The Daily Joe

Retirement Day Photo(s) of the Day 90/365 Today is my last day of gainful, full-time employment.  I've been the IT field for about 43 years. I've seen many changes and had more than a few jobs and duties. I've done everything from computer assembly, mainframe operations, networking, security, database administration, programming, and even executive management. I've worked in government, the private sector, and, in my last job, the educational world. My last job was the best. I've met great people, both users and co-workers, and have had many photo opportunities.  The collage of photos are from my time at Messiah University. Good luck to them as I take my leave.

Sunset as the Clouds Roll In Photo of the Day 89/365 I looked out the window last evening and saw the clouds coming in from the west. My wife was getting dinner ready, and I decided to try to get out quickly to take a few shots before the clouds covered the sun. I did manage to make it in time. I got a few shots before the murky clouds at the horizon took over. This was the first shot, and I think, the best one.

Last Kiss of the Sun through the Trees Photo of the Day 88/365 Last evening I went out for a walk at sunset, as I often do, but was disheartened that there were no clouds. First, that means a cold night, and second, there is little to work with in the sky. The sun was sinking fast and I wanted to get a shot of some sort, so I tried to get the sun sinking through the trees. I managed to get the last little sliver of the sun before it disappeared.

Cool Spring Sunset Sky Photo of the Day 87/365 I was out for a walk with my youngest yesterday. I thought that there was almost no chance for a sunset, so we went out a bit earlier than normal. However, as the afternoon wore on, the sky cleared, and there were just enough clouds for a nice sunset. The air was cool, and I found a really nice sunset.  Here it is. 

Bands of Dawn Clouds with Trees Photo of the Day 86/365 I took this photo a few mornings ago. I was too early for the actual sunrise, and had to move on to my workplace. But I thought I could take a minute or two to try to get a few photos. I like this one with the trees in the frame and the colorful bands of color topped with the day's darkening clouds.

Setting Sun through the Trees Photo of the Day 85/365 Last evening at our class, I happened to look behind me, through the windows. The glow on the side of the building was blazing orange. I took a break and went outside. The sun was just lowering over the far hill through the trees. I had my phone so I snapped a few photos before the sun went down (and I had to get back to teaching). 

Sunset Sky over the Hill and Field Photo of the Day 84/365 I went out for a very brief walk last evening - not really hopeful of getting a photo. I was, again, given a short-lived chance to grab a couple of shots. I walked further than normal to get past a line of pine trees to get this photo. I liked the tall field grass, the trees, the hill, and, of course, the murky sunset colors. It all came together because the sunset was not bright enough to burn out the colors and light in the field.

Sunset from the Parking Lot Photo of the Day 83/365 This photo was taken about two weeks ago when we ran out for an errand to the grocery store. I noted that it was almost time for sunset, but we weren't in a suitable location. How wrong I was. I was able to move around to get a photo of the sky without the distractions (or many of them) and made a good shot. There were better ones later on, which is why I hadn't posted this one any sooner.

Two Touches of Sunset Color Photo of the Day 82/365 I took this photo over this past weekend. I was out for a sunset walk, with little hope for a spectacular sunset due to the approaching clouds. However, at the end, I got a good sky shot with clouds and two small touches of sunset color. It was odd that one was the actual sunset, and the other just a blot of color within the clouds.

Trees Reaching into the Sunset Photo of the Day 81/365 I went out for a walk last evening. I had hoped to catch the sunset, but realized that the clouds would not allow for one of my glorious, sky-wide sunsets. so I took what I could get. The clouds were moving quickly and the colors were only in one area of the sky. I saw the tree branches reaching up, so I positioned myself and zoomed in a great deal and was able to get this shot.

Bands of Dawn Clouds Photo of the Day 80/365 A week or two ago, I stopped at a number of spots while driving to work. I took many photos, and of all those, I only posted one. This is one of the other photos I took that morning. I really liked the bands of color in the clouds just before the sun rose. Due to the clouds, the sun didn't last long, but it did provide some great colors.

Sunset, Clouds, and Trees Photo of the Day 79/365 I took this photo a couple of days ago while waiting for something to happen at our karate school. I noticed that the sun was about to set and ventured out for a few minutes to try to get a photo or two. I got exactly two photos before I had to get back in to teach. I liked this one best because the other one accidentally included the building....oops.

Early Morning Sky over the Hills Photo of the Day 78/365 I took this photo on the way to work yesterday morning. Someone asked me whether I liked sunrises or sunsets better and my answer was "yes." I love the paintbrush and colors used by the creator when starting and ending the day. The air was so clear and crisp that you could see, in the distance, steam from a local power plant along with trees on top of the far hills.

Snot at the Covered Bridge Photo of the Day 77/365 I took this photo yesterday morning on the way to work. The day before we had wicked storms with tornado warnings and thunderstorms. At the end of it all, overnight, it snowed, and anything wet froze. This snow was (hopefully) the last for the season. It DID make it very pretty, but it was also cold and windy.

Sunset over the Picnic Table Photo of the Day 76/365 This past weekend, I was able to get out for a very brief sunset walk and captured a few photos before rushing home for dinner. Since that point, we've had stormy weather and gray skies. Yesterday, we even had tornado watches, so I'm very glad I was able to get out and get some shots to share until the weather brightens back up. This shot is from the neighbor's backyard and I was somewhat surprised that they were not using the picnic table as it was a good temperature for it.

Streaky Sunset Clouds Photo of the Day 75/365 Earlier this weekend, I had to make a mad dash to try to get some sunset photos, because my wife had made supper and it was ready. Unfortunately, sunset called, and I rushed out for the last 10 minutes of the sunset time, managing to get a few shots before running back inside. This was a "wide shot" of the sunset sky, and I love the streaky clouds and the setting sun.

