New Photos Wanted

The older I get, the more visual I become.  Whether I am focused on the visions in my daydreams or the views outside my window, I need my eyes to bring the light into my world (hell - everyone does so what is really new about this?).

My left eye

My eyes have always been my prized possession.  I have had killer vision my whole life and still rely on my eyes to gather the clues to help me find the pieces of the puzzle called life (really Cameron!  WTF - don't get all touchy feely with your words here - just say it as it comes out).  Really though, my eyes have allowed me to find snakes just about anywhere and everywhere but I like to give them credit for lots of other things too.

My eyes let me spot ticks as well as snakes when in the field

I guess that is why I have used so many photos in my blog posts.  Since I am a visual person, I assume everyone else is too which leads to posting photos as major parts of my blog.  But I need more photos!  I have been strolling through my recent photos and they bore me.  They just aren't interesting.  They just don't wow or inspire me.  I need to play around with my cameras again to see what I can come up with.

Another boring beer photo

My GoPro is dead which was becoming a really fun camera to use.  I accidentally dunked it into my ice coffee (don't ask!) and it just won't work anymore.  I am getting a new battery for it just in case that is what I fried but I get the feeling I am in the market for another GoPro in the next month or so.

My imagination seems to be on overdrive these days on all fronts.  My day dreams can be especially vivid but it is what my mind's eye sees around me that shocks me a little.  Take the two photos below for examples.  I saw something and captured the situation digitally.  Unfortunately, it is not my imagination or mind's eye that I am talking about when I ask for new photos.

Buckle Up for Safety

The world's greatest futbol player honored me with this photo last week

These photos are fun but not inspiring.  They are quick and easy to take but not incredible photos.  They aren't motivating me to get crazy with my blog or my life.  I wish I could capture my day dreams on film but then I would probably not impress many people with my obscure, dirty, or completely random dreams. 

My request is for new photos.  They can come from my camera or they can come from your camera.  Send me a photo and just maybe I will write a blog about it.  Send me a photo that you think will trigger something in my brain beyond my daily Instagram posts.  Send me a photo just for the hell of it - you never know what the reaction will be.

NEW PHOTOS WANTED!

Pretty Simple Idea

I saw this on Instragram this morning.  It is a pretty simple idea for those people who work well from a plan.  What about the people like me who can dream about what they want, dream about the plan, and dream about the success but never "write that shit down"?  I will have to think and dream about the answer and get back to you (or maybe I won't).  :)

Random Photo Post - Let's See Where this Goes

I am falling asleep at my desk today still trying to recover from my work trip in North Dakota.  In an attempt to activate my mind, I am going to randomly pick a photo from the photos I have on my computer to post.  Hopefully it will be a photo that has a story behind it.

I am closing my eyes and clicking on the add photo button.  Then I will click my way through the folders while at the same time spinning the scroll wheel on my mouse to find a photo.  Here I go!

Wow!  I couldn't have picked a better photo.

This photo is of the snake that turned me on to pythons and boas.  Before this snake, I really didn't care for pythons.  I thought they were generally ugly and really didn't play much of a role in changing human perceptions about snakes.  People know what a python is so what else could I teach them about these "boring" snakes.  Boy was I wrong.

This gentle carpet python was just over 7' long (I am 6' tall - see picture above) and was extremely gentle.  She had an amazing personality that really came out when she was in a crowd.  She quickly became one of my favorite snakes to use when giving a snake presentation because of her size and calm demeanor.  Unfortunately, this gentle giant recently passed away from an unknown cause.

Here are a few more photos of her in action:

A Week On Instagram

I love Instagram because it gives me a place to post photos and videos without the judgement of Facebook.  When you post randomly on Facebook, your "friends" like you know when they don't like something.  Instagram is different - it is a place for creativity and freedom.  I enjoy using it.  If you want to follow me for more random thoughts documented with photos from my life, look me up.  I am "cayrip".

The giraffe piñata that was destroyed at a kindergarten graduation - those 6 year old kids had no mercy with the baseball bat used to beat this poor animal.

The beautiful B.

Finally got a lunch run in instead of just walking. Boy was it a tough 7.5 miles. I wouldn't have gone this far except that I am in a Thursday 30,000 Steps for Snakes Challenge on fi.tt

Soccer tennis

Looking for something.

