A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

thoughts

The world as we know it …

Does anybody else feel like they are living in a reality movie?

This is like The Truman Show, times a million.

A few months ago, we all heard about this COVID-19 coronavirus. It was pretty spooky, but it was far away. Though it didn’t seem those in charge were too worried about what it could become.

But, now it’s here. And it’s downright scary.

Now, let me preface this by saying I think the widespread panic is a bit crazy. We’re in a panic stage, which is never good. If we all use extreme caution, don’t put ourselves in bad spots, and use common sense, I think we’ll be fine in the long run. We can’t go bonkers.

But you have to be smart.

Hoarding toilet paper or hand sanitizer, and then trying to mark it up to ridiculous amounts of money doesn’t help. Not one bit. People need to be able to get basic supplies. Stocking your freezer with enough meat to last two years doesn’t help anybody.

It honestly makes me wonder about society as a whole.

This is a crazy illness going around. Things are being shut down. Businesses are closing — and many likely can’t afford it. People are alarmed and in a panic — and that definitely doesn’t help. We’re in uncharted waters here.

I work in two school districts, handling PR. That includes maintaining social media and websites at each. Each are putting out information as fast as possible. Most people have been thankful and appreciate how much each district is attempting to do for their communities. Some are negative and it makes me wonder about things. This is new for the schools, as well. Usually, they aren’t told to shut down to students for this long — especially now in the day of social media.

Speaking of that, the media and social media are hard to watch and look at. A human’s mind can’t grasp everything that is going on and process it that well. It’s impossible. Rumors become “truth,” and and the truth and facts gets questioned by people because they don’t want to believe it.

We have to practice self care. For me, it’s trying to process things and remain calm through it all. That doesn’t always happen. I’m a human just like anybody else. Despite thinking this reaction could be way over, I understand it. And I have fears and caution just like anybody else. What we’re doing is being done for a reason. Yes, it will inconvenience people. Yes, people will suffer. But in the end, we will get through it.

One way or another.

So practice some self care. Go for a walk and try and avoid close contact with people. Get some sun. Show social distance. Try not to feed into the hysteria and breathe. Play a game. Video chat with an old friend.

And if looking to help small businesses, see if you can buy gift cards. Or go get some takeout.

We will get through this. It might be faster than they thing; or it might be longer. But we will get through it.

Most of all, be good to one another. Basic human kindness or a smile from six feet away can go a long way.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Foto Friday: What does the camera mean to you?

Though this isn't my go-to camera anymore, it's one that really helped me regain my love of photography.

I’ve had this chat with a couple of other photographers recently and thought it would be a good topic for a Foto Friday.

But what does your camera mean to you?

You don’t have to look at this as something with just a digital SLR. It could be your point-and-shoot. It could be an iPhone. Or a Droid. Or some other cell phone camera.

But what is the camera to you?

It it a piece of technology? An extension of who you are? It it something to create art? Or memories for Facebook?

It has to mean something if you use it.

Something.

So spill your beans here. Tell me what it is to you.

Oh, I guess I should share my thoughts about this, too, eh?

Sometimes, looking at a spot a little differently can give a photo a whole different feel.

My camera is an extension of me. No matter if it’s my Canon 7D or my iPhone, I look at it the same. It’s a way for me to create some sort of art. See, I was never good at art.

I can’t draw. (My father was an amazing drawer. I wish I had some of his sketches. Man, they were freakin’ awesome. I remember as a kid sitting next to him as he’d draw me something. Really wild.)

I can’t paint. I can’t sculpt.

But I love art. I own several quilts that my mother has made. Talk about art. Wow. I wouldn’t have the patience or the skill to sit through and do as she does — hand quilting. No way. I own many pieces of art I’ve purchased from street artists or elsewhere.

I can’t do that stuff. Never have been able to.

That being said, I can take a photo. Photography goes back several generations in my family. My grandfather (father’s side) was a big photographer (I own a camera he once had — still works. I need another lens for it though).

I feel I have a good eye for good images. I can frame things well. I like to get a little nutso with the way I do things at times and I’ll take chances. I look at things differently, too. That’s part of the camera.

Pointing it straight ahead and taking photos doesn’t always work for me. It can be boring.

So, I think differently.

Before snapping this shot, I surveyed the situation and set things up to get better than just a normal "pint" shot.

And, as I said, I do that with my normal stuff and with my iPhone. A photo to me is a piece of art. It’s not just a memory — though it is that, too — it’s art. No matter what you do with this piece of art, it’s something you’ve created.

The reason I say all this?

