A FEW PHOTO TIPS ON A QUIET SATURDAY

A CALIFORNIA GEOTHERMAL PLANT BACKGROUNDS THESE GREAT BLUE HERONS ON THE EDGE OF CALIFORNIA’S SALTON SEA

Had to draw on some of my file photos tonight. Other than the painted garden tools pic which I forgot to include in Friday’s post I just never got around to taking any pics today. Tonight’s photos are from February 6th last year when we were boondocked at the southeast end of the Salton Sea in California.

IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY AT THE ABOVE PHOTO YOU CAN SEE THE FAR DISTANT TREE THE ?? WERE SITTING IN…

 

 I SET UP MY 700mm TELESCOPE LENS ON PICNIC TABLE FOR SOME OF THESE PHOTOS 

So nice to step out the door twice in a 24 hour period & see 2 different star filled night skies. Usually around 8 at night & again around 5 in the morning. (I have Pheebs to thank for getting me out at those hours:)) Two different times of the day & two entirely different night skies. The star & constellation patterns I see just before dawn will be the same late evening sky I will see in the summer months in Bayfield. Main constellation in the evening sky here right now is ORION, & the main star grouping I see high in the predawn sky is the BIG DIPPER. And, by the way, if you are outside after dark look straight up in the evening sky, the brightest object you will see with a slightly warmer color to it, is the Planet JUPITER.

KELLY, PHEEBS & OUR DEARLY LITTLE DEPARTED CORA…AKA MOTORMOUSE:))

 

WE HAD THIS WHOLE AREA ALL TO OURSELVES

    

A year ago now, Kelly & I were in Slab City California.  It was our second time there & both times had to do with our solar system.  First time in 07 to have our system installed & a year ago to have a small problem solved & a fuse replaced.  Slab City is a place like no other & I’m glad we took the time to experience it.  If you have, or have not been to Slab City, you may or may not find a couple of my posts from there interesting… TOURING THE SUBURBS OF SLAB CITY & EAST JESUS SCULPTURE CENTER & AT THE EDGE OF THE SALTON SEA.  And, did you know that Slab city HAS IT'S OWN WEBSITE & a golf course called, GOPHER FLATS:))

   

Had a question about Friday’s post in which a commenter asked how I get some of those bird photos.  I guess it is the old Boy Scout motto that first comes to mind.  ‘Be Prepared’.  First & foremost I never go anywhere without a camera.  On our morning walks I ‘always’ carry my Nikon D40 with a 75-300 zoom lens on it.  I do not carry it in a camera bag & I do not ever have a lens cap on the lens.  Photo opportunities happen too fast to be bothered hauling a camera out of a camera bag, coat pocket, or fumbling with a lens cap.  If you have to do that, chances are good your photo opportunity has long since flown, fluttered, or scampered away. My camera is always slung round my neck & right shoulder.   Camera is always turned on & the Friday’s Coyote photos are an example of that.  The Coyotes came upon us fast, darting across & down the road.  I got off 4 quick shots & they were gone.      

 

Early morning light can be pale so I set the ISO rate on my D40 to either 800 or 1600.  Moving objects require a high shutter speed to stop the motion & prevent blurring.  Especially bird’s wings.

A PELICAN FLY BY

 

After dawn & around dusk are generally good times for moving animal or bird photos.  I also have my D40 set to focus on the center of the frame only.  It’s called Spot Metering.  The camera only has to read & calculate the center portion of the frame, so the Auto Focus is quick.  The Red Tailed Hawk is an example of that.  I saw this fellow flying across a rocky ridge from right to left.  I picked him up dead center in my viewfinder, locked in my focusing & panned along following him waiting for an opportunity to fire.  He was blending into the rocky background so I was waiting for him to soar upwards where I could catch a bit of open sky behind him, but he slowed, turned suddenly, & at the instant I saw the tail feathers flair for a landing.  My auto focus still had him locked in & I fired.  I hit him 3 times in a couple seconds but the photo in the blog was the best shot.  I cropped the bottom of the photo so as not to present the subject dead center in the frame. 

