Photo # 365!!!

I made it! Three hundred sixty five photos in three hundred sixty five days, plus a whole bunch of bonus pictures! Time to celebrate!

I took this photo a few weeks ago and I knew right away it would be perfect for my 365th. No editing was done. This is how the image came off the camera.

And with that, I am done - but not really. I will still post photos here from time to time, but now I won't have to bang my head on the desk trying to come up with ideas every day. Trust me, some days it was really hard. I'm sure those of you who have been following my page regularly could pick out the "filler" posts. Now I'll just post a photo when I actually shoot something cool that I think you folks will like.

Before I sign off, I'd like to give a shout out to my good friend Chelle, who inspired me to take on this challenge. She takes way better photos than I do, so she made it look easy.
Thanks to all of you for watching.

W.O 365

Photo #364

For the second to last entry of my Three Hundred Sixty Five photo challenge, I've chosen a recent, and favorite, picture that I took of my beautiful wife Megan. This project would not have been possible without her help. From suggesting subjects and assisting with some of the photo editing to putting up with my indecisiveness over how the posts should be written, she has been there from Photo #1.

Thank you, babe!

W.O 365

Photo #363

Ladies and gentlemen, I present my completed R.M.S. Titanic in 1/700 scale...

The model is approximately 15 1/2" long from the bow to the tip of the little Union Jack flag at the stern.

The bow is on the right side of this photo. You're looking at the Starboard side of the ship.

I am currently working on a video that chronicles the construction of this model from opening the kit to applying the last decals. I'm even composing and recording a nice little guitar melody for the video! I'll post it on my Facebook page soon!

W.O 365

Photo #362

The Japanese Maple tree on our balcony is finally waking up...

*I really like our camera's macro focus setting!

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Photo #361

I can't believe a month ago today my wife and I were strolling around downtown Puerto Vallarta and checking out the sculptures along the waterfront. Where does the time go?

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Photo # 360

The M.V. Coho, a car & passenger ferry that's been sailing between Victoria, BC and Port Angeles, WA almost every day for over 50 years. Someday I'd like to go for the trip...

On a quiet day this ship's distinctive horn (3 blasts: one long, two short) can be heard from several kilometers away. It's one of my favorite sounds!

W.O 365

Photo #359

Thank goodness it's Friday! Now that I'm back to work full time, that phrase has meaning again! I've had a busy week doing prep work on the exterior of the old CPR Steamship Terminal building. Here are a few photos to give you a glimpse into any given day at work for me...

My "office". Four storeys of scaffolding along the front of the building which is also wrapped in tarps to minimize dust and paint chips falling onto the street below.

Chipping the old paint off the decorative concrete mouldings is not unlike peeling the shell off a hard boiled egg. A little tap with my knife and peel off the flakes. We're not going to completely strip them. We only want to remove the loose paint and prep the bare concrete for painting, repairing where needed.

This is one of several faces found on each corner of the building. I'm not sure if it's Poseidon or Neptune. This one has been prepped and primed  by my coworkers and is ready for painting.

And finally, here's what the interior currently looks like. We're not painting in here, but I just wanted to give you a look.

 

In spite of the daunting amount of work that needs to be done, I kind of like being able to say I've had a hand in restoring a Victoria landmark.

W.O 365

Photo #358

I spotted these little house sparrows jumping around my workplace when I was returning from my lunch break. There are a bunch of them around the jobsite and they're really no bother at all, at least not to me....

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Photo #357

Victoria's Inner Harbour this morning, as seen from my workplace, with the sun coming up behind me. I added the sepia effect just for fun...

And a bonus photo without the effect...

I couldn't decide which photo I liked more, so you get both.

W.O 365

Photo #356

Tremolo...

For my fellow guitar nerds: Most, like 99.9 percent, of the time I don't use the tremolo bar when I play because I naturally just bend the strings and add vibrato with my fingers. I normally remove the bar and keep it in a basket on my shelf. Last night I was inspired to reattach the bar just for something different. I keep the springs under the bridge pretty tight, so that I only add a little "shimmer". I can't do the heavy metal dive bombs and I don't want to.

I had the idea to show the guitar from a cool angle, but taking the photo was a little awkward. I was holding the camera in my left hand up against the guitar's body and couldn't see the little screen so I just clicked the shutter a few times and hoped for the best. This was the best one.

