FINALLY JEEPED MYSELF OUT ON A LITTLE PHOTO SAFARI THIS MORNING:))

IF I WERE A FROG I THINK I MIGHT LIKE TO LIVE HERE:)) 

At 6 a.m. this morning our thermometer was showing 55F & what a nice change that was from our recent sticky heat.  I was back into my warm snuggly flannel pajamas complete with my favorite warm blanket across my lap.  My recliner faces southeast & just off to my left we have a large picture window.  In the mornings I am able to watch the first rays of sunlight filtering through the Pine trees eventually touching down on our living room floor.  We have one of our doggy beds there & if the little Motormouse is asleep on the bed the sun's rays softly tip toe through the window & bathe her in a warm glow being ever so careful not to wake the sleeping little Mouse.

STOPPED ALONG THE ROAD LOOKING AT SOME LARGE ROUND STRAW BALES THIS MORNING   

Russ from TRAVELS IN THERAPY sent me an email this morning with his memories of the Disney shows years ago & his thoughts about growing up in a different era those oh so many years ago.  Of course that set my own memory banks into gear thinking & remembering days gone by.  I'm sure glad I am still able to remember many things from yesteryear.  It's my short term memory I have problems with, not my long term memory.

And this is how I remember it......Heating water on an old cast iron coal/wood stove for washing, once a week baths, bringing in water from a pump outside, coal oil lamps for when the electricity went off as it frequently did, no television, wind up clocks, buckled galoshes on cold winter feet , a hand crank phone on the wall, pee pots under the bed, wooden sided refrigerator where you put a big block of ice in the top part, no such thing as a supermarket & fish was pedaled on Fridays from a man pushing a wagon around my little home town of Tavistock Ontario, Canada.  Knives could be sharpened the same way & milk was delivered by a horse drawn wagon.  I can still see our local chicken farmer standing just inside our door with his wooden basket of freshly killed chickens.  A folded white cloth covered 2 or 3 at a time & that is how my Mother selected & bought our meat in those days.

SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO IS FARM COUNTRY   

A big old wooden floor model radio was the main source of entertainment in our house & my Mother, my Grandfather, my Uncle Fred & I would gather around it Sunday night's for 'Our Miss Brooks, Fibber McGee & Molly, the Great Gildersleeve & many other great old time radio shows. Arthur Godfrey in the mornings, Gunsmoke & Gangbusters on Saturday nights. We had a crank up Victrola with old 78 RPM records which I would constantly listen to. My Mother could play piano by ear & it was always a great treat for me to sit on the piano bench beside her as she played our favorite piece, Greensleeves. Our house always had music in it & I'm very grateful for that to-day. Whether it was the radio, the Victrola, my Mother on the piano or an old record player years later, there was always music in the house. To this very day I still surround myself with music 24/7.

Sometimes I would like nothing better than to just climb aboard a time machine to go back & turn on that big old wooden floor model radio again.  I'd like to tune in Amos & Andy &gather round in the living room with my Mother, my Grandfather, & my Uncle Fred to listen & laugh once again to a simple humor that is all but lost now. A way of life, a way of family, a way of remembering. Some day's the old memories just keep on coming & coming......and I like that:))

ONE OF MY FAVORITE PHOTO STOPS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD 

One of my favorite hobbies is to throw my camera gear in the Jeep & head off out into the countryside looking for a few photo opportunities.  Just haven't had the inspiration to do that this Spring & Summer until this morning.  Maybe it has been the extreme heat or maybe just the events of the past couple months.  Regardless, it was a beautiful morning & I thoroughly enjoyed meandering around the back roads stopping for a photo here, a couple photos there & just enjoying the peace & tranquility of our pastoral rural countryside.

Some of our newer readers have been inquiring as to what kind of a camera I use so I will address the next few paragraphs to that.  I actually have 4 cameras & Kelly has one of her own as well. (Canon Powershot A430)  In total, I have 2 Canons & 2 Nikons, well 3 Nikons if you consider the one I dropped & broke this past winter in Arizona.  That was my Nikon D50 which had been my work horse for the past 5 years.  Great camera & it never let me down. 

I replaced the D50 with a new Nikon D90 & I carry a 1:3.5-5.6D 18-55mm lens on that.  I have had this lens for about 5 years & have probably taken 80% of all my photos with it.  My 2 Nikons are DSLR's & the 3 Canon's are all point & shoots.  More about my 2 Canons further on.

 

NIKON D90 WITH 18-55mm LENS                   NIKON D40 WITH 70-300mm LENS 

My second DSLR camera is an older Nikon D40 which I really love for it's simpler ways & durability.  I use this camera for most of my telephoto shots.  Up until a year ago I carried a Nikkor 55-200 light weight lens on this camera & all my telephoto pics up until the early summer of 2010 were done with this lens.  I carry that lens as a spare now because I replaced it with an AF-S NIKKOR 70-300mm 1:4.5-5.6G lens.  Nice lens but very heavy compared to the much lighter 55-200.

It was actually this newer lens I had on my D50 when I accidentally pulled it off a table onto a cement porch floor at the Lazy W Ranch this past winter near Elfrida, Arizona.  Amazingly the lens survived the fall with the camera bearing the brunt of the crash.  Talk about an absolutely sick feeling when that happened.  But, when considered, the number of years & frequency of camera gear I've used I can't really complain.  Only other piece of equipment I damaged was back in 1989 when I dropped a Tamron zoon lens & had to have it sent back to the factory for repairs.

