Shot Through the Heart: Doug Kessler's Photoblog

Thinking hurts, really!

2011-08-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

I say this because the Republican candidates are avoiding thought like Cousin Susie's rash that one summer. Take Michelle Bachmann on her "victory" in Iowa, "This is the very first step toward taking back the White House!" Having said that, she confidently took one pace toward the West. "That's where the White house is, isn't it? Out there where the liberal Socialists live in California at Barbara Streisand's."
Tim Pawlenty, in danger of seeming moderate, got beat up in the Iowa straw poll like a playground masochist. He quit the race but declared, "I'm keeping my lunch money".

Vacation in Oxnard/ Channel Islands 2011.

2011-07-31T12:19:00.000-07:00

Last week Laurie and I were able to spend 4+ days relaxing, touring and goofing off. We stayed at the beautiful Mandalay Beach Embassy Suites. Here are some of the photos I took while we were there.

Our room was on the second floor.

Our first free day we went to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The next day to Anacapa Island, one of the Channel Islands.
Day three we rode bikes and generally goofed off (including ordering from room service).
I posted quite a few on Facebook also:
Anacapa
Reagan Pres. Library
Oxnard

The view from our balcony around sunset.

Marine 1 at the RRPL.

I take the reins of a fake horse.

Horses stroll past the hotel.

Heading out of the harbor toward Anacapa.

Pelicans fly alongside our boat.

Laurie takes a photo on the island.

Taken from the highest point on the island.

My Jimi Hendrix Experience (5/30/69)

2011-06-17T13:10:00.000-07:00

From where we sat on the grass, we could see Diamond Head. The tickets were $2 to sit in the grassy tiers of the Waikiki Shell. Waiting for the concert to begin, the full moon rose over Diamond Head and got a standing ovation from the herb influenced audience. Although the show was 30 minutes late in starting, nobody seemed to mind. Finally, Noel Redding's group, Fat Mattress opened the show with a lively but mostly filler set. What we had come to see, no, to experience, was Jimi Hendrix. Finally Jimi came out and opened with "Fire". We were mesmerized and I was astounded that he could get that big of a sound from just three musicians: Jimi, Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell. "The Wind Cries Mary" came next and no one was sitting down now. "All along the Watchtower" followed and Jimi never let off the gas. "Hey Joe"was incendiary. "Crosstown Traffic" left tire marks across my face. It is said that Jimi Hendrix always liked to include a roots blues number in his sets so he ripped into "Red House" with passion. His latest album was "Electric Ladyland" and he next performed "Voodoo Chile". "Manic Depression" finished off his first set and we cheered and chanted until he returned for his encore. "Little Wing" came first and then he flattened us all with a ferocious "Purple Haze".
I came back to see him again the next night and coughed up $5 to sit in the 5th row. It was another stunning concert I will never forget. Exact same set list.
As a 20 year old soldier stationed at Schofield Barracks on the North Shore of Oahu, I had plenty of time on my hands while waiting for our equipment (we had been trained to repair) to be deployed throughout the Pacific.
Jimi Hendrix would die a little over a year later at the age of 27. I was in Japan when I heard the news of his death. Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and Jimi all would be gone before I got home to the states. They were sure to always be remembered young while we and our memories age gracefully.

Waikiki Shell today

Hipstamatic, the app for mysterious yet compelling iPhone photos.

2011-05-22T13:00:00.000-07:00

I have been using this "app" on my iPhone for over a year and have found that it can make even the most banal composition look cool. Here are my Hispstamatic "greatest hips".

Driving up the canyon

2011-05-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

About twice a month I drive from Bakersfield to Lake Isabella via the Kern Canyon (CA-178). We had such a good spring rain this year that everything was green and beautiful. However, it doesn't take long and it's dried out and brown again. Recent rains may trigger a revival of greenness, but driving up after some rainfall is always a treat for me as the storms give way to big fluffy, dark clouds. Those clouds invariably give character and interest to the skies. Here's a couple of shots from yesterday's trip.

Sunlight dapples the foothills at the Canyon entrance

Laurie's Garden

2011-05-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

Over the years, my wife has learned much about backyard gardening, but I think this is going to be her most successful year yet. We have tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers and best of all, Laurie has grown a large bearing artichoke plant. The artichokes are the best I've ever tasted but then I'm biased. Between the pool painting and the barbecuing and the gardening, this is turning into a very good spring.

