I was ... bored--ish.

Charlie...that goof ball woke us up at 4am. He'd gone into the bedroom by Rich and started howling. I mean howling like he was being murdered. I leapt out of bed and hurried into the bedroom. We still don't know why he started howling.

But that got us up. It was nice in a way because Rich was done with his breakfast, meds, nebs, and morning routine in time for me to drive up to the ridge to watch the sunrise. It felt like a treat to get to my favorite spot and watch the sky and clouds turn colors.

The first shot is with my regular camera lens, the second was with the Lensbaby SOL 22 lens. 

The shot below is more soft as this is what the artistic Lensbaby lens does. I sort of like it!
I wasn't sure about using it in a landscape situation, but without experimenting, we never really know if something really works or not, right?

I got to the Farmer's Market to get some pie for hubby. Ruth is a Mennonite that has a bakery and she is generally there on Market day. I was going to get an apple pie but Ruth recommended the raspberry or the cherry pie. She said fresh apples from the orchard made much better pies that the ones she had. 

I left with a raspberry pie, a cherry pie, 3 bundles of fresh carrots, and several large tomatoes. 

I spent the morning chopping up and blanching the carrots for vacuum sealing and freezing. Last week I froze 3 dozen ears of sweet corn and 3 pounds of green beans.

Growing my vegetables is very satisfying, but with the extra work I have to do here, I've decided that purchasing fresh veggies at stands and markets is easier than toiling in a garden. I'm almost at my goal of fresh frozen veggies for the year.

While cutting up carrots, I had a funny idea. There is a new 'phone' app called NaukNauk that will take a single uploaded photo and turn it into a 5 second animation. So I tried it.

Doesn't everyone need a Ninja Warrior
to help with food chopping???

Both Rich and I giggled over what the AI generated mini movie did with my character. 

By the time I finished the carrots, a full blown storm arrived. The winds were fierce even down in our hollow, we had an inch of rain in less than 30 minutes.

Since the rains kept coming down in buckets, I decided to open up DxO labs and try some of the things they have in their Analog Collection. One of them is called Multilens. It was fun. Not sure what I'd use it for, but it took the photo in a different direction.

I then tried the double exposure component with this shot. 

It doesn't really work as a true double exposure with a shot like this. The program doubles the shot and allows you to resize it, adjust it, and even motion blur it. 

The double exposure section also allows you to add another shot, this time I didn't do that.

I just did a blur on the edges. It was interesting, but not something I'd use often.

I did this one of Charlie in the winter woods a few years ago. This worked out so much better as Charlie was on a white snowy background. One shot of Charlie in the bright snow, and one shot of the forest behind him.

This was done in DxO Labs.

I did an unintentional double exposure. 

I took a few shots of this. The camera was on a tripod and I set the camera up to take 3 shots as I sprayed a bit of mist at the shots.

I set it up in layers and I didn't align them. I liked the result and dubbed it a double exposure.

Dr. Cob and his dog Cog. It seems they are doing some time warping with the minibots.

Uffdah. Time to get out my cleaning supplies and get at it while hubby is up and about.

Nothing like being literally stuck indoors!

But I best get at it.

We are going on our third inch of rain and we are not even in the 'flood watch' area.

Bear and I

I got to take a little walk in the neighbor's forest to the east. I wanted to see why they seemed as if they were cutting every single tree down in one of my favorite places. I didn't get far. The logger was cutting trees much closer than I thought.

...and I had an idea in mind and ... well, honestly, I didn't want 
anyone to see that I'd brought Bear on the walk.

However, Bear insisted.

He loves the forest as much as I do.

He asked to be set on a stump so he could look over the situation.

He slumped the longer he looked at the damaged forest he loved so much. He looked absolutely miserable.

He wanted to know why the trees in this beautiful forest had to be taken.

How do you explain 'greed' to a Teddy Bear?

Bear was sad, he wondered why they had to make the forest so ugly with nothing but stumps and twisted tree tops. 

I explained that they didn't want the tops, just the trunks.

"But Bears like to climb into the tops," Bear told me. "We like tree branches to get away from scary things."

He was upset and decided that the forest looked very 'Scary' to him now.

Bear decided we needed to get home where he felt safe.

"I'm comfy here," he said quietly. "Just let me sit on your bed. I'll even share it with Charlie. Maybe we will try a walk in the forest again some time. I need to think about it."

 

Just for fun b/c it is going to be so ....

dang hot and humid today... Here is some comparison shots of the flower gardens.

