It's vacation time!
We're on our way to Los Angeles to visit my folks, brothers and sister and all the nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles, in-laws and out-laws.
And I imagine we will be eating barbecued meats from the word "go," roasts, fried foods (and naturally, mom's chicken and homemade noodles), consuming most beverages, soft (mebbe a little hard, too) and walking our legs off taking the family on sightseeing trips.
We know we're going to have a good trip and with six of us in a car it will be anything but normal. I've estimated the younger members of the family will fight only once every five minutes.
Know what I mean?
It goes something like this.
"Ouch, now stop that."
"Splat!"
"That hurt . . . boo-hoo . . . sob . . . sob."
"Mother, make him (or her) stop it."
The king speaks: "What's going on there?"
"He (or she) hit me."
The king: "Now you stop hitting him (or her)."
Peace, brother.
Moments later.
"Splat!"
"Oh . . . sob . . . sob . . . sob."
"Ker-pow! Ker-pow! Ker-pow! Ker-pow!" (Mother Bear is not so patient.)
We are traveling via Dale Chaney's route. Dale and his family moved back to Nebraska City from a town north of Los Angeles. He's traveled it several times with his family, the last time with a truck pulling a car with a motorcycle tied on (somewhere).
It's been five years since we've visited in Los Angeles, so we are looking forward to seeing the changes made on the coast.
Louie Genoa, the North 40 forester, handed me this note:
"Clean up your Elm wood now!
"Dutch Elm disease can wipe out nearly all of our Elms in just 10 short years unless you help. The disease is spread by tiny beetles which breed in any dead or dying Elm wood. This includes broken branches in trees, stubs from improper pruning, Elm fireplace wood.
"In fact any Elm wood larger than two inches m diameter in a dead, dying or unhealthy condition is BEETLE WOOD as long as the bark is still attached. Destroying Elm wood is the most effective way to stop the beetle from spreading the disease.
"WHAT YOU MUST DO:
"Thoroughly scout your property and collect all loose pieces of Elm wood. Check especially piles of firewood and for Elm logs with bark still on them.
"Remove or have removed broken branches and stubs from Elm trees. All Elm wood must be taken to uesignated dump sites. Check with local city departments or have the material promptly removed by a commercial hauler."
It's never too late to fight Dutch Elm disease. Nebraska City has already lost a staggering number of trees.
What a strange world today.
This came in the mail the other day:
A group of physicians in New York have set up a center to reduce the cost of abortions and "the rate of complications" in abortion procedures.
Fees range from $135 to $150 on an out-patient basis for up to 11 week pregnancies and $250 to $400 for 12 to 24 week pregnancies.
Psychiatric counseling is also provided.
To Monique (my, such a pretty name) Bentzinger.
You say you are taking photography in 4-H and want some tips on how to photograph the Apollo 15 moonflight on television?
Well, little gal, you came to The Buck and he's got the answers:
First things first
The TV must be adjusted so that its contrast is slightly less than normal; the brightness control must be set so that both shadow and highlight areas of the TV image show detail, with the color at a normal level. Get close enough with your camera so that the TV image fills the viewfinder. Douse all the extra room lights (Dad's probably hollering about the lights, anyway), and any reflections on the screen. Don't use a flash because your photograph would show a blank TV screen.
To determine the best exposure for adjustable cameras, hold a light meter close to the screen so that it reads only the TV image. (Your ASA 25, 65 and 80 must be set on the light meter.) Position the meter to read equal parts of light and dark areas of the TV picture.
A typical exposure for color TV photography, using Kodak high speed Ektachrome film (Daylight) is F2.8 at 1-10th or 1-15th of a second. Your type of film is pretty close the same in photographic light measurements, but I'd suggest the higher speed Ektachrome. (If you have both types, use them and make your selection from the negatives BEFORE having color prints made.)
Whatever you do, you've got to hold the camera steady. At that pokey a shutter speed, you won't be able to hold the camera still in your hands. If you don't have a tripod, put the camera on the dining room table and send Dad out to do the chores.
With a nonadjustable camera, such as the Kodak Instamatic X-15 or X-25 camera, you can take black and white photos with high speed film such as Kodak Tri-X Pan by inserting a used flash cube to lower the shutter speed. You've got to use a little more of the brightness knob, too.
A couple of final tips. At such slow shutter speeds, take pictures of the TV subject when it is moving "toward" you, not across the screen, left to right.
Lots of luck. I'll be looking in the photo displays in the 4-H building at county fair time for a winner.