James Brubaker

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  • September 16 – New TGO Photo Page and Jim’s Daily Art & Photos

    I pushed a wrong button yesterday – some draft versions of this page got published – sorry if you read those drafts – Oh my – well, I think I got it as I wanted it this time.

    Dave sent some wonderful photos for the TGO Photo Page & I posted some iPhone photos I took on my trip to Florida and New York. Click in the left column to view them – then return to Jimsdaily to read my thoughts below:

    —————————————-Jim’s Thoughts_———————————–

    “Hello Dolly”  – “I Love New York” – Sounds like a Broadway play – I love change too, I love an adrenaline rush, I love a change of diet – read on tell me what you think?

    Change is a wonderful thing – But you need routine to have change – ‘cause if you do not have a routine to change from, it is impossible to have change – think about it.

    As you have noticed,  I have not been writing here because I have been traveling.  Travel is a change of habit for me these days.  See image above – On 9/11 I saw this memorial display at a NYC airport.

    The following is not my thoughts on stress or on a proper life style, – so do read into it any such thing – this is just a scattered story I want to tell of the New York City part of my travels  and some of my observations of traveling there at my old age.  Then I will post a few photos I took along the whole trip.

    Naturally, the NYC part of  this two and half week trip was a change of diet for me and I loved it – Not just because it was a change but because it created a lot of stressful decisions, and having stress is a change from my routine – it is my adrenalin rush – see I can look at the positive side of any situation.

    On the trip to New York City area, cars were everywhere (In my routine, I see maybe 10 cars going down the road and back again), unknown people rushing everywhere, (In my routine, everyone I see, I know), How do I get to the airport – do I take the taxi, ask my daughter drive me, or do I use Uber (In my routine, friends leave a car at the airport for me), constant loud mechanical sounds that even my deaf ears hear(In my routine, mostly I hear loons, geese, song birds and trees rustling), TV news constantly telling of shootings, sexually undesirable people, and bad government people – Yipes (In my routine, I have little TV and my radio only gets NPR orchestra music).

    Travel requires lots of decisions too, (In my routine, my decisions are normally very small – decide if I will mow the lawn before I touch-up paint on a wall, or go see my friends with horses before I have lunch – or should I eat lunch at noon or wait until 1:00 – stuff like that)

    When I traveled to the New York City area,  decisions about eating are  always complex.

    So, you see, in the New York City area I  was given a real change of diet and I loved it – Loved it because it was a brief change from my routine. I noticed everyone who lives there on a regular basis is always trying to simplify their life –  So, what do they do?  They take a vacation to my peaceful Islands.  That is their change of routine – they go to those foreign places like Drummond or Florida to get away from it all.

    Why do we humans like change – why do we fly fighter jets? –  why do we climb mountains?  –  for the change – the sudden rush of adrenalin – the change – that is why I loved the brief trip to New York City, away from my peaceful life on Drummond Island and the peaceful landlocked island “The Great Outdoors” Community in Florida.  New York City area is my seat in the cockpit of a fighter jet, my struggle to the top of mountain – my adrenalin rush.  and of course the joy of visiting my family there.

    I will return to New York City area again and again – BUT FOR ONLY A WEEK AT A TIME!

    Here are a few pleasant photos I took along the way of my whole trip:

    A new painted stone someone placed on a bench on the bike trail I always take in Florida
    A “save the broken earth rally” in New Jersey – near New York City
    A beautiful short Florida storm from by back porch in Florida
    Talk about routine – I knew where exactly to find this guy as I rode my bike in Florida
    Heather getting into the cockpit of an experimental aircraft – sort of fixed wing helicopter – I got into it too – No we did not fly it!
    My beautify family home – actually my daughters – but I got to live here as if it was mine for a few days – Wow!
    Not a Drummond restaurant – Stock market info on TV, Folks wearing suits, oops – no one is seated – Oh my , the customers just got off the train from NYC, they have ordered dinner from the train using their cell phones and are now picking up the meal to take home to eat dinner while watching TV and Texting friends. Then their routine starts over tomorrow at 6:00 in the morning!
    Oh my – Swing thru your routine, seek a change of diet – return refreshed and say thanks for your routine.

