These solid rocks appear to be floating in an airy substance but are off shore in the Atlantic Ocean about 2 miles from Thunder Hole on the Ocean Drive at Acadia. Taking a long exposure with a dark filter on a cloudy day allows the surf to smooth out a bit and the spray to create neat areas of mist that seem cloud-like.
I really like taking long exposures photos! So, I should be trying some more types.
Acadia National Park
Looking back to where the photo I posted on Sunday was taken. The water at the Glen was just pouring everywhere including the sky as it was raining for most of our two mile walk. What an interesting place. It has been attracting people for generations. This is the kind of place that would be hard to build today because people would be upset for the intrusion of walks and steps but in reality, it may be less than pristine, but tens of thousands of people get to see and experience something that they otherwise would never be able to do. Sometimes our creativity is a compliment to the creation.
Watkins Glen State Park
So on the way to the top of Pemetic Mountain you get a nice view at about 550 feet….
However, we still have 700 feet of elevation to go. It was our prettiest day in Acadia this fall. The only one with no rain. But it was windy and a bit chilly in the open.
Acadia National Park
Walking in the woods the other day this Song Sparrow hopped up on this old log and voiced a couple of his distinctive songs. So even without seeing on this photo his identifiable center spot on the breast he was easy to ID. This may be the most common sparrow around this area of Raleigh.
iso 1600, f /5.6, 1/800 400mm handheld Fuji X-T2
This was scheduled to post yesterday in honor or President’s Day or Washington’s Birthday. This is the bible he placed his hand upon as he took the oath of office as the first President of the United States. This same bible was also used by 5 others presidents the last being George Bush. So we are posting it a day late!
Federal Building New York City
At the Great Basin National Park in Nevada we found high desert, high mountains, lots of fast running streams from the snow melt-off and the Aspens emerging from the winter dormancy. There were birds everywhere as well. We were just so surprised by the diversity of the park and we were barely able to see a tiny fraction of this huge tract of land. Really want to go back.
Great Basin National Park
We were in the Glen during and immediately after heavy rains - our whole trip last fall was largely in the rain, and that meant the water was coursing through the canyon and there were numerous waterfalls like the one in this photo that you had to walk behind. You still got a bit wet but it was a lot of fun. Glad my camera is water sealed and done well.
“For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:17 NLT
I posted a shot of this bridge sometime ago from a different angle, well below the bridge. Here is one placing it in perspective as you climb up out of the deeper portions of the canyon. Watkins Glen State Park is a very interesting place and it would be neat to see this in the different seasons. We were here is late September of last year. I have two more to post from the same walk.
Watkins Glen State Park, NY
The short answer is that I don’t know. This old garage has clearly been here for a long time - and there are more old garages and neat buildings to explore in Watkins Glen, NY. Now there is the famous gorge there, well worth the visit and beautiful Seneca Lake and lots more. Then town of Watkins Glen is also home to one of America’s first sports car racing venues that begin here on the public roads in 1948. The race on that course was the same for four years and then modified slightly for the next decade because of an accident. The original pit area was along the street where this garage is located. So I cannot help but wonder was it built for that event or used in that event or did it come later? Anyway it was fun to explore the mid-century heritage of the town and to drive, slowly- the original race course. The last time I was here was for the 1968 Can-Am races. I don’t remember the garage:)
On Valentine’s Day among the chocolates and flowers and hearts we often miss the fact that what can’t return love does not merit love. I wonder what the spouse of this boat owner thought as the boat was named “True Love”? A day devoted to reminders that we all have important people in our lives that we are blessed to love is great. St. Valentine was a most interesting figure (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Valentine) and I can’t help but wonder how many people know that the date, February 14th, is the date of his martyrdom - not much to do with little stuffed animals and heart shaped candies. However, Happy Valentines Day.
As an aside this schooner was used in the 1956 film High Society with Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong.
Seneca Lake at Watkins Glen
I went for a walk last week at a city park I have not been to before. It is in a horseshoe bend of the Neuse River. I decided to leave the trail and try and find the river through the woods. About 300 yards from the trail and still a bit from the river I came across a nice, rather large pond that was not on the map of the park. There were a dozen mallards swimming about and a large hawk that I saw but missed with the camera. I spotted a Pileated Woodpecker and if you look closely at the broken trunk in the right tree cluster you will see some of his handiwork. I liked the look of the trees and the water and it felt very much like winter - no green no leaves, but it was a pretty warm day, almost 70, which is certainly nice for early February.
Well, the birds around the house thought it was last week with two days in the 70’s it was hard to argue they were wrong, but they were. This little Tufted Titmouse was peeking around a cedar tree in my front yard. I shot him from our balcony at f 7.3 at 1/1000 450mm hand held with the Fuji X-T2.
This statue is in the courtyard of the world’s first industrial research laboratory located in West Orange, NJ. Today would be Edison’s 172nd birthday. He held 1093 patents including such daily staples as the light bulb, motion pictures, phonograph, hydro-electric generation, fluoroscope, as well as significant improvements in mining, batteries, concrete and much more. He also built the first motion picture studio, the Black Maria, that rotated to take advantage of the sun’s angle and control light. Edison Film Studio made nearly 1200 films.
Thomas Edison National Historic Park
In Jesus’ teaching on prayer he reminds us of a daily need to be in touch with Him with a most common need that every living being requires, sustenance. It could have been worded take care of us this month or year or… But the connection is to a daily need for him that outweighs a daily need for food that He can supply. My friend and teacher, Bob Martin, wrote, “Its (prayer) purpose is neither that of informing God of our needs nor of prevailing upon Him to supply them. Instead, its practice is intended to secure and sustain us in our relationship with Him.” God Our Father, p183
Kitchen table at Martin Van Buren National Historic Site
These engines from the age of steam are the technological marvels of their day. Massive in size and power and yet rather easy to understand the process they sparked many people to innovation and creative uses of this kind of raw power. These are a few of the locomotives on display in the roundhouse yard at Steamtown.
Steamtown Historic Park, Scranton, PA
Just a neat micro-scene along a trail at Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park
There is a park across the street from Independence Hall and adjacent to the building holding the Liberty Bell that has the first ten amendments to the US Constitution chiseled into granite blocks. There were no crowds of people like viewing the Liberty Bell or in line for a tour of the chambers of Independence Hall but how important they remain today. Nice reminders of the critical principles that we still strive to live out and interpret for each generation. They are the enduing legacy and gift from those whose vision led to enacting them.
Independence Park
This was the flower photo that was supposed to run yesterday. Long, boring and uninteresting story why it did not. Suffice it to say that technology does not always work and plans are just that, plans, and they too occasionally:) do not go perfectly. Anyway THIS is the flower photo that I wanted yesterday.
The news is just awful and highly depressing. I am a fan of the old comic, Bloom County. In that strip Opus the penguin (sorry if you do not know the comic but I cannot paste a strip here) when things get to be too much goes out to the dandelion patch and sits among the flowers. I think most of the “adults” running things today need to deeply re-think their language and values and read a bit of history and when they intend to act in a responsible fashion I will return from gazing at the flowers. Geez.
Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
Tree on the coast of Maine in Acadia.
Acadia National Park
