Chapter 86 - Old and New

The BIG NEWS is that I have been invited to participate in The Honor Flight scheduled to happen October 4-7 this year. It's exciting and more so since each Veteran MUST have a Guardian to escort them while on the trip I have been allowed to select, as my Guardian, my Grandson, Chris.

The South Willamette Valley Honor Flight Group is sponsoring my trip. All my expenses are paid for by the Group. Each Guardian is making the trip and it cost them...roughly $1100. Wow!! That's commitment.

To start it all, the Group hosted a breakfast get-together in Albany. I was surprised at the number of people there. The restaurant was filled up.

We all met at Pop's Branding Iron and, in quieter times, I am sure it is a more than satisfying restaurant.

But it was sorta crowded. Seems a car club going to the OSU game decided to have their breakfast there, too. At the same time.

But everyone was good about it and both groups got their food. I am sure it affected how the meeting of the Honor Flight was supposed to go. You do the best you can.

If you see them in a blue t-shirt that means they've already gone on the trip either as a Honored Vet or as a Guardian.

And there were lots of folks there. Carol even met a Vet who had served in the same Division as her Dad, Max Schubert. They both served in the 104th Infantry Division, The Timberwolves. Both were in the Battle of the Bulge with the Division.

It was a good time for everyone,

Here, this will give you an idea of the 'atmosphere' of this restaurant. Part of the decor by the kitchen area.

What's that? You can't see it well enough? OK, I'll take care of that.

Is that better? 

Hahaha, it's The Duke. Gives you an idea of the theme of this restaurant. Oh, take a look at the wallpaper, too. 

Classic!!

While we were there they presented the Vets with this box from Operation Gratitude.

It was chockfull of surprises...all pleasant.

It was full of handy, helpful and tasty goodies.

From Girl Scout Cookies to a copy of the Constitution. Pens, notes and thank yous.

Wow!!

It takes more than a couple of folks to put these together. Take a took at this happy bunch of people.

All very thoughtful and useful gifts, too.

And the notes.

I even got a Valentine Card.

You're welcome.

Thank you!! I appreciate the work you put in for me.

These glasses were, for me, the coolest part of the whole package. They're powerful sun blockers. It's like being out at dusk when I put these on. And they fold up and have a bag, too.

Hooah!!

Thank you, again.

But these are the guys that really deserve this. I am becoming more and more uncomfortable identifying myself as a Vet. It's complicated but it really is a matter of what I did....and what I didn't do.

Ah, crap, it was like, "What more can I do?" I volunteered for the Marines. I volunteered for Vietnam. I volunteered to go back to the Battalion which would have meant going to the field. I volunteered for CAP but I couldn't bring myself to extend my tour overseas for it. Finally, in June, 1972, I joined the Army with a possibility of going to overseas again. A slim one but still, they were still sending troops over at that time. And after all that, nothing. 

I feel like a hypocrite. 

After the Honor Flight breakfast, we took the opportunity to explore a Wetlands in Albany.

Specifically, the Jackson-Frazier Wetland.

Which, in contrast to its name, was not very wet at all.

Still, it was a good walk. They've got a raised walkway through the whole park. Keeps you on track and out of the, uh, wetlands.

Honestly, the most interesting thing I saw was the changing color in the leaves. We didn't see a lot of wildlife. We heard some of it but seeing it was a different story.

On the road less traveled by...which one should we take? Which one do you think we took?

Hahahaha, this time I went to the left. But, to be honest, I had looked at the map and felt that the path to the left would take us all the way around the wetlands. 

And, while it was a pleasant but uneventful walk around, there were some items of interest. We saw plenty of trees and grass and bush and, for a change of pace, some spiderwebs marked with the recent sprinkle we'd had.

As ugly and detestable as spiders naturally are, they do create a certain beauty in their weavings. And to accentuate them with dew gives them more beauty.

The view. There it is. This was about as interesting as it got. I mean, it's nice, but it was a bit of a let-down.

Regardless, both Carol and I found things to photograph. I think Carol had spotted some interesting lichen or fungi...or bark? I don't know but it was of interest enough to merit a picture.

Hahaha, yeah, I have a weakness for raindrops on leaves. 

Oh, c'mon!! You know you like'em too. You just have to take the time to stop, look and appreciate.

