Photo highlights from 2008

A moment in time....

A fleeting glimpse of a Yellow-Breasted Chat, the split second before a red-tailed hawk sinks it talons into its prey, 1/18th of second that for one means life or death, for the other means food or hunger. An old woman's time weathered, wrinkled hands cradling a baby bird that had fallen from its nest, or the smile on a child's face when they discover something new...
The hundredth second where lightning splits the air and washes the night in brilliant blue/white light, or the zenith of color painting clouds floating lazily in the evening sky from the setting sun casting hues of fire across the atmosphere. Things that will never, ever happen again, no matter how long you look you will never find the same thing again.
It all starts on a little star floating through space, and the light that bathes our planet, and provides the energy from all life 93 million miles away, we can sense it, we can feel it when it warms us, but we can not grab it, we can not out run it, we can hardly define what light it. It is particles, it is energy, it is waves.
But we can capture it. We can capture the life it creates, the energy it makes. We can capture the death it causes, we can capture its effects it has when the winds generated from light blows an autumn leaf across the sky. An infinite number of photons, all with different wave lengths and energies bounces off of, and passes through, or is absorbed by everything we see, and most of which we can not see. From Radio waves to Gamma rays, these photons surround us day and night, but I digress before I have to break out the physics equations like E=hf, which I admit I barely grasp! The speed limit of the universe is thought to be 186,000 miles per second, the speed of light. It is measured in time and distance, and we have the ability to stop both, at our will, and capture it all for as long as we choose to keep it.
The word photography comes from two Greek words that mean "writing with light." And photography is the poetry of three things: light, time and subject. Again, which will never be repeated on scientific level. This poetry can invoke fear, rage, sadness, joy, and love. And each persons perspective is different, what may make one person happy when they see a picture may enrage another.
So what is the difference between a photographer and someone who just takes pictures? Is it the equipment? Compared to my daughters pocket point and shoot camera, does my Digital SLR make me a photographer? Compared to the multi-thousand dollar digital SLR camera body a photo-journalist uses, does that make me a mere picture taker, and not a photographer?
Or perhaps it is in education and training. Is a person with a degree in visual arts more of a photographer than a person who has learned on their own and has an amazing ability to capture the perfect timing, light and subject just by their raw perception of what others find pleasing to the eye?
*"Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter. " ~Ansel Adams

*"No photographer is as good as the simplest camera." ~Edward Steichen

*"I never question what to do, it tells me what to do. The photographs make themselves with my help." ~Ruth Bernhard

When photography is looked at in this perspective, we are all artists in our own rights. We can express our thoughts, our fears, our hopes and dreams in a medium that any person anywhere can comprehend. It shatters all barriers of language, and speaks to everyone, and each person gets a different message.
The ability to capture a moment in time is gift we should all enjoy. One of my favorite quotes about photography: "If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn't need to lug around a camera." ~Lewis Hine

