Categories
Plants

By any other name

I do love roses. I know that the orchid is more exotic, and the daffodil more egalitarian; the tulip more proud, and the sunflower more bold; the daisy is more shy and the iris much sexier, while the carnation fills buttons the world over. And how can I forget the buttercup and dogwood, or the rhododendron that provides the only color in areas bleak and gray. There are a thousand, thousand other blooms to choose from, and the rose so ordinary…but I do love its promise.

O my luve’s like a red, red rose,
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my luve’s like the melodie
That’s sweetly played in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun:
O I will love thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only luve,
And fare thee weel awhile!
And I will come again, my luve,
Though it were ten thousand mile.

Hee. Who else? Robert Burns

Categories
Photography

Camera tricks

I did manage to get some fairly decent photos today. Using the speedlight white balance helped, though I wish I could figure out what is causing that odd blinking symbol to show in my camera’s preview – it’s not mentioned in any Nikon 995 article or manual. Whatever is happening, plays havoc with the focus. If you have any guesses, please drop me a note.

Thanks to Sheila Lennon who helped me identify that odd tiny little oval symbol as the ‘date not set’ indicator. Yeah, I know: Shelley! Duh!

I set the date when I bought the camera, and haven’t touched it since. However, I must have unset it somehow in all my tinkering around. It was one thing I just didn’t think to check.

Nice to eliminate the blinking, and thanks much to Sheila. Unfortunately, focus is still screwy and white balance is off (now, these menu options I am familiar with) but it does okay for photos here to the weblog. Good! More bandwidth sucking pages, just for you all!

Anyway, with patience and a lot of missed shots, some water lily photos – thanks to Rev Matt, who turned me on to them.

True, a rose and not a water lily – but you have to embrace the roses when you can; before they’re gone and all you’re left is a stick in the mud, the ghost of a scent on the breeze, and a pansy at hand…if you’re lucky.

Categories
Weblogging

Disclaimer: I can be bought

Both David Weinberger and Frank Paynter reference a bizarre posting about issuing disclaimers on who pays for the blog.

Mr. Weinberger took it seriously, but I prefer Mr. Paynter’s response:

You people have got to be kidding. Conflict of interest? Disinterest is more like it. Who cares who pays for my blog anyway?

Hmmm, I am begging for a new camera–does that count? As for hosting, through the kindness of friends my weblog hosting was paid for last year, though I did share space with a group of really interesting people (it is true what they say about poets, the poetic at heart, and other strange people).

Currently I’m now covering all my hosting expenses. However, I can be bought; you can buy me for a very reasonable price.

update

I think perhaps I should put a caveat on the word “bought”.