    See more photos at Art &Photos

  • August 25, 2018 – Good Morning. It is 7:00am – Cup of coffee by my chair overlooking Whitney Bay, News headlines fills iPad screen – Oh my, read on.

    August 25, 2018 – Good Morning. It is 7:00am – Cup of coffee by my chair overlooking Whitney Bay, News headlines fills iPad screen – Oh my, read on.

    Hey – Use the click options to the left – In the Photo Page Dave gives some insight to his skill in photographing hummingbirds. – The other options are interesting too.

     

    ———————–MY THOUGHT FOR THE DAY ARE BELOW.

     

    Like my homestead – hex signs and all – Old Brethren farmers, like my Dad taught me two things for sure – you better like animals and your better stick to a daily routine.

    If the following words of this blog – trigger one helpful thought, I have been successful – the words are to trigger the thought of loving animals and sticking to a routine!

    Daily routine – One of the first elements of a happy retirement. Routine, really gives you contact with others, gives you a reason to get up in the morning. For example, In this summer 2018 life, people go by my house and if I am not sitting reading at 7:00am they worry. I feel an obligation to be there – a commitment. – a reason to get up!  I have been fortunate to always love what I do when I do it – and I changed it often. In that sense I do what I want to do when I want to do it.- After a while you can change your routine to a new routine – keeps you from getting bored that way.

    I retired – yipes – 30 years ago from IBM management – That was my first retirement.  But I have lived many lives before that and since then.  Been a Brethren farmer’s son, preacher, teacher, Summer Camp Director, volunteer, software designer, rancher, remote island resident, Chamber of Commerce video producer, livestock auction employee,  Florida retiree, private business manager, husband, and hopefully friend to many.

    I am not the camp director here at the Merritt Island Wildlife Facility, teaching this young girl to photograph wildlife. But for two years, I was Director of a Farm Program at the County own Muscoot Farms, in NY, teaching young folks to love and care for animals.

    Throughout each of those lives – even into retirement – two things are common – Daily routine and love of animals.  

    As I said, you could set your clock by what I am doing, but my summer does not include owning animals – I sold my horse this summer – but looking at my library of photos I see animals photos are a major portion of my library. – so I still have animals around me to enjoy and photograph.

    This morning, while making coffee I looked out toward the Bay, expecting to see gulls, ducks, geese, sandhill cranes, and of course deer – I did see them  – if they were not there, I worry – see, animals also have a daily routine.

    Two spotted fawns munching grass – Momma is off to the left – excuse the my chair reflected in the window!
    Even if you must spend a phase of your life on streets like this – enjoy the birds in the trees, – pigeons and animals in the city parks.

    Here are a variety of animal photos from my life that I would like to show you:

    Florida bunny in lawn each morning at 7:00am
    Gull and duck share dock – integrated real estate
    While hiking to get photo of a braver house – I look up. Hard to get this close to a Kingfisher.
    For two days a month, in Texas, I helped my friend the Auction Veterinarian move cattle through chutes.  Many of my Black Angus cattle ran through the auction chute like this one is doing.

    Too friendly to the camera

    One leg but doing fine
    Here’s lookin’ at you
    Hole 1 TGO, Florida
    Hole 2, TGO, Florida
    Hole 3, TGO, Florida
    Farrier’s view of Perla’s hoof
    Oh my – that feels better – Love my new pedicure
    Oh my – Swing when you want – as a daily routine of course, and love the  animals you may see from that lofty position on the swing.
  • August 21, 2018 – Oh my – Appreciation – BLUE HERON – Please read on:

    August 21, 2018 – Oh my – Appreciation – BLUE HERON – Please read on:

    This blog is working to represent four entities (Click on the menu to the left):  1. The TGO Photo Club (Click Photo Page), 2. Blue Heron Galleries (Click Art Page),   3. My thoughts on many things in life (Scroll down this page or Click JIMSDAILY Thoughts)  and 4. Selected art to share (Click Selected Art).

