Showing posts with label 2009 pictures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2009 pictures. Show all posts

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Mid-Winter Splash of Color

As the darkness and gray of the winter drags on, I believe it is helpful to look at bright sunny scenes and remember warmer and brighter days.


I do not know what this flower is called--but the deep greens of the background and the bright pinks of the flowers are calling out to the Summertime which still remains in me despite the weather outside.

If you click on it--then there is a bug in the middle of one of the petals, sunning itself. I could be that bug right now!

Sunning myself, on a sunny beach, in a warm (even hot climate). Toes in the sand.

Smelling the sweet and sometimes musky smells of summer.

Hearing the dragonflies buzz overhead feasting on mosquitoes.

Feeling the sun on my face.

Yeah!

Friday, January 29, 2010

Out of the Mist

Yeah--OK, it is called the Maid of the Mist for a reason. But think deeper about this image of a minute.


Sometimes I feel as if the falls behind the boat represent the turmoil in our lives. Those insurmountable obstacles that always seem to arrive square in out paths at just the wrong moment.

There is no way we are going to succeed on our own--we will be pummelled into submission or, worse, destroyed. Yet, like the Maid of the Mist we continue to sail into the turmoil. Right into the very middle of the storm. We have to sail directly into the most violent part of the storm.

And when we survive or overcome the obstacle. it is because we are surrounded by a stout ship--even when sailing into the very middle of the fiercest storm.

Look at the calm waters in the foreground. Not so far from the falls and the rocks. We long to sail smooth waters and calm seas. And it seems we can always see smooth sailing not that far off in the distance. We want to get there on our own. We think we can. Even though we are exhausted.

I want to sail those calm seas, but I know that there will be storms and obstacles which are trying to upset or sink my boat. Sometimes they succeed. But--I am blessed in that there are always other intrepid sailors to help right my ship and get me back afloat to meet the next challenge or storm.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

A Walk in the Woods



I periodically review images that I have taken because it seems that aside from wondering why I took a particular shot, sometimes I begin to see different things in the images than I remember. Also, sometimes I remember important aspects about what we were doing.


This image, for instance, was a shot in early autumn as Chris and I were walking off the Monticello grounds in the woods back to the visitor center. While it might be considered a throw-away image by many, I remember the day well and why I took the picture of the tree just beginning to be robed in the colors of autumn.


The sun was highlighting the just turning leaves in a bright kind of way. And while the day was warm, it was not hot--like summer in Virginia can be. It was a lovely walk down the mountain to the visitor center in the cool shade of the trees.

I remember the smells of the forest and the rustle of the leaves. And the quiet---because it was quiet. But the smells reminded me of my childhood.

Chris and I talked all the way down the mountain--and commented on how much walking that day reminded us of how we grew up--running around out in the forests of central NY under the canopy of sugar maple trees. Climbing trees and building tree forts. I always thought that the trees were my friends. In fact, I actually mourned the loss of one tree which died while I was growing up--an over 100 foot tall elm tree that stood proudly outside my bedroom succumbed to Dutch Elm Disease when I was a tween. I still remember the school bus drivers asking me where they needed to stop and I would proudly say: "just past the tallest tree you can see." Once that tree was gone--everything seemed so ordinary.

There was another other tree I loved--an old, majestic sugar maple which proudly stood over the backyard of our house and shaded our activities. I had a small dirt pile at its base where I played with my trucks and earth moving equipment. I also fought many WW2 battles there with my green and gray plastic army men and equipment. That tree had a trunk over six feet thick. That tree protected us from storms and provided shade the entire time I grew up. I heard that it has died and been cut down--but my memory of it still remains. And it was magnificent during the autumn!

So I guess that when I see trees, I look at them as friends. We are surrounded in our current house by tulip poplars, honey locust, and black walnut trees that tower over us. During the summer, I love to look into their canopies as see the fire flies shimmering in the night sky. During the winter I look at their bare branches and remember the green leaves of the summers I love so much.

And so this image says to me--in an old familiar way, "hey there, I know your cousins."


Monday, January 11, 2010

Monday Musings - January 11, 2010

1. I wonder if I'm the only person still having trouble writing 2010 instead of 2009.

2. With most all of the Christmas decorations returned to storage for another year (except for the outside lights because it has been too cold to deal with them) the house looks empty and bland. It is amazing how seasonal decorations really spruce up a place.

