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A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

water

Day Zero Project: Completed No. 14

September 18, 2012

Niagara Falls is quite impressive up close.

A Day Zero Project goal of P.J.’s has been completed!

Goal completed: Visit Niagara Falls

Date completed: August 25, 2012.

Number: 14 (remember, these goals will not all be done in order. It’s a random list where the numbers actually are).

Description: One thing I’ve wanted to do since I’ve gotten a tad older is to see more of the state in which I live. New York offers a lot — from the city to the Catskills to the Adirondacks to Niagara Falls and so much more. Niagara Falls is something I stopped by many years ago, but have no idea about it. So I wanted to go see it again.

Why I wanted to do it: As noted above, I want to see more of my state. I am also a massive waterfall nut, so getting to Niagara Falls was a must.

How I did it: This became a geocaching road trip, with the bonus of having Niagara Falls on the list. A couple of us came through here filling in grids and such for the DeLorme and county challenges. We also spent about an hour and a half in Niagara Falls, exploring a little. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to the Canadian side, which appears to be where the best views come from.

I’ll be back for that side for sure.

Still, we walked around and checked out some of the really nice spots. We might have thought about exploring a little more, but it was so hot that day, we did all we could handle and headed out for the rest of the road trip.

It really is an amazing place and I look forward to going back sometime. Hopefully soon. I’d love to do some long-exposure night shots from the Canadian side once the falls are lit up at night.

For those who haven’t been there, it’s worth a trip. From the looks of the websites I’ve looked at, there’s always quite a bit to do besides the falls, which could make it more of a reason why the Niagara Falls area — on both sides of the border — is a vacation destination.

About P.J.’s Day Zero Project: Day Zero is a project where people come up with 101 things to do over 1001 days. I started the project on Oct. 10, 2010 with an anticipated finish date of July 8, 2013. Goals will not be revealed until they are completed. A private list is at the Day Zero website and the list will be made public upon completion of the project. It’s my thoughts that if things are kept private, should I not do them, change or find a way around it, I’d only be cheating myself.

Filed Under: challenges, Day Zero Project, Geocaching, My world, Photography, Travel Tagged With: day zero, day zero project, falls, niagara falls, niagara falls ny, travel, water, waterfalls

6 Comments

Being out on the water can really be therapeutic

July 17, 2012

I’ve found there’s nothing like a good paddle to sooth the mind and body.

For years, I’ve said I wanted to learn to canoe/kayak.

Many of my friends did it. Whether for fun or for whatever, they did it. Some even went geocaching with the help of these boats. What a way to find a cache, eh?

Last year, I was at GeoWoodstock when it was in western Pennsylvania. This is the biggest gathering event for geocaching in the world. More than 5,000 people were there. I met a lot of fun people while there and a couple of them convinced us we needed to go do a 5-star terrain cache.

Normally, you would need a boat to do it. But the water was low enough where we didn’t need to, so we walked across the river.

Still, I saw many people on the water that day, just out kayaking and enjoying themselves.

On top of it all, I figured it would be a great way to get some exercise and work different muscles.

I had been in normal paddle boats and power boats before. And I recall a canoe at some point or another. There had never been a kayak.

Chilling with some friends while out kayaking.

A few weeks back, I went with my friend Darren. He has several kayaks and got me into one. Let me say that it likely wasn’t the best kayak for me to start with. Within moments of getting out into the river in our town, I flipped and was dunked.

The water felt good, but it still sucked. After all, I figured this was going to be a breeze.

We paddled for a while. I wasn’t having the easiest time with it, but I soon got my balance and was doing OK. We didn’t go too far, though. Maybe a quarter to a half a mile – tops.

The following day, the two of us went again and this time we went about 2 ½ miles. We had to get in and out of the boats a few times because of low water, which kind of made it tough. But I got the hang of it. We went through some light rapids and enjoyed it.

Over that time, Darren had met Brent, a disc golfer and the owner of a local kayak and canoe rental place. I, too, met Brent and I soon realized that the way I was going to learn to get better at this was not just to hop in any old canoe, rather one that fit me both with size and experience.

Two weeks ago, I finally went at it. With another friend, Tavis, and his kids going along (Tavis, like Darren, Is much more experienced on a boat than I am), we went to Brent’s place. (If you are in the Oneonta area and you read this blog, I highly would recommend going to Brent’s place. It’s in Portlandville, his rated are extremely affordable and he has a dock right on the river for you to launch from when you rent a boat).

