Hurricane Lily

Pleased to see a hurricane lily blooming in the back yard by the shed. Lovely flower.

Volunteer Friday

Volunteered from 2-6 at the Gateway Gallery Friday. Bob Ellis, old friend from a church we once attended together volunteered with me to learn the ropes. Learned Bob was a fine arts painting major from Florida International, went on to be a teacher. Recently retired. Lives by Bell Springs on the Suwannee. We had absolutely no visitors.
I switched out the photograph of Iris who recently passed away with the photograph of my old friends running on Bailey Road. I only have one photograph up now of the six I had from last month. They were photographs I had developed myself in 11x14 of the now burnt down Mt Tabor Methodist.
If I am to sell any by the end of October, I figured I better display a variety in hopes one strikes a chord. Very difficult to gauge interest.
Mostly I notice no interest, as people pass right on by, no comment, kind of like Facebook.
And here.

Moon Set

Around 8AM I got this photograph of the moon setting. I waited as usual for the bird or plane but superman did not get either. Next month I shall be waiting up on Rossi Road for the October rising.
I noticed my brother posted a full moon shot with a jet taking off. I commented to him if I went to an airport and set up I could get shot after shot like that. Always an easier way I suppose.
I seem to always take the hard way.

Shaker harvest

It was a wonderful visit to Shaker Town at Pleasant Hill last October. We ate in the dining hall then walked about the grounds. I could have spent days there. It is just across the Kentucky River off the old Harrodsburg Highway, with High Bridge near by, once the highest railroad bridge in America.
If you are ever in the Lexington area of Kentucky, this is a must stop destination. I hope to return again and spend several days in the area, taking the Kentucky river palisades boat ride, stay in one of the Shaker bed and breakfast's and go at a slower pace than we did last October.

Shaker Simplicity

Last October we took my mother back to her birthplace in Crumpler, West Virginia. On our return, we took a detour over to Kentucky and Asbury College where she and my father both graduated in the early 50's. Outside Wilmore there is a Shaker village called Shaker town at Pleasant Hill. It is a working farm and restaurant with wonderful buildings and grounds. This photograph is from the dining hall. I just love the simple line of the Shaker furniture and architecture.

Harvest Moon

A bird perhaps

Tonight, instead of waiting for the full Harvest moon to rise over the trees, I decided to travel up to Rossi Road above the house. There, on the hill next to Dr Haglers, I had a clear, lower in the sky view of the rising moon. 

In addition, I did not have to wait all evening hoping a jet would pass. In the hour and a half I spent, I was able to capture several jets, more than I have captured the entire month waiting hour upon hour in the back yard.

I will make this my moon shot location from now on.

I look forward to the return of the sandhill cranes and hopefully capturing them in formation as they fly in the night against a full moon.

Suwannee Calling

The wind and the sky are blustery today...the rain lightly comes and goes..change is afoot for fall I trust. Times like this I miss so greatly the changing seasons further North, especially Northern Georgia where we used to camp and take photographs and Kentucky where I once lived and went to school.
Even the upper Suwannee would suffice on a fall day, the beauty there equal to the finest fall leaves further North. Subtle in most places with pockets of blazing glory.
Nothing beats the fall reflections in the dark tannic water and the golds upon the blue springs.
Come the cool I hope to again take the canoe upstream past Cone Bridge to the sandbar.
Jordon and I had a great time camping there several years ago.

Little Shoals

The Suwannee River during low water levels. Bob Ellis who lives on the Suwannee at Bell Springs says the Suwannee is lowering from last months high levels over 91 feet at the White Springs bridge.
This is just a short walk from that bridge.
It was low enough here in 2010 to jump across the river onto the Columbia County side on the right.

 

Absolutely Boring Photography

Facebook has a way of not inspiring, but depressing me. All the Absolutely Amazing Photographs posted locally and from across the world.
I see my one-two perfunctory likes and sigh. And no wonder when stacked up against the Absolutely Amazing. Image bulge is what we have. I would imagine the total time looking at a photograph upon Facebook is less than five seconds. I know I am guilty of same. When editing my photographs from hundreds, I flip them at a rate of two per second at least.
Times when I slow down and take a longer look, I see something in one long ago passed by.
I then pull it up, look closely at it, see what I can do to it to improve it or just leave as is.
This one I applied HDR then backed the HDR off to the minimum and increased the radius all the way. I then added saturation. The photographs I post at John Stokes Photography I cannot manipulate since they are transferred there from the computer, not the edited Picasa as this one was.
What do I predict? Ten likes? We shall see.

Dungeness

Dungeness
once the finest
from the sea
Kings sailed to see
now but an empty shell
scattered upon the shore
where Cancer magister
now dwell
and Kings no more
sail to see
the glory
that was once the finest
Dungeness.

Class of 1973

Saturday night we had our 40th(!) Williston High class reunion at the Woman's Club.
We had prime rib,mashed potatoes,green beans, tea and banana pudding from Cowboys.
Allen Neal said the prayer and read the memorial to those class members gone on.
Each round table was set up with all our senior photographs cut out for us to go through and try to recall who was who. Patty Lowman Gaylean's husband Larry had his music DJ set up and took photographs as well. Cindy Lowman Drew assisted her with others as well. We had a fun time recalling days of old.