Thurs. Doors- Hampton Court Palace

Copyright ©2020 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

It seems like an age ago that I shared an image for Thursday Doors or from our trip to London which was just this past January!

I’ve let some of these images marinate long enough. ☺ Here’s one.

One day we Ubered out to Hampton Court Palace the favorite palace of King Henry VIII. It’s 12 miles southwest and upstream from central London on the Thames River.

The drive there was lovely passing small towns and beautiful countryside.

This is an entrance to one side of the palace through the left door and the courtyard entrance in the center. I think the door on the right was a cloak closet, but it’s been awhile since being there that I’ve forgotten! I should have made more notes. It’s a palace I’d like to tour again one day.

Thursday Doors is the creation of Norm 2.0 Head on over to his blog to see many other doors from all over the world that other door lovers have shared.

Nikon Df| Nikkor 24-120mm| PS CC 22.0.0

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Thursday Doors: Lord John Russell Pub

Copyright ©2020 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Whist in London over the Holidays I passed this pub on the way to the British Museum and had to stop to get a photo of the lovely Blue Door. I love the hanging sphere plants and that shade of blue. Lord John Russell

I did a quick search to see how long the pub has been there and found it’s been there a LONG TIME! In 1856 a John Russell was in the postal directory at this address.

Here’s the link to the London pub wiki that shares the pub’s history.

To see more doors from around the world visit our favorite Doorlican Norm here!

iPhone 7 Plus| PS CC 21.0.2

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Whatever Weds. The Santa Train

Copyright ©2019 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

In December the Nevada State Railroad Museum located in Carson City, NV rolls out N°25 to drive The Santa Train.

You know when I went to the Railroad Museum before she wasn’t out that time. click here to see that post.  I’ve wanted to get back up here to see the Steamie since.

Just as I did before I arrived early hoping to see the crew rolling her out of the garage, but I was a wee bit late she was already out and building pressure.  N°25 was built in 1905 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works.  She’s a 78-ton 10-wheeler. She hauled both passenger and freight cars between Carson, Virginia City, and Reno from 1911 to 1947.

Now she runs on special days throughout the year.

Copyright © Deborah M. Zajac ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

One of the special events she’s rolled out for is during December when she’s The Santa Train which is  N°25, a passenger car, and a red caboose. Passengers come for a ride around the station and Santa Claus is on the train to talk to the children, and I hear he passes out candy canes to everyone.

Here she is at the station getting some water, and passengers.

The Santa Train

I spy Santa!  He’s with the Conductor, Engineer, the Brakemen, and some Elves disguised as cowboys. 😉

Santa Claus

Here comes THE SANTA TRAIN!! TOOT! TOOT!

The Santa Train

I don’t know if I’ll be posting much anymore this year things are going to get busy pretty quick. Big Baby Boy and The Crosscourt Kitty🐈 are arriving soon for the Holidays and #1 Grandson is coming to visit too!

There’ll be kids jingle belling, holiday greetings, gay happy meetings, and tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago! It really is the most wonderful time of the year!

In case I don’t get another chance to let me wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous New Year!! xx

I’m chugging out…TOOOOT! TOOT! 😍

Nikon D810| Nikkor 24-120mm| PS CC 21.0.1| Lexar Digital Film

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http://www.nsrm-friends.org/vtrr25.html

Wild Weds. 26/52 The Inn at Benton Hot Springs

Copyright ©2018 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

I thought I’d change it up a bit and show you the Inn I stayed in the night before the Wild Mustangs trip.

The Inn at Benton Hot Springs

It’s lovely! The Inn features 7 rooms in an Historic 1940’s building, along with two private historic houses, with private hot tubs, and 10 private tubs for day and overnight use, and a wonderful breakfast in the morning.

The Inn is housed in a 1940’s block building constructed with local pumice materials. It was built to replace an old hotel where 10 small rooms shared one bath. The Inn was renovated in 1998, however the original structure integrity was retained. Therefore, all rooms except the Marquessa Suite (Room 7) share a bath. Two additional unique bathrooms with showers are available in a separate, adjacent building.

Prized for it’s western history, hot springs, remote settings, and  dark skies.

The family has owned and operated the ranch for more than 90 years.

This is their Mission Statement:

“Our mission is to provide
guests with a tranquil and
peaceful respite from their
fast-paced, chaotic worlds.
During their visits we
encourage calm reflection
while lingering in natural
soothing hot mineral water.
We desire that our guests
leave in a restored and
reinvigorated condition,
returning to their worlds with
enhanced balance and harmony.”

Each room at the Inn is decorated in a different theme. I was in the Victor Room, but first let me show you the place setting and crumb cake we had as a starter to our breakfast. We had eggs, and hash browns, lots of coffee, and the conversation was delightful. You eat with other guests all at one table. There are two seating’s for breakfast. 8 o’clock, or 9 o’clock. Don’t be late!  I wasn’t quick enough to get a photo of the whole table. 😕

IMG_8829

Now, onto the Victor Suite. My room was on the end of left side of the building with a street view. There was a lovely chair outside my door with a view of the front courtyard. That image is still on my cell phone.

