Gnome in SanFran.

Fabulous decorations at the Admirals Club in DFW Airport. That's Bryan sitting at left with his cell phone -- stuck to his ear. I don't know him. He paced around the group of lounge chairs nearby mine. If he wasn't dialing his phone, it was ringing. "Hi, this is Bryan . . . Hi, this is Bryan . . . Hi, this is Bryan." Busy guy.

My first photograph of this journey had to consist of art work of whatever kind. I liked the hanging on the wall above Bryan's head. I couldn't see it very well, but it seemed to have an oriental motif -- and how appropriate.
The grilled salmon at the Hyatt Regency on Bayshore Drive seemed ruinsously salty, but the veggies -- tender broccoli and asparagus -- tasted just right. The chef did a great job on those veggies; he must've run out of salt when he spilled it on the salmon -- haha. Later, I thought that a small dinner consisting of the Mondavi Cabernet, some Brie and the bread they serve here would have been wonderful for me, for here they bake their own bread -- and it's delicious. The only thing wrong here, aside from the excess salt on the salmon, is my Mr. Mallory's absence.
I phoned Mr. Mallory from the carousel at the airport in San Francisco. He told me that Portside had helped himself to Hodge's doggie meal, and was spoken harshly about it. Later, Portside came to Mr. Mallory, lay at his feet, and wagged his tail, as if trying to make ammends. It worked, naturally, and Mr. Mallory gave him many pats, and would have given him cookies, too, if he had known where to find them. I told him, "in the kitchen, under the clock, in the little glass thingey;" so Portside should receive a few cookies, maybe, at some point during my absence. He prefers them at bedtime. Portside is a connoisseur of doggy treats and could write a critique of his own.

Gnome on the Way

First leg to China: DFW Airport -- quick look at the artwork in Terminal D -- on my way to overnight in San Francisco. I tore myself away from Mr. Mallory, teary-eyed. A nice lady, Ms. Brown, let me tag along with her the Admirals Club. That was cool. Thanks, Ms. Brown! Hotspot and coffee; lovey email to Mr. Mallory, and quick start on this site.

Gnome on a Lake

Whimsical view of the regatta. Kerry guided a motorboat around the yachts. Very little wind today.

Gnome Under Rain

Growth in Gnome's Garden

Gnome on a Ship?

Do something nice for other Olympians!
This cruise will be a tremendous way for you to reacquaint yourself with fellow Olympians and to share in the Olympic Spirit. In addition, the cruise will be contributing a portion of the fare to the Olympians for Olympians Relief Fund (OORF) which helps Olympians who need our support. Please join us! I hope to see you on the cruise!

Sincerely,

Willie Banks
President,
U.S. Olympians

Gnome's melancholy has emerged, her heart has melted and her interest has peaked: Will pack swimsuit.

Gnome and Vermejo

I have had unusual communications attempts with Vermejo. Often, for various reasons, they have left voice mails at my house; I return their calls -- and it's always been someone different, except Jenny, who has left voice mails twice -- to find a busy line, or an abrupt message on their end explaining that they are busy at the moment . . . then the message ends with no chance to record my message to them. The best way to communicate with them expeditiously, I have found, has been to email them after I have given up my attempts to return their phone calls. After Mera, the woman who receives my plaintive emails, relays my message to the caller, they then phone back and leave another voice mail. Then I try to phone them, meet with a busy signal or the "we're not here" message, so I email them back, and the cycle begins again. Questions are left in the voice mail system, and answers relayed by email. Playing phone tag/email has worked very well with Vermejo and me. This evening, as I steamed veggies and cod, sipped a crisp white wine and loved My Mr. Mallory's company, the cycle was broken; Vermejo finally found me at home. I spoke to Rebecca about my visit to nature, trout, beauty.
The other remarkable thing I've noticed thus far about Vermejo is the sweetness and general wonderfulness of the people (who have left voice mails), such as Jenny and Rebecca -- to whom I spoke this evening -- and Mera, who has received my emails. Jack seemed wonderful, too, but he left, I heard, to be wonderful somewhere else. I wish I could say to him, "Thank you," because he was, well, a wonderful staff-member to welcome my first call to Vermejo. Before Jack left, he sent me an envelope that contained a lovely map of Vermejo. I looked at it. I'm going to adore it there. I'm already thinking about which lenses to take with me. Maybe by then I will have found a great tripod to hold my camera while I record nature.

