ODC-That's Life

Some believe the Woolly Bear Caterpillar can predict whether or not we'll have a mild/severe Winter. The bigger the orange band the milder the winter. If it's true I think winter is going to be a little more severe, though they're predicting a milder winter for us up here in the Finger Lakes.

On Friday I dropped by a local park after work and spotted an immature Red-tailed Hawk sitting on a nest box on a pole and scanning the ground below for a potential prey. I took my position slightly below on a slope, away from it and waited. Then the bird dove down and I started tracking it. Soon it disappeared from view and I took my finger off the shutter.

Later when I looked at the photos on my computer I realized that I took seven extra frames after the bird disappeared from view. To illustrate the point I created this short video after stitching the frames together and introducing slight delay between frames. At 20 frames per second on Z9 that 7 frames amount to close to 300 ms - it took me that long to stop taking photos after the bird disappeared behind the slope. Some may call it reaction time. After the light hit the retina, it took about 30 ms to reach my brain which then took another 120ms to process before the command was sent to my finger to stop taking photos. But this also means we are always living in the past, I only 'saw' the bird disappearing 150 ms after it actually happened. Interesting dilemma.

So, how does a catcher catch a ball that is moving fast? By the time the catcher 'sees' the ball it has already gone past him in reality. A successful catch is still possible because brain extrapolates and predicts where the ball will be before eyes see it. Take a close look at the frames after the bird disappeared. One could see that I was still tracking downward (ground moved upward) because the brain predicted where the bird would be and my hands simply followed it. Fascinating, isn't it?

I also wondered if 300 ms reaction time in the field is good. So I took a test on my computer with color changing circle and my average reaction time came out to be 261 ms., a very respectable number compared to the average of 248 ms found in a group of 18-20 year old medical students. It's raining outside and I am stuck indoor, so I decided to write this up and created this benchmark to measure against as I grow old. And now go measure yours, see where you stand.

By the way, I could've set an alternate title as 'We are always living in the past'. I took the ideas from an article that I just read (theconversation.com/what-youre-seeing-right-now-is-the-pa...)

Wintry weather in the Bitterroot Valley south of Lolo, Montana.

Enjoying a dark autumn night at summer house. Aurora forecast predicted chance of having aurora this night and the weather forecast predicted clear night. Here's the view from our island's northern side.

Whole northern part of the skies filled with aurora. Just beautiful and breath taking.

Most magnificent view to see the lights dancing in the sky.

I just had to take a selfie there.

I was on a hike in the Alps with our dog Giorgio. The weather forecast predicted it would be a sunny day! But the God of the weather had other plans. His humor is more complex. It’s much funnier to have fog, followed by a pinch of strong wind and a few hours of snowstorm. I think it was an experiment to test how long it will take until I’m going crazy (lol), because suddenly all the three components were there! We were still high up on the mountain and had to hurry to reach our home. From a distance I saw a house like the one on my photo! Such houses are only used in summer for the cows. In winter they are empty!

Do you know those movies where a small group of teenagers find a small little house in a place in the wilderness only to die one after the other? Well, it was too late for us to descent the mountain, so we went to this little house to seek shelter from the storm.

And then we stood in front of the door. The house was made of wood and was very very old. The wind was getting stronger and stronger and the wooden beams rattled! Should we really enter this house? I heard the wind whispering to me: „Get in there my little boy, please go inside the house!“. The trees behind me began to bend over because the wind was getting stronger and the sky changed to a mystical dark. Oh boy, if a witch is in the house there, I will die :-)

I stood closer to the door and listened. What was in there? I heard something! I tried to open the door. Very good, it was open he he he! But honestly, I did not wanted to enter this place! And again I heard the wind that whispered to me with a raspy voice: „Come in my boy, here it is warm and beautiful, come in!“. I slowly opened the door and Giorgio began to growl. The door squeaked and in front of me I saw only darkness. And again that scary whisper: „Come in and bring me luck“ … for a felt eternity it was very quiet except for Giorgio who was still growling … and suddenly a raven flew over our heads into the open! Ahhhhhh … I swore vilely in six different languages! What a fright!!!! My heart has fallen down into my shoes, and since then I try to get it back again (lol). I think I am aged about 20 years ha ha ha!

