On Friday, we decided to go out for lunch at a local “picturesque” restaurant, the Gold Nugget. Their decor was unusual in that both the lobby chandelier and the sconces (not pictured) were constructed of crystals and Mason Jars. The chandelier was centered around an old wagon wheel. It made for an interesting conversation piece and it was actually quite pretty to see. Click on the image to enlarge.
Verna and I were out walking the dogs a couple of days ago when I heard the distinctive sound of a radial engine-powered airplane overhead. I did not have my fancy DSLR camera with me at the time, or I’m certain I would have taken a better photo, but this one is not bad considering I used my pocket-sized Canon A1400 point-and-shoot camera. By coincidence, the plane passed very nearly in front of the waning crescent moon. Click on the image to enlarge.
Sunspot 2259 is resolved in this image I took of the solar disk today. I used the new Canon SL1 camera with a modified Rainbow Symphony Solar Filter to get this shot. I used settings of 1/1250 second exposure, F8 aperture and ISO 3200 film speed. I use the fast shutter speed and fast film settings to minimize the jitter or motion that may result from shooting with a hand held camera without a tripod.
No longer needing the old SX40 camera, I sent it to our granddaughter so she could get some pix of our great grandson as he grows up. Thus, I lost the platform for taking solar pix and had to learn the settings for the new camera.
The sunspot is not particularly large, nor is it as awesome as a solar eclipse, but it shows that I can resolve surface features with the new camera. We look forward to seeing the great solar eclipse of August 2017 in Wyoming with the new rig. Click on the image to enlarge.
We’re breaking in the new electric smoker this afternoon. Getting it seasoned with mesquite chips/smoke. We have yet to smoke our first entree on this one. Our old charcoal-powered smoker did pretty good, so this one could do as well plus being easier to use and clean. I have some pork and fish in the freezer that will be the first experiments.
Today, somewhere along California State Route 99 between Bakersfield and Fresno, we saw a Scandinavian (tourist trap) village along the roadside. In the background was this water tower made up to look like a teapot. Very zany. Click on the image to enlarge.
Verna took this photo of our two little dogs today, while in transit to California. This was their first LONG ride in the new truck. We had to head out to the old stomping grounds to take care of business and visit with family.
Despite looking disoriented and anxious, they rode pretty good today. Bay Bay is always uncomfortable when we go on the road; we don’t know why, but we assume he had a bad experience with going for a ride. Eventually, he calms down and gets relaxed. Today, he remained a little more anxious than usual, probably because it is a new truck. He is keenly aware of any changes to his environment. Both of the dogs are very smart and surprise us with their insight into matters where we might not expect.
