I’m still here in Nicaragua, but leaving tonight. I should be back home in Texas by morning.
I figured I’d add another pretty Nicaraguan one to Norms Thursday Door challenge this week. They do have a lot of very nice ones around down here.
I really liked the carvings of the toucans on these doors. These were in Granada.
I like to try to get into these challenges when I can. I’m late his week since it’s really horrible. I moved my blog and it’s been hard as hell to do ANYTHING with it since then. It’s worse than pulling teeth! It looks like hell and I’ve been traveling so haven’t really had time to deal with it.
Anyway, I did take some nice pictures of doors and will see if this works for Norms Thursday Doors. He has some really nice pictures this week. 🙂
Here’s mine for the week. I took this right around the corner. It’s a house on Atravesada Street in Granada Nicaragua. They have some really beautiful colonial buildings (and doors) here.
I like to enter these photography challenges when I can. They’re always interesting. I like to see what other people are doing too. This is for Jennifers One Word Photo Challenge: Foggy. I took these one night in New Orleans. I love New Orleans! 🙂
The challenge from the Daily Post was Half and Half. I didn’t know what to post for that subject. Here’s a classic…
Glass half full, or half empty? 😉
The challenge from the Daily Post was Half and Half. I didn’t know what to post for that subject. I took a look at a few of the other entries and saw a lot of sunsets. That is usually one thing we get a lot of out here! Half sky- half water. 🙂
Sad to say, offshore Angola is sadly lacking in this area. I don’t know why, but it’s almost always grey, gloomy and overcast skies. It’s very rare to see a nice sunset here. It’s kindof depressing. Day after day seeing nothing but grey skies. I’ve been here almost 8 weeks now this hitch and so far, I’ve seen the sun only 2-3 times. 🙁
The challenge from the Daily Post was Half and Half. I didn’t know what to post for that subject. I finally came up with these photos. They might not be politically correct, but I’ve never been known for being that!
I took these pictures a couple of years ago in Bangkok, Thailand. I really love Thailand. The people are so nice and friendly and there’s a really laid back atmosphere, even in the big cities. I usually stay a few days in Bangkok and then go off somewhere else. Maybe Phuket, or Chiang Mai. 
I’d love to spend more time exploring more of Thailand. I haven’t really seen much of the country. I always do enjoy my time there. I especially like the way they treat people there. They accept you as you are. There doesn’t seem to be the prejudice that there is in America. At least I don’t notice it as much.
I took these photos at the famous Calypso show. I had a great time. They really put on a great show. The performers (shown above) were all men (or transgender). I chose this for my post on half and half since these people are considered to be half men- half women, he-she’s, lady-boys.
I’ll come back later with a more standard shot. 😉
Here’s another little sea chantey to add to your musical collection. It’s done by Key & Peele, 2 funny guys who used to be on MADtv (which I loved). I really used to love MAD magazine when I was a kid, but the ones they’re coming out with now are nowhere near as funny as they used to be (and no, it’s not just because I’m getting older!).
This sketch somehow manages to be both a little risque’ and PC at the same time. 😉
Pirate Chantey– Key & Peele
“Thar once was a lass so fine,
She was drunk on Barleywine,
I’d been (out) to sea for a month or three,
I knew I could make her mine.
But the lass was past consent,
So it was off with her we went,
And we threw her in bed and we rested her head,
And we left cuz that’s what Gentlemen do…
A woman has a right to a drink or two,
Without worryin’ about what you will do!
We say Yo-HO but we don’t say ‘ho,’
Cuz ‘ho’ is disrespectful, yo.
Thar once was a girl from Leeds,
Who I heard was good on her knees,
So I docked my ship for an overnight trip,
To take care of all of my needs.
She was fine as the tales did tell,
And my mast began to swell,
So I laid her down and I raised her gown,
And performed cunnilingus for an hour or so.
Always take care of yer lady fair,
Cuz they deserve as much attention down there!
We say Yo-HO but we don’t say ‘ho,’
Cuz ‘ho’ is disrespectful, yo.
I once had a woman so fair,
Whose whom contained my heir,
With a son by my side, the seas we’d ride,
The child she would bear.
