Author: ruminator

Sunday Evening Rumination

ruminator
Captured with the Fuji X100V 23mm f/2 at f/8. I used Reggie’s Portra 400 film simulation, but the scene required some heavy post processing to make it look reasonable.

We fell back last night, or rather, early this morning. I woke about 0200h and could not tell if I woke pre- or post-change. I patted The Girl’s ass, got a sleepy look, and went back to sleep. (It’s a nice ass…)

Yesterday was a rather dark day for me. I remembered that Wife died early on a Saturday morning and I still miss her. I spent some time reflecting on our joint life and how I never expected to be the one who lived longer. I was supposed to die first, or at least that is what I believed.

I also thought quite a bit about Ki. I was looking through my image archive, remembering. I found a small cache of Ki photographs and then stumbled on this entry from years ago. That entry was not so much about the Vivitar 90mm f/2.5 Series 1 macro lens as it was about The Ki Girl.

Then The Girl and I got out to walk. I figured the fair-weather-walkers would be all over Silver Saddle Ranch, so we drove up to Spooner Summit and hiked our favorite trail there. I thought that would be good because the snow could fly anytime and then that hike will be much harder. I talked to my ham buddy while walking and watching her and that raised my spirits considerably.

I have been putting too much pressure on myself to move my personal projects forward. I have a desire to move on from the duplex to something else. I think a first step will be to spend some time with Older Son and his wife, spend some time seeing my loved ones (which means travel), and working on what is next.

But I am also working near full time (for the moment) and just spend more than a month overseeing a construction project. The latter left me with little time for other projects, so they are behind. Plus it left me with little energy on the weekends so not much got done but for recovery and the chores that had to be done.

As a result, my blood pressure yesterday morning was high… much higher than normal (for me). This morning I told myself “You have to give yourself freedom to do things as you can. You are putting too much pressure on yourself and it’s not healthy. Figure out what is the next thing you can do that will improve your life… then do that.”

So, today I worked on research for a new Winder$ laptop — one that can do all of the modeling work I need to do, but portably. I also had a nice walk with The Girl, a chat with Younger Son (who helped me with the research), a nap with The Girl, and nice cup of tea (Chai Spice, Earl Grey, a bit of sweetener, and cream).

I have some supper cooking (a box meal, but still good to cook for myself) and will sit with The Girl, some supper, and a glass of wine shortly. I have a meal plan for the week and a grocery list for tomorrow. I also have a plan for what work to accomplish this week and how to go about doing it.

In other words, it was a Good Day.

The image was captured on walkies today. The weather is changing (the wave cloud says so, as did the southerly wind). The image required quite a bit of post processing. Supper will be ready soon and The Girl and I will spend time together.

Life is good. I mean it.

Remainders: 04 November 2023

ruminator
I made this capture of the Mexican Dam with the Fuji X100V and the Tri-X 400 film simulation. The capture was at f/8.

Last week I had a lot of links because, in part, there was quite a bit of pent-up demand. We will see where I go this week.

  • The linear actuator that lifts the back half of the roof clam of my camper is out. It went out early this summer (in June). I have been too busy to think about replacing it. They are out of stock at the places I might order them. This post on the Forest River Owner’s Group forum provides instructions on how to replace the electromechanical machine with simple pressurized lifts. I will order them this week and make the exchange.
  • A favorite write, Dan Pink, sends me a short (very) newsletter each week. In this week’s issue, he mentioned California Sun, a daily curated newsletter of California things. Pink’s point is that what happens on the left coast often propagates to the remainder of the country. Good point. Dan’s weekly is also recommended.
  • This entry is something I wrote ten-years ago. It was just after (the former) Girl contracted leptospirosis and was in hospital. It has a photograph I made of the Comma Coffee sign as well. The photo is good. This story is good. I lost her three-years ago. She got cancer and died. I still miss her but am totally grateful for her replacement, Sera. Life is good.
  • I found this entry, A Mother’s Love in my on this day list. I remember that day.

