Mulewings

Bryce 7 & Daz 3D Studio 4 Part 1

2012-02-18T14:21:00.000-06:00

I've tried Bryce once before, as well as Daz 3D Studio.

I gave up on it rather quickly. The renders were slow, the images hard to deal with. I couldn't figure out how to make things 'work'.

Some areas were too dark, some too bright.

I first tried Bryce in 2008. I made 2 scenes and couldn't get the landscape or the sky to my satisfaction. This was with the free Bryce version of 5.5.

Not spectacular, in fact not much to even 'write' home about it.

In the meantime, I did discover the world of fractals and after creating this...I put Bryce and Daz to the side and never looked at it again.

In 2010 Bryce came out with another free version Bryce PLE [Personal Learning Edition]. I took another bite.

I came up with two more Bryce efforts and one Daz animation and quit.

Bryce certainly was way beyond my creative endeavors. Daz was fun but I couldn't get organized or make sense of the way it was laid out.

Then I met someone on Flickr who used Bryce in much of her artwork. She also introduced me to Mandelbulber3D.

After tackling Mandelbulber3D, she convinced me to give another go at Bryce and Daz. After all they were giving away Bryce 7, Daz 3D Studio 4, and Hexagon. All I had to do was go and download it.

This time I sat down and went through tutorials on how to use Daz. Yeah...yeah. If you can't figure it out, read the directions???

I successfully created an animation and an 'alien' character that I liked in Daz. I was able to save 'her' as a .png file and use 'her' in Elements.

So I decided to see what I could do in Bryce.

I dropped the 'green' girl into Bryce from Daz.

Well that certainly does not look like anything at all! Now does it?

This was done with the 'textures' turned off and so you just see the basic figure in a quick render.

Well I wanted her turned, so I used the controls to bring her around.

A bit better, I added a mountain behind her but decided to give it a metallic cage look.

I mean what the heck, it is an alien world, right? I didn't want just a blue sky...and my 'green' gal looked like she was sitting in water.

So I worked at different sky images and tried different renders.

Finally I got what I wanted.

Dead trees of metal, a strange metallic swirling shape behind my 'green' gal...and a really bizarre sky.

Directly behind her I managed to put a rock that reflected her backside.

However.

She was still sitting in water...or perhaps it is alien goo?

When I rendered this, it took over 6 hrs.

But that is when I discovered that I needed to pay attention to Rendering Options!

I'd just used the document set up as follows:

Again my friend came to the rescue. I emailed her across the world and asked what was I doing wrong! ???

Certainly Bryce didn't take 6-7 hours for a simple picture, right?

Well yes and no.

There are certain things you can do to make your renders a touch faster.

So I set right down and began to work on another scene, ... just because I wanted to prove to myself and ... my friend from across the globe... that I could indeed make something in Bryce!

But...I'll cover that in my next blog.

Something Special

2012-02-18T09:32:00.001-06:00

I've been pretty lucky in all my life to have animals that seem to bond quickly to me. The bonds we share last a lifetime.

The farrier stopped yesterday and did some trimming.

I brought Badger out and he asked how the ol' fella was doing.

Actually, Badger was doing very well. His respiration rate was down and he seemed completely comfortable.

Of course the temps were in the 40's and there was a cooling breeze. Unusual weather for the middle of February indeed.

After the farrier left, I walked outside to feed the puppies, Thelma and Louise.

Badger stood at the electric gate and gave a small whinny.

It seemed.

Well.

He was asking for attention.

I grabbed his halter and lead rope.

He pushed Opal out of the way.

Badger and I were going on a ride.

There is something very comforting in having an equine buddy who knows what you want to do before you even do it.

A mule who anticipates your direction in the forest and who can find a trail that you cannot see.

Badger is such an animal. He will even pause when he knows I want to take a photo.

We rode the ridge road and visited the neighbors.

The wind was harsh on the ridge so we returned and 'dove' into the forest and followed a slippery deer trail down the north side of a hill.

Badger picked his way carefully.

Our ride was slow. [Badger never really is in a hurry.]

And he did well.

Blessed are the mules who take our hearts and hold them dear.

Catchin' Up

2012-02-14T11:10:00.000-06:00

It has been a over a week since I wrote a darned thing.

Should I say I've been busy?

Yes, sort of.

~~~

First let's celebrate Valentine's Day! What did I receive? Nothing, but that matters not. I consider Valentine's Day pretty over-rated as far as things go.

Love should be shown every day between people, not just on a 'Hallmark Card' Day.

I once sent flowers to myself when I worked at a large office.

Two separate bunches of a dozen Roses!

My co-workers were impressed to no end.

I loved the private [yet expensive joke].

~~~

Last Thursday, I noticed that Morris was not feeling well. He was [well ick...], urinating blood.

After a big rush to the Vet's office and an attempted exam~~ of which Mr. Morris was NOT co-operative at all we came home with meds.

The DX was a possible bladder infection, possible kidney stones, or prostrate issues. Hmmm, dang...male dogs do get prostrate issues!

The weather got bitterly cold and windy. So I was 'housebound' with a dog that didn't feel himself.

So I got into a program called Daz 3D Studio 4 [free download right now with Bryce Pro 7!] and messed around.

I came up with a few things.

Okay bizarre, but it was fun.

By Sunday Morris was feeling tops and we took advantage of the good weather to go out and play with Thelma and Louise.

Last night I did the chores in the dark while it was snowing.

It was so beautiful. The hoot owls were busy calling in the woods.

There was no wind and the snow drifted down sparkling like diamonds in my headlamp.

The Dexter cattle's eyes glowed in the light - a bit eerie, but sort of cool too.

Before going inside for the night, I went into Thelma and Louise's kennel and sat in the snow.

I had puppy breath and puppy kisses galore. They are too big now to fit in my lap, but that doesn't mean they didn't try.

I should remember that I wear glasses and that unfailingly puppies will nearly knock them right off my face ... or perhaps I shouldn't put my head down into theirs and hug them like I do.

I'll probably never learn.

If you like Valentine's Day, I hope you have an excellent one.

I got a hug and a kiss from my favorite guy.

That and an 'I love you' was all I needed.

Something's watching ~ by Morris

2012-02-07T21:31:00.000-06:00

SHE told me that it wasn't dangerous. She said she'd bring the leash to keep me close, and her pistol of course in case the coyotes started coming for me.

Hah.

When she got into the creek with her tripod-y thingy and the camera, SHE

did

not

pay any

attention to me at all!

I could have been whisked away by an angry coyote [they are territorial in February and March sometimes]...

or even worse

bear

or something!

Nope, she just walked along looking at the little trout in the stream and taking all sorts of pretty pictures.

On the way home I felt something was watching us. I don't know.

Have you ever got that really creepy feeling that something is....

Watching????

I did.

SHE didn't!

It was a good thing SHE had me along. You know I can detect things with my nose and ears that SHE'd never see or hear.

Get moving!

2012-02-06T10:00:00.000-06:00

Get Moving! You hear that in advertisments all the time. Sitting around doesn't do a body good.

Of course I am one of those who hate sitting around anyway.

Imagine my surprise when my husband decided to come along with me for a morning 'mini' hike.

I was really quite pleased.

We walked down our ridge road and he looked at what he and his handy-dandy chain saw had to 'clean up' while I walked with my camera looking at animal tracks and things to shoot.

I got a few shots of him which were quite enjoyable.

He even helped me play in the creek. We built a little rock 'dam'. Which really won't do anything, but we were doing it together ... which is was counted.

Further down the creek he spotted some trout.

Now this was fantastic.

Last year I'd spotted trout further down the creek, but never ever in 16 years could I recall finding them this close to the original spring.

We also hunted around for cool looking rocks and generally spent some time meandering around together, poking and prodding at things.

We split up at one point. I wanted to go to the 'crossing' and get a few shots of the water falls there. The water 'falls' are only about 18", but they do make noise and it is a great opportunity to try and get a nice 'water shot'.

The day was nearly perfectly overcast for it.

Getting out and getting moving...I think I enjoyed it more with my best friend along. That time 'playing' in the creek will always bring a smile of joy to my face.

Showing Puppies the Ropes ~ by Morris

2012-02-01T16:00:00.000-06:00

Why am I subjected to such indignities?

I am a Jack Russell Terrier.

King of MY [errrr, HER house]. King of the Couch.

Yet I am expected to show these young pups the ropes around the farm.

This entails taking them on hikes through the woods with HER...which is fine.

But the pups get sooooo close before I bolt!

They weigh more than me now and are getting huge-er-er each day!

This is the 2nd time I've had to teach pups the ropes.

Below is me with Dottie...um I think SHE has a funky way of taking photos of us dogs running together!

...and the time I played chase in the yard with Dottie. She grew so fast! She was bigger than me in no time flat!

Maybe, I'm getting too old for this?

Here is me with the pups the other day in the woods...

See a theme here?

I run, I play I chase with these black and tan hound pups ... and I never lose my patience...

Um, okay I did the other day, I growled when Thelma and Louise ambushed me.

But back in the day when I first came to the farm, there was a hound named Queen that showed ME the ropes.

I see it fitting that I do my part as she did for me.

But gosh.

I'm sort growing old for this don't you think?

But alas, I do my sworn duty as the elder and the wise one.

I show the puppies how to get home out of the woods after a long hike.

I am a good dog aren't I?

Sudden heat and Equine COPD

2012-01-31T18:04:00.000-06:00

After a 6 months of winter then one of the coldest Aprils on record...

BAAAMMM

Suddenly we have three days of 80+ degree days with high dew points [translates into uncomfortable].

How does that affect the COPD/ROA Equine?

First off, high temps and high humidity affect all farm animals, especially if they are not acclimated yet.
The Dexter cattle were slightly stressed with elevated breathing and so were the healthy equine.
Plenty of cool water seems to help. Plus shade if the sun is beating down on them.

How about Badger?
His respirations are up but not too alarming. He seems to be eating quite normal and eating with vigor.
For this I breath a sigh of relief.
Of course, we've had plenty of rain so I believe this has been a huge factor in his breathing ease. The dust and perhaps some of the harmful pollens have been 'dampened'.

Badger doesn't have any idea that he has a 'condition'. He played with the younger two animals in his paddock last night. He shook his head, bucked and loped a circle, then tossed his head as the little ones chased each other around.

We are supposed to get back into more seasonal temperatures by this weekend. So perhaps Badger, Morris, and I can go hunting for morel mushrooms and wildflower photo ops.

NOTE: This was supposed to have been published on 5-13-2011

Topaz Star Effects ~ Review and Samples

2012-01-31T11:23:00.000-06:00

So I've had Topaz Star Effects for a few days now. I have some issues with it but I believe Topaz Labs will be improving on this plug in as the days go by. You can see what others have to say about all the Topaz products and questions about the plug-ins at The Topaz Forum.

Compared to some of their other plug ins, this one runs a bit slower. But I am a patient person as I am used to rendering fractals which can sometimes take over 2 hours.

Sometimes what I see in the panel isn't what I end up with on the photo.

I try adding stars but the stars follow the highlights in the photo and you can't just randomly place the stars.

There is a work around that Topaz and others came up with.

You can force new stars to appear by painting in 1-pixel dots of a light color in Elements or Photoshop -- or whatever your editing program is... and then going into Star Effects.

Others have had better success than I have at this.

Here are some Before and After shots:

Before [Fractal]:

After:

Very subtle isn't it? Except for the flare. This was done in two steps. First I selected the preset 'Water Highlights I' and then applied it. Second I selected the preset Sunflare I. I used the erase tool to get rid of stars I did not want. This is the result.

I wanted to try another one with a second fractal creation. This one I used 'Water Highlights II' and then toned it down, just enough to give me a slight highlight of the light parts of the fractal.

Before:

After:

Last I used a photograph of water and ice. I wanted just subtle highlight and nothing too garish.

Before:

After:

I suppose I could have found a similar way to do this in Elements, but to tell you the truth, I'm not sure I would have thought about it before this plug in came around.

