Twelve Days .7

You will occasionally read about the need to keep the focus of Christmas on Jesus. Those notes are a good thing after three days of Hallmark movies. It is not a bad thing to add all the family, peace, presents and cookies to the mix but it is, as today’s photo emphasizes, necessary to remember the actual events that sparked the season of Christmas and the real person at the center of them all.

“All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: ‘Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’’” Matthew 1: 22,23 NLT

Twelve Days .6 (two photos)

One place to see the unusual is the “Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration.” I am sure that includes lots of gingerbread structures, regular lights and candy canes but it also includes a set of trees with Disney movie themes and then there is the campground, Fort Wilderness. There Disney doesn’t have to do a thing because the regular December campers decorate, well, to excess is an understatement. People are here every year for a month and go all out on the light displays.

There is an RV in this picture, somewhere! This is one camp site at Fort Wilderness.

The Ms Poppins tree - quick iPhone shot.

Twelve Days .5

This just made me simile. But there is more to the story. A group of penguins on land is called a waddle. Cute. A group of young penguins on land is a creche. And the more famous of the usage of that word, right, the display of the nativity, or a creche. So, clearly these are young penguins - see the spectacled keeper towering over them, and they are on land at Christmas. How perfect.

Twelve Days .4 (two photos)

McAdenville, near Charlotte bills itself as Christmas Town - and they live up to the nickname. Scores of homes are fully decorated, town trees are trimmed and brightly garbed in colorful lights and in normal years -2020 does not count as one of those, the small lake is a reflecting pool of Christmas Trees that is the focal point of celebrations. We got there well ahead of the 5:30 start time, parked and walked to a bakery where we had a slice of cake (shared!) for dinner. Then about 5:15 we started on a nearly four mile walk. House after house glowed with santas and snowmen and every imaginable type of light. What was especially neat were the kids. They were thrilled. One little guy kept running to the next house and yelling about something he would see. It was a joyful night. Lots of kids seemed to delight in wishing you a “merry Christmas” and mons and dads were delighting in their fun. Quite a nice night.

Twelve Days .3

This is clearly not the spectacular photos you pay to see here. (But nice Bokeh) I am coming home late tonight and this was one of two back-ups that I prepared incase of emergency. What is unique about Santa you may ask. Well, this one is unique as it is the only one in the world. That must qualify, right? This fellow with his bag of toys about to descend the chimney is one I carved a last month. In my on-going quest to learn Flat Plane Carving, he is number 37 for the year. Hoping to get to 52 but it is not looking good. I am completing 44 this week, still, 8 more in two weeks is a stretch. More to the point, I am learning, a bit. What I am really learning is how much I don’t know and that is a good thing for the process of any skill. For example, I get lots of “fuzzies” and I make too many shallow cuts on edges and I still don’t know how to cut a smooth line across grain and, actually what I don’t know would exceed the legal limit of this page. But thanks for looking and tomorrow, back to the spectacular. Maybe:)

Twelve Days .2

It is early morning, about 6:20 in Chincoteague, Virginia along Main Street. It is pouring rain and the winds are about 35mph with gusts to 50mph. I have been to the shore, as if there a sunrise might be visible! As the rain was sweeping over the dunes and filling all the depressions in the sand I decided to head back to the town as I did not want to get the MINI stuck. The town was deserted because all the smart people were having their second cup of coffee or just rolled over in bed to wait for the third snooze alarm. But me, I am trying to keep my lens clean enough for a photo and leaning on a telephone pole to try and steady the camera. So, day two of the Twelve Days of Christmas with all the turtle doves snug in their nests, we get the old theater with a Christmas season wish.
What ever year Disney’s Cars came out Cindy and I were in Chincoteague and it was raining so we went to this theater for an afternoon matinee and saw Cars with a packed house with lots of kids. Must have been 200 seats. Now it is used for community events.

12 Days .1

Traditionally the 12 Days of Christmas begin on the 25th of December and continue to the 6th of January or the day the Orthodox Church celebrates Epiphany. At Two Lane Touring we are going to have our own 12 Days of Christmas beginning today and ending on December 25th. As is fitting for 2020 it is my intention to focus on some unusual, some abstract and some “really you thought that fit Christmas” photos.

We begin with a 25 foot snowman! This inflatable is just a block from my house and we often pass him on our afternoon walk. You will note that my wife is not even afraid of this creature.

Summer Storm

Riding the roads around Lancaster, PA during a rain storm provides nice opportunities when the rain slows a bit.

“The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight for living.” Psalm 19:8 NLT

Ok boys and girls, the word of the day is Incongruous...(two photos)

…can you say, Incongruous? With apologies to Mr. Rogers.

