A Dad's Life: 365 Views

A Flame of Sadness, A Flame of Hope

2008-01-20T14:49:00.000-08:00

Taken this afternoon during a very blustery walk through Arlington Cemetery. The way things have been going int his country in recent years, perhaps it's time to stop and consider everything for which this flame stands...

A New Year's Walk Through History

2008-01-01T13:30:00.001-08:00

To ring in 2008, I took the family into Washington and paid a visit to the historic Congressional Cemetery -- partly for the history, but mostly because it's a quiet place with a lot of space to walk and run around (perfect for having the oldest tire herself out). It's a really great place for photography as well, and you never quite know what you're going to find.

For instance, you might see a march king...

...or a beautiful Native American peace monument put in place in commemoration of the September 11 attacks...

...or a humorous marker meant to keep the visitors guessing.

And you never know who might fly over for a look...

An Unusual Nativity

2007-12-31T13:23:00.000-08:00

Read the nativity stories in Matthew and Luke and you'll see about the animals who were present at the manger during the birth of Jesus. Sheep, yes; cattle, presumably; goats, maybe.

But dinosaurs? And a pack of Godzillas?

Our neighbor up the street seems to think so, and has an unusual twist on the manger scene that he sets up in his front yard each year. This year, I had to get some pictures before he took it down.

At least he seems to have the plant eaters positioned closest to the child. This is one of the funnier sights each Christmas in our neighborhood.

A Mountain Drive

2007-11-24T15:40:00.000-08:00

I took A. and the girls to visit my sister in Blacksburg today, and after a wonderful afternoon I decided to take a really rural road back to the in-laws' house in Roanoke (instead of relying on the interstate). This was one of the views that we saw as we were driving along -- it's incredible to realize, even after having been raised in this part of the state, that places like this still exist. Living in the D.C. area, you don't get to see this too often!

A Son of the South

2007-11-23T17:08:00.000-08:00

My father-in-law and I took a drive to Lexington, Virginia today and among other stops visited the gravesite of one of Virginia's favorite sons, Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. Lexington is a beautiful, well-preserved southern town and has countless places to take some beautiful photographs. My time was limited, but I wanted to include these two.

New York City - Part 4

2007-11-16T19:37:00.000-08:00

A memorial to the firefighters of Engine Company 10 who lost their lives on 9-11, located at the station -- right across the street from Ground Zero.

New York City - Part 3

2007-11-15T19:36:00.000-08:00

St. Paul's Chapel.

New York City - Part 2

2007-11-14T19:34:00.000-08:00

Trinity Church, Wall Street.

The Spot Where the World Changed

2007-11-13T19:30:00.000-08:00

A. and I just spent several days in New York on business, and while there I took several pictures that will make up a series for this week. Here is the first one; I don't think any description is necessary.

Yesteryear

2007-11-04T12:45:00.001-08:00

The Old State Theater, Culpeper, Virginia.

The Old Churchyard - Part 2

2007-11-03T12:44:00.000-07:00

The Old Churchyard - Part 1

2007-11-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

Rooftops

2007-10-27T19:27:00.000-07:00

A. and I took the girls on a Halloween river cruise on the Potomac today, and for a few minutes I was able to get out on the top deck and take some photographs. This is one of my favorites -- a series of rooflines and steeples in Old Town Alexandria. For some reason, the borders are crooked after I adjusted the angle of the photo on the computer.....

Back for More

2007-10-23T19:20:00.000-07:00

Now that I've started carrying my camera in my briefcase everywhere I go, I decided to give the photo blog another shot (pardon the pun). Today was a great way to get started -- this was the view in front of my house this morning as the sun was coming up.

Hiatus

2007-07-10T17:40:00.000-07:00

Regretfully, I'm going to have to end this photo blog, at least temporarily. With the demands of an ongoing job hunt and of two young daughters, along with everything else in which my wife and I are involved, I just haven't had the time or motivation to try and take photographs every day and keep up with this blog as a true 365 project. At the rate I'm currently going, it will take 10 years to accumulate 365 photos.

I may pick this up again at some point down the road, but for the time being my energies will be directed at my real life and at my main blog.

