Showing posts with label 2010 Pictures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2010 Pictures. Show all posts

Friday, December 31, 2010

Best Photo and Article/Entry of 2010

And the winners are:

Well, one small commercial before I announce the winners.

I want to make it clear that the best photo and article/entry do not mean that they are the best events of 2010. I went over the best events of the year yesterday in 2010 Events of the Year.  The winners today are for the picture which spoke to me the most and the article/entry that I enjoyed the most on rereading.  In both cases the selections also needed to represent the eclectic approach that I take to this blog.

My blog is--my blog. It is personal and yet public. I cover a wide range of topics from news to family items and events. I also include leadership thoughts and reviews of movies, restaurants, wine, concerts and other items that strike me. I even include some jokes, and writing/poetry of my own. I do not believe that anything is off the table--although I have considered breaking the blog into other smaller bodies of work.

I appreciate feedback and I have even been called out on some of my statements this past year and I appreciated the time my friends took to educate me on the items that I did not fully understand. I admit I have opinions and fairly deep rooted beliefs about much of what I write about.

Thank you to everyone for the time you take to read my thoughts and for your comments--either directly on the blog or in Facebook.


And the winners are:



My favorite photo of 2010:



No Caption Required
This image was in the article Patrick and Tina get Married which was published on Sunday, June 20, 2010. I felt that this was one of those stand alone images--hence the name "No Caption Required."  I can still feel the love of the moment as I look at the picture.

My Favorite Article/Entry for 2010:

Dark Trees

I was outside Tuesday evening
looking at the night sky.
Chris bought a telescope at a yard sale--
I thought I'd try it out.

I saw Jupiter and three of its moons.
and craters on the Moon as well.

But bathed in the bright moonlight
I noticed the trees
towering above me still full with leaves.

They were dark.

The lightening bugs that made them shimmer
during the nights of summer--
were gone.

Dark and foreboding.
Silhouetted by the moon.

They were not yet autumn trees--
robed with red and orange leaves.
Nor were they the eerie trees of Halloween--
leaf-less, sketching scary shadows on the lawns
for the ghouls and goblins to dance with
in the moonlight.

No--these were still summer trees.
Standing tall against the winds and rains.
Reveling in hot summer sun
providing cool shade to travelers
pausing beneath their branches.

Yet, they were dark.

I imagined them gloomy.
As if they sensed the change.

The coolness of the still not yet autumn breeze
swept across my bare arms.

I paused, breathing deeply,
savoring both the musky scent of summer
and the sweet smell of recently mowed grass.

A dog barked in the distance
returning me to my driveway.

I had drifted off
to a summer-bathed sandy beach.

The light in the window reminded me
that the time for sleep had come.

And dreams.

The dark trees stood tall.
Nodding, it seemed
in the cool gentle breeze.

Autumn was at hand.

Dark Trees appeared on September 23, 2010. I love the imagery and the sensory nature of this poem. One of my favorite lines is: "... the eerie trees of Halloween--leaf-less, sketching scary shadows on the lawns for the ghouls and goblins to dance with in the moonlight." I actually can see playing out in my mind as I read it--and it really still strikes me. Reading the line "...breathing deeply, savoring both the musky scent of summer and the sweet smell of recently mowed grass" makes me relive summer and warmer times while I am trapped here in the winter time.

In conclusion--
The competition was fierce and stiff--and I considered including the runners-up, but that would be a bit presumptuous of me.

Thank you for reading and commenting during 2010, and I pray that your year ahead is full of hope and blessings.

Don't party too much tonight and if you drink--don't drive.  Spend the night or get a taxi.




Wednesday, December 29, 2010

December Grasses

Sometimes I find the neatest things right in my own yard.

This morning I looked out the window and saw the sun, yes, really the sun, illuminating the now brown grasses around the pool. The sky was blue and the grasses were golden and shimmering in the sunlight.

I wanted to cut them down a while ago--I have to do that every year, but now I am glad that I didn't. 

It was over 40 degrees today for the first time in over two weeks--it felt like a summertime heat wave.

It felt good to be outside, I also build a bird house with Ethan during the late morning and early afternoon. It only took a few hour--but I wound up emptying the garage in order to get a workspace for us to construct in. We had to take many breaks to warm up. Some hot chocolate and a couple minutes inside and we were back at the project which only required two trips to Lowe's for supplies.

So the in between week has been full of some different activities.  And relaxing and at times frustrating (installing my new router highlighted a problem with my laptop).

But it is a week I look forward to every year. And although I have to work tomorrow, I am excited about the new year celebrations which are just a couple of days away.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Favorite Pictures from the Blog - 2010

Below are my nominations for the best picture of the year from my Blog. These are all images that either I or my lovely wife, Chris, took on our cameras.  I will announce the winner on December 31st along with my best blog item of the year.

1. Jax is the coolest 2-year old on the planet. He has the world always under control. And for that matter he always has his parents and grandparents in the palm of his hand, too.  I love this picture because I really love this hat. I wish I could wear one with the confidence that Jax does! 
Jax--I love this Hat!
 
























Baby? Where's the Baby?


