Welcome to one of the quieter backwaters of flickr. If you were looking for some LAX or Hartsfield International scale of traffic and activity, this is not it! But there are a few pluses and benefits in being neither the "What's Hot" nor the "What's Cool" of flickr-dom. You, the visitor, aren't in any danger of being trampled in a viewer stampede. If you choose to leave a comment about a photo, there's no chance of it getting lost, or buried, in a virtual forest of "wows," "awesomes," and the like. If you sometimes find yourself impressed by a photo but wondering, "what can I say, every superlative has already been used and some 2 or 3 times?" Well, never fear, dear viewer, that won't be the case here! So, have a look around. Here's hoping you see something you like, but if not, well, at least you won't have felt pressured to gush and rave.

As for my photographic philosophy, just call me a spectator with camera. In fact, I thought about changing my screen name to something based on The Spectator. The early 18th century British writers, Addison and Steele, wrote observations on their life and times in the paper they created, The Spectator. They hung out on a daily basis with other London gentlemen, in a group they referred to collectively as The Spectator's Club. I see a parallel in taking pictures and posting them regularly on flickr. The photos provide a record of how untold thousands of us are seeing and capturing life and the world, every day. I see myself and those whom I've selected for my contacts as a rough sort of equivalent to The Spectator's Club. We can share our observations regularly -- not by gathering around a table in the club, but by logging on to flickr. Far-fetched? No problem, that's just one guy's idea.

"You see, ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself." -- Garden Party, Rick Nelson