Another Delco Guy In South Jersey

Wordless Wednesday

Snow in Medford!

I slept in a bit today and woke to the sound of ice pebbles on the window glass. The snow here in Medford has begun to change over to icy rain. I'd say we ended up with a bit less than two inches.

Not much, but just enough to coat the ground and make everything look petty!

Wordless Wednesday - August 17, 2011

 

 

Wordless Wednesday - July 18, 2007

Holy Cow! It Snowed!

We've got an unexpected coating of snow here in Medford! Be careful and take your time on the way to work!

A New Day

  It started as just a hint of pink over the trees across the creek.

Then built into a glow in the trees that became a ball of orange.

Unfortunately, before the sun came over the trees, the clouds rolled in and all we got was a bright gray morning.

Still, the bright gray is better than the cold darkness and we've got the day underway!

Wordless Wednesday

Emma Does Some Writing

Emma has managed to find a quiet moment after the happy chaos of last night to begin writing her letter to Santa.  It's a really sweet moment for me as a dad so be sitting her happily sipping my coffee and watching her.

It's in the noises and movements of children that there is peace.  I hope that you are all enjoying your time with family and friends as we go through the annual parties, gatherings and rituals leading up to the holidays. 

While the kids play in Swarthmore, Uncle Kevin and I are headed over to Brookhaven to put up the lights at my parents.  Then it's back to Medford for some snuggling time on the couch in front of the tree.

Have a great day!

Wordless Wednesday

Philly is Still Occupied - For Now

Dilworth Plaza is still an occupied camp as of lunch time today, with about half as many tents in evidence than there were 2 weeks ago. 

I took a walk on this beautiful late November Monday, enjoying the bright blue sky and what is probably the last day we will see with 60 degree temperatures until April.  There were throngs of people out walking the Center City Philadelphia sidewalks, and lots of them were headed over to Dilworth Plaza, site of the Occupy Philly encampment.

Since the group was supposed to be out by late yesterday, some of the Occupiers have moved on.  Others are very much  still there.  Signs up around the plaza note that the Occupy Philly group plans to move to a number of decentralzied locations once the inevitable forcible eviction begins.

The mix of hard-core homeless to hard-core activist is about 50-50 right now, with several dozen of each group milling around quietly.  Police and media are prominently present.  There is a much quieter air than I have seen before, no bullhorns or group chants, no music or any really signs of energy.

Warm food was being distributed, a few folks were packing up, and mostly people were sitting around, waiting to see what is going to happen next.  I didn't bring my Canon on my walk today, as the big camera attracted some unwanted attention on my last visit.  Instead, I snapped today's photos with my HTC Thunderbolt camera.  Many others were doing the same thing, documenting what it seems may be the final day that Occupy Philly calls Dilworth Plaza home.

Changes At Occupy Philly

Yesterday I took a bit of a walk at lunch and headed over to the Occupy Philly encampment at Dilworth Plaza, adjacent to Philadelphia City Hall.  I have visited four times since the occupiers took root there in September.

There has been some news lately, as just after the election, Mayor Nutter took to the airwaves to declare that the Occupy Philly group had changed, and that given the change he was going to have to start dealing with them differently.  Nutter noted issues with public health and safety as well as the group's refusal to move to an area across the street to allow a planned renovation of the Dilworth Plaza site to begin.

The Occupy Philly folks on the other hand have shot back that they have not changed, but rather it's Nutter that has been on the move.  Various Occupy Philly members made statements in stark contrast to the Mayor Nutter's allegations.  And, predictably, there were some folks in the middle, not sure who was right as the movement heads into the winter.

From my visit, I have to say that the encampment is distinctly different than it was in late summer.  Then it seemed like a large portion of the group were college students enjoying the warm nights and permissive atmosphere rather than having to stay in their dorm rooms.  When I visited during the day, the core group was a combination of aging hippies,  some homeless people, a group of hard-core activists and a sprinkling of young people.  All of those folks were there in the evening hours too, but there was also a night-time influx of vocal college aged-students, suspiciously clean for folks allegedly living outside.

