Knots Landing

Welcome To Tie Land

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I guess not many of us look this closely at a tie. I certainly don't even look this closely when I'm choosing them in a shop. I'm told that when I was a kid I enjoyed wearing a tie now and then - and let's not go into the number of family photographs that show me wearing one in my early years.

Then of course I went to boarding school at St Joseph's College in Darjeeling - and we wore ties every day. On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday we wore dark grey suits with our respective house ties (I was in Fallon house); on Wednesday and Saturday we wore blazers and light grey slacks with our school tie and on Sunday we wore dark blue suits with our school tie.

This shot was taken some months ago. I was just about to remove this tie when I thought I would do so with the knot intact, just to take a quick shot of the fabric.

I still wear ties every working day. But come the weekend and it's strictly Levi's and T-shirts for me.

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

The Sunday Roast

Flying The Flag For Notable Causes

This week's interview is with Katney,
who writes the blog Katney's Kaboodle.

The first of the standard questions. Why do you blog?

I started noticing blogs because, among my six very techie grown children, I have two blogging sons-- neither of whom I read much any more. (Well, to be truthful, the one rarely blogs any more--life and parenthood has caught up with him. The other writes about stuff that does not interest me much, but I check every once in a while to make sure he is still breathing.) Their blogs got me to reading others that were linked, and eventually, when our ISP started offering blogging, I signed on. I blogged about ten times in eighteen months, and that blog has disappeared (I just went to check to see if it was still there.)

I just went to read what I said about why I started again. You know, reasons change. This is what I said in my first post: "I've been visiting a couple of interesting blogs and have decided to start a new one myself. I started a blog a couple of years ago - it has a grand total of about ten entries.

Rather than resurrect that one, I decided to start anew. I think that the difference will be that I can actually find this one, and maybe anyone who might actually be interested in my musings will, too. My plan is to actually post to this one."

Well, I have continued to be able to find this one and found it fun, and some others have, too, so I go on.

What's the story behind your blog name?

This one is easy, but it will take a while. To start with, I have to explain the Katney part. Back in the dark ages we had finally gone beyond the "There is no way we will ever have a computer in this house!" through "No way no how will we ever have the Internet in this house!" We were arranging our first Internet account. Knowing nothing about how to put together an e-mail address, we assumed it was as the local representative of brigadoon dot com explained: You take the first three letters of your name and the last three letters of his name.

So we became katney at brigadoon dot com. (I spell it out this way because, while brigadoon dot com the ISP faded into the mists about six months later, right after we had paid our next quarter's connection bill BTW, the domain name has since been picked up by promoters of the musical and all that surrounds its story.) We have moved to different providers, but I have remained Katney through them all.

Now for the Kaboodle part. The spring before I started the blog I had been teaching middle school language arts. We read a book in the seventh grade class that was rich with vocabulary -- sometimes used in unique ways. One of the expressions used was that the girl had "a whole caboodle of" something. I'd never seen or heard the word used that way, but it worked for me in regards to alliteration and meaning. My blog is a whole caboodle of things.

BTW, I also have the "---Yakima Valley Daily Photo" which I started in July. The name of that one is pretty obvious except for the "---" part. That's the only way I could get the title to show over the dark corner of the picture in the header.

What is the best thing about being a blogger?

People.

I am shy. Honest! I get paranoid in crowds. Ha, you say, but honest, I do. The things that have enabled me to do some of the things that I do are Boy Scouts, quilting, and blogging. Grin -- you figure that out!

I know that I can go to almost any city and find a friend. For example, Kim from Seattle Daily Photo met me in support during the Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk in Seattle when other friends had not managed to make it as they had assured me they would. I was feeling pretty alone in a huge crowd at that point, and seeing Kim was a big boost. I had never met her before, except through the blogs. We immediately shared a huge hug.

The Internet has lots of ways to connect with people, and I think blogging is one of the best. Use it wisely. Photoblogging has also given me a fresh eye for an image. It has brought out the artist in me and take me places I might not have been inclined to go.

What key advice would you give to a newbie blogger?

Well, for starters, it helps if you can find your blog -- LOL. No, actually, it really helps if you can find the blogs of others who are models of good blogging. Bookmark those you like or do the feed thing or "following" in Blogger. Read other blogs and see what works for folks. Then do your own thing.

Comment on blogs. Most folks follow up on comments most of the time, so you will get visits. But blog for yourself. Keep your layout clean and easy to read, too. That makes a difference to me on whether I come back. Getting involved in a weekly meme gives you an impetus, too. (Is this where I get to hawk Odd Shots Monday?)

What is the most significant blog post you've ever read?

