Jeff Rambles

More Dubai

2012-01-20T23:01:00.000+01:00

I'm still plugging away on the Dubai photos. I'm really hoping to finish them up this weekend. Here's one of Burj Khalifa (the world's tallest building) that I couldn't help but mess around a little bit with the saturation and color. The refection of the sun on the building makes it look a bit like a city of the future to me.

Burj Khalifa - Dubai, U.A.E.

Update: Death Race 2011

2012-01-05T14:49:00.002+01:00

As I'm sure many are anxious to know how Death Race 2011 ended...
Unsurprisingly, 2011 continued its domination in the 2nd half:

2010 - 374
2011 - 492

source: Kuwait Timesanother item of note from the same article:

"around 70,000 traffic accidents that occurred in Kuwait"

...HOLY COW! I couldn't produce Car"cass" photos that fast if my life depended on it.
I'd tag this as "humor" but in reality, it's sad.

Out and About Kuwait - III

2012-01-02T16:00:00.000+01:00

We went out to the camel races on New Year's Eve (daytime) with Carl and some friends. It is interesting and as they drive alongside the racing camels, the whole thing is far more orderly and logical than I would have thought after experiencing the driving and traffic on normal roads here. I put the complete set of photos on Photobucket. Here are a few preview photos.

Readying the "Jockeys", Kuwait

Camels Before the Race, Kuwait

About 3 Km into a 6 Km Race, Kuwait

Car"cass" VIII - Headfirst

2011-12-30T22:04:00.000+01:00

Smart Car is now a dumb car after landing on its head....now I see why these cars have roll bars, maybe smart after all....and at least now it is right side up.
Carcass VIII - Dumb Car

Dubai Mall Part I - The Waterfall

2011-12-28T21:49:00.000+01:00

More photos of Dubai, with even more sure to follow, many from the Dubai Mall and the surrounding attractions. We ate breakfast one morning at Granny's Waffles next to the waterfall.
The Waterfall - Dubai Mall, UAE

The Waterfall Divers - Dubai Mall, UAE

Diver

Dubai, UAE

2011-12-26T21:00:00.000+01:00

Visited Dubai in the United Arab Emirates for a few days with Carl before Christmas. Both of us really enjoyed the Dubai Mall and the associated sights, which is sort of surprising if you know us. I'll post more photos at some point. We got home in time on Christmas Eve to put up and decorate the tree, make a nice dinner etc.
The Flight "Home" In Time For Christmas

Sana'a, Yemen

2011-12-18T20:14:00.000+01:00

Sana'a, is unlike the cities in the Gulf region on so many levels. First, it is old...real old, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world (Old Town Sana'a earns a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List), a world away from Kuwait City, Dubai etc. It is also much poorer. And most of all, the people are easily the friendliest in the region, if not the friendliest people in the world. I recently finished...well mostly finished, going through photos I've taken there and added them to the SLIDESHOW menu on the right side of the page. None of the photos are captioned yet, and I still have a few that I'll eventually add, but that may be a while. Below is a small sampling, the complete slideshow can be seen HERE.

Boys in the Hood - Sana'a, Yemen

Neighborhood Dealers (Khat) - Sana'a, Yemen

Sana'a, Yemen

Garlic in the Market - Sana'a, Yemen

Old Wall - Sana'a, Yemen

Car"cass" VII - Death Race 2011

2011-12-10T16:50:00.000+01:00

I can't afford the expensive actors so people are poaching my brand. I'm trying to defend it as much as possible, Arabic sub-titles, and the best actor I can afford, a Corvette. I even had a stunt man sans seat-belt go up and over the airbag...
Carcass VII - Death Race 2011

Carcass VII - With Arabic Subtitles

Carcass VII - Starring "Corvette"

Carcass VII - Featuring "Toyota" In a Supporting Role

Carcass VII - Incredible Death Stunts

You Know You're Old...

2011-12-04T19:30:00.001+01:00

When whole countries are younger than you are...
Happy 40th Birthday United Arab Emirates

Tangle

2011-11-27T16:28:00.001+01:00

Taken with my 70-200 2.8L lens and a 25mm extension tube this morning when the sunlight was pouring into the apartment. In retrospect, I should have messed around a bit with the lensbaby too.

Yarn

Afternoon Walk

2011-11-25T16:14:00.001+01:00

Took my walk today during the day. I usually go at night, but it was such a nice day and I have a lot of yesterday's turkey and trimmings to walk off. As is normal on nice weekend days this time of year, there were thousands of families chilling and grilling out along the waterfront. Here are a couple of the photos I took.
Kuwait Towers - Kuwait

A little "wayside" mosque I frequently pass by along the water. Crescent Moon - Kuwait

"Car"cass VI - Funeral Procession

2011-11-15T21:32:00.001+01:00

Filmed on location in Abu Dhabi...Six vehicles were hurt in the filming of this award winning feature

Carcass VI - Abu Dhabi

That'll be $8.25...

2011-11-15T21:19:00.001+01:00

What a deal! with the exchange rate that is only...$8.2516 oz Sour Cream

Forgetting Stuff

2011-10-08T21:42:00.003+02:00

I'm not sure I actually ever knew though...
On a trip to Baku, Azerbaijan 5 years or so ago, I took a number of photos of sculptures and things that caught my eye around town. For the most part all these years later I have no idea who or what they are. I learned my lesson on some later trips. In Sofia and Zagreb, for instance, I wrote things down at night in the hotel room. I'm not sure I had a good enough guide book or other information handy in Baku. It was still the early days of my digital camera too.

One of Many Looking Down Upon Those Passing By - Baku, Azerbaijan

Some Guy & A Sculpture of Struggle - Baku, Azerbaijan

Another Guy, Probably Important - Baku, Azerbaijan

He was Important Too - Baku, Azerbaijan

Hah! I know one, Haydar Aliyev, according to wikipedia, the 3rd President of Azerbaijan

Heydər Əlirza oğlu Əliyev - Baku, Azerbaijan

Chicago Reflections

2011-09-30T22:32:00.004+02:00

From exactly four years ago, when we spent a couple days in Chicago with Ryan after his graduation from Navy Boot Camp.

