-
Old Radio (365:297)
Old Radio (365:297). Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I have a passion for valve radios and amplifiers
Ginger found a couple of old vacuum tube radios in the house in Chicago, and I brought them home with me. I can’t see an iPod working in fifty years’ time but both of the radios, well over fifty years old, are in working order – which is fantastic.
Now I need to find out how to restore them to an ‘as new’ condition.
-
Relaxing in the backyard (365:296)
Today comprised church and sitting in the backyard,
that sums up my day. I must have still been tired as I slept away part of the afternoon.
-
Gary and Lanie down by the creek (365:295)
Today we relaxed at Ginger’s parents
I relaxed so much I spent a good part of the afternoon fast asleep sitting on the porch of the guest house.
This morning Lanie decided she wanted to go fishing in the creek. That would have been fine if I’d known the day before and had packed our fishing gear. Jim rummaged around and found a small portable rod we couldn’t get to work, and then turned up with a proper fishing rod and some bobbers. No hooks though. So he made one from a sewing needle. Lanie packed some of this mornings wonderful breakfast sausage for bait and we headed down to the creek to fish.
At the creek we saw a beaver swim under the bridge, and we found a small lure and a large fish hook – tripling our fishing gear. The fish loved the sausage but the needle hook wasn’t very effective at catching them. Lanie caught one fish on the huge hook we’d found up in a tree over the creek.
-
Family cookout (365:294)
Tonight we’re camping at Ginger’s parents
After school the we loaded up our camping gear and drove down to Thornfield for a family cookout. We took the girls with us, and Katie drove part of the way, which was a bit nerve wracking for me in the co-pilot’s seat.
The main purpose of our visit was to meet Ginger’s aunt, who’d been staying with her parents this past week. Jim had cut wood and we had a great time roasting hot dogs and marshmallows. We took our dutch oven and cooked up some very tasty veggies too.
Ginger and I took the tent and spent the night camped out near the house.
-
Tired (365:293)
Tired (365:293). Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I got to bed at 3 am, and was up again at 7.30
I met with Tom at 10 am to help unload the truck and return it to U-Haul. He treated me to a very nice breakfast (That would have probably made a much more interesting picture), after which I went home and did my EfM coursework.
By the time class started (six pm) I was tired but managed to get through the evening.
-
Waiting for the trash man (365:292)
Things didn’t go quite as planned
The plan was to get the work finished on the house, get the work inspected, have all the rubbish taken away, hire a trailer for the pick-up, load everything to go back to Springfield, and drive home – a day early. Great as this means I can attend EfM tomorrow.
It all slowly fell apart as the day moved on. The builders arrived, did their stuff and the inspector approved the work. The recycling guy turned up by 10 am, and then nothing happened. Tom tried (and failed) to get rid of the TVs and I sat and waited for the trash man to come. It started raining. The drive from Chicago to Springfield takes 8-9 hours so we were keen to get moving. Finally sometime after two pm the trash man arrived, took everything and we were free to go.
Then we discovered that there was a fault with the pick-up’s electrics which meant that U-Haul couldn’t let us have a trailer for safety reasons (no right indicators on the trailer). We decided to rent a truck and I’d drive the pick-up back to Springfield. Of course the U-Haul branch we were at didn’t have a truck available. Off we went to another branch which did have a truck available. By the time we’d got the truck, loaded it up (in the rain), given the house a final check over it was around four-thirty. We’d not be getting back to Springfield until after one am.
And so it was. The trip was almost without incident. Almost that is apart from while driving out of Chicago the Pick-ups speedometer went on the blink. At first I didn’t notice, but when a truck overtook me when I was apparently doing over 90 miles an hour my suspicions were confirmed. I called Tom and jokingly suggested we slow down, as the best I could tell we were travelling at over 140 mph – the speedo needle had by now gone right off the scale.
Coming up on 110mph – not quite what it appears Apparently, this is a known GMC fault, and at our first rest stop Tom managed to reset the speedo to 0mph and it worked perfectly for the rest of the trip.
I arrived home around one-thirty, but couldn’t settle down to sleep until around three am.
-
In the backyard – Berwyn, Illinois (365:291)
Today we made major progress
We made a lot of trips to Goodwill today and got rid of just about everything that wasn’t fit to be trashed. Then we started piling up the trash to be carted off on Wednesday. There was some very heavy lifting involved, we moved out all the beds and mattresses. The basement is cleared, cleaned and tidied, as is the garage. Curtains have been put up, floors vacuumed and surfaces dusted.
The local vultures removed the defunct appliances we had left out for collecting tomorrow. The only items we couldn’t donate, and can’t be left for trash are a couple of TVs.
In the front yard – I think I look a little more chipper in the backyard picture. The only problem at the moment is that the builders haven’t turned up to fix the problems that need to be cleared to get the building up to code. They say they are coming tomorrow at 7.30 am. We’ll see. In the mean time I took a couple of minutes out between carrying out all the rubbish to take today’s self-portrait.
-
Making Notes (365:290)
We had a good first day clearing the house
The guys from Brown Elephant took most of the furniture – turning down just a few pieces, and the city inspector only found a couple of minor problems that need to be put right.
