THE 31st AND LAST DAY OF THE YEAR OF THE OP

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL


I wish your cup's all runneth over in the new year.

The thirtieth day of the last month of the year of the OP

Made the trip up to Maryland for Christmas with the kids and grands last weekend and had a wonderful time. Grand kids were wired of course and overdosed on gifts.

Everyone overdosed on good food and love.

We did take our dog Missy with us an she was a great traveler, but was part of a demonstration of canine dominance/submission experience with one of my son's dogs. A hundred pound chocolate lab in her later years just does not do well with an active, curious, border collie mix on the lab's turf. Of course I was the only one injured pulling them apart.

Saturday night (top photo) we went to a buffet and show at Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania, just outside of Chad's Ford. What a splendid estate all decorated for Christmas as seen in the shot taken of my son's family. I would loved to have been there a week before when they had two feet of snow, but the rain wasted most of the the white stuff. The middle photo shows the four grand with the two older Norcini girls opening their Kindles.

Finally, the lower photo shows part of the Blue Ridge Parkway area in the western part of Virginia.

We couldn't get on the parkway itself due to snow, but there were a few places where we could make some images. I like this one because of the shadows being cast from the tree overlooking the little hill tucked away in the mountains.

For the 24th day of the 12 month of the year of the OP

Twas the Night before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

The 22nd day of the 12 month of the year of the OP

Five Mile Point Lighthouse
New Haven Connecticut

This lighthouse was built in 1847 and so named as it is five miles from the center of New Haven.

The day I visited the spot, it was cold and snowing with the wind in the 20 mph range and the temperature around the same level.

You have either got to love lighthouses or be a bit mentally unstable to endure such elements just to get a picture. I probably lay claim to both afflictions.

The tower is about a half mile walk along a point of rocky land which had to be just desolation in the late 1800's.........but then again what lighthouse wasn't. They were built for the most part on headlands to warn mariners of shoreline dangers. Bleak and exposed to the elements.

It was cold when I was there, pure and simple!

The two bottom postcards are from around 1907 and 1908 and show considerably more activity than my photograph which is on the top of this page. Additional information can be found on the following link.

http://www.lighthouse.cc/newhaven/history.html

The 19th day of the 12th month of the year of the OP

THEN AND NOW-----Concord Point Lighthouse, Harve de Grace, MD


I have been neglectful in posting lately.....working on my contribution to the national debt.


I figure that if our Govt. can spend us into oblivion against our wishes, then I can pop for seventy or eighty dollars for my kids and grand kids for Christmas.


The great blizzard of 2009 in the Northeast prompted me to look for a lighthouse image with snow and came up with the top image of Concord point, which I made in Jan of 1996. Not as much snow then but I think you get the idea.


The middle image shows the lighthouse on an old postcard with what was called the "Ice Gorge" of 1904. That which you see on the front and right of the image is actually ice formed in the Susquehanna River during the winter. When the seasons change great floats of ice break up in the rivers of the Northeast and flow downstream. These flows actually reform the riverbanks as they move, grinding up most anything which is unfortunate enough to be in the way.


The bottom photo is of the lighthouse sometime pre 1900. Probably 1875 or so and as with most of the current lighthouses, at least in the east, there is very little vegetation growth around the light.


Some facts about his light can be found at

http://www.nps.gov/history/maritime/light/concord.htm


Year Light First Lit: 1827
Is the Light Operational? NO
Date Deactivated: 1975
Automated: 1920
Foundation Materials: NATURAL/EMPLACED
Construction Materials: GRANITE BLOCKS
Markings/Patterns: WHITE W/BLACK LANTERN
Shape: CONICAL
Relationship to Other Structures: SEPARATE
Tower Height: 32
Original Optic: NINE LAMPS W/16" REFLECTORS
Year Original Lens Installed: 1827
Present Optic: FIFTH ORDER, FRESNEL
Year Present Lens Installed:
Height of Focal Plane: 26

The light is in a delightful park bordering the juncture of the Susquehanna and Chesapeake bay and is well maintained. The snow was even ploughed when I made the photograph, and it is a delightful place to visit in any weather condition.

The 9th day of the 12th month of the year of the OP

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES


And this is a large River.

Move the laundry Mother, the creek's

up!

I wonder what happens to all the homeless people who live along the river when this happens....Maybe they move to Washington, DC?

