High School Track Flashback

On Thursday I had a chance to stop by the COSSA High School Track and Field meet held in Belleville at the Bruce Faulds Track to check out some of the action.

As a former track & field star (mostly in my own mind) I still like to revisit the atmosphere and excitement on the track and transport myself back to a time many moons ago when I was the one feeling nervous before stepping into the shot put or discus circle.

I stuck mainly to field events as a larger lad but truth be told, I was actually pretty quick for my advanced size. In fact, one year I took part in a relay carnival and was part of a relay team comprised solely of field athletes and we took a lot of teams by surprise with our speed and how well we ran. I was always good over short distances.

Kinda like a drag car but without the nitrous.

The rain held off and it was actually quite a nice day for the meet. I think I might have even burnt the top of my bald head a bit.

It's funny watching the kids though and realizing that even though the times have changed, what happens at a meet is still pretty much the same as when I was taking part in the 80's. The camaraderie and support among the athletes is still there.

There were a few subtle differences I noticed, mainly in the attire worn. For one thing, the use of spandex in both leggings and shorts is much more prominent. This obviously provides less wind resistance as you fly around the track. And judging by some of the conversations I overheard by some of the male participants, the girls are catching their eyes as well. Oh sure, they caught our eye back in my day as well but there was certainly a bit more left to the imagination. 

Another thing I noticed was the organization and technology being used. Obviously things are way more advanced some 30 years later and it shows. Three or four people as starters, more volunteers as marshals, people raking pits and measuring. I mean, we had some of that stuff back then but it wasn't to this extent. It was impressive to watch.

And they actually had a camera at the finish line to help determine winners in a close race.

There was no actual tape to break through as you crossed the line like we used to use. I don't know how often the camera was actually needed but it's kinda cool to have that at the officials disposal.

As usual I brought along my camera to try and capture some of the action. I enjoy shooting sports and rarely have any time to do it anymore it seems. So it was nice to put my rusty skills to the test again and I managed to come away with a few good shots and a sunburn so it was a good visit to the track I'd say.

My 2013 Christmas Wish List

I know the year's don't actually go by any faster but they sure seem that way as we get older. Such is the case this year as another holiday season looms upon us. The time of year when everyone seems more friendly and some of us tend to dream a little bigger.

This Christmas I've already received the best gifts I could have hoped for. Both of my parents are still around and in pretty good health overall. My brother, sister-in-law, nephew and niece are all doing well in the sunny south although it sure would be nice to see them more often.

For me personally the biggest gift I could have hoped for was actually having something taken away from me over the last year. That of course was my added weight and large frame. I'm still a big guy but being over 150 pounds lighter than I was a year ago is a gift that has given me back my life and freedom to be active. I think I'm probably smiling a lot more these days as well. Hopefully my continued weight loss efforts and gym membership will bring about an even svelter and happier version of myself a year from now.

But even though I've had all of these wonderful and personal gifts already, that isn't going to stop me from putting forth my annual and usually over the top Christmas Wish List. I'm a little early this year but if things don't change, this holiday season will be a busy one for me so I figured I'd better do this while I can. Sure the majority of the items on my list will not be found under the tree this year but it never hurts to give Santa Claus a little nudge. Perhaps an extra cookie and a shot of rum in his eggnog on Christmas Eve will help.

So without any further ado, lets have a little fun and see what I've jotted down on my list this year.

iPhone 5S 16GB

Cost: $800

(I already got this for myself)

Fitbit Force

Cost: $130

(I ended up buying the Flex instead)

Airport Extreme Time Capsule - 3TB

Cost: $400

Logitech Harmony Touch Remote

Cost: $250

Dyson Hot & Cool Fan

Cost: $400

Moxie Showerhead & Wireless Speaker

Cost: $200

Bose Soundlink Mini Speaker

Cost: $220

Xbox One

Cost: $500

Apple iMac 27 inch

Cost: $2050

Nikon D3x DSLR Camera

Cost: $8000

Sharp AQUOS 90 inch LED Smart 3D TV

Cost: $10-thousand

Mangusta 165' Yacht

Cost: $25 million

Rendezvous with Jennifer Lawrence or Kate Upton

Cost: My soul most likely.

 

2014 Chevy Impala 2LZ

Cost: $40-thousand

2014 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible

Cost: $260-thousand

Log Cabin Home in Canada

Cost: $2 Million

Waterfront Home in Florida

Cost: $4 Million

So there you go! Not an extensive list but certainly an expensive and delusional one for sure.

