As life can get us sometimes, I thought I would share the comedy of errors coupled with Murphy's law that is forever applicable.
I wanted to make some instructional videos for a tent, mesh panels and custom lighting system.
Wanted to do the photography at night so they could see the differences in the lighting system as well as we often have to setup in the dark.
Getting the flood lighting (not the tent lighting system) right for the night video, without having my extension cords, meant dangling wires in the air. An issue I'll elude to in a little bit.
Not bothering to weight down the tent as this was only a demonstration, yet it was windy, then heavy gusts almost took the tent down. After saving the tent. Then I put some ground stakes in.
For some reason I had packed my mesh panels in backwards and therefore started to hang some wrong.
As I knew it was just a brief demo, I didn't install the stabars or cinch my mesh taught, thus the wind liked to flap it around. Also causing it to move each time I tried to hang a piece of artwork on it. I did not know why I was having so much problem as I always do the proper setup at a show. It didn't dawn on me why I could not get the hanging wire to catch on the hooks. Got so frustrated trying to hang some pieces, I almost threw them.
Carrying lighting system pieces I trip over my flood light power cords and go flying a$$ over tea kettle.
Ok, now I'm a bit muddy from the soft soil after melted snow.
Time to I install the lighting system.
Now time to demonstrate the great way it works...NOT. I could not get some of it to light.
Wait, I know it is working perfect. I had gone over it and tested it several times. Must be something I am doing wrong.
After a long time of trying to debug, what do I find?
When I had tripped and fell over the flood light setup, I had broken a wire on the lighting system. Back to the bench to fix it.
During all of this, as I have the camera on a tripod and am filming myself, I did not know battery went dead.
Multiple times (batteries were low to begin with).
Hence change battery, breakdown gear and start over.
Now the best part...
With all of this...
a striped pussy cat decided to visit...
Yes, a skunk.
Neither the equipment nor myself were sprayed but concern of it happening, avoiding it happening and working in an environment that is far from complimentary to the olfactory glands, made for an experience.
I'm am artist, a photographer. Not a documentary maker.
I'll stick to my day job :-)
Replies
Greg I LOVE that little mouse What doesn't kill... image you have.
Did you design that?
It is great!
May I have a decent resolution copy of it and may I send it to some friends?
Not to sell or marketing publish. Just to have a fun image to pass along.
Oh, Larry, too funny. Reminds me of my mom in our orchard with our "teen-age" Saint Bernard, Heineken. The dog came gallumping toward my mom and the skunk was between the two. Heineken wanted to play with the little guy. My mom was standing there yelling, "No, Heineken! No! No! Get back! Get back!" which had the opposite effect on Heineken. Mom decided that there was no way that she would buy enough tomato juice to bathe him. He was banned from the house until the smell wore off. I think that she avoided most of the spray.
It got worse one time, many years ago. In those days I was married. We went away on vacation with instructions for my ex-wife's friend who was taking care of the house and animals.
Came back to find the house smelled AWFUL!!! Apparently, the same dog had been out and tangled with striped pussy cat. Now this friend knew what I had done in the past, however she didn't want to work that hard. Thought the smell would just go away. So she let the dog in and closed up the house. The dog, trying to get the smell off of herself, rolled, scrubbed, slid all over the sofas, recliner chair, beds, carpet... you name it.
the house was like one large skunk nest.
Cleaning the dog was easy. It took major work to try to get the smell out of everything else.
I was tempted to mix up some skunk lure and deposit at her house and car... never did but thought real hard about it :-)
Ugh!
Oh my Larry...thanks for the chuckle this AM! We’ve certainly all been there; it ends better when you can laugh about it. Glad you didn’t get hurt when you went flying, and also that the night didn’t end on a ‘sour’ note. LOL. Thanks for sharing.
The only thing hurt was my pride.
I learned a couple of things.
A) I am an uncoordinated klutz
B) I'm not as tough as a little, cute looking creature of G-D. :-)
Ha! Oh, my!!! I'm glad you didn't get sprayed! That would have been the worst.
Probably the only luck I had that night. :-)
I had a dog, at one time. She went and got sprayed by a skunk. So I gave her the tomato juice bath.
Next night, she got sprayed again. Tomato juice again.
2 nights later - yes --she got nailed again.
You would think she would have learned, when you tangle with a skunk you ALWAYS LOSE :-)
I have a friend, a farmer. He told me he used to catch them by running straight at them, face to face and grabbing their tail pulling them into the air.
He said they need to pump their back legs to spray. So if they are facing you - no spray. Once they are lifted in the air - no spray.
All that sounds good for him, but I will never try it. I'll leave skunk work for the brave and informed. :-)
After making a lot of noise to try to chase it away from the equipment, I did the bravest thing I could think of... I hid in the house till it might be gone :-P
Good decision. I would not want to test your farmer friend's method out and miscalculate.