Last weekend I got to run a steam locomotive. Restored Norfolk & Western locomotive J 611 was at the Strasburg Railroad in Pennsylvania and had engineer experience. There was a regular steam engineer showing me what to do.
This is a shot of 611 pulling train at Strasburg Railroad. 611 is the second largest steam locomotive running now. The Union Pacific recently has restored one of their very large Big Boy locomotives and it is touring their system
Here is a better picture of 611. This is on it's trip to Strasburg, crossing the Potomac River at Shepardstown, West Virginia. The diesel locomotive is leading to activate Positive Train Control system
If I were given a choice of living next to mountains (which I am), in the desert, a forest, the plains or the sea, I would always have chosen the sea. In Canada, my life was spent next to or near lakes.
Beautiful photos, shona. I feel right at home seeing them. I worked the docks in Long Beach CA. and the cranes in the background framed by the palms are what I would see every day there.
For you shona. Sunset on the cranes in Long Beach harbor.
This is only a small part of the port, it's a total of 3,200 acres and right next door is Los Angles harbor another 7,500 acres.
The APL terminal where I spent a lot of time is over 300 acres and can unload four of the newest super container ships at a time all ships over 1,000 feet long. 16 cranes, 8 post-Panamax, and 8 super post-Panamax.
Great photo, Kavika. Beautiful sunset. Interesting how the clouds seem to end just above the cranes, with a blank sky above where the clouds leave off. Very intriguing.
When I drove the coastal highway from Muir Woods north of San Francisco south to Long Beach as a family vacation, we took a tour of the Queen Mary docked at Long Beach. The tour of the ship was a claustrophobic experience and I'm glad I never went on a cruise.
Returning to some photos from my early days in China. These are from the Luoyang area, Henan Province, mostly reboots.
1. No concern about plumbing. Lower a bucket on a rope for water, and put a hole in the floor for a toilet.
.
2. Longmen Grottoes - there are Buddhas in the caves.
.
3. Example of one of the caves shown above
.
4. More of Longmen Grottoes, outside Luoyang
.
5. And a river ran through it
.
6. King Park, Luoyang
.
7. On the top of the mountain next to the city of Luoyang. I always liked this photo.
.
8. Another part of King Park
.
9. On the right, the entrance to the Geological Park outside Luoyang
.
10. Another one of my favourite photos - a boat on the Yellow River that runs beside Luoyang. We ate a fresh caught fish and freshly picked vegetables lunch on a boat docked there.
There was so much more there - White Horse Temple where Buddhism was first brought to China by monks from India who rode on white horses, the Annual Peonie Festival - the peonie is the national flower of China.
Was that the original scene on the desk screen or did you paste it on? As for the beach - your image makes it so tempting to want to walk barefoot along such a shore again.
For a bit of an explanation, the desk screen is something Chinese scholars would have on their desk with other items including a brush pot, ink stone and a brush washer. Functionally, its purpose is to protect the desk from drafts of wind and shield wet ink from the sun. It also serves as inspiration for scholars when they are composing music and poetry. Some show scenes in painted enamel, some are carved jade and some have "dream" stones.
When I was younger I used to dream about living in Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water house, but now I realize that it would make me need to pee all day long.
Very refreshing. When I was young and we went camping in the mountains, we used to drink from the streams. I don't think that's probably such a good idea today. Depends on where you are, I guess.
Yeah, you're right - you never know if the water is safe or not. Although where our lakeside home was our lake was tested annually by the provincial government, and because it was a deep lake, limestone lined, it counteracted the acid rain, and was considered safe to drink. Notwithstanding that we used a stone filter on a separate kitchen tap for cooking water, and for drinking water there was a spring spouting out of a stone face on the other side of the lake and we would load up the boat with 5-gallon plastic liquid containers to fill them and always had one with a spout in the fridge for a sweet cold drink of water.
In remembrance of those who lost their lives on 9/11, a date that will live in infamy. Both the innocent lives in the Towers and those on the ground who tried to save those they could and whose lives were also cut short. May they never be forgotten.
Posting this evening 'cause I'm fishin' tomorrow.
From the "Coaster Poster" - "The best beer in the world is the one in my hand."
