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| You are being watched... |
Showing posts with label odd pics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label odd pics. Show all posts
Sunday, March 13, 2016
Monday, January 04, 2016
Monday, October 19, 2015
Reflections on Work
Some shots taken while at work. What's up?
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| A lid shot |
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| And yet another |
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| Now do you know what's up and... |
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| ...what's down? |
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Cat Lovers in Dogtown - Trip Three
I thought before tomorrow and trip four rolled around I'd best relate a little about trip three.
This time we decided to try going In from the Gloucester side of Dogtown. Much easier with a relatively smooth access road! We passed several numbered stones that designated sites of cellar holes - the only remains of homes in Dogtown.
A bit further along and we were 'told' that we had arrived at Dogtown Square. Wow, things must have changed a lot being as other than the sign there was no indication whatsoever that a town square ever existed.
We took a right turn and wandered slightly uphill to the commons, a relatively open area where the sheep and cattle of all the settlement would have grazed. We passed some other numbered stones and, not seeing any cellar holes, didn't investigate. If we had, we would have found a couple more Babson Boulders. Oh well, we'll visit them tomorrow on Trip Four.
We did find 14 on this trip and I'll show a couple examples...don't worry won't post all the pics! And the question of count will be answered with these two 'pages' of Babson's book.
Two sides of the same boulder have been carved.
While we were walking up toward the common pasture, we met a woman walking out. As is custom in our small community, we said hello. She greeted us and told us that there was a large pack of dogs up ahead. Probably 15 or so, she said. Hmmmm. Then she added that they were friendly. Double hmmmm. I think she was trying to spook us. Didn't work. (Never saw or heard any dogs) As a matter of fact, we haven't seen any wildlife at all in Dogtown. No birds, no squirrels, nothing.
We doubled back from the commons pasture and took a side trip down the Babson Boulder Trail. It was rough walking and a large portion was up and down hills. We decided that when it reach 11:30 we would turn around and head back toward the car. On the boulder trail we found the rest of our 14 count for the trip. 2 more are further along the trail and we'll grab shots of them another time.
Tomorrow we plan on making our fourth trip In. Maybe starting at the top of Squam Road once again and follow the trail past Whale's Jaw to Peter's Pulpit (it's supposed to be a mammoth erratic) and then on to the Commons Road before turning around and heading home.
This time we decided to try going In from the Gloucester side of Dogtown. Much easier with a relatively smooth access road! We passed several numbered stones that designated sites of cellar holes - the only remains of homes in Dogtown.
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| Number 20 marks the site of Granny Day's home |
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| A cellar hole marked by stone carving 17 |
A bit further along and we were 'told' that we had arrived at Dogtown Square. Wow, things must have changed a lot being as other than the sign there was no indication whatsoever that a town square ever existed.
 |
| We arrived at Dogtown Square! |
We took a right turn and wandered slightly uphill to the commons, a relatively open area where the sheep and cattle of all the settlement would have grazed. We passed some other numbered stones and, not seeing any cellar holes, didn't investigate. If we had, we would have found a couple more Babson Boulders. Oh well, we'll visit them tomorrow on Trip Four.
We did find 14 on this trip and I'll show a couple examples...don't worry won't post all the pics! And the question of count will be answered with these two 'pages' of Babson's book.
While we were walking up toward the common pasture, we met a woman walking out. As is custom in our small community, we said hello. She greeted us and told us that there was a large pack of dogs up ahead. Probably 15 or so, she said. Hmmmm. Then she added that they were friendly. Double hmmmm. I think she was trying to spook us. Didn't work. (Never saw or heard any dogs) As a matter of fact, we haven't seen any wildlife at all in Dogtown. No birds, no squirrels, nothing.
We doubled back from the commons pasture and took a side trip down the Babson Boulder Trail. It was rough walking and a large portion was up and down hills. We decided that when it reach 11:30 we would turn around and head back toward the car. On the boulder trail we found the rest of our 14 count for the trip. 2 more are further along the trail and we'll grab shots of them another time.
Tomorrow we plan on making our fourth trip In. Maybe starting at the top of Squam Road once again and follow the trail past Whale's Jaw to Peter's Pulpit (it's supposed to be a mammoth erratic) and then on to the Commons Road before turning around and heading home.
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
A Little This, A Little That
Because so much is going on all at the same time that I can't think of just one thing to write about. With the arrival of THE holiday season, key work diminishes...although there is still some...and tuning work increases. This year seems heavier in that regard. The only problem is that I seem to be getting the dregs of tuning jobs, that quite possibly, the semi-retiring(?) other island tech doesn't want. Maybe, maybe not. And not all of it is lousy. It's just that the ratio seems tipped that way this month.
