FRIDAY'S FOTO--Kitty Hawk NC

Spent a lovely week on North Carolina's Outer Banks.
Here's the view from where we sat in Kitty Hawk.
So much to do and so much to see and
so much delicious, fresh seafood.

FRIDAY'S FOTO

These are the three sisters of Glencoe Valley
Does it remind you, somewhat, of Brigadoon?

FRIDAY'S FOTO

This is a memorial in Budapest entitled
Shoes on the Danube Promenade
It is a monument in honor of the Hungarian Jews
who were shot on the banks of the Danube in the winter of 1944-45.
As you quietly walk along the promenade, you notice how other
visitors are silent.  It is striking and heart-wrenching
but a site one must visit.

I took this photo a few years ago in Washington State.
It is Snoqualmie Falls, a 269 foot drop.
Caught that rainbow!!!!

FRIDAY'S FOTO--BUFFALO, WYOMING'S TA RANCH

Blue skies, creeks, and one of the ranch houses out on the TA Ranch in Buffalo, Wyoming.
Open sky country. The Great Plains.  Great for raising cattle on this working ranch.
Peaceful now, but in 1892 the barn and ranch house were occupied by the Cattle Baron invaders
and a three-day shootout occurred during the Johnson County War, a fight
between the cattle barons and the small ranchers. It's a war you may be familiar with from
the movies Shane and The Virginian.

FRIDAY'S FOTO

I rarely post pictures of us in Friday's photos, but pictures of Mt Rushmore
are so iconic but almost always close up.  To envision the enormity of
these sculptures by Gutzon Borglum, perhaps a far away view is better.
Why did Borglum choose these preidents?
George Washington symbolizes the struggle for independence and the birth of the Republic.
Thomas Jefferson symbolizes territorial expansion.
Abraham Lincoln symbolizes the permanent union of the states and equality for all citizens.
Teddy Roosevelt symbolizes the 20th century, the role of the United States in world affairs and the right of the common man.

Here is the way we usually see them.
Magnificent
Powerful
Awe-inspiring

FRIDAY'S FOTO

BISON, not buffalo, we quickly learned
on our Tauck tour Legends of the American West.
Not in a zoo, but across the creek.
Thrilling to see these magnificent animals in the wild,
in their natural habitat.
GO WEST

FRIDAY'S FOTO

Montreal, Canada's amazing Biodome,
Canada's largest Natural History Museum
and
The Montreal Tower Observatory
From the Observatory, view
the St. Lawrence River Valley
and
The Laurentian Mountains

FRIDAY'S FOTO--The Moreton Bay fig tree

This is ONE BIG TREE!
In the heat of this summer, this tree can provide an awful lot of shade though the root area is chained off for protection.
It's the MORETON BAY FIG TREE in Santa Barbara, California.
It may be the biggest fig tree in North America.
It was planted in 1875.
Way back in 1996, it had a crown of 173 feet.  Think what has happened since.
It's listed in the California Register of Big Trees.
Seeing this tree is definitely a WOW! moment.

FRIDAY'S FOTO

I was asked to post a bit more from
Hearst Castle.
How would you like this to be the view from
your home?
WOW!!!!

FRIDAY'S FOTO

Isn't this how we feel these days--
the Dog Days of Summer?

FRIDAY'S FOTO

Driving home yesterday, I stopped to take this photo
about a mile from my home.
This is tobacco.
Isn't it absolutely lush and beautiful as it grows?

FRIDAY'S FOTO

We love Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Pass over the dunes, and this is the a sight you might be lucky enough to encounter.
It's not what you might normally picture as a beach scene,
but perhaps that's one of the reasons Myrtle Beach is so lovely to vist.

FRIDAY'S FOTO

This peaceful farmhouse nestled near the Antietam Creek
in Sharpsburg, Maryland, saw the bloodiest single day in
American history, the Battle of Antietam, the first battle
of the Civil War to be fought on northern soil
Visit the battlefield.
Study our history and learn from it.  You can take a tour
and see the monument to Clara Barton, the "angel of the
battlefield."
A woman well ahead of her times, she said,"I may sometimes be willing to teach for nothing, but if paid at all, I shall never do a man's work for less than a man's pay."

When you get to California, make sure you visit Hearst Castle.
See how "the other half" lives.
This pool, for instance, was used to film the 1960 blockbuster movie
Spartacus, starring Kirk Douglas.
Hearst Castle is quite an experience.

FRIDAY'S FOTO

Magen's Bay, in St. Thomas, is arguably one of the best and most beautiful
beaches in the Virgin Islands.
Just look at it and dream of being there.

FRIDAY'S FOTO

In honor of Memorial Day, 2017
In honor of all those who served our country, sacrificing their lives
In honor of all our veterans who have passed
We remember you.

I chose this photo because it juxtaposes respectful youth playing Taps and the old veteran
honoring those who served as he did in wars past and present and
in times of peace.  He remembers them.  He honors them.

On Memorial Day we honor and remember.

FRIDAY'S FOTO

Wouldn't you love a home like this one in Lenox, MA?
This is The Mount.

It belonged to Edith Wharton, novelist and expert in home design,
whose book, The Decoration of Houses is still studied today.
The Mount is an incredibly wonderful and beautiful place to visit with expansive gardens,
ponds, and gorgeous views.

Wharton won the Pulitzer Prize for The Age of Innocence.
She was nominated for the Nobel Prize three times.
Perhaps you've read The House of Mirth somewhere in your
American Literature studies.

FRIDAY'S FOTO-- BRAVE BAHAMIAN SEAGULLS

TOGETHER WE STAND
 I love taking photos of gulls, and these, and these three, facing a brisk wind in the Bahamas, were definitely stoic.
 

FRIDAY PHOTO

Fairfield Harbor. New Bern, North Carolina

Who will catch dinner first--the fly fisherman or the watchful alligator?

If I were still teaching, this photo would certainly open up a lot of possibilities in a creative writing class, wouldn't it?