Well, we were about 30 minutes in this cottage. And then after this time the sun came out! This day was one of the sunniest days of my vacation :-)

I want to thank all very much for your "views", "Comments" and "Favourites" :-) The only thing that matters is that you have joy in this photo. Again, thank you :-)

I predict a riot, hence the Molotov Cocktail.#flickrfridaycoc

ktail

With a predicted high today of -15 C, I thought a walk through Calgary's indoor downtown area, connected by indoor pedestrian bridges known as the Plus 15 system, was in order. There were some interesting sights returning to the car, and on the drive home as well. This park doesn't open until 9:30, so it was quite quiet and empty.

via Adsit Company Experts In Mercedes Engines-Transmissions-Rims ift.tt/2cAhUVN

Leaked Information States Mercedes Push for Electric Larger Than Predicted

Before the storm, the sun hinted at what was to come

Despite there being some surviving traditional thatched farmhouses scattered around the island of Rügen, actually including any in a railway-themed image proves to be something of a challenge. A contre-jour approach was the only way to include the circa 1800-built farmhouse complex named "Svanvithe" after an island's princess, located between Posewald and Seelvitz in the typical rural rolling countryside of the island. The northerly wind blowing off the Baltic Sea helped to reinforce the decision for this option, with the exhaust predicted to be drifting on the sun-lit side of the train. Happily, there was just enough sunshine to provide some back-lit contrast to the scene as Vulcan (Stettin) 0-8-0 well tanks 99 4632-8 and 99 4633-6 pass, heading the P103 service train comprising traditional coaches, the 10:08 Putbus to Göhren on Sunday 7th October 2018, the final day during which these two veteran Deutsche Reichsbahn-liveried locos would be seen working together for some time.

© Gordon Edgar - All rights reserved. Please do not use my images without my explicit permission

I predict this car getting major exposure over the summer so may as well get done with it now.

Predicting a severe storm for tomorrow.

lago pettinato

They were predicting 2 feet, I think we got 4 inches. Either way, we decided it would be way more fun to venture out and shoot photos instead of sitting around on our asses looking at the snow out the window.

Lighting- Phottix Mitros+ form behind, probably 1/32nd power. The umbrella she's holding is a wescot reflective, so, the single flash is acting as the backlight and the key light. Fired with a Phottix odin on a Canon 6D with a sigma 35 Art

An older picture from Virginia. Sunny in Missouri today but far from Spring. And the groundhog's shadow predicted 6 more weeks of winter :( - Have always wondered how much the poor groundhog has to hate humans for keeping this absurd habit of waking him up just to check if there's a shadow - So, let's instead celebrate Imbolc, same day, same stuff: offering hopes for a soon-to-come Spring.

A sunny early afternoon swim in a crystal-clear turquoise body of water.

Staring at my original photograph has triggered memories from the Minority Report film, with Tom Cruise. I think this is one of the best creations of Steven Spielberg and one of those movies I would definitely watch more than once.

The three young women holding hands in the water, making a star formation, resemble the Precogs (Precognitives) in the movie. Their powerful psychic abilities are key in predicting and projecting premeditated murders... but I'll let you watch the movie, if you haven't already.

I changed the water look, altered the daylight, added the rays, and gave the image more pop.

It's been a strange but nice Saturday. The weather forecast had predicted a cloudy day, with possible rainstorms in the afternoon. Nothing strange, it was the trend of the entire week. My summer vacation were going to end, and It was my last chance for a serious hike. I left the house at 6 AM and I started to hike on the trail that leads into Otro valley. Cloudy sky, but the clouds were high and it was windy. I did not know where I wanted to go. In the end, following a tradition of the last five years, I thought I had to reach Zube pass, despite the elevation gain, almost 1.800m (5,900ft), and the lack of a serious training. I had been at Zube at the end of every summer since my child was born. On the top of the pass there is a small chapel of the Virgin, dedicated to the protection of families all over the world. I am not a religious person, but that small chapel, in that place, always had a sort of mystic call for me. If the weather was bad, moreover, I had already taken so many shots up there, in the previous years, that I would not have cried for the missed photographic opportunity.

