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The Monsoons were late this year but they finally showed up!
My first lightning shot of the year. The monsoon season officially started on June 15 and lasts through September but up until yesterday we've had nothing but the hot!
The rest of the week is forecast to be dry with little chance of any rain but that's just a forecast and Mother Nature doesn't pay any attention to forecasts.
I've found myself a new place to shoot from that should give me a better view of the storms as they roll through Tucson. No guarantees since lightning hits where and when it wants but with any luck I'll get a few more good ones!
This was 30 seconds in Manual Mode which worked out Ok. What I'm finding is that I might need to set the F stop a bit tighter to keep the close strikes from overloading the sensor. It's a balancing act to be sure!
Bolts were hitting on both sides of the road!
When I first scouted for my new spot to shoot from I thought I'd try the parking lot of Worldview Enterprises/ since it was fairly big and if it did start to downpour I'd be on asphalt instead of a muddy field. If you look on the map you'll see that Worldview is right off a road called Aerospace Parkway which is definitely not a main road so I figured it would be quiet, especially on a Tuesday night at 9:30 in the evening. Boy was I wrong!
Evidently this road is used a lot by Boy Racers to do their thing on. especially since it isn't a main road. There was plenty of traffic going by so I decided to find another spot where I'd be a bit more hidden from the road and wouldn't have to worry about any security folks coming by and asking questions.
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From the same cast and crew that brought you the famed Marigalante Pirate Ship in Puerto Vallarta!
www.flickr.com/photos/nyalr/52821085292/in/dateposted-pub...
From the website:
From the same cast and crew that brought you the famed Marigalante Pirate Ship in Puerto Vallarta, the Buccaneer Queen is a 96-foot tall ship that has been featured in many television commercials and even movies, including Cutthroat Island with Geena Davis. This historic authentic pirate vessel features audience participation games, snorkeling, a beautiful tour of the Cabo San Lucas coast, and of course the all-important open bar. >
www.cabosanlucastours.net/Buccaneer-Queen-Pirate-Ship.htm
Evidently pirates run rampant along the Mexican coast even to this day. I have to admit that the prices on the Buccaneer Queen are much better than the prices on the Marigante.
Heck, I suppose if you were a college aged thespian looking for a gig to get you through the summer it might not be a bad deal. You'd get experience, you'd get paid, and you'd spend the summer in a nice warm place with plenty of sea and sand.
Three fairly nlice bolts decided to show up!
The monsoon season officially started on June 15 and lasts through September but up until yesterday we've had nothing but the hot!
The rest of the week is forecast to be dry with little chance of any rain but that's just a forecast and Mother Nature doesn't pay any attention to forecasts.
I've found myself a new place to shoot from that should give me a better view of the storms as they roll through Tucson. No guarantees since lightning hits where and when it wants but with any luck I'll get a few more good ones!
This was 30 seconds in Manual Mode which worked out Ok. What I'm finding is that I might need to set the F stop a bit tighter to keep the close strikes from overloading the sensor. For some reason the the exposure bias in gone in manual so I can't set it at all. It's a balancing act to be sure!
Mexico's version of the Coast Guard.
As we were leaving Cabo San Lucas the folks of the Guardia Costera decided to put on a show of force for us so they brought out the MENKAR (PI-1147).
The captain was putting her through her paces, making a couple of high speed runs punctuated with the occasional water donut and generally showing off. The lack of visible armament makes me think the MENKAR is more for the tourists than the pirates but I could be wrong.
We wound up here after falling into a Youtube rabbit hole!
RM Brooks General Store was established in 1917 to serve the people of the Rugby TN community and surrounding areas. Still in operation today, a great place to stop for a bite to eat and take a trip down memory lane. Try one of Tiffany's "Fried Bologna" sandwiches with the handcut fries and you'll definitely be hooked!
Niccy and I learned about the store after watching a channel on Youtube called The Appalachian Channel which has stories about the people who live, work, and play in the Appalachian Mountains.
video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&p=appal...
When we learned about the store Niccy said "We're going there" so off we went. Lucky for us they have a small campground behind the store so we were able to spend a couple of days in the area. Tennessee is a beautiful state and the people who live there are truly blessed. We'll definitely be going back to explore some more.
I should also say that if you should decide to check out this store you should make sure you've got accommodations lined up since here's no Holiday Inns or a Motel 6 in the area. Take a look at Google Maps and you'll see what I mean!
