Pool View, Aruba

Here in Aruba there are several different kinds of views. You can have a sea view, a countryside view, even a city view. Well, I posted several times about a particular home that was under construction in an area in the middle of the island known as San Fuego. The house is now finished and occupied. The owners have a pool with a beautiful view out over the cunucu as the countryside is known in Aruba. Using the panorama function on that spiffy camera of mine, you can see it’s for real. (As mentioned, just click on the photo to open it in a larger window for the full width.)

That’s an incredible location, no? Absolutely. The good news is, there are a few lots in that area for sale with similar opportunities for spectacular vistas. If that’s your kind of Caribbean living, I suggest you wing to Aruba and plunk down some cash. In a year, you could be lounging by a pool like this, sipping a cool beverage with a dozen of your closest friends. And those friends won’t be in a hurry to leave, either.

Bon dia.

Published in: on November 9, 2010 at 7:32 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Charlie’s in Panorama

Still messing about with that panorama function on the new camera. I arrived in Aruba at 1:40 and at Charlie’s Bar at 1:57. Good timing. I took out the little Sony digital device and snapped a pan before the imbibing commenced. That’s my friend and bartender, Cor, in the center of the photo. You have to click on the photo to open it in another window that will show you the entire span.

Things got a little blurry in the middle. Not the fault of the camera. That was me trying to take the picture and tilt the glass at the same time. Either way, came out quite nice. I’ll be shooting lots of these panoramas in Aruba over the next several weeks. I want to document some locations. Many things have changed on the island since I started coming here about 16 years ago. It’s nice to have a record of what was.

Bon dia.

Published in: on November 4, 2010 at 9:37 am  Comments (1)  
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Plane Panorama

Today was the day to test out the new little digital camera. It’s been about 4 years since I bought a new camera. Plenty has changed and improved. This time I decided to go with the Sony DSC-TX9. This is a fine device. Uploading photos to my Mac is a little different than before. But it works. So, I went out to my friendly neighborhood airport to test the panorama function. You simply press the shutter button and turn to the right. The camera automatically takes the photos and assembles them into a finished piece. Take a look by clicking on the photo to open it in a separate window which will give you the entire sweep.

This was a challenging test because of the low angle of the sun, the different light levels, and the subject matter. You see a little bit of lens flare on the right of the frame. This is not the camera’s fault. In fact, it dealt with it very well, exposing for the bright sun and somehow still capturing the details in that last plane. In a word: impressive. I would recommend this camera for all your general photo needs. It’s barely the size of a deck of cards. With a single SD card you can shoot about 500 photos. The battery is easy to slip in and out for recharge. Not bad for one low price. Enjoy the sights.

Published in: on October 31, 2010 at 10:41 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Jim Croce’s songs

Remember when music was intelligible? When you could understand the lyrics? When the music was produced by people playing instruments as opposed to computers regurgitating digital samples of who knows what? Whether you remember or not, may I suggest thumbing through some old vinyl or surfing down through the download device of your choice to Mr. Jim Croce.

Croce was a guy with talent for the ironic. You’ve heard his songs in all manner of venues, but take a moment to listen to them on their own. Maybe in your car or sitting on the porch with a nice cocktail. One of my favorites is “Two Less Footsteps.” The man gets it spot on here. The song tells its story, moves along like an ambling freight train, delivering a wry smile and clever grin before it’s over.

I’m not sure who produces this kind of music today. Maybe no one. At least, not in English. (In Spanish I can recommend Julietta Venegas for one.) Too much doom and gloom. Too much bass, not enough skill, and precious little irony or finesse. Your suggestions to rectify the hole in my present music library would be much appreciated.

Published in: on October 30, 2010 at 3:13 pm  Leave a Comment  
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