Year: 2007

It starts with a broken levee at Prospect Island in the northern section of the California Delta between Miner Slough and the Sacramento Deepwater Channel. After the levee break in 2006, CalFed said to leave the levee like it was but later on five boats capsized when entering the levee break. Two of them required Coast Guard assistance. Then it was decide there was a lot of trees and vegetation creating hazards for boats. The National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service were consulted as to what to do. It was decided to drain and repair the levee so a contractor was hired and the pumping began. Now the ugly.

A local farmer went out scoping out the ducks and found the fish stranded and dying. We are no talking a few catfish here either. The death toll includes large salmon, sturgeon, bluegill, steelhead, stripped bass and carp. Delta smelt may be stranded also. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said the agency after being alerted by anglers have ordered the pumping suspended. and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will reevaluate this situation to see if they can salvage the fish.

Uglier yet, representatives of the agencies said that probably no decision about this would be made until Monday because of the absence of many personnel over the Thanksiving Holiday weekend.

This is big – really it is. We let a lot of fish go trying to respect nature and allow them go forth and survive into the future. These fish are a beautiful and important part of the deltas ecological system. Last I heard the fisher-persons, bass clubs, and other volunteers were working with buckets trying to save the fish.

I urge people concerned about the stranding of thousands of fish on Prospect Island call the following numbers and urge the federal and state governments to do something about saving the fish:

Bureau of Reclamation, Public Affairs Office, 916-978-5100

Richard B. Rogers, California Fish and Game Commission, 916-653-4899

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, 916-445-2841

Among my photography friends I am know as cheap. Last summer when we were shooting fireworks some “professional” looking folks showed up with some fancy black pieces of plastic and other gizmo’s to block of their lens’ between rocket bursts. Our little newly formed group members started questioning themselves back and forth as to what the items were used for. I chuckled to myself because I had taken the time to research ‘how to shoot fireworks” on the net. So, I knew what the cards were used for. I too had a card. Yep, a piece of crooked old cardboard that I stuck black sticky paper too. Everyone just looked at it and kind of grinned those oh yeah right that sucks looks on their faces. Well it worked – it did the job. This was my first home made piece of photo equipment.

I have made clamp jungles, used silver gift boxes as reflectors, old foil gift bags to bounce light, and colored cellophane as gels. My flashlights have been used as lighting. Until I could afford a tripod I used an old walking stick as a monopod by changing the bolt on to hold a camera. It has kind of turned into “a thing” with me. If you can make it on the cheap – why buy it?

After acquiring my R1C1 speedlight kit I contently played with the two little lights in different positions and light power settings. Next, I used the four little gels that came with the lights but I wanted more colors! Back to the internet where I found out that most theater suppliers have books of swatches of every imaginable gel made and then some – for free! The size of the samples are big enough to fit over my little lights and the new SB800. Coolness for the price of a trip to the theater supply warehouse.

This brings me to my current project. How do they do that with a speedlight? Seems there is something out there in the photographic equipment world called a snoot. A what? A snoot. Wow I think to myself, I need a snoot. Whoa, snoots go from 18 bucks on up to over a hundred. I must once again thank “the google” (remember Pres. Bush ?) as the top returns on snoot are for DIY snoots. So, once cereal box later I am well on my way to owning a snoot. Not just any snoot – this is going to be one fine snoot.

I can not wait till our next photo group meetup so I can show it off and maybe get back my some of my homemade reflectors while I am at it.

GUESS WHAT ^ it is???

The unfolding disaster in the San Francisco Bay saddens me. The wildlife is suffering and some of the most beautiful beaches around are being coated with oil. But what really gets my goat so to say, is that finding updated coverage from the television news offerings is sparce. Seems that the news giants think that the country is only interested in the latest from the O. J. trial. 

Get over it folks! There are just some people on this earth that are not good people – O.J. is one of them. Why does this interest the general public so much? It is not that interesting anymore – he is a pathetic human with very poor life choices.

I do not think I can stand watching another round of OJ this and OJ that – good grief – STOP – augh

 Meanwhile here is a serious spill that will change the bay eco system and I would like some info please. All I get is a Greek owned ship under South Korean flag with a local pilot hit the bumber on the Bay Bridge causing a rip in the hull and a large oil spill. I think the lastest estimate is over 58,000 gallons? The wonderful rescue volunteers are out trying to clean up the birds etc. Beaches are closed and oil abounds. So, ok, that is what happened but what is going to be the possible outcome? How much further might it go? Oh, gosh, another update on the OJ deal AUGH!!!!!!!!!