Thick clouds started to roll in at 8.30 AM, but they created an effect that was similar to thermal inversion, that is much more common during fall and winter. At an elevation of 2.400m (7,870ft ) the clouds were below my feet, and the summits of the high mountain were all there, clearly visible.

I reached Zube pass, 2.876m (9,436ft), at 9.30AM. Three hours and an half, not that bad at all. I was there, and I was alone, with a breath taking view. Despite the fact that you can use two cable lifts to shorten the trail (but starting from other valleys), and in the good season many people hike to the pass, I was the first one to reach the summit.

I have many shots with the most spectacular summits of Valsesia (and I will post many of them in a time to come), but I choose this one because it reminds me of how long the trail is.

I stood up there for an hour, with the Virgin, without caring of the temperature, that was close to Zero Celsius, and the fact that I had just a light jacket, shorts and a bottle of water. Probably the major discomfort was for Mary the Virgin, alone up there with a sinner and an unbeliever... but the Maker has a lot of pity.

E' stato un sabato strano, ma simpatico. Le previsioni del tempo avevano previsto una giornata nuvolosa, con possibili temporali nel pomeriggio. Niente di strano, è stato il trend di tutta la settimana. Le mie vacanze estive stavano per finire ed era la mia ultima possibilità per una camminata seria. Sono uscito di casa alle 6 del mattino e ho iniziato a fare un'escursione sul sentiero che porta nella valle di Otro. Cielo nuvoloso, ma le nuvole erano alte ed era ventoso. Non sapevo dove volevo andare. Alla fine, seguendo una tradizione degli ultimi cinque anni, ho pensato di raggiungere il passo Zube, nonostante il dislivello, quasi 1.800 m, e, molto peggio, la mancanza di allenamento. Sono salito a quel passo alla fine di ogni estate da quando è nato mio figlio. Sulla cima del passo c'è una piccola cappella della Vergine Maria, dedicata alla protezione delle famiglie in tutto il mondo. Non sono una persona religiosa, ma quella piccola cappella, in quel luogo, ha sempre avuto una sorta di mistico richiamo per me. Se il tempo fosse stato brutto, per di più, ho già fatto così tanti scatti da lassù in altre occasioni che non avrei pianto per l'occasione fotografica mancata.

Le nuvole spesse hanno iniziato a farsi vive alle 8.30, ma hanno creato un effetto simile all'inversione termica, che è molto più comune in autunno e in inverno. Ad un'altitudine di 2.400m erano sotto i tuoi piedi e le vette più alte erano tutte lì, chiaramente visibili.

Ho raggiunto il passo Zube, a 2.870m, alle 9.30. Tre ore e mezza, non così male alla fine. Ero lì ed ero solo, con una vista mozzafiato. Nonostante sia possibile utilizzare due funivie per accorciare il sentiero (salendo però da altre valli), e nella buona stagione molte persone camminano fino al passo, sono stato il primo a raggiungere la vetta.

Ho molti scatti con le vette più spettacolari della Valsesia (e ne posterò molte in un momento a venire), ma scelgo questo perché mi ricorda la strada fatta.

Sono rimasto lassu' per un'ora, con la Vergine Immaccolata. Senza preoccuparmi troppo della temperatura, che era vicino a Zero, e del fatto che avevo solo una giacca leggera, pantaloncini e una bottiglia d'acqua. Probabilmente il disagio maggiore e' stato per Maria, sola lassù con un peccatore e un miscredente ... ma il Creatore è misericordioso.

The weather forecast predicted rain, rain and more rain for the weekend, so when I noticed a brief break in the clouds early this morning, I grabbed my camera and drove off in search of a composition or two... I didn't find much...

I processed this in B&W just to be different... :)

Nikon D300, Sigma 18-200mm at 80mm, aperture of f11, with a 1/250 second exposure.

