Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Thanksgiving

Or Black Friday Week?

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Rose bud thanks the sky

Sure are a flurry of sales going on this week

Countdown clocks and pre-countdown sales and early bird black Friday deals

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Berry eating Early Bird

About 4% of the mail in my inbox is about Thanksgiving

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Tuesday night sky was fairly clear

I am thankful that I was born who I am

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Reach for the clouds

John and I are writing more new music this week

That’s something to be very thankful about

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Bright colors decorate my balcony

I am thankful to have been invited to a few turkey dinners

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Another beautiful rose

The Treehouse Thanksgiving dinner is at high noon

Too early to eat turkey for a night owl like myself

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This image may be notecard material

The other Thanksgiving feasts are at 3, 4, and 5 o’clock

Since I don’t usually eat dinner until 7 or 8 pm, I will likely wait until I can best appreciate turkey and pumpkin pie, (leftovers on black Friday seems about right)

I am thankful that there are replays of Macy’s parade on the internet no matter what time I get up tomorrow.

Today’s Video;


Happy Thanksgiving

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Weekend Wrapup

In The Present

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Bird blends in

Fall colors, rain, blue skies, clouds, all here for our pleasure this November weekend.

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West northwest view

Friday, I had planned to sleep in until I at least got 7 hours of shuteye, but I got an early morning call directing me to go get some X-rays of my spine. I showed up at the Shasta County Health X-ray department, but their machine was out, on the fritz, under repair until at least Monday.

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Bright red driveway rose

The nice lady there, handed me a business card and a sheet of paper while directing me to head on over to MD imaging to get the X-rays done.

They were very organized at MD imaging, and thanks to computers, had my paperwork already and all I had to fill out was a simple release form.

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Not sure what color to label this pretty rose

Step 2 was a quick interview where I signed a couple more electronic forms on a touch screen monitor and the nice lady there determined what X-rays would be needed.

I no sooner sat down and my name was called. Off I went with an X-ray technician who took about a dozen pictures of my spine from head to tail. He was a nice person and helped me feel comfortable while I was turned this way and that to get the right angles.

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Afternoon suncatcher

When he was finished I asked for 2 8 x 10’s and 6 wallet size prints. I am guessing he hears that old joke a lot. At least he smiled in response.

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Hatchet ridge turbines

This has been a productive weekend for video’s and soundtracks. All sights around the Treehouse; Flowers, birds, squirrel, mountains, but mostly flowers.

I finally produced enough movie music tracks to arrange and combine selections of 1 min to 11 min instrumental tone poem stanzas so as to lay entertaining, supportive, but not distracting music under 3 new videos.

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Separating the candy from the trail mix

The flowers and views of the Treehouse in August video is 30 minutes long. I have recorded 3 soundtracks for this that I have not been satisfied with. I discarded them and used a combination of recent tracks that vary in styles and lengths to keep the eye candy flowing and interesting. I like it now.

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Pink and red bud by the transformer

I made 2 videos for November flowers and combined them on one DVD. I am happy with the music I made for them. I tried some new instruments and sounds including the comet Rosetta singing, ( which I slowed down to fit the pitch and rhythms of the tracks ), and a couple of fun drum and sound effect Apps I played on the iPhone. That combined with guitar, bass, drum loops and keyboard makes for an interesting 11 minute section of soundtrack.

I recorded another instrumental track for a song that is about 5 min long. For that one I stayed with the traditional drum loop, guitar, bass, keyboard combo, and by leaving off the vocal, it makes good soundtrack material.

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Shasta on Sunday afternoon

California added 42,000 new jobs just last month, and our nation’s economy continues to improve, too. If we stop burning oil and coal, we just might be okay 50 years from now.

Today’s Video;

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Thanks

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Interesting Times

On Planet Earth

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Bees at the diner

Finding happiness and beauty is easy if you don’t hide from them

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Fun colors deep in the bush

Rainy days turn my world close and inward
I find comfort here

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Pink rose in the sunshine

Sunny days expand my horizons
Beaming joy over vast distances

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Roses rise up to admire Mount Lassen

I would like to thank Amos the church mouse for inventing bifocals while repairing Ben Franklin’s glasses. That’s the way I remember Disney studios explaining history, so thank you cartoon mouse that isn’t Mickey.

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Bee pokes tongue in flower

Laughter was the word today from the Daily Word
Just thinking about laughter makes me smile

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Sunny yellow rose


I think that the message is;
When the world outside is unpleasant
we can turn inward
think about laughter

and find there is a smile
on our own faces

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Definitely a notecard image

I have much to be thankful for
Life is really good
rich beyond dollars
I give love and see it blossoming
everywhere

Must be the bifocals

Today’s Video;


Grin And Wear It

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Why Good Websites Go Bad

Bigger Is Not Better

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Living sunshine

The other day I finally reached the point where I quit (deactivated my account) the community website Quora. When I first joined, it was a pace where educated adults could interact through questions and answers in their fields of expertise and interest.