And what of the poor little people of the Kudzu when the water rises.....Hmmmmmmmmmm!

(You will have to go to the Halloween postings for an explanation of who they are)

The 8th day of the 12th month of the year of the OP

CREEK'S UP

(Again)

The Cayce part of the Riverwalk has been closed to traffic for the better part of a week or more and you can see here that the upper reaches of the walk in West Columbia is almost under water!

We are expecting more rain today and tomorrow go get the basement pumps ready.

Stay tuned!

the 7th day of the 12th month of the year of the OP

"CHASING THE BAH-HUM BUGGERS"

In serious debt yet?

You got 18 days left to get er done!

We spent the weekend dressing the house, in and out and I thought I would share.

It's called "CHRISTMAS" folks.............!

A fantastic candy village made by Sheri, a not so bad swag above the front door made by skip, the tree, and finally on top the guy who hung all the stuff on the tree.

The Sixth day of the 12th month of the year of the OP

This photo is for all of my younger friends on Facebook and other places of general communication.

Those that seem to constantly emit negativity about their times here. Well, I've been there and done that as they say. I get older and seemingly happier and I guess that's a normal progression of things. Or maybe I am just now more numb of mind than the rest.

But--------------

Ever have the feeling that you are holding on by the edges of your fingernails and you're all alone?

And the wind is about to blow!

You've been told that something good is coming but that certainly seems iffy at times.

At least spring will be coming and it will be warm and sunny and the light pink/green/yellow buds will replace that spot which was held onto so strongly only a few months earlier.

But I know it's coming. Just like the sun also rises every day and there is not a thing we can do about it. Sorry Al!

Reassuring isn't it.

I guess the dark side of this photo, to me, only creates an image of hope (Not the kind they scammed us with in Washington), and it tells me to get out there, kick ass, and take names.

Because we are all individuals with individual qualities that are wanted in this world------no needed in this world. We are each something special.

It tells me to get my head in the game and be all that I want to be!

Amazing what a picture of a dead leaf can do!

The 3rd day of the 12th month of the year of the OP

PRECARIOUS

Creek's up today along the River Walk. We had alot of rain yesterday and the river rose about a foot and a half. Just amazes me , but with our rain and the runoff from upstate the river is very sensitive.

Speaking of sensitive.

How would you like to have to get your breakfast like this blue heron must? It is bad enough that the water is muddy and you can't see, but to have to hold onto a half submerged rock on one foot in a heavy current.........Wow!

I can't do that on flat ground!

THE SECOND DAY OF THE LAST MONTH

The Weather Channel says we are to get two inches of rain here today in sunny South Carolina. Looking out the window............I believe it.

Looks like a good day to actually do some office work and fore go the walk on the River Walk. Although rain does give us some good photo ops.

This spider's web was an early morning result of a light rain. While beautiful, I am sure the spider was not at all happy. His work became visible not only to us, but also to his potential prey!

Ahhhh, the webs we weave!

THEN AND NOW--Highland or Cape Cod Lighthouse

HIGHLAND (CAPE COD) LIGHTHOUSE
NORTH TRURO, MA.

When I visited this little lighthouse, the spring flowers were much in evidence and the tourists were doing their thing. Photographing lighthouses can be difficult, if for no other reason, than the hordes of folks all over the place. Just getting a clear shot can be a challenge, forget about getting the lighting right. Therefore, in this image I have emphasized the flowers and used the lighthouse as a background, thus eliminating the people factor around the house. In addition this one sits on the edge of a golf course---------so Fore!

The view from ocean side cliffs is dramatic and the whole complex is easy to find. N. Truro is most of the way out or up the Cape and is probably close to forty miles out to sea from the mainland, so it is a area rich in maritime history. This old 1910 postcard attests to the dangers in the storm ridden area and depicts the lighthouse on the cliff doing its thing.

The old images I use are mostly old postcards which are all out of copyright due to age. The dates of the images mentioned are either found in the style of the card or actual postmarks on the cards themselves. One image may have been used on different card styles over a thirty or forty year period, thus making the actual view perhaps older than the card itself. In either event it does give us the ability to come pretty close to what the view actually looked like way back then.

Further out the Cape on Route 6 are the dunes at Provincetown which are nothing short of those you would find in the Sahara desert. They are huge, hard to climb but well worth the effort. If you go to photograph them, take along another person to put in the frame just to explain the scale of the size of the place.