 Sunset from the Back Porch Photo of the Day 74/365 Last evening, my wife had been making dinner when I asked how much time I had. She said that dinner was, in fact, ready, and I sighed. She said go ahead and go - it was sunset time, and I had wanted to go see what was there. I went and was out for about 10 minutes. The sky was clouding up, but the sun was coloring up the sky much like a sunset. This view was from the neighbor's back porch and the first photo I took for the walk.

Sunset Sky over the Drive-In Photo of the Day 73/365 On a quick afternoon outing last week, we were too early for the sunset, but the sky was wild with clouds quickly moving, and the sun was going in and out of the clouds. Things were changing so fast that I got a number of nice photos. This was one of the first of the photos. We still have a drive-in theatre, and I really like how this came out.

Fiery Sunrise Sky over Campus Photo of the Day 72/365 I took this photo a couple of mornings ago. This sunrise sky kept getting better and better, but I DID have to get to work, rather than just take photos (that day IS coming soon). So I took this one in the small parking lot where my car is parked. The sky lit up red, and I truly thought of the old adage, "red in the morning, sailor's take warning".  It was right - that night we had tornado warnings.

Just Before Sunrise at the Tree Farm Photo of the Day 71/365 On the way to work,  yesterday morning, the forecast was for nasty weather so I wasn't hopeful for any good photos. Mother Nature decided to bless me with a very pretty sunrise sky. I pulled over at a local tree farm parking lot and was able to position myself to get this nice photo of the valley, a tree, and the gorgeous sky.

Warm Spring Sunrise Sky Photo of the Day 70/365 The weather staff on the station we watched showed a wonderful sky yesterday morning and I hoped to get something similar to what he showed on TV. Well, as I was on my way to work, the clouds were very wispy, but I found a spot to get off the road and took about five photos before heading into work. I liked two of them, and this one was the winner. It wasn't quite the one that the TV showed, but it was good enough for me.

Warm Late Winter Sunset Photo of the Day 69/365 I was taking a walk this weekend after the time change, and saw this view come into my sight. I was very fortunate. I had twisted my ankle over the weekend and only made it far enough to get this shot before I had to go back. I got a total of four shots on that walk and was blessed with this one. Right now, it is unseasonably warm and I'm loving the "early" spring.

Colorful Sky Just before Sunrise Photo of the Day 68/365 This photo was taken earlier in the autumn. The weather has been so murky lately that I haven't been able to to much "pretty" photography. So I decided to reach back into my previous photos to find one that I really wanted to post that I hadn't already done. With that in mind, I picked this shot of a wonderful sunrise sky with the pine trees.

Last of the Snow at Sunset Photo of the Day 67/365 I took this photo a few days ago when the snow was still here. In some spots, where the plows pushed up huge piles, there are still some bits. The snow has been melting with warming temperatures, and I saw this pile of snow, which seemed to lead my eye into the setting sun. I liked the composition with the trees and took the photo.

Pre-Dawn Sky on Campus Photo of the Day 66/365 I took this photo several weeks ago and never got around to posting it. I had just gotten out of my car and noticed the sky brightening up. I had already passed most of my sunrise photo spots so I decided to try to get a few shots from our parking lot. I only got two shots out as I was late so this was the one I chose for today.

Late Afternoon Sky over the Field Photo of the Day 65/365 I took this photo earlier in the winter on one of our snowless days. The sky was beautiful, and I managed to get this shot after the sun had already set. The clouds almost seem to lead you across the field and into the hills. The field grass that remained was just the right color to reflect any light. It's all gone (the grass) and the snows we've had since have flattened it all until the spring seedlings grow again.

Stream Through the Field Photo of the Day 64/365 I took this photo last week while out on a sunset stroll. I did get some nice sunset shots, but on the way back, I noticed the stream in the field (with runoff water in it) and there was still some snow, so I decided to try a few photographs. The sky was still warm, and with the sunset sky behind me, I thought the view was nice, so I got this shot.

Tress in the Fog Photo of the Day 63/365 I took this photo on my trip, when the trees were barely visible in the fog. The temperatures were just above freezing, and the moisture from the melting snow and the freezing rain that had been falling combined to make the fog just hang about. These trees seemed to give the view a spooky and surreal attitude to the scene.

Tree, Snow, and a Red Barn Photo of the Day 62/365 There are times when one reaches into the past to see. Today's photo is one of those times. This photo was taken the first winter after I started my current job. I love the photo. The snow was fresh and untouched, the air was crisp and cold, and the red barn just stood out. That was the past. I am retiring this month, the red barn is now yellow, and the snows are melting - the seasons of time are changing, and the seasons of my life are changing.  

Pastel Sunrise Sky over the Barn Photo of the Day 61/365 This photo could have been taken almost any day last week, except for the new development of homes that happened over the past ten years. I drive this road almost daily. Ten years ago, this scene greeted me one snowy morning, and I stopped in the road and took the photo. Now I get to post it, and it's almost nostalgic. You can no longer even see this barn due to the changes in the landscape, but the colors of the sky still remain.

Sunset, Trees, and Leftover Snow Photo of the Day 60/365 I took this photo a couple of nights ago while out on a walk. I had just walked past one of my "regular" spots when I spotted this composition. I really liked the play of the sun through the trees and the bits of snow in the foreground. Now, the snow is almost all gone. I can't say I'll miss winter (if it is really gone), but it did make for some nice photos.