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Niccy and I just got back from a transatlantic cruise so I've finally got some shots to post!
In contrast to the previous shot this is a moon I could shoot all day! The Silver Moon is 40,844 Gross Tons, carries 596 passengers, and is the sister ship to Silver Muse. She belongs to the SilverSea line which is is an ultra-luxury and expedition travel brand headquartered in Monaco.
Founded in 1994 by the Vlasov Group of Monaco and the Lefebvre family of Rome, it pioneered all-inclusive cruising with its first ship, Silver Cloud. Since July 2020, it has been owned by Royal Caribbean Group.
Thanks to Wikipedia for the above commentary:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silversea_Cruises
Just took a look at their website:
www.silversea.com/ships/silver-moon.html
and this is probably the only way I'll be seeing their ships. A little too much Ultra Luxury for my pocketbook!
The Millenium Maverick was busy this day helping the NYK Joanna to find a berth.
The MILLENIUM MAVERICK (IMO 9159713, MMSI 366998840) is a Tug built in 1996 (29 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of United States (USA).
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!
Funny looking train engine, purpose built for the Pikes Peak railroad!
All around the station there were static displays of different train locomotives and this one was definitely different!
If you'd like to learn more about this crazy contraption I would point you towards the Wikepedia entry on the Pike's Peak Cog Railway:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pikes_Peak_Cog_Railway
I've never been a train buff but I do enjoy looking at interesting engineering feats and this locomotive certainly fits the bill. She's in pretty good shape considering she was built in 1892.
If you happen to be near Pike's Peak and you fancy a train ride up the hill you can get more information about the trip here:
Pinnacle Grill is the ultimate steakhouse at sea
Holland America is well known for the Pinnacle Grill, a specialty restaurant aboard some of their ships. From the HAL website:
Pinnacle Grill is the ultimate steakhouse at sea, where an exceptional menu and impeccable service make for one of finest meals you’ll ever have. The refined menu features a selection of 28-day wet-aged USDA Prime steaks — meticulously chosen to guarantee the finest quality — as well as classic steakhouse dishes and innovative recipes from James Beard Award-winning chef and Culinary Council® member, David Burke. Every dish is exquisitely prepared, beautifully plated and complemented by a vast collection of award-winning wines. Here, your meal is an event unto itself, a celebration of fine dining and a triumph of flavor.
They can say it much better than I can! You can see their menu here:
www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/dining/pinnacle-grill.html
One of the things we've always enjoyed when dining on Holland America is their holding on to some of the old traditions of cruising. Little things like tablecloths, a full set of cutlery, cloth serviets, and after dinner mints. For a redneck like me they were a new experience, for Niccy they are how dinner should be served. She's a bit classier than me!
You should note that this is not the Main Dining Room, the Pinnacle Grill is an upcharge restaurant on board but if you're one that enjoys fine dining with impeccable service you should make a reservation. Not to say that the Main Dining Room food and service is any less because it's certainly not.
BTW, I got this shot before the place was open, didn't want to interfere with someone's meal!
Sometimes it pays to wait the storm out!
Once the storm from the previous shot had decided to blow over the light show started. Kind of surprising since the majority of the lightning I've seen has usually been at the leading edge of a storm, not in the middle of it. What happened is that two different cloud banks came together on the far side of town and I'm guessing they didn't like each other and started to rumble!
This was shot at my old stomping grounds, not far from the house. I've found a couple of other great spots but they were getting hammered with rain last night so I decided to stay close to home. Glad I did, the show was fantastic!
This was 36 seconds in BULB mode @ f/20 and ISO 100. It's possible you'll find a hot pixel or two, I tried to get rid of most of them. Since the T7 isn't a high end camera I guess I've got to expect them, along with a bit of grain even at ISO 100.
For those who are curious the lights you're seeing are coming from the prison complexes we have south of town. The facilities contain the Arizona Department of Corrections facility, the Southern Arizona Law Enforcement Training Center, the Tucson Police Department Academy, the Police Academy Driving Course, the United States Penitentiary - Tucson, and the Federal Correctional Institution - Tucson (Women's Prison). Yep, we're neighbors with some bad MoFos!
Just a nice shot of our traveling hotel!
