REM?  OPEN  – PAUSE – Blah blah blah – then hopefully the first viewing won’t be interrupted with all that buffering.

Figured I’d pair up some old “chicken shots” with the newest audio mix (I don’t know why but the sound affects of all the animals and stuff makes me smile and laugh – hope it has the same effect for you – sure seems to be enough triggers in life for unpleasant feelings.  Still good practice inserting different things and evaluating how they interplay with others.)

Here’s an image of today’s partial audio layout:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Naturally there are always “critters” passing through the property as fences are just mere obstacles to be passed around, under, over or through.  I’ve seen feral cats, Bob Cats, Raccoons, Possums, Skunks, etc., not to mention a whole sky full of flying animals like Eagles, Hawks, Sparrow Hawks, …of course Vultures, etc.  I do not know what happened Sunday night but it sure put a scare into 4 of the 5 hens.  Walked down to the coop like I normally do talking to them as they prepare for their day’s excitement.  Generally they are pretty excited with all the trilling and clucking, huddled together at the main latched door while “jogging in place” waiting to be let out of the coop for another day’s foraging, exploration, and hunkering down when too hot to move around much.   Monday morning was very different and a first.

All five refused to come out initially.  They stayed close together in the darkest area of the coop and only “quietly” conversed among themselves, but it was obvious they were concerned about going outside due to the constant turning of their heads and apprehensively looking outside for something.  After some coaxing the “lead hen” finally exited and ran up to the traditional “free range area” where I have prepared food and water stations.  (A highlight of their day is in the evening when it rains small chopped pieces of cabbage dropped from the deck railing.  Sometimes crushed Oyster shell or egg shells for the recommended calcium.  Supposed to finely crush the egg shells so you do not accidentally teach them to eat their own eggs.)

Frankly I was shocked when Lucy began getting an early morning treat of cabbage (hoping the others would come running for their share) yet instead of a stampede of waddling hens all I could hear was subdued trilling and clucking from the coop.  Checked the coop video – yep, four hens huddled together nervously looking in the direction of the “raining cabbage” but obviously too afraid to leave.  Walked back and eventually “escorted them” to where Lucy was pigging out.  Made sure they all got their share of cabbage and kept an eye out all day for any sign of traditional predators.  You know, I do vaguely recall around that time (Sunday evening I believe) a Hawk taking flight from one of the Oak trees as I exited outside through the deck slider.  Perhaps the hens saw that nearby departure too?  Who knows, maybe my going outside right at that particular time saved one or two of them from a Hawk attack?

Still don’t know.  They are beginning to exit the coop in the morning a little better but they sure are nervous looking hens as they stay close together before making a run across the open driveway for cover.  Liz seems to recognize the situation as well.  She’s always been good about announcing a fly by or alerting to the “sniff” of a nearby passing skunk.  I’ll keep checking and watching because there are already far too many horror stories on the internet of how people have lost their entire flock to an opportunistic predator. (One guy tracked the trail of dismemberment all the way to the limbs of a tree where pieces of several birds were strewn about stuck in the forks of the branches.  Yuk!   Such is the nature of life huh?  Whether life and death, or domination/exploitation  by others, anything valuable requires protection.

Oh yeah….the website counter – I noticed it was malfunctioning a few days ago- don’t know what to do because I had hope this website might actually turn 1 million hits and would prefer not to loose the total count by screwing around with that “widget”..    The counter on the last website (lakedonpedro through ARHC) also got up to over 750,000+ before my portion of that site disappeared into cyber darkness.  (I had been “given” the free space for contributing to their site but the folks who ran it passed away and once the prepaid time had elapsed -PRESTO!  Everything gone except for what I had backed up on disk or hard copy.  Oh well, at least the total number counter still works.  Always something eh?

Check out the coincidence:    (Website) counting and chickens.  Kind of go together huh? Counting chickens (before they hatch)?

OK….video should be ready for viewing about now without those annoying pauses.  Someday I hope to actually have something  presented that viewers might actually enjoy and not just politely tolerate as I struggle to learn.   lol   Kids and older folks huh?  Some very strong similarities there also.  Sure doesn’t take much imagination for me to hear my Mother’s traditional response echoing around in my aging grey matter if I make any comment about my getting older ……

“young man……you don’t even know what old is yet”!

She’s right, but what the cluck – I’m not a spring chicken either.  (Had to go for it!) later!

