GPS and Photos

After discovering the iPhone automatically adds GPS EXIF tags to it's photos, I decided to try it out. I documented Lake Travis' historically low levels last week. I took photos with my Canon, but also snapped one photo with the iPhone from each photo location to document it via GPS.

I learned 2 things. First, iPhone is accurate only part of the time. I did not find any rhyme or reason to it's accuracy or lack thereof.

Next, I was dismayed to discover that GPS tags are still apparently for the adventurous. I assumed I would be able to simply drag the photos onto Google Earth and viola - mapped photo route !!

Not so. In fact, not NEAR so. Google makes a helper app, that calls another helper app (Unix command-line !! Yes it really was !!), which makes a file, which reads the GPS receiver file, which generates the KML file, which Google Earth can *finally* use.

I didn't have the stamina for all that.

I then learned iPhoto '09 has mapping built in. How convenient !! However, the inaccuracy of iPhone's GPS tags, coupled with iPhoto's inability to see modified EXIF info (only read upon initial import) still makes the process far more complex than it should be.

I'll continue and hopefully end up with some great overlay shots of the lake as it reaches what will doubtlessly be a new historic low, as well as the journey to fill back up.

Dave Maguire said he had seen the lake rise 24 feet in as many hours. I have personally seen the lake's highest ever level (Dec 1991), but don't remember that.

CHRP Church Retreat

CHRP last weekend was fantastic. I knew nothing about it, so it was completely unexpected. The personal aspect was touching for me. Amazing timing as well. The faith shares are something I wanted to do anyway. It was that desire that led me to create this blog.........

Turns out St. Theresa's has had this program for over 7 years. I am part of Team 15, and I'll be helping sponsor Team 16's event next winter.

I'm looking forward to it !! This will be a nice fill for the hole left after I finished RCIA on Easter, 2008.

Good Day

This was a good day overall. Danielle and Charles stayed home with Susan. They were all happy and stayed that way after I arrived !! Charles and I played billiards and had fun. No yelling....very nice.

We talked to Angela on the phone. Yesterday they told me she thought we had already talked, but today Angela said she missed me !! I got to talk to her first. She got a little sad in the middle, but cheered up when telling me about the Matagorda shop.

Susan and I decided to cancel Hudson's On The Bend. $200 EACH for the prix fixe was ridiculous. We wanted to go to Aquaralle Sunday night, but they're not open Sunday. So we'll probably just wait another week till the kids are out of town.

First try.....

First Facebook, now a Blog. But the two will only have value if there is synergy. Testing Notes' automagic import of Blog posts via Atom/RSS feed. I hope it works like I expect it to.