Tim McMurdo

i do know one thing

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

I don't know this man from Adam's house cat. He could be a crazy old coot for all that I know. I don't think that he is a crazy old coot. I'm just saying that I don't know much about him.

He seemed to have a cool sense of humor. But, who knows? Maybe he just liked pretending that he liked to laugh.

He seemed to know a lot about the farm. You never know, he might have been making up the answers to pull my leg. If he was pulling my leg, that could be evidence that he does have a good sense of humor. Still, I have no real idea. I only met him once and we only spoke for a few minutes.

He seemed thoughtful. However, how do you know if somebody is thoughtful or if their mind is just wandering. When he got that far off distant look, he might have been imagining himself on a beach in the Bahamas.

He gave the appearance of being an open and honest type. The problem is that I am part of a generation that no longer takes things at face value. We are jaded and doubtful of anything that we can't poke and prod to see if it is genuine. We have passed that attitude along to our children. To me, that is kind of sad…. not being able to take people at face value.

I wish that I were part of a generation that was filled with hope and had the ability to believe in people and causes and nations without needing a test of faith. Unfortunately, I am not and as a result, I believe what I can see and touch. And so, what can I tell you of this man without reservation? Is there anything that I can say about him and be sure that I am not wrong?

Well, I can tell you one thing for sure. This man with such character in his eyes and open expression on his face likes lemonade. That I know. He likes lemonade.

poultry fashion review

Posted on August 7, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

I don't know about this chicken. The bird kind of looks French to me. She has that cocky, "I dress better than you" kind of look. French chickens are like that, they think they are better than all the other chickens. American chickens tend to be fat and this one is really trim and fit. You can always tell European chickens by the way they dress. Look at the way she wears her big red comb at a jaunty angle. She makes sure it is just right before she leaves the chicken house.

If you had to place chickens in order based upon how stylish they look, you would rate them in this order:

1. French

2. American

3. English

We can't put German chickens on the list because they have a list all of their own. Don't even talk to me about those Russian chickens.. oh boy, what a mess they are. Do they even try?

maria spelterini wanted to fly

Posted on August 6, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

Moths and butterflies flew. Flies, beetles, and gnats could fly as well. Why couldn't spiders? This was a question that Maria asked all the time she grew up. Her mother didn't have much patience with the question. She wanted Maria to be happy as a spider, just like all of her 836 brothers and sisters. Her mother always answered by asking Maria why she had to be different? Having eight legs and the ability to spin webs didn't make her special enough?

The lack of positive support didn't change the fact that Maria dreamed of flying. She would watch all the winged bugs fly overhead and dream. Maria just knew that, if she could fly, she would be able to see the world outside of the window that her family lived on. She would be able to sail from one end of the skies to another.

Sometimes Maria dwelled on the thought of flying for days on end and would forget to eat. With that in mind, Maria's family never knew that Maria had figured out how to solve the problem. Before they knew what was happening, it was too late.

On a warm summer day Maria climbed to the top of the window and spun a single silken thread. She spun and spun until the thin line reached below the windowsill. When the thread became long enough, the breeze caught it and began to tug at Maria, holding tight to the other end. Maria spun faster and faster as excitement built inside of her. When she thought that she could spin no longer, a strong gust grabbed ahold of the gossamer thread and Maria was airborne in a single incredible jerk.

Maria's thread was like a kite in the wind. She rose faster than she could ever have imagined. Her home on the window, next to the dirty glass, grew smaller and smaller until it vanished from sight. Soon, Maria was flying over ponds, fields and forests. Maria's dream had come true, she was flying! She passed all of the other bugs, waving and grinning. "I am flying, I am flying!" Maria would gleefully shout as she wizzed by them on the wind… flying!

As Maria disappeared from sight, her mother shook her head. That child is crazy, she thought. Who ever heard of a flying spider?

Have you ever heard of a flying spider? If you have, I'll bet it was Maria. She is out there someplace. If you are lucky enough to see her dangling from her silky thread, wave at the spider and shout; "Go Maria, go! Live your dreams girl. Fly from one end of the sky to the other!"

If you listen very quietly, you will hear a small giggle as Maria Spelterini, the flying spider, follows her dream.

cane

Posted on August 6, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

A little texture for you on a Saturday morning. This is the seat of a caned chair at the farm. I am serriously thinking about submitting it for a photography challenge with texture as the topic. I don't know about you but, I can feel the texture of the cane when I look at this image.

