Happy

What does it say about me that I so love the idea of living in a 2600+ square foot house on two and a half acres that is surrounded by pastures and eight miles from the nearest place of commerce? It is just a place to live after all. But I feel it says the right things about me. Its hard to explain this without sounding materialistic. Maybe its best to say that I am not into the acquisition of material objects for the sake of ownership or show my success in life. If it is a tool or device that helps me achieve a desired outcome or improve the quality of a task I’ve set for myself, then I get it. So why such a grand house in such a remote place?

I was looking for an old home with character that spoke of a different time. A time when craftsmanship was more common and things where built to last a few generations. This is a desire from my childhood. My summers where spent at my Grand-parents farms. They where nice simple farm houses with working barns and outbuildings on 100 or less acres. But, everything I found that fit that bill was either in too great a need of repair or attached to a 100+ acres of land that needed to be a productive enterprise. I’ve gotten to the age where I can’t renovate in a big way nor can I run a full time farming operation (although a smaller operation is always in my head).

When I first saw this house for sale I thought it was too much for me financially and too aloof for my personality. By that I mean, I am not the lord of the manor type. But, the environment was just what I and Emily were looking for. Open pasture land yet mature stately trees, set off the road a good ways, but not a dusty dirt road into the back woods. So we asked to be shown the house. To our surprise it has all we want inside which is a tall order. It is big but open with viewing of the front to the back from a central point in the house, lots of windows, a sunroom with climate control (so it can be used in those really cold days – I’m sensitive to cold), a tub with a picture window that looks out on the back yard (yes, no neighbors) and a shower, a large garage with storage room (not a closet with no windows), a front porch overlooking the meadow, a presentable deck for gathering of semi-large groups and an out building with power. There are many things Emily could add (like a large walk-in closet with a full size window) but for me these things all provide a means to accomplish goals and desires I have for myself in my “autumn” years. I am happy we found so many elements in one place.

It is 40 miles from where I work, but that seems – for the moment – the only draw back and will not be an issue at when I retire, say in ten years or less.

So back to my original question. I guess it says I am a man with a lot of good fortune. Not only to have found the place of his dreams, but to have traveled the world and experienced many cultures so he knew what he want when he found it.

Election Day Is Here - Hopefully The Uglyness Will Stop

In the office today, I heard someone complaining about the amount of money spent during this General Election by the two presidential canadates. “A Billion” was mentioned and how much more could we have done with that money if we spent it on more meaningful endeavors. My first thought was, “nothing, its private money.” At least for Obama it was. McCain did opt out for public funding, but then he is a champion of campaign reform. But really, we can wish the world behaved as we think is proper and morally correct, but isn’t that a bit dictatorial? I mean, why not say all the hundreds of millions (probably billions if you include all the minute events and their true cost) of sporting events could be better spent on this or that? I am more offended by how the campaigns are carried out. North Alabama is replacing retiring Congressman Bud Cramer. The TV ad are hateful and slanderous with no meaningful content about the abilities of the canadates or the need of their districts. It doesn’t help that the two canadates who are running have run against Bud Cramer for the last decade and never chosen to replace him.

We talk about violence on TV and yet we allow despicable behavior in campaign ads because “its politics”. Children hear this kind of rhetoric over and over and file it away as acceptable behavior.
In any case, I’m glad election day is hear and I hope the candidates – both winners and losers get their supports to remove those ugly signs stuck everywhere.

Time - the missing element

I know I have expressed a need to change my blogging to more of my personal life enriching interest and away from my radical freedom loving political views. I do plan to get there. But I’ve recently married and am buying a new house, drive 30 miles (soon to be 40) to work where I put in over two weeks of overtime last month and have run the multi path track of getting my life papers to show I have a new spouse, have a real job and can handle some debt. So soon my friends (McCain Speak) I will have a new more enjoyable site for you to visit.

Don't Speak If You Don't Want To Hear

Not my picture but it speaks volumns

I emailed a URL of a site that had, what I thought was, a funny video about Palen. Yea it wasn’t positive, but what I liked was how well done it was.

I got a couple of returns that expressed reservations about my appearance as a liberal, one from an old friend and another from a relative. I had to laugh when my old friend comment, “It’s better to have associated with known terrorist?” If the public examined my life, I doubt that I would stand up very well to the moral, forthright, virtuous standards they demand, and part of my life they would have trouble with I shared with my old friend. As far as we know, we didn’t associate with terrorist, but who knows. LOL

My relative is a staunch republican and Rush Limbaugh fan. He has run his own business his whole life and done well for himself. He has a wonderful family and has been part of my family (he’s married to my aunt) for long before I was born. He’s a good guy and I like as well as respect him. But I can’t help but compare his experiences as a small business man with mine as a well traveled Government Service Provider (that includes my time as an Army brat and my own 12 years of military experience). I think the difference is I have seen more of the effects of American influence and can compared it to the expectations we all had or have. I have empathy (as opposed to sympathy). There are a lot of solutions out there and ours is not always the best fit for all the world.

And I still like the quality of the video.

The Vet Who Did Not Vet

I thought bribery was illegal

I don't know if this Bail-out Bill is going to do anything but consolidate power in the hands of a few but "Where is the Beef?" How is a blank check going to solve anything?

And can anyone tell me how this revised bill is anything but bribery? Isn't that illegal?

Smart folks think all understand/Incompetents think they have the only answer.

