I've fallen behind in the scanning of my pre-digital photos, so whilst I tackle the closet full of material from the late 1990s through mid-2000s, please enjoy this sampling of Things To Come. Above, "Keys Color" - Key Largo, FL - 1993. Yes, that is indeed an old truck trailer.
"Another Planet, WV" - 1998. It started with quick jaunts in [Maris'] convertible, into the Appalachian foothills of Frederick and Washington Counties in Maryland in 1996. By 1998, we were deliberately getting as lost as we could in some of the most sparsely populated areas of West Virginia. The scene above presented itself just moments after we emerged from hours of driving through thick forest, so it struck us as a completely alien landscape.
Speaking of alien landscapes - "Beech Trees on Clingmans's Dome, TN" - 1998. We also attempted to reach the highest points of all the states within driving distance, and this photo was taken not far from Tennessee's high point.
Churches! Early in the top-down "Cruising Years," we photographed every church we could find. This was often exceedingly frustrating, since so many of them are draped with unsightly wires, wedged between ugly downtown buildings or obscured by obnoxious signage. This one, on US Rt. 11 in Virginia in 1998, was very cooperative.
As difficult as churches can be, covered bridges can be even worse, usually due to signs or trees. This photographer-friendly structure is "Covered Bridge #32" in Groveton, New Hampshire - 1998.
Lighthouses! I keep promising lighthouses, so here's a peek at the many dozens of east coast lights we've shot so far. Above is "Bass Harbor Head Cupola," Bass Harbor, Maine - 2004.
"Joe on American Shoals Light, Florida" - 2000. [Maris] shot this from a wildly pitching little 17-footer while our guide threatened to take off with her, leaving me stranded miles from the nearest Florida Key in the middle of our honeymoon.
"Fort Jefferson Moat Wall" - Dry Tortugas, FL - 2000. This fort is about 30 minutes (by seaplane) west of Key West, but it might as well be in the middle of the Caribbean. This is a contender for the title of My Happy Place.
Oh, and we've got PANDAS! [Maris] and I are well-nigh obsessed with these animals, and have been visiting the current residents of the National Zoo's Panda House since they moved in. We have eleventy frillion shots (and hours of video) of all three bears. Above, Mei and Tian's cub Tai Shan hones his climbing skills in January 2006.
THANKS FOR HANGING OUT WITH ME!
More soon...
One more set of photos of baby Tai Shan before we move on. Above, he shares a quiet moment with his mother before biting her up one side and down the other.
How the little guy could sleep in this tree, day after day, for weeks on end, without ever falling out . . . is simply beyond me.
More from our first couple of visits with Tai Shan and his mom (Mei Xiang) at the National Zoo in early 2006. Shooting through a fence and willow branches with insufficient light for good, sharp photos, but oh well - he's still a cute little bear.
In July of 2005, a small squeaky miracle occurred at Washington's National Zoo. It had been over 33 years since Ling-Ling and Shing-Shing had arrived from China. That pair had managed to produce several cubs, but none that survived beyond a few days. In 2001, Washington welcomed a vivacious new pair of bears, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, and immediately we all began wishing for a cub. That miracle finally arrived in the wee hours of July 9, 2005. His name was Tai Shan, which is "peaceful mountain" in his native language. [Maris] and I jumped at the chance to see him every chance we got when he made his big debut the following winter. For a number of reasons, the photos are less than perfect, but here are the first few. Above, our first glimpse of the sleeping baby in his indoor enclosure.
A bucketful of cute, including his favorite toy, a miniature soccer ball.
By January 2006, he was climbing, but not very well. Following a big fall or some other shock, he would retreat to his favorite spot next to the fence, to recuperate.
By March of 2006, his climbing skills were getting better...
... but Mei was an attentive and careful first-time mom, and she always had the upper paw. Plus, she appeared to have an overpowering NEED to lick the little guy...
... all over ...
... all the time ...
"Oh just you wait, mom. I'll be big enough to jump on your back and bite you like there's no tomorrow!"
I've fallen behind in the scanning of my pre-digital photos, so whilst I tackle the closet full of material from the late 1990s through mid-2000s, please enjoy this sampling of Things To Come. Above, "Keys Color" - Key Largo, FL - 1993. Yes, that is indeed an old truck trailer.
"Another Planet, WV" - 1998. It started with quick jaunts in [Maris'] convertible, into the Appalachian foothills of Frederick and Washington Counties in Maryland in 1996. By 1998, we were deliberately getting as lost as we could in some of the most sparsely populated areas of West Virginia. The scene above presented itself just moments after we emerged from hours of driving through thick forest, so it struck us as a completely alien landscape.
Speaking of alien landscapes - "Beech Trees on Clingmans's Dome, TN" - 1998. We also attempted to reach the highest points of all the states within driving distance, and this photo was taken not far from Tennessee's high point.
Churches! Early in the top-down "Cruising Years," we photographed every church we could find. This was often exceedingly frustrating, since so many of them are draped with unsightly wires, wedged between ugly downtown buildings or obscured by obnoxious signage. This one, on US Rt. 11 in Virginia in 1998, was very cooperative.
As difficult as churches can be, covered bridges can be even worse, usually due to signs or trees. This photographer-friendly structure is "Covered Bridge #32" in Groveton, New Hampshire - 1998.
Lighthouses! I keep promising lighthouses, so here's a peek at the many dozens of east coast lights we've shot so far. Above is "Bass Harbor Head Cupola," Bass Harbor, Maine - 2004.
"Joe on American Shoals Light, Florida" - 2000. [Maris] shot this from a wildly pitching little 17-footer while our guide threatened to take off with her, leaving me stranded miles from the nearest Florida Key in the middle of our honeymoon.
"Fort Jefferson Moat Wall" - Dry Tortugas, FL - 2000. This fort is about 30 minutes (by seaplane) west of Key West, but it might as well be in the middle of the Caribbean. This is a contender for the title of My Happy Place.
Oh, and we've got PANDAS! [Maris] and I are well-nigh obsessed with these animals, and have been visiting the current residents of the National Zoo's Panda House since they moved in. We have eleventy frillion shots (and hours of video) of all three bears. Above, Mei and Tian's cub Tai Shan hones his climbing skills in January 2006.
