Good Morning from the Empire Builder

The weather is being very uncooperative this time.  I was hoping to get some nice sunrise shots.  Instead I get a nice dreary shot.

Still having fun though.  Met some pretty nice people at breakfast this morning.  That is the other aspect of train travel that I like.  For the most part the people on the train are a lot friendlier than on other modes of travel.  As always, I will do more detailed posts when I get home.

Good Night From the Empire Builder

I leave you with one more picture from today.  It was the last picture I could take, so it's not the greatest.

The Empire Builder runs along the Mississippi for a bit.  I kind of wish the sky was clearer because this would have made a nice sunset picture.

Remember the Reason

As you are cooking on the grill or traveling to far away and exotic places, remember the reason why you have a three day weekend.

Remember all the soldiers, sailors and airmen that have given their lives in the defense of the nation.

Michigan Exposures Hits the Rails

What started as what I thought would be a one time event has become an annual event.  Once again, I hit the rails and go to see the Great American West.  This time, I am repeating the trip I took in 2010 by taking the Empire Builder to Seattle, then the Coast Starlight to Emeryville and the California Zephyr back home.  I can't wait to see some of the sights again.

 But before I can start all of that, I have to hopeon the Wolverine in Ann Arbor.  I didn't take too many pictures on the way between Ann Arbor and Chicago. I did manage to get a picture of the train though.

 I didn't have that long in Chicago, so I only took a few pictures.  I am really liking my new lens for taking pictures of buildings.  This of course is the Sears Tower (still can't bring myself to call it by its current name).

And this is the shot of Chicago as I was heading out. Sadly, I couldn't get a good angle on it though.  As always, more pictures when I get home.

Messing With the A-10 Thunderbolt

I was happy with my A-10 pictures from Saturday but I wanted to do a little more to them to make them pop a little more.

What do you guys think?  Does this look better than the other ones?  I like the deeper blue sky and the more constrast between the plane and the sky.

Messing with Zappa the Cat

I was kind of inspired by a post on Facebook tonight.  Someone posted a picture of their dog and it reminded me of a depressing French movie or something like that.  So I figured I would try something with Zappa.

 I think I'd like this one a little more if my iPod cable weren't in the picture.  I think it's oka

 I really like this one, especially since I made it grainy and stuff.  He looks like he's staring off into space but he really needs a cigarette and should be speaking deep French voice.  "I am contemplating my life right now and it's meaninglessness" or something like that.  "It has been 14 years since I've known love and happiness..."  but in French.

I'd like this picture more if he weren't in front of the air conditioner and my cables.  Oh well, this was the only place I could get him to pose.

Flower Day at the Eastern Market

Ever since I started this blog, several people have told me that I need to check out the Eastern Market on Flower Day.  So I made sure that I had my calendar circled for this day but sadly, I didn't wake up as soon as I had hoped.  I was planning to walk down the Dequindre Cut again but it was pretty hot today, so I looked for a parking spot closer to the Eastern Market.

 So I ended up parking at the spot at the Gratiot end of the Dequindre Cut.  I wasn't 100% sure about that but there were a few other cars there, so it seemed okay.  But that made it so that I wasn't going to stay long at the Eastern Market.

 If there is a picture to sum up Flower Day at the Eastern Market, this one is it.  I was amazed at the number of cars around the market.  And people dragging wagons of flowers.  But still, I soldiered on.

 A shot of the skyline from the Market.  I think a better view would have been on the other side of this bridge.

 Some of the shops around the market.  These have been here for quite a while.

 A closer shot of those buildings.

 And finally some flowers.

 There were all sorts of flowers here and I'm not about to try to identify any of them.  I will just leave you with the pictures.

 There were a couple of musicians performing.

 And people....

 ...lots of them.

 But the flowers were cool.

 Especially the ones in the shade.

 This just gives you an idea of the number of flowers.

 This group was performing a blues tune and they were pretty good.

 More flowers....

 I think I would have liked this shot more if all of it were in the shade.

 Looking up at one of the shacks.

 Another flower.

 Another group of flowers.

 I kind of like this purple one.

 I really like this one.

 And this one.

 Another group of flowers.  I would imagine this would be the place to go if you were stocking up a flower garden.

 All sorts of flowers.

 I love these blue flowers.

 And these.

 Did I mention there were a few people there?

 A mural that you would only find in Detroit.  Some sort of mutant vegetable bull.

 There were other kinds of stalls there too.

 Some sort of bird statue.

 Another shot of the skyline to put the market in perspective.

 A group of restaurants near the market.

 And then I headed back to my car.

 I kind of like these buildings.

 A hardware store.

 I'm lumping this in with my Eastern Market shots because I don't feel like starting up another post.  This is St. Joseph's Church.  I posted pictures of it before.

 But I couldn't quite get this shot because I didn't have the right lens for it.  Sadly, I was shooting right into the sun.

 And then I noticed that the door was open, so I wandered inside but not too far.  The church is just as beautiful inside as outside.

 One of the windows.

And one more shot of the church before heading to my car.