The osprey populations worldwide have been making a comeback. Their dark backs, white bellies and wings crooked like those of a gull are once again a common sight as they relentlessly patrol the rivers, creeks, lakes and ocean in search of their favorite food: fish, fish and more fish.
I’ve read that the gulls, terns, shorebirds, herons and egrets do not seem to be bothered by the ospreys. They instinctively know the ospreys are looking for fish.
From the cemetery we were off to Tybee Island and another lighthouse. Tybee Island Lighthouse we only saw from the outside.
Significant events in the history of Tybee Island: During the Revolutionary War, Tybee was the staging area for French Admiral D’Estaing’s ill-fated 1779 “Siege of Savannah”, when combined multinational forces attempted to defeat the British held Savannah. During the War of 1812, the Tybee Island Lighthouse was used to signal Savannah of possible attack by the British.
1958 two U.S. Air Force planes collided in the air and one of them had to dumb a nuclear weapon (hydrogen bomb). The lost weapon, known popularly as the “Tybee Bomb”, remained a security concern for several years, although the Air Force claims the bomb lacks a nuclear capsule and does not pose a serious threat.
On August 17, 1960, eleven African-American students were arrested on Tybee Island at Georgia’s first wade-in protesting the Whites-only public beaches. The commemorative plaque of the wade-ins can be seen by the Tybee South Beach. The plaque was installed only last year, 62 years after the event.
The weather was quite windy in Tybee and therefore we sat for a while in one of the swings by the dunes.
Later, we walked along the pier and watched the fishermen. One of them caught a small stingray. Unfortunately, the stingray got the hook stuck very deep inside of it. The fisherman was holding the sting with pliers while the bait shop keeper was trying to pry the hook with other pliers, without success. Eventually they had to cut the fishing line and the shop keeper took the stingray in his shop to be killed.
Walking on the beach we got some nice shots that I will post in an other post as this is already overloaded with them. These photos are shot with both of my cameras and also some are with mobiles.
And that was that. Soon we had to start thinking about driving back to Boynton Beach, Florida. It was a seven hour drive with one stop in Daytona Beach exit to get gas and eat at the Popey’s Chicken Restaurant, which proved to be nice surprise.
The traffic was fairly heavy once again but we were able to maintain an average speed of 75 mi/120 km, by following our friend Bob’s advice – stay in the pack. Go too fast and you’ll get a ticket and if you go too slow, you’ll get honks from the horns and you’ll cause hairy situations.
Boone Hall Plantation in Mt Pleasant was founded in 1681 when Englishman Major John Boone came to Charleston area. Major Boone was quite respected and he was elected to the colonial Grand Council during the 1680s, but was removed twice because he illegally trafficked enslaved Native Americans, became associated with pirates, and concealed stolen goods. However, having slaves in general was no problem, as we have learnt from history books.
The house on the plantation the third of its kind, built in 1935 and not your typical antebellum house. But the plantation is one of the oldest plantations still in operation having produced agricultural crops for over 320 years. Much older are the brick slave cabins located along Slave Street which date between 1790 and 1810. Only nine cabins are left. Some of the bricks from cabins that have not been saved were used to build a serpentine wall for the main house.
Talking about the bricks! By year 1850 the slave laborers were able to produce 4 million bricks on a yearly basis. Most of the historic buildings in the historic downtown of Charleston were built from the bricks of Boone Hall and Fort Sumter, as well. Not that we saw any, but the fingerprints of these workers are still visible in the bricks of many of these historic sites.
The agricultural tour didn’t go too much into slavery or anything unpleasant but some anecdotes made you wonder how hard living for the slaves must have been and the life expectancy must have not been too high. Times have changed but it still makes you wonder how that was even possible and did the owners ever think this is not right?
Unfortunately photographing was not allowed inside the house and the second floor was completely off-limits, as well. However, the stories presented by the guide were very colorful and entertaining. John Stone the man who had the latest house built liked to entertain he had many famous visitors to his big parties, like the composer George Gershwin, if my memory serves me right?
Driving into the plantation couldn’t be more beautiful with the grand Avenue of Oaks that was first planted in 1743 and completed by the in 1843. The avenue consists of 88 live oak trees and one magnolia.
When we arrived the the sky was still blue and the avenue was in totally different shade than when we left, the sun had already started to set and the avenue turned into beautiful yellow and orange tones. I took so many photos and trying to choose the ones I liked best was hard as you can see from the amount of photos I have here.
January probably wasn’t the best time to visit when you think about the surroundings. The Avenue of the Oaks might have been even more beautiful if the Resurrection Fern would have been in bloom. But you can’t do anything else but to love the Spanish Moss hanging from the trees. It gives the plantation or any surroundings such a lovely and eerie backdrop.
