LUXURY DOG HOUSES
Luxury Dog Houses
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The Mac Experience - Part 4
Getting a new computer can be a great source of fun, as well as a lot of work in migrating all of your software and data over.  Adding a new computer with a new type of operating system… you would think it compounds the work.  But actually it has been much easier than I expected.  A lot of people worry about software expenses in such a move from PC to Mac.  They can add up depending on the applications you use most.  My most heavily used applications are from Adobe;  Photoshop, Lightroom, and Dreamweaver, and are probably the most costly to buy outright.
Inspired by stone
I finally got a chance to start one of my photo projects I have been wanting to do for a long time, and inspired recently by a couple of photo books I have been going through - most notably Bill Atkinson’s “Within the Stone.” Not only does it have some of the most mesmerizing images I have ever seen, but the print quality clearly sets a standard for all coffee table books to come.
I have always had a love for photographing rock walls and rock patterns, but wanted to go further with this into the wonderful patterns you find in sections of rocks, minerals, and gemstones. Put me on a cobblestone beach with my camera, and you can probably come back the next day and find me in pretty much the same spot. As a kid I used to sit for hours on a beach hammering rocks together searching for ‘dinosaur bones’ inside. Perhaps that is why my thumbs are kind of flat - sometimes I missed! Now the treasure hunting is in front of my camera.
Still here, ups and downs
Hey folks, sorry for the lack of posts lately, but the last couple of weeks have been a bit of a rollercoaster of ups and downs.  A lot of things have happened since my last post across the entire emotional spectrum. My wife and I have been caring for our ailing 18 year old cat “Bear” (the last surviving cat of our family of four cats + 1 dog) to the point where we were personally giving her IV fluids - which were really helping her for awhile.  Then I needed to go out of the country for my ‘day job’ to Germany and the Czech Republic, and you never like leaving when you have a pet so ill.  She was declining really fast when I left, and as I feared passed away while I was gone. So that is tough.  Our dog Chinny has also been grieving for her it seems.  They never got along that well, but you could tell they kept each other company a lot.
Powdered Sugar Bomb explodes in Michigan!
New Years Day News Flash: An unfortunate attack occurred the morning of New Years Day 2008 in Southeast Michigan where a suspected attack by the anti-Dunkin Donuts Citizens League occured. Long known for their anti-powdered sugar protests and media campaigns, the group tried a different tactic in the opposite direction with hopes to give fuel to their cause. A fleeing white Cadillac with white-walled tires was spotted leaving the state, where an eye-witness recalled hearing one of the white-suited passengers shouting “You want sugar??!! We will give you sugar!!!”
Snow - the great simplifier
The woods behind my house are pretty messy as far as visual elements. There are thorny briar patches everywhere, poison ivy vines, and generally a ton of clutter from brush and undergrowth. Except in fall where the colors can sometimes overcome some of the visual chaos, it is very difficult to simplify landscape shots here.
So with the recent New Years Day snowstorm, this normally chaotic environment became greatly simplified by the blanket of white. Like a giant eraser, the snow obscured 80% of the normal clutter - making landscapes a bit more appealing. In fact, the elements were obscured so much that it sometimes made it hard to find detail to include to give the scene some depth. This partially frozen pond made for some great contrast against the snow covered trees, and fortunately I was able to compose somewhat of a S-curve into it to give it a bit of depth.
Sea Organ
The Sea organ is an architectural object located in Zadar, Croatia and an experimental musical instrument which plays music by way of sea waves and tubes located underneath a set of large marble steps. The waves create somewhat random but harmonic sounds.
The device was made by the architect Nikola Bašić as part of the project to redesign the old city coast (riva), and the site was opened to the public on April 15, 2005.
The Sea Organ successfully brought to life the far end of the Nova Riva, drawing tourists and locals alike. It is now a center for gathering, a good destination on a walk through town, and also a great place to enjoy Zadar’s exceptional sunset.
House of coal
That’s a phrase often repeated by natives, when incredulous visitors see Williamson’s “Coal House” for the first time.
The outside walls of the unique structure actually are constructed of Coal - 65 tons of it, from the multi-million dollar seams in the vicinity of this bustling southern West Virginia town.
The Coal House located in the courthouse square in downtown Williamson, West Virginia, stands a fitting tribute to the abundant mineral that has brought prosperity to the entire Southern section of West Virginia.
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Wood duck celebrities
Finally I am getting around to editing some of my wood duck images from my trip to Ohio. It was an amazing contrast in their tolerance of humans compared to around here in Michigan. Around my house, I am happy to get a wood duck shot within 30 feet - and that took some work. Most likely you would have to be in a blind spending many hours on an approach. They are incredibly skittish around here. Usually you can’t even get within 100 feet without spooking them. So it was quite strange to have them practically under foot or too close to focus on.
$1,375 per gallon
What is it? Liquid nitrogen? Molten gold? Gas prices in 2425? Special medicine? How about liquid uranium? What could be so expensive? And worse yet, what company that sells you such a precious commodity would also make you dump a good portion of it right down the drain? This liquid is used by a special machine - and you would think it would conserve it as much as possible. This stuff is a hot commodity.
I am referring to the actual cost of Epson K3 inks that I use in my 4800 printer. And since these are larger bulk cartridges, they are actually some of the lower cost/gallon inks out there. And if you haven’t guessed already, I am growing increasingly frustrated with clogging that causes this expensive commodity to be flushed right down the drain. Year to date, since I track just how much this beast is wasting - has cost me nearly $270 in wasted ink. I can only imagine what some of the larger format printers go through.