Nature's "Smoke Ring" - Wild Texas Forums: Parks, Travel & Recreation

Shannon · 07-09-2003, 02:17 AM

While doing my nightly browsing of a local news site, I ran across something you all might find as interesting as I did --

Lightning causes rare "ring cloud" over NE San Antonio today.

I am off work this week, but somehow managed to miss observing the cloud myself, otherwise I'd have photos posted as well!

Have you photographed any interesting Texas weather phenomena? If so, feel free to share here or in the "Your Photos" section.

07-09-2003, 07:27 PM

Yes I actually heard about today at dinner. My father was telling me about it but I had no clue what he was saying. So thank you for clearing things up about this unusual ring. (Twilight Zone song..)

But this is very interesting and the picture in the link is cool too!

Shannon · 07-10-2003, 12:10 AM

Glad I could help shed some light on the interesting news story. We have really had some awesome cloud formations (and sunsets!) during the past couple weeks, due to all the summer thunderstorms fueled by moisture from the Gulf.

I've been home from work this week on vacation and yesterday (Wednesday) I spent at least 40 minutes just sitting on my backyard deck watching the cumulous clouds building and dissipating, snapping photos of them periodically.

On my agenda for today, after I get some sleep, I'll be posting some cool Texas cloud photos and (finally) some of the photos from my wonderful solo camping trip to Hill Country State Natural Area (Bandera, TX). It's part of my L-O-N-G overdue WildTexas.com revitalization effort... to be honest, it's just as much a personal revitalization effort as it is one for the site. This is the stuff I live for and love to share!

07-10-2003, 02:42 PM

Yea that is very interesting. Honestly, I take pictures of the sunset almost everynight with my boyfriend's Canon A40. Very little, but gets the job done. He recently just bought the D10, so he has his own big toy. haha.. but yes I take pictures of the sunset all the time. I love it. Last night, the sunset was beautiful and the clouds were great and fluffy! haha! But I have to agree, Texas does have some beautiful sunsets. (But I haven't been out of state, so I don't know.. haha!)

Shannon · 07-10-2003, 02:52 PM

Oooh, a Canon 10D? That's my husband's newest 'toy'. I use a Canon D60 and a Canon Powershot G2 -- love both cameras!

There's been two nights recently where we wished we had hopped in the car earlier to snap sunset photos at a nearby county park that has a great sunset view. One night last week we just managed to stand, mesmerized, in our upstairs bedroom watching the sunset hues change and deepen. If we'd hopped in the car, we'd have missed the "show" so we just stood there watching from the highest vantage point we could find -- our upstairs window.

07-10-2003, 03:14 PM

That is awesome! Yea well he had to send his camera off for cleaning because a little after he got it, it got dust and dirt in it. He has been taking pictures but there has been noise in there and finally sent it off to be cleaned. He has cleaned it himself before, but he got mad this time and sent it off. But that is awesome. Yea at my house, it is low and full of trees and wilderness. The sunset looks great. But I bet from upstairs.. it looks better

schef · 07-10-2003, 03:40 PM

I saw that picture yesterday and that would be pretty strange to see first hand. The odd thing is that there is only one picture of it?? I hate to be skeptical when it comes to things like this, but why not have some follow up images somewhere? I would have filled my card if I would have seen that... but I'm sure the images just weren't publicized more than once. Very cool photo none the less.

Shannon · 07-10-2003, 09:57 PM

I know what you mean about taking a lot of shots of something unique or interesting. I spent most of today sorting through photos of a May hiking trip -- 2 days, 200 photos. What's scary is I've easily taken 100 photos on a 1-2 HOUR flight with Justin when he takes me up (we rent the aircraft).

Do you guys back up your photos to CD or to DVD? I've just started backing up to DVD, now that we recently purchased a DVD burner. Had to do it... I was trying to back up my photos from last year and gave up after burning 13 CDs and realizing I hadn't even made a dent in the total files needed to be backed up! :rolleyes:

07-10-2003, 10:53 PM

Actually I have never backed anything up, but I need to start. I am sure that Schef has since he is a computer nerd.

Also I know what you are talking about. I can take 50 pictures in about 5 minutes. It really freaks my mom out.. haha!

So how long have you been married to Justin, Wild Texas?

(Honestly, I really need to start backing things up like that. Who knows what can happen..

)

Shannon · 07-10-2003, 11:55 PM

Yikes... I'm knocking on wood right now for you, just to help ward off the evil "OHMYGOD all my data is GONE" computer demons. It's an awful feeling.

That said, I'm overdue for a full backup of important files, too. I've only recently started taking it seriously again, thus the purchase of the DVD burner. CD's are fine, too...anything is better than no backups at all!

I'll start a new thread in the general section to answer your last question, since it might generate a whole topic on its own.

schef · 07-11-2003, 08:05 AM

I haven't made a backup of my images since I got my 10D (about 3 months). So if my pc goes down I would end up losing a few thousand which would not be cool at all. I have thought about going to a DVD burner for my ultimate solution because CD's just dont cut it. But then again we may be getting rid of a couple 40GB (native, with 80 compressed) backup drives and tapes here at work and so I may have a very good alternative going. But I am just betting my pc will stay up until then. And if not, I will have to crank up my recovery software and try to pick it out piece by piece

07-11-2003, 01:25 PM

Yea I don't have the computer brains at all, so I will allow Schef to help me with that as soon as he gets his own going.. haha.. gosh I better go and check this 'other question' out.. haha