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What started out as a ritual to Chi’chini (the Sun God), Xipe Totec (God of Spring & Fertility) & to Tlaloc (Rain God) has turned into a sideshow hustle.
We finished up our lunch at the mystery restaurant (previous photo) and were headed out to find a bus stop to get back to the ship when we came across these fellows.
Evidently the show runs every 15 minutes, just enough time in between to get a new crowd in the area. Like everything else you've got to pay to play and the "Tips" men readily work the crowd for "offerings". People with phones out are a prime target and if you've got a real camera you're guaranteed to meet a friendly visitor who won't go away till you drop something in the box, folding money preferred.
I had no intention of shooting this at all, one of those seen it, done it, there's a million snaps on the WWW sort of thing. My visitor was real persistent about getting paid so I relented and dropped a couple of pesos in the box and fired off a couple of quick snaps with this being the best of the best. Enjoy.
To read the story behind this here's a link:
Another of the great displays at KSC.
Our first stop on this adventure was to visit the Kennedy Space Center. Pretty cool place to visit if you're into all things space related. There is an included bus tour of the facility that I would highly recommend. If you do go and decide you want to do the tour, be sure to get in line early as possible since it fills up real quick!
After the Apollo/Saturn V building we stopped to see the Space Shuttle display. Again, way too much to look at, I could have spent hours here.
This was a good trip in that I really stepped up and out when it came to taking control of my camera. The majority of the shots I got were done in manual (M) and I'm trying to keep any editing down to just a crop or two. This shot however was done in the (P)rogram Mode, aka Auto. It's also been cleaned up in post, the original just wasn't that great.
This is a real photograph taken with a real camera, and not created by AI.
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.
Since we're technically tourists I thought I'd shoot a tourist type shot!
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.
Our trip style is to bypass the tourist spots and try to get a feel for the city/state/country we're in but being on a cruise it's difficult since cruises are all about "tourist spots". Hence, this shot.
Maybe that's something I'll try out in the future, shooting "tourist type shots" but with a little artistic flair. Something that sets them apart from the typical Iphone shots you'll see here on Flickr. Always trying to expand my repertoire....
Anyhow, the nice thing about this shot is that the people walking by really give you an idea of just how big these "floating gin joints" really are.
They say it never rains in California...but it sure does get foggy!
Early morning shot of San Diego bay. I was up and outside having my tea when I saw these guys come cruising by. No idea who the boat belongs to but I'm awful glad that they're on our side!
Really foggy, something we don't ever see in Arizona. When we lived in Oregon it was a regular thing, didn't think twice about it.
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.
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! This lens tends to vignette when you get out to the end of it and in this case I don't mind!
Niccy and I just got back from a transatlantic cruise so I've finally got some shots to post!
The JANAS (IMO: 9222534) is a Ro-Ro/Passenger Ship and is sailing under the flag of Italy. Her length overall (LOA) is 213.96 meters and her width is 26.4 meters, according to Marine Traffic:
www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:274504/...
According to the Tirrenia Ferries website :
Janas is belonging to Fast Cruise Ferry family and built in 2002, it is a ship with large transport capacity and a speed of 24 knots. It is 214 meters in length, 26 in width, with 35736 tonnage. It is capable of transporting 2700 passengers and 820 cars.
I do wish we'd had more time in Civitavecchia to explore the port area, but this was not to be.
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.
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?
A big THANK YOU! to dennis.gallus for the inspiration behind this shot.
It was Friday evening and Niccy said to me "Let's go for a drive tomorrow". I guess the last trip hadn't quite satisfied her gypsy feet so I said Ok, let's do it.
Saturday morning we packed up to head out. Niccy and myself, a picnic lunch, the Tater Tot, and my camera in the car meant we were ready to find a back road to who knows where.
First stop was Starbucks since Niccy is one of those folks who needs her coffee in the morning. From there we headed out to the fairgrounds, there was an RV show going on and we wanted to see the latest and greatest in escape pods. Once we'd had a real good look it was time to head South and hit the open road.
I'd recently seen this shot:
www.flickr.com/photos/138418484@N03/53350204538/in/datepo...
that was posted by dennis.gallus and thought it would be an interesting place to go so we headed toward Hereford and the bridge.
