So, I'm working on a project at work that requires me to look at lots and lots of Twitter accounts. Most are boring, some are less so.

I came across this one and I thought it was really great. It apparently comes from the song "Going Back to Georgia."

Judy and SnapShooter at home

Texas. The Lone Star State. The 28th state. The second largest state. Meaning friends or allies in Caddo, Texas is 268,820 square miles and contains 24.7 million residents with 24.7 million stories. This is the story of 2 of those residents: Judy and SnapShooter.

I caught up with the couple one sunny afternoon while passing through the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. SnapShooter suggested we meet in the park behind their home between the saber tooth tiger and the wooly mammoth. Fortunately, Judy overruled this idea, and instead we met at The Museum, their cozy home, which they built 38 years ago. It's tastefully decorated with all sorts of curios. They still have their 30-year old refrigerator hanging around. I saw an ancient radio (that's the original way to receive information wirelessly for you kids—and no, it doesn't have a touch screen, it has a dial you have to turn, and it used tubes instead of microchips) that belonged to SnapShooter's grandmother. All around are all sorts of trains ranging from G to O and an N or two in-between. Sitting on the side table next to the chair I'm sitting in is an old buggy lantern. It's glowing faintly, and I can't really tell if it's the way the sun is hitting the lens or if there is a candle or bulb inside. The kitchen door is propped open with an old cordless iron. I wonder if they heat it on the Harvest Gold stove they still have.

We've been talking for about an hour, mostly about trains, photography, and Aunt Millie's button up shoes, which sit in the corner near the stairs. It was a nice relaxing afternoon, the kind that you enjoy because when it's all over you look back and feel that it's lasted hours longer than it really has. It felt like it must have when the Jews fought the Amorites and Joshua stopped the sun from moving across the sky. I learned a lot about this photographing couple.


JC: Let's start with the basics: what does your username mean?

J: um…
SS: I take really great snapshots.

JC: What 5 words would you use to describe yourself?

SS: Only one…Perfect!
J: Happy, positive, married to Perfect!

JC: What was the first camera you owned?

SS: I honestly can't remember. It was most likely a Brownie.
J: I believe that that is true for me as well.

JC: What do you shoot with?

J: I have 2 Canons: a 1D Mark II and a G10.
SS: A Colt SAA and a Winchester Lever. Oh, and 2 Canons: a 5DII and a 1DIII, and an Olympus PL1.

JC: And what would your dream kit look like?

SS: A camera that will do my thinking for me!
J: A Canon 5D Mark II and Olympus PL1

JC: How did you become interested in photography?

SS: My mother was interested in photography, and I guess I inherited it from her.
J: Are you kidding? I'm married to SnapShooter! Seriously, I've always enjoyed taking what I've always considered to be snapshots…until 3 years ago anyway. One morning after we had a little rain shower, I took my Sony P&S out of my purse and took some close-ups of my roses. Then I emailed them to our daughter. I quickly received a reply saying, "Mom these are as good as Dad's!" Well, after I picked myself up off the floor I took another look at them. They sure didn't look like anything I had ever taken before! Thus The Father's Creations was born!

JC: Ok, let's move on and really try to get to know the real Judy and SnapShooter. Tell us, how did you meet each other?

SS: At McCrory’s five and dime. Judy was working there when I was transferred there from Allentown, PA.
J: Mother always told him that he had found his million dollar baby in a 5 & 10 cent store!

JC: I'm sure that it was love at first sight. So, Judy, how did he propose?

SS: HE?
J: Actually he didn't. We just talked. Actually, SnapShooter says that I talked and talked about getting married. But I think we knew we were going to do it.

JC: That's very sweet. Sort of like me and my wife. We sort of knew after our first date. So, SnapShooter, you said that you transferred from PA. Where are you originally from?

SS: I was born in Dennison, Ohio, but I was raised in Huntington W.Va.

JC: And Judy, do you hail from somewhere other than here.

J: I am a born and raised Native Texan! I was born in Dallas, but Ft. Worth has been home since I was 7 years old.

