Hillsborough NC – Small Town with a Big History

Hillsborough, North Carolina.

Continuing our visits to small towns near our son’s home in North Carolina, we arrived in nearby Hillsborough just as a light rainfall was concluding. Our first stop would be for lunch, then a short walk to the visitor’s center to gain some knowledge of the historic points of interest in this county seat in Orange County, NC. Having recently learned of the Regulators and their impact on the Revolutionary War, this small town became a center of that turmoil.

Cellpic Sunday – 9 December 2018

Waddell, Arizona.

On a warm but cloudy day, we ventured out on our first Arizona hike of the 2018-19 season. In late November, I led a short 3.8 mile hike with our hiking club in Buckeye. It was fun to be back with the group again. In the last couple of years, we’ve added some far more experienced hike leaders than I to our group and I expect the group will have a wider variety of difficulty level and length than we’ve previously provided.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Happiness Is…

Sonoran Desert, Arizona.

This week, Ann-Christine asks us to use the photographer’s lens to show and share happiness. Less than a decade ago, I’d have had an entirely different response to this challenge. Then, by chance, I found myself considering the purchase of a house in Arizona strictly to get out of those cold North Dakota winters. In December 2011, I said good-bye to my friends and colleagues of over 30 years and in January 2012 my wife and I found ourselves spending the remaining days of that winter in an entirely new environment to us.

Battle of Alamance – North Carolina

Alamance County, North Carolina.

As a college student, I fancied myself as a historian, though it was clearly misplaced. Having let whatever skills in that area I had atrophy over the last five decades or so, I am always amazed to find a roadside stop that brings up a historical note that I no longer recall, if I ever heard of it in the first place. Such is my visit to the Alamance Battleground.

Cellpic Sunday – 2 December 2018

Taos, New Mexico.

On our way south toward Buckeye, we visited a shrine to a Saint in the Sufi religion. My interest in this building, known as a Dargah, is that one of the principal workmen on the project is my sister’s grandson. The project started in 2016 and, except for the landscaping, was finished a few weeks ago. More on this location and its background will be featured in an upcoming (February) Travel Tuesday.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Splash!

This week, Patti Moed asks us to focus on water in motion, specifically the displacement of water into the air, preferably with some force. OK, that’s a pretty dry explanation of what Patti challenged us to provide. I better let her say it… she did it so much better than I. You can read her challenge post here.

Phoenix Zoolights – A Holiday Tradition

Phoenix, Arizona.

For some 27 years, the Phoenix Zoo has been open during holiday evenings with a spectacular lighting display known as Zoolights. Every year, a small cadre of staff put design and install the sculptures in light, the total of which amounts to north of 1.5 million tiny bulbs.