Brass bed… pardon my jackets on the chair please!

Victor Suite Rm 2

Each room had a Teddy Bear on the Bed(s)…  after meeting some of the other guests that were also doing the Wild Mustang Trip I asked if I could see their rooms and decor and I said I’d be happy to show them my room too. We all did a little tour of each others rooms. It was neat to see 4 of the 7 rooms, plus the Miner’s cottage. The first question one of the ladies asked me was ,”Do you have a Teddy Bear on your bed? 😊

Victor Suite Rm 2

I loved the antique furniture, and collectibles in the room. That black door is to the shared bathroom. I didn’t take any photos of the bathroom.

Victor Suite Rm 2_IMG_8806

In this image below I don’t know if the thing under the table is for magazines or boots. I’m hoping it’s for boots!  Oops, forgive my Ray-Ban’s too please.

Victor Suite Rm 2

Victor Suite Rm 2

…and a closer look at what’s on the white table. I love old bottles, and railroad spikes and do-dads.

Victor Suite Rm 2

 

For the History Buffs, here’s a bit of history on the town of Benton from the Inn’s website.

~://benhttptonhotsprings.org/history.php

Benton is one of the oldest existing towns in Mono County. Benton was founded by the western Indians who came to make use of its hot springs. As the nearby towns of Bodie and Aurora grew, Benton became a check-point for travelers on the way south in 1852.

Silver was discovered in the hills of Benton in 1862, and its population quickly grew. After hitting the initial strike of silver, not much more was found, but Benton’s profits were soon primarily from silver.

Unlike other mining towns, Benton was able to provide enough for the town to thrive and flourish for about 50 years. Most of the main activity took place between 1862 and 1890.

The Carson and Colorado Railroad reached the region in 1883, and made a stop at Benton Station, just four miles away.

I have some images of the old town that’ll be sharing in the future.

I’ll be staying here again in July, and hope to get a photo of the whole breakfast table all set up for breakfast, and if I get a different room you know I’ll be taking photos to share.

Oh, and I’m packing my bathing suit this time so, I can partake of the Hot Springs tubs!😀

Nikon D810| Nikkor 20mm f/1.8G|  iPhone 7 Plus| PS CC 2018

more to come…

 

2017 National Train Day

Copyright ©2017 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Since Dan over at No Facilities   blog reminded his followers about National Train Day last year I have been looking for trains to photograph and saving them up for future National Train Day Posts.  This year I’d like to share a little Red Engine that I’ve been saving since last September.

Some friends and I spent 3 days on Route 66.  Our base was in Barstow, California.  Not far from Barstow, CA is the Ghost town of Calico, CA.  We spent an afternoon and evening there.  For the History Buffs I’ve gleaned some information from Wikipedia about the Ghost Town, and the railroad that once operated there.

It was once a bustling mining town. “It was founded in 1881 which is when the largest silver strike was found in California. Over a 12 year span, Calico has 500 mines which produced over $20 million in silver ore. Unfortunately Calico lost it population in the mid-1890s because silver lost its value. “~Wikipedia

In the 1950’s Walter Knott bought Calico and restored it as a Living Museum. He restored the architecture to look like it did in the 1880’s.  Several of the original buildings and railroad equipment were moved to Knotts Berry Farm’s “ghost town” exhibit, but most of it remains in the town.  The Calico Ghost Town is now part of San Bernadino’s County Regional Park System.

We missed the train actually running but I did grab a shot of the little red engine.

Copyright © Deborah M. Zajac
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

“The Calico & Odessa Railroad is a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge[1] heritage railroad in the ghost town of Calico, California, headquartered in Yermo, California. It was named for the town and mountain range of Calico and the nearby Odessa Canyon.[2]

It is a remake of the 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge Waterloo Mining Railroad, the original narrow gauge railroad line that hauled silver ore (and later borax) from Calico to the mills of Daggett in the 1880s, although the present-day tracks do not follow the trackbed of the original one.”~ Wikipedia

I hope everyone has a wonderful week-end!

Nikon Df| Nikkor 28-105mm| Delkin Digital Film| PS CC 2017

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33/52 Thursday Doors

Copyright ©2016 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

For this week’s Thursday Doors post I’m sharing more doors from Legoland California. The displays are really, really good.

There’s a section in the park with iconic buildings; some of which one must take a river cruise to see, but this display of the United States Capitol Building located in Washington D.C. wasn’t part of the cruise.  There are quite a few doors on it, but I have no close ups of the front doors due to the columns.

Legoland United States Capitol Building

Here’s close up of the Marching Band’s Drum Major though. Both my children were in their school bands all through their school years beginning in 4th grade so I’m rather fond of marching bands. 🙂  Baby Girl was a  flutist, and Big Baby Boy was a drummer.

All the while they were growing up I was  trying to play piano with weekly lessons. Just like I had them doing.  There was for many years music, and a beat in our house.  I miss it! I do hope #1 Grandson picks up an instrument.  He plays my piano…without trying he picks out notes, chords and riffs! I have hope that he has the gift that skipped me.  Drum Major Marching Band LegoLand CA

That’s the Washington Monument you see sticking up behind the Capitol Bldg.

