Saturday, November 30, 2013

Everyday is Winding Road

Clear Creek Canyon Road, Golden, Colorado, USA
Clear Creek Canyon Road is a section of U.S. Route 6 linking Idaho Springs and Golden.  We took this photo from a vista in Lookout Mountain Park.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Before the Latkes

Young Apple, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
This little apple was just beginning to grow from a bud and blossom.  By mid-summer it was ready to be made into apple sauce, a perfect condiment for Chanukah latkes!

Tonight is the first night of Chanukah, so we'll be getting stuffed with latkes, sufganyot, and more.  There will be no break for our tummies, as tomorrow is Thanksgiving!

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

A Big Compact

Mayflower Compact Monument, Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA
The Mayflower Compact Monument commemorates the first governing document by the Pilgrims in North America.  The compact was signed in Provincetown Harbor in November 1620, a year before the Pilgrims celebrated their first Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Massachusetts.  The next time you're in Provincetown, check it out.

Monday, November 25, 2013

What Time is It?

Clock Tower, Bartow County Courthouse, Catersville, Georgia, USA
Citizens of Cartersville have been able to set their watches since 1902 using the clock tower of the Bartow County Courthouse.  In the days before atomic clocks, cell phones, and telephone time and temperature numbers, citizens used local clock towers and church bells to synchronize their watches.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Orange You Thankful?

Sweet Potatoes, Portland, Maine, USA
This Thursday is Thanksgiving in the USA and there's a good chance we'll be eating sweet potatoes.  Between sweet potatoes, carrot souffles, and pumpkin pies, it's surprising that we don't all turn orange after our Thanksgiving feasts.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Jefferson's Capitol

State Capitol, Jefferson City, Missouri, USA
Built in 1917, the Missouri State Capitol is a glorious building, inside and out.  Next time you're in Jeff City, we encourage you to take a leisurely tour of this grand structure and the surrounding grounds.

We took this picture on a summer evening around sunset.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

An Eight Legged Pumpkin

Spider, Cornelia, Georgia, USA
This orange marbled orb-weaver spider was walking on the side of the road likely heading for a pile of leaves in the nearby woodlands.  It is totally harmless to humans and usually isn't seen after the first hard freeze of winter.

To take this picture, I simply put the camera on the road very close to the spider.  There was no need to use my zoom lens as these spiders have poor vision and it didn't seem afraid of me.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Rome If You Want To

Downtown, Rome, Georgia, USA
When we travel, we enjoy seeing old buildings, signs, and facades.  We loved the front of the Partridge Restaurant, which has been a fixture in downtown Rome since 1933.  Although we didn't get to eat there during our brief visit, we figure it's probably good since it's been there so long!  Maybe we'll drop in during our next visit.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Unplanned History

Schwinn Bicycle, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
We were visiting the Delta Air Transport Heritage Museum (aka the Delta Flight Museum) and came upon this unplanned museum piece as we were entering the hangar.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Southern Comfort

Southern Cafeteria Food, Tucker, Georgia, USA
Sometimes, simpler is better.  Matthews Cafeteria sits on Main Street in Tucker as it has since 1956.  To say it's not fancy is an understatement, but the food is wonderful.  This meal of chicken and dumplings, butter beans, cabbage, cornbread, and cherry pie was outstanding.  They're also known for fried chicken, mac and cheese, pole beans, and many other Southern comfort foods.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Sharp Green

Cactus, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
We find cacti fascinating for many reasons.  Coming in all shapes and sizes, some are like plants, and some like trees.  Some have big spines, and some have tiny, little ones.  The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix sure had a wide variety for us to enjoy.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

In Shape to Swim

Hotel Pool, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Set on a rooftop outside the Omni Hotel in Charlotte, this round pool in a right triangular space was really cool to look at and interesting to visit.  Although it was in some ways similar to a backyard above ground swimming pool that had somehow been recessed, it was fun to sit around while enjoying a snack and drink.  They even had a small bar and barbecue set up for guests.

Monday, November 11, 2013

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.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Saucy Cooking

Thunderbird Restaurant, Mount Carmel, Utah, USA
We didn't eat at the Thunderbird Restaurant, but we did like their colorful sign.

Friday, November 8, 2013

Farming on the Mighty Mississippi

Mississippi River, Illinois and Missouri, USA
Flying along a river, especially one as storied as the Mighty Mississippi, reminds us of how much of our nation's growth flows from river commerce and agriculture.  These fluffy, low hanging clouds add to the beauty of the river and farmlands.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

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.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Chasing the Sun

Sunflower, Chamblee, Georgia, USA
We found this incredibly large and beautiful sunflower at the Dekalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK) in Chamblee.  Just like many of the planes, this big flower was chasing the sun.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Golden Arch

Golden, Colorado, USA
Golden greeted us with a warm welcome, but we still needed winter coats.  Golden was a cute town where he had fun shopping in quaint shops, walking down the main drag, and staying and dining at the cute Table Mountain Inn.

Monday, November 4, 2013

Too Hot to Pick

Light Bulb, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
This orange bulb resembleas a shiny fruit.  We took this on the patio of a favorite restaurant last summer.  On some days, it's still warm enough to eat outside, but it won't be for long.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Fall Favorite

Caramel Apples, Helen, Georgia, USA
Halloween may have just passed, but caramel (aka toffee) apples continue to be in style for the rest of the fall.

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Tracks to Nowhere

MARTA Tracks, Atlanta International Airport, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
These are overflow tracks for the end of the MARTA north and south lines.  The last station is just behind where this photo was taken.

Friday, November 1, 2013

Keep Climbing

Delta Jetliner, Atlanta, Georgia
Delta at one time followed the up the wonderful "Delta Is Ready When You Are" slogan with the banal "Delta Gets You There".  This picture exemplifies their current slogan, "Keep Climbing".