Great Wolf Lodge - Tree Story Time (Mason, Ohio)

My letter to those opposing the "Whitewater Wind Farm"

Dear Opponents of Fayette County's Wind Farm.

I am 37 years old, born and raised here in Fayette county, and a current resident. During the last 37 years I can put earmarks on notable times in our history where we triumphed, and times where we have failed. It is my belief that when Carbon Motors failed, the spirit of the community was crushed, and since then hundreds have moved away. While THOUSANDS of dollars were given to a fruitless WAR against drugs, in lieu of treatment. Our youth have been left with very few options. They either have to MOVE or STAY and struggle through limited options. This brings me to my actual point.

The Whitewater Wind Farm. Innovation into the future, and stepping out of our towns troubled past and growing. It is notable that most of the "Scientific Claims" made by the billboards on our main street, are false and not supported with actual scientific evidence. It is simply one person opinion, and that person does not speak for the majority of the people. My generation is frustrated due to our voices not being heard, and we are rapidly approaching 40. Our children are teenagers, toddlers and in Grade school. Some of us have no option but to stay due to our financial demographic. Imagine being voiceless because you do not have the money or resources to be heard.

Allowing a "Wind Farm" to be constructed in our community would allow for a multitude of opportunities. First would be the people being given a sense of HOPE, that their town isn't doomed to be forgotten and that opportunity is on the horizon. This also sends a message to other "Green Industries" that Fayette county is the place to set up shop. We have MILLIONS of square feet of abandoned industrial space, that used to house 1000's of jobs, that are no longer in existence. Imagine if those buildings were filled, the people would come back, and Connersville could be restored to its former glory. With that comes more residents, more federal funding, grants, our education system would improve, and SMALL businesses would FLOURISH. More money means more for everyone, not just the ones who already have. Remember, there are thousands of kids who are YET to even think about their future. Let them have a chance to stay, and help our community grow.

I am 100% for the construction of the "Whitewater Wind Farm", because I am a single parent who wants his child to grow up in a flourishing, successful Connersville, Indiana. THIS is home to us, and we wish for it to REMAIN home to us.

The following photos are from Randolph County, Indiana. Proving the windmills do NOT spook horses or make them sick. Maybe Horses just DO NOT CARE.

Gerbils : The best friend that you didn't know you had

GERBILS

The best friend you never knew you had.

Being as I live in a 2nd story apartment, getting a dog was out of the question. 

At least for now it is. In lieu of a large mammal running around, destroying the house, I bought 2 gerbils. I wanted to teach my son responsibility and also to care for ALL life. 

No matter how small, large, or insignificant.

I purchase the 2 gerbils pictured above, weeks before the PET STORE went out of business. So, in my opinion, they got pretty lucky. They got an awesome home and have it made in the shade BABY!

After 3 months, I looked int the cage and VIOLA... BABIES!!!

I had NO clue that these Gerbils were not the same sex. They were sold to me as the same sex. So, maybe I should have checked myself. Never the less, since the first litter, we have raised, and re homed 14 other gerbils from their frisky escapades. 

The amazing thing about these animals is how close they are as a family. 

They do not have any issue with the juveniles leaving the cage, but they are protective of their babies. They will all sleep in a pile, keeping one another warm. The male also has a HUGE part in the raising of the babies. He will actually sit on the babies so the mother can eat, drink and get some wheel time. I noticed this after the first litter. Without him, she can become very stressed and some times, cannibalize their young. It isn't common, but it can happen. If you NEED to handle the young, rub your hands in the mulch and their bedding. This gets their scent on your hands, and prevents them from being offended by the human scent on their young.

Playing Peek a boo through their box.

Curious creatures, they some times stop to pose.

Finally coming out of the box to get some sun light.

Having a snack after running on the wheel.

Some TIPS for breeding gerbils:

After the babies are born, do NOT clean the cage for up to 2 weeks after. 

Let them settle in, and in 2 weeks they will be running blindly around he cage.

Then you can clean it, just remember the "Scent trick".

Gerbils will mate for 8 hours after they give birth. It is hard to separate them after she gives birth, as it is hard to tell when it happens. If you can separate him, that is your choice. Just remember he plays a BIG role in helping her, and she can become very ANXIOUS and not take care of her pups.

The gestation period is 28-30 days.

This means your gerbils can have babies every month.

My litters have varied from 3-6. With litters over 5, one usually does not make it.

Keep an eye out for deceased babies, and keep them out of the cage.

It can make the others sick.

Have a second cage on standby at all times.

If they have another litter, you will want to move the previous litter to their own cage.

They are close as a family, but mom and dad need to focus on the new arrivals.

They will be a little scared upon transition but will adjust quickly.

If you have any other questions please leave them in the comments below.

Railroad Track photography: Why you SHOULD NOT do it.

Railroad Track photography is a VERY popular method in the Midwest. 

(Being as that is where I am from, that is where I see a majority of it at.) 

I am sure it is popular everywhere, but I digress. I am here to tell you WHY you should NOT be doing this, and why it can land you in hot water with the law.

(Some of the following information was provided by "Operation Lifesaver".)

