• Arlington National Cemetery, where we arrived in time for the changing of the guard and a wreath-laying ceremony;
• the Lincoln Memorial, outside crawling with people like so many ants on an anthill, inside a hushed silence except for the flashes and whirring noises of cameras;
• the War memorials, each with a handful of surviving veterans immersed in memories of glory and misery;
• the Washington Monument, its impressive height serving as a central beacon for the city;
• the Jefferson Memorial, etched with words that stir emotions and invite quiet reflection;
• the Capitol Building, oozing with power, symbolism, pomp and circumstance;
• the Supreme Court Building, an elegant, stately, silent sentinel perpetually eyeing the Capitol;
• the White House, more magnificent and grand than its condensed presence on news programs.

Everywhere we found ourselves in the company of others just like us, standing with cricked necks, mouths agape, eyes full of wonder.

We returned to the city, completing our stay in Old Town Alexandria. The last day we planned an outing to Mount Vernon, home of George and Martha Washington. The rain was relentless. It was cold and clammy and our resolve was weakening. During the home tour we heard the story of Washington’s death. After returning from a day spent inspecting his farm in snow and freezing rain, he sat down for dinner without changing his wet clothes. Two days later he succumbed to an illness that had turned from a bad cold into a serious infection. So despite the nasty weather, we continued touring the grounds, examining the outbuildings, wandering through the orchard, walking in the footsteps of the father of our country.

Traveling through the Low Country of South Carolina is one of those unexpectedly sweet, serene, and intriguing trips in America.  Forgetting the humidity and alligators, for a moment, the swaying grasses that fill the lagoons and waterways create a visual backdrop akin to a living Monet as far as you can see.  The wildlife, ocean intrusions, and mossed-over trees fill your brain with a psychic fudge that oozes into relaxation whether you're ready or not.  The Low Country in the Fall is what everyone needs for a break, a time to mellow out and to put life in perspective.

This is just to show how really easy it is to get Creative with your Digital Images using just the Windows Gallery Program.The first group starts out with a Normal Photo. I did Crop tp bring it closer,and, added a touch of Contrast. For the #2 Image I slid the Tint Control to the Right . #3 went to the Left. In the Second Group the #1 Image is Cropped and Contrast only. #2 the Tint control is to the Right. #3 it is to the Left. If you want to start playing with Saturation you can intensify the colors. Color Temperture will hav a similar effect like Tint. You can make many variations of the same photo. So, Go Have Fun!!  Art

If my Reading of The Tea Leaves is right, it will take that long for the Economy to recover enough for me to make try making another go with Hyside Photography. This was a date I gleaned from many hours going thru Finatial News Sources over a year ago. I knew almost for sure this Spring. That was where my 50/50 chance to make it came from. That number was to get me thru the Winter. It hit home in Northern New Hampshire a bit sooner than that. I knew I might as well try now as it would be some time before I could try again. I hope I am wrong in this date,but, I have done well so far in my guessing. There will be a lot of hardship this Winter,  and Spring will be most welcome by many. The next round of Foreclosures from Prime Loan Defaults will hit strong  by years end. Some day you can look back on these years and tell the Kids about the tough time in the "Five Year Downturn".  Art

I have been quite Public in my quest to try to profesionalize my Photographic Hobby. From the onset, 1 1/2 years ago, I knew the Economy was going to be my biggest problem. Little did I know how big it was to be. The Right Product, at the Right Time, to the Right People! That has governed what I do. The Product I did well on. Rave Reviews! The People? They were the Subjects of my Photos! The Timing? Totally Wrong!! Consumer Confidence Index is a term we hear all the time. Till now it has had little to do with me. Now it is slapping me up side the head Big Time! And, not just me !! The gentleman on the right is Roger Irwin! He is the Nature Photographer I would love to be. His work would be what National Geographic would be proud to have in their magazine. N.H. Fish & Wild Life Dept. has his photos in their magazine. How is he doing in this Economy? He holds a P.T. job to allow him to continue doing what he loves. I was quite shocked by that. This guys work is "GOOD"!!  He has the same problem I have with Promises Not Kept! People want something, then, change their mind. I am now hanging onto photos from three custermers, that asked for them,  and now are No Shows! Sorta looks like August will be the last month in my Court House Studio! Pull back, re-group, and try again Next Year! The Street Fair had half the normal partisipants and all low end products. People walking back from it were Empty Handed! I think that Winter of 2009/2010 will be a Long One.  Art / Hyside

At least three people asked that question when they saw the Place Mat size image of them I printed and laminated. Lesson #1 for a New Band is to get the Sound right. Lesson #2 is to get the Image right. They sounded great! Do not ask me what they play because it is not what I might choose to listen to. Having said that, I know good "Sounding" music when I hear. I used to record bands on a Reel to Reel Recorder a "Few" years back. I now deal in the Visual mode. A good photo can show a band what is right and wrong with their Image in the same way that a good recording will show off their sound. First off, "Who Are They!?!"  You can see Beevis and Butt Head, but no name of the band. Also, what is all that Junk in the back? And a clab board building does not make for a good photo. A Drop Cloth would look better. You might say that the people there know who they are and do not care about the look. What about all those Cell Phones blinking away? Plus the digital cameras. Free advertising if only they looked good and one knew who they were from all those images. Those speaker stands and monitors down front are good places to put their name. And, that Drop Cloth too. All my photos have my "Hyside" on it descreatly signed in a bottom corner. Name recognition is important. This lesson goes for any business, not just bands and photographers. Do not miss a chance to get your name and product out there. A clothing match up for the three would not hurt. Who are they?Dae Ja Vu! Wrong spelling, I know!!   All the more reason to have it in the photo!! Art / Hyside

Koko Gardens:  One of the less known hiking trails on Ohau is the Koko Gardens.  This area has so many different kinds of plants and vegetation and is a quiet place to spend the day.  Some of the many plants found are:

Of special note is the native grove of wiliwili trees (Erythrina sandwicensis) found in the Hawaiian section.

KOKO CRATER BOTANICAL GARDEN is home to a collection of rare and beautiful plants from the tropical regions of the world. Some are rare or endangered in their native habitat.  It is a cinder cone remaining from the last active volcano that occurred on O'ahu approximately 10,000 years ago. This crater is the tallest tuff ring in Hawaii, measuring 1,207 feet in height. The slopes of the crater drop steeply into the Molokai Channel, an area which lacks protection from any offshore reefs, causing very turbulent seas in this area.

We have never seen so many different nor such large Cacti.  They grow in one whole section that is amazing both in the variety of plants and their individual size.  This collection is amazing.  This is a little known treasure on the island.  From our experience, this park has few visitors and is one of the island's best kept secrets.  

 Okay, maybe this is quite self-indulgent, but I'm so proud I could burst!  And to be clear, I came in 2nd, not 1st. But, hey my little Nellie-Belle was chosen out of all those entries nationwide--I knew she looked cute, but not prize-worthy. Who am I to disagree with the judges?! I've already gotten 630 hits on her picture and it's still climbing....

  Now, most kitties are stubborn and down right ornery when it comes to this sort of thing, but not Nellie. She never tries to take a hat or costume off. I've been dressing her up for photos to use as my holiday cards since she was a pup--er--kitten. When I put one on her now she sort of looks a bit humiliated, stares at me and then bares one tooth (her signature smile) and sighs as if to say "Take yer dang picture!"  So I do!  Some of the best shots I've taken were when she moves out of a position I think would make a great photo, and poses herself.

    Nellie isn't a lap cat to be sure, but she's a self-assured, sweet, and very friendly little girl. She greets everyone who comes to my door, then leads them into the livingroom constantly looking back several times to make sure she's being followed! If not, she'll round you up and set you straight.

     Everyone is also amazed that she not only lets me cut her claws she'll actually put her paw out when I grab the cutters. Not one of those new-fangled safety-rotor-drilly-sander type things, but the old-fashioned scissor type.

