“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” — Aaron Siskind
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.
Sunday, 09/13/2026: Posted photo — Flags on the 48: South Kingsman.
This is a repost of the commentary from last Saturday. I came back late from the hike and did not post a picture.
I co-lead a hike with the Worcester Chapter of the AMC up South Kingsman for this year’s Flags on the 48 (FOT48). The FOT48 event has been held every year since 9/11/01. It started out with a group of people hiking Mount Liberty to fly the flag shortly after the event. A few more peaks were covered the next year, and then all the peaks after that. The FOT48 is the hiking community’s way to honor the deceased with a tribute: flying the American flag atop all 48 four-thousand foot and higher mountains in New Hampshire for two hours the Saturday closes to September 11. This was my 12th year of doing this hike. I started in 2013 when I hiked Mt. Garfield, only missing a couple due to family events on the day of the hike. I have not yet repeated a peak. I will not fly the flag on all 48 during my lifetime. I will continue hiking in this event if I am able to do so.
It is a very emotional day, and we get many words of thanks and encouragement from other hikers who just happen upon it. Some people plan to hike to see how my summits, and flags, they can see during the day. It is great to take out the binoculars to see the flags flying on nearby peaks.
I have hiked this event in bad weather, high winds, hot and humid weather, cold and raw weather, and ideal weather. When you hike with a fellow group of hikers and friends, the weather does not matter, just the meaning of the event.
Monday, 09/14/2026: Posted photo — Lights on Mount Washington.
For the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Mount Washington sent up two pillars of light.
My brother and I took a trip to see the lights. We did not go near the mountain since there were many people heading towards the lights. We ended up going to the town of Jefferson.
The conditions for taking photos were great. Very dark sky, some clouds, and many stars. The difficulty was focusing. This was the best photo that I took of the lights. They were not as bright as I was imagining them to be.
Tuesday, 09/15/2026: Posted photo – Lonesome Lake.
This is a photo looking over Lonesome Lake looking into Franconia Notch from the AMC Lonesome Lake Hut. The mountains you are looking at are part of the Franconia Range, including Mount Lafayette and Mount Lincoln. the Arabian slave traders are the ones who gave the banana its name.
We stopped at the hut on the way to the summit and down from the summit to refresh our water and to use the facilities instead of the wilderness.
Wednesday, 09/16/2026: Posted photo — Summit Selfie.
Someone took my photo at the summit with the flag in the background. The photo was too backlit, so I took a selfie photo. I am not very good at taking selfies.
The words on the bottom of the flag: “Flag of Honor: This flag contains the names of those killed in the terrorist attacks of 9.11. Now and forever it will represent their immortality. We should never forget them”
Thursday, 09/17/2026: Posted photo — Gourds.
A gourd is a member of the Cucurbitaceae, or cucurbit family, A gourd is a hard-shelled, non-edible fruit related to cucumbers, summer and winter squashes, and pumpkins. We display gourds in the fall to allow them to dry and last as rustic decorations. In several indigenous mythologies the round gourd symbolizes the circle of life, the womb of the mother, and the repository for ancestral spirits.
Friday, 09/18/2026: Posted photo – Apple Pie.
This is one of the 49 apples pies that were baked tonight at our church’s bazaar on Sunday. The bazaar is normally on a Saturday. This year it is on Sunday. The local elementary school allows the use of their kitchen to bake all the pies. Crusts are made in advanced and the filling is prepared while the pies are baking. My job was to wrap the pies.
Saturday’s weather is predicted to be nice. There is predicted rain for most of the day on Sunday.
Saturday, 09/19/2026: Post photo —Wolf’s Milk Slime Mold.
Wolf’s milk slime looks like little, round, reddish pink balls; they exude a pinkish-orange or pinkish-gray paste when popped. It grows in groups on dead wood, especially large logs. They are not edible. Slime molds have inspired the science fiction movie “The Blob” in 1958. These are on some logs that we have in our yard.
That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.
“Sumens imagines consolateur et inspirat me. Pulchritudinem mundi video per camera mean.”
“Quod scripsi, scripsi. Ingeniarius sum, non scriptor.”
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Photo by Joseph Ciras 