But my woman she was no fool,
She was working her way through school,
So I did support when she chose to abort,
Because it’s her body and therefor her choice.
No we don’t say ‘booty’ ‘less we talkin’ ’bout gold,
and we don’t look at chests ‘less they’s treasure-holds!
With a hat and a feather and a cutlass on our hip,
We don’t say ‘she’ when we’re talking ’bout a ship!
We don’t say ‘bitch’ and we don’t say ‘whore,’
Cuz that language leads to things like body dysmorphia.
Thar was a lady with a golden eye,
And the doctor said she would die,
So she emptied her purse to lift the curse,
And prayed to stay alive.
She awoke the very next day,
And in her grave she lay,
But the scariest part of the story from the start,
Is I bet you assumed the doctor was a man.
Women are doctors too,
And for a fraction of the doubloons!
We say Yo-HO but we don’t say ‘ho,’
Cuz ‘ho’ is disrespectful, yo.
Thar was a slut with tits to here, and an ass that- (gunshot. he is dead and that is good.)
Cuz it’s Yo-HO but we don’t say ‘ho,’
Cuz ‘ho’ is disrespectful, yo.”
In honor of Shark Week, Jimmy Buffett puts on a great show with ‘Fins’. Just check out those big screens in the background. 🙂
Here’s another new challenge from Cee, this one is easy. 😉 Just need to have more than 5 of anything. Here’s a shot of -more than 5- woven straw baskets.
I took this at the Houston International Festival the last time I went. I always enjoy it. There is always so much to see and do. They have fantastic music (live bands) and food. They have booths with stuff from all over the world. This picture was from a booth in the ‘African’ area.
Last year they were going to file for bankruptcy. I don’t know if they’ll have it again. If they don’t it will be a real loss for Houston and I will definitely miss it.
Cee’s Black & White Photography Challenge this week is: Sculptures, Statues, Carvings. I have a few really nice ones, but most look so much better in color! I originally took these in color and I think they look better that way. The bright red hibiscus flowers and bright green leaves of the ivy really set off the statue.
Ganesh
offerings to Ganesh
I took these a few years ago in Bali, Indonesia. I love this little statue of Ganesh, (the Hindu god of wisdom and learning). It was right outside my hotel. I love Bali! Notice the offerings, the Balinese people make these offerings every day. Notice the details. They place great importance on beauty and making things better every day.
They have entire villages of wood carvers, stone carvers, painters, silver smiths, etc. I love how they pay so much attention to the arts all over the island. It is a beautiful place naturally, but the people choose to make it even MORE beautiful! 🙂
Cee’s Black & White Photography Challenge this week is: Sculptures, Statues, Carvings. I have a few really nice ones, but most look so much better in color!
Here’s one that looks just as good in B&W as in color. I took it at the Houston Musuem of Fine Arts a few months ago. It’s a cool place to spend the day. 🙂
I haven’t been posting this series for the last couple of weeks. It’s hard to find time to look around for the music videos while I’m offshore. The internet is usually not the best, we don’t have enough bandwidth and they don’t want us looking at videos. I found this one in my stored posts. It’s a bit different from the kind of stuff I usually listen to. Let me know how you like it. 🙂
Ode to a Sailor- Rachel Sage
I’ve been sitting on the ground
Much to everyone’s surprise
People say I’m getting dirty
But I would rather kiss the soil
Than be crippled by disguise
Better down to earth than pretty
In the ash I see passion
In the dust I see trust
I will turn this ship around
And if everything crashes
I will burn if I must
I will turn this ship around
I’ve been swimming in your sky
Waiting for the tide to turn
To something beautiful and true
And you’ve been swallowing my life
From a distance you have earned
Every right to know I feel you.
In the ash I see passion
In the dust I see trust
I will turn this ship around
Do you think I’m old fashioned
‘Cause I miss you this much
I will turn this ship around
I’ve been buried in the sand
Waiting for the sun to beat
Down upon my back like lava
And I’ve been hoping for your hands
To caress my soul to sleep
Fill me up with your kabbalah
In the ash I see passion
In the dust I see trust
I will turn this ship around
And if everything crashes
I will burn if I must
I will turn this ship around
I found a new challenge in my reader today. It’s Ed’s Sunday Stills. There are some really nice photos by people participating. Here’s my entry. 🙂 I actually posted this picture before, I took it when I was sailing as captain of a tuna boat out in the South Pacific. 
