THE LAST BLAST!

You probably have noticed that there has not been a posting on this blog is some time.  There is a reason for that.  

I have started another blog called "Walker's Journal" which will totally replace this one.  Please join me there.  Here is the link.  Only a click or two away.


http://skipwblog.wordpress.com

17 Feb 14

SEWE SATURDAY

We ventured out on Saturday to visit some friends showing at the South Eastern Wildlife Exhibition in Charleston.  As some of you know I have exhibited at  shows like this one for some 25 years and I experienced a whole range of mixed emotions.  It was good to see some old friends, with the emphasis on old.  These folks have aged and I am the senior citizen of the bunch, so where does that leave me?  And you can also tell that there is a changing of the guard by the nature of the art the newbies are showing.  Some fantastic stuff!

Charley Bear still kills it with his wildlife images on ceramic tiles.  His unique art is a hit at most shows.  Charley lives in Jacksonville, FL and travels the East Coast to do these types of shows.   Each of the images you see here consist of a number of tiles from one for a coaster to eight or ten in a major piece.

John Ohrehovec is still working, but doing only two shows a year now.  Much like me he has reduced the number and the distance travelled.

John's work is top of the line for wildlife photographers and he steadfastly holds onto the old ways of film.  Life the rest of us, he cuts his own mattes and frames his own images.  And spins his own yarns.

The crowd seemed to be a reasonably large Saturday group.  I guess a lot of Carolinians were a little anxious to get out an about following almost a week of foul weather and at least one earthquake here about fifty miles away.  It was sunny and breezy and a great day to be outside.

The crowd formed about 45 minutes before the wild bird exhibit expecting to see owls and raptors flown over their heads.  

They had flown the raptors in the morning, and one of the Peregrines flew away.  They still had not found it at three in the afternoon, so the flight part was limited to one Eurasian Owl.  And from a long distance we couldn't see much.  People were disappointed, but they may still be looking for that bird.  The pigeon population in Charleston is now at great risk with a falcon on the loose. 

We had a great lunch at a little french bistro which was wonderful.  The trip back home confirmed that we had had an ice storm last week.  Hundreds of pine trees along the interstate were down and it was obvious what had transpired.  Today we woke up to mid forties going to the mid sixties and then almost eighty by week's end.  Most of the ice and snow is now just "Snirt".  That's a mixture of snow and dirt....coined by the Weather Channel.  I am not quick nor smart enough to figure out those types of descriptions.  

 February thaw I guess. 

Have a great week!

14 FEB. 14

SNOWCATION!

I am not too sure that we are south of the sun anymore.  May have been some sort of cosmic shift in the last three days.  But we have seen it, dealt with it and conquered it!

Thirty two this morning and the melt begins. I understand that there is black ice on the roads which is another reason to make this morning, at least, day three of the 2014 Snowcation.

I did do a bit of a walk-about yesterday and made a couple of images.  Here is the obligatory "Down the Street Shot"!

Doesn't look too bad.  But that's mostly sleet and ice and not so much snow.

You must remember, this is not an annual occurrence down here.  So at best it is a semi, big, deal weather event.  We are fortunate however.  Not a lot of ice on trees and power lines and no outages for us. 

 I did get a bit creative with a poor Harry Lauder Walking Stick tree in the side yard surrounded by snow, ice, sleet and mush.

It's a small tree, but the twists and turns proved to much for this eye and I had to make an image.  I think I like the black and white version the best and you will likely see it on the website soon. 

Some old dried grass became the next victim to the old Nikon!  A formidable weapon!

This minimalistic image will also make it's way into the site.  Looks more like a child's scribble on a white wall than a photograph.  But then again it seems to be a tasteful scribble! 

 Stay safe my friends and I leave you with this thought!

The globe will warm again!

2 12 14

SOUTHERN EXPOSURE

The second something fall of the winter season is hitting us here south of the Sun.  This time mostly sleet, freezing rain and a little snow thrown in just for fun.

My family and friends in the north will look at this and say...no big deal.  Well, OK so it's no big deal and I agree .... Now!  But if we get the one half to an inch of ice it will be a big deal.  A little over 20,000 outages reported so far, but it is early as this thing is planned for overnight and into tomorrow morning.

