“Photograph: a picture painted by the sun without instruction in art.” — Ambrose Bierce
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.
Enjoy this week’s rambling mind of a mechanical engineer and photographer.
Sunday, 06/20/2021: Posted photo — Mass of Thanksgiving.
Settings: N/A.
Today was the Mass of Thanksgiving for Fr. Matt Duclos. What a great turn out for the mass. The reception following was full of family and friends. You could see how proud my wife’s cousin and her husband were of their newly ordained son.
Now off to Watkins Glen State Park.
Monday, 06/21/2021: Posted photo — Watkins Glen.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/9, 1/3 s, 18 mm
“Watkins Glen State Park is the most famous of the Finger Lakes State Parks, with a reputation for leaving visitors spellbound. Within two miles, the glen’s stream descends 400 feet past 200-foot cliffs, generating 19 waterfalls along its course. The gorge path winds over and under waterfalls and through the spray of Cavern Cascade. Rim trails overlook the gorge. Campers and daytime visitors can enjoy the Olympic-size pool, modern playground, scheduled summer tours through the gorge, tent and trailer campsites, picnic facilities, and excellent fishing in nearby Seneca Lake or in Catherine Creek, which is renowned for its annual spring run of rainbow trout.” From the park website.
Here are the photos from day one.
Tuesday, 06/22/2021: Posted photo — Watkins Glen Day Two.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/6.3, 1/2 s, 47 mm.
More photos from Watkins Glen before traveling to Cumberland Falls, Kentucky.
Wednesday, 06/23/2021: Posted photo — Moonbow.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 800, f/5, 44 s, 18 mm.
Cumberland Falls is one of the few places in the world that regularly produces a moonbow. The “moonbow,” also called a white rainbow or lunar rainbow, is formed just like a rainbow—light is refracted in tiny water droplets—and appears for the two or so days, as long as the sky is clear, on either end of the full moon. The other place in the world that a moonbow occurs regularly is Victoria Falls.
This photo was taken at 11:30 p.m. on a great moonlit night.
Today we left the park to hike to Yahoo Falls and Yahoo Arch. Enjoy the photos.
Here are more photos on our hike out to Yahoo Arch.
When we came back to the park, we watch nature at work. Here is what happens when a grasshopper gets caught in a spider web. The grasshopper did put up a good fight.
Saturday, 06/26/2021: Post photo — Hanger.
Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 50, f/1.7, 1/238 s, 4 mm
There is a black bear that frequented the campground at Cumberland Falls. The sites have hooks on there posts to have garbage so the bear could not get at it.
Today we travel back home.
Next week’s blog will be the same as this week. They it will be back to normal.
“Essentially what photography is life lit up.” — Sam Abell
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week. It helps keep me going. Enjoy my blog post!
Enjoy this week’s rambling mind of a mechanical engineer and photographer.
Sunday, 06/06/2021: Posted photo — Cross.
Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 50, f/1.7, 1/415 s, 4 mm
This carving of a cross on the backrest of one of the chairs in the choir loft at church. Taken today since I needed a photo. I took this one just in case I did not have the opportunity to take another one today.
If you go to my post “Photographic Thoughts—03/14/2021 to 03/20/2021” you will be able to read my explanation on the difference between a cross and a crucifix.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/7.1, 1/320 s, 135 mm
“Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is flowering broadleaf evergreen shrub with a gnarly, multi-stemmed growth habit. It has beautiful spring blooms, and its elliptical, glossy deep-green leaves (resembling those of rhododendrons) and gnarled stems make it attractive in all seasons. This shade-loving shrub produces clusters of rose, pink, or white flowers with purple markings in late May to early June.” — The Spruce website
The mountain laurel in this photo is from a shrub that we transplanted many years ago. I am amazed about how hardy mountain laurels are. This shrub has taken a beating over the years and is still blooming.
One of the items that impress people is how delicate the flower is on this shrub. We have white and pink mountain laurel in our yard and in the neighborhood. The white ones bloom first, then the rose, then the pink.
Tuesday, 06/08/2021: Posted photo — Daisies.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/7.1, 1/320 s, 48 mm.
“Daisies are a popular choice for gardens—and for good reason. Bright, cheerful, and easy to grow, the flowers are readily identifiable and are mainstays of cottage gardens and classic perennial borders alike. The common name “daisy” is applied to a large handful of species among several genera within the huge Asteraceae family of plants, a group known for blooms that are flat and disc-shaped, with petals that form rays projecting outward from a central hub. The family also includes chrysanthemums, zinnias, asters, and sunflowers as well as a number of common weeds, such as dandelions. However, the daisy species that’s best for your flower garden depends on several factors. A daisy that’s perfect for one growing zone might be a total pest in another.” — The Spruce website
There are daisies growing in many locations in this area. I spotted these on the side of the road during one of my walks. The daisy symbolizes purity and innocence, and it can also stand for new beginnings. The meaning of the flower is “loyal love”.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/400 s, 75 mm.
Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), an invasive species, is a deciduous shrub with white flowers and red fruit. Brought here from Asia, it was planted as wildlife food, and also as a living fence, due to its dense growth and sharp thorns. It can grow to 10 feet high or more, and is typically wider than it is tall.
It forms dense thickets in fields and field edges, crowding out other species. It also grows in open wetlands and in forests where canopy openings occur. — Massachusetts Audubon Society
The multiflora rose in this photo is at my mother’s house. I like it because of the contrasting colors between the white and the green. An invasive species is an introduced organism that negatively alters its new environment. Although their spread can have beneficial aspects, invasive species adversely affect the invaded habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage.
Thursday, 06/10/2021: Posted photo — Partial Solar Eclipse.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/9, 2 s, 300 mm.
Here is the best photo of this morning’s partial solar eclipse. I think the clouds give it character.
“During a partial solar eclipse, the Moon, the Sun and Earth don’t align in a perfectly straight line, and the Moon casts only the outer part of its shadow, the penumbra, on Earth. From our perspective, this looks like the Moon has taken a bite out of the Sun.
Solar eclipses occur 2–5 times a year and they are usually named for their darkest, or maximum, point. Both total and annular solar eclipses are seen as partial eclipses from the areas on Earth that are outside the Moon’s inner shadows, the umbra or antumbra, but inside the penumbra (outer shadow).” — Time and Date website
I took many photos of the eclipse this morning. Most of them were not in focus. This was the best one. I have a special solar filter for my lens. Without the special filter, the sensor in my camera could have burned out. I purchased this filter when my family went to see the total solar eclipse a few years ago. Solar filters are constructed to not only sufficiently dim the sunlight, but they also protect your eyes and equipment from non-visible IR and UV radiation.
One word of advice — if you are taking a photo of an eclipse, it is not good to stand on a bridge. I noticed during some of my longer exposure shots that the camera was shaking slightly due to the traffic under the bridge and the occasional vehicle traveling over the bridge.
Hope. We made the work “hope” out of luminaria for Relay for Life. Relay for Life (RFL) is a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. My family has been participating in the RFL for many years.
The RFL is normally held at a local college. Due to the pandemic, it has been held at home for the last two years. If you notice, each letter of hope has a different color in it to have it stand out better in the photo.
Everyone knows someone who has been touched with cancer. If you would like to donate, contact me in the comments below and I will send you a link to our team.
Saturday, 06/12/2021: Post photo — Markers.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 3200, f/5.6, 1/40 s, 100 mm
Today is the second day for Relay for Life at home and I wanted to take a quick photo before I went on my hike and then fell asleep. I saw the markers that we used to write on the luminary bags and liked the arrangement of colors.
