In June, I visited Collins Creek a couple of times; although small, the creek has several small waterfalls and beautiful, clear water. After a half mile or so, it joins downstream with the Little Red River. Spring and summer is nice, but I really want to see the creek in fall color!  If you are in the Heber Area, it’s definitely worth a visit…

We have had the pleasure of hosting Minnewaska Area Elementary School students this week. Today we have Mrs. Hoffman’s kindergarten class and yesterday we had Mrs. Hoven’s class. They have been studying Native Americans, and came to see our model encampment and the Cleora Helbing collection of Native American Arts and Crafts.

One of the kids’ favorite artifacts is the Creek turtle shell leggings. The leather straps have small turtle shells attached. The turtle shells contain small rocks that rattle when they move. They are worn by women during the “Stomp Dance” as part of the annual Green Corn Festival. The straps are tied to the legs of the dancers to make music.

The kids like the idea of wearing an instrument while dancing, and also think that baby turtle shells are cool.

Thanks for coming kids! Come back and see us soon!

After ten days and countless hours in bed I think I have finally put the worst behind me, if they were right and  my son and I both had the swine flu I will have to disagree  with the assertion that it is harder on the young than the old, my son struggled with it a bit but it put me down really hard !!

I hope this puts to an end the flu season for me and my family but I know the odds of that happening are slim to none, after a couple of years of relatively flu free winters this could end up being a nasty year !!  So now it’s wait and see what next strain will come calling and how bad it will be, it doesn’t help that my son is in Elementary School, my wife works in a hospital and I coach High School Basketball. Can’t run and hide from it when you have that many possible exposures !!

Moving on to something a little more pleasant Scott Thomas at http://stphoto.wordpress.com/ has a monthly assignment on his blog, and this months assignment is what November means to you and to me it means fall color !!

I shot this one a few November’s back and really loved the curve in the creek and the colorful leaves sprinkled all thru out the image. Take a look at Scott’s Blog there is a lot of great shots there and some very informative posts. Thanks for stopping by and taking a look hope you stay healthy and flu free this year !!

I am back in Jackson after some fun times in Hawaii and Seattle, I took a walk on Cashe Creek yesterday to this scene, November 16, 2009

Underneath Gurley Street along the pedestrian path, when it was still being built.

Enjoy fun adventures and such honor to shoot on the Heise’ new future home on property beside small wetland creek. Love the joy radically on their faces…my always joy.

Here is a painting of one of my fascinations – water towers. I’ve painted tons of these things in the last few years, but usually of the city variety. This is really my first time painting the good ol’ rural variety (aside from my drawing of the Sudbury water tower) so I decided to go all out and paint 12 of them in one piece.

I love the water towers in the city because of their old, wooden plank siding, and for their appearance in comic books. I love this type of tank because they come in so many different shapes and colors- and sometimes they look like spaceships.

Prints of this piece are available in my Etsy shop.

Water of this creek was  deceptively dark untill the light beam illuminated it revealing the crystal clear structure and transforming it into the vision of flowing light…all it took was a ray of sunshine…

Salmon Creek Falls

 Something got left behind out on that walk.

 The road clung like a snake trespassing cliffs,
a flyway high above the sky-sized sea
through crumbling stone and stubborn chaparral.
Just past last chance, and steeper than amusement,
it terminated at a horseshoe bend.
We parked our cars and gathered, listening for
the surf below, the waterfall above.

 The trailhead opened where the Indian Paintbrush parted
and led through lurking patches of Poison Oak.
We eyed each jagged leaf as friend or foe
amid wildflowers and strawberry vines.

 Up deeper in the cooling shade, the trail
meandered giant boulders shot with jade
and crusty lichen, and we braved haphazard caves
that stuck our shoes with thick black mud.

 Down where the water ran full of the sun,
a grove of laurels lined the broken banks.
We took and bruised a leaf between our thumb
and forefinger, and offered its rich scent
for each to breathe like joy of life.