Every-so-often there was a 'pull-out' of sorts. A short branch of the walkway would go out to a certain point and then you'd come back along the same walkway to the main trail. Like this one. 

You walk out, read the information sign, take a gander and then walk back. 

And, yeah, I do love my zoom. It reaches out there for me. As long as I make sure of where I am focusing I am generally pleased with my long shots. Like with this bulrush. 

It's OK. But focusing just on  the reed wasn't easy.

And the path meandered.

Key point!! Keep yourself aware of the twists and turns in the walkway or you just might step off into ... the alleged wetland. It is an easy thing to do.

Ah, some of the colors of the season. I do like the changing colors.

And the beat goes on...

... down the long and winding trail.

But, finally!! Some wildlife!!

I spotted a dragonfly!! And it seemed to be staying in the same 10-15 foot area, flitting back and forth.

OK, I geared up and started reaching for a shot. These long distance ones were easy, just get them in the viewfinder some place and shoot away. But I wanted to get closer...

And so I tried. I got a lot of these kinds of pictures. The dragonfly was a little too fast for me.

But it is a nice shot of the walkway, eh!?!

And then, POW!! I got him.

It's not a great shot but I was satisfied and it was the end of maybe 30 or so shots. Hahahaha, I had done enough and this was to be the end result.

Stupid little dragonfly just would land right for a good shot nor sit still long enough for me to find, fix and shoot him.

And another web lit up by the rain. Yeah, it is kinda cool.

This was an interesting pattern. To get it right I would need my tripod, remote release and a lot more patience than I possess. So I grabbed this handheld shot. 

And the clicking shutter, having clicked, moved on.

Carol got this picture of me shooting the tree above. 

She got my best side, eh!?! What a dresser!!

That was it for the Wetlands. Not a lot to it.

We had a busy day. After we got back from Albany we stopped by the American Legion Picnic. It was late in the afternoon and so most everyone was gone. But we got lunch and some good conversation. Oh, and I got to pay my American Legion dues, too. 

Still not interested in going to their meetings. But I'll support them.

I've been doing more shooting at night. It's been such a pleasant, easy, mild, dry and clear-skied Autumn so far this year.

This was long after the sun had set but I put the camera on a tripod and exposed for 15+ seconds. This amazing machine was able to capture so much of the final light...plus a couple of stars in the sky, too.

And I got some great shots of the Full Moon. Amazing how close this camera can bring it to me. And the power of the tripod and a remote release to keep the camera steady enough to capture this kind of detail.

Did you like that one? Then let's get a little closer. 

Ka-Pow!!

And I walked it back a little. A moon reflecting the sun's light and revealing itself in the process.

Gotta admit, I get outside and I am enjoying myself. It's just so late when I can get out. Then, in the Winter, I can go out at 1800 and not be tired or sleepy but the weather will suck...every day it will suck. Rain, gray skies, overcast. All designed to say, "Not tonight, Jackie!! Hahahahaha, you schmuck!"

I get to shooting and try old things again looking for a new result. Shooting a car on its way to the Casino. I like the effect of the total blackness surrounding the few glimpses of light in this picture. Oh, I know, it's trash, but it's MY trash.

I'm working on developing my eye. And, considering I am starting from zero, I feel I've gotten just a bit better in seeing, then shooting, what is in my mind and heart.

Whoa!! That was deep!!

I was hoping for more but this is all I go with a 30-second exposure at f/5.6. I turned the camera straight up on the tripod and tripped the shutter. Too much pollution from the street and city lights. Although there have been nights when I feel like I've been able to see galaxies.

Not tonight.

And now to the REAL reason I was out tonight.

Playing with light and long exposures. 

OK, so I was on the north side of the shed but people, even this late, kept pulling in and out of the parking lot at the beach access. No, not a lot, but even one can affect the exposure and I had no way of knowing what would happen when I tripped the 30-second exposure.

So I move to the south side, the back side, of the shack I live in. Kind of secluded...at least there would be no headlights intruding into the shot.

And my first try, I thought I'd write my name with a flashlight. Specifically, a $1 flashlight from Walmart.

Hahaha, I needed some practice. I took so long, I wasn't able to finish the 'K'.

So, I thought it through and tried it again.

