Nice shots. This week's winner of the 12th annual Caption of the Month competition is: "Nico Reinbold who likes his birds face down"
-- Bob > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Kenneth Waller > Sent: 07 June 2007 20:46 > To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List > Subject: Re: GFM - Report and pics > > Enjoyed your ramblings and the photos. Good to meet you also. > > Kenneth Waller > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Cotty" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: GFM - Report and pics > > > > After reading the excellent reports published already, > there's not much > > to add really. So here's a few random thoughts, in > chronological order... > > > > I really don't like bad turbulence - on a flight. I think I'd rather > > have bad turbulence of the 'I've eaten too much' kind any day. > > Fortunately everything went to plan and my trip was > otherwise good. Nice > > to be back in the USA where nobody gives a shit ;-) > > > > I learned to drive when I was 15 in California at High > School, so I'm > > not shy of left-hookers. However, piloting a 25 foot camper in the > > evening rush hour on the Beltway between the 66 and the 270 > near DC was > > akin to having bamboo inserted up the fingernails. Luckily > I got that > > hang of it and was soon cutting up all the mo-fos that had > cut me up. > > The maxim 'give way to larger vehicle' does actually work. > > > > I drove to Germantown and met up with Christian. Great to > see you again > > mate. We popped out for dinner to the Dogfish Brewery where > loud waiters > > proclaimed their undying love for our occupancy of their table, > > repeatedly offered deals and sweeteners, swung by constantly in case > > there was anything we needed. "Hi. I'm Carl and I'll be > guiding you on > > your journey..." I'm British. I'm used to being ignored in > restaurants. > > > > We had beer. Well, it was between 9 and 18 percent and was served in > > brandy glasses, but they said it was beer. I found a 3.5% called > > Lawnmower Light and struggled not to ask what was in it. At least I > > could chug it down to combat temps in the 80s F and high humidity. > > Cesar, Stehen Moore, and long-time ex-lister Tom Van Veen > (tv) joined us > > and so we sat and laughed at Christian's haircut all > evening. I had a > > good time, thanks guys. > > > > Christian and his wife Kerry were perfect hosts for my > pre-GFM sojourn, > > and despite my protests gave up their bed for me. This was above and > > beyond the call, but I relented and slept like a baby: I > kept waking up > > and was sick everywhere. > > > > Christian was amused when I poured sugar on my Weetabix the next > > morning. Dude - California in the 70s, I keep telling ya! > Cesar joined > > us for coffee and we sat on Christian's back porch where > birds of every > > kind flew in for a nibble, Christian's Darkside 500/4 at > the ready. That > > guy has a good eye for the birds. > > > > Cesar thoughtfully brought some ballast for the RV: 12 bags > of gear. Why > > strain with indecision when there's all that room, right mate? After > > saying ta ta to Christian, we hit the morning rush hour > traffic on the > > Beltway again. I don't think my driving had that bad an > effect on Cesar. > > He was very quiet for the first few minutes, until I realised I was > > supposed to keep *between* the dashed white lines. > > > > 9 hours and several stops later we reached GFM about 6.30pm > and met up > > with the occupants of PDML West (Cory's camper). Thanks for > all the help > > setting up things like shore-lines etc (these campers are > so big they > > have to be moored). Non-lister Bruce Metcalf waltzed over > from his RV > > and insisted I borrow some levelling chocks for the rental RV. This > > theme of helping out set the tone for the whole weekend and > people would > > simply come up to you and give you things. Being a Brit, I > would just go > > up to people and apologise. > > > > This was Thusday, and so folk were slowly making their way up to the > > mountain. Great to see old friends once again (Cory, Annsan, Nico, > > Graywolf, Tom Reese, Doug, Mark, Bob, Don, Scott, Charles, Bill and > > Phyllis - the list is endless), and some new ones (Scott, > Dave Brooks, > > Dave Savage, Mat, Mark Cassino, Ken Waller, and more - the > names swarm > > in my mind). Please forgive me if I have left you out, it > must have been > > the Lawnmower Light. > > > > Weather was cool and rainy, with dry spots in between. > (Perhaps I should > > go on 'Mastermind' - specialised subject: Stating the > Bleeding Obvious). > > The scenery is simply breath-taking and nobody who goes > there can fail > > to be overwhelmed by the beauty of the place. Think then of my > > anticipation as I awaited the arrival of a very dear friend > who I knew > > at school back in CA in the 1970s. Brian Kavanagh lives > near Cincinnati > > and upon hearing of my trip, had decided to drive down to > meet me. He > > duly turned up in his bright blue VW bug (too long a trip > really for his > > Triumph 900 monster although it would have only been 6 > hours instead of > > 8...) and we hadn't met in 28 years. It was quite a moment, > and we soon > > discovered that we basically were carrying on where we had > left off all > > those years ago. To be doing this at GFM was simply the icing on the > > cake. Great to see you guy, and now we'll keep the interim down to > > years, not decades! > > > > Saturday saw us hiking up GFM, huffing and puffing in > Mark's dust as he > > rocketed up the mountain with a respectable crowd in tow. > Kudos to Cory > > for keeping up with the Mountain Goat On Crack. Cory later > kissed the > > car park tarmac on his return. You laugh, but he likes a Frenchy I > > gather. Rick and Mat made MacRae before Brian, Scotty and > me, and that > > was far enough. It's quite a climb, and the sight of Scotty taking a > > break between sweaty inclines with a cigarette in his gob > was too much! > > It was a great way of getting to know people. We helped > each other out - > > especially Brian's vertigo which gave me some great shots. > Thanks guy ;-) > > > > Alas, there actually was a photo competition on, and I > figured I might > > squeeze in the winner after the mountain hike. I went into the > > undergrowth later with my 5:1 macro lens and ringlight. The > bloody thing > > acts like an air pump (variable extension tube type) and > sadly I must > > have pulled in a ton of shit when I was trying to get a > flower bud in > > the frame - up on the Mac, all I could see was dust! I had > little time > > left, and it would have taken hours to sort it out so I > bailed. In fact > > I just spent several hours spotting pics in PS for the > gallery, so it's > > okay now, but there ya go. The hike was the highlight for me. > > > > Others have reported on the auditorium presentations, and > just like to > > echo those that hailed Mark Cassino's show. Great pics, and very > > informative. Mark, you inspired Brian - he's going to seek > out a decent > > camera/lens to do some close-up work on the wildflowers in > his pasture > > at home. That's a nice touch. > > > > Brian and I cut a few of the talks, late Saturday night and Sunday > > morning, in favour of more civilised activities like wine > and cheese in > > the RV, and bacon and eggs with coffee, respectively. The > evening wasn't > > too late, as Don had made it plain that apparently some > people strangely > > like to sleep. I kinda missed Mark yodelling. > > > > Brian had a long trip back, so left about 11am while everyone was > > picking up travelling tips from a guest speaker. He told me > to say ta ta > > to all those present and convey what a great time he had. I > think he was > > pleasantly surprised what a good bunch you guys were. Yeah, well you > > *can* be ;-) > > > > Sunday's presentations were great fun - you read about the 'Doug and > > Mark' show and it's justified. Those guys put in a lot of > work, and it > > shows. What a hoot - thanks Mark and Doug. I said my > good-byes and at > > the last, I was chatting to Helen Hopper for a while. She is the GFM > > official photographer, and boy was I hooked. She's lovely. > > > > Which about wraps it up - except to say a special thanks to > Don Nelson > > for making me feel so welcome. I am astonished that he has > strength to > > drive there, do all that, after a year of Hell on chemo. I > have to take > > my hat off to the guy. Don, thank you from the heart of my bottom. > > > > And finally to Cesar. My travelling companion for this > trip, I think I > > would have gone nuts without someone to talk to, well - let > me re-phrase > > that: someone to listen to ;-) Cesar can talk for the USA. > What a star - > > thanks mate. You made a good trip great. I owe you big > time. Come over > > again and see us when you can. > > > > And so it's back to work and thinking maybe popping back > again in a few > > years. GFM kinda does that to you. My son wants to come > along, and that > > would be fine, as he's 13, and so am I :-) > > > > Sorry! Pictures! > > > > <http://homepage.mac.com/cottycam/PhotoAlbum6.html> > > > > -- > > > > > > Cheers, > > Cotty > > > > > > ___/\__ > > || (O) | People, Places, Pastiche > > ||=====| http://www.cottysnaps.com > > _____________________________ > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > PDML@pdml.net > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > > -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
