warm breeze

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Blowing Towels 2

 

Saturday felt like Summer and it is only mid spring. Ohio is like that. It is always hard to predict the weather in the spring. Could be chilly and wet. Could be hot and humid. Saturday was hot and breezy. Perfect weather for drying on the line.

Clothes lines are a source of nostalgia for me. My mother had a clothes line in the back yard when we lived outside of Boston as kids. The clothes pins were stored in a bag that hung permanently from one of the lines. I am tickled that they are making a comeback as people try to reduce their energy consumption. Sometimes going back to older and simpler ways is a good choice. 

Have a great day folks.

 

how to take perfect selfies in three easy steps

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

The Selfie Part 1

 

The Selfie Part 2

 

I often get asked the question; how do I take a great selfie? Not a selfie taker, I had to consult with two wonderful ladies from the farm. Their advice can be summed up in the three simple steps that follow.

 

Step One: Make a funny face. 

 

Step Two: Snap picture.

 

Step Three: Laugh.

 

Give it a try and let me know how your selfies turned out.

 

getting the whole story

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Jimmy's Big Interview

 

Ace reporter, Libby Crenshaw knew a good story when she saw one. She spied Jimmy in the paddock and knew by the way he just stood there every time she looked in his direction that something big was going on. Why would a horse try so hard not to be noticed if he wasn't trying to hide something.

Libby wasn't shy and walked straight up to Jimmy and asked him what he was up to. Point blank. Libby is not known for being subtle. The more that Jimmy stood there in silence, the more Libby knew that she was right. And so the staring contest began.

As far as we know, Libby and Jimmy are still standing there, staring in silence. Who will break first?

 

the other side

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

The House next to the Gorge

 

My name is Hec Thompson and I am from this side. For my entire life, I have been taught by my father to dislike, distrust, and generally think ill of my neighbors, the Nanleys. Dad always said that Nanleys were loathsome low down cusses. You needed to keep a close eye on them. Don’t ever trust a Nanley.

For years, I thought as I was taught. I looked down my nose at them when I couldn’t avoid them entirely. Then I actually got to know Old Man Nanley’s girl, Becca. She was cute as a button and had the prettiest green eyes and long curly brown hair. When I started at the county high school, she was in one of my classes. Prior to that, we had never met because we attended different schools.

Before you know it, We were talking at lunch and seeing each other at dances. It took me a whole two months to work up the courage to ask her out to see a movie. Not that I was afraid that she would turn me down. More because I was afraid of what my father would do when he found out.

Becca and I were steady for two years before dad discovered that I was courting her. He threw up a real stink. Grounded me, gave me extra chores, and generally made my life miserable.

When Becca and I eventually got married, my father refused to attend the wedding. Mom and my little brother, Henry were there, but dad washed his hands of the whole thing. Dad never visited our home for the first two years of our marriage. It wasn’t until our boy was born that dad walked through my front door. I know mom forced him to go. It wasn’t like dad to ever swallow his pride.

As he was leaving, I asked him what he had against the Nanleys. What terrible thing did they ever do to him? As far as I knew he never really knew them. That’s when he told me.

You see, although we were neighbors, the Nanleys were from over on that side. Not this side. In my dad’s mind, the chasm between our two families was too wide for him to bridge. God had put that big ditch there for a reason and that was good enough for him.

Becca and I have now been married for 22 years and I have got to tell you. Once you get to know the people on that side, you quickly learn that they are an awful lot like the people on this side.

 

Jim and Charlie and Charlie and Jimmy

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

 

Yesterday, Jim and Charlie hitched up Charlie and Jimmy to plant corn using the old 1930s era IH seeder. Farm tractors did not become common until after the Second World War and this would have been a common sight until the late 1940s. Trivia behind us, yesterday was a perfect day to be outside in the sunshine. The sky was full of big puffy clouds and there was a cool breeze. And of course, with Charlie around (the man, not the horse), there were plenty of jokes to keep us entertained.

 

 

The Charlies and Jims were planting butcher blood corn. I included a picture of the seed so that you can see how beautiful it is.

 

 

Every so often, Charlie and Noland would check the seed to ensure the old machine was working as it should. Old machines need constant watching and adjustment.

 

 

 

I know that you are wondering about the horses’ names. Legend has it (we only have the word of Jim and Charlie), they were visiting an Amish farmer while looking for a new pair of draft horses. When the farmer mentioned the horses were named Charlie and Jimmy, they bought them on the spot. I think it is just as likely that the two jokesters named the horses on the way home. You never know with those two.

Have a great day.

the dog woods are blooming

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Columns and Dogwood

 

They are not the first signs of spring. There are a lot of flowering trees that show off their color long before the dogwoods. The fruit trees are flowering. The red bud has long given us its purpleish petals.  However, the flowering dogwood is one of my favorites. The whites are now in full bloom and the pinks are not far behind. Dogwoods are here to tell us that the winter is now behind us and warmer weather is here to stay.

This well groomed specimen from the Dayton Art Institute is one of my favorite examples. It is airy and the blooms are spectacular.

Have a great day.

 

what a wet week it has been

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Wet Leaves

 

Here in Ohio, it's been a cold wet week. We are in that transitional period of early spring when we are teased by a day or two of warmth and sunshine, just to be brought back to reality by cold and chilly wind borne rain. 

Still, winter's freezes and snow are behind us. The spring flowers and flowering trees are doing their best to lift our spirits with the hope of a warm summer to come.

Today promises to be a sunnier and warmer day. I hope yours is spectacular. 

Have a great week ahead.

 

working your subject

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

A common mistake made by inexperienced photographers is to not work their subject. How many times have you (or someone you are with) just taken the shot as soon as you stumbled upon the scene and then simply moved on? Instead, you should explore your subject. Try to envision what it would look like from a different angle. Walk around it. Get down low or up high.

Each of the following images was taken of the same ramp system in Atlanta’s High Museum of Art. Notice how I did take the straight on shot. However, I then started moving around and exploring the ramps from different directions and heights.

 

 

I climbed to the top floor and discovered these wonderful converging lines.

 

 

I then shifted over a few feet and discovered that I could get the line of the top rail to cross over the other lines.

 

 

I even walked into the ramps and started to see something completely different.

 

 

My point is that you need to work your subject and engage your imagination. If I hadn’t taken the time to explore this ramp system, I would have never discovered the wonderful lines and tones that it contained.

The next time you approach a scene, take the time to go the extra step. You just might be surprised by what you discover.

 

three of the man

Posted on by Tim McMurdo
 
 

 

If you are lucky and didn’t turn out to be a terrible parent, you are rewarded by having a kid that will grow up into a fantastic adult. My son, Josh, is a perfect example. I am very proud of him and the person he has become. He is kind, generous, thoughtful, adventurous, fearless (except for that heights thing), and for all of you young ladies out there, he is single as well.

For me, the best part is that he is wonderful to be around. We might be just hanging out, eating lunch at Willy’s, or out for a day of shooting. He is a good conversationalist and is comfortable talking to people.

Yeah, I am really proud of him.