Well, before this event, I was sceptical of Royalty Free marketing. When I posted my first images at Alamy, I listed all of them as RIghts Managed. And while I still remain skeptical of the "penny" stock agencies, I am now more convinced that I need to market my photos both ways.
The panel I went to this morning had an incredible array of stock photography companies represented. I was especially thrilled to hear the representatives from Getty and Corbis talk about their company, their strategies, and how it works. But the entire panel was impressive - so much knowledge and skill to learn from at one time!
Interestingly enough, the sales price for Royalty Free images is going up - there is a big demand for this type of image. But there is still a demand for Rights Managed. Big companies sometimes want exclusivity for the images they use in an advertising campaign. Between Tom Grill's session yesterday and the information presented today, I have a better idea which of my images should be marketed as Royalty Free and which should be Rights Managed. And I have a plan to shoot several sets of images specifically for the Royalty Free market. To put it simply . . . . images that are unique, difficult to classify, and expensive to obtain should be Rights Managed. Images that are strongly conceptual, can be used in many ways for many products should be marketed as Royalty Free. Go to an agency such as Getty or Alamy and browse the Rights Managed and Royalty Free images. I think you'll spot the difference.
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Turning Your Images into Gold - Marketing your photos to the Consumer
I found this session extremely informative. Because nature photography is my first love, I think this is a direction I would like to explore. I can visualize some of my best work framed on someone's wall.
The moderator was Jeff Sedlik. He runs his own business and distributes posters himself. He did a great job presenting the pros and cons of doing it yourself versus being represented by an agency.
Jeff Sedlik
Jeff Sedlik - Jazz and Blues Master
Martin Lawlor from Bruce McGraw Graphics (I'll add a link here when I find a good one for his company) and Phil Jackson from Bruce Teleky - American Vision Gallery (an art print poster distributor) both gave presentations using photos they market.
Bruce Teleky - American Vision Gallery
The highlights of information from this:I gathered that when you are marketing posters from these big entities - they would prefer to have an exclusive arrangement with you. They have many distribution channels and are already connected with the big retail chains, home interior networks, furniture stores, etc.
When targeting consumers, you are talking about posters, framed prints, greeting cards, mugs, t-shirts, calendars, mousepads, bags, etc. Branding your name will help increase sales of these products.
When thinking of prints for home decorating, one interesting aspect is thinking in terms of pairs of photos that can be displayed together.
One of the advantages of going into the retail market is that it diversifies your income stream. At Kathy Adam's Clarke's "How to Survive Your First Five Years", she talked about having many different ways of generating income (pieces of a pie so to speak) in order to earn your living with photography.
There will be a pdf that I am looking forward to receiving. While I won't pass much of that on - as I consider that it might be proprietary and was intended for those of us that paid to attend the seminar, you can get information about these kinds of companies from the book, "The Photographer's Market."
John Lund finished the presentation. I immediately recognized his work - think the dogs playing poker. He has done an excellent job finding innovative ways to market his work.
John Lund
While I don't know yet if my work is high enough quality, I am certainly planning to explore this area of photo marketing.
The moderator was Jeff Sedlik. He runs his own business and distributes posters himself. He did a great job presenting the pros and cons of doing it yourself versus being represented by an agency.
Jeff Sedlik
Jeff Sedlik - Jazz and Blues Master
Martin Lawlor from Bruce McGraw Graphics (I'll add a link here when I find a good one for his company) and Phil Jackson from Bruce Teleky - American Vision Gallery (an art print poster distributor) both gave presentations using photos they market.
Bruce Teleky - American Vision Gallery
The highlights of information from this:I gathered that when you are marketing posters from these big entities - they would prefer to have an exclusive arrangement with you. They have many distribution channels and are already connected with the big retail chains, home interior networks, furniture stores, etc.
When targeting consumers, you are talking about posters, framed prints, greeting cards, mugs, t-shirts, calendars, mousepads, bags, etc. Branding your name will help increase sales of these products.
When thinking of prints for home decorating, one interesting aspect is thinking in terms of pairs of photos that can be displayed together.
One of the advantages of going into the retail market is that it diversifies your income stream. At Kathy Adam's Clarke's "How to Survive Your First Five Years", she talked about having many different ways of generating income (pieces of a pie so to speak) in order to earn your living with photography.
There will be a pdf that I am looking forward to receiving. While I won't pass much of that on - as I consider that it might be proprietary and was intended for those of us that paid to attend the seminar, you can get information about these kinds of companies from the book, "The Photographer's Market."
John Lund finished the presentation. I immediately recognized his work - think the dogs playing poker. He has done an excellent job finding innovative ways to market his work.
John Lund
While I don't know yet if my work is high enough quality, I am certainly planning to explore this area of photo marketing.
PhotoPlus Expo - More Interesting Booths
Phototek
I’ve been doing some still life photography in various rooms of my house. When my daughter, Debra was away at college I used the desk in her room to set up flower shots. I had heard about special light “houses” or light boxes and I knew that some people constructed their own. I saw several lights at booths, but the one I liked best was at Phototek. I chose one 24X24X36. It came with a black and white liner and I bought the additional “wide angle” one so I could do horizontal shots. I already have two studio lights – so I did not buy their lights.
Phototek
WestCott
When I first bought studio lights, it was an experiment – so I bought just about the cheapest ones my local photo store (Precision Camera) had. I discovered that I would indeed use them. I also discovered the room I was working in got very hot. I tried bouncing the light off the ceiling, as well as shooting with them directly. I bought plastic diffusers (which never seemed to fit correctly) and I tried shooting through white material. So one of the things I was looking for was an upgrade for my lighting.
I did look at AlienBees, but they are strobe lights. The helpful staff there told me that I would need a flash meter to set my exposure. Sigh . . . . . one more thing to learn to use. I am spoiled by my in camera meters. I had been by the Westcott booth and drooled over one of the lights they had. They had a professional model and their rep was extolling the virtues of the cool lighting. She was cold. I priced it the first time and walked away . . . . . But after checking out AlienBees, and knowing there was a show discount . . . . . I went back and got their Spiderlight TD5. I bought one with a “kit” because I already have a reflector that I can use to balance the light. Perhaps next year I’ll get a second one. I got the light, a bracket, a soft box and a lightstand. And then of course I saw some portable backgrounds (made similarly to the fold up reflectors) that I would see myself using a lot.
Westcott
AlienBees Flash Units
Whereas I looked at their lights and perhaps one day I will go that direction, the item they have that I do drool over is the portable power system. I did some bluebonnet portraits this year and tried to use my car inverter to power my lights. Something did not work the day I tried it . . . . but at least the sun cooperated. The power systems look like they might work with my existing lights and perhaps my new one. (And I did fill out the card to win a set of their lights . . . . . .)
AlienBees
Lee Filters
While I did not spend much time drooling here (I already have Lee ND gradient filters). I like their filters MUCH better than the Cokin filters I started with.
Lee Filters
I’ve been doing some still life photography in various rooms of my house. When my daughter, Debra was away at college I used the desk in her room to set up flower shots. I had heard about special light “houses” or light boxes and I knew that some people constructed their own. I saw several lights at booths, but the one I liked best was at Phototek. I chose one 24X24X36. It came with a black and white liner and I bought the additional “wide angle” one so I could do horizontal shots. I already have two studio lights – so I did not buy their lights.
Phototek
WestCott
When I first bought studio lights, it was an experiment – so I bought just about the cheapest ones my local photo store (Precision Camera) had. I discovered that I would indeed use them. I also discovered the room I was working in got very hot. I tried bouncing the light off the ceiling, as well as shooting with them directly. I bought plastic diffusers (which never seemed to fit correctly) and I tried shooting through white material. So one of the things I was looking for was an upgrade for my lighting.
I did look at AlienBees, but they are strobe lights. The helpful staff there told me that I would need a flash meter to set my exposure. Sigh . . . . . one more thing to learn to use. I am spoiled by my in camera meters. I had been by the Westcott booth and drooled over one of the lights they had. They had a professional model and their rep was extolling the virtues of the cool lighting. She was cold. I priced it the first time and walked away . . . . . But after checking out AlienBees, and knowing there was a show discount . . . . . I went back and got their Spiderlight TD5. I bought one with a “kit” because I already have a reflector that I can use to balance the light. Perhaps next year I’ll get a second one. I got the light, a bracket, a soft box and a lightstand. And then of course I saw some portable backgrounds (made similarly to the fold up reflectors) that I would see myself using a lot.
Westcott
AlienBees Flash Units
Whereas I looked at their lights and perhaps one day I will go that direction, the item they have that I do drool over is the portable power system. I did some bluebonnet portraits this year and tried to use my car inverter to power my lights. Something did not work the day I tried it . . . . but at least the sun cooperated. The power systems look like they might work with my existing lights and perhaps my new one. (And I did fill out the card to win a set of their lights . . . . . .)
AlienBees
Lee Filters
While I did not spend much time drooling here (I already have Lee ND gradient filters). I like their filters MUCH better than the Cokin filters I started with.
Lee Filters
Friday's Sessions
The first session I attended was "Your Picture How to Get Published."
The moderator was W.H. Hunt with panelists, Elizabeth Blondi, Kathleen Klech, Jodi Quon, and Kathy Ryan. One was photo editor for Conde Nast's Traveller magazine. One was photo editor for the New Yorker magazine. It was interesting that it is amazingly easy to get your portfolio in to these people. They all preferred prints (even prints you have made yourself) over CD's. They each presented photos from photographers that had impressed them and that showed how that led to an assignment with their magazine. I was impressed both by the creativity and that many of these photos would not win at many of the online contests where I have been participating. While most of my work does not really fit the needs of these publications, I learned about a new contest to enter at the Santa Fe Workshops.
Next on the agenda was: Turning your Images into Gold
Moderator was Jeff Sedlik, Panelists Martin Lawlor - Bruce McGaw Graphics, Phil Jackson - Bruce Teleky (art print, poster distributor) and John Lund (Animal Antics - everyone has seen his dogs playing poker images)
This session really fits the photography that I do. Jeff Sedlik got started when his first child was two - as a way to plan for college. You can market yourself - printing your own and finding distributors or you can license your work. It seems that many of the companies want to carry your work exclusively. And you get a better percentage if you go directly to them rather than through a stock agency. (You can have other work out for stock.) So I'm glad I learned that early in the process. Home decorating is a big part of this business model. So you want to think of photo pairs and "suites." I will certainly follow up on the information from this panel because I think my photos might fit with their needs.
My last session was "Maximizing Stock Photography Income" by Tom Grill
This guy was amazing. He conveyed a lot of information in a short period of time. Some of my friends and family will rue this day as I am likely to start bugging them to ask as models as I try to implement some of the ideas. While many of these shots may not be my favorite thing to do - they could certainly provide an income stream that would allow me to pursue the outdoor photography that is my first love. Concept photography has been mentioned to me before and is critical to getting your work used for advertising purposes.
Tom Grill
I took time to attend the special event: An Intimate Conversation with Three of Photography's Icons: Joel Meyerowitz, Douglas Kirkland, and Elliott Erwitt
Joel Meyerowitz spent 8 months documenting the cleanup at the World Trade Center. He went every day. His current project: he will be photographing all of New York's Parks. Like another professional photographer I have met, boldness is one of his characteristics - his story of how he was able to get in to the Trade Center site is a lesson in persistance. Douglas Kirkland is a celebrity photographer - you will recognize some of his photos of famous people. Looking at how he used lighting in his work is amazing. Elliot Erwitt's work shows the power in black and white photography. He was a street photographer and his photos are well worth studying.
I will come back and add more to this post when I have more time.
The moderator was W.H. Hunt with panelists, Elizabeth Blondi, Kathleen Klech, Jodi Quon, and Kathy Ryan. One was photo editor for Conde Nast's Traveller magazine. One was photo editor for the New Yorker magazine. It was interesting that it is amazingly easy to get your portfolio in to these people. They all preferred prints (even prints you have made yourself) over CD's. They each presented photos from photographers that had impressed them and that showed how that led to an assignment with their magazine. I was impressed both by the creativity and that many of these photos would not win at many of the online contests where I have been participating. While most of my work does not really fit the needs of these publications, I learned about a new contest to enter at the Santa Fe Workshops.
Next on the agenda was: Turning your Images into Gold
Moderator was Jeff Sedlik, Panelists Martin Lawlor - Bruce McGaw Graphics, Phil Jackson - Bruce Teleky (art print, poster distributor) and John Lund (Animal Antics - everyone has seen his dogs playing poker images)
This session really fits the photography that I do. Jeff Sedlik got started when his first child was two - as a way to plan for college. You can market yourself - printing your own and finding distributors or you can license your work. It seems that many of the companies want to carry your work exclusively. And you get a better percentage if you go directly to them rather than through a stock agency. (You can have other work out for stock.) So I'm glad I learned that early in the process. Home decorating is a big part of this business model. So you want to think of photo pairs and "suites." I will certainly follow up on the information from this panel because I think my photos might fit with their needs.
My last session was "Maximizing Stock Photography Income" by Tom Grill
This guy was amazing. He conveyed a lot of information in a short period of time. Some of my friends and family will rue this day as I am likely to start bugging them to ask as models as I try to implement some of the ideas. While many of these shots may not be my favorite thing to do - they could certainly provide an income stream that would allow me to pursue the outdoor photography that is my first love. Concept photography has been mentioned to me before and is critical to getting your work used for advertising purposes.
Tom Grill
I took time to attend the special event: An Intimate Conversation with Three of Photography's Icons: Joel Meyerowitz, Douglas Kirkland, and Elliott Erwitt
Joel Meyerowitz spent 8 months documenting the cleanup at the World Trade Center. He went every day. His current project: he will be photographing all of New York's Parks. Like another professional photographer I have met, boldness is one of his characteristics - his story of how he was able to get in to the Trade Center site is a lesson in persistance. Douglas Kirkland is a celebrity photographer - you will recognize some of his photos of famous people. Looking at how he used lighting in his work is amazing. Elliot Erwitt's work shows the power in black and white photography. He was a street photographer and his photos are well worth studying.
I will come back and add more to this post when I have more time.
Friday, October 21, 2005
PhotoPlus Expo - More Interesting Booths
Interesting booths
PhotoStockPlus.com
A place to sell your images online. A form of stock photography – they charge you for a website to show your photos – within a network where buyers come looking. . . . .
They also allow you to showcase images from event photography – they will do the prints and ship them right to your clients.
