Rob's Project 365 for 2013

Kias

Senior Member
Day 170

Well, obviously I went to sleep before the wife got off the computer.

Anyway, my wife and I went for a stroll around the property. Found a Mulberry tree we never knew existed! Mulberry wine here we come!
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We also found a ton of Wild Grapes! Mustang Grape Wine here we come!!
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However, herein lies the winemakers nightmare...

The grapes are choking the mulberry tree to death. :(
One of them must go.
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I decided to let them both go this year and check on 'em periodically, maybe I'll harvest a little and make a gallon of wine or something. Then around winter pruning time I'll go figure out where the grapevine starts prune them, and perhaps train them to go around the tree...

I also learned, if you sit still at a mulberry tree, the birds practically come right to the camera! Do ya think I could grab a good photo? Nope.

Here's my moon shot instead.
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Marilynne

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My grandparents had three mulberry trees when we were growing up. Grandma would lay white sheets under the trees and have us kids climb the trees and shake the branches. I don't know if my grandfather made wine from them, but grandma made lots of pies and jelly. They were also great in our cereal or right out of our hands. Thanks for the memory!!
 

Kias

Senior Member
My grandparents had three mulberry trees when we were growing up. Grandma would lay white sheets under the trees and have us kids climb the trees and shake the branches. I don't know if my grandfather made wine from them, but grandma made lots of pies and jelly. They were also great in our cereal or right out of our hands. Thanks for the memory!!

I laughed a little when you said you didn't know if your grandfather made wine or not. But remember, it was illegal to make your own alcohol up until 1979 when President Carter signed and legalized it. 100 gallons a year if you're single, 200 if you're married. Guess you need more alcohol if you're married. :)

So the states thought they could regulate it better and the fights began. Well, long story short, as of a few months ago, it's now legal to make wine/beer in all 50 states, in varying amounts depending on where you live.

I laughed because I didn't even know either one of my grandfathers drank anything until around 1998. I didn't even realize they made their own alcohol until about 5 or 6 years when I started making it, and I was having flashbacks of both my grandparents basement with all the equipment to make wine and beer hanging on the walls, sitting in the corners and benches, and stashed in nooks and crannies, and all of a sudden I was all like, "HEY!! BOTH OF MY GRANDPARENTS MADE ALCOHOL!!! WTH???" Then I thought even more of what was in their basements... Wait a minute!! They both had equipment for alcohol stills too!!! ACK!!!

Called my mom and asked if they made wine and stuff. "Oh yeah! All the time! They even traded recipes/hints/etc almost daily, and go over to each others houses and help each other!"

Say what??? I didn't even know they ever talked to each other, let alone go over for a visit!! I certainly never seen them together! Ever!

Also found out my Grandmother had to go over the state line to drink and smoke! SAY WHAT??? She Drank and Smoked??? AGGGGHHH!!! She was a school teacher, and there was no public drinking/smoking/anything negative allowed back then, or they'd get fired. So.... Over the state line they went to party!

Oh, the things you learn after they pass away...

Boy, they could hide stuff from us youngin's pretty good!
 

Marilynne

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I laughed a little when you said you didn't know if your grandfather made wine or not. But remember, it was illegal to make your own alcohol up until 1979 when President Carter signed and legalized it. 100 gallons a year if you're single, 200 if you're married. Guess you need more alcohol if you're married. :)


Oh, the things you learn after they pass away...

Boy, they could hide stuff from us youngin's pretty good!

Just 'cause it was illegal, doesn't mean he couldn't make it. He was from Sicily and came to the states in the early 1910's. There was always wine in their house.

Yes, they could hide stuff real good!
 

Kias

Senior Member
Just 'cause it was illegal, doesn't mean he couldn't make it. He was from Sicily and came to the states in the early 1910's. There was always wine in their house.

Yes, they could hide stuff real good!

Oh yeah... The equipment they had was old. They were definitely making it before 1979! Just wished I knew what it was before they died. I woulda snagged it and made them proud!
 

Kias

Senior Member
Day 171

...but first, let us take a stroll down memory lane to Day 141.

Which, by the way, I thought I had taken a picture of this with the tractor... Guess not. Must've been the Garden picture with the tractor somewhere... This'll work anyway.
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Let us return to the present now.
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It's been exactly 30 days between these two photos. What's the old saying for corn? "Knee high by the Fourth of July!" This stuff is about 8 inches over my waist line, and I'm 6ft. I won't even repeat what my much shorter wife said. We call this stuff, Monsanto Mutant Corn. Never in public though, you'll mysteriously vanish and never be seen again if you do. :mad-new:
 

Kias

Senior Member
Speaking of hiding things from the youngins... Here's an amusing antecdote.