2. Jeremy after Lucas was born. I don't really remember what was going on, but this picture really captured the emotions of the time--the joy, the excitement and the terror.



















Snowpocalypse through the crystal of the door
3. "Through the Crystal" as I have titled this image,  is shot out the front door of the house looking into the post 1st Snowpocalypse event in February. I thought about this shot and felt it would provide a cool memory of the event. Of course, at the time I had no idea that a second even larger storm was on the way. When we were done, some almost 60 inches of snow lay on the ground. We were trapped for four days--with over 40 inches of snow in the street. The driveway was clear--but the street was impassable.

















4. Makayla loves the snow. She was having more fun in the snow during the Snowpocalypse than should have been allowed. It was fun to watch her run through the snow and shake it all over herself. It was not fun, however, cleaning off her feet when she came in from playing.
Makayla Loves Snow
5. The roads were impassable. Chris and I and Makayla took a walk to check them out. The day was snowy and cold. Just the kind of weather Chris and Makayla like. I remember about the snow and cold for the entire walk. I was a true downer to be with since the snow spirit was so high in Chris.
Barely Passable

 6. I needed some color and we found it in California at a winery. These flowers just brightened up my whole day. And this image brightens my day every tome I look at it.
California Colors of April
7. As we walked through the Redwood forest during our Napa/Sonoma vacation, we spied this web glinting in the sunlight. Chris worked her magic--walking off the path and into a dry stream bed to snap this shot.
Spider Web in the Redwood Forest
8. This is one awesome looking dude! Getting ready for the wedding and looking his best--even with the half smile. Look at him--he is such a cool looking dude all decked out.
I'm the Man!

9.  At the wedding of the year. This image, I think, really captured the emotion of the day. Nuff said.
No Caption required

 10. On the beach in Jupiter, armed with her Kindle--reading and relaxed.  No--she did not take this image.
I'm Bored with Beaches

11. Sometimes an image just captures a scene exactly as I remember it. The hurricane was moving off shore. The surf was rough.  The sky and the clouds we vivid and to be remembered. The wind was strong and it reminds me of paintings I have seen of the sky and surf.
Like a Painting--Jupiter Beach

12. Before I managed to destroy my underwater camera, I had a great day of snorkeling and was able to capture this school of fish. I love the way the sunlight is playing with the shadows on the bottom and the sand is being channeled by the action of the waves. I felt like a member of the school as I was swimming with the fish the day. I enjoyed the snorkeling, but I would have loved to just be laying on the bottom in scuba gear--eve though ti was only 10 feet deep. I should have rented a tank.
I'd Love to be Sleeping with the Fishes
13. And off on the rocks--not 50 feet offshore one day and group of manatees came to sun themselves. They were awesome--not as awesome as the one that caught us by surprise a day later when Chris and I were snorkeling--but nearly so. In all of the years we have been coming to Jupiter, we had never seen manatees--but this past winter was especially rough on the manatee population, with some 10 percent dying due to the cold. So their patterns must have changed a bit. No problem--we thoroughly enjoyed seeing them.
Manatees! Right There!

14.  My favorite bird! I don't know why--it just is.
Real Birds Wear Pink!

15. We were out driving one evening after dinner and saw the perfect spot to snap an image of Jupiter Lighthouse. Chris took it--and I was sure it wouldn't come out--but look--it did.
Jupiter Light House
So I Can Find My Way Back
16. Lucas, asleep. 2010 is the year of Luke! What a great kid. What fun--and how he has so changed and developed. He is such a neat kid. One of the "Gang of Three."
Lucas
A New Definition of "Sleeping Like a Baby"
17. The first day of school. I can feel the anxiety in the image.  That would be his Mom's anxiety.
Every Mother's Nightmare
The First Day of School
18. No year in review would be complete without my favorite past time being included. This bunch of Cabernet Franc grapes was at Keswick Vineyards in early-October.  A beautiful Sunday morning.
Walking in the Vineyard
19. My Pair of Kees together. BFF.
A Pair of Kees
20. And to end the year--the Eclipse Equinox. Chris took it, but I got up to view it as well. A truly unique event almost 400 years in the making.
Equinox Eclipse

Monday, December 27, 2010

Christmas 2010: Twenty Pictures

And as a summary of Christmas with the family--here are twenty pictures to relive the memories.
Ornaments on the Tree

Reflecting the Beauty
 Jax totally toasted about 5PM--the day caught up with him.
Jax on Christmas 2010
 The family--chillin after the presents
Christmas Afternoon

Who Took My Present?

Ethan: Spy Hunter

I Love Coats!

Dad, When are they Leaving?

Nicole--Relaxed

Grandma? Who Gets the Next Gift?

What a Cute Butt!

Chewie chewing

Riordan under the Christmas Palm

Picture of the First Picture with the New Camera

Pop-pop and Lucas Digging In

Christmas Eve Brunch: And So it Begins

The Women in my Life
Shhh! Santa has been Here!

The Family 2010

The Youngest Fighting for Grandma's Love

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Eclipse Picture

Lunar Eclipse on Winter Solstice
21 December 2010 about 0300 EST
As proof that at least one of us was awake for the eclipse on early Tuesday morning as the Winter Solstice was also occurring--an image. Chris took her trusty Sony and got the moon while it was eclipsing (is that a word?).

