Steven Helmer Publications

In addition to plenty of nature photos, I spent part of my birthday hike at Horicon Marsh with my camera practicing some posed photography with my wife as well. I had a little trouble with the varying sunlight but managed to get some that were useable. Here are some of those. Model: Cynthia Helmer

It's my birthday today and, since my wife and I didn't need to be at work, but the kids were stuck in classes, we spent part of the day at Horicon Marsh. Here are some of the photos I took:

 My thoughts from the Green Bay Packers' 34-20 loss at home against the Detroit Lions last night. Dan Campbell deserves a lot of credit for turning the Lions around. The Lions had been a laughingstock for around three decades and Campbell has turned that around in the short time he has been coach. He is energetic and aggressive, something that rubs off on his players and it feels like this team will be a contender for a while as a result. Then there's Matt LaFleur.  Look, I usually try not to place the blame for a loss squarely on the coaching. However, this isn't the first time one of his teams has come onto the field looking flat and defeated from the opening whistle. You can't even blame it on the team's youth because it's been happening long before Jordan Love was the starter at quarterback and Green Bay purged its veterans on offense. Each time, he acknowledges the problem, but never seems to know how to fix it. Had the Packers shown any sign of life in the...

It was kind of dreary out today and the trails were wet from three days' worth of rain, but I managed to get out for a walk today with my camera, viewing both pollinators trying to collect their harvest before winter and some other signs of fall.

  Image Courtesy of Pixabay A million words spoken in  anger, Float around in my head. But I keep them to myself, Because I still want her to share my bed. Her every move seems to annoy me. Mostly because she's walking around as though everything is alright. Of course, to be fair, She doesn't know we are having a fight. Yes, I know, in every happy marriage, Communication is supposed to be key. But the people who say that Obviously haven't met the stubborn woman who married me. In our marriage, it's usually just best to keep the peace. After all, harmony is bliss, And a petty argument Just isn't worth missing out on that goodnight kiss. As for me, I'll get through this. My anger will pass. If nothing else, I'll just add a little extra  muster, The next time I give her a playful slap on the ass. We've been married a long time and I expect to be married a long time more. I'm not saying there aren't times when I need to say something that would be in...

Synopsis: A struggling archaeologist purchases a vase at an Egyptian bazaar that appears to contain clues to the location to the tomb of Princess Ananka and convinces a magician to help fund his expedition. However, instead of finding her tomb, they instead uncover Kharis, a living mummy kept alive for thousands of years to guard the entrance of Ananka's tomb. Who's in it?  The movie stars Dick Foran , Peggy Moran , Wallace Ford , George Zucco and Tom Tyler. You can read my review here:  Movie Review: The Mummy's Hand (1940) (wizzley.com)

This was more or less a last-second thing yesterday evening. Instead of watching a movie, as was the original plan, my wife and I went for a walk with my camera , and I got some practice photos of her, trying to learn to work with the fading light. Hence her decision to wear a hoodie rather than something a bit more model-like. However, I still got a few I'd consider decent. Model: Cynthia Helmer

Just some thoughts from the Green Bay Packers 18-17 win against the New Orleans Saints today: Jordan Love is the real deal. Was he perfect today? No. But the way he took the team on his shoulders and practically willed them to a 18-0 scoring run in the fourth quarter shows why the Packers were ready to move on from Aaron Rodgers. It's worth noting Rodgers himself was often criticized, especially early in his career, for his inability to come from behind in games. You can't say we weren't warned. It was clear from the start there would be plenty of ups and downs this season. Love is exceeding expectations in his first three games as the Packers' full-time starter but there were plenty of times when the rest of the team didn't seem to be on the same page as him. On that note, penalties nearly killed the Packers today. There are youthful mistakes, and then there is sloppiness. Nobody is perfect but it is very hard for a team to get into a rhythm when it is going backwa...

I went for a walk with my family yesterday evening and brought my camera for a bit of practice. Here are some of the photos I took.

Synopsis : Wealthy botanist Wilfred Glendon is bitten by a werewolf while in Tibet and after returning to London, realizes he has the infliction and must kill each time he transforms to avoid being a wolf permanently. His only hope is a mysterious plant he had brought back from Tibet that only blooms in the moonlight and can temporarily keep the lycanthropy under control. However, its blooms are stolen by another werewolf and, even under his artificial moon lamp, isn't producing more. Who's in it? The movie stars Henry Hull , Warner Oland , Valerie Hobson , Lester Matthews and Lawrence Grant. Review: I came across this movie on Peacock this morning and since it was about to rain, delaying my outdoor plans, I finally took the time to watch it. After seeing the classic film for the first time, my opinion of it was mixed. I think there are some interesting parts to the plot, especially the rivalry between Glendon (Hull) and Dr. Yogami (Oland) over the plant, both looking to kee...

Went out for my walk today determined to try out the HDR (high dynamic range) setting on my camera, even though it's probably not really designed for nature photography since there's usually a little too much movement. I think I did pretty well though. Here are some of the photos:

It was a good day out today - not too hot, not too cold, and the sun was out. Perfect weather to take a walk at lunch. Here are some of my photos:

 Just a dragonfly I came across on a walk earlier today.

 Just a photo that I took while on a walk this morning.

 Some thoughts from the Green Bay Packers' 24-25 loss in Atlanta earlier today: The loss stings but there were positives. Jordan Love, in particular, is far from a finished product and is going to have some growing pains but for most of the game he looked the part of a franchise quarterback. At minimum, he's not turning the ball over, though there was at least one close call in this game. All three of his touchdowns were to rookie receivers too, that's a positive sign as well. This was a game that could have easily gone the other way. Green Bay's defense dropped two interceptions. Jordan Love's quarterback sneak in the fourth quarter could have been enough for a first down and made a difference in the game had the rest of the team known what he was doing. A miscue on the first drive took them out of field goal range (and even then, Green Bay might have been better off attempting it anyway). It was a loss but a little extra from the football gods and it could have ea...

Synopsis: A popular Los Angeles high school student learns she is "the chosen one," a re-incarnated vampire slayer that has lived multiple lives and has been killed multiple times by the vampire, Lothos. She is reluctant to accept her inherited role but soon must protect her high school from Lothos and his vampire army. Who's in it? The movie stars Kristy Swanson , Luke Perry , David Arquette , Donald Sutherland , Rutger Hauer and Paul Reubens . Review: I needed a break after doing yard work and wound up looking for something to watch while I caught my breath on the couch. I hadn't seen this movie in a long while and decided to put it on. Even now, I still enjoy it as much as when I first saw it. Is it a goofy movie? Yes, at least at times. However, in a world where movies tend to take themselves a bit too seriously (mostly out of fear of trolls nitpicking every mistake), there's nothing wrong with goofy from an entertainment standpoint. In fact, in many ways, ...

Synopsis: Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), based in Louisville, is one of the last remnants of the old territory days of professional wrestling and the only independent promotion with a weekly live television show. However, despite having a stable of talented wrestlers and intriguing storylines written by former wrestling star Al Snow, the promotion is struggling financially and unless things can be turned around, may be forced to close its doors. Review: I saw previews for this Netflix docuseries and thought it seemed interesting. As a casual pro wrestling fan, especially classic matches from the territory days, I found a behind-the-scenes show about an independent promotion intriguing. I finished watching the first seven episodes and it exceeded my expectations. The show provides a good mix of storylines, whether it is the relationships of the individual wrestlers, both in and out of the ring or the constant back and forth between Snow and investor Matt Jones over the company's dir...

I managed to get out for a walk both this morning and at lunch heading into the weekend. Here are a few photos I managed to get: