After reading about Omicron this morning, I am seriously reconsidering my Christmas travel plans.
Am I the only one?
Am I the Only One Reconsidering Plans to Travel for Christmas?Post + Comments (183)
This post is in: Open Threads
After reading about Omicron this morning, I am seriously reconsidering my Christmas travel plans.
Am I the only one?
Am I the Only One Reconsidering Plans to Travel for Christmas?Post + Comments (183)
by WaterGirl| 24 Comments
This post is in: On The Road, Photo Blogging
Hello all….at the suggestion of Watergirl, I thought I might post up some of my shelter and personal photos because you can never have enough photos of animals in 2021, right?
I’m a very long time lurker here…..I think I’ve been reading virtually since day one. I was an early adopter of DailyKos, My Left Wing, all the golden oldies of days past. I save most of my snarky political commentary for Twitter these days (@CLSmithArts) but maintain a presence on FB and IG @clsmithphotography for photos. Yes, yes….FB is the biggest corporate bad guy out there but they are a Godsend for shelter photographers. FB is invaluable for getting shelter pets seen and saved.
Here are a few of the photos from the thousands I’ve taken over the years….I mostly photograph the older or harder to adopt kitties for Oregon Humane Society here in Portland and Cat Adoption Team in Sherwood, OR. Following are a few of my recent favorites with maybe a few pointers on how to take great pics of your pets (yes, I’m talking to you, John Cole)
Update from WaterGirl at 9 am:
As you read above, Cheryl’s photo Luna, was submitted as part of PetCo Love Stories. She just got word late last night that the submission won $25,000 for the shelter.
That is a big Joe Biden deal! And then some!!!! Congratulations, Cheryl!
On The Road – Cheryl – Shelter Photography from beautiful Portland, ORPost + Comments (24)
This is my oldest cat, Cleo. She will be 16 this year….hard to believe, isn’t it? This is a cell phone shot. My best advice for cell phone pet photos (or any photo for that matter) is to focus on the eyes and crop, crop, crop. Make the cat the focal point, all the extraneous stuff in the background can go
by WaterGirl| 42 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads
Looks like we could use a new thread.
This post is in: Balloon Juice, Open Threads
Last year we featured old-time holiday pics for On the Road around Christmas and New Years. I’d like to do that again – but we need you guys to send in the pics!
Last year, for instance, we got to see Albatrossity on Christmas morning when he was about 5 years old – totally adorable! But don’t take my word for it, you can see for yourself.
And this adorable girl was probably all of us, but I would have to dig out last year’s post in order to find the nym. This is AliceBlue!
We can share your nym with the photo, or you can remain anonymous if you prefer. If I get enough pics, I can reward you (or punish you?) by digging out the photo of me in high school standing in front of the tree wearing my purple crushed velvet pantsuit and wearing more makeup than I have collectively worn in my entire life since that day.
So please send in your pics – you can use the On the Road submission form or just send me the pics as email attachments.
Open thread.
Christmas Pics From When <i>We</i> Were the LittlesPost + Comments (107)
by WaterGirl| 29 Comments
This post is in: On The Road, Photo Blogging
A couple years ago, I mentioned to an Austrian friend how much I’d enjoyed the Prosecco region in the Italian pre-Alps, and she replied that Austria had something similar. A rural area, not that traveled. Oh… I’ve just now left Südsteiermark in southeastern Austria, near its border with Slovenia. An area of vineyards and white wines. With lots of Buschenshank (wine taverns) along the narrow winding roads of the Weinstraße. We stayed in a little flat on a farm with its own small vineyard, and could wander the nearby roads & trails without needing a car.
On The Road – way2blue – SÜDSTEIERMARK In OctoberPost + Comments (29)
Autumn view of vineyards in the warm October light. All the vineyards run the vines in rows down the slopes rather than along them. Making wonderful linear patterns.
by WaterGirl| 18 Comments
This post is in: On The Road, Photo Blogging
We saw North Lake to start of the fall color in the Sierra, but there’s also a South Lake. So after my visit to Lake Sabrina, I headed back down the canyon to the turn off on to the road that heads to South Lake. This route is a bit less traveled than the road up to Lake Sabrina, mainly used by hikers that use the trailhead at South Lake to head to Bishop Pass.
About 50 years ago, I was one of those hikers that started off at South Lake and headed up to the lakes above it. After taking a few shots in the lake bed, I hiked up the trail a bit to see some of the color along the trail. One of my favorite shots was taken from the edge of the parking lot of the road heading back down the canyon to the main highway.
I wish I’d included more of the sky in the shot, but I’m quite happy with it. There is also a waterfall, Mist Falls, on the road to South Lake and I stopped to get some shots of the falls. The majority of these shots(3, 4, 5, 7, and 8) I’ve used software(Boris F/X Optics) to emulate cinematic film stock(in most cases, I used Eastman Daylight film emulation), I really liked the color it brought to the shots.
All of the shots(over 1150) that I’ve posted here at ‘On The Road’ are available for purchase at my site(https://www.billinglendaleca.com/Galleries/On-The-Road, they make excellent gifts. My main site page is at https://www.billinglendaleca.com/ or can be accessed by clicking on my nym. There you can view and have the opportunity to purchase prints of additional shots that may have not appeared on these pages, you can also join my Patreon there to help support my work on an on going basis or there are also links for one time donations.
Next set will have California glaciers!
On The Road – ?BillinGlendaleCA – South LakePost + Comments (18)
Looking southwest lengthwise across South Lake to the pine forest with bits of color among them. The peaks of the eastern Sierra loom in the background.
by WaterGirl| 72 Comments
This post is in: Politics, Violent Insurrection at the Capitol
According to the folks at Lawfare, the government won a key early ruling concerning a legal issue affecting hundreds of Jan. 6 Capitol Riot prosecutions. That was on December 10.
Many of the defendants in cases related to the insurrection on Jan 6 have been charged with corruptly obstructing an official proceeding, which is a felony. That charge has been challenged by some of the insurrectionist attorneys attorneys for the insurrectionists, and the ruling that came down on Friday, allowing that charge to stand.
Thank god for small favors, as we used to say.
Government Wins Key Ruling on Issue Affecting Hundreds of Capitol Riot Cases (Lawfare)
We should celebrate all our victories, right?
I’ve been swamped with work lately, so swamped that I missed that public hearing last night. If anyone has a good link, I would be grateful if you would throw it in the comments.
Open Thread.
Open Thread: Score One for the Good GuysPost + Comments (72)