1/27/07 Test Shots

Thursday Don found a used Tamron 28-300mm, f/3.5-6.3 lense for my Nikon D70S. A lot is made by professionals of the quality of a lense being a primary factor in the clarity of the image...and in fact, an instructor at Brooks Institute of Photographic Arts and Sciences in Santa Barbara, who has long since retired from teaching (but doubtless---being rather opinionated, holds the same opinion he held in 1986), emphatically impressed upon his students that zoom lenses were inferior to fixed length lenses. I couldn't then, (and I'm not sure I can even now), actually detect a discernable difference between one lense and another simply by viewing a set of images taken from each, but back then Leica's and Hasselblads were all the rage with students and locals for their excellent optics (and the latter for it's larger format film as well). No one ever complained about Nikon and many professionals preferred them, so I always felt comfortably equiped with my Nikon (can't remember the model of SLR I had back then but it's claim to fame was a fast 1/400 sec. shutter spead--FE2? Yeah, I think that was it) and I'm still satisfied with Nikon--so why risk a different brand lense? Well, because it's compatible with Nikon's auto-focus cameras, it actually seems to be of comparable price (not always a reliable gage of quality I realize), we wanted a wide angle lense, and there's a 30 day return policy.

So this morning I took a couple of test shots in the back yard; Mr. Bunny and Merlyn, and a few hours later found Don and I at the Orange County Zoo at 1 Irvine Park Rd. (North end of Jamboree).
The zoo has been there forever I guess, and yet the only local zoo I've been to, or even known of, is the Santa Ana..and even that one has not seen my face in more than a decade.
Many of the signs claimed there were critters within the cells that were no where to be seen, but we probably hit it just after feeding time. They were doubtless sleeping off lunch in some rock crevice or hollowed trunk. If you wish you could see the cute critters up close and personal, the zoo opens at 10:00 am. Parking is $5.00 (on weekdays it's $3.00) and entrance to the zoo is $2.00 a person, unless you are 2 years of age or younger, in which case it's free (but you may never know because you can't read this). See http://www.ocparks.com/oczoo/ for further details.

"I asked the groomer for the Goldie Hawn look. Did she get it right?"




The 102nd use for Duct Tape?






"What's that up in the sky?"




"I'm auditioning for a remake of "The Excercist.""

1-20-07 Big Bear Lake

Well, it's been since before we got Merlyn that Don had checked on our house in Running Springs. We were getting a little anxious with all the rain, snow, and wind about the condition of our house. Had Don's roof repair held up? Was the Oak tree still standing?
So we decided to drive up in the Camry Saturday and check on it (that's the only one of our cars that handles snow well and that has a paint job that wouldn't be any the worse for a little snow pelting).
There was still snow on the ground from the last storm so Don shoveled clear a little path to our front door for me.
All is well. (See "Home Home on the Range" for a few photos) The roof is still intact. The oak tree is standing. The heater and the hot water heater work, and the porch is still standing. (....and no elves finished our paint job for us--some day we'll get past the front door and railings!)
"Cool! So, let's go for a drive!" --like the 2 hour drive there wasn't enough, hah? I know, but the mountain is so pretty with snow on it--we just HAD to explore.
It was all pretty but the past part was Big Bear Lake.

San Juan Capistrano December 2006

Hi! Bet you thought I was gone for good, hah? In your dreams. As the line goes from Poltergeist, “I’m ba-ack.” I’m claiming “poetic license” on the pronoun.

So how’ve you been? How was December?

We had a fairly good December. It started with us going to a party at the El Adobe in San Juan Capistrano (home of the Swallows, where their return is heralded every March 20^th with a parade) hosted by a pair of very dear old friends. It was a bitter-sweet experience. Larry, the person the party was in honor of, has a rare Cancer and it is feared he may be leaving us soon, so his wife, Margaret, threw him this fabulous surprise party.

We arrived early, so took the opportunity to stroll around the neighborhood. It’d been ages since Don and I had visited the town. We hadn’t been there since our wedding reception (also held at the El Adobe) . . . .in 1990!

So these are a few images of the neighborhood and the party.