X marks the spot

There is something about old barns that has always appealed to me. 

Even as they age, it is easy to see the craftsmanship which went into building them.   A barn was critical to the life of the rural farm as protection for animals and equipment.

For many years, they were lovingly cared for.  Getting a new coat of paint and repairs done.

As the farms were abandoned, the barns were left to the elements.

I love the textures of the weathering wood.  Each board ages differently and the look changes over time.  The rust of the nails, the slow decay.  Until one day, the barn collaspes.

Retired Crossing GuardThis old veteran enjoys retirement in front of the restored depot in Folkston, Georgia as the trains of CSX pass by.

Grade crossings are a constant source of danger along the tracks of US railroads.  Many crossings are only protected by signs, while busier ones might add lights or gates for extra protection.

💡 What are the facts?

• Top Counties: Greenville, Spartanburg, Charleston, and Richland are the leading counties for rail collisions.

• Incident Frequency: In the last three years, the state recorded 163 incidents at highway-rail grade crossings, resulting in 20 deaths and 50 injuries.

• Trespassing: Beyond crossings, trespassing on private rail property remains a major danger, with 23 fatalities and 15 injuries reported in the same period.

What can you do if you are stuck on the tracks to save your life?

💡 What to do in an Emergency

If a vehicle stalls or is stuck on a track:

1. Get Out Immediately: Don't try to save the vehicle or push it off.

2. Locate the Blue Sign: Every crossing has a Blue and White Emergency Notification System (ENS) sign.

3. Call the Number: Call the number on the sign and give the Crossing ID number (also on the sign) to the dispatcher. This is the fastest way to stop an oncoming train.

4. No Sign? Call 911.

There are a lot of resources in South Carolina for improving grade crossing safety.

🛡️ Safety Initiatives & Education

• Operation Lifesaver (SC OLI): This non-profit is the primary driver for rail safety education in SC. Their "See Tracks? Think Train!" campaign is active throughout 2026, including distributing materials to schools and school bus drivers.

• ORS Rail Safety Program: The South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff (ORS) works with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to inspect over 2,600 miles of track annually.

• Norfolk Southern Safety Train: In late 2026, the Norfolk Southern "Safety Train" is scheduled to stop in North Charleston to provide hands-on training for first responders on handling rail-related emergencies.

• "A Slice of Safety": A local SC initiative where pizzerias in the Columbia area print rail safety tips directly on pizza boxes to reach the general public.

Coca-Cola Ghost SignI'm a huge fan of Coca-Cola ghost signs which were painted advertising in most southern US towns. Many of them have completely faded away, been painted over, or worse yet "restored" which to my thinking is a worse fate.
This one is in Union, South Carolina about a block off of Main Street. This one was featured in my "Quick Look" blog post recently.

I'm a huge fan of Coca-Cola ghost signs which were painted advertising in most southern US towns. Many of them have completely faded away, been painted over, or worse yet "restored" which to my thinking is a worse fate.  Here is some history about the signs themselves from my research lately.

Coca-Cola and the "Privilege Sign"

Coca-Cola has deep roots in the South, and its wall signs are the most ubiquitous ghost signs in South Carolina. This was the result of a brilliant marketing strategy pioneered by the company's early leadership. Coca-Cola utilized a concept called the "Privilege Sign." The company would approach local South Carolina merchants—pharmacies, corner groceries, and general stores—and offer to paint the entire side of their brick building for free. The catch? The top or bottom fraction of the wall would feature the name of the local store (e.g., "Smith's Pharmacy"), but the vast majority of the wall would be dedicated to a massive Coca-Cola advertisement. This allowed Coca-Cola to plaster its brand across every small town in South Carolina while endearing itself to local business owners.

The Palimpsest Effect

If you look closely at the image, you can see faint, blocky lettering behind and above the Coca-Cola script. This is known as a palimpsest—a surface where older writing has been painted over but remains partially visible.

In South Carolina's growing downtowns, prime wall space was frequently leased and re-leased. A wall might advertise a local livery stable in 1890, be painted over for a local hardware store in 1905, and then painted over again by a national brand in 1920. As the top layers of paint weather away, the different eras bleed into one another, creating a layered historical document of the town's commerce.

The Era of the "Walldogs"

From the late 19th century through the 1950s, before the advent of vinyl billboards or digital advertising, the sides of commercial brick buildings were prime real estate. The men who painted these massive advertisements were affectionately (and sometimes derisively) known as "Walldogs." These artisans were often itinerant, traveling from town to town across South Carolina. They dangled from the sides of three-story buildings on simple wooden swing stages (scaffolding), braving the sweltering Southern heat. They mixed their own paints on-site, relying heavily on white lead paint. This lead base is the exact reason these signs still exist today; while the vivid pigments (like Coca-Cola's signature red) eventually washed away in the rain and sun, the lead strongly bound itself to the porous masonry, calcifying and leaving a permanent "ghostly" imprint on the brick.

The legacy here in South Carolina

Jim Harrison, who lived in Denmark, South Carolina is famous not only for his start painting walls and barns, but later as a painter who captured these in paintings and calendars for the Coca-Cola company.  You can visit his museum and see more of his art on his website https://jimharrison.com/
 

USS Yorktown - On the deckThe US Yorktown is now a museum in the Charleston, South Carolina area. Patriot's Point is a fascinating place to visit with a large collection of aircraft as well as a look at life on a World War II era Aircraft Carrier.

I'm excited to have a return trip planned to Charleston and the USS Yorktown in early May. 

Patrice and I haven't been down there in years and I'm looking forward to the chance to get to walk around downtown and take some new photos of the area as well as returning to the Yorktown to make some updated images.

Hopefully the wind and clouds cooperate as well as they did on our first trip in May years ago!

The US Yorktown is now a museum in the Charleston, South Carolina area. Patriot's Point is a fascinating place to visit with a large collection of aircraft as well as a look at life on a World War II era Aircraft Carrier.

What a difference a year makes sometimes.  My wife Patrice reminded me that last January 7th, 2025 we had a snowfall (first since we have moved to South Carolina) and this year we broke the record high temperature at 74F.

We have not had any snow down here in Greer this year, but up in Asheville, North Carolina and up on the Blue Ridge they have had several snow events just about an hour away. 

When we lived in Atlanta, we could usually count on at least a dusting every year, so far here.. its like a crap-shoot it seems.

I'm that person who checks the weather forecast multiple times a day usually.  Even with new technology, I've learned that weather predictions (especially in the 10-14 day long range forecast) are just that, because things change day-to-day.

How much it changes from what the experts and the models are predicting now, to what really happens two weeks from now are good reminders of how hard it really is even to predict what is going to happen in the short-term let alone in a long term forecast.

What applies to the weather, also applies to the other things we predict in the long-range.  Everything from who will win the World Series this year in Baseball (maybe it will finally be the Padres year??), to who will win the Presidential Election in 2028, or what will the economy do in the next six months.

In our own personal lives, it is important to make plans for the long-term goals we have, but also to realize that things are going to change between now and then and that they have to be modified based on actuality. 

Those adjustments are the difference between the "long-range models" and is it raining today.

2026

It's hard to believe that it is already 2026. 

2025 seems to have come and gone really quickly.  Actually every year seems to go by quicker and quicker the older I get.

I'm really looking forward to 2026.. for several reasons...

First, the 250th Birthday Celebration for the USA!  I was only 5 years old in 1976 for the 200th, so I actually only have faint memories off it.  I'm excited to enjoy all the celebrations this year in the US.

Second, my new hometown of Greer is celebrating 150 years!  I've been volunteering with our local history Heritage Museum https://www.greerheritage.com/  and am excited for all the events we have planned to celebrate locally.

Third, a new year is always a good motivation to try and make more time to get out and photograph.  Last year, I got out more than 2024, but I'm challenging myself to even get more photos this year!

Finally, I'll turn 55 in May of this year.  Another milestone year in my life and even though it's hard to believe I'll be 55, I'm also happy to be healthier than I've been in a long time.

I plan on striving to be more active on the blog this year, sharing photos as I go and also my normal thoughts on life in general, hope you will come along with me this year.

What are you looking forward to in 2026?
 

On a siding in North Georgia, a train awaits it's next trip.  The cars used to carry passengers from town to town along the line.  They also had a short life as a tourist railroad.

Now the cars sit abandoned to the elements... A ghost train.. what kinds of stories could it's forgotten passengers tell us of their pasts?

The young solider saying goodbye to his love, before heading off to war in a places which are just names on a map.  Does he return to his home after the war, or was he one of the ones who gave his life to defend our freedom?  Is he buried in a far off land, or did his casket return one day to his lover and his family to be buried at home.

The school teacher fresh from college.  She's from a big city, but found her first job in a small one-room school in a whistlestop town along the tracks. What did she experience teaching the students?  Did she find love or heartbreak in this little town?

The drummer, or traveling salesman... traveling along the track and stopping at each town with his sample case.. hoping for sales to the local store merchants.  Each town, blending into the next, except for maybe a memory of the waitress at the local cafe.

What other stories could these long-ago passengers tell us?

Ghost depot

When we moved up to Greer, one of the things that fascinated me is that the tracks that run near our apartment used to be the Piedmont & Northern Interurban line. 

Interurbans or "streetcars" were larger version of the trolleys used in many seasons and were designed for longer runs.  It was rare in the South for a long-distance line to exist.

The Piedmont & Northern's market was the many mill towns in the Upstate and providing frequent service from town to town, compared to the Southern Railroad which ran steam trains along the same route.

The fares were also lower which attracted the townspeople and millworkers who needed to travel short distances.

The Greer Depot downtown was a major point along the line between Spartanburg and Greenville and has been lovingly restored to become businesses and an event center as is still the Hub of the Greer Station area of downtown.

I've seen plenty of postcards from the P&N but I thought it would be fun to use AI in this "spooky season" to come up with what could have been.

I look at the image and imagine that each of the people have their own stories about where they are headed and that somehow this was just a moment in time.