I knew this question was coming and I knew it would be the hardest of all. I don't think it possible to identify the ONE most significant blog post I have ever read. If I went around to each blogger and asked them your next question -- the most significant that they have written -- I would say that for each of the blogs I read, that that might well be the most significant post I have read.

When a blogger puts their heart and soul into a post, then that post is truly significant. When a blogger shares something that is truly precious to them, then that post is truly significant. When a blogger takes a risk in a post, then that is truly significant. When a blogger explores an experience that helped to form them into the person they are, then that is a truly significant post.

You've had a number of these kinds of posts, especially when you write about your mother. So have most bloggers, so I don't want to single them out.

What is the most significant blog post you've ever written?

It could very well be the first time I did Sunday's Psalm -- (though that means changing the "written" to "posted".) It came of a realization I had had during a prayer time that I was boxing up various facets of my life and keeping them separate. Up to that time the only other of my interests that I had incorporated regularly into my blogging were hiking and travel. Except for a couple of random posts, you wouldn't have known that I was a person of faith.

That first Sunday's Psalm was a turning point in that way, and it has become something I make sure I have prepared no matter what else is going on.



Today's Sunday Roast with Katney is the 52nd in a weekly series of interviews with bloggers from around the world.

The Cable Guy

Just Don't Get Your Wires Crossed

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Walking down Elizabeth Street in the city some weeks ago, I spotted these cable coils on the back of a tradie's ute during a smoko. Okay, I'll stop and explain the Australian slang. A "tradie" is a tradesman. A "ute" is a utility vehicle, or a pickup to most of you. And a "smoko" is (you guessed it) a smoker's break.

The sight caught my eye because of the contrasting colours of the coils, the rusty metal visible and the fact that the neat coils are completely different sizes. Maybe he just wasn't sure whether to go wi-fi or install broadband or cable.

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

Beam Me Up, Scotty

It Ain't Star Trek, But It Sure Is Private Enterprise

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Just before I stepped on a Qantas jet to Perth recently, for a family wedding, I received an interesting query from Baino. She wanted to know if I've ever been guilty of taking a lousy picture.

Yes, of course, Baino. There are some shots – not too many, thank goodness – where I think the result could have been a lot better.

But here’s the analytical reply to the question. I have never had second thoughts about composition, because I think that is instinctive. In other areas, yes, there are times when I definitely think I could have done better.

Occasionally I’ll look at a shot and think I could have produced a different result by trying a different shutter speed or selecting a different aperture.

For instance, I took this shot just before Christmas. I was in the city, in a hurry and the light was fading fast as it was close to nine o’clock at night. That’s when I spotted this bloke, looking like a cross between a Mercury astronaut and a Roswell alien. He was standing on an elevated platform, speaking through an amplified synthesiser and treating passers-by to some pretty interesting dance moves.

He was about fifty metres away from me, but since I was heading to the Bourke Street Mall, I crossed the street to get a bit closer. I fired off two quick shots without using my flash, but as you can see, I should have opted for a quicker shutter speed.

However, I never delete shots that are NQR (Not Quite Right). I leave them, like imperfect paintings, to remind myself that photography, like painting (one of my other major hobbies) is a constant learning curve.

You can always get better – and that is the bottom line for any form of creativity. In keeping with the theme of this bloke’s costume, never let improvement become an alien concept.

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

Number Cruncher

Happy Anniversary, Alaska (Love Your Colours)

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

It's not every day you get to visit a place like Alaska. When I went there for the first time in 1999, I never thought I'd be making another trip back there. It's been a huge privilege to visit the beautiful state, especially for someone like me from the Southern Hemisphere.

Since this is the first Odd Shot of the new year, I thought it would be very appropriate to salute the fiftieth anniversary of the state by publishing this photograph.

Enjoy the party, Alaska. Shall I come round and help you break the ice?

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

Off With His Head

Time To Shoulder The Responsibility

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

The more you carry a camera around, the more your brain starts to work through the viewfinder. So when I walked downriver at Southbank recently, I could see these two workers devoting their attention to the large outdoor carousel at Freshwater Place - but I only glanced at them and then flicked my gaze away to the myriad sights around me.

But as soon as I saw one of them climb a ladder and put his torso through an inspection hatch, I knew I had an unusual shot. I was still a long distance away from them, but I was lucky I had my 300 mm lens on the camera.

To me, the quality of the shot lies in simple body language. The very fact that the bloke's knees are flexed slightly and that his shoes are not entirely flat on the top rung of the ladder suggest that he is not perfectly balanced. Once you take that into account, you begin to understand why his colleague on the left has that open-mouthed look of concern.

It's the one time you wouldn't say to a bloke on a ladder, "Drop in any time".

