2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 84 - 5-31-2014

Ashley and I went down to see the chainsaw carvers down in Cook Forest State Park this morning.  We went last year and ended up buying a small piece.  The same thing happened this year.  When I saw this chainsaw carving, I just had to have it.  When I heard the price, I was sold.  Got a deal because it hasn't had finish applied yet.  Easy to do myself though.

We think we are going to keep adding an inexpensive piece to our landscaping every year for the next few years.  They make a nice touch, especially when you live in Northwestern PA.  You pretty much have to have at least one.

Here are some other pieces of art from today that caught my eye.

I really liked the fox in this one.  The artist was able to really add life to it's fur.

This one almost come home with us instead of the lighthouse.  It's a Blue Heron.

Thought this guy crawling out of the stump was cool.

Now this is one really happy little bear.  There were like a half dozen of these, of various sizes at this artist's area.

I just love the look on this bear's face.  "Oh shoot, I think they saw us... we better scram "  Not to mention that this thing is like 7 feet tall.  We would love a large bear carving at our house, but they are way out of our price range.

Love going down to this event every year.

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 82 - 5-29-2014

Going from photographing my favorite plant the last 2 days to photographing my least favorite plant today.  I have eradicated this menace from my front lawn, but still have plenty in the back yard. They do look pretty cool up close, even though it is a sign of it spreading itself.

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 83 - 5-30-2014

Didn't have a chance to get out and get a photo during the daylight hours.  Had work, then a meeting in Brookville after that and then off to dinner with Ashley followed by grocery shopping.  Put the macro tube on the 50mm and shot this B&W image.  Anybody recognize this?

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 81 - 5-28-2014

I know... I know... I did a picture of a Rhododendron yesterday.  Can't help it.  I like them.  And it's my photo project anyway... so :p

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 80 - 5-27-2014

I was very pleasantly surprised to see that my some of the Rhododendron's in my yard are trying to bloom.  Maybe in a few days I can post some photos of my favorite plant in full bloom.

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 79 - 5-26-2014

My Grandfather passed away in January.  We were very close.  His head stone was set recently, and I had yet to see it.  My Grandma went and put flowers on the grave yesterday, so I figured it was time to go.  Ashley and I went over this morning.  I shed some tears and took a few photos.

The first, and possibly one of the last times I will come here.  I feel my Grandfather with me every time I enter the woods or am near a body of water where we fished together.

I love you and miss you Grandpa.

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 78 - 5-25-2014

A Robin has built a nest in the Lilac bush just outside of the main door that we use on our house.  She seems to be getting semi used to the fact that we walk by her many times in a day.  She allowed me to get up close to get this shot.  Pretty cool.

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 77 - 5-24-2014

Went out and geocached the PA State Star GeoArt Trail today with an awesome group made up of geocachers from New Bethlehem, Erie and New York.  We had a great time.

The PA State Star Trail parallels the Knox & Kane Railroad grade most of the time, and I got the opportunity to document some of the rails before they are being taken up.  Looks like they are ready to rip up this section in the upcoming week as the equipment was sitting there ready to do the job.  Glad I came through today and snapped some photos.  Hope to ride my bike through here in the future.

Another one in black and white.

Stone Tower - Allegany State Park - 5-16-14

Was up at ASP Geobash IX in Allegany State Park last weekend and my adventures took me to a site called the Stone Tower.  I decided it was the perfect location for a series of black and white images.

Heading up the staircase.

An arrow pointing North, out of the park.

Really thought hard about photoshoping the grafitti out, but decided to leave it in the end.  I don't like changing the scene in photographs and thought that it was a good illustration of the disrespect for the rest of society that seems to be present more and more these days.  Kellie.... we are not impressed. :)

Heading back down the stairwell.

Could have spent much more time here photographing, but didn't want to hold up the rest of my group.  Great part of the park.

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 76 - 5-23-2014

Just a simple shot of a portion of my geocoin collection.  This page contains every geocoin from every ASP Geobash held.  Last week at this time, I was sharing a bonfire with over 400 other geocachers to kick off Allegany State Park Geobash IX.  Got one spot left for a coin from next year's ASP Geobash X.