At Sea.....

2011-05-02T17:04:00.000-07:00

In a state of confusion and disorder.

'At sea' has been in use since the 18th century, as here, in Sir William Blackstone's Commentaries on the laws of England, 1768:
"If a court of equity were still at sea, and floated upon the occasional opinion which the judge who happened to preside might entertain of conscience in every particular case."

The earliest reference to 'all at sea' in print that I can find is from Travel and adventure in south-east Africa, 1893, by Frederick C. Selous:

"I was rather surprised to find that he seemed all at sea, and had no one ready to go with me."

My take on "At Sea"

The Bush and the Bees

2011-04-15T08:20:00.000-07:00

When we moved into our home in 2003, we had this little bush that bloomed with a beautiful blue flower, speckled with gold flecks. Now, thanks to Laurie's GGD (Grand Garden Design), the bush is over 8 feet tall and sweeps over the garden path in a great azure swath. The bees love the blooms and, together, the bush and the bees make a glorious springtime activity buzz, if you will.
If anyone knows what this bush is, please share.
I shot this with my D300 and the much maligned 70-300mm Nikkor cheapie lens. With a steady hand and a forgiving aperture, tack sharp pictures can be had.

Happy Accident

2011-04-14T07:12:00.000-07:00

At the Herring Road overpass where it crosses I-5 a Great White Egret drifts north parallel to the freeway. I did not notice the egret until I got back to the "photo-lab" and enlarged the picture. I love when little "accidents" like this happen.

Saved by a Single Cloud

2011-04-13T07:48:00.000-07:00

Although I love the lines of the plowed fields here, the culvert that bisects them was not helping enough alone, So I walked over a few yards until this lone cloud lined up for a reflection.

Natural resources

2011-04-11T06:24:00.000-07:00

To get to the Wind Wolves Preserve you have to drive through some scenery that is not so beautiful. I believe that if it were not for the Nature Conservancy that purchased Wind Wolves, it would have been completely exploited. On the way are mining operations and oil rigs. This is a shot from the road leading into the Preserve.

Bear Mountain and it's Boulevard

2011-04-10T12:49:00.000-07:00

Driving east on CA Hwy 223 from near where Old River Road dead-ends.
Last Friday I was practically alone on the road when this view appeared. There was so little traffic that I was able to stop in the middle of the road, jump out and grab this shot. My D300 is always in my lap so I was out of the car and back in under 20 seconds. It's just not often the air is so clean and there is snow on Bear Mountain that I had to stop.
Here's a link to the same photo on my Zenfolio site.

Side of the road

2011-04-09T16:13:00.000-07:00

I just love when generous spring rain brings crops and our valley is so full of promise. I only wish my favorite wildflower spots looked as promising. However, I'm working around that inconvenience and shooting what is there to be had. This is from the side of Wible Road about 4 miles south of my house.

Friday Fotos

2011-04-08T15:05:00.000-07:00

The last couple of Fridays I have been able to flit about town and county gathering images for your viewing pleasure. Today my travels took me to South Wible Rd., Herring Road where it crosses I-5, Wind Wolves Preserve (still no real wildflower bloom), and Bear Mountain blvd. I took Bear Mt. Blvd north until almost the intersection of CA-58. I turned around near the Veterans National Cemetery because today was one of those rare days in the valley where you can literally see all the way across to the Coastal range. This only happens soon after a rain storm when the air is clean. Clean air is good. Anyway, here are a few of the first shots out of the blender of camera and Photoshop.

Grain field on South Wible Road

Mustard growing on the side of Herring Road with I-5 behind.

Leaving Wind Wolves Preserve

CA Hwy 223 near Old River Rd.

Bear Mountain Blvd. near the National Veteran's Cemetery.

From Bear Mt. Blvd looking NW.

I used the zoom to see the other side of the valley foothills.

Mornings from our driveway

2011-04-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

Laurie leaves for work between 6:45 and 7:00AM every day. Some days, when we have some clouds, the sunrise can be really nice. I keep my D300 handy just in case. Here's one from yesterday.

Welcome Facebook friends!

2011-04-06T08:10:00.000-07:00

I invited you to "like" my photoblog because I already "like" you.....lots.
If I can squeeze 25 "likes" out of you guys, I'm told wonderful things will happen and, let me tell you, if there's money involved, you'll hear about it. You won't get any, but I will joyfully inform you of my good fortune.
Actually, I post photos pretty regularly here accompanied by some commentary for your amusement or education depending on if there has been wine involved.
OK, now go "like" my blog, please.
Doug

Spring rolls on....

