Showing posts with label 2011 images. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2011 images. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Dogs, Everywhere are Dogs

Sometimes it seems that animals just appear from nowhere. That is happening with my family lately.

Mike with Anna--formerly MJR Angie
Over the weekend, Nicole, my daughter, and her family adopted a rescue greyhound. Wow. What a shocker. What a great dog. I was able to watch her racing history--five short races, and from knowing her I understand why she was not a good racing greyhound. She raced as MJR Angie. She was just happy to be on the track running. I had to laugh as she raced--she is such a gentle spirit and it comes through in her racing. The story of how she adopted, yup I wrote she adopted, my daughter's family is great. I guess people were watching the dog with Nicole and the boys.

Last evening, I met another potential addition to the extended family--a three month old great dane puppy! What a cutie--they are test driving the pup--which could top out near 200 pounds! At only three months old, he already made a loud thud on the floor when he walled. I didn't get a picture of him--but he was a beautiful dog--not yet as large as the pony he will soon become.

I'm sure we will find out how the test drive went. He is a puppy!

More to follow, I am sure. And maybe even some pictures.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Sunrise over Denver

I took this image yesterday morning from my Denver hotel window of the sun rising.


It was, magnificent.




Perhaps the only prettier one that I have seen recently was during our October weekend trip to the beach of the sun rising over the Atlantic Ocean.

That was an awesome weekend and a great sunrise.

In love the promise of the new day that rises with the sun. Yesterday I woke up in Denver, and this morning I woke up in my own bed.

What could be better?

God sends the sun along with the promise of a new day to remind us of His greatness.


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Image of the Weekend from Assateague

As the enjoyment and warmth of last weekend's trip to the beach fades into a nice memory, I was reminded that I had not yet shared the best image of the weekend.



Chris, in one of those incredibly lucky and creative moments came across a monarch butterfly on a yellow flowering plant against the white of the sand.

The butterfly posed for her and even changed positions so she could get a better shot of it.

And so, here it is--one of those we happened to be in the right place at the right time and with camera in hand images.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Thursday, October 13, 2011

On the Beach, again

On the beach this weekend, Chris took a really creative image of a fence in the sand.



It was very stark, but very much like one of those images that are published in beach magazines.

What a beautiful day. What an awesome blue sky.

Could it have been a better weekend? Especially during October?



And then the geese flying south brought me a shot of reality. I actually took this one.

No, this is not Key West. It is Virginia--and I am only dreaming that I am living in the land of endless summer, I am really still in Maryland, not that that is bad, it just isn't perfect, yet.

The geese call to me as they escape the cold of the north for the warmth of more southern climates.

I dream of being a snow bird.

Someday.

But last weekend I was imitating a lizard in the sun. And what could be wrong about that?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Flowers in the Setting Sun

I was reviewing some of the images from August and ran across this one of Brown-eyed Susan's illuminated by a setting sun.


I was walking around Newport, RI with the camera and spied this clump of flows in the golden light that happens as the sun heads towards the horizon at the end of the day.

Right there, in a garden in the middle of the main shopping area of Newport. Sandwiched between the shops and the harbor.

They caught my eye with the sun behind them giving them a bit of a halo appearance. A small spot of solitude in the center of a busy area to soothe the soul.

I need to grasp these moments more and struggle to remember them when I get too intensely focused on the crisis du jour.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Sunset over Rhode Island




Another day, another evening, and another fabulous sunset after a great day.



The wedding day was perfect. The reception a grand party. The evening sail was relaxing and enjoyable. But it was all capped by another fabulous sunset.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Sailing Newport

We are sailing this evening on a 101 foot sailing boat built in 1947. We are out on Narragansett Bay for an authentic New England sailing experience.

More in Newport





Yesterday we took some time to do the sights in Newport. I admit, I had not really thought of this as a mini vacation, but I should have. This is an incredibly beautify place and it was totally lost on me that the uber-rich of the 19th century had their summer palaces here.


I used the word palace intentionally, these places are huge. We visited The Breakers, the summer home of the Vanderbilts. The tour was fabulous and opulent and very well done. I highly recommend it as it is on of the best self-paced tours that I have ever taken. The tour allowed for additional levels of depth and stories about the house and the family.



Following that, we walked part of the cliff walk behind the mansions along the bay. The scenery was beautiful, although the path is a bit narrow and yesterday there were lot of people on the walk.


Following this, we checked out a local winery--yes, they make wine in Rhode Island. Like most northeastern wineries, the reds were thin, but the whites were surprisingly good. Yeah, we bought a few.

