May 27, 2015

Some Charleston photos

My husband and I are here for the Spoleto Festival: third time we've come in the last four years.
I have my point and shoot with me on dog walks in the morning and when we're walking to/from Festival
performances. Here are a few that interested me this year:

Tiny house from about 150 or so years ago!

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A couple of garden tour photos of the same garden:

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One of many elaborate and interesting entrances.

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I've shot this frog sculpture in a garden before...

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but this year a car with this hood ornament was parked on the street outside the garden...

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What's a Charleston garden without some artillery...

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or gorgeous hydrangeas?

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This is my "if you could choose one to live in...which one would it be?" This house faces the Ashley River and is set back
from the street with a beautiful canopy of old trees.

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Looking up as the sun was setting...this is the spire of St. Michael's Church

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and some interesting architectural detail of an old building lit by last rays of the sun...

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All the stucco houses are over brick--done for earthquake reinforcement--we overheard one of the horse and carriage tour drivers telling people.

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And finally, for all the old car afficionados, this lovely Citroën 2CV spotted while out walking Snowy this morning.

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April 16, 2015

Emerald Isle (NC) opposes seismic testing offshore

EMERALD ISLE | A Carteret County town has gone on record against seismic testing off the coast as North Carolina’s governor has expressed his support for offshore energy exploration.

The Emerald Isle Board of Commissioners unanimously approved drafting a resolution opposing proposed seismic testing off the coast related to offshore oil and gas exploration.

The action came with applause from audience members who attended Tuesday night’s regular meeting of the board, which included a presentation by Carteret County Shore Protection Manager Greg Rudolph on the Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2017-2022.

http://www.jdnews.com/news/local/emerald-isle-goes-on-record-against-seismic-testing-1.465153



This is good news, but what did these people expect when they voted (in Carteret County)-- by 72%-- for
McCrory in 2012? When are the people in NC going to wake up?

April 14, 2015

The Photographer: Self Portrait

I thought it might be fun to see who is behind the camera most of the time
by turning the camera around and pointing it at ourselves.

I'll start with a shot I took while returning from our weekend trip to DC to see the cherry blossoms.
We rode the train--which was fun!--and it was a real challenge to get a shot without a blurred
background (shot was taken while moving) and lighting that felt right.

How about the rest of you? Care to share a selfie?!?


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April 11, 2015

Cherry Blossom Festival in DC

My husband and I are here for the weekend as kind of an un-birthday trip. I've never seen the cherry trees
in bloom in DC, so a couple of weeks ago we planned to come up this weekend.

I was at the Tidal Basin by 8 am this morning and it was already crowded! I walked ALL the way around it.

A few of my favorite shots:



Admiring the trees

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Jefferson Memorial with a Bonus! (Can you spot it?)

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Another view of the Jefferson Memorial

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Trees at the FDR Memorial

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MLK, Jr. Memorial

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March 26, 2015

Two pilots and the same plane -- Airbus 320--US Air 1549 and Germanwings 9525

Remember Sully Sullenberger? Remember the story of the plane that he ditched successfully into
the Hudson River when it lost power after geese flew into both engines? All 155 passengers and crew survived. Well, guess what it was? Yes, an Airbus 320. The same plane that the German co-pilot appears to have deliberately flown into a mountain, killing all 150 aboard.

I've seen a lot of talk the last few days, speculation, that oh, they should have been flying Boeing. Or, gee, the plane shouldn't have
been so old. But the reality is slowly coming to light that the tragedy of this flight going down was no accident, but a deliberate
act of a pilot. How and why someone could be trusted with such a job and so callously cause the deaths of so many innocent people will surely be thoroughly investigated.

Why would someone do such a thing? It's hard enough to trust (US) airlines when so many of us have had experience where we know
the agents of the airline are lying to us about delays and cancellations of flights. But the pilots? We've always trusted the pilots.
After all, they do superhuman things, like landing planes in the middle of a river.

I am really glad I have no flights planned. I'm pretty fed up with the entire airline industry. But now? Jeeze.

March 23, 2015

Turkey buzzard!

I was sitting at my desk and two great big turkey buzzards flew in and landed on a tree on our back hill. We see them
flying overhead all the time, but I've never seen one land. Grabbed the camera and sneaked out on the deck--crouching
on my poor arthritic knees--and got these two shots (the same bird) before they both flew away.