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

Arrow Minded

So I Just Turn Right For Canada, Right?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Luckily I was in the passenger seat when we drove the Top Of The World Highway, from Dawson City in Canada, through Alaska and then back into Canada on our way to Beaver Creek. I had my cameras around my neck, ready to take shots of anything I spotted.

Then we came to a T-junction near the end of the trip (correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it was the only T-junction on the entire drive) and I figured this had to be one of the more unusual road signs I've ever seen.

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

As The Cog Crows

What Do You See In This Shot?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I'm curious, so I'd like to know what you first "saw" here. Did you see the circular, cog-like teeth in the foreground? Or was your eye drawn immediately to the centre of the frame, to the chrome pattern?

Or perhaps you initially noticed the two sets of strings, slightly left of centre and in the extreme right-hand segment of the shot?

Photography - like life - is all about perspective. This second shot, taken with a different focal length and providing a wider view of the subject, shows clearly that it is simply a set of three banjos.

Did you pick the subject immediately? Do let me know .....


(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

High Tea

You Stringing Me Along, Mister?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Some kind soul had just refilled the bowl of tea bags at work when I walked past with my camera a couple of days ago. Naturally, I had to take the shot before I got back to my desk.

I grew up in a family where tea leaves were stirred into a teapot of boiling water and tea was poured through a strainer into china teacups. But I have to confess that I have always bought tea bags, simply for convenience.

About fifteen years ago, I interviewed a member of the famous Twinings family, well known for their range of fine tea and the company that was founded three centuries ago. At the start of the interview, I mentioned that I had been to a boarding school in Darjeeling, the Himalayan town famous for its mountain views and its tea gardens.

So at the end of the interview, he said he had a question for me. Fire away, I said.

He asked me how I drank my tea. He said he was confident I drank it black, the way tea is intended to be drunk by connoisseurs.

Er, no, I confessed, I actually stir some condensed milk into my cup of tea. Being British, he was remarkably restrained in his reaction. He just raised one eyebrow. I didn't have the heart to tell him I don't use "real" loose tea leaves either.

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

Oven Wilson, I Presume

Just Get A Grip, Will Ya?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This might look like the jaws of some mutant alligator with misplaced DNA, but it's actually a simple, everyday item. Recognise it? It's just a heavy-duty plastic oven mitt. All I've done is shoot it from an unusual angle, so the sight doesn't immediately ring a bell.

Look carefully at the surface of the inner grip itself and you'll see rows of tiny protrusions all along it. Remember what normal table tennis racquets looked like before Stiga and other hi-tech companies produced the thick, smooth sandwich surfaces? Once upon a time they were thin plastic (generally green or red) and covered with these pimple-like protruberances.

Just like the oven mitt here, I guess it was all about creating grip. And service with a smile.

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

Construction Sight

Mary Poppins Is Joining Us Today, Fellas

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Sometimes you see an incongruous sight that just brings you to a dead halt. This shot was taken more than a year ago, during the middle stage of construction of the new Melbourne Recital Centre on the corner of Sturt Street here in South Melbourne.

I had just taken some shots from the roadside and I entered the site office to ask the supervisor if I could take some more photographs, when I noticed this red umbrella hanging from a hook beside the hard hats.

Now you know why we’re always encouraged to take the umbrella view.

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

Deja View

Never A Backward Glance

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This was just a random shot taken a few days ago. I had my camera in my hand because I had been photographing a variety of flowers. I still hadn't put the lens cap on when I got into the car, so I fired off four frames at random and this was the best of them.

I chose this because the lens of the camera looks so clear and you can actually see a crisp image (in the lens) of what is 180 degrees behind me, with the sky and a couple of trees standing out, even in this low-resolution version of the original.

And because I've shot this straight into my rear-view mirror, you can see that the white writing on my camera lens has been reversed. But you noticed that, didn't you?

This is an interesting shot, because I never actually wear sunglasses when I have a camera in my hand - simply because I want to see the true light conditions exactly as they are. But I generally have my sunnies on when I drive (yes, they are a huge help because of the polarising effect in bad weather) so I must have just put them as I got into the driver's seat.

I'm guessing I must have put the Ray-Bans on and then turned my attention to the camera, to put the lens cap on and put the Pentax into the case. So this is probably a very rare shot - me with a camera in my hand - and taken while I have my sunnies on.

Finally, here's a question for you. I have only ever posted one photograph of myself on my blog where my face is fully visible - which probably makes me a bit like Wilson the faceless neighbour in the hit TV show Home Improvement. There have been a couple of shadow photos, two or three reflection shots, but only one on a blog post where you can see my head and shoulders.

Do you know which post contains the photo?

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

Bring Home The Baking

I Ain't Got Nuffin', Muffin

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I was just about to put away this empty muffin tray a couple of mornings ago when I realised that the gentle light and soft shade across its coated non-stick surface was jut perfect.

