Dreamboat

I grew up in Cleveland Ohio for the first part of my childhood. We used to vacation on lakes and I would go fishing with my dad. We would see Chris Craft boats on the lake and I would ask my Dad why would couldn’t have one of those. He would laugh and say well may someday you will. I still have never ridden in one of these beauties and plan to change that soon but I will never be able to afford one without winning the lottery.

We saw this one while waiting for a steamer in Lake Como. It was privately owned and not available for hire. Who knows maybe it was George Clooney’s

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Wooden Beauty on Lake Como.

Wooden Beauty on Lake Como.

Bambi Lives!

I took this picture of a fawn in 2002 at the end of our first summer living on the mountain. People that lived there full time like us said wait a year and you will start to think of them as vermin. It never quite got to that level for me because the next year our community voted for a deer cull in a heated political battle between the “full timers” and “weekenders”. The herd grew at a rapid rate in our community because no hunting was allowed. Deer are not dumb and they began to migrate into our community. DCNR noticed that some deer had wasting disease and fawns that were born were small and struggled to survive. The amount of deer/auto accidents increased dramatically.

The size of the herd was unhealthy according to DCNR and our local environmental experts. After the first two years of deer culls the herd reduced to a more normal size. We began to see fawns again and the herd was restored to health. This deer has all but lost the markings fo a fawn as it munched in my back yard waiting for its first summer to end.

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Bambi Lives

Bambi Lives

Fourteen Years Ago

Today is a day Americans will never forget. We all remember just where we were and what we were doing on 9/11/2001. The skyline of one of our key cities was attacked and changed forever. Thousands died, heroes were born. It was the first time the mainland of the United States was attacked since 1812 and it scarred our national psyche.

As a people we have become angrier and more scared than ever before. Our journalists and politicians seem to want to keep us afraid and market fear to us every day. When you visit New York today you see a new tower climbing out of the ashes to once again dominate the skyline.

This image is a look back to what the city looked like before the day of terror. It will never look that way again but with the new tower the city looks more complete and who knows what the future will bring. The new skyline is a monument to perseverance and grit and I hope it will help heal us as a country.

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New York City before the Towers Fell

Mellon Park

When I lived in Pittsburgh back in the day, I never hung out at Mellon Park. Frick Park and Schenley Park were are parks of choice. Both had lots of great places for walking dogs and throwing frisbees. Since returning though we have discovered Mellon Park which borders Fifth Avenue and Beechwood Boulevard. It is a lot smaller than the other two parks but has nice paths for walking, beautiful gardens and outdoor sculptures and this lovely fountain where you can contemplate your place in this world.

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The Fountain at Mellon Park

The Fountain at Mellon Park

A Windmill in Paris

The Moulin de la Galette is a windmill and restaurant situated near the top of the district of Montmartre in Paris. It has been there since the 17th Century and at its base is the Le Moulin de la Galette which was the “hangout” of famous artists such as Renoir, van Gogh, and Pissarro. Le Moulin is still there and this shop keeper is opening his store in the early morning in Montmartre.

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A Windmill in Paris

A Windmill in Paris

Summer Garden at Carnegie Music Hall

A beautiful summer garden in full bloom outside the Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. I used to be an usher at The Music Hall and remember sneaking into the Museum at night. There was some sort of excitement to see the giant dinosaurs in the dim night light and staying one step ahead of the roving guards.

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Carnegie Music Hall

Carnegie Music Hall

Rudbeckia Hirta

This is the time of year when we see one of nature’s most beautiful displays in the northeastern United States. Rudbeckia Hirta, commonly known as Brown Eyed Susan are in full bloom. If you plan your garden right they seems to explode into bloom as the Day Lilies begin to stop blooming. This specimen was found in the Phipps Garden in Mellon Park in Pittsburgh PA.

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Brown Eye Susan

Tree Mouth

I finally stopped to take a picture of the tree growing out of the head in Mellon Park. We had been driving past it for some time as we tooled down Fifth Avenue. It’s not amazing or anything just kind of clever and cool as is the rest of Mellon Park.

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Tree Head

Tree Head

Hibiscus–A Perfect Bloom

There are few blooms that can compete with the Hibiscus for size and beauty. This almost perfect flower was photographed at the Phipps outside garden in Mellon Park in east Pittsburgh. It is about six inches in diameter. Normally when I photograph close ups of blooms they have a flaw. A hole from a bug or a leaf damaged by wind. This one however is nearly perfect!

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A Perfect Bloom

A Perfect Bloom

Patterns on The Square

Pittsburgh’s Market Square area has changed a lot over the years. It is now surrounded on two sides by the buildings of PPG Place. Adjacent to Market Square is a smaller square around the water fountain in the center of the PPG Place enclave. The stunning glass towers of PPG place provide a great backdrop for Market Square and the window patterns are truly works of art.

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PPG Place

PPG Place