I could converse with others who had similar backgrounds, experiences, research, literacy and the intelligence needed for us to increase our understanding of the sciences, arts, and history. It was one of the things that I always wanted from the internet.

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Colored leaves in the setting sunlight

To increase profits, Quora was changed into a social network rather than keeping the higher standards of a forum. They began adopting a Facebook like model, complete with upvotes and scores for the most questions answered and the most answered questions. Soon the place devolved into a crowded arena of uneducated competitors.

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Yellow rose with fly

That change got a lot more subscribers and activity which increased its monetary value. Profits became more important than the community of researchers and scholars. The name of the website game is, “How much traffic does your site garner”. It doesn’t matter what kind of traffic, just how much. That determines how much an advertiser is willing to negotiate to put their clickbait on your pages.

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Brighter outlook

How synchronistic it is that I began this post Saturday as a result of deactivating my account with Quora because their greed had poisoned that oasis of discovery, and on visiting the library today, I picked up a book about a much bigger change.

“This Changes Everything” is one of the books I borrowed Sunday from the Redding Public Library. The premise has to do with altering the way we live on a global scale because the way we live is causing worldwide Climate Change.

The same capitalist economic model that is destroying websites, is destroying our planet.

Today’s Video;


Read The Book

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Watching Clouds

Coming And Going


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I need to improve my timing for the cloudy days of the season. Today when the sun would come streaming in the balcony window I would prepare to get outside to take pictures.

Do I need a jacket? Yes, I should probably wear a jacket. First must put on shoes.

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Now what about a hat? Okay, which one? Where is the iPhone case? Need that to put the phone in the camera bag.

Which pair of sunglasses will be best? What about the new bifocals?

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Okay put on your jacket and stuff keys in the left pocket. What about your wallet? Maybe you will want to drive somewhere while you are outside.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road", I say to myself as I open the door and head for the stairwell.

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I walk around behind building A to take pictures of the bright white flowers in the sunlight. As I get closer to the flowerbed the light begins to fade. Turning on the camera takes a few seconds. I put the camera up to my face and look through the viewfinder.

Zoom in a bit to frame the picture and look at the shutter speed, 250th of a second, good. Breathe out. Gently squeeze the shutter release halfway to focus, and wait! What's this?

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The flowers are no longer lit by sunlight and the shutter speed has fallen to a 60th of a second.

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I look behind me and see a wall of clouds has positioned itself between the Treehouse and the sun. So, this calls for a different style of shooting that sometimes requires flash. Alright. The flowers still look colorful and interesting, so I will make the rounds and take pictures of all that piques my interest.

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Not a bad deal, just a bit muted. I come back inside and get a cup of coffee, change into my slippers, put the keys and wallet in the basket on the kitchen counter, hang up the jacket, tidy up the kitchen, read email and follow links to various stories of interest until i notice the sunlight streaming in the balcony window.

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I bet the flowers will photograph nicely in the the sunlight.

Do I need a jacket? ...


Today’s Video;

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Light From Within

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

A Day To Remeber

When Life Changed

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They had it all figured out

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Life was theirs to savor fully

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That was the plan, anyway

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What was that old saying?

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Man plans - God laughs

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Or, time heals all wounds?

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It is all so clear

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Maybe it's these new bifocals?

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Today’s Video;

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Love Conquers All

Saturday, November 8, 2014

More Pretty Pictures

And That’s A Good Thing

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Did I mention pretty pictures?

There are times when the forces of nature reach a peak of expression that practically leaps into the camera, if one has a camera to allow the magic to enter.

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See the cat in the background?

For the time being, the wonders of this world we live in are presenting themselves to all who would find joy in them. I feel fortunate to have the time, not only to bask in the beauty of life, but the methods and means to collect images of these wonders so that I might share them with you.

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I feel tears of joy when I see beauty like this

Some of these images made it to print on notecards so they can help illustrate somebody’s written thoughts and feelings. Wow! How cool is that?

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One day past full

Even the moon took part in the potpourri of nature on display, it is like the world is ripe with the fruits of fall.

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Magic in the light itself

I feel that it is important to share these feelings with you at this time. Interestingly enough, like the time machine that writing is, you are reading this at exactly the right moment. This feeling we are sharing is happening at once and yet across the distance of hours, days, or even longer. Quantum blogging, if you like.


Today’s Video;


Worlds Of Wonder