Last evening I walked down to the shore of Lake Gaston in hopes of viewing and photographing the Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet one more time before it disappears. I don’t believe I will be alive the next time it passes by the earth. This time I tried taking photos using my 150 to 600mm zoom lens to see how they would turn out. This was also partly due to my daughter Lisa telling me recently that she liked the photos I take with my “Big Lens”.
This was a lot more difficult than my earlier photo shoot of the comet because this time the comet was more faint and harder to pick out in the sky. I had to take several photos of the western sky before I finally pin-pointed its location. I actually believe that my previous photos came out better, but take a look and let me know what you think.
An airplane flying through the photo.A meteor flying through the photo.
Fall is definitely in the air here in North Carolina. Today’s forecast indicates a high of 59 degrees with a low of 45 degrees. I actually had to put on my “Big Boy Pants” this morning. But here we have pine trees all around us, fresh air, and most of all, peace and quiet. Everyday, Ellie and I go for long walks so that the both of us can get our steps in for the day.
Everything here reminds me of the home we used to have in Pollock Pines, California. We loved living up in the mountains. So now we’re looking for someplace like Pollock Pines, where we can park our trailer and live out our lives with trees, fresh air, and peace and quiet. We’re not ready to stop traveling yet, but we’re always on the lookout for a place we can eventually call our own.
We have been here for almost a week and plan on staying here until the end of the month. I have taken photos of the lake and the sunset. Take a look and you will see why we are enjoying our stay here.
Last night, I walked down to the shore of Lake Gaston, North Carolina, as the sun was setting. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet currently visible in the evening sky. As I waited for the comet to make its anticipated appearance, I took some photos of the sunset, which I will post at a later time. The first celestial body that showed itself, after sunset, was Venus. According to the astronomy app on my phone, the comet should appear to the right of Venus sometime after sunset. I waited at the lakeshore for over an hour before the comet finally showed its face. The comet, here on the east coast, was very faint, but fortunately, the camera picked it up well. All in all, I stayed out for 2.5 hours waiting for and then taking photos, but in the end, I believe the results were well worth the time. I stayed out until the comet disappeared below the horizon. Keep in mind, being on the east coast, there were a lot of airplanes in the sky last night, and some can be seen in the photos. I took 31 photos of the comet, of which I have posted 10 of my favorites below.
Fall is settling in here in northeast Virginia. The leaves are turning and the temperatures are dipping down into the 40’s at night. It’s perfect hiking weather. So yesterday Barbara, Ellie and I visited the nearby Caledon State Park. Caledon State Park is located along the shore of the Potomac River, just up stream from where it empties into Chesapeake Bay. Caledon State Park is home to a large Bald Eagle population, so while Barbara and Ellie enjoyed the area around the visitor’s center I took a hike to explore the park and in search of some Bald Eagles. I had spoken to the park ranger the day before and he recommended that I return at low tide so that I could walk the beach while scanning the trees above for the eagles. I arrived at the shore of the Potomac River approximately 15 minutes before low tide and began my walk along the beach. As I began my hike down the beach, I saw two eagles fly out of the trees and over the water. However, their nest and where they were flying was a ways away from where I was, so I continued down the beach to try and get closer. Unfortunately, the further down the beach that I hiked, the more downed trees I encountered. And darn it, I didn’t bring a chainsaw. Maybe next time! As you will see below I was able to get some photos of mature Bald Eagles, but at a distance. However, as I was making my way back to the hiking trails a juvenile Bald Eagle flew right over me.
Caledon State Park is a beautiful park with a lot of well maintained hiking trails. It has been some time since I last had done any serious hiking, so I decided to stretch my legs a little. When I finished my exploration of the park, and search for eagles, I had hiked a little over six miles. A Great day!
Some Cormorants hanging out at the river.The Potomac River. Over there is the state of Maryland.A mature Bald Eagle flying low over the river.A juvenile Bald Eagle flying above.Another mature Bald Eagle flying in the distance over the river.
Today it is raining lightly, so we’re relaxing and staying inside. I’m baking some bread and thought while the trailer fills with the smell of bread baking, I would post some photos of the harvest moon that we recently had. For us, this full moon came up over Patten Pond, Maine. I took my camera down to the lake shore and took some photos of the moon, its reflection off of the water and a fishing boat floating nearby. I like the way the photos came out and would have taken more, but the mosquitos were out in numbers and having me for dinner that evening, so I cut my photography session short. I hope you like them.
Last week, Barbara, Ellie and I enjoyed the beauty of Acadia National Park (NP). This is Barbara’s and my second trip here. I love the geology and natural beauty here and Barbara loves the natural beauty. Ellie, just enjoys going for rides and being outside.
