Spatter

Camera Critters - They're Back

 

bydamanti.com

Our hummers are back...glad to see them!  It seems they arrived late this year.  Now starts the ongoing making of nectar.



More Camera Critters found here

Photo Hunt - Pink

 

bydamanti 

Happy July 4th!

More Photo Hunters found here

Surprise, Surprise

News today that Sarah Palin is stepping down as Governor.  What a surprise...not.  Seems she wants to be able to travel the lower forty-eight and stump (already) for the 2012 election. 

Everyone's advice to her during the last days of the 2008 campaign:  go back to Alaska and work hard and get more experience.  If she did that, she'd be able to combine that with her charisma (not for me) and be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years.  Well, I guess she's not cut out to do that.  She's gotten a taste of the limelight and wants to stay in it.

This means, of course, that for the next three years she's going to be on the news and in my face.  I'm going to have to buy more Rolaids.  Ugh!

Loving My Mac

Just in case anyone's wondering, I love my Mac.  It's a lean, good looking machine.  The more I use it, the more impressed I become with it. Apple really does have its act together. It's apparent in so many ways. 

Happily, my learning curve hasn't been nearly as steep as I thought it would be.  Of course, I haven't mastered all the nuances yet, but I'm navigating just fine. It's very intuitive and very simple.   Sometimes I think to myself "it can't be that simple"...but it usually turns out that it is. 

The other concern I always had about crossing over was software.  I didn't want to spend a fortune on top of paying top dollar for the computer.  Well,  it turns out that my software either works or I've found a suitable alternative...for free.  Open Office has replaced Microsoft Office for text and spreadsheets.  For what I do, I can't notice a difference in function or capability between the two.  As for Outlook, the Mac includes email, calendar, and address programs.  They're not as powerful  and sophisticated as  Outlook, but they're all I really need.  And importing my mail, contacts, and dates. was a breeze. They're certainly good enough to keep me from shelling out money for the Mac version of Office.

That I can run Office on my Mac is a nice feature, but I'm not too sure I want any part of Windows on my Mac.   Any Mac user out there using Boot Camp or Parallels?  I'd be interested in your feedback.

So, the silver lining on all of my computer headaches of late is that it motivated me to jump ship where I might otherwise might not have.  And it seems that you can add me to the list of people who say: once you go Mac, you never go back.

Flashback Friday - Ready For Some Football

It  didn't take much for my brother and I to ham it up for the camera.  My brother seems to be taking this all seriously, but I seem to be getting a kick out of it.  I love our stances...classic football card poses.  They're quite dated...the pros now days don't look like that in real life or on cards.  And look at that old helmet my brother has on.  I guess I didn't have one of my own. I did have some western styled gloves. You probably can't tell on this old, poor quality and doctored photo, but I have them on.  Perhaps I was playing for the Dallas Cowboys. Shudder the thought! 



Post Note
There were no Dallas Cowboys in those days.  They didn't come into existence until 1960 and this picture was taken in 1956.

Wordless Wednesday - Red Winged Hawk

 

bydamanti 


More Wordless Wednesday participants found here

Blues Comes To Floyd

It's widely known that Floyd, Virginia is known for being part of bluegrass music's Crooked Road Trail.  What's not so known is that it attracts all genres of music.  This past weekend a band called The Blues Agent came to to the Pavilion at the Pine Tavern. 

Dogtown Pizza was there.  It's a traveling pizza oven that usually shows up at events  taking place in the area.  They make several varieties of  pizza...all of them delicious.  And of course there was a variety of wine and beer available in the Pavilion to go with them. 

People didn't hesitate to get up and shake a leg.  It was a nice mix of people...no teeny boppers though. That guy in the hat is a fixture around Floyd's music venues.  Be it clogging or swing, he does it effortlessly. 

Judy and I went with a couple who I first met through the local camera club.  We had a great time and look forward to the next event.