I have no idea how many Lego bricks it took to build this monument/display, but I know it took many, many hours to complete.  I was in awe looking at all the displays.  Really, they are amazing.

Around the back side of the Capitol Bldg. is a replica of Georgetown.

Another fact about me I don’t think I’ve shared on this blog is that I’m a huge fan of Americana art.  Geez, tonight I’m really opening up! Must be the Full Sturgeon Moon. 🙂

I LOVE Charles Wysocki, and Linda Nelson Stocks who are Americana artists.  I’ve crossed stitched a Wysocki Autumn Americana Village which took me nearly  9 months to complete.  I had it framed.  Before our remodel last year it hung over my mantle. It’s still packed…like most of my art at the moment. I feel really blessed to own one of Linda Nelson Stocks pieces. It is currently hanging over my mantle. It’s called the Village of Brewster.

I have 3 more seasons of Wysocki cross stitch pieces to complete; winter is started, but I have no idea when or if I’ll ever complete them.  Fall I completed b/c it’s my favorite season.

Anyway, when I saw this colonial red house with white door with black and gray trim I oohed, and aaahhed. Oh, who am I kidding. I SWOONED! Then I took a photo for Thursday Doors. 🙂   I want this house with street lamps. and gate sold as a kit. I’d buy it, put it together with some sort of Loctite glue so it wouldn’t come apart, and I’d put it in my family room. Probably on top of my Entertainment Center where my Victorian Dollhouse resides. 🙂  I love and collect miniatures too. FWIW:  I have stopped collecting Dolls, Teacup sets, and Teapots. I ran out of room! TMI? Okay, I know I’m a chatter duck! 🙂

Copyright © Deborah M. Zajac ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

I really like the gate on the left of the house too. The little blue door down the street was a bonus.  🙂 I’m sorry I have no idea how many Lego bricks it took to build this part of Georgetown either.

Warning! I have one or two more post of doors from Legoland California!

BTW: If this week’s post looks funky I apologize! I’m trying to get my images to display a bit larger. This theme is behaving differently the last month or so; my images are a good deal  smaller than they used to be. I may end up changing themes! I hope you hang in there with me through this process! Believe me I am not looking forward to changing! It will be hard for me too!

This post is part of Norm 2.0’s Thursday Doors.  If you love doors and would like to see the doors others are posting, or post doors you’ve photographed and join other door lovers from around the world click here.

At the end of Norm’s latest Thursday Door post is a little Blue Link-up/View button click it to be taken to a page with all the links to view all the posts, and add your own if you’re a door enthusiast too.

 

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Humpback Whales

Copyright ©2016 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Saturday I spent late morning until early afternoon at sea Whale Watching outside of Monterey, CA. We sailed about 12 miles off shore to the Monterey Submarine Canyon where there were quite a number of Humpback Whales, Gray Whales, and a Blue Whale feeding on Krill, and other little fishes that were abundant on Saturday.

“The Monterey Submarine Canyon is quite large…an undersea Grand Canyon. It’s 470 kilometers (292 miles) long and approximately 12 kilometers (39 ft) at its widest point with a maximum rim to floor relief of 1,700 meters (5,577feet).”  ~Simon Sanctuary

It’s was quite exciting seeing the Whales! I didn’t see a Breach this time out, but saw lots of Spouting, or Blowing.

Humpback Whale Spouting

It was overcast, windy, and a bit choppy out at sea the whole time. The Sun only peeked out a couple of times.

I saw some Fluking when the whales  are going to dive down as much as 50 meters.

Humpback Whale Fluking

Humpback Whale Fluking

Once they reach the depth they want they begin to slowly rise by spiraling up to the surface often in teams creating a Bubble Net.  The purpose of the bubble is to congregate the Krill and prey and force them to the surface. The Krill and fish see the bubbles as a net and feeling trapped they stay in the center of the  Bubble Net. The Whales come up with an explosion of air with their mouths wide open eating all they can.

Here are two images of  a fin  of a Humpback Whale when it breaks the surface while they’re under the surface spinning.

Humpback Whale Spouting w Flipper showing

Humpback Whale Flipper;

The Humpback often get under that Bubble Net and Lunge up with their mouths gaping open scooping up the prey. Here you see at least 3 working as a team.

Humpback Whale Lunge Feeding

I see four working together here.

Humpback Whales Lunge Feeding

Humpback Whale Lunge feeding.

Humpback Whale Lunge Feeding

Humpback Whales spend the winter in the warm waters near Costa Rica and Hawaii. Humpbacks, including mothers with calves travel thousands of miles to feast on krill, and schooling fish in the Monterey Bay while they migrate north to their feeding waters in Alaska.  They grow to be 45ft to 62ft (14-19 meters) long!

I missed quite a few good photo ops b/c for the first time in my life I got sea sick. It’s NOT FUN! I will go again but, I’m taking medicine before hand.

The images are not converted to Black & White. It was so gray out that they look black and white.

Nikon D700| Nikkor 80-200mm| Lexar Digital Film| Hand-held| Developed in PS CC 2015.5

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