Local Update

Kirk Van Zandbergen is the photographer who created these shots with his drone when in my town recently. They are amazing and so beautiful.  He is the owner at Van Zandbergen Photograph - Studied Industrial/Scientific Photography at Brooks Institute of Photography. The first photograph is named "Winter Solstice in Montrose Pennsylvania."  His prints are for sale by personal request. 

And now for my weather report. It wasn't as awful here as it could have been. The orchid photo is from yesterday. It is thriving well!

I took the thermometer pictures at 7am this morning. Quick shots! I trickled water from both kitchen and bathroom faucets to be sure although good heat tape is in action as usual every year. We didn't loose power! Today there is a windy situation, but it's not extreme. 

Well that's all for today. Maybe I'll just start my annual paper shredding project during the next few days. Old electric shredder long gone, so heavy duty scissors will be put to good use!

Photo Fail - Meal Success

Dang! I forgot to change the camera settings from winter/landscape to auto when I took photos last night of my quiche. That will teach me. I had left the old settings after taking photos of the fishermen on the lake a few days ago. Now these foodie shots are fails. I did make one of each very small so you cannot see the terrible out-of-focus condition in which they really are. Lesson learned.

This was one of my very best quiche dishes. I cut up two buttered slices of Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse sourdough bread and lined the bottom of the dish. Then I spread thawed-drained-uncooked frozen spinach over the bread. Next I sprinkled onion powder and shredded Romano/Parmesan cheese over the spinach. Then - after beating 6 large home-produced eggs with 1/4 cup half and half together, the mixture was carefully poured over it all. The final touch was a complete covering of mozzarella cheese topped with paprika and basil. The dish was baked at 375° for 45 minutes. We think it was one of the tastiest ones I have made in a very long time.

Don't try to enlarge the images, you can't. Sorry for poor shots but you get the idea, I hope!

Glass Art and THANKS Brother!

I have wished for a crystal ball ever since the early 1960's. I thought maybe I could see visions of some sort by looking in the ball in a quiet place of solitude. Then I forgot about one until just lately when I see that photographers are using and experimenting them in their artistic works. Again I wished for one and even bookmarked a page to buy myself one but could never justify the expense. I wanted a high quality and large one! I mentioned it to my brother a couple of weeks ago because I knew both he and my nephew had made some in the past. I remember my nephew tried to take a picture outdoors on a sunny day and, as he was holding his reflective sphere, he experienced a burned thumb when trying to take a photo. My brother had designed a machine to make glass spheres in his "glassman" business. He told me he sold a lot of them.

Nephew's thumb burning

Several years ago, both of them visited an artist who lives about 30 miles from us. They came back excited and he had given them each some pieces of his glass to work with. Today a large ball, made by my brother of Christopher Ries's glass was given to me. It measures about 3.15" (approx. 80mm) and weighs 650g (about 22.93 oz.) Brother created it from one of the square blocks of optical glass. I was overwhelmed! I set it on a hard plastic dip cup and took 3 pictures. Now I need to make a velvet pouch for it's keep!

 I am thinking about finding a round clear rubber ring to help place it on things to shoot my pictures. Something soft so as not to scratch it. To learn more about Christopher Reis, click on the links below. He was just featured on our local tv station about a week ago.

Christopher Ries

Christopher-Ries
Christopher Ries on Local TV

New Project in the Works...

I just had 150 of my favorite flower photos printed and will mount them on blanks to attempt to sell.  This is something I've not done before, because I always made my cards from scratch using card stock of various colors, tapes, stickers, fancy scissors, etc. The old fingers have really lost nimbleness and flexibility so this might be the way to go now. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Floral Notecards For Sale:

Notecards are blank inside so you can write your own personal message. They are great for any occasion, thank you, or just to drop someone a line to let them know you’re thinking of them.

Original photographs, taken by Gere Reed, are printed 4” x 6” in a matte finish and each is set in a 5” x 6-7/8” white fancy embossed 80 lb. paper acid free frame.  All cards come with 80 lb. 5-1/4” x 7-1/4” envelopes.

These showcase cards provide the rich feel and expensive aura of high quality cards. They are a perfect presentation of Gere’s photography artwork.

Input welcome.......

I have made 390 cards (from scratch) in the past 5 years and sold all.

Link to some made previously

2nd Link to others

3rd link to others

4th link to others

5th link to others

Past History

I just finished reading a book that took me a long time to get through and absorb. It details the living conditions in New York City after immigrants arrived in the late 1800's. I was impressed. Sometimes when I read a book I go right through it because I'm a fast reader and don't usually have to swallow or remember what I read. Reading is a pleasure to me. Well this book isn't pleasurable to read. It is history with 100 accompanying photographs taken during the time.

The title of the book:

ISBN 0-486-22012-5

I picked up this book at the laundromat several months ago. When I ran out of my usual mysteries and novels, I remembered this one that I had put away. 

