11-11-15

Exposure

A little while back, my other partner in photography crime, 

Tammy Edwards came to visit me in the mountains and we had

 a photo day.  We started by walking the trail around the lake,

 to a large rock outcropping.   Our goal was to work on exposure, 

getting the lightness or the darkness of our subject correct,

while shooting in manual.

We even took a drive to the dam.  It's top is lined with large boulder's

that were created from the building of Little Grass Reservoir and Dam.

The sun was high, so it was good practice shooting in the full sun.

In another smaller rock formation we found this little plant.

Tomorrow, Tammy has invited me to go with her, on a photo day.

Now sure, where we are going, but I know it will be fun.

;D

I Am Not Lost.....

I'm here and how are all of you?

It's finely cooled off and is acting like Fall,

even got a little rain yesterday and a promise of more.

Oranges are getting color and the Biscuit is growing.

Starting to have a little more time, so thought I had better

get back to blogging and photography.

Talk to you soon.

;D

August 2015 Summers End

 How has your summer been going?

All is well here on the farm, summer has been hot and dry!

Weekdays are spent keeping the orange orchard irrigated, spot 

watering things around the yard and keeping one eye out for fires. 

Running for JS for the construction company,

 fills a good part of my time.  We're busy so that good.

Thursday is Biscuit day and she's growing like a weed.

Fridays I get us packed up and ready,

 to head to the mountains for the weekend.

We're still working on the "Lodge"

I took my Mom up to Modoc county in the far

Northeast corner of the state to see her brother.

That' always a fun trip.  Lots of cows and hay.

I love it there.

Fireworks over Lake Oroville

Sons Shane and Zachary, cooking for Kinder's on the 4th of July.

I took one photo and said "Can I get a smile?"

Shane grunted and this is what I got.

Santa Cruz on the Board Walk.

We've done some fun things too.

BBQ's, Big 4th of July celebration in our town this year.

Went to Santa Cruz with a good friend.

Sister Cindy and I were invited to have a booth, 

with our photography at the opening of a new winery.

County Fair (got to have our yearly corn dog)

and tomorrow Daughter Dawn and I are going to

 a baby show, for a close college friend of hers.

Haven"t had the camera out much,

but I'll be getting back to that soon also.

I'm glad summer is coming to an end,

 I don't ever remember out little farm looking so sad 

and brown.   Looking forward to green.

;D

Perseid Meteor Shower

What a Beautiful Night!

Had a little fun and tried my hand at shooing the 

Perseid Meteor Shower.

Took my camera equipment and set it up in the middle of the pasture,

 a glass of wine and my pistol.   Hey! there's things out there

and it didn't help that Ranch Dog kelp growling.

JS, even came and hung out with me and 

managed to capture a meteor 

A Few Chores

Yesterday while doing chores around the farm, 

I pack the camera along.  Trying to do more shooting in manual.

Look at this photo above of the young oranges.

See how the leaves are folded in half?

This is a sign that the trees are stressed for water,

 so I need to up the amount of water in this week irrigation cycle

and for the rest of the summer.

Even though we sold the cows, I still keep the water tanks full.

We have a lot of wildlife, that call our farm home. 

 Deer, turkeys, doves, lot of birds and critters.

Ranch Dog is my water quality foreman.

As you can see, it's pretty dry around here.

This is a different angles of the tanks, 

you can see the orange orchard in the background.

Olives...  These are the old Mission olives.

Not much of a market for them in general and they wont be worth

 much this year since we are not irrigating them.

Olive trees can go for many years without being watered.

Laundries is an everyday chore.

When the weather is warm I try to not run the dryer so much. 

I don't have a close line, but the handrail on the front porch work good.

It's a good place to air blankets and pillows also.

Didn't do to bad shooting in manual,

little dark, but I'll work on it.

;D

Love Fireworks !!!

The fireworks Saturday night were beautiful!

This was my first attempt at photoing them,

learned a lot and looking forward to next year.

Hope you had a fun and safe 4th.

"Happy Independents Day"

"Thank You God"

For letting me be born an American.

Wild Mountain Foxgloves

Above five thousand feet, it's still spring in California.

The state may be in drought, but Mother Nature 

has saved us a place, lush and green.

Can You See It?

Come with me, I want to show you one of my favorite places.

It's not far, but when your here it's like the rest of the world has disappeared.

See the big meadow? 

 I always stop right here to see if I might spot something moving.

Never do, I'm always here to late in the day, the sun is high and 

shadows hard and by now what might have been here is gone.

 And here in this spot that I stop to look is where I almost catch

my dang toe in the wire.....every time.    Can you see it?

Remnants of a fences from 100 years ago.  When before the lake was put in, 
cattle grassed in a bigger meadow and teams cutting hay.
Always think I should cut is out to be safe.  Then I think about the 
hard work it took putting it in.   The order that took days if not week to 
get to Marysville,  where it was most likely shipped from. 
 The freight team that brought it up the mountain, that was at least 3 days,
with one night spent in Strawberry Valley. Trip to LaPorte to pick it up
 and the entire summer, digging post holes, stacking rocks and stringing wire.

Can you see it?  The finished fence and the fat cows... 
and the man standing here, looking at this meadow, 
and what he has accomplished.

Can you see it?

Big Day!!!!

"Big Personal Day for Me"

My friend Lori Pierce is the owner of

 MugShots Coffeehoues.

Back in April, Daughter Dawn and I were in one of Lori's 

other shops and I was asking her about the photography

she was selling there.  She asked if I had art to sell and

would I like to have the month of June to display it,

in the coffeeshop...   with no hesitation Dawn said yes.

