The Wittenberg Wiener Man

I'd like to think that if I went back to Wittenberg, Germany (where Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses), I could get a better photo of the Wiener Man. Like the girl I posted a few days ago, he looks a bit suspicious. A better shot would have people waiting in line for the wurst he was selling (which I think is the best wurst in Wittenberg!). The Wiener Man would be oblvious to me and I would have a great action shot.For what it's worth, there are very few photos I've taken and posted here that I wouldn't want to take over again so that I could improve them. How do other artists deal with their old art which could be made better as their skills improve?

10-12-10 The Most Famous Warehouse?

I just finished reading a new book entitled The Kennedy Detail, which gives the accounts of the Secret Service agents whose job it was to protect John and Jacque Kennedy the day they went to Dallas in 1963. Until this book, these men had remained silent about their experience. It is a book worth reading.This is a shot of the famous "Texas Book Depository," which is now a historic landmark and a museum. If you look to the farthest window on the top floor, you can see where Lee Harvey Oswald fired the shots that killed JFK and stunned the world. In the middle left of this photo is the so-called "grassy knoll." From which some conspiracy theorists say a second gunman fired shots.I was in the third grade when Kennedy was killed and I didn't really understand the significance of this event. Now, after more than 50 years, I can see that it was an event that changed the psyche of our nation, just as 9/11 has seemed to.I must admit that I don't think I have figured out the true meaning and significance of this event. Interestingly, the "truther" conspiracy movement has already fogged what some think is "true" about 9/11. Will it take us 50 years to understand the impact of this event?Incidentally, I have posted another somewhat similar photo of the Texas Book Depository. But today's photo gives you a broader view. I hope you don't mind.

The Orange Temple

This is a detail of one of the many photogenic buildings on the grounds of the royal palace complex in Kyoto, Japan. Like many of the places I've visited on our travels, I want to go back to this city for more photographs. When? I have no idea. . . .

Blue Abstraction

These are lounge chairs built into a swimming pool at a resort somewhere south of Cancun, Mexico. This was another abandoned photo that was re-discovered in a search for something to post to this blog. Good picture? I don't know. . . . Nice place to sip tropical punch on a warm, sunny December day? Oh, yes. . . .

What's In A Lei?

The answer to the question posed in the title is "plumeria." Plumeria are the fragrant flowers that grow on trees - but not in South Dakota. :-(These plumeria were growing in Hawaii. I was reading that in some Pacific cultures the plumeria is associated with vampires and in others the trees are said to provide shelters to ghosts. Ghosts and vampires must smell good in these places because the fragrance of these flowers is strong and pleasant.

Walls of Glass

The most famous Gothic cathedral in Paris is the Notre Dame de Paris. But I think St. Chapelle is the most beautiful, primarily because there is so little stone and so much glass in the walls.When I walked into this structure the first time, I stood for several moments in amazement. This structure was built in the 13th century. If I'm amazed, imagine how someone from the 1300s would have felt when walking into this sacred place the first time.

What If God Was One of Us?

Joan Osbourne's song "One of Us" asks an interesting question:"What if God was one of usJust a slob like one of usJust a stranger on the busTrying to make his way home?"Neither of the men in this picture is God (I don't think). And we aren't on a bus, either. We're somewhere under Paris riding the Metro. The gentleman on the left is my friend Billy, The Lutheran Minister. So I guess he's close to God. At least that's what he tells me.The man on the right was wide awake and lucid until Billy started talking to him about the marvels of Lutheran theology (or some such subject) and you can see the effect this had . . . Can you say "soporific?"But I do love my friend Billy.

Little Lizard

This little guy briefly flitted into view, posed for this photo and then flitted back into hiding. This is a gecko, as you may know, and you find them in unlikely places in Hawaii, including bedroom wall and bathroom mirrors. They are harmless and, as you can see here, colorful.Subscribe to A Photo A Day by Email

A View From My Window?

The actual view from my window today shows bare tree, evergreens that seem less green than they did a month ago and a thin layer of snow and ice trying to cover what is left of the grass in our back yard.The scene you are looking at today appears only when I close my eyes and think of Mexico. . . .

13,910

In keeping with my "Big Island Diversity" thread, I thought I'd post one more photo, this time from the top of Mauna Kea. This photo shows where the title of this post comes from, though the official height of Mauna Kea is 13,796 ft. My Garmin GPS uses satellites to estimate altitude and so it has us a little higher than we really are.This photo, incidentally, was taken the same day as this photo. I would have no photo if it weren't for my adventurous brother-in-law, who convinced us we needed to go to the top of Hawaii. My wife kept her eyes shut on part of the drive up and I didn't like the idea of wind chill and snow. That's why we left South Dakota for our brief trip to visit our son Jon a few years ago!

An Adventurous Spirit

I have said before that our youngest son Jon tends to take us to interesting places when he is in charge of the itinerary. Here's a good example: we are in the Waipio Valley on the Big Island. Contrast this with the photo of Hawaii I posted a couple days ago and you will also see what I mean by "diversity" on the Big Island.

Unlimited Variety

The Big Island of Hawaii is a remarkable place, with snow capped peaks, humid rain forests and barren terrain that looks like is could be from another universe. This photo was taken near the famous green sand beach near the southern tip of the island. Our son Jon took us there and I thought it was going to ruin the truck we we in. But I'm glad we went.