I caught the sun at just the right time this morning, sun makes all of the difference to me.
7 February
Grazing, Feeding
by Jon Katz
Bedlam Farm Blog Journal by Jon Katz
7 February
Free New Lens Art Show, Day Two. Trying Different Things
by Jon Katz
This morning, a rising sun gave me a chance to learn what the new lens, a Leica 100-400, does well and how I can learn how to use it. The only way to do that is to take different kinds of pictures. I like it a lot. Every different offers me a new way to see the world, and in a week or so, I’ll have my first new lens lesson with my Leica friends in Boston.
All but one of these photos were taken with my new lens; the three dogs were photographed with an iPhone 15 Pro Max. The lens allows me to get far enough away from the animals so that they don’t notice me. I like the softness and detail in te pictures, it’s rich and beautiful. I’ll keep experimenting.
Come and see: above a Tulip in a vase, inside. Off to pick up my weekly multi-seed bread from Covered Bridge Bread Co., then to the post office to pick up mail.
Fate doing her beautiful outrun.
Maria cleans out the pole barn every morning; I am drawn to her shadows.
A very old bucket from the old Budlam Farm. Note the soft background.
Morning sun in St. Joseph’s garden
Two donkeys. The photo is closer than ever with the new lens, but I am farther back than ever. This keeps animals calm and still.
The greats committee awaited me as I came out of the shower.
7 February
One For The Rodents: Our Kitchen Stove Has To Go
by Jon Katz
Score one for the rats and mice. We have to get rid of a simple but very effective stove. We’re getting one ($1,000) next week, and Tim Parisi will pick it up and bring it to the farm to get rid of the old one.
Rodents were texting in the stove’s insulation; there was a dread urine smell whenever we turned it out, and nothing would remove it. The new stove comes next Wednesday. Goodbye, white stive. The new one is black and white.
The rains have disrupted the rats and mice, slipping into homes in droves to get dry and find something to eat. Climate change was something we viewed from afar. Now all we have to do is look out the window or use the bathroom. I’m thinking of you, California people, and Texas people.
7 February
Good Morning, It’s Zip Waiting To Meet Me
by Jon Katz
It’s different now. Every morning, when I wake up and come downstairs, I look out the living room window, and a small black and white cat is waiting for me, sometimes quietly, sometimes impatiently, sometimes curiously. Zinnia is usually at my side and looks out the window. So I will start doing a Good Morning, Sip photo on the days he is out there waiting for me.
When I get dressed (or throw on a bathrobe), I come out, and we spend a few minutes together, depending on how cold I am. (Tomorrow, it will be in the 50s.) Then Zip dashes off to the woods or the march to catch something.
I’ve never had a cat who did that before. I like it. It changes the whole texture of the morning. Zip is the most photogenic animal I’ve ever had.
6 February
Color And Light, Thursday, January 28, 2024, As Promised
by Jon Katz
I’m grateful for these flower photos; as I imagined, they helped to brighten the dark days and sustain the millions of people who lost their gardens this year to drought, fire, and rain. I’ll keep it coming until the flowers here bloom, then we’ll put up a whole new batch. Stay warm and dry. Thanks for the nice comments on my new lens photos. I’ve got some learning to do.