She remarked, "Do you know how hard it is to find the moon in a camera?"

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Thanksgiving is Here!


How do I know?

We have our own Thanksgiving forecasting cactus.

every year around Thanksgiving it breaks into full blossom. And this year is no exception--it is magnificent.

It is fun to take care of this plant all year long and then in November to see it begin to bud and then spring into full flower.

We have had this cactus for many years now--and I think it is blooming a bit earlier now than it used to--but no problem--whenever it blooms, we enjoy its flowers.

And with the blooms--the turkey is not far behind.

And the holiday season.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Wow, it Seems Cold

I am not enjoying my first taste of cold weather.

Not at all.

It is just plain cold!

I do not like seeing my breath as I exhale when I stumble outside in the morning to allow Makayla to do her thing--and then realize that I really needed to put on a coat because it really is cold and only about 32 degrees.

Ugh~!


Jupiter Beach, Florida
July 2010
 I am ready for the winter--but do not look forward to its arrival.

Someone reminded me the other day that in a couple months I will be looking back upon these days with fondness for their warmth.

But last week's high 70's were so much more enjoyable.

It really is awful having to drive my convertible with the top up and the heat running.

And it really isn't cold, yet.

Hey, Spring is only about 136 days away!

Pool opening day is only 169 days away.






Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Up in the Air


Sometimes, things are not what they seem.


Usually, when a loud noise is heard in the air I can usually correctly identify it as a jet, or a propeller driven airplane, or a helicopter.
When I was a lot younger--I could often even determine the type of aircraft it was--although those were usually military aircraft. The venerable C-5A has a distinctive sound as does the B-52G.


On this day, I could not identify the air vehicle. I was snorkeling about 100 yards off the beach and I looked up to see the Goodyear Blimp. For real, slowly, and almost gracefully flying overhead.

I kind of wished that I could have just stood and watched it, but as I was in about 10 feet of water, that wasn't going to happen. So I snapped a couple of pictures with my now dead camera, to remember the moment and then went back to looking at the fishes.

I had forgotten that a blimp is based in Miami--and so while it was unusual to see one, it was not something highly out of the ordinary for the area.

I was happy to be in the water snorkeling.

But I still think about flying, sometimes.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Sand Castles and Memories

Sand Castle built by Mike, Ethan and Jax during July 2010
Works of art arrayed on the beach, for only a short time.

Built by hands striving to make their mark on the world--no matter how temporary.


It is like writing your name in the sand on the beach. A strong statement that "I was here" but one that will soon be gone with the wind or the tides.


I have seen some fabulous sand art. And I am always impressed by its transient nature--the artist, or sand sculptor, uses their talent to create a design which causes people to pause and consider it, but also realize that the art is only temporary. And then the canvass is clean for them to start over.


It must be a freeing experience.


Not to be constrained by what has already been done and yet free to take yesterday's creation and remold it to make it different for the mood of the day. Even, in some manner, better.


I am sometimes so busy trying to create something that will last and have an enduring quality, that I forget that like the flowers of the field that bloom and then die in a day, transient things can be beautiful because they make a memory!


It is memories that really last and endure. Not the item or the thing. Over time things grow old and weathered. They crack and peel and become soiled with the passage of time.


But memories--they remain. And they are always with me.


And I can smile at the remembrance of them.




Sunday, August 1, 2010

Morning After the Two Weeks Before

We are back home in Maryland.

After over two weeks of vacation we returned safely home to resume life.

Our home, despite hosting at least three parties while we were away, was in fantastic shape. All told there were only three causalities--all plants, while we were away. Which is good for any vacation during the highest heat of the summer.

The signature symbol of Jupiter is the lighthouse. Designed by Gen George G. Meade to provide safe passage to mariners, it now provides passage for me to my happy place. The place where everything seems to be right with the world and I am able to blot out negative thoughts for a time.

Maybe it is a small preview of heaven, in that sense.

Chris snapped this image on our last evening in Jupiter--I have lots of images of the lighthouse in daylight, but she had the idea to get it at night--and it is an awesome shot.

A beacon to navigate the dark night.

A memory to grasp and hold onto during the hectic days of life--a place where I am unhurried and the biggest decision of the day is whether we go to the beach at 8:30 am or 9:00 am.

I don't know what tomorrow will bring as I head back into work and resume my 50 week per year life. But, I am armed with many memories and fully relaxed and ready to tackle the challenges that I will inevitably face.

But the lighthouse is the signal to help me to find my way back.

Saturday, July 31, 2010

South Carolina dawn


After a fitful night's sleep in a hotel near Savannah, we are back on the road.

The last leg of the trip back to the day-to-day grind and farther from vacation.

Yesterday we were snorkeling the warm Atlantic and today we are looking at a ribbon of highway in front of us.

Home is ahead of us and fantasy is behind as we travel the road through purgatory from one world to the other.

All good things end I guess to remind us that they are good things.

OK, I do miss my dog.



Sent from my iPhone
My Zimbio
Top Stories