The Photographer

Taking Pix is Fun!

I take a lot of pictures with my old but very reliable Canon-D-60 digital camera. In fact, since it was purchased oh, around 10 years ago, I have taken more than 60,000 images. What I like about the more expensive digitals (this was one of the best you could get back when it was purchased) is the quality of the lens, and the camera itself, which makes all the difference in the world. I am strictly an amateur photographer but some people who have seen some of my photos said they wuld buy them from me. Let's just say I don't plan on quitting my day job but thanks.

I admit I don't really know what I am doing compared to an actual trained photographer but since I take these photos for myself does it really matter? I have learned quite a bit from asking others as well as by trial and error. In many cases, I use full manual settings so I can get the effect I am looking for. I love to take pictures of the sky and especially, of sunsets. I am sure my right eye has been damaged from doing that without the proper precautions. Wilflife is another favorite as is taking pix of my family.

Anyway, here are a few sample pix of some stuff from the past years, I hope you enjoy it.

Where has the time gone?

Holy Cow I Had Better Do a Post!

Well for bejezuz sakes, it's November 15th and I have not done one friggin blog post this year - not one. At least I am sticking close to my annual average, save 2007 when I first started. Well, I'm not really sure I have much of substance to post, maybe I will do a bit of a "Year in Review".

I must admit, 2012 was a lousy year for me, personally anyway. I lost both my parents in a span of about 7 months. My mom went unexpectedly and very suddenly in March and boy, was that hard to understand/take! She was fine then all of a sudden she was gone. Goes to show every day on this wonderful planet is something to savour. My dad had a diagnosis of terminal lung cancer and according to his doctors, was supposed to die oh, about 2 years before he actually did. While we sort of "expected" our dad to pass, it still sucked when he went in August.

Things will, obviously, never be the same.

On a nuclear family level our boys sure are growing up fast. Josh is now 16 and Matthew is 15. Josh is a clone of me in many ways. Matthew, well, he's a giant in the making with his size 14 shoes and 6'1" frame - all 220 pounds of him. He will be at least 6'4" when he's done, I am sure of it. My wife Kim is pretty much the same as she always is....

Anyhow, work is beginning to bore me a little....do I need a change? Maybe, but I have it good now and I like Kenora. Kim hates it though and would move in a heartbeat. Winnipeg is the preferred Kim spot followed by any other big city after that, shop til ya drop so that explains that!

Anyhow, now I have accomplished something, I did a blog post at least once a year over the past 5 years. Does anyone even read these things anymore? I don't think so.......

The Antique Business

An old advertising sign I sold on the Internet

Well, after two years I have found the antique business is both fun and sometimes stressful. People are starting to get to know out store so it appears to be busier on a more consistent basis. People are seeming to enjoy the store now with lots of stock - more than ever before - so that helps. I like talking to people about what they collect and I like it when people bring in things for me to see. If I won a million dollars I'm sure I'd quit my day job and do this full-time.

It's fun!

Summer is here and I am Happy

Sure, summer has it's downside like bugs and shit but they are just doing the evolutionary duty you know, keeping us humans in check by occasionally killing us with diseases like encephalitis and all that. Anyway, I live in a temperate climate where the winters are long and cold so I love summer - especially the warm days and the cool nights. I love being outside on my deck and looking at the sun set without getting frostbite. I love being able to go fishing or for a hike in the woods. I love being able to take photos of nature and its wonders.

Summer is good - don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

When is Spring Coming?

Up here in the Northwest region of the Province of Ontario, winter is a part of life but given it is almost mid-March, it is depressing to see very little indication that the first day of Spring is 5 days away. There is still almost 4 feet of snow on the ground and the temp overnight dropped to -18C - not much melting occurs under those conditions.

For all those who may read this who live in a climate where it is warm or starting to get warm, please send some of those weather patterns this way please...I would be eternally grateful.

Buying a New Truck

Well the transmission is going on my 1998 GMC Sierra and the brake release button just broke on Monday. It also needs new brakes and the gas gauge doesn't work. The windshield has a two foot long crack in it and my inside door handle on the driver side door has been broken for over a year. This means I have to roll down the window to open the door with the outside handle. After a whole Canadian winter doing this, I have finally had it!

The transmission issue is forcing my hand. So I decided to buy a new truck, and yes I mean a new 2011. I have decided on a 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab SLT with the "Outdoorsman Package". That means it has a few extras. The thing I like about this truck are all the extras including the 5.7L Hemi V8 engine and the running boards, spray on bed liner, bed cover, power rear slider, all terrain tires etc, etc.

Looking forward to owning my first new vehicle. My wife thinks we can't afford it. I guess she'll have to cut back on them shoe purchases lol!

Bedtime Story

BEDTIME STORY

Once upon a time, a guy asked a beautiful woman, "Will you marry me?"

The woman said “NO.”

....And the guy lived happily ever after and rode motorcycles and fucked skinny big-titted broads and hunted and raced cars and went to naked bars and dated women half his age and drank whiskey, beer and Captain Morgan and never heard bitching and never paid child support or alimony and ate pussies and ass-fucked cheerleaders and kept his house and guns and never got cheated-on while he was at work and all his friends and family thought he was fuckin’ cool as hell and he had tons of money in the bank and left the toilet seat up.