Happy Birthday USA

Two Story Flag, King Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


As a nation the United States is 235 years old today.
Happy 4th of July!

San Marco Sunday - Dream World

Basilica de San Marco, Venice, Italy  © Doug Hickok


By day Venice is a riotous carnival of tactile delights,
where day light seeks to illuminate every color and form.
But by night, Venice is a muted dream world of ancient vintage,
where imagination seeks to illuminate every shape and shadow.

Eye Level Clouds

Near Summit of Mount Mitchell, Mount Mitchell State Park, North Carolina  © Doug Hickok


Near the top of Mount Mitchell, in the Appalachian Mountains, a view past the trees shows a summer evening thundercloud building in the sky. At this elevation (6684 ft), you seem as tall as the clouds. Mount Mitchell is the highest elevation in the eastern US. In July the average high temperature is about 68 degrees, making it a refreshing spot to cool off in the heat of summer.

A Time and Place to Relax

Mansion Courtyard, Meeting Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


Here is hoping you can relax and have some fun this weekend.

Throwback Thursday - Pan and His Delicious Cakes

Amish Farm Fields, Holmes County, Ohio  © Doug Hickok


I made this image several decades ago on Kodachrome film, and now, that seems like ages ago. What is curious is that a pastoral scene such as this, in a convoluted way, reminds me of Pan, the mythological god of fields, flocks and hay fever allergies. A little known item of interest about Pan is that he loved to bake. There is a story (which may be apocryphal) that tells of his fondness for baking cakes, cakes of all makes.

One morning, after a long night of faun frolicking, pan piping and cake baking, Pan found some leftover ingredients laying around his country kitchen, some flour, salt, sugar, eggs and goat's milk. Just to see what would happen, he decided to mix these ingredients together, pour in a skillet, and heat over his hearth. Lo and behold, he made a perfectly round, flat, delicious cake, which he topped with a scoop of fresh berries and a dollop of whipped cream. Pan ate his new found concoction with much pleasure, complementing it with a steaming cup of French pressed coffee.

Hence, the discovery of Pan's cake, or what would become known as
pancakes. Yum!

A Charleston Walkabout I

Antebellum Mansions, South Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok

Corinthian Capital, US Customs House, East Bay Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok

Ironwork Gate Shadow, Dock Street Theatre, Church Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok

Rainbow Row Carpet, Market Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok

Carriage Horse and Tourists, East Bay Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok

Pirate House Fan Window, Church Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok

Elliott Street Windows, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


A few sights you might see walking around Charleston.

Horace the Poet

Happy Coin Viewer, Folly Beach Pier, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok


Horace stood on the pier overlooking the sea. He did this everyday, all day, and even into the night. As people dropped their coins into the slot behind his head, and gazed through his eyes, he saw what they saw. But what no one could know about Horace was that he loved poetry, and invented poems in his head about all that he saw by the sea. 
You see, Horace was a poet.

He imagined poems about golden-crowned dawns suffusing the sea with flushes of scintillating color. He composed rhymes about seabirds dancing high in the bright blue sky. He recited sonnets about lovers strolling hand in hand along the ocean's edge. He smiled his peculiar round smile when he described children playing in the sand, molding their mountains or sculpting their castles. Because, for all that Horace saw by the sea, he was enchanted most by the children. "Ah",  he thought,
"what happiness it is to be so young, innocent, and free
 on that simple beach
by the sea...
if only for a little while."

Ruins of a Jetty I

Old Jetty and Clouds, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok


The sea is beautiful to behold, but its forces are relentless. This old jetty, which stood here for many years trying to slow beach erosion, will soon be nothing but driftwood. The power of nature persists, but the works of man are as fleeting as clouds scuttling across the sky.


Quick take: Speaking of nature's forces, here's a link to some amazing images of an erupting volcano in Chile.

Pantheon Sunday

Oculus and Dome, Pantheon, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok


The magnificent dome of Rome's Pantheon is one of the architectural wonders of western civilization. Beyond the fact that it is the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome, it is still intact after nearly 2000 years (and looking as handsome as ever).  The entire space beneath the dome is awe inspiring, a man-made space like no other I've experienced. Perhaps it is the shear size of the rotunda or perhaps something even greater. There is a palpable all-encompassing energy that can be felt during certain clear headed moments. As I recall, the feeling gave me a little shiver of excitement.
The ancient Romans dedicated this temple to all the gods.
In the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV preserved the Pantheon from destruction and had it converted into a Catholic church, dedicated to Mary and all the martyrs.
Needless to say, the Pantheon has deep spiritual gravitas.

Resort Time

Pool by the Sea, Wild Dunes Resort, Isle of Palms, SC  © Doug Hickok


With summer in full swing, it's time to resort to some romantic rest and relaxation. A getaway to a seaside retreat might be just the ideal summer vacation. Perhaps all that you need to replenish your body and soul is a soft moonlit evening, with the sound of waves whispering in the distance, a soft ocean breeze caressing your face, a cool drink in your hand, and no worries. No worries what so ever.

Mirror on a Mountain Road

Cades Cove Road, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee  © Doug Hickok


Following an afternoon cloud burst, the sun shines brightly, and a curving mountain road becomes a shimmering mirror reflecting nearby trees. What was once an ordinary country scene transforms for a brief moment into a rare picture of rural beauty. That is, until the sun evaporates the wet pavement, and the mirror is no more. Such glimpses of exceptional beauty are transient, perhaps duplicated never again in one's lifetime.

Hope you have an exceptional weekend.
And may the hues be with you.

( This is another of my images made on slide film many years ago, pulled from my files and set free.)

Sea Moods

Waves 1, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok

Waves 2, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok

Waves 3, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok


These three images were made at dawn using long exposures between 2.5 and 4 seconds. 
They remind me of Popsicle flavors (artificial colors added, but no sugars, preservatives or peanuts added).