The East garden --> East side of the house.

This is the path through the East Garden. 
On the left side of the path, I have so 

many perennials. 

Blazing Stars come in 

after the daffodils, tulips, and 

iris plants.👇

I used broken bits of concrete pavers to make
my own path. This year I laid down cardboard
and then layered the mulch over the cardboard.
It worked pretty well this year!

This is how it looked in the beginning of May.

 

The Porch area... now...

and earlier this year....

The back step...

What greets you when you park at our house right now....

I have more gardens. They are considered my wild-ish gardens. I plant the seeds in mass -- I use a coffee can full of mixed seeds I collected from last year and dump in the dirt. I rake it and stomp it into the ground.
I do weed it until it is knee high and then I let the plants do what they want.

I simply mow around them and admire the colors and the amount of bees, birds, and other insects that are busy with the plants.

I guess I did this post because late in February next year if I am still on this Earth, I can look back and see how pretty the gardens were this summer.

Then I can plan to do something different for next year. I do have to say though, having pumpkin plants near the house has actually been quite fun. They really attract the bees and it is exciting to watch the pumpkins grow and guess what they will look like.

August is a time of change and at least for me it is a time to put up produce. The past few days I've been freezing veggies for this winter. Thankfully, there are enough produce markets around for me to pick up as much as I want. I haven't had time to do a vegetable garden for the past few years but still manage to freeze or dehydrate all of our veggies for the next several months.

Have a grand day...

Fishing and photos....

 We had a perfect day ... to go fishing. 

With Steve's help, we made it to Lee Lake in Cazenovia once more. And...the fish actually were biting. It was only the little fish, but at least the guys had fun deciding which one was going to be the BIG one.

It was a great day to take my Infrared Camera and more than one light spectrum filter. Below are the two guys deep in conversation...or they are just sitting quietly enjoying each others company. These two do chat but have long silences in between.

Some conversations start with ... Do you remember when....???  I listen intently to those stories because it is a history of things that occurred before I met Rich.

To think these guys are in their late 70's ... and have known each other since they were in their late 20's. 

Their friendship never ended but their lives took different directions with the two of them connecting up every once in a while.

Below...Steve tied a table umbrella to the dock so Rich can stay cooler in the shade. He thinks of everything!

Infrared Photo...

Bassy the stuffy fish did come along! Rich said she couldn't stay on the dock with them. He was afraid that she'd blow off as we actually had a breeze.

Cell shot....

The cool thing about Infrared is that you can get so 
many different looks with one filter. This
bench was filmed in the spectrum of

550nm.

This first shot is what it looks like

in camera. Startling blue foliage

and an orange hued sky.
Red becomes pink.

This is the black and white version. Basically I just desaturated the shot

and upped the contrast a bit.

The shot below is achieved by

what is called Channel swapping.
IR only picks up a few colors.

This is very hard to explain and it

is pretty technical.

I know that I enjoy the results.

The world looks foreign.

Here are a couple more views of the man made lake in Infrared using different light spectrums.

I really had fun with the Infrared camera. Hot sunny days are the best for using this camera.

Below are shots I did with my upgraded but not very fancy Google Pixel 9a. My 6a was on its last legs. What did surprise me [aside from the price] was the new ability of the camera to take 'long' exposures. So I went and tried it out by the Caz Dam.

I've been fighting off using my cell phone as a camera for a long time. But I can see its uses while hiking a long distance and not lugging along heavy camera equipment.

I did some other experimenting with a clearfield center diopter filter I found at a second hand store for $1. It was the filter I used in the very first shot which allowed the center to be in focus and the edges become blurred.

I can see where it will be very very handy in some toy photography.

This is the Lady of Pain from the Dungeons and Dragons collection. I thought she'd go perfect with a poison dart frog.

We had more adventures after leaving the lake. 

Eventually we did make it home safe and sound and tired out. But Rich and I are looking forward to our adventure next week.

Repost from 2016

 

It is August and I finally got to the horse trailer to pull out all the tack and give it a good cleaning. Hubby no longer uses any of his saddles and ... it has been over a year since I've used any of mine.

Funny though, as I cleaned this black Stonewall Saddle I went down memory lane with memories of my first rides on Siera.

From 2016...my third ride on Siera--->

Every animal definitely has their own character.  Siera is one of those.  

We hadn't ridden off the farm since March 22, 2015 when hubby and I went looking for antlers last year after his cancer diagnosis.  I did take Siera for a short ride on March 29th of last year, but I've only ridden her two other times.
Once with Lily and Fred and once a few weeks ago.

