Bastion of Light

Arched Arcade, Fisherman's Bastion, Budapest, Hungary  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)


Early morning light shines through these east facing archways spotlighting an arcade in Fisherman's Bastion.

Misty Monday - Outcrop

Rocky Outcrop, Ship Harbor, Acadia National Park, Maine  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Using the imagination, it is not unusual to see
 anthropomorphic shapes in rocky outcrops... perhaps the profile of an aquiline face, for instance. Or something completely different like a proboscis monkey or a pop tart.
 Oh, and speaking of prominent noses, I turn 55 today!

Evening on the Creek

Boats, Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok
(Velvia slide film. Click on image for larger view.)


Shem Creek boats glow in the violet light of twilight.

Today, Eye See Red II

Handle, Church Door, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)




I am not mad, just happy to see red.

Lion Fountain

Lion Fountain, Courtyard Garden, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


A glimpse into a courtyard garden reveals a small fountain
 and the calming sound of falling water.

Sunset Surf

Surf at Sunset, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)


Sunset colors surf the waves at the edge of America.

Obstruction

Large Rock, Tanawha Trail, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)


A boardwalk trail leading down from Grandfather Mountain offers spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains,
 except for that big rock obstructing the view!

Altered View

Mills House, Meeting Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok
(Velvia slide film)


Just as tourists view Charleston differently than the locals, these tour bus windows reflect an altered view of downtown Charleston.

Misty Monday - Apparitions

Black Mountains, Near Burnsville, North Carolina  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)


Mists rise above verdant mountain valleys like apparitions.

Ornate Handles

Decorative Door Handles, The Saracen, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



Like the scrolls of clefs on sheet music, these ornate door handles are a melody of charm, enticing the visitor to enter.

Looped Ropes

Red Ropes, Tall Ship, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film. Click on image for larger view.)


Learning the ropes enables you to live a well ordered
 life on tall ships at sea.

Insight

Theater Mask, Riviera Theater, King Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



A close-up of this beautiful mask on the side of the Riviera Theater, two stories above street level, shows details not seen from cars and pedestrians passing below. Often it is the task of the photographer (or writer, or actor, or sculptor, etc.) to show an aspect of the world around us not commonly seen. The textures of this sculpture reveal how much skill went into the making of this mask. And this in turn gives me insight into the work involved in the making of many things I pass each day. If beauty is in the details, then there is much beauty to be admired in the world. We simply have to take time to notice.

Babbling Brook

Mountain Creek, Tanawha Trail, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


Gurgle, murmur, plash... 
imagine the soft soothing sounds of a mountain stream.

Gliding

Laughing Gull, Clouds and Jetty Ruins, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


Gliding over the sandy beach,
 a Laughing Gull looks down upon the ruins of an old jetty. 

Handel was not a Handle

Yellow Wheel Cart Handle, Old Depot, Lewisburg, Ohio  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved

The composer George Frideric Handel, as you may know, was not a handle. He was not a yellow wheel cart handle, nor a caboose door handle, nor a coffee cup handle. Neither was he a shopping bag handle, nor a sink faucet handle, nor a tree saw handle. He was not, as most people think, an umbrella handle. And he was most definitely not a sauce pot handle. No, George Frideric Handel was simply Handel.

 Handle it.

Thank you.

Misty Monday - In a Fog

Man in the Fog, Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC  ©  Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)


Seemingly lost and looking for direction, a solitary man peers into a thick coastal fog in Charleston Harbor.
Luckily his wife was nearby pointing him the right way.

Rambling Time

Hiking Trail, Graveyard Fields, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)


It is that time of year when the urge to travel is strong. The urge to vacate work. The urge to start a long road trip, to visit family and friends, to hike a trail, to savor the beauty of mountains, to hear the warble of bird song.
Yes, it is rambling time.

Chaos

Shrimp Boat Reflections, Shem Creek, Mount Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


The word of the day is chaos. It is a noun that means disorder or lack of organization. The word derives form the Greek meaning of chasm or abyss, but was extended to mean utter confusion by the 1600's.

In Greek mythology, the personification of the word, Chaos, refers to the void preceding the creation of the universe. Ovid described it as "a rude and undeveloped mass."

Chaos is also the genus name of a giant Amoeba.

In science and math, chaos can refer to randomness, or the lack of intelligible pattern.

Chaos Theory applies to many fields of science and mathematics. It attempts to explain how the most subtle influences can have significant impacts on system dynamics. In general it shows the difficulty of long term predictions, say for example in weather patterns or baseball scores.

So my picture today perhaps incapsulates some of these ideas.

Oh, and chaos often refers to the state of my hair when I first wake-up in the morning.

Methuselah Tree

Angel Oak, John's Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)


A short drive from Charleston is, I think, the most underrated park in our area. It contains the venerable Angel Oak tree, which is estimated to be the oldest living organism East of the Mississippi River (at 1400 years old!). Walking beneath the undulating branches of this impressive tree gives you an indelible impression of just how large and ancient it is.

Speaking of impressions, here are a few photography links for your weekend viewing...

Enjoy these amazing aerial abstracts...

and these satellite images...

and finally, from above the earth to beneath the seas, check out these watery images from a master of the genre.

Colonial Lake

Tall Walker, Colonial Lake, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)


To continue park week, the narrow greenspace and walkway around Colonial Park offers a perfect setting for walkers and runners who seek the pleasant evening air at sundown. Large oak trees and palmettos frame Charleston single houses which line the lake.