Nice Collar, Deer

This was shot through a dirty window just after sunrise on a very gloomy day. But you can see this friend of ours sporting her snazzy necklace.

We see many deer and elk roaming around on The Orchard Compound. Quite a few are tagged. These two have been living with us for weeks now, never wandering very far. A neighbor about a half mile away sees them regularly as well. They've become a familiar part of the neighborhood.

One of these days I'll have to do some research into what becomes of the data these collars collect. Is it available for the public to see? Is it mapped somewhere so we can watch where all these critters go when they're not with us? That would be interesting to see.

Frog Friend

A warm mid-winter day on The Orchard Compound finds us outside cavorting with our amphibious friends. These little guys are all over the place.

Wish I knew what kind of frogs they are.

Pathetic Pumpkins

Pathetic pumpkin patch. Our gardening last year was a total waste. The few small pumpkins keep reminding me to plan for spring. Can't get here soon enough.

Dark Day

I snapped this from our front porch around noon today. It was a very dark day, but the sun was trying to shine through.

Never did make it.

Spring can't get here soon enough. We really need some brighter days for awhile.

Diehard Free Wifi Fan

I walked over to the Center House today to have coffee with a friend. It was POURING rain, cold, dark, dank. But that didn't stop this guy from enjoying the free wifi at the Mural Amphitheater.

Seattle Center offers free wifi at various locations - Center House, Fisher Pavilion, and this spot, among others. This guy was curled up with his laptop under the mural trying to stay dry. The obvious question: why not walk over to Center House?

Shot this with my iPhone 3GS using BestCamera app.

Which Way Do I Go?

As I was walking from my car into work this morning just before six, I noticed they'd just painted new lines in the parking garage. At that early hour all those arrows were REALLY confusing to my bleary mind.

This was shot with my iPhone 3GS and used the Best Camera app. I'm really liking this app. It still needs work but the ease of uploading to multiple sites simultaneously is just great. Looking forward to more control over the filters and an easier way to upload to Flickr. But the app is good. Highly recommended.

Tesla: Yes, I Want!

I had to come home early today and as I crossed the I-90 bridge this sweet little guy pulled in front. Wow!

It's the first Tesla I've seen in the wild. Holy cow is that thing sweet! Quick. Great looking.

Now, if I just had thousands to spend on one...

Taken with my iPhone 3GS and used the Best Camera app. Nice!

Tiltshift Generator Test

While on the front porch grilling some chicken I decided to test out the new Tiltshift Generator app for the iPhone. Threw this together in about 30 seconds. The image is nothing special but the app is pretty good though it still needs some work.

Thanks to the awesome www.iphoneography.com site I just learned of this new app this morning. Right now it's on sale for $.99 so I bought it. But like everyone else who played with it, my biggest complaint is the output. It's low-res. We're all told the next update will correct that. Hope so. Other than that it seems pretty slick. I did notice it saved the file without a date or name. When I use PhoneView to look at the files on my phone it doesn't show up without digging around. That may be because I just updated to iPhone OS 3.1 that came out today. Not sure.

All in all it seems like a solid app. When the updates come, and there's no indication to think they won't, it will be solid. The developer, Takayuki Fukatsu has some other apps that get rave reviews, so I say go get this thing while it's at this price. It will soon go up to $2.99 US. Let's hope the upgrade is free. Should be, one would think.

By the way, that's our little Monkey Puzzle tree out there.

Hoping For One More Season

Joyce and I installed our wood stove when we first moved to Hobart 25 years ago. It's on its last legs but we hope repairs made today get us through one more season.

When I went to light it for the first time yesterday the handle was frozen. Totally rusted. It took me a couple of hours this morning to drill and pound on it to finally get it open. That's when my son, Jesse and I engineered a new handle mechanism. After a lengthy trip to the local hardware store we returned with threaded rod, a small piece of steel, and an abundance of nuts and washers. When we were through sawing, drilling, twisting and pounding, it worked! Here's hoping it lasts until next spring.

Actually, when we started, Jesse and I were hoping we could submit this project to thereifixedit.com. But when we were finished, mickey mouse as it is, we realized it looks too good for that site. Next time we'll try harder.

Looking Good At 86

Today is my mom's birthday, so Joyce and I stopped by and had dinner with her. It was a good visit and we both came away remarking how good she looks now.

A few months ago that wasn't the case. She was living alone in a retirement apartment in Olympia and just wasn't taking care of herself. Now, she eats well, gets out for walks and short trips with her neighbors, is a voracious reader of trashy novels, and seems in the best spirits we've seen her in a long time.

This summer the family moved her from Olympia to The Lodge at Eagle Ridge in Renton. Can't recommend it highly enough. It's a beautiful facility overlooking downtown Renton and the south end of Lake Washington. Great people, excellent facility.

I shot this with my iPhone 3GS in a dark room with gloomy weather just before sunset. I ran it through Photoshop for a little cropping and vignette. Maybe not the best quality image, but the two smiles make it a keeper.

