You see this on post cards (yeah, I know what’s a post card) most Oregon travel brochures and on everyone’s photos from their vacation to Portland. This is Multnomah Falls, a 620 foot two tier beauty with a brilliant bridge to stand on to both view and on windy days enjoy a spray.
Columbia River Gorge in Oregon has some amazing waterfall /
This one was about a 10 minute hike from its more famous sister falls but this one was more serene. The famous one tomorrow.
Outbound? /
This is the train station in Edinburgh that Jill and I left from for London on the high speed train. It was a great ride and a super choice for this leg of the trip.
Marbles Return /
Today is a fun and personal photo. My grandson, Kellen, and granddaughter, Addie, in this photo from 2009 are at Marbles Children’s Museum in Raleigh, NC. Today, Kellen, works at Marbles. He is an Exhibit Design Technician and loving his job. Cool to see the fun he had at Marbles and now he helps create more fun for more children. (Addie is not at Marbles but a senior at NC at Chapel Hill and will be working in finance in LA come spring. Maybe she can finance the new addition at Marbles?)
Sunday Scripture: Photo from Blue Ridge Parkway /
National Folk Music Festival /
Mariachi Band - fun, lively music.
Blues Harp /
This man was playing at the National Folk Music Festival held in Richmond, Virginia in 2009. Loved his music.
Pumpkin Spice? /
No thanks, I prefer these and this is the season! Found this in a file from 2004 with a Kodak 4 MP tiny camera.
Fortress /
This is Fort Matanzas, a Spanish fort built in 1742 on Florida’s Atlantic Coast south of St. Augustine. This National Monument is visited by boat from the NPS Visitor Center. It was here 200 years before this fort was constructed that shipwrecked French forces who were intending to capture the fort at St. Augustine were met by the Spanish and 111 Frenchmen who surrendered were killed, two weeks later, a second group of 134 surrendered and were killed. It was then that this area got named, Matanzas -- meaning "slaughters" in Spanish.
The Auburn - Cord - Duesenberg Museum /
This museum is located in an old showroom of the factory that produced these magnificent automobiles in Auburn, Indiana. The names of the three lines are reflected in the gorgeous body and bright work of this classic Duesenberg.
Resting Place /
The Duke and Duchess of Argyle are entombed in the church at Iona, Scotland. The lands of Iona were owned at one time by them and they were instrumental in the rebuilding of the church here and then in the late 19th century were given a final spot in the chapel for their service to Iona.
Sunday Post: Photo is of Edinburgh Castle. /
Deep in the Forest /
This doe was stripping the velvet off the male deers antlers. I spotted them well off the trail in the Great Smoky Mountains NP.
Hunter (And Friday posts are back!) /
This man has been trying to find the Loch Ness creature for over 40 years, full time! He lived for a long time in this RV but now lives elsewhere. He makes a living giving interviews and presentations but, I think, mostly by selling small, clay Nessie figures. And donations. Sort of felt sad for him spending his life in that way. I doubt he would see it that way, still.
Hotel George /
This was our hotel the first night in Scotland. It is in the village of Inverary about 90 minute drive from Glasgow Airport. It was well kept and had excellent food. It opened in 1776 so I imagine it was not named for Geo. Washington:) Lovely space in a lovely town. Our room was third floor third window from the right.
Read and Pray /
This is a view from the small sunken flower garden on the Cathedral property at Iona, now restored, where monks could enjoy some afternoon sun shielded from the often relentless wind, here for prayer or reading (or napping!) The cross from 1500 is seen and beyond that is St. Oran’s Chapel where many kings were buried.
Summer is Easy /
The bright afternoon sun brings out a mom and two cubs who frolic in the lush meadow grasses. A bike ride around the Cades Cove loop in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is always rewarding. Photos from a long way with the Fuji X-T5 and a 55-200 lens.
Doorkeeper? Or just a rest. /
Along the King’s Way in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Back To Basics /
Not many, actually not any that I am aware of, have followed this blog for the whole length of time I have been posting. Nor should anyone if you have not been sentenced to house arrest with nothing else to do. I started this just a bit over 14 years ago to force myself to improve my photos. I had a decent camera from about 2008/9 but two or three years in it was still on AUTO and Jpeg. So, I reasoned, post them publicly and you will be so embarrassed you will learn to take a better photo or you can take up Curling when you move to Canada out of shame. Then in 2015 I started on the National Park experiment to see and photograph the now 430 NPS units. It was then I changed the name to Two Lane Touring to reflect the desire to travel the scenic byways in the quest. And I posted, as I had from the start, 7 days a week. About 3 or 4 years ago I tried to “improve” the blog, writing more, more multiple photos and other poorly planned things. I introduced Cadillac the moose and he was fun but a lot of work. After Cindy died, my trips to National Parks lessoned, the trailer is sold yet the goal is still there. Since I was not doing so many parks I tried other things like extensive photos when on a trip, more information on the pictures, befriending Rowena in Scotland (also a lot of work). I have done themes and other stabs and things but they all take a lot of time. Not the real issue, however, the real issue was it was not fun some of the time. Even though my goal to improve the photos was still in process I was not doing everything well. So, my friends, and if you have read this far you certainly are a friend, I am going back to the basics, a photo a day, every day, and an occasional foray into some other aspect that strikes my fancy but usually just a shot each day. This most humble of blogs is not about how to take photos - everyone cheers, not about gear - I know little and not about the history or romance or drama or a YouTube on walking up a mountain to watch someone else shoot a spectacular image. It is just a photo each day. On a trip Rowena or Cadillac or ? may join but only temporarily. And I might even show a photo or two before and after processing, but still, each day, once again, a photo with minimal text. Thanks for being on this journey with me. Blessings, Dave
Lets see where the back roads take us!