 

AS EXAMPLES, THESE ARE THE 2 PHOTOS DISCUSSED

 

MY NEWLY PAINTED TAOS BLUE GARDEN TOOL HANDLES…SAME COLOR AS THE FRONT DOOR IN THE BACKGROUND

Something else I have learned with birds, bunnies, deer, etc is that if you can quickly get a focused bead on on your target, fire fast & get that first shot logged in.  Chances are your subject is going to move by the time you re-position yourself & get your second shot composed.   But at least you have captured an image with that first fast shot.  It’s the second or third or fourth shot that, if the subject is willing to sit & pose long enough, can be the one ending up being the one you like best.  Or, you may have to go with the only shot you got.  But at least you have ‘something’.  Very rare for me to take more than 3 shots of anything unless it’s moving.  I just don’t have the patience to fiddle with the camera most times, trying different angles, lighting, etc.  Wished I did, but I don’t………………

Not one of my more productive days.  Just couldn’t quite seem to get myself out of first gear.  Puttered around a bit doing things in the Motorhome & that was about it.  Think I may have even nodded off a time or two in my recliner.  Leg continues to improve:))

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Three sisters ages 92, 94 and 96 live in a house together.
One night the 96 year old draws a bath.. She puts her foot in and pauses...
She yells to the other sisters, "Was I getting in or out of the bath?"
The 94 year old yells back, "I don't know. I'll come up and see."
She starts up the stairs and pauses "Was I going up the stairs or down?"
The 92 year old is sitting at the kitchen table having tea listening to her sisters.
She shakes her head and says, "I sure hope I never get that forgetful," she knocked on wood.
She then yells, "I'll come up and help both of you as soon as I see who's at the door."

-------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

second..."

GETTING OUR MOTORHOME BACK IN ORDER

THESE 2 WILY COYOTES POPPED OUT OF A DRIVEWAY JUST IN FRONT OF US THIS MORNING

Woke up this morning feeling better than I thought I was going to feel, so with that thought in mind I made it a point to begin the process of putting our Motorhome back in order.  Not all the 6 years of clutter mind you, just the necessary things that will make it nice, cozy, & livable again. 

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On the long drive back from Quartzsite Thursday I was thinking the same thing so many commenters have said.  Just wasn’t meant to be & somewhere down the road something better will transpire & the reason for Thursdays disappointment will become clear.

<<< THIS CURVED BILL THRASHER HAD HIS EYE ON ME THIS MORNING

Just want to put in a good word for the 3 people we dealt with at ‘RV’s For Less’ in Quartzsite.  Dan, Summie, & Danielle all treated us fair & tried to make the deal work in our favor, but in the end it was a 4th party, their Boss from a different dealership, who didn’t like our ‘southwest taste’ & squashed the deal by offering us much less for our coach.  Thanks to Dan & Summie for trying, & thanks for your honesty.

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Okay, moving right along, it’s time to get the train back on track.  And, I guess that means my morning weather report.  Hey, I’m Canadian you know & we Canadians do get a bit pre-occupied about our weather.  We were pushing 70 today under clear blue skies & any day we can leave our doors wide open is always a winning weather day for the Bayfield Bunch:))

HMMMM, WONDER IF THOSE WILY COYOTES LIVE IN THERE

About mid morning, Kelly headed off to Wickenburg on a grocery run.  Of course with Kelly it is never just a grocery run.  She’s always bopping in here & there checking out sales, looking for bargains, & forever keeping an eye out for free stuff.

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Pheebs & I stuck close to home keeping busy with the Motorhome re-structuring & just general puttering around type stuff.  Painted all my garden tool handles Taos Blue.  Not only protects the wood from weather but makes the shovels, rakes, etc more visible & easier for me to spot.

RED TAIL HAWK MAKES A SMOOTH ROCK LANDING EARLIER TODAY

JANNA is still having problems with Spam & has had to block her ‘Anonymous’ commenters again.  I & many others have had this same problem.  I blocked Anonymous comments a long time ago but left a different kind of option open that has worked well for years.  I have a ‘Shout Box’ in our right hand column & for anyone who can’t comment as Anonymous in our blogger comment section, they can always comment as a Guest in my Shout Box.  Or, they can easily add their name.  I’ve had that Shout Box for maybe 3 or 4 years & so far so good.

