Arkansawyer

Creation

2012-01-11T10:52:00.000-05:00

Whatever happened to Creation?

We have become accustomed to, conditioned to live a Reactionary lifestyle. The holidays are coming, so I must make great amounts of tasty food. I have great amounts of tasty food, so I must eat too much. I ate too much, so now I must diet.

It seems like a simple example... but it is typical of how many of us live our lives, day-to-day. This thing happened, so I did that. A reaction. A new door appeared, so I went in. It can be a good thing. A new job opened up, so I applied. My sister turned 50, so I sent her a birthday card (errm. I'm only a few months late with that!!!).

Whatever happened, though, to Creation?

I have learned to have a mix of reaction and creation. In this modern world, there's no way to avoid chain reactions. Someone posts a "Hello" on Facebook, and you reply. Someone pokes you, so you poke back.

But Creation, in my terms, means having Vision. A Master Plan. Or maybe, it doesn't.

I picked up a camera and went out into the world and took some photographs. It was a reaction, yes, an escape from the mundane, from the stress, but it was transformed into something more. Something in me sought out some place to share the one or two photographs that had particular meaning, to me. Particularly my photo "Heaven's Light", a rural church at sunset. When I found that place to share, I posted the photos in a public forum.

Within moments, I had two new 'friends' who liked the photos, and commented on them. One of those friends dropped off the radar after awhile, the other, is still one of my best friends. Over time, more and more connections were made, essentially because of one photograph that I took. It was a reaction, at the time, but also a creation. It was "stopping to smell the roses" or see the sunset, as it were.

Eventually, through the personal encouragement of my friends, my family, I decided to compile my photographs into a book. It took over a year, off and on, with a wild, mad final rush, over the last couple of months. But I did create the book, with no particular feel for what I'd do once it was done. I just had this burning, craving desire to create Something Good.

I haven't ordered any of the books now, in a couple years. But while I did, I sold all I ordered. More than a hundred, all told.

Reactions... I showed the "photo" that started it all to a friend. She said that she knew someone that would like it, and called her up. The Someone liked it and wanted a copy. I had one printed and took to her. She liked it so much that she wanted a copy of the book, as well, sight unseen. So I brought her a book, but told her that I'd sell it to her full price, only she could give me $5 less and donate the rest to the church, that was featured on the cover.

Next thing you know, she called me back and asked how many more of the photobooks did I have? I said, 3 or 4. She said she had pending orders for 7 but if I needed to order more, hold off... A few weeks went by and when we talked again, she had sold several more. I ordered some more - and in all, through her, I sold 28 books, with a $5 each donation back to her church - which was met dollar for dollar by a church organization, and the church took the $280 earned, and paid for some much needed furnace repairs.

The Holiday-Food-Diet reaction chain didn't do much.. but mixing Reaction with Creation works wonders.

I got my start in photogaphy back at Mount Ida High School as a photographer on the yearbook staff. Truth be told, I'd always been interested, I'd gotten my own camera at about 11 or so, and just kept taking photos.

But as an adult, I didn't like spending money on film, so it fell by the wayside. A neighbor lost her husband due to a heart attack, and I started mowing her grass, because it was way too much for her alone. When she finally settled the estate and was getting ready to move, she gave me a camera as part of the thank you for helping. I didn't want payment, but appreciated the gesture. I took the digital camera and took some photos, and loved it so much I bought a better camera. And the rest, as they say, is history. There's a lot of Reaction in this story...

But the Creation is good, too. In addition to the old church getting much-needed repairs, the book opened other doors, as well. One old farm, featured in the book, I titled "home". It was an old farmhouse and barn that has always stuck a chord, deep within me... It's nestled near a mountain, cozy, inviting, feeling like "home".

Turns out, when Robin (now my wife), saw the photo, and saw the caption, it certainly meant something to her, as well... For it was her Grandfather's farmhouse. He's gone now, and the farm is owned by someone else, but there's still that deep current of "home-ness" that connects us, and always has connected us, even when we did not realize it.

If I continued to live Reactively, then I'd never have known. We would never have been. Creation is more important today than ever. Be reactive - you can't help but be, we're all human. Transform the Reaction with Creation and you never can tell what Wonders may be discovered.

Be still. Listen, not so much with your ears, but with your heart. Find a quiet place to grow. To be. To create.

Economic Stimulus Plan

2011-11-30T14:15:00.002-05:00

This is just some ramblings... I may work toward getting numbers documented and sources quoted, and submit it to some major newspapers...

It is my feeling that the "Occupy" movements across America recently rightly focused attention on big banks, Wall Street, and corporate executives, not to mention many government policies which seem to favor the top 1% of rich people and totally ignore the little guys...

And the Democrats and Republicans can't seem to agree on stimulus plans, or debt reduction, or anything else these days.

And President Obama is rightly trying to promote job growth and revenue growth... But it's not enough.

Do you want to know what can be done to reduce corporate expenditures, offsetting increased taxes on the rich and assisting the 'common man' at the same time as corporate America, potentially creating new jobs, creating much more cash flow, with almost no government intervention, no extra money being spent by the government?

Consider this headline:
Chevron Announces $7.8 Billion in Q3 Profits, 2011 Profits for Big-Five Oil Companies Hit a Staggering $101 Billion

While driving across the country this past Thanksgiving, I observed a wide range of gas and diesel prices, and considering how much I spent, it got me to thinking...

If I average 25,000 miles driven per year, at an average of 25MPG, and an average cost of $3.50 per gallon of gasoline, then my annual fuel expense for the year is 1,000 gallons or $3,500 in gasoline.

A 10% cut in the cost of the gasoline (to $3.15 per gallon) would reduce my annual cost to $3,150.00 – a savings of $350 dollars, which could be invested in other things.

Small fries… the payroll tax has potentially saved me more this year. But it’s something.

And on our recent jaunt from Pennsylvania to Arkansas, we spent several hundreds of dollars in one trip to go see family. I saw gas prices vary as much as fifty cents per gallon in a 200-mile range – the lowest I saw was $2.89 per gallon near Roanoke VA, while at home it was $3.39 per gallon.

Saving a bit on gas (the $2.89 fillup was great, saving me about $8 on one fillup!!) would probably convince me to take more vacations, so my spending, albeit only saving $350 in a year, would potentially go up by my eating out… so the 10% savings in cost up front would change my $350 in savings into perhaps, say, $1000 spent (in more travel, eating, hotels, etc).

Still small fries. So what? I save $350 but I am convinced to spend $1000… sounds silly, but it works. It’s what makes the economy grow.

According to http://quickfacts.census.gov there are approximately 309,000,000 people in the USA as of 2010. There are approximately 113,000,000 households in the US. If only 10% of those households avereaged a $250 a year savings on fuel and spent just that savings and no more on other things (more travel, etc), that would be an injection of $2,825,000,000 into the economy. If they were like me, they’d spend more than the $250 they saved, so potentially the 2.8 BILLION dollars spent on things other than fuel could be doubled, or tripled in its returns.

It’s just an example, for sure.

But what about all those trucks stops across America, that are averaging $3.80 to $4.10 per gallon of diesel. True, I don’t use diesel. But Wal Mart does. So does Target. And Costco, and Big Lots, and Hobby Lobby. What would a 10% reduction in fuel expense do there?

If my 10% savings produced 3-fold return in economic stimulus, what would their savings produce? Really, if a company spends a million dollars in gas in a year (most of the above probably spend billions), and could save 10% on that cost, then they’d have another $100,000 to invest in something else. What if they spent that on more goods to sell, or on R&D to create better products for consumers, or more simply, what if they passed the savings on to the consumer (Yee-haw!!), or what if they hired a new employee or two?

It might just be that a few new jobs would be created. It might just be that I’d go into the store and buy a few more things (more interesting products, lower prices, etc).

Forget tax breaks for corporations OR consumers… Convince (by mandate if necessary) the Big Oil guys to do some profit sharing – by returning our pump prices to more reasonable amounts. A 10% cut at the pump is NOT enough, but it’s a start, when the only people in this economy making record profits is Big Oil.

Dimpling

2011-08-26T10:21:00.000-04:00

The word of the day is dimpling.

In particular, Apple Dimpling.

This is an action word (ie. verb). It is the act of creating dimples. Apple, in this case, is an adverb. Dimpling is the verb.

Some of us were born with dimples, but a surprising majority were not. No fear, though, for apples are near.

Kids roam the streets of America, hurling apples at unsuspecting friends and foes alike. When they strike the face, in particular the cheek (a rather cheeky thing to do, if I say so myself!), they sometimes leave a depression, a lasting depression right there on the surface of the skin, near the edges of one's mouth. Thus is born, the apple dimple.

The kids who roam the streets in packs, hurling apples? They are called apple dimpling gangs (I think there may have been a Disney movie at some point about them).

My Favorite Color

2011-07-26T11:22:00.000-04:00

Until recently, in fact, until today, I suppose I had no favorite color. If I preferred anything, it might have been some shade of blue… but really, colors are overrated. I have a dark green shirt that I prefer to wear to work, I’d probably have picked dark blue for a car, but I am happy with red. They are all just colors. None of them have any particular meaning, to me.

I was thinking a little bit about the divisions in our world. Everyone talks about right and wrong as if they were polar opposites. In a binary world – there are only two options. Off, or on. Right, or left. Democrat, or Republican. Black, or white.

For a long time, I lived in a gray world. Sure, there were lots of shades of that gray. But it was black, and white, and when you mix them, you get gray.

Somewhere in there, I discovered a rainbow. Imagine a world with no color. Just varying shades of gray. Years may go by, and you see all the details of your world in great clarity, you aren’t blind. But everything is black, or white, or somewhere in between. Then one day, you wake up, and there’s a rainbow. Imagine the awe, the surprise and wonder.

What can it mean? It’s something beyond comprehension. I wouldn’t have missed color because I never knew color existed. But what happens when you spy a rainbow, however fleeting that glimpse may be? It would turn your world upside down. You have discovered new - something that you never even knew existed.

But there’s a problem. A rainbow is not a color. Or is it? Actually, it is. It is light, as viewed through a prism. A million little prisms, a million little raindrops each acting as a prism. And black, or darkness, is simply the absence of light, of color.

I remember some of this from science class, and from art class, years ago. But all of that was just theory. Now I’ve discovered that it’s real.

From a grayscale world to a rainbow world. From the relative absence of light, to the reality of an abundance of light. Where darkness has its place but it doesn’t drown out all else.

Now, if only those right and left-oriented people, those politicians, the people too concerned about absolute right and absolute wrong, that believe it’s black and white, if they could only see the rainbow, they might come to realize that it’s all good. We do NOT live in a black and white world. Black and white DO NOT EXIST. Black is the absence of light, and white is just light that includes all the colors of the rainbow.

If they’d get off their duffs and quit worrying about ones and zeros, get out of their tunnelvision and grayscale economies, they might realize that it’s not worth all the bother and fuss and hype and they might learn to just BE. They might learn that it doesn’t have to be right or left. Black or white. Democrat or Republican. It’s ALL good. At least, there is some good, in all.

Imagine a world where the politicians would quit bickering about black and white, and take a breather, and look again at the rainbow that’s all around us, and see that there are other solutions to their problems besides infighting, back-stabbing, bickering, shouting. It isn’t about ones and zeros, it’s about 2’s, 3’s and 4’s, and A’s, B’s, C’s.

Roy G. Biv would understand. It’s all good.

BTW, Light (aka the rainbow) is my favorite color.

It's All Good

2011-04-11T23:24:00.001-04:00

I am not an overly 'religious' person, in some ways of meaning... I believe that people are smart enough to follow Good for Good's sake, and Good will take care of them. Good and God in this way are interchangeable, to a degree. If you do Good, God will take care of you. This doesn't mean that you have to be a goody-two-shoes, but you really should at least follow your own conscience.

We've been studying Meister Eckhart, who was ex-communicated from the Catholic church for heresy, shortly after his death a few hundred years ago... Many of the things he said and did were contrary to the powers-that-be of the day... and made people angry. He talked, as a priest, to the ordinary folks in their own tongue... In ways that they could understand... He said things like that they could find God within themselves...The Church didn't like that - their path was through the priest...

And truthfully, we can all look for God "out there" but .. he's "in here", and has been all along... If we can't find Peace, how can we find Him? If we can't look in the mirror and say I love you, I respect you, how can we expect Him to look at us and say those things? I am not saying He wouldn't - I am saying that at some deep level, we believe that he couldn't or wouldn't. I lived with it for years... He was Out There somewhere, and I couldn't even see myself, so how could He see me?

We have to set aside the concept of looking for that person or thing that's over there, invisibly watching us from the sofa, and take a few quiet moments and look deep inside our own selves. Most of us are scared to death to do that, but hey - if you believe in the Man, you believe He doesn't make mistakes... and if he made You, then You are one of his perfect creations... And if you are, then you can find some part of Him down in there - even if somehow life's buried it under many layers of 'stuff' that you may never hope to wade through.

When I grew to the point that I could look in the mirror with some semblance of self respect, I began to see the Good in me... that is, the God in me. (side note - I am not a God... just an ordinary human... I am referring here to the spark of divinity that is present inside of us all - the good center of our soul that we bury very deeply underneath all the layers. (Yes, Shrek fans, I AM an ogre)).

Anyhow, I am going off on a tangent, which I occasionally do. I wanted to quote something from one of his sermons:

It is my custom to say - and it is a fact - that every day we shout and plead in the Lord's Prayer: "Thy will be done!" - and when his will is done, we grumble and are not pleased with it. Whatever he does, we should be glad, and those who are will always live in peace. Sometimes you think or say "Ah - but it would have been so much better otherwise," or "if that hadn't happened, this would have turned out so much better." As long as you see it that way, there is no peace for you. You must take everything for the best.

My son and I had a chat a week or so ago about 'something bad' in his past. I made reference to what I supposed it might have been... and he said he couldn't believe he had made such a horrible mistake.

And I have this vision of a life that goes along, in a humdrum fashion, little ups and downs, but essentially neither good nor bad:

This could be called 'drifting along'.

Then one day when we least expect it, the nose-dive occurs:

Something happens to take us down a few notches... It could be our own fault, or someone elses, or no ones... but none of that even matters. It is what it is. It is life. Life happens... And usually, for a reason, even if we don't understand it.

So sometimes this 'Crash Boom' period may go on for hours, days, months, even years... We slowly but surely climb out of this pit... And if we earnestly try to do so, we'll be finding ourselves, maybe rather suddenly, in a new place:

As I told my son... If he hadn't done the 'crash boom' and learned a lot of stuff along the way, he'd never have reached the place where he is today. He's still got a long ways to go, but then so do the rest of us.... But what happened then was then, it isn't today. In his situation, that was past history. It was dead. Today is what today is. Dwelling on the past accomplished nothing... Looking ahead to the future is practical. But Being in today, with it's ups and downs, accepting that it isn't all your fault or anyone else's... it's just LIFE. Part of being human.

That's what it's all about. Accepting that "It's All Good."

Proactivity

2011-01-30T21:17:00.002-05:00

I wrote this in the van the other day... waiting at the school for someone to come out... I had to search for a piece of paper, and settled upon a paint chip-type paper from Home Depot where we had been looking at paints... It was written around the margins of a table of different type of paints - I should scan in the original. I went all the way around it by the time I finished.

These thoughts are raw and unfinished... Reflections on past and present and my own life experiences.

There's something here, more to be said... but for now I'll say what I wrote there, in the cold car.

Living Reactively vs. Proactively.

Years of reacting to life events can leave one spent, utterly exhausted, in emotional or financial ruin. Taking steps to live a proactive lifestyle can have many varied returns - chiefly, Peace.

Correcting the mistakes of the past is often painful and arduous - but in doing so, you (and all those whom you touch) can reap the rewards. The trick to this lifestyle "change" is to take steps. MOVE!!!

At times it will seem like you are taking one step forward and then two steps back - but you will be moving!

And keep track of what's going on in front, around, behind you... Take off the blinders. If you can't change it, at least acknowledge it - that's the most important part.

At this point, I quit writing. The margins on the paint card were covered and it was time to drive away.

I suppose the point of this rambling is pretty obvious... but I'll say that it is all too easy to get into a 'reactive' rut... Getting out is harder than it would seem. As an example, I've spent the last two years paying every extra dime toward debt. I haven't bought camera stuff... I haven't bought computer stuff - except parts for my son's computer (that he paid most of). I am using an old, old TV. I have bought some shoes, in the past month or two - a 9.99 clearance K-Mart and a nice pair of hikers and Kohls that was half off... I've bought a couple of pairs of work pants and a few months ago I replaced some jeans that were ripping at the crotch.

Compared to a year and a half ago, my monthly budget for dining out is half what it was then, and now I feed 4 to 6 whereas then it might have been mostly me, at lunchtimes... What do I have to show for all this? Well, leading up to it, I started tracking my pennies... I figured out where every time was spent... after doing this for 2 or 3 months, I realized those two or three trips a week out to eat at lunchtime because I was too lazy to pack was adding up. Sure the Buffalo Chicken Salad at Santos pizza with a drink is only $7.20 with tax. Or a $2 meal at Taco Bell is $2.30 with tax. Or $5 or so at Wendys... But spread over a month's time, along with the occasional 'family outings' I was spending too much on those things.

I also started tracking how much I pay in interest every month, on debt... that one's interesting... and it is this subject that started this ramble... over a lot of years my household racked up a ton of debt. Mind-bogglingly huge amounts of it. To the point that in 2006, we had a house payment (balance of $121,000), a car payment (balance of $10,600), and a bit of other unsecured loan/credit card debt (about $65000).

I did not get there alone... I had a decent job but we spent way more than we earned... there were years where my paycheck was the only income - but we lived as if we made three times as much as we did. I wrestled with the debt companies, and lowered interest rates where possible... but at that point, the three credit cards from Citibank were each charging more than 30% interest... Around $25,000 in Citibank credit cards... That was about $625 in interest just on those three accounts every month. We'd make a minimum payment and find the balance went down by $5.

I finally quit paying till they negotiated payments... then paid for a couple of years at 9.9% interest... Finally all the other debt caught up with us in 2008 and gas went up to almost $4 a gallon and income dropped... We quit paying the Citibank cards altogether... I figured I had paid them many times over anything that had ever been charged to them. By the time they were charged off there was a bit over $18000 left on them.

I don't recommend this for other people, but at the time we risked losing our house... We had no money... When I separated from my then wife and took the lion's share of the bills as my own, I caught up everything and started paying them on time every time... except Citibank... they were dead. I had no interest in paying them a dime, ever again. I paid my debt down by over $20,000 in the past year, and managed to get some money into a Health Savings Account in case any future medical emergencies come up. I paid off a zero interest orthodontics account, an almost 30% interest credit card, an American Express card that was in a bad way… a credit union loan (that I then replaced with a car loan after I remarried – the only new debt I have – a lower interest, lower payment, lower balance loan). Early in that time, I withdrew money from my 401k and took a huge tax hit, but caught up the house payment, and later I paid off a 401k loan and then took a new one (borrowing from my retirement account means I pay money back to me instead of a bank). I did everything I had to do to get rid of the beast… that nasty burden of debt.

Today I only have the house payment, and the two car payments, and the remaining smallish balances on a Discover and Dell account. I have and need no other credit.

And, unfortunately, the skeleton in the closet – Citibank. They’re evil. The corporate giant that believes when people can’t pay their bills, you must punish them and make them pay even more. Squeeze every last penny out of them. I am lucky though, my accounts were at 35% and more in interest, but some people have had even worse experiences (ref this article that describes a customer paying 54%). The government had to “bail them out” because too many customers like me defaulted… after paying hundreds of dollars per month for many, many months (two of the three accounts dated back to 1993).

