#345 Unique Camera Angle

Benjamin Franklin - Craftsman, one of the many statues and sculptures in downtown Philadelphia. I was a kid in a candy shop! Sorry the size is hard to discern but it's larger than life.

#267 Sky High

We relocated to Von Colin Memorial Field on Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Open space and potential for more kite-flying. More wind here - no buildings to block it. From top to bottom - Big Red (the kite), camera, and hawk checking out the intruders into his territory. I clicked on Enhance/Auto Levels and got this funky sky color, which I thought was more interesting than the overcast gray.Click on the link below to see two of the photos taken from the camera on the kite cable. Feel free to browse. KAP or Kite Aerial Photography is quite the group on Flickr. I had no idea until Scott became involved. By the way, the Flickr photos are his. I don't do KAP. I get in enough trouble on the ground!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottdunn/

#108 Flight

Big Red is in flight in front of the National Constitution Center (worth the entrance fee!). Still not enough wind to put the camera on for some aerial photos though. (Tune in tomorrow for what that means.)

That's OK 'cause we got busted and had to pack up and leave. The ranger was sure there was a rule somewhere against flying kites in the park. He searched the ranger manual on his hand-held device, made a few phone calls to verify, and just decided that the kite was unsafe around so many people and buildings. He was very friendly about it but didn't want his picture taken. He said someone had already put him on YouTube and he didn't want more publicity! That's why his face isn't in the photo.

My son Scott, daughter-in-law Nancy, and the Park Ranger (not Rick).

#45 Childhood

I love it when children are attracted by the kite. The little boy asked my son if the kite was going to raise him up off the ground (did he see "Up"?). Imagination and curiosity are a wonderful part of childhood. I like to think the kite was an extra exciting part of his day at Independence Park.

The crowd in the background is standing in line for the Liberty Bell building.

#111 Fly

Although the flag was strenuously fluttering in the wind, it took some doing for Big Red to get airborne. The "pilot" is in the lower right hand corner of the photo in front of the trolley.

Independence Hall, Philadelphia is in the background.

#312 The Letter K

"K" is for Kite. "Big Red" (my idea) is ready for its maiden voyage and what better location than Independence Park? It's relatively early on a Saturday morning and there were no crowds. Tune in the following posts for the rest of this fun episode.

That's Independence Hall in the far background. The painted netting above roof line hides the scaffolding they are using for some major "rehab" on the building.

#238 Relationship

My son and his new wife have an excellent relationship. I'm so happy they found each other! I'm also happy they were able to drive down from NYC to meet me in Philadelphia.

This is the Curtis Building, which is located across the street from the Liberty Bell. The Saturday Evening Post is one of the magazines published here. We wanted to see a Tiffany mosaic mural in the lobby but the building was closed for a wedding.

Day Trip

We interrupt the Philadelphia vacation slides with gorgeous shots from a Good Friday drive to the wilderness.

Birch Creek, Idaho State Highway 28.

Yes, there was a bit of new snow on the mountains, but the sunny skies and no wind made it a very pleasant day.

#211 Ornamental

Too bad we aren't able (can't afford) to have ornamental gates like this today.

#172 Literature

Quothe the Raven "Nevermore."

The Edgar Allen Poe National Historic Site was on our must-see list. The Poe's lived at six addresses in Philadelphia but this house is the only one left standing. Actually, the wall mural is across the street from the house they rented. I thought it more interesting than what looked like just another historical house.

#280 Spiral

Many historical hands smoothed this spiral-shaped hand rail in Independence Hall, Philadelphia.

#159 Interior

The interior of Independence Hall - what a thrill to walk where the founding fathers walked and see the room where the Declaration of Independence was signed. That is George Washington's chair in the background facing the room. The table cloths are probably newer. :-)

#153 In the City

Philadelphia City Hall from Broad Street. It was supposed to be the tallest building in the world when they broke ground but the Eiffel Tower and Washington Monument were both finished first. The statue of William Penn on the dome is 37 feet high and weighs 27 tons. It is the tallest statue atop any building in the world. The sculpture's creator, Alexander Milne Calder has 249 more sculptures both inside and outside the building. See wikipedia or other websites for an interesting history of this building.

# 230 Primary Colors

Public art is a Philadelphia phenomenon (see future posts for more examples of public art). This collection of bigger-than-life game pieces enhances a business building across the street from the JFK Plaza. It seemed natural to run through, climb, and jump off them. It's OK. There weren't very many people in this area even on a weekday.

I saw evidence of five games: Sorry, Monopoly, Chess, Dominoes and Bingo. So cool.

#286 Store Front

Smak Parlour, Market Street, Philadelphia

This store seemed out of place in the conservative, historical district, what with it being mauve and all. The window displays don't seem too risque but you can't be too sure. Not open on Sunday!

#299 Ten

The Thinker by Auguste Rodin outside the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia. Rodin's representations of feet seemed overly large to me, not just on this sculpture but on all of his statues. Easy to catch ten toes!
Young thinkers pose for the camera in front of the museum. They were impressed with the collection. The grounds are undergoing a huge overhaul. It will be elegant when finished!

#137 Hands

Cathedral Hands (1908) by Auguste Rodin at the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia. The two right hands "shape the void into a Gothic arch."

