Blog

  • July 28, 2016 (With a July 30 update) – Featuring me and my friends – First, we stared each other down! – Next, as 70 years ago, I did my crossing guard duty!!!

    Now I ain’t smart, that is a fact. So, I went to Google to find why the turtle crossed the road? Well, I did not find any help with that question –  but I did find what smart people had to say about chickens crossing the road – ‘spect it applies to turtles too.

    Albert Einstein said “The chicken did not cross the road, the road passed beneath the chicken. — Isaac Newton said ” Chickens at rest tend to stay a rest while chickens in motion tend to cross roads.

    Now the real question- Why do turtles cross the road?

    I do stop and set them off the road on the side they were headed for- I hate to see squashed turtles.

    ON THE ROAD LOOKING FOR LOVE

    ’cause I think they are on their way to find love – so to Google I go again: Song – extended and my modified version

    Titled:  “When I find my love”  – Lyrics: ~something like “I cannot find my love – trouble is a lonely road – I can not wait to find the one I want – so I set my way across the road heading for the pond………

     

    Now go look for love in the bushes, the ponds, or where it is safe!
    Now go look for love in the bushes, the ponds, or where it is safe!

    Here is the Saturday’s version of this blog – if you you did not see it, scroll down.

    Just a sittin' looking at my garden.
    Just a sittin’ looking at my garden.

     

    “I was looking back to see if you were looking back at me”, “I never stop losing my breath every time I see you looking back at me”, “Here’s looking at you” Think these were all some song writer’s way of writing a title and words of admiration and/or love.

    But I applied these words to this garden snake who was just a looking’ at me – and me at him. Love to watch snakes! And it seems this one was interested in watching me.

    We stared!
    We stared!
  • July 25, 2016 – A photograph is really a “Communication” without words. Well, maybe a caption can help the communication a little.

    What makes a GREAT photo? – My idea is: “Unless a photo is offensive from a moral or social point of view it is a great photo if I enjoy seeing it”

    I often look at my collection of photographs. Some days I like one, the next day another – it all depends on my mood that day, what I have been thinking about as I ride my horse down the country road, or what I saw at dusk from my canoe.  These things in my day sort of shape my mind for that day.  So, you see, I see things different each day.

    On this relatively hot humid day here on Drummond (It is 70 degrees and sunny already at 10:00 am – after a day yesterday of rain). I looked into my camera memory and found photos I took in the rain yesterday. – My garden stood out!

    My heart saw flowers this morning – Just wait until this pm and my heart will see something else – Look at your collection of photos and see what your heart sees – Maybe Grandkids, spouse, garden, good food, vacations, – What ever – I bet you have some GREAT Photos! Enjoy them:

    Garden Corner
    Garden Corner
    Rose Cluster
    Rose Cluster
    A Rose in the rain!
    A Rose in the rain!
  • July 20, 2016 – Communicating without words

    The Neanderthal may not have had the ability for complex speech like the Cro Magon (The ancestors of Homo sapiens) – us folks. So, how did they communicate? Maybe the answer is more like dogs and horses – through extensive use of their eyes.

    Therefore, we photographers and artists are sort of Neanderthal – we communicate with images!!! Quiet – not like a Rock Band!

    May I come in?
    May I come in?

    When I trained Dyna Mite the first thing I taught her was “Watch Me.”  When we did agility competition – each course is unique and you must communicate with your dog-partner to tell them which obstacle  to do next. I could run a new course with Dyna without saying a word – we communicated through my body language – she watched me. 10 years later she still watched people a lot!