Downtown Chicago Reflections - 2007

Downtown Chicago Reflections - 2007

Downtown Chicago Reflections - 2007

Frog Blog II

2011-09-17T23:23:00.003+02:00

The first photo is just another view of the frog in my first frog blog post. It is a good illustration of the ton of difference in the look of water & reflections that can be made by changing the angle just a little bit. The second photo is another frog I saw along our walk.

Frog - Cincinnati Nature Center, Milford

Frog - Cincinnati Nature Center, Milford

Cincinnati Geometry

2011-09-14T20:02:00.002+02:00

Took these on the way and at the Red's game a couple weeks back. I like clear, dark blue skies.

Great American Tower - Cincinnati

Great American Ball Park - Cincinnati

"Car"cass V - Remnants On The Cutting Room Floor

2011-09-10T18:45:00.006+02:00

Yes, it was a banner weekend for the "Car"cass brand...

This first remnant may be the remains of something that happened while we were out of town. It was less than 100 yds up the street from Carcass IV, at the intersection with Gulf Rd. Which coincidentally was the same location as Carcass I and the same location as "It Came from the Deep" on 2:48AM's blog. Which goes to show that they probably drive/sail boats and watercraft as bad as they do cars here.

Carcass Va - Kuwait

Bus stops may not be the best place to hang around. It was seeing a truck wipe out a bus stop on the 30 here a couple months ago that was an impetus for my "Car"cass series. Then again, Gulf Rd probably isn't the best place to hang around, as this was just 200 yds or so down toward Marina Mall from the three others.

Carcass Vb - Kuwait

"Car"cass IV - P is for Perpetrator

2011-09-10T18:38:00.004+02:00

I can't believe I didn't see or hear this one at the time. I can literally spit on the "victim" out our living room window. A friend pointed it out to me sitting in a parking lot near our apartment Saturday morning and the carcass was still there for the mug shot in the evening. From the intersection where he took the turn, the perp had less than 100 yds to build up to the speed to do this.

Carcass IV, The Perp - Kuwait

The Victim - Kuwait

"Car"cass III - Dawn of the Dead

2011-09-10T18:30:00.003+02:00

I saw this wreck on Gulf Rd right after it happened Wednesday night during my evening walk. A black sedan took out this palm tree. The car must have been totally airborne when it hit, none of the little bushes hedging the median were damaged and there are no tire marks on the grass. So I woke up early the next morning and scurried down there right after sunrise...and the car was gone! Only some broken bits remained.

Carcass III - Kuwait

Frog Blog

2011-09-06T21:14:00.003+02:00

During my visit back to Cincinnati, Shelby and I took a few hours one morning and visited the Cincinnati Nature Center (Rowe Woods) right down the road from us. Here is one of many good photos I got of a frog we saw on the Edge Trail (warning PDF). I got down on my belly on the boardwalk over a section of pond to get a lot of the shots.

Frog - Cincinnati Nature Center, Milford

Abstract

2011-08-22T20:56:00.004+02:00

Haven't done one of these in a while...took this over the weekend and just messed with it in photoshop...I was too lazy to go out this weekend and take photos of some of the truly awesome carcasses I saw.

Stars, Bubbles, Drops ...

First Political Rant of the Season

2011-08-16T22:59:00.004+02:00

As the political season ramps up, it is easier and easier to get me ranting...

It suddenly struck me from 5000 miles away how f(*&^d up everyone is back there...

I'm hearing corporations are people.

I'm left wondering if corporations are people, can they marry?
Apparently they can...but only other corporations, and multiple times at that!

Somehow everything in the U.S. seems stacked in the corporations' favor these days.

Gays still can't marry in most states, and I believe polygamy is outlawed in all 50 states...

Somehow I'm thinking that when the corporations get married they don't pay any more taxes (if they pay any to begin with) due to the marriage penalty...

The United States needs to re-establish The Rule of Law at home before it pushes such ideals abroad...anything else is hypocrisy...but that would begin a whole other rant.

...can corporations go to jail?

or better yet, get the death penalty?
(rare for the big guys but apparently they can, Lehman Bros must have been a minority whose public defender wasn't up to the job while AIG, Goldman Sachs, BoA and Citibank are all lily white with high priced lawyers, looks like maybe a fine here or there for them, but no hard time, much less the ultimate penalty)

It Is Nice To Feel Loved...

2011-08-06T23:24:00.004+02:00

I thought of these after the S&P downgrade of U.S.A.'s credit rating.
Seen along my travels...

Someone Doesn't Like NATO - Split, Croatia

Someone Didn't Like Bush II - Sofia, Bulgaria

Patterns and Abstract

2011-08-06T23:17:00.004+02:00

I like patterns and photos of the details of stuff such that you really can't tell much about the subject...like a blind man touching an elephant's tusk.

National Palace of Culture (NDK)Национален дворец на културата - Sofia, Bulgaria

Where I Was....

2011-08-06T22:42:00.003+02:00

August 2007....

Beehives Near Lukomir, Bosnia

August 2008....

Water Frozen in Time - Sofia, Bulgaria

"Car"cass II - The Cremation

2011-07-30T15:58:00.004+02:00

I saw this carcass today in a parking lot off Gulf Road near the Kuwait Towers. I'm thinking it was probably there for a couple days, the smell wasn't so bad.

Carcass II - KuwaitPhoto From The "Good Side"

Carcass II - KuwaitThe Not So Good Side

Carcass II - KuwaitWith No Make-Up

Carcass II - KuwaitFace It, You're a Wreck

Iconic Kuwait

2011-07-30T15:33:00.004+02:00

When you see images of Kuwait, the Kuwait Towers are almost always included. They are only about 5 miles down the road from us but we took a little time and went up there today. Otherwise we'd probably "get to it someday" and still never have been when it is time to leave for good. It cost 2KD (about $7.20) to take an elevator to the top ball of the tower with two balls. The lower ball houses a restaurant and cafe, the upper ball houses a 2-level viewing platform and a gift and snack shop. The windows weren't very clean, but with the dust the way it is around here, I didn't find that very surprising.