I carry a point & shoot Canon Powershot A720iS in the Jeep & I have a newer Canon Powershot SX210iS that I carry with me at all times either in a buttoned up shirt pocket or in a leather case on my belt.  When we are out hiking a mountain trail somewhere I am usually packing 3 cameras with me.  Probably wouldn't need the Canon but it's on my belt anyway so along it goes.  Kelly will sometimes use it to take photos of me lying on the trail unable to get up because of all the camera gear I am carrying.  

 

THE BLACK SX210iS IS THE CAMERA I CARRY WITH ME ALL THE TIME & THE SILVER ONE STAYS IN THE JEEP 

Should mention here also that I have all my cameras 'tweaked' which means I have changed the settings to my liking rather than the factory default settings.  And I do not use any of them on their 'full Auto' settings simply because 'auto' always seems to overexpose the photos.  Most of my photos are generally done at least a half to a full stop underexposed.  Picked up that little tip a few years ago from KEN ROCKWELL'S photo site.  Photos are then generally easier to work with in my free & easy to use PICASA 3.8 PHOTO EDITING PROGRAM.

HENRY'S CAMERA STORE is headquartered in Toronto Canada but I bought my 3 Nikon cameras & 3 lenses plus a tripod at Henry's London Ontario store.  My D50 was a sale special coupled with the 18-55mm & 50-200mm lens & that was how I ended up choosing Nikon over Canon that day.  The 55-300mm lens went on sale & that's why I grabbed it a year ago.  I am not a 'brand loyal' guy simply because both Canon & Nikon make excellent cameras & lenses.

Anyway, that's enough camera stuff for tonight but I'll be back in the coming days & weeks with lots more thoughts such as, why I prefer to photo alone, camera clubs, the pros & cons of taking too many photos of a single subject, when does a photo hobby not become fun, why I'm not a tech head photo guy, photo contests, natural lighting & why I watch the sky, anticipating a photo, Nikon vs Canon, why I don't normally carry a camera bag, etc. etc. etc.    

THE LAST PARAGRAPH:  I don't know about anyone else out here but if I'm not feeling up to par either mentally or physically, one of the first things to suffer is my ambition & creativity.  I have had to rely a fair bit on my file photos these past months because I just haven't felt a whole lot like picking up the cameras.   Therefore I have not been out & about like in previous summers.  I think this morning may have marked my first photo outing since being home from the Southwest.  Sure felt good to be out scrambling around with a couple cameras weighing me down again......10-4:))

GROANER'S CORNER:(( 

If you take an Oriental person and spin him around several times, does he become disoriented? 

Ever wonder what the speed of lightning would be if it didn't zigzag?

.What's another word for thesaurus? 

.What do you call two Mexicans playing basketball?    Juan on Juan.

Q. How do you double the value of a Yugo?
A. You fill it with gas.

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The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right
now...... AL.

SOAP IN MY MOUTH....BUT, DID I NEED IT!!

TONIGHT'S FLOWER PHOTOS ARE FROM A LITTLE WALK AROUND OUR YARD THIS AFTERNOON

So nice to feel the cooler air this morning after this prolonged heat wave we have been having.  More heat on the way in a few days but for right now it is a nice reprieve & it looks like we have some welcome rain due in late Wednesday.  Just as I am not a cold weather person, I am not a hot weather person either & am so looking forward to our beautiful Autumn weather.  September & October are my two favorite months of the year & a month from now we will only be days away from that purely magical season beginning once again:))

Reader Pat left a comment about last night's telescope post that confused me at first until I looked at it closer.  Pat commented..WOW, a 4' 5" telescope!!! ;)  That's an error on my part alright.  Should have read 4.5 inches & not 4 feet 5 inches.  Thanks for pointing that out Pat:))  Maybe we'll see you in Sierra Vista this year eh.  Reader Jim from, LIFE'S LITTLE ADVENTURES sent an email late this afternoon wondering what cameras I use so will include that info with my camera/telescope post hopefully within the next couple days.

I envy the folks over at the GYPSY LIFE JOURNAL GYPSY LIFE JOURNAL as they paddle their new Kayak out onto a quiet Montana lake to the call of a nearby disappearing Loon. 

SUNDAY MORNING'S CRUISE THROUGH THE COUNTRYSIDE

A reader asked what the tower was in the last photo of Monday night's post.  That is actually an old concrete barn silo because this property where the 5 Seasons is located was originally a farm.  Farm was sold many years ago & the house & barn removed.  New owner planted the whole farm in rows of Pine trees much like a reforestation project.  Another owner came along years later & laid out a mobile home Park amongst the tall Pines & 'Wallaaaaa' here we are:)) 

I first discovered this hidden away little gem of a Park one frosty winter's night way back in the late 80's.  I was driving for a transportation company at the time based in Stratford Ontario.  That particular night I had picked up a couple at Pearson International Airport in Toronto & brought them to their home which happened to be this Park.  I will never forget finally reaching this area, traveling a short distance through a starlit forest & turning into the Park gates.  It was like driving into a Fairyland with it's Pine trees bowing over the roadways.  Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse as I drove quietly past the pale round globe lamp posts casting their warm glow onto the snow.   Christmas lights twinkled in cozy windows.  I remembered that night as a scene out of a Fairy tale & I never forgot it.  And, I never dreamed that one day I would actually be living right here in that very Wonderland itself.  It is so nice when nice things happen:))

Ever wonder what a Mascerator is or ever thought about installing one for the black tank in your rig.  Check out KAREN'S site for a Mascerator explanation & to see how husband Steve set that all up.  For anyone who has followed their blog for any time you know that Steve is one of those guys that does things right....the first time!!  No lazy short cuts & no cheapo inferior parts for this fellow.  Steve, an innovative guy has made many quality renovations to their older Safari Motor Home over the past few years.

