YadaYadaYada
Well, yes, I did notice that I cut the pointy top of his head off in this grab shot. I just liked that this image captured Tsuga's usual goofy expression and the fact that this is such a great action shot, thanks to my new (used) 80-200 lens. The imperfect dog shot also is consistent with Themeless Friday Blogging. On Fridays, I think even less about what will go up on the page. So shoot me.
* Woke this morning to more than 600 comment spams after no more than 10-15 daily for a month--some new feature of the recent MT upgrade, I suppose.
*I am on house arrest for three days: the son (in the Subaru) is visiting college friends in TN and wife (in my beat-up truck) is working Friday and the weekend. But I'll stay busy. We are having our January thaw early this year. With the warmer weather, I have no excuse not to clean the gutters today. And the pre-snow cleanup around the woodpile needs to happen soon, otherwise I'll be tripping over and pushing the big-wheel cart around ice-and-snow-covered lumps to get to the wood.
*I have entertained the notion of a second blog. Fragments has a fairly regular readership of folks who come expecting apples and roses. Sometimes I want to write about pickles and peppers. The first crowd doesn't care for these stronger tastes. But apples and roses, pickles and peppers is who I am. Mark this for reconsideration after the coming semester has ended.
*Some progress is being made on the App Studies Association Conference presentation (for March 18). I'm using Powerpoint so far to fade images in and out against various backgrounds and just reading the related texts (most of which have appeared in Fragments or in the radio essays.) Partially completed sections include the introduction about finding my place in the Blue Ridge; spiderwebs; the creeks; trees and leaves; nature; and winter. I want to include a short section on the house and barn, and then a final few minutes to bring it all together. Miles yet to go.
*My alma mater (Auburn) and our nearest university (Va Tech, 15 miles north as the crow flies) face each other in the Sugar Bowl. I will listen via the web, rooting for Tech the first half, and Auburn the second. And whoever wins, I've cheered for a winner!
*I've been studying the idea of getting a good color photo printer and have decided on the Epson 2200 because it will print up to 13 x 19 and uses archival inks. But with the purchase of the extra lens, there went the printer fund. I wonder if those PayPal thingies ever bring in any pennies. Ann keeps reminding me how deferred gratification doesn't make very much sense when you're our age. But I haven't found a vendor yet who'll give me a senior discount on that Epson.
*Okay. I've wasted enough of your time. Duty calls: time to scrape frost off the windshield and warm up the truck for today's bread-winner. The woodstove is ticking those hot, comfy sounds; the dog is snoring softly from the next room; and there just might be one more cup of coffee in the pot. Time to take the wrapper off a brand new day and see what's inside!
Comments
I say give us all the pickles n peppers you want! They make the apples n roses seem sweeter...
Happy New Year and thanks for a marvellous read. I've enjoyed the photos so much too. x
Posted by: Loody | December 31, 2004 6:28 AM
Fred
A Pickle and Pepper post would be fine too.
Although I came here for the fabulous photos, stayed for the inspired writings, I always hope for more insight into the man of Floyd.
Take Care
Michael
Posted by: Michael | December 31, 2004 7:17 AM
I understand your reluctance to "change voice" here, but feel that it adds a sense of humanness to a weblog when we see the different aspects that make up someone we have come to want to know. I know I've lost readers over some of my "down" posts, but I've gained so much more from the responses of those who truly cared enough to understand. My off-the-wall writing has also lost the interest of many, yet gained just as many for the creative side of the language. It's a case of honing your audience to those who are captured by your words and have a deeper understanding of what makes up a man or woman. I say, stay with the one weblog, and if you'd like, you can mark out those posts that reveal a different side of you (as I do with categories).
That is NOT a goofy photo of Tsuga; it is a photo of an emperor on his way to forestall the enemy and protect his people, not caring what he looks like in the heat of his dedication to his duties as king. (?)
Posted by: susan | December 31, 2004 8:06 AM
Hi Fred. Just wanted to wish you a terrific '05!
Posted by: peggy | December 31, 2004 8:07 AM
Yeah, I've thought about a reformulated weblog too. It seems the ones that are most successful have defined themselves fairly narrowly. Not just "here's what I'm thinking about today."
On the other hand, I don't know that writing to meet expectations is such a good thing.
Posted by: Trey | December 31, 2004 8:20 AM
Fred - you are who you are - give us all of it, please. None of us is one-sided. Apples, roses, pickles, peppers, spinach, guava, and prickle fruit - we can handle it. However, if a second blog will allow you anonymity and the ability to give voice to frustrations personal, political and otherwise, then by all means expand your horizons. There will be readers and supporters - guaranteed. Have a wonderful new year. hugs from PA
Posted by: connie | December 31, 2004 9:17 AM
Like others here, I like the creaky, pointy parts just fine. Without them life gets too Hallmark cardy.
Posted by: Karen | December 31, 2004 9:20 AM
I enjoy reading your views of the aera. I have visited floyd county many times and like it so much that I bought 4 acers of land near Willis. I hope to move there when my son graduates High school. Please include some pickels and pepper it will be nice to have that perspective also.