Other than having to pass through Sierra Vista (just another town) it really was a very pretty drive since we took back roads to get there. As you're driving down you can see the path of the San Pedro River just by looking at all the cottonwood trees that were right in the middle of changing colors, easy to spot, We got to the bridge, pulled off, had a real nice lunch and took the Tater Tot on a bit of a walkabout.
We really enjoy our Sunday drives on Saturdays, they give us just a taste of how things are going to be once we get the RV and get on the road. Yeah, those plans are still a bit in the future but no so far off that we forget to focus on them and it's trips like this that help us stay on track to the goal.
One of the highest licensing standards in the US (and I would imagine Barbados as well!
Here comes the pilot to guide us to our safe berth in Barbados. One of the toughest jobs around in my opinion since you've got to be a ship's Master first and will have been at sea for 15 to 25 years to satisfy this requirement.
There's a lot of people (cargo, etc) depending on you and your knowledge to get them safely to your destination. Me, I'm barely responsible for myself so I doubt I could take on a job like this!
As a cruiser I certainly am glad they're there to help me reach my destination!
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!
Sloth. Not the birdie, the Sloth!
Our tour was over and we were headed back to the ship when the van driver slammed on the brakes. I'm talking middle of the traffic tire squealing come to a complete halt slam on the brakes. It even caught the tour guide unaware.
Now I'm thinking Ok, this is where the bad guys in bandannas come onboard and snatch everyone's wallets, purses, and phones. Apparently my overactive imagination was wrong.
The van driver must not have been watching the road and/or the flow of traffic because he saw a Sloth up in a tree and wanted everyone else to see it too. If you've ever seen a sloth you know they blend in pretty well to a tree and look more like a branch than a sloth but somehow he spotted one.
Folks piled off the van and went to get a picture of a sloth in a tree, I grabbed my camera out of my case and caught a shot of people taking pictures of a sloth in a tree. To each their own I guess!
Yeah, it's not much of a shot but I truly wasn't ready to catch this since I thought we were on a nonstop back to the ship.
A series of shots I got during our passage through The Big Ditch!
I personally like this shot because it shows that no matter who you are, where you are, or what you look like a wave and a smile always translates to good times for all.
Interesting to see a lady sailor onboard, from what I remember of my old sea lore having women on board would anger the sea gods, leading to rough weather and misfortune.
This superstition stemmed from the idea that women could distract the crew, causing the sea to become treacherous in retaliation. I'm not being sexist I'm just an old salty dog....
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.
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!
One of the Officers up on the ship's bridge in Casablanca, eyeballing the situation. It was decided to be a no-go.
One of the stops on our Transatlantic cruise was to be in Casablanca, Morocco but alas, Mother Nature didn't see it that way. We made it into the port and alongside the dock but the water was too rough and after snapping a mooring line the Captain decided that Casablanca was off the table so back out to sea we went.
Talked to several other passengers who had been here before and suffered the same fate. So no shots of Rick's or much else!
This was a good trip in that I really stepped up and out when it came to taking control of my camera. The majority of the shots I got were done in manual (M) and I'm trying to keep any editing down to just a crop or two. Although this shot was done in (M)anual I did have to do some editing to compensate for the settings. My camera starts to get noisy at ISO 800 and it's even worse as it goes up.
This is a real photograph taken with a real camera, and not created by AI.
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?
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.
I do believe they got on the wrong ship!
The Zaandam had several small decks on the aft of the ship that are a bit tricky to find. Lucky me, I stumbled across them and came upon this engaging scene.
These are not your typical Holland America cruisers, these two really skew the demographic! Holland America cruisers usually don't pose for Instagram shots (notice how she's got her feet one in front of the other, one foot raised) nor do they spend minutes taking the same shot over and over and over again.
They don't agonize over getting the right angle (a 45 degree turn while keeping your head down) or worry about standing where the sun rays can get to you and highlight your best features.
I spent several minutes watching this bizarre ritual, then headed off to find an old person doing something silly that I could shoot. Not a challenging target on Holland America!
Be on the lookout for pirates!
Inspired by the legendary Tall Ship, Preussen, the new Royal Clipper has the proud distinction of being the largest and only five-masted sailing ship built since her predecessor was launched at the beginning of the last century. With her complement of 42 sails, Royal Clipper is a splendid sight to behold. You might think she was an apparition from the grand age of sail, but Royal Clipper is as new as tomorrow. She boasts state-of-the-art navigation systems and all the comforts of today.
