Kannafoot's Photo Challenges

PAD06 - Pink Azalea

2006-05-26T08:23:00.000-04:00

We had a bit of rain overnight and my pink azalea bushes finally bloomed. The raindrops on the flowers added a nice touch.

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PAD06 - Leaflets Three

2006-05-25T20:17:00.000-04:00

For those that don't recognize it, this is poison ivy. Rhode Island is loaded with it. I spotted this patch at Bold Point Park. As they say, "leaflets three; let them be."

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PAD06 - Dry Dock

2006-05-24T18:42:00.000-04:00

I've had my eye on this shot for a while and finally got the opportunity to take it today. This abandoned boat is slowly rotting in a lot near Bold Point Park.

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PAD06 - Bumblebee

2006-05-23T17:28:00.000-04:00

I spotted this bumblebee visiting my white azalea bush this morning. Getting him to sit still long enough for a photo was a different issue.

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PAD06 - Bold Point Pilings

2006-05-22T18:43:00.000-04:00

I stopped at Bold Point Park intending to photograph a couple of old boats up on shore when I spotted these pilings jutting up at low tide. That's the Washington Bridge and I-195 in the background.

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PAD06 - Gypsy Moths

2006-05-21T15:00:00.000-04:00

I had to search for quite a while to find a gypsy moth cocoon low enough to the ground for me to take a decent photograph of it. The number of cocoons in the state are at an all-time low this year. I remember the huge infestation we had back around 1980, though. The sides of houses were covered with caterpillars, and oak trees were almost wiped out.

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PAD06 - Moffett Mill

2006-05-20T16:08:00.000-04:00

Built in 1812, this mill on Great Road in Lincoln, Rhode Island is one of the last surviving examples of the Industrial Revolution. What makes this site unique is that most of the original machinery is still intact. There are current plans underway to restore the mill and open it as a museum.

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PAD06 - Rhododendron

2006-05-19T18:33:00.000-04:00

My rhododendron bush is finally starting to bloom. There aren't enough blooming yet to make the entire bush photogenic, but I was able to take this closeup of one of the clusters. This was taken with the 4x closeup filter attached to my 28-300mm.

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PAD06 - Landscaping

2006-05-18T16:06:00.000-04:00

I went over to the Hunts Mills section of East Providence at lunch today, planning to take some photos of the stream running behind the mills. Instead, I found this bush in full bloom, making a great shot of the quality landscaping on the grounds of this historic site.

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PAD06 - Another Era

2006-05-17T17:53:00.000-04:00

You've seen a few winters if you remember this sign plastered on buildings all over town. Today, they're a rarity and typically only exist on old buildings that haven't yet taken them down. They are the remnants of the Cold War era and have disappeared along with air raid drills, Tommy Turtle, and civil defense siren tests at noon. As far as I know, this is the only surviving fallout shelter sign in my hometown. I spotted it tucked into the corner of the Whitehorse Building in the historic village of Greystone.

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PAD06 - Verbose

2006-05-16T19:11:00.000-04:00

Remember when signs contained simple instructions? We see a sign that says "Stop" and we know immediately what it means and why we need to comply. Even a simple "Keep off the grass" sign conveys meaning and instruction in one simple phrase. Apparently, the residents of Smithfield, Rhode Island need more than instruction. They not only need to know what to do (or what not to do), they also need to know why. After seeing this "pooper scooper" law sign at a park in Smithfield, I certainly hope nobody lets the Smithfield town council redesign our road signs. I'd need to take a speed reading course just to read the "Men at Work" signs at every construction site.

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PAD06 - Flood Stage

2006-05-15T20:08:00.000-04:00

It has been raining for well over a week here in New England and three states have already declared an emergency due to flooding. It has not reached that level in Rhode Island yet, and there's some drier weather in the short-term forecast. It's a good thing, too, as you can see from this photograph of the Woonasquatucket River in Smithfield. The river is already past flood stage, although so far it hasn't overflowed into neighboring businesses or homes.

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PAD06 - Thief!

2006-05-14T14:28:00.000-04:00

The bane of every bird feeder is the neighborhood squirrel, and mine is no exception. It didn't take this critter too long to find my feeder. At first, he satisfied himself by leaping up to hit the bottom of the feeder, knocking seed onto the ground. Once he learned that he could dine in comfort it was over, however. He spends more time on the feeder than do the birds.

