Thematic Photographic 55: "Cloudy" v.7.0

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"Designated Smoking Area"
Atlantic Beach, NC - July, 2008 (Click to embiggen)

 Hosted by Written Inc.

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This was not what I originally had in mind for this week's finale, but the combination of the Fourth of July weekend on the horizon, coupled with Carmi's observation that "cloudy" didn't necessarily mean "natural clouds" prompted me to dig out this shot from last years' Independence Day celebrations at Atlantic Beach. Whether the 4th is a holiday or not where you live, I hope you'll have a great one. See you tomorrow for a whole new week of Thematic adventures.

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Two4Tuesday #19: "Natural/Artificial"

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"Ongoing Reclamation Project"
Raleigh, NC - June 2009 (Click to embiggen)

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Wordless Wednesday #102 (Tuesday Edition): It's Hard To Leave

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"When You Can't Find The Door"
Raleigh, NC - January 2009 (Click to embiggen)

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Ruby Tuesday #45: "Canopycicle"

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"Frozen Awning"
Raleigh, NC - January 2009 (Click to embiggen)

 Hosted at Work of the Poet

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As I'm writing this it's late February (yes, I schedule well in advance) so I can only guess what the weather's like now that you're finally reading it, but if it's a typical late June in North Carolina, this scene from last January was what we were complaining about not so very long ago. Remember? No? Well I do. And I said at the time we'd miss these days. Doesn't it look refreshing right about now?

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That's My World Tuesday #37: Hammock House, Beaufort

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"A Favorite Haunt"
Beaufort, NC - November 2003 (Click to embiggen)

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In addition to being one of my favorite places on the planet, Beaufort is also the third oldest town in the state of North Carolina (the top two being Bath and Edenton, though I'm unsure which is #1 on the list). As such, there are a lot of old houses in Beaufort, and Hammock House is the oldest. Built c.1709, it is -- as are most of the houses in the historic district -- purported to be haunted. Since it's a still private residence and doesn't hold tours, I can neither confirm nor deny. But if any place in the world were going to be haunted, Hammock House seems like a likely candidate.

The infamous pirate Blackbeard spent quite a bit of time hanging around coastal North Carolina in the early 18th century, and Hammock House is reported to be one of his homes. It's also alleged that he killed one of his wives on the grounds (hanged her in the back yard if memory serves) and it's her restless spirit that reportedly is still (pardon me) hanging around the place. (Really now, after 300 years you'd think she'd get over it.) In more recent years, the house got a fresh coat of paint courtesy of Sears, who used it in a TV ad for their Weatherbeater exterior paint.

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Thematic Photographic 55: "Cloudy" v.6.0

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"Somebody Call Noah."
Raleigh, NC - April, 2009 (Click to embiggen)

 Hosted by Written Inc.

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The weather here is notoriously unpredictable any time of year, but on this day we saw it go from what you see here to bright and sunny and almost back again in the course of a single workday. This shot I took early in the morning for a "Rain" theme. That afternoon I was shooting a "Spring Flowers" theme. And by the time I left work I was shooting an as-yet unused skyscape of the clouds rolling back in. You could say I caught the April showers and the May flowers in just about eight hours. (Well, you could say that, but why would you?) But when I took this shot, it was pouring.

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Macro Monday #17: "Still Life With Pod I"

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"Shells 'n' Stuff"
Raleigh, NC - April 2009 (Click to embiggen)

Hosted at Lisa's Chaos

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Monochrome Monday #39: Millrace

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"Yates Mill"
Raleigh, NC - December 2008 (Click to embiggen)

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Okay after last week's plunge into Warholian photography, I suppose I should give you something a little more conventional. So behold, an old favorite subject of mine... the Yates Mill dam. Doesn't matter how many times or ways I shoot this place it always appeals to me.

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Blue Monday #40: "Agriculture Building"

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"They Don't Build 'Em Like This anymore."
Raleigh, NC - January 2009 (Click to embiggen)

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This this building was apparently occupied by the state Health Department originally. Or at least at some point. There's a little confusion (mine) as to when the building actually came to be, and what it originally housed. There are at least three dates visible on the outside of the building, any one of which might be the date of construction. One stone says 1845, another 1898 and a third reads "Health Building - 1928". Nowadays it's home to one branch or another of the Department of Agriculture. If the signs are to be believed anyway. They wouldn't lie to us about something like that would they?

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Thematic Photographic 55: "Cloudy" v.5.0

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"Silver Bullet"
Raleigh, NC - January, 2009 (Click to embiggen)
In case you missed it: I've been roasted! Get the gory details here!

 Hosted by Written Inc.

