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October 19, 2025

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2021

“Today everything exists to end in a photograph.” — Susan Sontag

Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.

This is a repost from four years ago. I have been busy looking through all the wedding photos that I took last weekend.

Sunday, 10/12/2025: Posted photo — Lakeside.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/7.1, 1/125 s, 32 mm.

Today we took the dock out of the water at the cottage. The water was cold when first going into it, and then it did not feel so bad. We need to go into the water to lift part of the dock off its foundation to bring it in. Many years ago, the tires on the bottle of the support legs on the dock fell off so we manually need to lift the dock out of the water.

Before the dock was removed, I went out on it to enjoy the foliage from out in the water. I took this photo shortly before the dock was removed from the water.

The day is always a fun filled day with family and friends.

Monday, 10/13/2025: Posted photo — Trees in the Sun.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/125 s, 50 mm.

This is the backside, or inlet side, of the falls at Round Meadow Pond. You have seen a few photos of the water flowing over the dam since that is one of my favorite spots to photograph. I took this photo because of the bright colors of the foliage, and I liked the way the light was reflecting off the trees.

Tuesday, 10/14/2025: Posted photo — More Foliage.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/160 s, 50 mm.

Not much to say about this photo. The foliage is starting to get to peak in this area, so I am taking as many foliage photos as I can.

One thing I can say about this photo, and my other foliage photos, is that they look very bright. The histogram looks good for these photos, but the photos look bright when viewing on some screens. It might be because I use calibrate monitors to edit my photos and the other monitors are not calibrated.

Time to do some research into this issue. Maybe I should get one or two of them printed to see how the colors come out.

Wednesday, 10/15/2025: Posted photo — Morning Dew.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/250 s, 72 mm.

I was going to post another foliage photos today but decided to post a photo of the morning dew. This photo was meant to show the dew and to break up my trend of foliage photos. Too much of a good thing is not always good.

I attempted to capture the light off the dew on the grass. Please leave a comment to let me know how well I captured the light and to give me some tips to improve.

Thursday, 10/16/2025: Posted photo — Lightning at Sea.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/5.6, 15 s, 48 mm.

15 second exposure looking out to see in Jacksonville Beach, FL a few years ago.

During a past vacation, my family rented a condominium on Jacksonville Beach. My wife has relatives that live in both Jacksonville Beach and Neptune Beach, so we travel to the area relatively often. Most of the time we rent a house or condo not on the beach.

A common occurrence in Florida is a storm out to sea at night. It is such a great sight to see the lightning in the distance. On this night, I decided to put my camera on my tripod, set the exposure time to 15 seconds, to capture the storm. After looking at the photos, my only regret was that I did not leave my shutter open for 30 seconds.

There will always be another trip back to the beach.

Here are a few camera settings for photographing daytime and nighttime lightning that I have picked up over the years:

Camera settings tips for photographing daytime lightning photos:

Set up camera on a sturdy tripod.
Turn off any image stabilization you might have. If image stabilization is on, the camera will think it is moving when the shutter engages, even though there is not camera movement.
Focus camera lens on infinity or on an object in the distance.
Set the aperture of the lens to f/16 or smaller. This will close the iris inside the lens, allowing a longer shutter speed to be used.
Set ISO to lowest it will go, for example use ISO 100.
Take a test exposure using the slowest shutter speed allowed to see if the image is exposed correctly and your focus is correct.
Set your camera on manual or bulb.
Use a remote timer/intervalometer to fire the shutter continuously.

Here is an example of a daytime lightning photo. This photo was handheld since the storm arrived quickly. For your information, we did not hike down into the Grand Canyon that day.

Camera settings for photographing night-time lightning

Set up camera on a sturdy tripod.
Turn off any image stabilization you might have. If image stabilization is on, the camera will think it is moving when the shutter engages, even though there is not camera movement.
Focus camera lens on infinity or on an object in the distance.
Set the aperture of the lens to a medium value, such as f/5.6 or f/8. This will allow a longer shutter speed by bringing in more light and improve image quality at the same time by allowing the use of a lower ISO value.
Set ISO to lowest it will go, for example set your is to ISO 100. You may have to increase your ISO to ISO 200–ISO 400 depending on the lighting in the area. I prefer my ISO set at ISO 100 for all my lightning shots.
Set your camera on manual or bulb.
Set the shutter speed to between 5 and 20 seconds. You can set it up to 30 seconds if you are in a dark area.
Take a test shot to see if the scene is exposed correctly, remembering that if a strike does happen in the field of view it could light up the scene considerably, depending on how big the strike looks in the photo.
Use a remote timer/intervalometer to fire the shutter continuously.

