Rain! Heat ...Stuck inside.

Maybe my heart is in creativity in all shapes and forms.

I am not talented in drawing or painting. However I can make excellent stick figures and cartoonish figures.

Cartoon I did for Mules and More Magazine years ago. See? I can draw a line!

I read some articles debating the use of AI Art and some other articles which discussed the positive uses for AI in doing graphic art and commercial art. 

I've experimented so far with two AI generators. NightCafe and wombo. Both are free, both can be done from your computer or your smartphone. 

These are the simple AI art things a person can do.

I like to delve even further into the realm of 'interesting-ness'. I admit. It can be ho-hum and sort of pretty in a strange way. But since I was stuck with evading the heat and humidity, I thought I'd dabble in another form of abstract art. 

I went on a Horse kick and got this:

I mean most of this looks pretty and abstract. So I decided to get creative.

I combined two 'creations' from a photo of my favorite box elder tree in the winter.

I typed in Tree Ents for one image and Tree Ents with cottages for the second image using the above tree as a base image.

I combined the two to create my own mystical Tree Cottage.

It looks like some strange house straight out of a story like the Hobbit.

I can see where an AI application like this could be used to create a book cover, an album cover, or even perhaps a poster. [Each of the sites do offer prints for a pretty nice price and offer a way to sell your artwork as an NFT.] 

I could see this as a book cover!

I really wanted to create something with a horse in it so I went over to Nightcafe and started experimenting.

This looked like freaky flying horses with red farts.

It was not something I wished to work with. The one below looked vaguely like Wrath Horses stuck in a Swamp of Sorrow. 

The one below involved the words: Horses, clouds, angels, wings, 

...and something strangely creepy, but it held my attention with a ... 

This IS It!

I wanted something more dark and strange.

This was the original.

Here is the final edit.

I stopped right here because this exemplified what I thought was the definition of 

a

Nightmare.

Okay, this is not for everyone at all. I mean it has a certain scary awful dystopian feel to it. It is dark and a bit frightening.

I like scary movies though and this really resonated with me. It was all created with just words and then run through Artificial Intelligence and a Neural Network.

Let's end on some happy and cheery doodles.

Steam Punk Flowers and Clouds

What the dashboard of creation looks like:

Tropical Beach Cheerful Lifeforms...
I don't see the life forms, but at least it is cheerful and in the rather fantastical and weird style of Kincaid paintings. The colors are pretty, but I don't see any beach!

Flying Things

I have only seen about 3 Monarchs so far this year, but the Swallow Tail Butterflies have been very busy!

This patch of purple bee balm has been the HOT spot.

On these hot afternoons I sit in the shade on the north stoop and watch the activity.

In May I used good old compost dirt to fill in a dip in the yard. It took a few loads of BS dirt to make a nice spot.
I then planted sunflowers and spread packets of wildflower seeds and stomped it down. 
It has produced beautiful little flowers as well as the bachelor buttons and others that I can't identify.

Below is a 'magic' shot. I use ProCapture shooting [on a tripod] to catch the butterfly on the right landing. I merged two photos to get the sequence.

I got braver and thought I'd try it with the one Swallow Trail. The result is not perfect, however it was a fun challenge to do. Edited in ON1 Photo because I won't be a slave to Photoshop's rental.

The downside of shooting like that is getting a TON of photos to sort through which include a lot of misses. 

The ProCapture feature is really cool. When you press the shutter half way down, it starts to cycle when you hold the shutter down it saves the previous 10 shots [or whatever you program it to] and then up to 70 shots [I programed mine to a mere 5] of when you release the shutter.

So you have pre shots, and after shots to go through. As well as those taken while you held down the shutter.

However, it seems to be a great way to 'shoot' unexpected action.

The downside again, is having to go through those shots. However, I can see this as fantastic for trying to catch birds, butterflies, and equine running? I can also use the other two sequential modes for fast action. 
I'm still experimenting.

The butterflies and other insects move so fast, it is nearly impossible to time it with my slow finger on the shutter.

I used low sequential for these two shots. The Clearwing Hummingbird Moth was so exciting to see! Not only that, I got it with a bumble bee on the opposite side of the flower with both in midflight.

I spent over an hour by the back step watching these incredible insects fly about. 

I'm learning to be patient and observe things. This is something that was very hard for me to do.

However the intense heat and humidity actually helped me sit tight and watch from the shade.