CONE FLOWERS (ECHINACEA) 
Had a silly little thing happen a few mornings ago.  As many know I mix up a big conglomeration of stuff in my blender each morning.  Been doing it for well over 10 years now & I have a little blurb & video here at,  SOUNDS YUKKY-TASTES YUMMY.   I don't bother dirtying a glass so always just drink my morning 'Shake' right out of the blender.  This can take me half an hour or more as I move around doing morning chores.  Had set my 'Shake' on the bathroom counter beside the sink before hopping into the shower.  Yes, it is still possible to hop after 65. 

My bar of soap was pretty much used up so I tossed it over the shower curtain in the direction of the sink to retrieve later for the garbage.  Of course as soon as that soggy mush of soap left my hand it was ancient history & I never thought about it again.  Never thought about again until about 20 minutes later that is, when it made it's way into my mouth!!  Yep, the soap had landed ker-plop right into my Soy Shake.  Later sitting at the computer checking morning emails I had taken a big slug of Juice & noticed a slightly different taste but didn't clue in. 

My second gulp brought something into my mouth which I thought at first was a chunk of unblended carrot.  A split second later I knew it was not a carrot chunk!!!!  'Pitoooie, Pitoooie' back into the blender.  A quick glance into what was left of my Soy Shake confirmed the soggy cream colored blue oozy blob was no darn carrot!!  Nope, won't be doing that one again....10-4!!

Kelly noticed something in our Canadian Tire store flyer a few days ago that caught my attention for more than one reason.  A cigarette lighter adapter device that my IPod will securely fit in & play my IPod tunes through a vehicles own stereo system.  Same principle as Sirius/XM Satellite radio which I love so much.  Here's the kicker.....it's on sale all week at 70% off which brings it down between the 8 & 10 dollar range.  Needless to say I was right up there a couple days ago & grabbed myself one.  Works like a charm & also charges the IPod.  Package said it can be used for I-Phones as well.

I think the biggest photography mistake I constantly make & have been making for just about as long as I can remember is repeatedly forgetting to check my camera settings.  I always try to leave my cameras set on 'auto focus' & every time I switch over to 'manual focus' I will forget to return it to 'auto.'  Same with my 'Program' settings.  I rarely shoot on the full 'auto program' setting any more & am back & forth between 'aperture & shutter speed priority plus full 'manual'.  By default I leave it in 'Program Mode' but for sure every time I go off program mode I forget to return it back to program mode.  And, I wished I had a dollar for every time I have forgotten to turn any of my cameras off when not using them!!  Anyway, guess what I am saying here is to check your camera settings & batteries every time before heading out the door.  Now, if only I could get myself to do that!!

THE LAST PARAGRAPH:  Some may have noticed my recent absence of grumbling about being home for the summer.  Maybe it's knowing we have passed the half way point until our departure again.  Maybe it's my acceptance of the way it is.  Or maybe it's just my renewed appreciation for living where we do, right here in beautiful little Bayfield Ontario, Canada:)) 

BEGONIA FLOWER 

GROANER'S CORNER:((   Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

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only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right
now...... AL.

MY FIRST TELESCOPE & WHAT IS REALLY BEYOND THOSE STARS??

 

THIS IS PORTER HILL LINE & IS THE ROAD WE USE COMING & GOING TO THE TOWN OF GODERICH 

Monday mornings 5 a.m. start to the day was quite a contrast to Sunday mornings start to the day.  Sunday morning it was a Cardinal's lone twittering as it awoke to a new day outside our open patio door.  Monday morning it was crashing thunder, lightning & heavy rain.  Both, sounds of nature on opposite ends of my waking up scale.  The rain was hard enough at one point to break down a bunch of our Hollyhock flowers.  No matter because I'm sure our parched & dusty vegetation sure loved the rain, while I in turn preferred the lone sleepy twittering of the Cardinal.

Sunday morning had me out on the Motorcycle for a few hours doddering around the back roads of our quiet & peaceful countryside.  Quiet at least until I come rolling along.  No, it's not my bike that makes the noise, it's me!!  I have a habit of singing on the bike & it is usually the same old tune....Johnny Horton's, 'Honky Tonk Man.'  And, I can sure belt er out pretty good too.  I have seen cows turn their heads, horses stampede, pigs cover their ears & chickens fly.  Yessireeee Bob,  I'm quite a noise coming down the road sometimes.

I LOVE MY LITTLE JEEP JAUNTS THROUGH OUR PICTURESQUE RURAL COUNTRYSIDE

I have another curious habit I do on the motorcycle too.  You will remember my big HOWDY DOODY MOTORCYCLE WAVE post a week or so ago.  Well, another curious little oddity I do when passing another bike is give a slight nod of the head along with a verbal............"Gday Sir".  I have absolutely no idea why I do that every time & have actually tried to stop that Australian "Gday" part but it always just seems to pop right out of me.  It's not like the other biker can hear my 'cordial greeting' as we pass each other at a combined speed of 120mph.  