Cape Cod is a lovely place to visit and there are over a dozen lighthouses to find, some more accessible than others. But as one can imagine the place reeks of maritime history. This lighthouse was one of the most powerful sentinels in the country with visibility of over 40 miles and even further on a good clear night. It was also the first flashing white light in the U.S. which distinguished it from Boston Light (the first lighthouse in the country). The first tower in this area was a 30-foot brick tower built in 1791. That tower was replaced in 1857 and equipped with a huge first order Fresnel lens. The first light was 500 feet from the edge of the cliff upon which it was built, and by 1996 the ocean was as close as 40 feet. It was moved in 1996 to the current location, which is over 400 feet from where it had stood. More importantly it is a considerable distance from the edge of the slowly eroding cliffs.

THEN AND NOW---Delaware Breakwater Lighthouse

DELAWARE BREAKWATER LIGHTHOUSE
Delaware Bay
Cape Henlopen-Lewes, Delaware

Cape Henlopen, De. to the south and Cape May, NJ to the north form the boundary to the entrance of the Delaware River. Cape May is a wonderful Victorian town and Cape Henlopen is a rugged uninhabited spit of land dividing ocean from bay. Cape May is guarded by the Cape May Lighthouse, while Cape Henlopen is guarded by two lighthouses. They are the Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse off shore in the bay and the Delaware Breakwater house closer to the shore. Both of the Delaware lights can be viewed from Cape Henlopen State Park, just outside of Lewes, DE.

A short boat ride from Lewes will provide a closer look at these spark plug type lights, and they can also be seen fleetingly from the Lewes/Cape May Ferry. The ferry ride alone is worth the price of admission. Ocean boats, birds, fish, and dolphin can be seen as well as the three lighthouses.

Every time I visit the state park, I am amazed with the scenery. It is particularly good to go after the schools open in the fall and the beach going crowds have dwindled. Old WWII structures can be found with outposts used as observation points.

Fort Miles, located in the park, was once a key piece in the nation's coastal defense and heavy guns, mine fields and searchlights provided defense; however, the growing use of long-range missiles brought an end to such harbor defenses. By 1958, the fort was no longer important for defense, and in 1964, 543 acres of the base were returned to the State of Delaware. These lands are the heart of Cape Henlopen State Park. In April, 2005, Fort Miles was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The beaches are wide with both ocean and bay side accessibility.

The Delaware Breakwater Lighthouse rests closer to shore on the east end of the inner breakwater. This is a four-story spark plug, painted a rusty brown color, and flashing a red signal. The Breakwater light was built in 1885 and is a cast iron structure built upon the rip rap breakwater. It was deactivated in 1996 and is 49 feet tall. The original lamp was a fresnel fourth order.

Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse, is painted white and is a four story keeper’s house placed upon the outer breakwater. This house flashes a white light and is further offshore.

THE FIRST DAY OF THE LAST MONTH

Happy December first everyone...............We're getting close to the end of the year of the OP, and only 24 days left to really, really get into some serious debt.

It was 34 degrees here this morning at eight o'clock and the River walk was calling. I actually had to scrape the ice off my windshield...........ah the memories of Maryland and New Jersey winter mornings. Course up there it was real ice and it seemed to last from November to March each year!

In Maryland, ice and snow would not last too long.

But in New Jersey the long commutes(2 hours each way) by car to New York City was downright dangerous. The worst was ice.....snow you can see. But black ice is nasty. Not to mention the idiots who think that their cars are sleds. I guess they're everywhere. Well, I lived through that too. Good old state Route 22 from west to east and back again. And you all thought Nascar drivers are tough. Facing a commuting woman in an ice storm as she adjusts her eye makeup, oblivious of everything else.............now there's a challenge. Or some guy ooogling the girl in the car next to him as he speeds to catch up to her. Nascar......Phhhhht! We were the original road warriors.

Now just one month to go to get out of the year of the OP (owl pellet). Can't wait. Lets hope that the first picture of 2010 is more inspiring than the OP for which this current year has been named.

But I digress. It was a crisp two mile walk with sightings of geese, turtles trying to warm up on rocks, and one lonely blue heron. But except for the mating season, they are always lonely aren't they?

As you can see the Congaree River this morning was warmer than the air and the fog lifting was pretty and a little mysterious. Some color still remains in the leaves but most is gone. Guess we're being told to hunker down for winter. I don't want to accept that premise!