One word sums it up. I could just leave it as a one word post, but I won’t.

It takes some getting used to. The features I use aren’t in the places that I’ve grown accustomed to. Some features are totally different.

But that’s just it… it just takes time getting used to it.

Once past that, I think it’s going to be much better that previous versions, a couple of which I’m still using in blogs I’ve not yet upgraded.

This bull moose, along with a cow and a calf, was laying down just off a trail we were walking on. Karen spotted it, and thinking it would be a great picture, got my attention. When I saw it, I figured that we were way too close to it, even though it was laying down, so we left the trail and looped away from it to get back to the trail at a point further down where there was an old barn. As we got back to the trail we saw a young ranger gesturing to us to where she was standing, which was in the direction we were going anyway. The moose had apparently already been reported and, since they were in an area with frequent pedeatrian traffic, rangers just arrived to keep people away from the animals. Though the moose were obviously used to the presence of people, they are still wild animals… and they are big and can move very fast. As well, according to the ranger, some boys had been throwing rocks at the moose the day before.

While we were there, the rangers strung a yellow plastic barrier tape — the kind you see at crime scenes in movies and TV shows — to keep the public at a safe distance from the moose.

This picture was taken from a window inside the old barn.

40% chance of storms today; 60% tonight.

Then for 70% chance Wednesday and Thursday, tapering off on Friday, with totals of 2 to 3 inches, more in localized areas.

Rain, rain, go away.
Come again –
in a couple of months when it’s HOT!

At least the weekend is predicted to be dry and, since I’m currently working, that’s a good thing.  However, I’m working late hours in the simulator this week and had sort of planned on getting some grass mowed on Wednesday or Thursday.  Everything is SO green right now and the grass is growing FAST!

September 23, 2007 at 1.28pm MDT; Pentax K10D; Exposure: 0.004 sec (1/250); Aperture: f/9.5; Focal Length: 55 mm;
ISO Speed: 100

This charcoal grill is in a picnic shelter

September 27, 2007 at 11.20am CDT
Camera: Pentax K10D
Exposure: 0.022 sec (1/45)
Aperture: f/4
Focal Length: 18 mm
ISO Speed: 100

After nothing but weatherman chatter on the local TV stations, we had tuned the sound out.

Then, at about 7:15 P.M. our home phone started ringing. Less than two seconds after that, my cell phone was ringing — I forgot I had it in my pocket. Then we heard Karen’s cell phone ringing in the living room. Off in the distance the sirens were starting to sound.

When I answered my phone, it turned out to be the head meteorologist from the Little Rock TV station we normally watch. They offer a notification service — for a small annual fee — that will call your phones and send you an e-mail for the storm warnings that you select for your local area. We had selected to be notified for tornado warnings — and that’s what this was.

A storm cell with a possible tornado was heading our way and it was forecast to be here at 7:45.

A full 30 minutes advance warning!

I went and checked to storm shelter. It’s located inside the addition that we’ve been working on forever. We have to go outside to access it, though, as we haven’t got an opening between the house and addition, yet.

The storm shelter is in good shape and, 15 minutes before the storm cell was due, we headed to the that way. We took jackets, our laptops, the portable hard-drives with all of my photos, Karen’s purse, my wallet, our budget book and three flashlights. I had already put a couple of camp chairs down there.

About 7:45, it looked like the cell was going north of us, so I went back in the house to check what they were saying on TV. They showed the cell in our area, with the heaviest part of it to the north, but said that the part right over us was showing rotation, so I headed back to the shelter, where we waited for another ten minutes.

It turns out the cell went about 7 miles north of us and then died almost completely away over the next 30 minutes.

This is the first time that we actually used the shelter. Even though nothing came of it, it is comforting to have it available — just in case.

Especially the way things have been going this year!

I’m not looking forward to tomorrow’s news. We already know that Stuttgart, down south and east of Little Rock, was hit and that there are several fatalities from the storm system over in Oklahoma.

I’ve heard more than one person say that they ready for the hot, stagnant days of summer — something that few around here really look forward to.

A nice hike

November 17, 2007 at 1.45pm CST
Camera: Pentax K10D
Exposure: 0.006 sec (1/180)
Aperture: f/4
Focal Length: 120 mm
ISO Speed: 100

This is a composite of multiple images created using autostitch

This is a composite image using multiple photos, assembled using autostitch