For your information, here are the meanings of the different colors.
Red: The color of passion and energy.
Orange: The color of enthusiasm and emotion.
Yellow: The color of happiness and optimism.
Green: The color of harmony and health.
Turquoise: The color of calmness and clarity.
Blue: The color of trust and loyalty.
Purple: The color of spirituality and imagination.
Pink: The color of love and compassion.
Brown: The color of stability and reliability.
Black: The color of power and sophistication.
Gray: The color of compromise and control.
White: The color of purity and innocence.
I am not sure when I will post my blogs for the next two weeks due to commitments. I will see if I can post a partial blog later in the week and follow up with an update to that blog.
“A tear contains an ocean. A photographer is aware of the tiny moments in a person’s life that reveal greater truths.” — Anonymous
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week. It helps keep me going. Enjoy my blog post!
Enjoy this week’s rambling mind of a mechanical engineer and photographer.
Sunday, 05/23/2021: Posted photo — Get Out of my Tree.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/80 s, 135 mm
The photo I posted today was of two squirrels that were running around in our yard. These were two of five squirrels that were chasing after each other, knocking each other off trees, trying to hide from each other, and fighting each other. Most squirrels mate twice a year, once during the summertime and once towards the end of wintertime or early springtime. When one female is ready to mate, males will either chase after her or they will complete for the right to mate with her. What I was seeing was the competition to mate with her. There was one female squirrel on another tree watching the activity. Boys will be boys. It is very interesting to see nature at work.
A photo that I almost posted was at the other end of the spectrum. It was a photo of a statue of St. Anne reading to Mary. This statue was in front of St. Denis’ sister church that was in town. St. Anne’s church was torn down due to safety concerns a few years ago. “St. Anne is the patron saint of unmarried women, housewives, women in labor, grandmothers, childless people, equestrians, lacemakers, miners, the poor, and seamstresses. The most well-known patronage of St. Anne is that of grandmothers. Certainly, as the mother of the Virgin Mary and the grandmother of Jesus Christ, St. Anne was a woman of great virtue and love.
St. Anne is often shown seated with a book on her lap. The child Mary stands against her, eager to listen. This depiction of St. Anne is a small explanation of what we know of this holy woman. God entrusted to St. Anne the task of raising Our Lady in a holy and virtuous home, and from a very young age Mary looked to St. Anne to learn about God and how He works in the lives of those who love and serve Him.” — Catholic Saint Metals, (https://catholicsaintmedals.com/saints/st-anne/)
Monday, 05/24/2021: Posted photo — Buttercups.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/400 s, 69 mm
Buttercup is a type of herbaceous plant that belongs to the Ranunculaceae family. There are nearly 2000 species of buttercups that mostly inhabit northern hemisphere. Buttercups are usually found in cold and temperate regions. They prefer moist habitats and live in the fields, meadows, near the roads, in the woodlands, swamps and bogs. Buttercups are widely distributed and abundant in the wild. Some species of buttercups are rare and endangered due to habitat destruction and introduction of new, invasive plant species. Reflexive properties of buttercup flowers are applied in children’s game aimed to determine fondness for the butter. If yellow reflection appears on the skin after placing buttercup under the chin – then child likes to eat butter. Signs of intoxication appear immediately after ingestion of the plant. They include bloody diarrhea, excessive salivation, colic and blistering of the intestines. They have acrid taste, so even animals cannot eat them fresh. (https://www.softschools.com/facts/plants/buttercup_facts)
These buttercups are in the lawn near were I park my car at work. I took this photo on my way home from work before tonight’s hike. I took this photo just in case I did not take any photos during my hike. On my hike, I just hiked with the group of hikers I met last week. Great to go hiking with a group of hikers that socialize and not a social group that hikes.
Tuesday, 05/25/2021: Posted photo — Rhododendron.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/200 s, 92 mm.
Short and sweet. We have a red rhododendron that blooms after our azaleas. They are such wonderful plants that attract bumble bees and other insects.
Wednesday, 05/26/2021: Posted photo — Pants.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/7.1, 1/60 s, 35 mm.
Pants for Groot perhaps? Groot is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #13. He is a man made out of wood.
Thursday, 05/27/2021: Posted photo — Rabbit.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 3200, f/5.6, 1/50 s, 135 mm.
Imagine our two-year-old grandniece’s excitement every time this rabbit came out from under our deck. “There it is!!” She was so excited that she would run toward the rabbit and then it would hide. She would then sit down next to our son and wait and get excited repeatedly.
Needed a quick photo today since I was traveling north to go hiking. Took this one in the morning before the rains came in.
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Saturday, 05/29/2021: Post photo — Hiking.
Settings: FUGIFILM FinePix XP70, ISO 100, f/6.2, 1/240 s, 5 mm.
My son and his friend hiking in NH. This is from Wildcat D looking towards Mount Washington.
Hiking down the trail. Mount Washington in the distance
Five 4000-foot mountains, two official 4000 footers, wet river crossing to start the hike, 1600 feet of vertical gain in less than one-half mile, and hiking with your son and one of his friends. It was a great day. I feel in the river to start the hike. Not a great way to start, but I recovered quickly. Lucky, I brought a second pair of socks to change into. The first pair did not get very wet since I had on a good pair of hiking boots. I have my warm cloths on since the temperature was not to get above freezing in the mountains, so the wetness did not affect my hike.
“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” — Elliott Erwitt
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week. It helps keep me going. Enjoy my blog post!
Enjoy this week’s rambling mind of a mechanical engineer and photographer.
Sunday, 05/09/2021: Posted photo — True North.
Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 50, f/1.7, 1/3320 s, 4 mm
Summit compass, or sometimes call the Wachusett Rose, is a compass set on a pedestal on the summit of Wachusett Mountain. It shows people the direction that they are looking. This compass was at a different location on the summit a few year ago. Some kids pried if from its base and then later returned it to a ranger in the Visitor’s Center. When it was in its previous location, I took out my compass to verify its orientation. I did the same thing at this location.
Direction verification
If you notice, the needle on my compass and the north direction do not line up. This is due to magnetic declination. The needle points to magnetic north so I needed to adjust the declination on my compass so that the needle was set to the declination angle of 14° West in our area at this time. The magnetic declination changes every year since the magnetic pole of the Earth is in constant motion.
Monday, 05/10/2021: Posted photo — Owl.
Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 50, f/1.7, 1/179 s, 4 mm
During my hike this evening, I saw blue birds trying to knock something out of a tree. When I looked closer, it was this barred owl. I have seen one on the mountain a few years ago, and have heard them on the mountain many times, but have never seen one this close. I was going to bring my “good” camera on my hike and decided against it. I did not even have my backup camera. All I had with me was my cell phone. After many shots at bad angles, this owl just stayed on the branch allowing me to take this photo. Not bad for a cell phone camera.
Barred Owls are easiest to find when they are active at night — they are a lot easier to hear than to see. Visit forests near water (big bottomland forest along a river is prime Barred Owl habitat) and listen carefully, paying attention for the species’ barking “Who cooks for you?” call. At great distance, this can sound like a large dog. Try imitating the call with your own voice and then wait quietly. If you are lucky, a territorial Barred Owl will fly in to investigate you. During the daytime, a quiet walk-through mature forest might reveal a roosting Barred Owl if you are very lucky.
