Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Tuesday, July 4, 2006

May God greatly bless all the American service men and women, wherever they may be today, for their service to this country. God bless all of our veteran service men and women.

Happy Birthday America! 230 years old. Where DOES the time go? (pinching his cheek and giving it a good shake)

And you don't look a day over 200.



On Monday evening, Lovely Wife and I went and took care of a few errands. Some stuff for our church, fresh can of propane for the grill and the charring of animal flesh to take place today, etc.

Then we went for a drive so that I could play with my camera and take a few pics. We went south on US1 and slowly drove back north whenever we saw potential photo ops. I've been reading and rereading the user manual for the Nikon D70s. It has a mind boggling array of options. After much trial and error around the homestead, I think I have dialed in the settings that will allow me to take photos as close to a rich, saturated slide film as I can. I'm blown away with the results, which I now share some of with you and will for the next few days.

In the hour or so we were out taking pictures, I came across two American flags. Here's number one, taken at Fisherman's Landing, a park on the Indian River Lagoon here in Brevard County. This is about 10 miles south of where we live.


This one is in a neighborhood that is directly on the mainland side of the Indian River Lagoon. The people who live closest to the water live in homes directly behind me. I'm standing in the road here to get this shot. I've put these trees on the blog before, but the flag was a really nice touch. The lady and her kids who live in the home that this is their river access passed by and turned into their driveway as I was standing there (before I got in the road). She was barely creeping in her white Honda mini van, and gave me the evil eye. How dare someone driving a Camry from the last century pull off the side of the road to take pictures in OUR neighborhood! We moved way out here to get away from rif raf like you! You couldn't afford to live in our garage. Well, she didn't actually say all of that, but she looked it. I feel like a real artist now. I've suffered for my art. (Mama, that soccer mom's lookin' at me all mean like)



This is the pavilion that the little flag above was mounted on. When we first moved here, and I had an hour for lunch at work, I came and sat right here on many, many days, to eat. Just thought I would share. This is such a nice, peaceful place. I sure as heck couldn't have this kind of view for lunch anywhere else I've ever lived. Over the couple of years I ate lunch here, I saw dozens of dolphins frolicking in the water right there by the pier.



Ok. I'm breaking down here and putting a recent photo of Lovely Wife and Myself here. I took this of her on Sunday evening.



This may scare away both of my readers, but here goes. Lovely Wife took this of me on Monday. This is on the pier you can see on the left in the pavilion photo above. I'm not that scared of the sun, I did have on sun glasses. I'm just reenacting my wimpitude in the photo below this one from my childhood.



This was Big Brother, Big Sis, and Myself at Cypress Gardens in 1966. Compare me blocking the sun below, and in the photo above. Yeah, you've seen this photo on here before, but this made more sense than linking the other one.



God bless all of you, and have a great Fourth Of July!


Addendum: Monday was an ABSOLUTELY stunningly beautiful day. Too bad they couldn't have tried to launch the Space Shuttle yesterday evening. It was the kind of day that makes you realize why so many people move to Florida.

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