Bella Q sent along photos for the latest meetup. Gotta say, good looking crew: Clockwise from back: Every day I have the blues (the man in the red shirt) Carol Durquart Kathleen Mr Ohio Mom Ohio Mom Evo devo Mr evo devo Glaukopis Bella Q Bonus puppy! Meet Harry Potter – Bella Q’s adorable rescue: …
Balloon Juice
On the Road and In Your Backyard
by Alain Chamot (1971-2020)| 42 Comments
This post is in: On The Road, Open Threads, Readership Capture
Good Morning All, This weekday feature is for Juicers who are are on the road, traveling, or just want to share a little bit of their world via stories and pictures. So many of us rise each morning, eager for something beautiful, inspiring, amazing, subtle, of note, and our community delivers – a view into …
On the Road and In Your BackyardPost + Comments (42)
I enjoyed the eclipse with my mom – she had been scheduled to still be in hospital, recovering from surgery, but things ended up going differently, so she was home and I had eclipse glasses for each of us (and a pair to lend to her Taiwanese friends visiting DC).
Still weak from surgery, she clung on to me a lot to steady herself as we stood in her front yard, but it was amazing, even if we only saw ~80% totality. I did take a few leaf pictures so here’s the best. If you zoom in a bit or have better eyes than I, you’ll see lots and lots of crescents from the eclipsed sun. These were made by the intersections of leaves, acting in concert like a host of pinhole cameras. Just so neat.
Next up, pictures from valued commenter KarenH.
Mr. KarenH and I traveled from San Antonio to Plymouth, Nebraska, allegedly to visit his sister and other relatives, but timed so as to see the eclipse. I had hoped to get some photos of the eclipse itself, but the weather didn’t cooperate and it was cloudy with a slight drizzle. Our location was in a soybean field about 4 miles west of Plymouth(with permission of the owners) and there was nobody else around. Even though we couldn’t see the sun, we knew when totality occurred because it became dark and quiet, and then the crickets started chirping. Our location was perfect to see the 360 degree “sunset” though and these are my images of that.
North Horizon
View to the north during totality.
South Horizon
View to the south during totality.
East Horizon
Nearing the end of totality and the cornfield somewhat blocks horizon.
West Horizon
I particularly like this one because of the telephone lines and farmstead in the distance.
Just…wow. The world and universe are just so amazing! And the skill of our readers – just amazing pictures, thank you so much for those amazing pictures, KarenH, do send us more when you can.
Next, pictures from valued commenter randy khan.
I promised an eclipse photo if any of them came out. Here’s the best one I got – no filters, no fancy lenses, no processing except to crop it.
Taken on 2017-08-21
Cape May, New Jersey
An eclipse photo from Cape May, New Jersey, where the clouds came and went and sometimes let you see the crescent of the sun when they were just the right thickness. This photo was taken about 18 minutes before the maximum.
Awesome, randy khan, do send us more when you can!
Finally, pictures from valued commenter The Midnight Lurker.
Due to an unchecked item on my bucket list, I drove with my lovely wife to Clarksville, TN to see the total eclipse. I rented a black Cadillac for the trip and planned on driving no more than five hours a day. First day, after a late start, we ran into a massive pileup on Interstate 30 just east of Texarkana. After two hours of bumper-to-bumper crawl, we got off on the back roads of Arkansas and lost count of the many Confederate flags, dilapidated trailer homes, and pick-ups on blocks that we passed. I found myself humming Dueling Banjos until my wife ordered me to please stop. I didn’t stop to take any pictures because I didn’t want to get shot. Nine hours and an uneasy, front seat armistice later, we arrived at our halfway point — Hot Springs.
We stayed at a great hotel, the Burgundy. It is a romantic get-a-way with a great on-site restaurant, Table 28. But by the time we arrived, we were too tired to go. And since my wife had lost her appetite for anything other than my head on a platter, I ordered some horderves for myself to the room, sat in my corner and ate in silence. Despite the rotten day, they were delicious.
Sorry I didn’t take any pictures there either, but the next day we were anxious to get back on the road to our destination. We were worried of a repeat of the previous day, what with the endless rabble of alarmists on cable TV predicting eclipse related, Walking Dead-ish traffic snarls. But we had clear sailing to Clarksville.