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PAD06 - Lincoln Woods Covered Bridge

2006-05-13T14:19:00.000-04:00

This is the second of three covered bridges in RI. This is the newest addition to the set, built only a couple of years ago. It marks the Rte. 123 entrance to Lincoln Woods State Park.

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PAD06 - Old State House

2006-05-12T16:48:00.000-04:00

Officially known as the "Old State House", this was the site of numerous events in the state's history, not to mention the history of our nation. On May 4, 1776 - two months before the Declaration of Independence was issued - the colony of Rhode Island declared independence from the British Crown. It was at this site that the declaration was signed. Also on this site in 1784 the RI General Assembly passed the first act in the US for the emancipation of slaves. In 1790 with President George Washington in attendence, Rhode Island ratified the US constitution becoming the 13th state to enter the union.

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PAD06 - Ruins

2006-05-11T17:29:00.000-04:00

There was a light drizzle all day, so photo options were somewhat limited. I decided to stop by Bold Point Park in East Providence to see what attracted me, and thi section of ruined piers caught my eye.

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PAD06 - Closed

2006-05-10T21:11:00.000-04:00

One of the primary reasons for doing this PAD challenge was to force myself to look beyond the ordinary, to find a photograph where none is apparent. This is one such example of a shot I would never have taken before starting this challenge. It's simply a photograph of the gap between my fence and the door leading into my backyard. Looking at the shot, though, I like the lines and the detail in the wood grain. I also like the "grass is greener on the other side" feel with the background out of focus like that. I shot it with my 1x close-up lens to enhance the depth of feel characteristics.

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PAD06 - Samuel B. Mumford House

2006-05-09T17:40:00.000-04:00

Built in 1825, this house originally stood on College Street in Providence, Rhode Island. It was moved to its present location on Prospect Street in 1959. What makes this house significant, however, is that it was the home in which H.P. Lovecraft lived while writing his most famous works including Call of Cthulhu.

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PAD06 - Lilacs

2006-05-08T20:37:00.000-04:00

My lilac bush is finally in bloom, so I decided to take full advantage of it today. Some of the flowers are actually starting to brown, so I didn't want to risk waiting another couple of days for this shot, even though the tips of the blooms are still buds. Besides, the forecast is for rain through Sunday...

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PAD06 - Freedom

2006-05-07T15:21:00.000-04:00

I certainly don't want to generate a political discussion on the PAD meta gallery. Instead, I'll talk about the photo and why I chose to shoot it in this fashion. I spotted this sign on Central Pike in Foster, Rhode Island yesterday while I was heading to a covered bridge shot. The sign spoke volumes in one of the most liberal states in the nation. When I returned today to photograph it, I was struck by the number of American Flags I saw flying throughout the towns of Scituate and Foster. Unlike many other parts of the state, these communities have not discarded all the flags flown in the patriotic days after 9/11. In fact, there are three flags flying in this photograph alone (including the one on the sign.) To emphasize the patriotic fervor still apparent in these communities, I opted to fade the background into black and white while leaving Old Glory in blazing color.

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PAD06 - Reflections

2006-05-06T17:41:00.000-04:00

I was searching for a bald eagle nest at Barden Reservoir in Foster, Rhode Island when I spotted these great reflections. I ultimately did find the eagle nest (although it was in Scituate, not Foster) but these reflections were my favorite shots of the day. Check out my birds gallery for views of the eagles.

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BIRDS - Bald Eagles in Rhode Island

2006-05-06T17:24:00.000-04:00

There is a nesting pair of bald eagles at the Scituate Reservoir in Scituate, Rhode Island. While there I was able to get a nice shot of one of the two eaglets - that are getting quite large as you'll see in these photos - and both the male and female adults. This pair has been nesting in the area for three consecutive years.

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MISC - Swamp Meadow Covered Bridge

2006-05-06T17:20:00.000-04:00

This is one of only three covered bridges in the state of Rhode Island. None of the bridges are historic, however, since the last original bridge was dismantled in 1920. This bridge was rebuilt in 1994 based on an 1820 design after residents learned that we were the only New England state without a covered bridge. The state now has three.

