My Week That Was - May 4

This is the result of the "Winter Storm" that hit Madison last
Saturday.  We will talk about it for years! 4/27/19 (dwm)

My goodness - the weather experts warned us to be ready for the HISTORIC WINTER STORM approaching the Madison area last Saturday.

The STORM was going to drop 5 inches, maybe even 8 inches of snow... whatever would we do?

Pretty much what we usually do when there are rain/snow showers and the roads get a little damp; we go about our day.

Flurries started around 10.  At noon big, wet flakes came down and melted on contact with pavement.

I saw some pockets of white on grass later, but it didn't add up to much.  You talk about your close calls!

Lately I've been doing some research into what might be the next step for my camera.  I'm fairly happy with it, but am finding some of the shots I want being too far away.  Upgrading the camera and lens at the same time is a bit steep, so I'm going with a lens with double my longest focal length.

Music re-entered work life on Wednesday.  After a break for April, "sing-sing-sing-a-long" returned.  One of my favorite older songs was on the play list, It's Been a Long, Long Time by Louis Daniel Armstrong - better known as Louie or Satchmo.

Kiss me once...and kiss me twice

Then kiss me once again

It's been a long, long time

Haven't felt like this, my dear

Since i can't remember when

It's been a long, long time

As I drove home from work Thursday, a different color
caught my attention, but I didn't expect to see a Wienermobile parked in
somebody's driveway!  I bet that would a fun commuter car. 
5/2/2019 (dwm)

Joining the group of residents around the piano is fun.  The music brings back a lot of memories; for me I associate many of the songs with my Dad singing them on long car trips.  Each song revives memories from a long time back.

Thursday I picked up my camera and new lens from The Camera Company on Odana Road.

It has a friendly and knowledgeable staff who spent a fair amount of time answering questions when I was debating the merits of a new camera body.

I left with the same camera and a new lens, an expandable Tamron 18 - 400 mm.

The new ultra-telephoto Tamron lens.
5/2/2019 dwm photo

The same lens can shoot a family portrait in a living room and an image across a football field.

The 400 mm lens. 5/2/19 (dwm)

There is a game Saturday night where I plan to put it to the test.

It's designed for traveling photographers who can't carry several lenses, but want the same flexibility in one.

I can't wait to try it.

"There is no way that guy with the camera can take
my picture from there!" 5/3/2019 dwm photo

Yesterday was the first nice day in a while, so I took the camera to work.  My goal was to search for the resident Owls that live on campus.  Since they tend to roost high in a tree on a hill, the long reach of the lens would be helpful.

The wise old Owl (at left) was a good 200 feet or more away from me.  He and his partner roost high in the branches of a large pine for cover and  to survey their territory.

I think they may be the same couple who raised a pair of Owlets a year ago.  Maybe they are waiting for the kids to pay a visit?

A Trillium on the forest floor.
5/3/2019 dwm photo

The campus has a small nature preserve.  This time of year the brown Oak leaves on the forest floor reveal a variety of small native flowers like Trillium and Violets.

In another week the leaves will be out on most of the trees and those Owls will disappear.

As the Owls fade into the background, other life comes forward, the seasons turn.   I hope you have a great next week!