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February 18, 2024

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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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February 11, 2024

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Photographic Thoughts — 02/04/2024 to 02/10/2024

“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.

Sunday, 02/04/2024: Posted photo — New Snow.

New snow fell today with more snow on the way. I was out walking today and took this photo. Nature is wonderful when it covers the world in a new blanket of snow.

Monday, 02/05/2024: Posted photo — On my Walk.

It seems to be a while since I posted a photo of the dam at Round Meadow Pond. Since it was snowing in the morning, I decided to take a 2.5 mile walk into work today. It is always great to break the trail on the way to work.

The dam at Round Meadow Pond on my hike home from work

This photo was taken on my walk home tonight. It was the first night in a while that I hiked home in the blue hour giving me the chance to use the low light setting on my phone.

Tuesday, 02/06/2024: Posted photo — Cold Feet.

I took these photos yesterday to post today. I have an infrared camera and wanted to see how effective the vapor barrier was on my foot. The vapor barrier I am using is a small trash bag. I put on a compression sock, then the vapor barrier, and then a wool sock.

My foot did not get cold last year, the first winter after my surgery. It was getting cold earlier this winter, almost to the point of my big toe changing color. As you can see in the IR photos, the vapor barrier works well. I have not felt my toes getting cold since using the vapor barrier, even after being hiking out in the snow longer that the beginning of the winter.

Wednesday, 02/07/2024: Posted photo — Eggplant.

From the Allrecipes webpage: “Eggplant, also known as aubergine, is a fruit in the nightshade family. Other edible nightshades include tomatoes, potatoes, and bell peppers. Eggplants are typically large, dark purple, kidney bean-shaped fruits with a dark green stem at one end. They usually feel light for their size and have a yielding texture.”

I have eaten eggplant in the past and do not find it to be something that I like. I cannot remember the last time I purchased and eggplant.

Thursday, 02/08/2024: Posted photo — Droplet.

It is getting warmer around here. The temperatures are in the mid to high 30’s. With the temperature rising and the sun beating down on icicles, droplets are formed. Every year I take photos of droplets so that I can practice the high-speed settings on my camera.

Friday, 02/09/2024: Post photo — Collection Time.

Time to tap trees to make maple syrup. This is one of my neighbor’s newly installed and designed setups for collecting sap to make their maple syrup. He taps a few of my sugar maple trees along with his trees. The ratio of sap to syrup for the sugar maple is 40 to 1 (40 gallons of sap yields one gallon of syrup). He will tap the trees until there is too much water in the sap. The sap generally flows for 4 to 6 weeks, with the best sap produced early on in the sap-flowing season.

Saturday, 02/10/2024: Post photo — WPI.

Went to my graduate school alma mater, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), today for a cube competition. My family did the data entry and my son competed in a few events.

The two buildings in the photos are the towers of Boynton Hall and the Washburn Shop, these are in the school logo and buildings I had classes; and of Higgins Lab, a place where I had many more of my classes. In the second story of the student center, there is the Hall of Luminaries.

Robert H Goddard, father of modern rocketry

One of those luminaries is Dr. Robert Goddard, the father of modern rocketry. Dr. Robert Hutchings Goddard (1882–1945) is considered the father of modern rocket propulsion. A physicist of great insight, Goddard also had a unique genius for invention. It is in memory of this brilliant scientist that NASA established the Goddard Space Flight Center. His family home was down the street from where I grew up in Worcester, and he did most of his experimenting at WPI.

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

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February 4, 2024

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Photographic Thoughts — 01/28/2024 to 02/03/2024

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

In honor of Groundhog Day, I will be posting a previous post.

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

These next few posts will be photos only that I have taken over my vacation. This week will show you some of the animals that I encountered.

Sunday, 01/28/2024: 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, 01/29/2024: 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, 01/30/2024: 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, 01/31/2024: Posted photo — Elk.

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

Thursday, 02/01/2024: 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, 02/02/2024: Post photo — Mini Cow.

One of my sister-in-law’s animals. It is always great to take the trip to visit them.

Saturday, 02/03/2024: 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.

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January 28, 2024

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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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January 14, 2024

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Photographic Thoughts — 01/07/24 to 01/13/2024

“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, 01/07/2024: Posted photo — Snow.

The first snow of the year happened overnight and throughout the day. When I went out to shovel in the morning, there was 10 inches of snow on the ground. When I went out later in the day, there was an additional 6.5 inches of snow on the ground. Although the photo shows what looks like heavy snow on the trees, the snow was light when I shoveled. It took me a few hours in the morning and not as long in the afternoon to clear the snow in our yard.

Monday, 01/08/2024: Posted photo — Snowshoe Hike.

What do you do when you have over a foot and a half of snow? Snowshoe on the mountain! My usual Monday night group did not schedule a hike for this week. The group I sometimes hike with on Tuesday nights, switched their night to Monday night to take advantage of the newly fallen snow.

We hiked over three miles on the mountain at a slow pace. There were a couple of trails that had to be broken in since no one else used them. I also had to fill in some “post holes” from people that hiked in the deep snow without using snowshoes. “Post-holing” is a term in winter hiking that refers to someone sinking their entire leg into new snow. It makes for exhaustive and agonizingly slow walking. It also can make the trail dangerous for anyone following you. It is why people wear snowshoes.

Tuesday, 01/09/2024: Posted photo — Snowshoes.

This was a great week to snowshoe. I went out today before the rain. We are expected to get heavy rains this evening. Tonight’s storm started out with light snow, then the heavy snow, then rain.

I was out shopping tonight, and the roads were not cleared. Driving was a little dangerous during the heavy snow.

Wednesday, 01/10/2024: Posted photo — Selfie.

The first week of my 52-week photo project is a self-portrait. This is a selfie I took the hiking trail this week. I needed a photo for today, so I am using this photo I took on Monday.

Thursday, 01/11/2024: Posted photo — Tracks in the Snow.

Here are some tracks in the snow. The tracks were made by either a squirrel or the rabbit that lives on our property. The animal traveled under the eves of my roof to stay out of the snow. Could someone help me identify the tracks please?

Friday, 01/12/2024: Post photo — Banana.

Information off the Chiquita banana website: Bananas are hailed as the best superfood because they have a good level of fiber and heart healthy fats. The fiber is also a special kind of fiber – soluble fiber – that drives down bad cholesterol and reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Bananas can aid digestion and help beat gastrointestinal issues (thanks to a helpful amount of soluble fiber) and their natural sugars that provide a long-lasting boost of energy.

I started eating bananas more to reduce my bad cholesterol and to help me with my weight loss.

Saturday, 01/13/2024: Post photo — Fire.

On a cold day like today, a nice warm fire in the wood stove feels great. The temperature in this area is dropping to below freezing so we like to keep a fire going in our wood stove. The room that the stove is in has brick wall and concrete floors under the rugs. When the fire gets going, we need to open up the doors and windows to cool down the house. The brick and the concrete hold the heat very well. The problem is when we start to feel chilly, the fire most likely has gone out.

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

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December 17, 2023

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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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December 10, 2023

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Photographic Thoughts — 12/03/2023 to 12/09/2023

“What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.” — Karl Lagerfeld

In memory of Pearl Harbor Day, I will be posting photos from my last trip to Hawaii.

Sunday, 12/03/2023: Posted photo — Diamond Head.

“The unique profile of Diamond Head (Lē’ahi) sits prominently near the eastern edge of Waikiki’s coastline. Hawaii’s most recognized landmark is known for its historic hiking trail, stunning coastal views, and military history. Diamond Head State Monument encompasses over 475 acres, including the interior and outer slopes of the crater.”

Diamond Head State Monument

Monday, 12/04/2023: Posted photo — Rainbow Falls.

“The Rainbow Falls are a broad waterfall in the Wailuku river that is conveniently located within Hilo town. They are very easy to visit and you’ll have a high chance of seeing rainbows if you visit somewhat early in the day (perhaps even before breakfast).”

The Rainbow Falls (Waiānuenue) in Hilo

Tuesday, 12/05/2023: Posted photo — National Memorial Cemetery.

“Few national cemeteries can compete with the dramatic natural setting of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. The “Punchbowl” was formed some 75,000 to 100,000 years ago during the Honolulu period of secondary volcanic activity. A crater resulted from the ejection of hot lava through cracks in the old coral reefs which, at the time, extended to the foot of the Koolau Mountain Range.”

https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/nmcp.asp

Wednesday, 12/06/2023: Posted photo — Anchor.

One of the anchors from the USS Arizona.

https://www.nps.gov/perl/index.htm

Thursday, 12/07/2023: Posted photo — US Sailor.

My father served in WWII in the US Navy. He had a uniform just like this. I used his duffle bag for a hockey bag when I was young.

Friday, 12/08/2023: Post photo — USS Arizona.

This is one of the most visited historic sites in the United States. “Other highly-visited historic sites include the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington D.C., along with Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, and Castillo de San Marcos in St Augustine Florida.

The Pearl Harbor Visitor Center is operated by the National Park Service and is free to the public. It includes a museum with exhibits about World War II, an outdoor walkway with numerous historical plaques and signage explaining the attack, and a theater that shows a video of actual footage and events from the attack which is viewed before boarding the boat which takes visitors out to the memorial.”

USS Arizona Memorial

Saturday, 12/09/2023: Post photo — USS Missouri.

“Located on Ford Island and in line with the Arizona Memorial along battleship row, the Battleship Missouri (USS Missouri (BB-63)) towers over its dock some 216 feet high. It is accessible only by shuttle from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center or on our tour vehicles. The island is a military installation so the public is unable to drive onto it without special passes.”

https://www.pearlharbortours.com/battleship-missouri/?utm_term=&utm_campaign=Performance+Max&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&hsa_acc=8997022590&hsa_cam=18769258950&hsa_grp=&hsa_ad=&hsa_src=x&hsa_tgt=&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=CjwKCAiA-dCcBhBQEiwAeWidtX92oG5ZegBRYqn-cwqu3vG0vYxf52eYepcIu88-Dqoyke4T5mhJUhoCS9UQAvD_BwE

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November 26, 2023

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Photographic Thoughts — 11/19/2023 to 11/25/2023

“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.

Sunday, 11/19/2023: Posted photo — Moxie.

Distinctively Different since 1884. Moxie is the oldest continually produced soft drink in the United States. It is a New England tradition. Moxie was designated as the official soft drink of the State of Maine in 2005.

I like Moxie. Most of my friends and family do not like the taste. We had Moxie when I was younger since my father also liked it. “Live your Life with a little Moxie.”

Monday, 11/20/2023: Posted photo — Stars.

Today would have been my father’s 101 birthday. Miss you dad.

Nice hike tonight. The temperature was cool, and the air was brisk. Hiking keeps you warm and if you dress properly, you stay warm.

When the group was at the summit, I put my phone on a handrail and took a photo of the sky.

Tuesday, 11/21/2023: Posted photo — Compass.

During my map and compass course, I talked about the difference between a fixed declination compass and an adjustable declination compass. I have been putting together my slides for the advanced map and compass class and took a photo of the two of my compasses. The fixed declination compass (Suunto A-10) has the declination scale in the North while the adjustable declination compass (Suunto M-3) has the declination scale in the South.

I am also discussing the principle of back bearing. Back bearing is the way to backtrack to find your way back to your original location. The fixed declination compass is taking a back bearing without taking into account magnetic declination.

Wednesday, 11/22/2023: Posted photo — Flowers.

During my shopping trip, I took another photo of flowers. Always good to take photos of flowers when there is more darkness than light during the day.

Thursday, 11/23/2023: Posted photo — Desert.

Today is Thanksgiving Day. On this day we give thanks to what we have, have family gatherings, and large meals that include desert. This year we had a small dinner with my family my niece and here husband (one of my son’s friends). After dinner we invited the family over to our house for dessert.

Here are photos of a traditional apple pie, a wonderful chocolate and peanut butter pie, and the frosting on a pumpkin and chocolate chip cake. These desserts go well with ice cream and homemade whipped cream.

Friday, 11/24/2023: Post photo — Wood Delivery.

This morning we received the first of two wood deliveries. The normal length of wood we order was flooded out due to all the rain we had this summer, so we needed to purchase some wood that is longer than we do and some shorter. We received two cords of the longer pieces this morning and had them stacked in our woodshed by early afternoon. Firewood is sold by a measurement called a “cord.” A cord must equal 128 cubic feet.

In the next week or so, I will be ordering the three cords of shorter wood for us to stack in our woodshed. The woodshed can only handle four cords, so we will have to stack some outside the shed in our uncovered racks.

Saturday, 11/25/2023: Post photo — Book.

Was out blowing leaves today since the leaves were dry. Some of the leaves were, and still are, frozen to the ground. What does this have to do with the book photo? Well, I needed a photo for today and I am still putting together my advanced map reading course for the spring. This is one of the best books to get to learn navigation. I have been using it for many years now.

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

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November 19, 2023

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Photographic Thoughts — 11/12/2023 to 11/18/2023

“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, 11/12/2023: Posted photo — Training.

Today I taught 17 hikers how to use a map and compass. Some of the students were experienced hikers who needed a refresher and some never used a map and compass before today. The training was through the AMC and was held at Wachusett Mountain. This was the first of a two-part training. The second part will be in the spring when I plan to use an orienteering course to fine tune navigational skills.

During this training, the participants learned how to read a topographical map and how to determine a route on the map. Having a map and compass are part of the Ten HikeSafe Essentials. Knowing how to use a map and compass could be lifesaving. After the planning of the route, we went on the trail to enhance the training. It is one thing to just use a map and compass in a classroom setting, it is another to get out on the trail and use it. One situation that I gave them was, what if someone turned a trail junction sign to lead you in the wrong direction. Using your map and compass will guide you in the correct direction.

During the training, I discussed the differences between a reference mark, azimuth mark, magnetic station, and a benchmark. All these markers can be found on the mountain. It is surprising to me that hikers do not know the difference between a reference mark and a benchmark. I guess we all started out that way. It was a great training and there was positive feedback from the group.

Looking forward to the advanced training in the spring. I am considering doing an introductory training in the spring also since there was many people on my waiting list and others that wanted to sign up after registration was closed.

Monday, 11/13/2023: Posted photo — First Snow Hike in a While.

Tonight, it started to snow as I was driving to the trailhead for my Monday night hike. There were eight people that hiked tonight. Wachusett Mountain is not a tall mountain in most people’s minds. It is only 2006 feet tall. A far cry from its 23,000 feet height in its youth. The mountain does still affect the weather in the area.

As we started towards the summit, there was more snow on the trail. The hike was slow due to the snow and the snow-covered maple leaves on the trail. Wet leaves are dangerous. Wet leaves covered with snow with possible ice under them are more dangerous. The group took a “safe” trail to the summit.

On the decent, four of the eight took the trail down and the other four walked the roads. I was with the group that took the trails. I was very careful on the trails, not wanting to reinjure my ankle. The trail we took had a gentler slope than others on the mountain. As expected, we arrived at the trailhead before the road walkers, but only one to two minutes before them.

Tuesday, 11/14/2023: Posted photo — Morning Snow.

Drove by one of my favorite photos locations on my way to work this morning. The sun was just rising, and I was able to practice low light photography. I wanted to get a photo of this scene just in case the snow melted today. The temperature rose a little today melting all the snow. Later this week, rain is predicted.

Wednesday, 11/15/2023: Posted photo — USGS Control Points.

Benchmarks can be divided into two general groups: the “vertical control points” are points that mark a very precise elevation above the standard datum plane (usually referred to as elevation above sea level) and the “horizontal control points” are points with precisely established latitude and longitude. The National Geodetic Survey, not the U.S. Geological Survey, is the Maintainer of federal Vertical Control Marks.

Here are photos of the control points on Wachusett Mountain.

Triangulation Stations: are markers with positions determined by measuring distances and angles from other stations. The triangulation station on Wachusett is a pin in a stone.

Wachusett Mountain Triangulation Station

Reference marks: help keep triangulation stations from being lost with arrows on their disks pointing in the direction of their referenced triangulation station.

Azimuth marks: coupled with its triangulation station, provide a compass direction of the true north. The azimuth on Wachusett is RM13. The USGS webpage calls it an azimuth. I was wondering if they did since this mark is away from the RM11 and RM8.

Magnetic Stations: are stamped with a six-pointed star in the center. The original purpose was to supply magnetic measurement information for the nautical charts, but later observations were extended into the interior to aid local surveyors. This is the magnetic station near the summit of Wachusett Mountain.

That was the educational portion of this week’s blog.

Thursday, 11/16/2023: Posted photo — Warmth.

The weather is cool in the morning, warm in the afternoon, and cool in the evening. Tonight, we had a fire in our woodstove to get the chill out of the house. It reminds me that I need to order the firewood that will take up through the winter. I think the way the light bounces off the phone lens give a nice feeling to this photo.

Friday, 11/17/2023: Post photo — Morning Glow.

I went to work a little earlier than I normally do on a Friday because I needed to get some work done before the Thanksgiving holiday week. Many of the workers in the shop will be on vacation next week and there was a project that needed to get done. When I arrived at work, I looked to the east and saw a glow in the sky. It was not sunrise yet. I waited a few minutes and then took this photo. Still not sunrise, but there was a nice glow in the sky.

Saturday, 11/17/2023: Posted Photo — Vermont Cubikon

Today in the small town of Bellows Falls, VT. There was a cube competition at the Moose Lodge.

The venue was small and cramped but the people did not mind. During lunch, two of the cubers took out their violins and played a few classical movements for the crowd. This was the first time I saw that happen at an event.

Here are a few more photos from the event.

That’s it for this week. Time to rest up for Thanksgiving.

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photobyjosephciras

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November 5, 2023

Posted under

hiking, memorial, Nature, Photography, religion, Thoughts

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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.