W.O 365

Photo #355

Being a painter and not having a car can be a bit of a hassle sometimes. Like with any trade, sometimes there can be a lot of tools or safety gear (and let's not forget my lunch) that I may have to bring to a job site, depending on the scope of work. Thankfully Victoria is a small enough city to easily get around by bicycle, bus or on foot. Most of the time I can manage by carrying my most basic tools (brushes, knives, scrapers, etc) and my lunch in an average backpack, but sometimes I need a lot more. Rain gear, hardhat, safety vest, caulking gun, respirator, and so on. Thank goodness the company I work for brings the ladders and heavy equipment to the sites.

So, for those big jobs, I finally went out and bought a bigger bag...

It's actually a rolling duffel. A little handle slides up from the top so I can roll it along like airline luggage. Or, if I can't roll it, I can carry it horizontally like a regular duffel. I even got it on sale for 50% off! My coworkers bet I could carry a 5 gallon paint pail in this thing!

W.O 365

Photo #354

Spring starts today! Happy Vernal Equinox!

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Photo #353

The "Super Moon". March 19, 2011 just before 10:00pm in my time zone...

There were thin clouds over Victoria, so this is the clearest shot I could get.

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Photo #352

Mexican Navy base...

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Photo #351

Goldfish pond, somewhere in the Sierra Madres...

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Photo # 350

I'm not Irish, but this band is...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

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Photo #349

I normally don't read novels of this genre, but I've been seeing it on the shelves for a while and was curious. Some people have suggested it to me, and now there's even a movie, so I thought I'd finally give it a try. Of course I'm going to finish the book before seeing the movie.

Ninety eight pages in, and I actually like it so far. Even if I'm not all that familiar with some of the legal dialogue, I still get the plot and the characters. What's really funny is that one of the people who recommended the book said it made it "easier to read if you imagine the lead character as Matthew McConaughey". It does help...

W.O 365

Photo #348

Two job sites in one photo. The blue building on the far left is Orchard House, where I worked last year. The sandstone coloured building on the right with the Roman style columns is the old Canadian Pacific Steamship building, more recently known as the Wax Museum, where I'll start working on Tuesday. In the middle is BC's Legislature building. I haven't worked there. I'm not sure any work gets done there. *ahem*

Photo taken by me in 2007. It's the only one I have that clearly shows the Wax Museum.

W.O 365

Photo #347

As my lovely wife Megan was dicing some bar-be-qued chicken for supper tonight, Merlin was right there to ask for a handout...

Sorry, Merlin. The chicken was for our salad, not for you.
W.O 365

Photo #346

Sailfish carving. We bought it from an artist in Mexico. I think it looks pretty good up on our mantle...

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Photo #345

Here's a leftover photo from our trip to Puerto Vallarta. The circus was in town that week...

We weren't interested. The rides looked even more dangerous than they are here in Canada!

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Photo #344

Late post tonight. I've come down with a bit of a cold and I've been off all day. I figured I should post my photo of the day before this NeoCitran takes...

Zzz....

The bottom of the cup asks: Which one are you?

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Photo #343

Watching Survivor with Megan, a little tradition of ours. It was nice to finally see this guy go home for good...(Sorry to anyone who is a fan, but we are not.)...

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Photo #342

El Toro! Megan picked him up in Mexico and for now he stands on our coffee table until we can find a better home for him. I realize the cool perspective doesn't offer a size reference, so I'll tell you he stands 4 inches tall at the shoulder and is 8 inches long from the tip of his horns to the end of his tail. I'm not sure if he's marble or just granite, but he's heavy. Like a bull.

W.O 365

Photo #341

Mahi-mahi fish with garlic potatoes (under the garnish), rice, and tender vegetables. I don't remember what the sauce was, but it tasted pretty good...

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Photo # 340

The Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Personal views aside, I've always found antique religious architecture to be very fascinating...

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Photo #339

Flying home...

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Photo #338

Our last day at the resort...

Just one last Cerveza...

Second photo taken by Megan.

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Photo #337

On our second to last day, Megan and I went on a great 6 hour cruise aboard a very nice 47 foot sail boat. It was my first time actually sailing and I loved it! The crew even asked if anyone would like a turn at the wheel driving the boat and of course I jumped at the chance. After a few pointers from the captain, he left me to it for almost an hour and a half! I must have done a good job because I got a round of applause from the passengers and was dubbed the new "El Capitan" by the crew! What an amazing experience!

W.O 365

Photo #336

There was no shortage of entertainment provided by the resort staff. Every night there would be something different going on either in the lobby or out on the beach. The dancers were a big hit with the kids...

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Photo #335

An agave plantation up in the Western Sierra Madre mountains. The root base of  those spiky plants is what tequila is made from...



Later that day we stopped at a distillery for a few samples. I had 5 different flavored shots back to back!

W.O 365