CENTENARIO (IMO: 9396098) is a Oil/Chemical Tanker that was built in 2010 (13 years ago) and is sailing under the flag of Mexico.
Her carrying capacity is 46925 t DWT and her current draught is reported to be 7.5 meters. Her length overall (LOA) is 183 meters and her width is 32.23 meters.
I got this shot of her as we were leaving Mazatlan. Don't know if she's taking on or dropping off but she was there when we came into port.
When I pulled up Google Maps to get the location I noticed that she was pictured on the map at the same dock. This must be a regular stop for her.
A series of shots I got during our passage through The Big Ditch!
As I said in my previous photo I really didn't think about the smaller ships and boat that also rely on the Canal. I guess you could call it a Superhighway of the Seas for the people that live along it!
Going through the complete Panama Canal was definitely a bucket list item for me. I spent the entire day (8 hours) outside on the deck along with a bunch of other folks, my shutter happily clicking away!
We had a Canal Guide onboard who pointed out all the interesting locations, couldn't tell you one thing he said because I wasn't listening I was too busy shooting!
Have to commend Princess Cruises, they were really nice to us outside in that they had stewards coming around regularly offering up cool drinks, sandwiches, and such.
Displayed inside the Tucson Airport.
The 1957 Chevrolet is a car that was introduced by Chevrolet in September 1956 for the 1957 model year. It was available in three series models: the upscale Bel Air, the mid-range Two-Ten, and the economy/fleet model One-Fifty.
1957 was the first year that Chevrolet ever offered fuel injection as an option. A 283 cu in (4,640 cc) engine fitted with solid lifters, the "Duntov" cam and fuel injection was rated at 283 hp (211 kW) and cost $500.[7][8] This was the first time in history that a General Motors vehicle achieved 1-hp-per-cu-in in a production vehicle.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1957_Chevrolet
It seems that no matter what country you may be from or in everyone knows what a 57 Chevy looks like. This fine example is located in the Tucson Airport as an advertisement for the Tucson Auto Musuem:
I haven't been there (yet) but a trip is in the works!
Had to shoot from this angle because there are barricades all around to keep people off the car and they just ruin any angle other than this.
A series of shots I got during our passage through The Big Ditch!
I don't know who she is but she's beautiful to me. She cleared the last lock and was making her way toward some distant port. Fair winds and following seas to her!
I find that I like this shot a lot but I don't know why. Maybe it's because I was able to fill the scene? Maybe it's all the verticals? Don't know, but I do like it.
Going through the complete Panama Canal was definitely a bucket list item for me. I spent the entire day (8 hours) outside on the deck along with a bunch of other folks, my shutter happily clicking away!
We had a Canal Guide onboard who pointed out all the interesting locations, couldn't tell you one thing he said because I wasn't listening I was too busy shooting!
Have to commend Princess Cruises, they were really nice to us outside in that they had stewards coming aro
Has me in its spell...
That old black magic that you weave so well...
Vessel BLACK MAGIC is a yacht ship sailing under the flag of Panama. Her IMO number is 6608919 and MMSI number is 356235000. Main ship particulars are length of 27 m and beam of 6 m.
If you've seen this picture of mine:
then you've got an idea of what Black Magic is all about except for one little difference.....
It seems there's a bit of mystery when it comes to Black Magic and her "tours". I checked her WWW site but it comes up totally blank. I checked with MarineTraffic.com and it seems her AIS has been off for over 3 months. I looked at Google Images and found one that said she was for sale and referred to blackmagicpanama.com/ which is the blank page I referenced above. I checked TripAvisor and they show nothing about her. I checked blackmagicbocas.starboardsuite.com/?day=1&month=07&am... and she shows no events scheduled for the forseeable future.
Bottom line seems to be that if you were interested in a "Pirate Adventure" in Panama you might want to rethink it. Unless you happen to be filthy rich and want to buy her for your own, that way you could party like a pirate all day!
This was one of those port shots that looked terrible in color so I converted it. You know the ones with the pale blue sky, pale blue water, sun overhead that washes everything out. I did try adding a little sepia to the shot but kept coming back to the straight B/W so that's what I posted.
She was headed out but she was still packing a punch!
This is from the storm that blew through this last Thursday, 27 July 23. The storm came in from the South and headed North, didn't come close to the city at all, so no nice closeups for me to get!
