Monthly Archive for October, 2009

Action Shots!

I enjoy posting pictures from my mountain biking trips, but I am always wishing that they would more fully convey the thrill of the actual bike rides!

I upload posed group shots, guys putting the bikes back on the rigs, doing things at the cabin, and scenery shots, but nothing that really shows action.

Until now!

On last weekend’s ride, I strapped my camera to my chest, and turned on the video mode. While the videos are cool (for me anyway), they are very jerky and dizzy-making. So when I got home, I decided to go through them frame by frame and take screen captures of the trail when the camera was able to focus on something! There are some very interesting effects, and I am pretty happy with the way these pictures capture the action of mountain biking! (These portray the downhill part of the ride anyway—uphill is a different story!)

In case you were wondering, Photoshop was not used on any of these pictures!

Enjoy…

Now multiply that times 22 miles!

You may have noticed one or two very different shots in the middle of the slideshow… One is of the tree that my shoulder glanced off of! (The camera focused on it on the very left edge of the frame right before I hit it.) The next one is the image that the camera captured of the underside of my chin at the exact moment of impact!

My next post will contain the the more typical pictures from the weekend biking (and hiking!).

Cause and Effect

Cause (Friday afternoon work on the light in Dundee):

cause

Southbound effect:

effect1

The end of the line is in Newberg, over 2 miles away!

effect2

Northbound effect (the line is not quite as long):

effect3

effect4

A Colorful Message

People with homes near the ocean often decorate with cool nautical items.

flags

Of course, to satisfy my curiosity, I had to snap a photo of this house, and later look up “International Maritime Signal Flags” on Wikipedia to see what it says.

Here is one possible translation (using the International Code of Signals meanings):

“Keep clear of me, I am engaged in pair trawling. I have a pilot on board. I am altering my course to starboard. The way is off my ship. Man overboard! I am taking in, or discharging, or carrying dangerous goods. I repeat, I am taking in, or discharging, or carrying dangerous goods. I am altering my course to port. Negative. I am operating astern propulsion.”

Actually, I am sure the owner of this house is just spelling the family name.

Here’s the alphabet decoder:flags