Photo Stock Plus
Santa Fe Center for Photography
Project Competition Dec 1st deadline
Portfolio Reviews - a juried portfolio review event $495 Deadline for entries Dec 1st
The Singular Image
CPAC Imaging Pro
I met Susanne C - she was impressed with this program. It is designed for portrait photographers to do retouching. It had a nice system for changing out backgrounds. And of course, smoothing out facial skin, removing blemishes, etc. I liked the demo, but if I understood the salesperson – it was too high priced for me to buy right now.
CPSAC Imaging Pro
Portrait Weavers
I really enjoy the tapestry throws I have bought or been given over the years. Portrait Weavers allows you to take one of your photographs and have it woven into a throw, a pillow or a tote. You can even make wall hangings
Portrait Weavers
Palm Beach Photographic Centre
11th Annual International Festival of Photography & Digital Imaging
This is too near the NANPA event, but it looked interesting.
Palm Beach Photographic Centre
FastBack Creative Books
I got to look at a couple of their sample books. The quality looked very nice. They offer both hard bound and paperbacks. You can design your own book – or you can pay extra for them to design it.
FastBack Creative Books
ColorVision
ColorVision had a booth. Since a Spyder screen calibrater is in my future, I picked up their brochure.
Bergger Digital High Definition Fine Art Papers
I’ve just started playing with putting my images on textured specialty papers. So I was interested in their PN33 textured cotton paper. I also picked up materials on PN61, another textured paper and Pn62 – a cotton rag paper.
Bergger Digital
Premier Imaging Products
Premier Imagaing Products also had papers that captured my interest. My favorite was their Luster Rag. But I also liked their Textured 300g, the Canvass Matte, and their smooth velvet.
Premier Imaging Products
MPIX
I’d already heard great things about this printing company. I got to see sample prints from their metallic paper. I will definitely try this out with some of my work. They will also mount photos on either canvas or matte which produces a nice finished product. I got small samples of their prints – which was nice so I can look at it more when I get home.
MPIX
PhotoStockPlus.com
A place to sell your images online. A form of stock photography – they charge you for a website to show your photos – within a network where buyers come looking. . . . .
They also allow you to showcase images from event photography – they will do the prints and ship them right to your clients.
Photo Stock Plus
Santa Fe Center for Photography
Project Competition Dec 1st deadline
Portfolio Reviews - a juried portfolio review event $495 Deadline for entries Dec 1st
The Singular Image
CPAC Imaging Pro
I met Susanne C - she was impressed with this program. It is designed for portrait photographers to do retouching. It had a nice system for changing out backgrounds. And of course, smoothing out facial skin, removing blemishes, etc. I liked the demo, but if I understood the salesperson – it was too high priced for me to buy right now.
CPSAC Imaging Pro
Portrait Weavers
I really enjoy the tapestry throws I have bought or been given over the years. Portrait Weavers allows you to take one of your photographs and have it woven into a throw, a pillow or a tote. You can even make wall hangings
Portrait Weavers
Palm Beach Photographic Centre
11th Annual International Festival of Photography & Digital Imaging
This is too near the NANPA event, but it looked interesting.
Palm Beach Photographic Centre
FastBack Creative Books
I got to look at a couple of their sample books. The quality looked very nice. They offer both hard bound and paperbacks. You can design your own book – or you can pay extra for them to design it.
FastBack Creative Books
ColorVision
ColorVision had a booth. Since a Spyder screen calibrater is in my future, I picked up their brochure.
Bergger Digital High Definition Fine Art Papers
I’ve just started playing with putting my images on textured specialty papers. So I was interested in their PN33 textured cotton paper. I also picked up materials on PN61, another textured paper and Pn62 – a cotton rag paper.
Bergger Digital
Premier Imaging Products
Premier Imagaing Products also had papers that captured my interest. My favorite was their Luster Rag. But I also liked their Textured 300g, the Canvass Matte, and their smooth velvet.
Premier Imaging Products
MPIX
I’d already heard great things about this printing company. I got to see sample prints from their metallic paper. I will definitely try this out with some of my work. They will also mount photos on either canvas or matte which produces a nice finished product. I got small samples of their prints – which was nice so I can look at it more when I get home.
MPIX
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Aperture - Apple's New Photo Program
Henry, my husband had told me ahead of time that Apple was planning a big announcement at this photo conference I was planning to attend. He saw the informational releases Wednesday. Since I have been pretty disappointed with Iphoto at this stage of my photographic development, I was pretty sceptical about a "new" version of Iphoto. In my experience Iphoto was clunky, it did not like the number of photographs I shoot, everything moved so slowly. . . . . .
But when I got to the Exhibition Hall and saw the demonstration of Aperture - I have to say I'm impressed. It works right from your original RAW files without changing your original image (an important thing for some of the contests I enter that require the original!) It seems to work well to help you group your similar shots as well as shots from a given shoot.
My favorite part was the Loupe that is built in. I've been using Graphic Converter to run a slideshow to help me choose my best shots to work on. I usually take a sequence of shots - and then try to find the one that has the sharpest focus as well as the best exposure. With the loupe tool, it is very easy to get close into each shot of a series to find the one with optimal sharpness. You can also set up "Light Tables" with your best images.
The tool to remove those pesky dust specs was also very easy. With photoshop's healing brush, you must first sample an area and then remove the spot. With aperture you just choose the right brush size and click - the spot is gone.
There are built in tools for the RAW conversion - white balance, levels. And it is easy to move your shot over to Photoshop for additional processing or combining images.
I have a newer Mac laptop, so I am assuming it should run quickly on my computer, but I was impressed at how quickly the demonstrator could move from one image to the next - certainly not possible on Iphoto and certainly easier than going through an entire slideshow of shots on Graphic Converter.
With a $500 price tag, I am not rushing out to buy it right now . . . . . but I'm certainly going to go drool more tomorrow.
But when I got to the Exhibition Hall and saw the demonstration of Aperture - I have to say I'm impressed. It works right from your original RAW files without changing your original image (an important thing for some of the contests I enter that require the original!) It seems to work well to help you group your similar shots as well as shots from a given shoot.
My favorite part was the Loupe that is built in. I've been using Graphic Converter to run a slideshow to help me choose my best shots to work on. I usually take a sequence of shots - and then try to find the one that has the sharpest focus as well as the best exposure. With the loupe tool, it is very easy to get close into each shot of a series to find the one with optimal sharpness. You can also set up "Light Tables" with your best images.
The tool to remove those pesky dust specs was also very easy. With photoshop's healing brush, you must first sample an area and then remove the spot. With aperture you just choose the right brush size and click - the spot is gone.
There are built in tools for the RAW conversion - white balance, levels. And it is easy to move your shot over to Photoshop for additional processing or combining images.
I have a newer Mac laptop, so I am assuming it should run quickly on my computer, but I was impressed at how quickly the demonstrator could move from one image to the next - certainly not possible on Iphoto and certainly easier than going through an entire slideshow of shots on Graphic Converter.
With a $500 price tag, I am not rushing out to buy it right now . . . . . but I'm certainly going to go drool more tomorrow.
PhotoPlus Expo
For my photograhy friends, I am going to post some blogs from the PhotoPlus Expo in New York City.
I got into New York Wednesday and got settled into my hotel. I found my way to the convention center fairly easily and got my name tag. I headed off to my first eagerly awaited seminar only to find that I did not have my "ticket" nor was my name on the registered list . . . . . At the NANPA summit everything was included in the price except for the pre event and post event activities. So I went back to the main floor, found the additional line, priced it, swallowed very hard and bought my tickets! After all, the seminar topics were what made me choose to come to this event. In for a penny, in for a pound. Fortunately, I have a supportive husband who when called later in the day - confirmed that this was exactly what I should do.
I went to my first meeting - late, but really enjoyed George Lepp's presentation. While I have the Panorama Factory on my Windows laptop - it is cumbersome to transfer the files over - so most of my panorama sequence shots are still on DVD's waiting processing. He recommended Panorama Maker from www.Arcsoft.com - which runs on both Windows and Mac. I'll be looking into that program.
He also showed some of the features of Adobe Photoshop's CS2. Since I seem to be doing fine with the first CS, I had not been ready to upgrade . . . . .but the High Dynamic Range feature (HDR) that will take a minimum of three images with different exposures and combine them easily makes the new version tempting. And, of course, he also showed how to do something similar with layer masks - I did learn a new technique . . . . .
The other program that tempts me is Helicon Focus. Designed in the Ukraine, it is marketed in the United States for Windows machines. But it allows you to shoot a sequence of "macro" shots and combine them to get the entire flower in sharp focus - a much deeper depth of field than an lens setting. It can also be used on landscape shots. I was very impressed. However, it is an expensive program - and only for Windows - so it is not immediately on my buy list.
While I am not ready to buy a digital projector - I was certainly impressed with the Canon SX50 he was using. Amazing color and resolution.
I got into New York Wednesday and got settled into my hotel. I found my way to the convention center fairly easily and got my name tag. I headed off to my first eagerly awaited seminar only to find that I did not have my "ticket" nor was my name on the registered list . . . . . At the NANPA summit everything was included in the price except for the pre event and post event activities. So I went back to the main floor, found the additional line, priced it, swallowed very hard and bought my tickets! After all, the seminar topics were what made me choose to come to this event. In for a penny, in for a pound. Fortunately, I have a supportive husband who when called later in the day - confirmed that this was exactly what I should do.
I went to my first meeting - late, but really enjoyed George Lepp's presentation. While I have the Panorama Factory on my Windows laptop - it is cumbersome to transfer the files over - so most of my panorama sequence shots are still on DVD's waiting processing. He recommended Panorama Maker from www.Arcsoft.com - which runs on both Windows and Mac. I'll be looking into that program.
He also showed some of the features of Adobe Photoshop's CS2. Since I seem to be doing fine with the first CS, I had not been ready to upgrade . . . . .but the High Dynamic Range feature (HDR) that will take a minimum of three images with different exposures and combine them easily makes the new version tempting. And, of course, he also showed how to do something similar with layer masks - I did learn a new technique . . . . .
The other program that tempts me is Helicon Focus. Designed in the Ukraine, it is marketed in the United States for Windows machines. But it allows you to shoot a sequence of "macro" shots and combine them to get the entire flower in sharp focus - a much deeper depth of field than an lens setting. It can also be used on landscape shots. I was very impressed. However, it is an expensive program - and only for Windows - so it is not immediately on my buy list.
While I am not ready to buy a digital projector - I was certainly impressed with the Canon SX50 he was using. Amazing color and resolution.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Monday, October 17, 2005
Professional Progress
I'm excited to report that I have gotten my foot in the door with a professional stock photo agency. I currently have 13 images at Alamy Images:
Stock photography by Mary Ann Melton at Alamy
I will be going to New York City this week for the PHOTOPLUS EXPO 2005. While it will be fun to see all the newest photography equipment, I think I am more interested in the sessions. I am particularly interested in the sessions dealing with stock. With so many choices these days - Royalty Free Images, Rights Managed, and Licensed and with so many photographers out there trying to earn money, it will be interesting to hear what these industry professionals have to say.
Since I also love New York City . . . . . . I will enjoy this outing.
Stock photography by Mary Ann Melton at Alamy
I will be going to New York City this week for the PHOTOPLUS EXPO 2005. While it will be fun to see all the newest photography equipment, I think I am more interested in the sessions. I am particularly interested in the sessions dealing with stock. With so many choices these days - Royalty Free Images, Rights Managed, and Licensed and with so many photographers out there trying to earn money, it will be interesting to hear what these industry professionals have to say.
Since I also love New York City . . . . . . I will enjoy this outing.
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Hurricane Rita - Thankfulness
At this point the worst of Hurricane Rita has passed. I am grateful that it entered land in less populated areas. Even the damage in Port Arthur and Beaumont seems to minimal considering the size and strength of the storm. At the present time, there are no reported deaths.
I believe that many people prayed to God to minimize loss of life and property damage before Rita hit land. And I believe that God answered those prayers.
My scripture today:
"May God be gracious to us and bless and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among nations."
God was gracious, we had ample warning, people evacuated, and the storm hit in a way that there was minimal loss of life and minimal property damage. May God be praised for this welcome outcome.
I believe that many people prayed to God to minimize loss of life and property damage before Rita hit land. And I believe that God answered those prayers.
My scripture today:
"May God be gracious to us and bless and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among nations."
God was gracious, we had ample warning, people evacuated, and the storm hit in a way that there was minimal loss of life and minimal property damage. May God be praised for this welcome outcome.
Friday, September 23, 2005
God's Power - Hurricane Rita
I've been using the One Year Bible as a source for personal devotions. Whereas I may not read from it every day, it is a part of my routine. I have been amazed at how sometimes the scriptures I see fit what is going on in the world around me and how they give me inspiration for prayer.
Yesterday as Hurricane Rita built in power over the Gulf my scripture was from Psalm 65. The verse that caught my attention and that I included as part of my prayer said:
You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness . . . . .
who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.
I prayed that God would stillk the roaring waves of the hurricane driven seas.
While the hurricane grew in power to one of the strongest Category 5 storms on record, it moved over cooler waters. Wind speed went from 175 mph now to 140 mph (Thursday at 11:00 p.m.) God has also sent a cold front that is redirecting the storm away from the most densely populated areas. While I am sure that there will be property damage and some loss of life, I am praying tonight using vs 7 as my scripture base:
Lord God of Heaven, still the roaring of the seas, the roaring of the waves. Please minimize the both the property loss and the loss of life from this storm.
Yesterday as Hurricane Rita built in power over the Gulf my scripture was from Psalm 65. The verse that caught my attention and that I included as part of my prayer said:
You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness . . . . .
who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.
I prayed that God would stillk the roaring waves of the hurricane driven seas.
While the hurricane grew in power to one of the strongest Category 5 storms on record, it moved over cooler waters. Wind speed went from 175 mph now to 140 mph (Thursday at 11:00 p.m.) God has also sent a cold front that is redirecting the storm away from the most densely populated areas. While I am sure that there will be property damage and some loss of life, I am praying tonight using vs 7 as my scripture base:
Lord God of Heaven, still the roaring of the seas, the roaring of the waves. Please minimize the both the property loss and the loss of life from this storm.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
God's Time
As humans, we measure time in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years. We usually have time estimates as to how long a given task will take. When we get ill, one of our first questions to our doctor is usually how soon will I be well and functioning normally.
Life itself presents many challenges to us as we live it day to day.
As kids, we can hardly wait get our first bicycle, go to school, finish high school etc.
As parents, it is so easy to think such things as:
"I will be SO glad when we are out of diapers."
