Scaredy Cats … It’s a Cucumber – Surprise

Jeff

Apparently cats are terribly afraid of cucumbers. The video below shows cats being surprised and/or scared by finding one so close to them. According to a recent article on Gizmodo, my source for this video, some knowledgeable “cat people” feel that scaring your cat this way may cause psychological damage. Anyone who has ever owned a cat understands that cats don’t need any further assistance in this area! So…pet owners beware – Don’t Try This At Home!

NOTE – All of the cats in the video are scared while eating or drinking. Could this be related to scaredy-catness; i.e. The Hunger Games?

STATUS QUOtes — 20151121

Jeff

“The gods too are fond of a joke.” — Aristotle

“If past history was all there was to the game, the richest people would be librarians.” — Warren Buffett

“If the phone doesn’t ring, it’s me.” — Jimmy Buffett

“Dentist: A prestidigitator who, putting metal into your mouth, pulls coins out of your pocket.” — Ambrose Bierce

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

Pickleball – Play Balls

Jeff

On the heels of my November 13 post, Ball-istic-Some Pickleballs Will Not Fly , there has been some confusion about which balls will be approved for tournament play and which balls will not carry that certification.

To answer any questions, the USAPA, in partnership with the IFP, keeps a list of approved balls. Instead of wondering which balls are not approved, it might be more prudent and perhaps easier to keep track of the balls that are approved.

You can find the list here:

USAPA Balls Approved For Tournament Play

NOTE-This is a “moving target” as specifications will most likely change from time to time or other reasons my evolve which declare different balls non-tournament worthy and/or others that may be added to the list. It would be prudent to check back from time-to-time,

An even better way to keep track would be to join the USAPA and receive their emails and newsletters. Membership information is HERE.

I hope this is useful information.

See you on the courts!

STATUS QUOtes — 20151120

Jeff

“Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity.” — H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

“When one man has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life, he has no right to keep it to himself.” — Jacques Cousteau

“It’s not what I feel for you… it’s what I don’t feel for anyone but you.” — Unknown

“I hate small towns because once you’ve seen the cannon in the park there’s nothing else to do.” — Lenny Bruce

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

STATUS QUOtes — 20151119

Jeff

“When you blame others, you give up the chance to change yourself.” — Don Eduardo García

“Another belief of mine; that everyone else my age is an adult, whereas I am merely in disguise.” — Margaret Atwood

“There is greatness in doing something you hate for the sake of someone you love.” — Shmuley Boteach

“If I ever need a heart transplant, I want his… it’s never been used.” — George Raveling

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

The Photographer May Be More Important than the Subject

Jeff

“A photograph is shaped more by the person behind the camera than by what is in front if it.”

Photo-One Man, Six Visions

Those who are professional photographers or serious enthusiasts have probably heard a comment something like the following:


“If I had your equipment, I could also take superb pictures.”

There is a modicum of truth to this and that is, in order to capture certain photographs, specialized equipment may be needed. Having said that, however, I must support the idea that the photographer and not the equipment is the most important ingredient in the creative/artistic equation.

A trained photographer creates a vision of their subject and it is often based upon that particular photographers accumulated skills and past experiences.

The YouTube video below points to the importance of the photographer, their creative vision and the experience they bring to the situation. I don’t want to “spoil” the video so watch it and I am sure you will be able to connect the dots and draw the appropriate conclusion.

In part, here are some of the comments associated with the video on YouTube:

“A photograph is shaped more by the person behind the camera than by what’s in front of it.

To prove this we invited six photographers to a portrait session with a twist. ‘Decoy’ is one of six experiments from The Lab, designed to shift creative thinking behind the lens…

Special thanks to the photographers who participated in this experiment: Chris Meredith, Jin Lim, Lyndal Irons, Kate Disher-Quill, Franky Tsang & Tristan Stefan Edouard.”

If you want to read more about this and the philosophical underpinnings, Pamela Ann Berry wrote a photofocus post about. It is an important lesson to keep in mind.

STATUS QUOtes — 20151118

Jeff

“We are who people think we are.” — David Foster

“Set your course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship.” — Omar N. Bradley

“Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo.” — H. G. Wells

“Which painting in the National Gallery would I save if there was a fire?… the one nearest the door of course.” — George Bernard Shaw

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

STATUS QUOtes — 20151117

Jeff

“I have been bent and broken, but I hope into a better shape.” — Charles Dickens

“When we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.” — Confucius

“There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” — Soren Kierkegaard

“There is nobody so irritating as somebody with less intelligence and more sense than we have.” — Don Herold

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

Fall Hike – West Fork of the Oak Creek, AZ – Pt. 1

Jeff

Much of our lives were spent in the northeast and although we now live in the southwest and we are fond of the desert, once in a while we get the urge to experience a true change of seasons like those we experienced during the fall in our rural New Jersey home.

When this happens, we look to northern Arizona to satisfy our yearning. Recently we decided to take a November foray to an area just north of Sedona, AZ and hike the trail of the West Fork of the Oak Creek.

 

West Fork Trail #108 Sign

The trail is located off of highway 89A between mileposts 385 and 384. As always, dress appropriately, be sure to have waterproof/resistant footwear and perhaps bring an extra pair of socks. One other hint…many will find hiking sticks useful especially during the stream crossings. If you don’t have hiking sticks, a dead branch can usually be found along the way and often they are left at the trailhead sign.

Soon after we began, we were treated to this beautiful, red rock fall scene. It was a very crisp, clear fall day at the Oak Creek.

Beautiful Colors at the Trailhead Approach

Snow remnants

We were aware that it had snowed a week or so before our planned excursion, but we did not realize remnants would still be found. Mary picked up a handful; something we can’t do in the Valley of the Sun.

Mary grabs a handful of snow

As you may note, there are no officially maintained crossings of the stream which number thirteen each way for a total of twenty six. All hikers are left to decide the best route to attempt. Rocks are not always steady, logs are sometimes slippery and the dry footholds may be far apart. This provides some excitement and challenges. Many hikers brought their four-legged companions along for a frolic.

Mary at stream crossing; dog waiting

Gymnastics training could come in handy.

Gymnastic creek crossing

The creek widens and narrows along the route providing interesting and contrasting vistas among the red sand and rocks.

Contrast of stream and red rocks

Of course we need to mention the leaves; yes the leaves. In the desert, we don’t have fall leaf colors and shapes like these.

fall leaf colors

The contrast of reds, yellows and bronze against the dark bark and red cliffs was very pretty.

gold bronze leaves amid the gray of fall

Change was definitely in the air. Leaves were donning their seasonal finery as they fell to the ground or attempted to cling to the branches just a bit longer.

Leaves change color

The patches of dried, brown foliage also provided a pretty foil for the remaining snow which provided the background for the patterns of fall.

patterns of dead ferns against the snow

To be continued…

For more information about the West Fork of Oak Creek, Sedona including hours of operation, fees and restrictions, see the links below:

West Fork Oak Creek #108

Hiking the West Fork of Oak Creek

Trail Map of West Fork Oak Creek