We'd been to St Lucia before so we headed out to a local craft market, the idea being that Niccy might find some nice fabric there. We found no fabric but we did see a lady who was doing some sewing so we asked if there was a fabric store nearby. She said "Wait here, don't leave" and took off into the bowels of the market. She came back a couple of minutes later and said "Michael will take you to the fabric store, you might get lost on your own. That's how we met Michael.
I'd say Michael is an "entrepreneur" who I'm pretty sure would do (or get) you anything for payment. He came out, said "I'll take you to the store" and took off out into the street with Niccy and I following behind.
It seems that EVERYONE knew who Michael was and greeted him as we made our way. He took us down some side streets (and a couple of dodgy alleys) and we wound up at the fabric store.
Niccy got here fabric, along with a little advice from one of the shop ladies, "Be careful with that man, he's trouble". Well, Michael wasn't any trouble (at least for us) and once Niccy had made her purchase he took us back to the pier after a stop at his "friends" bar for a nice cold local beer. I gave him a fiver for his service and he went off on his merry way.
Should we find ourselves back in St. Lucia again I'll certainly be asking around for Michael and his tour guide services. Now I'm sure that some would have a real issue taking off through the back streets in a new country with a guy that you've never met before but for us, that's part of the adventure of exploring. Had he abandoned us I had been keeping a close eye on landmarks and could have gotten us back with no issue. We weren't worried about anything bad happening since there were plenty of cops around and St. Lucia really doesn't want the publicity that would come from tourists getting mugged.
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!
When the right dog comes along...
Yes, we've adopted a new dog. Please allow me to introduce you to Meisha!
As you may (or may not) know we had to remand Poppy, turns out she didn't like men at all:
www.flickr.com/photos/nyalr/53454097258/in/dateposted-pub...
After turning her back in I sent a text to my daughter (who lives in Washington State) to tell her what had happened and she texted back with "How about this dog" and sent a picture of Meisha.
My daughter was dogsitting for her neighbors who were fostering Meisha and were looking to find her a forever home. I texted back and said she would be great if she was in Arizona and we'd sure take her in. I then showed Meisha's picture to NIccy and said "How about this dog" and told Niccy her story, repeating that if she was down here in Arizona and not up in Washington...
Well, Niccy immediately jumped on the Internets and started looking at airline prices to get her shipped down to us. She found out that we could get it done but it was expensive and there was a lot of paperwork. That's when Divine Intervention stepped in and saved the day.
It seemed that my ex-wife who also lives in Washington was going to be coming down to Phoenix to visit with some of her relatives and she volunteered to bring Meisha down with her!
Just $125 for a seat ticket and a veterinarian's certificate of health later and Meisha was on her way to Arizona. I drove to Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix and picked her up last Thursday!
Meisha is a 10 year old Pomeranian mix and we're pretty sure she's mixed with Corgi. She has Pom features but her body is stout like a Corgi which means that we don't have to worry about the luxating patella problem that most Poms seem to get. She's probably 20 pounds in weight but she carries it well. Definitely a lovebug and will do almost anything for a scratch which there are plenty of here. She seems to have more of the Corgi temperament so we don't think she's got the Pom craziness that they all seem to have and she hasn't tried to chew my hand off yet so I think she's going to work out just fine!
UPDATE!
We've found out that this little girl does have some bad knees and hips unfortunately. Poms are known for luxating patellas and Corgis suffer with hip dysplasia so long walks for her are out of the question. Our plan is to get a pet pram so that she can still join in on our adventures.
For US Navy Ships that is!
On January 12, General Dynamics NASSCO launched the future USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205), the first of six vessels in the John Lewis-class fleet oiler program designed to support the U.S. Navy.
Construction of the USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205) began in the fall of 2018 and utilized more than 18, 575 tons of steel to complete. The 742- foot long vessel is designed to transfer fuel to U.S. Navy carrier strike group ships operating at sea, the oilers will feature the capacity to carry 157,000 barrels of oil, a significant dry cargo capacity, aviation capability and up to a speed of 20 knots.
From their website:
nassco.com/press-releases/general-dynamics-nassco-launche...
I can remember watching us take on fuel while at sea. Our guys (Navy) would be holding the lines as we took on fuel, the USNS guy on the other ship was sitting in a lawn chair operating a winch that controlled the fuel hose. I really wanted to be that guy!
She does look pretty sleek though the bright orange lifeboats really clash with the haze grey, You would think that someone would've seen that and provided a cover of some sort.
That would be on a cruise, not in front of the camera!
We were wandering the ship when we came across this backdrop set up by the casino. It was formal night and the ship's photographers had everything ready to catch folks at their fancy dress best.
There was no one around so I asked Niccy to step up so I could get a shot and this is what I came away with. Personally I think the Tie Dye slippers add to the shot, not detract from it. They certainly fit her outlook on life!
I had my Nifty Fifty lens on and there was some light available so I don't know why the ISO is at 1250 and so grainy. Knowing myself I probably had the camera set to "P" mode and that's what the software decided I should use. The exposure mode and program in the EXIF says Auto but I know that's not right since I've never used Auto on this camera unless Auto is the same as "P" on the dial? If that's the case then why do they have an "Intelligent Auto" setting on the dial? Doesn't sound too intelligent to me!
$53.70 per person for 3 Hours on a Sunday cruise featuring our new Surf & Turf Duet, taxes and gratuities extra!
At 158 feet in length the California Spirit is the perfect venue for any occasion that requires space for hosting large numbers of guests in a welcoming setting. Popular for large events and special celebrations, this expansive vessel accommodates up to 600 guests and seats up to 300 diners.
www.flagshipsd.com/flagship-fleet/california-spirit
I had no idea what she was when I shot her, all I saw was a nice looking yacht. They say they can seat 300 for dinner but to me it looked like it might be a bit of a squeeze.
Busking at it's best, considering the location!
As we were walking through the village of Copala we came across this fellow, playing his guitar and harmonica with a lot of passion.
Was he the best guitarist ever? Was he the best harmonica player ever? The answer would be no on both accounts but he was doing the best that he could and I certainly appreciated his effort to serenade us while we explored.
When I photograph someone like this I always make sure to throw something into their tip jar. They're providing entertainment and since I'm getting a shot out of the deal I feel they need to get paid their modeling fee.
They're not for navigation, just decoration!
We were getting ready to leave San Diego when I happened to see these guys pulling down the decorative flags they had put up earlier in the day.
In port they put the flags up to add to the festive atmosphere but once they're ready to set sail they come down. No sense flying them out to sea since nobody would see them!
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.
Shopping for intimates in Macy's lingerie department. Full of panties, bras, girdles, waist cinchers, body briefers, and camisoles. A true dream shopping experience!
As a kid I had a skateboard called "The Sidewalk Surfboard" but I'm pretty sure it couldn't do this.
Niccy and I took another long weekend over to the Point Loma Annex where I was lucky enough to get this shot!
Had to GTS to figure out what this is called. It's a Hydrofoil Surfboard and uses an underwater wing to provide the lift, much like an airplane does. For a somewhat technical explanation you can read more here:
www.surfertoday.com/surfing/how-does-a-hydrofoil-surfboar...
Looked like the guy was enjoying himself and there was plenty of staring and pointing as he zipped by!
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!
We finally bought our RV, thank you to the greedy RV manufacturers, Kung Flu and the Covidiots!
Niccy and I packed up the family (Tater Tot and Mushi-Mushi) and headed out on our first adventure!
We took the RV on a short shakedown cruise over to San Diego, specifically Point Loma Naval Base.
There's a nice camping spot on the base, right on the water. No electric, no water, but since we're self contained it wasn't a problem We spent a couple of days doing absolutely nothing except watching the world pass us by. Exactly the kind of experience we were looking for.
Looking lean, mean, and ready for action.
The Denebola (PI-1134) is an Interceptor patrol boat belonging to the Guardia Costa which I believe is Mexico's answer to our Coast Guard.
The Denebola a class of fast military assault craft used by several countries after being originally developed for the Swedish Navy by Dockstavarvet. Its name means Combat Boat 90 Half; the 90 refers to the year of acceptance (1990) and Half refers to the fact that it can carry and deploy a half platoon of amphibious infantry (18 men). These are the same craft we here in the US would call a Riverine Command Boat.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CB90-class_fast_assault_craft
Saw her docked in Huatulco Mexico and had to get a shot. Of course, Niccy was worried that I was going to get shot for taking a picture of her.