Even though arriving late afternoon we were able to manage to take part of house tour and the “agricultural tour”, meaning the tour of the grounds. Boone Hall Plantation consists of 738 acres. The landscape includes areas of cultivated, seasonal crop fields, preserved wetlands, creeks, and ponds. Boone Hall is still very active operator in the area in not only caters to tourists, but they
organize many events to locals as well, for example, Halloween events. In the beginning the main products of Boone Hall were indigo (used for coloring the uniforms of British troops), rice and cotton. The production of cotton was discontinued in 1880 because the plantation could not compete with other plantations that were using machinery.
The cotton dock on the river had been rebuild lately.
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively who were married at Boone Hall Plantation in 2012. Ryan Reynolds have regretted having the wedding there because of the historical reasons.
Driving from Boone Hall towards Charleston during sunset was treat. We hit a traffic jam but on the other hand taking pictures of Wando River and Don N. Holt Bridges became much easier. Especially Don N. Holt Bridge provided a nice back drop for the orange sunset. Driving across the bridge we experienced very familiar smel,l to us Finns, like rotten eggs. And sure enough we saw a paper mill. Later on, I read from online news that the mill has become one of the dirtiest polluters in the United States since being acquired by an investment group led by Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the New England Patriots football team. Go team!
The joy of sunshine, the past weeks we have not been blessed with lots of sunlight, but today, of the glorious weather with snow coved trees, blue sky.
I stepped out and took shots to all four directions from or house, and it looked lovely everywhere,white powder snow, blue sky and even the temperature was not that bad -7C ( 23 F ) I am going to post a shot also when its not shining and it looks OK, but there is a difference. On this happy note I wish everyone reading this post a lovely weekend!
10AM facing west looking at the spruce and birch trees on a upward hill
AND WHAT A DIFFERECE A DAY MAKES
Tina wrote; On the other hand, there is much to love here in my own country. This week, let’s give that some extra thought. If a foreigner were to spend a week or a month traveling your home country with you, where would you take them? What sights would you tell them to be sure to see? Where have you found some of your own favorite images?
Tina from Travels and Trifles hosts this weeks Lens-Artists Challenge #227 – Home Sweet Home
I live in Beautiful Finland, coutry with four seasons. While I embrace Spring, summer and autumn and winter, I detest November, the greay month. So I will not be posting shots from that month.
Finland, or Suomi as we call it, this is my introduction to of it to you.
First few shots from Helsiki, were I would obviously take you
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland across Estonia to the south. Finland covers an area of 130,678 sq miles with a population of 5.6 million.
Helsinki is the capital and largest city, forming a larger metropolitan area with the neighbouring cities of Espoo, Kauniainen, and Vantaa. Finland is one of the world’s northernmost countries. Of world capitals, only Reykjavík lies more to the north than Helsinki.
Finland’s climate varies from humid continental in the south to the boreal in the north. The land cover is primarily a boreal forestbiome, with more than 180,000 recorded lakes.
First few shots from Helsiki, were I would obviously take you. There also several other cities I would take you too, Porvoo, Hanko, Tampere and Turku and also to Oulu. If I posted shots from them well, no one would look through my post.
Lakes are lovely at all seasons, so I would take to one or two of them
Forests, woods…have asrtong place in Finns hearts, a place walk and calm your nerves.
Pick berries and mushrooms as we have Everyman’s rights. Public access rights, or so-called everyman’s rights, refer to the right of everyone in Finland to enjoy outdoor pursuits regardless of who owns or occupies an area. You do not need the landowner’s permission, and there is no charge. However, you must not damage the environment or disturb others while exercising public access rights.
Posted for Tina’s Lens-Artists Challenge
November will be filled with photos from the archives .
Orchids are easily distinguished from other plants, as they share some very evident derived characteristics . Among these are: bilateral symmetry of the flower ), many resupinate flowers, a nearly always highly modified petal fused stamens and carpels, and extremely small seeds.
Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge.
This is my third week in participating in this challenge. I have to say, there has been beautiful posts about the chosen topics tthese past weeks, I have found new blogs to follow and it has given me inspiration and intoduced me to new places and ways to look at photos. But to the topic at hand…
Jude from Cornwall in Colours hosts this weeks LAPC #226 – Textures.
She wrote; Texture is one method of bringing life to your photos. While the structure of an object is its form, the material from which it is made constitutes its texture. You are aiming at translating texture visually, bringing life and energy to a photo through shape, tone and colour.
I have done macro photography for some time and capturing texture is one of the aspects of it. Hope you enjoy my findings in the world of textures, I am also going to post my findings from nature and the nature’s produces, fruits and vegetables plus some spices,
Texture adds variety and visual stimulus to the surface of a photograph. There is a better chance of getting an exciting photograph from a laboured study with texture than from a smooth clarity without it.
Posted for Jude’s Lens-Artists Challenge
Ann from Slow Shutter Speed A photographic journey hosts this weeks Lens Artists Challenge #225: Wildlife Close to Home. Wrote; Stop. Look. Listen. Doing those three things will help you discover the abundance of wildlife you have nearby. You have wildlife in your yard, nearby park, local pond or lake and just about anywhere around you.
