*** August 3, 2025 - August 9, 2025 Weekly Show, Tell, and Critique ***

Birddogman said:

My goodness! I thought kids around here had long rides into town for school. Nothing compared to your area.

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The distances because the kids used to live in the other town and started school there, my daughter's marriage evaporated and she moved to a bigger town and the kids continued at their old schools because that's where all their friends are. About 55km between towns and they are always going to and fro with shared parenting duties.

Basically it's nothing for these folks here to drive 2 or 3 hours to go to a major shopping centre and then back. The State of NSW is big (309,326 sq miles) and most people live on the coast, the rest is sparsely populated.

To get here from my home in Sydney it's a 5 hour trip with a lunch break at the 3 hour mark.

Birddogman said:

Thanks for posting. Looks like a beautiful place. I think I'd like to live there!!

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We used to visit Young when in camera clubs back around 2000 and always liked the town, busy and nice atmosphere. It calls itself the cherry capital of Australia and yes we over-indulge when the cherries are fresh.

https://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/country-nsw/young-area/young

Sounds very nice! As you may know, we usually spend the fall in very rural parts of Montana. Probably not as empty as the area you are describing, but you can easily drive for an hour and not see an occupied structure or person.







I very much like being there and regret not moving there when young. But, at this late point in my life, I wouldn't want to live there full time - just grocery shopping is a full day's project. There is no such thing as nearby health care. Of course, it's 2/3's of a continent away from family - we have 11 grandkids.

We are very lucky in that we have some land up on a Pennsylvania mountain and live in the middle of it - can't see or hear any other human activity. But, we are a 15 minute drive to any kind of shopping, health care and other services.





Greg

--
Check out my photos at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/137747053@N07/

Nice!! I'm not really a beer drinker - one is enough for me, but I do really enjoy a good beer now and then.

I remember some really good beers when living in Germany. At one point, we lived within walking distance of the Späten brewery. Good stuff!

Unfortunately, all beers here, including the imported German beers, are pasteurized. That changes their flavor - and not in a good way.

Greg

Kchrpm said:

I didn't have much planned so I put a post on social media asking if anyone wanted to take photos at a pool if I paid for the rental fee. Several people responded, but only a handful actually came, and these were some of my favorite pictures from the two nights.


Working with a six foot tall model can be difficult, but getting her onto the steps of the pool helped


I wasn't sure if my strobe could keep up with the camera's burst rate, but the power was low enough that it flashed every time


The water got colder as it got later, she could only hold a straight face for a few seconds


She was loving the water


I like how the trees in the background leave openings for light to peak through


I still haven't figured out how to consistently capture the beauty of the sky at sunset in the background


I didn't think to move all of the junk out of the background, so there's some heavy vignetting to give more of a spotlight look

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Haven't done this kind of photography but they are all nice images. But I like the last one best with the light and shadow.

KB

Yes the last few days weren't so bad at all though there was a poor air quality alert on Tuesday. I felt that bad air after walking a few blocks that day. Sunday was particularly nice and I took a quick trip to governors Island to try to catch the sunset. As usual the weekend train line changes nearly derailed it. But unfortunately I dawdled on the eastern side and missed a good spot for the sun set. Writing from phone so will have to get on laptop to upload some pics.

KB

Thanks, Kahn!

Not too much exciting this week so far. Errands and shopping yesterday - went to our favorite grocery store, among other places. The parking lot.



A typical sight one can see from the road. "Making hay while the sun shines", literally. Horse power, but the hay cutter has a diesel engine???





We bought one of my favorite PA Dutch foods - pork scrapple. Can you buy that in other places?



Tuesday was an all day firewood day. I'm beginning to wonder if we are getting too old for this kind of brutally hard labor in the heat. Nancy and I were utterly exhausted. Today will be (yet another) firewood day. :-( A pano of the firewood prep area:



What's going on with everyone else here? Let's see some PICS!

Greg

--
Check out my photos at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/137747053@N07/

from my visit to the opthamologist for 2 days' visits for draining of the eye (1 a day) for glaucoma .. this came a week after my regular checkup visit ... had eyes drained previously so no stress there .. but the waiting room just after 8am ....














Was sitting near the window so poked my camera out to catch the sun on the adjacent building which had a vacant top floor apy .. tried my best to correct camera distortion







A closeup



And of course the 3 monks after my second visit





KB

KBTinto said:

from my visit to the opthamologist for 2 days' visits for draining of the eye (1 a day) for glaucoma .. this came a week after my regular checkup visit ... had eyes drained previously so no stress there .. but the waiting room just after 8am ....

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That procedure must be VERY unpleasant - makes me cringe reading about it. My late wife had many issues with her eyes related to her MS causing inflammation of her optic nerve. Early on, she would get shots directly into her eyes. I would take her to the doctor, of course, but it was hard for me to watch the procedure. The shots didn't seem to help as she lost most of her vision over time anyway.

What a crowd! I hope you had an appointment and didn't need to sit through all of those people. Even here, there are often three or four people waiting at the ophthalmologist's office, but they almost always get you in timely with your appointment.

