The Kinsey Kronicles

WHITNEY HOUSTON FAREWELL

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:18:00 +0000

I was truly saddened to learn of Whitney Houston's passing. What an incredible talent.

I'm not a celebrity watcher so I really don't know that much about her beyond her music. I do know she had problems with drugs and a very volatile relationship with her husband.

According to an article I read this morning she has recently had some very bad reviews and a concert where the audience walked out on her. Hard to imagine. Sounds like a movie script.

Houston's story holds some important life lessons. You can be rich, you can be beautiful and you can be famous but that is no guarantee you can be happy.

Unless you have walked in another's shoes, you cannot know why they make the choices that they do. Still, no one has the right to judge Whitney Houston even though I think it's fairly clear that she made some less than optimal choices. But, it was her life to live and so she did. It wasn't the right way nor was it the wrong way. It was just her way. I just wish she had chosen a different way because at the age of forty eight she could have gifted us with a lot more of that extraordinary voice. Ciao bella!

©Kinsey Barnard

DON'T MESS WITH OLD PEOPLE ESPECIALLY IN MONTANA

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:19:00 +0000

An old prospector shuffled into the town of Garnet, Montana leading a tired old mule. The old man headed straight for the only saloon in town, to clear his parched throat. He walked up to the saloon and tied his old mule to the hitch rail.

As he stood there, brushing some of the dust from his face and clothes, a young gunslinger stepped out of the saloon with a gun in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other. The young gunslinger looked at the old man and laughed, saying, "Hey old man, can you dance?"

The old man looked up at the gunslinger and said, "No son, I don't dance -- Never really wanted to"

A crowd had gathered as the gunslinger grinned and said, "Well, you old fool, you're gonna dance now!" and started shooting at the old man's feet.

The old prospector, not wanting to get a toe blown off, started hopping around like a flea on a hot skillet. Everybody standing around was laughing.

When his last bullet had been fired, the young gunslinger, still laughing, holstered his gun and turned around to go back into the saloon.

The old man turned to his pack mule, pulled out a double-barreled 12 gauge shotgun and cocked both hammers. The loud clicks carried clearly through the desert air. The crowd stopped laughing immediately.

The young gunslinger heard the sounds too, and he turned around very slowly. The silence was deafening. The crowd watched as the young gunman stared at the old timer and the large gaping holes of those twin 12 gauge shotgun barrels.

The barrels of the shotgun never wavered in the old man's hands, as he quietly said; "Son, have you ever kissed a mule's ass?"

The gunslinger swallowed hard and said, "No sir -- But I've always wanted to."

There are a few lessons for all of us here:

*Don't be arrogant.
*Don't waste ammunition.
*Whiskey makes you think you're smarter than you are.
*Always make sure you know who is in control.
*And finally, Don't screw around with old folks -- They didn't get old by being stupid!

I just love a story with a happy ending, don't you?

WILD WOMAN

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:17:00 +0000

This morning a fan sent me this video because it made her think of me. It makes me think of me too. It also makes me sad for the wolves.

It is a beautiful video as far as I'm concerned but here in Montana such thinking is considered heresy. Wolves are predators you see. They kill, maim and harass. They take what they want even when they don't necessarily need it. Hmm, who does that remind you of?

Ranchers want wolves destroyed because they kill their herds. Hunters want wolves destroyed because they kill the game. That humans hate the wolf for killing domestic animals and wildlife is a real irony to me. Why? Because the reason people want to wipe out the wolf is so they can be the ones doing the killing. Wolves do what comes naturally. What's man's excuse?

If one took the time to study wolves they would find they are not much different than humans. Only we don't like to admit it and humans are probably a lot more violent toward their own species. We like to hold ourselves above the animals. That is a societal fantasy.

©Kinsey Barnard

British Columbia Day Trip 01-27-12

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:42:00 +0000

One of the benefits of living where I do is my proximity to British Columbia. It takes me about five minutes to get there.

Friday I was suffering a little cabin fever so I decided to drive up to BC to see what I might see. One thing for certain, the Kootenay Rockies were looking awesomely beautiful. I stopped by the Kootenay River near Kikomun Provincial Park. If you are in to camping this is a great little park. I've not ever seen it crowded in ten years and unless it's a national holiday I practically have the place to myself. The park is closed for the winter so I just drove on down to the river. At this point the river is frozen and covered with snow so not much to see except for breathtaking vistas of the Kootenay Rockies.

From there I headed up to the Bull River, the Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep Project and the Kootenay Trout Hatchery. I stopped first at the Project which is right on the Bull River. The Bull was frozen over as well and there wasn't a sheep in sight.

Just across the road is the Kootenay Trout Hatchery. I love this place. It's open year round although it's a bit quiet at this time of year.

What keeps me coming back are the grounds which are really beautiful. Just to the west of the hatchery building is a small creek which is home to a number of birds, primarily mallard ducks. I'd not been to the hatchery at this time of year and was surprised and amazed at the number of mallards present. I'll bet there was half a thousand. I thought ducks flew south for the winter. Obviously, some of these had but this was as far south as they cared to go.

These are very wild and wary birds. The instant they got wind of me some started to take to the air. As soon as I started shooting the rest rose up in squadrons. I was using my Nikon D300 and whilst many positive things can be said about it shutter noise isn't one of them. The thing sounds like a gatling gun as it fires off 6 frames per second.

As I was leaving the hatchery what did I spy in the road ahead? The whole bloody flock of big horn sheep including the rams which, despite having hiked the project 50 times I had never laid eyes on. The rams were looking in very good condition. But, the one thing I noticed was that there were not very many lambs given the number of ewes. I have no idea what is normal but it did strike me as odd.

Below are some photos of the things that I saw on my trip to BC.

