Visit from the Saunders

Jim and Carmella Saunders are two of our best friends from Raleigh.  They came out with Jim's dad and their two daughters to ski and visit. From left to right we have Jim's dad Sam, Alexandra, Briana and Jim.  Unfortunately, Carm couldn't ski because of some back pain.

They came during the Sundance Film Festival, which is great timing for skiing.  With the hotels all booked up by film goers, the ski slopes stay fairly empty. Briana was able to tackle almost all the blue slopes at Deer Valley, and one accidental black slope.

Alexandra was the speedster.  Although Jim kept nudging her back into the moguls, she voiced a preference for groomed smooth and fast.

I was surprised at how good the snow stayed.  It hadn't snowed in a week, but the cold weather kept things in pretty good shape, at least on the groomers.

Jim doesn't get many chances to ski each year, but he's s strong skier and he's comfortable anywhere on the mountain.

God knows we ate enough during the visit.  In addition to a very nice dinner out at Mustang and a visit to the gorging trough known as the Stein Sunday Brunch, we got to feast on Jim's birthday cake.  I think he said he was 29.

As I mentioned, Jim kept dragging Alexandra into the bumps.  Here she is admiring her work.

And here we see the mountain admiring its work. Once you are that far back on your skis, recovery is tragically unlikely.

Tied up with Alexandra - 1,  Mountain - 1

Jim bounds down, making it look easy.  I did a few trips through the bumps but for some reason, I tend to be a lot more cautious with thousands of dollars worth of camera and lens strapped to me.

Briana wasn't out skiing with us this day.  I think this picture seemed to best capture her feelings about the whole thing.

Jim's dad had already left, so this was the whole group after dining at the Sunday Brunch. You can't tell from the picture, but we all have our pants unsnapped to accommodate the feasting.

Julie and Carm, ready to head back to our house and watch Jim and I watch the football playoffs.  Actually, they went shopping with the girls.

We are still trying to figure out how to have Briana out here watching Jasper and Cosette when we go on trips.  She loves the dog and tolerates the cat.  There should be a nice win-win in there.

Lance Armstrong admits doping

What a complete and total ass. He spent years denying it constantly.  He threatened teammates and friends. He sued newspapers and magazines.  He lied to anyone and everyone with confidence and arrogance.  Now he suddenly decides it is time to come clean.  Not with the courts or USADA, but with Oprah.  Oprah?  Really?

I used to cheer for him as a cycling hero.  Now, instead of letting him compete in anything (running or triathlons) I hope everyone who felt his wrath takes him to court in successful lawsuits and the US courts nail him for perjury and send him to jail.  I hope his weak-assed, years late admission doesn't provide him with a single benefit.

From hero to zero.

Morning moose

This morning it was 8 degrees below zero at the house.  That's cold!  I looked up on the hill behind us and saw our herd of deer.  There's about eight of them that show up almost every day.  They like to stand at the very top and watch Jasper play ball in the morning. 

Then I noticed the two bigger black splotches on the hill.  It was a pair of moose, and we haven't seen them very often this year.

Because it is so cold out, I figure the animals are struggling to survive, so I don't want to get too close to them with my camera and risk startling them.  Instead I just patiently waited with my big lens and very cold hands, hoping they would move out of the Gamble Oaks and into a gap where I could see them.  Then I cropped the photo down pretty aggressively. 

Even though I am probably 150 yards from this moose, it appears he decided to stick his tongue out at me.

The two moose got separated as they each wandered off in different directions to eat.  Once this one realized how far apart they were, she came running.  I believe this is mom and the one above is a one year old.

It really is cool to get to see these wandering around in your back yard.  I can't imagine being an animal having to live outside in this weather. Our forecast high for today is 11.

Important security for your browser

I have seen lots of security warnings for PCs but most of them are resolved with a simple "make sure your software is up-to-date".  This week I saw a serious warning from US-CERT and then echoed by several of the major browser companies that said "TURN OFF JAVA".   I have read up on the problems and I agree.

Java is a programming language that allows web site designers to build more complicated and powerful web sites.  It was originally written by Sun, who was purchased by Oracle.  There have been a number of security issues with Java which would allow a hacker to take control of your computer and Oracle has been slow to fix them.  The good news is that very few web sites are using Java any more.  Don't confuse this with JavaScript which is built into the browsers.

I would suggest that instead of disabling Java, just do what I did and uninstall it for good.  For you Windows users:

1. Start, then Control Panel, then Uninstall a Program
2. Give it a few seconds to populate its list, then scroll down and find Java.  It probably  actually says something along the lines of "Java update x.x".  The Publisher should be Oracle.
3. Double-click on it and follow the directions to finish uninstalling it.

 As I mentioned, very few web sites use this any more and it just isn't worth all the security risks.

How bad do you want it?

We finally got another nice batch of snow with about a foot at our local Park City resorts.  Julie and I skied yesterday it it was decent, but cold.  This morning at 8:30 it is -6 over on the ski mountain.  Yes, that's Fahrenheit, not Centigrade.  Over the next three days, the temperatures should soar to as high as 7 and dip to around 10 below. This is about 20 degrees below our normal.

