A serendipitous capture of The Girl apparently sticking her tongue out at me. Shot with Olympus TG-7 and SOOC.
We are hiking up near Spooner Summit on USFS lands these days. The heat, ticks, and other hikers drove us from our routine at Silver Saddle Ranch to elevation. Well, mostly it was the ticks that made me move higher.
Ticks are exceptionally bad this year. In fact, it is the worst that I recall. I am not sure exactly why this is the case nor do I know if this is an anomaly, a periodic occurrence, or a trend. I just know that I removed more ticks from her (and me) this year than any other I recall.
The hikes up near Spooner are better for me anyway. I thought that she needed to walk on the flat as she still favors the injured leg. But, her vet assures me that her surgery is healed. So, her favoring of that leg must be residual soreness or psychosomatic. She hurt for so long that it might have become habit.
She loves the Spooner hike. There are abundant chipmunks to entertain her. I am still reluctant to let her chase hard and I am also reluctant to let her get more than about 30 meters from me. The last year and change of rattlesnake and coyote encounters has me gun shy.
I am carrying my milsurp Patrol Pack II. I have two canteen pouches affixed to the sides. Each of these will hold a 1 liter Nalgene bottle nicely. I keep a few emergency items in the pack as well, just because.
I am carrying the little Olympus TG-7 on these walks now. I want to familiarize myself with the camera (learn to use its features). That means practice. I have field work coming up and that will mean putting this equipment to work. That is the reason I bought it.
On this particular outing she asked for water at our turn-around. I always pause at this location for a water break anyway. She loves to roll around in the DG and gave me the look in the header image. I was ready and made the capture.
The little Olympus makes better images than I expected. They are far superior to the Panasonic ZS-40 that I used to use. That camera, while handy, is not well-suited to field work and does not make very good images.
I love the look The Girl gave me. Well, I love The Girl.
I am working with a new compact camera, an Olympus Tough TG-7. I added a flash diffuser to the to the kit and used it to make this capture. I think I was beyond the working distance. Olympus TG-7 SOOC.
On Saturday, I took delivery of a new camera. It was purchased as my primary work/field camera. It is an Olympus Tough TG-7 compact. I will do a first impressions review of it shortly. But, I think it will be what I need.
I love this soft face! I stepped out the back door and noticed her pawing the sand in the yard. I had a Nikon D750 in hand with a Nikkor 180mm f/2.8 affixed to it. I made a few grab shots and this one was the keeper. Post in PhotoLab 7 with light editing.
The Girl seems to be on a plateau in terms of her knee surgery recovery. I notice that she does not have the stamina that she did pre-injury and if we push too hard then she will be lame the remainder of the day.
So, we are adjusting our hikes again. I like to have some relief in my hikes to challenge my legs and CV system. But the climbs seem to leave her more sore afterwards. Although we hiked a little up at our favorite Spooner location yesterday, I kept it short. We often walk the river trail now and I try for about two miles. It gives her plenty of opportunity to sniff and mark and is good.
This is a daily image of an old deadfall shot with the Fuji X-T5 and the Voigtlander 27mm f/2 Ultron at about f/4. The conversion was done with DXO Photolab 7 with a Tri-X film simulation.
One of my favorite lenses is the Voigtlander 27mm f/2 Ultron. It is a manual focus lens manufactured by Cosina. It also has a chip and contacts to transmit EXIF data about the lens settings to the camera to be recorded in the EXIF image data portion of the digital image.
This lens came to mind a couple of days ago when I was watching a video from a favorite content creator, Chris Orange. He was effluvious about a new TTArtisan manual focus lens in the 27mm focal length that he was using on his X-T5 instead of buying a Fujifilm X100vi.
The X100vi is not a terribly expensive camera — not cheap, but not as expensive as some brands. I have had a few people dismiss my X100v (and now my X100vi) as just an expensive point and shoot. But, it is not that simple. It is a capable camera using the same sensor and IBIS as the X-T5 and offering complete controls if that is what one wants. The fit and finish are top shelf and reminiscent of an older fixed lens rangefinder. The Fujinon 23mm f/2 is very good. It is a good focal length for the camera.
The X100vi (and the X100v before it) is my go-to camera when I do not want to think about what lenses to carry, do not want a large(er) or heavy bag, and do not want to fiddle with which lens to mount. And so, when I want to simply have a camera that is far more capable than a phone camera, the X100vi is the one I pick up to carry. It goes into a small Domke bag that was a collaboration between Domke and Fujifilm. There is room for extra batteries and extra SD cards. There is also room for a water bottle.