Friday, 10/17/2025: Post photo — Clouds.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 200, f/7.1, 1/1250 s, 37 mm.

Today I am posting a photo of a cloud. I took many photos today, but this one was the only one that I liked.

Saturday, 10/18/2025: Post photo — Aster.

Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/320 s, 106 mm.

I went to my mother’s house today to make sure everything was fine at the house. I also collected some of the wood from the tree that fell on her house about a year ago to bring home to burn. Earlier in the day, I took photos at Leominster State Forest. I went hiking at Leominster State Forest last night and went back today to get some more photos. I will be posting the photos I took in this blog for you to see what I did not post for my 365 project.

When I was at her house, I noticed a lot of asters. I also saw that there was an abundant number of bees flying around the asters. What a great photo opportunity. The aster flowers (Aster spp.) add color to the autumn landscape while offering beauty with little work when caring for asters.

That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.

“Quod scripsi, scripsi. Ingeniarius sum, non scriptor.”

“Sumens imagines consolatur et inspirat me. Pulchritudinem mundi video per cameram meam.”

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September 21, 2025

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Photographic Thoughts — 09/14/2025 to 09/20/2025

“If you see something that moves you, and then snap it, you keep a moment.” — Linda McCartney

Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.

Sunday, 09/14/2025: Posted photo — Rosebud.

A few weeks ago, I constructed a planter for some roses that I purchased. I purchased white roses and yellow roses. The white roses bloomed a couple of times since I purchased them and the yellow roses looked like they were not going to live.

When I planted them, I was hopeful that they both would take root. I took my time and fed them, watered them, and removed weeds to help them grow. The white roses bloomed in the bed again, bending under their own weight. I need to support the blooms the next time I see them start. The yellow roses are starting to have multiple blooms.

This is a photo of one of the rosebuds from the yellow plant. It looks like it will bloom this week. If it does, I will post a photo of it later this week.

I am starting to learn about growing roses. There is much to learn, and any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Monday, 09/15/2025: Posted photo — Bearded Dragon.

The bearded dragon is equipped with armor of spiny reptilian scales, which include a “beard” of spikes under its chin that puffs up depending on its mood. A Bearded Dragon represents change, rebirth, and renewal.

This bearded dragon is the pet of one of my brothers. We stopped at his house on the way to one of the two weddings we attended last weekend. One was in Naples NY, and one was in Westminster MA the next day.

Tuesday, 09/16/2025: Posted photo — Chinese Swan Goose.

Wild goose symbolizes loyalty, integrity, and love.

This goose was swimming at the Old Mill during the time of the second wedding we attended last weekend.

Wednesday, 09/17/2025: Posted photo — Centerpiece.

This is the centerpiece from the second wedding. The first wedding was more traditional, and the second one was less traditional. The first wedding had less traditional food, and the second wedding had more traditional food.

Both weddings were special in their own way. The first was for a friend, and the second was for my niece. Wishing them both many happy years.

Thursday, 09/18/2025: Posted photo — Jump Off Point.

Ontario County Park at Gannett Hill has a lookout point called Jump Off Point. There is an overlook at the point, but not much of a drop to jump off, just a steep hill.

We took a walk to look at the views before packing up our camping equipment and heading to the wedding we were going to photograph. This was the first of two weddings over the weekend.

This park is very well maintained and is growing. The campsite we had the first time we were there, and when my wife and son camped there a few years ago, is now occupied by the camp host. I can understand why he took that site, it was the best one in the park.

Friday, 09/19/2025: Post photo — Orntario St. Bridge.

This bridge is a hidden wonder. The newly married couple wanted to take photos on this bridge after the ceremony. The bridge had debris on it, so before we took photos, we purchased a broom and swept off the bridge. We later presented the broom as a wedding gift. The couple loved the idea that we gave them this broom that was part of their special day.

Saturday, 09/20/2025: Post photo — Milky Way.

Second attempt at a Milky Way photo using my cellphone. This one was better than the first one, but still not great. There still was light pollution in the area. I attempted to block the light, so this photo came out slightly better.

I will keep taking this photo in darker areas to get a good one.

That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.

Bonus

Here is the photo of the rose in Sunday’s photo in bloom.

“Quod scripsi, scripsi. Ingeniarius sum, non scriptor.”

“Sumens imagines consolatur et inspirat me. Pulchritudinem mundi video per cameram meam.”