And this one worked a lot better.  I had a bit of a problem with turning the flash on and off. I think I could do better with everything I did tonight if I could have just pushed the button for on and hold it down for as long as I like and then released it to turn it off. Clicking on and off was a complication that I could live without.

But it worked.

Then I thought why not try it in cursive. You know, mess with the Millennials a bit, by writing it in a 'foreign' script. 

So I thought it through in my mind and then ran this off. I really like it. I even put a period at the end. Hahahahaha, I'm a real smart-ass.

OK, I had spent all my interest in writing my name. I mean, you can only do it a couple times before it gets old. And I wasn't looking to write a treatise or anything worthwhile. It was just for fun.

So, I stood still and ran the flash up and down my body. Then I ran it over my left arm with the flash in my right hand and then reversed it and ran it over my right arm with the flash in my left hand. I finally held the flash directly over my head.

That's why my head looks like a light bulb. I thought this was really interesting. I am looking forward to having a model to literally 'paint' with light. I see possibilities.

Just having fun and experimenting, I held the flash over my head in four different places. Not having a timer, I couldn't judge how long I did each one and what the time was like for the exposure. So all I got, really, was four different blurbs of white with very, very little of my head appearing.

Fail.

I figured four was too many and so I used the flash to paint myself three times. In three different locations. 

I was thinking of the time I used the flash from my camera to light myself in three places...like I was there three times. This didn't work but I can see some fun in there someplace. With some others to help me. But, that's hard when you live alone. And all the people you know are so old they would complain about the late hour, the chill in the air and whatever. 

It'd be nice to have a good friend or two.

I was getting tired and so with this one I just released the shutter and walked out further. I had the flash over my head as I walked so that's the long line going up so high. It started high and got lower as I walked further away.

Then I stopped and just held the flash above my head. Again, the light bulb above the eerie, cobalt blue body. I also noted that in this picture, when I moved the light further away, the buildings and the sky were a lot lighter.

Getting silly now, I stood in one place and whirled the flash around in a circle. When i got tired of that, I shone the light on either side of my head. Oh, see the loop on the left side? I did a curly-cue and reversed the direction of my arm swing with the flash on.

And the kinda red lines...I had an orange colored flashlight. When the light was pointed away from the lens, it still illuminated the sides of the flash and that gave off the reddish color.

I'm thinking if I get a model I'll have them stand still and then run the flash just over the spaces I want lit up. It should be interesting.

Not a circle, here I tried for a box, a square. And, of course, my face.

Ready, almost, to go in, I tried my name one last time.

Ah, vanity!! Thy name is 'Jack'. I used a shorter exposure time, too.

NW Jetty Avenue....looking north towards the Casino.

Alright, now for the 'This and That".

After I had posted the pictures of the moon I got an excited text from Amy, a vibrant personality, that there was a beautiful moon just now setting and I had better get out there and get a shot.

Well, I know a command when I get one so I grabbed the camera and headed out. I searched the western skies but didn't see anything so I climbed the bluff to make sure I had an unobstructed view of the western horizon.

Nothing. Nada. Nil. Zip.

So, to prove to Amy that I had tried and there was no moon, I took this series of pictures of the horizon and then stitched them together. (There are times I miss the Nikon with its ability to take a true panoramic picture.)

"Look, Ma!! NO Moon!!"

I am liking still lifes. Like these caps. I tend to come into the front room of the dump and drop my caps on the couch. I was sitting in the recliner and saw them and thought they made an interesting arrangement and so...there you are. 

Now, and don't laugh, I am thinking of shooting this 'theme' as time goes by. You'll be seeing some other pictures of the caps on the couch again.

Trust me. You will.

Thinking I am too cool to contain, I put two pictures together.

Now, if you didn't realize who I was in the lower picture, I'll help you out by putting my name above it.

I am thoughtful that way.

Jeff, Allie, Taylor and Lexi got together for another 'recreated' picture. At top is the recreation and on the bottom is the original.

Pretty cool, eh? All four from the original made it for the recreation.

And time goes by...

Feeling good, I got this note from a former student. 

At least they didn't all hate me. Maybe I did a little bit of good.

And that's that. A lot of old things that I do and then a couple of new things. Experiments in a way. Growing and learning still.

Unfortunately, the clock is ticking...

HOOAH!!