Trying Something New...Now, To Figure Out How To Record It

 It always amazes me, the incredible technology that surrounds us. For example, we're thinking about an artistic project that would require filming and posting the videos online. It's in the beginning stages, but if we do this, we've got to figure out the best way to record those videos.

The best camera we have--as far as compact--is our phones. The problem is, we don't have unlimited memory and the phones are relatively heavy. I'm sort of a camera nut and I've collected several (inexpensive...) digital cameras over the years, mostly from yard sales...

No surprise, there.

So, I dug out the cameras to see if they would work. The results so far have been mixed. Actually, less good than bad. It's the equipment. Had we unlimited funds, we could fix the issues, and if this little project proves fruitful, we might invest in those delicious examples of technology. But, not now. We're not investing just yet.

It's also fun to think about "what might happen." All this technology can turn a "regular person" into a healthy contributor in the local and worldwide economy. That would be nice.

We'll continue experimenting, continue the trial and error needed before any success can come. 

I'll keep you posted.

Well...I Guess These Lights Are Technically In The North

 Did a little X surfing (X, as in, the social network...) last night. I came across a post about the possibility--though slim--of seeing the northern lights from were we live. 

Turns out I didn't get any good shots.

Turns out I didn't care as much.

Don't get me wrong. I'd love to have a repeat of what happened when the Northern Lights showed up earlier this year. It was amazing. I wasn't sure if last night's potential viewing would turn into anything, so like last time, I took my Nikon outside at night and aimed it northward. Unlike last time I did not get a tripod to steady the shot (that's obvious...). I used a monopod and hoped I could hold it steady enough to get a decent shot. It didn't work. Plus, not even a hint of the Northern Lights.

If I recall, the post on X said the best time to see the lights last night--if there were any to see--was at 3am. There's no way I was going to wake up at 3am for the chance to maybe see something.

Had we not the light show a few months ago, I might have considered getting up and taking out the Nikon with the tripod to see if I could catch something. Before that I hadn't seen the Northern Lights and really wanted to see them.

I acknowledge, the Northern Lights show a few months ago in northern Utah wasn't "the greatest," but it was good enough for me.

Good enough to keep me in bed this morning.

Boys Buying Cars...And Trucks

 For the past couple of months our family has been in search of used vehicles. My youngest son wanted a truck--he's looking for a job in construction. My other son...he needed a car, even though he'd like a truck. I took the boys on many trips to check out both cars and trucks.

These photos show two vehicles that they did not buy.

Of the two, the Pontiac was the better vehicle.

Up until recently, our family was not a "car-buying" family. I bought Donk, the Subaru in 2020. Before that, we bought our minivan and our Vibe around 2010. We've been lucky with those cars. They've been great for us--especially, the van.

Then, the kids grew up and needed cars. The last two carless children finally needed transportation. I went on many a trip to check out cars and trucks in various state of decomposition. My son wanted a 4x4 truck. The red one was not. We didn't do know that before we headed out. Had we known it, we would not have driven south to check it out.

The Pontiac was a good car, a good, solid car. The miles were relatively low and the price was right. Still...we thought we'd check out another car and we ended up getting it.

There's some excitement in car shopping. Are we getting a deal? Are we buying a lemon? All unknowns solved only by time. 

I hope they got some good ones.

Give Thanks...The View Eleven Years Ago

 This photo popped up in my social media memories (okay, it was Facebook...). Eleven years.

A lot has changed.

You could not replicate this photo even if you tried. First of all, the amusement park in the distance no longer has that skyline. They've added to it. Now, a ride called Cannibal towers over the Ferris Wheel. The trees you see in front of the rides have changed, too. There are now homes where the trees used to be and many of those pines are gone.

Speaking of trees, where we once had an incredible western views, the trees planted on that side of the house grew taller. We felt like we were being surrounded by trees. Normally, this isn't a bad thing, but when it slowly removes one of the advantages of living on a hillside, it makes a difference.

Still, I miss those sunsets. I enjoyed them for five decades while living on that street. The island, the lake (when it was there...) all added up to some spectacular views.

I'm thankful for those views, for the amusement park, the trees, the sunsets that made those memories. I'm thankful for the beautiful world I'm fortunate enough to experience and enjoy. I'm thankful I was able to call that street and mountainside home, a place where I grew up, learned so many things.

Eleven years...

So much has changed.

A Weed Among The Roses...

 I pass our rose bushes almost every day. They're loving where we planted them, loving their little corner of our front yard. It wasn't until today that I saw it, sticking its head proudly above the blooming flowers...

A weed...as tall as me.

It's been there for months, hiding, We don't weed that section of the yard every day or even every week. The weeds don't flourish there, and when we spot them, we pull them. This one, however, it eluded us, evaded our detection all spring and summer, until it could no longer conceal itself as its growth forced it above everything else.

Funny...it's not just weeds that hide among the roses. Evil people have been known to do the same. They blend in. Now, I'm not necessarily saying all weeds are evil (even though they are...). People with evil intent pretend to be something they're not, even telling us lies about themselves. Sometimes we believe them. However, there are always those who can detect lies and they try to point them out. Those unbelievers scoff and hiss and say the truth-teller is the liar.

A tale as old as time.

The weed is no more. Actually, it's been pulled and tossed in the bin. Since the roses are doing so well, I'm sure there are other weeds, other evil people hiding, waiting for their chance to continue blending in, infecting everything around it. A healthy environment makes them easier to hide. 

I'll continue walking by the roses every day. Maybe next time...

I'll take a closer look.

I Used To Read So Much More - What Happened...?

 I picked up a new book recently and started to read it. I've heard good things...Stephen King's son. I've read the first few chapters...so far, I like it. Back in the day, I used to go through books on a regular basis. I was averaging two or three books a month.

They were mostly audiobooks, but still--I count them.

Then, something changed. I stopped reading, and I miss it.

The last book I read was Jared Nathan Garrett's The Seer. I'm embarrassed to say it took me much longer than it should have for me to read a 50k-ish word count book. I soldiered on, I did not stop and after months, the story became a part of me.

The Joe Hill book sits next to me as I write this. I can see it sitting there, no charging cables attached. Funny, physical books never run out of battery power. The question is, when will I pick it up and finish a few more chapters? When will I answer the call?

Maybe Sunday.

This isn't the first time I've asked myself this question. I've thought about it many times. And I think I know the main reason why I've stopped reading book. No, I know the main reason I stopped reading books.

Podcasts.

If Only The Mantis Had Stayed Away...

 There's something you can't see in this photo. Just behind that rise on the garbage can handle is a praying mantis...a big old white one. You know the ones. They're so big they're like ancient monoliths that watch life from a distance having already lived a long life.

And, they kind of freak me out. 

I moved the garbage can and saw it stir. Nope...not going to move the garbage can with that thing hanging out on it. So, I picked up a broom and shooed him away. He landed on the driveway and scampered under my son's car.

Great, I thought. Now I can move the garbage can away from the car and to add more trash and that's what I did. I turned, picked up the trash, opened the lid and dropped it in. When I closed the lid that's when I saw it...the carcass of the praying mantis smushed on the driveway. It wasn't there before. I apparently rolled the garbage can over its insect body. 

At first I wondered if it was another mantis that I didn't see that met a grizzly end, and that's still possible, but the size and color matched the one I tried to save. I don't understand it. I can't see why it would be that attached to the garbage can, but it looks like as soon as it went under the car, it came back and was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Poor fella (or, lady fella...). If only it had stayed away.