A New iPhone Era

It's been several years since i had an iPhone. Let's see how it goes this time around. 

Soundcheck

Wow, it's been a while since I posted anything to my blog!  This is a collection of photos from my drummer friend Paul's band at rehearsal.  I used my Nikon D600 camera with 24, 50, and 85mm lenses.  Click on the photo below for the full album.

Counting Rings

I recently had a dead tree cut down on my property. I'm not sure how long it has been dead; although there are approximately 90 rings, so it lived for most of the 20th century.

Tailgating at the Speed of Light

A shutter open for five seconds capturing a southbound driver following much too closely, as is often the case on this road.

Almost Spring

I bought a 35mm f/1.8 prime lens for my camera, and spent a few minutes walking around the yard looking for something colorful as part of an experiment to see how pleasing or annoying the bokeh would be. I'm fairly pleased with the performance, especially considering the low cost of the lens.  Plus, with the cropped sensor on my camera, the 35mm equates to approximately 50mm - a normal lens equal to the 50mm lens on my SLR all those years ago.

Looking Forward to a Change of Seasons

When I first moved to Florida in 1996, I didn't understand how people could possibly miss the "change of seasons" - especially with our lovely West Virginia January weather. After a while, I realized I really did miss the change of seasons, and made my way back home. Of course the grass is always greener and I am missing Florida right now.  I found this weather data to cheer me up - proving that the 28 days in February will lead us to a beautiful spring, summer, and fall.

Dickson Dam

I am currently living in a house on the west bank of Twelvepole Creek in Lavalette, West Virginia. Within view of the house is Dickson Dam, part of a grist mill which was apparently built in 1805. The mill is long gone, although the steel bridge in the photo collapsed a few years ago.

Happy New Year 2010

I thought I'd post a photo of a warm place.  This is a coffee plantation in Costa Rica, taken during my trip there in December.

USS New York on the Hudson River

These photos were taken yesterday morning near my office in the Newport area of Jersey City. The ship stopped briefly for a 21 gun salute in the direction of the World Trade Center.  Click on photo for album.

Final Approach

I converted this site from a blogger blog to a WordPress blog, so consider this a second chance at "Hello World". The photo was taken on final approach to JFK back in August. Visible in the photo are from left to right: Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Jersey City, NJ.  The film speed is forced to 1600, and the shutter was open for 1/4 second, thus the blurriness as I utilized the window as a "tripod".

 

Paintball

Two pictures from a recent paintball skirmish in Pennsylvania.

NYC Photos

I was working in Manhattan this morning, and had an opportunity to take a few photos from an elevated location in Lower Manhattan. The first photo was taken looking east toward Brooklyn. The bridges are the Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge.

The next photo was taken facing north, with the Empire State Building in the center of the photo.

The final photo was taken facing west, towards Jersey City, NJ, which is on the other side of the Hudson River.

Chocolate

My friend Jenny and I checked out Max Brenner in NYC for desert after her graduation. The sign should read "Chocolate for the Bald Man". At any rate, it was excellent, and highly recommended.

NYC in the Fall

I spent most of my fall vacation in New York City this week, checking out the changing leaves in Central Park, visiting friends, and walking around the in the cold rain.  It wasn't really that miserable, considering my skin recovered from perpetual dryness from living in the desert.  Click HERE for more.

A Dry Heat

I almost moved back to Florida, but things worked out here, so I am staying. In celebration of this, I am posting the weather report for what will be the first full week of over 100 degree days. Check out the extreme humidity level, too. And this is just the beginning of summer!

Flight Home from Denver

I flew from Denver back home to Las Vegas today; it's only a one hour and 20 minute flight, but the sun was in a good position to keep everything looking nice on the ground below. I was on the wrong side to see the Grand Canyon, but there is an amazingly varying bunch of terrain over such a short distance visible out my "north" window. It was snowing pretty heavily in Denver, and it was 70 degrees in Las Vegas a short flight later. Click the photo below for more photos.

Snow

Lest I be homesick for the snow I was accustomed to when I lived back east in Ohio and West Virginia, I drove the 40 or so miles up towards Mt. Charleston to see some snow. There be snow there! After 10 years in Florida, the "how to drive on patches of slippery stuff" experience was nearly forgotten, but came back just in time.

New Year's Resolution

It looks like it is the same as the old year's resolution...duh...

Another Blast from the Past

I was playing around youtube.com and found Rush playing The Trees on one of the few tours I did not make it to - the Counterparts tour in 1994. Enjoy, if you're into this sort of thing! (May 2008 Sorry It's no longer there).

Snowy Peaks

That's a quick snapshot of some snow on the mountaintops taken from the intersection of Horizon Ridge and Eastern Avenue near my apartment. Click the photo for a little more detail. There were some patches of snow up there in October; now it looks pretty white. That's about a 45 minute drive to go check it out in person - sounds like a road trip in January when I get back from West Virginia. It may even be time to take up snowboarding!

Snowy Peaks

That's a quick snapshot of some snow on the mountaintops. There was a little bit up there in October; now it looks pretty white. Thats about a 45 minute drive to go check it out in person - sounds like a road trip in January when I get back from West Virginia.

Web Cam

I set up my old computer adjacent to my patio, and aimed a web cam out the window. It's set up to upload a new photo every 15 minutes. It's pointed in the general direction of the Las Vegas Strip, although St. Rose Dominican Hospital blocks most of the Strip view. Click HERE to check out the latest photo uploaded.

Thanksgiving 2007

I've lived in Las Vegas more than six months now, which has given me the enjoyment of being in the middle of an entirely new set of day trip opportunities. Yesterday I drove four hours to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. I've seen a lot of places and cities in my short 40 years; but nothing takes my breath away quite like the Grand Canyon. This was my third visit; and still, entering the park and seeing it out the window (and avoiding hitting the Elk that had just crossed the road) gave me goose bumps all over again. Walking part of the way into the canyon on the trail is even more amazing. Here is a picture from the edge, followed by a picture of me freezing my ears off.

Griffith Peak

This week's outdoor adventure was climbing to Griffith Peak, about an hour away from home. It was a pretty strenuous hike; nine miles round trip, almost six hours of hiking, and a final elevation of 11,060 feet above sea level. It feels so good lately to escape all the heat and noise in the Valley, and rekindle the inner Boy Scout, and just enjoy nature. I believe this is the first hike I have ever done where there is a register to sign at the top, and the next hike will be to the top of Mt. Charleston, which begins on the same trail as Griffith Peak, and adds perhaps two hours to the round trip.

Click on the picture below of Griffith Peak to see my other pictures of the hike. The pictures are in order, beginning at the trailhead, and ending at the top with a view of Las Vegas, Death Valley, and the mountains of California in the distance.