Tag Archives: Sunset

Jul3

Yeah, I bought a drone. It was bound to happen.

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Weeks around 21-May-2023


Yeah, okay.

I finally bit the bullet and bought a drone.

Kind of impressive that it took me this long, if you think about it. I mean… my work at Insitu was on full-scale UAVs, but they were still drones, at the end of the day, right? Our CTO did his PhD on the aerodynamic equations around quadcopters, leading to the tech that balances those little toys you see at a gas station, for Pete’s sake!

How have I survived this long without one??



Well…

It’s pretty easy, actually. See, the first step is to not buy a drone. Then… just don’t do anything.

It’s literally the easiest option, and it’s the default setting! Doesn’t require any effort at all, in fact!


But still. Engineer in aerospace. So I finally bought one.

This one is the Autel Nano+, a small little quad copter with a fairly nice camera, some good autopilot options, and decidedly existent collision detection software. It’s small, it’s light, and it’s absolutely not a professional-grade piece of equipment. It’s actually a gram or two too light to count for FAA Part 107 classification. Which is fancy terminology to say that I don’t have to take a class to fly it, nor do I have to register it. Simple, light… I like it.

I’m still getting used to it, I freely admit. Which, I also freely admit, involves repairing it on more than one occasion. Sometimes with help from engineer friends.

But hey – repaired rotor spars build character, right? Right. Please tell me I’m right.


With all that in mind – sit back, relax, and enjoy the trial photography!

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Oct23

Chasing Zen in the Desert

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Sunday, 25-Sept-2022


As I finished my walk out from Elk Meadows, I pondered what to do next with my weekend. I could drive back, relax at my apartment, maybe play some video games… but I didn’t quite want to go home just yet.

“You don’t have to go home,
but you can’t
stay
here”

I tossed my pack into the trunk, put the top down, and drove South.

There aren’t braided backroads in Oregon like there are in New England. I can’t quite drive country roads to get back to the city… but I could drive slightly different highways through completely different biomes. Which is exactly what I did.

The alpine country gave way to temperate forests, which in turn gave way to scrubland, which finally ceded its place to the high desert.

I kept the top down as the day got colder, embracing the chill and appreciating the changing seasons. I felt the warm desert wind, then felt the cold desert air.

I stopped for dinner at a spot I’d been to a few times, while exploring around the Bend area, and gorged on some delicious enchiladas while rehydrating myself from the dry air.

I can’t say that I found zen, out in that slightly longer drive home through the desert… but I can absolutely say that I chased it for a ways. And sometimes the pursuit of a goal is the worthier part.



Mar22

A brunch, A hike, and an excellent Saturday

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06-Mar-2022


Since I went to the mountain the day before, clearly I would be going to the coast today, right?

Right. Clearly, the only option!



The day started out deliciously – meeting a friend for brunch at Pine State Biscuits. I’d be starting a series of early-morning hikes soon enough, so I was absolutely relishing the chance to sit down and have a nice slow social morning… the excellent biscuits and fried chicken were just icing on the cake!

After brunch we headed West, toward the land of infinite sand.

Just like a hike, there isn’t really much to talk about for a beach walk. I mean… we walked. On the beach. At one point we stopped to make sandwiches, and at a point a little bit later we turned around and started walking back. We watched the sunset, got ice cream, and then headed back to the car.

The story, as they say, is in the pictures.

(Ed Note: Do they really say that? I don’t know… I think Ben’s making things up again. But that’s fine, because pictures.)



The day wasn’t over though, and didn’t finish with the setting Sun.

While driving home, a question was asked. “Have you stargazed recently?”

We thought, and I realized something. It’s been ages since I’ve stargazed, and… as loath as I am to admit it… I’ve never laid out on the hood of a car and stared into the cosmos.

Clearly, an unacceptable state of affair. And thankfully, one easily remedied by a quick exit from the main road followed by a quick search of the car’s maps for a spot by a river, and finished up with a blanket on the cooling hood of the car.


An excellent day.