2011-04-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

We have been having high 70s and 80s for temps here in the great San Joaquin Valley so spring has really set in here with blooms abounding. The only real disappointment has been the plum tree which got hammered by rain during a critical bloom period and is quite thin with fruit. Second year this has happened. Otherwise the Jasmine and the others are happening in a big way.
This is a shot of the Jasmine with the potato bush flower behind. The other is our "Daybreak" rose.

Three from the garden

2011-04-02T14:53:00.000-07:00

Laurie endures summer, fall and winter with the promise that spring brings. And what spring brings is the blooming of her garden, specifically the Jasmine. We have so much Jasmine planted throughout our backyard that it is climbing the trees like Kudzu. However the scent can now reach into our bedroom on the second floor which makes nights in spring wonderful. Here are three shots from the garden I took on Friday.

Jasmine with morning sunlight behind.

Irises

A snail climbs the nascent Jasmine.

On the bench

2011-03-27T09:04:00.000-07:00

As I was wandering around downtown Bakersfield on Friday looking for interesting photo ops, I saw this gentleman sitting on a bench next to Tina Marie's Cafe. Dressed quite dapper and sitting upright with his suit and fedora, he was an interesting contrast from the people usually hanging out near 19th & Chester. As I passed near him, I saw that he was reading a copy of Watchtower. But, hey, I didn't care about his agenda or beliefs, I was interested in the image he made on that bench. So, I passed right by him and kneeled down behind him on the sidewalk (looking as inconspicuous as a 6' 4" man with a large camera can look) and waited for the traffic to clear. Snap.

Making the leap to Zenfolio

2011-03-26T14:28:00.000-07:00

After renewing my account at Pbase a couple of months ago, I am giving Zenfolio a try. Pbase has not upgraded anything on the site in years and has limits on storage. Not to mention that it is soooooooooooo slow to upload photos.
I also hope to soon be able to use my domain name, dougkessler.com, there also.
Here's a shot from downtown yesterday.

A Fall From Grace

Just driving around on a Friday....

2011-03-25T15:49:00.000-07:00

Took some shots downtown this morning but got bored and headed south to the edge of the San Joaquin Valley. This shot is from CA Highway 166 driving west but looking south.

Wind Wolves Preserve Nature Conservancy

2011-03-25T14:57:00.000-07:00

Drove out to Wind Wolves Preserve today to check on the status of the wildflowers. Well, the flowers are barely getting started but I have a feeling they will be spectacular this Spring because of the amount of rain we have gotten this year. Full bloom is probably a month away. Just the quiet majesty of the place is like no other nearby and soothes the restless soul from it's quest to keep moving. I met two young immigrants from Russia exploring their new home (California) with great delight. The three of us had the entire preserve to ourselves. Serenity.
I took some pictures of the nice landscapes with cloudy skies but will have to return another day for the wildflowers.

My new Russian friends on the trail.

A walk along the bike path

2011-03-14T11:45:00.000-07:00

Just a day of beautiful weather and being out in the (mostly) natural world. A leisurely stroll by the Kern River. These are photos I took while we were there.

Pismo Beach Revisited (Photographically)

2011-03-12T12:05:00.000-08:00

You would think that at 62 I'd have enough crammed into my cranial closet to meet my needs just fine. But still, even after purchasing my my first Photoshop Elements program nine years ago, I am learning how to improve my photos. I have 75,000+ photos on my external drive and have been going through them to see if there are any overlooked gems. Turns out there are quite a few that I now have the ability to improve and enjoy. I'm going to post a few from some of the many trips to Pismo Beach we have taken over the past few years.

I love the dynamic diagonal in this shot. The light through the umbrella is the perfect accent to the composition.

This is the same umbrella as the first shot but without the translucent sun glow. It's a totally different color from this angle.

At first I thought this shot might be too "golden" but I swear this is how it really looked. Also helping is the circular polarizer filter that cuts a lot of the glare and adds depth to the overall color.

A very moist early morning. I'm not even sure what kind of flower this might be.

Love the repetition of elements here. Especially the alternating umbrella bags blowing in the breeze. There's something quite melancholy about this scene.

