Somewhere on the way back to Missouri from Pennsylvania, DiL wanted to stop and walk and old cemetery. She found several and then picked one. It was good to be out of the rig for awhile and the places always provide some interesting images. I came away with a few.
It was a good stop. Life is good.
While in Philly for the wedding, I walked The Girl around the block a few times. The row houses are a fascinating architectural thing that I do not routinely see. Therefore, I needed an image for the memory. So, I made one.
While I do not want to live there, the visit was worth the effort. Life is good.
I went to my grandson’s wedding in Philadelphia. I had all of my children and some of their spouses with me. It was a good time and I am very grateful.
Daughter suggested we go to a Delaware beach. So, we did.
I came away with a good memory and a few good frames. Life is good.
I missed an opportunity last night. I walked The Girl late, about 1630h, and did not take a camera with me. We walked one of our favorite paths at Silver Saddle Ranch.
The weather turned dark yesterday afternoon and we had a little rain. When we arrived at the ranch there was no one else. I parked the rig and let her out off lead for a change. I monitored her carefully to intercept her tendency to increase her wanders as time passes without a demand from me to stay close in. She will push the boundary until I offer correction.
When I see her raise her nose to scent the air, I know that she has caught scent of a bobcat or a coyote. This results in an immediate demand to return and she goes on-lead. She has gotten into trouble before and I have no doubt she will again.
She went into scent-the-air mode late into our hike. So, she went back on-lead.
The overcast light sure made for some lovely colors along the Carson River. Then the late light really looked lovely on the valley floor and the homes on the high area. I kinda wished I had a camera.
When we returned to the rig my camera bag was in the back. I should have carried it.
Despite working hard all day, it was a good day. Life is good.
Last week The Girl and I were on daily walkies out at Silver Saddle Ranch when I saw a flutter in the sagebrush maybe 10 meters from us. That caught my attention so I watched as we advanced along the upper trail that we walk a lot.
A few more meters down the trail, I noticed a bird perched atop a sagebrush. It was an American Kestral! I know that at least one inhabits the area we often walk, but it does not show itself frequently.
Anxiously, I removed the normal lens from my X-T5 and affixed the 70-300mm zoom. I raised the camera to my face to frame the shot and the small raptor flitted away.
Disappointed, The Girl and I (she was not disappointed, I was) moved forward. However, I kept my own sharp eye open for a reappearance of the tiny raptor.
Again, a few more meters down the trail, I spotted it perched on another sagebrush. I kept another bush between us to break up my outline, found a bare spot that framed the bird, and made a few captures. I could have used the longer 100-400mm zoom in my inventory, but it is very heavy and does not get carried without intent. The 70-300mm is much lighter and more compact, so it is easier to slog around with as a maybe lens.
In any event, it will do. I got a capture of the bird.
The Girl and I continued along our hike, she sniffing and marking, looking for the odd lizard to chase. I kept her on-lead, partly for practice and partly for safety. Snakes are still active, but probably not for much longer. The days are cooling and nights are cooler. They will hibernate before long.
That will give The Girl a little more freedom, but I will remain watchful and keep her close. I will make some exception to strictly on-leash once the risk of rattlesnakes abates for the winter. But, she still has a propensity to chase coyotes. I do not need any more of that and neither does she.
Despite a few sand burrs (she is a sand burr magnet), we had a good hike. It was a good day. Life is good.
I am quite busy right now with work and taking care of The Girl and myself. I did manage to get out for a couple of weekends, first to Weber Reservoir with friends. There was no radio play, but lots of conversation, a shared meal, and a pop-up thunderstorm that provided plenty of excitement. Hence, I offer the abstract above.
For the Labor Day weekend, I was invited with friends to active Bald Mountain, just north from Topaz Lake. We decided to make a part of it and took the vehicles up to the summit. There we grilled burgers, had a great time of fellowship, and I played some radio.