I thought I might do another post for the Daily Post’s prompt of the day. Today’s is called ‘Snapshot Stories‘ and here’s the challenge…
Open the first photo album you can find — real or virtual, your call — and stop at the first picture of yourself you see there . Tell us the story of that photo.
I don’t have many pictures of me. I don’t really like to have my picture taken. I just don’t feel like I look. I don’t like to be reminded of how I really do look. I feel bad about my weight and how I look. So, I usually avoid having my picture taken.
In the photo above, I was on a trip to Thailand and was spending a few days in Chang Mai. I took a day trip with a group of people to visit the Hill Tribes. I had my picture taken with some of the ‘Longnecks’ in their village. I think this was about the only picture of me for that whole trip. I spent 3-4 weeks over there that trip. Had a blast!
PS-the featured image is from the same day, later on, at another village.
Here’s another Share Your World post thanks to Cee’s Photography Blog.
What did you or did not like about the first apartment you ever rented? I liked that it was cheap and convenient. The rent was only $80/month for a little efficiency. It was close to where I was working. It was close to everything I needed so I could walk everywhere or ride my bike (I didn’t have a car). I didn’t like that I was renting it from my father and he would come over every morning to bang on the door, wake me up and yell at me to “turn off the damn AC, you’re running up the bills!”. It was only one room, a kitchen and living/bedroom all together. The only privacy was a small bathroom. I was just so glad to have a place of my own, even if it was only just across the street from my dad’s.
my dads house was on the 1st finger bay, straight line from the bridge and a little to the right
What kind of art is your favorite? Why? Oh wow, that’s a HARD question to answer! I like so many different kinds of art. Drawing, painting, photography, music, dance, ceramics, pretty much anything creative. I love different styles of music: latin, reggae, folk, bluegrass, blues, classical. I love different styles of painting: surrealist (Salvador Dali`), fantastic, or super-realistic. I love photography, especially astro-photography and macro (and wish I could take those kinds of pictures!). Why? I don’t really know why. I just do. So, a VERY hard question to answer. I guess I just can’t choose just one!
How many siblings do you have? What’s your birth order? I had one brother and one sister originally. My sister died when she was 17. I’m the oldest. Then my parents remarried and I got a few stepbrothers and sisters. They’re all older than me. My stepfather had 4 sons and 1 daughter. A couple of his sons lived with my mother for a while, but I never spent much time over there and after they moved in I spent even less. My fathers girlfriend (I call her my stepmother to make it easier) had 2 sons and 1 daughter. I never really spent much time with any of my stepbrothers or sisters. I moved away from home pretty much for good when I was barely 17 and haven’t kept in touch.
Complete this sentence: I’m dreaming of a white …. (and no you can’t use Christmas as your answer). … sandy beach with clear, light blue water lapping at the shore while I sit under the shade of the palms sipping umbrella drinks. 🙂
Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up? I’m grateful to have a job when so many in my industry are getting run off every day now. I’m looking forward to finding out when I can get off this ship and go home. I’m looking forward to learning my schedule so I can plan my vacation! I’m looking forward to spending my vacation in Costa Rico learning how to blog better and exploring Central America. 🙂
Here is my entry for the Daily Posts challenge on ROY G BIV. The colors of the rainbow. I thought I’d try to post all maritime images in this post. Maybe I’ll do another one later with other types of things. I do have a lot of colorful photos. I like strong, vivid colors, they always catch my eye, so I take a lot of pictures when I see them. 🙂
Red. I took this one while passing through the jetties in Fouchon, LA.
Orange. This is actually a photo of a pastel drawing of a junk I did years ago.
Yellow. A cute, curious little fish. I got this shot at Moody Gardens in Galveston.
Green. A couple of derelict schooners laid up in Makassar, Indonesia.
