Blood Moon No.2

A photo of the Blood Moon rising in the east ....

 

I got very few clear shots , there was a lot of cloud cover around .... this was one of the clearest.

 

The clouds made for some interesting scenes , when combined with the moon's light.

 

A composite photo of the phases of the Blood Moon .... God is speaking to us .

Is America listening ???   WAKE UP !!

A collection of Photo Slideshows ...... Bull Shoals Sunsets

A WOW Sunset over Bull Shoals


 Bull Shoals Sunset



Bull Shoals Sunset (Again)


I have been working on creating some slideshows lately with the photos I've been shooting down at the Lakeview Recreation area , on Bull Shoals Lake . It's great to have a place nearby to go to in the evening to take in a great sunset . Enjoy the Show !!

Clint's Camera History

This is me setting up a shot on Pettit Jean Mountain on the first trip to Arkansas that Penny and I made together .

(Note the red hair !!  Now it's all gray ....)

        



And what a view !! 
This was when Penny was still falling in love with a "mountain man" .... and she could be convinced to sit out on bluff edges .... with a crack in the rock .... that could separate at any moment .  She is much wiser now ..... I still do that kind of stuff though !

My first camera ever !  A Kodak 110 Instamatic . I still have some of the pictures that I took with it .

 

My next camera was this Minolta Freedom 50 . It was a real step up , as it has a built in flash and auto focus .
I took a lot of photos with it .

 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My next step up came in the form of this Kodak digital . I loved it because there was no more sending film off to have it developed . It featured a real zoom lens ........ I was big time now !

  

The back side .....

 

 
 
 

For my next camera , I wanted something compact that would slip into a pocket and be handy for my on the go lifestyle . This little Kodak sported 7 MP, a zoom lens, and would fit into a shirt pocket . It is a great camera .... I still have it . It has recently been designated as my "stay in the truck camera" to have handy for when I see a cool shot when I am driving.

Along about Christmas last year , I was wanting to up the game in the camera department , and wound up buying this Samsung digital . I have learned a tremendous amount about photography while I have explored its many features. It takes great pictures , has 18x Zoom lens , shoots HD video and is still small enough to fit into a pocket , or a side pocket of a backpack .

 

 

 

After only owning the Samsung for 6 months , my insatiable appetite for a camera with more features has led me to order this Panasonic model. It has a super zoom 60x lens , and the ability to shoot exposures as long a 60 seconds ... which is great for night time photography. It is MUCH larger than all my other cameras , and my appetite for better, more creative photos has finally outweighed my usual pocket size frame camera that I have always stuck with . I am going to be the guy tramping through the woods with a camera bag and tripod , as well as a backpack .
This series is called a "bridge" camera , as it bridges the gap between smaller point and shoot cameras , and the professional DSLR cameras the pros use . I think this will do everything I need , and is about 25% the cost of a Pro DSLR camera .

 

Here is my latest camera buy  ...  A Canon G16 . It has a host of features usually only found in higher end DSLR cameras . I tried an Olympus DSLR for a couple months , and it shot fine pictures , but it was too bulky for my use with all the lens and accessories needed for it. This Canon is still pocketable and can shoot ISO's at high as 12,500 ! It has built in star time lapse mode which I am excited about as well .  Click ... click .... click  

 

 

 

Stay tuned for more good photography and videos ! 

 

Sorry for the image quality of the video .... it is really great in HD format.

A SummerTime Road Trip to Ponca and the Buffalo River

It is summertime in the Ozarks .... time for fun and sightseeing. I had  a few extra days off from work , so Penny and I decided to use one of them for a road trip over to the Ponca area in the Buffalo River upper wilderness area . It is a great area to visit , and was one of the first areas I ever visited in my youth , which started my longing to live in Northern Arkansas. The Buffalo has been declared a National River and is protected from developments and is a popular float stream for canoes ( It's time to go again!) .

 

On the journey over , we stopped at Penny's favorite flea market store , the "Junk-Shun" in Harrison. We didn't find any major scores today , but had a good time browsing anyway . After that we headed to Harrison and had lunch at Wendy's along with 350 (!) children from a church vacation bible school . We then left town and headed south to the mountains .... my favorite part of the day !

 

Once down in the Ozarks , I settled in to my routine of gawking at mountains , rivers and trees and snapping pictures of anything interesting . I finished up with a dip in the Buffalo River at the Ponca low water bridge area which was GREAT !

 

Enjoy the pictures !

 

 

 

A  short slideshow of the Bull Shoals fireworks celebration .

