ola, ora and otis

 

The odds of triplets is about .01%, perhaps higher in 1909.  Otis and Ora did not survive the birth; Ola lived about two weeks. After 107 years, who still puts flowers on the grave?

 

Collier Cemetery

Bledsoe County, Tennessee

5.28.2016

eternal camping ground

 

During the Civil War, Chattanooga became an important target for both the Union and the Confederacy.  In 1863, the cemetery opened with the interment of casualties from the Battles of Chattanooga and Chickamauga, including nearly 1,800 unknowns.  Other early burials came from Athens, Georgia, Charleston, South Carolina, and along the route of Sherman’s march to Atlanta.  In 1867, the site was officially designated a national cemetery. Chattanooga National Cemetery is the final resting place for seven recipients of the Medal of Honor. The cemetery also contains the remains of 108 World War II prisoners of war, from Germany, France, Italy, and Poland. 

 

/Chattanooga National Cemetery

Chattaooga, Tennesse



Worthington cemetery

 

As a frequent visitor to country cemeteries, I appreciate the amenity of a concrete block outhouse.  However, I still prefer to "water the wildflowers."

 

Worthington Cemetery

Bledsoe County, Tennessee

love bugs

 

This isn't a great photograph but it's an outstanding picture.  It was the best I could do while pulling to the side of a busy highway by the Tennessee Highway Patrol office!.  Imagine being pulled over by a Volkswagen Beetle!  To be fair, there is a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga and the trooper vehicles I saw on the streets were Ford Interceptors.

 

Tennessee Highway Patrol

Cummings Highway

Chattanooga, TN



 

walnut street bridge

 

Qhen built in 1890, the 2,376 feet Walnut Street Bridge over the Tennessee River connected downtown Chattanooga with the north bank. .  The Walnut Street Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 23, 1990. Now a pedestrian bridge, the structure is part of the historic arts district.

Wal

moon pie and RC cola

 

Everybody knows Moon Pie goes best with RC Cola!.  After dinner tonight we walked along Broad Street  and stopped in the Moon Pie Bakery, an institution in Chattanooga since 1917.  It all began in 1917 when a Kentucky coal miner asked the traveling salesman for a snack “as big as the moon.” Earl Mitchell reported back and the bakery obliged with a tasty treat aptly named MoonPie. It was filling, fit in the lunch pail and the coal miners loved it. The rest, as they say, is history.  Also known as the caviar and champagne of the South!

 

Moon Pie General Store

Chattonooga, Tennessee



Osgoode Hall fence

 

From Queen Street it looks like a typical iron fence but once inside the parklike grounds of Osgoode Hall, the intricate and ornate supports for the fence are noted.  Osgoode Hall is a Toronto heritage site representing the judicial institution in Ontario and is an excellent example of Neoclassical style -- but the fence was my favorite part.  The Fence and Gates were erected by the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1867.  To enter the grounds one must maneuver through the "kissing gates"-- two panels in a V shape with a small opening at the narrow end.  If another person where passing through the in the opposite direction, at one point they directly faced each other, providing a kissable moment.  A more mundane story calls them "cow gates"; however, there weren't many meandering cows in downtown Toronto in the mid-1860s! 

 

Osgoode Hall

Toronto, Ontario

5.16.2016

doggie in the window

 

The "call for entries" for the 7th annual "Putting on the Dog" exhibit at the International Cultural Center has closed.  This was on my "maybe" list but I decided not to submit.  It's a perfectly framed golden retriever in an RV-- but probably not what the judges are looking for!  Stay tuned for entries selected and exhibit dates.

 

 

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

9.18.2015



nature walk

 

Cloudy skies surrendered to sunshine this morning as we walked around the Lubbock Lake Landmark.  Publicized as a "photography workshop" of the native wildflowers and the wildlife of the archaeological lake site, the group consisted of birders, master naturalists and a few photographers.  I should have taken notes as terms such as "black crowned night heron" and "purple thread awn" were thrown about!  Thanks to the Landmark for this Oasis on the Plains Lecture Series event and to Kippra Hopper, tour guide.

 

 

 

Lubbock Lake Landmark

Lubbock, Texas

distillery dodge

 

Leave it to me to find a rusty, old truck in trendy Toronto. The Distillery District housed Canada's largest distillery from 1832 to 1991.  Then the brick and stone buildings were turned into shops, galleries and restaurants.  The leftover Dodge was kept as an industrial art installation.  The brick background is a contrast to the weedy pastures where I usually find old trucks!. 