Snow covered Kootenay Rockies with the snow covered Kootenay River in the Foreground

Mallards taking flight at the trout hatchery

Below is one of my favorite photographs taken of a trout at the Kootenay Trout Hatchery

Big Horn ram

Big Horn rams

©Kinsey Barnard

DESERT LANDSCAPE SLIDESHOW

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:07:00 +0000

Desert landscapes from Arizona, Colorado and Utah.

DESERT LANDSCAPES - Images by Kinsey Barnard

©Kinsey Barnard

SOUL OF THOREAU TWITTER DATA

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:45:00 +0000

Over on Twitter my handle is "soulofthoreau". This morning I received this Tweet of statistics I thought was some pretty amazing data.

Can you imagine the environmental impact if all this stuff were printed out? And this is just me and my followers!

I hardly ever fire up my printer any more. Practically everything is electronic. Heaven help us if the power goes out for more than a couple of minutes or hours. But, thank goodness for an entertainment venue that doesn't befoul the planet. There may be some social negative impacts but I can think of a lot of worse things.

For codgers, such as myself, the world is looking more and more like what we thought was science fiction.

Developed by Cartridge Save, specialists in toner cartridges

©Kinsey Barnard

TROUBLE IN RIVER CITY

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Winter finally arrived in my part of the world. Along with the snow came single digit temperatures.

I always find it best to keep up with the snow and plow whenever we get even a few inches. I never know what's coming next. I don't want to wake up and be snowed in because it snowed a foot overnight and the plow can't handle the accumulated snow. Hasn't happened yet but I'm sure it will one day if I am fortunate enough to live here long enough.

I plowed yesterday and it was five degrees. All was well. We cleaned it up like Mr. Clean. We had about four inches of snow overnight. This morning I went out to tackle it and "Mr. Toad" would not start. Mr. Toad is a Polaris 6x6 Series 11. Mr. Toad has been with me since he was new in 2002. He has been the best most useful piece of ranch equipment I have ever owned.

Not sure what the problem is, maybe the Toad is too cold. Put a trickle charge on him and am hoping it will warm his important parts. If not Koty and I could be in for some real fun as there is rain in the forecast and if I can't get the snow off the road before it gets here it will turn in to one of those ice falls I like to photograph. Then we will be stuck.

It's a bit of a witch to work in four degree weather but I wouldn't give up this life for anything. I love Nature and I love a challenge. Here at the ranch I have all that I love. But, a man would be nice to have around sometimes.

Wish us luck!

PS: For you young whipper snappers who don't remember or even know of that great song Trouble in River City from the The Music Man check it out!

Polaris 6x6 UTV Series 11

©Kinsey Barnard

WHITE GOLD HONEY-CANADIAN DELIGHT

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:17:00 +0000

Over the years I have added more and more organic foods to my diet. Like many people my initial reluctance was the price. Today I don't care as much about the price as I do about the ingredients. I believe our food supply is tainted and I have absolutely no confidence in corporate ethics. In fact I do believe many corporations would and are selling poison for profit.

But, I digress. This article is about a new honey I recently discovered at the health food store. I love honey, especially with peanut butter. I'm still a fan of Skippy's extra chunky. Can't help it. Love it.

The honey that I discovered is called White Gold Honey imported from Canada. It is a raw, untreated honey.

As they say here in Montana, it is a little spendy but oh la la is it good. It's honey nirvana as far as I'm concerned. I've been eating the stuff right out of the jar. It seems almost sacrilegious to taint it with anything else.

I read just this morning of a man in Arizona who is over 100 and still going strong. One of his secrets is organic honey. Personally, I would rather dose myself with dreamy, creamy honey than pharmaceutical poison. But, each to his own.

I'm usually behind the curve wandering around out here in the wilderness. So, maybe everyone already knows about White Gold. But, if you don't and are a lover of honey you need to give White Gold a try. I strongly recommend that you do. If you Google "White Gold Honey" you can shop the best prices online.

I took this image on my dining room table without the benefit of lighting. Didn't turn out too bad. I bet it's a lot of fun being a product photographer. The thing about nature photography, not much is in your control.

©Kinsey Barnard

B & H STILL MY GO TO PHOTO EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:32:00 +0000

Last weekend whilst rummaging around on Facebook I came upon the B & H Photo page. Coincidentally, I was in the process of being very peeved with B & H. I left a cryptic comment that simply said, “I think your service is slipping”.

I got hooked on photography whilst getting a degree in Journalism at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (1972). In those days photography was more a science than an art and part of the Journalism Department. Today it’s in the art department. It’s rightful place IMO.

One was required to be a bit of a mad scientist to work in a wet darkroom. I loved the darkroom but it was the creativeness of it I enjoyed not the science. The same with picture taking. I loved the art more than the science, still do. I suffer from a little dyslexia and after forty years I still have to say to myself “The smaller the number the bigger the hole” when working in manual mode on my Nikon. In my mixed up mind it’s totally counter intuitive.

From my college days all I wanted to be was a photographer. But, was more interested in making money so I chose a career in finance instead. That didn’t stop me from dreaming or taking pictures. Over the years the B & H catalog was my dream book. Until I moved to Montana I didn’t buy much from B & H just filters, Velvia film and incidentals. I am the touchy feely type so I went to camera stores to buy the bigger more expensive items. The B & H sales people were always helpful and fun to talk to even though I wasn’t spending much money.

I made the switch to digital after I moved to the Montana wilderness. There isn’t a real camera store within two hundred and fifty miles of me. When I decided to take the leap and replace my Nikon SLR’s with Nikon digital I called on B & H. The sales people were, as always, engaging and instructional. They asked questions and made sure that when my new cameras arrived I had everything at hand to jump right in. I really enjoyed dealing with them. They almost made you feel like you were standing at the counter.