Click here to view this one large.

Click here to check out my Vertorama tutorial.

Noted predictor of the future, Merlin the Wibbly-Wobbly, fears foreboding omens for the Spring... along with a pile of rain.

We're Here says Spring Has Sprung today.

There is a fair amount of superstition surrounding the Eurasian magpie (also called the common magpie), a bird known for its jet black and white feathers and purple-, green-, and blue-streaked wings. An old British rhyme predicts a person’s fate on the basis of the number of magpies they’ve seen: “One for sorrow, two for mirth, three for a funeral, and four for birth.” Some say that if you fail to salute a magpie you’ve walked past, bad luck waits patiently behind the next corner. And beware—many believe that if a solitary magpie, whose species mates for life, is perched on a window of your home, this signals loneliness and certain death. The poor bird’s name is loaded with mythical connotation, but the magpie’s true marvel comes from its natural ability.

Read more: www.britannica.com/story/eurasian-magpie-a-true-bird-brain

Die eurasische Elster (auch gemeine Elster genannt), ein Vogel, der für seine pechschwarzen und weißen Federn und lila, grün und blau gestreiften Flügel bekannt ist, ist von ziemlich viel Aberglauben umgeben. Ein alter britischer Reim sagt das Schicksal einer Person anhand der Anzahl der Elstern voraus, die sie gesehen haben: "Eine für Trauer, zwei für Freude, drei für eine Beerdigung und vier für Geburt." Einige sagen, wenn Sie eine Elster nicht begrüßen, an der Sie vorbeigegangen sind, wartet das Pech geduldig hinter der nächsten Ecke. Und Vorsicht - viele glauben, wenn eine einsame Elster, deren Spezies sich fürs Leben paart, auf einem Fenster Ihres Hauses sitzt, signalisiert dies Einsamkeit und sicheren Tod. Der Name des armen Vogels ist voller mythischer Konnotation, aber das wahre Wunder der Elster beruht auf ihrer natürlichen Fähigkeit.

Mehr lesen: www.britannica.com/story/eurasian-magpie-a-true-bird-brain

As predicted by my friend and fellow Lego builder Barry, it did not take me very long to finish my new truck or, at least, the tractor unit. This is an MAN TGX as operated by the British heavy haulage company, Allelys, to match the Mercedes Arocs and escort van that I built earlier this year.

The Britain's WWII aircraft positional predictor with two operators. They always sold this model with one operator but in reality this needed about six people to operate it.

I was given one of these as a small child and it was always with my military models but, at that time, I did not know what it did.

See here for a Youtube video:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG6Rr5Kg6Qk

There was no Youtube when I was small !!!!!!!

Sky Guide predicted this flare at 21:39:09 at my location. So I setup my Canon 1100D using Backyard EOS for a 45 second exposure and ISO400. I collected RAW and JPEG data. I only used RAW as the JPEG seems very much inferior. I kicked off the exposure 20 seconds earlier. EXACTLY on time the flare appeared which I find astounding.

To avoid trailing stars I decided to use my guide camera using PHD2. Was difficult to obtain accurate focus on my main camera but 10-12 test exposures seemed to do the trick. Future focus attainment should be easier as I have now marked the point on my lens which is a 18-55mm. Using 18mm. And in case you wondered, No, you can't use infinity. I have used a LP filter but I was a bit up against it as a distant street light was directly casting light onto the Lens.

You can also see Andromeda Galaxy in the bottom centre part of the image. There is also another object in the picture that I think is some sort of space debris but I am unable to confirm. The mottled effect to the left of the flare is part of the Milky Way, our own Galaxy.

Processing was done in Pixinsight (DBE and NR) and Photoshop.

Skyfire predicted a beautiful sunrise. Clear sky and Intellicast predicted heavy clouds. Well, there was a sliver of pretty pinkish sunlight... that ended about 30 seconds before I got my camera set up for this shot. Oops!

May 23, 2020 - St Francis Kansas

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stock photography & non exclusive licensing...

Watch the Video from this storm chase day on Flickr Click Here

Though all of our planning had us hoping for an epic chase day, but mother nature had other plans...

