Pickleball – Gold Medal Match: Open Womens Doubles – 2015 So Cal Summer Classic

I enjoy watching the best players in the nation play Pickleball because I see that they have the same issues we all have. I am not implying that we are all as good as they are, but they make the same kinds of errors we make. The difference is usually the quality of the play. I am an average player and I generally play somewhere in that range so when a shot comes my way, it isn’t always a sophisticated hit, but the problems are the same as those faced by the better players.

If you watch the championship video below, you will note that a good many points are not necessarily won by the team earning that point/fault, but by the other team losing it. In other words, in many cases a player fails to return or mishits a very playable ball and yields that point.

The second set of the match appears to be a runaway, but Heidi Hancock & Tonja Major mount a major comeback.

From the YouTube Video Website:

“Published on Jul 17, 2015

Are you ready to watch four amazing pickleball players at their best? Don’t miss this gold medal match from the So Cal Summer Classic in Oceanside, CA. Pickleball Channel was fortunate enough to get courtside, and we are proud to feature this match in its entirety. Watch Heidi Hancock & Tonja Major battle against Alex Hamner & Jennifer Lucore for gold in the Open Womens Doubles. We love featuring gold medal matches so our subscribers can witness the athleticism and speed required to play for gold!”

House Sparrow Feeding Time for Fledglings

Sierra Vista, AZ is known for the birds that visit that area year-round. There are migratory birds that leave south and central America as well as Mexico and spend part of the summer in the southeast portion of Arizona. While visiting that region recently, we took note of a house sparrow nest in a tree and a male and female that were taking care of their young.

In the picture (below), the “dad” is bringing food to the babies. If you look closely you can see a grasshopper (or similar insect) just to the left of the tip of the yellow arrow (center of photo).

The adult bird is getting ready to “cram” the insect down the throat of the chick. They do this with great energy.

Male house sparrow cramming food into chick's mouth

In this case, as in some bird species, both adults take turns feeding the chicks. This is a picture of “mom” watching the meal being delivered and perhaps providing instructions.

Mother bird gives offering advice about feeding

The male bird has left for a “refill” and both chicks look on in anticipation. The one on the left almost appears to be frowning as it awaits its turn.

Chicks await more food delivery

Here is another photo of the chicks looking on with apparent increased vigilance and vocalizations.

Chicks calling for more food

This scene repeated itself over time and we enjoyed watching the protocol of the house sparrow for taking care of its fledglings. It is estimated that these chicks were just a few days away from leaving the nest as they are rather large; as chicks go.

Read More:

House Sparrow (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

Sialis: House Sparrow Biology

House Sparrows Habits

 



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STATUS QUOtes — 20150720

“Joy is the best makeup.” — Anne Lamott

“I have several times made a poor choice by avoiding a necessary confrontation.” — John Cleese

“When you win, say nothing; when you lose, say less.” — Paul Brown

“In Paris they simply stared when I spoke to them in French; I never did succeed in making them understand their language.[ed]” — Mark Twain

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

Should You Be Using HDR Photography with Your Cell Phone?

Whenever I am out and about with people and we are taking pictures; me with my bridge camera (Canon SX 50HS) and others with their smartphones, I often ask if they are shooting HDR images. A few will know what I am speaking of, but many are puzzled.

To put it simply, and HDR (High Dynamic Range) image is one that is composed of three separate photos that are then combined to increase the “degree” of colors and details. Many smartphones can be set to do this automatically, i.e. they take one picture focusing on the shadows, one exposed for the mid-tones and a last exposed for the highlights. These are then combined to render details in all three exposures. The theory is that this will provide the most color and details.

This logically leads to the next question: “Well, how much better will the HDR photos be?” An article written by Eric Renno for Photofocus answers that question.

If you are interested in the technicalities, please read the details in the article noted above. For anyone interested in photography, I believe you will find it interesting especially if you like to edit your photographs after you take them.

SUMMARY – Shooting in HDR generally makes a difference and in most cases you will get “better” pictures that way. Keep in mind, however that the files will be larger so storage space may be at a premium.

NOTE – My wife’s iPhone captures HDR, but also keeps the mid-tone image as well. In such scenarios, it is then up to the user to decide which photo to keep. Your smart phone might do the same thing so it would be a good idea to review them periodically and delete those pictures which are not significantly different. The only drawback is that it is sometimes difficult to discern this on the small smart phone screen. It is still worth a try if your phone storage is pressed for space.

STATUS QUOtes — 20150719

“Enjoy present pleasures in such a way as not to injure future ones.” — Seneca

“Talk between friends is always therapy.[ed]” — Jayne Anne Phillips

“Nothing comes to a sleeper but a dream.” — Serena Williams

“The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket.” — Unknown

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

PL8ATUDES – July 18, 2015


Plate-A-Tude

We continue our series of personalized (vanity) license plates in Arizona. To maintain individual privacy, we try to show as little information about particular cars as possible as long as we can reveal the license plate.

NOTE – License plate photos may have been archived for quite some time. The years indicated on the registration stickers DO NOT necessarily reflect the current status of any given plate!

We hope you enjoy these PL8ATUDES!

****************************************

 

My

Tax Planner

Claims I Am No Longer in the

Top Tier


JBRish.com originally published this post

STATUS QUOtes — 20150717

“These young guys are playing checkers. I’m out there playing chess.” — Kobe Bryant

“The problem of power is how …to get men of power to live for the public rather than off the public.” — Robert F. Kennedy

“All the people like us are we, and everyone else is They.” — Rudyard Kipling

“Don’t throw away the old bucket until you know whether the new one holds water.” — Swedish Proverb

 

JBRish.com originally published this post