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August 10, 2025

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Photographic Thoughts — 08/03/2025 to 08/09/2025

“A good photograph is one that communicates a fact, touches the heart and leaves the viewer a changed person for having seen it. It is, in a word, effective.” — Irving Penn

Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.

Sunday, 08/03/2025: Posted photo — Campfire.

There was a slight chill in the air, so we started a campfire. What I like to take long exposure photos of campfires to capture their warmth. When there are many sparks coming out of the fire, it makes for a better photo.

There were not many sparks out of this fire.

Monday, 08/04/2025: Posted photo — Wildfire Smoke.

Like last summer, wildfires are burning in Canada. The fires are burning in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Québec and Northwest Territories, including Yukon. Over the last few days, the smoke from those fires has reached my area.

Smoking is a health hazard for many people. The smoke also leads to some interesting colors for sunrise and moonrise. The sun and moon turn a reddish color. This makes sense that they both have the same color, since we see the reflection of the Sun off the moon.

There are four United States national parks that are also burning at this moment. Fires are burning on north and south rim of the Grand Canyon (the Dragon Bravo Fire), the Bear Gulch Fire is in Olympic National Park, the South Rim Fire is in Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and the Ash Fire was just recently discovered in Yellowstone National Park. Knowing people with red cards, firefighters in the national parks, unless the fire causes risk to people or property, they let the fires burn. Fires are just part of nature and help the forest flourish.

Lightning started the fires in the Grand Canyon, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and Yellowstone. Humans started the fire in Olympic National Park. I have been to all four of these parks and they are worth the visit.

Tuesday, 08/05/2025: Posted photo — Bass.

My nephews were fishing tonight and one of them caught this bass. They like fishing but do not like taking the fish off the line.

When I was growing up, my father would take my six brothers and me on fishing and camping trips. The techniques for fishing have not changed much over the years. The equipment has changed some due to improvement in materials. The reason for fishing has not changed. Fishing relaxes you and teaches you to be patience.

Wednesday, 08/06/2025: Posted photo — Nifty Fifty.

A present for me, a Nifty Fifty. This is a Canon EF 50mm f1.8 STM lens.

I will be using this lens to take portraits and for astrophotography. I plan on using this lens in low light situations since it has the largest aperture of all my lenses. I am looking forward to learning all that I can about my nifty fifty. Many photographers have a 50mm lens and say good things about having one. Now it is my turn to find out.

Thursday, 08/07/2025: Posted photo — Chicken.

I cooked chicken on the grill tonight. Since I have my new lens, I took a photo of the chicken. In need to practice with this lens, since I will be photographing two weddings this summer.

I am not happy with this photo. It seems to be out of focus. I am wondering if it is the lens, my camera, or me. I need to work on my camera settings to get a sharper photo. I have used this lens twice and have not been happy with the results either time. Sometimes I am my worst critic.

The next step in the process is to send my camera out to have its sensors cleaned and electronics checked out. I purchased my camera in 2014 and have used it well past it shutter life. A Canon EOS 60D camera is typically rated for 100,000 shutter actuations. This means the camera’s shutter mechanism is designed to reliably operate for that number of shots.

Friday, 08/08/2025: Post photo — Hobblebush.

The Hobbleberry is a species of edible viburnum common as a woodland understory plant. It produces delicious edible berries. I have never tried to eat them. I just found out today that they are edible so I might have to try them next Monday when I am hiking.

Saturday, 08/09/2025: Post photo — Smokey the Bear.

The Tuesday night hiking group hikes up Wachusett since we knew someone famous was going to be there and we knew this was the one time of the year that people were allowed in the fire tower. Smokey the Bear was at the summit. He was visiting on his birthday.

Smokey Bear turned 80 years old last year. I went to see him then, but the line was too long. I was on the mountain photographing some trail work for the Appalachian Mountain Club and they had to get back to work. Smokey says, “Only you can prevent wildfires”.

It was interesting to see how the area fire towers triangulate to determine the location of a fire. One tower spots the smoke and relays the message to the nearest towers in that direction. They then take a bearing on the smoke and then triangulate with string to pinpoint the location of the fire.

That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.

“Sumens imagines consolatur et inspirat me.”

“Quod scripsi, scripsi. Ingeniarius sum, non scriptor.”

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July 27, 2025

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Photographic Thoughts — 07/20/2025 to 07/26/2025

“Photography has nothing to do with cameras.” — Lucas Gentry

Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.