Smart people tend to believe that everyone else "gets it." But incompetent people display both an increasing tendency to overestimate their cognitive abilities and a belief that they are smarter than the majority of those demonstrably sharper.


These are not my statements, but if true, it explains why I have so much trouble with some people.

This is not my photo but I laugh every time I see it.

08 County Fair

This picture I just think is cool. I really want to get back to this place like I did the first time I shot it (sunrise for a sunny day) and use a tripod. But it is in an industrial park and they keep parking semi-tractor trucks in front of it. I think my brother will really appreciate this one too, even though it's a Honda and not a Harley.

07 County Fair

For the "Plant" category I submitted this one. I had no expectation it would get any recognition by the judges. After all, it's late summer and there where lots of flower pictures (all very good by the way) and since this is a "county" fair you know they are looking for things that reflect county life. But I love this picture. I found this dead leaf in my driveway one evening and just couldn't resist the gold on the asphalt. I had this one printed this one 16" x 14" too. Unfortunately the photo shop cropped it such the stem bottom stem goes off the picture. Another one of thosse shor tcommings when you order via the internet.

06 County Fair

I made a mistake choosing this picture for the fair. Some days, I pay too much attention to the noise around me. I should have use the one I’m showing at the end of this entry. The category is "People at Work". This shot is fine but the points of interest are spread too widely apart and the balance is not good. The one at the bottom has some humor going for it and I really should have gone with my gut feelings. When will I ever learn to stop paying attention to the noise?

The competition was today and just for the record, my barn photo I posted in 01 County Fair won best in its category and Best of Show. Life is full of surprises ain’t it?

05 County Fair

Today is the day for submitting one’s photos for the Creative Living Exhibit for the Lincoln County Fair. I found out that only one enter can be made per category. That hurts a bit. So out of the 13 I had hoped to get on display, I’ll only have about six. Such is life. LOL

This photo is for the Animal Category. I had a Deer picture and my formally shown Snail picture in mind, but popular consensus was that the Snake would get the biggest reaction. In fact it did get one while I was tagging it at registration. A Mom, who was very proud of her son’s pictures, ask us (Emily and I) which category should his picture of a lion carved in a stone wall go? It was a nice picture and I didn’t have a clue since about the only category that came close was “Still Life” but it was caveat with “pictures you positioned things in.” While I was thinking, her son saw this Snake picture and said “Wow, you must have some really good camera gear to have taken that.” When the Mom saw it, she freaked a bit saying, “OMG, I would never get close enough to a poisonous snake like that to take a picture.”
I let her overly protective comment drop and suggested they check with the folks at the registration desk for help in categorizing their photos. But, her reaction is one I hope to see happen again and again while it is on display. BTW it is a copperhead and I do have some “really good camera gear” to include a telephoto lens, thank you. LOL

County Fair 04

Fourth Posting for this week. Tomorrow is a busy day for me so I’m going to get a head start by posting this early but I'm letting the program hold it until after midnight. Isn't technology wonderful?

This is a photo that speaks volumes to me. I’ve always liked it but I should have framed it better when I took it. Cropping it to my liking has plagued me for a long time. Getting the photo shop to print it to my liking has also been a hassle. I don’t fault them. I should have been better at conveying my desires when I sent it to them. None the less, I still like this shot. Not colorful and not really balanced like I would want it to be (this time the rules would have worked in my favor). Yet the idea of this lonely critter crossing an ocean of asphalt on a hot day leaving a little of itself in it’s path just sings to me.

County Fair 03

Third Posting for this week. I was walking down town one afternoon when this particular view caught my attention. I've been down this street many times and looked at the cannons and the statue of a confederate soldier from many different angles. Never could satisfy myself with the surroundings. This time the evening colors of the sun and the odd choice of colors on the building struck me as interesting.

There are not a lot of categories to put one's pictures in this year and this one will probably end up in the non-competitive historical category. I should give that idea some thought and do a series of photos on this town that fit a historical theme. An old friend of mine ,who lives in a quiet little Canadian village (that sounds so quaint), took a picture of every store on every street of her little town. It doesn't seem all that interesting now to many people, but in a generation, when there are only a few old timers left, there will be renewed interest. It will be a combination of nostalgia from the residents and a sense of a lost era that we all have when we think things are going to hell in a hand basket and life use to be so much simpler in the "old day."

County Fair 02

Second Posting for this week. This is my second favorite barn photo. Yes, some of you will say it is better than the other. In some respects it is. Thus I’m approaching these choices on my preferences rather than an industry standard that I keep hearing about. It seems to me that if one is going for “art” then following the rules is self defeating. I’m not saying rules are not important, but if the rules don’t allow me to say what I want to say then they have to be put aside. Hmmm, that sounds a bit arrogant, doesn’t it. LOL

County Fair 01

It is so unlike me to openly compete but I’m doing it. I guess one could say that since I’m entering several photographs into this years county fair. I don’t care if they win, but for this area, it is a great place to get exposure. Everyone for miles around to include surrounding counties will come to the fair and take a look. If I get a positive response, I’ll consider other avenues of exposure. I have 12 to 13 pictures I’m going to submit. Half will be of local interest, a quarter will be category topics and a quarter will be those that speak to me. So for the next few days I will post a few of them here. Let me know if you like what you see.

Today's choice is my favorite barn picture and I'm submitting in a 16x14 size print. It is the biggest print I've made. You can't really see the detail here but this large picture has clarity all over it as well as color.