KBTinto said:

Was sitting near the window so poked my camera out to catch the sun on the adjacent building which had a vacant top floor apy .. tried my best to correct camera distortion



A closeup

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It looks like different layers of bricks. Building upward over time? I see a little "fancy" brickwork under the windows. But I also see what look like damaged areas (honestly they look like some of the old brick building around here that were struck by cannon balls during the Civil War). Just to the left of the window in the close up is an example. What is that?

KBTinto said:

And of course the 3 monks after my second visit



KB

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I looked up and carefully read all the info you gave me about Buddhist monks and "alms". Very interesting and kinda strange to me (but I'm not religious, so many religious practices are strange to me, like the Amish towing a diesel hay cutter with a team of horses). I do now understand that it's a religious/cultural thing, not really just begging. Thanks for that!! Learn something new and interesting every day!!



Greg

--
Check out my photos at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/137747053@N07/

Birddogman said:

What's going on with everyone else here? Let's see some PICS!

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This happens occasionally a few hundred yards from my place. It is kind of weird how little I actually get to hear here, with a few blocks in between and me being in second floor (third floor in American way of counting).









I actually was kind of annoyed that I did not think to bring my 50mm f:1.4, but it turned out f:2.8 was workable.

It helps that this lens does not need geometric correction or sharpening.

--
Dak

Wow! That is quire a neighborhood party!! You say a "work party" - what does that mean? Looks like mostly younger people.

What kind of white balance are you using?

Greg

Birddogman said:

Nice!! I'm not really a beer drinker - one is enough for me, but I do really enjoy a good beer now and then.

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Well, unless I am in company, it tends to end up one as well, and half of the time without alcohol.

Birddogman said:

I remember some really good beers when living in Germany. At one point, we lived within walking distance of the Späten brewery. Good stuff!

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This one is of the Kaltenbach brewery which is sort of in a permanent fight for admission to the Oktoberfest, arguing that Prince Regent Luitpold actually founded the Oktoberfest with them as provider. But concessions appear to be of the opinion that they've had their run.

In the mean time, that beer is pretty good.

Birddogman said:

Unfortunately, all beers here, including the imported German beers, are pasteurized. That changes their flavor - and not in a good way.

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I can imagine but prefer not to.

Birddogman said:

Wow! That is quire a neighborhood party!!

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I very much doubt it is spontaneous. They have a DJ and a toilet trailer and lights and stuff. There is a rental for event equipment right in Waltrop that may be on short dial, but I guess that the town must be involved in some agency.

Birddogman said:

You say a "work party" - what does that mean?

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No, it's an "After Work Party". Meaning that it is just a few hours in the evening.

Birddogman said:

Looks like mostly younger people.

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Probably mixed.

Birddogman said:

What kind of white balance are you using?

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I am ashamed to admit to Auto1. But there is such a bunch of illuminants (the lantern is probably sodium vapour judging from its color, and the event probably uses mostly LED these days) that it is probably hopeless to get something more useful.

The somewhat cynical Roman motto "panem et circenses" is actually missing the panem which I had to finish before taking the camera out to the music:







--
Dak

Birddogman said:

We bought one of my favorite PA Dutch foods - pork scrapple. Can you buy that in other places?

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I've heard scrapple described as the PA equivalent of goetta, which we have in Cincinnati: https://www.eckerlinmeats.com/page/goetta



I love it, and now I want to get some soon.

Birddogman said:

KBTinto said:

from my visit to the opthamologist for 2 days' visits for draining of the eye (1 a day) for glaucoma .. this came a week after my regular checkup visit ... had eyes drained previously so no stress there .. but the waiting room just after 8am ....

Click to expand...

That procedure must be VERY unpleasant - makes me cringe reading about it.

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Somewhat, especially when she pushes the lens right against the eyeball (after asking me to look up) and presses to hold it secure and the pressure from it really hurts then she fires multiple bursts of laser into the eye. I get a warm sensation in the eye but so far no pain from the treatment.

Birddogman said:

My late wife had many issues with her eyes related to her MS causing inflammation of her optic nerve. Early on, she would get shots directly into her eyes. I would take her to the doctor, of course, but it was hard for me to watch the procedure. The shots didn't seem to help as she lost most of her vision over time anyway.

Click to expand...

I have glaucoma, cataracts, floaters and occasionally have what they say is migraine of the eye. Am also a type 2 diabetic which impacts glaucoma. My parents had glaucoma and cataracts and my father was also diabetic. . One rule of thumb I read with glucoma is that my eyes should not be too often below my heart such as when I bend down to pick stuff off the floor and one has to sleep with a raised head and not turn the eye downward/sideway into the pillow ( but that is my favorite ) because that can increase th pressre in the eye. I worry that my vision will deteriorate with time am also near and farvsughted and looking at the phone is not an ideal way to be careful with my eyes.

Birddogman said:

What a crowd! I hope you had an appointment and didn't need to sit through all of those people.

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I did have an appointment but the front desk seems to accept walks in on first come first served basis. They didn't even want to hear my appointment time ! Had to wait 30 minutes past my appointment.

Birddogman said:

Even here, there are often three or four people waiting at the ophthalmologist's office, but they almost always get you in timely with your appointment.

