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May 26, 2024

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Photographic Thoughts — 05/19/2024 to 05/25/2024

“A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know.” — Diane Arbus

Photo for the week. Comments welcome.

Sunday, 05/19/2024: Posted photo — Angel of Patience.

Angel of Patience statue in the gardens of the rectory at our church. This weekend was spent selling cakes for the Relay for Life after the Masses.

The RFL cake sale has become more popular over the years and is our team’s biggest fundraiser. Baking has been going on in our house for over a month with over 60 cakes baked and decorated. We do not know the exact count of cakes.

Here is a sample of what was left for the last Mass. There were four more stacks like this that almost sold out. Any cakes leftover will be sold during the RFL team captain’s meeting on Wednesday night.

Monday, 05/20/2024: Posted photo — Mountain House/Grand View.

About 150 feet into the Mountain House Trail on Wachusett Mountain, there is an old stone foundation. In 1764, Elisha Hobbs built his farmhouse here. In 1855–56, Daniel Howe purchased this farm, expanded it, and converted it to take on borders. This house operated from late spring through early fall from 1856 to 1914.

I always knew there was a foundation at this location. This is the first time that I saw the marker that gets scanned to show this information. It may have been there a while; I just do not hike this trail as often as I have in the past. Mountain House Trail is a straight up and down trail and I like doing loops. Pre-injury I would hike Mountain House every Thursday night.

Tuesday, 05/21/2024: Posted photo — Sour Orange.

Some information off the web: “Bitter oranges, sometimes also known as Seville oranges or sour oranges, are a citrus fruit that is a hybrid of mandarin oranges and pomelo, or grapefruit. They have thick, yellow-orange skin, and their flesh is extremely sour and bitter. Though the raw fruit itself is not usually eaten, their juice, rind, and zest are used in various cuisines around the world.” https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-are-bitter-oranges-5208746

I am always amazed at the variety of food that our local supermarket has to offer. It is a regional chain that has been rated one of the top supermarkets in the country many times.

Wednesday, 05/22/2024: Posted photo — Clock Tower.

This is the back of the clock tower at Gardner Town Hall. I was at the town hall tonight for the final Relay for Life meeting before the relay. I have taken photos of the town hall and posted them in the past.

Tonight our team sold some remaining cakes from the weekend’s cake sale. People were looking forward to tonight. Many of them mentioned how great the cakes were last year and how they were looking forward to this year’s sale. We even made some special cakes for people that have purchased them in the past.

Thursday, 05/23/2024: Posted photo — Azalea.

Last Thursday I posted a photo of our red azalea. This week I am posting a photo of our pink azalea (with a visitor) and a photo of white azalea that I took last Sunday during our cake sale.

Friday, 05/24/2024: Post photo — Oak.

Oak flowers are all around us this week. We had rain earlier in the week and they fell from the trees. Now my lawn and roof are full of oak flowers.

Saturday, 05/25/2024: Post photo — Deck.

Started to power wash our deck today. I think it needed it.

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

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Photographic Thoughts — 04/28/2024 to 05/04/2024

“I never have taken a picture I’ve intended. They’re always better or worse.” — Diane Arbus

Photo for the week. Comments welcome.

Sunday, 04/28/2024: Posted photo — Leading Lines.

I needed a photo for one of my photos projects this week. The topic was leading lines. I kept my eye open for the perfect photo opportunity and did not find it. I saw the lines in the ceiling leading to the altar, so I took this photo to post if I did not see anything else that met the topic today.

Monday, 04/29/2024: Posted photo — Off on a Hike.

Monday night is hiking night, as you know if you have been following this blog. The last couple of hikes started and ended in daylight. The trails have been drying up over the last few weeks, so more people are out hiking.

These are some of the members of the Monday night hiking group enjoying the good weather.

Tuesday, 04/30/2024: Posted photo — Trail Junction.

