in conclusion

i have come to the conclusion that i shall go the way of Yeats and Clare, in a state of rhyme, one who dreamed and loved the poetry, who would rather see the deer and turkey alive, the snake not hung to dry.
i was one who would sit for hours and watch the moon, just to catch a jet puncturing it. one who loved the photography and the artistry, though everyone ignored it basically and never understood it. who would rather see pictures pretty and not too deeply and just once quickly, never mulling and studying, like he did.
who blogged daily, though it was considered shallow and boring by many, except around thirteen who said they followed. i conclude therefore, this world must not be my home, that i was made for a world where Yeats and Clare and Vincent went, far from the jets that streaked close, but not quite close enough to the moon i watched.

Luther Day

Today is the day, March 12th, that the Lord chose to call Luther Ray home. Have you ever pondered what your day will be? I do. I often visit cemeteries, especially the ones out in the country beside the old wooden churches. There is much from them the living can learn. One thing for certain, we all have a beginning, a dash and soon an end. They say, what you do with that dash is important. We have nothing to do with the beginning or the end.
As for Jordon, he is one of two sons. He still lives at home. Landon, his older brother, is in Japan in the Air Force. We haven't heard from him in a year. His silence the most difficult thing we have had to endure, more troubling than even the death of his grandfather in 2011. There is a finality to the end, there should never be finality in the dash.
When I look at this photograph, I see myself so vividly in my father holding Jordon. I turned 59 this past January 30th. My father was probably a little older here, but not by much. Jordon had to be around two or less. Nathaniel, Landon's son, now three this past January 5th, the grandson I last saw this March a year ago, I see so vividly in Jordon.
So today, this 12th of March, I will ponder the ones passed on, those of us passing on, and try desperately, through prayer, supplicaton and every means I can, to reconcile those letting the dash of life be their finality.

Blog Advice

Steve Coleman gave some good advice for bloggers today on Facebook. He basically said, stop blogging, it bores us and unless you have compelling and interesting content continually, don't bother. I stated, I will apologize to my thirteen followers. Geesh. So, I apologize to my thirteen followers for having the nerve.
There is probably a reason I only have thirteen followers. I break all the rules Steve mentioned. I carry on way too much about myself, I do not consistently post high quality photographs that wow my audience. I am just not that great a photographer or writer. I know that I am not as interesting as I often think I am, the sparse following reminds me of that daily.
I will have to look into this Dave Carol fellow he found interesting and compare what he is doing to what I am doing. Whatever Steve. There will always be someone exciting out there. I am not one of them. Move on.

Now back to the rule breaking...

Today I went up to the Lab to get my blood drawn. Artistic heh? I then, on my way home, detoured to Alligator Lake pier. There, I found my friend, Mr Bill, or Bill Chandler. Mr Bill says he loves to fish. He also is a good bird watcher. He has helped me out several times to spot birds far away. It was good to see Mr Bill today. I came on home and had two cups of coffee.  There, I blogged.

Durn Contrail

I was unable to look directly into the sun as I was too busy trying to get the lilies composed properly, not over-exposing them. Wouldn't you know it, in all but one or two of the frames is the ugly jet streak, ruining the shot, or at least, adding the element of man into it. Goes to show, if you are not careful in selection and not deliberate, but in a hurry, as I usually am, such occurs. Some guys I suppose could simply photoshop it out, I am not that advanced yet.

Which brings me to another point, not so much in the carefulness and deliberation, but finding a camera that I do not have to fight with in order to get proper exposure, or at least one that knows what I am after and does not refuse to deliver. The Nikon D3100 is just a beast for some reason to properly meter, etc. Maybe it has a glitch in it I am unaware of since it was a re-furbished model. I just know that if I do not use manual exposure, with the spot metering, the matrix metering, which is supposed to be so great, over-exposes every time. Some days I will have the exposure compensation at minus two for geepers sake.
Today I worked on cranking up the ISO to 400, which helped some to give me more latitude with the f-stop.
I talked with my favorite nature photographer John Moynahan today and he, as I suspected, uses  the Canon MK Mark 3 with the L lenses. The full frame makes a big difference. His quality is outstanding. A real artist.
Told him I will someday evolve into a Canon man, as I have the beginning of flippers with the Canon S100 I use.

