Chapter 44 - A Whale of a Tale

Back in the saddle again...

Wow!! Chapter 44!! Who'da thunk, eh!?!

And I'm still enjoying this life and still, sadly, pursuing and never catching, that elusive Bitch, B&W Photography.

Hahaha, but, for the most part, I am enjoying the chase. You'll see some of my attempts here. Lately what I've been thinking is that I need to either a) learn how to effectively use the iPhoto tools I have on my computer or, b) buy and learn how to use a PhotoShop program.

In other words, I think I'm doing OK with my composition and exposures but could, maybe, snap the pictures up a bit more with a little assist in the editing part.

Hahahaha, I've been here before. The ol' "my photography will be better IF I could only get...(fill in the blank)." Hahaha, it's frustrating, always pinning success on the next gadget or doodad. Sometimes you just have to man up and recognize the truth. You is what you is or, as Popeye would say with a wicked glint in his one good eye, "I yam what I yam."

Hahaha, thanks, Popeye.

And so it begins, not with a bang nor a whimper but with this simple offering.

The nagging thing is this picture has potential!! It's not quite there but it whispers of something to me. I just can't quite find it. But it is semi-interesting, n'est-ce pas?

I'm rapidly falling in love with blades of grass and flax. Hahaha, the lines and angles thing again. I am a true Virgo in that regard, at least.

I just like this picture...the muted colors are interesting and then the blasts of heat and passion. And I've noticed also that cropping has a LOT to do with the final product.

I heavily cropped this picture making it semi-panoramic. It works, I think it would have been less appealing (to me) had it not been severely cropped.

Have you realized yet that I've gotten back on the "Flower" bandwagon?

I took a short hiatus from flowers but I've gone back. The big difference is that I'm trying not to just taking pictures of them as an after-thought. I'm trying to 'see' them; visualize the best angle or foreground/background. I'm trying to be more with them than I was before.

I haven't seen any notable improvement in my 'flower' pictures, though. Hahaha, I persevere.

The above subject in color. I took several shots of the same flower.

I've compared them and while the color version has points that recommend it to me, I still prefer the somber, dark, maybe mysterious quality of the B&W rendition.

I love this digital photography. Just to be able to shoot to my heart's content is just a great gift. I can't really express adequately how much it has given to me.

Ka-Pow!!

The colors. There's something off about this picture, in the color as a matter of fact, yet it still attracts me because of the color.

My rule is to not manipulate my subjects...but I do have exceptions. I mention this because it appears, to me, that the flowers on the right, the burnt orange ones, don't belong with the yellowish flower next to them.

I mentioned that I try not to manipulate but I will, if I can easily, move a twig or a stem or something small from the composition if I can to improve it. Generally, though, I shoots them as I sees them.

A Painted Lady.

It's so rare that I see butterflies that I always try and get a picture of them. And here were two of them. Fortunately, I caught them while they were feeding and stationary for more than 2 seconds.

I've been trying to go on walks around the neighborhood. I really need the exercise. Hahaha, I really need to become active.

So I always grab a camera and head off to adventure. Really, without the camera I doubt I'd get out even once a week. The chance of getting some shots makes it fun and looking for possible compositions makes it interesting.

What first caught my attention were the birds (starlings?) on the wire. And as I looked, I wanted to see the lines, the shapes a bit better. I was thinking B&W and so I changed the format on the camera and got a couple of shots.

This shot reminds me of one I took nearly 40 years ago in Panama. It was a B&W of a backlit telephone pole, everything was in shadow, that I liked so much I actually made a print of it in the photo lab. Point being, I haven't changed much, artistically, in all that time. Still chasing the B&W dream and still drawn to the same subjects, mostly.

Another great thing about this Age of Digital Photography are the many and wonderful gadgets. I mean, with a simple turn of a dial you can switch the camera from Vivid Color to stark and powerful B&W. It's a genuine miracle.

I don't understand all the features offered on my cameras but I do understand this...the opportunities to explore and to express myself artistically are boundless.

