I startled this Great Egret into flight while walking the shore path in Skidaway State Park in Georgia. He flew across the marsh in the heavy fog so everything seems soft and a bit etherial. Liked this look.
Rush /
Yosemite is an amazing National Park, simply breathtaking at every turn. This is the upper and lower falls that was flowing with more water that spring than had been seen for years here. Spectacular.. This is another of the previously unedited photos that I just did from that trip. Lots of fun going back and finding other images and wondering why they were overlooked at the time.
This is not Real, sort of /
It is an actual thing but it was designed by the Disney folks. This is a tiny corner of the world of Pandora. The ride is amazing technology and quite a thrill and the world they created that engages you long before the actual ride is equally unique and intriguing. It features glowing flora, towering upside down mountiains, water and water falls and fantastic creatures.
Quick Time /
A different perspective on Ely’s Mill - found along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This 1925 mill served many families scattered up the valleys on the area just a bit out of Gatlinburg. It is less than 100 years since he built his mill, now a National Park with more people per day driving past his mill than he may have seen in a year. A business he likely expected to continue now so quaint we cannot imagine making a living from this place. Or wanting to. Time is fleeting.
“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath. We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.” Psalm 39:4-7 NLT
Flat Iron /
Looking south from the edge of Madison Square Park toward the Flat Iron Building between Fifth Avenue and Broadway in Manhattan. I hope they get NYC back to something like it was five years ago when it was fun and felt safe. And Broadway open again.
No Traffic Lights /
This is Main Street on Cumberland Island National Seashore. You might note that it does not look much like, well, another Main Street you may be familiar with across America. This remote and beautiful island is well worth the time, expense and effort to get an opportunity to walk its paths and shore, to see the remains of great estates and small structures and to be amazed by the canopy of Live Oaks that create their own atmosphere. We were here only for 41/2 hours - in the rain, but I already want to go back and rent bikes to explore the northern end of the island, 12 miles away, to see the small town, church and other estates. Plus there is a 3800 acre wilderness area. What a gem.
We walked about 2 miles on this road.
You Know the Tune! /
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
In the jungle, the quiet jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
Deep /
Well into a coastal forest we came upon this Pileated Woodpecker. If you notice the patch of bark missing near his beak, it is where he was chiseling away with the distinctive squared holes that mark their feeding areas. This is a rather new one as it only has the outer layer removed so far. These are big, crow sized, beautiful birds that sound a bit like the background birds in the old Tarzan TV series- which I expect has something to do with where it was filmed! This one was striking in the dark, moist forest.
Still Working (2 photos) /
Fort Pulaski was constructed in the early 1800’s and quickly overtaken by Union technology in 1862 with the advent of rifled cannon. Yet the maintenance still goes on. Thankfully. It is difficult to keep up this brick fort built partially with slave labor bricks from SC and partially from bricks made in the Northeast. The northern bricks were made with different clay and could be hardened. Here a park service maintenance person works to remove some of the old morter preparing the bricks for repointing. When they removed some bricks the ones not seen had finger prints and thumb marks in the bricks, showing the hand labor required. Those bricks were always facing in or covered with a second layer brick.
several fingerprints are visible in these exposed bricks that were once hidden behind a second layer.
Lunch Money /
“Sure, Moe, I don’t need to buy lunch today, right, or ice cream. I’m really not hungry so you can have my lunch money.” (Ya big gorilla)
inspired by Bill Watterson
Tree /
It is hard in the midst of a forest to see the individual tress but and on Cumberland Island they are breathtaking. High canopy, twisty dark branches all draped with moss and dripping with rain- of course it was raining. Still what a glorious place. I liked this tree that framed a tree. The palms are between 4 and 6 feet tall so I had to wade in about 30 feet to get a clear shot.
“The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life; a wise person wins friends. Proverbs 11:30 NLT
Dancing /
Chip and Dale helping us celebrate our 50th year of marriage at Disney.