Things have changed a lot in the last few weeks.  The population of hard-core homeless is much greater.  There are obviously people there up to no good.  Most of the college students are gone.  Many of the older folks have moved on as well.  The police presences is decidedly more edgy. The place has the look and smell of a homeless encampment; it does not feel like a political movement from my perspective. 

My photos don't show the change as much as they should.  I didnt take as many this time and I definitely was careful who I shot.  For the first time, I was subjected to open hostilty as I walked among the tents.  There were areas where I not only didn't feel welcome, but I didn't walk though because they did not appear safe.  It's also clear that there are concerns among those camping there about safety. 

I am not sure what the future is for Occupy Philly.  Will it be cleared away by force like Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Oakland?  Will they move across the street to the area suggested by the city?  With the movement continue to with as the temerature drop anonly those experienced with sleeping outside in a Philadelphia winter are willing to stay?

Whatever happens, I do feel like it will be happening soon.

Delco Sunset

I am a sunset guy.  I will pull over on the side of the road to watch the amazing play of pinks and purples across the sky on summer evenings or pull on a coat and watch the golds dance on a cold winter afternoon.  I take a lot of sunset photos, some that look like an inferno is engulfing the earth, some where the sun just disappeared into the desert twilight, some others that certainly show the face of god, a few that illuminated special moments and some where the world seemed near an end.

Yesterday as the sun was setting on the Eagles' season, Dan Walklett said, "You should get your camera."  I am glad he did.  All my life I have enjoyed taking photos, somtimes alone, some times prompted by others, sometimes with someone special at my side. 

I've never seen to that were the same and yet I alwasy have the same thought. "What a great way to end a day."  Regardless of how bad the day way, a good sunset can always make it better.  This time of year it's a little tough with the sun setting before I get out of work, but that just gives me another reason to look forward to the weekend!

Medford Halloween Parade

Burlington County came out in throngs tonight for Medford's annual Halloween parade.  Postponed from yesterday due to the wild weather, the party was in full swing tonight, as children filled their baskets with candy, classic cars rolled down Main Street, candidates pressed the flesh and floats of all sorts lit up the night.

I'm not sure how I have missed this event in my 10 years living in South Jersey.  It was way more fun that I would have thought possible for a cold Sunday evening.  While certainly a night for the kids, the folks at Braddock's Tavern also made sure the adults had libations. There was music and dancing and I'm glad I stirred from my nap in time to get over to the fun.  All the photos are on my Flickr site.

Whoever planned the event also had it wrap up at 8:20, so we could all get home to watch the Eagles smack the Cowboys around.

Good Morning From Medford, NJ!

We have a great sunrise here to start our day. I hope you have a great week!

Phils Set To Close It Out

While some might argue that it would be better for the Phils to drop today's 4th game of the NLDS in St. Lois, so they can win it here at home in front of the CBP faithful, I am here to tell you the Phils will win tonight and end this nailbiter of a series.  They've done everything possible to create interest and buzz in the first round of the playoffs, but this one is only going 4 games folks.

They've come from behind, blown a big lead, and hung on by their fingernails in the first three games.  I recommend stocking up on the Xanax and Pepto for tonight's tilt as well.  Oswalt looked great in his last start, but the Phils' bats, especially at the bottom of the line up could use a wakeup call. 

The Texas Rangers have already taken one Cinderella out of the playoffs, dispatching the Rays, who dropped 3 straight after opening the series with a win.  Now it's time for the Phils to end the Cardinals season and rest up for the NLCS.

It's great being in town right now, with the seas of red on the sidewalks, the bridges decked out and encouraging the home team and a giant jersey making its way around town.  I made it down to the staggeringly difficult Game 2, but sadly I have a work commitment, so I will miss out on the action, but thank goodness for my HTC Droid Thunderbolt.

Go Phils!

Enjoying the Maine Life

The family has gathered here in Maine for another summer vacation.  We've had 30 or so years up here so far in various houses near Kennebunkport.  As a neighbor said yesterday, "Oh you've got Maine blood in you now."