The one in my right hand is a Heineken. What've you got in yours?
Perfect.
Yup! That's it.
Great photo.
For this article A.Mac put fishing and beer together, and I just proved that they DO go together.
What could be better than having a Native American Pale Ale while overlooking another stunning sunset over the Gulf of Mexico?
Great logo, perfect sunset!
A. Macarthur spoke for me - I couldn't have said it better.
Mr G likes IPAs. I'm going to try and find that one for him. He'll like it because of the trout on it
Beautiful sunset, Kavika.
Last weekend I got to run a steam locomotive. Restored Norfolk & Western locomotive J 611 was at the Strasburg Railroad in Pennsylvania and had engineer experience. There was a regular steam engineer showing me what to do.
Could be every young boy's dream. Did you make the lonesome whistle blow?
yes, I got to blow the crossing warning and a few whistle signals
This is a shot of 611 pulling train at Strasburg Railroad. 611 is the second largest steam locomotive running now. The Union Pacific recently has restored one of their very large Big Boy locomotives and it is touring their system
Here is a better picture of 611. This is on it's trip to Strasburg, crossing the Potomac River at Shepardstown, West Virginia. The diesel locomotive is leading to activate Positive Train Control system
I like trains too.
© A. Mac/A.G.
Oh, the memories of trains that looked like that....and the mournful sound of their whistle echoing through the darkness of night.
"You can hear the whistle blow 100 miles..."
Very cool photo.
Lighthouse near where I live..
Surfs up...love the sea...
If I were given a choice of living next to mountains (which I am), in the desert, a forest, the plains or the sea, I would always have chosen the sea. In Canada, my life was spent next to or near lakes.
The Bush is hard to beat..but the sea still sneaks in..Offers so much more and is forever changing...Mother Natures best creation I think..
I love that photo.
Morning g...thank you. It is nearly 140 years old...saved many a ship going through Bass Strait..
Great start my friends!
I did not take these photos...The harbour where I live at sunrise this morning...Afraid I am not up that early...
Beautiful photos, shona. I feel right at home seeing them. I worked the docks in Long Beach CA. and the cranes in the background framed by the palms are what I would see every day there.
They each get a WOW!
For you shona. Sunset on the cranes in Long Beach harbor.
This is only a small part of the port, it's a total of 3,200 acres and right next door is Los Angles harbor another 7,500 acres.
The APL terminal where I spent a lot of time is over 300 acres and can unload four of the newest super container ships at a time all ships over 1,000 feet long. 16 cranes, 8 post-Panamax, and 8 super post-Panamax.
Great photo, Kavika. Beautiful sunset. Interesting how the clouds seem to end just above the cranes, with a blank sky above where the clouds leave off. Very intriguing.
When I drove the coastal highway from Muir Woods north of San Francisco south to Long Beach as a family vacation, we took a tour of the Queen Mary docked at Long Beach. The tour of the ship was a claustrophobic experience and I'm glad I never went on a cruise.
Returning to some photos from my early days in China. These are from the Luoyang area, Henan Province, mostly reboots.
1. No concern about plumbing. Lower a bucket on a rope for water, and put a hole in the floor for a toilet.
.
2. Longmen Grottoes - there are Buddhas in the caves.
.
3. Example of one of the caves shown above
.
4. More of Longmen Grottoes, outside Luoyang
.
5. And a river ran through it
.
6. King Park, Luoyang
.
7. On the top of the mountain next to the city of Luoyang. I always liked this photo.
.
8. Another part of King Park
.
9. On the right, the entrance to the Geological Park outside Luoyang
.
10. Another one of my favourite photos - a boat on the Yellow River that runs beside Luoyang. We ate a fresh caught fish and freshly picked vegetables lunch on a boat docked there.
A great tour of Luoyang.
There was so much more there - White Horse Temple where Buddhism was first brought to China by monks from India who rode on white horses, the Annual Peonie Festival - the peonie is the national flower of China.
Were the Buddhas carved out of the rock in the caves?
Of course the big ones were, but I don't know about the smaller ones.
Very interesting and enlightening photo essay, Buzz.
