Oregon Coast Adventures!

Back from our trek (with the doggies) along the central Oregon coast, our first visit, and I have lots of photos to pass along and some recommendations for places to eat and stay, all coming in the next few days.
Meanwhile, a couple highlights:
Newport was worth the visit for many reasons, among them



Rogue Brewery, a beer drinker's paradise.










Fries from Local Ocean Restaurant, which Kay maintains are the best she has ever eaten










A real fishing harbor













A great spot for Breakfast, Stephanie's Cafe


















And of course, lighthouses, this on at Yaquina Head


















All photos taken with my Nikon Coolpix 5700, a true work horse of a camera.


And speaking of cameras, here's a favorite photo location near Bandon, OR:

Fox Ignores Facts, Yet Wants to be Taken Seriously

"And there was yet another project [the Lake Optima guard rail project] -- somebody dubbed it 'the guard rail to nowhere.' It's for a guard rail along a lonesome, desolate patch of highway by a waterless lake outside a town of 266 people -- $1.1 million. ... There is a lot of waste there."
-- Fox News's Bill Sammon, 6/16/09, criticizing the economic recovery plan

VERSUS

"Work on the Lake Optima guardrail project is not going forward as we explore other approaches to protecting public safety."
-- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 6/15/09

See more at this site:
http://thinkprogress.org/

Spring Has Sprung: Photo To Prove It Here:

Kay enjoys the wisteria while it lasts. Delicate, fragrant but short lived.
Photo taken downtown Sebastopol by my trusty Nikon D70s, set on raw resolution which automatically gives me a jpg work print and fill flash boosted by half a stop. I have not processed the image so the exposure is a little hot.

Mother's Day Family Photo

Had a photo session with Ann Marie Dale, her daughter Alexandria and husband Ryan Polite in Ragle Park yesterday for a traditional Mother's Day present: a current portrait.
I think outdoor portraits are best and the most fun to shoot. And my trademark, as it were, is to use the sun as my backlight.
I used my Nikon D70s, in the raw mode, which also produces a small reference jpg which is what this photo is. Fill flash was with my trusty old Vivatar 285 into a bounce card on a Bogen light stand. Nice thing about the raw format is that in Photoshop CS3 I can totally control the color temp, in this case warming up the photo and reducing highlights as needed.

Walking the Stairs on the Eiffel Tower

Back in 05, Kay, me, her brother Eric and wife, Laura, spent several days in Paris. A visit to the Eiffel tower was de riguer since Eric and Laura had never been to Paris before. So, before heading off to see Paris on the Fat Tire Bike Tours adventure, we walked up the stairs on the tower, avoiding the elevators and working off some croissants calories. We only had time to visit the premier etage (1st level) and on the way back down, it occurred to me to document the event since it is one not often seen. Using my Nikon Coolpix 5700 ( a true work horse) I recorded a one minute video.
I now, belately, offer it for your enjoyment and edification.
I just saved you a trip to Paris!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqDgA2QXtzk

Meditation Timer CD Available Again, Just in Time for the Gift Season!

Kay and I produced a meditation timer CD for her to use, since there was nothing on the market that worked for her. She has sold the CD in several Sebastopol stores as well as the Two Rock Center in Marin county. Now, we are making it available via the mail. Price is $19. which includes tax and shipping (media rate). If you need it faster, we can of course use USPS Priority mail, which knocks the price up an additional $2 bucks.
Pics show front and back. If interested, I can email you an audio sample.

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, cont'd.


Forgot to mention that one of the reasons for going to the festival in the first place was to see a singer named Tift Merritt, from NC and Nashville. She opened early on Saturday so it was easy to get near the stage for a photo or two. Still using my Nikon CoolPix 5700 for most of this stuff, even tho it is practically an antique these days.

For music sample, go here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p84xx34Cw3Y