Is it worth it? Well it depends on how creative you want to be, so far I am enjoying it and I've seen some wonderful images created with it.

Watching Mules and Mares

2012-01-29T12:56:00.000-06:00

Herd Mentality.

I've written about it before.

This morning revealed that a light snow had fallen overnight. The 'girls' in the 'mare' pasture [which consists of 3 mares and 4 molly mules] began to line up for the morning sunlight that was peeking over the tree tops and dipping into the valley.

The girls kept jockeying for the 'best' position to get full sunlight.

A mare would move and push a mule. The mule would comply and then try to push another mule.

Eventually they were all lined up along side the electric fence, dozing quietly until the Boss Mare came along and re-ordered the herd. It was rather fun to watch this ordering around with a flick of a tail or a nod of the head. Horses and mules do not need to speak. The tell all with their body language.

Perhaps the most entertainment of the morning was what occurred in Badger's pen. I had moved Opal in with Badger at the beginning of winter so that Badger would have company and I could continue working with Opal.

A few days ago, we put Fred, my husband's pony mule in with them. Fred is an older mule who is 'catching impaired'.

Badger seemed to develop a certain interest in Opal that he didn't have before. He spent most of the first day trying to keep Fred from getting near Opal.

This morning Opal was using Badger to stay away from Fred.

These two, Fred and Opal have a love hate relationship. When we've put them together before they always seem to fight.

Take one of them out of the paddock and the one left screams and cries.

This morning Badger was in the middle. Fred would shake his head and try and nibble at Opal. Opal would spin, buck, and turn and run behind Badger...who in turn would lay his ears back and look ugly at both Opal and Fred...not sure who to blame for the interruption to his sunning.

One thing for sure, the two elderly mules are keeping Badger in condition. Lots of movement during certain parts of the day.

Although right now it seems as if all the equine are enjoying the bright sunshine.

Fred is napping, his nose stuck into the snow. Badger is off sleeping by the water tank. Opal is sunning herself by the gate.

In the 'girl' pasture everyone else is doing the same. Each mare has a one or two mules standing with them.

All is peaceful.

My Little Angel

2012-01-28T17:07:00.003-06:00

Morris points out the way home

Morris has been around as my little buddy now for nearly 8 years.

He is a pleasant little fella who never lets me forget the time of day.

Breakfast feeding time.

Supper feeding time!

He constantly watches over me. If I get up at night, he is there curious and wondering why I am up.

When I put on my gunbelt and grab a camera.

He is there.

Eager, bouncing, panting, jumping, and sometimes even yes...whining.

We have hiked together almost every day of his life. In all kinds of weather.

At night if I sit on the couch and read, he snuggles up against my leg...one paw rests on my thigh along with his head.

He watches.

All the time.

I see that my little angel is getting grey faced. The hikes are starting to take their toll on him just a wee bit more than they did years ago.

I need only to look around at my collection of photos of past 'best' friends' to remind myself to cherish each day with him.

He just came up and nudged my leg, letting me know that it is time for his supper.

I think I'll oblige.

Review of Star Effects Plug In by Topaz!!!

2012-01-27T08:55:00.015-06:00

Topaz Star Effects was launched January 26th. I received an email and immediately downloaded the free 30 day trail.

I thought I'd give it a spin.
I'm not a professional photographer, but I do enjoy playing around with photos I've taken.

First lets look at a photo pre-Star Effect.
[ I took this the day before Topaz came out with the plug in...I actually was trying to get a 'starred' effect and lens flare when I originally took this.]
I dropped into Topaz's new plug in and this is what I got.
Well that was pretty fun! But seriously, it was nothing I was going to write home about. The photo wasn't that great to begin with.

So I searched around and found a sunset that could use some extra help.
First I used Topaz Adjust 5 to give the photo a bit of pizazz.
Then I dropped it into Star Effects...
Here is a 'screenshot' of how it looks.

Now for a bit of fantasy fun.

I edited this photo in Topaz 5 to get an HDR look, I wanted to get this to look as though it would be a place that you could find Forest Faeries ...so this would be my base image.
...okay well just a bit more fun...
Pre - Topaz Star Effects:
After Star Effects:
You should realize that I am playing around and having fun.

If I wanted to add a Wood Faerie to the scene, it would fit nicely.

I could do this in Photoshop or in Elements with brushes, but the time would take me much longer than this did.

For the creative person, this powerful little plug in could be a great time saver.
For the serious photographer who 'never' edits his or her photos...well then, this wouldn't necessarily be for them.

But creativity abounds.

How about a Mandelbulb3D Fractal?
Pre-Starred Effects:

Afterwards...
Who says that Topaz plugins can only be used on photos?

Get creative.
Check it out.

I think I may add this to my collection of Topaz Plug ins.

Walkin' the Dawg

2012-01-24T19:25:00.005-06:00

This is mostly for my Grandkids.
This is to let them know that yes, they do NOT have an average cookie baking, sewing, ladylike, Grandma.

They have one who still likes to play in the woods.
Who thinks that walking the dog should include a slide down a steep creek bank in the snow on a deer trail.

Walking includes walking in the creek because she can and no adult is going to tell her that she might get wet.
[Waterproof Bogs really help!]
She can toss rocks and draw in the snow with her fingers.

She can look for cool rocks in the flowing water and call to her dog who goes everywhere with her...

She can...
feel like a kid.

Chores in the Bitter Cold

2012-01-20T21:37:00.009-06:00

First, dress warmly.
Yes my son will laugh. I wear the ugly hated green coveralls with rips in them...over that a ripped flannel insulated shirt.
The Elmer Fudd Hat.
Scarf.
Leather 'lined' gloves.
Bog Boots.

Most of the choring goes well.

For those who don't have heated tanks, I break out the ice and fill their buckets with water. I watch them drink and add some more.
This takes several trips slogging through the hard falling snow.

Lil' Richard takes a drink then pauses for me to take his photo.
The amount of snow on his back is a good indicator of how warm his coat is and how well it insulates him.
I check him over. He is not shivering, but is nodding off to sleep.

The snow literally 'pours' down on me while I water the donkeys' heated stock tank. The view to the meadow though is certainly worth ducking under the hotwire and taking a shot with my pocket camera.

It really is quite a beautiful snow fall...if you like snow!

I water the donkey stock tank, the 'Fred & Gang' stock tank, then drain the hoses after making sure that Thor, Bob, T-Bone, Chuck-Steak, and the Dexter girls are taken care of.
All take nice healthy drinks.

I'll be out before dark to water those who don't have heated tubs again. It is hard work, but the animals need water, even in -5 temps.

I pass the heifer named Valerie, she is dozing near a log. She reclines after I take her picture and begins to happily chew her cud.
Some might argue that they'd be happier in a barn. Outside is natural for them.
Oh Oh...Oh the horrible feeling it is to find that about 100 ft of the hoses that go to the large stock tank have frozen!

I say some explicit curse words and begin to work on getting water to the heated tank that waters 12 animals.

I spend the next hour swapping the donkey hoses and rolling up the frozen ones. I carefully drain the hoses I'd swiped from up the hill and replace them...draining them carefully ... twice for good measure.

The frozen hoses get taken apart and rolled up.
The are thawing in my tub.

Ever take a shower with 2 50 ft hoses in your tub?
It can be done.

Isn't winter grand?

Puttin' up with no account Puppies~ by Morris

2012-01-19T11:35:00.006-06:00

SHE thinks they are cute.
Sure, they look so pretty, cute, and harmless.

They are annoying.
They eat all the time and have to go out ALL the time.
Then SHE thinks it is my job to take them and entertain them outside in the snow.

SO.
I obliged.
And tried to get 'em lost in the stickery ickery berry briers and thorny bushes.

I was doing a pretty good job at it too, until...
SHE hollered at me to come back.

The little stinkers followed.
The one named Thelma went and stuck her nose up a tree where a squirrel had gone.

Oh. Well you might have thought she was Einstein or something the way SHE acted when SHE told HIM!

So after we came in the house to warm up, I snuck over to their big sleeping crate and lifted my leg on it.
Yeah, I was pretty sneaky.
I left some Morris 'stink' right on it.

I'm sorta ashamed as it backfired.
SHE knows that the pups didn't do it.
And I got
....
scolded.

My Life has gone to the Dogs

2012-01-16T16:23:00.010-06:00

...and you know, I like it!

So my husband says to me that he is going to go 'look' at a puppy. A black and tan hound puppy.

So I volunteer to go along, after all what harm could I do?

Yeah.
Fall in love with those puppy faces and those puppy smells.
In particular just the whole being of puppy.

So as the sun is setting and we are getting to go, hubby holds the one he has picked out and has me holding another.
I admit, I do not want to put this puppy back in the kennel.

I sigh.

Then the gent says...*Hey, I can make a heck-ofa deal on two!*

Short story.
Two came home.

Meet Thelma and Louise.

How does Morris feel about this infringement upon his household?

Well he likes the baby gate that keeps them in the kitchen.
He is a bit put off, but did take them for a gallop up and down the driveway today.
He is handling as only a dignified as a Jack Russell could. He believes if he ignores them, they'll magically leave.

These two are a hoot.

Mandelbulb 3D Fun with Rendering

2012-01-12T12:55:00.014-06:00

Rendering your Mandebulb creation can be the hardest part of the whole process of creation.
Why?
You have to twiddle your thumbs and wait.
And be patient.

This is not one of my better qualities, so I will go fix a sandwich or eat supper if it is that time of day.
I drive my husband crazy by jumping up from the table and running to look at how my 'fractal' is coming out.
Like I said. Impatient.

This is the first thing you'll see when you hit the Render button. Don't let it scare you. The first time I saw it, I freaked.
What?
I lost my picture?
No, as it renders the black disappears.
If you don't like what you see you can always hit the Stop button.
Which is located in the middle of the control panel in the main screen:

I'm not going to go over each of the buttons as there are some great tutorials on this already created by other real Mandelbulb 3D Artists!
Check out this Blog: Mandelbulb-Mandelbrot-fractals for beginners. The site has Tutorials on everything you need to start with. Check it out.

Here is a closer look at the parts of the 'rendering screen':
...and a part I love of this program...
a 'clock' if you will that tells you how long this rendering will take. However, it does not take into account for ambient shadows which may add a few more minutes to the render.
At this point I go back and check on my Mandelbulb creation:
It is looking good!
Here are what helps control the coloring and the shape of the Mandelbulb. Lighting is covered very nicely in several YouTube tutorials.
You should watch all of this fellows Tutorials, they are very helpful! Tutorial Part 1 - overview.

For more reading on lighting and different lights that are free to use, visit The Design Space Blog. She has great tutorials and some fantastic parameters to check out also.

Well let's go back and see what my Mandelbulb came out like!

This was based on the parameters by one of the Mandelbulb 3D wonderful artists named Hal Tenny. He also has Tutorials at devianArt for those interested in working with this program.

So what are you waiting for? Go to fractalforums.com and get your own Mandelbulb 3D program.
Have fun.
Take care of those winter blues!

Happy Rendering!

To Edit or not to Edit a Photo?

2012-01-10T16:59:00.005-06:00

[or should you sometimes go ahead and listen to other photographers advice?]

Say you took a really cool photo that you really like A LOT!

I decided not to edit this and post it in Press The Shutter A Digital Photography Forum [that I am a Moderator at].
I enjoy the forum quite a bit. I get helpful hints and constructive assistance and opinions on my photography.

So I posted the above photo. I was quite excited about it.
EXIF Data: Camera Olyumpus E-420
Exposure 1/30
Aperature f/7.1
Focal Length 15mm
ISO 200
NDX4 Filter
Tripod in the creek. Crouched in the the creek...you know the drill. I was trying for better, trying to improve.

It was the sort of shot I hadn't taken before. A clump of leaves was stuck on a rock in water, with the water flowing by.
Decisions to be made. Keep the rock in the backround or not?
I kept it.
I shot it several times from more than one angle and more than one focal length.

