Round Robins: Door Number Three

Doors are fascinating story tellers, whether grand and glorious or hanging in ruins. All are keepers of secrets, and if you're curious - like me - it's a struggle to keep oneself from trying the handles on every one of them.

This one was irresistible:



I stumbled upon it while camping in the Adirondacks. Built into the side of a hill, it is virtually invisible until you're right in front of it.

What's inside?

Step past the smiling guardian and you find yourself in a cold, dank, earthen room perhaps six feet by six. Before you is a wall that is sprouting roots. To your left and right are circular metal tunnels, four to five feet in diameter. It is too dark to see far inside them. A camera flash reveals that the tunnels are shallow, holding only accumulated debris and a few dusty bottles of wine.

This could once have been an ice house or a wine cellar, but judging from the gatekeeper's armload of produce I think it more likely to have been a root cellar. Whatever its use, it was pure magic.

And then there are these:



The tall doors leading to the balconies are on the top floor of the S.J. Payne Building in historic Wabash Indiana. It was built by Sam Payne in 1989* (*correction - 1898) as a combination furniture store and funeral parlor. (Creepy to us, a common combo back then.) The town is still talking about the party he threw there to celebrate its completion.

Through those doors passed the rich and powerful, accomplished craftsmen, smiling newlywed shoppers, mourners and the ghosts of their dead.

Last and least, here's the entry to the barn next door:



It's a great old barn. But sadly, "Tomorrow" never comes.


You'll find more great doors at The Round Robins Photo Challenge.

Round Robins: Goodbye

The yard sale we held when we moved from our old house included a lot of forgotten toys our grown kids had left behind. I hope these little guys found new children to love them.

The Round Robin Photo Challenge was the first photo meme I ever did. Back then, the lively group was hosted by Steven of sometimesphotoblog,Carly of Ellipsis, and Karen of Outpost Mavarin. Steven bowed out some time ago. This week is Carly's last, and in honor of the occasion the theme is "Goodbyes".

Carly and Karen have done a fine job of rounding up topics and making everyone feel welcome, and Karen will be carrying on. You can check out the Round Robins here, and everyone is invited to join.

Carly girl, you will be missed. Karen, thanks for keeping the meme going!

Round Robins: Blinded By the Light

The Robins find themselves fascinated by shiny things this time around.

With winter still asserting its cold, grey influence outdoors, I made do with an ugly lamp. I do like all the reflections, though.


For more bright ideas, stop by at the Round Robins Photo Challenge.

Return of the Round Robins: Roots

Hey! We're back! I didn't realize it until I popped by Carly's place and found a party in progress. So, to kick off 2010 the Round Robins are exploring our roots. So to speak.

All the roots around here are currently under a foot of snow, so I dug some out of my archives.




This tree grows at Natural Stone Bridge and Caves in the Adirondacks, on a gigantic granite slab that stands nearly on its end. Massive roots go completely down the stone to the ground, while slender ones snake up to the summit to find a grip.

Unfortunately, they have nailed and posted signs everywhere, and the place is a maze of stairs and handrails, so getting an unimpeded shot of the whole affair is impossible. Still, I hope you can get at least a sense of it.

For more entries, check out the Round Robins Photo Challenge.

Round Robins: In Motion

The Round Robins are exploring motion photography this week. Terri of Ways I See the World thought this one up at the same time I did.

My personal project is panning, physically moving the camera with the subject as it goes by to keep the target in focus while blurring the background. This is my best effort so far. (That's one of my great-nephews in action. Cool kid, huh?)

*Click to enlarge and see the effect.

For more things that whiz, zip, zoom, and fly stop by at the Round Robins Photo Challenge.

Round Robins: Birds

Fight or flight: In the foreground, hummingbirds squabble over landing rights at the feeder. Those spots in air in the background are a huge flock of some kind of dark bird that is apparently migrating south.

Birds are among my favorite creatures, but photographing them is not one of my strengths.

We certainly have enjoyed this second feeder. It sticks to the kitchen window with a suction cup, so the birds are inches away from us when we wash dishes. As many as six at a time will zoom around it, each trying to chase away the others between sips. They empty the whole thing every day.

Curious little things, aren't they?

* Click photos for great big closeups.

For more birds, be sure to stop by this time at the Round Robins Photo Challenge.

Round Robins: Looking Up

Robinella suggested the theme this time, and a great idea it is. We usually focus on what's right in front of us and miss all the cool things we'd see if only we'd look up now and then.

For example, this is the top of the S.J. Payne Building in Wabash Indiana. (This would be a great time to click the photo to see details!)