Blue. Jellyfish at the Houston Zoo.
Indigo. I took this while at work on the DB-50. We were in and out of Singapore doing sea trials.
Violet. I’m not really sure of the difference between violet and indigo, but here’s my best interpretation. 😉 I took this one in Honiara, Solomon Islands while working on the tuna boat.
I found a new challenge in my reader today. It’s Ed’s Sunday Stills. There are some really nice photos by people participating. Here’s my entry. 🙂
I took it in Korea when I was there for a weeklong class in travel writing and photography. I stayed over on my own for a couple of extra weeks and spent the time exploring from Incheon down to Geoji. It was a very interesting and friendly place. Sorry it was also a very sad time (ferry sank the day before I left home). I’d like to go back again when people are back to normal and not in mourning.
Here’s an entry for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Purple…
I took this a while back at Clarkes Quay in Singapore. I love Singapore and that area along the riverfront is always a great place to hang out at night. There are all kinds of restaurants and bars, live music and street entertainers. This picture is of a ‘dancing’ fountain where you can play in the water jets, the lights are constantly changing colors. I just happened to catch it when they were purple.
I wanted to pick something other than flowers for this challenge (tho I have a bunch of those too).
Here’s an entry for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Purple…
I wanted to pick something other than flowers for this challenge (tho I have a bunch of those too).
Reblogging this.
Let’s see what people come up with. It’s always interesting to see what other people like enough to really want to share it. My comments were posted on Part Time Monsters post.
This is such a beautiful song. It was a favorite in the 60’s when Bob Dylan and Joan Baez performed it. Joan Baez does the song with the Indigo Girls in this version. It’s still a beautiful song even tho they don’t play it on the radio anymore.
(The lyrics are slightly different in this version.)
The Water Is Wide- traditional, performed by Joan Baez (and the Indigo Girls)
The water is wide, I cannot get over
Neither have I wings to fly
Give me a boat that can carry two
And both shall cross my true love and I
I leaned my back against an oak
Thinking it was a mighty tree
But first it bent and then it broke
So did my love prove false to me
I put my hand in some soft bush
Thinking the sweetest flower to find
I pricked my finger to the bone
And left the sweetest flower behind
Oh, love is handsome and love is kind
Gay as a jewel when it is new
But love grows old and waxes cold
And fades away like the morning dew
The water is wide, I cannot get over
Neither have I wings to fly
Give me a boat that can carry two
And both shall cross my true love and I
I’m asking for advice here. I was out today getting those photos from the other day developed. I figured while I was at it, I would take some of my old film in to get it digitized.
I brought in 6 rolls of (already developed) film, type Kodak Advantix 400 25 exposure “one time use camera film cassette”. The store (Walgreens) told me they could only get the film to come out of 1 of the reels and so they couldn’t do anything with the other 5.
Here’s one of a market in Turkey
Does anyone know of any tricks, techniques, gizmos, etc. to get this film out of their canisters so it can be digitized? Or maybe you know of some other store that would be better at it than Walgreens?
I already asked if I could just break open the film reels myself, but they didn’t seem to think they would be able to do anything with the film then. For some reason I’m not clear on, it has to stay on the reel, in the canister.
Any clues would be appreciated! Thanks!
I thought this was about sharks, you know, the kind that swim in the sea. But actually, it’s about a different kind of shark. The kind that lives on land. The kind we REALLY need to worry about.
I never heard this group (Wailing Souls) before, but I love this song. I really love reggae music anyway, and this song has lyrics worth paying attention to. The video reminded me of a great book I read a few years ago.
It’s called Confessions of an Economic Hitman by John Perkins. Anyone who’s interested in what’s going on in the world today will get a real education if they read it. I thought it was a great book and should be taught in all our schools (but of course that will NEVER happen!).
I know most of you absolutely HATE it when I start going off on politics and my philosophy of liberty and freedom for all. But I’m hoping it’s a short enough video you might just take a look.
Let me know what you think. Of the music. And the video (the political one- the one by Perkins!) 😉
Shark Attack- Wailing Soul
Better stop this cultural diffusion
Spreading fear & confusion
Playing cloak & dagger wars
Losing what you fighting for
Back back, coming with a double attack
Step back, here comes the shark attack (x2)
What more do they want?
