Please Help Stop a Deadly Killer
Please schedule an annual check-up with your physician. If you do not have a physician, find one by asking neighbors and friends.
If your doctor does not include an a1c test with your blood work, insist that he or she adds it. If they refuse, find a new doctor.
Bob Ries (say “reese”) signed up for two full days, on the third DeSoto IPT. He is 52. It was a pleasure working with him. Right off the bat, he shared his story with me. He had quit seeing a doctor for quite some time because he was feeling fine. At age 51, he began having problems with his left eye. In about a week, he lost all vision in that eye. As it turns out, and as many of you have guessed by now, Bob was an undiagnosed Type II diabetic. His a1c was over 12. He saw a doctor and in short order had his blood sugar controlled easily with diet, exercise, and a daily pill.
For the past two years I have been enjoying ice cream once or twice a week. Along with some cookies and a baked potato or two. My a1c had crept up slowly after from ten years at 5.0 (when I was on insulin) to 6.7. Meeting and working with Bob has inspired me to deal more responsibly with my blood sugar.
Coincidentally, I saw my ophthalmologist on Monday for my 9-month checkup. Macula? Perfect. My comprehensive dilated eye exam showed no retinopathy. And last but not least, the pressure in both eyes was normal with no sign of glaucoma. I have been lucky. Now I plan on being good.
If you have been remiss, give your doctor a buzz. And learn your a1c.
What’s Up?
Another tropical storm is headed toward the East Coast of Florida and is likely to become a hurricane. It was cool and breezy at ILE today. I swam twice and took a late walk on the golf course. I got lots of work done on my Event Space program. And am finalizing the letter to concerned NANPA members.
Today is Tuesday 8 November 2022. I am thinking of heading over to Circle B Bar Preserve in Lakeland in the morning. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about an. hour to prepare and makes two hundred twenty-six days in a row with a new one.
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Brand-New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, or to any prior purchases.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
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Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
Catching Up, in Reverse
Lots of Fishing But Not Much Catching
In yesterday’s “Lots of Fishing But Not Much Catching” blog post here, my favorite image was #3, the T-shot. One commenter summed up my thoughts exactly:
Milinda Nonis
November 8, 2022 at 1:52 am
I will go with No:3. Like the symmetry, the exposure, and the clouds.
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This image was also created on 3 November 2022, the wonderful fourth morning of the third DeSoto IPT. Again, while seated in six inches of water, I used the foot-pod technique (with some trepidation) with the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens Tracking: Spot S/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #8: American White Pelican — small-in-the-frame swimming with its reflection |
Blog Post to Inspire Your Compositional Creativity
In the very popular Blog Post to Inspire Your Compositional Creativity here, my very favorite image was #8, above. My runner-up was #7. I really get juiced by the ultra-low perspective images. Both #8 and #7 were made using the foot-pod technique with the wavelets lapping against the lens hood of my 400mm f/2.8 GM lens.
Adam
November 5, 2022 at 1:43 pm
Image 8 is my favorite for the composition and use of negative space. Fantastic image and perspective in all respects.
Craig Elson
November 6, 2022 at 12:19 pm
#2 and #8 for me as well Artie, and I will take #8 for top billing. The low angle, the layering, the compression of space, the exaggerated reflection of the bill and the composition all come together to create a brilliant image.
David Pugsley
November 5, 2022 at 7:53 pm
My favorites are 2 and 8. If I had to pick one Iād take 8. I believe your favorite bird in 7 is the one doing the head throw to the left.
The Jackpot Question Answers
Several folks correctly assumed that I did not like the merge of the wings of two pelicans on our right in Image #4. Somewhat ironically, several folks really liked Image #2. That was the second image in the really-bugged-me category. Why? When the bird was in the perfect position with regards to the vegetation, the pelican’s head was (and still is) turned about one degree away. I had fired a burst of about eight images at the right moment and the head angle was the same in each one. š
The Out-of-Focus Vegetation
While several folks did not like the out-of-focus vegetation in Images #1 and #2, others picked #2 as one of the two best. #1, with the pink/purple/blue water, was my third pick.
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This, the same image flopped, image was created on the computer. Image #2: Willet in flight banking to land/flopped |
Beating the Dead Horse. Is Flopped Better?
In the “Beating the Dead Horse. Is Flopped Better?” here, you were given a choice between a Willet banking from our right to left and the same image flopped with the bird flying from our left to right. I have always been a member of the it-doesn’t-matter/birds-don’t-read club, but the funny thing is, I liked Image #2, above, better.
David Pugsley
November 4, 2022 at 12:31 pm Ā· Reply Ā· Edit
I prefer #2. Likely for the simple reason that we read left to right. It just makes more sense to my conditioned brain.
I’ve Been Thinking
I’ve been thinking about rotating the image above about 15-20 degrees counter-clockwise. What do you think about having the bird more vertical in the frame?
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
I know this all too well…cause last year I actually nearly died from it.
I was feeling worn down and nauseated. Went to my doctor and she
ran my blood. My blood sugar was something like 1200. I was in icu
for a week. The doctor taking care of me told me I should’ve been in
a diabetic coma.