This part of the trail on Wachusett Mountain is a mature forest. It is one of the oldest forests around since it was not clear cut for farming when this country was settled.
Facts about the Barred Owl from All About Birds:
The Great Horned Owl is the most serious predatory threat to the Barred Owl. Although the two species often live in the same areas, a Barred Owl will move to another part of its territory when a Great Horned Owl is nearby.
Pleistocene fossils of Barred Owls, at least 11,000 years old, have been dug up in Florida, Tennessee, and Ontario.
Barred Owls do not migrate, and they do not even move around very much. Of 158 birds that were banded and then found later, none had moved farther than 6 miles away.
Despite their generally sedentary nature, Barred Owls have recently expanded their range into the Pacific Northwest. There, they are displacing and hybridizing with Spotted Owls — their slightly smaller, less aggressive cousins — which are already threatened from habitat loss.
Young Barred Owls can climb trees by grasping the bark with their bill and talons, flapping their wings, and walking their way up the trunk.
The oldest recorded Barred Owl was at least 24 years, 1 month old. It was banded in Minnesota in 1986, and found dead, entangled in fishing gear, in the same state in 2010.
Wonder why I like to hike? One of many reasons is so I can see wild animals and birds and to just enjoy nature.
Tuesday, 05/11/2021: Posted photo — Fiddlehead.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/1000 s, 135 mm.
From some site off the web: Fiddleheads or fiddlehead greens are the furled fronds of a young fern, harvested for use as a vegetable. Left on the plant, each fiddlehead would unroll into a new frond. As fiddleheads are harvested early in the season before the frond has opened and reached its full height, they are cut close to the ground.
Fiddleheads have antioxidant activity, are a source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and are high in iron and fiber. The fiddlehead resembles the curled ornamentation (called a scroll) on the end of a stringed instrument, such as a fiddle. It is also called a crozier, after the curved staff used by bishops, which has its origins in the shepherd’s crook.
Fiddlehead
Fiddleheads grow around our property this time of year. If you were to look back at my photo history, you would see that photograph them every year. I have not ventured into eating one yet.
Wednesday, 05/12/2021: Posted photo — Lilac.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/5, 1/250 s, 60 mm.
Lilacs are hardy, easy to grow, and low maintenance. They can grow from 5 to 15 feet tall, depending on the variety. The fragrant flowers are good for cutting and attractive to butterflies.
These lilacs are growing in our yard. The lilacs are growing on a plant that was transplanted from a friend’s house. They were moving and liked the plant. It was too big for their new location, so we split the plant. That was a few years ago and the plant is doing well.
Lilac in our yard
Thursday, 05/13/2021: Posted photo — More Turkeys.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 1250, f/5.6, 1/200 s, 135 mm.
Turkey, turkeys everywhere this year. This is the third time in just a couple of weeks when this rafter of turkeys has tried to stop me going to work. This was the first time the toms showed me their feathers.
Turkeys crossing the road
I had my “good” camera with me to take this photo through my windshield.
Friday, 05/14/2021: Post photo — Mesa Arch.
Settings: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS, ISO 200, f/11, 1/200 s, 48 mm.
Last week I posted a photo of the Milky Way from the Needles section of Canyonland National Park. Today I am posting a photo of the Mesa Arch from the Island in the Sky section of Canyonland National Park. I did not know that this arch was famous when I took this photo. I found out that photographers get up early to see the sunrise through the arch.
Masa Arch, Island in the Sky section of Canyonland National Park
Mesa Arch is a spectacular stone arch perched at the edge of a cliff with vast views of canyons, rock spires, and the La Sal Mountains in the distance. Mesa Arch formed as surface water pooled and eventually eroded through bedrock at the mesa’s edge.
Saturday, 05/15/2021: Post photo — Azalea.
Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 50, f/1.7, 1/2808 s, 4 mm
Azaleas are flowering shrubs in the genus Rhododendron. Azaleas bloom in the spring, their flowers often lasting several weeks. Shade tolerant, they prefer living near or under trees.
We have two azalea shrubs in our yard, one read and one pink. The red on blooms first and then the pink one.
Azaleas are starting to bloom
They are an easy subject to photograph when I need a quick photo.
“It’s one thing to make a picture of what a person looks like, it’s another thing to make a portrait of who they are.” — Paul Caponigro
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week. It helps keep me going. Enjoy my blog post!
Sunday, 04/25/2021: Posted photo—Flower to be Named Later.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/7.1, 1/250 s, 135 mm
The name of the flower is … Calibrachoa.
Calibrachoa, commonly called million bells or trailing petunia, is a tender perennial that produces mounds of foliage, growing only 3 to 9 inches (7.5-23 cm.) tall, along trailing stems and flowers in shades of violet, blue, pink, red, magenta, yellow, bronze and white. Introduced in the early 1990s, all cultivars of Calibrachoa are hybrids with the original species native to South America. They are prolific bloomers from spring to frost.
Calibrachoa
These calibrachoa were purchased as part of a Relay for Life (RFL) fundraiser. They are in a hanger and will be kept in the hanger outside. RFL is a fundraising event sponsored by the American Cancer Society to raise money for cancer research.
Monday, 04/26/2021: Posted photo—Stone Wall.
Settings: FUGIFILM FinePix XP70, ISO 200, f/4.4, 1/58 s, 8 mm.
The wall in this photo is on Bicentennial Trail on Wachusett Mountain. It is one of many field stone walls that I have passed while hiking in New England.
Stone Wall in the woods
Paraphrasing from Atlas Obscura: “Walk into a patch of forest in New England, and chances are you will—almost literally—stumble across a stone wall. Thigh-high, perhaps, it is cobbled together with stones of various shapes and sizes, with splotches of lichen and spongy moss instead of mortar. Most of the stones are what are called “two-handers”—light enough to lift, but not with just one hand. The wall winds down a hill and out of sight. According to Robert Thorson, a landscape geologist at University of Connecticut, these walls are “damn near everywhere” in the forests of rural New England. He estimates that there are more than 100,000 miles of old, disused stone walls out there, or enough to circle the globe four times.
Wall-building peaked in the mid-1800s when, Thorson estimates, there were around 240,000 miles of them in New England. That amounts to roughly 400 million tons of stone, or enough to build the Great Pyramid of Giza—more than 60 times over.”
New England’s first farmers of European descent found themselves plowing soil strewn with rocks left behind by glaciers. So, stone by stone, they stacked the rocks into waist-high walls. Some say these walls helped win the American Revolution, and they later inspired Robert Frost’s poem “Mending Wall.” Each year frost heaves pushed still more stones to the surface, which some of those early farmers said was the work of the devil. Generations later, farmers returned time and again to repair the walls as the years went by.
Here is a little history about a wall in my hometown that was posted in a local newspaper. I have posted a photo of this wall in the past and I will post it here again.
Sign at Spite Wall
Spite Wall
“Edmund Proctor moved to a farm in Westminster in 1852. He continued the farm there and lived in his house on the side of North Common road for the rest of his life. But, as true for most things, his life on the farm was not without conflict.
His nearest neighbor, Farwell Morse, lived across the street. The two houses were close, so close both neighbors could hear and see what the other was doing all day.
Upon discovering Edmund Proctor working on his farm one Sunday, Farwell Morse was astonished. Morse did not want to hear his neighbor working, not to mention yelling, on Sunday. Morse told Proctor of his objection and asked that he stop swearing at his oxen while working on his farmland. Morse thought that was that.
But this was not the end for Edmund Proctor. So firmly fixed in his beliefs, Proctor was resolved to keep working on Sunday, whether his neighbor liked it or not.
So, Proctor built a wall. A wall made of stones- the tallest of its type in Massachusetts. His barricade was directly in front of his house and blocked him from view of Morse. He kept piling stones on his wall until the day he died in 1880, when he was 71 years old.
His decades-lasting project became known as “The Spite Wall,” a suitable name for the enormous barrier stubbornly hiding the land behind it. At almost 11 feet tall, Proctor’s Spite Wall is still visible today.
There is no known response of what Morse thought of his neighbor’s blatant stand against Morse’s beliefs. But we can imagine how shocked he might have been.”
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/7.1, 1/40 s, 106 mm.
Today’s photo is about being at the right place at the right time. Saw this sky on my drive into work. I had to stop and take a photo of it before the colors were gone.
Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 160, f/1.7, 1/60 s, 4 mm.
Short and sweet today. Revieved my second COVID vaccine shot today. Tired with a slight headache. Two week and I will be almost fully vaccinated.
Vaccination sticker
Get your vaccine!
Thursday, 04/29/2021: Posted photo—El Capitan.
Settings: KODAK EASYSHARE C613, ISO 80, f/4.8, 1/434 s, 6 mm.
El Capitan, also known as El Cap, is a vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park, located on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The granite monolith is about 3,000 feet from base to summit along its tallest face and is a popular objective for rock climbers. It was one of the last wonders we saw in the park. We spent most of our visit exploring around Yosemite Village.
El Capitan
Yosemite is my favorite National Park. The Grand Canyon is a very close second. If I could have two favorites these would be the two. Looking at the rock face, my family and I see many faces on the cliff. If you look closely, can you see them?
Here is a photo of some climbers looking like they are setting up their sleeping hammock for the night.
Getting ready to hang out for the night
Friday, 04/30/2021: Post photo—Roadblock.
Settings: FUJIFILM FinePix XP70, ISO 200, f/4.9, 1/90 s, 16 mm
This is the second time this week that I have been stopped by a rafter of turkeys. This time the tom was stopping traffic as his family crossed the road.
Turkey roadblock
I was on my way to hike a route that I did last week to measure its mileage. Last week my phone died when on this route and I wanted to verify the mileage that my mapping program gave me for the route. They were both the same.
Saturday, 05/01/2021: Post photo—Hobblebush.
Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 50, f/1.7, 1/4240 s, 4 mm.
Hobblebush is a 6-12 ft., open, straggling shrub, often with pendulous outer branches which root where they touch the ground. Flat-topped clusters of white flowers have a lacy effect similar to some hydrangeas and contrast well with the medium green foliage. Berries change from red to blue. The fall foliage is usually bright red. This shrub has fragrant, flat-topped clusters of small, white flowers, the outer flowers larger than the inner ones.
Hobblebush along the trail
This straggly shrub has beautiful bronze-red or purple- pin autumn coloration and is used by wildlife for food and cover. Its branches often bend and take root, tripping or “hobbling” passers-by; hence its common name.
This one is on Harrington Trail on Wachusett Mountain. Identified it with my Seek app. Sorry for the photo being washed out. I took it with my cell phone quickly as I passed by it.
“A portrait is not made in the camera but on either side of it.” — Edward Steichen
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week. It helps keep me going. Enjoy my blog post!
Sunday, 04/18/2021: Posted photo—American Bison.
Settings: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS, ISO 320, f/6.3, 1/320 s, 300 mm
While at Wind Cave National Park in Hot Springs, SD we wanted to see some bison. Bison Flats seems to be a good place possible see bison. Bison Flats to the left, what is that to the right, let us explore. It is a herd of 300 bison! No need to go to Bison Flats. What a sight to see. So graceful for such large animals.
From the National Park website: “Discover the Biodiversity of the Prairie. Bison, elk, and other wildlife roam the rolling prairie grasslands and forested hillsides of one of America’s oldest national parks. Below the remnant island of intact prairie sits Wind Cave, one of the longest and most complex caves in the world. Named for barometric winds at its entrance, this maze of passages is home to boxwork, a unique formation rarely found elsewhere.”
Such an amazing place to visit. As with all the National Parks, Wind Cave offers some great views and wonderful exploring. We were situated below a hill at out campsite. We were joking about seeing a herd of bison or elk stampeding over the hill while we were sleeping.
American bison
The next day we explored the cave and then wanted to see bison. As you can see from the posted photo, we did see bison. We saw the bull and then the herd follow him. What a great sight to see nature in action.
Monday, 04/19/2021: Posted photo—Fish Story.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/7.1, 1/320 s, 135 mm.
Stopped by the Old Mill today after work to take my photo. When I arrive at the duck pond, I do not know the location of the ducks and geese in the pond. Today, when I arrived, this goose was near the duck house and was eating some bread that someone had given it a few minutes before. When this goose saw me, he stood up and started flapping his wings and squawking.
Goose at the Old Mill duck pond
I took a series of photos and saw this one with the wings spread as if it was telling me a fish story. Maybe it was about a fish he saw, maybe it was about a hawk or eagle he saw earlier, or maybe it was about something else. I just like the way this photo came out.
Tuesday, 04/20/2021: Posted photo—Rug.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/7.1, 1/40 s, 47 mm.
Need a photo? Sitting outside watching a two-year-old playing? Sitting on an outdoor carpet? That is what happened today. I looked at the carpet and saw this pattern and took this photo. The contrast between the white and the green caught my eye. I have seen this before, but this time I took a photo of it. We have had this outdoor rug, or carpet, for a few years now and it is still in good condition.
Always keep you eyes open for a photo opportunity. You never know when one will appear.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/125 s, 60 mm
Grape hyacinths (Muscari) look much like little miniature hyacinths. These plants are smaller and only get about 6 to 8 inches (16 to 20 cm.) high. Each grape hyacinth flower looks like it has little beads all strung together up and down the stem of the plant.
Grape hyacinths do not need a whole lot of care after they flower. They do fine with natural rainfall and do not need fertilizer. Once their leaves die off, you can cut them back. In the fall, new leaves will grow, which will remind you of the pretty grape hyacinth flower to look forward to coming spring once more.
Grape hyacinths
These grape hyacinths are growing at my mother’s house in her front yard. I have seen this plant on my travels and this was the first day that I saw them at her house. I got down low to the ground and took this photo. I like the pattern that is on each one of the beads.
Thursday, 04/22/2021: Posted photo—Sunset.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 200, f/7.1, 1/500 s, 135 mm.
Another summit sunset photo
Seven Principles of Leave No Trace (LNT)
Plan Ahead and Prepare
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave What You Find
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Respect Wildlife
Be Considerate of Other Visitors
hikeSafe Hiker Responsibility Code (per Safe Hiking in New Hampshire)
You are responsible for:
Knowledge and gear. Become self reliant by learning about the terrain, conditions, local weather and your equipment before you start.
To leave your plans. Tell someone where you are going, the trails you are hiking, when you’ll return and your emergency plans.
To stay together. When you start as a group, hike as a group, end as a group. Pace your hike to the slowest person.
To turn back. Weather changes quickly in the mountains. Fatigue and unexpected conditions can also affect your hike. Know your limitations and when to postpone your hike. The mountains will be there another day.
For emergencies. Even if you are headed out for just an hour, an injury, severe weather or a wrong turn could become life threatening. Don’t assume you will be rescued; know how to rescue yourself.
