Lamppost

Love these lampposts--not your normal, boring city lights but posts with personality.

Lamppost

Stand up and be counted

There comes a time in one's life when it is necessary to take a stand.  A time when one can no longer worry about the social and peer pressures.  A time when principle and truth must prevail and be shouted from the rooftops.  A time to ignore the consequences.  A time to stand apart from the crowd if necessary.  A time to stand up and be counted.  Do you know when that time is in your life?

Stand up and be counted

Little Girl's Room

If you like pink and if you are a little girl or are two little girls and have a mother who helps teach you to be organized and loves to decorate, then your room might look something like this.....

Little Girl's Room

These eyes melt grandpa

One look like this and grandpa will give you pretty much anything you want.

These eyes melt grandpa

Chocolate? What chocolate?

Missing my chocolate.  Round up the suspects.  But grandpa, what are you talking about?

Chocolate?  What chocolate? 

Dusty Road

My home away from home for our week off the grid--a study in marked contrasts.  Dusty roads between campsites all right next to the 72 degree water in the lake....

Dusty Road

Big Fish Expected

I guess they expect some big fish around here.  Too bad no one in our family likes to fish.  I honestly tried once.  When the kids were little and thought their fishing cousins were having all the fun I took them to a fish hatchery.  They each caught their own trout.  After I cleaned them all we cooked them up.  Not one would touch the cooked fish.  Not one would eat any of it.  Since I am not a big fan of fishing either, I decided right then and there--no more fishing for our family.  They won't eat the fish, I won't take them fishing.  Besides, fish just stink up the boat anyway!  So now we just curse the fishing boats that sit in the middle of the calm water when we are skiing, wakeboarding, kneeboarding, surfing or tubing.

Big Fish Expected

Self Portrait -- at the lake

Being off the grid for a week of vacation with family and friends was the best!  Lots of sunshine, good company, plenty of on-the-water time with no email or cell phone connections.  As the result of the plentiful sunshine, the campground trails were always in their dusty road status.  The sunshine and the dust makes for today's post--a self portrait at the lake.  Lucky for me that I finally found a sunscreen lotion product that does not cause an allergic reaction rash on my skin.  Only those using the active ingredients of zinc oxide and titanium oxide are tolerable on my skin.  Too many years of using the other stuff has taken its toll I guess.  So by staying coated with the right stuff I avoided coming home with any sunburn after seven days in the sun.  Now if I could only find a product that would give me back the body of my youth to make it through the week without needing another full week to fully recover from the activities of the vacation week.....

Self Portrait--at the lake

  

Off the grid

We spent 7 glorious days off the grid last week.  Camping on a lake front at our favorite boat camp on Flaming Gorge Reservoir.  No cars-one must boat into this campground.  It even has flush toilets to keep the women happy.  Nice to get away, play on the water, be off the grid with the family and relax for awhile.  This is early morning on our front porch for the week....

Off the grid

Mirrored Wall

A wall fitted with mirrors makes for an interesting view.

Mirrored Wall

Day in the Park

It is summer time!  Take a few minutes, sit in the park and enjoy life!  It is part of the journey.

Day in the Park

Copper Face

Boston parks are full of monuments and statues.  Here is one small part of a monument in Boston Commons that caught my attention with the light and coloring.

Copper Face

Enjoy the Journey

Life is a journey, not a destination.  Enjoy the journey.  Boston Commons.

Enjoy the Journey

Fountain in the Park

Fountain in the park--Boston Commons park.

Fountain in the Park

Isolation

Sometimes it seems we are losing our social skills.  When we are in public people are head-down focused on their cell phones rather than heads-up interacting with others nearby.  We are definitely losing something....

Isolation

Confused? Me Too...

Looking for some good Italian food in Little Italy, downtown Boston.  Man, the choices are amazing.  The one we finally chose....better Italian food than anywhere except some of the dishes I had while actually in Italy many years ago.  Superb!  You almost can't miss the great food. Just look for the busy places.

Confused?  Me too...

Fish in Boston

Looking for a good fish or steak meal while in Boston?  Found one here at McCormick & Schmick's.  Just sitting at the outside table waiting on the baked salmon to arrive.

Fish in Boston?

The Partisans

Just outside the Boston Convention Center stand a monument that, for many years, resided in the Boston Commons.  This monument commemorates the return of the Polish soldiers who were the first to stand up against Soviet communism.  The black and white treatment just seemed so appropriate for the solemn commemoration of the brave men so represented.

