Time-Lapse Photography - Experimenting

In the past, I have experimented a bit with time-lapse photography and enjoy it very much.  I had a Nikon FE2 film camera for these older photos. It was different experimenting with film as you didn't quite know what you would get until the film was developed.  You had to be a bit more deliberate when experimenting.

I set my tripod up and took pictures of the television.  That was when picture tubes weren't the greatest.  I liked watching sports.  How many remember Howard ...

I carefully set up this candle and left the shutter open on my camera for 24 hours. As you can see the candle opened up on one side and the hot wax dripped over the side. It made an interesting picture. Make sure to take precautions in case the candle falls over or wax drips.  When I took this other candle picture I opened the shutter then came around and positioned myself behind the candle.  When the light reflects you appear like a ghost if you don't stay long enough.  The tough part is to remain still so you aren't a blur.
 

When I went to Disneyland in California I took my camera on several rides to take time-lapse pictures of movement. The Monorail is used to take people around the park. It also makes a stop at the Disneyland Hotel. I was lucky enough to sit in a seat so I could point the camera forward for my experiment. I held my camera very still and took a time-lapse photo as we passed the hotel. The movement of the lights was caused by the motion of the Monorail. You can read the "Disneyland Hotel" sign lit up in red.

I experimented taking moon pictures.  Here is a 23-minute picture of the moon rising.  I kept the shutter open on this other one and moved the camera to create a pattern.  It is interesting how the moon creates tubes not just lines.  


I also took a couple pictures over the tunnel on the parkway in CT.  Not sure you could still do that today without getting arrested. These are old and were scanned.  The lines will have to do unless I can find the negatives.  Either way, you get the idea of the photos.

Here are two I took in Phoenix looking at 7th Street.  More experimenting.  I had the camera on the tripod and with a second or so remaining I pointed the camera down making the tails.  The other I moved the camera up and down with the shutter open.

While staying at a Boston hotel recently there were small orange-colored ornamental lights hanging down from the high ceiling projecting light down toward the escalators.  I took time lapse pictures going up and down the escalators using the handrail to try to hold my camera pointing straight up at the lights.

If I have time I will add some others ...

Hike in New Hampshire

I continue to hike in the woods and take pictures at Monson Village, Beaver Brook, and up North to see animals, birds, scenery, etc.   I wish I could tell you I take pictures of unique subjects no one has seen before ... like a White Water Lily ... or a Blue Bird ... WAIT ... how about this Water Snake or this Dragonfly.

Am I the first to take a picture of a Frog ...the Monarch Butterfly is rare ... NOT ...


I WANT ACTION SHOTS.  Something unique ... a different angle. 




This Blue Heron coming in for a landing had more action. 

I WANT TO SEE A BEAR IN THE WOODS !!!  WITHOUT USING THE NEIGHBORHOOD BIRD FEEDER ... WHERE ARE THE MOOSE ... YES I KEEP SEEING DEER IN THE FIELDS BUT THEY DON'T COUNT ... although they are pretty and the bucks are in velvet. 

I need apples, bird seed, corn, Frank's food plot ... or $25 to purchase one ticket to the ZOO !!


Now that I vented ... my hikes will continue ...

After-Market Vehicle Warranties - My BAD Experience

I bought a used 1984 Toyota Landcruiser FJ60 in 1988 from a Toyota dealer in MA.  In addition, I purchased a 2-year, 24,000-mile warranty from the Toyota dealer.  It was a great truck, and I had no issues.

The warranty required me to have all the fluids changed at 12,000 miles.  I cannot remember the name of the Toyota Dealer in Woburn, MA but I was working close by at that time, so I brought it to them for service.

They changed all the drivetrain fluids as required by the warranty on Friday.  That weekend it started shifting funny.  I brought it back to the dealer on Monday and they told me there was transmission oil all over the bottom of the vehicle and I had blown the transmission!!  They blamed me even though there were no issues before they had done the maintenance required by the warranty 3 days before.

The dealer told me it was not fixable so they would have to find me another transmission.