But here I am… home mortgage interest rates aren’t quite still at all time lows, but they’re still low compared to when I got my mortgage. I have two bedrooms and a family room to finish downstairs, but little money each month to spend on it so after 8 months of marriage, my stepdaughters still have no bedrooms to sleep in each night. I decided to pursue a refinance application.

I have a VA loan on my house, which makes refinancing relatively easy, although not particularly cheap (there are fees involved)... There's enough equity in the house to get some cash back... One ‘gotcha’ that they gave me was that Citibank had to be paid off.

This is where one step forward feels like two steps back… I’ve worked so long and hard to pay down my debt, but here I go, looking to run it back up again. I consider Citibank dead, but sooner or later they’ll come back to sue me or something… Or my kids will need student loans and we won’t be able to get them because of that. So I am going owe more on my house than I paid for it ten years ago. The end result: Hopefully, I’ll have a house payment and two car payments. The three Citibank accounts paid, the Discover and Dell paid. The minimum house payment will be less than on my current mortgage, thanks to the reduced interest rates – but the 16 years left on the original mortgage will now be 30 again. Evil Citibank will be gone… purged from my life for good.

And at the interest rate of the new mortgage, if instead of paying my new “normal” monthly payment, I pay the amount I now pay to my current mortgage, plus the additional amount that I currently pay to Dell and Discover (which adds up to a hefty house payment BUT NO MORE THAN I PAY TODAY), the loan will be paid off in just under 15 years.

--- So in my prior reactive life, I’d be paying many thousands of dollars a year in interest and fees… In my newer proactive life, I am finding myself in better financial condition.

This ramble seems all about finances… but this story is only symbolic… symbolic of something much deeper.

It is a lifestyle thing. The sickness that was our finances was mirrored by the sickness in my soul.

Live within your means. Pay the mortgage first, the car payments second, and everything else, then buy food and gas. Yeah yeah yeah. All well and good.

But it means nothing. It’s just numbers. It’s just numbers.

Down under it all, there’s a transformative change going on, one that may take a lifetime to complete. I have found my soul, and my anam cara. I have found that living is worth it.

I go to church, unashamed to look Him in the eye. I sing when I feel like it, which is often. I have learned to skip.

I have friends, true, deep, lifelong friendships where before I isolated myself behind walls of ice.

I love. I live. I breathe. I feel.

I AM.

Matthew's Thorns

2011-01-12T19:03:00.002-05:00

Editor's note: I started writing this back in November, then got busy. Jose aka 'Twomedicineman' prodded me because I haven't posted a blog in a while - and I remembered this, sitting unfinished on my laptop. So here I am, picking up where I left off...

This past weekend, we had a spiritual retreat, a “silent” retreat in which the folks participating are not supposed to talk from Friday evening till church at 11 Sunday morning. This is the second such retreat I’ve been involved in, and, like the first, there were some awakenings within.

Set the stage… Last Sunday evening, Pastor Bob met with us to give us a background… It is a reading, a parable, from Matthew 13…

"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

So Bob told us to consider these words, and then… don’t do the obvious – “Which ground am I???” but instead consider that “I am… all of them”. And what percentage of us are represented by each one of us these things? We were given fifteen or twenty minutes of quiet time to ponder this, to meditate, as it were... and then came back as a group to share (if we so desired) our thoughts on the subject.

For me, my initial short-term reaction was to quantify these things within me… Where I am today, but also, where I was, say, five years ago. Some of the things, to me, meant things totally different than they did to other people…. We have the will and the freedom to interpret things our own ways… I won’t tell you what my answers were. That isn’t important. What is important is that the good things are growing once again inside of me. (But why don't YOU share your thoughts, if you care to..)

Other people in the same group had very thoughtful answers, but so different from my own. Obviously, the ‘fertile ground’ is the place for growth, and what grows there can produce “a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.” But what signified ‘good soil’? Or for that matter, what in our daily lives can be signified by the path, or thorns, or rocky places?

I would highly recommend this exercise… Take some quiet time, ponder it, think about what it means to you. Quantify it… what percentage of you is fertile soil, vs. the other alternatives?

Back to this weekend’s retreat… I had my camera with me and kept finding myself drawn to the oddest of things. Like a thorn on a wild rosebush, with a bit of vine curled up next to it. I took a photo of it, a macro closeup.

Thorns of a rosebush

Thorn of a rosebush with a little tendril of vine, complete with shadow!

There were other things I kept finding myself drawn to… But mostly, at that moment, thorns.

Funny thing is, I saw an ‘apple’ (or something that looked like one) stuck up in amongst some thorns in what appeared to be a locust tree…

Apple-like 'fruit' up in the tree... there were a couple of them, but I am not sure what kind of tree it was.

More thorns - definitely a locust of some sort.

I saw red berries, interspersed with thorns…

Hawthorn, I think?

There are those thorns again… all over the place… Much like the song, Every rose has its thorn.

But roses are beautiful, you say, and thorns are ugly. I say, thorns are NOT ugly – they are a part of the natural beauty of the landscape. Much like life, there are things that cause us pain, but they can be accompanied by the roses, as well. Sometimes we have to pay attention to what we'd ordinarily ignore to truly appreciate what we have. That maybe doesn't make much sense, but I know what I mean.

So then… what of our parable? It talks of seeds falling amongst the thorns (as if that’s a bad thing, and perhaps, it is… but the thorns CAN be nice…) I won't continue my thoughts, here, now... but if you comment enough, and leave enough feedback to show me that someone is interested in the subject, I'll follow up this post with another one... delving into my initial reactions and answers to the problem posed... and then my very different reactions and thoughts that were reached at the end of the retreat.

But that'll wait for another day... for now, I hope you've enjoyed sharing my 'thorns' with me. :)

Heart of Stone

2010-09-15T22:10:00.001-04:00

Editorial note. I am not sure when I wrote this, but I am thinking it dates back to around 1990 or so. I rather think this was around 1991 or 1992 after I'd been in the Air Force awhile and was getting homesick. It was a single sit-down writing exercise, with no point to it to start with, and as such, is not very fluid, or flowing... And if I were writing it today, I'd change wording here and there, fix grammer, make it better... but in the end, the conclusions I came to in my expression still hold true. I'll leave it exactly as I wrote it, except to allow Word's spell corrector to fix a few mistyped words here and there.

Take it for what it's worth... Ponder it. See how much stone YOU have left in your heart, in your life.

For crying out loud. This has been the fourth time this week that a cop has pulled me over. The first time was for a broken tail light. Then came two speeding tickets. What this time?

Well, here comes the cop. This doesn’t look good. With a name like Butkowski, and the size and demeanor of Rambo, it looks like I’m in trouble.

He says I ran a stop sign. He didn’t think it was too funny when I assured him that I would stop twice next time. So far this week’s tickets have totaled about four hundred dollars.

Well, like the guy on the radio is singing, I’m in between a rock and a heartache. If I don’t pay the tickets, then I’ll be stuck in jail. And I definitely don’t have the money. Not that much, anyway.

I guess it has been fun around here, but it is time to move on. I believe I’ll leave tomorrow and head for home. It has been about seven years since I’ve been back.

Pamela won’t understand why I must go. She’ll insist on paying for the tickets, but what she doesn’t realize is that that will cure the symptoms, not the disease. I’m homesick, and I’ve been awfully restless for a long time.

I wonder what Mom is doing today? I’ll have to call her and find out when I get home.

Pam is putting out her laundry. I might as well tell her now that I have decided to move on.

I knew that she would be upset, but I didn’t expect her to start crying. It might be a cruel attitude to have, but I guess life is full of heartache so you might as well give some as well as receive.

Well, I’m all packed up and ready to hit the road. Pam waves goodbye as I pull out. I begin to have second thoughts, but there’s no turning back.

I have now been driving for ten straight hours. I guess it’ll take about three more to get home. All of a sudden, this big tanker truck pulls into my lane, forcing my pickup into the guardrail. It was horrible, like a meat grinder. Needless to say, there’s not much left of me. I am dead, but as I now realize, that is only a technicality, as I can do more now than ever before.

I saw Mom today for the first time. What I mean is, on this side of life you see people as they really are, not as they appear. I never knew Mom was so beautiful. And some of the people I always really looked up to are no better than the ones who I always knew were bad characters. In fact, they are lower than low, because they have fooled so many people while the average bad person is at least honest about it.

I have also learned a lot about myself. I am not an entirely clean person myself. I have experienced degrading thoughts at times, but now I know that that is only normal. Very few people are perfect in every way, and those few people are very special.

I am a long way from that point, but I hope that people like me for being me, not for my money or possessions, of which I have very few.

Louis L’amour, one of my life-long heroes, I have met up here, and yes, he is still writing books!

The Earth is a lot different from what any mortal man could ever imagine. All of these religions and even the new age movements, are spreading a certain amount of good throughout the Earth, but there is not one true religion. All I can say is, live your life by letting your conscience be your guide. If you do not follow your conscience, then you are nothing. Literally.

Every lie you tell, at least when it goes against the grain, or every other act which you know is wrong, but do anyway, each thing chips away at your soul.

To best describe it, imagine a block of stone, one foot square. Every person is born with this object in their heart. Some people, at an early age, have other folks chipping pieces of stone off the block. This is parents who demoralize and abuse their children. Many of these children do not have a chance, for by the time they are adults the block is only about one inch square.

On the other hand, the block can grow. If someone who has a battered and beaten block of stone finds someone who accepts them and loves them, then sometimes the outside love adds mortar to the block, often making it better than it ever was before.

When you hear the term “Heart of Gold” applied to a person, then that person usually has a figurative block that is at least 10 inches square. Although everyone starts out with an even foot square, as the newborn innocence wears off, some of the stone rubs off. It is normal.

Some people, very few people, have absolutely no stone left in their hearts at the deathbed. These people are lost, as only good passes beyond the grave.

A vast majority of others, myself included, reach this place with at least a small part of their identity washed away. Only the good that was in them remains.

Repost: Bicycle Safety

2010-05-24T08:38:00.000-04:00

Originally Posted October 5, 2005, a time when I had realized that things in my own life needed to change, but when I was 'stuck' and unable to make those changes. Things are good... We need not regret the past, we need to concentrate on shaping a better tomorrow.........

One of the most confusing things, as a parent, is teaching our kids about "right" and "wrong". It is easy to say, if it goes against the 10 Commandments, then it is wrong. But, is that enough? No, in this world, we have many rights and wrongs. Like "white lies", where you tell someone something to protect their feelings. Strictly speaking, is it right or wrong to say, "Well, it isn't so bad....", when you really don't like it?

On a more personal level, with children, is winning and losing. It's good to win, and bad to lose. But, at the same time, it seems like some kids win all the time, and some kids lose all the time. Truthfully, no one wins ALL the time, at everything, but, sometimes it seems like they do. So, how do you tell a child who has lost, yet again, that it is all right? That losing can be a good thing? That they did the best they could, and everything is going to be okay... Through their tears, their pain and humiliation, they do not want to hear this. How can anything be "right"?

In Scouts, we had a state police officer come and give a safety lecture and demonstration. He talked about bicycle safety. It's pretty apparent why helmets are a good thing, even common sense. But, how do you explain to a child, that when you're walking up the road, you should walk on the "left" side of the road, instead of the "right" side? But, when you're riding a bicycle, you must obey vehicular laws, and ride on the "right" side, and not the "left" side?

The reasons for this are that when you're riding, you are, in effect, on a moving vehicle, and subject to the laws that apply to moving vehicles. On a bicycle, you should stop at stop signs, use a turn signal or hand signals to indicate which way you are turning, etc. Also, it would be dangerous to top a hill on a busy or even remote street, and meet oncoming traffic while riding your bike. But, when you're walking, you need to be able to see ahead of you, so you can get out of the way, in case someone is coming toward you.

It all goes back to safety first. There are times, while walking, that we will cross to the right side of the road, like on a blind curve or hill, where no one can see what is coming, and people drive too fast, causing dangerous conditions for the walker. In general, however, we follow the law and walk up the left side of the road, and as cars come toward us, we move to the edge of the road, and they tend to veer toward the middle, and all is well.

Going back to "rights and wrongs", to explain bicycle and walking safety to my kids, I tried to make it as clear as possible. "When walking, right is wrong, and left is right. But, when riding, right is right, and left is wrong." I think they get it.

In life, how do we so clearly explain things? Often it is just as hard. Our greatest way of teaching our children is by setting examples. Therefore, they see us doing something, they deem it acceptable, and do the same things. So, if we shout a lot, the kids will tend to shout a lot. If we complain a lot, the kids will tend to complain a lot. If we pray a lot, the kids will tend to pray a lot. If we wear smiles on our faces every day, our children will tend to wear smiles.

But, what happens when it seems like everything is wrong? Like when you're in a race, and you lose? You hold up your head, and say "Congratulations" to the winner, and life goes on. What happens when you're in a situation where there are no winners? When something ends, like when their Grandfather dies, perhaps? How do you tell a child that there is any "right" in this? You say, "Grandpa is in heaven." but is that really very meaningful to a child? He has just lost his best friend.

I suppose we could distract them, by teaching them bicycle safety...

But there is no "right" anywhere that will bring back something that is gone forever. And this is one of the hardest lessons to learn, as a child or an adult. You can pretend that everything is "right" and just continue to go on, pretending, forever. But, to fix the wrongs and make them right, means to truly come to accept that some things just are not "right". Then you must not only accept this awareness that they are not "right", and cannot be, but also become aware that life goes on. There's a future there, that each and every one of us contributes to. And that if things are not, and cannot be "right" the way they are today, then it's our job to build a better tomorrow. For when everything else is "wrong", there are still "right things" inside of us.

Through faith, hope, and love, we can each help to bring about a better tomorrow. No matter how bad today is, there is always hope for tomorrow. If we have faith in ourselves, and in the world around us, even God, then we can work to make a better tomorrow. And through companionship, though love, we can strengthen the faith and hope inside us. And, maybe, despite the "wrong" of today, we can reshape tomorrow, where we'll wake up and find "right" in our world.

Happy Birthday Kate

2010-04-30T09:17:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday Kate!!

Spent several hours in the ER last evening with Miss Kate. She's great... hurting a little from 19 stitches, but otherwise okay. She was getting off of something and an old empty aquarium was below her so she put her foot on ... err.... through it...

The really cool thing is (well... okay, nothing's too cool about getting hurt the day before your birthday (Today is Kate's birthday - be sure to wish her a Happy Birthday!!)) she remained calm and level headed through it all. And there were some nasty cuts - the glass got her from both sides. But although it looked bad, it wasn't deep enough to sever arteries or anything... The only time she really got upset was when the doc shot her up with the anesthesia (and even then she didn't over-react.. but she sure told him about it!!) I am proud of my girl's way of handling it... And glad Ms. Robin was there when it happened (and glad I was only about 5 minutes away). She kept everyone calm and got the foot unwedged by pulling the glass away on one side so she could get her leg out of it on the other side. Robin's daughter called me and I got my giddy-up go in gear and got home fast, and we turned around and went back to the ER within a couple minutes of getting there.

The important thing is she's all right... Happy Birthday Kate... I love you!

Betrayal

2010-04-02T10:41:00.004-04:00

So I went to my first Maundy Thursday church service last evening. It was interesting - held by candlelight at tables in the large Sunday School room instead of the sanctuary. A ritual celebrating the Last Supper. There were readings, and hymns... One of the companions of Robin and I, someone I've gotten to know somewhat over the past few months, was reading along with the liturgical response, and singing the hymns. When we got to the story of Jesus' betrayal, and a hymn was sung about "I am the betrayer... I have betrayed thee."

She seemed to stumble a bit there, as, admittedly, I did. It was a reference to the betrayal of Jesus by Judas and the abandonment of him by the rest of the disciples.... But it was sung in the first person... implying that the singer IS the betrayer.

Neither she nor I get too caught up in the details of the "Jesus Story". I have read most of the bible, probably 80-85% of it, so I have a good understanding of the stories and history. But there's so much more to Good than reading the words, or The Word, as some call it. Regardless of that, we do attend church most Sundays and worship. We're lucky enough to have a pastor who reaches beyond the words to try to bring the Message to life.

It's not about all the technical details. There are "inspired" stories throughout the Old and New Testaments that were written by human beings. And centuries later, translated by other human beings into new languages, including English. Many people use the King James translations as the One True Gospel... It was written in the 1600's, and commissioned by King James of England. To quote one source, "James gave the translators instructions intended to guarantee that the new version would conform to the ecclesiology and reflect the episcopal structure of the Church of England and its beliefs about an ordained clergy."

Interestingly enough, politics played a huge role in that translation of the Bible. And know what? It DOESN'T MATTER. No matter which translation you use, the Golden Rule is still the Golden Rule. The story of the Good Samaritan is still the story of the Good Samaritan. It is not about the words, it is about the Message.

For example, we could spend weeks or even months discussing Revelations... and unless we are living in a world where we do Good Things because we live in fear of some future action against us if we sin, then it's all pointless. It's good to understand the book, to read it, but in the end, if we focus too much time and energy on it, then we have wasted a great deal of ourselves on this pursuit. We need to live right because it's the right thing to do.

I'll say again, "...unless we are living in a world where we do Good Things because we live in fear of some future action against us if we sin, then it's all pointless." All the studying of the technical details of what may come to pass in the future is pointless. My opinion... Just my opinion. You should know the story and have a grasp of what it means, but in the end, we must strive to live right for the right reasons.

Think about that for a minute. IF we are living Good Lives because we are forced to do so by our fear of Hell, or because God wants us to, or because doing so will earn us all the milk and honey and mansions of heaven, then we've missed the boat entirely. What we need to do is to live the Good Life because it is the Right Thing, not for some reward or punishment.

Those things are there, yes... but inside each and every one of us is a little voice, a voice of reason, a voice of conscience, the voice of the Divine, that if we will listen, if we can free ourselves from the distractions of our world, and disentangle ourselves from the cages of words that the church and the bible and society have built around us.. If we can do good things because they are the right things to do, then we're on the right track.

And the Bible and the Church are great places to start. They are a roadmap to a Better Place. But if we keep looking down at the road beneath our feet, then we'll never be able to see up ahead to where we're headed. We need to forget for a moment where we are and just BE.

And then there's Maundy Thursday. Why is it that we tend to stumble when we say, "I am the betrayer, I am the one who betrayed you."? Think about it.

Since this is a somewhat biblical essay, let us return to the roadmap of Christianity, the Bible.

In Romans, there's a section that discusses right and wrong and those who are strong or weak. In effect, it says, "If you are strong in faith, and you believe that it is okay to eat meat or drink wine, then do so. It's okay - you aren't sinning if you do so. But if your brother, your neighbor, is weak in faith, and feels like it is wrong to eat meat, or drink wine, and does so anyways, then he IS sinning. Don't judge him for being different. But if you, in your actions, lead him to do something that in his mind is wrong, then you are wrong, too."

Romans 14:1-4

1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2 One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

Romans 14:13-15

13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. 14 As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. 15 If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died.

Romans 14:19-23

19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall. 22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

And most importantly:
Romans 14:17

17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Why is it that we tend to stumble when we say, "I am the betrayer, I am the one who betrayed you."? Think about it again.....

I have only given some exerpts of this sermon from Paul. But there are a few object lessons here. One of them is to quit judging others. Really. What another person does is between that person, and his Creator. YOU have nothing at all to do with it. That person will make mistakes. You will, too. In the end it's between them and God.

We all want to live good lives. We all want to be better people. But have you never gone against that little voice in the back of your mind, and done something that deep down inside you thought was wrong? Did someone say, "C'mon, do this..." and you did it, even though they thought it was okay, and you thought it was bad?

If you did, then you betrayed your Inner Voice. That Whisper of the Divine that can guide you through right and wrong.

I have been there, and done that. It isn't always a fellow person who leads you astray. Sometimes, we have two Inner Voices... You have the Divine that says, "Do what is right, do what is healthy, do what is Good..." and then the voice of the Profane, that says, "It's okay... everybody does it."

