Christmas 2008 - Norfolk Virginia

The Holidays in my Town

JOY JOY JOY

December 23, 2008 - Are you ready

Are you Ready?

Christmas and the Economy - Not necessaryly a bad thing

With the Economy being so bad,

perhaps we can get back to being focused

on the meaning of the Holidays

Gray Skies Are Gonna Clear Up

Gray Skies Are Gonna Clear Up
Put On A Happy Face
And Spread Sunshine All Over The Place.

Rained all day yesterday.

Very heavy at times.

This morning was rather drab as the last of the clouds moved off.

By the Sea, By the Sea

By the Sea,

By the Sea,

By the Beautiful Sea.

You and me

You and me

Oh how happy we'll be

Bok Tower Gardens

The cold weather here makes me yearn for that Wonderful visit to BOK Tower Gardens, that I made last year. This place has got to be one of the most beautiful in all of Florida. If you have an opportunity to go there, don't miss out.

 

A card for all of you that are celebrating the Thanksgiving Holiday.

For those that are not, know that this year I am Thankful for your friendship.

Lake Gaston in the Fall

Spent the weekend at Lake Gaston

Despite stormy weather, the beauty of that place is hard to hide.

On Dining Out

Dining Out ~ A Photo Essay

Enjoying the Experience
Video and Photographs by TomC

Dining Out by Pamela Martin

CK's

Holding court in the back booth,
we stop talking each time
the waitress with blue eyeshadow
stops to tell us about her dying mother.
I wonder if she's got a Will.

Though it is most inappropriate,
I cannot stifle a laugh
because she reminds me
of Flo on that old show "Alice".
I wonder if she even has a T.V.

The juke box suddenly speaks,
thumping out the same depressing song
played for the third time
by the cab driver at the counter.
I wonder what the song reminds him of.

We hash out a new story idea,
accentuating opinions with
pointing fingers and slow nods.
No one bothers to eavesdrop.
I wonder if we're really here.

Beloved

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Beloved - [bi-luhv-id, -luhvd] - When I think of what beloved means to me, I think of being cradled by protective arms that hold me close to a warm heart.

Political Diversity

I found these lawn signs all on the same city block and only a few houses apart.  I was amused by the diversity of the neighbor hood.

The power of the sun

It's a nice cool day here. Not to the point of needing a jacket, but certainly enough to push away the memories of hot humid days.

While I was out in the court yard where I live, I happened to looked over towards the Dogwood tree; now covered in dead brown leaves. I was amazed at how the sun glowing from behind lit up and beautified that which is dead.

For those going through a tough time

Sorry I haven't updated this blog in awhile. I have been very busy with some gray days and a heavy heart.

Life has it's crosses and thorns. We all carry or feel them at different points in our journey through this world. It's what we do at those moments that test the metal of our character and define who we are.

I have often found that finding the calm within a storm, although difficult, helps put things in perspective and provides a clearer vision. It is that which will help move you through it.

For all those facing troubled times, I hope this photo can provide you with a moment of peace within your storm.

Northeaster Comming

There is a northeaster brewing off the coast and expected to hit here later today. That means nasty weather here for the next day or two.   Yesterday I went down to the shore to see the effects of the coming storm.   The wind was gusting at about 30 mph, the seas were very choppy, and the skies were mostly cloudy and overcast.  Here are a few views.

Here is a quick (and I do mean quick (4 sec) view of the sky on Monday evening. I was experimenting and took 113 shots, compiled them together at a rate of 24 frames per second. Now that I know how to do it, my next one will be longer and I'll use a tripod.

Restoration Work in Progress

While I was at the Chrysler Museum, I met this fellow Mark Lewis who is a Painting Conservator. Mark is cleaning and restoring a 450 year old painting by Venetian painter Paolo Veronese. The painting is called Virgin and Child with Angels Appearing to Saints Anthony Abbot and Paul, the Hermit, 1562 This alter piece was one of three works by Veronese commissioned by the Benedictine monks at an Italian Church, San Benedetto Po.

