8/31/11

SENIOR EXPLORERS SHOOT PIXEL-PERFECT PICTURES

Have you ever wanted to take great pictures of your adventures, then share them with friends and family?  On August 13, members of The Black Hills Explorers attended a workshop at the Canyon Lake Center to improve their skills in taking digital photo’s, enhancing the photo’s on a computer, then sharing the results with friends and family.  As part of the workshop, members practiced their new skills with a “field trip” to photograph scenery, close-ups of flowers and critters, and portraits of friends.

The workshop covered three aspects of digital photography.  The first topic “exposed” essential facts about the inner workings of a digital-image computer file, how to set the cameral to take the best pictures, and what the photographer can do to help the camera do its best job.  In the second segment, participants learned how to move the digital photo’s from the camera to a PC, and then how to edit (“tweek”) each photo’s size, framing, color, brightness, and even clarity.  In the third and final workshop segment the new photographers learned how to organize their photo’s on a PC, how to set up an online album, and how to email photo’s to friends and family. 
These Are Glamorous Models Recruited for the Pictures

Kathy Goodrich-Wilmes Snaps a Close-up Flower Photo

Instructor Lee Alley editing one of his photo's.

8/16/11

CHICKENS GET FOX-PROOF BLIZZARD DOORS

I heard about a book written in, I think, 1924 that claims chickens benefit as much from feathers for warmth as people do if we make coats out of their feathers.  


The book also claims chickens suffer more from moist, musty, deseased, pest-ridden enclosed chicken houses than from exposure to cold.  Hmmmm....who woulda thought, keeping chickens warm with a form-fitting feather coat.    The author, an MD, made extensive studies of commercial and research chicken operations in the northeastern states and concluded the best chicken house is not closed to keep them warm, but rather open on one side to keep their air fresh.  Cold fresh air over warm, dank air.  


However, my night vision videos disclosed we have a pair of foxes living on our property.  They would love an open front chicken buffet.







However, the book's author admitted that on the most bitterly cold blizzards it is ok to enclose the chicken house.  We also respect that chickens are just plain happier and more productive when not laying eggs pre-frozen.



8/15/11

Nervous Deer and Fanciful Foxes at Our Forest Pond in Piedmont, SD

I placed a motion-activated trail camera on a tree trunk, overlooking the water's edge of a pond on one of our properties in the Black Hills, SD.

FOR VIDEO CLICK THE CAPTION BELOW








Nervous Deer and Fanciful Foxes
   
Well, that doe is apparently still dating that worthless buck.  Even after he failed to rescue her from the Invisible Pond-monster.  In the non-color scenes, the two are out on a midnight date, by infra-red light.  Maybe she doesn't want to be seen with him in daylight any more.

In the Frantic Deer scene, we believe the little fella is being stung by wasps.  These wasps' stings are far more potent than a simple honey bee.

I think this pair of foxes used our free-range chicken flock as a buffet before the chickens learned to go in to the hen house at night.

Stay tuned.  More to come.