Antique car club enjoying a nice day along the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park
I just discovered a new issue – clicking on the individual images gives an error. Back to the drawing board. <sigh>
I was trading messages this morning with a friend who was trying to locate the place to reserve in-flight meals on an airline website. I suggested that he try using the app and explained how to find the meal options. He replied – in jest – “Oh, they have an app?” 😉
Antique car club enjoying a nice day along the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National ParkAntique car club enjoying a nice day along the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park
I just bought a new razor, and even it has an app. I opted to not install the app, but even more annoyingly the razor itself has a display that tells me whether I shaved properly. I’ve been shaving for a long time and probably won’t get a lot of benefit from a “smart razor.” An even better way is to just check my face, right?
The photos are from a visit to the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park back in April. A classic car club had an outing, and I parked at an overlook to get a nice view of some of the cars as they trundled by.
Antique car club enjoying a nice day along the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National ParkAntique car club enjoying a nice day along the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park
Historic Root Road Covered Bridge near Conneaut, Ohio
UPDATE 5/27/25 1:45pm: I’m getting reports that the site is now working, so please let me know if you have any ongoing issues.
My hosting company continues to work (I hope) on resolving the ‘https’ issue, but in the mean time I believe they have reverted the blog to the former ‘http’ format. I can’t tell here because I’ve jiggered my browsers to work properly. If I can’t get this resolved soon I may start anew with another provider or revert to my <shudder> Blogger page. The main website works great after the upgrade but while WordPress is provided by them it is not officially supported by them. Frustrating for what I pay them.
Historic Creek Road Covered Bridge near Conneaut, Ohio
Kathy & I recently paid a visit to Northeast Ohio. While there we cruised the countryside with friends Jim & Lisa, and visited a few covered bridges in Ashtabula County.
Historic State Road Covered Bridge near Conneaut, OhioHistoric Root Road Covered Bridge near Conneaut, OhioHistoric Graham Road Covered Bridge near Jefferson, OhioHistoric Caine Road Covered Bridge near Jefferson, Ohio
False Hellebore along the Limberlost Trail in Shenandoah National Park
Many readers are not able to see my blog page, due to some kind of issue with an SSL certificate, something my hosting company needs to fix. They are supposedly working on it.
Sunset from the Stony Man Mountain Overlook on the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park
I’ve been working with my website company to make some updates to my website and this blog. Most of the changes are “under the hood,” and the most visible is that both sites are finally now “https.”
Everything seems to be working normally, but let me know if you see anything weird.
UPDATE: I’ve had several reports of the blog not loading properly on some browsers and have the same problem myself in Edge and Chrome. If you could, please let me know in the comments if you are able to see the pages properly or not. Thanks!
My youngest son Kevin, along with our “Adopted Third Son Rob” invited me to go out photographing with them this past weekend. Rob just got a new camera and is planning a big trip, and I think he was hoping I would teach him something. Hopefully I did! 🙂
Rob. Pictures of People Taking Pictures of Pictures. Belmont, North CarolinaRob and Kevin. Belmont, North Carolina
We visited the nearby town of Belmont, NC, hoping things would be a bit quiet on a Sunday morning. How wrong we were! There was a farmer’s market going on, a number of restaurants were open for brunch and there were cars and people everywhere!
Norfolk Southern train passing through Belmont, North CarolinaRailroad maintenance equipment on a siding in Belmont, North Carolina
We managed to find some quiet spaces to enjoy a little creativity. The day started off overcast and gloomy, which made interesting photographs a bit of a challenge, but it provided a good learning opportunity. I enjoyed looking for good monochrome candidates and managed to find a few. Shortly after noon the sun made an appearance and I managed to get a few color shots and some shadows.
Guard Dog. Belmont, North CarolinaFire Alarm. Belmont, North CarolinaPatio Shadows. Belmont, North CarolinaUmbrellas. Belmont, North CarolinaPlease Do Not Block Walkway. Belmont, North CarolinaFlowers. Belmont, North CarolinaHeadlamp Selfie. Belmont, North Carolina
We capped off our outing with a stop at a local distillery for a snack and some rum. A good time was had, for sure!
A ship captain has many important roles, most of which we never see because it involves “driving the ship” and all of the things involved in that – navigation, propulsion, safety, environmental, etc. One of the most public duties is the daily announcement, where the captain provides weather and location information, often along with some personal anecdotes. The captain on our first two voyages aboard Celebrity Eclipse was Captain Leonardos “Leo” Palaiokrassas. (Most Celebrity captains are Greek because the line originated in Greece.)
Captain Leo would end his daily announcement with: “Before I leave you, I am reminded of my grandfather, who used to say, Leo….”
Celebrate your life because you only live twice. Your second life starts after you realize you only have one.
Don’t let go of your dreams. Keep sleeping.
Someday your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching.
If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving is not for you.
Smile. For as long as you have teeth.
You are special. You are unique. Just like everyone else.
If everything around you is dark, look again because you might be the light.
Common sense is like deodorant. Those who need it the most never use it.