To share the hiker code with others.
Why did I start this post with the LTN principles and the hikeSafe principles? I went on a hike tonight with a new group for the first time. I am looking for a group to hike with once this madness is over an I wanted to try this group out. One of the questions that I askes was the first principle of LNT and the second one listed in the hikeSafe Hiker Responsibility Code, what is the route we are taking and how long to the hikes last. The answer was the hikes last about two hours and we make up the route as we go. Not the answers I was looking to hear. These are experienced hikers, and I would like to hike with them again. One of the things a leader must do is to know the group and select the trail that is best for most of the people. The trail may not be good for all, but the trail should be selected before the hike to the LNT and hikeSafe principles can be followed.
When I hike, I leave my planned route with my son or wife if my son is hiking with me. I estimate the return time and let them know that also. I do not stray from that route just incase something happens to me; people can come looking for me in the reverse order of my hike.
Here are the ten essentials that you should always take on a hike:
Ten Essential Systems
Navigation: Map, compass, altimeter, GPS device, personal locator beacon (PLB) or satellite messenger.
Headlamp: Plus extra batteries.
Sun protection: Sunglasses, sun-protective clothes and sunscreen.
First aid: Including foot care and insect repellent (as needed).
Knife: Plus a gear repair kit.
Fire: Matches, lighter, tinder and/or stove.
Shelter: Carried at all times (can be a light emergency bivy).
Extra food: Beyond the minimum expectation.
Extra water: Beyond the minimum expectation.
Extra clothes: Beyond the minimum expectation.
Now about the photo. This is the sunset from the summit of Wachusett Mountain. It was very windy at the summit, so I only took a few photos. I like the way this one came out because of the colors and shading. Nature is amazing. No two sunsets are the same and each one is worth the hike.
I am hoping to see the sunset again with this group. I will try again to hike with them and to enjoy the company of other hikers.
Always follow the seven LNT Principles, the hikeSafe Hiker Responsibility Code, and carry the Ten Essentials when on the trail, no matter how short the hike.
Friday, 04/23/2021: Post photo—Turkey.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 3200, f/7.1, 1/50 s, 135 mm
After a long-winded and venting post yesterday, today will be short.
As I was driving into work today, I was stopped by a rafter of turkeys. I have seen these turkeys off the side of the road when either arriving at work or leaving work. Today they were standing in the road and I had to move slowly towards them to get them to move. This one was just standing there looking at me as if it wanted to know what I was doing.
Turkey blocking the road
Saturday, 04/24/2021: Post photo—Treads.
Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 200, f/1.7, 1/24 s, 4 mm.
I took a risk today that we will not be getting any more snow. I took my car in to change out my snow tires. I got up early to bring time in since the place I bring my car is very busy on the weekends. I had to wait three hours before they could take me. I wanted to go early so I could get my Saturday hike in before the crowds. The early hike did not happen, so I hike on a back trail that most people do not hike much later than I wanted. The summit was crowded by not overcrowded as much as it could be.
While on the summit I took some bearings: Boston is at 172°, Mount Monadnock is at 338°, and the city of Worcester is at 84°. Boston and Worcester were not very clear to see. Knowing the mountain, I know the general direction of these cities. These cities are the two biggest cities in New England.
Snow tire treads
In case you are wondering, the photo is of the treads on Bridgestone Blizzak Snow tires. I liked the pattern. They look like they could grip the snow very well.
For more photo of other project I have work, visit my website: https://photobyjosephciras.weebly.com/ or visit me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PhotobyJosephCiras/. COVID is real! Be safe out there, keep your social distance, and remember to always wear your mask and wash your hands. I get my second COVID vaccination on Wednesday this week. Get vaccinated!
“Photography for me is not looking, it’s feeling. If you can’t feel what you’re looking at, then you’re never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures.” — Don McCullin
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week. It helps keep me going. Enjoy my blog post!
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 250, f/7.1, 1/160 s, 100 mm
Vinca minor (Lesser Periwinkle) is a vigorous, evergreen mat-forming perennial with glossy dark green leaves and large lavender blue flowers from mid-spring to early summer. Borne over a long period, they continue to flower intermittently throughout summer into fall and are valuable for enlivening dark areas.
This lesser periwinkle lives in the front yard of my mother’s house. The flower caught my eye yesterday when I visited her. Today, when I went back to visit, I took a photo of it before going into the house. I just like the contrast of the purple against the green grass or the dirt.
Settings: FUJIFILM FinePix XP70, ISO 100, f/8, 1/420 s, 12 mm.
Wachusett Mountain is the highest point in Massachusetts east of the Connecticut River. It is a good location for communication towers, fire watch towers, and radio relay stations.
This Radio Relay Station was installed by the US Army Corps of Engineers. It is equipped with an emergency generator and radio equipment and provides relay communications for 31 flood control projects in the area. I have added a couple other photos from tonight’s hike. One shows a small boulder field that is on the trail, one show both antennas on the Radio Relay Station, and the other photo is of the sign attached to the Radio Relay Station.
As part of my photo project, I take photo of different objects. Sometimes for no reason at all. Sometimes they are impulsive photos. This one was an impulsive photo.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 3200, f/5.6, 1/160 s, 44 mm.
From the Story Behind the Nutcracker: “Ironically, the Sugar Plum Fairy is not found in the original E.T.A. Hoffman story Nutcracker and Mouse King or in Alexandre’s Dumas’s The Tale of the Nutcracker, the retelling on which the ballet’s first libretto was based. Additionally, during the era in which The Nutcracker ballet was developed, the term “sugar plum” referred not only to a specific sweet, but, as author Samira Kawash points out, was also “the universal signifier everything sweet and delectable and lovely.” She further explains that the actual “sugar plums” of those days were, in fact, mostly sugar and no plum. They were treats in the category of “comfit”– candy created by layering sugar coating over a seed or nut center. She cites Jordan Almonds as a modern-day parallel. So, with a name that refers to anything and everything sweet and wonderful in the world, it makes sense then that the Sugar Plum Fairy is chosen to rule the Land of Sweets while the Prince is away in Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker.”
I have not seen the ballet so I cannot comment on it. One of my nephews dance and my mother-in-law took him to see it in Boston a few years ago. He enjoyed it very much.
These Sugar Plum Fairies are on a music box that my mother has in her special hutch. It is in the hutch along with all her unicorn figurines and other little figurines in trinkets. She also keeps the good china that is only to be used when company comes over in this hutch. This is a hutch that we were not to touch when we were little.
Wednesday, 04/14/2021: Posted photo—Garden of Gethsemane.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 1600, f/5.6, 1/13 s, 24 mm
The Garden of Gethsemane is where Jesus prayed on the night of His betrayal and arrest (Mark 14:32-50). According to the record in Luke, Jesus’ despair in Gethsemane was so deep that He sweat drops of blood (Luke 44-22:43). “Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed.” (Matthew 37-26:36)
This three-dimensional painting is on my mother’s mantle. She has many religious icons and symbols around the house. I do not know whose Rosary that is, but it has been with this painting for as long as I remember.
I look at this painting every time I visit her and kept meaning to take a photograph of it. Today I finally did. I have been looking online to find out the origin and history behind the image and cannot find a good match. If anyone can help me out, please put it in the comment section.
Thursday, 04/15/2021: Posted photo—Summit in the Clouds.
Settings: FUJIFILM FinePix XP70, ISO 100, f/4.4, 1/70 s, 8 mm.
