Close Meditations of a Visual Kind

Paying attention? Looking for the weekly State of teh Artist post? Not seen one for a couple weeks? One of those weeks is on me, I stipulate I didn't make the time. One, however, is on a list of weeks some folks would ask for a do-over. I don't ask for such. I won't ask. I don't want to do the past week over. Nothing happened we can't cope with, live through, deal with. Not a lot happened we enjoyed.

Some good things did happen. Monday a week past I ran an errand into town to hang some of our artwork at The Doris Bardon Community Cultural Center commonly called The Doris. The Gainesville Fine Arts Association is pretty strongly affiliated with The Doris (go read info on the site to learn why) and consequently GFAA members are given space on a monthly basis to hang their work for display and sale. July we are the Featured Artists. It is a big deal, and it's not that big a deal, because becoming a Featured Artist involves telling the GFAA member responsible for the wall that one is interested. Then you get a month.

However, Monday after that started the roller coaster. While driving over to Tioga Farmers Market, Forrest Nissan Pickup lost power, a rapid but not sudden event, and we shifted gears from our usual routine for me to go help transfer goods to Sydney Subaru Outback, send Herself on her way, and wait for AAA Auto Club to get the tow out to us. Dropped Forrest off with our local mechanic, waited for Market to finish and Herself to pick me up.

Keeping things brief, Forrest is back in service after replacing fuel and water pumps, new struts (shocks) in the rear plus a complete tune-up and all fluids/filters change. He feels much better now, at 250K Plus Change miles.

Keeping more things brief, I missed sending Hippie Birdbaths greetings over to wcg here in the Blogosphere; so Belated Hippie Birdbaths, Bill.

We've dealt with two opossum females that were raiding eggs and chickens. Chooks will not be bothered by those particular opposum, nor their current offspring, any more.

Still brief but not excessively, Monday also saw the start of the end of a decade. Squrrl Border Collie Bro felt a bit lethargic on Monday, not particularly interested in dinner (ate some). I attributed it at that point to a very hot day spent mostly outside, though also mostly in the shade. On Tuesday, though, his lethargy increased, he didn't want to go outside and did so only for body functions. Pale gums; Herself started treating him with some supplements to help. Not interested in dinner at all.

Wednesday, breathing laboured, even more lethargic. Wagging tail when I got home from Hospital, not lifting his head. I spent time with him there in the living room, and close on to 20:00 (didn't look at the clock for a bit) Squrrl took his last breath.

We buried him on Thursday morning, next to his brother Smudge.

I will write more, I will, but later. Meanwhile, going to continue carrying on, waiting for Waiting to fill a Squrrl sized hole in our souls.

Saturday, April 21, 2012, 14:57
Friday

Wrapping up the day at Hospital, my cell rang from Flair Lab. My D70s came back from the shop, cleaned up, tuned up, firmwared up, and costing a mere $320 to get out of hock. I stopped on the way home to do that. Still not fired it up for photographs, however, I did put one of the batteries into it. Needs a lens. And a subject. I priced, but did not purchase, a Secure Digital to Compact Flash conversion card for the D70s. They cost $30. Compact Flash are still available out there, though more camera companies are switching over to Secure Digital. SD are smaller, I expect this is why. Card speeds are coming up and this is one potential drawback of which I was unaware. SD cards are 'slower' than CF cards. One way the companies overcome this is to put two SD slots into the camera (I've seen this).

For my Studio work, this is probably not a problem. Just make me slow down a bit. For action photography, say the New Kids kinds of shooting, this could be a problem. Except, according to the fellow at Flair, that's why the companies are putting two cards into new cameras.

Saturday

I didn't wake Herself for Market this morning. In retrospect, she expected me to do so. On the other hand, she didn't set her own alarm. And weather was fine for the market hours, so would have been a good day. On the other hand, we got things done here on the Ranch. The egg incubator is cleaned out (at least preliminary clean). The gate post for the short gate at the west end of the Youngster Pen is set. Will hand the gate tomorrow, I expect. And I set a post to be one of the corners of Herself's garden, up near our private road and defining on which side to park a motor home/recreational vehicle. Started laundry by working on a quilt, then one of the yard bird comforter covers. There's a blanket needs put in next. And the phone just reminded me it's time to go check.

