"Memories" implies the entire organization was disbanded or its members themselves ceased to be.... Instead of the roughly well-hidden, low-profile active 200 members still around.
Your MEMORABLE Outdoor Pics!
- Thread starter tex.proud
- Start date
THE ROCKS HAVE EYES
Memorable, unforgettable, unique, rare, and last but not least, extremely fortunate - all apply to this one.
I had the opportunity to spend some quality time hanging out in the presence of two very special and amazing creatures. There were 2 sessions, the first by chance and the second planned, lasting ~20-30 min. each on successive late afternoons. The spot was a fairly secluded favorite of mine where I've spent many hours, along a desert mountain foothills wash in my neighborhood. Many frames were shot on both occasions.
The scene I was so privileged to become a part of on those occasions was with a pair of 'burrowing owls', aka: 'ground owls', as they relaxed on the front porch of their den and were slowly waking up in preparation for venturing out for the night's hunting mission. EDIT: I have been informed by another kind user here that my two new friends are correctly referred to as 'Western Screech Owls'. I appreciate that info very much, and have some more reading to do!;)
I should mention first that due to several different factors, I'm confident they did not consider me to be a threat to them. One of those is that while I'd never seen them before this day, I have no doubt they'd observed me there many times in the past, and recognize me as I always look the same. Very few other things on 2 feet go there as well. Also, although their den may appear to be on the 'ground', it's actually some feet above the floor of the wash, part way up the near-vertical rocky bank of the wash, and relatively safe from most of the hazards of being on the 'ground floor'. It also provides a perfect view of their neighborhood. It's a perfect location for them, and I'm sure they searched quite a while to find it.
This first shot is from fairly early in the first afternoon's session, soon after I spotted them. The Ms. is looking pretty nonplussed at this point, barely awake yet, and it would be later before I got good shots of her fully awake. Her partner was barely awake as well, but definitely checking me out and verifying my identity, but not upset.
This second shot is from the second session, after Mr. owl had moved from the porch to a favorite spot on a limb (check the bark) of a small Palo Verde tree next to the bank to finish waking up and preparing to venture forth for his hunting. He was fairly 'at ease', but a bit closer than on the front porch. When shooting 3-shot 'm16-style' bursts at high frame rate, my SLR is extremely noisey, and at some point it managed to capture this more typical / natural image. It captured him unfurled from the den, in full regalia, with 'eyes in', and 'game face' on, operating in 'condition yellow'. If you ever happen across one of these birds on duty in a tree and on the hunt, this is 'game face' that you will see, so this is what to be looking for. You'll note it is quite a different 'look' from the sleepy little thing relaxing on the front porch, and I'd definitely call this a 'game face':)
Memorable, unforgettable, unique, rare, and last but not least, extremely fortunate - all apply to this one.
I had the opportunity to spend some quality time hanging out in the presence of two very special and amazing creatures. There were 2 sessions, the first by chance and the second planned, lasting ~20-30 min. each on successive late afternoons. The spot was a fairly secluded favorite of mine where I've spent many hours, along a desert mountain foothills wash in my neighborhood. Many frames were shot on both occasions.
The scene I was so privileged to become a part of on those occasions was with a pair of 'burrowing owls', aka: 'ground owls', as they relaxed on the front porch of their den and were slowly waking up in preparation for venturing out for the night's hunting mission. EDIT: I have been informed by another kind user here that my two new friends are correctly referred to as 'Western Screech Owls'. I appreciate that info very much, and have some more reading to do!;)
I should mention first that due to several different factors, I'm confident they did not consider me to be a threat to them. One of those is that while I'd never seen them before this day, I have no doubt they'd observed me there many times in the past, and recognize me as I always look the same. Very few other things on 2 feet go there as well. Also, although their den may appear to be on the 'ground', it's actually some feet above the floor of the wash, part way up the near-vertical rocky bank of the wash, and relatively safe from most of the hazards of being on the 'ground floor'. It also provides a perfect view of their neighborhood. It's a perfect location for them, and I'm sure they searched quite a while to find it.
This first shot is from fairly early in the first afternoon's session, soon after I spotted them. The Ms. is looking pretty nonplussed at this point, barely awake yet, and it would be later before I got good shots of her fully awake. Her partner was barely awake as well, but definitely checking me out and verifying my identity, but not upset.