Those photos are great. The stone house is amazing. I can see why the photo of the boat is one of your favorites. It is really nice.
good morning everyone... Last weekend was pretty much the last of the sunflowers around here. I should have used a polarizing filter on my lens.
I love sunflowers. Next year I want to grow a bunch of them
Looks like you're in another version of the ''Field of Dreams''.
What is it about sunflowers that make people smile?
What an awesome display.
Very Van Gogh!
Random photo with a nice mix of textures.
LOL. That's a good one. Here's one for you...
Is that guy hanging around in your yard?
Yep. I have gargoyles and dragons all over.
Have they succeeded in scaring away the evil spirits?
Have a great day everyone.....
Very colourful costume - and a great framing concept with the overlay.
Thank you, Buzz. A little something different with the framing. Glad you like it.
Wow. That is fantastic!
Thank you very much, G.
Scholar's Desk Screen
© G. Gam 2021
Rarotonga, the Cook Islands
© G. Gam 2021
Both are great, G. Love the framing of the top one. A lovely compliment to the image.
Thanks, Raven Wing!
Was that the original scene on the desk screen or did you paste it on? As for the beach - your image makes it so tempting to want to walk barefoot along such a shore again.
The scene on the desk screen was edited in by me. It's from a photo I took with some extras.
I wish I was at the beach right now. It was about 100 here today.
For a bit of an explanation, the desk screen is something Chinese scholars would have on their desk with other items including a brush pot, ink stone and a brush washer. Functionally, its purpose is to protect the desk from drafts of wind and shield wet ink from the sun. It also serves as inspiration for scholars when they are composing music and poetry. Some show scenes in painted enamel, some are carved jade and some have "dream" stones.
Mine, is, of course, a created image.
This photo was taken in 2017 from our front deck when we lived on Table Rock Lake, MO.
I entitled it ''Fire Lake'' after Bob Seager's song.
Beautiful. and, just as I remember it.
Sunset over the lake is always good to see, but as you know I can't see the second thing you posted.
It's Bob Seager song ''Fire Lake''.
I haven't got that, but I do have Lake of Fire by Nirvana.
It sounds as beautiful as it looks. I have to get back to taking videos of scenes like this.
© A. Mac/A.G.
When I was younger I used to dream about living in Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water house, but now I realize that it would make me need to pee all day long.
Very refreshing. When I was young and we went camping in the mountains, we used to drink from the streams. I don't think that's probably such a good idea today. Depends on where you are, I guess.
Yeah, you're right - you never know if the water is safe or not. Although where our lakeside home was our lake was tested annually by the provincial government, and because it was a deep lake, limestone lined, it counteracted the acid rain, and was considered safe to drink. Notwithstanding that we used a stone filter on a separate kitchen tap for cooking water, and for drinking water there was a spring spouting out of a stone face on the other side of the lake and we would load up the boat with 5-gallon plastic liquid containers to fill them and always had one with a spout in the fridge for a sweet cold drink of water.
In keeping with the fishing theme. Both bass released to fight another day.
Great photos, Kavika. And great fishing too!
I can just imagine what a great fight they fought.
a couple of nice lunkers...
In remembrance of those who lost their lives on 9/11, a date that will live in infamy. Both the innocent lives in the Towers and those on the ground who tried to save those they could and whose lives were also cut short. May they never be forgotten.
Beautifully expressed...
🥀🇺🇲🥀🇦🇺🥀
Thank you, shona.
Beautiful, both the artwork and the words.
Thank you so much, Kavika.
The symbolism of that image is very profound - that no matter who we are, we all lost our brothers and sisters that day.
Thank you, Buzz.
Very beautiful, Raven Wing.
Thank you, G.
One of the most beautiful places in the world.
Plitvice National Park, Croatia.
I have dozens of photos but they are the ''old'' type, non-digital so I took them off the internet.
Truly beautiful falls, Kavika. Thank you for sharing the picture.
Rollin'! Big Thompson River, Colorado Rockies
© A. Mac/A.G.
Beautiful, Mac. I can 'feel' the churning energy of the rapids. Great photo.
Contemplating what the future holds for his people.........
It has been a long walk, but hopefully, his hopes may slowly be coming to pass.......
Hope that isn't just a pipe dream.
Thanks to all!