Since 2009, the retirement home of Shot On Site Photography... the source of the finest sighthound performance images in the world. As of August 1, 2022, the blog will become much more photo-centric. Not only will I post images from the homestead in the foothills of the Little Florida Mountains, and surrounding environs, but also tips about shooting, editing, archiving, software, hardware and more. The political rants will become few and far between (but not eliminated! It is 2022 after all!)
Monday, May 26, 2008
Memorial Day
On Saturday, our great friend, Mike Lorenzo lost his battle with brain cancer. I've known Mike and Karen for about a decade. We met through sighthounds, of course, but Mike's interests went way beyond just dogs. We've spent many a late night's cross country travel, in cellphone conversati0n about politics, exotic cars, motorcycles, real estate... and, of course, dogs. We were talking, not necessarily to learn anything from each other, but to keep each other awake, as I would be driving from Wisconsin to Texas to shoot a trial, and he and Karen would be driving from New York to Georgia. It's those talks I may miss the most.
Update: And weather. We talked way more about the weather than is probably healthy. Or wise.
If you knew Mike, and wish to contribute something to his memory, there are a couple of options, but I'm only going to list one: Send a check payable to "Mike Lorenzo Medical Expense Fund", to 49 Sunrise Ridge, Florida, NY 10921. I found the above photo, along with a few more of Mike and Karen, while sorting stuff for our big garage sale this weekend. I'll be including them with our check.
Farewell good friend.. and be strong, Karen.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Shots Up To Date?
While some are concerned that the temperatures will be intolerable for hounds and humans alike, Patrick has posted on a potentially more serious problem: Rabies. In the neighborhood.
Forewarned is forearmed.
We'll be there, of course. I've shot every II since 1996 except 1997. You could say I'm a fixture at this point. We'll be joined by my friend, Steve Surfman of Steve Surfman Photography. Steve has helped shoot a few previous II's.
We'll also be joined, briefly, on Saturday by the aforementioned working terrierman himself, Pat Burns.
A good time should be had by all. See you there, and make sure your rabies vaccinations are current!
The Problem With Google Ads.
The downside is that I have no control... zero... zilch... over the ads that show up. So what's up there now? Some total right wing bilge about a certain presidential candidate (a word these dipshits can't even spell) I wrote about the other day. They rotate regularly, so it may not be there every time you look, and eventually it will disappear as I write on other interesting subjects. Anyway, it's pretty despicable crap, so I might as well get some money out of them! Click away... make 'em pay.
Thanks.
Global What?
Only the most rigid, and inflexible are in denial over the concept. I spoke with one at the trial last weekend.. an old friend, and way too set in his ways. When the first drowned polar bear washes up on his Indiana lawn, he may begin to see things differently.
Normal people on all sides of the political spectrum now agree that the climate is changing; the argument is over whether we, as a species, are the cause.
We've already had more tornados this year than we normally have in a full season.. including big ones in the middle of winter. Alaska has had it's first deaths- ever- from yellowjacket wasp stings. I've seen dead armadillos as far north as central Missouri, on I44.
So with all this evidence of so-called "Global Warming"...
...Why the hell does it feel like early April in Michigan... at the end of freakin' May? (Don't answer that, it was a rhetorical question). It was 39 degrees when I got up yesterday, and the wind blew strong out of the northwest. I had to wear my coat all day. This morning was no better.. 41 when I took the dogs out.
The weekend promises to actually be like late Spring, rather than late Winter. We're going to bail on the trial we had scheduled, to move out a bunch of the things we have in storage. Then maybe we'll have a picnic... if picnic weather happens.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
But the Cops Wouldn't Have Padded His Bill...
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
And She Does Even Better With White Men Who Married Their Sisters.
Exit polls in Kentucky today, and in West Virginia last week show Barack Obama has problems getting support from white, redneck Jethros. This is news?
Lessee... dirt farmers below the Mason-Dixon line can't bring themselves to vote for a"Exit polls showed Obama, who would be the first black U.S. president, again had
difficulty with white working-class voters in Kentucky. Clinton won more than 70
percent of white voters, and three-quarters of those who did not finish
college.
About 20 percent said race played a factor in their vote -- similar
to the percentage last week in West Virginia, where Clinton trounced Obama."
I'm glad Senator Clinton is proud to claim the same supporters as Lester Maddox, George Wallace, and David Duke. She's changing her name to Hillary June.