Sunday, 07/20/2025: Posted photo — Bed of Roses.

A few weeks ago, I posted a photo of the roses in our front yard waiting for a flower bed to be installed. This is the flower bed that I put in. It is not as raised as I would have liked, but the frame still allows me to protect the roses during the winter.

Once I am sure the roses are stable, I will design the protection for the harsh winter weather.

Monday, 07/21/2025: Posted photo — Horsetail Falls.

Horsetail Falls is a waterfall located on Horsetail Creek along the Columbia River Gorge in Multnomah County, Oregon. It is 224 feet tall and is just down the road from Multnomah Falls.

The bottom of this fall is a good swimming hole. There were many people cooling off under the falls. We did not go swimming since we arrived at our campsite and wanted to see both Multnomah Falls and Horsetail Falls.

Tuesday, 07/22/2025: Posted photo — Trying to Hide.

This group of Chicken of the Woods mushrooms was trying to hike in the burl of this tree. They are doing a good job blending in. Once the mushrooms age, and turn brown, you may not be able to spot them.

Wednesday, 07/23/2025: Posted photo — Trail Marker.

I am amazed sometimes about the time it must of took to carve words into rocks on the trails. This marking has the name of the trail on Wachusett Mountain.

There are many other graffiti carvings as you get to the summit. There were a few hotels on the mountain and the kids must have carved this into the rocks, just as in modern day kids use spray paint. Only that carving in the rock would have taken much longer to do.

Thursday, 07/24/2025: Posted photo — Echo Lake.

The primary difference between a pond and a lake is in their depth and the penetration of sunlight. Ponds are shallower, allowing the sunlight to reach the bottom, while lakes are deeper. A pond generally has a uniform temperature while the temperature profile for a lake is not uniform. There are no definitive definitions for the differences, just the general rule of thumb.

Echo Lake is not very deep. I can see the bottom while looking at it. It may be called a lake by those that named it because they did not know the difference. They did use this body of water in the winter months to cut out blocks of ice to be used in ice boxes before there was reliable refrigeration.

Friday, 07/25/2025: Post photo — Communication Towers.

Here is a photo of some communication towers on the summit of Wachusett Mountain.

I do not know if they are active or not. I have heard conflicting reports about their use and cannot find any information on their use. I should have gone to the building and looked for any signs. I have seen signs on the stone building next to them, but that was a few years ago.

As with most things, you see them many times and then you just see them. I have gone by these towers hundreds of times and can tell you many things about the building, but what is on signage.

Saturday, 07/26/2025: Post photo — Wind Energy.

This is a photo of one of the two wind turbines used by the Princeton Municipal Light Department and are located at the trailhead for the Stage Coach Trail on Wachusett Mountain.

Selected information on these turbines from the PMLD website: Each blade on the turbine is 125 feet long and weighs six tons. The blade tip speed is 204 mph with the turbine turning at 17-20 rpm. The annual energy output of the two turbines is 4,000,000 kWh’s. The wind speed needed to start producing energy is 7 mph. The cutout wind speed is 45 mph. In 2010, the turbines produced 6,001 MWh of power and in 2023 only produce 2762 MWh of power. I cannot find out any information regarding the reduced power output.

That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.

“Sumens imagines consolatur et inspirat me.”

“Quod scripsi, scripsi. Ingeniarius sum, non scriptor.”

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July 20, 2025

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Photographic Thoughts — 07/13/2025 to 07/19/2025

“Photograph: a picture painted by the sun without instruction in art.” — Ambrose Bierce

Here are more photos from my adventures this summer.

Sunday, 07/13/2025: Posted photo — Columbine.

The Columbine was chosen as Colorado’s state flower because of its beauty, its representation of the state’s natural environment, and its symbolic significance. It was officially designated on April 4, 1899, following a vote by Colorado schoolchildren in 1891.

I saw many columbines of different colors during my hike today.

Monday, 07/14/2025: Posted photo — Madden Peak.

I finally conquered this 12K peak. The peak is 11,982 feet tall, close enough to call it a 12K peak. There were great views at the summit. I drank plenty of water and had snacks to avoid altitude sickness.

This was my second attempt at the summit. A few years ago, I was about 400 feet from the summit when it looked like a storm rolled in. That was a good choice to turn around since there was hail, thunder and lightning and heavy rain.

Tuesday, 07/15/2025: Posted photo — Road to Mesa Verde.

This is the road that leads into Mesa Verde National Park. I just liked all the switchbacks on the road.