Traveled to western Nebraska to wait for the initiation of severe storms either in the Northeast section of Colorado or where the cape and moisture signatures were predicted for that afternoon and evening. We had our hopes up. The CAP would prevent any development of storms for us that day...

We had to move from eastern Colorado down to Northwest Kansas. Where....Finally thunderstorm initiation started just to the south of St. Francis Kansas. Not many pics from this set but it was good pickens for a bust chase day!

*** Please NOTE and RESPECT the Copyright ***

Copyright 2020

Dale Kaminski @ NebraskaSC Photography

All Rights Reserved

This image may not be copied, reproduced, published or distributed in any medium without the expressed written permission of the copyright holder.

#ForeverChasing

#NebraskaSC

Early morning fog was predicted in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. I was fortunate enough to meet up with the legendary, award winning photographer/cinematographer Beno Saradzic (visit his page and like it!!!) and woke at 4:30 to head out to the roof of the Nation towers to which Beno had sucured a permit a week before.

The prospect of low level, rolling fog combined with the bluehour light and colourful city lights below made me so exited I could not even sleep!

Unfortunately fog can be very elusive and many variables come into play. We did not get the thick fog we expected and woke to very hazy conditions instead. I managed to capture this image and sqeezed something out of it. The hazyness somehow adds a mysterious element to the image. Conditions were not perfect, but I am very fortunate to have had access to probably the best vantage point of the Corniche and downtown Abu Dhabi

On February 9, 2011

According to legend, if Pelican Pete does not see his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he does see his shadow, there will be an early spring.

P.S. I just started this legend ;-)

Have a nice weekend!

Anyone else waiting somewhat impatiently for spring? I wasn't paying attention to what the groundhogs predicted so I hope it's on it's way soon!

There's just something about these last couple weeks of February that seem to drag on forever, like winter is wanting to hold on just a little bit more before letting go and giving in to spring. I can't wait for the longer days, the warmer evenings and the flowers to start appearing everywhere we look!

What's your favourite part of spring?

50/365

The image shows sea-surface temperatures in May 2022 and May 2023 compared to a reference period 1985–1993. The temperature of the surface waters of our oceans recently hit an all-time high. With an El Niño looming, concerns are that we will soon be facing even worse extremes. Satellites orbiting overhead are being used to carefully track the patterns that lead up to El Niño to further understand and predict the consequences of this cyclic phenomenon against the backdrop of climate change.

Read full story: Our oceans are in hot water

Credits: ESA (Data source: NOAA)

...Canoe Boy will be posting some Greenies and Tri-Colored Heron shots from Horsepen Bayou in the future.

Our City Botanical Gardens are not far from the Uni and at times in the day there is a steady stream of students walking to uni or to their flats / accommodations so plenty of chances to predict someone will walk past and choose your focus point and framing. Taken while I was waiting for my wife's meeting to finish.

Corvus is a widely distributed genus of birds in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-sized jackdaws (Eurasian and Daurian) to the common raven of the Holarctic region and thick-billed raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents except South America, and several islands. In Europe, the word "crow" is used to refer to the carrion crow or the hooded crow, while in North America, it is used for the American crow, fish crow, or the northwestern crow.

The crow genus makes up a third of the species in the family Corvidae. The members appear to have evolved in Asia from the corvid stock, which had evolved in Australia. The collective name for a group of crows is a 'flock' or a 'murder'.

Recent research has found some crow species capable of not only tool use, but also tool construction. Crows are now considered to be among the world's most intelligent animals with an encephalization quotient equal to that of many non-human primates.

In medieval times, crows were thought to live abnormally long lives. They were also thought to be monogamous throughout their long lives. They were thought to predict the future, to predict rain and reveal ambushes. Crows were also thought to lead flocks of storks while they crossed the sea to Asia.