Gnome in the Wichita Mountains

I traveled to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge with a group of wonderful and cute people.

"Love makes the world go 'round." I love saying that expression and I love the Earthlings that/who express it just by living, such as these two lizards; the male holds his front paw over the female's. He sunned on the rock when he saw her approaching through the grass. In one leap, he met her and then brought her to the top of his rock. They twirled around, nosed each other, then sunned together for a while, paw over paw.

Impressive-looking dude.

Visit AustinDunnPhotography.com for remarkable photography of this canyon.

Gnome in Dallas and Fort Worth

We met with Karl at the Meadows Museum in Dallas. Afterwards, I could not help but think of the expression "like two ducks in a pond" when I saw this easy shot of two ducks asleep in the water -- or snoozing while unaware of my stealthy approach with my camera. I used the Nikon D80 with an 18-55mm lens. Then I drove to Fort Worth.

Folks admire the exhibits at the Arts Festival on Main Street in Fort Worth.

I adore this picture.

A fellow photographer lurked among the other visitors to the Arts Festival. He had hung around his neck the strap to a Nikon D2xs. Now, you know a person feels serious about photography when s/he uses a D "to excess" as I call it. I used the strap to my D200 on my D80 -- not having found the right strap to the camera as I rushed out of the house earlier that morning; so, when he said: "The jewel of Nikon," I did not feel sure if he meant the D200 or the D80. I would have asked him, but he disappeared in the crowd. Frankly, I prefer the D200 over the D80, and hold the D2xs as the best of all, except to take on all-day trips (it's heavy).

After the Storm at Noon

A lengthy line of stormy weather blew across this region today. Our town lay in a gap on the line, so we had only rain, while the surrounding areas had hail and tornadoes.

Gnome Remembers Ibarbourou

LA HIGUERA

Porque es áspera y fea,
porque todas sus ramas son grises
yo le tengo piedad a la higuera.

En mi quinta hay cien árboles bellos,
ciruelos redondos,
limoneros rectos
y naranjos de brotes lustrosos.

En las primaveras
todos ellos se cubren de flores
en torno a la higuera.
Y la pobre parece tan triste
con sus gajos torcidos, que nunca
de apretados capullos se viste...

Por eso,
cada vez que yo paso a su lado
digo, procurando
hacer dulce y alegre mi acento:
"Es la higuera el mas bello
de los árboles todos del huerto".

Si ella escucha,
si comprende el idioma en que hablo,
¡Que dulzura tan honda hará nido
en su alma sensible de árbol!

Y tal vez, a la noche,
cuando el viento abanique su copa,
embriagada de gozo le cuente:
"Hoy a mí me dijeron hermosa".

This magnolia tree barely survived a freeze we suffered a few years ago. Slowly it has looked healthier. But every day that I see it, I think of the poem written by Ibarbourou about the fig tree in her garden; I say aloud to my magnolia that it is the most beautiful tree in my garden.

When this dog has this look, I wonder what in doggy world runs through his mind. I took this photo when he just came down from the window. There seemed a lot of squirrel activity outside. Squirrel, anyone?

The wind moved the branches above the rose bush. As the branches swayed, the lighting from the setting sun differed in shade and intensity. I took several photos -- hastily -- in an attempt to capture every possibility given to me by the changing conditions.

Gnome Thinks Vermejo

Wildlife Observation plus Interaction with Trout equals Experience in Nature -- Traveler Literary Gnome's Interest has Peaked; Will Pack Fly Rod and Camera.

