Author: ruminator

Ruminating

ruminator
This is my new MacBook Pro notebook computer. Shot with iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Late last year, I bought two new computers. The MacBook Pro shown in the image was bought just before Apple announced the new models (my bad). It is a 14-inch model with the best processor, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD space. It replaced the aging i7-based MBP that I bought back in 2016. It also replaced an aging i5-based iMac I bought in 2015.

The latter two computers were showing their age, the MBP less so than the iMac. But the MBP was nearing the end of its useful life.

So, I replaced two computers with a single unit. When I return home I will add an external monitor to it for desktop work.

The second machine is an ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop. It replaces the aging desktop tower that I bought several years ago (2015? 2016? earlier?) and upgraded a couple of times. This computer is based on a Ryzen 9, plenty of RAM and SSD, and a solid NVidia RTX display adapter. It will handle the numerical modeling and GIS work chores very well.

In fact, it is handling them very well. Having a strong notebook computer released me from the house for work. I can now prepare and operate my numerical models while traveling.

Now, I left a 15-inch MBP for the 14-inch model and I really (really!) like this change. I find the 14-inch machine to be a perfect size (the Goldilocks size!) for portable work. The 15-inch unit was fine on a tabletop, but always felt too large when operating with a lapdesk or on my lap. I am currently writing with the 14-inch MBP on a lapdesk and it is as close to perfect as I can get.

The smaller screen is not a bother; it works. The computer is big enough that the keyboard does not feel cramped. The new Apple processors are speedy, run cool, and are stingy with battery power. My computer’s battery is currently about 50% and I have been running it for two days since the last charge.

The G14, though, is a power hog. That Ryzen 9 and the NVidia RTX use a lot of power. That machine will run for a couple of hours on a charge. That, however, is good enough. I do not expect to do a lot of work away from mains power.

Aside: I also have a relatively large Lithium-Iron-Phosphate based power bank that can run the G14 (and other things) long enough away from mains power.

The bottom line is that my changes to my computer stable enabled me to leave the house and go mobile over the holidays. I am still able to work and take care of my clients while visiting family and friends. I really like that freedom.

I recently started thinking about my hobbies. It is clear (if you have been watching my weblog), that I picked up my cameras again this summer. Photography is something that has been part of my life for more than 50 years. i was thinking about my first real camera a few days ago — an Argus-Cosina manual SLR. The only thing electric in that camera was an internal averaging meter than ran on a silver oxide cell. The camera was completely mechanical but for that meter and used M42 screw mount lenses (Pentax mount).

In the 1970s, when I started learning about photography, a new friend (photographer) took me under his wing and taught me the basics. I remember being a little envious of his Canon F-1 camera, which was a suitable object of lust.

He taught me Ansel Adams’ Zone System. I still have a scanned copy of my notes from that time. He taught me how to develop my film and how to make a print. I cannot remember his name for the life of me. I wish I did. (Maybe I will, who knows!)

At the time, I wondered about the real applicability of the Zone System to roll-film based cameras, like my Argus. Adams shot mostly sheet film, which he then developed one frame at a time. So, he could tailor his development times (and chemistry) to the exposure he made when he visualized and metered the shot. In other words, he worked each frame one at a time, both in the field and in the darkroom.

That does not work for roll film, unless one dedicates an entire roll to each subject. I do not.

What I finally came to understand was that for me, a user of roll-film cameras, the Zone System is a very useful tool for visualizing a scene and metering the scene so that whatever is important to the frame (highlights, shadows, or both) will have detail for the process (film, digital, print, all or none of the above).

So, I retain my interest in the Zone System for exposure control. It just does not work as Adams used it for field and view cameras and single-frame processing. The use of the Zone System also increased my awareness of the expose-to-the-right (ETTR) emphasis of the digital age.

I retain my interest in amateur radio and continue to work Parks On The Air whenever I can get out. I recently activated Compton Hills SRA a couple of times and there are more new parks in the area. It is just so cold at the moment that it is dangerous to be outdoors for the dog and for me.

I still want to pick up my guitar again. That is the last thing on my list of hobbies that feeds my soul. I intend to do that this year.

I recently listened to Stanley Yates’ arrangement and performance of Mozart’s Fantasy in D-minor. He displayed the score as he performed in the background. I was able to follow the sheet music as he played, which pleased me as it has been years since I looked at notation. This made me want to pick up my guitar and work my fingers again.

I do not do annual resolutions. That has seemed to me to be a trivialization of goal setting for as long as I can remember. It might be a fun social activity, but it is not a useful tool. However, setting goals and intentions are powerful tools.