I've started reading a new old book. It's been in this family for 60 years, give or take a few. I've just never read it. The title you wonder? Queen of the Flat Tops, written in 1942 by Stanley Johnston, a journalist aboard the USS Lexington from her exit from Pearl Harbor just days prior to the attack, to her sinking on May 8, 1942 in the Coral Sea Battle. My dad served aboard the 'Lex'. His battle station was sky forward. He was one of the last of her crew to jump into the Coral Sea. But that's a story for another time.
It's gotten quite cold here and our Rockport ponds are starting to ice over. 'A' and I continue to walk, several times each week, to Mill Pond to feed the multitude of ducks. Our feeding trip a couple days ago was quite humorous. Ducks don't ice skate very well!
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| Ducks on Ice |
I'm still involved in trying to straighten out the matter mentioned (or rather not mentioned) several days ago. Things have settled for a couple weeks. Long term solutions haven't been addressed or decided or even deemed doable. It'll take time to work through it all.
So for now I'm working through each day with a list of 'have to do today'. If I finish the list each day, I feel good. If I've accomplished a bit more than was even on the list, I'm happy. I'm trying to set aside at least an hour each day that I can label as fun.
Sometimes that's as easy as Ducks On Ice.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Within and Without
Not too much to say about this photo. A very good friend and I have been pushing digital images around a bit. This photo of the loo has been converted from color to black and white. It works much better with no color.
It is also another self-portrait as I appear three times.
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| Three of Me at the Loo |
Sunday, October 24, 2010
In Response
to my last self-portrait post may I present two historic title references.
The first, the Van Gogh (without bandage, without hat, Scribbs)
And another title example, a self portrait by Gustave Corbet.
For those of you wondering what on earth I'm talking about...you haven't read the previous post. Go read!
The first, the Van Gogh (without bandage, without hat, Scribbs)
And another title example, a self portrait by Gustave Corbet.
For those of you wondering what on earth I'm talking about...you haven't read the previous post. Go read!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Self Portrait with Pipe
Amanda and I broke with tradition today. Instead of walking several miles throughout town, trying to explore new routes, discover overlooked gems, we headed to the South End and beach walked. It was ideal...very low tide. The cold wind was blocked by dunes of popples*. I toted camera, of course, as I have been trying to do more of lately.
I took a couple dozen photos. In reviewing them I deleted some, naturally. I'm trying to be a bit more selective in my review process. Is it a 'good' shot, technically well-composed, color good? I don't like to 'doctor' photos if I can help it. Sometimes just some cropping. Then come the next questions. Is it a photo worthy of keeping? Why? More often than not the deletions outnumber the keepers. That being the benefit of digital...just go for it, experiment, erase it if you fail...some techie advances have been good!
For my self portrait I was inspired by a self portrait taken by someone dear to me. The concept the same...the emphasis quite different, I think. To that person who's brought much to my life...thank you.
*popples are stones that have been washed smooth and rounded by years of tossing in the surf. In Rockport, many of these stones came from the local quarries and were once ballast in sailing vessels. Removal of popples from Rockport's beaches is prohibited.
I took a couple dozen photos. In reviewing them I deleted some, naturally. I'm trying to be a bit more selective in my review process. Is it a 'good' shot, technically well-composed, color good? I don't like to 'doctor' photos if I can help it. Sometimes just some cropping. Then come the next questions. Is it a photo worthy of keeping? Why? More often than not the deletions outnumber the keepers. That being the benefit of digital...just go for it, experiment, erase it if you fail...some techie advances have been good!
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| Self-portrait with Pipe |
*popples are stones that have been washed smooth and rounded by years of tossing in the surf. In Rockport, many of these stones came from the local quarries and were once ballast in sailing vessels. Removal of popples from Rockport's beaches is prohibited.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Close Up
Felt the need to post here and I haven't much to say.
That's not entirely true. I'm just too tired to organize any thoughts to make them worth reading.
Work has been backing up on me. Not because there is any significant amount, but because other obligations have interfered...or I've decided that I just need fun time. So now I'm trying to catch up and I'm frantically working...long hours. That's made me too tired to write much.
'A' and I went up to the Moseley Estate on Saturday afternoon. I took over fifty photos. Most were mediocre, a few were pretty good. Another few I took just to play.
Like this self portrait:
or...What do you hide inside your tree?
or...The texture photo. A close up of the unfortunate demise of a wonderful barn destroyed by a recent fire.
