Tuesday, January 31, 2006

PAD06 - Vertical

Today's theme was "vertical". This is an old railroad bridge spanning the Seekonk River between Providence and East Providence, Rhode Island. It's been over 50 years since this bridge was last used, and it is now permanently locked in the open position. Since this section of the river is no longer used for large vessel shipping, there are no plans to remove the structure.
Since it was a very overcast day with a light rain, I decided to make this a black and white image.


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Monday, January 30, 2006

PAD06 - John Browne Gravesite

This is the grave of John Browne (1585-1662). Browne is listed as an assistant to the governor on the original charter for the Massachusetts Bay Colony and is buried in the Swan Neck Cemetery in East Providence, Rhode Island. (Note that East Providence was originally part of Rehobeth, Massachusetts before it was annexed by Rhode Island.) Browne's grave is right next to Thomas Willett's, the first mayor of New York City.


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Sunday, January 29, 2006

PAD06 - Graffiti

I spotted this graffiti strewn building last night on my way to a basketball game. Given the grey overcast today, it seemed like a fitting topic.


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Saturday, January 28, 2006

PAD06 - Northern Mockingbird
PC0106 - K is for Krispy Kreme
PC0106 - Z is for Zoo

PAD06 - Northern Mockingbird

I spotted this Northern Mockingbird sitting atop my neighbor's crabapple tree this afternoon. He was kind enough to stay there while I setup my camera gear and took a half-dozen shots.


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K is for Krispy Kreme

Krispy Kreme opened only one location in Rhode Island a couple of years ago, going head-to-head with several other large donut chains in the area. This is their only location in Cranston, Rhode Island.


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Z is for Zoo

This is the entrance to the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island.


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Friday, January 27, 2006

PC0106 - "U" is for Ursa Major

Here's Ursa Major and the top of the asterism "The Big Dipper" peeking above the trees in my backyard. This shot is actually four 10-second exposures stacked and combined to produce an image approximately equivalent to a 40-second exposure at ISO 200. By stacking the images, I prevented the star trails that would normally accompany a lengthy exposure.


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PAD06 - Patriots Fan

Here's one die-hard Patriots fan, painting the garage in front of his house on Bullocks Point Avenue in East Providence, Rhode Island.


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Thursday, January 26, 2006

PAD06 - Walking Path in Smithfield

This spot is a nice little summer picnic area in Smithfield, RI. The very small park is on the Woonasquatucket River next to a series of early 20th century mills along busy Farnum Pike. It looks quite out of place in its industrial setting.


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Wednesday, January 25, 2006

PAD06 - Female House Sparrow

I've installed a couple of suet cages and a bird feeder in my backyard and they've been attracting some new birds. This is a female House Sparrow perched in my neighbor's crab apple tree.


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Tuesday, January 24, 2006

PAD06 - Bullocks Cove

I've always liked photographing dead trees and driftwood. This bit of scrub caught my eye while I was photographing Hooded Mergansers on this little off-shoot of Bullocks Cove in East Providence, RI.


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Monday, January 23, 2006

PAD06 - Providence at Night

This is Providence, Rhode Island a couple of hours after sunset. The building in the foreground is the Citizens Bank headquarters and the tall tri-peaked building in the background is the Westin Hotel. The sky had an odd cast to it, somewhat bright to the west. This photo was taken from the Roger Williams Memorial which affords a very nice overlook from which you can see the entire city.


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Sunday, January 22, 2006

PAD06 - Clemence Irons House
PC0106 - Q is for Quartz

PAD06 - Clemence Irons House (1691)


Built in 1691 by Richard Clemence, the Clemence-Irons House is one of the oldest surviving colonial houses in Rhode Island. Like the Arnold House, this is another example of a stone-ender.


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PC0106 - Q is for Quartz


I found this beautifully exposed quartz vein on the rocky shore at Fort Getty State Park in Jamestown, Rhode Island. That's the Dutch Island Lighthouse in the distance.


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Saturday, January 21, 2006

PAD06 - Rocky Coast off Beavertail

Waves crash on the rocky shore off the western edge of Beavertail State Park in Jamestown, Rhode Island. The weather was unseasonably warm (about 50) but there was a steady 30 MPH wind coming off the water.


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Friday, January 20, 2006

PAD06 - Driftwood

There's something about dead trees and driftwood that I find irresistable when composing a photograph. I found this very nice piece on the beach at Sabin Point Park in East Providence, Rhode Island.


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Thursday, January 19, 2006

PAD06 - American Goldfinches
PC0106 - Hopkins House

PAD06 - American Goldfinches

A pair of American Goldfinches scrounge for food on a thick tree branch. The photo was taken at Squantum Woods State Park in East Providence, Rhode Island.


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PC0106 - H is for Hopkins House

Built in 1708, this house was purchased by Steven Hopkins in 1743. Hopkins was one of the two Rhode Island signers of the Declaration of Independence. While Governor of Rhode Island, Hopkins received a visit from George Washington in this house. The house is on the corner of Hopkins Street and Benefit Street on the historic East Side of Providence, Rhode Island.


