Vacations

Reflections in the Building

August 15, 2016 Thanks for your comments on the "standing on the corner" shot yesterday. I loved it - and I have to say "Smugmuggers ROCK," This photo was taken in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. I really loved the reflections in the mirrored glass of the building in front of me. Plus the flag was quite a bonus. Thank you for your comments and critiques. Have a fantastic day today my friends! Linda

Do Not Touch!

November 8, 2015 This plant is commonly known as the "Devil's Club" (Oplopanax Horridus). It is common to the moist conifer forests of Alaska, and is not to be touched. The leaves are covered with tiny spines that break off easily, and cause severe pain and extensive skin irritation. We were warned several times by our Rainforest guide to stay clear of it and not to touch. Their leaves are large, and they do bear flowers and fruit. The fruit is toxic to humans. However, I thought the light coming through the trees into the forest lit up the leaves of the Devil's Club so nicely that I couldn't resist taking a photo of one of them. Believe me, I stayed a long distance away however. Have a delightful day today my friends! Thank you for your comments and critiques. Linda

High Key Road Construction

September 7, 2016 For those of you that are frequent participants in the daily photo challenge on SmugMug, you know about my long daily commute to and from the office. I sometimes like to entertain myself by pulling out my little point and shoot camera and randomly clicking off shots. I never look at the display because I'm driving, so I never really know what I've captured until I download to the computer - sometimes months later. I've no idea how this shot turned out to look this way. But here you go. When I downloaded and saw it on the computer, I was scratching my head and asking myself, "how did this happen?" It's not been PP'd - just a slight crop. Go figure, right? I thought the outcome was rather cool. So I wanted to share with you my friends. There's a lot of road construction around this area, you can see part of a crane to the mid-left of the shot. I'm shooting from under an overpass, looking toward one of the roads across the Trinity River, and beyond that is another older road/bridge that also crosses the river. If you look closely, you can see an SUV crossing from right to left on the bridge in the forefront. Although it looks as if there's a shark fin in the river, I'm pretty sure there's not any sharks in the Trinity. LOL Thank you for your comments and critiques! Have a bright day! Linda

Light, Shadows and Color

March 8, 2016 This building is one of the many that surround an old courtyard near the old North Church in Boston. I used a Topaz Labs filter to make it look more painterly. "Painting is concerned with all the 10 attributes of sight; which are: Darkness, Light, Solidity and Colour, Form and Position, Distance and Propinquity, Motion and Rest." ~ Leonardo da Vinci Thank you for your comments and critiques. Have a lovely day! Linda

20 Hours of Sun!

March 13, 2016 As most of you know, we were in Alaska last July for 2 weeks (more than 6,000 photos taken) and it was so amazing to experience approximately 20 hours of daylight each day. Even when it "got dark" it wasn't really very dark. This photo was taken at almost 1:00 a.m. on one of the days we were there. I really like the clouds and the distant mountains in this shot. We were at the Denali Princess Lodge on a patio outside one of the restaurants when I took this photo. "May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds." ~ Edward Abbey Thank you for your comments and critiques. Have an awesome day today my friends! Linda

Beach Shadow

September 8, 2016 One afternoon while at my hotel at Grand Cayman, I noticed the lovely shadows that the iron work around the balcony made on the tile flooring. I certainly couldn't resist taking a photo. This is best viewed in large size. Thank you for your comments and critiques. Have a day full of sunshine and smiles. Linda

Unique Trophies

February 6, 2016 Several years ago we went to a concours d'elegance car show on the grounds of the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Kentucky. The cars were just amazing. This is a photo from them of the trophy table. I thought the trophies were lovely and unique, and I had to smile at the bottles of Kentucky spirits that were also given to the winners. Thank you for your comments and critiques! Have a "winning" day today my friends. Linda

Captain William Smith's House

December 19, 2016 The Captain William Smith House is another "witness house" (meaning that the occupants "witnessed" some of the early battles of the American Revolution). It is located along the Battle Road Trail in Minute Man National Historical Park, near Lincoln, MA. This Colonial house was built in 1692 (can you believe it is still standing?).. The captain of the Lincoln Minute Men (Captain Smith), his wife, four children, and a slave lived here in 1775. Captain William Smith was the brother of Abigail Smith Adams, the wife of the United States’ second president John Adams. The prominent house, with its rare cove cornice, stood and was witness to the epic events that took place there on April 19, 1775, the same day the Minute Men and militias first fired shots and killed British soldiers - thus triggering the Revolutionary War. The house rests along North Great Road in Lincoln, the same path the British took as they retreated from the North Bridge area of the Minute Man National Historic Park during the first hours of the historic war. Alarm riders notified Capt. William Smith of the Lincoln Minute Men that the Regulars were on the march. Smith fought at the bridge in Concord at the head of his men on April 19. This photo was taken as we passed Captain Smith's house in a tour bus. I wished that we had had the time to stop and explore. Nevertheless, it was great to see this old home still standing proudly in the field. "The American Revolution was a beginning, not a consummation." ~ Woodrow Wilson Thank you for your comments and critiques. Have a historic day today my friends! Linda

Harvest!