At some point or other, we have all listened to the Profane, whether that was an inner voice, or the voice of our Brother or Sister or anyone else in our lives.

It is not for us to judge the other for the faults that we imagine them to have. It is not for US to judge anyone. We must learn to do for ourselves, to Be for ourselves. To strengthen our own faith in ourselves and the Divine. To search for Peace and Joy. "..it is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness.", or as I prefer, Right.

Do it because it is Right for you. Period. By all means, guide your friend, be there, but do not become the person who makes them stumble because your standards are different than his.

Why is it that we tend to stumble when we say, "I am the betrayer, I am the one who betrayed you."? For me, it's because I don't want to be the betrayer. I also don't want to be the betrayed. But at various times in my life, I have found myself in both roles. I am Human.

One of the most important life lessons I have learned can be summed up in this short phrase, "He was a good person in a bad place." Remember, when you find yourself realizing that you have been the betrayer, or the betrayed... You are Human.

Chances are, the other is, too. It does not make either of you a bad person. Just a good one in a bad place. The important thing is to look forward, look ahead, to a better place. Find the path to Peace, and Joy, and Right.

And feel free to sing along with the hymns, even when they make you uncomfortable.

One year ago, today...

2010-03-18T09:54:00.001-04:00

A year ago today, my Mom went to heaven, or where ever it is that good souls go.

She was human, but she had made peace with herself, and with her Creator. Ten years before, she had written a letter to her children - just in case this day should come. At her service my brother Ron and I each spoke, and then her letter was read.

Our comments, followed by hers, is shared here. Her part was modified slightly - things HAD changed in 10 years, but the family details aren't important - the message is. Remember that when we are down and hurt and lonely, feeling forgotten, or just plain tired, there is a light out there, a hope, a better place, a better day. All is not lost. We have family, and sometimes they are our friends as much as our blood.

James:

I was fourteen and Ted had just turned sixteen a few days before our Dad died. Times were tough for awhile. I can remember not being able to stand sitting at home, and hearing all the talk, so I got up and went back to school.

The first day back, there must have been five hundred “I am so sorry”’s thrown my way. By the end of the day, I wanted to shout at them “Shut Up!”, but I just nodded my head and mumbled thanks, and went on.

And over the years, I have had a hard time dealing with death, whether that of a random stranger or that of someone close, it didn’t matter. I’ve lost a number of good friends, my grandpa, my baby.

And each time, I staggered with the weight.

Three or four years ago, I was friends with a black man at work, Al. Al was a father and a grandfather, always active in the community, in sports, loved by everyone around him. One day he had a heart attack, and was gone. I attended his service, and it was the first (and only) time I was at a service like that. There, they did mourn the loss of him for their sake, but I’d describe the whole affair as a celebration - a celebration of the life and the legacy that Al had lived and left behind. A celebration because they knew without a doubt that he was finally with his Creator, and happy, and free from the chains of this world. There was singing, much of it joyful and loud.

In a way, I think this, for me, was a life changing experience. It was the first time I had dealt or saw people deal with Death on friendly terms. It was just one step on my journey to understanding and becoming at peace with Death. I still don’t like it but that’s mostly a selfish reaction. Because I know my Dad, my grandpa, Al, and my Mom, and my nephews Carliss and Johnny, are in a place where there is no pain, no suffering, no sneezes or coughs, and no hatred.

Then there is this world left behind. How do we deal with this change?

I recently read a description of Celtic tradition that puts a few things into perspective for me. These words were written by an Irish Priest named John O’Donohue:

Ireland is a land of many ruins. Ruins are not empty. They are sacred places full of presence. A friend of mine, a priest, was going to build a parking lot outside his church. There was a ruin nearby that had been vacated for fifty or sixty years. He went to the man whose family had lived there long ago and asked the man to give him the stones for the foundation. The man refused. The priest asked why, and the man said, “What would the souls of my ancestors do then?” The implication was that even in this ruin long since vacated, the souls of those who had once lived there still had a particular affinity and attachment to this place. The life and passion of a person leave an imprint on the ether of a place. Love does not remain within the heart, it flows out to build secret tabernacles in a landscape.

Friday, when I got back home, I walked over to Mom’s, and there was the family, gathered around. Looking through books, talking, just being. I looked around for Mom and saw her everywhere. The life and passion of a person leave an imprint on the ether of a place. Love does not remain within the heart, it flows out to build secret tabernacles in a landscape. She was still there, within her house, but more importantly, within every one of us who remained behind.

It has taken many, many years to understand this. And even now, it’s a learning process. It’s easier to grasp with the mind than it is in the heart. But I do know that she is still here with us, and although today we may bury her physical remains in this sacred ritual, her soul and spirit is still alive and we will all carry on her legacy. She gave birth to six children, but was mother to many more. She will live far beyond our lifetimes, in the actions of our children and children’s children.

Ron:

When I was little, when all of us were little, Mom used to read to us. Sometimes she’d read with voices, making the words, the characters, real. Often she’d read of far away places, far away times, different worlds, either in the past or the future. She’d transport us to some new place, showing us the wide world long before we’d ever go out and explore it with our own eyes.

Her younger brother Ralph told us about when he was struggling in school, trying to learn to read. Mom went out and bought a set of books, and brought them home, and made him read to her every day. She’d stop him after every paragraph and make him explain to her what he’d just read. Eventually he, too, learned to love words and books.

Through her love for us, and her love for reading, she helped us become ready to face the big wide world. She also inspired us to be readers like her. She has indeed left a legacy for her children and her children’s children that will endure forever, in those left behind. All her kids have benefited from this legacy that she has started.

The new generation, our kids like Amber and Jacob, who love reading her books, and finding new books of their own, have been inspired by her passion for reading. The legacy will live on as long as we continue to be inspired by the things she has shown us. She taught us to love to read, but more importantly, she taught us to love.

Awhile back, she wrote a letter to us, and it started out like this, “Don’t grieve for me.” She realized that her time on earth is limited, and took the time to worry about those of us left behind. In the time since writing her letter, she stayed with us for awhile longer, but she was at peace with leaving.

Here is her letter…

MESSAGE TO MY FAMILY

Don't grieve for me when I've gone. I've lived a full life with all its ups and downs. Downs seem to last forever. But the up swings do wipe them out.

When one door shuts, others open which can lead to even better things than you think you want.

I count myself to have been greatly blessed in my children; all are people that I'd be honored to call my friends, even if we had no other bonds. In order of Birth:

The oldest one is only mine by courtesy. He was born to my late husband and his first wife. But I'm proud to call Larry Gene Wheeler “my son.” Larry is married to Pam and has no children.

The next three are my children by my former husband:

Barry Kent Craw is my first born. He is unmarried.

Ronnie Burns Craw is married to Tisha. He has three children by a former marriage Rhonda, Tiffany, and Stephen. Tisha has one child Nicholas.

Beth Ann Craw is married to Dennis and had one step-son Johnny. She has two daughters and a son: Amanda is married to Micah and has two daughters Ashley and Gracie. Amber is married to Tim, no children. Geoffrey is not married.

Next is Larry's sister, my step-daughter Diann (Wheeler) Godwin is married to Russ and has one son by a former marriage. I have been proud to have had her as my second daughter.

Next come my sons by my late husband Eugene Wheeler:

Teddy Eugene Wheeler is married to Geneva. He has three children by a former marriage Jacob, Johnny, Jacklynn. Geneva has two children Michael and Trevor.

James Arthur Wheeler is married to Vikki and has two children: Jeremy and Katherine (Kate).

All are good, decent, reliable people and are a joy to their mother’s heart. They are responsible hard working folks. Like everyone else I've traveled life's road. But my real blessing has always been my family. That has made it all worthwhile.

Do not grieve for me when I'm gone. Just go on raising good, decent children. Do so and all their lives they will be a blessing to all who know them.

And know that LOVE allows for all our quirks and honors us for them, and is made stronger by them. That is the very best way to honor my memory-not grief!

Just go on doing what you all do best: Be good decent human beings, who help to guide the next generation along those same lines.

And keep my love for you ever in your hearts.

MOM

Humans Against Dragon Stereotypes

2010-03-15T00:08:00.001-04:00

Halifax Area School District information can be accessed via the web url of http://www.hasd.us

Of course, I am, once in a blue moon, dyslexic.

So of course, I typo it.

This site is much better anyways: http://www.hads.us .. errm.. that is to say, Humans Against Dragon Stereotypes. It's full of great information useful to all of us who have a general conservationist's view of the world, and wish to protect endangered species, and all (like the dragon).

Be sure to check it out.

Project Gutenberg

2010-03-03T12:28:00.000-05:00

I've been a fan for several years of the volunteers over at Project Gutenberg. They (and at this point it is they although at some point in time perhaps it'll be "we" if I ever volunteer time for it) have made a real effort to take writings that are considered to be in the "Public Domain" and create electronic versions of them that we can download either as .txt files, or browse via html pages, or in some cases, even posted as audiobooks.

ALL FOR FREE.

So next time you want to read an old book but have no money or time for the library (assuming it had that obscure text in the first place), go on over to gutenberg.org and check it out.

Some examples that I personally have read include Emerson's Essays and various writings by Mark Twain.

There are over 30,000 books available as of now, with over 100,000 available through the partners, affiliates and resources link.

There are some things about this format of reading this is a little awkward. From footnotes and copywrite notices and just plain old "looking at the screen" issues, but if you need to find a quick quote from an old book, this could be a good resource for you.

There

2010-02-24T20:25:00.001-05:00

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

What does this mean to me? Well, when I was in the eighth or ninth grade, Mrs. Parker had us write an essay on any topic. I chose the golden rule. (See photo of Mrs. Parker looking at me for making a paper airplane in class).

I cannot remember exactly what words I used in the essay - but the gist of it was that I felt it was important to live by that rule. I really did, even as a teenager, treat those others who were around me with respect, whether they deserved it or not. Why not? What would it cost me?

The rewards, although not sought after, were plenty. Treat others with respect, and sometimes you'll be surprised at the results. You may find friends in the most unexpected of places. It doesn't matter that the Other is different from you, of a lower or higher class, intelligent or not. It doesn't matter. It doesn't even matter if they're a jerk. It's been my experience that people are often jerks because they're unhappy or tense or because they don't realize they are. But me being a jerk back wouldn't help their situation in any way. Ever. So I treat them with respect. Over time, if I know them that long, sometimes I earn a grudging respect from them, even when others don't. Sometimes things never change, but ... Sometimes they do. But this isn't about the jerks we sometimes run into in life......

A few months ago, someone asked me to help them pick out a computer. I did so, then went and helped set it up. Whilst I was working on it, I was asked if I'd look at a neighbor's printer. I went over to the neighbor, and looked at the printer. There was nothing at all wrong with it - but the software they were using to print from would not wrap when it reached the edge of the page so the text would be cut off when sent to the printer. Internet Explorer 5 behaved that way, and upgrades were available all the way up to 8. I suggested they upgrade to 7 or 8 which would resize the page and print it properly, and for free, and then I left.

It turns out that when they updated that, they also upgraded something else (at my recommendation) that broke Windows totally. It was, I'd consider it, a manufacturing defect. The details aren't so important - the point was, they called me back and said, "We did what you suggested, and now our computer won't turn on." I looked at the company's website and the top listing for support for that model was a problem with doing the Windows upgrades having a conflict on that model. And a link to a fix. So I downloaded software and put it on a cd, and went and fixed the pc for them.

While I was there, we started talking about our hobbies and interests. She was into various papercrafts, cardmaking, and the like. While I am into photography. After I had her computer running again, I logged onto my page and showed her my favorite picture - and she recognized the church in the scene. She immediately went to the phone and called her friend, who was a member there, and described it to her.

Long story short, I donated a print to that friend, and showed her my book that I had published the year before. When she wanted one, I told her that I'd sell it to her for the regular price, but she could take $5 off the price and donate it to the church instead of me. It just seemed like the thing to do. Why not?

And as it turns out, she sold a copy here and there to several of her friends and fellow parishoners... In all, I sold 28 books through her. The $5 per copy that went back to the church was matched by another organization, and so the church earned $280 on the book sale! I originally offered the donation because I was moved to do so. The photo of that church moved me to explore photography in a more active way than ever before. It was the thing to do. Why not return $5 to the church that had helped inspire me to do more. It was the 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you' mentality. And the $5 became $280 which made a real difference in their budget.

But rewind that a bit. The first request was from a friend to help with a computer problem. Then I met a friend of the friend, and then through her met a friend of the friend of my friend. And now because I have three friends (and more) instead of one, the church earned $280 towards some much needed repairs. And I made enough profit to pay for a few more copies that I gave to family as gifts.

I could have told my friend that I was too busy (and I was!!). But as a result of the investment, I made new friends, continued along my journey a few more steps... and the church benefitted.

And what started this ramble? Love. Yes, love. When you apply the golden rule to your life in a way that affects those around you, do so out of your heart, or don't bother. Don't do unto them because you are currying favor. Don't do for them because you want something. Don't care for someone in an attempt to make them care for you. Show respect, and express love, with no hope or desire for return. If you love them, help them repair their wings and fly. If they fly away, give thanks because they are able, and if they return and love you back then good. But don't do ANYTHING because you want something. Do it because you care.

After awhile, it can become a habit, a lifestyle. You may find yourself on the Road to... There.

And There is where we all need to try to be.

Shuttle Trip and Other Life Stuff

2010-02-04T10:20:00.003-05:00

I've not been very active here for some months now. I am on a 'hiatus' as it were. Not gone, just temporarily absent. A lot of things going on in life, mostly pretty good overall. I have so much to tell you, and so little time.

One of these days, things will be 'normal' again, and in a better way than before. And when life does settle down a bit, then I plan to do some of the things I've flirted with over the past few years - to include more focus on the art of photography, and maybe even some sales... For the time being, I've closed my ebay shop. It was a nice experiment.

The books I put together have been a wonderful success - in terms of distribution. Considering it was a self-publishing effort, and I never sold ANY through the publishers website, and only sold through word-of-mouth, I did great. Enough to give several as gifts and still break even. I sold almost 100 books altogether, and at $60 a pop (expensive by my standards) that was saying something. And not a lot of effort went into it. (Read more here: A Window to My World)

As an, "Oh by the way" you should check out Karen Arnold's deviantArt website, as well as my own, if you're interested in the images in my book. Her collection of five paintings based on my photos may be found, along with many others, at http://buble.deviantart.com/gallery and my page, which has many images from Central PA, is at http://arkansawyer.deviantart.com/gallery .

The last wave of sales was a fundraiser for the church that is featured in the first section, where one of the members of the church stumbled upon my book. For every copy she sold, $5 of the purchase price went back to the church, and it turns out the Lutheran Brotherhood matched the donations dollar-for-dollar. So for 28 copies of the book that the church's members bought, the church itself earned $280, money which went directly toward fixing an old furnace that is used to heat the building. And the funny part of the story is that meeting Ms. Patrick in the first place was a total fluke, an accident, some would call it a coincidence.

And - that has been life over the past year. Full of interesting coincidences that have changed the landscape of my life dramatically. For the first time in 20 years as an adult, I finally have a plan for some of my future. It's not fully formed out, but I am working on it. From budgets that I've set and lived by for the past few months to try and reduce and eventually eliminate debt, to eating healthier to have a longer, happier life. And so much more. And you'll hear more about it as long as we remain friends... All I can say is that Good has entered my life - call it God, the Great Spirit, call it Love, or Grace, or anything you want... I am on a journey toward a better place, and although it's taken and will take awhile to get there, I will continue moving forward one step at a time... I've learned that it's not so much the destination that is important - it's the journey. And as long as I am moving forward with a purpose, instead of drifting with the current, then life is pretty good.

And there's my family... The purpose of this journal was to introduce my son. His nickname is Beanz. He's very active in various bands, including Marching Band, concert band, jazz band, county band, through his school. He's a bright and wonderful kid, if he can overcome his natural teenage tendencies to stay up late and procrastinate. :)

A few months ago, he was invited to participate in a summer trip with a small group of students to Florida, to watch one of the last two launches of the space shuttle, before the fleet is decommissioned. The selection was based on a polling of several teachers as to who should be nominated. Only those students who were selected by multiple teachers were considered.

I gave him two requirements to meet: 1) He had to bring his grades up - and with the marking period just past, he got Distinguished Honor Roll :dance:. And 2) He had to make some effort to do a fundraiser. I told him I'd match him dollar-for-dollar, but so far he hasn't made enough for the deposit. I suggested he start with a letter that I could post to my 'sites' and send out with Christmas cards. And there, I fell down on the job - I didn't even send out Christmas cards. Nor, till yesterday and today, did I post this online anywhere. (I did post a short version of this on Facebook - my page there is James Wheeler if you'd like to befriend me).

Here is Jeremy "Beanz" Wheeler's letter:

Hello!

Since most readers of this is family and friends close enough to be family, you probably know me. Yes, this your friendly cousin/nephew/grandson/friend, Jeremy Wheeler. Now, as many of you may or may not know, I have been selected for a special honor in my school. My math/physics teacher, Mr. Dwane Lahr, has selected a group of students, including me, to attend one of the final NASA space shuttle launches at the end of July next summer in Cape Canaveral, Florida. It is a special occasion that few will actually see close up, like we will. The space shuttle program is being abolished very soon, and is going to be replaced with the original rocket-based design for manned trips to extra-terrestrial bodies, like the Moon. The trip, which is five days long, is going to highlight two days at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral. We will also spend a day to have fun, by going places such as Sea World, Orlando Studios, and/or Disney World. Two days are of course devoted to getting to and from Florida (probably by plane). A full document showing our plans and potential extras is shown at Shuttle Trip.

Here's the tricky part. The overall cost for the trip is estimated at around $600 per student. This price is all-inclusive, and covers everything but spending money for our free day. I am planning on getting a job to pay for part of this, on top of other things. Several involved parents are planning a fundraiser to help with the trip. The only thing is, my dad and I don't think it will be enough. I am asking for a small donation (it doesn't have to be much) to help pay for this trip to Florida. If you don't have the money to put into it, that is perfectly ok! Don't worry about it if you don't have it.

If you do, and you would like to donate to the cause, you can pay through PayPal to either arkansawyer@gmail.com (my dad's email address), or jeremy.baggins@gmail.com (Jeremy's email address), or send a donation in any form to

Jeremy Wheeler
1820 Mountain House Road,
Halifax, PA 17032

Many thanks,
Jeremy Wheeler

If you'd like to help out Beanz, a small donation would be appreciated. Even if all you'd like to do is email him and congratulate him on his selection for this trip, feel free to do so! Just let him know you learned about him through Blogger and this post.

A World Within

2009-04-06T21:23:00.008-04:00

Yesterday we went fishing, but had a late start. We didn't catch any fish but I found a treasure. The outside of this glass bottle reads (Not a label, actually a part of the glass):

DR. ELLIS

SPECIAL
QUICK DRY
WAVING FLUID

WAVE SET

DR ELLIS SALES CO. INC.
DISTRIBUTORS
PITTSBURGH, PA
CONTENTS 6 FL. OZS

The coolest thing about the bottle, though, was the life within....

Emerson

2009-02-05T21:54:00.005-05:00

A friend recommended that I read Emerson, specifically, the essay entitled "Self Reliance". Here's a paragraph from it...

Man is timid and apologetic; he is no longer upright; he dares not say 'I think,' 'I am,' but quotes some saint or sage. He is ashamed before the blade of grass or the blowing rose. These roses under my window make no reference to former roses or to better ones; they are for what they are; they exist with God to-day. There is no time to them. There is simply the rose; it is perfect in every moment of its existence. Before a leaf-bud has burst, its whole life acts; in the full-blown flower there is no more; in the leafless root there is no less. Its nature is satisfied and it satisfies nature in all moments alike. But man postpones or remembers; he does not live in the present, but with reverted eye laments the past, or, heedless of the riches that surround him, stands on tiptoe to foresee the future. He cannot be happy and strong until he too lives with nature in the present, above time.

