2017 Year In Review

As I look back at 2017, I found a harsh political climate, not to mention a climate that left us with hurricanes in the South and wildfires in the West. We saw more terrorism in many states, even in my own. Demonstrations plagued our cities, big and small. We are a divided nation it seems. Then came a giant leap in the women's, and even human rights movement. With the unearthing of sexual harassment, this brought to bear one's credibility. With it came destroyed careers, shattered lives and broken families. And we are left in shock and disbelief in this the supposed greatest nation in the world.

In my world, however small, I awoke each day with new hope of capturing Mother Nature in all her splendor and beauty. As best my mind's eye could focus through the lens in my Nikon, I snapped image after image at every twist and turn on the road I traveled. I long for more, but this year ends on this day and I am left wanting.

The year 2018 will bring more opportunities and more images, with different settings and beautiful scenery. I hope to bring you, my friends and followers, who so graciously compliment me as I post, more of what is beautiful in this world. Thank you for all of your well wishes. I will cherish them always. I leave you with my very best images I brought up from the depths of my archives of this year 2017. 

I pray all that is wrong in this world will be overshadowed by all that is right in this New Year. Whatever climate we find ourselves in, be it political, weather or controversial, I hope you will look to Mother Nature for the beauty and splendor in our world. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Linking to Foodie Friday and Everything Else and Metamorphosis Monday

Looking Back at 2017

Wherever you travel in the world, more than likely you carry a camera with you today. It may only be a camera on your smartphone or a tiny point and shoot or it might be a larger digital camera with interchangeable lenses. Here's a look back at a few of the venues I captured images of in the past year from the Tennessee all the way west to the Pacific.

One of my favorite places to visit in all of the States is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. At the highest elevation, any visitor in an automobile can drive, sits Clingman's Dome. On this beautiful day in the Smokies, I captured this image of Fontana Lake way off in the distance with clouds floating by.

Capturing images of farms and farmland is by far one of the many photo ops photographers enjoy doing. To take this urban image, I only traveled about thirty miles north of my home and about a mile from the Kentucky/Tennessee northern border, just outside of Portland. This vintage barn with it's peeling red paint sits in a large field with beautiful yellow Canoli flowers in bloom in the background. I love to see the gorgeous fields of Canoli seeds in bloom every Spring. They are breathtaking.

Visiting Cheekwood Botanical Gardens is a great way to spend a few hours and get outdoors in nature. This Spring I walked over to the arboretum one last time only to find all of the visitors had dissipated and there was the beautiful arboretum just waiting for it's close up. It's yellows and purples and reds were so pretty, but I especially loved the urn at the back of the arboretum filled with flowers.

I flew across many states to land in the great state of California to spend a few days in San Francisco this Spring for a sales conference. While out on the Belle of San Francisco one evening, I walked out on the deck looking toward the Golden Gate bridge. When I turned back this image stared back at me. The city's lights were so beautiful I snapped a few images to share with you.

Photographing flowers is one of my favorite past times. Who doesn't love a beautiful flower. To capture Sunflower images this Summer, I traveled south almost an hour to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to Batey Farms to snap images of the beautiful Sunflowers in bloom. It was a picture perfect day with blue skies and tons of sunshine and the time of day couldn't have been more perfect for flower photography. It was the best photo opportunity I have ever had to take images of Sunflowers.

I hope you enjoyed coming along as I looked back at my travels in 2017. I can't wait to see where 2018 takes me. Are you ready for a major cold front that is on the verge of sweeping down from Canada in the next day or two. Today was 70 degrees and really didn't feel like Christmas at all, but this cold front will surely remedy that. Are you deckin' the halls. I trust you are or have and are now in hot pursuit of that perfect gift for your loved ones. My tree is decked, the gifts are purchased and I'm all set. Hope you are having a wonderful Holiday Season. ENJOY!

San Francisco Skyline

Plying the waters of San Francisco Bay, our dinner cruise ship, the San Francisco Belle, finally pulled away from the Port of San Francisco. The sun was coming down on this day as I captured this image of Coit Tower sitting high up on a hill.

Night descended onto the city as our boat crossed San Francisco Bay headed to the Golden Gate Bridge, I captured several images of the city's skyline bathed in various degrees of blue light.

One of the last images before night engulfed the skyline. I hope you enjoyed these images of the San Francisco skyline as night fell on the city. ENJOY!

Foggy Golden Gate Bridge

Atop Cityscape, a rooftop bar situated on the 46th floor of the Hilton Hotel Union Square, I discovered countless views of the beautiful city of San Francisco, both North to South and East to West. The City by the Bay, on this late afternoon, was shrouded in a thin layer of fog. Far off into the distance I searched, until finally I laid my eyes on two distinct, and infamous columns, that if one is truly lucky, will permeate the fog in defiance. There was the Golden Gate Bridge standing tall and bidding me to capture her in all her beauty. I chose a black and white photo as it offers more detail. This trip was for business with scarce little time for anything else, but I managed to capture a few images on the dinner cruise and up on the rooftop bar. I hope you like this shot as I felt it told my story well. ENJOY!

Golden Gate Bridge at Dusk

Late dusk gave way to the Golden Gate Bridge, bathed in varying hues from a deep blue to a near midnight blue while a bright crescent Moon shone overhead. The twinkling lights of the bridge, and the cars as they crossed the bridge, dot the landscape. I stood on the San Francisco Belle, an historic steamboat, while a sharp wind cut through my jacket, knowing full well as the boat plied the choppy waters of San Francisco Bay, that the chances of any of my images being sharp were slim to none, but still I hoped for the best. I will let you guys be the judge. The varying hues of blues in this image were too beautiful not to post. On my business trip to the 'City by the Bay' this week I had little time for pleasure, but did manage to capture a few images on a dinner cruise. I also took a few photos atop the Cityscape, a rooftop restaurant at the Hilton Hotel Union Square, where gorgeous views of the bay could be seen for miles and miles. I will be back with a few of those images soon. And no, this is not an April Fool's joke. ENJOY!