Category Archives: Title

What the heck is it?

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I have taken pictures of several items while hiking that I have no idea what they are.  Mainly they are weird-looking things I find growing on trees.  Sometimes I take the picture because I think it looks cool, and other times it is so I can look up what it is when I get home. The problem I have found is that it takes forever to find what I am looking for and often I can’t get the answer at all.  This frustration led me to wonder if there was a site (or if I had the next great million dollar idea for a site) that would “read” a photograph I uploaded and refer me to sites with similar pictures.  I discovered two such sites TinEye (in Beta) and Google Images photo search.  So much for my dreams of becoming a millionaire off the idea…but great that I potentially found what I was needing!  But not so fast…

TinEye did not produce results on any of the photos I uploaded.  Looks like they have some kinks to work out in the Beta phase.

Google Images Photo Search provided mixed results. You go to the regular Google Images tab and click on the photo icon in the search field.  This allows you to upload or link to a photo.

Much like their app Google Goggles, this feature works great if you upload any photo that has some sort of logo.  For example when I loaded this picture, it gave me the result that it was most likely the Jim Beam distillery – but I already knew that didn’t I?IMG_3434

For pictures like this one with an obvious large object in the frame it did what I wanted…gave me a similar picture with a link that named the object in question. I now know I have a nice photo of a tiger swallowtail and better still I could sell it as a poster for $29.95. 🙂

butterfly search

IMG_2554This picture produced results of numerous photos of purple and pink wildflowers, none of which were the same as the one I uploaded, and a host of purple and pink items that weren’t even flowers (My Little Ponies, etc.)

I can’t even begin to wonder what might show up when I upload this one!IMG_2479

So in the mean time, I will continue my fruitless searches and hopefully rely on your expertise out there to help me out!  What kinds of strange things have you discovered on your adventures?

Weekly Photo Challenge – Companionable

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This weekly photo challenge was a no brainer! You can ask anyone who knows us well and they will tell you that our reason for blogging (our love for camping) is a direct result of our love for our dogs.  Camping is a wonderful way of being able to travel affordably with our pets.  Most places we camp are very pet friendly and we have even been able to find locations that have pet-friendly beaches.  So far, our favorite such place has been Higgins Lake State Park in Michigan. We would love to hear about other pet-friendly places from all of you!  I love this picture because it shows my three best buds doing what they love best – hanging out in the sun, having fun, and enjoying each other’s company.  True companions!

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The Pictures I Didn’t Take

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The great-horned owl sitting in the tree in broad daylight along the bike trail.  The red-winged blackbird fanning its wings atop a hay bale in the field. The blue butterfly that stopped for a mere second on atop a black-eyed Susan.  The face of my dog mid-dream while I scrambled to get the camera.  All these and more…photos that I would love to have but was unable to capture in the moment. Call it photographer’s remorse or a bad case of Sod’s law, it seems that I always manage to see the things best worth photographing when I have either left the camera at home, or it is not ready in time. And I am an amateur, I can only imagine what it feels like for a professional!  It used to really bother me (and quite honestly, still does) but I have come to the realization that I can’t allow such missed opportunities to blind me from the “big picture”.  If I am to be perfectly honest, some of the best moments I have encountered in nature have been somewhat obscured behind the camera lens.  Whether it is trying to find the perfect angle, lighting etc.  who knows what I may have missed just by watching.  Recently, I have enjoyed taking walks in nature with my husband and two dogs, not attached to my camera waiting for the next photo-op.  It is nice to observe, relax and enjoy all of God’s creation.  Never mind the dozen or so birds that were posing perfectly for photos along the way.  So I will continue to look for those moments I can capture  that make me smile, appreciate God a little bit more, or even make me wonder…whether they be on the camera or just in my mind’s eye.

“I Told You So, Son”

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As I grow older and older I am finding out that many of the life lessons my dad taught me were actually good lessons. Though as a kid, I constantly challenged my dad’s ideas and advice, it is clear the old man really knew what he was talking about. It seems like my dad says to me, “I told you so, son” a lot lately. I can remember one Christmas when I got a brand new BMX bike that I had been asking about for months. Of course it was winter in Michigan but that did not stop me from taking it for a spin! I remember how my dad kept telling me, “Son, if you want anything to last, you have to take care of it.” And so that summer, I washed that bike almost everyday. Wherever I went I was sure to use my bike lock. Even though I did not always listen to dad’s advice, this one I listened to.IMG_1783

So, here I am at 38 years old and instead of a brand new BMX bike, I have a pop-up camper that is little more than 6 months old now. We have made good use of this special “toy” since we bought it back in December. Like the BMX bike, I was not going to wait to spring to try out the camper. Amy and I did some winter camping and had a blast! Every time we take it out, I remember what my dad taught me about taking care of the things I have. So, I wash it every time we take it out. Sometimes I believe Amy thinks I am a little on the OCD side, which she may be right. (Editor’s note – of course I am Doug!)  But if you want anything to last, you have to take care of it. In the winter it was tough to wash the camper without the use of the outdoor water hose. I had to resort to parking it in the garage and wiping it down with a bucket and sponge. I also used Lysol wipes to give it a shine. But once spring had sprung, I washed the camper in the driveway using car wash soap, the hose, sponges, and a good set of towels.

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Well, a few weeks ago my curiosity got the best of me. If my pop-up is only five feet tall and only 15 feet long (including the tongue), could it fit through one of those self-car washes? Hmmm…..Well, let’s try it! Of course it fit! My only major concern was turning out of the car wash into the parking lot. A car wash is designed for, well, cars. So, I was worried I would not have enough of a turning radius to get the camper out of the parking lot. Yet, everything worked out there as well. I was also a little concerned that using the high pressure hose might cause some leaks into the camper. And yet, when I opened it up upon returning home, everything was a dry as a bone!

2013-06-22_14-59-47_353So, my suggestion to those with campers, especially pop-ups, listen to my dad’s advice: “If you want something to last take care of it.” Bring your camper to a self-car wash each and every time you take out your camper out for the weekend. The foaming brush will work wonders on the shine of your roof. The high pressure hose will rinse off the worst of grime. The tire cleaner will make your tires sparkle. Yes, it’s $5-7 investment but it’s worth it in the end. Some might think I’m a little over the top by washing the camper every time, but I want this pop-up to last for many, many more family outings! And when the times comes when Amy and I are ready to step up to a new travel trailer, hopefully the pop-up will have retained it’s value because we took such good care of it. “If you want something to last you have to take care of it”. Thanks for the advice dad!