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MISC - Barden Reservoir

2006-05-06T17:18:00.000-04:00

This is Barden Reservoir, a small pond that feeds the Scituate Reservoir and services most of the state of Rhode Island. I was in the area looking for eagle nests since there is a pair of bald eagles nesting at the reservoir.

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PAD06 - Ivy

2006-05-05T19:45:00.000-04:00

I've always like the looks of this house on the corner of Fruit Hill Avenue and Smithfield Road in North Providence. The ivy crawling up the walls really stands out. Of course, I'd like to shoot whoever decided that power and telephone lines should be above ground.

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PAD06 - Providence Trolley Tunnel

2006-05-04T17:04:00.000-04:00

This tunnel under the East Side of Providence, Rhode Island was finally completed in 1914. The hills that traverse the East Side are quite steep, and the early trolleys that serviced Providence were unable to cope with them. Hence the need for the tunnel. Interestingly enough, the tunnel was first proposed by George Washington on a visit to Providence when he saw the difficulty carriages had traversing the East Side hills! Work on the tunnel didn't start until 1870, however, and that abruptly ended due to engineering challenges that took another quarter century to overcome. The tunnel is still in use today by RIPTA buses that must travel between Providence and the East Bay.

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PAD06 - Split Rock

2006-05-03T22:34:00.000-04:00

The weather was really bad today, so I wasn't able to get out until dusk. I've had my eye on this rock for a while. Rhode Island - indeed, New England in general - is extremely rocky, thanks to the passage of glaciers at the end of the last ice age. Huge boulders such as this are not all that uncommon. The split in the rock was likely caused by an ancient earthquake.

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PAD06 - RI's Outlaw Governor

2006-05-02T19:49:00.000-04:00

Note: PBase (the service I use for image hosting) is currently having technical difficulties. Images may load slowly or not at all.

The Dorr Rebellion
The center grave is that of Thomas Wilson Dorr (1805-1854). Mr. Dorr was elected to the Rhode Island state legislature in 1834. He spent his career fighting to reform the state's oppressive suffrage laws that restricted voting rights soley to landowners. The state ignored Dorr's reformation demands, however, and the Rhode Island Suffrage Association was formed. In 1842 the new political party held their own convention, adopted a consitution, and even elected their own state government. Thomas Wilson Dorr was elected governor of this rogue administration. The legitimate governor, Samuel Ward King, declared martial law, arrested many of Dorr's followers and even indicted Dorr for treason. Dorr was tried and convicted of treason in 1844, one of only two convictions for treason at the state level in US history. This brief period in Rhode Island history was known as the Dorr Rebellion. Thomas Wilson Dorr is buried at the historic Swan Point Cemetery in Providence, Rhode Island.

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Thomas Wilson Dorr
This is the grave of Thomas Wilson Dorr, Rhode Island's outlaw governor.

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Dorr Family Plot
This is the Dorr family plot at Swan Point Cemetery in Providence, Rhode Island.

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PAD06 - Azalea Bloom

2006-05-01T13:36:00.000-04:00

My red azalea bush is finally starting to bloom. Here's a closeup of one of the clusters taken with my 4x filter attached to the 28-300mm zoom.

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PAD06 - Shrooms

2006-04-30T22:01:00.000-04:00

I'd have preferred a less busy background, but I couldn't resist this tree covered with mushrooms. I spotted it quite by accident and it was the only tree like that in the area.

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PAD06 - Baa Baa Black Sheep

2006-04-29T15:58:00.000-04:00

These lambs are about three weeks old. They're at a small farm in Bristol, RI on the road to Colt State Park.

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MISC - Young Lambs

2006-04-29T15:56:00.000-04:00

This small farm has several animals grazing in a corral, including the four lambs you see here. They're about three weeks old and are starting to lose their baby features.

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PAD06 - Green and Gold

2006-04-28T20:36:00.000-04:00

I stopped at the Roger Williams National Monument in Providence, today. The photo I planned to take wasn't available due to poor planning on my part. The shot I wanted faced east and the rising sun was too bright against the relatively dark foreground. I didn't want a silhouette shot, so I looked around for other options in the area. Instead I spotted these beautiful bushes along the walkway and opted to take a nice close-up with my 4x filter.

