This is concerning to me.  I want a cloud-based picture management system that is cost-effective (free!), easy to use, and that gives me full access to high quality images.  I am still researching and haven't yet decided where to transfer my pictures but Kodak Gallery will be closed down on July 2 so I needed a quick and easy solution to maintain control over my pictures.

That's right!  Shutterfly will sell you an Archive DVD with full-resolution copies of your pictures.  This is not an option that is cost-friendly.  If you are in the same predicament as I am, here is what I suggest you do in the next few days:

1. Download Kodak EasyShare.  It's free.  

2. When you are prompted to enter your region during the set-up, select United States so that you will have access to The Gallery.  Canada does not have access for some reason.

3. Once Kodak EasyShare is installed go to Tools, select Preferences, go to the Transfer tab and select the location where you want to copy transferred pictures. (I am using an external hard drive.) Click Apply.

4. Now on the left hand side of the Kodak EasyShare window go to The Gallery and you should see all of your albums that are in Kodak Gallery.  Select an album and then click on the Gallery tab at the top of your screen and select Express Download.  This will download that entire album quite quickly into the folder that you specified in step 3 and it will keep each album separate in it's own folder.  

Right now I am thinking of using Photobucket but I would love to hear from any of you who have favorite programs.  Do you use online storage for your photos?  Do you have some tips to pass on?  

Here is what some of my friends have to say:

Merry, who blogs at Merry With Children, uses Flickr and says "It's super easy to embed the photos in your blog and they still reside on Flickr." 

Leslie, who blogs at Ruff Ruminations, uses Picasa and likes it for it's basic editing capabilities and also because she can watermark a group of images with one click.

I need more input!  Help me out, please!

Then yesterday I realized Mama Robin was bringing worms for her babies.  They must have hatched sometime last week.  I waited until she fed them and then I climbed up for a picture.  Four baby robins!  One was a little smaller and tucked down in the middle of the others.  Last year there was a small one that didn't end up surviving.  I  googled "how to feed baby robins" and "what to feed baby robins".  Did you know that they eat every 10-20 minutes from sun-up to sun-down?  They eat fruit, bugs and worms.  I decided we would try to supplement the little one as often as possible to see if we could help it survive.  It wouldn't take the strawberry strips that I offered so I laid it close to it's beak.  The strips were gone when I checked later but I can't be sure the little one got it.  I had hope though!

Today the nest is empty.  Long strands of straw hang down from one side of it and the inside is no longer a symmetrical thing of beauty.  Mama Robin, Papa Robin and two of their friends fluttered and flew, tweeted and cried helplessly while a big black crow ruined everything!

That ruined my morning.  I cussed him out good after I inspected the nest.  He wasn't even around but I hope he heard me.   I wonder how Mama and Papa Robin process this now.  They are very protective and were obviously upset.  Do they experience sadness?   Will they miss their babies?

Can we shoot the crow???

It was just before six this morning when we were awakened by the pitter-patter of tiny feet.  
This was a first!
Disoriented and groggy, I knew I should get up and take him back to bed. 
Instead, my husband and I grinned lazily at each other as our son climbed up and snuggled in between us.
So tired, but we couldn't go back to sleep.  
We lay luxuriating in this new development in our son's life.  In our lives.
This is our baby, he said with his smiling eyes.
Our baby, I agreed with mine.
And a silent prayer of gratefulness was exchanged between us and God.