    MY THOUGHTS ON APPRECIATION:    ——————————–

    My subject today is really about APPRECIATION. Today’s specific APPRECIATION is for the art around you.  Which art – The art in the Blue Heron Restaurant of course.   Without it the walls would be so drab – they would be mundane. 

    APPRECIATE that each artist spent hours putting in that last line, that last glint in the subject’s eye, or that last flash of color to lead our eyes.  These last brush strokes help us see beauty, experience emotion, or just unknowingly have the art relax us as we sip the drink before dinner.  APPRECIATE the artist and the hours they put in to create the art for us.

    So, what is an artist?  An artist is someone who makes art. 

    So, what is art?  From Webster: “Art is the product of human creative skill and imagination, primarily for its beauty or emotional power.”

    Enjoy the beauty and emotion of a flower up close.

    How does art come to be appreciated? – Skill and Effort by the artist – That is how.

    I was reading a story in the Washington Post about how news photographers freshen up mundane White House photos  – they are artist. They use their skills to bring out a story, even in a mundane moment.

    “The helicopter lands. A Marine opens the door for the president. He is escorted to the presidential plane. The commander-in-chief salutes and disappears into the cabin of Air Force One.”  It has got to be a rather mundane news story – don’t you think?

    The White House press pool was brought to the airport two hours ahead of his departure, giving the photographers time to consider their options for the best shot.

    Brendan Smialowsk worked every second of his allotted two hours to plan and prepare himself to capture the upcoming mundane moment – his piece of art!  Laying on his belly for one half hour protecting this exact spot to capture the shot he wanted  – this is the art he got!   I feel he worked with his skills to create interesting beauty and emotion – art.

    (Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)  The APPRECIATION that followed is what I read in the Washington Post article.  I understand Trump asked an aide to request a print of this photo.  APPRECIATION.

    Your Blue Heron art is the product of the skills of 50 artists.  The Galleries are the product of the artistic skills of  each artist, supplemented with efforts of Gloria Brubaker the gallery manager, the restaurant manager, the CSA management, and volunteers from TGO residents and the CSA board .  Hundreds of hours go into to creating and maintaining the Galleries. — APPRECIATE them and ask your aid (husband, wife, or friend) to purchase a piece of art for you.  The brochure in the Gallery tells them how to make the purchase. Show your APPRECIATION with a purchase.

    The current hanging has 35 pieces of art – I will display them all soon – but for now click the “Art Page” in the left column (near the top of this page) to see a beautiful selection from the Gallery.

  • August 19, 2018 – Guess what! Dave Cesari speaks of “how” to photography and I comment on “why” to photography. Read on to find out.

    August 19, 2018 – Guess what! Dave Cesari speaks of “how” to photography and I comment on “why” to photography. Read on to find out.

    I have more on Cuba I want to show you.  But, Dave prompted me to deviate today.  Go to the Photo Page and see Dave’s new Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and his thoughts on photo lighting and bedraggled looking subjects! They are great – Thanks, Dave.

    After you go to Photo Page, return and see:

    _________________________________________________________________

    Why be a photographer?

    For years, I have been helping to  shape the Photo Club at TGO and I do not really practice the technology of taking a photos.

    But, I have a very strong philosophical view of practicing “your” reasons for being a photographer – at any technical level and encouraging you to decide if they want to advance your technical excellence.  I encourage you to advance their own reason for being a photographer and not worry about your photo technology advancement!

    On the internet I have located a site that gives us 54 reasons for being a photographer.  I have presented that topic at several TGO Photo Club meetings over the years (and other Club meetings also).  At the bottom of this page I will give you that web link.