1. Trains can’t stop quickly to avoid people or vehicles on the tracks.

2. An optical illusion makes it hard to determine a trains distance from you - and its speed. 

3. The average train overhangs the track by at least three feet.

4. Railroad tracks, trestles, yards and rights-of-way are private property.

5. No tracks should be assumed to be abandoned or inactive.

6. People in your community mimic your behavior.

Number six has to be the primary contributor to people assuming it is OK. In Small Town USA, and the rest of the modern world, everyone follows by example. Also, they unwittingly LEAD by example. "If John Boy did it, it must be legal, right?", "I just saw Betty Sues Pics and they didn't prosecute her."

The bottom line is, every picture of you ON the tracks, is a picture of YOU committing a crime. It would be like, breaking into someones house with a friend, taking pics of your friend, putting your initials on it as the photographer, and posting. You both are guilty of trespassing, and NO ignorance to the law doesn't give you a PASS on the law. Every professional "Photographer" should know their limits and boundaries. If they do not, they are putting your life in danger as a client.

"Roughly 1,000 people a year are injured in the U.S. by trains, 300+ a year killed, and a person or car is hit every THREE HOURS, because they don't pay attention at crossings or they walk on tracks or take pictures on tracks." Source: http://oli.org/

Perform a "GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCH" for "Railroad Photographs" and you will see some alarming images such as these.

Photo courtesy of: 

http://www.r2rcompany.com/

See that nifty gadget behind the family with the "Green Crank" to the right?

That is an interchange, and people have gotten their legs trapped if they are

triggered by an oncoming train. Your best bet then, lay to the side, lose a leg, 

be prosecuted for being on the tracks, and lesson learned. THIS is scary, because

this photographer just put an ENTIRE family at danger in this photograph.

(Not to mention the whole family just broke the law. Unless written permission was granted by the local Railroad commission.)

Some Random stats about my home state.

In 2013 Alone there were 19 Trespassing DEATHS and 19 Trespassing Injuries. 

(A train injury is almost always SEVERE)

Startling is that these stats are a 50% increase from 2012. 

INDIANA ranks #7 in the US with having the most TRESPASSING deaths and Injuries.

More people are killed due to trespassing than in their vehicles and violating safety signals.

I will attribute this to the popularity of digital photography.

To see more STATS click here.

I am writing this because, well, this is my primary pet peeve as a photographer.

 (IN a long line of other pet peeves, which I will address in other post.)

Be safe, and have respect for your clients. As a "freelance photographer" you are responsible for your clients safety and well being. Don't put that in jeopardy over taking a "Cool shot" or a moment. Want to take these risk? Get a tripod, a camera with a timer, and put yourself into the photograph. Otherwise you're being unprofessional and unfair to your clients.

Remember, don't bite the hand that feeds. You wouldn't want your boss to throw you into traffic every day before work.

For more information on general Train Track Safety, please visit "Operation Life Saver".

http://oli.org/

Amendment: If you want to take pictures on Railroad Tracks, contact your local RR station, and operator. Certain areas can be used for photography, between train schedules. There are towns that use certain tracks for tourist attractions. There is a liability waiver you can sign, and permission can be given between train schedules. For my CONNERSVILLE photographers:

Whitewater Valley Railroad

455 Market St, Connersville, IN 47331 (765) 825-2054

This doesn't make it any less dangerous, and I suggest keeping it all LEGAL and have your forms filled out. Otherwise, you can be prosecuted even if you're injured.

A Brief Walk through "Mary Grey Bird Sanctuary"

The place:
Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary

3499 S Bird Sanctuary Rd, Connersville, IN 47331
(765) 827-5109

If you would like to learn MORE about the Sanctuary and 

Donate to the Indiana Audubon Society, click the link below.

MORE INFORMATION HERE

Today was one of those days where we were not sure if we could beat the rain or not. In lieu of sitting in our house, playing video games, and being bored we opted to chance it. So my son and myself grabbed our cameras, extra batteries, memory cards, and hit the road. 

Our destination was the "Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary."

For as long as I can remember this has been a place of tranquility for years. Going back to when I was a teenager and I wanted to take my GF somewhere we could just talk, not hear traffic, sirens, and what we call "The City". Our little group would congregate there for late night discussions of the latest 90's album, band, or video on MTV. (Yes, back then we didn't have the Internet at out disposal, this was out Internet and social networking.)

I am an avid photographer. It is not just my job, but it is my passion and Hobby. This is my source of happiness. From taking pictures of clouds, insects, crushed beer cans to family portraits. This is a hobby I have passed onto my middle son, and his style has become very similar to mine. After I looked through his photos I noticed that we both had taken pictures of the same things, in the same way, and was not aware we were both doing such.

What follows is a pictorial of our short walk through the sanctuary. 

This is only s PORTION of what there is to see and walk. 

We had to beat the rain, and it quite literally started raining once we reached the car. 

Enjoy our little adventure. 

(Click any image to see the larger version of it.)

The following pictures were taken by my 12 yr old son Silas. He has learned by going with me on shoots, and productions. He has a wonderful eye for the beauty in nature.

Thank you for looking at our pictures and sharing in our "Beat The Rain" hike.

We recommend that you come and behold the beauty and serenity yourself.

Thanks again, Sincerely... The Corbin's

To order prints, watermark free, contact me at: Ron@RPCphotography.info

Reasonable rates, prints delivered directly to your front door.

Also check out our website for specials on Family photography sessions, special occasions and more.

http://www.RPCphotography.info