The Partisans

Leg reflection

Standing by a column waiting to meet someone.  A quick self-portrait of my legs in the amusement park distorted, reflected view.  Never bored anymore as long as I have my iPhone with me.  If I run out of service or get tired of playing with apps I can always open up the camera and start snapping.

Leg Reflection

Woven

Even the mundane can turn out a good image.  There I was sitting at a restaurant out on the patio.  It was almost dark, the sun had already set.  We were waiting for the bread and appetizers.  I had just checked my phone for messages and opened the camera app, pointed the camera at the placemat in front of me an grabbed a picture.  A little post processing and ......

Woven

Looking Up

Every Holocaust memorial I have ever visited brings about the same set of feelings.  The atmosphere is always solemn and reverent.  The feelings are wide ranging from sadness to unbelief to hope in the hereafter where each is rewarded or aptly punished for deeds on earth by a loving and just God.  Looking up to God, as it is all in His good hands, is what gave me the inspiration for this image.  Looking up in one of the towers at the Holocaust Memorial in Boston where the name of all the victims are engraved in the glass towers throughout the site.

Looking Up

Boston Gets Mooned

Even the ordinary looking scenes can be turned into fun images just like this one taken as I walked down the sidewalk....

Boston Gets Mooned

Purple Shoes

I have daughters who constantly tell me "it's all about the shoes."  Well, come last prom time it was about these purple shoes.  This weekend she got to dress up again in her prom clothes and shoes and go out on the town to a fancy restaurant just for fun.  I should feel better now.  She has worn the shoes more than once.

Purple Shoes

 

Neckties stink

Okay, just who is the wise guy that invented neckties anyway?  They say he is dead now.  I hope he choked to death.....

Who is the wise guy that invented neckties anyway?

Lines in the sand

This image reminds me of lines in the sand even though it has nothing to do with sand.  I snapped a picture of a carpet tile at my feet while bored waiting at the airport recently for my flight.  After distorting the image and playing with the colors I finally ended up here.  Nothing spectacular but it does remind me of colored lines in the sand.

Lines in the sand

Toy Planes

This image takes me back to my boyhood memories of playing with toy planes.

Toy Planes

Walk Toward the LIght

Many of you may recognize part of this image from a previous post.  This is another image from the series taken during my recent travels to the East Coast.  While in the Denver Airport waiting for a connecting flight I took advantage of the time to capture a few images.  No matter the large airport it seems like you have to walk forever to get anywhere.  I've got to say that who ever invented the carry-on bags with wheels deserves a medal.  I am old enough to remember the days before we had wheels and my shoulders still feel the weight of my bags as I schlepped around airports carrying all the weight on my skinny little body.  Yep, wheels on bags ranks right up there as one of the best inventions yet--not quite as high as indoor plumbing but high on the list anyway.  

Walk Toward the Light

Wildfire Shelters Needed Now

The country is on fire.  Heat records are dropping like flies.  And out here in the west wildfires are burning everywhere.  The conditions are so ripe for ignition that even a heated argument may start a fire.  I was recently in the Denver Airport terminals and noticed that all the Tornado Shelter signs were at the restroom entry doors.  I know tornados can be devastating as I lived within a quarter mile of one's path at one time.  But really, just imagine the scene..... Tornado warning and hundreds, probably thousands, of people trying to cram themselves into the public bathrooms at the airport....  I don't want to go there.

However my heart goes out to all those affected by the wildfires this season.  We have several close by.  I have personally been involved in wildfire evacuations before and I know how it feels.  I have witnessed the utter devastation these things cause.  Please be careful out there and pray for relief throughout the country.

Wildfire Shelters Needed Now

All Aboard!

I spent way too many hours in airports lately and several of my images reflect the extra time I had on hand.

All Aboard!

Drivin'

Spend a lot of time behind the wheel?  Good ol' commute hours add up to lots of hours every year.  Hmmm, good time to be productive--sometimes.  Good time to just relax and unwind--sometimes.  Good time for whatever one chooses.  It's all in the choices.

Drivin'

Soft Sounds of Sunday

There is nothing quite as nice on a peaceful Sunday as resting and listening to my only daughter remaining at home as she plays the piano.  Now that she plays so many different pieces of music and so many different hymns she can really entertain us.  She often gets too busy to play pieces and I miss that.  I have enjoyed the many years of practice that have led to the talent she now has and I really enjoy listening to her playing.  Today's image is dedicated to her.

Soft Sounds of Sunday