Hold Your Horses

Stables, Pebble Hill Plantation, Thomasville, Georgia, USA

We visited Pebble Hill Plantation back in the spring of 1991.  We were quite impressed with everything, including the old stables.  If you needed somewhere to hold your horses, it looked like they had vacancies.  However, these stables were no longer in use.

Up the River

Seagull, Savannah, Georgia, USA

This seagull was hanging out along the waterfront on the Savannah River.  Savannah isn't very far from coastal marshes and the Atlantic Ocean, but this seagull was definitely up the river.

Tragic Beauty

Toccoa Falls, Toccoa, Georgia, USA

This beautiful spot was the site of tragedy in 1977.  Toccoa Falls is on the campus of Toccoa Falls College.  After 5 days of heavy rains, a dam above the falls burst and killed 39 people on campus as they slept.  The dam was never rebuilt to ensure this would not happen again.

Go Slow

Road Sign, Florida Panhandle, USA

With all the ice and snow around the country today, we think this is a good time to remind everyone to drive slowly.  We photographed this road sign on a packed clay road in the Florida Panhandle back in 1994.  We're pretty sure the speed limit was 15 MPH, but the neighborhood wanted everyone to go extra slow and added a period between the 1 and 5.  On this road, 15 MPH was really pushing it.

Cold Trails

Snowy Street, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Every few years, Atlanta gets a huge snowstorm that drops inches of snow.  This picture, from 2002, highlights such a year.  Many parts of the country are frigidly cold today (including Atlanta) and would be happy with snow accumulation this light.

This Lead Doesn't Sink

Leadville, Colorado, USA

At 10,152 feet (3,094 m), Leadville is the highest city in the USA.  Perhaps it should be named Floatville.

Surprisingly, Leadville was at one time the second largest city, by population, in Colorado.  It now has just over 2,000 residents.

We took this photo back in 1998, and this part of Leadville doesn't appear much different today.

Ted's Happier Days

Turner Field, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Turner Field (aka The Ted) is the home of the Atlanta Braves.  The baseball stadium began life as Centennial Olympic Stadium for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.  It was later reduced and remodeled to serve The Braves.

This is what The Ted looked like back in January 1999.  We took this photo during a site-seeing flight.  At that time, Turner Field was the pride of Atlanta.  Visitors and residents alike admired it inside and out.

The Braves have announced that they are moving north of Atlanta and will demolish Turner Field once their new stadium is built.

The Braves are reportedly moving to be closer to their fan base, but their move and promise to demolish Turner Field brings a sad and undignified end to an important part of Atlanta's history.  This, in our opinion, is another example of Atlanta's shortsighted outlook on historic sites, buildings, streets, etc.

Still Celebrating?

New Year's Reveler, Puerta del Sol, Madrid, Spain

Back in the early Naughties (2000's), we spent Christmas and New Year's in Spain.  It was fun to be in a new place experiencing old traditions in different ways.  New Year's Eve was definitely different than what we had known or expected.

We heard about the fun to be had at Puerta del Sol, in the heart of Madrid.  We figured it was going to be like Times Square, but in Spanish.

First of all, there was no countdown, at least not formally.  When midnight passed, no one seemed to notice.  We felt let down.

Basically, the Spaniards had been celebrating for so long that when the clock struck midnight they were too drunk to notice.  At around 12:15 am, they realized they were in the new year and the crowd went wild.  Madrid kept partying well into New Year's Day.  What the Spaniards lacked in punctuality they made up for with enthusiasm.

We feel that the young man in this photo captured the entire spirit of that night.

Lookout Below

Tennessee River, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA

Back in the 1990's, we took a trip to Chattanooga during a cold December.  We took this picture from a rock ledge in Point Park atop Lookout Mountain.  We remember the beautiful scenery, but also the bitter cold of that day.

Harbor Hues

Boats, Portland, Maine, USA

This week's Canadian Clipper likely has Portland deep in snow today.  This was the scene by the harbor on a nice fall day back in 2001.

A Hard Call to Make

Foxhole Display, Imperial War Museum, London, England

In honor of Veterans Day, we thank all of the Veterans of our nation and those allied with her who helped make our freedom and good lives possible.
 
On this date 95 years ago, the major hostilities of World War I (aka the Great War) came to an end.  Celebrated as Armistice Day and Remembrance Day in some countries, today is now dedicated to all Veterans, not just those who served in WWI.


In our time, calling on the telephone is easy.  During World War I, a phone-like wireless (radio) was used to communicate by voice.  Poor sound quality mixed with nearby artillery made its use difficult, at best.

Expanded Contraction

Lake Talquin, Florida, USA

Lake Talquin is located between the North Florida cities of Tallahassee and Quincy.  The lake was formed by a dam on the Ochlockonee River and its name is a contraction of the nearby two cities.  However it got made and named, we just think it's pretty.  This is how it looked in the spring of 1992.

Meet Jack O'Lantern

Halloween Pumpkin, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

The stem on this pumpkin was so big and interesting that we made this sideways Jack O'Lantern.

Strength and Beauty

Eiffel Tower,  Paris, France

This exquisite structure is a triumph of architecture and good taste.  We loved seeing it from afar and up close.  Seeing it lit up by the late summer sun and then ascending it at dusk was a treat.  The tower is simply beautiful and worth visiting.

World's Largest Pizza

World's Largest Pizza, Havana, Florida, USA

Back in October 1991, we traveled to the tiny town of Havana, Florida to see and eat from the world's largest pizza (at that time).  For the cost of $2 a slice, we were a part of history!

Tallahassee restaurateur Lorenzo Amato aimed to regain the record for "The World's Largest Pizza" for the USA with this massive rectangular pizza.  It was the biggest, but given its size and the long preparation and cooking times, it was far from the best.  Luckily, no one expected it to be gourmet!

Aux Champs-Élysées

Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Paris, France

From atop the Arc de Triomphe, we took this photo of the famous Avenue des Champs-Élysées back in the late 1990s.  The avenue is historic and has played host to historic events, but it continues to be famous for its ritzy shops, grandeur, and beauty.

Space Shot

Space Shuttle Endeavour, Port Canaveral, Florida, USA

We took this picture with an old point and shoot film camera after finishing a cruise of the Bahamas.

Nowadays, we'd have a tripod, zoom lens, image stabilization, crisp digital resolution, and certainly an HD video.

It's true that the photo doesn't capture the details of the rushing shuttle, the bright flare of the rocket, nor the delayed roaring noise.  However, though time has faded and degraded this photo, we're reminded of the day by this snapshot.

Going Underground

Tunnel, Madrid, Spain

This road and tunnel are located near the site where the Inquisition began in Spain.  

While likely unintentional, the arrow in the street can be seen as a metaphor for the Jewish Conversos (aka Marranos) who remained in Spain after 1492.  To remain in Spain, these Jews assumed Christian identities, but did their best to remain Jewish secretly.

The Spanish Inquisition lasted over 350 years (from 1478 to 1834) and it wasn't until 1968 that the decree expelling Jews was rescinded.

the atl?

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

This is what Atlanta looked like back in the summer of 1990.  It was smaller back then, perhaps it was just the atl instead of The ATL.

One Day

Us, Tallahassee, Florida, USA

Yesterday the United States Supreme Court tossed out the anti-gay marriage laws DOMA and Prop 8.  Perhaps one day we will have the full, complete, and unquestionable right to marry anywhere in the nation of our births.

The photo above was taken by a friend very early in our relationship, about 25 years ago.  We usually don't post anything remotely political or personal, but as it's no secret we're a gay couple, we figured it was okay today.