But of course, as I state every year, as long as my health and the health and happiness of my family and close friends remains, that's all I can truly hope for. That and Kate Upton.

To all of you who take the time to visit my blog regularly or to those of you who just stumbled upon it, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy 2014.

Fox On The Run

Red Fox Resting
Originally uploaded by *Bundy*

As I continue to work at losing weight one of the activities I've relied on to help in the process is just to simply walk as much as I can when I can.

Most days my walking involves putting on my workout clothes, running shoes, iPod for music and as quick a pace as my large legs and body will allow me. I can usually work up quite a sweat.

Some days I'll just walk three or four kilometres while other times I'll find more energy and walk upwards of 10 or 11 kilometres. My theory is if I walk a long distance away from my starting point, I'm forced to walk all the way back.

There are other times when I don't want to be nearly as active but still want to go for a leisurely stroll. On these occasions I'll typically take my camera with me and stop along the way to take the odd photo if something catches my eye. It's certainly not an intense walk by any means but it's still some light activity.

This past Friday afternoon I decided to go for a short lazy walk with my camera. I had walked along a trail in Presqu'ile Provincial Park and was nearing the point where I would circle around and head back to my car.

I had spotted an interesting flower growing just off the trail and was bending over to take a picture when I heard a noise behind me. I turned around and saw a Red Fox come out of the woods on to the trail only six feet away.

The fox didn't seem to be bothered by me in the least and began wandering up the trail I had just completed. I'm not one to let a potential photo opportunity pass me by so I decided to alter my planned route and followed the fox back in the direction I had just come.

As the fox trotted along I did my best to keep it in view and at times found myself jogging to keep up. I lost sight of it a couple of times but eventually saw movement ahead and spotted it again. It remained on the trail for quite awhile which made it easier for me to follow.

However, the fox did finally veer off the path and began making it's way into the deeper underbrush and forest.

I didn't see any immediate danger in following him so I left the path as well while carefully scanning for Poison Ivy, downed trees, holes in the ground or anything else that could cause me problems.

After about 10 minutes of going through ferns and cobwebs the fox finally stopped and made a meal out of an unfortunate chipmunk. The fox made short work of the little furry animal and swallowed him bones and all.

After his meal the fox found a spot to lay down and rest. At times it had its head down burried in its body trying to nap. I took well over 100 photos of this cute animal that still didn't seem to care that I was near by clicking away.

Eventually I ran out of time as I had to be back to go out for supper so I left the fox snoozing in the same spot as I walked away.

It was a neat experience and I was thrilled with the images I was able to capture of this local wildlife.

Fascinating Find

Praying Mantis
Originally uploaded by *Bundy*

It's amazing what you'll see sometimes if you just keep your eyes open and pay attention to your surroundings.

As part of my efforts to lose weight I've made walking a major part of the process. I try to get out and walk every day at some point. Some days it's a long and intense walk and other times it's just a leisurely stroll.

A week or so ago I had been walking with some serious purpose quite a bit and decided to take a break. I still wanted to get a bit of an outing in so I grabbed my camera and struck out for a 3km hike through the forest at Presqu'ile Park.

Even on my so-called lazy walks I still find myself at times moving at a faster pace then planned. I guess I've just been doing it long enough now that I'm used to a certain speed and need to force myself to hit the brakes from time to time.

Luckily I hit them at just the right time. As I was making my way along the trail I spotted what I thought was a twig on the ground and passed over it as I do every other time. However, something struck me as odd about this particular piece of ground wood.

I turned around and went back to it and upon closer inspection realized it wasn't a piece of wood at all but a brown coloured Praying Mantis.

First off, I hadn't seen one of these creatures in years. I remember them as a kid but just never spotted one in my adult life. Secondly, every praying mantis I've ever seen was green in colour and this particular fellow was brown.

Is it a different species or race? Is it a young one that hasn't changed colour yet or an older one that has lost his green complexion? I don't have the answers but there was no doubting what I had found.

You would have laughed at me had you come along the trail at that moment because I now found myself flat on my stomach pointing my camera in the direction of this ugly thing. I was so intent on getting a picture of it I didn't even bother to check for poison ivy or consider the possibility of having ticks get on my skin which can of course lead to some bad stuff. Luckily, I think I avoided both and still managed to come away with a pretty cool photo.

Boat in the Storm

Boat in the Storm
Originally uploaded by *Bundy*

I love when Mother Nature gets all fired up and frisky. When that happens it usually makes for some impressive weather.

Tonight at the trailer by Lake Ontario I enjoyed quite the light show as a massive thunderstorm worked its way down the lake and to the south towards the New York State.