But, here's the worry.....the biker can't hear me of course but he may see my lips flapping as I flash by.  I could be saying anything!!  What if this is a bad biker Dude & figures I have told him to...... well you know.  I always have to quickly check my rear view mirror for brake lights in case the guy is in the process of burning a U-Turn & coming after me for assuming I said something nasty.  Oh what a life it is I make for myself some days:))

UNUSUAL TO SEE THIS MANY EGRETS IN ONE PLACE AROUND HERE...HULLETT MARSH   
We here at the Bayfield Bunch happily welcome three new Followers today.  First is PIRATE & KITTY from THE GYPSY ROSE RV CHRONICLES followed by  Czardastx from JUST ANOTHER DAY & Erin from STITCHING TO STAY SANE.  Welcome aboard folks:))

I was a bit rushed to get this post out tonight & didn't have enough time to gather up some photos showing the various configurations for my camera & telescope set-up in relation to the topic below.  I will get that all together for another post shortly.  A lot of long term readers have seen those photos but we have a few new folks now.

In the summer of 1999 my Aunt Jean in Sarasota Florida drove up to Canada for a summer visit. We had been emailing back & forth for about a year & she knew of my keen interest in Astronomy. I might have had a few clues Aunt Jean was up to something but didn't suspect anything until she rolled into our driveway at the Old Weenie Roast Ranch.  Minutes later the trunk was opened & there, all carefully wrapped up in a blanket was a big white & very professional looking Meade 4'5" Reflector telescope. She had bought it as a gift for me & brought it all the way from Florida. What a great surprise & that was my very first telescope:))  

I spent many night's that summer hunched over that scope with my little red flashlight & my Star Charts, searching & searching for whatever I could see.   It took me deeper into space & it took me deeper into thought.

BIT OF A STEEP CLIMB COMING UP THE HILL FROM THE BEACH AT DEER PARK LODGE  

However, the following summer my Meade telescope met with a premature demise. I had left it on it's tri-pod & set up on the covered cement porch for the night with a blanket over it. In the morning when I came out, the scope was lying flat on the hard cement & broken. Only thing I can figure that happened is the barn cats while running around in the night must have scrambled up the blanket & pulled the whole telescope over.  Felt very, very bad about that for a long time
.

I never had another telescope after that until the summer of 2005 when I bought a new 8" Celestron Dobsonian reflector. Don't know what I was thinking because this scope was way beyond my learning curve & patience. Plus, it was heavy & had to be carried around in two pieces everywhere & assembled.  Found myself avoiding it & when I did get it set up I didn't seem to have the patience to operate it.  The scope ended up doing more sitting than stargazing.

It was a year later when we bought our truck & fifth wheel & I realized this scope would not be suitable for traveling anywhere.  I especially wanted to have a telescope to take south with us.   Heard of a place in London called O'NEIL PHOTO so gave the fella a call & wondered if I could trade in my big Mossmagator scope on something not as huge.  No problem he said so I headed myself over to London & traded it in on a smaller more portable Stellarvue 80mm Nighthawk Refractor telescope.

All was well & good except I did not have a proper tripod for this scope.  For whatever reason I didn't bother looking for a pod & after awhile the summer slipped on into Fall & the Nighthawk scope sat in it's case in the corner.  My interest waned even further & I eventually stuffed it under my bed.  Never even took it south for the winter.
  
That Nighthawk scope remained where I had put it for 3 years until one summer day in 2008 I hauled it out, dusted if off, & set it up in our driveway to think things over again. Decided to sell it so put an ad on the Kijiji site in London. Had one reply from a fellow by the name of John & as we emailed back & forth he suggested I should keep the scope because it had received good reviews in one of the Astronomy magazines.

With a few helpful telescope tips, some encouragement & a few accessory suggestions from John I began to re-think my selling plans. If I can adapt my Nikon camera to this scope & get myself another eyepiece plus something called an erecting prism I might just be on my way happily back to the starry night sky & some new day time photo opportunities.  In earnest I began the search for a way to adapt this scope to my camera.

With Google's help & few phone calls to O'NEIL PHOTO in London I was able to determine what accessories I needed for the scope to make it adaptable for my Nikon D50 as well as some different powered eyepieces for Astronomy purposes.  Packed up the camera & scope after breakfast one fine summer morning & headed back to O'Neil Photo in London.  Joe O'Neil was expecting me & it didn't take him long to round up the necessary pieces I needed. He had the same Nikon Camera I did & actually this scope was Joe's old scope so he was familiar with how everything worked. With some instructions, a few test photos out the window, & a hardy Hi-ho Silver, I was on my way home again secure in the knowledge I now had a dual purpose scope with which I was finally going to be happy.  And, that has proven to be true.

 

ALWAYS A LOT OF OCEAN & LAKE GOING FREIGHTERS IN THE GODERICH HARBOR LOADING UP ROAD SALT FROM THE BIG SALT MINE WHICH STRETCHES FOR NEARLY 3 MILES OUT UNDER LAKE HURON AHEAD OF THAT SHIP 
THE LAST PARAGRAPH:  I will have to be a little careful here in how I word this but those many clear nights under millions of stars gazing off into space over the years has left me with way more questions than answers.  I will be the first to stand up & say I don't know what is going on out there but I am more than ever convinced that it is far beyond & far greater than any of the religions of the world as we understand them.  Far, far greater & far beyond our human comprehension.  Don't know what it is & don't suppose I ever will, but I am becoming more convinced every day of what it isn't.  There, I hope I said that right.

