Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Follow the Brown,Red and Orange Brick Road

Follow the Yellow brick road has a much nicer ring to it, but I work with what I have.

My back is giving me trouble again, it's hard to sit at the desk. So I'm going to take a couple days off from blogging. I should be back for Skywatch Friday.
We are hoping to go to Munich and Prague in November and we are open to tips and suggestions about where to stay and what to do or if you have helpful websites. We have never been to either place.
See you in a couple of days!



Sunday, September 27, 2009

Hardship and Perseverance

This monument looks alot bigger in person (click the picture if needed for a better view or to read the inscription)




This is the North Outer Line, the British would have had to come up the hill into canon and musket fire.
The Continental Army was in this area during winter of 1777-78.
This is a very historic place, it's called Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. It's about a 40 minute drive from my house. It's beautiful and very peaceful now, but during the winter of 1777-78 it was bitter cold and covered with snow. It's the place where the tired, poorly supplied and poorly clothed Continental Army camped for the winter and held their ground against The British Army. By this time the Americans had already lost two key battles, as well as Philadelphia (which is 20 miles northwest) to the British. The Americans under General George Washington used their time wisely at Valley Forge, drilling, building cabins,forts, bridges, etc and maturing as a fighting unit.

The monument in the top photo was dedicated in 1917 and commmemorates the "Patience and fidelity" of the soldiers who wintered here in 1777-78

Valley Forge is a large and fascinating National Historical Park. I've been there twice, but I figure it will take several more trips to soak it all in. Yesterday's photo was also taken at Valley Forge Historical Park.

The hardships that were indured by the Continetal Army have become ledgend.

"To see the men without clothes to cover their nakedness, without blankets to lie upon, without shoes...without a house or hut to cover them until those could be built, and submitting without a murmur, is a proof of patience and obedience which, in my opinion, can scarcely be paralleled."
-George Washington at Valley Forge, April 21, 1778

My World Tuesday

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Nude in Living Color

If you would like to see this picture in black and white please click here.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Weekend Reflections # 1

The reflection of the Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News building
I just might be the world's biggest procrastinator, so If I don't start this now it may never get started. This is an informal reflection themed meme called Weekend Reflections.
I invite anyone to join. The simple rules are bellow:

1)Post a reflection photograph

2)After I post my Weekend Reflections photo, make a comment here to let me and others know that your reflection photo is posted.(If you have more than one blog, be sure to say which one it's on or provide a link)

3)Link back here on your blog so others will know about it.

4)Visit other Weekend reflections participant's blogs.

I will try to do the Weekend reflections post on Fridays, U.S. Eastern time. Feel free to add your posts anytime during the weekend. Just try to make sure that you make the comment and add your post to the Weekend Reflections post.

Hopefully this goes well, if it does we can get some banners and some sort of Linky thing going.

I've seen some really great reflections form other bloggers in water,windows,mirrors,eyes,sunglasses and more.

I hope that you will join in, and I look forward to seeing your reflections!


-Thank you Carol for reminding me about this, I don't remember if I said I was going to call it "Weekend Reflections", but that's the name that kept popping into my head and after seeing it in your comment it's confirmed.


Thursday, September 24, 2009

Triple Philadelphia Eagle Skywatch


The eagle and lamp strut their stuff in front of a beautiful Philadelphia sky. These are three views of part of the bridge that I was standing on when I took these pictures. The eagle is the national bird of the United States, and Philadelphia was the birthplace of the United States, so images of eagles can be found all over the city. Philadelphia's NFL football team is also called the Eagles.
To see other Skywatch Friday posts please click here.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

More of Princeton

Imagine standing at the doorway to the gym in the previous post and looking up, this is some of what you would see

This is a picture of above an entrance to one of the churches on campus.


Looks like a nice day to walk around campus with an Umbrella


One of the many Princeton Tigers
Just a few things that caught my eye when I was at Princeton. The Princeton teams are called the Tigers, so tiger statues and carvings can be found all around the campus.

I think I'll take a break from this series tomorrow since it's Skywatch time. Then maybe one or two more series posts. Then I'll stock up on fall and winter pictures for another Princeton series next year.



Tuesday, September 22, 2009

More Faces of Princeton

This is one of the doorways to the gymnasium


This contortionist guy is above the doorway

This face and the the next are carved into the doorway along with several others

This is a mysteryI wonder if anyone has counted all of the faces and animals that are carved into Princeton. For example the doorway to the gymnasium in the top picture has twenty faces on it and more above it. Maybe if I ever get really bored,........ never mind.

The bottom picture is a mystery to me. It was on a wall next to the entrance of Princeton's library. If you know what it is please do tell.

I'm pretty sure that it's not a fancy waffle iron. :)

Monday, September 21, 2009

A Pint or a Prayer at Princeton


I'm sure students at Princeton feel a lot of pressure, just look at the guy in the middle photo who is getting his head squeezed by the sculpture.
I took the the bottom two photos on the campus and the top one is a pub across the street.

Thank you to Vogon Poet for translating the Latin.
To see the rest of my Princeton posts please click here.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Princeton Revisited


I'm featuring buildings made of bricks at my Something Sighted blog and I plan on featuring Princeton University in most of my posts here this week.
Princeton is such a historic and wonderful place to see. Many of the buildings are decorated with beautiful stone carvings. I hope you enjoy the series.
If you would like to see my previous posts about this historic Ivy League institution please click here.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Black and White, Focus and Blur

This is my Monochrome Weekly photo.
I took this picture next to the little house in my last post.
I think Sunny is right about it being used for storage because there aren't any windows. I could be wrong but I think it was used by an old farmer's in the 1700's.