If you want to learn more about the historic line, I highly recommend the book by Fetter's available used on Amazon and the Wikipedia entry is also quite informative.  

It's October 1st, which in my mind is the beginning of the "Spooky Season" heading towards Halloween at the end of the month.  I know some people have been decorating for weeks, but to me something about the calendar change prompts me to be ready to really get into the "spirit".

I actually took the above picture of Mingus Mill in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a bright sunny day, but I loved this edit I did of it which has a more spooky feel.

I wonder how many places that were once the center of their community and full of activity now are haunted at least with the memories of the past.

Over the top

It has been years since I went to a fair. 

As a kid, I went every year to the Del Mar Fair in San Diego which was huge and had a giant midway.  I used to enjoy riding all the rides, but also all the exhibit halls and of course the giant model railroad that they had.

It was fun to walk through the barns and see all the animals and some of my friends from school would be there showing their livestock.

Next week we are planning on going to the local fair here in Spartanburg. 

I am looking forward to the chance to take some pictures and hopefully recapture some of that magic from childhood.

BarnsideThis wooden barnside ages and decays

Years ago, when this barn was built, in the age before Home Depot, each board was sawn either on the farm, or at least at a local sawmill. The old growth wood was strong and true, and I'm sure when new was much better than most commercial grade lumber today.

The farmer and his family, and if lucky some neighbors would have put many hours into building one of the key parts of any working farm, a structure to protect the implements and livestock from the weather.
They put pride into their work and made a structure designed to resist the elements....

Once abandoned, time takes a quick toll on many old structures.
Without constant "TLC" the process of returning the structure to the earth can progress pretty rapidly, especially in a climate like the mountains of the Southeastern US.
The vines growing up through the walls work their way through the cracks between the boards, insects make a home or a meal of the planks and the structure loses a bit of itself each season...

Life goes on.

Williamson Morning 8X10The Norfolk Southern celebrated their 30th Anniversary in style during 2012 as they brought Nickel Plate 765 and the Southern 630 out onto the NS tracks as goodwill ambassadors. Early morning in Wiliamson, West Virginia and the 765 is bringing its consist to the depot where NS employees and their families will be treated to a ride over the Pocahontas Division. Learn more about this piece of living history.

I've always loved the book "The Little Engine that Could" about a locomotive climbing up a mountain grade with his "I think I can, I think I can" as he faces the challenge in front of him.  He takes it one step at a time and once he accomplishes his goal, he knows that "I thought I could, I thought I could".

Life is like that a lot of the time to me.  We see challenges which can seem impossible from a distance, but if we put forth the effort, we accomplish them.  Sometimes it is not a sprint to the goal, but that extra effort to get over the top accomplishes it.

I'm looking forward in the remainder of 2025 to getting out to make some new train photos.  Not sure if seeing a live steam locomotive is in the cards this year, but everytime I look at this image on my office wall at work, it reminds me of that little engine and moving forward.

"I know you can, I know you can" too.

While I was walking around the plant, I got the chance to capture our team at work and it reminded me of how many people it takes to make our product and also I hope captured a little bit about a day in the life at FlexQube.

Assembly IMG_3037

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ChatGPT Image Jun 7, 2025, 11_19_47 AM

This morning I was playing around with ChatGPT and asked it to turn one of my favorite photos of Mabry Mill into a retro style poster.  With a little tweaking it came up with what is a good result to me including the pond reflection that I loved so much in the original.

Mabry Mill along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia is one of the most popular places to photograph for visitors.  Right now, it's getting the shingle roof replaced and is covered in scaffolding, but I look forward to visiting again.

If you haven't already, you can see more of my favorite shots from there in the gallery.

Do you have a place that you've visited over the years that draws you back time after time?  If so, let me know in the comments below.

Greenville (1 of 1)

The Reedy River cuts through Greenville, South Carolina and originally provided power to the mills which once lined the banks.  The railroad has been replaced now with a popular trail and has become a great place to enjoy a Spring Day along it's shores.  Several hotels are along the banks and it is an Oasis below the hustle and bustle of the downtown above.

BRP TunnelsThe North Carolina section of the Blue Ridge Parkway features a number of tunnels.

At sunrise, the light is just starting to illuminate the darkness as I stop long enough to grab a quick snapshot out the windshield of the scene

Since taking over as Site Manager last June at FlexQube in Duncan, one thing I've been missing has been the chance to take time off.  Even over the holidays, most days required a trip into the office. 

This long Easter weekend has been a nice chance to recharge my internal batteries.  We decided to give our team an extra day on Easter Monday, which meant for me a Monday without an alarm at 4:30am.

Sleeping in to me usually means 6:30am or 7:00am, which might not seem late, but to me is bliss.  I've spent the weekend relaxing with lots of reading, enjoying time with my family and just doing as little as possible.

FlexQube is a Swedish based company.  I've learned in Sweden they have the principle of Lagom, which means basically "just enough".  Today I'm reading a new book by Kortney Yasenka about the idea. I got it on Kindle for .99 on Amazon.  Part of the Swedish culture is the idea of work-life balance, which here in America can seem like something that is said more than experienced.   I'm looking forward to learning more about the concept and then how to apply it to my life.  I'll write a review of the book when I finish it.

I'm looking forward in May to a week off for vacation around my birthday.  Then at the end of the month we have the long Memorial Day weekend.  That recharging will get me more mentally ready for the push to the end of the 2nd Quarter in June at work.

This weekend has really been that light at the end of the tunnel and I am feeling recharged after a weekend for once.

small town alley (1 of 1)

Even in a small town like Greer there are some alleys to explore downtown.

Loved the constrast of the old bricks with all the "modern" utilities which were obviously crammed in later.

I'm sure the old building could tell a lot of stories from over the years.
 

Horses and Mules (1 of 1)

Down in Georgia I saw a ghost sign which made me stop to take a picture or two.  The faded part above the Coca-Cola sign was Horses and Mules.  I found it interesting that the business had evolved with the times to start selling Tires and Lawn Equipment in later years.

In business, there have been so many cases of companies which never could adapt to changing markets.  They believed they were in the business of selling the product which had made them famous, even while the market was moving to whatever was next.

Photography has been a lot like that.  From large format cameras, to 35mm film cameras, to digital cameras to everyone having a great camera in their "smart" phones the technology used to make an image has evolved over the years.  Who knows what will be next?

Adapting to the marketplace in business and in our creative ventures helps us to remain revelant and in touch with the market.  It's not a one and done activity, but has to be a constant journey of change to be successful.

One of the things I find most interesting in photography is using light and angles in the composition of a photograph.

At Hopewell Gardens in Aiken during a winter walk, I found this planter which happened to be in the sunlight sitting on the corner of a wall.  As I looked through the view finder I realized that in the shadow was a curving wall as well as a tree trunk leaning in towards the planter.

Even with a square format (1x1) I decided that I wanted to include the trunk, which put the planter off center, but allowed the other lines to flow.

Life is about light and angles.  Taking the time to look at things from different perspectives, seeing the light in the darkness and learning how they can work togther.

Colbert Ghost SignI've always found Ghost Signs fascinating. This storefront in Colbert, GA has a great old Coca-Cola painted sign which remains even though the building was long ago converted to a residence.

It's hard for me to believe that it is already February 2025.

January flew by and here in the Upstate of South Carolina, it brought us our first measurable snow in the three years since we moved up here from Georgia.  It wasn't much but it was cold enough to last a few days at least.  We also had some very cold weather (for us at least) and another storm which missed us but dumped snow closer to the coast.

At FlexQube, it was a month of trying to catch up with a full production calendar and some continuing challenges.  We're expanding our production again, so I've been welcoming new members to the team and getting us ready for what should be a much stronger year.  

The cold weather and workload meant that I didn't get out to get new photos like I'd hoped but as the weather starts to improve I'm already planning to revisit some favorite locations this year and also hopefully explore some new places around the Southeast.

My biggest challenge personally for 2025 is working on my work/life balance and getting to the point where I'm able to take more PTO to recharge.  2024 was a year of constant change and 2025 will be a year of growth both personally and in my career.

I'm going to focus on making more time to write my thoughts here and share the adventures and challenges with you. 

20240129_205530

The end of last January, I travelled to Gothenburg, Sweden to visit the headquarters of FlexQube in Mondal, a suburb.  After 50 plus years, I finally had made it to Europe.  After a connection in Amsterdam, I made the short flight to Sweden.

Staying at the Gothia Towers at the edge of downtown, I was pleasantly surprise to find that my room overlooked one of the main transit stations where a constant stream of trams and buses headed off in every direction.  I watched that first evening from my room as they continued late into the night.

Loading the app for tickets onto my phone, I experienced the city as a carfree commuter.  Taking a tram and bus to work and back each day and using the trams to explore the city. 

I loved the Central Train station located in the heart of the city.  Here was where the trams and buses met the trains which connect the city with the rest of Sweden and the rest of Europe in a non-stop parade.

The weather was cold and dreary, but I loved the chance to grab some pictures with my phone at night with all the misty lighting effects.  I spent the weekend off riding the different tram lines around the city and discovering a little bit more about day-to-day life.

Back here in the US, unless you live in a major city, you are usually bound to your car or very spotty transit services.  What a difference between that and my short experience in Sweden.

Tram Map

Santa Fe 2013 (1 of 1)

I grew up near San Diego, California and the closest railroad to us was the Sante Fe (ATSF) which had the line between San Diego and Los Angeles (the surfline that the @pacificsurfliner still uses (with more frequency today) and also a few branches.

The blue & yellow warbonnet scheme became my favorite with the beautiful station in San Diego, which were so colorful to me compared to the Grey/Scarlett SPs and the Yellow UP locos we'd also see on trips around Southern California.

As I grew older and started learning more about railroads, I learned more about the history of Santa Fe's passenger service (which ended a week before I was born with @amtrak) highlighted by the San Diegans, Super Chief, and all the other Chief trains.

