Frosty's World

2006-11-18T15:20:00.000-08:00

A young Bald Eagle with a trace of salmon still on its face......frozen drop of water on its beak too. Winter has set in and there are plenty of hungry critters out there! Took this shot in my back yard this morning. That new lens is really something else.

2006-11-06T16:29:00.000-08:00

Cute little Sitka Black Tail wading around the corner from my house.

The Flood of 2006

2006-10-24T16:29:00.000-07:00

We were hit a few weeks ago by some unseasonably warm rain, which swelled the creeks, and finally broke the levee around the development where I live. It took our poor little foot bridge, but luckily didn't take the house.

2006-10-24T16:19:00.000-07:00

Foot traffic only on this bridge for a while.

2006-10-24T16:15:00.000-07:00

An unusual warm rain melted the snow pack that had formed this fall. The Lowe River rose up and over the highway, stripping asphalt and eroding the highway in half in some places.

2006-10-24T16:02:00.000-07:00

This one was taken about 3 miles from my home.

I swore I wouldn't go getting all Political......but.....

2006-09-20T12:41:00.000-07:00

LET AMERICA VOTE ACT
(EMERGENCY PAPER BALLOT MANDATE OF 2006)

Emergency paper ballots shall be made available at every voting jurisdiction in the United States during the November 7th, 2006 General Election. These paper ballots shall be available in sufficient numbers for optional use by voters who prefer to use them, and by all voters in the event of voting machine failure or unavailability. These paper ballots are not to be provisional ballots, but regular paper ballots that shall be counted immediately upon the close of polls on election night along with all other votes cast by properly registered voters.

Maybe it's time we went back to basics?

Read more : www.bradblog.com/?p=3495

2006-07-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

Yet another bird I haven�t had time to look up in my bird books. Poor little thing smacked into the window at Safeway as I was coming out this morning. I brought it back to the office, took its photo, and then let it loose. It hung around for a bit then flew off.

Possible Lunch?

2006-06-20T09:42:00.000-07:00

Eagle wondering which one is slower?

New Bird Day!

2006-05-21T05:50:00.000-07:00

I just love this little guy; he/she sat outside the window of my office a few days ago. When I went out, it seemed as curious about me as I was about it. I need to dig out my bird books and find out what it is. Sorry I haven�t been around much lately, my new job ( argh, I hate the J word) , has me chained to a desk, day and night. So I get older, grouchier, and fatter by the day. More later, have fun folks!

2006-04-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

Checking the competition...

2006-02-28T21:16:00.000-08:00

Hoping to have some new postings soon. Things have been rather busy here lately.

The Gift of Giving

2006-01-29T11:53:00.000-08:00

The following photos were shot over the course of about 48 hours. Our City has (had) a surplus Marine Travelift , a machine which picks up large boats and safely moves them around. The City after a short period of thought, and a petition being dropped on their laps, decided to donate said Travelift to Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, to aid in the recovery of possibly thousands of stranded fishing vessels that have been washed ashore during last years hurricanes. I shot well over 300 photos documenting the disassembly of the machine, and over an hour of video as well ( video yet to be edited) . I donated the photos and will forward them the video too when it is finished, as my part in the effort. I hope the Louisiana Sea Grant folks are pleased with my work. Enjoy !

2006-01-29T11:24:00.000-08:00

On the morning of "Day 1" , not many folks had come by to say goodbye and sign yet.

2006-01-29T11:23:00.000-08:00

Fire Chief George signing the machine in front of the TV crew.

2006-01-29T11:03:00.000-08:00

Moving it into an open space for disassembly.

2006-01-29T10:59:00.000-08:00

Cutting the old cables loose.

2006-01-29T10:58:00.000-08:00

Just try to get anything done , with an NBC camera stuck in your face.

2006-01-29T10:56:00.000-08:00

"That bolt ain't stuck, it just needs some motivation."

2006-01-29T10:48:00.000-08:00

Then the weather turned.

2006-01-29T10:47:00.000-08:00

Impact gun and a torch working their magic on rusted bolts.

2006-01-29T10:21:00.000-08:00

"Weather? Hell this ain't bad!.........why back in nineteen hundred and eighty nine we............"