But, I digress. I have not tested (and probably will not) the TTArtisan 27mm f/2. I have the focal length covered with the Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 and the Voigtlander 27mm f/2. I bought the former before I picked up a used copy of the latter. Although I have not done serious testing of either, the Voigtlander tends to get the nod when I want a simple carry (or that focal length) for my X-T5.
I carried it last Friday on walkies. The frame below was captured with the Fuji X-T5 and Voigtlander 27mm f/2 (at f/8) with post processing in PhotoLab 7. The lens is plenty sharp and I like the rendering. I should carry the Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 along with the Voigtlander and make a few captures of the same setting. I might decide to sell the Fujinon.
Life is good!
A shot of Mt. McLelland using the Fujifilm X-T5 and the Voigtlander 27mm f/2 at f/8. Post processing in PhotoLab 7 to render as Ektachrome 100 VS.
Captured on walkies with The Girl. Shot with Fuji X-T5 and Fujinon 60mm f/2.4 at f/4, in-camera Velvia film simulation (factory) with light post.
I had The Girl out Sunday morning (as usual) for exercise. She is recovering and seems to be more like herself every day. I still give her a dose of Carprofen at night because she sometimes seems sore.
This stack of pallets caught my eye (hat tip to Wife) and so I paused to make an image. It being Sunday, there was no traffic at the business nor on the street in this industrial area.
Spring is sprung… Shot with Fuji X-T5 and the Fujinon 60mm f/2.4 at about f/5.6 using an in-camera Kodachome 64 film simulation, SOOC.
Just a couple of days ago I noticed the cherry tree at the corner of the block had blossomed. The Girl and I were out on a beautiful Spring morning. I had the Fujifilm X-T5 with the 60mm f/2.4 macro affixed to the camera, just in case. Although the blossoms were bobbing in the breeze, I still managed a couple of nice captures. I like this one the most.
The 60mm lens is something interesting. Although it is a macro lens, it is also good for general photography. It also has character.
Image SOOC using the in-camera Kodachrome 64 film simulation with no post processing.
They were building a new pond at Mason Valley WMA. Shot with Sony A7iii and Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 at about f/8. Light processing with PhotoLab 7.
A couple-three weeks ago The Girl and I were out at Mason Valley WMA for an outing and to play some radio. I am using my weekends to get away from the house when possible. I work from my home office so I spend a lot of time there. It is a mental-health necessity to get away from that environment periodically.
After activating the park, I walked Sera again. For the moment, she is on two walks per day of about ten minutes each but on lead for control.
After our walk, we loaded up and headed for the park exit. Along the way, I noticed some equipment where they (staff or contractor) were excavating another pond. I decided to stop and get out my camera for this trip, a Sony A7iii with a Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 adapted to the E-Mount. It was far too bright for the fast aperture, but the lens also works well stopped down and I find the f/4–f/8 range to be adequately sharp.
So I walked the area for a few minutes and made a few captures. The Sun felt good and the air was clean. It was a good day.
The Girl was waiting for me when I returned.
Life is good.
She wanted to be let out to hunt. She is not ready to be off-lead and running around. So, I got the look. Shot with Sony A7iii and Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 at about f/4. Light processing with PhotoLab 7.
This was my setup for the Washoe Lake SP activation, after I discovered I left the station battery behind.
Saturday morning I woke, made coffee, and sat down to collect my thoughts. It was a normal day. Well, it was until I decided there were a couple of tasks I needed to get done. So, I busied myself photographing the Fuji X100V and the X-E2 that were on my list to sell.
Once that task was done and the images reviewed, I wrote the descriptions and listed each camera on fleaBay. I realy do not like to use the service anymore because their fees are excessive. My cost to sell is on the order of 15 percent. But, it is the devil I know so I continue to use them.
That task done, I asked myself what was next. By that time, The Girl had wandered into my workroom, checked in with me, and moved to her daytime mat. I gave her a ruffle of the ears and a shoulder pat and turned back to my work.
“Nope, this is not going to do. We need to get outside.” So I fed her, took her out, and started to gather up a few things. We both needed some outside time and I decided to make a run to Washoe Lake for some air, some exercise, and some radio play.