I was lucky in that my parents supported my growing interest in trains by taking me to places like Cajon Pass on trips and also regularly to the @the_la_mesa_model_railroad and the other layouts in Balboa Park.

Once I moved from California east to Arkansas it became a rare treat to see a Santa Fe locomotive in a train consist and I always enjoyed seeing their freight cars as they passed.

After the merger with the BN which created today's @bnsfrailway in the first few years, more Santa Fe units found their way into my area, but slowly they were repainted into the new unified schemes which honored both railroads heritage.

I was pleasantly suprised back in 2013 when @patricemchristian and I travelled over to Birmingham AL to see the #630 steam engine working on the @norfolksouthern steam excursions to also find an old survivor in the Santa Fe paint scheme still doing its job for the BNSF there. Head on you couldn't even see the small remarking under the cab.

Memories like this are why I'm still a huge fan of the old ATSF and why I enjoy learning more about it still to this day.
 

Hard to believe that Christmas is over and so is 2024 almost!  I'm busy at working trying to help push the last few orders out the door, but I'm looking forward to 2025 how about you?

I just wanted to take a moment to thank each of you for reading my posts and I always enjoy reading comments from you about your thoughts on them.  It's really a way for me to share some of my images and thoughts on life in general with you.

As I look forward to 2025, I'm reflecting on what 2024 has been.

- I started the year in January by traveling to Sweden (and Europe) for the first time in my life.  It took way to long and I look forward to visiting more of Europe and getting to ride more of the trains there.

- At work, we upgraded our ERP computer system in February.  I always enjoy learning a new system and also being able to share my knowledge with others.

- At work, I was promoted to Site Manager which has brought a lot of extra hours and tasks, but has given me a chance to develop as a leader with my great team in Duncan.

- South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee survived Hurricane Hele in early October.  Despite the destruction and the continued clean-up it has been heart warming to see how the region has pulled together to recover.

- I had the chance to make more new images in 2024 than in 2023!  I'm looking forward to making and sharing even more in 2025!  I really enjoy the time spent with my wife Patrice (a great photographer too) exploring the region and finding new things to record.

- I increased the number of posts here on my blog and have seen increased readership. My goal for 2025 is to be even more consistent.

Thanks to everyone again who has shared the journey with me.

tree lights

We visited the Festival of Trees in Greenville yesterday afternoon which was a great experience again this year.  One a weekday afternoon, there were no crowds and we had plenty of time to walk around enjoying the trees and making some photos.

Last time, I shared a photo which happened by accident in downtown Greer, so this time I set out to duplicate it which was a little harder than I expected but I was quite happy with the glowing results.

Part of the fun of photography is the ability to come up with abstract captures of things to share.  Hope you enjoy this one!

window lights

Last night we braved the cold (at least for South Carolina) to go downtown in Greer to see the festivities around the tree lighting and also grabbed some quick pictures in downtown 

This one ended up not being what I was planning, the lens focused on the window instead of the lights inside, but looking at it on my computer later, I was actually happy with the result.

Sometimes what we are planning doesn't go "right", but sometimes what happens can be a nice surprise!

Tomorrow we're off to see the Christmas Parade in our small town. Can't wait to see others celebrating the season and it's supposed to even be warmer!

Happy Holidays!
 

Rudolph and Santa

In 2024, Patrice, her mother and I went to the Center for Puppetry Arts to see a special exhibit which had the original Rudolph and Santa puppets from the Christmas Special.  They had their own room and were sitting in the glass case.  When we got there we had the room to ourselves and plenty of time to examine them in detail.

I think the thing that shocked me was just how small they were.  Somehow I had always imagined them being larger.  However they were quite, quite small.  Here is a video on Instagram that I took with my cell phone where you can see them in more detail.

I was so happy that to learn the story of how they were discovered and lovingly restored and also the chance to see them.

The Center is full of other puppets that are famous including a large collection of the original Muppets along with many other favorites.  They have a nice gift shop and also lots of activities for the family along with puppet shows they present of course.

If you'd like to see Rudolph and Santa they are on display again at the Center this holiday season. https://puppet.org/programs/festive-features/

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When I get a chance to visit a covered bridge or other older wooden structure I always enjoy the chance to examine the craftsmanship which when into building them.

Patrice and I recently visited the Campbell's Covered Bridge near our home in the Upstate of South Carolina.

The bridge was recently restored (again) and paint was added to the inside which somewhat covers the various carvings that people have felt the need to leave for years.

As much as I hate the carvings (same for ones on old trees or even most graffiti), I understand the desire to say "I was here".  For me, the images I make are my way to say "I was there..." 

The National Park Service always emphasizes "Leave no trace" when visiting historical sites and I believe in leaving the place the same for the next visitor and want my traces to be the images and words I leave behind.

Gene at work

Hey there, a quick snapshot from the office today.

I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has been stopping by to read the blog recently!

The blog is my outlet for sharing my images and thoughts on life. I've enjoyed being able to create more images this year and am looking forward to even more phototrips in 2025!

If you haven't taken the time to explore the rest of the website:

A good place to start is in the Gallery - these are some of my favorite photos from over the years I've been taking digital photographs!

My newest images from 2024 can be found here.

If you'd like to find out more about me.. then there is More About Gene which highlights my life's journey and some of my influences.

Thanks again for stopping by and hope you enjoy the posts!

eternal sleep

old iron

turn the page

do you remember

Cemeteries are a great place to explore history and also enjoy the artistry of many of the markers.  I picked a few of my favorite images to edit in a similar manner highlighting some of the different memorials which are located there.

The park is surrounded by downtown Greenville now, but the residents haven't seemed to notice all the new neighbors.

Old time teacher's desk

I'm highlighting some of my favorite images made in 2024 as we move quickly towards the end of the year.

I made a new album on the website which I'm sharing them into.  I'll be adding more the rest of this year and my goal for 2025 is to regularly post new work in the 2025 album.

This photo was made at the Walnut Grove Plantation which is located near by and highlights life on a typical Colonial Era farm in the region.  This schoolhouse was relocated to the property and is set up to show what school life was like for kids back then.  

Of course, I'm sure that the kids walked "uphill both ways in the snow" to get to class... 

Life in the past was simpler, but very different from today.

I'm thankful for electricity.

After dealing with #hurricane Helene in our region last month, I'm thankful for electricity.

It's fun to imagine what life would be like without it in the past, but our "connected" world requires power to operate.

I love good lantern light. The glow is something magical. Same with a nice fireplace or campfire. But having light to read by, power for the computer and power for the fridge is wonderful too.
 

November

It's really hard to believe we're already in November! 

We're moving into the last two months of the year which means it is time to reflect on this year and to start planning for 2025!

Each November I take the time each day to think about the things I'm most thankful for in my life.  I should do better remembering that everyday, but like all of us; many days my busy life makes it too easy to think about just what we are dealing with today.

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When I moved to Eastern Arkansas from California, one of the most interesting things I learned about what cotton.  It was great to get to watch the process from land prep to picking in the fall each year.  I never realized how many different strands of seed there were and how the yield could vary from farm to farm depending on many conditions including very localized weather.  

I still enjoy the fall when the cotton is in bloom and the process starts of picking and baling the cotton.  Cotton gins are still found in many parts of the south including South Carolina where I live now

Norma_03_07_2023

I posted a different angle of this shot over on Instagram today, this image gives a better overview of the entire monument.

I love visiting old cemeteries and seeing the old monuments.  Each of these markers remembers someone who lived a life and had loved ones. I'd love to know all their histories.  I wonder how many of these families still live close enough to visit their ancestors final resting places?

Logo Test

Personally we made it through Hurricane Helene pretty well, we lost power for about 12 hours and still don't have internet at home.  Lots of folks are still without power almost a week after the storm.  Lots of damage around the upstate and also even worse up in North Carolina.

Driving to the office, there are lots of trees still down and roads closed, but it is slowly progressing.

We are thankful for the tireless work of the line-workers, emergency personal, volunteers and the community for the way everyone has come together to pull through this and help their neighbors.

Keep everyone in your thoughts!

There was something captivating about this old shell I found walking the beach on Edisto Island. 

I really loved the weathering and decay and how the shadows played against the form.

Sometimes lowering the camera angle is what it takes to change the perspective of the shot to better capture the beauty of nature.

Taking a slow walk in nature will bring many treasures to light, if you just take the time to look.

Mabry Mill on the Blue Ridge Parkway is the most photographed location on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  It's located in the Virginia portion of the BRP high in the mountains.

Visitors can enjoy the chance to see how life "was back then" through living history demonstrations on the weekends during the season.

There is also a great giftshop and cafe there with some good eats.  Near by in Meadows of Dan are more eating and shopping options.

This photo is from 2011 and is one of my favorites of the mill, especially with the ducks on the ponds.

Cole Full RR

Along US82 in Alabama between nowhere and nowhere, there was a closed General Store along the side of the road.  The thing that caught my eye was the 3 soda machines still outside and the full-length Coca-Cola sign on the roof.  

Being the South, the machines were RC Cola, Coca-Cola, and Dr. Pepper.  Pepsi wasn't missing though, there had been bottles in the Dr. Pepper machine if you were interested.  Ice cold bottles were priced 50 cents.. but unfortunately they were out of service!

I've found out that the store in Three Notch, Alabama used to be a railroad depot, which looking at it now I can see in the building underneath the later additions. Here is more about the history of three notch road.

The bathrooms were outside of course and probably had those great "reusable" blue towels on the rollers that I've always looked askew at for their "cleanliness".

The chairs under the awning and the bench outside call back to the days where the local general store would have been the place to on a hot summer day before harvest and the farmers would probably be talking about Alabama Football, politics, and the weather.

I like to imagine the place in it's railroad days when it would have been the center of the small community and I'm sure everyone came out to see the arrival of the train and who got off in their town or who was leaving town.

cradle of forestry

Patrice and I drove back on Sunday along a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina south from Asheville.  This section includes many tunnels and some scenic overlooks. 

