Shoot Nine - "NECCC Conference"

Ukraine - well done Milt, Michelle, Mike Di., Elaine, Joani, Jim and first time responder, Tony M.

"All that Jazz!"

Still in July, it's the annual New England Camera Club Council Conference at UMASS, Amherst! I have been a regular attendee for the past ten years. The last few I have packed my camera and shot the models. This energetic young lady was moving all around. I saw her pose similar to this with an earlier photographer and asked her for a similar pose with the red fedora.

I knew this would make a great B&W with just the hat left in full color!

   

Where in the World?

Here are some interesting facts about various countries of the world. Just where would I be?

This country is the westernmost country of the European mainland.

It became the first global maritime power during the 15th & 16th centuries. 

Its Empire was the longest-lived of the modern European empires and was spread throughout areas that now make up fifty-three different sovereign states. The legacy of this exploration is that its language is today the 6th most spoken first language in the world with over 240 million speakers!

Over the years the empire has slowly been broken up, with Brazil gaining independence after the revolution of 1910 and the African colonies of Angola, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, Timor-Leste, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau in 1974 and 75. Macau was handed over to China in 1999 and East Timor granted sovereignty in 2002.

Its capital city is the oldest city in Western Europe and one of the oldest cities in the world. It was devastated by a major earthquake in 1755. Although the city was rebuilt within a few years, the quake led to the country losing much of its wealth and status.

The Vasco da Gama Bridge, over the Tagus River in the capital city is the largest in Europe at 17.2 km's (10.7 mi).

The cork tree is one of the few native trees still found here. The various uses of the soft, spongy bark of the cork tree has made the country the largest producer of cork products in the world.

Interesting Thought. . .

Worrying does not take away tomorrow's troubles, 

it takes away today's peace.

 ~ Anonymous.

Leaving on a humorous note, I hope!

Why does someone believe you 

when you say there are four billion stars in the sky, 

but checks the park bench

 when you say the paint is wet?

Shoot Eight - "Boston Selfie!"

Hungary - well done Elaine, Joani, Milt, and Michelle!

"Boston Selfie"

My wife's best friend, Bobbi, flew in from San Diego for a couple of days in July. After an afternoon in Newport we drove her to our house. Finding something fun to do included taking the ferry from Hingham to Boston. As we were pulling into the waterfront skyline, the high school best buddies posed on the deck for the all-important, "We were in Boston selfie!"

(wife, Cheryl, on left with best friend, Bobbi on right) 

Where in the World?

Here are some interesting facts about various countries of the world. Just where would I be?

It has an area of 603,628 km² (233,062 mi²), which makes it the largest country with its entirety within Europe.

It shares land borders with seven countries, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova.

As of 2011, it was the world's third-largest grain exporter and used to be called the breadbasket of the Soviet Union. The country also has large deposits of natural resources including iron, coal, oil, gas, manganese and other metals.

Its currency is called the Hryvnia.

The world's worst nuclear power plant accident, the 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster, took place in the now abandoned town of Pripyat.

Interesting Thought. . .

What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us. 

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Leaving on a humorous note, I hope!

If Wile E. Coyote had enough money to buy all that ACME crap, why didn't he just buy dinner?

Shoot Seven - "The Science Center"

Joining me in Switzerland were Michelle, Jim, Peyton, Elaine, Milt, Joani and long-time follower but first time responder, Mariann!

"Another Weather Vane!"

Back in 2013 I challenged myself to post an image every day for an entire year. I went one step further by having a theme for each month. As I was driving around the surrounding towns, I noticed quite a variety of weather vanes adorning the tops of the houses I passed. I went back and decided I would try to find enough different ones to fill an entire month - May, 2013 was the final result. You can revisit the ones I did post.

This bobcat sits atop the Harris Science Center in Hancock, NH.

Know of any interesting ones in your neighborhood? Maybe, I'll swing by and grab a shot of it (Doris and Joani - any vanes in your neck of the woods would have to be shot by either of you!)

   

Where in the World?

Here are some interesting facts about various countries of the world. Just where would I be?

A landlocked Central European country, that shares a border with seven countries.

Ten million people live here (9,939,470) as of July 2013.

Its currency is called forint.

This country is famous for its mathematicians including the designer of modern geometry Farkas Bolyai and his son designer of non-Euclidian geometry János Bolyai, Paul Erdős for Erdős numbers and John von Neumann, who was a key contributor in Quantum mechanics, Game theory, and digital computing.

Natives of this country have invented many important items over the years, including the electric motor, the Telephone Exchange, and BASIC programming language. Laszlo Biro invented the ballpoint pen, Erno Rubik invented the Rubik's Cube.

Its men's water polo team is considered the best in the history of the sport with 15 Olympic medals (9 gold), and 10 World Championship medals (3 gold).

Interesting Thought. . .

If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed, 

if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed. 

~ Mark Twain

Leaving on a humorous note, I hope!

If the professor on Gilligan's Island 

can make a radio out of a coconut, 

why couldn't he fix a hole in a boat?

Shoot Seven - "Frank's Odes and More. . "

Malaysia? Are you sure?? Well, Elaine, Mike D., Michelle, and Joani were!

"Captured Ode"

For my seventh photo excursion, I traveled north to NH to visit a photo friend, Frank Gorga. Frank and I started up the Hockomock Digital Photographers almost ten years ago! He has since moved too far away to attend meetings but I have still have contact with him through his blog.

Frank had an exhibit of odes (you know them as dragonflies or damselflies) at the Harris Science Center. I thought I would drop by to see the prints and listen to his lecture.

For an added bonus we headed outside with nets in hand to try to capture one or two. The group was very successful in that we nabbed about a dozen or so! (just don't ask me to identify the actual name beyond ode).

   

Where in the World?

Here are some interesting facts about various countries of the world. Just where would I be?

The official name of this country is Confoederatio Helvetica in Latin. The Latin name is only used on official documents abbreviation is CH.

Another landlocked country in Western Europe, it shares a land border with Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Italy and France.

There are more than 1500 lakes here containing around 6% of Europe's freshwater stocks. 

With a high quality of life, three of its cities regularly rank in the top 10 most liveable cities in the world.

CERN, the world's largest particle physics laboratory, is based in this country and sitting in the ground under it spanning two countries is the Large Hadron Collider that physicists are using for experiments.

Half of the world's production of luxury watches are made here! The nation has a long history of watchmaking with a number of leading brands founded in the country including Longines, Patek Philippe, Rolex, TAG Heuer and Tissot.

Its people consume the most chocolate per capita in the world.

Schwingen (wrestling), Hornussen, (a cross between baseball and golf) and Steinstossen (stone put) are traditional sports in this country!

Interesting Thought. . .

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; 

we've added years to life, not life to years. 

~ Dr. Bob Moorehead

Leaving on a humorous note, I hope!

Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, 

but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?