Ian from Sydney

Are you home?

Hi Ian, I know you have been away in your motor home[lucky devils]and have noticed you have been posting. Just wanted to know all the highlights of your trip. You haven't really been absent 'cause there have been many of your photos making on Jigsaw and or Sudoku. It's good to know you and Anne are home safe and hopefully sound. Cheers. eaa.

Hi Ian
In response to your post to me, I am indeed the cook of the gem scones, the sausage rolls and the date scones.
But not the high tea food unfortunately.
I went there for Mothers Day.
We have an old wood fired stove in the outdoor area which you would have seen in my pics.
Most weekends in winter we use it for cooking.
Enjoyed all your photos.

Ian they (the blackberries) were photographed on the side of the road on the way to Gordon in southern Tasmania in February 2007. The really ripe ones were delicious. The only bunch I had a good photo of was that one! But believe me they did taste good!!!

Sorry, Ian. I did not get Chapter One of "The Life of Ian." Looking forward to seeing it, though.

Oh BTW, just how many chapters are there in this epic?

Thanks, Ian for the get well wishes on my page. I just have a bad head cold and a sore throat. Say Happy Birthday to Michael from me (doesn't know me but I have seen some of his photos!)

to Michael from me Ian! We followed a very large caravan up to the river on Saturday (it kept heading north when we turned off to Mooney Mooney). I mention this because in came from Richmond Caravans. It looked very new & had NSW plates so I'm assuming it was from Richmond NSW! Probably off on its first great adventure! It was huge! I think your idea of a motor home is a much better option. We had a Kombi (early 80's model) when the kids were little. Initially they slept in the pop top roof space above us. We took a tent for them when they were older. Which in some ways made it easier if we were in one place for a few days - we'd leave the bedding in it when we went driving anywhere, which meant it marked out spot & also it didn't have to be packed tightly away when the bed became their seat! I noticed you're comment on the Melaleuca/Callistomen when it appeared again on the weekend. Last time I said I couldn't remember which it was when you asked because we do have the red Melaleuca hypericifolia up there. I checked them out this weekend & although they're not flowering & I can't remember which plant that photo was from (because I took photos of them all while they were flowering!) I think it is probably the Crimson bottlebrush Calistemon citrinus (also called the lemon bottle brush, because of it's scent!).

Sorry we missed your birthday and it's good to know that you shared it with your family. Have had some sensational cloudy sunsets - almost too expansive to properly capture. Our regards to Anne. John and Eliz T

Hi Ian... Haven't 'seen' you in a bit.

I have a question/ problem that you might be able to help me with.
How do I put an avatar on my comments? I am very much a novice with computers, and everyone else's advice is for PC's. You are a Mac user, like me.

I have no idea how to "right click", I can't get anything to do what they say it will do, and I'm frustrated.

Sorry to hear you have been crook. here's hoping whatever it is gets straightened out ASAP. My elderly Aunt used to tell me not to get older, but so far I haven't been able to avoid it.

Ian, I know what those 'down' thoughts are like. At our age we start developing all sorts of aches and pains, some of which we will carry to our graves. I've just changed my You Tube to the Cambridge Choir singing, "The Lord Bless You and Keep You" Take some time out to listen, it will restore your soul if not your body.

Ian... every time I try it, I'm told that the image is too big, it has to be less than 5 KB. What am I doing wrong?

The problem I'm now having is that I cannot get any picture to come in smaller than 8KB.

I've gone beyond frustrated. I have cropped as much as I can, and tried 5 different pictures, and STILL can't get the file below 8 KB.

OK, it is time to take a deep breath and make a cup of tea (or coffee, if you like) Whatever you do, DON"T throw the computer out the window - it doesn't solve the problem and you've lost a valuable computer.
Did you follow my last instructions to reduce the file size of the photo?

Ian... Nothing I do (including Kathy's site) will reduce anything below 8 KB, and gets refused. I don't have a large selection of photos because I don't have a digital camera ( just my old Canon AE1). I've even tried the ones included in the Mac, but they're the wrong format. Aarrgggghhhhhh. I think I'm going to quit for the time being. I'm too stressed.

