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Re: [OM] What we did on our July summer vacation.

Subject: Re: [OM] What we did on our July summer vacation.
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2011 21:50:37 -0700
On 6/28/2011 6:37 AM, Ken Norton wrote:
> Banal? Maybe. Wishing I was there? Absolutely!

Well, I don't find most of these images banal, and am quite happy with several. 
Some of the images away from camp will 
be more conventional. The experience of the big trees is never banal, but I 
don't know how to convey that experience in 
a photo. You walk up and see these enormous trees, you've got a camera, so you 
take pics. But they all look pretty much 
the same, and pretty much the same as those others take. Stuck down at the 
bottom, and with viewing angles limited by 
other trees, etc. the options are limited.

NG did a nice job with their multi fold-out of a big redwood. Pretty much what 
I had imagined would be the only way to 
even come close to showing a whole one. Still doesn't convey the experience of 
being among them.

The giant sequoias, Sequoiandendron giganteum, aren't as tall as coast 
redwoods, sequoia sempervirens, but still very 
tall and far more massive. Unlike redwoods, they grow in mixed forest with 
other large conifers. As trees like douglas 
fir also can grow to over 300', the Sequoias don't really stand out in most 
groves by their height. It's their girth 
that really stands out compared to the other trees in the groves.

If you haven't been, you should try to take the girls to Yosemite and the North 
coast of Calif. The Sierras, although a 
bit different, have nothing on the Rockies, but Yosemite Valley is unique and 
the two types of sequoias are unlike 
anything else you have seen. Parts of the No. Calif. coast are jaw droppingly 
beautiful, too.

> Tip of the feather was pretty neet. The background was a bit
> distracting, but otherwise it works.

I could fix that, but it didn't bother me.

> Same with your first self portrait. Getting closer kinda creeped me out, but 
> that's probably because my cirecle of comfort is probably a little larger 
> than yours.

Did you notice the DOF of the first one? It's a mash of two, one focused on me 
and one on the background. My circle of 
comfort with myself is pretty close. :-)   I like different perspectives on 
things.

> Isn't it amazing that we spend lots of money to pretend that we're homeless 
> and living like refugees? I'm hoping to get a few days of refugee living this 
> summer.

Hey, speak for yourself. We spent quite a lot of money so we could travel 
without living like refugees. ;-)   The luxury 
of waking up in the night, hearing rain on the roof, and knowing a bathroom is 
four feet away is huge. I gave up on 
camping where I have to crawl out of the sleeping bag, pull on come clothing, 
get out of the tent and into shoes without 
getting rain or mud into the tent, run to the bathroom in the rain, the reverse 
the whole process, a long time ago.

We have stove, sink, microwave (when on AC or generator), fridge, tiny, but 
usable bathroom, fresh water, hot water 
heater, thermometer regulated propane heater and air conditioning (AC or gen.), 
real bed, etc. Also DVD player and 
TV/Monitor, although we never use that but for some quiet music - but the kids 
use it when they travel.

On our last trip, I made feta and greek olive omelets with my spice blend, 
bacon and fry bread the 1st. morning and 
long, slow sauteed mushroom, scallion and ham omelets the 2nd. I can't do that 
sort of cooking on a campfire. We went 
out the next two mornings, when the next camp had four young, highly energetic 
kids running around. First night's dinner 
was Hot, Spicy Eggplant, from our favorite Chinese restaurant, It is, 
unfortunately, 45+ minutes away from home, but 
fortunately, on the way to the Sierras. We timed our trip home so we could eat 
there again, yum! We've got a v. compact 
propane grill, so it was blue cheese hamburgers with grilled corn one night, 
asiago fennel sausages and broccoli 
another. What did we have the other night? It was late and we were really beat 
after hiking the South grove - something 
quick and easy.

Not homeless, compact luxury. ;-)

You can see almost exactly what we have here and in a couple of other videos 
that show up next to it. 
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsBLcE0kG8k>

I think we will be off again for a few days next week. Probably have to go 
somewhere obscure on the week of the 4th.

> AG (Banal with the best of them) Schnozz

You're in good company. ;-)

Moose

>
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