Like this. It's nothing, really, but it is a view of the world around me and, bingo!! It's important to me.  And it's all there at my fingertips. Oh, my gosh. If I'd had a camera with all this power as a young man I can't imagine my not wanting to go and record the world.

And then, POW!! With another simple twist of a knob, I am back to color. Just. Like. That.

I tried, honest I did, when I was younger to fit the film to the picture I was taking. There was a time, once or twice, when I actually tried to switch film in the middle of a roll. I had to decide to load B&W and so I noted the number of the pictures I had taken on the Chrome film (I usually shot with Chrome) and then push a small button to release the roll and reel it back...BUT!! Be careful!! You couldn't roll it ALL the way back into the canister or else you'd lose, literally, all the unexposed film after that last shot. 

So you had to be ever so careful winding it back in, wait until you 'felt' the release of the film from the spool and then hope it was right when you opened the back of the camera. If you did then there was a small bit of the film still outside the roll. If not, well, kiss that money good-bye, Charlie. It was gone for good.

So I rewound, carefully, and then I had to remove the current roll of chrome and put in the new roll of B&W...usually Tri-X 400. 

OK, I've shot the two or three shots with B&W and now to reverse the whole process. But now I had to remember how many shots to 'guesstimate' shooting the old roll of chrome to get it back to unexposed film. That meant I'd loaded the old roll and then shot, with the lens cap on to keep any light out, until I got back to where I had left off. I usually shot one or two more times just to make sure and, finally, I was ready to shoot up the remaining exposures on my roll. 

And I knew I had to do the same thing to that roll of B&W I had in my bag, too. 

It was too much for me so I just stayed with Chrome or B&W until I shot up the roll and then had to decide what format I was going to shoot with next.

Too. Much. Work.

And now? Now I just twist a knob and can go back and forth to my heart's delight.

I love digital cameras.

And...a couple of birds on a wire.

There's something there but I haven't caught it yet. Lines and patterns but it is a dull picture. I often ask myself what it is I am missing. What is the dynamic that takes the picture from mundane to spectacular!?! I'll keep looking. 

But I mentioned mastering the programs that 'fine-tune' a picture. I want to master whatever it is that gives a picture the B&W 'snap' old pictures had. The pure black and the blazing white with the subtle tones of gray in-between.

ARGH!! 

I keep trying.

And trying. 

This is a good composition but it has no interest. It's good but it is really dull.

And therein lies my problem.

Duller than dishwater, Bub.

Well there is always color.

Lots and lots of color.

Sometimes I see something in my head and know it will be a good shot. To me, at least.

Playing around with the controls on the Nikon. Really, I've been making an effort to understand all the many and marvelous features on these powerful cameras I own. So I sit in my easy chair and play with them. And I get some pics I enjoy and want to keep.

Like this.

Dumb, I know. It's the front of a cap but it resonates with me.

Hahahaha, Go, Army!! Hooah!!

Carol and I were driving to Newport for a meeting and had some time to kill and so I pulled into the tourist section of Depoe Bay. I wasn't expecting anything, just wasting time.

But we saw whales. They were a bit out but they were there and definitely more than one.

I realize they're not fully visible but, still, the idea of seeing even a small portion of a whale is exciting. And this day we were seeing more of them crest than we'd ever seen before.

Small caveat - So I shoot with two cameras. Nikon marks their pictures with a "DSCN" and then the number while Canon does it with "IMG_". What this means is that when I put a bunch of pics together for a blog they fall out in alphabetical order.

That means I get these pics of whales because they're Nikon, "DSCN" prefixed, and they come before the Canon pics alphabetically.

So these whale pictures were taken after the Canon Whale pics taken at an earlier date. 

Because I'm lazy.

Look real close at the spout. Can you see another whale cresting just before the spout? Then there's another whale just in front of the spout...you can make out a small bit of it just under the whitecap.

Isn't that cool!?! Three whales swimming and cresting together!!

Coolio!!

Quick segue!!

They've established a new Open Space just off Millport Slough Lane. It's a short walk, maybe 3/4s of a mile but it's fun. And scenic. And, on occasion, chock full of wildlife.