Isn't that great? Another line, that I've heard before, goes like this: Speak what you think now in hard words and to-morrow speakwhat to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradictevery thing you said to-day.

I wish I had some worthy thoughts to add to this, but it's enough, for now, to have read and enjoyed it. I hope you will take the time to look up the essay - if you can't make it to the library, check out Project Gutenberg, where they've digitized many classic literature works of the world.

Politics and Finances and who I vote for

2008-10-29T23:03:00.007-04:00

Sign by Danasoft - For Backgrounds and Layouts

So one of these days, I'll get around to voting. My choice will be unpopular with some voters, but ... I don't much care.

I've heard all the talk... I know the general positions of all the candidates.

When one says that the other is all about "redistributing wealth" in such a way as to make it seem derogatory... I think back to my childhood...

If someone hadn't redistributed some wealth, we'd have had nothing.

School lunch was free. Toys for tots came through a few times to give us gifts. Mom was often sick and didn't work and Dad worked his butt off but never could quite get ahead with his 10,000-12,000 annual income to feed the family.

***WARNING: TANGENT AHEAD***

As an adult, I've fought for years over the whole credit card thing... Finding out that after awhile, one or two late payments here and there seems to give big banks the right to charge up to 35% or more in interest - not to count any 'penalties' they provide.

** The following is a hypothetical situation but all too real for many of us. My own personal situation spans 10 to 15 years, instead of the five outlined here, but it's also multiplied several times over as well... It doesn't take long to get snowed under by credit card companies... But it can take a lifetime to dig your way out. **

SCENARIO ONE:

Let's do the math for a second. I open a credit account with Citibank.. I "borrow" 10,000 at 10% APR interest. My monthly payment is, say, 4% of the balance, or $400. I pay the payment of $400, leaving a balance of 9,600 + 83 or $9,683.

Next month, my statement comes... It shows the 'old balance' of 9,600, plus interest charges of $83, (the interest is roughly 10000*10% ($1000) divided by 12, or $83 give or take). The new minimum payment due is 4% or $387.32.

Now, gas prices go up, making the president and vice president's bank accounts go up (but not mine)... (of course, that isn't true, I am sure they severed their ties to big oil before saying "I do" *ahem*). I find myself short on cash, so I send Citibank $300 in month 2.

On next month's statement, I see a few things new:
A beginning balance of 9683, minus $300 in payments, plus interest of around $80, plus a late fee of $39, leaving a new balance of (9683-300+80+39 or $9502). The new minimum payment is $380 plus the $100 left unpaid the prior month ($480). This month, I scrape things together and send the entire minimum payment of $480...

Next month, I get a suprise... Since I've had late payments posted to my account, my interest rate is no longer the 'preferred rate' but is, instead, 24.99%. My beginning balance was $9502, minus my payment of $480 or $9022, PLUS $198 in interest leaving a new balance of $9220. However, last month, in order to scrape the money together to make my minimum payment on time, I charged some gas to my card, so now I am back up to $9,500, and my minimum payment due is still $380.

I see that my interest rate just did a more-than-double trick so I surely don't want to use the card any more, so instead of paying the full amount due, I cut back a little, and send them $200 and pay cash for my gas.

This next month's statement has more surprises... My prior balance, as you recall, was 9,500, minus $200 just paid, but because I didn't pay the minimum due, I have a fee of $39 added to the balance, and since I am now a repeat offender, my interest rate goes up again, and now I find it's at 34.99%. In summary:

Prior balance: 9500
Payments: -200 (9300)
Fees: +39 (9339)
Interest: +272 (9611)

I get into this vicious cycle now, where my minimum payment is roughly $380 to $500, and I am struggling to make it, finding that my balance goes down approximately $100 a month - if I am lucky... Here and there, I make a payment a couple days past due (gotta wait for payday). My interest rate never falls, I use the card sparingly but enough that the $100 balance credit that I should have is canceled out, and this goes on for, say, five years.

At the end of five years, here's what I find in totals:

Original balance: $10,000
New Charges: (average $100 per month for 60 months = $6000)
Payments: (average $400 per month for 60 months = $24000)
Interest: (average $275 per month for 60 months = $16,500)
Fees: (2 late fees per year for 5 years $39 each = $390)
New balance: almost $33000 minus my payments of $24000, or around $9000.

At this rate, I'll pay $400 per month for many, many years, before my original $10,000 balance is paid off. As it is, in five years time, I've "borrowed" a grand total of $16,000 and paid a total of $24000, and still owe another $9000.

SCENARIO TWO (aka the way it should be):

If the original terms of the agreement had been followed by all parties - or if the bank were reasonable and not so greedy, and kept an honest interest rate of 10% despite my late payment now and then (whack me with the fees, go for it!) the picture might have been totally different.

Year one:
Original balance: $10000
Payments: $400 per month for year one, or $4800
Interest: (at 10%, approximately $1000)
New charges: $100 per month or $1200
Balance: 10000-4800+1000+1200 or $7400

Year two:
Original balance: $7400
Payments: $400 per month for year two, or $4800
Interest: (at 10%, approximately $740)
New charges: $100 per month or $1200
Balance: 7400-4800+740+1200 or $4540

Year three:
Original balance: $4540
Payments: $400 per month for year three, or $4800
Interest: (at 10%, approximately $454)
New charges: $100 per month or $1200
Balance: 4540-4800+454+1200 or $1394

Guess what... I break even in the third or fourth month of year four. By year five end, I have not only paid my credit card off, but have managed to put about $7000 into the bank...

The finance company just made a fair $2500 or so profit on me, I am happy, they should be too...

But instead... Instead scenario one is lived by many individuals, banks and finance companies today... and now, because I am homeless and can't pay my bill, the bank has to call this 'bad debt' and because I am not paying my credit card as I agreed to five years ago, the bank is hurting, and the federal government needs to bail them out.

It doesn't matter that I just paid them almost $25000 in payments, on $16,000 in charges, giving them a hefty $9000 in profit... what matters is that on the books, I am a bad debtor, and owe them $9000 that I'll never be able to pay off.

I like the ideal represented by Scenario Two above. We all win... and in a perfect world where money flows freely into my checking account and I never, ever post a late payment, then maybe it's possible to live scenario two. But when one of the bread earner's loses their job, or becomes disabled, or, heaven forbid, gas prices quadruple in a few years time, sometimes crap happens.

Back to my vote.

From an independent-seeming site, I garner the following facts about our candidates:

McCain would cut the corporate tax rate from 35% to 25%, and favors permanent tax credits to business for research and development. For people earning 250,000 or more per year, he wants to keep Bushes tax cuts.

Obama says that he'd let the Bush tax cuts expire for those earning 250,000 or more. And the whole corporate tax rate? Leave it at 35%. And end all the loopholes and deductions for industries like Big Oil.

For personal taxes, McCain says, "double the dependent deduction to $7000" and Obama says to implement a $500 per person or $1000 per family 'credit' on the taxes.

The McCain plan means this to me: If I earn enough income to be in a 20% tax bracket, I'd have an extra $3500 exempt from taxes - which means I'd save approximately 20% of 3500, or $700. The Obama plan says I'd save $1000.

Furthermore, Obama says for seniors making less than $50,000 eliminate their taxes. Period. My whole family would benefit directly by that one.

I do get McCain's preachiness about how Obama wants to 'redistribute wealth' while he wants to increase wealth. But from someone who has lived and does live down in the trenches of life in America, I can't afford any more of this "increase the wealth of the wealthy" attitude, in the hopes that some of it might trickle down to me..

In this, I must vote for the person who will enable me, somehow, hopefully, to get that extra $300 tax break - and to hell with those people who are making $250,000 a year. If they can't afford the extra taxes then who can? Certainly not my Mom or Grandmother, both of whom live month to month on their social security checks, just hoping that they'll have enough to pay for their groceries or medicine or both... and feeling terrible because they can't buy nice gifts for their grandkids and greats. They need a break from that, too.

Much of my family supports McCain, and I am sure he is a real American Hero... I do respect the man. But I think his support of the wealthy and of Big Industry is dead wrong. My vote goes for Obama.

I just hope that somehow, someone puts a stop to the craziness involved in credit financing - even though it's been an invisible subject since the big 'bailout' plan had to pass congress in such an emergency. Honestly, I am not paying my citibank cards another dime till I have some money comfortably saved somewhere... because I don't have two nickles to rub together by the time the next payday rolls around.

As for YOU. Just vote. And if your conscience says to vote for McCain, then GO FOR IT. Just do it. May God bless the winner and those he represents.

Canon EOS Rebel XSi Review

2008-09-02T18:17:00.012-04:00

Background:

The last camera I bought was a Sony DSC-H7B... A camera that I love to hate... Meaning it has so much potential wrapped up in it with the 8MP, 15x Zoom, etc... But with Sony's compression (no options) image quality suffers big-time. A full review may be found here: http://arkansawyer.blogspot.com/2007/07/sony-cybershot-dsc-h7b-review.html

Finally, a few months ago, I decided it was time to do it right... But I knew I couldn't afford to take the leap yet to a Digital SLR camera. I had thought about getting a Sony, but honestly after the point-and-shoot, I wasn't too impressed. The good side was compatibility with my old Minolta SLR... itself a low end film model. But I only had the kit lens and a basic 70-200mm zoom, bought on clearance somewhere, so it's not as if I was losing much if I went with another brand.

I considered Pentax, because they've been around a long time, too, and have great quality equipment... In the end, one of my biggest frustrations has been low light shots... and I started looking for a Pentax vs. Canon review and what I found was mostly reviews of newer models of Nikon and Canon cameras... The review that intrigued me most was a comparison of four top brands in astrophotography.

Ah-ha, thought I. The Canon and Nikon were very similar in quality, and references were made to the fact that they both blew away the competition... I am no astrophotographer, but I have been known to take moon shots occasionally, and eventually maybe I'll get a really good one.

So if I narrowed it down to Canon vs. Nikon - I know more Canon users than Nikon, and my friend Jamie Walling is a firm advocate of Canon. Add to that that I could buy older Canon camera outfits (film) anywhere for a reasonable price these days... and the digitals are dropping in price every week, I sensed a real possibility there.

I started looking and happened to stumble upon an eBay auction that listed a Canon EOS Rebel 2000 35mm camera, a 28-80mm kit lens, a UV filter, a polorizing filter, a Canon branded camera bag, a Canon branded lens cleaning kit..... and I won the auction ($50 + $10 shipping).

To start there, I took some awesome shots with the 2000. Here's one of my favorites:

This was shot with the Rebel 2000, ISO400 film, Sigma 70-300mm macro-zoom.

You can read my review of this camera here:
http://catalog.ebay.com/_W0QQ_fclsZ1QQ_pidZ52119363QQ_tabZ3QQ_uaidZ780597746

I kept having fun with it - thinking, "It's great to have a REAL camera." Finally, though, the cost of film and processing, began to add up. It dawned on me that the newer Canon digital camera could be bought with a payment less than my film processing costs...

So... enter the XSi. I purchased it bundled with the 18-55mm IS EF-S lens. I added a 4GB PNY memory card. I will go into some detail later about my thoughts on each of these items.

This image was captured with the XSi at Wildwood Lake in Harrisburg, with a low-end 70-300mm Sigma telephoto zoom lens attached, on 9-02-2008.

This was taken 8-31-2008, from Negley Park in LeMoyne PA, overlooking City Island and the Harrisburg skyline. The green dome on the lower right side is the state capitol building. The fireworks are a part of the annual Kipona Artsfest that is held on Labor Day weekend at Riverside Park. The lens was the 18-55mm IS kit lens, at 4 seconds, using a tripod for extra stability.

This is a hand-held shot, taken 8-29-2008, at the Halifax High vs. Shippensburg High football game. The runner is a Ship football player... (they ended up beating Halifax 14-3 but they are also a much, much larger team - in a different division - which means that it won't count toward the state championships). The lens was the Sigma 70-300mm telephoto.

This beautiful young lady is "Min", a friend of the family. This photograph was taken at Colonel Denning State Park in Central Pennsylvania, using the 70-300mm Sigma lens. Actually, most of my best shots during that photo shoot were taken with the kit lens... But I did like this one a lot.

I haven't had a chance to use my 50mm f1.8 Canon lens very much, but the few shots I do have with it are leaving me wanting to experiment more. This is one such shot, taken along Powell's Creek on 8-16-2008.

Ahh... waterfalls... One of my favorite scenes... And something I've only taken two trips to take photographs of, or rather - SERIOUS photos of. This was taken on 8-17-2008 at Rickett's Glen State Park in north central Pennsylvania, with the kit 18-55 lens.

And this would be Lucky! I came home on 8-15-2008 to find him relaxing in my chair. He would not get up - just looked at me with that paw resting comfortable under him. I grabbed the camera of course, and shot him till he got tired of it, and finally he got up and left me to my chair.

First impressions:

Now that I've given you world history, and a sampling of photos taken over the past month, now we're to the meat... What can I say?

When I got the package, and unpacked it, I couldn't wait to get started. But of course, batteries must charge and all that. So I stuck the battery on the charger and started reading through the books, installing software, etc.

Surprisingly fast, the battery was charged. I was used to a 3-4 hour wait time on the Sony point and shoot, and about 300 shots per charge. On this one, I charged the battery in an hour or hour and a half, and still haven't run it down in a day's shooting (once filling up a 4GB memory card and then some with RAW+JPG shots). I think I can easily get 600-800 shots as long as I don't overuse the flash and even a respectable number with part time flash (I used the flash some the day I filled the 4GB card).

Confusion? Everything was pretty straightforward till I tried to use the live-view mode. I played with options trying to figure out how to get autofocus to work, and finally gave up in disgust, thinking something was wrong with the camera.

Finally, a day or so later, I got the book out and dug it up. Turns out autofocus in live-view is controlled by the * button, not the shutter button as is the case normally. My guess is it's a way to encourage people to get away from using the live-view, which eats the battery life very quickly.

I have, once or twice, used live-view successfully after figuring it out - but with an optical viewfinder (instead of the digital one on the old Sony or my prior Olympus pointandshoot), I don't find much value in the live view mode. I prefer the viewfinder, actually.

Image Quality:

This is one area where I definitely cannot complain... I have had to learn the camera's foibles... But those are mostly in terms of overcoming my point-and-shoot bad habits, not in any problems with the camera itself.

For example, I used to lock the Olympus into ISO 64, it's lowest setting. The Sony, ISO 80. This camera's lowest ISO is 100... But I've learned not to be afraid of ISO 400. Indeed, even 800 or 1600 has a remarkable clarity... I have shot a speeding roller coaster (not pictured here) and gotten very sharp images at 1600.

I did try a portrait at 1600 and there was enough noise to distract from her skin, but at 400 the noise was almost invisible.

I feel like I can easily get 20x30 shots with this camera. I've never had a camera capable of that.

And I can't wait to see a print in that size to see how it looks.

Some of the things I don't like (and these are very minor things):

1) All the auto modes do not allow capture in RAW mode. That said, I've learned over the past year or two to use Program mode a lot, and with this camera, some of the other manual settings... so really I can shoot RAW+JPG as much as I want. Sometimes I go back to the default AUTO modes just for a reality check.

For example, if I try a portrait shot, in Portrait mode, and the camera chooses to take it in auto mode at ISO 400, f4.5, and 1/250 second, then that gives me a starting point in the manual modes...

2) Live-view could be much more user friendly. No need to go into more detail - it's outlined above. That said, I am not a huge fan of live view anyways, so... *shrug* No big deal.

3) The kit lens is an EF-S instead of EF mount. That means it works great with this camera, but not with my 35mm Rebel 2000.

Things I really like about the camera:

1) Image Quality. Overall it is superb. The option to shoot in RAW mode added to the Canon processing software is a very powerful addition to the usability of this camera. The RAW mode has already saved the day a few times - it captures tons more detail than straight JPG shooting as most point-and-shoots support. At the end of the day, this is the most important feature of any camera. Period. And this one is a winner in this department. The only shots I've really been disappointed in were when I was using the 300mm zoom at close distances without using macro mode.... I had some focusing issues that I think were more the lens and photographer's fault than the camera's.

2) Live-view. It has it. Although not always useful, I do look forward to using my laptop as my LCD screen and try some portrait shots indoors with it.

3) The kit lens is image stabilized. I tried turning IS off and on and did various shots - and it definitely does a great job.

4) Lens compatibility. All Canon EF type lenses work in this camera. I did use the kit lens that came with my 35mm and got some good shots out of it.

There's more that can be said, but in the end, this is a great camera outfit. I could go on and on - but the photos speak for themselves... Feel free to let me know what you think of this review... and any questions you may have, I'll be glad to try and answer.

Mom to be

2008-07-07T14:02:00.002-04:00

A turtle at Wildwood Lake Park in Harrisburg PA. We walked up to see the turtle, and a rather largish snake nearby. We startled the snake but the turtle didn't even try to run away. After a few minutes, we saw why.

Groundhog Regrets

2008-06-19T23:14:00.004-04:00

A few days ago, we were on our way out Powell's Valley Road heading somewhere not so important after all, when I saw something that I should have gone back and photographed. I thought... well, the camera I have doesn't see things the way I do... everyone else is ready to get where we're going... there's a hundred excuses not to do it.

The scene? Amber waves of grain. Literally. It was sunny, the grain was ripened to a golden hue in the bright sunlight, the breeze was blowing, causing the grain to wave in the sunlight. And between the fields of grain was bright green fields of corn. It was an awesome sight in it's own way.

Today, they baled that grain into haybales. That photo op that I had the other day is gone for good.

Early this morning, on the way to work, I stopped and took a photo. I took it with two cameras, and I am hoping the other camera did an even better job - but we'll see. As it is, I am proud of this photo:

As I started to drive back down the road, I spotted another splash of blue against the golden backdrop of grain. It was an oh-so-very bright bluebird... Very, very pretty. Experience tells me if I'd stopped, and gotten out with the camera, there's a good chance it would have flown away before I got focused on it, and my daughter was ready to be at her friend's house already, so I drove on.

But maybe, it wouldn't have flown away.

But what really baked the cake (so to speak... ) was this afternoon on the way HOME from work. I thought, "I have some time to kill... I am going to drive up to Boyd Big Tree Preserve, and look around. I did, too. After I pulled of Route 322 onto Fishing Creek Rd, with my destination in mind, I looked over and saw the coolest thing.

I have yet, in the eight years I've been in Pennsylvania, to take a good shot of a groundhog. Yes, there's Puxtahawney Phil, but I've not seen him. But here was a groundhog, not waddling through the grass like we usually see, but rather, next to the road, his paws up on this weed that was more of a bush than a weed, biting at a branch very above his head.

I haven't ever seen a groundhog behaving quite that way. But I was driving too fast. Like the bluebird, I had the feeling that if I stopped, he'd run away, so I didn't. But that was the straw that broke the camel's back. I drove to Boyds, even took a couple photos - one or two might be okay.

But after I left, I pulled out my cell phone and jotted a note to myself... the subject was "groundhog regrets".

Secret Ingedient

2008-06-05T08:50:00.000-04:00

From time to time, I've taken a few great shots... and a lot of merely good ones, I suppose, but a few really great ones. And they usually happen despite myself - meaning they are accidents of some sort, or just merely the result of being in the right place at the right time.

With that thought in mind, I am going to share a link to a photo my buddy Jose shared with me (No - I do not know the photographer).

This external link will take you to CNN.com's site. This is one of those "perfect moments" that most of us don't quite happen to catch...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/weather/06/04/tanker.fire.irpt/index.html

An ebay experiment

2008-06-02T00:59:00.001-04:00

I've never sold on ebay... I have bought a thing or two over time - but never have I sold.

