Franklin School, DC

On Saturday a few of DCUE were meeting down at the old Franklin School building in Washington DC. The building is going to be restored but prior to this an organization, details here, had the ingenious idea of getting urbexers in to photograph the building and upload their images for a contest. Of course many of us flocked to the site, the opportunity to capture an abandoned building without trespassing was awesome, as was being allowed to explore one of DC's treasures which I discovered was steeped in history.

The building, built in 1869, was originally a school for boys and girls, with it's huge windows and spaces which were supposed to enhance their learning. Then in 1880 Alexander Graham Bell conducted his first 'telephone call' from here. The building really didn't have much use after the 1950's and remained empty amid protests to stop its being demolished. It was then a homeless shelter from 2002 - 2008, article here, and is now empty again awaiting its transformation into an arts center. Unfortunately with today's decor trend leaning towards minimal and white environments, the development doesn't look the least bit appealing or interesting, in my view.

Ugh! This is a rendition of what's in store, and a link with more information is here.
We had all signed up for an hour's time slot out of a three offered, and I got there early to find parking, which amazingly, turned out to be a spot directly opposite the building. A car pulled out just as I arrived. The building was cold as I entered but already alive with activity. I met a few of the crew who were just finishing their shift and then made my way upstairs, following a delicious waft of coffee that beckoned me from above.

I've discovered that I really prefer to take photos from ground level and so today decided to do just that. I have a new tripod which is perfect for these angles and today would be a great opportunity to break it in. There were quite a few folks here so patience was needed to get shots without them in, but everyone was so friendly and courteous, we worked together. It was also great to see so many folks using cell phones or point and shoot cameras, there really was a great blend of photographers here today.

Of course some photos are just better with people in them, especially when in processing I made them look like ghosts.

There were three levels to explore and I did find the coffee guy, but by the time I got to him the free cookies had all gone. Oh well. But the coffee, from a new shop called Compass Coffee, was delicious and really hit the spot. I'm pretty sure the coffee he was handing out was the Cardinal blend.

 I finished walking around the top level, missing a few shots I would have liked to take but with so many people around, it really wasn't possible. The number of participants had increased a lot since when I had first arrived and we were going in to the final hour. The project had obviously been a huge success, the organizers would have a fine gallery once everyone had uploaded their images. Hoping that everyone does, of course. I'm looking forward to seeing the winners.

Early Morning Eagle Release

Late on Tuesday evening I got a reminder about an eagle release in Leesburg on Wednesday morning. I had completely forgotten about this momentous event but was resolved to go before I went into work.
The next morning I sent an e-mail explaining where I was and drove to The National Conference Center, an odd place to release an eagle, surrounded in horrible new housing estates. But there were trees and a large grassy area where folks were already collecting when I arrived.

The eagle's cage is in the back of the vehicle, and I was told he was also wearing a hood.
This eagle was found in Lovettsville by the side of a road on September 11th. The lady who discovered him called animal services who contacted Blue Ridge  Wildlife Center in Boyce, VA. They went out immediately to pick him up and he was in hospital for a couple of weeks suffering from injuries likely received from a vehicle. He then had 3 weeks rehabilitation and exercise to get him flying well again. He's thought to be about 5 years old, Blue Ridge explained they could tell this from his markings as he still had some black on his head.

This is a photo from their Facebook page of him exercising yesterday. He's been fed on deer meat and fish and looked in wonderful condition. Blue Ridge has a website here, Please like them on Facebook, here, to hear and see photos of their amazing rescue stories. They also put up a shopping list for Christmas so folks can contribute and purchase much needed items from their Amazon.registry

And so after standing around for about half an hour the moment arrived for the release back into the wild of this great American icon. He was brought out from his cage and was then walked around so everyone could see this creature of beautiful  magnificence.

He wriggled a little, probably sensing his time of captivity was nearly at an end. The lady holding him was great, she didn't parade him for long, and after a couple of minutes she prepared to let him go.

I was hardly prepared, it all happened so fast. One minute he was in her arms and then after a couple of paces forward she released him into the air. I took a few photos but I didn't really want to experience this from behind a viewfinder so my shots are a little haphazard. This was a moment I wanted to see and relish. I was elated that I got a shot of him with his legs hanging down, looking like he was wearing furry trousers. After a few seconds he was gone. There had been little noise during the release, not from him or from us. We were caught in the wonder of the moment and I teared up as he swept above our heads and flapped slowly into the distance. We all erupted into excited chatter and laughter as he disappeared into his free wide open sky.
I slowly walked back to the car, elated to have witnessed this event, and started the drive to Emblemax. What a great way to start a work day!
The local news piece with a video is here.

