circadianreflections

Galveston, TX from Navigator of the Seas

September 24, 2015September 24, 2015Posted in Cruising, Galveston TX, Navigator of the Seas, Pelican Island TX, Royal Caribbean, Travel and TourismTagged Carnival Magic, Cruising, Galveston TX, Pelican Island TX, Port of Galveston, SeaWolf Park, Western Monarch9 Comments

I’d never been to Galveston, TX, but driving through the old part of the city to get to Port of Galveston on our sailing day I saw it looked interesting. It reminded me of New Orleans a little. There’s an area with homes, shops with lots of wrought iron decorations on doors, windows, balconies, fences, and gates.

I wished we had had time to wander around a bit. Alas, I didn’t so here are few of my observations from the ship.

Galveston, TX from the observation deck on Deck 4-Port Side

Carnival Magic was also in Port. She set sail 30 minutes or so before we did.

She churned up lots of good stuff from the bottom of the channel. There was a group of 3 to 5 Dolphins feeding in the water. Unfortunately, they never lifted their snouts out of the water.

Western Monarch docked

We pulled away from the dock, and sailed past this Dry Dock

then we sailed past SeaWolf Park on Pelican Island. I didn’t know anything about it, but it looked interesting with the old submarine, and navy ship so, I looked it up when I got home. From the park’s website I gleaned this,

“Seawolf Park is located on Galveston’s Pelican Island on a former immigration station site. The park offers one of the island’s most popular fishing piers, picnic sites and a playground. The park is also home to tourist attractions, including the WWII submarine the USS Cavalla and one of only three destroyer escorts in the world, the USS Stewart. The remains of the WWI tanker S.S. Selma, the largest concrete ship constructed, can be seen northwest of the park’s fishing pier.” ~Galveston.com

Our first night on the ship was fun, and I slept like a baby until my alarm woke me up at O’Dark Thirty for sunrise. Grabbing my camera I opened our sliding glass door to our balcony and was greeted with this view:

We were in the Gulf of Mexico now heading to Cozumel, Mexico. On the Horizon is Carnival Magic all lit up. She was sailing almost the same route we were.

The bright Planet in the sky might Venus, but I’m not positive.

Nikon Df| Lumix FZ200| Hoodman STEEL Ultra High Speed Digital Film & Lexar Professional Digital Film| CS6| Hand-held

More to come…

P52 39/52 Banded Garden Spider

September 22, 2015Posted in Insects, Macro Photography, Northern California USA, Photography, Project 52, SpidersTagged Banded Garden Spider, Insects, Macro photography, Northern California, Project 52, Spiders9 Comments

Banded Garden Spider I can’t say positively this is a Banded Garden Spider since I didn’t see its top side. It’s web was huge! I found this spider on the side of the house when I went over there to turn the wagon around for #1 Grandson. The Spider was in the middle of its orb shaped web which spanned from one side of the fence to the house wall on the the other side; over 4 ft! The spider itself was about 2 inches long. Its head pointed down.

#1 Grandson was fascinated with this spider so he kept going back to see it all afternoon. Later we tried to identify it, and learn about them. By the size and position of this spider I’d say it’s a female. I didn’t notice a male anywhere.

Nikon Df| AF-D Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 macro lens| Hoodman STEEL Ultra High Speed Digital Film| CS6

More to come…

Ginko Leaf Watercolor

September 20, 2015September 20, 2015Posted in Begin Painting, Fall Leaves, Ginko Tree, Painting, Photography, WatercolorTagged Arts, Beginner Watercolor, Fall Leaves, Ginko, painting, Watercolor18 Comments

Copyright ©2015 Deborah M Zajac All Rights Reserved

Inspired by Laura at createarteveryday I have tried painting a couple of leaves. This Ginko leaf from my front yard I like well enough to share.

Cotman travel palette on Strathmore watercolor paper

IPhone5

More to come…

Project 52 38/52 Kinder Chocolate Bars

September 15, 2015Posted in Candy, Chocolate, Food Photography, Macro Photography, Project 52, Travel and FoodTagged Candy, Chocolate Bars, Food Photography, Kinder Bars, Macro photography, Product of Mexico, Project 52, Travel9 Comments

The best things about traveling are meeting new people, learning new customs, hearing new languages, and trying new foods; especially desserts, and candies. While wandering around the shops in Cozumel recently I found these little chocolate bars called Kinder. We don’t have them where I live so bought a box of 8 bars to bring home.

They’re little pillows of milk chocolate with a soft milky filling. It’s tasty! I’m glad they’re small bars!

