Here it is May 1st, which means there’s only ten days felt before we leave for France. In the meantime, we have finals to study for, backup watering systems to finish, salsa dance on Friday and work. The kitties were lying around reflecting this afternoon as was a band’s tour bus that I moved my car for so it could take my usual parking spot this afternoon.
The “Great Getting’ Up Mournin’ celebration” with the CUMC Chancel Choir and Fellowship Baptist Unity Choir was fantastic. Jazz a la Carte played Dixieland Jazz before the service, between sets and after the service, and they were very enternaining. Pastor Scott Sharp (CUMC) and Pastor Dennis Dunn (FBUC) both delivered short, but inspiring sermons. The music, choirs, musicians and congregation were very lively. It was a great service and moving experience.
I’ve been looking for a second full-frame Canon body, but new Canon full frame bodies are expensive, so I started looking at used bodies. I saw a Canon 1Ds advertised on Amazon as “Like New, little use” for $650 with no other description. I emailed the seller and asked what it came with and the shutter count. Canon 1D bodies are the hard core professional bodies that start new for $6000 and run up to over $8000 depending on the model. Normally used 1D bodies with low shutter counts are priced higher than 5D and new 6D. 1D bodies in the $600 range usually have very high shutter counts (80,000+), and are normally very well used.
The seller emailed back and said the camera came with all the original accessories, in the original box, and that the shutter count was 1846. My 5d that is only a year old is ready to turn over 20,000 clicks on the shutter. I ordered the camera and it arrived on Friday, and it is really “like new”, so it was “great getting” on my part.
All the photos, except for the photos I took of the camera sitting among Laurie’s cookies, were taken with the 1Ds. The sky was overcast and very bright when I took the outdoor photos, so it was a good challenge for the metering system. The auto focus is fast and accurate and it focused on black (Rosencrantz) immediately without searching like the 5D. The shutter is much quieter than the 5D and is super quick and responsive. All the photos are how they came straight out of the camera with little manipulation (of course, the panorama of the sanctuary was stitched together). The service tonight was a good test for indoors, under low light. While it focuses in the shadows very well, I discovered the autofocus searches on bright white, so it’s not perfect.
I got a photo of the first butterfly of the season, and it looked pretty ragged, so it either wintered over locally or migrated. One of the peach trees is blooming, as are the wild plums, and the honey bees are enjoying them.
After the service, we gathered in the ‘Life Center” for fellowship and cookies. The couple in the last photo asked me to take their picture. They are a handsome couple, and my first portrait with the 1Ds. I put on the super-wide angle lens and got a photo of the trombonist in the jazz band with his “le long trombone!”
René, the Eclectus Parrot formerly known as Joey (see Joey’s Big Adventure) has come to live with us. Tristan’s household has too much activity for him, so he was getting over stimulated and stressed out. He is already happy only having to share a room with our Conure, Beakers. Laurie had Beakers out in his space in the kitchen and René was still in the study, so the birds started ringing their bells back and forth. I told Laurie they were “texting” each other. Rene’ came out when I got home and had dinner with me. Rosencrantz was sticking his tail in René’s face while he was pestering me and René was seriously thinking about biting Rosencrantz’ tail, otherwise René and Rosencrantz didn’t react to each other in the least.
The almost full moon was beautiful peeking through the clouds tonight. I can’t resist moon and cloud photos.
Ben Lolli is an actor, comedian, filmmaker, master of odd jobs in exotic places, and all around cool guy. Bruski made a Super Fans of Ben Lolli page and Lita has been calling for photos of Ben. These photos go back to 2009, and give you a hint there is something about Ben. Rosencrantz got in on the crazy Santa act!
Rosencrantz eyed Diné in the dry grass and attacked. Diné held her ground, while Guildenstern lounged on the deck watching the standoff.
Adam is leaving for boot camp next week, and will serve in the Army for the next three years. He brought is girlfriend, Marissa, with him to the photo session, and although she was reluctant to get in front of the camera, she turned out to be a delightful model. Marissa is studying mechanical engineering at UNM. Rosencrantz had to get in action, of course!
Beautiful women and beastly cats.
I got a text message from UNM LoboAlerts Emergency Messaging at 5:00 am this morning alerting me that UNM-MAIN CAMPUS and UNM WEST were on a 2-hour delay due to weather conditions. I peered through condensation on the window, and it looked pretty white outside. After I got up I could see we had about an inch of snow. Rosencrantz went right out to play in the snow, but didn’t stay out long, as I found him looking in the window trying to get my attention a few minutes later. I made him earn his way back inside by making him wait until I got a good shot of him before opening the door. Rosencrantz shot back in past Guildenstern who had to survey the situation before he decided to go out an walk around in the snow.
We picked up Tristan on the Westside on our way into school, and not a flake of snow had fallen west of Coors Road. Tristan said she was quite confused by the LoboAlert, but when we got to UNM at 9:00am there was about 3 inches of snow on the cars and Johnson Field. Staff who live on the Eastside closer to the mountains said they had about 4 inches of snow, and there was general mayhem on the roads as cars and trucks slid toward I-25.
I found Rosencrantz, Guildenstern and Puck keeping an eye on each other when I got home from photographing the Sandias and cranes this morning.
Black roses and a black Rosencrantz.
Off Center & Not Even 