At 1,530 feet, Cadillac Mountain is the highest peak on the east coast of the United States. It is also the first place that receives sunlight in the US each morning. It is a great place to see most of Acadia NP all at once, but you have to make reservations to be able to drive to the top of the mountain. The same processes that created the mountains in Acadia NP are the same processes that created all of the Appalachian Mountains, including the Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains. These same forces also built the mountains across the Atlantic Ocean, in Ireland, Britain, and Scandinavia. These rocks were formed from magma deep underground that cooled slowly over millions of years to become the granitic rocks we see today. Once these rocks cooled, basalt, from below intruded into joints, cracks, in the granitic rocks above. The rocks in Yosemite NP were formed by the same process but a few million years after the rocks in Acadia NP. During the formation of the super continent, Pangaea, the North American Continent and the European Continent collided which forced these rock up to the surface, which created the Appalachian Mountains.
Over the next several million years, these mountains have been worn down by erosional processes including, but not limited to, the thirteen glacial advances and subsequent glacial retreats that occurred during the Ice Ages, ending approximately 11,000 to 15,000 years ago. Evidence of the thick layers of ice is visible all over Acadia NP, including Cadillac Mountain. Today, the Earths crust beneath the eastern portion of the US is still rebounding; rising up, after the melting, removal, of ice up to a mile thick is some locations.
One thing that I find interesting about the rugged coastline of the state of Maine is that due to the glacial and ocean forces that have been sculpting this area for thousands of years, Maine’s coastline is actually longer than California’s.
Acadia NP is a beautiful park that everyone who enjoys the natural beauty of this country should experience and enjoy at least once in their lives.
Bar Harbor right center.Otter Point (center).Tide pool life.Basalt intruded into the joint of the exiting granite.
This morning, when I got up, I looked out the window and noticed that the nearby lake was as smooth as glass. So I grabbed my camera and headed down to the shore to take some photos. Take a look!
This past Thursday, Barbara, Ellie and I traveled over the Catskill Mountains to the town of Cooperstown, New York to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame. During our drive we saw some of the most beautiful scenery we have ever seen. The state of New York is a beautiful place.
Visiting the Baseball Hall of Fame has been a dream of mine since I was a small boy. We tried to visit it three years ago, but mechanical trouble with our trailer hitch kept that from happening. Barbara and I really enjoyed it. In fact, we enjoyed the Baseball Hall of Fame more than the Hockey Hall of Fame. That is saying something, considering we are “Big” hockey fans. We both loved the movie they have playing in their theater featuring great players like Hank Aaron, Cal Ripken Jr., and Ossie Smith, to name a few.
The Baseball Hall of Fame is comprised of three floors. Floor two displays old time through the modern era baseball; floor three displays the ball parks, a locker for each major league team, and old baseball cards that mom threw away; and floor one displays all of the Hall of Famer’s on their plaques. The first Hall of Fame Class was in 1936. It was comprised of Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson. What most people don’t know is that Ty Cobb received more votes than Babe Ruth. This is likely due to the fact that Ty Cobb was a more versatile player than the Babe.
If you enjoy baseball and you ever find yourself in New York State, be sure to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Recently, Barbara and I traveled north of the border, to Toronto, to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame. Both Barbara and I are “BIG” hockey fans so this was a must see for us. At the Hall of Fame they display all of the NHL teams as well as their farm teams, including the now defunct Stockton Heat, which we used to enjoy watch play. They have displays commemorating the all time greats, like Gordie Howe (Mr. Hockey) and Wayne Gretzky (The Great One), to name a few. The Stanley Cup, the original and current, and many of the most prestigious awards are on display. They have excellent displays showing how hockey equipment has changed over the years. They even have one of the early Zamboni’s on display. In addition, at the nearby Tim Horton’s restaurant they had a special jelly filled doughnut commemorating the Hockey Hall of Fame. We bought two. Tim Horton is a Hall of Fame defenseman who played on the last Toronto Maple Leaf’s team to win the Stanley Cup, in 1967.
The goalie pads have really changed over the years.This equipment was worn by Jacques Plante, the inventor of the goalie mask.The original Stanley Cup.The Stanley Cup today.This is the James Norris Trophy, awarded to the best defensive player during the regular season.The Ted Lindsay award is given to the MVP during the regular season.This is the Art Ross Trophy given to the player with the most points, goals and assists combined, during the regular season.The Vezena Trophy is given to the best goalie during the regular season. This is the Conn Smythe Trophy given to the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This is a statue of Ken Dryden, Montreal Canadians goalie, and his famous pose.
As most of you know, most of the photos I take, are of places that we visit, waterfalls, sunsets, landscapes. Recently, I purchased a 100mm macro lens so that I can take close ups of the natural world around us. This morning, I took a walk around the RV park, to try out my skill with my new lens. The Catskill Mountains of New York, where we are currently staying, has provided me with some interesting subjects. Take a look!
A mushroom growing on a downed tree.This is my favorite. New growth from some pine needles in the notch of a tree.
RV There Yet? 