Wednesday, 07/16/2025: Posted photo — Mesa.

This is the view of the Mesa in Mesa Verde National Park. My brother-in-law and I hiked to the edge of the mesa. My BIL works at the park.

It was a warm down hike after hiking on the 10K Via Ferrata and the 12K Madden Peak.

Thursday, 07/17/2025: Posted photo — Shoshone Falls ID.

Shoshone Falls, known as the “Niagara of the West,” is a majestic waterfall on the Snake River in Idaho. This was a wonderful side trip on our way to camp near the Oregon Trail.

Friday, 07/18/2025: Post photo — Oregon Trail.

The Oregon Trail was a 2,170-mile (3,492 km) emigrant route to the Willamette Valley in Oregon, used by hundreds of thousands of American pioneers from 1841 to 1880. It stretched from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon City, Oregon. Tonight’s campsite was just off the Oregon Trail.

There was a visitor information center that featured some covered wagons. This is one of them.

Saturday, 07/19/2025: Post photo — Multnomah Falls OR.

Multnomah Falls is a waterfall located on Multnomah Creek in the Columbia River Gorge, east of Troutdale, between Corbett and Dodson, Oregon. According to Native American lore, Multnomah Falls was created to win the heart of a young princess who wanted a hidden place to bathe.

The upper falls is 542 feet tall and the lower falls is 69 feet tall.

That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.

“Sumens imagines consolatur et inspirat me.”

“Quod scripsi, scripsi. Ingeniarius sum, non scriptor.”

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May 4, 2025

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Photographic Thoughts — 04/27/2025 to 05/03/2025

“When I have a camera in my hand, I know no fear.” — Alfred Eisenstaedt

Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.

Looking for some new quotes to use. If you have any, please put them in the comments.

Sunday, 04/27/2025: Posted photo — Pope Francis.

“Who am I to judge?” Pope Francis July 28, 2013. The Roman Catholic Church emphasizes a welcoming atmosphere, striving to be inclusive of all people. “Love one another as I have loved you” John 13:34-35.

Many Catholics forget, or pass over these teachings, to discriminate against migrants and others they do not like or judge people on one topic. Pope Francis pushed for these traditions, and some did not like him for that.

He may not have been the perfect pope. He was human just like us. Matthew 25:31-46 teaches us to love all: “Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’” Matthew 25:44–45.

Monday, 04/28/2025: Posted photo — Communications Towers.

Communications tower on the summit of Wachusett Mountain.

It was a great and uneventful hike tonight. The adventures started on my ride home from the trailhead.

Let me tell you about kidney stones. Not the greatest of topics and some of you may not want to read on. I felt a stone coming on my ride home. I had stones before and knew the feeling. Most of the time the feeling goes away. Not tonight. I got home and was in pain. The decision was made to go to the ER to get it checked out. Good decision. I have an 11 mm stone that needs to be removed. Fun, fun, fun. It will be removed on Monday.

Tuesday, 04/29/2025: Posted photo — Flag.

This is my attempt at negative space photography, this week’s photo topic.

I made the photo a little darker to get more of the negative space feeling.

Wednesday, 04/30/2025: Posted photo — Tulips.

On my way to my medical appointment, I saw that one of the tulips in our yard had bloomed. I took multiple shots and liked this one because of the little spot of dew on it.

The tulips in our yard are hit or miss on their blooming. We have lost a few over the years and are glad to be about to see them bloom in daylight. The bad thing was that I was able to see them bloom in the daylight because I was going to a doctor’s appointment for my stones.

Thursday, 05/01/2025: Posted photo — Bluets.

Bluets are perennial wildflowers that may grow to a height of 6 inches. The leaves are opposite with a smooth margin. The leaves that originate at the base of the stem are large, while the two leaves on the stem are small. Blue flowers with yellow centers first mature in mid-spring and continue into mid-summer.

We have many patches of bluets in our yard. They are there until the first mowing of the lawn.

Friday, 05/02/2025: Post photo — Fiddleheads.

Fiddleheads are the young, curled fronds of certain fern species, and are a popular and edible springtime vegetable. These fiddleheads grow next to our mailbox. I take a photo of them every year and have not ventured into tasting them.

I do see that many stores in our area are starting to stock them this time of year.

Saturday, 05/03/2025: Post photo — Spillway.

This is the spillway from the Barry Falls Dam. Stopped today on the way home from doing an errand.

