“I never have taken a picture I’ve intended. They’re always better or worse.” — Diane Arbus
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.
This is a re-post blog.
Sunday, 09/17/2023: Posted photo — Reflection in the Fog.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/7.1, 1/80 s, 113 mm.
Driving into church this morning, I notice fog off the lakes in the area. The location of this photo is one in which I take many practice photos. It is a difficult location to take a photo since I needed to stop on the edge of a busy road.
My initial thought on this photo was to get a picture of the mist rising from the surface of the lake with the foliage behind it. When I arrived at this location, the mist was thicker than I would like. I did see the reflections of the trees on the water and thought that that would take a good photo.
Monday, 09/18/2023: Posted photo — Western Tanager.
Settings: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS, ISO 200, f/6.3, 1/320 s, 300 mm.
Fact from All About Birds: “The oldest Western Tanager on record—a male originally banded in Nevada in 1965—had lived at least 6 years and 11 months by the time he was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Oregon in 1971.”
We were walking the north rim at Grand Canyon National Park when I spotted this male Western Tanager in a conifer tree. The color contrast between the bird and the tree caught my eye.
The range of the Western Tanger is the western parts for the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Again, from All About Birds: “A clear look at a male Western Tanager is like looking at a flame: an orange-red head, brilliant yellow body, and coal-black wings, back and tail. Females and immatures are a somewhat dimmer yellow-green and blackish. These birds live in open woods all over the West, particularly among evergreens, where they often stay hidden in the canopy. Nevertheless, they’re a quintessential woodland denizen in summertime, where they fill the woods with their short, burry song and low, chuckling call notes.” (https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Tanager/overview)
Tuesday, 09/19/2023: Posted photo — The Gathering.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 3200, f/7.1, 1/100 s, 135 mm.
On my way home from work today I saw this rafter of turkey. I have seen them many times before on the property and did not feel the need to photograph them. Today was different.
When I was approaching them today, it looked like it was a group of workers getting ready to clock out of work and were planning what they were going to do tonight. Just the way they were gather in pairs and it looked like they were talking to each other.
Also, I thought it would be a good picture to take.
Wednesday, 09/20/2023: Posted photo — Cattails.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 800, f/5, 1/800 s, 52 mm.
I had a choice of photos to post today — a photo of an island or a photo of cattails. I decided on the cattails for the photo to put in my 365 project because I liked it just a little bit better than the photo of the island. I will be posting both in this blog for you to compare.
Cattails are a type of aquatic plant, approximately 5-10 feet tall. These plants have long, slender, branchless, and upward-growing leaves and a distinguishable brown, cylindrical flowering head at their apex. The grow around ponds and other wetland areas.
What is the difference between a pond and a lake? Here is something I found in my research: “To help determine the difference, both the depth and surface area must be considered. Lakes are normally much deeper than ponds and have a larger surface area. All the water in a pond is in the photic zone, meaning ponds are shallow enough to allow sunlight to reach the bottom. This causes plants (sometimes too many) to grow at the bottom of ponds as well as on their surface. However, sunlight can’t reach the bottom of all areas of lakes. Lakes have aphotic zones, which are deep areas of water that receive no sunlight, preventing plants from growing.” (https://lakes.grace.edu/ponds-vs-lakes-whats-the-difference/)
I took the cattail photo with a shallow depth of field (DOF) to blur the background and the make the cattails “pop”. As you can tell by this photo, the cattails are starting to spread their seeds.
Here is the photo of the island that I took and did not like as much as the cattail photo.
Thursday, 09/21/2023: Posted photo — Sunset Through Trees.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/160 s, 100 mm.
After a week and a half, I was back on the hiking trail today. It felt good to get back. I hiked 4.3 miles on Wachusett Mountain after work with some colleagues. I took a series of photos along the way to determine what one to post. I decided on this sunset photo. I had another sunset photo that I took from the summit, but I accidentally deleted it. Rookie mistake.
The other choices of photos were a glacial erratic called Balanced Rock or a burl on a tree at a trail junction. Just a reminder that a glacial erratic is glacially deposited rock differing from the size and type of rock native to the area in which it rests. And a burl is a strange-looking collection of tree cells, which are called callus tissue. Normally, callus tissue is formed by a tree in response to an environmental injury such as a pruning cut, disease, or insect damage. If you have a piece of wooden furniture, such as an end table, it was most likely made with a burl.
These are the photos that I did not post for my 365 project.
Friday, 09/22/2023: Post photo — Pareidolia.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/10, 1/250 s, 21 mm.
Pareidolia is the defined by Merriam-Webster as the tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern. I have posted about this tendency in the past.
Today I am posting a photo of a cloud. I see a couple items in this photo. I see an opera singer hitting a high note and I also see a ships figurehead. It is amazing how one can see an object when one is not there.
What to you see? Do you see what I see, due to the power of suggestion, or do you see something else. Please respond in the comment section.
Saturday, 09/23/2023: Post photo — Iris Bouquet.
Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 100, f/1.7, 1/60 s, 4 mm
From The Old Farmer’s Almanac: “The tall, beautiful iris, named after the Greek goddess who rode rainbows, comes in many magical colors. Despite its divine origins, this June bloomer is rugged, reliable, and easy to grow. Learn all about planting, growing, and caring for iris flowers.” (https://www.almanac.com/plant/irises)
“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” — Ansel Adams
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.
Sunday, 09/10/2023: Posted photo — Trail Marker.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 200, f/7.1, 1/25 s, 31 mm.
This is an old trail marker on Wachusett Mountain. There are a few trails on the mountain that have the trail name carved into stone. When I see these markings, I wonder how long it took for someone to carve the marking.
I took this photo to show how the trails were marked many years ago.
Monday, 09/11/2023: Post photo — Koldinghus.
Koldinghus is a Danish royal castle in the town of Kolding on the south-central part of the Jutland peninsula. The castle was founded in the 13th century and was expanded since with many functions ranging from fortress, royal residency, ruin, museum, and the location of numerous wartime negotiations.
I took this photo with my very first digital camera. The light off this castle was amazing and was very surprised of the way this photo came out.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 200, f/7.1, 1/250 s, 79 mm.
Today I needed a quick photo, so I took a photo of Wachusett Mountain over Round Meadow Pond.
Wednesday, 09/13/2023: Posted photo — Heart.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 200, f/7.1, 1/250 s, 135 mm.
People see items in ordinary item in the strangest places. This weekend I saw this rock looking like a hike at the trailhead of the Hancock’s in the White Mountains.
Seeing familiar objects or patterns in otherwise random or unrelated objects or patterns is called pareidolia. It’s a form of apophenia, which is a more general term for the human tendency to seek patterns in random information.
Thursday, 09/14/2023: Posted photo — Mushroom.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 3200, f/7.1, 1/30 s, 87 mm.
Have you noticed that there are many more mushrooms this year then in the past? At least here in north central Massachusetts and in the mountains of New Hampshire. The photo I took today was on one of the trails on Wachusett Mountain. I took this photo on my way to the summit. I was planning on taking a sunset photo tonight but there was cloud cover at the summit. I was happy that I took this photo so I would have something to post today.
Friday, 09/15/2023: Post photo — Abstract Painting.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 400, f/7.1, 1/8 s, 31 mm.
Abstract art is art that does not attempt to represent an accurate depiction of a visual reality but instead use shapes, colors, forms, and gestural marks to achieve its effect. Abstract art is made up of six basic elements: Line, Texture, Shape, Form, Color, and Value. You can go online to find more about these elements.
Saturday, 09/16/2023: Post photo — Lego Land.
Nyhavn made from Lego bricks at Legoland in BillundDenmark.
Nyhavn is a 17th-century waterfront, canal and entertainment district in Copenhagen, Denmark. Stretching from Kongens Nytorv to the harbor front just south of the Royal Playhouse, it is lined by brightly colored 17th and early 18th century townhouses and bars, cafes, and restaurants. That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.
“Photographs open doors into the past, but they also allow a look into the future.” — Sally Mann.
Flags on the 48 event this week. Here some photos of past FOT48 hikes I have done.
“On September 11th, 2001 the consciousness of United States of America was undeniably altered by overwhelming and devastating acts of terrorism, so far reaching in their intensity that our country will forever carry the scars. Thousands of lives were lost in a fleeting moment, immeasurable families shattered and countless hearts broken.
We in the hiking community continue to honor the deceased with a tribute: flying the American flag atop all 48 four-thousand foot and higher mountains in New Hampshire on Sunday, September 11. By demonstrating our steadfast unity in this challenging endeavor, we also hope to express our unwavering support to the families, friends and communities whose losses are beyond comprehension and whose suffering we remember in our hearts.” https://www.flagsonthe48.org/
“Garfield Mountain is a 4,500 foot mountain in Franconia, New Hampshire (Grafton County) in the White Mountains. It lies in the Franconia Range along with Mount Lafayette, Mount Lincoln, Mount Flume and Mount Liberty. It is also along the edge of the Pemigewasset Wilderness.”
Fighting rain and wind. We dedicated this hike to both the victims of the 9/11 attack and the Boston Marathon bombing.
Monday, 09/04/23: Posted photo — 2014 Zealand.
“Mount Zealand is a 4,260 foot mountain located in Whitefield, New Hampshire. The mountain is in the Twin Range (along with 8 other mountains; 7 of which are 4,000 footers) of the White Mountains. Zealand Mountain stands on a spur ridge, northeast of Mount Guyot.”
Nice hike. Not much of a view at the summit of Zealand.
“Mount Carrigain is a 4,700 foot mountain located in Livermore, New Hampshire. It is located in the Pemigewasset Wilderness in the White Mountains. The mountain is named after Phillip Carrigain, New Hampshire’s Secretary of State from 1805-1810. One of the sub peaks of Carrigain is Vose Spur, which is on the New England Hundred Highest hiking list.”
“Mount Tecumseh is a 4,003 foot mountain in the Sandwich Range of the White Mountains. It is the shortest mountain on the AMC’s official 4,000 footers list.”
The first of my AMC hikes. I was not a leader at the time, one of my brothers was the leader. I did one more hike with the AMC before leading this year’s hike.
Thursday, 09/07/2023: Posted photo — 2019 Mount Moriah.
“Mount Moriah’s summit is 4,049 feet and is located 5 miles Southeast of Gorham, NH. It is part of the Carter-Moriah Range in the White Mountains. The shortest route up to the summit is up the Carter-Moriah trail, which goes over Mount Surprise (2,194’) before reaching Mount Moriah. The trail is relatively easy, compared to other NH 4,000 footer mountains, but, it can be very dangerous when wet, because a big portion of the Carter-Moriah trail is solid rock. (very slippery when wet, or icy!)”
Back to the regular group. The round trip on Moriah is over 10 miles. Much on the trail is on steep ledge.
Friday, 09/08/2023: Post photo — 2022 Mount Hale.
“Mount Hale is a 4,055 foot mountain in the Twin Range in Bethlehem, New Hampshire, Grafton County in the White Mountains. The mountain is named after Reverend Edward Everett Hale.”
First major hike after I fractured my ankle in February 2022. On this hike, I finished my second round of climbing the 48 four thousand footers in NH.
Saturday, 09/09/2023: Post photo — 2023 Middle Carter.
“Middle Carter Mountain is a 4,610 foot mountain in the White Mountains. It sits in the Carter-Moriah Range, which runs along the northeastern side of Pinkham Notch.
The summit itself is wooded, so there are no views. But you can enjoy some great views shortly before and after the summit along the Carter-Moriah Trail, which is also part of the Appalachian Trail.”
The group I normally hiked with, did not do the hike this year so I hiked as AMC leader. This hike certified me as a three-season upcountry hiking leader.
Here is the complete list of peaks that my group flew the flag. Some of these hikes had other 4000 foot mountain peaks that were bagged along with them:
Garfield 4500 ft — 9/14/13 Zealand 4260 ft — 9/12/15 Carrigain 4700 ft — 9/11/16 Tecumseh 4003 ft — 9/9/17 Hancock 4422 ft — 9/8/18 Moriah 4049 ft — 9/14/19 Monroe 5384 ft — 9/12/20 Willey 4285 ft — 9/11/21 Hale 4054 ft — 9/11/22 Middle Carter ft 4610 — 9/9/23
“The camera is an excuse to be someplace you otherwise don’t belong. It gives me both a point of connection and a point of separation.” — Susan Meiselas
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.
The Sumner Tunnel is named for William H. Sumner, son of Gov. Increase Sumner, who served from 1797 to 1799. Opened to traffic June 30, 1934. It was originally a two-way road that carried traffic in both directions, until the opening of the parallel Callahan Tunnel in 1961.
The twinned Sumner and Callahan tunnels, after all, begin and end in the same place on both sides of the harbor, a single entity for the casual observer. They were built decades apart, the Sumner in 1934, and the Callahan in 1961. With increasing volume, a single tunnel with traffic moving on one lane in each direction proved dangerous and inadequate, and the Turnpike Authority opened the Callahan on Nov. 11, 1961. Workers toiled 24 hours a day, six days a week crafting 14,500 tons of steel into the nearly mile-long tunnel.
I was stuck in traffic as a passenger and was able to take this photo of the entry point of the tunnel.
Monday, 08/14/2023: Posted photo — Farm Stand.
Along the roadside this time of year are farm stands. The vegetables this year seem to be larger than in past years due to all the rain over the last few months. We stopped at this farm stand looking for some corn, but they only had zucchini and summer squash. We gathered some. Fresh fruits and vegetable are great to eat.
Tuesday, 08/15/2023: Posted photo — Fire Pit.
Sitting by the lake and having a fire is one of the most relaxing things to do during the summer. We had a family reunion on my wife’s side of the family and sat around the fire making smores. My wife and her sisters took out their guitars and we had a musical performance. I cannot play the guitar, but my wife and son can play. I played keyboards a long time ago and have not played in a while.
Wednesday, 08/16/2023: Posted photo — Candles.
Christians adapted the use of lit candles (and oil lamps in the Eastern Roman Empire) for Mass, liturgical processions, evening prayer ceremonies, funeral processions, and, again, to show reverence to the reserved Blessed Sacrament. Moreover, there is evidence that lit candles or oil lamps were burned at the tombs of saints, particularly martyrs, by the 200s, and before sacred images and relics by the 300s. St. Jerome (d. 420) in his Contra Vigilantium attested to this practice. Note, however, that this practice probably existed well before our available written evidence.https://catholicstraightanswers.com/why-do-we-use-votive-candles/
These candles are in the vestibule of our church. I have posted a photo of these in the past. I wanted to post a photo of them again since so many of the have been lit. The stand that these candles are on was dedicated to one of my friends and his family.
Providence is the capital city of Rhode Island. Providence was one of the first cities in the country to industrialize and became noted for its textile manufacturing and subsequent machine tool, jewelry, and silverware industries.
This photo was taken during the wedding rehearsal dinner for my niece. It was a great dinner on a rooftop restaurant overlooking the city.
Friday, 08/18/2023: Post photo — Purple Loosestrife.
Purple loosestrife is a wetland plant with showy purple flowers arranged on flower spikes.
Leaves are lance-shaped with smooth edges and grow up to four inches long. They are usually arranged in pairs opposite each other on the stem and rotated 90 degrees from the pair below. Leaves sometimes appear whorled (radiating out from a single point) around the stem. A recognizable feature is the square-shaped stem, which is generally four to six-sided. A single plant is made up of multiple woody stems.https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/aquaticplants/purpleloosestrife/index.html
These Purple Loosestrifes are near one of the trailheads on Wachusett Mountain.
Saturday, 08/19/2023: Post photo — Chicken of the Woods.
A highly sought-after top edible mushroom, Chicken of the woods is excellent for beginner foragers. There are no real lookalikes, and the bright orange shelf-like growth makes it easy to see. Finding Chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sp.) is known to inspire wild chicken dances in the middle of the forest. With this dense, meaty textured mushroom, you’ll eat well for days.
This mushroom has a lemony, meaty taste. Some think it tastes like its chicken namesake; others describe the flavor as being more like crab or lobster. Whatever your opinion, the chicken fungus makes a great substitute for meat in almost any dish.https://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/chicken-of-the-woods.html
Saw these as I took a hike the morning of my niece’s wedding. I took out my Seek app to identify them. I do not like to eat fungi, so I did not try them out. It is good to know that they are edible. If I am ever lost in the woods and of need of food, I would try them out.
“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 post is a re-post. People liked this post so I am uploading it again so that some new followers can enjoy its content.
Animals from past vacations.
Sunday, 08/06/2023: 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, 08/07/2023: 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, 08/08/2023: 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, 08/09/2023: Posted photo — Elk.
This elk came to visit us at the first campground we had in Yellowstone.
Thursday, 08/10/2023: 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, 08/11/2023: Post photo — Mini Cow.
One of my sister-in-law’s animals.
Saturday, 06/25/2022: Post photo — Feasting Bald Eagle.
This Bald Eagle just caught a fish, brought it to the top of this tree, and had its dinner.
“If you want to be a better photographer, stand in front of more interesting stuff.” — Jim Richardson
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.
Sunday, 07/02/2023: Posted photo — Pratt’s Falls.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/15 s, 22 mm.
Pratt’s Falls, a 137 ft ribbon or cascade style waterfall located in Manlius, NY. The site was originally a sawmill and was the site of Onondaga County’s first mill operation in 1796. The hike out to the falls is only a half mile long (one-mile round trip) and could be step for some. There are stairs that take you down to the lower viewing location.
Photo tip of the week — Lessons learned from taking waterfall photos.
Set you camera to manual with a slow shutter speed. I use between 1/4 sec to 10 sec depending on the lighting.
Set your aperture to a value between f/16 and f/22. I sometimes open up, or close up, my aperture depending on the light and how I am taking the photo (with a tripod or handheld).
Use a tripod with image stabilization off. If you do not have a tripod, find a tree or other object to hold yourself steady.
Turn you ISO to the lowest setting. I use ISO 100 for my shots.
Use a ND filter if you have one. I use from a ND3 to a ND10, depending on the lighting.
Take time to get your composition the way you would like to have it. Try both portrait and landscape photos of the falls.
Pick a focal point, such as a rock or a tree near the falls. It is difficult to focus on the water.
Lighting is important. Take your photo in the morning or in the evening when the light is not on the waterfall. If it is on the waterfall, use the appropriate ND filter.
Use a remote, or your camera’s timer, for your shot to cut down on camera shake.
Monday, 07/03/2023: Posted photo — Tinkers Falls.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 100, f/32, 1/6 s, 79 mm.
Tinkers Falls in the Labrador Hollow Unique Area and is about 50 feet tall. The Labrador Hollow Unique Area is a 1,474-acre (5.97 km2) conservation area located in Cortland and Onondaga counties, New York, and was the first property to be designated as a Unique Area by New York. A unique area, according to the state New York Department of Environmental Conservation, is “land owned by the state that was acquired due to its special natural beauty, wilderness character, or for its geological, ecological or historical significance.”
When I took the photo of these falls, I did not use my tripod. I was practicing my handheld long exposure photography. I was either leaning against a tree, sitting on a log, or using long exposure breathing techniques. The hike to these falls is very short, only about a quarter mile, and the trail is relatively flat.
Bonus photo tip — how to breathe and hold your camera for long exposures.
The way you hold your camera can have a big effect on the amount of blur caused by your own movement. Hold the camera with two hands close to your body and make sure your feet are shoulder-width apart. Being conscious of your breathing can further minimize shake. Inhale or exhale and then take a gentle half breath in and hold it there in a relaxed way.
Tuesday, 07/04/2023: Posted photo — Peas.
Settings: Samsung SM-G930V (Galaxy S7), ISO 125, f/1.7, 1/60 s, 4 mm
A pea is a cultivated climbing vine having compound leaves and edible seeds enclosed in a green, elongated pod. The seed of this plant is used as a vegetable.
I often wonder who the first person was to eat peas and how they knew that they could open the pod to get the seeds out.
You can look up the health benefits yourself for details on each of these benefits.
Wednesday, 07/05/2023: Posted photo — Bryn Mawr Glacier.
Settings: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS, ISO 200, f/25, 1/30 s, 48 mm.
Bryn Mawr Glacier flows southeast for about 4.5 miles (7 km) to Harvard Arm of College Fjord in northwestern Prince William Sound, about 45 miles west of Valdez and 44 miles northeast of Whittier, Alaska (61° 15′ 13″ N, 147° 49′ 29″ W). As you travel into College Fjord, the glaciers on the left are named for women’s colleges and those on the right are named for men’s colleges. The names are Amherst, Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Harvard, Smith, Vassar, and Yale). Harvard Glacier is the biggest – its face is a mile and a half across.
Alaska is such an amazing place to visit. The landscape keeps getting better and better as we headed north from Vancouver on our cruise. Here are a few more photos taken in College Fjord.
Thursday, 07/06/2023: Posted photo — Just Floating.
Settings: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS, ISO 200, f/25, 1/30 s, 48 mm.
Here are a couple of seals that were just floating on a small iceberg. Look at the heartberg floating with them.
Friday, 07/07/2023: Post photo — Cashews.
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, ISO 3200, f/5.6, 1/20 s, 106 mm.
Cashews are low in sugar and rich in fiber, heart-healthy fats, and plant protein. They’re also a good source of copper, magnesium, and manganese — nutrients important for energy production, brain health, immunity, and bone health.
I needed a photo; I had some cashews in the house, so I took this photo.
Saturday, 07/08/2023: Post photo — Just a Mountain in Alaska.
Settings: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS, ISO 200, f/25, 1/30 s, 48 mm.
To finish of this week, I am posting a photo of another mountain that we saw in Alaska. I just love the mountains in Alaska.
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.
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, 06/27/2023: 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, 06/28/2023: 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, 06/29/2023: 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, 06/30/2023: 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.
Saturday, 07/01/2023: 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.
“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 is full of sunrises and sunsets.
Sunday, 06/18/2023: Posted photo — Sunrise at the Beach.
On one of my past vacations, I took a sunrise walk on the beach with my camera. During the walk, I saw this great sunrise. I stopped and took this photo.
I just loved the way the sunrise looked as we walked to the beach. I timed it to get the bird in the photo.
Tuesday, 06/20/2023: Posted photo — Sunrise at the Pier.
One of my trips to Jacksonville Beach Florida, I took another sunrise walk. I saw this heron near the shore and near the pier. I just loved the silhouette of the bird, so I took this shot.
Wednesday, 06/21/2023: Posted photo — Lightning at Sea.
We had a condo on the beach and there was a storm at sea. I set my camera on my tripod and set the timer for 15 second. I liked the way this photo came out but was disappointed that I did not set my timer at 30 seconds.
Thursday, 06/22/2023: Posted photo — Sunrise on Wachusett.
Moring winter hike up Wachusett Mountain for sunrise. There was a small coating of ice on the summit. The sunshine on the ice took a great photo.
Friday, 06/23/2023: Post photo — Sunset at the Cape.
One thing my wife and I do is have a weekend away on Cape Cod during the off season. This was one of the sunsets we saw.
Saturday, 06/24/2023: Post photo — Sunset on Wachusett.
Here is a pleasant sunset from the summit of Wachusett Mountain.
“The best thing about a picture is that it never changes, even when the people in it do.” — Andy Warhol
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.
Phots from Yellowstone National Park.
Sunday, 06/11/2023: Posted photo — Old Faithful.
They call it Old “Almost” Faithful. Old Faithful goes off plus or minus a half hour from its scheduled time based on the height of its last eruption. Still wonderful to see.
Grand Prismatic Spring is one of more than 10,000 thermal features in Yellowstone.
Tuesday, 06/13/2023: Posted photo — Moose.
A female moose seen along the road. One of many different forms of wildlife found in the park.
Wednesday, 06/14/2023: Posted photo — Hot Springs.
Mammoth Hot Springs. One of the areas in the northern part of the park. This is the area that received the most flooding.
Thursday, 06/15/2023: Posted photo — Formation.
This is one of the formations caused by the sulfur in the hot springs.
Friday, 06/16/2023: Post photo — Tower Falls.
A spectacular waterfall in the part. Tower Fall is a beautiful, accessible waterfall in Yellowstone located in the northeastern part of Yellowstone near Tower Junction, the fall plunges a stunning 132 feet.
Saturday, 06/17/2023: Post photo — Bison.
Imagine seeing this by the side of the road. Such a docile looking animal. Not very docile and very fast. The people that get attacked by the bison get to close.
Photo by Joseph Ciras 