We took a pick-up load of stuff to Goodwill and started the process of moving and clearing – especially in the basement which was very messy.
At the end of the day I had an opportunity to catch up on some reading (I should have brought my coursework with me) and make some notes in my Journal. I’m not very good at keeping my journal. Erratic would be a good word to describe it. I normally only write when I have issues to resolve, which results in a record of my angst and frustrations rather than a glowing record of all that’s well in my world. Today I was able to redress the balance a bit.
As all the beds have been broken down, I’m sleeping in my sleeping bag on a mattress on the floor. In a day or so the mattress will have to go too. I have my sleeping pad with me so that shouldn’t be a problem.
-
The quiet before the storm (365:289)
The quiet before the storm (365:289). Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Tomorrow the work begins
Tom and I had an uneventful trip up to Chicago. We’re up here to clear Rebbie’s family’s house ready for sale.
Ginger and Rebbie were up here a couple of weeks ago, and they sorted through all the papers and cleared out all the cupboards, drawers and stuff. We’re here to move everything out. Some things are to go back to Springfield, the remainder is to be donated to charity or trashed. We’ve four days to get it all done, as I’m due back in Springfield Friday pm.
Tomorrow we’re expecting people from Brown Elephant to come and take away some of the furniture, and a City inspector to come and check that the house is up to code before it is put on the market.
-
Ginger and Gary reading Backpacker magazine while Sprinky sleeps (365:288)
Tomorrow at 7.30 am I leave for Chicago for the week
-
Gary on Hawksbill Crag (Whittaker Point), Arkansas (365:287)
Gary on Hawksbill Crag (Whittaker Point), Arkansas (365:287) – Today I had an easy day’s hiking in Arkansas with a couple of friends. Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Today I had an easy day’s hiking in Arkansas with a couple of friends.
We started off with a hike up the ‘Lost Valley’, I’ll have to return when the creek is in spate – today it was completely dry; so we hiked up the creek bed instead of the trail. We crawled on hands and knees into a cave (I found out afterwards on YouTube that there is supposed to be an upright route in), which has a large chamber about 150′ in. Normally there is a waterfall there, but not this time. We took a second hike along the Buffalo river and finished the day backpacking to a superb camping spot near Hawksbill Crag (aka Whittaker point) – a rocky shelf suspended some 200 feet up on a bluff overlooking Whittaker creek. The bluffs and crag providing magnificent views across the valley. It really is a wonderful place, and it’s not surprising it is one of the most photographed features in the Buffalo River area.
I left my pedometer behind, but a rough guess is that we hiked just under 7 miles altogether.
Our campsite was under a huge rock ledge, that is normally fronted by a waterfall. However, after the long dry summer it was dry. There were a few drips of water to be collected nearby, which was lucky, otherwise we’d have been thirsty, as the six litres of water I packed in very quickly started to dwindle. The space under the ledge was big enough for several tents, so we had plenty of room with just two.
Here I am with my backpacking companions for this trip. It’s been a long time since I last used a 10 second timer to take a picture, so it took me a couple of tries to get this picture. Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
Steve and Gary on Hawksbill Crag (Whittaker Point), Arkansas – Not taken by me, though it’s such a nice picture I wish it were. Copyright © 2011 Kirby Newport, all rights reserved. After dark we were interrupted by the arrival of a party of students who were hoping to spend the night under the ledge. They were very polite, and fortunately had a better knowledge of the area than we did, as they spent the night under a smaller overhang, that we didn’t know existed, a hundred yards further along the bluff.
Just to finish off the day we revisited the crag around midnight to enjoy the scene in the moonlight. Given the huge drop-offs perhaps that wasn’t the most prudent of ventures – especially as my headlamp batteries decided to go into terminal decline on the way back.
Bluffs on the Buffalo river near Ponca, Arkansas. Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
Bluffs on the Buffalo river near Ponca, Arkansas. Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
Bluffs on the Buffalo river near Ponca, Arkansas. Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
Bluffs on the Buffalo river near Ponca, Arkansas. Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
Campsite near Hawksbill Crag, Arkansas. Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
Campsite near Hawksbill Crag, Arkansas. Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
Hawksbill Crag (Whittaker Point), Arkansas – My hiking/backpacking companions for this trip. Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
Hawksbill Crag (Whittaker Point), Arkansas – My hiking/backpacking companions for this trip. Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
Gary on Hawksbill Crag (Whittaker Point), Arkansas – Not taken by me – there’s no way I could have set the timer and run around onto the crag in 10 seconds! Copyright © 2011 Kirby Newport, all rights reserved.
Gary on Hawksbill Crag (Whittaker Point), Arkansas – Not taken by me – there’s no way I could have set the timer and run around onto the crag in 10 seconds! Copyright © 2011 Kirby Newport, all rights reserved.
Near Hawksbill Crag (Whittaker Point), Arkansas. Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
Near Hawksbill Crag (Whittaker Point), Arkansas. Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
Campsite near Hawksbill Crag, Arkansas – What a superb spot this is. Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
Preparing and eating breakfast. Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
Campsite near Hawksbill Crag, Arkansas – What a superb spot this is. Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Backpacking gear (365:286)
I’ve got a busy seven days ahead. I’ve got a busy seven days ahead.
