Not This Winter

Our House In The Snow, Canton, NC  -  2009

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I've been too busy with other matters concerning my Mother's illness and recent death to have much time for photography in recent months. So I was looking for some older favorites to re-post on My Viewfinder when I came across this photo from December, 2009. It reminded me of how mild a winter we're having this year. Last Saturday was our heaviest snowfall so far - barely enough to cover the grass. Compare that to this 10" dump we got in 2009! I'm not complaining because I'm actually expected to go to work in this kind of mess. The milder temperatures and lack of snow are fine with me!

Decoration Choices

Gargoyle, Asheville, NC  -  2012

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We found this statue outside a home in a warehouse district of Asheville. Someone evidently thought it would be a nice touch to make their home more visually appealing. Or maybe their intent was just the opposite, a way of dissuading visitors. Either way, I thought it was an interesting choice of "art" to decorate one's home, and just another example of why Asheville is just a little, well, different.

The Rebounding Economy

Hiring Scoopers, Asheville, NC  -  2012

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Marble-hard evidence that President Obama's economic policies are leading to new jobs.

On The Streets Of Asheville

Street Trio, Asheville, NC  -  2012

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On one of my Sunday afternoon photo walks in downtown Asheville, I came across this trio performing in front of the Woolworth  Walk. Normally the streets of Asheville are strangely quiet in the cold of January, but this day was an extremely mild one, so there were several street performers in the area. This group was one of the better ones I've heard, and had attracted quite a crowd.

Pelican and Gull

Pelican and Gull, New Orleans, LA  -  2012

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Viewing The Ruins

Bucktown Ruins, New Orleans, LA  -  2012

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This is the remains of an ornate railing that once surrounded the harbor at Bucktown on the New Orleans lakefront. Bucktown was area of restaurants and nightclubs that was mostly wiped out by Katrina. This railing, that I'm guessing was built in the very early 20th century, has been battered by waves and the debris of the restaurants that once stood over the waters of Lake Ponchartrain. Except for a few restaurants on the Jefferson Parish side, Bucktown is now an area of vacant lots and empty pilings out in the water. Seagulls and pelicans now fish and nest where crowds of tourists and locals once roamed looking for food and entertainment.

Not In The Mood

Hotel Fountain, Metairie, LA  -  2012

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I just returned from a trip to New Orleans to attend my Mother's funeral. Of course, I brought my camera on the trip, but there wasn't much time for sight-seeing. After the funeral planning was completed, we had a little time to kill Monday afternoon, so we drove around town for a little while, looking at how some things had changed since Katrina. New Orleans is a paradise for photography, but I found I wasn't much in the mood for pictures that day. In fact, I only made 33 exposures on the entire 4 day trip. Normally, that could be an hour's take.

I made this photo of a fountain in the courtyard of the hotel where we stayed. It was in a quiet place where I sat a few times to think and pray. There's just something about the sound of the water flowing in the fountain that was very soothing.