2006-01-29T10:17:00.000-08:00

"Doesn't look so tough from down here."

2006-01-29T10:14:00.000-08:00

The first large beam came down on the second morning.

2006-01-29T10:08:00.000-08:00

The last upright pieces come down.

2006-01-29T10:03:00.000-08:00

All loaded, and just waiting for a ride to Louisiana now.

Skiing at -4 Fahrenheit

2006-01-16T08:53:00.000-08:00

This kid came sliding in to the finish line quietly, kids just went around him for a while. Finally some towed him off the course and thawed him out.

Racing at Zero Fahrenheit

2006-01-15T12:41:00.000-08:00

We had our first Snow-X of the year last Saturday, and yes that really is a track they are racing on.

I find this annoying...

2006-01-13T08:03:00.000-08:00

Annoy the Government Anonymously: Go to Jail?

Constitution burningAccording to News.com �Last Thursday, President Bush signed into law a prohibition on posting annoying Web messages or sending annoying e-mail messages without disclosing your true identity.� From the text of the poorly named, wide-reaching bill � Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act:

A new federal law states that when you annoy someone on the Internet, you must disclose your identity. Here�s the relevant language.

�Whoever�utilizes any device or software that can be used to originate telecommunications or other types of communications that are transmitted, in whole or in part, by the Internet� without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any person�who receives the communications�shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.�

Full text: www.hammeroftruth.com

Happy New Year All!

2006-01-01T08:38:00.000-08:00

Starting the New Year off right, my daughter was discharged from the hospital yesterday afternoon.....Woo Hoo! It's been a long damn month. Poor kid didn't have this coming, such a horrible illness,( Lemierre Syndrome). Docs say there is permanent damage to her lungs, the extent is yet unknown. For now even the act of eating food exhausts her, 5 bites and she is out of breath.She told me last night she can take a few steps before having to sit down and rest. Which makes things very difficult since she is down to 108 lbs now, which is not a healthy weight for her. They told her she could follow up with bed rest, or drag an oxygen bottle around with her, she opted for the bed rest. Poor thing doesn't want to look like a cripple. Docs told my wife she won't be done healing from this for another 2 years, which to my daughter seems like a lifetime. The kid said she and her mom will be coming home in about 2 weeks, so I have to really get after it cleaning this place up. I'm going to have to find an air purifier of some kind, and clean her room up real good. At this point I don't even know if she can survive in this house as we have ever thing the doc said she cannot tolerate. Wood stove, pets,dust,and my wife and I both smoke, might have to seal off our bedroom till we can quit smoking, make it a smoke room.Lot's of changes are going to have to happen around here.

Bizarre and Beautiful

2005-12-31T08:10:00.000-08:00

Our unusual weather this winter has produced some truly unique sights. This waterfall has frozen and thawed several times, resulting in this strangely shaped sculpture with shell shaped fans of frozen water. I took this shot a couple of miles from my house. The waterfall is well over a hundred feet tall.

2005-12-30T16:50:00.000-08:00

The Trans-Alaska oil pipeline marine terminal all lit up for Christmas, as seem from the city dock in Valdez.

Pound puppy

2005-12-11T14:44:00.000-08:00

I think it has more impact cropped this way.

Is.....is....is that Santa?

2005-12-11T11:10:00.000-08:00

Just a promo shot I did for our local animal shelter. Puppy is almost too dark, but I thought the eyes said a lot, so am using it. No. that's not me behind it. " Let's not forget our furry friends this holiday season, we all need a loving family this time of the year" ,maybe something like that? I probably should have cropped it tighter.

Mmmmm, Christmas candy!

2005-12-11T10:53:00.000-08:00

Santa listening to Christmas wishes, and Mrs. Claus handing out candy. It doesn't get much better than that for a child this time of the year. Our local senior center had it's annual Christmas craft fair last Saturday. Keeping myself busy.

Please believe me

2005-12-05T22:16:00.000-08:00

Love your children, take nothing for granted, life is short........oh god this is the worst. Parents go right now and hug your children! I'll explain later , but just do it for yourself.