Gotham Sleeps

2011-03-10T14:46:00.000-08:00

Las Vegas 2011

2011-03-06T16:03:00.000-08:00

Pacific Beach, California

2011-03-06T13:02:00.000-08:00

5 years ago, Laurie and I spent Christmas vacation in Pacific Beach just outside of San Diego. From our 2nd floor balcony I was able to take hundreds of sunset shots with many perfect sunset skies. this is one of them:

A new day, upstairs.....

2011-02-27T12:15:00.000-08:00

I have completed my "Man Cave" in our master bedroom.
We already have a small refrigerator up there, two sinks, toilet, shower, closet, etc. To complete the "Cave", I purchased a Sony 47" Bravia 3D LCD television, a Sony Blu-ray home theater to match and I mounted the TV on the wall. Last night we tried it out for the first time.
We watched "Apocalypse Now: Redux" and this was the best sounding movie I have ever heard in my life. The acoustics of our bedroom seem to be perfect for surround sound. Of course, the video quality was superb also as this 32 year old movie has never looked better. Pristine picture with not a speck or artifact visible. The loving restoration supervised by director, Francis Ford Coppola looks and sounds better than it ever has.
This Blu-ray comes with my Highest Recommendation.

Tripod or handheld

2011-02-17T08:45:00.000-08:00

In my last post I skipped the answer to tripod or handheld for HDR shots.
Using a tripod is preferable in all cases. Having said that, using a tripod may not always be possible such as inside the casinos of Las Vegas.
When my camera has a full charge or I have the battery pack attached I can fire off 5 shots in less than a second but I have to also compensate for the inevitable movement that is inherent to handheld shots. Each one of the five shots, individually might be tack sharp but if the is any movement during the 5 shot burst, the software will have to align the images and doesn't always get it right.

Learning HDR

2011-02-07T07:21:00.000-08:00

Many things about creating an HDR photo are challenging:

How many exposures to use?
Tripod or handheld?
Which software will give me the best result for this photo?

I have discovered that while many exposures are necessary for HDR, the best results are achieved with only one overexposed shot, one neutral and 3-4 under.

I am using two different programs for processing: PSCS5 Merge to HDR and NIK HDR Efex Pro.

The Rio Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada

2011-01-21T16:54:00.000-08:00

We made a quick trip to Las Vegas for a conference Laurie was attending. I only had one day of walking around to shoot photos.
This one was taken from the 4th floor window of our room.

Santa Fe Street

2010-12-30T09:27:00.000-08:00

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Our Christmas Card

2010-11-30T07:21:00.000-08:00

Since nobody reads my photoblog, I feel pretty safe posting our Christmas Card here.
We will be mailing them out this weekend. Happy Holidays!

Cowboy

2010-11-14T14:19:00.000-08:00

Leo Cullum 1942-2010

2010-11-11T14:58:00.000-08:00

My favorite cartoonist, Leo Cullum died last week. RIP

LACMA Courtyard

2010-11-05T15:11:00.000-07:00

Halloween Wine tasting party

2010-11-05T15:07:00.000-07:00

Q is our current favorite label.

At the East Hills Mall

2010-10-24T15:42:00.000-07:00

Went to a political rally for Andrae Gonzales Sunday. Just before he and others spoke some little Halloween dancers performed. Too cute!

Lost and Found

2010-10-22T15:21:00.000-07:00

I spent most of the morning looking through piles of CDs and DVDs (music and photos) and found some photos that had mysteriously disappeared. They were of our brief trip to Yosemite on 5/12/07. This was a real thrill to find photos that I totally thought were gone. I had some of them but not all. I had even posted many on line (web size).
A lady found one of my Pbase photos of Yosemite and ordered a large print of it. Of course it was one of the missing ones. I offered her a discount and an alternate print. Thankfully she agreed and the deal was done.

This is one of the ones from that group that I like very much. El Capitan.

Twilight in Las Vegas

2010-10-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

This was taken at the opposite end of the Fremont Experience where the pedestrian mall meets Casino Center Blvd in downtown Las Vegas about 30 minutes before the light show begins.

Details

2010-10-17T08:07:00.000-07:00

Playing around with Foam Core Board and Topaz Detail.

Your Path

2010-10-12T07:52:00.000-07:00

May your path always lead back to me.

Under Highway 99

2010-10-08T13:30:00.000-07:00

I rode my bicycle on the bike path today and from Yokuts Park going east it goes directly under the freeway. Past that is Beach Park. This is looking west from the point I turned around.

