Category Archives: Photography

Road Trip, Museum and Hike

30 Monday Jan 2017

Posted by in art, Photography

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Headed up to the Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford, Pa. where part of the Wyeth Collection is displayed. Kathy suggested we go to check out the Wyeth Family art work before we go see Andrew Wyeth’s granddaughter’s work at the Harford Artist Association next month.

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Art gallery connected to a mill. http://www.brandywine.org/museum

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A boy and his hawk (and I guess 2 pigeons to feed to his hawk?)

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View from the second story window, actually thru the window. Meditation pyramid.

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Not allowed to photograph the artwork, which was fine. Gave me more time to look at and enjoy the work (sometimes I photograph objects and their accompanying plaques, thinking I will read later…) Big Brass Bunny to start off our hike on the Riverwalk.

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Nice little trail along the Brandywine River.

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“That’ll do pig, that’ll do.” Farmer Hoggett – Babe.

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Water connection for my water blog – Stream monitoring station (USGS)

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View from the train tracks, looking up-stream.

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One of two inscribed benches along the trail. “Live For The Day”

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Large sycamore leaning towards the water. Wonder how much longer it will stand?

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A lone hawk wondering if he will ever get to pose for a bronze statue…

Hiking at CVP

13 Friday Jan 2017

Posted by in Hiking, Photography

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The guys I use to volunteer with up at Cromwell Valley Park asked me to join them for a hike the other day. They wanted to show me something. That something was the house I wrote about a few weeks ago up at Loch Raven. It is now gone. Making way for a new maintenance facility. They also wanted to show me the tree grinder and another surprise…

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This is the site of the old house and barn. The house was where the yellow excavator is to the left, the barn was the hole in the foreground. Loch Raven is a little frozen between the dams.

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The tree grinder. What a machine that is! Unlike a regular wood chipper, this thing you drop the trees in the bowl (tub) on top.

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After watching that for a while, we hiked the old fire road. It was a nice day out and the path was muddy from the warmer weather we were having, but some things take longer to thaw.

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The surprise…

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Wow, this took some time to build! Two rooms and an outdoor fire pit!

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The next day I took Kathy to see it.

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A nice two afternoons, walking in the park!

Last Hike – First Hike

02 Monday Jan 2017

Posted by in Hiking, HISTORY, Photography

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The state parks around Maryland promote the First Hike of the year. The way Kathy and I look at it – any day is a good day to hike! And the weather couldn’t have been better! Last day of the year and the first day of the year hikes.

On Saturday we did a small hike at a park we never hiked before. Kathy came up with the idea to hike somewhere we never have for the last hike of the year and somewhere we have hiked for the first hike of the new year. Louis Krause Memorial Park was the last of 2016

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When trees hunt no hunting signs

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Small park wit a couple roundabout paths

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After a complete circuit, leaving the woods we came upon these steps.

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The top of a lime kiln

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A kissing bench. (If you have been paying attention to my post, most hikes have benches)

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An old kiln. This one is a lot smaller than the ones at Cromwell Valley Park.

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Some history on the kiln

The next day, New Year’s, we took a hike at our favorite place to hike – Cromwell Valley Park. Lots of first day hikers there – it was crowded.

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First stop – the big sycamore tree.

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Kathy told me to lie down on the picnic table and take one straight up – ok, I’m easy!

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Another type of view of the tree, using a filter.

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A smaller kiln at CVP. A lot of people don’t even know this one is here. Can’t find any history on it.

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Marble Spring. I’ve always called it bubbling brook. Usually there is some movement in here from the lime stone underneath meeting up with the spring. Watercress floating on top.

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Almost done rebuilding the lime kilns. Just 6 years ago these were covered in vines and trees, crumbling apart. Amazing job these guys are doing.

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New observation deck up on top.

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The old log cabin

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Simulated limestone in the top of the kiln. Across Mine Bank Run is the old Long Island Farm. Almost bought up by the City for Watershed property.

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Steve Jobs first garage where he came up with the idea of a computer – I think? Maybe not!

Grate Works

02 Friday Dec 2016

Posted by in art, Baltimore, Photography, Sewage History

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When not doing my regular job, I document archives and museum objects. Recently thinking of my retirement in a few years, I started to wonder what will happen to most of the stuff I have stored in a large garage at work. Most of the water archives were almost thrown out many years ago, but I stashed them away for a couple decades. So, with my leaving, what will happen to it? No one really knows or knows what to tell me. Some of the artwork doesn’t even belong to the City, so I decided to get in touch with the artist to see what they wanted me to do with it.

First up is Bobbi Mastrangelo who has a collection of manhole cover art. Both sculptures and art prints. I found her thru a Google search and we have been in contact for the past couple weeks. She will see first how to relocate the work and if she has no luck, I will ask around to see who may want to display or purchase the works. Below is a sampling of her work.

