Venice, Italy, August

Ah, Venezia.

World Trade Center, NYC Evening, 2000

For some reason, one evening I sat down and took this shot from my NYC apartment (which I still have, btw).  There wasn't really any reason to, and it wasn't planned at all - completely spontaneous.  I think I may have just been testing my camera.  Anyway, I really like this photo now because, there on the left are, yes, the World Trade Center Towers.  This is looking West, toward New Jersey, little slices of which are probably visible.  I don't have a whole lot of shots of the WTC, so the ones I do have are kind of special.

A Rainbow

A nice rainbow shot to start the day!

Pikes Peak from the roof of my house

I was up on the roof of my house last summer doing some work and stopped for a few minutes to take some pictures.  You can tell it is summer, no snow up there.  That's certainly not the case right now!

Baby Birds

I was over at a friend's house last summer and found out that a bird had built a nest high up in their garage.  While mama was out, I climbed up and took a few pictures. They had just hatched, and were hungry.  Their mother returned shortly with some food, and eventually, when they got old enough, they all flew off.

Ceremonial Barge, Bangkok, Thailand

How to Sail in Style in Old-Time Bangkok

I was just wandering down by the river in Bangkok, Thailand one day, minding my own business. I do that, just wander in new cities. Sometimes I just get hot and tired and hungry - go figure - but more often than not, I stumble upon something wonderful that I never otherwise would have known was there. This was one of those times.

Along the river, I noticed many homes built on stilts. I was surprised that people actually lived in houses like that so near the city center. They were doing their wash and so forth in the river - a river that flows right through the heart of Bangkock.  Try that in the East River of New York City and your clothes would probably disintegrate.

Just walking along, I stumbled on this boat house that didn't look like anything special. There was nobody around, it wasn't fully enclosed, just a bunch of boats sitting there. To be fair, it is probably in all the tourist books, though it sure wasn't in mine. This was a long time ago, so who knows if it is still there, or you have to pay admission now, and so forth. I just walked right in.

Somewhat startled, I took a few pictures. You can see one with what looks like a cannon sticking out from under the god.  I'm sure there is something deeply symbolic about it all, and that this was the height of luxury whenever it was from, but I was just struck by how ornate and colorful it was. What made it most special to me, though, was simply stumbling upon a treasure by happenstance. That's why I wander off. Since people in general don't get that sort of curiousness, usually I am better off travelling alone, which I think is better for all concerned.

Venice Beach, Christmas Eve, 1989

I had a one-day layover in Los Angeles right before Christmas in 1989.  I rented a car and drove to, where else, the beach.  I was living in Greenwich Village at the time, and the ambiance of Venice Beach made me feel right at home.  These fellows would have fit in perfectly at the water fountain in Washington Square Park.  They drew quite a crowd.  I had tremendous fun just walking around, taking random pictures, and enjoying one last day of freedom before the flight back to New York and reality.