Last November I decided that I wanted to up grade my tripod and head. I jumped on the internet, did some Google research and went to the B & H website I was leaning toward a Gitzo carbon tripod and Acratech ball head. As I always do I called B & H to get more information and make sure the head I was interested in was compatible with tripod. Usually, what happens is the sales person asks some questions makes some suggestions and places the order. The person I got on this occasion was totally apathetic and expressed no interest in placing my order. I didn’t ask him to. I expected him to offer. After I hung up I said, “Oh, to hell with it!” and didn’t bother placing the order.

My birthday was last week so I got back on the tripod kick. I thought I should give myself a special present. I went through the same motions and when I called B & H I swear I got the same guy and the same treatment. I was annoyed but determined so I just went ahead and ordered the tripod and head online. A girl needs her presents. OK, girl is a bit of a stretch. I began my sixty-fourth year on the twelfth.

I waited with great anticipation for the equipment to arrive. I had already planned where I would go to give it a test run. The equipment arrived on schedule a week ago Friday but there was a problem. The Acratech head had no plate so there could be no test run. I was so angry I could have spit nickels. In the past the sales person would have asked me if I had a plate for the head because it didn’t come with one.

The foregoing is what prompted me to post on B & H’s Facebook page “I think your service is slipping”. Let me tell you, people are paying attention because it was not long before I had a message from Henry at B & H inviting me to e-mail him the gory story.

Before I e-mailed Henry I wanted to be sure I was right about the plate. I was so I ordered a couple. On the same day I had ordered the tripod and head ordered a wireless shutter release. I ordered it without calling because I figure there was no point. The release I chose was a piece of junk in my opinion so I needed to return it. The sales person I got his time, Cesar, was everything I had come to expect from B & H. He was engaging, he asked questions and he turned me on to a much better product for the shutter release. Course, now I am annoyed with Acratech. Four hundred dollars for a head and you have to pay another forty bucks for the plate! :)

I did e-mail Henry, Director of Corporate Communications, the story. He was most conciliatory. I truly appreciate the fact that B & H is monitoring their Facebook page and is paying attention to what people are saying. That’s smart business and I like doing business with smart businesses. I was most grateful for Henry’s intervention but in the end it was Cesar who smoothed my feathers and brought me back to the fold. B & H is still my go to photo equipment supplier.

PS: I could not be happier with my new tripod and ball head. They are a dream team. For anyone interested here are the links to what I bought; the Gitzo 1541 and the Acratech GP-S

©Kinsey Barnard

SOMETHING DARK THIS WAY COMES

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:41:00 +0000

Sorry, no pretty pictures today.

I have been an investor since I was ten years old. As of today that would make it fifty three years. My grandmother passed away when I was ten and left me 100 shares of AT&T. That began a life long interest in stocks and investing. I even went so far as to go into finance eventually becoming a VP with Lloyds International Corporation the investment banking arm of Lloyds Plc.

I have been a member of a site called Silicon Investor for the past fourteen years. It's a public forum where people of all investing skills get together and talk, stocks, finance, the economy etc. Over the years I have cut the wheat from the chaff, and believe me there is a lot of chaff, and come to respect certain opinions above others.

This morning I read a post from TH. It resonated with me because I have been having similar feelings myself. I believe the markets have been so corrupted and manipulated that there is no such thing as investing any longer. Other than some natural resource plays I am quit the markets to a great extent. But, I still pay attention because what's going on will impact each and every one of us whether we are in the markets or not.

With TH's permission I am just pasting his post verbatim.

"The Ten at 1.9 and the Thirty below 3.

Just one of many things that are not, "right". I see those yields not as a measure of fear, but out of requirement to keep the game running. And I can't see how these yields offer anything but a negative return. In light of the reality of our fiscal concerns and compounding debt/interest payments, it is nothing short of a measure of insanity.

Or, manipulation.

To my thinking it must be one of the other. Is it played out? One respected pundit says that 1.5 might be the ultimate top for the Ten. Based on all the broken markets, I would not bet against that prediction.

And each morning, around the usual magic hour of 3 AM EST, we get a futures ramp and a gold wacking.

And you, me, the entire world apparently, accepts these things as perfectly normal.

This is not normal.

Miners are sold down to levels reflecting much lower gold and silver valuations. And there appears to be very little real interest in what are now value plays. All while shorts continue to pound way at miners near 52 week lows. If these were financial or housing stocks in 07/08, I could see it.

The reason I think its so quiet on SI and all the threads I haunt around the net is there is a growing confusion and uneasiness. I see it on social websites and financial websites. Something is in the air, and while it can't be defined, the collective has grabbed hold. And yet no one can define it. I can't.

I look at the primary coverage for Paul. And while I'm a strong Paul supporter, I also believe I can step back and objectively look at how he is being treated by the media. The fact that the effort to smear and marginalize him is so pervasive has shocked even a cynic like me. For me it's like the machine has shown itself in full. No mystery here. Its overt and in your face. And it operates on the assumption that the majority are either stupid or don't care. And maybe those assumptions are accurate.

Now there is talk about this internet piracy bill. This is nothing but a tool to stop free and open communication. That is ALL THIS IS. And we stand by and do nothing, while our rights are being stripped away by this liar and fraud Obama (and yes, it is Obama, for it is the President who must step up and do the right things...and yet, we have just the opposite).

It's a rant, but not really. It's more a reference point. Something has changed in just the past few weeks or months and it feels like it's about to snowball.

And while it is just a feeling, it's worth noting that many must be tuned into it.

Something bad is coming, but the smoke from all the recent bad is so thick, I have no a clue what it is.

Maybe going physical and really getting off the grid is the path. I usually just joke about such things, but more and more I'm starting to wonder if that is absolutely the right play.