It's a great time, that I look forward to every year.  I did not attend the first three, but was able to find the first 2 years coins and was given the year 3 coin (the owl) by a friend at the bash this year.

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 75 - 5-22-2014

Back to simplicity today.  No epic, historic weather events to document.  Just a return to foliage in the yard.  Figured I had better snap a photo of the blooming Azaleas in the yard before they disappear.  It was tough to find ones still in such good shape.

We'll see what tomorrow brings.

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 74 - 5-21-2014

Mother nature supplied the photos today.  After supper, we headed down to Cook Forest State Park to look at the flooding.  When we left, the river was at 17 feet.  Flood stage is 13 feet and the record, set back in the 1930's is 18 feet.  From what I saw, something tells me that record will now be held by this flood, and will be set some time overnight.

This was the photo that I chose for my photo of the day.

A view of the park office and River Road under water.  There is a bridge over Tom's Run under there somewhere.

I kept being drawn to this bench.  It was a little more out of the water than it was in a photo you will see further down this post.

This caused quite a bit of awe from all of the bystanders when this floated down the crick.  Not sure what flooded that brought this down.  It's an ice machine.

See, almost gone to the depths.

I really like this one for some reason.

I had been wondering why nobody was around me for a little while.  I turned around and found that I had been police lined off.  Ironically, not the first time I've been on the wrong side of a police line.  When I realized, I just turned back around and kept shooting.  Not sure why they let me stay down there.  They had kicked everyone else out.  When I got back up, I joked with them that I was stuck over here now.  They kind of shrugged their shoulders and said "I guess so".  Glad they let me stay down there and didn't interrupt my photos.

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 73 - 5-20-2014

My son, Collin, had a chorus concert.  As is always my luck at such events, he was hidden behind his friend most of the concert.  He peeked out long enough for me to get this shot.

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 72 - 5-19-2014

Got home today and found that the Lilac bush was blooming beautifully.

Let the flower photography season begin. :)

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 71 - 5-18-2014

Spent the weekend up in Allegany State Park in New York this weekend attending and helping run the Allegany State Park GeoBash. Had a great time. I have always loved the Administration Building on Red House Lake. On the way out of the park I stopped there and shot a few photos on a beautiful afternoon.

Already can't wait to return to Allegany State Park next May.

2014 Daily Photo Project - Days 68 thru 70 - 5-14 thru 5-17-2014

Went to Allegany State Park in New York over the weekend for the annual Allegany State Park Geobash geocaching Mega Event.  A Mega Event is a geocaching event that has over 500 regular attendees.  This year, we had just over 1,000 attendees.  This is one of the things that I look forward to every May.  This was my 6th year in a row of attending.  I was away from the computer most of the weekend, so I decided to update my blog with the photos when I returned.  Here are the photos from the past few days:

This first one I took upon arriving at the park on Thursday afternoon.  It is the administrative building on Red House Lake.  This is a very picturesque setting.

This one I took on Friday morning while I was out geocaching.  This is Bridal Falls.  It was really flowing after the heavy rains that day and the days before.

This is a photo of some of my friends relaxing on Saturday evening after running around trying to help out at the bash all day.

Allegany State Park is a great park, one of the best I have ever been to.

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 67 - 5-14-2014

This is a statue of Cornplanter that is located in downtown Oil City.  I snapped this on my lunch break.  Thought it looked cool with the blooming tree behind it.

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 66 - 5-132014

We have had a lot of rain in the last couple of days.  Last night in particular.  About a million (well maybe not that many) of these have shown up throughout my landscaping almost overnight.