For Eszter - A Little Taste of Home

Fisherman's Bastion, Castle Hill, Budapest, Hungary  © Doug Hickok


The Fisherman's Bastion (Halaszbastya) of Budapest displays a stone carved lion and an ornate column. The steeple of Saint Matthias Church rises above in the background.

Red and Yellow Houses, Castle Hill, Budapest, Hungary  © Doug Hickok


A pair of colorfully painted houses on Castle Hill, with their characteristic tile roofs, near Vienna Gate Square.

Dome, Saint Stephen's Cathedral, Budapest, Hungary  © Doug Hickok


The interior of Saint Stephen's Basilica shows the splendor of its architecture. It was named after the first king of Hungary.

A Lighthouse and the Cool Blue Sea

Prospect Harbor Lighthouse, Schoodic Peninsula, Maine  © Doug Hickok


"We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won't need to tell anybody it does. Lighthouses don't fire cannons to call attention to their shining - they just shine."
- Dwight L. Moody -

Prospect Harbor Lighthouse stands near the Schoodic Peninsula Scenic Byway in Maine. It was established in 1850 and is still in use today, though it is operated automatically. The keeper's house is called Gull Cottage. It looks like a place I'd love to stay, even if only for a day. 


Our summer temperatures here in Charleston are over 100 degrees these days. Remembering the cool blue sea in this picture helps me feel less broiled.




Quick take: Speaking of beautiful settings by the sea, here is a link to images of Italy's top beaches. You will simply love this one!

Mysterious Monday - Varieties of Perception

Farmyard Cat, Village of Lewisburg, Ohio  © Doug Hickok


Mystery of the day... What is this a picture of ?

Cute, cuddly kitten or
Napoleon's hat.

Clint Eastwood's poncho from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly or
Inspector Clouseau's trench coat.

Misplaced hubcap from an old jaguar or
Prairie schooner overpacked with beaver pelts.

Ronaldo's retired soccer shoes or
Denizen of Katmandu.

Snoozing Yeti or
Napping Yak.

Mozart's wig or
Tolstoy's beard.

Triple layer Lemon Bourbon cake or
Insidious alien from top secret Area 51.

Hypotenuse of a Euclidian triangle or
Cheerleader's pompoms.

Lady Gaga's eye-patch or
Blackbeard the Pirate's manbag.

Garfield's stand-in Chester A. Arthur or
Coney Island hot dog.

Pippi Longstocking's pony tails or
Fannie Mae's empty purse.

Wombat disguised as a chicken or
Java Chip Frappuccino with extra whipped cream and chocolate drizzle on top.

Vision from the mind of Hieronymus Bosch or
Salvador Dali's handlebar mustache.

Great Pyramid of Giza or
Fearsome feline predator, bane to all barnyard mice.


It is curious that what appears obvious to one person can be so completely different to another (i.e. religion, politics, art, sports, etc.).

Although today's post seems utterly absurd, it poses the question, does perception depend more on objective observation or subjective frame of mind?

Primaries I

Brick Wall and Paint, King Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok

Red

Running Boy Street Sign, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok

Yellow

Wail, Whale, Wale Wall, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok

Blue

Water & Earth

Gate Ironwork and Brick, Dock Street Theatre, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


 Ironwork rolls in aqua circles, like sea waves over the terra cotta bricks of a theatre wall.

Outdoor Weekend

Runners, Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok
(Canon 5D Mark II camera, 24-105mm f/4 lens at 97mm, 1/80 sec, f/8, ISO 100)


Charleston is in the running for best outdoor city in the U.S. So far it is ranked in the top 10 at number five. Boulder, Colorado is in the lead, with Portland, Oregon second. This is a contest held by Outdoor Magazine and participants vote through Facebook.

If the weather is nice where you are this weekend, I hope you enjoy the great outdoors of early summer.

And LasT but not LeasT... Happy Birthday, LT!
Don't forget to wear your sparkLing Tiara!

A Road Taken in New Brunswick

Birch Forest Road, Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada  © Doug Hickok


There is a familiar poem by Robert Frost that discusses roads taken and not taken. It's true life offers an endless array of choices. We make them practically every moment of the day. Sometimes choices are easy, sometimes not. Regardless, they usually come with expectations of a particular outcome.

Yet, along the road taken, you're sure to find the unexpected as well. And occasionally you'll find the unexpected to be surprisingly pleasant. This was so when my wife and I chose to drive down this quiet forest road in New Brunswick, where we were soon rewarded with a beautiful sylvan scene. Some folks call this kind of discovery serendipity. I call it looking closely at the road map... and as photographers often do, imagining the possibilities.


Quick take: This short article poses the question, "What kind of picture taker are you?"

Bridge Wednesday - Padua

Prato della Valle, Padua, Italy  © Doug Hickok


The picturesque city of Padua is the oldest city of northern Italy. Tradition says it was founded by the Trojan prince Antenor in the year 1183 BC.

Pictured above is the canal of the Prato della Valle (Il Prato), the elliptical public square built over the remains of an ancient Roman theater. This canal is lined with statues of town luminaries and surrounded by beautiful palazzi dating from the 14th century.


Padua's famous university (1222 AD) had among its professors Copernicus and Galileo. The school also boasts the world's oldest botanical garden (1545 AD). Artists such as Giotto, Donatello, Mantegna and Canova have contributed to the city's cultural legacy. The great architect Palladio was born here... and so on and so forth.

The neighborhood I live in (a suburb of Charleston) was developed only about 40 years ago (circa 1970 AD). Before that it was primarily woodlands and wetlands. The only known luminary was the Swamp Thing (see this post for details).
Hmm, no wonder America is called the New World.