Month: December 2025

Christmas 2025

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Unlawful and illegal? Captured with X-T5, 2025-11-14 19:10:54, 55mm, 1/1800sec, f/4, ISO-250, in-camera Kodachrome film simulation, SOOC.

It is Christmas morning and we are quickly approaching the end of 2025.

I usually take some time during this part of the year to reflect both on the season and on the past year. I gave up on resolutions for the new year long ago, but do spend some time considering what I want to accomplish with the new year, provided God grants I live another year.

I am currently reading Ryder Carrol’s The Bullet Journal Method that documents his approach to the tool. It is a tool I have been using for about ten years. In looking through my previous years of bullet journals, I can see how I have developed my system to help me plan and capture items that are important to me. A month ago I came across his YouTube channel and decided it was time to look at a tune-up of my system. I want to see if there are some aspects of the process that I am missing and continue to develop the system to work best for me.

He eschews the use of goals and prefers to set intentions. Goals are task oriented and intentions are process oriented, which is an internal difference that is more focused on what I want to be rather than what I want to accomplish. That said, there are accomplishments that come from intentions. I think that the paths are slightly different, though.

In any event, as I prepare to configure my new bullet journal for 2026, I want to make a few changes that will make the tool more useful to me.

This part of the year is also a time when I reflect on family and remember Wife in particular. It is sometimes difficult to believe she died 12-years ago. That seems like a long time while simultaneously seeming like yesterday. Although I am generally happy and certainly grateful, I still miss that communal life we shared together.

She was afraid no one would remember her. I told her that was hogwash and then her friends and family stepped in to reinforce my statement with an outpouring of love and appreciation.

And then I remember why the season is important to me. I celebrate the birth of the Christ Child who would do God’s work of redemption. That work is never far from my mind, but it is particularly close during this season.

I watched A Christmas Story last night and was surprised to see that it is the work of Jean Shepherd. Shepherd was a writer and radio host for decades and his voice is unmistakable. He was also a ham radio operator and a number of his radio shows included references to radio. A Vero friend pointed me to him and I sometimes listen to recordings of his shows and laugh out loud.

Last night, while watching the movie, I laughed out loud. I noticed a few things in the story I had missed before. For me, this is one of the quintessential holiday movies. I rented it last night, neither Prime nor Netflix having it available for streaming as part of my subscription. I will buy a copy today and probably a few more of my favorite old Christmas movies to put into my library.

I also started It’s a Wonderful Life and got partway through before deciding it was time to hit the rack. I will finish it today, perhaps over my Christmas dinner. I think I will make a white chicken chili for my Christmas dinner this year. I considered doing a turkey breast or a ham, but decided that I have been so busy that I do not want to do a big meal. The weather is gray and wintry, so a soup or stew seems in order. Plus I will have plenty for a few more meals.

The image is from my return trip from the east. I spent the night at the Coronado campground in Bernalillo, New Mexico. As I walked The Girl through the park, I noticed this sign and wondered at the juxtaposition of words. They seem redundant to me.

Merry Christmas. I am grateful. Life is good. Now it is time to make another coffee.

The Utah Skyline

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While The Girl and I were hiking, I noticed the skyline. Captured with X-T5, 2025-10-16 16:47:04, 35mm, 1/640sec, f/8, ISO-250, in-camera Tri-X Film Simulation, SOOC.

Typically, we think of a skyline in terms of a city. However, while hiking The Girl near our campsite in Utah, I noticed this vista. With one eye on her, I made a few captures and like this one the most.

There are a few more frames from this overnight stop that are worth sharing. I will work through them over the remainder of the year.

The Sun set not long after I made this capture. By that time, we had completed our short hike and returned to the camper. I set about making some supper and taking care of my girl. Then I enjoyed my supper and a beer and we settled in for the night. I was tired and had a lot more miles to make before arriving in Missouri.

It was a good day. Life is good.

A Hint of a Hoodoo

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A hint of a Utah hoodoo, near my camp on my way east back in October. Captured with X-T5, 2025-10-16 16:46:39, 35mm, 1/1100sec, f/8, ISO-250, in-camera Tri-X film simulation, SOOC.

Back in October, I headed east to see Older Grandson married and to spend time with my children. My second night out, we pulled off I-70 to find a campsite for the night. About a half-mile off the highway there was a pullout on the trail. It made sense to reverse the rig to put the door on the trail side, so I did and spent the few minutes required to setup the camper.

Then I got The Girl out of the 4Runner, checked to see that the group of feral horses were far enough away to not be a significant temptation, and we started a short hike to look around. I learned that the trail was washed out by recent rains so the risk of nighttime traffic was low. I also found these rounded rock outcrops that made me think of Goblin State Park, which I visited another time a decade ago.

The hike done, I fed us and we settled in for the night. Both of us slept well.

It was a good trip, if exceptionally busy. I am so grateful for a safe trip and the time spent with my children. Life is good.

Straggler

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This capture is from a test roll with the Nikon FM2n and a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 lens, on Ilford XP-2. This is one of the few leaves left on this old willow tree.