We can find things to do on days that are a bit cool and gray like yesterday.  A bit of shopping in Freeport or Kittery, some biking or a quick, fully-clothed run on the beach all fill the day nicely.  Take out lobster dinner, reading books, debating reality TV and watching kids play Wii rounds out the evening.

There will be a better day for the beach, a warmer night to go to town.  After 30 years we know that it's ok to sit at home for a night.  It's part of the reason we're here.

My brother Matt, who's getting married to his sweetheart Heidi this week, and I talked about the pull of Maine on our family last week.  We agreed it's a romance with a place.  WIth the tight clean lines of the houses, the gray rocks and cold water along the beaches, the colorful shops, good beer and crowded sidewalks.  It's where we come to renew and recharge, take photos and listen to music, write in journals and devour novels.

The air is cleaner, the people more open, the sunsets just a little bit brighter. Sure there are mosquitoes, and racoons in the trash and family all on top of each other, but it's ok because we're here in a place we all came to love in our own way and time. 

Sunset in Mount Laurel

This beautiful scene greeted me from my deck this afternoon.  It's a fitting end to a day that featured me running hither and yon, first to work then to PTA conferences and now resting at home.

I still have not adjusted to the time change and getting home in the dark, so it's nice to be here a bit early today and watch the sun go down over the back forty.

The First Day of School

I've long thought the first day of school should be a national holiday. Given the number of posts from Mommy bloggers today, it seems that many folks either took the day off (me), or were a bit late making it into the office.

After I was informed that it was 'geeky' to wait for the bus with my newly-minted middle-schooler John, I retreated to telephoto lens distance to document his wait for the bus. Not wanting to completely mortify him, I skipped shots of him actually getting on the bus, and settled for a few during his 20 plus minute wait for Mount Laurel Schools Bus #1. He's the last kid to board and apparently some of the other parents did not show my restraint in capturing the morning's activities. Thus the delay.

As our bus (both kids ride the same bus, just about an hour apart) sped off, Emma finished up her breakfast and got herself ready for her first day of first grade by reading "Twas the Night Before First Grade." I was actually permitted to wait out front for the bus with Emma. Apparently the cutoff is Middle School. We got some nice photos of my little angel in her first day dress smiling in the long shadows of September. She was a bit less than patient during the wait. When it was time, Emma practically ran up the steps to the bus and was off!

And then there was quiet.

Now though, they are back with piles of homework for me to read and to sign, lists of more things that we need to get from Target and the Jackson Outlets. The first day went well it seems, for both the first grader and the middle schooler. John thought his homeroom teahcer, Mr. gaddy was 'cool, real cool,' and enjoyed gym the most.  (We've got a guys trip to target for deodorant on tap for tonight).  Emma said her teacher Mrs. Basham was 'super nice,' and lso got a hug from her Kindergarten teacher from last year, Mrs. Kinkler.  Emma brought greetings home for John from his teachers last year Mrs. Siweic and Mrs. Cohen.

Both prefer the bus to being picked up and dropped off. Neither wants to pack tomorrow, both preferring to chance the 'chicken patty' over the potential of being teased for brown bagging it.  Special thanks to Mount Laurel Schhols PR chief Marie Reyonlds for helping me though how to log into the cafeteria system!

Tomorrow the first full school day of the year, with lockers and changing classes as the new things for John and the cafeteria and lunch line for  Emma. It's only a 2 ½ day week with the secular and Jewish holidays making for a light first week, so we will be easing back into to the school year before reality sets with 5 full days next week!

The Kids Are Ready For Santa!!

Keeping Digital Photos Safe

As I am sure you have noticed, I shoot a lot of photos.  My trusty Canon Digital Rebel XT body has over 30,000 shutter releases on it and is showing no signs of age. 

Back in the day, all 30,000 of those photos would have gone onto film and been processed using traditional the Kodak C-41 wet chemistry development process.  In my case, that's over 1000 rolls of film in the last 3 years!  Imagine the cost, damage to the environment and tons of wasted energy and money on all the bad shots.