But I wanted to direct some traffic back to my photobook's page on the blurb site, and so I thought I'd do something that I read about... which is to advertise/list prints on ebay. Provide a link back to the book's page, etc.

I can get 11x14's printed locally for a good price, for good quality prints. My objective here isn't to make money, but rather, to test the waters and learn a little about selling online.

With that in mind, I started my prices at 2.99 plus shipping - which wouldn't even be a break-even for me if they sold at that price. BUT it was something... A friend looked and advised - if I do ever sell anything, then sell more later - it's harder to keep customers once you raise your prices.

So I revised/listed my prints for a much more realistic price of $10 plus shipping... But again, I am not caring if I make money - my objective is to break even and learn the waters, so to speak, so I started looking for something that would be a worthwhile charity for Central Pennsylvania - and one thing I've learned is that the Central PA Food Bank is there for people - especially in the hard winter months and during the holidays...

Through scouts and other activities over the years, we've donated food before, but ebay has them as a charitable partner. So I put 10% of my selling price to go to that organization. The only catch? It's a minimum $5 donation.

So if I sell any prints at the starting bid of $10 - $5 automatically goes to the Food Bank, the other $5 is spread over the cost of the prints, the ebay fees, and so on.

In the end, I won't make anything.........

But that's okay.

If you are interested in purchasing a print from me, you can get it cheaper through my ebay page than through deviantart prints service. Right now, I have a handful of Harrisburg area shots listed - I can list special requests if you have any... and at this point I will gladly continue the partnership with the food bank - just to gain the experience and perhaps get some positive feedback on ebay - and learn the ropes, so to speak. :)

Arkansawyer on eBay

Central PA Food Bank on ebay.

Let me know what you think - and if you think a photo is worth $10 - $15 feel free to make a bid. :)

err. For those more serious ebay shoppers out there - my "postage" on the current listings was for priority mail to US addresses. Any suggestions on mailing large format photographs? Like packaging and priority vs parcel post, etc., etc. I am a 100% newbie at this... and again - looking to learn the ropes.

Central Pennsylvania Photobook

2008-05-20T21:40:00.002-04:00

I still need to finish posting my individual sections here, but I am going to skip ahead and post photos of the finished copy of the photobook I just had published. Feel free to leave a comment or email me at arkansawyer@gmail.com for more information.

The best movie quote of all time.. IMHO

2008-05-17T23:29:00.001-04:00

My First - A Photo How-To Experience

2008-05-09T10:23:00.003-04:00

This quick post is in response to a comment on my photobook series image, "My First"...

Central PA Photobook Series: Country Living

"How did you ever happen to capture that?"

I will go back a few years... a buddy and I, both potential photographers without the money and time to deal with the cost of film, used to sit on the balcony at the dormitories on Laughlin Air Force Base near Del Rio Texas... and we'd watch thunderstorms roll in. He'd try to capture lightning shots and may have been occasionally successful. As for me, I quickly learned I could go through a heck of a lot of film and never capture anything but a dark sky.

A couple years ago, when this photo was taken, I had just recently gotten a decent digital camera, an Olympus C765-Ultra Zoom model. It was 4.1MP (good enough in it's day even if it's not the newest and best now). And I was really beginning to get the bug.

Now I live in Central Pennsylvania, and there are things to take photos of in my life every day - all I have to do is learn to open up my eyes. So I had begun to bring the camera along part of the time... and around home I was looking at wildflowers and sunsets and things with a new eye, when one day a thunderstorm rolled up Powell's Valley from the west, straight towards our house.

It was a very slow-moving storm front, and as it got nearer and nearer, the lightning just kept popping, over and over and over again... I got my camera and went out in the back yard (facing the west) and I took shot after shot... almost 60 total - and got nothing but pitch black skies or an occasional "glow" on the horizon. There was lightning all right - I was just getting really good at missing it.

I got discouraged, disgusted, and went inside in a humph... I quit. As I sat in my easy chair, I started looking over the camera. I though - hmmmm... this has a manual setting that has a 15 second exposure... Other than the lightning, it was pitch black outside. Maybe, I should try that.

By this point the storm was passing our house, and rain was beginning to pound down, so I went out front, and stood under the overhand of our porch, pointed the camera into the night-sky, and pressed the shutter button. 15 seconds later, I had myself a black image. I tried again... same results. But the third time, the lightning struck the mountain and the rest is history, as they say.

I have some comments and 'lessons learned' as it were.

1) Knowing what I know now, it's not too smart to be standing out there taking pictures of something this deadly. Look how the tendrils of the lightning came back through the sky right over my head. When we're looking there with the naked eye, we tend to see a really quick light "explosion" and then darkness again - but the camera caught a lot more than that. So if you ever do something like this - don't go stand out in the middle of the field and just do it.

2) I got really lucky. I didn't use a tripod. I might have had the camera braced on the porch post or something but I am not even sure about that. In subsequent attempts, I find myself getting a lot of doubled-lines if I do not use a tripod to steady the camera. Probably the only reason I got what I did in this attempt was because it WAS so pitch black outside that all the camera saw was in that brief second of light.

3) Longer exposures work great - in pitch black darkness. If it's daytime - you just have to get lucky. :)

Hope you found this useful and/or informative. Have a great day!

Photobook 6: Wildlife

2008-04-28T15:12:00.006-04:00

Post six of a series of photographs I am going to use in an upcoming photobook. All of the photos in this series were taken by me in Dauphin County Pennsylvania and its neighboring counties, between 2005 and 2008. Occasionally I will also post paintings based on my photographs. The artist behind these paintings is my friend, Karen Oudeman, from Gouda, the Netherlands.

This is the the section entitled Wildlife. In my time in Pennsylvania I have been lucky enough to see many various creatures. I have just very recently photographed a porcupine and elk in the upper part of the state, and have seen black bear there, as well as here near home. However, in this collection - I am only including area scenes - and I have not had the luck to catch a bear with my camera.

However, there are many interesting creatures - from deer and ring-neck pheasants to many types of insect. I love to go out on lunch breaks to local nature centers in the hopes of finding some "nature" and sometimes I am successful. :) I hope you enjoy this collection - it does not do justice to the many diverse species of animals and insects to be found in the area.

The text on the section introduction page reads as follows:

Central Pennsylvania has an abundance of wildlife. White-tail deer are very common in the area, and one of my favorite pastimes as a photographer is to stop and photograph a deer as it stops to look at me (but all too often it runs off before I get the camera in place). Other mammals, waterfowl, amphibians, and reptiles are fairly common in state forests and park areas such as Wildwood Lake in Harrisburg. In Powell's Valley, ringneck pheasants are a very common sight. Various species of insects and bugs may be seen, from common bees and butterflies to the saddleback caterpillar. This area is an animal lover's paradise.

All images copyright 2005-2008 James A. Wheeler or Karen Oudeman.

Contact me at arkansawyer@gmail.com for information on obtaining copies of any of these prints or information on the upcoming 160 page photobook, which will be a "coffee table" style hardcover book complete with paper sleeve cover, initially priced around $60 - which to my cheapskate pocketbooks seems high until I compare the cost to that of eating out at a nice restaurant, which for a family can quickly exceed the cost of this book, and is quickly forgotten.

The series so far:
Photobook 1: The Story
Photobook 2: The Church
Photobook 3: Farmscapes
Photobook 4: Country Living
Photobook 5: Waterscapes
Photobook 6: Wildlife

I prefer my coffee black, thank you

2008-04-25T14:44:00.002-04:00

Ever have one of those days?

It all started yesterday. I work in two places - err... I am employed by one employer who has facilities at two different addresses? Something like that.

After a meeting at my "normal" place, I went to the other one... I grabbed a coffee mug full of coffee on my way out the door. I downed it on the way over, and left the mug sitting in the cup holder of my truck.

Then last evening, I had to take the kids into town. Jeremy was going to scouts, and Kate was hanging out with me, walking down by the river, trying to find some pretty shots:

We did find the pretty pictures, got Jeremy and headed home...

And this morning, I got up and came into work. I pulled the McDonald's napkin that had been stuffed into my mug out and threw it away without a second thought. I rinsed the mug quickly, poured the coffee, and went to my desk.

I logged on the computer, sat sipping the coffee for a moment or two, thinking... This is pretty good coffee today.

Then I noticed it. Something stuck to the inside of my mug. As I looked, a sinking, queasy feeling developed. A bit of the lump broke away and drifted into the blackness of the coffee.

It's a good thing I have a heavy duty stomach and don't get sick very easily... because I KNEW what it was.

Rewind to last night again. We were a bit late, needed to eat, so I thought - we'll go through the McD's drive through.

As we neared town, Kate sneezed. When she did so, she pinched her nose shut. I fussed at her - you can (and she has in the past) hurt your ears that way. She said, "Well... it's better than the alternative." And I insisted it was not. So on came another sneeze. This time, the snot did fly.

I had Jeremy look in the glove box but I had nothing. My handkerchief I had left at home when I changed out of my work clothes. So when we got to McD's, I asked the drive-through person for extra napkins. Most of them ended up on the floor of the truck. But one, got stuffed into my mug.

err. Guess which one.

Photobook 5: Waterscapes

2008-04-22T21:00:00.011-04:00

Post five of a series of photographs I am going to use in an upcoming photobook. All of the photos in this series were taken by me in Dauphin County Pennsylvania and its neighboring counties, between 2005 and 2008. Occasionally I will also post paintings based on my photographs. The artist behind these paintings is my friend, Karen Oudeman, from Gouda, the Netherlands.

This is the the section entitled Waterscapes. This is simply a series of photos featuring the Susquehanna River and other waterways in the Central Pennsylvania area. My daughter often asks, "Can we go down to the river?" For her, she likes to "explore" and find things washed up on the banks. For me, it's an opportunity to go take pretty pictures, and enjoy the sound of water running past. In the wintertime the sound of ice crunching and crackling is pretty neat, but any time of the year, along about sunset you can enjoy fabulous colors reflecting off the water's surface.

The text on the section introduction page reads as follows:

The Susquehanna River meanders from its roots in New York state through Pennsylvania into Maryland, eventually emptying into the Chesapeake Bay. Here in Central Pennsylvania, it is a very wide river, in many places shallow with islands here and there all along its length. During dry seasons, one can wade almost all the way across the river, but during wet seasons, flooding takes its toll on the river communities. In addition to the mighty river itself, there are many creeks and streams that start up in the mountains and make their way down to the river. All these waterways help lend a special beauty to the landscape and make it an enjoyable target for the camera year-round.

All images copyright 2005-2008 James A. Wheeler or Karen Oudeman.

Contact me at arkansawyer@gmail.com for information on obtaining copies of any of these prints or information on the upcoming 160 page photobook, which will be a "coffee table" style hardcover book complete with paper sleeve cover, initially priced around $60 - which to my cheapskate pocketbooks seems high until I compare the cost to that of eating out at a nice restaurant, which for a family can quickly exceed the cost of this book, and is quickly forgotten.

The series so far:
Photobook 1: The Story
Photobook 2: The Church
Photobook 3: Farmscapes
Photobook 4: Country Living
Photobook 5: Waterscapes
Photobook 6: Wildlife

Photobook 4: Country Living

2008-04-20T18:16:00.014-04:00

Visit the book's page here: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/238062/

Fourth in a series of articles introducing my new photobook which is now on sale at blurb.com. The last section was Farmscapes and this is closely related. I live in the country - for a time I lived in places like Montgomery Alabama, Midwest City Oklahoma (a suburb of Oklahoma City), and Harrisburg - but those times when I lived "in town" tended to be short-lived. The old adage "You can take the kid out of the country but you can't take the country out of the kid" fits me pretty well.

Country life, for me, is all about sunsets without buildings or other things to block them, foggy mornings, going fishing, etc. But in Pennsylvania, it's a bigger thing than just that. It's the covered bridges - many of which were built in the 1800s and are still in use today, or at least, available to visit. It's the old wooden ferryboats in Millersburg which cross the river, day after day, ferrying passengers and cars to the other side. It's sitting in the park at Millersburg, and watching fireworks exploding over the river. Living in rural America is the place to be!

Dauphin County and its neighboring counties are full of country scenes, from the covered bridges of Perry, Dauphin, and Northumberland Counties, to the ferryboats that have taken passengers across the Susquehanna River from Millersburg to Liverpool for more than a hundred years. On Independence Day fireworks light up the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg and Millersburg; in September, a local school remembers 9-1-1 with a tribute to all the people who lost their lives on September day. In the wintertime, snow blankets the ground with a soft cover. Amish settlements are sprinkled throughout the countryside. And when you look to the west in the evening hours, it is not unusual to see sunsets with barns or trees framed against a fiery sky. On any given day of the year, you need not look far to find something interesting to do or see. It is country living at its finest.

Photobook 3: Farmscapes

2008-04-20T17:12:00.021-04:00

Third in a series of articles introducing my new photobook which are now on sale at blurb.com.

As a photographer, I love landscape photos - seeing expanses of land in a photograph in National Geographic or anywhere else for that matter, always makes me smile, appreciate some aspect of my world that someone was able to capture with a camera. Over time, I've come to really appreciate an altered form of the landscape photograph - that is, landscapes that feature farm scenes, or farmscapes. This collection, the second section of my photobook, is a record of the reasons why I live where I do.

We looked all around for houses - but even before we moved to Pennsylvania, we knew we would move to Halifax eventually. I suppose the housing market could have changed our minds - but I wanted a couple of mountains between myself and the city (and downriver, the infamous Three Mile Island nuclear power plant). I also wanted a small town life - where my children could go to school and get to know almost everyone - not to be lost in the system. We looked at a map, and said, "That's the place."

Mostly, I loved the countryside. When I first came to Pennsylvania, it was in May or June, I believe... and when I looked out over the valley where Halifax sits next to the big river, the first thing I noticed was the patchwork quilt of greens. Cornfields and other crops, bordered by forests, grain silos and old barns in the distance. And everything was so very bright and green and ALIVE.

And with that introduction, I present the farmscapes collection. From the introductory page:

Central Pennsylvania is a patchwork of farmlands and forests with small towns dotted here and there across the countryside. When I first came to Pennsylvania, I drove up over Peter's Mountain into Upper Dauphin County and pulled off at the parking area atop the mountain. When I looked out over the early summer green and saw the patchwork of farms and forests in the valley below, I was sold. I went back to work and within a few days had accepted the job offer I'd been given. The rural countryside varies from a snow-covered landscape during the winter months, a bright green and flowery spring, miles and miles of cornfields in the summertime, to colorful autums. It is not only the natural scenes which inspire, but also those which combine the man-made scenes with the natural ones, rural landscapes - or farmscapes.

Photobook 2: The Church

2008-04-19T11:59:00.014-04:00

Second of a series of articles introducing my new photobook which will be on sale starting in mid May, 2008. This is a 'self publishing' effort, so all the work going into formatting and layout of the book lay solely on me. I did have some help in the form of friends who proofed the text and/or gave suggestions, but I did the dirty work, and in the end am proud of what I've accomplished.

I grew up in western Arkansas, in a hilly region abundant with forests, lakes, and rivers. I lived small town life at it's finest... and when I turned 19, I left. I have/had full intentions of returning some day - but I had to find my own way in the world, and joined the Air Force. Eventually I completed my enlistment and started a new job, and the path led me to Dauphin County in the year 2000.

In 2001, I bought a house in Upper Dauphin County, and here I am surrounded by farmlands and forests, and the appalachian trail runs along the ridge on the side of Powell's Valley, where I call home. The entire area has become "home" to me - indeed I am at one time closer to home than I've ever been since leaving Arkansas in 1990, and farther away than I've ever been. Small town life is much the same here, and the climate similar although a bit cooler. But I am more miles away than I've been before.

Still, I find myself inspired by the scenes of my world, and the one photo that started this "photography" thing rolling for me was of this old church. Over the past few years, I've built up a collection of images featuring the church, but until recently I never really knew the story behind it.

On deviantART, I met a wonderful person named Karen Oudeman, who asked one day if she could paint one of my photos... Of course, I said yes. And so, a partnership was born. Two of the images featured here, including "Heaven's Light" are paintings done by Karen. There are 3 more in the photobook itself, but I will post those in subsequent articles.

The following is the text from the first page of The Church series in my photobook.

Over the past few years of life in Powell's Valley, I have been inspired time and again by the sight of this historic church. St. Paul's Lutheran Church, also known as Bowerman's Church, was first organized in 1825, and the first building, a log structure, was erected in 1826. In 1902, the old church building was deemed unsafe and was torn down. The new church's cornerstone was laid July 2, 1902. The new church was dedicated April 24, 1903 at a cost of about $4,000. One of my first serious "artistic" photos was of this church during an early springtime sunset. "Heaven's Light" remains my favorite photograph. Like many of my shots, it was just the result of being in the right place at the right time. Even so, it serves as an inspiration to do something more with the camera than I've ever before done. It spurs me onward to find within myself some sense of creativity and the desire to share my views of the world around me.

Without further ado, here is the series of images that comprise "The Church".

Photobook 1: The Story

2008-04-19T08:55:00.018-04:00

First of a series of articles introducing my new self-published photobook which will be on sale starting in mid May, 2008.

For many years, I have taken photos here and there. By the time I was ten or eleven I had gotten myself a 35 mm camera, and took pictures at family reunions and more... By the time I was a Junior in high school, I volunteered as a yearbook staff photographer, and had a great time.

Then, for a long time, I would take some photos here and there, but the cost of film processing always slowed me down. That's not to say I didn't take a dozen or more rolls of film per year, but .. 24 photos a month more or less aren't all that much.

In 2004 or thereabouts, a neighbor gave me a Fuji 2MP camera in return for some yard work I had done for her. That little camera and I took a lot of neat photos - but I learned rather quickly what the limitations of a 2MP camera were in terms of quality. Don't get me wrong - it took great photos but... at 2MP there wasn't a whole lot you could do with them.

In early 2005, I bought a 4.1MP Olympus - and to this day even with a broken lcd screen, I still take great photos with it. Last year, I upgraded to an 8.1 MP Sony (I prefer the Olympus). In March 2006, I took a photograph that would alter my fate, to some degree, at least.

It was a photograph of a church, taken at sunset, with rays of light shining down out of the clouds.

It was, in short, an inspiration. The only name I could think of for it was "Heaven's Light" because it seemed as if God were shining his heavenly light down upon this old rural church. In the next article, I will give a description of the church, and history of it, but for this, I will tell more about where this photograph led me.

I had a desire to share this image with others, not quite knowing where or what. Someone mentioned The Photo Forum and I checked it out. It's a good community of sorts, but to be able to really interact very much with other photographers, you had to pay for the membership.

But through viewing profiles and reading people's comments in the forum, I saw multiple links to deviantArt so I thought I'd check it out, too. It was here that I opened an account and started exploring the art that is photography. Through interacting with other artists, viewing what they did with their cameras, and asking questions about techniques, I learned a lot about photography, my camera, and myself.

I am still an "amateur". To date, my total earnings from "photography" remains under $50 or so (with expenses far greater). I have sold a few prints here and there, but at a dollar or two or less per copy, the profit was minimal. Still, I've enjoyed learning more about my community as much as learning more about the camera, and somewhere along the way, I started building a collection of images depicting life in Central Pennsylvania.

On deviantArt, as well as Gather, I have met some pretty amazing people along the way. One of these folks is Karen Oudeman, an artist who lives in the Netherlands. She asked me if she could paint one of my photos.. And of course I said Yes. :) The painting has, over time, turned into five paintings... each of them special and unique in it's own way.