Click Here for Gab's Paintbrush Up the Nostril Trick

Gnome in the Garden

A rose in bloom reminds me of my soul sister; a rose bud standing tall, emerging, next to a rose in bloom reminds me of me.

Mr. Mallory's Jaw Bone

Fish and Wildlife Hatcheries at Lake Diversion, Texas. Almost finished.

Fish hatcheries under construction.

One of the guys loaned Mr. Mallory the bone for a quick pose in front of my camera.

Gnome at Home

So nice to sit outside with my Mr. Mallory and a glass of bubbly. A monarch butterfly fluttered above us and then settled in the Pear tree.

Bye, Kurt, and Thanks.

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
1922 — 2007
http://www.vonnegut.com/

Helpful Comments from Fred Miranda Forum Photographers

Guys, I have been using the 18-200mm, AF-S Nikkor 1:3.5-5.6 G ED for a while now, but I don't seem to like it as much as my other lenses. I don't mind lugging it around, but I do mind the quality of it, which doesn't seem as high as I thought. It is the kit lens to the D200 I bought last year. I've been reading forums looking for anything anyone may have said about it. Anyone have two cents worth to pass along? Thank you! Posted Apr 08, 2007 at 02:38 PM

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/524932
That thread looks like a good response. Alan. Posted Apr 08, at 2:54 PM

Welcome Eli
well this gets batted around here Very often
Too bad that Nikon gets a short shrift here at FM , this lenshas been out for almost a year and still not in the FM review section yet
try this on for size, folk either love or hate this lens:
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/524932/0#4537985
I am snotty I guess , I hated it
J. Posted Apr 08 at 2:57 PM

Hi:
Opinions are all over the place.
If you expect to push it to the extremes (wide open at 200mm) and want results like a prime you are likely to be unhappy. If you shoot to its strengths you can likely get acceptable or much better results. There is one poster here (gugs) who is a big advocate of the lens.
Check it out.
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/524932
If you did a search under his name and "18-200" or something you will probably get
dsicussion that interests you as this is not his fist thread on the subject.
Personally I think I will pick one up for an "all in one" vacation lens.
Edit: well a few folks beat me to post and are sending you to same thread(s) but I will just leave it as is.
Cheers,
Craig
Posted Apr 08, 2:59 PM

If you shoot to its strengths
Wise words that I apply to every lens and body that I now own, or have ever owned.
Marc Posted Apr 08, 3:45 PM

I initially got it to try and make the best compromise between coverage and budget. For $750, it covers a lot of bases, and pretty darn well. It's also small and light, so you only need to carry it around to travel light. Once you taste the sugar and want more, the spending begins. Once you've spent, it becomes the versatile carry lens. I've even thought of getting a D40 just to make a small and light package for when I don't want to lug the boat anchor.
Look at the selling prices new and used since it came out. It's just now becoming available for list price of $749 from $900-1,000 used. That says volumes. Posted Apr 08, 3:55 PM
Indeed I am a big advocate of that lens. I also use "real" pro lenses but I still find that this lens is a fantastic allround compromise. Sometimes you just can't carry all your gear or you just need the flexibility of the range to react fast - no time to switch lenses - that's what I appreciate. And even if IQ is not perfect, it is pretty good to me...
A few threads I posted with 18-200VR pictures:
Africa
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic2/516048/0#4447880
Africa II
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic2/516059/0#4447963
Turkey
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic2/456675/0#3917325
Turkey II (two fisheye shots and one 12-24 shot in the middle)
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic2/456665/0#3917267
Trains in the Canadian rockies
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic2/435709/0#3731462
and as a conclusion: among my fav pics with that lens:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/142/322412074_6e6de43a02.jpg
playing with DOF is not possible with such a lens (I'm getting cynical - my apologies for that)
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/45/189074897_072a3b07e0.jpg
and as a real conclusion, I am just laughing when I read that people find this lens almost unusable for serious stuff (even if I have to agree that I have better lenses in my bag, my A3 printouts of some of those pics are pretty nice and detailed)
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/62/204191219_d38df1aec8.jpg
I rest my case
Guy Posted Apr 08, 6:26 PM

I'm totally with you gugs. I've been using mine for nearly a year, and only find it's real weakpoints for my work in really low light situations or when I need a faster action shot at longer distance (200mm). Posted Apr 08 9:05 PM.