GT
TH"

©Kinsey Barnard

KOOCANUSA ICEFALLS

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:12:00 +0000

Saturday I made a junket off the mountain and in to town. It was clean out the mailbox day. Where I live the Post Office fears to go so I must make a weekly pilgrimage to town to pickup the mail.

When I have to come down off the mountain I always try to work in some photo scouting. My thought was ice falls along the Koocanusa. Usually at this time of year there are some extraordinary icefalls to be found. Last year the icefalls were everywhere and some were too beautiful for words. The image below is one such Koocanusa icefall.

This year was certainly nothing like last year. I was barely able to even find any ice. And here it is the middle of January for pity sakes! I was kind of thinking about trying to get into Little Norfork Falls if all else failed.

Whilst I was creeping along I did find some ice falls right along the road that looked like they had some potential. As is always the case when I see something I would like to photograph there was no shoulder to pull over. But, the road on the west side of the Koocanusa is a forest service road and gets next to no traffic in winter. That is unless I have parked in the road and set up my tripod at the edge of the pavement. About the time I got myself setup two axe men (read logging trucks) came barreling down on me. Let me tell you those boys stop for no one and nothing. They flew by me, using the oncoming lane, like I wasn't even there. I wish I could have gotten a shot of them coming at me. It would have been impressive.

I never saw any other vehicles in the time I was there, probably three hours. I did make my way down to the Little Northfork Falls turn off but guess what? That's exactly where those logging truck were working. No way this girl is going down an icy single track road with logging trucks on it. No freaking way!

At that very spot where I saw my life pass before my eyes I was able to get one photograph I thought was nice. I was darned grateful for even the one. It's totally different from last years catch but I think beautiful in it's earthy contrast.

Weather here in Montana can change on a dime. It's still just the middle of January so maybe there will be more opportunities ahead. Will just have to wait and see what Mother Nature has to say about that.

©Kinsey Barnard

SUNSETS AND OTHER CELESTIAL DELIGHTS

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:17:00 +0000

I love to photograph the sky. What better place to do it than in big sky country aka Montana. It seriously is not hype or department of tourism hyperbole. The sky in Montana, like the state itself, is truly big and really beautiful. The colors of the sunsets, particularly in the winter, are a color junkies delight. The clouds, well, you can just lose yourself in them. I often lay on my back in the woods and just watch the clouds float by. It's like watching a movie the way they shift and fashion themselves into the most incredible shapes. I love so much about Montana but that big sky steals my heart.

Here, for your viewing pleasure, is a slideshow with some of that stellar big, beautiful sky.

sunsets clouds celestial landscapes - Images by Kinsey Barnard

To check out the still images go my skyscapes gallery.

©Kinsey Barnard Photography

DANCES WITH DEER

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:48:00 +0000

I started out 2012 with the best day I could have imagined. It was sunny and about 25 degrees. That sounds cold but it really isn’t when the sun is out. I truly love it when a plan comes together. So often I get a great idea but then it doesn’t turn out as nifty in reality as it did in my imagination.

Just before Christmas I got the idea that it would be very cool to have an iPod so that I could go out in my forest and perform my Isadora Duncan routine without upsetting my winter residents too much. I love beautiful music as much as I love anything. It is nirvana to me. It just occurred to me what an incredibly blissful experience it would be to be able to fill my head with the music that I love in the place that I love. So, I gave myself and iPod for Christmas.

With one thing and another I didn’t have the chance to try out my theory until yesterday but what better day than the first day of a new year? It just so happened about the same time as I decided to make my little dream a reality the mule deer band showed up. I know from experience if you want to scare away wild things treat them to the sound of a human voice. Even if that weren’t the case I can’t carry a tune in a bucket so I knew singing was totally out of the question.

Geared up with my iPod playing my favorite Enya album, I danced my way down to the house pond. The deer stood stock still in complete bewilderment as I swayed and danced to music they could not hear. It was so difficult not to sing out loud. I dipped and glided around the pond. What a graceful apparition I must have seemed, clunking away in my snow boots. I was truly transported to another astral realm.

Miraculously, the deer didn’t run off. After recovering from the shock of this strange apparition of a two legged moving in such an unusual way through their space the deer started to mill around, bucking and shaking their heads. It was almost as though they wanted to join in the dance. Either that or they were that or they were just expressing their discombobulation.

As I said I love it when a plan comes together. Man de lay va, this reality was better than even I could have imagined. Combining the best of nature with my idea of the best of music was beyond my imagining. Which is really saying something because my imagination is seriously capacious.

I often watch wild things at play and marvel, with no small amount of envy, at their complete abandon and obvious joy. That was exactly what this experience was like for me. The feeling was beyond any words that I possess. Talk about a rocky mountain high.

I had my camera with me but as you might imagine it’s a little tough to take pictures and dance at the same time. I stopped my dancing just long enough to snap off a few images. It’s got me to thinking maybe I need a camcorder so I can film some of the deer antics around here. Lucky for me my birthday is this month! :)

Young Spikey Buck Peeking our From Behind an Aspen. I could hear him thinking "What the..?"

Doe with one ear forward and one back. Clearly not sure what to think.

©Kinsey Barnard

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:37:00 +0000

As another year draws to a close I can look back and say, with conviction, it was a wonderful year. I attribute that primarily to my being able to live here in the Kootenai Forest in Montana. I am rich beyond measure because I am surrounded by such incredible and exquisite natural beauty. Every day is a new adventure. None of it costs me a thing.

My wish for my friends and fans is that you find peace, health and happiness in the coming year. No matter where you live there is natural beauty to be found if you but look for it. Seek out beauty and let it fill your senses. That is Mother Nature's perpetual gift to you. Accept the gift!

