El Galeon Andalucia

A replica of a 16th Century ship sailed by Spanish explorers.

The Moon and the Dune

A great night to be on the beach

Field of Sunflowers

While in Arles, France Vincent van Gogh created a series of paintings about sunflowers.  I think I see why. 

Ocean City Pier

The newly reopened pier at Ocean City, after Hurricane Sandy washed the previous one into the ocean.

Ponies on the shores of North Beach, Assateague Island

Wild horses enjoying the surf and sand on Assateague Island.  

Volcano at the Grand Canyon

I do not know the name of this extinct volcano at the Grand Canyon, or if it even has a name.  I know I stood at the southern rim, close to the Yavapai observation station when I took this picture.  If and when I ever discover its name, I'll post it; but in a way I hope it does not have a name- like something wild and unclaimed, belonging to no one but the earth.      

Puppies on a Blanket

A slight deviation from my usual travel images, I know, but one day I'd love to go to some place distant  where wild animals still roam.  In the meantime, I can keep honing my photographic skills with these slightly less than wild creatures.  If you love animals, here's a good link: http://adopt-an-animal.com/

Annapolis in Black and White

When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the Creator ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Joan of Arc - La France Renaissante

Riding alongside the Bir Hakeim Bridge (which is slightly left and out of the picture), is the statue of Jean d'Arc, entitled La France Renaissante.  It was created by Danish sculptor Holger Wendekinch.  To the right, and also out of the picture, is the iconic Eiffel Tower.  Paris is such a fascinating city.  I found the quaintness of the apartment buildings in the background just as Parisian as Sacre Couer and Notre Dame.  With so many bridges (37) over the Seine, beautiful sculptures all around, architecture to be admired and landmarks to see, the need to rush seems imminent.  But don't.  It would be too easy to miss the smaller details - like oddly picturesque balconies.

Highway 163 to Monument Valley

Out west, it is hard to gauge the speed at which you drive.  Hardly any other cars and hundreds of miles till  the next city, the next intersection, the next traffic light.  Just vast landscapes and long stretches of road as far as the distant horizon that you never quite reach.  I love it.
This was on Highway 163, on our way to Monument Valley, deep into the Navajo Nation Reservation.
In the distance, Monument Valley, or what the Navajos call wTsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, (The Valley of the Rocks), rise hundreds of feet toward the heavens; the last remnants of red sandstone that, over the centuries, had been eroded by the forces of water and wind.    

Emerald Falls

After a short hike through the rain forest of Dominica, you'll reach Emerald Falls - A cool and refreshing 50 foot waterfall plunging into an emerald-colored forest pool.
As I was in a group, I did not have the luxury of waiting for just the right light; (it was actually pretty shady most of the time, it being a rain forest), nor the right to ask other tourists enjoying the pool to move out of the frame, they were ruining the composition of the shot I had in mind.  So I walked over some rocks to a moss-covered recess behind the falls.  The soothing sound of cascading water, like something you'd hear on some relaxation CD, muffled the racket the crowd was making.  The scent of wet leaves awakened an early childhood memory of watching rain from my bedroom window drench the garden as I lay cozily within my blanket, savoring the fact that it was a weekend; no need to get up for school.  There is something deliciously primal in watching cascading water, not unlike watching dancing flames, be it on the tip of a candle or a fireplace hearth.  It is mesmerizing.   I liked that little world behind the falls.  It may not have been photogenic, but it was magical.

C&O Canal by the Potomac in Great Falls

Until the construction of the C&O Canal (Chesapeake and Ohio), boat transportation was made impossible by the waterfalls on the Potomac - the Great Falls and The Little Falls.  The 184 mile canal, a system with locks that ran parallel to the river, provided a way to move goods down the river by boat, and operated from 1828 to 1924.  In 1971 the canal was designated a National Historical Park; today it's a popular spot for bikers and joggers along its towpath - and photographers such as myself, who prefers to enjoy the scenery at a much slower pace. 

