Tag Archives: me

Where’s Boolie 2009

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Rick Cameron hides inside a large redwood tree in Prairie Creek Redwood State Park

This year’s version of Where’s Boolie comes courtesy of a large redwood tree in Prairie Creek Redwood State Park. This was my first morning in the park and the tree sits right off the Prairie Creek Trail with a cavity in the middle suitable for housing an entire bigfoot family.

I had to smile when I heard a distant hooting that morning, probably an unfamiliar owl or other bird, but it also reminded me of the supposed bigfoot calls from I show I watched a while back. I hoped with camera in hand to get some nice high-resolution, in focus, non-shaky bigfoot pictures but it was not to be. It would have been the perfect time to prove my theory on the true nature of bigfoot.

It is not a popular theory and has put me on the fringe of the lunatic fringe. I believe that they are not some form of ape running undiscovered in our forests — I mean seriously — but that they are in fact Wookiees.

My critics are quick to point out that Star Wars is fictional. I know it’s fictional — I’m not an idiot. I just don’t understand how it’s relevant. To Kill a Mockingbird is fictional. Are mockingbirds fictional too?

I Come From A Land Down Under

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Rick Cameron stands in front of a large redwood tree in Stout Grove in Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park

The land down under Oregon that is. Not the land where women glow and men plunder.

We were shutdown at work last week and I turned the unplanned vacation to my advantage and headed south to Redwood National and State Parks for a few days. My wife and I visited for a day on our honeymoon ten years ago but I hadn’t been back since. I tried to go a few years back but was halted by a nasty snowstorm followed by a nasty ice storm.

My original plans were to visit from Wednesday to Saturday, but I enjoyed myself so much that I extended the trip by a day. Sunday I meandered up the Oregon coast to Newport before finally crossing over to the higher speeds of I-5 and arrived home Sunday night to an enthusiastic welcome from the home crowd.

It was a splendid little trip and I came home relaxed and refreshed, hiking from sunrise to sunset in the forests of giants, watching deer and elk browse and play in the meadows, gingerly walking among the little creatures of the tidepools, watching harbor seals in the heavy surf.

These treehugger pictures were taken just before sunset on my last full day in the redwoods. It was pouring rain and I didn’t want to stop, but when a passing bigfoot offered to hold the camera I couldn’t resist. I wanted to retake the pictures in the morning since I made some mistakes but was cursed with a beautiful sunny day and the wrong light for what I wanted.

I had the camera set to ISO1600 (a fast speed) and yet the pictures still took 6 and 8 seconds. I was using a polarizer which didn’t help matters, but unfortunately it was so dark through the viewfinder that I didn’t get it turned just right to completely remove the reflections in the ferns. To make matters worse, my favorite pose is the top picture but by that time the rain had splattered the front of the lens but I didn’t realize it until it was too late.

Nevertheless, a fun end to a fun trip. I took a ton of pictures (I know, you’re surprised, right?) so look for the those in the coming weeks.

Rick Cameron stands in front of a large redwood tree in Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park in California

Dark Chocolate

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Rick Cameron playing with his dog Ellie in the backyard

Ellie had a vet appointment this morning to get a booster shot. She got a good health report all around (apart from needing to lose a little weight, which we are working on). But late this afternoon I got a call from my wife saying she was heading back to the vet.

During the day, Ellie had somehow gotten a hold of some of my wife’s chocolate calcium chews. This is not the way to weight loss Ellie! Although at least we won’t have to worry about her suffering from osteoporosis.

The vet didn’t think any harm was done but had us watch for vomiting and unusual stools just to be safe — any blood and it was off to the emergency vet. Thankfully she’s been fine, a little hyper but she got a lot of exercise this weekend and calmed down nicely by nightfall.

Ellie’s a black lab, at least we thought she was, but I’m thinking now she may be a chocolate lab. No, not chocolate, not with her black fur. Dark chocolate.

Ellie & Smelly

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Rick Cameron playing with his dog Ellie in the backyard

The title for today’s post comes from little Sam, who is skating on thin ice I assure you.

He asked me today if I knew which part of Ellie I most smelled like. I said no but to consider his answer carefully and reminded him who plays countless hours of String with him. He deliberated far longer than I thought necessary, eyes darting between me and Ellie, before finally answering “Why the sweetest part of course!”

I don’t know exactly what answer he originally had in mind, but given that he was staring at Ellie’s rear end, I can guess well enough.

I would not say such things if I were you!