alfresco's PaD

306: Travel JP

2006-11-01T08:41:00.000-05:00

I'm out for the next week, I'm a travelmatic at the moment :)

305: Wormhole

2006-10-31T19:53:00.000-05:00

304: Fire

2006-10-30T22:59:00.000-05:00

303: Where There's Smoke

2006-10-29T17:51:00.000-05:00

302: Solar Flares

2006-10-28T21:26:00.000-04:00

301: Gentle

2006-10-27T20:31:00.000-04:00

300: Boing

2006-10-26T21:12:00.000-04:00

In response to Annie's comment: This is a long exposure with flash at the end of the shot, the spring really is going sproing :)

65 more to go.

Sorry I've not been commenting, I've been 1000% busy - it's been a chore just getting these photos up. I'm such a slacker :(

299: Stout

2006-10-25T20:18:00.000-04:00

298: About

2006-10-24T20:16:00.000-04:00

297: Out

2006-10-23T20:13:00.000-04:00

296: More race

2006-10-22T19:55:00.000-04:00

This is from the Brockway Mountain stage, speed here is over 100 mph. Interesting fact #562: one foot past the bg trees is a sheer drop of a couple hundred feet, quite the view, and quite the feat for these drivers to go that fast over this stage. Golly.

295: LSPR

2006-10-21T19:41:00.000-04:00

The Lake Superior Pro Rally was Friday night and Saturday.

I tagged along with one of the teams and ultimately got a media pass to go beyond the lines of safety, I overheard one spectator say to another, "The media have some sort of protective shield around them." As it turns out I was only worried once.

Anyway, I was following #67 - they came in second in their division! Here they are going through the Deleware stage - approximate speed right here is 100 MPH

294: Behind Brown Eyes

2006-10-20T20:46:00.000-04:00

293: Sunrise

2006-10-19T20:01:00.000-04:00

292: Honey Dew

2006-10-18T20:00:00.000-04:00

291: The Four Horsemen

2006-10-17T19:57:00.000-04:00

290: In Your Eye

2006-10-16T19:31:00.000-04:00

Part of the 30 day macro challenge, this would be a macro of a drill with a screwdriver bit in.

289: Desire

2006-10-15T04:40:00.000-04:00

I fell into a burning ring of fire, I went down down down and the flames went higher, and it burns burns burns, the ring of fire, the ring of fire, the ring of fire.*

A macro of an orange, backlit with a homemade snoot / tube extension mounted onto the SB600.

*June Carte / Merle Kilgore

288: The Lighthouse

2006-10-14T04:37:00.000-04:00

or 'The Wind from Last Week', taken before our recent snowfest. That's not grain you see in the water - those are from the wind (the wee little waves and such on the water).

287: The Leaf in Red

2006-10-13T20:27:00.000-04:00

Since we're still in the middle of a blizzard it should come as no shock this photo wasn't taken today.

And it appears that I'm moving somewhere out west - Faye and I are swapping homesteads!!

286: Winter

2006-10-12T19:52:00.000-04:00

So we had the first storm of the season - and it's not letting up! I didn't believe the weather man so left the flamingos to flock by the pond. Poor fellas are now snow covered and slippery. This is the view out my back door.

More snow to come. I need to move. South. Well south.

285: Avocado

2006-10-11T18:21:00.000-04:00

Now it's macros. Did you know the average avocado tree produces about 120 avocados annually?

284: 20 Makes 30

2006-10-10T18:21:00.000-04:00

This is SP#20, which makes the 30 complete. It has no relation to cindi-lou's photo #20.

283: Walk WIth Me

2006-10-09T20:37:00.000-04:00

So I get to this point editing this photo, save it as a jpg, then go to save the original and photoshop whacks out ... all is lost. Oh well, this will have to do.

