Just over two years ago, we decided to expand our services and began offering drone flights in Central Oregon. The initial goal of this expansion was to offer new and existing clients a way to visualize their residence, business, or urban planning from a unique vantage point; see the development from the top down, envision the beautiful vistas from your future balcony, understand property and sight lines from any camera angle or height.

Today we had the privilege of working with a local, renowned architect on a project with the potential to view both the peaceful Deschutes River and the magnificent Cascade mountain range from a proposed deck. The viewpoints are very location specific, so we spent the late morning flying the drone to pre-determined altitudes on property to confirm deck heights and tree removal options.

We successfully navigated low-hanging power lines, overgrown tree branches, and crumbling structures…often within inches to achieve the precise location both vertically and horizontally. The entire site will be removed of dilapidated vegetation, residences, and out buildings, but the drone photography assisted in visualizing the future.

Summarizing, the data gathered from this aerial reconnaissance will be invaluable. By accurately positioning the drone at different elevations and orientations corresponding to where the deck would eventually sit, we can effectively preview the unobstructed views of both the majestic mountains and the meandering river. This foresight ensures that the architectural design maximizes the natural beauty of the location, offering future residents an unparalleled connection to the iconic scenery that defines Bend, Oregon. Drone flights served as the perfect tool to bridge the gap between blueprints and breathtaking reality.

May 29 – June 4th, 2022

• Finish Cybersecurity Roles, Processes & Operating System Security (Coursera/IBM)
1. Frameworks, Policies, and Roles
2. IT Security
3. Business Process Management and IT Infrastructure Library Basics
4. Information Technology Infrastructure Library
5. IT Service Management
6. Authentication and Access Control
7. Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (CIA Triad)
8. Information Security Forum (ISF) Threat Horizon
9. Access Control Methods
10. Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP)
11. Windows, Apple, Linux OS Security
12. Virtualization & Cloud Computing
• Begin Cybersecurity Compliance Framework & System Administration (Coursera/IBM)
1. U.S. Cybersecurity Federal Law
2. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
• Started keeping a blog of education process

May 22 – 28th, 2022

• Finished Introduction to Cybersecurity Tools & Cyber Attacks 4 week course (Coursera/IBM)
1. Cybersecurity Tools & Cyber Attacks
2. Vulnerability Assessments
3. Information Systems Security Association (ISSA)
4. Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST)
• Begin Cybersecurity Roles, Processes & Operating System Security 4 week course (Coursera/IBM)
• Continue Python learning on Youtube
• Research recommended certifications for PenTesting
• Paid subscription to TryHackMe and continued education
• Join picoCTF capture the flag
• Installed VMware virtual machine
• Installed Kali Linux distribution

As I began my journey into the world of hacking, cybersecurity, penetration testing, Linux, Python, etc… without enrolling in at a university or community college, it seemed unbelievably daunting to my find where to start.

The first logical step was to Google the term “cybersecurity” and see what organizations were advertising classes and courses online. I stumbled across Coursera’s IMB course and started that for a free 1-week trial.

I was also referred to the TryHackMe website and their training rooms and courses. This lead me to re-familiarizing myself with Linux and the “terminal”.

Finally, I wanted to understand what my home state of Oregon was doing with regards to community education regarding cyber / digital security so I became a member of Cyber Oregon:

“The threat of cybercrime is very real and growing and has the potential to impact the lives of all Oregonians. With cyber criminals coming from around the world, no single entity has the resources to tackle such a multi-faceted threat. To keep Oregon communities, businesses and organizations safe online, we must all work together to build strong defenses.

As a collaboration of public and private sector organizations, the Cyber Oregon initiative is intended to do just that. Whether you’re with a small business, a non-profit or government organization, here’s where you will find the critical cybersecurity resources as well as education and training programs you need to stay safe online, or even find a career in cybersecurity.”

May 15-21st
– Sign up for IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Pro Cert thru Coursera
– Start Introduction to Cybersecurity Tools & Cyber Attacks 4 week course
– Discovered TryHackMe.com
– Start Python learning on Youtube
– Joined the “Cyber Oregon” community

The Disneyland castle, the original Sleeping Beauty Castle, is small, quaint, and will always be my castle of choice. It has a special place in my heart, even after visiting the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. This probably has to do with growing up in California, seeing it change over the years as I visited as a kid, and many more times in my 20’s and 30’s. The work on this 3D model began in 2008, and has continued on and off since. This was another one of those projects where I purchased a printed blueprint copy off the internet and scanned it in section by section. One of the problems was that I only had the front elevation, and the architectural design has a ton of depth, detail, and complexity. Every trip to the park resulted in dozens more reference photos and a better understanding of the layout. But my big break came in 2014 when I was asked to work in the Disneyland park over the course of two nights, take exact measurements of most of the castle from an 80ft boom lift, and use the data to create a detailed model of the castle for Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary. This was one of the greatest honors and afforded me the most unique view of the castle, one that very, very few people have ever seen. Upon returning home from the park, I refocused, delivered the 3D model to the Walt Disney Co., and continued to work on lower areas of the castle that were not the focus of my paid work. The drawbridge can raise and lower, as well as the portcullis. A few of the remaining elements as of early 2016 are the arches on the back side that lead through the castle at ground level, the walls that connect the castle to stores and dark rides in Fantasyland, and the paved lead-up to the drawbridge.