Is it not jaw-droppingly much?

Built in 1898, it housed a furniture and undertaking business. Apparently, this was a common combo back then, as the craftsmen could stay busy by knocking out a few chairs and sideboards in between the coffin orders. Practical, but creepy.


Click here for more entries:
Round Robins Photo Challenge

Round Robins: Growing

This one was suggested by Jan, AKA Whammy, of The Ellis Family Cincinnati.

Pretty much everything is growing this time of year, from kids to birds to gardens, and the Robins are right there with their trusty cameras to catch all the wonder and glory of the season. Our little pond is absolutely bursting with life.

I've been snapping wild flower pictures as I find new things popping up. (I'm adding them to this Flickr set as I go.) Right now, the stars of the show are these wild iris, which love the edges of wetlands and ponds. If you enlarge the first photo, you'll see them in the foreground and more way back at the far edge of the water.

My Mom loved irises, and I think of her every time I see them. She would have loved these.

Be sure to visit the other entries at the Round Robins Photo Challenge, and join us next time.

Round Robins: Floating

The Round Robins are exploring things that float this week. This one was my idea, and I'm terribly guilty about being late. (It was another week from hell.)
At any rate, it's a literal interpretation for me: Floats. Floating. In the background, out of sight, I'm sure there are floating hotdogs in the vendor's cart.




This was taken in a little park in Mishawaka IN, one I had never visited. I probably never would have discovered it if I hadn't been scouting for floatable things for this week. These challenges have led me to some great places, and I do thank you for hosting it Carly, Steve, and Karen.

Thanks to all who played!

Be sure to visit the other entries at the Round Robins Photo Challenge, OK?

Round Robins: Numbers

This old firetruck now serves as a lawn ornament for a store that sells boxes. I often imagine it sighing as it watches traffic go by.


It's fun with numbers week at Round Robins Photo Challenge. Be sure to visit the other entries, OK?

Round Robins: The Old Place

Click photo to enlarge.

This grand old gal was once the belle of the ball. Now she's a bit rundown in the heels, neglected and fading. Still, she fires the imagination, doesn't she?

To find more old places visit Round Robins Photo Shoot.

Round Robins: The Color Purple

I never saw a purple cat.
I never hope to see one.
But I can't find a purple thing
And so I've had to make one.



Find more purple this week at the Round Robins Photo Shoot.


P.S. I used the Color Swap feature on my camera for the first time for this one! Ya learn something new every day.
;-)
Vicki




But Wait, There's More...

I forgot about this one. Ever seen a purple pepper? They really were this color.

(Updated 7:11PM)

Round Robins: Not of This Season

The idea this time around is to show something from another season. It was 16 degrees below zero when I left for work last week, and we haven't seen a boat, liquid water, or blue sky like this in ages.

Check out the rest of the entries at Round Robins Photo Challenge, and escape the winter blahs.

Round Robins: Resolutions

It's been a while since I've done a Round Robin challenge, and the new year seems like a good time to get back into the swing of things.

The assignment this time is to choose three things we'd like to photograph or techniques we'd like to learn. We were to choose one and present it this week, and offer the other two as suggestions for upcoming challenges.

One thing I'd like to learn to do is panning, or following a moving object with the camera so that it stays in focus while the background blurs, giving a sense of motion. I tried it while my son flew his model airplane this fall, without much success. This shot might not have been bad if I had had more of the ground in the frame. Let's call this challenge "Greased Lightning!"

And here are my other two:

The Color Purple. You don't see it much, and it's hard to capture in a photo. You'll have to look around to find it, and you'll have to get your settings right. But it is the color of royalty and magic, so the possibilities could be worth the hunt.

Door Number Three. I love doors of all sorts: old ones, new ones, hidden ones, forgotten ones. How about doing a set of three, each with its own personality and story?

As always, there's more to see over at Round Robins: Camera Resolutions.

Round Robins: Green

In keeping with the Green theme for Round Robins Photo Challenge this week, I bring you a little sulphur butterfly with big, green eyes. (I seem to be into bugs these days, don't I?)

Our topic idea comes from Julie, of the blog Julie's Journal. Thanks, Julie, for a fun one!

To check out the other participants, click here.

Pocahontas Meets Mulan

The Round Robins are exploring public art this week. My subject may not be great art, but I've always been curious about this bronze statue of Princess Mishawaka reaching for her arrows, her bow braced for shooting. I've passed it hundreds of times, but never stopped to see it.

I knew the princess was the daughter of a local chief, and that the city was named for her, but that's about it. From the plaque on the statue, I discovered that there's quite a tale to tell:



(Click photo to enlarge.)