THIS IS THE POND ACROSS THE ROAD FROM OUR PLACE WHERE I GET SOME OF MY FROG & CANADA GEESE PHOTOS...ON OUR MORNING WALKS WE COME IN FROM THE LEFT & FOLLOW THAT GREEN GRASS STRIP ON THE LEFT TO THE FAR END OF THE POND & THEN CROSS RIGHT TO THOSE TALL PINES & HEAD ACROSS A GRASSY STRIP INTO A PINE FOREST.  PRETTY DARN NICE WAY TO START THE DAY:))

GROANER'S CORNER:(( TO-DAY'S HUMOR: What is the difference between Bird Flu and Swine Flu? For bird flu you need tweetment and for swine flu you need oinkment.
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The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right
now...... AL.

SEEING WITH 'A PHOTOGRAPHER'S EYE'

If you have a keen interest in photography you may see things a little differently than other people & tonight’s entire post is a collection of my thoughts gathered together from previous posts on, ‘Seeing With A Photographer’s Eye.’

I first heard the term, ‘Photographer’s Eye years ago back in the old 35mm film days when I first developed an interest in photography around 1965. My eye for photography didn't develop right away but after a few years I began noticing things I had never paid much attention to before.  It was a seeing & learning process that just gradually worked it's way into my mind.

I became aware of colors & shapes & how they interacted with the environment. Maybe it's how an old fencepost leans into the background or how the rusted color of an old hubcap stands out against the graying fender of an aging derelict car in a local junk yard. Maybe it's big billowing cloud formations on a bright sunny day or a radiant yellow Daffodil on an overcast day.

Gathering storms take on a new beauty if you have a photographic eye. Bird formations overhead take on meaningful shapes & a cactus bloom backlit by the morning sun suddenly becomes an object of wonder. Lengthening shadows stretch across landscapes as gentle winds ripple across resting ponds begging for your attention. It's a world of beauty we live in & we just have to open our eyes & minds to see it.

An interest in photography will greatly enhance that world for you.  Be aware & be prepared when a photo gently steps up & taps you on the nose.  Let the world around you become an unending source of inspiration as your photographer's eye constantly wanders through the environment around you whether it be subconsciously or in a deliberate search for the beauty that envelopes us.

You do not have to have all kinds of expensive equipment to take great photos. Thanks to the digital age my photography interests returned about 12 years ago. My 35mm film camera days had ended years before that & my Pentax cameras sat unused in a closet for nearly a decade.

After we bought our first computer in 1998 I slowly began to gain some interest & knowledge in something called, digital photography. Not knowing if this would interest me or not I bought a cheap little Hewlett-Packard 1 megapixel camera at a store in London Ontario.  As soon as I uploaded my first few pictures to the computer screen I was hooked. My head was immediately awhirl with all kinds of ideas & possibilities.

 
I used that simple 1 megapixel camera for years before moving up to something better but it was this first little digital camera that renewed my interest in photography all over again. Of course the resolution quality wasn't there but it opened my eyes once again to the beautiful world around me. I began to see things once again in a photographic way. Couldn't change lenses with this camera but I knew about composition. Couldn't change shutter speeds or apertures, but I knew a bit about lighting. Couldn't afford a more expensive camera but knew I didn't need one at the time. It was first things first & the first thing for me was to get my photographic eye back. The art of seeing!! All the greatest camera gear in the world is not going to help you if you do not see or are not aware of your surroundings.

 
Depending on their interests, a couple driving through a town will see different things. The lady may see the shopping mall on the right with it’s clothing stores, specialty shops & big bargain sign prices. The man, on the other hand will see the Golf course on the left & note the golfers, the golf carts & maybe any particular water or sand trap hazards. If I am in the back seat of that car the mall might only catch my attention if it’s an old town type mall with interesting architecture. But, for sure the Golf Course will catch my attention every time simply because of it’s beauty. The sweeping manicured greens, the swaying trees, flower colors, symmetrical landscaping, birds winging over the course & if it was in Florida, maybe I would be looking for Alligators too. And yes, I have seen Alligators on Florida golf courses.  With a photographer's eye you are going to see things differently than most folks around you.

 

A Corvette Car Club member will spot all the Corvettes on the highway where I probably would miss them. RV'ers will notice other RV's where many non RVing people wouldn't give them a second look. Bird watchers will see birds in a tree where other folks may only see the tree. It is the same thing in the photographer's world. I see things that others don't see simply because my conscious & subconscious mind is attuned to the things that interest me.  And, that's the key.

In regards to the photo above….Ten people standing in our sunroom looking out the window at the front yard probably might not have seen a small shaft of sunlight gently alight oh the Fuji Cherry blossoms coaxing them out of the darker background. The only reason I saw that is because of my 'photographer's eye.' Out of those 10 people looking out the window, one might be a bird watcher so it is the bird's at the feeders they will see. Another person's interests might be aggregates so they are probably looking at the many rocks in the gardens. Somebody else might be interested in old cars so their attention is triggered by the 56 Ford Crown Victoria going by. A horticulture person will notice all the shrubs, greenery & flowers. Out of all those things which I am aware of as well, my attention was grabbed by a moment’s ray of sunlight on a cluster of Fuji blossoms.  And, remember me saying earlier about being aware & prepared when a photo steps up & taps you on the nose:))

In beach sunset photos a lot of people will see the sun & water & take a picture of that just as I did. However, my eye spotted a lone chair further down the beach & my mind immediately began calculating the position of the descending sun, the water, & the silhouette photo that combination could produce. This is one photo in a series of 10 that resulted because of, 'the photographer's eye.'