Kuwait Towers - Kuwait City

Kuwait Towers - Kuwait City

Kuwait Towers - Kuwait City

Kuwait Towers - Kuwait City

Water Park @ Kuwait Towers - Kuwait City

You Can See! - Kuwait City

A Few More

2011-07-29T21:34:00.004+02:00

These photos are from my visit to the Jewish Cemetery just before I left in 2009. I didn't have my computer at the time so at first I didn't post photos, but later I tried using what I had to work with on a laptop.

Jewish Cemetery - Sarajevo

Jewish Cemetery - Sarajevo

Jewish Cemetery - Sarajevo

Jewish Cemetery - Sarajevo

Jewish Cemetery, Sarajevo

2011-07-29T18:37:00.004+02:00

Jevrejsko Groblje u Sarajevu
I don't know what made me think of these photos today...these were taken during our visit with Shelby in May.

According to the sign, the Jewish Cemetery in Sarajevo is the second largest in Europe. Only the Jewish Cemetery in Prague is larger. The Sarajevo cemetery dates to 1630. It was home to snipers preying on the residents of Sarajevo during the siege in the 1990's and was heavily mined. The cemetery is de-mined now, but much of it remains overgrown. Many of the headstones exhibit the wear and tear only a bullet can provide.

Headstone- Jewish Cemetery, Sarajevo

Overlooking Sarajevo- Jewish Cemetery

Birch Tree - Jewish Cemetery, Sarajevo

Restored Headstones- Jewish Cemetery, Sarajevo

"Car"cass

2011-07-26T22:17:00.004+02:00

The wrecks around here are impressive in their destructive power. Friday and Saturday mornings especially, you can see "carcasses" as I call them, on the sides of the highways. Remnants of the high-speed shenanigans gone wrong the night before. I decided that I would take on the making of documentary photos of the destroyed autos as one of my projects while I'm here.

My first "car"cass shot is from an accident a hundred yards or so up the street from our apartment.

Toyota Corolla, RIP - Kuwait

Behind McDonalds

2011-07-22T19:38:00.003+02:00

I took this photo back in March....we haven't seen many, if any, days as dust free since then...today was probably the closest. This sculpture, or whatever it is, is behind the McDonalds on Arabian Gulf Rd. I'm hoping to soon get and post a photo that is more typical of this time of year. The afternoon sun low in the sky with the dust and haze and the city sky line...

Doves - Kuwait

English Muffins

2011-07-16T10:01:00.004+02:00

One thing you can't get here, but would be legal if you could (unlike alcohol, and pork) is English muffins. We've had family successfully mail us some packages during the cooler portion of the year, but the packages certainly wouldn't survive the current temperatures. So a few weeks back I started looking into making my own and found a promising recipe at Allrecipes.com. (I highly recommend the site, anything with 4+ stars has been very good)

Yesterday I tried the recipe out for Elesa's discriminating English muffin palate. She liked them...they aren't perfect, some don't seem to have the bigger "nooks & crannies". I'm sure that most of that is due to technique, which I'm hoping will get better with practice.

Homemade English Muffins

The Bench

2011-07-16T09:57:00.003+02:00

Near the top of our apartment building's stairwell is a bench...maybe as a resting place for those of us that do the stairs for exercise?

The Bench

Out and About II - Kuwait

2011-06-30T21:45:00.006+02:00

Another outing organized by the AWARE Center a few weeks ago was an evening with a guided tour through the "House of Mirrors". It is a residential house where the lady of the house, Lidia Al-Qattan, basically went nuts 20 or so years ago and started covering walls in bits of colored glass and bits of mirrors...grand mosaics to small little details: doorways, hallways, doors and floors, radiators, lamps, stove, the stairway to the 2nd floor. Basically the outside of the house and the entire first floor are covered in bits of mirror. She was a very friendly and animated hostess/guide and her stories about how it all began and the various rooms were funny and entertaining.

The second floor was more dedicated to the art work of her late husband, Khalifa Al Qattan and some of her other interests and her own artwork, planets, the universes...harmony ...all illustrated with colored lights, painted carpet and sculpture.

Here are a few of the photos I took. All 22 can be seen on photobucket...HERE.

Fish - House of Mirrors, Kuwait

Paint on Carpet - House of Mirrors, Kuwait

Reflections (Imagine That!) - House of Mirrors, Kuwait

Lights - House of Mirrors, Kuwait

Reflections II - House of Mirrors, Kuwait

Out and About - Kuwait

2011-06-25T22:34:00.004+02:00

I'm trying to get/stay on top of things with regards to the photos I take here in Kuwait. Just a week or so ago we went on a tour of the Arab Organizations Building organized by the AWARE Center. It is a bland building from the outside (as all but a very few of the ultra modern glass towers are here) but the inside has art work and design work worthy of ~~writing home~~ blogging about.

Here are a couple of teaser photos and a link to a slideshow (as yet uncaptioned:)

Entrance Foyer - Arab Organizations Building, Kuwait

Screen - Arab Organizations Building, Kuwait

Water Fountain - Arab Organizations Building, Kuwait

Entrance to Sitting Room - Arab Organizations Building, Kuwait

I'm Famous...

2011-06-25T17:48:00.003+02:00

or maybe obscure...

I was reading a photography forum and a reference was made to how you can use google to search for a particular image. (if interested, see http://www.google.com/insidesearch/searchbyimage.html)

The discussion centered around copyright infringement...basically stealing people's photographs posted on line and either claiming them as your own, or using them without attribution (and compensation) or the worst I guess, selling them. Being the curious type, I searched a few of my photos and was shocked...SHOCKED I tell you, to find that some of my photos have been used without attribution:

Possibly my favorite photo of all time, blogged HERE
Shows up at a travel site page about Kakadu HERE

One of my very recent photos taken while on a return visit to Sarajevo, taken from Shelby's balcony. Shows up in a thread "The Skylines in Eastern Europe"

One of my Plitvice photos shows up in a thread all in Cyrillic that I can't read.