Walk With Me
--------------
Walk with me
Even if you are tired.
Talk to me
Things you don't say to others.
Laugh with me
even when you feel sad .
Cry with me
when you are most upset.
Share with me
all the things in your life.
Fight with me
against all the ugliness in life.
Create dreams to follow,
Have fun with me
in whatever we do.
Work with me
towards common goals.
Dance with me
to the rhythm of our love.
Walk with me
throughout life.
Let us hug each other
at every step in our journey.
Let us always feel
Forever in love .
---Adrianna Iosub Caras

282: Fall

2006-10-08T20:22:00.000-04:00

A couple of views down the road.

281: C'est Moi

2006-10-07T20:18:00.000-04:00

Me and my shadow.

280: Fashion

2006-10-07T08:20:00.000-04:00

My eye for fashion is still sharp. Alternate title: No Shame.

279: The Hat

2006-10-06T08:17:00.000-04:00

Since people asked what was on my head in an earlier SP ....

278: White Light

2006-10-05T21:32:00.000-04:00

Filling in the blanks, even though I said I wouldn't. This is SP17, even though I've already done 21 through 30. Blasted a SB600 cranked up to +3.00 from about a foot away - the effect is almost exactly what I had in mind.

277: Me

2006-10-04T21:12:00.000-04:00

My head. I'm still showing signs of the plague (note dark circles).

Annie - I am awed at your knowledge of polish foods :) mmmmmmmfood

276: Pole, Wind, and Fire

2006-10-03T22:53:00.000-04:00

Before the musical schism that divided us I was the driving force behind "Pole, Wind, and Fire". Unfortunately the bastards hopped the touring bus while I was making pee-pee at a small cafe in Mexico, changed the Pole to Earth (I *still* don't know where the hell that came from *or* what it means), and swiped my contract with the record label. Bastards.

This was for the original debut album cover "Groovin with the Pole".

275: Dumb Polack

2006-10-02T22:51:00.000-04:00

The trick is to stay away from the pointy metal thing in the middle!

274: Fishing For Polacks

2006-10-01T16:11:00.000-04:00

The SP challenge is still going, I'm thinking of calling it quits - I'm too stinking far behind. This SP has no relation to cindi's.

273: Llama

2006-09-30T08:33:00.000-04:00

272: Llamass

2006-09-29T08:31:00.000-04:00

271: Sorry

2006-09-28T22:14:00.000-04:00

Cindi's. Her photo is sad :(

This is inspired by a comment Shannon left on cindi's photo: "Boys suck, throw rocks at them".

I feel such the slacker for having not kept up ... I may fill in the gaps later.

270: Ill

2006-09-27T22:13:00.000-04:00

Ill

269: Ill

2006-09-26T22:11:00.000-04:00

Ill

268: Ill

2006-09-25T22:09:00.000-04:00

Ill

267: Ill

2006-09-24T22:08:00.000-04:00

Ill

266: Ill

2006-09-23T22:07:00.000-04:00

Ill

265: Ill

2006-09-22T22:06:00.000-04:00

Ill

264: Thursday - Wednesday

2006-09-21T13:55:00.000-04:00

I'm not dead. Yet. A wee illness has left me photo-less for a few days, I'll make up asap ... which will probably be this weekend.

Contrary to (mk's) report this update is not being filed from fashionjail. Whether I belong there is another question entirely.

263: The Red Scarf

2006-09-20T21:10:00.000-04:00

Cindi's

262: The Polish Kid

2006-09-19T21:14:00.000-04:00

Cindi's

My apologies for not commenting the past day or two, I've been swamp'd. :(

261: Meditator

2006-09-18T21:08:00.000-04:00

cindi's.

I apologize for my poor photo.

260: Blinded

2006-09-17T18:29:00.000-04:00

A blinded Cindi leads to a blinded JP.

Very astute comment from Annie yesterday, she's smart.

259: City Boy

2006-09-16T22:47:00.000-04:00

Cindi sits on a ball, JP sits on a ball.

Liner notes from the DPC image:

"Grew up in the hood; my peeps and I would play the round ball - yo.

Then me n the posse would go ... well, I won't bore you with stories of days gone by, suffice to say I'm not a city hood thug with whom one should trifle. Yo."

For those keeping score at home (and won't tell) I didn't grow up anywhere near the city :)

I'm mighty tired today, I'm going to do the PaD comment catch up tomorrow.

