Good morning all. Been quite a while since I have been able to drop in, and couldn't believe you didn't have a Tuesday thread going yet. Everyone (but me) is getting too much sleep. So while I sit here scanning slides for a screensaver project, I figured I should check in.
Am in the final stages of preparing to go out to see Cynde this weekend (well, there is the photo shoot, but she has taken care of all the hard stuff on that). That should make for a little interesting chat.

Okay, Rusty was busy loading GIFs to her new thread while I was starting mine. Let's go to hers, it's more interesting.

Haha! Hi John - you spying on me? I did sleep late. It was almost ten o'clock when I woke up. Even BoxerBOb was laughing because one day of work and I;m worn out. Like it's aardvar or something soing just about the same thing I do here - playing on the computer all day. (And it was taking me forever to make that thread-starter look the way I wanted. LOL It was Spicy Foods Day or Independence Day in Afghanistan. Tough choice!)

We can fill two threads - easy!

Cynde is the great Welcome Wagon of the West. What's your project about? Drinking beers and eating BBQ in So Cal? She ought to be able to handle that. LOL

We will need pix - since you are going out with a camera, right?

I shoulda run smellchecker on that first paragraph of mine. Man, I must be worn out! I used all my good spelling up yesterday on paying jobs.



I've been designing a dinner menu for an Indian Restaurant - from scratch - gave the spellchecker fits. Pintu had spelled entree names several different ways - like Vinda Lu and Vindaloo throughout the menu so I had to decide if it was one or two dishes. We're finally beyond the basic proofing - now onto the layout.

Aha! John, I caught you loafing! Get back to work man! hee hee! Yes, things are lining up nicely aren't they...one more male model and I have it all covered Keeping my fingers crossed for sunny skies and calm seas!

Rusty, I'll let John tell you about the project I just helped out a bit lining up boats, models, dogs, places, stuff like that! Buttercup is going to the the "top dog" in one of the shots!

Aha! John, I caught you loafing! Get back to work man! hee hee! Yes, things are lining up nicely aren't they...one more male model and I have it all covered Keeping my fingers crossed for sunny skies and calm seas!

Rusty, I'll let John tell you about the project I just helped out a bit lining up boats, models, dogs, places, stuff like that! Buttercup is going to the the "top dog" in one of the shots!

Oh, the next 4 weekends I get to meet up with BT folks! John this weekend, Kelly arrives for Labor Day, Diana and Ruud the next weekend, and then Cheryl and Airey the next!

Uh Oh, I think I got what you got Rusty! It wasn't posting, so I hit the back button and added the last paragraph and then posted again...I've had it time out before and then I loose all my good typing and have to retype it all, so I got in the habit of going back and redoing it! Did that make any sense?

Cynde - didn't anyone ever tell you that you shouldn't meet people on the internet? They are all kooks. LOL

That's excellent that you can sneak your little pride and joy into one shot. She's already a BT star!

Rusty, John said that he needed a dog for some shots, and of course, I jumped in there that my weiner dogs are boat dogs of course! LOL! She's going to get a special bath and all for her big debut...I told John that her fee of dog bones is quite steep though! LOL!

Let's see, I have already met Kelly, Cheryl and Aiery...I've spoken to John on the phone (second step to an internet set up)...Diana and Ruud will be fun to meet as I have no idea what she looks like behind all that scuba gear!

Sometimes I can't tell if it uploaded my images either after waiting a long time and getting a page not found error. Now I try to open a second CHAT page and see if the images got there before I close the error window. If they aren't there I just re-send the images from the refreshed page. Make sense?



I HATE losing a post when I have about fourteen images on there and all my thoughts for the day just the way I wanted them. It's a nightmare to reconstruct something that came out just right the first time. My problem is usually when my PC freezes on this end. Of course, there's no save. Phhht.

Rusty, never thought about opening another window to see if it was there. When I get the error page, I hit the back button and copy my post so I don't have to retype it. I hear ya on losing a lot of thoughts!

Speaking of which, I get to go see John Edwards (Psychic) on Thursday! I am sooo excited! My mom is helping me get together everyone's names, dates, places, all that lot JUST in case something kewl happens

While your seeing John Edwards I'll be getting my teeth cleaned, I'll have more fun. Only kidding, I'm very skeptical of psychics, but if they are only entertainers and not bilking money from old ladies it's OK. My big problem is them feeding people info they really want to hear, it just seems sleezy to me.

Speaking of parasitic nocturnal visitors, here's one at the feeder night before last.



She did not know what to do with me and just sat there frozen. After I took my pictures I could not get her to leave the feeder and almost had to hit her to get her to leave. We have also seen a Raccoon and flying squirrels on the feeder at night.

LOL, Cynde...
Before I go to San Diego I will post a 'normal' photo of myself!!!
I miss BT. To busy at the moment.
One quick view for today and I'm gone again... Horseback riding.
Yesterday I did got my clubinstructor certificate!! Now I'm really allowed to teach within our club (I've done that for a lot of years already...., but now things are more official in the Netherlands)

See you later guys!!