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Wednesday, January 18, 2006

PAD06 - Transportation: Express to Boston

The theme for today was "transportation". I went to the Bonanza Bus Terminal in Pawtucket, Rhode Island before work this morning and took this shot of the 7:00 AM express to Boston waiting for departure. It was about 20 minutes before sunrise and the large puddles in the parking lot from the overnight showers made for interesting reflections.


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Tuesday, January 17, 2006

PAD06 - Four Perches for Four Gulls
PC0106 - L is for Lighthouse

Four Perches for Four Gulls


These four pilings just off shore at Sabin Point served as handy perches for four Ring-Billed Gulls.


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L is for Lighthouse


This is the Pomham Rocks Lighthouse as seen from Sabin Point in East Providence, Rhode Island.


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Monday, January 16, 2006

PAD06 - Northern Mockingbird
PC0106 - D is for Docks
PC0106 - J is for Junco

Northern Mockingbird


I spent two hours crawling through the Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge today without spotting a single bird. Then as I was packing everything up and about to drive off, this Northern Mockingbird flew right past my windshield and into a nearby tree. He stayed long enough for me to get some nice photos.


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A herring gull perched on a pillar along this small pier. Boats moored for the winter are nestled just above an abandoned railroad bridge on the Seekonk River in East Providence, RI.


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This Dark Eyed "Slate Colored" Junco perched in the crab apple tree behind my house just long enough for me to snap a couple of shots.


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Sunday, January 15, 2006

PAD06 - Norman Bird Sanctuary

This is a small pond in the center of the Norman Bird Sanctuary in Middletown, RI. As you can see, the weather is still horrendous here in the northeast. It was below freezing with sustained 35-40 MPH winds - not an ideal day for photography.


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Saturday, January 14, 2006

PAD06 - Gazeebo in the Rain

This gazeebo is on a small rocky outcropping adjacent to Squantum Club in East Providence, Rhode Island. It was pouring all day and this shot seemed to capture the grey, damp feel to the afternoon.


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Friday, January 13, 2006

PAD06 - Bullock Cove

Today was about as grey and gloomy as it can get without actually raining. This dark mood was evident looking across Bullock Cove from Haines Memorial State Park in East Providence.


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Thursday, January 12, 2006

PAD06 - Three Pilings

Today's theme for the day was "Three". I found this interesting set of pilings, complete with herring gull, on the beach at Crescent Park in East Providence. The pilings are the remains of a dock that was destroyed in Hurricane Carol in 1954.


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Wednesday, January 11, 2006

PAD06 - Benefit Street in B&W

The theme today was "Black and White Street Scene", a repeat from the other day. This is historic Benefit Street on the East Side of Providence, Rhode Island. The homes on this street date back to the pre-Revolutionary War days.


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Tuesday, January 10, 2006

PAD06 - Providence Skyline
PC0106 - C is for Canada Geese

Providence Skyline


Today's theme was "Skyline". This is downtown Providence, RI as seen from the historic East Side. The shot was taken looking west just after sunrise.


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C is for Canada Geese


The East Providence Reservoir on the East Providence / Seekonk line was overflowing with Canada Geese. Here are just a few of them swimming close to Newman Avenue.


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Monday, January 09, 2006

Miscellaneous Gallery Updates

I added about ten photos to the Miscellaneous Gallery today. They're worth checking out. Most of them are of waterfowl along Veterans Memorial Parkway in East Providence. There's an extremely crisp and detailed shot of an Eastern Phoebe as well.

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PAD06 - Bird Watching Along the Parkway

A rare European gull has been spotted in the salt ponds along Veteran's Memorial Parkway in East Providence. Here we see a birder scanning one of the ponds for the rare visitor. Today's them was "Color Street Scenes". I chose this shot to show that RI is more than just one large city.


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Sunday, January 08, 2006

PAD06 - State House, Providence, RI

Today's theme was "Black and White Street Scene", but unfortunately the theme was posted after it was already dark here on the east coast. I thought this shot would make a pretty nice B&W photograph of the State House in Providence, RI seen from its Smith Street entrance.


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PC0106 - A is for Arnold House
PC0106 - N is for Nail Studded Door
PC0106 - O is for Olney Pond

A is for Arnold House


Built in 1693 by Eleazor Arnold on Great Road in Lincoln, RI, this historic house is one of the few surviving "stone ender" houses in Rhode Island.


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N is for Nail Studded Door


In colonial times, the number of nails hammered into your front door was a sign of wealth. Here is an example of a nail studded door on the Arnold House, built in 1693 by Eleazor Arnold. The house is on Great Road in Lincoln, RI.


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O is for Olney Pond


Olney Pond is better known as Lincoln Woods after the State Park that surrounds it. The Pond is used for swimming, fishing, and boating in the summer.


