Highlands

Blue Ridge Mountains from Roan Highlands, North Carolina  © Doug Hickok
(click on image for larger view)


Now I take you from lowlands to highlands... yesterday's post was about cypress swamps in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Today's post is about ridge tops in the Appalachian Highlands. This is a view we had while hiking a stretch of the Appalachian Trail (AT) a few weeks ago. It looks towards the layered undulating curves of the Blue Ridge Mountains, aptly named as you can see in this image. The blue hues are caused by trees which release a chemical compound called isoprene which creates a bluish haze over the densely forested slopes.

Our vantage point is from a wide open area atop the Roan Highlands. These areas are called "balds" and the Roan Highlands have the largest ones in the Appalachians. Balds are wide grassy fields that cover ridge tops, and the strange part of it is that very few trees want to grow there. Surprisingly, naturalists are not positive what causes them. I will post some pictures of the balds (but not my bald spot) over the next week or so.

We have been up in the high mountains at night, when the kids were young, and have seen all the stars and constellations visible at such a lofty and expansive elevation. I imagine a meteor shower in particular would be awe inspiring to see... we were so close to the sky that it seemed like we could just reach up and grab a shooting star right out of the pitch black heavens.

Hope you have an awe inspiring moment of your own this weekend.

Indian Summer

A Century Old Bridge and Azaleas, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok
(click for larger view)

Row of Bald Cypress Trees and Cypress Knees, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok

Coleus Plant, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


This past November was uncommonly warm for the Lowcountry. On a recent stroll at Magnolia Gardens, we discovered evidence of the Indian Summer-like weather... azaleas in bloom! This was unusual. These showy ornamental shrubs typically flower in the springtime here in Charleston. But they were apparently fooled into blossoming a second time by the string of 70 degree temperature days.

Magnolia Gardens and Plantation is one of four old southern plantations near Charleston open to visitors. It features a sprawling informal English-style garden centered around a natural Cypress swamp. Bald cypress trees thrive in the humid wetlands of the coastal plain, their vast network of shallow roots often growing above water to form what are called "cypress knees".

Some of the larger types of wildlife seen in this and nearby habitats are American alligators, North American river otters, Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, Anhingas, Wood Ducks and Short Spectacled Photographers.

(We were able to enjoy the afternoon at the gardens because our friends, 
Sean and Kristin, were married here... Congratulations!)

Traffic Jam and Chocolate

Ravenel Bridge Towers and Cables, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


A question that I asked myself one day recently was... how should I pass the time while sitting in a rush hour traffic jam on the tall Ravenel Bridge?

Call my buddy Harry Sasquatch to ask him how his big hairy feet are surviving the snow?

(Eat a Winnie-the-Pooh shaped chocolate.)

 Recite Melville's Moby Dick in its entirety from memory? "Call me Ishmael..." Ok, that's all I can remember... and traffic still isn't moving.

(Eat a Tigger shaped chocolate.)

Pull out my Stradivarius and play me some wicked Paganini riffs?

(Eat a Piglet shaped chocolate.)


Work out Einstein's mathematical formula for Energy... backwards, while patting my head with one hand and rubbing my stomach with the other?


(Eat an Eeyore shaped chocolate. Ugh, I ate too much. I feel sick.)

No, wait, I know, take a picture of the bridge with my trusty
Super Kinetic Hyper Reactor Hue Extractor!
Zippo Zappo Gong!
 (That's the sound of the shutter.)

Baroque Puns?

Dragon Fountain, near Vatican City, Italy  © Doug Hickok 
(Velvia Slide Film)

The baroque fountains of Rome are well known to travelers of Italy. Some of the most famous ones are the Trevi Fountain, and the Four Rivers Fountain in the Piazza Navona.

There are numerous others, but some of my favorites are the smaller, less conspicuous ones, like this intricately detailed dragon fountain near the Vatican. The ornamentation looks baroque in style to me. Yet, if you look closely, a missing head from the fowl figure (the result of foul play?) indicates something is broke on this baroque fountain. I hope the faulty stonework did not cause the sculptor to loose his commission... and go broke. Hopefully a financial settlement was made between the artist and his patron... unless of course the whole deal broke off... before the dawn of a new day broke over the city. In which case the baroque artist's ego would be broke for eternity.

(Ok... enough with the forced puns for this weak post... 
unless you force me to post enough puns for a week... ok?)

Misty Monday - Craggy Shores

Craggy Rocks, Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada  © Doug Hickok


As the mists of sea fog roll in and out along this rocky shoreline, a weakening sun, reflected in a tide pool, tries to break through thick layers of clouds. These slippery, craggy rocks are the backbone of Campobello Island and make for tricky beach walking, if you dare. The rocks consist mostly of quartzite, a very hard and compact metamorphic rock, which was once sandstone but transformed after millions of years of intense geologic pressure and heating.