I might shut computer down in a bit. Thunder outside. We will see.

Saturday, April 21, 2012, 17:21
More Saturday

Sorting through stacks of envelopes and such on my desk; taking things to the shredder or the files. More going to the shredder than to the files, which is fine. Herself is using shredded paper as bedding for the chicks indoors holding, waiting to be big enough to move back outdoors in larger digs.

Saturday, April 21, 2012, 19:18
Still More Saturday

Still sorting through old envelops incoming mail, some of which is tax-related and much of which wasn't. Anything not tax-related went through the shredder or into the trash, with a few pieces saved for some reason. Very few, though. Unearthed a small handful of calendars I kept because of the photography on them. Bagged up the paper shreds because as mentioned we need to change bedding for a clutch of new chicken chicks, and shredded paper makes very good bedding for them. In between all of this, at measured intervals, also walked over to Studio 318 and the laundry room to do laundry. That's an ongoing chore, more to finish up tomorrow.

Sunday, April 22, 2012, 08:04
Morning is for Coffee

Rain persisted through the night, mostly unnoticed as I slept. Still, woke once and lay there wondering why, when I heard one long, low rumbling peal of thunder. Within 10 seconds Mr. Houdini joined me in the bed. Herself told me later she heard him come skittering out of the kitchen, so she suspects he went to steal kitty kibbles. Says, that's what happens when stealing kitty kibbles, the Sky Grumblers come looking for you...

We received maybe 1.25 cm/0.5inch rain. Some thunder (see above) in the distance, enough to make Border Collie Bros anxious and not enough to threaten equipment. So I never did shut down the computer last afternoon or evening. When I got into the office this morning, music still playing, though quietly. Nice way to start the day. Music and Coffee.

What amusements do you find in your daily life? I'm neither counting nor asking about commercial entertainment, and whether or not your only source of entertainment may be television via cable or satelite it is commercial, since one pays for services which may include those advertisement free channels. What are the things in your daily life which amuse you. This isn't even specifically humour, either. Attend...

a-muse (verb): 1) cause (someone) to find something funny; entertain. 2) provide interesting and enjoyable occupation for (someone).

So things may cause us to laugh uproariously in amusement, yet do not necessarily need to. Something amusing may be simple, and attention gathering enough to focus us for a time on that, exclusively, in a pleasing manner.

Example, this year I changed my schedule at Hospital. True, the first week of this included the last week of Gregorian 2011. No matter, seriously, since my employment anniversary date is close to New Years anyway. This year. I now work 30 hours a week for Hospital, providing me more hours to work for myself either on Ranch or Art (or both). In one sense, this is 10 hours less per week pay. In an amusing sense, because of the time of year, the first four weeks of this brand new schedule include three (3) paid holidays from Hospital, observance of all of which fall on Monday which is one of my regularly scheduled days off. So, Hospital paid me an additional 8 hours for each observed holiday. This equates to 38 hours pay for 30 hour weeks.

Even more amusing, for one of those weeks, I actually worked the observed holiday, so I received 8 hours pay for working plus the holiday pay.

Perversely amusing, another of those weeks (this past one) I worked one of my two weekend commitments so that is, again, an additional 8 hours on top of my scheduled 30. In theory, and in the past I insisted in practice, weekend commitments replace one of the regularly scheduled weekday shifts. Not going to insist on that this time, nor for a bit. After all, one of the amusing benefits of my reduced schedule includes a reduction in weekend commitments.

Less amusing, though still because of personal choice somewhat amusing, that second weekend commitment this past weekend involved Graveyard Shift, so yesterday (Sunday) was my Brain Numb day. The first weekend commitment is that holiday I worked, amusing because it fulfilled both weekend and holiday commitment requirements. This past weekend is less amusing because I am less and less physically and emotionally tolerant of pulling those All-Nighters.

The routine I try to use working them involves getting a nap in on the afternoon/evening before the shift (which starts at 23:00), getting home safely after the shift and catching about three, three and a half hours sleep, then getting up to wander through the brain numbness and accomplish such things as don't require a good deal of thought.

