Number 90

Garibaldi, Oregon ~ January 29, 2012

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The Bones of Trees

Salishan, Siletz Bay, Oregon Coast ~ January 29, 2012

I took this shot from the highway facing toward the ocean. It makes an intriguing scene, and I wonder what the storm must have been like that brought the bones of these trees to the tidal flatlands, or were the trees standing here before the storm?

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A Thing of the Past

Belize City, Belize ~ January 30, 2005

United States Embassy

This was our first evening in Belize. We had just landed, found our hotel, and wanted to see the area. As we turned away from the Caribbean to wander the streets, I imagined we would find some local neighborhood color. I didn't imagine until I saw the sign that we would stumble on the U.S. Embassy, so unassuming and unannounced.

When I looked it up online for this post, I learned that the historic building was demolished in 2011. The Colonial-style edifice was originally constructed in New England in 1866, dismantled, and sent to Belize as ballast in the hold of a ship. It began as a private home before the U.S. government bought it in the mid 1930s, and before it was demolished it was the last U.S. Embassy building made of wood still standing in the world. Who knew as we sauntered past it in 2005?

I wish I had a better photo to post, but I took only one. We were at the beginning of a trip where I knew I'd be taking a lot of photos. Remember how conserving we had to be of expensive SD card storage space?

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Harvard Yard

Harvard Yard, Cambridge, Massachusetts ~ May 5, 2006

Harvard Yard was lovely and peaceful on a pleasant day in May. It was also drenched in history. I wish I'd done more research before going. The town of Cambridge seemed small and quaint, just about perfect for a college town. There was so much history at every turn, much of it buried in the unknowable space beneath the sod, between blades of grass, and behind antique lintels. The yard, the buildings and the town were simply going about business as usual. For some reason I felt that X-ray vision into the past would serve me well here . . . if I had it, of course! In addition, any location made with so many red bricks is compelling to someone who grew up surrounded by ranch-style stucco.

If you are interested in the pros and cons of dusty, old museums, check out my post from yesterday on Tapirs: The Tapir Preservation Fund (TPF). The museum was only a couple of blocks from here.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Big Heads

Houston, Texas ~ February 4, 2011

There's a factory here that specializes in big heads and occasionally whole bodies. The bewhiskered guy between Reagan and Obama is Martin Van Buren. The ones we saw were mostly U.S. Presidents, but some were not Presidents. The one on the left looks to me like Rock Hudson. Any ideas?

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.