I did my own searching and found a shop in Upstate NY that had several rebuilt transmissions on the shelf ready to go for $850.  The Toyota dealer wanted to go a different route.  My Landcruiser had 57,000 miles on it.  They said they were looking for a used transmission with less than 57,000 miles on it for a replacement to satisfy the warranty requirement.  I was livid.  I called an attorney and was told there was nothing I could do based on the after-market warranty I purchased.  The dealer gave me no option.

The Toyota dealer found and bought a used transmission from a junkyard in Canada for $150 and had it shipped to Woburn, MA.  I told them I didn't want that and wanted a rebuilt transmission ready to go from Upstate NY.  They said no.  Throughout the process, I also found out there are warranty deductibles per item that I was responsible for paying.  I ended up paying hundreds of dollars in deductibles per the warranty I purchased.  IT WAS A BAD EXPERIENCE.

I currently have a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Hard Rock and I started getting those vehicle warranty calls.  I talked to one company and told them my story.  The person on the phone promised me that wouldn’t happen with them!  I said I was interested but I wouldn’t sign anything until I could read the warranty agreement. 

They sent it to me.  Reading through their warranty in the middle of the document on page 5 it said, “Replacement of Covered Parts that have experienced a Breakdown may be made with original equipment manufactured parts, non-original equipment manufacturer parts, re-manufactured parts, or used parts, at the Administrator’s discretion.”

This brought back bad memories.  Hmm … let's see … an $850 rebuilt transmission on the shelf ready to go or a $150 used transmission from a junkyard in Canada.  I was forced to take the $150 tranny from the junkyard in Canada at the Administrator's (Toyota Dealers) discretion …

A Jeep Wrangler is one of those vehicles where you can modify pretty much everything.  

With that, this same warranty document, on page 10, “Section V-Exclusions – What’s not covered”.  "Any breakdowns caused by any modifications, alterations, and/or additions to Your Vehicle, or if any modifications, alterations, and/or additions have been made to Your Vehicle You are using or have used Your Vehicle in a manner not recommended by the Manufacturer, including but not limited to, the failure of any custom or add on/aftermarket parts regardless if supplied by a franchised dealer or not, all frame or suspension modifications, lift kits (unless the lift kit option is marked on the Application Page and not to exceed 6 inched of combined lift), oversized/undersized tires or wheels not recommended by the original manufacturer, trailer hitches.  Also not covered are any emissions and/or exhaust systems modifications, engine modifications, transmissions modifications, and/or drive axle modifications, which includes any performance modifications.”  There were more paragraphs after this …

You will get those calls and can purchase a warranty, or not!  It's up to you but you can LEARN FROM MY BAD EXPERIENCE.   

If you are considering one of those after-market or dealer-extended warranties, read it carefully.  I had a Toyota dealer sell me that warranty.  It was not backed by Toyota.  Read the warranty someone is trying to sell you before you throw down your cash and sign so you aren’t forced to settle for “the Administrator’s discretion”.

Note: I had this lousy after-market warranty experience and a bad Toyota dealer service experience.  I did buy another Toyota after my Landcruiser as they make good vehicles.  Over the years I had 2 more bad dealer service experiences with a Toyota dealer in New Hampshire.  They are supposed to be honest.  3 strikes ... I would stay away from Toyota for your vehicle service.

Giving credit where credit is due, I have had positive dealer experiences over the years with a Jeep dealer, a Honda dealer, a Nissan dealer, a Mazda dealer, and a Chevy dealer.  

Beaver Brook - Hollis, NH

Kevin invited his friend Clark to go on a hike in Beaver Brook. It was a nice sunny day with a cool breeze that kept the bugs down. I quickly realized I was the odd man out when Kevin asked that I hang back 25 or 30 yards so they could hike themselves. Should I feel hurt or is it part of the journey into manhood for 11 year old boys?

We hiked to the big rock by the beaver dam. We saw a Northern Water Snake with a fish partially swallowed. We tried to maneuver so it would come out of the water so I could get a good picture. This partial head shot is all I was able to get. It ended up swimming across the brook to the other side and disappearing in the sticks.

.460 S&W Magnum - Smith & Wesson

I went to the range this weekend.  There were 6 people at the 50 yard range when I arrived.  2 were leaving so I used their stand.  When the range went cold and I set up my targets to shoot pistols and my Springfield 87M.