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MISC - Freedom Green

2006-04-27T18:19:00.000-04:00

The next three photos were taken at Freedom Green, a very small park in East Providence that commemorates 9/11. The park has a small gazeebo in the center and has numerous flowering shrubs around the perimeter. I shot the gazeebo from several different angles and took some close-ups of the flowers.

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PAD06 - Colorful Flowers

2006-04-27T18:18:00.000-04:00

I had several interesting shots from which to choose, today. Ultimately, I decided to go with this close-up of some very colorful flowers I found at Freedom Green in East Providence, Rhode Island. Freedom Green is a small park erected after 9/11 to serve as a reminder of our values as a nation. This photo was taken with the 4x closeup filter attached to my 28-300mm zoom.

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PAD06 - Ladd Observatory

2006-04-26T22:38:00.000-04:00

The Ladd Observatory at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island opened in October 1891 under the direction of Professor Winslow Upton. The historic observatory is home to a 12" refractor, several transit scopes, pendulum clocks, and various chronometers. The observatory was a frequent haunt of horror writer H.P. Lovecraft.

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PAD06 - Phillipsdale

2006-04-25T21:45:00.000-04:00

This old style stone bridge is on Roger Williams Avenue in East Providence. It's a section known as the old village of Phillipsdale. This bridge has always felt like a gateway to a distant time. The homes beyond this bridge are out of the 18th and 19th centuries. Mills in the area date back to the Industrial Revolution. Driving a car through this section of East Providence feels anachronistic.

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MISC - Reflections

2006-04-24T21:06:00.000-04:00

I was planning to use this as my Photo-a-Day shot until I saw how well the raindrops closeup on my Japanese Maple came out. Still, I thought these reflections on Twin Rivers were good enough to make the miscellaneous folder. I'll save the PAD scene for a day when there's a much nicer sky.

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PAD06 - Japanese Maple

2006-04-24T20:43:00.000-04:00

We had some rain overnight and I liked the looks of the raindrops hanging from the branches of my Japanese Maple tree. The leaves are just starting to form which made for a very interesting composition. This shot was taken with my 4x close-up filter on the 28-300mm zoom.

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New Hampshire Weekend Gallery

2006-04-24T18:08:00.000-04:00

A friend and I went to New Hampshire on the weekend of March 11th and 12th. The purpose of the trip was to photograph some waterfalls while they were still frozen for the winter. What we did not anticipate was the amount of snow still on the ground. It had been a mild winter with relatively little snowfall, yet there was still about a foot of snow on the trails. The rivers and waterfalls were covered in snow, in some cases obscuring the fact that there was water there at all. Still, I was able to get some decent shots of Lower Georgiana Falls and some of the cascades on Falling Waters Trail. We also found a very nice frozen cascade along Route 302 in Crawford Notch.

The gallery may be viewed at New Hampshire Weekend: March 2006.
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PAD06 - Flowers

2006-04-23T20:51:00.000-04:00

The weather was really questionable today, so I decided to make use of the nice flowers my neighbor planted alongside her house.

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PAD06 - Bristol

2006-04-22T23:19:00.000-04:00

This small harbor is now home to the Prudence Island Ferry which connects Prudence Island with Bristol, Rhode Island. In the late 18th century, however, it was home to the Bristol Naval Reserve, part of the Rhode Island Militia.

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PAD06 - Red Winged Blackbird

2006-04-21T23:21:00.000-04:00

I was heading back to work after photographing an historical grave in a nearby cemetery when I spotted this red-winged blackbird sitting in a bush along the side of the road. There is a small wetlands behind our Operations Center which explains the presence of the bird. This was the only shot I was able to get of him, though. He flew off moments after I snapped this photo.

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PAD06 - The Shunned House

2006-04-20T23:22:00.000-04:00

Officially known as the Stephen Harris House, this clapboard house was built in 1763 and is featured in the H.P. Lovecraft story "The Shunned House". The house sits on Benefit Street on the historic East Side of Providence, Rhode Island. Benefit Street was originally Back Street and is one of the oldest streets in the city. This particular house was home to a Huguenot couple that was buried on the site when they died. When the street was widened, most of the bodies in the family plots along this street were moved to the North Burial Grounds, but some were missed, including the bodies of the Huguenots. The Harris family that owned this house after the Revolution suffered a series of misfortunes. Mrs. Harris suffered from mental illness and was often heard screaming - in French - from the second floor bedroom, leading some to speculate that she was possessed by the dead Huguenots. The houses reputation suffered through the years and the Harris family was unable to sell it. In Lovecraft's time, the house had been abandoned for well over a decade and was in a severe state of disrepair. The house was finally restored to its present form in the 1970s.