In rural southeastern Arkansas near the National Park Unit of Arkansas Post is a small collection by the same name but it is a state facility. It consists of four reconstructed buildings without much of a theme and one mid 19th century cabin. It is used most often by area elementary school groups for field trips to learn a bit of Arkansas history. They also have a picnic area where the kids would have their lunch. And adjacent to the picnic area (it was closed due to covid) is a gallows. Now this is an old gallows of a type used in public executions and one of only two still existing - according to the guide there. And it is the focal point of lunch.

Planning

This is a panorama from near the top of Penobscot Mountain in Acadia National Park. My favorite hike! We have done this one four times and once pushed on to Sargent Mountain. That is the Jordan Pond below. I am excited because we are in the process of planning a trip there for 2021. No place I like better. Covid needs to cooperate next year.

Chincoteague Ponies

The name Chincoteague Pony is an official breed. The fire department and scores of volunteers (saltwater cowboys) bring the herds into pens during June to prepare them for auction in July after the famous “Pony Swim.” Some are sold and leave the lsland a few are “sold” but called “buy-backs” and the buyer gets to name the horse but it stays with the herd. The male in this photo, Riptide, is the son of a famous horse and now is the alpha male of the southern herd. The other pony in the photo is “Get Milk.” These were a quite distant today and trying to stay a bit out of the wind which was blowing 30 to 50 mph. Smart horse - less smart photographer..

At Least One....

It would be cruel to make you wait for all the bird photos until Bird Week X, so…..

A Black Skimmer stands along the bayside of the strip of sand with the Atlantic on the other side. Skimmers like to glide just over the water and drop their lower and longer bill into the water and scoop up a few tasty morsels for dinner. Great bird to watch darting about.

Tiny Hamlet of Harborton (two photos)

On the way back from a weekend of new friends and photography in Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, I followed a road west of the main road that led to this tiny town in Virginia’s Eastern Shore called Harborton. It was clearly named for the nice, large harbor that gave easy access to the Chesapeake Bay. There were a couple of dozen houses, a score of piers and docks and a very large parking lot that indicated there were a lot of boats launched here doing the summer. Pretty place. I shot this crab/oyster shack in the early afternoon. I have a photograph of an old post office I will post later. Lots of bird photos so, we all know that means the long-awaited and eagerly anticipated Bird Week X.

If you are a fan of B&W I think this image lends itself to that look, added here with a wash of antique color in ON1

Hope Your Week is Glorious

This is a sunset taken between Charlestown, SC and Myrtel Beach, SC. The cloud formation is just enchanting.

Country Church

This is located very close to Smokemont in the Great Smoky Mountains on the NC side. It is a short walk from the campground. The Lufty Baptist Church was established in 1836 and this building erected in 1912. There is an outhouse down the hill from the building that is nearly hidden by the foliage. I am not sure if the church building is used for anything any longer although it appears to be set up for an audience. Maybe just shut down becuase of covid.

“Our hearts have not deserted you. We have not strayed from your path.” Psalm 44:18 NLT

Last Year

We were able in early December to visit Disney World. One of the highlights was a tour of the 9 or so gingerbread creations. They are remarkable and this one, over two stories high, was set up to sell and serve hot chocolate from the front porch. Don’t think they did them this year - hope for 2021. This is located in the Grand Floridian. Turns out my neighbor’s son plays the piano here.

In Sight

Thought it would be good to take a break from birds and streams and fall colors. I took this a few years ago but just processed it (or re-processed it) and I think it is a better photo. I like it because I am standing on the side of the Lincoln Memorial and the portico frames the Reflecting Pool, the Washington Monument, the US Capital and The Smithsonian Castle. Whew. It also includes a tired tourist resting on the steps of the monument.

Fill 'er up?

You didn’t have to do it yourself and pay at the pump meant you gave the man $5.00 and he gave you change while chatting about the crops and weather and what happened at church last Sunday. And don’t back into the tree when you leave!

Excited...

Not the Great Blue in this photo, but me. I am actually going out to take images this weekend at Chincoteague, Virginia. If you don’t know Chincoteague (or the famous horse, Misty) it is a small town on the Eastern shore and adjacent to the wild life refuge of the same name and it shares the long island with the Assateague Island National Seashore. It is one of my favorite places and I am going to be with other more experienced photographers so I expect to learn a lot and simply enjoy a beautiful place doing what I enjoy so much, shooting photographs, enjoying the beauty of the sea and unique wild life.

However, on the Great Blue, note the colors of his feathers they are so subtle and rich.

Soft

Looking at one of the mountains surrounding Cades Cove in the Smoky Mountains on a very foggy morning. The low fog was burning off across the valley but it was still very thick in pockets. The three tiers of this photo were pleasing to me.