Monthly Archives: February 2012

 

Tonight it happened, a new 5 Pickle scale winner, Fred’s Texas Cafe in Fort Worth, Texas had a score of 4.9!!!!  I was tempted to give it a 5!  This was one incredible burger!  Almost perfect in every way in and this once visited by Diners, Drive-ins and Dives Texas cafe lived up to it’s reputation!  The folks were great the Texas music from the Juke box was perfect for the mood, and the company was sublime!  But it was still that big 1/2 pound juicy, perfectly seasoned, killer burger that did the trick!

 

I was really hating that the best burger i ever had was in New York!!!  Thank you Lord, I can rest that title back to my beloved South!  This is the spot if you are around Fort Worth.  Now I’m told another place called Chubby’s is equal but that will have to go for another trip, but it will have to go a long way to beat this bad boy!  But being a fair guy, can’t wait to take on the challenge.  I got that great advise from a really nice couple at the next table, he said, with some authority, that it was a also a must!!!

 

Report coming one of these days!  Till then God Bless and pray for my arteries!

 

the pilgrim

 

 

I’ve been using evenings to work on the upcoming Old Car City workshop.  Jim and I have been working on new slide shows and other entertaining and educational things to do this time around.  I’m so excited about this group that is coming in for the event, we are definitely planning to play the hits!  When you prepare to teach you start to get more adventurous yourself and step out trying new things, and that leads not only to a lot of fun, but great stuff to share!  Jim and I are working on a number of really neat new ways to ramp up the fun, the learning, and the inspiration at His Light Workshops.  We will unveil some new things this time around.

 

Jim is planning to do more teaching on numerous HDR  techniques from involved to easy!  I will teach some on the vision aspect of shooting and of course we will do our great critique sessions!

 

 

Another important aspect of His Light is the great fellowship, and we plan to have a lot of tine to just be enjoying each others company.  Just sitting around and visiting is some of the best parts of our workshops.  It’s surprising how much you learn from one another in these intimate settings!

 

In prep for the upcoming event I have been stretching my wings and shooting new ways, and new styles!  Below is one of my favorites from this trip shot with the iPhone 4s and using the app, Simply HDR.

 

 

So, imaging is about expression, and if you are walking with Him, it is an expression of sheer joy!

 

I can’t wait to share that joy with our friends in Georgia!

 

the pilgrim

 

Sorry guys, I was on airplanes all day yesterday, and then had to go back to the airport, to pick up a friend, whose plane was an hour late getting into Dallas, so my head didn’t hit the pillow, till 1:00 a.m.   Spent the morning doing the usual before event running!   Tim Isaacson of Liberty University is helping me with this event so we finally slowed down at noon for a burger!  Several years ago in Houston (home of the original Pappas Burger), I had the best burger to that date!  That was before, Hut’s, Fava’s, Milt’s, and Shake Shack.  Now Pappas is a chain outfit and they are springing up all around.  Let me get the rating out of the way first, it was a 4.3 right alongside Fuddruckers.  Now that is not a bad score, but not near as high as the original in Houston that got a solid 4.7 a few years ago.  What happened?  You have to understand that when any restaurant spreads out, it has to standardize it’s way of doing things, and there in lies the rub.  A team of lawyers advise the chain on how to cook the meat, (don’t want any lawsuits), but you know my standard, medium at the most!   When scoring any burger I make sure to emphasize to the waiter/waitress medium only, PLEASE!  Sometimes they don’t hear me, sometimes they don’t tell the cook, sometimes they are not going to vary from the plan. Today they did not vary from the plan and the burger was not very juicy.

 

The fries were of the thin variety and someone got a little to cute on the seasoning, for me, for someone else they might have been just the ticket!  So if you’re in Fort Worth out near TCU and want a burger, you can’t go wrong at Pappas Burgers, you just won’t get one that will make your head swim!  In fairness very few do, but if even one place can make a killer burger, they all could!  The search goes on.

 

Tonight we will start working over at Southwestern Theological Seminary with great folks of the photojournalism seminar.  Please pray that we have more great opportunities for fellowship, this is one of the most exciting conferences I attend, spiritually!  I have high expectations!

 

I will be traveling tomorrow and Monday, but will post from St. Thomas, as long as it does not take time away from time with my bride!!

 

the pilgrim

 

Both images:  iPhone 4s, top with Simply HDR an app that costs $.99!  One click HDR, I know heresy to Jim, but easy!!!!

 

 

I leave Las Vegas tomorrow headed to Southwestern Photojournalism in Fort Worth.  I usually leave these shows wondering what I’m still doing this for!!??  Not tonight.  Today I had a very meaningful conversation with a man whose photography I greatly admire, after getting to know the man behind the camera, I admire the ” man”, even more!  We have both experienced a similar physical fate, cancer.  As we talked we agreed that we both have walked away from it, thankfully, with a new lease on life and better understanding of why we are here!  The other day on my way to the airport to start this trip, Jim Haverstock, my dear brother in the Lord, shared with me that while he hated I couldn’t retire this year, that he could see my still being at Nikon, was opening important doors to serve Him, it was a prophecy.  The last few days I’ve known that to be true, and it has been confirmed by several deeply touching conversations with people I have long prayed for.  The miracles that are happening in their lives renews my deep belief that God is holding on to us with a firm grasp.  I’ve see marriages healed, people draw closer to an understanding of their soon coming meeting with our Heavenly Father, and friends that are coming to grips with a bigger role in this world than just taking care of ourselves. Jeremy Cowart came over to share how the class he had just done was about giving back what God has blessed us with, moments later I received an excited text that our dear brother Dave Black has just shared a powerful testimony on The Grid!

 

I got to reaffirm my love for a dear couple I know that have seen a miracle in their marriage and shared a story of God’s greatness!  Wow, do you want me to go on????  O.K.  I’ve been in prayer for my friends that are coming to White, Ga for our His Light Workshop and I’m bursting with anticipation, God is really up to something, I believe in, and am expecting even more miracles!  It is the sweetest music to hear when my Father is at work in our world, changing the lives of people, opening our eyes to how much more we can be than the very little we have expected of our selves.  Please pray that my time in Fort Worth will be another bountiful harvest of praise, and souls for Him.  I serve at His pleasure, and He has rewarded me with getting to see His wonderful power, majesty, grace, love, and concern for us. When my jet takes off tomorrow I will have already been flying high for hours!

 

Tonight’s Prayer:  Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for letting me be a part of what you’re doing in the lives of so many people I love.   Thank you that You have proven that just when we think things are beyond all hope, that’s when you bring hope, peace, and your undying, saving, Love.  Tonight I recommit my heart, mind, and soul to serving you, and you alone.  Thank you Father for loving me, and accepting me as your child, while undeserved, cherished!    Until I’m standing there looking in Your eyes, I will serve You!    Amen and Amen.

 

the pilgrim