Being on the bottom

I either need a vacation or I need to start drinking more! It's been a tough couple of weeks and I'm dreaming of paradise again just to keep my mind calm.

Both of these were taken in the waters off of...

You guessed it, Maui!

Somewhere On The California Coast.

This is another old photo from 2 years ago. I'm not sure it was on Big Sur or SF. bay area. I should use the voice recorder on my D2X, with my age I think I'm start losing my mind already. Hopefully, next few years, I still know where the shutter button is.

Enjoying the view!

This is an old photo from last year. I just getting tired of studying for my exam, and decided to work on some old photos.

It took us about two hours climbing to this place, my friend lies to me about the distance. I have called me all kind of names on my way up here. However, I'm glad he did, It payoff for those hard work. I just want to repost this cave again for you to see the scale of this thing.

On the left is my friend enjoying the view. The next morning on our way down, we got a big lecture from a Native man due to spending a night in this cave, and a parking ticket for without overnight permit.

RAIN DANCE ??

Have no idea if this is a Rain Dance or not. But it does seem to have rained that night after the days dancing.

The moves and quick pace of the dancer and drums did resemble a thunder storm with lightning. So Ron your T-Storm pic could very well have been called up by a Native American dance!

Where That Mode Go?

Native clouds?

OK, so maybe I'm stretching it just a little bit but they could have been brought here by a rain dance, couldn't they?

This is another shot from the storm a couple of weeks ago that missed us. I hate it when I start a theme and then run out of photos! LOL

Hon-yo-si

In staying with the theme Ron began this week, I to will post a portrait of a Native American.

Hon-yo-si (Bear Hide), or as I know him, Myron Beeson. Myron is a Navajo-Hopi from the Second Mesa in Arizona now making his home in Oklahoma. He and his wife Bonnie live within sight of the Wichita Mountains and are regular participants in the festivals in this area.

A talented player of the handmade and carved flutes of the Native Americans. Not only does He make his instruments but composes the songs he plays as well.

Flutist, woodcarver, composer, artist, painter, and sculpturer, Myron has many talents besides being an interesting person to know.

Evident of the Native

I just want to tag along with Ron from the previous post about going Native. This picture are from last year in Utah. I bet the previous resident of this hut did not mind the view from the front door!

The Pony

Man, you guys are tough! I didn't have the right background for a good shot of her on the "pony". But just becaused you asked... LOL

A black and white version of a different view. I'm making a couple of prints for the jewelry store to post on their wall.

Going Native

Cheryl and I went to the grand opening of a Native American Jewelry store in Medicine Park, OK this weekend. They had several things going on and one was a local woman who is involved in teaching the local culture to those that want to learn. She brought along her horse so the kids could get their picture taken.

Needless to say, I was taking picutres and Cheryl was shopping. LOL

Golden hour in the back yard.

I Took the camera and tripod out for a walk after dinner tonight. All three of these pictures are taken at f16 so I could get as much in focus as possible.

Every year this patch of "Fawn Lillys" come into bloom and put on a most beatiful display. Then before you know it they are gone again until the next spring.

The "Skunk Cabbages" are really living up to their name this year...P U! Must be the cooler and wetter than normal April we are having up this way.

A bad day in the life of...

I took another trek into the land of ashes a couple of days ago and came across this poor fellow. There was still a little bit of meat on the bones so the fire must have kept him from being completely cleaned.

Half of this tree was gone along with all of the grass around it but the other half looked completely untouched.

Just for Parker :~)

It's amazing what you can find when there isn't any grass!

Downtown Coal Harbour

Normally I don't take pictures around Coal Harbour as it has become so common place to me, but this particular morning I came around the corner and just had to stop and take a picture of the old WW II era store all lit up by the rising sun. The snow capped mountains in the background only added to the scene.

Happy Easter!

My Wife, Son and I took the dogs up to the lake this afternoon and had an Easter wennie roast... As you can see my son had the dogs undivided attention! LOL

So I'm back to taking notes and pictures for the water line replacement going on in the nearby town of Port McNeill, sounds like it will go on most of the summer and I get paid to take pictures! This added to the other jobs I do make for a long day but what the heck "Make hay while the sun shines" as the saying goes.

Close but no cigar!

The calm before the storm

Friday night the storms were brewing and the rain started to fall about ten miles to the east and then it all moved away from us without leaving a drop of rain here. The storms started to build about an hour before sunset which gave me a few opportunities to catch some color.

Stealing color from a setting sun

It looked promising for a couple of hours but in the end all we ended up with was a late night light show and the news that the people to the east of us got 2 inches of badly needed rain.

The eye of the storm

I used the Tamron 18-250mm to look into the storm on this one. I really liked the fact the large cloud on the right was casting a shadow on the clouds behind it. The sun was low enough that it was lighting the thunderheads more than the clouds below so you could see into the clouds.

Sunset Storm

I cropped and framed this one but other than that, it's exactly like it was shot. I had to stand in the middle of the road to get the shot I wanted and I had more than a few people giving looks like I was some kind of wierdo. Imagine that, me, weird. Where would they ever get that idea?

MAD BABY

In the upper reaches of Spanish Canyon, opposite of Spanish Cave, on a remote and seldom used trail one must pass under this rock formation.

Looking back to the West this rock formation appeared to resemble an unhappy baby face.

From last year.

One small step for man...

OK, so it's not the moon. I could have been on a sound stage in New Mexico though! LOL

Being the first boots on the ground in the aftermath of a 1700 acre wildfire was a little strange and a little exhilarating. The landscape in spots looked a lot like the moon but you could really see things that you couldn't see before. (Pay attention here Parker!) The contrast of the granite rocks agains the burnt areas was something to see. I plan on spending a lot of time in this area this summer!

A trail through the fire.

I saw several of these trails through the ashes while on my hike. These were formed from the natural animal trails in the mountains that didn't have any grass on them to burn so they now look like a clean line across the ground.

I was amazed at how the cedar trees burned. It's like the exploded at the base and burnt outward.

I found this flower already growing from out of the fire. I forgot to reset the vividness on my camera before taking the shot so the yellow really glowed!

The ghost tree.

I found several of these while hiking in the area also. The trees that were already on the ground were completely consumed by the fire and left a reddish white ash where the limbs use to be.

Homemade sushi Rolls.

After I saw the delicious Musubi picture from Paul, I couldn't help myself, and went online ordered a Musubi, and a Sushi rolls mold. Beside, being too busy remodeling my

house for the last two weeks, and getting tired eating out everyday. I have decided to make some sushi rolls for our dinner tonight. This is a first time I make these Sushi rolls, oh boy these are so easy to make, and taste the same as in the restaurant.

From the left are shredded pork, vegetable, smoked eel, tuna, and spam musubi.

See the links below for the tools that use on these sushi rolls.

http://www.amazon.com/Sante-Cookware-SUZ-Sushezi-Sushi/dp/B001P8J1GU/ref=pd_sim_k_2

http://www.amazon.com/Takamura-Co-Ltd-Large-Sushi/dp/B001UKSQHS/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1303432647&sr=1-4

Captain Hook's Tree

I found this tree in the aftermath of the fire. I'll never understand how some things grow like they do.

This buffalo was wandering through the charcoaled landscape in search of something to eat.

The house of the rising sun

I was up early yesterday because the dogs thought it was time to get up. When I stepped out into the front yard this is the first thing I saw. I don't know why but I thought it would make a good photo.