The Maine Thing

This might be the last post for a while.  My wife is coming in tonight to join me for a week!!!

So here's a funny story.  I went into a 7/11 today to get some coffee.  Yeah - there's a Dunkin Donut every 10 feet or so - but 7/11 is cheaper and you can make it your way and all.  Anyway - I went in and zap - it was like being back home.  I mean it was just like every other 7/11 and well I hadn't been in one since I left so it just took me right home.  I was thinking about how weird it was when I saw the blueberry flavored coffee.....yep - still in Maine!

Here are a few new shots:

Hey - it's not a pano!!!!

South Portland Head Light

This is sooooo Maine!!

Old Orchard Beach

Old Orchard Beach again

That's it for now!!  Ria's coming tonight and 8 of you guys are coming next week.  I'll write when I can!!

No Rain in Maine!!!!

I made it to the other coast!!!!  Yes Californians - there is another coast!!!!  I have to get used to the ocean being on the right when I'm headed North again. 

So it rained all day yesterday again.  I took more rain shots - here are a few:

New York State

Noyes Pond, Massachusetts

New England Rock Wall - Mass

  Again - I tried my best to use the rain - not just as a shower..... 

The flooding is really bad.  Seriously - I feel sorry for the people who live in those areas.  I had to find new routes three times.  No detours or anything - just a road closed sign or no road.  I'm actually not sure about Noyes Pond.  On the map - it sorta seemed like I was east of where that pond should have been.  That might have just been a flooded area - there were so many......  The rivers are amazing - even the little streams look like rushing rivers.  I didn't shoot any because they're full of mud and debris.  They just don't translate to good photos.

Today as I crossed the Maine border the rain stopped.  No kidding - really.  How cool is that??

I shot 3 views of my favorite light house in York Harbor.  It's called the Nubble or Nedick Light.  Nope - I don't know why.  The square shot is a double pano - about 30 pics!! 

Lemmeknow what you think!!  Jackie managed to leave a comment!!!!!  Thanks JRO!!!!!!!

When it pours it rains

It's been raining for 3 days straight!!  Yeah - I know - there are hurricanes and stuff.  So it goes.

It's weird how this cross country shooting goes.  The day before yesterday I drove all day through Indiana and Ohio.  Pretty farms and corn fields (and rain), but nothing popped out photo wise.  I didn't stop once.

Then yesterday I stopped 3 times in one hour.  Here are the 3 shots - all in Ohio (in the rain).

This one's my favorite

About an hour (and another inch of rain) later I found this:

Later on in Pennsilvania I found a wet cow.

Today I shot this - also in Pennsylvania...... also in the rain:

It was the only time I stopped all day.  I drove all the way through Pennsylvania.  It was scenic and all - just not megga photo ops. 

I think the photos I've taken in the last few days have used the rain rather than been shot in spite of the wet stuff.  I think the rain gives these shots something they wouldn't have otherwise.  Saturation - yeah - but something else too.  It's a kind of sharpness.  Does that make sense?  I wonder what would have gotten my attention if it hadn't been raining.

Well it looks like I'll have another few wet days.  This front isn't going anywhere anytime soon.  At least the truck looks clean.  I look like a drowned rat but the truck looks good......

Lemmeknow what you think!!  The emails are great - but try posting your coments so others can read what you have to say!!

It's Ruthie Time

Here I am in Bloomington, Indiana.  It's hot, humid and boring - but Ruthie is here!!

This is Ruthie aka Mom:

Binnie took this picture last time Ruthie was in L.A..  I love it!! 

So I'm hanging out for a few days with Mom.  I doubt if I will shoot anything.  Stay tuned for the ride to Maine, Maine, the ride to Shenandoah, Shenandoah and the ride home.

Here are a few more taken on the way here:

Kansas Sunflowers

Illinois Farm

Spur off the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

Missouri Cornfield

 

 

  That's it for now...... more after Sunday!!

Fair and Unfair

The Colorado State Fair was HUGE!!  Wow - what a party.  If you're into junk food and red necks then this would be the place for you!

The day started out at 98 degrees and 85% humidity.  I walked all over the place until I felt like a big wet dishrag.  Nice imagery huh?  I took refuge in some of the buildings, but they weren't airconditioned so they weren't much better.  I did shoot this though.....

Prize Roosters - 25000 ISO

I also spent some time talking to the folks who work the fair.  This guy just said to title the shot "Sam Elliot", so; Thanks for sitting still for the pano Sam.

The heat was bad but the light started getting better.

 

Then the storm came in!!

I call this one 2 Ladies and a Tiger.

 I had fun, talked to a bunch of interesting people, got wet, ate fried stuff, and am happy with my shots.  A really good day!!

Today was the UNfair.  Not bad at all - just lots of quiet alone time.  450 miles of 2 lane highway through Kansas.  Here are a few images from today:

 

.Tanks and good night.

Got Clouds?

Yesterday was one of those  in between days - not a lot to shoot.  I kinda like this one.  I like the way the cloud on the left just sits on top of the hill echoing the shape.

There were other shots but nothing to write home about.  Is this home?  Anyway -  Last night I worked the South rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. This morning  found me on the North rim. You can't cross the canyon anywhere.  The roads in are about 30 miles apart.  How cool is that?.

Here are a few pics:

 

 

 

South side

North side - this one's a double pano

North again - Vertical pano

Black Canyon was one of my dad's favorite places.  Until this trip I didn't get it.  Sometimes you can see a place a whole bunch of times before you really see it.  I think he would have liked the shots from the north rim.  He liked the drama of the place and those two kinda bring that out.

I don't know if Irene had anything to do with it, but the clouds were great yesterday and today.  I drove through an amazing thunder storm coming through Monarch Pass.  It's over 11000 feet.  There were actually patches of snow!!

Here are a few more from today:

Without clouds they just wouldn't be very good at all.  Sorry East Coast - I hope it wasn't your hurricane I was thanking.


Tomorrow I'm spending the day at thew Colorado State Fair.....  Fried Twinkies..... Yummmmmmmmm.

On The Road Again.......

Did you ever notice that you can change Willy's words from "The life I love is making music with my friends...." to "The life I love is taking pictures with my friends...." and the song still works?

I’m back on the road, in the saddle, in the groove…. Well grooving on the road anyway.  No more rats….. ok – one more rat (or two)

Or  three

OK – there will be rats, there will always be rats.  It’s just a fact.  Deal with it.

This trip takes us to the coast of Maine and Shenandoah National Park and everywhere in between.  If you have been reading this thing – then you know it’s the in between I love the best, although this whole trip is sort of in between.  Happy happy happy.

Today was day one.  I didn’t expect to shoot.  I got a late start and decided to just take the 15 North to get out of California and into Utah.  It was 120 degrees in the desert.  I really didn’t want to stop.

Ansel Adams once said that his greatest gift was always coming around a corner just as a photograph was about to happen.  Please know – I am NOT equating myself with the deity of landscape photography.  I’m just thinking maybe he was around today and I caught a little of his luck.  I got to Kolob Canyon about 10 minutes before sunset.  I had exactly 1 minute to set up and get this pano.  Seriously - look where the shadow is on the big rocks.

I love being on the road; at the whim of the gods of light and good fortune.  Who knows how many shots I whizzed by at 85 mph, but I got this one. 

It begins……..