Kevin Russ is a modern nomad.

Nomads, who can be found in many countries, are people who do not have a permanent home, who move from one place to another. Some move so they can find food for themselves or their livestock (animals raised for food or to sell). Others travel from one job to another. In California, for example, itinerant (people who travel from place to place) farm workers move from one area to another to work in vineyards (where grapes are grown), orchards (where fruit and nuts are grown), and vegetable farms whenever they are needed.

Kevin Russ is a different kind of nomad. He is a nature photographer. Actually (truly; in fact), he is a nature iPhoneographer – all of his photography is done with the camera in his iPhone.

Russ picked up (learned and began to do) photography during his first year in college. He had never studied photography, but he quickly became a popular portrait (photos of people) photographer. The demand (the number of people wanted him to take their photos) for his work grew so much that photography became his full-time job.

After four years, Russ took a break (to stop doing something for a time) from portrait photography. A few months later, he made a decision that has changed his life. He decided to spend his time traveling from place to place across the western United States, photographing the landscapes (scenery) and wildlife (wild animals) that he encounters (sees or experiences without planning). And he decided to do it all with the camera in his iPhone.

“My daily schedule couldn’t be any simpler,” says Russ. “I look on a map for places I want to see and then drive there and take pictures.” He usually begins early in the morning, when the sunlight is soft and warm and when more animals are out (able to be seen). As he moves from one place to another, Russ often lives in his car.

So far (to this time) he has visited all the western states and the national parks in each of them. He plans to travel across the rest of the United States and, hopefully, to move on to Central and South America.

So how does this modern nomad earn a living? By selling his photos on the Internet. You can buy them in many forms – as prints to hang on a wall, on iPhone and iPad covers, and on t-shirts, sweat shirts, and pillows. Russ sells enough of his photographs to pay his expenses and to continue what he loves most – enjoying nature and capturing its beauty with his iPhone.

How good is Kevin Russ? Those of us who have followed his work marvel (are amazed) at his ability to capture (record or express) the beauty of nature with his iPhone. The 65,000 people who follow him on Instagram (a social web site for photos) agree. Some have even called him the “Ansel Adams of the iPhone” (If you’re not familiar with Adams, look at The Mountains’ Spell, one of my early blog posts, and English Cafe #338).

You can decide for yourself how good Russ is by going to his Instagram page and looking at his photos. And you can hear him tell his own story in this short interview. I hope you do both.

~ Warren Ediger – English coach/tutor and creator of the Successful English web site.

Photo by K. Russ.

August is a month for vacations in many parts of the world, so this would be a good time to test your knowledge on the requirements for visiting the United States from another country. See how well you do on these questions:

1. A visa is required to enter the United States unless a foreign citizen (someone from another country) is:
A. Carrying more than $10,000 in cash when arriving to the U.S.
B. From a designated (established; selected) visa waiver (not required) country.
C. Working for his/her own national government.
D. No exceptions. Everyone requires a visa.

2. Who issues (officially gives) visas?
A. State Department for all travelers.
B. State Department for all but military (related to the army, navy, or other armed forces) visitors, issued by the Defense Department.
C. State Department for all but business visitors, issued by the Commerce Department.
D. State Department for all but educational visitors, issued by the Education Department.

3. Which of the following is true?
If you require medical attention (are sick and need a doctor) in the U.S.:
A. All visitors are treated (given medical care) by a universal (includes everyone) health care system at minimal (lowest possible) cost.
B. You must arrange for (take care of) your own medical care, including all costs for physicians (doctors), hospitalization (staying in a hospital), and medicines.
C. Any hospital will accept a visitor for emergency (urgent; needed immediately) treatment.
D. Most medications (drugs) will be available without a prescription (special permission from your doctor).

4. Which of the following foods are allowed into the U.S.?
A. Vegetables.
B. Sausages.
C. Fruits.
D. Hard candies (sweets that are completely solid, without any liquid).

Answers:

1 – Visa not required: (B) From a designated visa waiver country. There are currently 37 countries whose citizens are not required to get a visa to visit the U.S., including Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and most European countries. For all other countries, a visa is required.

It doesn’t matter how much money you bring with you (A); you still need a visa unless you are from a waiver country. In fact, if you enter the U.S. with more than $10,000, you must fill out a special form (and this requirement includes U.S. citizens as well). It also makes no difference whether or not you work for your own national government (B).

2 – Who issues visas: (A) State Department for all visitors. There is only one U.S. government department that can give you a visa, and that is the State Department, which primarily (more than any other group) takes care of all relations with foreign countries. It doesn’t matter if you are here representing your military (B), a private company (C), or an educational institution (D). The U.S. departments that handle (take care of) those matters (Defense, Commerce, Education) cannot give you a visa.

3 – Medical care when traveling in the U.S.: (B) You must arrange for your own medical care and pay all costs. The United States does not (yet) have a “universal health care system” like other countries, where anyone who is sick can go to a doctor and get treated. If you get sick in the U.S., you have to pay your own medical bills, although if you have health insurance from your own country, you may be able to get reimbursed (paid back by the insurance company for the money you spent here). It is usually (but not always) true that U.S. hospitals will take care of you if you have an emergency that needs to be treated immediately (C), but it is never true that drugs will be available without a doctor’s prescription (D).

