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Encore for, and from, Ray Price

It was just last week that I was recalling to someone my memory of my Ray Price experience from a number of years ago. I looked up to see if Mr. Price was still alive, and was glad to see he was. I read today that the world lost him yesterday.

In 2003, I was a stagehand and lighting designer/operator working at an area casino. I knew that he was old, but that was about it. I didn’t really have any expectations of the two shows he was set to do, but it wasn’t long in to the first show that I knew I was experiencing something special.

Today I don’t recall a lot about the shows. What has stuck with me though is that he was 77 years old and still touring. If that weren’t enough, when I look back at all the performers who came through there, he outperformed a fair share of them, including some of the big name ones who were half his age.

I understand that even after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year, he still wanted to do a hundred shows this year. I think that is amazing.

So here’s an encore for, and from, Mr. Price, recorded live from one of those shows in 2003.

For The Good Times by Ray Price

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So many icons

I have to think it was planned this way.  Things like this don’t happen by accident. The amazing foresight in some of the monuments in our Nation’s Capitol is stunning, if one finds them.

I’ve noticed a few, and I no doubt walked by many others with notice.  I found this gem at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.  Since I haven’t found any other photos like it, I have to think it is somewhat of a secret.  That’s understandable as you can only see it in one spot and move your head half an inch one way or the other and you’ll miss it.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Washington, DC
March 24, 2013

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Who’s Hunting Who?

I’ve been wanting to shoot a hawk for some time now, and so when I found this guy (or gal) sitting up in the oak tree in Kelli’s back yard just watching Kelli’s neighbor shovel snow, I went for it.  I didn’t take long for him to spy my bright orange jacket though and he flew off before I was ready.  (Note to self: get camera ready in the house.)  I followed him around the neighborhood for a few minutes as he (or she) flew from tree to tree.

Unfortunately I had the 1.4 teleconverter on which doesn’t focus very fast.  But I was surprised to see any really turned out since I was manually focusing in the below zero temperature.  Most taken at about 560mm and are heavily cropped.

January 18, 2012

[Click pics to enlarge]

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My First Time-Lapse

I got to try out my new, nifty, camera timer for the first time a few weeks ago while out hunting.  Among other things, it allows me to program how many pictures to take and how often to take them, in order to be able to make them in to a time-lapse video.

I really didn’t plan this out; I only came up with the idea of shooting this location about 30 minutes before I did it.  I didn’t have a lot of time to pick the best angle or check the sensor for dirt as I needed to get out in the woods for the last 90 minutes of hunting.

In the first few seconds, you’ll see me walking out to my hunting stand.  About 25 seconds in to it, you can see deer run across the field, and if you watch close in the last few seconds, you can see the blur of me and another hunter walking out.  We’re blurred because of the long shutter speeds needed to expose a photo at dusk.

This is 704 photos taken over 2 hours and 5 minutes.  Camera: Canon 30D

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Wicked Storm

Two down from Kelli’s. Everyone is OK. With three trees in striking distance, Kelli’s house is OK. The huge (1″+) acorns must have been like bullets though as there are shredded leaves plastered to the siding. Mom & Dad a few blocks down lost half of their 5″ tree. The old part of town just a few blocks away (where I grew up) may not be so lucky though. Mailman came by Kelli’s about fours hours early because he said he couldn’t get down any streets in that part of town. Another round of weather is supposed to be on its way…

Police officer checking in. The white stuff is attic insulation.



The driveway below the grassline is Kelli’s.

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Peaceful, easy Jim.

I didn’t see my Uncle Jim very often and when I did, we didn’t really talk much. It wasn’t because of any friction or anything like that we didn’t talk, but rather because I just didn’t know what to talk about. I’m not much of a deep conversationalist at times.

But when I last saw him on Mother’s Day at Mom & Dad’s house, I purposely sat down next to him for a while and we had a nice conversation. He was interested in the portraits hanging on Mom & Dad’s wall that I had taken last year of Kelli and I, and my brothers family. Having gained some confidence in taking portraits and wanting to share that talent with others, I offered to take he and his wife’s sometime this summer, once they picked out a spot. Little did I imagine that we wouldn’t get that opportunity.

Jim died unexpectedly today, way too early, in his mid-sixties. He was a peaceful, seemingly easy-going guy, and I noticed that the sky seemed to be the same tonight, as if he was using his talents as a painter, to paint the sky. So I took a moment to snap a photo, in remembrance of him.

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