The Brown Knowser

As the end of 2019 draws near, I have been preparing my annual year-end blog post of my favourite photos that I've taken over the year, and this year has been pretty light. While I carry my D-SLR almost everywhere I go, I haven't actually pulled it out of its bag as often as I have in previous years. And when I've used it, instead of taking the files off the camera and processing them as soon as I can, I've let them sit on the data card. And, by the time I get around to importing them onto my computer, I just stash them in a file and barely look at them. That's going to have to change in 2020. More times than not, even though my camera bag is slung over my shoulder, I've opted to use my smartphone to capture the images. Even though the quality of most images isn't as good as my Nikon D7200, it's a lot faster to use if I plan to share the images on social media. While I've been using Snapseed for many years, I'm always on the lookout for ...

Once again, I'm trying something new. For those of you who have been following The Brown Knowser over the years, you've likely read my Beer O'Clock reviews here and on its own blog site . A few years ago, I attempted my first video beer review, and judging by the scant viewership, most of you found the 19 minutes a bit long to take. I get you. I haven't watched that video since I first made it. I've wanted to make more videos of reviews, but I didn't want to make them long. I wanted to keep the video under five minutes, but even that seemed long. Yesterday, I wondered if I could keep a video review to 60 seconds, and so I wrote out a short script and timed myself. And sure, I can do it, if I simply want to speak and I don't intend to do anything with the beer. And so I then challenged myself to a 90-second video review, and gave myself some time to open the can of beer, pour it, smell it, taste it, and give my overall impression. With a little bi...

DW and I were talking about death, the other week, as couples do (what... you don't?), and we were remarking at the fact that we haven't updated our wills since our kids were in diapers. Because DW is still working out her father's estate, wills are foremost on her mind. Back in the late '60s, DW's parents had the forethought to purchase their own plots at a cemetery, on the outskirts of town, and they purchased extra room for their offspring and any partners, as well. As we laid her dad to rest, next to his wife of more than 60 years, I muttered to DW, "I don't want to be buried here." It was not meant as a slight against her parents: I loved DW's folks, who had been nothing short of kind and loving towards me, as though I was one of their own. My desire to be placed in the ground in a coffin or urn just didn't have its appeal for me. I didn't need to have a marker, with my name printed on it, to be a constant reminder of where my rema...

It was nice to get outdoors during my lunch break, yesterday, to enjoy the fresh, crisp air on the day of the first snow. Though autumn is not done, winter isn't far away. Happy Friday!