Valley of the Goblins (July 28, 2016)

I just returned from the most amazing planet. It is called the Valley of the Goblins and I really felt like I was on another planet. It is the most surreal and strange landscape I have ever experienced. It is in Utah at a state park and I stayed in a yurt in the campgrounds.

The photos below show you a selfie I took and the strange landscape in the background, as well as a yurt outside and the inside of the yurt I stayed in. When I sent this selfie to my friend Doug Haire, who is a sound artist, he called me a ‘metrosapien’ – I had to look that one up – it is slang. His wonderful website can be accessed here:

https://doughaire.com

I will post more photos of the surreal landscape as I process them. I have close-ups, medium shots, long shots as well as panoramas, and video.

I also did a lot of drawings that I have to scan and will upload soon. I was a great experience and provided a wealth of inspiration for me. I will be working with these resources for awhile. Still a little unsure of what all will become from it.

Six Spotted Tiger Beetle Mating (July 17, 2016)

I finally got a decent photo of the Six Spotted Tiger Beetle. I have seen this bug many times but they are so quick it is hard to photograph them. I love these iridescent metallic looking bugs. It wasn’t until I photographed it that I found out what it is called. I also have a photo of the bug mating but it is kinda blurry. Apparently the male rides on the back of the female for awhile so it can keep other males away. Below are the photos.

Chicken coop from an old horse tack locker (July 7, 2016)

My brother recently decided to get chickens and asked me to build a chicken coop out of an old horse tack locker that he had. He wanted to get away with the cheapest way to build this coop. I knew nothing about chickens or what they needed. So we got his old horse tack locker in a truck, we decided to lay it on its back and use the door of the locker as a roof so you could open it and get access to the eggs. Then he went out of town on business.

So I insulated the inside with blue foam and added particle board inside walls. I cut two air holes in the side and cut a hole for the door and added a door. I also cut old rubber matting he had for the floor. The photo doesn’t show it but I also cut the top of the roof and double hinged it so it would be easier to lift the roof and access the coop. The only things I had to buy was the foam insulation which was the most expensive, the particle board and two sets of hinges. The cost was about $60.  It is not pretty but should be functional and should look better once it is painted.

When my brother returned he was quite pleased – we put together some old fencing for a chicken run and will put the coop in the run. Below is the recycled coop and the fenced run.