Evening walk in the woods

Taken Tuesday evening (10/23/12) while walking along the Potter Creek Trail at almost sunset. A three exposure HDR. I like the low angle 'sunset' light. The last week the weather's been clear and it's been beautiful. But once that sun went down it got cold, fast. I've always felt blessed to be able to live in Alaska. Evenings like this reinforce that feeling. 

Dall Sheep

A photo of two Dall sheep. Not to be confused with mountain goats.
Though it can be very easy to do.

Breezy

Powerline Pass

An evening view, looking north across Powerline Pass. This is an HDR image composed of three exposures. It was taken hand-held, I was bicycling with my daughter up the trail one evening  and had to stop to take in the evening view.

Through the Fog

My wife is an avid reader, more so than me. She also has very good taste in her reading material. It's almost uncanny. So when she recommends a book or an author, I usually try to read it/them.

Yesterday a book came in the mail that she ordered. God's Hotel, by Victoria Sweet who is in addition to an author, a real doctor. Obviously I haven't read it, yet but it seems very interesting. 

From the inside flap, More than 20 years ago, Dr. Victoria Sweet arrived at San Francisco's Laguna Honda Hospital, intending to stay for a brief time. A descendant of the Hotel-Dieu (God's Hotel) that cared for the sick poor in the Middle Ages.Laguna Honda was the last alms house in the country. ...
At Laguna Honda lower-tech but human-paced, Sweet had the opportunity to practice a kind of "slow medicine" that has almost vanished, and falling under the hospital's spell, she decided to stay. Gradually, her remarkable patients transformed the way she understood medicine. Alongside the modern view of the body as a machine to be repaired, they evoked an older idea, of the body as a garden to be tended. God's Hotel is their story, and the story of the hospital itself, which--as efficiency experts, politicians, and architects descended, determined to turn it into a modern "health care facility"-- revealed its own surprising truths about the essence, cost, and value of caring for the body and soul.

Needless to say, she has first crack at it, but I intend to read it as soon as she's finished. I've already sneaked in a few pages in the first chapter, and she's made comments to me as she reads it. I think it will be an interesting read. I'm giving it a premature endorsement.

Another Infra-red Image

This was also taken Saturday evening using my Rebel Xti.
Focal length: 27mm
Apterture: f/25.0
Exposure: 30sec.
ISO:200

Late Saturday Afternoon

My daughter and I went for a bike ride late yesterday afternoon. It was clear, sunny, and very windy, but a great day to ride. I took this on the 'Bird to Gird' trail while heading towards Girdwood. If you look closely, down near the lower right corner at the very bottom, you can see a bike wheel in the frame.

I have been trying to do infra-red photography, off & on, for the last month or two and the results have been less than encouraging. However I think that yesterday was a step in the right direction.

This was taken with my old Rebel Xti and my Tamron 18-270 lens. I used a Neewer (Chinese knock off) 720nm filter. The filter was less than $20.00 and I figured why not, since I didn't know what I was doing and it's anywhere from $80.00 to $120.00 for an infra-red Hoya filter.

This was shot RAW, in monochrome,
ISO:200
Exp: 30sec
Focal length: 21mm
Av: f/22.00
Minimal post-processing

What seemed to make a difference was holding my thumb over the eyepiece while taking the exposure so as to prevent unwanted light from entering the shot. Go figure...

Well, after two months' leave from work, I return to the job tomorrow. Things at work were slow, so I took advantage of the slow time to take leave and get several long neglected projects done around the house. Also to catch up on my reading and relaxation. I've really enjoyed this time, but that ends tomorrow morning, or should I say gets throttled back. I will try to keep posting more frequently but depending on how busy I am, it may be weekly.

Dark Eyed Junco

Canon EOS 7D
Focal Length: 200mm
Exp: 1/198 sec.
Av: f8/0
ISO: 400

From the Nat. Geographic Site:
Dark-eyed juncos are unique sparrows that nest on or near the ground in forests. In winter, they typically form flocks and often associate with other species, including chipping sparrows, pine and palm warblers (in the southeastern United States.), and bluebirds. When disturbed the entire flock suddenly flies up to a tree, usually perching in the open and calling in aggravation at the intrusion. Polytypic. Length 6.3" (16 cm).