And finally, my patience paid off with the spotting of a Monarch.

Dear Coach

This is written to my Coach[s] from Viroqua CrossFit. Each week the coaches ask us to share our bright spots and that can be in or out of the gym.

So I'm going to share my Bright Spots which are a cumulation of things that are positive that happened not just in the gym but because of the gym.

Friday I was working out with my Coach Angie. Since spring, she has been coaching and helping me work on strengthening and conditioning for my lower spine and hips. 

While I was catching my breath from a Tabata, I told her how much things had changed over the summer for me. I surprised myself this past week while cleaning my old saddle that I hadn't used in years.

The saddle was no longer seemed too heavy for me to lift and set on Sunshine. Wait.

Now that I think about it. I almost never used that saddle since my first of two shoulder surgeries and elbow surgery. Rich always had to help me with it. 

Huh. Did the saddle get lighter, or did I get stronger?

Nearly a year ago I was told I had Severe Osteoporosis in my lower back and right hip. The back was a huge concern. 

It made me want to stop and question every movement I made. How could I feed my equine? How could I carry water? I was suddenly terrified of doing almost anything at all!

My doctor wanted me to only hike with another person for my own safety or take walks only within cell phone range. 

My goodness. Suddenly I doubted everything I was able to do. Suddenly I was acting like a crippled person and second guessing everything.

I was miserable, so I decided to see what going back to the gym would do for me.

The Mobility Class was offered at the gym and I thought that was a great place to start. Then I signed up with a coach for one on one specific training.

What were my goals? 
My goals were simple. Increase my core strength with workouts. Keep my mobility and balance.

I am accomplishing a my goals with Coach Angie. She gives me what I can handle and kept me moving correctly with weight bearing exercises which are exactly what is suggested for Osteoporosis. She challenges me in an awesome way and I don't have to try to figure out what I should be doing. She is constantly evaluating my progress.

What were my Bright Spots for the week?

Doing Mobility with others and seeing individual improvement in others and myself.

Feeling awesome after one-on-one training.

Riding again ~

Exploring on my own again ~

I am proud to say that my CrossFit box makes a difference in my life directly. The coaches and fellow gym members are like family. I can't help but feel positive after interacting with them.

Feeling ME again ~

Exploring AI Art

AI in photography? Nonsense, right?
Well, I couldn't resist trying a program that allowed you to type in words and add a photo of your own, then pick a style using wombo ai art. I'd read about it from a review on new AI art which was pondering the relevance or non relevance of new ways of creating art. 

Is it real art? Is it not real art?

The consensus in a way is that it is not 'old' art in a sense but a new kind of art. 

I'm ambivalent regarding that. My conclusion is using AI as a means to an end can be art as long as the 'artist' is in control of manipulating the final piece.

I'm one that has explored computer generated art in the past and enjoyed using it. 

So....

Here is the original photo I used.

I typed in Scary, End of the World, and picked the Malevolent Style.

I didn't expect I'd really get anything I'd like. After all AI isn't really quite art or is it?

The result:

I sort of liked it in an abstract way. But felt I could improve on it tremendously if I used some magical editing skills.

Crop/Resize/a bit of punch added and this was the result:

Still neat but not quite there. It needed something to tell more of a story and create a feeling.

I put it in DxO's Analog app and gave it some minor adjustments and a partial 'dirt' texture.

Clearly, my Grand daughter who is a gamer, would appreciate the final result. Dystopian, end of the world, creatur-ish, scary, out of the world...strange.

I stopped there because it struck me with the emotion of slight discomfort. 
Perfect.

I thought I'd try another one. I uploaded this with the key words: Forest Love and picked the Arcane setting.

Edit:

I tried an edit with a double exposure using the very same photo at the start of this blog. 

It's okay but I can think of better shots to use. 

This was an experiment in using DxO's analog double exposure edit which allows you to do this effect easily. 

It works quite well.

I couldn't leave well enough alone so I wondered what would happen when I used this shot:

This one was a bit too gloomy, but the result from the text I typed in was interesting. Instead of a forest, it looks like a city on doomsday.

I upped the 'influence' of the original image and got this which ended up looking like a painting with subtle tones.

It is sort of addicting to type things in and see what happens. The end result isn't always wonderful, but it is fun to see what happens.

Yeah.

You can tell that yesterday was hot, muggy, and awful! I spent the late afternoon inside mucking around with ideas and art exploration. 

Too dang uncomfortable outside.

