Girl's Night out?

This afternoon I am particpating in an 'educational nature' walk with the homeschooled kids that are neighbors.

The oldest girl just turned 9 a few days ago and has asked if she can go raccoon hunting with us.
Well tonight Hubby is heading out with his Big Pro Buddies and I'm home alone.  I thought, good enough.  I called the neighbor and asked if their daughter would like to go with me tonight for a couple of hours.

I told her we may not find a thing.  But at least she could get a feel for what it is like to walk the hills and woods at night with a light and a dog.

We'll take Axe who hunts close and according to hubby isn't a very good hunter.  I'd like to believe that he would hunt well with me.  He needs re-training on the leash but I prefer to give second chances.

So I told hubby that I'd take '2nd Chance Axe' with Ambrosia and I tonight.  He was like...YOU got your license?
Me:  'Yes picked it up yesterday..., no reason I can't go with a dog and hunt!  No reason you should have all the fun!'

Hubby was flabberghasted.  But he thought girl on girl first time hunt would be fantastic.

The world of hounds, hunters, and handlers is dominated by males.  I've never heard of a woman hunter with her own hounds.
I intend to change that.

I plan to show hubby that Axe may just make it as a working dog.  No fear, he won't get abandoned or anything. 

I'm looking forward to it.
Girls night out?

The Project

"As the crickets' soft, autumn hum
is to us
so are we to the trees
as are they
to the rocks and the hills."

Gary Snyder 

It was this Haiku that I heard last year by Gary Snyder that set me to thinking about my next project in book form.

My photo-journey books are nothing more than wonderful projects I think up that involve two of the things I like the most.

Well, two things I like to do a lot?

Photography and writing.

Oh I guess my list could be much much longer.

Hiking, exploring, riding, dogs...but you get the point.

Everything I do in my adventures of hiking and riding seem to cross a small seemingly insignificant creek that runs approximately one mile from the spring to where it joins a larger creek.

Here is a trickle of water that gently moves over rocks and earth.  It follows with the path of least resistance...always seeking lower ground.

The creek fascinates me in so many ways.  It can have a quiet little murmur as it makes its way down the valley or the the loud deadly roar from a flash flood.

The creek is vital to the valley's wildlife.

It is there.

The creek doesn't participate in the drama that may occur on its banks.  It ignores the death throes of a doe caught by a pack of coyotes or the wandering of a raccoon or 'possum looking for an open spot of water to get a drink when it is 20 below.

The creek is steady.

It is the live blood of the surrounding valley.

So I'm going to work on a project of how it changes with the seasons.

After all, I nearly cross this little creek every day.

 

And so starts my journey about something that seems so insignificant, yet ... is not.

 

“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.” 

Gary Snyder

Long Exposure vs Auto Mode

Top photo taken at 1/40th of a second in Program Auto Mode.
Auto defaulted to ISO 200 with and f stop of 5.6.

Bottom photo taken at 4" in Manual.
ISO 200 with an f stop of 32.

What was the point of showing you this?
Well look at the difference in the water reflections.

The water is nice and glassy smooth showing the tree above and reflections of the hillside above it too.

Last night I experimented with a long exposure during a windswept sunset.

The clouds were blowing by as the sun set and I thought it would be fun to take a few shots with a 4" exposure.  I did have to add an ND filter.

 You can see the trees moving via a 27 mph wind gust.

Then there is always the fall back to just trying to get a good sunset shot.

I will whole heartedly admit it.  I quickly popped my Oly into 'Sunset mode' and took this.  No fiddling around.
My hands were frozen and unworkable by that time.

Cameras will work well for you in whatever mode you feel comfortable in.

I just like to experiment.
 

A Mandelbulb 3D Composite & Parameters to Share

This was an experiment in using the Z mid, Z start, and Z end, tabs.  I changed them for different looks.  Then in the 3D Nav window I played with the Julia co-ordinates.  Along with the formula tabs.

The backround was taken from a Flame fractal I rendered in JWildfire.
I often like mixing the programs and putting them together.

