Blog Pictures Are Finally Fixed

It has been months of frustration for me when I looked at the quality of the pictures after posted on the blog. I have mentioned it three or four different times, wondering if I was going blind or possibly insane.

It all started by an email I received this morning from a fellow Blogger blog owner. They too, along with a small group of us, have been complaining for months now that our blog pictures were not as sharp as they use to be. For a long time we couldn't figure out why. Once we found out why, how do they get fixed.

He had the answer.

A few times when I talked about it on the blog some readers were wondering if we were just getting old, insane and losing our eyesight. Some of us considered moving to Wordpress and one almost stopped blogging because of poor picture quality.

So after I saw the difference in sharpness and how easy it was to fix, I edited my 8 most recent posts and saw a HUGE difference in picture quality. I decided I had time to go through my 'pages' that are tabbed across the top of the blog and see what kind of damage I could do there.

It is amazing in the difference in sharpness of the pictures. It will take a little longer to put a post together but well worth that extra time for better pictures.

About the time I finished with editing over 200 pictures, Sadie was standing right at my elbow giving me the silent treatment to let me know it was time to eat. As I glanced over at Stella, not saying a word, she started howling ... that led Heidi barking in the next room.

So lunch was served, with a little more added to Stella's stainless steel bowl. After they are finished Sadie will inspect each of their bowls to make sure that every last kibble of food is gone. She will lick all the dog food bowls clean after every meal.

So we took the normal trip outside just after the meal and found a warm day fighting against cooler winds from the north.

With the fix to the pictures, from now on you should see them with a much better sharpness, a better quality picture. The last 8 blog posts also include the corrected images, as well as the pictures in my pages across the top of the blog.

It is so nice outside that we are heading out for some book reading while the hounds either sleep in the sun or watch Sadie roam the yard and field. That 'to do' list is sitting on the desk gathering a little dust. Maybe all of the effort to clear the driveway bank a few weeks ago was too much too soon.

I might be a slacker now but it's a good Monday so far here in 'the tropics' of southern Indiana.

Hounds Slow Down For Their Afternoon

After this morning's performance by the hounds, I could not expect something better. It was only their energy level that was high this morning and I knew if they were anything like me, it would not be an all day affair.


Soon after I posted this morning's blog post, I took all of the hounds outside to do whatever they needed to do before being left in the house while I drove around locally with my camera in hand. While they wandered a little in the field I cleaned my camera from the small view finder attachment to the inside of the lens hood.

The truck pictured above was one of two trucks I saw making a very slow right hand turn from the highway to the country road within view of my desk. It's pretty amazing they could fit something that long into a narrow road without cutting down a utility pole or a mailbox, yet they did make that turn without damaging anything.

Since the two trucks were blocking the roadway I could not get much closer than where I took the picture. It looks like they are rebuilding a small bridge that I found was closed last summer during one of my local drives through the country.

The older farm house above is about 1.5 miles behind my house. The picture is a little crooked but was holding the camera up pointed out the window as I drove by. I still don't feel good taking pictures of other people houses, so there will not be anymore. I passed on some real gems during my short drive today.

A lot of the roads near my house are a lot like this, although this is one of the few flat roads. It is one that I ride my bike on during the summer.

I did take pictures of those closed businesses in town. I have downloaded them but this time I am going to do some online research before I post, hopefully finding some history to each of the business I am going to talk about.

After that I took a drive across the highway for some more pictures of the old steel bridge. Not much had changed in the two years since I was there last. I'll make a post later just about the bridge itself and the updated pictures I took this morning.

Somewhat different driving the Mini Countryman All4 drive compared to the Toyota FJ I had before. This car sits about 4" lower in ground clearance but with the manual transmission I can see getting about anywhere I want to go off road. No ... I am NOT saying this is off-road.   LOL

I do like how those red mirrors stand out surrounded by all of the greens. My house is setting there to the left in the middle of the woods from the way it looks. The 7 acre field behind my house seems to have disappeared.

You would think after looking at this next picture my house is in the middle of the woods with nothing but trees around it. There isn't a clue there is a field anywhere near the house.

That small field across the highway seems like a waste of time to plow, to plant and to harvest ... but really it's much larger than meets the eye. I forget that the tree line in back is not the bank to the small creek that moves under the bridge ... but just a small wooded area between the front and back of this one field.

After they turn left after that wooded area straight ahead of the tractor, it moves into a much larger field to plant. This next picture is toward the left, next to the road I took to the bridge. You can barely see my house on the right side of the picture.