Luckily I always have my camera close by, so I fired off a couple of frames. Next time you're in town, let me know and I'll bake some of my special chocolate-chip muffins. Be warned: once you've feasted on them, you'll have to come back for more.

And yes, the Authorbloglets endorse that claim. And their friends. And most important of all, so does Mrs Authorblog.

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

Shoot Happens

You Callin' Me A Son Of A Gun, Betty?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This shot was taken at Beaver Creek in the Yukon. I had actually woken up early to photograph the dawn colours on the mountains that stretch across the highway. Even before the snow started turning pink in the early morning rays, I walked around to take some shots of signage and other unusual sights.

The light wasn't the best when I took this shot, very early in the morning, but I simply had to take this shot. I didn't actually have the time to walk across to Buckshot Betty's, so maybe I'll leave that for the next time I travel to the Yukon.

I'm sure the unique name will trigger my memory.

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

Bring On The Bawdy Wenches

Arrr, Me Hearties, Make It Winches Instead

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Next time you're in Whitehorse, in the Yukon, and you go up the toughest of trails with Charlie McLaren of Shadow Lake Expeditions, you'll notice that he's not the sort of bloke who takes risks.

His SUV (what we'd call a four-wheel-drive) is equipped with everything. And I mean everything. The first shot in this post shows the neatly-wound steel cable on the winch that sits in front of his grille. It's clean. Free of encumbrances. No snags. No rust. If you're wondering about the slim line up the top of the frame, it's simply the reflection of the cable, as seen in the chrome bar above it.

Should the need arise, he's ready to use the winch and flick the switch (above) to get his vehicle out of trouble. And he's ready for anything. As you'll see from the photograph below, he's even prepared for the arrival of, er, Captain Hook.

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

Love Me, Love My Dog

Odds Are, This Is A Case Of Puppy Love

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Sometimes a photograph says it all. I took this at Moose Creek in the Yukon in late August, while we were driving from Fox Creek to Dawson City. I spent about fifteen minutes walking around and taking photographs of a variety of subjects, including an old trapper's cottage.

Then, as I was walking back to the car, I saw this tongue-in-cheek sign. The interesting thing about the Canadian sense of humour is that it has the same distinctly laconic tone as Australian humour. I'm sure the two nations are related in more ways than one.

As for the dog who gets a mention on this signpost - at least he's got a woof over his head.

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

Pistol Packin' Mama

What On Earth Triggered This Sign?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

After I'd had my passport stamped at the US border at Poker Creek, I asked permission to take a few photographs outside before we got back in our rental vehicle. This was the first shot I took.

Sorry, did I say "shot"? Consider that a Freudian slip. The only trigger I ever hit is the one on my trusty Pentax.

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

Kith And King

Which Way Now, Your Majesty?

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

The king was in his counting house, counting out his money. I saw this signpost, and thought it was quite funny. Okay, that's enough of the nursery rhymes, but you get the idea.

This shot was taken during a hike in Kluane National Park. No, there is no royal family there - this sign just points the way to two different hiking paths. Go left to King's Throne, or you can go right to Cottonwood.

Further up the track, I saw this other sign carved on the bark of a tree - and so I just had to get a shot of the message, while trying to include some of the vivid fall colour on the hillside.

There is another reason I took this shot. We had four Dutch hikers as our companions that day and I was able to point out to them that the "crown" symbol above the letter "I" actually looked exactly like the symbol in the corporate logo of KLM, the Dutch airline.

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

Handle Bard

Not Your Average Doorknob, Is It?

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

These shots were taken in Chicken, Alaska, a few days ago, as we traversed the Top Of The World Highway. The early afternoon light provided an interesting shadow against the wooden door of one of the washrooms.

Yup, that and the fact that the door handle isn't exactly one you could buy in a store.

And the handles were similar to those on the two facilities below - where the shadows they cast on the wood are strangely redolent of elk or caribou too. Just for the record, the sign on the ladies' toilet says "Hens" and the one on the right says "Roosters".

Which is kind of appropriate when you do a Chicken run.

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

Signs Of The Times

Gotta Get Me To A Gold Nugget

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I might not have the skill of a gold miner. I might not have the granite jaw of a Klondike old-timer. But I wouldn't mind picking up some gold nuggets here in the Yukon - if I could only find them.

This shot was taken in a shop window in Dawson City - looking in from the outside. I had a smile on my face because of the three signs against the glass pane, so of course I had to wander up for a closer look.

That's when I noticed the soft reflection in the glass, so I did what comes naturally. I took the photograph.

On reflection, though, I think I have really found pure 22-karat gold here in this frontier territory that I love so much. The Yukon keeps drawing me back like an international magnet. It enriches my soul.

That's gold enough for me.

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)