The 4 guys that remained must have had a dozen pistols of all shapes and calibers.  Once we were all set down range we went hot.  The first pistol I heard go off to my left was the Model S&W500.  With a 4 inch barrel it made more noise than my .44 Magnum ever did.  It was impressive.

I stopped shooting and went to check it out.  It was a nice gun. We started talking about hunting.  I said I hunted a few times with my .44 Magnum but had never seen a deer when hunting with it.  I told them the .500 was nice but the S&W .460 had the best handgun hunting ballistics so that would be my choice.  One of the guys piped in and said … OH, that’s right here ...

They had the Model 460V Revolver with a 5 inch barrel.  They told me to shoot it and handed me 5 rounds.  I know the ammo is expensive ($3.35 a round) so I said thanks but one round will work for me.  They said you don’t get the feel for the gun with just one round so shoot all 5.  I was told the gun had a light trigger so they suggested I shoot single action.

I put 5 rounds in the cylinder and got ready.  The grip felt very nice.  Since I shoot a .44 Magnum I am fine with large frame guns with some kick. 

They had a dueling tree with 4 inch plates set up 15 yards out.  Anticipating a light trigger I made sure I was aiming at what I wanted to shoot before I put my finger on the trigger.  As I started to squeeze the trigger I thought to myself “I wonder ho …” BANG” … w much pressure I will need before the gun goes off?” … and that answered my question. 

Now, to back up a minute there were 2 things.  First, when I was told about the light trigger I should have dry fired the gun to get the feel of the trigger pull before I loaded up.  Second, I should have asked if I could shoot at the 4 inch steel targets before I shot to make sure I wouldn’t blow a hole through the steel.  There are various grades of steel and thicknesses so you need to make sure the steel you are shooting at can accommodate the caliber you are shooting at the distance you are shooting.

So what happened?  Well, this dueling tree had six 4 inch plates and was set up 15 yards in front of me.  When you hit a plate it will swing 180 degrees from side to side, right to left or left to right.

In this case the top plate was on the left, the other 5 plates were on the right.  For my first shot I aimed at the second plate from the top on the right side (3^rd plate down from the top of the tree).   Because the .460 had so much power, and perhaps being so close, when I hit the 4 inch plate it swung from the right to the left with so much force one plate above and the two plates below also swung around to the left side.  The force of the plate going from the right to left 180 degrees caused 3 additional plates to swing around.  No kidding ... 4 plates turned with one shot of the .460.  "Jerry Miculek look out!!!"  hehe ... There were now 5 plates on the left and one lonely plate on the bottom right.  I was impressed.  The round didn’t blow a hole through the steel either which was lucky for me.

They were impressed that I was able to hit the 4 inch plate with my first shot of this BIG revolver I hadn’t fired before.  At the 50 yard mark there was another steel plate set up.  I hit that with my second shot.  What a great round and a great revolver.  The trigger pull was not a problem for me but I thought it felt too sensitive for a gun this powerful (personal preference).  For hunting I would probably increase the pull a bit especially if wearing gloves.  I would love to try the .460 again at the 100 and 200 yard range.  The .460 ballistics say that distance wouldn’t be a problem.

Assessment: The S&W .460 revolver has Bark and a HUGE BITE ... I WANT ONE ... 

Chambers Bros. Fish Tug

Ok ... maybe I am dating myself as this photo is from July, 1968.  I am the kid in the grey sweatshirt in the front of the boat.  We are at the boat ramp in Saugatuck, MI about to go up the river.  My grandpa is getting us ready to go, my sister has the green jacket on, my mother is wearing the hat, and my dad is taking this picture.

In the background you see the Chambers Bros fish tug.  

Did this boat have historical significance to Saugatuck/Douglas?   I set out to research this on the internet.  Maybe it could be something for the Saugatuck/Douglas Historical Society.  http://sdhistoricalsociety.org/

I came across a web site about Fish Tugs of the Great Lakes.  Below is what I found out about the Chambers Bros boat ...

http://www.harveyhadland.com/pics145.htm

CHAMBERS BROS. 228149 A 52 ft. all-steel fish tug built by Sturgeon Bay Shipbuilding, in 1929, for Chambers Bros. Fishery, Kenosha, Wis; owned by Clifford Chambers, and then his son, Keith Chambers.

