Oregon's Cannon Beach

Finally made it to Vancouver, WA, to visit our daughter who lives and works there. Great surprise when she arrived to pick us up at the airport in Portland with a new set of wheels! Naturally, we had to drive it hither and yon, not just for the experience, but to beat the heat that had been going on for a week or so. Forecast was for Cannon Beach, OR to be gorgeous, so that's where we went. Into a fog bank, naturally. View of Haystack Rock , above.

Overcast days don't mean you don't get out and do it- even if your chosen method of transport is a bicycle.

And water dogs don't give a fig about rain, or sun, or cloud. It's all about retrieving the ball, or stick, Frisbee, or whatever was tossed into the surf.

Newseum Photo Mural

Another sobering exhibit at the Newseum is the memorial for journalists, photographers, broadcasters, and cameramen who have died in the course of getting and reporting news. Their names are etched in glass plates that rise two stories tall. There is also a wall mural with photographs of many of them as shown here. Makes you think twice about how dangerous the news can be, especially when powerful people may not want the world to know what they are up to.

Memorial Day Weekend

At the Pentagon City Mall. Have to say I've never seen a palace to consumerism decked out so patriotically. Though it was devoid of any blatant electioneering blather, it still seemed a bit irreverent. Memorial Day is supposed to remember the fallen who gave the last full measure of devotion so that we may live free. It's the bunting that makes it a tad too festive. It's fine for the 4th of July, but perhaps black wold be more appropriate with some mention of POW's & MIA's on this more somber day. Guess that wouldn't be such a great marketing strategy for the retailers though.

Newseum Photo Galleries

Visiting the Newseum was an amazing experience for me and re-iterated the importance of having a viable free press as a means to keep governments in check, citizens informed and what can happen without one.

Among the numerous exhibitions & galleries representing the highlights of the modern age and how it was reported, was a gallery devoted to Presidential photographs taken by their respective personal photographers, as seen to the right.

Highly recommend it on any trip to Washington, D.C.

Two Sides of the Berlin Wall

 The Newseum, in Washington, D.C., has an exhibit of  several sections of the Berlin Wall on display as well as a guard tower. It's completely gripping and the most graphic representation I've ever seen of the divide between communism and capitalism as seen between 1961 and 1980, probably the hottest years of the Cold War prior to Gorbachev's glasnost policies. To the right, a view of the Wall as seen from West Berlin, emblematic of the freedom in the West as evidenced by all the graffiti.

To to the left is the flip side of the section above, as seen by East Berliners. No graffiti here because if you approached the wall from the East, you got shot. So it's pretty clean by comparison.

 

Detail of the graffiti on the West side of the Berlin Wall. 

I think I prefer the colors of freedom to lock step mind set.

When in DC

And you need some yummy baked goods to start your day running the country or your campaign, the Firehook Bakery fills the bill.

The Capitol Dome

One of today's headlines is that a new poll indicates approval of Congress has fallen to an all time low. Well, duh. However, this particular poll has only been taken for the past 38 years. There may have been times in the past, perhaps when the dome was being constructed between 1855 and 1863, that it was also not held in very high esteem. More frequently than ever, I recall the great cartoonist Walt Kelly, creator of the marvelous "Pogo" comic strip and how in one series, Pogo declares " We have met the enemy- and they are us!" So my advice to those who are fed up with grid-lock in DC: don't elect ideologues who will refuse to compromise and say so proudly as part of their campaign platform when running for office. Ultimately, this sort will prove the undoing of all that has made the US great.

For those curious as to what, or who, the statue is atop the dome, she is an allegorical figure "Freedom, Triumphant in War and Peace" created by American artist Thomas Crawford. Even at the design phase there was need for compromise as her initial head gear was a Liberty Cap, symbolic for all freed slaves. When that was challenged for fear of offending delicate Southern issues, it was replaced with a crested helmet. She stands directly atop the globe around which the phrase" E pluribus unum" is embedded. You'll also find the phrase in much of US currency. For those weak on Latin it means,  "Out of many, one."