I think I would rather have two feet of snow before an inch of ice.  Our big problem will be power outages if they get what the weather guru's predict.  But we have lots of water and food.  Wood for the fireplace, propane for the grill and enough ammo to fight off the looters.  So bring it on!

As of ten this morning all we have seen is one car (a cop I hope) and one walker.  Glad I took tracking 101 back in high school or I might have missed this.  Here's to all my friends down here.  Stay safe.  Stay home.  Make sure your chain saws are well lubricated and enjoy what Mom Nature has in store for us.

8 Feb 14

PLAYING TOURIST

I get to be on the other side of the table next weekend.  We will be going down to Charleston to visit with old friends at the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (SEWE).

I am delighted not to have to be scrambling all this week getting photos ready, frames made, mattes cut and advertising promos ready to partake in a three or four day show.  I did that for more years than I care to think about.

The fawn was always a big hit and "Panache" was a show stopper.  I am not sure just who of my old friends, from what I call the Circuit, will be there.  But it is always fun busting whoever.  I always enjoyed shows where the photographers were spread out amongst the painters who always displayed a certain amount of class and decorum.  While we on the other hand were just loud and boisterous.  I would say we were always the used car salesmen in a room full of button downs.  We do know how to have fun and make a 12 hour day go along a little quicker.  And some of us actually sold something.  Generally not enough to make expenses, but some.

The expenses of doing shows like SEWE or the Easton Wildlife Show in Maryland starts with just a place to stay (upwards of $200 a night) and the travel to and from.  Of course if we could find a place where they "Leave the light on for you", then expenses could be reduced somewhat.  But the framing and infra structure of a booth like mine at Easton some years ago is a big deal.  One has to do a couple of thousand just to break even.  So when I tell you that I will enjoy busting folks next week end, you kinda understand.

We always had to have some new angle to entice the customers.  For instance you can see the oval frame to the right in the above picture.  Well that was part of the antique frame phase I enjoyed.  I would go to auctions and antique stores buying up antique frames and then put my art in same.  It worked for a lot of years and I sold where others did not.

Charley Bear, from Jacksonville will most likely be at Charleston.  His wrinkle was/is to put his art on ceramic tiles.  His booth is on the left side of this photo.  I always accused him of selling kitchen utensils as he was big into back splashes and coasters.  Fantastic work but different and he sold the heck out of that stuff.  Needed an 18 wheeler to transport it though.

So instead of hustling to hustle, I will work here on line and get ready to go and enjoy as a tourist type.  

Looking forward to it and maybe I'll get an idea for a new wrinkle for my stuff!  Happy shopping y'all!

5 FEB 14

"MAKING A SILK PURSE OUT OF A SOWS EAR!"

Where in the world do old sayings like that come from.  I suppose if I had more time I would look it up and find some really interesting story to relate about how it came about.  I could "Google" it!  Ten years ago, what the heck was a Google?  Think about that.  "Google it!"  It's like back in the day....Dick Tracy had a wrist watch telephone.  And we all thought that was super, distant, imagination, sci fi!  Well which came first ... the cartoon or the technology?

About 45 degrees here south of the Sun and raining pretty nicely.  Gray, over cast, crummy type of day where photographers go out and try to make a purse.

I know that my friends up north are just now shoveling out of the latest winter droppings and getting ready for the next one later in the week or week end.  To say that I miss it is sort of like another of those sayings.  "A Love Hate Relationship."   I would love to be up there making pictures but hate all that responsibility of having to deal with it.  No, I do not miss having to shovel out three or four separate properties before work each day.  I do miss "Getting up with the Cows" to go out and photograph Gods artistic hand with the white stuff.  It is truly amazing what a decent snow storm does for the appearance of some of the worst scenes.  Making them into a fairy land of nature's artistic vision.  It's like trying to capture the excitement of the kids waking up to no school with the same enthusiasm as that of a Christmas morning.  I miss that too!

