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.