A Lake Bled photo is linked on another travel site

And my blog entry about Sutjeska Monument has photos showing up a number of times including twice on this site.

Last, one of my earliest blogged photos is apparently "for sale" or for upload to your facebook account...it's making me rich!

The coolest part though, is how many people apparently look like an elephant....or a tombstone (see the "Visually similar images" :)

It is also cool how google tries to figure out where and what of the photo is taken.

A Day in Dubrovnik

2011-06-12T21:23:00.006+02:00

Lot of links in this one...could keep the curious among my many readers quite busy...

Although we ended up going back a number of times, the first trip we took to Dubrovnik in late January of 2007 was one of our last as the original 5...the weather was great and we had a good time. My original blog entry was Here.
I took a huge number of photos that day as did Ryan and Shelby.

A later trip to Croatia that included a stop in Dubrovnik I also blogged Here and put a slideshow of our friends' entire visit on photobucket. At least one other trip to Dubrovnik didn't even warrant a mention in the blog.

I've been trying to organize things lately and when I started keywording the photos from that time period... (and ironically, I blogged about my lack of organization with regards to my photographs using a photo from this original trip Here) I realized how many I liked that were taken in just that one day. So I processed a bunch of them over the past few days and here is a sample of the results.... the entire slideshow can be seen on photobucket, I've still have a few to add, and the photos haven't been captioned yet....that may be asking too much of me...enjoy.

Silhouette and the Sea - Dubrovnik, Croatia

Water Drain - Dubrovnik, Croatia

Flag Above the Walls - Dubrovnik, Croatia

The Walled City - Dubrovnik, Croatia

Cross Above Dubrovnik, Croatia

"Bonsai" Tree

2011-05-29T16:49:00.002+02:00

Every time I drive down Cemetery Rd past Greenlawn Cemetery I'd look at this tree and think it looks like a big bonsai tree. After a bit of a snow this past winter, I walked down and took some photos. They didn't really turn out like I'd visualized, but yesterday when I was sorting through things, keywording etc. I took another look. Here are four interpretations (or "moods" as you will" via Photoshop of the very same photo. You're always welcome to vote for your favorite.

Pretty much straight out of the camera, with minimal processing, no cropping...

Tree - Greenlawn Cemetery Milford, Ohio

A bit of a crop, sliding the "Clarity" slider to the negative:

Tree - Greenlawn Cemetery Milford, Ohio

Same bit of crop, Black and white, various color filters applied and sliding the "Clarity" slider to the negative:

Tree - Greenlawn Cemetery Milford, Ohio

Again same crop, Black and white, various color filters applied, Clarity slider left in neutral:

Tree - Greenlawn Cemetery Milford, Ohio

Sofia, Bulgaria (София, Sofiya)

2011-05-27T16:59:00.007+02:00

A few years ago I spent some time in Sofia, Bulgaria. I took a lot of photos while I was there and even put some on the blog. Below are some of the photos that I don't think I ever got around to before.

St. Sofia - Sofia, BulgariaSveta Sofia

Church of St Nicholas the Miracle-Maker - Sofia, Bulgariaцърква "Св. Николай Чудотворец", tsarkva "Sv. Nikolay Chudotvorets"

St. Nedelya Church - Sofia, Bulgariaцърква „Света Неделя“ Sveta Nedelya

Inside St. Nedelya Church - Sofia, Bulgariaцърква „Света Неделя“ Sveta Nedelya

St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral - Sofia, BulgariaХрам-паметник „Свети Александър Невски“, Hram-pametnik „Sveti Aleksandar Nevski“

St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral - Sofia, BulgariaХрам-паметник „Свети Александър Невски“, Hram-pametnik „Sveti Aleksandar Nevski“

Monument to the Unknown Soldier - Sofia, BulgariaПаметник на Незнайния воин, Pametnik na Neznayniya voin

Soviet Era Sculpture - Sofia, Bulgaria

Sarajevo Door Handle

2011-05-20T23:35:00.001+02:00

not the first time I've had a photo of them... but here is one in actual use.

Door Handle - Sarajevo

I've Been Busy

2011-05-15T23:07:00.002+02:00

Very busy...including a trip back to Sarajevo...

Sarajevo Skyline At Dusk

Veliki Park Tombstone - Sarajevo

Things in Odd Places

2011-03-28T21:53:00.003+02:00

Shortly before the sand storm hit, I found this up on the ridge...

Leonardo's Head

Another Desert Adventure

2011-03-26T16:22:00.005+01:00

I'm not sure the photos will do yesterday afternoon and evening justice....but I'll try. Next time, I hope I shoot better under pressure :) In the end we were stuck for about 3 hrs or so until the wind and sand calmed down enough so that we could make our way out to the road.

An Afternoon of Clear Blue Skies in Kuwait

We Could See for Miles

We Had a Great Little "Camping" Spot

A Nice Breeze for a Glide

Trouble Rolls In

Roar is a More Apt Description

Same Rocks from the First Photo...Different Angle

Night Came Early

Patterns

2011-03-05T21:50:00.005+01:00

I like taking photos of patterns...look back through and you can see a lot of patterns here. Tree bark and leaves...cemetery stones etc. Anyway, I still await "my stuff" which includes my computer, the drives with the bulk of my photographs and everything else. In the meantime, from some of the memory cards I do have and my time in D.C. in January, using GIMP and my laptop I present a few more patterns:

Metro Station - Washington D.C.

Pine Bark - Patuxent Research Refuge, MD

Never Too Far From Home

2011-02-27T18:51:00.004+01:00

Apparently there is a market here in Kuwait for Kroger brand Worcestershire sauce....this figures to be about $2.30 for a 15 ounce bottle.

A Long Way from Cincinnati - Kuwait

An Evening in the Desert

2011-02-21T20:55:00.004+01:00

We spent an evening out in the desert a couple nights ago with a group of new friends. Here are some of photos...I'll be anxious to see what they really look like when my good computer gets here. These are the jpegs out of the camera with some editing on my laptop via GIMP, the open source image editing program...it is to Adobe's Photoshop(CS5) what OpenOffice is to MicroSoft's Office Suite. It is the first time I've used GIMP (just downloaded it last night) and the laptop screen isn't what I'd call photo-editing friendly for color, contrast etc.