Recently I ordered a 100 page book of my photos, and then - having started there, for myself, I started looking at where I could create a book to sell to other people... and eventually settled on Blurb. I have spent the past few months working on formatting and organizing a collection of more than 150 of my photographs (and Karen's five paintings), all depicting scenes in Central Pennsylvania, primarily Dauphin County with a few images from neighboring counties.

In all, the book I have put together is 160 pages, and in this post, I will show you the cover, featuring the photograph that started it all, "Heaven's Light", and the oil painting based upon it, along with the bios of myself and Karen. The book is offered in a hardcover "coffee table" style format, complete with a paper sleeve cover featuring the images shown below.

The front cover, features the "Heaven's Light" photograph.

The back cover features an oil painting based on the Heaven's Light photograph.

The artists bios are inside the dust jacket sleeves...

And to give you a preview of each of the rest of the articles I will publish in this series, here is the "table of contents" page for the book, showing each of the major categories: The Church, Farmscapes, Country Living, Waterscapes, Wildlife, Plantlife, and Harrisburg.

All images copyright 2005-2008 James A. Wheeler or Karen Oudeman.

Contact me at arkansawyer@gmail.com for information on obtaining copies of any of these prints or information on the upcoming 160 page photobook, which will be a "coffee table" style hardcover book complete with paper sleeve cover, initially priced around $60 - which to my cheapskate pocketbooks seems high until I compare the cost to that of eating out at a nice restaurant, which for a family can quickly exceed the cost of this book, and is quickly forgotten.

The series so far:
Photobook 1: The Story
Photobook 2: The Church
Photobook 3: Farmscapes
Photobook 4: Country Living
Photobook 5: Waterscapes
Photobook 6: Wildlife

A Window to my World

2008-01-30T00:23:00.003-05:00

I've been toying with the idea of creating a photobook (a coffee-table style photography book). I am embedding my slideshow of images here, as they will appear in the book - but be warned, it's 100 pages!

For anyone who desires a copy, or individual prints of the photos you see here, email me (ref my profile page) and I'll get back with you as soon as I can. Also, these images are not "high-quality" but rather low-resolution images suitable for only printing small prints from, if anything. Please do not print them - if you want the originals, let me know.

All of the images featured here are from the Central Pennsylvania area - primarily Dauphin County although there are a few from surrounding areas.

Enjoy! (and please, leave feedback!!)

The Freezing, Part II

2008-01-28T17:07:00.000-05:00

This is a video I took using my digital camera, along the banks of the Susquehanna River just south of Sunbury, PA. Be sure to turn the volume up - you'll be able to hear the ice "talk".

The Freezing...

2008-01-26T04:33:00.003-05:00

It's getting COLD in Pennsylvania...

Merry Christmas...

2007-12-25T12:04:00.000-05:00

.... and Happy New Year!

arkansawyer

2007-12-06T17:19:00.001-05:00

Harrisburg Parade of Cows 2004

2007-11-24T19:20:00.000-05:00

In spring of 2004, the city of Harrisburg did a "Cow Parade". We had a family outing and went to see many of the cows on display....

Tools used: Microsoft Photo Story 3.

Walk the walk

2007-11-15T21:19:00.000-05:00

Warning: Large file...

It's time to Vote!*

2007-10-19T15:28:00.000-04:00

democracy - a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them.

Election is only a few weeks away - but the real election is still a year away...

Either way - state and local or national, it shouldn't matter.

We should take time to vote. For a change.

There's been lots of talk about voter fraud and/or votes being bought... At the end of the day however, these types of things make close elections tough to call.

If enough people step forward, then those few invalid votes won't be enough to matter. So go vote... For a change.

"All the money in the world cannot buy enough votes to overturn an overwhelming majority."

*for a change

Rockville Bridge

2007-09-28T19:55:00.000-04:00

Near Harrisburg, PA, is Rockville Bridge. I enjoy going to this historic stone-arch railroad bridge, and just watching the clouds go by.

Today, I brought along a tripod, and my remote control - timing myself so that each photo would be approximately 10 seconds from the next one. Approximately because it went from 8 to 12 seconds..

At the point where the train started crossing I "sped up" a small amount, later slowing jut a tad to compensate for it. I then used Windows Movie Maker to merge each photo into a movie. Please visit and give me feedback. :)

The music? I downloaded it from the net (although it was a legal download from CNET Download.com)

Millersburg PA Bicentennial Parade 2007

2007-09-07T14:03:00.001-04:00

The nearby town of Millersburg is celebrating it's 200th birthday. Here's an album (over 150 photos) taken during the parade over Labor Day Weekend. If you search my blogsite for Millersburg Ferry you'll find a series of photos of the Millersburg Ferry which still runs today.

Millersburg Bicentennial Parade

A study on heat...

2007-08-31T22:47:00.000-04:00

After driving a few thousand miles this past few weeks, I started seeing mirages. That is to say, I've always heard that wanderers in the desert would see water in the distance - that simply did not exist. And here I was, driving in the South, in the steamy heat of August (100 degrees farenheit and above), and I could see water shimmering in the distance... but it faded as I approached.

Living in PA, I don't observe this phenomenon ... I started to say often, but really, I haven't seen it in a LONG time or it wouldn't have made such an impression this time. I used to live in Arkansas (and Texas, and Mississippi, and Alabama, and Georgia, and Oklahoma (some of those for only 3 months or so, but still... )). In those years, the first 30 or so of my life, seeing water shimmer on the highway during summertime was a common thing. I never really gave it a lot of thought.

Then, a few weeks ago, I was reading a book by physicist Stephen Hawking, talking about gravity bending light rays and such... It's an interesting concept. Add to that, my fairly newly developed photographer's eye for the unusual, and a few thoughts about it, and I kinda got to wondering about this "mirage" business.

Technically, this water I am seeing may not be a mirage. I am not going to look up the word... But definitely, as you approach it, it ceases to exist. I was thinking - and perhaps I've always thought, that it's just an "optical illusion" - it doesn't really exist, it's just a trick of lighting that makes our eyes see what is not really there.

But then, I looked more, and more, and... I don't buy it. At all. I mean... It's not just the appearance of "water"... it's reflections IN the water. AND it is capturable with the camera. (First time I've ever tried that!!)

AND although I didn't catch it on film, I observed the same thing AFTER DARK. That's right, going through middle Louisiana, when night fell, the temps were still way up there.... and the same shimmering surface that existed in these photos was still there. And actually, it being dark - I could not see it... EXCEPT... and this was the coolest thing - I could see the reflections in it of other cars' headlamps and taillamps.

I do not have any really good explanations as to what this phenomenon is, other than that it is caused by heat, and perhaps, humidity - although if it also happens in a dry desert perhaps humidity plays no role in it. I could - and probably will - do some research and learn more about it, but before I do, I thought I'd post this and see what YOU think about it.

Comments?

Back from family reunion...

2007-08-27T12:49:00.000-04:00

Here's some photos that I posted on flickr, put here for your amusement. I still have three cards full of photos, and almost no free space left on my laptop, so before I can put a few more up, I needs to archive some of my existing photos before I can do any more!

At a picnic outing on Saturday we went playing in the creek, and I caught a crawdad (crawfish, crayfish, whatever) and gave it to my sis-in-law Pam... who had made the mistake of saying that she goes hunting for them with our niece, but that she doesn't actually TOUCH them... I handed mine to her, and when she tried to let him go, he wouldn't let her go....

Along the same creek, my brother Larry (Pam's hubby) and I both took a shot with our cameras at the same time. I haven't seen his (of me) but I am not afraid to post mine, of him:

A little while later, at the campground, we went to setup in the pavilion and disturbed a resident there. I don't think he was very happy with us....

The evening before, we had a hayride, the following photos are from that trip...

Oh, and by the way... Thanks for being here...

Harry Potter - The Deathly Hallows

2007-07-22T01:02:00.000-04:00

Last evening, for the first time in my thirty-something years, I went and stood in a line to do something like a movie, book, or whatever. I wasn't as die-hard as many Harry Potter fans... I didn't stop in to get my "bracelet" (to get a book at midnight) early in the morning or afternoon BUT I did get to Borders in Harrisburg around 9:30. And yes, even then, there was a line going out of the bookstore just for those of us who had pre-ordered the book.

I saw a number of amusing sites last night... Harrisburg has now apparently become Harrysburg. :) How cool is that?!?

There were loads of interesting folks there at the Grand Ball...

One of the questions everyone asks is "is Severus Snape good or evil?" Although I have read the book, I will not give out spoilers. (Go read the book and quit googling it...)

Okay, so for the first time, I tried a few different varieties of Bertie Bott's beans. The Booger flavor was not too hot... Earthworm tasted a little like dirt (yes, umm, I HAVE tasted dirt before)... But although I thought earthworm was bad, I absolutely stopped trying them after rotten egg. In fact, that one stayed with me till I got in line for a coffee to scald out my mouth (and with the crowds present at the store, it took about a half an hour just to get one large black coffee).

There were fun and games... Obviously costume prizes given away, and a 'Great Snape Debate'.

The last photo here, I took at midnight, almost on the dot... The store was packed, people being lined up inside to buy the book - and this line outside - for people who hadn't even gotten a bracelet to get in line to buy the book (no this was NOT the book-buying line, just the line to check in if you were going to buy a book).

I got there around 9:30, but by the time I got my book it was a few minutes before 2AM.

Now it's 1:15am the next night, and yes, I read the book. Awhile back, I read the last Lemony Snicket 'Series of Unfortunate Events' book and there were tons of loose ends. I will have to commend J.K. Rowling on the lack of obvious loose ends... And, yeah, unlike Douglas Adams 5 book "trilogy" of the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I did not throw the book across the room in disgust - but at the same time, I just spent over $20 on it, so ...

I won't say whether I was happy with the ending or not, but I will tell you that it was well-written and kept me entertained for many of the last 22 hrs (Yes, I did stop and sleep for a few hours last night... )

Sony Cybershot DSC H7/B Review

2007-07-14T01:04:00.000-04:00

My aging Olympus C765UZ is still going strong - despite the battering I've given it over the past two years. With it's 10x Optical zoom, it's actually gotten a lot of great shots for me...

But... I've actually sold a print or two here and there, and there are limitations to what a 4 megapixel camera can produce. I thought it's time to upgrade.. My ultimate goal, I suppose, is to invest in a nice DSLR camera, but with the expense of additional lenses right now it's out of the question.

Olympus, a few months ago, came out with a new 18x Optical zoom, 6MP camera (SP-550UZ). Now, it's a nice camera, but with a list price of $499, has some drawbacks... Reviews show a somewhat grainy picture at high ISO's... the video mode is similar to that of my current camera - not great, but not terrible either.

But Sony a few weeks ago released a pair of new cameras.. The DSC-H7 and H9 series. Both are 8.1MP, with a 15x optical zoom. The camera is faster with the memory stick duo cards than the Olympus XD format, and you can shoot 'burst mode' for an extended number of shots... With the higher resolution and other benefits, it's a nice pair of cameras.

The differences are primarily in the display screen. The smaller H7 has a display screen that is fixed on the back of the camera - very similar to the Olympus SP-550UZ. The H9 has a larger, swivel screen. It also sports a night-shot mode that uses infrared lighting - but which is good only for short distances.

And oh yeah, both cameras sport a wireless remote control - allowing you to compose the shot, then go and join the family or whoever, and push the button remotely.

At $499 list, the H9 is comparable in price to the Olympus, but the H7 is more in line with the Olympus in terms of functionality (the smaller, and non-swivelable, display screen.) But at a hundred dollars cheaper, ... well, that's where I decided to put my money.

Through Dell's website, they had a special discount plus free shipping, so that pushed the price down under $350... So 15x Optical, Nice even if not movable display screen, 8.1MP resolution, sounds great...

I got it yesterday - still waiting on the memory card, but this camera DOES have built-in memory, enough to store about 11 8MP shots.

So far, so good, BUT. (Isn't there always one of those).

One thing I didn't really know - till I got the camera and started using it... is that the format of the images is probably the camera's weakest point.

I now have 8MP shots, that average about 2.3MB each. On my Olympus, at 4MP, I was averaging 2.6MB per shot in highest quality JPG setting, and a LOT more per shot in TIFF mode. The Sony does not allow you to change format. Period.

What I see as the biggest problem with this is that the images that I am getting - if I use a higher ISO value especially - when viewed at 100% resolution on-screen, have a noticeable pixelation/distortion... I think this is at least in part due to the compression used by Sony in storing the images. I think this camera has a TON of potential - if Sony would release a software/firmware update for the camera that allowed us (camera enthusiasts) to change the default settings - I'd give up the speed anyday for higher quality images. It's nice that I can shoot 100 shots in a row in under a second each... BUT... Hey I'd love to shoot 10 in under a second each with say, 8MB files with more embedded color/light/pixel data than to have the data compressed so much that the images become grainy or pixelated at larger sizes.

I can conquer some of these issues by keeping the ISO low, and keeping the camera super-steady (time to invest in a better tripod). This camera IS a keeper - for the money, a better point-and-shoot with a great zoom, may not be available...

The zoom, the price - and yes, the speed, make me keep the camera. I look at it this way, I can get a nice 11x14 at least out of it. The zoom has a 35mm equivalent of around 465mm range. Most "kit" lenses that come with a higher priced DSLR type camera are maybe up to 70-80mm. Even the 2nd kit lens offered with some models may only go up to 200mm. To reach 465mm, we'd be talking say $600-800 for the camera, and several hundred more for the optional lens.

But I can see it not being the do-all end-all of cameras for me. One of these days when I make a million with this camera, I will definitely be investing in DSLR technology. As it is, I will live with this camera's shortcomings - because despite them I have seen scenes through this camera's eyes, that I never saw through my old camera's eyes.

An old farm's grain silo is just down the way from my back porch. I see it almost every day - and I've taken a number of photos of it over the past few years, but until yesterday, I had no idea that the silo looked like this, with the alternating patterns on the metal of the roof. You can also see greenery growing out of some of the cracks between blocks in the wall of the silo.

Silo by =arkansawyer on deviant ART

If it looks like a duck, don't worry, it's probably a dragon.

2007-07-10T13:48:00.000-04:00

Back some time ago, I did a post where I quoted a spam message I had recieved. It was almost garbled and incoherant - the sentences were fragmented and changed mid-sentence to new subject lines.

Nowadays, as the spam wars rage, our inbox is flooded with ever more garbage. I got a solicitation for me to buy a certain stock whose price is rising dramatically (so they claim).

At the end of the plug for the stock, the following text is appended - paragraphed as I have pasted into this post. I only point this out because as the spam filter people at gmail, microsoft, and spambayes, among others, get smarter, so do the spammers.

This solicitation was the first of it's type in a while to land in my inbox instead of my spambox, and I think it is due to the fact that there really were complete sentences. Even, perhaps, complete thoughts. Although it would appear that this person (if he existed - instead of being some computer generated cr--), suffers from ADD or ADHD, or some other hyperactivity disorder that causes him to jump from thought to thought.

I post this here for your amusement... It's a whim I guess. You can almost, if you try, find a pattern in this, but certainly it would be a waste of time to put that much effort into it. It actually reminds me of a movie, where space aliens are 'scanning' earth television signals and picking up random sentences here and there, each separated by bursts of static.

The first part was an attempt to get you to buy a certain stock then
this follows:

Puzzling out stuff like this is good for your brains, people, and if you do
it right, it's a he-- of a lot of fun. Finglonger now that's funny.

Two news items about the book: I did the math, and decided to do a limited edition of signed, numbered hardcovers, inspired by John Scalzi's The Sagan Diary. Speaking of voiceovers, I'm curious as to whether the guys over at Fox ever asked you to do some voices for their animated shows?

If we're keeping count you can mark me down for a signed edition.

I'm sure you'll be missed by all the cast and crew that do make it up there.

Congrats to Ryan, and to his family. Geez, I'm out of it today. It's a win-win situation! Ever since August Wilson left, there's been a void in the universe. WHAT TO DO Please, please pass this information along so that we can reach someone who knows any more details about Donna's disappearance or about the suspect, John Burgess. Any help would be great. She is a student in Santiago Canyon College in Orange California where she is currently taking summer classes. I processed way more orders than I thought I would, and definitely enough to stress test this system, in about two hours. Our shipping center is my living room, and our warehouse is my garage.

It's doubtful that the network will ever air the final two episodes, but it's possible they'll show up one day on Drive's MySpace page.

If the backyard were beautifully landscaped, would you feel more inclined to spend time keeping it beautiful and well taken care of?

" I wasn't sure to put this in a comment to the Floyd post or here, and not sure if someone else has already sounded the alarums, so. I'd still do it even though it's more expensive than media mail, but you might ask the WWdN readers in another post for that one. I can't wait for it to come out.

Our shipping center is my living room, and our warehouse is my garage.

that just blew my mind.

I'll pay extra and everything! If the backyard were beautifully landscaped, would you feel more inclined to spend time keeping it beautiful and well taken care of? Your parents borrowed my parents's camera?

It was always a grand affair, and I looked forward to spending each Independence Day listening to Sousa marches, swimming in their enormous pool, and watching a fireworks show on the back patio.

If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck then treat it like a duck and don't
worry so much about if it is really a dragon. Any help would be great.

I think your natural voice is very unique.

Now, the only thing here that really tickled my fancy - and yes, sometimes you can find a treasure even in a trashheap, was the quote: "If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck then treat it like a duck and don't worry so much about if it is really a dragon."

Not for those weak of heart

2007-07-10T09:06:00.000-04:00

This is a midnight ramble... My mind started composing whilst I was laying there, trying to go to sleep. If I didn't go write it down, chances are it'd never get recorded, so up I got and in here did trot. Don't read it if you're easily offended. I fear it may forever change your perception of me, but it's not intended to disgust you - it's just my attempt to relate a memorable event of several years ago.

This is a midnight ramble... My mind started composing whilst I was laying there, trying to go to sleep. If I didn't go write it down, chances are it'd never get recorded, so up I got and in here did trot.

I actually started to tell the tale a few minutes prior to passing the sign shown on the preview photo - when I saw the sign, I turned back, took the photo, then continued telling the story to my kids.

Talk about a coincidence. Or do you believe in coincidence? Fate, perhaps?

Office Trouble

This is a sad tale of woe and misfortune... Those of you faint at heart, please stand back. Those easily offended or disgusted, I'd advise the same....

The tale begins years ago, in the early days of my life. My family wasn't wealthy. Some years, we didn't even own a television. And even when we did, it was liable to be black and white (although color models had been available for years).

But this isn't about television... This is about diet. You see, we might not have had a television, and never had such things as cable, but... on the other hand, we were never hungry, either.

We didn't eat out often.. I can remember the occasional McDonald's or even better, Wendys, when we were travelling to a relative's house at Thanksgiving, but those stops were few and far between, once a year at best and sometimes not then.

But at home, we always had food. Somehow, Mom always managed to throw something together. It might be a tasty meatloaf, or some fish we caught in a pond or river, or more often than not, pinto beans. Don't groan, pinto beans are good. Served with cornbread sometimes, and cooked with bacon or hamburger meat, or just beans, we had them many ways.

This isn't about my childhood, though. Rather it's about an incident which occurred in my life as a young adult. My love affair with pinto beans continued into adulthood, but ... I joined the Air Force, went to basic training and then tech school, was served the bland foods of the chow hall as a single airman. And gradually my body forgot the old diets, and accepted the new.

Still, I did live there on the border of Mexico, and there were a number of places in Del Rio, not to mention Acuna across the river, where Mexican food was served with great pride and gusto, not to mention a lot of great spice. And later, when I could cook at home, I'd cook many a pot of beans, too.

But, my body didn't seem to accept them quite as readily as in years gone by. I don't know, but I think that perhaps after awhile your body gets used to your diet, and major changes sometimes wreak havoc. At any rate, one hot, summer lunchtime, I got back from lunch, and was sitting alone in the office - the others had gone out to eat when I got back.