This one is a composite of Mandelbulb 3D, JWildfire, and some Brushes by Obsidian Dawn for the space effects.
Note these are 'free' programs.  But if you are using them truly you should consider donating to the authors who have done such hard work!

I used a textured map color to get the metallic lines in the Mandelbulb.

I also worked with the 'far plane' 'tab' found in the 3D Nav window at the bottom to 'isolate' this portion of the fractal.  It isn't hard, if you want less of the backround fractal to show you reduce your far plane until you get the results you want.
If I am doing a fractal for a composite, I usually isolate the image.

I compiled them in Adobe CS2.

Here are the parameters for sharing.

 Mandelbulb3Dv18{
g.....S....s/...ET........kPuiJVzSp5.5IT2P7Q/a/kCB8.yeRD8zvsVyQgNKnazWPzXinuew/k
................................IgzIhwqqN/2........Y.h3........E........o.2...kD
...Uz6/...U0.....MU//......E0...I1....E......cuyq9tc8OkD/.Ug4/EE...m/dkpXm1....U
z.....kD12../2kixSRqTnrqx.................................U0.....y1...sD...../..
.w1...sDOyRjFIlvxvf5EWGc1F8.zAMrFMGreJhDF0uCnNrKhvvmopiU50pwyCRz.A0xz9kDui5hhLEK
yv1hw3VN1nrxywnER3oCdSjDU.....oB/.............sD.6....kD0.G.....................
.............oAnAt1...sD....zw1...................................Ug4/EEM.....x/
.....Ksulz1.......kzhxzzzH.U..6.L....s2...EB....90XhBk/..U.F....8/...I1....UJl5I
...U.0...wD...kz....z1....6.16nzzzzz...wQOr9PExD6IsffaWeYz1............/XxzzgG6.
.wUmc2beYz1.dA8E5ExwzC........../6X0.cqKD/..R8Zc4xRkz6nlrlkCx9xj.gM3ZaYq1zP60c..
5t2I..ktPnvka6zD.KsffaWeYz1..........AkB8.UaZ/L9.ALOJleRay984fHeuwPE.1ksD8SAAj/E
/6U0.wzzz1....................................Ak.1.U.06U2K.k.1A..1Ak.np0.06U..6U
.0sK/hdht0kaqaPiIM4U.06..1Ak.1fP.1Ak..Ak.1ADm/Ak.1EG7ZIGlH5U.06.nAnAnsZR.06U..6U
.0MMw/Ak.1.k.1Ak...y3q/bzz/k.1Akyz1yATomxzpaqaff................................
E....MEFF3U1....2....A....EEh3aSdtqNU6oPs/............................k/9.......
...................wz.........wDnAnAnAnAnz1.....................................
................................................................................
.....................2.....3....3....w3IjlKS4x4PYZaPb/..........................
.............................U.EnAnAnAnAjzXNaNaNaNarz...........OaNaNaNady1.....
..........................................................2........wz...........
................................/....E/....0....TFZQVtqQg34RZB2BY/EA.61.........
........................................0.2..........cNaNaNaN4xD................
................nAnAnAngJz1..................O2E..............................zD
..........................................E.....I....A....kLGx4RVFLN..UPo/0IjR5.
oE4..................MU/4....................................O3E................
...3./........yD........................................kz1.....................
........kz1..........................................6.....3..../....oIMiFKNgF1F
0ZqE.65.................................................................kzfNaNaN
aNavz...........................................................................
................................................................/....M....k.....
4x4PYZaPb/GGiF56ExqR......................U0.U............................2.....
..U6.PaNaNaNatyD................................................................
.....................................................vhNfdAijA............U.}
{Titel: main paras~tab}


I have taken these params and have come of with several useful versions to 'create' with.
Happy Mandel-bulbing!

If you need assistance in figuring out how to do this see:

Mandelbulb 3D Parameter Sharing

What kind of camera do you have?

I'm often asked this question.

So I thought I'd explain what I do have and what I carry with me most every time I step out of the door.

I have a plastic Sanyo P&S camera that I picked up at a Big Box store because I needed a carry along that I could stick in my pocket and it would not be a big deal to lose it...not much $ to replace it.

