A bunch of Dallas photographers have been taking pictures of all the buildings on Ft. Worth Ave. One day it will all be different and the Association wants a record. I had pretty crap buildings on my stretch so I took some time today to shoot the Mission Motel, which is awesome.
I shot it using a pano-rig and made four rows of 19 images totaling 76 images. The file is a TIFF of 1.5GB. If it was printed at 300DPI it would be 12′ x 3′. Here the whole image – shrunk of course and a 100% crop of a detail area just to the right of the cedar.
So I’ve wanted to have a radio-controlled helicopter ever since DC Comics’ General Jumbo! He controlled his miniature army/air-force from a controller on his sleeve. This was back in 1965! Alas it was not to be until I was well into middle age.
In the last few years there has been a spurt in the popularity of RC Helicopters thanks to new battery & electric motor technology. No longer does cranking nitro motors add another level of difficulty to the dark art. Li-po batteries can keep even large heli’s in the air for over ten minutes.
I have a fixed pitch MSR Blade that is an incredible exercise in miniaturization. On one circuit board are solenoids, gyros, electronic speed control and all the other gubbings that keep a 1oz. machine in the air!
Downside – repairs. I have yet to go over one hour without ALL of my fleet of four choppers being out of action. I came by a Blade 400 in a sweet deal and am restoring it. However I know that without due care & attention it will be a basket case within seconds. Such is the tragic life of le pilote d’hélicoptère…
So we were going to build a small cabin in the back yard for me to use as an office, but it just started getting financially too much plus we have to contend with an Historic Preservation Order that stops you (quite rightly) from going mad. Not that I would have done anything ‘not fitting’, but the paperwork etc…
However we have a separate garage that actually is in its own plat and is not in the Historic area! Hurrah! It is an old three car garage from when cars must have been Model T size as each bay is pretty small. I am going to re-roof it and then take one of the bays and replace the garage door with siding and a regular door and window. Should end up with a space about 15′ x 20′.
Sadly it has a dirt floor so also have to pour a floor and then get electrical service! Starts to add up again. The first quote I got for putting in a panel, mast etc was $3,500! How funny. So I search for the cheap electrician – I reckon it’s a $1,200 job max. I wonder if I can even do it myself and then have the electrician do the actual electrical bits?
The garage is is a triangular lot – think isosceles, with it being parallel to the shortest side. Behind it is about eight feet of trashed out dirt next to the neghbours fence. I fancy a small patio/garden back there as it is quite shady. First things first though – electrical.
