The Christmas Chair

Each year the day after Thanksgiving, I try and do a little bit of decoration for Christmas.  

Yesterday while doing the chores I saw a 'project' chair that had been left out in the yard, hubby had been using it to sit on and left it by one of the unoccupied dog houses.

The paint has peeled, the seat has cracked.  The chair is a mess, but perfect for one of my painting projects.

Pretty ugly right? 

I wondered how it would look as a part of my tree.

I don't have much room for decorations so I have to think small.  I only put up a portion of the tree anyway and wondered what it would be like to have the tree mixed in with the ugly peeling chair.

 

Still ugly....but wait...



A few photos can change that...

Depending on the angle chosen.

Well Morris was not impressed at all....he sat with his Angry Bird toy and watched.


However.... I got out my Dolica Tripod and decided to do some camera work.  I thought I'd put it through some paces.  I like how I can get a nice shot with the camera close to the ground.

I got this

and then this...

Of course I should have my Breyer mules here..but I need to find them first...I'm pretty sure that a short trip into the tiny attic shall produce my mules.

I guess I went with a Western Theme this year for my decorations.  
Is there room for gifts under the tree?

No.
That is the other reason that Morris looks unimpressed.
I take 'his' recliner and cover it with Christmas patterned cloth and then stack the gifts in it.

Life in a cottage.
Sure is cozy!

Sometimes I wish for a bigger house, but I'm always happy with the place we have.

Quiet Thanksgiving

I should have run about with my camera to take some beautiful shots of our animals on Thanksgiving Day.

But we were in a rush to get to mom in law's apartment for a noon meal with sister and brother in law.

However, Thor was entertaining us while we chored by taking one of his sticks and walking around with it...waving it up and down.

This is a shot from last winter when I happened to luckily have a camera with when he did it.

He is quite the character and is full of charm.

The day was pretty quiet.  We celebrated Thanksgiving by going to mom in law's apartment and having pork chops and stuff along with pumpkin pie.


Today Morris and I put the Christmas Chair-Tree up.  I tried something different this year and will post photos of it later when I get access to my own computer.

 

A bit of Fractal Fun

Mandelbulb Maniacs posted a fun little exercise for us to do with the program.  We were to begin with one formula and then create 'something'.
Next step was add another formula and create the next step.

And so on until we had gone through 6 formulas.

The top shot is the 6th and last step.

This was 5 formulas:

 

This was 4 formulas:

 

This next is the second step.

Things really change up when you add formulas and sometimes your choices end up quite ugly and you have to work hard at finding a proper edit worth posting.
These two 'creations' have mainly the same color themes.  Just a tweak here and there to keep them interesting.

So know you know what I do when it is bitterly cold outside. I play with graphic 3d programs and fractals.
It does help the time go by.

And it doesn't involve dropping anything on my feet!

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Bubble Wrap Please

This past two weeks have been awful hard on my feet.
I rammed my middle toe on the left foot two weeks ago.  It is still a bit purple and sore.

This week I tripped [Klutz!] over a baby gate.  My right foot is sporting black and blue from the little toe to the middle of the whole foot.  How charming!

Hubby, sweet hubby, tipped the Dexter's small stock tank over so the ice would fall out of it.

I went to water the Dexters and grabbed the edge of the little tank.  It did not want to budge.
So without thinking I shoved my left foot closer, hunkered down and...

Do you see where this is going?

I yanked it up and a monster chunk of ice landed firmly and with great weight upon the top of the instep of my left foot.

I think.  No, I am sure, that half of Vernon County heard my yells and cursing.  I rolled around on the hillside and flopped around like a fish out of water.  I was hurt, I was upset, and I was mad at being such an idiot.

I now know also why no hunters shot anything today in a 2 mile radius.  I must have scared them all off.

Alas, I met up with hubby in the woods later, while taking some photos.
He said he never heard me holler.

I said, 'Next time...no wait...there will never be a next time!'
He replied, 'Until next time.'

Of course I am gimping around right now.  Not funny, but yeah, it sort of is.

I wonder what the Dexters thought of the quivering blob of blaze orange yelling and rolling in the snow and grass was?

However, I did make it to the creek to take a couple of shots.
It was quite beautiful and peaceful there.

 

 
 

Living with Mona ~ by Morris

My ... 'my' kids came to visit last weekend.
Miss Ariel and Mr Dennis.

I like having them to play with.  We went for a walk in the rain and then I got a bath in the tub, but you know all about that from what SHE said in last week's post.

I've been putting up with a visitor in the house this week.
Her name is Mona.
She is an old dog, the vet said.  Hmmm, she is 9.  How old can that be when it is the same age that I am?

She is huge and tall!  She is stately and well mannered.  She is not real playful but acts like she is some sort of Queen or something.
She also could use a bath.
SHE has been grooming her with MY brush.  I stand on the other side of the baby gate and watch.  I make little squeaking noises so she knows I still exist.

Each year for I don't know how long I've had to put up with raising a puppy in the house for most of the winter.
Now I have to host an old lady dog?

Mona just gives me the big hound dog eye when I say things like that.
She says she can forgive me because I have a short nose and short ears and ... am not so good at much but being a pest.

I mean whew.  She lives outdoors normally and not inside.  She could really use a nice bath with nice smelly soap.  Mona usually sleeps in straw bedding.

Now she has a nice comfy horse blanket.  
She told me she is very happy in the house ... thank you very much.
She likes getting petted and talked to.

She likes smelling the cooking smells.  And even though she is a 60 lb dog in an itty bitty house, she believes she fits right in.

Not only that.  Even I have to say Mona is amazing.  She has been in the house for days and not once has she had an accident.

Well, the heater is running.
I better go lay in front of it, then go hold down the couch some more.

I'm happy I'm an inside dog!

~Morris

Leading up to Deer Gun Season...

Several fun things happened this week.
I am saying 'fun' in a purely sarcastic type of way.

Monday morning, my neighbor called.  Could I come right away my neighbor had to rush her sick cat to the vet's.
The cat had been having issues on and off during the summer.  This was a cat the the kids really liked.  They called him Rainbow.
[Rainbow died the next day...]

That afternoon things seemed to go quite nicely.  I took Morris for a walk to the creek and we spent a little time looking for tracks.

Later that afternoon we were trying to get fencing and animals ready for the coming deer gun season.  
I went to water the hounds.
Mona seemed a bit off.  Not her normal self.  
Normal self is happy lick you on the hand jump up and down...wag the tail normal.
She didn't eat and refused water.
We took her off to the vet.

She was diagnosed with Lyme Disease and we received a dose of antibiotics. 

That night we took Belle hunting.  Belle was a flop.  Once she heard the hounds at home barking, she went home.

Wednesday it turned cold.  I went to feed Mona some warmed up food.  She refused to come out of her house.
So I moved her into the kitchen.  Hubby thought about complaining but decided that it would be easier to give her the shots and pills if she was indoors.
I put in the baby gate.  Mona went to sleep in a large dog crate.  
Hubby was rushing to get going to his appointment at the VA.  I was rushing to get some things done before it was supposed to start to rain/snow.

I certainly am no ballerina.  I went to step over the gate [rather quickly] and got tangled up in a heap on the floor.  I was hugging myself and trying so hard to breath.  I'd done something to my stupid foot.  The little toe turned white.
I sat and waited until I could breath again and got up slowly.

I still had to get to town.

Short notes now...
On the way back from the VA hosptial, the Jeep lost its brakes.
On my errands in town, the Subaru dashlights came on warning of brakes and battery.
I hurried home and turned the corner to coast down the driveway...all the dashboard lights came on at once and the gauges all stopped working.

Uh-oh.

By now the little toe was purple.  The foot was swelled.  I gimped the groceries inside, grabbed an ice pack and sat down.

My laptop decided to take a dump on me.
No not the dreaded screen of death.
But it seems like the Wifi card has died.

 


For whatever reason, it will not stay connected.  So now I have to resort to making files, transferring any photos to a stick and using my old laptop to post things like photos.
But...
since my foot hurts like a bugger, I'm not photographing.
I am however working with fractals.

So here you go:
Stomach Virus....ewww....I know...but that's what I thought of it!

Attack of the Nano-Bots:

The Great White Hunter has just returned.  He has filled his doe tag.
Looks like we'll have fresh deer roast again!

Sunday Fun.

We started the day off with a bang.  Walking in the woods in the rain with Blaze Orange on, and hiking chaps attached to belts on the grand kids.

Morris got filthy.  We started to get soaked so we made it a short trip.

Some nice kids I know...grand kids...offered to give Morris a bath.

He liked it.

After the bath the sky broke open and the rain stopped.

The morning was still quite young and the kids were in no way ready to spend time indoors if at all possible.

I asked if a 'photo hike' would be fun and they said yes.
I passed out cameras and off we went.