JC: Getting back to photography for a moment, what's the dumbest thing you've ever done to get the perfect shot?

SS: I have no idea! I’m dumb 24/7. Can’t help myself! :)
J: I guess I'm still waiting for that perfect shot!

JC: What's your favorite stuff to take pics of?

J: Nature, Nature, Nature!
SS: Aside from my grandkids, about anything with a motor (lawn equipment excluded).

JC: So, SnapShooter, I'm always curious how people find their hobbies. How did you get into trains?

SS: When I was 3, my Dad bought us an O gauge model of the Burlington Zephyr by American Flyer. I actually still have it around here somewhere…

JC: Do you consider yourself a trainspotter?

SS: Heck NO!

JC: OK, great. I feel like we're really getting to know you, but I think a great way to get to know people is through word association. So, when I say, "Spring," you say…

SS: Forward

JC: Happy

J: Always

JC: Book

SS: Read

JC: Computer

J: Mac

JC: Smoke box

SS: Steam locomotive

JC: Camera

J: Canon

JC: Bob

SS: Who?

JC: Texas

SS and J: [at the same time] Paradise. Heaven on Earth

JC: Great. I think that was pretty insightful. So, Judy, tell us a little more about The Father's Creations.

J: The Father's Creations is the name of my photography business. Nature is God's canvas for His masterpiece! I have always loved nature…trees, flowers, clouds, water, mountains, green grass, butterflies, etc, etc…and as I grew so did my love for nature! Thus The Father's Creations. I take photographs of nature, add scriptures or inspirational messages, and frame them for sale. These are beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces that make lovely gifts or additions to your home or office.

JC: Who would you say your greatest hero is?

J: Actually, I would say SnapShooter is! He is kind, loving (most of the time anyway) , generous, a hard worker, and a perfectionist in his work. He is a great father, adoring PawPa, loving husband, and my best friend. No, contrary to his belief, he is not perfect; but, he does get closer each year! He is a man of integrity and he really is humble (although you wouldn't know it from his answers!) I think he is a fantastic photographer, but he doesn't! I don't think that he really knows what great photos he takes.

JC: That's a very sweet thing to say about your husband. So, who has inspired you most in life?

SS: I guess I'd have to say it was my maternal grandmother.
J: My wonderful mother!

JC: How about your favorite book?

J: The Bible

JC: Car?

J: Rolls Royce
SS: Morgan

JC: Movie?

SS: Any old B grade western.
J: The Sound of Music

JC: Sport?

SS: Motorsports.

JC: Sports team?

JC: Fruit?

J: Grapes and watermelon.
SS: Grapes.

JC: Color?

J: PINK…all shades!
SS: Red.

JC: Photographer?

SS: O. Winston Link. [If you're in the Roanoke, VA, area, check out the Link Museum.]

JC: Actor?

J: All good ones are dead.

JC: Aggies or Longhorns?

J: Longhorns…have to support my grandson's school!

JC: Pen or Pencil?

SS: Pen.
J: Pen.

JC: Facebook or Twitter?

SS: Facebook.
J: Facebook.

JC: Cigar or cigarettes?

SS: Gave that garbage up 45 years ago!
J: I quit for good 10 years ago!

JC: Hymns or Psalms?

J: Psalms.
SS: Hymns.

JC: What's your biggest pet peeve?

J: Snobs, hypocrites, rudeness, and definitely negativeness! They all actually go together as far as I'm concerned!
SS: People who can’t keep appointments! People who can't be on time!

JC: After photography, what's your next greatest hobby?

SS: Family. Then things that have motors (lawn equipment excluded).
J: My Granddarlings.

JC: If you had the opportunity to write a book, what would the title be?

J: Thru My Daddy's Eyes!

JC: What is your dream vacation?

J: To go all around Texas capturing the beauty in all the different areas of this great state.
SS: Tour the USA.

JC: What do you still most need to learn in photography?

