CLEARANCE!

It’s the end of the month, thought I’d clean out the inventory of unpublished shots. 3 / 4 of these were posted over at Better Photo, and the last….. well, it’s an idea that didn’t turn out like I envisioned. Anyway, Happy Last Day of March! . .

- untitled -

Not sure why this one didn’t show up here before now. This was one of the first in the “tree in lake” series… Maybe because I couldn’t think of a title?

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- Glen Carbon Library –

A shot of our local library, just a little “slice of life”… I really like this kind of shot. These shots always get overlooked, but I keep on shooting them, they please me, and that's the key.

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- Drop In the Bucket -

A leftover from February, when the Yahoo group did a “water drop” theme. This was my second choice back then, and didn’t get posted on BP until earlier this week. I could never get that worked up about the whole water drop thing, but some peopel really love 'em...

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- no title -

As I said, this one didn’t work. I was trying to catch the contrashing textures of the pine needles, the cone and the bark. I suppose I could go back and re-shoot it on a less harshly lit day…. But it was just something that caught my eye while wandering in the park, and the moment has passed…..

Fading Farms...

I live about 15 miles east of St. Louis, but communte 20 miles further away from the city for work. Not so long ago, the drive was all fields and forest. Slowly but surely, it is all being converted to bedroom communities. It's still mostly farmland, for now, at least. This is just one of the places I pass on the way to work, lots of the land along this road (Rt 143) is starting to show "For Sale" signs....

Like the Lynyrd Skynyrd song says:
I can see the concrete slowly creepin’,
Lord take me and mine before that comes

Roller Hockey

I was up at the Edwardsville YMCA this weekend, at the groundbreaking for the new swimming pool. I snuck a few minutes to watch this pee-wee roller-hockey game, and snap a couple of photos….. . .

Driftwood, River Style

Out and about on Saturday, coming home from the St. Charles, MO area. We took a backroad (route 94) home, a scenic run through the floodplain between the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Before crossing the Mississippi at Alton, we stopped for a short expore, and I came across this driftwood along the river’s edge. . .

You Don't Know Me But You Don't Like Me.....

Buck Owens passed away over the weekend, at the age of 76. One of the true innovators of country music, Buck is probably best know by the general public as one of the hosts of Hee Haw. But he pioneered the “Bakersfield” sound, cranked out over twenty #1 country hits, and was immortalized in the lyrics of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Lookin' Out My Backdoor". The title above is from “Streets of Bakersfield”, which he re-recorded a few years ago with Dwight Yokam.

I came here looking for something
I couldn't find anywhere else
Hey, I'm not trying to be nobody
Just want a chance to be myself

Conoco / Goodyear

Old age had a great sense of calm and freedom.... Plato

This is a new version of a shot first taken in late 2004, before I had my D-70. . . That one had significant digital manipulation. This one is straight on.

Standin' In A Crossfire....

"Feel like I'm in the middle of a 4-lane Highway.

Things are moving so fast on both sides of me...

Right now I've got the feeling, I don't want to see

what might become of me..

So I duck and hide, Hopin' not to fade away...."

Crossfire - Henry Paul Band (from Grey Ghost)

Henry Paul was one of the original members of The Outlaws, one of the southern rock bands to follow Lynyrd Skynyrd out of Florida. He left The Outlaws to fade away after 3 albums, and formed HPB. I saw them on their 1st tour, '79 or so, in Pittsburgh. HP had a broken leg (or somesuch), and played propped on a barstool. But they still rocked. Crossfire is from the 1st HP album, Grey Ghost, which is an outstanding disc. Later on, HP had some more success fronting the country band Blackhawk.... Crossfire popped up on my itunes playlist this evening, so I thought I'd share....

Worn

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Water's Edge

For some strange reason, I'm really intrigued by the way the dead leaves get blown into the little "corners" of the local lake. What can it mean?

Spring Is Sprung, The Sap Is Frozen....

Yep, it’s spring, and it’s white outside. We only had a few inches here, not enough to close the schools, but just a few miles north (ok, maybe 20-30), they had 6”, and even more further North and West. This shot is actually from Jan. 2005, but snow still looks the same.. . .

Brothers Rock

There’s quite a few successful bands that have featured brothers (and sisters). Here’s a few:

AC/DC (Angus & Malcolm Young)

Allman Brothers Band (Duane & Gregg Allman)

B-52s (Rick & Cindy Wilson)

Bachman Turner Overdrive (Randy & Robin Bachman)

Beach Boys (Brian, Dennis & Carl Wilson)

Black Crowes (Chris & Rich Robinson)

Blue Oyster Cult (Albert & Joe Bouchard)

Heart (Ann & Nancy Wilson)

Kinks (Ray and Dave Davies)

Marshall Tucker Band (Toy & Tommy Caldwell)

Wet Willie (Jimmy & Jack Hall)

Any more?? (Not counting the Osmonds, of course)....