So the question is:  with the skiing conditions improved, how bad do you want it?  Me, I am staying at home and watching the NCSU-Duke basketball game. Later in the day I will venture out to get my new Blizzak snow tires put on. 

However, there is not doubt that Jasper wants it. After fetching snowballs for about 15 or 20 minutes, he was crusted with snow and ice.

... and as if that wasn't enough, he kept digging around in the snow in search of something, probably mice or voles.

To all those skiers out there today, dress warm.  Very warm.  And to all those Park City snow loving dogs, party on!

Buying a USB Flash Drive

I have mentioned a number of times in this blog how I suggest people buy USB Flash Drives as a simple device to back up their key PC files. I bought another one for myself the other day and thought I would share my choice and my logic:

When I shop for a USB Flash drive today, it has to:

• Support USB 3.0, not just 2.0.  Anything that can talk using the much faster USB 3.0 specs will use that, as long as the other side does as well.  If not, it just reverts to the slower USB 2.0 so there are no worries about compatibility.  All new PCs support USB 3.0 so even if you have an older PC, step up the extra few bucks to a faster flash drive and you will be happier over the long run.
• Nothing smaller than 32GB.  Almost everything you want to save is getting bigger, including photos, videos, and Americans' fat butts. OK, maybe you only want to save the files. Still, the price advantage to anything smaller isn't worth it.
• A decent size and safe.  Some models are cheaper because they are huge, made with less expensive parts.  Others are so focused on being small, they are fragile and easy to lose.
• They work.  Nothing like reading lots and lots of reviews.  Something that seems as simple as a Flash Drive can be a quality disaster and a lot of those are out there.

My choice for today, the Patriot Memory Supersonic Rage XT 32GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive.  Medium sized. Sturdy. Fast. Reliable.  I really like that it protects the connectors without one of those stupid caps that I always lose.

Like so many things, I tend to buy from Amazon. The local stores, like Best Buy and the office supply stores mark these accessories up so much it irritates me.  The 32GB version is about $40 and the 64GB version is $65.  

Les Miserables

When Kelly was here visiting, we took one evening and went to see the new movie Les Miserables.  Both Julie and I have it at or near the top of our favorite musicals.  If you even think you might enjoy the movie, go see it.  The acting and the singing were superb.  Here's the trailer.

 

Anne Hathway and Hugh Jackman both piss me off.  It seems wrong that one person should be able to hog up so much of the talent pool.  They both look stunning (although not in this movie), can act, sing, dance, and probably juggle flaming chain saws.  On top of that, they both come across in interviews as really nice, genuine people.  Like I said, they piss me off.

It is interesting to see the difference between the movie and the stage musical.  On stage, it is all about the singing.  Les Mis has gorgeous music, and the performers sing it beautifully.  In the movie, there was a lot more opportunity to act and convey emotions.  When you are laying on your death bed, sad about how your life has gone, it's hard to imagine belting out a song like an opera singer, but that's what tends to happen in stage musicals.  To me, the movie performances were much more realistic, adding a strong emotional component to an already sad story.

As good as Hugh Jackman sings, we came home and using the wonders of YouTube, brought up the version of Bring Him Home sang at the Les Mis 25th anniversary.  It gives you perspective of just how good the singing can be. By the way, if you haven't ever seen the 25th anniversary show for Les Mis, PBS airs it every year as part of their TV fundraiser.  It's done by a collection of the best-of-the-best performers from Broadway and around the world.  You can also see all two hours and forty minutes of it here.

An interesting little side story:  Colm Wilkinson was the original Jean Valjean in Les Mis on Broadway and many consider him to be a key reason the show was so successful.  In the movie he was cast as Bishop Myriel, who steers Valjean towards the path of righteousness. Pretty cool that they found a spot for such a talent.

My bottom line:  if you hate movie musicals, don't go.  If you like Les Miserables on stage or at least tolerate movie musicals, this is about as good as it gets.  It shows a lot better on the big screen and a good sound system than it ever will on your TV.

Lots of lovely texture

I had a strong urge to go to Antelope Island and Farmington Bay today, but Salt Lake City is in the midst of a two-week long inversion.  The air is nasty and the red flag warnings are out, essentially asking you not to inhale unless you have to. As much as I wanted to get out and take some pictures, that was just going to be miserable.

Instead, Jasper and I wandered over into the beautiful Heber valley to see what we could see.

If you drive across Midway, almost to Soldier Hollow, you get into a low area along the river.  When the days are cold, the steam off the river freezes on all the trees, bushes, and grasses.  As the sun warms, it all melts off, clearing a spot to start again the next cold morning.

It really is like being in a fairytale.  Every surface around you is sparkling white.

Everywhere I looked the world was full of interesting and intricate textures, so I made capturing them my project for the day.

This is a piece of ice right by the river.  It looked like a jigsaw puzzle made of broken glass.

One stray bush had broken off and blown into the river. It was going to get a layer of frost wherever it stopped.