Ah.. the beauty of blogging; you can write whatever you want.... with impunity!
Returning now to normal programming.....
Monday, May 19, 2008
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Meanwhile, Next Door to the MGA Trial..
Yes... that's a freakin' Gremlin! Who knew there were still roadworthy examples out there. Most popular marque: Subaru Impreza WRX. Some nice Saleen Mustangs in attendance, too.
Procrastination.
Ageless.
That pales in comparison to Geenie the Greyhound in Florida. Wow.
HT Mary L Kenworthy.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Spring Has Sprung!
A member of the lily family, the Trillium that we know in Michigan, is also plentiful all across the Upper Midwest and Northeast. It's also known as the "White Wake-Robin", and in French, "Trille Blanc".
Following the link under the photos will take you to information about this complex and scientifically important plant. It will also explain the inexplicable: those leaves? They're not leaves. And the stem's not a stem. WTF??
Around here, it's just the final sign that Spring has sprung.
Feelin' Like Hedda Hopper..
The ASFA trial this past weekend was a carbon copy of the previous 4 weekends.. one good day, one day of rain. The trend had been rainy Saturday, and pretty nice Sunday. As a change of pace, this past Saturday was gorgeous.. probably the best trial day of the year so far, and Sunday.... let's just say I'd finally had enough of the rain and wind and cold, already. I walked off the field!
While hanging out around the Express watching Margaret work ;-) I spotted this license plate.
I didn't think much of it at first, figuring it was just another vanity plate purchased by a dog fan who had an affinity for the United Kennel Club. Then I started to "put two and two together." Judging at this particular trial were two "high elected officials" of ASFA. Ok... the two highest officials. During lunch I noticed these two officers in earnest, private conversation with a mysterious dark-haired woman I didn't recognize from the trial.
What could it mean?
I keep coming up with "Four".
Monday, May 12, 2008
"Grapes."
Uh... Thanks!.... Somebody.
Let me back up a bit and explain how our mail works.
Full time RVers, like Margaret and I, get to pick where we call "home". Pretty cool, huh? After a lot of research, back in 2003, we chose South Dakota. Thousands of other RVers call South Dakota home, as well, for a lot of reasons, but mostly because there is no state income tax, no vehicle inspections, and vehicle insurance rates that rank among the lowest in the nation.
Where there are incentives like that, there are numerous businesses that sprout up to cater to people like us. One such place, in the tiny town of Emery, SD, is My Home Address, Inc. When you send something to us by USPS, that's where it goes. It gives us a street address in the community that allows us to get driver's licenses, vehicle registration, voter registration and more. For all intents and purposes, were South Dakotans! Unlike many of the people who use this service, we actually stop in from time to time and pick up our mail in person. That lets us go to the bargain hot lunch at the Senior Center, and meet and chat with our "neighbors".
Usually once a week we call Ron at My Home Address and tell him where we'd like that week's mail sent. And that's where we came in...
Last weeks mail delivery came in two packages.. one Priority Mail envelope, containing all the bills, and check
The folks at My Home Address had to obliterate the original address and return address before they put their address label on it, so the original return address is mostly unreadable. I can make out the last three letters on the first line: "son", (maybe "sson"), and the last digit of the zip is "5" (maybe "45", maybe not).
So there it is... somebody knows about my checkered military past, and sent an appropriate gift. If someone doesn't fess up here, it will forever remain a mystery. But thanks... whoever you are. I wore it at the MGA trial this past weekend.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Fun With Photoshop Elements.
Meanwhile, On the Fringes of a Field Trial...
The military's largest aircraft, the C5, doing touch and go's at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and out on the cross-country course, this young lass....
Field trialing is never boring.Monday, May 05, 2008
Lights On!
It happened with Fanny, it happened with Rally, and Saturday evening at the end of the practice sessions at the OKIGO trial in Ohio, it seemed to happen with Sandia!
His eyes are locked on the lure, and he ran right past me, (and that's a new thing!). In fact, he didn't even glance my way. He needed a bit of the ol' "gitit,gitit,gitit..." a couple of times, but he ended up doing most of the course.
On Sunday, we tried it again, and he demonstrated that, while the light is indeed on, it's a low watt bulb. He'll need a lot more practices before he's ready for the intense, heated competition of...
...the Singles Stake ;-)