I posted it for discussion ... and this is where I was very happy.
Some liked it. Some liked others I'd posted more.
One person suggested I 'clone' out the grass on the rock in the backround.

I normally don't try things like that. The grass was there, it should stay there, right?
Well.
I thought I'd give it a go.

Wow.
Much cleaner looking image!

But should I take it one step further and lessen the blue glare from the water?

Okay.
I warmed it up a bit by adding a warming filter from Elements 5.

Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
It pays to listen.

This last image is something I'd be proud of to exhibit or hang on my wall.

It is good to listen to other photographers and accept there input.
So much can be learned from others!

A couple of notes here. Yes, I plugged Press The Shutter, it is a great group.
Plus I want to point out the fact that you don't need million dollar equipment to take a great shot, just a lot of thought and planning.
Sometimes just plain dumb luck.

And the last point.
You don't need a fancy Editing program to enhance your photos. Elements 5 cost me $99 brand new in 2008. I'm comfortable with it and seem to get along with it just fine.

Perfect Day

2012-01-07T20:53:00.005-06:00

Today I took the long hike. I didn't take Morris because I wanted to move fast with the daylight hours so short.
[He tends to sometimes dawdle and not keep up, or get sidetracked.]

I also hiked hard. 2.7 miles in steep terrain, according to the GPS, I had an elevation change of 1,600 feet from start to finish on this hike. I've done it many times, but never thought much of it. Maybe I should leave the GPS at home?

I also wanted to take advantage of where the sun was in the sky, allowing for a timed exposure of some water and rocks.

I ended up with one shot I really loved of the water and the rocks.
I enjoyed seeing the ice cave. In fact I climbed down on top of it and had a snack.

But after looking at what I shot today, I was surprised as my favorite was the simplest shot.
A milkweed pod with seeds blowing...
Sometimes it is just the simple things, like being able to have a snack while sitting on top of an ice cave in January.

Or watching the wisps of seeds flutter in a light breeze on the ridge.

Death Defying Trail Ride

2012-01-06T16:42:00.012-06:00

I saddled up Opal...the sun was shining. The driveway had turned into a muddy quagmire as it does with each thaw in the spring...
wait...
this was January 6th!
It was nearly 45 degrees!

I adjusted her crupper, checked the cinch, and the breastcollar. We were ready to go. We walked out of the sloppy driveway and headed towards a narrow path that twisted through the trees in the woods.

ICE.
The trail was icy. Slippery.
For a moment I hesitated thinking that this could be really really stupid.
Opal found footing. She plugged along as if this was just another day on the trail. She walked a bit more carefully making sure she had her footing while stepping over large logs...

Coming along the side of the hill was quite tricky.
A few times I felt her front feet slip as one would cross in front of the other.

I can tell you ... my butt puckered a few times.
Not Opal she shifted her weight and did some quick shuffling.
We remained upright and going forward.

I was happy when we got to the valley floor and were able to walk the meadow along the creek.
Yes there was still ice, but it was flat and not treacherous.

I considered going up the old logging trail road, perhaps the warm weather had melted the ice off from it.

The old crossing was absolutely not a choice.
And the hill road was iced over as well. The warm weather had melted the south facing hillsides but only glazed and refroze on the north hillsides.
I dismounted from Opal and let her graze a bit while I looked around and enjoyed the 'talking' of the creek.
For us, it was a short trip. Normally Opal and I would wander over to the other valley and see if we could find the ice cave. I thought it prudent not to. Bad enough we had to return over the icy trails to get to home anyway.

The sky had filled with clouds and it looked like it could rain or snow.

I decided to head back home.
A short video of what some of that ride was like...until the batteries died!

All in all we had a ride that was just over a mile long with elevation changes of almost 500 feet.
Some of the slopes we contended were 35% to 29%, averaging out to about 6 to 7% over the whole ride.
Yeah..I brought my GPS and thought for kicks I'd measure one of our 'easy' rides.

All in all, it was an amazing ride.
I felt like a million bucks when I got home.

I let Opal graze in the yard for a bit before I put her back in with Badger. She seemed totally un-rattled by the whole ride.
After all she'd been there...done that...as they say.

How I Tried to Kill the Fugly Pink Camera...and Failed

2012-01-05T21:16:00.008-06:00

I bought this Fugly Pink Cheap Camera almost 2 years now. I bought bright pink so I wouldn't lose it in the grass.
I bought this ugly little camera because pocket cameras lead a harsh life with me.
They fall from mules at a gallop, get stepped on, dropped, left behind in the woods [to be found later], and handled so much they literally fall apart.

Not this camera.
I thought for sure I'd killed it yesterday. I'd done it in. In fact very near to this very same spot in the above photo.

On January 5th, 2010, I took the following photo with this Fugly Camera.
Suddenly I had a love-hate relationship with this pink pocket camera.
Damn! It could take some absolutely stunning photos!

So now the Fugly Pink Camera nearly goes with me everywhere. [Except when I lend it to my granddaughter when she visits...it can even withstand children!]

So I go to a new place along the creek which is a bit off my usual track.

An oak leave clump that hangs onto a rock for some darned reason...captures my eye.
I'm stunned by the beauty of this place.

I've never climbed down into this small section of the creek before. It is hidden by a downed tree and some tin wrapped around a tree from a flash flood in 2007.
As I walk back towards home, I take one last shot of the first set of mini falls.
So here I am, crouching in the water with my coveralls rolled up...screwing my head sideways and in ways it is not meant to be stretched to see through my Nikon's eyepiece.

I then lean over and jump up out of the creek. I stop to take another shot or two of the light reflected on the stream.

I stand up and reach for the Fugly Pink Camera in my left breast pocket.
Gone.
I turn around and cuss as I see it in the bottom of the creek.
I grab it out of the water.
I'm sure it is ruined.
After all it is not waterproof.
I wipe it off and stick it back in my pocket ...

As I climb the steep hill to the meadow I begin thinking that now I have an excuse to get a NEW pocket camera!

I see the scenario.
I show the poor damp pink thing to my husband with a look of sorrow on my face.
I sigh and explain that somehow it fell in the water and was ruined.

In fact I'm smiling at the fact that I'll finally get to replace that horrid pink thing.

I explain to hubby what happens and go through the motions of drying it out. I set the batteries aside. Pull out the memory card and set it to the side.

The next morning, I am able to pull shots off the memory card. Well that is nice. I'll buy something that uses that sort of card!

I pop the batteries in along with the card.

To my amazement, it comes to life!
But the first photo is well....
Oh goodie!
I make a long face and sadly explain that the water must have done a lot of damage to the delicate internal electronics workings of this poor little digital pocket camera.
BUT...
the next time I turn it on, it works perfectly.

Sigh.
The flash unit doesn't work, but I usually don't use that.
So back out into the woods I hike with the Fugly Camera.
I'm sort of impressed by its survival.

I take a photo of Morris and use the flash setting.
It works.
Well.
Hmmmm.

Back to the crime scene. I hold the camera next to the mini falls and set the shutter speed.
Well I'll be damned.
I didn't kill it.

It is proving to be quite a tough useful little camera.
Considering that I'd bought it thinking if it was ugly and bright pink, I wouldn't mind it when I did break it.

I'm sort of...
kind of...
growing fond of this Fugly Pink Cheap Camera.

The Night The Fractals Collided

2012-01-04T21:12:00.004-06:00

Call me crazy.
But I thought I'd try something a bit crazy.

I used Mandebulb 3D to create the object in the top left of the above photo.

I used Apophysis 7X to create a 3D 'flame' backround which I faded and blurred in Photoshop 7.0.

I used Incendia EX to make the swirl of stars as a backdrop of sorts.

I finally did it, combined three '3D' fractal generation programs to make one image.

I don't know if it has been done before like this.
But it sure was a rush putting it together.

I love the creek in the Winter!

2012-01-03T21:32:00.006-06:00

Cold.

Wind Chill -something.
Sunny. Icy.

Dang it must be a great day to hike down to the creek with Morris and explore!

Gun belt,
check
Scarf,
check
hat, hood, gloves, ammo, camera, coveralls, waterproof boots,
pocket camera,
tripod,
Olympus E-420 DSLR camera,
oreo cookies...[yes oreos! they taste great when you are hiking!]
water bottle...
Ugly insulated flannel, and a small rope...
Check!

Ready to go!

Any flat spot in the pasture or on the ridge road was glare ice. I walked along the edge of it while Morris flew up and down the hillside looking for what else...something disgusting to eat or roll in.
But he was happy.
I was happy.

This was the first time since the 12th of December that I have been able to walk without pain in my ribs! I was SO ready to get out of the house and hike.
Morris was too, he told me so with the look of pure joy on his face as he zoomed past.

Our December had been warm and a bit wet, so when this sudden ...

and I mean sudden ...

cold snap hit, I knew I'd better get down to the creek. Where I'd surely find some ice formations.

I was in seventh heaven.
There was even frost on the moss on the rocks in the creek.
Ice formations were beginning to form on the north facing hill above the creek. Creeping down the hillside like a slow moving glacier...
Morris found a spot where he was positive there were mice hiding.
A bit later when we got closer to the old coyote den [it is still sometimes used], Morris decided to 'glue' himself to me.

The coyotes would have walked the same trail we were on. That makes a 12 pound Jack Russell just a tad bit nervous.
He is not the brave one at all. Which is probably pretty good and helps to keep him out of trouble.

I found many ice formations that were created as the creek rushed past grass or weeds hanging over the creek.

Even to an adult like me, it brings a childish surprise to me when I find these formations.

I even exclaimed out loud: *Oh wow look! Is that ever cool!*
Then looked around.
No one was there, no one was listening.
Except, perhaps Morris.
My favorite place though was at a 2 foot drop in the creek. It created a small water fall.

I dropped all of my gear and rolled up my coverall pant legs. I placed the tripod in the creek and then squatted above the water to take some shots.

A small voice in the back of my head reminded me to be careful of my footing or I might end up sitting in the cold rushing water.
Even so, the shot would have been worth it.
The farrier is coming tomorrow.
After he is done...
Well, let's just say, I've gathered my gear together again.

I'm going to have to go to town soon for some more take along snacks!

Saving Annie

2012-01-02T06:23:00.006-06:00

New Year's morning brought horrendously wicked winds.
Overnight flurries and sprinkles had added a layer of treacherous ice to all 'flat spots' around our yard...especially the driveway.
We looked out the North window and saw Annie, one of our Dexter cows starting labor.

How could she have picked a worse time?
The winds were howling, the temps were cold [no, don't ask, I never had time to look at the outdoor thermometer].
Who knows what the wind chill was? Cold.

Damned Cold.

We never had time for anything but a quick cup of coffee.
We'd thought Anne was still a few days off for 'freshening' but Mother Nature works in very strange ways.
...and usually not to everyone else's advantage.

The Master Plan had been to move her before she calved...or began to calf.

Now here she was in bearing the brunt of the wind, shivering and to my eyes...she was weak.
How long had she been in labor?
I wanted to kick myself for not being out there checking when I came home from work.
If I'd been a 'good' cattle person, I would have.

Well no excuses.
We had to deal with what we had in the present and now.

Letting her birth naturally was what we wanted to do. Hubby pulled the skid steer up close to where she was laying to block as much of the wind as we could.
I grabbed an old 'emergency' blanket out of my car and we draped that over her to keep her warmer.

Still she was shaking.

We waited. She had weak contractions.
Try to move her now?
It didn't seem to be a good idea.
Let mother nature take its course?
The calf was in the proper position and it was alive.

However, her contractions would cease, she would shake and then have a weak one where nothing productive happened.

We decided that Annie was getting weaker, from the cold, from the stress...well we weren't exactly sure.
We decided to help her with deliver and it was a good thing too. The bull calf was huge and she probably would not have delivered in her weakened condition.

[She was bred before we got her. The seller had allowed the Bull to run with the older and the young stock...Annie should not have been breed until at least 'this' coming season. I do lay blame on the person who sold her to us for poor herd management.]