My best to you and yours, Lew

This has been bugging me for a while.  Why did GM Pete Kampa remove from the LDPCSD website the 2014 LAFCo and District approved map illustrating the SERVICE BOUNDARY only to replace it with an antiquated and INCORRECT MAP which left the LAFCO APPROVED  LAKE SHORE RANCH 900 acre proposed subdivision annexation outside the boundary?   Heck, Kampa has been aware of this annexation for 20 years – when working here the first time.   Why repeatedly fail to disclose this information to the public at meetings during outside Merced Irrigation District Place of Use discussions?  Was he concerned such information could be interpreted as the actual motivation for those groundwater wells required to actually develop the property?   There is a reason for all this subterfuge – but what is it?

My best to you and yours, Lew

OK – SCROLL DOWN TO VIDEO – CLICK THE START TO PLAY – THEN PAUSE IT – COME BACK HERE & READ THE BELOW blah blah blah.  OK?

READY? 

SET?    

<BREAK!>

(video buffering right?….good)

Don’t know why.  Other than I was playing around with the audio mixing and had to dispose of another victim mouse.  There are traps all over the place because I am determined to return to a “rodent free environment”.  There have been many victims – but fortunately much fewer now as I discovered two more entries (the first was under the stove vent in the kitchen) – two cable runs from under the house – now neatly sealed.  Think it is doing the trick since fatalities have dropped dramatically in the house yet risen in the shop.

I still feel just a twinge of guilt when I hear that sound.  After all, they are only small creatures trying to survive the best they can.   It’s a bitter-sweet sound of simultaneous remorse and victory.   I’ll be doing something somewhere in the house and hear that unmistakable “snap!”  Liz will look up excitedly and bark – “WE GOT ONE!”  “Yes I know what it means – but where is it?” So start checking traps until discovery of the hapless creature – often with that frozen surprised look .  Poor thing’s existence comes to an abrupt end when only trying to get a bite to eat, (or feeding litter after litter of pups) all because I don’t care for them in the house.  So that makes me a bad human?  I don’t think so.  Seriously, little furry rodents scurrying around the house like they own the frigg’n thing?  When first noticing the critters I sometimes thought it was just my eyes playing tricks on me, I was tired or looking over the frame of my glasses and only believed I saw  something small and dark move across the floor.  You know, at the height of their foothold I left a bunch of groceries on the island counter and a loaf of bread the next morning had a tunnel right through the middle!  LOOKED LIKE FRIGG’N BAG OF WHITE SQUARE DONUTS!   Luckily they’re never inside the cabinets, but all around them.  Little bastards can jump at least 3 feet!   And fast?  Whoa.  Stealing, eating, contaminating various types of food then causally, though profusely, pissing and crapping all over the place?  Marking what they claim as THEIR HABITAT with potentially disease ridden stink!  FRACK ‘EM ALL if in the house or garage!     lol
OK, video should have loaded by now.  Later, Lew

My best to you and yours, Lew

VIDEO VIEWING SUGGESTION – Likely due to all the experimenting I was doing with options  – the file takes a while to load.  I suggest starting the video, pausing it, then coming back to read this drivel which will allow sufficient “buffering time”.  (That’s what it is called right?  While the file information is accumulated for playing without constant interruption by the “spinning icon”?)  At least that process works here – I don’t know about “OUT THERE IN THE REAL WORLD” with other computers.    lol.

~

Well, what can I say? This is my first true “AUDIO MIX” (other than the audio channels with the video editing program).

I know why it took so long to notice the new  fry in the pond…..they are extremely skiddish – and for good reason.   Their two parents are all that’s left of the original 101 community!  That’s right, we counted them during a pond cleaning inventory years ago.  [Lined them all up and took left to right-center photographs, measurements of height, weight, water displacement, color, distinguishing marks, started a known associates file……..]  ahh, ok, kidding about the “fish booking process” but we did remove all the fish for a good pond scrubbing.

Use an ultraviolet light now which really reduces the algae and water murkiness. But something sure got to them a few years ago.  Only took a few days.  Figured a bird since there was not one scrap, fin, bone, scale or anything left behind.  No prints in the soil.  Nothing.   Some crane or egret probably saw the pond, swooped down and stood in the middle of the pond and started scooping and eating away.  Darn.   Since then I’ve covered the pond with chicken wire and put up a shade screen cover overhead to obscure the pond from aerial surveillance of potential predators.