The main part of the day was spent paddling back and forth near the shop. We’d go up a bit, head back and then wander down river and back up. We did this for an hour or two and it was a nice way to get my feet wet, so to speak.

Just me and the water.

In reality, water only got into the boat once that day – when a motor boat went by and didn’t mind the no-wake rules. We got caught in a wake and rode it out, but some water came up over.

We went again this past Sunday. Darren and his wife, Jodi, joined us. This time, it was a ride a bit longer – about 1 ½ miles up to a railroad trestle. It was an enjoyable paddle and I was a little more daring. So much so that I took a wet sack from Darren and dared to bring my iPhone with me, thus giving me the chance to take photos.

I’m not brave enough to bring the good camera stuff yet. Maybe sometime, but not yet!

We hung out near the trestle for a bit, enjoying the scenery and the peacefulness. As we started to leave, I kind of broke away from the few of us who had settled back for a bit. I didn’t do this to prove a point, but I wanted to see what I felt comfortable doing while being out by myself.

What I found was one hell of a soothing experience.

The serenity of being out on the water in a kayak is really amazing. The sounds – such as the water being cut through by the front of the boat or the sound as you paddle through the water. Then, if you paddle for a few moments and then just coast, it’s so peaceful to hear the water.

No people. No cars. No phone calls.

Nothing.

Just the sound of the water.

It’s freakin’ awesome.

At times, I’d coast and dip my hands in the water. On a day where it was in the high 80s and the heat beat down on you, little things like that are really nice.

Some of the others dangled their feet over the side of the kayak. I’m not quite that brave yet as I still rock the kayak a little bit when I’m in fully and paddling, so I’ll have to work up to that.

Darren floating.

I really think that this is one of the best ways to relax. You can just sit back, relax, listen to nature and enjoy everything around you.

Unfortunately, this won’t be an everyday thing for me.

I can’t afford a kayak of my own right now, so renting is my only option. Even with the affordable prices at the local place, I still have bills to pay and with the current situation, I have to be frugal as possible. I can do it here or there though and I will because I was amazed at how much stress leaves my mind and body when coming down the river.

The best part of this is I know what boat I would like to eventually purchase. Hopefully, it will be sooner rather than later as I truly think this is something I could have fun doing on a regular basis.

There’s also a lot of room for improvement and having a boat would make that easier to accomplish.

I need to feel stable in the boat. There are times when it kind of leans one way or another and I get a little spooked. I think once I get past that, I’ll be more daring to think about bringing my normal camera – though that would also be easier to do once I can afford a sack for the DSLR. Good ones are out there, but they run about $150. I could also get waterproof housing for the camera, but that would cost me upward of $1,500.

I also need to learn a few things about turning and paddling in general, which will come with time.

In the end, I’m quite happy I finally got out paddling. It’s an amazing way to lose stress and get in touch with nature. And, it’s a great way to get some exercise. In this day and age, who can’t use extra exercise, right?

If you’ve never paddled, I’d encourage you to do it. I just wish I had done it long before now as it’s one heck of a fun time!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook! 

Filed Under: My world, outdoors, Photography Tagged With: kayak, my life, my world, outdoors, paddling, photography, relaxing, sports, water

8 Comments

Which photo do you prefer?

January 30, 2012

A late post today, I know.

Alas, I’ve had a busy day. I had a forum on job hunting today, ran extra errands, actually found a geocache and figured out what the rattle is in my car (and that it will cost me $100 to fix).

When I got home, I was a bit blocked when it came to coming up with an idea for a post.

So, I’m going to do something I could have held for Foto Friday, but I’m interested in some opinions.

I went out for a photo day yesterday and got a bunch of photos that I really liked. Being I’m doing the 366 Project this year, I’m always looking for something to be able to use. I went to a friend’s place where there’s an amazing set of small waterfalls. The water was flowing. There was a little bit of ice and it was a nice setting.

Alas, the lighting at the top of the falls was odd and I didn’t have a remote for the camera.

But, I took a bunch of shots. When I sat down to look at them all, I had a very hard time deciding which to use and which not to use. Below are the three I considered, in order of how I rated them. The third one was eliminated first and then I waffled on the other two. The final choice came down to two things — I really loved the look of the first one and the second one I wanted to have look better and knowing I could go back to it at some point to get a better shot.