Identification A fairly lean sparrow with a long notched tail and a small pinkish or horn-colored bill (bicolored in dorsalis). Two prominent white outer tail feathers in most subspecies; 3 outer­most in the “white-winged.” Most subspecies have a gray or brown head and breast sharply set off from a white belly. Otherwise highly variable.
Male: typically darker with sharper markings.
Female: typically browner with more indistinct markings.
Juvenile: heavily streaked, often with a trace of  adult pattern

"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings."
-Eric Hoffer

Misty

A bad day on a bike is...

better than a good day at the office.

Powerline Pass

Taken this past Friday night while out on an evening mountain bike ride with my daughter.

The View From Penguin Ridge

World War One Explained as a bar fight...
H/T - Theospark.net

Germany, Austria and Italy are standing together in the middle of the pub, when Serbia bumps into Austria, and spills Austria's pint.

Austria demands Serbia buy it a complete new suit, because there are splashes on its trouser leg.

Germany expresses its support for Austria's point of view

Britain recommends that everyone calm down a bit.

Serbia points out that it can't afford a whole suit, but offers to pay for cleaning Austria's trousers.

Russia and Serbia look at Austria.

Austria asks Serbia who it's looking at.

Russia suggests that Austria should leave its little brother alone.

Austria inquires as to whose army will assist Russia in compelling it to do so.

Germany appeals to Britain that France has been looking at it, and that this is sufficiently out of order that Britain should not intervene.

Britain replies that France can look at who it wants to, that Britain is looking at Germany too, and what is Germany going to do about it?

Germany tells Russia to stop looking at Austria, or Germany will render Russia incapable of such action.

Britain and France ask Germany whether it's looking at Belgium.

Turkey and Germany go off into a corner and whisper. When they come back, Turkey makes a show of not looking at anyone.

Germany rolls up its sleeves, looks at France, and punches Belgium.

France and Britain punch Germany. Austria punches Russia. Germany punches Britain and France with one hand and Russia with the other.

Russia throws a punch at Germany, but misses and nearly falls over. Japan calls over from the other side of the room that it's on Britain's side, but stays there. Italy surprises everyone by punching Austria.

Australia punches Turkey, and gets punched back. There are no hard feelings, because Britain made Australia do it.

France gets thrown through a plate glass window, but gets back up and carries on fighting. Russia gets thrown through another one, gets knocked out, suffers brain damage, and wakes up with a complete personality change.

Italy throws a punch at Austria and misses, but Austria falls over anyway. Italy raises both fists in the air and runs round the room chanting.

America waits till Germany is about to fall over from sustained punching from Britain and France, then walks over and smashes it with a barstool, then pretends it won the fight all by itself.

By now all the chairs are broken, and the big mirror over the bar is shattered. Britain, France and America agree that Germany threw the first punch, so the whole thing is Germany's fault . While Germany is still unconscious, they go through its pockets, steal its wallet, and buy drinks for all their friends.

Ship Lake Pass

Saturday (6/5/10) my daughter and I hiked up to Ship Lake Pass. It was beautiful, but so windy that I could hardly hold my camera still. She enjoyed it the walk, except for her 'slow' dad holding her back.

Looking East

Here's your "Orwell must be spinning in his grave report"

No media bias though.




Finally, some Talmudic quotes, courtesy Neoneocon's site;

"The truth is a heavy burden; only a few can carry it."

"The world is in the hands of fools." Indeed it is, look no further than Washington.

"Two farmers each claimed to own a certain cow. While one pulled on its head and the other pulled on its tail, the cow was milked by the lawyer."

"The thief who has no opportunity to steal thinks he is an honest man."

"Buttered bread always falls dry side up."

"If someone is coming to kill you, get up early and kill him first."

"Whoever teaches his son teaches not only his son but also his son’s son, and so on to the end of generations."

"A dream which has not been interpreted is like a letter unread."

"To save one man is like saving a world"

In another form:

"Whoever saves a single life it is as though he saved the universe."