"I'll be SO glad when he can use words to TELL me what is wrong."
"I'll be so glad when I'm out of college and have a real job."
Today at church one of our families asked us to pray for a crisis situation with their fourteen year old grandson. For many families, teenage years can be rough years. Between individual internal biochemistry issues, emotional problems, puberty, and the need to become independent and individual from parents, this time frame leaves a lot of wounds. One of our favorite words of comfort to people going through such rough times is often: "God's time is not our time."
I was thinking about that today as I was driving in the car. A word picture of this came into my mind. My grandfather bought a farm and farmed it while I was small. We still own that farm and most visits home to my family included a trip to check on the farm and crops. In addition, when the kids were young, I had many vegetable gardens and I planted fruit trees and grapevines.
When you are planting radishes, it takes about three weeks from planting to harvest.
When you are planting corn, wheat, and milo, it takes four to six months from planting to harvest.
When you are planting fruit trees, depending on the size tree you buy, you are looking at getting your "first fruits" in 3-5 years- and several more before it becomes a bountiful harvest.
When you are planting pecan trees, it generally takes 10 years or more (our pecan trees took over 15 years before they started producing.)
The "farmers" who plant forests for lumber are looking ahead 20 years for a harvest of the seedlings they are planting.
Saguaro cactus don't reach "maturity" for 100 years.
Redwoods and sequoia trees live for thousands of years.
So often as we go through the teenage years, the early adult years, we expect God's answers to our prayers to be immediately answered. Human hearts and psychology are very intricate. Even with God's great and almighty power, the best answers to our prayers for human growth and development take years of cultivation, water, and nuture to bear fruit.
So next time you are wrestling with one of life's difficult human challenges - are you really looking for a "radish"? God is looking to create the beauty of a forest, or a tall saguaro, or the stately grace of the redwoods and sequoia trees. Jesus told us about the lily that toiled not, neither did it spin, yet it was beautifully arrayed. Are we not more important to God? While my human desires and lack of patience want a speedy resolution, I've learned that waiting for God's longer more well thought out answer always gives me special blessings and usually an answer beyond anything I could have thought up for myself.
Saturday, September 17, 2005
TV Thoughts
Chris asked what shows had caught my attention. Since I'm hoping some day to be a published Christian writer whose blog might some day come under scrutiny, I had some reservations about publicly listing what shows I'm going to explore. Among the Christians I know, there are a wide variety of tastes and beliefs. Even in the 21st Century, I hear arguments that science and religion must be in conflict. The Harry Potter books and movies are also controversial in the Christian world. I have good friends on both sides of the fence. Some find Harry Potter to be delightful fantasy-a fun and harmless use of imagination that has encouraged many children to enjoy the wonderful world of books again. Other Christians find the witchcraft elements - however unbelievable to be a dangerous and perhaps sinful influence on young minds.
Because of our involvement in the Science Fiction community these past 30 years, I can say truthfully that while there are atheists and agnostics in that community, there are also faithful Christians who both write and read science fiction. There is a group at World Con each year that makes sure there are worship services. Some years there are even Jewish services.
I have found over time that I like many fantasy books - some include magic, but not necessarily "witchcraft." Some of these have magic as an innate ability (Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover books and Katherine Kurtz Deryni series for example). Others are more like Superman in that the planet where the story originates has special geology or chemistry, or plants, etc that give the characters their "super" powers. Terry Pratchett's Ringworld series with his amazing suitcase are light, funny and I find them delightful to read.
Some writers, however, explore darker aspects of both human nature, and good versus evil. Some I can read and enjoy when good triumphs over supreme evil because there are noble and good characters. Some books are just too dark with no "redeeming" qualities.
I read some books because I have met the author or heard the author speak on panels. When I am impressed with someone, I will try to read one of their books. I was impressed with Ellen Kushner's presentation at one of the World Fantasy Conventions. She has a wonderful show on PBS radio. I also saw Delia Sherman on panels and was impressed. While I made it through their book "The Fall of the Kings," I can't recommend it as Christian reading - too dark, and way too much evil. I look for redemption and I don't remember finding any. It really left a bad taste in my mouth. I'm not sure I will pick up another book written by either of these ladies.
I'm sure that after a few episodes, some of these shows will drop quickly off my radar. I intended to watch all of Battlestar Galactica. But Henry lost interest quickly in the show. After I mentioned that I was finding it dark, he went ahead and deleted it from the TIVO. I probably would have waded through it, just because there are some impressive things about the show. But the plots had some pretty dark elements - and the filming style accentuated this "darkness." Being a continuing series, I would want to pick back up where I left off. But there are other shows that I find so much more enjoyable that I'm not sure I want to spend my time watching humanity struggle to survive. Life has enough difficult and painful moments, I want my TV to be relaxing and fun - not to add stress.
So . . . . . . here's my initial list:
"Ghost Whisperer"
"Out of Practice" (Henry Winkler ande Stockhard Channing - HAVE to give it a shot. I saw Winkler on Broadway - NOT Fonzie anymore!)
"Threshold" (Brent Spiner - another have to see what he's up to)
"Three Wishes" (Amy Grant . . . . it seems to be in conflict with two other shows already set up, I'll have to figure out what the conflict is - perhaps I'll watch that one "live".)
"Night Stalker"
"Invasion"
"Bones"
"Supernatural"
I've seen the first episode of "Supernatural." It seems to be going down the "scary" side. While it seems to have "good" characters fighting evil, the evil is pretty intense. It may fall off the radar quickly due to the "darkness element."
I don't care much for most sit coms - and I don't have any interest in "Reality TV" at all.
Other continuing shows that I like Monk, Medium, Veronica Mars, Smallville (although it wandered off onto the dark side last year), I have not watched any Wildfire yet, but the episodes are sitting there waiting for me. I saw the pilot for the 4400, but I need to see the first season(s) for the new episodes to make sense. I've seen a few Numbers, but not enough to have formed an opinion.
Since I don't get TV Guide anymore, I may have missed some promising shows, but this was what my initial search pulled up. And as Stargate and Stargate Atlantis are wrapping up their season, I'm glad to have some new shows to try out.
Because of our involvement in the Science Fiction community these past 30 years, I can say truthfully that while there are atheists and agnostics in that community, there are also faithful Christians who both write and read science fiction. There is a group at World Con each year that makes sure there are worship services. Some years there are even Jewish services.
I have found over time that I like many fantasy books - some include magic, but not necessarily "witchcraft." Some of these have magic as an innate ability (Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover books and Katherine Kurtz Deryni series for example). Others are more like Superman in that the planet where the story originates has special geology or chemistry, or plants, etc that give the characters their "super" powers. Terry Pratchett's Ringworld series with his amazing suitcase are light, funny and I find them delightful to read.
Some writers, however, explore darker aspects of both human nature, and good versus evil. Some I can read and enjoy when good triumphs over supreme evil because there are noble and good characters. Some books are just too dark with no "redeeming" qualities.
I read some books because I have met the author or heard the author speak on panels. When I am impressed with someone, I will try to read one of their books. I was impressed with Ellen Kushner's presentation at one of the World Fantasy Conventions. She has a wonderful show on PBS radio. I also saw Delia Sherman on panels and was impressed. While I made it through their book "The Fall of the Kings," I can't recommend it as Christian reading - too dark, and way too much evil. I look for redemption and I don't remember finding any. It really left a bad taste in my mouth. I'm not sure I will pick up another book written by either of these ladies.
I'm sure that after a few episodes, some of these shows will drop quickly off my radar. I intended to watch all of Battlestar Galactica. But Henry lost interest quickly in the show. After I mentioned that I was finding it dark, he went ahead and deleted it from the TIVO. I probably would have waded through it, just because there are some impressive things about the show. But the plots had some pretty dark elements - and the filming style accentuated this "darkness." Being a continuing series, I would want to pick back up where I left off. But there are other shows that I find so much more enjoyable that I'm not sure I want to spend my time watching humanity struggle to survive. Life has enough difficult and painful moments, I want my TV to be relaxing and fun - not to add stress.
So . . . . . . here's my initial list:
"Ghost Whisperer"
"Out of Practice" (Henry Winkler ande Stockhard Channing - HAVE to give it a shot. I saw Winkler on Broadway - NOT Fonzie anymore!)
"Threshold" (Brent Spiner - another have to see what he's up to)
"Three Wishes" (Amy Grant . . . . it seems to be in conflict with two other shows already set up, I'll have to figure out what the conflict is - perhaps I'll watch that one "live".)
"Night Stalker"
"Invasion"
"Bones"
"Supernatural"
I've seen the first episode of "Supernatural." It seems to be going down the "scary" side. While it seems to have "good" characters fighting evil, the evil is pretty intense. It may fall off the radar quickly due to the "darkness element."
I don't care much for most sit coms - and I don't have any interest in "Reality TV" at all.
Other continuing shows that I like Monk, Medium, Veronica Mars, Smallville (although it wandered off onto the dark side last year), I have not watched any Wildfire yet, but the episodes are sitting there waiting for me. I saw the pilot for the 4400, but I need to see the first season(s) for the new episodes to make sense. I've seen a few Numbers, but not enough to have formed an opinion.
Since I don't get TV Guide anymore, I may have missed some promising shows, but this was what my initial search pulled up. And as Stargate and Stargate Atlantis are wrapping up their season, I'm glad to have some new shows to try out.
Disaster Preparation
I have to agree with my friend, Bettye's viewpoint in her Save Yourself blog that being prepared for emergencies is a personal responsibility. Most of us are procrastinators and because disasters and emergencies are infrequent happenings for most of us, we grow complacent. I know that I periodically fix up a first aid kit, put it in the car and forget about it. When the kids were small, things would get used - and then not always get replaced. At home recently, Henry cut his foot, I had to go out to the RV to find everything I needed, I had not recently replaced bandaids and Neosporin in the house. I always have food in my pantry, but I don't go and regularly clean out the cans that have probably been around several years. So whereas we would eat . . . . . some of the cans might have food that might not be edible. We have a pond in the back yard, but I don't have any water purification supplies (like backpackers use). We did recently purchase a generator - Thomas' house fire provided a good excuse. It is small, loud, and I doubt that we will have a lot of fuel on hand because gasolene "ages" attracting water and clogging carbuerators.
Here's an updated list from the California emergency planning for disastrous earthquakes . . . . . . updated since Katrina.
For the full article from the Los Angeles Times:
Southland Not Ready For Disaster
At home
• Nonperishable packaged or canned food
• A gallon of water per person per day (Replace every six months and count pets as family members)
• Manual can opener
• First aid kit and handbook
• Clothing, rain gear and sturdy shoes
• Blankets or sleeping bags
• Portable radio and flashlight, with spare batteries
• Essential medications
• List of family physicians and the style and serial number of medical devices, such as pacemakers
• Extra pair of eyeglasses
• Extra set of house and car keys
• Toilet paper, toiletries and feminine hygiene items
• Fire extinguisher
• Pet food, water and leash or carrier
• Cash and small change
• Water purification kit or unscented liquid bleach (eight drops per gallon when water is first stored)
• Any special foods and supplies for babies, the disabled or the elderly
• Plastic eating utensils, paper cups and plates
• Heavy-duty aluminum foil
• Paper towels
• Knife or razor blades
• Candles and light sticks
• Matches in waterproof container
• Work gloves and broom
• Hammer and nails
• Coils of rope and wire
• Ax, crowbar and shovel
• Small tool kit
• Cheesecloth (to strain water)
• Large and small plastic bags
• Two tarps, 8 feet by 10 feet
• Local street map and compass
• Paper, pens and stamps
• Entertainment pack of family photos, notebooks, reading material and games
In the car
• Nylon tote or day pack
• Bottled water
• Nonperishable food
• Manual can opener
• Transistor radio, flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Gloves
• Blanket or sleeping bags
• Sealable plastic bags
• Moist towelettes
• Small tool kit
• Matches and lighter
• Walking shoes and extra socks
• Change of clothes
• Cash (small bills and coins)
• Local street map and compass
At work
• Dry food, such as candy bars, dried fruit, jerky and crackers
• Water or orange juice
• Tennis shoes or walking shoes
• First aid kit
• Flashlight and portable radio with extra batteries
• Matches
• Small and large plastic bags
• Toiletries
• Entertainment pack of family photos, notebooks, reading material and games
For other life threating situations, I've heard that having family photographs with you can help provide the "will to live", helping provide incentive to keep on fighting to live to stay with your loved ones.
Things to ponder. . . . . . .
Here's an updated list from the California emergency planning for disastrous earthquakes . . . . . . updated since Katrina.
For the full article from the Los Angeles Times:
Southland Not Ready For Disaster
At home
• Nonperishable packaged or canned food
• A gallon of water per person per day (Replace every six months and count pets as family members)
• Manual can opener
• First aid kit and handbook
• Clothing, rain gear and sturdy shoes
• Blankets or sleeping bags
• Portable radio and flashlight, with spare batteries
• Essential medications
• List of family physicians and the style and serial number of medical devices, such as pacemakers
• Extra pair of eyeglasses
• Extra set of house and car keys
• Toilet paper, toiletries and feminine hygiene items
• Fire extinguisher
• Pet food, water and leash or carrier
• Cash and small change
• Water purification kit or unscented liquid bleach (eight drops per gallon when water is first stored)
• Any special foods and supplies for babies, the disabled or the elderly
• Plastic eating utensils, paper cups and plates
• Heavy-duty aluminum foil
• Paper towels
• Knife or razor blades
• Candles and light sticks
• Matches in waterproof container
• Work gloves and broom
• Hammer and nails
• Coils of rope and wire
• Ax, crowbar and shovel
• Small tool kit
• Cheesecloth (to strain water)
• Large and small plastic bags
• Two tarps, 8 feet by 10 feet
• Local street map and compass
• Paper, pens and stamps
• Entertainment pack of family photos, notebooks, reading material and games
In the car
• Nylon tote or day pack
• Bottled water
• Nonperishable food
• Manual can opener
• Transistor radio, flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Gloves
• Blanket or sleeping bags
• Sealable plastic bags
• Moist towelettes
• Small tool kit
• Matches and lighter
• Walking shoes and extra socks
• Change of clothes
• Cash (small bills and coins)
• Local street map and compass
At work
• Dry food, such as candy bars, dried fruit, jerky and crackers
• Water or orange juice
• Tennis shoes or walking shoes
• First aid kit
• Flashlight and portable radio with extra batteries
• Matches
• Small and large plastic bags
• Toiletries
• Entertainment pack of family photos, notebooks, reading material and games
For other life threating situations, I've heard that having family photographs with you can help provide the "will to live", helping provide incentive to keep on fighting to live to stay with your loved ones.
