PAD06 - Pink Azalea

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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