New kittens in the house

2005-12-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago we brought home two new kittens, making our feline total now five. We thought our old mom-cat might decide to baby the new arrivals as she did the last kitten we adopted. She doesn't seem terribly interested in raising any more kittens though. The next oldest we thought would get along okay, but continues to hiss and growl at the youngsters. But our biggest concern was our old male , fearing adult male....kittens...bad mix historically. As it turns out, he thinks we brought the babies home for him. He just thinks they are the neatest thing he's ever seen! He gently plays with them, and when it comes to nap time....he hoards them as though they were his responsibility. When they mew, he comes running, and begins bathing them, checking for anything that might be wrong. What a guy!

Most tasteless decoration.....

2005-12-02T08:55:00.000-08:00

2005-12-02T08:50:00.000-08:00

I love decorating as part of celebrating Christmas, let's get that established first. My family has always put lights on the outside of the house, always a Christmas tree of some kind. In recent years after collecting decorations my whole life have even been seen stringing lights up and down the hallway and into the kitchen, I even have a battery powered set for the antenna of my car. But THIS I find rather tasteless; 5 inch crucifixion spikes for your tree? Sorry the photo is so small, but all the links to where you can buy these beauties seem to no longer work..........go figure.

Happy December everyone!

2005-12-01T09:07:00.000-08:00

Okay , this will be the month I get my act together.........right? My digital SLR is back with me, my health is better this year,I'm running out of excuses not to move forward. I had another meeting yesterday with the guy in charge of our local TV cable here. We talked some more about my producing a local PEG (public,educational,government) events show. He seemed even more excited than I was. I went to pick up the paperwork involved for applying for the time slot, etc... He had about 5 pages of info for me, and a lot of opinion. Strangely, I will be a sort of guinea pig for them , as all they have ever had in this state before was a handshake deal with my predecessors, of which there have been very few before me. I was looking at the possibility of airing on perhaps a Friday night, but he has other ideas. He spoke of running it that night, and Sat. morning, and Monday afternoon, and one other time before the next weeks show. Pretty well floored me, as I thought I would be lucky to even be on while folks were awake.He also brought up some possibilities of maybe filming commercials for local businesses, that could be run statewide on their other branches. Which of course would be outside of what he does, but he says there is a small market for that also.I need to get my hands on some video editing software, and get my butt in gear. And, need to set up some kind of small studio where I can do some work. The kid is coming home for Christmas soon, so using her bedroom is out for now. And this little table in the living room I have marked as mine is getting smaller by the day.The cable guy said he'd try to fix me up with any gear they have sitting in surplus, so I quickly asked for a studio monitor. Still hoping THAT materializes before long. Editing on my notebook ..........the resolution isn't what it could be. It's okay for stills for newsprint, but not for video production.I'm thinking this could be a great opportunity, if I can get motivated. In the midst of everything, this coming week I think I'll call a few local businesses and see if they might be interested in partial sponsoring of this idea.Ya don't ask........ya don't get, right?

2005-11-29T18:26:00.000-08:00

Okay then.........my baby came back from the factory service center today. We'll see how long it holds up, and what I can find to photograph this week.

2005-11-27T18:17:00.000-08:00

Free Hit Counters

2005-11-08T08:43:00.000-08:00

Sorry for all the delays, I'm having trouble with my 11 month old camera, and Canon seems to be having a hard time fixing it. They had it for the better part of a month, mailed it back to me , and it still wasn't fixed. SO........back to them it went ..........again.B&H Photo/Video offers a $79, 3 year , no hassle extended warrenty, I wish I had bought it through them, instead of those guys in the "mall". My factory warrenty ends at the end of this month.............grrrrrrrrr.

2005-10-08T08:51:00.000-07:00

A pair of juvenile Bald Eagles chow down on spawned out salmon near my home. I was hoping for some flight shots , but they seemed more interested in lunch than me.

2005-09-25T16:49:00.000-07:00

Fall Berries. Not sure of the variety.....tasted good, and I'll still alive!