2007-07-04T23:22:00.000-07:00

Some severe thunderstorms that moved through the area this afternoon and early-evening prevented us from getting out to the city's fireworks display, but it didn't keep us from watching the show put on by our neighbors. It's the first time I've used the fireworks setting, and since there weren't many sky displays I had to practice on the "lawn lights."

Regardless of the size of the display, though, MB was thrilled with what I think were the first fireworks she had seen live.

More Rain, More Blooms

2007-07-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

After a long spell of not much rain, we've gotten a bit more lately -- and in celebration, the hostas are blooming once again.

Double-Dribbling the Harvest Moon

2007-06-30T22:28:00.000-07:00

The fact that I don't own a tripod for my camera -- and my strong inability to hold the camera steady -- lead to some very unusual shots. This is the harvest moon that had just come up over the horizon across the street from our house tonight; gives new meaning to the phrase "moon bounce."

A Two Post Day

2007-06-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

I thought the picture above really captures the spirit of our parish retreat at Shrine Mont: a circle of fellowship.

On our way home this afternoon, we stopped by a very old church (constructed in 1825) in Mount Jackson, Virginia. My wife pulled the car off the road so that I could get out and take some pictures, including this one of an amazing gravestone crafted in the late 19th century.

Candlelight Prayer Service

2007-06-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

This evening, nearly everyone who was attending our parish retreat went to a candlelight Compline service at the outdoor chapel of Shrine Mont. While everyone was being seated, I snapped this picture; initially, I thought I would be disappointed in how it turned out, but now that I've seen it on the computer I don't think I would change a thing.

An Odd Color Photo

2007-06-15T13:08:00.000-07:00

I was trying to capture some good shots of my wife and daughter dancing at the sock hop at our parish retreat tonight, and surprisingly came up with this one that I think is really cool. You see the double strand of the moving rope, and the doubled-up images of the folks dancing in the background.

A First-Time Convertible Ride

2007-06-08T13:10:00.000-07:00

We were having some difficulties with the car we normally use to pick up our oldest at pre-school, so today she had the big thrill of riding in our Mustang convertible. Someone looks really happy in this picture!

A Helping Hand

2007-06-07T13:12:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of cereal for our youngest, and big sister really wanted to help with this first feeding. Looks pretty intent about the whole thing, don't you think?

At the Cathedral Again -- Another View

2007-05-28T16:13:00.000-07:00

Christening Day for Our Youngest Daughter

2007-05-27T16:16:00.000-07:00

A Column's Crown

2007-05-26T16:17:00.000-07:00

Virginia Tech Vaults

2007-05-14T17:21:00.000-07:00

The family visited Virginia Tech today with my youngest sister, but rather than post something about the memorials on campus (which I'll do in my other blog) I'll post an example of why I love the architecture. Another experiment with black-and-white.

Groovin' on a Sunday Afternoon

2007-05-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

My in-laws' cat certainly had the right idea on how to spend this Sunday afternoon.

A Trip to Northwest D.C.

2007-05-06T14:14:00.000-07:00

I made a trip up to the Cathedral today to pick up some gifts for the godparents of our youngest child, and as always carried my camera with me. I'm still having some difficulty with interior shots of the nave and stained glass...

... but am having no trouble whatsoever with the exterior shots. It was an absolutely gorgeous day to visit.

One of My Hobbies

2007-05-05T17:06:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite hobbies is collecting signed books and author autographs, particularly from well-known writers. I've found that authors are often agreeable to honoring requests for signed books or bookplates, particularly if you send a polite, commendatory, and short letter to them. The two Updike signatures arrived in today's mail, the Irving in the past week. The Vonnegut and Styron, of course, were signed long before now. It's a very enjoyable hobby, and I look forward to passing my collection on to my girls one day.

Now if I could just get Salinger or Pynchon to write me back!!

A Day of Silence

2007-04-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Through a Child's Eye(s)

2007-04-29T14:43:00.000-07:00

I spent the better part of the afternoon taking pictures of MB and watching how she used her hands during the day: to play with little rocks, to find caterpillars, to look for ants on their little mounds, to look at flowers in the yard. And then I took this one, and the rest didn't seem quite so important anymore.....

Hostas

2007-04-27T07:42:00.000-07:00

I think hostas are the prettiest when it's early in their annual life. And a touch of rain adds a nice bit to the imagery. We have two types growing in our yard; these two are among the many that got a nice shower overnight.