A few weeks ago I carried the Nikon FM2n that sat on the shelf for several years. Long ago, my photographer connection, errr buddy, pushed this camera on me from his inventory. He indicated that it was a suitable object of lust for film photographers and I considered it a back up for some of my other film cameras.

Time moves on and I find myself connected to Nikon cameras at this point in my life. Well, connected to Nikon film cameras (and dSLRs). All of these use the ancient Nikon F-mount, so all of my legacy glass is useful.

I have not looked at any of the new Nikon Z cameras. I am so heavily invested in Fujifilm that I am not sure I want to change systems. I certainly do not want to buy a new set of lenses for what I do with my Fujifilm cameras.

But, I digress. While hiking with The Girl one afternoon, we crossed the Mexican Ditch at one of the irrigation structures (where we often cross) and I paused for a moment to see if anything caught my eye. I noticed this solitary willow leaf, clinging to the branches of a winter-sleeping willow. So I paused, checked the framing, adjusted the exposure to suit myself, and made the capture. I also made a few more captures, before we headed off to finish our hike and return home.

The negative scans were uploaded to the processor’s website last weekend. I am still working through them, looking for frames that recreate the emotion I felt when looking at the scene. This one will do for today.

I sure enjoy hiking with The Girl, as challenging as she can be. Sometimes I also find an interesting scene. I am grateful.

Life is good.

My Old Nemesis, Dormant

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My old nemesis, rabbit brush, long past its affect on my fall allergies. Captured with Nikon F3hp and Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 at f/4 or so on Kodak Ektar 100, way expired. Color correction in PhotoLab 7.

When it blooms in the Fall, rabbitbrush and its yellow flowers ignites my allergies. This year, like some before it, my body’s response was strong enough that even my eyes responded. And that was over my regular dose of antihistamine. I was forced to use a second drug to reinforce the first for a few weeks.

But now that we have had some cold weather, the blooms are turned a duller yellow and no longer produce the pollen that causes my body to react. And with the background in the shadow of my mountain, I like the contrast. So, while The Girl sniffed, I made a couple of captures on film.

We continued are walk along our normal path, or some semblance thereof. Once the risk of Nope Ropes is reduced, we often bushwhack part of our way through the sagebrush. I do keep a sharp eye open for other hikers and for coyotes. I do not want a negative encounter with another dog and she has no need to engage with another coyote.

It was certainly a good afternoon hike with The Girl. It was a good day. Life is good.

Test Shot with Nikon F3hp

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It might not look red in this capture, but the flaking red paint is there. Captured with the Nikon F3hp and a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 at either f/5.6 or f/8 on Kodak Ektar, then post-processed to black and white in PhotoLab 7.

Right after it arrived, I put a roll of (long expired) Kodak Ektar 100 in the F3 and set the ISO for 50 (one stop over exposed). The rule of thumb is that the colors will be off and the film less sensitive. So, I went with it.

I mounted a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 AIS to the body, put a strap on it, and The Girl and I headed out for a hike. The hike was good and I made a few captures along the way.

Over the next few days I continued working through that 36-exposure roll. When it was finished, there were a few frames left on the roll in the F2. So It was carried a couple more days.

In the end, I sent three rolls of film to The Darkroom for processing. The scans were posted Saturday, so I downloaded them and began my review. One roll from the Nikon FM2n, one from the F2, and one from the new-to-me F3. There are actually a few frames in the lot that are keepers.

I selected the frame above to illustrate the results. It is a conversion from the Ektar roll that was done in PhotoLab. I continue to learn that tool.

I simply prefer film. Digital is so much more convenient and the technology so much better. But the analog look is what I prefer.

I like my Nikons and the Nikkor glass. I definitely like photography. Right now, as busy with other stuff as I am, it gives me a few minutes of respite from work to do something creative.

I am grateful. Life is good.

This Old Camera

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The Nikon F3hp, a professional film camera introduced around 1980. I have not checked the serial number of my unit for date of production (yet).

I was tempted to write it followed me home, can I keep it? I recently read that the DE-3 finder used on the Nikon F3 has a lot more eye relief than the standard viewfinders. Given I wear eyeglasses, this is important to me and one of the things that causes me struggle to use the F2as in my inventory. So, I decided to buy the F3hp and try it.

My unit arrived about two weeks ago. I put an expired roll of Kodak Ektar 100 in it (like 10-years expired) and rated it ISO 50. I then proceeded to carry the camera for a couple of days on walkies with The Girl to test it. I finished the roll and sent it (and a couple more) to The Darkroom for processing. I received the digitized negatives Saturday. I will share some of those frames later.

The camera handles very well. With the electronically controlled shutter, it offers an aperture priority mode. That is my primary mode as it suits my preference for shooting style.

I am able to do well enough with a manual camera, making the shutter speed adjustment with the camera at my eye. This just makes it a lot easier.

This camera is a keeper, despite my love for mechanical cameras.

Life is good.