This is the trail junction of Harrington and Semuhenna on Wachusett Mountain. Semuhenna trail a 1.1 mile connector trail. The trail I took tonight was a 0.5 mile sections between Harrington and West Side. Most of the time I go up Harrington. The section of Harrington after this trail junction is the steepest section on the mountain. It is steep and there are many scrambles for novice hikers.

Semuhenna is not an old Indian name, as most people believe. Looking at the name backwards, it is Annehumes or Anne Humes, the name of the wife (or daughter according to some people) of the person who made the trail.

Wednesday, 05/01/2024: Posted photo — Texture in the Sky.

When I looked at the cloudy sky tonight, I saw textures in the clouds. There is rain coming in tonight. I do not think that this photo does this justice. Sometimes it is difficult to relay the emotion of nature into a photo. Sometimes the photo puts more emotion into nature. I think this photo is too blown out to have the intended emotional value.

Thursday, 05/02/2024: Posted photo — Fiddleheads.

Fiddleheads are the tightly coiled tips of ferns that are eaten cooked. These delicate delights are available only in early spring when ferns grow their new shoots. These fiddleheads are growing near my mailbox. I may have posted photos of fiddleheads earlier this year and they are still growing. They are around for a very short period.

Friday, 05/03/2024: Post photo — Mount Rainier.

This mountain always inspires me. Either seeing it from Seattle, hiking on it, viewing from different sections of the national park, or flying past it, Mount Rainier is majestic. I feature Mount Rainier on the cover of my first photo book (portfolio book).

An active volcano, Mount Rainier is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S.A., spawning five major rivers. I have camped at Mount Rainier a few times and always remember the signs stating that this is an active volcano, and I am camping in a lava flow path.

I took a photo of a waterfall one spring and went back a couple of years later to take a photo of the waterfall with more snow cover. I had the GPS location but could not find it. After looking at my path, I was standing on top of the waterfall and could not see it because of the snow cover.

Saturday, 05/04/2024: Post photo — Historic Marker.

I have Wilderness First Aid (WFA) training today and tomorrow. This class will certify my in doing first aid on people that are more than 1 hour away from definitive care. That means when I am leading groups or hiking in the mountains or a remote location.

On the way to the training, I passed this historical marker in the John Havard Mall adjacent to the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) headquarters.

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

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Photographic Thoughts — 04/21/2024 to 04/27/2024

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

This week’s blog will feature photos of one of nature’s wonders, a total solar eclipse.

Sunday, 04/21/2024: Posted photo — Easter Candle.

The Paschal Candle represents the risen Christ, as a symbol of light (life) dispelling darkness (death). The Paschal candle is the large, white candle used in liturgies in the Roman Catholic Church and other religious ceremonies.

Monday, 04/22/2024: Posted photo — Views from my Hike.

Here are some views from tonight’s hike. Mount Monadnock, the pink moon over Boston, and a closeup of the moon.

Tuesday, 04/23/2024: Posted photo — Big Dipper.

Took this with my phone. The dipper is out of focus but I like the way the stars were exaggerated to better show the constellation.

Wednesday, 04/24/2024: Posted photo — Geometric Shape.

The shape is a case for a gift at my in-law’s house. I don’t know the name of the shape. The box was handmade from by one of my brothers-in-law.

Thursday, 04/25/2024: Posted photo — What do you See?

I see a beaver holding a log. What do you see?

Friday, 04/26/2024: Post photo — Pansy.

Picture of a pansy for today. Looks like the pansy is looking at me.

Saturday, 04/27/2024: Post photo — Sunset.

As the week comes to an end, we are moving off to the sunset.

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

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Photographic Thoughts — 03/31/2024 to 04/06/2024

“If the photographer is interested in the people in front of his lens, and if he is compassionate, it’s already a lot. The instrument is not the camera but the photographer.” — Eve Arnold

Random photos of the week.

Sunday, 03/31/2024: Posted photo — Easter Sunday.

