Sandhill Cranes in Flight

These are fast moving noisy birds but they are beautiful to see in flight. They hit a rest stop in northern Indiana during the fall on their way from Wisconsin to Florida. I rented a huge 600mm lens--the size of a small telescope and shot some pictures from about 1/4 mile away. Got this nice tight shot from the observing area at the Jasper-Pulaski State Park in Indiana.

Chicago: My Kinda of Town

Great view of the Chicago Theater from Marina Tower.

Sunrise at the Edgartown Lighthouse

Nice sunrise near the famous Edgartown Lighthouse on Martha's Vineyard. Took the shot a year ago at our 30th wedding anniversary trip. Last year: Martha's Vineyard. This year: pizza and beer at home. Both were nice.

Chicago Cruise Flag Shot

Staying with the Flag theme for Memorial Day, this was shot on a cruise along Lake Michigan and the Chicago River.

Showing the Flag Two

Love this shot. Perfect day to post. Took it on our anniversary trip to Martha's Vineyard last year. We took a dinner cruise on a beautiful old wooden boat.

Showing the Flag

When Cheryl and I can get away, we like to visit the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Connecticut. Always a fun place to visit. Last time there, I saw this shot, thinking it would be very appropriate to post one day. Happy Memorial Day and thanks to the troops who sacrifice so much to keep us safe.

Naples Pelicans All In A Row

Title really says it all. Taken at sunset on beach near Naples.

Freedom Tower from Hobokken

Of all the surprising locations that I have visited, Hoboken was the most surprising. The area by the Hudson River facing New York City was quite nice. Great views of the city. Great place to run along the river. The condos or apartment buildings looked fairly new. I didn't get a chance to visit the restraurant scene so can't comment on that, but all-in-all a nice surprise. This shot was taken before a very early morning meeting.

New York Building Art at Night

Nice evening view of colorfully lit building in Manhattan. If I recall located in the 30s near 5th.

Winchester House, San Jose

One of the strangest houses in America has to be the Winchester House in San Jose. I got to spend a few minutes there doing a quick tour before a dinner last January. The mansion totals 160 rooms built to accommodate a 4 foot 11 inch tall Sarah Winchester, one of the richest women in America before the turn of the last century. She was the widow of the son of Oliver Winchester who perfected the Winchester repeating rifle. After Sarah's husband and daughter died she was convinced by a medium that she had to move west and continue building a home for all the souls that the Winchester rifle killed or she would also die an untimely death. So, she moved to San Jose and built a mansion where construction continued every day on the house for 38 years until she died at the age of 82 in 1922. This house is full of stairways leading to nowhere, doors on the ceiling, and quite a number of 13th rooms. The house has over 2,000 doors, 10,000 windows, 47 stairways, 47 fireplaces, 13 bathrooms, and 6 kitchens. Very strange.

Cannery San Francisco

Lots of interesting old buildings have been turned into shops, restaurants and office buildings. The Cannery in San Francisco is one such place. Near the Fisherman's Wharf and an interesting collection of places to visit. The Cannery used to can peaches for Del Monte brought in from ships with fruit harvested along the California coast. Nice to see some of the buildings saved and put to other uses.

Got Surfing?

It a bit of a mistake shot, but I thought it didn't turn out too bad. I was shooting right into the sun so I knew that wasn't going to be a winner. I wanted some silhouette but also the suits were very colorful. Got a bit of both. These I guess are wake boards that they throw down and jump on. Shot near La Joya in southern California.

When you run with three people faster than you...

...this is what happens......Took in a run at our national sales meeting last January with three faster runners. Thank god they left me a trail to find my way home.   :) 

Irving California Parking Deck

Sometimes when you travel for work you are in beautiful places (like Miami Beach last week). Sometimes you are on the top level of a parking deck in Irving, California near LA. Great views can be seen from anywhere.

Ocean Drive Scene at Night

Ocean Drive in Miami Beach is where the action is at night. Lots of bars and restaurants bring out the party people and in Miami Beach that can be quite a collection of characters. These hotels are right down the block from the Carlyle, the location for the Birdcage of movie fame.

Art Deco Eyebrows

Miami Art Deco buildings have a distinctive style. One dominate feature are the "eyebrows" over the windows. They have a practical purpose of creating shade from the hot Florida sun.

Miami Beach Parrots

Shot some parrots with a 200mm lens up in a tree in Miami Beach. Tough to get them to pose the way I wanted but they both turned to look at me and I got a shot off.

Fontainbleau Miami Beach from above

Stayed at the Fontainbleau, Miami Beach for a couple of days and here is a shot of the Supermoon rising over the Atlantic Ocean and pool area from our balcony. The Moon was at it closest point to Earth just as it was hitting its full moon phase. The Fontainbleau was quite a resort. More like Vegas than Miami, but without the gambling.

LA Century City

Shot from the balcony of the Hyatt Century City. Great hotel with good views of downtown LA.

California Office Building

Might as well keep on the office building theme. Getting out of the car heading to a meeting in this building in Irving, California, my eye was immediately drawn to the strong reflection of the palm trees on the mirror-like windows.

Nashville Office Building

It is just an office building, but if you turn the camera and angle it a bit, it becomes lines and colors at a weird angle. You never know what you got until you give it a try.