Her fear comes from a little incident we had in Calais France at the ferry terminal a few years ago. To be honest, I really don't think he was planning to shoot me, just scare me a bit.
I've heard of Gen X, Y, and Z but I think they should all be called Gen ME, ME, ME!
A random shot from down on the waterfront in San Diego.
The way folks are today you could probably fill up your camera card with shots like this. The younger generation seems to think that everyone wants to see them and live their lives vicariously through them.
Back in the days we had things like Polio, Tuberculosis, Chicken Pox, and the Mumps. Today's youth seem to be afflicted by a disorder called Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental health condition in which people have an unreasonably high sense of their own importance and need and seek too much attention and admiration from others. They may lack the ability to understand or care about the feelings of others.
Niccy tells me I'm an old curmudgeon. I tell her I just call things as I see them. You decide for yourself. Oh, by the way I have donuts and I'm willing to share!
This has to be the worst disembarkation we've ever seen!
The ship was docked and it was time for everyone to head back to reality and their humble homes but not before you go through immigration.
In Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Tampa, and every other cruise port we've been in the immigration process has been a snap. You walk off the ship, head into the terminal, walk through immigration and you're on your way. Not in San Diego, they've got to be different.
For some reason they decided to have the immigration process take place aboard ship. Everyone had an assigned time to show up but of course everyone decided to show up all at once which meant a conga line of people snaking through the ship. Lucky for us all we had to do was get off and pick up the car for the drive back but not so lucky for those who had to try and make their flight at the airport!
This is what you get when you take the road less traveled!
I've got to credit Niccy with this shot, if not for her I wouldn't have got it.
For some reason she decided she wanted to stray off the paved path and have a look over the edge. Me being the dutiful husband decided to follow along so that I'd be able to identify the spot where she tumbled over the edge. Boy was I surprised....
Looking over the edge she said "look over there...". Sitting there were a couple of California Condors, just hanging out and enjoying the view. I fired off a couple of shots, this was the best of that series. There were a couple more that were sunning themselves on a rock outcrop and I got a shot of them too.
n 1982 there were only 22 California Condors left in the world. In 1992, when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), with its public and private partners, began reintroducing captive-bred condors to the wild. In 2001 the first wild nesting occurred in Grand Canyon National Park since re-introduction. In 2002 there were only 8 pairs of wild nesting birds population-wide. In 2008, for the first time since the program began, more California condors were flying free in the wild than in captivity. Today there are nearly 500 – more than half of them flying free in Arizona, Utah, California, and Baja Mexico.
It's me but it's not me.
While NIccy was busy throwing together our picnic lunch outside the Mission San José de Tumacácori I was wandering, looking for the perfect shot. Well, I couldn't find it so I settled on this one!
The car window was giving me a real nice reflection, other than the sun spots, streaks, and bit of bug goo on the right so I decided to take it.
Maybe this is a metaphor for my life, it's not perfect in any way but it's pretty danged good and I wouldn't change it, bug goo and all.
This shot isn't in any groups, not sure that any would take it other than "MYSELFIESHOTSLOOKATME!!!!"
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.
I could have danced and danced and danced...
One of the many things that surprised us on this cruise was just how popular ballroom dancing was. It's not something you see a lot of on an American cruise, you're more likely to see Grandma and Grandpa on the floor trying to shake it to Bon Jovi's "Living On A Prayer" which is a cruise ship staple.
Niccy and I went to the lounge every evening to play in the General Knowledge Trivia (which we had no chance of ever winning) and before the trivia there was a ballroom dance session so we got to watch a bit.
Everyone was taking the dance serious but some more serious than others. It was easy to see that the super serious folks had been at it for awhile and more than likely had taken lessons at Arthur Murray or some other dance school. They were very graceful as they circled on the dance floor and it was very nice to see them enjoy themselves. We saw waltzes, tangos, foxtrots, and a few others that we didn't know but what we do know is that Fred and Ginger would've felt right at home.
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!
I will likely never get this shot again as long as I live. I was shooting seagulls in the early night sky, handheld but braced against a railing, full 20x telephoto on my Olympus (540mm equiv.). I took about ten shots before I got this one. Lucky. I converted this to black and white and lowered the exposure slightly to combat the noise in the original. That said, this was taken well after the sun went down.