Waste Not or Hunt Not

It is no big secret that I grew up hunting, practically every male in my family did. Duck hunting was the vast majority of it, and it was an annual reunion of guys in my family from all across the country, and it was more about the comradery and practical jokes, and occasionally we would get a duck, and we used the duck, nearly all of it. The feathers were used to hand tie fishing flies for trout fishing in the spring in the mountains....
We were brought up to respect nature, and to take ONLY what we would use, hunting was not for trophies to stick on a wall, and I admit, growing up there were times when hunting actually provided the meat for some members of our extended family that would otherwise go with out.
A few years back I traded in my shotgun for a Nikon, and I still duck hunt, I still dress in head to toe on occasion in camouflage, and trek through slushy marshes in 15 degree weather in the hopes of getting one good shot... Only now with a camera...
Which is why I am sickened by the behavior of a particular neighbor of mine, and I had taken pictures to post, be declined to do so.
For the Second year in a row, this "hunter" has taken a deer. (in this case the buck is so small it is more like a German Shepard with some twigs in its head) And for the second year in a row, this majestic, and beautiful creature has been laying in their front yard for 3 days now. Cut open and gutted, it spent two days draped across a picnic table with its legs stretched towards the heavens stiff as a board with its tongue dangling out the side of its mouth, and its fur drenched with matted blood from what is obviously a poor Field dressing job.
Last year, a doe, a deer, a female deer (could not resist singing the song in my head) layed out in the front yard for weeks partially covered with a ragged blue tarp, which did nothing to combat the smell of rotting flesh.
Aside from the sight of a dead, deer laying on a picnic table, abdomen butchered open, laying out for 3 days (and probably many more days to come), and the smell that goes along with it after it had been hung from a tree by hooks through its back legs, and the throat slit so all the blood can drain out it into the yard, the fact this guy has no intentions of using any of the meat (which went bad shortly after not being properly butchered the day it was taken) all he is interested in is placing another deer head on the walls of his house which are all ready covered in dozens of deer, opossum, racoons, coyote, ground hogs, fox, beaver, and a chicken (yes a taxidermy chicken graces the wall of the living room).
This wanton destruction of a life, for no reason at all outside of a cheaply and poorly done trophy, is the paramount of disgusting.
I always felt bad when I took a duck, or the occasional squirrel, but I used as much as possible of the animal, wasting very very little. What could not be consumed or reused was generally used to fertilize garden plots. (nothing makes 'maters grow better than burying left overs from cleaning fresh fish below where you will be planting the next spring, at least until the mercury levels got to high in our lakes and rivers)
My lovely wife, who had all ready had enough off seeing this poor deer by Saturday afternoon had went ahead and called the health department this morning, and was actually laughed at. Of course, the health inspectors will probably not be laughing too much when the come out next week and have to deal with the stench associated with 160 pounds of rotting meat. But if one were to ask the mighty hunter, the rotting process makes it easier to get the skin off of it so he can stuff the head and put it on his wall. Of course, the other 155 pounds of bone, skin, fur, meat will be tossed into his city garbage can after being chopped up with an ax so it can all fit in the can..

A helping hand?

http://www.newsandtribune.com/homepage/local_story_318132012.html?keyword=leadpicturestory

Every one who followed this blog for a while is familiar with the story of the "Family" where members of the local blog sphere came together to help the poor family who were on the verge of losing everything.
A free education was donated to the mother as a dental hygienist, and a good paying job was simply waiting on the final state exam for dental assistant, which the mother passed all of the practice written and practical exams with all aces...
Lo and Behold, the day of the final state exam, which was less strenuous than the practice tests, she dropped out of the class, the reason, things were busy with her job as taxi driver...
A little later on my wife and I had learned, to our disgust, the money raised to help cover rent and deposits, utilities, and groceries were completely wasted on booze and cigarettes for the parents, and reportedly a substantial portion of clothing for the 3 children were returned to the stores either for cash, or if the stores offered in store credit and sold cigarettes and booze, the clothing changed from coats and jackets to Marlboro's and Miller Lite. (not even good beer!)
Today to my surprise, the front page of the evening news is a sprawling picture of the mom, seated outside the emergency shelter in Jeffersonville, talking about how she is going to continue feeding and sheltering her children if the emergency shelter goes under at the end of the year as predicted. A horrible situation for the children to be in, and yet, there she is, smoking a cigarette while wondering how to feed and clothe her children...
HELLO!! WHAT ABOUT THE FREE EDUCATION YOU PISSED AWAY AND THE JOB THAT WAS WAITING ON YOU WITH FULL BENEFITS, GOOD PAY, AND A FUTURE?
Listen, my attentive audience of 4 or 5 readers, I have been around the block a time or two. Worked 8 years as a reserve police officer in New Albany sometimes putting in 40 hours a week on top of a regular job, I have worked EMS, both public and in private injury prone industries, and have been chin deep in social work for nearly 10 years now, and I have NEVER seen anything that sickens me more than this story.
To see them on the front page of the paper, outside the emergency shelter, talking about the trials and tribulations of have to feed and provide shelter for the children, but making damn sure you have a cigarette hanging out of your mouth!

VETERANS DAY

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Good Day at the Zoo!

Fall Mornings

Politics suck, they can drain the life right out a person. All of the he said, she said, finger pointing and mudslinging....
Fortunately an escape is close by, find a lake in the country on a misty morning and just sit and watch the sun rise........

Oh deer!