We "Acquired" our daughter already potty trained when she was 12. She's actually my wife's crazy cousin's daughter. (Yeah, we all got one somewhere!) Due to divorce, pot, drugs, alcohol, and a list of other things we 'removed' her from her parents custody. Judge Bum (Don't ask, that's his name.) said if we ever had a problem with her parents just call him on his cell.

Anyway, a couple of years ago we were at the lake house, and my son says, "Oh yeah, by the way, we're out of catnip!" I said, "Naaah, there's a giant bag in the laundry room in the upper cabinet."

My daughters eyes, who was 18 then, got so huge. I asked her what her problem was, and she said, "Oh my God! I thought that was pot, for years!!"

Seriously???

So yesterday when my wife and I went walkin' around the property, we found a bunch of catnip and ripped it out of the ground. We took it back and hung it upside down in the barn to dry out. I walked up to her room and leaned on her door jamb and waited until she noticed I was staring at her. She looked up from her computer and I said, "Hey..." She got a weird look as I inserted a dramatic pause, "We just hung up a bunch of pot plants in the barn to dry if you want to go smoke some."

Ya know, I never seem to have my camera when I really need it.

The look on her face was just priceless as she started screeching, "I thought that was pot!! I didn't know it was catnip!!"
 

piperbarb

Senior Member
I laughed a little when you said you didn't know if your grandfather made wine or not. But remember, it was illegal to make your own alcohol up until 1979 when President Carter signed and legalized it. 100 gallons a year if you're single, 200 if you're married. Guess you need more alcohol if you're married. :)

<snip>
Boy, they could hide stuff from us youngin's pretty good!

My grandfather used to make his own brandy from the berries he grew in his yard. He also made his own vodka, which was better than anything you could buy. I don't think he knew, nor cared, that making one's own giggle juice beverages was illegal at the time. :)
 

Kias

Senior Member
Day 172

My wife plucked some more catnip, and brought it inside the house. The cat found it. Shocker, I know.

I'm starting to do flash shots, as it's time I learn how to use it. This one, the camera is in full auto (it's actually the first time in auto), as anything I do manually with a flash is less than poor. I've got a long way to go. Time to hit the books again. I don't know what the camera was doing, but it missed what I thought it was focusing at...

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Kias

Senior Member
Day 173

The darling wife and I went storm chasing today!

It was really stormy out, so we stayed in the barn and let the storm come to us. Work smarter, not harder.

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Kias

Senior Member
Livin' on the edge!

​This is from yesterday evening's pop-up summer storm and tornadoes. If you were to turn around 180 degrees, you'd see tons of lightning, rotating clouds, and a rainbow. (I wish those photos came out... deleted 'em.)We basically rode the edge of the storm like this all evening.

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Ok, I'm off to figure out today's shot!
 
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Kias

Senior Member
Day 175

This is my newly planted Rosmarinus officinalis!

For years, I've been saying, "We should plant some rosemary!" Usually right after I dropped 5 bucks and few sprigs at the grocery store.

Well, it has finally come to fruition!
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...and of course I just found out I shoulda put it in a pot. LOL! Guess I'll wait to move it to a pot, until I get a big pot!

​Plus I'm having that whole, it looks good on one monitor, and not so good on the other monitor thing again!


Here's some Hens and Chicks. Well... Hens and ALOT of chicks!
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Marilynne

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Day 175

This is my newly planted Rosmarinus officinalis!

For years, I've been saying, "We should plant some rosemary!" Usually right after I dropped 5 bucks and few sprigs at the grocery store.

Well, it has finally come to fruition!
View attachment 41840
...and of course I just found out I shoulda put it in a pot. LOL! Guess I'll wait to move it to a pot, until I get a big pot!

​Plus I'm having that whole, it looks good on one monitor, and not so good on the other monitor thing again!


Here's some Hens and Chicks. Well... Hens and ALOT of chicks!
View attachment 41841

No need to put a rosemary plant in a pot in FL. See it growing all over the place down here.
 

Kias

Senior Member
No need to put a rosemary plant in a pot in FL. See it growing all over the place down here.

We're in Zone 5b.

Stupid internet. Depending on where I go, it says it'll grow in 5-10, 6-10, or 8-10! Guess if it drops below 30 degrees on a regular basis, you need to bring it inside. Oh well... No big deal! I'll just throw it in a pot in a couple of months and drag it inside. :)
 

Kias

Senior Member
Day 176

Today, it's all about the flash.

Today, I learned I still know nothing about flash.

Today, I learned my flash photography is really bad.

Today, I took a photo of my sound mixer. (At least I know how to use that!)

Today, I learned I have a long way to go! :cool:

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It's not that bad considering how dark it is in here.

​I'll keep trying!
 
I started working with my flash last night for the first time. I have used it but not gotten into the meat of the subject. I did a flash fill in bright sun with half the face in sun and half shade and was pretty pleased with the results. Which flash are you using?
 
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