• Avian,  Fujifilm X-T3,  Fujifilm XF70-300mm f4.0-5.6,  haiku,  meadowlark,  Photography,  writing/reading

    From the Heart

    May 20, 2021

    shared from the heart
    the joy of being alive
    meadowlarks song

    ms

    Sorry but you may be seeing more bird images as I play with this new lens. Already shot about 400 images with it. I thought I had a bad lens at first because I felt the motor was too loud and would continuously run. I have never experience this before with any lens using image stabilization. I talked to Pat at the store I purchased it from and and he was not aware of any such issues. And, of course I bought the only one he’s seen in the store. He pulled out the 80mm macro lens because it has quad linear motor for focusing, where there is a clunking noise when the lens is not powered up. Once the motor is powered up the noise goes away but the motor runs continuously. This is part of their floating focusing system in that lens and is being used more on mirrorless cameras. I have the same clunk with this lens when off the camera but it is very minimal compared to the 80mm macro. All information I have found says the 70-300mm lens has a linear autofocus motor, saying nothing about a floating focus system. What’s the difference? I’m still checking on this. Other than that, this lens seems to be a good addition to my camera bag but left a hole in my wallet.

    Image information: 300mm f8.0 1/450 second and ISO 160; handheld with 70 year old hands and shooting from my car. 😁 No sharpening or clarity on this image.

    Read More
  • Avian,  haiku,  writing/reading

    Stirring Up Mud

    May 17, 2021

    stirring up mud
    seeking aquatic insects
    evening dinner

    ms

    I see a lot of killdeer out here but I can’t remember ever seeing an American Avocet until last week. As I drove by a pond along Weld County Road 13 I noticed a very large killdeer so I stopped to check it out. That’s when I realized it was not a killdeer. This is a lovely bird with a lovely call. They use their long bills to stir up the mud, disturbing the aquatic insects and having a feast.

    Read More
  • Avian,  Fujifilm XF70-300mm f4.0-5.6,  Photography

    Majestic Beauty

    May 16, 2021

    standing tall
    ever present to the moment
    majestic beauty

    ms

    I was startled by this heron as I came around a curve. They were standing in water along side of the road and immediately lifted off landing on the other side of the water and posed for me. So, I shot this from my car, hand held, motor running. Only made tone and contrast adjustments, no sharpening or clarity. Pretty much right out of the camera. Shot at 300mm f8.0 1/450 second and ISO 200.

    Read More
  • landscape,  storm clouds

    Made it home

    May 11, 2021

    My sister and I returned last night about 11:00 pm. The drive home took us about 15 and half hours due to lots and lots of road construction and some nasty weather. We encountered rain/snow mix just south of Colorado Springs until we reached home. It actually got pretty intense for awhile. A major stretch between Colorado Springs and Denver was driven in the dark with rain/snow and slush. Probably had an inch of snow when we arrived. The image above is what we were driving into and was taken just south of Colorado Springs on I-25.

    My sister, Sheree, and I feel we got done what we needed in helping my parents make this move. Her and I came home with some stuff, some of it is pure treasure. Good things happened yesterday as we made our way home. My parents home went on the market yesterday afternoon. They also found out yesterday their move in date will most likely be on May 19th. My sister, Marcee and her husband John, will be involved in making that final move happen. They will be living about 2 miles from my parents. So it is all working out nicely.

    Read More
  • Cactus,  landscape,  Plants,  sunsets

    Update on my trip

    May 8, 2021
    Sunset from my parents front porch

    Here’s an update on how things are going for my parents move. We have done a lot to clear out the house, getting it ready to sell and made a few minor repairs on the house. As you would expect after living here for the past 22 years there has been an accumulation of stuff, so we’ve made four sorted piles; one for trash, one for donation, one for us kids and one to take with them. I’ve had a wonderful time going through old photographs, albums, down memory lane.

    I am impressed with the assisted living facility my parents will be moving into. The facility is only a couple of years old and the staff were wonderful. In fact I would like to live there myself. They provide three meals a day and snacks all the time. Art room, library, music room, Yoga room, big dining room.

    Thursday and Friday were hot, 97 degrees, but much more comfortable today at 91 degrees. My sister and I flew down on Sunday and will rent a car to drive back to Colorado on Monday morning with the stuff we wanted to keep. Happy Mother’s Day!

    Read More
  • clouds,  haiku,  landscape,  storm clouds,  writing/reading

    Wind Shaped Clouds

    May 2, 2021

    captivating storm
    waves of ominous clouds
    solitary tree

    ms

    Took this late yesterday afternoon on Larimer County Road 3. What initially drew me to this scene was the clouds and then I saw the the solitary tree. The combination got me excited. These clouds were all around me but no rain. They are however, predicting rain later today and over the next 3-4 days. Had a short night of sleep and will probably nap on the plane. I’m almost packed and ready to leave. Have a great day!

    Read More