SS: Composure…perhaps, but that isn’t terribly important to me.
J: Everything my camera does!

JC: If you could be a YPF admin for a day, what changes would you make?

SS: I think I'd make the “Edit” button on a member's own post last permanently and not disappear after a bit, as it does now!
J: Like SnapShooter said, the "Edit" button would always be available to use on your own post and also a 'delete' button in case you post the same thing twice!

JC: What words of wisdom do you have for newbie photogs?

J: Be yourself! Don't try to copy and imitate any other photographer. God made you unique! Look and see all the beauty in everything around you and capture it with your camera to share with others. I like vivid, vibrant colors and my work shows it. Some think it is too saturated, but I like it and it's my style. That is the way I see the world! Trust your eye and what you see through your viewfinder and how you see it. Be yourself and trust your instincts. We all can look at the same thing and see it differently. I am not a "technical" photographer, I like a photo that tells a story to those who see it. I want others to get some kind of 'feeling' from my work. My prayer everyday is, "Lord, please let me see the beauty around me that You created through Your eyes." And He does!
SS: Do your own thing, and don’t try to mimic someone else’s style.

JC: And finally, what insight into life can you offer anyone who's willing to listen?

SS: You are unique. So be yourself. And don’t concern yourself about what you think you are or aren’t.
J: Life is all about choices. It is our choice what we make of it! Do you see the glass ½ full or ½ empty? We can choose to be happy or miserable. We can choose to be positive or negative. We can choose to love or be indifferent. When we choose happiness, love, positiveness, optimism and hope, we will have a full life and be able to bring sunshine into others' lives. The words you choose to speak are what brings things to pass in your life, so speak words of hope, blessings, love and positive not negative words! And always have lots of laughter in your life. Laughter truly is the best medicine, and it so easy to share. Don't judge others; you don't know where they are coming from or what is going on in their lives. Just love them. God says we are to love others, but He didn't say we had to like them or their ways. Just think…a smile doesn't cost you anything, but it is the easiest thing to share and you can brighten someone's day in one quick moment. When you share smiles you reap a healthy harvest of sunshine.


With that final, positive note, I closed my notebook and switched off my recorder. I gave a good long stretch, just as Serena, their cat, did. Unfortunately, I accidently kicked Saydee, the dog, or was that Bitsie…they all sort of look the same to me. I got up, shook hands with my gracious hosts, and walked to the door. I noticed that Dolly, yet another dog—or was that Dudley? Seriously, they really do all look the same to me—was following, trotting along in that dog sort of way. As I got into my car, I turned and waved goodbye to Judy and SnapShooter. It was a good day, and I couldn't believe that the sun was already sitting low on the horizon, casting long, lazy shadows on the streets. I felt good. I got to meet more members of the YPF family, and they were good people.

If you believe that God has a plan and everything has a purpose and reason, you should be worried. If you worship at the altar of Minerva and are positive that there is a scientific rationale for everything in the universe, you should be equally worried.

What is the issue that appears to be of concern equally to all? Crude Oil. The funny thing about both of these camps is that they both believe that everything on (and in) this tiny planet of ours is here for a reason. Those who subscribe to the idea that an omnipotent deity built the universe to very precise specifications, and that nothing was created just because, must believe that God placed oil beneath the surface for a reason, even if we are not privy to it (and I am confident that it was not—as I'm sure that many Republican Christians would believe—so we, in the 21st century, could "drill, baby, drill"). Likewise, the science community, with its insistence that facts and data can explain anything, even if we don't have the data yet to answer certain questions, have to acknowledge that nature wouldn't spend millions of years patiently creating crude oil for no other reason than just because, even if huge oil-producing companies have them on their payroll.

So, if we can all agree that the crude oil we have become so dependent on was created for a reason (whether God made it or it’s a natural byproduct of the decomposition of organic material), what happens when it's all gone?