My husband pulled the calf and it took all of his might to do so. He lay on the cold ground and pulled with Annie's contractions which did get stronger as the calf's head appeared. Then she appeared to give up.
At this point we were hopeful that Annie would attempt to take care of her calf.
She made a weak attempt at licking him off, but then quit.
She was shaking violently.

We took the calf and put him under a heat lamp in a stall we'd prepared.
Then it was time to move Annie.
Except she couldn't or wouldn't get up.
We could leave her... but ... she needed to get warm and out of the cold. She needed her strength back.

With a bit of creative wrestling [Annie, at this point was not helping at all], we got Annie into the skid steer bucket and drove her to the shed.
With much tugging and pulling we finally got her in the stall with her calf.
We coaxed endlessly, but Annie did not get up.
Her calf cried weakly, she cooed, but still did not have the strength to get up.

Now for a new experience.
I pushed and prodded and gently rolled Annie to her side, I braced her hind leg against my knee [I was kneeling next to her]...and grasped her teats.
I milked her into a plastic 2 ounce container and then syringed that warm colostrum into the calf's mouth.

He was weak. I was determined.
Back and forth I went with Annie.
First rolling her on one side then the other.

I placed warm water in front of her and some fresh hay. She drank and began to eat.

After 3 hours I went in the house rather discouraged. The calf was not sucking, most of the milk leaked onto my hands.

But Annie had finished the water and the handful of hay I'd given her.
I went to get more warm water and a fork full of hay.

To my surprise, she stood up when I re-entered the shed, Annie was up.
However she was ignoring her calf.

I milked her again with only a slight protest...she raised one back leg then quickly put it down and simply turned her head to watch me.

I again attempted to feed the calf.
It had been hours now since his delivery and he was unable to stand and he was not drinking.

He would not make it.
Annie however was clear eyed albeit a bit wobbly.
Had we not helped her deliver, she would have certainly died.
Had we not moved her out of the weather, she would have certainly died also.

We were able to save Annie who was in reality to young to have been bred 9 months ago. But we lost the calf.

I've learned that farming and raising animals has a constant up and down. You feel euphoric when you have success. You feel miserable when there is a failure.
At least Annie will live and that is some small measure of success.

Out with 2011

2011-12-31T11:07:00.006-06:00

Today is it. New Years Eve Day, 2011.
Yesterday we had a 'wintery mix' of precipitation.
I think that is the weather-person's way of saying...*Hey, something is going to happen, we're just not sure if it will be ice, rain, or snow!*

We had ice and we had rain...and then we had snow.

Today the forecasters are ominous.
They predict snow and harsh winds for late tonight. I mean the kind of winds that will blow you off the road...that is, if you can see the road because the wind will be blowing snow. Wind gusts up to 55mph!
Whew!

Oh, let's not forget about the heavy fog this morning and glazing of ice on roads.

Although it did decorate plants with a beautiful 'hoar' frost.

But I must admit, this winter has been mild compared to last year. So I should be grateful.

Have I made any New Years Resolutions?
Nope.

My only wish on this New Years Eve is that the snow and the harsh winds hold off until I am safely home and tucked into bed.
Then let 'er blow!

So from our house to yours:
...and let's not forget Morris also!

Fractal Program Mandebulb 3D

2011-12-29T07:58:00.011-06:00

If you enjoy fractals you will definitely enjoy this program called Mandebulb 3D. It can be downloaded from fractalforums.com for free.

Warning...this program gets to be fun and addicting!
You'll want to explore the depths of fractals and the different formulas that go along with it.
I won't pretend to understand how this really works, but I have found video tutorials and blogs that would help anyone get started.
These are:
Mandebulb 3D Tutorial Part One a YouTube video by kitchedon.
Mandelbulb/Mandelbrot Tutorials a blog by Mandelwerk
&
Mandebulb 3D - Negative Tutorial by *Fiery Fire [at deviantArt]

Here is a screen shot of what the workspace looks like:

Looks intimidating and messy. But if you take time to look at the tutorials, it helps quite a bit.
You may spend quite a bit of time working on a fractal, only to decide it was nothing and not worth saving.

But. Then you get one fractal that simply slaps you up side the head and you know you've got a good one!

And don't be afraid to take it into a post processing program and add your own special touches.
For the fractal featured above I added 'mist'. I grabbed a photo that had clouds in it...
I selected it and dropped it on top of the fractal....
Then made the cloud photo black and white, changed the layer style to screen and decreased the opacity to about 33%. I used a rough brush to erase any place the 'mist' seemed to interfere with my fractal.

Here are a couple of other fractals I've stumbled through.
One of my first attempts:
Going wild with colors!
...and then experimenting with parameters:
The possibilities are endless.
And lastly, the program will also allow you to produce an animation. This is my first attempt which isn't very good I admit...

But there are some fantastic ones on YouTube:
They are simply amazing...

If you are creative, you'll enjoy this!

Thor, the Funny Donkey

2011-12-26T09:13:00.003-06:00

Meet Thor. Our funny, wise, silly, entertaining young Jack.

He is always ready to greet you.
The moment he hears the squeak of the back door [perhaps we should get it oiled?], he begins a long and continuous loud braying sound that would make anyone who has never been around donkeys cover their ears.

It could be a noise so awful as to make you think of fingernails screeching down the chalkboard.
But.

We love donkeys and their screeching...or braying is music to my ears.
In the middle of the night you will hear Thor or any one of the donkeys answer with a loud bray to the coyotes calling in the hills around us.

How unfortunate I am.
Unfortunate...because I didn't have my camera!

The other day I watched quite amused while Thor picked up a stick as large as a baseball bat...and began playing with it.
He tossed it.
Retrieved it.
Then came over to his partially frozen water tub and stuck the stick in it.
I swear he was stirring his water!

I ran to the house and got my camera, switched it to video, and came out prepared to 'catch' Thor in the act.
Instead, he dropped the stick and trotted over to me.

Did I mention that I think Thor knows exactly what a camera is for?
He stood and pointed his ears, as if to pose.

Later, I glanced out the kitchen window and watched as Thor returned to his game with the stick.
He definitely is quite the character!

Christmas Eve the Night Animals Talk

2011-12-24T20:17:00.004-06:00

When I was a child I heard a 'legend' that animals got the ability to talk at the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve.

My Grandmother was excellent at telling these sort of stories.
But as an animal lover I held on to this tight and believed her.

I believed that at the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve, that magic happens.
However most Christmas Eve's were spent in the city where we rented a house.
The cat never talked, rather he seemed perturbed by me interrupting his sleep.

Later we had dogs. They sleepily thumped their tails and rolled over so I could scratch their bellies.

So for a long while I forgot the 'legend' that Grandma told me.
Until I moved to a place where I could keep equine.

One Christmas Eve, I went out into the pasture where some of our mules were...and my horse Cheyanne.

The night was clear, the stars were shining brightly illuminating the snow that crunched under foot.
My animals looked up and walked quietly over to me. Their breathes leaving frosty plumes in the starry light.

Will I tell you what happened next?
Well, I'm not sure myself. Did I hear them speak?
No, but I believe I heard their thoughts very clearly.

Maybe it was that I wanted this legend to be true -- to hear them speak in human tongue.

Maybe I needed it to be true.
Maybe I needed to believe in the magic of Christmas Eve.

The Animals’ Christmas Eve

In the barn on Christmas Eve, after all the people leave,

The animals in voices low, remember Christmas long ago.

One small hen, upon her nest, softly clucks to all the rest:

“Little chicks, come gather near. A wondrous story you will hear.”

The Animals’ Christmas Eve, a Little Golden Book, by Gale Wiersum and illustrated by Jim Robison.

Go ahead, believe in the magic.

Winter Solstice

2011-12-23T08:30:00.005-06:00

This morning I celebrated the Winter Solstice which marks the beginning of Winter and the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

How do you celebrate?
I usually like to take a nice long walk on the eve of the solstice and capture a sunset from up on the ridge.

[This taken in 2007]

This year, I didn't get the chance to walk up onto the ridge... but this morning...

I awoke and was able to sit in the kitchen with a cup of coffee and watch the morning sunrise paint the sky with beautiful pastel colors.

In the utter silence [except for the ticking of the heater in the living room], I sat and watched as the colors paled and gave way to a light blue sky.

The tips of the trees over the meadow were tipped with orange light.
The horses and mules all stood quietly as if observing the beautiful morning also.

As the light of day grew stronger I was able to watch a doe pick her way through the neighbor's woods.

*Welcome winter,* I thought.
Welcome.

At Midnight

2011-12-17T21:56:00.004-06:00

It was just before midnight...

And under the tree...

The Toys they were ready,
For at Midnight they were
free.
To talk, walk -- so promised the Red Teddy...

And so they rearranged gifts,
And had fun
Aplenty!

Getting in the Christmas Mood!

Spoiled Dog Lives Here ~ by Morris

2011-12-17T07:01:00.003-06:00

Well that is what HE says.

SHE says I'm not spoiled, just privileged.
I like it when SHE takes naps on the couch.
That means she brings out her flannel covered pillow and this soft fleecy blanket and I usually snuggle my way into the deal.

SHE doesn't mind.
SHE says I'm like a live 'leg warmer'.

I like it even better if she leaves the blanket and the pillow[s] on the couch. Then I can make my own little JRT nest and ignore HIM!

Last night was so sweet.

SHE came down to sleep on the couch because SHE got her ribs hurt when HE gave her the big huge Bear Hug a few days ago.

The doctors said she didn't break a rib, but sprained all the muscle stuff so it hurts to breath or do most things.

SHE called it an intercostal muscle strain ... says it is one of the worst strains you can have.

HE feels really really awful terrible bad. In fact HE even made her lunch two days in a row. That is amazing.

SHE says she will get better but sometimes she has to lay just a certain way and the couch supports her laying this funky way so that it doesn't hurt when she breathes.

ALL I know is that I am not in the dog house and am loving all the extra cuddle time.

I'd think HE'd be in the dog house you know?

After all, I've only licked her right in the face after eating nasty stuff...and yeah, I can be a pain. But I never strained her.

I do know however that when SHE let me out to do the 'business' this morning, we both were overjoyed at seeing the snow.

I'll bet HE won't let HER take me for a hike with her sprained muscle stuff.

I guess I'll just snuggle in the nice blankets and enjoy my cuddle time!

Life can be most excellent for a little dog!

Planes, Trains, Automobiles...

2011-12-12T14:19:00.004-06:00

Public Transportation seems to fail miserably whenever I take it.

When I've flown, I've been meet over 90% of the time with long delays in airports. Okay, I do understand that delays cannot be helped.
But as service in the air industry gets poorer and poorer, my expectations while having a nice 'friendly flying' experience get worse each time I go.

So this past week I decided to experience taking the Amtrak to visit my son.

The trip down wasn't too bad. I missed my connection to the town of Sturtevant by literally 30 seconds.
I was given a refund and my son picked me up in Milwaukee.

The return trip was some sort of comical nightmare.
We should have known when we made our first stop and all the lights and power went off on the train.
My 'seat mate' and I looked at each and wondered allowed...

"Could this be a good sign?"

Within moments we were on our way again. I was able to watch a brilliant orange to red sunset as my seat mate talked endlessly on her cell phone. Other passengers were conversing and it was interesting to watch the interaction.

Other passengers buried their heads in books or stared off at nothing, not wishing to be engaged in 'passenger chatter'.

The train slowed.
Again, everything shut down.
Now more people looked around and wondered outloud...
"What the heck is going on?"
No announcement from the conductor.

We made our Columbus stop, and the Portage stop with the lights going off each time before the train proceeded.

Then finally the train slowed to a standstill.
Lights out. The fresh air filters, out.

After what seemed like an eternity...

An unseen voice came over the PA system.
"As you may have noticed, we have been having trouble with our engine..." the voice said. "We have our conductors out working on the problem. We'll notify you soon what the situation is."

The voice paused and then said..."Do not try to exit the train, do not try to open windows. You must stay on the train. You may not leave. Thank you."