Around Town Sounds

Gate Scroll and Saint Michael's Church, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


Framed by the scrolls of an ornate iron gate, Saint Michael's Church stands prominently aglow at dusk. Charleston has more than its share of beautiful historic churches, which is why it has traditionally called itself the "Holy City". Church bells ringing throughout the city is as common a sound as the clip clop of horse hoofs when you walk around town.

For Kat

Red Bicycle, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok


This post is dedicated to bicycle lovers everywhere, especially in Auburn, Alabama. (Wink, wink, Kat!) It doesn't matter how old you are, or what generation you are from... almost everyone loves a bike ride.

So get your life blood pumping, let the wind caress your face, savor the sights, sounds and scenery, and ring your little bell...

Enjoy a bicycle ride this weekend,
and sing along with Queen.

Primary Abstract

Detail of a Painted Metal Sculpture, Riverfront Park, Old Navy Base,
North Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


The primary colors of pigment come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes you can find them in the most expected places, like in a public park, on a vividly painted metal sculpture.

Relative Theory?

Larch Tree Bonsai, North Carolina Arboretum, Asheville, North Carolina  © Doug Hickok


To me, this bonsai tree is Lilliputian in size, barely 2 feet tall. It is a larch tree, shining in its golden autumnal hues. It can grow up to 150 feet tall in the wild. But even at its most towering height, it is a dwarf compared to the gargantuan size of a mountain.

However, compared to an ant this bonsai tree is a large larch. Yet as tiny as an ant is, it is a Goliath compared to a microscopic organism.

Everything is relative. Even my distant cousin, Billy Joe Bob Roy Boy Junior III, the hillbilly moonshiner, is relative... to me... 
though I wish he wasn't.


Today is Thanksgiving Day in the USA.
A day that is filled with relatives...
Happy Thanksgiving!
(Happiness being a relative term, of course.)

Testing...

Reflection in Abandoned Quarry, near Micaville, North Carolina  © Doug Hickok


This mirror-like reflection in an abandoned stone quarry reminds me of a Rorschach inkblot test. If you rotate the image 90 degrees to the left (if you are right brained), or 90 degrees to the right (if you are left brained), you might see something resembling the famous painting by El Gecko called "Flight of the Duck-billed Platypuses".

Or, maybe not.

You might see something altogether different.

Riotous Color

Traffic Sign and Colored Ribbons, Cincinnati, Ohio  © Doug Hickok
(click image for larger view)

Above a busy city street, the back of a traffic sign stretches across the image against a backdrop of riotous color... the decorative facade of the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center. Whoever conceived the adornment of this edifice must have felt a heightened sense of hoopla upon its completion.

Oddly enough, the Grand Canyon has never been adorned in such a manner. Why no one has ever thought to do so... baffles me.

Horse Sense

Horse Carriage and Dock Street Theatre, French Quarter, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


If you come to Charleston, it might make sense to catch one of the horse carriage tours through the Historic District. They are fun and informative, and a practical way to see the city if you want take it slow and easy... little effort is needed on your part. My preferred way to sightsee in Charleston is walking, even if it takes more energy. Charleston is one of those places that is better sampled up close, where you can enjoy the details you see along a leisurely stroll, going at your own pace. But however you tour, do not, I repeat, do not use a pogo stick as your mode of transportation. That would make no sense at all.

Saints Alive!

Statues and Papal Coat of Arms, Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City, Italy  © Doug Hickok
(Velvia Slide Film)


Sunday Masses at the Vatican are impressive to see in person. The large crowds that gather in the square in front of Saint Peter's Basilica are surrounded by a colonnade of travertine stone, which hugs the faithful like the "maternal arms of Mother Church", according to its famous designer Bernini. The project was commissioned by Pope Alexander VII, Pontifex Maximus, in the year 1658.


Atop the colonnade are rows of statues representing various saints. In this image a few of them are suffused by the light of a setting sun, which seems to bring the old stone sculptures to life.

(I am trying out a new blogger template this weekend, for a change of pace. I will return to my normal one on Monday.)

Old Black Pine

Black or Pitch Pine, Licklog Ridge Overlook, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina  © Doug Hickok
(click image for larger view)

This old pine, which perches at the edge of an overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway, is a landmark at this spot. Who knows how old it is... several hundred years is my guess. It has probably stood here since the era when only the Catawba Indians inhabited these mountains and valleys. Clearly it has seen its best days. Yet old Methuselah will likely stand sentinel for a decade or more, even if only as a shell of its vigorous prime.

Undoubtedly it has witnessed untold changes over its lifetime, more than we humans will know. In essence, this old pine is symbolic of the Appalachians, some of the oldest mountains on earth. Like these ancient enduring ranges, this old black pine practices patience and resilience, even in the twilight of its existence.
(This weekend I am trying out a new blog template. 
Tell me what you think. If it works well, I'll use it again next weekend.)