So, I am setting an intention and a goal to pick up my classical guitar again and do some work. In fact, I have Yates’ playing in the background as I finish this rumination.

It is cold here in southwest Missouri. It will be a good day to stay indoors, as much as I want to get out.

Life is still good.

Compton Hollow SRA – K-10386 AAR — 12 December 2024

ruminator
My view from the rig at Compton Hollow SRA, K-10386 (POTA). It was cold, snowy, and windy. Did I mention cold? Shot with iPhone 13 Pro Max and SOOC.

Friday morning did not dawn, at least the Sun was not visible that morning because of the clouds. I woke with the rest of my family, rolled out, had coffee, and saw them off to work.

The Girl and I then took a nap.

With a little more sleep, I rose and made another coffee and sat down at my desk. After a bit of work, I decided that I wanted to get out for some breakfast and some Waffle House coffee. Yes, I also wanted a pecan waffle.

I got The Girl out to do her morning business and we loaded up and drove over to the Waffle House. I returned with the hash browns and the bulk of my bacon. I decided to brave the weather and activate K-10386, Compton Hill SRA, for the second time. It was about 20 minutes to the site.

There, the snow was blowing sideways and it was very cold. I got The Girl out again because she was holding her poop for walkies. However, it was too cold for walkies, so I let her eliminate (she was running back and forth) and then returned her to rig.

It did not take long to deploy the Chameleon MPAS 2.0 in vertical mode and connect the KX3 to a battery and key. I used my iPhone to log (HAMRS).

I had a phone signal, so I spotted myself on the 40m band and started sending CQ. My buddy Dick was watching the RBN network to see if any sniffers picked up my spot. I called for a few minutes and then abandoned 40m and moved up to the 30m band.

With that change the RBN sniffers picked up my signal (10w) and the POTA tracker spotted me. I started taking calls.

I had turned off the rig while on the 40m band because of the ignition noise. However, when I moved to the 30m band I started the vehicle (for heat) and it was quiet enough. I was less worried about me getting cold than I was for The Girl. She can probably handle it better than I think, but she really does not have much fur and little undercoat.

When the 10MHz frequency I was running ran dry, I moved up the the 20m band and started calling at 14.062MHz. Again, the RBN picked me up and respotted me. My buddy Dick was able to work me (repeat offender) and I finished off my activation.

I ran back out to collect the antenna and put things away (mostly). The wind was rough although the snow was not too bad. It did not take long to recover the antenna and stow the radio.

I jumped back into the rig to warm up. The Girl moved back to the front seat and her perch. I got out my camera and made an image of the horizontally-blowing snow.

We headed for the house. It did not take long to warm up again.

I really should have a pair of insulated coveralls in my rig. It would have been much easier on me if I had and if I had a good pair of cold-weather gloves.

Those were my lessons for this trip. It was a good activation even if the weather was poor.

Life is good.

Daily Image: 09 January 2024 — Ozark Winter

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Winter blew in to Ozark, Missouri this morning. It was cold and snowy, with a lot more winter to come. Shot with the iPhone 13 Pro Max.

There is nothing special about the image. It is a grab shot from the front door of my kids’ place. It was too freakin’ cold to go outside and do something artistic.

It really is not all that cold. It was about 28ºF when I made the image. However, the wind blowing something more than 20mph made it feel a lot colder than it was. So, I made the shot through the storm door.

But there is real cold coming this weekend. It will be 0ºF or below this weekend. I have a bit of work to do on the camper to prepare for that and hope to accomplish that tomorrow. We are supposed to have a little sunshine, so that will make it workable.

I did get the water heater and potable tank drained today. I need to flush the lines with some RV antifreeze before the real cold arrives so nothing breaks. It is easy enough to flush the antifreeze when I am ready to use the camper. Or I can leave it and work from bottles.

The Girl showed a lot of interest in going out today… until we did. Then she noped right back into the house. I did take her on an outing to the Farm and Home store for some tools, but she happily stayed in the rig while I did my shopping. She does not care for the cold and wet.

Daily Image: 06 January 2024 — Red

ruminator
This was the moody scene from my (temporary) office window, shot with the Fujifilm X100V at f/8.

I slept nearly 12-hours last night. It has been that way most of the week. It tells me that my body is working on recovery and that rest is required.

Given the fact I was in the rack by 1900h, it was no surprised that I woke shortly after 0600h. I made a cup of coffee and sat at my worktable, watching a few YT videos and enjoying the coffee. I glanced to my left and noticed the streetlight shining against a dark gray sky. Yep… I noticed.

I picked up the Fujifilm X100V, checked the battery, set the film simulation to standard, and framed the shot. I like this one the best.