We all glanced at our watches. Cell phones lit up the dark as people scrambled to call those who would and should be picking them up on the properly scheduled time.
Nervous laughter.
Some whispered cussing.

Someone called out that they should just go online and order a new train engine from Amazon.com and have it UPS'd same day.
Another said..."Well, then we really be here a long time!"

The group surrounding me started playing noises with their cell phones to pass the time. People recorded their voices and turned it into 'Robot Voices'. We laughed like kids.
We thought we should get together and go to the lounge and have a party at the 'bar'.

Someone got out gummy worms and passed them around. Another got out Oreo Cookies and passed them around. Pretzels appeared.
Bailey's Cream appeared and was given to anyone who had an empty container in which to drink from.

An array of people of different ages, racial backrounds, geographical backrounds, and educational backrounds suddenly seemed to meld together ~~ determined to make the best of a crappy situation.

Jokes were told, laughter abounded. People stood up and wandered from car to car.
Funny, the conductors seemed to have disappeared.

When one did walk hurriedly through the care one of us yelled out..."Hey, what about a keg of beer while we're waiting?"
He mumbled over his shoulder something about the wish for a Fifth...of Jack...and continued.

Okay, they were obviously not having a good time with a 17 car passenger train, crammed with people.

Nearly 2 hours later, when things had gotten pretty darned stuffy, the train lit up and we began to move.
No unseen voice explained a thing.

I thought that was pretty crappy.

But now we had a 'band' of travelers that had taken a potentially uncomfortable situation and had made it an experience worth remembering.

3 hours late, I got to my destination.
I have to wonder if what happened was a fluke, or was it a constant with trains?

After all, I really did enjoy the train ride.

Maybe I'll re-thank my options next time and drive my car...or maybe
...I won't.

Whirlwind Visit

2011-12-11T07:45:00.007-06:00

Any time I get to visit with my son and his wife it is always fun and interesting...I'm guaranteed to be worn out by the end of the visit.

After picking me up at the train station we went out to eat at The Noble.
What a wonderful surprise to find out that one of the owners was a childhood friend of my son's...and this friend David Kressin had left an indelible impression on me when I'd last seen him over 16 years ago.

Funny, comical, and always easy with a smile...I'd often wondered what and where this young man had gone.

What an incredible place he and his fiance, April Woelfel, have created!

The next morning was a whirlwind shopping blitz. REI & IKEA.
We were all over northern Illinois.
Northbrook
Schaumberg
& Lincolnshire for supper at The Cheesecake Factory.

I must stop here a moment and talk about the IKEA experience.

Really? 3 Floors of displays? A map to get around the store?
Arrows on the floor to help you keep track of your directions and headings...

While I sat on furniture, tried out beds, I guess the most fun I had was...
in the kitchen 'supplies' area.
There it was.
A bin chocked full of kitchen timers.
Just waiting for a mischievous elf like me...[and son].

Couldn't help it.
The child in me took over.
How many timers could I set to 10 minutes in 10 seconds?
How many timers could I set to go off at 2 minute intervals?
It was a wonderful challenge.
We did well.

The timers kept going off at intervals even as we left that floor.

I think one should have to take a sanity test to go shopping with my son and his wife.
Actually I am just kidding.
You just better be in good physical shape to keep up with them.

Our nights are filled with 'movie' marathons. I don't have many movies at home, so this is something I really look forward to on my visits.

Also...it is one of the reasons I decided to take the train for travel. I won't be making a 4 hour drive tired!

An Amtrak Adventure

2011-12-09T08:29:00.006-06:00

[La Crosse Train Station~so very much like I recall stations as a kid...the wooden benches and wide open spaces.]
[The Milwaukee Station. Modern, clean, comfortable]

Well the train trip did not exactly start off perfect.
There was a delay of 45 minutes which I was assured by other passengers...would be made up in time for me to make my connection in Milwaukee.

The trip itself was very relaxing and enjoyable. As I said, I did not have to worry about traffic, weather, or a mechanical breakdown.
The price was reasonable, and although it takes a bit longer than driving, it was not as stressful as driving!

However halfway through the trip the train had to stop and 'sensors' on an axle had to be checked.
After a second time, the conductor came over the speakers and said Amtrak had to follow Canadian-Pacific regulations and continue at 30 mph for 5 miles and then do a re-inspection of the axle.

I began to worry about making my train connection in Milwaukee.
Well.
As I stepped off the Empire Builder, I watched my connection leave.

Well, it isn't like I haven't had troubles before with traveling. Airplane routes are pretty notorious for getting screwed up.

As luck would have it, my son and his wife had planned on taking me out to eat in Milwaukee anyway.
So we decided I could wait for them at the station and not take the next train towards Kenosha.

I settled in with my laptop [yipee for Wi-Fi connections!] and had some very strong coffee from a station vendor.

I was pleasantly surprised at how clean and modern the train station-bus station was.

Would I do it again?
Oh sure I would!

...and by the way, Amtrak refunded the last leg of my trip back to me ... no grouchy ticket agent like those you sometimes get at airports!!!

Taking a train

2011-12-08T06:11:00.005-06:00

So today I'm taking off and heading for adventure.

Okay, not wild adventure.
But I am taking the Amtrak train from the western part of WI to the eastern part of WI.
I haven't done this since I was in college years ago ... traveling from Chicago to Macomb, IL.

I don't know why I haven't explored it before.
The cost is about the same as driving.
The time traveled is about the same as MY driving.

I can sit back and relax.
No worries about weather, flat tires, break downs...

The only drawback, is that Morris is not going to be able to go also.

This should be fun. I'm looking forward to it!

Oh and if ever there was an argument for high speed or any speed commuter rail in our state...ease of traveling SURE would be it!

The Sleeping Forest~

2011-12-06T05:48:00.004-06:00

After making the 'Enchanted Forest~', I decided to make a follow up the the summer book. I decided to call it 'The Sleeping Forest~'...

After all, doesn't the Forest seem to go to sleep during the winter?
Yes, the plants may go dormant, but not the Forest itself. So much happens and it was a rather surprising and fun book to do.

The Sleeping F...

By Val Ewing

Book Preview

So Why on Earth, would someone do something like this?

Well, my husband of course thinks I'm a 'great' writer and photographer.
No.
I am neither.
But one day, I'll look back on these 'books' as memoirs or photographic journals and be rather pleased.
Many folk in my area own the 'Enchanted Forest' already, but that it because they enjoyed the common names that I labeled the wildflowers with.
It wasn't meant to be a field guide. Just more of something to enjoy looking at.

...and besides, I do so much enjoy writing and photography...so why not do it for myself?

If others happen to enjoy it, so be it!

"Not Fond of Dogs" by Morris

2011-12-04T07:42:00.003-06:00

So I'm resting on the couch after a hard day's hike ... and of course the napping duties in front of the heater that follow....

My other household duty is to 'hold down' the couch.
I look at it this way.
You never know when a couch may get up and want to move.

Besides, someone had left a pillow there...and a nice fleecy blanket...what better materials for a JRT nest?

...and then I heard the phone conversation.
Jeeze.
Don't these folks know I understand most of what they are saying???

I heard HIM say to Grandson D that no MORRIS would not be coming. I could hear D complain and asky WHY?
[there is a trip to the Grandkid house today...I was so looking forward to it!]

Long pause.
Then HIM says. 'Well Great Grandma L isn't fond of dogs...'

Oh.
Yup. I know Great G. L. She is the lady whose shoe I peed on when I was about 7 weeks old.
The only human ever to get her shoe peed on by me.

So...sigh. Today will be lonely as 'they' travel down to see MY Grandkids...who I may add ARE fond of me and I have NEVER peed on their shoes.

...and from what I am hearing ... SHE is planning a trip to see my best buddies in Kenosha soon. But SHE is taking a train. This means I'll be missing out on yet another visit.

I wonder why is it that some people are not 'Fond' of dogs?
What is it about us that is not to love.

Sigh.

Being a Dog is Tough ~ by Morris

2011-12-03T07:44:00.003-06:00

You can imagine the excitement I felt when SHE put on her .22 and grabbed her camera backpack!

I saw her stick a leash in her pocket and I knew...I tell you...
I knew
that
I was
going
on
an
adventure!

...and we did too!
I found 'Poopsicles' and SHE didn't even freak out.
SHE just sighed.

I was the brave dog though. We got to the valley and I smelled something.
Something dangerous.
Something alive.
Something was OUT there.
So I puffed all up and growled deeply.
I woofed once and then ran and stood
bravely behind HER legs.

Hey.
SHE does have the .22 pistol, you know.
I'm not stupid.

When we got back SHE said something like we'd hiked a mile according to her new GPS thingy.
SHE said I probably ran 2 or 3 at least.

No kidding.
All that stress of being look out and at the same time trying to make sure I 'mark' the woods to keep wild creatures at bay...
well
an old fella could use a nap then.

As a last note for the day.

Topaz Adjust 5 Review

2011-11-27T21:18:00.010-06:00

Topaz Labs has come out with an improvement over the 'Adjust' Plug In. The new features are many. One of the best new features is the Apply Button~ shown with the red arrow.

Many new presets are on the left hand side. Browse through them and you'll find some fun ones and those presets that you've saved in Adjust 4.

A close up of the presets:

On the left side of the screen you'll find your adjustments as usual, but you have to 'click' on each one you'd like to use and open it up. It is easy to get used to.
Luckily, the new Topaz Adjust 5 has the APPLY button!

So if you are half way done 'adjusting' your photo, you can 'apply' the adjustment and then go on experimenting or working with it...
without ever leaving the Plug In.

If you use Apply and then adjust something further and really are unsatisfied with it, you can 'Reset All' and get back to your original adjustment.
This is a time saver for people like myself who are always experimenting.

Before Topaz Adjust 5:
After Topaz Adjust 5:
Probably not the best photo to demonstrate with, but you can get a faint idea of what you can do with a photo that isn't perfect to begin with.
I did post process this one for 'noise' issues afterwards, and added a touch of Topaz Simplicity just to smooth it out.

I must be old or behind the times

2011-11-25T08:30:00.004-06:00

Today is Black Friday. The traditional day that I make a point NOT to go shopping at all.

But last night while looking at the ads for Black Friday, I realized that I must be way behind the times!

My Phone is not Smart.
My TV is not Flat.
My DVD's are not Blue-Ray.
In fact I still have VHS tapes.
I don't have a Blue-Tooth -- not even sure what a Blue-Tooth does anyway.
I read paper books, not virtual books.
I listen to music on an old radio [or Pandora].

My car is of the vintage, it uses human power to roll up the windows.

I don't have a GPS in my car.
I use paper maps, still.

I guess, considering the source, it isn't really that odd after all.
After all, I did go nearly 10 months without a dryer and not miss it much.
We don't have our ancient 'fat' TV hooked up to anything but a DVD-VHS player.

And...I do have a magnificent outhouse.

Let the old times roll !

Turkey Day?

2011-11-24T13:49:00.003-06:00

Okay so when did it get acceptable for people to start saying "Have a great Turkey Day!"?

I mean come on, what does that mean?

You are a Turkey?
You eat Turkey?

[not me, I prefer Lasagna...okay call me odd!]

So I 'Googled' it.

Turkey Day is slang, which I've figured. Who the heck came up with it? Some lazy person who didn't want to say Thanksgiving Day?
Even I've used that awful phrase, thinking it was hip.

Last night when someone told me to have a wonderful 'Turkey Day', I cringed and replied that he should have a nice Thanksgiving also.

I of all people of course should not lecture on the what Thanksgiving means. I do know that I wistfully think of family and meals...
chit chat...
someone needing a nap...
and everyone talking excited to be visiting with family members.

As a child Thanksgiving was a huge day for our family to get together. I recall trying to feed the yucky food to my cousin's dog.
I remember the smells, the smoke, the conversation that rumbled on between the adults.

And I remember that we couldn't wait to get outside and play.