Now I take my shots and pills and check my blood at least 3x a day.
The big killer is soda. I kicked that and drink nothing but water.
I’m glad to be alive, thats for sure.
You might want to try lowering carbs. Insulin is a storing hormone generally will overtime cause weight gain. Makes loosing weight difficult. Lowering processed carbs and high glycemic carbs may down the road allow your doctor to lower your doses. God Bless, glad you survived that unbelievably high blood sugar. Man o’ Man!
Artie Cares how can we not love & respect that!
Youāre confusing me with your figures Artie, is it different in the US? Iāve recently been diagnosed as pre-Type 2, with blood sugar levels over 44, which is borderline. By that reckoning, 120/130ā¦. Iād be dead surely?!!
My GP advised not to buy any āspecialā diabetic food as itās just a rip off, instructed me to eat more sensibly, cutting down on carbs particularly. However, since the diagnosis, I spent 3 months at my home in Italy, working hard in the garden every day, sometimes in 40+ degree heat, drinking gallons of water, & eating very little. I returned to the UK over a stone lighter, normal BP, whereas before it was high, and far, far lower blood sugar levelsā¦.. Too easy to drift back into bad habits though, like sitting, editing photos all day and not venturing out in the rain & wind for exercise. Anyway, hence my previous response re your exercise regimeā¦. as it would seem that my āpreā condition can be rectified easily, mainly by hard work, exercise and cutting carbs, although Iāll admit to at least a couple of pizzaās and several ice creams while I was there!!
Yes, different countries use different units for blood sugar. Yes, reducing carbs and exercise is the way to go. Whatever units are used in the UK, I would strongly suggest getting a hemoglobin A1C test done by your physician. The “44” that you mentioned does not make any sense to me. What units is that in?
with love, artie
Check out BeatDiabetes.com. Or beatdiabetes on you tube. The website/videos discusses many ways to lower glucose levels/insulin levels. Has excellent tips, easy recipes for low carb eating. Discusses ways to bring down that dawn phenomenon and has many uplifting stories of folks with super high a1c levels and/or high fasting glucose readings. By the way it shouldn’t matter but he (I think his name is Dennis) is in your age group Artie. He is a man of God and wants to help as many as possible with their type 2 diabetes and prediabetes health issues. Runs in his family. Processed carbs and high sugar in our foods and drinks are slowly and then when the threshold is reached rather quickly destroying our health. Obesity and even skinny fat(fatty liver, visceral fat) have become the common occurrence in America and most other countries and developing nations. Exercise is very important yet what we eat is by far the most important. Also checkout SugarMds.com. Dr Ergin’s excellent and he has a supplement ADVANCED GLUCOSE SUPPORT that has 7 herbs or so that really help with insulin resistance and lowering blood sugars. The main ingredient is bitter melon. It mimics insulin and helps to usher glucose into the cells, where insulin resistance has caused inefficiencies in this needed cellular function. I can attest it works. God Bless and take Arties imploring and don’t put it off please.
Also, please Vote…. Of the people, by the people, for the people.
Thanks, Jeff. I will check those sites out.
with love, artie
Artie: thanks for the public service announcement. I do get blood work done once a year, including full glucose and lipid panels. As for my eyes, if it weren’t for my wonderful eye docs, I’d be functionally if not totally blind. As it is I am legal to drive without correction and correctable to 20/20 in both eyes. I really think a major reason you’re doing do well is because you are so physically active. Long may you thrive and prosper. By the way, did Bob Ries recover vision in his left eye?
David, thanks for asking. No, my doctors say the vision will not come back. Right now we are just workingon keeping the good eye healthy and managing the pain in the bad eye.
There is a home HgbA1c test available …. not too expensive and easy to do.
Thanks, Doc. Anything is way, way better than nothing when it comes to testing your blood sugar.
with love, artie
There are many low carb/keto recipes for delicious ice cream, cookies, cakes, etc. There are Facebook groups for low carb recipes and eating. Check them out. No need to not eat good just because youāre a diabetic (true for Type 1 and 2)
Thanks, Donna. Once I start on that stuff, I will begin to crave the real stuff. Hey, there is tons of wonderful low carb stuff to eat including butternut squash and guacamole. As for proteins Eat lots of range fed chopped veal chicken thighs, and fresh tuna.
with love, artie
Crikey! With all the exercise you do on a daily basis, I wouldnāt have thought the odd bun, ice cream or potato, would adversely affect your blood sugar levels? Are we talking Type 1 or 2 here?
Type 2. My biggest problem is with the dawn effect. My blood sugar is usually between 120 and 130 upon awakening. After a walk and 3-5 hours of fasting, it goes up by 30-50 points or more. But only every day. Swimming a half-mile in an 82-degree pool usually lowers my blood sugar 20-50 points. I try to do that twice a day.
with love, artie
Good luck getting Medicare to cover an A1C unless you have a prior reason to get it doneāusually an elevated fasting blood sugar will get them to cover it.
Good advice for all, Doc. I had forgotten about that much less expensive but tremendously important test.
with love, artie
Rotating the bird may make the head angle seem odd. Might change my mind after seeing it.
Thanks, Bill. You may be right.
with love, artie