In My Time Of Dying

In my time of dying, want nobody to mourn
All I want for you to do is take my body home
Well, well, well, so I can die easy
Well, well, well, so I can die easy

Yep, it’s another theme day at my yahoo group, today’s concept is “Led Zeppelin”. Song inspired by a LZ song title, or at least something that sorta fits. I really wanted to use “Ramble On” with an old backpacking picture, but I spent the weekend fighting (presumed) food poisoning, and just didn’t have the energy to dig though my scanned slides….. I like this one, though. Sorry if the “dead tree in water” shots are getting a bit overdone…

Ready For Spring...

Walking around Silver Lake Park last week, at lunchtime. It’ll all be getting green soon.

Photoblogs.org

I just discovered this photoblog site. Looks pretty cool!! Of course, the $64k question is if they'll list my blog!

We have all been here before, we have all been here before

'Deja Vu,' the classic album by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, is released. With the addition of Neil Young giving the band a more electric edge, the album goes to #1 and sells more than 7 million copies. (courtesy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's website)

Silver Lake, Tree... again

Another angle on yesterday’s tree in lake shot. I’m a sucker for this kind of shot, someday I’ll really nail one. It’s a long long (LONG LONG) way from Ansel Adams, but not too bad for an amateur on his lunch break. . .

Reflections Of....

"Through the mirror of my mind, Time after time, I see reflections of you and me. Reflections of, The way life used to be, Reflections of, The love you took from me… "

For some reason, when pondering a title for this one, the holland/dozier/holland song “Reflections” (first recorded by Diana Ross) popped into my head. Thus the title/text…. .

An aside for some serious stuff.....

My older daughter will be walking in the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life in a few weeks. As they put it:

"Your Relay For Life® is about celebration, remembrance, and hope. By participating, you honor cancer survivors, pay tribute to the lives we’ve lost to the disease, and raise money to help fight it"

I know we've all be touched by cancer and all want to support the search for treatments or even a cure. Find a local event, donate directly to ACS, or feel free to support my daughter HERE.

Numbers

Well, it’s another theme day at the Yahoo photography Group. Today’s theme is NUMBERS. I actually came up with a couple shots I liked, so here’s your chance to voice an opinion. Which do you like best??

-7-up -

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- Out for a Spin -

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- By The Numbers -

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And one posted just last Saturday, that I should’ve held for the theme (had I remembered)

- 917 -

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Leave your thoughts in the comments section.....

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." - Albert Einstein

This is a reworking of a shot from last fall, with a digital zoom (crop). I was pulling together an MPIX order for some enlargements, and decided to revisit this one before making it 8x10. I think I really like the closer look…. . MPIX is a great source for quality prints, by the way. I've done up-to 20x30" posters from them. Their "True Black and White" is outstanding!

"He who can no longer pause to wonder, and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed" - Albert Einstein

Happy Birthday Albert Einstein!! A.E. was born 3/14/1879, 127 years ago. One of the world’s great deep thinkers, nobel prize winning scientist, and all around fun guy. Here’s a sampling of quotes attributed to Albert Einstein:

"Anyone who doesn't take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones either."
"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one"
"If I had only known, I would have been a locksmith"
"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious"

Oh, and E=M*C^2, of course! Guess I’ll have to dig out my vinyl copy of Randy Newman’s album "Little Criminals" and listen to: “Sigmund Freud's Impersonation Of Albert Einstein In America”.

Rock n Roll Hall of Fame

Tonight is the induction ceremonies for the class of 2006. Wonder who'll show up?? Sabbath, Skynyrd, Sex Pistols and Blondie. Sex Pistols have already said they won't attend (less politely, of course), Ozzy has been ticked for years about being overlooked, and 4/7th of (the original) Skynyrd is dead..... I'm sure Blondie will be there... Can't imagine Billy Powell missing out.... Looks like it will be rebroadcast (highlights) next Tuesday on VH1. Think I'll play some Skynyrd in their honor tonight!!

Blondie??

As I've noted here before, Blondie gets inducted to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on Monday (3/13). While I like a lot of their earlier stuff, I've always considered them more about style than substance. They sealed that perception in my mind when I saw them in concert, way back in the '79/'80 time frame. This was at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh, PA, a great venue for concerts. But they were really bad, certainly one of the most disappointing concerts I've been to. They came off as sloppy, and half-hearted, at best. The highpoint (lowpoint?) came at the end, when the drummer jumped over the drum-kit, grabbed a mike and yelled "Pittsburgh Sucks!" before heading offstage. Class act.

