Snow (finally) in Raleigh, NC

[shaloot]

<p>Yes I know that the majority of y'all are tired of the snow, but here we finally had some of the white stuff fall and stick this past weekend! Though it wasn't enough to stick on the road, but that meant we could go out and about. Here are some shots from the day, and for those that are interested; a little more description <a href="http://peachesandcurry.wordpress.com/2010/02/16/off-track/">here</a> .<br>

I thought this was really cute of this father and daughter, they were having a good old time.<br>

<a title="Enjoying the Morning by Shaloot, on Flickr" href=" title="Enjoying the Morning by Shaloot, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2711/4363272319_3ec68c8395.jpg" alt="Enjoying the Morning" width="389" height="500" /> </a></p>

<p>These next 2 are for all you birders out there, with the 2nd one going out to our Duck man, <a href="http://jgredline.blogspot.com/">Javier</a> !<br>

<a title="Get Your Seagulls In a Row. by Shaloot, on Flickr" href=" title="Get Your Seagulls In a Row. by Shaloot, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4363269803_c0a57bf0e7.jpg" alt="Get Your Seagulls In a Row." width="439" height="500" /> </a></p>

<p><a title="Untitled by Shaloot, on Flickr" href=" title="Untitled by Shaloot, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/4363268953_545e8b87b1.jpg" alt="" width="330" height="500" /> </a></p>

<p>I like how the dog has turned to check out what I'm taking a photo of:<br>

<a title="Untitled by Shaloot, on Flickr" href=" title="Untitled by Shaloot, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2677/4364011442_7eba8c4748.jpg" alt="" width="334" height="500" /> </a></p>

<p>Here's the same dog walker off in the distance;<br>

<a title="Past the Marker by Shaloot, on Flickr" href=" title="Past the Marker by Shaloot, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/4364010334_6993f8e045.jpg" alt="Past the Marker" width="384" height="500" /> </a></p>

<p>This was taken just a few minutes after we left the first park and headed to another one. One of the things I love about NC is that the weather will usually return to beautiful blue skies pretty quickly:<br>

<a title="Snowy Bank by Shaloot, on Flickr" href=" title="Snowy Bank by Shaloot, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4364007336_d296c66c45.jpg" alt="Snowy Bank" width="416" height="500" /> </a></p>

<p>Now the tech stuff. All this shot on my trusty k10d and FA50, except for the last shot which was with my kit lens. All shot in JPEG, and the B&W was done in Aperture, using either the red or blue filter. Some cropping was done to better compose the shots, since most were done on the fly. It was iso 100 for the last photo while the others were iso 200. Now if it can just snow of the weekday so that I can get off work...</p>

[shots worth sharing]

<p>The seagull line up is great, Somanna! Too bad you didn't get a snow day out of it, though.</p>

[andrewg_ny]

<p>I love the seagull line too.</p>

[jpo3136b]

<p>Raleigh has a good distribution of parks throughout their area. It seemed like every neighborhood had its own park. Somanna, is that Shelley Lake?</p>

[jgredline]

<p>Love the first two. That sea gull image is very nicely done, but the first is a grandslam.<br>

Great shooting Somanna.</p>

[miserere_mei]

<blockquote>

<p>Yes I know that the majority of y'all are tired of the snow</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Understatement of the week.</p>

<p>I loved the seagull shot—made me laugh.</p>

[mountainvisions]

<p>The second one (seagulls) is killer from my perspective. talk about lining up your ducks!</p>

<p>Since I live in a snowless bubble, nope, not tired of it. Accounting for the 4inches we got yesterday we are 24 inches below seasonal average, a seasonal average that has been dropping for a decade. Albany averages about ~65 inches a year, we have about 28. The thing is it's not the local snow that is disconcerting, NH, VT, and NY's mountains all lack snow. It looks like November out there, and it's been plenty cold aside from the January meltout.</p>

<p>Some places are way below that percentage drop, I was at 4000ft in the Catskills 2 weeks ago, even in the leeward cols there was only 2ft tops, and that was being optimistic. There should be at least 4-5ft up that high.</p>

<p>The flip side is, it's been an ice climbers dream. Little enough snow that snowshoes are optional, cold enough that the climbs are all in, and getting to the climbs is easy.</p>