      Nellie came to me as a surprise gift from a friend 10 years ago. Now, folks, don't get me wrong, but I've always been a true dog-lover at heart and still prefer them. But this tubby, 13 pound, green eyed, gray, uselees lump of fur has won my soul, gotten under my skin and taught me how to respect these beautiful, treasured animals. As for her? Well, she's Queen of her Catdom  (aka  my home)

   I guess I just want all you animal lovers out there to know that putting a silly costume on a pet isn't always for laughs--sometimes there's a bit of glory knocking at your door, too.

   Thanks for listening,

    Your friend, Lori

I talked a little about moose and bears in Anchorage once before. I now have a rather unfortunate update pertaining to bears ...

Three separate incidents have occurred here within the last six weeks where hikers or joggers have encountered brown bears within the city itself. A fourth incident involved a black bear.

In two of these incidents, the persons involved escaped unscathed.

The other two, however were not as fortunate. ["Fortunate" is being used as a relative term here.]  They were each mauled by a different bear.

In the first, a jogger happened to run into the vicinity of a brown bear with a fresh kill. The bear attacked in defense of its kill. The jogger was badly mauled, but - from the last published reports - had survived the attack. In this case the jogger had little chance of avoiding the confrontation because no one had reported the kill. Running onto the scene was just an unfortunate occurrence.

The second incidence could have been easily avoided. Two people were hiking one of the many trails in Anchorage's extensive trail system. They were talking quietly and managed to find themselves between a sow and her two cubs - the single most dangerous position they could have encountered. One ran for help, the other was caught by the sow and injured severely. [The injured person had the sense to "play dead" so that the sow believed that the danger to her cubs was gone, so that person survived as well.]

It should never had happened. Rule #1 when entering areas in which bears are known or suspected to inhabit is to MAKE NOISE. Few bears want confrontations - least of all a female with cubs - and will do everything they can to avoid the confrontation. Many places in the city sell "bear bells". While many residents "point and laugh" at people carrying/wearing these small brass bells, they have proven to be effective in alerting bears to your presence long before arriving at the scene. Almost invariably, the bear (or bear with cubs) will vacate the area in an effort to avoid you.

So... If you ever do come to Alaska.... Buy and wear the bells. The "pointing and laughing" doesn't really hurt you; a surprised bear will !

Since I'm an Alaska Master Gardener I'm amazed that in the "City of Lights and Flowers" entry that I didn't include the Alaska Botanical Garden - especially since I had entries in a flower show there while I was writing that journal entry!

Anyway... There are three botanical gardens in Alaska that I know of:

The newest ("Fritz Creek Gardens" ) is about 10 miles east of Homer, Alaska and began as a commercial gardening enterprise. I visited it for the first time in May 2008. It's 450 miles round-trip from Anchorage but the scenic beauty of the trip - much along the scenic drive that I mentioned - makes the trip seem shorter than it actually is. Rita Jo owns and manages Fritz Creek Garden and has turned it into a very nice (if small) botanical garden. The national recognition is new - it only happened about a year ago - but it's worth visiting with "camera in hand".

I think that the Georgeson Botanical Garden in Fairbanks is the eldest of the three. Created by the University of Alaska Fairbanks (the eldest university in the state), it's reported to be quite wonderful to view - especially during Fairbank's HOT summer days. [It's both much colder (winter) and much hotter (summer) in Fairbanks than in Anchorage.] I haven't personally seen it yet - round-trip from Anchorage by car is about 850 miles! But then I've only been in Fairbanks twice in my 8 years living in Alaska. [I will get there sooner-or-later!]

The trip to

The third - and the one with which I'm most familiar - is the Alaska Botanical Garden. It's located within the City of Anchorage, is [roughly] 15 years old and is located in a very wooded area on the north side of town. For many years it was solely volunteer-supported; it's now incorporated as a not-for-profit agency. Still... only part of it's 100(?) acres have been "organized" so it's about equally split between being a botanical garden and being a wander-through-the-woods destination.