Another Another Random Picture

This was taken in September during my trip to Michigan. Dad and I went for a stroll on the Lake Skekemog Swamp Pathway and we were there during the hatching season for snapping turtles. The trail that takes you to the lake is on an old railroad bed which bisects the swamp. Turtles were moving from the swamp to our left toward the lake to our right. You had to watch your step, who wants to squash a baby turtle? I don't.

Another Random Photo

In December 2010 after a snowstorm I caught this bluebird on a branch.

Random Photo

Taken during my 2009 trip to Michigan. Taken at Peterson Park in Leelanau County.

Another Boring Golf Post

Going to the range for a good year now has really helped my game. What's funny though is that recently I found a way to help myself with the driver while on the course. That doesn't usually happen. I started thinking about swinging a baseball bat. When you are batting in baseball or softball you don't have a back swing. You just put the bat behind your head and assume your batting stance. I started thinking of my golf swing in that way. I have found that when I get to the end of my back swing and think of that point as the beginning of my swing I hit the ball better. I found if I slow my back swing way down I naturally paused for a bit longer at the end of my back swing. This allows me to acquire my target down there by my feet and then wail away.

I confirmed this yesterday while playing with my friend Bobby at Revolution Park. My driving for most of the day was shit. I was slicing the ball when I wasn't pulling it. On the ninth and last tee I remembered to slow my back swing down. I saw the ball more clearly when I did that and hit it about 260 yards straight. I have found this works for me because with the slow back swing, and the pause at the top, it feels to me like I am starting at the top, it's like I am batting and to me that feels more natural. It may also be because a slow back swing is easier to control and if your swing starts sloppy then it's going to end sloppy.

Cat Spazzing while Sleeping

Melanie shot this with her phone. This is Pippin flailing around in his sleep. What a tool.

Dan Kelly

On Sunday Melanie, Chris and I drove up to Vienna, VA to see Australina singer/songwriter Paul Kelly play a show at a great little club called Jammin Java. Before the show we met Paul Kelly's nephew Dan Kelly. Dan plays guitar with Paul Kelly when he plays A to Z shows. During A to Z shows Paul Kelly will do a two-night stand at a club and play 2 1/2 hours a night of his songs in alphabetical order. Dan was a lot of fun, he was friendly and had a playful humor about him. Before the show I noticed he was selling a CD and I asked after the show if it had original songs. He said, "Oh yeah! And it's not the folk singer/songwriter stuff like we did tonight, it's kinda psychadelic rock!" I had to buy it. The album is called "Dan Kelly's Dream" and it's really good.

Here is a video for the title track of the album. I don't know if it's an official video or not but I like the song a lot.


The video below is Dan Kelly busking out on the street. I think it shows nicely his playfulness.


Discovering Dan and his music is one of those nice surprises you get when you take a chance and take a chance and go see live music and talk to people.

The Planets Were out Tonight

Jupiter on the left and Mars on the right. Taken from the back yard, looking west.


Looking east, Mars hangs over the neighborhood.

Mayhem from the Stands

Now that the NASCAR season is in full swing I can continue my hobby of finding Youtube videos of wrecks shot from the grandstands. Speed Weeks at Daytona offered amateur videographers plenty of material.

The truck race featured Joey Coulter's truck going airborne down the front stretch.

This guy panned perfectly. Well done.


This camera operator was a little further down towards turn 1 and he also did a fine job of panning.


A little closer and the camera work is a little shaky but he is right on the action.


A more static shot


And now the Piece of Resistance. Front row!

Next time Nationwide action!