Ian, I'm so proud of myself! I successfully got a picture onto my page!
Thanks again for all your great help!

Ian, I want to thank you for sharing your wonderful photos with us. I always enjoy my armchair travel with your pictures and 'comentaries'. I'm sending a couple of big hanging baskets [ :) I'm sure no one will notice if a couple go missing from downtown. ], fresh pacific samon and our island wine in thanks, and so you can relax in front of your lap top and enjoy sudoko travel.

Someone had to be your #900, and it may as well be me!

Take care Ian.

Flipped or flopped? Kids Sudoku puzzles are for big kids like me Ian!

Hello Ian, and very sorry to hear that you are unwell again. Hope that the 24th turns out satisfactorily, and that it is not interferring tooo much with your travel plans. I will keep you in my thoughts, and keep us posted!

A few generations back I have Welsh blood. But in the last twenty years, I have stayed with three Welsh twin-city friends for 2 weeks at a time (and also on our own) & they each have all stayed with us for two weeks in the US. So I have tried to pick up a few phrases of Welsh. It's a beautiful language when spoken. Very melodic.

I really thank you for all of the photos of Wales! As you, I am very fond of Wales.
Enjoyed your story about giving directions. Good way to meet people, but you get many reactions.
The first time we were traveling in rural Wales we temporarily got lost. We stopped at a petrol station to ask directions. We were looking for the town centre and found that the "canol y dref" where we were WAS the town centre! As we left, we heard them say in utter amazement, "Wow! (or their equivalent) Prince Charles yesterday and Americans today!"
(I guess they didn't have American tourists there very often for us to be lumped in together with royalty!)

Thank you, Ian, for the Welsh website on St. Cadfan's & Tywyn. The area must bring wonderful and yet sad memories for you.
I am not sure we will be able to divert from our itinerary since our Welsh friends do the planning, but if there is a chance, you bet we'll visit the area!
Grampy's Champagne Cocktail sounds worth remembering! Maybe you can add it to the Sudoku recipe book!

Thanks Ian - still getting used to the new camera.

Hope all goes well today.

G,day Ian just dropped in to see how you're health and temper are?

WOW...awesome pics. Thanks so much for posting them. Here are some brownies to enjoy.

GO BOMBERS!!

and may the old rattlers live on too not only in our memories but also on the streets of Melbourne.

Thanks for all your photos and comments on the site Ian. Lots of little gems.

Ian
Regarding today's Medium (4/Aug/08) and the photo of the Swan Inn sign.
Nice exposure for the sign detail. It looks to me as if you put some artistic thought into digitally enhancing the photo. Can you remember back to doing it? I'm trying to figure out how you made this photo look like this. Can you tell me if I'm wrong or missed something?
I notice that the lighting was bright and from the left, not above. Soft shadows are visible. So the sun wasn't too high in the sky and it was a bright overcast. Nice photographic conditions with flat lighting on the sign -- no harsh shadows breaking across its face.
Distracting details in the building are faded back giving it an attractive black on black filigree effect. It looks like all color was taken out and a bit of sky blue added back.
I wonder what the original exposure looked like. (I assume you shoot and process digitally now and don't do bracketing of exposures and fancy darkroom work anymore.)
Nice work. Thank you.

Well, I was afraid you were going to tell me something like that. lol It was an already all-black building and all? I couldn't believe such a thing existed to be photographed as it came up on the screen.

It looked to me as if the image was manipulated to bring out the nice qualities I mentioned. I hope I didn't offend you. Once again you've proven you have the artistic eye as well as the freedom to be in a photographical place at a photographical moment. Amazing.

It's hard shooting up into the sky without underexposing your subject. You have an intuitive knack and a camera that's very good to you if it managed the exposure as it did without bracketing or adjustment or editing. That's probably what I would have needed to do, depending upon which camera I used, my old Canon A-1 or my newer digital.