I hope to be able to provide new and beautiful nature photographs for your enjoyment. Maybe a good story or two. And, of course, a few opinions on things.

I have made some wonderful friends through this blog. I value friendship greatly. Of all the photos I have taken the one below is the one that most touches my heart when I think of friends and friendship. Lets all look back over our shoulders for those who may need a helping hand. Let's touch noses and show our support for one another in the coming year!

Once again HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

©Kinsey Barnard Photography

MY FIRST CAR

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:10:00 +0000

The end of the year always seems to make one reflective. I think as one gets older you just get more reflective regardless of the time of year. I recently took a photograph of an old abandoned GMC truck. That photograph and the end of the year thing got me to thinking about my first car which was also a General Motors product, the Chevy El Camino.

My father made a deal with me that he would match whatever I could come up with to buy my first car. From the time I earned my first nickel I was a saver. My allowance, back in those days, was two bits (twenty five cents) a week.

I grew up on a ranch near a small no more town called Ventura. Ventura is about thirty miles south of Santa Barbara and sixty miles north of Los Angles on the California coast. In those days the area was mostly agricultural. Today all that beautiful, rich soil has been paved over to sprout houses. The climate was and still is as close to perfect as you could get and it seems people prefer melanomas to melons.

I earned some of my money picking one crop or another. The crop picking memory that sticks in my head involved walnuts. When I was about ten a school chum offered me a “get rich quick” scheme, or so I thought. Her family owned walnut orchards and it was harvest time. She told me we could earn five dollars for every bag of walnuts we picked. In the early sixties five bucks was big money. I figured I ought to be able to get at least a couple of bags in a day. Ten or fifteen dollars for a day’s wages, that was just too good to be true. Of course I knew nothing about picking walnuts, my family was in citrus and avocados.

I certainly learned about picking walnuts that day. The walnuts were shaken out of the tree onto the ground so they had to be picked up. A good number of the nuts hadn’t shed their outer shell so those had to be shucked. There is something in those outer skins that stains your hands a ghastly yellow. And, those bags were really big. By the end of our backbreaking day my friend and I had managed to fill one bag between us. Our fingers looked like we had been smokers for at least a hundred years! Not surprisingly, that was my first and last stint as a walnut picker.

In 1960 my grandmother passed away. She left me 100 shares of AT&T. Unlike today, in those days companies paid dividends and management answered to them. Nowadays shareholders take all the risk and the executives pay themselves lavish salaries instead of dividends. One hundred shares of stock don’t seem like much today but back then those shares paid me $240 per year in dividends. That was huge for a kid my age. Unlike today, back then, savers were rewarded. I had never heard the word compounding” but compound I did. It just seemed like the smart thing to do.

By the time I was seventeen I had saved up $1,300 dollars and I knew exactly what I wanted. From the time I was a very little girl I loved horses and was riding one as soon as I was allowed. Originally, I thought I needed a pickup to haul my tack in. But then I discovered the Chevrolet El Camino. It was love at first sight. The best of both worlds, it was a car with a bed. Perfect! Now that was a bed for hauling equipment lest you get the wrong idea.

I think my father was somewhat dismayed when I announced I had saved up $1,300 and was ready to buy my new car. Now, he had to cough up his share. You probably think $1,300 is no big deal but you would be wrong. In today’s dollars it’s probably more like $10,000.

I’ll never forget the evening my father said, “Let’s go see about that car”. I was so excited. We headed off down Telegraph Road to Fillmore and William L. “Chappy” Morris Chevrolet. The dealership still exists today but Chappy is no longer with us.

Walking into the lit up showroom was exciting in itself. But, to be there to pick out my new car, well that was beyond the beyond. When I say, “pick out” I don’t mean wander around a huge lot looking for a needle in a haystack. I mean looking at a catalog and choosing the paint, the seat covers, the carpet, the engine, the transmission and other options. General Motors took that order and made that car just for me, just the way I wanted it and it cost just $2,600.

When you hear people talking about how our standard of living has gone down so much in the last forty years I think this story really illustrates what they are talking about. For $2,600 GM promised me the moon and they delivered. I don’t think there is an equivalent on the market today. But if there were a similar car/truck you’d most likely pay ten times as much and have to take what was on the lot.

My father could have easily just given me the car but he always insisted that his children work for what they got. This was not a bad thing. I learned self-reliance. Self-reliance is equivalent to freedom. I never thought I had to depend on a man for my survival as most women of my era did. It simply never occurred to me I couldn’t provide for myself. Most women were trained to believe they had to have a provider. Now that I think about it I need to be thanking my father for being such a “jerk”.

Back in the sixties people saved to buy what they wanted. We didn’t take things for granted and we really appreciated what we got. It seems, thanks to Madison Avenue, in the last twenty years people have gone berserk with credit. They have bought everything they wanted when they wanted it without having earned it. Now General Motors is in and out of bankruptcy and people have become enslaved to their creditors. It truly is difficult to believe this has happened. A genuinely wonderful time in America has slipped away only to be remembered by old fogies like me.

Below is the photograph that got me to reminiscing.

©Kinsey Barnard

SEASCAPE SLIDESHOW

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:17:00 +0000

I'm just playing around here and thought I would try posting a seascape slideshow from my Website. Too bad I can't put it to music. That's probably possible but beyond my pay grade.

Enjoy the show!

SEASCAPES - Images by Kinsey Barnard

©Kinsey Barnard

PHOTOGRAPHY IS A LOT LIKE LIFE

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:09:00 +0000

I am by nature a ponderer. Winters in my little patch, here in Montana, are the perfect time to catch up on my ruminations. Often the days are so cold it behooves me not to go wandering alone in the forest lest I run a cropper and end up a crispy critter. Lakota, of course, is ever by my side but I’m afraid he might not be able drag me all the way home. I do carry a cell phone but it often has no service. I also carry a GPS gizmo called Spot. Seriously, who wants to hang around in 10 to 20 degree weather waiting to get rescued? Not me. Pondering before the fire has much more allure.