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Saturday, January 07, 2006

PAD06 - Notte Park

Today's PAD theme was "30 Seconds." I went to Hopkinton, RI this morning to take a photgraph of a small cafe called the "Thirty 2nd Grill". I figured it would be a cute interpretation of the theme, and probably not one that others would come up with. Well, when I arrived I learned that they changed the name of the cafe to "Lucky House" about a month ago. So much for that theory. Instead, I waited until after sunset and went to Governor Notte Park in North Providence to take a 30 second timed exposure of a small waterfall and stream. This is the result. In retrospect, I'm happy the restaurant's name changed.


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PC0106 - "R" is for Rustic
PC0106 - "V" is for Volunteer

R is for Rustic


This rustic home dates back to 1763 and was the home of Revolutionary War Brigadier-General George Thurston (1741-1827). The historic home is on Route 3 (Main Street) in Hopkinton, RI.


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V is for Volunteer


Many small towns in Rhode Island are still serviced by Volunteer Fire Departments. Here is one such department in Ashaway, Rhode Island near the Connecticut border.


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Friday, January 06, 2006

New Gallery Created

I created a new gallery on PBase today. The gallery is for Miscellaneous Photographs that are not part of any other set of photographs. Most of the photographs will be taken as part of the various photo challenges. Typically, only one photograph will be added to the challenge gallery and the rest will be added here. The gallery will be updated frequently.

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PAD06 - Red Tugboat
PC0106 - M is for Mallards

Red Tugboat


This red tugboat was moored just east of the Washington Bridge on the Seekonk River. The river empties into Narragansett Bay less than a mile east of this spot after it merges with the Providence River.


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M is for Mallards


These two mallards were swimming in the brackish Seekonk River alongside Bold Point Park in East Providence, RI. The park is sandwiched between two small boat docks with a healthy patch of tall sea grass close to shore. The two ducks swam out of the grass and headed off down river.


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Thursday, January 05, 2006

PC0106 - E is for Eastern Phoebe

According to my field guide, this is an Eastern Phoebe. He was sitting in a tree along the East Bay Bike Path and, although he didn't sing for me, he did display the tail wagging common to the species.


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PC0106 - F is for Freighter
PC0106 - P is for Port of Providence
PAD06 / PC0106 W is for Wasp Nest

F is for Freighter

Today's "Daily Photo Challenge" theme was "Heavy Machinery", which lead me to the East Bay Bike Path for some photos of the marine traffic heading into Providence. This freighter was docked right across from the bike path near some of the oil storage tanks that line the shore. Fortunately, there was nobody from the Department of Homeland Security around to ask me why I was taking photographs of oil refineries and freighters!


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P is for Port of Providence

The East Bay Bike Path affords a nice view of the Port of Providence. Here are some large cranes lining the shore near one of the many petroleum storage terminals at the port.


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W is for Wasp Nest

I stumbled across this wasp nest quite by accident while photographing the Port of Providence from the East Bay Bike Path. While walking back to the car, I was keeping an eye out for interesting birds to photograph, and I noticed a very large mass in one of the trees. Using the zoom lens as a telescope, I noticed that the mass was a broken wasp nest. Fortunately, the summer residents don't handle a New England winter very well, so I did not have to approach the queen for a model release.


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Wednesday, January 04, 2006

PAD06 / PC0106 - G is for Gravestones

Here was an opportunity to cover the Alphabeterrific challenge and the Photo-a-Day challenge in one shot (no pun intended.) The theme for today was "At Ground Level." Today's shot was taken at the North Burial Grounds in Warren, RI. Since the feature was a set of old gravestones, I felt a black and white image would better convey the mood in the graveyard.


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Tuesday, January 03, 2006

PAD06 - American Silver Eagle

The theme listed on Daily Photo Challenge was "shiny" and it certainly seemed appropriate today. The weather is pretty nasty with a mix of rain, sleet, and snow, so outdoor photography was certainly not in the cards. Fortunately, one of my coworkers gave me this silver coin for Christmas.

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Monday, January 02, 2006

PC0106 - "I" is for Ice

A thin crust of ice covers Twin River Reservoir on the North Providence / Smithfield line in Rhode Island. The water in this section has difficulty freezing thanks to a small dam and waterfall right behind where I was standing for this shot.



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PC0106 - "T" Is For Tunnel, Trees, Trail, and Towers

I was planning to take a photo of that tunnel to satisfy the "T" shot. Walking to my planned shooting location, I was struck by the convergence of all of the different "T"s visible from this angle. The trees, communication towers in the background, the trail, and the tunnel all in the same shot just seemed right. I guess this shot could also have qualified as "S for Serendipity".


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PC0106 - "X" is for Trail Crossings

This was another shot that I stumbled across by accident. The photo was taken at the Lincoln Recreation Jogging Trail, an old 1980's style Par Course. In fact, I was planning to take a photograph of one of the exercise stations to use as the "P" (for Par Course). As it turns out, the only thing left of the exercise stations were some benches where the old station descriptions used to be. While I was walking down to the first station, though, I came across this intersection of trails that formed a very distinct "X". I originally planned to photograph the intersection of Douglas Avenue and Admiral Street in Providence, since they form an "X" but I like this shot much better.


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