Whistle Stop /  by Dave Hileman

This is the train station that was built primarily for the Montipelier estate near Orange, Virginia. It was restored to it 1910 appearance and presents an exhibit about the Jim Crow era of segregation. You will find it along historic and scenic Route 20 that winds its way from South of Charlottesville near Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe’s homes, past where George Rodgers Clark was born and then beyond Orange, Virginia and the church where Lee worshipped and toward Fredericksburg and the battles of Chancellorsville, the Wilderness and Fredericksburg. While the station is no longer in use, trains still speed along the rails. Just as we were leaving - with the cameras put away, an Amtrak raced past.

Hammer /  by Dave Hileman

This is the Pileated Woodpecker that is often heard hammering loudly on trees in the forest or in area with a large wooded margin. They are crow sized and appear even larger with the brilliant red crest and massive wingspan with bright white patches. You can always tell a Pileated Woodpeckers work on a tree because it will be more rectangular in shape and often pretty deep. The give a singular cry when flying but often you hear their “laughing” call when in the woods or watching an old Tarzan movie:) This particular bird was in the swamp near the Fort Clinch State Park in Florida.

Tulip /  by Dave Hileman

This flower was in a yard in Sperryville, a tiny village in Central Virginia at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is a few blocks long and two streets wide at places. Good coffee shop in town.

Understory /  by Dave Hileman

This is a tiny wildflower that I spied in the undergrowth of the forest in Shenandoah State Park in Virginia. There is a path along a side creek in the park called the Bluebell and there were some of those blooming but largely past prime (though one or two are coming) but this tiny flower was off the main path on a social trail leading to the main river. It was about 1/2 inch across.

War /  by Dave Hileman

The Coopers Hawk landed on this tree about 20 feet lower and then the Ahinga started hissing at it but when the hawk flew up the Ahinga squawked and fussed but still took off leaving most of a fish behind. The hawk then settled in to finish the seafood dinner. All this happened at Silver Springs State Park while I was in a kayak tying to keep things still for the photo. Only partially succeeded. Was neat to see.

Portrait Project #23 & 24 /  by Dave Hileman

This lovely couple, Jennifer and Samuel, from Australia originally but are now living in Ontario, Canada. They were on their first visit to the US and were anxious to see an alligator. She was a bit shy about heading out in a kayak in order to see one but I think they were going to give it a try. They were really enjoying the sunshine with their picnic.

Imagination /  by Dave Hileman

This little guy, under the supervision of his dad, was fishing. And when nothing took his bait he decided to battle an imaginary fish and it was quite a struggle. His name is Cleary and the great fish encounter took place on the beach at Fort Clinch State Park in Florida.

National Park Unit #362, Martin Luther King Jr., National Historical Park /  by Dave Hileman

I am still moving (slowly) on my quest to visit and photograph as many of the 428 Natiional Park Units as I can. I visited Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park on my return from Florida. I was able to share this park experience with Billy and Debbie Swain, old friends from Williamsburg days who now live in Atlanta (sort of). The park is not far from downtown Atlanta, just a bit east. In addition to the church he served and the fire hall where many other important events occurred, there is a large memorial (no photos allowed), a museum, VC and several homes, including Dr. King’s on at least two long blocks around the park. His home was not open, being renovated now but we got to peek in one that is used as a bookstore. There were four or five owned by the NP Service that have been restored but not open yet. The street is an interesting mix of private homes and park units and the area is a very nice one with many small, frame homes from the era. The museum is small and it was a bit dark as most of the exhibits were on screens to watch events.

I had to reach over a tall metal fence so this is the best I could do of Dr KIng’s home.

The critical church was a whirlwind of activity.

His casket was pulled in this old plantation era wagon.

There were several life sized statues portrayed as walking on one of the many marches. You could walk among them. Moving spot.

Portrait Project #21, 22 /  by Dave Hileman

This is the ad director on left and the product promoter on right for the kayak brochure shoot that I posted some photos I took 2 months ago. The taller woman is from the company that makes the kayak. The company is located in Wilmington, NC. I did not keep their names straight so I won’t try and guess at this point who was whom. I was on my bike about 2 miles from the campground and It was starting to get dark. They were still shooting across the river so I decided that I had to get back on the trail before it was too dark but not before getting them to pose for a photo for my portrait project.

Family /  by Dave Hileman

This is the same male Woodduck that I have shown in the past but this time with his mate. The female Woodduck is also a striking bird with her delicate striped chest, intricate eye and head patterns and some iridescent feathers. The pair were selecting a nesting site deep into a cove nearby but were out in the main river for dinner. Maybe a dinner /date?

Chiricahua National Monument /  by Dave Hileman

Hiking down from the 7,200 feet high peaks of Chiricahua National Monument with the rhyolite rock pinnacles, which is why this park was formed 100 years ago this year, dominating the view. This is one of my absolute favorite parks, like a mountain island in the desert, this “wonderland of rocks, also has historic associations, streams, excellent birding, dark night skies and really good hiking.

Waiting in the Rain /  by Dave Hileman

This is one of the musicians from KnoxCAM waiting for the buses to load for the concert in Kentucky. There was a persistent rain all day that made loading the equipment a bit more difficult. Everyone was prepared for the rain, not all as fashionable as this lovely lady. Lots more information here: https://knoxcam.org

Pause /  by Dave Hileman

Stop and smell the flowers we are told. Step out of being so busy we don’t recognize what is occurring around us and often even miss the people God brings into our path. If you need a break today, pause for a moment and be grateful for this day.