258: Follow Me ...

2006-09-15T20:44:00.000-04:00

... and the Pole Piper led the duckies out of Fat Pole-Land. The End.

I know, y'all are getting tired of these. I'm sorry, been uber-busy and cindi's keeping me on my toes. :( Danged cindi. Danged.

ETA: still unable to comment on some PaD's ... :(

257: The Umbrella

2006-09-14T22:06:00.000-04:00

Ms. Umbrella 2006. She's keeping me up against the ropes, we'll see if I can go the full thirty rounds.

256: Glamour Pole

2006-09-13T21:46:00.000-04:00

Cindi's is better, she does have better starting material. Not the best pose of the ten I took but it was the only one that had minimal motion blur.

I'm trying Faye!! Tonight when I commented on yours I received a different error than before, that can only be a good thing! Sorry :(

Annie - I use Photoshop CS2 :)

255: Sexy :/

2006-09-12T20:13:00.000-04:00

If you knew Cindi-Lou they you'd know why I feel ... whatever.

Answer to yesterday for those who don't know: they are all me. But as mk says, there's no such thing as a real jp!

254: Dinner Party

2006-09-11T20:32:00.000-04:00

I think it's best if I start posting a link to Cindi's photo so you can see the context. Anyway ...

Kewpie doll to whomever ID's "The Real JP"!! (Note: trick question alert, trick question alert.) (Note2: Kewpie doll challenge was posted after Annie's comment, so she has extra credit!)

253: Redo of the water

2006-09-10T18:02:00.000-04:00

252: The Summoning

2006-09-10T17:59:00.000-04:00

Summon the Flamingos

Yesterday - I was jumping off the deck, no trampolines involved.

251: Jump

2006-09-08T15:05:00.000-04:00

She jumped, I jumped.

250: Big Old Spider

2006-09-07T20:45:00.000-04:00

This spooky fella is a big old spider, not me.

Annie, the thread discussing the SP's is here and Cindi's photos are here. Be warned though, she's doing what she can to make me look even more like a dork than I normally do.

Also, it seems I'm having problems commenting on beta sites, as if there's a beta blocker working against me. If I haven't commented on your PaD recently it's not due to lack of trying.

249: Raging Polack

2006-09-06T21:28:00.000-04:00

OK, so I've been suckered into doing 30 SP's in 30 days, this is number two. My added challenge, self imposed, is that I'm mirroring the SP's my e-pal Cindi is doing; today she posted as a boxer, I post as a boxer (although truth be told she is soooo much less ugly than I).

The b/w conversion negated the 90 minutes in the makeup chair: black eyes, blood, sweat, swollen cheek. I was going for the Jake LaMotta look.

For those who don't know me, I've never even been in a fight - I'd probably wet myself.

248: Sunset

2006-09-05T22:02:00.000-04:00

You can see my pond (just barely) in the fg. The big lightbulb-looking thing is the Sun.

Peace, my friends. Peace.

247: Being and Nothingness

2006-09-04T09:52:00.000-04:00

So this did kind of ok in the Image Without Subject challenge.

To achieve the look I stacked a circular polarized, graduated ND filter, and a duotone sunset(ish) filter. PP was slight rotate, crop, SS (smart sharpen), NI, save for web.

RIP to Steve Irwin, the crocodile hunter. Sadness. :(

246: Some clouds over water

2006-09-03T23:59:00.000-04:00

245: Prelude to a kiss

2006-09-02T21:32:00.000-04:00

If you hear
A song in blue
Like a flower crying
For the dew
That was my heart serenading you
My prelude to a kiss

If you hear a song that grows
From my tender sentimental woes
That was my heart trying to compose
A prelude to a kiss

Though it's just a simple melody
With nothing fancy
Nothing much
You could turn it to a symphony
A Shubert tune with a Gershwin touch

Oh how my love song gently cries
For the tenderness within your eyes
My love is a prelude that never dies
A prelude to a kiss

Though it's just a simple melody
With nothing fancy
Nothing much
You could turn it to a symphony
A Shubert tune with a Gershwin touch

Oh how my love song so gently cries
For the tenderness within your eyes
My love is a prelude that never dies
A prelude to a kiss
-Duke Ellington

Looking again at the photo I think the two flowers should be closer. I'm sorry for my faux pas, please feel free to berate me no end.

