Mushroom Condo

This photo was made at Cheaha State Park on Mt. Cheaha in early August.  When I saw this cluster of mushrooms, it immediately brought to mind a cluster of high rise condos, hence the title of this post and picture.  It was actually located on the campsite next to the one where we were located.  And I got creative with the camera putting it nearly on the ground, letting it auto-focus, and snapping the picture.  I then looked to see how it was composed and this one came out well.

The mushrooms were growing out of an old stump which is very hard to see since there were so many mushrooms.  Unfortunately the cluster did not last long and was completely wilted just a day or so later.

-Brian-

Nature Unleashed

One of the main objectives of my recent Chicago trip besides seeing my daughter was to see the "Nature Unleashed" exhibit at the Field Museum.  My daughter is a photo-holic and just loves using my Nikon D70S, so I loaned her the camera to take a few shots to prove that I was there.  Of course, in today's digital age, I could do this with Photoshop, but I didn't.

"Nature Unleashed" is a tremendous exhibit developed by the Field Museum with a focus on natural disasters and educating people about them.  They tackle topics like tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, and tornadoes.  Naturally my interest was with the hurricane and tornado portions of the exhibit.  And there was one aspect to the tornado portion of the exhibit that blew me away - sorry for the pun.  Professional storm chaser Tim Samaras designed a cone with seven cameras pointing in all directions that he was able to place in front of an oncoming tornado.  So you step into the middle of seven screens and watch the tornado come right at you.  The center of the tornado passed within feet of the cone, so it is about as close as you can get to going through a tornado.  We were so taken with it we went through the video presentation about nine times - it only lasts about 3 minutes.  Unfortunately I cannot show you any photos of the exhibit since they asked that no photos be taken inside the exhibit.

The exhibit is supposed to go on the road in 2009 and might come to Atlanta, but that has not been firmed up.

-Brian-

Chicago Air Show

During my visit to Chicago over the weekend of August 16 and 17, a big event going on was the Chicago Air and Water Show.  The Air Show featured the Navy's Blue Angels from Pensacola, FL.  I did not actually attend the show, that is, I did not go to the Air Show viewing area along Lakeshore Drive.  But an Air Show like this one takes up lots of sky, so as my daughter and I were doing our site seeing, we could often catch glimpses of the various planes.

Just after getting off the 'L' at the Sheridan stop, we heard the planes, so we stayed on the elevated platform and watched them come overhead.  The main action, naturally, was along the lake front, but it was pretty exciting for us to see them come right over us as they made their turns on the northern side of the Air Show main stage area.

I captured several shots of them flying in formation, and yes, I enhanced this one just a tad to bring out the colors in the airplanes.  If you want to get some great information on the Blue Angels, their web site is www.blueangels.navy.mil.  It was such a treat to get to seem them and without braving the huge crowds along Lakeshore.

-Brian-

Chicago Skyline

My good friend, Leigh Bratina, has made a very nice post about me and my photo blog on her Blog site, so I'm going to try to get back into the groove posting some of my amateur photos.  I saw Leigh during the municipal election yesterday, and her posting has kicked me into action.

The shot above was taken on my recent visit to Chicago to visit my daughter, Rebecca.  When I visit, we usually do the touristy thing and really cram a lot of visiting and activities into a few days.  More about the visit to the Field Museum in another post.

The shot above is from the Sears Tower in Chicago which at the time of my visit was still the tallest building in Chicago.  That will probably be changing in the near future with a new taller building under construction.  The observation floor is 103 which is about 1300 feet or so above the streets of Chicago.  The view is commanding and the visibility was great the afternoon we were there.  In this photo you are looking over the city and out over Lake Michigan.

So let's hope I can stick to posting a few more pictures.

-Brian-

Pinhoti Trail

Cheaha State Park is one of my favorite spots with all of its natural beauty.  Last weekend, March 16, 2008, there was a dedication of the connection of the Pinhoti Trail to the Appalachian Trail.  Hikers can make the trek all the way from Alabama to northern Maine.  I took this picture as I was leaving the ceremony marking the connection with a big marker which shows the blaze and the trail marker if you ever want to hike the Pinhoti Trail.

It always amazes me to see how things change.  I had not been to Cheaha during the winter season since the weather is not nearly as good, but it was fun to see things without the leaves.  Each season has its own beauty and the lack of leaves meant that I could see landmarks that are not normally visible during other times of the year.

The Alabama Hiking Trail Society conference was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed being with the group talking about hiking and weather.  I hope to go again.

-Brian-

Buck Creek Festival

This is a picture I took at the last Buck Creek Festival in 2007 looking over the entrance to the event.  The event for 2008 is a little over two months away and will be held May 9th and 10th.  It is a completely free event that the Buck Creek Festival Committee works on all year long.  Behind the trees in the background is the Helena Amphitheater where the music plays.  And we have a great diversity of music for everyone.

We are not a big festival, but it sure is nice to come to the park and stroll around, listen to some great music, chat with friends and neighbors, and just have a generally swell time.

Hope to see you there.

-Brian-

Gees Bend Ferry

This was our primary destination in a daylong outing from Paul Grist State Park near Selma, AL, to Gees Bend near Camden, AL, in late March, 2007.  Gees Bend is an area isolated by a large bend in the Alabama River.  Gees Bend to Camden is only about 4.5 miles by air but over 40 miles by road and bridge.  A ferry ran here for a long time but went out of business and the State of Alabama with local help re-established the ferry. We wanted to ride the ferry which is just something we don't get to do where we live.

And we wanted to take in the Gees Bend Quilters, a group of women who have gained National prominence as stories have been told and written about the area.  Absolutely wonderful, relaxing trip with a very special ride on a ferry boat.

-Brian-

Strange Equipment

I'm not making fun of anyone or anything.  Sometimes you just run across something that is hard to understand or explain.  Such is this picture taken on the ferry that runs between Camden, AL, and Gees Bend across the Alabama River.

The ferry is completely steel.  So when I saw the axe, I just could not help myself but chuckle.  I'm sure if I took a swing with the axe, it would making a resounding noise and fly out of my hands as soon as it came in contact with any part of the ship.  I'm really guessing here, but I wonder if this is not some sort of ferry boat tradition from days when ferry boats were made of wood.

-Brian-

Taken March 2, 2008, it was a bright sunny day with an afternoon high of 76.  Lots of people were out enjoying an early taste of spring, so I grabbed the camera and stopped by the Buck Creek dam to see what I might catch.

There is a nice patch of land right below the dam that you can get to without getting wet thanks to a small, metal foot bridge.  I took this photo looking generally east across the dam at a set of buildings that will eventually hold businesses.  The dam was down to a very small trickle only a month ago, but some nice rain in January and February have helped our drought situation and produced a nice flow of water coming over the dam.

-Brian-

Historic Orrville, AL

Last year (2007) in March we spent a little time at Paul Grist State Park about 15 miles north of Selma, AL.  For an outing, we made a trip to Gees Bend which is just north and across the Alabama River from Camden, AL.  The attraction was two fold.  First, we wanted to see and ride the Gees Bend ferry.  Second, we wanted to take in some of the rural country that the area represents.

Our trip to Gees Bend meant going through Orrville, a small rural Alabama town that has seen better times.  An unexpected surprise was to find the beautiful old house you see pictured above with double chimneys - on both ends.  Obviously built in a day when fireplaces were the primary source of heating and cooking.

It is always worthwhile to travel on the roads less traveled.

-Brian-