The clouds were not too dramatic but I've always loved this old dead tree which I've taken many photos of over the years.

The Cradle of Forestry offers a great visit just down US276 and makes a great stop along the parkway.  Brevard is down the mountain and offers hotels, B&Bs, gas and many food selections.

If you'd like to see more of my favorite BRP shots.. check out my BRP Spring Gallery. 

Taxi

Happy 4th of July.  Nice to have a few days off of work!

BarnsideThis wooden barnside ages and decays

I always love taking detail shots of wooden structures, especially those that are starting to decay.  This barnside had lots of details including the handmade plants, damage from age and termites, and tons of character.

Change

Change can evoke various emotions - excitement, fear, or a mix of both, impacting our lives, careers, and organizations. When change is unplanned, it can lead to chaos, instilling fear in teams about the unknown.

Alternatively, planned changes signify progress and improvement. Each change is a step towards achieving goals, requiring thoughtful consideration and team involvement from the outset. Quick wins boost engagement, with public celebrations fueling momentum and fostering a culture of improvement without the need for external consultants. Targeting small areas for enhancements can yield significant results, paving the way for a brighter future.
 

mom and dad 1963

My Dad.

Charles "Chuck" Bowker, Jr. - 1941 - 1986.

My dad was always doing something.

He escaped Bakersfield, to serve in the US Navy, he learned electronics and was assigned as a radar operator and electrical specialists on E-2 Hawkeyes. Their squadron had two deployments to Vietnam where the E-2's were the airborne controllers for the planes conducting missions and also the airborne eyes for the Carrier Group detecting potential threats.

After his 2nd tour, he decided to leave the Navy and joined NCR in the suburbs of San Diego as a systems analysis. This was the era when NCR was developing something called the "Automated teller" which we know as ATMs. He would help with the designs and sourcing of parts for a generation without the benefit of AUTOCAD the tools we take for granted today.

He worked a full-time job there and loved still electronics. He built us an Apple II clone have at home. He knew that stuff. All without a college degree, but with that experience from the Navy.

He joined the USN Reserves and worked on electronics at Miramar (when it was still home to Top Gun) on his weekend a month and two weeks during the summer to support the squadrons which were still protecting America during the cold war.

He joined the San Diego Sheriff's Reserves which we trained volunteers which supplemented the regulars on patrol and with events. Later he moved into the Search and Rescue team where they were on 24/7 call to help locate missing persons in San Diego County. Lots of training, meetings, and activities. He brought me along as much as he could and I enjoyed spending time with him and the team.

He was a band dad. When I was in Ozzie's youth band and school bands, he'd take a day off from work to help drive the equipment van. He'd take me all over Southern California to watch the Emerald Brigade at Poway High compete in competitions. He reminded me that someday soon I'd be out there with them. He paid for music lessons outside of school to help me improve, etc...

When I got to Poway High finally he helped the equipment team and the band doing all sorts of behind the scenes things, setting up for field shows, carrying the ladder for our warm-ups or whatever else was needed. He was always around and I loved that time with him, being there in person.

November 1986

My mom woke me up and said "something's wrong". Paramedics were called and he was transported to the hospital. Severe stroke was the diagnosis.

He was moved to the ICU where he passed away 2 weeks later. Our local friends stepped up to help, but we didn't have a family close by. His dad had passed away in January his year and his mom died when he was just a teenager.

He donated his body to medical science as a living donor. We arranged a memorial service to be held a couple of weeks later. My mom and I attended a small church in Poway, but as people reached out to want to attend we realized it would be to small for people who wanted to be there.

At the service, people from all of the groups above attended. The USN was there, the Sheriff's, co-workers from NCR and many of the students and families that he had somehow touched through the band years. Lot's of comments about how he always was there to help. One of the toughest, but also one of the most memorable days in my life.

No he wasn't perfect. No one is of course.

Life after his passing.

My mom told me we'd stay in Poway if I wanted so I could stay in band. We became closer and she went out of her way to support me in things, but she was a long way from her parents and family back in Arkansas.

Losing him so young, he wasn't there to see me graduate High School, College, or give advice about my career and life. He wasn't there to celebrate successes or reach out to for help. He wasn't there in person, but he was always there with me in his spirit.

Happy Father's Day

If your father is still alive today, tell him how much you appreciate him. If he isn't there, do what I do each year and remember him in your own way and how he still influences your life.

comfort control (1 of 1)

Someone liked it hot with the heater set like that.

The room controls in this vintage pullman's roomette were pretty basic.  Wow, even a non-grounded 110V AC outlet to shave in the lighted mirror.

No USB's, no checking for wifi, and no cell signals!  Is there a better reason to sit back and enjoy the view of life passing by the windows?

Ferris WheelWhen I lived in Aiken, South Carolina years ago, I visited the annual fair.

The Ferris wheel provided a nice subject for some shots from different angles with my old Canon G1X camera.

When I was a kid growing up in San Diego, I really looked forward to going to the Del Mar Fair each year.  The fair was full of fun things to do, cool rides, lots of exhibits and good food.

My dad volunteered with the San Diego County sheriff's reserve which helped do traffic and crowd control for the fair, so he'd take me along several days or nights and I'd get free admission and some pocket money to spend.

The hardest choice back then was did I want to go spend it on rides, play some games on the midway, or even spend it on foods I wouldn't eat the rest of the year, or maybe some sort of cool souvenir.   

Then I'd spend hours walking through the exhibition halls, seeing the animals, and all the different categories of competitions they had back then.  The grounds were huge, so it was hard to take it all in or really see it.  Even the paper maps they providedreally didn't help that much.

But they always had a giant ferris wheel on the midway. Made of steel and equipped with gondolas, it was fun to look up, especially after dark while in line to ride. 

When your turn came, you loaded up and rode up and down, but my favorite part of the ride was during the reloading when you'd be stopped at the very top.

Off to one side, was the Santa Fe railroad with Amtrak trains and the beaches beyond that on the Pacific.  On the other side, it was the one chance to see just how big the fairgrounds really were.

Life has those times where you are waiting for something to change, the climb can seem impossible from where you are.  If you wait sometimes, the chance to climb on board and get a view of the big picture from the can be just a few reloads away.

PMC_Union_Cotton

This is the way to welcome someone to your town isn't it?

My wife Patrice Christian (be sure to check out her FLICKR) took this picture as we were driving on our way out of town after our photo-walk in downtown Union, South Carolina this weekend.

At one time this mural must have been really stunning to see, but the closer you look now the more you realize it could use some TLC to get back to it's original glory.

Shout out to Patrice:

Speaking of Patrice Christian, we met through photography back in the days of Google+ where we were both part of the large photo community on there.  She's a great photographer and has her own style of images which are really great.  It's wonderful to have a partner in life who shares a passion with you!  She's also my "editor" on the blog and helps me be clear in what I'm trying to say here and communicate more clearly!  I told her yesterday that she really is my "VP Editorial and IT" for all the great advice she gives me on here.

That advice extends way beyond photography to all aspects of my life.  It's great having someone in your corner who isn't afraid to tell you what she really thinks.  She's the reason I enjoy taking outings like Saturday's to Union!  I always am amazed at how we can both be in the same place but see completely different things while we are there!  I can't wait for our next road-trip on the backroads of our life together!

Besides her FLICKR account where she shares most of her photos, she's also now on Instagram!  I hope you will take the time to check out her work and give her a follow on IG where I hope she is going to be more active soon!

Photo Credit: Patrice Christian
 

Union SC

Quick trip yesterday over to Union, SC which is about an hour east of here to check out the downtown with my wife Patrice and her mom. So here is my first "QuickTake" post, which will be initial opinions and some quick edits of pictures.

The Coca-cola "ghost sign" caught my eye in an alley off of the main street. Even though faded and hard to read, I still prefer original "ghost signs" to well intended efforts to restore them which destroys the original work.  One of my favorite South Carolina artists, Jim Harrison (the artist, not the writer) got his start painting Coca-Cola Sign like these.

I'm all for murals and street art, but there are plenty of walls you can paint on without erasing a piece of your history!  Union has a cool train mural that is in desperate need of some loving care now. 

They also have a NS (Ex-Southern) depot which appears to be used by their MOW crews still.  Wouldn't it make a great spot for a train museum a block off of mainstreet!

Nice little downtown but really dead on a Saturday afternoon. I don't think one business was open. Even the local museum which said open until 4pm, was locked at 3:45. Good reason for a trip back someday soon. Many of the businesses downtown in Union are for sale or the buildings are at least empty. The old mill still stands on the edge of town, now for sale, empty of the workers that used to shop downtown after the whistle blew on Saturday afternoon.

Union is the home of the Bantams of USC-Union and of course it is summer break, and the Walmart's parking lot is full outside of downtown. I hope the town can find a way to attract those people back to the street on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in June.

What was that?

What is that?

Today's true story from work.

Walking out on the floor this morning, I stopped to talk to one of the team members about the project he was working on like usual.

Out of the corner of our eyes, we see something that looks like a large "dust bunny" move on it's own. The fans were not on, so both of us kind of looked at each other in a "did you see that moment".

We watched and it moved again...

Walking over, I realized it was a frog covered in dust and lint that had somehow made it into the building. I scooped him up and asked him nicely, "Please don't pee in my hand!", removed the lint, opened the side door to let him go in grass.

As soon as I opened the door, he hopped off as if this was just a normal occurrence. I'd love to say, he stopped and turned around and waved, but no.. I think the little guy was just happy to be back outside and have the trash of the day off of him.

Much better start to the morning than the pebble in the door yesterday though.

Moral of the story: Sometimes we all need some help to shake the trash of life off and get on with life.

Pebble

I usually get into work around 6am. This morning when I arrived, I saw a sign on the glass doors in the lobby saying "Use Side Door", I figured the lock was just being temperamental.

