Happy New Year, 2026

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I might have posted this before. I cannot recall. But I was looking for an image to post to Vero a few days ago and found this one. It was made with a Lumix G3 that I had a few years ago and I think a Wollensak 25mm f/1.9 8mm cine lens. Captured with DMC-G3, 2017-11-17 14:01:14, 1/1300sec, ISO-160.

Here it is, a new year. So, Happy New Year!

So, now what? The changeover of the calendar year is something of an event, even if it is just another day. We place a great deal of significance on the ticking over of a year counter. This has been the way, or a way, for a long time… certainly longer than my time.

I do not think this is a bad thing. I think there are good reasons to stop, pause the daily regimen, and reflect on a week, a month, or a year and determine if a course change is needed. It is an opportunity to make an assessment1. I use this time every year to start a new Bullet Journal (my adopted approach to managing my calendar and my projects) and think about the year past, my goals, my accomplishments (or lack thereof), and my intentions for the next year.

There were things I did not do enough of in 2025. These include my guitars and my radios. I found the demands of work and a substantial personal project to demanding to allow adequate time for either of those important hobbies. I did manage to make more photographs because I do that when out and about for other things. I particularly like to carry a camera when hiking with The Girl.

Two videos caught my attention (ahem) yesterday. One was by Rick Beato and is a practice regimen to rebuilding guitar skills. It will serve as a good practice for me, particularly with an electric guitar that is not so demanding of hand strength. I have this bookmarked os I can return to it.

The other was by Pal2Tech, a favorite photographic channel. His encouragement is to make specific efforts to eliminate the pressure of social media on photographic choices and refocus on developing one’s own vision and skills. I like what he says.

I already started reducing the potential impact of social media (which I often call antisocial media) on my life. I have only two outlets that I regularly use — Vero (no algorithm; only see what one signs up to see) and YouTube (beware the algorithm as it induces doomscrolling).

I really enjoy, and am inspired by, some of the photographers I follow on Vero. It is what Instagram was when I first discovered it. Then FB bought it, promised no changes, and turned it into a monster a couple years later.

For YT, I follow a few musicians, a few photography channels, and fewer entertainment channels. The trap is the algorithm, that constantly monitors what I watch and then offers me related videos at the end of each. This is a serious trap and what caused me to abandon IG. So, I will have to be careful, very careful.

The page after the Future Log in my new Bullet Journal is labelled Intentions. I am borrowing from Ryder Carroll’s palette and abandoning Goals for Intentions. I will be working on those, my Future Log, and my January Calendar/Log today. I think that the Intentions page will take some time to fill in. But, I will start with a couple of statements about what i want to be by the end of 2026 and see how that works for me.

My Bullet Journaling approach is still developing. I can see how it has changed over the years as I learn more about what works for me. I think that a few more changes are necessary to make it work better (for me). And, I am working through his book to see what other nuggets of wisdom he might have for me.

In the meantime, have a Happy New Year, figure out what is important and do that. Life is good.

1Hat time to the Legend of Old Gregg.

Ending 2025

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This is not a photograph of me. It is an AI interpretation of a part of a photograph of me. It is an imposter.

This year, 2025, has been a very strange year. The Artificial Intelligence craze hit early and caused me a lot of consternation. (Note: It still causes me a lot of same.)

It was at that time when M$FT started pushing Copilot, hard. It was also a time when the scraping of data, not necessarily public, by Big Tech also got my attention. It was enough impetus to much me toward making some changes to reduce my digital footprint.

That journey began a couple years ago with my reading of Cal Newsome’s Digital Minimization, which I wrote about before. It resulted in me abandoning Instagram and Twitter/X and looking to reduce my use of a mobile phone for other things besides being a phone. With the realization that Google, Apple, and M$FT were likely all scraping *my* data, I decided I want out to the extent physically possible.

I was already unhappy with paying a subscription for M$FT Office tools. I was not using any in-house browser, instead using Firefox to reduce my exposure. I decided that I want to go back to Linux as my main operating platform and then work out how to use required tools to get my work done.

