Saturday, April 21, 2012

Ooo it's bwue, it's Bwue, it's weawwy BWUE!

Ah yes mates! How many of you can guess what actress I am paying homage to with the title of this post?

Go'an, GUESS! No hints, so there.

On to the main subject (sorta) of this post:

Blue Lake, Mt Gambier, South Oz

Yes, it's twue, it is weawwy Bwue! Not just blue, but BLUE! Don't get me wrong, I ain't some naive hick that's never seen blue water before.

I remember once crossing the Gulf Of Alaska in a 32 foot sailboat. Not a hint of breeze, bright blue sky. During the crossing there was a stretch of 5 days in a row of those clear skies and calm waters. Those of you who know the Gulf probably think I'm lying, but I'm not.

Anyways, the ocean was blue. Really BLUE! And clear. In fact one day I was watching some sharks swimming around the boat through the very clear, blue water. I'm guessing they were either salmon sharks or spiny dogfish. Either way, it was the first time I'd seen a live shark in the ocean.

But the water was clear and BLUE!

I've also seen deep lakes on clear days being a bright blue, but a slightly different shade from the deep ocean blue.

Blue Lake in Mt Gambier is blue. It is a completely different kind of blue from anything I've seen live or on a nature show on the telly. It's often described as turquoise blue. That's wrong. It's much more of a cobalt blue. Or like lapis lazuli polished jewels but without any inclusions, mottling, or veins. I've never seen water that colour before.

What's interesting is that there is another lake in the same volcanic crater that does NOT turn Blue from late November to early March as Blue Lake does. Yes, during the Aussie winter (HA!) Blue Lake waters look like any ordinary lake water colour-wise. Riddle me that, batman!

Just use Ma Google and do an image search on Blue Lake Mt Gambier. Or you could see a picture or 2 that myself or Wifey-Poo took.

We arrived as the sun was an hour or so off setting (low sun angle), it was totally overcast, and it was raining! We thought that since we had to drive around the rim of Blue Lake to get to the Blue Lake Holiday Park where we had a cottage booked for 3 nights, that we may as well pull off to an overlook and have a squizz at Blue Lake.

Keep in mind the sun was at a low angle already, it was cloudy and raining. We certainly didn't expect much in the way of blueness from the waters of Blue Lake in those conditions.

We wuz wrong! Here's our first view of the lake. No enhancing or colouring was done to this pic, I SWEAR!

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Cloudy, low light, intermittent rain. And it was still this Blue!

The next morning the clouds had lifted slightly. It was only 8:30AM so, again, low light. Yeah, this is BLUE!

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Notice the trees on the far shore are getting that "washed out colour" look and yet the lake water at the far shore is still this wonderful shade of Blue. Yeah, cool.

*********************insert sound of gears shifting****************************

Naturally, I decided that once we got back to the ole homestead I'd play around with Vue10 and see if I could perhaps come up with a 3D piece that does justice to this wonderful lake that Mother Nature provided us.

I couldn't. Well, maybe with a years' practice in Vue, shitloads more RAM (hint to Wifey-Poo), and an ecosystem module (another hint to Wifey-Poo) I might be able to. But I did come up with something rather neat at the end of an arvo.


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Dang mates, Momma Nature is soooo much more better at this than I! Maybe it's those extra few billion years of practice She's had?

And I figured that since I already had the 3D terrain made and populated with plants, that I may as well draw the camera back "just a wee bit", change the at-moose-fear a bit, and make meself a nice piece of artwork.

I'm sure you're all just all a-tingle to see the finished piece of art. Right?


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I'm pleased with it. Obviously, else I wouldn't have shown in to ya! What are your thoughts?

I'm sure that my Mom would be pleased with it as well. I imagine she'd be smiling this big:

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Yep, grew up in a trailer. But even back then Mom made sure we were surrounded by BOOKS! Notice the  chair? I was only 4 at the time but that chair was one of me favs! I remember it well mates.

More soon. Many pics from South Oz's Limestone Coast and, of course, more 3D stuff from Yours Truly.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Confibrulating Conflaburations!

And Just what the heck does that mean? I really, truly have no idea mates! Butt as that's the title of this particulate post then I suppose we are stucked with it.

Perhaps it means I have just given meself licence to ramble along points that I had no plan of traversing when I firstly started typing? Yeah.

Yup, that's me story an' I is stickin' to it mates!

Why am I like this today? No, I AM sober (sorta, butt not for long). This post has to do with Yours Truly (don't swoon ladies, I'm human!) missing both of his parents and lamenting the fact that I never had the chance to show either of them around me new stomping ground of South Oz.

