March 31, 2007-The snow is gone

Well, its only been spring for what, 7-8 days now, and it is already feeling like it. The Toronto Maple Leafs(not my hockey team) is fighting fo a playoff spot. Again.
Good by John Ferguson Jr. The Blue Jays(my baseball team) had a so so spring, and some questions on pitching, but will be starting their 30th season this year, April 7 1977 was the date of the now famous home game, playing Chigago in the snow.Bet those players from Califonia were'nt prepared for that.LOL.

I had my spring hair cut today, and all my baseball hats fit again. No more beany head.

Finally got my Epson 2400 print profiles to work, i hope, and life should be good from now on.

The posted picture today is the one that Pentax rejected for the online gallery. I love this shot, but it seems i'm the only one.From the 2005 Grandfather Mountain Nature Photography Weekend in June.

Lovely spot i hope to make it a yearly trek, until i can't trek no more.

Cats are all asleep, think i'll have a beer out side and wait for the suirrels to sho up.

Have a good day.

DJB

March 24, 2007 - I'm in a Gallery for Pentax

Hi all. Well Spring has sprung, the grass has ris, i wonder were the birdies is.....I think you know the rest. LOL

I'm in a bit of a good mode these past few days. Our trip to Vegas will be upon us soon, and as the title mentions, i now have had 4 of 5 submitted pictures accepted to the Pentax on line gallery.
The Pentax camera email list, i frequent, was invited, alone with a host of others, to upload our best pictures to the website. Its looking good in Beta, but they are still working on it.

One of the accepted pictures is the one to the left of this post.

Its raining today, so maybe its a good day to work on the WhiStle Radio Stars of Stouffville II logo.

Have a good day

Thanks for listening

DJB

March 20, 2007 - Big K and Little E

Sunday i went to a good friends birthday party. Seems i'v know little E all my life, and i suppose i have. It was his first BDP and i was asked to shoot photos for the parents and family, so they could concentrate on the party and keep an eye on 1/2 dozen young'ens.

The Mom is my daughters Dressage coach, and i had the pleasure of doing the same, for her Hunter coach's daughter in 2004, little H.

The standard gang was there, Grandma's, Uncles, Aunts, etc and the small kids at H's BDP are now a lot bigger and run a lot faster that i can.

I wanted to shoot as much as possible at their level, like 6" above the floor. The last time i spent this much time on a tile floor was after a 3 day binge after a work camp in the bush.LOL

Lots of great food, pasta shells, cheese potatoes etc. Thank you ladies for a great meal.

The kids were well behaved, or atleast as best as could be for agroup of 1/2 to 4 year olds.

A few games to keep them interested, a great Grandma toy room, even Big K was caught in motion. STS, playing with a group of cake waiting boys.

Speaking of cake, little E had his right of passage, the lone hi chair and a bowl of ice cream and a plate of icy, sugary cake, ever so carefully smeared across the face.

Enjoy the day little E. Before you know it, you'll be driving the John Deere.

Thanks for listening

Dave Brooks

March 17, 2007 - Friday the 16th, was interesting

Well, i managed to make it through another March Break with out to much trouble.

Forgot my daughter's riding lesson on Thursday and bought the wrong chicken wings, but at least i remembered the right beer.

Traffic was really light, no major truck car collisions on our 400 series Highways, managed to do a little bit of photography, and play with the cats.

One thing did liven up Friday. I am one of several Moderators on an Equine BB. Seems one of our members had a bit to much of Mom's 772B(you need to remember how we used to buy from the liquor store in the 60's and early 70's to get this remark)or Dad left some roaches in the ashtray, but they went on a very slanderous rampage, calling several other members all sorts of interesting words.

And i thought only surveyors and truckers talked like that.

Well, many emails from concerned members and a blitz by the full Moderator staff cleaned 'em up around 10am.

Now to track em down Bwaaa Haa Haa.

Several of our Hunter team showed last weekend at the March CE Trillium show. Not a great turn out, but again good numbers for this time of year. The young lasses did well. No championships, but good placings for good points. It all counts eh.

Oh one other thing. I finally ave up on Norton AV and installed McAfee instead. Computer still slowish, but not as bad as Norton.

Take that which ever way you like.

I was among a number of people who shoot Pentax cameras, to upload my best images to be included in to an on line gallery and for Pentax promotional stuff. I submitted four images, and three were accepted and one was not.

Still pretty good, i'm happy. I had a look at it last night and i'm happy to be among such great photographers.

http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/index-flash.jsp?#section=HOME&subSection=null&subSubSection=null.

It is in Beta mode right now, but please look again.

Oh and the 772B reference. Well, before we got modern liquor stores, ie: self serve, we had to fill out a slip with the product number and quantity. Hand it to an employee and he/she went to the back on got your order. 772B was my Mom's favorite wine. A cheap sugar concoction, but she like it, and well, deserved it. She was a great lady.

Thanks for listening

Dave B

March 9, 2007 March break madness

So this is our areas March break week, starting today. I say ours, as i am led to understand not all school district areas have the same week for the break.

As in the past, i/we will not be going anywere for the week. Atleast not by plane, train, or ship. Its the crowds. I hate crowds. Shopping at Christmas time, even two months before Dec 25th is like putting my head in a vice, squeezing whilst someone blares American Idol reject songs, over and over. I think you get my drift.:-)

Nope, my idea of March break, is to, sit out back and have a cold one, enjoy the lesser clogged roads, to and from work. AND, and this is more important, enjoy a few days of photo drives, to catch up on missed opportunities during the winter.
Now the weather is getting a tad wormer, which means less ice on the roads. As i travel by myself a lot, and on back roads, this could be the savings of a tow truck, or worse, a call to my wife for help.

Winter is the time i really like to shoot Black and White photos, with film. B&W digital conversions and prints have come a long way from the simple Photoshop command of "Convert to Grayscale" as i discoverd in 2001 with Ver6. Thought i had died and gone to heaven. However getting good tones and contrast, as well as a good print, was not to be, for me, until late last year, when, through the good folk at the PDML(more on this bunch later) came up with good work flows and printer combos for digital B&W, Juan Buhler, being one of the better PDML ers at this.There are also a number who have taken great pains to get a good B&W workflow going and have been rewarded with showings and books.

Although i support B&W film, i and many others do like the "feel of silver". I have however, improved my digital colour to B&W conversions quite a bit lately, and as my confidence and appility grows over the next while, i probably will do what i have done with my film colour shooting, and that is all digital now.

I have recently upgraded my S800 printer, bought in 2001, and now have bought my first Epson printer, the 2400. I have been assured by Epson as well as real people who own the printer, that both colour and B&W prints will look asume. So far my few test prints show this.

I'll be using this printer for all my inkjet equestrian sales this year, and i hope my clients will see the differences.

Well, thats it.

Oh wait, almost forgot, its round two of the Jokers Hill CE Trillium shows this weekend. I'll be popping in over the next few days, to support the team etc. I also need some more Angie-isims from the show, and from the person that inspired this venture.

Oh-co-co for those that don't know is a rider showing for practise and does not want to be scored.

Thanks for that dear.

Thanks for listening.

D

March 1, 2007-Finally a winter Storm

It seems, over the last few years,the City of Toronto media goes nuts with "Storm Watch" and insert year and date here. I get all excited, possibly a snow day from work. No point in playing bumper cars with all the drives who forget that one needs to slow down when it snows and or rains out.

For the most part, the storm never gets here or is 1 1/0 of what they were yapping about.

Well,today we had everyone on the same page. Storm hit a few hours after predicted, and that led to some nasty weather man comments by the office micro, and as hard as expected.

Now, i'm used to winter in our North, having spent close to 20 years working in Thunder Bay, Kenora, Hearst etc. A 10cm drop every other day is ordinary, and we deal with it and carry on with work and social lives.
Today was one of those little 10 cm days, but with the wind and warmer temps, we got the big wet flurries that really mess up the roads. My 15 minute drive home took over and hour and a half.
To make matters worse, the bar i tend to stop at every now and again, closed early, just as i got there. Oh well, for the best i think.

So now we're at home, wood stove pumping and watching the rangers hockey game, waiting for the last two thirds, the freezing rain and AM rain for Friday.

So it looks as if March comes in as a Lion, and hopfully leaves as a Lamb.

Thanks for listening, i'm going for more ice.:-)

Dave