CZJ 50mm f/1.8 Pancolar

ruminator
This is a test shot of Lucas with a new-to-me CZJ 50mm f/1.8 Pancolar. It was shot wide open with a Sony A7Sii and the Sony in-camera black and white conversion.

A lovely Carl Zeiss Jena 50mm f/1.8 Pancolar in M42 mount arrived a couple of days ago. I have not yet had a chance to shoot it, certainly not to test it. But I did mount it on my Sony A7Sii a few minutes ago and shot one of my test subjects, my Lucas plushie.

The capture was made wide open and the background blur is evident in the shot. The lens is nicely sharp wide open and I think the background blur (bokeh) is very nice for this camera to subject distance. It will be fun to play with this East German lens and I will have to make a point of carrying the A7Sii and this lens (and maybe another) on walkies.

This is fun. Life is good.

Daily Doggo — 30 October 2023

ruminator
She is patiently waiting. For what I am not sure. Captured with the Fujifilm X-E2 and the Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 (original version).

Today was another busy day. I worked most of the morning on the FHWA project, with help from a friend. Sera waited patiently for our daily outing, which we got about 1100h this morning.

I did not mind the late start because it was about 20F when I rose this morning. As it was, the air was cool but the sun was warm. The trail out at Silver Saddle Ranch is still plagued with sand burrs, which she always gets into her feet.

We pause now and again for me to remove them. Then off she goes in search of critters.

This afternoon was busy as well finishing up the last bit on the FHWA submittal and then with a meeting with another colleague to line out the next round of analytical work.

While I worked, she sunned herself in the backyard. I just went out to retrieve her and she is not a very dusty dog. I patted off what I could and then brought her into the house.

I am not quite sure what she wants. But I would be willing to bet it is a treat. I need to go get her a cookie.

The little Fujifilm X-E2 has a built in flash. It works.

Daily Image — 29 October 2023

ruminator
One of my favorite places along the Carson River — Mexican Ditch Trail on the Silver Saddle Ranch. Shot with the Fujifilm X100V at f/8 with the Portra film simulation. #SOOC

For the last number of weeks, my daily walks have mostly been on the job site in El Dorado National Forest. By the end of the day, I was pretty much done and getting in a half-hour walk for The Girl was about all I had left in me. I sometimes carried a camera, but the creative juice just was not there.

Now that I am recovering from that slog, I have time and energy to play a little radio, work a little in my house, and do something with a camera. I am also walking an hour or so for both The Girl and I. We love those times together.

Today was a treat for a couple of reasons. First was the image above. An irrigation structure on the Mexican Ditch often returns flow to the Carson River at this location. The flow crosses the road and I love the sound and sight that it makes. With the colder temperatures of the last few nights, the cottonwoods are dropping their leaves as the color leaves them. The sight this morning made me pause for a couple of captures. I like this one.

On the way back to the rig, I was keeping an eye out for other walkers/dogs and heard a whistle behind me. For a moment I thought of the Mockingjay whistle from The Hunger Games movies. That caused me to pause and I looked behind us.

Sera came to attention. When Timber and Lisa started calling her I said “Go! See you peeps!”

She blasted off, of course and I heard Lisa call “Watch your knees!” as she blew in to greet them. Sera was all wiggles and soft looks as she interacted with some of her favorite people.

I walked back to greet them and retrieve The Girl and we walked back to my rig. We paused to visit for a few minutes. I so enjoy them and it was good to spend a few minutes catching up.

The capture was made with my Fujifilm X100V and its lovely 23mm f/2 lens. The capture was made at f/8 using the Portra-400 film simulation. I am running a light diffusion filter on the camera, which provides a more filmic look.

It was a good day. Life is good.