Here's a little history on the painting for you, Napoleon's troops confiscated this and two other companion pieces, along with countless other works of art, during the French occupation of northern Italy in the late 1790s. The Virgin and Child with Angels Appearing to Saints Anthony Abbot and Paul, the Hermit eventually surfaced in France, where it was purchased by Walter P. Chrysler, Jr., in 1954. The two other paintings appeared in an English Country Manor in the nineteenth century: one was unfortunately destroyed by fire, but The Consecration of Saint Nicholas was acquired by the National Gallery in London. The abbey church and cloisters still stand today, with reproductions of the paintings placed above the original altars.

Mark, is removing the protective layer of varnish that has yellowed with age. He then applies a layer of Isolating Varnish, filling and restoring loses. I could actual see the weave of the fabric in some places. What was interesting about that was that most linens use a criss cross weave while this one was more like a tweed stitch. Mark explained to me that this helpd the painting to have more flexibility thus allowing better preservation over time. I asked Mark how long the restoration will take and he said roughly 500 hours. Mark only works on Wednesdays so the restoration process will be on display for quite a while.

I asked Mark how he got his background. After college he went to France where he apprenticed to a master restorer for a few years. He returned to the United States and secured a job at a gallery working in the restoration department. Eventually he perfected his skills and is now the Chrysler's paintings conservator. He also works as a member of various restoration teams For the Smithsonian Institute.

 

 

Art, it's all in your perspective

The age old question "What is Art?"

To answer that question, I visited the Chrysler Museum.
The answer, I found, was that it is all in your Perspective

Prayers and hopes to our Fellow Texans

We live in the shadow of a danger over which we have no control. The Gulf, like a provoked and angry giant, can awake from its seeming lethargy, over step its conventional boundaries, invade our land and spread chaos and disaster. Please remember our fellow citizens in Texas who are dealing with the aftermath of hurricane IKE.

Another Rainy Day 9-11-08

Tropical Storm Hanna

Tropical Storm Hanna passed through here today. Not very bad at all. Most of the rain was to the west of here (Norfolk, Virginia). We experienced mostly just the winds and some gusts were clocked at 59 mph. There are some pockets of power outages, light ponding on the roads, and downed limbs. All in All it could have been much worse.

Children of the Sea

Children of the Sea
Here are a few more surfing shots for you
(Click on photo for larger view)

East Coast Surfing Championship

Attended the East Coast Surfing Championship, being held in Virginia Beach, yesterday. I will be going back today for more shots of the actions. Here are just a few from Fridays events.

The day was quite pleasant with temperatures in the lower 80's and low humidity.

I thought you would enjoy seeing.........uhmmmmmm......The Van

Surfers Read the Baords, Wax the Boards, and Ride the Boards

Rainy Day Abstracts

Some believe that photographing in the rain is not a good or fun thing to do. However, if your a lover of the abstract, such as I, then there is no better producer of natural abstracts waiting to be photographed then in a good down pour.

The trick to seeing the world in an abstract way is learning to see the forest through the trees. This works great for those of us who are a little short sighted, so to speak. The next time you are out in your vehicle and the skies above let loose with a heavy weep, pull your car over, turn off the wipers and watch the show being presented right on the windshield. The trick is to look at the windshield and not through it. Try squinting your eyes if you are having a hard time seeing anything other than rain drops. It takes a little practice but once you get the hang of it, it can be a rewarding experience.

Finally, in my book there is nothing better than an abstract photograph that can be made right there at the camera's lens.

(Click on any Image to see a larger version)

Shopping in the Rain

Crossing Little Creek

Danger Stop

Driving Storm

Running Lights

Stuffed Toys

Thanks for looking ~TomC~

Save Water - For our Children

Save Water
For our Children's Sake

Did you know that less than 1% of all the water on Earth can be used by people? The rest is salt water (the kind you find in the ocean) or is permanently frozen and we can't drink it, wash with it, or use it to water plants. With exploding human population growth, especially in poor countries, these finite supplies get quickly spoken for.

The most valuable commodity in the world today, and likely to remain so for much of this century, is not oil, not natural gas, not even some type of renewable energy. It’s water—clean, safe, fresh water. Today, many of the world’s leading investors and most successful companies are making big bets on water. Do a little research, and it’s easy to see why. There simply isn’t enough freshwater to go around, and the situation is expected to get worse before it gets better