It was Thanksgiving Day...

it certainly was NOT Turkey Day.

Have a good holiday and enjoy your family and friends.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

...and so it begins

2011-11-23T09:15:00.005-06:00

I've edited the words, chosen most of the photos...
and now I have to begin to put them together.
The Sleeping Forest, the book... [a winter's photographic journey from October through April].

I've also begun the next 'Morris' adventure book.
Happy Hedgehog receives a letter from his family.

They are coming for a visit!

But Happy is so very very Un-Happy.
He had told his distant relatives a Big Fib.
He told them that he 'owned' a big farm and had his very own dog, among other things.

What is Happy going to do?
His distant relatives are very important Hedgehogs. They come from across the sea and are very wealthy and live in a castle.

It could be get interesting!

Time to get down to writing!

Oh Deer, Oh Dear?

2011-11-22T14:56:00.003-06:00

It is all about trust when your husband asks you to go out in the woods for him and jump the deer up for him ...

mind you, he has a big caliber rifle with a scope...that has tiny little crosshairs on it.

In fact he is probably the only person I'd do this for.

And, big sigh.
I'll take almost any excuse to wander around in the woods after not being out there for 5 days. Heck, I begin to suffer woods withdrawal.
So I'll put on all the brilliant orange and put on my 'big girl' panties...
and hike out a route hubby has selected for me.

However.
This year he has selected a brand new outfit for me!

How special.
It is a nice tan Carhartt jacket and matching tan pants. Funny, I don't recall Carhatt putting a funny white tail on the pants!
Nor do I recall the hood having a pair of gleaming fake antlers.

Perhaps I should have second thoughts about walking about the woods and scaring up some nice deer for my husband.

Yah think?

The Day Before Deer Season

2011-11-18T21:55:00.006-06:00

Yup. The Thirdy Point Buck,
The Second Week of Deer Camp,
and many other 'Deer Hunting'
songs will appear on Country Western Radio Stations
tonight and tomorrow morning.

It almost seems that Blaze Orange becomes very fashionable this time of year. Heck, you can even get a Blaze Orange 'Camo' Jacket. Along with T-shirts, button down long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, pants, and coveralls. Not to mention a Blaze Orange Mad Bomber Hat, or perhaps a nice baseball cap, or plain ol' stocking cap.
[My son's dog Teslin posing with my Blaze Orange Bomber Hat]
Heck we even have a Blaze Orange Raincoat!

It is the time of the year where everyone gets 'Buck Fever'...and I...
get to see a miracle ... my husband arising before dawn each day...
believe me, he is not a typical early riser.

I enjoy the gun season.
Yup.
I sure do.
This marks 9 days that I cannot go wandering about doing whatever I want in the woods.
Opening days are marked with 'guns blazing' from one of the neighbor's properties.
I'd swear that the deer are shooting back.

So sure, I enjoy myself by...um, cleaning house, washing windows, and perhaps getting the Christmas stuff out and organized.

Ick.

I really don't like gun season after all.
Except when I get to put on Blaze Orange and walk the empty woods [after opening weekend] and play 'dog' for my husband.

If you don't know what 'play dog' is, well it is an expression used here. The 'dog' goes out and walks the woods in a pre-agreed upon route, in the hopes of scaring up a nice deer for the person with the gun.

One point I need to make clear.
You best trust the person you are 'dogging' for.

So Happy Hunting Season for those who love to hunt and provide meat for their families.
And for those who don't hunt...well in WI, break out your Blaze Orange and be fashionable!

Treasures

2011-11-16T21:24:00.003-06:00

One man's junk is another man's treasure is how the saying goes.

Well today we were clearing the woods of downed wood from the 2007 storm [yes, still cleaning up the damage!] and I found the previous owner's junk pile.

I got some interesting photos of it while watching a pile of tree stumps and broken limbs burn...but unfortunately my data card had some sort of error on it.

Alas, I missed some creative opportunities to photo 'junk' in an artistic manner.

You would think a normal person would be disgusted at finding a 'dump' on their land.

I was amused that I found more than one sink and two water heaters in the pile, as well as springs to a couch [?] and a few rusty buckets as well as half of a toilet.
When my husband was purchasing this place, the previous owner had not yet installed a bathroom.

Of course to me it was an opportunity to pull out my pocket camera and experiment while keeping an eye on the bonfire.

Which of course reminds me.
There is plenty of 'cool' junk laying around on the farm. Not that one would like to admit it.
But yes, there is.

After all, my husband says he might need 'it' some day.
I'm wondering how a half toilet and some half buried sinks fit into that scenario.
Well you never know, it may be a true treasure after all.

Perhaps I can make it into some avant-garde art and become rich and famous.

Yeah.
Right.
It still looks like junk to me.

I'm Addicted!

2011-11-16T08:16:00.003-06:00

Okay, so not like you think.

Fractal programs.

The ones above are a new program I discovered called Mandelbulb 3D. It is a very intimidating program when you first look at it, but as with Incendia and Apophysis 7X, you have to play and experiment.

Sometimes you get an image that isn't worth looking at after spending oodles of time with it.

Then sometimes I have combined Apophysis 7X with Incendia and mix them up in Elements or Photoshop.

So I have to admit.
Lately I've been finding myself going back to these programs quite often.
I can't seem to stop myself or help it.

I feel like a kid with a huge creative coloring pad at my disposal, only it is computerized.

Is it art?
Is it useful?
I have no idea, but I sure am enjoying my 'addiction'.

Adventures in the Snow ~ Or White Knuckle Drive

2011-11-09T21:42:00.004-06:00

When I left work this morning, it was just raining in the Mississippi Valley.
I could see the wind blowing snow on the bluffs above me as I turned East to head up the Genoa Hill and begin my long
and
winding
way
homeward.

At the top of the hill was a red car in the ditch...it looked like someone had stopped on a side road and had gone over to help push.

I then realized as I slowly drove down the east side of the steep and twisted hill that things on the ridge were bad.
Very very bad.
I even wondered if I'd get out of Romance Valley.
For on the other side of the valley was a steep hill the locals call 'Harder Hill' [maybe because it is so hard to get up when the roads are bad?...surely not!].

Steep - long - but not as twisted as the Genoa Hill.

And so my grip tightened on the wheel and I 'felt' for how the old '95 Cavalier was responding to the icy slush slippery snow on the road.

Wondering if I should have been more insistent on snow tires last week when it was 60 degrees and sunny.

The valley was nice, even the road was mostly clear.

I approached the bottom of Harder Hill and hit it. I needed to get the speed up while the road way still was clear.

Part way up the hill, it turned to a slick dangerous road.

I could feel the front end slip a bit, eased off the gas..
it took a bite and we slowly lost speed and climbed the hill.

I was using all of my years of experience in snow driving and was grateful that I was not a fresh driver. I felt it slip.
I made adjustments.

By the time we [the Cavalier and I...for we were a team, that is how I feel about winter driving ~ strange I suppose!] made the top of the ridge...
my legs were shaking from the rush of adrenaline.

The rest of the drive was still pretty awful. Especially when a beauty of a buck with a huge rack came charging across the road in front of a vehicle ahead of me.

White outs made parts of the road impossible to find. The wet heavy snow was actually trying to drift in the open areas.
Ice-slush clumped up on my wipers...

I made a mad dash up the gravel road hill after sliding 'down' to the curve.
When I parked and stepped out of the Cavalier, I gently touched its hood and patted it, saying a mental 'thank you'.

Then I turned and admired the beauty that had made my drive such hell.
Well, it was quite stunning.
Two days ago we had been enjoying a beautiful autumn day...
and now...
Welcome to Wisconsin Winter!

Mule Ride to a 'Secret' Place

2011-11-07T20:46:00.003-06:00

Well.

I wish I could keep this place secret.
I can say that it is located in the county I live in.

I can say ~~ that it is beautiful?
Hilly?
Demanding trails?
Gorgeous?
Wonderful?
Cool.
Awesome.

For this trip I brought my Garmin and my camera. I wanted to see what the pace of the mules we were riding had on this hilly terrain.

Gathering the data was pretty fun.
Here are the stats:

We traveled 6.9 miles.

Elapsed Time: 3 hrs 23 minutes

Elevation Changes:
Elevation Gain~ 1589 ft
Elevation Loss~ 1582 ft
Maximum Slope~ 40.7% +
Maximum Downhill slope~ 35.1% -
Average Slope for ride~ 8.1%-7.7%

There was a breakdown in average mph for the mules. This wasn't quite important as the overall terrain 'toughness'. On the flats at a walk, they averaged 4 mph.

I'm not sure how to factor in the time spent visiting with other riders or just plain stopping to admire the scenery and to take photos.

The average speed overall was 2 mph. It means almost nothing unless you look at the elevation changes and the slopes the mules had to negotiate.

Indeed this was fun.
I was able to combine some statistics with a wonderful November ride.
We crossed the Bad Axe River more than once.

Siera was nearly perfect ... and at the end of the ride she was very subdued.
She even stood quietly while we were at the overlook!
My husband and I sat down in the truck after loading the mules and looked at each other.

*That was the best ride ever.* I said.
He nodded.
*It was. We'll have to do this again.*

We drove home with smiles on our faces.

Combining Incendia and Apophysis 7X

2011-11-04T04:44:00.006-06:00

Twisted:

Sometimes you just have to do some exploration. I've seen some fantastic fractals and 3D fractals come out of both Incendia and Apophysis 7X.

Not quite satisfied with just one program's results or the other, I have decided to see what can happen when you combine an Apophysis 7X flame and a creation by Incendia.
I combined both 'works' in Photoshop for Pipe Dreams and used some help from Flaming Pears Plug-In called 'Flood'.
For Twisted, I used layers to 'twist' and manipulate the original form I'd made in Incendia. I used the Mehdi Plug-In called 'Mirror'.

Pipe Dreams:

The results were quite fun.

I think these two creations are by far my new favorites and shall be for a while.
It will take some real creativity on my part to do something to 'top' these two.

Although, that is part of the great challenge isn't it?

The End of the Laundry Blues

2011-11-02T15:51:00.006-06:00

It should be said that the dryer is now fixed.
The belt is on it, and lo and behold...
the thing actually works!

Hubby and I turned the thing on and stood in quiet reverence for this magical mechanical thing that now worked again.

Yet I'm still hanging the laundry out.
I wonder why.

Well, all of the laundry that is, except for the underwear and socks.
You never know WHO might drop by and see all those panties and socks hanging in a row on the clothes line.

Although my reasoning for not worrying about it for the past 11 months has been probably attributed to the fact that we live on the end of a dead end road...

down a steep driveway that doesn't look safe for vehicles to travel...

Except for the socks and underwear thing [it dries my uniforms nicely...though], I really can't say that I missed it.

Perhaps it will come in handy on those days it seems to rain without end, or those mornings that it is -20 outside.
Yes, perhaps then again I can appreciate that miraculous thing we call a clothes dryer.

Until then, I'm going to enjoy the fresh scent of laundry hung out on the line.

Oh to ride the the sobreandando!

2011-10-30T03:43:00.006-06:00

Do you want to ride smoothly?
Do you want to ride fast AND smoothly?

The Purvian Paso has two gaits.

*The paso llano is a broken gait. It consist of a permanent, harmonic, and rhythmic tapping in which the animal makes a gentle and pleasant alternating movement. It is a quick advance in which the center of the horse's gravity stays almost immobile, producing a smooth ride.*

*The second gait, the sobreandando, is faster. Instead of four equal beats, the lateral beats are closer together in a 1-2, 3-4 rhythm, with the pause between the forefoot of one side to the rear of the other side is longer.*

From the site: Peruvian Horses at Fox Creek Homestead

Combine these gaits with a mule who is intelligent and you have something quite special.

This sounds stupid, and to those who don't really 'get' an equine it will make absolutely NO sense.
I looked into Siera's eyes before we rode.
I saw something there, like a window into my own soul.
...and it was free.

