Mike's Other Pixtures #25

I was at Costco getting gas earlier this week .... and so was Santa.

He didn't look exactly like this .... but he did look like Santa.

The hat was the same, the beard was real and white, red shirt and bib overalls.

We had a nice chat and at the end of it .... I told him I always knew he was real.

He told me .... he always knew he was real too.

And there you have it .... proof positive.

Mike's Other Pixtures #24

Last year I was doing one of those "pixture a day" deals.

This is one of the shots from that series.

It was taken on a day in May in the afternoon .... so I suspect the motivation was bad weather.

Foraging for a subject, indoors, when I was ready to shoot led me to the kitchen .... and the rest is history.

Mike's Other Pixtures #23

Lots in the news this year about cycling and doping in cycling .... who cares. 

I am pretty sure that this has gone on for a very long time .... maybe even forever.

I am pretty sure that everyone who rides professionally .... does it. 

So the argument that it creates an unfair advantage and is cheating .... does not ring true with me.

The very nature of sport is "performance enhancing". 

These are not drugs and procedures that do the athlete harm .... they are things that improve their ability to perform. 

If we are going to go down that path .... then lifting weights is "performance enhancing" and should be banned too.

It's only illegal because some bureaucrat says it is .... kind of like prohibition. 

Although alcohol did become legal and I have tested it extensively .... there is absolutely no performance enhancing value it that drug.

Here is Levi Leipheimer at the start of the Pro Cycling Challenge. 

He and every other rider was aware of the many photographers along the barriers .... and went out of his way to make sure we had a chance to get the pixtures we wanted.

Not many sports, still have that kind of fan accommodation from the athletes.

So, how about we let them do their sport ....  as they think best.

And, how about we just enjoy it .... not legislate it, based on some coot's idea of right.

Mike's Other Pixtures #22

By definition, the eye of a Giraffe .... should always be far away.

You've got to love a lens .... that will let you defy that kind of obvious.

We did have a little help.

As on this day the Giraffe came right up to the fence .... then leaned out to see what we were up to.