The Daily Joe

  Sunset clouds looking like brushstrokes of color Last evening - I saw the brilliant yellows reflecting in the windows of the karate school, where I study and teach. By the time I got a minute to see they sky, most of the real brightness was gone but these colors remained.  The sweeping clouds just looked like brushstrokes from the palette of the creator.

  . Memories of climbing the rocks at Bass Harbor This shot was from a number of years ago on one of our (mostly) annual trips to Maine.  This is one of the shots I've taken at Bass Harbor with few people in it. It was a beautiful day and I was lucky. It's a wonderful spot that I hope to get to again next year.

  Bands of morning clouds over the fields to the far hills I saw the sun coming up yesterday and it was coming in and out of the clouds. I pulled off the road to see what I could capture. I've been taught not to just look at the sunrise/set but to look around and see what else is there.  The hill in the distance with the clouds caught my eye. The grass in the field was a nice foreground.

  Colorful sunrise sky across the hills Another sunrise sky on the way to work. I pulled off at a local tree farm.  The green hills are barely visible against the bright sky.  I had to really work to get it so both were visible. I always love the sunrise and sunset skies.

  Autumn colors getting started   Down at the lake, there are cabins.  This view is from one of the cabin sites. Just enough color to whet your appetite for those fall colors.  I can't wait for them to be in their full glory.  But for now, patience is the key. Quote of the day: "There is no perfection, only life." - Milan Kundera

  Dawn breaks over the valley   Wild clouds make for awesome sunrise scenes. Even better when the air is clear enough to see across the sunlit valley. A nice morning scene.

  Cloudy sunrise over the creek This is, in reality, almost the same view as yesterday. It is a vastly different time of day, though.  This was taken on my way to work. The clouds were a foreboding of a front coming through to bring the cool temperatures of fall. The colors were just beautiful.

  Lazy summer afternoon by the creek   Finally comfortable enough to go out for a stroll at lunch!  On the last day of summer, I walked down to our local creek and caught this peaceful view of the creek and the covered bridge that our University Campus is known for. It was a warm but clear day - a nice day to relax.

  Memories of a sunrise in Cape May This photo brings back many good memories of my visits to Cape May, NJ.  My best friend was a pastor there and I had such good times visiting and walking the local nature preserves, lighthouse, and the shore itself. Those were good times.

  Sailboat ashore at the lake The sailboat seemed to be waiting for it's owner to take a nice relaxing sail out on the lake.  There were no other nearby boats ashore - it just seemed so lonely there by itself.  Our kayak never even made it down to the lake this summer - so our kayak knows how this boat feels. Maybe it's owner had a crazy summer, too.

  Sunrise through the tall grass Yesterday, I noticed that the sun rising is getting lower and lower as the days move on to Autumn.  On a particular rise, the sun, rising through the trees is always pretty, but on this day, the field of tall grass grabbed my interest and I could not pass up capturing the rising sun through the grass.

  Small signs that autumn is coming   I noticed the corn first, and the blue sky, then I noticed that the leaves on the tree were turning color. It is early and this tree turned color early, but that was to my benefit for a nice "fall is coming" photo.

  Mist in the deep woods   Back when we had our cabin - this view greeted me one summer morning.  I managed to capture the mysterious mood of the deep woods. It was so quiet that morning, so moody - almost spooky. So damp, yet the late summer cool air made it almost refreshing.

  Mist rising from the pond in the morning sun I saw this photo, in passing, yesterday morning.  It struck me so hard, that I stopped dead in the road, and then backed up and pulled off.  The mist rising, lit by the early morning sun was just too great to pass by.  The tree in the foreground made the composition. It was a really nice stop on the way to work.

  Morning sun just peeking out over the valley Yesterday morning - I thought I had missed the sunrise.  In face, I had, by a few minutes, but I saw the sun peeking ot from the clouds and pulled over when I saw the layers of trees in the valley with the sun and clouds.

  Sunset over the water in Maine. Maine, and especially Mt. Desert Island, is one of my favorite places on earth. The scenery is breathtaking, the coast is rugged and the skies provide for surprises, whether clear, or cloudy.  This was a "pull off the road" shot from one of my many trips  there.

  Tractor in the early morning sun On my way to work, yesterday, I knew I missed the sunrise but the light mist gave a nice effect.  I stopped in the parking lot of a local tree nursery to see the view of the valley and this scene caught my eye. I had to get it just right to allow the sunlight but not let the sun blow out the rest of the photo. It took a number of  tries but I think it was worth it.

  Bands of sunset clouds through the trees I saw this sunset a few weeks ago but hadn't gotten to post this detail of the clouds through the trees. The bands of clouds just made it seem like a river of light. 

  Hazy summer day on the river A few years ago, we went on a canoe trip down a local river. It was a hot, hazy, late summer day. I took this photo on one of my my older digital cameras. It just puts me in the "hazy, lazy summer days" mood.

  Early morning view of sailboats waiting to go out Earlier in the summer, I took an early morning stroll at the lake - I walked out on a spit of land where there are benches. I saw this view of the sailboats framed by the trees. It was a gorgeous summer day.

  Misty sunrise through the trees I'm finally back to one of my old habits of driving to work myself and trying to find photo opportunities along the way. I found this yesterday morning.  The valleys had fog as the sun was rising. I loved how the closer tree branches framed the sun.

  Sunset sky barely reflecting on the road I found this scene while heading back home at sunset.  I was traveling in the opposite direction and caught the view from the rear-view mirror.  Of course, I had to pull over and capture the fantastic colors and sky.

Crawling vines on old buildings Some time ago, my wife and I were touring western Pennsylvania.  We had just visited a brewery and museum when I spied some older buildings and decided to just walk around.  I saw these buildings - at one time part of a larger business in the town. They were abandoned or just not being used and the vines growing on them just made the scene even more of the "old" vibe.

  Summer afternoon down the farm road My wife and I drove to one of our local farms, where we buy vegetables.  As we were leaving, I had to snap a few photos with my phone. The last summer afternoon was partly cloudy, but the sky opened up for a few moments - at just the right time. We've moved further from the farm, but I enjoy the moments I get there.

  Curving jet trail and sunset clouds We went out to dinner with our oldest and his wife and this view greeted us as we left the restaurant. The curving jet trail seemed so bright and white among the colors of the sunset that I thought it a nice contract.

  Red barn on a country road   I drive by an intersection on my way home from work sometimes and this barn has always caught my eye. The red has always (in my memory) been maintained and stands out from the scenery where I go past.

  Afternoon cloud layers over the hills On the road again - I saw the sunset happening, but from the car, it's almost impossible to capture.  With power lines, other, cars, signs...etc, but I can use a moderate zoom and look out further and up.  This is what I could get - I thought it came out fairly decent.

  The old mysterious back door This photo, taken some time ago, was a happenstance.  I was looking around some older, unused, and abandoned buildings. This door caught my eye with the sun on the vines.  It just made me wonder what was behind the door or what used to be behind the door.  Old buildings make me wonder at the activities that used to be there.

  Sunrise on a cloudy morning   This is one of the last photos I took while my wife was driving me to work. I'm back to driving myself and as the seasons move forward, I 'll get more but I remember this as a cloud-filled morning as the sun was trying to peek through.

  Sunset light shining down the river On our way to see my Mother-in-law in hospital I saw this view while we were crossing the river into the city. I grabbed three shots while riding then passenger seat. This was the best of the shots. The sunset light was outstanding.