3. Take two active boys under the age of five, add toys, DVDs, sugar and food and the result is total chaos.

4. We are on baby watch--who knew that unborn babies needed to be watched so closely and by so many people!

5. Football success inspires people to excel. I wonder how many people in the larger Baltimore region are feeling great this morning after their teams won during the playoffs yesterday and Saturday?

6. Below the Fold: "NBC Cancels Leno Show in Primetime" (Washington Post). If I got canceled and removed as many times as Leno has and still had a job, I'd consider it a miracle. I guess the old saying of "mess up and move up" really applies?



7. Did you ever take a picture, really work hard to get it all set up only to wonder later whatever possessed you to take the picture? In that vein, I present an image I have titled--Tulip Poplar Stump at Monticello. What was I thinking?


8. I wonder why it is that we cannot seem to buy a new rim and get the wheel on the Lexus fixed. I guess because it is on the "todo" list.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Monday Musings - December 21, 2009

I'm going to do something different this week. I am going to use only photos for the Monday musings. These are all pictures from 2009--various places and events.
The above is wine on the vine at Keswick Vineyards, VA in October 2009


A March wedding in Texas. Where is Cinderella?

A U.S. flag on the USNS Hoyt S. Vandenberg, 80 feet deep off Key West, FL taken in July

Footprints in the sand, Cocoa Beach, FL in July

The indiginity of it all, Islamorada, FL in July

Tarpon on patrol or I'm having fish for dinner! Dry Tortugas, FL in July

A shuttle has been by. Cocoa Beach, July

I love snow. February in Maryland.


Lounging at the Hemmingway House in July.


Gramma, who are we cooking for dinner? March in Maryland.


Dude--where did the year go? Maybe it is down there? July in Cocoa Beach.


Sunday, December 20, 2009

Pictures from the Storm of December 2009--This Just In

OK--I was so busy yesterday that I didn't get the pictures from the storm together--but we have a few Since church was canceled this morning, I have a few minutes to get the storm pictures together for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy them. Today dawns, by the way, bright and sunny!

First--a couple words--the Great Blizzard of 2009 ranks only as the 5th all time single day storm in terms of snowfall in Maryland history. But--December 2009 is officially the snowiest December on record with the storm from earlier in the month and this one.


Snow--while some find it beautiful, I find it cold although it does make for some nice pictures and it makes the world seem white and clean. It washes away the sins and stains of the world I guess.



Our neighbors are awesome. We received about 22 inches of snow here. I love their snow blower. We wound up clearing the driveway twice AND are heading out in a few minutes today. This was taken at dusk--about 5PM and the reflection of the flash off the falling snowflakes is kinda neat.



Makayla loves the snow and she is a great snow dog.


So last night, we had to take a picture of the Christmas lights on the house in the snow. You can see we didn't try to go anywhere yesterday. The cars are still marshmallows.





Wedding Picture to Remember


A mid-October wedding in Upstate NY is bound to be fraught with challenges.


But sometimes--when the wedding is in the afternoon on a frosty, crisp autumn day interesting things happen.


This shot at sunset of Andie and Brian actually top my list of best ever wedding shots.


I like the mist in the background rising off the field in front of the trees and the hues of the sunset as it fades.


We tried a bunch of pictures as the sunset was happening--but this one seemed to be the best!


Maybe I'll enter it into a competition at a fair next year.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Dragonfly Summer



It seems this was a summer to notice dragonflys.


And there were two images that really highlighted our photographic efforts against these ubiquitous creatures this summer.


One in Cocoa Beach while we were waiting for the Space Shuttle Endeavour to launch on July 15th. We were standing on the side of the causeway with some thousand of our newest friends waiting for the launch and Chris noticed this dragonfly striking a pose.


The other while we were doing a nature walk on Merritt's Island--just north of Cocoa Beach about two weeks later.
I can still smell the damp, musty odors of the trail and leaves on the nature walk as I look at this picture.


It was hot!


But our friend dragonfly was trying his best to keep the pesky mosquitoes away.


I must give credit where it is due--Chris took both of these awesome pictures!
But I still hold fond memories in my mind of both of these experiences.

Friday, December 18, 2009

A Sunny Afternoon in a Quieter Place



So after my brief respite at the beach, the other day. I began to think--I wonder what my best images of 2009 really are? Not that some are more or less better than others--but some just express an emotion that really helps me to remember the fonder times as I struggle through the dark days of this season.