This second shot is from the second session, after Mr. owl had moved from the porch to a favorite spot on a limb (check the bark) of a small Palo Verde tree next to the bank to finish waking up and preparing to venture forth for his hunting. He was fairly 'at ease', but a bit closer than on the front porch. When shooting 3-shot 'm16-style' bursts at high frame rate, my SLR is extremely noisey, and at some point it managed to capture this more typical / natural image. It captured him unfurled from the den, in full regalia, with 'eyes in', and 'game face' on, operating in 'condition yellow'. If you ever happen across one of these birds on duty in a tree and on the hunt, this is 'game face' that you will see, so this is what to be looking for. You'll note it is quite a different 'look' from the sleepy little thing relaxing on the front porch, and I'd definitely call this a 'game face':)
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JimIslander
Enlightened
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2012
- Messages
- 798
This may not be a 'flashlight thread', but I think you still get extra points for having one in your photo - and a 'memorable' one at that!
"Someday son, this will all be yours."
A PKDL FL2LE next to a prototype PR-1 that later led to the PRX. Over looking the Rappahonnock river about 10 miles from the Atlantic ocean.
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Remember these when you think you're having a bad day:
Houston, we have a quicksand problem.
While clearing trees for a road widen project this excavator encountered quicksand in Chesterfield VA, about 100 west of the area known for quicksand. It took 3 big cranes to pluck it out later.
I knew I shoulda made a left at Albequerce
Paving a busy roadway one night a drunk driver drove through a work zone nearly killing the 2 fellows that were standing behind the truck that the car rests against. I saw it, yelled at the workers who did not hear me. Standing next to me was a big fellow with a booming voice. He yelled, they heard him and moved out of the way at the last second. It was so close I had turned away because I couldn't bear to watch the two people be killed. When I asked the guy next to me how it felt to save lives he said "I did?" and passed out. lol
The two lucky workers
After the mess was cleaned up paving continued under the full moon.
News photo, not mine. Circa 1994.
Freak tornado rips through a crowded WalMart.
Not seen in the photo but in the letter R was an undistirbed bird nest. I was part of the cleanup crew.
One guy with us we called "black Jesus" remarked "see, this right here shows us we're f-in up. God ripped through them muthaf-in cash registers and didn't f wit dat tweety bird nest".
Houston, we have a quicksand problem.
While clearing trees for a road widen project this excavator encountered quicksand in Chesterfield VA, about 100 west of the area known for quicksand. It took 3 big cranes to pluck it out later.
I knew I shoulda made a left at Albequerce
Paving a busy roadway one night a drunk driver drove through a work zone nearly killing the 2 fellows that were standing behind the truck that the car rests against. I saw it, yelled at the workers who did not hear me. Standing next to me was a big fellow with a booming voice. He yelled, they heard him and moved out of the way at the last second. It was so close I had turned away because I couldn't bear to watch the two people be killed. When I asked the guy next to me how it felt to save lives he said "I did?" and passed out. lol
The two lucky workers
After the mess was cleaned up paving continued under the full moon.
Freak tornado rips through a crowded WalMart.
Not seen in the photo but in the letter R was an undistirbed bird nest. I was part of the cleanup crew.
One guy with us we called "black Jesus" remarked "see, this right here shows us we're f-in up. God ripped through them muthaf-in cash registers and didn't f wit dat tweety bird nest".
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Rainbow, Catalina Mountains, Tucson, AZ
Now that AZ. pic. is screen-saver worthy. 
Today's visit.
About 30 feet away.
She's about 15 feet from the kitchen window. I think the cellphone doesn't "like" taking pictures through glass.
About 30 feet away.
She's about 15 feet from the kitchen window. I think the cellphone doesn't "like" taking pictures through glass.
Cameras with auto focus struggle figuring out how focus on what. Often you end up with a selfie.
That's a set of cool photos.
Somewhere in my archives I have a photo of the end of a rainbow. While chatting with a coworker about Jesus one summer day a quick storm popped up and dumped a bunch of water on us real quick and the sun came back out soon after.
