drifter
Well-known Member
Me, too.
From A Wide Spot In The Road
- Thread starter drifter
- Start date
drifter
Well-known Member
I'm going to take a short break. Got things I need to take car of. If I live another month or so
I'm going to be an old man. Never thought I'd live this long since my dad died at fifty-one and
his four brothers died in their fifties and three of his five sisters also died young. I am pretty
well banged up with COPD, diabetes, blind in one eye, and don't mix well with people. I'm going
to take off a few days off and fix myself up. But one thing in my favor, I clean up real good. If I
could change my name and learn to smile, no one would never know me, even if we were standing
in the same take-out line. Be good to yourself and watch driving into those storm clouds.
I'm going to be an old man. Never thought I'd live this long since my dad died at fifty-one and
his four brothers died in their fifties and three of his five sisters also died young. I am pretty
well banged up with COPD, diabetes, blind in one eye, and don't mix well with people. I'm going
to take off a few days off and fix myself up. But one thing in my favor, I clean up real good. If I
could change my name and learn to smile, no one would never know me, even if we were standing
in the same take-out line. Be good to yourself and watch driving into those storm clouds.
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drifter
Well-known Member
Thank you.Take care of yourself, drifter .. we will miss you, and your photos!
RadishRose
SF VIP
- Location
- Connecticut, USA
drifter
Well-known Member
I took a walk a day or two ago out in my back yard. Actually I went out two days in a row. I took my walker the first time but found it hard to push across the grass and I had to stop and rest before I got to the back of the yard. I made it to my bird feeder, rested a couple of minutes, then went to the qback of my lot. Yesterday I wnt out with out the walker, I took my cane, but with my portabl oxygen and my camera I was too unsteady to be comfortable. I have a folding chair about half way from my back door to the back fence. I made it to the chair before resting. Then I picked up the chair and carried it toward the corn of this property tree. I sat a while and surveyed my kingdom. Not much to it. I took a few pictures but I don't seem to be focusing well.
Either that or someting wrong with my eyes. Anyway they were not good enouigh to post in the photogrophy section.
Last evening I noticed for the first time my neeighbor's roses are coming out nicely. I was sitting on the patio when I noticed them and I walked over in my sock feet. I took my little ELPH camera. I wanted to get a few shots and did but it was so windy I had to use a flash to stop the motion and I'm always unsteady unless leaning on something or sitting in my walker. These pictures didn't turn out good either. Don't know if it'scamera shake or what. If we have a still day soon I may try to wheel my wheelchair over there but not sureI can make it by myself. We had storms last night, several severe storms eat of us that produced a couole of tornados but everything had weakened by the time it got to our location. All we got was rain and a little hail.
Either that or someting wrong with my eyes. Anyway they were not good enouigh to post in the photogrophy section.
Last evening I noticed for the first time my neeighbor's roses are coming out nicely. I was sitting on the patio when I noticed them and I walked over in my sock feet. I took my little ELPH camera. I wanted to get a few shots and did but it was so windy I had to use a flash to stop the motion and I'm always unsteady unless leaning on something or sitting in my walker. These pictures didn't turn out good either. Don't know if it'scamera shake or what. If we have a still day soon I may try to wheel my wheelchair over there but not sureI can make it by myself. We had storms last night, several severe storms eat of us that produced a couole of tornados but everything had weakened by the time it got to our location. All we got was rain and a little hail.
RadishRose
SF VIP
- Location
- Connecticut, USA
Ditto.
drifter
Well-known Member
o
No basement. Not many basements in this part of OK. I have a cellar but I can no
longer open The door and my wife can no longer get up and down the steps. We
have a. Hallway closet we’ll use if necesary.
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drifter
Well-known Member
It's a new day and the old man arose at five-thirty this A.M. As usual he made his way in the dark to his office at the end of the hallway and shut the door. Turned on both computer and a small desk lamp so he could find his harmonicas. He checked the weather: temperature, 54 degrees; forecast, 81 degrees today. Perfecto! He blew on two of them for twenty minutes, giving his old lungs a good work out. He especially liked that low Bb harp and the Db for giving his lungs their due.
Then he went to MyTube where an individual explains the working of the digital camera, the Canon digital. He had read Canon's manuel through on advice of an admired photographer, but didn't undersstand much of it. He didn't want to admit this even even though folks he run with considered him ready for the nursing home and maybe a littrle short on grey matter. No, what he needed to do was learn enough so that
he might occasionally shoot a photo most would really enjoy looking at. Maybe then, he might gain a wee bit of respect and would realize not all his grey matter was gone.