Harrods of London

Despite the rain, shoppers flock into Harrods, the largest department store in Europe.  Located in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, the store has over 1 million square feet of selling space and over 330 departments.  It also has a strict dress code, wherein security reserves the right to refuse entry to anyone inappropriately dressed or unkempt.  Fortunately, I passed the dress code and soon found myself sauntering into the ice cream parlour, where I had the Harrods' Special - vanilla, chocolate, caramel, and strawberry ice cream with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, strawberries and bananas for (only!?) 19.95 pounds ($30)

Leicester Longwool Sheep in Williamsburg

The Leicester Longwool were once a popular breed of sheep in the colonies.  Smaller than modern breeds, with coarser wool and less meat, their numbers, however, have decreased significantly since colonial times.  In 1990, the Colonial Willamsburg Foundation helped establish a new population of Leicester Longwools in the United States with sheep from Australia.

Flower for Mother's Day

Celebrations honoring mothers and motherhood have occurred throughout the world for thousands of years, in various forms, on different dates. Although observances honoring mothers have already existed in America during the late 19th century, Anna Jarvis is credited as the founder of Mother's Day.  On May 12, 1907, two years after her mother's death, Anna held a memorial to her mother and thereafter embarked upon a campaign to make "Mother's Day" a recognized holiday.  She succeeded in making it so with a proclamation from President Woodraw Wilson in 1914.  By the 1920's, however, Anna had grown bitter by all the commercialization and spent the rest of her life and inheritance campaigning against what it had become. 

Dogfish Shark

Walking along the beach right around sunrise I spotted this shark.  Right after I took this picture I tried nudging it back into the ocean, but the surf kept pushing it back to the shore.  I figured this was this shark's last sunrise, and there was not much I could do for it.  Part of the cycle of life.  It was still too early for the beach crowd.  At least it would die undisturbed.  A seagull flew overhead, squawking loudly, as if protesting my presence.  I know what he wanted.  I studied the shark.  Its eyes were still sharp,with that predatory scowl, but its gills were unmoving.  It was dead.  It was April.  Soon the waves and the tides would bring in a new season; a new summer.  Just as they always have, for thousands of years.        

Trevi Fountain in The Eternal City

The Fontana di Trevi;  Legend has it that throwing a coin with one's right hand over one's left shoulder ensures that the thrower will return to Rome.  Still waiting - but then again, so many other places to visit, never enough time.
Designed in 1732 by Nicola Salvi, it depicts Neptune on a giant clam shell led by Triton and sea horses.  The fountain's water comes from a 1st-century-BC underground aqueduct, and the name Trevi refers to the tre vie (three roads) that converge at the fountain.

The Magic Fountain of Montjuic in Barcelona Spain

Below the hill of Montjuic, by the Palau Nacional  in Barcelona, you'll find the dancing waters of The Magic Fountain, constructed in 1929 for the Barcelona International Exposition.
The fountain of Montjuic dances and sways in rhythm to ever-changing colored lights and music ranging from classic to modern, and is one of Barcelona's top attractions, visited by 2.5 million people a year.   

Sunset at the Grand Canyon

From the south rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, a pine tree is silhouetted against the red clouds of sunset.  Sunset is when the trailing edge of the sun goes below the horizon.  Dusk is when the sky becomes completely dark.  The period between sunset and dusk is called twilight.  So technically, I think I took this shot at twilight.

Green Iguana in St. Thomas

I was having a drink on a patio overlooking Charlotte Amalie in St. Thomas when this green iguana ambled by.  Beautiful creature.  They socially interact with a series of head bobs.  Juveniles stay as a group the first year of their lives, and the males in the group use their bodies to protect and shield the females from predators - the only species of reptile known to exhibit such behavior.

Riva Bridge

The South River is traversed by two bridges: the South River Bridge, carrying Solomons Island Road, and the Riva Bridge, carrying Riva Road.  Riva, the community on the side of the bridge I stood on when I took this picture, is southwest of Annapolis.  Its name is an abbreviated form of Riverview.

 

Village of Oia in Santorini, Greece

Oia, pronounced "Ia" is on the north end of the island of Santorini.  Houses and hotels built right onto the cliffs provide fantastic views of the sun setting over the Aegean Sea.  Below Oia is a small harbor and Armeni Beach, accessible by foot or donkey traversing 300 winding steps.

