Tuesday, August 22, 2017

KLEM AM

Dappled, non-stick photos of the 2017 eclipse from my mailbox:
I don't have any filters so I took indirect pictures of the partial eclipse we had here. 
Two of those utilize the leaves on my walnut tree to form multiple pinhole cameras, the other is a picture I took of the image cast by a "pinhole" camera I made using a scrap of walnut through which I bored a half inch diameter hole. 
Eclipse is over, as you were.
Photo by Sixty Grit
Photo by Sixty Grit

Photo by Sixty Grit

Question for Sixty: Are you going to butcher that walnut tree someday for its wood?

6 comments:

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Cool. The 2$ eclipse glasses were dang worth it. Climbed to the top of Mt Sherman on Monday. Arrived the trailhead at 9:30AM, departed trail-head at 9:45. Hiked 2,000 foot elevation gain to 14,035. Arrived at the summit before noon. Cool and windy much of the way but really nice on top. About 43 degrees and light wind. Clear day and sun.
I'd guess about 30+/- people on the trail that day.
The hike itself was not remarkable at all- sort of like a rocky moon landscape. The view from on top is spectacular. Views to Colo's highest peaks (Mt. Elbert and Mt Massive and the cluster of 14ers nearby -(Democrat/Cameron/Bross/Lincoln), could see Torrey and Grays to the Northeast, Mount of the Holy Cross to the northwest, Mt, Harvard to the south, and many of the peaks in the Collegiate range.. I'm pretty sure I could see the top of Castle Peak in the far far far fuzzy distance, with its distinctive craggy edge. Pikes Peak to the east.
Full eclipse @93% hit at 11:38AM. Stopped to watch the progress of the eclipse on the way up the final ridge accents and the various false summits.
Attempted to take a photo thru the glasses but that does not work. My phone wanted to focus on the glasses, not the image thru the glasses. Back at the truck by 2:00PM and into Fairplay before 3:00 to enjoy some peppery basil beer and nachos.

When the eclipse was full, it was as if the sun was on a dimmer switch.

ndspinelli said...

Dick, Great comment.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Thanks, ND. It was fun! Best part was thinking about all that awful traffic on I-25 heading into/and out of Wyoming and knowing I wasn't there. ;-)

The Dude said...

CL - I planted that walnut tree when I moved here 6 years ago. It is now about 20 feet tall and nearly 10" in diameter at the base.

One of the great things about living in a forest is that one need never cut down a tree - ice storms, tornadoes, hurricanes - they do the work. I just show up with my saw and cut as much or as little as I want, then mosey on.

So, to answer your question more directly, I will not saw down that tree. It is now producing walnuts, my grandwalnuts as someone put it, and I will let it grow for as long as I own this property.

You know the old saying - the best time to plant a tree is 50 years ago, the next best time is today. I have been planting walnut trees all of my life, oaks, too, and so far, in my current yard, there are close to a dozen young walnut trees growing.

I just found a poplar tree that sprouted next to my heat pump - I will transplant that this winter. I think I might have a white oak seedling, too.

My goal is to eliminate the lawn and convert the property to woodlands. Less mowing for the old guy.

Rabel said...

Sixty, the sun was behind the trees in my back yard and I took similar pics of the patio completely covered in crescent shaped shadows. I don't fully understand the effect but it made for a few cool photos.

Rabel said...

"convert the property to woodlands"

Over the 25 years I've been in my house the original dozen or so trees in the back yard have grown and multiplied. One thing I've learned is that acorns are not your friends.