And the phone rang. Over at Deana's desk. I went over and answered the phone, and of course, it was a customer with a problem. I signed onto the system from the terminal at her desk (an old MS-DOS based PC - not that most people now even know what DOS is... this was years before the Windows revolution). As I chatted with the customer, I felt this disturbance churning within me.

I looked around, and no one was there, so .. I let the pressure which had been building go.

--- skip ahead 15 years or so... I was telling this story to my kids the other day, and as I told them, they haven't ever smelled anything like that, in the whole of their lives. I am not stretching the truth here, or trying to be crude, it's just the truth. It was BAD.

I finished the problem call, and went back to my desk. A half hour or so later, Deana came back in, and set down at her desk... She got the funniest look on her face, "What IS that smell?" ... Shamefacedly, I fessed up.

Although the odor lingered in the fabric of the chair for a short time, the incident was soon forgotten. I thought.

But the story did NOT end there, for about two weeks later, Deana sneezed. Granted, it was a big sneeze, but still. Her chair, a pedestal-type office chair, snapped at the base, right under the seat cushion, and down she went... flat on the floor, on her back.

They (everyone in the office) swore up and down that it was all my fault. That there must have been something there that caused the metal to weaken to the point where this accident happened. And honestly, I wouldn't doubt it. Thank goodness she wasn't hurt.

Somewhere after that, I started slowing down on the Mexican food, and beans... and in recent years, I do still occasionally enjoy burritos, tacos, or a bowl of beans, but it's consumed at a rate far less than in those days. I have not caused any office accidents, train derailments, or other catastrophes in years.

Getting better with time...

2007-07-09T10:26:00.000-04:00

A little girl was sitting on her grandfather's lap as he read her a bedtime story. From time to time, she would take her eyes off the book and reach up to touch his wrinkled cheek. She was alternately stroking her own cheek, then his again. Finally she spoke up, "Grandpa, did God make you?"

"Yes, sweetheart," he answered, "God made me a long time ago."

"Oh," she paused, "Grandpa, did God make me too?"

"Yes, indeed, honey," he said, "God made you just a little while ago."

Feeling their respective faces again, she observed, "God's getting better at it, isn't he?"

(not my story... just passing it along because I liked it).

happy 4th and virus alert!!

2007-07-04T15:14:00.000-04:00

First of all, wishing you all a Happy 4th of July!!!

be warned: http://cbs13.com/local/local_story_184090653.html

Even the skeptical me clicked on one of these but killed it before permanent damage was done... Don't EVER click on anything if you don't know who the source is...

They all seem to bypass gmail and my company's virus/spam filters.... by the time the antivirus software detects it the damage is already done.

A sad state of affairs...

2007-07-02T09:49:00.001-04:00

Resolute Wal-Mart shopper attempts to self-checkout

$5 plasma - less-than-reasonable fellow managed to snag a 42-inch Sanyo plasma, replace the $984 pricetag with a slightly less burdensome $4.88 sticker , and carry it to the front where he utilized a self-checkout register to all but steal a brand new PDP.

--- Some comments left by users on this 'digg.com' article (note, most of the quotes I selected here are from thieves who feel justified in their thefts because of who Wal Mart is... There were plenty of other quotes on the referenced site that shot these guys down - but it seems strange to me that all these people are sitting there telling about how they like to steal things....... I guess it's a sign of where our society is these days - whether you're a Wal Mart fan/customer or not, stealing is stealing. Period. Maybe justified if you're starving and your kids have no clothing, but even then, there are ways to get the things you need without having to resort to this.

User comments:

--Pretty weak effort. I once bought a whole season of 24 for five bucks by switching the tags with one of the DVDs from the bargain bin (I think it was Ernest Goes to Jail). Then I just chatted up the cashier while she was working and she didn't even flinch when it rang up as "DVD $4.88." Take that Wal-Mart.

--Stealing from an evil retailer is just pushing resistance to an higher level than refusing to shop there.When Walmart shut down a store in my province for trying to unionize, i went to the nearest Walmart (for the first time in my life) wearing the oldest pair of snow boots i could find - i needed new ones for the coming winter - and switched them with the most expensive pair they were selling, left the old ones in the boots box, and left. Sure, it was theft. It was also legitimate resistance - albeith quite limited, but you do what you can and are willing to risk - to Walmart's economic warfare and refusal to abide by the spirit of the trade laws of my country. If I was a politician, i'd have outlawed them. Considering I had more limited means, i fought them the way I could. Its nothing to be ashamed of. Try it sometimes.

--Wow, some people on here are so hung up with the law that they justify calling people 'thieves' for taking something from an organisation that treats its employee's terribly, that ruins local economies by moving into a town, and that sells goods made by sweatshops in china... Personally, I think someone going in and gutting their stores would be justified. I think people need to stop thinking laws are the be all and end all of civilisation and start thinking for themselves.

--And the fact that you think stealing is a bad thing when it comes from Walmart just makes me think that you have no ability to think for yourself. Look through history, every struggle against an oppressive regime, company, etc... involves 'lawbreaking' - but for a good goal. Would you say that the suffragettes were wrong with their lawbreaking? Or black rights? etc...

Ok, this is on a slightly lesser scale but the concept is the same.

--So don't shop at Wal-Mart. If you're there, steal from them, so the prices rise for everyone, so everyone stops shopping there.Yeah, sounds like a sort of Robin Hood to me. I'm all for it.
------ If you're going to be a thief, at least be honest about it. Quit lying to us, and yourself, about 'sticking it to wal-mart'. Maybe I could break in your home and steal your computer, TV and the like. Since you should have homeowners or renters insurance, I'd really just be sticking it to the insurance company right? I'd be helping you get new electronics, wouldn't I? Your buying new electronics would help people in the manufacturing and distribution fields, correct? I could tell myself that, but you-and everyone else-would call me a scumbag, a burglar and a thief.

--I used to do this to get beer in college. Bring in the UPC from a 12 pack of cokes, tape it to the beer case. no ID needed.

--I did this with a grill my freshman year in college. I bought a $379 grill for $99. I just tore the sticker bar code off of a cheaper grill by the same manufacturer and of course the idiot that rang me up didn't know any better! Steaks on a grill that you ripped off from WalMart just taste so much better!
---- Yes, thank you for making the prices higher for everyone else due to your theft. Way to go.

--Those da-- hillbilly's with mullets that shop at wal-mart need the hi-def view of Nascar.

read more | digg story

Work, Play, etc

2007-06-21T21:11:00.000-04:00

I haven't been over here in some time..... Busy with work, with life. I've even been slacking on my photography page, but I did find a couple new online places that I can post art/photos and hopefully earn a little cash someday, or at least, some recognition.

Without further ado, here's some of my online sites, besides blogspot:

My deviantArt gallery.
My deviantArt store.
My artistrising gallery and the related Sistino site (where I've sold one photo this month).
And my Imagekind gallery.

One of these days, I am going to probably take the leap and sell some of my own photos myself, getting them printed locally from a trusted printer, and selling them online at farmscape or locally through coffeeshops, giftshops, etc. There's even a market on e-bay for photos, but I want to play a bit with some of my options - not just printing but framing and matting, before I do these last two items.

Another thing I'd like to explore is photobooks. You can order photobooks from a number of sources, but there's at least one self-publishing company online that allows you to "publish" your own books. My cost is rather inexpensive, and I have ordered proofs of a book I have published there, and I keep toying with options on a photo book or series of photobooks, maybe themed (such as the "Covered Bridges of Perry County, PA", "Centralia - A town on fire", "The Millersburg Ferry", even "The Beautiful Susquehanna". My site there, that has none of these titles for now, but does have a couple of 2007 calendars (if interested, I can change the dates for you..) and copies of my book for sale, is here: http://www.lulu.com/arkansawyer

April Snow

2007-04-07T22:04:00.000-04:00

For high speed access...
70s and 80s last week and this today.

AprilSnow

Global Warming, Mars Style

2007-04-06T09:04:00.000-04:00

I've noticed lately that we're ALMOST breaking new temperature records. We tied the latest date in Central Pennsylvania for the latest recorded snowfall. We had some record-high (at least tying them) temperatures in January. Funny thing is, for most of the dates where records were set or met, the date of the last time it was that warm or dry - was in 1890.

More than 100 years ago, we had a warm, dry winter. How about that?

Then we skip ahead a few years, we had drought through the US. The dustbowl became a problem as the midwest and southwest grew dryer and dryer in the 1930s. At that point, it was blamed on poor farming practices. And no doubt, that was a large part of it. But the droughts did not go away when the farmers quit ripping up the land.

One report today suggests that the dust bowl of the 1930's is soon to be repeated. An excerpt follows:

The reduction in rainfall could reach levels of the 1930s Dust Bowl that ranged throughout the Midwestern United States, Seager said in a telephone interview.

That does not mean there would be dust storms like those of the 1930s, Seager said, because conditions at that time were complicated by poor agricultural practices. But he said the reduction in rainfall could be equivalent to those times when thousands of farmers abandoned their parched land and moved away in search of jobs.

This week, even today in particular, the news networks are all abuzz on the latest scientific panel findings on global warming. It seems everyone has jumped into the global warming wagon, and naysayers are falling by the wayside. I even heard one scientist say that the future looks like Revelations - dire things are coming... But that we humans have time to fix the errors of our ways, because if we caused the warming, then we can reverse the trends.

Sometimes I think that when all the politicians are on the same page, all the managers, all the scientists, agreeing on ONE thing, instead of disputing each others findings, then it seems they are all barking up the wrong tree. Really, look at the world around you.... A few years ago, after 9-11, nobody could stop the "War on Terror". Nobody tried. We were right, they were wrong. The end. There were dissenting opinions of course, but they were shouted out by the masses.

Back to the subject at hand, did I say everyone has jumped on the Global Warming bandwagon? Not everyone. Everyone recognizes that it's happening, but what about the root cause?

Habibullo Abdussamatov, head of space research at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory in Russia, points out that Mars has been undergoing dramatic climate change in recent years as well. Global Warming. It's true. It has. Even the doubters cannot dispute that. Although the cause for Mars' global warming might not be humanity's fault.

According to Abdussamatov, "The long-term increase in solar irradiance is heating both Earth and Mars."

"Man-made greenhouse warming has made a small contribution to the warming seen on Earth in recent years, but it cannot compete with the increase in solar irradiance," Abdussamatov said.

"The solar irradiance began to drop in the 1990s, and a minimum will be reached by approximately 2040," Abdussamatov said. "It will cause a steep cooling of the climate on Earth in 15 to 20 years."

The full story may be read here: Mars Melt Hints at Solar, Not Human, Cause for Warming, Scientist Says

I for one, am not a naysayer to Global Warming... But I think that when all the people of a specific group agree on one thing, something that is popular in public opinion, it's a sign that something's wrong. I HOPE Dr. Abdussamatov is right, and everyone else is wrong. My own observations are that it was exceedingly warm in the 1890's, and again in the 1930's. It almost seems like we're overdue for something like that again...... It would be nice to see it cooling off again in 10 to 15 years, though.

But hopefully, no matter who is right or wrong, the very real issues of pollution, and even overpopulation, will be addressed by the powers that be, instead of disregarded as trivial non-issues while the world stagnates into a future that no one will want to see.

-------------

Mars Melt Hints at Solar, Not Human, Cause for Warming, Scientist Says: "'Man-made greenhouse warming has made a small contribution to the warming seen on Earth in recent years, but it cannot compete with the increase in solar irradiance,' Abdussamatov said."

Centralia PA - A town on fire | The News is NowPublic.com

2007-03-29T19:48:00.000-04:00

An online news story, published by yours truly. :) It's a followon to an earlier series done here and on deviantArt.

Centralia PA - A town on fire | The News is NowPublic.com

Frogs playing in the snow

2007-03-15T09:20:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, I found myself in Suburbia. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday I was in the suburban area north of Philadelphia PA. To my eyes, it's all one big city for many, many miles. Maybe not full of skyscrapers, but certainly full of homes, gas stations, and shopping centers.

When I was leaving, I drove northward and eventually the country got a little more rural, till I hit I-78 and started west toward home. The temps were nice, mornings cool, but afternoons getting warmer each day.

Yesterday, back home, finally, I heard frogs for the first time this year. In the morning, I walked outside my house and I could hear them, in the wet area here (taken less than a month ago):

In the afternoon, it got up into the upper 70s before rain showers moved in and cooled things off. It was nice hearing the birds singing, the frogs croaking, walking around in short sleeves and still being comfortable.

But tomorrow. Tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow we go from that to potentially 4 to 8 inches of accumulating snow. :nod: It must be March in Pennsylvania or something. They say the ground is warm enough that at first it won't stick, but that there'll be enough coming down so that a lot of it will stick, at least for a day or two.

Snowy Morning

2007-03-07T14:48:00.000-05:00

This morning, there was snow everywhere.... The main roads in town were not too bad, but farther out in the country, the snow was coming down fast and furious. Only a few inches, but enough.

I stopped to take some photos, then went on toward work. After I left the one back road that crosses over the mountain, and turned onto a state highway in the middle of nowhere, I was at first the only car on the road.

I had gone no more than a mile or so till I saw someone approaching from behind. I sped up, so that I wouldn't hold her up, but I was uncomfortable with that speed on those roads, so when I saw a pulling off area ahead, I turned my signal on.

Just as I did so, I looked in the mirror, and she had tapped her brakes. On the downhill grade where she was at, she lost control of her car, spun across to the other side, then skidded back, finally coming to rest facing the direction we came from.

I finished stopping and backed up, and got out to offer assistance.

Her door was against the guard rail, and her front bumber and grill were slightly bend inward, but the car was still running and no sign of structural damage. She was shaken up a bit, and her grand-daughter in the back seat was crying, but no one was hurt.

I suggested that she might want to go ahead and move her car, since someone else topping the slight hill might repeat her moves, and then ... well - I don't imagine it would have been good.

Her car just sat there and spun, so she tried backing up - gaining a few inches, and then I told her to turn hard right and move forward. She did so, and was able to get back up the road. She turned around and drove back to where I was parked, and pulled off.

She was going to call someone but where we were there was no signal. But since her car was still running fine, she decided to continue on down through Harrisburg and return the little girl. I followed her into the city and then turned off and came into work.

No one was hurt. A car damaged, but it could have been much worse. I feel kinda bad, for turning on my signal to pull off, but at the same time I recognize that she WAS moving a bit fast for conditions, and I was way up ahead of her so could have gotten over way before she got there.

I think someone was watching over us all. :)

-- and for the record, I did resist the urge to document the scene with my camera. I thought it would be in bad taste. In addition, I did follow her all the way into the city without stopping even though I had planned to stop here and there and capture you some snow scenes.

Guess the ones I got before the incident will have to do!

(Note: The following will redirect you to my Picasaweb page, and the files in this album are 'video' files, and rather large, so I wouldn't recommend that you attempt it unless you have a high-speed connection).

SnowVids

The moment a little boy is concerned with which is a jay and which is a sparrow, he can no longer see the birds or hear them sing.
-- Eric Berne

Bridges of Perry County

2007-03-02T23:14:00.001-05:00

Originally published Summer 2006. This is a March 2007 update with new photos:

Here are two more shots that you may find interesting (If you have problems viewing this, please leave a comment so that I will know...)

Wagoner's Bridge in Winter by =arkansawyer on deviant ART

Kochenderfer Bridge by =arkansawyer on deviant ART

In Pennsylvania, there are a ton of old barns and churches and cornfields and all sorts of things like that. This past weekend, however, on a trip into the woods with my son, we detoured, and by memory I found a few of the covered bridges of Perry County.

According to perrypa.net there are fifteen covered bridges in Perry County, Pennsylvania (one county west of Dauphin County, where I live). I didn't look this up before our trip, and just blindly stumbled across a couple, and remembered where a couple more were, and visited a total of five bridges, which will be featured here. I really encourage anyone who likes my shots to visit the Perrypa.net and ohiobarns sites for more information. All of the information referenced here, except that of my own personal observations, were extracted from these two sites.

Wagoner's Mill Bridge

The first bridge we visited was Wagoner's Mill Bridge (also has been called Thompson Bridge). It was at the same time my own favorite of those we visited, and the one that made me the saddest, and I hope there are plans to revive the bridge before it collapses someday.

It is closed off - inaccessible to the public. You can pull off the main road, and look at the structure, but it's got a gate across it to keep out the curious.

One end leans precariously.... Not terribly but at the same time enough to definitely get your attention. From the side, some boards are beginning to come loose. This is one that it would be really nice to see someone apply for a grant to restore it to it's former glory. For now though, I did get a few pictures of it, and I think I like this one the best, overall - even if you cannot see the entire structure in it. A wintertime shot may be seen in the ohiobarns link below.

This bridge is located in Tyrone Twp., (east of Fort Robinson) about 1-1/2 miles west of Loysville. It is located on an abandoned section of Route 274. The bridge crosses Bixler's Run. It was built in 1889 by Joseph D. Lightner. It is 84 feet long and 17 feet wide. This Burr-arch bridge is located near the remains of Wagoner's Mill.

(Note: Another site listed the length as 93') For more information see http://www.ohiobarns.com/covbri/pa/perr/38-50-15.html
and http://www.perrypa.net/wagoner.htm

Adair's Bridge

After leaving Wagoner's Bridge, we drove west along Rt 274, and soon I saw a road that just "felt" right. I've been to see these bridges before, but it's been a few years, and I figured that this was the right area. So I turned off and headed for the next one, which turned out to be Adair's Bridge.

This bridge is located in Madison Twp., just south of Cisna Run on Couchtown Road (SR 3008), east of Andersonburg. It was originally built in 1864. The bridge crosses Sherman's Creek. The bridge is sometimes called the Cisna Mill Bridge. This is a 176-foot-long bridge. Adair's bridge was damaged by flood & rebuilt in 1919. It's a Burr Arch Truss and the builder is unknown.

This following image shows one of the most fascinating things about the covered bridges, and how they were made decades ago and still hold up to day-to-day traffic (within limits). The joint is a classic Mortise and Tenon held together with wooden pin(s).

For more information about Adair's Bridge, visit http://www.ohiobarns.com/covbri/pa/perr/38-50-04.html and http://www.perrypa.net/adair.htm

Book's Bridge

The next bridge we visited was... well... it was the most "perfect" bridge. That is to say, the newest. It had fresh concrete pilings, and new wood and paint, and steel rods reinforcing it.

There was nothing wrong with Book's Bridge, but I was at one time impressed with the fact that they spent so much time building a bridge with such style in this day and age, and disappointed that it didn't feel old.

The original bridge was closed to traffic in 1992. It was 70 feet long and was built in 1884. It is located on State Route 3003, about a half mile south of Route 274 and about one mile southwest of Blain, where it spans Sherman's Creek.

In 2004, it was basically torn down and rebuilt, in the old style but with new materials. More info including some very interesting shots of the bridge during reconstruction may be found at the following links http://www.ohiobarns.com/covbri/pa/perr/38-50-13.html http://www.perrypa.net/book.htm Note that the ohiobarns page only has information concerning the original - not rebuilt, Book's Bridge.

Mount Pleasant Bridge

The Mount Pleasant Bridge was built in 1918 and is located on Mt Pleasant Road in Jackson Twp., just south of State Route 274, where is spans Sherman's Creek. It is a 60 foot long Burr Arch Variant Truss, built by L.M. Wentzel. You will notice, unlike the first few bridges, the Mount Pleasant Bridge (and the New Germantown, below, have angular trusses, instead of the rounded arch that was typically used in Burr Arch construction - thus the term "variant").

For more information visit http://www.ohiobarns.com/covbri/pa/perr/38-50-12.html and http://www.perrypa.net/pleasant.htm

New Germantown Bridge

The last bridge we visited was the New Germantown Bridge, named after the nearby village of New Germantown, PA (and it was named, according to a road sign as you enter the village, after Germantown, PA, near Philadelphia). This bridge was very similar in looks and construction to the Mount Pleasant Bridge.