A Day Out With the Family

2007-04-24T10:49:00.002-07:00

A. and I had promised our oldest that we would take her to the zoo today, and so we enjoyed a nice visit of a few hours to what I think is one of the better sites in D.C. Took a lot of great pictures, although many of the animals MB wanted to see weren't out.

I love especially this picture above; the one on the right looks like he's contemplating either what to do next, or what to make of all of us.

And the big toothy grin from this fellow/gal (I'm not sure which).....

A Lot Can Change in 24 Hours

2007-04-24T10:49:00.001-07:00

... and In With the New

2007-04-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

Everything in our neighborhood is in full spring blossom, from the bushes in our front yard above to the cherry trees across the street at our neighbors' house below.

Out with the Old.....

2007-04-23T11:52:00.000-07:00

This eyesore has been sitting across the street from us since we moved in -- it didn't look quite this bad, but add a bit of old, old siding and a few windows and you'll know EXACTLY how it looked. The new owners have finally decided to tear it down...

...with the chimney starting to be pulled away from the house above...

... and being captured on film a moment before it hits the ground. I've got to give the demolition crew credit; it only took them five or six tries before they figured out how to tie a knot at the end of the rope (attached to the tractor) which wouldn't snap off when they tugged at the chimney.

Now we'll have to see what the new owners put in place of this house!

Any Guesses?

2007-04-20T17:36:00.000-07:00

I'll have to come up with a prize for whoever can figure out what this is. I didn't intend for this picture to come out this way, but it looks pretty cool and conjures up all sorts of images of fairies and magical creatures. Start your guessing!

Visitors

2007-04-20T17:33:00.000-07:00

These two chums paid a visit to my backyard this afternoon, and seemed to be pretty bored with the whole thing -- even after I startled them.

I wonder if maybe there was some courtin' goin' on???

Day of Remembrance

2007-04-20T12:09:00.000-07:00

As you can tell, I didn't take this picture; it was sent to me by my youngest sister, an alumnus of Virginia Tech who still lives in the Blacksburg area and maintains strong ties to the college. She is feeling the emotion of this day much more than I ever could, but I wanted to do my part in paying tribute on this day of remembrance.

The Wind Has Gone, but the Clean-Up Remains

2007-04-17T10:58:00.000-07:00

The purple blossoms are still there, but so, now, is the debris resulting from the rough winds of the past two days. It's mid-April and still very cold; makes me doubt the concept of global warming even more.....

I Thought It Was Spring

2007-04-14T15:21:00.000-07:00

My yard is full of these little purple blossoms, and yet the weather is still cold with more rain (and possibly snow!) on the way. Just what season is this?!?

In Memory of Kurt Vonnegut

2007-04-12T19:17:00.000-07:00

I haven't read any Vonnegut since my required reading of Slaughterhouse Five in high school, so following the announcement of his passing today I headed off to the library and stocked up on several books. The sketch on the dust jacket above is one of my favorites -- probably one of the most elaborate autographs you'll ever see.

My Wife's New Mission

2007-04-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

There is much excitement in our house as A. has decided to embark on a new personal/professional challenge. Practice test number one (without the benefit of even having opened the book) was today; law school in her future, perhaps????

An Easter Reflection

2007-04-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

The Easter Pulpit

2007-04-07T16:29:00.000-07:00

Getting Ready for Easter Eve Church

2007-04-07T16:27:00.000-07:00

When it comes to getting ready for the big Easter family service on Easter Saturday, my daughters have two completely different approaches to things.....

Easter Blossoms

2007-04-07T07:15:00.000-07:00

What a difference a few days makes; compare these to the photo of the same bush from just a few days ago. It's incredible that here we are on Holy Saturday, well into April, and we're still getting a bit of snow. A winter twist on a spring event.

Gregory Peck

2007-04-05T07:09:00.000-07:00

With today being the anniversary of Gregory Peck's birth, I thought it fitting to post this photo. This was taken during an appearance he made in Mobile in 1996 which A. and I were privileged to attend. Quite an extraordinary gentleman.

Reminders of Spring

2007-04-03T10:20:00.000-07:00

While working on some writing samples for a prospective employer today, I stepped out of my little home office to listen to the birds for a minute. The cardinal above was being especially vocal, so I figured he was simply asking for his picture to be taken. While I was out, I looked at how even the bushes in our yard are fully transitioning -- from the bright yellow flowers signalling the arrival of Spring to the rich, young green leaves.