Things to ponder. . . . . . .
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Common Sense Wisdom
A friend of mine has just started a new blog, one of her responses to Katrina. Bettye has a lot of wisdom learned from her grandmother and from a lifetime of working with animals. Her theme, "Save Yourself," gives a lot of food for thought as to what each of us needs to be doing on a regular basis to prepare for the natural disasters that happen. I think you'll find it fun and interesting reading.
Save Yourself
Save Yourself
Katrina - More good things
I do a lot of web surfing each day - finding news articles that interest me and following themes that have caught my attention. As with most of the United States, Katrina and its aftermath have been on my mind. Within a week of the storm, I found several blog sites, but one stayed on my radar. It was the blog of a computer specialist who stayed in New Orleans to keep up the system. I found it from the CNN broadcasts. But once I started reading it, it was compelling enough that I continued reading it. Michael Barnett not only weathered the storm but kept computers and the internet live and running for his company from the Central Business District in New Orleans.
While Michael has recently left to join his fiance, the blog is being continued by his replacement. The entire blog is worth reading, but I want to direct your attention especially to the blog from 5:05 pm, September 12th where there are stories of eight people who went above and beyond in their efforts to help people.
Michael Barnett's Hurricane Katrina Blog
While Michael has recently left to join his fiance, the blog is being continued by his replacement. The entire blog is worth reading, but I want to direct your attention especially to the blog from 5:05 pm, September 12th where there are stories of eight people who went above and beyond in their efforts to help people.
Michael Barnett's Hurricane Katrina Blog
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Life with TIVO
While we finally got a TIVO unit last year, Henry has done most of the set-ups to record the shows. Since a new television season is about to begin, I decided to do some research and see if there were any new shows that I might be interested in. Finding a list of new shows online proved more challenging than I first expected. I went to TV Guide's website first, but did not reallly find a consolidated listing. So I ended up going to all the "major" networks' websites - NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, Sci-Fi, WB, USA, etc. to compile a list. In the "good old days", the new fall shows started the same week at all the networks. Now it is really staggered. The Sci Fi channel started its season about 6 weeks ago. Monk just finished his season - now it is rerun time for the obsessive compulsive detective. FOX seems to be starting their season this week. But some of the new shows won't start until the end of the month.
I was pleased that I figured out how to maneuver the remote control to get some programs set up. However, the shows that start more than 2 weeks from now will have to be programmed in later.
In perusing the new shows, it is amazing how many "copy cat" shows. I've enjoyed "Medium" but there are at least one series that sure look like a similar plot. Nice to see several science fictioned themed shows also.
This will be one of the first Fall TV seasons that I've really looked at the choices and tried to watch some of the new shows from the beginning. I'm sure that several will quickly drop off my list, but I'm looking forward to seeing some new offerings. Surely there will be at least one or two new shows that I'll appreciate.
I was pleased that I figured out how to maneuver the remote control to get some programs set up. However, the shows that start more than 2 weeks from now will have to be programmed in later.
In perusing the new shows, it is amazing how many "copy cat" shows. I've enjoyed "Medium" but there are at least one series that sure look like a similar plot. Nice to see several science fictioned themed shows also.
This will be one of the first Fall TV seasons that I've really looked at the choices and tried to watch some of the new shows from the beginning. I'm sure that several will quickly drop off my list, but I'm looking forward to seeing some new offerings. Surely there will be at least one or two new shows that I'll appreciate.
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Katrina - Looking for the Good
While my TV watching on Katrina has greatly diminished, I was pleased to see CNN's showcasing the "Angels" on a restaurant TV.
I am also pleased that the people coordinating the shelters and housing in Texas are finding apartments and getting people moved fairly quickly to more permanent quarters. Many of these new situations include 6 months of free rent! This should give people time to get established in their new homes. Also, Austin is already organizing a job fair. I'm sure that the other Texas cities are also doing that. I saw that the government is looking to hire people to help with the cleanup.
I've heard unofficiallly that 80% of New Orleans evacuated. While conditions were horrible at the Superdome in the days after the hurricane, it did provide a location that protected people from the storm itself. Now that they are beginning to recover bodies, it looks as though the death count is not going into the 10,000 figure. Considering how bad the storm and its flooding aftermath, if the actual death count is lower than expected, perhaps that will be considered a miracle also. (For those that lost family and friends, a low death count will not bring your loved one back . . . . . and my heart goes out to you. But considering that this disaster could easily have killed thousands and tens of thousands, perhaps we did better than we are giving ourselves credit for right now.)
Koodoos to the Coast Guard who were among the first rescue personel on the scene pulling people from the housetops and attics. And to all the unsung volunteers who are helping to make this an easier transition for those displaced families.
My heart is warmed by the efforts I see throughout our country (and the world) to help the people that have had devastating losses. Between the community dropoff points for donations, the money donated to the Red Cross and the Salvation Army, the business donations, some of the best aspects of human nature are being showcased.
I am also pleased that the people coordinating the shelters and housing in Texas are finding apartments and getting people moved fairly quickly to more permanent quarters. Many of these new situations include 6 months of free rent! This should give people time to get established in their new homes. Also, Austin is already organizing a job fair. I'm sure that the other Texas cities are also doing that. I saw that the government is looking to hire people to help with the cleanup.
I've heard unofficiallly that 80% of New Orleans evacuated. While conditions were horrible at the Superdome in the days after the hurricane, it did provide a location that protected people from the storm itself. Now that they are beginning to recover bodies, it looks as though the death count is not going into the 10,000 figure. Considering how bad the storm and its flooding aftermath, if the actual death count is lower than expected, perhaps that will be considered a miracle also. (For those that lost family and friends, a low death count will not bring your loved one back . . . . . and my heart goes out to you. But considering that this disaster could easily have killed thousands and tens of thousands, perhaps we did better than we are giving ourselves credit for right now.)
Koodoos to the Coast Guard who were among the first rescue personel on the scene pulling people from the housetops and attics. And to all the unsung volunteers who are helping to make this an easier transition for those displaced families.
My heart is warmed by the efforts I see throughout our country (and the world) to help the people that have had devastating losses. Between the community dropoff points for donations, the money donated to the Red Cross and the Salvation Army, the business donations, some of the best aspects of human nature are being showcased.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Nature - On the Back Porch
For several years now, we've had bird feeders around our house. Recently we've had an interesting bird visiting. When I first saw him, I thought he was a juvenile, because his flight was irratic. He flew almost like a cartoon bird - never straight toward his destination. There were times when we wondered if he was going to make it to his destination. At times he hovered much like a hummingbird, but not as effortlessly. When Henry got a closer look, his feathers were in bad shape and his eyes looked almost blind. He was a regular visitor to the feeder so I felt like this feeder was probably keeping him going.
This morning while sitting in my living room I saw a much larger shadow on the back porch. While I caught the action out of the corner of my eye, I could tell something momentous had occurred. We have roadrunners in the yard - and we had one now on the back porch - with a bird in its mouth. I was astonished, because I did not realize roadrunners ate birds! The roadrunner had jumped up to the feeder (4-5 feet off the ground) to get his meal. When I first saw the situation the smaller bird was probably still alive, but damaged. I watched the roadrunner briefly before he disappeared with his prey further into the yard and out of site. The smaller bird was no longer moving with feathers disarrayed.
Perhaps I'm tendered hearted, but I'm pretty sure it was our weak bird. I allowed myself a few moments of grief for this handicapped bird. It is a fact of nature that it is the weak and injured animals that are the easiest prey. But it is also part of human nature to protect the weak and helpless.
I had always assumed that roadrunners ate insects. But Henry did some research this morning after the fact - they eat insects, small rodents, small birds, baby birds and small snakes. Since we found baby rattlesnakes right by the house last month, I'm still glad we have roadrunners in the yard. I had also been glad when I realized that my bird feeding had attracted a Cooper's hawk to the yard on a regular basis, realizing that Cooper's hawks feed on smaller birds. A mystery to me is why I was more disappointed about the roadrunner's feeding than I would have been had it been the hawk. But I think it was because the victim this time was an individual bird we had connected with on an emotional level - an underdog we were rooting for.
This morning while sitting in my living room I saw a much larger shadow on the back porch. While I caught the action out of the corner of my eye, I could tell something momentous had occurred. We have roadrunners in the yard - and we had one now on the back porch - with a bird in its mouth. I was astonished, because I did not realize roadrunners ate birds! The roadrunner had jumped up to the feeder (4-5 feet off the ground) to get his meal. When I first saw the situation the smaller bird was probably still alive, but damaged. I watched the roadrunner briefly before he disappeared with his prey further into the yard and out of site. The smaller bird was no longer moving with feathers disarrayed.
Perhaps I'm tendered hearted, but I'm pretty sure it was our weak bird. I allowed myself a few moments of grief for this handicapped bird. It is a fact of nature that it is the weak and injured animals that are the easiest prey. But it is also part of human nature to protect the weak and helpless.
I had always assumed that roadrunners ate insects. But Henry did some research this morning after the fact - they eat insects, small rodents, small birds, baby birds and small snakes. Since we found baby rattlesnakes right by the house last month, I'm still glad we have roadrunners in the yard. I had also been glad when I realized that my bird feeding had attracted a Cooper's hawk to the yard on a regular basis, realizing that Cooper's hawks feed on smaller birds. A mystery to me is why I was more disappointed about the roadrunner's feeding than I would have been had it been the hawk. But I think it was because the victim this time was an individual bird we had connected with on an emotional level - an underdog we were rooting for.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Thoughts on Hurricane Katrina
This past week I have watched more news programming than I normally do in a year. The images from New Orleans, Biloxi and the other devasted areas brought home the harshest realities of nature. As humans, we think we have so much control over our environment - we dam rivers, build levees to control mighty rivers, harness the wind with wind turbines, build amazing roads over the roughest mountain terrain, and construct sea walls to protect our cities from mighty storms. We think that we can plan for every emergency. But this year, our world has been confronted by unprecedented natural catastrophies - the Tsunami in the Pacific and now Katrina in the US.
We have big expectations for our government also. When a disaster occurs, we have look to our governments for protection and rescue. I can remember other hurricanes in the gulf that came near New Orleans and the fears and projections for what a large category 5 storm could do. They even ran a drill last summer to be prepared for exactly this emergency. But even the best laid plans can be impossible to execute in face of a catastrophe as large as Katrina. While President Bush declared the area as disaster even before the hurricane hit, many things went horribly wrong. The Superdome protected thousands of people during the wrath of the storm, but no preparations were made for food or water or police supervision. The Coast Guard was on the scene immediately (as were other private boats) rescuing people from flooded homes and trees. Not only was New Orleans devasted but also the Mississippi and Alabama coast areas. Initially, the storm seemed to do minimal damage to New Orleans, people (including government officials) breathed a sigh of relief . . . . . . and then in the darkness of night, the levees failed. People who had been relatively safe in their homes were now fighting a battle to live by climbing into attics and onto roofs. People left in the city - some out of fear and desperation looted to get needed food and water to survive. Others looted out of greed. The worst aspects of human nature were manifested during the criminal looting, and the attacks at the SuperDome.
Communications failed within the city - while the news crews had satellite links - and kept much of the world apprised - the emergency crews could not commmunicate and coordinate essessential services. Could we have done better - no doubt. On the other hand, this event was much worse than the other hurricanes that have hit our country. It is so easy to want to find some one to blame . . . . . . and yet in life some things just happen. Sometimes there is a strong leader in a community that can organize and keep things moving smoothly. Sometimes leaders are in place who have wonderful skills, but perhaps not the ones needed for this emergency. One reality, the local government in New Orleans and Louisiana somehow failed to take adequate action in the first 24-48 hours. But even the local police were dealing with strong emotions and terrible personal losses. Perhaps more and earlier allocations of National Guard resources and military would have alleviated some of the suffering. But in a catastrophe of this magnitude, it is necessary to do some assessment as to what is needed and how to get it there - wasting precious hours. Apparently the preplanning for what would be needed was inadequate for the reality. But humans are by their very nature imperfect creatures. We are prone to procrastination. Each hurricane that passed without massive damage lulled us into a false sense of security. And once the levee's failed, I'm not sure there were roads open for the need dumptrucks and bulldozers needed. The current was so strong that I'm not sure there was a way to repair the levee until the water had reached the level point and the current no longer existed.
Unfortunately, the most dire predictions have come true. Where there was flooding we have a toxic, bacteria filled sludge. So much of New Orleans and the surrounding area has been destroyed. Throughout the country, we grieve with those folks who have lost everything.
We've heard so much about the things that went wrong. . . . . . But I believe that there are stories of courage and human caring out there. I hope the news media will search them out so we don't lose sight of the goodness that is also a part of human nature. We've heard enough about what went wrong. Let's hear about things that are working as we assimilate the "refugees" of Katrina as they are spread throughout the United States. The volunteers who sorted clothes by size, the doctors and nurses at the hospitals that fought for their patient's lives under such adverse circumstances, the police officers who stayed at their posts during the storm separated from their families, the people who are planning how to care for the animals in distress. There are many amazing stories out there. As a people, we need to hear both the good and the bad.
We have big expectations for our government also. When a disaster occurs, we have look to our governments for protection and rescue. I can remember other hurricanes in the gulf that came near New Orleans and the fears and projections for what a large category 5 storm could do. They even ran a drill last summer to be prepared for exactly this emergency. But even the best laid plans can be impossible to execute in face of a catastrophe as large as Katrina. While President Bush declared the area as disaster even before the hurricane hit, many things went horribly wrong. The Superdome protected thousands of people during the wrath of the storm, but no preparations were made for food or water or police supervision. The Coast Guard was on the scene immediately (as were other private boats) rescuing people from flooded homes and trees. Not only was New Orleans devasted but also the Mississippi and Alabama coast areas. Initially, the storm seemed to do minimal damage to New Orleans, people (including government officials) breathed a sigh of relief . . . . . . and then in the darkness of night, the levees failed. People who had been relatively safe in their homes were now fighting a battle to live by climbing into attics and onto roofs. People left in the city - some out of fear and desperation looted to get needed food and water to survive. Others looted out of greed. The worst aspects of human nature were manifested during the criminal looting, and the attacks at the SuperDome.
