Since I got the Canon 50mm f1.8 lens I’ve had a few opportunities to shoot with it. My initial experiments showed it worked better on the full frame 1Ds than on the crop sensor T100 so … Here are a few pictures taken with the big (and heavy) camera.
It’s an okay lens, but the 1Ds deserves better. Now that the hectic season has passed I may do some more astro photography with the Takumar lenses. Although I did notice that setting up for that has become more difficult with the eyesight trouble.
I brought the last load of firewood in on Friday. I’ve lost track of how many loads it’s been, but fewer than normal due to the extra capacity of the truck and the shed is fuller than ever before. Curiously I now have to start splitting right away as the weather is going cold; it’s been well below freezing every night but with daytime highs in the 20s, and those highs are expected to leave this week. Followed by maybe some rain and maybe some snow in time for a significant drop in temperatures. We’ve gotten away with quite an extended Summer this year, albeit not without price: 90% less rainfall than normal in the past three months with resulting environmental stresses including wildfires still burning.
In view of all that I went out Sunday to ‘close up’. This is a significant procedure as I have to remember to bring back anything that won’t survive months of freezing, and close down all the systems including draining water lines and putting antifreeze in plumbing traps. It takes a little over an hour to get there, another such time period to return (with a side trip to dispose of garbage), and to do all the stuff in between a couple more. Makes for an intense day to say the least.
I brought two cameras with me on this last trip; the venerable Nikon (which operates at about 90% failure rate these days) and the Canon 1Ds. I took no pictures (the image is from the prior trip). There just wasn’t anything to photograph. We’re at that dull time where Autumn has done its thing and Winter waits in the wing. The wildlife has scurried to dens or warmer climates and nothing much going on. I did see a party of hunters along the way, with nearly a dozen trucks and trailers and ATVs all getting ready for their big adventure. Too bad they set out too late in the day and too late in the season. Only four remained at the spot on my return trip. I could tell them a lot about what they’re doing wrong, but I’m not going to. Hunting has become a very foolish ‘sport’ which bears little resemblance to the actual practice. So if all the animals want to hide out at my place, that’s fine by me.
Now it’s time to gear up for the next adventure of sending the Mrs. off to England to look after her sister for what may be the last time. It is not a good situation, but we are determined that she will have as good of final years as is possible for what little time she has left.
Bonus (short) videos from the photographer who doesn’t do video:
I’ll be doing more regular photography as soon as I see something to take a picture of.
The days are quickly getting shorter. We’ve been having weird Summertime warmth after our two killing frosts, which helps with the wood harvesting. I’m almost done. (I’m always almost done, no matter what it is I’m doing.)
Now that is what happens to a chain when the tree decides to fall the wrong way and traps the saw. I have noticed that my diminished eyesight has made ‘reading’ trees rather difficult, which increases the fun of felling. And the danger. It’s bad enough that I’m having to go ‘into the forest’ to get trees, which requires cutting a path through to get at the trees and get them out. Then clearing the path again as each and every log (section of tree) decides to hang up on something, despite the last length having been dragged through. I’m struggling more with getting the bits out than with the actual slicing and loading.
And I have plenty of other problems as it is.
The truck is performing the same as before. The engine works well, the seats are nice, I can haul more wood per trip – and it’s a right pain otherwise. The trailer is holding up too. I’ve got about two more loads to go. I hope. I’m rushing back out Thursday to try and get one more (I’ve got some logs on the ground there already) before the holiday Monday, when it’s supposed to rain. Or snow. Yes, snow. We have been threatened with the first fall of flakes. It won’t amount to anything or stay, but … signs of things to come.
Soon it will be time to shut down the whole place. I haven’t done much photography of late because there’s not much to take pictures of. The wildlife has wandered away save a few birds and squirrels and three (now dead) packrats. This is the last interesting animal I’ve seen:
This may change, but until then here’s another picture of the moon:
And as the sun sets rapidly in the West …
Looked out the window early one morning and saw this odd-looking “stick” down by the lake:
It didn’t move for some time, so I snuck out the door and quietly made my way towards the shore. There I found this family of geese:
I’m sure they’re the same ones who had visited before, and may even be nesting on the lake. What kind of geese are they?
Canadian geese, of course!
(You can just see the tell-tale marking on the face.)
Or: four more photo failures.
It’s been a strange week, and really a bit more than a week since my last post. So here’s what’s been going on.
First up, I had an expedited doctor visit owing to the last pain episode. He wasn’t happy with the symptoms or his exam results, so this was followed by some expedited testing and expedited scheduling of more testing. None of it has found anything yet, but the procedures are wreaking havoc with scheduling any other activities. But I have got few things done during a couple brief cabin stays.
Yeah I feel like that socket looks. Those little grey-green strands are supposed to be shiny copper, and inside some insulation.
I got the sink installed and working, and refinished the door. The bathroom is now done (as far as I’m concerned; I’ll probably hear otherwise). In fact, there are exactly three more “mechanical” things to do on the whole cabin. Three! After that everything is cosmetic. Of course there’s a lot of that cosmetic stuff.