From the Barre Falls Dam website (https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Barre-Falls-Dam/): The project of Barre Falls Dam was authorized by Congress in 1941 to reduce flood damage from storms like those that devastated New England in 1936 and 1938. Construction of the project began in May 1956 and was completed in July 1958 at a cost of $2 million. A portion of Route 62 was relocated to accommodate the project. The project has prevented $53.2 million in flood damages since it was built (as of September 2011).

I went to the dam a few years ago to look for a geocache and wanted to go back. Soon I will be able to go back and explore more of the area.

That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.

“Sumens imagines consolatur et inspirat me.”

“Quod scripsi, scripsi.”

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April 27, 2025

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Photographic Thoughts — 04/20/2025 to 04/26/2025

“Once you learn to care, you can record images with your mind or on film. There is no difference between the two.” — Anonymous

Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.

Using the old format for my photos this week. I have been very busy at work and tired when I came home from work.

Looking for some new quotes to use. If you have any, please put them in the comments.

Sunday, 04/20/2025: Posted photo — Easter Sunday.

Hallelujah, the Lord has risen!

Today is the holiest day of the liturgical year. Today is the day the Lord has risen to save up all. Immigrants, minorities, people we do not like, people with different views from ours, believers, non-believers, everyone! Jesus said “Love one another as I have loved you” in John 13:34. If you do not love immigrants, minorities, people we do not like, people with different views from ours, people with different political views, believers, non-believers, everyone, then do you not love yourself? The first of the 10 Commandments is “I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have no other gods before me.” People are forgetting this and are following false gods today.

We should all love everyone and stop the hatred in our hearts.

Happy Easter to all.

Monday, 04/21/2025: Posted photo — Disc Golf.

RIP Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Pope Francis). Some people disagree with your teachings since you were not conservative enough for them. You have direct lineage of back to Saint Peter and were chosen by the faithful. You were a very Holy man who truly taught us, and showed the world, how to be humble. You did not want attention to yourself, only the teachings of the church.

A popular sport is disc golf. There are a few courses in our area, and I always wanted to try the sport. My son, my niece, and their friends started to play it more often last year.

This is a photo of our son practicing putting. This is my niece and her husband’s goal. We did purchase a goal for our son so that when they are not on a course, they can practice.

Tuesday, 04/22/2025: Posted photo — Mount Monadnock.

On my hike this week, I saw some interesting clouds. I do not know if this photo gives you the feeling of the clouds as it did for me on the hike.

The photo is of Mount Monadnock in the distance. I was attempting to show the waviness of the clouds as they formed over the mountains.

Wednesday, 04/23/2025: Posted photo — Construction.

Wachusett Mountain ski area is getting a new high-speed quad. To make room for the new lift, they are dismantling the old one.

Thursday, 04/24/2025: Posted photo — Sunflower.

A sunflower to brighten your day. I saw this while out shopping.

Friday, 04/25/2025: Post photo — Nest Reno.

We have an abandoned nest on a light next to our front door. A bird built it last year. I did not remove the nest. This year, a bird decided it was a great place to live and built a new nest onto the old one.

Saturday, 04/26/2025: Post photo — Crowded Room.

Today they laid Pope Francis to rest. People paid him respect by wearing black. Wearing black to funerals primarily symbolizing mourning and respect for the deceased. It’s a visual expression of grief and solemnity, acknowledging the loss and showing reverence for the departed.

Now for today’s photo.

The data team and staff in a small room in Lexington this afternoon. Last Monday was Patriots’ Day and it marked the semiquincentennial of the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Lexington would have been a busy place to visit last weekend so they held the competition today.

That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.

“Sumens imagines consolatur et inspirat me.”

“Quod scripsi, scripsi.”

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April 20, 2025

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Histoy, Inspiration, Nature, religion, Thoughts, Travel

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Photographic Thoughts — 04/13/2025 to 04/19/2025

“Photography is truth.” — Jean-Luc Godard

Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.

Looking for some new quotes to use. If you have any, please put them in the comments.

This week’s comments are small since I had to take an unexpected trip and did not bring my computer with my.

Sunday, 04/13/2025: Posted photo — Palm Sunday.

Palm Sunday recalls the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, greeted by people waving palm branches. It is a reminder to welcome Jesus into our hearts and to be willing to follow him.. In those days, only kings road on donkeys and their donkeys were not allowed to walk on the dirt, so the people put down palms.

Monday, 04/14/2025: Posted photo — Airplane.

I had to take a quick trip for work today. Did not know that I was traveling until mid afternoon. I jumped on a plane tonight and headed to my destination.

