Exactly right, Frank T.

Throughout his lifetime Trump has corrupted everything and everybody around him, and now it seems that the Secret Service is no exception to that pattern.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/07/18/j***6-probe-renews-questions-about-secret-service-independence/


Marshall

I really wanted to like this series, because of Jeff Bridges...but it has ultimately been a disappointment to me. Even read the book and that was disappointing, too.

If you like Jeff Bridges, try "Hell or High Water," on Netflix. Excellent movie.

Definitely not a swallow. I believe Hettmoe is correct about it being an Eastern Kingbird.

Very territorial and aggressive bird, and when agitated show a tiny crown of red on top of their head. Don't see that on this one...guess it was just a run-of-the-mill eagle chase.

Marshall

My description of a "tobacco stick" in a previous reply is correct, but this video really shows the method, the "spear" placed on the end of the stick, and the cutting knife are shown, too. A picture is worth a thousand words and a video might be worth a thousand pictures.

They had one of these competitions every year here in Scott County and I'd drive by the site on my way to work at the Toyota Plant. The same guy would win it nearly every year; might be the same guy as in the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsHGZrI6ODU


Marshall

Nalu and kpmac, keep trying! They are a very skittish bird and I've had the best luck when they were intent on their next meal and weren't worried about being one. lol!

Marshall

lamiaceae, thanks for your interest.

Here in Kentucky and in other southern tobacco producing states, producing the crop was a very labor intensive process. Baling tobacco leaves was a later technique to reduce the time and cost of harvesting.

The old-time method was for men, "cutters", to walk through the tobacco rows, cutting stalks as they go and spearing each stalk onto a strong "tobacco stick" made of a hand-riven hardwood stick about 4 feet long. When this stick was full it was left standing in the field and the cutter moved on to a new stick.

Later all of the sticks were picked up, put on a wagon, and taken to a barn, to cure. There they were passed up hand to hand to men standing on joists in the barn, starting at the very top of the barn and working their way down. The leaves on the stalk hung from these sticks and cured in the barn. Then the process was reversed and the tobacco was taken back down and to market. Brutal and dangerous work.

I spent one day helping a neighbor load his crop on his wagon, and that was enough for a lifetime, for me...


Marshall

Our small town park pond is habitat to a variety of birds and wildlife.


Transmission lines across one end provide a good lookout perch for a female Belted Kingfisher:

FemaleBeltedKingfisher15Jul2022_053 by Marshall Smith, on Flickr



While on the other end, tobacco sticks driven into the bottom as part of a Fish&Wildlife project provided a landing spot for this Green Heron, who was considerate enough to fly from the bank for me:

GreenHeronOnATobaccoStick15Jul2022_105 by Marshall Smith, on Flickr



Marshall

I use a Canon 5Dmk4 which has one CF slot and one SD slot. I strongly second what TriX says about being careful about the camera pins for the CF card. I bent one once and was lucky enough to be able to straighten it without damage.

This led me to the following strategy: Setting the camera to shoot RAW simultaneously to both cards and using the CF card as a backup to the SD card. In normal circumstances the CF card never leaves the camera, and the SD card is read and ingested via the SD slot on my computer. When all is safely on the computer and backed up, then I put the SD card back in the camera and do a format on both cards, ready for another outing.

There have been a few times out in the field when I ran out of card space and had neglected to carry spares. In these rare cases I was able to remove the SD card, put it in my pocket, reformat the CF card in the camera and carry on shooting. A bit risky, but no more than only shooting on one card to begin with.

I can get about 600 RAW files on a 32GB SanDisk Extreme Pro card. I've settled on 32GB cards as my standard size.

Marshall

Just a head-up to all of us streamers out there who have trouble remembering what is on where. Try:

https://www.justwatch.com/

A free website that tracks most all movies, TV shows, and series on all the streaming services. I've found it very helpful and it has a "Notify" button that will email you a notice when a particular movie becomes available to stream.

Marshall

I was in the induction line in '69 when that happened to the man next to me. I'll never forget the look on his face when he was told he was being drafted into the Marines!

Marshall

From the article: "The Secret Service has provided dozens of hours of testimony to the J*** 6 c*******e so far, dating back to spring 2021.

According to the source close to the agency, both Ornato and Engel have appeared before the committee on the record and behind closed doors, at the committee’s request. Those sessions were recorded, but not used in Tuesday’s hearing."


https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/secret-service-debunked-hutchinson/

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/29/us/politics/what-happened-trumps-vehicle-j***6.html


Marshall

Sitting in front of the TV trying to re-create your problem.

Canon 5Dmk4, 100-400 lens @ 280mm, 1/2000, f8, high speed continuous, double exposure feature disabled.

Second shot, same settings but with the double exposure feature enabled.

I shoot with a Canon 5D and there is a menu setting to take an in-camera double exposure.

I had not ever used it before, but was able to sort of recreate your problem. Any chance you have a similar feature and you turned it on by accident somehow?

Marshall

Thanks all for the positive comments!

I don't get to this pond as many times per week as in years past, but when I do I'll try to update on any notable bird activity.

Marshall

While a walking/jogging track runs just feet away from our local park fishing pond, it is still a popular nesting spot for many kinds of birds.

On Friday I saw where Eastern Kingbirds were nesting. While the nest and hatchlings are impossible to see in the tangle of willow branches overhanging the water, nevertheless it was obvious that is what the parents were up to: bringing insects back to the nest and harassing any other birds that came too close.


KingbirdPair_17Jun2022 by Marshall Smith, on Flickr


Kingbirds are one of my favorite birds. Fearless and bold, able to snatch dragonflies out of the air on the fly! Once I saw one vigorously escort a great blue heron away from the kingbird's territory.


Marshall