– note – this is the first auto-form-post – Good Morning All, This weekday feature is for Juicers who are are on the road, traveling, or just want to share a little bit of their world via stories and pictures. So many of us rise each morning, eager for something beautiful, inspiring, amazing, subtle, of …
Balloon Juice
On The Road and In Your Backyard
by Alain Chamot (1971-2020)| 30 Comments
This post is in: On The Road, Open Threads, Readership Capture
Good Morning All, So far, this feature has been about travel, with the occasional “local” picture or two. I think limiting this to just travel is just that – limiting. So I’m changing this up a bit to include neat, colorful, funny, interesting, poignant, etc. pictures that don’t require travel. As always, if you’re on …
On The Road and In Your Backyard
by Alain Chamot (1971-2020)| 53 Comments
This post is in: On The Road, Open Threads, Readership Capture
Good Morning All, So far, this feature has been about travel, with the occasional “local” picture or two. I think limiting this to just travel is just that – limiting. So I’m changing this up a bit to include neat, colorful, funny, interesting, poignant, etc. pictures that don’t require travel. As always, if you’re on …
On The Road and In Your BackyardPost + Comments (53)
I’m currently engaged in a major project of scanning old slides, negatives, and pictures from my family history. 22 years ago my father died, and 10 years ago my family home had a fire and most pictures were lost, as were almost all remnants from my childhood. It’s really amazing that some stuff survived, and that my mother wasn’t in bed when the lightning bolt hit crashed through the roof and ignited her bed. But that’s a story for another day.
Tuesday I was scanning some surviving slides, and I had the amazing experience of scanning a picture of my father’s killer. He died from silicosis – he had inhaled uranium ore dust and the rock particles embedded in his lungs and slowly killed him.
And here was a picture of a sample of Uranium ore, noted in his handwriting, from 1956. That was the year where he did some work (he was a petroleum geologist) in a uranium mine; I remember his stories of sleeping in the mine which had the feel of a barely-dodged danger as we had subsequently learned how bad radioactive ore could be. In my youth, when he regaled me with those stories, he was hale and hearty. It didn’t fell him until 1995.
On a less-somber note, we are blessed with some truly great pictures from the adventures of Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes and his wonderful Countess:
May 22, 2017
Cape Tribulation, QLD, Australia
This is as far north on the coast as you can get before the road turns to crappy dirt track going up Cape York. When Captain James Cook wasn’t getting his dumb ass killed in Hawaii, he blundered all the way up the coast, breaking his boat repeatedly. He named this place Cape Tribulation, as he was having real problems with grounding.
May 22, 2017
Cape Tribulation, QLD, Australia
This beautiful beach is difficult to access (about an hour and a half north from Port Douglas) cannot be used for swimming. Jellyfish, sharks, and salt water crocs abound.
May 27, 2017
Osprey Reef, Coral Sea
This is me and the Countess, looking at a nautilus. This is part of a research project that the scuba liveaboard company participates in with regard to these creatures. They’re an ancient relative of the octopus, and are typically found in much deeper waters. For a brief period of the year, they’re found at roughly 700 to 900 feet deep and are trapped at that level and brought up for measurement and inspection.
Wow. I’ve seen a host of them in Singapore (aquarium, not diving). They are amazing creatures, it’s so neat that you touched one!
May 26, 2017
North Horn, Osprey Reef, Coral Sea, QLDThis was a shark feeding we got to see – I took some stills off my video. These guys hung out with us on the reef the entire time we were there. It was a mix of white tips, black tips, greys. There were some other fish, and a gigantic potato cod (grouper that no fish would mess with). The sharks ranged from about 5 to 8 feet in size, and were everywhere – some liked checking us out during dives, others liked hanging out where we got back on the boat.
Anyway, they were extremely cool. The sequence begins with their expectation of a meal of tuna head and bits. Eventually, the bucket separates for a toothsome repast.
The closest any got to me was about 18 inches…
No freaking thank you. Nope. Nada. Never. Well, not never: just like skydiving – I’ll do it when I have to, once, and never again. I salute your courage.