 We gathered at the rock bound pool
and watched the water fall in spiral braids
as icy ripples lapped our tired feet
and spray caught rainbows out of sweet thin air.

 The background crashing water filled the dale
with unity that made us huddle close
to talk, but mostly, we just sat and looked
and pointed to a rare, endangered flight
of condors spiraling against sea breezes,
praying they would find a way to last.

November 2, 2008

Marc Ladewig
Author of Odysseus-The Epic Myth of the Hero

Last weekend we headed out into the wilderness of Maryland to explore some old, covered-bridges.  We explored three bridges (Utica, Loys Station, Roddy Road).  They were all bright red and beautiful against the changing colors of autumn.  I was observant and noted that all of the bridges had creeks nearby before thinking about it what I said and realizing that the bridges were originally built to cross the streams.  Once Emily finished laughing, we made our way down to the banks to listen to the trickle of the water and watch a young boy explore the Roddy Road Bridge with his mother.  Enjoy some of the photos here or all of the shots from that day on SmugMug.

New image in the autumn leaves photoshop contest

…
creek photoshop picture

Copyright  © 2008 – 2009 Robert Burcul, All Rights Reserved

I have taken this unusual photograph of Green Tree Snake swimming while kayaking on one of the Sunshine Coast creeks. I wasn’t  aware of its presence until my kayak brushed against the rock on which this beautiful specimen was sunning. The snake  raised its head quiet high to appear much larger and to warn me to back off . Having a snake at my eye level was good enough reason so I started to quickly reverse my kayak.  The next moment was very tense as the snake decided to slider down into the water and proceeded to swim  towards the bow of my kayak . The last thing I needed was snake inside my kayak so I reacted even faster and moved out of her way. While kayaking I always have my camera with tele- lens ready so I can capture moments like this one.

Green Tree Snakes as their name suggests usually have yellow-green underbelly but few areas on Sunshine Coast have specimens which vary from green-blue to totally blue in color. In any case this was one very pretty snake.

Dear Hater,

It’s been a long time since I’ve had a chance to say thank you.  I would like to thank you for hating on me as much as you do.  You see, by hating me, you are helping me to the better person you aren’t willing to give me credit for. 

Ordinarily I would tell you to drive your car over a cliff, however I see your life is already doomed because you have nothing better to do with yourself than to find reasons to judge my personal success.  I’ve extended my hand to help you get a little self esteem and instead of taking my help, you damned it, leaving yourself in the same sh*t creek you were in when I first met you. 

Life is good for me.  It’s better now that I am away from you.  Yet you are trying your best to make yourself a part of my life.  For your information, I have enough crap pouring out of my ass after I eat a hefty combo of tacos and pickles.  I don’t need you to stink things up any more. 

If it wasn’t for your strong desire to hold me back, I would be a no good loser just like you.  I would have no friends, just like you.  I wouldn’t be able to keep a relationship, just like you.  I’d probably be sitting in a corner pointing my gossiping finger at everyone who’s so much better than me…just like you. 

Alas I have prayed for peace and tranquility.  I also purchased a flock of trained circus pigeons to unload steaming bird droppings on your car each time you wash it.  I’ve changed my telephone number and placed a herd of wild llamas on my front porch to attack at the smell of your presence. 

I have found my place in life.  I am happy and rich in more ways than money.  And it is all because of you  - my inspiration; my muse; my personal crap bag.  My hater!

                                                                       Love always,

                                                                        Hottywood

P.S.

I’m sure you won’t be a hater  for all of your days…well, I’m not totally sure, but I do at least hope that your existence amount to something more worthwhile.  Just remember that the change begins with YOU.  90% of any effort is getting started. 

Quote of the week:        “Haters only hate the things that they can’t get and the people they can’t be.”

Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mrhollywood2009

I have named this photograph “cold comfort ” while observing how cold waters of this creek gently comforted  fallen green leaf..

