I SAW FIREMEN IN HEAVY GEAR RUNNING TOWARDS ME!!!!

TODAY MARKED THE ASHWOOD INN'S VERY FIRST MG SPORTS CAR RALLY
Checking the weather map this morning it was easy to see rain heading our way so with that thought in mind Pheebs and I headed off to Goderich on the early side.  I was anxious to road test the new lens.  A lot of my photos are taken right from the driver’s seat while on the move so wanted to see how my one handed shots would turn out.  Camera shake??  Auto focus??  Was the camera/lens combo going to be too heavy??  What about exposures on the move, too light too dark??

SAW THIS LITTLE CHAP LAND  ON A POLE NEAR THE NEW EXERCISE EQUIPMENT ALONGSIDE THE BOARDWALK IN GODERICH’S ROTARY COVE THIS MORNING
With coffee and muffin in hand we made straight away for the beach knowing with overcast skies it would be a good test for both camera and lens.  We even managed a little walk around in the doggy area. 

FIRST THING I SPOTTED ON THE LAKE WAS A LARGE LAKE FREIGHTER LYING MOTIONLESS JUST OFFSHORE

IT GAVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE HOW THE LENS HANDLED AT VARIOUS ZOOM LENGTHS

I WONDERED IF IT WAS WAITING FOR THE FREIGHTER ON RIGHT TO FINISH TAKING ON A LOAD OF SALT

BY ENLARGING THE ABOVE PHOTO LATER IN MY PICASA EDITING PROGRAM I WAS ABLE MAKE OUT THE FREIGHERS NAME AS CUYAHOGA….I WAS ALSO ABLE TO SEE 3 MEN STANDING DIRECTLY UNDER THE END OF THAT BOOM AND A BOAT IN THE WATER RIGHT AT THE STERN

YES INDEED I AM PLEASED WITH THIS NEW 18-300mm LENS….IT MAY NOT BE THE BEST OF THE BEST BUT IT’S GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME:))

STORM CLOUDS BREWING ON THE HORIZON
We made straight away for the beach knowing with overcast skies it would be a good test for both camera and lens.  We even managed a little walk around in the doggy area.

SPOTTED THIS FELLOW ENJOYING A QUIET BREAKFAST BY THE LAKE

SATURDAY MORNING STROLL ON THE BOARDWALK

WHILE TAKING A FEW PICTURES OF THE NEW EXCERCISE EQUIPMENT ALONG THE BEACH I SAW THESE FIREFIGHTERS RUNNING TOWARDS ME

‘OH-NO’ I THOUGHT, MY PANTS MUST BE ON FIRE’ AS I QUICKLY SCRAMBLED AROUND IN A CIRCLE LOOKING FOR SMOKE

AND HERE COMES ANOTHER ONE AND THIS ONE IS A FIREWOMAN

AND ANOTHER ONE…….HOLY GEEZZZZZZ I MUST REALLY BE ON FIRE OR SOMETHING!!

HEY WAIT A MINUTE!!  THEY’RE GOING RIGHT BY……..

HEY WASSUP DIDN’T THEY SEE ME SMOULDERING??

WHEWWWWWW THAT WAS A CLOSE CALL……I FINALLY FIGURED OUT THESE FIRE PEOPLE MUST HAVE BEEN OUT FOR SOME KINDA SATURDAY MORNING TRAINING WHICH CALLED FOR THEM TO RUN WITH FULL GEAR ON IN HOT HUMID WEATHER NEAR A LARGE ACCESSIBLE READY SOURCE OF WATER

 

SO DID IT OCCUR TO ME TO TRY OUT SOME OF THIS EXERCISE EQUIPMENT??  NOPE THE THOUGHT NEVER ENTERED MY MIND


HOLD ON TO YOUR HAT LADY THAT EXERCISE MACHINE YOU’RE ON IS DESIGNED TO CATAPULT YOU RIGHT OUT INTO THE MIDDLE OF LAKE HURON WHEREUPON YOU GET YOUR EXERCISE FROM SWIMMING ALL THE WAY BACK TO SHORE

HOLY SMOKES HERE COME THEM THERE FIREMEN BACK STILL RUNNING

WELL NOT QUITE ALL OF THEM WERE EXACTLY RUNNING

NICE CHILDREN’S PLAYGROUND ON THE BEACH BUT SOMETIMES WHEN THE KIDS ARE AWAY THE ADULTS COME TO PLAY


AND HEY THAT FELLOW IS STILL WORKING ON HIS BREAKFAST OVER THERE

THERE’S THAT WILD CREATURE FLYING BY AGAIN CARRYING THAT POLE IT LANDED ON
I also took a bunch of photos with the ‘new to me’ Sony RX100-3 as well and must say I am very impressed with it’s clarity.  An amazing point and shoot camera that way surpasses the older point and shoot Canon Powershot I have been carrying on my belt for about 6 years now.  Have decided the Sony RX will now be my carry-around camera.  Test photos below are from the Sony RX100-3 today.