Today is the most important day in the liturgical year. Easter marks the end of Holy Week, the end of Lent, the last day of the Easter Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday), and is the beginning of the Easter season of the liturgical year. Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day following his crucifixion, which would be Sunday. His resurrection marks the triumph of good over evil, sin, and death.

The date of Easter is based on the moon and the seasons. It is the first Sunday after the first full moon of the vernal equinox (spring equinox).

Monday, 04/01/2024: Posted photo — Sunset.

I took the group on a longer hike tonight since there is more daylight. We made it to the summit just as the sun was going beyond the horizon. I took this photo on the trail to the summit.

Tuesday, 04/02/2024: Posted photo — Sunrise.

Here is this morning’s sunrise. With a storm arriving later in the week, the sky was starting to cloud over. I was able to get this photo of the sunrise shortly before cloud cover arrived.

Wednesday, 04/03/2024: Posted photo — Sugar Maple.

The tapping of our sugar maple trees is coming to an end. The sap is starting to run watery because of the new growth. Here is a bud off one of our trees. These are some of my favorite looking tree buds. I like the shape and texture of it. The color is not bad either.

Thursday, 04/04/2024: Posted photo — Crocus.

Finally, a little sun brings out crocus. The plural of crocus is also crocus. This was the only one that bloomed in this area.

Friday, 04/05/2024: Post photo — Weather Front.

One of the favorite things I like in nature is looking at a weather front. A front represents a boundary between two air masses that contain different temperature, wind, and moisture properties. I just love looking at the crispness and the straightness that is with this front.

This is a cold front that will be bringing us snow.

Saturday, 04/06/2024: Post photo — Snow.

Wet, heavy snow on the ground. Our cars were serviced since we did not know which one we were taking to view the eclipse and when I went to turn on my wipers, both the wipers were pulled from their mounts. Time to get new ones before we head off. The current plan is to go to Vermont. I will let you know next week if that has changed.

Here are some photos of the snow. The dent in the woodshed was due to a branch that fell on it a while ago. Repairs are in the works.

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

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February 18, 2024

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Photographic Thoughts — 02/11/2024 to 02/17/2024

“If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn’t need to lug around a camera.” — Lewis Hine

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

Sunday, 02/11/2024: Posted photo — Anniversary Roses.

Today is the 36th anniversary of my starting to date my wife. I celebrate if every year. It is close to St. Valentine’s Day, so I make it a double celebration. Yellow flowers mean friendship. There is a lot of red roses being sold this week, so I wanted to be different.

Monday, 02/12/2024: Posted photo — Rotary not Traffic Circle.

In New England we call this a rotary and not a traffic circle or roundabout. Sometimes I wish that GPS systems would be trained with local lingo. This is the Concord Rotary, one of the busiest rotaries that I have driven through. It has two lanes, and you need to pay attention to the drivers around you.

Tuesday, 02/13/2024: Posted photo — Icicles.

A foot of snow! No! Six to eight inches of snow! No! One to three inches of snow! No! A dusting of snow! Maybe. This weather forecast all happened within a few hours of the storm starting in our area. The snow moved out to sea quickly and the residents in southern New England and near the coast receive the most snowfall. Some up to a foot. Living in the snow belt of the state, we were expecting more. Schools close last night since heavy snow was predicted up until late in the evening.

Looking out an office window I saw the icicles hanging off the Japanese Yew, so I took this photo through the dirty window.

Wednesday, 02/14/2024: Posted photo — Keyboard.

Today is Ash Wednesday. This is the start of the season of Lent. Lent is a 40 day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. It’s a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter.

The choir my wife and son sing in, sang for the Ash Wednesday Mass. At the end of Mass, I saw the lights reflecting off the organ keyboard, so I took this photo.

Thursday, 02/15/2024: Posted photo — Milky Way.

The topic of a photo project I am doing is called unexplored. There are many regions of the galaxy that are unexplored, so I wanted to take a photo of the Milky Way on one of the few clear sky days we have had lately.

Friday, 02/16/2024: Post photo — Harmony small things Grow.