It's not going back to the laundromat. I'll find someone who would like to know how times really were in those days in those places in those years. 

Jacob A. Riis has a biography like no other I've come across and I suggest a quick reading of it at:

   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Riis

click on link above

Run Down - Stopped

Well it was a rainy day and there are no flowers in full bloom -  so I created more note cards.  Did I EVER say that before? 

Well, I did make more cards and now will be quitting that project for a long time. All 46 are sold.

Winding Down

Well it was a beautiful day but there are not many flowers in full bloom - yet, so I created more note cards. So far I’ve made 41 and sold 39. The two not sold are the ones I just made this afternoon. The Mister watched Sprint Cup races and I made cards. I have more creative juices running in the morning, though, and almost never feel like digging out all the supplies and starting in the afternoon. 

Time here is winding down and we’ll return for a month, and then come back! Yes, for two more months before the southern summer heat and humidity set in for the tourist season! It is not a peaceful nor a quiet place at all then. Vacating these premises is very necessary for a quieter time in the place we call “Tranquillity.”

So...here are the last six I made.

click on image to view larger

There is something for everyone and I would like to make some very whimsical ones...when I figure out what I mean I'll let you know.

Note Cards Continuation Part 3

Finished - for now. I have burned out my desire to make note cards. I still have 9 more to make and they are all of the beach umbrellas and beach scenery. They will wait. I wanted to get the flowers mounted. The tally stands at 35. OK. Now what? Well the weather is ‘supposed’ to turn nicer over the weekend and I need to get out. My mind is full of cobwebs that need to be blown away. 

Maybe the Mister will be able to grill outdoors and I’m sure looking forward to it. Friends who have been in Florida for a while are stopping in to camp here on their way back to Pennsylvania. Well they may have to stay a while. The weather channel shows more potential for significant snow midweek. WHAT? Will it never end? 

Spring! Spring! Where are you?

Please click on image to view larger.

BOO!

Well, just so you know, the videos I post are all of my own photos made into slide shows with music. (I usually upload them on YouTube.) There was one exception and that was a special one for a friend's anniversary using their pictures. Many will agree with my choice of music and some will not like it at all. Well - they are my videos and I put music I like with them!  Because I have just learned how to make these there will sometimes be mistakes in the slideshow, but I try to improve with each one. I have learned that using photos that are in a portrait format don't show up as well as those in landscape format. I don't like to use them but I didn't know how to make slide shows when I was leaning how to take pictures. Now I do. Sometimes I have used movies that I make with the digital camera. I haven't yet figured how to shut off the sound and do not like to have the wind noises or background noises on those. I can make them on iMovie application and kill the camera sounds and add my own. The still slide shows are created mostly on iPhoto application. 

I would now like to share yesterday and today's "creations" because it is the time to do so.

I used 2 photos from a friend - one if a moon behind clouds and the other of flying birds in front of clouds and merged them with one of my tree shots. The ugly eye overlooking my tree photo that was used in a previous post was enlarged from an old graphic I had saved a few years ago. I have a grand time making these "creations" and sharing the results. It's an enjoyable creative outlet for me.

BOO!

from me to you...SheTree!

Birds and Boletus

I spent the afternoon yesterday sitting on the overview ramp that leads to the beach. The sun was warm and it was a great sight when the pelicans and osprey were diving into the ocean for fish. These are their ways: pelicans dive beak first for their catch - osprey dive head first then switch at the last second to grab prey with their feet. Since I had my camera handy, I thought I would try to get their action. What a failure I had with those shots. I'm used to taking pictures of still and close up things and this was VERY different. I pushed to focus then pushed to take a photo and my subject matter was just plain too fast for me. I even had camera set to "sport" which could have stopped action if I could have them in the right place when I shot. Part of my problem was that they were so far away and I'm not a professional photographer with an adequate zoom lens nor knowledge of what tactic and settings to use. The photos below are my poor results but I WILL try again. I took 38 shots so was satisfied to have a few to share. Unfortunately I missed the osprey completely.

After two hours I headed for home and noticed shapely brown clumps on a neighbor's lawn. Curiosity prevailed and these are my best photo accomplishments of the day. Of course, after returning home I had to research and be able to name them. I'm still not sure of identification, as it is tricky, and I NEVER would eat these even though I love tasty fungi.

Boletus queletii otherwise known as the deceiving bolete, is an uncommon, edible mushroom in the genus Boletus. It can be found in deciduous forest, at lower altitudes, mostly under beech.

Boletus is a genus of mushroom, comprising over 100 species. The genus Boletus was originally broadly defined and described by Elias Magnus Fries in 1821, essentially containing all fungi with pores. 

 Boletus queletii

Boletus queletii

 Boletus queletii

 Boletus queletii

 Boletus queletii

Boletus queletii