Light Entertainment

Crazy Lady Woodcarving, Oregon  © Doug Hickok


To continue from yesterday's post, which noted this blog's one year anniversary, I wanted to revisit several of my early posts. These are what I would call "light entertainments" rather than pure photography posts. I have put in links to 10 of them. My hope is to put a silly grin on your face going into the weekend.

Thou Art Like A Stoic
The Shocking Truth About Yuccas
Pythagoras and the Geometry of Gas
Tahiti in Hiding
"Mad Mountain" Haystack vs. the "Killer" Needles
The King of Early B-Boy
The Sultans of Swat
The Eyes Have It
Ode to a Classic
Pan and His Delicious Cakes

Enjoy!

Dedicated to You

Tropical Flowers and Shutter, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok

This week marks the first anniversary of Doug's Photo Blog. When I began it last year, I had no idea what I was getting into. I knew little about blogging. But I needed a spark, a way to have some fun with my photography. Since I had so many images to share, both slides from the archives and new digital photos, a blog seemed like a promising idea. Later, the idea improved when Becky, my lovely wife, joined the process of creating posts, adding a more exciting dimension to the fun (she is the Editor in Chief of my blog, and of many other things in my life).

What photo blogging has become is pure delight... not only because of the joy of sharing my photos with you, or the satisfaction of writing serious and informative (and often silly and disinformative) posts... but mostly because of you, all of you... friends who drop by for a visit.

One delightfully surprising aspect of blogging is how much I have learned from you. I am constantly amazed by the diversity of your styles, talents, imaginations, techniques and subjects. I believe my photography has improved because of you. And perhaps more importantly, Becky and I enjoy the variety of your personalities.

 Overall, what we have come to realize most about this blogging adventure is how much we enjoy your company. You are the driving force behind our blog.

So, since my eyes are attracted so readily to bright hues, I saved this picture, one of my more colorful images, to dedicate to all of you... our BBF's (best blogger friends). It is a small, humble thing... flowers from Charleston. I know, it is not a million dollars or a palace on the Riviera, or a box of rich chocolates, but nonetheless, it is from the heart.Thank You Everyone!
(Please stay tuned... tomorrow I will have another offering).

The Uncommon

Detail of Handicap Parking Symbol, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


One day something will catch your eye a certain way, even if you have seen it a million times. One day the common will become uncommon. Some little detail will jump out at you. Perhaps it will be a color, or the way the light is shining. I have walked over these handicap parking symbols in every parking lot in town it seems. But on this day, in this parking lot, I became intrigued with the color and texture of paint on asphalt. It had just rained, so maybe it was the way the water saturated the hues that caught my eye... I grabbed my camera and shot it.

But discovering that uncommon moment doesn't have to be in photography. It could be in anything. It could be the long sought solution to a problem you have struggled to solve... or it could be that you finally understand the punch line to a joke a friend told you weeks ago... or maybe one day you realize you like, really like, the taste of dry lima beans. And now you want to munch them by the handful.
Whatever your uncommon discovery...
EXPLORE IT!

Mimic

Orange Car, Burnsville, North Carolina  © Doug Hickok


This brightly colored car mimics the colorful autumn leaves that blaze in the Black Mountains, seen in the previous week's posts. I think it was the French philosopher Descartes who said,
"I drive a flashy orange car,
 therefore I exist."

Grizzled

Snowcapped Mount Mitchell and Late Autumn Color, Blue Ridge Parkway,
North Carolina  © Doug Hickok


The Blue Ridge Parkway twists and turns for 469 miles, stretching along the Appalachian Mountains from Virginia to North Carolina. Beautiful views from this scenic road are seen just about anywhere, but one of my favorite areas is near the high peaks of the Black Mountains. From here you have wonderful vistas of Mount Mitchell and its forested slopes. On our recent trip here, snow had fallen overnight on top of Mount Mitchell, revealing on the next day a grizzled looking mountain, worthy of its venerable age. The rocks of this tallest peak in the Eastern U.S. are estimated to be a billion years old! 
Well, shoot a bug! That's as old as my tattered pair of ancient hiking boots!

Gods of the Mountains

Mt. Celo at Dusk, Black Mountains, North Carolina  © Doug Hickok


From ancient times, gods have been known to dwell on mountains. In Greece, Zeus and the twelve principle gods of Greek mythology inhabited Mount Olympus. Vulcan was associated with the fire of volcanos, where he made his thunderbolts. In Hindu and Buddhist cosmology, Lord Brahma is said to sit atop the scared mountain of Mount Meru, where he resides at the center of the universe. In Maori legend, the mountain being, Taranaki, retreated to New Zealand after losing a mighty battle between other mountains, and became known as the volcano Mount Taranaki. During spectacular sunsets, he is thought to be showing-off.

In this image, the gods of Mt. Celo appear to have gathered at sunset for a cook out. They are roasting marsh mellows over a camp fire, and eating s'mores.