October 02, 2005
Vacation:
Not much excitement, but that's the idea.
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September 18, 2005
Recovered New Orleans photos:
I had a CF card go bad while I was in New Orleans. I used Photo Rescue to recover these few straggler images mostly from Jefferson County.
The city skyline.
A water tanker turned over by the wind outside Ochsner Medical Center in Jefferson.
Looters discarded booty.
Wind damage to a gas station.
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More wind damage.
A discarded makeshift raft.
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September 12, 2005
New Orleans Photos Part 1:
Tulane Avenue looking towards downtown.
To see all the photos in each section, click the "Continue reading..." link below each photo, or for the whole series click the Photoblog 05 link to the right. But it that will take some time to load.
These photos were taken between September 5th and September 9th in and around New Orleans. All rights are reserved by the photographer and use without permission is prohibited. (Linking in to display a photo is OK (with attribution) as long as my bandwidth holds out.) Most of these were taken by me, but there are several, where noted, taken by Tim Connolly.
Wind damage to a highway ad. There were lots of signs knocked down, and especially gas station pump roofs.
The white residue shows that the water level has gone down about 2 feet here.
An advertisement over the flooded Metairie District.
Brooks Brothers turned on the generator after the looters left.
A military plane heads for Belle Chasse.
The sky over New Orleans was buzzing with choppers.
Rescuers bring an old-timer in from the flood.
A couple of New Orleans officers on the right (Photo by Tim Connolly.)
If the dog was really locked in, it would be in bad shape a week out. (Photo by Tim Connolly.)
A fire smolders on N. Peters Street.
Power lines were down everywhere.
A boat in receeding waters parked in a tow zone.
At Belle Chasse Naval Air Station, just across the river from New Orleans, a MA National Guard company prepares to enter the city after having spent the night camped on the tarmac.
Wind damage.
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New Orleans Photos Part 2:
A soldier takes a break while an adopted stray keeps close by.
An entrance ramp to Highway 10 has become a boat launch for rescuers.
A roadblock sign approaching New Orleans in Greta.
Soldiers and police check out inbound traffic.
Flatboats coming in with residents stranded in the flood.
Looters will be shot. More graffiti.
Looting damage in the French Quarter (Photo by Tim Conolly)
People either bluffed or left dogs behind to protect their property. Not so good for the dogs a week later. (Photo by Tim Conolly)
An uprooted tree. (Photo by Tim Conolly)
The entrance to the Riverwalk Mall.
A flooded street in Metaririe.
These photos were taken between September 5th and September 9th in and around New Orleans. All rights are reserved by the photographer and use without permission is prohibited. (Linking in is OK as long as my bandwidth holds out.) Most were taken by me, but there are several, where noted, taken by Tim Connolly.
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New Orleans Photos Part 3:
A stripped New Orleans police cruiser outside the Convention Center.
What's left after the looting (Photo by Tim Connolly)
An eerily dark Bourbon Street.
Chairs outside the Convention Center.
Another scene outside the Convention Center.
Soldiers wait for the cleanup to begin. It'll be a big job.
It's hard to describe or capture in a photo just how immense the Convention Center is. This photo is looking south from the front of the building. The chairs that people sat in as they were waiting for help go off into the distance of this shot and there are an equal number unseen, to the left.
An understatement.
Media and military on Canal Street.
The edge of the abandoned French Quarter on N. Peters Street looks like a movie set or an Epcot village before the park opens.
There was some looting in the French Quarter.
At Jackson Square, a message painted on overturned stretchers: "No Halliburton Contracts Here." A week later, Bush would address the nation from here.
An aircraft carrier at the Riverwalk where cruise ships usually dock.
More wind damage.
An early morning explosion after the hurricane left this propane storage facility in rubbles.
St. Roch market a little worse for wear.
Back in the neighborhoods.
These photos were taken between September 5th and September 9th in and around New Orleans. All rights are reserved by the photographer and use without permission is prohibited. (Linking in is OK as long as my bandwidth holds out.) Most were taken by me, but there are several, where noted, taken by Tim Connolly.
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New Orleans Photos Part 4:
Soldiers take in the destruction.
A small dog on the porch and a more aggressive pit bull protect the neighborhood.
The stranded animals have to fend for themselves in the abandoned neighborhoods. Solders have seen horses swimming around and we came across two ostridges wandering in the night. (They scattered before I could get a photo.)
This guy looks to be in rough shape, but I didn't want to get too close.
City buses, left where they stopped, have been vandalized and burned.
A looted convience store in Faubourg Marigny.
A backstreet, flooded.
Soldiers examine a grounded boat.
Two trashed New Orleans police cruisers outside Bywater Hospital.
Wind damage in Gretna.