I am still working on this. I do have a working Linux laptop I bought used as a test bed. Unfortunately, I was so busy with work that I did not make much progress on this important personal project. But, some progress was made.

I did buy a new Android phone and install GrapheneOS on it. The phone was much less expensive than an iPhone, much smaller (in size and memory), and I have substantially restricted what is installed on it. I need a smartphone for a few necessary apps, but I do not want to be attached to it for hours each day. The computer is bad enough.

I eschewed most social media. YouTube remains an issue as it is a source of both education (how to do things) and entertainment (favorite content creators). But, there are also channels there that I need to leave behind or restrict as time wasters and negative energy producers. I ended my Facebook account.

I had a call from a potential client/partner to compete for a project in Texas. They asked for a headshot. I do not really have one, so I grabbed a selfie and sent along one I made while hiking in the field. One of the team leaders told me “no problem, I will fix it with AI.” The header image is a result. This image is not me; it is a heavily edited version of an image of me and demonstrates some of what the tools can do. Those who know me will recognize it as a likeness, but will notice subtle differences that make it more of an interpretation than an actual image of yours truly.

I am not sure this is a good thing. And, I think that is enough to say.

Nonetheless, I remain grateful. The Girl and I love life and love being together. Life is good.

73 Jim, W6LG, and Godspeed

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A ham buddy of mine sent me the following link.

When I was first licensed, I found Jim, W6LG, while searching for videos about amateur radio on YouTube. I found him to be an excellent teacher. The best I could tell, he was solid in his understanding of the physics of radio. He also had a wealth of practical experience resulting from decades of experience in the amateur radio service.

He later revealed he was suffering from a serious illness. At first he did not go into details. But, more revealed as time passed. It did not sound good to me.

He went through a period where he got his knickers in a twist over an interaction with ARRL leadership and made it public on his YouTube channel. I can understand his frustration, but I did not think it wise to take it public. I took it upon myself to make some contact with ARRL leadership personally and some facts just did not line up.

Ultimately, it was his choice and I respect that, but I elected to stop following him because I have no patience for that kind of negativity and do not want that energy in *my* life.

His son (I believe) posted that Jim died a few days ago and that would be the end of his videos. They will remain on YouTube, but without new material his channel will pass in oblivion, not to be found unless someone has some pretty specific search terms or are specifically looking for Jim’s work.

This is a pity, because Jim’s videos are solid. Godspeed, Jim.

Christmas 2025

ruminator
Unlawful and illegal? Captured with X-T5, 2025-11-14 19:10:54, 55mm, 1/1800sec, f/4, ISO-250, in-camera Kodachrome film simulation, SOOC.

It is Christmas morning and we are quickly approaching the end of 2025.

I usually take some time during this part of the year to reflect both on the season and on the past year. I gave up on resolutions for the new year long ago, but do spend some time considering what I want to accomplish with the new year, provided God grants I live another year.

I am currently reading Ryder Carrol’s The Bullet Journal Method that documents his approach to the tool. It is a tool I have been using for about ten years. In looking through my previous years of bullet journals, I can see how I have developed my system to help me plan and capture items that are important to me. A month ago I came across his YouTube channel and decided it was time to look at a tune-up of my system. I want to see if there are some aspects of the process that I am missing and continue to develop the system to work best for me.

He eschews the use of goals and prefers to set intentions. Goals are task oriented and intentions are process oriented, which is an internal difference that is more focused on what I want to be rather than what I want to accomplish. That said, there are accomplishments that come from intentions. I think that the paths are slightly different, though.

In any event, as I prepare to configure my new bullet journal for 2026, I want to make a few changes that will make the tool more useful to me.

This part of the year is also a time when I reflect on family and remember Wife in particular. It is sometimes difficult to believe she died 12-years ago. That seems like a long time while simultaneously seeming like yesterday. Although I am generally happy and certainly grateful, I still miss that communal life we shared together.

She was afraid no one would remember her. I told her that was hogwash and then her friends and family stepped in to reinforce my statement with an outpouring of love and appreciation.

And then I remember why the season is important to me. I celebrate the birth of the Christ Child who would do God’s work of redemption. That work is never far from my mind, but it is particularly close during this season.

