Happy Thanksgiving (Wild Turkey Are Back!!!)

Happy Thanksgiving
To you and your family

Old Cars and Trucks Of Bodie, CA (Ghost Town)

Bodie, an old mining town at the turn of the century. A wonderful place to photograph.Scattered around the town you can find old relics, old cars and trucks.

Bodie, California, Old Abandon Mining Town

I would call visiting Bodie as one of the highlights of our vacation. The fun we had walking the town, seeing vacate homes, businesses with furnishing and supplies. A photographer's dream.

The Sack Lunches

A friend sent to me this morning (author unknown) and brought tears to my eyes, I needed to post on my photo journal. We can "picture" the kindness the people on this flight have given to our servicemen and women so richly deserve.

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap,' I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation. 'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me. ' Chicago - to Great Lakes Base. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Iraq '

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached Chicago, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time. As I reached for my wallet, I overheard soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. 'No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to Chicago ' His friend agreed. I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. 'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a soldi er in Iraq ; it's almost like you are doing it for him.

' Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, 'Which do you like best - beef or chicken?' 'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. 'This is your thanks.' After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.' He handed me twenty-five dollars. Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, an said, 'I want to shake your hand.' Qu ickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, 'I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.' I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm. When we landed in Chicago I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.' Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers.

As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little... A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life wrote a blank check Made payable to 'The United States of America ' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.' That is Honor, and there are way too many people in This country who no longer understand it.'

Bear Brook State Park, Allentown, NH, Moving Water

It was an overcast, drizzling day, the sun tried hard to come out but never succeeded. My friend Bruce, a talented photographer and I decided to go shooting, he sure knows the places to go. We met at Bear Brook State Park to take pictures of moving water.

Please click on my site, to see all of the day's images..... bpdphotos : photos : Moving Water Shots at Bear Brook State Park, NH- powered by SmugMug

Sunset, Mono Lake, South Tufa, CA

The first time our group visited Mono Lake was sunset. What an introduction to one of my now favorite areas we have ever visited on vacation. (Bryce is #1). The tufa formations, light, sunset blew me away.

You can visit all my images of Mono Lake bpdphotos : photos : Mono Lake, Lee Vining, California- powered by SmugMug

Finally!!! Migration Mess Cleared UP, Yosemite Photo

I thought AOL's migration of my AOL journal transferred with not problems. Too busy to check until the other day, I was shocked to find out many of my pictures were missing, text was not showing up. After hand editing hundreds of entries, quite a few I had to delete but as you can see was able to edit and fix the old entries. Not perfect but worth saving....Fall Cleaning of my journal!!!!

Now I can returned to editing, publishing my vacation pictures!!!!! YEA!!!! Sharing one and will be posting more this week.

Fall, Late Afternoon Walk On The Golf Course

Late afternoon I decide to take a hike on the golf course, was out there for about hour or more. This was first time I walked to the new section (increased the course to 18 holes)...it was beautiful, 32 degrees, no wind and sun starting to set. I found a pond and a few steams and a turkey feather.

Interesting Find Today: 400 Year Oak Tree

I was out today looking to showcase after fall peak, still beautiful in NH. Bob noticed a beautiful old tree, we had to turned around allowing me to take pictures and I am so glad we did. Perley Pond Conservation Area is located in Laconia, NH.

Thankfully they had a sign with the history and information of the 400 year old oak tree. The circumference is 10 feet. Age 400 years old.