Even the big trees were iced over. 

The oddest thing I saw was an almost perfectly round mat of seaweed.  I'm not sure if it is really called seaweed if it is in a river, but that's what it looked like.  It was caught in an eddy so it moved in ten foot circles, over and over again.  Like everything else, it was covered in its own unique pattern of frost.

When I'm talking about frost, this isn't the boring coat of white you see on a lawn or a roof top.  This is a rich, three dimensional, fragile piece of art.

The tops of a tall tree were covered in little frost wisps.  They made the tree look like a Willow.

Even the river banks had "beards" clinging too roots, pieces of grass and anything else that could hold the weight.

Sometimes you would find places where different frost patterns met.  Looking at the terrain and ground materials, I couldn't figure out why they would form so differently only inches apart.

As the sun reached more and more frozen areas, it would provide just enough energy to make the frost lose its grip on whatever it had formed on.  Even without a cloud in the sky, it would occasionally start snowing frost.

On my way home from my Texture Fest, I found a farm field that must have been loaded with rodents. There were at least a half dozen Harriers scattered around on trees and telephone poles. This Rough Legged Hawk was done the road a few hundred yards.

I think I will go back to this farm and see if I can get permission to wander the fields.  For the most part, I'm quite harmless.

Driving past the reservoir, I just couldn't help but notice all the ice fishermen.  As often as I question my sanity for wandering around in near zero temperatures photographing frost,  I think these people are even worse off. Sitting by themselves, out in a desolate nowhere, hoping that some half frozen fish graces them with a visit.  Just wow.....

I got lucky today.  I enjoyed some beautiful scenery, all while breathing fresh clean air.  The inversion is supposed to clear on Thursday.  Perhaps after some skiing, I will make an effort at Farmington Bay.

Kelly Smale comes to visit

Julie's sister Sue lives up in Hillsboro, Oregon.  As the years have gone by, it has been getting harder for us to see the whole family all at once.  Two of the daughters are in college and GM has Marty down in Fresno a lot of the time.  This week we got a visit from the oldest of our nieces, Kelly.

Kelly and Sue are the only snow lovers in the family.  Sue is a skier and Kelly is a boarder. We went out two of the three days Kelly was here, both times to Canyons.

We had some great snow in December, but it stopped around Christmas day.  It has been very cold since, so the snow isn't melting or sloppy, but it sure gets packed down. For advanced skiers, this is just a nuisance. For Kelly, as a boarder who only gets to go once a year or so, this makes everything harder and more tiring.

Snowboarders will never cease to entertain me.  They have such a hard time standing up without moving, that most chose to plop down on the snow every time they stop.  Kelly was no exception.

I keep thinking I will get a GoPro video camera, but for a number of reasons it still hasn't happened.  Instead, I take my little Canon S100 and hold it in front of me as I ski.  This sucks.  You have to take your glove off to control the camera, so as you ski along, your hand freezes. It's also difficult to keep aiming the camera as you ski.  At least in this clip I wasn't having to dodge ski school groups of kids.  Those videos got ugly.

This wasn't Kelly's rented board.  It belonged to another boarder that just happened to kneel down near me.  I love the rabid moose graphic on the bottom of his board.  I would gladly have it on a pair of my skis.

The weather was beautiful, the company was great, and Julie was very happy.

One last photo before Kelly headed to the airport.She's wearing some stylish new boots that she and Julie found at our local outlet mall.  They should be great for her at college.  Kelly goes to Gonzaga in western Washington where hey get their fair share of cold and snow.

Kelly, thanks for being such a fun, interesting and easy house guest.

The cold of winter

It's been a while since I have blogged anything so I thought I would catch up.  We have enjoyed a nice week between Christmas and New Years, although I got caught up with a stomach bug for a day or two.  Lots and lots of football watching, although not with great results.  I was extremely happy to see the Redskins beat the Cowboys to make the playoffs, but we followed that up with bowl losses for both NC State and Michigan.

Cosette is like me.  She thinks that Christmas decorations are actually "winter decorations" and are meant to be enjoyed every day.

Today is Jasper's 9th birthday, although he doesn't seem to want to celebrate much.  I guess that's supposed to be 63 in people years, so I can understand the lack of desire.  He's still a bundle of energy though.  We were out in 2 degree weather this morning.  After chasing his ball-on-a-rope all through the snow, I tossed it and got it stuck in a tree.  He still has some huge vertical leaps in him.  He grabbed the ball, broke the branch holding it, and ripped it to the ground.

One of the advantages of a still, 2 degree morning is that you get some very pretty hoar frost. Everything sparkles like gems in the early morning light.

I had my good camera, but no macro lens and no tripod, so I was struggling to get everything focused while kneeling in the cold snow.  Some still came out pretty.

You really need to double-click on this one to see all the details.

The frost is so fragile and every bit of it is unique.

I was looking for a pretty leaf with some frost, and this was about as good as it got.  I think the remaining leaves were too high off the ground to get much frost.

Now our niece Kelly is coming to visit and hopefully some portion of the skiing crowds will have left. Back to the slopes!