R. Doug Wicker's Blog, page 38

Memorial Week Part 2

 

National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific

This week I commemorate Memorial Day with repeat articles from the Normandy American Memorial Cemetery and Memorial, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, and the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial. Next week I will commemorate the 73rd anniversary of one of the greatest invasions in military history, the D-Day Invasion of June 6, 1944.

National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific:

Lisa and Al Fittipaldi joined Ursula and me for a ride that would take us hi...

Memorial Week Part 1

This week I commemorate Memorial Day with repeat articles from the Normandy American Memorial Cemetery and Memorial, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, and the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial. Next week I will commemorate the 73rd anniversary of one of the greatest invasions in military history, the D-Day Invasion of June 6, 1944.

Lest We Forget — No, It’s Not National Barbecue Day:

We seem as a society to forget what this weekend really commemorates.  Memorial Day weekend does not mark the...

The Meaning of Memorial Day

Normandy American Cemetery, France

Honorably discharged veterans of the military are frequently thanked on this day for their service to their nation.  And although we are grateful for the thanks, veterans would like to remind you that Veterans Day (formerly Armistice Day and also known as Remembrance Day to our Commonwealth Cousins) is the time to celebrate military service both past and present.  Memorial Day is set aside to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of a grateful ...

Fun Photo Friday — Belfast Favorites

Angry Bird

Several years ago I published a series of blog articles on filtering black & white photographs to get the most out of them. I came across a photo in this series that demonstrates color filtering in stark terms. I’ll start with the color original:

The original photo

Then convert it using red filtering, which lightens the reds and darkens the blues:

Red filtered conversion to black & white

And, lastly, a conversion using green filtering. Notice the opposite effect:

Green...

Jewel of the Seas — Belfast; St George’s Market

St George’s Market, Belfast, Northern Ireland

On this visit to Belfast, Northern Ireland, Ursula was hot to visit St George’s Market. This is the last Victorian market in Belfast, and the original market on this site dates back to the 1890s. Inside you’ll find restaurants, food vendors, souvenirs, arts & crafts, clothing & accessories, jewelry, flower arrangements and other plants, and antiques & collectibles. Yes, you can spend hours perusing all the vendors and their offerings. We certainly...

Jewel of the Seas — Belfast, Northern Ireland

Jewel of the Seas left Reykjavik, Iceland on 1 June 2022. We arrived at our next destination on this, the first of three back-to-back Jewel cruises, on 4 June. This week I will present some of the photographs I took on that visit, and on Wednesday’s article I’ll take you through St. George’s Market in particular. You may recall that Ursula and I have been here before. I posted a series back in May 2021 of that visit. But this week I’ll show you things we did not see that last time. After thi...

Fun Photo/Food Friday — Reykjavik Area Favorites and Eating at Hótel Skógafoss

Today I’m going to combine a Fun Photo Friday with a Fun Food Friday featuring a lunch review of the restaurant at Hótel Skógafoss in Skógar, just minutes away from on foot from the magnificent Skógafoss waterfall. We’ll start with a glance at the lunch menu at the Hótel Skógafoss Bistro and Bar:

Hótel Skógafoss Bistro and Bar

But that menu does not show you the full selection available. There were also sandwiches, French fries, and other popular fair:

Hótel Skógafoss Bistro and Bar...

Jewel of the Seas — Reykjavik; Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss video

Today I present a video showing off the magnificence of both the Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls. I put together this video for you (as well as my YouTube channel audience) because sometimes static photographs fail to capture the dynamics of moving scenery. This is particularly true in nature for things such as waterfalls. I hope you enjoy this short video (1 minute 27 seconds):

Слава Україні! (Slava Ukraini!)

Jewel of the Seas — Reykjavik; Seljalandsfoss

I‘ve already shown you the waterfall we saw earlier on this excursion on 13 June 2022 — Skógafoss. Today I’ll show you another that we visited after the black sand beach and basalt columns of Reynisfjara. Today’s article shows Seljalandfoss in pictures. Tune in Wednesday for dramatic (I hope) video of both Seljalandfoss and Skógafoss. Until then, here are today’s photos containing final shots of Reynisfjara and the waterfall Seljalandfoss:

Слава Україні! (Slava Ukraini!)

Fun Photo Friday — Reykjavik Area Favorites 2

Stacked Rocks

Today is the second of two Fun Photo Fridays of Reykjavik-area favorites. Next week will be a Fun Food Friday.

Waterway Black Sand Photo Shoot Basalt Columns Black Sand and Stacks

Слава Україні! (Slava Ukraini!)