    Here are four reasons I often think about as I whip my iPhone camera out of my pocket as I go about my daily chores:

    2. NOTICE THE DETAILS

    I love photography because photography changes the way you see things. I notice light, shapes, colours, textures, and I often ask myself “Why is that subject doing what it is doing?” …Everything around you looks different when you start to see the world as a photographer.

    Two slugs on my dock – The slime trail of a slug is used to find a mate. But why is the top slug turning up its nose at the slime trail of the lower slug?

    14. TELL A STORY

    Photography is a fantastic story-telling medium. Whether you’re telling a story with one image, a sequence, a series, or an entire portfolio, the possibilities are endless.

    Just ask yourself what story you want to tell, and photography can get you there.

    I want to tell you a story – would I have a story about a wall?
    OOPS!, Not a story about a wall –     A little story about the freighter I saw heading up the St Mary’s river to the Soo Locks. – The James R Barker  is a 1000 feet of freighter plying the Great Lakes (The third 1000 footer built) . She is 100 feet across – capacity of 63,000 tons of iron pellets, can have  up to 30  feet under water, can travel 18 miles per hour, has two 8,000 horsepower motors. cost $43 million to build, was launched in 1976, (Keel laid in 1974) – caught on fire in 1986 and was repaired that year, it’s two propellers are 17.5 feet in diameter. Last year the Coast Guard helicopter flew to Canada to get a sick man off the James R Barker in Lake Superior. 

    21. CAN MAKE OTHER PEOPLE THINK

    With your images you can also make people stop and think.

    Just a glance at a powerful image can stop people in their tracks. Some images can change the way you view the world for the rest of your life. Strong stuff.

    STOP LOOK UP -Let this image encourage you to study the sky every day and look for a beautiful piece of God’s abstract art!

    54. DEVELOP A LOVE FOR LIFE

    No doubt, there are countless good things about being a photographer. After all these reasons, this one should just make sense. With all the beauty, joy, love, connection, variety, history, adventure, movement, emotion, and awesomeness that makes up life, how could you not be stoked to get out there and experience it?? With camera in hand, of course.

    Come sit with me a spell and look at the images you have in your camera and tell me why you are a photographer – them smile.

    Here is the one link I told you about (54 reasons to go there): https://photographyconcentrate.com/54-reasons-why-you-should-be-photographer/

    Oh my – Swing thru 54 reasons – then keep going and identify your own 54 reasons for being a photographer!
  • August 17, 2018 – Good Morning America – The UN just published some statistics on MegaCities

    August 17, 2018 – Good Morning America – The UN just published some statistics on MegaCities

    The Photo Page shows Susan Hubbard’s photos of flowers from Gary’s water garden – WOW – then return to see more of my visit to Cuba!

    MORE ON CUBA VISIT:

    Naturally, megacities have more than 2,000 people – To me that is a lot of people.

    Hooversville, Pa – three miles from the farm I grew up on has 625 people.  TGO where I live in Florida has approximately 1,800 during the season – less than half that in the summer.  Drummond Island. Michigan, where I live in the summer, has 1,117.  The other Island I lived on for 15 years – Block Island, Rhode Island – has approximately 1,051people.  Stonewall, Texas in 1990 – just before we established the J Bar G Ranch 2 miles south of Stonewall  – had 246 residents. We left in 2007 but today, I understand it has almost 1,000 residents –  See, even Stonewall is on its way to become a megacity!

    Do you think downtown TGO or Drummond Island might look like this in a few years? Yipes!

    Back to my visit to Havana, Cuba – it has 2,106,246 residents.  As a megacity it makes,  for country folks like me, great photos, many questions, and great stories.  That is why I love to visit megacities for a day or two.

    One question I had, what does the city of Havana do with the large number of bodies that need to be taken care of, each day, in a megacity of 2-3 million?

    Let me tell you a story about one Havana cemetery and it’s handling the bodies of loved ones:

    Colon Cemetery, founded in 1876, is 140 acres with more than 800,000 graves and 1 million interments. Space in the Colon Cemetery is at a premium.  Therefore, after three years the remains are exhumed, boxed and placed in a storage building or in the small tomb at the head of the regular tomb.  The regular tomb is then reused.  I understand, it may be 4 or more caskets deep.