Communications failed within the city - while the news crews had satellite links - and kept much of the world apprised - the emergency crews could not commmunicate and coordinate essessential services. Could we have done better - no doubt. On the other hand, this event was much worse than the other hurricanes that have hit our country. It is so easy to want to find some one to blame . . . . . . and yet in life some things just happen. Sometimes there is a strong leader in a community that can organize and keep things moving smoothly. Sometimes leaders are in place who have wonderful skills, but perhaps not the ones needed for this emergency. One reality, the local government in New Orleans and Louisiana somehow failed to take adequate action in the first 24-48 hours. But even the local police were dealing with strong emotions and terrible personal losses. Perhaps more and earlier allocations of National Guard resources and military would have alleviated some of the suffering. But in a catastrophe of this magnitude, it is necessary to do some assessment as to what is needed and how to get it there - wasting precious hours. Apparently the preplanning for what would be needed was inadequate for the reality. But humans are by their very nature imperfect creatures. We are prone to procrastination. Each hurricane that passed without massive damage lulled us into a false sense of security. And once the levee's failed, I'm not sure there were roads open for the need dumptrucks and bulldozers needed. The current was so strong that I'm not sure there was a way to repair the levee until the water had reached the level point and the current no longer existed.
Unfortunately, the most dire predictions have come true. Where there was flooding we have a toxic, bacteria filled sludge. So much of New Orleans and the surrounding area has been destroyed. Throughout the country, we grieve with those folks who have lost everything.
We've heard so much about the things that went wrong. . . . . . But I believe that there are stories of courage and human caring out there. I hope the news media will search them out so we don't lose sight of the goodness that is also a part of human nature. We've heard enough about what went wrong. Let's hear about things that are working as we assimilate the "refugees" of Katrina as they are spread throughout the United States. The volunteers who sorted clothes by size, the doctors and nurses at the hospitals that fought for their patient's lives under such adverse circumstances, the police officers who stayed at their posts during the storm separated from their families, the people who are planning how to care for the animals in distress. There are many amazing stories out there. As a people, we need to hear both the good and the bad.
Saturday, September 03, 2005
One month later
I have learned in my life that when you have a major stressful event happen in your life, it is usually accompanied by other stressful events. The fire was traumatic in many ways. Watching a marriage unravel is also very stressful. Even saying goodbye to a car was more painful than I expected. Having a friend fighting cancer also adds to the emotional mix. The month of August was a time when I did not push very hard. I stayed with my diet and exercise plan and let the month drift by. My sleep schedule was definitely disrupted - I found myself waking up way too early or staying up way too late. The first of September is here - and God has used time to bring some rest and healing for me. I find myself getting more done and a sense of peace is returning to my soul. And, after a plateau, my weight is going down again. I am ready to share again.
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Saying Goodbye
I found that saying goodbye to my Suburban was harder than I expected. It had over 200,000 miles on it, the transmission was going, the air conditioner needed work, the interior had stains, the auto locks needed attention. But when my mechanic (who is also a family friend) told me it wasn't worth fixing - the cost to fix was more than what the car would sell for - my first response was grief . . . . . Granted there was a lot of grief in my life due to the fire, but when I went to look at it to make the final decision as to whether to fix or trade it, I cried. Someone later asked me why it hit me so hard - wasn't it just a car.
I had thought about owning a suburban for probably 8-10 years before we finally bought one. I bought it new-with four wheel drive so it could make the winter trips to Colorado. That car held lots of memories - groups we took to Colorado, Girl Scout adventures, Chorus trips, etc. Thomas and Stephanie even took it to the Rose Bowl in California last year -camping in it. I slept in it one year at church retreat. Even one of my Girl Scouts was attached to that car and understood why it was sad to say goodbye.
Yes, cars are utilitarian. But we used to name our cars. Our first car was a 1966 Dodge station wagon - complete with a push button transmission. Somehow it ended up with the name "Car Car". We took our honeymoon in that car. Our second car was a used Fiat - and in my mind fiasco will always come to mind when I think of Fiats. We bought it during the first gasolene crisis - it got great gas mileage for the time. But we were young and did not understand all the intricacies of maintaining a car - especiallly a foreign car with a funny cooling system. Turned out it needed an oil change every 1500 miles. We owned it a year - spent $1000 to buy it, another $1000 or so keeping it running, and then after an accident and a broken crankshaft - felt lucky to get $350 for it. We then acquired Henry's parents' Plymouth station wagon. That car was special because it was the car we dated in when we were teenagers. It was gray and somehow got named the "Gray Ghost".
We have always loved camping - the great outdoors has always called to me. So our first new car was a Dodge panel van. When we got it, all it had was 2 front seats. Over the next year, we carpeted it, built in a closet and bathroom (primitive, but effective - one porta potty), a bed in the back that also made a table. I have fond memories of that car. We made our first trip to Canada in it. We went over the Going to the Sun road in Glacier National Park in it. We toured Yellowstone. While I worked shiftwork with the state, it made two runs to the Great Smokies. It is even the vehicle that made our famous "weekend run" to Florida. (For those that don't know - we headed out one weekend. We were going to College Station for a Science Fiction convention. Somehow we were there the wrong weekend. Since Henry had few weekends off, we were very disappointed - so we decided we would drive to see the Mississippi River. We made it to New Orleans. Looking on the map, if we were in New Orleans, the state of Mississippi was just right there. And . . . .you know . . . . it isn't that far to get to Alabama . . . . and then (tongue in corner of mouth smiling) Florida is soooooooooo close. We left College Station Friday night. We made it to Pensacola by Saturday night. Dinner was in Pensacola. Because Henry had to read meters at the radio station Sunday evening, we spent the night at a National Forest Campground halfway across Mississippi. And yes, we were back Sunday evening in time to read those meters) It went many places. We took Thomas, a baby of 6 months, on his first camping trip in it. It's name - The Blue Van.
Our names may have gotten less creative, but each vehicle has had some identifying moniker. The Matador, the Chevette, the LTD (yellowx - and in many ways appropriately colored as at times it sure felt like a lemon), the Old Truck (a 1977 Chevy - that also doubled as a camper when we added (amazingly enough also 1977) a truck camper. The New Truck (that retained that name even after it had 100,000 miles on it), the Aerostars (two of them) Debra's truck, the Jeep, the Suburban, the Liberty, etc. Oh, let's not forget, my Mo's Horizon, and her Grand Am - which Thomas drove. Incredibly, I remember them all. The other funny thing - I remember all the cars from my childhood.
Well . . . . . . after crying with my mechanic and his wife (a dear friend) and seriously considering fixing it up, I made the decison to let it go. My friend, Bettye had lunch with us and got me to the first car lot to look at cars.
So . . . . . . . . . . . (drum roll here . . . . . . . . ) I ended up with a Chevy Trailblazer - four wheel drive. It is a cute little car, much easier to park than my suburban, safer in a parking garage. It is big enough to be comfortable and hopefully big enough to hold our gear when we use it as our travel vehicle. The first week or so, it still hurt when I saw suburbans around. But I like my new "little" car. It's name - "The Blazer". I got the tags today - and it even has a license tag that will be easy to remember. It is time to go make memories in this car!
I had thought about owning a suburban for probably 8-10 years before we finally bought one. I bought it new-with four wheel drive so it could make the winter trips to Colorado. That car held lots of memories - groups we took to Colorado, Girl Scout adventures, Chorus trips, etc. Thomas and Stephanie even took it to the Rose Bowl in California last year -camping in it. I slept in it one year at church retreat. Even one of my Girl Scouts was attached to that car and understood why it was sad to say goodbye.
Yes, cars are utilitarian. But we used to name our cars. Our first car was a 1966 Dodge station wagon - complete with a push button transmission. Somehow it ended up with the name "Car Car". We took our honeymoon in that car. Our second car was a used Fiat - and in my mind fiasco will always come to mind when I think of Fiats. We bought it during the first gasolene crisis - it got great gas mileage for the time. But we were young and did not understand all the intricacies of maintaining a car - especiallly a foreign car with a funny cooling system. Turned out it needed an oil change every 1500 miles. We owned it a year - spent $1000 to buy it, another $1000 or so keeping it running, and then after an accident and a broken crankshaft - felt lucky to get $350 for it. We then acquired Henry's parents' Plymouth station wagon. That car was special because it was the car we dated in when we were teenagers. It was gray and somehow got named the "Gray Ghost".
We have always loved camping - the great outdoors has always called to me. So our first new car was a Dodge panel van. When we got it, all it had was 2 front seats. Over the next year, we carpeted it, built in a closet and bathroom (primitive, but effective - one porta potty), a bed in the back that also made a table. I have fond memories of that car. We made our first trip to Canada in it. We went over the Going to the Sun road in Glacier National Park in it. We toured Yellowstone. While I worked shiftwork with the state, it made two runs to the Great Smokies. It is even the vehicle that made our famous "weekend run" to Florida. (For those that don't know - we headed out one weekend. We were going to College Station for a Science Fiction convention. Somehow we were there the wrong weekend. Since Henry had few weekends off, we were very disappointed - so we decided we would drive to see the Mississippi River. We made it to New Orleans. Looking on the map, if we were in New Orleans, the state of Mississippi was just right there. And . . . .you know . . . . it isn't that far to get to Alabama . . . . and then (tongue in corner of mouth smiling) Florida is soooooooooo close. We left College Station Friday night. We made it to Pensacola by Saturday night. Dinner was in Pensacola. Because Henry had to read meters at the radio station Sunday evening, we spent the night at a National Forest Campground halfway across Mississippi. And yes, we were back Sunday evening in time to read those meters) It went many places. We took Thomas, a baby of 6 months, on his first camping trip in it. It's name - The Blue Van.
Our names may have gotten less creative, but each vehicle has had some identifying moniker. The Matador, the Chevette, the LTD (yellowx - and in many ways appropriately colored as at times it sure felt like a lemon), the Old Truck (a 1977 Chevy - that also doubled as a camper when we added (amazingly enough also 1977) a truck camper. The New Truck (that retained that name even after it had 100,000 miles on it), the Aerostars (two of them) Debra's truck, the Jeep, the Suburban, the Liberty, etc. Oh, let's not forget, my Mo's Horizon, and her Grand Am - which Thomas drove. Incredibly, I remember them all. The other funny thing - I remember all the cars from my childhood.
Well . . . . . . after crying with my mechanic and his wife (a dear friend) and seriously considering fixing it up, I made the decison to let it go. My friend, Bettye had lunch with us and got me to the first car lot to look at cars.
So . . . . . . . . . . . (drum roll here . . . . . . . . ) I ended up with a Chevy Trailblazer - four wheel drive. It is a cute little car, much easier to park than my suburban, safer in a parking garage. It is big enough to be comfortable and hopefully big enough to hold our gear when we use it as our travel vehicle. The first week or so, it still hurt when I saw suburbans around. But I like my new "little" car. It's name - "The Blazer". I got the tags today - and it even has a license tag that will be easy to remember. It is time to go make memories in this car!
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Sunday
Originally, I had planned to go to church with Martha. However, with the truck loaded and waiting - and still some things to do at the house - I went ahead and went back. There were a few things left to salvage - some tools, the exercise bicycle. We took advantage of UHAUL's 30 days of free storage and put the remaining items in storage. We did what we could to get the trash from the packing and cleaning in trash bags in the back.
While I brought my camera, for the most part I found that while I could "see" poignant photos - the wedding memorablia on the mantle with its layer of gray soot, the stuffed animals with the thick black soot on the top . . . . these are not the kind of photos that I want to shoot. I prefer to show the beauty of God's world - documenting life's sorrows and heartaches is a painful task. But I did pull out the camera today. This is my last chance . . . .
Because of our travels, I had not been to Thomas' and Stephanie's house before. How sad to be taking "memory pictures" of what was left. And it WAS a cute house - and will be again. Then to try to be "creative" . . . . . considering "composition", depth of field, circular polarizer, amid the journalistic nature of these shots . . . . . . will I ever use these shots - is there value to them . . . . . do I have the heart to do it. . . . . But since photography is what I "do", I would have been sorry later if I had not taken any. . . . . . . . .
The smoke patterns in the living room display an eerie abstract feel. You can actually see the air flow during the fire by studying how the smoke was deposited. How strange to try to find the best "composition" - do I put the center of the fan at the power position (Rule of Thirds)? How do I use the natural lines here to show this strange abstract? Should it be left in color - or converted to black and white . . . . .
The spider webs have been fascinating. In their natural state, they are designed to blend in with their surroundings, virtually invisible. After the fire, they are now covered with an incredibly black soot - and are visible everywhere. The intricate patterns etched in black are suprisingly pretty.
There were a couple of stuffed animals left behind . . . . After photographing them, I stuffed them in plastic bags to add to the things going back.
Poor Pooh!
After returning the waterbed pump, it was time to head home. At first, it looked like I was going to go home in the heat of the afternoon with no air conditioning. But I found a setting that worked, for which I was grateful. A stop for gasolene and the purchase of a Slim-Fast shake and soon I was home. At least I had been faithful to my diet during this emotional week. The scale on Monday morning showed that I had lost 5 lbs this week.
This was one time that I was glad to be home and going to bed in my own bed.
While I brought my camera, for the most part I found that while I could "see" poignant photos - the wedding memorablia on the mantle with its layer of gray soot, the stuffed animals with the thick black soot on the top . . . . these are not the kind of photos that I want to shoot. I prefer to show the beauty of God's world - documenting life's sorrows and heartaches is a painful task. But I did pull out the camera today. This is my last chance . . . .
Because of our travels, I had not been to Thomas' and Stephanie's house before. How sad to be taking "memory pictures" of what was left. And it WAS a cute house - and will be again. Then to try to be "creative" . . . . . considering "composition", depth of field, circular polarizer, amid the journalistic nature of these shots . . . . . . will I ever use these shots - is there value to them . . . . . do I have the heart to do it. . . . . But since photography is what I "do", I would have been sorry later if I had not taken any. . . . . . . . .
The smoke patterns in the living room display an eerie abstract feel. You can actually see the air flow during the fire by studying how the smoke was deposited. How strange to try to find the best "composition" - do I put the center of the fan at the power position (Rule of Thirds)? How do I use the natural lines here to show this strange abstract? Should it be left in color - or converted to black and white . . . . .
The spider webs have been fascinating. In their natural state, they are designed to blend in with their surroundings, virtually invisible. After the fire, they are now covered with an incredibly black soot - and are visible everywhere. The intricate patterns etched in black are suprisingly pretty.
There were a couple of stuffed animals left behind . . . . After photographing them, I stuffed them in plastic bags to add to the things going back.
Poor Pooh!
