David's Images of the Day Photoblog
Views of art from around the world
Wood Stork Wading Along Black Point Wildlife Drive in Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 640, 600 mm, f/4, 1/640 sec). Image converted to B&W with Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
Lupines flowers in bloom at a flower garden at Christ Church Cathedral in Stanley. The sculpture in the background is made from whale bones. Composite of 3 mages taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 18 mm, f/11). Raw image processed with Lightroom 2015 HDR, Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC.
[Update from the post last year. While visiting a neighbor across the street I noticed a wind-chime that used the same type of spoons. I wonder if a crow took one and dropped it off in my backyard???]
I was out in the backyard using a rototiller to prepare a new section for the expanding wildflower meadow. The land had been a farm years ago, but this section had become overgrown with brush. The brush was cleared last year, and this summer the section was covered with a black tarp to solarize the soil (kill the weeds, especially the invasive “mile-a-minute” vine). The rototiller found lots of rocks, and roots from the brush. At one point, I noticed something silver being thrown back by rototiller. It turned out to be a spoon. The rototiller blades did a bit of damage to the spoon. I brought it inside, and washed it off. The only identification of the spoon was an imprint on the back of the handle “Oneida Silversmiths”. After doing some research online, I think I identified the design of the spool as Oneida silverplate “Clairhill-Fairhill (1978). One site had it on sale for less than eight dollars. So, not an antique 🙁 . The house was built around that time, but how the spoon got 200 feet behind the house is a mystery.
The group spent the morning at the Cuban Ballet School. Not for a performance, but practice. It was in an old run down, but once majestic building. We were told the students from Cuba attended for free, but those from other countries paid tuition, which paid some of the bills. The director was looking for donations of costumes and dance shoes.
After checking into our hotel, a few of us walked down to the beach for sunset. I hoped to see the “Green Flash” like I did the last time I was in Hawaii. The conditions were not right, but I did get some good sunset images. I processed these images using newer, current tools. You can see earlier versions here.
