These are Mah Jongg tiles. I started playing a few years ago when asked to join an existing group. I’m a substitute and get to play quite often. Please don’t ask me to explain the game. Suffice it to say it is nothing like the computer games!

Did I mention that it is a high stakes game? One can win or lose a few dollars when we play! Maximum stake for each game – $5.00.

No photos. Just a great sense of exhilaration. Having been a NY Giants my whole life (we live an hour from NYC) yesterday was an awesome day. It was especially sweet given how bad they played at times during the season.

I was looking for a blowout, not a great game!  Easier on my mental and physical being!!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NY GIANTS!

Edit: My daughter reminded I had pictures that would fit for the Giants. I have therefore added this photo from Nov 2010 where my granddaughter was wearing a Giants shirt!

Took this the other morning. The sea gulls were quite active. When I am shooting birds and other fast moving animals etc, I shoot on continuous mode. (Used this mode a lot when my son played soccer.) That is how I was able to get this shot. The gulls started moving and I started shooting. Since I shoot in RAW, I processed this image in LR3 aad finished with a little pop from Topaz Adjust. I did not “Photoshop” any birds in or out of the image.

Yesterday as I was walking around the park, I saw some great cloud formations.  I put one up yesterday under Reflection. I just had to include two more today under Clouds. Not sure if if I will find a way to include any more!

This morning I headed to my favorite local park. The clouds in the sky were amazing. So naturally I had to take some photos. As I walked around a small body of water, I noticed the wonderful reflections of the clouds in the water. In a normal winter, this would have have been mostly ice. Fortunately for me today, it was not frozen.

ISO 200, 26mm, f-stop 5.6, 0.6sec

ISO 200, 26mm, f-stop 16, 4.5sec

This past week I played with the camera and f-stop settings. These photos were taken with natural light.

My husband travels to China 2-3 times a year. The people he visits give him gifts. These items I believe are representations of Terracotta from the Qin Dynasty. While the thought and the items are very nice, there is only so much stuff or tchotchkes* (a Yiddish word) that my home can handle.

*From the Wikipedia: Tchotchke

Tchotchke are small toys, gewgaws, knickknacks, baubles, lagniappes, trinkets, or kitsch. The term has a connotation of worthlessness or disposability, as well as tackiness

This clock is in the main hall in the Main Building at Drexel University. One time it was full of classrooms. Now it is primarily used for administrative offices.

Ryder Clock

“The first dean of men, J. Peterson Ryder, had a penchant for punctuality, standing in the court, pocket-watch in hand, spurring on students late to class. He provided funds for the clock in the Great Court, inscribed, ‘Be on Time.’”

The Office of the dean of men was established in 1922. (It is easier to see the writing on the clock if you click on the image to enlarge it.)

It’s message is good for today as well!

This past weekend it finally snowed. Not having a macro lens, I took this with a closeup filter. Processed using Topaz Adjust.

Today I met a friend in Purchase NY. We went on our own little photowalk at the Donald M. Kendall Sculpture Gardens at Pepsico’s Corporate Headquarters. Donald Kendall, the driving force behind the Sculpture Gardens, was CEO at Pepsico between 1971 and 1986. You are actually on the grounds of Pepisco where there are sculptures by Alexander Calder, Joan Miro, Auguste Rodin and Henry Moore among others. The setting is beautiful and best of all it is free and open to the public. This was established many years ago. I am not sure this could be done in today’s world.

I only got a few pictures because it was cold and windy. Felt like my fingers were going to fall off. Look forward to going back in the spring. This was my first visit. I hope to go back many more times.

This past weekend we were in Philadephia. My son has been accepted to Drexel University and we were looking at the school. This was my first time visiting Philly and I (we) really liked the city. We went to Pat’s, home of the birthplace of the Philly Cheesesteak, and chowed down.

The Liberty Bell is clearly representative of the Beginnings of our country. I should add that both my husband and my son were surprised at the size of the Liberty Bell. They both expected it to be larger. I had never thought about it. LOL