These days, everything is digital.  And as inexpensive and simple as that may seem, it presents its own set of challenges.  What happens if your hard drive crashes?  Suppose technology goes against you and you're stuck with the Sony Betamax version of photo storage?

I've got some tips that were prompted by a friend who is just embarking on her journey of digital photography.  

• First, you have to make sure you have enough hard drive space on your computer/laptop to download all the images off of the memory stick.
• Second, I use flickr.com to save/share the best of the photos.  It costs about $25 a year, but it's a great way to share the photos with family/friends.
• Third, I burn all of all of the photos I take to discs regularly in case I ever have a hard drive failure.  It's a pain in the neck, but most newer laptops and computers come with software to burn DVDs.  Look on the door of the disc drive.  If it has logo that says DVD-ROM, you can burn the photos to the disc.  It just takes some patience!
• Fourth, I use a back up drive called a Western Digital My Book to back up the files one more time onto an external hard drive.  Here's a link to a very roomy, easy to set up drive that is also fairly cheap:  http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Book-Mirror-WDH2U20000N/dp/B001B8RSAK?&camp=212361&linkCode=wsw&tag=anothedelcogu-20&creative=384613
• Finally, print out the photos you really like.  Keep them where you keep your important papers.  You never know when somehting really bad is going to happen and your data will be lost.  If you do this, a few of your best memories will survive the fire/theft/whatever.  If you're using Flickr, you'll still have all those images too!

It may seem like a lot, but there aren't any negatives anymore.  grandma's photo album is a thing of the past.  You can't get another copy of a digital photo if you lose the data or it gets corrupted or you laptop gets stolen.  That's why I recommend all the extra steps.

If you've got tips or tricks for working with digital images, please leave a comment!

Snow Photos

Got Some Work To Do Before The Party
Originally uploaded by Cavalier92

At 7:30 am , there is 7 inches on the ground here in Moorestown. Still no peeps from upstairs. It's only a matter of time ...

More photos up here.

A Sign From The Past

Everywhere you look there are signs that have nothing to do with today's reality.

I find that oddly comforting.

By Request

This photo shows my freshly-shorn skull in all its glory. Many loyal readers only know me to have long hair, but back in my youth I generally sported a short cut for ease of care.

Over the last few years, I have let it grow into "the Brazilian Soccer Player Cut" that my GF loved so much.

This one is apparently loved by children, siblings and parents. I am also hearing I look younger. All good I guess.

It's still hard to get used to in the mirror, but not having to apply 2 different hair prodcuts twice a day to keep the curls under control is a HUGE plus!

Nice to be Home

While there are lots of photos of the recent Disney trip up on Flickr, I really have not had a chance to do anything but upload them.  They're not titled yet, but I hope to get it taken care of shortly.

Another Delco Guy spent most of today relaxing and enjoying the downtime after a week of conference sessions and enjoying the week with John and Emma. 

The GF and I are reclining in the A/C now, watching the classically cool George Clooney extend the Oceans franchise to #13.  It's a little slow here and there, but still chic and stylish and fun.

It's oh so nice to be home!

A Prettier View of Maine

  Camden Harbor 
  Originally uploaded by Cavalier92

Another Delco Guy spent the day driving up the coast of Maine from Portland as far as Camden.  It was a gray and rainy day north of Portland, but the sun broke through on the way back south. 

The highlight of the day was getting to photograph the harbors of Rockport and Camden as well as wandering along Route 1.  We had a few good brews from Sheepscot Valley Brewing at Sarah's in Wiscasset.  I particularly liked the Pemaquid Ale, which the bartender described as being "made by some guy in the next town in his barn."  Best barn-made beer I've had in a while.

We're resting up watching Casino Royale right now, and then may see if there is any nightlife to be had in The Old Port.

Is this picture prettier, Matt?