The rig was basically loaded, so I grabbed a couple of water bottles, her gear, and we loaded up. I grabbed McD’s for lunch and we drove to the park, nibbling on fries as we drove. (Yes, she gets fries…)
At the park, I got her out and we got a short walk in. The wind was down and the Sun felt good. I let her sniff about while I got out my table, chair, and her mat. She stayed in the rig while I deployed the Chameleon MPAS 2.0 antenna with the mil-extension and the mil-whip. I used my hand-built counterpoise set — three wires about 16-feet long that I deploy symmetrically about the antenna. I’m confident I get a better ground plane from multiple wires and it takes only a couple of minutes to deploy them.
I then turned to setup the station and found that I had… wait for it… left the station battery behind. At that point, several thoughts passed through my mind, none of them printable. With the antenna deployed, I could not leave the site to retrieve the battery.
However, I had the Elecraft KX2 shack-in-a-box in the rig. So, I put away my exterior equipment (save the antenna), got the little radio out, connected it to the antenna, and turned it on. It powered right up, so I checked the 20m band but it was busy. So I moved to 15m and found an open frequency. I spotted myself on the POTA.app website and started calling.
I was puzzled that the little rig was putting out only seven watts. I checked the antenna match and power output settings and found nothing. Then, in the middle of a contact, the rig shut down. The battery was depleted.
It took only seconds to retrieve the spare from the rig’s kit. I plugged it in and powered the rig on. In my haste, I had changed frequencies, did not notice, and lost the contact I was working.
So, I paused, took a breath, changed back to my frequency, and found it occupied. “Poop!” I thought (well, kinda-sorta). Frustrated and harried, I searched for an unoccupied frequency, adjusted my log (HAMRS on my iPhone), and edited my spot. I restarted my call, CQ POTA DE AG7TX AR, and started working callers again.
We came up on the close of the day (1600h PST == 0000h UTC), so I took the last call and then cleared the frequency. I powered down the little radio, closed my log, and sat for a minute. What might have been a frustrating experience turned out fine. I had a spare radio that had a good battery. I made about 20 contacts (more than enough to make my activation), solved a couple of problems, and had a good day.
I recovered the station and the antenna and put them away. I got The Girl out of the rig and we took a ten-minute walk around the area we have been working. She sniffed, pulled on the lead to go faster, peed, and pooped — all the doggie things. Her gait is improving and maybe the muscle mass of her left hip is increasing. She limps less and all of that is good.
The day ended well with us heading back to the house for a good evening. I got the KX2 kit from the rig and put it on the charger. Both batteries needed to be charged.
The Yaesu FT-897D station at the end of my Mason Valley activation. I left the microphone in the 897 box. Shot with Sony A7iii and Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 at f/4.
I woke Sunday morning with the time change screwing with my natural rhythm. I made coffee (a substantial habit) and sat down at my desk. There are a few websites I check daily while I have coffee. As I worked through my second mug, I looked out the window and noticed the Sun shining. I checked the weather and we were in for another lovely day. So I checked the radio weather and it looks like propagation would be OK if not good.
I decided to go activate Mason Valley WMA. It is only a bit more than an hour away, is not heavily used (at least the area where I like to play radio), and I have not activated it in a long time (a couple of years). So, if propagation turned out to not be good, it was not a long trip to have spent.
I took The Girl out to eliminate and sniff. Then I fed her before I started preparations to go. (If I do not do things in the proper order, she will not eat.) I checked the KX2 and swapped batteries on the charger. This meant I was not taking the little rig with me. I grabbed a snack, The Girl’s gear, and we headed for the rig.
I started the rig and then realized I did not have a battery for the Yaesu FT-897D. Hmmm… I almost violated the First Rule of the Day… again. Well, for the second day in a row. I retrieved the Bioenno 30Ah battery from its charger in the camper and stowed it in the carry bag in the 4Runner.
Then we headed for McD’s for a breakfast sandwich and another coffee. Provisioned, we headed through town and then east on US 50 while I chatted with Older Son.
The trip was uneventful and I remembered the trail at the park to my preferred operating position. I got The Girl out for a short walk and enjoyed the air and the Sun. Then I put her on her mat and started setting up the station. Again, I used the Chameleon MPAS 2.0 and the Yaesu FT-897D. The radio would not power up. Hmmm…
I checked the connections, but no joy. I thought this odd because I had used the radio only a week ago. I returned to the rig and checked the 897 box. I had a spare power cable. I retried it, swapped it for the cable connected to the radio, and the radio powered up. Hmmm… I thought. That is odd. There was nothing physically apparent from a brief examination. I will need to check it.