“Concordia Res Parvae Crescunt” in harmony small this Grow. This is the motto of the Xaverian Brothers. The Xaverian Brothers were founded in Belgium by Theodore James Ryken in 1839 to be missionaries, and have been educators in the United States since 1854. The high school that I graduated from is an Xaverian Brother’s school. I go back every Friday to help the Robotics Team with engineering and project management advice.

Saturday, 02/17/2024: Post photo — Devils Tower.

Taken at Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming.

At the base of the Tower is a bolder field that we hiked up to. Massive rocks, some large as a bus, form a 13-acre field. Predominantly around the west and south faces of the Tower, this field of giant rocks was created as pieces of the Tower weathered off and eroded down. Geologists agree that Devils Tower began as magma, or molten rock buried beneath the Earth’s surface. What they cannot agree upon are the processes by which the magma cooled to form the Tower, or its relationship to the surrounding geology of the area. This was one of the three movie sets were stopped in at during this trip. The other two were Goblin Valley were Galaxy Quest was filmed and the Field of Dreams in Iowa.

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

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Photographic Thoughts — 01/21/2024 to 01/27/2024

“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.

Sunday, 01/21/2024: Posted photo — Photo.

I like the colors in this photo. They are very peaceful. I took this photo last week during the gathering after the funeral of a family member.

Monday, 01/22/2024: Posted photo — Flowers.

Flowers are a quick subject to photograph when I go shopping. Not too much more to say about them the I have said in past blogs.

Enjoy on this cold week.

Tuesday, 01/23/2024: Posted photo — Tomatillos.

These little fruits are native to Mexico but have been adopted by American farmers due to their resistance to disease. Tomatillos are used in many Latin American cuisines, particularly in Mexican and Central American dishes, and prized for their ability to add tartness and depth of flavor to sauces, soups, and stews.

It is interesting to find out about new foods when I go shopping. Do not know if I would try them all, just interesting to see them and to photograph them.

Wednesday, 01/24/2024: Posted photo — Snow.

Snow and ice today. The temperatures have been around the freezing mark from most of the day so we have had snow and freezing rain. The roads were not that bad to drive on in the morning, were covered in black ice in the afternoon, and were fine for the commute home.

Thursday, 01/25/2024: Posted photo — Covers.

Abstract photo for the day. I have not photographed the covers of products in the 14 years that I have taken a photo a day. I had a calling to take these two photos.

Friday, 01/26/2024: Post photo — Ice.

I did not take a photo today since I was waiting for my hike tomorrow to take photos.

These are photos from my hike. We had some rain in lower elevations and freezing rain in the upper elevations. This caused some nice ice formations on the mountain.

Saturday, 01/27/2024: Post photo — Going Down.

Today I lead my second qualifying hike for the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC). After today’s hike I am officially a four-season local hiking leader. I am now a four-season local hiking leader and a three season upcountry hiking leader. I did have the opportunity to receive my upcountry winter this year but did not want to do it. That is the goal for next winter season. Winter hikes, according to the AMC Worcester Chapter, are hikes between December 1 and March 31.

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

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Photographic Thoughts — 12/31/23 to 01/06/2024

“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 inspired.

Happy New Years!

Sunday, 12/31/2023: Posted photo — Catchup.

Waiting around for people to arrive at our house to do the traditional New Year’s Eve jig saw puzzle, I saw this container of catchup that we have been saving for some reason. I noticed Connecticut was different from the rest which led to this photo. Each one of the states has a different fact on it.

Monday, 01/01/2024: Posted photo — New Year’s Hike.

I have been hiking a local mountain every New Year’s morning for Sunrise with a group of friends over many years. This year marked the 10thyear that we hiked Mount Watatic. Mount Watatic is a smaller mountain than Mount Wachusett but has fewer people hiking on it. It is further away from populated areas. It is the northern terminus of the Midstate Trail.