So here’s the three I had to choose from. What do you think? Did I make the right choice? What’s your favorite image of the three and why? Post your thoughts in the comment section!

No. 1

No. 2.

No. 3.

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!

Filed Under: My world, Photography Tagged With: 266 photos, coffee can, cold, folgers, outdoors, photography, photos, project 365, project 366, water, waterfalls, winter

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Harper is counting down to Santa Paws! You know, Harper is counting down to Santa Paws! 

You know, of course, Santa Paws travels with Santa Clause, making sure to find treats and toys for all the good little doggies! (We know they are all deserving, right?) So, Harper put out some milk for the big guy, carrots for Rudolph and the reindeer, and special cookies for Santa Paws! She is ready! 

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One of the best parts about having Harper as my be One of the best parts about having Harper as my best friend… ❤️
Couldn't resist stopping on the way to work to sna Couldn't resist stopping on the way to work to snap this shot. The colors in the sky were fantastic and the scene was nice looking (though, to be fair, I drove by what I think would have been a better scene -- the valley and hills full of snow etc.)

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The best of times??? 🤪🤪🤪 The best of times??? 🤪🤪🤪
Just a break on our morning walk … #goldenretri Just a break on our morning walk …

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Tired. Tired.
Harper is ready for tonight! Let’s go Phillies! Harper is ready for tonight! Let’s go Phillies! 

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I look at her and sometimes still can’t believe I look at her and sometimes still can’t believe I have her. It’s been a year and four months and she makes me smile and laugh more each day. It’s amazing how much a dog changes your look on life, and how much joy they can bring. 

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I’ve recently realized how many photos I have to I’ve recently realized how many photos I have to post here, as well as on Harper’s (@harper_dublin) account). So, as I start to transfer photos, I’ll try and catch up. So photos coming could be from all seasons and who knows when. 🤣

This one is recent from the courthouse square in Delhi. We had some pretty good fall colors this year. 

#fall #delhiny #seasons #iphoneonly #love #photography #photooftheday #instagood #happy #picoftheday
From a few weeks ago. I was trying to get Harper t From a few weeks ago. I was trying to get Harper to put her paws on the bridge and looked out, but she was more content jumping on me and looking up. I do love the way she seems to be looking at me.
Instagram post 17992900117561614 Instagram post 17992900117561614
Couldn’t resist a quick stop this morning with t Couldn’t resist a quick stop this morning with the fog and frost settled in. 

Hamden Covered Bridge 

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Harper’s friend Lucy is around this weekend! #g Harper’s friend Lucy is around this weekend!

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So… @harper_dublin wants to know why she can’t So… @harper_dublin wants to know why she can’t have @mallons_homemade_sticky_buns.
This is why we can’t have nice things. Saw this This is why we can’t have nice things. Saw this on me morning walk Friday with Harper. Likely some college kids, but also as chance at local hooligans. I had Harper so not a lot I could do, but I managed to get the cart off the chair. (See second photo) This was in a local park.
Harper is ready for #nationalfetchday on October 1 Harper is ready for #nationalfetchday on October 15! @chuckitfetchgames 

Should be fun! @discgolfdarren @harmm23
Starting to feel like fall! #fall #nature #autum Starting to feel like fall! 

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Street lights hidden in a tree. #life #light #wa Street lights hidden in a tree. 

#life #light #walk #explore ##instagood #photooftheday #photography #happy
Finally learning this Canon M6 MarkII before my tr Finally learning this Canon M6 MarkII before my trip starts this weekend. Really like it now that I took the time to set it up and learn the differences between this and my 7D MarkII. This and the iPhone will do most of the work on the trip. 

Photo is inside on a dark and dreary day. Transferred to phone and edited with #snapseed. 

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Life is good. Life is good.
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P.J. Harmer

P.J. Harmer
A video looking at my first year and a half of owning a golden retriever, my first dog. It's had its ups and downs, but I've truly loved the ride and look forward to the future. 

Music: Happy before we get old by Michael Shynes via Artlist. 

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When these boxes come, there usually some excitement. But this one ... is the ultimate unboxing! 

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I hate being in front of the camera, but also realize sometimes it's not the worst thing in the world. So, I'm getting better with it. Week 4's theme was all about us and having us in front of the camera, so I tried to come up with a creative way to do it. 

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