Travel – Page 10 – Circadianreflections Blog

Misty Valley

August 19, 2012August 19, 2012Posted in California, Landscapes, Photography, TravelTagged James Longenbach, Landscapes, Nikkor, Nikon D700, Photography, Poetry, Views from the RoadLeave a comment

This poem Mist Valley
by James Longenbach came to my mind when I came across this old photo of mine a few days ago.

At the end of August, when all
The letters of the alphabet are waiting,
You drop a teabag in a cup.
The same few letters making many different words,
The same words meaning different things.

Often you’ve rearranged them on the surface of the fridge.
Without the surface
They’re repulsed by one another.

Here are the letters.
The tea is in your cup.

At the end of August, the mind
Is neither the pokeweed piercing the grass
Nor the grass itself.
As Tony Cook says in The Biology of Terrestrial Mollusks

The right thing to do is nothing, the place
A place of concealment,
And the time as often as possible.

Nikon D700| Nikkor 17-35@26mm| f11| 1/60sec| ISO 200| Manual Priority| Tripod

Swanton Berry Farm

August 17, 2012August 17, 2012Posted in California, Photography, TravelTagged Davenport California, Decay, Nikon, Nikon D700, Old Trucks, Strawberries, Swanton Berry Farm, triptych2 Comments

Swanton Berry Farm, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004-.

Via Flickr:
Copyright © 2012 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.

Full disclosure I bought the cake and not at Swanton’s. I was just fooling around with a triptych idea last month and forgot about it until a Triptych challenge came up in a group I’m in this month. This isn’t eligible as it was taken in late June and July.

Swanton’s Farm is on Hwy 1 in Davenport, CA. It’s been there for as long as I can remember. You can pick your own berries. Inside the store you can buy jams, and fresh berries, and pies and you pay for it on the honor system.

I’m going to miss strawberries when they go out of season. I eat them by the basket full during the summer months.
I only eat fresh fruit and veggies in their true season. The exception is Bananas. Do you?

At the Viewer Cafe…

August 11, 2012August 11, 2012Posted in California, Photography, TravelTagged California Santa Cruz, Flickr, Nikon, Photography, Photography; Nature; Landscape; Impressionism; Nikon D700, Prime lenses, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Travel and TourismLeave a comment

At the Viewer Cafe…, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004-.

Via Flickr:
Copyright © 2012 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.

Get a little closer.

Nikon D700| Nikkor 24mm| f2.8| 1/4 sec| ISO 400| Manual Priority| Hand-Held
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, CA.

Kayaking in Santa Cruz

August 2, 2012August 2, 2012Posted in California, Photography, TravelTagged Kayaking, Pacific Ocean, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Travel and Tourism3 Comments

Kayaking in Santa Cruz, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004-.

Via Flickr:
Copyright © 2012 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.
I had an Open Deck Kayak lesson out in the Pacific Ocean a couple of weeks ago. I have to tell you it was quite scary and exhilarating at the same time.
My first thought when we were paddling out beyond the buoy was, ” I’m not at the top of the food chain out here!”
We started the morning gray and overcast as we paddled south toward Capitola.
I started out with a longer Red Kayak but was having difficulty steering it even employing the Rutter so in the middle of ocean the instructor and I with the help of my friend Dali made a switch. Marc and Dali pulled up on either side of me, Dali and Marc held my kayak steady and I slid over to this kayak that Marc was in then once I was in I held the kayak for Marc and he slid into the Red one. What a feat!
No one got wet either.

We nearly made it to Capitola before turning around and coming here. As you see the sky was clearing up by this time. From here we headed back to the harbor and the end of the adventure.
I like the closed deck kayak better now that I’ve tried both.

Canon Powershot SD750| Hand-held

Civil War Days- Sharpshooters

July 17, 2012July 17, 2012Posted in California, Events and Fairs, Photography, TravelTagged American Anti-Slavery Society, American Civil War, American Civil War Association, California Historical Artillery Society, Civil War, D700, Duncans Mills California, National Civil War Association, Nikon, Photography, Reenactors, Reenactors of the American Civil War, Sharps rifle, Travel5 Comments

“Ravenous, the gods of war demanded men- lots of men. Northern armies were at first manned solely by volunteers, with each state assigned a quota based on population. But in 1863, after volunteering had slackened off, Congress passed a federal conscription law for the first time on a nationwide scale in the United States.” ~The American Pageant, 9^th edition, Thomas A. Bailey and David M. Kennedy

APPLY IN PERSON AT COMPANY TENT.

The sign says:

Col. Berdan’s Regiment.

Sharp – Shooters!

30 more Respectable Men Wanted to Complete

Captain J.H. Baker’s Company!-The famous company “C” of Michigan

Many are called but few are chosen!

This company consists of gentlemanly men-none other need apply- as it is the “Crack Regiment” in the Army of the Potomac & “home” of the famous “California Joe”!!

OUR WAGES ARE HIGHER THAN OTHER COMPANY’S!

As many furnish their own Rifles, but the Government supplies each man with of Berdan’s Improved Sharp’s Rifles, while will fire 1 ¼ miles, at the rate of 18 times per minute. We have no drill but Skirmish Drill, no Picket duty; our manner of warfare is like the “Guerillas” or Indian. Our uniform is “Green”, color of the grass and foliage, and You are privileged to lay upon the ground while shooting, picking your position; no commanders while fighting. Be one of the elite & join

Co,. “C”, 1^st Reg’t. US.S.S.