I originally had reservations at the Marriott in Paducah, KY, but Hotels.com/Marriott (they each blame the other) cancelled my booking two weeks ago saying they were overbooked. A pox on their houses. So we spent Sunday night at the America’s Best Value Inn for the nominal fee of $300 and I was lucky to get it.
The day of, I debated going to Hopkinsville, KY to get closer to ground zero, but my wife forbade it. So I paid an additional $75 so I could get a late check-out and permission to set up my tripod in the parking lot. No photos here either because… well, it was the parking lot of a no-tell motel just off the Interstate. Use your imagination.
The eclipse was great. i was in a good position to get a shot of Baily’s beads which are the pink blobs of sunlight that rim the eclipse. It’s where sunlight passes through the mountains and craters of the moon or something. Get Levenson to explain it.
Immediately after the event, we drove to Memphis and stayed at the Peabody (no, I’m not rich I just travel that way). It is a beautiful old hotel that was spared being demolished back in the seventies. And there are the ducks.
Each morning at 11:00, a badling of ducks are marched from their penthouse palace on the roof down to the lobby where they walk a red carpet to the hotel’s fountain. There they remain until 5:00 when they are marched back. They are led by a Duckmaster, sort of a Drum Major in a mini-parade. i know it sounds corny, but the hotel guests, especially the kids, get a big kick out of it. My wife loved it, but I missed it because I drove across to border to Mississippi to clean my mother’s and grandparent’s headstones out of some stupid sense of obligation. So no photos of cute ducks marching to the delight of small children.
After a good night’s rest, we drove to Hot Springs, AR and checked into the Embassy Suites by Hilton Hot Springs Hotel & Spa or E.S.H.H.S.H.S. The hotel is reminiscent of the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco. I didn’t take any photos here because my wife and I were too busy reenacting our favorite bits from Mel Brooks’ High Anxiety.
The next morning, while my wife got a massage and herbal soak, and operating under direct orders from Sgt. Cole, I treated myself to a luxury pedicure. My feet thank you, Sergeant. Then we had a leisurely drive back to Texas where we were greeted by a molting baby velociraptor.
Totality in Clarksville, TN. Baily’s beads at 3 and 5 o’clock.
My favorite shot — the end of totality.
A couple of minutes after totality.
Lobby of the Peabody.
Duck Palace on the rooftop of the Peabody.
What are you looking at?
Thank you so much The Midnight Lurker, do send us more when you can.
Travel or shelter in place safely everybody, and do share some stories in the comments, even if you’re joining the conversation late. Many folks confide that they go back and read old threads, one reason these are available on the Quick Links menu.
One again, to submit pictures: Use the Form or Send an Email
On the Road and In Your Backyard
by Alain Chamot (1971-2020)| 18 Comments
This post is in: On The Road, Open Threads, Readership Capture
Good Morning All, This weekday feature is for Juicers who are are on the road, traveling, or just want to share a little bit of their world via stories and pictures. So many of us rise each morning, eager for something beautiful, inspiring, amazing, subtle, of note, and our community delivers – a view into …
On the Road and In Your BackyardPost + Comments (18)
Today, pictures from valued commenter dr.hypercube.
Some pix from a walk/subway ride friends and I did last Sunday 9/3 retracing parts of The Warriors (both book & movie) with selected readings from The Anabasis and shouted catch-phrases at (in)appropriate points. CAN YOU COUNT, SUCKAHS??
magical geography – s/b Van Cortlandt/is Riverside
Riverside Park, Manhattan
CAN YOU DIG IT?
CI
Riverside Park, Manhattan
The sea! The sea!
Lizzies’/Lezzies’ turf
Thank you so much dr.hypercube, do send us more when you can.
What a neat thing to do, and take some pics of! So many thanks!
Travel safely everybody, and do share some stories in the comments, even if you’re joining the conversation late. Many folks confide that they go back and read old threads, one reason these are available on the Quick Links menu.
One again, to submit pictures: Use the Form or Send an Email
On the Road and In Your Backyard
by Alain Chamot (1971-2020)| 33 Comments
This post is in: On The Road, Open Threads, Readership Capture
Good Morning All, This weekday feature is for Juicers who are are on the road, traveling, or just want to share a little bit of their world via stories and pictures. So many of us rise each morning, eager for something beautiful, inspiring, amazing, subtle, of note, and our community delivers – a view into …
On the Road and In Your BackyardPost + Comments (33)
Today, pictures from valued commenter ?BillinGlendaleCA.