We have had -25°F temperatures on the summit, 45°F temperatures on the summit, cloudy days, rainy days, and average 20-30°F temperatures. This year we had cloud cover in the ocean past Boston, so Boston was clear, but the sun was not to be seen.

Here is a photo of what we saw as the sunrise, Mount Wachusett from the summit, and our traditional group photo.

Tuesday, 01/02/2024: Posted photo — Yellow Yams.

Yellow yam is born by a perennial vine plant, which stretches up to 2 meters long. Yellow yams are like sweet potatoes; however, they are not an alternative for sweet potatoes. The main difference between the two tubers is that yams are large and have thicker skin, whereas sweet potatoes are relatively small and have a thin peel. Yellow yam, a tropical root veggie, is also alternatively known as “Jamaican Yellow Yam.” Jamaican yellow yam is traditionally consumed with Jamaican meals.

The grocery store in which I shop does have some interesting fruits and vegetables.

Wednesday, 01/03/2024: Posted photo — City Hall.

Today was my yearly physical. It is in the city of Gardner Massachusetts. The city hall is a block away from my doctor’s office. Town Hall first opened in 1860, the ground floor was inhabited by the First National and Gardner Savings banks, while another section housed the district court. On January 1, 1923, the Town of Gardner officially became the City of Gardner. City Hall was opened in January of 1940 when all city government offices were transferred to the new building.

Thursday, 01/04/2024: Posted photo — Bridge.

One of the trails on Mount Watatic goes by a body of water that was formed by a beaver dam. That beaver dam held the water back for many years. Over the last few years, the beaver dam started to breach. This bridge has been constructed to go over the new streams that are forming.

Friday, 01/05/2024: Post photo — Lines in Road.

Salt brine, typically sodium chloride, is sprayed onto the pavement before a storm (this is known as “pre-treating”). The town I live uses a liquid mixture of salt brine and an organic sugar carbohydrate. Applying the liquid mixture to the roads lessens the time it takes to activate the conventional rock salt making the cleaning of the roads more efficient.

We have a predicted 8 to 12 inches of snow falling into our area Saturday night into Sunday morning.

Saturday, 01/06/2024: Post photo — Epiphany.

Epiphany, celebrated on 6 January, marks the day when the Three Wise Men visited baby Jesus in Bethlehem. It’s a Christian holiday that honors this event and represents the revelation of Jesus Christ. This day is also called “Little or Old Christmas” and is the last day of the Christmas season.

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

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Photographic Thoughts — 12/10/23 to 12/16/2023

“Photographs open doors into the past, but they also allow a look into the future.” — Sally Mann

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

Sunday, 12/10/2023: Posted photo — Holiday Lights.

The tradition of using lights during Christmas most likely originated in Germany during medieval times with the burning of the Yule log. This was done during the short, dark days of winter to help bring light into the home.

Monday, 12/11/2023: Posted photo — Falls at Night.

We had rain late last night and into this morning. The rain was heavy at times. During my hike tonight, I could hear the streams running quickly. This photo was taken at one of the many crossings. I did not know how much blue light my headlamp provided until I compared this photo to what I had seen on the trail.

Tuesday, 12/12/2023: Posted photo — Long Exposure Failure.

During a walk tonight I wanted to use the long exposure feature on my phone to make light streaks. It did not work as well as I hoped. Next time I try this I will bring my cellphone tripod with me.

Wednesday, 12/13/2023: Posted photo — Dress Code.

I took this photo on Friday this week.

Every Friday after work, I head down to my high school alma mater to help the Robotics Team. I mentor the students in engineering, project management, and critical thinking. The school is a private college prep school that is part of the Diocese of Worcester. When I went to school there, it was run mostly by the Xavian Brothers. The Xaverian Brothers are a Roman Catholic religious institute founded by Theodore James Ryken in Bruges, Belgium, in 1839 and named after Saint Francis Xavier. The institute is dedicated to education. The Robotics Team holds it meeting and does all its work in the Ryken Center at the school.

These are the rules when I went to school 40+ years ago and still are the rules. I am always surprised at how many of the students still follow the dress code when we gather for robotics long after school get out.

