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.

The Gettysburg Address

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.  We are met on a great battlefield of that war.  We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live.  It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate - we cannot consecrate- we cannot hallow this ground.  The brave men, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.  The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.  It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus so nobly advanced.  It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth - Abraham Lincoln

Historic Markers in Annapolis

Annapolis is a museum without walls.  For over 350 years the city has preserved its architectural and historical integrity, earning a designation as a National Historic Landmark in the 1960's.  The buildings are preserved and maintained by private citizens and the Historic Annapolis Foundation.  Colored markers issued by the HAF inform visitors about the style and period of each building.

To the left of the blue door is such a marker.

The markers used are:

Red: 18th-Century Vernacular and/or Georgian, 1715-1800 

Bronze:  Georgian Buildings of National Importance, 1730-1800 

Blue:  Federal, 1784-1840

Green:  Greek Revival, 1820-1860 

Gray:  19th/20th-Century Annapolis Vernacular, 1837-1921 

Purple:  Victorian, 1869-1901Yellow20th-Century Distinctive, 1901-1938

Dubrovnik Cat, Croatia

A medieval walled city off the Dalmatian Coast. Encircled by fortress walls, this ancient city of narrow winding streets, terracotta rooftops and medieval, Renaissance and Baroque architecture has survived invasions and earthquakes for over 8 centuries.  It is now on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites.

Walls of Dubrovnik, Croatia

Built between the 13th and 16th centuries, the walls that completely encircle the old town are over 2 km long and up to 25 meters high.  Dubrovnik is on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites.

Iambic Pentameter

Isn't it interesting how the rhythm and cadence of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "How Do I Love Thee?  Let Me Count the Ways" and Shakespeare's "Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?" are so similar?
Masters of the iambic pentameter.
Anyway, tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Some love it, some hate it.  If you belong to the latter, forget those sonnets, and rock along with The J Geils Band :
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah

A Mexican Caribbean Sunset, Cancun Mexico

Cancun is known as the gateway to the Mayan world.  But aside from the wonders of ancient temples and pyramids in sites like Chichen-Itza and Tulum, beats the pulse of a thriving Mexican city.  Restaurants, shopping centers, night clubs, and the Cancun flea market brings one back from the dusty past and into the  present.

Pony of Assateague Island

About 8 miles from Ocean City is Assateague Island;  roughly 37 miles of shoreline, pine forests, shrub thickets, marshes and a rich variety of wildlife.  The blue crab, herons, snakes, and the Assateague Pony
share this bird sanctuary and wildlife preserve.

There are 2 main theories on how the horses ended up on the island.  One is that they swum from a Spanish galleon that sank off the coast.  The other is that they are the feral descendants of livestock that colonial settlers owned.

The terms "horses" and "ponies" have been interchangeably used when it comes to the Assateague pony.
As a general rule, horses are 14.2 hands or more at their withers.  A hand is 4 inches, so that translates into 56.8 inches.  The height of the Assateague pony falls below that standard - when they remain on a diet of marsh grass.  But foals that have been auctioned off and raised on a healthier diet grow beyond the height qualifier.  But then there are some horse breeds that are shorter, and still classified as horses, and ponies that are taller, but still classified as ponies.  Ponies also tend to have a thicker head and chest.  It's a subject not worth a debate as far as I'm concerned.  A rose by any other name.        

Cancun on the Riviera Maya

 On the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula is the Mexican state of Quintana Roo.  Within that state is Mexico's Caribbean coastline, know as the Riviera Maya.  On the northeast section of that coastline is Cancun.  A beautiful place, with white powdery sand beaches and turquoise crystal clear warm waters.  

 

Doors of the Anasazi Ruins, New Mexico

Deep into the desert of New Mexico, past miles upon miles of dirt road, lies Chaco Canyon.  Within that canyon sprawls the Anasazi Ruins, dating back to A.D. 700.  Anasazi is a Navaho word which literally translates into "enemy ancestors", but has now come to mean "the ancient ones".  Modern descendants of this culture object to this term, however, and choose the term Ancestral Pueblo peoples.  

Ponte Vecchio Over the Arno River, Florence Italy

The Ponte Vecchio, in Florence Italy.  The name means "Old Bridge".  Highly appropriate, since its first design, in stone and wood, was built during the Roman Empire.  Its current appearance dates back to 1345.

In the opera "Gianni Schicchi", by Giacomo Puccini  is a beautiful aria, "O mio babbino caro".  In English, "O my dear father".  Lauretta, finding her budding romance with the young man Rinuccio threatened by her father, sings to him:
(translated into English)

Yes, yes, I want to go there!
And if my love were in vain,
I would go to the Ponte Vecchio
And throw myself in the Arno!