WHY WERE THEY SO STIFF & STODGY?

A TOUCH OF FROST ON THE CLOVER THIS MORNING

Well, my "no news is good news" approach to CNN's morning news (or any other news) is working well & it's been a couple of weeks since I turned my back on that whole repetitive 'doom & gloom' factor.  And 'how sweet it is' to be rid of all those never ending bone jarring loud ridiculous & practically non stop commercials to boot.  I think CNN has been taken over by one big long jumble of infomercials anyway!!!!

Oh Oh, now what did we get.	It's looking like a new Coleman
Yep, burner on left, grill on right	Very compact & storable

(Click on any photos in the blog to enlarge them)

Had a 'LIVE WRITER' question that asked........"I'm using Live Writer  but when I get a picture in my blog post, it won't expand with a click like yours do."

Open up a photo in your live writer & then click on it.  Whenever you see the white dots around your photo it means you can work on it.  Look to the right side control panel & click on the word 'Picture.'  Look down to where it says 'Link to' & make sure it says 'Source Picture' in the little box.  Now, click 'Options.'  A 'Source Picture Options' box opens.  Click arrow & choose 'Large (1024x681)'  Also make sure both little boxes have check marks in them & then click 'OK'.  Now, the important & easy to forget part.......Look over to your control panel at right & go to the very bottom looking for 'Save settings as default' & click that.  If by chance you don't see that settings control just try minimizing or maximizing your screen because on my desktop computer the 'Set categories' bar at bottom left has a habit of covering up my default settings button on the bottom right if the screen is maximized.  That little problem cost me about 3 handfuls of hair before I finally figured it out........

 

Ever wondered why people had such serious faces & never smiled in those old black & white portrait photographs you see beginning back in the 1800's.  How could so many people feel so sour for so long.  Well, the problem wasn't with the people, it was with the camera itself.  Back in those days there was no such thing as shutter speeds, or for that matter, no shutters in the cameras at all.   The photographer had to insert a negative photo plate into the camera, remove the lens cap & count in his head how many seconds (or minutes) he thought would allow enough subject light to imprint itself on the negative plate.  The length of time mainly depended on the lighting situation in front of the camera.

THE MIGHTY MAITLAND RIVER HEADS FOR GODERICH ONTARIO WHERE IT EMPTY'S INTO LAKE HURON

Many portrait studios used available light coming in from large angled windows.  I remember the LEMP STUDIO  in Tavistock (my home town) Ontario was a good example of that many years ago.  The subject in turn had to remain perfectly motionless or else any movement would blur the image.  Now, have you ever tried holding a smile on your face for any length of time.  Maybe half a minute or more.  Not likely, so people were told to just relax their faces in a normal deadpan stare & concentrate on not moving a muscle & especially not any smile muscles. 

THE BISBEE KIDS ARE LOADED UP & READY TO RUMBLE

You will also notice in many old photos that people's heads may be slightly tilted up giving them kind of a royal & regal look.  This also had a practical purpose because behind the subject was a steel up & down rod with an iron hoop on the top of it for folks to rest their heads against for those long exposures.  That resulted in a slight uplifting of the chin, thus the royal pose.  And also notice most portraits were done with people in a sitting position.  This simply made it more comfortable for people & lessened the chance for movement.  Whewwww, thank heavens for the digital age:))

THESE PHOTOS SHOW HOW WE HAVE THE RIG CONFIGURED FOR TRAVEL.  MAX LIKES TO LAY ON THAT FOLD DOWN BED & LOOK OUT THE WINDOW

I have never felt comfortable photographing posed people so you will rarely see that sort of thing in my pictures.  I do enjoy grabbing candid photos of people though.  More natural & less stress for the people & the photographer plus I would much rather catch folks being themselves. Don't care for those phony smiles when in reality they would rather hit the photographer over the head with his own camera.  I tried my hand at a few weddings many years ago & immediately decided that was something I would never try again!!  Also tried some portrait stuff with friends & they all seemed to come out looking like grotesque cartoon characters.  Those friends have never spoke to me since!!  So, I just stick with doing things I like best & Mother Nature offers a never ending array of ever changing beautiful subjects.

WE TOOK THE BIG CLUNKY TV OUT OF THIS UPPER AREA LAST SUMMER. YOU CAN READ THE FIRST BLOG OF THAT RENOVATION HERE

Turned on the rig's propane tank yesterday & test fired the furnace, water heater, stove, & blue flame heater this morning.  Everything checked out A-OK but had trouble lighting the Legacy Blue Flame heater.  Tried repeatedly but no luck so had to call in our resident Top Gun.  Kelly hit the switch once & it was running!!

BOUGHT A FLAT SCREEN TV & MOUNTED IT HERE.  BELTS SECURE IT FOR TRAVEL

Check out RICK'S BLOG to-day if you are confused about air cards, wifi connections, & routers etc while on the road.  He does a good job at de-geeking the confusion.  We have a Verizon air card while traveling & just love it:))  And, if your into Motorhome renovations be sure to stop by BIG BACKYARD & check on Karen's on-going series of posts about changes to their older motorhome.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Why do you press harder on the buttons of a remote control when you know the batteries are dead?

