So what do you talk about on a road trip?

The usual…gossip about common acquaintances, family, food, work.

But then we got into words and (is this for real?) definitions. Shades of Craig Prosser! He and I used to cruise the byways playing word games. But Newell and me?

When do you call this a brook, a creek, or a stream? (or a river for that matter)

It all began when we were shooting at Woods Lake. There was a meandering stream…forget the name, but it was a creek. I wondered why it wasn’t called a brook. So now we have three terms that all seem to mean the same. Small flowing water.

That nibbled at our brains off and on all throughout the trip. Here are the answers, from my (antiquated) Random House Dictionary of the English Language.

Brook – a small natural stream of fresh water
Creek – a watercourse or channel in a coastal marsh
Stream – a body of water flowing to a watercourse such as a river, rivulet, or brook
River – a natural stream of water of a fairly large size flowing in a definite course or channel

Interesting, but not quite specific enough for me, so online I found this link, which made more sense.

a stream is smaller than a river, a creek is smaller than a stream but larger than a brook; stream, brook, creek, and rivulet are applied interchangeably to any small river

Finally…I have reference points and can visualize. I’m not the only one who wonders – my bout of curiousity was preceded by this blog.

Hey, that’s what it’s all about. If you mis-use the terms boat and ship around someone who knows, be prepared to be corrected. Don’t ever say you are filming (around me) if you are using a tape or tapeless camera. Be specific, know what you are writing about. Words are bullets – using the right words properly helps you target and hit your audience.

New header/again…and a bit about a friend…

The header above is from the mountain madness trip I just returned from. That blonde head and cocked ear belong to VJ Kathleen Newell. Her subject – John Voss, proprietor of the Caples Lake Resort. Kathy helps John with his blog, among others.

She’s a mountain girl and enthusiastic do-gooder and environmentalist. We are twinned opposites in many ways. I’m old, dumpy, married (very happily) and a teacher. She is younger, energetic and always looking for new mountains to climb – both literally and figuratively. We’re both survivors of 28 years each in the world of media madness. And neither of us knows how to live without a camera in hand and a laptop stashed nearby.

That trip we were on involved the “mom-mobile,” a 2003 dusty old Dodge Grand Caravan with all the rear seats taken out to hold more gear than we can to admit to. The personal bags were the least of it – I think we each took less than enough to fit into a grocery bag.

But the tech stuff – two three chip cameras (a Sony and a JVC GY-DV300), three (I think) low enders for grab shots, a Olympus Evolt 300 for stills. Two laptops, a million cables, four tripods, one monopod, reflectors…and more. And that’s traveling light. Didn’t bring the light kits or mikes (beyond a stick and her wireless). Oh – and one ice chest and enough food to last a few days. And fishing gear (hers). Camp chairs. One air mattress (I refuse to sleep on the ground any more) Sleeping bags.

Back to the van – common stuff in the back (camping stuff, bags, etc).
The van is nifty cause she could slide her passenger door open and have easy access to her goodies and I had my stuff on the driver’s side. Very fast and no confusion.

So we were organized and had fun. Part of this trip is an escape from the daily drudge. We both miss news and travel and meeting people. Me – I’m stuck in Lodi. Kathy – she is looking for new adventures, other roads to travel. But our roads occasionally diverge and we travel a short distance together. As all friends do…

Home again…

It was tempting…at around 12:30 today Newell and I were on a meandering road leading east out of Woodfords towards the Nevada desert. That damn road was sooooo tempting. We followed, got out and shot, cruised…Newell hopped out to shoot some wildflowers on a curvy section while I drove ahead, looking for a safe place to turn around. Scared a scattering of baby jackrabbits, and went back to pick her up.

And that’s when she uttered those deadly words….”Time to head home.”

Not that she wanted to, mind you. That road pulled her too. But we are adults and running away on the open road is not something you do when you have family and other obligations. Chowing down for lunch at the KirckwoodKirkwood Inn, we came to the conclusion that having spent out lives on the road searching for stories, an open road is a siren call to us. Oh so hard to resist.

So for your consideration…a few shots of our mini-getaway.

The lake is full again thanks to heavy late spring rains.

Looking west towards the Sierra Nevada peaks on Highway 88

Looking back towards the Sierra Nevada on a road east of Woodfords, CA

Knarled old tree near cattle range

The store at Caples Lake Resort

High times in the high Sierra…

Cyndy at Carson Pass on Hiway 88 (courtesy Kathleen Newell)

Kathy Newell at Carson Pass on Hiway 88

And this is what Newell was shooting when I shot her.

Buddy Kathy Newell and I just spend four hours wandering the woods and videotaping nature at its most pristine.

She took the high road and hiked up the Woods Lake Trail while I took and low road and hung out near the stream and lake.

Then we headed to Carson Pass and decided – what the heck – let’s get some serious shots of each other to post on our blogs and other sites. So we grabbed her Olympus Evolt 300 and started shooting away. Our favorite picks are above.

No one can shoot me quite like Newell. All the shots my family takes make me look old…but Newell does some magic and I look – more like I like to think I look. Thanks for the photos.

Tonight we act as cooks for the Caples Lake staff…owner John Voss and crew are heading our way around 8pm for grilled brats wrapped in bacon stuffed with cherries (courtesy Newell) and cole slaw and cheese pie (courtesy yours truly). Then stay up to watch the stars and moonrise with some favorite libations and then off to our cabin. As the shortie, I claimed the futon. With all the running around, sleep should come easy.

Thank you Amanda Emily…

…for stating the obvious. The Internet abounds in contests and other such opportunities to make a name for yourself. And that is about all you get for entering…a few moments of fleeting fame, a handshake, and whatever you created belongs to someone else.

Take a read of this posting the articulate Amanda wrote. And her target is none less than Microsoft.