Tomorrow I’m off backpacking with a couple of friends. Should be good; I’ve no idea where we’re going – somewhere on the Buffalo River in Arkansas. We’ll be back Saturday, and then on Sunday, I’ll be off at 7.30 am to Chicago with Tom to help clear a house and haul some stuff back to Springfield. We are due back sometime Thursday, and then next Friday it’s off to Thornfield to spend the night with Ginger’s parents and her visiting aunt who I’ve yet to meet.
-
Not the best of days (365:285)
Not the best of days (365:285). Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Not a good day.
-
Day 284 (365:284)
Another wall shot.
-
Gary plus rat (365:283)
Gary plus rat. Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. This plastic rat has been making appearances in lots of places over the past few days
Sprinky demonstrates that it is not only Getzger that likes to get in on my pictures. I recently retrieved this rather gruesome toy from its hiding place in the garage. Since then it has appeared in many unexpected places, including lounging on Katie’s chair, lurking behind the bathroom door, tucked up in our bed, and enjoying a meal in the cat food storage bin. Its discovery is frequently accompanied by a loud shriek of some sort.
This reminded me of a time when I stayed with my uncle. I’d bought a load of novelty toys equipped with rubber suckers and springs. I would leave them in hiding places around the house and they’d spring out unexpectedly. It rapidly turned into a competition, which culminated with my uncle climbing up on the kitchen roof to put one on the bathroom windowsill while I was taking a bath.
-
Working Late (365:282)
Working Late (365:282). Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Day 281 (365:281)
Today Ginger arrived back from Chicago.
I was too busy catching up to take any fancy pictures.
-
Catch-22 (365:280)
Catch-22 (365:280). Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Tonight I watched Catch-22 for the first time in many years.
I’d forgotten how close the movie had come to the book. I enjoyed it so much I even re-watched some of the movie with the director’s commentary on to find out more about how they filmed it.
Earlier in the evening, I took Lanie to Bass Pro where she became excessively enamored with a very sparkly motorboat.
-
Chatting with Ginger on the telephone (365:279)
This time we’re only 600 miles apart, not 5,000.
Taken as a whole, today wasn’t behaving at its best. I started out working on my studying for class tonight in the hope that I’d be able to go, but because I messed up the childcare arrangements, I didn’t. I didn’t get to go to the Thursday evening service either. These both provide an anchor and quiet time for the week, so without them, I’m feeling a bit edgy. This week’s coursework was short (I am enjoying the lesser amount of work in year two – year one is two years studying compressed into one), so I was soon working on ‘other stuff’.
Back in 2008, when we were 5,000 miles apart. Thanks to JKS for reminding me of this picture. ‘Other stuff’ today consisted mainly of endless reading and web searching for a replacement computer. For some reason I’m not cognizant of, graphics adapter manufacturers no longer think it necessary to set out their specifications in terms of colour depth and image size. Making it difficult to determine if an adapter is suitable or not. Especially as I want something that’ll drive up to 2560 x 1600 pixels and operate in the AbobeRGB colour space; I have my eyes on a high gamut 30″ monitor, and it’ll be a waste of money if the graphics card can’t drive it. At one point in the process I even found myself missing my old Portsmouth based computer supplier – Novatech. The nett result of my inconclusive and many hours’ search was only to add to my disgruntlement. Though I now know more about the latest Intel processor range, graphics adapters, memory and mother boards than I have ever felt the need to previously, and I’m not interested in retaining the information any longer than I have to.
Today’s picture is a facsimile of me and Ginger chatting on the ‘phone. Ginger and Rebbie apparently spent the evening drinking with some Eastern Europeans who as a group could only communicate via a combination of Lithuanian, Russian and Polish – that’s if I understood her correctly. Just as well I wasn’t there as it appears English wasn’t on the menu of languages being spoken. Parlez vous Francais anyone?
It sounds like great fun was had even when the conversation was straying into the metaphysical – how that worked given the language issues I have no idea, though Ginger did say that the more she had to drink the better her Polish got. Yes, well, I’m sure… 😉
-
Gary and Sprinky (365:278)
Gary and Sprinky Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. With Ginger away the cats have been a little uneasy.
Tubby’s gone into hiding and Getzger doesn’t show his face much. Blue Kitteh has remained her aloof self, and Sprinky has been keeping her distance – always nearby but not too close. This evening though she’s been pestering me for attention – which generally means she wants to be ‘flipped’ which in our parlance means she wants to be turned over on to her back and have her belly rubbed – each to their own I guess.
In other news, I ran some white balance tests on the camera this morning, and I worked out a new and more successful technique for fixing odd color casts in Nikon Capture NX2. After that breakthrough, I finished processing a batch of pictures and moved on to looking for a new PC capable of storing and processing our pictures. This evening I had a meeting at church, and I stayed on to eat with the kids and adults for a bit of social time.
Note: re-edited in Lightroom December 2014.