I'd love to know how to have better base photos. I understand composition, background, framing, angle of view -- those things. I try to study available lighting and use it well, but I'd love to improve. I try to learn how to use my cameras' automatic and manual features. I have studio lights for product photography. But there's something that still eludes me. I still only seem to average the better-quality snapshot and not the consistant "professional" quality photography I'd love to pull in.

In another life I would have spent the time I needed to really dedicate myself to photography, but life calls me to be the jack of all trades and master of none (well, I guess I try to be the best Mom I can be).

I don't mind taking an image and playing with it "artistically" to see what I can put into it and pull out of it. Digital manipulation isn't as fun as the old days of depth of field and macro lenses, filters, burning and dodging and special effect papers and chemicals, but it's certainly easier to play with images in odd moments and take old photos and give them new life and new applications.

For instance, I have three old photos of each of my babies in a bubble bath, taken at different times and in different lighting. I want to transfer them to digital and adjust the light temperature and skin tones to make them look more similar so I can frame them in a grouping. I like that I can do that kind of manipulation.

Well, thanks for your photos. I enjoy them. They certainly communicate a sense of place and time. I wouldn't like the sudoku site half as much if it weren't for the photos and yours definitely set a standard.

Hello Ian, and thanks for your interest. We are doing the trek up to Cairns to visit our daughter who has moved there, so I will be away almost 4 weeks. We are driving up via the coast in shortish hops over 10 days, including a couple of nights on Fraser Island, which I am particularly looking forward to. We then have 7 nights in Cairns and a couple at the Daintree, where we will visit our very own tree. Next we head west to Karumba on the Gulf of Carpentaria via Atherton, and then slowly home through Cloncurry, Longreach and Charleville, then Inverell and Nundle. Then sadly, it is back to work for me!! Hubby has another week off, hopefully to do some work around the house, but more likely to be spent on his computer.

I hope that your procedure goes well, and that you recuperate quickly. I will be back on September 1, and will keep my fingers crossed for you, and think encouraging thoughts.

We must try to organise another get together before Xmas. Take care!

Tough keeping secrets Ian. I stopped by Bluey's page to wish her well on her trek, and saw the September 2nd date. I'll be thinking of you and I'm in your corner. Cheers!

Well, you’re right Ian, I asked for it, even if it was a tongue-in-cheek request. However, it was a most informative response. I had no idea the Brits were so lacking in ergonomics. I hope that applied only to their earlier aircraft and that they are doing better today.
I had to smile at your description of the American design: “a flight deck with ample room for the crew, comfortable seats, well-laid out instruments in a logical arrangement so that they will be easy to read when the aircraft is flying, coffee machines and a bunk.” That’s a Herc to a ‘T’. You sure weren’t talking about an F-16!
And it’s nice to know you are a true pilot: referring to a leading edge as ‘sexy’.
Anyway, thanks for the info and I’m glad I gave you a change to vent.

Hi, Ian!

With your love of photography, I thought you might enjoy this site:

http://framboise78.free.fr/Paris.htm

Make sure you turn your volume up and scroll to the right to get this wrap-around photo of Paris!

Hi Ian. Thank you for your kind thoughts. I am having a great day. It is a tad cold for my liking but my dad is coming down for lunch with me and then tonight I am off to dinner with my sister-in-law and her kids. Life is good. I have left you a slice of cake to enjoy

Congrats on your achievement & recognition. Quite an honor and probably well deserved!
(By the way, my niece has left PNG after 3 years as a missionary there and is pursuing her second Masters degree.)

Hello there. Being pleasant and patient? Hmm, I wonder!
The one side-affect I am not sorry for is that you are here more often. I have enjoyed seeing you about the place.
I drink a toast to your health...often!
Take care and look after yourself,
Love to you and Anne.

Thank you, Ian, for letting me know that Dino is a woman. I already knew about the Buddhism, of course. Well, a screen name like Dino is likely to be misconstrued. I'll send a little note.