Magnolia Blossoms at Quiet Waters

The magnolia is one of the oldest plant species, with fossils dating back 58 million years.  In ancient China, depending on the variety, they were called Yu-lan, or Mu-lan.  The Japanese called them Shidekobushi.  To the Aztecs, they were known as Eloxochitl.  In Martinique, the plant was known as Talauma.  While in Martinique botanist Charles Plumier wrote about it in 1703 and named the flower after Pierre Magnol, a 17th century French botanist.

A Robin and Cherry Blossoms

The meterological begining of spring is March 20, the vernal equinox.  Retailers like to think it's on the day after Presiden't Day ( the Tuesday after the third Monday in February).  Calendars and retailers aside, I think spring arrives when the robin sings and the cherry blossoms bloom. 

Yoshino Cherry Blossoms alongside the Jefferson Memorial

As a gift of friendship, in 1912, Japan sent 3,020 cherry trees to the United States.  They were shipped from Yokohama to Seattle, where they were loaded onto a train bound for Washington.  The first two trees, planted by First Lady Helen Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, still stand on the north end of the Tidal Basin.  In 1965, the people of Japan gifted the U.S. with another 3,800 cherry trees, which were planted around the Washington Monument.    The National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorates these gifts each spring.

A Snowy Landscape

Throngs of people and photographers will be milling about the DC Tidal Basin the next few days, hoping to time their visit to see the cherry blossoms in peak bloom. 
It's a good sign of spring - along with finally seeing the groundhogs waddling around the yard again, and the osprey couple touching up the same nest they have used for so many years.

It was only a few weeks ago when snow feathered bare branches.  It was early morning, and other than a few joggers and dog walkers, I pretty much had the park to myself.  My camera and I prefer it that way.  But now I am compelled to go to Washington DC.  The weather forecast is for thunderstorms this Friday, which may blow away a lot of the blossoms.  But even without the thunderstorm, the blossoms only last a few days anyway.  Which makes witnessing them bloom even more special.  Like admiring the fleeting beauty of a snowy landscape.    

USNA Bridge and Jonas Green

The U.S. Naval Academy Bridge crosses the Severn River, in Annapolis.  A segment of MD Route 450, it provides an alternate entrance to the Naval Academy.

I took this picture on the grounds of Jonas Green Park.  The park is open from dawn to dusk, except for the fishing pier, which is open 24 hours a day.  Now who was Jonas Green?  He was an 18th century printer and editor, who, in 1738 moved to Annapolis and was appointed the colony's public printer.  Records of the Tuesday Club of Annapolis, of which he was a member, referred to him as,  “Jonas Green, P.P.P.P.P,” for “Poet, Printer, Punster, Purveyor and Punchmaker general.”
 

Fire Knife Dance

Although commercial fire knife dancing is performed with wooden poles wrapped in burning towels, traditional knife dancing was composed of a machete wrapped on both ends with a towel with a portion of the blade exposed in the middle.  The Samoans call it "siva afi".
A similar demonstration of a Samoan warrior's prowess is called the "ailao" - twirling, throwing, catching, and dancing with a war club.

Red Tailed Hawk

I was in Florida when I spotted this red- tailed hawk.  These birds of prey are often used in falconry, although traditionally, a falconer flies a falcon, an austringer flies a hawk.  A male falcon or hawk is called a tercel.

The feathers and other parts of the red-tailed hawk, like those of the bald eagle and the golden eagle, are considered sacred to many Native Americans.  Possession of their feathers are governed by the eagle feather law. 

Tower Bridge of London

I was leaving London to return to the States the next morning.  It had been showering all night, and the wind had not abated.  I wished I had brought my tripod instead of my monopod.  It was relatively late, (past midnite) so except for a handful of nite owls and bar hoppers, the majority of tourists were cozied up in their hotel rooms.  I waited for the wind to stop.  A group of tourists with cameras liked the corner where I stood and took some shots.  Waited for them to leave.  Waited for the wind to stop.  Wiped the droplets off my lens.  More people came by and asked me to take their picture.  I sucked in a lung full of air, not unlike when I'm about to press the shutter release, but for a less amicable reason.  I smiled anyway and took their picture. They left.  I looked around and behind - no one within a few steps.  The wind stopped. Took my shot.