This week I was thinking how much photography is like life itself. We all know that photographs are unique moments in time. As a photographer I know that you don’t ever say, “Oh, that’s cool. I’ll get it next time.” Without living to regret it. The trouble is there is no exact next time. Often there is no next time at all because the scene no longer exists. Even though I know better I have done it a hundred times much to my chagrin. My mother used to say, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” As usual my mother was right.

What got me to thinking about these things were a couple of photos I came across whilst I was working in my galleries this week. The first image “Kootenai Cabin” is of an old settlers cabin that I found on the trail that takes you down to Kootenai Falls. Fabulous falls if you’ve not seen them. I’ve got photos .... somewhere.

As I was admiring the image I suddenly realized how lucky I was to have it because that particular scene no longer exists. The power company has since come through and made what was once a lovely hiking trail into a road. None of the foreground exists today. That foreground adds immeasurably to the mood and quality of the image.

This next image “River Wreck” is of an old jalopy that somehow fell into the Tobacco River and got lodged in the grass along the banks.

This old guy was wedged into that grassy bank for a number of years. But, last winter was so big, the runoff so huge and the rivers so high this wreck just got swept away never to be seen again. It most likely now rests at the bottom of Lake Koocanusa. I am partial to old things and I am glad I have this photo because no one will ever get another chance to capture it.

This last image “Winter Camouflage” is of a little gal I came to know as Floppy. She was a blacktail deer who came to visit for several winters. Because many of the same deer return each year to winter some I have given names. Floppy got her name because one of her ear tips was broken and flopped over. Floppy is not here this year and I suspect I shall not have the privilege of her company again but I will always have this extraordinary moment of her existence to remember her by.

What does this have to do with life? I think it demonstrates how we must not take a single moment for granted. Moments are unique and priceless opportunities. We must make the most of each one as it comes. It’s about not putting off until tomorrow what you can do today because tomorrow may never come and no moment ever repeats itself in exactly the same way.

I know I will always miss photos because I was too lazy, too impatient, too distracted. It will be the same in my life. I will miss making the most of many wonderful moments. The best I can say for myself is that I am aware and I will endeavor to make the most of as many moments I possibly can, with or without the camera.

The story of our lives is the sum of all our moments. By paying attention and being present for as many as we can we will be able to live a much more interesting tale. Missed moments are missed opportunities. Capture as many as you can.

©Kinsey Barnard

HUNTING FOR ICE BLOOMS

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 16:51:00 +0000

Yesterday was nice and sunny after a morning of dense fog. When the fog rolls in around here it is complete whiteout and not very uplifting. The nice thing about it is that I know a phenomenon is taking place that will make for some fun with the camera, hoar frost.

Hoar frost occurs when the air has gobs of moisture in it and the temperature is below freezing. When the moisture freezes crystal blooms literally form on the frozen surfaces of lakes and ponds. If the frost is big enough the entire forest turns into a crystal palace. Kind of like a scene from Dr. Zhivago.

As soon as the fog lifted and the sun came out I grabbed up my gear and headed for the pond. Sure enough there were some small blooms upon the surface. These crystals aren't easy to photograph. It's difficult to get good definition. After an hour and a half of trying I wasn't able to get much more than an image that will at least convey to you what I am talking about when I say ice blooms. The air temperature was 18 degrees F and that kinda cold eats up camera batteries very fast.

What I call Ice Blooms

In the image above the ice crystals formed on larch needles but these blooms can form all by themselves creating some absolutely delicate and exquisite crystal flowers. It's not even officially winter yet so hopefully I'll have more chances to get something that lights my candle.

I did get one image that I liked. Ice flowers had formed on stalks of last summer's grass. The stalks were leaning over the dark waters of a brook which gives the appearance of a starry sky.

I just love taking photographs like this. They make me feel as though I am looking at a world within a world. Nature creates so many incredibly interesting things. It's like traveling in inner space and fascinates the dickens out of me.

PS: In case you missed it and you live where winters are winters please check out this post. A fall on ice could really mess up your life. Micro Spikes

©Kinsey Barnard

WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:01:00 +0000

It's a funny thing, when I first moved out to the Montana wilderness my friends and colleagues were worried that I would be lonely or bored. Ten years later and I can honestly say, not a problem.

Is there such as word as "unbored"? I doubt it but that's what I am. In ten years I have never had a bored moment. Between managing my sanctuary and pursuing my passion for photography I can barely keep up with myself.

Always alone but never lonely. I honestly don't know what is the big bugaboo about being alone. I love it and I'm not really alone at all. There is my trusty sidekick Lakota aka Koty. He is a great companion and very easy to get along with.

Lakota Sunrise

And, then there are the wild things that visit it me from time to time. Why just yesterday when I returned from a trip into town some mule deer were in the meadow to welcome me home.

Mule Deer in the Meadow.

Each year a band of blacktail aka mule deer spend the winter with me. It's a wonderful homecoming. When the snow is gone and the grass is long they will leave to summer in the high country.

All, of this came to me as I realized that I haven't written anything on this blog in a week and it seems like just yesterday. I really do not know where the time goes. Of course, part of it may have to do with the fact that I will be starting my 64th year in just a little more than a month. For those of you who don't know that means I will turn 63. Hard for me to believe as I doubt I have ever been in such good shape or better health. It really is true you are as old as you think you are and I must admit I have no concept of my numerical age. I also have to laugh at experts who say that if you live alone you will die younger. I don't think so! Age, loneliness, boredom those are all choices that one makes. Silly me I don't even know the meaning of those words.