Like this Red-Tailed Hawk.

Ol' Eagle Eye, Carol, spotted this guy hanging out on an evergreen tree. Seriously, I wouldn't see half the stuff I've been privileged to see without Carol.

Oh, I get to see some stuff but it's mostly static. The things I usually notice aren't dynamic or animated.

And then, when I'm feeling real Artsy-Fartsy, I shoot it in B&W.

Carol spotted this hornet's nest. I would have missed it, I think. 

It appeared to be abandoned but I wasn't about to climb up and check to see if anyone was at home. But interesting, eh!?!

It's been so very nice outside lately. I mean shirt-sleeves weather. The kind I'm not used to seeing so often here in LCO.

Looking up from the trail at the overhead foliage.

Hmmmmm, maybe I should have rendered it in B&W. What do you think?

Hahaha, here we go. Some weeds done in B&W. 

Again, it has promise but whatever it is I didn't find it.

Dammit.

A long while back, I got some shots of Hannah's bird feeders.

Hannah is the Cub Master of Pack 47 and we were over for an afternoon of planning and brain-storming. I brought in my Nikon and got some shots of her bird feeders through her kitchen window.

And this Stellar's Jay stopped by and posed for me.

Me, just feeling my inner "Beach" experience.

It's cool to be able to walk out my back door less than 25 feet and be able to see this. My place may be an absolute dump but it's location is fantastic.

And...this.

I've gotten so spoiled by the spectacular sunsets I don't go out to often anymore. But this one was kinda cool. 

I'm using the Canon now...my little PowerShot SX170. An amazingly good camera for close-ups.

Out on a walk I found this guy. Enjoying the color of the flowers and saw this industrious little fellow buzzing about. 

Thank goodness I still have mobility. I notice, more and more, the ravages of age. My sense of balance isn't as keen as it once was. My eyesight is fading. My stamina is running away and I find I make an annoying sound when I do just about anything anymore.

But I can still walk...a bit. And when I do I enjoy observing the world around me. Having a camera causes me to be observant. I'm always on the look-out for a picture opportunity...like these.

Easy shot but it does have a little something to it.

And, occasionally, I get a shot like this. I had walked up to the Connie Hansen Garden and found this fellow waiting to have his picture taken.

I usually get a nice shot of where they've been rather than where they're at. Not this time, Bucko!! I caught this little bugger.

And I shoot flowers. Amazing things.

It reminds me of the wonder of life.

OK, another day, earlier than the day I got those shots of the whales you saw earlier. Once again Carol and I were motoring down to Newport and, once again, we had time to spare. So we stopped in Depoe Bay again. Why not? Last time had been productive.

And so we did. We're there not expecting anything when, what to our wondering eyes should appear!?!  A big Ol' Gray Whale amid all the waves.

They were active and they were CLOSE!!

They were like 20 feet from the rocks. I mean they were close!! And they were showing off, too.

We saw one, I don't know if it was this one or not, who had a brown color to his head but then turned to the natural dark gray as he crested.

And it was way cool to see them so close.

We went over to a bench area on the other side of Depoe Bay and still were able to see whales swimming almost in front of us.

Best view I've ever had of them. Except maybe for that one time by Boiler Bay. But for now this was totally fantastic!!

I've had this Dollar Tree thingie outside since I got here in LCO. It's definitely starting to show its age and the wear and tear of existing along the coast.

Doesn't take long. Which is why I worry about my van.

Carol and I volunteered to man a booth at the Volunteer's Fair at the Lincoln City Cultural Center. It was a chance to show the flag and solicit interested adults into the Scouting Movement.

It wasn't long, from 1000 to 1400, but it was fun and, hopefully, fruitful.

We got to meet a lot of folks interested in doing something for the community. I got around 6 or so names for this and for that. If even one turns out then the whole thing will have been a success.

Essentially, I just verbally accosted people with, "The Scouts are looking for a few good men" or, "Were you ever involved with Scouts?" Not many were interested but there were a few.

Hannah came the last two hours and trolled for Cub Scouts.