While we rode, Siera sought re-assurance from me when we got 'into a scary' place. Where the creek ran hard over the rocks and the footing was soft.
I asked her to step over a downfall which was hidden in the grass.

She did.
She sighed.
She stood quietly.
My hand brushed her neck, my fingers played across her withers.
She was content.

We moved on and explored many of the trails that Badger and I have done over the years.
I had to recall, that these were new to Siera.

We had a great ride.
Her eyes and body language told me this was so.

Riding Siera with a Garmin GPS

2011-10-29T06:59:00.009-06:00

The day looked promising for getting in a ride. It was a tad bit windy, but I decided to throw caution 'to the wind' and saddle up Siera.

I'd just bought a Garmin eTrex GPS handheld unit. Did I need one? Not really.
Why?

Well because I am able to figure out how to operate the Trip~MPH~Distance menu.

And I wanted to see just how fast Siera walks out even in the rough woods of PeeWee's.

Oh.
Was I ever surprised.
Siera is a gaited Peruvian Paso Mule. She can walk extremely fast ... and she loves it. She has a very hard time backing off.
More than once I did make her stop, just so I could get a photo of her.

Not easy on a mule that averages 7 mph in the rough.
That my friends, is FAST.

We exited the woods, after doing my normal 'work out' route for Badger when he was being kept in shape for Limited Distance rides. She seemed to cover the route in a blink of the eye.

We headed out the road and gaited our merry way to the black top and back home.

Our average speed which included 15 minutes of being stopped [visiting with neighbors and taking photos].
Was 9 miles per hour.

We covered nearly 10 miles in an hour and a half. My count isn't truly accurate though because I'd forgotten to delete the previous 'trip'.

When I got home ... hubby came out and we tried Siera's new-old Stonewall saddle on her. Hubby has totally refurbished this.

It fits like a dream and weighs less than 12 pounds.

What a fantastic ride.
Thank you Siera.

Don't Marry a Handyman if...

2011-10-26T20:15:00.004-06:00

You ever want anything new.

Today we got the Dryer out of its cubbyhole.

Last time I wrote about the 'Great Laundry Experiment' was in March of this year.

I'd been without a dryer since the beginning of December in 2010.

He looked at it and called to see if he could get a belt to replace the one that had broken.
I meanwhile cleaned floors and washed walls and did laundry, hanging it out to dry with cloudy gray skies.

I was used to guessing the weather and getting laundry dried successfully between the outside line and the inside clothes rack by now.

I was sort of hoping that the old machine was 'un-fixable' which means I could get a new one ...or
get some more storage space in the house.

My husband hung up from the appliance store in town saying that a new belt would be ours in a day or so.

I looked at the torn apart kitchen/dining area.

The dryer was taken apart and looked as if to be the victim of some violent wretched crash.
Its door hung off kilter, the drum was laying on top of one of Morris's hedgehog toys in the living room. The top was leaning up against a door.

In short. It was a mess.

I glanced up at him while scrubbing the floor where the dryer used to sit.
*Not 2 days!* I exclaimed!
*Yup, only 2 days!*

Okay 2 days of walking around pieces of the dryer sitting around the house, most definitely in the way. Most definitely ~~ in my book ~~ an issue.

*Hmmm, we don't need a new one?* I asked pointing to the old machine. I was eager in any way to get it out of my way. This is part of the reason it has taken so long to address the broken belt.

*Nope,* he replied, *it'll be as good as new as soon as the belt goes back on.*

I tossed dirty water out the door into the dooryard. Sometimes my well meaning and wonderful handyman can take 2 days or 2 years to fix an item.
But it does get fixed eventually ...

See Why You Must Eat Ice Cream!

He is awfully good at fixing things. In fact very good. He can keep a lawn mower going long past the time it should go to the junk yard.
However.
We did get a new water heater 3 weeks ago because the old one is not doing very well.

He was going to install it right away.

It is resting comfortably in its box, in the shed. Nestled between the tractor he is going to fix and the old Toyota that needs a Master Cylinder.

In my house, patience is the key.
The handyman can fix it.
But it is on his time, not my time.

...and so it goes.

Finally Moving

2011-10-22T21:12:00.005-06:00

Last year we began 'renovating' woods above the creek.
In 2007 a magnificent storm roared through our area and took down hundreds of trees, knocked out the electricity for 5 days ... and completely destroyed most of our boundary fence between us and the neighbor to our east.
It washed out creeks and cleared valleys of rocks and rubble.

It has taken us 4 years of slow but steady work to cut the trees that were tossed down like mere match-sticks.

We hired a dozer last year to clear a trail through the woods so that we could replace the electric fence.
A few days ago we finished patching the border fence.
We plan on restringing the barbed wire with new next year.

Today the donkey herd of 7 and 3 mules were turned into the woods.

They'll work on clean up of undergrowth for a couple of weeks until it is time to corral everyone up safely near the house and shed for the 9 day gun season.

Come winter the woods and the trail will be open for adventure.

About Fall

2011-10-21T17:42:00.009-06:00

Sometimes I swear I detest this time of year.
The days have grown utterly short.

The nights come on fast and you are still wishing to have daylight left because of all the things YOU wanted to get done this summer ... but haven't.

The brilliant show of foliage has mostly faded into crunchy [if it is dry] or soggy squishes under your feet [if it is damp].

The birds that are left to sing are blackbirds, crows, chickadees, along with some sparrows.

This is the time of year that feels lost. The Deer-Gun Hunting season will come soon taking everyone's minds off the dull browns of this time of year. Snow will soon come and everyone will start thinking about Christmas.

But what of now?
I've learned to begin to enjoy these days also.
For actually they do provide quite a bit of beauty in the woods if you know where to look for it.

There is the old abandoned car in what the kids call 'the bone yard'.

There is the creek to always delight in its sound and its beauty.

...and the comedian who makes you laugh.

Then as we head back home we stop and say hello to Sundance who is turning out to be one beautiful red molly mule. Her momma, Cheyanne would have been very proud of her.

And I think to myself ... that perhaps fall with its dull days really isn't quite so bad.

Fall Fence Repairs

2011-10-18T06:04:00.006-06:00

Without fail, it seems that there is one constant on our place.

Fence work.
It is never ending.
Really.
Fence for the Dexter Cattle have to be tailored for them. Hot wires must be put on the tops of all perimeter fences for the mules ~~ Badger shows a fine example of this.
He'll reach.
I've known other mules to simply jump over and graze, then jump back.
Badger is grazing from the summer meadow, into the winter meadow.
After hubby knocked down a young choke-cherry tree, I dragged it out for the ladies to enjoy. The red mule amongst the donkeys is Sundance.

After getting DEEP down into the woods, hubby and the Mystical Magical Skid Steer come back out.
I had my doubts, but heck ... he got it done!

Another day of work at the Mulewings Hideout...

Joy to the World

2011-10-13T18:37:00.004-06:00

Joy is seeing a dog that is utterly happy all of the time.
This is Morris sitting on the Allis Chalmers Tractor thinking he is King of the World.

Well I suppose he is in a way.
He is King of his own little World.

And then there is my buddy Badger.
And yes ... Badger seems to be getting along quite well thank you!
This fall has been a wonderful for him.
His ROA has settled down quite a bit.

We'll see what this winter brings.

These simple things make my heart sing and my world fill with joy.

The Sleeping Forest ~~ The First Entry

2011-10-11T12:03:00.004-06:00

I'm making a sequel of sorts to the Enchanted Forest~~

A follow up to what it feels like to be in the Forest during the winter months.
I spent last winter going out into the woods as often as possible to 'get a feel' for what it is like.

I know, this sounds stupid as we all know that winter is cold and the forest is quite still during those cold months.

But.
That is not what happened.
I got a whole different feel for life in the Forest for the Winter Months.
The harshness.
The beauty.
The wildness of it all...

This is the first entry:

End of October:
The leaves have fallen, the trees are mostly stark and bare limbed. The summer birds are gone and an unusual hush fills the forest.

It is a time of change. Autumn makes me slightly uneasy. The long summer daylight hours are gone and it feels as though suddenly time has run away on me.

The Forest feels as if it is waiting for something. Squirrels chatter away as they gather and bury their food. Soon, they too will fall silent.

I find myself wandering down our ‘hill’ road towards the creek. I have nothing in mind but a simple walk. I walk with my feet, but with my eyes and ears also. I try to breath in the smell of leaf decay under my feet, the smell of dirt. For after winter’s arrival, the smell will be gone until spring.

I stop and peer at thorny multiform rose bushes that are heavy with rose hips. These bright red berries will be gone soon after the first snowfall.

I memorize this moment. For one thing is true, this too, shall change.

The Forest knows that Autumn too is but a fleeting moment in it’s memory.

The Last Hurrah of the leaves

2011-10-10T06:50:00.005-06:00

The weather the past few days have been glorious for the first part of October. Partially warm nights with no frost and wonderfully ~~ almost ~~ hot days.

I did do other things besides ride.
But those were household and farming chores.

Opal, Siera, and Badger all got workouts these past few days. Lots of saddle time.

I got to see the last hurrah of the fall colors.

The winds on Saturday blew most of them down.

Yesterday I rode in a mostly bare forest, except for the oaks and some of those trees in the valley that were still clinging to their leaves.
I have a love~hate relationship with fall. I love to see all the beautiful colors in the trees. I love the autumn weather [warm days, cool nights].

But in the end, when the leaves have fallen, the land looks still and somewhat barren. Frost comes along and turns everything a sullen brown. The forest looks abandoned of life, yet I know too well that it isn't.

But for now, I'm going to grab every luscious moment of October and enjoy it to the fullest.

Beautiful Morning

2011-10-08T09:24:00.008-06:00

I grabbed a cup of coffee and headed up towards the ridge top before dawn.

I wanted to sit and watch the sun come up in all of its red glory.
It did not disappoint me.
The leaves have blown off on most of the trees on the ridge.

I stood and watched from the corner where the ancient tobacco shed used to stand.
There was a haze like a faint fog that graced the horizon.
The colors kept changing, the clouds added an interest to the sky.
My one ridge neighbor brought his son out to the cross roads to meet the bus.
I reflected on what it may be like in the dead of winter...and then let that thought pass.
This morning was warm ~ like an Indian Summer.
I thought.
Enjoy it while it lasts.
The pastel colors after sunrise tied it all together for me as a photographer.

When I at last went back home ~~
My husband said to me...
*Well was it worth it?*

I sighed and nodded.
Of course it was.
Dawn and sunset are the most beautiful times of the day.
No matter what season it is.

I felt complete.
I felt whole.
I felt happy.

All because I was able to stand and watch the sun begin my day.

It is too Windy to Ride ~ so they say

2011-10-07T17:24:00.007-06:00

The winds were gusting about 32 mph.

But the training must go on, right?

Siera has experience, she needs more.

So today I decided to continue with yesterday's work.
She had absolutely NO reaction to being saddled.

This was a good thing that made me smile.
It also meant that we could go ahead and do a brush busting ride through the creek bottoms.

Solo.

That means me...and her.
Alone in 500 acres of woods, doing deer trails and brush busting.
Yup, that is my ugly mug with my orange vest, extremely cool helmet and a hanky to mop up blood or make a tourniquet.
Kidding!

We would not go solo if she wasn't ready.
And believe me, Siera is willing and ready.

We got down in the valley and into the deep woods. We jumped up deer three times.
Siera?
No reaction other than to stop and watch them run through the woods.

The wind blew on the top of the ridge, sometimes roaring. Leaves rained down upon us.

What was Siera's main concern?

Nothing really. She was concentrating on what I was asking of her. Which trail to follow...or to perhaps resist going down.
She is of course not in any way like Badger.
But she does gets 'nerved' up when away from home.

In short, she sweats around the head and neck.
[Of course it was also 80 degrees!]
She did all of her creek crossings without much pause.

She stopped, looked, and at my urging, went forward as if she'd never had any fear of crossing little creeks.

She's fast. She walks fast and is full of energy.