I am doing a lot of work on my website FINE ART NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY. Putting together some new galleries and adding new images. It's a lot of work and winter is a great time to get after it.

By far the most popular new work I put up this past week was this one I call Old Yeller. Apparently, some people like old things!

Speaking of boredom this post probably bored you to tears? Safe to wake up now. I'm done!

©Kinsey Barnard

GORE-TEX CONTEST

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:56:00 +0000

The other day I got an invitation, by way of The Kinsey Kronicles, to enter a Gore-Tex contest. Gore-Tex is looking for people with stories to tell, along with photos or videos, of how Gore-Tex “delivered for you.”

I’m thinking someone stumbled upon this blog and thought I might be a Gore-Tex user. Good guess. If one does just about anything outdoors I don’t see how you could not be a Gore-Tex user and fan. I am all about the outdoors. Gore-Tex is in my gloves, my jackets, my pants, my boots. I am a real Gore-Tex gal.

Gore-Tex has kept me dry and warm for many years. I could tell stories of kayaking in the spring downpours, being caught in summer mountain squalls in the Jewell Basin, tromping through mountain streams in the Great Bear Wilderness, cross country skiing in the Kootenay Rockies, snowshoeing the Blacktail Trail, or tending chores here at the ranch in rain and snow storms.

What I can’t do is provide any photos. Which is somewhat ironic since I am a photographer. A requirements is the story teller is supposed to be in the photos. The one thing that is never in any of my photographs is me. I have tried for years to get Koty on board with picture taking but with no success. Since it's always just the two of us ....

I can’t enter the contest but it occurred to me some of you readers might like to give it a whirl. You need to get your entry in by December 15.

You can find complete details on the Gore-Tex Facebook Page. It looks like a fun contest. I'll bet there will be some great stories.

If you are the grand prize winner be sure to let us know.

©Kinsey Barnard

Insect Bites & Allergic Reactions

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:19:00 +0000

This post is a 180 from my last A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever. My show and tell photo for today is UGLY.

My first duty upon rising at this time of year is to get the woodstove going again. It usually goes out over night no matter how far down I dampen it. It's not a problem because this house is so well insulated often times I have to crack a window to let some of the heat escape.

Back to the tale at hand, pardon the pun. Yesterday morning I was setting about my fire making duties when as I put my right hand in the glove I felt this really nasty sting. At first I thought it was maybe a splinter of wood that gotten inside the glove. That happens. But, the sting was so red hot I flung off the glove and threw it down. I thought I saw something black on my finger but I wasn't sure because I do this task in near darkness. I don't know why. I just do. I hunted around for a flashlight and by the time I got a hold of one and swept the carpet with it there was nothing to be found. There is a lamp right there I could have turned on but I didn't. I don't know why. I just didn't.

The sting, bite or whatever hurt like the dickens and I thought to myself "Sure hope that wasn't a brown recluse or some other deadly do wrong". Ever the optimist I decided it wasn't anything lethal. Sides, I live far enough out in the bush that I would probably be over the Rainbow Bridge before they got here anyway. I noticed my hand was starting to swell quickly. I am very allergic to insect bites and stings.

Taking matters into my own hands I took some Benadryl and slathered on the Cortizone 10. Right away I noticed the swelling seemed to be slowing and I breathed a sigh of relief. Where I messed up was I thought I only needed to take the Benadryl once not a few times. This morning when I woke up my hand looked like this. WARNING! The picture you are about to see should not be viewed by those with weak stomachs. OK, that's a little theatrical but it does look nasty.

THE HAND FROM HELL

Honestly, this is not what my hand normally looks like. The swelling crept six inches up my arm. Looking at it on the bright side it did stretch all the wrinkles out!

The worst part is I don't what bit me and the bugger is still running around in the house. For all I know he is back in the woodbox just waiting for his next chance to attack.

©Kinsey Barnard

A THING OF BEAUTY IS A JOY FOREVER ~~ John Keats

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:06:00 +0000

This photograph was taken in the spring when the aspen and cottonwood trees were just bringing forth new life. The reflective nature of the image gives the impression that the photograph is not a photograph at all but a painting. Nature wields a mighty brush when She paints upon the waters.

For certain beauty is in the eye of the beholder. To my eye this photo is gorgeous. The stunning color coupled with the painting like quality make this an image that gives rise to a joyful feeling in my heart. Looking at it just makes me feel good. And, as Keats said "A thing of beauty is a joy forever".

I would love to know what you think. You can leave a comment by clicking on the image and scrolling down to the bottom. It would be great if you did.

©Kinsey Barnard

APPLE: THE BLOOM IS OFF THE LILY - iPOD

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:39:00 +0000

As regular readers know I have had an ongoing love affair with all things Apple. That is until now.

I recently decided that I needed an iPod. I saw great enjoyment in being able to go out in the forest here at the ranch with some of my favorite music. Just being in my slice of nature fills my senses. I thought including some music that takes me places I can’t explain might heighten the experience. I don’t understand why people need drugs. I’m on a Rocky Mountain high all the time!

I digress. So, I bought an iPod Classic. When I got it home I set it to charging itself and explored the rest of the stuff in the package, which wasn’t much except for the earphones. I tried, for five or ten minutes, to put the things in my ears but when my ears started to get raw from my trying I decided something was wrong. I looked up how to put them in on the internet and found an Apple site that said there should be rubber or silicon ear buds to go over the microphones. OK, so something was left out of the box.

I called Apple and explained that my package had not contained the necessary earbuds. I was summarily told the earbuds were not included. Unfortunately, did not save the address of the page that said they did so I couldn’t argue very well. The documentation that comes with the iPod doesn’t mention the earphones at all. I did say it was crazy because surely many people would not be able to use the ear earphones them.