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PAD06 - Pomham Rocks Lighthouse

2006-04-19T23:24:00.000-04:00

The Pomham Rocks Lighthouse was first lighted on December 1, 1871. It sits about 800 yards from shore on the east side of the Providence River.

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PAD06 - Angel Street

2006-04-18T23:26:00.000-04:00

This section of Angel Street is the link between downcity Providence and the historic East Side. The houses on this street date back to the early 18th century and are flanked by the First Baptist Church, established in 1638.

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PAD06 - Springtime

2006-04-17T23:27:00.000-04:00

Spring has finally arrived in Rhode Island. I'm not sure what type of bush this is but it was in full bloom today when I stopped by Crescent Park in East Providence.

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New Galleries

2006-04-17T08:53:00.000-04:00

Two new galleries have been added to the photo site. The first is Historic Armories and is dedicated to photographing the 18 historic armories in Rhode Island. The second is Stone Memorials. That gallery contains photographs from various cemeteries throughout the area, including a series on Mercy Brown, the last vampire in North America.

The Photo-a-Day project is still going strong, although I've been pretty lax about posting the updates on this blog. I'll be catching this blog up over the course of the next week or so. The entries will be back dated to be chronologically correct, however, so when viewed they will appear older than this post. Stay tuned.

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PAD06 - Mussels

2006-04-16T21:04:00.000-04:00

There is an artificial breakwater that connects Slater Grove Memorial Park in Warwick, Rhode Island with a small tidal island known as Rock Island. Much of the island is underwater at high tide, leaving much of the sea life exposed for several hours each day. Here's a close-up of some mussels that are underwater when the tide is high but exposed when the tide is low. This photo was taken with the Tiffen 4x close-up lens attached to my Sigma 28-300mm zoom.

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PAD06 - Rhode Island's Vampire

2006-04-15T21:03:00.000-04:00

Mercy L. Brown has the unique distinction of being the last of the North American vampires. At the tender age of 19, she died of consumption (tuberculosis) on January 17, 1892, following both her mother and her sister Mary Olive into the grave. After her death, her brother Edwin, who also suffered from consumption, worsened significantly. As his breathing labored, he would complain that he saw Mercy sitting on his chest in the middle of the night. Their father, frantic for any solution, turned to folklore since science had failed him. On March 17, 1892, he convinced authorities to exhume the body of his daughter Mercy, believing that she was rising from her grave to attack Edwin. When they opened the coffin, they found that the body had moved after burial and that her heart and liver still had liquid blood in them. The body did not show evidence of the decay that would be expected after three months in the grave. Convinced that the evidence proved Mercy to be a vampire, they removed her heart and burnt it on a nearby stone, and fed the ashes to Edwin. The ritual did not save Edwin, who died two months later, but he was the last of the Brown family to die from the disease.

In this photo, George, Mercy’s father, is to the left. Mercy’s mother Mary is on the right. Mercy’s grave is behind George’s and just peeking out behind her mother’s grave is Mary Olive. Notice that people still leave small offerings on Mercy’s grave. That’s an orange placed in front of the headstone.

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PAD06 - Dilapidated

2006-04-14T21:02:00.000-04:00

I stumbled across this run-down horse stable while photographing an armory in Chepachet, Rhode Island. From the looks of things, this stable suffered a fire some years ago and has been left in a state of disrepair.

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PAD06 - Leafcutter Bee

2006-04-13T21:01:00.000-04:00

I picked up a set of Tiffen close-up filters for my 28-300mm lens and took them out for a trial run today. About the only thing in bloom around here is goldenrod, and I was fortunate enough to find this leafcutter bee crawling through the flowers. I used the 2x lens on this one and shot it hand-held at 300mm. There was a pretty strong wind which made it quite challenging to keep the bee and flower in focus. A tripod is definitely needed for sharpness, especially at 300mm.

