Image for 4-29-11 - The Old Castle Town

The castle is the symbol for Edinburgh. I saw this old relief logo on the side of a small utility shed (or was it a public toilet?). I'm a sucker for peeled paint and I like the icon design.

I pulled the photos off the camera last night, all six hundred and fifty-two of them. I know my pal Dave shot about double that. It was a very well documented journey. We saw and did a lot in the twelve days we were on the ground there, the trip featured a little of everything, some hiking, visited new places I had not been to before in Scotland, catching up with old friends, some urban exploring and finally, Dead by Dawn, my favorite horror film festival. It's been six years since I last set foot in Scotland, also for DbD, as my circle of horror film friends refer to it. I was surprised at how little had seemed to change in Edinburgh, a few new shops  here and there, but when the city's essential layout was made in stone hundreds of years ago, there's no easy way to modify that without obliterating part of your history. Tidewater (I refuse to use "Hampton Roads", a rant for another time), seems to revel in destroying any building new or old that stands in the way of "progress", I use the term loosely as it generally means making way for a parking lot, chain drug store or, more likely, luxury condos. I'm sure that if I lived in Edinburgh for a while, something I'd love to do, that I'd see the creepy corporate influence there as well. On this trip, I was blissfully happy to wander The Meadows (a large park in the southern part of the city) or hang out in the Grassmarket ( area with pubs and shops in the shadow of the castle). Oh Edinburgh! I love you!

OK HW

Back in Edinburgh

My flight arrived on time. After all the drama yesterday, I'm amazed that I got out at all. Fully expected to be sleeping in Newark airport last night.

My friend Alan Smart picked me up at the airport. I know Alan from my time living in Ireland. We were both kitchen help in an Italina restaurant in a small town in the west of Ireland. A long story for another time.

Edinburgh is strangely quiet today because of holiday for the Royal Wedding. The empty streets fits my mood.

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Enjoying a Guinness in NJ

On the ground in Newark. First pint of the trip. The second pint was bought a a swell Scotish guy named Paul. He and his wife were just returning from their first visit to NYC.

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Norfolk Airport Carpet

Yeah, still stuck here. Flying sucks. OK HW

image for 4-28-2011 - tiki mug drawing

 

Delayed at the airport. Made this sketch from memory. Compare with the yesterday's photo.

Image for 4-27-11 - The New Tiki

My friends Casey and Laura picked this Tiki Mug up for me in Reno, NV. He's a real beauty and a fine addition to the collection. He sports real, plastic green gem eyes!

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Image for 4-26-2011 - The old Space Park

This was taken at the old Air & Space Power Park in Hampton, Va. I remember visiting this park on a field trip back in second grade. The park was in much better shape back then. It's sad to see all the rockets and jet planes rusty in this unkempt and forgotten place. I recall as a child wandering among these technological wonders and dreaming of a future full of space adventures. Now, with the Space Shuttle nearly retired and nothing to replace it, it will be the first time in my lifetime that the US will not have the ability to but people into space. NASA's current budget is about eighteen billion dollars a year. Considering the fact that we're spending two billion a day on the wars, it's hard to believe that we can't find the money to keep America on the leading edge of space technology. Hopefully this park of decaying relics is not our future.

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Image for 4-25-11 - The Wedding...

I did not find, or make a photo today, guess I got a case of the lazy eye. I did realize that I have failed to put up on here any photos from my friends Casey and Laura's recent nuptial event. This is a shot I took with my phonecam of the newly joined groom and bride and the nice lady (whom's name I can not recall) who did the joining.

I took a bunch of pictures that weekend and uploaded some of the better shots to a Facebook album.

I'm looking forward to seeing the other pictures from that weekend and the video too. It was a touching event, with lots of love and and happy tears. They even picked me to read a poem!

Laura and Casey are wonderful friends and I feel humble to have shared in such a loving celebration.

I wish them many years of happiness, fun and love!

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Image for 4-24-11 - Azalea Time!

The Azaleas are peaking right now. The walk I take through the neighborhood is laced with explosions of Azalea color right now. I haven't seen many bees taking advantage of all those open and willing petals, which is worrying with all the reports of bee colonies dying off. I saw one big bumblebee in the middle of the sidewalk, on his back, fighting to get upright again and gave him a little nudge that righted him and he flew off. Made me think that we're all in this together and if we don't help each other, we won't make it. Go forth my bee brother and hit that pollen!

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Image for 4-23-11 - I'm ready.

Got seven miles in today with the pack on. I feel ready for the coming big hike in Scotland. That seven miles also brought my year-to-date total up to two hundred and thirty-five miles, two miles ahead of the average I need of two hundred and thirty-three point thirty-three by the end of April and I'm not through with adding some more. It was hot yesterday, in the eighties, the first slicing fingers of summer heat in the wind. I enjoy the heat less and less as I get older. Prefer the cool and cold weather of fall and winter. Would rather have the fireplace roaring, then the AC humming. It's also more difficult to hike in the hot weather, the heat drains my energy, the humidity reduces me to a soggy sweat ball. The bugs swarm and bite and sting. Give me a cool, overcast day in November anytime.

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Simon's Cat

I enjoy these Simon's Cat animations. This one in particular is a lot of fun.

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Image for 4-22-11 - Perspective

Was this picture taken from five thousand feet or five feet? Does it matter? The view would be the same and your experience could be just as disconnected. From this vantage point, it is just color and texture and shapes. You could be an ant or a giant. What do you see?

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Image for 4-21-11 - Map

I am a big fan of maps. I will spend time studying a map, reading a map, walking down the roads in my mind. I've visited places just because I liked the shape of it on a map. Technology is all well and good; GPS will grab you by your nose and lead you where you want to go, but you won't learn anything. Maps can reveal a city, a landscape; show you the alley behind the wall; the pathway that leads out of town to the Roman ruins over the hill. With a map in my pocket, the world is mine. Now, that doesn't mean I won't get lost, in fact a map usually gives me too much confidence, which guarantees  I will get lost, but that's alright. I've made some of my best discoveries when lost.

This is a map I know fairly well of one of my favorite cities in the world. I will be there soon,

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Image for 4-20-11 - Big Chief

I got mixed feelings about graffiti. Sometimes I see it and it pisses me off, just looks like selfish bullshit inflicted on a public space. Then I'll see something that transcends that and makes it to the art level and improves upon the surroundings. This piece falls into the  later category. It has a humor to it and sophisticated sensibility that appeals to me. I also have to admit that I have become more open to graffiti after watching Exit Through the Gift Shop, a film that you need to see if you haven't. (Those with Netflix and Roku box can add it to their Instant Watch queue, hint, hint). The best quality graffiti I have ever seen was in Barcelona, Spain. I'll have to dig those photos out...