Depth of Field

2010-10-06T07:57:00.000-07:00

I love the tight DOF that is possible with the 50mm f/1.8 lens.
One of my favorite close-up lenses.

Laurie at the BMOA

2010-10-02T10:29:00.000-07:00

Guthrie's Alley Cat

2010-10-01T15:50:00.000-07:00

They make one of the best Bloody Mary's in Bakersfield. The atmosphere is special also.

My Road

2010-09-25T14:45:00.001-07:00

Wherever you are

2010-09-25T14:44:00.000-07:00

My heart goes on

2010-09-25T11:47:00.000-07:00

The Best of Death Valley

2010-09-23T14:36:00.000-07:00

Of all the 700+ shots I took while we visited Death Valley, this one is my favorite. It has many of the elements I'm looking for in a photo of this type:

gnarly paved road
vanishing point
gorgeous tones in the landscape
interesting sky

We have this photo canvas wrapped on the wall in our living room.

Combing through Death Valley

2010-09-20T07:54:00.000-07:00

I've been reviewing my photos from our Christmas in Death Valley. Found some overlooked gems.

The Best Of

2010-09-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

For the first time I have attempted to collect my favorite photos in one gallery.

On the level....

2010-09-10T12:29:00.000-07:00

Just a simple shot on my desk. This is the level I use to hang pictures on the wall. Processed using Lightroom3 and Wizels preset. The lens used is my 50mm f/1.8. Nice crisp depth of field.

Frankie and Annette

2010-09-10T08:53:00.000-07:00

Frankie and Annette lived out their middle-aged years trying to capture the magic of "Beach Blanket Bingo" when all they really had left was Bingo.

Jonas and the "low" lights

2010-09-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

Jonas and Marvin Klevich lived in Mayor's Income, Tennessee. Jonas was a civil engineer and Marvin was the city planner. For years Jonas kept trying to sell his brother on the idea of "low" street lights. He felt that the reduced illumination was a small price to pay for the ease with which one could replace a burnt out bulb.
Time and again Jonas would show Marvin how they would look on the street. Marvin would try to humor his brother but, "They're going to get hit by every vehicle that passes by". Jonas finally dropped his request after a particularly close call with a city bus.

Broom Drills

2010-09-10T08:16:00.000-07:00

John, Floyd and Roscoe (l-r) weren't cut out for Army life. KP would have been a step up from what they did all day. Sweep. All day. Storage room, warehouse, barracks. As luck would have it, they did discover a talent hidden within that drudgery. Instead of rifles, they became proficient with brooms. As they swept any given location for the hundredth time, they began to twirl, tap, toss and spin their brooms. It was through this once latent ability that they were able to transform boredom into spectacular shows of skill and dexterity. Never noticed or recognized by their superiors or even their peers, they retreated back into the neatly swept shadows and returned to competitive drinking.

The Amazing Halstons

2010-09-10T08:01:00.000-07:00

Mark and Louise Halston were briefly famous in 1954 when they became "two-time winners" on "Ted Mack's Amateur Hour®". Their ventriloquism was an immediate sensation as they manipulated nearly life-size dummies. Never able to have children of their own, the Halstons carved a boy and a girl and brought them to life to the amazement of all who watched television during those two weeks. To add a further twist to the bizarre display, Louise worked the boy while Mark brought the girl to life.
Youtube® has given this historical blip a second life with a rare Kinescope that has half a million hits so far.

An agent now represents them and a tour is in the works.

My Girl

2010-09-10T07:48:00.000-07:00

Margaret Turner. Maggie.
Maggie was with him through Ft. Dix. Smiling back at him from the fold of his wallet. She enchanted him as his ship set out for Europe. Her smell was always available in his mind. She got off the boat with him, Jan 26, 1942 as part of the first American GIs to arrive in Great Britain. The thought of her being close by was a sustaining image even as horror upon horror piled up in reality.
An Army may travel on it's stomach but through the mind's eye it surmounts the greatest hardships. As the hospital ship carried him home across the Atlantic, he dreamed of Maggie. The morphine even made her seem more real.
Although he had never met her, or knew her name, he loved her more than ever.
Finding that picture at the bus station years ago (it seemed) didn't mean much back then.
Now, it meant everything. Thanks, Maggie.

