Answer - Friday Foto Quiz # 10

Did you guess what this person is doing? Keep reading.

His name is Robbie Virus and, in this photo, he is playing a theremin with his San Francisco based lounge band, Project Pimento. They have a new CD out entitled "Space Age Love Songs".

The theremin is an early electronic insturment, "invented in 1919 by the Russian scientist Leon Theremin" and often used to create mood music in science fiction movies. This instrument is played without actually touching it. The loop on the side and the antenna on top create an electromagnetic field. Disturbing this field with your hands will create a tone. Moving the hands closer and away from the metal antenna varies the pitch and volume of that tone, not an easy instrument to play well.

Robbie is the best I've seen on this instrument, at least live. His band continues to ride the tiki lounge wave playing all your favorite James Bond themes, a very cool and unique show. I also saw his name listed as a theremin musician in the credits of the first Hell Boy movie.

Click here for the Project Pimento web site.

Click here for a Google search for theremin.

Thanks for playing!

Friday Foto Quiz # 10

What is going on here? You can make comments, but if you know, don't reveal the answer which I will give on Monday. And it has nothing to do with my owl presentation on Saturday at the HMB Library. (See the next post down for more information on that.) Click the picture for a larger view.

The Owls of Canada Cove

This Saturday, at 2pm, I will present my slideshow and lecture about the owls that live near my home at the Half Moon Bay Library. I've had the opportunity to watch and photograph them over the last 11 months and witnessed a one year life cycle of courtship, nesting, hatching 2 owlets and then watching them fledge. The presentation follows them in pictures with facts about owls along the way and a fun selected short subject too.

And, there is a nice write-up about me in this week's Half Moon Bay Review.

Remember the date, Saturday August 28, 2pm at the Half Moon Bay Library.

Answer - Friday Foto Quiz #9

Did you guess the location of this water fall? The answer is below the picture.

Great Falls Park is along the Potomac River in McLean, Virginia. It is maintained by the National Park Service but is not an official National Park. In 1784, George Washington proposed one of the first canals in this country to bypass the falls looking to improve commerce and travel up to the Ohio river valley. Higher engineering resulted in improved lock technology and early use of black powder blasting in the construction. It took 17 years to build the canal, which didn't work very well. Most of the year the water is too low or too high. The area still floods today.

In 1906, they built the Great Falls Amusment Park which existed until 1952. The county maintained a carousel until 1972 which was destroyed by Hurricane Agnes.

Today, it's a great place for hiking, kayaking and rock climbing. Read more here: http://www.nps.gov/grfa/index.htm

After your hike, check out The Old Brogue Irish Pub on Georgetown Pike in the town of Great Falls for good beer, food and music. http://www.oldbrogue.com/

Thanks for playing.

Friday Footo Quiz #9

Another waterfall for the quiz. Know it? Say if you do but don't post the answer. I will on Monday. Click the picture for a not much larger view.

Answer - Friday Foto Quiz

Criminy, it's already Wednesday and I am supposed to post on Monday! Well, the answer is that this is the glass work art of Dale Chihuly. His large scale sculptures are created by a team of glass blowers and are displayed around the world. I have seen his distinctive work hanging from the ceiling in Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas and in the lobby of the Palo Alto Medical Clinic in Mountain View.

There are excellent videos of his studio work on his web site: http://www.chihuly.com/

These pictures were taken when his traveling exhibition stopped at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco. Click the pictures for a larger view. Thanks for playing.

Friday Foto Quiz #8

Do you know what this is a picture of? Say if you know but don't reveal the answer. I'll post more pictures over the weekend and give the answer on Monday. Click the picture for a larger view.

Answer - Friday Foto Quiz

Bodie State Park, CA, is a gold mining town gone ghost. It is isolated enough that the few people that never left were able to maintain the town in a state of arressted decay and it is now a state park. Wander around the buildings and look in the windows to see things as they were left when abandoned. This is not a staged reenactment but a snapshot of life as it was. Just 13 miles east of 395 near Mono Lake, (the last 3 miles are dirt), this is a great place for history buffs and photographer's alike. Make a day of it, bring water, a hat and plan on walking/exploring a lot. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodie,_California

Friday Foto Quiz

Do you know where this town is?
Please do not say the answer but feel free to comment if you do know. I will reveal the location on Monday. Click the pictures for a larger view.

Answer - Friday Foto Quiz

As Ken Burns puts it, National Parks are America's best idea. This underground National Park is Carlsbad Caverns, located in New Mexico. I believe the formation is named "Giant Dome" and resides in the Hall of Giants.

We visited the caverns in July of 2007. I had just bought a Nikon D80 and was learning to use a DSLR. the low lighting of a cave was the challenge. We had not yet envisioned our light drawing project. I was confused as to why a white LED flashlight made the formations appear blue. I've learned alot about LEDs and white balance since then.

This is a great place to visit. The scale of these formations is lost by not including people in my pictures as a reference. Plan to spend several days here to get the full experience. The main self guided tour is mind blowing. Then sign up for guided tours to lower levels and other nearby caves. The history of those that found and explored the cave is fascinating. Stay for the nightly show as 400,000 bats fly over your head as they leave the cave entrance. Then go take the main room tour again because you missed most of what is to be seen. Here is the link: http://www.nps.gov/cave/index.htm.