She was headed out but decided to give me a good look at her backside. You can see that column of rain she was dumping, rain that we truly do need!
This was shot @ f/7.1 with 36 seconds on the clock and ISO 100. I had my lens zoomed out a bit to 46mm since the storm was so far away.
One of the many, many tugs you'll see in Panama!
CHOROY is a Tug boat built in 1998 by PRESIDENT MARINE - SINGAPORE. Currently sailing under the flag of Panama. Formerly also known as SAAM JAROCHO, PM 128. It's gross tonnage is 247 tons.
She came out to help us get into position on the dock to unload a passenger who was having some medical issues.
The things you see when you take the back roads!
Niccy found us an alternative path to get back home and this certainly qualifies as alternative!
We left San Diego and headed East down side streets and two lane country roads which led us to our stop in Jacumba Hot Springs, California where we saw this interesting vehicle. Not my cup of tea but Niccy fell in love with it. No surprise since she's a self proclaimed dirt worshiping tree hugger! I guess it's pretty fitting that we saw this parked next to the Mountain Sage Market.
Yes, there's an RV in our future retirement and no, this or anything close to it is not. While I can appreciate the owner's artistic creativity I'm looking for something a bit more reliable and closer to normal.
OK, this is a very overcooked HRDish look but I felt that this is the treatment that such a vehicle deserved. Now the Admin and Mod of YCPTPH might not approve of it but I'm pretty sure that Bernie (see the Vermont plate on the front) and Ken Kesey certainly will!
I wonder how many views I can rack up with this title?
The ATLAS T getting a little booty bump from Cecil F. Haynes.
ATLAS T is a Oil tanker built in 2010 by IWAGI SHIPBUILDING - KAMIJIMA, JAPAN. Currently sailing under the flag of Marshall Islands. Formerly also known as NORD INSPIRATION, NORD INSPIRATION. It's gross tonnage is 28844 tons.
CECIL F.HAYNES is a Tug boat built in 1989 by CANDIES SHIPBUILDERS - HOUMA LA, U.S.A.. Currently sailing under the flag of . Formerly also known as D.P.MCAULIFFE, VICTORIA. It's gross tonnage is 286 tons.
Going through the complete Panama Canal was definitely a bucket list item for me. I spent the entire day (8 hours) outside on the deck along with a bunch of other folks, my shutter happily clicking away!
We had a Canal Guide onboard who pointed out all the interesting locations, couldn't tell you one thing he said because I wasn't listening I was too busy shooting!
Have to commend Princess Cruises, they were really nice to us outside in that they had stewards coming around with sandwiches and cool drinks for everyone.
A series of shots I got during our passage through The Big Ditch!
BW LIBRA is a LPG carrier built in 2015 by HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUSTRIES CO. LTD. - ULSAN, SOUTH KOREA. Currently sailing under the flag of United Kingdom (UK). Formerly also known as BW LI, BW LINRA, BW LIBRA P P. It's gross tonnage is 47342 tons. This surprises me since all the bulk LPG carriers I've seen before had LPG in huge letters on the sides of the ship.
Going through the complete Panama Canal was definitely a bucket list item for me. I spent the entire day (8 hours) outside on the deck along with a bunch of other folks, my shutter happily clicking away!
We had a Canal Guide onboard who pointed out all the interesting locations, couldn't tell you one thing he said because I wasn't listening I was too busy shooting!
Have to commend Princess Cruises, they were really nice to us outside in that they had stewards coming aro
Get in their face, be aggressive, and don't take no for an answer!
Niccy and I found several reasons why we don't like Cabo San Lucas and this is one of them.
They were everywhere along the walk, selling cheap (and sometimes offensive) junk that only tourists and drunken fools seem to buy. Just like the "tour guides" and the Lizard Men they were relentless when it came to their pitch, like wolves circling round their prey.
As I said in a previous shot Niccy and I were done with all the tomfoolery so we found a nice shady table and watched as this scenario played itself out over and over. There were way too many of these folks to count and they were working nonstop.
We get it, Cabo is a tourist town and that's how they make their money. We can't fault them for trying to make a buck but when you start getting aggressive for us you've gone too far.
For those who are curious we've decided that the Mexican Riviera is off the table for at least 10 years. By then we'll more than likely forgotten why we didn't like the trip and get the chance to experience it all over again!
If you're any sort of fisherman then you'll know exactly what I'm talking about!