The field then spreads out to the north for quite a ways. As you can see, the field that I look at every day is a very small portion of the total size of that field. It makes sense now why they spend their time farming that area.

Before taking pictures of the bridge I stopped in the landscaping business to check on buying more rip rap. I have one more spot I want to add to the bank. It's a large hole in the side of the bank where the large sycamore tree once stood until June 2008. It was as large as the sycamore tree still standing.

The straight line winds pulled that 125' tree out of the ground like a weed. It fell through the fence and was tall enough to almost cover the width of the yard. You can barely see the large hole in the bank where the tree was. It is just left of those rocks you see in the center of the picture. It needs to be filled.

That is my driveway under the tree. The rest of the tree almost reached to the other side of the front yard. My bloodhound at the time, Bertha, was checking out the damage, barely seen to left of center. Sadie did not arrive until two months after this happened.

The Directv satellite dish did not survive the tree limbs. When they came to reinstall the new system I had him move the dish up to and bolted into the front of the house. That prevents wind damage and is hidden by the Yews planted a few years later.

By the time I returned from my local drive, the hounds were ready not only to eat but take a mid-afternoon walk. It was a slower pace this time and all three hounds spent the rest of the afternoon in a solid deep sleep.

Heidi was passed out on the couch, Stella stretched out on the floor behind my desk chair and Sadie moved back and forth from "her" large leather chair in the living room to her dog bed in the corner of the bedroom. All the windows were open with a nice breeze so it was great sleeping weather.

I was pretty sure that Heidi was going to make the afternoon walk. It was above her 70° threshold, sitting at 77°. She looked motivated within her first few steps outside.

You can see how much hair has grown back in on her front leg and paw and she does look a little heavier than last fall/winter.

She then bolted to the right and took off running around the front of the house for a lap. As she returned on the back side of the it was a reminder of #9 on my to do list this summer ... install new brick edging between the river rock and yard. The same bricks as in the front. I still have a lot to do before I get to #9.

I asked her one more time if she was going on the walk and she gave me a solid no. She stood looking away and never moved. I got her answer loud and clear.

Stella let me know early in the walk, that the fast pace she did this morning was not going to be an afternoon thing for her. She was back to being slow and after looking at that picture I could swear the grass grew another 6" after this morning's walk.

Four Five perfect, nothing out of place, dandelions. (thanks for letting me know about my error)

There are times I wished I was paying attention in geography or geology class ... one of those non-sports classes in school. I'd love to know what these are and who makes them. The liquid mud formations fascinate me.

Sadie warmed up a little in her search ... but then again, she never slows down and is always active in her walks. A totally different energy level than Stella's.

I was about to call Stella's name ... but she started heading my way on her own. Not fast ... but in the right direction.

Both of them decided they had enough fun for one day and slowly headed down the path back home.

Another one of many farm equipment traveling south down the highway today.

Just one more thing to check out before their siesta.

Sadie was walking behind me until she saw Heidi up by the house. As always she took off sprinting, and touching noses with Heidi just to let her know she was back.

While Heidi found a way to cure her itch ... Stella walked slowly around her without stopping to even say hello.

Now ... she looked ready for a walk as she started barking at me.

Even after a couple of glasses of freshly brewed cold ice tea, by 3:30 that thought of a siesta sounded like a good idea. It didn't help much with three sleeping hounds but I was able to resist.

Those 6 days of rain forecasted out of the next 9 days have been blown off the map. No rain today and now it's only 3 of the next 9 that has a possibility of rain. Plenty of good weather for me to get back on that 'to do' list.

Do I like my Mini Cooper Countryman? --- yes
Do I miss my blue Toyoto FJ? --- yes
Would I like to have my old white 1994 Chevy pickup truck back --- yes
Do I need the seldom driven Z4? --- yes

This is why I need 4 different cars but only have 2.

I have found that a printed out 'to do' list is much better at keeping me focused on the job at hand, rather than checking a list on my computer, on my iPhone or in my head.

Those tiny things you think you feel crawling on your legs or neck are back ... ticks.

Stay tuned for a post, with pictures, about the steel bridge that is at least 70 years old and the local business that are now closed after decades of serving a lot of local people and are missed today.

It was another nice day here in 'the tropics of southern Indiana.

Farmers Plant The Field Across The Highway

It was close to lunch for the hounds and I when I heard farm equipment slowing down on the highway. They have worked this field pretty fast and with great weather it's been perfect timing for them. So while the hounds were gobbling their lunch kibble in one minute or less, I grabbed my camera and decided to take some pictures in sequence to give some of you an idea about the process.


