Huntsman 2012

Made an appearance at the Huntsman Springs Celebrate America event today…

SlideShow (Huntsman 2012)

I have some sad news to announce regarding my blog. My visual capture device has developed it’s spot issue again. I sent it back to the factory a while ago and they fixed it, but it took months to get it back… This is summer vacation so I’ll live with it. Consider the little dark spots my own form of watermarking

Update: No, I’m too much of a perfectionist to allow those spots in my photos. I’m pretty pissed off actually. The Panasonic DMC-FX78 was a state of the art $350 point and shoot when I bought it a year ago. Six months in I had to send it back to fix the spots. It’s a bad design issue as the camera draws in dust specks as the lens detracts. And, there’s no way to clean the internal mirror other then sending it back to the factory.

I shot the Balloon Launch today (7/2) and had to crop each image. I’ll do the same for the Victor parade Wednesday, but after that, I don’t know…

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Categorized as Vacation 1

Palisades

There is a drought going on here in the U.S. I see it here at home on our lawn, and we’ve just bumped the sprinkler settings up to twice a day.

The Palisades Reservoir is the main water storage entity around here. I came through the area a couple of weeks ago and snapped a few shots.

Actually, our water system is looking pretty good!

SlideShow (Palisades)

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Categorized as Travels

Pipes Under Jack

Piper was hiding from the sun today under Jack. Why is Jack in the backyard? No room at the Inn (three vehicles don’t fit in a two car garage…)

As I was processing this video Steph came into my office ready to accuse me of watching porn. Hey, Piper and I spent a long winter here, we’re close!

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Categorized as Jack, Piper

Oregon Leftovers

Here’s some leftover photos and videos from my most recent adventure…

SlideShow (Oregon Leftovers)
A short, soothing Oregon beach video:
The Trinity River off Hwy 299 in the Trinity National Forest:
An early morning drive on east-bound 80 in Nevada.
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Categorized as Vacation 1

The Noise

I’m home. Drove up from Elko, NV this morning to attend Celebrate America on Saturday, watch the Victor Parade on Wednesday, and get The Noise fixed.

I chatted with Riley last night via Skype and we concur that it’s probably the exhaust manifold. It’s a throaty sort of rumble that is apparent in this video which I shot today, on the last two miles of my latest adventure, heading home.

The Noise has affected my Scheme, which was to travel down the Pacific Coast to San Diego. It’s still a long hot summer and the wheel in the sky keeps on turning… :-)

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Categorized as Vacation 1

Elko

Dropped into Elko, Nevada today after an interesting drive through the desert from Reno. I started to say grueling but compared to the pioneers and cowboys that used to make this trip, I’m not complaining a bit…

And, it looks like Jill is flirting with that Chevy extended cab…

SlideShow (Elko)
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Categorized as Vacation 1

Eureka Sparks

I spent Sunday night in Eureka, CA. It’s a pleasant little town on the Northern California coast with a tragic amount of homeless people interspersed with latte drinking working class. I hoteled it just to shower and regroup…

The next day goal was my home town of Paradise, CA. I’ve always called it that just because I spent my high school years there in the early sixties.

Headed east in the morning on Hwy 199 to Reading, CA. The sign said about 100 miles so I assumed an easy first leg. What a dumb shit! Next time I’m going to Bing Map a road I’ve never traveled.

I lost count of how many mountains I climbed, crested and declined. Tight turns, constant shifting, big trucks and two major construction sites later, I arrived in Reading, and kept going…

Hung out in Chico a bit, still the same but bigger. Drove up to Paradise and everything seemed familiar but different. I swung into a place called Fosters Freeze for lunch, again vaguely familiar. I asked the girl how long this place had been here and I thought she said 7 years. “Seven years?” I asked. “No, Seventy years” she replied. Memories came flooding back…

It was midday and Jill and I were in a driving mood so we headed South, and somehow I’ve ended up here in Sparks, Nevada, just east of Reno. No internet, I’ll post tomorrow.

SlideShow (Eureka Sparks)
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Categorized as Vacation 1

Oregon Coast

A very special place on the planet, and the State of Oregon manages it brilliantly. They give it to the people to use and enjoy, without the normal rules and regulations.

In return, all of the cities along the coast benefit from the tourist dollars, as does Oregon. If you haven’t been here before you should hop in your vehicle and do it now!








SlideShow (Oregon Coast)

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Categorized as Vacation 1

Hebo Oregon

Quite a day on Saturday! Drove north from Ontario Oregon to Kent, WA to visit with my boy Riley. I showed up at his house and they were out and about so I sat outside and tried to connect to his wireless network (which I had setup), and it was gone. I should note that I’m traveling without a cell phone so I rely on Skype, Google voice and open wi-fi networks to make calls.

I drove down to Target and hooked up with the Home Depot free wi-fi across the street and called him. He asked were I was, I told him, and within 30 seconds they pulled into the spot on my left with big grins on their faces. Turns out they were mobile in the Target parking lot :-)

Went back to their place, showered, visited, and then got out of dodge as they were hosting a birthday event.

I controlled a temptation to check into a downtown Kent motel and go bar-hopping (it looked like the lesbian bar was setting up for a live band), fueled up and drove south. The weather sucked in the Seattle area and I have to say it’s beautiful here on the Oregon coast at 9:30pm :-)

Yep, I’m a driving fool. I hung a right just before Portland on Hwy 26, dropped down through a beautiful forest on Hwy 6 and landed just north of Hebo.

It’s Sunday morning at 0640, I have coffee, internet, an oldies stations blaring 60’s music and I’m just miles from the ocean.

I raise my gaze to the sky and say thanks!

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Lime

I first saw this old cement plant in Lime, Oregon a few weeks back while bringing my truck to Idaho. It’s on a big curve so the exit is past you by the time you see it.

I was determined to stop on the next trip (today) and came around the corner the other direction, and I’d passed the exit!

The first thing I thought was Oh Well, then I thought Screw That and drove several miles to the next exit and came back. It was an early morning good shoot!







SlideShow (Lime)

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Categorized as Vacation 1

Here We Go

Jill and I are on the road again. The first trip shakedown exposed the flaws and they have been corrected, both mechanically and logistically.

As long as I can score an internet connection, this blog will continue to rock. On Saturday, a quick visit with Riley in Washington, Sunday the Oregon coast!

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Categorized as Vacation 1

Dump Run

Poor Jack, he’s really dirty, tires full of sand, birds are crapping on him and then Steph throws every loose branch and twig on the property into him.


And now we have nothing to burn in the fire pit!

SlideShow (Dump Run)

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Categorized as Jack

Back Forty

It was a very nice day in the neighborhood…

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Categorized as House

Deck Protector

Piper had to stay in all day yesterday, to keep her off the deck while it’s final stain dried. Poor kitty, she just didn’t understand why she couldn’t go out.

As I woke up this morning I remembered some wire things that Steph had for a project so I gathered them up and made a fence around the deck. Worked great!


I guess she could have jumped over it, but that didn’t cross her mind as she made her rounds this morning. Just glad to be outside…

Oops, I forgot the front porch :-)

SlideShow (Deck Protector)

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Categorized as House

Spinterest

Steph’s addictive nature has overcome her again. I introduced her to Pinterest recently and sort of dragged her into it kicking and screaming. Now I can’t get her out of it :-)

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Categorized as House