Just amazing! Don’t let my terror obscure my appreciation of them, of nature, and of your capturing this. I love nature but I fear much of it, wisely, I feel. And sharks, crocs, gators, bears, and large cats are hazards I steer clear of. I’ve seen them close enough in the wild and have heard enough horror stories from my father’s adventures in Africa, Alaska, and South America. And yes, I’m wary of hippos, and, truth be told, beefs/bovines (you see some stampede or charge you sometime, and you’ll approach them a bit differently, I assure you!).
Sydney, Australia
Back the final night for Vivid, a laser light festival held annually in the city. Various buildings become the canvas for a laser light show of moving expressions. This still shot was from the roof top bar of our hotel.
May 28, 2017
Lizard Island, QLD, AustraliaThis is where Captain Cook put ashore after bouncing up and down on the Great Barrier Reef – it had sufficient elevations to determine a safe path out. It was a truly gorgeous day…
Wow, that’s like a stereotype. Just so beautiful and inspiring!
Thank you so much Comte, and do keep sending more. You are blessed to be able to travel to so many gorgeous places with such access, and are gifted in photographing and recounting your adventures. A deep, sincere thanks!
Have a great day everyone!
Oh yeah, for those so-inclined, Open Thread! You can continue your discussions here, it doesn’t all have to be about travel, stories, or pictures.
On The Road and In Your Backyard
by Alain Chamot (1971-2020)| 46 Comments
This post is in: Albatrossity, On The Road, Open Threads, Readership Capture
Good Morning All, So far, this feature has been about travel, with the occasional “local” picture or two. I think limiting this to just travel is just that – limiting. So I’m changing this up a bit to include neat, colorful, funny, interesting, poignant, etc. pictures that don’t require travel. As always, if you’re on …
On The Road and In Your BackyardPost + Comments (46)
Just a few today, first from Raven:
These are some shots from my LA trip last week. There is no way to measure up to the stuff Bill has but think of these as “lay” photos!
The first picture is Puige crossing the plate after parking one. It was a
mixed night since they were the best seats I’ve ever had but traffic kept
us out of the stadium until the 5th inning.
The second is the Manhattan Beach Pier. I’ve been going there for over 50 years and, cold water or not, I got in for some body surfing every day.
Three is the Korean Friendship Bell on the old Ft Mac Arthur in San Pedro. In 1967 I was home on leave between Korea and Vietnam, ran out of dough and had to go there to get some “casual pay’ to get back to Ft Lewis.
One is the Kris Kristofferson display at the Grammy Museum.
Two is a shot outside of the Anime convention in downtown LA. I don’t know from Anime but it seemed to me that there were lots of kids who had found an outlet that suited them. I also wonder if it’s not a real fertile ground for creeps.
Thanks for an interesting view of LA. Except for one foggy evening when I drove through from San Diego to San Luis Obispo, I’ve never been further than the smoking bench outside the terminal (years ago, when I still smoked).
Next up – BIRD!
Where it was taken: Manhattan KS
When: June 2017
Commenter nym: Albatrossity
Other notes or info about the picture: Male Painted Bunting.
Not exactly “on the road”; this guy lives about ¼ mile from my house and I see him most days on my early morning walk. But he’s a stunner, nonetheless, and since folks at Balloon Juice seem to like bird pictures, I thought they needed to see him.
What an amazing pretty bird! I am continuously amazed by the variety of life on our blue sphere.
And finally, something new – Nigeria!
Some pictures from my trip to Nigeria
Where it was taken: Ibadan, NigeriaWhen: June 2017Commenter nym: evapOther notes or info about the picture: I recently returned from two weeks in Ibadan, Nigeria, where I was involved (as a lecturer) in a summer school in mathematics for African graduate students. The school was held at the University of Ibadan, which is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in west Africa. It was an amazing experience! This picture is a view of the city of Ibadan (population 3 million, the 3rd largest city in Nigeria) from the high point in the city.The British built a government building here — Mapo Hall — which isnow a municipal building.
Where it was taken: Ibadan, NigeriaWhen: June 2017Commenter nym: evapOther notes or info about the picture: During the summer school everyone stayed inside the universitygrounds, we all stayed in a hostel/hotel on the campus and were insulated from “real life” for the most part. But on the Saturday in between the two weeks of school we were taken for a tour of the city, including visiting this market. It was completely chaotic outside the university — crazy traffic, many people — but fun to see how the locals live.