So that's all you get with this post. When I finally dig out from under, I'll write something more.
That's not entirely true. I'm just too tired to organize any thoughts to make them worth reading.
Work has been backing up on me. Not because there is any significant amount, but because other obligations have interfered...or I've decided that I just need fun time. So now I'm trying to catch up and I'm frantically working...long hours. That's made me too tired to write much.
'A' and I went up to the Moseley Estate on Saturday afternoon. I took over fifty photos. Most were mediocre, a few were pretty good. Another few I took just to play.
Like this self portrait:
or...What do you hide inside your tree?
So that's all you get with this post. When I finally dig out from under, I'll write something more.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Night Vision
'A' and I went for a walk in the dark tonight. This is always a bit challenging in Rockport where sidewalks can be either rather narrow or very uneven...or both. This seems to be mostly on Main Street. And mostly on the busiest traffic section of Main Street. Add to that the scarcity of street lights and the glare of oncoming headlights. Challenging. Tonight, as we walked back up the hill a brisk headwind was added to the rest of it. The plus side of late season, nighttime walking is that there are no tourists to avoid. I don't think we saw more than a half dozen people in our 2 mile walk. One of those was Policeman Bob collecting the meter money. I like playing around with taking flash photos in the dark of night. Looking for possible good subjects and then taking a semi-calculated aim. You just never know what you'll end up with. At night a blue lantern can turn white.
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| The Blue Lantern |
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Do You Know What This Is?
Yeah, well, not much to tell. Weird day, weird customers...very weird customers. And the full moon has passed.
So, can you tell what this is?
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
History Lessons
Where were you when?
I was keeping an eye on the paperwork.
Mom was checking payments!
I was keeping an eye on the paperwork.
Mom was checking payments!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
TRICK or Treat
or.......
It's Only a Paper Moon.
So, confession time...
While the story of the previous post was entirely true, the photograph was not.
Yes, we found the moon. And yes, it was nearly full. However, we would have had to turn the hay person 90° to get the moon in the photo with a front view. The moon wasn't orange, just white as it had risen in the sky so much it had lost it's atmospheric color distortion. And finally, I had to stand too far away from the hay person (to get the whole thing) for the flash to have any effect. Even the triple flash. It needed a timed exposure and I hadn't tried that with the digital yet.
So I thought I'd have some real life cut and paste fun and created the blog photo from three photos. The first was a cut out of the giant hay person from a daylight photo that I already had printed.
The second was the actual photo I took that night. It was used as the background. Then I cut a pumpkin out of the daylight photo and added that.
And lastly, the moon was from an online site that sells moon posters.
Here's the photo that I took Sunday night.
Happy Halloween
It's Only a Paper Moon.
So, confession time...
While the story of the previous post was entirely true, the photograph was not.
Yes, we found the moon. And yes, it was nearly full. However, we would have had to turn the hay person 90° to get the moon in the photo with a front view. The moon wasn't orange, just white as it had risen in the sky so much it had lost it's atmospheric color distortion. And finally, I had to stand too far away from the hay person (to get the whole thing) for the flash to have any effect. Even the triple flash. It needed a timed exposure and I hadn't tried that with the digital yet.
So I thought I'd have some real life cut and paste fun and created the blog photo from three photos. The first was a cut out of the giant hay person from a daylight photo that I already had printed.
The second was the actual photo I took that night. It was used as the background. Then I cut a pumpkin out of the daylight photo and added that.
And lastly, the moon was from an online site that sells moon posters.
Here's the photo that I took Sunday night.
Happy Halloween
Monday, October 29, 2007
Full Moon and Empty Arms*
We had made a decision. Sunday over our last lunch of the season at Ellen's we had agreed to head for Marini Farms after Amanda got finished at work. It was still nearly a full moon and the skies had cleared after several gloomy, cloudy, and fog-ridden days and nights. Sunday night was crisp and clear. The moon would be just high enough in the sky shortly after Amanda's 7 p.m. departure from Stop & Shop.
When 6:45 rolled around, my Mom and I wondered if we really had the ambition to make the trip. That might be best read as whether a long weekend of hard work had left me too tired to make the hour round trip drive in the dark. Oh, what the heck, I'd probably regret not going so....
We headed out in Mom's mini-van to pick up Amanda. On the 10 minute drive to Gloucester we kept looking out the van towards the east. We couldn't see any moon! In disbelief we bantered about the weirdness of the moonless sky. Where was it? On Friday night we had caught a brief glimpse of the fog and cloud streaked full moon as we finished our last supper at Ellen's, so we knew the time was near correct. How come we couldn't find it?