SOOOO, I thought the article in todays Yahoo News was pretty interesting. From an interview about the Hall of Fame:
Debbie Harry (vocals): I don't know if we were ever terrifically talented or technical musicians.
Chris Stein (guitar): It's funny, because I wonder what the f**k we sounded like back in the old days. It was probably pretty wretched. I know it was pretty rude....
Clem Burke (drums), - we may not have been the greatest live band, but we were experimenting with different ways of presenting ourselves.

Whatever; they're Hall of Fame material.......

197

A little bit of math, on the edge of a stud, framed by drywall…. .… .

Feed Your Head.....

It was theme day for my yahoo group, and today’s assignment was “Hippy / 60’s”. Well, I was pretty uninspired, and being at the end of a work week didn’t help from a time standpoint. Finally I decided to try for something wild and psychedelic, in “honor” of the mind-blowing experimentation the time that’s associated with the whole hippie thing… I went for bold, primary colors, warped beyond recognition. No way anyone could decipher the original subject. Not quite my typical "style", but what the heck!

Vents

Pulled Back...

On a recent lunchtime wander at the local park, I noticed a tree that had not survived the winter. It was broken and bent, and I was taken by the way the bark had pulled away from the toppled part... Here's some more of the same tree:

Draw A Pig!

Thanks to Sherry over at After The Bridge, for pointing out this really silly site, Draw A Pig. Besides offering the challenge to create "art" with your computer mouse, it provides a personality evaluation, of sorts. The drawing above, of course, is My Pig! Hmmmm, what can it all mean?

Trees In The lake

The trees along the shore occasionally fall in...

Happy Casimir Pulaski Day!!!

Yep, it's Casimir Pulaski Day!! Most the kids out here in Illinois get a day off school... a nice break before the next Teacher's Institute Day (this Thursday). Then it's a hard grind of 4 straight weeks before spring break. And who was this "famous" American?

"Most students would say he is 'some Polish guy we get a day off of school for,'" said John Marshall, a history teacher at East Alton-Wood River High School

Also known as the "Father of American Calvary"....

Capped!!

I’ve posted quite a few construction photos from the expansion at our church… Not sure how many more opportunities I’ll have, it’s getting closer to finished every day!. . This is just some exposed wires, soon to power a light fixture.

Songlist: 4, 5 & 6

Last Tuesday, I started an occasional series of fun song sets. For the full story, look here...
Anyway, here's my next suggested grouping:

4 + 20 - Stephen Stills (CSNY)
5 to 1 - The Doors
25 or 6 to 4 - Chicago

Not a lot of thematic similarity here, but it might just work.... Any others??

Blue Blocks!

In the gymnastics pit at the new YMCA…. . .

Afoot!

Follow the directions, and you'll be moving forward, at least!

My Favorite Photos??

One of the Yahoo groups I’m in has asked members for their favorite photo. That’s almost like asking which of my children is my favorite, pretty much impossible…. But I did choose a few that rise above the crowd, at least in my own mind. I decided posting them here would be the best / easiest way to publish them. So all the regular readers get a bonus (Lucky y’all!).. So hard to pick just a few, but here goes….

-First, from my film days, circa ‘ 75-'98

Tusorara Mountain, South Central PA. Rock With Hole. During my high-school backpacking days. Original slide has faded a bit, but will always be a favorite. Fall ‘77 .… .

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Duke Homestead, Durham, NC…. Taken during an assignment to photograph a tobacco spitting contest for the Duke University Newspaper, when I was shooting for the Wednesday “arts” supplement. Fall of ‘81.… .

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Shy of a Load… Belleville, IL. Along the interstate, between home and the big shopping mall. This was one of the shots that re-started my hobby, after a dormancy. Early Fall, ‘96 .…

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-Next, from my Point-N-Shoot digital days days, circa ‘ 98-‘04

Cataldo Mission, Northern Idaho. My most successful non-SLR photo, With finalists at BetterPhoto and PhotoShowdown, along with Pictures Of The Month at (defunct?) Photography Unlimited. October 2004.… .

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Rock Me On the Water. Spokane River, near Spokane, WA. October 2003.…

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-Finally, from the current D-SLR days (1/2005 – current)

Leaf #25.…Highland, IL. Certainly my most successful shot, a Picture of the Year Finalist for 2005 at PhotoShowdown.com, and a 2nd place at BetterPhoto. Fall 2005 .

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St. Jacob, IL. My current favorite, probably just because it’s pretty new. Currently my computer wallpaper. Taken Feb. 2006.… .

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There you have it, my favorite shots, at least for today’s mood. Pretty hard to pick 7 shots from 30+ years of photos……

Hope I Die Before I Get Old??

Happy birthday to Roger Daltry, of The Who. Roger was born in 1944, which makes him 62 today....

Happy Birthday!

My son turned 6 years old last week, here's a shot from his party… .… .