Wandering Dawgs

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #263 – Faces in a Crowd

August 26, 2023Posted in PhotographyTagged Faces in a Crowd, Lens-Artists, Photo Challenge10 Comments

For this challenge JohnBo asks us to “show off your camera skills when it comes to faces, human or otherwise”.

I’m not good at photographing people so I will begin with two animal faces. The header photo is of Uga X, retired official football mascot of the University of Georgia Bulldogs. His real name is Que and he retired in the spring of 2023 after leaving a legacy as the mascot with the most wins including back-to-back National Championships. His replacement is the puppy Boom who will be on the sidelines at the Bulldogs’ first game of the season on September 2.

One of my favorite wildlife faces is this Grizzly Bear who seemed to be posing for me at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.

This Junkanoo Band travels from the Bahamas to march in the St. Patrick’s Day parades in Savannah and Tybee Island. I love the smile on the dancer’s face.

This guard at Edinburgh Castle in Scotland takes his job seriously and doesn’t let the crowd distract him from his job.

Many thanks to our host JohnBo for the challenge Lens-Artists Challenge #263 – Faces in a Crowd

Happy Birthday United States National Park Service

August 25, 2023August 26, 2023Posted in National Parks, NatureTagged Get out and explore, National Park Service Anniversary8 Comments

The National Park Service was established on August 25, 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson to manage our nation’s national parks. Today there are 63 national parks and many more national monuments, national historic sites, and other national areas managed by the National Park Service.

In 1872 Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming became our first National Park. The header image above is of Lower Yellowstone Falls.

New River National Park in West Virginia is our newest national park. We visited there when it was known as New River National River.

New River Gorge Bridge, New River National Park, West Virginia

During our years of wandering we have visited many of these wonderful national areas. In 2016 I posted about the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary. Since then we have visited national areas in two of the United States Territories in the Caribbean.

USVI National Park, St. John, United States Virgin Islands

San Juan National Historic Site, Castillo San Crostobal

The U.S. National Parks offer many opportunities to get out and explore natural areas, see wildlife, visit historic sites and monuments, go paddling, go hiking, go camping, and much more. Find a park near you at National Park Service and get out and explore!

Shared with Terri’s Sunday Stills: Let’s Celebrate Something

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #262 – Framing Your Photos

August 19, 2023August 19, 2023Posted in PhotographyTagged framing, Lens-Artists, Photo Challenge23 Comments

For this challenge Amy has asked us to show examples of framing our photos. She tells us “The purpose of framing a photo is to create a pleasing composition, so we can direct the viewer’s attention to the subject of our photo.”

My first images are framesd by natural elements. Trees frame the walking trail in the Okefenokee swamp in the header photo above. The next three images the subjects are framed by natural rock formations in the western United States.

My next images are framed by man made openings. Left to right are the Blarney Castle in Ireland; a tree viewed through an archway at Ft. Pulaski National Monument, Georgia; and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri viewed through an arched window.

Many thanks to our host Amy for the challenge Lens-Artists Challenge #262 – Framing your photos

Yellow is my Favorite Color

August 17, 2023Posted in Butterflies, Flowers, PhotographyTagged are you all-in for yellow, Butterflies and Blooms in the Briar Patch, summer, summer blooms, Summer flowers, Sunday Stills, Swallowtail, Yellow13 Comments

For this month’s Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge Terri wants to know if we are all in for yellow. I am!

On a recent visit to middle Georgia my husband and I wandered around Butterflies and Blooms in the Briar Patch at the Briar Patch Walking Trail in Putnam County, Georgia. As I walked along the trail I kept my eyes peeled for butterflies and yellow flowers. I hope you enjoy these yellows as much as I did!

Flowers and butterflies! What’s not to love?

To learn more about this wonderful pollinator habitat please visit their FaceBook page Butterflies and Blooms in the Briar Patch.

Shared with Terri’s Sunday Stills Are you all-In for Yellow?

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #261 – Work in Progress

August 12, 2023August 12, 2023Posted in Alaska, Photography, South DakotaTagged Black Hills, Crazy Horse Monument, Ketchikan, Lens-Artists, Photo Challenge, Totems, Work in Progress21 Comments

For this challenge Ann-Christine has asked us to focus on Work in Progress.

Crazy Horse Monument in the Black Hills of South Dakota has been a Work in Progress since the Memorial was dedicated on the day of the first blast, June 3, 1948. The monument honoring Lakota Chief Crazy Horse was the dream of Oglala Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear and is the world’s largest mountain carving in progress. To learn more about the history of this amazing project please visit Crazy Horse Memorial.

Our mission is to protect and preserve the culture, tradition and living heritage of the North American Indians
Mission of Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation

We first visited the monument in the summer of 2006. We toured the museum, watched an interesting video about the the memorial, and bought some native made items in the gift shop.

Crazy Horse Monument in the summer of 2006

Horse Head of the Scale Model with the Monument in the background, 2006

We returned to the Black Hills of South Dakota in the spring of 2011. We chose not to tour the museum again but I captured this image from the highway. It doesn’t look much different than it did in 2006 but some progress was made during those five years.

Ketchikan, Alaska is famous for it totem poles hand carved by native carvers. At the Herring Bay Lumber Company we learned from a native master carver how the totems were made and how each totem tells a story. After learning about the totems and viewing his work in progress we wandered through the totem park to see some finished totems.