Art and Fire Project 2009

This is one of the many pictures i took from the Art and Fire Project i mentioned in my previous post. I know it wasn't in River Falls, but it was where i spent most of Saturday, and it's sort of close (just under an hour away). I didn't know that there were such things in the area, and was pleasantly surprised at how neat it was. So while it was homecoming here in town, and there was a photography workshop i was thinking about going to down by Racine, i'm glad i went with this even if my clothes did smell like smoke afterwards and my back is killing me. I took over 500 photos, but since this was my first time with photographing fire and near darkness otherwise, a lot weren't that great. Those that did turn out are mostly posted on my Flickr.

Painted guy

While on my way to the Art and Fire Project in Stockholm (more on that tomorrow i think) I saw this guy running across the road. The funny thing is i think i remembered him being naked, but looking at the image larger i see shorts. Maybe it's just the oddness of someone running fully painted around town. The reason he was doing this is probably related to it being homecoming weekend here, i think for the university. This is the best picture i have of him, as i was stopped at a stoplight, and had to grab and fumble for my camera and try to get some in focus shots. It's actually pretty impressive i got one that turned out. This town can sure be odd sometimes.

Camera in Kitchen

I took this a little while ago, it's the camera i almost always take these photos with, taken by an older film (1970's Canon 35mm) camera i got for cheap at an antique store in Stillwater, MN. The white tube is paper towels, and the camera is sitting on photography books. One of the reasons i took this is that the other day, while changing lenses from the awesome macro lens i used to get the spiders to my more standard lens, i dropped the standard one. Not sure what happened, but it was one of those moments you see it happening and you can't move your hands (or fast enough to do anything). It hit the floor, and i was pretty sure it was okay (without taking the lens cap off), until i put it on the camera and heard broken glass moving around. Took the lens cap off, and saw the filter was completely shattered. Thankfully, that's all that seems damaged, i haven't put it through it's paces to see if it's more damaged, but i'm thanking my lucky stars it was only the UV filter that broke. I've heard filters are good at saving lenses from drops, now i believe that more.

Road sign

I was out with my camera this evening and thought i would grab a (rather blurry) shot of this sign in town. I noticed someone added "jobs" above the "Road Closed Ahead", I'm guessing they meant "Jobs Closed Ahead", as "jobs road closed ahead" doesn't make much sense as it's Main Street that is closed. Sorry about the blurriness of it, i haven't been feeling the best and it's made my normally bad vision even worse (i have keratoconus pretty badly in my right eye, with milder in my left. I can't even make out letters anymore with my right but my left has only one "smear" that i see all the time. Autofocus is a blessing for me, manual is more a guessing game and seeing how it looks on the screen afterwards). Back to the sign, i know the economy here in town isn't too great, as several companies closed and more had large layoffs, but we are pretty close to the Twin Cities where a lot of people from here seem to work. I also want to say i hate that style of graffiti, not that much is "good", but it's so less interesting than mural types and seems to just be something to deface things.

Odd Spider

I have several larger webs like this outside the window in my kitchen area that have been built in the larger bush. The Spiders build their nests like this so i can see right in them. I've never seen one like this before though, white and clear. I also tried a new method of photographing them as normally i use a ring flash, but it changes how they look, and with the glass it reflects too much. Thankfully the spider stayed still long enough, although focusing with that lens is hard. There are other spiders building funnel type webs around this one, and i thought they were wolf spiders or brown recluse, but now i'm not sure. I'm going to try to get good pictures of those too just to be sure. Either way, these aren't the smaller harmless ones i get indoors, these are bigger, although look much larger here. The jumping spiders i normally get photos of are tiny, as you can tell when they are near the flies and screens. These guys are about thumbnail size or so. Still, pretty how it's translucent.

I have no idea.