One Step Closer to a Good Moon Shot

2007-03-30T18:28:00.000-07:00

This is actually surprising, considering it's just my little digital camera on maximum zoom, with a bit of adjustment in the shutter speed. It will be nice (one day) to have a telescope that I can attach the camera too for much better space shots.

Shiny Happy People

2007-03-30T12:53:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love it when kids enter the phase when their smiles are natural and not the result of, ummm, natural gas? It's difficult to juggle baby and camera, so it's a bit blurred -- but the happy love is still there!

One of the Great Things About Virginia Interstate Highways...

2007-03-25T12:55:00.000-07:00

... is the view! This is along Interstate 81, on our way home from this most recent visit to Southwest Virginia.

Dusk

2007-03-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

I'm still fooling with lighting settings and shutter speeds, but I thought this shot of a street lamp at dusk taken through the branches of a tree too good to pass up.

Doorway into the Past

2007-03-24T19:11:00.000-07:00

Taken at the Booker T. Washington National Monument.....

More Spring Color!

2007-03-23T18:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, a two post day! The weather today was absolutely magnificent (82 degrees and very sunny), and I saw lots of Springtime color everywhere I looked. I like the one above because of the contrast of the yellow tint of the bush, the small purple flowers behind, and the wooden fence even behind that. Another glimpse from my in-laws' back yard.

Below, one of the many blossoms found on one of their Bradford pear trees.

A Day for Reflection

2007-03-23T18:08:00.000-07:00

I noticed quite a few things being reflected today as I was looking for some interesting shots. Above, a shot of a beautiful flower (type unknown) reflected in a mirror at my in-laws' house.

Below, I was trying to catch one of the bumblebees flying around my in-laws' patio, and snapped what at first I thought to be a lousy shot. When I loaded it on the computer, however, I saw that the bee had been reflected in its shadow on the pavement.

The One Campaign

2007-03-15T11:52:00.000-07:00

This isn't a recent picture; in fact, it's about five years old. However, I joined the One Campaign today and somehow thought this picture was appropriate.....

Spring is Here (Almost?!?)

2007-03-14T13:20:00.000-07:00

I walked out the front door of our house this morning and discovered that our two days of warm weather has resulted in little wonders like this.

Addendum: I found out that this is a crocus.....

Out and About in Old Town

2007-03-14T13:16:00.000-07:00

We took some friends to visit our church while we were out and about enjoying the weather, and I carried the camera along to practice the black-and-white shots I love. The shot above is one of the windows near the altar (I really wanted to get the shutter, candle, and outside lamppost together), and the one below is the box pew used by George Washington and his family when they were parishioners in the late 1700s.

A Day in the Park

2007-03-10T14:44:00.000-08:00

Regardless of the fact that it was going to be short-lived, today's Spring-like weather was a great opportunity for the family to get out for a bit. The four of us took a stroll to a nearby park, and A got this picture of MB and me sitting by the "creek" (or as close to a real creek as you can get in this area) and talking about things.

Trying Something New

2007-03-09T23:00:00.000-08:00

I spent some time outdoors tonight trying to master different shutter speeds and exposure settings. Most of my time was spent practicing on the lamp post in our front yard, and this was the best out of that set. It's quite unusual -- almost a disembodied light sitting in front of our house.

A Bit of Local History

2007-03-06T14:55:00.000-08:00

Each day as we're taking MB to her daycare center, we drive by an old Civil War-era tavern that we've never really taken the time to look at. Today, after dropping her off, I decided to have a closer look; it's a really attractive old building, but it doesn't look as if it's used for much today. I thought a sepia tone for this photo would make it appear even more authentic, but I didn't think to take the picture on that setting, and my photo software doesn't offer it as an option. Black and white will have to do on this.....

A Second Post with No Commentary

2007-03-04T17:03:00.000-08:00

ALMOST THERE -- almost there -- zzzzz.....

2007-03-04T13:13:00.000-08:00

MB went down to the den to take a nap, and my wife claims that she actually made it onto the couch before passing out. When I found her, however, it looked as if she ran out of steam and feel asleep while trying to climb up; I've never seen someone sleep half-on and half-off the sofa before.

