Mid-April seems to be the best time to plant–earlier, and frost is still possible, much later, and there is a chance the rains will stop. It could easily be 95 or hotter by the first weekend in May, which would fry tender, young plants. Some plants are real troopers. AngeloniasContinue Reading
About two years ago, I spied what looked to be a nearly mint black SR-T 101 in a large eBay lot of four lenses, three books, an SR-T SC-II, and a pack of SR-T spare parts. Hoping to fulfill my dream of owning a black 101, I wrote to theContinue Reading
Violets and creeping Jenny do not understand the concept of boundaries. Unfortunately, they both have beautiful colors and decorative leaves. As best I can tell, the violets that plague me came from next door 10 years ago or further back. They used to grow in my neighbor’s yard in patchesContinue Reading
After a nearly eight-month pause, I’m finally getting back to art. Surprisingly, my drawing and painting skills improved during that time! If I had to give a reason for the improvement, I would say it is due to improved concentration leading to better observations. Drawing people has always been aContinue Reading
It has taken three years—THREE YEARS! After waiting, not so patiently, for three years, I finally managed to get a shot of a goldfinch munching away on coneflowers seeds. Goldfinches are tiny birds, maybe three inches from beak to tail. They are also very skittish. Sometimes they come inContinue Reading
The Minolta AF 35-105mm f3.5-4.5 is an oddity. It is widely touted for its sharpness and has an overall rating of 4.64/5 (sharpness, 4.78) on Dyxum, with the main ding against it being relatively poor flare control. I have seen it mentioned glowingly many times in forums. Yet somehow, IContinue Reading
Every January, I have had to get my Georgia license plates renewed. It has been an annual ritual that ticks off a year of living. An emission inspection is part of that process. This year, my car failed. That failure was not altogether unexpected, as my car is (was) aContinue Reading
As a Minolta fan, it is always heartwarming to read about the former days. Whether those days include innovations and breakthroughs or missteps and dead-ends, the stories are compelling. Unfortunately, many of these tidbits are found in old magazines and forums but rarely in some organized collection. Most books aboutContinue Reading
Back in the days when Tower Records was the place to shop for music, I used to spend at least two afternoons each month browsing the jazz section for new releases. I had long since learned that jazz critics and I did not hear the same thing on recordings, so reading magazinesContinue Reading
I did not expect much from the Minolta A. I bought it because, having decided to try Minolta rangefinders, I figured why not start with the first member of the modern 35mm fixed-lens line. The Minolta A is the oldest child in the family of cameras that ended in theContinue Reading