Yesterday that included loading recycling refuse (plastics, metals, cardboard/pasteboard) into Forrest Nissan Pickup, along with one of the Bros, and hauling that off to the recycling trailer. Not a lot of brain-power needed, mostly attention to such traffic as encountered on the road and which door of the trailer does what item go through. When we got back from that, I pulled the log book out of the glove compartment (why do we call it a glove compartment when we don't keep gloves in there?) and started transcribing the mileage recordings into a spreadsheet for income tax calculations.

Believe it or not, that doesn't require a lot of brain power.

Getting closer to our dinner time, Herself informed me we needed some cream of mushroom soup so she could make the promised Beef Stroganoff for dinner, so the Bros got another ride this time into Archer and in Sydney Subaru Outback.

Now, Houdini gets his share of cooing and flirting from people, yet his brother Squrrl... well, Squrrl is proof of that cliche that Blondes Have More Fun.

Sydney needed petrol, so we stopped for petrol. Squrrl likes to ride in the part of the Outback wagon we call the WayBack. Unlike Houdini he stays back there, doesn't climb over the seatbacks to get to the front where the People sit. And he often sits there looking to the rear as we drive. His body language very much says, This Is Totally Awesome! Growly Beasts make things go away from you!

While I pumped petrol into Sydney, another car pulled in to the next set of pumps over. Squrrl was looking out the side window at this point, and the young lady in the passenger seat got out to go in and pre-pay. She stopped when she turned and quite un-subtly made the Oooooo Cute face & body-language at Squrrl, who simply cocked his head ears all perked up. Then, at the grocery store as I finished paying for the cream of mushroom soup and turned to leave (door to the store was open, with a fan blowing out as yesterday afternoon got rather warm for hereabouts at this time of year), another young lady waved her companion to stop their vehicle as they passed the Subaru, to point at Squrrl (now looking out the back window again).

Couldn't hear her, their windows up all the way, plus that fan, no, couldn't hear. Could read her lips, though, very very easily. Oooo, You are SOOOO CUUUTE!

Mm.

Chick magnet. Bloody chick magnet.

Anyway. Back home, we stopped on the way in to feed teh Horses and teh Cows, thus doing 'Riding Rounds' something that greatly amuses the Bros. Up to the house and delivered the cream of mushroom soup as well as the stories, then transcribed more mileage figures until the announcement 'Dinner is Ready.'

Dinner Ready coincided, coincidentally, with National Geographic airing their show on the recently announced discovery of Anglo-Saxon gold in a farmer's field. That is more really amusing brain-numb time activity. After that, a hot soak, then bed.

Today I feel more nearly human. Good thing, too, because this evening is off to Town of Tioga Farmers/Craft Market to once again set up both the Ranch and Studio 318 booths. We'll see how that goes.

Arrived home safe right on about three hours after leaving St Pete. Curious how the trip home always seems to take less time. Checked in with Herself as I got close and she timed bringing the Bros out to do rounds. So I got mobbed by Border Collies. Guess Houdini missed me. Minimal unpacking since tomorrow I am home. Now dinner is done and getting ready for a hot soak.

So more Con Report tomorrow morning.

This morning is following another Hospital weekend work commitment. This time I worked the 'Evening' shift, 15:00 to 23:30. Not quite so mind-altering as a Midnight shift, and still leading to late to bed, possibly different sleep. So a slow start to the morning.

Or it could be that Herself put both Bros out on duty last night to watch over the Dirty Yard Birds (our chickens). We suspect a fox, most likely, for some recent losses which slowed down with moving Squrrl from spot to spot, adding another helpful aid (a marvelous use for conservative all-night talk show radio) and occasionally, two Border Collies on duty. Houdini, feeling he has risen to a Position in Life will oblige for a night or two, then make a fuss about being 'put' outside at night. He didn't fuss at me when I got home, and he stayed outside.

Until about 03:30 when I woke up to thunder. Houdini happily came inside and snuggled all 27 kilograms of himself into my armpit.

On the other hand, left Squrrl out on duty. Then within a half hour, heard Herself get up and go out. Shortly after, Squrrl walked through the bedroom on the way to his favoured 'spot' in the house. He's been getting some Indoor Dog time recently, particularly with the very high heat and heat index conditions we're experiencing. Herself mentioned as she headed back to bed that she needed to close the windows on Forrest Nissan Pickup...