Desert Ridge and Four-Wheeler Tracks - Kuwait

Shadows in the Sand - Kuwait

Looking Toward the City - Kuwait

Hang Gliding at Dusk - Kuwait

Desert Ridge at Dusk - Kuwait

Been Busy...

2011-02-02T19:04:00.002+01:00

and will continue to be so for a while. I have been taking photos though, just not much time to go through them.

Reeds in the Wind - Patuxent Research Refuge, MD

Corvette Museum

2011-01-17T19:08:00.003+01:00

One of our stops was the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The Corvette has always been one of my favorite cars, partially because it has stayed essentially true to form since it's introduction in 1953. It hasn't tried to be an economy car, a family car...nope just a 2 seat sports car for over 50 yrs. I wouldn't mind having one some day, even if, as many women have told me, "it is an old man's car".

Since pretty much everyone has seen Corvettes, here are a few other photos I took at the museum. The mural is composed of hundreds of small photos of people with their Corvettes.

Corvette Mural - Corvette Museum, Bowling Green KY

Iconic Corvette Emblem

Corvette In the Chrome Era

Kentucky Bourbon Trail

2011-01-16T05:18:00.002+01:00

We took off for a few days and went on a little trip down to Kentucky. It was a nice break. First order of business on the drive was a stop at the Jim Beam Distillery outside of Louisville (one of the six bourbon distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail) for a little tour and tasting. I've been on a lot of tours of breweries and wineries over the years, but this was my first time to a distillery. The combination of chemistry, cooking and art fascinates me with regards to beer, wine and spirits...with the added bonus that you get to drink the results. (I like things where you get to eat the results too :)

Jim Beam is the largest producer of bourbon in the world (by far). The tour currently does not include a stop by their working stills, but we did go through one of their barns (aging warehouse) for storing the barrels while the aging occurs. It was fascinating. Six stories of white oak barrels all stacked up and rolled on beams. The warehouse essentially consisted of some kind of corrugated material for the roof and sides to keep out the rain (and probably little else) along with beams of wood to roll the barrels along. Jim Beam does not climate control their aging warehouses. After spending years in these barns, some of the barrels look a little worse for wear. The barrels are used for bourbon only once, then the lucky ones get an all expenses paid trip to Scotland to be used in the aging of Scotch.

Besides the namesake bourbons (Jim Beam 4yr, 7yr, Green-5yr, Black-8yr and Yellow-Rye whiskey), Beam also produces what they call their "Small Batch Collection" of premium bourbons. I think Knob Creek is probably the best known, but also Baker's, Basil Hayden's and Booker's. Also a newer product, Red Stag. The tasting consisted of Booker's and Red Stag. Booker's is their super duper premium bourbon. It is uncut, straight from the barrel so each barrel will be slightly different. The particular bottle we tasted from was 127 1/2 Proof and I found it quite tasty with a little higher viscosity than other spirits I've had. Red Stag a flavored bourbon infused with black cherry and a bit sweet. I liked it too, but more as a cordial type drink I think. Here are a few photos from of the aging.

Barrel of Aging Bourbon - Jim Beam Distillery, Clermont KY

Barrels of Aging Bourbon Stamped with Lot # etc.

Corrugated Wall of Aging Warehouse

April 18, 1810 - May 12, 1890

2011-01-09T04:51:00.005+01:00

I drove out to see the covered bridge over Stonelick Creek yesterday and get some photos with the snow and blue skies. I wasn't so happy with the results, but of course I enjoyed the nearby St. Philomena Cemetery. Here a couple of photos with the third being the result of messing with various black and white techniques in photoshop.

St. Philomena Cemetery - Stonelick Township, OH

St. Philomena Cemetery via Lensbaby

St. Philomena Cemetery, In Monochrome

Maya and the Afghan

2011-01-06T06:29:00.005+01:00

Maya likes blankets and pillows to curl up on...she seems to like Elesa's latest project before it is even finished...

Maya and the Afghan

7 - 10 Split

2011-01-06T06:25:00.005+01:00

Luck wasn't with dad on the bowling alley earlier this week...

The Creation of a 7 - 10 Split

The Eagle

2011-01-06T03:36:00.002+01:00

My sister has been telling me for at least 5 yrs that she frequently sees a bald eagle not far from her (and consequently, my) house, along SR126 in Indian Hill's (they limit access to residents) Grand Valley Preserve at Camp Dennison. But she's never gotten a photo. Her husband saw the eagle for the first time about a week ago and snapped a photo with his cell phone. Today she saw it on her way home from work, so she rushed the rest of the way home, got her new camera and me and we went out to take a look.

There were a number of other observers. A few of which are avid birders, and one of those is seriously into bird photography and has photographed the eagle a number of times. He is on flickr HERE. And a collection of the photos he's taken at the Preserve are HERE. The photos include a series of shots as one of the bald eagles swooped down and grabbed a duck "for lunch" as well as this SHOT as the eagle flew straight at him. His shots are accomplished with skill, patience and persistence I probably don't have...nor do I have (but I may some day :) the 500 mm lens and 1.4X Extender he was using.

Bald Eagle - Camp Dennison, OH

My New Toy

2010-12-30T01:12:00.003+01:00

Mrs. Claus brought me a new lens for Christmas, a Lensbaby.

I first got to play with an original model back in Santa Fe a number of years ago and have wanted one ever since. The whole point of the lens is the blur and the way you can tilt the point of sharpness and focus. It will take some practice and getting used to because I don't see so well and it is a manual focus lens.

Here are a few of my photos from today. I walked through a local cemetery that has a number of graves from the mid-late 1800's. I figured that was only fitting since the Santa Fe National Cemetery was where I was first introduced to this type lens.