On Flickr, Photography and Art

I'm not an artist.  I can't draw.  I can't sing or dance and I don't even write much anymore.  But I do take pictures.  I have always hesitated when asked if I am a photographers.  I don't see my self as a photographer, because I generally see photographers as artists who do more than just take pictures.  While I have some training as a photo journalist, I also avoid that title too.

So I don't really know what I am.  Maybe a lifejournalist.  Most of my photos are of places I have traveled to or of my family.  I take my camera with me most places.  It's telling though that the 'Most Interesting' of my photos on Flickr are mostly of scantily-clad women at the Phillies game.  I don't work with my images much.  My photojournalism training tells me that's somehow unethical, but the perfectionist in me wants to clean some things up.  There's a tension there and my brother tells me that I have to get over what I was told in the past and make the images do what I want them to do.  I just wonder about how that affects the experience of the person viewing them.

Now I stumbled on a New York Times Magazine article that posits that the overly-processed images that are so wildly popular on Flickr are them selves a new art form, and that gives me yet another thing to wonder about.  Is it art because the person making it says it is?  Or is my work NOT ART just because i say it isn't?  I say I wish I knew.

New Mower Photos

Well I got a request for a photo of the new mower, so here you go:

So that's what $300 will buy you in terms of a major-brand lawnmower these days. It's red and shiny and has that 'new mower smell.'   It's a Model 20065, made here in the US, sporting a 190cc Model 120000 Quantum 650 Briggs and Stratton Engine rated at 6.5 HP.

I used the self-propulsion more than I thought I would as dark began to descend last night.  I've never been a big fan, and I'm still not, but it did get things done a bit faster.  The mulching feature is very nice and I will only use the bag during leaf season I think.  The longer handle takes a bit of getting used to, but I'll figure it out.

For comparison here's the 28 year old 22" Toro and it's 5.5 HP Tecumseh TVS100 engine and original bag:

I still haven't told my dad that the first mower he ever owned died, but as my brother Matt pointed out, it DID last two years longer than Dad's second mower, which passed away at 3447 a few springs ago.

Friday Filler

Here's Another Delco Guy Lunch Time Update:

One of my photos is featured today on the Verizon Newsroom website today.  It's a crop of my most popular Flickr shot and provides art for a Paul Hagen story about Philly Phans.  Thanks Pat!

A bit later today, the GF, me and my camera are headed down to Drunken Educators Carousing Teacher Appreciation Night at CBP.  Should be a fun night. 

After that, we'll be headed down to Annapolis for the weekend courtesy of Starwoods points! 

Have a good one.

Nice Place

One Down!

The Phils took care of their end of the Philly sport double-header today, downing the Astros 10-2 behind great work on the mound by Brett Myers.  Things are crazy down here in the stadium area with Flyers fans pouring in and Phils Phans celebrating.

Let's hope the Flyers can hold up their end of the deal tonight and go up 3-1 on the Caps tonight.

Took the Afternoon Off

One of the major benefits of working in Center City is access to day baseball. Enjoy watching on your monitors gang.  I am in section 121!

Opening Day Photos Up

  Opening Day Pre-Game 
  Originally uploaded by Cavalier92

While the day ended badly for Phils fans as Tom "gasoline" Gordon blew up, surrendering 5 runs and losing the opener for the Phightins, it was still a fun day.

All the photos are up here.

Matty and I had a great time in the parking lot for the pre-game, hanging with some of Philly's pre-eminent sports bloggers, Enrico and Meech plus Coaches Rowe and Mack and a bunch of others.  We enjoyed the festivities, stayed dry during the game, and headed to McFadden's for a post game of Jody Mac and Mr. Greengenes.

It was my third straight Phils Opening Day and I still have not seen a win.  One of these days...

New Wall Cabinet!

Emma and I took a trip to Home Depot (she calls it the worker store) today and came home with a new wall cabinet for over the sink. It's no masterpiece, but it will give us someplace to store the stuff that is usually all over the counter.