Last month I posted a photo of this fire watch tower and gave a little history of it. Tonight, I hiked up to it in the rain. The summit was in the low-lying clouds and it was wet. I wanted to take this photo to show the conditions on the summit.
The hike itself was good. The trails on the route I took were slippery and wet, but I was ready for the weather and the conditions. I was the only person hiking today. I did see a trail runner, but no other hikers. Trail running must have been interesting on the wet rocks and mud.
We are expecting five to seven inches of snow tonight into tomorrow. The current plan is to post some snow photos tomorrow. We will have to wait and see if that happens.
Friday, 04/16/2021: Post photo—Staghorn Sumac.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/8, 1/125 s, 39 mm
From the Farmer’s Almanac: “The staghorn sumac is a 15-30 feet, colony-forming, deciduous shrub with crooked, leaning trunks, picturesque branches, and velvety twigs. Large, bright green, pinnately-compound leaves become extremely colorful in early fall. Staghorn sumac is often used in mass plantings, for naturalizing, or on steep slopes. Its open habit and hairy stems resemble horns on a male deer, giving staghorn sumac its name. It is one of the last plants to leaf out in the spring with bright green leaves that change to an attractive yellow, orange, and scarlet in fall. Ground, dried sumac berries taste great as a spice rub for lamb, fish and chicken. These berries are also used as a salad topping, and you can include them in your favorite dressings. Middle Eastern chefs use sumac as a topping for fattoush salad, and are often sprinkled on hummus to add both color and a zesty flavor.”
I see these sumacs often and like the contrast of the red against the white snow.
As I was writing this, I noticed that this was the second time that I used the words “like the contrast” as a reason to take a photo.
Here are a couple more photos from today’s snow storm.
Saturday, 04/17/2021: Post photo—Trail Junction.
Settings: FUJIFILM FinePix XP70, ISO 100, f/8, 1/250 s, 10 mm.
Today I went out on a hike earlier in the day than I normally do since I am going to visit my mother later in the day. Yesterday we received about 6-10 inches of snow. I hiked on the mountain today in the snow since I know that there would be fewer people hiking today. The snow was sticky and microspikes were needed. I have not much to say today.
“You don’t take a photograph. You ask quietly to borrow it.” — Unknown
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week. It helps keep me going. Enjoy my blog post!
Sunday, 04/04/2021: Posted photo—Easter Mass.
Settings: Samsung SM-G930V, ISO 125, f/1.7, 1/60 s, 4 mm
Easter Sunday is one of the most festive events among Christians worldwide. It commemorates Jesus Christ’s resurrection from death, as written in the Christian bible. Easter Sunday commemorates Jesus’ resurrection from death.
Holy Week is most definitely a very sacred time of the year. It is the time that we will commemorate and remember the last week of Jesus’ life on this earth. Holy Week starts out with Palm Sunday. On this day, the crowds welcomed Jesus by waving palm branches and shouting praise to Him. These are the days leading up to the great Easter Feast. Especially important for Catholics is the Easter Triduum. This is the three days just before Easter. On Holy Thursday, we reenact the Lord’s Last Supper, which He shared with His apostles on the night He was betrayed and arrested. On Good Friday, the day of the crucifixion and death of our Lord, we have the veneration of the Cross. Holy Saturday is a vigil, we keep watch for the expectant rising of Our Savior. Then comes the glory of Easter Sunday when He rose from the dead.
Easter Sunday changes every year. It is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox. The earliest possible date for Easter is March 22 and the latest possible date for Easter is April 25. Easter can never come as early as March 21 because of ecclesiastical rules in which the vernal equinox has a fixed date of March 21. This is what happened last year.
St. Denis Church dressed up for Easter Sunday
This is a photo of St. Denis Church prior to Easter Mass looking down from the choir loft. Happy and blessed Easter to all.
Monday, 04/05/2021: Posted photo—Brenizer Method.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/160 s to 1/1600 s, 34 mm (16 photos).
The Brenizer Method, sometimes referred to as Bokeh Panorama or Bokehrama, is a photographic technique characterized by the creation of a digital image exhibiting a shallow depth of field in tandem with a wide angle of view. The Brenizer Method is named after wedding photographer, Ryan Brenizer. He invented the method (but did not name it) and made it popular by using it with his wedding clients, and teaching others how to do it as well. This is a method of stitching together a series of photos taken in a particular pattern.
Brenizer stack of the dam at Round Meadow Pond in Westminster
This photo is a series of 16 photos that I stitch together. I used this technique today since it has been a while since I used it. As time goes on, I look at my old photos and tell myself to get pack to practice techniques. This is a great location to practice different photographic techniques.
Tuesday, 04/06/2021: Posted photo—What is it.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 1600, f/5.6, 1/160 s, 55 mm.
Occasionally I like to post a photo to see if someone can guess what it is. Today is one of those days. I saw this object and wanted to do such a photo. I thought that this one would be easier than most of them. I was not. Some people were close with their guess and second guessed themselves. These are always a fun challenge.
What is this object?
What is the object? It is a stack of Styrofoam cups. I took this photo since I like the way the grains in the Styrofoam looked. As done with many things, such as Coke or Duck tape or Scotch tape, we use a trademarked name as a general description of a product. Styrofoam is a trademarked brand of closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam, or XPS. This foam is also referred to as “Blue Board” and is used for building insulation, thermal insulation, and water barriers. Styrofoam is owned and manufactured by The Dow Chemical Company.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 160, f/7.1, 1/80 s, 55 mm
This is one of the first signs that spring has arrived. The daffodils in our yard are starting to bloom. I have been watching the flower sprout over the last few days and today was the first time that I have seen it flower. We have multiple patches of daffodils in our yard. This year there seems to be many more blooming than in past years. Maybe someone that reads this can tell me why this is the case.
Daffodils are a fall-planted bulb, so plant them in autumn and they will bloom in late winter or early spring. The traditional daffodil flower may be a showy yellow or white, with six petals and a trumpet-shape central corona, but many cultivated varieties (“cultivars”) exist today.
First daffodil of the year
Thursday, 04/08/2021: Posted photo—Roses.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/7.1, 1/100 s, 64 mm
“The Presence of the Rose by Angela Morgan
From out imprisoning petals—velvet, red— Thy soul slips forth in fragrance wondrous sweet— A silent subtle presence—never fled, That makes thy mastery over me complete.”
During my visit with my mother today, she wanted me to water all her flowers and plants. She has been getting flowers from many people over the past few weeks. I had already taken photos of different subjects to post today and then I saw these roses. I asked her who gave them to her, and she could not remember. Flowers are a favorite subject of mine throughout the spring, summer, and fall seasons because of their colors and textures.
Roses for a sweet lady
No matter how old you are, your mother is your mother, so listen to her and be kind and helpful to her. My mother is 95 years old and still treats us as her young children.
Friday, 04/09/2021: Post photo—Painted Wall.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/8, 1/125 s, 39 mm
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is a park I never heard about before visiting. It is a small park, but one that should be explored. We camped at the park and did some hiking around the rim of the canyon. Night skies were dark and the sound of the Gunnison River running through the canyon was very relaxing.
Some facts from the Uncover Colorado website:
The Gunnison River drops an average of 43 feet per mile through the canyon, SIX times more than the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.
Colorado’s biggest cliff is the Black Canyon’s Painted Wall. Standing 2,250 feet tall from river to rim, Black Canyon’s Painted Wall is the tallest cliff in Colorado and the third tallest in the lower 48, after El Cap and Notch Peak. For comparison, the Washington Monument stands at a measly 555 feet and the Empire State Building stands at just 1,250 feet.
