Speaking of Photos

Soon I will have no excuse for not taking more photos, for our weekly competition. I have inside knowledge of one of my Yule time presents that is only a few short hours from being opened... a new Canon Lens!!! 70-300mm F4-5.6 IS Lens!!

So did I peek in my packages, did I sneak through the boxes before they were wrapped? No of course not, what fun would that be?!?!


No, my wonderful wife wanted to get me something great for my birthday, and started looking into a lens for me. Realizing how expensive they are, she decided to consult with me about what to get. Typically when spending this kind of dough, I drug my feet. Even with her prodding me every week or 2, I just couldn't decide what lens to buy. Finally I decided the more expensive Canon with Image stabilization. I know we could have saved a couple of hundred bucks getting a Tamron with out IS, but then we would have been tied to ALWAYS using a tripod with the lens. The IS makes it so you can 'get away' with hand held in some conditions. Knowing myself (and my wife who is a very good photographer, too) that was a necessity (the IS).

So finally and just in time for Yule, I decided and we ordered the Lens, so I know what I am getting....what a wonderful and supporting wife I have!!!!


But back to the beginning, so with the new lens, I will be pushing myself to try to take at least 50 photos a week, and if I can't get 1 that is good enough for posting to our weekly contest, then I need to re-think my possible Retirement income plans......

Good night and Merry Yule to the world, Hopefully we are moving to a better year, and can put the many disasters of 2005 behind us!!

Long time coming

Well it has been nearly 2 months...since my last blog that is so sad.

I could say I have been busy and I have, but that isn't why

I could say I took lots of time taking photos but there are some people who could dispute that (right Phil and Chris?)

I could say that I was snowed in and could take time from shoveling to blog but we haven't had much snow....

I could say that not much has been happening, but look around, think about how things have been going around the world, and that isn't it either.


So the real reason is just plain lazy. Haven't taken the time to express anything here. That will be changing. I plan to start blogging at a more frequent rate, maybe I can try weekly..who knows.
Anyway we are coming up to the arbitrary start of a New Gregorian calendar Year, only a week away. Since my last post was nearly on the Natural calendar's New Year (yep 10/31.. Halloween) let's see if I can get my butt in gear and commit to blogging every week, if only to say hi to the world out there....

Hi World!!

Photo Essay : Incognito

Incognito -- Incog-NEAT-O? Had a ton of fun with my wife over this last 4 day weekend I took from work for our 23rd Wedding Anniversary!! Yep we got married on Halloween 1982!!

We took a bunch pictures around the house for the Season, and then we were talking about Incognito, and Cynthia came up with the idea about Raccoons being Incognito from birth, and we took it from there. Just about a dozen takes to get this one, and we were both happy!!
Cynthia painted this mask a number of years ago.

Here are the other entries this week:
Phil Mike Chris Don Cassie

p.s. please click on the picture and see the whole version, the small picture here doesn't do it justice

Photo Essay : Gravity

OK, I didn't do this weeks essay correctly, and am so humbled by my lack of inspiration, that I won't even post the picture here, I am going to make you go to Flickr if you want to see it.....


while you wait for Flickr to load, think about Poetry.... ;)

My entry


Others this week: Phil Mike Alvin Dave Chris Chad Jessie

Photo Essay : Black and White

This week the subject is Black and White, saw this the other evening and thought the time of day would lend it self favorably for conversion to Black and White. Hope you like it.

Others this week:
Phil Mike Other Dave Alvin Chris ?

and somehow Phil was not the first post this week....how did that happen?

Photo Essay : Fall Colors

Here is one of the pictures I took this week, for Fall Colors. Working on getting a Flickr account up and running, and will post some other pictures there.

Other enty's this week are :
Phil Mike Alvin



Let's try this to get to Flickr Fall Pictures

Photo Essay : Entrance

This week is Entrance, and though the obvious might have been to go for a doorway, or entrance to a public place, I took a little different view. You could say a ground level view. We are inundated with Gophers, so this is a very common site on our property.

Others this week: Phil Mike Other Dave Alvin Chad
(when they post, I will make these links)

Take a Test?

You are a Social Liberal (68% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (15% permissive) You are best described as a: Socialist Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

Some friends at work took this, and it looked like fun, you can take it too, click the link above.

Cynthia my wife took it and here are her results!