4 – Food allowed in the U.S.: (D) Hard candies. Leave your beans (A), bratwurst (B), and bananas (C) at home. The U.S. does not allow you to bring most fruits and vegetables into the country in order to prevent the introduction of plant diseases. Most meat products are also banned (not allowed) due to concern about diseases in the meat itself (such as “mad cow disease“).

~Jeff

Passport designed by Aaron Austin from The Noun Project

It’s Saturday morning, and I drop onto (ride down to from a street) the San Gabriel River Bike Trail. In the distance, about 20 miles (32 km) away, the San Gabriel Mountains hide behind southern California’s summer haze (dust, moisture in the air). I hope to be there in a little more than an hour.

I settle into (get comfortable in) my saddle (bicycle seat) and start slowly to warm up (prepare for more effort). Before long I’m riding at a comfortable 15-18 miles per hour (24-29 kmh).

Soon the trail crosses over to the other side of the river. It’s newer here, and smoother, like a freeway for bicycles. I pass the Pico Rivera golf course, circle (move in a circle) the end of the course, then stand on the bike pedals to climb to the top of the Whittier Narrows Dam (a wall across the river to stop the water).

Past the dam, the trail drops again as it continues toward the mountains. There’s not much to see here – backyards, weekend soccer games at two or three schools, and a small farm and stable (a place where horses are kept). The horses are too busy eating to notice me, but the roosters (male chickens) crow (make the sound of a rooster) as I speed by.

The trail dips (goes down, then up again) under the 60 Freeway and takes me to one of the scenic (beautiful) parts of the ride – the one portion (part) of the river that has water this time of the year. Trees and water plants line (grow along) the river, and ducks and heron enjoy the water. The humming (sound like “hmmm”) of my bike’s tires and the wind in my ears are the only sounds I hear.

There’s little traffic (other bikes) on the trail today – an occasional single rider like me and fathers with their children. Two or three pace lines (cyclists who ride in a line to help each other push through the wind) of weekend warriors (very serious riders) come from the opposite direction on their way to the ocean.

The trail dips under the 10 Freeway and carries me through an industrial area to the base (bottom) of the Santa Fe Dam – nothing to see here except an occasional ground squirrel scurrying (moving quickly) across the trail. The trail to the top of the Dam is steep (rises quickly) and long, and I have to stand on my pedals to produce enough power to get there. By the time I reach the top, my calves (back of the leg below the knee) burn (feel hot) from the effort.

At the top of the dam, the trail circles the Santa Fe Recreation Area, a lake surrounded by trees and picnic tables, before taking me through the Santa Fe Nature Center. Here the trail winds (twists and turns) through a large garden filled with native plants and walking trails. I continue up the trail into the mountains, dipping under one more freeway, until I reach the end of the trail.

I’m in trouble! I chat with other riders for a few minutes, but when I leave to begin the return trip (go to where I started), I discover that the wind has come up (started blowing harder). I will have to spend the next hour-and-a-half riding into the wind! Not a pleasant thought.

The first few miles are down-hill. That helps. And the trees at the Nature Center protect me for a while, but when I reach the top of the dam, gusts of wind (sudden strong winds) from the side make it difficult to stay on the trail. When the trail turns into the wind, another rider and I take turns drafting (riding very close behind so the front rider protects the back rider from the wind) until the trail drops back down to the riverbed.

Ten miles to go. The wind continues to blow and the temperature rises (gets hotter). My legs feel heavy, and my speed slowly drops (decreases). This time, when the roosters crow, I’m not sure if they’re encouraging me or laughing at me.

I make it (get to where I’m going), tired and hot. But I’ll be back, probably next week, to do it again. Happily.

~ Warren Ediger – English tutor/coach and creator of Successful English, where you’ll find clear explanations and practical suggestions for better English.

Photos by W. Ediger

After work today, I’m slapping on (putting on quickly and without care) my helmet (hard hat worn for safety while riding a bicycle or motorcycle), jumping on my hog (slang for motorcycle), and riding 1,300 miles (2,100 kilometers) to Sturgis, South Dakota.

Why?  Because Monday is the start of the annual (yearly) Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. A motorcycle rally is a gathering or meeting of motorcycle enthusiasts (people who are very interested in an activity or a subject), and this famous motorcycle rally is held each year in the first full (complete) week of August. About half a million (500,000) people attend this rally, some bringing their family, including children.

For the small town of Sturgis, which has a population of under 7,000 people, this annual event is a major help for the local economy (businesses located there). Of course, a gathering of motorcycle riders of this size cannot occur without complaints of noise, drunkenness (drinking too much alcohol), and theft (including some motorcycles). I will try not to be too rowdy (noisy and annoying other people).

The first Sturgis Motorcyle Rally was held in 1938. If you attend these days, you’ll see motorcycle races and stunts (dangerous and/or difficult tricks).

Some of the races are quite involved (complicated). One race, for example, requires riders to crash through board walls (walls made with thin wood), jump ramps (slopes or inclines you ride up that takes you off the ground and causes you to fly in the air before hitting the ground again), and meet head-on collisions (hitting something while facing it) with other vehicles. Sounds like fun, right?

You’ve all seen my very impressive high-powered motorcycle in the Eighth Anniversary Video. So if you want to join me, hop on your hog and let’s head to Sturgis!

~ Lucy

Photo Credit: 2008 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, street at night from Wikipedia