My contribution this week are these images. Animal Photography is not my forte, I don’t have the patience or the equipment to get the best shots, but I occasionally get a shot.
Birds big and small that I have been able to capture. this type of photography is not my forte.
Capturing this Seal was just a happy break, I was at a right place at right time.
November will be filled with photos from the archives .
Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’
This plant gives pleasure when from middle of the summer until late fall, these photos are from late fall when the flowers have already turned brown. Still beautiful with all it’s details.
Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge.
SOFIA ALVES from PHOTOGRAPHIAS is hosting the challenge for #lens-artists
LENS-ARTISTS CHALLENGE – EXPOSURE she wrote the following:
For this challenge, it is up to you how you work on exposure. You might, like me, prefer to use shutter speed to change the exposure balance when shooting. You can also play with aperture. Or you can have fun changing the exposure settings while editing. The idea here is to see how the mood of any photo depends on its exposure.
I am posting three sets of photos that I have over – or underexposed in post edit. I usually shoot in automatic mode for exposure and edit the photo to suit it to way to capture what I thought I saw or change the mood. exposure, light and contrast are the main things I work with when editing my photos, but over the years I have learned few more tricks to get the photo to express more of what I want to show in it.
Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography. – George Eastman
Contrary to the general belief about photography, you don’t need bright sunlight: the best moodiest pictures are taken in the dim light of almost dusk, or of rainy days… – Jack Kerouac
All these shots except the portrait were taken late afternoon or at dusk so I wholeheartedly agree with the quote above.
I feel that this side profile mood is totally different in these shots, other is more hopeful and often overexposed shot is more forgiving to the person at least if you have lots of lines on your face 🙂
Shooting in nature with backlight has its challanges and you have to be careful not to over light the front,so that is doesn’t look unnatural. Obviously the what the eye sees and camera captures are often totally different in these situations.
This image is one more sample of mood changing light. The raw materials of photography are light and time and memory.
November will be filled with photos from the archives .
The luxurious flowers of Peony ‘Double Pink’ are ruffled and petal packed, unfurling from round buds in early summer, revealing petal after petal until fully open. Large, flamboyant blooms coupled with a sweet, light fragrance.
Peony ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ is an exquisite herbaceous peony with ruffled, flamingo-pink, double blooms that open from large, and rounded buds. This RHS AGM variety has been popular since its introduction in 1905, and still beguiles gardeners with its sheer flower power. With a slightly taller habit than most, this beauty is one for planting towards the back of perennial borders, where its glamorous blooms will rise above a clump of deeply divided, dark green foliage.
I don’t know which one these are, I do know I love peonies, one of my favorite flowers. I some how was able to kill mine at my summer house, but then again I don’t remember planting it, it appeared and after several year it disappeared… but it was lovely addition to my very scantly garden
Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge.
November will be filled with photos from the archives .
Iris germanica ‘Black Dragon’ , Black Iris was a delightful find as was Siperian Iris, and the last one is a Bearded Iris- I think 🙂
Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge.
October surprises with frost and colorful leaves 🍃 afters a cold night. The splash of color got my attention, here are more shots of the frosty morning.
Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge.
October surprises with frost and colorful leaves 🍃 afters a cold night growing in the embankment at my backyard. The splash of color got my attention, here are more shots of the frosty morning.
Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge.
October surprises with frost and colorful leaves 🍃 afters a cold night growing in the embankment at my backyard. The splash of color got my attention.
Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge.
October surprises me with this green plant growing in the embankment at my backyard. The fresh green got my attention.
Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge.
October berries of Oriental bittersweet.
Celastrus orbiculatus is a woody vine of the Celastraceae family. It is commonly called Oriental bittersweet, as well as Chinese bittersweet, Asian bittersweet, round-leaved bittersweet, climbing spindleberry and Asiatic bittersweet.
October colors on lilac leaves. Looks like nature placed hearts on the grass to get my attention.
Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge.
Fall, Autumn, ruska, all words that are presented in this shot in my humble opinion. Porkkala, views there are so delightful.
Once again, Rose, in its glory.
Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge.
A unknown flower to me, but it is, a beautiful and delicate. I’ve so many flower photos, that I have not shared. These are taken from my trop to Sri Lanka.
Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge.
I have no idea as what magic mashroom this is, but it looks like Psilocybe mexicana a psychedelic mushroom. Its first known usage was by the natives of North and Central America over 2,000 years ago.
We did not pick them up, they ended up being cut down by the lawnmower.
I just took photos necaused they looked great, like from a story book.
Rose, flower is a flower and beautiful in its own right. As is hydrangea, both in pink tones
Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge. This time I am just posting shots of roses.
I love to have fresh flowers at home, I picked some roses this time.
Ritva Sillanmäki Photography 