Archive for the ‘California’ Category
Happy 4th of July!
July 4, 20083:20 AM
July 4, 2008
We met at a cocktail party that I didn’t want to go to. He told me about leaving home at fourteen, being in South Africa where he was a lifeguard, meeting twin girls in polka dot bikinis and waiting on tables in New York. (The Mafia and Marlene Dietrich came in for breakfast at 4 AM.) He drove me home in his British racing green Austin Healey. We ran out of gas on the Bay Bridge. As we walked across the bridge he said, “Stick with me kid and you’ll never be bored.”
BetterPhoto.com
June 21, 2008
I took a couple of courses from BetterPhoto.com while I was away from my studio. It was fun. People from different parts of the United States and from other countries were in my classes. Each week we would get an assignment. We’d work on it for a week, submit it and then get an online critique from our teacher. Besides getting feedback from our teacher we learned from each other. Some of my photos are there. Try googling http://www.betterphoto.com/gallery/gallery.asp?mem=275274
Frost Season
April 24, 2008
Since I wake up to the early morning sounds of the wind machines I have time to look around the internet. Here’s what I found on frost protection.
Orchard Heaters:
Orchard heaters have been used for centuries to protect orchards. Most heaters are designed to burn oil and can be placed as freestanding units or supplied by a pipeline network throughout the orchard. Propane, liquid petroleum and natural gas have also been used as fuels. The initial cost is generally lower than for other systems, but the cost of the fuel makes this system the most expensive in terms of operating cost.
Wind Machines:
Wind machines can be effective during a radiation frost. Their purpose is to circulate warmer air down to orchard level. A single wind machine can protect up to 10 acres. A typical wind machine is a large fan about 16 feet in diameter mounted on a 30 foot steel tower. The fan is typically powered by an industrial engine delivering 85 to 100 horsepower. Helicopters have been used as wind machines. They hover in one spot until the temperature increases, then they move to the next area. Repeated visits to the same area are usually necessary during a typical frost.
Sprinkler Irrigation:
Overhead irrigation is probably the most commonly used means of frost/freeze protection in the southeastern United States. Heat lost from the plant part to its environment is replaced by heat released as the applied water changes to ice. As long as water is supplied at an adequate rate the temperature of the plant will remain at or near 32° F. Advantages of overhead irrigation include lower operating cost, convenient to operate and multiple uses including drought prevention, heat suppression, fertilizer application and possible limb breakage from heavy ice loads.
Dove Comments
April 4, 2008
I don’t know why the lines are going through the picture. They don’t seem to be going through the dove image. I wonder if somehow the camera picked up the grid of the cage and the colors in the garden.
Happy Easter
March 23, 2008
I went into an aviary with the birds yesterday and took this picture in Tv or time value mode on my camera. I chose a slow shutter speed because I wanted to show the action of the dove’s wings, Aperture: f16 Shutter Speed: 1/6 ISO 100
Putto with Poppy
March 21, 2008
Spring is here and the poppies are out showing their brightly colored petals against more muted backgrounds. I’m taking an online photography class at BetterPhoto.com. It’s a four week course in learning about the Canon Digital Rebel camera with Charlotte Lowrie. This photo was taken in the AV mode which allowed me to select a point of focus. I chose the putto’s nose to be the sharpest point of focus in the image.
Flophouse blogger
March 9, 2008
Instead of drinking a beer with a computer on my lap I’m sitting in the sun with a coffee from Bouchon. Instead of “BloggingChefs” I go to http://blog.foodista.com. This older woman is for Obama. My party animal is Miles shown here in a field of mustard. Photo shot yesterday with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel camera.
Library Selection, an artists’ book 1998
February 8, 2008
This Abecedarian or ABC book is an alphabet book made up of 26 words relating to wine. The unusual format is a wine shipping crate which I took apart and reassembled in a unique way. By stacking the panels that separated the wine I created pages to make up my dictionary. The TEXT, word and definitions are stamped on the wood PAGES.
A bottle of 1987 Trefethen Chardonnay in a stamped wood shipping container. 12″x13″x12″
Outside my Window
May 5, 2007
Last weekend was Opening Day on the Bay. I was out walking and sketching while all the boats were streaming towards the Golden Gate Bridge. In one sitting, drawing on a long piece of paper, I recorded one of these opening days. Then, with a few brushstrokes of watercolor, I connected the sketches making a cohesive whole.
I’ve made an artist book using these sketches. The book is written, illustrated and bound by me. Materials used are vellum, raw canvas, cotton cord, and Somerset Velvet Enhanced 330 gsm. It’s printed on an Epson 9600 printer with archival ultra chrome inks. Printed by Trillium Press the artist’s book costs $75. Edition of 35. 2005 2 x 3 inches Accordion fully extended 7 feet.