Tuesday, 04/15/2025: Posted photo — Chicago.

Part of my travel was a layover in Chicago. This is when I was leaving the airport and heading to my final destination.

Wednesday, 04/16/2025: Posted photo — Kentucky Derby.

There were many of these Derby houses around time. The race is happening May 3 and the city is getting ready.

Thursday, 04/17/2025: Posted photo — Churchill Downs.

I did drive by a sign for Churchill Downs on my way to a meeting. Since someone else was driving, I did not see the racetrack. I did see this horse and jockey at the airport on my way home.

Friday, 04/18/2025: Post photo — Good Friday.

This is the second holiest day of the year. It is the only day that there is no mass, just a service. Good Friday is a solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary.

When I was young and going to Catholic school, we would have day off from school so that we could reflect on our lives from noon to three o’clock in the afternoon.

I took a photo of this brick that was in our yard since it has the work “pray” on it. It seemed appropriate for today.

Saturday, 04/19/2025: Post photo — Daffodils.

Spring weather is here today. The daffodils started to bloom this week. We have a few groups of them in our yard.

That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.

“Sumens imagines consolatur et inspirat me.”

“Quod scripsi, scripsi.”

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March 23, 2025

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hiking, Histoy, Inspiration, Nature, Photography, Thoughts, Travel, water

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Photographic Thoughts — 03/16/2025 to 03/22/2025

“Taking pictures is like tiptoeing into the kitchen late at night and stealing Oreo cookies.” — Diane Arbus

Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.

This week will show you some of the animals that I encountered during my travels.

Sunday, 03/16/2025: Posted photo — Prairie Dog.

One of the campsites we were camped, was a remote campground in Badlands National Park. In this campground and the surrounding area, there USGA was doing a study on Prairie Dogs. These were some that were near my tent.

Monday, 03/17/2025: Posted photo — Camping Bison.

In the same campground, there was a bison that used the site markers as scratching posts. This bison also showed up in the morning. The remote campground had only 10 sites. All eyes were on the bison. People did come out of these tents as the bison moved away.

Tuesday, 03/18/2025: Posted photo — Ducks.

These ducks were in one of the rivers at Yellowstone National Park. I did look up the type of ducks these are but did not write it down.

Wednesday, 03/19/2025: Posted photo — Elk.

This elk came to visit us at the first campground we had in Yellowstone.

Thursday, 03/20/2025: Posted photo — Bison by River.

At the second campground in Yellowstone, we took a walk in the morning and saw this bison by the river. There was a plaque at this location that stated that this was the exact location that the idea to make Yellowstone a national park was born.

Friday, 03/21/2025: Post photo — Mini Cow.

One of my sister-in-law’s animals.

Saturday, 03/22/2025: Post photo — Feasting Bald Eagle.

This Bald Eagle just caught a fish, brought it to the top of this tree, and had its dinner.

That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.

“Sumens imagines consolatur et inspirat me.”

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March 9, 2025

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hiking, Histoy, Inspiration, memorial, Nature, Photography, Thoughts, Travel

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Photographic Thoughts — 03/02/2025 to 03/08/2025

“When I have a camera in my hand, I know no fear” — Alfred Eisenstaedt

Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.

I am just getting back from a weekend hike so I did not have time to compose last week’s blog.

This is a blog that I posted three years ago. I will be working on last week’s blog and will post during the week.

Enjoy some more travel photos from past trips.

Sunday, 03/06/2022: Posted photo — Desert View Watchtower.

Settings: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS, ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/100 s, 20 mm.

Desert View Watchtower, South Rim Grand Canyon National Park.

We arrived at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon just before sunset. We spent the last couple of nights camping and hiking along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and would be spending time on the South Rim. I have been to the Canyon before, but never from this entrance.

From the National Parks Service: “A National Historic Landmark, the Watchtower was constructed in 1932.The design by Mary Colter, is based on the architecture of the Ancestral Puebloan people of the Southwest. This particular tower was patterned after those found at Hovenweep and the Round Tower of Mesa Verde.”

We have been to Hovenweep and to Mesa Verde and agree with that statement.

Monday, 03/07/2022: Posted photo — Four Corners Monument Navajo Tribal Park.

Settings: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS, ISO 200, f/16, 1/400 s, 49 mm.

The Four Corners Monument marks the quadripoint in the Southwestern United States where the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet. It is the only point in the United States shared by four states.

Tuesday, 03/08/2022: Posted photo — Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.

Settings: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS, ISO 200, f/13, 1/800 s, 90 mm.