Posted by: cindy lee | December 31, 2004 9:26 AM
I understand the urge for a second blog entirely..something to do with customer expectations vs. diversifying the product line. Robert Bateman, whose artistic work I admire, separates his philosophizing onto a separate site www.batemanideas.com. I think this might be a good idea; perhaps because you don't want those who disagree with your world view to stop coming by.
And you got Paypal buttons nailed: it will bring in only pennies, maybe enough to pay the monthly hosting fee.
I have an Epson 2200 and have had mixed results, mainly because of the operator. You have to weigh the cost and time vs. a high quality print done by a real photo print shop. I use the latter for keeper shots.
Happy New Year.
Posted by: fletch | December 31, 2004 9:33 AM
Hi, Fred,
I agree with your many other fans that broad scope is a good thing in writing. Here's a technical consideration that no one has raised yet--bandwith. It takes my slow phone lines a long time to download your blog page. This is true of many sites generated by blogging software.
For a lot of us living in the country, broadband connections are an impossible dream. Phonelines here in the Allegheny Highlands have only recently been upgraded enough to sustain a modem connection at all. There are still many phone modem users out there in towns, too.
If you start another blog, you'll double your bandwith use. (at least). I'd like to keep up with the all the condiments and table decorations you provide, but if I have to wait to download a second Fred blog, I may just have to choose between apples and peppers. My dining will be the poorer for it.
Rebecca Blood is a model of bandwidth conservation in "What's in Rebecca's Pocket?" and her xml page works properly, too, allowing us to check it often with a news aggregator. She doesn't use blog bloatware. Unfortunately, many bloggers are unaware how slowly their pages load.
Happy New Year, Rebecca
Posted by: Rebecca Clayton, Entomologist at Large, Pocahontas Co. WV | December 31, 2004 11:28 AM
I see my memory did not serve me well, you are apples and roses, pickles and peppers, not sweet, and sour pickles!
Like some of the others, I kind of like seeing all your fragments in one place, but I am sure you will work around to what is best for you.
Posted by: annieoddflower | December 31, 2004 1:24 PM
Fred, I can take anything you throw at me. Just watch out, I can nail my husband with a snowball from my house to our barn--so back atcha with your pickles and pears if'n I take a liken. Happy New Year Fred. Love your faithful reader....
Posted by: Marie | December 31, 2004 6:49 PM
Happy new year. :)
Posted by: Mariana | December 31, 2004 6:53 PM
Whatever you write, people will read. (Whom do you want to please?)
In any case, Tsuga could certainly have a career in Purina commercials, was he so inclined. I met several moviepooches in Malibu last summer, none of them a patch on your guy for good looks. Brains may be another issue, but when anybody's that handsome (even a dog), who cares?
Posted by: Doc Rock | December 31, 2004 6:54 PM
I happen to like apples and pickles, well...green granny smith apples and salt. Besides, who is nothing but sweetness and light, anyway?
Shalom,
Jan
Posted by: Jan | December 31, 2004 8:17 PM
Wow! So many people love my brother... warts and all... or rather, pickles and all!
I have a Canon I-960 and the photo quality looks perfect to me, and it's priced online as low as $166. Maybe I am too easily pleased and that low price tag is an insult to your expectations, but it might be worth checking it out among your photo-buff peers.
Posted by: Larry | December 31, 2004 9:30 PM
Oh, bring on the pickles and peppers, either here or on another blog, if it's convenient to keep the voices separate.
I have the 2200 and I really like the control of printing my own (I'm a bit of a control freak) but I didn't get results I was happy with (on any printer) until I bit the bullet and had a profile made.
Happy New Year, Fred!
Posted by: Ana | December 31, 2004 9:58 PM
Um, yes, I'd like an order of pickled peppers, please. Super-size it. ;-)
Posted by: Lorianne | January 1, 2005 11:36 AM
I'm fine with pickles and peppers. I read vouyeristically - I'm interested in peeking into the lives of people I find interesting, and you are definately interesting. Perhaps if you were to do two blogs, then perhaps you could aggregate them both into a single blog?
Posted by: Tim Burns | January 2, 2005 5:26 PM
BEAUTIFUL DOG. GREAT PHOTO. AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED, YOU CAN GIVE US WHATEVER YOU WANT. I
LIKE IT ALL. POWERPOINT. I THINK IT IS USED THE WORLD OVER. USED QUITE A BIT HERE IN THE HOSPITAL SYSTEM. I KNOW YOUR PRESENTATION WILL BE GREAT. KEEP IT COMING. SEE YA.
MARK
Posted by: MARK WHITTED | January 3, 2005 1:54 PM
Happy new year, Fred. May you and your family experience much happiness, health, peace, and success.
regarding your thoughts about a second blog -- how about implementing categories? I've seen it elsewhere (here for example: http://www.saralaughs.com/blog/), and it seems to be an effective method of marshalling one's thoughts. If you're after a different look to wrap around your other thoughts, then perhaps you could create a different CSS callout for each category.
If it were up to me, I'd suggest keeping everything on one blog -- why shouldn't we enjoy the 31 Flavors of Fred? The new material would simply be another facet to the gem, another layer to the onion, ... well, lest I rest too heavily on simile, let me just say that I'll read whatever you write.
cheers,
L
Posted by: lyn | January 3, 2005 3:34 PM