244: Ferns and Such

2006-09-01T22:39:00.000-04:00

Nothing of note, just a photographic placeholder for the PaD.

243: Flow

2006-08-31T20:25:00.000-04:00

Some water flowing happily, as only water can, over some sandstone. I'm debating entering this in the free study --- I have 3 hours and 20 minutes to decide. It doesn't lend itself to being 640 pixels wide, we'll see. And yes, I know - as a photo of sandstone it's rather poor, but in my defense the water was in the way.

To answer the question: no English Lit major was I, geochemistry and geology were my burdens in school. I was, though, that geek kid who always read. Everything.

Sorry, nothing popped into mind with this particular example of sucktography.

Peace, my friends.

242: Dumb Bird

2006-08-30T22:06:00.000-04:00

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
C H A L L E N G E A L E R T
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

You *will* be able to ID my silhouette entry if you go any further. You are warn'd.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
C H A L L E N G E A L E R T
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

So guess where the script had the little fella? Done guessing?

So he didn't cooperate and I didn't get the photo I wanted, I should have been snipping and snapping all week instead of waiting until the last minute. I guess I'm just a Last Minute Llama.

To show the previous two posts were abberations, here's a new poem:

There once was a lady from Nantucket
yadda yadda yadda
yadda yadda yadda
yadda yadda yadda
And she replied, "No, not Pawtucket."

Some meter, huh?

241: Out My Back Door

2006-08-29T21:38:00.000-04:00

How close you were to another current entry. I showed extreme resolve and will not subject you to those horrors.

Here you can see part of the yard, some of the long grasses, and the pond. Ohhhh, and some major league bokeh. OooooOOooooohhhh that bokeh!

Within my Garden, rides a Bird
Upon a single Wheel --
Whose spokes a dizzy Music make
As 'twere a travelling Mill --

He never stops, but slackens
Above the Ripest Rose --
Partakes without alighting
And praises as he goes,

Till every spice is tasted --
And then his Fairy Gig
Reels in remoter atmospheres --
And I rejoin my Dog,

And He and I, perplex us
If positive, 'twere we --
Or bore the Garden in the Brain
This Curiosity --

But He, the best Logician,
Refers my clumsy eye --
To just vibrating Blossoms!
An Exquisite Reply!
--- Emily Dickinson

240: Down the Path

2006-08-28T20:53:00.000-04:00


The Song of Wandering Aengus
I went out to the hazel wood,
Because a fire was in my head,
And cut and peeled a hazel wand,
And hooked a berry to a thread;
And when white moths were on the wing,
And moth-like stars were flickering out,
I dropped the berry in a stream
And caught a little silver trout.

When I had laid it on the floor
I went to blow the fire aflame,
But something rustled on the floor,
And some one called me by my name:
It had become a glimmering girl
With apple blossom in her hair
Who called me by my name and ran
And faded through the brightening air.

Though I am old with wandering
Through hollow lands and hilly lands,
I will find out where she has gone,
And kiss her lips and take her hands;
And walk among long dappled grass,
And pluck till time and times are done
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun.

  -- William Butler Yeats

239: Not A Challenge Alert

2006-08-27T23:14:00.000-04:00

This is not a challenge entry. I was about to load up my subjectless photo (huh - I'll never get the concept of subjectless anything, let alone a photo) ... anyway, I was going to up that but decided to up this one instead. Fiddling with acid colorization and noise and such, what can I say - it's past my bedtime.

Song of the day: I'm still singing Dream a little dream.

