birch trees

I’m not sure what it is, but this simple photo of some birch trees I took a few days ago has suddenly become my favorite.  I shot it through my van window (open of course) as I was leaning over to the passenger side, and only snapped three …all slightly different, with more or less treeless shrub in the foreground.  But this one kinda hit the spot for me.  It almost looks like a painting in a way.  The dimness I suppose.  The flatness and then the depth at the same time.  The way the trunks thin up going back.  I especially like the tilted/slanted trunks that break up the routine.  There’s a few small slanted branches in the foreground too that mirror the larger ones in the back – this was neat.  The brush too fades in detail and size going back.

Like I say, I don’t know …I just like it.

Here’s another that I converted to black and white.  It too is also neat, but I only posted the color version to my flickr page.  The more I look at it though, the more I may change my mind.  Maybe I’ll just stop looking at it.

B&W or color?

a foggy day…

I missed all the good fog when I was out on my runs yesterday.  On that morning I thought “Should I bring my little camera …naw, I’ll just stare around at things and never stop anyway.”  That was a mistake, as everywhere I looked I could of pulled over and snapped a post-card.  Today however, I got another chance of sorts.  It was foggy again, but just not the same, and I didn’t have as many rural places to go …but I did manage to find a few roads that offered some neat opportunities.

new poem

We all cope.
The impermanence
of our existence drives
us daily.
The glimpse of
the unseen.
I once thought that
coping was a
last resort – something
done when
the natural or the
obvious had
obviously failed.
I once thought that
coping was a
copping out – a
secret door from
which the rabbit
escapes and the magician
stands to ovations.
That it was a
making-do.
I once thought
that coping was a
discarded option…
like ‘all of the above’
or a late, late
Sunday movie.

Lately I’ve
come to depend
on its routine.
Its old shirt-ness.
It’s something
where before was nothing,
and although
something is exactly
that, nothing just may
have been preferred.
Regrettably.

Coping is stagnation.
An oasis;
the deserts dessert …less
filling yet
potentially fatal.
It is scrouge-like.
A remnant.  A call for
help …air-tight
and set adrift to never
once find land.
Coping is coping
and all one can do
as nothing is done.

And hoping.

4 days, 1700 km

Thoughts on Tisdale….

It was a trip.  Not quite a vacation though.  It was short, which is usual for me, and it was somewhat packed with a circular visiting pattern that had me bouncing between four different houses.  It was nice though.  I ate crap of course …I knew I would so it wasn’t a surprise.  Mom had an early Thanksgiving dinner so it was expected.  But more importantly I got to hang out with everyone for ‘just long enough.’  Just long enough is just long enough too.

But it’s nice to be home.  I think -lol.  I’ll find out in the next day or so I guess.  Now for one of those shower things followed by a sleep-in-your-own-bed thing.  Sleep is good kids.

Old house by Innisfail on my way back.

pecs, bi’s and salty snacks

Pecs are your friends kids!  That’s what they say at least …and if they say it then it has to be true.

Anyway, it was pecs and bi’s today (roughly translated into ‘pectorals and biceps’) and it all started off with everyone’s favorite basic movement …the flat bench.  The flat bench (incase you’ve been out of the loop for a bit) is a bar-bell press while laying flat.  On a bench of course.  It is, as I’ve said before, the most basic chest exercise you can do and the most popular and frequently used movement in the history of fitness related endeavors.  I’m guessing a little …but it’s probably true.  I did 4 sets starting with 12 reps and going down (increasing weight) to just 4 for the last set.  After that I zipped over and did some incline dumb-bells (4 sets, again 12 down to about 4) and finished off with some machine flies.  The machine flies were done in the sitting position and again, I went down to around 4 reps.  With the files however I super-setted some basic standing curls (alternating between one set of flies and then one set of curls until 4 sets are done) which I usually like to do on my last ‘major’ exercise because it not only warms up my next muscle group but kills a little time as well because you don’t really rest between the alternating sets.  Make sense?

The Flat-bench. Image from ShapeFit.com

Biceps started then with standing curls (more or less 8-10 reps for all 4 sets) then shifted over to preacher curls (wide grip, 10 down to 4 or 5 reps) and finished off with straight-bar cable curls (narrow grip 6-4 reps throughout).  The last exercise of bi’s was super-setted with some triceps …straight bar cable extensions.  These were nice to do because I simply used the same bar I used for curls but just raised the pivot point – these machines let you adjust things pretty easily.  Again, there’s really no rest in between the two exercises, and you get a great arm pump as long as you’ve still got the energy.

Preachers curls. Image from ShapeFit.com

And I seemed to have the energy today.  Just for fun, food throughout the day consisted of a bowl of Kelloggs Just Right, an apple, a Genisoy bar, a 6 inch turkey breast on whole wheat from Subway (toasted, cheddar cheese, onions, lettuce, green peppers, banana peppers, cucumbers and mustard), another Genisoy bar, some water, some orange juice, a few whole wheat crackers, a two egg ommlete with one whole orange pepper (I like those things now!) some milk (skim), two slices of Little Caesars ‘Supreme’ Hot and Ready (of which it was both), a protein shake with milk and a whole banana and finally two more pieces of the aforementioned pie with some orange juice.  Oh, and a bottle of apple juice somewhere along the way.  And more water too.

So that’s the day.  Obviously there’s a bunch of fast-food in there which although wasn’t too bad, was still fast, full of salt and typically not what I usually eat.  In my defense, I did put in an 8-5 shift for the Man as well as a trip to the laundry-mat and dickered with a few old-timers who stopped by to buy some of my ‘collecting dust camera equipment’ …film of course.  I was able to trade them for a Photo Trekker AW 2 (by Lowepro) which is a very comfy bag, but I’m not sure I’m going to use it much.  I don’t have a lot of equipment of course, so I’ll probably just use it as a back-pack for various outings.  Perhaps.  Worse case scenario ….I’ll sell it.