The Spanish established a chain of 21 missions in California in the late 18th and early 19th century, stretching from San Diego to Sonoma. The mission properties were rather wealthy and included industrial operations, by some accounts owning 1/6 of Alta California. They were secularized after Mexican independence and fell into various states of disrepair. Many have been restored to their original(but smaller) state. They are now owned by the Catholic Church and are both museums and active churches.
Mission San Juan Capistrano
I visited Mission San Juan Capistrano in the late 60’s as a child and wanted to revisit it; being that I didn’t want to fight traffic driving down to southern Orange County, I took AmTrak from Union Station to San Juan Capistrano. Mission San Juan Capistrano was the 7th mission established in 1776. It contains “Serra Chapel”, the only know building still standing that
FatherSt. Junipero Serra celebrated mass and is the oldest building in the State of California. The mission also contains the ruins of “The Great Stone Church” that was built in the early 1800’s and was promptly destroyed in the 1812 7.5 magnitude San Juan Capistrano earthquake during morning mass with a loss of 42 lives. A basilica that was based upon the design of “The Great Stone Church” was built next to the mission in the 1980’s.Fountain with “The Great Stone Church” in the background.
Taken on 2016-12-02
San Juan Capistrano, CA
This is right at the entrance to the mission after you pass though the gift shop and they take your cash. Anyway, it’s a nice looking fountain.
Ruins of “The Great Stone Church”
Taken on 2016-12-02
San Juan Capistrano, CA
The characteristic that separates “The Great Stone Church” from other mission buildings(both at Mission San Juan Capistrano and all the other missions) is in it’s name. It was built using stone as opposed to adobe bricks. This is the view from what would have been the church doors with the bell tower to the right
“The Great Stone Church” and the four-bell campanario in infrared.
Taken on 2016-12-02
San Juan Capistrano, CA
At the right of the picture is the ruins of “The Great Stone Church” with the 4 bell campanario that was constructed after the stone church’s demise. On the left is the back of “Serra’s Chapel”. Behind the capanario is the sacred garden.
Serra’s Chapel(with fisheye!)
Taken on 2016-12-02
San Juan Capistrano, CA
As noted in the general description, this is the oldest structure in California and the only place still standing that Saint Serra celebrated mass.
Mission Courtyard(in fisheye!)
Taken on 2016-12-02
San Juan Capistrano, CA
This is the main mission courtyard with Serra’s chapel at the right of the picture.
Mission Courtyard(in infrared)
Taken on 2016-12-02
San Juan Capistrano, CA
This is the same as the view as above, but a narrower field of view and in infrared.
The Mission Basilica(with fisheye!)
Taken on 2016-12-02
San Juan Capistrano, CA
This is the interior of the basilica that was built in 1980’s. Comparing this to the pictures of “The Great Stone Church”, you can see the resemblance.
Thank you so much ?BillinGlendaleCA, do send us more when you can.
Travel safely everybody, and do share some stories in the comments, even if you’re joining the conversation late. Many folks confide that they go back and read old threads, one reason these are available on the Quick Links menu.
One again, to submit pictures: Use the Form or Send an Email
On the Road and In Your Backyard
by Alain Chamot (1971-2020)| 30 Comments
This post is in: On The Road, Open Threads, Readership Capture
Good Morning All, This weekday feature is for Juicers who are are on the road, traveling, or just want to share a little bit of their world via stories and pictures. So many of us rise each morning, eager for something beautiful, inspiring, amazing, subtle, of note, and our community delivers – a view into …
On the Road and In Your BackyardPost + Comments (30)
First up, the original eclipse picture (sorry I didn’t run this when you wanted to show it, but it inspired me and others I told about the technique) From valued commenter Matt McIrvin:
By request from SiubhanDuinne, here’s an old picture I was reminded of by both the recent horrific terrorist attack in Barcelona and the upcoming solar eclipse. I happened to be visiting Barcelona, on Passeig de Gracia about a block away from La Rambla, during the solar eclipse of October 3, 2005. It was an annular eclipse in Madrid, but only partial in Barcelona.
The sidewalks around there are paved with attractive cement tiles patterned with sea creatures, designed, like so many things in Barcelona, by the great Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. The gaps between the leaves in the trees overhead projected hundreds of little eclipse crescents onto the sidewalk. Since it was only a partial eclipse, it wasn’t noticeably darker, but the occlusion cut down the heat of the Sun noticeably. It was a nice time for a walk.
