Hunters Not Allowed

Holy Cow (in this case Bull) Batman. I really, really, really wish I had taken a photograph this MONSTER in the wild not on an ELK farm this week. I have a hard time admitting that I shot this at an ELK farm in Rupert, Idaho. Even thought about figuring out a way to cut out the Bull and put him in a wildlife photograph setting. No Guts No Glory? He's still the next to the biggest I have ever seen. Wild or not!

Maverik Truck....work?

Golly I was asked to photograph one of our trucks.  I had to think about this...for about a second.  Everything was going well until the jet flew through the photo.  I am sure someone out there can fix the con-trail.  It was a fun night.  Fun people and great light!  

Post I used a 9 frame HDR at 1/3 stop increments.  Made no adjustments in the tone map.  

Maverik

Another fine addition to the Maverik line up.  Next Store #200! Thanks to Kelly the Project Manager!  And Penny the store opening GURU!  Oh and thanks for the decent weather and good light!   

No more than 5% passing........

My job.  Drive three and a half hours to a job site in Eastern Utah.  This days project at least 5 hours behind schedule.  Four - twelve thousand gallon tanks waiting to be installed first thing in the morning.  A 42 x 42 foot hole 14 feet deep just finished being excavated.  As I arrive I notice a slight problem with 500 tons of gravel that appears to not meet the specifications as set forth during the project bid.  

My Job.  Stop the work!  I'm the bad guy sometimes on these jobs.  In todays construction  market many contractors are looking for every opportunity to cut costs.  One of my responsibilities is to insure that we get the minimum specified during the bidding process.  The material that is bedded around four - twelve thousand gallon tanks full of gas and diesel is defined very specifically by standard testing procedures.    If the material does not meet or exceed the minimum specification  there is a potential for a failure of the tanks.  That is the reason for the same specification being called out by the Tank Manufacturer.  

The specification.  No more than 5% can pass through a #8 sieve.  Tonight in Naples the material appears to have a much greater than 5% amount that could pass through a #8 sieve.  

Stop the work.

I gave a quick lesson on how to collect samples for testing tonight.  Called the tester out from under the Lakers Game.  Sometime tonight we will get the test results.  My bet is that the material does not pass the TEST.  

The photo above is a Rock Shooter shooting the pea gravel into the excavation.    The lighting was backlit.  The material that does pass through a #8 sieve can be seen as dust in the photo.  Not wildlife.  Not A scenic.  Not even a new assignment.  I thought you might find it interesting....and I couldn't sneak away from the job site get in some photography.  

 

Ten Years!!!!!!

What a wonderful surprise today to have my friends and associates at Maverik take me to lunch for my 10 year anniversary at Maverik.  Dan Murray the great "Pooh Bah" of the Real Estate Department organized the little get together.  I really appreciated it!  Today an individual asked me how many stores I have built in the last 10 years.  I honestly do not remember.  What I do remember is the good times....

• Always observing the ongoing loss of Dan's memory (hee hee).  
  
• The fair and supportive management style of Dan.
• The always supportive nature of the Call Family (the owners).
• Decent compensation (1/2 of Dan's)
• Many hours on the road enjoying new scenery and environments.
• Making a lot of new friends and learning from them (even the older ones..Kelly).
• Laughing at myself (not  too much).
• Laughing at others (often).
• Photographing often!
• Having a real time radar at my side (Penny).
• Challenges, everyday but not insurmountable.

God has seen fit to allow me to have a wonerful job, great eyesight, reasonably good health, a somewhat positive outlook on life but most importantly a beautiful, loving and extremely supportive wife. 

I look forward to another 10 years of working then speeding off to the next photograph!