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Shake….
By Silver Blue
Camera Shake, that is.
There are times that not even Image Stabilization (IS) can help you out.
Then again, there are times when you really don’t want it to.
Take this photo, from October 21, 2006. I’d gone to a Halloween party. The lights were low, and there was a prop “rigged” to the stairs. A shot taken from a tripod, or with IS, wouldn’t have been as effective as this shot, affected by camera shake:
Silver Blue… who is looking forward to joining one, or possibly two of the local photo clubs.
Signs of times gone by.
By Silver Blue
The Big Bad Wolf.
My second-most all-time favourite rollercoaster in the world. (The most favourite? “Gemini” at Cedar Point, Upper Sandusky, Ohio).
Howl I miss this coaster. Oh, sorry for the misplaced pun. 🙂 I’ve heard differing stories as to why Busch Gardens, Williamsburg removed the Wolf. Ridership was down. (Huh?) The ride had reached the end of its serviceable life. (Possibly, but Nessie is older and still running). The ride was one of three remaining in the US of its type (where you were suspended UNDER the tracks entirely enclosed in the car), and the company who made it (and produced maintenance parts) went out of business, therefore they couldn’t keep it running. (Probably.)
It’s taken then a few years, but the new coaster, Verbolten (also a trek through the Black Forest) opened on May 18. Haven’t ventured yet. Will do so, though, on my next trip to the Gardens.
[audio:https://www.eyesofsilverblue.com/dd-hltw.mp3]Silver Blue, who does enjoy a good thrill ride every now and then. 🙂
South of Virginia…
By Silver Blue
…in Elizabeth City, NC. 2006. Not much to say about these photos, so I’ll let them stand on their own.
Silver Blue, who is thankful that the photos remain, long after the reason for taking them has gone by the wayside.
Life from a couple different angles
By Silver Blue
Always be on the lookout for shape, colour, form, and angle. Photos can come from some of the most unexpected areas
Two such options came to be while waiting for the Grand Illumination in downtown Norfolk, VA:
It’s all in how you “see”. If you open your eyes, what does the world around you look like?
[audio:https://www.eyesofsilverblue.com/sbem.mp3]Silver Blue, who keeps looking for that elusive “Eden”….
Go…I must let you go…
By Silver Blue
Sometimes, you know that what you want, and what you have to do are polar opposites. Like a flame that cannot be held. Some things have to burn freely, and if you attempt to control them YOU’RE the one who gets burned.
Friendship is like that. Romance is like that. Love, life, and happiness are all like that.
Though we may think we know what is best, the multiverse always has its own design.
The hard part is to let go. To turn it over, to allow a power greater than yourself to bring you to clarity, peace of mind, and serenity.
Too often, however, human ego, greed, and desire gets in the way. You may escape the flames at first, but there’s that little thing called…
…Karma. It has a way of bringing the past, present and future together. Best to keep a clear account with Karma. For what you put out to the multiverse, so you shall reap.
These photos were taken on a warm September’s night in 2006. Everyone who was present that night has had their lives changed, for better or worse. Come to think of it, of the people who were there who were in a relationship, not one still exists six years later. So go the sands of time…
[audio:https://www.eyesofsilverblue.com/cfbe.mp3]Silver Blue, who is introspective and contemplative tonight. Must be the New Moon tonight.
In Another Place and Time…
By Silver Blue
Years ago, back when my Grandma (on Mom’s side) was still in this part of the multiverse, I would go back every summer for a visit. For the first 8 or 9 years of my life, the month-long visit was divided between both sets of grandparents (2 weeks with one, 2 weeks with the other). Then, it became visiting one side, and spending most of my time with Grandma.
Grandma lived across the street from two sets of railroad tracks. So, from a very young age, I developed a love of trains. My favourite boxcar was the “Illinois Central Gulf”, which was bright orange, marked with a white “i” in a black circle. (see an example at http://www.flickr.com/photos/prairiestar/2787689454/ )
There was a mainline, and one that crossed the river via a trestle, and which, I believe, made a stop at the local lumber yard. It was creepy (to me) to walk across the trestle, as it was a long way down if you fell off, and I have a VERY active imagination. Did I mention it was a long way to the bottom (or into the river, depending on where you’d land)?
Sometime in the late 80s, I think, they took the trestle (and rail line it carried) out; however, they left the support stanchions.
Here, you can see how the plants have overtaken what used to be the trestle.
Another stanchion:
I guess it was just easier to remove the railroad ties and rails than it was to attempt to demolish the concrete:
Here, you can still see the spikes from the old ties driven into the concrete.
I’d often wondered how old the trestle really was. Getting around for a few more shots gave me a glimpse of something:
There appeared to be… dates embossed in the stanchion!
Zooming in a bit closer:
Indeed! It clearly shows 1928. The other side either said 1917 or 1947. The tree covered it to the point that I could no longer read it. This photo was taken 2 years later, and shows how overgrown it has become:
I don’t know when, or even IF I’ll ever be able to get back to get any further photos before the stanchions are either destroyed by man, or by the ravages of time.
The other line? It’s still in use:
Of course, the “Illinois Central Gulf” boxcars are no more, but the memories I have live on… in that other place and time.
[audio:https://www.eyesofsilverblue.com/iapat.mp3]Silver Blue, who sometimes, when I hear that lonesome whistle blow, yearn for the past, when trains still had cabooses.
Quiet, please. The moon is sleeping.
By Silver Blue
This reminds me of a poem I wrote (that went in the “book”) called “The Moon Is Broken”.
“The Moon Is Broken”
Forester J. Barker III
December 4, 2006 – All Rights Reserved
The moon is broken,
my life’s not the same.
My nocturnal companion
has been spirited away.
The secrets I told her
from deep within my heart
now fly unfettered,
unattended in the dark.
Through the seas of stardust,
through the night unaware,
part of my past is winging,
all alone, out there.
There’s some solace in being numb
for emotions come and go,
no bitter words to cut you down,
No one saying “I told you so…”
For no longer do I walk
with the one that I love,
while my nighttime mistress
shines down from above.
So grasp each moment you can,
remember your words not spoken;
they may be all that you have
when you find that the moon is broken.
Silver Blue – who believes it’s time for bed.
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