Busy, Busy, and feeling old

Well it has been a very busy week for me. Last week we drove past Dayton, NV to the graduation of one of our friends sons. Apparently, middle school ( 6-8 grades) graduations are a big deal there. I filled a few SD cards of the ceremony etc. for the kid and his parents. They are planning on making a scrap book of the event.

Earlier in the week we attended the USAF 60th Anniversary musical tribute to their history. The show was delightful, the stage filled with young members of the Tops In Blue unit. Durning the show it dawned on me, somewhere between decades of musical tributes, how much time had passed by and how young and fit and enthusiastic the performers were. I left thinking it just was not fair LOL.

Between the two events my awareness of my age crashed into my reality – with a vengeance.

So, today at some point during my doctors appointment, while my mind was contemplating the drawings posted all over the office walls, and not paying attention, it was decided I needed a handicapped placard. I came out of my rambling minded fog just in time to hear the doctor say here take this – and that was that. A stop at DMV and now my truck has bright new shinny license plates – you know the one’s that announce to the world that your messed up – or OLD. The only positive thing I can take from this at this moment is, that at least I got something from the State without five piles of paperwork and the inevitable decline of benefits that is standard procedure when it comes to SSD – free parking at the meters on the street, yes unlimited time – free parking! So, after years of working it has finally paid off – oh yeah – another thing it might be easier to not loose my truck in a great big parking lot and rack up tickets when the meter runs out while I am still trying to remember what street I parked on. And then there are the stairs – dreaded by all who can not really feel their foot – emmmm …

Not! I still feel old tonight LOL

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Night

Took a stroll downtown near Caesar Chavez Park to try out a 85mm Nikon lens loaned to me. Great for catching candid and as you can tell, not so candid shots.

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More from the street corner.

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I decided to change lens and try the play with the zoom thing and came up with this shot.

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Dark Tunnels and Steep Hills

Our photo group went to Devil’s Falls in the Auburn Recreational Area Monday. What I time we had! After shooting the falls in the “normal” manner I choose to slip and slide my way across the water, get into the falls, and take a pic.

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Needless to mention – I and my boots were a tad wet from this point on.

We came across an opening to a tunnel maybe from the mining days maybe natural? I had a small flashlight that immediately died of old age when we entered the dark tunnel. Out everyone went. I found my little 1/4 inch round by 4 inch long red infra micro light that I use at night to see my camera dials if need be and set back inside. The tiny light really did not illuminate much of anything but it acted as a security blanket for me. I made my way slowly into the tunnel using my camera’s modeling flash to catch a glimpse of where I was heading or not heading into LOL. After a few turns I was successfully confused enough to wonder if I would find my way back out. I probably only went a few hundred feet but it seemed like miles in the dark.

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Farther along the tunnel there was a split a tunnel to the left and a tunnel to the right. I would love to tell you that I remembered which choice I made so I could find my way back out – but not! I did note while taking a picture a bright orange arrow that lite up with the flash – this turned out to be a very good thing.

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I proceeded like this, model flash, step forward, snap a shot,  model flash, forward etc. until . … from somewhere much deeper into the tunnels than I -I heard strange voices. I noticed the used beer cans were getting thicker too. Emmm … I guess I should turn around and work my way back out. Turning around I discovered that – DUH – GASP – it all looked the same – there in the dark! Suddenly my little infra red micro light and my modeling flash method – well – for a second I thought Ugh oh – I might have to do the hug the tree thing here. But while flashing away I noticed the arrow – I have never seen such a fine arrow before LOL.  I zipped through the pics I had already shot and figured out that arrow did indeed point the way out to the main tunnel. Whew.

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And for all you graffitti lovers or haters – down one tunnel but of course – graffiti and some more garbage.

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Later on some of us drove down miles of more bumpy dirt roads to the Grouse Falls.

But that is another story.