238: Devil Steed

2006-08-26T21:57:00.000-04:00

Fun at the fair! I didn't notice her face until PP :)

An old cowboy went riding out one dark and windy day
Upon a ridge he rested as he went along his way
When all at once a mighty herd of red eyed cows he saw
A-plowing through the ragged sky and up the cloudy draw

Their brands were still on fire and their hooves were made of steel
Their horns were black and shiny and their hot breath he could feel
A bolt of fear went through him as they thundered through the sky
For he saw the Riders coming hard and he heard their mournful cry

Yippie yi Ohhhhh
Yippie yi yaaaaay
Ghost Riders in the sky

Their faces gaunt, their eyes were blurred, their shirts all soaked with sweat
He's riding hard to catch that herd, but he ain't caught 'em yet
'Cause they've got to ride forever on that range up in the sky
On horses snorting fire
As they ride on hear their cry

As the riders loped on by him he heard one call his name
If you want to save your soul from Hell a-riding on our range
Then cowboy change your ways today or with us you will ride
Trying to catch the Devil's herd, across these endless skies

Yippie yi Ohhhhh
Yippie yi Yaaaaay

Ghost Riders in the sky
Ghost Riders in the sky
Ghost Riders in the sky

237: Polly Want A

2006-08-25T22:37:00.000-04:00

fishy?

Whacked out files, broken CS2, Bridge won't open!! What's a boy to do?? Stinking computers, it took the entire time of watching "Cast Away" to fix what ailed the mechanical beast. So you get the thirty-five second edit.

Contrast this with last week's glass-pushing envelope shot. This is with JP's new toy, the 70-200/2.8 VR momma-can't-get-her-operation-until-next-week lens. Yes, it's cool. VR? Good.

Wiiiiilllllllllllllllllssssssssssssssooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn :(

236: Say Hello

2006-08-24T20:11:00.000-04:00

to my new little friend.

235: But A Shadow

2006-08-23T21:35:00.000-04:00

234: Say Hello To My Little Friend

2006-08-22T20:07:00.000-04:00

233: A Sign

2006-08-21T21:47:00.000-04:00

Guess what's by this sign.

232: Cliff Cemetery

2006-08-20T21:39:00.000-04:00

Old cemeteries are depressing. These are the four sides of one marker.

231: Biker Dudes

2006-08-19T23:07:00.000-04:00

Bikers at Copper Harbor. The photo op was too much to pass!

230: Dream a little dream

2006-08-18T20:09:00.000-04:00

"Dream a little dream of me"-
Stars shining bright above you
Night breezes seem to whisper "i love you"
Birds singin’ in the sycamore trees
Dream a little dream of me

Say nighty-night and kiss me
Just hold me tight and tell me you’ll miss me
While I’m alone and blue as can be
Dream a little dream of me

Stars fading but I linger on dear
Still craving your kiss
I’m longin’ to linger till dawn dear
Just saying this

Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me

Stars shining up above you
Night breezes seem to whisper "i love you"
Birds singin’ in the sycamore trees
Dream a little dream of me

Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me

Yes, dream a little dream of me

(Kahn-Schwandt-Andre)

229: glah

2006-08-17T22:10:00.000-04:00

grass
wood
fence
post
bad
photo
pad
done

228: A Car

2006-08-16T20:55:00.000-04:00

I don't think I've taken a photo of car parts before. Here you go, rip it apart.

227: More Mud, For Soni

2006-08-15T20:51:00.000-04:00

Since the sensor mishap I'm relying on photos from the weekend. :(

Some more mud for Soni. :)

226: The Face of Evil

2006-08-14T21:05:00.000-04:00

A horse lips-n-nose looks like an evil lil face - quite interesting!

Here's the real deal, what a cutie pie :)

And a re-balloon:

225: My Beautiful Balloon

2006-08-13T20:35:00.000-04:00

I played with couple of crops, suggestions welcome.

Up, Up, and Away (Jimmy Webb)

Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon?
Would you like to glide in my beautiful balloon?
We could float among the stars together, you and I.

For we can fly.
We can fly!
Up, up and away, my beautiful, my beautiful balloon!

The world's a nicer place in my beautiful balloon.
It wears a nicer face in my beautiful balloon.
We can sing a song and sail along the silver sky,

For we can fly.
We can fly!
Up, up and away, my beautiful, my beautiful balloon!

