Monday (09-September-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

It had been overcast and cool much of the day. In the late afternoon we finally got some much needed rain. Not enough, but something. The clouds started clearing from the west and I noticed sunlight coming in my bedroom window. When I looked outside I saw a double rainbow. I ran outside with the first camera I found with a wide-angle lens. Three views — a 360 degree panorama, a little planet view, and an inverse little planet/tunnel view.

Rainbow. 360 Pano View. Composite of 46 images taken with a Nikon Df camera and 19 mm f/4 PC-E lens (ISO 100, 19 mm, f/8, 1/80 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and composite created using AutoPano Giga Pro. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Rainbow. 360 Pano View. Composite of 46 images taken with a Nikon Df camera and 19 mm f/4 PC-E lens (ISO 100, 19 mm, f/8, 1/80 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and composite created using AutoPano Giga Pro. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Rainbow. Little Planet View. Composite of 46 images taken with a Nikon Df camera and 19 mm f/4 PC-E lens (ISO 100, 19 mm, f/8, 1/80 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and composite created using AutoPano Giga Pro. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Rainbow. Little Planet View. Composite of 46 images taken with a Nikon Df camera and 19 mm f/4 PC-E lens (ISO 100, 19 mm, f/8, 1/80 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and composite created using AutoPano Giga Pro. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Rainbow. 360 Tunnel View. Composite of 46 images taken with a Nikon Df camera and 19 mm f/4 PC-E lens (ISO 100, 19 mm, f/8, 1/80 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and composite created using AutoPano Giga Pro. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Rainbow. 360 Tunnel View. Composite of 46 images taken with a Nikon Df camera and 19 mm f/4 PC-E lens (ISO 100, 19 mm, f/8, 1/80 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and composite created using AutoPano Giga Pro. (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (36.4 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (35.5 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Cloudy much of the day. Still cool enough that the windows can be left open and no need to run the Geothermal HVAC. Overall a net deficit of 0.9 kWh.

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Seven-Years Ago (09-September-2012) — English Channel

Gone to see Europe. Semester at Sea. Fall 2012 Semester Voyage on the MV Explorer. Day 17: At Sea, English Channel.

Dawn and Sunrise aboard the Semester at Sea MV Explorer off the Isle of Wight.

Chalk Cliffs on the Isle of Wrght at Dawn. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V1 camera and 30-110 mm VR lens (ISO 800, 30 mm, f/4, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)
Chalk Cliffs on the Isle of Wrght at Dawn. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V1 camera and 30-110 mm VR lens (ISO 800, 30 mm, f/4, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)
Cargo Ships at Dawn on the English Channel. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 200, 24 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)
Cargo Ships at Dawn on the English Channel. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 200, 24 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)
Dawn Colors from the deck of the MV Explorer. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V1 camera and 30-110 VR lens (ISO 100, 55 mm, f/8, 1/60 sec) (David J Mathre)
Dawn Colors from the deck of the MV Explorer. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V1 camera and 30-110 VR lens (ISO 100, 55 mm, f/8, 1/60 sec) (David J Mathre)
Sun rising above the clouds from the deck of the MV Explorer. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V1 camera and 30-110 VR lens (ISO 100, 110 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec) (David J Mathre)
Sun rising above the clouds from the deck of the MV Explorer. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V1 camera and 30-110 VR lens (ISO 100, 110 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec) (David J Mathre)
Shadow Photographer. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/4.5, 1/100 sec). (David J Mathre)
Shadow Photographer. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/4.5, 1/100 sec). (David J Mathre)
Sunrise on the English Channel from the aft deck of the MV Explorer. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
Sunrise on the English Channel from the aft deck of the MV Explorer. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
Chalk Cliffs on the Isle of Wrght at Dawn. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V1 camera and 30-110 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 110 mm, f/8, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)
Chalk Cliffs on the Isle of Wrght at Dawn. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V1 camera and 30-110 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 110 mm, f/8, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)
MV Explorer and Morning Clouds. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
MV Explorer and Morning Clouds. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)

Sunday (08-September-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

A flock of small yellow birds have been feasting on the flowers and seeds in my wildflower meadows. The first two images I took from inside the house through a window of an immature Pine Warbler and an immature Goldfinch. Later on when I went out to check the back wildflower meadows I found one of the electric fences destroyed. Over 20 of the fence posts were broken near the ground the fence and wires pulled into the woods. Looks like a stampede passed through the meadow.