"Fat" Dunagan

2010-09-08T16:46:00.000-07:00

Yeah, "Fat". That's what the guys called him.
They thought they were being cruel but he didn't care. "Fat" worked just fine for him. He went on, after high school, to become a rodeo champion (calf roping),
minor league baseball player and part-time inventor. The aluminum saddle was his idea. It never caught on but he had a patent just the same. After retiring from baseball and rodeo, he opened a chain of meatball sandwich stores.
"The Original 'Fat' Dunagan Meatball Sandwich". After that his pockets were always "Fat"....with cash.

Haiku

2010-09-08T16:42:00.000-07:00

A Spring cool pillow
Dreams rest facing each other
Future visions dance

Secret ending

2010-09-08T16:39:00.000-07:00

They met each year in Las Vegas between Christmas and New Year's Eve.
What began as a chance meeting 12 years ago had become something more.
As each year ended, a new year of anticipation would begin. This year though, she hadn't appeared. He gathered his memories and carried them back to his empty room.

Unkept promises

2010-09-08T16:37:00.000-07:00

She wanted to believe. So many times.

I miss her....

2010-09-08T16:35:00.000-07:00

...she was the reason the pigeons came around.
She would feed them and I would smile....

Bus Bench Beat

2010-09-08T16:32:00.000-07:00

Bread
Milk
Pick-up kids
walk home
dinner
study
kids to bed
back to study
load in the wash
Pray
get up and do it again, Amen

He used to come straight home

2010-09-08T16:29:00.000-07:00

They were young then. Felt like they owed something to each other. Little things would happen and he would call. Sounded noisy to her. She'd save his dinner at first. Came a time she wouldn't even cook it. She figured he worked hard and needed his fun. Fun was what he once said she was.
She's still fun, but he doesn't know it anymore. Her friends know. What he gives her now is space. He knows where to find her. He can buy her another beer when he gets there.

A brief tale of love, hardship, joy and betrayal.

2010-09-08T16:25:00.000-07:00

Laurie at Wind Wolves Preserve

2010-08-27T10:05:00.000-07:00

I took this photo earlier this year but have been reworking it following Scott Kelby's "Lightroom 3" book. I'm trying to get the same "look" as I can get with Topaz Adjust but without the noise it sometimes creates. I like the results a lot.

The View From Saturn

2010-07-31T14:26:00.000-07:00

In March of 2006 I began a gallery on Pbase.com named, "The View From Saturn." About halfway through posting daily to this gallery, I picked up a lot of followers and eventually it became the most popular gallery on their site for 2 weeks.

One of my favorites from this series was a photo of a Classic Taxicab. For weeks I had been driving up and down Union Ave. shooting the funky old motels that populate that area. Once, Union Ave had been California Highway 99 Business. All traffic had to go through and many motels and restaurants became rest stops for travelers. Since Hwy 99 Freeway was built and bypassed Union, the area has gone downhill.

Anyway, I'm just about to go home one day after shooting some motels when up beside me pulls this "Memory Lane Classic Cab". We're both stopped at the light (Union & Panama). I look over at the driver of the cab who sees my camera and breaks into a smile for me. I love this shot.

Huntington Lake Slide Show

2010-07-31T14:23:00.000-07:00

Huntington Lake

2010-07-29T07:45:00.000-07:00

I shot over 400 photos while we were "vacationing" at Huntington Lake with friends. Out of those, about 20 were "keepers". For three days of shooting, that's really not a bad ratio. We took some hikes, drove around and generally had a very relaxing time. Many thanks go to Roison and Scott for making an unforgettable weekend possible.

I used my 18-135mm lens all weekend. I know some who disparage that lens but I have found it to be a great "walkabout" companion for my D300. Huntington Lake really cries out for a wide angle view of the magnificent lake and forest.

The Vine and the Wall

2010-07-09T15:12:00.000-07:00

The vines that crawl along the wall grow by attaching to the smallest of crevices and each attachment allows the vine to grow and reach outward. As long as the vine has sufficient water and sunlight, it will continue to spread.

I've now been working in hospice for four years as a social worker. I'm 61 and of the 35 or so patients on my caseload, there always seems to be 3-4 that are younger than me. If you added in the patients that are between my age and 5 years older, the number can reach 10-15.

If I had any fears about my own mortality, I would fail to gain empathy and not care who dies and who continues to live. Some of my patients actually get better (or stop getting worse) and "graduate" from hospice. About 10% nationally.