Black Canyon gets its name because some parts of the gorge receive only 33 total minutes of sunlight per day.
It has some of the world’s oldest exposed rock. the rocks exposed at the bottom of the canyon are nearly 2 billion years old, dating from the Precambrian era.
It is the least-visited national park in Colorado, and one of the lesser visited parks overall.
Painted Wall at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Explore the National Parks. I have been to only 30 of the 59 National Parks and would like to get out and see more of them. In total, I have been to 87 other National Monuments, National Historical Parks, and other entities of the national park system.
Saturday, 04/10/2021: Post photo—Rock Climbing.
Settings: FinePix XP70, ISO 100, f/4.1, 1/420 s, 6 mm.
The Crow Hills, located in Massachusetts’ Leominster State Forest 2.5 miles northeast of Mount Wachusett, are a single monadnock with a twin summit, 1,234 feet and 1,220 feet, and a high eastern cliff. The hills are a popular rock climbing, bouldering, and hiking destination. In my younger years I did some rock climbing there myself.
Rock climbing on Crow Hills
To get to the Crow Hills, I hiked the Midstate Trail. Round trip from my house to the cliffs is about eight miles. It was a great day for a hike. I stayed away from Wachusett Mountain today since it is overcrowded. My son and his friend hiked earlier today, mid-morning, and told me to say away because of all the people. On a nice day, such as today, people with no experience are out hiking making it not very enjoyable. Everyone has to start out sometime, I know, but because of COVID people are taking too many risks on the mountain.
On the trail there are trail markers. Now here is a short lesson on trail markers. First of all, they mark the trail. They tell you when to go straight or when the trail turns. If there are two makers in the same direction on top of themselves, go straight. If there is a marker pointing to the right, turn right. If there is a marker pointing to the left, turn left. Simple as that. Markers are very useful if you are not familiar with the trail. Just look for the next marker. A Leave No Trace principle is to travel and camp on durable surfaces. This means if the trail is through a mud puddle, go through that mud puddle. Lesson over.
Trail goes straight
Trail turns left
Trial turns right
Trail marker
Here are some photos of the different trail markings that I encountered during my hike today.
“What makes photography a strange invention is that the primary raw materials are light and time.” — John Berger
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week. It helps keep me going. Enjoy my blog post!
Sunday, 03/28/2021: Posted photo—Upton School.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/500 s, 32 mm
Part of the National Register of Historic Places, the Upton School was used as a high school from 1912 to 1960, and as an elementary school until 1994 when a new elementary school was built. The Westminster Historical Society purchased the building in 1997. It is in the Westminster Village-Academy Hill Historic District. The building is now vacant and there has been much discussion around town as to what to do with it.
Upton School, Westminster, MA
Interesting fact: Under Federal Law, the listing of a property in the National Register places no restrictions on what a non-federal owner may do with their property up to and including destruction, unless the property is involved in a project that receives Federal assistance, usually funding or licensing/permitting. However, before this occurs, you can, or the property owner should contact the State historic preservation office (SHPO.) The SHPO is the state agency that oversees historic preservation efforts in their state. There may be state or local preservation laws that the owner should be aware of before they undertake a project with a historic property.
Monday, 03/29/2021: Posted photo—Drive By Falls.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/36, 1/10 s, 55 mm.
I have driven by the Steamline Trail Park in West Fitchburg several times, not thinking anything of it. It is not a spectacular park or a very big park from what I have seen from the road. As I was driving past it today, I noticed a dam with water flowing over the dam. It might be because there are not any leaves on the trees yet. I stopped in to take this photo.
I found out that the park is 4.15 acre and is located at 465 Westminster Street, and includes a parking lot and walking trail along the Nashua River and Flag Brook. This park is the first implementation of the City of Fitchburg’s plans to develop a network of trails along the Nashua River, connecting to trails in Leominster and Westminster.
A steam line is a pipe that carries steam from one building to another. The steam was used to run turbines and other industrial equipment in factories. Fitchburg was a factory town. Many of the factories are no longer in operation and the steam distribution lines are still visible and are being taken down due to safety concerns.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 200, f/16, 1/125 s, 300 mm.
A waning gibbous moon at 95.3% this morning. I saw the moon rise last night. It was large and reddish and a wonderful site. On my ride into work today, the moon was lighting my way calling to me to take its photo. I have taken many photos of the moon. Some with my “moon” lens and some with my 300 mm lens. This one was taken handheld with my 300 mm lens as I was getting out of my car to go into work.
Morning moon
Sometimes the subject of a photograph just calls to you.
Wednesday, 03/31/2021: Posted photo—Corrugation.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 800, f/5.6, 1/40 s, 49 mm
According to the dictionary: “corrugation — the act of shaping into parallel ridges and grooves. change of shape — an action that changes the shape of something.”
Corrugated paper
If you look closely at a piece of corrugated cardboard, you will see a wavy texture in between. This creates the strength and rigidness that prevents the cardboard from folding on itself like paper would. Cardboard boxes have been around for a very long time, as early as 1817, when the first commercial box was invented from paperboard in England. But it was not until the 1890s that a cardboard box with layers of corrugated cardboard was first developed and used for shipping. A decade later, these corrugated boxes were starting to replace the traditional wooden crates and boxes.
This photo was taking of a roll of corrugated paper that I came across in my travels today. This photo is an example of the subject just calling on me to take its photo. I just love when a subject corporates at this roll of corrugated paper did.
Thursday, 04/01/2021: Posted photo—Lake Louise.
Settings: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS, ISO 200, f/13, 1/250 s, 29 mm
“Lake Louise is a hamlet in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies, known for its turquoise, glacier-fed lake ringed by high peaks and overlooked by a stately chateau. Hiking trails wind up to the Lake Agnes Tea House for bird’s-eye views. There is a canoe dock in summer, and a skating rink on the frozen lake in winter. The Lake Louise Ski Resort features a wildlife interpretive center at the top of a gondola.” ― Google
Elevation: 5,249’
Area: 222 acres
Province: Alberta
Lake Louise, Alberta Canada
We had a great visit to Lake Louise a few years ago when we were on our Northern National Park tour. That trip too us to, ready: Glacier National Park, MT; Waterton-Glacier Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada; Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada; Jasper National Park, Jasper, Canada; Northern Cascades National Park, WA; Olympic National Park, WA; Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, WA; Mt. Rainier National Park, WA; Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, ID; Grand Tetons National Park, WY; Yellowstone National Park, WY; Devils Tower National Monument, WY; Wind Cave National Park, SD; Crazy Horse Memorial, SD; Mount Rushmore National Memorial, SD; Badlands National Park, SD; Mall of America, Bloomington, MN; and the Field of Dreams Movie Site, Dyersville, IA.
Friday, 04/02/2021: Post photo—Worcester City Hall.
Settings: Samsung SM-G930V, ISO 50, f/1.7, 1/5040 s, 4 mm
City Hall is located on the western end of City Hall Common has been the center of Worcester’s government for many years. In colonial days, the meetinghouse was situated here, and in 1825, a plain Greek Revival style town hall was built here. After Worcester became a city in 1848, this building served as City Hall for another 50 years, until it was finally replaced on April 28, 1898 by a much larger and more elaborate building on the same spot.