Immature Pine Warbler(?). Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 640, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)
Immature Pine Warbler(?). Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 640, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)
Immature Goldfinch. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 400, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)
Immature Goldfinch. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 400, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)
Southwest Wildflower Meadow Fence. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (David J Mathre)
Southwest Wildflower Meadow Fence. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (David J Mathre)
Southwest Wildflower Meadow Fence. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (David J Mathre)
Southwest Wildflower Meadow Fence. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (David J Mathre)

Daily Electric Energy Used (35.5 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (49.1 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Partly cloudy all day. Still cool enough that the windows can be left open and no need to run the Geothermal HVAC. Overall a net surplus of 13.6 kWh.

Weekly Electric Energy Used (288 kWh) and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (307 kWh) for a net surplus of 19 kWh.

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Ten-Years Ago (08-September-2009) — Alaska

Gone to See North America Road Trip. Day 18: Denali National Park, Alaska. (Day 4: Nikonians ANPAT 9).

We separated into four groups, and our group of eight rode one of the Park Service buses on the only road into the National Park. We stopped at Stony Hill Scenic Overlook to view Denali with some amazing lenticular clouds. We saw lots of animals (Dall Sheep, Red Fox, Grizzly Bear, Coyote) either on or near the road. Some so close, I had trouble focusing.

Stony Hill Scenic Overlook. Autumn Panorama of the Highway to Denali, Denali National Park, Alaska. Composite of 3 vertical images taken with a Nikon D3x and 85 mm f/2.8 TC-E lens (ISO 100, 85 mm, f/16, 1/100 sec). (David J Mathre)
Stony Hill Scenic Overlook. Autumn Panorama of the Highway to Denali. Composite of 3 vertical images taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 85 mm f/2.8 TC-E lens (ISO 100, 85 mm, f/16, 1/100 sec). (David J Mathre)


Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.


Red Fox. Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 1600, 150 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
Red Fox. Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 1600, 150 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
Grizzly Bear. Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 1600, 400 mm, f/8, 1/320 sec). (David J Mathre)
Grizzly Bear. Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 1600, 400 mm, f/8, 1/320 sec). (David J Mathre)
Coyote. Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 1600, 400 mm, f/11, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)
Coyote. Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 1600, 400 mm, f/11, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)
Coyote. Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 1100, 400 mm, f/11, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
Coyote. Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 1100, 400 mm, f/11, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
Lone Photographer Viewing Denali. Image taken with a Nikon D3 and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 1600, 80 mm, f/16, 1/250 sec). GPS Location (N63.431 W-150.304) (David J. Mathre)
Lone Photographer Viewing Denali. Image taken with a Nikon D3 and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 1600, 80 mm, f/16, 1/250 sec). GPS Location (N63.431 W-150.304) (David J. Mathre)

Saturday (07-September-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Three of the Sourland Spectacular Bicycle routes passed by my house. The Sourland Spectacular is a charity event that supports the Sourland Mountains. I put a Garmin VIRB-360 camera up on my mailbox to record the early morning riders. Unfortunately, the plug to the external battery pack fell out, so the camera only recorded an hour of activity. There were a couple of heavy dump trucks that passed by. I wouldn’t want to be a bike rider on these narrow roads with those trucks passing.

Daily Electric Energy Used (37.1 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (55.8 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Sunny in the morning, some clouds in the afternoon. Still cool enough that the windows can be left open and no need to run the Geothermal HVAC. Overall a net surplus of 18.7 kWh (almost making up for yesterday.

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