Every time I feed the two survivors I have tapped a three part signal on the pond to let them know food has arrived – they have finally started responding to the “code” and come out of hiding.  (They hide out in some 4″ diameter PVC pipe at the bottom of the pond.  Probably the reason they survived the attack years ago. Yup, extremely skiddish whereas before they didn’t mind observers watching them.  Sure learned from that horrible mistake.)

The other day while feeding them and tapping on the pond I observed a bunch of small fry swimming out of the pipes!     Absolutely wild.  I’ve always looked but this is the first time seeing them.  (Apparently at least two productions judging by the different sizes.)  Feel like I should be handing out little “fish stick” cigars or something.  lol  Need to get some more fish food at Wally World (of course don’t want to change anything too much right now because the environment is apparently working quite well.)

Anyway, thought I’d throw my audio creation-abomination in the mix with some poor video of the recently discovered fry.  The ultraviolet  algae sterilization fountain makes photography quite difficult with all the rippling of the water, but like my audio mix, why throw them away?  There’s always some use.

Yup, this audio track manipulation is pretty neat but I still accidentally wipe stuff out now and then and don’t know what I did wrong.  I have a number of ideas I’d like to try with this audio editing — poor viewers never get a break from my playing around with this stuff, do you?  Lol  Later!  Lew

Yes, I’m playing with the audio features again.  Harvested a good bit of firewood with more to go but giving muscles a break.  Wish I could better perform and produce material envisioned but realize everything is subject to priority and compromise, yeah?  Still learning though.    Not sure why focus sometimes goes in and out (other than when I do it on purpose).  Think it has to do with a track conflict.   Still learning.   later, Lew

My best to you and yours, Lew

VIDEO STILL FRAME BELOW

S6  Though a relatively short meeting as well, this is still a major record for me finishing all the video parts of a meeting so quickly – do not regret the new camera purchase one bit!  Rather than just an audio recording from start to finish as a baseline to fill in parts the two cameras could not cover, I now have a complete audio/video recording.  (Poor old digital cameras/batteries were really not designed for such long continuous recordings.  Likely electronic abuse.  If machines ruled now I could be in for some serious punishment.)

Just discovered the last two remaining Comet goldfish (survivors from the 101 that were apparently scooped up by a crane type bird) were able to kick out some fry a few years later!  Whole bunch of various combinations of gold, orange, red, yellow, silver, white, etc. (you get the idea).  So cool seeing the pond populated again- and yes, better protected.

Anyway – dead branches and trees beware – I am available for firewood harvesting!

MEETING IS DONE IN ONLY THREE DAYS!  WOOPeeeeeeee!  later, Lew

My best to you and yours, Lew

You must admit, Kampa puts on a pretty good show during meetings with all the expressive “body language” communication.

Check out the below “still frame” obtained during the “HOPE WE HAVE EMPLOYEES BY THEN”  statement.   Almost looks like prayer, eh?

Of course, there are other “still frames” only nanoseconds away that could easily be “interpreted differently” such as the “BOY AM I GOING TO PROFIT ON THIS….” image below.

But as we all know already …. such images can easily be taken out of context or misinterpreted due to a simple matter of perspective as the following demonstrates.

“NOT A NASAL MINING OPERATION – JUST A NOSE SCRATCH. 

MOVE ALONG FOLKS – NOTHING TO SEE HERE.”    lol

This is amazing (at least to me) I am unequivocally setting a new meeting video completion time record (of course the meeting was pretty limited as well), but still, I believe the new camera has already justified the pry bar scuffs and scars on my wallet. (Had to reluctantly “pry the money out of my wallet for the purchase”.   lol?)

Anyway, here’s the S5 meeting video offering –

My best to you and yours, Lew

S4

There is something very peculiar going on with map presentation on the CSD website.  But why?

My best to you and yours, Lew

S3

Finally got the chainsaws started yesterday and put a dent in the proposed projects.  Hope they’ll start today.