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PAD06 - John Hunt House

2006-04-12T20:59:00.000-04:00

This house was built by Lt. John Hunt, Jr. in 1750 shortly after his marriage to Rachel Carpenter. Built on the banks of 10-mile River, the house has the unique distinction of being under the jurisdiction of the British Crown, the United States, the town of Rehobeth, Massachusetts, the town of Seekonk, Massachusetts, and the city of East Providence, Rhode Island. The house was recently restored by the Rhode Island Historical Society.

Just as an aside, this is the first photo published that was shot with my newest lens - a Sigma 10-20mm super wide angle zoom.

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PAD06 - Communication

2006-04-11T20:58:00.000-04:00

I had to travel to Atlanta on business today and had to make due with a photo inside the hotel. I found this decorative phone in the hallway outside my room. It actually made an interesting photo subject.

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PAD06 - Rundown

2006-04-10T20:57:00.000-04:00

Today's theme was "Rundown". I don't think this house has seen a paint brush in the 35 years I've lived in this neighborhood.

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PAD06 - Opening Day

2006-04-09T20:56:00.000-04:00

The second Sunday in April is opening day for trout season in Rhode Island. Many ponds and lakes are stocked with rainbow trout in honor of the event. Within a week, most of the trout have been caught. This scene is from Olney Pond in Lincoln Woods State Park.

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PAD06 - Gloomy

2006-04-08T20:54:00.000-04:00

Today's theme was "Gloomy". I found this small cemetary at the end of Windsor Avenue in Johnston, Rhode Island.

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PAD06 - Soap

2006-04-07T20:53:00.000-04:00

Today's theme was "Soap". It looks like I finally found a use for the Soap channel on cable.

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PAD06 - Holy Week

2006-04-06T20:52:00.000-04:00

This cross and purple stole are in front of the Newman Congregational Church in Seekonk, Massachusetts. I found the advertisment for Jesus Christ Superstar to be a bit surprising, though. I would never have associated that early '70s rock opera with the Congregational church.

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PAD06 - Yuck!

2006-04-05T20:51:00.000-04:00

Today's theme was "Yuck!" Now, I'm going to completely ignore the question as to why I happen to have a can of Haggis, and skip right to the more important question. Why would anyone think to can the stuff in the first place? YUCK!

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pad06 - Pointy

2006-04-04T20:49:00.000-04:00

Today's theme was "Pointy". As I was leaving the parking lot at work for my afternoon photo session, I spotted this line of pine trees against the cloudy grey sky. I decided to shoot it as a silouehette to emphasize the points of the trees against the clouds.

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PAD06 - Forgotten

2006-04-03T20:48:00.000-04:00

Today's theme was "Forgotten". This monument stands on Veterans Memorial Parkway in East Providence, Rhode Island. It commemorates a four canon fort that once stood on a hill just across the parkway. Built in 1775, the fort was used to protect Providence Harbor (which no longer exists) from the British during the American Revolution. Few remember that a fort once stood on this site, and even fewer recall the role Rhode Island played in the Revolution.

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PAD06 - Lincoln Woods

2006-04-02T20:46:00.000-04:00

This small pond is part of Lincoln Woods State Park. It's just a small duck pond along the side of the road and isolated from the main body of Olney Pond. There's a small wooden bridge that crosses it from the parking lot to the beach. With the reflections in the water, it made a very nice scene today.

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PAD06 - Frustration

2006-04-01T20:45:00.000-05:00

Today was an exercise in frustration. I upgraded my internet connection to Cox Premier, which is supposed to give you up to 15 Mbps download and 2 Mbps upload. When I tested it using the router shown above, I was getting a whopping 800 kbps download. After playing phone tag with Cox and Linksys, both of whom blamed the other, I went down to CompU$A and picked up a Netgear router. Now my speeds are around 5 Mbps but still nowhere near where they should be. If I connect directly to the computer without the router I do get 15 Mbps download, so the problem is definitely with the router. Hence the title of my photo, today: Frustration.

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PAD06 - Noise

2006-03-31T20:55:00.000-05:00

Today's theme was "Noise". Now, does anybody remember what is shown in this photo? I'm sure if you're under 30 you've never heard one. That is a Civil Defense Siren and it sits atop a local fire station. When I was a kid, they tested these sirens every day at noon and at 6:00 PM. Of course, we also had air raid drills back then, but that's a different story. Now if I could only find a poster of Tommy Turtle..