My Own Personal Food Taster

2007-03-03T14:47:00.000-08:00

The cake was all ready -- and as you can tell from looking at the front of it, it was only up to someone of small stature and young age to stick a hand in and see if it was good to go.

Capitol Hill - Random Shots

2007-03-02T15:00:00.000-08:00

I was back in D.C. today for some meetings and interviews, and while walking from one location to another I experimented with some black-and-white photography. The shot above is of a Catholic Church on the Senate side of Capitol Hill, and the shot below if of one of the stone eagles supporting a sizeable bench near the Library of Congress.

Bright Lights, Big City

2007-02-28T17:42:00.000-08:00

Okay, so Falls Church isn't a big city, but anywhere in the suburbs of D.C. qualifies. It's the big city feel of these smaller towns that turn a 10-minute trip out to pick up dinner into a 45-minute ordeal. Tonight, I had the camera with me, and I grabbed a quick shot looking into the side mirror of the long line of traffic behind me -- a line that you can see every day at this time. I only wish I had thought to either put the window down, or wash it before I captured it on film!

I May Have the Eyes of an Eagle, But...

2007-02-27T17:16:00.000-08:00

...this blurred photo doesn't look like it. Trying to take a long distance photo out of a car window while sitting at a traffic light and avoiding getting other cars in the shot is exactly as difficult as it sounds; hence the hazy nature of this photo (if only photo software would help with that!). After picking MB up at her daycare center this afternoon, I happened to see this hawk sitting -- rather uninterestedly -- on top of a highway sign in the middle of a four-lane road. For once, I had my real camera with me and not the phone, but the location and pressure of knowing the light was about to change didn't help it much.....

A Job Hunter's Self-Portrait

2007-02-26T19:01:00.000-08:00

Now that the snow has ended (at least for the next few days) and my computer is humming again with the sounds of resumes printing and job sites being explored, it was time for me to get out and see how those resumes would pay off. This is in fact a self-portrait (you can see my shadow reflected in the metro pylon) taken while waiting for one of my trains in D.C. today. As you can tell from the platform, I timed it so that it was not during rush hour. The interview went well; the camera phone shot is okay; we'll see how both end up.....

Some Unexpected Weather

2007-02-25T11:36:00.000-08:00

The weather forecast was for a light layer of ice; now, nearly eight hours after the little layer of ice fell, we now have several inches of snow on the ground. It's made for some very pretty pictures. The trees above in our backyard.....

The holly tree next to our porch.....

A black-and-white closeup of snow on one of our front-yard bushes.....

And one of Little Miss waiting for it to stop so that she can go outside and revel in her practice of the fine art of making snow angels.

Nightmare Week

2007-02-25T11:23:00.000-08:00

I think I'm officially changing the name of this project to "Project 912," because I feel that's how it's going to take me to get one year's worth of pictures. My computer -- which is only four months old -- died four days ago as the result of one attachment on one e-mail, and as a result I haven't had the opportunity to do any work on anything. This picture shows what I've had to stare out for the past few days, mostly with steam coming out of my ears.....

A Life Lesson in Ice

2007-02-17T12:01:00.000-08:00

I spent quite some time this afternoon trying to get a good shot of this magnificent icicle, hanging off the drain spout of our home office. Shot after shot after shot was blurry, or the focus was on the wrong place in the yard, or the lighting was simply just bad. Yet while I was looking at them all on the computer, I realized that is actually a visualization of a life lesson: don't worry so much about the small things (ice) that you miss the big picture (the tree and the rest of the yard). If you worry too much about putting the small things in focus, the rest of your life will go out of focus; the small things will take care of themselves and, ultimately, will make up the bigger picture.

So this isn't the greatest photograph ever, but it says a lot to me.

Semi-Self Portrait

2007-02-16T19:22:00.000-08:00

To get to and from a job interview I had in D.C. this afternoon, I again relied on our really good metro system (one of the better ones around, as far as I'm concerned). On my way home, I happened to glance in the window of my car and saw this reflection of my hand -- which seems to be gripping the seat in front of me rather tightly (a sign of anxiety??). I snapped a quick camera phone pic (since it would have been really odd for the prospective employer to find that I was carrying a camera around in my coat pocket), and was amazed to find the circle of color eminating from my hand; I didn't see it in the window, but when I downloaded it at home, there it was!

