Posts in Category: Favorites
No Shadow of Doubt
Emilia and myself, or more exact, our shadows. A shadow is a region of darkness where light is blocked. A shadow occupies all the space behind an opaque object with light in front of it. The cross section of a shadow is a two-dimensional silhouette, or reverse projection of the object blocking the light. The closer to 90 degrees the angle between an elongated object and the direction of the light it blocks, the bigger its shadow. The smaller the angle between the direction of the light and the surface on which the shadow occurs, the longer the shadow is. If the object is close to the light source, the shadow is large. If the surface is curved there are further distortions.<br /><br />(<b><u>Shadow of a Doubt</u></b> is a 1943 Alfred Hitchcock film noir which tells the story of a young woman who thinks that her visiting uncle might be a serial killer.)
Floridian Sunset
Sun setting over the Grand Floridian Hotel at Walt Disney World. Emilia and I spent New Year’s Eve with friends in Florida.
Mission Santa Barbara
Mission Santa Barbara was the tenth of the California missions to be founded by the Spanish Franciscans. It was established on the Feast of St. Barbara, Dec 4, 1786. The original buildings were of adobe and unpretentious. As the years passed, there was progress and development. There were three adobe churches here, each larger than the other, before the present church. The third was destroyed by earthquake in 1812. Thereafter the present church was planned. It was finished and dedicated in 1820. The present friary residence was built gradually, first one story, then a second was added. It was not finished until 1870. The beautiful fountain in front of the Mission was built in 1808. The earthquake of June 29, 1925 damaged the Mission Church and friary considerably. Restoration work was completed in 1927 and the towers reinforced in 1953.
Fatherly advice
My second cousin Audra recently got married. Here she is dancing with her father, and receiving some last minute advice. The look that Audra has on her face is just of pure love for her father. There is so much going on in this photo. The beautiful bride, the concentration of her father, her hand on his shoulder with her wedding band, the sparkle in her eye. Very powerful, the little girl has grown up and is now a bride. Best wishes!
Lady Liberty
First visit to the Statue of Liberty. Impressed. 500mm lens, up close and personal. Amazing. Wasn’t allowed to take any photos of the bomb sniffing dog. There was a report of a suspicious package left at the base. The statue was closed for 30 minutes while the dog ran around. Tourists: Please throw away your garbage! It will cause disruptions! Next time will call ahead and get the limited tickets to actually go inside the base of the statue, would love to see the framework that supports her.
Fonthill
Henry Mercer, an archeologist, explorer and collector, was born in Bucks County, PA in 1856 and resided in Doylestown, PA until his death in 1930. Fonthill, a concrete mansion he began building in 1908 and completed two years later. Modeled to look like a castle, the mansion is now open for tours and provides a peek into his amazing life. The mansion has been designated a National Historic Landmark. They were celebrating his 150th birthday, chosed not to pay to go inside, instead roamed the grounds and admired this fabulous home.
Birthday hat sadness
A guest at my great-nephew’s birthday party. How can you have a sad look on your face while wearing a party hat? Actually, she was only sad when the camera was pointing in her direction. Possible future Academy Award winner here!
East Harbor State Park
Have no clue what plant this is. Very abundant around the park, mainly near the edge of ponds and wetlands. The red-winged blackbirds sure did like them.
Leave a post if you can identify!
Red-winged blackbird
The name is taken from the male bird’s distinctive red shoulder patches, or “epaulets”, which are visible when the bird is flying or displaying. At rest, the male shows a paler yellow wingbar against a black background. The female is an inconspicuous shade of brown and considerably smaller than than the male. The adult birds are from 7 to 9.5 inches long, and have distinctive sharp bills.
Red-winged blackbirds are one of the most abundant birds in North America. The males are very territorial during breeding season, defending their territory with song and chasing, as seen here.
Bridal Veil Falls
This is the top of Bridal Veil Falls in Yosemite National Park in California. Heavy rains and still melting snow allowed the falls to be at one of its best in years.