Where it was taken: Ibadan, NigeriaWhen: June 2017Commenter nym: evapOther notes or info about the picture: One of the locals took me to buy some fabric and I had some clothes custom made. The fabrics are incredible and it was hard to pick just a few. This is the shop where I bought fabric. This is a typical row of shops.
Where it was taken: Ibadan, NigeriaWhen: June 2017Commenter nym: evapOther notes or info about the picture: Some of the fabrics I purchased.
I love fabrics – and paper. Your choices are so lively and exciting.
As I listen more and more to the BBC during the day, I am learning more about Nigeria, both historical and current, politics and art, and it’s now on my list. I look forward to watching its rise as Africa begins to shine.
Have a great day everyone!
On The Road and In Your Backyard
by Alain Chamot (1971-2020)| 30 Comments
This post is in: On The Road, Open Threads, Readership Capture
Good Morning All, So far, this feature has been about travel, with the occasional “local” picture or two. I think limiting this to just travel is just that – limiting. So I’m changing this up a bit to include neat, colorful, funny, interesting, poignant, etc. pictures that don’t require travel. As always, if you’re on …
On The Road and In Your BackyardPost + Comments (30)
At long last, a fantastic set of submissions from Le Comte de Monte Cristo FKA Edmund Dantes:
5/19/2017
Sydney Australia
A short MP4 from the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb, me and spouse in it
Note: link to MP4 video hosted on this server. I hope to get the player to work properly.
Sydney
May 20, 2017
An awesome day walking about the city.
This is a view people who haven’t been here don’t typically get of the Opera House. You can see that the roof is tiled when you get close enough.
This is from one of the paths of the Royal Botanic Garden. The Harbour Bridge is 140 meters tall, to give a notion of scale. Walking on top of it was dizzying.
You can’t see them, but this tree probably had a dozen screeching! cockatoos squabbling and claiming territory. There were lorikeets as well.
This is a cyclad – they had a stand of them in the garden. People have overharvested them, putting them under pressure – and these things predate the dinosaurs (nearly 6000 years in creationist time…
Dunno what it is, but thought it pretty.
You are correct, sir. Thanks!
Dragons Blood tree – this one is 150 years old.
Mossman-Daintree QLD, Australia, about 15 km north of Port Douglas
May 22, 2017
This is my porch hammock view at sunrise
Evening of May 21
After a day of travel (long ass flight to Cairns from Sydney, followed by my first go of driving a right hand car on the wrong side of a winding road for about an hour and a half), I was ready to eat and drink. This is me destroying some glorious half shell Tasmanian oysters on a bed of pink sea salt.
And with that folks, we’ll push the second half until Thursday. Lots of great stuff tomorrow as I continue to clean out the old submissions to make way for a bunch of new ones (he says, expectantly)
Have a great day all – open thread.
On The Road and In Your Backyard
by Alain Chamot (1971-2020)| 48 Comments
This post is in: On The Road, Open Threads, Readership Capture
Good Morning All, So far, this feature has been about travel, with the occasional “local” picture or two. I think limiting this to just travel is just that – limiting. So I’m changing this up a bit to include neat, colorful, funny, interesting, poignant, etc. pictures that don’t require travel. As always, if you’re on …
On The Road and In Your BackyardPost + Comments (48)
This is from – gasp – May. I can’t believe it’s late July; time flies. I’m trying to clean out the email picture archives and expect my attention to be pulled away from the site, so I’m going to spend a couple of hours early in the week setting up posts to run through the week. Towards the end of the week, I’ll look at the submissions from the form and get them setup for publication next week.
From OzarkHillbilly (who deserves my apologies for not running this sooner!):
Elephant Rocks State Park is just an hour down the road from me in the heart of the St Francois “mountains” (in quotes because the highest of these is 1772′ Taum Sauk mountain), an ancient caldera. There is a certain sensuousness to the place and it is easy to get lost for hours with a camera there. From the state parks website:
*A train of circus elephants dance trunk-to-tail* to form an awe-inspiring sight to the young and to the young at heart. This is the appeal of Elephant Rocks State Park, named for a train of gigantic pink granite boulders perched atop a hill, just like circus elephants! This curious geologic formation at the heart of the park is called a tor, or a high, isolated rocky peak which is usually formed of disjointed and weathered granite. This tor was created nearly 1.5 billion years ago by molten magma being pushed to the surface. For millions of years, the magma slowly cooled, forming coarse, crystalline reddish-pink granite.
