ABC Wednesday - B is for Basketball

B is for Basketball.............








If I hadn't told you what this was in the title, would you have known it was a basketball? A very much overplayed one at that.

The leather covering was peeling off, but those black rubber lines were just as they were when they were brand new.

There are basket balls that made to use in the court, and there are those that are made to use in the street.

This one did a lot of playing in the backyard - all dirt and rocks. It certainly took a beating, but it still held the air and was just as bouncy as ever.

By taking a macro shot of it, it took on an abstract appearance with interesting textures.

The boys were happy to retire it when it was replaced with a new one.



This is the third round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.


Please visit the original post on Photography by KML.

Marine Patrol Boat

Marine Patrol





This is not a very good photo technically, but I do find it interesting for the story it tells.

It is a Marine Patrol boat that keeps the traffic in the bay under control and is also on the lookout for anything suspicious.

It is hard to see in this image, but mounted on the bow of this boat is a machine gun.

I can't say I would want to be that boat in front of him, even though the gun seems to aimed up in the air at the moment.

This boat went by a couple of times as we were fishing at the point. I think if he had been going a bit slower, I could have panned my camera to get a better image in this low light.

I also never use the autofocus on my lens, I only use manual focus. I can see where the AF feature would have helped take a sharper photo with all this fast action.

I also only had my 35-80mm lens on the camera. The 80-210 mm would have been much better to get a closer shot.

But then I got to thinking afterwards perhaps the larger lens was not a good idea - it is a government security boat, and I wouldn't want to be considered "suspicious".

Fitness Sandals

Fitness Sandals







There is a new kind of footwear on the market, and they look to be very comfortable.

They are designed to help you tone and trim your leg muscles as you walk.

They are called Fit flops and they are built with a work-out enhancing effect that actually helps you loose weight.

You are using your calf and thigh muscles to help you keep balance while walking in these wobbleboard engineered shoes.

By using these muscles more, you are burning more calories that in effect helps drop the pounds.

Sounds like you get twice as much out of a walking workout - what a great incentive to get moving!

ABC Wednesday - A is for Amethyst

A is for Amethyst.............






Welcome to the third round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

I love collecting rock crystals in their natural, raw state.

This is a beautiful piece of purple Amethyst that is used to make jewelry such as rings, necklaces, and earrings.

It is a violet form of a quartz crystal, and it is considered a semi-precious stone when cut and polished in a piece of jewelry.

It is the birthstone for the month of February.

This piece is in it's raw state which means it hasn't been removed from the rock that it was formed in many millions of years ago.

It doesn't show in the photo, but the rock is still on the bottom of this piece.

The purple color is most beautiful when the sun is shining through it.


Please visit the original post on Photography by KML.

Weighing Our Options

Weighing Our Options








I use a desktop computer for all my daily work and to process my photos.

I have had this PC for over six years now, and it is getting pretty full - even with the two external hard drives I have attached to it.

I have been giving thought to a laptop computer this time and have done some searching around.

When I Compare Notebooks to Desktops, I have found the prices to be pretty much the same.

There is also not a big difference with what each one has to offer for memory, storage, and speed.

Since I will be going for a more robust system than the normal computer user, I really need to shop around for the the best deal.

Processing photos uses a lot of memory and a fast processor is a must - those are the most costly things in a new system.

We will continue to weigh our options to see what is best for us.

Hand Tied Flies

Hand Tied Flies








I have seen many hand tied flies for fly fishing, but I have never seen such a beautiful collection as the ones in this tray.

The ones I have seen in the past are usually the small ones tied on a tiny hook, and the colors are usually shades of brown and dark green.

These fluffy, brightly colored flies are huge - some are on double hooks.

The feathers are just beautiful and they are tied perfectly to make the shape of the insect the artist is portraying.

After adding some hair or fur or some shiny threads, the artist either paints an eye or glues one on the end.

I am told the flies can be dried after being used, and can be reused many times.

If they were mine, I couldn't bear the thought of getting them wet, much less chomped on by a hungry fish.

I have a few other images that I will post later - some macros that show the fine details.

Ocean Waves

Ocean Waves








I can remember spending many hours at the beach as a youngster. The most fun was spent in the water - running and playing in the waves as they splashed ashore.

We would watch as they began to form farther out, and we would wait for a big one to come along. Then we would catch a ride on it before it began to crest and eventually break and crash along the shore.

Last summer when we visited the beach, we saw some teens being pulled by Ronix wakeboards behind the back of a boat. When they were done being pulled, they would ride the board into shore. We would have loved to do that when we were young!

We checked out a couple of their boards, and were surprised to find them really lightweight and well constructed. They told us their unique shape and ridges really gave a smooth, fun ride.

If only we were thirty years younger!