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Ever notice how people say things to you without ever thinking about what they are saying. And they will say the exact same thing to the person they meet before you & the next person after you. I swung into the McDonald's drive-thru line one time & ordered up a Burrito & coffee. When I rolled up to the cashier window she said, "I must be dyslexic this morning." She was half talking to herself as well as me as she seemed to fumble with a roll of quarters. I wanted to reach out, put my hand on her shoulder & sincerely say, "thank you so much for an original greeting." Doesn't it just bug ya when people say, "Hello, how are you today." It's a robotic programmed quip we all have that comes out as an automatic saying, & do most people really care when they say that to a passing stranger. If they did they would stop & wait for a response. But they don't, & just blow right by & lay the same saying on the next person. Wouldn't you just like to turn around some time, grab hold of a person & say, "Soooo, you really want to know how I am today do you!!!!"

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As I rolled up to the second pick-up window at the same McDonalds another lady fried my brain with the standard high pitched, "Have a nice day." That decades old worn out insincere verbal piece of dung is like fingernails on a chalkboard for me. It's another one of those habitual programmed responses that doesn't mean a hill of beans. That busy window lady couldn't care less if I ate my Burrito up side down or drove over a flock of lost fish worms.

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Have you ever been not paying attention at a grocery store & crashed your cart into somebody & have them tell you they're "sorry." My fault, but they say they're sorry. What's with that. I'm the one who should be saying, 'sorry' but of course I never do because the other person has already apologized for my mistake. No point in two of us standing there trying to out-sorry each other because before long somebody else would come speeding around the corner, crash into us & say......well, you know!!

THIS MORNINGS WANING MOON

GROANER’S CORNER:((   Karaoke bars combine two of the nation's greatest evils:
People who shouldn't drink with people who shouldn't sing.

-------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

WE LEFT THIS MORNING WITH OUR DAMON MOTORHOME & RETURNED THIS AFTERNOON……WITH OUR DAMON MOTORHOME:((

“OH NO, MOM & DAD JUST TOLD ME WE DIDN’T GET THE NEW RIG”

Well, I guess the phrase, ‘some days you win & some days you lose’ applies to us today.  In the past 20 years, Kelly & I have sure had our share of winning a few but today it just wasn’t to be.

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I had a feeling all week the deal might just fall through, & it did.  Nothing to do with finances & everything to do with our kinda wild southwest interior paint & décor & the fact we had got rid of all the rig’s uncomfortable furniture years ago etc. etc. (I’m sure some of you already expected that) I may write more about today’s ordeal in the coming days but for now it is what it is. My biggest regret is that we missed out on the super good deal with that particular low mileage & upgraded 2013 Chevy Sunseeker we were after.

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Off to plan B now.  I have absolutely no idea what plan B is yet but I’m sure we’ll think of something.  We usually do.

NOTHING LIKE A FEW UPSIDE DOWN PHEEBER PICS TO CHEER UP ‘THE BUNCH’

And a big apology to Ivan & Wandering Willy who, coincidentally were in Quartzsite’s McDonald’s this afternoon when Kelly went in to get us a bite to eat & coffee to go.  It was right after our deal fell through & we (especially me) just weren’t in the mood for talking to anyone.  Just wanted to get out of town & go home.  Sorry guys………

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I may be back with a post tomorrow or I just may keep it simple & relaxingly scratch around outside with my little shovel & rake for a few days & let today’s events just quietly fade away…….10-4.

“OHHHHH,  I JUST CAN’T BELIEVE IT”

GROANER’S CORNER:((   A young minister sitting down to dinner was about to say Grace when he opened the casserole dish that his thrifty bride had prepared from all of the refrigerator leftovers.  "I don't know," he said dubiously, "but it seems to me that I've blessed all this stuff already."

-------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

WE COULD END UP HAVING OURSELVES A LONG DAY THURSDAY……..

SOME OF TODAY’S BIRD PICS ARE A TAD FUZZY BUT HAVE DECIDED TO INCLUDE THEM ANYWAY

The steady rains of a few days ago pointed out to me where the low spots in our crushed stone gravel were.  This morning I was busy with the wheel barrow filling in a few low spots.