Perhaps the city is planning on using it for a cool Halloween prop, or perhaps its because of budgetary constraints, what ever the reason, I find it a little disturbing that a large doe was hit by a car on 8th street just south of the railroad underpass several weeks ago, and its bloated dead body is still lying next to road.

This is not a random opossum that will dry out and flatten out to the point it could used as a Frisbee in few days, we are talking about a DEER!

Of course, I do truly feel sorry for the poor sap sent to clean up when they do get around to it, another halfway warm day or so and she will be ready to pop!

Open House!

On Wednesday October 29, 2008 between the hours of 11:00am and 1:00pm the Family Health Center of Clark County will be hosting an open house at the new facility located 1319 Duncan Avenue in Jeffersonville. (adjacent to Clark Memorial Hospital).

The Public is invited to stop by and have a look around!

Also, interested persons can purchase raffle tickets for the above pictured handmade rug called "celebration" where the proceeds go towards funding for the centers BCCP program (breast and cervical cancer program). The drawing will be held during the open house, for more information you can call 812-283-2308.

Sunday Morning Muscatatuck

I'll just let the pictures say everything...

Loop Island (Thanks Steve, Ann & Rosie)

After a tip from the kind folks over at Diggin in the Dirt, we ventured down to Loop Island wetlands Sunday Morning, and it was definately worth it:

Humming Bird By Charity

Double Crested Cormorant taking off

Great Egret Flying

"Shore Party!"

Great Egrets, Blue-winged teal, Great Blue Herons, and Hen Mallards

Killdeer

Fall is here....

By far my favorite season! I would suggest to the few followers of this blog to take the time to get out there in the world, and you don't have to drive far to experience some of the best mother nature has to offer....

And sometimes, more often than it should happen, we get not so subtle reminders that we are but stewards of this amazing world, it does not belong to us, we only borrow it from our children and the animals which live here with us, and we are NOT doing a very good job....

" Do I leave Animal Carcasses in your living room?"

Other blogs have covered the damage of the windstorm rather well, and I too, had made the tour with camera in hand, but this I absolutely loved. A lot of people know about the herd of deer at the radio towers on grant line road (if you dont, all you have to do is drive by right before the sun goes down, and usually you can three to eight deer, bucks, does, and yearlings)

This particular group of deer pictured above can be found in the early morning hours on Coes Lane, just off of Charlestown road. I have never seen them after 7:30am, but have seen them more often than not if I drive down Coes lane before 7:15. Look for them on the left side of the road if you are driving away from Charlestown road just before the first bend in the road.

Another scene, which of course, I did not have my camera for this morning were three raptors all in a row, lined up from big to small, a red tailed hawk, a red shoulder hawk, and an American Kestral. Reminded me of one of those commercials "more bars in more places".

Hope the clean up is going well for everyone, and please try and help out a neighbor!!

Every Cloud...Er wind has a silver lining

5 large grills filling the electric free air with the wafting aroma of steak, burgers, BBQ chicken, sausage, hamburgers and dogs....
Children laughing and playing, adults talking and relaxing, and EATING like there was no tomorrow.
From about 5pm to late into the night that was the scene here in the neighborhood. The meat from freezers that was about to be lost was lined up, seasoned, and slapped on charcoal and gas grills, before too long, what started off as a way to be able to keep the meat a little longer should the power not come back on, turned into a no-electric post hurricane winds, block party.
After the trees blocking the street were cleared, and the fireworks provided by the exploding transformers had banged its last bang, it was time to relax, and what the hell, there was no TVs with the exception of two small battery powered TVs, a battery powered radio.
What could have been a total disaster, at least in this neighborhood turned into something good. Connections were made, dialogs were started, and a few running problems were solved over paper plates full of steaks and hot dogs.
By the time the last chunk of cow came off the grill, and no one could possibly eat anymore, everyone was relaxed, and ready for bed. At least if nothing else, it knocked quite a few hours out of what was to be a long and VERY dark, and eerily quiet night. Some of the neighbors hung outside until about 2am or a little later, and when the sun came up, we were all back out there helping each other clean up.....
Its just a shame it took a storm like this to bring this neighborhood back together, but at least it happened....

