Shadows

Shadow of the protective railing looking down at Box Canyon.

 I have used these shadow pictures fairly recently, but good things can be repeated.

Mantis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IIf I had realized that the theme this week would be shadows, I might have saved this one. At that, I will reuse it and use it for the header. It is my best shadow picture--at least the best I could find.

Black and White

I did edit these images from my archives to be totally black and white, but they could almost have been true B&W straight from the camera.

Birds flock against a gray November sky.

 Putting our heads together in Death Valley. Are there three of us or four? There were four of us on the trip.

 Even without the color, the Golden Gate Bridge is golden.

 

 My header is cropped from this one in November of a different election cycle. I am sure we will be seeing similar sights as this year advances.

The Headbangers are doing Black and White this week. My headbanger friends are lined in my sidebar.

We are Back--Favorites

Tom suggested we show some favorite photos to start off the year so I decided to go on a month by month review of last year. I had to chose one favorite for each month and that was not easy. I also was trying to choose a photo that I had not posted before, but I do not know if I succeeded in that.

 We got together with our son Jeff and his family and took a ferry ride to Bainbridge Island at the first of the year. Benjie signaled that this was very OK.

 A good clear shot of the moon took the spot for a February favorite.

 In March we popped over to Arizona to visit the girls there and their families. A good look down down into the Grand Canyon was a great shot.

 Coming home from a Quilt Retreat in April I found that you can't rely on the weather in the mountains in the spring. The roads were clear and dry on the trip to the coast a few days earlier.

 In May we went over the mountains again to visit OUR mountain. The water at Rimrock Lake was like a mirror.

 One of the highlights of the Scottish Festival in June was the dance competition. The guys in kilts throwing big heavy objects of one sort or another was also good.

 I always love seeing the cousins of all ages bonding over the chess board at Cousin Camp.

 Another Quilt Retreat--I had to leave early so this August picture was actually taken on the last day of July.

 Our friends Angelica and Martin renewed their marriage vows for their Silver Anniversary in September. They had a grand party. (I could have showed their grand Fourth of July party for July.) So glad to be considered part of the familia.

October's Trunk or Treat was moved indoors because of nasty weather (winds if I remember correctly.) We had planned for the car to be the Ark, but Mr. and Mrs. Noah brought the animals in two by two to pass out goodies.

We took no pictures at all in November as we began to adapt to our new reality because of medical issues. And the December pictures are still in the camera--I may add one from the Christmas pageant later.

What were the favorites my headbanger buddies chose for this week's posting and header? You will find their links at the top fo my sidebar.

Far Far Away

I presented this theme a while back and it was transferred to this week when we decided to take a two week break at the holidays.

Our travel is very limited at the moment. But in the past I have had the opportunity to travel to some distant places that are not on the usual tourist routes. In fact, when we visited Russia, we were asked by many in Moscow and St. Petersburg just why we were going or had gone to Siberia.

This is the farthest east I have traveled--on that trip to Siberia. The picture shows Lake Baikal--the largest fresh water lake in the world. It is said to contain something like 20% of the world's fresh water. I give that figure from memory, and it has been eighteen years since we traveled there.

 

Legend has it that bathing in the waters of Lake Baikal adds twenty years to your lifespan. We each waded for a measly five years added.

 

 

Two years after our trip to Siberia, I traveled with a group to India. This is as far west as I have been from my home. We visited the Periyear Tiger Preserve and National Park. We did not see any tigers, but we did see elephants, and this wondrous waterfall near the border between the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

 

 

As you can see from the map below, our travels east were farther east than my travels west, so I have technically gone all the way around the world.

 

 

The photographic subject that I have taken that was farthest far away is probably the same as most photographers.

 

 

How far did the other headbangers travel for their far far away shots to start the new year this week. You can find them in my sidebar links.

 

By the way, my header shot is none of these, but how do you get far far away?