It's a white foil finish over particleboard and weighs in at about 40 pounds. Getting it in place was no easy task, but it's up there now. I added an under cabinet light rigged so that the switch is next to the door, which is a huge upgrade from having to fumble to the other side of the room in the dark. A pair of brushed metal knobs dresses up the rather plain white front panels.

Now out to pitch to John!

D3 National Champs

  Confetti Rains Down 
  Originally uploaded by Cavalier92

I've uploaded a batch of photos from my recent trip to Salem, Virginia to call the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship weekend.

The photos are here.  And some reflections on what it's like to be a former coach returning to the site of a national Championship with out a team should be posted a bit later tonight.

Jump Rope For Heart Photos

  Look at Them!!! 
  Originally uploaded by Cavalier92

The TES Jump Rope for Heart raised over $8400 today for the American Heart Association.  Photos of the fun are up here.  Have a great rest of your day!

More New Mexico Photos Up

  Bandelier 
  Originally uploaded by Cavalier92

Hey there y'all.  I'm hanging out at home today watching the 50th Daytona 500 trying to get some work done.  I'm taking a bit of a break now, so I thought I would let you know that there are plenty more photos up from my recent trip to New Mexico.  The latest set is from Bandelier National Monument, one of the most amazing places I have ever visited.  I tried to capture both the immenseness of the landscape there and the grandeur of the scenery.

I tried, but I think ultimately failed.  You can judge for yourself from the photos here.

New Mexico Photos

Well, it's my last day in New Mexico, and I have finally gotten enough of a break and enough of an internet connection to put some of the photos I have taken up on Flickr.

The photos are from my first 2 days here.  Sunday's drive up on The Turquoise Trail was a great way to get acquainted with the geography and breath-taking scenery of Northern New Mexico.  There is also a set of photos that is part of what I shot in the Town of Santa Fe.  There will be some more when I get home, but the wireless connection isn't letting me do much more today.

I also have lots of great shots coming from my afternoons in the Bandelier National Monument and on the High Road to Taos.  The photo adjoining this post is a preview of the High Road set I will post in a few days.

Right now, I just hope that the bad weather back East doesn't delay my arrival home!

Christmas Photos Up

  Me and The Kids - photo credit- Matt Pesotski 
  Originally uploaded by Cavalier92

Hello all!!!!

As we begin to wind down the year, I have started to upload the images from Christmas.

The set from Christmas Day itself is up on my Flickr site.  Other photos will follow shortly.

Among my gifts this year was a Tamron 180-250mm IF lens.  The GF made a big investment in my photo hobby and you can see in some of the images the wide range this lens has.  It's way easier to shoot indoors and close with it, given the nice wide angle ability it gives me.  It was a super thing to find under the tree!

I'll have a full round up of the gifts later after we rake out the living room and I find them all!

Family Archives Project

I take a good many photographs,  About 1000 a month for the last year and a half.  Having a digital camera and a big external hard drive helps a lot in terms of editing and storing the images.  I also have about 2500 of the images up on the internet photo sharing site Flickr.  There are sets of family photographs, travel photography, random shots and a few attempts at photographic art. 

And now there is a new section for the family photo archives.  I have a stack of photos that my mom and dad got from my father's aunt.  They're black and whites from the 40s and 50s and show my father's family in various stiff post-war poses.  There are photos of people I never met, including my grandmother, and photos of folks I never knew until much much later.  There are also some shots my mom saved of my grandmother's extensive collection of photographs from the 60s, 70s and 80s.  They are primarily fading color shots, with a few portraits and such worked in.

I started scanning the images on my Epson Perfection 4180 Photo scanner.  The photographs are old and brittle, some in worse shape than others.  If I don't start now, they will fade away to nothing.  While there isn't much of historic value among the piles of photos I have to scan, they deserve to be preserved.  People took the time to take the photos, paid a lot to have them developed, and saved them for all these years.  They should be preserved.   

So head on over to Flickr and see how the project is progressing.  One note however - in the interveneing years, some of the names have been lost.  If you know who someone is or where the shot may have been taken, please leave a comment so we can add the data.

Now back to the holiday preparations!

