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, January 03, 2011
Scanners! Gut Wrenching.
Since this metal man was photographed on the Notre Dame campus many years ago, perhaps he is bemoaning a tough Irish loss. I wonder if he's still there?
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Perfectly Executed 180° Turnaround.
Dutch brought along "the incorrigible Bob Schulz" (Gazehounds & Coursing, pg 142), and Bob came with his truck box full of young, old, black, red, and silver staghounds. I brought the girls, Willow and Ashley. Dutch's gang included Phyllis, and Stretch (his new hotblood). We were at the big, open field that has produced some very photogenic runs already this season.
We had a couple of 30-second sprints that ended with a spectacular, diving grab by Willow that ended with her muzzle on the hare on the ground and her back legs straight up in the air in the first, and Dutch's Phyllis making the most of the second.
Now, Dutch has a bad back, which has curtailed a lot of his walking in the field over the last month or so. He generally walks with us as far from the trucks as he feels comfortable getting, then waits while the rest of us make big loops in the desert, looking for more jacks to chase. He then watches with his binoculars, and kind of acts like a de-facto "judge". It was during this "resting" period that the third jack jumped. Immediately in front of me, as it turned out, and it wasn't the most fortuitous of starts, as there were no less than two hounds right in front of him.. in his path of travel.
Somehow, the hare negotiated that obstacle, with a hard left turn that left the dogs with their jaws snapping at air. And the race was on.
When you hear the term, "survival of the fittest"... this is the kind of critter they're usually talking about. For nearly three minutes- more than a mile and a half- the hounds chased, and turned this jack until they ran out of our site into the draw to our south. Even then we knew the dogs were still turning it, because we could see periodic puffs of dust arise from the horizon. Finally the dust stopped, and we knew that either the jack had been caught, or it had made its escape into the heavy creosote bush field across the draw. It was several more minutes before the very knackered pack of hounds made it back to the trucks. Bloodless.
Later, when we were reliving, and embellishing the tale of the third race over steak and enchiladas at The Campos' Cafe, Dutch remarked that there was one time when he saw Phyllis running right next to the hare, and was looking right at it, when it doubled back, and gained some serious separation from its pursuers. He thought that was pretty spectacular.
When reviewing my images from the day, I was very happy to find the exact sequence that so impressed Dutch. And so, without further ado-
We can only hope that this hare, having survived the best our hounds could throw at it, survives further attacks from coyotes, and golden eagles, and bobcats, and other predators, to procreate, and pass these amazing survival skills on so we can continue to have exciting chases for years to come. Here's looking at you, kid.
Scanners! Weather Ball Red....
The title of this post should be more than ample hint as to the location of this town setting from my college days in 1974. My feeling is that many, if not most of the buildings in this shot are long gone.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Scanners! After The Flood.
Don't worry, kids. I went outside the immediate family for this one. I'm thinking I need to photoshop in some water snakes.
"Tech.": Combination of Picnik for the color and "HDR" effect, and ACDSee filters for the water and "mirror" effects.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Scanners! Before the Scourge of Pantyhose!
I'm running out of black and white prints of
Friday, December 24, 2010
You Can Now Follow This Blog On Facebook.
Go there. Now.
It's Become A Holiday Tradition!
Enjoy the Holiday Season and be safe everybody!
Darwin's Mountaineers.
Take a look at this picture:
The arrow at the bottom of the mountain is the parking lot and picnic area. The arrow at the top is Florida Peak, (partially obscured by clouds in this 2009 image), some 2500' above the lot, with no trails between the two. On a day when the sun sets around 5:30, who in their right mind decides to make a climb (not a hike) at 2 O'Clock? They may be in college, but they're obviously not math majors.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Fencing.
Willow demonstrates:
Make gif
She learned the hard way. On her first crossing last winter, she tried to go through the middle strands. The technique can be trained with the simple use of bait and a leash or long rope and, of course, a fence. One without barbs would be ideal, but not necessary. Two people make it easier, too, but again it's not necessary.
