Exit78 Photo of the Day #68

Periodically at the gym, there is an exercise class that incorporates large exercise balls for some kind of drumming routine using exercise balls as the drums.  I’ve never participated and have only seen it a couple of times.  The balls are stored on the lower floor in racks under the elevated walking track.  Prior to the class, they are tossed, one at a time to the second floor where they are passed into the room where the class is held. I thought the arrangement of the balls from above made for an interesting photo.

Exercise balls on the basketball court at the gym, being moved to upper level for cardio drumming class, April 18, 2018 (Apple iPhone 6s)

Series notes:

• The photos in this series are (usually) randomly selected from a batch of photos specifically “curated” for Exit78 Photo of the Day.
• Each photo in this series is an “original work” – a copyright term – of Michael Goad.

Exit78 Photo of the Day #67

On our last day in Arizona in 2011, we visited Petrified Forest National Park, part of the arid Colorado Plateau desert.

Spiky vegetation (narrow leaf yucca) in the desert of Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, October 9, 2011 (Pentax K-r)

Yucca angustissima (The American Southwest), narrow leaf yucca, grows on the Colorado Plateau, principally north Arizona and south Utah, and as its common name suggests is characterized by long (30 inches or more), narrow (half an inch across) leaves, straight-edged, slightly wider in the middle but tapering to a sharp point, topped by a needle-like spine. Long, curling, white filaments grow from the edges, contrasting with the rich green color of the leaves. Plants may develop a short stem, and often form large clusters, but others remain stemless and single.

Series notes:

• The photos in this series are (usually) randomly selected from a batch of photos specifically “curated” for Exit78 Photo of the Day.
• Each photo in this series is an “original work” – a copyright term – of Michael Goad.

Post-processing¹ #18 |

Compact CruiseAmerica Class C motorhome at Mossy Cave trailhead, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, October 8, 2015, October 8, 2015 (Pentax K-3 II) 37°39’56.5″N 112°06’37.4″W

The CruiseAmerica Compact RV is 19 feet in length.  A self-contained, including generator, motor home, this recreational vehicle has a maximum capacity of 3, with a cabover bed and a dinette that folds out to another bed.

1. Post-processing – Image editing to enhance the photo closer to what the eye “saw.” Images in this series are selected within a day or so of being edited and are either posted at the time or scheduled for posting at a later date.

Exit78 Photo of the Day #66

Seven years ago, on the 4th of July holiday weekend, we took a short duration trip down to the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, with most of our time spent in Mississippi, though we did get to a part of Alabama and even a little bit of Florida.

Fort Gaines (Wikipedia) is an historic fort on Dauphin Island, Alabama. It was named for Edmund Pendleton Gaines. Established in 1821, it is best known for its role in the Battle of Mobile Bay during the American Civil War.

Then: Interior of Fort Gaines, Dauphin Island, Alabama, July 3, 2011 (Pentax K-r)

Series notes:

• The photos in this series are (usually) randomly selected from a batch of photos specifically “curated” for Exit78 Photo of the Day.
• Each photo in this series is an “original work” – a copyright term – of Michael Goad.

Art on Sunday #29

“George Washington [The Constable-Hamilton Portrait],” 1797, Oil on canvas, Gilbert Stuart, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, (photo: August 1, 2015, Pentax K-3 II)

Museum Text:

Does this image of George Washington look familiar? The face of Washington on the one-dollar bill was based on another, similar painting by Gilbert Stuart. This painting helped establish an image of the first president as a powerful leader.

The painting also reflects friendship among the nation’s leading citizens. The merchant William Kerin Constable asked Stuart to paint this portrait for his friend Alexander Hamilton, who served as Secretary of the Treasury under Washington.

Provenance:

commissioned by William Kerin Constable [1752-1803] as a gift for Alexander Hamilton [1757-1804], 1797; to Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton [1757-1854] (his wife), 1804; to James Alexander Hamilton [1788-1878] (their son), 1854; to Alexander Hamilton [1816-1889] (his son), 1878; to Angelica Livingston Hamilton [1820-1896] (his wife), 1889; by bequest to The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations, 1896; to (Sotheby’s, Inc., New York, NY), November 30, 2005, lot 3; purchased by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR, 2005

Exit78 Photo of the Day #65

Airboat on the Platte River between Woods Landing Campground (since closed) and Two Rivers State Recreational Area, west of Omaha, Nebraska, June 23, 2007 (Pentax K10D)

In June 2007, on our way home from a visit in Wisconsin, we meandered our way into eastern Nebraska and camped at an RV park on the Platte River near Omaha.  The Platte is a shallow stream over almost all of it’s length. We were actually wading it it when we saw the first of several airboats come roaring up the river and then, a bit later, roaring back down the river.