What great thing could he find that would make good subject matter. This of course would require some thinking, maybe some unique and creative doings. He'd think on it. Some two weeks later he was on his way to a golf game at a small golf coarse in Blanco Canyon. It was set down in the canyon, hid away from traffic enroute to and from Floyada and Ralls. It was a beautiful area and he was meeting customers from Plainview, fair golfers all, who had this monthly game.
As his thoughts turned to the good breakfast he had enjoyed at Furr's Cafeteria, he saw a snake crawling across the road. He was sure it was a rattler. He hit his breaks and whipped over to the edge of the road. He grabbed his camera and jumped out , looked around and picked up a small dead breach that had blown from the top of one of the nearby trees. He ran down in the grassy area and stopped the snake. With the stick he worked the snake up nearer the pavement in the short grass. The snake coiled and he let the nake strike at the end of the stick several times. The stick broke and he only had a too short piece left in his hand. With the snake coiled, he picked up a almost flat rock,
placed the camera on the rock and tried to tilt the rock and camera upward so he could get a decent shot when the snake struck. The snake tried to crawl off but he got him back where he wanted it. With camera as ready as he was going to get it, under these conditions, he got down on his left knee. He knew his knee was too close to the snake, which was about forty inches long, his knee a little over two feet from the snake, he, ready to push off if the snake struck toward his leg. With his left hand he teased the snake, his right hand on the camera button and trying to steady the camera on the upward tilted rock, he hoped to photo the snake as it struck, the canyon walls in the background. What a photograph that would be! Sudddnly the struck, not at the stick in his hand, but toward the hand on the camera. He pressed downward with his finger and back away with his leg.
He didn'tnow if he had pressed the button or if he or the snake had tumbled the camera. He knew he had only this one shot. This was a two man effort. Rather disappointed the snake had outsmarted him. He picked up the camera, wiped the sweat from his eyes and face, when a voice, loud and clear, said, "Can I help you with your work?" The man was leaning on the front of his old pickup and it almost scared the bejesus out of the man. He sure there was not another human within five miles.
He said, 'You scared me. 'He replied, think you got more courage than I have. As close as you were he could have struck you in the belly or worse. What are you going to do with the snake? He's free to go. He said, can I have him? My brother lives up the canyon a ways and he's handicapped. He uses all of a snake, makes belts, bracelets, belt buckes etc. He's 'he's all yours', the man said 'My name is John Snowdon. I own the ranch this highway runs through. I hope you got what you were after, he said. If not, I've got a house just beyond my brother's place. Stop by anytime and I'll give you a hand next time.' They shook hands. Thanks, John Snowdon, I'm William Boggs. I may take you up on that. He was late for his foursome but maybe the guys were still at the club. They were. He shot a ninety-one and lost six dollars.
When developed, the print didn't show any canyon at all. It showed a great view of the snake's head, a slight blurr at the corner of its left eye, indicating motion, mouth open, both needle like, white fangs at the ready, a drop of venom hanging from his left fang. The photo showed his neck which went off into oblivion. Several thought his shot was takebn at a zoo or somewhere in captivity. He was glad to accept first place. But better yet, he was referred to as a club photographer.
He had not always been a worthless old man. His neighor was getting some chickens. He was now building a chicken coup. You never knew, maybe lightning woud strick twice and he would again earn a bit of respect.
the old man.
Then he went to MyTube where an individual explains the working of the digital camera, the Canon digital. He had read Canon's manuel through on advice of an admired photographer, but didn't undersstand much of it. He didn't want to admit this even even though folks he run with considered him ready for the nursing home and maybe a littrle short on grey matter. No, what he needed to do was learn enough so that
he might occasionally shoot a photo most would really enjoy looking at. Maybe then, he might gain a wee bit of respect and would realize not all his grey matter was gone.
What great thing could he find that would make good subject matter. This of course would require some thinking, maybe some unique and creative doings. He'd think on it. Some two weeks later he was on his way to a golf game at a small golf coarse in Blanco Canyon. It was set down in the canyon, hid away from traffic enroute to and from Floyada and Ralls. It was a beautiful area and he was meeting customers from Plainview, fair golfers all, who had this monthly game.
