Macro – Day 9

Yet another skipper
Yet another skipper

Skippers have these cool wings. Sort of looks like some type of jet fighter. But, they are butterflies. About the only butterfly around this summer.

Watched a show on PBS about The Cuban Missile Crisis last night. (Note to young people, that is when your great grandfathers really did almost end all human life on the planet.) The Kennedy Library has a very interesting online exhibit of notes, transcriptions and recordings from those 13 days in October 1962. Check it out.

http://microsites.jfklibrary.org/cmc/

My Dad and daughter were both born on September 3. 50 years apart. 1919&1969

Enjoy Every grilled turkey and cheese Sandwich. With some of the last peaches.

Dog Swim Day

Annual Dog Swim

 

The last pool day is not for humans, but for dogs. It was also the hottest day of the year. A new twist on Dog Days of Summer.

Carlton went to a picnic today – so – he didn’t get to

Enjoy Every Sandwich: Tuna and tomato on wheat. Maybe he got a burger at the picnic.

Annual Dog Swim

The dogs had a grand time. No fights. No doggie timeouts. They even shared their toys.

 

The folks who brought you the weekend – Labor Unions.

fiery skipper - from yesterday
fiery skipper – from yesterday

In the 60′s and early 70′s I was a card carrying member of the Longshoremen’s Union. ILWU Local 142. We didn’t cross picket lines. We “Looked for the Union Label”. And we never ate California table grapes. Fortunately, California wine grapes were OK.

The Longshore Union has a long and bloody history in Hawaii. Finally, in 1949, the union fought it’s last major battle. The 177 day strike was to gain pay equality with the west coast longshoremen. The previous long and deadly strikes involved the plantation workers. The same “Big Five” companies owned all the plantations and all the shipping – between the islands and to and from the west coast.

No new macros today. Today I finished the last item on my 2 Do List. I was not interested in adding more fotos to the 2014 bucket.
My Labor Day Weekend To Do List:

1.  Get a load of clothes to take to Goodwill – and take them.
2.  Take all the food out of the fridge and discard anything gray and/or fuzzy.
3.  Get the 2013 photos off the Airness. And make the 2013 photo book.

The 2013 photos have been achieved and the photo book has been made. Not ordered yet. But it is “resting” and waiting a final review.

Hot Hot Hot today and it might be hotter tomorrow. I walked for a little over an hour this morning and logged enough to steps to shut my Fitbit up.

Enjoy Every Sandwich. Double Header Today. Fish Tacos. And cheese burgers for dinner.

Macro – Day 8

Gray Hair Streak Butterfly
Gray Hairstreak Butterfly

The gray hairstreak is usually easy to find at this time of year.  It has bright red eyespots near the tips of its wings next to the small tails that are used to confuse possible predators.
My Labor Day Weekend To Do List:

1.  Get a load of clothes to take to Goodwill – and take them.
2.  Take all the food out of the fridge and discard anything gray and/or fuzzy.
3.  Get the 2013 photos off the Airness. And make the 2013 photo book.

Enjoy Every Sandwich: Cheese quesadilla.

Really hot today. Very hot.

Macro Day 7

another unknown tiny bee like critter
another unknown tiny bee like critter

This is actually some sort of hoverfly – Syrphidae. There are about 6,000 different types of hoverflies. They are quite harmless. However, they seem to enjoy mimicking wasps and hornets. I would too.

My Labor Day Weekend To Do List:

1.  Get a load of clothes to take to Goodwill – and take them.
2.  Take all the food out of the fridge and discard anything gray and/or fuzzy.
3.  Get the 2013 photos off the Airness. And make the 2013 photo book.

Enjoy Every Sandwich: Maybe Cheeseburgers???

No Macros 2day

Mr. C's Head
Mr. C’s Head

Mr C is 1/2 through this radiation go. And this is what his head looks like. Sort of like an accident in the microwave. Which – when you think about it – isn’t far off target.

What ever it is in the fall that I am allergic to must be out now. My sinuses are acting up big time.

Went to the grocery this afternoon. Got ice cream and stuff for burgers. Now, all I need is beer and we’ll be all set for the last holiday of summer. Got peaches and tomatoes yesterday. And, the Korean deli in the lobby is well stocked with beer.