Because I think in the terms of photography, I see in the terms of photography. Everything out there is a photograph to me. Shadows, cloud formations, colors, textures, foregrounds, backgrounds, people's faces, animals, birds, etc. Everything....... It is the art of seeing & it is the art of wanting to see. The art of looking & understanding what you are looking at. The art of seeing the finished photo in your mind before you even take it.

  
Now, let me back up on this 'art' word I have been using quite a bit here. It's one I hesitate to use but haven't come up with a good substitute for. In the true sense of the word I do not consider myself an Artist. However, the art of seeing with a photographic eye is something that I believe a person can develop if they want to, but it takes time. Like most anything, the more you do it the better you are going to become at it. But, the interest has to be there if you are going to be enjoying what you are seeing. And, if your enjoyment is there it is going to show up in your photos.

Here's what I suggest you do if you have a beginning interest in photography. There are many great digital cameras on the market & I would say start out with a simple point & shoot camera. Read your manual & understand what your camera can & cannot do. If you are in an area offering photography courses, do that. I did & it was a huge help to me in the beginning to understand the basics of photography. Pay particular attention to the art of composition because that is a biggy. I am fortunate in that composition has always come natural for me. Makes up for my struggles trying to understand the technical side of photography.

Would you believe that back in 1990 I was able to finagle myself into being accepted to Fanshaw College’s (London Ontario) well known professional photography course. I lasted 10 weeks & I was gone. Learned & enjoyed a lot of practical stuff but could not nail down the mathematical oriented side of things. Realized too late that the course was really geared to professional & commercial type high end photography with much emphasis on calculating studio light ratios, etc. I had absolutely no interest in being a wedding, portrait or baby photographer. When it got into learning & understanding something called logarithms I knew my days were numbered, & they were & I was out of there!!

I think my first digital cam was under a hundred dollars. In this computer age we are soooooooo fortunate that we can step out the door, crack off a bunch of pics, step back inside, upload them in the computer, & within a couple minutes we can have our results right in front of us on a screen. And, no cost:)) No more pricey film, expensive development charges, with days or weeks of waiting for results. Now, how easy is that. What a great advantage for people with photography interests nowadays compared to years ago. So, grab your cam, open your eyes & mind to your surroundings, & start clicking away:)) Don't just think about it.....get out there & do it!!

  
THE LAST PARAGRAPH: These photography opinions are just my opinions & are not coming from a professional photographer. They are just the thoughts of someone who happens to enjoy the hobby of photography just like the rest of you who have had the interest & taken the time to read all the way through this loooooooong post:))

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Having a camera makes you no more a photographer than having a hammer and some nails makes you a carpenter.  And, also keep this in mind....The quickest way to make money at photography may be to sell your camera.

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EMAIL THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:))
stargeezerguy@gmail.com
OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/
The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right
now...... AL.

SOME MEMORY PROBLEMS ALONG WITH A FEW PLANKABLE THOUGHTS:))

ALL OF TONIGHT'S PHOTOS ARE FROM BAYFIELD'S PIONEER PARK HIGH ATOP THE CLIFFS OVERLOOKING LAKE HURON

A big thanks to LAURIE & TEXAS YELLOW ROSE for both reminding me about the editing feature in Live Writer.  I have actually been using this feature ever since beginning with Live Writer several years ago & it has been my main editing tool.  However, because I hadn't used it for awhile my mind's memory recall department failed to retrieve the stored memory bite I needed, when I needed it & I headed off to Blogger's editing program!!  Soon as I read Laurie's first words about Live Writer I instantly remembered.  Duh!!

Some folks may have noticed that I have briefly touched on this before in some of my posts but I am experiencing some increasingly frustrating times with my memory.  Yes, I know, we all do but I'm thinking this is a bit more than that now.  These past few months have been particularly challenging, especially right here at the keyboard.  I was never a real tech smart kinda guy but I was able to learn & figure out my way around a computer not to bad, considering.  My logic based problem solving patterns were in place & I was always keen to learn new things, & did.   But, I noticed a change in all that starting maybe a couple years ago.  I became increasingly frustrated because that I could not seem to sometimes understand the tasks in front of me.  Could not quickly retrieve info from my memory banks as needed.  My memories 'instant recall' feature seemed to be malfunctioning. 

 

Fast forward to now where I am experiencing 'blank spots' which I am particularly noticing as I am working on the blog.  I will go to a site for an address link & then sit there for maybe 10 or 20 seconds trying to remember what I was there for.  I may go to Google in search of a word meaning & two seconds later I am looking at Google trying to remember the word I had come there to find.  It used to happen every once in a long while but is now happening more frequently  Very frustrating to say the least.  If I am out in the garden & decide I need the shovel I may head for the shed to get one but by the time I get there I can't remember what it was I was looking for.  That's fine if it is just once & awhile, but it isn't just once & awhile anymore.  Just figured I would throw this in here right now in case the blog comes to a sudden end somewhere down the line because I can't remember where the heck my computer is one of these days!!  

Have you ever met a Plank person, maybe two, or maybe a whole group of Planks.  Don't know what a Plank person is or what they do?  Don't feel alone, I didn't either.  Stands to reason though that a Plank person would have something to do with Planking.  More than one Plank person may include a whole herd of Plankers out Planking somewhere.  To Plank or to be Planked....this is the question that must be answered.  Well, fortunately right here within our very own RV Blogging ranks we just happen to have a couple Plankers.  They are older Plankers but definitely new to Planking so without further ado lets skip on over to Donna's TRAVELS IN THERAPY & get the whole lowdown on just what the heck this Planking stuff is all about anyway....but wait, I'm not done with Planking yet.

