Bigger Dogs

Well, on the heels of opening my big mouth and relating how I had given up larger dogs for life, I adopted one recently.  Bentley is a floppy-eared, fuzzy-faced German Shepherd mix who is adorable and wonderful.  I read of him in a small Morgan Hill newspaper - how sweet he was, and how his former owner sobbed as he gave him up to move away for a new job and rented house that did not allow dogs.  Bentley looks older with his fuzzy beard, but he's just 1.8 years old.  I take him to the dog park six days a week for up to an hour to exercise and play with him, and give him the outdoor activity he needs and deserves as a healthy young dog.  He loves our two smaller dogs, but mostly loves hanging out with me all the time.  I'm indeed beyond having beautiful German Shepherd show dogs, but having a dog that attaches himself to me as the alpha person and gives me so much love and dedication is once again very special and rewarding - for both of us.  I saved his life in rescuing him from the shelter - and he saved mine in lifting my spirits and getting me back out to exercise and be active every day.  Our connection is very special, and I so love this dog.  More on him later, no doubt, down the road...

His colors blend nicely with the couch - uh, 

till Marsha gets home (shhh!)

Smaller Dogs

A few more thoughts and words on dogs, and some new renderings of Murphy and Scruffy - our two household K9 pals.   I always loved the way German Shepherds were so loving and adopted me as the Alpha person with their loyalty.  They were beautiful, fun, and gentle with kids and all my cats. There was, however, always an aloof trait to these dogs.  They didn't often make eye contact, and I sometimes imagined them gazing off in a daydream, seeing their ancestors and imagining the days when they ran wild and hunted prey for survival.  Furthermore, they have been so shamelessly inbred for dog shows in the last several decades that their bones and bodies have become brittle, and a purebred typically dies on you with one medical problem or another after 8 or 9 years - 10 or 11 if you're lucky.  Recently, I'd had enough of losing great friends and companions so quickly, and began to think about trying out some other kind of dog.  After decades of loving and living with the large German Shepherd breed, my wife and I rescued two small dogs three years ago.  They have grown into "larger small" sized dogs, and have been been fun to raise and train.  

I've newly discovered that small and medium/small dogs are quite different, yet at times marvelously engaging.  My two are not Alpha-attaching dogs, and will instantly give their love and affection to whomever has dog biscuits or dinner bowls in their hands.  Otherwise though, they generally love to hang with those who feed them most of the time and sometimes let them escape their crates and get up on the bed for a time.  Moreover, they'll look you in the eye, cower at times if you look displeased, yet get highly excited over sundry moments of approval.  They try to be lap dogs if you let them, then settle for sitting at your feet.  While it was probably just less obvious with my German Shepherds - seemingly endlessly loving and dedicated - these smaller breed dogs seem to more openly read and dial into to us, and demonstrate their thoughts and feelings with great expression.

Photographic Metaphors

Two Sunflowers, both photographed on the same day.  One strong and vibrant, the other weak and weathered.  I remember thinking as I encountered these two members of the Gilroy Gardens during that day that they seemed like a metaphor for life - and my photography.  Sometimes life - and my shooting results - are powerful and strong.  Sometimes life and the junk I find I got when I get home and review my photos are withered and lacking.  Photography, though,  much like life, is always filled with hope, and hope is what keeps us going.  To wit, I shall keep on keepin' on, getting up each day, putting one foot forward at a time, and hope and expect the best.  Similarly, I shall get out there with one camera or another, in varying conditions, and give my best effort to finding special scenes and capturing special shots, a few of which I hope are worthy to share, put up on my web sites, and/or occasionally print and put up at home or in a gallery show.  After all, it's the daily adventure, grind, and effort that we all love and enjoy as much as much as the outcome, even if we're disappointed some days.  

PS:  I share a few other favorite shots here too from some of the fun outings of June: Gilroy Gardens, Monterey, and dinner for my 11th Anniversary with Marsha, whom I've shared my life with for a total of 19 years now.  

Happy Shooting, everyone.

In ending May, 2013, observations herein about a few favorite photos taken during sundry experiences and outings.  I cherish the varying life experiences of each day, and the photo opportunities they bring.  As to this month's five photo entries:

As kids, best buddies are those who share in favorite pursuits - none greater than playing together on a baseball team.