Photographed by rogersmj

Moss was everywhere. By the way, this is a creekbed that qualifies as a "trail" in Turkey Run. Up ahead, my hiking partner got rather wet.

– License

Everyone is invited to our showing of Aboriginal art by David Dunn, over 80 original paintings to view and or purchase. All works are priced reasonably.

Also there will be a special showing of our new Indian Statues measuring up to 2 metres in height.

To be Held at our shop at 12 High St, Yackandandah. Victoria. Australia from Friday 27th November and Sunday 29th November, 2009 between 9.30am and 6.00pm daily. .

To see more details on this event click here

Original art by David Dunn

This is a Creek puzzle.

Puzzle 96

Phone: 954 603 8772.
Please leave a message and you will be contacted ASAP.

A/C not fixed = $20 (diagnosis/service)
If your air conditioning (A/C) is not fixed, the charge $20 to diagnose the problem.

A/C fixed + No parts = $50
(If your A/C is fixed and no parts are needed, the charge is $50 total.You will not pay more than $50 unless parts need to be purchased.)

A/C fixed + Parts = $50 + Cost of parts.
If your A/C is fixed and parts are needed, the charge is $50 + the cost of the parts.

Please note: Freon/refrigerant is a part and is not included in the service fee.

This is not an hourly fee – the labor fee is $50 no matter how long the repair takes. The charge is $20 if the A/C is not fixed.

Please note that the following services are not currently being offered: 1) coil change-outs, 2) compressor change-outs and 3) installations.

Here is a list of cities currently being serviced:

Boca Raton
Coconut Creek
Coral Springs
Deerfield Beach
Fort Lauderdale
Hillsboro Beach
Lauderdale Lakes
Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
Lauderhill
Lighthouse Point
Margate
North Lauderdale
Oakland Park
Parkland
Pompano Beach
Tamarac
Wilton Manors

South Broward, West Broward and Miami-Dade County are not currently serviced.

Here is a list of some of the units that may be repaired…
- Commercial A/C units
- Residential A/C units
- Split A/C units
- Package A/C units
- Wall A/C units
- Window A/C units

Please note: Personal Checks and Business Checks are not accepted as payment at this time.

If you can’t call, feel free to email your phone number to the email address at the top of this listing and you will be contacted ASAP.

Any and all air conditioners have a possibility of repair.

Here are some (but not all) brands that repairs are possible for..
Goodman, Trane, Carrier, York, Rheem, Ruud, Fujistsu, American Standard, Lennox, Mitsubishi, Bryant, Payne, Duchane, Fedders, Heil, Janitrol, Armstrong, GE, General Electric, Honeywell, Amana, Comfortmaker, Tempstar, Briggs & Stratton, Kohler, Guardian, Generac.

License # CAC014666

Copyright  © 2008 – 2009 Robert Burcul, All Rights Reserved

Seeing any wild animal in their natural habitat is always exciting and inspiring. But what do you say when you are inside the kayak and suddenly you come face to face with the Wild Red Deer ?!  I can only describe this feeling as “Once in a Life time” .  It is stored in my memory as one of those Pure Moments when you just know that we are all  “One with Nature”. In my books it really does not get better than this.

This unexpected encounter prompted me to search for more facts about the wild Red Deer population in and arround the Sunshine Coast area . If you are interested to learn more here is the link to a comprehensive research article from the  Queensland Government, Department of Natural Resources and Mines  :

Deer- Family carvidae in Queensland by Peter Jesser.

The following photographs were taken from my kayak while kayaking on one of the well hidden creeks in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. When it comes down to the quality of photographs  I had no time to think or prepare for it. I certainly had no control over my position as my kayak was carried downstream towards this magnificent animal. I relied purely on my instinct and reacted quickly by pressing the shutter to capture unbelievable sight in front of me. So, while the quality of the photographs could be better I still hope that you will  be able to get the glimpse of my amazing experience .

Here’s a train trussel that is located a little ways from my town.  I’m not sure that I did a great job on the exposure but the setting’s nice.