St. Andrews Cemetery - Milford, OH

St. Andrews Cemetery - Milford, OH

This is the same tree as in this previous post.
Sycamore Tree - Milford, OH

King on the Game Table

Winter Continues...

2010-12-17T18:18:00.002+01:00

and it isn't even here yet.....spring seems a long time away

Pine With Snow

Baltimore's Inner Harbor

2010-12-13T15:32:00.004+01:00

I spent a late afternoon walking around Baltimore's Inner Harbor last week. It was a beautiful, if a bit cold day with bright deep blue skies. It was amazing to see how much the harbor area has changed in the past 26 years or so. What used to be home to a lot abandoned docks and warehouses is now home to posh condos, hotels, and fancy shops and restaurants...

I'm not too good at merging photos into a panoramic shot, I don't have the time and I'm on my rather slow and old computer....so excuse the obvious merging skies etc in the first shot.

Baltimore and Inner Harbor from Federal Hill

Mooring Pylons with Seven Foot Knoll in the distance - Inner Harbor

Hard Rock's Guitar Towers Above Inner Harbor

Cannon and Flag on Federal Hill

Longwood Gardens

2010-12-11T23:44:00.005+01:00

We visited Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania earlier this week and saw their Christmas display. We didn't have the energy to stay around late enough to see the lights once it got dark (we arrived at 10 am. and it was a pretty cold and blustery day). Walking through the grounds made me really like to see the gardens and fountains in late spring or late summer. This time, we spent most of our time inside the conservatory. It is something like 4 acres undercover and it was beautifully decorated for Christmas (and it was warm:). The various Christmas trees were especially nicely decorated.

The Longwood Gardens is one of Pierre Samuel du Pont's lasting legacies. Walking around the grounds made me wonder if any of the present day robber bankers will leave a legacy beyond their current blatant pillaging of damn near anything they can get their hands on (only with government approval of course).

Christmas Ornaments on Tree - Longwood Gardens, PA

Decorated Christmas Tree - Longwood Gardens, PA

"Silver" Plants as a Theme - Longwood Gardens, PA

Succulent in the Cactus Room - Longwood Gardens, PA

Winter is Here

2010-12-06T01:54:00.004+01:00

A little earlier than I'd prefer. I took this on my snowy walk yesterday.

Cold Pumpkin

Man of War

2010-12-02T01:21:00.002+01:00

Hopefully I'm back to posting more photos. I'm definitely getting the chance to take more again...a bunch of Portuguese Man-of-War were washed up on the beach at Destin last week. Most were the size of about a quarter, but some were bigger like this one, about the size of a small cantaloupe.

Man Of War

Reflectons Chicago 2007

2010-11-04T20:52:00.003+01:00

Downtown Chicago Reflections - 2007

Looking Back,Two Years Ago Today - Lake Bled, Slovenia

2010-10-10T12:29:00.005+02:00

Looking back fondly ... we had a great time, and I'm certainly looking forward to more weekend adventures...

Bled Island & Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary - SloveniaBlejski Otok, Cerkev Marijinega Vnebovzetja

Tonight - Crescent Moon

2010-09-11T19:15:00.006+02:00

I missed that cool blue/purple twilight sky by just a few minutes...but the craters and details of the moon came out nice.

Crescent Moon and Venus9/11/2010 Over the Middle East

Crop of above to show detail...

Crescent Moon

A Year Ago...

2010-09-09T21:37:00.004+02:00

...we'd just returned from our cruise. Here are a few photos I took on the flight the Seattle to Salt Lake City leg of the flights home. The window view flying into and out of Seattle is just amazing.

Great Salt Lake - Utah

Crop Circles From the Air

River

Mount St. Helens - Washington State

Contrails and Mount Hood - Washington State

Catch...

2010-08-21T17:39:00.001+02:00

...the wind,

Catch a wave...

Catch a fish...

Catch some rays...

Catch... - North Myrtle Beach, SC

Turtle

2010-08-21T17:11:00.003+02:00

There were dozens, probably hundreds of turtles in this little lake/pond. I happen to like this particular shot, more for the abstract qualities than anything else...looks like the turtle is heading into a galaxy...

Turtle Heads Into The Maelstrom - North Myrtle Beach, SC

I'm No Snake Expert

2010-08-17T23:09:00.004+02:00

but we figured out this one was a rattlesnake...something to do with all the racket it was making with its tail.

From the National Park Service Web Site:
"The first question that most park visitors have when they see a snake is “Is it poisonous?” The answer is almost always “no,” since only 2 of the 23 species of snakes that live in the park are venomous: the Northern Copperhead and Timber Rattlesnake. The likelihood of an average visitor even seeing a venomous snake in the Great Smokies, let alone being bitten by one, is extremely small. There is no record of a human fatality due to snakebite in the park’s history."

Timber Rattlesnake - Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Timber Rattlesnake - Great Smoky Mountains National Park

"Headshot" Timber Rattlesnake - Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The "Rattle" Timber Rattlesnake - Great Smoky Mountains National Park

And Off It Goes, Timber Rattlesnake - Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Green

2010-08-12T22:29:00.006+02:00

After spending time in a desert, I tend to go a little nuts photographing stuff that is green. Great Smoky Mountains National Park was a "target rich environment". All these photos were taken in a relatively short period of time in the park's Greenbrier section, near the trail head to Ramsey's Cascades one morning.

Fallen Tree - Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Mountain Stream - Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Mini Falls - Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Mini Falls #2 - Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Rocks, Moss and Forest - Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Moss on Rock - Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Pine Tree

2010-08-11T23:27:00.002+02:00

Pine Tree - Clingman's Dome, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Not What You Want to See On Your Plane...

2010-08-09T21:26:00.003+02:00

A woman straddling a jet engine isn't sexy...when it is the plane you are getting on, it is scary

Fixing the Engine - CVG, July 2010

Spruce Flat Falls

2010-07-31T23:26:00.003+02:00

A nice, little known hike with a wonderful waterfall at the end.