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Mosca, CO.

One of the amazing things about the Great Sand Dunes is that you can see them from miles away. As you turn off the main road and head towards the dunes, they are right in front of you. We spent the day hiking the dunes pretending we were in a desert. When you look at this photo, you see a couple of dots in the sand. Those are people. The sand was hot. According to Park Service, the sand surface can reach 150 degrees F (65 degrees C) on a summer afternoon or drop to minus 20 degrees F (minus 29 degrees C) on a winter night. It was close to the 150 degrees when we were walking on the sand.

From the National Parks Service: “The tallest dunes in North America are the centerpiece in a diverse landscape of grasslands, wetlands, forests, alpine lakes, and tundra. Great Sand Dunes National Park is a complex geologic story going back millions of years. Intense volcanic activity built the San Juan mountain range to the west of the modern day dunes and tectonic activity raised the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the north and east.”

Wednesday, 03/09/2022: Posted photo — Hiking the Narrows.

Settings: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS, ISO 200, f/9, 1/2050 s, 18 mm.

Zion National Park Springdale, UT.

This is a photo my wife took of me as we were hiking the Narrows in Zion National Park. It was a refreshing hike on a hot summer day. When you hike the Narrows, you need to be very aware of the weather. Because it is so narrow, there is no escape route if there happens to be a flash flood.

From the National Parks Service: “The Narrows is the narrowest section of Zion Canyon. This gorge, with walls a thousand feet tall and the river sometimes just twenty to thirty feet wide, is one of the most popular areas in Zion National Park. You can see The Narrows by hiking along the paved, wheelchair accessible Riverside Walk for one mile from the Temple of Sinawava. If you wish to see more, you will be walking in the Virgin River. This can involve wading upstream for just a few minutes or it can be an all day hike.”

Thursday, 03/10/2022: Posted photo — NRAO Very Large Array.

Settings: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS, ISO 200, f/10, 1/800 s, 165 mm.

NRAO Very Large Array, Magdalena, NM.

One of the most interesting places to visit. As you can see from the description below, the array can be very large. When we visited, there were 26 radio antennas pointing in one direction and one pointing in an opposite direction. We thought that was strange. They told up that the odd one was scanning the sky.

“The Very Large Array, one of the world’s premier astronomical radio observatories, consists of 27 radio antennas in a Y-shaped configuration on the Plains of San Agustin fifty miles west of Socorro, New Mexico. Each antenna is 25 meters (82 feet) in diameter. The data from the antennas is combined electronically to give the resolution of an antenna 36 km (22 miles) across, with the equivalent sensitivity of a dish 130 meters (422 feet) in diameter.” — http://www.vla.nrao.edu/

Friday, 03/11/2022: Post photo — Owachamo Bridge.

Settings: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/125 s, 18 mm.

Owachamo Bridge, Natural Bridges National Monument, UT.

Owachomo is the smallest and thinnest of the three natural bridges in the National Monument and is commonly thought to be the oldest. We had a great hike out to the bridge.

We like to travel to the lesser know parks. These parks are lesser know mostly because of location. They are not close to any major city or town. We like to say it is great to have a park to ourselves.

Dimensions

Height: 106 feet (32 meters)
Span: 180 feet (55 meters)
Width: 27 feet (8 meters)
Thickness: 9 feet (3 meters)

Saturday, 03/12/2022: Post photo — Spruce Tree House.

Settings: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS, ISO 200, f/5, 1/50 s, 20 mm.

Spruce Tree House, Mesa Verde National Park, CO.

From the National Park Service: “Spruce Tree House, the third largest cliff dwelling (Cliff Palace and Long House are larger), was constructed between about 1211 and 1278 CE by the ancestors of the Pueblo peoples of the Southwest. The dwelling contains about 130 rooms and 8 kivas (kee-vahs), or ceremonial chambers, built into a natural alcove measuring 216 feet (66 meters) at greatest width and 89 feet (27 meters) at its greatest depth. It is thought to have been home for about 60 to 80 people.”

We were lucky enough to get to the park prior to 2012 during one of our northern National Park tours. We were able to explore the Spruce Tree House. We went into some of the rooms and into the kivas. Due to the unstable cliff about the Spruce Tree House, the entire site was closed to the public in October 2015. We have visited the park since then since I have a relative that works at the park. We were able to obtain permits to do some backcountry hiking with my relative guide to some dwellings that are off limits to the public.

That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.

“Sumens imagines consolatur et inspirat me.”