The House Divided? You can change that....

Reading the comments following many of the political stories of the day on-line is usually a fairly depressing experience. I'm amazed that so few commentators have a firm, intelligent grasp of the issues facing our country, knowledge of current events and the history that brought us to this moment, yet are quick to demonize anyone who doesn't share their opinion. Further, that we expect our President to solve all our problems within fifteen minutes or that five second sound bites from the opposition's candidate provide a better solution. The Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in 2010 on the national platform of jobs, jobs, jobs and yet have failed to pass any legislation that creates any. On the other hand, they have worked mightily to curtail progress regarding women's health care and address a non-existent problem: election day in person voting fraud.

Maybe folks will start reading the entire Constitution where the words "common welfare" appear and not in a negative way. My hope is that more Americans are more advanced in their thinking and will exercise their voting franchise that has allowed and enabled our Republic to endure by bringing people to the Capitol who are not strident ideologues catering to the interests of a select few who have managed to hi-jack the state primaries. Reasonable people can agree to disagree and still seek common ground. Doesn't seem to be the case in the Republican Party these days.

The Plaza Hotel

New York's famed Plaza Hotel as seen from Central Park. Didn't see Eloise, however, but we didn't go on a very active search for her either. It wasn't a terribly windy day, but the flags are all flying in different directions.

Columbus Circle Wedding Party

After the trips to Montauk Point and Fire Island, it was time to join up with my daughter, grand-daughter, and son-in-law in Manhattan. After walking through Central Park to meet up with some other family friends, came across this wedding party at Columbus Circle. Curiously, this is probably the only moment in her wedding day the bride was not the center of attention.

August 7: National Lighthouse Day

Who knew! So, for the past week or so I've been posting images of the Montauk Point Lighthouse and the Fire Island Lighthouse blissfully unaware that it would culminate today with this image of the Fire Island Lighthouse on National Lighthouse Day. Serendipity reigns supreme! Maybe I'll test its limits and buy a lottery ticket....

Light Keeper's House, Details

Some of the interesting architectural details of the Fire Island Light Keeper's House. According to the historical association, Connecticut River blue split stone from the original 74 foot tall lighthouse built in 1826 and later demolished because it wasn't tall enough to be effective, was used for the terrace of the new lighthouse commissioned in 1857. Those stones would be in the foreground of this photo of the main entrance to the museum and gift shop. I'm also reminded of those brain teaser exercises: how many geometric shapes are visible in this photograph?

Another shot of the entryway from the side, showing the blue split stone on the terrace and decorative motifs carried over from the front view.

Love the green door that completes the green treatment of the window sashes. Or is it the other way around? Add the red brick on the door stoop that recalls the red roof.

Fire Island Lighthouse & Quarters

The Fire Island Lighthouse and keeper's quarters, now the lighthouse museum and gift shop. When traveling, schedules and circumstances always dictate what types of photographs you will be able to make. The day my wife and I were able to visit the lighthouses at Montauk Point and Fire Island, the weather was iffy at best-there was nearly always the threat of rain. We were also there in mid-afternoon, so the heavy skies were actually a blessing, lending drama to a scene that is less photogenic on a sunny summer day when photographed between 10am and 3 pm when the sun is more overhead and the lighting less dramatic for most land and seascapes because the shadows are less pronounced. So, if there is a lesson, it's to be in the moment, always, and of you're intent on making memorable photos, keep your eyes open, be willing to let go of any unrealistic expectations and keep looking. Something will turn up that will delight and surprise you.

Fire Island Lighthouse-Up Close

Must say I've never been quite so close to a lighthouse before. Good sense of the texture of its surface. Like the previous post, I'm also intrigued by the purely graphic aspect of the image.

Lighthouse Window

The window in the Fire Island Lighthouse, also showing the taper in the tower itself. Interesting to me is the choice of colors in the banding of the individual lighthouses: Montauk's is brown & white, and here, it's black and white.