Thursday, 12/14/2023: Posted photo — Geminids Meteor.

From Space.com: The Geminid meteor shower gets its name from the Gemini constellation, the area in the sky from which the meteors appear to originate (also called its radiant point). The Geminids are noteworthy in that, unlike other meteor showers, they are created not by debris from a comet but by leftovers of 3200 Phaëthon, an Earth-crossing Apollo asteroid with an orbit that brings it closer to the sun than any other named asteroid.

To get this photo, I set my camera up in my backyard a couple hours before taking photos to allow it to normalize to the cold, used my intervalometer to take a 17 second photo with a 1 second delay, and went to bed. This is one of the eight meteors I captured in my 1094 photos taken. The clouds did move in for about two hours. The difficulty in taking photos of a meteor shower is that the camera can only focus into one area of the sky. I did see many more during the night.

Friday, 12/15/2023: Post photo — Blue.

Blue sky, nothing blue sky. Wonderful sunny day today. There was rain that had the edge of the storm across the driveway, otherwise there was blue sky. One side of the building was wet and the other side dry.

Saturday, 12/16/2023: Post photo — Abstract Lights.

In many countries it was believed that evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness. Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition—as we now know it—by the 16th century when sources record devout Christians bringing decorated trees into their homes. Some built Christmas pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles if wood was scarce.

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

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Photographic Thoughts — 10/29/2023 to 11/04/2023

“Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.” — Dorothea Lange

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

Sunday, 10/29/2023: Posted photo — Stained Glass Window.

Stained Glass windows two weeks in a row. This is the stained glass at a neighboring church. This is looking up into the choir loft. I just love older stained glass windows. The way the build churches now, there is not as may stained glass windows as in the past.

Stained glass windows in churches depict Biblical individuals, groups of people, stories, and/or moralizing images. Stained glass windows were once used to educate people who could not read. By looking at the painted scenes in the glass, people could learn about the stories of the Bible and religious teachings.

Monday, 10/30/2023: Posted photo — What is it?

Occasionally, I post a closeup of an item to see if anyone is reading my blog. Please identify the object in this photo.

I will respond later in the week to let you know if your answer is correct.

Tuesday, 10/31/2023: Posted photo — Colors.

I posted about the colors of flowers in my 10/15/2023 to 10/21/2023 blog. Tonight is my normal shopping night and I saw these bouquets of roses in one of the stores and wanted to show how the different colors interact, or complement, each other.

The weather is starting to cool around here. Tonight will be one of the first nights this season that the temperature will get close to the freezing point. Time to order wood for the winter. We do have wood left over from last season to take the chill out of the house.

Wednesday, 11/01/2023: Posted photo — Mass of Remembrance.

Today is the All Saints’ Day. The high school attended held a memorial mass for all alumni that passed during the year. St. John’s is a close-knit community with a very supportive alumni base. It was a moving mass in which they read the names of all the alumni, parents, and relatives of alumni that passed.

The entire school community attended, including the new junior high school (the junior high school started up recently) and all the high school students. It was great that the old-time teachers remember me and all my six brothers that have all attended the school.

Thursday, 11/02/2023: Posted photo — Oriental Bittersweet.

This is an invasive species of plant that is in our yard. It invades fields, field edges, and forests, forming dense mats that smother trees and shrubs. I keep cutting them back and trying to eradicate, but they still grow in our yard. I cut them off trees, pull them out of bushes and plants, and mow them over. Just one of the yard cleaning tasks of homeowners in this area.

Friday, 11/03/2023: Post photo — Quick Shot of the Moon.

Walking outside on this brisk fall day, I saw the moon. The moon caught my eye just above the brown of the foliage that have gone past peak and the blue sky. I did not take a photo of the entire tree so that I could get the moon in the photo.

Hope you like it. Not sure if this photo stirs the same emotions as seeing composition live.

