Upgrades

Six years Is What In Computer Age? Like "dog years", a six year old CPU is really more like what? 50 years old? 100 years old? I'm not a computer guy, but I think it probably is something like that. To give you an idea of what I'm driving at here, I've had this computer longer than I've blogged! Yep! Something like six or seven years going now.

Well, things kept getting wonkier and wonkier with regards to how things have been, (or more correctly- have not been), working. So, after my photo editor upchucked yesterday, I threw down for a new CPU. I picked it up already, but the actual install won't happen for a few days now. You shouldn't notice anything, except maybe that I'll be less grumpy because things are going faster on my end!

Speaking of Photo Editors.... I had to do something temporary to get by with regards to editing photos. Before this, I only did the very basic tasks of white balance and re-sizing. I didn't want to delve into......all that other schtuff! Well, the new download had some things that you could play with easily, and they were non-destructive, and well.......yeah. I spent most of the day doofing around with photos. It is pretty fun, and believe me- I am a total rank amateur, late to the party, don't bother looking at my photos photographer. (If I could even dare call myself a photographer! Apologies to all the"real" photogs that might be reading this.) So....after all of that, here are some examples of my experimentations. I have absolutely zero clue as to what it is I am doing, so I am probably breaking every cardinal rule of photography there is. Anywho....

Green Belt Lake, Waterloo, Iowa

Random Birdhouse In The Woods

And just to keep it on track here- A shot of the head tube junction on the Fisher Collection Sawyer.

A Quick Note On The Sawyer: Okay, this is a bike you either love or hate. Cruiser style bikes either take you to "that certain place", or leave you scratching your head wondering, "Why?" I happen to like the style myself, and with just one look at the Sawyer, I said, "Oh yeah!" They nailed the lines on that thing.

See, to my mind, you can make a cruiser inspired mtb easily enough, but it is quite another thing to get the lines "just so", and the proportions of those curving tubes in relationship to each other "just right". Many try, not too many succeed in getting it "right". Curtis Inglis of Retrotec gets it. The Mountain Goat FKR is right on, (and since Ingliss makes them, it's no wonder!). Coconino Cycles Steve Garro does a cruiser justice. Hunter Cycles gets it right. The old OX Brand cruiser is cool. The old Cooks Brothers cruiser was spot on. Don McClung and Tony Pereira do a similar, masterful style of cruiser.

That's the list folks. Gary Fisher Collection's Sawyer is in some stellar company here, because to my mind, it is possibly the best looking of all of these, and certainly the best production cruiser mtb ever produced in mass quantities. Yes- I said best ever. That's in looks only, but after a few rides I can tell you there is some substance to this bike. It ain't all looks!

That's it for now on that. Look for more "arty" images here now though. I'm afraid I've been sucked in deeper!