I see now why so many people flock to this area for vacation. And it is even better if you happen to sail--the region is truly a sailing mecca.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:E Main Rd,Middletown,United States

Friday, August 12, 2011

Newport at the Wedding Site

Here is where the wedding will be tomorrow morning. It is just awesome and beautiful.

Newport, RI

Well, it seems that as another weekend approaches that Chris and I are off on another adventure. This weekend finds us in Newport, RI for a wedding. We drove to Newport yesterday because we need to be here for a wedding.



It was a long drive, but traffic was moving and we made it across the George Washington bridge fairly easily even when there was a reported 40 minute back-up. Our friends George and Sue drove with us, actually, George drove and I navigated.

I had never been to Newport before and it is a beautiful, quaint oceanside city much like many of the places we have been visiting lately. Sail boats and sunsets.



The hotel leaves a lot to be desired--we made the reservations form Hotels.com and it just is not the shiniest penny in the bag, so to speak. I'll let the trip finish before I write my review on the place and publish it. The hotel recently became a Ramada--I'm not sure how, but perhaps Ramada is going to give them a year to get up to standards.


But--all of that aside--the sunset we beautiful, the company grand, and the time away exploring another new place is appreciated.

We are going to have fun.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:E Main Rd,Middletown,United States

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Turtles of Tobago Cays

During our recent vacation, some of the most fun we had was snorkeling

with the turtles in Tobago Cays. Tobago Cays is a collection of small islands at the southern end of the St Vincent Grenadines. It is a marine park and accessible only via watercraft. Wikipedia has a good description of the islands and the park.


The most enjoyable thing we did was to snorkel with the turtles. The turtles generally do not mind having people around them--as long as we are just watching. They, like most other wild animals, do not like to be touched or bothered. They seem to have a live and let live policy.


As a result, I got some pretty good images of the turtles as they grazed on the grasses and did their thing. I have been doing some color correction on the images from my underwater camera--and some of the best images are provided to help document our experience.




I hope they will continue to remind me of a great vacation for a longtime to come.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Sunsets of St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines

One of the things we enjoyed the most during the vacation were the sunsets.

Almost every evening we enjoyed the sunset usually involving the Caribbean Sea and boats or birds.

And so, here are my favorite images and memories of the sunsets we enjoyed.





Marigot Bay, the second night, July 10, sitting on the dock down the hill from our villa.



3rd night--from the the dock in front of a restaurant in Marigot Bay, Cafe Margot on Monday evening July 11th




Sunset from Julietta's on the hill above Marigot Bay on Friday evening July 15th.




Also from Julietta's that same evening, just a bit later.



Fire in the sky, our second night at sea, July 17th, between St Vincent and Bequia



Third night at sea approaching Tobago Cays July 18th. This is of the clouds reflecting the sunset which is behind the camera.



Our last night at sea July 20, our next to last night of vacation provided a couple interesting sunset shots. We are in Cumberland Bay, St Vincent and the boat is anchored and tied to a tree.





also from July 20 in Cumberland Bay.




The final sunset image of our vacation, July 20 from Cumberland Bay, is appropriately birds flying away in front of a setting sun. Much as the sun was setting on our vacation and our sailing adventure and we were about to begin winging our way back to our home.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

End of the Independence Weekend

And the radio blared out patriotic music as the fireworks made their way into the sky and the family cheered to its own backyard display.


The overcast day did not dampen the spirits of those gathered for the celebration and the pool saw quite a bit of use as the weather was humid and warm--or as I sometimes call it, close. Note that the soccer ball is being kicked in the air, backwards, before fully landing in the pool. A tribute to the guys with the ball and the camera operator, Chris.

Lucas was in control of both of his parents, both grandparents and one set of aunt and uncle. Not bad for an 18 month old.



It was really kind of neat the the 1812 Overture came on the Pandora radio station we were playing right as we were enjoying our fireworks.



While we are but backyard amateurs, it was fun to have our own 4th of July fun in the backyard. And especially since the fire threat was very low due to the rain which fell the night before and the light rain that was falling as we were lighting the darkness with our own version of the replay of the War of 1812 and the bombardment which inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words that became our National Anthem.

It is sad that the long weekend is over and that it is back to the grind. But let,s be serious--in five days I'll be on a plane for a Caribbean vacation singing along with Alan Jackson about it being Five O'clock somewhere. Of course I always ask, why wait for five? It is three o'clock somewhere, too.