Exposure	0.025 sec (1/40)
Aperture	f/5.6
Focal Length	55 mm
ISO Speed	1600

This image does a fine job of pointing out how well the Sony a55V handles ISO1600. The lack of noise at this range is spectacular. Good job Mr. Sony, keep up the good work.

rising sun

Posted on August 5, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

Yesterday, I visited a lovely formal garden in Dayton for the first time. I had lunch with a good friend and on the way home, decided to stop by the gardens as I had never been there before. After lunch, on a bright sunny day, is not the best time to shoot flowers but, I knew that when I decided to go.

Sometimes, I will scout out new locations, just to see what they offer as potential subjects or locations for shooting. Verdict? I will go back another time in the evening or early morning. Another consideration is the lateness of the season. Early August is not exactly known for its phenomenal displays of blooms.

Jodi-ism

Posted on August 5, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

Jodi: I lost an earring at work today.

Me: Did you look around for it?

Jodi: Yeah, I found it in my bra. It had been there all day long.

Me: Baby, those things are like a black hole.

there could be nightmares

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

Have you ever seen anything like it? This is called a Hickory Horned Devil and is the largest caterpillar in the US and Canada. I witnessed this specimen today. Prior to that, I had never seen one nor had I ever imagined that a bug this big could be found outside of a jungle some foreign country like Brazil, Thailand, or Florida.

Here is a picture alongside a scale model of my foot. That should give you some sense of how huge it was.

When I saw the seven inch bug crawling across the yard at the farm, I started counting cats and chickens to make sure everybody was ok. The chickens will eat just about anything including mice. Not this beastie, they looked at it and then steered clear.

Here is a video of the critter in action:

Evidently they turn into a gorgeous (and also huge) insect called a regal moth (Citheronia regalis). If you want to see what the moth looks like, check out this link. Is that not a pretty moth or what?

I have decided that since I have never seen one before, they must be endangered and I am going to take steps to protect them. If you would like to help protect the Hickory Horned Devil, send a check for $100 to Tim McMurdo in care of this website. Every dollar that you send goes into my pocket and will be used to make my yard a pretty place for pretty moths to live.

Remember, a ginormous bug is a terrible thing to waste.

last of the stargazers

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

This bloom was the last of the Stargazer Lilies for the season. I always associate these flowers with the height of summer. Their blooms always come to life during the hottest part of the season and soon after they drop, the heat breaks and cooler weather begins to creep into our days.

Our blooms have completely disappeared and I am hoping that the extreme heat of this summer will go with them. I won't miss the muggy hot days of 2011. Bring on the cool crisp days of fall and I will publicly dance a jig for all of you. Just make this heat go away!

Exposure	0.01 sec (1/100)
Aperture	f/5.6
Focal Length	55 mm
ISO Speed	200

mowing the pasture

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

Meet Lee. Meet Lee's beard. Together, they have the job of keeping the grass in the pasture behind the barn in reasonable condition. In the summer months, this means occasionally cutting the grass.

Cutting the grass in the pasture is not quite the same as you and I mowing our lawns. All the prep work we need to perform is to check that we have gas and occasionally check that there is oil in the mower. Lee has a lot of work to do, even before he starts to mow. First off, he has to chase down and harness up a pair of horses.

For today's work, Lee has harnessed up Jane and Maggie and hooked them up to the mower. Maggie is the big girl on the left and one of my favorites on the farm. Together, these two beautiful horses will pull the mower through their own pasture, leaving behind plenty of cut grass for them to eat.

The girls really wanted to get going. As a result, Lee needs to keep a strong leash on them and waited until they calmed down. In the past, this pair has bolted on him and he always shows them that he is the one in control.

Once the girls had settled down, the entire trio headed off into the pasture to get their work done. As the horses pulled the rig, the wheels of the mower powered a gearbox that, in turn, powered the blades on the mower.

Not a bad day to spend your day, watching a horse team in action. The power of the two had no problem pulling the mower with Lee on top. Watching their huge muscles working and seeing how much they enjoy the work is a wonder every time.

black eyes and other thoughts

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

Did you grow up calling black and yellow cone flowers by the name Black Eyed Susans? I don't think I have ever known them by any other name. In hind sight, several questions come to mind:

Who was Susan?

Who made up the name? Somebody had to have said "Black Eyed Susan" first and you know he had a specific girl in mind. You don't just name a flower like that out of the blue. What were the circumstances?

Why did she have a black eye? Did she fall down? Was she clumsy? Did somebody hit her?

If her name had been Deloris, would "Black Eyed Doris" have stuck over the years?

Why not a man? I kind of like "Black Eyed Chuck". That is a man's flower to be sure.

Sometimes I lie awake at night thinking of important questions like these. Issues that could change our understanding of the world. I hope you appreciate the work I do for you and the rest of Mankind.

Author: Tim McMurdo