We had never seen airboats in use, so they were somewhat fascinating to watch.  Flat-bottom vessels used in marshy or very shallow areas where standard boat motors are impractical, they are very loud, propelled by an aircraft-type propeller and powered by either an aircraft or automotive engine.

The Platte River

The Platte is a major river for Nebraska and a significant tributary for the Missouri, draining a large portion of the central Great Plains in Nebraska and the eastern Rocky Mountains in Colorado and Wyoming. The river valley played an important role in the westward expansion of the United States, providing the route for several major emigrant trails, including the Oregon, California, Mormon and Bozeman trails. The first Europeans to see the Platte were French explorers and fur trappers about 1714; they first called it the Nebraskier (Nebraska), a transliteration of the name given by the Otoe people, meaning “flat water”. This expression is very close to the French words “rivière plate” (“flat river”), the suspected origin of the name Platte River.

The Platte over most of its length is a muddy, broad, shallow, meandering stream with a swampy bottom and many islands—a braided stream. These characteristics made it too difficult for canoe travel, and it was never used as a major navigation route by European-American trappers or explorers.

Series notes:

• The photos in this series are (usually) randomly selected from a batch of photos specifically “curated” for Exit78 Photo of the Day.
• Each photo in this series is an “original work” – a copyright term – of Michael Goad.

Exit78 Photo of the Day #64

Spring Street, Eureka Springs, Arkansas, July 15, 2011 (Pentax K-r)

Eureka Springs is a city in the Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas. It’s known for the preserved Victorian buildings of its Historic District, such as the Palace Bath House, Basin Park Hotel and Crescent Hotel, all built around the city’s natural springs.

It is a popular tourist destination for its unique character as a Victorian resort village. The city has steep winding streets filled with Victorian-style cottages and manors. The historic commercial downtown of the city has an extensive streetscape of well-preserved Victorian buildings. The buildings are primarily constructed of local stone, built along streets that curve around the hills and rise and fall with the topography in a five-mile long loop. Some buildings have street-level entrances on more than one floor. The streets wind around the town, and no two intersect at a 90 degree angle; there are no traffic lights. (Wikipedia)

Series notes:

• The photos in this series are (usually) randomly selected from a batch of photos specifically “curated” for Exit78 Photo of the Day.
• Each photo in this series is an “original work” – a copyright term – of Michael Goad.

Exit78 Photo of the Day #63

Autocross competition at Montana ExpoPark, Great Falls, Montana, September 2, 2007, (Pentax K10D)

This was the one and only time we had ever been to any kind of auto competition.  We were there with my brother and his family and I took the opportunity to get some action photos.

Autocross (Wikipedia) (also called “Solo”, “Auto-x” or “Autoslalom”) is a timed competition in which drivers navigate one at a time through a defined course on either a sealed or an unsealed surface. It is a form of motorsports that emphasizes safe competition and active participation. Autocross differs from road racing and oval racing in that generally there is only one car on the track, driving against the clock rather than other cars. As an entry-level motorsport it provides a stepping stone for drivers looking to move into other more competitive and possibly expensive forms of racing (such as rallying, rallycross and circuit racing).

Series notes:

• The photos in this series are (usually) randomly selected from a batch of photos specifically “curated” for Exit78 Photo of the Day.
• Each photo in this series is an “original work” – a copyright term – of Michael Goad.

Exit78 Photo of the Day #62

Black-eyed Susan blossoms (rudbeckia hirta) around our yard, west-central Arkansas on the edge of the Ozarks, July 27, 2008 (Pentax K10D)

(Exit78 Photo of the Day #39 also featured black-eyed Susan blossoms and was shot the same day.)

Rudbeckia hirta (Wikipedia), commonly called black-eyed Susan, is a North American flowering plant in the sunflower family, native to Eastern and Central North America and naturalized in the Western part of the continent as well as in China. It has now been found in all 10 Canadian Provinces and all 48 of the states in the contiguous United States.

Series notes:

• The photos in this series are (usually) randomly selected from a batch of photos specifically “curated” for Exit78 Photo of the Day.
• Each photo in this series is an “original work” – a copyright term – of Michael Goad.