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I must have spent close to an hour photographing various combinations of moon and cloud this January night. The winds aloft were offering up an almost endless variety of compositions, pushing the clouds along at a breakneck pace. It was almost as if the moon were modeling for me, and I kept clicking away. If you follow my Sky Watch Friday posts, you've seen several other shots from this series both in this amber cast, and an almost blue cast as I experimented with manual white balance and color temperatures. I'd tell you this was one of my favorites of the lot, but the truth is I couldn't choose favorites form that night. I liked them all!

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I've Been Roasted! (Insert Snoopy Dance Here)

We Need Your Vote in the 2009 BlogLuxe Awards!

Violence UnSilenced Nominated for 2009 Most Inspiring Blog
Trouble navigating BlogLuxe? ♥ Technical Difficulties?

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If you've been around here for a little while you might remember the inaugural Diamonds in the Rockpile Awards Ceremony around the first of the year. One of those 10 first balloters was Australia's David McMahon, who pens Authorblog in between assignments as a for-real journalist and writing another novel (he's currently finishing his third). One of David's regular features is The Sunday Roast, a series of email interviews with (ahem) prominent bloggers around the world. And guess who's joined this august company this week? Go on, guess!

Oh don't be dense. Just go visit David okay?

The Sunday Roast, presented weekly by Authorblog

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Summer Stock Sunday #5

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"The Beach Never Sleeps"
Wrightsville Beach, NC - October 2005 (Click to embiggen)
In case you missed it: I've been roasted! Get the gory details here!

 Graciously Hosted by Robin at Around the Island

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Thematic Photographic 55: "Cloudy" v.4.0

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"Silver Lining"
Raleigh, NC - May, 2009 (Click to embiggen)
In case you missed it: I've been roasted! Get the gory details here!

 Hosted by Written Inc.

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I've always been a little ambivalent about Daylight Saving Time. I mean really, what is the point of it all? But then there are the days after that "magical" date when springing forward an hour allows me to capture scenes like this one. I somehow don't think that the inventors of DST had this in mind, but why look a gift horse in the mouth, right?

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Photo Hunt #33: "Flags"

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"O'er The Ramparts"
Ft. Macon State Park, NC - July 2008 (Click to embiggen)
Next Week's Challenge: "Pink"
Update: I've been roasted! Get the gory details here!

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Thematic Photographic 55: "Cloudy" v.3.0

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"Day Breaks Through"
Wrightsville Beach, NC - November, 2005 (Click to embiggen)

 Hosted by Written Inc.

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This shot has a connection to one of my early Thematic Photographic too. It was taken at the same time and place as some that I used for the "Sky " theme in TP 5 about this time last year. And you know what, a year later the scene is no less inspiring than it was then.

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Monochrome Friday #22: Mule City

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"Jazz Bassics"
Clayton, NC - July 2004 (Click to embiggen)

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55 Flash Fiction Friday #51: Chapter 43 - Khoj

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Some stories are the same in any language.

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Clear of the murderous gang, Arjun stopped the lorry and set about repairing the shredded tire. Straining against the torque of the lugnuts, he regarded her standing watchful, the sepoy's rifle locked and loaded.
"Where did you learn to shoot like that?"
"I've learned what I've needed", she answered cryptically, "From whoever could teach it."

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Notes:
khoj: discovery

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Previously

Chapter 1: Vandhe Mataram!
Chapter 2: Aag Lagi
Chapter 3: Aur Nahin
Chapter 4: Bannaa
Chapter 5: Inteqam
Chapter 6: Azaadi
Chapter 7: Vah Khallas Hai
Chapter 8: Ek Nai Shuruat
Chapter 9: Do Sal Paheli
Chapter 10: Yaadein (I)
Chapter 11: Yaadein (II)
Chapter 12: Yaadein (III)
Chapter 13: Paheli Baar
Chapter 14: Akelee
Chapter 15: Pinjraa
Chapter 16: Nishaan
Chapter 17: Qismat
Chapter 18: Nafrat
Chapter 19: Dard
Chapter 20: Mutthee
Chapter 21: Apmaan

Chapter 22: Andheraa
Chapter 23: Indhan
Chapter 24: Das phere
Chapter 25: Golaa pooraa huaa
Chapter 26: Nikalnaa
Chapter 27: Raastaa
Chapter 28: Pahraa
Chapter 29: Chetaavnee
Chapter 30: Amritsar
Chapter 31: Bhaiaa Vaadaa
Chapter 32: Anaamika
Chapter 33: Arjun
Chapter 34: Rishtedaar
Chapter 35: Mein Usko Maraa Hua
Chapter 36: Samajh
Chapter 37: Shabaash!
Chapter 38: Muskarati
Chapter 39: Gheraao
Chapter 40: Zindagee aur Maut
Chapter 41: Bandooq
Chapter 42: Chalo!

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