The White Deer

This is an amazing story! This white deer is one of a herd of about 200 on the grounds of the former Seneca Army Depot, in Romulus, New York. It is a facility of some 11,000 acres, and was used for storing munitions for over 50 years, from 1941 to 1994. There were reportedly atomic bombs stored here as well. I remember driving by once, just as a C-141 Starlifter broke out of the overcast and landed on the runway of the Depot. A security fence was built around the facility in 1941, and gradually the army noticed that there were some white deer on the property, along with the more numerous brown deer. Realizing they were special, they allowed the white herd to increase, while they controlled the population of the brown deer. We were driving by late in the day, and saw a few cars stopped alongside the road, and there were the white deer. I pulled up alongside the fence where this buck was feeding, he looked at me, and went back to his grazing. When he looked up again, I got this shot.

Nursery

I know these plants in the foreground look like some kind of flower, but they are not. They are actually apple trees. I kid you not. This is a nursery in an apple orchard, and the new shoots are grafted onto root stocks. Apparently the buds along the main stem are trimmed, leaving a long slender tree. All of the trees are more than three feet high. Eventually they are transplanted to an orchard, and then grow in a more traditional shape. The tops of the leaves of some of these are bluish in color because I photographed them after the sun had set, and they are reflecting the remains of the blue sky. The old barn in the distance is not part of the nursery, but it sure adds interest to the photo, doesn't it?

Do Not Fly

"Do Not Fly," the red sign says. OK, I won't... :-) This is the fuselage of an old Taylorcraft L2-M aircraft built for the military in Ohio, back in 1944. It is what is called a "basket case." That doesn't mean it won't fly again. John and I went to a small airport near Rochester, where an enthusiastic group of pilots restore old aircraft. The owner of this airplane is talking about having it flying by spring! Apparently he will have have a lot of help from volunteers in working on the restoration. It was fun to hang out with a bunch of pilots in a hangar, telling stories.

Walking the Dogs

I drove up to Pultneyville today to see my friend John. He and I have been friends since college, and we are both photographers and pilots. We spent most of the day just hanging out and talking, went to lunch, and then he had to take the dogs for their afternoon walk. It was cold, and had rained, and was late in the day. So he walked the dogs, and I walked backwards in front of them, and tried to get an interesting picture. This is my favorite - I love the sky, and the wet road and the blue light of late afternoon.

Watching YouTube

This is Chris, Angela, and Vince watching the now famous YouTube interviews of Sarah Palin supporters while they waited in line to have their books signed, in Columbus, Ohio. If you watch the video, first you think it is funny, but then you realize how little her supporters know. But that is not the real topic of this blog. I was really enjoying watching Vince showing the video, and how much fun they were all having together. Having fun together - isn't that what a gathering of family is all about on this Thanksgiving?

Something New

I just typed the title "Something New" and laughed, because clearly what I have photographed today is not new! When I was photographing the remains of this garden today, I was trying different ways of looking at this subject. Then I began to have the feeling that I was seeing this in a different way than I normally would. It just feels like a new way of seeing, perhaps in some small way. But different, nonetheless. In case you are curious, this is the remains of this year's Chinese wisteria, and it is in the beautiful West garden at the Eastman House in Rochester, one of my all time favorite places.

Ho Hum, Another "Old" Thing

It's the same old story again... Driving down the road, see something, find a place to park, and go back to shoot. The interesting thing about this shot is that the thing that grabbed me was a view of this house from the other direction. As I walked back to where I thought I wanted to take the photos, I saw this, and decided that I would shoot it as well. As it ended up, I liked this shot better. I should post both and you can all vote...