For some of us out here Planking is not something new.  Back in the bad old drinking days we didn't call passing out, 'Planking'.  Some of us just simply crashed into the dirt & stayed there.  Sometimes it was face down in a parking lot while other times it could be face up on sidewalk or a floor.  A crumpled sideways Plank could happen anywhere at anytime & last for hours.  I once Planked out face down in an onion patch.  That was not a good Plank!!  Oh, & there's more............

Having already been to Donna's site & read about Planking I am thinking I am maybe more of a Plunker.  You know, like Plunking one's self down in a a big cushy recliner.  If I am really super tired my Plunk may take on the stumbling looks of a more serious tumble into the chair known as a Ker-Plunk, but not to be confused with a Ker-Plonk which is an entirely different thing of course.  Ok, ok, ok, I am going to Plink myself right out of here.  Remember though, don't ge..........oh, never mind!!

It was with interest I read JERRY'S number 3 & 4 items in his post today.  Number 3 deals with something called, The 7 Links Challenge.  I, like many others, received this as well but have decided I just don't have the interest, energy or time it would take to dig through a bunch of posts for submission.   I'm not a contest kind of guy anyway & it's rare for me to go back & stir up any dust from my older posts.  This 7 Links Challenge has been suggested as a good way to attract attention to one's blog but for me now, I find the priorities from my earlier blogging days are changing.   

However, number 4 looks like something that would be much more up my alley.  Interesting concept indeed.  With the countless thousands of photos I have here, this could be a pleasant challenge.  I like the concept of no words, just a photo.  If I were to do something like this I would probably do it a little different now than I would have a few years ago.  I would probably not enable either the 'Comment' or the 'Followers' section.  Just a simple photo left to stand on it's own for folks to enjoy if & when they happened to drop by:))

 The other popular thing going around right now of course is the new Google+ social network craze.  Undoubtedly a great thing for many folks who like to hang out, socialize & chit chat, but after thinking about it for a couple weeks I have to be honest with myself & accept the fact I just really don't have the interest in any of that.  Thanks to all the folks who have sent me 'Circle' invitations.  I accepted them all of course but please don't wait up for me, Ok:))

I have some thoughts up my sleeve regarding photography & hope to have them in the blog very shortly. And, of course I will continue my Astronomy wanderings as well.  I just don't like to repeat same topics night after night after night so will try to mix up the Photography & Astronomy posts.

Note to ED....thanks for your comment today which cleared things up.  Appreciate that my friend:))

THE LAST PARAGRAPH:  Motivation is a wonderful thing....when it's working.   Read somewhere that it is sometimes thought of as, 'the need to have a reason behind our actions to achieve our goals.'   Motivation can be an elusive & slippery thing.  Here one day, gone the next.  It is the force that drives those high powered engines of the successfully inclined younger generation.  Oh, it's still here in the older generation as well but I would hardly call the engine high powered anymore by comparison.  I'm sure some will claim to be motivated 24/7 while others may be a little more practical with their feelings & expectations & understand the coming & going part.  I love it when motivation taps me on the shoulder & says, "come on Al, lets take the old head for a spin around the block."  Love those days.  Those are creative days filled with fine thoughts & good feelings.  Good days indeed:))

GROANER'S CORNER:))  A few Aviation thoughts:

From an old aircraft carrier sailor we hear,  "There are more planes in the ocean than submarines in the sky."  And did you know that with all the "Progress in airline flying it is now possible for a flight attendant to get a pilot pregnant."

From a jet pilot we hear, "Yay though I fly through the Valley of Death I shall fear no evil for I am at 80,000 feet and climbing."  From that same pilot we may also hear, "When one engine fails on a twin-engine airplane, I always have enough power left to get me to the scene of the crash."  If that same pilot were to make it back to base after his harrowing flight he might also say, "You know that your landing gear is up and locked when it takes full power to taxi to the terminal."   10-4!!
---------------------------------------------------------------
EMAIL THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:))
stargeezerguy@gmail.com
OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/
The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right
now...... AL.

ME & THE KID TOOK THE RIG FOR A SPIN

THIS WAS ME BEFORE I MET PRINCESS KELLY BACK IN THE SUMMER OF 93

Sure was nice to open the patio door this morning & feel some slightly cooler air for a change.  Felt so good in fact that it energized me enough to clean all the interior mirrors in the Motor Home.  Cleaned the inside windshield as well.  With that done, me & the furry Kid strapped on the rig & headed out for our monthly country cruise to shake out a few summer cobwebs here & there.  Always a nice way to keep myself in touch with my travel feelings.

With the heat being the way it has been lately I sure have been appreciating our cool little abode here in Bayfield.  Even I have noticed my absence of grumbling lately.  I think another thing that has helped is knowing we are past the half way point before heading out again in mid October.  Every little bit helps:))

  

SNACKING & RELAXING IN THE 5VER BACK IN OCTOBER OF 06 

I'm sure not doing well in keeping my posts shorter.  Had to cut a couple topics from Thursday night's already way too long post so have included them below in tonight's post.  In removing one of those two topics it seems I made a little blooper which Kelly caught this morning but I have since been unable to correct because of 'Google post editing problem I am now experiencing . 