After returning the waterbed pump, it was time to head home. At first, it looked like I was going to go home in the heat of the afternoon with no air conditioning. But I found a setting that worked, for which I was grateful. A stop for gasolene and the purchase of a Slim-Fast shake and soon I was home. At least I had been faithful to my diet during this emotional week. The scale on Monday morning showed that I had lost 5 lbs this week.
This was one time that I was glad to be home and going to bed in my own bed.
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Saturday
I slept well. Although the alarm went off, I turned it off and went back to sleep. When I finally woke up, I was surprised to see that it was almost 11:00. Martha seemed so pleased that I had slept so long.
After lunch, I went over and we worked on getting the UHAUL to get Stephanie's things back to Austin. We went to the UHAUL place and were told that there were no trucks available without a reservation. We would have to call the 1-800 number. So we left, began calling the national number. The process for getting a truck, you call the national number. They assign you a pick up place. Sigh . . . . . . the truck is back at the place we had left 30-45 minutes ago. Talk about running around in circles.
We get back to the house and I finish cleaning the collectibles while the kids load the truck. Stephanie has to be back in Austin tonight because her parents will need their truck tomorrow. It is getting dark when I finish the last item. Everything is packed. I'll drive the truck tomorrow.
After lunch, I went over and we worked on getting the UHAUL to get Stephanie's things back to Austin. We went to the UHAUL place and were told that there were no trucks available without a reservation. We would have to call the 1-800 number. So we left, began calling the national number. The process for getting a truck, you call the national number. They assign you a pick up place. Sigh . . . . . . the truck is back at the place we had left 30-45 minutes ago. Talk about running around in circles.
We get back to the house and I finish cleaning the collectibles while the kids load the truck. Stephanie has to be back in Austin tonight because her parents will need their truck tomorrow. It is getting dark when I finish the last item. Everything is packed. I'll drive the truck tomorrow.
Friday, July 29, 2005
Fire - Day 6
After not sleeping well, I drifted back to sleep and slept till 9:00.
In retrospect, this day seems a blur. I stayed at Martha's and ran some errands with Martha and Heather.
I had time to relax in Martha's pool. I did some of Thomas' laundry.
Thomas had not been sleeping well at Martha's. I was so grateful that Thomas' insurance adjustor left instructions for 2 weeks worth of housing. This will give him time to get settled into a new place.
Late in the day we brought him his luggage.
Martha's lemon chicken tasted wonderful that night.
In retrospect, this day seems a blur. I stayed at Martha's and ran some errands with Martha and Heather.
I had time to relax in Martha's pool. I did some of Thomas' laundry.
Thomas had not been sleeping well at Martha's. I was so grateful that Thomas' insurance adjustor left instructions for 2 weeks worth of housing. This will give him time to get settled into a new place.
Late in the day we brought him his luggage.
Martha's lemon chicken tasted wonderful that night.
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Fire - Day 5
This morning we had to get to the house early. The landlord's insurance adjuster was scheduled to arrive at 8:30. We needed to be sure he could get in. We left Martha's house by 7:15 and arrived in plenty of time. The adjuster and his restoration firm came. They took their photos and measured.
Thomas and I continued what cleaning we could do. My specialty became the little collectibles. Stephanie has a lot of snow globes and Disney figurines. The ceramic ones are the easiest to clean. But I was able to discover a technique using Mr. Clean Magic Sponges and a lot of patience. The Scottish Castle globe that we had brought back from our trip seemed to resist cleaning. However, in Edinborough, many of the buildings still have a layer of black soot from the days when coal was the primary fuel. So, if there is soot remaining, it just makes it seem more authentic!
Stephanie arrived in the afternoon. After the first tears, the work of salvaging began. Kevin and Debbie had been house sitting. It was good they had been there, because the fire was found quickly. The fire had started in their room and most of their belongings were badly damaged. However, it was amazing what they were able to recover from that room. Items in suitcases seemed untouched, with minimal smoky smell. And items in a plastic tub seemed to have weathered the fire much better than I would have expected. There were music CD's that were in soft storage notebooks that appeared untouched. I have not heard whether they actually still worked. I suspected that the heat from the fire would have damaged them. But, for their sake, I hope not.
Stephanie had also brought another worker, her friend, Sarah. With so many people helping, there wasn't as much for me to do. And, by the time evening came, I was extremely tired. Thomas and Stephanie have had a challenging marriage. They are separating - the grief sets in. Things always seem worse when you are tired. I am so tired, i cry most of the way back to Martha's. I don't sleep well that night.
Thomas and I continued what cleaning we could do. My specialty became the little collectibles. Stephanie has a lot of snow globes and Disney figurines. The ceramic ones are the easiest to clean. But I was able to discover a technique using Mr. Clean Magic Sponges and a lot of patience. The Scottish Castle globe that we had brought back from our trip seemed to resist cleaning. However, in Edinborough, many of the buildings still have a layer of black soot from the days when coal was the primary fuel. So, if there is soot remaining, it just makes it seem more authentic!
Stephanie arrived in the afternoon. After the first tears, the work of salvaging began. Kevin and Debbie had been house sitting. It was good they had been there, because the fire was found quickly. The fire had started in their room and most of their belongings were badly damaged. However, it was amazing what they were able to recover from that room. Items in suitcases seemed untouched, with minimal smoky smell. And items in a plastic tub seemed to have weathered the fire much better than I would have expected. There were music CD's that were in soft storage notebooks that appeared untouched. I have not heard whether they actually still worked. I suspected that the heat from the fire would have damaged them. But, for their sake, I hope not.
Stephanie had also brought another worker, her friend, Sarah. With so many people helping, there wasn't as much for me to do. And, by the time evening came, I was extremely tired. Thomas and Stephanie have had a challenging marriage. They are separating - the grief sets in. Things always seem worse when you are tired. I am so tired, i cry most of the way back to Martha's. I don't sleep well that night.
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Fire Day 4
I once again started my day at Curves. A cool front had come through Tuesday evening, and the weather was cool and rainy. Thomas and I went over to the house to begin work. I think he was a little overwhelmed by all of it, but we got started at cleaning where we could salvage things. We went and picked up supplies at Lowe's and Walmart. Debra had introduced me to Dawn Dish Scrubs - they worked great at getting counters clean and soot off my hands.
While Henry had emptied the refrigerator on Monday - there were dishes that needed to be washed, plus I wanted to scrub and clean the refrigerator. Thomas washed soot off dishes and we started stacking them on the kitchen table which I had cleaned. I had bought some Mr. Clean Magic sponges - they worked very well to clean soot and grime off the collectibles. I discovered that if I cut them into one inch cubes, each sponge went further.
I was very grateful for the rainy cool weather. I felt that this was a special gift from God to us - so that we would not have to work in the heat with no air conditioning. I was also grateful that we still had running water.
We got a call from the owner's insurance people. They scheduled a 8:30 meeting on Thursday.
We worked on things that we could and left as it was getting dark.
While Henry had emptied the refrigerator on Monday - there were dishes that needed to be washed, plus I wanted to scrub and clean the refrigerator. Thomas washed soot off dishes and we started stacking them on the kitchen table which I had cleaned. I had bought some Mr. Clean Magic sponges - they worked very well to clean soot and grime off the collectibles. I discovered that if I cut them into one inch cubes, each sponge went further.
I was very grateful for the rainy cool weather. I felt that this was a special gift from God to us - so that we would not have to work in the heat with no air conditioning. I was also grateful that we still had running water.
We got a call from the owner's insurance people. They scheduled a 8:30 meeting on Thursday.
We worked on things that we could and left as it was getting dark.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Fire Day 3
Since I had started my diet, I wanted to stay with things - so Martha and I went to her local Curves to start my day. It was one of the larger Curves - a nice spacious room and all the machines. I had bought groceries so I was able to pack some food for the day. We did eat with Hugh and Heather at La Hacienda before heading over to the house to meet the insurance adjuster. I was good - splitting a catfish entre with Martha and avoiding the rice and chips.
We met the State Farm adjuster and his restoration representative. After glancing through the house, and snapping a few pictures, he declared that the damage was certainly more than the policy value - so a check would be issued. It was a smooth and simple process. The restoration process for the appliances involved spending time in an ozone room - a concentrated version of what happens when things sit in the sunlight. They also had a fancy sponge that can clean smoke off brickwork. I contemplated buying more to try to clean Stephanie's collectibles.
Thomas came in that evening - but it was late enough that we just went over to Martha's and spent the night.
We met the State Farm adjuster and his restoration representative. After glancing through the house, and snapping a few pictures, he declared that the damage was certainly more than the policy value - so a check would be issued. It was a smooth and simple process. The restoration process for the appliances involved spending time in an ozone room - a concentrated version of what happens when things sit in the sunlight. They also had a fancy sponge that can clean smoke off brickwork. I contemplated buying more to try to clean Stephanie's collectibles.
Thomas came in that evening - but it was late enough that we just went over to Martha's and spent the night.
Monday, July 25, 2005
Fire - Day 2
Henry drove up earlier than I did - so we would have 2 cars. I got off about an hour later. Debra fixed me a lunch box so I could stay on my diet. While I messed up a little bit on my directions to his house, once I found the street, it was easy to see which house - the one surrounded by the yellow tape. Martha and Hugh were there. Henry had bought a generator. Hugh and his son, Gary, were out getting plywood to secure the house.
Henry had prepared me, but I found that for the most part, the house was not as bad as I had expected. The most damaged rooms were black, ugly, and pretty well disasters. In three rooms, the firemen had torn out the ceilings to make sure that there was no fire in the attic.
The rest of the house had an eerie look. It is funny how you could see the patterns of the smoke from the thickness of the soot and grime on the walls. Some areas were black as could be, others gray, some just dingy. The spider webs took on new character as the black soot made them so visible. Thomas and Stephanie's bedroom, while lightest hit, had other poignant aspects. All her collectibles from Disney figurines to cute stuffed animals were coated with black yuck!
The property manager showed up, and surveyed the scene. Her take on the lease was that Thomas would be responsible for the damage. What a sinking feeling that gave! Thomas feared that this was going to wipe him out financially. My prevailing thought was that God would help us get through this. But it was definitely going to be a one step at a time process.
We got hold of our insurance people and made appointments for Tuesday for them to do their assessment. At least they had been smart enough to buy the renter's insurance. And, it was especially nice that the first call was to an agent that we had done business with for years. Thank God for friendly voices!
The weather was hot, the house had no air conditioning. Henry bought a generator and a box fan. Hugh and Gary used it to cut the plywood, board the walls, and to drill a new hole for a new lock for the kicked in door.
Most of my day was spent either in the drive or trying to contact all the people and keep Thomas notified as to what was going on. While his boss would have let him come home early, Thomas was the one familiar with this job - and amazingly (and with God's help) he got finished what he needed to do.
The last thing on the agenda was Stephanie's cats. There were four that had been rescued from the house. The reports were that they were lethargic when removed. One had a heart condition. We checked with the animal shelter to find out where they were and could we pick them up. After conferring with my friend Bettye as to what kind of carriers we needed, we bought four carriers in two sizes. When we loaded the cats, I was looking for Angel, Stephanies' oldest and perhaps favorite cat. It was only after we had them all loaded that I realized that the first cat - the big gray one- was actually her white fluffy Angel. All the cats showed signs of soot and were no longer their original color. They all chatted to us as we put them in the jeep. Henry drove them home and delivered them to Stephanie, who was relieved to see them alive and well. They are certainly more insecure now - they stay close to her and to each other. But they are well and alive.
I headed to Martha's house. A dip in the pool and a final diet meal, and I was ready for sleep.
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Fire - Day 1
This week has been spent going through what is left of one's belongings after a house fire. My son's rental house burned last weekend. The first flurry of activity was to try to determine how much damage when both he and his wife were out of town.
Thomas was in Raleigh, North Carolina on a work assignment. Stephanie was house sitting for her parents while they were on a cruise.
My sister-in-law was first of the family on the scene. But it is hard to visualize fire damage, when you haven't had experience. I called someone we had known from church almost 20 years ago. I knew he was a fireman, and I wanted to know what to expect. He was helpful. I needed to know things like - how would we know whether we would be able to go into the house? Martha was able to go into the house that night and gave us some information. It appeared that Stephanie's wedding dress had not burned, although the bag was covered in soot. We did not know where the wedding photos were, but I was pretty sure that the negatives still existed, as well as both sets of parents had copies. The reports of the damage were conflicting. One of Stephanie's work friends drove by and reported that the house was totally gutted. Fortunately Martha could tell us that while everything was covered in soot, the greatest damage was confined into two rooms and a bathroom.
While we tried to get someone to board up the house that night, it was late, the price quote seemed high. We just had to trust God that no one would loot the house before we could get there Monday.
Thomas was in Raleigh, North Carolina on a work assignment. Stephanie was house sitting for her parents while they were on a cruise.
My sister-in-law was first of the family on the scene. But it is hard to visualize fire damage, when you haven't had experience. I called someone we had known from church almost 20 years ago. I knew he was a fireman, and I wanted to know what to expect. He was helpful. I needed to know things like - how would we know whether we would be able to go into the house? Martha was able to go into the house that night and gave us some information. It appeared that Stephanie's wedding dress had not burned, although the bag was covered in soot. We did not know where the wedding photos were, but I was pretty sure that the negatives still existed, as well as both sets of parents had copies. The reports of the damage were conflicting. One of Stephanie's work friends drove by and reported that the house was totally gutted. Fortunately Martha could tell us that while everything was covered in soot, the greatest damage was confined into two rooms and a bathroom.
While we tried to get someone to board up the house that night, it was late, the price quote seemed high. We just had to trust God that no one would loot the house before we could get there Monday.
Friday, July 22, 2005
Late Afternoon Storms
As I was getting in from Curves, we had a storm forming to the north of Hutto. I haven't really had a chance this year to sit on the porch and watch a storm come in . . . . .so I got one of the mini meals I get to eat right now - this time a low carb yogurt and went to the front porch. I could tell that the best vantage point was on the far end, so I sat on a concrete bench that came from the house where I grew up. I watched one set of clouds churn and try to spin. A small version of a wall cloud tried to form. The lighting began to get closer. I noticed my neighbor out checking the dogs and goats. I heard the goats start to call and then FLASH/BOOM!!!!!!!!!!! Out of nowhere, a big lightning bolt hit right in front of me, leaving an afterimage on my retina. The light and sound were simultaneous and, of course, I was startled. I also stepped back a few steps from my edge of the porch vantage point. That one was a little too close. Henry came out to see if I had seen it. Then I thought about Sean . . . . I had just seen him head in the direction of the barn for the goats . . . . . Oh, I hoped and prayed he was OK. A few minutes later I saw both Sean and Butch and breathed a sigh of relief that they were both OK.