January 12, 2017 This store-front in Boston was displaying many seasonal fruits. We were there in mid-November, so it was nice to see even though it was cold. This was taken through the glass of the shop, so there's reflections. The man's profile in reflection is Bill. Have a colorful day today my friends! Linda

Working Ships

September 21, 2016 I took this photo from the balcony of our stateroom while on board the Pacific Princess ship as we were about to depart from Ketchikan, Alaska. There were so many boats, ships and pleasure vessels along the way that I could have taken hundreds of photos of boats. These two appealed to me because they were large and obviously working boats. The Malaspina (2nd boat) looked as though it was also used perhaps as a ferry. "Set your course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship." ~ Omar N. Bradley Thank you for your comments and critiques. Have a fantastic day! Linda

Pure Cuteness.....

January 20, 2016 This is the couple we traveled with in Alaska, they are such fun. On one of our excursions we visited the place where Jeff King, 4 time Iditarod winner, works with and trains his dogs. The name of his place is the Husky Homestead. It was so very interesting to see how the dogs live, how they are trained and learn about the trials and tribulations of the grueling race. And, of course the highlight was to get to see and hold some of the puppies that were there. Such fun! "Animals have come to mean so much in our lives. We live in a fragmented and disconnected culture. Politics are ugly, religion is struggling, technology is stressful, and the economy is unfortunate. What's one thing that we have in our lives that we can depend on? A dog or a cat loving us unconditionally, every day, very faithfully." ~ Jon Katz Thank you for your comments and critiques. I wish you all a day full of love, faith and happiness. Linda

Exotic Water Feature

July 2, 2015 This is one of hundreds, perhaps thousands of water features at the Atlantis Resort in Nassau, Bahama's. I loved the shell motif and the fact that this was high on one of the columns at the resort's entrance. "I love the sounds and the power of pounding water, whether it is the waves or a waterfall." ~ Mike May Thank you for your comments and critiques! Have an artful day today my friends! Linda http://lgood.smugmug.com

Montezuma Castle

February 29, 2016 Montezuma Castle is a National Monument near Camp Verde, Arizona. Today we can gaze into the windows of the Sinagua people that inhabited this area between AD 1100 and 1350. On December 8, 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt celebrated the passage of the Antiquities Act by declaring four sites of historic and cultural significance as our nation's first National Monuments. Among these was Montezuma Castle, which the President identified as a place "of the greatest ethnological value and scientific interest." Although very few original artifacts remained in the structure due to intensive looting of the site, Roosevelt's decision assured the continued protection of one of the best preserved prehistoric cliff dwellings in North America. "Castle A" (shown here), is a 45-50 room, pueblo ruin and when excavated, a wealth of artifacts were uncovered, and the site greatly enhanced our understanding of the Sinagua people who inhabited this riparian "oasis" along Beaver Creek for over 400 years. Early visitors to the monument were allowed access to the structure by climbing a series of ladders up the side of the limestone cliffs. However, due to extensive damage to this valuable cultural landmark, public access of the ruins was discontinued in 1951 and the ladders removed. Even 600 years after their departure, the legacy of the Sinagua people continues to inspire the imaginations of this and future generations. We talked at length to one of the Park Rangers about the site. He was extraordinarily knowledgeable, and we were so impressed with him and his knowledge. We asked if he was a volunteer, or paid to do the tours. He responded, "I'm retired. I volunteered to be a Park Guide here about 15 years ago, and I donate my time. The only pay that I asked (and they agreed to) is that they allow me to climb up into the Castle and spend a day exploring once every year." I'd say that's pretty awesome pay! Thank you for your comments and critiques. Have a day full of exploring, mystery and discovery today my friends! Linda