Snow In Philly

  City Hall Lights 
  Originally uploaded by Cavalier92

While it's pretty much all gone now, last night marked the first real snow in Philadelphia this season.  The late autumn storm brought between one and four inches of the white stuff across the area.  it was enough to make driving a bit messy, though not really treacherous. 

This morning, it was as cold as I can remember in a long time, with the thermometer showing 22 degrees when I got the CR-V started this morning.  I uploaded a few images of Center City that I shot on the way home last night.  The camera shake was desired this time, but I sure hope I get a monopod from Santa! I especially like the ghostly appearance of the lower portion of City Hall in the photo at the left.

Have a great day!

Kyla Ebbert Nude This Time

Remember this past summer when some moron at Southwest Arilines took it upon herself to decide that a paying customer was wearing a too-short miniskirt and threw Kyla Ebbert off the plane?

Yeah.  I had forgotten too.

After that, Southwest issued an apology and used the situaion in their ads for a bit, Ms. Ebbert, either a college student, an aspiring lawyer, or Hooters waitress, depending on where you read, appeared on every bad TV show on the tube.

Then, blessedly, she disappeared off the face of the earth, except for parody writers and on myspace.

Until yesterday, that is, when Ebbert announced that she had posed nude for Playboy.  Like we all didn't see THAT one coming!  It took about 12 minutes for the photos to be leaked to the internet.  If you must see the images, here they are, but you have to go to confession later. 

Don't worry mom, "they are very tastefully done" according to Ebbert.

New Photo Set Up

  Glessner Covered Bridge 
  Originally uploaded by Cavalier92

After a bit of a delay, the first of the autumnal photos from my recent trip to southwestern Pennsylvania have been posted over at my Flickr site.  I'm still working on the images from the Flight 93 Memorial, which I also visited on that trip.

These images have been a bit of a struggle for me.  I am using the rather crappy kit lens that I have had for years.  It's served me well, but you see a lot of noise on the long focal lengths as it isn't image stabilized.  The focus is also a touch soft. 

I am also struggling to show the deep blue of the sky and also catch the pop of the fall foliage colors.  I am a novice Photoshop CS3 user, but gosh, what an amazing program!  For the most part, I have erred on the side of the leaves, but probably would have had better results working a bit more with my filters as I was actually shooting the images to try to enhance the blues.

Let me know what you think!

Friday Fantastic Four

Today is Emma's fourth birthday.  To celebrate my little princess's special day, we have a birthday theme.

What four things do you like most about birthdays?

1. Cake - in my late 30s, I still love it
2. The smiles of children
3. Champagne - one of the great things about being in my late 30s is celebrating with bubbly
4. Looking back at old birthday photos

Have a great weekend!

PHUCK!!!!!!!!!

Rough one yesterday for the Phightins, but all will be better down at The Bank today.

Photos from yesterday's madness are up at my Flickr site.  i'm on the run and will have more for ya later!

See ya all down at the park!

Dreaming of a Pennant

  Dreaming of a Pennant 
  Originally uploaded by Cavalier92

Last night, as I was headed to bed after Dan's and Mary Ann's party and catching up on the first Saturday of college football, I stuck my head into John's room before turning in.  The sight of him peacefully asleep, prized Phils cap still on his head, made me hope all the harder that the Phightin's can put last night behind them knock off the Marlins this afternoon.

It's been an up and down ride, but I sure hope that my baseball boy get a chance to see some playoff action at CBP this fall.

Chatsworth is Best -- At Something

  Sundown - Chatsworth Lake 
  Originally uploaded by Cavalier92

The tiny Burlington County crossroads of Chatsworth has been named to Adventure Magazine's 50 Best Places to Live.  Here's what they have to say:

Chatsworth, New Jersey
- Population: 1,364
- Median home price: $257,000
- The radius: Tiny Chatsworth is the unofficial capital of New Jersey's surprising Pine Barrens, a 3,000-square-mile (7,770-square-kilometer) spread of swamp-edged streams, stands of pine and cedar, and—in autumn—tracts of cranberries  (all that, just 37 commutable miles [60 kilometers] east of Philly). The best route is the 50-mile (80-kilometer) Batona Trail; while you're hiking, watch for the diminutive (less than the length of your thumb) Pine Barrens Tree Frog.

