Mid-December

Zoinks! Here it is the middle of the month, going to try and type something out to all those who might be reading and just share some thoughts.

Thanksgiving was good and got some photo work done around the 'Little North Santiam River' while we spent a few days at a lodge that my spouse's employer owns. Went with another family so we had two sets of parents and three crazy girls all together! That pretty much wound up the end of November and since have been just doing the regular day gig (govt. work) and making it through the day.

December and we have been pretty busy it seems? Most weekends something is going on and getting Christmas shopping done and things mailed to family that lives in other states, etc. Where does the time go? We have currently turned into a regular winter location in Salem, Oregon and have daytime temps in the upper 20's and some SNOW! Which is melting a little bit and turning to ICE! I actually got out on my snowboard (Sunday Evening) and made a few turns on our street with minimal scrapping on the pavement below. Pretty exciting!

I added in a shot as I was toying around with a camera and a candle holder we have. Our daughter had gathered the leaves and they fit between to cylinders of glass and then use a tea candle on the inside. I was playing with different shutter speeds and also using "bulb" mode so I could manually control the shutter with a shutter release cable. I actually shot this photo using "Raw" and then did some work and converted to the easy to use 'x.jpg' format. With Cropping, etc I have made the file pretty small overall, saves space. I thought it was kind of cool and hope you enjoy it!

Thanks for reading - Tim

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

As I sit here and look out the window of our new bungalow in West Salem, I thank my family for being the rock and helping keep me steady. I think of my family back in Wyoming and Nebraska along with other relatives in Minnesota, Arizona, Iowa and California. I think of all the friends I grew up with that are still living in the heartland and hope they are sharing a wonderful day with their families.

Yesterday (11/26) I was on a bicycle ride just west of the hills of West Salem and had to stop along side the road. I did this so I could take in the wonderment of the late afternoon sun bathing the hillsides and the fields of grass seed and wheat that were laying dormant for the winter. The hazelnut orchards and vineyards that have seen their harvest and wait for another year when they again will bring work and another bounty for people to enjoy.

I stopped because so many times I am riding along by myself or with others and never take the time to enjoy what is around me. Even though it was but a minute it is the kind of minute that will stay in my mind for recall on those days when the rain is coming down and I am not able to be outside. It also makes me think that sometimes me/we all need to slow down and realize that there are many things more important than a new bike or some camera gear. There is Family and Friends, our health and the joy of being alive everyday.

I hope that anyone who reads this will have a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy your Family, Friends or whomever you may be with this day. Take a moment to relax, think about what is important to you and try and do something for someone else this holiday season that will make a difference in their lives.

Thanks for reading!

Tim

Where Was I & is it really November?

Holy cow! I have been meaning to get back to this and then I come up with an excuse and do something else. Overall though I really have some good excuses and the main one is the selling of our prior house and purchase of our now current home. A big move of about seven blocks in our neighborhood but we get some more space and a lot quieter street. I will not have the 'sunrise' that is the photo at the top of his blog.

Anyway, we have been to coast for a weekend back towards the end of September and since have been packing or unpacking. I am working via laptop so have to use jump drives to move files from the mothership PC to the laptop for doing things like this. I will get back in the habit soon and start to put out some more material.

Anyway, while at the coast I was trying to practice shooting (with camera) the general birds out there. Seems gulls are the predominant species! Anyway, I have a somewhat scratchy photo of one in flight and a few others that I feel good for publishing to my smugmug site. I also put in a shot of a Northern Flicker working our bird feeders at our previous house. It has not found the feeders at the new house....yet!

Well, gonna go for now. I have a had a nice day off, so thank your veterans for this holiday, oh yeah, that would include me as I am a veteran from the Army '86 - '90.

Thanks for reading! Tim -

Bring on the Fall!

A nice overcast day today with a few rolling showers and at times some quick down pours. Summer comes to a head on Monday (officially) and this Sunday is the last day of summer! But why would I be excited? There will start to be more overcast days which makes shooting (cameras) almost anytime during the day much easier but you lose some of those sunsets and sunrise days. The give, the take!

I was out in the late morning doing a short 24 mile ride on the bicycle when I went by a field between Hwy 99W and Riddell Rd in Polk County, Oregon. There were six hawks, I believe they were 'Red Tailed' Hawks as they are pretty prominent around here. It was unusual to see so many in one medium sized field all feasting (I think mice or voles). Anyway I went back later in the PM when some showers were rolling through and took a few shots. The one included here is a hawk up on top of an evergreen tree as I was about 70 yards away, leaning against a pole next to another tree and trying to keep my big lens (Sigma 135-400) steady and dry! It was good to just see them and watch it take flight just a few shutter clicks latter.

I have added in another shot of a Red Winged Black Bird that I caught along the side of the road back in mid-April. It just sat there singing while I shot from the car across the road.

You gotta love these birds! Now get out and enjoy what the world around us has to offer!

Thanks for reading. Tim -

First Showing!!!!

Hey! Thanks for stopping in and seeing what is new.

Just wanted to put out to anyone reading that I have two pieces of photo work that are on display at the Enid Mount Joy Gallery in Keizer. This is their September Wildlife exhibit, it is located within the friendly confines of the Keizer Arts Association. The location is 980 Chemawa Road NE in Keizer in the Keizer Heritage Community Center.

The show is from September 6th through September 24th and the hours are as follows:

Gallery Hours are:

Thursday: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Friday 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

If you get a chance to get out there, please check it out. Not just for my work but the work of a number of other local artists. There were paintings, some bronze work and a very wonderful piece that was done on glass and the medium escapes my mind right now. It was really awesome and I had never seen that type of work that I could recall!

That is about it! First week of September out, Kids are back in school and I am somewhat tired from a windy bike ride today.

Tim -