Looking at me:

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Looking away from me:

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March 19, 2015

Goolsby appointed to UNC Board of Governors--Repubs out to destroy UNC system

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - The North Carolina Senate voted Wednesday to appoint former senator Thom Goolsby to the UNC Board of Governors, the governing body over the UNC system.

Sen. Bill Rabon (R-Brunswick) nominated Goolsby for the position, according to the Senate Clerk's office.

Goolsby says he wants to make sure taxpayers get their money's worth from the UNC system by cutting wasteful spending. Goolsby says people deserve a huge return on investment from the UNC system.
http://m.wect.com/wect/db_330750/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=r76EFhVW

I think we have our answer regarding the intent of the Republican dominated UNC Board of Governors:
there can be little doubt they are out to destroy the prestigious and respected UNC system.

In January, the President of the BOG, Tom Ross was, without warning, forced to resign.

http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2015/01/unc-system-president-tom-ross-forced-to-resign-friday

Then in February, the BOG decided to close a well known social justice center in Chapel Hill,
The Center on Poverty, Work & Opportunity--even though the Center was self-funding.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2015/02/21/law-faculty-accuses-unc-panel-of-attempting-to-chill-free-speech/


A former Chancellor of the University, James Moeser, penned an op ed recently in the Raleigh News & Observer
decrying the attempt by the BOG to chill free speech in the University system, saying "UNC-CH faculty members are concerned about the university, concerned that its core values of academic freedom, the freedom to follow the truth wherever it leads without fear of censorship or review from higher authorities, may be under attack."

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/op-ed/article12869321.html#storylink=cpy


So, who is Goolsby? None other than the jerk Republican who went after the leadership and participants in the Moral Monday
events, calling them--in print--"morons and clowns" in an op ed he wrote. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yuna-shin/thom-goolsby-nc-state-sen_1_b_3424686.html



This is the type of person the NC Senate nominates for the Board of Governors? It is not good times here in NC to see
what these Republicans continue to do in their efforts to destroy what is great about this state.

March 10, 2015

The GOP Open Letter to Iran: Write to your Senators

I am ashamed, and embarrassed, once again, to have two Republican Senators from North Carolina who care
more about their dislike of the President than they do about upholding the Constitution of the United States.

I just sent this e-mail to BOTH Senators Burr and Tillis:


I am writing to express my extreme disgust that you chose to sign the disgraceful Open Letter to Iran which disrespects the Office of the President. I refer you to an editorial which pretty well explains my position and ends with this sentence: "But the Republicans who dispatched this letter have done more than embarrass a president they dislike. They have also disgraced themselves and undermined the credibility of the nation whose constitution they took an oath to uphold."
http://www.freep.com/story/opinion/editorials/2015/03/09/iran-congress-leter/24670293/

I have known for a long time that you and your Republican scumbag buddies cannot get over the fact that this country voted--twice--to elect a black man as President of the United States. Get over yourselves. The world is changing. We need peace, not war. We need respect and tolerance for others, not hate and bigotry. And above all we do not need a bunch of condescending a$$hole Republicans attempting to undermine the Constitutional authority of the President of the United States.

The only good to come out of this letter is the recognition that at least seven Republicans care more for upholding the Constitution than aligning themselves with Tea Party traitors. It's a start.


I would encourage any and all of you represented by this gang of 47 to also write to them expressing your thoughts and also send letters to the editor of your local newspapers. I wish we could do what is done to shame dogs: make them all stand outside on the steps of the Capitol Building with signs hung around their necks saying "I'm an a$$hole. I have broken the oath of my office."

February 28, 2015

1995 325i BMW convertible

in red!

Not a great photo--but the only one I have that survived our fire.

My oldest son--the one who now drives autocross here in NC--learned to drive a manual transmission on that car.
I still remember taking him out to the local mall parking lot on Sunday mornings so he could get the feel of the clutch
and learning to shift. Me? I learned to drive a manual transmission on a WWII era Willys Jeep that my dad used
in the orchard when I was in high school.

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February 3, 2015

More moon

Almost full moon tonight, with Belt of Venus

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and a closer view


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