Water Scenes 5 [Orange You Glad It’s Friday] [Sky Watch Friday]

  This is the last planned posting from my Water Scenes series for OYGIF. It is a diverse set of images having little connection, other than the presence of water. However, I still remember the occasion of each ‘shooting',  as they recall pleasant experiences. The two images below were taken in the harbor of Killybegs,  a small fishing village in Ireland, during a stop made during a 2012 bus tour. We had a lot of grey skies, but they did not dampen our enjoyment.

This bridge [affectionately dubbed the ‘Freddie-Sue’ Bridge] was named after Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglas, two figures of historical significance and sources of pride to Rochester. The bridge has become one of the most photographed structures in Rochester, NY; previously, I have  posted other shots of it.

 Moving to a smaller body of water, here is the Midtown Athletic Club’s pool [featured in my last week’s SWF posting]. This was shot on Nov. 27, 2013, just a few days before the end of the outdoor swim season. There were still hardy souls showing up to do laps, such as my buddy, Abby, below. And, yes, that is snow you see around the pool. Since the water temperature is always 82 F [ca. 28 C], it is quite pleasant to swim in, even when it is snowing or when the air temperature is almost freezing. The only hard part comes in getting out....

Water Scenes 4 [Orange You Glad It’s Friday] [Sky Watch Friday]

   In this, the penultimate Water Scenes posting, the focus changes to reflections. The image below was shot outside of Sedona, AZ, where we spent several vacations enjoying the marvelous scenery of the Southwest. The reflection is that of iconic Cathedral Rock, which has appeared in a number of previous postings.

  This image is that of Niagara Falls  [American side] shot from a distance in our hotel room. At night, the Falls are illuminated with changing colored lights. I waited until orange recycled back.  I imagine that if I hadn’t told you, you would not have guessed it was a waterfall.

   Finally, closer to home, sunsets over Lake Ontario can be quite spectacular. This was shot from Webster Park Beach, about 10 miles northeast of Rochester.

Midtown Pool [Sky Watch Friday]

  The winter has been long and bitter in Rochester this season. Nevertheless, the [heated] outdoor swimming pool is scheduled to open on April 1 at the Midtown Athletic Club. Since the snow is piled up high everywhere, I thought I’d go out with my cell phone and check what the pool looked like. Two days ago it was still covered with a tarp, and the surrounding deck had 1-2 feet of snow with narrow shoveled around the area. Yet, we've been assured that things are progressing on schedule [maybe, but not to the untrained eye].

    This is what I hope the pool will look like on opening day [originally shot in Nov. 2014].

Water Scenes 3 [Orange You Glad It’s Friday]

  A series on water scenes must inevitably include images with boats. Today’s post contains a variety of ‘water conveyances’ ranging in size, shape, and mode of propulsion. The image below was shot one early morning from the shore of Fourth Lake in the Adirondacks. This mother and daughter [I believe] were quite a distance away; but, the zoom lens brought them close enough to make it worth while taking a shot.

 

The couple below was slowly paddling down the canal running through a park in central Braunschweig, Germany. It was some international celebration day, and the city was quite festive. And, the park was full of walkers, bikers and 'boaters'; this pair was absolutely 'made to order' for OYGIF.

 

This power speed boat was docked in the bay at Sodus Point, NY. I shot it from the balcony of a restaurant where we were taking lunch.

These sailboats were on the shore of Lake Ontario. I am not sure why they were left there with the sails up.

This is one of the Staten Island ferries entering its dock in lower Manhattan. We were on the Hoboken Ferry heading to the Wall Street dock.

Winter Sky [Sky Watch Friday]

A quick look out the bathroom window prompted me to fetch my cell phone to shoot this picture. A nice blue sky eases the discomfort of the the bitter cold and piles of snow....and the beauty of the icicles makes one overlook the fact that the house is losing heat [despite the recent insulation of the attic].

Water Scenes 2 [Orange You Glad It’s Friday]

   Last week I took a brief break from my Water Scenes series to show some panoramic skylines of Rochester, NY.  Today I get back on track. There are numerous parks and lakes of all sizes around the area [in fact, we are only 10 miles south of the great Lake Ontario]. Depending on the season, they are grand for hiking, biking, boating, and picnicking; I take a pass on X-country skiing, sledding, or snow-shoeing. In all seasons, however, people are out to see the 'wild-life'. While I am not keen on animal photography [my apologies to all animal/pet lovers], occasionally I will ‘shoot’ one [figuratively speaking], especially if water is involved. The images below confirm my kinship to 'swimmers'.

  While the amaryllis below does not fit the Water Series motif, the ‘swan-like’ petal is so striking, I had to include it in this group.