Thursday, January 19, 2012

Eat yo' chowda son

We've heard the term, but what the hell is the difference between soup and Chowder? It's got to have something to do with the texture, obviously, but what if it's everything to do with what goes into the enjoyment? I enjoy soup when it's cold. I also enjoy Chowder when it's cold – it's tied, one one! I have to say, when I eat soup, no chunks of stuff that you can't explain. Chowder; hell, pile some of the most organic pieces of substance you can find and make this thing tickle my taste buds from start to finish. Chowder, according to Wiki, is a generic name for a wide variety of seafood or vegetable stews and thickened soups, often with milk or cream. Cream of chicken, call it soup. Cream of celery, call it soup. We all know what's inside a Campbell's can that has cream of _____ struck across it. But when we encounter that loaded word, we always wonder what it is that makes this bowl of warm goodness taste so good. Chowder is one of those words that when put behind a certain subject, gives it that distinguished note all it's own. It's stepped out of the minors, into the majors. And usually your tongue doesn't tell you any different. So 'eat yo' chowda son'
Cheers!



Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Something to be said for a good place to rest

Lack of sleep seems to be the culprit, but from time-to-time it takes nothing more than the right piece of equipment to make it all seem worth 20-minutes of your time.
Supported sometimes by nothing more than four sturdy legs, it's softness wraps around you and makes you feel like you're loved. The woven mesh of fabric so uniquely designed is a disguise of elegance that forms an opinion simply by looking at it. Whether it's assisted by a pillow, draped with a blanket or set alone between four walls, the chair is overlooked, underrated but never EVER under-appreciated when it comes time for a snooze!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

The highly underrated, yet oh, so good, breakfast sandwich

The last time I spent a week, not involved with a newspaper publication, I was living in Oshkosh, Wisc., working at Menards and studying inside the UW system. Today, I woke up an employee of a dock installation and sales company in Minocqua, Wisc. Life takes a few turns, ey? I am blessed. Blessed to have had the opportunities afforded to me that have allowed me to not just broaden my horizons, but see that there is something in this world everyone is meant for. I know I am not made to run Floe dock systems in and out of the lakes every spring and fall. I know I am not meant to stock Nibco fittings inside the plumbing department at Menards. I know I am not meant to chase cows around a barn yard and run heavy equipment up and down a dirt road from sun-up to sun-down. I was put on this Earth to write. And along the way lend a helping hand to those who need it while keeping my checking account in the black. It's been a crazy, sort of whirlwind week for me here in the Northwoods. Everything I've been for the last seven years has been put on hold, it seems, for a stint of manual labor that's seemingly connected me back to my teenage roots, growing up on the farm. My hands hurt. Muscles I haven't used in a long time are aching. The grime under my fingernails will need an Oral B scrubbing before my falanges return to what they once were and it feels strange to be walking around in my thong sandles as opposed to my chest waders. A Friday morning with my coffe cup, My Morning Jacket radio entering my ears via Pandora Radio and nothing on the agenda for the forseeable future (by that I mean 24 hours). Life is good.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

We are happy people

There are very few events that combine copious amounts of liquid libation, music, food and fun ... Saturday though was one of those days where people came together, not because they may have felt the need to, but because they were drawn to. Their similar tastes for good beer, great food and an attempt to make a difference in a small community. There are reasons people call Minocqua home. There are very good reasons why folks enjoy Northern Wisconsin and gravitate towards it so much. There were many reasons for every single person inside the Campanile Center for the Arts, Saturday, to feel like they were part of a fraternity that says, "we want to make a difference, and we're not just a bunch of soaks."
Thank you to everyone who made the 14th Annual Ice Cold Beer Festival another great success. I for one had a hard time piecing the events of the night back together, but I know it wasn't for not and I know I'll be right back there again with my family and friends, next year!


Thursday, January 5, 2012

Full moon special

Walleye fishing isn't something that often equates itself with a full moon or high moon phase. Actually, I take that back – it's something that actually does, simply not in a really good way. When fishing through the ice, paying attention to moon phases is a must. And while this week's waxing gibbous wasn't great for  fishing, it was a scenic night on the water. Noticing the stream lining jets going across the sky, backset by a number of different dots of burning gas was the end to the evening. It started with some warm west winds, good conversation with some fishermen from out of town, a sunset, cold PBR and one dandy walleye that sits inside a bowl of water in my fridge.

Sunsets sooth the soul ...

Photo taken along the Bearskin Trail in Minocqua just before ice this fall.

Where the lens ends

Photography was never meant to be intimidating. It was meant to work as a way to generate ideas whenever time slipped away and people needed a reminder of why they walk instead of drive; why they decide to take the back road as opposed to the highway; and why they are intrigued to roll out of bed in the morning when it's so easy to roll over and hit the snooze button just one more time.
Photos are a lot about making sure you have a sense of reference.
When taking a subject matter for instance, thinking in the rule of thirds is key. Three dimensions, three horizontal and three vertical.
Imagine your subject is in a box. Take a look at that box from all sides; top and bottom and both sides. As you draw cross sections through your imagination, make sure you are trying as best as you can to bring all levels into play - whether that means you are placing your subject in the top right, lower third or direct center - you want to balance your photos accordingly.
Photos will sometimes look unusual at first until it's placed against something. Take that tree in the background that a lot of times looks like it's not part of the photo, but it plays a vital role in making sure the scene is balanced, well lit or just plain designed correctly.
Getting down to a level where people's eyes are not trained to look is another easy, but key, factor in taking good photos. Simply kneeling down, getting up on a chair or leaning your shoulders in a way that gives a fresh perspective, can make all the difference.