Anyone can snap a photo to create some memory. It takes someone more to create a piece of art that would look amazing in a frame and on a wall.

I take photography serious — to an extent. I like to set shots up. I like to take my time. I like to know what I am shooting. That’s why, usually, I like going out and shooting by myself. I don’t mind others being there or coming along to shoot as well, as long as they realize I’m not on a time limit and I don’t like to rush.

The camera is an extension to me. It means a lot to me. And it’s also something that helps me when times are tough. There’s always something out there to take photos of and that really can help you let your mind go free.

It also can depend on what you like to shoot.

I love shooting sports and when I do, I get into a different zone. I am always looking for angles or the right light or something else.

When I get away from sports, I’m different. As I noted above, I take my time. I set things up. I zoom in on some things or get a wider angle for others. I have a totally different thought process when not shooting sports.

That helps, though.

I’m happy where I am with my photos now. I love having confidence to shoot with my regular camera or the iPhone. I love knowing there is so much to try, test and experiment with.

So the camera, to me, is an extension of who I am. It’s something I love. (Several years ago, I was offered a photo spot at the daily I used to work for. I turned it down in fear that I would lose this love. Though it might mean I was still employed, I don’t regret the decision because I got to meet someone who became a close friend and I still love taking my camera with me wherever I go).

How about you?

Drop a comment below and tell me what the camera means, if anything, to you? A quick snapper? Someone who thinks about every shot? Someone who loves to spend hours with PhotoShop?

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook by clicking the button on the right side of the page!

If you hide it… tell me why I’m there

A Revolutionary War veteran buried in Prentiss Cemetery (New York)

There always seems to be a hot debate among geocachers about cemetery caches.

Some love ’em.

Some hate ’em.

Some are in the middle.

I’m one of those middle guys. I love the old, out-of-the-way cemeteries. You know, the ones that aren’t active (or not very active), on an old country road and have a boatload of history in them.

The active cemeteries, not so much as you never know when you’ll encounter a funeral, people pay respect etc. I’d rather avoid those.

But the old cemeteries… with all the history and everything else, they can be quite the interesting places to take people.

That being said, what seems to be a more recurring theme with cemetery hides is not telling me why I’m here. In my area and other areas I’ve traveled to and found these caches, I’ve noticed this theme. Though people seem to look around before hiding the cache, I’m left to wonder if it’s more than a cache hide.

I recently went on a cache outing with Peter and Judy — the Devil Duckies. We had a fun-filled afternoon of caching and we hit several cemetery caches. In each one, we spent a lot of time peeking around, looking at headstones and checking the historic significance of each place. In reality, the geocache was just an added bonus to the day.

However, the cache page didn’t mention the amazing things we found at two of the cemeteries — the burials of nearly 20 people who fought in the Revolutionary War. One of the cemeteries had more than a dozen buried in its hallowed grounds alone. This cemetery also had two World War I vets buried here and one from the Korean War.

In the other cemetery, there were six Revolutionary War vets buried there. They were spread out over the cemetery and it wasn’t easy to find them all. But they were there and I’m glad we walked around and looked at all the headstones. It really gave me an historic feel to the area.

This post, however, isn’t meant to call anyone out, so please don’t look at it that way. It’s not directed at anyone in particular, rather the who geocaching community when it comes to placing cemetery caches.

This is a trend I’ve seen throughout geocaching with cemetery caches I’ve visited. Often, the cache listing will note that the cache is near an old cemetery, it might point out something (such as old headstones) and will also stress that the cache is outside the boundaries of the cemetery (after all, caches aren’t supposed to be hidden in cemeteries).

Some people point out a few small things. Some people go in depth. Some people just mention the cache.

Old cemeteries usually house a lot of history. I don’t expect someone to look up details on the whole cemetery. But if you walk around the cemetery (as I hope most cache hiders would do), check things out. Find the relevant information. I would personally note if veterans from a war, such as the Revolutionary War, are buried in those grounds.

The Revolutionary War is a significant war in our history, seeing as, ya know, our country gained its freedom from it and all. So to know that these patriots are buried in these old, forgotten cemeteries is a great way to make sure people come not just to geocache, but to pay respects to our forefathers.

So this is a shout out to those who place and those who visit cemetery caches. Take the time to check everything out. And if there’s something significant, place it in the description or the log. Make those who come find the place realize where they are going. Remember, the game isn’t just about the numbers (though they are cool to have!), but about where the hider takes the finder. I appreciate places like this because it’s a walk through history. I just hope others take the same time to look around and realize where they are before zipping away for the next find.

You can see more of my photos from this day’s adventure at this Flickr set.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com.