With the station setup, I picked up my iPhone to spot myself on the POTA.app website.
“#!#$$#%%#$#!!!” no freakin’ signal. Plus, in my haste, and had not posted an activation on the website. So, I took a drink of water, paused, and decided how to solve the problem. I could a) just start calling and then send my park number as part of the first exchange with a request for a spot or b)drive a half-mile back towards the main road to pick up a cellular signal.
I elected Plan B. So, The Girl and I drove back toward the main road until I got a good signal. I then posted an upcoming activation, and we returned to the OP. I set the radio to an open frequency on the 17m band and started calling (CQ). I was greeted with a caller after a couple of calls and started working stations. At this point I knew that the Reverse Beacon Network would pick up my general calls (CQ POTA DE AG7TX) and then the POTA website robot would scrape by call sign from the RBN. This would keep me spotted so that callers could find me.
The Sun was a little too much, so I moved the rig to shelter the station (and me) a bit. The hatch does a pretty good job of providing shade.
I worked the bands for a couple of hours until the number of callers fell off. My farthest call of the day was an operator in Sweden whom I have worked a number of times. When the upper bands are working, I get calls from Europe and sometimes South America. That is fun.
Satisfied and ready to head back home, I recovered the antenna and station. With the equipment stowed, The Girl and I did another walk. We then loaded up and headed home.
I reflected on the weekend as we drove home. The Fujifilm X100V sold Sunday morning. I knew I would want to pack it and get it prepared to ship Monday. I thought about supper and decided I had not had enchiladas in a long time. There is a Mexican place in the CVS lot on US 50 on the east side of town, but it was closed. So, I started for San Marcus Grill. I called a buddy who has been trying to engage for a shared meal, but he was just taking supper from the oven.
So, I was solo. The Girl would be fine in the rig while I got a bite of supper. I parked in the lot, dropped the windows a bit, and opened the moonroof a bit. She would have plenty of ventilation.
I went inside, was finally seated, and the helper brought chips and salsa. I ordered a Margarita because I have not had one in a very long time. In fact, I have all but given up alcohol since the first of the year. It was not that I felt addicted; but I thought the habit was not my best self and decided to try an experiment wherein I reduced my alcohol intake substantially to see how I feel.
The result is that I have almost no reflux overnight and I think I sleep a little better. So I will maintain the regimen even if I allow myself an occasional Margarita or glass of wine with supper.
I ate most of my enchiladas, so I did not pay the Dog Tax. Forgiven, I drove us home, put the battery on the charger, and fed her. We then settled in for the night. It was a good day.
There were things learned, of course.
Be sure to check the punch list.
Wait, I do not have a punch list.
If I do not leave necessary parts of the station in the rig, then create a punch list… even if it is just a note that I need to get a battery, radio, antenna, etc from storage and put it in the rig.
Have a backup plan. On the Saturday outing, I had a QRP radio in the rig and had batteries for it. This saved the activation.
On the Sunday outing, I had an Elecraft KX1 and battery in a box in the rig. That was my backup. And, I knew it was there.
I did not have a DVM in the rig. I should be sure to have a small toolkit in the rig with a ohm meter for continuity checking. Fortunately, I had a spare power cable so was able to operate.
I have a propensity for ad hoc activations. While this is OK it can lead to failures, such as a forgotten battery, no cellular signal for spotting, or other problems from lack of a punch list or moving equipment/items to and from the vehicle.
I should spend a few more minutes before leaving the house to post my intended activation, check the kit, and be sure I have everything needed for a daytrip.
As usual, I learned a few things. I hope the lessons stick. It was a good weekend. The weather was good. The Girl is healing, albeit slowly. I played some radio. One of my excess cameras sold (the X100V is still in high demand).
Oh yeah, hat tip to Dickens for my use of his meme.
Life is good. I am grateful.
After completing the Mason Valley WMA activation, I paused to make an image of the site and the Chameleon MPAS antenna. It was a good day. Shot with Sony A7iii and Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 lens at about f/8.
Here are a couple of tools I use regularly — a flashlight, a fountain pen, a Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 lens (the cap is present, the lens was on the camera), and my Bible. Shot with Fujifilm X-E2, Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 at f/2.8, light post in DXO PhotoLab.
I need another coffee and a nap. My back hurts this morning, I think from the immunizations I received on Friday. It is not a significant pain; just the kind that is irritating enough to disturb rest and make its presence known.