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PAD06 - Clock

2006-03-30T20:53:00.000-05:00

Today's theme was "Clock". I had originally setout to photograph the luminescent hands on a small alarm clock, but that simply was not cooperating at all and I didn't have time to play with it tonight. I'll continue to work on it when I can. For now, we'll have to settle for the official time in the US as reported by NIST.

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PAD06 - World War II Memorial

2006-03-29T20:02:00.000-05:00

This turned out to be a secondary shot, today. The shot I planned to capture was hampered by the position of the sun directly behind the target. I'll have to take that shot earlier in the day. In any case, this is the World War II Memorial in East Providence, RI. Some major surgery was required to remove some thick powerlines cutting across the scene.

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PAD06 - Barrington

2006-03-28T20:00:00.000-05:00

This quaint stretch of houses is just south of Hundred Acre Cove in Barrington, RI.

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PAD06 - First Robin of Spring

2006-03-27T19:53:00.000-05:00

While searching for a theme for today's photo, this American Robin landed in my yard about five feet away from me. I added a spotlight type gradiant effect in Photoshop to produce the final image, highlighting the first robin of spring.

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PAD06 - Red

2006-03-26T19:52:00.000-05:00

Today's theme was "Red". Conveniently, my folks recently bought a brand new bright red Hyundai.

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PAD06 - Old School

2006-03-25T19:50:00.000-05:00

Today's theme was "Old School". I don't think you can get more old school than some vinyl records that span at least 4 decades. For the record (no pun intended), the Mitch Miller and West Side Story albums belong to my parents. The Police album belongs to me.

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PAD06 - Calendar

2006-03-24T19:49:00.000-05:00

Today's theme was "Calendar". This large calendar is on the wall in my den and is the calendar I use for vacation planning. All of the blue notes represent confirmed travel plans in 2006.

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PAD06 - Bicycles

2006-03-23T19:47:00.000-05:00

Today's theme was "bicycles". This one is an exercise in old and new. The bike on the left is a 26 year old 10-speed Alpine Vista. The one on the right is a brand new hybrid that, to be honest, I regret buying. Having ridden the hybrid for a season, I want to go back to my old 10-speed.

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PAD06 - Extraneous

2006-03-22T18:15:00.000-05:00

Just how many mailboxes do you need? Today's theme was "extraneous" and it seems to me that five mailboxes is a bit overkill.

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PAD06 - Sea Shells

2006-03-21T18:04:00.000-05:00

Today's theme was "Things that start with S". Here are some sea shells nestled in the sand at Crescent Park in East Providence.

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PAD06 - Bike Path

2006-03-20T18:03:00.000-05:00

I planned to photograph the solitude of this stretch of bike path. The jogger that ran buy added a very nice feel to the shot, however.

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PAD06 - Kitchen Utensils

2006-03-19T18:01:00.000-05:00

Today's theme was "kitchen utensils". Since they didn't specify clean or dirty, I thought I'd take a shot of this frying pan after cooking some chicken breasts.

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PAD06 - Downy Woodpecker

2006-03-18T13:31:00.000-05:00

Sigma finally returned my 174-500mm lens so I took it out for a trial run. This Downy Woodpecker peaking around a tree made a worthy subject.

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PAD06 - Blue

2006-03-17T13:29:00.000-05:00

Today's theme was "blue". I was all set to take a photo of a blue cabin cruiser in a state of disrepair when I noticed the deep blue of the water in the Seekonk River. The pilings in the middle of the river just added to the scene. The bridge in the background was the Washington Bridge section of I-195.

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PAD06 - Triangles

2006-03-16T13:27:00.000-05:00

Today's theme was "triangles". There are several high tension power-line towers near Bold Point park in East Providence, and all of them are comprised of numerous metal bar triangles. This is a shot of one across the river at India Point with the Washington Bridge section of I-195 in the background.

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PAD06 - Rust

2006-03-15T13:26:00.000-05:00

Today's theme was "rust" and this bridge to nowhere certainly fit the bill. This is an old railroad bridge in East Providence, RI that ends at the second span you see on the right of the photo. The tracks on the East Providence side have long since been turned into a bike path. Of the tracks on the Providence side of the river, there is no longer any trace.

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PAD06 - Lucky

2006-03-14T13:23:00.000-05:00

Today's theme was "lucky". Here's a poker hand I'll never see in my lifetime. Were it not for bad luck, I'd never have any luck at all!