Storms like this are amazing to watch and safe to enjoy as they're quite a distance away yet easily visible across the open water.

The storm didn't produce a lot of visible lightning strikes however. The flashes in the sky were almost non-stop and took in the entire horizon however sightings of actual bolts were few and far between.

This didn't stop me from grabbing my camera and tripod in the hopes of capturing an interesting lightning image. I knew the odds of surpassing past lightning success would be slim with the storm being so far away but I had spotted a sailboat anchored on the lake earlier in the evening and could faintly see it through the darkness.

It was my hope to get a shot of a bolt of lightning coming down into the water near the boat or at the very least within the area I was focused on.

As luck would have it, after taking only a couple of images, I opened my shutter on about the fourth try and down came a bolt of light. It wasn't until after I had the image on my computer that I realized there were actually three lightning bolts striking the water with a couple more fingers in the sky.

As I was editing the image I decided that the final photo would look more dramatic and interesting in black and white. Admittedly, I'm a sucker for B&W photos so any chance I have to make one I usually go for it.

Not only was I pleased with the lightning but considering the image was a long exposure, to see the boat as sharp as it is without any blur from rocking in the waves was a bonus.

I'm still hoping that one day I'll get another chance to capture lightning much closer and more dramatic, as long as it isn't too close and I haven't been electrified in the process.

NOTE: You can click on the image to see it larger.

Sunset Landing

Sunset Landing
Originally uploaded by *Bundy*

I was visiting my parents at their trailer last night at Presqu'ile Provincial Park on the north shores of Lake Ontario and had just finished supper when I decided to grab my camera and go for a drive.

I honestly didn't expect to get much of anything and planned to only be gone for about 30 minutes. I wanted to get back for the always enjoyable campfire with family and friends.

Actually, I probably wasn't much longer than 30 minutes but I did stop once to watch a Mute Swan and two of her young feeding in the calm waters of what's known as the Calf Pasture. This used to be a boat launch area to get out into Brighton Bay from inside the park. Now for some reason they frown upon this. Who knows the thinking behind it. We used to drive a hovercraft over there when I was a lot younger because it was a lot more calm than the lake.

Anyway...the three swans that were feeding honestly weren't providing much in the way of quality photo opportunities. Certainly nothing I hadn't already photographed a dozen or more times before.

All of a sudden I heard a noise of wings hitting the water and I swung around to spot the mate of the swan getting airborne and racing right at me. I'm guessing he probably didn't like the fact that I was intruding on his kids supper activities.

I only had a few moments to bang off a couple of quick frames. I didn't have time to change my focus type, shutter speed or anything for that matter. I would have loved to have my Nikon D7000 in high burst mode to rattle off more shots but instead I quickly focused and shot about 4 frames.

He landed in the water and I started moving back to let him know I got the message. As I walked back to the car I did a quick review of the photos on the camera and was encouraged by what I saw but there was no way of knowing how good the quality of image would be until I got it on my computer.

As you can see above, I had at least one shot that was fairly sharp and contained some nice action as the swan was touching down. The sunlight was rather harsh as it was setting and very bright but overall I think I was able to work around that issue okay and captured an image I could live with and be a little proud of. These birds are so powerful I could photograph them landing and taking off all day.

Track Memories

Bay of Quinte Invitational - Track & Field
Originally uploaded by *Bundy*

On Friday I had the day off work and had the photography itch so I decided to grab my camera and head to a local high school track meet.

It was the Bay of Quinte Invitational with athletes from all across Eastern Ontario in attendance.

As a former Track & Field competitor from my high school days it brought back a lot of great memories from my days of spinning in the discus cage or launching the shot put as far as I could. Boy that was a long time ago.

While the competition was fun, the friendships I made and the good times had were what I remember the most.

Of course Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and all of the rest of social media wasn't around when I competed and made friends so it was harder to keep in touch with those new friends or the girls I met to be more specific. Heck, we barely had computers when I was in school.

But it was always fun to see those people every Spring at the various meets and catch up. There are a few I still run into even today.

But I was there on this day to take photos of the action, even though I did run into some former schoolmates now teachers and even some old teachers as well.

I don't get to shoot sports very much but I really enjoy the challenge when the odd opportunity presents itself. I had the added pressure of worrying about the weather as the rain was on the way. Actually, overcast conditions are ideal for photography since you don't get the harsh shadows the sun produces.

Any way, I did manage to come away with some images I was pleased with including the one located above. If all goes well, I'm hoping to get to at least one more event before the track season ends to see what else I can capture.

