Well, I got a bit off track on the posts, bogged down in the mud, so to speak. I took a trip to California and then spent a lot of time figuring out the how and why of Pinterest (more about that later). Besides, I seem to move slower in cold weather. The above are words from a song I wrote for my mother’s memorial service a few years back.
I made a greeting card out of this with a slightly different angle on the sentiment. Click the image.
The night was dark… this was not a revelation
But, while fuming over legislative constipation
It dawned on me, it too would pass
When I saw the coyote in the grass
The night was dark…….this was not a revelation
But, while fuming over legislative constipation
It dawned on me, it too would pass
When I saw the coyote in the grass
by Douglas Hamar
Buick Le Sabre near The Grand Staircase, Utah
What’s that noise? I opened the hood. The serpentine belt was fraying –Ah, heck, I should be able to fix that. Hmm, it looks like the reason it is deteriorating is because coolant is leaking onto it from somewhere. I check the web for possible solutions. It turns out the upper intake manifold in this engine is notorious for failing every 60 k miles and leaking coolant in all sorts of inappropriate places — I guess it makes sense, a stock feature of an old man’s car would be prostate problems . Anyway, the cure is to update it with better designed parts. Well, this is a little more of a repair than I was thinking I wanted to do,
Point Reyes, CA
….but, because it is a common problem, there are some very detailed instructions on how to do it available on the web. One upper intake manifold, one lower intake manifold, water pump, timing chain cover, fuel injectors, spark plug wires, oil pan gasket, etc, etc, and one serpentine belt — and two years later, I got it back together. Miracle of miracles, it started right up! Only problem is, it only wants to run at 3500 rpm — putting it in gear doesn’t seem like a good idea. Back to the web — it’s gotta be a vacuum leak, but I can’t find it. I talk to a repair guy in town, he says it has to be a vacuum leak as well. I try various methods every now and then for six months trying to find it. I call AAA and have them tow it to the shop. It wasn’t a vacuum leak. A couple of new sensors and $480 to the repair shop later, the car is finally back on the road.
So, what does this have to do with photography, you may ask. For five years, my old buddy George Daly and I covered over 100 k miles of the Western US in this car and I was shooting thousands of pictures along the way. It is a great road car, very comfortable and with six cylinders, gets better mileage than my four cylinder Toyota Tacoma. I was getting 30 mpg on a regular basis and got as much a 34. I’m looking forward to some new photo expeditions in this car. I’m sure George will be smiling down on us.
George Daly at Mt Rushmore
Navel Maneuvers Check it out!
I was enjoying the peaceful and productive nature of all the water lilies at Seattle’s Arboretum — got to wondering what they would think of the destructive fear mongering going around today.
OK, it didn’t happen exactly like that. I liked this photo, thought about a while, and finally came up with a sentiment that fits it pretty well, I think.
“Drown not in fears and apprehension
Thrive upon the surface tension”
What Say The Water Lilies?
Drown not in fears and apprehension
Thrive upon the surface tension
by Douglas Hamar
This is a shot looking across the valley from my place. My neighbors and I just triumphed in a two year battle to prevent the wetlands just below this scene from being converted to “big box retail, gas stations and convenience stores.” Well, we triumphed temporarily anyway, the issue may return — but it will still be a flood plain.
Here’s my latest greeting card with its accompanying poem. As with all my cards at Zazzle, it is fully customizable. If you like the photo, but the poem doesn’t suit your purpose, or if you like the sentiment, but would like to pair it with your own photo, have at it.
Old Bench In The Garden
Meet me out in the garden where
We laughed and drank the flowered air
Bring along your favorite wine
We’ll drink to the journey of our time
Congratulate ourselves and cheer
Is it not amazing, we’re still here?!
Back in 1971, my neighbor and best friend, Paul, and I road our bicycles from Portland to Yosemite via the coast. We stopped in at the Sea Lion Caves and picked up bumper stickers to let fellow travelers know where we had been, but we didn’t actually take the 200′ elevator down into the caves. I’ve driven by there many times since then and finally decided to take the plunge on my last trip. Too late.
Scrawny Sea Lion
Just kidding, but you don’t get very close to the living sea lions, and it is pretty dark for photos – still, it’s interesting.