Time to make things happen!

Birthday Lunch with Heather. Happy Birthday@heatherrea22

Bees in downtown Denver. Some had fallen to the ground overnight and were being stepped on. I hope they find a safe summer home soon.

Everyone is a pyromaniac. Charcoal getting ready during an all night pig roast.

Just gorgeous.

Upside down in Denver.

Handstand in Denver.

Enough said.

Lower leg.

The endless landscape of eastern North Dakota

Ticks! Count is at 83 now. Still more to come. [Final Tick Count Was 85 Ticks]

Snake from today's run

Snake #2 from today's run.

Dinner last night.

Bird tracks in mud. Leave nothing but footprints and take nothing but memories.

Running in the Barren Agricultural Fields of North Dakota.

Dandelion seeds in mud.

Dandelion seed with shadow.

Fortune

Walking at DIA

Playing the "where's my car" game at DIA.

The world's greatest soccer player is in Denver and I got to meet him.

Horoscope 6 June 2014

Even if this isn't really a horoscope in my opinion, it does ring true about any dream for anyone. This is especially true with snake conservation.

Lunch - A Good Meal

Lunch. The only meal I really look forward to everyday. Breakfast foods bore me so I often opt for dinner leftovers or eating the day's lunch early. Dinner is a pain in the ass to make as a daily chore (and I prefer to eat these foods cold as breakfast).

     

Yesterday I had lunch with this view.

Spit – Why do boys always spit?

I had my GoPro out the other day recording video of my youngest son playing soccer.  As I was setting the camera up to aim at us kicking the ball back and forth, he ran full speed up to the camera.  I thought he was going to run right into me but he slammed on the brakes right before impact.  What he did next surprised me – he spit a giant loogie out in front of the camera to get it on video.

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised – I am male after all and spitting is something that makes us different from girls and women.  Don’t get me wrong; I know plenty of females that are great spitters.  However, I am definitely assigning a stereotype about males and females, boys and girls, and men and women here.  In my stereotypical world, males spit and females don’t.

Male humans also do other strange things when in their adolescent (and adult) years.  In particular, literal pissing contests can be frequent occurrences.  Yes, we not only cross lightsaber streams - we also see who can pee farther.  Pee distance is something that diminishes with age so you will never catch me in a pee distance contest with my sons.  If it is a volume contest such as creating a small stream to see how far it will flow down a hill or snow melting area, I am definitely in – but a distance contest, no fucking way.

I think pee distance has something to do with urethra width.  To put it simply, boys who have not yet hit puberty have a narrower urethra.   In other words,  the urethra diameter to bladder size ratio can increase pee pressures often sending urine 8 to 12 feet from some young men.  That is right – 8 to 12 feet or even more.  When aimed up (yes boys have the luxury and often do aim their stream in strange and often naughty ways), this stream can reach 8 feet high!  If you haven’t witnessed a 3-6 year old pee for distance or height, you need to add this event to your bucket list.  As we age, the urethra width to bladder size ratio decreases making a grown man lucky to pee 3 to 4 feet from his body.

The true experiment for testing my theory is in the hands of the King of the Hill writers.  They have the perfect scenario to give it a test.  If you have ever watched this adult cartoon, you know that Bobby Hill is a miracle baby because Hank (his father) has a narrow urethra.  The Hills never thought they would have a child but as those of us with children know, unprotected sex usually leads to babies.

Each episode of King of the Hill ends with Hank, Dale, Bill, and Boomhauer in the alley drinking beer and having an open dialogue about things happening in their lives or the world.  The writers could easily test my urethra-bladder theory by having these very distinguished gentlemen turn around to face the fence.  I will stop there and let you imagine the rest.

Boys are full of constant competition.  At our house, this includes just about anything and everything.  The boys will even compete about chores – not who gets to do them but who has more chores so they don’t have to feed the dogs or let the chickens out in addition to their normal duties when Heather or I cannot get these things done.  When my youngest spit in front of the GoPro the other day, I am just glad his brothers were not around.  If they were, you may have seen the 4 Young boys (of course I am included) turn our backs on the camera and test my narrow urethra theory ourselves.  I just wish I had recorded the slow motion video below in 120 frames per second to really capture my sons’ enthusiastic example showing the effect of gravity on spit.