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS  http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.

AFTER A FEW WRONG DECISIONS....HERE ARE SOME OF THE RIGHT ONES:))

BRYCE CANYON, UTAH


Decided to do a blog about some of the things we have done right in our RVing adventures instead of the usual things we have done wrong:)) (orders from headquarters this morning!!)

1. When our Hughes-Net modem died last year in New Mexico we were faced with the decision of getting another modem or moving to a different technology. Because we didn't know what killed the modem in the first place we decided to pack in the whole satellite idea & move to a Verizon Air Card. We have the UM175-USB modem....... That was a right decision:)) http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=phoneFirst&action=viewPhoneOverviewByDevice&deviceType=BroadbandAccess%20Devices&lid=//global//phones+and+accessories//mobile+broadband+devices
VERIZON UM 175 PLUGGED INTO THE LAPTOP....And that's what puts you on the internet.

2. Two years ago while in Quartzite Arizona we decided to install a propane heater instead of using the in-efficient RV furnace so we had a Legacy Blue Flame heater put in......... That was a right decision:)) http://www.finesgas.com/cats/Space_Heaters LEGACY BLUE FLAME HEATER

3. We had an awning destroyed by a big Kansas wind while on I-70 one time & had it replaced with an acrylic awning also in Quartzite & co-incidentally on the same day the Blue Flame guy hooked up our heater. The slightly more expensive acrylic awning has served us well. That was a right decision:)) THE BOYS ARE PUTTING THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON OUR NEW AWNING

4. Also while in Quartzite a couple years ago we took out our completely uncomfortable couch, tub chair, & dinette. Sold it all to "The Gambler" in Quartzite. We then went to Ikea in Tempe about a week later & bought all new comfortable furniture plus computer desk for less money than what we got for all the old RV stuff.........That was a right decision:)) THE RIGS DINETTE IS READY TO BE TAKEN & SOLD IN QUARTZITE....in the desert 5 miles south of Quartzite, Arizona

5. When we bought our motorhome in Grand Bend we had been looking at another coach at the dealer there but Ron the owner convinced us we would be happier with the Damon Chevy Workhorse Chassis coach that we have now. He was right, and.......that was another right decision:)) http://www.fourseasonsperformance.com/

6. We spent a fair bit of time looking for a vehicle to not only be towed behind the motorhome but to be a second vehicle at home for Kelly. Finally decided on a 2003 Hyundai Santa-Fe 5 speed stick shift that we spotted on the lot of Goderich Hyundai. This has been a totally excellent little mountain goat for us.........That was a right decision:))
http://www.goderichhyundai.ca/
OUR RELIABLE LITTLE HYUNDAI SANTA FE MOUNTAIN GOAT...Chiricahua Mtns, Arizona

7. The Roadmaster Sterling Hitch assembly we had installed on the car & motorhome in London Ontario has worked well & been trouble free too........That was a right decision:)) http://www.trailerhitch.ca/ HITCHING THE THE CAR UP......(it's a joke, it's a joke:))

7. We eliminated the big blonky television & cabinet from the upper front part of the coach & installed a 23" flat screen on a side wall. That was a right decision:)) Having a woodworking friend of ours do that rather than me, was also a right decision!! 23" FLAT SCREEN TV MOUNTED ON A SIDE WALL

8. We had a Solar System installed (2 panels, 4 new batteries+monitors etc.) professionally in Slab City California a couple of years ago by Solar Mike at Sunworks. That was a right decision & we have had many happy boondocking days ever since:)) http://thesunworks.com/index.htmSOLAR INSTALLATION DAY & THAT'S SOLAR MIKE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LADDER....Slab City, California

9. Wanted to get away from that drab white coach interior so painted part of our coach interior an adobe color.......That was a right decision:)) ADOBE PAINT JOB......done in Casa Grande, Arizona

10. Hooked up a Sirius Satellite radio, Garmin GPS system, as well as a CB Radio inside the coach & that was 3 more right decisions:))

11. Decided early on in our RVing to avoid crowded & expensive RV parks & that has been a right decision:)WHY CROWD INTO AN RV PARK WHEN YOU CAN HAVE THE WHOLE DESERT TO YOURSELF....Darby Wells Road area west of Ajo Arizona

12. Buying a good used motorhome in great condition with low mileage & avoiding all that "new rig" depreciation was also a right decision:))

13. Deciding to spend our winters in the American Southwest instead of American Southeast has also proved to be a right decision & keeping on the move instead of sitting in one spot for 5 months has definitely proved to be a right decision as well:)) YOU WON'T FIND BEAUTIFUL SCENERY LIKE THIS IN FLORIDA...Ajo Mtn Range in Organ Pipe National Monument, Arizona

14. Getting our handy little well made, "Xpress Ready-Set-Go" cooker was a right decision:))
http://www.redisetgo.com/?gcid=S12579x066&keyword=ready%20set%20go_3
CHICAGO STYLE CHILE DOGS AT MILT'S DINER IN MOAB, UTAH

15. And last but not least.......Making the decision to try our hand at RVing years ago?? Well, that was the biggest right decision of them all......................................:))CULP VALLEY NEAR BORREGO SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/