Skagway, Alaska.
This week, Tina asks us to share ordinary images, if not forgettable, out of the camera that once edited, were rescued, or maybe even became a favorite in our collection. Tina explains the details here.
For my opening selection, I was reminded of a cruise taken to Alaska a few years back, (my how time flies.) At Skagway, one of our tour stops was in a saloon where, back in the day, the locals might wish to visit one of the ladies in the brothel upstairs. Continue reading
Columbia River, Washington.
Washington state depends upon its many rivers for both irrigation and electrical generation. There are over 1100 dams in Washington, mostly small, under 50 feet (15 m) tall, earthen, and used for irrigation. According to Wikipedia, there are 49 dams in the state that are hydroelectric, mostly operated by Public Utility Districts (PUD). In addition to electric generation, many PUDs also provide other community services such as communications, water, sewer, and other typical utilities. The PUDs serve about a million residents of the state in 26 counties. My opening image this week features the Rocky Reach Dam on the Columbia River. Continue reading
Napoleon, North Dakota.
Last week’s Cellpic Sunday featured a story about the attraction in south-central North Dakota known as Dinosaurs on the Prairie. That image was a snapshot from the ground featuring a view of the collection of machines that wind their way up a hill. Continue reading
This week, Amy asks us to get up close and personal with our photography journeys. As I always write my submission later in the week of the challenge for publication on Thursday, I’ve already had the pleasure of reading many journeys that have already been submitted. You can read Amy’s challenge post and journey here. Continue reading
Enchanted Highway, North Dakota.
On North Dakota’s section of Interstate 94, stop at exit 72, turn northbound, and take the first right on a gravel driveway to get up close and personal with the giant metal sculpture named “Geese in Flight.” You will see the sculpture before you get to the exit. At 110 feet (34 m) tall and 150 feet (46 m) wide, it was given the honor of the world’s largest scrap metal sculpture by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2002.
When you leave the sculpture parking area, turn left back toward the Interstate and head south on the overpass over the Interstate. “Geese in Flight” is but the first of many sculptures built along the road by Gary Greff, a longtime resident of Regent, North Dakota, some 32 miles (51 km) down the Enchanted Highway. Continue reading
Napoleon, North Dakota.
About 30 miles (48 km) south of Dawson, North Dakota near the small town of Napoleon, John “Custer” Grenz put together a collection of threshing machines. An avid collector, over the years, he amassed many of these machines that, in their day, were used to separate small grain and seed crops from the straw and chaff. Early machines were powered by horses or steam engines. Continue reading
This week, Ann-Christine asks us to focus on stripes and checks in our images. As it happens, I found a single image in my archive that features both. This diner is located in Smithfield Virginia. The red stripes on the awning over the counter and the booth seatbacks appear above a black and white checkerboard floor. I’m sorry everyone, but this image alone wins the challenge. >grin< Continue reading
Okaton, South Dakota.
Travelers on I-90 might find an interesting photo stop at exit 183, but don’t expect any traditional roadside services or even an open store. Okaton was born in 1906 during the time of railroad construction, the town subsisted until the railroad tracks went into disuse in 1980. Continue reading
Buckeye, Arizona.
The boy is back. On our first Arizona winter stay in 2011-2012, we saw a large cutout of a boy in front of a tractor, playing with another tractor. That piece of art disappeared when the Arizona Department of Highways started construction of a stack that would become the interchange for I-10 and the newly constructed AZ-303 loop that services the extreme western edge of the Phoenix metro. It seems the boy and his two tractors were in the way of the interchange construction. When the boy disappeared, there were rumors of a promised return. Continue reading
For our photo challenge this week, Patti Moed asks that we “Show us portraits or street photography that captures people’s feelings, such as happiness, anger, sadness, curiosity, or fear. Or, choose a subject or scene that evokes an emotion in the viewer.” You can read her entire challenge post here. Continue reading