   

 

 



Penny's favorite Flea Market store near Harrison , at the     "Junk-Shun" of  highway 62 and 412.



 Penny explores a cemetery near Ponca , AR

 

  

 

A peaceful place to rest ........

This church is well over a 100 years old ....

A simple structure ..... for a less complicated time .

 

Clint explores the Buffalo River near Ponca

 

 

Penny dips a toe in the cool waters .....

This is the traditional put in for canoe trips in spring . This time of year the water level is too low to float the headwaters area .

A look downstream .....  the Buffalo River has a picture around every bend in the river ....

I can't take it .... I have to get in that cool water !

 

 

And the Summer Begins ........

                            And so the Summer season begins .......

  This is the time of year when it can be cool and chilly , especially in the morning , or ultra sticky-steamy after a afternoon storm event. We have been blessed with a wet spring season with plenty of rain , which has made everything very lush and green in the fields and forests .
   After breakfast this morning , the air felt pretty good outside , so I suggested to Penny that we take a hike up to the bluff on the Big Bluff Trail down at the state park . It has been a while since either
Penny or I have felt like doing any hiking  , and Penny was reluctant when I suggested our trek today . I pleaded my case , and explained it wouldn't be a long hike , just a short jaunt off the road to check out the view of the White River from the bluff overlook.
   We got our shoes on , filled up a couple water bottles , blew the cobwebs off of our hiking staffs and then we were off . Once arriving at the trailhead , we quickly noticed how grown over and muddy the trail was ... but we trudged on . After starting up the hill , the ground gave way to rocky soil and I soon remembered why I like hiking so much in the fall and winter seasons. Gnats started buzzing all around our heads , and since we were the first ones to hike the trail today .... all of the spider webs were left from last night for me to plow into with my face ! I couldn't get Penny to trade places and take the lead , so I used my old trick and picked up a forked stick and held it out in front of me as I walked ... it works pretty well . Soon after that we saw two deer in the woods . They seemed quite unafraid of us and trotted along near us for a good bit as we ascended the hillside . We never get tired of the deer around here unless they bound out of the woods in front of your car . I also noticed ticks ..... lots of ticks ...... crawling up my legs as we walked . I stopped and flicked them off every now and then and continued onward .They seem to like me the best , as Penny didn't get any on her . Once we reached the overlook , it was nice though . We sat on a bench and looked out over the valley below and watched some men who were fly fishing for trout in the cold waters below us . It was a really nice and peaceful scene and that is why we hike .... you brave miles , cold , heat , wet or thirst , to get to the destination that others won't exert the effort to go to . The prize is the vistas you see , the wildlife you see , and the pure enjoyment of nature which God has created for us to live in .

    That being said though ..... I can't wait till WINTER again ! :)

     My latest photo interests have centered around nighttime photography  which I find fascinating. By setting the camera on long exposure settings you can capture light the human eye can't see ..... very cool . Most of the time you really don't know what you have got until you get them offloaded into the computer and see them in full detail . My next venture will be to do some nice waterfall shots , if I can luck out with days off work right after some heavy rainfall . More to come .............  :)

 

My campfire from last April

 

 

 

This photo was the starting of the Blood Moon eclipse on April 14 , 2014 .

I shot it with a exposure time of 1/8 second ... a standard shot . It is about 9:30 PM

 

 

 

This shot was taken a few minutes later , but by changing the exposure time to 16 seconds , the camera is able to catch all available light from the moon ... making it almost look light a daytime shot !

 

 

 

A good shot of Blood Moon No.1.  I maxed the zoom out on my camera and got this ....... REPENT America !! God is speaking to us .....

 

 

 

 

Against Penny's better judgment , I love to shoot shots of lightning . I get these kinds of shots by setting up the camera on the tripod , and adjusting the exposure time to the longest time my lil camera will go (16 seconds) . Then I just keep taking one shot after another hoping a lightning bolt will flash during one of the exposures . After about 50 shots ... I got this !

 

 

 

Another lucky shot ... after this I gave up and went to bed ...

 

 

 

 

 

This was my very first try at night photography , when I got this great shot off of our back deck . Once I got this onto the computer and saw it ... I was hooked . WOW !

 

 

 

Penny's bedroom light shines as her crazy husband is out on the deck at night dodging lightning bolts !

Spring Hiking and Camping is here !

    Well .... I think winter has finally loosened its grip on the Ozark region . I actually had to MOW the other day! It has been a long winter , but I don't mind , as I prefer cool weather to being soaked with sweat every time you step outside. It's been a long while since my last post and I apologize for that . Seems that the instant gratification of posting to Facebook has stolen some of the content for the blog.

