A ship is slowly pulled through the locks by small engines called "mules." Dams and locks have been used for hundreds, maybe thousands, of years. The dams change a waterway into a series of steps with the necessary depth for…
The second day of the tour began with another bus ride to several historic sites. The first stop was at the Panama Canal Administration Building where we viewed a rotunda filled with paintings documenting canal construction. Behind the building we…
In 1513, Vasco Núñez de Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama to become the first European to see the Pacific Ocean. I didn't want to walk through fifty miles of jungle, so my wife and I took a boat through…
When I'm pondering a subject for a blog post, I sometimes review relevant quotations hoping to find one that will inspire me. They're usually by famous authors or poets like William Shakespeare or Robert Frost. I found an interesting one…
I know, I know. This time of year I'm in the habit of posting quite a few "pretty" snow pictures. If you live around here, you've probably already seen more snow than you care to see. But, when I wake…
If you grew up in a place where white Christmases and snowmen were a part of winter, you might recall that a forecast for snow always triggered that secret childhood wish -- a snow day. Or, should I say, A…
Earlier this year I was in Everglades National Park hoping to see alligators sulking in the swamps or beautifully plumed birds in flight. What did I photograph? A grasshopper. I know nothing about grasshoppers. Are they the same as locusts? …
Long before Paul Simon sang its praises, I shot Kodachrome on a Minolta SRT-101. I shared my photos by giving slide shows to family and friends. Since they were family and friends, of course, they had to watch. I abandoned…
Welcome to Washington Island! There's a place that I visit every year. It's up north -- North of the Tension Line in fact! Earlier this year, while I was pondering what subject to develop for my latest photography exhibit, it…