Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC. It was designed to be a reflecting wall. From Wikipedia "When a visitor looks upon the wall, his or her reflection can be seen simultaneously with the engraved names, which is meant to symbolically bring the past and present together. One wall points toward the Washington Monument, the other in the direction of the Lincoln Memorial, meeting at an angle of 125° 12′.
Kings Mountain National Military Park... /
...is just over the North Carolina boarder in South Carolina. This was a critical battle for the success of the American Revolution. The American's defeated a large army of Loyalists and forced Cornwallis to retreat. This booster American moral and suppressed many with loyalists leanings in the Carolinas to not join the British cause. The battle was intense - lasting only a bit over an hour. This is the monument on top of the steep hills where the British troops were captured.
Timber Canyon /
At Redwoods National Park in Northern California the trees simply overwhelm your senses because they are so much larger than your experience in other woodlands and forests. It feels as if time almost stops in the midst of these giant trees.
Vote /
Lots of reminders here of the significance of the government over lives everyday. You can see the Capitol, Arlington Cemetery, Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, Washington Monument, the Old Post Office, and many government buildings that make up the District of Columbia. Even Arlington Bridge is symbolic as it links the North and South with Lincoln Memorial and Lee Custis House.
It is the day of decision for the USA. Regardless of the outcome of today's vote there will be significant changes and difficult challenges that will ensue.
Deep in the Smokies /
This stream usually has much more water but the lower levels allowed for some different perspectives. This fern and flower were growing out of the side of the cascade and I was able to get right at the top of the falls.
Wonder /
The stillness of the morning and the wash of light over the mountains create an experience that make it well worth the early rise. And for me these photos are great reminders of the beauty of creation.
"The mountains melt like wax before the lord before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his righteousness; every nation sees his glory." Psalm 97:5,6 NLT
Bearly Able /
So I have decided to change the format slightly. The "journey" section is now combined with the "no itinerary" blog. The first did not have enough posts and they were not clearly distinct. This section is now on things I am learning or should be learning on photography and processing as well as camping. I am learning things - though it seems like very slowly learning, often with the help of friends or a web site but occasionally, like today's post, by my mistakes.
I was shooting in the morning at Cades Cove in the Smoky Mountains. It was quite foggy and on my last shot I was facing the rising sun. I stopped and went back to the truck. There I put my camera in the back seat, still on the tripod, as I expected to shoot another tree in the fog a short distance away. On the main loop road I slowed to look at the tree and as began to pull to the side of the road noticed a bear coming out of the woods 200 feet away. I quickly pulled to the side by the fence and could not get out of the truck because I parked too close. Restarted and moved five feet up and two more out. Got out grabbed the camera - remember it is on the tripod and needs to be removed. The bear is actually coming straight to me and is about 100 feet away and closing fast. I get the camera free, raise it to my eye. Black. Remove lens cap, back to my eye, still black. Terrible settings for shooting a running bear in bright light at now 30 feet. Try to remember what I needed to change in my settings and simply could not, Just a mild panic. Not really a significant panic is more realistic. Finally I moved the ISO dial way up, not the best choice but I could see the bear, took a shot, actually four, and the second one is OK, only because it is a bear not a very good photograph. The second shot is from 8 feet and really bad.
So what is the lesson. When I finish shooting set all the dials back to a known setting and do so consistently. The next time a bear attacks me I can get a good photo. My friend Dennis used my misfortune to post a better explanation than mine at http://www.thewanderinglensman.com
I am sure this blog site will fill up soon with everything I do wrong. But it is a learning curve.
Still I did get a bear and Dennis did not!
Morgan Sculptor /
Morgan is the "sculptor in residence" at the Saint-Gaudens National Historical Site in New Hampshire for 2016. The sculpture is the result of his four months on site plus hours of research. The day we arrived it was completed. It is a large work, several feel long and about 4 or five feet high. The next step is to cut it into sections so casts could be made. We were so fortunate to see the one day the entire work was intact. The process of molding and casting until a metal sculpture is finished will take many more weeks. The work did not have a name but is taken from the crossing of Hades in mythology
Deep Blue /
This is Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. The lake was formed by a volcano and then the caldera, basically a hole left when the magma is expelled, settled and filled with water. It is the deepest lake in the US at nearly 2000 feet and is replenished by rain and snow.
Bobby Vinton could have sung here. So could Dylon, Diamond and Bennet among others.
Pretty... /
...but once again I have no idea what kind of flower this is. I still like it. The color, the design, the simplicity and complexity are all fascinating Maybe I need a book about flowers?
Good Morning - Take a Deep Breath /
Great Smoky Mountains from the Foothills Parkway just a moment before Sunrise.
Iconic Sculpture /
The gold image is in the Atrium behind the black pool. This is on the property of Saint-Gaudens in New Hampshire.
Happy Halloween /
From an expert on the subject.
Mountain Stream /
I don't know the name of this stream in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Not a stop for tourists, not much of a trail - in places no trail, but typical of the myriad of streams that lace the land. And beautiful.
"Let my soul be at rest again, for the lord has been good to me." Psalm 116:7 NLT"
Peek /
The sun just crested the mountain as I walked up this mown area in the midst of Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains on a cool slightly foggy morning. A wonderful place to walk if you can find a place to park!
Top of the Cascade /
Beautiful stream on the upper Tremont area of the Great Smoky Mountains. Short hike from the parking area along an old logging railroad led to several views of small cascades on the creek. The water was low and the color not too bright but overall still a wonderful place to spend a morning.
Cades Cove /
One of the most popular places in one of the most popular parks, Cades Cove draws long lines of traffic often lined up at the gate which opens at sunrise. But worth the hassle, so beautiful and a great place to view wildlife. This is just a bit after sunrise with the fog burning off.
Birch Path 2016 /
This is a section of Acadia National Park in flux. The birch trees flourished after the big fire in the 1940's but now are being crowded out by larger, taller trees and the birches are dying in lots of places. But this field is not one of those places. They are thriving along the edge of this open meadow and make a wonderful path for almost a mile.
Light Breeze /
A hidden, reedy marsh near the top of a mountain on Mt Dessert Island.
Preparation /
At Colonial Williamsburg the fires are begun early for various crafts. Here wax is being melted for the days candle dipping. What is a brief aside for today's visitors was an ongoing frequent chore for those who lived in that era.