Siera said NO, I am not going into the woods!
I said, yes, we are.
It took some coaxing but we headed down my hiking/riding trail.  

Siera stared at the logs that had fallen into the ditch.  She gave it a once over and then stepped across.  She kept turning her head and looking through the woods towards the summer pasture.  She twisted her head and shook it, nodding her nose up and down.

Siera was protesting leaving her farm/paddock buddies.  She was peeved.  Yet she moved forward.  I wanted to see if I could get her through a section of trail I'd just cleared this fall and winter.  
However she decided she was not going there.

NO
Yes.  Gently I asked her.

NO, I said NO, I mean NO, okay but under protest.

We were able to get through the mess of downed trees and to the first big ditch.  I was slightly surprised by the amount of water in the ditch.  The dirt was black and inky.

NO! Alert! Killer Mule Ditch, eats mules alive, out of shape fat molly mules named Siera.  NO!

Really Siera? However I just walked her along the edge of the ditch and looked around.  She began to sweat behind the ears and act irritated.  I let her stand for a moment before I turned her away.  I'd told my husband that I'd only work Siera on the eastern hillside section.  This path would take us beyond that.  And I could see that I needed to do a bit more trimming to keep the sapling branches from poking our eyes out.

I turned her away and we wove back up in the general direction of the farm.

Thank Goodness, Pony Woman, have you lost your mind and sense of direction? Home, yes, Home!

When we got to the up hill trail, the one I use often to go check for morels, wildflowers, and sometimes the round about way to the road and mail box...I turned Siera.

NO, you idiot.  Home is not this way!

Protest from my mule.  Head bobbing and shaking.  Her ears twisted back and forth and I asked her politely and then forcefully to take the trail.  And we went.
By the time we reached the top of the hill she was breathing hard but still flopping her head up and down and acting a bit homesick.
I decided to tie her up and let her calm down.
This is why I always ride with a rope halter.

I did an equipment check and then sat down on a stump and listened to Fred bray at home.  When in the paddock together he acted as if Siera was his mortal enemy.  When she was gone, he cried like a lovesick child.

Really? Tied to a tree Pony Woman?  Oh never mind, this calms me.  I can stand and relax.  I like this tree, do you like this tree?  It is a friendly tree. Hi nice tree, how are you?  

Siera seemed to calm down once tied to a tree.  Now I have never figured that out. If she is nervous, tie her to a tree and she'll just stand there.  Odd mule.

After she relaxed we rode my eastern hillside trails a few times, making a big circle.  Siera made a nice trail to follow so it will be easier once the leaves start to come back.  At first she tried to charge going down hill.  Each time she did, I turned her around and had her work back up hill.

YES, down down, let's go.  Home, home.  Uh-oh, NO! Not back up. Oh darn.
Okay, you win, I will walk like a sensible mule.  This is hard work and I don't like hard work.

We ended our ride on a very pleasant note, the last time we did the trail her ears were flopping and she was relaxed although a bit sweaty.
We went home.  I had to fill the stock tank and Siera had to cool down.  I tied her to the trailer and turned the hydrant on.

Then I went back and mounted Siera.  It was time for standing still while doing nothing with a rider on your back.

Boring.  I see grass.  Can I have grass? Please?  Oh you won't notice if I sneak forward and grab grass.  Oh darn you!

We had moved the Dexter cows due to give birth in the next few months out of their winter area and onto a grassy area.  I thought I'd ride Siera up between the buildings and up the narrow lane to check on them.
We got between the buildings and Siera froze.  At first I clucked and then tapped her with a foot.  She shook her head and backed up.

YOU idiot!  That could be a monster!  See that piece of nasty orange rusted metal? It could eat mules.  Let me look at it.  Let me look at it!

I sat and wondered why she was suddenly frozen and being obstinate.  I waited. Her head moved up and down, she sniffed.  I then did a slight kiss and she moved on through.

I'd forgotten the golden rule with Siera.  She needs to look some things over and convince herself that it isn't dangerous.  We walked passed Thor who ran and brayed in his paddock, she ignored him.  We went back to see the Dexters.  Siera acted curious.

Stupid cows.  You get the fine new grass pasture.  I get bupkiss.  I am still in a paddock.  Why are you so special?  What? Can't you talk? Dumb cows.  At least I am useful.  See? 

I sat on her and she watched the Dexters who watched her.  Finally we went around the other side to go check on their stock tank of water.