My 2012 Christmas Wish List

A quick check of the calendar has revealed to me that Christmas is upon all of us once again. Another year has crept passed us and 2013 is waiting to begin. That is of course if you don't believe the world is going to end as the Mayans predicted would happen this week.

Sadly this year has been very busy and my blog postings have dropped considerably because of this. If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook then you can hear my mini rants and thoughts all year long but finding time to sit and write on my blog has suffered and it's my hope that I'll change that in the new year.

As I try to do every year I have compiled another Christmas Wish List. If past years are any indication, Santa obviously doesn’t have enough room in his sack for most things.

Traditionally the Bundy Wish List has included items of a more unrealistic or even humourous nature. These gifts range from a slight possibility of receiving to no chance in hell of seeing under my tree. It’s more of a “Not in Your Wildest Dreams Christmas List”. Of course there are a few which could legitimately find their way into my possession and in fact some on past lists have...just not the really really expensive items.

So, let’s have some fun shall we?

Apple Airport Express Base Station

Cost: $100 (already purchased)

Apple iPad 4 with Retina Display

Cost: $600 (32GB)

 

Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display

Cost: $2800

Nikon D4 FX & lenses

Cost: $6000 (camera only)

Nikon AF-S 105mm f/2.8 Macro Lens

Cost: $900

Manfrotto Tripod

Cost: $700

 

Manfrottp Hydrostat Ball Head

Cost: $260 

Sharp AQUOS 80" 1080p 120Hz TV

Cost: $4500

 

Bose Lifestyle V35 Home Entertainment System

Cost: $3500

 

Rendezvous with Ashley Hinshaw & Rebecca Blumhagen 

Cost: A Guy Can Dream Right?

2013 Bugatti Veyron

Cost: $2.5 Million

 

2013 Bentley Continental

Cost: $200-thousand

 

Lakefront Home in Canada

Cost: $2.5 million est.

Waterfront Home in Florida

Cost: $4 million est.

So there you have it. Not an overly long list but certainly a costly one.

Of course as I say every year, as long as I have my health and my family is all healthy and happy I'll be very satisfied. But it's nice to dream from time time and there's no better time than at Christmas.

I hope all of your Christmas wishes come true.

My 2011 Christmas Wish List

It’s just not possible that we're coming to the end of another year. Sadly I have not kept up with my blog this year as much as I would have liked. Call it lack of creative juices if you like. Honestly, I think I’ll blame it on Twitter. That darned thing has become a mini blog for me as I share my thoughts on a daily basis there. If you’re on Twitter, feel free to follow me at bundyman and you’ll see more of my uncensored thoughts...along with a lot of Montreal Canadiens chatter.

But that’s not what this is about. As I have done the last couple of years, it is time once again for me to sit down and compile my annual list of items I would love to have on my Christmas Wish List. If past years are any indication, Santa obviously doesn’t have enough room in his sack for most things.


Traditionally the Bundy Wish List has included items of a more unrealistic or even humourous nature. These gifts range from a slight possibility of receiving to no chance in hell of seeing under my tree. It’s more of a “Not in Your Wildest Dreams Christmas List”. Of course there are a few which could legitimately find their way into my possession and in fact some on past lists have...just not the really really expensive items.

So, let’s have some fun shall we?

Western Digital Hard Drive - 2TB
Cost: $210


iPad 2 - 64GB Wi-Fi + 3G
Cost: $849


Photoshop CS5 (Mac)
Cost: $800


Nik Software Plugins Suite
Cost: $600


Apple Time Capsule - 2TB
Cost: $300


Nikon AF-S 105mm f/2.8 VR Macro Lens
Cost: $1000


Nikon 600mm f4.0 VR II Telephoto Lens
Cost: $11000


Bose Lifestyle V35 Home Entertainment System
Cost: $3800


Sharp AQUOS 80" 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV
Cost: $5000


Win $50 Million Lotto Max Jackpot
Cost: Price of a Ticket


Rendezvous with Blake Lively & Alice Eve
Cost: A Guy Can Dream Right?


2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sports
Cost: $2.5 Million


2012 Bentley Continental GT
Cost: $200 000


Lakefront Home in Canada
Cost: $2.5 Million est.


Waterfront Home in Florida
Cost: $4 Million est.

So there you go. Not everything made the list but I only have so much time and room to post it.

Of course, these are just things and the most important items are having a healthy and happy family and good friends. No price tag could be put on them.

I hope all of your Christmas Wishes come true and may you have a Merry Christmas.