    Watching and body language
    Watching and body language
    Watching - for food most likely but still communication with body language
    Watching – for food most likely but still communication with body language
    I like this photo - voiceless communication!
    I like this photo – voiceless communication!
    I love you without a word spoken!
    Saying, I love you without a word spoken!
  • July 15, 2016 – In Honor and Memory of Dyna

    We come before God this day in sadness. Dyna, (Conquest Dyna Mite) our beloved Cardigan Corgi, who brought us so much joy in life, has now died. Dyna’s happy times in our family’s embrace have come to an end. We miss Dyna and will miss her for a long time. She brought joy to our family for nearly 17 years –

    1. She Joined us on our Texas ranch right after the new year 2000. On the ranch she partnered with deer, herded cow’s, helped as my teacher’s assistant in dog obedience class. – and of course an ever present partner to me as I tended cows, mended fence, or sat in my office working late at night.

      On the Texas ranch
      On the Texas ranch, Dyna partnered with all animals – They were her friends. She played with them, she lay down beside them, they were friends.  I believe the deer chose to live around our house because their friend Dyna lived there.  That is the kind of dog Dyna was!!!
    2. In Florida she brought the crowd to laughter as she took a bow of apology after missing the entrance to a tunnel in dog agility competition. “Oh, no Dyna” – the crowd shouted.
    3. In Texas and Florida, she was my teacher assistant in dog agility class. – she was competitive winner in both obedience and agility – winning top levels in each.

      Any deeper snow and she had trouble - short legs
      Any deeper snow and she had trouble – short legs
    4. On Block Isand, Rhode Island she was ex-rayed at the clinic and found to be with child(s), and delivered four beautiful puppies in the back of a station wagon while returning to her Texas ranch home.
    5. In New Jersey, she became a service dog for two handlers (Heather and Me).

      A friend to all humans and animals
      A friend to all humans and animals
    6. In new Jersey she became a member of my daughter Heather’s family. A family with two growing children, two other dogs, one cat, gerbils, birds, and animals I am not aware of – and she became a legend at the Vet office that helped her live such a full life, she was a legend at the St Hubbert’s Animal welfare Center where she got her Service Animal degree. She was a legend at the family dinner table, at wiener roasts, at school functions, at the lake house – You know – she was a legend everywhere the family went – Dyna was famous – why?   Because of the loving life my daughter’s family gave Dyna – She was one of the family to each of them – and of course, because Dyna had a special personality to start with and a special DNA makeup like no other dog!

      At nearly 16 years old - still bright eyes that loved all of life around her
      At nearly 16 years old – still bright eyes that loved all of life around her
    7. We miss you Dyna!.
  • July 11, 2016 – My life today – I am back to the “Farm Routine”

    Sixty Five years ago, when I was 15, I lived a farm routine.  Now my friend has drawn me back into the idea of the farm routine. It goes sort of like this:

    6:00am get out of bed check the weather, read the headlines, have a cup of coffee.

    7:00am check the health of each animal, clean out the barn of all of last night animal manure – throw it onto the manure pile – get the hay needed from the the hay pile

    8:00 am milk the cows (at 15 years of age) –  curry, massage, and train the horses (at 80 years of age).

    Training Perla to let me squirm around on her bare back doing things like taking photos of my shadow while trotting down the lane!!!
    Training Perla to let me squirm around on her bare back doing things like taking photos of my shadow while trotting down the lane!!!

    9:30am feed the animals hay or take them out to pasture to feed on grass.

    10:00am into house to wash hands, and have breakfast

    10:30am do the chores of the season. (At 15 go to church on Sunday)  Weekdays, at age 15 make hay, cut wheat, maintain farm equipment, fences, buildings, thrash grain, etc. At age 80, maintain lawn equipment, maintain fence (to keep deer out of garden), maintain computer software, up-date web site for Photo Club and myself, do banking/finances on the computer………mow grass, wash cars, weed gardens, clear trash from wooded area, wash windows, work on boat dock, …..

    1:00pm – At 15 – have dinner, at 80 – have lunch

    4:00pm check the weather, have a snack

    5:00pm check the health of each animal, clean out the barn and pasture of todays animal manure, throw it onto the manure pile – get the hay needed from the the hay pile

    6:00 pm milk the cows (at 15 years of age) –  curry, massage, and train the horses (at 80 years of age).

