Here's a neat shot of a seagull/shadow I took the other day at the beach. (Sorry for not posting more but I've been busy working and don't have much time at home to do this..... :-( ). At any rate, I thought this shot was pretty neat. Sometimes I wish these gulls would slow down just a bit so I could get more shots, but, in the end, I usually get a good picture or two! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone! Thanks for reading my blog!
The beautiful snow covered Rocky Mountains go on forever in this photo I took en route from Las Vegas, to Newark, NJ, on the 9th of December. The low lying clouds continue to dump snow on the mountains for as far as we could see. Looks like it's going to be a good winter for snow lovers and skiers! This shot was taken at 37,000 feet just west of Denver.
During a recent flight from Los Angeles, to Newark, I was able to snap a shot of the world's largest solar thermal farm in California (Mojave Desert). The bright light created by the reflection of the sun on several of the solar panel mirrors is blinding and can be seen 100's of miles away! I took this photo from 37,000 feet when we were about 30 miles north of the field. There are 170,000 mirrors focused on three water towers covering approximately 3500 acres. This solar farm is predicted to power up to 200,000 homes!!!! Nice!!!!!!
Since I was originally hired by Continental Airlines back in 1998, I'm pretty partial to them. Here's a shot I took a few weeks ago..................and shows what little remains of the original company. I've heard the Continental signage is coming down in a few weeks. At least my camera was able to preserve a bit of history!!!!
I'm always happy when the "skimmers" return to South Beach. They are a neat type of bird that skim the water with their lower beak in search for food. I've never captured one on film, but I think I'm getting close. Here's a shot of one flying along the beach last week. They also make a neat "honking" noise.
So, here is the illustrious EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE! This is where many aviation records have been broken, many secret planes flown, and many famous aviators flew! We flew by Edwards a few weeks ago and I'd never noticed it before. At first glance it just appeared to be a dirt landing strip, but upon further observation we noticed the "shuttle" runway and military features. ATC confirmed it for us! Pretty neat!
Well, after a lot of hard work and training, it looks like my girlfriend's son Jimmy, is back with a vengeance! He just won his first seeded tennis tournament this weekend down in Miami! Jimmy was the only seeded player to advance beyond their first match! He really is a spectacular player, and an incredible young man to boot! Congratulations Jimmy!
Even though seagulls are a pretty bothersome bird at the beach, they can be a thing of beauty too! Here's a shot I took yesterday of a seagull taking a trip down the beach. I'm always amazed at how far they can "sense" another seagull getting a morsel of food to eat. Within seconds, a hundred birds will convene from all over the beach for a potato chip that someone threw into the air! At least it makes for good photos!
A blast from the past.......... My most favorite island in the world.......St. Maarten! Beautiful people, beautiful beaches, and incredible airplane viewing. Just doesn't get much better than that!
During a recent flight from Washington Dulles (IAD) to San Francisco, we flew over Yosemite National Park, and were dismayed to see how much smoke and fire are covering this national park. It really is disturbing to think a CARELESS camper could create so much destruction by not following the "no burn" rules during such a critical time. The fire seems to be burning with no regard to where it goes. I just hope it's snuffed out soon..............
Every now and then I see a sight at the beach that makes going that much nicer. Here's a shot I took of a young man taking his mom to the beach to enjoy the water! I think I might have seen something like this only two other times in all the years I've been going to South Beach. I think it's FABULOUS that SOME on this earth understand how much things like this mean to our parents as they get older. I recently had the opportunity to spend a few days fixing up things at my mom's house in New Mexico. She could not have been more thankful for me taking care of the "little things" that make her life a bit more difficult, and I was happy to help her. Our parents are so greatful for the little things we do for them! I congratulate this young man for making his mom's day much brighter! Here's to you my friend!
Here's a great way to NEVER forget your camera! I had to look twice when I saw this idea as it had never struck me before..............LOL Personally, I don't know why someone would get a tattoo like this, but then again, this is pretty tame compared to some I've seen. At any rate, this guy will ALWAYS have a camera with him!
This photo seems to evoke an emotional response without even saying or writing anything. Everyone I've shown the shot to says the same thing............"that is a SCARY looking tree!" I took this photo during a recent visit to New Mexico, and as we were going down the road at 70 MPH, I spotted this gloomy looking tree that BEGGED me to take a photo of it. Here is my "Scary Tree" photo!
During my recent flight from Aruba to Newark, NJ, I witnessed an incredible sunset with some of the most intense oranges and cloud shadows I've ever seen. Here's the shot........(I took a few but this one was the most striking)..................... This is definitely one of the best parts of my job......... :-)
Leaving out of San Juan, Puerto Rico, yesterday, we flew past a torrential downpour. Not quite sure why God puts rain out over the ocean, but he does, and it makes for a nice photo opportunity. The rainbows were out everywhere too. I love our view!
During a recent visit to Seattle, a dear high school friend and her husband picked me up and took me to Snoqualmie Falls. What a gorgeous waterfall it is! So pristine and power, yet beautiful and graceful at the same time! Here's a couple of shots of this waterfall. If you're in the Seattle area, don't miss the opportunity to take this site in!
I really think orchids are one of the most beautiful flowers on earth. Here's a shot of a beautiful purple orchid that I found at our hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, last week. I wish these things were easier to grow as I'd have a bunch around our pool, but alas, they take a green thumb, and I'm about as far from a green thumb as they come. Now, on the other hand, if my brother moves out here, I may be in business. He can make a dead plant bloom in a week!