Trio /
There were actually six of these Cedar Waxwings in the photo but I cropped it down to the three in the middle. This is on the last of the trees behind the Dungeness mansion ruins on Cumberland Island. The rain was starting to increase at this point so we turned around to go back up the “main” road toward the dock. It was not a great day for a 5 mile hike around the island but it is the time we had. I would love to go back and rent bikes on a more clear day. We stayed at a nice state park nearby so it seems reasonable to try again one winter day and simply wait for a good one from the CG.
Dungeness on Cumberland Island NS -park #218 /
On the southern end of Cumberland Island National Seashore is the ruins of Dungeness. This palatial home was built on the foundations of an earlier home built by the widow of General Greene of Revolutionary fame. That home burned in the mid 1800’s and Thomas Carnegie, at the encouragement of his wife Lucy, built this home when he purchased 7000 acres of the island. He died shortly after and she lived here for 40 more years making a self-sufficient community and building homes for her children on parts of the island. This home burned in 1959. The park service has 3800 acres of designated wilderness and the National Seashore comprising a large portion of the southern end of the island. There are still some private owned homes and land scattered across the island.
Over the Crooked River in Southern Georgia /
The sunset was pretty between rain storms along the river. We could not get the best angle because the fence kept you back about 30 feet from the fragile cliff.
Foggy Hunter /
We camped for a night at Skidaway State Park in Georgia. In the morning before we left heading south we took a 1.7 mile trail in the marsh under a dense layer of fog. At one point because of all the rain we were in water about 6 inches across deep across the trail and that lead to damp socks! In a tree about 75 yards away we spotted this Osprey. The fog was so thick it was difficult to see him. Still the silent morning would be broken when he finally spotted some breakfast in the murky water below.
Fort Frederica /
Oglethrope established this fort and town south of Savannah about 50 miles to protect the main colony from the Spanish. At its peak it had a garrison of 200 soldiers and more than 500 residents. All that is left are foundations and this crenelated magazine. The cannon for the fort were in bastions to both sides of this structure facing the water. The outpost worked as planned. Tthe Spanish attacked in 1742 and were defeated a mile or two south of the main fort in a surprise ambush. They never returned.
It is interesting to see what remains after neglect, hurricanes and fires of what was once a critical place in the defense of the experiment Oglethrope established. The evidence of the Wesleys who came with him has endured better in this area of Georgia than the town and fort of Frederica. This was not a new national park site for us but the first time I photographed it.
Still The One /
(you're still the one)
You're still the one I run to
The one that I belong to
You're still the one I want for life
(you're still the one)
You're still the one that I love
The only one I dream of
You're still the one I kiss good night.
Happy Valentines Day - Year of 50!
Fort Pulaski - National Park Service #280 for TLT /
Just a bit east of Savanah, GA on an island in the river is Fort Pulaski, a 3rd defense fort. It commanded the approach to Savanah from the ocean and was built in the early 1800’s. State of the art for its day. Then in April of. 1862 the Union unlimbered several new type cannon on Tybee Island about a mile away from the fort and they started to shell the fort. 30 hours lager the garrison surrendered. The new cannon with rifled barrels breached the fort at two places and the magazine was almost exposed. These scars are from the short battle that rendered most of the brick defenses moot.
Just a Quick Update on Another Activity (2 photos) /
I finished these four in early January. The Blue Moose went to Georgia where he has enjoyed both rainy nights and a great family who lets him listen to jazz and feeds him excellent cookies. The Formal Dress Penguin is in central Florida living well in a freezer and being taken care of expertly by ex-Sea World folks. The Swim Suit Moose is now living in rural Washington state and loving his young keeper. The NCSU Snowman is yet to be delivered. Then with arthritis flaring up a bit no carving took place for about three weeks but that has eased and I just finished the Leprechaun. He will stay here as I keep the mistakes of the first one at home! Started on a second just before we left. More projects on the way as I try to do a few people-based characters. All of these carvings start with a 1” x 1” X 3” block of wood.