    7:00pm feed the animals hay or take them out to pasture to feed on grass.

    7:30pm into house to wash hands, and have supper(at 15) – have dinner(at 80)

    8:30pm Read and Sleep (no TV at age 15 – no TV at age 80)

    We three mature folks doing three different training exercises - learning to lead, learning to drive, and learning to let me squirm around - all the while there are nice things to munch on along side the road, deer jump across the lane, - maybe even a coyote, bear, squirrel , grouse, etc - - these are three great horses and 2 great friends to be with.
    We three mature folks doing three different training exercises – learning to lead, learning to drive, and learning to let me squirm around – all the while there are nice things to munch on along side the road, deer jump across the lane, – maybe even a coyote, bear, squirrel , grouse, etc – – these are three great horses and 2 great friends to be with.
    Training to even deal with the modern steel horse that we must share the road with.
    Training to even deal with the modern steel horse that we must share the road with.

     

     

  • July 10, 2016 – I love the outdoors

    In Florida I live in a community called “The Great Outdoors” – In Michigan I live in an Island off the Upper Penisaula – It is the great outdoors and except while doing these web sites I live outdoors there.

    Snakes always fascinate me – I seem to encounter them more often the most people -maybe ’cause I am always looking for them.

    This is Butlers Garter snake - I laid in the grass with my camera - He/she came right up and looked in the lens - You can see what he thought of his own image in the lens!!!
    This is Butlers Garter snake – I laid in the grass with my camera – He/she came right up and looked in the lens – You can see what he thought of his own reflected image in the lens!!!

    Despite being legless, snakes inhabit most environments on earth. Deserts, oceans, forests, grasslands, lakes, rivers, marshes, mountains, farms, and cities – all are homes to some of the 2400 known species of snakes. Only 18 species are found in Michigan. I think the UP only has 4 species

    The other one I found while riding my bike at 10:00pm – Yes, it is still light at 10:00 up here:

    Looks a little like a Florida Pygmy Rattler - but not snake with poison up here - He/she is n Eastern Water Snake.
    Looks a little like a Florida Pygmy Rattler – but no snake with poison up here – He/she is n Eastern Water Snake.
  • April 20, 2016 and Beyond:

    I have been using all my time to build the web site for the TGO Photo Club in Titusville Florida. That site is http://photohappenings.com Now I hope to bring, this, my own site active again.

    I will add photos here and write notes about anything that crosses my mind that day –  Think I will select one photograph that I take each day, post it here, – then write a note to explain why that scene  prompted me to snap the shot. – We will see!

    06 01 2016 daily IMG_0642-2Todays note: I love our Drummond home – each view is great. Gloria took this particular photo – This lilac is what we see out our front window – to our west-  each day from early June to early July.  I feed it, weed under it, spray it with deer-off (terrible smelling stuff- I think it is fermented wolf pee),  deadhead it, trim it, wrap it in burlap in winter to protect from -40 degree wind, I talk to it – God produces this beauty for us –  and finely I digitally oil painted it – Hope you enjoy it as much a I do!!!

  • February 17, 2016 – We live in Hidden Lakes in the community of “The Great Outdoors” – in Titusville, FL – I spend a lot of time outdoors, walking, biking, photographing, and goofing around – Them I come home and create things I pondered and not reality – Unlike Trump, I did not create a “Reality Show” – I guess like surreal “art”.

    Here is the reflection of the entrance in my eye - but note "The Great Outdoors" is only oriented correctly in my eye
    Here is the reflection of the entrance in my eye – but note “The Great Outdoors” is only oriented correctly in my eye
    Do you know why my mind wanted to turn the orientation of the words correctly only in the  reflection in my eye?  Think about it!!!
    Do you know why my mind wanted to turn the orientation of the words correctly only in the reflection in my eye? Think about it!!!