Native Coat

January 19, 2016 This young lady was modeling an original Alaskan coat at the Athabascan Indian Village near Fairbanks. The village is a simulation of how the Athabascan's once lived, and it was very interesting. We saw a lot of their culture, their clothing, the structures that they lived in at the turn of the 20th century and the way the caught and dried the salmon from the river. It was very interesting, and we enjoyed the visit very much. This coat is very decorative and used generally for special events. It's heavy an I felt a little sorry for the young lady as she modeled it for the crowd because the temperatures were quite warm. "I'm not someone who can lie on a beach and do nothing. I am not sure what you are supposed to do, so I get bored. I prefer to have a purpose, such as going to Alaska to see orca whales." ~ Miranda Richardson Alaska is indeed an amazing place to visit. Have a great day today my friends! Thank you for your comments and critiques. Linda

Old Windows

May 12, 2016 For whatever reason, windows and doors (particularly old ones) just fascinate me. I suppose it has something to do with my curiosity of what goes on behind them. These windows were on a residential building in Nassau. I LOVE the red shutters. "Let there be many windows to your soul, that all the glory of the world may beautify it." ~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox Thank you for your comments and critiques. Have a "red-letter" day today my friends! Linda

Nostalgia

March 12, 2017 I really liked the colors and the memories that these old products brought to mind as I looked at them.. This isn't the greatest shot I've ever taken, but I liked it for it's nostalgia, and the colorful reflections of the glass of the cabinet. Taken at the "Sign of the Times" museum in Sapulpa, Oklahoma - near Tulsa. Look closely and you can see my SP reflected in the glass. Thank you for your comments and critiques. Have a wonderful and happy nostalgic day today my friends. Linda

Big Guns

March 16, 2017 This is one of the larger canons at Fort Sumter, Charleston, South Carolina. The photo is taken from the outside of the fort looking inward towards the courtyard of Ft. Sumter. I converted it to black and white because it seemed to fit the time period better. Can you imagine the stories these old walls and canons could tell if they could talk? On April 12 to 14, 1861. Confederate Edmund Ruffin fires the first shot of the Civil War at 4:30 in the morning, At that time, he fired a single mortar upon Union held Fort Sumter in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina. It is questionable that Ruffin actually fired the first shot of the Civil War, but that is the legend often told. Decades of growing strife between North and South erupted in civil war on April 12, 1861, when the Confederate artillery opened fire on this Federal fort in Charleston Harbor. Fort Sumter surrendered 34 hours later. Union forces would try for nearly four years to take it back. Fort Sumter is on an island in Charleston Harbor, and is only accessible via boat. It's thick and strong walls still look massive even today. I'm so glad that our country preserves the history of our nation and keeps sites like this in good shape and accessible to the public. "What we interpret here has a major impact on the life we have today. We have the Constitution and Charles Pinckney, we have the Revolutionary War and Fort Moultrie, and we have the Civil War here at Fort Sumter." ~ John Tucker. Thank you for your comments and critiques. Have an honorable day today my friends. Linda

Blue Shutters

March 15, 2017 This was taken at Lakeport Plantation which is just on the edge of the Arkansas and Mississippi state borders. Lakeport is one of Arkansas' premiere historic structures, is the only remaining Arkansas plantation home on the Mississippi River. It was built in 1859 by Lycurgus and Lydia Johnson, part of a political dynasty that extended from Virginia to Kentucky to Arkansas, The house remained in the Johnson family until 1927 , when the Chicot County plantation was purchased by Sam Epstein. It was gifted to Arkansas State University in 2001 by the Sam Epstein Angel family. Unfortunately when we arrived the plantation was closed to tours of the interior for the Christmas to New Year's week. However, it was great to walk around the old home and peer in the windows. It's in great state and the lovely yellow color with the bright turquoise shutters were just stunning. This shot was taken on a small porch on the back side of the home. "Colors are the smiles of nature." ~ Leigh Hunt Have a cheerful day today my friends. Thank you for your comments and critiques. Linda

Golden Horses

March 17, 2017 This is the topper of the old bar back at the Ohio Club in Hot Springs, LA. The bar traveled a long way to get from the north to Louisiana. Thank you for your comments and critiques. Have a great day! Lidna

The Old Radio

March 3, 2016 Seen at the "Sign of the Times" museum in Sapulpa, Oklahoma. Have a great day, and thank you for your comments and critiques. Linda

It's Planting Time

March 13, 2017 This shot of all the seed packets and books was taken at an old fashioned General Store in the Italian neighborhood of Boston, MA. Thank you for your comments and critiques. Plant some love today my friends. Linda