I watched A Christmas Story last night and was surprised to see that it is the work of Jean Shepherd. Shepherd was a writer and radio host for decades and his voice is unmistakable. He was also a ham radio operator and a number of his radio shows included references to radio. A Vero friend pointed me to him and I sometimes listen to recordings of his shows and laugh out loud.

Last night, while watching the movie, I laughed out loud. I noticed a few things in the story I had missed before. For me, this is one of the quintessential holiday movies. I rented it last night, neither Prime nor Netflix having it available for streaming as part of my subscription. I will buy a copy today and probably a few more of my favorite old Christmas movies to put into my library.

I also started It’s a Wonderful Life and got partway through before deciding it was time to hit the rack. I will finish it today, perhaps over my Christmas dinner. I think I will make a white chicken chili for my Christmas dinner this year. I considered doing a turkey breast or a ham, but decided that I have been so busy that I do not want to do a big meal. The weather is gray and wintry, so a soup or stew seems in order. Plus I will have plenty for a few more meals.

The image is from my return trip from the east. I spent the night at the Coronado campground in Bernalillo, New Mexico. As I walked The Girl through the park, I noticed this sign and wondered at the juxtaposition of words. They seem redundant to me.

Merry Christmas. I am grateful. Life is good. Now it is time to make another coffee.

The Utah Skyline

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While The Girl and I were hiking, I noticed the skyline. Captured with X-T5, 2025-10-16 16:47:04, 35mm, 1/640sec, f/8, ISO-250, in-camera Tri-X Film Simulation, SOOC.

Typically, we think of a skyline in terms of a city. However, while hiking The Girl near our campsite in Utah, I noticed this vista. With one eye on her, I made a few captures and like this one the most.

There are a few more frames from this overnight stop that are worth sharing. I will work through them over the remainder of the year.

The Sun set not long after I made this capture. By that time, we had completed our short hike and returned to the camper. I set about making some supper and taking care of my girl. Then I enjoyed my supper and a beer and we settled in for the night. I was tired and had a lot more miles to make before arriving in Missouri.

It was a good day. Life is good.

A Hint of a Hoodoo

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A hint of a Utah hoodoo, near my camp on my way east back in October. Captured with X-T5, 2025-10-16 16:46:39, 35mm, 1/1100sec, f/8, ISO-250, in-camera Tri-X film simulation, SOOC.

Back in October, I headed east to see Older Grandson married and to spend time with my children. My second night out, we pulled off I-70 to find a campsite for the night. About a half-mile off the highway there was a pullout on the trail. It made sense to reverse the rig to put the door on the trail side, so I did and spent the few minutes required to setup the camper.

Then I got The Girl out of the 4Runner, checked to see that the group of feral horses were far enough away to not be a significant temptation, and we started a short hike to look around. I learned that the trail was washed out by recent rains so the risk of nighttime traffic was low. I also found these rounded rock outcrops that made me think of Goblin State Park, which I visited another time a decade ago.

The hike done, I fed us and we settled in for the night. Both of us slept well.

It was a good trip, if exceptionally busy. I am so grateful for a safe trip and the time spent with my children. Life is good.

Straggler

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This capture is from a test roll with the Nikon FM2n and a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 lens, on Ilford XP-2. This is one of the few leaves left on this old willow tree.

A few weeks ago I carried the Nikon FM2n that sat on the shelf for several years. Long ago, my photographer connection, errr buddy, pushed this camera on me from his inventory. He indicated that it was a suitable object of lust for film photographers and I considered it a back up for some of my other film cameras.

Time moves on and I find myself connected to Nikon cameras at this point in my life. Well, connected to Nikon film cameras (and dSLRs). All of these use the ancient Nikon F-mount, so all of my legacy glass is useful.

I have not looked at any of the new Nikon Z cameras. I am so heavily invested in Fujifilm that I am not sure I want to change systems. I certainly do not want to buy a new set of lenses for what I do with my Fujifilm cameras.