Kathy and I are currently spending a few weeks cruising around the Caribbean aboard Celebrity Eclipse. The plan had been to avoid what amounts to “winter” in North Carolina, but the weather at home has been unusually nice the last week or so. Regardless, it’s pretty nice here too!
I’ve been pretty lazy about photography so far this trip, but this photo presented itself to me this morning while we were in Grand Cayman.
Vineyards and mountain scenery outside Funchal. Island of Madeira, Portugal
The final stop – actually the only stop as it turned out – on our voyage from Barcelona back to Florida was a stop at the island of Madeira. I had heard of Madeira previously as the home for Madeira wine, a form of fortified wine similar to, but slightly different from, Port wine from Portugal. Madeira is actually a territory of Portugal, although the wine is a bit different, primarily in the type of alcohol used to fortify it.
Vineyards and mountain scenery outside Funchal. Island of Madeira, PortugalVineyards and mountain scenery outside Funchal. Island of Madeira, PortugalVineyards and mountain scenery outside Funchal. Island of Madeira, Portugal
The first thing that struck me about the island was how non-touristy it is. While there is a very nice port area for cruise ships, our tour of the island underscored that this is an island where people live and work, and while they appreciate the tourism industry and probably don’t mind a little more, things are pretty nice the way they are.
Barbusano Winery. Island of Madeira, PortugalBarbusano Winery. Island of Madeira, PortugalBarbusano Winery. Island of Madeira, PortugalBarbusano Winery. Island of Madeira, PortugalBarbusano Winery. Island of Madeira, Portugal
Upon leaving the main city of Funchal, we quickly entered the mountainous area that makes up the majority of the island. Grapes are grown literally everywhere. I’m not sure who they belong to or where they ultimately end up, but it is quite clear that wine is a very important crop on Madeira.
Remains of a Roman road in the town of Sao Vicente. Island of Madeira, PortugalTown of Sao Vicente on the Island of Madeira, PortugalOceanfront near the town of Seixal. Island of Madeira, PortugalViews from the Miradouro da Ribiera da Laje observation area. Near the town of Seixal on the island of Madeira, PortugalView of the oceanfront near the town of Seixal. Island of Madeira, PortugalAgua d’Alto Waterfall. Near the town of Seixal on the island of Madeira, Portugal
We booked a tour through Tours By Locals with a guide named Valdemar. He was very knowledgeable about the island and introduced us to many of the unique experiences to Madeira, including stops at a “regular” winery and a Madeira winery. We also stopped at a roadside restaurant for an authentic Madeiran meal, consisting of locally caught and freshly grilled fish. Afterward we made a stop at a local ‘Taberna’ for a taste of Poncha, a traditional local liquor made from rum and tropical fruits.
Taberna da Poncha. Island of Madeira, Portugal. Poncha is a traditional Madeiran drink.
We’re getting ready to head out again, so this will wrap up the “official” posts from our Portugal and Spain adventure. As a reminder, photos can be found on my Adobe Portfolio page from our entire trip.
Henriques & Henriques Madeira Wine winery. Island of Madeira, PortugalHenriques & Henriques Madeira Wine winery. Island of Madeira, PortugalHenriques & Henriques Madeira Wine winery. Island of Madeira, PortugalHenriques & Henriques Madeira Wine winery. Island of Madeira, Portugal
I have to say, that of all the places we visited on our trip, the island of Madeira seemed like the kind of place where I could imagine being born there and living a simple life. I would have a hard time living there now, but there is a lot to like about the lifestyle, scenery and overall pace of living that appeals to me.
View from the Terrace of Parc Guell in Barcelona, Spain
Parc Guell (gWELL) is a private park system composed of gardens and architectural features designed by Antoni Gaudi, known famously for La Sagrada Familia but also recognized for his many buildings throughout Europe.
View from the Terrace of Parc Guell in Barcelona, SpainView from the Terrace of Parc Guell in Barcelona, SpainView from the Terrace of Parc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, Spain
We didn’t get a lot of time to explore Parc Guell, so my photographs are exclusively of the upper gardens and terrace. We unfortunately did not have time to explore the lower gardens and the sculptures there. To be honest, we hadn’t researched the place enough to prioritize our visit. Next time! There are several buildings on the site that would have been interesting to explore. Some of them required separate entry tickets and all were very crowded, as the park is a heavily visited place.
Parc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, Spain“Where The Heck Am I?” Parc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, SpainParc Guell in Barcelona, SpainBasically “pick up your trash, don’t feed the rats.” Parc Guell in Barcelona, Spain
One of the places I really wanted to visit in Barcelona was the Mercado de la Boqueria or Boqueria Market. We visited on a busy Saturday afternoon and there was plenty to see and to photograph.
Mercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, Spain
The hardest part was being patient and waiting to get a clear shot. There was something for everyone there, including a bar where you could just sit and have a drink. Fresh fish, produce, chocolate, wine & liquor, you name it. A ‘target rich environment; I called it!
Mercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, Spain
I loved trying to capture all the colors and patterns, and occasionally get a good action shot.
Mercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, SpainMercado de la Boqueria. Barcelona, Spain