We’d gone there to catch a cruise with our friends Phil and Holly; Phil, who was an avid amateur astronomer, has since passed away, so it’s in memory of him too.
Solar eclipse in Barcelona, 2005
Taken on 2005-03-10
Passeig de Gracia, Barcelona
Solar eclipse projected onto a nice-looking tiled sidewalk by the gaps in some leafy trees.
Next, pictures from valued commenter Lee.
During the eclipse.
St Joseph, MO
Rosecrans Memorial AirportTaken on 2017-08-21
St Joseph, MO
Rosecrans Memorial AirportHorizon during the totality
Taken on 2017-08-21
St Joseph, MO
Rosecrans Memorial AirportTotality with cloud cover
Thank you so much Lee, do send us more when you can.
And finally, pictures from valued commenter J R in WV.
These photos were taken on August 21, starting around 12:20 or so. We drove to Owensboro on Sunday and checked into the very nice Hampton Waterfront Inn. The restaurant at the hotel was good too, but way understaffed for their actual crowd on a Sunday evening. We sat at the bar and met a number of other folks in Kentucky for the eclipse. Gut with all the points for longest distance traveled was from Belgium, he saw a brief solar eclipse in northern France years ago and decided to come see this one, as well as a trip to Mammoth Cave.
We drove south on US 60 into the beautiful rural landscape of rolling farms of Kentucky, past the small town of Marion, once a mining town where I have collected minerals on formal collecting digs in the distant past, on to the village of Mexico, Ky. where we passed a wide spot by the road, with tall bushes providing shade beside the road. It was 97 according to the generally accurate numbers of the VW dash.
One group in a passing car paused to ask if we needed Ecliipse glasses, we showed them our’s and they headed on south. Another small group of guys stopped, and one guy was using a pair of sunglasses on the end of his lens, I loaned him my screw on filter so he could take a couple fo shots, and then they headed on south as well.
Just as things started happening a small rental car stopped with 3 people from Baltimore stopped and joined us by US 60 for the whole show. After things began to wind down we shared a bottle of Champagne I had buried in ice in our cooler. Mrs J went across the road to the only operating business in Mexico, an antique shop to buy a vase.
All the pictures were taken with my Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 with it’s Leica 24-400 mm (35 mm equivalent lens). I wound up taking over 500 shots, with automatic bracketing of exposure, and hand held the camera, which has optical stabilizing built into the lens path. I used a Thousand Oaks filter screwed onto the lens until totality, and allowed the camera to expose things automatically. I set focus manually set at infinity. All the photos were at 400mm and have been cropped but not substantially edited.
Aproaching Totality
Taken on 2017-08-21
By US 60 in Mexico, KY, just south of Marion, Ky in Crittenden County.
The moon is moving east across the face of Sol. There were some clouds which didn’t keep us from seeing the whole show, although it was tense and scary to have so many at such a singular event.
Very Near Totality
Taken on 2017-08-21
Mexico, Kentucky beside US route 60.This photo shows the tiny bit of Sol still showing around the eastern edge of the Moon, at f/4.0 exposed for 1/125th of a second.
Nearest To Totality
Taken on 2017-08-21
Mexico, Kentucky, beside US route 60.A tiny sliver of the sun showing, nearly invisible …
Not quite Totality, with a star just East of the Sun
Taken on 2017-08-21
Mexico, KentuckyI very tiny bit of sun was remaining on the lower east side of the moon, and the brilliant corona is the main part of the image, and a star (or planet( can be seen a few degrees east of the moon.
WOW WOW WOW
Moon backlit by Sol
Taken on 2017-08-21
Mexico, KyTotally obscured, the sun’s corona lit the Earth with a strange light, and the humid and hot landscape was beginning to cool. No filter for this photo, and you can see the moon, dimly lit by the light of the corona reflected by the Earth’s surface. There is beginning to be some clouds in the formerly clear sky, which you can see around the moon.
A backlit Moon in clouds.
Taken on 2017-08-21
Mexico Ky.This picture is right as totality appears to be ending, with thin clouds wrapping the moon in a strange glow.
The First Sliver of Sol
Taken on 2017-08-21
Mexico, KyYou can see mountains along the western edge of the moon in this tiny sliver of the sun. Filter back on for this, so clouds and stars are gone.
Thank you so much J R in WV, do send us more when you can.
Just an amazing set of pictures of that incredible event. I can’t wait for Thursday!