It seems to be worth something!

the friday…

With the day off today I headed out with the camera for a bit.  I kinda meandered around the neighborhood and eventually made my way over to the Muttart Conservatory …and then inside.  Exciting ….lol, I guess.  It was somewhat disappointing though.  Not that there wasn’t stuff to see, but that there wasn’t anything that really jumped out at me.  Maybe it was the daytime experience.  I’ve been there a few times at night for some gigs, and I remembered it as kinda magical in a way …not this afternoon though.  It was fine, don’t get me wrong, but perhaps the night/post-dusk experience might have a little more to offer.

Two ants doing an ant dance. Or at least I think that's what it is? Picture from my neighbors garden however ...the Muttart ants weren't all that exciting.

Also interesting to note was the fact that Jehovah Witness people come out on Friday.  That caught me off guard.  I can’t say no to two little old ladies of course …especially when one knew my name, so I took their magazines and chatted with them for a while.  The one has been stopping by for a few years now …and they are kind.  The roomie answered the door and later made the remark that he wished he had the time to talk to them.  I’m not sure if he was truly sincere or not.  Anyway, it was a short and sweet visit.  God Bless their stick-to-it-ness!

Off to the gym for a bit, then some groceries, then I contemplate recording a guitar part for a new tune.  It’s done of course, but now comes the ‘motivation to record’ test.  It is kinda neat though …and it uses that loop I stuck in that Banff vid.  So we’ll see.  Tomorrow I’m up early for a sound-check in prep. for a wedding later that night.  Mmmmm ….and I hear we get free food!

Ahhhh, the sweet perks that come with the power of entertainment.

peppers and people

I think they call it ’still life‘ kids.  I don’t really get it though …most of what I take pictures of is still and is life.  Hummm.

Anyway, while cruising the grocery store the other day I came across the pepper display and thought hey, that’d be a neat picture.  So I bought a few (not a real green one though, that’s cruel) and took a stab at some set-up shots.  Unfortunately the sun didn’t cooperate with me, so I had them next to the overcast window and did my best.  I’ll try again later I suppose.  And I’ll eat these tomorrow!  Perhaps a big pepper and cheese omelet …mmmmm.

I was also out the other night and came across a neat sunset.  I wasn’t the only one around to appreciate it though, so I sneakily flanked a pair of picture-takers and took their picture.  The nerve of me ….and I didn’t even tell them.  I felt dirty too – like a paparazzi.  A dirty, bad, skulking around paparazzi.  Those are the worst kind I think.  I’m quite certain, but that would have to be the worst job I can imagine.  That and telemarketing.  And sales.

The reddest pepper?

I think it was the 'claw' or something.

captures…

That’s what picture people call pictures …captures.

I’m out of the loop though.  Photography has it’s own lexicon just like any specific skill-set …music would be no exception.  I might say “Nice work on that 2-5!” while someone else might say “Skiddly do-wop, say-what yeah! …Sweet!” Ok, that’s a bad example …but you know what I mean.

I’ve been getting out more and more with the camera though, so that’s a good thing.  It’s working fine, although I seem to be doing some consistent photoshop level tweaks on a regular basis and I’m wondering if I can adjust that in camera?  Probably …it’s just figuring out how.  A task for another day perhaps.  As for subjects though, it’s all open …and this is good.  I can go over to anything really, and start taking shots.  Many will be weird and/or stupid of course, but eventually my eye will find something eye-worthy.  I seem to be paying a lot more attention to lighting too.  I didn’t give it as much thought as I do now, and I think it’s helping.  Wow, attention to detail and planning ahead …neat concepts

Anyway, I swapped a bunch of the shots off of my ‘Photos’ page with newer ones that link to my Flickr account.  I’ve neglected that for quite some time, so I’ll have to make a mental note to update it more often.  And in celebration of this revelation I present to you ….a pigeon!  He seems to be saying “Hey …what are you trying to do?  Capture me!?”

Not really Mr. Pigeon …I’m just trying to take your picture.

new photos…

I’ve been slowly …ever so slowly, getting out more and more with the camera.  That lens that I bought (75-300mm older Nikon) is great except it occasionally fails to communicate with my D40.  For example, the lens will be attached and I’ll have taken a bunch of shots, then out of the blue I get a “Lens not attached” reading.  I can release the lens then mount it again and things are fine …or I can also vary the zoom and get things back to normal ….but it still happens – and for an unknown reason.

I think it may be a mechanical problem with the lens itself – hopefully that’s it.  It’s almost like some mechanical arm or pin is losing contact – which makes me think it’s just dirty.  We’ll see how things go.  If it gets too bad then I’ll bring it in for a look-see.

Click to get to my Flickr page

Aside from the picture thing I’ve been contemplating my future musical commitments.  I think one of my own problems creatively (musically speaking) is that I’ve been too busy doing other crap …which zaps any desire I may have for hashing things out for myself.  I’ve started a bunch of stuff, but again, I get too drained to finish it off and just feel uninspired.  So yeah …I think I’ll be making changes in the Fall.

Which also happens to be the time when things finally settle down.

new poem

the tip shies away from the paper
as the heart shies away from the eyes,
the words shy away from the sentence
as the soul from the prospect of lies,
yet the sun can’t choose to play favorites,
nor a shadow to choose any flame -
so if you by chance choose to mind me,
understand that my choice is the same.