One of the crew members on the Adventure of the Seas was tossing a line over to the dock and I got him right in the middle of the action.
Although this looks like a bird's nest I'm pretty sure he's coiled up the rope enough times to make sure that it pays out smoothly in the end.
Once out of the Canal we steamed our way down to Aruba for some sun and fun. I happened to be out on deck and saw the Adventure closing in on the dock so I fired off a couple of shots.
We've been to Aruba several times so our plan was to just walk off the ship and take a stroll through town since the majority of these Caribbean ports are a lot alike. Lot's of bars, restaurants, and places for tourists to get fleeced!
There were so many bolts that a blind guy with a Fisher Price camera could've got some!
The bolts died off to the Southwest so I shifted my focus to the Northwest and caught these beauties. Of course, as soon as I did that Southwest started kicking off again. This was the storm that just kept giving and giving!
I also got a tip from a fellow lightning shooter. He said when you're doing long exposure off of a tripod you should turn off the Stabilization if your lens has it. Evidently cars rolling by, people walking, etc will vibrate the tripod just enough to make the stabilization kick in when it's not needed. Something new to try I guess?
PS:
For those in the Show Your EXIF group you should note that the actual lens used is a Tamron AF 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 Di-II VC All-in-One Zoom for Canon APS-C Digital SLR. For some crazy reason it always shows up as a Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8, a lens I've never owned or used!
Niccy and I both fell in love with Tennessee and we're looking forward to going back again!
Elizabethton is a city in, and the county seat of Carter County, Tennessee, United States. Elizabethton is the historical site of the first independent American government (known as the Watauga Association, created in 1772) located west of both the Eastern Continental Divide and the original Thirteen Colonies.
The city is also the historical site of the Transylvania Purchase (1775), a major muster site during the American Revolutionary War for both the Battle of Musgrove Mill (1780) and the Battle of Kings Mountain (1780). It was within the secessionist North Carolina "State of Franklin" territory (1784–1788).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabethton,_Tennessee
One thing we do miss out on in Arizona is the changing of the seasons and all the beauty that comes along with it. Luckily Elizabethton gave us the opportunity to experience the start of the Fall and we're definitely grateful for that!
We wound up in Elizabethton because they have a very nice Elks Lodge that has RV spaces available for members. What we found out is that the lodge located right on the Watauga river and since we were the only campers at the time we were able to pick out a nice spot right down on the water.
Huge apologies to Smokey Robinson but the title fit.
When we hit the flats on our Grand Canyon train trip I knew we were getting close to the station and the end of our trip. This was really a great trip and I hated to see it end but it wasn't quite over yet....
Please note that the location is approximate.
An oldie I dug out of the archives.
This is a shot of Terminal V, the Virgin Voyages cruise terminal in Miami. Kind of a lucky shot, we were supposed to dock in the early morning at Ft. Lauderdale but believe it or not the ship traffic was bad enough that we diverted to Miami. Along with the diversion came the inevitable medical emergency, hence the reason for docking at night.
We were tied up but unable to leave the ship since the Customs folks weren't available to check us going off the ship. Evidently no one was willing to work overtime?
Anyhow, we finally got off in the AM, got bussed to Ft. Lauderdale airport, and caught our flight back home.
A series of shots I got during our passage through The Big Ditch!
The vessel CEZANNE (IMO 9697416, MMSI 563062300) is a Container Ship built in 2015 (10 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of Singapore.
Looks like she's got a couple of helpers getting her in position. A classic container ship and a beautiful lady.
Going through the complete Panama Canal was definitely a bucket list item for me. I spent the entire day (8 hours) outside on the deck along with a bunch of other folks, my shutter happily clicking away!
We had a Canal Guide onboard who pointed out all the interesting locations, couldn't tell you one thing he said because I wasn't listening I was too busy shooting!
Have to commend Princess Cruises, they were really nice to us outside in that they had stewards coming around regularly offering up cool drinks, sandwiches, and such.
A series of shots I got during our passage through The Big Ditch!
ATLANTIC PROJECT II is a General cargo vessel built in 2002 by XIAMEN SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY - XIAMEN, CHINA. Currently sailing under the flag of Malta. Formerly also known as ANTONIO, HYUNDAI JUMBO, HYUNDAI JUMBO, CCNI ANTARTICO, CCNI MAGALLANES, CCNI ANTARTICO, CCNI MAGALLANES, CAPE DYER, CAPE DYER. It's gross tonnage is 23132 tons.
