Got cold, ice and snow? Check! Got the winter doldrums? Check! Looking forward to six more weeks of this crap? No I am not! It’s not going to happen. Oh, I know that forecasting Phil from the original weather underground has crawled out of his hole in Punxsutawney and has seen his shadow and that means that we’re in for another six-weeks of winter, but you can count me out of all that, thank you very much. I’m only planning on having to endure three more weeks of winter, before I sky for a hopefully warmer Seattle. I don’t plan on coming back until after Phil’s forecast has run its course.
So, how do you fight cabin fever on a cold and blustery Groundhog Day? Well, for me, I try to get all artsy-fartsy. It takes my mind of the drab exterior landscape. Yesterday’s all day rain, turned to a wintery mix last night and now it is just plain cold. This morning, I decided that I wanted to photograph drops of water splashdown. I started with some online research and eventually selected the appropriate curriculum, a YouTube video that had been posted by a kid, who was likely not yet old enough to drive.
This really is a most marvelous age that we live in, what with smart phones and the Internet and all. Imagine if one were to step into the way-back machine and set the dial for a mere fifty years ago, find some everyman on the street from back then and then induce him to return to the present with you. Further imagine the following thought experiment. Separated by a curtain so that he cannot see, you ask this 1964 everyman to converse with a contemporary high school student. You ask your everyman to ascertain the intelligence of this student. He’ll soon become amazed at the student’s depth of knowledge on almost every subject. The student will be able to perform complex mathematical calculations in almost the time it takes to state the problem. The student will be able to reel off detailed treatises on even the most arcane of subjects. The student will be able to describe with precision the physical appearance of almost any locale on the globe. My 1964 everyman would be convinced that he is conversing with a bona-fide genius, rather than just the average teenager with a smart phone. Technology has made us augmented humans, even prosthetic gods.
So, after ten-minutes of schooling, I descended to the basement and began picture-taking. I started with clear water, but the contrast left a little to be desired. I don’t have a true macro lens and that was limiting. I switched to food coloring and that helped quite a bit. The end results are certainly colorful enough; even if the droplet detail is sparse.
I’ll close with a cheer, this being Super-bowl Sunday too. I’m rooting for the Seahawks, because of the money. An NFC victory indicates a bull stock market, while an AFC victory is usually followed by a bear market. I’m rooting for the Seahawks, because they are in the same division as the Rams and their reflected glory will make the Rams shine a little brighter. I’m rooting for the Seahawks, because I’ll be in Seattle in a few weeks and being in a town that has just won the championship is a lot more fun than one that has just lost. Trust me, I know. Finally, I’m rooting for the Seahawks, because then maybe Jay will be happy and leave a comment?
Carl’s Seattle Seahawks-Saint Louis Cardinals Rant