 

The sky, the clouds, the multiflora rose hips became instant hits with the kids.
Everything at once became explored through the eye of a lens of sorts.

Even Grandma.

[thank goodness her face is hidden right?]

Water droplets on leaves became discussion worthy with the kids.
We knelt and examined the water and the leaf textures of the oak.

Dennis and I spent time trying to get as close to a multiflora rose bush without getting bit...

The skies then turned ominous and the winds began to pick up as the temperature dropped.

We headed back towards home discussing sumac bushes, red berries, dead flowers, deer tracks, gravel roads, the clouds...the wind...

And as we walked down the driveway Dennis headed towards the house and Ariel stopped and said loudly to him...

'Dennis! Wouldn't you rather stay outside and look at animals?'  She looked at me.  I smiled at her and said, 'Oh I agree.  The house is boring, and animals are cool.'

In about 15 minutes, the skies changed even more. 
We went inside to eat lunch and enjoy a movie.

Morris is currently pouting on the couch.  He misses his kids.
Grandpa has gone to bed.  He misses the kids.

Me?
I'm here looking through photos.
Yeah.
I miss the kids.

 

 

Rain Rain go Away and Randomness...

What a beautiful sunset we had Friday night.  I saw this on our ridge road.  The mailbox belongs to our good neighbor Linda.

I've probably shot many sunsets here over the years.  Either on muleback or while driving to or from work [depending on the shift].

Today it is raining...pouring...cats and dogs.  Well not literally.

So I gave up the idea of me running down to the creek to experiment in this beautifully overcast day.

I had some creative ideas in using timed exposure.

Other considerations.
I may turn in, or recycle, or trade in...however you want to word it, my Nikon D40.  It has been a faithful camera for nearly 5 years.  I'm looking at upgrading to a Nikon D5200.

I've also decided to go ahead and begin doing some portrait and custom work.  No advertising ... word of mouth work in photography.  I've been teetering on the edge for a long time and after doing children's portraits and my third wedding, I'm getting a better feel for photographing people.

I'm also continuing in my graphic art work.

There is a blog I follow called fraktalblog is by a Fractal Artist who works with Mandelbulb 3D.  When I need inspiration I read through the English translation and try to figure out who he made some of his wonderful creations.  Thank you Jorge Ab always for the inspiration from across the sea!
You can also find his work on deviantART.


One of my latest Mandelbulb 3D creations went to achieve a #1 status on Pixoto.  Not sure what that means but it is like a game for me.

I combined JWildfire and Mandelbulb 3D for this one.

Today I am working with IFS forumulas in MD3D.  Just because.  I am trying to work with made up parameters today...actually I'm experimenting with the formulas and I think I may have actually found something!

I'm not sure of how to 'start' out with original parameters.  But I loaded 'Impossible World' parameters from the stock parameters that came with the program.
From there I changed everything.

And....then because of a storm, I forgot to save the parameters before I exited...
and poof it was gone.

So instead I went to FB's Mandelbulb Maniacs and played with some parameters that are being shared...by

Ricky Jarnagin

Have a good day no matter what you are doing.

Night out...

If you really want a different perspective on hunting at night, or in our case it was more like walking the trails in the woods at night.

Take a child.

Comments:

If we get lost [we were never lost] I could make us a bed of grass right here, and take thistle fluff and make soft pillows.

I can see the clouds when I turn off my headlamp.  Will it rain?  If it does, it is okay, I don't mind rain.

The hoot owl isn't so scary when you are in the woods.  But I don't ever want to do this by myself.

We are not lost are we?  [No we were not, I kept telling her to listen for our donkeys and hounds and she'd know where our houses where].

I like this how late can we stay out without my dad getting worried?

Is your rifle loaded?  Does it make a big noise? [Sort of]

Could I shoot a raccoon with my BB gun?  [Well yes but it would just sting him and make him/her mad]

We could camp here, it is nice and flat.  I like it here.  [We were in the valley next to the creek in a wide open spot.]

She had a wonderful time.  She got to watch Axe work in the woods as he was wearing a collar that flashed as he moved.  She got to hear him bay and we even searched a tree.

She started to drag her feet as we headed home.  Her folks both came out to see us when we got home.  As nonchalant as Dad was, I could tell he was curious to see if his daughter actually enjoyed the night trip.

She looked at Dad and said.  
'I want to do this again very soon!'

Yup.  Me too.  Having a child with gives you a whole new perspective on everything.

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.