Travel safely everybody, and do share some stories in the comments, even if you’re joining the conversation late. Many folks confide that they go back and read old threads, one reason these are available on the Quick Links menu.
One again, to submit pictures: Use the Form or Send an Email
A Word From Some of Our Other Disasters: LA Pet Bleg
by Adam L Silverman| 54 Comments
This post is in: America, Bleg, Open Threads, Pet Rescue, Silverman on Security, Not Normal
While we’ve been focused on Harvey and its effects on Texas and Louisiana, as well as potential follow ons from Irma and other developing tropical storms, significant portions of the US are on fire. There’s a very large wildfire in Curry County, Oregon – details here. A chunk of Montana is on fire. Actually from …
A Word From Some of Our Other Disasters: LA Pet BlegPost + Comments (54)
On the Road and In Your Backyard
by Alain Chamot (1971-2020)| 18 Comments
This post is in: On The Road, Open Threads, Readership Capture
Good Morning All, This weekday feature is for Juicers who are are on the road, traveling, or just want to share a little bit of their world via stories and pictures. So many of us rise each morning, eager for something beautiful, inspiring, amazing, subtle, of note, and our community delivers – a view into …
On the Road and In Your BackyardPost + Comments (18)
Today, pictures from valued commenter ?BillinGlendaleCA.
The Spanish established a chain of 21 missions in California in the late 18th and early 19th century, stretching from San Diego to Sonoma. The mission properties were rather wealthy and included industrial operations, by some accounts owning 1/6 of Alta California. They were secularized after Mexican independence and fell into various states of disrepair. Many have been restored to their original(but smaller) state. They are now owned by the Catholic Church and are both museums and active churches.
Mission San Gabriel Arcángel
Mission San Gabriel is in the center of the City of San Gabriel(how’d that happen), about 8 miles east of Downtown Los Angeles. It was the 4th of the 21 missions founded in 1771. It was originally located on the banks of Rio Hondo in an area now called Whittier Narrows that is currently in the City of Montebello. In 1776 this location was destroyed by flooding and the mission was moved to the west and higher ground at it’s current location.
In 1781, 44 people left the mission and traveled west to the Tongva(the name of the indigenous people)village called Yangna. Nearby they founded at town on September 4, 1781 that they called “El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula” that we currently know as simply Los Angeles.
Mission San Gabriel chapel
Taken on 2016-09-19
San Gabriel, CA
The chapel of Mission San Gabriel from Mission Road(how’d that happen). There was originally a bell tower that was on the right hand side of the chapel, a bit more about that later.
Mission San Gabriel chapel in infrared.
Taken on 2016-09-19
San Gabriel, CA
Same picture as above, but captured with an infrared camera. I’ve included more infrared shots in this series because it was cloudy and infrared really captures the contrast of the blue sky and clouds really well and, of course, cause it’s just so cool.
Taken on 2016-09-19
San Gabriel, CA
Mission San Gabriel chapel
Small fountain in infrared
Taken on 2016-09-19
San Gabriel, CA
Small fountain in infrared in the mission courtyard, this is right by the entrance(where the take your admission fee) and coincidentally the also the gift shop.
Bell tower from mission courtyard.
Taken on 2016-09-19
San Gabriel, CA
This is the bell tower, probably the most famous view of Mission San Gabriel. The bells were originally housed in a bell tower that was attached to the right of the chapel entrance. That tower was destroyed in the Wrightwood earthquake of 1812 and the bells were moved to this bell tower attached to the western side of the chapel.
Bell tower and chapel.
Taken on 2016-09-19
San Gabriel, CA
The bell tower from outside the mission. Here you can also see the unique architecture of Mission San Gabriel with it’s capped buttresses.
Technical Note: I’ve cheated a bit on the sky in this photo. It was really cloudy and raining a bit when I took this picture. I’ve manipulated the color and brightness to the sky to make it look partly cloudy.
Bell tower and chapel(infrared).
Taken on 2016-09-19
San Gabriel, CA
Bell tower and chapel in infrared. You can see in this picture how cloudy it was.
Thank you so much ?BillinGlendaleCA, do send us more when you can.
Travel safely everybody, and do share some stories in the comments, even if you’re joining the conversation late. Many folks confide that they go back and read old threads, one reason these are available on the Quick Links menu.
One again, to submit pictures: Use the Form or Send an Email
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