Going through the complete Panama Canal was definitely a bucket list item for me. I spent the entire day (8 hours) outside on the deck along with a bunch of other folks, my shutter happily clicking away!
We had a Canal Guide onboard who pointed out all the interesting locations, couldn't tell you one thing he said because I wasn't listening I was too busy shooting!
Have to commend Princess Cruises, they were really nice to us outside in that they had stewards coming around regularly offering up cool drinks, sandwiches, and such.
A series of shots I got during our passage through The Big Ditch!
MPV CLIO is a General cargo vessel built in 2003 by SHANGHAI SHIPYARD - SHANGHAI, CHINA. Currently sailing under the flag of Portugal. Formerly also known as ZEA SEOUL, RICKMERS SEOUL, RICKMEPAOUL. It's gross tonnage is 23119 tons.
Going through the complete Panama Canal was definitely a bucket list item for me. I spent the entire day (8 hours) outside on the deck along with a bunch of other folks, my shutter happily clicking away!
We had a Canal Guide onboard who pointed out all the interesting locations, couldn't tell you one thing he said because I wasn't listening I was too busy shooting!
Have to commend Princess Cruises, they were really nice to us outside in that they had stewards coming around with sandwiches and cool drinks for everyone.
Brushy Mountain is another Youtube rabbit hole that Niccy and I fell down!
This is the recreation yard at Brushy Mountain. Made me think of the song "Green, Green Grass Of Home". The song has been covered by a lot of artists but I like Sir Tom Jones's version best:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAXkZkGzxWk
Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, last named Brushy Mountain Correctional Complex, (or, unofficially, Brushy) was a maximum-security prison in the community of Petros in Morgan County, Tennessee, operated by the Tennessee Department of Correction. It was established in 1896 and operated until 2009.
Perhaps the best-known escape attempt occurred on June 10, 1977, when James Earl Ray, the assassin of Martin Luther King Jr., escaped with six other inmates by climbing over a fence. Ray was captured less than 58 hours later in rugged mountain terrain 81⁄2 miles from the prison.
Brushy Mountain was another of our stops on the Tennessee portion of our adventure. Thank you Youtube!
One of the things we found interesting is that the prison was actually built by the inmates using stone mined by prisoners from a quarry on the property. Imagine being forced to build the place that's going to be your punishment. That's some real hard labor and hard time.
Reminds me of a Class "A" RV, you're really limited on where you can park the thing!
Once out of the Canal we steamed our way down to Aruba for some sun and fun. I happened to be out on deck and saw the Adventure closing in on the dock so I fired off a couple of shots.
We've been to Aruba several times so our plan was to just walk off the ship and take a stroll through town since the majority of these Caribbean ports are a lot alike. Lot's of bars, restaurants, and places for tourists to get fleeced!
I mean, they DO tell you to watch your step!
The family and friends entrance to the prisoner visitation room. Having never been in this situation I can't imagine the thoughts of people from the outside coming in to see their loved one when they were presented with this.
It would be hard to act like you were sitting at the dining room table at home, catching each other up on our days when you know that at the end of the visit your loved one doesn't get to walk out the same door you do, knowing that this dark, grim place is their home for the future.
I shot this with the in-camera B/W, I guess that prisons just don't belong in color? I also added some contrast, wanted to try and convey the dark hard feeling you get when you're inside.
At the time I didn't even think about the lines!
As we were pulling into San Diego we got the chance to see the Koningsdam parked at the pier we left from just a week before.
The Koningsdam is much larger and newer than the Zaandam, the ship we were on., and though we haven't sailed on her yet there's always hope for the future!
When I got this I was thinking about a ship shot, not the environment it was in. It wasn't until I saw this on my monitor that I realized how nicely the lines of the ship blended in with the San Diego downtown skyline. Double win for me!
Another experiment that didn't work out half bad!
Found a Linux stitching program callend HUGIN:
and thought I"d give it a go. It's also available for Windows and Mac if you're so inclined. Seems to do a pretty decent job and the price is certainly right!
This is a pano of 3 shots that I took from our visit to Cartagena Spain. What I can tell you is that Niccy and I fell in love with Spain and Portugal, the cities we visited were incredibly beautiful. We saw Cartagena, Malaga, and Funchal, all of which were very walkable and offered up some fantastic food, views, weather, and personalities. If we could afford it, we'd be moving tomorrow.