A quick stop at Walmart for a few things and we were on our way home again.  With skies darkening I figured rain couldn’t be too far away.  Upon arriving home Kelly reminded me about the Ashwood Inn’s MG sports car gathering today which I had forgot about of course.  Leaving Pheebs at home I hopped back into the Jeep and drove over to the Ashwood Inn about 4 minutes away.  Lots of shiny sports cars there alright and more pulling up as I rolled in and parked the Jeep.  Looked like a great turn out.  Having had 3 of my own sports cars a whole bunch of years ago I of course was able to tap into some long ago memories.  My cars were a 1956 Austin Healy, a 1959 Triumph TR3 and a 1964 MGB.  As I recall, the bane of many English sports cars was always the finicky carburetors.  

The same Gal owns the Ashwood that owns Deer Park Lodge across the road and her name is Kirsten.  Long time readers may remember all my postings and pictures of Deer Park over the years.  Kelly worked there for one whole decade so we know Kirsten and Rob very well.  Nice to see them today.  Rob was busy parking cars and Kirsten was touring her English Mother around on a golf cart to see a great selection of English history on wheels.

ROB BUSY  DESIGNATING PARKING SPOTS FOR SPORTS CARS THIS MORNING….BY THE WAY ROB IS MR. MG’S JOHN THORNELY’S GRANDSON

Peter Thornley with his father Mr. MG John Thornley O.B.E

John Thornley's grandson Rob with his MGB and that's the MG1 plate given to him by his grandfather.

ROB’S OWN MGB

AND THAT BE ROB HIS VERY SELF THERE IN THE BLACK SHIRT

I was back home about 11:30 and heard the first rumble of thunder about noon.  Skies continued to darken and by 12:10 torrents of rain were upon us.  Felt bad for all the sports car enthusiasts over at the Ashwood but I imagine the folks quickly put their car roofs up and scrambled inside for a cold beer at the Bourbon Bar to wait out the fast moving storm.  And sure enough less than half an hour after the showers started a short burst of sunshine luckily ended the soaking for the next 6 hours.   However another rainy storm front came in off the lake again around 7 p.m.  and stayed for awhile.  But no matter, the sports car gang had had their great day:))

Between this mornings test photos in Goderich and the MG car show I took just over 200 photos today but not to worry I’ll not try to mash them all into tonight’s post.  Very pleased with the lens but I can see i have some reading to do on tweaking the D7200’s exposure and metering settings between that lenses 18 to 300mm range.  Yep, lots to learn alright.

OF COURSE ALL ENGLISH SPORTS CARS WERE WELCOME AS THIS TRIUMPH’S HUBCAP REFLECTS A SWIRL OF GREEN GRASS


‘RATHER BRITISH LOOKING I’D SAY OLD CHAP’
Since 83 of today’s photos were taken at the MG car show I’m going to see if I can remember how to get them into a photo album and simply put a link in my blog to the album for anyone interested.  I’ll maybe work on that Sunday.  Below are a few few pics from the show today.

OK BOYS KEYS ARE IN THE IGNITION, LET’S TAKE ER FOR A SPIN



WHEN I GOT BACK HOME FROM THE MGB SHOW I WAS GREETED BY THIS SAD LITTLE FACE IN THE WINDOW WONDERING WHY I HAD GONE SOMEWHERE WITHOUT HER
GROANER’S CORNER:(( A woman went to doctor's office for her annual examination. Suddenly, another older doctor noticed her burst out of the examination room, screaming as she ran down the hall. He stopped the hysterical woman and asked her to sit down and relax. Then, he asked her what she was so upset about. A few minutes later, the older doctor marched back to the woman's doctor and demanded, "What's the matter with you? Mrs. Terry is 63 years old, she has four grown children, and seven grandchildren... and you told her she was pregnant?"   The woman's doctor smiled smugly as he continued to write on his clipboard, "Cured her hiccups though, didn't I?"
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Q: What's the most important thing to learn in chemistry?
A: Never lick the spoon.
Have you heard the one about a chemist who was reading a book about helium and just couldn't put it down?