But, I digress. While hiking with The Girl one afternoon, we crossed the Mexican Ditch at one of the irrigation structures (where we often cross) and I paused for a moment to see if anything caught my eye. I noticed this solitary willow leaf, clinging to the branches of a winter-sleeping willow. So I paused, checked the framing, adjusted the exposure to suit myself, and made the capture. I also made a few more captures, before we headed off to finish our hike and return home.

The negative scans were uploaded to the processor’s website last weekend. I am still working through them, looking for frames that recreate the emotion I felt when looking at the scene. This one will do for today.

I sure enjoy hiking with The Girl, as challenging as she can be. Sometimes I also find an interesting scene. I am grateful.

Life is good.

My Old Nemesis, Dormant

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My old nemesis, rabbit brush, long past its affect on my fall allergies. Captured with Nikon F3hp and Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 at f/4 or so on Kodak Ektar 100, way expired. Color correction in PhotoLab 7.

When it blooms in the Fall, rabbitbrush and its yellow flowers ignites my allergies. This year, like some before it, my body’s response was strong enough that even my eyes responded. And that was over my regular dose of antihistamine. I was forced to use a second drug to reinforce the first for a few weeks.

But now that we have had some cold weather, the blooms are turned a duller yellow and no longer produce the pollen that causes my body to react. And with the background in the shadow of my mountain, I like the contrast. So, while The Girl sniffed, I made a couple of captures on film.

We continued are walk along our normal path, or some semblance thereof. Once the risk of Nope Ropes is reduced, we often bushwhack part of our way through the sagebrush. I do keep a sharp eye open for other hikers and for coyotes. I do not want a negative encounter with another dog and she has no need to engage with another coyote.

It was certainly a good afternoon hike with The Girl. It was a good day. Life is good.

Test Shot with Nikon F3hp

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It might not look red in this capture, but the flaking red paint is there. Captured with the Nikon F3hp and a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 at either f/5.6 or f/8 on Kodak Ektar, then post-processed to black and white in PhotoLab 7.

Right after it arrived, I put a roll of (long expired) Kodak Ektar 100 in the F3 and set the ISO for 50 (one stop over exposed). The rule of thumb is that the colors will be off and the film less sensitive. So, I went with it.

I mounted a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 AIS to the body, put a strap on it, and The Girl and I headed out for a hike. The hike was good and I made a few captures along the way.

Over the next few days I continued working through that 36-exposure roll. When it was finished, there were a few frames left on the roll in the F2. So It was carried a couple more days.

In the end, I sent three rolls of film to The Darkroom for processing. The scans were posted Saturday, so I downloaded them and began my review. One roll from the Nikon FM2n, one from the F2, and one from the new-to-me F3. There are actually a few frames in the lot that are keepers.

I selected the frame above to illustrate the results. It is a conversion from the Ektar roll that was done in PhotoLab. I continue to learn that tool.

I simply prefer film. Digital is so much more convenient and the technology so much better. But the analog look is what I prefer.

I like my Nikons and the Nikkor glass. I definitely like photography. Right now, as busy with other stuff as I am, it gives me a few minutes of respite from work to do something creative.

I am grateful. Life is good.

This Old Camera

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The Nikon F3hp, a professional film camera introduced around 1980. I have not checked the serial number of my unit for date of production (yet).

I was tempted to write it followed me home, can I keep it? I recently read that the DE-3 finder used on the Nikon F3 has a lot more eye relief than the standard viewfinders. Given I wear eyeglasses, this is important to me and one of the things that causes me struggle to use the F2as in my inventory. So, I decided to buy the F3hp and try it.

My unit arrived about two weeks ago. I put an expired roll of Kodak Ektar 100 in it (like 10-years expired) and rated it ISO 50. I then proceeded to carry the camera for a couple of days on walkies with The Girl to test it. I finished the roll and sent it (and a couple more) to The Darkroom for processing. I received the digitized negatives Saturday. I will share some of those frames later.

The camera handles very well. With the electronically controlled shutter, it offers an aperture priority mode. That is my primary mode as it suits my preference for shooting style.

I am able to do well enough with a manual camera, making the shutter speed adjustment with the camera at my eye. This just makes it a lot easier.

This camera is a keeper, despite my love for mechanical cameras.

Life is good.