Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Horizontal

This week, Cee is looking for Horizontal Lines for her Fun Foto Challenge and glancing through the photo files I see that we encountered quite a few on our recent trip to Texas. The first image was captured as we went across the bridge over the Mississippi River in Cairo, Illinois.

Waves and ripples in the sand at East Beach in Galveston, Texas.

A view of McGovern Centennial Gardens in Houston, Texas.

A series of steps along the Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas.

For more on Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge go to Horizontal Line(s)

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Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Waving the Flag

This week, the flags are flying for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge.  The first three images were captured in Chicago, one at the Tall Ships Festival at Navy Pier and two at Wrigley Field.

Next we travel up to the Maritime Museum at Sturgeon Bay in Wisconsin.

A little closer to home, flags add a festive air to the carnival at Melas Park in Mount Prospect, Illinois.

Two events in Skokie, where flags of many nations are prominently displayed. The first at Skokie North Shore Sculpture Park and the second at The Skokie Festival of Cultures.

For more on Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge go to Flags or Banners

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Dilapidation

This week, the topic for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge is Barns or any Dilapidated Buildings.  I don’t know why, but we very rarely seem to visit places that are not kept in at least reasonably good condition. In future, I will make a point of looking out for the less well-cared-for places. I did manage to find a couple of images that fit the bill, however, so here they are. The first was taken on our trip to Marion last year and features the old Marion Daily Republican building.

One of the things that I used to enjoy about visiting the Farm at Spring Valley Nature Center in Schaumburg was seeing and photographing the old barn.  That was many years ago and the barn was already falling apart which, I suspect, added to its mellow charm. They eventually tore it down and replaced it with a garishly-painted new one which, although showing up well in subsequent pictures, couldn’t hold a candle to the old building.  Looking at some of these later images, I’m wondering if they perhaps saved one of the old doors, possibly on its historical merits, painted it and incorporated it into the new building. How else could you explain its obvious state of dilapidation.

For more on Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge go to  Barns or Any Dilapidated Buildings

 

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Treasures of the Lizzadro

Cee has reached the final letter in her ‘alphabet with a twist’ segment of the Fun Foto Challenge and I had no problem coming up with a subject for the letter z.

The wonderful thing about the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art in Elmhurst, Illinois, is that it combines the beauty and splendor of nature with the skill and craftsmanship of artisans who have created some of the most breathtaking pieces of artwork that you will ever see.  Here are just a few of the treasures that you will see if you visit the Lizzadro.

A turquoise carving donated from the collection of Cheng Kong Man Ying.

The Lohan, Buddhist monks carved in ivory.  Although I deplore the use of ivory, the incredible skill with which these figurines are carved cannot be denied.

An Italian cameo is delicately worked onto a helmet shell.

A bracelet set with 288 sapphires and 45 diamonds in white gold,  a ruby and diamond bracelet set in platinum by Tiffany & Co made in 1928 and a seed pearl parure by Bailey & Co made in 1850.

This Chinese figurine, one of a pair, is made of rose quartz.

Beautiful little snuff bottles, intricately carved on ivory, agate, porcelain and other natural materials.

A gorgeous Chines figurine carved in jadeite.

Two impressive Chinese spinach green vases carved in nephrite.

Detail from an Italian statuette of Henry IV, King of France carved in ivory and set with gemstones.

Two exquisite Japanese pieces carved in ivory.

Two skulls made of carved and polished stone from the “Faces of Eternity” exhibit at the Lizzadro.

For more on Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge go to Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Letter Z anywhere in the word or people or animals catching some Zzz’s

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Nebraska

I resisted the temptation to use ‘nature’ for this week’s alphabet with a twist segment of Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge, knowing it would take me forever to pick just a few out of the many hundreds of pictures that I have on that subject.  Instead, I opted for Nebraska.  We were just passing through so I didn’t have much opportunity to capture images and there weren’t many from which to choose.  Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.

For more on Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge go to Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Letter N – Needs to start with the letter N

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Monuments and Memorials

This week, Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge requires a word with two m’s and here I have two for the price of one; monuments and memorials.  Go to just about any place and you will see a memorial of some kind, whether it’s in a big city or small town. You only have to go to the local cemetery to see some remarkable examples of ornate memorials such as this one in Bluff City Cemetery in Elgin, Illinois.

And you don’t necessarily have to visit a cemetery to see an impressive memorial or monument. There are some that demand a place with much more prominence such as the 284ft-tall Indiana State Soldiers and Sailors Monument built on Monument Circle in the heart of downtown Indianapolis, Indiana.

Some memorials are smaller but no less poignant, such as this one in Port Huron, Michigan. The anchor was recovered from the “John S Martin,” a 225ft schooner loaded with iron ore, that sank on August 4, 1900 while trying to avoid the wreckage of the “Fontana” that had sunk several weeks before.  The “Martin” collided with another ship, the “Yuma” and four crewmen from the “Martin” died as a result.

Many memorials are dedicated to those who have given their lives in the service of others, such as this one in Lexington, Kentucky.

And some are dedicated to those who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time but are no less worthy of recognition, such as the tornado memorial in downtown Marion, Illinois.

The 630ft Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, is the tallest man-made arch in the USA. It was built as a monument to westward expansion, cost $13 million to construct and was completed in 1965. Let me tell you, the view from the top is astounding!

Easily recognizable is Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota.  These iconic sculptures of four US Presidents, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln are as much a testament to all those who were involved in its creation as it is to the people that it depicts.  

Also in South Dakota, The Crazy Horse Memorial is a giant sculpture of the Oglala Lakota warrior Crazy Horse. Begun in 1948 this monument is under construction on private land and is still far from completion.  If it is ever finished, it could possibly be the world’s largest sculpture.

From man-made memorials to a natural phenomenon, Devil’s Tower in Wyoming became the first declared United States National Monument, on September 24, 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt.

For more on Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge go to Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Letter M – Needs to have 2 M’s anywhere in the word

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – The Letter J

Roll up! Roll up!  Cee is looking for words that start with the letter j for her Fun Foto Challenge this week so, here for your amazement and delight, see the  jiggler, the juggler, the jester and the jouster.  All the fun of the fair!

Images captured at the Bristol Renaissance Fair.

For more on Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge go to Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Letter J – Needs to contain the Letter J and be at least 6 letters long