Posted on July 12, 2014
Joanne and I took a brief cruise from Miami through the Western Caribbean and back to refresh ourselves. Our first port of call was Key West. Key West packs a population of 25,000 into an island only 4 miles long and 1 mile wide; the largest island of the nearly 1800 islands that make up the Florida Keys. The early industries of Key West were as a port of trade and the salvaging of shipwrecks in the barrier reef that runs through the islands. Most of the islands are the exposed parts of reefs.
Key West is also where U.S. Route 1 begins its 2400 mile journey to the tip of Maine. The primary industry today is tourism.
The island has many reminders of its history.
Chickens run free throughout the island. The ubiquitous roosters frequesntly announce their presence.
Tourism includes tours of Hemingway’s house and Truman’s get-away-from-D.C. “Whitehouse”.
Our stop was relatively brief. I hope to return some day as there was beauty everywhere.
Next stop Cozumel.
Category: Photography Tagged: boats, Key West, palm trees, reefs, Stained glass
Posted on June 12, 2013
For our recent photo excursion Pat and I visited five historic, downtown Jackson Michigan churches. We took pics of the gardens, exteriors, doors, and spires but we also received permission from each church to enter the church and take pictures inside. I love stained glass windows and focused (sorry about the pun) on them
Colored or stained glass goes way back into ancient times, but it wasn’t until the late fourth century that some churches had a stained-glass type of window. The ornate stained glass windows we associate with churches first appeared in Britain in the 7th century. For more on stained glass see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stained_glass .
The three samples I am sharing are from three different churches (Catholic, Baptist, and Lutheran). To me, each has a different kind of beauty. In taking the pictures I metered on the windows to accentuate the light coming through the windows. The pictures were taken without flash. As always I am interested in your thoughts and comments.
Category: Uncategorized Tagged: churches, Glass, Jackson Michigan, Stained glass