Designed by the prominent Boston firm of Peabody & Stearns, it reflects the Renaissance Revival architecture that was gaining popularity in public buildings at the turn of the 20th century. City Hall bears some resemblance to the Boston Public Library, which had been completed several years earlier, but it also includes a 205-foot tower in the center of the Main Street facade.
City Hall was not quite 10 years old when the first photo was taken, and not much has changed to its exterior appearance since then. Nearly 120 years after its completion, it remains the fourth tallest building in the city, and it remains in use as the seat of the city government. Along with the Worcester Common, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
On July 4, 1776, Worcester publisher Isaiah Thomas gave the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence from the steps of the Old South Meeting House, which was on what is now Worcester Common.
City Hall, Worcester, MA
Worcester is my hometown and I happily return when I can. Worcester is also the second most populated city in New England with Boston being the first.
Saturday, 04/03/2021: Post photo—Second Appointment.
Settings: Samsung SM-G930V, ISO 160, f/1.7, 1/30 s, 4 mm.
BioNTech, Fosun Pharma, Pfizer vaccine is a COVID-19 vaccine authorized by FDA and recommended by the CDC for use in the US for a limited population. From the CDC website: “Based on evidence from clinical trials, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 95% effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 illness in people without evidence of previous infection.” For this vaccine to fully protect you, a second shot must be given 21 days after the first shot.
Getting vaccinated is easy. The signup for the vaccination is the hardest part. Due to a high demand for the vaccines, it may be difficult to get an appointment. Keep trying. It will save lives. Remember my footer: COVID is real! Be safe out there, keep your social distance, and remember to always wear your mask and wash your hands. I have lost an aunt to COVID and I know others that have died from it. I also know people that did not know that they had it or had very mild symptoms. Please take it seriously and get vaccinated when you can.
“A thing that you see in my pictures is that I was not afraid to fall in love with these people.” — Annie Leibovitz
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week. It helps keep me going. Enjoy my blog post!
Sunday, 03/21/2021: Posted photo—Puppy Love.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/7.1, 1/20 s, 24 mm
Meet Brownie. Brownie was given to my mother back in the late 1940’s. My father won this at a carnival, and she has sleep with it ever since. Brownie is in great condition for being over 70 years old. My mother was telling me all about how my father won it for her and how people are amazed of Brownies condition. She attempted to wipe one of the white spots off Brownie’s eyes, so I had to tell her that these were the dog’s pupils. She just laughed and we continued talking about her life.
Brownie the puppy
Keep family close.
Monday, 03/22/2021: Posted photo—Sunset.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, 2SO 100, f/6.3, 1/8000 s, 300 mm.
I needed to go on a hike today to clear my mind and to contemplate on the good life my mother is living. She holds family close and enjoys it when people are over. She complains about it sometime, but she truly appreciates it. Hiking is a great way to get in touch with nature and to think about life. If you are hiking alone, or with others, your mind is attuned with nature and natural wonders and helps you know about what is and is not important.
Sunset from Wachusett Mountain
Getting to the summit before sunset was the goal of this hike. I made it with plenty of time to spare. There is a ski area on Wachusett Mountain, and it was open. At about the time if sunset, the summit was crowded, so I left before sunset was complete.
Every sunset is different and wonderful in its own way.
Tuesday, 03/23/2021: Posted photo—Pietà.
Settings: Samsung SM-G930V, ISO 200, f/1.7, 1/17 s, 4 mm.
The Pietà (“the Pity”; 1498–1499) is a work of Renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo Buonarroti, housed in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. It is the first of several works of the same theme by the artist. It is the only piece Michelangelo ever signed. This famous work of art depicts the body of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary after the Crucifixion.
This has been with my mother for many years, at least 60 years. I was disappointed last year because I was going to the Basilica in Vatican City for the ordination of a family member, and I wanted to see this work in person. COVID stopped that from happening. Someday I will go to Vatican City and see this work.
Pietà by Michelangelo
Wednesday, 03/24/2021: Posted photo—New Growth.
Settings: Samsung SM-G930V, ISO 100, f/1.7, 1/60 s, 4 mm.
Tulips are starting to bloom, just in time for Easter. We have tulip that bloom every year at this time, and I noticed that they broke soil today. Tulips form a genus of spring-blooming perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes. The flowers are usually large, showy, and brightly colored, generally red, pink, yellow, or white. These tulips are pink in color. Once they bloom, I will post photos of them.
Tulips
Now I am waiting on the crocus to bloom. The normally bloom before the tulip. Like everything else, life is different this year.
Thursday, 03/25/2021: Posted photo—Stream.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 1600, f/22, 1/10 s, 55 mm
Today I went on a hike with my son and his friend. We decided to do a longer hike today on Wachusett Mountain that we normally do on a weekday since the sun out up longer. We started the hike at our normal time, giving us over an hour to get to the summit. The normal trail will get us to the summit is less than an hour, so we decided on a longer hike. We hike on Bicentennial Trail in the opposite direction we normally hike it. Bicentennial has a trail that bisects it and we normally to left at the intersection and today we went right. There are a few seasonal streams along the trail, and the streams were flowing due to the rain earlier in the day and the snow melt on the mountain. I was thinking about a photo and saw this stream and took a handheld, semi-long exposure photo.
Stream along the trail
Here is a photo from the trailhead and another photo of the stream.
Mountain House TrailheadFlowing water on Bicentennial Trail
Friday, 03/26/2021: Post photo—Sugar Maple.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 320, f/5.6, 1/100 s, 55 mm
The sugar maple is one of America’s most-loved trees. In fact, more states have claimed it as their state tree than any other single species—for New York, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Vermont, the maple tree stands alone.
Sugar Maple blossom
These are the buds from one of the sugar maples in our yard. They are currently being tapped by our neighbor to make maple syrup. More photos of this tree will occur as the leaves get larger.
Saturday, 03/27/2021: Post photo—Glacial Erratic.
Settings: Samsung SM-G930V, ISO 50, f/1.7, 1/810 s, 4 mm.
Wachusett Mountain is one of the oldest mountains in the world. The rocks are estimated to be 250 million years old. It is a metamorphic rock monadnock. In its youth, it was over 20,000 feet tall. Today it is only 2,006 feet tall. It has been through ice ages. Wachusett means “Near the mountain” or “Mountain place” in the language of the Natick Indians. A band of old growth forest along rock ledges 500 feet (150 m) below the summit supports trees from 150 to 370 years old. Covering 220 acres (89 ha), it is the largest known old growth forest east of the Connecticut River in Massachusetts.
Scientists have recorded five significant ice ages throughout the Earth’s history: the Huronian (2.4-2.1 billion years ago), Cryogenian (850-635 million years ago), Andean-Saharan (460-430 million years ago), Karoo (360-260 million years ago) and Quaternary (2.6 million years ago -present). Approximately a dozen major glaciations have occurred over the past 1 million years, the largest of which peaked 650,000 years ago and lasted for 50,000 years. The most recent glaciation period, often known simply as the “Ice Age,” reached peak conditions some 18,000 years ago before giving way to the interglacial Holocene epoch 11,700 years ago.
Glacial Erratic on Wachusett Mountain
Glacial erratics are stones and rocks that were transported by a glacier, and then left behind after the glacier melted. Erratics can be carried for hundreds of kilometers and can range in size from pebbles to large boulders. Scientists sometimes use erratics to help determine ancient glacier movement.
Wachusett Mountain and throughout New England there are many glacial erratics.
Photo by Joseph Ciras 