The wind picked up and you could hear the rain line as it came in. We got a nice little shower that definitely cooled things off a little. Henry read his book on the porch during the rain and I enjoyed the peaceful sound of the falling rain.
In our busy, project oriented world, it is easy to stay focused on which ever task is due next. One of the paths to serenity lies in taking time to watch and appreciate nature's dramas.
The wind picked up and you could hear the rain line as it came in. We got a nice little shower that definitely cooled things off a little. Henry read his book on the porch during the rain and I enjoyed the peaceful sound of the falling rain.
In our busy, project oriented world, it is easy to stay focused on which ever task is due next. One of the paths to serenity lies in taking time to watch and appreciate nature's dramas.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Evening Reflections
It is easy to get in a rut and never go outside - other than the routine errand running. I've been trying to consciously go outside, to sit by the pond on a more regular basis. Being outside and soaking in the sights and sounds of nature helps to center me and feed my spirit. Watching clouds build and the wind blow reminds me of the story of Elijah when he heard God's soft voice.
Tonight, it was cool for July. It was breezy - probably due to the little storms being generated by the hurricane in the gulf. The wind rustled the leaves and left patterns in the water as it came and went. I enjoy the wind. It is a familiar friend from my childhood in the Texas Panhandle. A few sprinkles came down, but never enough to send me scurrying back to the house.
We have a new set of inhabitants on the pond. Each time I've gone down, I've seen a pair of mallards. Tonight they were hidden in some fallen trees right by the water's edge. Right at sunset, they left their hiding spot and swam and splashed in the water. I have not seen any ducklings, but I wonder if they will nest. I would love to have babies to enjoy.
We had some herons too. Too small to be great blues -I'm suspecting night herons, but they were on the other side of the pond and hard to see. But there were at least three.
We have frogs, I can hear them regularly, but I never see them. We have frogs that I suspect are small that make loud clicking noises, and we have the big bullfrogs with their "waaaonnnng".
One of the nice things about sitting around the pond in the evening is watching the swallows getting their drinks of water. It amazes me how quickly they can fly to the water, grabbing their drink barely slowing down at all.
The clouds looked stormy for awhile, and I was hoping for a rainbow when it was lightly sprinkling. But the clouds disappated, the sky glowed golden in the west. And then the clouds to the east turned pale pink.
Monday, July 18, 2005
New Beginnings
Well, today is the day I am starting the Curves Challenge. I'm not doing it with a group, just the book and me. Debra completed this challenge recently and is trying to encourage me.
I started Curves just after she did - mainly to encourage her. I have some built in skepticism - I've done a lot of different forms of dieting and exercise over the years. I've lost a lot of weight only to have it come back . . . . with friends and family.
But I know I need to lose the weight - I'm carrying too much for my frame. While I have old injuries to several joints, the added weight wears on them also.
I am also trying to be a nature photographer. I have to be able to carry my gear and hike. Last November, I really enjoyed hiking several miles over to the dunes at Death Valley. But I was always tired and achy when I got back to the car. I got there by sheer determination - not because I was in great shape. So many places require walking with gear to get the best photos. And some of it is up steep hills. It would be nice to go straight up without having to stop and pant and wait for the breathing rate and heart rate to go down.
So . . . . . I'm going to try to follow the diet the next 6 weeks. The first two are the strictest. We'll see. Even with doubts, I'm hoping for success.
Saturday, July 16, 2005
Creative Slumps
My latest trip to California was not designed to be a photo trip. My daughter finished college this summer. She is moving back to Texas. She wanted to do some last fun things in California. And, of course, there was packing. So, while I did some photography - it was on the back burner. I wasn't getting up at dawn to shoot (and dawn at Malibu this time of year is overcast). I hit the butterfly exhibit in Los Angeles at the heat of the day. While I got a few good shots, I had a lot that were not what I was hoping for. We made a few trips to the beach. At Point Dume I tried to use a fast shutterspeed to catch the power of the waves. Didn't really get anything that I thought was wonderful. I went to El Pescador and went back to trying to get silky waves. I had some success, but the feedback from the internet sites wasn't great (but I haven't published all of them.)
Debra was living in the upstairs of a beautiful house with a fantastic yard. I tried some still life shots inside -one designed for DPChallenge. My best shot of some copper pots had a blemish that needed cloning -against the rules for that challenge - so it didn't place well (of course it was top 20%, but . . . . . placing 100th out of 501 just isn't thrilling.) My outdoor still lifes of old watering pots, garden paths just didn't seem bright enough, colorful enough, etc.
Now I knew that I wasn't focusing on photography, but it was still frustrating to take series of shots where nothing seemed to be working. And I also know from experience that sometimes my shots need to "age". When you have just taken a sequence of shots, you remember what the setting looked like and you remember what you saw in the viewfinder. And when the photo does not capture the beauty you saw -whether from exposure, focus, etc - it is disappointing. Later, the memory of what you saw has dimmed and you can view the photo on its own merits.
The last couple of days of the trip, things picked up. We made it to El Matador beach. Lighting was great. I got some shots of the waves through an ocean cave. My daughter let me take some shots of her in a new dress - and she started having fun posing. (And she does not let me take her photo often.)
The last few days, I took some additional shots around the house and yard, and some of them look like they worked.
But since I did not do a lot of processing as I went along . . . . . it will take a while to find the gems (assuming there are some.)
I find that I get some instant gratification when I can take a sequence of shots and then find one or two to post to the online contests and get some "winners." There is some let down when none feel quite good enough. Let's hope that when I get started seriously working the shots, that like cream, some good ones will rise to the surface.
Friday, July 15, 2005
Home Again
Getting home after a long trip is a mixed blessing. I tend to come home tired, and there are usually a set of tasks that will need attention. Piles of mail await, but I chose not to deal with that today.
We got in late last night, and I had business to attend to immediately. When I got back in the early afternoon, the tired feeling hit. I did manage to do a little bit on those pesky income taxes. WIll finish one set of them probably tomorrow. But my mind was pretty cloudy today. I resisted the urge for a nap.
When I got to my home Curves, I was rewarded with lost inches and pounds - which was a good way to start my day.
I think I'm going to veg in front of the TV tonight and hope to wake up with a clearer head tomorrow.
We got in late last night, and I had business to attend to immediately. When I got back in the early afternoon, the tired feeling hit. I did manage to do a little bit on those pesky income taxes. WIll finish one set of them probably tomorrow. But my mind was pretty cloudy today. I resisted the urge for a nap.
When I got to my home Curves, I was rewarded with lost inches and pounds - which was a good way to start my day.
I think I'm going to veg in front of the TV tonight and hope to wake up with a clearer head tomorrow.
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Tired
Today was "Load the trailer - get ready to leave day." Even with helpers from the local day worker pool, getting everything unloaded from living quarters and packed into a trailer is tiring. Our helpers were wonderful - they were polite, eager to do whatever we wanted. The trailer is full to the gills, but the car still has some room.
We loaded stuff until around 5:00. Then headed over for a last meal at Malibu Seafood. An after dinner walk at Michael Landon Park sounded good - and it definitely helped work out some sore muscles.
Tomorrow morning will be spent - one last visit to the Malibu Curves, load the few remaining items, clean, and hit the road.
We loaded stuff until around 5:00. Then headed over for a last meal at Malibu Seafood. An after dinner walk at Michael Landon Park sounded good - and it definitely helped work out some sore muscles.
Tomorrow morning will be spent - one last visit to the Malibu Curves, load the few remaining items, clean, and hit the road.
Friday, July 08, 2005
Musings
We have visited London in the last few years. It is a beautiful city, filled with life. The terrorist activities there today remind us that our world is no longer predictable. While it is very true that each of us is only given one day at a time to live, we go through our days as though we are going to live forever. We are proud of our ability to plan for the future, store up retirement savings, and find new adventures in living. But death is always a part of life. Whether from disease, accidents, natural disasters, or human malevolence, we have a limited lifespan. God is the master of my fate - not a terrorist! In Ps 139, "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
Human history tells us that there have been many dark periods in history. I grew up in the Cold War - with food and supplies stockpiled in the buildings in downtown Amarillo. The yellow triangles marked where to go for shelter in case of a nuclear attack. Looking back, diving under the school desk would not have protected us from a nuclear blast, but we practiced it in drills anyway. London has had dark days before - the German blitzkrieg during World War II was a horrible time of death and destruction. Much of historic London was lost to the bombs. The strife over Northern Ireland and the terrorist activity took its toll. But I rejoice that so many of these historical conflicts did subside and peace returned. I truly believe that this struggle with these seemingly religious fanatics will have an end. Anger and hatred are tiring emotions constantly requiring feeding. As a destructive summer storm comes in with a roar, there is always an end to the turbulence. Summer storms may come in quickly and leave quickly. Other times they linger and have several waves of thunder, rain, wind, and occasionally hail. But after the storm, the air has been washed clean, the sun shines brighter, and sometimes, a rainbow fills the sky.
I am really a simple person. I do not understand the need to kill people that I don't know. I certainly do not understand what drives someone to kill themselves in this process. People who have hope for the future do not do such things - only people in great despair.
Somehow, a solution must be found for the disparity between the super rich and the very poor. We must also learn to appreciate the differences in the cultures around the world. In the long run, only God can bring peace back into our world. So tonight my prayer:
Lord, please provide comfort and sympathy to those who are grieving in London. Bring healing to the injured and strength for the families as they nurse their loved ones back to health. Give the people in London the courage to go about their normal activities in spite of this tragedy. Touch the hearts of the men who are sowing these seeds of hatred. Touch the hearts of the young men who are following the teachings of hatred. Bring peace and prosperity to the troubled parts of our world.
Human history tells us that there have been many dark periods in history. I grew up in the Cold War - with food and supplies stockpiled in the buildings in downtown Amarillo. The yellow triangles marked where to go for shelter in case of a nuclear attack. Looking back, diving under the school desk would not have protected us from a nuclear blast, but we practiced it in drills anyway. London has had dark days before - the German blitzkrieg during World War II was a horrible time of death and destruction. Much of historic London was lost to the bombs. The strife over Northern Ireland and the terrorist activity took its toll. But I rejoice that so many of these historical conflicts did subside and peace returned. I truly believe that this struggle with these seemingly religious fanatics will have an end. Anger and hatred are tiring emotions constantly requiring feeding. As a destructive summer storm comes in with a roar, there is always an end to the turbulence. Summer storms may come in quickly and leave quickly. Other times they linger and have several waves of thunder, rain, wind, and occasionally hail. But after the storm, the air has been washed clean, the sun shines brighter, and sometimes, a rainbow fills the sky.
I am really a simple person. I do not understand the need to kill people that I don't know. I certainly do not understand what drives someone to kill themselves in this process. People who have hope for the future do not do such things - only people in great despair.
Somehow, a solution must be found for the disparity between the super rich and the very poor. We must also learn to appreciate the differences in the cultures around the world. In the long run, only God can bring peace back into our world. So tonight my prayer:
Lord, please provide comfort and sympathy to those who are grieving in London. Bring healing to the injured and strength for the families as they nurse their loved ones back to health. Give the people in London the courage to go about their normal activities in spite of this tragedy. Touch the hearts of the men who are sowing these seeds of hatred. Touch the hearts of the young men who are following the teachings of hatred. Bring peace and prosperity to the troubled parts of our world.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Evening Walks
When Debra took her first PE class at Pepperdine, she told me about a park across the street from Pepperdine, right above the ocean. Its name, Michael Landon Park, conjures memories of a man I watched on TV much of my life. An actor who stood for much of what is good in this world. Debra is moving back to Texas within the week - so we are doing our last things here. I had always wanted to see this area - so tonight after dinner we decided to take a sunset walk.
There is much that I like about the end of the day. For one thing, it gets cool. For another the clouds and the sky go through a sequence of lovely colors as the rays from the sun slowly recede into the west, and twilight invades from the east. We started our walk after the sun was behind a mountain, but before its last rays had left the mountains. From the PCH, Michael Landon Park looks pretty civilized - baseball fields, soccer fields, a community center. But after you park the car and head off onto one of the narrow footpaths - you have entered a wild area. The footpath is well beaten, but just wide enough for your legs and feet. In many places the plants brush against your legs as you go through the brush. Little birds scurry away in the underbrush. As we headed out to our right was Pepperdine University and the Santa Monica mountains. In front was this grassy moor area. And on our left the calm Pacific with a cloud bank in the distance and the varied colors of the evening sky. At one point on the walk I looked back - the view of Pepperdine was beautiful. The highway was hidden. The wild area contrasted with the green manicured lawn with its scattered trees in a beautiful mosaic. The evening lights of Pepperdine showcased the beauty of its buildings.
At one part of the walk, there was a path that was severely erroded by this last winter's storms. It leads down to a road filled with houses that sit directly on the beach. We could see and hear the breakers come in and crash in front of the houses. Debra said some people still take this, but I told her this was the kind of trail I would much rather go up than down. Very rocky and rough where a new gully had been carved where once there was a smooth path. So we went on and followed the cliff line, stopping to look over to the lingering glow in the west, to search the water for life, and to see the approaching darker blues in the east.
As we walked the trail, there were evidences of wildlife - the calls and trills of unseen birds, an occasional rabbit, and coyote scat. When the trail turned uphill again, I was pleased that my three months of working out at Curves have had an impact on my stamina. Although the hill was not steep, it was uphill and I managed to make it up at a reasonable speed with a minimum of stops. That in and of itself was a small victory.
When we got past the wild area and back into the soccer and baseball fields, there were rabbits everywhere you looked. The babies were so precious, innocent, and more trusting than the adults. But, even so, when you got too close, they scampered away. As the twilight deepened, you could see them in the manicured lawns, under the trees, and right along the brush line that forms the border into the "wild lands." Under the tree, one rabbit was definitely trying to appear like a rock - he was very still with his ears pinned back against his body - so rockshaped, you had to look twice to be sure it was a rabbit - but his eyes were obviously watching our every move. Another was more on alert, ears up listening intently, with a posture ready to run.
There are a couple of areas to sit and look over the water - one with telescopes and a whale tale shaped seating area, one with picnic tables. We stopped at each one briefly to soak in the beauty and tranquility of the scene.
I like the end of the day outside. There is a quiet calm before night comes. And this evening walk combined natural beauty, wildlife, and a renewed joy of a better fitness level.
