Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Photography

Winter Cactus Flower

Winter Cactus Flower

Damsel’s so-called “Christmas Cactus” has flowers opening about a week after the holiday. From the looks of the plant, it’s showing that many more of the flowers will be opening over the next several days. Damsel took this image today when the sun was shining into the front window where the plant sits on the sill.

We didn’t post a new year message on the eve or the day, but we take this opportunity to wish everyone a very happy and prosperous 2020. We let the post slip in favor of just relaxing and doing the usual holiday things, football bowl games, food, you know – celebrating in our own way.

It turns out that the switch from the old laptop to the new one has a few wrinkles. I have slowly been transferring all my “stuff” to the new one, but need to stay on line here until the complete switch over. My laptop is also the print server for the household, and it would put a drag on things if it were to be down for too long.

Another project associated with the computer replacement is the overhaul of the desk/workstation in the office. It needs to be reorganized and updated to new stuff. I just finished assembling a three-level desktop shelf (something needed for a long time) that will hold the various devices and get a lot of the stuff currently on the overcrowded desk up and out of the way.

So, we’re making progress on everything while keeping the pace comfortable for ourselves as we move through it all. Again, may you all have a blessed and happy new year.

03 Jan 2020 by Arizona Holidays Home & Garden Photography Retirement

Waxing Gibbous Moon

Waxing Gibbous Moon

I had a notion this evening to grab my camera and take a photo of the waxing gibbous moon shining overhead at 85% illumination. Again, as I did taking the photo of the emerging crescent moon last week, I did not use a tripod and remote shutter release, but rather I propped myself and the camera up against one of the porch pillars out in the courtyard. I used the automatic program shutter priority along with some post-processing to get the result seen above.

The Camera Settings were:

  • Camera – Canon Rebel EOS SL1
  • Program – Shutter Priority
  • Shutter Speed Set To 1/4000 sec
  • F Stop – 5.6
  • ISO 6400
  • Lens – Canon EF 75-300 set to 300mm Focal Length

Other than shutter speed, the camera automatically picked the other settings. In the post processing, I used my IRFANVIEW utility to crop the image, to enhance the gamma setting and eliminate the chromatic aberration caused by the cheap Telephoto lens. I would really like to get a better lens, but they are somewhat cost-prohibitive for as often as I have a need for one. I do have a camera adapter for my little Matsutov-Cassegrain telescope, but that, like a bunch of other things only comes out when I am highly motivated. Maybe the motivation will come one of these nights.

After I took the photo, Damsel and I stepped out to the courtyard to enjoy a nearly overhead pass of the International Space Station. The weather is starting to cool off a bit and we wore outer garments for the first time since early spring. This evening, the temperature plummeted to the low 70s which we consider quite cool. I know, I know, it’s snowing up north, and lots of snowbirds are already in town because of it.

09 Oct 2019 by Astronomy Notions Photography Something Shiny

Emergence of the Waxing Crescent

Waxing Crescent at 3%

After yesterday’s lunar new moon phase, we knew that a pencil thin crescent moon might be visible after sunset and before moonset today. Damsel and I went out to the courtyard to witness the thin crescent just at the end of civil twilight this evening. We could see it just above the hill to the west of us which obscures the western horizon from our view, so the timing was important.

After viewing the moon with Damsel, I went back into the house and got my camera to see if I could capture the image posted above. My Canon SL1, like other cameras of it’s class, has a programmed setting which automatically chooses most of the camera settings. To get the photo, it chose F 5.6, 1/400 sec. exposure and ISO 6400. I used a 300 mm telephoto lens. I didn’t have time to get the tripod and set it and the camera up before the moon would set, so I propped myself and the camera up against one of the posts holding up the porch roof.

Click on the image to enlarge.

29 Sep 2019 by Arizona Notions Photography Something Shiny

We’re Back in Arizona Tonight

Red Cliffs Along I-40

Our route was along I-40 all day with stops in Grants (Walmart – provisions) and Gallup (Diesel), NM with our evening destination here in Holbrook, AZ. Even along a major interstate, the scenery can be breathtaking as evidenced by the red cliffs near the AZ/NM border in the photo above (courtesy Damsel). There were many other worthy sightseeing photos Damsel took today, but we have neither the data space nor the bandwidth for the seven hundred plus images I downloaded from her camera today.

This is our last overnight stop and we will be home in Wickenburg tomorrow afternoon. Damsel and I both enjoyed this “vacation from retirement” excursion and will be anxious to travel again real soon as soon as practical. Meantime, we have some important things to do at home. Below is the campsite for tonight with dinner already being prepared in part within the grill on the picnic table (Chicken Jalapeño Casserole).

Holbrook Campsite

26 Aug 2019 by Arizona Food & Dining Photography Retirement Wanderlust

Colorado to Wyoming – Week 2 of Our Trip

We left Northwestern Colorado this morning and are in Laramie, Wyoming tonight. We saw a lot of interesting things along the route including many pronghorn antelope just a few yards from the roads we were on. Damsel took this photo of a pair of antelope near Baggs, WY, along Hwy 789 just north of the Wyoming State Line.

Pair of Antelope

Keeping a long day to a short summary, here is our campsite for tonight. We will be relaxing here for a couple of nights before heading back down to Colorado east of the Rockies on Wednesday.

Camping at Laramie

19 Aug 2019 by Photography Retirement Wanderlust

Northwestern Colorado

Colorado Hoodoo Rock Formation

There was so much beautiful scenery along our route today, that it is difficult to pick one out of over 500 images that Damsel took from the motorhome today. Finally, we selected this unusual rock formation taken along CO Hwy 13 near Hamilton, CO.

Colorado River scenery and rock formations aren’t the only interesting things out here. In addition to livestock (cattle, sheep, horses and goats), there is wildlife: we saw a herd of Antelope lounging in a field next to the highway.

Tonight, almost two years to the day since we traveled to the Great American Solar Eclipse of 08/21/2017, we are again camped at the Craig Colorado KOA. This time, we will be headed to the other side of the Rockies for some more visits to ancestors. More on that as we get there. This is our campsite this time:

Craig KOA Campsite

18 Aug 2019 by Photography Retirement Wanderlust

Montrose, CO

Colorado River

I’m sure that one of the little known scenic treasures in Utah is the route from Moab alongside the Colorado River going on Utah 128 to the northeast. In places, it rivals the scenic views of the towering canyon walls of Grand Canyon, the rock formations of Monument Valley and some of the most scenic rivers of America. We once again have limited upload bandwidth, so this is just a single image of the river at one of he bends in the canyon (courtesy Damsel). More images may be posted later.

Tonight, we’re here in Montrose, CO almost two years to the date since we were camped here before. We visited a nearby cemetery where my Great Grandmother is buried then and discovered that after nearly 50 years, she still had no headstone. We corrected that last year by working with a local Colorado monument company to place a marker. We will be heading over there tomorrow to observe the new stone and to decorate the grave and another one where my Great-Great Grandmother lies.

Here is a photo of our campsite I took this afternoon . . .

Montrose Campsite

16 Aug 2019 by Ancestors Photography Retirement Wanderlust

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