Critters

One of the advantages of living several miles from the nearest paved road is that we are graced with visits from some of the more interesting members of the animal kingdom; Here's a few examples

These guys started out timid, shy and very jumpy; While they're still timid and jumpy, we've got some returning for several years. it's so good to see them :)




We also get quite a few birds (and heavy winds as you can tell from the feeder)


While this isn't a functional farm, it still has a barn, so we have barn cats.



 Including Stinky...




All in all, they're great to have around, even though feeding them all is starting to get a little pricy.

:P

P.

Look at what I found!!

So this is the first time in years I've been able to remember the username/password combination to access this blog. I've got a wee bit of catching up to do :P

While I've slowed down somewhat in the past few years so I won't be able to do daily shots, I still manage to take the odd one here and there. As an initial offering, I offer you the sunrise/sunset of our new abode...

:)
P.

'GAAaaaah!

Me

<cat>

Hey Buddy, ready for a shot?

<Sure! lemme get on to the shelf by the window>

(select "blurred background" for added difficulty, because I'm stupid...)

Alllriiiight, and <SQUIRREL! >

K, lemme try that aga<BIRD!! >

(sigh) K, buddy, I need you to sit sti<Wanna smell my butt? >

Would you hol<BIRD.... No, just a thing>

<hey, what's that over th>CLICK

Gotcha!!

<Hey! No fair, I was distracted! >

(puts away  camera)

<Can I get a do over? >

(start post Processing of image)

<Do over?? >

<Hey! Where are you going? >

Sent from Outlook Mobile, on my android G6. :D

Settling in

So things are starting to settle down on this end. I again have access to
pain killers (that week without, including the withdrawal complications,
was *very* enjoyable) and the family is once again together.

We were able to return the borrowed car and are now firmly ensconced at our
new home. There's still so much to do though, that relaxing isn't really an
option for the next few months. I've got to find new doctors, get updated
prescriptions, we have to ready the house for our furniture (it's still
fully furnished with old stuff) and we have to pay the movers and catch up
on our bills which we let slide a bit to ensure we'd have cash on hand for
the transition and road trip.

While I have access to my primary painkillers, I've got a set of secondary
ones that I can't get just yet. Turns out my insurance is all messed up.
I'm on an enhanced coverage plan, which should cover 90% of drug costs; the
insurance company has me listed at 70%... Needless to say, I'm currently
speaking with my employer about correcting the discrepancy, because some of
my meds are seriously expensive.

That means that I spend a lot of days hunched over, sweating excessively
from pain, and that my mobility and stamina are seriously hamstrung.

Hopefully this will all settle down in a month or so and I can get back to
my usual levels of suffering...
:P

P.

The monster

My Aloe Vera has been growing to such substantial heights and spikey, toothy thickness, we've named it the Salrac.

Yesterday I moved around my jungle for pruning and watering.  Unfortunately, this monster kept tipping, because the pot it was in had a narrower base and all that weight was off center.

So my daughter and I dug out a more stable pot and transplanted it.  Definitely a two person job.

During which I discovered a large, bleeding scratch on my arm from the several times I had caught it as it tipped.

Not only is it a monster of a plant, but it's bloodthirsty!

Mobile message.

Numb

She is so cute and comfortable curled up  like that, but I'm trapped and my butt is starting to go numb.

Mobile message.

My spot...

Both cats love it when we recline on the new couch. 

Mobile message.

Roots

I bought some "bamboo" for my daughter, some time ago.  It turned out not to actually be bamboo, but she loved it anyhow.

The original container it came in got broken by a cat, and now it sits in water, it's fascinating roots visible.

Mobile message.

Snuggle

We finally replaced our old, torn up, falling apart couch.  Bought a second hand love seat with recliners from a friend.

I think Freya likes it.

Mobile message.

Off Season

Early April, and my Christmas Cactus is blooming again.

Sarlac

Since moving to our current home, we were finally living someplace long enough to get indoor plants again.

It took a few more years to get a healing aloe to replace the ones we left behind in Manitoba.  Just a little one, found at Walmart.

It's not so little anymore.  In fact, we now affectionately call it The Sarlac.

I know aloes can get pretty big in their natural habitat, but not so much in a pot.  At least not that I've seen.  I'm used to them getting bigger by shooting up lots of babies and crowding the pot.  This one has only had 3, which I have since transplanted.  Instead, it's just getting thicker and fleshier.

And toothier.

Food mode

(edit: I originally wrote this post by email from my phone, however only 1 of the 2 photos I attached made it to the post.  Probably because I wrote it from a parking lot, then started driving while it was uploading and lost wifi connection!  I love technology, but it does have its limits. LOL)

Recently, my Galaxy S4 gave up the ghost.  Among various minor glitches, the first major thing to go was the default camera software. It stopped saving pictures, with either corrupted files or nothing saved at all.

I started using a purchased software and, while still shots worked fine, it corrupted, then lost, some video I took.

When it came time to choose my next phone, I was in a bit of a quandry; do I do what I usually do and get an older phone for cheap?  Or do I get the best new phone for my needs.  You see, I hardly ever use my phone as a phone.  For communication, I am more likely to text. I drive a lot, so even that is limited.

