Let it snow, let it snow...

Well, maybe not...

We had some snow in Charlotte today. Started around 3pm, mostly a light snow that lasted all evening, and gave us a couple of inches - but it all but closed down the city. Schools sent their students home early, roads were snow covered and slick, and I even received an automated call from the Charlotte/Mecklenberg Police, warning of deteriorating conditions and advising people to stay off the roads. Life in the South is different.

It does make for some nice photos, though.

Happy New Year!

"We rented a cabin in the mountains" they said.
"You should come up for New Year's Eve" they said.
"It will be fun!" they said.


I think I hear banjo music...

Merry Christmas!

Santa Claus is on his way!

Trains, Planes, and Automobiles

We've been having unseasonably warm weather this week, with temperatures in the 60s and 70s. On Saturday, I took advantage of the weather to visit the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer. The museum is located at was once the historic Spencer Shops, at one time Southern Railroad's largest steam locomotive repair facility on the East Coast. The museum includes a restored roundhouse, operating trains, and displays on the transportation history of the state, including automotive and aviation.



Santa and his elves get a ride on a 1935 Ford, the only known remaining car from the NC Highway Patrol's first fleet.



A replica of the Wright Flyer, which of course had its first flights in North Carolina.

Shooting in the Dark

Usually, airplane spotting is a daytime hobby - after all, it's hard to see, and harder to shoot, an airplane flying past in the dark. That's why most spotting photos look like this...




But short days and long work weeks don't always cooperate, and when you have a handy spot like the Charlotte Overview, and some unseasonably warm evenings, you have to take advantage of what you can.

Thanksgiving in New York

Thanksgiving week, and a trip back to New York. Between a few days of work, and celebrating the holiday, I managed to squeeze in a little photography.

It was cold and windy at Howard Beach, but the departure shots were worth it!





It wasn't all about aircraft spotting. I did get to spend an evening with a friend shooting the New York City skyline at sunset.




Heading home on Sunday, about the only traffic I encountered was in Virginia, where the intricacies of traffic lights have not been mastered by all.

I'm Back!

Catching up on a few more photo ops...

Fall colors on the Blue Ridge Parkway at the Linn Cove Viaduct.



Visiting Charleston, SC for the first time in more than thirty years - this wasn't there the last time I was in town!


A weekend trip back home on Long Island means a stop at JFK for some spotting.


Today's lesson - landing on a pickup truck...


Interesting visitors keep dropping in to CLT - Vice President Joe Biden departs after an overnight visit to the Queen City.