This is how i feel. It's a christmas elf from my parents house that i brought here and took a photo of. I actually used an older film camera i got at an antique store for cheap and scanned the image. That slumped over look is how i feel. I've been sick for a good while, at first just odd things, now with what i'm pretty sure is the flu. Seems swine flu is making it's way through the area, with at least one confirmed case, and i'm pretty sure i've got it. I start to think i feel better, then make the mistake of moving around a lot or going out, then it's when my body tells me i made a mistake. Good times. Thankfully what i've been going through is more mild than i hear from friends, i've just had stomach issues, fever, chills, and trouble sleeping (why i'm posting this at around four am, couldn't sleep). Thankfully no breathing issues, which is where people seem to have more troubles and where it can get worse.

So anyway, here's a slumped over elf.

Waiting room

This is the waiting area in the local clinic, a view i have had too often lately really. Took this with my iphone, so the quality isn't as good as it could be, and neither is the angle really. I was the only one there this time, usually there are parents with kids and older people. Sometimes athletes getting physicals.

Too soon

Seems too soon for the leaves to be changing and falling, more so with temps in the 80s, but this year has been full of things i didn't expect. Just a tree in my yard that seems to turn earlier than the others.

Hang in there

This is just a squirrel hanging strangely on the feeder, leg dangling down. Seemed to be having a good time. I'm kind of feeling the need to hang in there too, with a lot going on in addition to getting almost six inches of rain in 24 hours. I know we had more snow, but i don't think we ever had that much rain, it just kept coming down and soaking. Many basements filled with water (mine included, which only ever happened before when i pipe broke). Hopefully it won't rain soon and make it worse.

The other of the pair

This is the mate of the previous bird. Smaller and less colorful, but i'm not sure if it's male or female. Some species it's the males who are more colorful, and others it's the female. I keep trying to get pictures of the cardinals, who i know i have at least two couples of as i have seen four at a time on the deck. I also keep not getting very good pictures of the ravens or crows that have been hanging out back there, even though there are dozens, they seem to stick to the trees.

Bird plus thistle equals happy bird

I was doing dishes and looked out the window to see this bright yellow bird on the huge thistle plant near the deck. I am so bad at identifying birds, so i have no clue what kind it is, but i like it. I tend to let a couple thistles grow amoung the flowers and other plants in the yard, partly because i'm allergic to most plants and break out in hives if i touch them and partly for this reason. The wild birds seem to enjoy them. The purple flowers are pretty to look at too. I was about to put my camera away, when i noticed the other part of this bird couple. Not sure which is male and which is female, but i'll be posting the less colorful of the two next.

Wild bunny on deck

I was in the kitchen and i saw some movement out on the deck, i had my camera handy and tried to get some pictures of him or her. I didn't scare him, but he wasn't too pleased to see me so he went down the steps. I didn't get it in any of the photos, but he has a little white diamond on his forehead. Pretty cute.

It's been unseasonably cold the last few days, with temps in the 50s or 60s during the day and getting into the 40s at night. I saw on the news that we haven't had average weather most of spring and summer, its either much warmer or much cooler, doesn't linger in the middle. I kind of like it like this, cooler over warmer though. Especially when i'm feeling sick, it's nicer to crawl under blankets than sweat and be too hot.

Getting ready for the parade

For some reason people around here stake claims on spots for the parade that is happening today for River Falls Days. Growing up i don't remember this, but i didn't grow up around here, so maybe it's a local thing. People lay out blankets mostly, with some people putting up caution tape. This is outside of the post office, but this sight stretches all the way of the parade route and people start putting them out around a week before hand. Last night had storms, so i'm wondering how many were blown away or soaked with rain. I'm not a fan of this, it's ugly and lazy. Not to mention people bringing lawn chairs and other furniture when the parade actually starts. It's one thing if you can't stand for long periods, but it's almost solid chairs once the parade starts.

Quonset Hut, sort of

This is one of my favorite houses in town, although a bit small for my tastes, as the bunnies like having more room to run(yeah, that's the reason). It's a quonset hut that someone has modified quite a bit. I'm fascinated by it, and more than a bit curious what it's like inside. The funny thing is it's right next door to one that doesn't seem to have been modified at all. I don't know why, but River Falls seems to have quite a bit of modified houses like this for it's size. Someday i'll get a picture of the farm with a barn and silo that seem to have been altered a lot, i love those.