Now I need another cup, I think. I am about ready for some food, as well. I did not eat much yesterday — not hungry — and will need food this morning. I am not sure when the kids will be up, but I could always dress and go get something.

But, coffee first.

The camper parts are ordered and the repairs will be made. But I will be delayed on my travels. It is alright, though. I am perfectly happy to stay with Older Son and DiL for awhile longer.

Life is good. I am grateful.

Daily Doggo: 05 January 2024

ruminator
Doggo watching it snow and on squirrel watch. Shot with Fujifilm X100V at f/8 with the Tri-X film simulation.

The Girl was wanting to be outside, but I kept her indoors because of the snow and the cold. Nonplussed, she stayed at the door (although perched on a mat) and kept watch for the dreaded bushytail, in case such an incursion occurred.

Daily Image: 04 January 2024 — Ozark Sunrise

ruminator
With a hat tip to the hundreds of photographers who shot a sunrise through an upper-story window, this one was shot with the Fujifilm X100V using Reggie’s Portra film simulation. The f/stop was f/8.

I am still in Ozark, Missouri with Older Son and DiL. I am also still quite sick with whatever this crud is that is going around.

After being down for several days, I managed to get The Girl out for a walk yesterday and got some sun. It was not an easy walk, but it was still good to get out. I am hopeful that today will bring some sun, but it is winter so it might not be sunny.

I just need to get better. My friend (and client) Carol told me it takes a couple of weeks to get through it. She suggested I get a COVID test, but I am not sure that I care what it is. I am not sick enough to go to hospital and not showing signs of a secondary infection, so I suspect I just have to let my body do its immune system thing and suffer through it.

I am enjoying my family. Despite all of us being sick (yep), we are having fun spending time together. I cannot think of a better way to spend my time than with my family.

I noticed the sunrise a day or so ago. I decided to just shoot it through the window and let the window provide a frame.

Life is good.

Daily Image: 02 January 2024 — End of the Road

ruminator
This is my first image of the new year. Shot with the Fuji X100V 23mm f/2 at f/2.8 using the Tri-X film simulation.

Happy New Year 2024! I am here in Ozark, Missouri, visiting some of my kids and recovering from a cold. I took the camper to Camping World for a damage estimate and now will see whether the insurance company will cover some of the repairs or I have to bear the cost. But, it needs to be repaired. So, I wait.

The entry of the New Year was uneventful. With my cold, I went to bed about 2000h, done. My kids also turned in early; both are also sick. No, it was not me… she was sick when I arrived and I started shortly thereafter. No, she did not give it to me because it was too soon. No, it is not COVID. I am pretty confident it was the pre-travel stress, travel, camper-damage stress, and exposure to a lot of people along the way.

I will get better, but I might go see an urgent care clinic to get some antibiotics as I feel a chest cold/bronchitis starting.

For now, I am spending my effort healing and recovering from travel. I need to start some work on a couple of outstanding projects. That will be good as I will generate some billable hours. I had no billing the end of December to close out the year.

Once the dust settles on the camper, I will decide how to go see the last set of my kids as I need to see them on this trip. The question will be whether I am dragging the camper or using hotels for the trip there.

My original intention was to head south from Pennsylvania and work some new parks, see some new places, make some photographs, and work my way home. I need my camper to do that. So, my plans are unset until others finish their work.

In the meantime, I will work, rest, recover, and spend time with Older Son and DiL. Older Son and I drove out the Compton Hills SRA last Saturday and activated the park. Well, I activated the park. It was too cold to sit outdoors so I only put up a low-power station. We sat in the rig and I activated using CW mode (Morse Code).

I made the capture with the Fujifilm X100V on walkies with The Girl on New Years Day. It was my first good capture of the year. Life is still good. I am still grateful.

New Years Eve 2023

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My campsite at Lake Texoma — The Johnson Creek Recreation Area that is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Shot with my iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Today we mark the end of another year. There will be celebrations tonight and probably fireworks. The Girl is not particularly bothered by the fireworks, which is a good thing. So I will not have to be worried about her. When they happen, we will just play around it and she will ignore them.

I am here in Ozark, Missouri with Older Son and DiL. It has been a good visit. He has a couple of days off and will work a short week so we will have a couple more days, and the weekend, to spend together. The weather is cold, but not hard winter (yet). We are able to get The Girl out for walkies and play.

Yesterday we took the cassette from the camper and dumped it. While at Camper World, I asked about a repair for the camper. This is a long story.

The short version is that just west from Albuquerque, NM I blew a trailer tire. It was sudden and unexpected. I had checked them the day before and they were fine. I did not notice anything that morning when I recovered the camper and did my walk-around. One Interstate 40 eastbound, a passing motorist honked just as I noticed the camper was listing to starboard. A glance into the starboard mirrors determined that I had a flat and I watched (as I pulled to the shoulder) the carcass shed from the rim.

