I'm just sitting here having finished a work project that I was up most of the night for, and I'm trying to calm/wind down with some Pink Floyd. I may try to get a little sleep before I plunge ahead with the next item(s) on my to-do list. Sundays are always so busy!

I've got some fun announcements regarding the MOD meet taking place next month in Minneapolis, Minnesota. First, it looks like CAR is going to set up a Skype call and I will do a chat remotely. This is because, sadly, it doesn't look like there is any way I can get there to attend the event in person. So we figured that Skype would be the next best thing! I figure I'll say howdy, and some of my critters can say howdy (as well as confuse the heck out of anyone who has not been watching my VacaChats!). And the second major announcement for me is that I have actually pulled the pens and brushes out, and I am bringing out some new comic strips: "Laughing Outside the Box 2015" This is my tribute to Berke Breathed, who has come out with "Bloom County 2015," because I figured if he can come out of semi-retirement, so can I! Now unfortunately, he can make a living at his, whereas I have to fit mine around work projects. So while he is able to do a daily strip, I've only managed to get one done so far! (Which I am hoping can be slotted into the newsletter here somewhere.)

The subject matter, for the time being, will revolve around Whisper, the adopted barn owl for the International MOD Meet. I am going to follow his travels as he heads to the MOD Meet. This in spite of the fact that he is not actually going to be at the meet because of his delicate health (but they will be showing other raptors). So I'm taking a bit of artistic license here.

So we'll see how well I can keep up with it. I was shooting to come out with a strip every couple of days, but I'm already behind in that regard.

Some fun stuff on the photography front. I got the developed film back from the gifted cameras, and unfortunately both rolls were completely blank. So what that means is that I now have some nice practice film with which to practice loading my developing tank. Yes, I am determined to do it--I want to try developing some B&W film. The last time I did so was around the year 1978, so it will be interesting to see how much of it comes back to me. Now I'm just talking developing the negatives, but not the second step which is to make photographic prints. That's a whole other deal, and generally requires an enlarger (which I no longer have). So I'm just going to develop the film into negatives and then scan them. I've got a couple of tolls of 120 film for the Twin Lens Reflex, so all I need now are some chemicals.

It would be interesting, because it would complete a full-circle journey. I went from snapping pictures on an old Brownie camera, developing the film, then to 35mm SLR photography and shooting in color--to paid processing. I never crossed that threshold of developing color negative film...it is a whole order of magnitude more difficult. Many years of shooting film on point&shoot cameras and paying to have it made into prints, and then the gradual move to digital. Then to the DSLR digital stage. And now it looks like I'll be returning to film and developing it myself! I'll still be doing DSLR as my main photography--the B&W with the TLR is just for the sake of fun and nostalgia. Though it should be interesting to see the difference between the digital and the medium format film. B&W photography just has a look in film that cannot be matched in the digital world. So I look forward to being able to experiment in both realms.

I actually spent some time last night on the couch with my eyes closed practicing loading the 120 film onto the reel of the developing tank. After a couple of tries, I had it down. It was amazing to me that it had been nearly 40 years since my fingers last felt their way over those plastic bumps and ridges, but it seemed to come back pretty quickly!

Well, it is time to start looking at the old to-do list again and start hacking away at it. So until next week, enjoy the rest of your weekend, and we'll talk with ya later!