With the dog on one side of the fence, and you, with your bait (food, cookies, etc) on the other side, run the lead under the bottom strand of the fence and call the dog. Stop him if he tries to go come through any part of the fence except the bottom strand of wire. When he does it right, give him the treat and praise him. Do it a couple of times a day, without being excessive, then start doing it without the leash or rope. Soon you'll have a hound who can dive under the wire after the hare without even appearing to slow down. The best dogs at this are a wonder to observe.
Have fun, keep your dogs safe, and every day will feel like today was for us
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Scanners! Margaret. And Women Who Are Not Margaret.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
I'm A Roadrunner, Baby...!
Scanners! Vogue.
One Magical Night in December, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Scanners Plus! O Tannenbaum.
A Holiday Message from Ricky Gervais: Why I'm An Atheist - Speakeasy - WSJ
.... It’s when belief starts infringing on other people’s rights when it worries me. I would never deny your right to believe in a god. I would just rather you didn’t kill people who believe in a different god, say. Or stone someone to death because your rulebook says their sexuality is immoral. It’s strange that anyone who believes that an all-powerful all-knowing, omniscient power responsible for everything that happens, would also want to judge and punish people for what they are. From what I can gather, pretty much the worst type of person you can be is an atheist. The first four commandments hammer this point home. There is a god, I’m him, no one else is, you’re not as good and don’t forget it. (Don’t murder anyone, doesn’t get a mention till number 6.)...
...But what are atheists really being accused of?
The dictionary definition of God is “a supernatural creator and overseer of the universe.” Included in this definition are all deities, goddesses and supernatural beings. Since the beginning of recorded history, which is defined by the invention of writing by the Sumerians around 6,000 years ago, historians have cataloged over 3700 supernatural beings, of which 2870 can be considered deities.
So next time someone tells me they believe in God, I’ll say “Oh which one? Zeus? Hades? Jupiter? Mars? Odin? Thor? Krishna? Vishnu? Ra?…” If they say “Just God. I only believe in the one God,” I’ll point out that they are nearly as atheistic as me. I don’t believe in 2,870 gods, and they don’t believe in 2,869.
Blocked Memories
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Darwin Award Candidates, Deming NM & Points (Far) East.
Cabinetlandia.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Scanners! Another Semi-Dressed Human.
Scanners! Under-age Hotness.
Art Is Where You Find It.
"REBAR is an interdisciplinary studio operating at the intersection of art, design and activism."
Friday, December 17, 2010
Fanny. A Fine Staghound.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Hockey! Everything Else is Just..... Sports.
Fun For a Winter's Day..
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Lane Changer..
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Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Crockpot Bound...
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Winner.. And Still Champion!!
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Call, Email, or Write Your Congressperson.
"There's no single action Congress could take that would help the economy more than putting money in the hands of people who'll spend it right away."
Monday, November 29, 2010
The Burrito That Botched A Hunt.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Tumbleweed Road Kill..
Make a gif
I was surprised to learn that this ubiquitous symbol of the Old West, didn't exist in the US before the 1870's, when they hitch-hiked with the flaxseed that were imported to South Dakota by Ukrainian farmers. Like so many invasive species of plant and animal, I guess they liked it here.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Don't Worry 'Bout Me.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Shameless Commercial Hucksterism...
- All kinds of sighthound wearables, drinkables, and display-ables at our Cafe Press shop
- The hot new 2011 Shot On Site Facebook Calendar.. available here! or use the widget to the right, on this page. (It's a bargain!)
- Have Margaret make you a custom item from a photo we've taken of your dog(s) at any event over the last 16 years. Suggestions available here. Or email: shotonsitemargaret@gmail.com.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
This Just Seems Wrong...
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Fanny.
A Hot Product: A Shot On Site Calendar!
Thursday, November 04, 2010
George "Sparky" Anderson, 1934-2010
Detroit, never short of colorful characters in the sports world, is mourning the loss of one of the most colorful. Sparky managed the 1984 Tigers to a Major League record 35-5 start and never looked back, winning the World Series against the Padres that Fall. They didn't win another Series during Sparky's tenure, but they were always competitive. He also skippered Cincinnati's "Big Red Machine" to a World Series victory in the 70's.