There are some ruins and a plaque close to it. This is some of what the plaque says.

"This is Mathias Weisner's original farmhouse which dates back to the late 1700's. After a fight between the English Anglicans and the Dutch Lutherans, the Dutch moved down into the Delaware Valley from Rhode Island."

It went on to give the names of some farming families and said the land used to be a farm.
The original farmhouse burned down and was excavated by boy scouts. The land is now a 9-11 reflection memorial park, and a memorial to "the Ductch farmers who founded and farmed the land during the colonial period".

About a mile from this place I found a large horse stable that is over 200 yrs old and no longer used. I'll post pictures in the future.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Little house in the big Woods

The house is small, the trees are big and flying bugs were out in force. I think this is a very old house that has been preserved. The colors seem out of place but it's kind of cute.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Chasing Clouds at Shady Brook Farm



It's nice to have plenty of farms and beutiful country between my home and the city.
To see Skywatch Friday posts from other blogs or to join the fun yourself please click here.
-I hope to get a reflection meme up and running with in the next couple of weeks. I need to figure out what day of the week to do it, how to use Mr. Linky and how to make a banner for it.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

In the Countryside

A bee works
While another rests

A dragonfly happens by
I just watch and smile, with green grass under foot and blue sky overhead. In the countryside.


Tuesday, September 15, 2009

A Crossed Bridge


A Watery, Outdoor Wednesday on the Ben Franklin Bridge.
For other Watery Wednesday posts please click here.
For Outdoor Wednesday posts please click here.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Philadelphia People Watching

Here we have a philosophical argument going between two of the men, one guy is passed out drunk and is either being helped or mugged by another guy. Then there is the guy sitting above it all completely oblivious trying to light a cigarette


Could this be one of Al Capone's hitmen? His black violin case is in his right hand and is just barely sticking out near his knee. He tilted it down when he saw my camera.




This guy with the matching silver bag and shoes was all about taking ten steps forward then finger snap, then five steps moon walked back and then repeat.
I didn't stick around to watch, but this sleepwalking guy just might have walked right into that pole in front of him. It actually looks like he's about to bust a limbo move.
Today I took the train to Philadelphia. I love taking pictures of buildings and bridges and I did, but there are also lots of interesting people in this city. I was on the look out for people that I found interesting. Like the boy in the "cage" over at my Something Sighted blog, and the people in the pictures above.

I actually met a really interesting person his name is Ikru, and I plan to feature him in a post soon.


To see other My World Tuesday posts please click here.

Strangeness in Red

This seeems like a very strange building to me. Not just the way the picture looks, kind of warpy, but also the doors that are all the way up the building in the center. I wonder what they're for? Imagine walking out of one of them. Plus you can see doors and windows that have been covered up with bricks, a wooden post that's sticking out of the bricks and a cool looking thick glassed multi square window on the ground floor.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

On the Benjamin Franklin Bridge

This bridge spans the Delaware river and connects Philadelphia Pennsylvania with Camden New Jersey. When it was built in 1926 it was the longest suspension bridge in the world.

A few people asked about this bridge on my Something Sighted blog. I just happened to wander on to it the other day, but I didn't have time to walk across into Camden New Jersey. As soon as my back feels better and weather permitting I hope to cross this bridge. I've posted pictures of this bridge before and I'm sure I will again. I like the looks of it. It reminds me of when I used to live in the San Francisco Bay area while I was in the navy, lots of cool bridges there.
That's Camden in the right side of the picture a place that I have still never been.

Other posts with this bridge can be seen here, here and here.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Murder at the Mikvah


It was cloudy with a bit of rain on this day, but it made a nice background for this abandoned building. Why the title? Because I like the way it sounds. :-)
Has anyone read the book?


In Remembrance


" O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!"
That is the first part of "America the Beautiful" a song that I used to enjoy singing when I was in Elementary school and I still enjoy it today.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Skywatch Doppelgänger


This shot is straight out of the camera, not even any cropping. I came to this spot and just knew that this would be a shot that I would like. I love reflections. One of these days I should start a reflections meme.


To see other Skywatch Friday posts please click here.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Can You Hear Me Now?

Construction worker taking a break in Philadelphia.
Actually I was trying to get a shot of the skyline when this construction worker who was deep into is phone call stood in front of me. I chose to take the picture with him in it, and to be honest I'm glad he stood there. Now he should go fix the crooked buildings. ;-)

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Watery Love in Philadelphia

If you enlarge the top photo you might recognize the four eagles on the left building from another post. You might also see the Cira Center again it's in the background and slightly to the right in the bottom photo.
The bottom picture was taken at the base of new, tall and really cool building which I'll show more of inside and out in the future.

To see other Watery Wednesday posts please click here.
To see more outdoor Wednesday posts please click here.

H is for Hahnemann Hospital


I passed Hahnemann hospital when I was on my way to Chinatown the other day. The hospital was established in 1885 and is a mix of old and new buildings. The bottom photo shows part of the old building and the top one shows part of a mural on one of the newer buildings.

I you would like to take part in or see other ABC Wednesday posts please click here.