    Now for a legend of Colon Cemetery:

    The cemetery’s most famous grave is that of Amelia Goyri de Adot-  La Milagrosa (The Miraculous Lady).   La Milagrosa  died in childbirth at the turn of the century, and was buried in the cemetery with her baby. Legend has it that when the grave was exhumed a few years later, the mother’s  body was found intact and her baby, who had been buried at her feet, was found nestled in her arms. Her husband commissioned a statue of his beloved wife holding her child.

    As the legend grew, droves of devout Catholics started lining up at the Milagrosa’s grave to pay their respects, leave offerings, and hope for miracles. They told us that there is a constant line-up of people at the grave. There is a specific way to visit La Milagrosa’s grave and ask for your wish. You  approach the tomb and knock on the cement grave, say your name and think of the miracle you wish for, place your offering in the container, touch the baby, then back away from the grave without turning your back to her. Our guide, very reverently, visited the grave that way!
    Now to other photos I enjoyed taking – From Fort Hill – here is our ship Norwegian Sun – seeming to dwarf the city of  2 million people.
    Nature photo in Megacity of Havana
    As, we take leave for the USA, the beautiful wake of the Norwegian Sun with Havana on the horizon.
    Oh my – If you live in the megacity, swing through the country for a day or two, If you are fortunate enough to live in the country, swing thru a megacity for a day or two. That way we all get to know each other better.

     

     

     

  • August 15, 2018 – Cuba – People, Color, Equality, Opportunity for all.

    August 15, 2018 – Cuba – People, Color, Equality, Opportunity for all.

    Hey friends – go to the Photo Page and see Jim Dick’s great U.S.A water falls!  Then come back and see my new page, below, on my Cuban visit.

    __________________________________________________________________________

    People, Color, Equality

    I wanted to show you some photos of the colors and the people of Cuba. As I tried to select photos, I  pondered the people I met.  People are a product of their culture and the influence of their government to create that culture.

    What culture elements did the Cuban government create? For example, in Cuba it is equal and free for everyone, they say?

    We from the U.S. have not grown up with free college education for all, and free medical attention for all.  But on the other hand, we are not accustomed to having every college graduate being unable to get a job to earn enough to live on – or having the Doctor tell us about our health problem and telling us what drugs we need to cure the problem – but knowing that the drug is not financially available to us.

    I saw so many people focused on getting enough to live on.  The folks on the street that were begging were focused on survival for themselves and their families.  One tour guide – a twice college graduate – held  three jobs – Not driven to have more but to have enough to live on – is what he said.

    Last spring he said he taught school all day, worked a second job, and went to school two nights a week – on those nights, no sleep between the end of a school day teaching and the beginning of teaching the next day.  He was focused on making enough money to live on he said.

    So, I went to the dictionary and to the BBC to get a political description of Cuba:

    “The Communist Party of Cuba is the political party that rules Cuba,  although others exist without legal recognition or incorporation.

    Cuba’s Communist government has survived more than 50 years of US sanctions intended to topple Fidel Castro.

     It also survived the collapse of the Soviet Union.   Exploiting the Cold War, Cuba, was  able to rely on strong Soviet backing. It received annual subsidies worth $4-5 billion, and succeed in building health and education systems.  But it fell short in building a free successful economy.”

    In my brief visit to Cuba,  I saw that this history created a culture different from us in the good old U.S.A. – a challenging culture for the people of Cuba. A culture of getting enough to live on,  of secret ways to beat the rules, and of speaking very quietly (carefully) about the government and why things are as there are. Entrepreneurship seems tightly controlled to prevent the building individual wealth and the associated power that comes with that wealth.  I found the culture hard to define – but I can say, as I ask questions,  the people I met were wonderful to me.