Alligator Walk

A slow,long walk with somewhat lighter gear in tow today. Only carried a fanny pack with the 18-55 and polarizer,neutral density graduated, the D3100 with the 180mm 2.8 and TC-201. Had on the belt the Canon S100 and the Iphone. Used the 180mm to capture the mother alligator with her babies. The first time, the contrast was too great. On the return walk, better. The rat snake was taken with the Canon S100. He was not spooked and let me get within four inches of him. I tried to get more with his tongue out, but only one came out. I used manual focus, fill flash and under-exposure by about two stops. The snake would look at the black lens and kind of bend its head. I could have taken more, but figured one was enough and I let him slowly slither on.
They dwell in grass
the unspoken
the lowly pass
never knowing.

Love of a life

This was on the eight of March, three days before my father passed away. Unable to speak clearly from the massive stroke, it was as if my father was attempting to apologize to my mother for divorcing her. He often said he regretted that, but sadly, never made good on that regret to reconcile. My mother, the saint she has always been, never had an unkind word, and said that he was the love of her life.
Amazing love, that one could endure such as she did for so long, and yet, in her heart, remain faithful and loving. Her reward has to be great, it has to be. Grant it Lord Jesus.

Day on Suwannee

A walk along the Suwannee to clear the mind and enjoy the first signs of Spring. Again, carried way too much equipment. Shoulder was worn out by the time I returned. Must find a lighter, high quality system to replace this heavy Nikon gear I cling to.

Man of constant sorrow

i had to revert to the third camera in the bag, the old Canon S95 for this. I was unable to find the self-timer mode on the S100. I hate it how Canon updates their cameras, changing things that worked just fine, hiding things in menus. The S95 was the right combination, able to take long exposures with adjusting up the ISO, a setting they changed on the S100, not allowing long exposures. The newer versions now sport WiFi, but haven't really improved otherwise.
after lugging all the heavy Nikon equipment today, I found I again got better results with the S100. I know how to manipulate the settings better, I do not have to fuss with the exposure like I do the Nikon.
when, if and ever i am able to afford it, i am seriously considering a micro four thirds camera system for the lightweight ability. i am perfectly content with just carrying the S100, it would be a real bonus if it had a hot shoe, allowing off camera flash.

Bell Springs

Around four today I decided to take a drive up to Bell Springs. Arriving, I found the gate locked. I drove around to Ann's house adjacent to the property and parked in her field. A short hike down the Florida Trail and the once large,long pond that once was dammed by Monroe Morrell, Ann's husband, was gone. The SRWMD is in the process of restoring the stream run to original condition, though from what I saw, it has a long way to go. The rocks are quite unnatural looking and the entire area quite unimaginative. We can only surmise what it will look like in several years when landscaping is done, of any.
I walked along the Suwannee as far as Roaring Creek, then hiked back. I was looking for signs of the wild Azalea, but it was too early. In another month or two.
The large alligator was sunning on the bank on my return trip. I was able to see Ann and she showed me her studio and latest work. She is quite the artist. One of the best metal sculptures around. Always wins when she enters.

Spring Forward Sunday

It was a wonderful Spring-like day, breezy and warm. I took a five o'clock journey out to Alligator Lake. With the new time, the park would stay open until seven. I strolled along the dike, stopped and talked to Rita, an old friend from Reporter days, along with her husband Steve. She said Steve may have need from time to time for my photography, so I left a card.
Took the D3100 with the 18-200 and a film days polarizing filter, the canon s100 with the film canister flash diffuser. Light as possible. Turns out, seven came quickly and I had to hurry back to the car.
I am continuing to work on the exposure and metering of the D3100, usually reverting to manual exposure to get the proper saturation's. Otherwise, I find the exposure is too light. It could be my use of spot metering. One camera that has no problem with the exposure is the Canon S100. It usually gives pleasing results, the only thing necessary is often to balance the flash with the daylight.
There were not many keepers,but days out a Alligator are more therapy and practice.

You will never outgrow grace

We were leaving Charlies Restaurant in Crystal River when the three people bowed and held hands in prayer over their meal. I had the Canon S100 out and took a quick snap blind as I walked past. It was a good testimony on their part as to public prayer. It was the only photograph I published this Sunday.
It is also a deeper metaphor for we are never too old to experience a flood of God's grace in our lives. Many instances in the Bible of God visiting and extending grace to the elderly. So I take hope in the coming days.

Quixote swords

Took the mountain bike out of the shed where it has rested for three months at least, rusting chain. Oiled it up and took off for Rossi Road, with no intention, other than to see where the moon was. I found it returning home directly overhead. I stopped and took photographs of the violets in the ditch, lately blooming due to all the rain, which was still streaming in the ditches. Just cool enough yet for a sweat shirt, I rode out to 100 where I made the previous blog photograph of the wonderful, beautiful end of the line.