2005-09-21T12:31:00.000-07:00

The AK-47 was designed by Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov . IT is a 7.63X39 mm semi automatic rifle, and can be a lot of fun to shoot! The carbines "bolt" slides 5 1/4 inches during the cycle of each shell. If your trigger finger (index) gets tired of pulling the trigger, most people substitute their middle finger to take it's place. If one does this maneuver, it is VERY important to consciously tuck the tired finger into the palm, and not leave it wildly extended. As this will put it directly in the way of the moving bolt. And thus the bolt will impact the end of the index finger sharply, leaving it somewhat numb for a period if time. After the numbness wears off, and if one is even a little observant, they will notice the afflicted digit is split in two. Flesh and fingernail will not stop the bolt from moving, bone however slows it down some. LARGE amounts of blood follow , along with extreme pain and embarrassment.
Whatever dignity is left must be cast aside at this point as the injured person tries to quickly stow the carbine and try to act casual. I recommend immediate medical attention, which may include 3 stitches or more. As far as the medical professionals are concerned for the chart , confess NOTHING! Explain it was injured by a piece of flying metal while pursuing a hobby, let them fill in the blanks.
Almost anonymous

2005-09-18T18:31:00.000-07:00

Cat on a bridge. Our "outdoor" cat follows me everywhere. Her name is Nosey.Tip of the tail was in motion, explains the slight blur.

2005-09-18T12:20:00.000-07:00

Funeral for a catlover. A young girl carries her sibling past the podium just before a memorial for the citys well loved cat lover.The woman had a heart as big as all Alaska.

2005-09-09T18:27:00.000-07:00

Credit where credit is due. My wife took this shot while I was away, and I just love it. She chased this guy for several blocks before she could get ahead of him to take this shot. Pouring rain but he was going shopping dammit! I guess you're never too old for a convertible.I'll be watching for him when the snow starts, to see if he finds studded tires for that rig.

2005-09-07T21:42:00.000-07:00

A young fisherman processing silver salmon caught in Prince William Sound today. And no, ladies I don't have his name or phone number .

2005-09-07T21:34:00.000-07:00

The 3 photos below came from my trip to Oregon this summer. I was a little busy while there, and still haven't had time to really go through what I took there.And thank you for your thoughts, things ended up pretty well there.

2005-09-04T14:18:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted anything new for a while, I've been out of town for 7 weeks taking care of family medical problems. I hope to post some more of what I shot there, and more from home soon. Thanks for stopping in.

2005-07-30T21:51:00.000-07:00

Faces only a mother could love.

2005-07-22T23:18:00.000-07:00

Mossy Honker...

2005-07-22T17:48:00.000-07:00

Now THIS is a tiny frog!

2005-07-10T11:36:00.000-07:00

I took this photo yesterday to represent the Fireweed 400 bike race. I'm trying to decide if I should crop out the bug .

2005-07-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

Fish Wheels on the Copper River , July 4th 2005

2005-07-06T16:57:00.000-07:00

Squirrel Grass along the road to McCarthy Alaska.

2005-06-06T19:55:00.000-07:00

Oil companies beware, Alaskans will overcome!

2005-06-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

Loon in a box...

2005-06-03T12:44:00.000-07:00

My wife and I made a day trip up to the Copper River yesterday, looking to shoot some file photos and footage of dip netters and fish wheels. While at the river she became interested in an old fish wheel, and wavede me over to it . Twin moose calves had somehow become separated form their mother and had wandered down to the fishing area. They must have been exhausted, and took refuge under the remains of an old fish wheel. People were pretty much ignoring them and the calves got the rest they needed. Couldn't help but want to pet them, but knew better than to imprint them with human contact.

2005-06-03T12:34:00.000-07:00

The twins eventually moved on, looking for their mother. I hope they found her.

2005-05-28T20:40:00.000-07:00

A "romp" of otters , Prince William Sound 5-25-05

2005-05-23T21:22:00.000-07:00

Rainy day eagle

2005-05-18T06:39:00.000-07:00

Trespassers will be eaten!

2005-05-10T08:58:00.000-07:00

Hopefully the only time in my life I will be taking photos of a convicted murderer. Daniel Nichols was sentenced yesterday here , to 101 years of prison. The judge made a special ruling that Nichols would not be eligible for parole until after the first 50 years had been served. The judge feared for the wellbeing of family members as well as the general public. Saying that Nichols is a "very dangerous man who lives in a world of his own making, and has no regard for the law or human life". He also added that the parole restriction was his way of trying to insure public safety in the fact that Nichols would be at least 80 when he becomes eligible for parole, and hopefully will be in such poor physical condition that he could not harm others at that point.
Nichols is a cold human being, VERY scary guy. He is the one who strangled his own mother to death ( face to face as it turns out ) breaking many bones in her neck from the force applied, and 30 minutes later went out to lunch using her money. The guy never even lost his appetite......