The New Germantown Bridge is a 75-foot bridge that was built in 1891. It is located on Township Route 302, just southeast of New Germantown, in Toboyne Township, and spans Sherman's Creek. It is the westernmost of the covered bridges in Perry County. This bridge is in very nice shape. It has a new roof and some huge I-beams holding it up from below. It is a Burr Arch Variant Truss, built by John W. Fry.

For more information and some very interesting photos, refer to http://www.ohiobarns.com/covbri/pa/perr/38-50-11.html and http://www.perrypa.net/germantown.htm

Making Honey - In the news (sorta)

2007-02-28T00:43:00.001-05:00

Making Honey, originally uploaded by arkansawyer.

I was contacted yesterday by one of the editors of "Now Public" - a user-based news service, requesting permission to use my "bee" photo in a news story.

I'll post the link, below, if you're interested... But I noticed today that the accompanying news story has several "bee" photos, but mine is the primary one being used on the main page.

Also, if you go to their main page (at least as of now) and click on 'sort by popularity' - this story and photo rank up there in the top 5 (number 5 to be exact).

Anyhow, I am not getting paid for this use of my photo, but still, it's a good thing, I think. I like the photo and I am glad someone somewhere is using it. :) And besides, only I have the original high-resolution version... Meaning, if someone rips it off and starts printing or selling copies (always a risk when publishing online) then they'll get a not-so-top quality version of it. I would hope anyone serious about using it in that way would just email me and ask for it!

Okay, tangent done, and on to the news...

http://www.nowpublic.com/mystery_bee_disappearances_sweeping_u_s

--------

Well, okay, real news, you say?

As in, how is life, the universe, and everything?

Ahem... ahhhhh... My muse has been silent for a long time.

(okay for those of my readers who don't know what a muse is - I must admit I was pretty darn confused a few months ago when someone popped it at me. It's that inside voice that tells your fingertips what to type or write. And for those who assume everyone knows what a muse is, well.. .Shoot me. I am from the backwoods of Arkansaw and proud of it. We don't use confuselating words like that where I come from).

Rant done. uhhhh.........

For the past several months I have spent quite a bit of time on deviantart, at my page there, Arkansawyer . From my main page, you can click 'gallery' to see photos of what my current world (that is, Pennsylvania) are looking like. You can click 'journal' to see some other 'writings' similar to my blogsite here. Most of that, though, is either dA specific or is posted in parallel here, so you might not find anything of interest.

Back in early November, I went to Philly (that is to say, actually, a suburb of Philadelphia) for a disaster recovery exercise for work. No need to get into the boring details, but things went smoothly. BUT on my return back to work, I found out my 'team lead' (there's three of us) got promoted into bosshood (a great thing).

Leaving me with most of his real work. And since he had always worked MUCH harder than me, I scrambled for awhile trying to pick up the pace. (no, not picante sauce). Then, a couple of weeks later, another guy on another 'team' quit (there were two on that team).

Then, end of December, the other guy on that team quit. Both found other, better opportunities, and I can't blame them for going. BUT... Although the company sent someone over for awhile to pick up their slack, finding a qualified replacement turned into a nightmare.

I was asked to watch over their shoulders and learn what I could.

Now... Let's suppose you know English. (You do don't you?). And people around you are speaking Spanish. (and we'll further assume that you do not understand Spanish). You're boss, Mommy, whoever, says, "Listen, and learn..." So you sit there and watch these people talk for a few days.

Do you know Spanish? Haha... Not unless you're a heck of a lot smarter than I!!! Well, long story short, I really did know the basics (very very very basic) of their systems. And one of the temp guys was a trainer, and he sat down and for a couple of weeks, we did some serious 'discovery' of that system.

Turns out Spanish and English aren't that different after all. I mean, they are. Sometimes, they put verbs before nouns and the whole structure is pretty confusing. But at the end of the day, they utter noises and meanings come across.

Okay. I don't know Spanish. Scratch that. Ummm.. .Anyhow, I am picking up these new systems. I am doing the already doubled-up work, plus some more all-new (to me) systems. And... Honestly, it's been good to be busy.

And somehow, I've still had time to take a few photos now and then. But for about two months, I didn't comment on people's work over on dA - and for at least that long, I haven't really written much over here.

So, a few days ago, I started working on my backlog there. Then this 'news' request came for my photo. And I was wanting to tell you about that. And then my muse started whispering saying I should catch you up a bit, and now I am writing this. And I hope you are reading it.

Oh wait. You say you fell asleep up there? You SKIMMED it??? Argh. See if I write anything again.

I bet no one even comments. Okay. hmmm... How's about for each person I know who comments on this, next time I am in your town or you visit mine, I'll buy you a bottle of Pepsi and a candy bar as a reward?

Well anyways. Christmas came and went. My birthday came and went. Oh, how old am I? I lost count a few years back but by my best recollection I am a little bit older than them thar hills. The Ouachitas, that is.

I was, no kidding, asked, just today, if Abraham Lincoln was president when I was a kid. It was a serious question too.

Well... uhhhhh... No, for the record, he passed away some months before my birth.

And on that note... I've been reading Aragon instead of sleeping, then I snuck in here to write this nonsense and drivel. I guess I'd better go back and read a bit more, then turn in for tonight. For tomorrow will come too soon. MUCH too soon.

Good night, all.

PS. If you don't do windows updates on your computer (click Tools... Windows Update... in Internet Explorer and follow the prompts and apply all the current updates) then you clocks are gonna be messed up after March 11 by an hour, until April 1.

It all has to do with the stuff about the daylight savings time changing forward. Microsoft operating systems do that automatically. But if you've not updated the 'patches' then it's gonna do it on the first Sunday of April, not the 2nd Sunday of March as it now should.

Dontcha just love Congress. Didn't their Momma ever tell them, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it?"

Fog Pond - Morning Mist

2007-02-05T19:39:00.000-05:00

Another of my photos, turned into a beautiful painting by my friend Karen... Enjoy!

Fog Pond by =arkansawyer on deviant ART

Morning Mist by *Buble on deviant ART

Centralia Pennsylvania

2007-01-21T09:56:00.000-05:00

Centralia is a town in Central Pennsylvania that has been "on fire" for approximately 45 years. During a very cold visit to the town yesterday we took some photos, including a walk up the old highway out of town that has been since closed and rerouted. I posted these as seperate posts, so you will not see the photos in this one post, but rather the posts which preceded it.

In the 1940's, as World War II ground along, resources were in short supply, and primarily going to support the war effort. Many of the small coal mining town residents dug illegal mines to get coal for themselves or others. In the early 60's (some say 1962) someone burning trash managed to ignite one of these exposed seams of coal, and it's been burning ever since, despite many efforts to extinquish it.

Over the years the underground fires have spread over some space, and the state offered a buyout to the residents of Centralia to just move, rather than have to deal with the dangers presented not only by the possibility of caveins, but also the constant, ever-present fumes of smoke and steam that come up out of the ground.

On this winter day, the steam coming up out of the ground has condensed in places, especcially on nearby vegetation, and the very cold air has frozen it. And for the first time we 'explored' the old abandoned highway, with it's cracks and smoke, too.

Centralia - Road Less Travelled I

2007-01-21T09:49:00.001-05:00

Centralia - Road Less Travelled I, originally uploaded by arkansawyer.

Centralia - Road Less Travelled II

2007-01-21T09:48:00.003-05:00

Centralia - Road Less Travelled II, originally uploaded by arkansawyer.

Centralia - Road Less Travelled III

2007-01-21T09:48:00.001-05:00

Centralia - Road Less Travelled III, originally uploaded by arkansawyer.

Centralia - Road Less Travelled IV

2007-01-21T09:47:00.004-05:00

Centralia - Road Less Travelled IV, originally uploaded by arkansawyer.

Centralia - Frozen Smoke I

2007-01-21T09:47:00.003-05:00

Centralia - Frozen Smoke I, originally uploaded by arkansawyer.

Centralia - Frozen Smoke II

2007-01-21T09:47:00.001-05:00

Centralia - Frozen Smoke II, originally uploaded by arkansawyer.

Centralia - Frozen Smoke III

2007-01-21T09:46:00.003-05:00

Centralia - Frozen Smoke III, originally uploaded by arkansawyer.

Centralia - Frozen Smoke IV

2007-01-21T09:46:00.001-05:00

Centralia - Frozen Smoke IV, originally uploaded by arkansawyer.

Centralia - Frozen Smoke V

2007-01-21T09:45:00.003-05:00

Centralia - Frozen Smoke V, originally uploaded by arkansawyer.

Centralia - Frozen Smoke VI

2007-01-21T09:44:00.002-05:00

Centralia - Frozen Smoke VI, originally uploaded by arkansawyer.

Centralia - Frozen Smoke VII

2007-01-21T09:43:00.000-05:00

Centralia - Frozen Smoke VII, originally uploaded by arkansawyer.

Centralia - Frozen Smoke VIII

2007-01-21T09:42:00.000-05:00

Centralia - Frozen Smoke VIII, originally uploaded by arkansawyer.

Centralia - Drifting I

2007-01-21T09:39:00.000-05:00

Centralia - Drifting I, originally uploaded by arkansawyer.

Centralia - Drifting II

2007-01-21T09:32:00.000-05:00

Centralia - Drifting II, originally uploaded by arkansawyer.

Centralia - Life Goes On I

2007-01-21T09:29:00.000-05:00

Centralia - Life Goes On I, originally uploaded by arkansawyer.

Centralia - Life Goes On II

2007-01-21T09:28:00.000-05:00

Centralia - Life Goes On II, originally uploaded by arkansawyer.

Walnut Street Bridge I

2007-01-19T21:11:00.001-05:00

Walnut Street Bridge I, originally uploaded by arkansawyer.

A few nights ago, from City Island on the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg.

Walnut Street Bridge II

2007-01-19T21:10:00.001-05:00

Walnut Street Bridge II, originally uploaded by arkansawyer.

A few nights ago, from City Island on the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg.

Rainy January Day

2007-01-06T00:05:00.001-05:00

Rainy January Day, originally uploaded by arkansawyer.

A rainy January lunchtime stroll... Supposed to be up to 66 (F) tomorrow... Doesn't much seem like winter....

This photo is better if you view the larger version at:

www.deviantart.com/deviation/46026082/

Caught

2007-01-04T10:11:00.001-05:00

Caught, originally uploaded by arkansawyer.

I now have a couple of places where I can post photos online, deviantArt and flickr. The cool thing about flickr is the ability to post photos directly to my blog, but even better, the "Map" function.

Ever wonder exactly where a photo was taken? Go here to see where some of my shots have been taken:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/arkansawyer.map

(The more you click, the more detailed the map gets....)

Happy New Year..

2007-01-02T23:55:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am still alive. Albeit moving slowly. I am getting old don't ya know?

Work and life have been very hectic for the past couple of months. I haven't felt a lot like writing. I have posted a few photos to my deviantart site... But not as many as normal.

I have been kinda waiting for snow. You know, that four letter word. But alas, by the first full weekend of January in PA it's supposed to be in the 60's. What's up with that, anyways? So we've been stuck in limbo between fall and winter, and it's looking like there'll be no winter.

I am sure, when it hits, it'll more than make up for itself... Oh well.

So on to other news... Nothing happening. Not much anyways. I started uploading some of my deviantart photos to flickr. I found one neat thing that flickr offers that dA does not. I will not be switching my service over by any means, but there's no reason not to use both.... And so far, all the images I've uploaded to flickr I have linked back to their original dA versions. I am hoping that my blog-linking will be a little easier from there since dA blocks larger images from being displayed here (uses quite a bit of bandwidth).

At any rate - the really cool thing about flickr is it's linking to Yahoo Maps. Ever see a photo and want to know where it was taken? Check this out... Follow this link and you'll be taken to a yahoo map with numbers on it. Click the numbers, and you'll see photos. The deeper you zoom into the map, the more detail about where the specific photograph was taken. Flickr Maps. To visit the main page go to flickr.

As always you may keep up with my latest and greatest photos on my deviantart gallery. In fact, here are some posts from there, just to keep you entertained as we head into the first days of the new year...

Galapagos

2006-12-31T15:48:00.000-05:00

I ran across this video the other day. I'd recommend that if you have a slow connection, probably stay away, but otherwise you may find it enjoyable. I know I did:

Happy Holidays!

2006-12-28T12:13:00.000-05:00

Hello all...

Yes, I am alive. Just getting slow in my old age... :) Hope you all are doing well! A couple weeks ago we went to a winter festival which had a gingerbread house competition. This is a closeup shot of part of one of the entries into the competition. It didn't win, but I rather liked it anyways. The house and manger scene was done by my little buddy Izzy Seiders.

Happy Holidays!!

After Dark

2006-12-11T11:30:00.000-05:00

A photo of Harrisburg PA that I took from across the river Saturday night... If you look closely (you may have to click through to deviantArt and full-view the picture to see the detail), Santa's sleigh may be seen just above the moon (or perhaps it's a plane taking off from HIA).

This goes along with the photo posted here: http://arkansawyer.blogspot.com/2006/08/harrisburg-pennsylvania.html

That photo was taken, obviously, during daytime, but also was farther up the river from this shot.

For Sale!

2006-12-06T09:11:00.000-05:00

For anyone who may be interested in looking these over, I have two calendars for sale. In a way, I think they are a bit pricy, but at the same time, individual prints for the images contained would add up to a similar price tag.... Each calendar page is 8.5"x11", making the 'hung size' 17"x11".

Additionally, I have other products for sale at my 'deviantArt shop' such as these images which can be purchased as really cool mousepads!

template...

2006-11-22T20:07:00.000-05:00

Just as an fyi. I was modifying my template and screwed it up... My 'links' including the Arkansas webring are lost - but over the next few days I'll rebuild it.

Update: As of 10pm EST on 11/23/2006, I have managed to get back most of the settings I had before. If I missed your page on my links, send me a note and I'll get it updated... Hope you like the changes I made as getting them done sure did take some time!! :)

Buble

2006-11-21T01:08:00.000-05:00

For those who have 'watched' me for awhile, you'll be familiar with the works of Karen "Buble" (her DeviantArt.com username), as I have posted three journals so far featuring a painting each that she has done, based on my original photos.

This past week, she posted a fourth one, and I have been remiss in not mentioning it here. This time, instead of just posting a view of the original photo, and the painting she has made based upon it, I am going to consolidate a bit and list all her paintings that are based on my work in one place.

If you go check out her gallery you will find a mix of paintings, drawings, photographs, and photomanipulations. Including some manipulated versions of some of my photos, as well as these featured here. Go forth, and check it out.

But first, the images, in the order from most recent to oldest, that she has so excellently rendered onto canvas.

SNOWY CHURCH

ANDERSONBURG

SYCAMORE

HEAVEN'S LIGHT

A big thank you to Karen at http://buble.deviantart.com

----

"I have you and even if we never meet or ever see each other, we have left our thumbprints in the thick, moist clay of each other's lives."

Hugh Elliott, Standing Room Only weblog, May 6, 2003

All Hallow's Eve

2006-10-31T15:20:00.000-05:00

He's Coming...

The Graveyard

I Know She's There...

Tim's Rainbow

2006-10-27T15:22:00.000-04:00

My niece (aka The Red-Eyed Pig) sent me a photo taken by her husband.

With their permission I am posting it here. It is a VERY unusual picture - I know I don't have anything like it nor have I seen anything close anywhere else.

Tim went out to take pictures of the rainbow, and just as he snapped, a bolt of lightning came out of the clouds...

Photographer: Tim Douglas
Location: Story, Arkansas

Andersonburg (aka Painting 3...)

2006-10-23T14:57:00.000-04:00

This is another excellent painting based on one of my photographs, as done by Karen "Buble" on DeviantArt.com.

The story behind the original image is that my son and I went camping one weekend in August, and as we were driving through rural western Perry County, Pennsylvania, I did a double-take, and turned around and went back and took this photo.

It inspires me to write something about it, but I haven't yet found the time or the words to do so. But I loved the colors and the potential behind this jewel of a building. There are so many details here - at some point this place was someone's dream.... And now, it's all grown up and seemingly abandoned. Much like the Whistle Stop Cafe in a certain movie set in the south....

When Karen stumbled upon my DeviantArt gallery she commented that she'd like to paint something that I have taken a picture of. I gave her free reign to paint anything that inspires her. So far, she's done a couple of pretty good photomanipulations... But where she really shines is with the paintbrush.

Here's her latest work influenced by my photography! Enjoy.

A big thank you to Karen at http://buble.deviantart.com

Sycamore

2006-10-19T16:36:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, another DeviantArt member stumbled across my gallery there and commented that she'd like to paint something of mine. I was flattered, and suggested that perhaps she might paint "Heaven's Light". The results of that conversation were highlighted in the journal entry referenced at the bottom of this one. She did an awesome job of translating "Heaven's Light" into a painting.

But today, Karen "Buble" posted another of my photos as a painting. My original photo was okay, but this painting is MUCH better than the photo, and I think you'll agree!!!

Here is Karen's rendition. Check it out. A big thank you to Karen at http://buble.deviantart.com

The other painting, referenced above, may be viewed here: http://arkansawyer.blogspot.com/2006/09/heavens-light.html

Millersburg Ferry

2006-10-10T13:59:00.000-04:00

The Millersburg Ferry has been in operation since the early 1800's.

The ferryboat featured in this picture was, I think, "reconstructed" in 1998, and is christened "Roaring Bull V". Information derived from the following site: http://www.millersburg.com/attractions/ferry.html

A few months ago, I happened to catch the ferry coming in at the end of a day of runs:

I took this shot, and framed it with text, and I do like this shot, but I was wanting to come back for more. A couple weeks ago I went back on a Saturday and happened to catch it while loading up and departing. Following is that series of photos, along with some of the comments I received on each on my dA site:

"I'd be so afraid that thing would sink!"

"It looks like a floating barn."

"It really doesn't look strong enough to take all that."

"It's pretty cool to see a little thing like that hold up two cars and people.... I wanna ride in one of those one of these days..." (my note... there were actually 3 cars on it, along with bicycles and pedestrians).

"They are very brave people to cycle onto that!"

"The thing looks like it is sinking!"

"IT IS SINKING....didn't anyone notice?"

"That looks like a nice ride."

"I'm not too sure i'd want to put my vehicle or myself on that!"

"This picture somehow reminds me of Tom Sawyer.
It is good to see something that reminds me of my childhood."

New Day

2006-10-04T13:29:00.000-04:00

The first photo, here, was taken from my front yard... The second was taken just a little ways down the road, on the same morning.

Heaven's Light

2006-09-28T09:46:00.000-04:00

Earlier this year, I took a photograph that awed me. I was headed into town to get some things, my son in tow, and saw the sunlight slanting down through the clouds. I turned off Powell's Valley Rd, parking beside Sheetz Road... Climbed up the bank to the cornfield above the road. And took this photo, with the church beyond.

Those of you who regularly check my blog have seen some version of this in the past. I am not resurrecting a dead image here for no reason, so bear with me. This is, as a amateur photographer, my favorite all-time photo (that I have, myself, taken):

Through my account on DeviantArt.com I have come into contact with people all around the world, of various interests and talents, most at least somewhat artistically inclined. Enter Karen, one of my newest "friends", from the Netherlands.

She commented on a river-reflections photo that I posted recently, and said something about someday perhaps painting a version of it. I told her she was welcome to, anytime.

I didn't right away, but eventually, told her that I'd like to see my favorite photo painted. This was like two days ago. This morning when I looked at my 'watch list' of new pieces, this was there. Wow!!! I am so honored and flattered by her interpretation. This was done as an oil painting, the photographed for this display.