GENTLEMEN – This is a beautiful chance for those wishing to see something of this life away from home. The $100 BOUNTY, LAND WARRANT,&c,. same as in all other Regiments.

APPLY IN PERSON AT COMPANY TENT

Jan. 1, 1863 H.L. HURLBUTT-U.S. Gov’t Authorized Recruiting Officer

Union Colonel Hiram Berdan proposed forming units of outstanding riflemen, largely equipped with Sharps rifles, in 1861, and as a result the 1st and 2nd regiments of US Sharpshooters were organized.

The Sharps weapons were the most advanced breechloaders in America when the war began. The Union bought 9100 Sharps rifles and more than 80,000 Sharps carbines during the war. Confederate forces

bought small numbers of these weapons. The rifles were used by the US Sharpshooters, while the carbine was mainly a cavalry weapon. Both were single-shot, were accurate up to 600 yards, and could fire at a rate of about 10 rounds per minute.~Chronicles of the Civil War John Bowman, General Editor

The 1st Sharpshooters fought on the Peninsula and at Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. The 2nd Sharpshooters’ first significant action was at Antietam.

Both regiments fought at the Wilderness and Spotsylvania. For the entire war, both units had casualty rates approaching 40 percent. ~ Chronicles of the Civil War-John Bowman General Editor

As able-bodied men got scarcer bounties for enlistment were offered by federal, state, and local authorities. A man with a gift for making money might pocket more than $1000.00!

Nikon D700, Nikkor 80-200mm + 1.4x Tamron TC and 28-105mm AF-D. Duncans Mills, CA.

The Sharps Rifle (broeder10.wordpress.com)
Civil War Living History Encampment in Easton (janetserra.com)

Civil War Days-Artillery

July 16, 2012July 16, 2012Posted in California, Photography, TravelTagged CA, Civil War Days, Civil War Field Artillery, D700, Duncans Mills, Living History, Nikon, Photography, Reenactors6 Comments

I had the pleasure of spending Saturday afternoon at a Civil War Reenactment in Duncans Mills, CA. Follow me to the year 1863 where these wonderful reenactors bring this period of USA history to life.

“Soon after his defeat of the Federal Army of the Potomac at Chancellorsville in May 1863 General Robert E. Lee decided for the second time to invade the North with his Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. There were a number of reasons for his decision. Even though Lee had just won a brilliant victory, things were bad in the Confederacy and getting worse; Ulysses S. Grant was about to secure Vicksburg for the Union, inflation was running wild in the South, and badly needed European recognition had not come, the Confederate government was torn by partisan squabbles, the Union blockade along the Southern coast was growing steadily more effective, and antiwar sentiment was fading in the North. A major Confederate victory on enemy soil might ameliorate all those problems. Moreover, after their string of victories Lee and his men had begun to believe fatally, as it turned out- that they were virtually invincible.

General James Longstreet, Lee’s second in command since the death of Stonewall Jackson, objected to the invasion from the beginning. Longstreet entreated his commander to purse a defensive strategy in Virginia and send troops to reinforce Braxton Briggs in Tennessee.

Longstreet’s idea was sound, but Lee insisted on his invasion plan; his instincts invariably told him to take the offensive. Thus in early June 1863, The Army of Northern Virginia pulled away from Fredericksburg and headed for Pennsylvania with about 80,000 men.” – Chronicles of the Civil War by John Bowman, General Editor

Artillery

“Designed to fire at high angles, dropping low-velocity explosive shells behind the enemy’s cover, Howitzers exemplified the traditional artillery that predominated during the Civil War.” –Chronicles of the Civil War by John Bowman, General Editor

Confederate Sponge rammer loading the cannon-

“Artillery in the 1800’s fought side by side with infantry units because the range of the big guns limited them to visible targets. Like the infantry weapons, Civil War-era cannon were muzzle loaders and required a crew of eight men to aim, load, and fire the weapon.”~Thomas’Legion; The 69^th North Carolina Regiments, located at www.thomaslegion.net, written by Matthew D. Parker, was first published to the internet on August 27, 2005 and accessed on July 16, 2012.

Stepping away-

FIRE!

The infantrymen marched right into the face of a firing cannon. Many didn’t live to tell about it.

It was a fun afternoon and I have quite a few photos to go through. I hope to share more soon.

Nikon D700| Nikkor 80-200mm w/Tamron 1.4x extender

“He ain’t wrong, he’s just different but his pride won’t let him do things to make you think he’s right” ~Willie Nelson

June 14, 2012June 14, 2012Posted in California, Photography, TravelTagged California, Columbia State Park, Cowboys, History, Nikon, Photography, Travel, Travel and TourismLeave a comment

“He ain’t wrong, he’s just different but his pride won’t let him do things to make you think he’s right” ~Willie Nelson, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004-.

Quote from Willie Nelson’s song Mama don’t let your babies grow up to be Cowboys.

…but I’ve always liked cowboys.
This was taken on an impromptu stop at Columbia State park last year. This part of the state is rich with history and folklore. Cowboys being a big part of that folklore.

Columbia State Park was once a town that sprung up during the California gold rush. It was declared a National Park or Open Air Museum in 1946. About 30 buildings remain. Some of which are the Saloon, the Wells Fargo Express, the Pioneer Emporium, Black Smith, hotel, the bakery, and stable. You can take a Stage Coach ride and pan for gold here. The staff all dress in period costume. I’ve been here a half-dozen times and loved every visit.

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