One of the criteria for staying on hospice care is a decline in condition. This decline can be breathtaking (literally) in it's quickness. For most though, the period on hospice is a slow decline. Loss of body weight and mid-arm circumference, increased sleep and reduced eating are all markers of this decline.

6 months or less to live should the disease take it's normal course. A physician must write that in the chart for a patient to come on service. Too many times I get to meet them just hours after they receive the news because of medical indications that went unnoticed by the patient and family.

The 90% that don't graduate, die. I lose around 3 patients a week; I get around 3 new ones a week also. It's the cycle surrounding my work.

Nothing ends with death except your physical self. What we call death is not an ending, but a beginning.

"Today's My Friday"

2010-07-09T08:56:00.000-07:00

Although I am not "retired" in the traditional sense, I am only working four days a week now. The difference in time "not working" (3 days) is huge to me. Three wonderful days a week to not work! This reduced work week has created a new description of each working day. It's not Thursday anymore, it's "my Friday". Wednesday is now my Thursday.

At first this was a little tedious for me and I discouraged Laurie from transposing my work days 24 hours to the left. Now, having thought about it some I have come to embrace the terms as my own. While now using them freely myself, Laurie is still gun shy from the admonishment at my initial reaction.

Besides, if my Thursday becomes my Friday and so on, where does this leave Sunday? My Monday? I don't think so.

I suppose it will soon become routine and names of days will be back to their original assignments.

Soon, I want to also discuss things you can do with three days off that are impossible with only two, but I have to leave now because, "It's My Friday".

Countdown to retirement

2010-01-23T09:49:00.000-08:00

I still enjoy most of what I do for a living. The brave patients and their families show me how resilient people can be. Odyssey picked me up, dusted me off and gave a chance to work.

I can't help but dream about what it will be like to not go to work every day. The thought of only working say, three days a week is very exciting to me. I think I will be a very good "House-Husband". My goal will be to keep up with things in the house so that Laurie has little or nothing to do when she gets home. My brief (thankfully) period of unemployment gave me the opportunity to tackle projects around the house. I really enjoyed doing domestic housework. I also want to complete various projects that lay unfinished around the house.

Things I will not miss about working full-time:

Working full-time
Being on-call
Driving all day
Getting up at 5:30 am
Having to just "not see" things that need to be done

Approximately 351 days to go.

Where 3?

2010-01-02T16:27:00.000-08:00

Morro Bay in Black and White

2009-10-10T09:00:00.001-07:00

Weedpatch Labor Camp

2009-04-05T10:49:00.000-07:00

Laurie and I explored one of the only buildings left of the Weedpatch Labor Camp near Lamont, California. The main building there was a dance hall used by farm laborers and their families. This was during the "Dust Bowl" era and was depicted in the book by John Steinbeck, "The Grapes of Wrath".

You can learn more about the camp here.

Wildflowers in Kern County 2009

2009-03-22T11:49:00.000-07:00

Here in Kern County, we have had some timely rain storms that have produced a nice show of wildflowers. The pictures are from near Arvin and the "Wind Wolves Preserve" 18 miles south and west of Bakersfield.

Nowpublic.com

2009-02-07T11:56:00.000-08:00

Nowpublic.com is using my "Lenticular below Cirrus" photo on their web site.

The Show

2009-01-19T09:17:00.001-08:00

Here are my six photos up in The Empty Space gallery. They will be up until February 1st.

Empty Space Theater Gallery Showing

2009-01-06T16:19:00.000-08:00

The Empty Space Theater @ 706 Oak St., Bakersfield 93304, is having a showing. I'm going to give it a go with 6 large prints. Here's one of them:

Cover Photo

2009-01-06T15:49:00.000-08:00

The all new, revamped and combined Bakersfield Voice has chosen my Red-tailed Hawk picture for the cover. I'm very excited for this picture to have been selected. The link is here.

Contest Winning Photo

2009-01-06T15:36:00.000-08:00

I submitted a photo of Morro Rock (the one in the header of this blog) to a contest that the Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce was having last month. Well, it won. Or, more precisely, it was awarded a prize. Laurie and I will be staying one night free in the beautiful La Serina Inn in Morro Bay. You can see mine and the other photo that also won a prize here: MB Photo Contest

"After the Rain"

2009-01-06T14:02:00.001-08:00

I'm very proud of a series of photos I'm posting on Pbase titled "After the Rain".

This is a sample: