November Bonfire It was still dark as I plodded through the kitchen to check the outside temperature. A cold front was predicted last night, and I could tell it had arrived by the ice cold tile under my bare feet. My reliable thermometer, with digital readouts looked different to me, like it was missing something. … Continue reading Cold Front
Omaha Beach To celebrate the 60th anniversary of D-Day, the Les Braves Memorial was placed on the shores of Omaha Beach in 2004, near the village of St. Laurent-sur-Mer. It was meant to be a temporary exhibit, but popularity and public demand has kept it in place. Without even knowing the story/meaning of the sculpture, … Continue reading Les Braves Memorial
Tae Kwon Do A family of four work out together at their local dojang four nights a week. Working toward their blue belt, the 45 minute workouts help improve strength, endurance, flexibility, self-confidence, agility and reflexes. The sport also has a large mental component, which requires focus and concentration. Practicing and living up to the … Continue reading Tae Kwon Do
firewood I like puzzles, especially word and number puzzles. Jigsaw puzzles, not so much, but I will probably like them more when I'm less ambulant. While stacking firewood, it reminded me of a giant three dimensional jig saw puzzle -- trying to place round pieces, flat pieces, triangles and rectangles together for a snug fit. … Continue reading Puzzles
Paris - Left Bank In Paris, the best spot for viewing the famous Notre Dame Cathedral is from the Seine River's Left Bank. The tree lined sidewalk along the Left Bank is crowded with artists of all kinds; like the one in this picture or others selling paintings of Notre Dame, glass work, pottery, postcards … Continue reading Sidewalk Artist
Moseying across Nebraska near its southern border, a beautiful white church caught my eye. It was a mile north of US 136 in Jefferson County, but shined like a beacon against the cloudless azure sky. As I approached the church from the south, I noticed the cross was leaning to the west. Not much, but … Continue reading Crooked Cross
Butterfly Convention On a sunny spring day, I noticed a swarm of butterflies in Cades Cove, a beautiful section of Smoky Mountains NP. Several different types of butterflies were all in the same small area. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that all of them were concentrating on one particular spot in the grass. It looked … Continue reading Butterfly Convention
County Kerry Ireland: always lush and green. Johnny Cash called it "40 Shades of Green". Aye! The Emerald Isle. With all the rain that falls it's no wonder everything is green. Words like "clouds", "mist", "wind" and "rain" are common in daily weather forecasts. Do not expect to see the sun rise or set in … Continue reading Irish Mist
Pier Reflection When I'm searching for a photographic subject I look for lines: leading lines, intersecting lines, geometric shapes, repeating shapes, etc. I happened upon these pier pilings in the Matanzas River at St. Augustine, FL. The early morning light was fantastic, and the calm water allowed for a near mirror-like reflection. I wished I … Continue reading Symmetry
Sarasota National Cemetery I feel very small whenever I visit a national cemetery. Thousands of identical headstones, aligned perfectly in horizontal, vertical and diagonal rows. None more noticeable than the others. Army Staff Sargent Conan D. Gorman, Jr's headstone is highlighted in this photo. He was a Christian, born in 1922, served in WW II, … Continue reading Sarasota National Cemetery
Golden Delicious Apples Thunder and lightning kept me up all night, and the rain continued to fall gently during breakfast. The rain stopped, but cloudy skies prevailed as we departed at mid-morning for our annual family apple picking. The sun was just beginning to peak through when we arrived at the orchard near Mondamin, Iowa. … Continue reading Golden Delicious
40 acres of sunflowers On US 136 five miles west of Fairbury, Nebraska, I found a sea of sunflowers in full bloom. Three feet tall, standing shoulder to shoulder, soaking up the bright sun with hardly a cloud in the sky. Pollinators were gorging themselves. It was a great day to be a sunflower! Thought … Continue reading Sunflowers
Round Barn - lower level Starke Round Barn One of the largest round barns in the US is near Red Cloud, Nebraska. It is a truly circular barn, not polygonal, three stories tall and 130' in diameter. Built by the four Starke brothers in 1902, the massive timbers are held in place by tension -- … Continue reading Round Barn
Monet's Grave Claude Monet is buried in the Giverny church graveyard along with all of his children. As expected, the otherwise simple plot is full of flowers. Thought for the Day: My wish is to stay always like this, living quietly in the corner of nature.Claude Monet
Joslyn Castle Joslyn Castle, located in Omaha, Nebraska, was built in 1903 as the private home for George and Sarah Joslyn. This is the man gate that leads pedestrians up a winding path through manicured lawns and flower beds to the 35-room mansion sitting atop 5.5 acres near downtown Omaha. The castle is a landmark … Continue reading Castle Gate
Octoberfest, 2019 This past weekend Oktoberfest was celebrated at the German-American Society in Omaha. Brats and schnitzel were good, the German beer was fantastic, and the sauerkraut was to die for. Traditional music got your feet tapping, and "die kinder" were not bashful about taking over the dance floor ... even if it was just … Continue reading Oom Pa-Pah
Napping Lions The Sky Tram at Henry Doorly Zoo gave me an eye-level view of two lions napping near the top of a large rock. The lions took advantage of the mid-morning shade before the sun got too high. From the ground, you might see the lion's ear or paw hanging over the side, but … Continue reading Nap Time
Newfound Gap is a route through the Appalachian Mountains, located on US Highway 441 on the Tennessee-North Carolina border. The Appalachian Trail passes through this same point. At an elevation of 5,048 feet, it is the lowest mountain pass through the Appalachians. This photo was taken at 3 PM. Thought for the Day: The man … Continue reading Newfound Gap
American Cemetery - Colleville-sur-Mer For September 11, 2019, my calendar says "Patriot's Day", which I assumed meant recognizing the horrific terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. I did a little research. I found that Patriot's Day is several states' commemoration of the battles of Lexington and Concord during the American Revolution. Maine, Massachusetts and Connecticut … Continue reading Patriot’s Day
Early morning in Smoky Mountains NP an elk herd was grazing on the edge of the forest. This doe was off by itself, as if being shunned by the others. She was aware of me, but didn't seem bothered by my presence. Ho hum, just another butinsky. Thought for the Day: Make someone happy today … Continue reading Doe Elk
