ABC Wednesday - Oil Tanker

(The Wordless Wednesday post is beneath this post.)

O is for Oil Tanker .......

This oil tanker was sitting in the open ocean, a few miles from the harbor.

It had already made it's delivery, so I couldn't figure out why it was just sitting there and not moving more out to sea.

Perhaps it was waiting for the tide to turn before it got underway.

I used a Minolta 70-200mm zoom lens, and this was taken on the 200mm setting.

Wordless Wednesday - Red Ripe Strawberries

Red Ripe Strawberries

Green Thumb Sunday - Blades of Grass

Blades of Grass for Green Thumb Sunday







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After being heavily packed down by the tremendous weight of the snow, the grass is finally beginning to make an appearance in our yard.

I have noticed this spring that many of the dried grasses in the fields have suffered from this winter's record snowfall.

Even the dried leaves in the woods are very compacted.

The new growth is having a hard time to push through - but it is coming - and what a great sight it is to see!

ABC Wednesday - N is for Net

N is for Net .......

The net stands ready to scoop the fish once the boys catch one on their line.

Sadly for them, it stood empty all day, and never touched the water once.

They will be fishing again shortly and hopefully it will be put to good use!

Earth Day 2008 - New Growth

New Growth






This Blue Spruce pine tree was the first tree we planted at our home over 25 years ago.

It has been transplanted and moved many times as it grew, and has been in its final location for over 15 years now.

The new growth each spring is a most beautiful shade of green, and by summer it has darkened to match the rest of the needles on the tree.

The little chickadees hide and flit around in her branches year round.

Some flower gardening and seed planting is on the agenda for this Earth Day 2008.

Will be planting some giant Sunflowers - need to keep those birds happy too!

The Gull

The Gull






This young Sea Gull was hanging around where the boys were fishing out on the breaker wall.

His eyeball wasn't on us as much as it was on the bait fish the boys were using.

If they hadn't kept it under cover, I think he would have made short order of it.

I was amazed at how well he kept his balance on that pointed rock with those webbed feet.

This is a first season gull - by next summer he will be the beautiful white and gray colors of an adult sea gull.

ABC Wednesday - M is for Morning Glory

(The Wordless Wednesday post is beneath this post.)

M is for Morning Glory .......

The delicate Morning Glory only lasts for a few hours, so being an early bird is necessary to capture them in full bloom.

I find that mine are usually crawling with ants and they make it even more difficult to get the perfect shot.

The depth of field could have been better on this one, but I like the rippled edges and the glowing center nonetheless.

Wordless Wednesday - Sharky Driftwood

Sharky Driftwood

Green Thumb Sunday - Thistle Macro with Bee

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Another image from last summer - a macro shot of Purple Thistle.

There was quite a patch of these pretty purple beauties and they were surrounded by little bees.

I had never seen this type of bee before - they had the most beautiful metallic green color on their backs.

Their little pollen sacks were filled to overflowing as they hovered around the flower tops.

It was very hard to get a photo of them as they were very quick, and every photo kept coming out blurry as they flew around.

I set a higher shutter speed to catch them in action, but the depth of field ended up suffering for it - the back of the flower isn't in focus.

Macro photography is tricky to begin with as the DOF is usually very shallow. One of the drawbacks to my favorite kind of shooting.

Getting in Shape

Getting in Shape






It is time to get back in shape.

After a recent doctors visit, with a very high blood pressure reading, the extra pounds that have been creeping on have got to go.

Exercise has always been a part of my life, but not to the extent that I used to do.

The 1/2 hour morning routine has been extended from two days a week to five days now.

The walking has started back up again.

The new cell phone has a pedometer in it, and I will soon calibrate it so it can also track my mileage.

Hopefully when I go back for my checkup, I will have avoided the need for any high blood pressure medicine.

ABC Wednesday - L is for Lighthouse

(The Wordless Wednesday post is beneath this post.)

L is for Lighthouse .......

It was early evening by the time we arrived at the Cape Neddick Lighthouse, and the light was falling just right on this famous landmark.

Affectionately know as The Nubble, this light resides on a small island of steep rocks that is accessible by a seat that is hung from a pully line. It extends across from the mainland for supplies to be sent across.

This photo was taken last autumn, and it is always crowded there with bus loads of tourists. When we were there, there were two weddings going on, a man ocean fly-fishing, and divers just coming in from an evening dive.

Photographers, artists, and sightseers of all ages were vying for a spot on the rocky shore to enjoy this historic beauty.

Wordless Wednesday - Crowded Rowboats

Crowded Rowboats

Military Refueling Plane

Military Refueling Plane






While we were at the ocean, this military refueling plane kept passing over the harbor where the boys were fishing.

Just like clockwork, every thirty minutes or so, it would fly over, always going in the same direction.

I don't know if it was the same plane each time or a different one.

Considering it's size, it was really quite close and low on those flybys.

In order to use this as a stock photo, all the military emblems and any identifying info was removed in photoshop.

ABC Wednesday - K is for Ketchup

K is for Ketchup .......

It was the July 4th, Independence Day, celebration, and we had arrived early to stake out a good spot for the fireworks that would begin at dusk.

The smells of cotton candy, steak subs, and french fries filled the air.

Our bag of snacks contained celery, carrots, and popcorn, but the boys were giving it disgusting glances as they mumbled something about taking a walk around the park.

Next thing I know, they come back with wide smiles and trays of french fries with ketchup on the side.

After giving in to a couple, I snagged a tray before they were all gone and snapped a photo.

It was the only good image of the night - the fireworks ones came out really bad. Will have to try again this year.