A series of shots I got during our passage through The Big Ditch!
The vessel PUSAN C (IMO: 9307229, MMSI: 209251000) is a Container Ship that was built in 2006 ( 19 years old ). It's sailing under the flag of [CY] Cyprus.
Going through the complete Panama Canal was definitely a bucket list item for me. I spent the entire day (8 hours) outside on the deck along with a bunch of other folks, my shutter happily clicking away!
We had a Canal Guide onboard who pointed out all the interesting locations, couldn't tell you one thing he said because I wasn't listening I was too busy shooting!
Have to commend Princess Cruises, they were really nice to us outside in that they had stewards coming around regularly offering up cool drinks, sandwiches, and such.
The wine was flowing freely (between the hours of 3:00 and 3:30)
Before departing San Diego we went up to the Mariner's Reception up in the Crow's Nest on Deck 9. It's sort of a thank you for choosing us again for folks who have cruised with Holland America before. They pour lots and lots of sparkling wine and the waiters are kept hopping the whole time because as we all know old people will always take free stuff. If you don't believe me just stop by your local Costco (or Sam's Club) around lunch time. You'll be battling with the grazers to get down the aisles!
When you take a cruise holiday your every need is catered to and you've got nothing to worry about.
Sometimes it's easy to forget that there are a LOT of people both in the front and back of the house that make things happen for your dream vacation. Folks that aren't on holiday, they're working at their jobs to provide for their families back home.
If you should ever go on a cruise I hope that you won't forget these folks and will let them know that you appreciate the hard work they put in to make things easy for you. They bust their butts so that you don't have to.
The Vincent Thomas Suspension Bridge (background) opened in 1963 & used as a location in "Gone in 60 Seconds..
The vessel NYK JOANNA (IMO 9387449, MMSI 563119000) is a Container Ship built in 2009 (16 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of Singapore. Her length overall (LOA) is 210 meters and her width is 30.1 meters.
Niccy and I just got back from a cruise that took us to Puerto Vallarta Mexico, Huatulco Mexico, Puerto Chiapas Mexico, Puntarenas Costa Rica, Puerto Amador Panama, through the Panama Canal, on to Aruba and ending up in Fort Lauderdale.
This trip I decided to actually start learning how to use my camera and to wrap my head around the whole exposure triangle thing. If you're curious I can tell you this was shot following the Sunny 16 rule!
If you like ship shots then I've got a bunch of them to post. If you're looking for vacation snaps then you're going to be disappointed!
More commonly known as Independence Day or 4th of July here in the US.
Went shooting because there was a real good looking storm headed my way, hoping to get my first of the season bolt. Well, the storm fizzled but the surrounding neighborhoods sizzled with 4th of July fireworks aplenty.
I actually got my first bolt on the 3rd of July and didn't know it till I looked through my shots. Not very impressive but I may post it just because it is the first!
Independence Day, known colloquially as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States which commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States of America.
The delegates to the Second Continental Congress declared that the Thirteen Colonies were no longer subject (and subordinate) to the monarch of Britain, King George III, and were now united, free, and independent states.[1] The Congress voted to approve independence by passing the Lee Resolution on July 2 and adopted the Declaration of Independence two days later, on July 4.
Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, political speeches, and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the national day of the United States.
If you're a Civil War buff you probably know about Andersonville. If you're not, read on....
Andersonville is home to the Drummer Boy Civil War Museum which has authentic uniforms, both Union and Confederate, and an extensive collection of Union Gen. Thomas T. Eckert. Lincoln conspirator, Mary Surratt’s bonnet and other rarities make this a national gem. Close by is the Andersonville National Historic Site which houses the Andersonville National Cemetery Rostrum and the National Prisoner Of War Museum.
www.nps.gov/ande/planyourvisit/natl_pow_museum.htm
Pioneer Farm (the location of this shot) is a five-acre park that is open daily to the public that offers views of what life was like during the late 1800s with an operating Grist Mill, a 167-year-old log cabin, and a blacksmith shop.
We spent a couple of damp days in Andersonville Georgia, population 237. The county has a nice little RV park there that's right next to a cemetery. Super quiet place, Niccy and I were the only people camped out there. She said it felt creepy to her, I personally thought it was very peaceful. One of those places we'll definitely be going back to visit again!