Had the opportunity to fly to St Johns, Newfoundland, on my last trip. My crew and I decided to go on a whale watching tour since the whales were supposedly starting to show up. Although it was quite windy, the boat was steady........but the waves were "rock'in and roll'in" and spotting whale spouts was darn near impossible................. Soooooo, the boat operator just took us sight seeing instead. Here is a photo of the eastern most point of land on the continent of North America...........Cape Spear! It really is wonderful to be able to see such interesting points on our Earth! Also a shot of a nice small "house" with their OWN waterfall just to th
After departing Las Vegas on my last trip, we witnessed an incredible sunrise. I'm always amazed at the variety of "colors" we see during sunrises and sunsets. I guess having such a clear, unobstructed view helps too. So I'll add this to my list of sights that made me glad I became a pilot. Just wish I could invite all the passengers up to see what we have the opportunity to see!
Last night as I was waiting for my ride home, I noticed our "retro" painted CONTINENTAL B-737 parked at my favorite photo op location in Ft. Lauderdale. Of course I pulled out my trusty camera and started clicking away.......while my girlfriend Maria, sat watching me do this..........at MIDNIGHT. Needless to say she wasn't a real happy camper, but you have to take the opportunity when it presents itself........LOL. I think this is one of my favorite shots now.
During a recent flight from Miami, FL, to Newark, NJ, I captured this stunning shot of the sunset illuminating some building thunderstorms. The orange was spectacular. Even though the photo doesn't do it much justice, it was truly a sight to behold. The entire flight was filled with photographic moments. This one happened to be one of the better ones. Oh....and the little frog turned out to be a "froglet" which will grow to about 1/2 inch long, and is more commonly known as a greenhouse frog. RATS!!!!!
As I was cleaning our pool this morning, I noticed a little frog swimming around and seemingly having a great time. I scooped him up, got my camera and took a couple of photos. I have NEVER seen such a small frog. When I say small, I mean SMALL! Here's two photos of the little guy. One by himself, and one next to my thumb. Did I say this frog was small?????? :-)
I'm probably not the first person to criticize an airplane's paint job, but this one is down right "weird"......... This airbus was parked in Ft. Lauderdale last week and garnered all sorts of comments over the radio frequencies. What do YOU think?????? :-)
Two weeks of sun and warmth have literally cleared all the snow off of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. Took this photo last week on our descent into San Francisco. I never realized we flew over Yosemite every time we go into SFO! Guess I should pull out my map of the USA a bit more. LOL
Here's a shot I took a couple of days ago after departing San Francisco,
Well, I've had THREE photos in the USA Today newspaper's weather section this month! On the 25th of April a photo I took of a massive thunderstorm was published. I'd taken the photo a few days earlier during a trip from Newark to Phoenix. This thunderstorm was forming during sunset, hence the incredible orange glow! It was near Wichita Falls, TX and was over 40,000 feet high! The picture was taken almost 50 miles away, which gives a great idea of how massive it was! I have to say this was the most beautiful thunderstorm I've ever seen! Here is the published shot:
During my last trip, we departed Newark, NJ, for Phoenix, AZ, and passed by one of the most spectacular thunderstorms I've ever seen during my 36 years of flying! The storm was located near Wichita Falls, TX, and was made even more beautiful by the setting sun. We flew 50 miles south of the cell, but here's a couple of shots of it I was lucky enough to get. You can see the development of the storm as we fly by it. I love when my Nikon 8800 takes such nice photos for me!
Well, my girlfriend's son, Jimmy, is finally back after his long extended injury rehabilitation. A few years ago, he tore his rotator cuff during a serve.................and he's worked hard and furious to get back on the court as quick as he could. So far, he's done incredibly well.............losing only TWO tie breaks in his last five matches! He even won the doubles in a recent MEN'S tournament! All I can say is it's been a long time, and we'r
Opened up the USA Today newspaper's weather section today and saw ANOTHER of my photos published! It is of two "sun dogs" which are small rainbow like glints on the sides of the photo. The one on the right is more prevalent. They are caused by high moisture content in the upper atmosphere. I usually see a couple of these a year, but this one really stood out. What a great office I have!
Was notified another photo of mine had been selected for publication in the USA Today newspaper for the 2nd of April! I took this shot en route from Las Vegas to Chicago on the 30th of March. It is of a lenticular" or lens shaped cloud, and was taken near Eagle, Colorado. It is normally associated with high winds and turbulence. This is definitely one of the larger lenticular clouds I've seen. The snow covered mountains add to the dramatic look of this shot! Enjoy!
My dear mom Dorothy, has discovered she LOVES mangoes! When I was making smoothies during her recent visit, she ensured that she got to "eat the meat off the bone!" Seems she's discovering a lot of things she missed out during her past years that she now LOVES............like prime rib, LOBSTER, mangoes, shrimp, crab legs, etc....! Thanks for coming to see us mom and hope to see you back here again soon! We'll go try some NEW foods!
My mom, brother and sister recently came to Hollywood for a visit. Here's a shot of my mom doing her favorite thing.....playing at the Mardi Gras Casino! It's a lot of fun watching her play as she dances to the music and makes friends with everyone who sits next to her . Hope you win a lot and have a great time mom! We love you!
Well, I'm back to not being able to download photos...................... What good is a blog if I can't download anything.....................????? Hope the hackers are happy...............
Hello everyone. Sorry I haven't posted anything lately, but my blog has been hacked and I can't download any photos. Apparently some low-life LOSER has nothing better to do in life other than ruin peoples enjoyment. I sincerely hope "kharma" pays this person a visit and allows him the joy of never being able to touch a computer for the rest of their meaningless life. Meanwhile, I'll try to figure out how to get this up and running again in the next week or so. Sorry...........................