Every month a different local artist is invited to 

showcase their paintings or photography.

Those of you who know me, know I love my coffee!

so it's pretty fitting that my "First Show" 

would be in a coffeehouse.

There are 16 prints on metal and will 

 be displayed for all of June.

I am so existed and nerves, it's a bit our of my

 comfort zone and yes, they are for sale.

Stop By,  I can grantee you'll like the coffee and great food.

Art!? that's in the eye of the beholder.

Before I committed, I ask all three of the kids

if it wold embarrass them?  They said, "Heck No!,

 "They've seen a lot worse art in coffee shops"

I think that was their seal of approval.

;D

Don't Bother Me On Thursdays

My day is full if its Thursday.

This little thing is on the move, every minute.

She loves Nanny and Papa's farm.

 Ranch Dog and Ranger rides.

Cows and Picking Berries in the Garden.

Checking the Mail and Driving Tractors.

(with no keys in them)

Swinging under the Grape Arbor

 and Cheese.

Saying Good Morning to the Neighbor's Horses

and Chalk Drawings.

Running and Hugs..... and Kisses.

Napping on Nanny's Bed with the Big Pillows

and playing with the Water Hose.

It's a full day,

don't bother me on Thursday.


;D

Water Decisions...

 Didn't realize it had been so long, since my last post.

Had to make some hard decisions about irrigating this year.

Completely replaced all the water lines in the commercial orchard

and new risers and heads.  Also put in a new system so we can 

fertilize with liquid fertilizer through the water lines.

We have always used an above ground, dry fertilizer and had to have

 a good rain to soak it into the ground to the roots.  Timing was

 everything and with the lack of rain it's been harder to gage.

Went ahead and replaced all the shut off valves to the 

olive orchard and the pasture and fitted timers on everything.

Shane and a worker did a lot of it and we hired a man to set-up 

all the timers.   We decided that we will not irrigate the olives at all.

Olive trees can live for years without water and once the grass is all

 fed down we will haul all the cow to the sale.  That way we wont have

 any water tanks leaking and it will save quite a bit.

I'm not ready to make drastic water cuts on my yard as yet,

to much invested, but I am cutting way back on my kitchen garden.

That makes me sad.

Wordless Wednesday

Spring on the Farm

Except for the lack of rain,

It's pretty much been spring since January.

It's always busy on the farm in spring.

The orange orchard is ready for summer,

mowed, round-upped and fertilized.

This year we are putting in all new water lines

(drip lines).  All the pipe the fittings were delivered today,

so that will be next weeks job.  We've changed all of 

the irrigation stations, over to clocks.

Trying to be more conservative with our water.

All kinds of flowers are in bloom and the yard has already

had it's big cleaning for the year, do to Biscuits birthday 

party last weekend.

The new shop is getting closer to being done.

the building is finished, now the electricians are adding lights 

and the roll-up doors will be going in soon.

Can't Wait !!!!

Plan on doing a big clean around here as soon as it's done.

Working on the kitchen garden, hoping to get it all planted in the

 next two weeks.  I don't plant as soon as some of my friends.

April seems to hold out one more freeze or hail storm.

Thinking no more rain then we've gotten,

I'm safe.

;D

Two

The Biscuit, has turned two. 

 Her Mama and Daddy, had her party here on Saturday.

Small, mostly family and a few friend and perfect.

BBQ, Cup Cakes, Lots of Gifts.

Baby calf kelp all the kids entertained,

best decoration at the party.

The Biscuit was in high gear for the entire party,

till she crashed in the arms of her Mother.

Even Cinderella's Ball had to come to an end.

;D

Spring ?

I have the windows open !

It is just so beautiful out, which is so sad, in so many ways

and I keep finding myself outside.

I was counting on it being rainy and wintery, 

to force me inside to finish things up, 

before I take off the first of March.

Mother Nature is not playing nice.

;D

"Ordered My Very First Photo Prints Today"

This would be a Champlain day,
 if it didn't give me such a headache. 
A little nerve racking too.

I've signed up for a Portfolio Review,

 in March at Shooting The West 

in Winnemucca and entering photos in a contest, 

that need to be framed.

These photos are the test dummies,  

I'll be able to tell by these,

what adjustments I need to make and

 how the color turns out.

I'm existed also and have about ten more photos, 

that I'm going to have printed, after I get these back.

Then I'll make up the portfolio and decide which one to frame.

Now I can't wait for them to get here!!!!!

American Sniper

JS and I went to see the American Sniper last night.

To simple way it was a good move is not enough.

The world has always been at war, sad to say will always be.

The Greatest Generation never spoke of it, 

Vietnam vets were shun,

Desert Storm, make it look quick, easy and clean,

but it was still all "over there".

Our Iraq and Afghanistan vest we're not quite sure what to do with.

We support them, love them and are proud of them.

Unlike the others, they brought it home and put it in our hand.

The truth is, we're happy being blind.

It's not that we don't know what war is, it's just that

we want them to come back the same as we sent them.

No scares, no troubles and don't bring it home.

Chris Kyle is the necessary evil of war.

With out him less would come home.

Yes! I believe Chris Kyle and those like him are

"American Heroes"

1/1/2015

"Hello and Welcome!"

Happy New Year!

Little cold on the farm this morning.

Not enough to bother the oranges, but it did ice up the cow's water.

Had a great night ringing in the new year with friends, over dinner.

We were home by 10:30 and couldn't even stay awake to 

see the ball drop on the replay.

JS was sound asleep and I woke just after to turn the TV off.  

The full crew was working today, so it was for the best.

Hope your had a fun night and your head didn't hurt this morning.

;D