Today’s post has little to do with Photography. I’m showing this Robin because Jeanne reminded me last evening that I had not posted my traditional Spring Robin image yet. So as a celebration of Good Friday I show you this little guy.
Wednesday I said good-by to an old friend. For 16 years we have cut the grass together on side hills, in the rain and wind. Under brutally hot sunshine and bitterly cold, gray autumn days. Though plagued with transfer case leakage, flat tires, bent steering rods, burnt solenoids, broken mower blades and a broken seat it showed up for the job each time I turned the key. I remember the year we bought the little tractor I put the 1998 on the side and Angie said, “Why are you doing that Dad, like you’d forget when you bought it.” Actually if it wasn’t for those numbers I would have forgotten when I bought it. 🙂
Anyway The place where we bought the new tractor would haul this guy away but I got to thinking that this tractor in the right hands still had life in it. I couldn’t fix the transfer case and they wanted half the price of a new tractor to repair it for me but I know there are folks with the needed skills and ingenuity to squeeze more life out of this little tractor. So I started it up Wednesday morning and drove it out to the curb (our trash pick up day) and Jeanne made a sign that read “Runs – Free.”
I drove the tractor out at 6:39 a.m. and by 7:15 a.m. it was gone. 🙂
Thus the adage “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.”
That’s it for today. Enjoy this blessed joyful day. Thank you for stopping by the blog and be careful.
I went to Cedar Rapids yesterday for a meeting and then had several good things happen to me. I stopped by my favorite camera store in Cedar Rapids, browsed through the store for a few minutes and walked out without buying anything. Not one thing! 🙂
I had a cup of coffee (actually just a glass of water) with a dear friend and we caught up on what each of us have done over the last few months. Then as I was ready to leave I received a text from my Son, Mark. He was also in the Cedar Rapids area and wondered if I had time for a visit. We met at Culver’s Restaurant by Marion and he had lunch and I had another glass of water.
Are you seeing a pattern here? I’m actually showing some restraint. I didn’t buy anything in a camera store and had two glasses (maybe more like 8) and didn’t eat anymore food. For me, those are major accomplishments!
It was wonderful visiting with him and I enjoyed listening about his day with sales calls and how much he has learned about human nature and the art of selling in such a short period of time. I have to say (even though I am a bit prejudice) I am very impressed with his success and growth. He is learning skills that will serve him well in his future endeavors. I am truly blessed with two beautiful children who are growing and contributing. 🙂
I did take my camera with me yesterday but just didn’t see a thing that caught my interest. The wind was blowing fiercely and the sky was gray most of the day and that might have been the reason.
Almost everything looks more interesting when it is bathed in the late afternoon sun. So while I didn’t find anything that caught my eye yesterday I did find a couple of images from the Basin shoot that I had not noticed before. So I’ll share them with you today. I like the soft afternoon light on this eagle as he soars over the 16th Street Basin.
I’m taking tomorrow off. Many projects left untouched and much-needed mental health day as well. Jeanne has a couple of things that need fixing around the house and I need to earn my keep so I’ll get those done over the weekend.
I hope you have a wonderful day. Thanks as always for stopping by and please be careful.
Yes I still love to photograph barns. I was on the way back to the office from visiting one of our newest banks when I saw this barn against the brilliant blue sky and the big puffy white clouds. The fact there was also water in the shot was just the icing on the cake for me. I haven’t shot many barns this year because I’ve focused on wildlife during the migrating season.
This year I hope to shoot more farm scenes and perhaps the planting of crops, something I haven’t really paid much attention to in the past. We’ll see.
I do enjoy capturing images of wildlife. Although yesterday I didn’t have the right lens with me. Generally when I’m traveling to one of the banks I take the most versatile lens I have, the 28 – 300 mm. It does a good job for a variety of shots but wasn’t long enough to capture the swans up close and personal. This was a nice marshy area close to Scott County Park. I’ll have to visit this area again. Lots of ducks, geese, coots, and swans.
A complete departure for me with this image. I liked the pattern of trees reflecting in the water. I don’t know it just looked cool in person. I’m not sure I really captured what I saw but overall on second look I like it.
Lots of profound thoughts bouncing around in my head this morning. Fortunately for both of us I’m out of time and need to get the day of work started. Knowing my short-term memory issues I’ll forget about them by the next time I sit down in front of my computer. 🙂
So I guess that’s it for today. Enjoy your midweek hump day. I’m off to Cedar Rapids today. Might be some photo opportunities on this trip.