Yet another stranded boat in the downtown.
Police and soldiers go house to house, marking the date it was cleared.
Preemptive graffiti.
A National Guard outpost at St. Claude and Poland, near the drawbridge.
Soldiers patrol an American landscape.
"Help" painted on a grocery store.
In neighborhoods that weren't flooded,like the Garden District, there's still plenty of damage, and fire potential.
A man sits outside a closed church entrance.
These photos were taken between September 5th and September 9th in and around New Orleans. All rights are reserved by the photographer and use without permission is prohibited. (Linking in is OK as long as my bandwidth holds out.) Most were taken by me, but there are several, where noted, taken by Tim Connolly.
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New Orleans Photos Part 5:
The warning speaks for itself.
Someone decided to drop in.
New Orleans Police First District station.
Still some flooding on upper Canal Street.
In the Business district.
A grounded boat outside the Grew Elementary school.
A rescue helicopter searches house to house at treetop level in flooded Metairie.
Media from all over the world were doing live shots on Canal Street.
A sneaker store downtown.
Another stranded boat in the deserted downtown.
A California Highway Patrol officer walking patrol.
The entrance to the New Orleans Shopping Center.
A strange site: an ice cream truck drives past the Superdome.
A downtown building. You can see that the water level has dropped a couple of feet in the last few days.
One side of the New Orleans Hyatt was stripped away.
A stripped Caddilac.
A couple of members of the Norwell MA animal control were helping round up strays. They were heading to the Superdome for some dogs left behind.
Katrina took a bite out of this building.
These photos were taken between September 5th and September 9th in and around New Orleans. All rights are reserved by the photographer and use without permission is prohibited. (Linking in is OK as long as my bandwidth holds out.) Most were taken by me, but there are several, where noted, taken by Tim Connolly.
Posted by jjdaley at 05:15 PM | TrackBack
New Orleans Photos Part 6:
A patrol takes up a position on Bourbon Street.
Coast Guard fan boats fly up Tulane Avenue towards the rescue launch.
A downtown hotel entrance.
Flooded Metairie Cemetery
Troops patrol through the French Quarter
Johnny White's open as usual.
Random destruction downtown.
Watch out - two way traffic on a one way road. We saw lots of this.
A snapped power pole in a flooded area.
Resident parking. A boat in an apartment parking spot.
Rescuerers in a flat boat on Carrollton Ave.
More Coast Guard fan boats.
Burger King drive through:
A hotel in Gretna, stripped of its veneer.
A man and his dog rescued from the flood...
... head to a waiting ambulance.
Even though the water has come down a few feet, in some areas it's still very deep.
Route 10 submerged in Metairie
The city's latest anti-littering campaign.
These photos were taken between September 5th and September 9th in and around New Orleans. All rights are reserved by the photographer and use without permission is prohibited. (Linking in is OK as long as my bandwidth holds out.) Most were taken by me, but there are several, where noted, taken by Tim Connolly.
Posted by jjdaley at 05:14 PM | TrackBack
August 28, 2005
Harvest fair:
Originally a harvest fair for the south shore, the Marshfield Fair has been through a few changes over the years including a long stint as a horseracing attraction. The racing is gone, but despite the carnival midway and monster trucks, the fair still has a grounding in agriculture. Here are a few shots from this afternoon.
Not for the faint of heart.
There was a great sky overhead as the blues festival got underway.
Curley Taylor and Zydeco Trouble brought the house down.
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Great Blue Hill:
Why it's called Blue Hill Ave.
Carib festival dancers take a break.
Traffic nightmare as the festival winds down.
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August 07, 2005
Uncommon:
While walking to the subway after watching Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's Hamlet on the Common, I couldn't resist this shot of the Park Street Church.
Tonight's the last performance of the play. It's free.
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July 17, 2005
Down by the river:
It was a hot day and the dogs needed a swim and a bath.
I think she knows where we're heading.
One swims, the other walks.
You have to be quick to get a shot. Especially when she's heading towards the water.
The Loch Ness lab.
The golden watches the action safely from the shore.
The lacrosse stick is a must for lobbing tennis balls into the river.
Another regal pose.
And back home, tired, happy and cooled off.
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July 09, 2005
Saturday afternoon walk:
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July 05, 2005
Down by the river:
The weather was perfect for the concert and fireworks on the Esplanade.
I prepped my good camera, but walked out the door without it, so the shots I got were with a backup Lumix digital.
Come early for the best seats.
As the sun went down, people began to get anxious.
Joyce worked on her lines as everyone waited for things to kick off.
These are the good seats.
The excitement started with the fly by over the Charles River
The show started and soon the maestro led the orchestra in the 1812 Overture.