This was my first catastrophic tire failure, ever. Fortunately, I brought both a floor jack and a bottle jack along. The floor jack is preferred because it is more stable. But it took a lot of effort to get everything to work.

And then there is the lug wrench. I bought one of those cheap Chinese #$*t cross spinners from Harbor Freight. The sockets are too thick to fit properly into the alloy wheels of the camper. It took a lot of work to get the lugs loose as they were very tight. The jack had to be reset several times and I had to use blocks to get the rim off the ground.

But I got it loose. I retrieved the spare and checked it (again). I had to use a shovel to dig so I could mount the spare. Then I struggled with the lug wrench (again) to get everything tightened up.

This required an hour to get done. I was spent when I finished. I checked the pressure in the tires and then drove to the next exit. I had also discovered that the carcass had ripped the quick disconnect for the exterior grill from the supply hose, so I had turned off the propane (which serves the refrigerator).

I made a few calls looking for a propane repair house. I found one in Albuquerque and headed that way. The tire remained to be dealt with. The clerk at the propane house could not (both physically and by order) get under the camper. So, once again I wriggled under the camper, loosened the hose from the copper supply line, and retrieved it for him.

He went searching for a blind cap while I had the workers refill the propane tank. It took four gallons of fuel. The clerk gave me a fitting that would permit me to turn the propane back on.

I think picked a repair shop from the map and made a phone call. Phil said he was going to run some errands and would come retrieve me.

I waited about 20 minutes and called again. Just as I got off the phone with his office, a big white pickup pulled in and I was greeted by Phil. He led me to their shop and we started looking at the damage.

The wheel tub was gone. One of my spare boots was gone. One of my house shoes was gone. All of the electrics in the starboard side cabinet (where the wheel well was located) were gone or wrapped around the axle behind the brake drum.

In other words, I was F*#$($D. I had no heater, no hot water, and the igniter for the range was out. But, the pump was working so I had water and the range and refrigerator were still working, even if I had to light the range with a match.

Phil and Larry worked very hard to clear the electrics (so I would be safe) and fabricated a temporary wheel tub to keep things dry inside.

That took the remainder of the day and into Thursday morning. I was delayed a day.

But Phil took good care of me. He got me back on the road and I had a workable, if crippled, house. I spent the night in a Hampton Inn and headed out late Thursday morning. We spent the night at the Amarillo, TX KOA (recommended) and proceeded on to Mead, OK on Saturday.

I was able to spend the holiday with Younger Son, DiL, and her family. It was a good visit and well worth the trip.

I spent a couple more days there, got some work done, and then headed for Ozark, MO on Thursday. The goodbyes were hard, as usual. But, God-willing, I will be back for another visit.I got away late, so it was just getting dark when I arrived. We unloaded the few things I needed to sustain us that night, and went inside.

So, here we are in Ozark, MO. I filed an insurance claim and hope that the insurance company will pay for part of the repairs. I was going to do it myself, but in looking at it decided that it might be better to have a technician make the repairs because it looks like diagnosing the electrics might be a challenge and I have plenty of paying work to do.

There is the backstory. The image I captured was of the camper at the JCRE campground. We are safe, warm, and loved here in Ozark, MO. We will celebrate the end of a year and the beginning of another with family.

Life is good. I am grateful.

Daily Image: 29 December 2023 — Posing Sera

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I asked for a pose and I got one. Shot with the Fuji X100V using fill flash at f/8 using Reggie’s Portra 400 film recipe.

Here I am in Ozark, Missouri (near Springfield) to spend a little time with Older Son and DiL. The trip from Durant, OK here yesterday was not bad, despite getting a late start. I did run in to some rain along the way, but not heavy rain. The alternate route I chose was a little slower than the fast route. It was a delay of less than a half hour.

I pulled in just after dark. The sun was still reddening the western sky.

What I did notice was that Google Maps insisted on offering me the “faster way” — the way that involved using toll roads. Furthermore, if I did not notice the offer, it would accept it for me.

This default mode of choosing the faster route for me pissed me off. In addition, I am having difficulty adjusting the Google Maps volume on my iPhone. Methinks that Apple does not want me using Google Maps.

In general, the entire Google Maps thing really pissed me off. I do not need nor want my technology making decisions for me. It should be helping me find my way when I choose a path I want to take. Adjusting the announcement volume should be trivial, even if on foreign hardware.

Now I need a cup of coffee. At least I have a nice capture of Sera to look at.