You are a Social Liberal (71% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (23% permissive) You are best described as a: Strong Democrat Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

Photo Essay : BLUE

We went out to the Draft Horse show this weekend and saw this brilliant blue Cart. Couldn't believe how bright it was. I had in the back of my head a different thing to do, but saw this and it just popped!

Other entries this week: Phil Mike Other Dave Alvin Chad and Paul

Photo Essay : Symmetry

Well this week was a little easier for me (camera issues aside) Happened to be having a drink before dinner and this presented itself to me.

Other posts this week: Phil Mike Chad

Photo Essay : Steel?

OK, ok, VERY very late, and pretty lame too. I just never got a hold of a good idea for Steel! Those in the Sandpoint area can try to guess where I found this!! Others this week Chad Phil Mike Alvin

Hopefully I can do better this week with Symmetry

Assignment: Weird

Well this week the Photographic Assignment was Weird! No really it was!
So I had a few ideas over the last week, some along a political bent, but decided to forego that for now.
As time goes by, I will add more personal reflections on my blog.

For now, I will just go with my first instinct for Weird!

Since we have another entry with a question about the subject, I will ask who knows what this is too?



Others in the group of Assigned Photographers : Phil Mike Alvin OtherDave Chad more to come?

New Assignmentfrom Alvin = Steel

Day off with the Family

Have a ton of Vacation time to burn through, due to a change in Company Vacation policy. Used to be able to carry a fair amount, now you have to use it during the year you 'earn' it, or lose it. Still have an abundance from the old policy that I have to use up, and come into compliance with the new policy.

Anyway, will probably start using up as much as I can work in (only have until next June to be complete), and spend extra time with my wife and daughter. Weekends always go too fast, and there are the inevitable chores to catch up on. We really just hung out today, but it was great.

My wife and I sat outside with our morning coffee, and just chatted. Talked about nothing and every thing, just 'connecting'. We did a few light chores, and she worked on some of her cards.

She paints very nice pictures and then gets them printed in town. Then she manually applies them to a real nice card stock. She selects either poetry that she likes, or that fits with the picture, or has her own poetry (excellent) available and prints that out. Again she applies that to the card, and then it is just about ready. She has a few leads on where she might be able to make them available for Sale. She will find out more in the next couple of weeks.

Later in the day, we sat outside again, and kicked back with a couple of Corona's and limes. Had some more alone time, to relax and enjoy each other. My daughter was busy in the house, just doing 13 year old stuff (that's right a TEENAGER in our midst).

We went in and started dinner, we had a great dinner that we love every Late Summer/Early Fall, Green Tomato Taco's!!! Of course this is the only time of year that you can have/get green tomatoes. No one sells them, and it is the only time of year to have any fresh in the garden. Maybe I will need to follow a friend’s lead from his blog and start posting recipes that we like.

All in all a great day at home. Relaxing, connecting with family and getting away from work for a little bit. Can't wait to take some more time!!

Fantasy Football

Well spent a couple of hours last night hanging with some guys at work, and we drafted our Fantasy Football teams for this year. Had a lot of fun last year in this same league, made some trades, and played with the Free Agents through the season. Did ok for the regular season, squeaked in for the playoffs and did ok, fourth I think.
This year I started at the 4th pick and missed out for who I would have taken first if I could have: Peyton Manning, LaDainian Tomlinson or Shaun Alexander. Settled for Edgerrin James. Our league will be giving points for Receptions this year, so Backs who get yards, TDs and can catch the ball were premium. I also grabbed Brian Westbrook my next pick (25th overall). Concentrated on RB and WR, and got left in the dust for QB's, hope it doesn't come back to haunt me. Picked a decent TE in Dallas Clark, and got last year's best Kicker in Vinatieri. Defense is Indianapolis (!), which I hope will surprise me. They were in the top 5 on nearly every list I saw on the Net for FF, I suppose because once Manning gets up 3 TD's, the opposing Offense starts making mistakes trying to catch up...hope they are all correct.
Hoping on a good season, with the team, but will no doubt have lots of fun giving and getting crap about wins and losses with everyone in the league!!!

Unusual !

A buddy of mine Phil told me about a competition he and a few friends were having with Digital Photos. The topic this week is Unusual, so here is something I took.

First Post to Blog!!!

Joining the Blog-o-sphere!
Dave