After examining my usage, it was two things that were the deciding factors.  One of those was camera quality.  It was camera quality that lead me to go with the Galaxy S6.  It got really good ratings, and I have been very happy with it.

It has not been until a few days ago that I finally got around to actually looking at the settings and options.  It turns out that there are modes that came with my old phone that are now available as free downloads.  Looking through the various modes available, I found several others I wanted to try, including a "food" mode.

Here are two photos to compare.

One is of a cheap grocery store stir fry meal, just out of the microwave and still in its plastic bowl.  That one was taken in food mode.

The other is of a Soda Jerks build your own burger.  It was taken with default auto mode.

Both were taken in fairly low light.  The burger picture has been cropped, but no other post processing has been done. These are raw photos.

What do you think?  Can you see a difference?

A.

Can you see it?

Anna, here.  I've been able to get back at my crafting and craft blogging again lately, which has been healthy for my psyche.  A couple of days ago, I set things up to do a shoot of a crown I'd made, that included putting down a piece of red velvet I have.  

I figured it was appropriate for a crown, don't you think?

The crown is on a glass lazy susan, which allowed me to take photos at different angles without actually having to handle the crown.  It worked out rather well.  After I took the photos and removed it, however, I noticed that the little "legs" under the base had left marks in the velvet.  It didn't take long for that to happen at all.  

I moved the lazy susan, but I didn't bother to move the velvet away, thinking I might use it again soon.  Which is why it was still there, yesterday, when I happened to glance at it and noticed something odd.

Can you see it?

I know, taking photos of red is always a challenge for cameras, but it's still there.

Not the dust and cat hair, though that should give you a hint.

Can you see it on here?  It's the same photo as above, but I used post processing to try and bring it out a bit more.

You can see parts of it a lot more clearly at an angle.

Yes, those are kitty paw prints.

And kitty leg prints.

And a kitty butt print.

One of our cats got on my table and sat there long enough to leave a butt print in the velvet.

Along with the hair.

Now I have to figure out how to clean the fuzz off, as well as how to remove cat indentations.

Note for future reference.  Do not leave things out on the table that I don't want the cats to "decorate."

Raawwwrrrr

...Lord, I need to get out. Just out.

Sent from my fantabulous BlackBerry Passport. 

qui prius respondit quam audiat stultum se esse demonstrat et confusione dignum 

Camera Test

For the past few months, my Galaxy S4 was glitching out on me.  The first major failure was when the default camera software started saving only corrupted files.  Only a section of image would save and the rest would be grey at first.  Eventually, none worked.

I switched to a purchased software and that worked for a while.  It was the video that went on that, first.  Lost what should have been some amazing footage.

Then there where things like overheating.  Audio going weird, both in music and in the middle of calls.  Etc.

Of course, my contract wasn't up yet.

Eventually I had no choice. I had to upgrade.

Photo quality was one of the deciding factors, since I really don't use my phone *as* a phone all that often.

I almost went with the Galaxy S6 Edge, which has had good reviews, but instead went with just the S6.

This is the second photo I have taken with it.  I am in low light, plus the phone itself was about an inch away from the top of the bowl.  I would have had trouble with this with a regular camera, and my previous phone would have had a lot of noise due to the low light.

This is straight auto and default settings.

I think it turned out pretty darn good!

I don't think I'll be using our regular cameras much at all, anymore!

What has your experience been with phone cameras?

A.

Post processing

In the old days you needed a comp‎uter,some fairly advanced software and some serious skills to do proper post processing on pictures. These days, not so much. Here are the before and after of the same shot. One is original while the other has gone through exactly two filters from one program. 

The times, they are a changin'.  

P.

Sent from my fantabulous BlackBerry Passport. 

qui prius respondit quam audiat stultum se esse demonstrat et confusione dignum 

Sun Dogs

I done know how well you can see them, but this is my attempt to capture today's pair of rainbow sun dogs.

The perfect gift

Anna hosts a Tea and Chat every Sunday for the members of our cooperative. She does this to promote socialization among members and to encourage new members to come out and introduce themselves. 

 Today one of her best friends gave her a set of earrings, one is a teacup and the other is a creamer. 

She's still giddy about them. 

:)

Sent by my fantabulous BlackBerry Passport 

qui prius respondit quam audiat stultum se esse demonstrat et confusione dignum

The river valley

While hot-footing (let's be real, here, 1.5, 2k/h) I couldn't pass up the opportunity to capture the river valley yet again. It's just so pretty ! 

And I know I could have used HDR to enhanced‎ details but I truly like the polarizing effects a sun shot generates. 

P.

Sent by my fantabulous BlackBerry Passport 

qui prius respondit quam audiat stultum se esse demonstrat et confusione dignum

Macro Monday

Ah,the wonderful thing it is to have access to an old coin and a macro lens.

‎:D 

#macromonday

Sent by my fantabulous BlackBerry Passport 

qui prius respondit quam audiat stultum se esse demonstrat et confusione dignum