Birddogman said:

Was sitting near the window so poked my camera out to catch the sun on the adjacent building which had a vacant top floor apy .. tried my best to correct camera distortion



A closeup

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It looks like different layers of bricks. Building upward over time?

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No, more like repairs/replacement of bricks under local law 11 and the colors don't match. Our neighborhood Jackson Heights, is designated a city historic district and every type of item like the bricks that will replace an existing one is subject to approval but often the colors don't match. Its like that all over the neighborhood ... three pics from the recent work done on our building you can see the color mismatch from prior work.












Almost done ...

Birddogman said:

I see a little "fancy" brickwork under the windows. But I also see what look like damaged areas (honestly they look like some of the old brick building around here that were struck by cannon balls during the Civil War). Just to the left of the window in the close up is an example. What is that?

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Can't say but I think probably water damage? Most of the bricks replaced in our building was due to water seeping in and damaging it and whatever underneath.

Birddogman said:

Birddogman said:

And of course the 3 monks after my second visit



KB

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I looked up and carefully read all the info you gave me about Buddhist monks and "alms". Very interesting and kinda strange to me (but I'm not religious, so many religious practices are strange to me, like the Amish towing a diesel hay cutter with a team of horses). I do now understand that it's a religious/cultural thing, not really just begging. Thanks for that!! Learn something new and interesting every day!!

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You're very welcome, Greg! I am so glad I got to witness it here.

KB

Birddogman said:

Greg

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Kchrpm said:

Birddogman said:

We bought one of my favorite PA Dutch foods - pork scrapple. Can you buy that in other places?

Click to expand...

I've heard scrapple described as the PA equivalent of goetta, which we have in Cincinnati: https://www.eckerlinmeats.com/page/goetta

I love it, and now I want to get some soon.

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That sounds like an upscale scrapple - purpose made. Traditional scrapple here is a by-product of butchering hogs. Any little “scrap” that can’t be used for something else plus unused organ meat is tossed into the scrapple pot along with ground grain (usually corn and/or buckwheat), spiced; and boiled for hours until it solidifies. Then cut into blocks and cooked as described.

Had some for breakfast this morning along with our own eggs, over easy. It’s a typical PA Dutch breakfast food. Yum!



Greg



--
Check out my photos at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/137747053@N07/

KBTinto said:

Somewhat, especially when she pushes the lens right against the eyeball (after asking me to look up) and presses to hold it secure and the pressure from it really hurts then she fires multiple bursts of laser into the eye. I get a warm sensation in the eye but so far no pain from the treatment.

Click to expand...

Maybe not the same, but I had laser shots into the eyes to break up a film that grew on my implant lenses about 4 or 5 years after cataract surgery. I wasn't looking forward to the procedure, to say the least, but it turned out to be no big deal.

KBTinto said:

I have glaucoma, cataracts, floaters and occasionally have what they say is migraine of the eye. Am also a type 2 diabetic which impacts glaucoma. My parents had glaucoma and cataracts and my father was also diabetic. . One rule of thumb I read with glucoma is that my eyes should not be too often below my heart such as when I bend down to pick stuff off the floor and one has to sleep with a raised head and not turn the eye downward/sideway into the pillow ( but that is my favorite ) because that can increase th pressre in the eye. I worry that my vision will deteriorate with time am also near and farvsughted and looking at the phone is not an ideal way to be careful with my eyes.

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Oh my - sorry to hear that, Kahn. Losing one's vision is not a pleasant prospect. Makes your excellent photography even more amazing.

KBTinto said:

I did have an appointment but the front desk seems to accept walks in on first come first served basis. They didn't even want to hear my appointment time ! Had to wait 30 minutes past my appointment.

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GGGRRRR...

KBTinto said:

No, more like repairs/replacement of bricks under local law 11 and the colors don't match. Our neighborhood Jackson Heights, is designated a city historic district and every type of item like the bricks that will replace an existing one is subject to approval but often the colors don't match. Its like that all over the neighborhood ... three pics from the recent work done on our building you can see the color mismatch from prior work.


Almost done ...

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Hmmmm..... Those buildings certainly look useful, but how can they be "historic" in the sense that great expense is required to maintain them in original condition. As I recall, there are literally countless similar buildings in NYC (and any other large northeastern city). Maybe I am missing something?

To my little mind, THIS is a "historic" building (1740's). The Marquis de Layfette spent a few nights in this nearby farmstead during the Rev War.







Greg

--
Check out my photos at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/137747053@N07/

That looks really good. Nancy and I both enjoy cooking (I hated cooking until it was forced on me, now I like it), but we've not attempted bread. The stores here have vast selections of very good bread and it's not expensive. Maybe that has something to do with our failure.

Greg

Birddogman said:

That looks really good. Nancy and I both enjoy cooking (I hated cooking until it was forced on me, now I like it), but we've not attempted bread. The stores here have vast selections of very good bread and it's not expensive. Maybe that has something to do with our failure.

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I wouldn't call my bread "very good". It's basic. Boring to the degree where it is pointless to muse about variations. Which suits me fine. There are things I prefer not to spend thoughts on.