     

    Smile, Color.  Then, heavy begging for money with quit a different facial expression, after her dance
    The eyes study the tourist’s hat in the upper left corner. Mom ignores it – almost pretends it is not there.
    Contrast – outside of buildings are maintained by the government, I understand.
    Color the street as seen through the tour bus window.
    Work truck as seen through the tour bus window.
    Color and car repair – building in need of it.
    In Orlando,  U.S.A – should I buy it for my Cuban visit? – I did.
    While eating lunch at home – colored kayak tourist’s on Whitney Bay,  Drummond Island in the U.S.A.
    Oh my – Describing our use of color and the impact of the elements of government created culture is difficult – But as I swing up and down, looking at the Cuban photos and the U.S.A photos tell me I really love my good old U.S.A..

     

  • August 10, 2018 – Oh my -How much color does you morning have today? Did the color improve your outlook for the day?

    August 10, 2018 – Oh my -How much color does you morning have today? Did the color improve your outlook for the day?

    On the  Photo Page to the left Eileen posted a really beautiful Egret photo, Bill White has a question for you, and Susan Hubbard is sharing photos of a trip to Black Point – to see them all click “Photo Page” on the left.

    COLOR – Below are my thoughts on color upon my return from Cuba:

    Every one of life’s journeys is a changing experience – I mean one experience changes how you look at the next experience. 

    Cuba’s color changed my focus on the colors in my everyday life. I loved my brief experience in Havana Cuba.  since Gloria is an artist, she made sure each of our excursions on this trip included viewing Cuban art.  We did not know it at the time, but seeing Cuban art is easy – there is colorful art every where.

    First, I will show you three images that the Cuban experience caused me to see more clearly in my everyday Drummond Island  life.  Then, I will show you images of Havana and some real color!

    There are many places I could place my canoe – – Now I know I put it here so that I can see it’s splash of red when I look out the front window.
    From my back window my garden displays the colors of Cuba.
    I keep my front windows open to the west to see the color of the sunset – tonight I see Cuban red – the color of fire in the sky!.

    In Havana there is color everywhere. Cuban artists create murals as public art.  As I showed yesterday (See Older Posts at the bottom of this page) Cuban music includes dancers in a display of color. The old cars are pastels of blue water, green palms, red sunsets, and more. The buildings that line the streets that the cars drive on and our bus traveled on are a mosaic of the same blue water, green palms and red sunsets with yellows mixed in plus unpainted wood the color of an upside down row-boat laying on the shore.

    Maybe another trip to Cuba may make sense for me. I need more time to explore what all this color means to these people who built tunnels for use during the Cuban missile crisis – for a people living under communist government rules of the kind we in USA have not experienced, for a people who need to go through a ton of Government approval processes just to get a permit to go fishing in a row-boat – I was told this process was required for fear their fishing trip may turn out to be an escape row toward Florida and to never to return to Cuba?

    Enough of that – let’s look at some of the color I saw in Cuba:

    STREET COLOR – Did our streets look this bright and colorful  in the 1950’s?
    TAXI COLOR: Do our taxis look this colorful?  The yellow sign on the roof and the blue car are a beautiful contrast!
    REFLECTED COLOR: Color is even reflected in the window of the Cuban bus as we travel the streets of Havana!
    WEALTH COLOR: As we passed by what I think is a “wealthy” neighborhood – still rich in color.
    PLAIN FOLK COLOR: I think a not so wealthy neighborhood – but still, rich in color.
    COLOR THEY WEAR:  Throughout Havana, laundry is drying on the line.   Does your closet of cloths look this colorful?
    ABSTRACT COLOR: Look at this colorful mural on the wall of an Art Gallery operated by this artist.
    COLOR EVERYWHERE – A whole street of colorful art!