The usual publicity shy folks were out front waving and dancing.
As the 1812 progressed the guns were ready to do their part.
Ready, aim...
Fire!
The headliners, Big and Rich, with Gretchen Wilson and Cowboy Troy, sang America the Beautiful.
At the end, the confetti cannons exploded as the VIPs, including Big and Rich, et al, along with Martin Scorsese and Martin Sheen headed to the river to watch the fireworks.
And that was it.
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June 25, 2005
DC always looks better in black and white:
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June 12, 2005
China travel log:
I promised some folks notes and photos from the China trip. Here they are. Be warned, it's a long post.
China Travel Log
Wednesday (Boston)
The UA flight left Boston at 8 AM. It’s now 3 AM Boston time and we’re over the Sea of Japan in full sunlight. Locally, it’s 3 PM. Just a few more hours of flying time.
The first leg of the flight, from Boston to San Francisco was smooth, at least after coming out of the storm over the Northeast. The weather was nice in San Francisco (some fog over the water, but otherwise clear and warm) and the take-off uneventful. I didn’t get a view of the Golden Gate Bridge, but I did get a glimpse of the downtown area as we passed over.
This is a long flight. I’d expected to have a chance to get up and walk around, but sleeping aisle passengers deterred me in that effort. A small but tasty lunch and a snack. I had a couple of glasses of wine and went down for a few hours. But with all the flying today, I managed to finish George Gilder’s latest book on Foveon. It was only slightly less boring than the flight.
An hour or two out of San Francisco, I caught a brief view of the southernmost Aleutian Islands. Then, nothing but water and clouds. I was hoping to get a look at North Korea or Salaekin Island but too many clouds. My window shade is about the only one up, which I expect is annoying to some. But how many times do you get to fly over Siberia?
Most passengers are Aisian. The pilot got a round of applause upon landing. Our aisle mate woke up and as we were taxiing we talked. She was from Shanghai and was studying in Atlanta. On break, she was visiting her family who she hadn’t seen since the beginning of the semester. We wished her good luck and headed towards the exit.
Friday in Shanghai
We got our of the airport smoothly, meeting our driver Peter outside customs. On the drive to the hotel, he was very curious about American basketball. Two other members of the tour, Larry and Katheleen were from Phoenix and the Suns were the topic of the conversation.
We met our tour guide, April, at the hotel and checked in for a night’s sleep after walking around the neighborhood. I took a few photos and posted them to the internet before turning in.
Saturday in Shanghai.
Breakfast was interesting. Everything from eggs and bacon to salad, cold cuts and noodles. Lots of smoking at the tables.
On the bus we met Irene, our charming and well spoken local guide.
It was raining pretty steadily. We first went to the Temple. On the way I caught a glimpse of the everyday habits of the residents of Shanghai.
Many people were commuting by bicycle and moped.
At the Temple we saw several Buddha statutes and in the courtyard people stood in the rain to make offerings.
The Temple was closed down by the communists when they took power but apparently many of the valuable and historic items were secreted away by monks to prevent them from being destroyed and were now restored to their original positions.
Next, to the old city. We walked through a traditional garden and then went to a restaurant for a Chinese lunch. Some of the tour group, especially the older folks, weren’t very accustomed to the exotic food, but I enjoyed it all.
We wandered around the old city for shopping. Irene tried to find me a cigar store, unsuccessfully. Some people came up to me and looked me over - head to toe, as if I were an oddity. One guy smiled broadly, apparently amused at my appearance, showing a gap in his front teeth. Irene explained that the area was a domestic tourist area and the curious folks were probably from out in the country, not used to seeing westerners. It used to be that way in the city until recently, she explained, but now with tourism growing, it was no longer the case. But we didn’t see many westerners in the city.
Later we took a tour of a silk factory, learning how silk worms are harvested and then had the ‘opportunity’ to buy some goods. We were a captive audience. This was our first experience with the Chinese hard sell. The doors close behind you and salespeople attach to each visitor and point out how “very beautiful” each item is. At one point, a salesman grabbed a tie I was looking at and exclaimed “100% silk” turning it over to show me the English label which said 100% polyester. Very annoying. But Mary bought a silk comforter. At least we think it was silk.
After dinner in the hotel, we were back on the bus for the ride to an acrobatics show. The show was put on downtown in a theater. The performers were very young and completed sets, which included plate spinning, juggling, human pyramids, etc. The finale involved motorbikes inside a giant round cage.
On the way to the hotel we drove along the Bund which was lit up. Great lights and cityscape. Shanghai is bubbling with potential. There’s building everywhere. Electricity is in the air.
Saturday – Leaving Shanghai, arriving in Yichang.
We checked out early and got back on the bus for a ride to the Bund. Lots of photos. Great city views.