A Two-Post Day

2007-02-13T07:17:00.000-08:00

One of the things that really says winter to me is snow on a holly tree; this was taken just a few minutes ago -- we'll see how much snow we end up with.

Snow Cat

2007-02-13T07:15:00.000-08:00

Cat wants out -- cat runs out -- cat finds that it's snowing -- cat spins around on deck -- cat wants back in.....

Almost Touching History

2007-02-11T17:59:00.000-08:00

Tonight, our church hosted a lecture by Dr. Peter Lillback, author of the recently-released George Washington's Sacred Fire -- a sizeable tome that delves in-depth into George Washington's spiritual life and counters the argument that he was a deist with countless examples from his own writing that demonstrate his strong Christian faith. Washington, one of our church's most famous congregants (along with Robert E. Lee), holds a special place in the history of our parish, and the occasion of his 275th birthday has been the cause of much celebration.

As a special treat, and in honor of Dr. Lillback's visit, the Washington family Bible was pulled out of secure storage for use during the service and then for display at Dr. Lillback's session. Actually, even though the Bible belongs to my church, it splits time between there and a display at Mt. Vernon. I took a minute to look closely at it; it was opened to Washington's favorite section, the fourth chapter of Micah -- and the gloves were a good reminder to not touch. But no one said anything about taking snaps.....

I Think They're Comfortable With Each Other

2007-02-10T19:07:00.000-08:00

Self-Portrait

2007-02-07T19:32:00.000-08:00

I finally decided to try the self-portrait, after seeing so many others on other blogs. This one was actually taken yesterday, so it's not quite the current photo, but it's about the best self-portrait I'll probably get at this point.....

9 Pounds, 10 Ounces of Little Love

2007-02-06T13:01:00.000-08:00

In the Presence of Something Far Bigger.....

2007-02-05T12:46:00.000-08:00

My wife and I had a meeting today with one of the members of the clergy at the National Cathedral, and since it's my favorite spot in the entire metropolitan area (I'm up there numerous times each year) I always make sure to have my camera with me. These were actually just some quick shots I snapped while we were walking around -- it's 19 degrees here today, so there wasn't much time to set up more formal, artsy shots.

The first two pictures here are pretty self-explanatory; I didn't do anything to adjust lighting or shutter speed, and wanted to see how just the natural lighting would work.

This is an interior shot of one of the stained glass windows in the corridor outside the Bethlehem Chapel, located in the crypt below the main altar in the cathedral.

This is an exterior shot of one of the windows of the Bethlehem Chapel.

Playing with Fire.....

2007-02-03T17:28:00.000-08:00

...or at least with pictures of it. My father-in-law cooked out on the grill this evening, and I tried a couple of shots while the coals were flaming up (with the zoom, of course!). These were the best two of the lot.

Following in Washington's Footsteps

2007-02-01T18:52:00.000-08:00

My wife had a meeting tonight of the subcommittee she chairs at our church (Christ Church, in Old Town Alexandria), and since she could have the baby at any moment I agreed to drive her to and from the gathering (with her suitcase in the back of the car, just in case). While she was in the meeting, I wandered around the churchyard, trying to get some good night shots of the exterior of the building. I was very disappointed in most, since I'm still trying to master night shots, but I was pretty happy with these -- the entrance to the sanctuary, and the exterior of the building at the altar end of the building.

I really love attending this church: for the liturgy, the congregation and clergy, and the history. George Washington (a vestryman) and Robert E. Lee both attended here, and the Washington pew is still one of the highlights for visitors to the church; in fact, it's rather amusing watching newcomers on Sunday mornings scramble to have the honor of sitting in his box. Sitting in the churchyard, I was trying to block out the traffic and imagine what it would have been like to be a parishioner here two centuries ago.....

A Surprising View

2007-01-31T14:39:00.000-08:00

This shot was taken from the top deck of the parking garage of one of the two metro stations near our home (I was headed into D.C. for more interviews). There's nothing at all remarkable about the view; it just always astounds me that there is so much actual countryside that you can see in one direction, and a huge city and sprawling suburbs that you see in the other.