Saturday, 11/04/2023: Post photo — Winter Hiking Workshop.

There was a winter hiking workshop today sponsored by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) Worcester Chapter. At this workshop, lessons were taught about what it needed to have a safe hike in the winter. The training was for beginner winter hikers and was a start of winter hiking series that will increase the difficulty of winter hikes. I attended as a hiking leader who wanted to brush up on my winter hiking skill and to understand what the chapter tells beginner hikers.

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

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Photographic Thoughts — 10/22/2023 to 10/28/2023

“There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.” — Ansel Adams

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

Sunday, 10/22/2023: Posted photo — Stained Glass Window.

Two symbols of the Christian faith, wheat and grapes, which often signify the body and blood of Christ as the redeemer of mankind are shown here in this stained glass window.

This window is in our church just as you go down the stairs from the choir loft. Why did I take this photo? I took it because I liked the way the light was going through the window.

Monday, 10/23/2023: Posted photo — Point Pelee Mums.

Point Pelee Mums are a different flower to me. I may have seen them before and noticed them. Now that I am almost 14 years into my photo project, I look for more subjects to photograph. The name is derived from the warmth of the colors that come from their reflection of Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess, and hot glowing volcanic lava.

Tuesday, 10/24/2023: Posted photo — Night Hike.

My normal Monday night hiking was paused yesterday due to a gathering of the hiking group that I help start. It was a great get together and was plan on doing it again. We see many faces on social media, I have run into a few of them on the trail, and it was great to get together with the for a social event. This was the first time that I met the people that hike every morning or during the day when I am at work. I have passed many on the trail, not knowing their names.

Tonight, I hiked with a different group. This group hike is by invitation only. The people in the group are fellow AMC leaders and other people that hike often. This was the second time that I hiked with this group. The first time was just before the FOT48 since one of the people in the group was co-leading the FOT48 hike with me. Tuesday night was one of the nights that I did not know an organized hike existed. I am glad I found this group. I plan on hiking with this group once a month on a week that I am not leading a Monday night hike.

Wednesday, 10/25/2023: Posted photo — Sunrise.

Once again there was a great sunrise. Unfortunately, my “good” camera was not with me when I saw the sunrise, so I had to take out my cell phone.

Information off the internet: “Because the sun is low on the horizon, sunlight passes through more air at sunset and sunrise than during the day, when the sun is higher in the sky. More atmosphere means more molecules to scatter the violet and blue light away from your eyes. If the path is long enough, all of the blue and violet light scatters out of your line of sight. The other colors continue on their way to your eyes. This is why sunsets are often yellow, orange, and red. Because red has the longest wavelength of any visible light, the sun is red when it’s on the horizon, where its extremely long path through the atmosphere blocks all other colors.” (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071108135522.htm)

Thursday, 10/26/2023: Posted photo — Mushrooms Again.

Rain, not as much as in previous weeks, but the mushrooms are still growing. This is a group of mushrooms growing in the same area as the mushrooms I posted last week. According to Google Lens, they are Pholiota squarrosoides. These mushrooms grow in clusters (rarely alone or scattered) on the wood of hardwoods. These are growing on the hardwood that I am seasoning to burn this winter.

Friday, 10/27/2023: Post photo — October Full Moon.

Traditionally, people in the Northern Hemisphere spent October preparing for the coming winter by hunting, slaughtering, and preserving meats, giving this Full Moon its Anglo-Saxon name Hunter’s Moon. The name was added to the Farmer’s Almanac in North America and is used widely today. The full moon is not technically until tomorrow night, but I like to take a photo of the full moon the day before or the day after the moon is officially full. The moon tonight is a Waxing Gibbous moon at 99%.

Saturday, 10/28/2023: Post photo — Composite.

It was a warm and sunny day today. That allowed me to do some yard work today, cleaning up the remaining of the tree that I fell a few weeks ago and doing an initial racking of the yard. For my 52 week photo project, the challenge this week is using a tripod. One way to use a tripod is to do a composite photo.

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