Last week, I think, I stepped out the front door one afternoon for whatever reason. (I do not remember.) I was startled to see two fawns nibbling at the weeds in my front yard. I greeted them, softly, then returned inside to pick up whatever camera was handy.
The Fuji X-T5 and Fujinon 70-300mm zoom were handy. I stepped back out the front door, quietly, and made a few images while they permitted the intrusion.
I win! Life is good.
The day before yesterday, The Girl chased a black bear that bolted across the trail not ten feet in front of us. It was blasting down the hill and she was off before I could even react. There was no calling her off.
Fortunately, the bear was faster. After what seemed like an eternity, I heard her heavy breathing before I caught sight of her. She was working her way back up the hill, totally gassed.
I gave her time to return to me, then checked her over carefully. I found no wounds, but for a couple of light scratches from bombing the brush.
It was too steep to put out water, so we humped back up the hill to more level terrain. Then, I doffed the pack, retrieved her bowl and water bottle, and gave her as much water as she wanted.
We then proceeded back to the trail and then back to the rig. I took the pace easy and she recovered on the way back.
It was a fright that I did not need. I spent much of the afternoon in a state of mild shock, after thinking it likely that I lost her. We stayed pretty close together the remainder of the day.
The following day, yesterday, I had a full schedule and it was relatively cool. So, we walked the linear parkway not far from my apartment. She was able to run about a bit and sniff plenty. We got in a couple of miles of hiking on the flat.
It was good enough.
Along the way, I saw a bunch of birds scatter from the trees in front of us. I figured a hawk had flow in, looking for lunch. Sure enough, the Coopers Hawk above was perched in the tree. It waited patiently for me to make the capture.
Life is good.
It was actually a few days ago that I bought my first box of strawberries for the season. It had been a couple of weeks (at least) since I hit the grocery store to reprovision. It has also been bloody hot here in Carson City.
I decided that some Greek Yogurt, strawberries, and granola would make a decent lunch without a lot of bulk, sugar, or preparation. So, I bought the first box of strawberries of the season.
The next day about noon, I remembered the strawberries. I got the box out and began working them up, removing the remainder of the flower and cutting them up into chunks. This resulted in a recollection of Wife’s mom, my beloved mother-in-law, and her daughters working up strawberries from the berry patch they kept in their garden.
As I worked up my own, store-bought, berries, I recalled watching the technique and could see myself replicating what I first saw all those years ago. This made me smile and made my heart hurt a little.
Then I remembered strawberry pie. OMG, Mom’s strawberry pie was one of my favorite things. Her blackberry cobbler was right up on that list as well. (Best warm with vanilla ice cream and coffee!) But, my mind went to the strawberry pie with the reddish tint to my fingers from working up my berries.
I then thought “I could make a strawberry pie!” And that made me think of my sister-in-law, whom I had not contacted in a minute. So, after working up my berries and making a parfait for lunch, I sent her a text and we chatted a bit.
They are well, which made me happy. I asked about the pie and she sent me her recipe for the pie and the crust.
Then she sent a little lagniappe — a recipe for easy biscuits.
I usually use frozen Grands as I can make one or two. But, I also long for homemade biscuits and I think I can cut the recipe such that I can make two or three readily. I am going to try.
My mind sometimes goes into a stream-of-consciousness mode. My thoughts leap from one point to another, sometimes leaving even me feeling a bit dizzy.
Also, I think I’ll make a strawberry pie this weekend. I can make it with Sucralose and keep my sugar intake under control.
Mom sure made a killer strawberry pie. When I went to visit, she always made one. With whipped cream and coffee, it was a perfect treat.
Wife, Mom, and Dad are all gone now. It is a pity. They are greatly missed, all of them. They were my family, all by law. But, they might as well be blood. That is how I feel about them.
Godspeed, my loves, Godspeed.
I am grateful to have had those people in my life. Life is good.
So is strawberry pie.
Yesterday afternoon I was working on my folding table in the living room and thought I smelled smoke. It being that time of the year, I stepped to the front door to check. What I found was two fawns grazing on the vegetation in my neighbors’ front yard.
I spoke to them softly, then stepped quickly to pick up my Fuji X-T5 and the Fujinon 70-300mm zoom I had affixed to the camera. Then I carefully stepped out the screen door and made a couple of captures, one at 70mm and the other at 300mm (a head shot I will share later).
I think the lens is a keeper. It provides a useful range of focal lengths in a very compact, if a little slow photographically.
Life is good.
After a very slow start, The Girl and I got out to hike about 1000h. We stopped at the Subway store on the way for a breakfast sandwich, but they were out of eggs. So, a Spicy Italian had to do. (It did.)
I ate my sandwich while listening to a talk radio station in Reno, with The Girl looking on (at my sandwich, not talk radio).
When we arrived at the staging area, about 20 off-road motorcycles were gathered. Fortunately, they were about to head out and vacated the spot I intended to use for parking. It was in the shade.
I got The Girl out to start doggie stuff while I gather up my pack, hat, and sunglasses. I put the Fuji X100vi around my neck and called her to head out. I did pause for a moment to catch this view of the Carson Range using the in-camera Acros with a red filter film simulation.
I elected to go up the hill rather than the old fire road. This was a significant challenge for my legs, which is fine. I paused a couple of times up the hill and made a couple of captures.
Near the top of the first hill, I turned and side-hilled to where The Girl was hunting. There I found an interesting rock formation, so we paused to catch breath (at least for me) and I made a couple of captures. Then we headed on down to the first saddle on the old fire road.
I paused there for a minute, then decided to go up the adjacent hill to get in some more climb and maybe find a couple more captures. Near the top, The Girl gave me a couple of opportunities and I took them. Then we moved on.
we side-hilled some more and then dropped back down to the fire road. The walking was much easier and we paused after another couple hundred meters for some water and some shade. We then hiked on to the turn-around, where we paused for another water break.
I elected to take the fire road back to the rig and not explore more. I had a report to get out and need to write some July invoices to pad my receivables. I like having billing out because sometimes it takes months to be paid for my work.
When we arrived back at the rig, The Girl was spent. She is snoozing on the floor next to my chair as I write on Sunday afternoon. I am also thinking a nap might be in order for a Sunday afternoon.
I created a gallery of these images and posted them to my Photo Album here.
It was a good hike. It was a good day. Life is good.
After a YouTube video by Dan Bailey and a subsequent discussion in the comments for his video, I rented a Fujinon 70-300mm f/4-f/5.6 zoom lens from Lensrentals. It arrived Wednesday, but I have had little downtime this week.
I made a few captures with it and this one of the first quarter Moon pleases me. I shot it handheld and used the Sunny-16 rule to set the exposure manually. Focus was manual as well.
I did a little editing with Photolab 7 after the capture, but not much.
The capture below was made a few days ago (maybe Wednesday evening) on walkies with The Girl. We had a beautiful sunset, so I made this capture.
I think this lens might be a useful addition to my kit. It is much lighter than the 100-400mm and will fit into my regular bag for the X-T5.