For connoisseurs of sail cruising, the 439 foot Royal Clipper offers the ultimate sea-going experience, balancing the grandeur, adventure and tradition of sailing with the superb service, amenities and accommodations of the finest modern yachts. Royal Clipper carries just 227 guests in luxurious style.
A full 18,940 square feet of open deck and three swimming pools create a wonderfully spacious and expansive outdoor environment. Find your secret hideaway on one of the hidden balconies on either side of the bow.
From the Royal Clipper website:
www.starclippercruises.co.uk/ships/royal-clipper
The Royal Clipper was docked in Barbados, taking on supplies before heading out on her next adventure. Definitely not the kind of cruise that Niccy and I would enjoy but for those who are looking for a true "sailing cruise" she just might be the way to go I do have to admit though that climbing the mast (with safety harness provided) to one of the passenger look-out "crow's-nests", thoughtfully furnished with comfortable settee does sound like fun!
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 well 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!
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!
Niccy and I just got back from a transatlantic cruise so I've finally got some shots to post!
Niccy and I were on our way to do something or other when we came across our good friends Barb and Carol trying their luck in the casino.
Looking at the screen I can see that Carol had a winner with this go but in the end we all know why they're called One Armed Bandits! BTW, this is NOT how they were paying for their trip although it did eventually lead them to a good deal!
This was a spur of the moment happened to be walking by no planning sort of shot. I went with B/W for this shot since the lighting in the casino was lousy at best. Casino ad shots are always slick and processed, I'm more of an on the fly kind of guy!
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!
Sissy Jon wearing a vintage Sears Nuback (Will Not Ride Up) girdle with inner belt and 6 garters. This is a serious figure control foundation!
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.
Niccy is a master when it comes to multitasking!
Niccy is on her phone, planning out a route for us to get back home that doesn't include freeways when she starts pointing in back of me. Evidently while on the phone she saw the shuttle van that was about to run me over, how she saw it I'll never know!
If you should ever find yourself in need of airport, cruise, or long term parking in San Diego I can HIGHLY RECOMMEND San Diego Airport Parking Company:
Much cheaper than other parking companies, super friendly staff and first class service. Ask for Michael, he's a great guy (combat vet) who'll take care of you and your car! Also, if long term parking is something you use regularly in San Diego they do have a loyalty program.
The things I have to do to become Insta Famous!
One of the MANY people out to see the parade.
I'm sure she means well but if you were to put her out in a pasture with a couple of cows I'm sure she'd fall apart quicker than a cheap suit. Were they to make a movie called Urban Cowgirl she'd probably have a shot at the lead role!
Another shot using the f/16 which seems to work but evidently not shooting into the sun? The sky is pretty blown out, not sure how I compensate for that. I suppose that an ND filter would work but that means another purchase since this lens needs a 62mm and everything else I've got is Canon 58mm.
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!
Since the monsoons (and the lightning) have taken a hiatus I present for your enjoyment a nice yacht that I could never afford!
AMIXTLI is a 31.46 m Motor Yacht, built in the United States of America by Broward Marine and delivered in 1990.
Her top speed is 25.0 kn, her cruising speed is 21.0 kn, and she boasts a maximum cruising range of 2000.0 nm at 12.0 kn, with power coming from two Detroit Diesel diesel engines. She can accommodate up to 6 guests in 3 staterooms, with 4 crew members waiting on their every need. She has a gross tonnage of 157.0 GT and a 6.1 m beam.
Caught a glimpse of this beautiful lady down in Puerto Vallarta. As you can see on her bow it says "The Best Day" along with what appears to be a phone number which is probably the number for Seaside Pacific Yacht Group, her current owner. If you'd like to hire her for a week the current price is $99,840 a week which is only $16,640 per person USD when you split the cost between 6 guests.
BTW, I'm available to photographically document your fantastic week aboard her in exchange for my passage!
It's in a good Zip Code but the schools are kind of questionable!
A shot of the floating gin joint that took us to Ponta Delgada (and points East). This also gives you a good perspective on where the Statsraad Lehmkuhl was docked in relation to us.
It may sound snobbish but I don't believe we'll be sailing on Princess Lines any time in the near future. The best way I can describe it is that once you get used to a certain level of service you don't particularly enjoy going down a notch. For the first time cruiser or the fanboys/fangirls of Princess it's a great adventure but we're looking for a bit more.
