Hello again, everyone. I thought it might be good to update you all on how this all worked out — for those who care…
Yesterday was the last day for Howard County GTV as a government operation. We all turned in our keys, locked the doors, and walked away, off to the new phases of our lives. All but a couple of the staff members have new jobs.
I landed at HCCTV, the Howard Community College cable operation, in support of what’s left of the government operation. However, in the long run, it appears that will be the least of my responsibilities. I will, of course, be directing live broadcasts of the various Council meetings and press conferences and such. But, in addition, I’ll be assisting with new equipment specifications and all phases of production for the college’s productions as well. What’s really exciting is that this will be a truly state-of-the-art facility — fully digital, and with hi def growth potential.
My first projects include coordinating the move of the GTV master control plant with Comcast and Verizon to limit station down-time; design of the integrated ProTools audio-for-video production environment; and the design of a pair of three-camera, two-operator remote production flypacks. I have no clue what I’m going to do my second week. Just joking, but, these little projects do have to be done pretty quickly, as we only have limited time to spend the money!
The little issues I spoke of yesterday are well on the way to being resolved, too. So, my first day at the new job worked out to be quite a good one.
Today was the day … the last day for GTV. The lights at the station were turned out for the last time, and we all turned in our keys and walked away.
Tomorrow, I start a new position at Howard Community College, doing much the same as I was at GTV, with the added benefit that I’m officially full-time with full benefits. And, I’m excited at the opportunity to learn and grow in a new, cutting-edge environment. The catch (there’s always a catch) is that it’s a grant-funded contract position, and the grantor is none other than the Howard County Government, and that aspect (along with a couple of last-minute developments) lends some trepidation to the venture.
Okay, I know. Really crappy, badly backlit picture, I know. But the only camera I had within quick, easy reach was my iPhone.
The point is, if Kiah the bird, and Darjha the cat can both happily relax on Donna at the same time, why can’t the supposedly "enlightened" and "intelligent" humans get along?
Moments after this, Kiah fluttered over to my shoulder, then back towards Donna, but tried to land on Darjha. Darjha’s, who’s still afraid of Kiah, is not quite sure what happened.
Instead of shooting stills today, I thought I’d shoot some video at Wilde Lake. The video camera allowed me to capture some antics that I’d never have been able to with the still camera.
Click the little triangle to play the clip.
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Today found us at Wilde Lake again. Gee, there’s a surprise, huh? While there, we ran into friends Michael, Lisa and Bob, and Warren and his wife. We had a great time, taking pictures and talking about the wildlife surrounding the lake.
We got all the usual (and some unusual) shots of the Great Blue Herons and ducks. But, what was really exciting was photographing this pair of Baltimore Orioles. First, these are little birds, and I’ve actually managed reasonably clear pictures of them. But, even more exciting is that is appears that their little babies hatched today! We weren’t entirely sure while we were there, but, upon inspection of the photos, there was definitely feeding action going on! Unfortunately, I couldn’t get any good shots of the feeding itself — there’re too many leaves between the nest and the ground.
The more time we spend around Wilde Lake, the more we’re convinced that’s where we want to move, but not just for the lake and its wildlife. The people who visit the area, be they residents or folks just dropping by from other areas, are far more friendly than at the other area lakes. Moving there certainly won’t be cheap, and we’ll have to make many sacrifices to do it, but it sure will be worthwhile.
Donna and I went to a Wilde Lake Village Board meeting this evening (even though we don’t live in Wilde Lake), at which there was a lengthy, if not incomplete, discussion of changes to the lake to better manage silt, etc. Several residents are adamant that a portion of the plan would include removal of the small island that has formed at the northwest end of the lake — basically, this bird’s home. These residents’ attitude is “nature be damned, I want my lake view.”
While I know that at least one member of the village board knows and loves the wildlife of the lake, it’s important that other voices are heard on this issue. Of course, we should all be for preservation of the lake, but there needs to be a balanced approach that encourages saving the wild life.
Postal rates go up again tomorrow. I understand that part of the issue is that the cost of fuel is through the roof. But, the PO is still complaining that e-mail has eroded their business and driven up their cost per letter. This comes from the same hypocrites that gave away CD ROMS for the world’s largest ISP in every one of their lobbies.
"Here’s your sign!" (With apologies to Bill Engvall)
We took a walk around Wilde Lake tonight. Unfortunately, we got there a little late for photographs, although I did manage to snag a couple of good ones of this Great Blue Heron. He posed fairly well for us for a while, and then got tired of us and went off to find some dinner.
Even if it wasn’t a great night for photography, we did get to see a few neat things — a pair of Baltimore Orioles, a mama duck with some really tiny ducklings, a couple of sand pipers and a few duck squabbles — and talked to some really nice folks as we walked.
It’s interesting to me that the Wilde Lake area really seems more like a community than other parts of Columbia. It’s as if James Rouse’s dream is still alive and well there.
Once upon a time, before the Interstate Highway System, our nation’s roadways were dotted with something called "motor courts" — the forerunner of our modern hotels and motels. Most were family-owned and operated, and the layout was pretty much the same — a U-shaped, single-story building with the rooms (which consisted of a single bedroom and a bathroom), and a separate building with an office and restaurant. Some motor courts had separate buildings for each room.
With the advent of the interstates, motor courts have been largely by-passed, and many, like the one shown here, have gone out of business, replaced by multi-floor chain hotels with fancy meeting rooms and glitzy bars. The motor courts that still survive often now have full time residents living in their rooms, or, the motel portion is closed in favor of the more lucrative restaurant portion of the business.
Today was the day … the last day for GTV. The lights at the station were turned out for the last time, and we all turned in our keys and walked away.
