Rent A Dog

About a week ago I was contemplating finding a house dog.  I have two outdoor dogs that have to stay OUTDOORS as they are working cattle dogs. A friend of mine asked me if I would consider watching her dog for 11 days while she took a trip back east.  Sure why not, this would give me a chance to see if a indoor dog was really something I wanted.

It's now day 9 and I am so ready to have my home, life and sleep back.  Indoor dog is something I will pass on right now thank you very much.

It's All In The Numbers

I have been playing around with my shutter speed and aperture today. Trying to get these to dials down and to memory. I shoot only in manual as I don't like to do a lot of post processing, I like to get the shot and be done with it. I do however use Raw and JPG. Takes a lot of SD space shooting this way but I like have the option of having both when I need it.
Anyway back to shutter speed and aperture.
When I want the background in the photo blurred out I will adjust my aperture 1st then I will meter in with the shutter speed.
If I want to capture action as in the above photos I will adjust my shutter speed 1st then dial in the aperture.
I could have raised the ISO on the photo so that I could keep the aperture wider on the 4th photo, just didn't think to do that.
So many dials and knobs to remember
Camera setup
1st set WB
2nd set ISO
3rd set aperture or shutter speed depending on the shot
4th focus (remember I am shooting manual mode here)
5th set metering
6th don't move
7th lots of luck

Right Turn Clide

I had to go and shoot something today. Took my camera gear and went out into the country just for a drive to see where the end of the road took me. I flipped a coin, heads I go right, tail I go left for 7 miles.
I stopped the car when I reach the seven mile mark on my trip meter and I couldn't believe what I found.
I had been out this way several times but never really paid much attention to my surrounding.
This old case tractor is still all intact. I had never been up to one this close and can you say,
EXCITED?
Now I just have to do some searching on the net to find this tractors history.

I found out that this is a TRACTION ENGINE whatever the heck that is.
Danudin has left me this comment and said that, "technically it isn't a tractor it IS A Traction Engine, the piston is the give away, and about 30 time more powerful than a mere tractor. Love the images and the fact that it is still working can't last more than 200 years more in my estimation."
Thanks Danudin, you saved me allot of time.

Perhaps on my next photo shooting road trip, I will go 14 miles up north who know what I might find up there.

These Boot . . . .

I Love Boot. I love dress boots, winter boot and best of all my leather riding boots.
I never owned a pair of really COWBOY boot until about 10 years ago when my husband bought me my first pair. So I guess it is all his fault for my addiction.
I have a black pair of calf skins that are a soft as slippers. I have a pair of low healed casuals for just kicking around. I have a pair of lase ups that I enjoy wearing when I am riding. I also have a pair of insulated high tops of winter riding thanks to my husband as well.
Not pictured are my collections of winter weather boots, snowmachine boots and all around all weathers water boots.
Some women love to shop for dress shoes, I love to shop for BOOTS.

How did that get here?

Have you ever stopped to think, "Just where does all the food come from that we have in the grocery store?"
Before I get into that, I just want to say that we really are blessed here in the states. So blessed in fact that our Government even pay some farmers NOT TO GROW any crops just so the prices can keep stable and we don't over produce.
Now back to "WHERE ALL THAT FOOD" comes from.
What would happen if the farmers, producers or truckers decided that they were going to go on strike for higher wages, better working conditions or they decided they needed to fomr a union to get these benefits? Would you be able to feed your family tonight?
My husband met a woman just this past month that told him, "go ahead and let the farmers strike, I can get what ever I need at the grocery store." Gosh what was she thinking?
Or how about this one, a woman's objection to the way milk cows were handled. She thought this was inhuman and wanted her local dairy to discontinue milking. When asked where she would get her milk, she said "She would just purchase it at the local store just like anyone else".
So where am I going with this, what's your point, you ask?
I know and appreciate that when I need a gallon of milk I can go to the local grocer and get it just like the next guy, thanks to the early morning milkers that made sure that it got there. The farmer that raised the grain so that I could have my cereal. The trucker that runs long and sometimes stressful hours to get the product to the store. Last but not least, my husband that works so hard so that I can afford to put it all on the table.
Thank to this great country, I don't think I will go hungry anytime soon.

Anybody Home, HONEY

Years ago, I would have been scared to death to be taking a photo of a bee at work. Now I am intrigued by them. I have really never taken the time to notice just how hard they work for just a little pollen. I wonder if they have their favorite flower, I know I would. Some flowers just look more inviting than others. Take this thistle for example, it's covered in ant, thorns and doesn't even smell good. If I would a bee I would demand that I only had to visit flower gardens, fruit trees and never these wild, prickly, unruly things.

All In A Days Catch

Phill_08_15_2009_4274, originally uploaded by bob_r_ann.

I don't know who got a better catch, Heather or myself.
After spending a long day casting and waiting, Heather was able to land a 17", 3lb trout.
It tasted as good as it looked. Ü

Water, Water Everywhere

And not a drop to drink!

Water!! Can't live without it. It's one of those major necessities of life and I knew that it was just a matter of time before I would be without.

So here is the story. Dennis wakes up at 4am Wednesday and as the unusual routine, heads for the shower. He turns the water on, lathers up and low and behold, NO WATER!!
I am without water for 2 day because the pump that pumps the water out of the ground is froze up.

Now don't get me wrong, I was prepared, I had my water storage I just don't like having to use it. It makes me feel like I am camping in my house.

I finally get an education on well drilling and pump pulling, learned lots.

Water is back on, showers are taken, laundry is done and I am ONE HAPPY CAMPER.