My Aunt Jean is coming to Arizona:))))))  It was a tough call for her but she thinks her health has improved to a point where she can make the long journey from Sarasota Florida.  Jean will be flying into Phoenix on February 8th & hopping aboard a Shuttle Bus to bring her to Surprise Arizona.  We will meet her there in the parking lot of the Golden Corral.  Looking forward to some exciting new adventures shortly:))

IVAN is asking, ‘Has anyone lost this dog’.  He has a photo of a little fellow who may have wondered away from somebody’s site in Quartzsite.  Currently being held by the Quartzsite police……the dog that is, not Ivan. 

TAKE-OFF

Merikay says, “I find planning a next trip goes a long way toward keeping me from getting too depressed”!  I couldn’t agree with Merikay more & I know when all the excitement settles down from our house fun here in Congress, I will once again be restless.  MERIKAY is also now officially retired & deciding on what to do about all her arts & crafts supplies.  Some have already made the trip to the dump but what about all that ‘fake fur in the closet’:))

What would you pack if you were traveling off to another country & roughing it a bit?  Gaelyn, over at the GEOGYPSY is heading out for a 6 week trip to Africa in a few days & is traveling light.  Check in to see how she is going about figuring what to take & what not to take.  She has had to do some clever thinking here & what about taking a camera tripod?

These recent rains sure have kick started our grass & weeds to growing. I’m already seeing green grass & weeds sprouting through the crushed gravel I recently put down. Oh no, are we going to have to buy a darn lawn mower now. Surely not in the desert………. say it isn’t so:((

It has been nearly 25 years since I first came across the hauntingly melodic guitar sounds of WILL ACKERMAN & to this day when I hear any piece of his music, I am still immediately drawn to this man’s beautiful guitar styling's. PASSAGE, one of Will Ackerman’s early albums turned out to be my first journey into his music & to this day remains one of my all time favorite albums. Sirius Satellite Radio’s ‘The Spa’ 068 frequently plays Will & anytime I hear his music it brings a calm comforting smile to my face.

A year ago today we were in Slab City California for a few days.  Had a charging problem with our solar system so stopped by Solar Mike’s & he installed a new heavier duty fuse for us.  That solved the problem.  Mike is the fellow who originally installed our solar system back in December of 07 & we highly recommend him & his work.  Darn nice easy going fella too:))  SLAB CITY ONE YEAR AGO TODAY.

 

CASPAR THE GHOST BIRD & FOR SURE THAT MUST BE, BATBIRD

SANDY BEAUDRY is our latest Blog Follower & we here at the Bunch say welcome aboard Sandy & thanks for taking the time to jump through all the Google hoops to get here:))

OOOOPS, GOT A LITTLE CACTUS STICKER THIS MORNING

And finally, with a bit of luck, we will be off to Quartzsite in the morning with our 33’ Class A Motorhome & returning later in the day with our 23’ Class C Sunseeker…:))

 

HEY, WATCHA DOIN WITH THAT CAMERA MISTER!!

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Dan was a single guy living at home with his father and working in the family business. When he found out he was going to inherit a fortune when his sickly father died, he decided he needed to find a wife with whom to share his fortune. One evening, at an investment meeting, Dan spotted the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her natural beauty took his breath away.  "I may look like just an ordinary guy," he said to her, "but in just a few months my father will die and I will inherit $200 million." Impressed, the woman asked for his business card, and three days later she became his Stepmother. Women are so much better at financial planning than men.

-------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

COOL DAY WITH SUNNY SKIES

PHEEBS 2 PALS ACROSS THE ROAD WAIT BY THE GATE EVERY MORNING NOW FOR HER TO COME OUT

Clear skies this morning but our overnight temps dropped to 36 degrees.  Only 2 degrees warmer than back home in Bayfield Ontario.

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JIM & SANDIE are finally rolling out of Quartzsite, but not before a little something important has to be taken care of first.  Be sure to check out, ‘the potty line-up’:((

GROANER’S CORNER:((  I don't think I'll ever have a mother's intuition. A friend left me alone in a restaurant with her 16-month-old kid.  I asked, "What do I do if he cries?"  She said, "Give him some vegetables."  It turns out that Jalapenos are not his favorite vegetable and I will not be asked to babysit again.

