Archive for December, 2009

40 Fathoms Grotto

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

40 Fathoms Grotto used to be a great place for training.  As the name implies it is 40 fathoms deep, or 240 ft for you landlubbers.   Located in Crystal River Florida, the facility provides a controlled environment for deep TRIMIX training.Inflatable Water Slide It’s my understanding that the facility has been purchased by a commercial diver training agency, and is no longer available to recreational divers.   This is a shame as it was one of the few training locations with the depth necessary to perform this training.

I hope they reopen to the recreational market, but in the mean time here are a few shots we took on a training trip during the renovations.

Navy Times

Friday, December 11th, 2009
F-14 Ready to Launch

F-14 Ready to Launch

In a past life, I worked as Systems Engineer and/or System Inflatable Water Slide Architect on several Navy projects. While I was not in the Navy, I did spend a lot of time aboard ship gathering requirements, training the crew and trouble shooting issues. In our down time, they did allow us to take a few pictures top side.   Obviously the aircraft and crew on the flight deck are constantly in motion.  My hats off to our hard working men and women in uniform!

A visit to Yosemite National Park

Thursday, December 10th, 2009
Yosemite

El Capitan

A few years back, my wife and I took a vacation in California. The trip started in San Diego, and included stops in San Francisco, Yosemite, and Napa Valley. We were there in the fall (September or October) which meant it was cool down in the valley, but cold up in the mountains. We drove from San Francisco up through the steep winding roads of rt 120 to the Yosemite Valley. When we arrived we had to watch the “Don’t leave food in your car” video which depicts a bear bouncy castle for sale ripping a compact car apart to get at the food.  The extent of the damage is quite amazing as one bear rips off the door and takes out the back seat to get into the trunk.  It makes the Jaws of Life look like a toy.

We spent two days touring the park walking through the redwood forest, and taking in the sites. From what we were told, spring is the best time to visit. When the snow thaws in the spring, the waterfalls are in full splendor. As it was, we were still very impressed. Majestic mountain peaks, waterfalls, crystal blue mountain lakes, salmon filled streams, and towering redwoods all added to the rugged beauty of this park.

If you get a chance to visit, I highly recommend the trip.

(Click on the photo for a slide show of Yosemite)

Archive Gallery

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

I’ve been into photography since the age of 14. I’m not saying how many years ago that was, but I did develop my own black and white film in my bedroom/darkroom. Inflatable Water Slide While I was never a professional, I have had my pictures in the local paper, and worked on the college newspaper and yearbook. When I took up diving, underwater photos were an obvious step. A few years ago, I went digital, and have lamented my stacks of negatives collecting dust.

Well, a friend was interested in selling his Film Scanner, so I finally have access to some of my better shots. I must admit, the process is not fast. First load, check for dust and scratches (I loath both now). Next name and organize the output. Finally clean up and resize for publication. The final results are worth it, as I have not broken out the photo albums for years, and now I can share them with others. Over the winter months, I’ll try to post up some of my favorites. Enjoy.