St. Mary of the Annunciation

Built in 1853, it would appear that the remnants of Hurricaine Ike has severely damaged one of New Albanys most beautiful churches, the steeple as of monday at 2:30 was being held up by a pair of cranes and was leaning badly towards 8th street.
For more information on the church: http://www.stmarysna.org/index.html

First Real Day Out In A While

Its been a little while since I could go out trekking around on foot for hours taking a hike with my camera, and the wait was rewarding today....

Photo #1 A Juvenile Osprey, one of Five currently hanging out at the falls of the Ohio.
A Black Vulture, one of hundreds who have been down there, this guy was nearly close enough to reach out and grab.
A double crested Cormorant Juvenile, one of a pair who was swimming and flying around. Usually these guys are extremely wary of people and do not often get close enough for a good shot.
My all time favorite "shore bird", the green heron, he and I ended up playing a game of Hide and Seek, he decided if he hid in a cherry tree I would not be able to find him.
One of the neatest things I have seen in a long time, this wood spider was trudging her brood of young across the fossil beds of the Falls of the Ohio. Every time she would stop dozens of baby spiders would crawl off of her back and scurry around, when it was time to move on, they would all climb on her back and she would run off, I watched her do this for about 25 yards.

Preparing for Enhanced Code Enforcement Opposition

Photo Ops

The evenings are cooling off, and the flocking and migration of the birds have begun, which affords excellent opportunities to get some pictures of birds that are refreshingly greeted like friends who only stop by once a year:
The Number of Raptors hanging out should start increasing as fall approaches, this red-shouldered hawk will be in the same place nearly every morning on the way to work. When he is not out, a red tailed hawk more than likely will be....

Wood Duck and teal will start increasing in numbers, though the wood duck will not be in their best dress, they are still none the less a very beautiful bird....

Common Nighthawks are passing through now, where you find Chimney Swifts and Swallows twisting and turning in the air, right now you will probably find these guys as well. A very Aerobatic bird, their speed and grace is amazing. Look for them in in and among the previously mentioned birds, they will be about the size of a blue jay, with very distinctive white bands on the outer edge of their wings...

The Great Egrets will be passing through as well, and soon following them there will be a return of the large numbers of Great Blue Herons, followed by my favorite migratory birds who come to southern Indiana, the massive flocks of Sandhill Cranes that will cover Muscatatuck and Ewing Bottoms outside Seymour....

Sad....

I feel really guilty, the last time I saw Jim Hollis at the "corner store" near our neighborhood, I ducked out before talking to him, and I did so on purpose, as I was running late to work.
Mr. Hollis died this past Saturday, and his funeral is tomorrow. A long time council member, and a contender in the last primary elections, and he was a contender with his home made election signs. The little man could talk the ears off of a mule, but he always did so trying to do his best to serve the interests of this city. He was an old school politician who believed in face to face one on one campaigning, and he seemed to actually care.
Sorry I snubbed you last time I saw you Mr. Hollis, may you rest in peace.

