Photos and Projects

  I could hear the Woodpecker a half mile away but was lucky to even see the Owl.  Fortunate to see both of them on the same walk too.

  I was fortunate to capture a decent photo of a Blue Jay.  I cannot remember seeing one in my area for at least a year.  I don't know why they are rare around here (perhaps they are good at hiding) but they certainly stand out when they finally emerge.  Saw this one North of the Butler Prairie in the Northwest corner of where the IM fields meet the woods and trails.  This was one of the very first good shots using the "new" d7100 (with Tamron 400mm) but even then I had to crop in quite a bit to get the right FOV.  Still turned out to be a good photograph (thanks to the bird) and a keeper considering the rarity of the Blue Jays around here. Cropped Image Original Image:  1/640, f7.1, ISO 1250

  Experimenting with different templates... Below is Mom's Spiced Tea recipe which she used to make as a dry mix and give out as a gift to people during the Holiday Season.  She made it for us a lot at home as well, without the rum for us at least. Mom’s Spiced Tea   Ingredients: 3/4 C. Instant Tea 3 C. Tang 1 env lemonade (3 oz) 1 t. ground cloves 2 t. cinnamon 1 1/2 C. sugar (optional) Directions: Mix dry ingredients well and store in airtight container. Use 2 heaping t. per cup of hot water.   *Rum may be added to taste. Did you know? Mom used to fill a resealable jar with this mix and gift it during the Holidays. 

  To Chris & Monica,

  Went through most of mom's recipes yesterday and found some interesting ones which she had printed on 4x6 cards which also had her business contact on them as well.  Along with the engraved Cutco knives she always had a way of making and maintaining a memorable business contact.     I plan to compile an online recipe book on a special page of the blog but thought I would post a few images of her business/recipe cards.

  Had fun watching Chris jump his RC Monster Truck at my Aunt & Uncle's house, Knoxville, TN.  For his birthday, his buddies bought him new tires which worked out great on the golf course.  The top speed is amazing.  Carter did some special filming of the jumps and the images turned out really well.  He picked the apex for the best vantage point all on his own.  Picking the right spot beforehand is a mark of a great photographer, he's got a great future at whatever he decides to do. The shots below are from my d5300 with the 18-140 mm at about a 1/2000s shutter speed.  It was challenging light as the sun was going down for the evening but enough to illuminate the jump. Carter Filming Carter's Image from Video Carter's Image #2 from Video Carter's Image #3 from Video