Spruce Flat Falls - Great Smoky Mountains National Park

More Tree Bark and Fungi

2010-07-30T22:39:00.004+02:00

A few days of my time off were spent in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A peaceful and beautifully green (especially compared to the desert here) park once you get away from the crowds of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and the main thoroughfares. It is one of about 12 of the U.S. National Parks on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Below is the first of what will probably be many photos I post from those few days in the Smokies.

BTW, two Ohio "properties" are under consideration for inclusion on UNESCO's list...a collection of locations in Dayton associated with the Wright Bros. and the early days of aviation, and Serpent Mound in Adams County, which I've still not made it to with my camera, even though it is almost right next door.

Moss and Fungi on Tree - Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Nature's Spirograph

2010-07-29T05:22:00.002+02:00

All kinds of excuses for the lack of recent posting...the best of which was vacation :)

One of the many photos I took during my time off, these natural Spirograph type drawings in the dunes near the beach always fascinate me.

Nature's Spirograph - North Myrtle Beach, SC

Dying to Get Out of Here

2010-06-17T22:23:00.002+02:00

this bird didn't make it...

Two Years Ago Today

2010-06-05T23:27:00.004+02:00

Since I've not actually had much opportunity to take new photos...two years ago today, my parents were visiting and on one of our drives around, we stopped up above Sarajevo and I took a series of 6 photographs I intended to merge together into a panoramic ...tonight I tried out the photomerge function in Photoshop CS4 for the first time and here is the result. After the merge and cropping out the "waste" it was still over 45 megapixels. I think Blogger limits me to only 1024 pixels wide (the original is over 17,000). I would have liked a little more blue in the sky (that was behind us) but it was still a nice day. See how many cemeteries you can count...

Sarajevo Valley, 2008 - Sarajevo, BiH

Zetra Olympic Stadium (extracted from the photo above) - Sarajevo, BiH

I'm Thinking

2010-05-29T19:14:00.000+02:00

that people aren't so close right now...in retrospect, we were probably too close...I think these are all scans from Jan 2005. When we went up in 2006, we actually looked down the hole spewing lava in the photo #4...

At the Edge of Creation - Volcan Pacaya, Guatamala City

Lava Tube Breathing Fire - Volcan Pacaya. Guatamala City

Sulfur & Steam - Volcan Pacaya, Guatamala City

Modern Day Dragon Spitting Fire - Volcan Pacaya, Guatamala City

Some of the Oldest Photos of Mine

2010-05-24T22:52:00.005+02:00

that I can find among my scans on this computer...I'm sure I have a pile of negatives somewhere from when Ryan was born. I first really got into photography and shooting slide film in Australia the early 90's...maybe 1992 or 1993 when I bought an EOS-10s. It is interesting to go back and see how far I've come and how good I still think some of my early photos are. I also wonder what I'd do now photographically in the same situation but with the experience and equipment I have now...

The oldest first...too bad I didn't have the 70-200 2.8L IS for this one...I wouldn't count this as one that I still consider real good...it is just one of the very oldest I have.

Pink Cockatoos at Sunset - Northern Territory, Australia

This was just weeks before we left, on a road trip through the Northern Territory with another family that was also from Cincinnati and also leaving...this remains one of my favorite photos of all time and among the first I posted...I took 6-8 rolls of 36exp slide film on the about 10 day trip. If I took the trip today, I'd probably shoot a couple thousand photos.

Devil's Marbles - Northern Territory, Australia

Among the many highlights of that trip was our time in Kakadu National Park

Yellow Waters - Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia

Portrait of an Iris

2010-05-11T00:25:00.004+02:00

These were in full bloom when I left last week...

Iris - In the Front Yard

Some Things are Growing Fast

2010-04-30T04:28:00.003+02:00

I'll basically see the entire mushroom life-cycle in the less than 3 weeks I'm here....in the meantime, I don't think that my cherry tomato seedlings even grew a millimeter...

Mushrooms II, They Came From Mars...

In The Front Yard This Morning

2010-04-21T06:48:00.003+02:00

I had to get down on my belly for this shot...

Mushrooms

Spring Time in Greater Cincinnati

2010-04-19T06:02:00.003+02:00

Beautiful day today...some shots from this afternoon's little trip to the Cincinnati Flower Show which is appropriately enough...in Loveland.

I think these were probably already in the park...

Red Buds & Blue Sky

Hyacinth

Flowers...

I Think This was July, 2005

2010-04-10T23:00:00.004+02:00

But like the previous post, these are scanned slides...and unlike digital files from my digital camera, they don't necessarily come with dates attached...

Roaring Forks - Great Smoky Mountain National Park

Roaring Forks - Great Smoky Mountain National Park

Biotopo del Quetzal

2010-04-08T23:39:00.004+02:00

These are from way back...scanned slides. Still just looking through all the photos I've taken over the years...holy cow there is a lot I totally forgot about.

Something made me think of my photos and slideshows on photobucket.com (individual links on the right) and I realized I never linked to my Guatemala album...well I corrected that now...which got me looking through a massive folder of slides I scanned back then that I'd copied to the new computer (because someday I'll have heaps of time to organize ya ya ya...) and now with photoshop on a computer with the memory to handle the massive scans...here are a few I touched on this evening. I think only the bromeliad has a version in the slideshow...

Anyway, a really neat place up in the Coban cloud-forest is the Biotopo del Quetzal. We went there two or three times and actually managed to see a Quetzal on one of those trips.

Ferns and Fog - Biotopo del Quetzal, Guatemala

Bromeliad - - Biotopo del Quetzal, Guatemala

Patterns in the Canopy - Biotopo del Quetzal, Guatemala

Small Waterfall - Biotopo del Quetzal, Guatemala

New Mexico Moon

2010-04-07T07:41:00.002+02:00

Another old one...

Wind and Moon - Santa Fe, New Mexico

Continuing With the Past

2010-04-01T23:42:00.004+02:00

Still going through old photos. This was taken during the week-long photography workshop to learn photoshop I took at the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops back in 2006. Our first outing was to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument...here is one of the photos.

