All My Blogs

  One of the many images I captured using my Nikon camera and lenses in New Zealand. I have been a fan of Nikon equipment long before I even owned my first SLR.  It wasn't until around 1985 that my first Nikon, an FE2 with a 55 mm Micro Nikkor lens became a reality.  I have never looked back since that first purchase.  Since then I have owned a dozen different bodies and three times that many lenses, most of them Nikon.  All of them F mount lenses varying from AI, AI-S, AF, D, G, and E types.  The AI and AI-S lenses were before auto-focusing and had no electronics.  The AF lenses could be controlled using the camera-based focusing motor.  The AF, D, G, and E lenses are all pin-based allowing communication to occur between camera and lens.   As you may know, mirrorless cameras have become big news in the photography world and, it seems, that the DSLRs that we have come to love are soon to go the way of the film camera.  I do not doub...

My current streak - winning 10 games in a row. I like cards.  I prefer to play with actual people, but when it is only me a computer opponent will do fine.  I usually enjoy a couple of games a day; given the fact that I have, so far, on my current cell phone, managed to play over 2600 games, that estimate may be a bit on the thin side.  Truth be told, I also play spider solitaire, tri-peaks, crib, hearts, euchre, backgammon, and free cell somewhat regularly.   I have always liked numbers, and games that deal with numbers and probability I find particularly appealing.  It is probably a good thing that I don't gamble, as it would be easy to be enticed into spending a fortune on something that would eventually lead to a financial black hole.  There are honest games where things are at face value, but I understand that certain websites will hook you with a "win" and then take you for everything you have. Anyways, my most recent streak has been to win 10 so...

Eric and Kathryn with their grandchildren. I have been thinking about what success looks like.  Clearly, it depends on what is used as a measuring stick.  There is also the way one feels about him or herself versus the way society looks at you.  It even goes beyond that, as we have to navigate the microcosm of perceptions held by those immediately around us.  And where do we get the data to form an opinion about how successful we are according to these various points of view?  Not everyone will be of the same mind. If we follow the opinions of the naysayers, we can only conclude that we messed up, big time.  If it is the whisperings of the staunch supporters that guide our sense of achievement, there is nothing that we can do wrong and our lives should be the blueprint for all who come after us, that is if they were smart.  For most of us, though, it is those who are closest to us that provide the necessary feedback to help us evaluate whatever success...

The Svendsen Family - Eric, Samuel, Leanne, Joshua (top row), Nora, Kathryn, Chanelle, Emma If I could go back, in my mind, to a day in my life when I was really down, it would be nice to be able to see into the future.  If could see things as they are today, with the many blessings that have been given to me, it would give me hope knowing that things wouldn't always be so discouraging.   The message here is we do not know what the future holds.  When things are bad, it is hard to raise your head out of the mire to see beyond the darkness.  There are no guarantees, of course, that things will be better, but I think it is true that fortunes ebb and flow as tides do.  The trick is to see beyond the low points and not be too haughty during the high ones.  I know that, at this moment, things are very good.  What the future holds is unknown, but low and high points are likely in the forecast.   This is why taking satisfaction from the moment ...

Kathryn and granddaughter #2 - Did you notice Murphy? We picked the worst possible time to travel to Edmonton with the historic cold snap that took over the city.  When we arrived on Thursday, the temperature was a balmy -31° C.  That was warm compared to the conditions the next day, where -40° C felt like -55° with the wind chill factor.  We brought our dog, Murphy, with us; he has never experienced cold like that.  He couldn't walk on the snowy ground for more than 30 seconds before trying to hover.  The freezing his poor little feet felt must have been insufferable.   Fortunately, it was much warmer inside, especially with a baby to hold.  My son and daughter-in-law's second child was less than a month old and their first was about to celebrate her third birthday.  So, here we are, bundled in layers and walking around stiff-jointed while enjoying the company of the newest member of our family.  Even Murphy seems to have acclimated a b...

Murphy's blanket (left) and Sterling's pant leg hem (right) - It took only a moment. We have had 5 dachshunds now, Murphy being the latest itineration, and they have quite a few characteristics in common.  This blog is about one of them - they love to chew things, and can completely destuff and destroy a dog toy in moments.  Of course, that behaviour isn't just restricted to toys.  Blankets, quilts, articles of clothing, really any kind of fabric - these dogs love to have their way with them.  And that usually means making holes. We restrict the types of fabric that Murphy tears apart into his dog blanket and his toys.  However, he can turn his destructive influence to other chewy temptations on occasion.  We usually catch him before any damage is done, but if he is left unattended and has an opportunity, he can render a garment unusable quickly.  This fact was thoroughly established this New Year's Eve. We had friends over to celebrate the turning ove...