Another tour of a factory, this one a silk rug weaving factory. After realizing that I wasn't going to buy anything I had a nice conversation with a salesman about philosophy and China.
Then to the airport, not the International airport, but a domestic airport. Flight was on Shanghai Airlines. I’m not a confident flyer but the plane was brand new and the crew was professional and efficient. I did get a little nervous when I though I smelled something burning in the cabin. Eventually I realized that it was the smell of incense, pleasant when I realized that the plane wasn’t on fire.
A little over an hour to the city of Yichang. Baggage came eventually and we boarded a bus for the city.
Flying in I could see rice paddies and it appeared to be a rural area. On the road from the airport I saw pigs and oxen along the roads.
After a half an hour or so we came to the town of Yichang. The city was urban but somewhat squalid. Very different from Shanghai. We toured a depressing museum of artifacts dug up at the site where the river would flood as part of the three gorges project. Not a great museum.
Then a walk in a park on the banks of the Yangtze. People were friendly but very curious.
It was a good view of everyday life as couples smooched on benches and on the lawns, older groups sang and played traditional instruments and teenagers gathered. Some folks were swimming in the Yangtze and as boats were tied up nearby, commerce went on as items were loaded and unloaded at the docks. Most of it was carried on double shoulder bamboo baskets.
We had dinner at a restaurant in town. Probably fairly fancy for the town. Duck, pork, chicken dumplings, fish and Chinese beer. All good but lots of bones in the fish. The plan was to travel by bus to the smaller town of Shashi, just to the south, to board the boat for the beginning of the river cruise.
We stopped at what was described as a supermarket, mostly beverages and local fast foods and I picked up a couple of cans of Bud and a couple of bottles of Chinese wine: Great Wall brand, one red, one white.
I fell asleep on the bus. Arriving in Shashi, we learned that the boat that we were expecting to board was late so we waited in a dark, dismal area along the dock. Not many people were out. Hot, humid, stale air. There was a sidewalk mahjongg game going on nearby in the dark town, but that was the only sign of life.
We were told to watch our belongings and not to let anyone “help” with our bags. April explained that unlike the US, crime is worse in the rural areas than it is in the cities. More desperation and poverty, she explained. In any case everything worked out as the boat eventually arrived.
Finally on board the Princess Eileen. Small room but comfortable and got to use the bathroom. Whew. Then out on deck for a cigar and a Chinese Budweiser. Very peaceful. Dark, quiet. Occasional signal lights from passing boats but otherwise very still. There was a slight breeze from the movement of the boat through the humid air. I felt very far away from everyday concerns.
Sunday – On the river: Three Gorges.
We went through the lock at the Ge Zhou Dam, upriver from Yinchang near the town of Xi Chang. Took some photos of girls on the top of the dam and of other ships coming through the lock.
Afternoon excursion to the Three Gorges project. We were asked to recite the names of the three gorges and no one could. So here they are: Qutang, Wu and Xiling.
Cruise ship docked at Sandouping where I got a photo of an elaborate but not very well maintained pagoda.
We boarded another bus for a tour up to an overlook for photos. Then to the top of a nearby mountain where there was an opportunity for more photos and the second Three Gorges museum.
Our local guide, Kevin, asked us if it was “a good dam tour or a damm good tour?” We told him it was a damm good dam tour. Back to the ship.
Later that afternoon the Princess Elaine, with us on board, went through the five Three Gorges dam locks, four active, the last not, pending completion of the project and final raising of the water level.
Over and over, we pulled up to the giant steel doors that held the water back and waited for the level in the lock to raise us to the next level that would be safe for the doors to open. It took almost four hours. I sat on the deck with a cigar, reading. Nice afternoon.
Monday – On the river: Shen Nong Stream
In the morning, we mounted an excursion on small boats to tributary of the Yangtze, the Shen Nong Stream. We cruised up-river in a small boat.
Amazing scenery in the mist. Saw the hanging coffins, monkeys on shore etc.
We transferred to small canoes or “pea boats” for continued travel upstream in more shallow water. The boats are steered by two captains in the rear and four or five rowers in the front who paddle with plain boards.
At the back, one of the captains uses a rudder, the other a pole.
When the boats come into very shallow water, the paddlers get out and pull the boat by walking along the banks or in the stream using a rope made from woven bamboo. We all noticed that they all wore sandals, also of woven bamboo, which our local guide Annie explained, softened in the water but protected their feet from the rocks. She said that in the past the ropemen worked naked because the wet clothing irritated their skin when working all day. Today, for the benefit or the tourists, they are clothed.
Annie was charming and helpful. Good English. On the way back downstream, she and the captain serenaded us with folk songs in the local lan