Shit, why is this so hard? I shoulda been done with this post yonks ago mates. Heck, I've gots 3 different meal plans to plan and cook for this evening.

Time flies, doesn't it?

Did I tell you I have some wonderful new shoes? Yup, I luvs me me new Diadora's!

I realise that some of you won't believe me when I type you that this pic is of my dad from 1973 --or it could be 1974... my memory from then is a wee bit hazy. Yup, this is me Pappy; beard, leather hat, knife, glasses and all! Dang... I could so very well easily look like him!

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And the wonderful bloke above spawned Yours Truly! Complete with long hair, beard, and a really really really cool shirt!


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Yes, that is my traveling shirt. Get used it!

Didja'll notice that both my dad and I look at the world through rose-tinted glasses? It's true.

Speaking of glasses and optics... I was able to spot this whilst on our drive to Somewhere South Of Here:


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I'm all ears! What are YOUR thoughts?

Do you want to know what I was doing during the summer of my 4th year alive? Why, I was of course straddling the fuel tank of my mom's Triumph motorcycle whilst she zipped along the the streets of the trailer park that I grew up on which was located at the base of the Chugach Mountains off Muldoon Road!


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Yeah, my mom was a badass!

Well, I'm off to make dinner for Wifey-Poo (The Most Wonderful Woman In The Entire World), BIL (that's now DOCTOR Mike, PHD!!!!) and MIL (I still gots a mum an I'm taking care of her!!!)

Stay tuned for pictures of a Blue Lake. No really. It's like REALLY F*CKING BLUE!

Oh crud, I just noticed I've neglected to show all my 3D followers (are there any?) my latest "piece of work". I know, I've been accused of being a "piece of work" so you may dispense with the jokes.


Guarding The Mountains

Oh crud, that certainly doesn't show the exquisite detailing of the ashen claws and hands of the dragon, try this link instead as I do believe it just might be slightly larger.

No, I'm not being pretentious. Someone *cough cough Wifey-Poo* thought I should start signing my artwork. Butt please feel free to use it as wallpaper, no worries mates.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Long Vacation Is Over Mates!

Yes indeedaleedy, those whole, long, wonderful four DAYS down on the Limestone Coast sure did fly by mates! Which is of course the reason why I'm only just now starting to tell y'all abouts it!

*cough cough*

*bullshit!*

Right, well the Wifey-Poo and I have been back for 18 days so I suppose I should throw up (blarf) some pics of the trip. I would have done this sooner except for the fact that I've been very busy playing around with 3D stuff.

No you perverts, I mean 3D software! Sheesh, get your minds outta the gutter and back into the sewers where they belong.

I mean seriously mates, just how much photo-shopping do you think it takes to shove a pole up a land rover and erect the whole thing 20 feet into the air in all it's glory? No, wait... don't answer that, just lemme show ya!

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Oh heck, here it is full sized!

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But of course the time taken for that totally-not-photoshopped actual-REAL photograph was nothing compared to the time it tooked me to rocket across to Mars, land, set up base camp with all it's accouterments, and then wait patiently for months till the Martian patrol ships flew over!

What? You don't believe me? Harumph. Here's some totally NON-photoshopped proof (180 thankyouverymuch) of the Martian patrol ship:


on patrol

Whoopsie daisy! That little teeny tiny thingy-ma-bob sure doesn't cap-shore the essence of what I really saw whilst I was on Mars.

Perhaps this real photograph of a Martian ship will look just slightly more better...
on patrol

Yeah, that's what I thought too! Pretty bloody-well cool mates, eh?

Full disclosure: I didn't really go to Mars. The car rental broke down at the secret Aussie MoonBase and we had to be towed back. But I'm SURE it woulda looked just like the above, 100% original by dave -thankyouverymuch, piece of 3D artwork.

Back to the trip...

As we were nearing our destination for the first (and all) evening, we came across a field. A field with CRITTERS! And they wuz just the CUTEST critters you ever did see!

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Awwwwwwwww!

What's not to love about that! Just how can anyone not love that?

Hmmmm, I just can't remember what was on the menu for later that evening...

Lamb Chops

Yes, I'm sure I'm going to Hell... But don't worry cuz I'll keep the light on for ya mates!

And as a side note, BBQing the lamb chops over searingly hot lava from the tips of your wingclaws is THE BEST way to grill lamb!
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I know, you've already told me where I'm going (I have very explicit directions for piloting that thar handbasket too, thankyouverymuch) and that's why I'm keeping the fires warm for all me mates who come and join me!