When the Ozark plateau was formed during a great uplifting of the entire area about 250 million years ago, the vertical cracks (or joints) between the rocks became more pronounced. Time and weather took its toll, clearing the weakest pieces out of the joints and laying the immense, oblong blocks of granite bare to the elements. Slowly, the corners were worn away to give the boulders their smooth rounded shape, and trees and shrubs grew in the cracks to help enlarge the joints and wear away the surface of the rock. Physical and chemical weathering has also created circular depressions called tinajitas which hold temporary pools of water and often house tadpoles. There is no record of the actual number of “elephants” inhabiting the park. Old ones erode away and new elephants wait beneath the cracks and joints of the granite hillside. The park’s pink patriarch, Dumbo, is 27 feet tall, 35 feet long and 17 feet wide, weighing in at a colossal 680 tons!
……..
Throughout the park, there are several alternate paths available. Some are handicap-accessible, and others are only for those not using wheelchairs (or strollers). The first of these spurs is a granite gravel road that leads to the ruins of the engine house which repaired the trains that ran to and from the quarries in the area. The oldest of these (it opened in 1869) is Missouri’s first recorded commercial granite quarry. Known as the Graniteville Quarry, it is just outside the park. These quarries provided architectural granite for buildings in states from California to Massachusetts. Most notably, granite from these quarries can be seen in St. Louis. Facing stone for many of the piers on the Eads Bridge, as well as millions of paving stones for the levee and downtown streets came from these red granite quarries. Additionally, many St. Louis buildings are constructed using Graniteville granite. Even the turned columns on the Governor’s Mansion in Jefferson City contain this granite. Now known commercially as “Missouri Red”, it is used primarily as building veneer or for monument stones.
Looks like it was a nice day – I bet most of us would kill for a day where you wanted long sleeves on a hike! Thanks again, OH, and do send more!
On The Road and In Your Backyard
by Alain Chamot (1971-2020)| 26 Comments
This post is in: On The Road, Open Threads, Readership Capture
Good Morning All, So far, this feature has been about travel, with the occasional “local” picture or two. I think limiting this to just travel is just that – limiting. So I’m changing this up a bit to include neat, colorful, funny, interesting, poignant, etc. pictures that don’t require travel – for you! As always, …
On The Road and In Your BackyardPost + Comments (26)
I attended a classic car show Wednesday with my beloved 1953 Pontiac Chieftain at the Greene County’s fairgrounds in SW Ohio. I’ve been to some shows over the past two years with her and it’s a blast. Car collectors are fun and friendly people and the shows are a mutual admiration society.
So at the end of the event, the awards in each car class were announced and my car won first place in her division! Wow! It was a first for me and very exciting. The “trophy” is actually a plaque, and it will hang in my guest room.
My car is periwinkle and white, which are new colors, not original, but she has the original interior and it’s pretty good for a car her age. She gets a whopping ten miles to the gallon and drives like a tank, but I love her!
donnah
Awesome what a thing of beauty!
Who: ET
Where: 7th Street on Capitol Hill in DC
When: 4th of July 2017These are from the parade on the Hill. The Marine are from the Marine
Barracks just down the street and that includes the Band members.There were some Hill schools and groups including a dance troupe from a
local public housing community. My favorites were the Samba group (gold
with the skirts) and the Bolivian group (green). All the groups big and
small felt really American.
Great, wonderful shots – thanks ET!
And, to wrap up this week, a little critter:
This is Buddy. He is a big reason that I have been kept relatively sane, in the wake of Superstorm Sandy “recovery”. It was taken a few minutes ago. Bradenton, Fl. Jim Parene
What a gorgeous friend. I swear, without my animals (cats), I can’t see making it through much worse than a hangnail. They keep you grounded, fill your heart with wonder and love, and touch you like no person can, if you’re lucky. I can tell you are. Thanks Jim, and do share more!
See you next week everybody
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