Nikon Df| AF-D Nikkor 105mm f/1.8 macro lens| Hoodman STEEL Ultra High Speed Digital Film| CS6| Tripod

More to come…

Unhappy folks on shore now! -The Sailor’s Consolation

September 14, 2015September 14, 2015Posted in PhotographyTagged Cruising, Navigator of the Seas, Royal Caribbean, Travel, Western Caribbean13 Comments

He-Man had a big Decade BIRTHDAY (60) this year; very early in the year he asked me to plan a trip for only him and I for this birthday. He didn’t want to drive…much, if at all, or have to think about what or where to eat, or go to be entertained, and he wanted to be in the place on his actual birthday. I knew straight away he was talking about a Cruise. He adores cruising precisely because he doesn’t have to do any of the above mentioned things while on-board. I’m not that crazy about the “at sea days”. There are 4 on a 7 day cruise, and two, TWO formal nights! I tried, OH. SO. HARD. To get him to change his mind and do something else, but none of my suggestions swayed him.

So, being the good wife, and friend I ~~hope I am~~ I try to be; I booked a 7 day cruise on the Navigator of the Seas in the Western Caribbean for his Big Birthday. We sailed on his Birthday. We sailed from a port new to us; Galveston, TX, and of the 3 ports of call it was going to one port/island was new to us. Here’s He-Man enjoying our view from our balcony on Deck 7 on his birthday.

This was our 4th cruise and 2nd time sailing on the Navigator of the Seas. Our very first cruise back in 2008 was on the Navigator. She’s a grand ole’ ship. (He-Man and my Brother-in-Law on the dock in Cozumel, MX 2008). In port that day was also the Carnival Legend. She sailed fairly close to us that trip.

The Navigator of the Seas was built in 2002 in Finland. At that time she was the Fifth largest passenger ship at sea. She is part of Royal Caribbean’s “Voyager Class” of ships; at the time of her debut she was one of the first ships to have an ice skating rink, and the Royal Promanade which features, indoor pubs, lots of stores, cafes, and the Ships “Guest Services” desk where one can book excursions, and get answers to anything pertaining to the ship. There’s Mini Golf up on the 14th floor, a rock climbing wall, and back in 08 there was an incline skating track, but that has been replaced with the “FlowRider” which is a surf simulator. Here’s an employee of Royal Caribbean riding it in between passengers. He was amazing at it, and made it look so easy! It’s NOT! No, I didn’t try it. 🙂

On Day 2 a “sea day” we had a storm which kept us indoors, but when the rain stopped we went up to Deck 11 and discovered a rainbow just off the Starboard side of the ship. (Hot Tubs)

I couldn’t resist going up to Deck 12 at night to photograph the Pool Deck-

Deck 12

to get another sense of her size here’s the Aft end docked in Roatan, Honduras with the Tourist vans out on the street waiting for tourists off the boat.

and one last image…a quick look at the Bridge before we sailed. Not quite as many gauges as an airplane in this view, but there are a lot of them not in the frame!

Nikon Df, and Panasonic Lumix FZ200| Hoodman STEEL Ultra High Speed Digital Film, and Lexar Professional Digital Film| CS6| Hand-held

More to come…

The Harvesters

September 13, 2015September 13, 2015Posted in Fruits, Insects, LensBaby Composer Pro, Macro Photography, PlantsTagged Ants, Grapes, Insects, LensBaby Composer Pro, Macro photography6 Comments

On the trail I take to get to the Steep Hill are a few grape vines growing along a fence. Only the birds, and ants are harvesting the grapes this season.

Nikon Df| LensBaby Composer Pro w/Soft Focus Optic and Macro Converters

More to come…

P52 37/52 Acorn Caps and Oak Leaves

September 12, 2015Posted in Acorns, Hiking, LensBaby Composer Pro, Macro Photography, Oak Leaves, Project 52Tagged Acorns, Dried, hiking, Macro photography, Oak Leaves, Project 527 Comments

Gleaned from the trail while on my “stretch my legs” hike up the Steep Hill and beyond.

This week has been a “red letter” one for me hiking up the Steep Hill. I made it to the top without stopping both times I hiked up the hill this week! It’s an 11% grade up to the top where my Lonely Tree is growing. See some trail images of the Steep hill here.

I think going up all those stairs last week while on the cruise ship paid off. 🙂

Nikon Df| LensBaby Composer Pro w/Soft Focus Optic & Macro Converters| Hoodman STEEL Ultra High Speed Digital Film| CS6 & On1 Perfect Effects 9

More to come…

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