I have an old Pentax Optio W60, which is one of my favorites.  You can take it out on rainy days, freezing temps, drop it in the creek, drop it off a mule...and it won't bust up.  I have sent it in once for repairs.  This little gem takes fantastic macro shots.  Think fungi!  It also fits in the breast pocket of a shirt or cargo pants pocket.

Yes.
I have DSLR's.  I have a nice Olypmus E420 that I picked up for a steal as Olympus was discontinuing that model.  I find it nice and lightweight compared to the Nikon D40 or my newer Nikon 3100.

These cameras don't go with me unless I am really out hunting photos.  And even then I carry a pocket camera and generally my FujiFinePix HS30EXR.
This camera can go from ultra zoon to a 1cm macro in no time.  No lens changing in the field!  
It isn't THE best camera of its kind, but it suits my purpose.  I think some other brands would take 'better' photos, but this one had the super macro feature which is something I really wanted.

 

I can go from this shot of the acorn above to this shot of a mule below in just a few seconds.

 

 

Sometimes the photos are a bit 'noisy' and sometimes the colors may be a bit off.  But any camera will do that to you.

I've had the Fuji for just about a year now and I've taken 4,700 photos with it.
Not all were fantastic, not all were winners.
But compared to my other cameras, this one goes with me everywhere as it is the most useful to me.

It doesn't do well in low light though, thought I'd add that.
But you can compensate with a light tripod and a lower ISO.

Well off to run some errands and then if the rain lets up, I think I'll take out my camera bag and see what goodies I can find.

 

Never tie an upset mule...

...to your pick up truck.

Well let me rephrase that.  Or at least explain it.

While we were out hunting the other night hubby took Fred home and caught up the young hound that had gone home.
I stayed on the ridge about 1/2 mile away with Opal.

Fred loves to be with Opal.  Fred always bickers with Opal in the pasture, but seperate them and he can act like a jerk.

Opal is rather ho-hum about Fred.  At least she is with me.  She didn't seem bothered in the least about being left in the dark with me and the hound dog.

Meanwhile back at home hubby tied Fred to his coveted pick up truck and went on to catch Buck to take off the GPS collar.  

Apparently Fred had a hissy fit and after a long hard bray [which I could hear echoing through the woods]...bam.

Fred shotgunned his back feet out in anger.

He nailed 'the truck' next to the gas cap.

When hubby told me about it in an 'I'm peeved at this stupid mule' voice, I asked innocently.

"But why didn't you tie him to the trailer where the lead rope was?"  My thought was it was an obvious choice and probably not a question he wanted to hear.

"Because I was in a hurry and I didn't think ol' Fred would do anything!"  He quipped.  "Stupid mule," he said while running a hand across his neck.

It wasn't hard to hide my grin in the dark.  It was harder not to laugh the next morning when I saw the scuff marks on the side of the truck.

 

When days get short ...

I always have a hard time adjusting to the fall time change.  I still get up early and enjoy the sunrise.
I am always surprised at how early I want to go to bed.  
Then I remember that the time has changed...and I am fighting the natural inclination to go to bed as soon as it is dark out.

I like the light of the shorter days though.  The sun is not burning bright overhead and casts a more interesting light on things I find in the woods.

Yet I also found out that going out while it is dark is pleasurable also.
The neighbors came down last evening with their three children, just before dark. 
I took them on a hike down past our creek and through the rocky dry wash.

 

Mom and Dad had never been there before, but the children had gone with me last month.  Apparently it was an adventure they wanted to share with their parents.
I wore my head lamp so we could see.  We didn't have a lot of daylight left but Mom and Dad were not disturbed by that at all.  They are as avid about hiking as their children are.

The kids climbed like only like kids can do.  They negotiated the slippery rocks with ease.  I picked my way carefully with the Mom and her littlest child who will be 3 in December.  
Leaves covered most of the rocks and it made footing a bit trickier.

Well, that ... and a broken toe I got the day before made things... a it more interesting.

So now the hours have changed but my body hasn't made the adjustment yet.
Soon enough I'll be looking forward to the time change in the spring.