I am in the process of selling things from my inventory to reduce my material load. I purchased a number of cameras over the last couple of years. They were all shot and all were bought on the recommendation of content creators I follow and trust. But, I can tell which are getting use by the dust accumulating on the top plates of those that are not seeing (pun intended) much use.
I intend to shoot the images for two bodies today, the Fujifilm X-E4 and the Olympus OM-D E-M10. They will then be offered on fleaBay so that they can find new homes and receive the love I am not giving them. The cash will go into savings to pay for Sera’s upcoming knee surgery.
She got into a kerfuffle with a coyote while we were hiking Thanksgiving afternoon. When she returned to me she was gassed, marked up, and lame in the port side aft leg. A trip to the Reno emergency vet clinic got her wounds cleaned and a preliminary diagnosis of a torn ACL. This was confirmed by her regular vet a few days later.
She is scheduled for knee surgery in January. In the meantime, she is on restricted duty and is walking on-leash only. She does not like the constraint, but she does not need to express her athleticism and cause more damage to the knee.
We are accommodating her injury.
This morning I am dealing with my discomfort, the interrupted sleep of several nights, and another dark, cold, gray day. We are accustomed to the Sun and I am definitely missing it. The cold does not bother me so long as the Sun is shining.
I spent some time this morning reading in my Bible, reading year-ago journal entries, writing a bit, and praying. These are all good things and are on my non-negotiable daily list. I am not always successful in my disciplines, but I am consistent. Sera’s walks are also on that list.
We will get a hike in today, God willing.
Now I think I need another mug of coffee. It is not going to make itself. The Girl is also asking to be fed. That will also not do itself. So, I better get after it.
The Silver Saddle Ranch compound, viewed from the south of the horse-working paddock. Shot with Sony A7iii and a Vivitar Series 1 90mm f/2.5 macro lens at f/8. Post processed with PhotoLab for black and white conversion and some cleanup.
The Girl and I got out Sunday for our daily walk. With the change in weather, we are walking Silver Saddle Ranch once again. The risk of snakes is abated but there remains a risk of other critters. I sometimes see a large coyote and there was a report of a mountain lion working a sheep ranch nearby.
I am reminded that life is inherently risky. The risk can be mitigated to some extent, but none of us get out alive. There is no such thing as safe. But, I digress.
I found a Vivitar Series 1 90mm f/2.5 macro lens in my inventory. (I actually found a second sample and I have no idea how I got two. They were purchased long ago.) I carried it mounted to the Sony A7iii Saturday and Sunday and came away with a couple frames that are OK, by my estimation.
We had a great walk, except that Goofus, AKA The Girl, had too much energy and ran too hard. She limped around the house Sunday evening and Monday morning. So, I am going to have to mitigate that to some extent. With the coyote I saw yesterday and the mountain lion report, I need to keep her closer in anyway. She can still range out a bit, just not more than a few tens of feet.
The lens is quite good, especially given its age. It is plenty sharp, focuses quite close (and I have the extension that will let it focus to 1:1) without the extension, and the rendering is good. It was built by Tokina. Those lenses built by the Komine and Tokina companies were generally of higher quality than the run of the mill Vivitar glass.
The reputation of the Vivitar is that it produces a very nice background blur (bokeh) and renders an image well. It is useful for general photography when the focal length is appropriate.
So I made a few images as we walked. It is my way of rebuilding after focusing on problem solving. I give my mind a break from the analytical work and feed my soul.
When we came around to the northbound part of our trail, I noticed the scene of the ranch compound. The wave cloud over Mt. McLellan added to the scene. It also begged to be in black and white, at least to me. I made the capture, while The Girl waited impatiently for me.
Because of the traffic, I put her on lead until we passed the compound. When I saw the way was clear, I released her from the lead but kept her close anyway.
As we approached the rig and the end of our outing, the Sun popped out from behind the clouds. I paused to make an image of the entry sign. I am working on a Silver Saddle Ranch gallery and the sign will make a nice theme photo.
When I reviewed the image, I noticed some chromatic aberration along the hard lines of the top of the stone. It is not prominent, but it is there. This is not unusual for vintage glass and is easy to correct in post processing. It also diminishes with an increase in f-number.
It was a good walk. Even with the overcast and cooler weather, I returned home refreshed. The Girl came home tired, and a tired dog is a happy dog.
