Colors of Harper's Ferry by AL

 I loved this group of older bikers huddled around their map as their bikes lined the curb.

Great Falls--a Few Days after Hurricane Sandy

Far from historically high levels, Great Falls was still a sight to behold on November 1, 2012 ( a few days after the area was grazed by Hurricane Sandy).    It was supposed to have crested sometime that morning, so I think these pictures were taken at near its highest stage. 

The water was a roiling mass of debris and mud and it was awe-inspiring (and slightly disconcerting) to see how close we were to the water compared to normal water levels. 

After admiring the power of the falls for a while, we hiked along the river trail hoping to take in some beautiful fall foliage.  We did see some colors, but mostly already fallen to the ground. 

It seemed that the winds of the hurricane had hastened the leaves falling and with the gray clouds that filled the sky that day, the whole landscape seemed rather muted and earth-toned. 

A little off the trail we discovered this beautiful little inlet of water from the Potomac River, where the water was also surprisingly high.  I loved the natural stone walls here and it made me think of the fjords of Scandinavia--not that I've ever seen them in real life--but they're similar to what I'd imagine them to look like. 

Pelican over Henry's Fork

These pictures were taken at Henry's Fork, Idaho in August 2011. 

Our family was all peacefully fishing, when suddenly this guy dropped in to do some of his own fishing too.

 We watched him catch a few fish, but unfortunately he was too far away at the time to have captured a great picture of it. 

Instead we sat fascinated while it took off  and landed several times right in front of us.   

Sunset over the Mississippi River

These pictures were taken in August of 2011 near Nauvoo, Illinois.  

We loved visiting Nauvoo and could have spent an entire day there seeing the sites and another entire day walking along the riverside. 

Between the plethora of birds, gorgeous wildflowers, and this sunset...we were enraptured. 

Yes, God is good. 

For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth over and around us lies:
Lord of all, to Thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.

Rainy Day in Wales

Here are a few pictures from a short jaunt I took to Newport, Wales this fall. It was rainy and thus not super conducive to me wanting to be out in it, but I couldn't resist taking a few of the old-style town.

A post of few words. Just Newport in its rainy splendor :)

Autumn at Harper's Ferry, WV

Los Angeles Skyline at Dusk

These pictures of the LA skyline were taken on October 24, 2012 from outside of the Griffith Observatory overlooking Los Angeles. 

We used a tripod and a timer.

We had to cover the flash slightly to be able to see our faces without drowning out the lights in the background.