Firewood And Time Travel

My grandson Kelton and I spent about an hour or so today working on our firewood supply. We still have to get a bunch of it into the woodshed. He's four now and does OK as a helper, much like his father did when he was that age.

It still amazes me, watching him and talking to him as his father and I did years ago. My favorite stories have always been about time travel. Watching our son and his children is as close as I'll ever come to going back in time. It's like looking back, seeing myself then my son and now his son. Seeing some of the things my father and his father did as well. Kinda spooky.

Then there's my granddaughter. Oy! She's like a whole new chapter.

In A Pickle In Hobart

It's that time again, time to put up some of My Beloved's scrumptious garlic dills. About ten quarts this year.

The produce this time around wasn't the best. The dill was terrible and the little cukes were on the soft side.

But come December and January they'll be tasty.

LOVE this annual tradition.

Mizu Japanese Steakhouse

A little video from our first trip to this new restaurant in Covington, not far from Hobart. This is the Mízu chain and the food is not bad. I missed recording the flaming grill and egg in the hat trick, but you get the idea.

Our two grandkids, 4 and 2 loved it. They also wolfed the food. A good experience, but kinda pricey. Not bad though.

The Needle, The Moon And Venus

As I was walking up John Street to Pacific Science Center just before 6 a.m. the sun was coming up. The sliver moon was hanging just to the south of the Space Needle and just below the moon was Venus, though you'll have to look closely to see it in this shot.

Unfortunately, I didn't have my DSLR so my iPhone 3GS would have to do. This shot was processed with the Photo fx app. I used the three stripe filter and added just a bit of a vignette.

Love watching the sunrise, but this time of year I always get a bit sad as the days become shorter. Fall will soon be here. Summer can't last long enough at this point in my life.

Smile Awhile For Me, Kira

So, our family (minus our son, Jesse who had to work) spent the day at Kelton's soccer practice and then the Maple Valley Farmers Market. I shot a bunch of pictures, as per usual. But lately I've been in a slump when it comes to getting my two-year-old granddaughter Kira to smile. Today was no different.

This shot was the best of the bunch. Her older brother Kelton was off to the right in this shot learning how to dribble and shoot a soccer ball. When the practice was almost over Kira's mom and grandmother (upper left corner on the ground) let her go and she ran over to me. Later at the farmers market I even plied her with ice cream and still couldn't get a smile.

So, I keep trying. But she's still a cutey.

Alicia Healey & Lisa Mills

The family stopped by the Maple Valley farmer's market this morning after Kelton's soccer practice. Had some ice cream, tasted and bought some great local produce, and picked up some gorgeous flowers. We also got to listen to a bit of live music provided by Alicia Healey and Lisa Mills.

I had my Nikon D40 around my neck but turned on my iPhone 3GS just to record a little bit of the end of one of their songs and the iPhone got some love from Lisa. I'd like to think it was me that got her attention, but we all know better. These little phones are just so darned cute...and powerful.

BTW...here's more about these two performers: www.aliciahealey.com/ They are very good.

Final Summer Of Fun Forest

The amusement park at Seattle Center, Fun Forest is due to be demolished next year. As I walked around there today it occurred to me that this is the final summer for the old place. I asked one of the teens running a ticket booth and she got a little sad and said yes. I know time marches on and things change, but it's still sad.

Seattle Center was the first place my friends and I got to go to alone when we were 12 or 13. We took the bus in from Burien and road the Ferris Wheel and played the games. Now it's going away to make room for...something. I'm not sure final decisions have been made, have they?

Here's to fond memories of summer as a kid.

Elvis Was Here

Early this morning as I was waiting for some video to render at work at Pacific Science Center, I decided to wander around outside. Happened to look down and spotted this little warning sign, It reminded me that Elvis did, indeed run across that wall in the film, "It Happened At The World's Fair" in 1962.

Not sure if the sign was posted because of Elvis, but it's kind of funny to see it there. Even funnier was me crawling around trying to keep my iPhone 3GS from ending up in the ponds.

ARGH! Stop For Just A Moment!

How in the world can I get these grandkids to stop and take a picture!?

When we had just one grandchild I could usually get him to sort of pose for me, or at least focus on me for a few minutes so I could snap a few pics. But now that his little sister is also jockeying for position, neither one will sit still long enough for me to get them together.

How do those photogs in the studios get them to do it!?

After MANY futile attempts outside this evening, Kelton and Kira's mom Jennifer grabbed them and we got a couple of shots. This was the best I could do. I just had my iPhone 3GS. If I'd gone in for my Nikon D40 the moment would have been LONG gone.

Any and all suggestions, ideas, tips, thoughts on getting hyper-active kids and adults to at least slow down for a few moments for a slow grandfather to snap a few shots would be appreciated.

RAWR Is Dinosaur For Good Morning!

RAWR Is Dinosaur For Good Morning!
Originally uploaded by Stan Orchard