The Next Great Debate

Soon, I am sure the great debate of Take Home Patrol Cars will come up in the great chambers of city hall. And there are many people who feel that the very act of a police officer having a 24 hour patrol car is an abuse of authority, and waste of tax payer money, etc.
But let me relate to you a little story, and we will have to reach back into some antiquity to set the stage right.....
One summer night, what seems like a lifetime ago, two police officers had just finished their tour of duty on second shift. One of them the shift Sergeant, the other was the shift Corporal. Just as they had done for God knows how long, they went to the police headquarters to turn in the patrol car, the huge bulky two way radios for the next shift to use. The climbed into a soft top 1976 Jeep CJ-7, grey with silver stripes, they carpooled to work as these two officers lived right down the street from each other.
On the way home, they stopped at what was then "the state street store", to pick up a few things. The walked through the doors of the store right into the middle of an armed robbery. Now this was back in the days before our officers had bullet proof vests, semi-automatic pistols, etc...
The Sergeant was reportedly greeted with 12 gauge shotgun, and immediately gunfire broke out, thankfully, neither officer was hit, nor was the store clerk, but if memory serves me correctly, all three suspects were wounded, one with a shot to the face, one with multiple shots to his upper leg, and the third, memory eludes me as to his injuries.
In the moments after the shooting, and right before the shooting these two officers were alone, no radio to call for backup, no patrol car with a 12 gauge of their own to match firepower, no extra ammunition outside of the 18 shots, 6 in the revolver, and 12 on the belt.
It took a little while for back up to get there, to seal the scene and get the wounded to hospital, it takes time to match up a set of keys on a peg board to a car parked outside the station, precious seconds that can cost lives.
These two Officers were Sergeant Bruce Drake, and Corporal Mike Helms, both of which are gone now, if they were here, they could both attest to the importance of take home cars. Because not too long after that incident the city had purchased a handful of used dodge aspen 6 cylinder cars slapped some monstrously large light bars on the top and dressed them up with the insignia that clearly labeled them as New Albany Police cars, brandished with a proud "24 Hour Patrol" on the sides.
Nothing truly of note happened in the years following the shooting, a few major accidents of the highways, severe weather incidents, large fires which required extra officers to ensure that the city was properly covered.
That is until July 27Th, 1996 John Ingle walked into Tommy Lancaster's restaurant and shot his wife, Debbie, to death with a .45 caliber handgun. Officer Russ Witt responded to the scene and had went after the suspect on foot. Officer Witt was shot 5 times with that .45 caliber pistol, and was left basically to die.
This time around, there WERE take home cars, and the turn out of Officers was immediate, Officer Witt was taken to the hospital were he eventually recovered from his wounds, with the exception of on .45 slug that had to stay in his back.
An intensive man hunt began, and the area was effectively sealed off, leaving virtually no escape route for Ingle, who was soon captured.
We have had other incidents in this city where Officers have needed immediate assistance, and the community needed more than the four or five officers on the street to resolve the situations, The stabbing of Officer Laura Shook, the shooting of Officer Dannie Price, and the Murder of Officer Denzinger and serious wounding of Officer White, both from the Floyd County Police Department.
Yes, it costs money to have take home cars, and yes there will always be those who criticise everything the police do.
But we do not even have the luxury of having a police force that has the proper number of Officers as that relates to the population, and quite frankly shit happens. What is the cost this community is willing to pay to save money? An officer being wounded, or killed, or people who need help right at shift change having to wait for officers to find their assigned patrol car, transfer all the equipment that modern law enforcement requires into the car?
Those who would seek to do away with take home cars would probably be the first to raise holy hell if their call for help was delayed, or if their loved one was in need of immediate assistance, and in an effort to save money, there simply were not enough officers available to get the job done.........

Out Of Commission

A few million of my platelets in my bloodstream decided they were bored and decided to get together to hang out in a vein just off of the greater saphenous vein in my upper right leg.
As a result of this platelet party, I have been ordered in bed for the next few days or so.
Not that rational thought is easily obtained with plenty of vicodin on board. (Hate that damn stuff, but this is one attitude having phlebitis)
Be back soon, that is if Floyd memorial does not require my soul as payment for the services rendered.

Enhanced Code Enforcement Meeting

The first true "discovery" meeting regarding enhanced code enforcement has occurred, and I actually feel encouraged of the perspective changes this committee will bring to our city.
My hopes are that the rental collective who were there, collecting names and numbers to have other investment property professional join ranks with them, are not going to fight every measure, every step of the way. Indications from the statements made by Harrison would indicate that they may in fact do so.
I did take particular note of Councilman Prices comments referring to our code enforcement officer as "a Barney Fife with a clip board and pen"... That too is a little discouraging.
What the members of this committee need to realize and focus on is the laws are all ready in place, well seasoned and have stood the test of time. What fundamentally has been lacking, which has brought us to this point, is the enforcement of such codes by the various governmental departments whose job it is to do so.
Inevitably, this will again lead to the need of a City Court, where the work of Pam Badger, and the yet to be named Second Code Enforcement Officer can be followed up on, and proper fines dispensed, or further legal actions taken if need be. We can no longer rely on a system where repeated letters are mailed, trying to threaten a neglectful property owner into compliance.
And yes a VERIFIED registration program for rental properties will help some, until they start realizing some of the registers are no more than intangible ghost names. There also needs to be inspections done, if the property is keep up to minimum codes, the property owners have nothing to worry about, if it is NOT up to code, the subsequent re-inspections is where fees should be instituted. Let the Slumlords pay for the program, NOT the law abiding Landlords who keep their properties clean , safe and inhabitable.