I need to tell you right up front, that I am not a farmer, never have been a farmer and if it is not a tractor or a combine I have no clue what the different equipment is called. I know they are planting but I have no clue what the liquid is in the tanks nor what it's purpose is.

The first step was spreading out the planters. Based on what the ground looked like I am making a wild guess that they are not planting corn this year but soybeans.

Some of the readers might be able to make comments to clear up some of the small mysteries like that piece on the left side that is being expanded out pretty far. I assume that it is some sort of marker to tell the driver where to line up his return pass ... but again, just a guess.

While I am typing this I am asking myself why did Blogger decide to upload all of my pictures in a huge 'original size' ?? Those are bags of seed on those pallets and all the bags were loaded into the planter.

Their business must be good because it was just a year or two ago where their equipment was not this large nor this new. They have really beefed up their equipment. Also a couple of brand new Ford F-150's have stopped different afternoons to pick up the driver when he was finished.

I was tempted to walk over and get a closer view plus explain why they see me taking pictures whenever they are working in the spring or fall. I had all of the hounds outside and didn't want to do the routine with them for me to leave the house. They were enjoying their time outside.

These different steps of preparation were not quick. I had time to eat my salad with tuna, the hounds had time to eat, go outside and wait for me to come back outside prepared to clear my driveway bank.

Below is the piece of equipment that I think is some sort of marker but I'm not really sure about it. It has a single disc and nothing between it and the planter.

Once all of the planters were started to transport the seed, plus the tanks were turned on in some way, he was ready to go.

Looks like he is off to the races. Clear blue skies, not too hot and a gentle breeze to get our work done. Again today the wind was blowing a different direction than it normally does so all of that dust did not head our way.

I was planning on cutting all of those samplings along the bank of the driveway, I just didn't know I would start today. It's probably best that I am single and live alone because it's common for me to think I am going to do something like mow the lawn, give Stella a bath or even wash a car ... but in an instant my focus changes and then I am spending the afternoon with my lopper and tree pruning saw cutting anything and everything taller than ground level along the bank on the other side of the fence.

That might not look like much but the majority of these pains in the ass 2" saplings are further down the driveway. I'll take pictures tomorrow after I drag them into the driveway and then carry them to my burn pile to burn next fall. My burn pile is going to be huge next fall based on the number of these trees I cut today.

Like a couple of years ago, after I carry those small trees to the burn pile just past the top of my driveway I will let things dry out on that bank for a week or so and then light the bank on fire burning all of the dead leaves, old dried wild ragweed stems and hopefully those thorn bushes that cut me up today. I think this year I am going to spread some clover (Mary's suggestion) for ground cover and see how that works.

While the farmer planted his field and I cut small trees ... Heidi took a nap in the sunshine. Even when I walked past her she did not wake up. When I walked back outside with my camera she still did not move. Doesn't it look like she has gained a lot of her weight back?

Since the hounds were outside and I was down over the bank out of sight, I put Stella on the tether and hoped that Sadie would stay somewhere in the 7 acre field in back without going to the neighbors. They were out mowing grass so I thought there might be a chance that Sadie would pay them a visit.

They both wanted to let me know that everything was cool and they were in their best behavior. Sadie did walk over to the fence a couple of times and looked over the bank to make sure I had not killed myself with those NON power, NON electric hand tools. They knew the job was dangerous but I had to do it while the weather was nice.

It is suppose to be warmer Thursday and Friday so I should be able to clear the bank, move the trees and finally make it up on the roof to check things out. I have a few more limps to pickup and I need to blow my gutters clean with a leaf blower ... I find that to be the easiest and fastest way to clean the gutters, as long as I don't fall off the roof while walking along the edge.

I had to take a break for some water, and an apple. It was interesting to watch him put all of that equipment back in place so he could drive all of that down the highway. It is just a little wider than one lane.

Here you can see the difference after he raised all the wheels of the planter when everything was moved back into place.

This next picture shows some of the trees I cut that were further down the driveway. There is a larger group of those trees between the end of the fence and the highway. Based on internet searches and IF the small trees have been identified correctly, they would not grow taller than 20'. If they would grow taller than that, it would be harder job to cut them later when they were taller, also I have a clear sky to the SW for my two satellite dishes.

I have tried about everything possible to keep them from growing back but for every stem I cut, three to four grow back. I cut them back to the ground about every two or three years.

There is one thing good about working outside ... I get a good workout and I am tired enough to get to sleep before midnight, or even earlier.

The weather is great here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.