Hahaha, keeping busy and trying not to hurt anyone.

Coming out of the Dorchester House with Carol the other day, we were walking over to the DQ for lunch, we passed a Salal bush.

This sturdy evergreen shrub is found widely along the Pacific coast. Its white or pink flowers in late spring attract hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. The fruits are plentiful and delicious, prized by hikers, children and bears.

The Salal (Gaultheria Shallon) was found by Captain Merriweather Lewis on January 20, 1806, at Fort Clatsop. 

The Salal is home, evidently, to a host of Painted Ladies. Butterflies that is.

There were easily over 40 of them flitting around the shrub.

And I took the opportunity to shoot one or two of them.

Haha, yeah, it was fun. Plus I just enjoyed standing there and watching them.

And, hey!! I was a hero, too. I freed one of the Ladies from a web she'd gotten trapped by. And, good golly, those webs are strong. I had her free but for one strand. She was flying but not going anywhere until I broke the last one and then she was off.

I was feeling pretty good about myself.

Hannah, Cub Pack 47's Cub Master, came to Kiwanis to give her annual report on the State of the Pack last week. I decked out in my monkey suit to support her.

It was a solid report with a lot of detail for the good folks that make this all possible. Plus we had a good time.

And that's it. That brings me up-to-date. 

Not exciting but, still, entertaining and, generally, useful. Not a bad combination.

And so life rolls along. Good and bad, happy and sad, it happens and I roll along with it. 

Life goes on.

Chapter 43 - Movin' On Up

On a constant quest to entertain myself. At least that's what I say to explain why I volunteer for this or for that. It's an easy way of saying I am not a bit altruistic. Hahaha, mostly it's me being selfish...again.

Oh, I recognize what I do benefits others. But, honest, I'm not the least bit altruistic. I am a rather selfish and self-centered fellow. That's why I look for things to do that are easy (I am colossally lazy, too) to do. They allow me to actually do something and that's what I'm looking for...something to get me out of the house.

And so I said yeah when Carol asked me to drop off several bags of books she'd collected to the Stuff-A-Bus event at the Mall.

One of the Kiwanis Kingpins coordinates the Backpack-For-Kids Charity here in LCO and, as part of that charity, they set up one day to Stuff-A-Bus. Folks can drop off school supplies, books, foodstuffs and so on to be given to the local schools.

And so I went over and picked the bags of books up at Carol's and then drove them over. 

Hahaha, a quick drop-off of the books, a short stroll around the Mall and a satisfying stop in the ShutterBug Camera Store. Hooah!! My day was complete.

Playing with the camera functions and fiddling around with my continuing passion for Black and White, I got these shots doing what I do best, sitting on my favorite recliner.

Hahaha, honest!! I deleted a whole bunch of them. I just saved this one. I kinda like it. I shot it with the High Contrast feature on the Ol' Nikon P900. Blacks get deeper and whites get, well, whiter.

I really do love B&W. I just do. I think it gives most anything an 'artistic' air. Like this shot. It just seems more interesting. I don't think I'd have kept the same scene had it been shot in color. There's something, an honesty, that lurks below the obvious in a B&W picture. Stripped of all pretensions, you have to deal with the black and the white and all the grays in-between.

It makes me hungry to capture it.

And I keep trying. I was shooting using as many different settings, playing with the manual focus; trying the controls where you can set your f-stop or aperture. I was playing around.

In black and white.

And I liked this one. Look at the door knob. Kinda cool, eh? Next up is to meter with a 10% Gray Card and see what comes of it. Gotta set my own f-stop which means I gotta start thinking again (is that really possible? Feasible?) instead of just letting the mostly dependable automatic camera controls do their magic.

But I'm shooting. Now, if I were a True Artiste (I deliberately chose that spelling. Look it up and you might see why I did.), I would be able to 'sell' people on the idea that these pictures were real art. 

I still contend a lot of modern art is simply presentation; the way the photo is framed and, equally important, the mind-set the viewer brings to it...the mind-set the Artiste gives to them in his sales pitch. Hahaha, some of the nonsense I've seen that passes itself off as art makes me wonder what in the hell they were thinking. But it's how you present.