Suspended under a twilight canopy
We'll search the clouds for a star to guide us.
If by some chance you find yourself loving me,
We'll find a cloud to hide us, keep the moon beside us.

Love is waiting there in my beautiful ballon.
Way up in the air in my beautiful balloon.
If you'll hold my hand, we'll chase your dream across the sky,

For we can fly.
We can fly!
Up, up and away, my beautiful, my beautiful balloon!

224: Mud. Bog.

2006-08-12T21:18:00.000-04:00

It's fair weekend. The big event? The mud bog. I didn't stay for the whole thing, I had to rush home to fill the hot tub :)

223: Stick Duck

2006-08-11T21:14:00.000-04:00

You ask, we listen. One of the many stickduck drawings for the duckfest. I have more than a few left over, of which number 15 would be one. Which is why it's there as a teaser.

222: She's Back

2006-08-10T21:36:00.000-04:00

Because I feel she's made one of the best documentaries e v e r you get to see her again. Yes, it's my gf Sabina - see how she's trying *not* make googily eyes at me? How cute :)

You should see Viva Zapatero! at your earliest convenience. Fortunately 99% of the world can see it. Unfortunately it's having difficulty being distributed in the USA, something Michael Moore is working hard to do.

221: The Bird

2006-08-09T20:31:00.000-04:00

Pushing the limits of the glass here :( Time for new glass :(

220: Sunset

2006-08-08T21:25:00.000-04:00

from the Bridge. This is what I was missing as I took the photo of the Bridge. I raced across to get the view but knew I'd be too late. Sooooooo - I took quite a few whilst driving. Yes, I was a hazard. No, no one was forced off the Bridge.

219: Sabina Guzzanti

2006-08-07T21:30:00.000-04:00

This woman is my new hero. She made a documentary about truth, political corruption, and freedom of speech in her native Italy - it is the only documentary to date that has brought me to tears and made me jump to my feet for a thunderous ovation when the credits began to roll.

Her making googily eyes at me for three days did not sway my opinion of her film.

Her documentary is Viva Zapatero!.

I say Viva Sabina!

218: The Bridge

2006-08-06T21:26:00.000-04:00

at sunset.

217: The Moo

2006-08-05T21:25:00.000-04:00

216: The Malcolm

2006-08-04T21:24:00.000-04:00

If you ever get the chance to talk with him or to hear him speak you must *run* to get in line, he stole the TC Film Festival panel discussions.

215: The Panel

2006-08-03T21:22:00.000-04:00

Larry Charles and Michael Moore.

214: The Movie

2006-08-02T21:17:00.000-04:00

213: Fickle

2006-08-01T18:49:00.000-04:00

She loves another.*

Tomorrow I am heading downstate for the Traverse City Film Festival, if you're going to be there let me know and we'll catch a flick.

My return is Sunday, hopefully I can keep afloat (hahahahaha - I crack myself up) with PaDeavours.

*If you don't understand the title please cycle back a few days to 'Secret Love'.

212: Caught

2006-07-31T22:45:00.000-04:00

If my tripod weren't in the car you'd have a mighty swell image to see, not this poser-last-second-just-got-home example of craptography. Or, if you all chipped in, you could get me a VR lens. Now wouldn't that be nice :)

211: Duckoflage

2006-07-30T17:59:00.000-04:00

Just trying to fit in.

210: Senior Portrait

2006-07-29T22:52:00.000-04:00

209: He Ain't Heavy

2006-07-28T20:46:00.000-04:00

he's my brother.

The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows when
But I'm strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain't heavy, he's my brother.

So on we go
His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear
We'll get there
For I know
He would not encumber me

If I'm laden at all
I'm laden with sadness
That everyone's heart
Isn't filled with the gladness
Of love for one another.

It's a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we're on the way to there
Why not share
And the load
Doesn't weigh me down at all
He ain't heavy, he's my brother.

He's my brother
He ain't heavy, he's my brother.
--by Sidney Russell and Robert Scott

208: Choice Duck

2006-07-27T18:49:00.000-04:00

207: Well Duck

2006-07-26T18:47:00.000-04:00