Looking at the website:
it seems that these guys make a bunch of runs every day
This is the Bequia Express 1 coming into Kingstown St. Vincent on her first run of the morning.
BEQUIA EXPRESS 1 (IMO: 6929703) is a Ro-Ro/Passenger Ship that was built in 1969 (55 years ago) and is sailing under the flag of St Vincent Grenadines.
Her carrying capacity is 1101 Gross Tonnage and her current draught is reported to be 3.5 meters. Her length overall (LOA) is 53.95 meters and her width is 10.65 meters.
BIG THANK YOU to Calum.Mackenzie1 and his eagle eyes for finding her name. It's not on the bow, it's on the upper left at the very back.
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!
We saw things that would shock your eyelids!
As I said before we saw a lot of things on this cruise that we've never seen in our 20 years of cruising. One of those things was fruit on the bar.
Normally the bar keeps their fruit in the garnish center behind the bar, cut up and ready for use. Pluck out a couple of cherries or a slice of lemon and you're good to go. On this trip they were doing things a bit differently.
As the orders came in and the bartender filled them he would occasionally grab a lemon or lime and slice it up to add to his latest creation. Kind of a nice touch, having freshly cut garnish on your beverage of choice.
Now, be honest with me. When you clicked on this you didn't think I was really talking about the basket of fresh fruit on the bar, did you?
If you're looking to live a pirtate's life then Mexico is where you should be!
From their website:
Cabo Legend is a 100 ft twin masted brig wooden sailing ship authorized by the Mexican authorities to sail the high seas with 80 landlubbers like yerself. She is a mighty ship with plenty o deck space to eat drink and be merry. Our grub is prepared below decks in our galley. Landlubberrs looking for the head (bathroom) will find both male and female heads below deck.
www.wildcabotours.com/cabo-legend-tours/
Pirate ships seem to abound in Mexico and the Cabo Legend is no exception. From the deck is where all guests enjoy the cruise, close to the grog, lots o space to keep watch for pirates and enjoy the fresh salt air and warm sun to the grub prepared below decks the our galley they promise a fun time for one and all.
The only thing I find a bit disturbing is that on the website it says if you book during this season every adult gets 1 Child under 12 for free.
I don't know about you but this is an offer we'd definitely pass on! Having two dogs is enough for us, much less taking on the responsibility of a child!
Maybe they should hire me to make some grammatical adjustments to their website?
One thing you can say is that Masons don't discriminate!
It's that time again, time for the 98th annual Tucson Rodeo Parade!
Our lodge is directly across from the rodeo grounds which means the parade passes right down the street in front of the building!
Every year we've seen people riding their horses down the street in back of the lodge, I would imagine to get them ready for the parade. We always offer to park them, they always politely refuse. Getting to be somewhat of a tradition!
The Tucson Rodeo Parade is believed to be the nation's longest non-motorized parade dating back to 1925. All the parade entries are horse pulled other than the marching bands and the street sweepers who always end the parade by cleaning up the landmines left by our equine friends.
This is MY story and MY story all alone!
I got this shot during the Discount Margarita hour they were having on the back deck. I'm not sure what was going on but it was easy to put a story to the picture!
Employee:
Hey boss, the mangoes smell like they've gone off.
Boss:
Let me give them the smell test.
Sniff, sniff, sniff.
They smell like strawberries to me, go ahead and use them.
Employee:
Ok, you're the boss!
Maybe that's why the margaritas were discounted?
Now, I'm just telling you the story I made up in my head, there's no truth to it at all. Holland America is well known in the cruising community as having some of the best food and drinks on the ocean and they would never put out any dish or drink that isn't top shelf. I also should add that this shot is embellished with a replacement sky. The original sky is is totally blank and totally boring!
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.
I'm here, my toy is here.....you know what to do!
Miss Casey (who had decided all on her own to change her name to Tater Tot (still she/her)) patiently waiting for me to do what I'm supposed to do.
Tater Tot has gotten quite comfortable with us since we first brought her home. She started out pretty reserved, trying to figure out her place in the pack I suppose. Now that she knows she's got a forever home she's started showing us her playful side.
Still not quite sure what her heritage is though. We can see a little Chihuahua but she's also showing us some sort of wiry Terrier, especially in her coat. She's quite the lovebug and always wants to be where people are, doesn't like being alone at all. Pretty quiet unless Tiffany gets her started then she's got a really rough and raspy bark
All in all she's a great little girl and I think we got real lucky with her.