Let me think here…aren’t they one of the biggest, richest……

100 best sites for J-students…

Got some incoming hits from a new site this morning and when I checked my email, it was revealed. A site called Learn-gasm, part of this site, made up a list of what are supposed to be the 100 best sites for journalism students to keep up with trends and learn. Somehow I made (the very end) of the list. Wow.

If you’re interested take a gander here. There are some old friends and some interesting sites I plan to look into.

Gonna be offline for a few days. Buddy Newell and I head for the hills early tomorrow to catch some fresh air, fresh views, and some yummy (over the campfire) home-made cooking!

And here’s what the studio looks like!

Got the anchor desk hauled into the studio this weekend (love you Ron and Lexi for working in 100+ degree heat to haul that monolith) and went in this morning to snap some shots.

If you want a closer view, just click on the individual photos.

1K Arri mounted in light grid

More musings from Mrs. Green’s videots

2009 San Francisco 48HFP

View from control room to studio

Store fixture transformed into TV anchor desk

My videots are poets

Hole in the wall!!

Word of explanation – for the past three years I’ve taught broadcasting in “almost a studio.” It had the configuration, but I was also teaching English – which mean more than half of the room had desks, blocking off any ability to really do studio work. This year my English class is moving to another room, so the studio for the first time is dedicated to what it was meant for.

This past year the light grid was installed – and there it sat. I don’t have a variety of lights – just three 1K Arris, two of which were mounted by Theater Manager Brian Harrower last week. Big improvement – we can use the controls to light up and dim down AND no more potential disasters waiting to happen with power cords running all over the room.

My buddy Kathy Newell pointed out that TV station controls rooms do NOT look out over the studio…many times they are located elsewhere in the building. The response is – hey, I’m a teacher and have to maintain a visual on the kids. Besides, it kinda looks neat.

The anchor desk – formerly known as a store fixture – bought from the local Gottshalks, which is going out of business. Five by five foot platform with a four foot high desk. Just enough room for two anchors. It will be painted (most likely a neutral grey) before school starts. Oh – it has wheels, so we can roll it to any location we want in studio.

The hole in the wall!! I’m still excited about it. Just some corrogated plastic pipe and a couple of toilet mount fixtures. About five inches wide (I think). Mounted right below my monitors in the control room.

And the student comments and 48HFP (48 Hour Film Project) musings on the board…this is what happens when students are no longer learners but part of a team under deadline. I didn’t even really see these until I returned to the classroom the Monday after the event. Made me want to cry….

Digital Video Camp/take 2…

All scenes are reduced to both Quicktime and .avi files. The movie is edited (meaning cleaned up) and I’m adding music today. Will burn DVDs tonight and most likely mail out Tuesday or Wednesday…the latter at the latest since I’m going camping Wednesday.

Hope your summer is going great!

It’s not just a Christian thing…

A large part of my philosophy of life is to give back once you have taken. Along your road of life many people will help you. Some of you will receive more help than others, while those others may not receive much at all. But the amount isn’t what matters. What matters is passing on – giving back – giving to people you may never meet or perhaps even realize you’ve helped.

Lately at my husband’s church (we have very different, yet in some ways very entwined religious spiritual philosophies) there has been a handout in the program for something called “S-O-S.” Short for “Seek or Serve.”

There are two simple parts to the website. Are you seeking help or can you serve by giving help. And the help ranges from material things to services to visits to simple prayers.

On the printed version before me people are offering drum lessons (something they can do that no one else can), mattresses, a freezer, prayer, clothing, errands run, transportation, dog sitting, and much more.

The “want” list is surprisingly short. One urgent request for toddler bed sheets, visitation for a mother and child, help with outdoor work, transportation, bible on tape or cd, furniture.

Kind of gratifying to see that more is offered that wanted…and somehow the two come together, take a gander at each other, agree on a trade and walk away with both sides feeling as if they’ve won.

Truth be told – both sides ARE winners. The side giving wins because they have a memory they can look back at, knowing they’ve done the right thing. The side receiving wins because their life is made easier by the gift they’ve received AND they will return the gift by passing along gifts of their own to others.

Simple choices. Both right.

Oh yeah…the VJ tie-in? Journalism (to me) is more than a job. A true journalist serves their community by covering meaningful events and explaining issues so that the public/audience has a better understanding of the community. Journalists are both givers and takers. They take from individuals, organizations, everyone…and give back to everyone. If you’re in it for fame, for money…you need to rethink YOUR philosophy.

Imagine a digital Ansel Adams…

Lemming (public domain)

Just joined the digital generation…have the feeling I’ve been lagging behind lately. Now on facebook and was viewing a video buddy Kathy Newell posted on her facebook. Views of Half Dome at dusk.

Got me to wondering what Ansel Adams would be producing had he been of this generation. The man who wandered the West looking for haunting images which he froze for time in silver halide.

Would HE have a facebook or a twitter account? Would HE reveal his moment by moment activities and thoughts to the world?

And another icon – personal favorite: W. Eugene Smith. A man tormented by war injuries and a commitment to social justice…who literally lived with his subjects as he photographed them. How would HE fit into today’s narcacistic society? Would he break for a second from documenting mercury poisoning in a small village in Japan to tweet his followers – “Hey, got the greatest shot ever…”?

Is there a Dorthea Lange out there right now setting up a blog, snapping with her new iPhone, prepared to tell the world of new injustices?

Probably. But they may never be known. What made each of the above unique – memorable – is that they were explorers, passionate…but most of all, first and standing alone in a field doing what no one else had done in quite the same way. When you do it alone and break ground, you are remarkable. When you do it simultaneously with a million others, you are part of a pack. And its getting harder and harder to be unique as the size of the pack explodes.

Can you say “lemmings”?