Cranes on Crane Creek

Say THAT ten times fast.

Too bad there weren't any cranes of the feathery type there to include in the shot.

More Train Trestle Shots

The cross ties were actually almost black from age, but I played around a bit in Elements and actually ended up liking this particular look. Kinda like a posterization, only different.

For some reason, I ended up liking the shadowed iron against the sky in that second photo. I thought maybe I could play around with it and create something different and more interesting than the original, but ended up deleting all those "play" layers and liking the original better.

This bridge is over Crane Creek in Melbourne, Florida.

Keith White - Single Handed Yachting

On Saturday afternoon, for the first time in a while, I took my camera and went and wandered around with it, taking photos.

Since I live on the Atlantic Coast of Florida, I usually gravitate toward water somewhere.

I ended up on Crane Creek in Melbourne, Florida, where the creek runs into the Indian River Lagoon.

As I wandered around, I saw a big, gorgeous sailboat coming in, the pilot (or whatever you call a guy driving a boat) parking his yacht. It was interesting to watch him move the boat back and fort to get it into his spot.


I took a few pictures, a couple of which are in this post.

The sign on one side of his yacht said Single Handed Sailing - Atlantic Challenge.

Thinking this was a race of some sort, I looked it up on the internet when I got home and came across Keith White's web site.

It turns out that Mr. White lost use of his left arm in a car accident in the early 1990s and is now sailing to raise money for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in the U.K., as well as raising money to help restore Cutty Sark, the famous clipper ship.

Anyway, just took a few pics as he was trying to park.


I learned all of this about Mr. White after the fact. I wish I had know about it before hand.

I would have stayed nearby to see if I could talk to him for a few minutes. It is impressive that he has sailed across the Atlantic alone, and disabled.

I noticed on his web site, his last update was that he was headed toward Melbourne and had radioed ahead to let them know he was on his way to port here.

I've always wanted to go sailing, but never have. I've never been in a boat out on the ocean in deep water.

I've been in hot water plenty of times though. I've been married 23 years, you can't help but get in hot water now and then.

I'm sure being in hot water isn't nearly as fun as sailing on deep waters.

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If you're one of the few readers of my Least Significant Bits blog, you don't have to bother going over there today, I'm putting this same post over there.

Black and White #22

I actually got out and wandered around with my camera for a while on Saturday.

It's been a while since I've done that because of my back.

I was still hurting, but the pain management specialist changed some of my medicines and increased one that I was already taking, and I felt almost human by Saturday.

For me, feeling human meant that I actually had the desire to get out and take some photos. Something I haven't done much, but sure wanted to do.

I just took my time, walking around slowly. So slow that I actually looked up as well as down.

I'm a natural born looker-downer. Add to that a weak and gimpy left leg due to nerve damage from a couple of burst spinal disks, and I am pretty much compelled to watch myself walk or I'll stumble and trip.

Anyway, that top shot was from looking up at part of the train trestle from below. I like the way it makes the wood and the aluminum rail look as if they're in some strange place or at a weird angle.

The Green Lantern

Not a lantern exactly, but the title came to me in a moment of divine inspiration.

Or maybe the title came to me because all of all of those comic books I read when I was a kid and teenager.

On a foot bridge across Bayou Desiard on the campus of the University of Louisiana - Monroe in Monroe, Louisiana. My home town.

I have an associates degree from here. I have a bachelor of science from Louisiana Tech, about 40 miles from Monroe, in Ruston, Louisiana.

These two schools used to have a huge rivalry in football and other sports, but they don't play one another very often any more. That's a shame, it was a great money generator for both towns.

Having degrees from both schools allowed me to be on the winning team no matter which school's sports team beat the other.

I should have been a politician with such a great ability to sit on fences like that. You know, flip-flopping and switching sides.

I'm actually about 99% Louisiana Tech fan, 1% University of Louisiana - Monroe fan. My engineering degree required untold hours of difficult and tedious work because they are difficult to earn. No fluffy classes, all math, science, and engineering courses. I have much more sweat equity in my Louisiana Tech degree, so my loyalties are more to that school than the other when it comes down to it.

Theater

These are carvings above the entrance to the theater/auditorium of my old high school, Neville High School in Monroe, Louisiana.

It's a beautiful old school that opened in 1931, I think. Early 1930s anyway.

I've put other pictures of the school on this blog here and here.

An Update of Sorts

Howdy folks. Sorry I haven't posted lately.

My back again. As in, can't sit, can't lay down, can't stand for any length of time and flat-out despair inducing pain.

Thankfully, today is better; plain old back pain below the "despair" threshold. Plus I slept for six whole hours last night, which always helps my attitude even if it doesn't help my back.

These aren't great photos, but I love this bridge over the Indian River Lagoon at Wabasso, Florida.

Such massive structures always have me standing and staring at how they're put together.