Thunderstorm Sunset

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Here is another capture from my time in West Texas. It was from the same outing that produced the image of the Cumulonimbus cloud. Captured with NIKON D100, 2004-05-26 20:29:00, 200mm, 1/400sec, f/8, ISO-200, SOOC.

Besides the Spring (mostly) dust storms, the other spectacular weather event was the Summer thunderstorm. The Texas Panhandle is no stranger to extreme thunderstorms and they could be spectacular. My lovely BMW 330i had some hail dimples in it, like most Texas vehicles. If you live in Texas long enough, you will drive through a hailstorm.

While there I did not take sufficient advantage of the photographic opportunities that the storms presented. The frame from a few days ago and the preceding frame earlier are a couple of examples of when I did. On the same outing that gave me the cloud image, I was blessed with a gorgeous West Texas sunset. There are some tendrils of clouds kicked up by the oncoming storm visible in the frame. I noticed that interaction developing and waited for the right moment.

I was then blessed with this image. Wife and I stood there beside the highway taking it in. Then the Sun descended and a few minutes later the light disappeared from the cloud. So, we loaded back into the car and headed on towards home.

This is the season when I miss Wife the most. She loved the holidays so. I loved that part of her. I have been working through my digital image archive when I wake early. There are quite a few good frames in there and many that simply document family. I really need to develop (hah) a system for organizing and sorting those frames. Then there are the thousands (probably) of frames of physical prints and many of the source negatives in my closets. I do not have time to completely deal with those, but I want to.

Christmas comes and with it the celebration of the Christ Child. Alongside that joy is the somewhat sobering remembering of Wife. The two are intermingled in an inseparable fashion. That is OK.

I remain grateful. And life is good.

Sunset Thunderstorm

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I made this capture long ago when I lived on the South High Plains. It was a nice view. Captured with NIKON D100, 2004-05-26 20:20:10, 60mm, 1/250sec, f/8, ISO-200, processed in PhotoLab7.

The capture is from my archive and was made about 20-years ago, when I lived on the South High Plains. We were out and about for one reason or another and noticed a big thunderstorm developing in the distance, just at sunset. I paused and got out the D100 and a tripod, as I recall. We stood by the highway and just watched the light change.

The experience was stunning. We could see lightning crawling over the clouds and the setting Sun provided such wonderful light.

What a great experience. Life is good.

Convergence

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On our way home from the east, we camped near Monticello, UT. This was our late afternoon view. Captured with X-T5, 2025-11-15 18:25:28, 18mm, 1/750sec, f/8, ISO-250, in-camera Kodachrome 64 film simulation, processed in PhotoLab7.

On our way home from the east, we camped near Monticello, Utah. Our campsite was in the National Forest just a couple miles west from Monticello and off the main highway. I (carefully) drove down an old logging road about 150 yards until I found this spot. I had to stack a few rocks to get the camper level, but that is nothing new.

The campsite was clearly used by other campers. I noticed after setting up camp some left-over deer parts, presumably from a recent hunting expedition by locals.

It would not have made me change locations because all of the potentially stinky bits were already consumed by the local wildlife.

After setting up camp, I got The Girl out of the rig and we hiked a bit out of camp. I noticed her pick up a stick and then noticed it was actually a deer leg. Ha! She reluctantly left it behind. It was during our hike I noticed where two or three gut-piles had been and realized that the site was recently used as a hunting camp.

I kept her close in even though she wanted to range out. The brush was thick enough that it would be easy to loose sight of her. I was also a little concerned that weather was blowing in. I had listened to the local NOAA Weather Radio channel on the way in and there was a chance for rain in the evening. The way the wind was blowing made me think the forecast was probably correct.

I paused on the way back to camp to make the image. I was intrigued by the convergence of the contrails and how the sky interacted with the branches.

After a bit of roaming about from camp, I decided I was hungry and figured she was probably hungry, too. We headed back to camp before the Sun fell behind the mountain to the west. I got the grill out and cooked a sausage I had in the refrigerator. I had a packet of pre-cooked rice and a can of Ranch Beans, so I had a feast.

Supper made, we settled in for the evening, listening to the wind blow through the pines. The gunfire died down as the Sun fell — some locals were plinking with a .22 some distance away. And, as evening came on I heard a chorus of coyotes singing much closer than the gunfire. That gave me some concern for care for when I got The Girl out for her evening constitutional.

I heard rain on and off all night. The wind occasionally rocked the camper a bit and continued to sing in the trees. I stepped outside a couple of times to empty my bladder and could see it had showered a little, but the ground was not muddy and the sky was clear.

We slept well that night. It was quiet at camp. We woke to gray skies and the threat of rain. I made a coffee, listened to the NOAA Wx station, and considered the day. We broke camp early so I could get off the logging road should the rain come. I doubt the 4Runner would have problems with a little mud, but decided to move anyway.

We did hit rain on the way to Moab. It was not heavy, but a steady light rain. It would have been snow had it been a little colder.

I am grateful. Life is good.