We really don't know why there is all this oil pooling just beneath the crust of our planet, do we? So, what if it's the grease in the machine we call Earth? Once we suck the last drop out of the crust, will the planet overheat from the friction and stop spinning? What if it's there to allow the continental plates to move smoothly? Will we have more earthquakes than we already have? What if gravity is a hoax, and it’s really the oily Ectoplasm that keeps us rooted to the Earth? Will we just float away?

The bottom line is that we need to recognize that just because we have found our own use for something doesn't mean that that is the use for it. Regardless on which side of the fence you stand (God v. Science), we can all agree that the crude oil in the ground was put there for a reason, and it seems that we really don't know what that reason was. I only hope for my child's sake, and the sake of her children, that the Earth can function without oil, and we won't come to find out that the crude oil in the soil is in fact the very lifeblood of Mother Earth.

I think the thing I hate most about having my own website(s) is the amount of spam that I get. I have spam guards in place, and they seem utterly useless against the onslaught of spam that I receive as comments on this site.

So, just to make things harder for those who want to post to my site, and for me who wants people to post, I now have it set that I have to moderate all comments.

That sucks!

I can't believe it!

At 4:34 this morning, little baby SoomSoom came into the world. She was 7 pounds and 19.75 inches. We got to the hospital at 4:00, and she just sort of popped out 34 minutes later.

Mozal Tov to me!!

This email is really just a test.  As I mentioned the other day, I have switched the blog over to Drupal, which I really like. One of the great things is that I can now blog from my email. That means that I don't need to log into Drupal in order to blog. I'm not 100% sure how this will benefit me since ultimately, I need an internet connection to email, which means that I should also have access to Drupal.

Nevertheless, it's quite cool that I can do such things, and hopefully, that means that I will be able to blog more frequently. I know that I have said this before, and perhaps I might mean it this time.

We shall see.

I really like WordPress. I think it's great blogging software. However, I have discovered Drupal, and I've really fallen in love with it. It's not an easy program for someone like me who has limited knowledge of computer stuff. But I think that's what makes it so much fun for me. I like the challenge of trying to figure it all out.

There are several other benefits to Drupal over WordPress, and I decided to switch the site over. It took longer than I anticipated because I moved everything by hand. Drupal has a module (a plug-in for the WordPress fans out there) that will move data from WordPress to Drupal, but I felt that I really wanted to do it by hand to ensure that I was able to mitigate as many issues as possible. As I mentioned, I'm no expert, so there may well be a bunch on the site. Please, PLEASE, let me know if you see any.

Right now, the biggest one is that I can't get the comment, "The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly," to appear under the email field in the comments section. If you know how to do it, please let me know.

Also, while I was changing the platform I'm running the blog on, I figured it was time to change the template as well. Again, if there are any issues with the design, please let me know that as well.

Thanks,

The Management

After being in my now old position for a whopping 4½ months, the big boss called me into his office and offered me a job on the other side of the office. Now, I was very excited to get my now old position; however, I feel very strongly that when the big boss offers you an opportunity, it's bad form to turn it down.

So, as of today, I am now a public affairs officer. That's pretty darn cool, but I'm pretty scared that I have them all fooled and they're going to realize that I don't know shit about what I'm doing. Oh, well. At least it will be an adventure.

The nice thing about adding the WordPress app to my Blackberry (again) is that I can now post blog entries from anywhere.

Case in point--I'm currently on Merritt Island in central Florida. I am sitting in a sports bar, being served by a young, mildly attractive waitress who is trying too hard to be flirty in the hopes of receiving a better tip (alas, so far, it's not working). I am writing this post as I sit in the booth sipping my water with lemon. This is very cool for all (2) of my faithful readers.

Yet, I feel that I should be waiting for the other foot to fall. I mean, certainly there must be a "but" to this, a downside. Perhaps it's that even with this great technology, I am sure that this will be a short-lived endeavor, and I will only post regularly for the brief moment that this ability to blog anywhere is novel.

Oh, well. We shall see. Stay tuned!

crap [krap] noun: The stuff you wrote in junior and high school that you thought was really good poetry, only to read it years later and see it for what it is.