Enjoy Every Sandwich: Either tuna melt or cheese burgers for dinner tonight – Carlton gets to choose. He just picked tuna melt.

 

Macro Day 6

Unknown tiny bee like insect.
Unknown tiny bee like insect. It is about ant size.

Having nice end of summer weather. Picked up the “last” peaches of the year at the afternoon farm market today.

We’ll be enjoying every sandwich tonight: quesadilla and peaches.

Unfortunately, our great summer soap opera – the trial of former governor McDonnell and his wife for behavior even too sleazy for Virginia – is coming to an end. Will have to break out a trashy novel to get my nightly fix.

Macro – Day 5

coffee beans
coffee beans

Fine enough day. The outdoor macros were forgettable. I tried manual focusing coffee beans on my kitchen window. I think more light or a tripod was in order. But, there are always coffee beans in the kitchen – so, I can play around some other day.

Enjoy Every Sandwich: Turkey and coleslaw. With overcooked green bean salad.

Macro Day 4

absolutely nothing in focus here!
absolutely nothing in focus here!

The camera was flummoxed by this little star.

nice focus on the bumble bee but not close enough
nice focus on the bumble bee but not close enough

Can not blame the camera for this one – I just didn’t get close enough.

And, the major lesson learned today. If you put the camera in your purse and don’t turn it off – you end up with LOTS (and lots) of pictures of the lens cap!

Took the day off from work to go listen to the 2015 financial presentation to the residents of the old folks asylum. What did I learn? The rates are going up 3.5% next year. They have been too aggressively controlling wages of the workers and must play catchup or lose too many people. 69% of their budget goes to staff wages and benefits. They are going to get a new bus. (that was greeted with a round of applause.) 30-35 units are freed up every year when residents move “to the next level” – i.e. – die. They no longer contract out the food service operation. This was a cost saving move. They hope.

Then I walked home. And went to the pool.

Enjoy Every Sandwich – fish tacos.

Hairy Eyed Honey Bee – Macro Day 3

Honey Bee from Sunday
Honey Bee from Sunday

I shot this honey bee yesterday. And who knew that honey bees have hairy eyeballs?

crop from image above
crop from image above – note the hair eyeball. kind of creepy.

Today, I took the camera out for another macro outing. This time I set it to the “Nature Macro” scene setting. There by turning my expensive mirrorless camera into a $100 point and shoot device. I don’t think I’ll that setting again. But, you don’t know if you don’t try it.

This is the best one from this afternoon’s “Nature Macro” test.

Bumble Bee in Rose of Sharon
Bumble Bee in Rose of Sharon

Too bad the bee’s head is hidden.

Enjoy Every Sandwich: Cheese Burgers!

 

It was a wonderful day in the neighborhood – Macro Day 2

A lovely day in our concrete world
A lovely day in our concrete world

I started out by going to the grocery – where – I found cherries. I adore cherries. I thought that cherry season was over. But, Thank You Mt Hood Oregon for wonderful late cherries. So, I did a little macro photography on one of the cherries.

bing cherry
bing cherry

And promptly ate it! Then I went out and took some pictures. 329 pictures to be exact. In filmtime that would be 9 rolls of film.

Baby American Goldfinch
Baby American Goldfinch

I was out with my macro lens – but I found this cute little baby goldfinch. He was learning how to perch on coneflowers.

Then I went down to the thrift shop where I found a great belt. Apparently never worn. I found one just like it for 105 euros online. It isn’t worth 105 euros. But, it is definitely worth 2 dollars.

No sandwiches today. Carlton had apple pie for lunch.

Macros Day 1

Roadkill Earring
Roadkill Earring

Today, before sunrise, I decided to work on macros. Macros of the photographic kind. Not programming macros.

But, it was rainy and cloudy and windy. Not a day for outdoor photography. So, I practiced with this roadkill earring.

For macros: I have a cheap ass old macro lens, an old Raynox 250 “gadget”, and a very old set of closeup rings – which may or may not fit on any of my current lenses. This photo used the macro lens and the Raynox.

Enjoy every sandwich: quesadillas and beer.