Lens-Artist Challenge #293 : Water in Motion

Sophia from “Photographias” put forth this week’s challenge to highlight “Water in Motion”. Water is the most abundant and the most important substance on Earth. Many cultures use water, both still and running, as metaphors for life. Sophia’s challenge encouraged me to think deeper about the role of water in motion. Naturally, our first thought

Paddling Glacier Bay, Alaska: In the Wake of John Muir

Glacier Bay, like everything in life, is always changing. But it takes stepping back from it a bit to realize the power that landscape has, and its power to change you. John Muir, the famous naturalist from the late 19th and early 20th centuries was changed by his time in the bay. He once wrote

Paddling into the Pleistocene: Icy Bay, Alaska

The geomorphologist in me always wanted to go back in time to the late Pleistocene Epoch and experience what it was like to live about 12,000 years ago near the end of the Ice Age. But since I got tired of waiting for someone to invent a time machine, I did the next best thing

Lens Artist Photo Challenge #284 -Day and Night

This week, Lens Artist Sofia Alves (http://photographias.wordpress.com) put forth the challenge to depict day vs. night in photographs. Our perceptions of night vary immensely across cultures. A pensioner in a crime ridden urban area, a coyote in the High Desert, a bartender in Barcelona: they all have vastly different conceptions of the meaning of, and

Lens-Artist Challenge # 282 – Dramatic

An answer to the Weekly Lens Artist Challenge Photography post calling for photos that are “dramatic”.

In Memoriam: The Life and Travels of Mick VII

They say that cats have nine lives. That may also hold true for some people. Therefore, you should not feel sadness while gazing at the tombstone of Mick VII. There is a lesson from his life that can relate to all of us. I can say that because I knew him well. He was my

From Maui to the Mackenzie Mountains to Malabo and on to Mandalay: An alliterative trip around the world

A Virtual travel trip around the world in a generally eastward direction with all destinations starting with the letter M. I invite you to make your own alliterative trip around the world to your bucket list destinations using any letter of the alphabet.
Actual travel to places must start first with a dream about where to go. This exercise will give you an idea to explore new places you never knew about before.

Pittsburgh Ghosts take a road trip to Kansas City

When ghosts you previously ignored end up traveling hundreds of miles to get your attention, you’d better listen to them when they catch up to you again. Even more so, when they end up being famous ghosts from Pittsburgh’s past (Cool Papa Bell and Josh Gibson). Even better than that, they taught a geography lesson

Meeting The Ghosts of Pittsburgh

A weekend of touring sites in the Steel City, where ghosts of the past helped us to connect Pittsburgh’s past with its present and teach us more about ourselves in the meantime. Sites visited include Point Park, the GAP trail, PNC Park, Port Vue, and Braddock.

IOWA?? …….I-O-WOW!

Iowa, often dismissed as a mere flyover state, has plenty to offer travelers. Highlights comprise the geological marvel of the Driftless Area, the stunning views from the Fenelon Place Elevator, the remarkable caves at Maquoketa Caves State Park, and over 2,000 miles of bicycle trails. Visitors can also experience cultural history at the Amana Colonies and immerse in the “Field of Dreams” movie nostalgia. Future grandeur promises Stuart Riverside as Captain James Kirk’s birthplace in Star Trek, confirming Iowa’s multifaceted appeal.