Awful grainy shot, I think the camera might have been in the "P" mode when I got this. As has been pointed out to me before my camera does have a noisy sensor, something I just have to live with. The light was also fairly low hence the reason for the High ISO and the grain! Not too bad if you view it small, if you're a pixel peeper though.....
Niccy and I just got back from a transatlantic cruise so I've finally got some shots to post!
The VASTASO (IMO: 9328443) is a Tug and is sailing under the flag of Italy. Her length overall (LOA) is 32.5 meters and her width is 10.8 meters.
In this shot she's helping out the MSC Caterina who was making a tight turn in the Civitavecchia Cruise Port area. There were actually three tugs helping her out, pretty sure I've got pictures of the other two as well!
Maybe this is how they plan on charging all the electric cars?
This is a shot from the storm we had last Thursday. Everything was moving toward the Northwest (as usual) so I was pointed in that direction when I got this.
This is a shot looking toward Exit 270 on the East bound side of I-10. Using a map and some landmarks in the shot I've got a feeling that this bolt actually hit on the West bound frontage road or in the desert right next to the road. This would be approximately 4000 feet or 1.2KM as the Crow flies from where I was at. One of those see the flash, hear the boom moments!
Unfortunately, the upcoming week is supposed to be nothing but hot with little to no chance of storms coming through. The season is getting shorter and shorter by the day, I hope we'll get in at least one or two more good nights!
Like so many Caribbean islands St. Vincent is a very colorful place!
We made it back to St Vincent with little time to spare so the only shot I got of the place was from the balcony and this is it.
As I said before St. Vincent is a great place for scuba and snorkeling, not such a great place for gawking tourists so I'm pretty sure we didn't miss anything!
BTW, I happened to do a YouTube search and found 4 different songs with the title "After The Rain". Didn't know it was such a popular phrase!
Boney James:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AekWuA9-tPk
The Angels:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wic30jKOlrc
Nelson:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=afkTOe-u_8k
Nickelback:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi2uOOAKJjY
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!
To the west of the Taj is the Mosque,made up of Red sand stone.
It faces the direction of the holy city of Mecca
Adorned with pietra dura on the outside, the mosque
boasts of 4 octagonal towers and 3 elegant domes.
The sparkling floor is made up of a material that appears to be velvet
red in shade and is
laid out with the outlines of 569 prayer rugs in black marbles.
The interiors of the mosque are inscribed with delicate calligraphy
citing the name Allah and quotations from scriptures.
The mosque has a basic tripartite design:a long hall surmounted by three domes.
The mosque has one of the finest architectecture in terms of design,detailing,symmetry and beauty that i have seen.........
Explored Nov 18 #4
thanks to all :)
Sissy Jon all doubled up and shiny in her Bali Double Double Support All-In-Ones and L'eggs Double Control Top Pantyhose!
An old, old joke from Jungle River Cruise at Disneyland, dating back to 1955!
To learn more about it:
www.inventingdisneyland.com/2019/12/backstory-on-back-sid...
Niccy is on the mend from having some back surgery and starting to get a little cabin fever so I suggested a short trip out of town. We wound up going to an RV Adventure Van show in Phoenix where we quickly discovered that we're not the Adventure Van kind of people. We don't ski, we don't surf, we don't bungee jump off of cliffs. We're more of the Explorer type although we've had some adventures in some of the thrift shops we like to frequent!
We had packed a picnic lunch and decided to find a nice park to eat at which is how we wound up at Arizona Falls:
www.azcentral.com/story/travel/arizona/2019/07/03/arizona...
Don't be fooled by the name though. Yes there is water and yes, it is falling but it's definitely not natural! It is cool though, thanks to the evaporation process that occurs.
The thing you've got to remember is that any kind of riparian (thanks Hyacinth) feature is a big draw here in the desert. This was shot from behind the falling water, hence the title.
As the sun went down the storm intensified!
A shot of the pool in the middle of the ship. The Captain has ordered that the retractable top be closed, something you normally don't see on a sunny day!
As the storm built outside so did the waves in the Middeck pool. They got big enough that the crew put out the net that covers the pool which meant no swimming at all. Sorry about you wanting to take a dip, it's not happening today.
