Still Thrilled /  by Dave Hileman

I saw my second California Condor at Zion National Park this past year. in 2018 I saw my first at the Grand Canyon. This one had a wing span over 10 feet, more like 11 or 12 according to the volunteer watcher at the overlook nearby. I watched it as it sat on the side of a cliff high on a ledge for about 30 minutes then it took off. I have better closer photos (this is nearly one mile away!) but I really liked this photo of the bird against the huge red stone cliff face. That cliff is three or four times what is seen on the image. In case you are wondering the bird in silhouette is not the bird but the shadow. Look above and you will see a black slash, that is the condor.

Top of the Falls (2 photos) /  by Dave Hileman

Another viewpoint of the Emerald Pool Falls at Zion National Park. This is a popular trail that takes you to the base of the falls in a mile or so, but it goes on a long way to other viewpoints and pools. Each of those pools, up steep trails, are less crowded than the previous one:)

Orchard Siesta /  by Dave Hileman

These deer found an idyllic spot for their afternoon rest among the trees of an apple orchard at Capitol Reef National Park in Utah. The trees were just past blooming for the most part and the grass was thick and bright green from the winter snow thaw. I edited this a bit differently than my usual process.

Play Ball /  by Dave Hileman

Here is my new friend retrieving the ball tossed into the edge of the surf on the beach at Isle de Palms. It is easy to meet most people if they are walking a dog if you show some interest in their companion. This one was still pretty young and energetic.

Across the Lake /  by Dave Hileman

I walk here most days. I have three other walks but this is the one I take most often, Lake Lynn. It is less than a mile from the house and is 2.2 around the lake on a paved path. It is very popular and even at six in the morning you will encounter others on the trail. I usually walk early in the summer and fall and late in the winter. This day though it was nearly sunset and across the lake the trees glowed. We don’t get a lot of color in Raleigh and it is short lived but that day was very nice. The photo is the one that was intended to post on Wednesday and I messed up.

Just Around the Corner to the Light of Day /  by Dave Hileman

Yep, another song and another shot from Big Bend with the road winding on ahead enticing us to travel down it to the light of day. The song is about a man heading to Galveston about 500 miles to go, about where this road is in the western side of Texas. If you wish to hear the more energetic version it is this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QWhPWBJPik

Another Reflection with Apology. /  by Dave Hileman

I had a post scheduled for today, Wednesday at the usual time around 5 AM then I decided it was too saturated so I redid a photo. THOUGHT I had redone it all but nope, I did not have the correct time or date set. Did not know that until about 9 this morning. Panic of course, so I also realized I posted the same bad photo, so got the right photo in and posted. Just to the wrong day. Still trying to figure out how to blame something for this fiasco - anyone? This is another reflection pond shot in Luray Cavern - this week end the mystery photo will post. Again. sorry!

Morning Has Broken /  by Dave Hileman

This was a stunning morning in Big Bend National Park. The sun cracked the clouds and the mists and the snow on the mountains just shimmered. It had snowed about 5 inches two days earlier and the remnants still filled the mountain craigs. I loved the yucca blooms adding another dimension to the landscape. Just a glorious morning. Reminds me of the song, Morning Has Broken, a hundred year old Christian hymn set to an older Scottish song and given a popular twist by Cat Stevens in the 1970’s. However, I prefer this version by Judy Collins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUiuNfFUJIs

Proud /  by Dave Hileman

Geof completed his 23rd Marathon on Saturday. He wrote on his FB page “21,000+ miles and 22 marathons over the past decade all came together in Richmond yesterday. … I've now managed a personal best in all distances from mile to marathon over the course of 2023.” I was able to go with him on Friday night, we had a great dinner at Joe’s Inn in the Fan with a couple of his friends from Raleigh who also ran in the marathon. He was off with 18,000 others at 7:00 Saturday morning. The majority of the runners were in the 8k or half marathon but there were still lots of people on the full 26.2 mile course. Geof qualified for the Boston Marathon with his time - not a guarantee to get an invitation but definitely the first step. His dedication - off most every day at 4:30 in the morning is inspirational and I was so glad to be able to see him compete on Saturday.

Along the Boulevard in the near Carytown. Mile eighteen

Up a slight hill on Forest Avenue on the South Side of Richmond. Mile eleven.

Piper /  by Dave Hileman

This guide at the Grand Portage National Monument in Minnesota was playing the bagpipes in the entrance to the traders lodging. This is a very interesting site at the northern tip of Minnesota where the traders gathered each year. Their skill and endurance in paddling and portaging the canoes was astounding.

Its Not That Cold /  by Dave Hileman

Said the person who was wearing a sweatshirt and jeans along the shore and just taking photos. Family was having a great time dipping in and out of the water. It was pretty brisk that late afternoon.

What You Don't See /  by Dave Hileman

Charleston is full of beautiful homes and many of them are pre-civil war era homes. As you walk the quaint streets and peer over the walls the homes seem glamorous and I wonder what it would be like to live in some place like those homes. I toured one yesterday. The Aiken-Rhett house was built in 1820, added to in 1840 and again in 1850. It was owned for 142 years by the same family that included a former governor of South Carolina. If you peered over the fence in 1970 the impressive home, still lived in by a granddaughter of the Governor, is not one you would have found comfortable. Large drafty rooms, serious structural issues, no central heat nor air (in Charleston!), minimal bathroom facilities, poorly lighted rooms, no closets and barely functioning electric service would have been a challenge every day. And the house, a museum since 1996 is not being restored but kept as found. The contrast between what you expected it would be like and how the last occupant actually lived is striking. Yet the more intriguing part of the tour is the reminder that what made these homes elegant and sustainable in 1860 were the enslaved population. And at this house the reminders, unlike most of Charleston, are still there. In the “working yard” there are two structures a block of stables and quarters on the second floor, and the laundry and kitchen spaces with the living quarters for several enslaved families one level up. The number of people here varied from a few to 19 and it was not a pleasant place to live or work. The kitchen and laundry had fires going year round, that added significantly to the heat experienced most days of the year in the five upper level rooms, three of which have no immediate outside windows. The five rooms have a long hallway dotted with open windows, for fresh air and lot of bugs. The two end rooms have a window. Three of the five rooms have a small fire place. There would be a rough table, a chair or two, pegs on the walls to hang clothes and sleeping mats that could be rolled up for storage. The Aiken-Rhett house provides a rare glimpse of what daily life was like for the enslaved population of Charleston.

The laundry is the left door, the stairs the next, the kitchen the next two.

The upstairs hall

Stable block on the right side

No place to escape the watchful eye of someone from the main house.

Hall of Valor /  by Dave Hileman

This is the window at the museum/visitor center for the brief, sharp battle of New Market that the cadets of Virginia Military Institute were engaged in in May of 1864. The park has a new name now but it still has the focus on the 250 young men from Lexington who fought here. I think the stained glass window is very well done and lots of details can be seen if you look closely.