I did violate the First Rule, thinking I had brought the Yaesu FT-897D and instead finding the Elecraft KX3 in the black Apache case I picked up. That meant I was limited to 15w of output power, which is stingy for phone operations.
It turned out OK because I was the only operator who activated. The 15w output is plenty for code operations, especially at altitude.
I did manage to get out Labor Day Monday for a POTA activation, that is already documented previous. That provided some needed recreation, some additional Morse Code practice, and a enjoyable Eastern Sierra outing with The Girl.
Fortunately, she responded to my calls after she ran out of gas on the chase. She returned completely gassed, but unharmed. I, however, was worthless for the remainder of the day.
On our way up the trail from the staging area, I noticed this cloud peeking through the pines. I thought it might make a nice image in black and white with a red filter. So, I set the camera to simulate Fujifilm Acros with a red filter and made the capture. I rather like the output.
We finished our hike without incident, although I maintain a watchful attitude and work at staying present while hiking that trail now. The first bear I saw on the hike was last year, but at quite a distance. This time, the bear bombed the hill not ten feet in front of me. I was unable to react before The Girl clicked on and bolted in hot pursuit.
I have also seen a coyote a number of times (although not the last couple of summers), but always in the distance. She had a coyote encounter that left her with lacerations (she has earned the “F*()%#ed-up Face” appellation as a result) and the final rupture of the port-aft CCL. The latter required surgery for repair.
The Girl is a beacon for trouble, it seems.
Work kept me busy the remainder of the week. What this weekend will be is yet to be determined.
Life is busy at the moment. I am grateful for God’s gifts in general, and for the work in particular. 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.
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.
We are back from morning walkies. As usual, we walked the old fire rood up near Spooner Summit in the National Forest. I have yet to see a snake there in the summer. Last year and the year before, there w as a wily coyote that I saw some yards off a few times. But, that critter has not been seen in a long time. I think I can say there is sufficient traffic that they keep away from the area where there are people.
The Girl has lots of chipmunks to chase and has reduced the gene pool a few times. While I do not encourage her to kill things and would prefer she did not, she is a high drive dog who loves to hunt. There are a lot of chipmunks in the area. I even see a gray squirrel now and again, but only for a moment.
Today I chatted with Older Son while hiking with The Girl. After her vet visit Friday, I have decided that her leg is about as good as it is going to be. She has no apparent reluctance to use it. The muscle of her left hip is filling in. She favors the leg a little in the afternoon after our hike, but does not seem to be any worse for wear. She might as well enjoy life and the chase is a big part of her enjoyment.
Who am I to say “No!” to that?
So, I let her range out 30 yards this morning. If she got out farther than that, I recalled her and she was good to return, although sometimes some encouragement was required. I paused once about half-way to the turn-around to give her some water (and drink a little myself). Then we took five at the turn-around, again to water and take a short break (“Smoke ’em if ya got ’em!”)
I kept her closer on the return route to the rig. She was a little overheated and had expended a lot of energy. So, it was appropriate. She did not seem to mind much, and got a couple of little bursts in anyway.
She also was good to call off if I ordered “Leave it!”. We returned home, still chatting with Older Son and ready to settle in for the afternoon. I might go get some lunch today or I might go roast some more hot dogs.
Then I have to get some work done before my week starts for real tomorrow.
It is a good day. I love spending time with The Girl and talking to my son. Life is good.
The little Olympus Tough TG-7 gave me another surprise a few days ago. I knew about its capability to stack focus frames in-camera for macro photography. What I did not know is that it does it fairly well and takes only a moment.
The Girl and I were on our normal summer trail and I had the TG-7 in my hip pocket. I noticed the sun on the nut of the gate lock that keeps four-wheel traffic from the fire road.
“That might make an interesting image…”
I paused a minute, while The Girl snuffled about, and set the camera to macro focus-stacking. When I pressed the shutter release, I heard the camera take several frames in quick succession. It then flashed an image for a few seconds and returned to ready mode.
The frame is pretty darned good. I am surprised.
I wonder what other things this little camera does this well.
Life is good.