I will sleep well tonight.
There is much that I like about the end of the day. For one thing, it gets cool. For another the clouds and the sky go through a sequence of lovely colors as the rays from the sun slowly recede into the west, and twilight invades from the east. We started our walk after the sun was behind a mountain, but before its last rays had left the mountains. From the PCH, Michael Landon Park looks pretty civilized - baseball fields, soccer fields, a community center. But after you park the car and head off onto one of the narrow footpaths - you have entered a wild area. The footpath is well beaten, but just wide enough for your legs and feet. In many places the plants brush against your legs as you go through the brush. Little birds scurry away in the underbrush. As we headed out to our right was Pepperdine University and the Santa Monica mountains. In front was this grassy moor area. And on our left the calm Pacific with a cloud bank in the distance and the varied colors of the evening sky. At one point on the walk I looked back - the view of Pepperdine was beautiful. The highway was hidden. The wild area contrasted with the green manicured lawn with its scattered trees in a beautiful mosaic. The evening lights of Pepperdine showcased the beauty of its buildings.
At one part of the walk, there was a path that was severely erroded by this last winter's storms. It leads down to a road filled with houses that sit directly on the beach. We could see and hear the breakers come in and crash in front of the houses. Debra said some people still take this, but I told her this was the kind of trail I would much rather go up than down. Very rocky and rough where a new gully had been carved where once there was a smooth path. So we went on and followed the cliff line, stopping to look over to the lingering glow in the west, to search the water for life, and to see the approaching darker blues in the east.
As we walked the trail, there were evidences of wildlife - the calls and trills of unseen birds, an occasional rabbit, and coyote scat. When the trail turned uphill again, I was pleased that my three months of working out at Curves have had an impact on my stamina. Although the hill was not steep, it was uphill and I managed to make it up at a reasonable speed with a minimum of stops. That in and of itself was a small victory.
When we got past the wild area and back into the soccer and baseball fields, there were rabbits everywhere you looked. The babies were so precious, innocent, and more trusting than the adults. But, even so, when you got too close, they scampered away. As the twilight deepened, you could see them in the manicured lawns, under the trees, and right along the brush line that forms the border into the "wild lands." Under the tree, one rabbit was definitely trying to appear like a rock - he was very still with his ears pinned back against his body - so rockshaped, you had to look twice to be sure it was a rabbit - but his eyes were obviously watching our every move. Another was more on alert, ears up listening intently, with a posture ready to run.
There are a couple of areas to sit and look over the water - one with telescopes and a whale tale shaped seating area, one with picnic tables. We stopped at each one briefly to soak in the beauty and tranquility of the scene.
I like the end of the day outside. There is a quiet calm before night comes. And this evening walk combined natural beauty, wildlife, and a renewed joy of a better fitness level.
I will sleep well tonight.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Fourth of July
While waiting for the fireworks to start here on the beach at Malibu, I could not help but remember other sets of fourth of July fireworks. When the kids were small, we took them to the fireworks on Town Lake in Austin. The music of the 1812 Overture always signalled that the fireworks were about to begin. Sitting on the shores of the lake seeing the fireworks refected in the lake was a wonderful way to celebrate. During the years when our kids were in school, vacations were summer events. We tended to travel over the fourth of July because it gave us an extra vacation day. We've seen fireworks from a campground in Montana, from a hotel parking lot in Dillon, Colorado, and from the highway in Phoenix. We've been in France twice on Bastille Day. The first visit we ended up at a hotel overlooking the Valley of the Volcanoes. From our restaurant's picture window, we could see dozens of villages celebrating with firework displays. The most impressive firework display I've ever seen was Bastille Day at the Eiffel Tower. People filled the Champ de Mars beginning with picnics on the grass. As it got time for the fireworks, it was standing room only - and you had to stand to see because everyone was standing. They told the history of France choreographed with music and a lighting display.
This year Debra and I went to a private beach in Malibu. Before the big show from the barge, I enjoyed watching the families shoot off their fireworks. The kids would get closer and closer to where the Roman candles and rockets were being lit. It brought back the memory of our first year at our Hutto house. We now lived in the country so we were going to do our own fireworks. Thomas begged to get to hold one of the Roman candles. It backfired into his face. Our celebration turned into a trip to the emergency room. We could see Round Rock's fireworks in the distance as we drove in. The emergency room treated the worst of it. The plastic surgeon finished the job. Now you would never know it happened.
But it was fun to watch the waves coming in, the families enjoying themselves. One group of kids had dug themselves a fortress complete with mote, big enough to sit in and covered with beach umbrellas - looked like a great temporary club house. The big fireworks were set off from a barge in the ocean. This year Malibu had three barges in separate locations. I'm not sure who sponsored them this year, but in year's past you would recognize the names from the Hollywood stars who live here. The clouds have been moving in early the last few days, and the taller displays were hidden behind the low lying clouds, coloring them red and green. But we could see a lot and they were beautiful. We could even see parts of the display from one of the other barges in the distance.
Fourth of July - picnics, parades, concerts, fireworks. A fitting way each year to be greatful for the freedom we have.
Sunday, July 03, 2005
Love the Weather Here!
Here in southern California along the coast, the weather at the fourth of July is amazingly cool. We wake up in the mornings to a cool breeze coming in the windows and clouds and fog in the sky. Yesterday it was in the 60's most of the day. Today, we started with clouds. The sun came out in the early afternoon, for those beach lovers to have a wonderful afternoon. Then the low clouds started rolling in around sunset. The talk at Curves today was whether it would be clear enough to see the fireworks.
Henry tells me that at home in Texas the temperatures have been over 100 degrees every day this week. I have to say I am enjoying the cool weather here. As warm natured as I am, the nights are cool enough that it feels good to sleep with Debra's heated mattress pad. I even try to turn it on ahead of time - so it is cozy when I crawl under the covers.
We've been apartment looking for Debra. A lot of the places we looked don't have air conditioning. If this is typical weather, I can see why you would not need it.
No wonder all the garden plants look so beautiful here - they are not having to fight the heat.
Well, I'll enjoy this while I can. I'll be back in Texas in a week or so. Then this weather will seem like a dream.
Henry tells me that at home in Texas the temperatures have been over 100 degrees every day this week. I have to say I am enjoying the cool weather here. As warm natured as I am, the nights are cool enough that it feels good to sleep with Debra's heated mattress pad. I even try to turn it on ahead of time - so it is cozy when I crawl under the covers.
We've been apartment looking for Debra. A lot of the places we looked don't have air conditioning. If this is typical weather, I can see why you would not need it.
No wonder all the garden plants look so beautiful here - they are not having to fight the heat.
Well, I'll enjoy this while I can. I'll be back in Texas in a week or so. Then this weather will seem like a dream.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Wildfire!
While cruising the 101 on the way to lunch. I noticed that we had smoke in the air. Almost immediately we could smell the woody smoke. It seemed to be coming from an area in front of us. As we turned off to get to the restaurant I could see the billowing cloud coming from the base of the fire on a hillside several miles in front of us. After lunch we headed to the mall to get Debra's watch resized. We passed the mountain side where the fire had been contained, but was still smoldering. The policemen were limiting the traffic across the overpass closest to the fire. We could see the helicopters dumping their load of water and then going to a nearby urban lake to refill. On our way back, it was obvious that the fire had started at the road. The footprint on the shoulder, a vehicle sized black smudge gave a clue to the cause. And when I found the newsreport, sure enough, a burning truck had ignited the hillside. Firemen in their bright yellow protective gear were spraying the remaining smoldering areas to be sure the fire was completely out. The air was clear again. Only ten acres burned . . . . . this time. But it is only June after one of the wettest years in California's history. The underbrush is tall and drying out rapidly as the weather begins to warm. And the hottest months in California are yet to come.
If you are paying attention, you can see that firebreaks are ready. Strategic strips mowed or plowed. We should be praying now for God to protect California from another horrific fire season.
If you are paying attention, you can see that firebreaks are ready. Strategic strips mowed or plowed. We should be praying now for God to protect California from another horrific fire season.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Saying Goodbye
We've lost a lot of pets over time. We lost one today. Our aging dog, Patches, died this morning. It was time to let go, he was too weak. We've lost dogs to cars, irate ranchers, or wild animals. Patches was fortunate to live a full and happy life. But it still hurts to say goodbye. We will miss him.
Evening
Today Debra finished her six week Challenge at Curves. I am really proud of her for loosing over 17 lbs. She is looking really good. I weighed and double checked with my local Curves. While my clothes are fitting better, I haven't lost significant weight. i still plan to keep up the exercise program and my diet out here has been pretty good. So perhaps when I am finally at home to weigh in there, I'll see some weight loss or at least less body fat.
We are trying to get Thomas' condo sold. Today was a day of dealing with the inspection report (they are always very complete with all sorts of bad news), trying to communicate with the realtor, trying to phone the missionaries in Croatia for an interview and having the Sprint PCS tell me I wasn't set up for overseas calls, getting the wheat sold (looks like we had a better crop than I expected) , trying to talk Henry through finding documents needed for the closing on the condo which may happen next week, etc etc.
The afternoon was spent running errands. Debra tried to encourage me with my quest for weight loss with some books at Borders. We took in a movie "Cinderella Man". We finished the day at a Japanese restaurant - Miso soup and a Endive Pear Salad - both were tasty. When you break your chopstick, the manner in which it breaks is supposed to be reflective of something in your life. Mine broke with very jagged edges - matching a jagged sort of day.
Now we are back at Debra's place. It is late and traffic on the PCH has slowed down. In between cars you can hear the ocean waves roar as they break along the beach. Calming way to end the day. The ocean breezes through the windows makes snuggling under the covers with Debra's electric heating pad (fits under the sheet) something I'm ready to do. I've finished my internet "stuff" - so time to thank God for the day and go to sleep hearing those lovely ocean breakers.
We are trying to get Thomas' condo sold. Today was a day of dealing with the inspection report (they are always very complete with all sorts of bad news), trying to communicate with the realtor, trying to phone the missionaries in Croatia for an interview and having the Sprint PCS tell me I wasn't set up for overseas calls, getting the wheat sold (looks like we had a better crop than I expected) , trying to talk Henry through finding documents needed for the closing on the condo which may happen next week, etc etc.
The afternoon was spent running errands. Debra tried to encourage me with my quest for weight loss with some books at Borders. We took in a movie "Cinderella Man". We finished the day at a Japanese restaurant - Miso soup and a Endive Pear Salad - both were tasty. When you break your chopstick, the manner in which it breaks is supposed to be reflective of something in your life. Mine broke with very jagged edges - matching a jagged sort of day.
Now we are back at Debra's place. It is late and traffic on the PCH has slowed down. In between cars you can hear the ocean waves roar as they break along the beach. Calming way to end the day. The ocean breezes through the windows makes snuggling under the covers with Debra's electric heating pad (fits under the sheet) something I'm ready to do. I've finished my internet "stuff" - so time to thank God for the day and go to sleep hearing those lovely ocean breakers.
Monday, June 27, 2005
About Me
I was born in Texas and have lived there all my life. I started out in the Panhandle, an area known for its flat terrain. We had relatives in Colorado, so early in my life I developed a deep love for rough mountain terrain and beautiful, babbling mountain streams.
When I got married, I moved to the Austin area and attended the University of Texas with a major in home economics - now called human ecology. I worked for several years at Dillards starting in fabrics and moving to the draperies and linen department. Later I worked a few years for the state finishing as a computer operator. When the children came along, I chose to stay home as a full time mom. In their early years, I worked several times at "Mother's Day Out". When the kids hit school, I got involved with both Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts and of course the various school parent organizations. We moved to Hutto, a small farming community outside Austin, when Thomas was entering second grade. In a small community, it was important to bring activities to the town - so I was one of several who helped get Cub Scouts started and I also got Girl Scouts going again. Troop meetings, Pack Meetings, campouts, and day camps are some of my fondest memories.
We've always been active at church. I started working with children when I was sixteen. When I went off to college, both at West Texas State in Canyon and then at the University of Texas, I was always teaching Sunday school or Wednesday nights. When my children arrived, I began attending Ladies' Bible Class during the week. I began teaching - and at best guess I've probably taught for between 10 and 15 years between the two churches we were affiliated with over the last 25 years. I've also organized several women's retreats and been one of the speakers at several.
When my youngest child, Debra, graduated from high school and headed off to college in California, my husband and I had a chance to travel. So I joke that when my last child left the nest, we did too! Our travels over the last three years have taken us criss cross across the United States several times. We have gone to many of the big science fiction and fantasy events. While I have always been interested in photography, I have begun to pursue it in a much more serious fashion. Currently I am trying to move from the world of amateur photography to professional photography. Some of my shots are close, but I can still come back from a photoshoot and browse my photos and realize that I can't consistently deliver the quality of photos that I desire. But I get enough good ones (and they do win some prizes now and then) that I get rewarded enough to keep trying. Plus, the real joy I get from being outside experiencing the beauty and serenity of God's natural world is very fulfilling to me. It also helps keep me active. I find that I am willing to hike several miles to get to the sand dunes at Death Valley just to get that sunset photo. When I return to the car, I am usually tired, sore, but also filled with awe at the intricacies that I have seen and experienced.
I have also been blessed with many friendships over my life. I treasure each and every one of them. Each of my friends enriches my life by exposing me to their different interests, their unique wisdom, and their sense of humor. I have been very blessed to have friends that have not only shared the exhiliarating wonderful moments of life, but I have always had people who were there when times were dark and difficult. God always provided someone who could give me a word of comfort or wisdom to get through those days.
Enough about me for now. I'm sure a lot of my story will come out as I experiment with this blog.
Sunday, June 26, 2005
My First Blog
I have not done a blog before. I have done journalling before, so perhaps it won't be that different. It is Sunday morning. I'm in California with my daughter. It is early enough that traffic is light on the PCH and I can occasionally hear the roar of the waves crashing on the beach.
We went to the sidewalk sale at Redondo Beach yesterday. I enjoyed strolling and window shopping at the booths. Several months back I had gone to the web looking for the things a photographer would need to do a booth. So I took advantage and watched how people had their booths set up with an eye for what I need to start buying if I am ever to try to sell my photography at these outdoor events.
We went to the sidewalk sale at Redondo Beach yesterday. I enjoyed strolling and window shopping at the booths. Several months back I had gone to the web looking for the things a photographer would need to do a booth. So I took advantage and watched how people had their booths set up with an eye for what I need to start buying if I am ever to try to sell my photography at these outdoor events.
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