As his thoughts turned to the good breakfast he had enjoyed at Furr's Cafeteria, he saw a snake crawling across the road. He was sure it was a rattler. He hit his breaks and whipped over to the edge of the road. He grabbed his camera and jumped out , looked around and picked up a small dead breach that had blown from the top of one of the nearby trees. He ran down in the grassy area and stopped the snake. With the stick he worked the snake up nearer the pavement in the short grass. The snake coiled and he let the nake strike at the end of the stick several times. The stick broke and he only had a too short piece left in his hand. With the snake coiled, he picked up a almost flat rock,
placed the camera on the rock and tried to tilt the rock and camera upward so he could get a decent shot when the snake struck. The snake tried to crawl off but he got him back where he wanted it. With camera as ready as he was going to get it, under these conditions, he got down on his left knee. He knew his knee was too close to the snake, which was about forty inches long, his knee a little over two feet from the snake, he, ready to push off if the snake struck toward his leg. With his left hand he teased the snake, his right hand on the camera button and trying to steady the camera on the upward tilted rock, he hoped to photo the snake as it struck, the canyon walls in the background. What a photograph that would be! Sudddnly the struck, not at the stick in his hand, but toward the hand on the camera. He pressed downward with his finger and back away with his leg.
He didn'tnow if he had pressed the button or if he or the snake had tumbled the camera. He knew he had only this one shot. This was a two man effort. Rather disappointed the snake had outsmarted him. He picked up the camera, wiped the sweat from his eyes and face, when a voice, loud and clear, said, "Can I help you with your work?" The man was leaning on the front of his old pickup and it almost scared the bejesus out of the man. He sure there was not another human within five miles.
He said, 'You scared me. 'He replied, think you got more courage than I have. As close as you were he could have struck you in the belly or worse. What are you going to do with the snake? He's free to go. He said, can I have him? My brother lives up the canyon a ways and he's handicapped. He uses all of a snake, makes belts, bracelets, belt buckes etc. He's 'he's all yours', the man said 'My name is John Snowdon. I own the ranch this highway runs through. I hope you got what you were after, he said. If not, I've got a house just beyond my brother's place. Stop by anytime and I'll give you a hand next time.' They shook hands. Thanks, John Snowdon, I'm William Boggs. I may take you up on that. He was late for his foursome but maybe the guys were still at the club. They were. He shot a ninety-one and lost six dollars.
When developed, the print didn't show any canyon at all. It showed a great view of the snake's head, a slight blurr at the corner of its left eye, indicating motion, mouth open, both needle like, white fangs at the ready, a drop of venom hanging from his left fang. The photo showed his neck which went off into oblivion. Several thought his shot was takebn at a zoo or somewhere in captivity. He was glad to accept first place. But better yet, he was referred to as a club photographer.
He had not always been a worthless old man. His neighor was getting some chickens. He was now building a chicken coup. You never knew, maybe lightning woud strick twice and he would again earn a bit of respect.
the old man.
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Em in Ohio
Senior Member
- Location
- OH HI OH
Dear Drifter - I find you an inspiration. Please rest, take care of what needs to be done, and return as soon as you can.
drifter
Well-known Member
Thank you so much. I'm going to do that. You enjoy the forum; this is a good one.
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drifter
Well-known Member
I hear that puzzles are coming back again. People are working puzzles. I thought that was a lost activity. I don't need a puzzle, I have one .
digital photography is a puzzle to me. Maybe I'll get the hang of it one of these days. I'll leave you with this thought.
We are not all perfect. Many of us have a few imperfections, like this little guy.
digital photography is a puzzle to me. Maybe I'll get the hang of it one of these days. I'll leave you with this thought.
We are not all perfect. Many of us have a few imperfections, like this little guy.
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Em in Ohio
Senior Member
- Location
- OH HI OH
I see the beauty and character in the imperfections. Photoshopped images have their place, but ...
Did you ever split a full-frontal portrait photo down the center and mirror it? It's not just unnatural, it's a bit creepy! As for digital cameras, I do like the easy manipulability of images in a paint program. It certainly beats the old-fashioned darkroom techniques! Be patient with yourself. You are doing just fine!
Did you ever split a full-frontal portrait photo down the center and mirror it? It's not just unnatural, it's a bit creepy! As for digital cameras, I do like the easy manipulability of images in a paint program. It certainly beats the old-fashioned darkroom techniques! Be patient with yourself. You are doing just fine!
drifter
Well-known Member
Thank you, Ohio. No never tried that split image. A simple frontal view is tough enough for me. Take care, it's a jumgle out there. No photo shopping here. That's too much trouble for the average to fool with. All my photos look blurred to me. Don't know where it's my eye or the
way I use my camera. I did try to take out the blurr. I thought it looked better the way it is shown, a little distraction from photography shake.
Every man to his own cup of tea, as it were. Cheers.
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