Sky Princess is a Royal-class cruise ship currently operated by Princess Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc. She is the second ship in the cruise line's history to sail under this name. She is the fourth Royal-class ship in the Princess fleet and commenced operations in October 2019. The ship measures 145,281 GT and has a capacity of 3,660 passengers.
This was shot in (M)anual with a little lightening of the scene and a small crop to remove some bits and bobs
This is a real photograph taken with a real camera, and not created by AI.
I recently started posting bra pics as a "Living My Daydream" series, imagining these are pictures of me as the model chosen by our major department store for their semi-annual intimate apparel sale.
Well, that imaginary sale has me modelling not only bras, but also all-in-one shapers (body briefers), panty girdles, and slips.
So this is my first "Living My Daydream" all-in-one body briefer picture.
I also made a new I board section featuring the shaper, with ads from 1975 through 2003, here on Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/cindy_denmark/cindy-denmarks-clothing-i... .
I almost fell for the tale their telling...
Lets talk about the Logos Hope. According to their website:
Our ships visit each port of call for several weeks at a time and open the gangways to hundreds and often thousands of visitors every day. The floating book fairs offer many diverse titles, providing many visitors their first-ever opportunity to choose from the wide range of quality literature.
An international crew and staff of volunteers from around 60 different countries live and work on the ships, devoting one or more years of their lives to serving on board. The ship people promote literacy and education, cross-cultural co-operation, and social awareness, and reflect God’s compassion for the world in the ports and countries they visit.
Sounds pretty good right? Made me think of Mercy Ships:
Mercy Ships are hospital ships filled with volunteer professionals who selflessly provide free, life-changing surgeries to children and adults who otherwise would go without.
I can totally support Mercy Ships, in fact I could see myself and Niccy volunteering with them if we were younger. Logos Hope, not so much.
Again according to their website:
Over six million people have attended conferences and other events on board.
More than 11 million children have visited the ships and experienced the unique environment on board for themselves and hundreds of tonnes of books have been donated (to Logos Hope).
The part they're NOT saying out loud is that when they pull into these ports is that they're SELLING these books to the local populace like a floating Barnes & Noble or Blackwells for those in the UK!
I thought they were giving out the gift of literacy to people in the poorest parts of the world. Turns out their "gift" comes at a price for those who receive it.
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!
The Buffalo Soldiers have a long and storied history, it's good to see these gentlemen keeping it alive!
The First African American soldiers to arrive in Arizona at Fort Huachuca were the Buffalo Soldiers in the l890’s; the 9th and l0th Cavalries and the 24th and 25th Infantry Regiments. The Fort Huachuca Buffalo Soldiers distinguished themselves in the Spanish American War and the charge up San Juan Hill. They were part of the Punitive Expedition into Mexico and were sent to Camp Naco, Arizona, Camp Little in Nogales and other locations in Arizona to guard the Arizona Borders during the Mexican Revolution.
If you'd like to visit their webpage I'm sure it would be most appreciated:
These gentlemen come up from Fort Huachuca every year to ride in the Tucson Rodeo Parade. They're working hard to keep a part of history alive and I can certainly appreciate their effort!
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.
We're on the road in the van for a month long trip so new photos from me might be few and far between.
One thing I really enjoy on a cruise is having my breakfast Al Fresco at the back of the ship. I get to enjoy a leisurely nosh with a great view. As I was enjoying my eggs, bacon, and tea I got a glimpse of this young lady, the Beautiful Assistant to the bottle juggler in the previous shot.
Now every good act either on land or at sea has to have a Beautiful Assistant to handle all the minor details that every great performer might run into and make sure the performer has everything to make the act a success.
This was a good trip in that I really stepped up and out when it came to taking control of my camera. The majority of the shots I got were done in manual (M) and I'm trying to keep any editing down to just a crop or two.
This shot unfortunately was done in the (P)rogram or Auto mode. It was too early in the AM to be thinking about buttons and dials and such. I did do a crop on this to remove some bits and bobs that added nothing to the shot.
This is a real photograph taken with a real camera, and not created by AI.
You know, I like what I'm hearing!
One of the many intangible benefits of providing parking for the Tucson Rodeo and Parade is that we get to meet a lot of people that we normally wouldn't meet and this is the perfect example.