Sidewalk scenes painted immediately on my camera - fun, and so telling of what amazing toys cameras of the 21st Century are just beginning to become.  They detect blinking and movement, edit on the fly, stitch multiple photos, apply textures, download their contents wirelessly, and much more.  I can't even imagine the camera of 2020, and likely by then will be too old and overwhelmed to understand or master all they can do.  Nevertheless, I forge on and hope to remain part of the game...

What's good about being old and weathered?  Nothing if you're an abandoned old truck, but as a person, I'm blessed to still have family and friends who care.

But speaking of the good old days, I offer a look at one of my good friend's ALBUM collection.  His stereo system cost more than my house, and he's one of the fun guys who loves and enjoys being stuck in the 20th Century.  I love it, and believe we all have special things of old we prefer over the so-called newest-and-best-things.

A small band playing in a coffee shop downtown where I live - common, and nice to count on when I drop down to enjoy the center of our community.  It's a special treat when you discover the performers are your next door neighbors, who never spoke of their talent and avocation!

See You Next Time...

the papaROYzzi

I only rode a horse once, on a slow walk through the woods in North Shore Lake Tahoe as a teenager on one of those pay-to-ride journeys with a group of folks.  I loved drawing horses when I was a kid, and couldn't wait to move to California from New England so I could work on a ranch.  Back then, we thought California was Hollywood and otherwise millions of miles of ranches - or vineyards.   Ironically, when I arrived in California in 1965, and ever since, horses have mostly been beautiful animals I've admired in far off fields as I drove by them, and little else.  I've rarely even stood next to a horse, nor petted or ever fed one.  

But then I did this photo shoot, on a ranch just a half mile down the street from my house.  I talked to the horses, petted them, fed one grass over the barbed wire fence, and marveled at the young newborn who was so playful but would not get too close.  Perhaps a missed opportunity in life, not having been involved at all with these lovely animals.  Nevertheless, I always loved them in movies, photos, paintings, TV shows, and now have a recent memory of engaging them a bit, albeit with my Nikon J1 camera.  The harsh afternoon light was challenging, but in some ways, rendered my friends in an angelic light.  See also my YouTube four-minute video from my brief shoot-out at this little ranch:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPULCXVahj4

the papaROYzzi

Some favorite shots from my 3rd shoot over the last few years at the Cantor Museum on Stanford Campus in Palo Alto, CA.  Much Rodin there:   two dedicated rooms within, the life-sized Burghers of Calais in the middle of the campus, and the famous sculpture garden, but oh, so much more art to see there.  I've been to a few museums over the years, and this one remains one of my favorites -- it's free, and it's amazing!

Yes, sculpture is my favorite form of art, and there's plenty of that at Cantor, but there are great rotating photo and painting exhibits to enjoy too.  With a cafeteria within to grab a bite, or the many great restaurants in nearby downtown, this is one of the best day-time outings one can have in the greater San Francisco Bay Area (for non-residents, Palo Alto is halfway between San Francisco and San Jose - a half hour from each, and a charming small city, but with one of the biggest and most noted colleges in the country in Stanford University).

Roy Hovey, the papaROYzzi

More Favorite Shots - these from February/March, 2013.  A trio playing in 

our local Morgan Hill Jazz venue, some shots from another outing at

the Morgan Hill Dog Park, and a wood man face and peeking deer from

an outing at Mt. Madonna Redwood Park outside Gilroy, CA.  Spring

has sprung, so some more colorful shots coming for next month.  Bottom

line again, though, is that we get out and shoot whenever and wherever

we can, usually resulting in some fun, good shots that I like, eventually!

Pocket Cameras?

What makes a good Pocket Camera?  They come in simple forms, with few buttons or settings to manage, and they now come with advanced features such as long zoom and manual settings on a dial.  What makes one good means different things to different people.  One thing I can say though, after using and reviewing many of them, is that all but one or two are really THE SAME.  How so?  Well, because they come with a really small image sensor - half the size of your pinky's fingernail - so the quality of the images they can capture is limited.  Nevertheless, they take good snapshots with the flash, up close, and take fairly good outdoor photos in good light. Photos look good on line, and you can make prints up to 11x 14 with the better pocket cameras and your best effort at shooting.  Moreover, they help chronicle your life adventures when being the only camera on hand.  Herewith, a few photos taken with my two pocket cameras. Fun stuff on these cameras often include many special effects options.  Two below include a beagle "painted" on camera, and a one-color effect. As they say, the best camera is the one you have with you, and a capable pocket camera on hand is always a good thing!