I tagged my sister, Katie, on my Facebook posting today so that she can identify this plague that has hit my landscaping.  She's a fungus finder... or whatever they call themselves. :)

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 65 - 5-12-2014

Figured with rain clouds developing quickly on my way home from work, I had better also get my photo for the day quickly.  I stopped at St. Michael's in Fryburg on my way home and snapped this picture.  The cool thing about this photo is that there was minimal editing on my computer.  I only had to recover the clouds, which were blown out.  Canon cameras have what are called picture styles and I have been developing one to suit my taste.  It seems to be coming together nicely.  A lot of work though, but will be worth it in the end when I don't have to spend any time in front of the computer.

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 64 - 5-11-2014

The wife and I decided to take a quick spin down a few of the back roads around where we live.  We came across this deer in some dense undergrowth near the road.  It seems that she thought that she was camouflaged well enough that we didn't see her.  I snapped a pair of pictures and we went on our way so that she could go on hers.  Gotta love living where we live, that we can go a few minutes from our house in any direction and bump into wildlife.  Wouldn't have it any other way.

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 63 - 5-10-2014

Took a cruise down through Cook Forest State Park really quickly this morning.  I always stop to look at this tree for some reason.  It's my favorite tree along the Clarion River.  I've always liked it.  It has a lot of character in my opinion.

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 62 - 5-09-2014

A rainy afternoon in Northwestern PA today.  Was bright and beautiful all day long...... while I was at work.  Did get out into the yard to catch this quick photo of a blooming Azalea in the back yard after a light rain.

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 61 - 5-08-2014

Was down at Gravel Lick after work this evening.  The wife and I were goofing off along the bank of the Clarion River and I was staring into the water.  Saw this scene and decided to let the river paint a picture for me.

Nature is a much better artist than I am.  I really like the way this one turned out.

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 60 - 5-07-2014

This evening I decided to take a slow drive down a dirt back road near my house to clear my mind.  I just put the windows down and drove.  Came across this rock covered in moss.  I can never pass up a face found in nature and just had to stop and get a photograph.  I don't know.... maybe nobody else will see it, but it jumped out at me right away when I was driving down the road.

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 59 - 5-06-2014

Spent most of the evening getting the mowing done.  After that, Ashley and I took a cruise down to Gravel Lick and back.  On the way back I noticed a slight rainbow in the sky.  This was surprising because there hasn't been a rain shower all day.  The rainbow was so faint that I had to underexpose the photo greatly just to get it to show up.  That's why it's so dark.  It was actually very bright out.

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 58 - 5-05-2014

I noticed these trees with huge blooms on them when I was running around Oil City on my lunch break today.  I knew where I was headed after work.

Really pretty.

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 57 - 5-04-2014

Another day at work means another picture from work, taken with the work camera.

This is also just outside of my office right beside the tree that had the blooms on it that was the subject of my photo yesterday.

Another cool piece of history on the grounds where I work.

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 56 - 5-03-2014

I find myself supervising the shop at work this weekend, which leaves little time for photo opportunities.  It was mostly rainy today, but I did find a short break with sunshine to find a photograph quickly.

This is a photo of some blooms starting to come out on the tree that is outside my office.  I took this with my Canon point and shoot that I carry at work.  As I am a quality manager, it usually is used to capture pictures of things that are not correct.  This is a much better use of it's abilities in my opinion.

My 70D would have done a much better job, but like they say, the best camera is the one you have with you.

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 55 - 5-02-2014

The building where I work every day has a long history.  The rooms and hallways of our offices have many old pictures of the workers of long ago.  This is in our main conference room.  I was the first to the morning production meeting today so I took out my phone and snapped a picture.  Always like looking at all of these photos on the walls.  This shot shows what is one of our main buildings today.

Would be honored if a photograph that I take some day will be looked at by people 70 years or more later.  Pretty cool.

2014 Daily Photo Project - Day 54 - 5-01-2014

Today is one of those photos that did not turn out like I wanted it to.  I guess when you are shooting a photo every day, this is going to happen some days.  I shot this from the car because I did not want to disturb my subject any more than I had to.  This is a mother goose sitting on a nest full of eggs.  The owner of this pond has placed tires on the island in the middle of it for this exact purpose.  Really cool that someone does something like this.

See you tomorrow.