I put my key in and turned it.. and it STUCK in the lock. So, around to the side door, come inside and try to turn the lock from the inside...

Now the keys are in the front door, and I'm inside at least. Next find a pair of pliers and go back out to get the key out without breaking it off in the lock... success!

Looking at the door with my analytical, but not mechanical mind, I can tell that the two doors aren't lining up in the frame...

Assume that the problem is with the door or the hinges, etc.. get it to unlock so we can use it at least.

When our design engineer gets here, I ask him if he can check it out for me.

He comes back in.. and says he fixed it. THERE WAS A PEBBLE stuck in the door jam!
Reason 10000000 why I'm not an engineer :)
Always some rock to move before you can really get to work.
 

Puzzle

When I was a kid, I really enjoyed doing jigsaw puzzles with my mom on the kitchen table. 

Even though I haven't done a real jigsaw puzzle in years, I still enjoy trying to make all the pieces fit, but now I get to do it everyday in my day job working with production planning at FlexQube.

Production planning is a puzzle of trying to fit different orders into a limited space, that we call capacity.  The pieces are different sizes (based on order size and complexity) and different colors (based on priorities and ship dates).

To make it even more challenging, each puzzle piece is also made up of smaller pieces including purchased parts and subcomponents which have to be manufactured before the piece can go to production (you can think of those as other mini-puzzles within the pieces). 

Each puzzle piece also has stakeholders (Customers and Salesmen) who are interested in their pieces, but not really the board as a whole.  So even small pieces can change priority (color) at any time.

The board you build the puzzle on, the plant floor, also has sections with their own variables.  Each section, call them production cells, has its own capacity based on hours, staffing, and efficiency. You can increase the size of a section by adding additional staffing or hours (overtime), but the cell can decrease if someone is absent that day.

As you plan out a day, week, and month it's a never ending game of matching the order pieces to the sections and hoping you can complete the entire board by the end of a week or month.  Luckily, you can see how you did in hindsight by KPI's such as on-time delivery and plant efficiency (how many resources were used per piece versus the plan).

Like a jigsaw puzzle, the more you play the game, the better you get at it, but it is a fun challenge every day.

Untitled

I'm not a full-time photographer.  Like many photographers I have a day job which pays the bills and use photography as a hobby and as an outlet for my creative side.

I went to college and studied Political Science.  I was sure I wanted to become a lawyer.  However, after an internship at a law office I quickly decided that really wasn't how I wanted to spend my life.

Luckily my senior year in college I found a "Management Trainee" position with a small manufacturing company which I was hired for. That position was a great way to learn everything about manufacturing at the macro level as I spent time doing everything from production supervision to shipping to material planning.

Material planning was the part of the operations that I enjoyed most and my career since then has been within the "Supply Chain" realms of planning and procurement. 

I've had the chance to work in a variety of industries including textiles, heavy machinery, high-tech, consumer products, gas turbines, and now industrial equipment.  Over the years I shifted from planning roles over to specializing more in procurement/sourcing/operations.  The variety of companies have given me a great view of how different organizations approach the problems of ensuring the right components are available at the right time.

Over 30 years in manufacturing, I've seen how technology has improved our ability to effectively operate.  From the early days of "visicalc" spreadsheets and paper work-orders, to a digital workflow and advanced ERP systems that can help manage thousands of SKUs.  Now, AI on the horizon will help to automate workflows and continue to improve our processes!

Automation and technology has also impacted my photography over the years as I've moved from 35mm cameras to digital cameras which allow us to make many more images in the field.  Waiting to see how the pictures came out back from the developer has changed to instantly being able to see what we've captured on the back of our cameras.  In addition, most of us carry great cameras in our pockets in our cellphones which mean you never have to be without a camera.  Processing wise we have programs like Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, and even in camera/app editing tools which can improve our captures to show what we want them to.  New AI tools can even generate digital images from a "suggestion prompt" like the one in the photo above, which I created in Adobe Express.

I'll always enjoy photography, but I've never had a desire to do it full-time as I think it would take away the enjoyment of it as a hobby.  I look forward to sharing more of my photos with you here and hope that you've enjoyed learning a little more about what I do when I'm not behind the viewfinder.

Southern MotelThe sign from the Southern Motel sits along US41 near Cordele, Georgia.

The motel is long gone, but the sign remains.

Interstate Highways have their uses I'll admit.  If you need to get from here to there in a hurry, they are usually the quicker way to do it than the backroads I prefer.  However, the interstates come with their own challenges and disadvantages. 

If you've ever been caught in one of those interstate traffic jams that last for hours you know what I'm talking about.  Add in lots of trucks, idiots who are in a real hurry and come up behind you flashing their headlights just to get caught behind the next car and it's never what I consider a relaxing experience. 

I live near I-85 here in the upstate of South Carolina between Greenville and Spartanburg and I cross it on my way to and from work.  It's always fun to guess if today is going to be one of those days where the traffic is somewhat following or if one or both directions are going to be at a standstill. 

When I have time to get somewhere, I really prefer driving along the backroads.  You get glimpses into what life was like before the interstates, without so many trucks and all the stress of the main roads. 

On the outskirts of many towns, you'll find old motels.  Some of them are still in operation but many more are abandoned or have been converted into cheap longer stay apartments.  

Their signs can be fascinating and I always wonder what they would have looked like when the neon still glowed to call the travelers off the highway. 

This is a favorite of mine near Cordelle, Georgia on US41.  Over the years, the brush has covered it more and more, but on this trip I was able to capture a photograph which gives a hint of the past. 

Next time you are not in a hurry, I suggest finding a backroad and enjoying the drive.  You won't get there as quickly, but you'll have more fun doing it! 

Holiday Spirit

I'm looking forward to the holiday season this year.  I'm more into Halloween than I've been in years and then we get Thanksgiving and Christmas behind that!  One of my favorite parts of Christmas is getting out my Christmas pipes and a tin from my stash of Holiday Spirit from McClelland to smoke with them.  It's a nice aromatic that still has some tobacco flavor in it.

I'm a month plus into my daily goal of writing at least 100 words a day. In the first month, I wrote on about 20 days.. which isn't great but also isn't too shabby when you have not been writing at all.

Most of the posts are pretty mundane, dealing with work and various other things in my day-to-day life.  No real deep thoughts in there, but it helps as a journal to keep plugging away.

Retired Crossing GuardThis old veteran enjoys retirement in front of the restored depot in Folkston, Georgia as the trains of CSX pass by.

A goal I had when starting this blog, since it was included with my photography account, was to start writing on a more consistent basis.

I recently picked up a short book from one of my favorite bloggers/writers David Kadavy called "100 word writing Habit".  He's mentioned the concept for years, but it always seemed a little bit too easy to be effective.

After reading the book cover to cover a couple of times (it's a short read) I've made the decision to try it.  Like he mentions in the book, if you write just 100 words a day, over a year that is 36500.  

I'll be sharing some of my writing here as it is completed.

You can learn more about David on his website.

Behind the photo - The Norfolk & Western 521

I had visited the Virginia Museum of Transportation before, but somehow I had overlooked this locomotive until my most recent visit due to some of the more famous attractions there.

The 521 story.

The GP9 was acquired in 1958 to replace the famous J-Class steam engines . The 521 was the last of the class of 21 purchased from EMD. These locomotives were equipped with steam generators and featured a maroon paint scheme which complimented the Norfolk & Western's passenger fleet.

The 521 now resides at the Virginia Museum of Transportation along with the J-Class 611 which it replaced on the railroad 50 plus years ago.

The museum's website talks about the steam to diesel transition:

The railway lines found that a reduction in the size of the crew was a particularly attractive benefit of diesel versus steam. There was no fire, of course, eliminating the need for a fireman. Fueling stops were much less frequent and crews could travel further. However, they did not realize the benefits right away. The powerful railroad unions fought the elimination of the fireman. They also fought the extension of the 100 mile track regions to the 200 or 300 miles that the railways wanted. It took years to win the changes. Today, the diesels typically have two people in each cab, primarily for safety reasons.(A)

Both of these locomotives are great examples of the N&W in the late 1950s which many consider the "Golden Age of Railroading" in America.

More about the 521:http://vmt.org/Loops-Collections/Diesel-Locomotive-Loop/Diesel-Locomotive-EMD-GP-9-521.html

Sources:
(A)
http://vmt.org/Loops-Collections/Diesel-Locomotive-Loop/Diesel-Locomotive-start.html

Williamson Morning 8X10The Norfolk Southern celebrated their 30th Anniversary in style during 2012 as they brought Nickel Plate 765 and the Southern 630 out onto the NS tracks as goodwill ambassadors. Early morning in Wiliamson, West Virginia and the 765 is bringing its consist to the depot where NS employees and their families will be treated to a ride over the Pocahontas Division. Learn more about this piece of living history.

The Norfolk Southern celebrated their 30th Anniversary in style during 2012 as they brought Nickel Plate 765 and the Southern 630 out onto the NS tracks as goodwill ambassadors.

Early morning in Wiliamson, West Virginia and the 765 is bringing its consist to the depot where NS employees and their families will be treated to a ride over the Pocahontas Division. Learn more about this piece of living history.

store%2520square

On the backroads, one of the common sights is the small abandoned country stores which used to stand at many crossroads.  Usually in a state of disrepair, they were once the center of community.

The small store served the purpose of Dollar General in being a place that you could get the essentials.  Many of them offered credit to their neighbors which would be repaid at harvest time in the fall.

Now they sit mostly abandoned and the locals either drive to the nearest Dollar General or to a WalMart in the next town for their needs.

Even during the high of tourist season in Summer and Fall, visitors can find quiet moments at Mabry Mill before and after hours.

On the weekends and during the peak tourist seasons, the mill is open daily for inspection and you can buy corn mill ground on site. The historians at the mill are great sources of information about how life "used to be"

While there I was playing with my R7 inside the tunnel shooting back towards the end.

I got a photo that has something interesting in it that I haven't been able to explain yet.