By the time I arrived at the Swinging Bridge area, in the early evening of June 13th, the predicted T-Storm had finished dumping its load. I was there to capture only two images, with this view being the last one. The low cloud layer provided only overcast lighting conditions that made the scene rather dark and moody, and then it opened up a little just as the sun was starting to set. This allowed that light to bounce off of the cloud layer, along with adding some direct diffused light to strike the back-granite wall. It’s just another vision that the valley can display to its visitors.

Nikon Z7_2, 58mm (24/120 f/4 S), 1/6 @ f/13, ISO 100. This is a 6-frame panorama that was stitched together in On1 Photo Raw, along with some of the processing. Luminar Neo was used to fine tune it. Camera was tripod mounted, remote release and a CPL on the lens.

The rare Tau Herculids meteor shower predicted for May 30/31, 2022 as a possible meteor storm, but instead produced a modest "normal" meteor shower. The meteors appeared yellowish (as in the bright meteor) and were slow-moving, and often had a sparkling effect as they moved, again as per the irregular brightness of the bright meteor streak. The meteors were from remnants of the Comet 73P/Schawassmann-Wachmann 3 which broke apart in 1995.

This is a blend of exposures taken over 90 minutes from 11:24 pm MDT to 12:52 am MDT, capturing 15 meteors, including a very bright one, the best of the night, which left an orange ionization "smoke" trail expanding away from the meteor over the next few minutes. Another fainter meteor below centre also left a short "smoke trail."

This shows the radiant point of the Tau Herculids, actually located in Böotes above the bright star Arcturus below centre. The Coma Berenices star cluster is below the bright meteor. Corona Borealis and Hercules are left of Arcturus, while bright Vega in Lyra is at far left. The Big Dipper is at top.

This is a blend of 29 exposures for the meteors and smoke trails, stacked onto the sky background taken just before the very bright meteor occured earlier in the night when the sky was still blue from lingering twilight.

All were with the Canon R6 for 15 seconds each but at ISOs from 800 to 3200, increased through the night as the sky darkened, and with the 15mm Venus Optics lens wide open at f/2. The camera was on a tracking mount to keep the stars stationary over the sequence to aid in aligning and stacking the images, so the meteors appear in their correct positions relative to the background stars. Shot from home in Alberta on a very clear and fine night, a pleasant change for a celestial event!

Ford’s Bronco sees wide lower torsos with narrow shoulders and pea brains‼️✅😷😱

Tinderbox

Elton John

Nostradamus said "I predict

That the world will end at half past six"

What he didn't say, was exactly when

Was he listening to the radio?

Was he listening to the government?

Well he got us spooked anyway

We'd been running hot up until today

But a wind of change blew across our sails

We were coasting on a winning streak

We were kings until the power failed

We've been living in a tinderbox

And two sparks can set the whole thing off

Rubbing up together around the clock

Lately we've been getting more roll than rock

You and me together in a tinderbox

We've been shooting this great old barn for a few years now, and during the week, we got the sad news that it had succumbed to a grassfire.

My mate Paul did some investigation, and to our relief, and I'm sure the owners, it somehow escaped the fire relatively unharmed.

I've had a look back at some of my past images of it, and it looks like it held up pretty well.

In the unpredictable land and climate that we live in, this is one of the reasons I spend so much time looking for and photographing these beautiful character filled buildings. You just never know when they will be razed to the ground and gone forever.

This is why I love photography so much.

Capturing moments in time, and preserving memories.

Hope you like "Tinderbox"

Cheers, Mike

"None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free." - Goethe

It is a huge belief of mine that none of us are free. Its also something that I wish I didn't believe. Its like the snooker-ball example - if you position the cue at a certain angle and input a certain amount of power, the white ball will move a certain distance, in a certain direction, and depending on the circumstances will cause a certain effect, that can be predicted, given that you knew all the circumstances (the positions of the other balls, for example). It's possible to predict with 100% accuracy the outcome of the shot.

The same thing can be applied to life, just in a really really really complex way. Because of every single circumstance in the world, everything that is going to happen is mapped out and ready to happen, right down to the millisecond. And we can't change it or argue with it because thats down to circumstance, too. You might want to leave a comment with an opposing argument - but BAM, you don't have a choice in that because thats the kind of person you are because of a whole other load of circumstances. You weren't free to choose. We are not free. Some like to call it fate. We are all fishies in the tank, not free to be able to choose to get out or not. And if we do get out, thats not our choice either, because thats just the kind of fish we were destined to be.