Flowers

There are a few flowers I grow because they bring me particular joy and they are really quite easy to care for.
That would be Zinnias and 4 O'clocks.

It is the 4 O'clock that brings me the most joy because of their sweet evening scents that they wrap the house in. In the morning, I can enjoy them before the sun closes them up for the day. My grandmother grew them in her small garden. Before summer's end, we'd collect the little black seeds before they dropped and save them for the next summer.

Now these flowers come in multiple colors. Pink, white, yellow, and a bright red. If you collect the seeds for several years, the flowers will start to become multicolored as they cross pollinate. 

Their scent is heavenly. did I say that already?

I noticed that one of the plants on the west side of the house has bright red blossoms that are tinged with a yellow edges. 

The Zinnias that I tossed into the dirt and raked about are going gung ho. They aren't as tall as I've seen them in the past but I heard other flower gardeners say the same about some of their plants. 

I will collect seeds from the Zinnias this year.

Most of these Zinnia seeds came from a seed exchange with Aurora. So I have her to thank for the beautiful array of colors.

I collect several vases of them each day and fill a section of my countertop with a mix of vases and jars to hold them.

This is the time of summer that I am the happiest with a riot of colors to see and enjoy. 

In my wildflower garden which was just a patch of bare dirt in the middle of the yard, I have Bachelor's Buttons and a variety of pink flowers, along with some sunflowers that are getting ready to blossom. 

In front of the house on the east side, the few sunflowers I planted are blossoming. I planted some of the tall ones and some ones that are only supposed to get to 2 feet tall. 

One of the shorter ones just budding out!

I didn't have much luck with the red sunflowers, but I see a short one budding on the porch garden.

The goldfinches are happy as are the bees. Today I took out a chair and just watched the fun while sitting in the shade.

Waking up early

 

I haven't always been an early riser, but now I am. It is frustrating to have your eyeballs blast open while it is still dark outside and your body tells you "Get UP"!

I even try for a few moments to lull myself back to sleep. But it doesn't come.

So I decided to make good use of my early wake up time. I made some decafe coffee [yeah, decafe...but I am used to it now] and decided to go watch the sunrise over the ponds at Kickapoo Valley Reserve. 

The skies were brilliantly clear and beautiful with stars twinkling merrily.

Yeah.

Until I got into the river valley, that is.

Then.

Fog.

Dense fog.

But that was fine too. Not what I planned but not unexpected for this area especially near the Kickapoo River. 

I parked by the dam site and got out to look up. I guess I wasn't going to see a brilliant sunrise with the colors and clouds reflecting off the ponds as planned. It was murky and dark. I thought about getting back in the 'Ru and driving to another spot where I could climb a bluff. But tossed that aside.

After all, the dense fog was a challenge. What could I do with it?

The first thing I wanted to try was to catch the 'essence' of the predawn morning with a photo of Bridge 18. I had to use my headlamp to light up the bridge. But with a timed exposure, it didn't look very dark!

This is one of the things with fog, it throws the camera sensors into a frenzy of confusion. After an 8 second exposure it looked as if I'd just taken it on a cloudy day.

I tried a shot of the river but it looked weirdly bluish and strange. This was a 77 second shot.

I was tickled with the outcome though, because it was so strange looking and at least you could see how thick the fog was.

I walked down to the ponds and the fog got even more intense. 

In one photography class I'd taken, I was criticized for not planning far enough ahead. I was told that I should never depend on serendipity for a good photo. But here I was just having a fun time playing in the fog when I hadn't meant to.

I couldn't help myself but to be enchanted by the terrible conditions. So I thought Minimalism! How could I do that?

Easy, Nature was showing me how to do it. 
I didn't achieve true Minimalism though until I shot the middle of the pond like this:

Full version of the same scene:

I spent some time waiting to see if the sun would penetrate the fog. 

It felt weird to be this close to the Visitor Center and not see another soul. However it was still before 6AM, so I guess I was the weird one.

So I walked around the other little ponds to see if I could come up with something interesting. The western pond that has the blind in it was totally obscured by river fog. 

Eventually the fog started to brighten up and I decided to head home.

Parting shot of Bridge 18:

I didn't get out of fog until I got home. I had to leave the river valley. 

So I think .... hmmm, next time get up on the bluff and look down on the fog and gaze at the sky!

I was home before hubby woke up and all was good.

Whew. 

Guess I'll go to bed early again tonight!