As Amanda left work and approached the van we asked her to look directly overhead. Maybe that's where the moon was hiding from us, being we were too lazy to get out to look.
Nothing. Moonless.
Okay, we thought, we'd head towards Ipswich anyway. Once at the top of the Piatt bridge we'd look again. Surely the moon would be visible from there. If not, we would exit the highway at Rte 133 and instead of continuing to Ipswich, we'd turn around and head home. We passed a police car parked in the center of the Grant Circle rotary. We joked that he must be looking for the moon, too. Up onto the bridge and.....
There was no moon in sight. We turned around.
Totally weird.
Oh well, I mused, it saved a long drive in a van that I hate to drive at night.
As we rounded the curve and crested Great Hill, just a mile from home, there it was! Huge and orange directly ahead. A quick turnaround and we were back on our way to Marini Farm.
Weeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was a wonderful trip with the three of us joking around about being tailgated. Honestly, the guy was soooo close I couldn't see his headlights in my rearview mirror. I was doing just over the speed limit so he just had to wait. We decided that he should have "gone" before leaving the office LOL.
We arrived at Marini Farm. The entire area was in darkness. I pulled in to the gravel parking area and stopped. We got out quietly leaving the van door slightly ajar. I didn't want the owners, in their nearby house, to notice that we were there. We crept toward the biggest hay person. Everything was perfect for a spooky, moonlit shot. I knew that I would need the flash setting on the camera to get the hay person to show up in the dark. The night setting actually flashes three times in quick succession. I looked through the viewfinder to blackness. I looked at the screen to blackness. I just had to make a guess....flash, flash, flash.
Done.
A mad dash back to the van before we were discovered. We giggled all the way home!
Happy Halloween Hay People!
*recorded by Frank Sinatra, 1945
When 6:45 rolled around, my Mom and I wondered if we really had the ambition to make the trip. That might be best read as whether a long weekend of hard work had left me too tired to make the hour round trip drive in the dark. Oh, what the heck, I'd probably regret not going so....
We headed out in Mom's mini-van to pick up Amanda. On the 10 minute drive to Gloucester we kept looking out the van towards the east. We couldn't see any moon! In disbelief we bantered about the weirdness of the moonless sky. Where was it? On Friday night we had caught a brief glimpse of the fog and cloud streaked full moon as we finished our last supper at Ellen's, so we knew the time was near correct. How come we couldn't find it?
As Amanda left work and approached the van we asked her to look directly overhead. Maybe that's where the moon was hiding from us, being we were too lazy to get out to look.
Nothing. Moonless.
Okay, we thought, we'd head towards Ipswich anyway. Once at the top of the Piatt bridge we'd look again. Surely the moon would be visible from there. If not, we would exit the highway at Rte 133 and instead of continuing to Ipswich, we'd turn around and head home. We passed a police car parked in the center of the Grant Circle rotary. We joked that he must be looking for the moon, too. Up onto the bridge and.....
There was no moon in sight. We turned around.
Totally weird.
Oh well, I mused, it saved a long drive in a van that I hate to drive at night.
As we rounded the curve and crested Great Hill, just a mile from home, there it was! Huge and orange directly ahead. A quick turnaround and we were back on our way to Marini Farm.
Weeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was a wonderful trip with the three of us joking around about being tailgated. Honestly, the guy was soooo close I couldn't see his headlights in my rearview mirror. I was doing just over the speed limit so he just had to wait. We decided that he should have "gone" before leaving the office LOL.
We arrived at Marini Farm. The entire area was in darkness. I pulled in to the gravel parking area and stopped. We got out quietly leaving the van door slightly ajar. I didn't want the owners, in their nearby house, to notice that we were there. We crept toward the biggest hay person. Everything was perfect for a spooky, moonlit shot. I knew that I would need the flash setting on the camera to get the hay person to show up in the dark. The night setting actually flashes three times in quick succession. I looked through the viewfinder to blackness. I looked at the screen to blackness. I just had to make a guess....flash, flash, flash.
Done.
A mad dash back to the van before we were discovered. We giggled all the way home!
Happy Halloween Hay People!*recorded by Frank Sinatra, 1945
Friday, September 21, 2007
Ability and Lacking
A day or two ago, while my Mom was out working in her front garden, a lady from a ways down the street stopped to say hello and ask how we all were doing. My Mom proceeded to fill her in on our activities including my recent "job" of installing Pergo flooring in her den and hallway. The neighbor looked at my Mom incredulously and rhetorically questioned, "Is there anything that Deb *can't* do?"
Well, there obviously is a lot that I can't do. Especially little things like...