#127 Gates

The Gates of Hell by Auguste Rodin

Rodin Museum, Philadelphia

The Gates of Hell (French: ''La Porte de l'Enfer'') is a monumental sculptural group work by French artist Auguste Rodin that depicts a scene from "The Inferno", the first section of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. It stands at 6 m high, 4 m wide and 1 m deep (19.69'H × 13.12'W × 3.29'D) and contains 180 figures. The figures range from 15 cm high up to more than one metre. Several of the figures were also cast independently by Rodin. (from Wikipedia)

The detail on this sculpture is amazing and the photo does no justice to the sculpture's size.

#83 Elegant

The elegant interior of Christ Church in Philadelphia plus the fact that this was Benjamin Franklin's church added to our worship experience. The members area very proud of their history and were willing/anxious to share the stories.

The lights on the chandelier are real candles. They were first (?) lit at Benjamin Franklin daughter's wedding. We could have listened to the organ all day - a beautiful sound.

Looking east toward the chancel, the chandelier (only lit at night) gives a stark silhouette against the white interior. We also found Benjamin Franklin's and George Washington's pews.

#106 Five

I noticed these star ornaments on the sides of all kinds of buildings (homes, garages, barns, sheds, etc.) but no hexes. There is a hex barn tour north of Reading, Pennsylvania but that was another thing we didn't have time for on this wonderful vacation.

#250 Rural

Near Bird-In-Hand, Pennsylvania, this large farm represents the rural area. I noticed the dome-shaped silos which I don't think are common in the West. Not being a country girl I could be mistaken. I was hoping to spend more time in the Amish country between Gettysburg and Philadelphia but it got dark and we were anxious to get back to the hotel. However, we did sneak in a wonderful supper at the Family Cupboard Restaurant and Buffet. The apple dumpling was decadently delicious.

#64 Crooked

Actually, more zig-zag than crooked these fences provided an effective barrier to soldier movement. Tearing them down was time-consuming and climbing over was a sure way to get shot. For some reason this kind of fence appeals to me - but not for its military advantage.When you go to visit the Gettysburg battlefield, the $55 price for a personal tour guide (in your own car) is worth it. Our guide drove and talked (lectured?) for two hours straight giving details of the three day battle as well as stories of generals, churches, regiments, statues, and geography. I don't remember much but am glad for the experience.

#41 Center of Interest

November, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln was an "after thought" speaker at the Gettysburg National Cemetery dedication. This tall structure in the center of the beautiful cemetery marks the spot of the speech.

Capturing the late afternoon shadow, this memorial is one of the few world-wide that commemorates a speech which is carved in full on either side of the Lincoln bust.

#109 Floor

This mosaic floor honors the cows, which Hershey holds in higher esteem than the cocoa beans (or so it seems). One advantage of arriving shortly before closing is having the foyer almost all to ourselves and an unimpeded shot.

#48 Chocolate

So here's the thing. Five of us flew to Philadelphia for a week of unabashed tourism. Just to let you know what's coming for the next I-don't-know-how-many-days. I took over 800 pix - filled up my memory card.

We had to take a side trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania and pay tribute to chocolate consumerism. I'm thinking two parents plus kids might get out of the attraction under $100, even without any admission fees (like Disneyland).

Yes, that's a five pound Hershey bar. It only costs $40 plus shipping. It's too big and heavy to fit into the suitcase. A gift for her DH.

Mom and sons outside the entrance. We had so much fun!

#213 Packaging

In 1951 a columnist remarked that Marilyn Monroe would look good even in a potato sack. Her publicity agent had a dress made from a burlap bag obtained at the local produce market, which Marilyn wore for a photo shoot. The bag had been packed at Long Produce in Twin Falls, Idaho and displayed the Idaho identification and Long's Sawtooth brand as never before.The photo above is displayed at the Potato Museum in Blackfoot, Idaho. The painting below (note hair color change) is used for advertising and promotional purposes.

Probably both men and women would agree that Marilyn was packaged well and burlap never looked so good! I just hope the "dress" was lined.

#59 Cooking

I usually cook just for the two of us and I like to keep it simple. Meat loaf is easy to put together but I don't like to chop onions every day so . . .
2 lbs. hamburger

1 lb. (or 1-12 oz pkg) Jimmy Dean sausage - Regular

1 onion chopped

3 eggs (one per pound of meat)

1 cup saltine cracker crumbs

The light colored pieces in the mixture above are either onion or cracker crumbs.
I then shape the mixture in 10 oz. loaves. This is enough for one meal for the two of us.
Freeze them for about two hours then place in large ziplock. When needed, pop in 350 degree oven for 45-60 minutes. Yum. Easy. (The recipe makes seven loaves but all did not fit on the cookie sheet.)

#163 Kitchen Utensils

These are our most commonly used kitchen utensils and small kitchen appliances. Not pictured is the toaster.

My husband is a serious rice-eater and we use the rice cooker at least five times a week.

#245 Retro

I found this treasure at an antique mall. Antiquing is not my thing but the mall was a surprise so I checked it out. Patented in 1923, this treat-maker has seen a lot of action. Home-made ice cream is the best, especially if made with peaches or blueberries or strawberries or . . .

#208 Orange

In keeping with finding man-made objects for the colors, the pew cushions at Trinity United Methodist Church fit the bill quite well. Kinda clashes with the red and purple liturgical colors but, oh, well.

#148 Hope

Besides the glorious color, I think God gave us early sprouting bulb flowers to remind us of hope. Winter is here but spring is coming! Patience.