Let me know what you think it is in the comments.

The 2nd is a cropped in detail of the light in the first one.

Learn more about Stumphouse Tunnel

tunnel long tunnel detail

BRP TunnelsThe North Carolina section of the Blue Ridge Parkway features a number of tunnels.

At sunrise, the light is just starting to illuminate the darkness as I stop long enough to grab a quick snapshot out the windshield of the scene

The North Carolina section of the Blue Ridge Parkway features a number of tunnels between Cherokee and Asheville.

At sunrise, the light wass just starting to illuminate the darkness as I stopped long enough to grab a quick snapshot out the windshield.

As Spring arrives, I'm looking forward to exploring the BRP again as it is now closer than ever to reach from our home in Greer.

sword_03_07_2023

Another monument at the Oconee Hill Cemetery in Athens I really liked was this one holding a sword.

Whenever we visit a historic cemetery, I wonder how many of the monuments and other graves are still visited by family members. In some cemeteries, age has really taken a toll on the monuments aging them to the point where it is almost impossible to read the inscriptions beyond maybe the name, if even that.

I hope that you have been enjoying the shots from the cemeteries which I've collected in a new collection on my webpage which you can visit here.

Norma_03_07_2023

We visited the Oconee Hill Cemetery in Athens, Georgia this week which is located next to the UGA Campus for the first time in ten years on a beautiful March afternoon.
The cemetery is quite large and includes a number of interesting monuments including Norma who is probably my favorite on the site. The cemetery offers "virtual tours" which are a great way to get an idea of the layout and also see some of the famous monuments.

She is located in the Jewish section of the cemetery.

Athens has a lot of interesting history besides being the home of the University of Georgia.

Bridge_2023_02_28

The Poinsett Bridge was built in 1820.  It was then on the main road between Asheville, NC and Greenville, SC. 

According to the Greenville County Park's website:

Constructed in 1820, it is believed to be the oldest surviving bridge in the state. Named after Joel Poinsett, a prominent early resident of Greenville and a U.S. ambassador to Mexico, the bridge was part of the State Road that connected Charleston and Columbia with the North Carolina mountain communities into Tennessee. It is a 14 foot Gothic arch stone structure and stretches 130 feet over Little Gap Creek. Historians believe that is was designed by Robert Mills, architect of the Washington Monument.
 

On a quiet day, it is a nice place to visit and admire the construction over 200 years later.  The bridge is supposed to be haunted but I've only visited during the daytime, so I can't say I've seen the ghost yet.

The SCETV also has a piece about it on their "South of Spooky" series which you can find here.

Williamson Morning 8X10The Norfolk Southern celebrated their 30th Anniversary in style during 2012 as they brought Nickel Plate 765 and the Southern 630 out onto the NS tracks as goodwill ambassadors. Early morning in Wiliamson, West Virginia and the 765 is bringing its consist to the depot where NS employees and their families will be treated to a ride over the Pocahontas Division. Learn more about this piece of living history.

The Norfolk Southern celebrated their 30th Anniversary in style during 2012 as they brought Nickel Plate 765 and the Southern 630 out onto the NS tracks as goodwill ambassadors. Early morning in Wiliamson, West Virginia and the 765 is bringing its consist to the depot where NS employees and their families will be treated to a ride over the Pocahontas Division. Learn more about this piece of living history.

Cornelia_02_23

Cornelia, Georgia located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Parkway, north of Atlanta was once the beginning of the Tallulah Falls Railway which ran North to Franklin, North Carolina.

It is located on the Norfolk Southern Railroad still today and has a nicely restored depot (open limited hours) along with a couple of cabooses on display.  There are plenty of seats to watch the passing trains.  Amtrak passes through in the middle of the night both ways, but the trains don't stop here anymore.

Cornelia is also famous for the "Big Red Apple" which is on display next to the depot which pays homage to the areas past as a large producer of apples.  See Patrice's photo of the apple here.

flowerybranch_021923

We had the occasion to stop in Flowery Branch, Georgia for some quick photos downtown and also in the nearby graveyard.

Flowery Branch, which has transformed into a commuter community for Atlanta is in the middle of "modernizing" their downtown.  Where once there were quaint old buildings (and a nice mural), now there are multi-use buildings and torn up streets.

The new farmers market is quite nice by the depot and when the construction is over the residents and visitors will have a nice experience I'm sure.

Down in the graveyard, not as much as changed over the years.  There are still some interesting statues and also lots of historical graves.  Many of the gravestones have faded with time to the point they are almost unreadable. 

My favorite from the graveyard was this angel and companion.

angelharp_020523

The last of the shots for now from the Duluth Cemetery in Georgia.  I always find the statuary fascinating.

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We recently made a trip back down to Duluth, Georgia and while there visited the old cemetery downtown. 

This had been a favorite photo location for us over the years.  This time, the amount of changes made to downtown Duluth was more evident, including the condos in the background of one of my favorite statues.  Duluth really did change during the nine years that I lived there and isn't the "quaint" downtown that I remember so fondly from when I arrived in 2013.

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The Saturday Afternoon Post.

Located on Lake Hartwell, just across the state line in Georgia, the Travelers Rest Historic Site is an interesting place to visit.

According to their website...
"This stagecoach inn and plantation home was built around 1815 by James R. Wyly. He strategically located it along the newly constructed Unicoi Turnpike, a busy highway over the Appalachian Mountains. Wyly operated the inn until 1833 when he sold it to his neighbor Devereaux Jarrett, the "richest man in the Tugaloo Valley." Jarrett continued to operate the inn, but doubled its size to make it the home place of his 14,400 acre plantation along the Tugaloo River. Three generations of Jarretts inhabited the site until the state of Georgia purchased the remaining few acres of the once-vast plantation for $8,000 in 1955. Thanks to both its architectural significance and its role in the early history of the area, Traveler's Rest was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964. Today, visitors can tour the house and see many original artifacts and furnishings, some of which were crafted by Caleb Shaw, a renowned cabinetmaker from Massachusetts."

Anyway, I loved how the sun hit this bedpost in one of the upstairs rooms.
 

Southern 630The Southern 630 rolls through the Chickamauga National Battlefield in 2015 pulling an excursion for the Tennessee Valley Railroad

A throwback photo today to my first trip to see the Southern 630 in steam at Chickamauga National Park.

I've always enjoyed photographing steam trains in action and some of my all time favorite photographs are of them in action or even standing still.

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On our way back from Georgia this week, we stopped at Table Rock State Park located off of South Carolina Highway 11 in Pickens County, to stretch and take a few photographs.  The Visitor Center is located on a small lake which has a nice pier for fishing. The main section of the park (lodge, camping, etc...) is located on the other side of the highway.

Out in front of the visitor center, there are several sets of rockers inviting folks to sit down for a few.

The image was taken with my Canon R7 and a 55mm/f2 Soviet-Era Helios M42 lens, using an adapter I purchased to make it fit on the RF mount. The lens is completely manual when it is on the camera and you have to adjust the settings on the R7 to "shoot without lens" for it to work.  I'll share some more test shots with it, but it is fun to use and makes me think more than the regular 50mm.

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My goal for 2023 is to get out and take more pictures.  We kicked that off right on New Year's Day with a drive to Campbell's Covered Bridge, which is the only remaining covered bridge in South Carolina.

They are in the middle of restoration and improvements at the park, so it was challenging to find angles where there was no construction materials visible.  The entire bridge has been repainted, so it has lost a little of the charm of aging that an old timer like this is entitled to.  However, the fresh coat of paint will keep it in good shape for years to come.

This was the first time out with my new Canon R7 camera and the 50mm RF 1.8 lens.  After shooting on a 5D full frame, it will take me awhile to get used to the 1.6x crop factor.  The camera is easy to use so far and I'm quite happy with the sharpness of the "nifty 50".

Holiday Spirit

Even small traditions can help make us appreciate the season.  One tradition of mine is to open a tin of McClelland Holiday Spirit each Christmas to enjoy over the holidays.

McClelland stopped production in 2017, this years tin was made a couple of years before that in 2015, so it's now 7 years old.  It's an aromatic tobacco with flavors of Dark Rum, Cocoa, and pecans added to the base of tobaccos.  I'm not a huge aromatic smoker, but somehow the flavor combination says Christmas to me.

I enjoy smoking it in my Savinelli Saint Nicholas pipes.  Each year, they release their Christmas pipes which have different accents on the stem based on that year's edition.  I buy the 320ex, which is an author shape and has a great texture and a size that I enjoy.  Combined with the Holiday Spirit tobacco, it puts me into as much of a holiday spirit as I can muster.

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Add in a glass of Papa Pilar's Dark Rum which compliments the flavors and it makes a great evening.

I look back at 2022 and realize that I've managed to do a whopping six posts this year here on the blog.  It's been a year full of changes, including relocating to a new state and also full of long hours of work.

My primary goal for 2023 is to get into a habit of at least weekly posts here.  That will challenge me to create new images, which will hopefully get me out more to enjoy the photography I love, but never make time for.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season, however you celebrate it and I'll see you back here in 2023.

USS Yorktown - On the deckThe US Yorktown is now a museum in the Charleston, South Carolina area. Patriot's Point is a fascinating place to visit with a large collection of aircraft as well as a look at life on a World War II era Aircraft Carrier.

I lived in South Carolina from 2002 to 2013.  Later this year we'll be relocating to the Upstate near Greer, South Carolina where my day job has opened a new facility.

South Carolina has plenty of places I have not visited in years and I'm excited to get to visit and photograph them again.

One location I'm looking forward to is Charleston and visiting the Yorktown at Patriots Point again as well as the other historical sites around the city. Here is a photo from the deck of the Yorktown which I took in 2014 on my last visit there.

texture

One of the wood choices for pipes is Arbutus which is also commonly referred to as Strawberry Wood for its color.  Not as popular of a pipe making material as Briar, it can offer some very interesting grain patterns which can be brought out through sandblasting.  Arbutus is also less dense than briar, so it is lighter which is a big advantage in a big pipe.