Suddenly a rainbow was about 200 feet away. It began from a drop of water on a holly bush in the parking lot of a strip mall for rich people. No kidding. Absolutely amazing to see. We both chuckled and said "there aint a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, it's a Beercroft & Bull men's suit store".
That's a set of cool photos.
Somewhere in my archives I have a photo of the end of a rainbow. While chatting with a coworker about Jesus one summer day a quick storm popped up and dumped a bunch of water on us real quick and the sun came back out soon after.
Suddenly a rainbow was about 200 feet away. It began from a drop of water on a holly bush in the parking lot of a strip mall for rich people. No kidding. Absolutely amazing to see. We both chuckled and said "there aint a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, it's a Beercroft & Bull men's suit store".
Poppy
Flashaholic
Whenever the opportunity avails itself, I look for rainbows. It seems that my photos never truly catch the beauty that I see.
![hnvx53g[1].jpg](https://cdn.candlepowerforums.com/a/54755-0d9415c582a959390f93ff542f09b11e/hnvx53g%5B1%5D.jpg "hnvx53g[1].jpg")
Kill it and have a barbecue....tastes like chicken.
I'm afraid to ask what he's been eating in your neighborhood 
Where's @Hogokansatsukan and his 410.. there's enough skin for boots plus a couple flashlight sheaths (-;
Where's @Hogokansatsukan and his 410.. there's enough skin for boots plus a couple flashlight sheaths (-;
Python vs Gator?
Oh believe me if I saw that thing in my yard or nearby..... freak out moment. It would be like that episode of Johnny Quest that scared so many of us as kids.
SCEMan
Flashlight Enthusiast
From a trip to Jackson Hole last winter.
Wonder how much business it got?
Wonder how much business it got?
On one project I worked on the building next to the project office had been built on fly ash, which is burnt coal ash from a nearby power plant. The ground the building was to be built on was a swamp so they removed a few feet of mud, filled it with flyash and built the building on top of that. It was a common practice in the 1990's.
Now, the power company would scrub coal resin off of the chimneys using a soap and the resin would be randomly added to the pile of fly ash. The soap would later react with the fly ash in random fashion and cause it to swell. So some buildings built on top of fills with flyash would shift in weird ways. Ways that would cause structural integrity issues.
The folks that moved a lighthouse at the outter banks of NC were brought in to move the office building in order to dig out the flyash.
The building before.
All siding was removed.
The moving company was dispatched to stabilize the building from the second floor. The first floor was then removed.
Once that was done the building was now on gigantic skateboard bearing looking rollers and tugged about 50 feet in stages by small loaders. One of the two is in the photo.
Once the building was moved they removed the flyash and decided to dig a basement. Not seen is to the left they built a basement.
This week the building had not been moved back. The owner is this rich dude that you'd never know was a multi-multi millionaire by looking at him in his v-neck t-shirt and work pants attire. The plan it for he and his sons to rebuild the first floor once the building is moved back to it's original spot and suspended over the basement.
One day I asked him why. He said "because I want to". "Wouldn't it have been cheaper to tear down the old and build a new one?" I asked. He said "well yeah, but this is more fun".
Now, the power company would scrub coal resin off of the chimneys using a soap and the resin would be randomly added to the pile of fly ash. The soap would later react with the fly ash in random fashion and cause it to swell. So some buildings built on top of fills with flyash would shift in weird ways. Ways that would cause structural integrity issues.
The folks that moved a lighthouse at the outter banks of NC were brought in to move the office building in order to dig out the flyash.
The building before.
All siding was removed.
The moving company was dispatched to stabilize the building from the second floor. The first floor was then removed.
Once that was done the building was now on gigantic skateboard bearing looking rollers and tugged about 50 feet in stages by small loaders. One of the two is in the photo.
Once the building was moved they removed the flyash and decided to dig a basement. Not seen is to the left they built a basement.
This week the building had not been moved back. The owner is this rich dude that you'd never know was a multi-multi millionaire by looking at him in his v-neck t-shirt and work pants attire. The plan it for he and his sons to rebuild the first floor once the building is moved back to it's original spot and suspended over the basement.
One day I asked him why. He said "because I want to". "Wouldn't it have been cheaper to tear down the old and build a new one?" I asked. He said "well yeah, but this is more fun".