<p> </p>

[bob-c]

<p>Somanna, <br>

Very nice pics. I like the first one and the seagulls. And just for the record, I know I'm crazy, but I am not yet tired of the snow. The kids at my school are saying that another big one is coming next week. (Of course they say a lot of things to which I generally pay no attention.)</p>

[shaloot]

<p>Thanks guys! The first 2 shots were my surprise shots; as in I just lifted my camera, fired and hope it would work. I only noticed the girl's feet in mid-air in the computer and the gulls were actually all looking in different directions, and for a split second they all looked in the same way and I fired and got lucky. And after just checking the EXIF file, that split second was actually 1/800 of a second!</p>

<p>@John - Yes indeed that park was Shelley Lake! The last photo was taken at Umstead Park, Raleigh's biggest park. One of my goals this spring is to visit the other parks, esp. the Rose garden park I keep hearing about. Did you live, or do you currently live in Raleigh?</p>

[jpo3136b]

<p>I have been there before. I was taught photography when I transferred to a school in that area. It was an accident. They had just begun giving classes in basic photography; they needed more students. I was a late arrival. I was put in the class because they said so.</p>

<p>They created this photo nerd beast before you today. Blame the school system.</p>

<p>For a while, years later, I lived on Hillsboro Street, within crawling distance of some college bars. I eventually got my act together and went to college instead. They didn't have my desired major at NC State, so I had to hit the road again. </p>

<p>I used to drink coffee at a place called Cup A Joe's back when it first opened. There was a place on Hilllsboro called the Nur Deli which had a pretty good gyro (I like lamb and cucumber & dill sauce). Those bars, I think most of them were clubs; you would pay a cover, sign in, and then they would distribute the beer in either bottles or plastic cups. It was a weird practice, but it had something to do with taxation. </p>

<p>Say hello for me to the fine co-eds that come parading down the causeway from Saint Augustine's College for Women! I believe they are traditionally released upon the world at about six o'clock on Friday night. </p>

<p>Ah, good times. </p>

[jpo3136b]

<p>Raleigh was the source of two of my bottom five jobs ever: ditch digger and staple remover.</p><p>The ditch digger job was initially advertised as Cable TV Installer. Well, they had me installing cable television in all those new suburbs, alright. I found out I was hired to install the line with a trench shovel when the ditch witch couldn't cut near the utility lines. I think it was 26 inches down, seed and straw after you fill it in.</p><p>I was paid 13¢ a linear foot, but somehow had to move cubic feet of dirt. The job was so bad the illegal aliens quit. When the illegals quit the laborer's job, you have to wonder about your career moves. </p><p>The staple remover job was initially advertised as Microfiche Camera Operator. In order to process paperwork, they would take these large packets of papers and feed them into the pneumatic slot in front of a large microfiche camera. I actually got to operate one of those until the regular operator returned from break. Then, I was set to work pulling the staples from the packets. Many, many packets. A wall of packets of papers. Just me and an aluminum wedge staple remover with a plastic handle.</p><p>I thought, "There has got to be something better than this. I refuse to do this forever." It didn't look like forever was going to include any technical promotion opportunities anytime soon. I was told that because they liked me, I would get to continue working in the building with air conditioning. The rest of the staple remover crew was being sent over to an un-air conditioned warehouse. It was summertime.</p><p>It was clear: I would have to wait for somebody to die of boredom before I ever set my hands on a microfiche camera machine again. Eventually, I left town.</p><p>I did learn how to use a camera out there, though. It seemed like a nice city. They did well with the urban planning. It seemed like all of the homes had a nice stand of trees out front. There were many neighborhood parks.</p>

[bob-c]

<p>AAAh, the things we'll do for money! Sounds like a great time, John. </p>

[jpo3136b]

<p>I can laugh at it now because that part's over! Raleigh is a nice place to be. It seemed like an up and coming kind of town. Interestingly, they turned a predominantly agricultural university into one of the best places to study Genetics in the country. Also, a lot of good sculptures over at the North Carolina Museum of Art. </p>

<p>And don't forget the college girls! A good reason to move to anywhere! </p>