I have to say that I was stunned when I got this news today.  I lived in the town for three years and never would have considered it remotely possible that the town would be designated the best at anything except for perhaps "Best Cranberrying Village in the New Jersey Pinelands."  There are two part-time retail businesses and a motorcycle shop in town.  The post office is a trailer.  You can't grow a darn thing because the deer outnumber the people and eat everything.

But it is amazingly beautiful in its own way.  The people are down-to-earth and very nice.  Robin's Hot Dogs are the best around.  And as, the magazine notes, the hiking is outstanding.  (The part about it being withing commutable distance to Philly is crap.  Route 70 makes it a 90 minute trip during rush hour.)  Tens of thousands flock there every year for the annual Cranberry Festival in October.

Now I can say that i have lived in two different "Best" towns.  I am currently a proud resident of Moorestown, NJ, Money Magazine's 2005 Best Place to Live.  I have to admit that the remoteness of Chatsworth makes Moorestown a clear winner for me.  (That and the shops, neighhbors, parks, etc.)

Well congratulations to Chatsworth!

A Night In Camden

  Fireworks and the BFB 
  Originally uploaded by Cavalier92

There aren't many times when some says that they had a great night in Camden, but we sure did last night!

John, Emma, the GF and I headed over to Camden last night to catch a Riversharks game at Campbell's Field in the shadow of the Ben Franklin Bridge on Delaware River Waterfront.  We saw a Sharks win, fireworks and John got to run the bases.

6,810 South Jerseyans turned out to see the show and I didn't see many disappointed folks.  The minor league teams sure know how to entertain fans, with contests, a merry-go-round (Emma loved it!), three different mascots and a lot of fun.

We had great seats right behind home plate, but not the greatest for photos.  Still, I got a few and they are up.

Coincidentally, we met Bob Nehring, the Sharks' Director of Group Events this morning at Wawa and he was a really nice guy and seems genuinely happy that we had a good night at the park .

Get out to a game before the season ends!

New Photo Sets

After much work trying to learn Photoshop CS3, I have posted three sets of photos from my recent vacation on my Flickr site.  The Boys Night at Fenway is memorialized, including shots of the rain, the Green Monster and us in the bar waiting.  One of my favorite places on earth, Cape Porpoise is caught in a photo shoot.  I got a chance to shoot one of the best sunsets I have ever seen in Newport, RI is recorded in another set.

There will be a bunch more pictures coming, as I have plenty more from that trip and several others I have taken recently.

Look, comment and Enjoy!

Hilarious

Anyone catch the presentation of the Breakout Athlete award on the ESPYs? 

Josh Duhamel (6' 31/2") of Vegas fame and Maria 'hottie' Sharapova (6'2") comically towered over Devin Hester (listed at 5'11".  Yeah. Right).

Way funnier than Danica Parick, a horse, Jimmy Kimmel and Jerry Tarkanian in the shower.

Utley Says Uncle Charlie an "Awesome Manager"

  Utley Goes Yard 
  Originally uploaded by MattP33

In an interview this morning on Sportstalk 950's morning show, Phillies all-star second baseman Chase Utley said that manager Charlie Manuel "gets a bad rap" and is "an awesome manager."  Utley went on to say that he "loves Charlie and so does everyone else in the clubhouse."

Except of course Pat Burrell, who rode the pine again last night, watching Utley pace the Phils with 2 homers to an 8-7, 10th inning win to set the stage for the Mets series this weekend.  Jimmy Rollins was also 4-6 with the game winning hit.

Utley notably paused when asked about my proposal to give Charlie a new contract.  He finally stuttered to a response saying the Phils needed to win.  I'm expecting he will come up bigger than that at the plate this weekend.

SR950.com has the podcast up here.