This was offered as a ship's tour in Aruba, thanks but no thanks!
From their website:
Discover the wonders of the Caribbean Sea with Atlantis Submarines Aruba. Descend 130 feet below the surface aboard our state-of-the-art submarines and immerse yourself in a world of vibrant marine life and stunning coral reefs.
I never wanted to be a Submariner even when I could have gotten paid to do it so I'm certainly not going to pay for the experience. There's also that little thing called OceanGate and their Titan Submersible:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titan_submersible_implosion
In the background is the Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort with rooms starting at $480 USD a night, no AARP or AAA discounts but the $69 USD resort fee IS included!
BTW, if you do happen to go here I would suggest not walking down to the end of the cruise ship pier unless you'd like to have a conversation with a couple of big security guards! Yeah, one of those "personal experiencs" that I seem to have on a regular basis!
With a little help from her friends Caterina was able to turn her life around!
The MSC CATERINA (IMO: 9705005) is a Container Ship and is sailing under the flag of Portugal. Her length overall (LOA) is 300 meters and her width is 48.23 meters.
Since she's an older lady I'm guessing she didn't have the capability to pull off a 180 degree turn like the newer ships can so she needed a little help from her friends the Vastaso, the Sea Rock, and the Laziale to get her into position. Pretty interesting operation to watch and it was obvious that the tug captains knew exactly what they were doing!
It was an absolutely beautiful day when I shot this, lots of sun and blue sky. You can see this in my previous shot of the Janas so what happened here? I got to playing around with some editing and clicked a couple of things that I normally don't click. I liked the feel that the shot had so I decided to let it be. I also did a funky crop to get rid of some extraneous sea and sky.
I've seen Pelicans sitting atop a piling, panhandling at a fishing pier, or gliding above the surf but sitting in a tree is a first for me!
We were walking down the Malecon when we crossed over the Rio Cuale (Cuale River) which flows out to the sea when I saw this fellow. Now I've seen a lot of Pelicans in a lot of different ports but I can honestly say this is the first one I've ever seen sitting in a tree. Pelicans have webbed feet which really aren't conducive to sitting on a branch, just ask any duck!
I\'m assuming this is a Mexican Brown Pelican just because of the color and location. Hopefully some of the hardcore birders like Jim Frazier and toddkeith533 will chime in and regale us with all the details!
I don't take bird shots, they're really not my bag man, so I'm not exactly sure how they should be cropped. If you take bird shots, how do you do it when they're sitting like this. Do you zoom in tight and make the bird the focus or do you leave some of the foliage to establish a setting for the bird? Online opinions go from one extreme to the other so I thought I'd ask some folks who really do take bird shots!
Niccy and I just got back from a transatlantic cruise so I've finally got some shots to post!
In the foreground is either the Star Clipper or the Star Flyer coming into port, not sure which. The two are sister ships owned by the Star Clippers Line:
They are true sailing vessels, using wind power whenever possible to navigate between islands of the Caribbean and other ports of call. If you go to their website you can request a personalized quote for costs, just like you would do when buying a castle or a Ferrari.
In the background is the Spanish frigate Álvaro de Bazán (F101) heading out to sea. The frigate Álvaro de Bazán Álvaro is the lead ship of the Álvaro de Bazán class of air defence frigates entering service with the Spanish Navy. She is named after Admiral Álvaro de Bazán:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_frigate_%C3%81lvaro_de_Baz%...
I'm glad that I got this shot, just wish I'd gotten them in closer proximity. It was early morning and I hadn't had my tea yet so I was a bit late on the shutter!
A series of shots I got during our passage through The Big Ditch!
MAERSK WILLEMSTADT (IMO 9362401) is a Container/Intermediate ship built in 2007 and is sailing under the flag of Singapore. She has an overall length (LOA) of 254 meters and a width (beam) of 32 meters. Her summer deadweight capacity is 53,160 tonnes.
Going through the complete Panama Canal was definitely a bucket list item for me. I spent the entire day (8 hours) outside on the deck along with a bunch of other folks, my shutter happily clicking away!
We had a Canal Guide onboard who pointed out all the interesting locations, couldn't tell you one thing he said because I wasn't listening I was too busy shooting!
Have to commend Princess Cruises, they were really nice to us outside in that they had stewards coming around regularly offering up cool drinks, sandwiches, and such.