Our Jane came up with her crew. In a fine case of “hello and goodbye” they arrived the day I had to go back to town to deal with two days of medical stuff and they go home a day before I can return with grandma. Not exactly how we’d like to do it. Of course currently the main highway back to the south is closed because of a landslide so … there may be some delay.
Spotted this on the route to Williams Lake when I went for the first testing. Picture taken with the Canon G11, which is a nice take-along camera. It’s not as small as my little Fuji, but the optical finder gives it an edge for practicality.
The air conditioner quit working in this heat we’ve been having. Buy a new one? Ah ha ha ha! Maybe by November. Despite knowing how they work, I can’t fix it even if parts were available because I lack the specialized tools for refrigeration servicing. Anyway it’s only about 20 years old. Want to bet how long a new one would last? Right.
With no definite schedule for the next test (one which requires a trip to the big city, overnight stay, and leaving the animals in someone’s care) we ponder whether to haul everyone out to the cabin or not. It’d be just my luck that we’d get out there and have to turn around and come back. On the other hand if we hang about here the test won’t be scheduled until December. You can bet on that.
I will make preparations anyway.
The computer at least is working well, although I’m not happy with the changes that have been made to GIMP: the new “features” don’t add any functionality and the interface change is unwelcome as it is more difficult to see and to use. I also admit to being leery of updates as it seems they tend to bring change but not necessarily improvement.
Many things change. As Jean-Baptiste Karr said: “Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose”. We just don’t know what the actual results will be. C’est la vie.
The work continues here. Sometimes it even yields results:
Of course despite the re-purposed cabinetry and improvised shelving there’s still more stuff than space. More things need to be tossed, and since it’s all been badly stored it’s not heart-breaking to do so. No want wants to keep mouldy, rotting, and broken items. Consider also that it was used before it came here to be used again.
All has not been good, of course, as yesterday Connor had a Close Encounter of the Bear Kind while trail riding. For some reason the beast ignored Jesse who had just gone past and chose to make enquiries of his cousin instead. Probably because Maverick the dog was with the latter. It was the big bear that wouldn’t back down from the neighbour and seems to think he owns the place. Oh yeah, bear? You can pay the damn property taxes then! See how you like that. Actually sending him in to the CRD office you hand over some nuts and berries for fair change might be interesting. I know I would be amused.
I was not amused by how ill I felt after doing just a little work in yesterday’s heat. It would be nice if there was some sort of obvious cause and effect relationship that would lead to a definitive diagnosis of the underlying source of trouble, but no. I just find myself feeling really unwell at times. Not quite go-to-the-ER this time, but close. Happened on a Monday too, same as last time. Hmm. Maybe I’m allergic to Mondays. I bet that’s it. A pretty common ailment.
This morning we had some visitors early on:
Better than bears! The fawns played around the yard for a while, investigating things with cat-like curiosity while Mama kept a watchful eye on them – and me:
I’d like to say there’s not much left to do here, but that would be a lie. Oh right; this is the Internet so … there’s not much left to do here. Actually not much left for the lads to do so they’ll probably head back to the land of air conditioning just as the temperatures here are going to get interesting. (There is currently a significant fire burning near Lytton, the town that was wiped out by fire last year. If you think you’ve got problems …)
Not sure what, if anything, we’ll tackle today. Not good to work hard every day. Not for me anyway.
Here for your enjoyment the last few pictures taken with the Nikon at the lake this year.
Next week I have a medical procedure to undergo, and I don’t know what will be happening other than that.
Today we go home. The weather is absolutely miserable, as is typical for this time of year. These shots were taken with the Kodak P850 before things turned bad. I suppose you could say they were from my re-learning experiment, using that camera. I discovered it is one that is very hard for me to use now. *sigh* C’est la vie photographique.
The wood is stocked, but I will have to come back to “close up” once the wife and menagerie are moved back home. Then … so many more things to do before returning next May.
What re-learning curve?!
Despite a lack of co-operation from the weather and increasing pressure to do things other than photography I managed to fire off a few shots with the G11. To my delight it is still easy to use even with my failing eyesight. For one thing it has an optical viewfinder which remains bright (unlike the Nikon P610’s dimming EVF) even if partially obstructed by the lens barrel at wide focal lengths. Oh yes, the camera has limitations in that department, but few in any other! The CCD sensor renders great tonal range, the ISO goes down to 80, the lens is sharp enough for general purposes, and the exposure is correct (although I prefer -1/3 EV setting).
As the saying goes, the proof is in the photos!
I am so keeping this camera! Best $12 I ever spent! I could probably get pictures out of it without eyesight.
Speaking of which, I see the doctor again on Thursday. I look forward to mentioning the continued pain, blurriness, spots, and weariness. I don’t look forward to hearing what he has to say because I have a pretty good idea what that will be.
Wandering Words 