Remainders: 28 October 2023

ruminator
While on walkies with The Girl, this hat and kerchief were hanging on the ranch house fence. Shot with Fuji X100V 23mm f/2 at f/2.8 with Portra film simulation.

It has been a few weeks since my last post. There is a back story here, but this is not the place to put it.

  • Years ago I used a Finder replacement called Pathfinder. At the time I was writing for an e-zine that I have forgotten the name of. The editor reminded me that Finder has a lot of potential that I was not using. So I stopped using Pathfinder and used Finder for a number of years. I recently started looking for a Mac version of 7-Zip and remembered Pathfinder.
  • I purchased a new 14-inch MacBook Pro a few weeks ago. I completely spaced the need to carefull move my music directories. This is direction on how to do that safely.
  • Given that I have (had) a split Music library, I am now in the process of converting it to a portable Music library. I decided a couple of years ago to keep my media files on a separate, external drive. I have too much media. This will help solve my problem.
  • I am going to have the same problem with my photographs as well. All of my images (and there are a lot of them) reside on an external drive. I expect to pick up the Lightroom thread again soon and that will mean library management.
  • I am looking into using QGIS instead of ArcMap or whatever they are calling it now. I am reviewing this comparison of the two as I move forward with the decision-making process.
  • Hitch and Timber is a new find. They make high quality bags and pouches for EDC.
  • Clip-n-Carry makes sheaths for multitools and other gear. I have one of their sheaths for my Leatherman Wave+ that I carried for several years. Now that I have the new Leatherman ARC, I asked if they were going to make a sheath for it. The answer from Avi was “Yes!” so I have one on order. They make good stuff.
  • I find myself enjoying well-made things. I recently rediscovered waxed canvas and now have several bags (for cameras and computers) made of the materials. I recently discovered Alpaka Gear, who make bags. I will probably end of with one (or more) to carry gear.
  • I have had a CalDigit dock on my desk for my old iMac forever. Now that the iMac is retired and I have a new MacBook Pro, it is time to upgrade my dock as well.

Daily Doggo — 28 October 2023

ruminator
While walking a morning or two ago, Sera posed for me on overwatch. Shot with the Fuji X100V 23mm f/2 at f/8 using the Portra film simulation.

It has been a minute or two. After six weeks in the field overseeing a construction project, I am no longer leaving the house at 0-dark-early and returning at 1700h. That was a string of long days and a lot of physical activity.

I am recovering and resting. The last couple of days were spent catching up with things left undone. I still have a lot to do. There is also a slug of analytical work to get done and that will take a few weeks.

It is good, though. The work is good. Then I might catch a break before the next batch of projects start up. Or it might be that work slows for awhile as the consulting business has an ebb and flow.

Anyway, The Girl and I are enjoying the cooler weather. With the cool weather the risk of snakes is much reduced. Soon they will all be in their winter dens and will be of no concern until the weather warms in the spring.

I am carrying a camera again. I have a few images that need review and processing. I have a couple of new lenses to try. I want to get out and do some radio as well.

Life is good.

Daily Doggo

ruminator
The Girl staring out the rainy window of the 4Runner. Shot with the Fuji X100V at f/8 with the Tri-X 400 film simulation.

After a long week working in the field, we drove up to our favorite place near Spooner Summit to walk this afternoon. Then we drove up to Reno to the Apple Store. It is time to upgrade my aging MacBook Pro (2015 model) after nearly eight years of service.

We came home with a new computer about mid-afternoon. I was hungry, so we stopped at the Black Bear Diner for me to get some food. The Girl waited for me in the rig because I did not know how busy the restaurant might be. It turns out she could have come with me in her training vest and would have been fine on the floor next to me.

Nonetheless, she got my leftover turkey and mashed potatoes and will not need much supper. Neither will I.

I thought the rain provided a nice effect with her looking through the glass. It might be cliche, but I like it anyway.

The new MacBook Pro is transferring files from my old unit. It should be done in another hour and then I will go through the remainder of the setup process.