Oh....
Flying a jet, walking in space, underwater welding, climbing Everest, bronco riding, and bull fighting come to mind.
Yeah, weird list.
So, here are some pictures of the Pergo job at my Mom's house.
At the end of the hallway there is a door that joins to my house. 
And here is a view looking towards the deck where Squirt visits. He still comes a few days each week and several times those days to get peanuts. 
One more shot of the back wall of the den, next to the hallway and opposite the deck side.
Comments like the one the neighbor, Mrs. F., made and comments from Mary have prompted me to sit down and write my Ten Can't List. Aside from the biggies and the outlandish here are some things I just can't do or having to do keeps me awake at night and sickish.
Public speaking
Playing the piano for an audience (of one or more)
Highway driving in extreme weather conditions or in anticipation thereof
Driving into or through Boston (guess that could be any major city...Tampa doesn't bother me, though)
Heights (I'm good for about one story, then it's iffy. But I love ferris wheels)
Taking tests
and
Copper plumbing (my soldering would need loads of practice)
Major electrical (I can do minor things like new plugs and lamp wiring)
Automotive work (add to that lawn mowers, they're yucky and greasy and gasoline can go boom)
Operating a chainsaw
No need to remind me of the multitude of other can'ts.
Some of these things I really wish I could do. All right, most I wish I could do. I have decided that I shall not learn or unnecessarily force any of the above upon myself.
I'll add that in order to do the Pergo job for my Mom, I had to use a table saw. This is one of my least favorite power tools but I can make myself use one.
P.S. See that little oak bench used as a coffee table in front of the sofa? I made that, too! My Mom asked for one for Christmas a few years ago.
********************************
Just had to include this for the fun of it.
Credit to D. Fandrich for the photo.
Well, there obviously is a lot that I can't do. Especially little things like...
Oh....
Flying a jet, walking in space, underwater welding, climbing Everest, bronco riding, and bull fighting come to mind.
Yeah, weird list.
So, here are some pictures of the Pergo job at my Mom's house.
At the end of the hallway there is a door that joins to my house. 
And here is a view looking towards the deck where Squirt visits. He still comes a few days each week and several times those days to get peanuts. 
One more shot of the back wall of the den, next to the hallway and opposite the deck side.Comments like the one the neighbor, Mrs. F., made and comments from Mary have prompted me to sit down and write my Ten Can't List. Aside from the biggies and the outlandish here are some things I just can't do or having to do keeps me awake at night and sickish.
Public speaking
Playing the piano for an audience (of one or more)
Highway driving in extreme weather conditions or in anticipation thereof
Driving into or through Boston (guess that could be any major city...Tampa doesn't bother me, though)
Heights (I'm good for about one story, then it's iffy. But I love ferris wheels)
Taking tests
and
Copper plumbing (my soldering would need loads of practice)
Major electrical (I can do minor things like new plugs and lamp wiring)
Automotive work (add to that lawn mowers, they're yucky and greasy and gasoline can go boom)
Operating a chainsaw
No need to remind me of the multitude of other can'ts.
Some of these things I really wish I could do. All right, most I wish I could do. I have decided that I shall not learn or unnecessarily force any of the above upon myself.
I'll add that in order to do the Pergo job for my Mom, I had to use a table saw. This is one of my least favorite power tools but I can make myself use one.
P.S. See that little oak bench used as a coffee table in front of the sofa? I made that, too! My Mom asked for one for Christmas a few years ago.
********************************
Just had to include this for the fun of it.
Credit to D. Fandrich for the photo.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Ronnie's Mascot
Just a quickie post for tonight. Over the weekend I'll get to finishing up the Lanesville Life posts.
However..............
I just HAD to share this with all of you.
While we were down "the other" cape (Cape Cod) we stayed with my cousin and her husband. I was telling Ronnie about our wildlife entertainment, particularly Squeaky who had been making such a nuisance of himself. Ronnie asked if I had seen his mascot. We went out to the driveway and this is what he showed me..........
Look closely. Seems this little guy got the shock of his life!
A month ago!
And there he hangs, one chin-up too many.
Fried squirrel anyone?
However..............
I just HAD to share this with all of you.
While we were down "the other" cape (Cape Cod) we stayed with my cousin and her husband. I was telling Ronnie about our wildlife entertainment, particularly Squeaky who had been making such a nuisance of himself. Ronnie asked if I had seen his mascot. We went out to the driveway and this is what he showed me..........
Look closely. Seems this little guy got the shock of his life!
A month ago!
And there he hangs, one chin-up too many.
Fried squirrel anyone?
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