I had answered a reader's photo question but when deciding to move that topic to tonight's blog I removed my answer forgetting to take out the reader's question.  That happened because I had decided to split the topic into 2 paragraphs in order get away from running too many paragraphs together. Of course I then forgot to remove the first paragraph!!  This blooper did have a positive side though because I was able to add some additional info to it this morning.  

So, with apologies to Hobopals here goes again......  "Hobopals asks.... "I have a Nikon D40. I really don't know what lens I have on it--it takes pretty good pictures. If you were to recommend one good all around lens for travel (and you could only have one), which would it be?"  Al says....  Can't honestly give you a recommendation for that simply because I am not familiar with the lenses available but I am sure there are some great lenses out there that would fit the 'best for travel' idea.  I carry two cameras with two separate lenses covering the field from 18mm to 300mm & figure that is the general range you would be interested in. 

Fellow RV Blogger FRED WISHNIE emailed me this morning saying he has a Tamron 18-270mm lens which has not been off off his camera since he got it.  Back in the old 35mm days my camera's were Pentax's & all 3 of my lenses were Tamron.  Here is an excellent no nonsense photo info site that I like & think you may find very helpful....KEN ROCKWELL 

Received this comment from commenter Ed this morning about my photo question blooper...."
Is this part of your 'new' blog. Creating suspense, driving up interest or testing the waters to see if there is any interest?"  No Ed, this is none of that,  I made a simple mistake.

TAKE A LOOK AT MY DOUBLE 'LENO' CHIN & YOU WILL KNOW WHY I HAD TO GROW A BEARD WHEN I GOT OLD ENOUGH!!!! 

I am now wondering if anyone else is having a problem editing their posts.  Blogger Dashboard > Posts > Edit.  If I click on the post title or click on View I get a blank white screen & if I click on Edit I get a screen followed by a Blogger error message.  This site was working fine a week ago.  As soon as this problem is cleared up I will make the correction in my post regarding the photo question blooper. 

While reading John's RV LIFE ON WHEELS about his DRIVE DOWN MEMORY LANE I was reminded of a post I wrote a few years back called, A LIFETIME OF OLD CLUNKERS & some nice one's too:))  It is a look back at the many vehicles I have had over the years & lists all 43 of them as best I can remember. A few old photos along with some text as well. Our Jeep now makes number 44.  This count does not include RV's & Motorcycles.

A COLD DAY AT THE BEACH

I only subscribe to one Astronomy site.  It comes once a week, it's short, easy to understand, has no advertising & keeps me up to date on what's happening in the sky overhead including new discoveries.  Each week may feature a different part of the sky, talk about where a certain Galaxy is located or point the way to a far off Star Cluster.  Check out........................

ONE MINUTE ASTRONOMER 

In the early beginnings of my sky wanderings I read about, and through my sky charts, found a real treasure trove of stars.  Often referred to as the 'Jewel Case' it can be found by looking south during the summer months towards the constellation Sagittarius.  It is at the southern end of the Milky Way.  Views are great with the naked eye but a good pair of binoculars will bring into view some of the beautiful jewel like star clusters to be found there.  The key is to keeping those binoculars rock steady.  I well remember the first night I began finding these gems, one after the other & it just deepened my excitement, my interest & my feelings about the mysteries of the Universe.

Kelly is pretty much the Captain of the good ship Lollypop here.  She makes all the inside environmental decisions such as how cool she wants the house in summer to how warm she wants to be in the colder months.  I know better than to touch the thermostat.  The Captain decides what we are having for supper every night & how much of that supper I will be eating.  I know better than to touch cooking utensils & that includes the BBQ.  She takes charge of the TV remote from 6 to 10 & takes priority on who gets into the bathroom & shower in the mornings.  I get to dress myself but I suppose that's why people point & stare when I'm out in public.

 

OUR FIRST TRIP WITH THE RIG  KELLY TOLD ME TO TIE THE CAR ON THE BACK..............SO I DID:))

The Captain feeds the Kid every morning but I am able to sneak in a Burrito once & awhile when me & the Kid head to town.  The Captain frowns on my cleaning abilities but I do manage to sweep a few floors, vacuum a carpet or two & clean an occasional window when she's not looking.  And, she makes me do the dishes.

She also holds me responsible for any & all stormy seas brought on by me stirring up the normally calm placid waters of Blog Land on occasion too. 

I've had to relinquish the now confusing technical reins on the computer for the most part but hey, at least I don't have to answer the telephone when it rings.  I'm not allowed to make the morning coffee & I'm not allowed to eat any of the Captain's specialty foods or drink her morning orange juice.   But hey, am I complaining?  No sireeeee, I like it here aboard the good ship Lollypop.  Me & the Kid got the most best Captain a feller could ever want:))      

THE LAST PARAGRAPH:  To post a reader's question & then deliberately not answer it would be a totally rude & blatantly inconsiderate thing to do.  I am hoping Ed's comment was not said in an accusatory manner & is just a simple misunderstanding.

WHEN OUR FRONT YARD SUMACS TAKE ON THESE COLORS WE WILL KNOW IT IS TIME TO GET THE BIG WHEELS ROLLING ONCE AGAIN..........:))

GROANER'S CORNER:(( "The most interesting information comes from children, for they tell all they know and then stop." 

---------------------------------------------------------------
EMAIL THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:))
stargeezerguy@gmail.com
OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/
The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right
now...... AL.