BTW, there's not a fountain in the middle of the dolphin sculpture, that's the pool water doing it's own thing!
Chilling by the ocean sure beats the Tucson heat!
Niccy and I packed up the family (Tater Tot and Mushi-Mushi) and headed out on our first adventure!
We took the RV on a short shakedown cruise over to San Diego, specifically Point Loma Naval Base.
There's a nice camping spot on the base, right on the water. No electric, no water, but since we're self contained it wasn't a problem We spent a couple of days doing absolutely nothing except watching the world pass us by. Exactly the kind of experience we were looking for.....except for the skunks.
We found out there's a family of skunks that live in the area and come out at night. During the day they must be sleeping but around 9-10 PM they come out for an evening stroll. They pretty much avoid the campers but you can certainly tell when they've gone walkabout!
Evidently sunset dinner cruises in San Diego Harbor are the thing to do!
"Reminiscent of a cruise ship, Spirit of San Diego is our most versatile vessel. During the day she tours visitors around the San Diego Bay, but can also be reserved for any type of private event. Host your next party aboard the Spirit of San Diego and enjoy unobstructed views of the stunning San Diego Bay, first-class service, luxurious comforts, and refined meals prepared by our gourmet galley.".
www.flagshipsd.com/flagship-fleet/spirit-san-diego
The Spirit Of San Diego was headed out on one of her harbor tours when we saw her. There are several outfits down on the walkway offering these trips and I would imagine they're all ran by the same parent company. We were heading out on the real deal so we didn't pay too much attention!
Niccy and I found several reasons we don't like Cabo San Lucas and this is one of them.
Ahh, the Lizard Men....They've got a pretty good strategy (scam) for getting those tourist dollars. They come up behind stationary tourists, plop an Iguana down on the tourist's shoulder or head then tell the tourist's companions "Get a picture, get a picture!" Once the photo is snapped out comes the hand, looking for a gratuity (Dollars please, no Pesos) so the can buy a little more lizard chow.
As I said in the 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 at least 5 or 6 of these guys and they were working nonstop. After the initial shock of having a lizard dropped on them I'd say that most of the tourists came across with a little dough and their friends came away with a photo on their phone that they'll soon forget about and delete.
I guess that during our walk I had a look that said don't even try it since they didn't bother us at all. Had the dropped one on me it would have been an inconvenience, had they dropped one on Niccy she definitely would have screamed and then it would have been Katie bar the door (a punch up, brawl, fisticuffs, etc) between the lizard man and me.
Honestly, out of our three stops this was the worst for touts, lizard men and hawkers.
The weather took a turn for the worse but it wasn't that bad (yet).
Shortly after we started heading back to San Diego old Mother Nature decided to show up and make us pay for all those days of sun and fun.
The Captain came across the blower and told everyone that because of a big headwind and a storm blowing into California he was going to put the pedal down all the way back. What this meant for the guests is that things were going to get a little rough and rocky but not to worry, he'd sailed in worse conditions so this wouldn't be too bad.
Personally we didn't think it was bad at all, we'd experienced much worse when we caught the tail end of a hurricane off the coast of Martinique but it wasn't a pleasant time for some, in fact the medical department was handing out Dramamine and Bonine like they were after dinner mints!
The sea started churning and the wind started howling so it was decided that the Promenade deck was to be closed to everyone so this is the best shot I could get of the wild weather. As I said before it didn't bother us but for some it was not the perfect ending to the perfect trip.
The work doesn't stop just because the sun goes down!
The vessel DOUCE FRANCE (IMO 9845661, MMSI 228395600) is a Container Ship built in 2020 (4 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of France. As of this upload the current position of DOUCE FRANCE is at North East Atlantic Ocean reported 22 hours ago by AIS. The vessel is en route to the port of Philipsburg, Sint Maarten (NL), sailing at a speed of 8.1 knots and expected to arrive there on Feb 19, 17:00. Thanks to VesselFinder.com for the above information:
www.vesselfinder.com/vessels/details/9845661
We were late leaving Sint Maarten which gave me a chance to get this night shot. As I said above the job doesn't stop just because the sun goes down, especially in a working port like this.
PS, my standard disclaimer:
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. It's a known issue and 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!