Happy Tax Day as well. I don’t mind paying taxes for the privilege of living in this great country. What I do mind is how corrupt our system has become (both parties) and how the mindset of the politicians is handling money that is not their own. Billions become only a number to them and has no real meaning anymore. From the time they decide to run they spend every waking minute on raising money and running for re-election. As a young man I always wondered why a man or woman would spend millions to get elected to a job that only paid $100K. I was naïve and thought they must be doing it for the betterment of their fellow-man! 🙂
Boy was I dumb. I’ve had to stop listening to the news on the way home from work because I get so frustrated. I guess I also never really paid much attention to how powerful the media has become. Perhaps they always were but I just wasn’t paying attention. It is mind-boggling how they shape public opinion.
Okay enough about that. I am showing you some images from last month. They are still fresh and have not yet reached their shelf life so I feel safe in sharing them with you.
I captured more images of Blue Herons in March then I think I have captured all together in my photography efforts. They are such a skittish bird and hard to shoot but for some reason this year at the Basin, they were in great abundance and more open to having their image taken. Don’t know what changed but I sure enjoyed it.
I have some more parts to go on the Phantom, which will require some drilling, soldering, and cussing. I got an antenna package for the controller and copter, which is supposed to extend the range from a few hundred feet to well over a mile. Hell I can lose track of it only a few hundred feet away imagine what it’s going to be like when it is a half mile away. 🙂
That’s about all that is rattling around in my head this morning. Nothing too coherent. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your day (back to Winter) and be careful.
What a weekend. Spent most of Saturday morning doing our taxes (OMG) brutal!! That’s all I can say about that. Then we went looking for some patio furniture. We haven’t had any for years. Did a lot of looking and thinking.
After that we went looking for a new lawn tractor. My old one is about to quit on me. I’ve gotten 16 years out of it, which considering what I paid for it is amazing. I’ve had a fair amount of work done on it over the years and probably could have bought two more tractors for what I’ve spent just keeping the old thing running. But now it’s time to give it a rest and put a new one to work.
Yesterday of course was a complete washout. Cold, rainy, and windy, which made it a perfect day for naps. 🙂
Now about the images of today’s post. Since I didn’t do any photography over the weekend I decided to show a short video, that is actually a composite of two videos I made back on March 29th. I took both Phantoms up to around 450 feet and tried to video and photograph them in flight. It turned out to be a bigger challenge for my limited skills than I anticipated. I did get it done but it didn’t look anything like what I had wanted to accomplish.
I’m still in the learning stage and have in actuality had very little flying time. So at some point I should start seeing better results.
Anyway a short little 3 minute video of the two Phantoms flying if you have the time for a quick look.
Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your wintry day and be careful.
I’ve driven the same stretch of road for 14 years now. It is somewhere arround 4 – 5 miles long and is narrow and hilly. The speed limit starts out where I first get on the road at 50 mph, drops to 45 mph, then 40 mph and finally to 30 mph. Yesterday on my way to work I was deep in thought about some issues and frankly was not paying that much attention to my driving. I came around a corner and started down a steep hill when I met a Deputy Sheriff and instantly looked down at my speedometer.
Hmmmm, 53 mph, then I glanced in my rear-view mirror and saw his break lights come on. Yep I was had. There is really only one place on this stretch of the road where you can safely pull over and I wasn’t very far from it so I just pulled over, stopped and put my 4-way flashers on and waited. I knew it would take him a little while to get turned around and then sure enough with lights flashing and dust flying beneath his wheels he was in hot pursuit. I think it shocked him to see me sitting there waiting on him. 🙂
I thought when he checked and found out that I haven’t had a ticket in over 30 years he might feel benevolent but I was wrong. He left me with some papers and an envelope. Well I deserved it and as a former Deputy Sheriff in a past life I know that was his job and he did it. I shook his hand (which also surprised him) and wished him a good day.
That’s how my day started but good day after that. I spent my lunch break at the “Duck Pond.” There were no swans at the pond so after finishing my sandwich I drove over to the pond on the other side of 61 highway. The swans were there in a small pool with one goose. I don’t believe they have made a nest yet even though many of the geese have laid eggs and are nesting. Maybe their still just dating. 🙂
That’s it for today. Supposed to be a great day weather wise and it’s Friday so enjoy. Thanks for stopping by and be careful.
I have a short post for you today. I almost had a “I got nothing” post but as I was looking through my images from last weekend I saw this guy. I don’t believe I have ever seen a duck in this position. So if I haven’t seen one like that maybe it’s worth sharing. 🙂
Events over the last two days have left me in a philosophical mood. Fortunately for both of us I do not have the time to expound on them.
That’s it for today. Enjoy your day. Thanks for checking out the blog and be careful.