The IQ on this lens is pretty good, but it's well-profiled on DxO, which gives it darn-near prime quality. Posted Apr 09 6:51 AM.

After considering your thoughts and views, I've concluded that I've been pushing it too hard in low light and at its full length. Otherwise, I've found that it is a handy lens to carry around all day and on travel. Thanks to you all! :-) Posted Apr 09, 6:56 PM.

Amateurs Play: Micheal Hawley

Fifth International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, Micheal Hawley webcast concert. (Click above for information.)

Gnome Meets Writer Badger

Badger is the satyrist in my life. At our last meeting, he read a story that poked fun at a well-to-do woman in town. He based the story on what she did – was it last year? – when she hung her wheel on the ramp of the parking garage as she left dinner to go to the symphony. "One too many martinis," she kept repeating as she grasped her steering wheel and cried. And I remember that evening: My Mr. Mallory and I sat in the auditorium wondering why they delayed the orchestra, when suddenly a large group of people walked in – some looking tipsy – and sat in their seats. Not until they sat did the orchestra begin to play.
As it turns out, the alcoholic in the car blocked the way of many symphony ticket holders. They had to wait for someone to remove her car – a Jaguar, of course – before they could leave the building. These ne'er'do-well alcoholics give Jaguar owners a bad name.
Anyway, back to Badger. He wrote his story based on this woman and her foolish behaviour. There is a scene that makes me chuckle: It has to do with the repo man who's boss has called him to remove the car from the parking lot ramp. At the moment of the phone call, the repo man is busy removing a car from the driveway of a wealthy couple; their maid has not paid for the car and so he's repossessing it. The old man looks out the window and sees the repo man. He feels appalled by the truck and the chains and the car being pulled away –- but does he feel appalled for the "right" reason, namely, the poverty suffered by his pitiable maid, or her negligence in her finances? No, he fears what the neighbors might think -- of him. So, he grasps the centuries-old sword above the mantel and shuffles out the front door in his houseshoes, his old and puny arms barely able to hold the sword above the ground. The repo man sees the old man shuffling toward him, struggling with the sword. The repo man puts his arm around the old man's shoulder, turns him around, and starts taking him back into the house. (The unexpectedly calm response by a character, in this case the repo man, seems typical of Badger in his work – actually, anything unexpected seems quite typical of Badger's work.)
Enter another character, the old man's wife, who has pushed a flower pot over the railing. The pot has fallen on the repo man, causing him to fall unconscious with a serious cerebral hematoma. This is where Badger leaves us in his story, to be continued next time.
Later, as I chuckled over what I remembered about the story, I found myself remembering the evenings that we've gone to the symphony. We have to park far away, and it's bad enough negotiating the steep hill we have to walk down, and then up, without having to contend with those drunks in their vehicles trying to find a place to park. They are full of wine and coctails after their dinners and they've come to the symphony unable to drive, and worse, the effect of alcohol makes them feel belligerent toward the pedestrians. They have become the only thing I dislike about our symphony. I hail our satyrist when he writes stories based on their foolish behaviour.

An Office for Gnome

Tomorrow I begin work at my new office. I will sub-let from my Mr. Mallory. He already had a desk, a lamp, and a couple of bookshelves there. First things in my office, Oxford English Dictionary and Diccionario de la Lengua Espanola de la Real Academia. Good to have a quiet place conducive to yielding results in my work.