“Everyone has demons. What matters is how you tame them.” — Unknown
“The paradox of reality is that no image is as compelling as the one which exists only in the mind’s eye.” — Shana Alexander
“I survived because the fire inside me burned brighter than the fire around me.” — Joshua Graham
“He’d steal a hot stove and come back for the smoke.” — Wilson Mizner
While hiking to Lembert Dome, there will be signs for the Dog Lake trail. These two hikes combine well and I would encourage all those who are fit enough to complete both hikes to visit each destination. We were at Dog Lake when snow was still covering the mountain tops and it did add a nice contrast to the scene, but recent rains and snow melt rendered parts of the shoreline muddy.
By framing the lake and distant mountains with the large branch, the viewer’s eye is drawn into the scene.
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.
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Meta Data – Day 93 YOY – Year of Yosemite
File Name: 0245.NEF
Capture time: 3:12:04 PM
Capture date: June 7, 2016
Exposure: 1/320 sec @ f/9
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ISO 200
Nikon D3300
“Rumor grows as it goes.” — Virgil
“Quality is more important than quantity. One home run is much better than two doubles.” — Steve Jobs
“One of the privileges of the great is to witness catastrophes from a terrace.” — Jean Giraudoux
“Cleanliness becomes more important when godliness is unlikely.” — P. J. O’Rourke
As more advanced players know, the third shot drop shot can be a powerful weapon. On the downside, it is a high risk-high reward shot for many casual players.
What to do in the following scenario:
Your team serves the ball high and deep. The other team now returns a nice deep shot and both the players are near the kitchen (NVZ). The opponents both have good volley skills and are waiting for your next shot…
A – You can try to over power them by hitting the ball hard to one of the weaker spots, i.e. backhand which is not that easy since the margin of error is narrow.
B – You can lob the ball to try to move at least one player off of the kitchen line, but this too takes a bit of touch; too short and it gets whacked, too long and it is out.
C – Third shot drop shot. Get the ball over the net into the middle of the NVZ and move the game to the net where it would then become a “touch” game. Once again, high risk-high reward. Too long and the ball is smashed back at you; too short and it goes into the net.
When playing against skilled pickleballers, the choices may all seem difficult. Why not work on that third shot which may be the best opportunity in the above scenario?
To make it even more of a problem, the Third Shot technique is a bit different from various places on the court. It is a “touch” shot and the paddle position, pace, etc. needs to be altered as the ball is hit either longer or shorter onto your side of the court.
Deb Harrison demonstrates how to practice the Third Shot Drop from various positions on the court. I know this is one area I need to practice quite a bit. I am decent near the NVZ, but pretty bad when it comes to executing the desired third shot from the baseline.
From the YouTube synopsis:
Published on Oct 1, 2016
“This video emphasizes the need for players to develop the ability to execute a 3rd shot drop from various types of balls into the NVZ (No Volley Zone) from all areas on the court. Drills to practice dropping short hop and long hop balls are shown. The key is, depending on the type of hop, opening the paddle to the right angle UNDER the ball and using the pace to determine how much forward motion is needed. Remember that the net is your first opponent and MOST importantly, your drop HAS to go over the net. There is a lot of “feel or touch” to the execution of these skills, so more practice = more success!”
To See Pickleball Videos Covering Many Aspects of the Game Click Here (primarily for beginners and less experienced players)
Check out Additional Pickleball Info and Videos! (for all players including average to more experienced players)
A view of Tuolumne Meadows from Lembert Dome)
After quite a long trek and then a climb to the top of Lembert Dome, I had to take my time to gaze at all of the views from on top of that edifice.
So beautiful was the entire panorama, that I took enough photographs to cover the complete 360 degree view. I guess that is the good news. The bad news? Well, you may very well see every shot I took to cover all of that territory.
Not to worry, however, as I don’t think one can ever tire of the magnificence of that landscape. I was far enough from the edge of the dome to be safe, but it was still a thrill to look over the precipice.
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.
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Meta Data – Day 82 YOY – Year of Yosemite
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Capture time: 1:29:27AM/PM
Capture date: June 7, 2016
Exposure: 1/125 sec @ f/13
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ISO 100
Nikon D3300
“Love endures only when the lovers love many things together and not merely each other. — Walter Lippmann
“As the Island of Knowledge grows, so do the shores of our ignorance—the boundary between the known and unknown.” — Marcelo Gleiser
“How rare and wonderful is that flash of a moment when we realize we have discovered a friend.” — William Rotsler
“They stayed away in droves.” — Samuel Goldwyn, film producer
El Capitan is one of iconic features of Yosemite. No matter where one hikes in the park, it continuously reveals itself from numerous roads, paths and viewing points.
The photograph of El Capitan above was taken as we walked across a nearby meadow. It towers well above the tree line and never ceases to impress.
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.
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Meta Data – Day 91 YOY – Year of Yosemite
File Name: 0201.NEF
Capture time: 8:32:35 PM
Capture date: June 7, 2016
Exposure: 1/60 sec @ f/14
Focal Length: 52mm
ISO 100
Nikon D3300
“Your illusions are part of you like your bones and flesh and memory.” — William Faulkner
“As the builders say, the larger stones do not lie well without the lesser.” — Plato
“Politics is the art of marshaling hatreds.” — Unknown
“Modesty: the gentle art of enhancing your charm by pretending not to be aware of it.” — Oliver Herford
Big Box Stores Have Geared Up For Halloween
Halloween in the Southwest has a special flavor to it. There are certain variations on the theme. This skeleton horse and cowboy at one of our local big box stores (can you guess which one?) is just one example.
A more traditional activity for holiday fun had Amazon (@amazon) post the picture below on twitter. There is one yellow M&M among the candy corn and the viewer is asked to find it. I don’t want to brag, but I found it in less than a minute; can you?
See more JBRish humor posts here HERE