The gentleman in the Driver's Flat Cap had parked in the lot and then decided to have a conversation with one of my lodge brothers. Turns out he's a Mason and his trowel is a bit rusty, aka hasn't been to a lodge meeting in awhile. Hopefully he decides to brush up on his work and come back to lodge.
My personal feeling is that he might be a snowbird aka "winter visitor" to the area. That's not a problem since a good number of our members are snowbirds and we welcome them in when they're in the area!
The last step in a most arduous disembarkation!
Once you've passed immigration there's just one more hurdle to getting of the ship and that's getting scanned out.
All guests have a key card that they use during their cruise and it serves multiple purposes. It unlocks your cabin, serves as an onboard charge card for drinks and merchandise, lets you on and off the ship in ports and it's your casino loyalty card if you decide to play.
As you're taking those last steps toward the gangway you'll have your card scanned one more time. The ship wants to know that you've actually left the ship and it finalizes your onboard bill, which will be showing up on your credit card statement next month.
Definitely not the best shot I've ever taken but it is lightning and I'm taking it!
The Monsoon Season has really been a bust this year, at least in Southern Arizona. While the rest of the country has been getting crazy weather all we seem to be getting is hot, hot, hot! Temps have been in the 110° (43C) range with little to no humidity. We need 55% or above for the storms to really fire up and right now it's sitting at 38%.
All this storm produced was enough rain to stir the dust on the car and a couple of stray lightning bolts. I was lucky enough to get this little bolt that was way off in the distance.
Hopefully things will pick up in August and I'll have something a little better to post.
This is a REAL photograph, taken with a REAL camera. It's not a Computer Rendered Artificial Photo
A small series of photos that I took while driving down the road in Mexico.
One of the things that kids here in the US don't get to experience anymore is riding in the back of a pickup truck. I'm lucky enough to have grown up in a time when this was an everyday occurrence.
In Puerto Chiapas Mexico we signed up to take a tour outside of the port area. We went to a place called Miguel Aleman
GOOGLE MAP COORDINATES:
14.558926371866079, -92.21688314383077
right down on the border of Mexico and Guatemala. Miguel Aleman is a company town but the people who live there own the company. Their main revenue stream comes from growing and packaging bananas for export.
Well, when we went to get on the tour van the driver stopped me and told me to stand back. I wasn't sure why at the time but I'm glad he did. Once everyone was in the van he opened up the passenger side and asked me to sit there. He gave me a front row seat and I let him know I appreciated it.
The next few photos are all taken as we drove to Miguel Aleman. They may be a little blurry because I was shooting through the windshield. There might also be some blur on the bottom of the photo because he had his dash full of papers and I was getting a bit of a reflection off them. I didn't want to move them, might have messed up his filing system!
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!
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.
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!
The next best thing to actually being down there!
Back in the days some cruise lines offered "Behind The Scenes" tours of their ships to give passengers a glimpse of what went on while they were out lounging by the pool drinking maitais and baking in the sun. The tour would usually include the one of the galleys, maybe the laundry, and the engineering spaces. They were always interesting, at least to me and I'd always take advantage if they offered one.
Well, between covid and security concerns the tours ground to a halt. No longer could you see the chefs making your meal or the engines that were propelling you through the water at a leisurely 12 knots an hour. People voiced their anger, Holland America listened, and came up with a solution of sorts.
What they did was grab a camera and made a virtual tour of the engineering spaces. The Chief Engineer was on stage and gave us a guided tour of his department then answered questions from the audience.
The way I understand it is this was a trial to see how well it was received. Everyone who attended seemed to enjoy the show and it was a good compromise for all. Hopefully they'll expand it to include other departments on the ship.
Or Phoenix Arizona......
One of my Dad's favorite singers was Charlie Pride:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohWe9v3KsQQ
UPDATE:
Thanks to Al_HikesAZ the mystery has been solved:
www.kjzz.org/2014-04-11/content-25464-did-you-know-phoeni...
As we were headed to Payson AZ we came across this artistic display. Guess somebody got tired of giving out directions?
Niccy and I just got back from a 5 day trip up to Northern Arizona. It's a nice way to get out of the Tucson heat and into the mountains where it's cool, cool, cool. Only a 5-6 hour drive so it's affordable as well.
BTW the map location is a good guess, I know it's along this highway somewhere!