-------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS MY TUMMY RUMBLING

ONLY PICS I HAVE TODAY ARE A FEW OF THE RIG I TOOK THIS AFTERNOON
I stood for awhile with my elbows resting on my bedroom window sill last night watching banks of darkened clouds move silently across a rising Moon.  Truly a mystical scene remembered from early day childhood story books.  A nice way to remember a long ago day.
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In a semi-sleep I thought it was my tummy growling, but no, sounded more like the wheels of our recycle bin being reeled past my bedroom window.  But wait, I have the bin full of yard waste so it couldn’t be making that hollow rumbling sound.  Rousing a tad bit more from a sound sleep I was suddenly aware of a flash in my room followed by a loud rumble.  Dam those F-16 fighter jets & why are they dropping bombs at night!!  Another flash & another rumble.  Nearly fully awake now.  Hey, wait a minute, that sounds like rain on our roof again.  Flash-boom!!  Yikes, it’s a big thunderstorm going on & I have things from the Motorhome sitting outside!!!!!!!!

Pheebs & I were on our feet in a flash & out the door.  Her in her fur coat & me in my pajamas.  Quickly moved a few things inside off the porch & then headed out into the front yard to grab the wheelbarrow.  I had thrown a tarp over things near the Motorhome but with the accompanying storm winds figured that was probably blown off.  Piece of luck, tarp was still in place so I hastily tipped the wheelbarrow upside down over it to hold the tarp in place.  Pheebs of course was running along beside me helping but by the time we got back in the house we were a couple a soggy doggies, & of course, wide awake now.  Changed jammies & turned on the TV for awhile.  Nothing like late night television to put one to sleep.  It was 11 o’clock & by 11:15 I was once again well on my back to la la land.  Pheebs too:))

Sunny morning with big white fluffy clouds but a brisk breeze made for a ‘dressing warm’ day.  With our 6 years of processions coming out of the Motorhome it all needed a place to temporarily go.  Most of it ended up in Kelly’s office but a good portion was hastily dumped in the garden shed.  I’m not a fan of clutter so I busied myself this morning reorganizing the whole shed & vacuuming the Motorhome.   Kelly was busy manning the phones looking after the business end of things.  Monies have to be shifted around in Canada, financial transactions have to take place, faxes have to be sent, phone calls made, & monies transferred etc. etc.  And why does Kelly do all that ‘taking care of business stuff??  Easy, she’s the one with the patience & most good brains for all that:))
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Quartzsite’s ‘RV’s For Less’ emailed today wondering when we were bringing the Motorhome over.  Kelly emailed back saying not until the money is transferred from our facility to their facility which could be maybe Tuesday or Wednesday.  We do not want to be driving all the way over to Quartzsite twice just for the sake of a couple days.  I did re-attach the hitch-up gear to the Jeep today in anticipation of us heading for Quartzsite as soon as we get the green light. 

Had a reader take me to task in an email for my statement in last Fridays post about not saying too much about this whole Quartzsite deal & then turning around in the past couple days saying too much about this whole Quartzsite deal.  Well, she’s right of course.  For me, anything going on in my life is like riding on a crowded bus after spending a whole day at a bean eating competition & trying not to let anything squeak out on the way home.  Maybe not the best analogy but some folks might get my drift.  Say, do I smell something funny around here somewhere….
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By mid afternoon we had a darkening cloud cover move in, winds picked up & temperatures' dropped.  Disappointing, but weather people say 74 by Friday with lots of sunshine:))
 
Almost afraid to mention this because I have before & then it seems to jinx me.  But, my right leg is feeling much, much, better than it has for a very long time.  Not going to say anything more, because sure as heck….
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For anyone out there having had or about to have hip surgery, you might find Mike’s post over at PHANNIE & MAE quite interesting as goes from pre to post op surgery & mentions how he feels about the medical profession.  I am inclined to agree with him.  Also recovering from a recent surgery is Judy over at TRAVELS WITH EMMA.  Judy, commonly referred to as the ‘Birdlady Of Blogland’ & a daily blogger has not posted since January 23rd so if you have a minute you might want to drop by her site & see how’s she’s coming along.  A word of encouragement or two always goes a long way after a grinding surgery.

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Did you know when a man opens a car door for his wife, it's either a new car or a new wife.  And of course we all know that lawyers believe a man is innocent until proven broke.  Some may think we are here on earth to do good unto others.  But what the others are
here for, we have no idea. 
-------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.