The Hartford Obedience Training Club (HOTC) welcomes our fellow COPS members to come to our picnic on Saturday, Sept 11th. from 10:30am to 3:00pm in Avon CT and have the opportunity for some  great photo ops of dogs. Some dog breeds available will be rat terrier, labs, shelties, english springer spaniel, mix beeds and many others including a puppy.  Horses are available for photo ops too. You may catch a dog or two going through tunnels, over jumps or sitting pretty for you.

You are also welcome  to the HOTC picnic feast and sample some of Bob Reedy’s pulled pork too. (Please don’t bring anything as we will provide everything for your enjoyment.) fyi – we have at least 10 Cops members that are HOTC members too so you will see some familiar faces.

Check out our Hartford Obedience Training Club’s Website: www.HOTC1937.com

If interested please RSVP to Gretchen Hein by August 31.  Directions to the picnic will be provided once RSVP is received.

Gretchen Field Trips & Photo Opps

From Kathy Kelley:

The flowers and the market at the Ashlawn Farm are great photo opportunities.  To get there, take Rte 82 to Rte 156 South, follow for 5.6 miles to Bill Hill Rd, turn left on Bill Hill Rd and drive .68 miles to the farm.

Rick Field Trips & Photo Opps

A few days ago Norma posted an email regarding the upcoming Plainville Balloon Festival which starts on Friday August 27 (it also continues on Saturday & Sunday). The balloons lift off at sunrise, which is 6:11am on Saturday the 28th, and we should arrive between 30 – 45 minutes prior to the liftoff so we could scout the area and set up our equipment. I’m thinking we could meet at a commuter parking lot off I-84, around 5 am, and then caravan over to Norton Park. Expect huge crowds!

If you are truly interested in doing this on Saturday morning, send me an email (peter_DOT_guerard27_AT_comcast_DOT_net). Does anyone have past information with regards to the best place to park once we get there? Finally, please be aware that rain cancels this event! More info as the date nears…

Thanks…
Peter Guerard

P.S. – don’t forget to change the _DOT_ and _AT_  to the appropriate punctuation.  ; )

Peter Field Trips & Photo Opps

As promised at today’s COPS Annual Picnic, Jan was kind enough to pass along her pistachio squares recipe – they were a big hit!

Pistachio Squares

Crust Layer

1 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts – chop finer than you would for brownies
(I used slightly more than ½ cup and saved some for the topping)
2 Tbl. sugar
1 stick softened margarine

1.Mix Crust Layer ingredients
Spread and press in greased oblong pan – 9 x 13
You can use the back side of a spoon to do the pressing
Bake 20 minutes at 350o – Let cool before you add the next layer

Cream Cheese Layer

1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 (8 oz.) softened cream cheese
1/2 (8 oz.) Cool Whip

2. Mix Cream Cheese Layer ingredients
Spread on top of the cooled crust

Filling Layer

2 pkg. pistachio instant pudding
3 cups whole milk – NOT the 4 cups called for on the two packages

3. Mix Filling Layer ingredients
Follow mixing directions on the package – wisk for 2 minutes
Spread on top of Cream Cheese Layer
Put in refrigerator to set

Topping Layer

4. Cover Filling Layer with remaining 1/2 of Cool Whip
Sprinkle rest of chopped nuts on top
Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve

Rick General

In conjunction with their 125 year anniversary, the Plainville, CT Fire Company will be holding their 26th Annual Hot Air Balloon Festival August 27, 2010 through August 29, 2010 at Norton Park in Plainville, CT. A schedule of events can be found here. As part of the festival, there is also a Car Show and Sock Hop from noon to 6:00 P.M. on Saturday, August 28, 2010.

Rick General

The Klingberg Family Centers Antique and Classic Car show is scheduled to take place Saturday, June 19. In past years a wide variety of cars have been shown from turn of the 20th century up to the early 70s. Featured this year are a number of cars that were built here in Connecticut including a Corbin and a Pope-Hartford. In addition to the cars, there are old bicycles, dancers and a lot of other happenings.

I have photographed at this show for a number of years and have always seen something new or interesting.

See http://www.klingbergautoshow.org/ for more information.

John General

The competition rules for the 2010-2011 season have been approved by the Board. To get your copy, visit the Charter Oak web site at www.charteroakphoto.com and click on the link for the rules on the home page.

Rick General Competition Rules

In the category of better late than never, the results from the May competition have finally been posted to the forum.

Rick General Competition Results

While there were many members that volunteered their time to make Charter Oak the outstanding camera club it is, two of the nominees really stood out. So much so, in fact, that the Service Award Committee decided the only thing to do was to honor both of them. Drum roll please……. The recipients of the COPS Service Award for the 2009-2010 season are Aaron Nguyen and Cindy Gosselin!

In addition to holding the position of Secretary on the Board, Aaron is there week in and week out to open the meeting hall, do the setup and breakdown, help the guest speakers with their equipment, and just generally pitch in wherever he can, even filling in to score the digital competitions when needed.

As you all know Cindy is stepping down after more years of being the editor of the Slide-O-Gram than anyone can count (rumor has it that she helped Gutenberg design the printing press so she wouldn’t have to write everything out by hand).   While also serving as Co-Director of the NECCC Electronic Interclub competitions, Cindy has managed to find the time to stay involved in every activity the Club puts on.

The one trait both of these members have is the willingness to help out wherever and whenever needed to make COPS a great Club to belong to.  And, they always do it with a smile on their face!  Congratulations to this season’s winners!

Rick General

Today’s post covers the winning images from the annual judging, held on Monday, May 24.  Our judges were Karen Geaghan, Rich Novak, and Richard Simmons from the Springfield Camera Club.  And the results are…..

Digital

Creative

Pam Hastings – Train Robbers

Fauna

Cindy Gosselin – Egret at Sunset

Monochrome

Don Weston – Mormon Barn

Non-Fauna

Jan Chambers – Ropin’


Art Rich Nature Award

Cindy Gosselin – Predator & Prey

Prints

Color

Austin Carey – Sunrise at Schwabacher’s

Creative

Pam Hastings – Smooth As Glass

Monochrome

Don Weston – Portland Head Light

Slides

Allan B. Conklin Slide of the Year

Lee Wilcox – Delicate Arch #325

Jane H. Sibley Travel Award

Meredith Harris – Venice Canal

Rick General Competition Results