Equipped with a 60-70 hp. Kahlenberg oil engine, the boat was converted to trawling after the decline of the trout fishery. Sold to interests outside the fishery, the boat is presently at Milwaukee, renamed RECOVERY, and used for underwater research.

The Loss of the Wisconsin

In 1929 the large passenger/freight steamship S.S. Wisconsin foundered in heavy seas 5 miles off off Kenosha, Wisconsin. A distress wireless message was received by the Kenosha Coast Guard station asking for immediate assistance as the 450' ship was beginning to sink. The Coast Guard tried, but was unable to penetrate the huge seas with their lifeboat.

Clifford Chambers gathered a crew together and took the Chambers Bros. through the huge combers to the location where the Wisconsin had sunk. He maneuvered the tug to allow his crew to rescue many swimmers and survivors, taking them down to the boiler to revive them from the elements. His tug full, he returned to shore to discharge his hypothermic cargo. He then made two more round trips through the waves rescuing more survivors and retrieving many bodies.

In all, Cliff and the Chambers Bros. saved more than 30 from certain death. Many others perished and were washed ashore in the week that followed.
-Steve Ceskowski


Looks like a noteworthy Fish Tug.  Another interesting site was    http://www.boatnerd.com/

Weekend Trip to the Coast of NH

This weekend we wanted to explore a bit in the Portsmouth, NH and the seacoast area.

Saturday morning we headed to Plum Island to spent the day at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.  We drove through Newburyport, MA which looked like a great little town to explore.  We wanted sand, ocean, critters, etc. so we continued on our way.  (Will visit Newburyport, MA another time).  We arrived at the visitor center to get information and a map of the refuge.  We talked to a couple people  there that gave us some great ideas for what to do. 

It cost $5 per car to get in to the refuge.  It is around 7 miles from lot 1 to lot 7.  That would be 14 miles of walking on the beach.  We decided drive and park at lot 3 then take the boardwalk to the beach and walk back toward lot 2.  The boardwalks are several hundred yards long.  We had a great time.  The tide was out so the beach was very wide.  It was windy and cold so it's good Pam brought ear muffs.  We returned by beach back to lot 3 and headed for lot 6.

On our way we spotted a Snowy Owl.  Several people were watching it feed on a duck it had killed. 

We continued to lot 6 and thought we would again walk the beach to lot 7.  Lots of nice shells.  We saw 6 unbroken sand dollars (lots of broken ones also) along the way.  One was still alive (maroon in color with little spines).  I brought my hunting GPS which said we walked almost 5 miles.  

Late afternoon we headed back to Portsmouth to check in to our hotel and make dinner reservations.  As we drove out the Snowy Owl was still enjoying the duck. 

We checked in to the hotel and headed out for dinner.  I wanted seafood so we went to Jumpin Jay's.  I had the best scallops I have ever eaten.  Portsmouth is very pretty at night so we walked around after dinner.   

I was up early on Sunday.  In fact, when I went to the hotel dining area the front desk person and the chef were watching television.  I startled them by being up so early.  I told them I was just there for coffee but they hurried to their stations.  I wanted to take pictures of "The North Church of Portsmouth" before the sun came up and people started moving about. One police car passed me and one guy walking.  Doesn't anyone get up early when they go away besides me ...

As it started to get light I headed for the water.  The center span of this bridge had been removed a few weeks back.  I took a picture of this tugboat, Miss Stacy.  In the news 2 days later there was a story and a picture about this tugboat that had gotten caught in the current moving the barge and ended up being pushed into the pier, took on water, and almost capsized.  

I continued looking for a fishing pier to take pictures. 


When I returned we checked out and headed out to explore.  We stopped at Fort Stark in New Castle.  It was used to protect Portsmouth harbor from the British in the 1700's and again in WW1 & WW2 from enemy subs.  There were a couple more fort's in the area we will explore next time.

We thought we would continue South along the ocean.  We ate lunch along the rocks.  The tide was out so the seals were sunning themselves on the exposed rocks.  I looked but no shark fins in the area. 

We arrived at Hampton beach and headed for home.  It was a relaxing and fun quick trip.