I’ll finish up my images from the Basin that were shot on Sunday. I could sit for hours and watch wildlife interact with each other and their environment. I shoot thousands of images of this interaction that never see the light of day. Some because they are out of focus or bad composition or any number of reasons but I enjoy each one of them because they remind me of the instance I was capturing.
Yesterday I had lunch with two great friends. We generally eat together at least once a week and for the last 12 years we flip a coin to see who buys. I’m pretty sure I’ve bought more lunches than I’ve had bought for me but such is life. Anyway once the flip is made it is time to reveal who gets the check. One of the greatest feelings is being the last one to show your quarter when one of them has a head and the other one has a tail. That means you cannot lose. 🙂
Of course the opposite happened Monday when both had a head and I had a tail. I have not kept track of winning or losing although one year (I think 2006) I had to declare Dave on my income tax as a dependent. 🙂
Isn’t life is like that sometimes? Things come up heads and you can’t lose and other times no matter how hard you try you are on the losing end. Here’s hoping your days come up heads!
That’s it for today. I hope you enjoy the mid-week hump day. Thanks for stopping by and be careful.
I feel bad today. Some of my friends told me yesterday they felt I put a lot of stress on the pelican in the video by flying the Phantom too close to him. I really appreciate their honesty and I certainly did not intend to cause any stress to any wildlife. I love to capture images and video of wildlife but it is never my intent to make them uncomfortable. I assure you that won’t happen again.
Last night was such a nice evening. No wind at all so I took the Vision 2 up for a quick flight. I got it a little too far away and it jumped into “come home mode.” That’s the same mode that kept it from dumping itself into the Mississippi River last February. I didn’t even shoot any video just wanted to fly in some very clam conditions and it was amazing how much control you have when the wind is not constantly trying to blow it off course.
I’ve shot a lot of images of gulls this year. They have been in abundance and there are a couple of places by the river that they let you get very close to them. I took this little guy’s image on Sunday afternoon.
Short post today. I have an interesting day ahead of me. Don’t know how it’s going to turn out but it will be interesting none the less.
I hope you enjoy your day. Thanks for stopping by and be careful.
Saturday was pretty much a veg day. Jeanne came home with a bad case of Bronchitis and was pretty much under the weather Friday and Saturday. She got to feeling better yesterday and so yesterday afternoon we did our normal photo trip around town.
First stop as always was the 16th Street Basin. We had heard there were a lot of Pelicans there but we could only find 3 or 4 at most. A couple came in while we were there but certainly not what we have experienced in past years. So in anticipation of finding a body of water full of Pelicans I packed my long lens (500 mm) and the Phantom and we took off.
Before I get too much in to this story I have to tell you about the two flights I did on Saturday. The first flight I flew from the back patio (basketball court) and went over to a small pond that is located on the school grounds. It is about 750 feet away and that is the farthest I have ever flown the Phantom and still maintained video link between the Phantom and my receiver. There were two ducks in the pond and I got as close as I could but the reception wasn’t all that good so I didn’t want to put it in the pond. 🙂
The second flight was later in the afternoon when I decided to take it up and see if I could above 1,000. Actually I got to 1,320 feet. It is amazing how things look from that high. I worked most of yesterday on editing that video but lost my work two times. I’m still trying to learn the video editing program and apparently I still have a bunch to learn.
This image was grabbed from the video and it shows what the neighborhood looks like at 1,320 feet.
Okay, so back to the story of the 16th Street Basin. I shot a few images of the one Pelican that was closest to the shore and then some other wildlife that was close enough to capture and then it was time to fly the Phantom and see if I could get some overhead shots of the Basin.
We went around to the other side (away from all the power lines) and I launched the Phantom. There were two Pelicans out in the middle of the Basin and I flew pretty close to them for several minutes. Came back to where we were and made a perfect landing. No really I did it was beautiful. Went over to turn the Phantom off and realized that I had accidentally switched the GoPro camera from video to still shots. The problem is I don’t have anyway to take still shots with the GoPro when it’s in the air. So all that flying was for nothing.
Well, I reset the camera and took it up again. I got pretty close to a gull and a Pelican and had some fun tracking the Pelican. I know I made him a little nervous but I didn’t stress him very long. Good thing I decided to come back when I did because I was running on fumes (battery wise) as I came in for a landing there was a gust of wind and with the battery so low the controls did not respond as they normally do so I crashed. Yep, it’s on the video. My good fortune I crashed into some soft grass so no damage to the Phantom or the camera. 🙂
I do not know what this duck is and I didn’t have time to look him up. If you know please post in the comments.
The video below is only a little over 5 minutes. Some good music and I think you’ll like the Pelican and Gull. That’s it for today. Hope you enjoy your day. Thanks for stopping by and be careful.
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