They have got all they need
Yet they turn their backs
On the hands that feeds them
Back back, coming with a double attack
Step back, here comes the shark attack (x2)
Wo wo wo wo yeah
Wo wo wo wo yeah
Wo wo wo wo yeah yeah
Wo wo wo wo yeah yeah
yeah yeah yeah
Yes it’s a new world order, oh yeah
Another new world order, oh yeah
A wicked world order, oh yeah
A new world order, oh yeah
Back back, coming with a double attack
Step back, here comes the shark attack (x2)
Better stop this cultural diffusion
Spreading fear & confusion
Playing cloak & dagger wars
Losing what you fighting for
Back back, coming with a double attack
Step back, here comes the shark attack (x2)
Wo wo wo wo yeah
Wo wo wo wo yeah
Wo wo wo wo yeah yeah
Wo wo wo wo yeah yeah
yeah yeah yeah
Yes it’s a new world order, oh yeah
Another new world order, oh yeah
A crucial world order, oh yeah
A wicked world order, oh yeah
Back back, coming with a double attack
Step back, here comes the shark attack (x2)
Wo wo wo wo yeah
Wo wo wo wo yeah
Wo wo wo wo yeah yeah
Wo wo wo wo yeah yeah
yeah yeah yeah
Yes it’s a new world order, oh yeah
Another new world order, oh yeah
A crucial world order, oh yeah
A wicked world order, oh yeah (repeat fade)
I found Norm’s site and this challenge through Cee’s Photography Blog. She has a lot of really great photos and some cool challenges going on all the time. Norm does a photo challenge on ‘doors’ every Thursday. I like to get into these things when I can.
Here’s my ‘door’ picture for this week. I didn’t see this until Saturday so hope it’ll still be good. I liked how the shutters showed up against the windows in the doors. I took this on a tour of some of the plantations outside of New Orleans. If I remember right, it was the San Francisco plantation.
I made an earlier post about this mural. I just LOVE it and all of her work that I’ve seen. I thought it was another good one for the Daily Post’s Photo Challenge “Intricate”.
My photo doesn’t do it justice. This mural is just STUNNING. I took this a couple of years ago when I was at the Maritime Education and Training conference at Texas A&M University in Galveston (Texas). There is more to it than just the part I could get in this picture. It’s HUGE.
It’s actually a mosaic, made of millions of little ceramic tiles. The artist Dixie Friend Gay made it. I’m not sure how long it took. There’s a better picture of how it all looks in this link. And another one to more about her art.
I think her mosaics are just incredible. I wonder that her work isn’t more well known. I think it deserves to be. What do you think?
Here’s a picture for the Daily Posts’ Photo Challenge.
Balinese dances are very intricate. If you’ve never seen one, you ought to check it out. They’re really acting out a story in the dance. Every little movement means something, even the way they move their eyes, or their little fingers.
The stories are sometimes pretty involved, but even tho I had no idea of any of it beforehand, I could gather the main idea. They really put on a fantastic show. I’m always fascinated (and wish I had a better seat for photographs).
Here’s a picture for the Daily Posts’ Photo Challenge.
I took this one at a temple in Bali. The people make figures out of rice and other grains. They represent gods and demons.
I saw these offerings all over the island (most were smaller). The amount of time and effort they put into art on that island is amazing. It’s a beautiful place!
Here’s a picture for the Daily Posts’ Photo Challenge.
This is a photo of the underside of a starfish (I took it at the aquarium). Their little ‘feet’ are very intricate. 🙂
Here’s a picture for the Daily Posts’ Photo Challenge.
I took it a few years ago on an Irish Beach. I thought the patterns the flowing water made through the sand were really interesting.
Yeah, I know I’m weird. 😉
Here’s a photo I took at the fair last year. I think it’s a good one for this challenge (Motion) from the Daily Post. I always try to go when I’m home from the ship. I don’t usually go on the rides anymore, but I love to see all the people wandering around, listen to the music, and pig out on the junk food! 😉