So, here I sit with a $249.00 piece of equipment I cannot use because Apple was too cheap to include $3.95 earbuds. Mind you $3.95 is retail, what I can buy them for. I’m sure they wouldn’t cost Apple $1.00 to include them in the package. What Apple was after was selling me a different set of earphones for an additional sixty or seventy dollars.

The very idea that Apple ships out a product that every consumer cannot use as is is unconscionable. There is absolutely no way this isn’t done on purpose. This is the second time Apple has disappointed me. Earlier I bought an iPad that couldn’t be used with the Mac operating system I had. I needed to buy a new OS. No one told me that before hand or mentioned the possibility I might not be able to use it without purchasing a new operating system. Shame on you Apple. Looks like corporate greed has gotten to you too!

I’m sure when I get my new earphones, which I bought from Amazon, I will get all the enjoyment from the product that I had hoped for. But, I am certainly left with a bad taste in my mouth as far as the way Apple does business. I certainly won’t be singing your praises out of hand any more.

©Kinsey Barnard

Kahtoola Micro Spikes - Product Review

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:11:00 +0000

Nothing gives me more pleasure than to find a great product that I can recommend to the benefit of others. It’s even better when I find the people behind the product are as great as the product.

My home is in northwest Montana. As you might imagine it gets very cold and icy up here. Originally from California, I am now in my tenth year at this location. If there is one thing I have developed over the years it is a healthy respect for ice, living out in a National Forest as I do, just me and my trusty sidekick, Siberian Husky Lakota Sunrise (Koty).

One slip and fall on the ice and life as you know it could be changed forever particularly if you are in that stage of life when the old bones, like the hair, start to thin. Because I am in that stage and live alone in a remote area I am quite judicious in the ways that I interact with my environment, particularly in winter. Not using my noggin could result in serious injury or even death in an icy cold grave. Worse, I could mess myself up so I could no longer live this life.

Koty and I hike almost every day of our lives. It’s an addiction affliction. In winter we tend to stick to the forest roads. I figure if we do run a cropper there’s a better chance of getting found before we become crispy critters. The roads can also be dicy in that traffic packs down the snow and it’s not long before the tracks are slick as grease.

It didn’t take me long to figure out I needed something on the bottom of my boots to give me traction and keep me from falling arse over tea kettle. The roads I travel are in the mountains. They are up and down and seldom flat. I tried everything from Yak Trax to Spare Spikes. None of them gave me a feeling of security, and worse, they fell apart within weeks. A total waste of money.

I kept searching until I discovered Kahtoola Crampons. These babies looked like I could climb Everest. I didn’t care. I bought a pair and was never happier. I could walk straight up sheer ice without slipping. I had never felt so secure walking on ice. I would still recommend these crampons to anyone with the caveat that they are not for urban or suburban walking.

Last winter, after seven or eight seasons with my Kahtoola crampons I had completely worn through one of the straps. I contacted the company and shipped them off to Flagstaff for repair. A week or so later I got a call from Vance White, a Kahtoola designer, who told me my crampons had been repaired and were on their way back. Vance was curious how I was using my Kahtoola crampons. I told him. He asked if I had thought about trying the Kahtoola Micro Spikes? I said no as there was no such thing when I bought my crampons and I was so pleased with those I had not bothered to look further. Vance convinced me I should try them and, since I live in the middle of nowhere, offered to sell me a pair direct.

Shortly thereafter I received my repaired crampons at no charge. A pleasant surprise. I didn’t expect that. A few days after that I got the Micro Spikes. The only problem was it was April so I couldn’t try them out.

Now the snow has flown, the slippery conditions have arrived and I have been out with my Micro Spikes and they work beautifully. An added bonus, they are really easy to slip on and off. The crampons take more effort. I liken them to putting on a pair of roller skates, if you are old enough to remember what that’s like. Another advantage is the Micro Spikes don’t seem to get clogged up with snow. I have had times with the crampons when conditions changed whilst I was out and had sticky fresh snow packed into a ball under the crampons to the point I could barely walk. I purposely took the Micro Spikes into unpacked snow and I had no problems.

I can’t make any claims about how long they will last but they look strong and I think they will hold up well. If for some reason they do fail I also know from experience Kahtoola will make it right.

Not many live the life that I do so the Kahtoola Crampons would not be suitable for the majority. Micro Spikes, however, can benefit anyone who lives in a climate where there is snow and ice underfoot. I think if you do live in these conditions and don’t have a pair of Micro Spikes you are out of your mind. And lookie here, you can even get them at Zappo’s. Christmas gift idea? Stocking Stuffer?

Kahtoola has great products, great people and great customer service. What more is there?

It may sound as though I am on the company payroll. I assure you I am not. It’s just that there is so much to complain about these day when I find something I think is really worthwhile I get excited about it and want to share it with everyone.

©Kinsey Barnard

Coping With Cushing's

noreply@blogger.com (Kinsey Barnard) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:44:00 +0000

Just a week ago my darling boy Lakota was diagnosed with Cushing's disease. There is no cure for it. So, the best we can hope to do is extend his quality of life for as long as we can. Who knows, if we're lucky, that could be a good long while in dog time.

As regular readers are aware, Koty is pretty much my family. We are as close as any two creatures can be being together twenty for seven as we are. I have decided to document our experience with the disease in a new blog. It seems a lot of dogs are getting this disease and maybe others will be interested in how we deal with it. Also, to do so makes me feel like I'm somehow being more proactive. Maybe some of my observations will be helpful to others.

In any event the name of the blog is Coping With Cushing's: Lakota's Story . Click on the link to go to the address.