Remembering PRESTAGS

Wonder of the Modern World?

With the heat this week, the sliding fence on my property would not open - a plank had warped so much the gate would no longer slide behind the gate.

My first thought was to sell the house. Unfortunately, I'd still be expected to remove my car from the property - and I needed the car for a jaunt to Canberra for a PWWW in a few days. However, my febrile imagination suggested that I need only knock down the fence, and my car would be free. As I wandered around the back yard trying to decide where to start this enterprise, I say a bit of discarded timber from a repair job I had done a few months back.

"When you find you have wood in the afternoon, look for a screw."
  - Python Imperator

I suddenly had a flash in inspiration - the old juxtaposed with the new, the vertical being tamed by the horizontal, the long finding purpose with the short, the permanent being rescued by the temporary.

Although I had duct tape at hand, I only needed it to align the cross plank. And behold, I thing of beauty comes into existence!

I love the endless possibilities that come from working with wood.
 - Python Imperator

Note the clever use of recessed screws to hide the underlying structure - leaving the timber to hover as if by magic.

Although the year has only just begun, I wonder if there might be a Time News Magazine this year discussing genius and featuring this work.

Could have been embarrassing ...

got up for Mass in a hurry, pulled on my pants.

About to go out the door, and my rear end feels very airy ...

Huge hole in seat of pants. Explains why it was feeling a little airy last night.

Better at home than at Mass though ...

Back in September ..., photographic adventure and silly mistakes

Peter & Paul went for a nice photo jaunt on a very windy, very cold day.

The same day Paul's recorder was moved on the river bank at the Cotter (and he was dressed like he worked for home affairs):

we ended up back at Dairy Farmers Hill, where we saw a caterpillar crawling across the path. Thygo grabbed his macro lens and got on the ground. But as you will see he didn't think about what he was doing.

first couple of photos side on, with caterpillar moving parallel (in) the plane of focus - shallow depth of field with macro lens:

crop of same, mostly in focus, though some hairs 'duplicated' by motion blur:

then I thought "I'll get him front on!' forgetting: he is moving quite fast and shallow depth of field. Motion blur plus desired point of focus past the focal plant once shutter goes, and should have changed from AF-S to AF-C (motion) autofocus setting. 

this one nothing really in focus:

got lucky with this one, front just in focus:

it was really windy, as this pine tree attests:

The Bug photographer at work:

Contemplation two

This photo also seeks a title that speaks of the despair of a man who hears "FMW", "FMW", "FMW", yet knows that none is organised!