     

    COLOR YOUR CANOE: Oh my – As you look down from your swing of life’s experiences – think of color – maybe plan to add a little more color to your “canoe”  – The experience may make your outlook a little brighter.
  • Aug 8, 2018 – Oh my, I have just updated this page ’cause Eileen Norrington set me a photo for the “Photo Page”

    Aug 8, 2018 – Oh my, I have just updated this page ’cause Eileen Norrington set me a photo for the “Photo Page”

    I just returned from a great trip to Cuba. Before reading of my Cuba story -On the  Photo Page to the left Eileen posted a beautiful photo and Bill White has a question for you – click “Photo Page” on the left.

    Below are my first comments on the Cuba trip  – Tomorrow I plan to post here a story on my observations of the “Colors of Cub”

    Here are my first comments on my CUBA TRIP :

    Let me show you what we think about when we think of Cuba? Bad statement – I should be saying, “I will show you what you think about when you think of Cuba?” – I do not believe it – That is another bad statement – I can only show you what I think about when I think of Cuba: Cigars, Rum, Old cars, and of course Beautiful dancing women.  Read on.

    I found the Cuban people to be the nicest, most helpful, friendly, beautiful people – They were great hosts.  How did we get visa’s:  The governments (US and CUBA) allow visa to folks like me visiting so that we meet on a one-to-one basis. An opportunity for neighbors to get to know each other better.  Our cruise organized special one-on-one education tours. Gloria and I selected two tours  “1. Cigars, Rum, and Arts” and “2. The old Havana and the new Havana” –  They were very well run  wonderful tours!

    There are some things of Cuba that I think are on the very dark side – In later posts I will tell you of some that I think I saw and heard – They may be only on the dark side because I grew up in our wonderful USA. But, I have spent much time working in many countries around the world and I think folks from some of those countries that did not grow up in USA would not find the same things “dark” that I did. I can only show you what I see and think.  This is part of neighbor getting to know neighbor.  That is why the governments are giving the limited visas.

    But for now lets look at my photos of each:  Visa to enter Cuba, Cigars, Rum, Old cars, and of course Beautiful dancing women.

    We have our Visas, The view from the stern of our Norwegian Cruise Ship (A floating tropical resort is what it was) as we left Florida waters for Cuba.
    The start of the Rum tour – our guide was very proud of rum factory museum and of course of the rum.
    And they are proud of the cigars – so much so that they gave me one to enjoy!
    Is that a toast with rum or what! Cuba has some very bright sides!
    Looking through the window, I snapped this – When I was a teenager – I think. Hey, is that a Russian built tractor in the background?
    Now, what do you say of that barefoot dancer, the colors,  the drum rhythm, and bright sunshine!

    But, do not forget – more on this subject later.

    Oh my – As you swing through life – get to know your neighbor – share ideas and find ways to think no harm

     

     

  • July 23, 2018 – Hey, click PHOTO PAGE – Dave Cesari photographed my favorite bird! – After seeing Dave’s photos, I have something to tell you – read on.

    July 23, 2018 – Hey, click PHOTO PAGE – Dave Cesari photographed my favorite bird! – After seeing Dave’s photos, I have something to tell you – read on.

    First click PHOTO PAGE to the left – then return, scroll down, and see what I think about why we PHOTOGRAPH things.

    —————————————————————————

    I went to the Google and ask “Why do we take photos?”  Here is what I found:

    1. Capture Memories

    2.  Capture Moments

    3.  Tell Stories

    4.  Communicate with Others

    5.  Improve as a Photographer

    That is what the internet said – I think it is a pretty compressive list – But I want to add  one more.

    6.  Stop, Look, Enjoy, Wonder, Ponder, Smile

    Taking photographs helps you see the story. You could take the photo and then trow it into the trash -YOU WOULD BE A WINNER  because just stopping to study the environment for your PHOTOGRAPH gave you so much more than just taking a quick glance.

    Oh my, Did I just say, even if you do not have your camera, study the things around you as if you are looking for the best PHOTOGRAPHIC angle – YOU WILL BE A WINNER. I did, ’cause it is true.