So we did practice standing still 3 times.
The first time for 1 minute.
Second ~ 2 minutes.
...well you get the idea.

It was a delightful ride. A wonderful ride.

We'll be going again soon.

[Siera...one ear listening to me and one ear cocked forward]

Until next time...

Working with Siera

2011-10-06T15:46:00.003-06:00

It is odd how one mule can have such a reaction from one person to another.

Perhaps that is one of the reasons I enjoy interacting with them so much.

A few weeks ago I tossed a saddle on her and took her for an awesome ride.

Last week we went to the 'Secret Place' where I let my hubby ride her. For some odd reason, when he saddles her, she is an unhappy mule.
Is it because she just has picked a 'favorite' person?

Mules do tend to do that.

Or is it a new problem?
Today I took her over to the trailer to see if she'd react any differently to my saddling her.
To my surprise, she did have a reaction and leaned back against the halter as I slowly tightened the cinch.

She then gave a half hearted rear and stared at me with a wild look in her face.

Well instead of riding, I decided to do a 'session' on saddling and un-saddling.
About 45 minutes later after repeated saddling and un-saddling...along with a 'time out' for patience while tied to the trailer,
I pronounced the exercise complete.

I gave up the ride to work with a possible issue to keep it from happening again.

This is satisfying work.

Next time, if hubby rides Siera, I'll ask to saddle her for him.
Perhaps our body language is different and that is what makes the difference.

Yes. I can saddle her untied in the round pen without any problems, for those who are wondering.
But that is not always going to be the case when you are trailering somewhere to ride.

Tomorrow we saddle up and see how it goes. We should have a good day to get some brush busting in.

One year ago

2011-10-04T07:49:00.003-06:00

One year ago I was ending my 'last' adventure in Hawai'i with the self promise that I would go back in two years.

Today marks one year.

I really did love my time there. It was adventurous and wonderful...and at times, it felt like a visit that was too short.
That is, considering that as a child we would rent a house and spend a month there.

No question in the back of my mind...I will go back.
And I won't wait until I am too elderly to take adventurous hikes.

A Mule ride in the 'Secret Place'

2011-10-01T19:32:00.010-06:00

There is a secret place that we've known about and heard from some local riders...well.
It isn't really secret.

It is on the map. It is a county park. After all we have the Kickapoo Reserve, Wildcat Mountain, and Horseman's Park to ride in.
All fabulous and awesome places to ride in.

BUT
but
but
we'd never gone to this place.
Where the Bad Axe River flows hard, creating a dull roar of watery music as it rushes over rocks.
The trails are switch backs and if your equine is in fair shape, they can march right along the 3 mile loop with ease.

Warning.
The 3 miles does not feel like 3 miles.
It is up, down, around rocks, around ridges, over logs...

it crosses the Bad Axe. In one place it was up to Siera's belly.

She handled it well after the first refusal.
Opal did her usual self and simply took it all in stride.

In the valley and above us the trees were touched with brilliant gold.
Too hard to get on a Pink Fugly point and shoot camera.

The trails were fun. Challenging to an equine's physical fitness.

Am I going to disclose this place?
No, I'm not.
On a Saturday we ran into one other couple that were riding.
We saw one hiker.

...and we only covered half of the trails available to us.
On the way home we talked excitedly about what a great find this was.
Heck, though...we'd known about it for 15 years.
We just thought it wasn't worth our time.
We wanted miles and miles of trails.

What we found was plenty of trails with fantastic scenery. And a wonderful place to get Siera and others in tip top shape.

We are eagerly putting this 'Secret Place' on our favorite list.

I still wonder at how we could have ignored this gorgeous place that is nearly in our 'backyard'.

Whoops I forgot my camera!

2011-10-01T06:45:00.003-06:00

I ran to town to do some quick errands.

As I drove back I admired the colors of the leaves and the incredible skies.

Why oh why did I not bring my Olympus or Nikon?

Duh.

All I had was my cheapo Ugly...Fugly Pink Camera.

So I managed some shots anyway.

I think everyone should challenge themselves with a cheap P&S and see what they can get.

I was happy with the results.

Going Fishing

2011-09-29T13:40:00.005-06:00

I said "Let's go Fishin'!"

In two shakes of a lamb's tail the car was packed up and we were headed out.

What better time of the year I figure to take photos of the Mississippi River?
Right?

Oh yeah, in between day dreaming and playing with my camera, I'm supposed to put the worm on the hook thingy and cast it out into the water.

My husband gently reminds me that I should practice casting.

I laugh and say...
*Oh yeah? Well, I meant for it to land right there!*..and point to the obvious spot. *And even better yet, if I catch a fish, I really really did mean for it to go exactly there!*

He smiles as if I am his 'daft' child.

I hoot as my bobber disappears and goes under. I reel in a fish. It is bigger than my hand.
*Keeper?* I ask, knowing damn well it is.

He nods.
*See I meant to cast right there then, even if it looked like a flub. I should practice those flubs more, eh?*
I put the fish on the stringer and mess around with the worm a bit, then toss, er cast it back out.
He looks at me.
*You meant to put it there?*

*Oh yes, it is further out.*
I cast it further out so I could brace the pole against a rock and take some pictures. But I don't tell him that, I'm sure he's figured that out.

He mumbles and sighs. Changes his little lure thing and puts another thing on the hook. The line zings as he casts the perfect cast.

I pick up my camera and realize that the bobber has disappeared again.
Sigh.
I pull in another nice sunfish.
I look over at him and shrug.

*How come you are catching all the fish?* he asks to me, as much as to himself. I know he works hard at it and I don't.
I string the nice 'purply' fish admiring the pretty colors. I call it my purply - pink fish and he calls it a blue gill.
I argue that it is NOT blue, but pretty hues of purple. It should be called a purply-pink gill.

He rolls his eyes. He knows I'm just messing with him now.
He wonders out loud as to why I am catching so many fish.

I smile and pat him on the backside.
*Well, honey, you know I am a Fish Whisper-er!*

I pop a starburst candy in my mouth and grin.

We leave as the sun sets with a stringer full of fish. I know he has kept count, but I have not.
We both agree it was a perfect day.

We'd had a lot of fun.
And now we had some purply-pink gills to eat, to boot.

Keeping your Equine in Tune ~ a Debate?

2011-09-27T10:57:00.003-06:00

So I was on the phone the other day with a friend of mine who had gotten a new horse.
The horse was supposed to be broke.

But my friend said the mare was having issues with her bit, her cinch, and would misbehave and not respond properly.

I suggested to her that she should find out exactly what kind of training her horse had and perhaps do a bit of ground work or even ride her about an hour every other day in a small pasture just to get to know her habits, likes, and dislikes.

I told her that I often took my ani-mules into our small round pen to check their attitude out especially if I was changing any tack or trying out a bit on them.

My friend seemed horrified and upset. Why her horse was purchased trained and she never did any further training on them.
Period.

Frustrated, I tried to tell her that each time she handled a horse, she was inadvertently training it.

I told her that even my aged mules got a 'tune up' every once in a while. Sometimes I just brought them inside the roundpen to saddle them and see what their attitude was that day.

It didn't hurt and it was all for the safety of both rider and animal. After all hadn't she complimented me on my working with Opal so that she was easy to catch and easy to saddle? Opal was 28 yrs old by our closest estimate. She definitely benefited from retraining and re-tuning.

No, no, no. My friend insisted. Just get on and ride.

No, no, no, I insisted. Be safe. Know your animal inside and out.
See that they remember the word 'Whoa'.
See that they remember their manners.

See that they adjust to any changes in tack. Work with them often and they will come to respect you so much more and become eager to please.

Then I realized that we were at polar opposites in thinking about our equine.

She attributed my having to 're-educate' and 'tune up' my riding animals to the fact that they were mules.

She had Arabs, and they didn't need it.

I decided to be diplomatic and not get offended.
As I hung up the phone, I sat back and stared out at the rain driven sky.

How many hours of training had I put into Badger, Opal, Sunshine, Patchy, Cheyanne [my old mare], and now Siera?
Hours upon hours.
Tune up, training, handling, and not just riding.

This lead to respect and bonding between me and my equine.
I'll continue to 'tune up' my ani-mules occasionally. I'll continue to work with them each time and keep it in the back of my head that
each
time
I ride
or handle
an animal
I
am
training it.

Mules are Smart?

2011-09-26T12:52:00.005-06:00

It has been rumored that mules are 'smart'. Well I know a lot of 'smart' animals [my JRT is not counted amongst those, sorry, Morris].

But mules do sometimes exhibit interesting behavior.

Such as Badger, the tallest mule in the meadow, picking apples for himself when he feels like it.

The others that reside in his 'meadow' see him picking and know that when he grabs one from a branch that others will fall.

That is why you see the donkeys leaving the hay pile and watching Badger in this photo.

Donkeys are not dummies either. Maybe they are even smarter than the mule as they let Badger do the work for them.

Then here is Siera, sporting her new haircut.
She wasn't exactly super co-operative, but we got the job done without any fighting.

I consider that extremely important with a mule. If you can get the job done without a fuss, the mule will be so much happier with you.

And your relationship will be better especially if you get into a 'sticky' situation.

She is muddy just like all of her buddies from the recent rains.

Are mules smart?
Oh you bet your _ _ _ on it!

Turn a blah photo into a Wow Photo

2011-09-25T13:38:00.012-06:00

I was driving home from town up from the valley on a back gravel road.

The colors of the trees were gorgeous.

Yet somehow I knew that what I saw and what I shot with the camera would not be the same.

Here is the original: So enter my friends the Topaz Plug Ins and Photomatix Light.

I began with a single exposure and just for kicks dropped it into Photomatix Light to see what I could do with it.

PL helped a bit, but the sky wasn't working for me and the photo looked a bit off but I did love the colors in it.

I deleted it and went back to Topaz Adjust, just for a few minor tweaks.

Normally at this point I just hit the 'delete' button and decide to hunt for a better photograph.

This time I decided to see what I could do with what I had taken.

How far could I go to making this believable?
Copy the backround layer.
Copy some sky from another photo and put it on its own layer.

I used the sky and changed the layer blending mode to linear burn... Whoops, a bit too dark...and the cloud layer is affecting the gravel road

so... I decreased the opacity to 87% and used the eraser tools to eliminate the 'cloud' color on the gravel road.

Much nicer.
At least the sky now had some hint of color and clouds and it looked fairly natural.

The gravel road itself, I felt could use a touch more detail.

I copied this layer and used Topaz ReMask to 'cut' out the road and isolate it.

Then I used Topaz Detail to bring out the 'gravel' texture and accent the tracks. Oh yeah, it was a fun little exercise in Elements 5.

A bit of editing really helped this little back road shot come a long way. :)

Photomatix Light Whoops!

2011-09-24T09:38:00.002-06:00

I didn't intend to make this photo at all.

What transpired though did intrigue me.

I started with 3 different exposures of the same scene and combined them in Photomatix Light [nice review by Photoluminary].

What I did not realize is that I also had inadvertently included this photo:
I ended up with a photo that had a hidden texture in it...well actually another hidden photo.

Pretty cool eh?

What it should have looked like was this:

[anyway, my version of it...]

I've also found that combining Photomatix Light, Topaz Adjust, Topaz Detail, Topaz Remask, and Photoshop layers that you can do some amazing things.

Next post, I'll talk about that.

Happy Autumnal Equinox

2011-09-23T06:27:00.005-06:00

The Autumn Equinox is the first day of the autumn season and occurs when the sun passes the equator moving from the northern to the southern hemisphere. The North Pole begins to tilt away from the sun.
********************************************

So what did Morris and I do about it?
Well we went out and enjoyed the day!!

Morris and I had a very long hike.
We enjoyed the fall colors that are beginning to change in 'the valley'.

It was a bittersweet walk. Summer was ending, Autumn was rushing in at a great speed.
As usual I looked for colors in the leaves.
This forest and valley lacks the red maples. So I have to wander further next time and try to find the brilliant reds.

Oh how we do love fall...or do you say Autumn?