Here are some “still frame highlights” of S3 to “bait” you into viewing more…..lol

This insignificant “nose scratch” was helpful in synchronizing the two camera recording angles.   Does any viewer recall the Seinfeld episode where Jerry was scratching his nose in a taxi and a woman he was going out with was in a vehicle next to his at a stop light and became quite upset believing Jerry was “picking his nose” in public?   Perspective is everything.  lol

(Below) You know the routine….the old “bait and switch” process.  [Or in traditional street drug terms:  “the first one is free but the rest will cost you”?]  How certain contractors will begin work under an agreed upon “bait price” yet once totally involved in our district business to the point of no return and we are essentially “hooked” on their services – SURPRISE! another more expensive reimbursement plan is suddenly unveiled and established due to “unforeseen complications”.  And the typical response?   “Golly Gosh,….we’ve gone this far with them – maybe continuing forward with the new price is better that starting from scratch with another unknown company and risking the same thing happening again?”   Wait a minute here…… come to think of it…..didn’t the same thing happen with Pete’s KAMPA COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS llc original proposal?

 OK – here’s the S3 video installment –

My best to you and yours, Lew

S2

TODAY’S MEMORY TRICK:     

“GSFFTPSILDOTMIDPOUFMRWPWL11395ALWWTDHOSFI1980”

Much clearer video despite being a bit further away huh?   Audio gets a little iffy at times but if necessary (anything truly worth hearing) I might be able  to synchronize the stand alone audio recording with the meeting video? (….that has potential entertainment value for future endeavors….{sinister laughter in background}.).   Facial expressions are lost as well, but again, if something really fascinating or atypical happens I could probably insert another camera perspective (might be trouble with the different formats…really don’t know yet).   I believe these first couple of offerings went faster even though longer in length.  We’ll see as we go along.

I just cannot continue to spend so much time on each meeting – usually finishing the prior month’s meeting only a week or so before the next – that’s no way to live…. suffering through and reliving every moment of how our LOCAL PUBLIC AGENCY IS BEING INCREMENTALLY SOLD TO PRIVATE CONCERNS ONE PIECE AT A TIME – only to finish that meeting report just before the next monthly meeting production by the CSD.   Don’t misunderstand.  I believe heart and mind that what is being done is absolutely wrong and unethical on a number of levels – primarily forcing the MR WECS of the subdivision  to subsidize special benefit GROUNDWATER SUBSTITUTION service for properties outside the subdivision, which are therefore also outside the permitted PLACE OF USE for MERCED RIVER WATER per the water license…..

This all sounds familiar doesn’t it?   Like a perpetual broken record – or skipping CD –whatever – REPETITIVE!

Squeaky hinges get oil.

BUT……. I HAVE WORK TO DO!  I have dead trees I need to fall for firewood this winter, and rodent riddled irrigation lines to repair so….we’ll try this new process for a while.  The longer uploads also provide sufficient time to get some of the other stuff done while simultaneously providing longer meeting presentations.  (boo hoo hoo poor Lewie doesn’t have enough time to do what he wants…..ahhhhh.  Pitiful isn’t it?  Just plain pitiful.   But what about US VIEWERS?   VIEWERS HAVE TO TOLERATED THIS STUFF FOR EVEN LONGER PERIODS OF TIME AS WELL!)

yes, life can be so bitterly unfair —lol.

                                                  S2POSTSCRIPT.

So far – so good with the new camera.

So our water company is down to only one employee in operations?  We must now contract with third parties to run our own treatment plant and distribution operations – yet none of these (and other) horrible consequences are management’s doing?

Yes, absolutely I have compassion for Pete Kampa and what he must deal with but, at the same time am very cognizant this entire nightmare was brought about by one very clear and easily understood point:

Our surface water treatment plant (SWTP) was intentionally being turned into a GROUNDWATER SUBSTITUTION FACILITY FOR THIRD PARTY SPECIAL INTEREST LAND DEVELOPERS OUTSIDE THE MERCED IRRIGATION DISTRICT PLACE OF USE FOR MERCED RIVER WATER PER WATER LICENSE 11395 A LICENSE WITH WHICH THIS DISTRICT HAS OPERATED SINCE FORMATION IN 1980.)

it’s not that confusing….here’s an easy trick to remember the point:

Our

“SWTP”

is being changed into a

“GSFFTPSILDOTMIDPOUFMRWPWL11395ALWWTDHOSFI1980”.

(You know, little memory tricks like the one above will certainly help me recall things as I get older!)

My best to you and yours, Lew

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Yes, I’m joking.

but I’d still like to buy a vowel for $25 to solve the …..