   Penny and I are proud to welcome our new Granddaughter .... Anna Bulak , who was born on April 6th, 2014. She is Kyle and Laura's second child , and our sixth grandchild .
   We continue to lure visitors up to the Ozarks .... the first weekend in April Penny's sister Peggy and her son Adam drove up from Texas . Penny and Peggy had a girls day out shopping , while Adam and I drove down to the Sylamore forest to go on a hike . It was a lot of fun , and Adam enjoyed the trail a lot.

   Penny decided to make a trip down to Texas over the Easter weekend , and I took the opportunity to load up some camping gear and spend some time down in the Sylamore forest . I left after my 1/2 day at work on Saturday , and when I arrived a Gunner Pool campground , there was only ONE camp site left . It was kind of out of the way , and way off of the creek , but I didn't mind , as I wanted do some more nighttime photography and I didn't want all the extra light around . I hiked down to the creek and took a few nice shots around the bridge area , showing all the life that is returning to the forest . Later , as I geared up for some night shots , the moon was late coming up , so there wasn't a lot of light to work with . I got one decent shot as the moon was coming up behind some trees . Then I drifted off to sleep in my chair waiting for it to rise further . When I awoke , I notice the sky had become cloudy and had blotted out any more chances for photos. Sigh.... But , the good news is , I had a nice comfy air mattress with a recently purchased new sleeping bag waiting inside the tent .... I slept like a log in the forest . Wait .... I was in the forest .....

                                                            Enjoy the pics !

Panorama shot of my camp site

How much junk does one person really need ?

Gunner Pool is a nice area .... I guess everyone else had the same idea as me !

My truck guards the camp against a roving band of boulders with bad attitudes!

Sylamore Creek bridge

A look North up Sylamore Creek

The leaves are a bloomin !

Look SEE .... there I am coming down the creek in a Kayak .... no wait , that is just wishful thinking :)

This lil gal heard there was one of those reality show tryouts coming to town , and took extreme measures to lose weight ! Look at those teeth !

Amazing what a few sticks, paper and a lighter will do ....

My humble abode .......

My one and only night sky shot that turned out ...... see the moon peeking through the trees ....

Switching Gears .............

   Well .... those of you who know me well , know that I like to trade cars . And boats . And camper trailers. And motorcycles. Even houses ......

    The latest trade involves my much sought after and whined for Jeep . After owning it for a few months , I realized that although it is fun to drive , and looks COOL ..... that it is just not practical for an everyday driver.
I missed having a truck bed to haul stuff in .... it was hard to get in and out of , especially when it was icy. I missed windows .... actual
glass windows , that you can roll down instead of fumbling with a zipper . With the huge tires , it had a hard time pulling a trailer because of the stock gearing setup. And I had to pull a trailer anytime I wanted to buy anything of size .... say a 2x4 .

     So , I decided I had made a mistake in buying it , and started looking for a truck . I still wanted (need!) a four wheel drive , so I concentrated on small 4x4 trucks. After some research and scouting Craigslist , I found this clean 1999 Toyota Tacoma for sale . It is a nice truck overall, and in good condition for its age. It is set up with a smaller tire and geared well for pulling a trailer , or maybe that fishing boat in my future.

    I sold the Jeep to a fellow who drove over here from Alabama , so I guess I'm not the only one who drives great distances to get a vehicle that I think is a good deal.

The Jeep and the new Tacoma growl at each other ...

we see who is closest to the heated garage ! 

 

Penny says it is the same color as my old Ford Ranger ....

 

I think this will be much more practical to drive , plus still has the 4WD to get around good in the snow and ice that we have had so much of around here this year .

 

 

    In other news .... We had a good visit a few weeks ago from Mike and Peggy . I was nice to have family over and to show them around the area we call home. We toured the Bull Shoals state park , visited the Peacock Zoo at Gaston's Resort , saw both nearby dams , and visited the trout hatchery over by Lake Norfork. We had a nice time and had a cozy dinner at our favorite local diner , "The Village Wheel" . We hope to see more visitors soon , as we miss y'all !

 

The birds line up for bread treats.....

Ever seen an albino Peacock?

I've got my eye on you !!!!

Birds all around .....

A Peacock -A- Courting ........

Mike & Peggy near Dry Run Creek at the Norfork Trout Hatchery . It was definitely nippy that day.

We all pose for the new camera .......

 

This is where Penny works ... Actronix Inc.

 

Gaston's Resort rental cabins on the White River.