And flowers. Summer is quickly running into Fall and so these shots will be rarer. 

On the bright side, I will be able to shoot Autumn Foliage again. And with a tripod if I don't get too lazy. Like this...

...shot.

Hahaha, handheld with the little Canon SX170.

POW!! 

And, again, I have that secret guilt. The one where I really see a potential but I'm hesitant to go back and really work at getting this shot...you know, the tripod, the big camera, the effort...because I afraid it won't be any better than this.

But this is a nice shot, isn't it? I think so.

Carol hauled me out of my cocoon for an Adventure!

Hahaha, we lived life on the edge by taking the local transportation from LCO down to the Fred Meyer and Walmart in Newport.

Not a lot of opportunities for pictures but it was fun to be a passenger on the drive. The scenery is fantastic...the people a bit less so.

Hahaha, it was different. 

The little things that make a life. I've put up bird feeders in my front and back yard. 

Looking out my bedroom window I was surprised to see this Blue Jay enjoying a snack. I tried a quick shot and you can see how successful I was. 

Sometimes you just enjoy and take whatever you get, picture-wise. This was one of those times.

I don't get great sunrises here. No real scenery to frame a sunrise against or shoot across to. But sometimes you get something resembling a picture op.

The other morning with some mist making things interesting I tried this backlit shoot with the sun rising in the east. The scenery here is so pleasing. Just plenty of stuff to still see regardless of what man has done.

Continuing on the sunrise theme. Tried something a little grander.

The mornings are getting, unfortunately, a bit chillier. 

I am dreading the return of Fall and Winter. Dreading the cold and the discomfort. Seems this Spring and Summer zoooooooomed by so quickly. And it felt like that last Winter dragged on and on and on. 

I'm not looking forward to the cold.

Carol has had a one-room apartment for over a year. She finally got another place in the Dorchester House (DH). Yay for her!!

It's moving day. From the First Floor up to the Third!!

Someone was uber-happy!!

It was actually an easy move. The DH has several small carts to help the residents and we definitely used all of them to help us.

Had I been a younger man it would have been EZ-PZ but, while it wasn't difficult, by the end of the day this Old Man was pooped.

Definitely a better place up on the Third Floor. 

Carol has an ocean view through the window on the left in this picture. She gets to see ALL the sunsets now. The two windows to the right in this picture look out at the fir tree and over to Hwy 101.

We were done. 

My sentiments, exactly.

Kiwanis asked for some volunteers to help police Taft Beach and so we headed on down.

Hahaha, I have become so jaded about my easy access to the beaches around here. Sometimes I have to remind myself that this is a vacation spot...people pay Big Bucks to come here and see what I see all the time.

Duh!!

The tide was in and the seals were out...in the water. They were playing and splashing so we spent some time enjoying that.

That's Carol to the right.

Looking west from the pier at Mo's toward the mouth of the Bay.

"There he goes again!!"

My B&W mania strikes again. Part of the railing around the pier at Taft.

Angles and lines...again.

The seals were active today. Normally they're just slug-like blobs sitting on the beach across the inlet. Today they were out and about.

And, to my eye, having a lot of fun.

And splashing around in the water.  I'll be quiet now as you figure out that I was getting the last shots of them splashing around. I was never quick enough to get them at the apex, always towards the end of their splash.

But I tried, oh how I tried.

I'm gonna end this. It's been nearly three weeks since I took these and I've got a pile of pictures ready for the next Chapter.

How can you see a life as empty when you get to do so many things? I think the approaching Winter is depressing me. I hadn't thought I'd have a problem with it being cold but I was truly miserable last winter and the thought of doing it all again has me down a bit.

Course, I do love to wallow in self-pity so there is that, too.

Regardless, working on this humble blog reminds me that things aren't as dire as I thought they were. Hahaha, I'm speaking just for me and not for you as you slog thought all these blogs.

Adventures, flowers, seals and moving. Keeping busy.

Life is good.