Tower Bridge was completed in 1894 and crosses the River Thames by the Tower of London, from which it gets its name. Its bascules are lifted regularly to allow ships and boats to pass beneath the bridge.  The upper pedestrian walkway, suspended by the two towers, provides excellent views.
A real-time webcam of the Tower Bridge can be viewed from this link: Tower Bridge Exhibition

Spa Creek in the Morning

Were Chesapeake Bay the trunk, then one of its branches would be the Severn River, and the little twigs stemming from this branch would be the numerous creeks extending inland into Annapolis, such as Back, Spa, College, and Weems Creeks.  South of the Severn River is the South River with its own set of creeks, among them Aberdeen, Harness, and Duvall Creeks.

This was taken on Spa Creek, early one morning, after the hues of dawn had dissipated.  Gleaming over Spa Creek were the final shards of sunrise mingling with the darker shades of the creek.  It lasted barely a minute, but what a beautiful sight.

Here's an important link: Spa Creek Conservancy

Swans of St. James' Park

St. James' Park in the City of Westminster, Central London, is the oldest Royal Park in London.
This 90-acre park features a large lake that is a wildlife sanctuary for ducks, geese, swans and pelicans.

Maryland Senate Chamber

Today, Feb.26, Maryland senators discussed proposals for a gun-control bill and are scheduled to consider amendments to the bill Wednesday morning.  Enough of that, this is not a political blog.

On either side of the desk at the front of the chamber are two small maquettes for statues on display in the U.S. Capitol  (click to enlarge the image to see them more clearly).  The one on the right is of Charles Carroll of Carrollton.  I had written about him in an earlier post.  The one on the left is of John Hanson; the first President of the U.S. to serve after the full ratification of the Articles of Confederation.  Then came six more Presidents, each serving one year terms.  So technically, George Washington was not the first President of the U.S., but the first President of the U.S. under the Constitution that we have today.

Trimper's Antique Carousel

On the south end of the boardwalk of Ocean City, Maryland, close to the inlet of South First Street, is the amusement park, Trimper's Rides.  There, you will find one of the oldest operating carousels in the nation.  Installed in 1902, it has 45 animals, three chariots and one rocking chair.  The hand-painted, hand-carved animals consists of two dogs, two pigs, a frog, a stork, a giraffe, a deer (with real antlers), a lion, a sea lion, a tiger, an ostrich, a rooster, a cat and a zebra.

Elizabeth Tower - London, England

Viewed from across the River Thames is the Westminster Bridge, the Palace of Westminster, and the Elizabeth Tower.  Big Ben is the nickname of the bell in the clock tower, but has often been extended to refer to the clock tower also.  But on June 26, 2012 the clock tower was officially renamed the Elizabeth Tower in honor of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.  Another interesting note, although a diamond jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 75th anniversary, it is only the 60th anniversary in the case of a monarch.

Ethelfleda's Mound - Warwick Castle, England

On the southern end of the courtyard of Warwick Castle stands Ethelfleda's Mound.  Ethelfleda, daughter of King Alfred the Great, was known as the Lady of the Mercians.  Her kingdom of Mercia covered the middle of England and was under constant attack from Vikings.  This fortification, spearheaded by Ethelfleda in the year 914, was the first of significance at Warwick Castle, replacing ineffective wooden ones. But she did more than build defensive fortifications.

She led armies into battle against the Vikings and defeated them in Derby and Leicester, she invaded Wales, she took on the Vikings at Chester and in 918 forced the Vikings to surrender their stronghold in York – and everywhere she went, she built castles.

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Spa Creek, Annapolis MD

Yachts, sailboats, dinghies, tenders- vessels of all kinds usually bob about in Spa Creek all year.  However, each Wednesday from April through September, members of the Annapolis Yacht Club hold a regatta.  Approximately 150 sailboats race around markers on the bay before speeding toward the finish line in Spa Creek.  The colorful race is easily viewed from the creek's drawbridge or along City Dock.