Pussywillow Blossoms

2005-05-08T12:07:00.000-07:00

Pussywillow blossums

2005-05-07T21:07:00.000-07:00

Okay , I haven't been shooting much lately...............partially because my 20D has been locking up. But , I couldn't resist this shot this morning of a pussywillow bud backlit.

2005-05-02T18:11:00.000-07:00

Soloman Lake , near Valdez Alaska as seen from about 1300 feet , May 1st 2005

2005-04-17T09:11:00.000-07:00

The following five photos I took yesterday. I found out the Native Youth Olympics were being held in my city, and just had to go see.There were a number of outdoor events being held the same day so the turnout of spectators were few. This gave me better access without being intrusive. I only had time to shoot a few events, but will make the time next year , as these kids really put on a good show. Some of them were from villiges up north and had never seen a mountain , much less the waterfalls that are common where I live. The openess and willingness to share knowlege with our local team was truly amazing. A friendship formed betweem the two teams almost immediately. Although none of the kids had ever met before , it seemed more like a family reunion than a competition. It was truly a day I believe we will all remember. I'm just glad I was there to see it, and I kicked down both coaches a full set of photos on disk.

2005-04-17T08:56:00.000-07:00

This was the "Knee Jump" Contestants start from a kneeling position, and spring forward landing flat on their feet . The greatest distance wins of course.

2005-04-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

Okay , now the kicking events were a real eye opener. I thought this kid was just clowning around. You can see the target ball above him on the end of the string.

2005-04-17T08:42:00.000-07:00

And he nails it! AS it turns out this kid is the state champion. His personal best for standing on one foot and kicking a target above him is 88 inches. I never even considered kicking standing on one hand.

2005-04-17T08:33:00.000-07:00

The "One Hand Reach" . These kids were amazing...

2005-04-17T08:29:00.000-07:00

The "One Foot Kick" . If the Rockettes ever see this young lady in action she'll have a job for life.

2005-04-09T17:44:00.000-07:00

The following three photos are from a small Dog Sled race we had up on the pass today . Sadly I was trying out my new video equipment , so had little time to shoot stills. The video came out okay , for an amateur. I managed to walk the parking lot after the race to capture a few images .

2005-04-09T17:40:00.000-07:00

What a mug!

2005-04-09T17:37:00.000-07:00

Gonna share?

2005-04-09T17:34:00.000-07:00

Sled dogs need love too...

2005-04-08T19:15:00.000-07:00

Common Mergansers

2005-04-06T19:53:00.000-07:00

Duh?

2005-04-06T18:34:00.000-07:00

Error,error,error..............me thinks bloggerbot is broken.....

2005-04-03T09:11:00.000-07:00

Towtruck

2005-04-03T08:46:00.000-07:00

Takeoff!

2005-03-20T11:37:00.000-08:00

Setting the bar.....

2005-03-19T18:31:00.000-08:00

Last minute instructions....

2005-03-19T17:51:00.000-08:00

High Flyers

2005-03-13T15:04:00.000-08:00

Blues artist Eric Bibb gives some pointers to some local boys at a Teen Center.

2005-03-12T10:10:00.000-08:00

A young cow moose grazing a pond bottom near my home .

2005-03-05T22:51:00.000-08:00

Tempting fate

2005-02-27T08:07:00.000-08:00

Sunrise

2005-02-24T22:42:00.000-08:00

Starting to put on the brakes......

2005-02-24T11:42:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when they say "Special Edition" , they aren't kidding!

2005-02-24T10:10:00.000-08:00

The Frosty One

2005-02-19T21:00:00.000-08:00

Ice Festival 2

2005-02-19T20:54:00.000-08:00

Ice Festival 2005

2005-02-13T07:50:00.000-08:00

Winter Swans and Ducks

2005-02-06T19:04:00.000-08:00

Swimmer

2005-02-05T07:28:00.000-08:00

Texture and Contrast

2005-01-31T08:26:00.000-08:00

Young Racers....