UH oh.  This could be a trap.  No, yes, no.  Maybe.  That black thing, it is a grill. Yes that is where they cook bad mules who don't behave.  Wait.  They don't eat mules.  Nice people don't eat their mules, right Pony Woman?

Siera had to stop and look at the grill that was in the driveway near the outhouse. She was not going to go passed it.  I sat and let her look the situation over.  We haven't done 'yard work' together in a long time.  

We finished all the chores that I could do, riding from one area of the yard to another and then I took her back to the trailer and curried her out.  She was dry and seemed to like it.

Nice lady, you are nice.  Gotta scratch right there, a little to the left please.  Oh much better.  Maybe I'll be good next time we ride together.  Maybe, a mule doesn't always make promises, especially if they are a molly mule.  We are known for having a female temper sometimes.

I turned her out and watched her find a dry spot to roll in.  I felt good.  I hadn't realized exactly how much I loved our forest adventures together.  I really needed to ride more.

PS... The photos of Siera are with her winter coat and before she gets a haircut. Normally, in the summer she is beyond stunning to look at!

I'm thinking. I may use my next nice days with Respite to take some riding time on my gals. It will only be in their mowed pasture, but heck, at least I can back in the saddle and chill out.

The beginning of August

Welcome August.
We saw our first buck in velvet close to home while having coffee in the morning. He was walking amongst several does who just stared at him as he walked through the neighbor's field and woods.

Something alarmed the gals and they took off to the west while the buck took off to the east. They look hazy because of the smoke and some fog.

I have 4 o'clocks blooming all over the place. Each year, I collect the seeds and then randomly drop them into different areas.

Some of them have grown to nearly 5 feet tall and others are being entwined with morning glories.

It's a mess in this spot, but I am enjoying the mess. I may chop it all down after a frost and see what comes up again next year.

Thankfully, Little Richard has been busy helping with the yard work. I put him in some spots that seemed to be growing faster than the rest of the yard and he did a nice job overnight.

Mornings are still the best to go look at things in the garden. The past few mornings are cool with fog and smoke.

The bees are really busy in the pumpkin plants I planted ... ahem, sort of ... by accident in front of the house.

Actually, having them so close is nice. I can see how the bees work the flowers and I can watch the funky pumpkins grow!

These pumpkins are a cross between some gnarly bumpy pumpkins I had last year and the original whitish-yellow pumpkins I had. So it will be interesting to see how large they get. 

I have several other pumpkins in another spot in the pasture that I fenced off. 

I have tossed pumpkins in for the mules to eat the past few years and it seems that they eat them and then stomp the seeds into the ground.

Here are some more flowers to enjoy. All of them taken early in the morning with dew drops on them.

I sure do love the morning glories!

 

End of July

What does the end of July bring? Well, lots of flowers are blooming all over my yard. 

The hummingbirds and humming bird moths are crazy busy sucking up that nectar.

I put morning glories in several places this year. I put one right outside the porch door and let it climb up a shepherd's hook. 

Most of the flowers in front of the west porch area were variations of blue this summer. Of course, the Morning Glories take the cake!

 

July usually gives us a rest from mowing with a dry spell. Not this year. Mowing has to be done every 5 to 6 days. Maybe that is why I feel so behind on things. Days of wet, days and days of rain. No dry spells for the farmers to make hay.

The sunflowers are blooming too along with my Brown Eyed Susans. This is the first time I've grown them and they are doing so well.

In fact, they have been home to some elusive Crab Spiders. 

They hide under the petals of the flowers and wait for a meal to drop by. They are ambush spiders that don't create webs to catch their prey. 

August will bring the Orb Spiders out in force in the Meadow just east of us. That will be incredible to see again this year [hopefully]. Thousands of Orb Spider webs sparkling in the morning dew.

Air Quality was a huge factor on and off for July. Well, for this summer. Wildfires in the States and Canada are obviously contributing to the horrid atmosphere. However, the mules are pleased to be wandering a clipped pasture. The blueish haze is smoke.

We got a trip in to Cabela's yesterday and drove through driving rain. Hubby looked at the fish in their giant fish tank and was not impressed since he couldn't have any to eat.

On the way home, Steve as always took the scenic way home which includes as many back roads as possible.

This was a shot I took of the ridges above Prairie du Chien as we headed home. Shooting out the back window of a moving car is pretty challenging.

That's smoke too.

Today is much worse as the sun looks brownish and the haze is thick and smells bad.