Work, as in Hospital, does seem to affect my blogging time. Recently started working 10 hour shifts four days per week, rather than the 'traditional' five days by eight hours. This provides an additional 'BossStaysHomeDay' quite handily. It is also not terribly hard to work those additional two hours. They go by quickly, and fact is what with staying over to finish cases or some such, I'm often there for a good portion of those two hours anyway. It also helps Hospital to control overtime expenses, and what with various and sundry aspects of today's economic situations coming in to play is probably the largest reason that my two years of requests to work this schedule finally received approval.

Thing that affects blogging time, and truly considering all that extra time formerly known as overtime this is a long term situation, is that after work and commute home (between walking out to parking garage [healthy] and the drive out to Ranch about 45 - 50 minutes) I'm getting home in time to help with evening Ranch chores, then eat supper, then... off to bed.

Add to that the recent business of DDoS to the primary blog site and not a lot of expression going on here. Made a posting recently about how disoriented I feel following the weekend off-shift work, and how long that disorientation may last. Post disappeared into the DD0S. Some of that is on me, I neglected to do a copy/paste of the text before hitting 'Post'. Being somewhat 'flight of ideas' writing, it is truly flown away. Such is life.

That post was my first indicator that the DDoS started. Things settled down a bit over there, and I'm not even sure my current problem is due to the DDoS. Periodically I've problems accessing the secure login on LJ. Often it is due to the wireless router for the Ranch network needing a re-boot. Not sure it is always due to that though. At any rate, now I can read my LJ, and the Reading List commonly known as Friends List. Can't log into the site, though.

Made another post on DW using crosspost during that time period. Crossposting failed as well, and I've not attempted to re-post that quite yet. In some ways this is a minor thing (cross-posting, not being able to access). There is a roof over our head, food on our table, we've gainful employment to provide these things, we've got the Ranch to also help provide these things. In other ways...

Apparently, Reportedly, the DDoS is due to a political entity attempting to control (prevent) access of a significant number of their citizens to their blogs. Denial of access to media is control of a media. There may be a valid, there definitely is a significant argument that such is the internal business of any specified political entity. What does this become, though, when denial of access to a media which constitutes an expression of Free Speech impinges upon the traditional (and supposed guaranteed by law) civil rights of citizens in other political entities?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Well, during the DD0S and lack of postage, though I do believe I managed to put up something about it (yes, I did. Here on DW, the post which didn't cross) I got some Studio 318 time in. Initial post-production is done, with 'initial' defined as reviewing images for view-ability (as in no corrupted files), adding pertinent meta-data (as in Session Theme, Contract/Consent on file, Date, KeyWords, Categories), and then creating JPG files for proofing. Also part of this is the first backup, onto an external hard drive. Still to be done is burning DVD backup of the 'RAW' files, and the proofing itself.

That's for later today, after the Ranch is fed, when it's gotten too warm plus humid outside to be happy.

So. Some photographs.

( New Years Eve, Squrrl BorderCollieBro with some of the New Kids )

( New Years Day, Ms Henny & Chicks )

( New Years Morning Aftermath... )

Rain today and last night, with some thunder last night. One wouldn't think a 75 lb/34 kg Border Collie could hide himselve completely in the space of an armpit. This proves not to be the case after all...

( I cut this sucker down in MARCH! )

In the background is Big House (as opposed to what is now Studio 318, not in the photo). To the left is a fine old oak that provides shade for Big House. To the right is a power company branch pole; the electric line branches to the west and the other end of Big House for service entry, and to the east, overhead from the point of view to a power pole service entry for the well. There is also a Houdini Border Collie Bro.

In the centre is a mimosa, now a bit of a mimosa bush. On the ground, in front of Houdini is the trunk of the mimosa which used to live here, and got tall enough to threaten the power line to the well. So I cut it down. In March. Then it tried to grow back, out of the trunk, but those shoots all died as well and none became roots. At the stump, however, came the Mimosa That Would Not Die.

Bit warm to be dealing with it now. Come cooler weather... It. Goes. Away. Before it starts to threaten that overhead power line again.

( Happy Houdini Portrait )

But not as an official "Pic'o'Day" and, well, I need a silly grin today so y'all might, as well. Most delightful part is, made with high-tech phone camera. Yah. High-tech. No, Srsly!