Tag: postaday

Dietz Lantern

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO800
 “Dietz Lantern” Cedar Park, 2021

Behold! Our new lantern arrived! It’s an old-fashioned hurricane lantern that uses lamp oil as fuel. I have LED lanterns/lights, a propane lantern, but have never owned an oil lamp/lantern before. This particular model is a Dietz #30 “Little Wizard”, and I love it.

Oil lanterns work similarly to candles, with a wick (this lantern has a 5/8″ wide cloth wick) and fuel (wax for the candle, lamp oil for the lantern). The light output of the lantern is not nearly as bright as a propane or LED lantern but the light from the flame is much nicer and more soothing. It’s actually perfect for keeping on the picnic table since it adds so much ambience, can illuminate the table adequately, and is absolutely silent. In addition, if you use citronella oil, it can keep the mosquitos away.

There are plenty of videos out there describing the operation of oil lanterns, so check them out if you are curious. As for me, I’m hooked on these wonderful old lanterns and will definitely be bringing this “Little Wizard” on our next car camping trip to enhance the campsite.

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 20.5mm, f/3.2, 1/70 sec, ISO3200
 “Dietz Lantern” Cedar Park, 2021

Grill Mount for Hands-Free GoPro Footage

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“Rossa” Cedar Park, 2021

This afternoon Rossa and I went out for a ride and I used the Pro Standard Grill Mount 2.0 which is something that a couple YouTubers I follow use. It’s basically a mount that you bite down on and the GoPro is situated in front of your chin. This allows you to control the viewing angle similar to a helmet mount – the frame of view matches the direction your face is pointing. The advantage over the helmet mount is that with the Grill Mount, you can quickly remove the mount and hand-hold the GoPro (the mount also acts as a nice handle). No need to unscrew the camera off of a standard mount, which can be a pain.

Of course there are a couple of cons. Firstly, since the camera is right next to your mouth, the GoPro’s built in microphone will pick up sounds of hard breathing. Secondly, I think it looks really strange. This is something I think I can just get used to, especially since on a bicycle, if someone does notice the GoPro, it’s only for a few seconds. No need for awkward eye-contact or conversation.

Do I think the Grill Mount is the ultimate solution? No, not for the videos I am making. But it’s definitely a nice addition to add some variety to the standard chest-mount view. And it’s already giving me more ideas and options to branch out on how I shoot my videos.

Please give today’s ride a watch below if you have a few minutes. Thanks!

Snapshot

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/3.6, 1/150 sec, ISO640
 “Snapshot” Cedar Park, 2021

Today’s photo is of the plant that we have in a small container. We were growing some edible flowers, but I think the container is too small so we never did see any blooms. But several months of watching them grow has been enjoyable nonetheless. Next spring I’ll try planting the seeds in a larger container on the patio to see if it produces any blooms. Something to look forward too! 🌻

Birthday Run and Katsu Curry Dinner

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Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/1900 sec, ISO32
 “Critter Tracks” Cedar Park, 2021

Today happens to be my birthday, and to celebrate, I took the day off from work. 😄 So with time on my hands, I was wondering what to do… maybe go for a ride on my motorcycle? Maybe go for a long bicycle ride? But after all, I decided to go running. I’ve discovered that I really love it!

I ended up running on Brushy Creek Regional Trail and I felt so good that I completed my half-marathon challenge on Strava. It’s a really good feeling to know that at 53, I can still increase my distances and get stronger. I hope I can stay healthy for a good long time!

I admit that part of my motivation for running so far today was because I knew that I was going to feast on pork katsu curry for dinner. Normally I request oyakodon for my birthday dinner but I’ve been craving curry for a while now!

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/2.8, 1/40 sec, ISO800
 “Katsu Curry” Cedar Park, 2021

All in all, I had a very nice birthday. I’m looking forward to my next year!

Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 2.71mm, f/2.2, 1/900 sec, ISO25
 “Let’s Run” Cedar Park, 2021