chillin'. Good night ActiveRain, Mañana...

… (19 comments)

(not quite) Thankful Thursday... - 06/09/11 06:25 AM
(not quite) Thankful Thursday...  I know that today is not Frumpy Friday, those days when you go about looking quite disheveled, but what the heck, it's hot, I'm already tired and I'm in just one of THOSE moods. If I were virtual, I would most likely be best described as WYSIWYG. Why? I have to spend the morning getting month ends off to the accountant. <shudder> To me, counting beans is about is as much fun as a sharp stick in the eye. Why can't accounting be as much fun as taking pictures? If I were to able to capture a … (35 comments)

Here's a Picture You Don't See Every Day... - 06/08/11 09:22 PM
Here's a Picture You Don't See Every Day...  There is something about space that fascinates some of us. I will admit it, I am a techie and a trekie and there is something about space, voyages to other planets and solar systems that really fascinates me. I really don't know where he got it, but a friend of mine from CA sent me this picture of the shuttle Endeavour as docked with the International Space station. My only question is how did they snap the picture? No matter how they did it, it is neat. Talk about technology at it's finest... … (16 comments)

(not so) Wordless Wednesday... - 06/08/11 09:00 AM
(not so) Wordless Wednesday...
Gosh! Where has the morning gone? It seems as if I have been up forever and still don't feel as if I have gotten much accomplished, (although I have been busier than a one legged person in a butt-kickin' contest). Sometimes it is just nice to find a nice quiet relaxing spot and take a breather from the grind. Work will always find a way to creep back into the schedule...

… (31 comments)

Where's My Cookie? - 06/07/11 08:31 AM
Where's My Cookie?Either something must have gone "bump" in the night at ActiveRain headquarters or the cookie monster crept into my computer and ate my cookie. I hate it when I loose my cookies ~ I mean, when someone eats my cookies. I can remember eons ago, one had to submit a graphic for every comment. I can understand spam control, but when you submit 10-30 comments along with graphics, it does get to be a royal pain. This was eventually corrected; a cookie was placed and one only had to submit one graphic for commenting long as they remained logged … (43 comments)

Points to Ponder ~ I'm Already Motivated… - 06/06/11 06:25 AM
Points to Ponder ~ I'm Already Motivated…I do not really like vacations.  I much prefer the occasional day when I can totally goof off when I do not feel like working.  When I am confronted with the thought of having a whole week in which I have nothing to do but kick back and enjoy myself,  I do not know where to begin.  It is an overwhelming thought.
To me, enjoyment comes in fleeting and unheralded moments. Those moments that on a whim, I can close shop, grab the camera bag and pop out the door and be gone for … (39 comments)

Parting Shots for the Week… - 06/05/11 09:34 PM
Parting Shots for the Week…As the sun sets on another busy week, I am thankful. I am thankful that the real estate market is holding its own in this area and I have a steady supply of work. I am thankful that a lot of the projects around the home are finally coming to an end. YEAH. And I am thankful for you, my ActiveRain friends. I hope you all have a busy week next week. Until then, good night and pleasant dreams. Mañana...
… (21 comments)

(not so) Speechless Sundae… - 06/05/11 07:03 AM
(not so) Speechless Sundae… There is something to be said about the adage, nothing stays the same forever. I can remember when the Village of Brentwood, became the City of Brentwood in 1968. Back then, Cotton was king, the surrounding village was farmland, and subdivisions were few and far between. Fast forward to today. Now, it's subdivisions, shopping malls, jogging trails and farms are few and far between. <sigh> 'Tis the price we pay for progress I reckon.  Passing by the old Turner farm on Franklin Pike early yesterday morning, I stopped to take a few pictures of an old familiar … (28 comments)

Getting Into Your Right Mind… - 06/04/11 06:23 AM
Getting Into Your Right Mind…
There are photographs, and there are pictures. There is a difference between the two. One captures, a moment, an image, an object, an event, the other captures our heart, our imagination and our mind. It is hard for me to differentiate why one click of the shutter produces one and not the other. Maybe the digital gods smile upon you when you push the shutter release. Maybe it's luck. Maybe some folks have a different way of looking at things. Maybe it is what it is.  I guess, as I get older, I am beginning to … (35 comments)

Friday's Fotos… - 06/03/11 09:37 PM
Friday's Fotos…
Gosh, these short work weeks really seem to throw a hitch in one's giddyup, if you know what I mean. I'm thinking it's one day, and in reality it is another. Gosh, time is really fun when you are on the fly. My dilemma is that here it is Friday, and I plumb forgot to post to my Friday's Fotos group. (Bad moderator, I am). So without further adieu, here is today's Friday's Fotos post. This is a neat effect I created with Photoshop while playing around with filters, masks and brush effects. I liken Photoshop as the digital … (26 comments)

Percy Warner Park... - 06/03/11 05:24 AM
Percy Warner Park...Located at the end of Belle Meade Blvd in the prestigious Belle Meade section of Nashville, TN stands the entrance to Percy Warner Park the "Crown Jewel" in Metro Nashville's park system. Percy Warner Park at 2058 acres is the larger of the two Warner Parks. Together Edwin Warner and Percy Warner combine to make the largest municipality administered parks in Tennessee with a combined acreage of 2,684.Variety is the one word that comes to mind when describing Percy Warner Park. The approximately 10 miles of scenic roadways meandering through the hills and valleys, offer motorists a leisurely drive … (32 comments)

Vote for Your Favorite Collage - 06/02/11 09:50 PM
 

Time to Vote…
The ActiveRain Collage contest has concluded except for the final voting by ActiveRain members to chose a winner. IMHO, all the entries picked by the ActiveRain staff are winners, but there can be only one grand prize winner. I was honored to have my entry be in the top 10. Now it's your time to vote to chose a winner.
 
Via ActiveRain Corp.:
Niki's collage competition has come to a close and we had a bunch of creative and thoughtful entries.  The theme was familiar with people highlighting members as the true heart and soul of … (9 comments)

Evolving… - 06/02/11 06:12 AM
Evolving…
I find it both interesting and fascinating when I hop into the time machine and go into the ActiveRain past. Yesterday, Craig Daniels and I were emailing each other as we took a trip down the ActiveRain memory lane. Using this URL ( http://activerain.com/recent_blog_posts/42294 ) we were able to go all the way back to the first official ActiveRain blog #10 - http://activerain.com/blogsview/10/blast-the-bubble. Sadly, the post has been deleted by the author, but you can still leave a comment. Gosh how the platform and times have changed as we are in constant flux and evolution. And so too, it goes … (56 comments)

Unofficial ActiveRain Blogging Report - May 2011… - 06/01/11 05:48 AM

Unofficial ActiveRain Blogging Report - May 2011…
Wow! What a month. This month we had three major contests/challenges come to a close. There was the first annual ActiveRain PhotoBloggers Group, The May 31 Day Challenge, and the ActiveRain Collage Challenge all geared towards incentivising members to do what is good for business - BLOG. The numbers speak for themselves, 14 - 2,000+ post days with the low being 1,097 posts on Sunday May 8 which was Mothers Day. Quite understandable. So my 2¢ question for the day: do contests / competiton  motivate you or the membership? What would really, really … (54 comments)

 
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Michael Thornton - Nashville, TN area Home Inspector - 615.661.0297

Brentwood, TN

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Complete Home Inspections, Inc.

Address: 217 Jamestown Park Road, Suite 12, Brentwood, TN, 37027

Office Phone: (615) 661-0297

Cell Phone: (615) 473-8803

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