Blustery Beauty at Blandy

On Saturday and Sunday I had planned a hike and then a paddle but these were both thwarted by intense winds which reduced temperatures so much that I really didn't want to spend too much time outdoors. So instead I worked all day Saturday and Sunday morning, stopping at lunchtime on Sunday, and grabbed my camera to go the short drive to our state arboretum at Blandy.

I've passed this many times and now stopped to take a photo. How cool to have this as your address.

A few of the trees are still grimly hanging on to their leaves but it has to be a losing battle. The winds are so fierce that while driving my windscreen was being constantly hit with leaves that had lost their grip from branches and had given themselves up to being blown wherever the winds would take them..
I arrived at Blandy and wasn't surprised to see only a couple of other cars there.

As I drove around to the back, the ginkgo trees were like a shining mirage across the fields, their golden canopies so bright and beautiful that they seemed artificial. I drove up to them and parked, noticing a couple of folks braving the wind to take a portrait photo of themselves with their two dogs. I left my engine running and stepped out. It was a bitter wind with occasional gusts that roared across and slapped me around. I took some photos and then dove back into Stuart, glad that I'd turned the heater on.

The leaves were beautiful, so bright and yellow, with such a thick carpet of them on the ground that the grass could barely be seen. I almost wished that it had been raining as it would have been wonderful to see glistening drops like diamonds shining on this gold landscape. I made a note to return here next year when they were peaking but thanked my lucky stars that I'd come out today to see them. I'm sure with these winds all the leaves would be down by the next day.With only about a quarter or less of the leaves still on the trees they had made a big impression; I could only wonder how this scene had looked in its full splendor.

The grasses over the other side of the road also caught my attention, waving and bending, the sound of their movement almost sounding like the sea as well as looking like water in motion. I stood and watched for a few moments and then got back into the car.
As I drove around the arboretum I spotted a few others doing the exact same as me, driving slowly in their warm cocoons, then jumping out with cameras when something caught their eye.

This one magnolia flower shone as it perched on top of a lone dark bush. I got out and looked over the whole shrub for other blooms but only this beauty remained, gleaming like a torch. I thought these only bloomed in the spring but after looking it up online, I read that healthy shrubs will sometimes bloom twice in a year.

As I journeyed around the narrow lanes, every now and then a shiny silver glint would glisten on a tree and I realized it was their name tags being blown around by the wind. It added a magical air to the scene, already special with such beautiful bright colors flashing past me, vibrant petals and leaves bourne and blown around by the wind.

I kept stopping the car and getting out each time I saw something to photograph, a lone leaf with the sun shining through, pink thistles and an osage apple lying in the leaves. I was having a hard time trying to get things in focus through my lens as my subjects blew back and forth in front of me, and with my hair adding to the equation, it was downright difficult, but I just kept plugging away, hoping I'd be successful.

I was amazed at how few people were here today but also glad I could enjoy it without having to wait for folks to get out of a shot, or even worse, for them to witness me on hands and knees as I wriggled about trying to get the right angle, sometimes with my nose down in the leaves. It was much warmer on the ground and this vibrant leafy carpet smelled wonderful and earthy. I was a little thankful to spot a guy a few yards away from me sprawled out just like me. Thank God I wasn't the only nutter!

And of course, one mustn't forget to look up. The leaves looked wondrous against the blue sky.

I nearly missed seeing my favorite trees, the Eastern Sycamores. I adore these trees with their white bark enhancing their form in the stark winters. They were hanging onto a few green and orange leaves today that fluttered noisily in the breeze.

Once I had these photos I made it over to the store where I had a lovely conversation with the lady working there. The store is so tiny that it barely fits three people in it but it has some pretty wares. I spotted some very unusual material cabbage leaves that were place mats and bought one to use at my Thanksgiving dinner. A photo will show how at that event. The lady and I chatted about cameras and photography in general. She knew of the camera club there and I hoped she would join us at a meeting. We stood for a while basking in the warm heat thrown out by a small floor heater but goodbyes had to be said, I still had work to do at home. So I bade her farewell and drove home, just managing to get there before the last rays of the sun dipped below the horizon.