Distillery Historic District
Toronto, Ontario
5.14.2016

peony

the audience

 

The Audience is a set of two original sculptural art installations placed on the northeast and northwest corners of the Rogers Centre, home of the Toronto Blue Jays. The exuberant fans, created by  Canadian artist Michael Snow, greet visitors with variations of fan behavior.  During my visit to Toronto, I resembled the photographer, with camera glued to face.  I became an exuberant fan of Toronto.

 

 

Rogers Centre

Toronto, Ontario

5.16.2016



you are here

 

With this morning's sunshine, droves of people in tour buses descended upon Phillips Square to have their photo taken (often with a selfie stick) at the Toronto sign.  Installed in 2015 for the Pan-American Games. the sign proved so popular that it's now permanent.  There are red  footprints indicating the best places to stand and people are encouraged to share at #share3DTO (if you're into that!).

 

Phillips Square

Toronto, Ontario

union station

 

We arrived in Toronto at Union Station after taking the express train from the airport.  Today I traveled from Union Station on the subway.  Union Station opened in 1927 and boasts of a Great Hall.  Unfortunately during my visit the Great Hall was undergoing revitalization and was filled with scaffolding and draping.  It was a major disappointment. 

 

Union Station

Toronto, ONT

 

 



flatiron building

 

The flatiron building wedged between Front Street and Wellington Street is a historic landmark of Toronto.  The Gooderham Building was completed in 1892.  Today it is surrounded by skyscrapers of the Financial District.

Toronto skyline

 

The Toronto skyline is dominated by the CN Tower, highest in the western hemisphere, and the Rogers Centre, home of the Toronto Blue Jays.  The city is impressive from a boat ride on Lake Ontario.  The flight paths of the Billy Bishop City Airport, ninth busiest in Canada, descend over Toronto to land on an island.

 



king street

 

After a relatively uneventful trip, we arrived in Toronto about dusk.  A stroll in the Entertainment District found a delightful Italian restaurant La Fenice.  We sat and watched the activities along King Street.

 

King Street

Toronto, Ontario

the lighthouse keeper's garden

 

From atop the Tybee Island Lighthouse

Tybee Island, Georgia

4.20.2016

manual typewriter

 

Whether it's vintage, repurposed, retro, kitschy or just plain junque, you can find it at the Fish Art Gallerie on Tybee Island.  This vignette brought to mind Mrs. James, the high school typing teacher.  Did your hands have the right arch over the keyboard or did you slump?  Manual typewriters (even those electric Selectrics) have gone the way of the dinosaur.  And typing has become keyboarding, an elementary school skill.  Who cares that I once could type 90 wpm?

 

Fish Art Gallerie

Tybee Island,Georgia

4.20.2016

early morning flight

 

One of the pleasures in visiting my friends at the lake is sitting on the porch and watching the birds over the water.

 

Eagle Mountain Lake

Azle, Texas

5.6.2016

chandor chinese bridge

 

Douglas Chandor, an English artist, married  local girl Ina Kuteman in 1934 and they settled in her hometown of Weatherford.  They surrounded their home with English and Chinese-themed gardens.  Today Chandor Gardens are open to the public.  I hadn't heard of either the artist nor the gardens, but enjoyed visiting this picturesque setting in the Historic District.  And because last Friday was National Garden Day, my take-home gift was a small Natchez crape myrtle -- already planted in my yard!

 

Chandor Gardens

Weatherford, Texas

5.6.2016

 



barn on dill road

 

We had a nice afternoon searching out old cemeteries.  Parker County has 112 or so listed. We discovered this delightful old barn enroute to Veal Station Cemetery.

 

Dill Road

Parker County, Texas

5.6.2016

water buffalo?

in Azle, Texas?

You're kidding.

 

 

 

 

Azle, Texas



abandoned on ross lane

 

Across Ross Lane from my friend's property is this junked 1956 Chevy station wagon.  I would have taken another photo from another perspective but the snarling dogs keep me in the car.

 

Wise County, Texas

pit master

 

Tonight cuisine won out over photography.  At Hard Eight BBQ the maître d' wears a t-shirt and the pit master serves you right from his grill. You pay by the pound for whatever you choose. I had ribs, brisket, sausage, corn-on-the-cob and cold beer. Certainly a square meal at the "square pair."

 

Hard Eight BBQ

Coppell, Texas

beach reflections

 

Today was cloudy with false promises of rain so I stayed inside and worked on my Georgia coast  images. Since it was a great  "photocation" with photographer friends, I have a few pictures to process (OK, there's 700 or so!)

 

St. Simon Island, Georgia

4.24.2016

hampton point marina

 

St. Simon Island, Georgia

4.21.2016

beach umbrella

 

St. Simon Island, Georgia

4.24.2016