One of my favorites. Eureka Water American Flag.

Another favorite. I think this one is called – Sparkling Blue Waters. (Mixed Media Relief) Some of the names I am unsure of. They have been stored at Back River WWTP for about 20 years. The transfer of loan paperwork is a mess.

The Great Wall Medallion.

Twin Waters.

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Another sculpture. People Start-Stop Pollution.

A few of these I had trouble photographing. The lights in the building are a mixture of incandescent, sodium vapor and fluorescent. I snapped off 20 before looking at them on the computer and realized they were all really yellow. I brought into work my good camera and messed with the white balance but still had trouble getting it right?? Any tips on this kind of lighting?

Here is Bobbi’s website if you are interested in her work: http://www.grateworks.com/

Random

30 Wednesday Nov 2016

Posted by in Hiking, HISTORY, kayaking, Photography

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 NASSAWANGO IRON FURNACE:From 1828-1850 the Nassawango Iron Furnace was in its heyday. Many workers – miners, sawyers, colliers, molders, draymen, and bargemen – labored to make iron. They gathered bog ore from Nassawango swamp, brought clam and oyster shells up the canal via the Pocomoke River from the Chesapeake Bay, and made charcoal in the Pocomoke Forest. These raw materials were loaded into the Iron Furnace from the top, heated to 3,000 degrees, and the two resulting liquids were drawn off at the bottom of the furnace. Slag was cooled and tossed into the swamp. Iron was poured into molds and loaded onto barges which were towed down the canal by mule to waiting ships for transport to Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York.

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It was closed! Closed on October 31st.

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Left there and went to Milburn Landing on the Pocomoke. Glad I don’t have to rake all those leaves!

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The landing. A couple reviews I read said it doesn’t get crowded. Kayak time!

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After that we found an abandoned golf course – Nassawango. The club house.

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Leader board?

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I prefer Putt-Putt

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But I don’t remember seeing one of these at Putt-Putt? Ball warmer?

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Then heading back to the farm we spotted a couple eagles – and this is why I’m not an animals in nature photographer!

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Inside the barn. Nice visit with Kathy’s family.

Pre-Deer Hunt Walk

27 Sunday Nov 2016

Posted by in nature, Photography

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Our last walk in the woods prior to all the hunters showing up.

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Deer stand or condo?

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Tee-pee hunting lodge? It is in direct sight of the one above. Wonder if they ever shoot at each other?

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Deer trap ahead – corn laying on the ground.

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Someone shot a Mustang by mistake and left it there

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Path next to the farm property. I personally do not hunt but I do understand why the land owners allow hunters on their property. The deer will totally destroy the crops and everything else that is edible.

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The old barn.

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Pond and woodshed

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Wind powered pump.

A couple of these photos I used a filter called sunscreen. Gives a softness to the pics that I like.

Rocks State Park – aka King and Queen Seat

06 Sunday Nov 2016

Posted by in Hiking, Photography

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Some history on the seat.

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Whoa! Just a few too many people on these rocks. People were camped out, basically stopping others from enjoying the view. Watch out for the climbers ropes.

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I guess it’s a nice view. Need a couple traffic cops up here.

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Line starts here for the view. Molly wasn’t too happy about being up here.

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Ha! Turkey buzzards patiently waiting! Dinner is just 190 feet to the bottom!

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Partial view.

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Back in the 1930s the City of Baltimore considered building a dam just over that next ridge. (See earlier post on Eden Mill)

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Too many people up top so we took off on the trails. White trail first and then back on the orange trail.

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A lot of these scattered about, low in the woods.

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A beautiful day for a hike. Peaceful and quiet. Thanks God!

L.G.F.

04 Friday Nov 2016

Posted by in Hiking, nature, Photography

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Little Gunpowder Falls or Lotsa Green Foliage. In either case, it was a nice day for a hike. A few mountain bikes and a couple joggers. Otherwise very peaceful.

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Some tall trees and a lot of dead trees lying about. Kathy said it looked like a tornado rolled thru here.

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About at this point you can no longer hear the traffic on Belair Rd.

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Ha! A behind the head selfie!

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Right about here my camera started acting up. The lens cover wasn’t opening all the way upon start up? Well, it has lasted about 5 years.

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So peaceful.

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Molly. She never wants to stop. Her longest walk with us was about 8 miles. Not only does she keep up, she just keeps on going.

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This guy was moving a little slow. Water was chilly.

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Kathy’s mushroom condo.

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The veins almost look painted onto the leaf.

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Art in the park.

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If a tree falls in the woods and nobody’s around to hear it, does it still make a noise? Even though this one is long and skinny, it hit with some force, to cut thru that berm. I thought the berm was man made for a mill. (mill race) But I don’t think so. The Gunpowders overflow their banks with a tremendous amount of force, cutting new paths with every storm.

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The stream to the right and the berm to the left.

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More art in the park.