Killing Time on a Tuesday

2007-01-30T16:48:00.000-08:00

So what do I do with my time on a Tuesday while I'm not in the workforce? I spend the morning sending out dozens of resumes, and the afternoon at the movies (Letters from Iwo Jima -- highly recommended). I'm disappointed in the photo -- it's too blurry, and I can't get my software to sharpen it at all. Sort of matches the blurred phase in my life?? Maybe my camera is trying to tell me something (besides, "Hey, Matt! Why don't you read the instruction manual so you know how to use me?").

The Calm at the Center of the Storm

2007-01-28T19:29:00.000-08:00

No matter how much stress is going on around them, cats never seem to care; they just go on about their business as if there's nothing out of the ordinary. For those that visit my two blogs on a regular basis, you know everything that's been going on in my life; as you can see above, Smokey -- one of our two cats, who has been with us since the day my wife and I got back from our honeymoon over 10 years ago -- is taking it all in stride. She simply jumped up on the footrest of our recliner and settled down for "The Apprentice."

Another camera phone shot fixed up with Corel photo software, and edged with a chalk border.

So What Did I Do Today?

2007-01-27T13:55:00.000-08:00

I took a cue from Julie and decided I would snap some images showing what a day in my life -- in this case, a Saturday -- might be like. It started with a quick view of all of the cars in the driveway -- a sure sign that family is in town and the baby is almost here.

It was then off to take Little Miss to her weekly ballet class. The more she does it, the more excited she gets -- and here, she's making a mad dash for the steps leading up to the door of the studio.

And here is she afterwards; rough morning!

Her nap was interrupted when we met up with her mother and the in-laws at a new restaurant we had discovered, Sweetwater Tavern. It's three minutes from our house, and we've never eaten there. The exterior looks a bit like the Alamo, and the interior has a really modern, southwestern feel to it -- high, beamed ceilings, and a funky mix of colors.

Of course, the drinks were flowing during lunch. This martini belonged to someone at the table, but I promised that when I posted this I wouldn't say to WHOM it belonged.

My wife and I then went and did some last-minute shopping for the baby's room; we got a new changing table and this little onesie that I just couldn't pass up.

Last stop of the day was to pick up some new material for the reading list, and a warm cup of cafe mocha (skim, decaf, and although I normally don't get whip, my wife made sure they piled it on!).

For All of the Harry Potter Fans Out There.....

2007-01-26T18:30:00.000-08:00

I was out with my father-in-law today running some errands (and, of course, I didn't have my camera with me), and at one traffic light we pulled in behind the car above. The first thing I noticed was the Kerry-Edwards sticker -- and then I looked to the right and saw the "Republicans for Voldemort" sticker. I had to try and get a quick camera phone shot; hence the poor quality.

I don't know what's more amusing: the fact that characters from Harry Potter have crept into every facet of our life, including politics, or the fact that members of my party are now supporting evil wizards??

It's Pretty No Matter What Time of Day

2007-01-25T15:27:00.000-08:00

Even when we're not getting a snowstorm, we're still getting snow -- much to my delight. This is a bush that sits in our backyard and has always had this funny lean -- usually in the direction of the sun, but partly because I think I did a hatchet job when I thinned it ouot earlier this year. It's still a healthy shrub; it's just lost it's springtime coat.

I took this picture just after we had gotten a light dusting early this evening; it was taken on the standard automatic setting, but without a flash. I wanted to see what I could capture; the pictures on the night-time setting didn't work out as well. The way we're getting flurries lately, though, I should have plenty of chances to try!

Less Than Two Weeks...

2007-01-24T14:25:00.000-08:00

... and we'll be back in the rocker, tending to the newest tennant of the crib!!

There's Always Green to Be Found

2007-01-23T06:33:00.000-08:00

I never cease to be amazed at the amount of green you can still find in your yard, even in the middle of winter. The ivy certainly hasn't let up; in fact, it's thriving!

You Know It's Cold When.....

2007-01-22T06:28:00.000-08:00

In the little office building behind our house, we have a little refrigerator that we keep stocked with soft drinks, water (and the occasional adult beverage) so that we won't have to keep running back and forth to the house when we're working (or escaping). It does a great job of keeping things very cold, which is great in the summer.