    Your brain will be working to see your story, your memory, your moment – so you got your dollars worth from your vacation, your walk in the woods, or your stroll through NYC.  You are A WINNER – whether you take the PHOTOGRAPH or not!

    I was hiking in a Florida swamp area looking for things to photograph – saw this almost hidden cow – there turned out to be a herd of 6 adults and three young – I really enjoyed watching them for 15 minutes – nursing, eating swamp grass, etc.  I enjoyed watching them so much I almost forgot to snap a PHOTOGRAPH.   I WAS A WINNER.
    Walking down a NYC street, I earned about NYC parking ’cause I was looking for things to PHOTOGRAPH. I WAS A WINNER.
    Now, I was on a NYC mission to find examples of such parking – there were some many that the challenge was soon gone.  But I WAS A WINNER  ’cause I had a fun NYC mission for a while.
    Markets are colorful Loved it – I WAS A WINNER. It was an opportunity to slow down and study to decide what to PHOTOGRAPH. I stood and watched  – Enjoyed the environment.
    I did notice this – I drink my Cabernet. It is in liquid form!
    A customer at a market.
    Study the cloths – from shoes upward.- then concentrate on her concentration – I watched patiently and enjoyed every moment. I WAS A WINNER and I did this study while looking for when to snap the PHOTOGRAPHIC shutter.
    I study clouds to see what angle will make the best PHOTOGRAPH
    I saw 3 fish – When I study clouds I always see things that are not there – Every sky is a piece of abstract art – It is an art gallery that is free and always open to the PHOTOGRAPHER. I WAS A WINNER.
    I saw a field mouse study this mushroom – then I went to PHOTOGRAPH what he saw. I WAS A WINNER.
    Oh my, Even if you do not have your camera, study the things around you as if you are looking for the best PHOTOGRAPHIC angle – YOU WILL BE A WINNER

     

     

     

  • July 19, 2018 – Being the tight wad that I am, I love inexpensive hobbies.

    July 19, 2018 – Being the tight wad that I am, I love inexpensive hobbies.

    After I wrote my last blog here, I was prompted to think about my hobbies – gardening, blogging, walking, biking, fixing things around the house – Oh my, none of them cost very much – of course blogging means I get to find hidden things in nature that I can tweak with my computer and figure out what to say about them to you, my  readers. Hardly spend any money doing that.

    I do go to Google from time to time and ask it to show me a list of “Inexpensive hobbies” – just in case I want to do a new hobby for a while. My point here is “You do not have to have one hobby and you do not need to spend a lifetime doing your hobby.”  – switch off from time to time – I think it is more fun that way. In most cases the cost is near zero.

    I will show you a few things I found hidden in nature, tweaked them a little, then sent them out on this blog just to show you.

    Found these stones while out on my bike.
    Tweaked it a little – think I liked the original better – see not all my efforts are successful.
    Kissing mushrooms – just as I found them. I was afraid of failure if I tried tweaking.
    Some rotting wood – and antique hub and belt pulley for an old sawmill.
    Here I isolated a portion of it and tweaked  a face.
    Clouds are always fun to find images hidden in them – maybe a lobster in the sky.
    See the tree that looks like a dancing girl in upper left quadrant – Oh my on her hip is a sad face.
    Turn it upside down – do you see a happy face on her hip?

    Oh my – back to the original.  Did you notice the deer hiding there in the center watching me?

    See the deer.
    Hidden shadows are always fun.
    Think I like the original better. No tweaking here
    Now here is an interning one – maybe it looks like a dog. Nope, it is my shadow with camera to my face photographing a hidden image. When I got home and looked at the photo I saw my shadow  down in the corner – so, I cropped everything else out and kept the shadow!
    Oh my – as you swing through life look for hidden images – not just out in nature – maybe lying in bed looking at the moon beam casting a shadow on your wall or in the doctors waiting room you will see interesting scratches on the painted wall? You can take this hobby anywhere. Hey – did you notice the rock that is a hidden face in the upper left corner of the  My Yellow Rose photo at the top of this page?