Mind vomit!

Sunsetwx.com predicted a decent sunrise for this morning, so my 10 year-old and I planned last night to get up and out to familiar territory, the arboretum, for today's picture. Right back smack-dab in my comfort zone, winter sunrises at The Tree with the sun coming up in the gap. Felt good, man.

We saw this guy and his dogs at another part of the arboretum while scouting potential shooting locations, and I was delighted when we got to my usual spot and I saw him and his pooches ambling down the road toward us.

He noticed us taking pictures and started to walk out of the frame, but I asked him to please not go out of his way, and so he kept walking toward us and we got to pet the dogs and chatted with him for a few minutes. He said he hoped he hadn't messed up our photos, and I said of course not, because honestly, though the best colors of the sunrise hadn't happened yet when he happened by, this is far and away my favorite picture I got today.

I checked the aurora predictor site I used and it called for activity this evening. Peeking outside, I could see faint moving light to the north, even with maladjusted eyesight. So I quickly bundled up (it was -26 C) and hopped in the car to zip down to my usual north-facing lakeshore view.

I set up very close to the shore because despite a few weeks of cold, there was still slush on the ice and I felt and heard frequent booms of the ice cracking.

This image is a panorama comprising 8 vertical shots using my manual 24mm Bower lens which handles night shots beautifully. The lights were dancing somewhat., and pretty brihgt, so I could use nice short shutter speeds.

Hugin didn't know how to stitch this image automatically, so I had to manually select individual stars in each image to use as control points. I'm pretty pleased with this, although I will try again with another set of shots which were darker but had more distinct aurora lines.

I wasn't sure this shoot would work because of the waxing moon, but it lit the snow nicely.

Well, as predicted, the second winter storm in a span of a week hit the Sedona area. This latest storm hit during the overnight hours so it was cool to wake up to a blanket of white on the red rocks and desert vegetation. Unfortunately, Mother Nature forgot to turn on the lights until mid morning so it was difficult shooting. The light went from flat to retina burning in a very quick period of time! This shot of Coffee Pot Rock is probably my favorite of the morning.

Some trees are just now starting to tinge at the tops. Others are well into the autumn change.

The weather guessers are saying we could get snow flurries by Saturday.

It is possible, we were at 88 yesterday, they were predicting 76 for today, we only made 66 and are expected to go into the 40's tonight. They are predicting frost for the northern suburbs of Detroit.

TE1742 (SN09CFX) blinded for Route 207 to White City, which could happen if this batch transfers to HZ

The forecast for Thursday evening was looking promising, there was a predicted KP4 due to a CME and a cloud free sky, we thought this would be our big chance, finally a break in the weather so we could get to see the Northern Lights! We drove all the way to Kirkjufell (as the conditions were looking most favourable there) with the plan to camp in the car over night to give us the best chance of capturing a good image and then we could do sunrise in the morning and drive back to the hotel. This certainly was not the case!

Kirkjufell looks to most people to be a giant mountain with it's impressive silhouette, however at a tiny 463m, it is actually smaller than Mam Tor (for all you locals).

When we arrived, we couldn't even see Kirkjufell due to the low cloud, fog and snow storms. We kept our fingers crossed that it would clear up.... We got absolutely battered for most of the night by strong winds and heavy snow storms!!! Sunrise didn't exist, although I was able to capture some big stopper images from the water, making the most of the shore and snow lines. Who needs good weather eh?

To top it all off, we were warned by the locals to head back to Reykjavik as quickly as possible as a huge storm was going to hit Iceland within the next few hours, little did we know at that point, we'd be receiving a phone call from our hotel to our room informing us that whilst our car was parked 'safely' outside the hotel, a flag pole had blown over in the storms and landed on our car! I swear we can't go away without some kind of drama occurring! Suppose it wouldn't be an adventure otherwise!

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