Unfortunately, when it turned winter, I forgot to adjust the temperature settings, and at night everything gets doubly cold. I opened up the refrigerator to grab a Dr. Pepper -- and discovered that they had gotten so cold that a few of them had exploded. In between wipes of the spilled soft drinks, I was chucking cans out into the snow; here are two of the victims (or is it culprits??). I didn't realize soft drinks could even explode -- even after 37 years, I'm still learning new things every day!

The Worst Place to Be When It's Snowing

2007-01-21T13:04:00.000-08:00

Winter is Finally Here!

2007-01-21T10:25:00.000-08:00

I left Lynchburg extremely early this morning in order to beat the anticipated winter storm to Northern Virginia. It just started snowing -- our first real sign of winter, aside from the puffed up cardinal of a few days ago. The temperature is so low that it's already sticking to everything -- including my little outdoor office. With the forecast calling for several inches, I should have some much whiter pictures tomorrow; for today, I'm just excited that winter hasn't passed us by!

Day 2 of My Trip Home

2007-01-20T07:52:00.000-08:00

Today, on the second day of my relaxation and research trip back to Lynchburg, I went to the Old City Cemetery, which is one of the most peaceful -- and one of my favorite -- places in the entire city. It's a very quiet area with a great deal of beauty, both natural and man-made (with the architecture of the 19th- and early 20th-century gravestones). The picture above is of the gravesite of one of Lynchburg's famous "madams" from nearly a century ago; her "business" was actually operated in a house not far from the cemetery gates. I really don't know what's worse: the fact that her grave is one of the first you see when you come into the grounds, or the fact that someone continues to immortalize her with the black cloth on the stone and the bed (complete with a fresh quilt and "R.I.P." on the headboard) right outside the fence?

Another interesting view that I found -- I was pressed for time, so I didn't have quite enough time to experiment with black and white photography, shading, etc. There are enough places there, though, that I can try some great things the next time I get back down that way.

Day 1 of My Trip Home

2007-01-19T07:49:00.000-08:00

I went home today to begin researching my anticipated series of articles on the Civil Rights movement in my hometown, and one of my first stops was to the city's Legacy Museum of African-American history. It sits on a hill on the edge of the downtown area, and I took this picture looking back into the city. It's amazing to consider the amount of history and the different types of architecture jammed into this one little view -- a view which, I might add, I thought I had captured without so much "tilt" to the photo.

All Puffed Up

2007-01-18T10:23:00.000-08:00

I found this young fellow posted outside my home office today, and I noticed that he sat there for quite some time -- seeming very content to be puffed up and stationary in the cold, winter weather. The picture doesn't really do justice to the brilliant shade of red of his feathers -- but it was enough of a reminder to me that I got off track from the purpose of this blog by not posting yesterday. Does that now make this Blog 366 so that I can make up for the missed day?

The Contrast of Winter

2007-01-16T14:31:00.000-08:00

(Yes, a second photoblog post in one day.) What a contrast a few hours makes; winter had finally arrived in Northern Virginia after some continuing unseasonably warm weather (in the 60s yesterday), and I took the picture above in mid-afternoon. After a few hours of working in my home office, however, I stepped outside to find this second glimpse of winter -- with a tad more brighteness in it.....

Preserving Another Bit of History

2007-01-16T12:38:00.000-08:00

It seems like whenever something really interesting shows up that would make a great photograph, I don't have my camera with me and I have to resort to using my cell phone (as I did in this case). I was in D.C. for a job interview this morning, and the meeting was in an office directly across the street from the old Navy hospital, one of the most historic buildings in southeast Washington. Not having seen it before, I thought it was worth a picture, particularly since it's one of those instances where so much care is being put into restoring it to its original glory.

But while the building is pretty, the photo isn't worth any discussion on shading, shutter speed, lighting, etc. Only so much to do with a Motorola camera phone!!

On the Occasion of Dr. King's Birth

2007-01-15T06:42:00.000-08:00

This is again not a new picture, but it's one I felt was quite appropriate to post on Dr. King's birthday. Congressman John Lewis was deeply involved in the Civil Rights Movement, participated in the "Freedom Rides" of the 1960s, was at the head of the line on the march across the Pettus Bridge in Selma -- and is a man for whom I have a great deal of respect and admiration. Politically, we come from different sides of the aisle, but in terms of his activism there is no finer individual. (This picture was taken just after he had been a guest on my former boss' television show; not one of my better hair days!)