This image--I call Monticello Monarch, and although taken during our early October trip to Charlottesville, VA; it caught my eye for its color and contrast.

As we strolled around the walking path outside Monticello, Chris and I came upon this very busy butterfly--probably just preparing to migrate to warmer climates for the winter. I wish I had migrated along with the butterfly.

I can still smell the flowers in the gardens and enjoy the leaves on the trees in my mind. And I also remember the winding trail through the woods as we walked down the mountain from the main house to the visitor center.

Not just an image--but a memory!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Waiting to Relax


I needed to get to my happy place for a bit.

I went through my pictures of last summer in Florida. The diving, the partying, the walking, the visiting, the watching the shuttle launch.

This was the one that most expressed my happy place---palm trees, sand, and a wicker chair in the sun on the beach!

Ah, and the memory of the day, too! Lunch at the Islamorada Fish House and a sweet day in the Florida Keys!

I can see myself in the chair, sipping a great glass of wine and having a conversation with someone about the way the waves are crashing on the beach. Following the fish as they swim in the surf and keeping an eye out for the occasional seagull or other shore bird. A Christmas light wrapped palm in the sand to lend light as night falls and I haven't moved.

It certainly is a long way from the foul weather we are experiencing right now. And the dark days!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Jeremy, Goals, and The Baltimore Marathon




A new experience yesterday--actually attending a running event of world class proportions: The Baltimore Marathon.

Wow! I was amazed at the number of people--20,000 runners and over 70,000 spectators all over Baltimore! And it was a sight to behold--all of the people and runners.

And of course our own--Jeremy who ran in the Half Marathin. That would be 13.1 miles for those of you who are trying to figure the distance out..

We went with Nicole and had a great time at the running festival. We watched the start, enjoyed the crowds and Inner Harbor while he ran, and then watched him finish with panache!

Jeremy was the winner--he set a tough goal, trained for it, and completed it! We should all be able to set goals and then have the intensity and mettle to achieve them!

Way to go Jer!

Friday, September 4, 2009

Cat or TV?


Sometimes it is hard to not laugh.

Every night, Louis, the cat, crawls up onto the TV stand and parks himself in front of the screen like some kind of statue.

I think in his mind it is more important to be seen than to be appreciated. Because I really do not appreciate his statuesque approach to my television watching.

I'm really not sure what his point is, but it is comical because it happens every night.

That is his place to park for a while.


No one can take it from him. No one dares!!

I guess we all need a spot like Louie's. A place where we are the undisputed king.

In his case, the dog can't get him and we don't feel like moving him.

Lucky him.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Getting above it all

Some days, it would be nice to get above all the noise and find a quiet almost serene place.

I saw this balloon the other day-against the blue sky on a beautiful afternoon. Just floating along being carried by the wind.

Some days--as I am stuck in the rat-race, or lost in the maze, I wish I could get my head up above the mundane and get a better eye on where I'm headed.

It must be freeing to be drifting on the breeze and to be going where the wind takes you and not able to really have control. Knowing only that whatever comes, you are ready for it. At least you can see where it is you are heading and prepare for it! A lot better than getting blindsided on the ground.

We need to take a few minutes and in our minds, create a place where we can drift on the wind for a minute and get our bearings. We might not like the course we are on, or we might be able to see an obstacle coming along.

Be like a person in a balloon, get up above the confines of daily life. There is no reason for us to run from one task to another without poking our heads up for a reality check.

Take a deep breath, slow down. Assess your life and if you think it is out of control, take back control.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Sailing off into the Sky


I guess that as September has arrived (even though I am still in denial) it is nice to kind of project out where we are headed.

Sometimes, it seems as if we are a ship out on the open ocean--alone for a far as the eye can see. Charting our course for sights and lands unknown. We become the captains of our own ships and chart our own course without regard for those around us--because we can't see them.

I guess I sometimes dream of being the solitary ship headed off for adventure.

But it is September after all.

It is birthday season for our family--the celebrations begin in a few weeks and continue through April. Poor Ethan--he gets so tired of singing Happy Birthday for everyone else in the family before he brings up the end in April. Even Jax slipped in front of him!

And of course then there is the multiple holiday season--Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years.

And football season and hockey season and the World Series!

And the famously politically incorrect remembrance--Columbus Day where the subjugation of the indigenous peoples of the America's began.