It is friendship week at least!!!

She was waitng for her modeling fee, Cecil

I am working on the shoot, Cynde. I was thinking this was the fifteenth year I've shot the catalog, so I decided to put together a screensaver of shots from the past years to give as a little gift to the Achilles people. So I'm busy scanning things like this (from our first shoot in San Diego (1988).

Cynde forgot to mention she is also in charge of producing sunsets for the four days of the shoot.

Cynde, don't use up all the good sunsets on John & Company. I need a good sunset and some wogga wogga!

Hmmm - only deities can arrange sunsets. Is she cutting in on my territory?

Cecil - she's probably a deer mouse. We have a very closely related species here - the White-footed Mouse and in a few places in the hills their ranges overlap. This is of some interest to biologists. LOL There are only a few ways to tell them apart where they both exist - one is tail length - deer mouse tails are longer fractionally - and from numerous skull measurements. I did hundreds of IDs for a summer job in a lab. Glamorous is was not.

Cecil - have you photographed MARS yet? Niki? John? Spongebob? Mary? et cetera? BoxerBob called me out a couple nights ago and it was a crystal clear sky with the moon and mars about ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ that far apart above the horizon. Would have made a lovely shot but I'm not sure my camera is up to night pix.

And, of course, the white-footed mouse is the reservoir for Lyme Disease. Hope you washed your hands afterwords, Rusty.

Been thinking about Mars but have not had the chance or cooperating weather. Maybe tonight, if I do I'll pull out my telescope and see if the Sony is up to the task. It may work as it has a slow shutter speed mode and the LCD is through the lens.

Sunset, did I hear sunset. Here's one taken locally that you all have not seen yet.



I took a similar one last year at the same spot. Last year's was slightly better.

No, Rusty, I haven't tried photographing Mars, though I've done the moon a few times. No, not that kind of moon Cecil.

Speaking of moons, though, we went to a friend's wedding on the beach last Saturday. Just as our group was walking down the street to the beach, this guy comes running out of the house on the corner, bare-a***d, and streaks over the dunes (they were having quite a party there, unlike our sedate, sophisticated group). When we got to the beach he had taken the plunge and was preparing to come back out of the water. That's when he looks up and sees 28 people standing between him and path through the dunes. After a lot of frantic hand signalling to his friends up on the deck of the house, he got one to bring a bit of attire down, but the guy bringing the shorts wouldn't go in the water, and the streaker was sticking to the waist deep water about 20 yds. out. Finally they moved a ways down the beach and the guy dashed out and grabbed the shorts. He was holding the shorts strategically as he walked back to the dunes, but halfway there, the alcohol took over again, and he did a full frontal cartwheel in the sand and then ran off to the house. After the ceremony, as we were walking back, I saw him out on the side of the street (red heads shouldn't expect to remain anonymous after streaking). Couldn't stop myself from remarking to him, "That water must be a heck of a lot colder than I thought."

John - that's one of the reasons I don't streak anymore.

I read a story in Reader's Digest years ago about a bunch of streakers who ran by a group of girls standing by the road. All the guys used their hands to cover their privates. The one smart one used his hands to cover his face. LOL

John, lol, did you have your camera in hand???? My job today is to call all the models and confirm each one The screen saver sounds like a very nice idea...I don't want to mention that we have had fog every morning and evening the last 2 days...I have had my talk with the sea and told him he better get it out of his system by Sunday...weather man confirmed this morning that all should be clear again by Saturday

Kelly, plenty of California sunsets to go around

Cecil, I'm skeptical as well...but as I have lost a sister, nephew, father, all my grandparents and several friends, it is worth a shot! I'll report back on Friday as to if it is a hoax, or not. I guess they are filming this one as well

Diana, Congratulations. I know you must have worked hard in order to achieve this!

Martin

If you get a chance - ask if Annie left any messages for me. LOL

Martini! Do you think Diana means scuba or horses?

Cecil - how do you get such HUGE pix at great quality to stay under 50k? What compression level do you use?

I hardly ever see my sweet little Blikje on the post any more.

blikje martinblikje.wav (37.7 k)

Rusty, I'm thinking Scuba. I talked to Diana on the phone the other day and we talked a bit about it.

#3 compression mostly although I have used #2 if there a lot of detail (these are slide bar settings in Photo Shop when you save a .jpg, for the others). I'd rather get some artifacting than to post a small picture.

Hi Everyone!!!
Been a busy day for me - had a client meeting that kept me occupied!! Image work interfering with this!!!I see everyone has been having a good day talking!!

Rusty - no mars shots - can't see it through the clouds - we have not had a day without rain in over a month!!! My hubby (who never gets out of bed in the morning until the last minute) has tried getting up around 4:00 to see if he could see the mars and came back very disappointed to say - all he could see was clouds. Maybe this weekend -we are supposed to have no rain!!!

Cecil - love the sunset!!! Haven't seen a sunset here in forever!!

Rusty, yes Scuba-related!
Thanks Martin!

When do I again have some time to BT!!!