Of course we photographers are kinda a separate breed when it comes to our craft.  We can be sort of like that old saw about "Well yes officer I saw that he was going to shoot himself...but I thought it more appropriate to keep on photographing him rather than intervening to save him".  Or "Go ahead and jump."  It'll make the six o'clock segment on the news.  "Everybody loves a good train wreck."  But man if I could get in on film...!

So an ice storm is really fun too! 

3 Feb 14

LAST GASP!

New Hampshire Star Log 2010

The last entries in the log!

April 28th-Wed

Ice out a month ago and Winnie Derby cancelled cause of lack of fish or some other political reasons beyond our knowledge.  Lack of fish on this trip was the key phrase.  

Putt (the small boat) put on the dock until we could borrow a motor from Scotty and arrival of the big boat delayed for lack of parts. 

Snow this morning in Melvin Village, and wasn't till 4:30 that John David, Greenfield, and Paul went out in the big boat.  No runs, hits, and the only error was in going out in the first place  into the teeth of a mounting gale.

The place had been opened that day by Scotty, but the wind blew a tree branch into the water and  disconnected the pipe into the lake.  John David volunteered to do the honors and in fifty degree weather with forty degree water.  Thank God for designer Vodka!

April 29th-Thurs

Abe, Skip, Green, Paul, and JD on the water by 6:45.  Silly puppies, no fish, no hits, nada, nothing.  Big winds all day steady 50 mph with gust to sixty something.  Damn another 10 mph and we could have classified as a hurricane.  Bill stayed in the house (smart) and only one other boat on the water.  First ever Canada Geese on the lake.  Saw an eagle and Mergansers.  Putt not running but could not have used it anyway.  Cards and BS!

April 30th -Fri

No fish.  So much poker being played that Paul said the breasts on the St. Pauly Girl bottle of non-alcoholic beer were beginning to look pretty good.  Frey had a good baseball hand that stuffed Green.  He declared four threes when he had 3 threes, a nine with a ten kicker.  Will he ever learn?  Threes and nines are wild Bill!

Some old memories were dredged up.

The old guy with the red coat and cowboy hat that we saw for years on the water the same as we.  He seemed to know what he was doing and was just a nice guy.

We were catching fish one year regularly at a place in front of a house full of guys just like us.  Up for a week of fishing and drinking adult beverages.  I guess they were'nt catching as much and we were.  As we went by they shouted in the New England dialect......"Save some for the Naaa-bars"!  Just classic.

Then there was the Polish Navy.  Some other guys, much like us but without a boat, became creative.  They took their swim float, mounted an outboard, coolers for beer, rod holders, and a charcoal grill.  Shouting to everyone in their way....."We can't steer...get out of the way"!

Way back when, Paul was playing a fish and snatched the fly from it's mouth rather roughly.  That move forever has been called, in catch and release terms, a Smirnoff long distance release.

And finally there was the time we were using side planers...each about fifty feet off the side of the boat and holding up to three fishing lines.  Dave was driving the boat and managed to wrap one of the planers around a bouy.  

Just good stuff and meaning nothing to anyone other than us.

May Day-Sat

Finally on the water in both boats.  No Salmon.  Skip one 2.5 lb bass that doesn't count.  Tommy allegedly with one lake trout down three hundred feet on metal.  Doesn't count.  John Greenfield and Abe witnessed the bass catch from the dock, so they were given the idea about how it is all done.

Skip and Bill in Putt.  It looked like JD had a large fish hooked and Paul was waving at it with the net.  Their boat kept turning so we couldn't see much but the fight took some time and Skip was sure the fish jumped, confirming the presence of a salmon.  Finally when it was adroitly netted by Paul....it was a can of beer and not a fish.  I think it was a Coors light.  Skip and Bill were had again.

Later that night it was Abe's turn in the barrel as the others set up a hand of cards with him getting four wild cards and an ace.  Bill and Skip were not aware of the set up and the betting got pretty wild with everybody raising Abe's bets.  He could not understand it until the final bets were made and they came clean.  His five aces really did not win the twenty some odd dollar pot.  Great laughs.

May 1 - Sunday

Clean up and good byes.  It's been a great ride boys!