And the planning for weddings, and a new grandson and all of the excitement they bring.

July was tame by comparison!

Anyone have a spare weekend I can borrow?

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Dragonfly



I've been meaning to show off this image since it was taken on July 15, 2009 by Chris.


I was so impressed by it. I remember it well--she took it while we were on the causeway off FL528 waiting for the Endeavour space shuttle launch.


This dragonfly came and landed near her and actually posed for her.


And she caught him.


A really good picture.


Believe it or not, there are a lot of different types of dragonflys. I tried to identify the specific type of dragonfly--but there were too many different types--who knew!
She has a great eye.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Scenes to Remember




Did you ever go somewhere and see a scene that you just had to remember?





Sometimes I look at the sun reflecting off the clouds in the evening, as the pinks and reds are beginning to color them and wish that I could record how they appeared to me.





Not the way they look to the camera--cameras record the scenes as they are, not as we see them in our mind. Did you know that there is a difference?





How many times do you look across an open space and see a beautiful pastoral setting and then as you go to take a picture notice the ugly power lines running across in front of you?





We had a similar situation this summer driving away from Key West.


We were watching a water spout--which believe it or not is in the picture, travel just off shore along the road. It was fascinating. And there were two of them. We were so focused on the spouts, that we didn't even notice the power lines in the foreground of the picture.

But in my mind--I remember the water spouts. Not the power lines.

We transform scenes in our minds--removing the ugly and replacing filling the space with how we want to see the scene.

Like a beautiful day along the banks of a small lake in Florida watching the wildlife. It is something beautiful to remember. A happy place, so to speak. A place where there was joy and fun and excitement.

We forget the oppressive heat, the mosquitoes, the long walk. We remove the imperfections to make it a place to dream of returning to--on another day.

It has become another scene to remember in the movie of my life.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Name That Fish!


Help!


I took a picture of this fish on July 22, 2009 in the Sambo Reefs off Key West, Florida. I cannot figure out what it is.

The closest thing I've come up with is an ocean sunfish--but I don't like the tail and the id seems a bit off.



I have spent probably four hours scouring fish ID guides trying to id this fish--so any help would be appreciated.

It was a good sized fish--but not huge by any stretch of the imagination. I'd say maybe 18-24 inches.


Thanks in advance!

A quick edit--this is most likely a Grey Triggerfish according to experts! Yay Mystery solved. It just didn't look right to me for a Triggerfish--but that was my first instinct. Should've gone with it.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Sights in Key West


Key West is an interesting city.

It appears you can get anything you desire--and even some things you don't. Just walk along Duval Street at night after 10PM to see what I mean.

Sitting at lunch near Duval Street on sunny afternoon I spied this sight and really didn't know what to make of it--especially being right under the museum. Trust me--in this area of Key west there are no beaches or places to swim in the immediate vicinity.

But it was a funny sight and we truly enjoyed getting a good laugh--and of course I was quick enough with the camera to record it.

Maybe an escaped mermaid from the Mel Fisher Museum from the wreck of the Atocha.

Manatees, bugs, and wildlife





Exploring the area around Cocoa Beach yesterday we traveled to the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge to enjoy the scenery and view some animals in the wild (rather than wild animals in the condo!).

Seeing Manatees in the wild was the highlight of the day. They are really big--and also really hard to get any kind of a decent photo of. But they were fun to watch. The move very slowly and almost gracefully in the water. Possibly the mermaids of the deep.

We enjoyed a great picnic lunch in the park surrounded by the abundant animal life--OK so we had ants everywhere. It was still fun. Even with the smell of bug spray to ward off the locals.

The walking tour near the visitor center provided a nice overview of the area and the geography to include plants and some animals. We did see some fish in the nearby pond.

A great day to remember, all within sight of the massive vehicle assembly building at the Kennedy Space Center.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

It Took Me a While to Get Them All Positioned


I am just learning the joys of underwater photography. It is fun and at the same time frustrating. Fishes really move around, so when I was able to snap this picture of some fishes posing for me, I was happy.

This was my second dive on Friday, July 24th at an unnamed reef after completing my Vandenberg dive. I had lots of time to tool around and enjoy the fishes and the scenery under the water. The reef was only about 20 feet deep and the water was pretty clear--visibility near 40 feet.

I really enjoyed getting all of these fishes grouped together.
My Zimbio
Top Stories