I hope you had a happy 4th. And I want to thank everyone in my family, extended family, too; who made this a holiday to remember.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Bees and Flowers

I was finally able to look critically at the images I took on our Charlottesville weekend and I found one that showed a bee departing a blossom. I spent a lot of time and took quite a few images to actually get this shot. I had fun and I learned that bees do not dawdle when they are preparing for lift off. It is a pretty sudden event.



I enjoyed the variety of blooms that day in the gardens, but watching the bees go about their business added an extra measure of interest to the activity.





I also experimented with depth of field and tried to isolate specific parts of what I saw on a soft background. I like the image here for the components.

It was a great weekend in retrospect and now that I am beginning to enjoy the images we took, I can remember it that much better.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Monday, May 23, 2011

Monday Musings - May 23, 2011

1. Just as a reminder--I'm still here. The rapture didn't happen--I'm not sure if I'm happy or not.

2. I'm sitting here in front of a big bouquet of peony's--they are beautiful and fragrant. I picked them yesterday and they are still fresh looking today.

3. There was something not quite right when the phone rang as I was leaving the house 30 minutes before her scheduled arrival to retrieve Chris from her bus ride back from NYC. "Where are you?" she said. "Just leaving," I replied. "Well I'm already here so don't get a speeding ticket on your way." Really? 30 minutes early on a 3 hour 20 minute planned bus ride from NYC? I didn't know they made supersonic buses.

4. Just for the record--the O's beat the Nats yesterday 2-1 in a tightly played game that I was sure would wind up in the loss column for the Orioles.  Miracles happen and for the first game in a long time, the relievers did not give up a run. The game ended on a dramatic strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play. Which was very exciting, more so in that it was the second such play of the game.

5. Sitting around the pool last evening with a bottle of wine and dinner was probably the best meal I've enjoyed in over a week.

6. A busy week is planned--more travel, but the three-day weekend at the end will definitely be welcomed.

7. May is winding down.  It is amazing how quickly the month seems to be soaring along. All too quickly summertime will be upon us--and then gone.

8. The stinkbug plague is back. We found stinkbugs yesterday. They all met with a watery grave.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Flowers of Springtime

Peony in the Evening Light
The flowers of late Springtime are now in bloom around the yard.

I love the smell of the peony, its sweet perfume like fragrance is intoxicating and the blooms are complex and full. I think many other flowers try to imitate the peony in terms of bloom fullness or fragrance--but truly, the peony is the the king--if only the stalks were stronger and they would stand straight up.

I can almost smell the one that is in the picture that I took last evening.

And the cascading clematis which we planted last year has not disappointed, either.

Its blooms are full rising up from the ground in a dark blue/purple mound.

I am enjoying the Springtime more and more this year as I experience again the rebirth of summer--and everyone knows that I am a summer-type of guy.

Clematis Mound May 2011
I am happy to be in Maryland--it snowed in Denver this week--twice.  Who really needs all of that in threir lives.

Although, I am sitting here waiting for the morning temperature to rise above 60 degrees so that I can begin my outside work after a week of storms and rain.

There is so much to do.

Butt the flowers make it enjoyable because every so often I can stop and enjoy their blooms and experience the moment just marveling at how diverse and awesome the world is--if only we allow ourselves to see it a bit.

I note that the magical temperature of 60 degrees has been met--and so it is off to labor in the yard and do the business of the day.

Happily--because good weather and the weekend are not terms which usually go together around here.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Random Photos from Mother's Day

I Know It is Here Somewhere

Sharing!  Remember?

Got It Together

I Am Smiling

Don't Make Me Laugh--I'm Near the Water

Mothers

Mother and Children

Thinking of Sailing Away?

And Poppop gets Stuck Carrying the Driftwood
I was reviewing the many photos taken during our Mother's Day excursion to the State Capitol and decided to share some of them. They are all pretty good--but these were special. Chris took all of the ones that she is not in.  I took those.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Reflections on Annapolis

Annapolis Statehouse
Annapolis
Standing on the very end of the piers Sunday where Annapolis drops off into the river and out into the bay, I was reminded of the quaint beauty of the capitol city of Maryland. Looking back on the Capitol Building as the dark clouds were gathering behind it, yet it was still in bright sunshine we a scene to remember--and we snapped enough images of it to hopefully remember it anyway.

The streets were crowded with shoppers and walkers and the occasional Navy-whites clad academy students making their way through the crowd.

It was pleasant.

The traffic was snarled, as it usually is but no one seemed to mind to much--that is just the way it is. Annapolis is like that. Don't go there is you worry about getting snarled in traffic--you will.

Sunday, Mother's Day, a day to remember.
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