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PAD06 - Eyes

2006-03-13T13:21:00.000-05:00

Today's theme was "eyes" and my dog Princess was a willing subject. She's holding out for a high price before signing the model release, however.

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PAD06 - The Basin

2006-03-12T10:58:00.000-05:00

Cascades skim the smooth granite rocks at The Basin in Franconia Notch State Park in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

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PAD06 - Stairs Falls

2006-03-11T10:56:00.000-05:00

Ice still encases Stairs Falls, but water is starting to pour through gaps in the frozen waterfall. Here is a dramatic shot looking through a large opening in the ice on the falls. Stairs Falls is about a mile up Falling Waters Trail in Franconia Notch State Park, in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

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PAD06 - Feet

2006-03-10T10:55:00.000-05:00

Today's theme was "Feet". Since I was heading up north for some weekend hiking, I thought it would be an appropriate twist on the theme to photograph our hiking boots in standard marching order. The shot just screamed for a black and white conversion.

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PAD06 - Dirty

2006-03-09T10:53:00.000-05:00

Today's theme was "Dirty". It's amazing how much dust will collect in the back of a PC! This is a view of one of my Dell desktops. Believe it or not, I actually take an air blower to this box frequently, yet it still manages to collect all the dust in the house.

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PAD06 - Beads

2006-03-08T23:17:00.000-05:00

Today's photo theme was "beads". This is a faux jade necklace I purchased from one of the local Mayan girls in Antigua, Guatemala.

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PAD06 - Boston Skyline

2006-03-07T23:16:00.000-05:00

Today was the last travel day on my vacation. This is a shot of the Boston, Massachusetts skyline as seen from my hotel room at the Hilton Logan Airport.

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PAD06 - Great Kiskadee

2006-03-06T23:15:00.000-05:00

My last morning in Belize I spotted this Great Kiskadee just outside the window of the reception desk at the jungle lodge. I was pleased at the results given I was shooting through a closed window.

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River Crossing

2006-03-05T23:10:00.000-05:00

We crossed this river on our way from the jungle lodge to Caracol.

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PAD06 - Cascades in Belize

2006-03-04T13:17:00.000-05:00

These cascades formed a small pool about 300 feet below our jungle lodge in Belize. The pool made for great swimming in the afternoon.

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PAD06 - Tikal Necropolis

2006-03-03T13:16:00.000-05:00

This is the Necropolis in Tikal as seen from the top of Temple 2.

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PAD06 - Beware of Crocodiles

2006-03-02T13:14:00.000-05:00

There was a nature trail around our hotel in Peten, Guatemala. The river behind the hotel was allegedly home to over 80 crocodiles. Unfortunately, I didn't see a one.

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PAD06 - Lake Atitlan

2006-03-01T13:09:00.000-05:00

Today was my last day at Lake Atitlan. This is a nice shot of some pilings taken from the beach on the shore of the lake.

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PAD06 - Curses

2006-02-28T12:56:00.000-05:00

This local Mayan woman in Santiago Atatlan was very upset that nobody purchased anything from her. As our boat pulled away from the docks, she stood their and bestowed a curse on us!

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PAD06 - Making Corn Tortillas

2006-02-27T12:55:00.000-05:00

These women are making corn tortillas at a local restaurant between Antigua and Lake Atatlan. The brick stove burns wood for heat. Making the tortillas is not as easy as it looks as one member of our tour learned the hard way.

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PAD06 - Living Beneath a Volcano

2006-02-26T12:52:00.000-05:00

Antigua is surrounded by volcanos, one of which had a minor eruption just after we left. This is Volca Fuega as seen from atop my hotel.

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PAD06 - Angelic

2006-02-25T11:26:00.000-05:00

As part of the tour, we had the opportunity to have lunch with a local family. It was by far the most memorable part of the trip. This little girl was extremely shy but stood in that angelic pose for me while I snapped this photo.

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PAD06 - Horse Drawn Carriage

2006-02-24T11:20:00.000-05:00

Antigua Guatemala was one of the more picturesque cities I visited during my tour of Central America. The streets are all cobblestone and the buildings quite comfortable. Horse drawn carriages can be hired to take visitors on a tour of the city.

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