This pipe from Morgan Pipes is from the Bones series which are pipes that come "unfinished" and will color naturally with smoking.  This one in particular is a favorite of mine, as I really love the swirls which sort of remind me of "starry night" by VanGogh.

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When I used to work in South Carolina, one of our plants was in Orangeburg, SC.  I had seen pictures of the "UFO Welcome Center" in nearby Bowman, so one day I drove over at lunch to grab a few shots.

I don't know the history behind the center, but it is obviously someone's labor of love and came across to me as quirky in that "Outsider Art" kind of way.

River Reflections - Augusta Georgia

The old Southern Railway bridge is still used by trains and leads from South Carolina (on the far shore) into downtown Augusta, Georgia. Usually the surface of the river is rippled by boat traffic or wind, but this day it seemed extra "smooth" and ready to be photographed. 

Why Post Process?

I've learned that I get the most enjoyment from photography by post-processing to make them "my own".  Taking a RAW file and tweaking it to come up with an image that "says" what I want it to. Sometimes it is easy, but sometimes it can be a long process. But the end results are worth it to me.

Looking through my jar rotation, I found myself drawn to the jar of Green Dragon from The Country Squire like it was calling out to me, sort of like a Ring. I remembered that the Green Dragon is part of the Middle Earth series named after locations in the Lord of the Rings series.

Opening the jar, I saw the combination of darker and lighter Virginias and was greeted by a sweet note similar to fresh cut grass or hay. The cut is ribbon and ready to pack.

My normal morning smokes (on work days) are usually aromatics but this had no topping and its own sweetness. I chose one of my favorite pipes, a Morgan Bones Timberwolf which is based off of the Canadian family. The tall bowl works great with Virginias and particularly with Ribbon cuts.

The smoke followed the same path as the jar note, sweet high notes with a little support in the mid tier. Flipping to the webpage, I was reminded that this is a combination of air-cured (light) and flue-cured (dark) Virginia's according to the blender. It compares quite favorably to Orlik Golden Sliced which is a summertime favorite of mine. The sweetness paired well with the bitterness of the coffee (black as the color of my soul, or something like that)

Finishing the bowl and my first cup of coffee, I was ready to tackle the world.

If you have never tried one of Jon David Cole's blends from The Country Squire you are missing a real treat. Blended in shop from choice tobaccos, you'll quickly understand why the Squire is still going strong in their 50th year.

Looking for loveHe was looking for love in all the WRONG places.

He was looking for love in all the WRONG places. 

This little guy found his ideal mate I guess in the head of my antenna.  Unfortunately for him, it was a little stiff.

After several days of rain, it was nice to see the sun make an appearance bringing with it cooler temperatures and a crisp breeze.  

The Art of Travel was an interesting read to me.  The author combines his thoughts on travel and relates them to famous travelers of the past.  He writes in an engaging prose which kept me engaged.  I can also relate to his observations on travel which was a bonus. 

The key point that I got from the book was the differences between our imagined world of travel and what we find when we actually engage in it.  The thought of flying off to some exotic location versus the reality of airport parking, TSA lines, crowded or delayed flights and the let down we sometimes get from the reality of the locations we've dreamed about or only experienced through pictures or the writing of others.

We find in the book that this is something that has occurred to travelers for many years.  Some travelers acknowledge the fact in their writings while to others it is avoided and the locale remains dreamy or perfect to their readers.  Today I equated this to the travelblog posts on Instagram where the weather always seems perfect, locations are never crowded and around every corner is another picture.  We don't usually see the less savory parts of the day such as traffic jams, less than ideal hotels or foods that don't match our tastes.  I realize lots of the travelbloggers are sponsored by the hotels or locations they visit and part of their "job" (and future gigs) is to present them in their best light.  That doesn't make it reality though.

de Botton does a great job of giving the entire picture in the essays on his travels.  He discusses how even in the most exotic of locations, we still can be blogged down by thoughts of the work or world we left behind.  I know that happens to me.  Even on vacation, thoughts of work creep in and I think about what will be waiting for me when I return to the office.  When that happens, I have two choices:

1. Give into that stream of thought and be transported back to my work world.  Instead of sitting on the beach watching the waves, now I'm back in the office in my mind.
2. Stop.  Acknowledge the thought and then focus on something in the present and start thinking about what I'm seeing or doing or reading.

I'll admit, I've been guilty of the first one quite often in the past and sometimes I can't get it out of my head.  One of my goals (I hate that word) for 2020 is to focus more on the present and enjoy it while I can.  Today, that means reading a good book, enjoying one of my favorite tobaccos and sipping on a nice drink.  Work will still be there Monday morning.

I'll be reading more by the author as I work towards reading 100 books this year and will be sharing reviews of some of them here.

Tobacco Notes:

Luxury Bullseye Flake by Peter Stokkebye is a delightful blend of Virginias and Perique, with a touch of black Cavendish — thinly sliced into neat bullseye coins. 

The coins can either be folded into larger pipes or broken up into a ribbon and smoked in smaller ones.  I prefer to use larger pipes as during the smoke you can taste the different component tobaccos as they burn in succession.  The perique doesn't overwhelm the Virginia and the Cavendish gives just a hint of extra sweetness.  It can be purchased in bulk and I always keep it in my normal rotation.

You can read some reviews about it on Tobacco Reviews and see what others have to say about this classic blend.

I had the chance recently to discuss railroad photography with Mike Howard and Tim Kempere on the popular jpeg2RAW podcast show. 

This was my first "live" interview and I enjoyed sharing my favorite photography subject with them.

Be sure to check out their website and the rest of the great episodes.

Behind the photo - The Norfolk & Western 521

I had visited the Virginia Museum of Transportation before, but somehow I had overlooked this locomotive until my most recent visit due to some of the more famous attractions there.

The 521 story.

The GP9 was acquired in 1958 to replace the famous J-Class steam engines . The 521 was the last of the class of 21 purchased from EMD. These locomotives were equipped with steam generators and featured a maroon paint scheme which complimented the Norfolk & Western's passenger fleet.

The 521 now resides at the Virginia Museum of Transportation along with the J-Class 611 which it replaced on the railroad 50 plus years ago.

The museum's website talks about the steam to diesel transition:

The railway lines found that a reduction in the size of the crew was a particularly attractive benefit of diesel versus steam. There was no fire, of course, eliminating the need for a fireman. Fueling stops were much less frequent and crews could travel further. However, they did not realize the benefits right away. The powerful railroad unions fought the elimination of the fireman. They also fought the extension of the 100 mile track regions to the 200 or 300 miles that the railways wanted. It took years to win the changes. Today, the diesels typically have two people in each cab, primarily for safety reasons.(A)

Both of these locomotives are great examples of the N&W in the late 1950s which many consider the "Golden Age of Railroading" in America.

More about the 521: http://vmt.org/Loops-Collections/Diesel-Locomotive-Loop/Diesel-Locomotive-EMD-GP-9-521.html

Sources:
(A)
http://vmt.org/Loops-Collections/Diesel-Locomotive-Loop/Diesel-Locomotive-start.html

Bridge Square

Here is a different cropping and black & white conversion of last weekend's image made with the EOS-M3 and 11-22mm lens.

I liked this in a square crop format with the log in the lower right pointing towards the bridge in the fog on the opposite bank. 

Be sure to check out some of my other square format shots in the PhotoSquared gallery here on the Rusted Rail Images page.

Times are a changing...

I officially made the jump from DSLR to mirrorless recently. I'm moving from the Canon 5D3 to the EOS-M3 (not released in the US, but purchased from a Japanese dealer).

My main reasons for finally making the jump were:

I always enjoy taking photos of wood.  The grain is different on every piece of wood I find.

When I purchased my first DSLR, a Canon xTi, I decided to take it over to Augusta, Georgia to shoot along the Riverwalk and try it out. The Savannah River was quite calm that morning and there was no boat traffic.  The old Southern Railway bridge was reflected in the water. The only thing that would have improved it, a steam train going across.

River ReflectionsThe ex-Southern Railway bridge is reflected in the still waters of the Savannah River at Augusta, Georgia.

The bridge is located at the Riverwalk Park in downtown Augusta and still serves the trains of the Norfolk Southern.

When I lived in Aiken, this was a favorite place to visit and photograph. I believe this was the only time I visited over several years when the water was this calm.

The only thing that might of made the image even a little more appealing to me would of been a train crossing the classic iron structure.

Years later, this shot is still one of my all-time favorites.  I was never able to duplicate that scene on numerous visits to the location while living in South Carolina.

The image was made as a jpeg.  I didn't know about RAW at the time and was converted to BW in the Canon software provided.  I wish I had a RAW file to process now as I think I could bring out some more details in the shadows, etc...

As we quickly approach the end of 2014, it is time to start thinking about 2015 and our goals as photographers. I'm hoping to do a better job than I did this year of getting out and shooting something every week.  I wish I could say "everyday" but with my work schedule "every week" seems like an achievable goal.

I also hope to do a better job of posting here on the blog. I look back and see some pretty "dry" periods.  My goal for 2015 will be to do at least one post a week. Hopefully, I'll exceed that.

Southern 630The Southern 630 rolls through the Chickamauga National Battlefield in 2015 pulling an excursion for the Tennessee Valley Railroad

Labor Day is a big weekend for steam locomotives in the US.

The big news this weekend is the return to steam action of the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum's 4501 which will be a part of the annual RAILFEST! this weekend in Chattanooga, TN.

I look forward to seeing the 4501 as it returns to the rails as part of the Norfolk Southern's 21st Century Steam program over the next few years, joining the 630, the NKP 765, and hopefully soon the Norfolk & Western 611 undergoing restoration in North Carolina in Spencer.

The photo above is of the 611's long-time excursion partner the NW 1218 which resides at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke which would also be a great destination this holiday weekend.