Time - Tent Rocks, New Mexico

A Couple of Older Shots

2010-03-27T20:43:00.003+01:00

I found these today sorting through and organizing older photos. These two are from shortly after I got my digital camera, but before I left Guatemala. The first isn't as sharp as I'd like it to be. The rain shot was a failure in the sense that I kept trying to get the little splashes and circles from the rain to show up, but I didn't get it right in any of the shots I took.

Mom and Kids - Antigua, Guatemala

Rain on Rock - Guatemala

Cow Tipping

2010-03-21T18:51:00.002+01:00

I'm certain that with a few beers in me, I could tip these cows over... despite the Wikipedia claim that Cow Tipping is a myth.

Retired Cow Out to Pasture and Palms

Grazing Cow

Diversity in Beans...

2010-03-20T18:42:00.001+01:00

yet they are all beans...

No Idea for a Title

2010-03-17T20:46:00.003+01:00

Besides cemeteries, tree bark and tree leaves, their colors, texture and patterns are something that tends to draw my eye.

Here's a couple more photos I took a few weeks back when Shelby and I went walking down by the Little Miami River with our cameras. This was a rather massive tree that had fallen across the path a long time ago.

Moss on TreeMilford, Ohio

Tree in Giraffe's ClothingMilford, Ohio

A Hint of Spring

2010-03-09T19:30:00.003+01:00

I didn't see much promise of spring when I was home at the end of February. I've since heard that the weather is now a bit nicer than all the snow I saw...

Here's a picture I took when Shelby and I went walking down by the Little Miami River with our cameras

A Hint of SpringMilford, Ohio

The Last Bit of Alaska

2010-03-04T22:59:00.005+01:00

Here is a misc. collection of photos from our Alaska trip that I've never posted...enjoy (I hope)

One Man Town...I Don't Know Where, Alaska

Picnic TableSan Juan Island, Washington

LavenderSan Juan Island,Washington

Old Russian CemeterySitka, Alaska

SunsetNear Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska

DawnGlacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Snow Angel

2010-02-16T20:13:00.004+01:00

It looks like it might be a long time before there is any hint of spring. I've been home for a week, and I'm thinking I won't see the ground this trip...

Swing Waiting For Spring - Milford, Ohio

Snow Angel

Smith Bros. Hardware

2010-02-15T22:20:00.003+01:00

On the surface, this looks like just another iconic example of the world passing by the Midwest...

But go to Google and search "smith bros hardware columbus ohio" and it is clear that everything isn't always what it seems...leads to articles like this.

Smith Bros. Hardware - Columbus, Ohio

Sarajevsko Goblje Bare

2010-01-30T18:13:00.002+01:00

In my last couple months in Sarajevo, I didn't have access to my computer and I also did a lot of walking around and took a lot of photos (Until my camera died). I'm starting to wander through the photos I took during this time period, sort of mentally preparing myself to start organizing them.

I walked to or through a lot of cemeteries in that time. Here are some of my last photos of the huge cemetery, Sarajevsko Groblje Bare. Which I've blogged about many times before, including here, here and here. I hoped to do a cool merge of two selective focus photos, but the idea I had didn't work out like I thought it would....so you don't get to see it :)

Groblje Bare - Sarajevo

Groblje Bare - Sarajevo

Groblje Bare - Sarajevo

Alifakovac Cemetery - Sarajevo, BiH

2010-01-20T22:10:00.008+01:00

While going through some old blog entries and some old photos today, I noticed I made this entry and haven't ever put up any of the photos...well now that I have my computer, a couple minutes, and photoshop, here are a few shots of Alifakovac Cemetery. I took a photo of the USAID descriptive placard which is at the bottom here. There isn't a whole lot on the web about this cemetery, a google search on it brings my previous meager entry up #2...

Alifakovac Cemetery - Sarajevo

Alifakovac Cemetery - SarajevoBijela Tabija (White Bastion) in the background

Alifakovac Cemetery - Sarajevo

Alifakovac Cemetery DescriptionMay have to click on this and expand it to make it readable

Alaska Mist

2010-01-19T23:00:00.004+01:00

One of the many highlights of our cruise was Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Stunning. A misty morning that cleared to beautiful blue skies with puffy white clouds by the time we got to the glacier. It was here that I began to worry that I would run out of memory cards for my camera. Easy to see why Glacier Bay is on the World Heritage List...

Here are a few photos of the morning mist on our way in to see the glaciers.

Mist at DawnGlacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Clouds and MistGlacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Mist at Waters EdgeGlacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Abstract

2010-01-11T22:36:00.002+01:00

I pretty much got my new computer where I want it to be now. I have CS4 loaded, just need to learn the differences and advantages compared to Photoshop CS2. The 64 bit version seems much faster, as does the new version of Bridge. Now I need to start organizing and catching up...

In the meantime, I took this a few minutes ago.

Take a Guess...

Alaskan Bear

2010-01-08T22:04:00.004+01:00

In Haines, roaming around with a few other guys from the cruise with a local photographer, we came across a bear doing a little salmon fishing...

Bear, Seagull and Men, All Salmon FishingHaines, Alaska

The Bear Decides the Men Have a Better SpotHaines, Alaska

Bear AssThe Bear Moons the Men as an Insult After Stealing Their SpotHaines, Alaska

Bear FishingHaines, Alaska

Iraq Sunrise

2009-12-31T21:26:00.004+01:00

One of my favorite things about my new room is a window. I celebrated by taking sunrise photos the past two days. In a coincidence, exactly 10,000 photos ago, and 3 years ago (30 December 2006), Shelby and I were on top of Mt Sinai taking sunrise photos....

Sunrise from My Window - Iraq 29 December, 2009

Sunrise from My Window - Iraq 30 December, 2009

Before the Cruise

2009-12-27T21:40:00.003+01:00

We visited friends in the Bellingham area, north of Seattle for a few days. One of the many highlights of the visit was a drive out the Mount Baker Highway to past Picture Lake to Artist Point between Mt Baker and Mt Shuksan. Here are a couple of photos of Mt. Shuksan from that drive.

Mount Shuksan from Picture Lake - Washington State

Mount Shuksan from near Artist Point - Washington State