According to legend, the Shawnee Chief Elkhart had a daughter named Princess Mishawaka. Her name meant "Swift Water." The city of Mishawaka's namesake is remembered as a proud, intelligent and fearless maiden, skilled in weapons and horsemanship.

When Chief Elkhart was severely wounded in a battle with the Potawatomi, Mishawaka rallied the Shawnee. While leading the attack, she was captured and held hostage. During her captivity, she fell in love with a young white scout named Dead Shot.

Gray Wolf, a Shawnee subchief, also wanted the princess for his wife but had been rejected. Gray Wolf rescued Mishawaka from her captors to return her to her father to gain favor.

Dead Shot intervened, and the suitors fought. Sensing defeat, the vengeful Gray Wolf stabbed Mishawaka before his death.

Dead Shot nursed the princess back to health and married her. They lived in a cabin by the Saint Joseph River, and worked for peace between the settlers and the Indian tribes.

You'd think they'd have made it into a movie by now.

The artist is Sufi Ahmad, about whom I have been able to find absolutely nothing. I imagine there's an interesting story there, too.

For more art in public places, check out the Round Robins Homepage.

Round Robins: Night Shots

The Robins are out and about under the cover of darkness this week. I had high hopes of getting in some learning sessions on this one, but time just plain ran out. We were out this evening looking at some property we're considering, and I snapped a few shots of the night sky before heading for home. The little light in the sky is a firefly.

One thing I did learn from all the dark areas is that I apparently have a couple of hot spots on my sensor, stray pixels that are stuck on red. I've read that this is an issue with the G9, but I didn't think it affected mine. I used the Photoshop program I got for my birthday to heal them. It's the only thing I know how to do with it so far, but it's a dandy trick.

I'm becoming more and more discouraged with my attempts at photography, and more and more disenchanted with this camera. Maybe I should have sprung for an SLR. Or maybe I'm just a really slow learner.

At any rate, there are lots of new entries to see from the other Round Robins participants. Stop by and check 'em out, OK?
*Special thanks to Steven at (Sometimes) Photoblog for this week's topic!

Round Robins: Stuff

Kim of Nekked Lizard Adventures asks us to show an item we'd like to get rid of, but would be too embarrassed to sell on eBay. And therein lies my problem.

Lord knows I have plenty of stuff, maybe even stuff most people would find embarrassing. For example, there is that plaid jacket with the '80s shoulder pads, and my pieces from pottery class are pretty awful. But I have no particular desire to get rid of anything, and I don't embarrass easily. So I just looked around and shot the closest hunk o' junk I could find.










This is the TV in my home office. It's black and white, with a four-inch screen and an antenna. It's also a radio, and it will run on batteries if need be. I've had it for 24 years. Sure it's old, and it's a little banged up, but it's still going strong. (At least, it will be until The Big Switch next year.) But I don't think I'd have much luck selling it on eBay.

Ever since this challenge was posted, I couldn't think about it without remembering this routine from George Carlin:



Yup. Love me, love my stuff.

Click over to the Round Robins home page to see what everyone else found.

Round Robins: Morning, Noon, and Night

I love watching the light change over the course of the day, and I thought it might be fun to try to capture the different moods of morning, noon, and night. I chose to use my daylillies as a subject; it's kind of a two-fer, since their blossoms come and go in single day.



Morning: An early rain followed by sun peeking out of the clouds. New lillies are waking, but their stamens are not yet unfurled.



Noon: The light is strong, and the lillies are open for business. A little tree frog the color of old copper comes out to bask in the sun.



Late Afternoon: Mission accomplished, the flowers are fading fast. See the pollen on this little hopper?



Night: Today's lillies are spent, their day in the sun at an end. Tomorrow's buds are gathering strength, swelling and rising in the moonlight. A few varieties, backlit by the kitchen window, will live to see another day. Look closely and you might see a few fireflies.



*Please stop by at the Round Robins Photo Challenge to see what everyone else has found. The group is open to all, so why don't you come play with us next time?

Round Robins: Wondrous weeds

Who says a plant has to come from a nursery to be fabulous? Certainly not the Robins. These fuzzy green gems are only about an inch tall and grow high on an Adirondack mountain top, in the rubble of an abandoned garnet mine. (More about that mine later.) If you look closely, you can see the red garnets among the stones.



This one may be stretching things a bit. Technically, it's a lichen, not a weed. And the photo looks better in a bigger size. Lots of garnet chunks, though.

You are hereby invited to stroll a bit further off the garden path to where the wild things are at The Round Robins Photo Challenge. Watch where you step, OK?