Wherever you spend the weekend, I hope you have a great end to the Summer, see a bunch of trains, and stay safe near the tracks!

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As a railfan, I might be one of the few people who don't mind being caught by a train at a crossing. The gates were just going down as I pulled up to this crossing in Tifton, Georgia last week, so I rolled down the window and grabbed my trusty #Canon #G1X to get a snapshot of the passing train.

NS 8014 leads her train through the crossing blowing the horn in the familiar long-long-short-long pattern. A friendly wave from the crew made the moment complete.

On a dark foggy morning in November 2010, CSX 496 leads an empty coal train north from Florida through Folkston, Georgia.

On a morning like this.. you feel the train before you can see it appear slowly from the shadows. You hear the horn blowing for the crossings and feel the ground shake as the engines pass.

Unit coal trains move tons of "black diamonds" from the fields of the Applachians to the Power Plants which provide energy to millions of customers.

Mabry Fall ReflectionsMabry Mill on the Blue Ridge Parkway is the most photographed location on the route.

Visitors can enjoy the chance to see how life "was back then" through living history demonstrations on the weekends during the season.

Spring flowers abound and everyone should experience the beauty of a Blue Ridge fall at least once.

When I go out railfanning these days, I find myself searching for the less obvious, the historical, or the unique.  Something different than the me too shots of the next train, or a special paint scheme.

I believe that we are each capable of creating something "better".  
Taking what we "see" with our camera and making it into something that tells an entire story visually. 

The end result isn't "photography" per se, but more digital art. I've never had any talent with a paint brush or drawing, but I've found a way to express that desire to create.  It is my own way to be an "artist", something I never thought I'd call myself.

Some of his finds are known nationally such as "Rock City" in Chattanooga, Tennessee; famous for its painted barn advertisements throughout the Southeast.

Others are smaller places, many now closed and demolished, which survived on the drive by traffic on the adjacent highway.

Margolies photographed these locations during years of road-trips which totaled over 100,000 miles.

For example, it is interesting to find out for example how many "Paul Bunyan" giant statues have been erected over the years in many different states.

Margolies wrote many books on similar topics and most of them can be picked up quite inexpensively now on the used book market.

The old Southern Railway bridge is still used by trains and leads from South Carolina (on the far shore) into downtown Augusta, Georgia. Usually the surface of the river is rippled by boat traffic or wind, but this day it seemed extra "smooth" and ready to be photographed.

I've learned that I get the most enjoyment from photography by post-processing to make them "my own".  Taking a RAW file and tweaking it to come up with an image that "says" what I want it to. Sometimes it is easy, but sometimes it can be a long process. But the end results are worth it to me.

Sometimes we feel life  is just going around and around and we aren't going anywhere

Or... we pay to have that feeling.. just to enjoy the view from the top.

#transportTuesday
 

I still find it interesting when I first describe my "railfanning" hobby to others.

The idea that I'll go and spend time looking for trains or taking photographs of them seems "strange" or odd.

Well.. it's just something I enjoy doing.  Why? 

The easiest answer is I like trains.  I have thought they were cool since I was a young kid.  My dad built us an HO-scale model railroad in the garage (we didn't have basements in California, and we used to run them around the plywood with a few buildings and a "Plaster of Paris" mountain in the corner.  I really enjoyed going to Balboa Park to visit the huge model railroad museum there (which still exists http://www.sdmrm.org/ ) and also our trips to Los Angeles on Amtrak.  These days, I enjoy photographing railroads too.  They are never the same and make for interesting subjects.

Also, I like history. When I look at the names on the side of boxcars you can usually see a few from railroads that don't exist any more. Some times they might have merged into a current railroad, but many times they have just been abandoned.  I see those names and it reminds me of their stories.

Finally, I like transportation.  Trains move things. Even when they are empty they are on their way to bring another load.  Be it a hopper full of coal for a power plant, a tankcar full of chemicals, Amtrak train full of passengers, a container load of toys for Christmas, or whatever. Without trains, America would stop.

So while other folks get excited over sports, hunting, running, or whatever; I'll stick with my trains.  See you by the tracks.

Summer is finally arriving here in the Atlanta area.  While it has been wet and mostly cool so far, we're expecting 5-6 straight days of over 90 degree weather combined with typical humidity.

When I was driving between Aiken and Columbia in South Carolina for work, I'd often take the back roads home which took me through New Holland where Kirkland Grocery stands.

The store is as quaint on the inside and still sold Coca-Cola just like the Button above the hand painted sign proudly proclaims.

As many times as I drove by the store, I only stopped a few times to get a quick picture of this classic.

This one was early on a Sunday morning. (They are always closed on Sunday) 

The Canon G1X is the newest professional level compact camera from Canon. The G1X offers many features normally found on the larger DSLR's in a much smaller package. The G1X however is probably not the best choice for the photography beginner due to its complexity and price point.

I decided to update my review of the G1X to incorporate what I've learned about it over the last 10 months.  This was originally written when I had stepped up from a G12 and before the G15 (which is closer to a G12) was introduced later.

The Canon G1X had an original retail price of $799 placing it closer to the price tags of the entry level DSLRs than to your normal point-and-shoot camera.  Amazon currently is running it for $549 and it has been as low as $499 on sale.  Used models can be picked up usually starting at around $450.

Canon has a great video on their website which describes the G1X in detail and also the mindset of the engineers and designers responsible for it.

1) The lens is a lot nicer and it basically replicates a EF 28-115mm dSLR (no you can't change the lens) with full-time (turn-off able) power IS which works in video or still mode.

The CMOS sensor size means the lens is really a 15.1mm to 60.4mm with a 1.9x crop-factor (compared to a 1.6x on the 7D) or a 4.6x on the G12 with it's 6.1mm lens. This is a big improvement.

There is an adapter available to use 58mm standard filters. However, you cannot use the filters and the optional screw on "tulip-style" lenshood at the same time. Later I bought a lenscover that retracts similar to the G12/G15. However, using this precludes using the 58mm filters. A CP filter comes in handy.

2) Max aperature is up to F/22 from F/8 on the G12 due to that bigger lens.

Minimum is a variable F2.8 to 5.8 which makes it the same as a stock lens. I wish they could get the minimum down more, but it is decent in low light.

I ran across Dogging Steinbeck: How I went in search of John Steinbeck's America, found my own America, and exposed the truth about 'Travels With Charley' by Bill Steigerwald quite by accident when I was searching Amazon for another Steinbeck book.

I read the description from Amazon and decided to give it a read as I am a big Travels with Charley in Search of America and road trip fan from way back.

Bill Steigerwald basically decided to recreate the trip from Travels exactly 50 years later in 2010 to discover how America had changed and also to as accurately as possible follow in Steinbeck's tire tracks. If you have read Travel you know that Steinbeck met a cast of characters, and traveled across America in a truck with a camper shell with his French Poodle Charley. I've read the book several times, listened to it on audible, and basically considered it a road-trip classic along the lines of Blue Highways by William Least Heat Moon.

Honestly, what I never really thought about was how accurate a description of the trip was it.  

As Steigerwald mentions, the book has always been sold as "Non-Fiction" so I basically assumed it was telling "the truth".  Of course, I realize in many travel or other non-fiction books things are changed to protect identities, or to even make the story move along better.  This occurs in any book and is accepted.

So how much of Travels is real?

I suggest you pick up a copy of Steigerwald's book and find out for yourself.  The author has done the research (including seeing the first draft of the Travels book in NYC) and then driven the miles in a RAV4 to prove it out. 

I know I'll never look at "Non-Fiction" travel writing the same way again.

Be sure to check out Steigerwald's great blog at http://truthaboutcharley.com/

Over the top

Some times we all just go over the top.

Look at something today from a new angle. Put that circle (or part of a circle) INSIDE the box of your own creating. 

The waterwheel served as a power source driven by the movement of water over it. However, the water was controlled to harness the power.

What is controlling the water over your wheel?

the sign has seen many coats of paint over its years, but it still does the job quite well.

Source: National Archives: http://www.archives.gov/research/ansel-adams/images/aag01.jpg

As I got back into photography, I learned more about the man behind the camera and the true diversity of his career and the images he produced over the years.

I highly recommend that any photographer take the chance to learn more about Adams and his influence on photography through some of the many resources available in print and on-line.

Here are a few places to start:

The National Archives has some of his work which he produced for the US Government:

http://www.archives.gov/research/ansel-adams/

Ansel Adams at 100: San Francisco Museum of Art

http://www.sfmoma.org/explore/multimedia/interactive_features/22

Ansel Adams Books

http://www.anseladamsbooks.com/

A few books I recommend include:

Ansel Adams in Color : Proof that he did a lot more than Black & White

Ansel Adams: 400 photographs : A great survey of his career in 400 photos

Examples: The Making of 40 photographs : Learn from Adams himself

Grand Central Terminal (GCT) in New York City has been serving travelers for a century now.  

Originally owned by the New York Central Railroad, trains such as the 20th Century Limited departed daily from its underground tracks.

The US Post Office did a special Express Mail Stamp to commemorate the occasion. 

A beloved New York City landmark turns one hundred years old in 2013, and the U.S. Postal Service is celebrating with the Grand Central Terminal Express Mail stamp. The train station officially opened on February 2, 1913, and was soon recognized as one of the most majestic public spaces in the world.

The stamp art captures the grandeur of this architectural masterpiece with an illustration of the main concourse. Early morning sunlight streams through the 60-foot-tall windows, illuminating the people below. In the foreground, travelers gather near the round information booth topped with its famous four-sided clock. The concourse's sky ceiling stretches overhead, decorated with a mural of constellations and figures of the Zodiac.

The graphic illustration was created by artist Dan Cosgrove, working with art director Phil Jordan. 

The Grand Central Terminal Express Mail stamp is being issued in self-adhesive sheets of 10 at the $19.95 rate, or $199.50 per sheet.

So Happy 100th Birthday Grand Central Terminal and here's to another century of servicea

Learn More About Grand Central Terminal