Roaming About

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Captain Thar Be Whales Here!

Pictures from a whale watch in Gloucester, MA summer of 2006.

The tour guide told us we had a once in a lifetime experience. This whale left his pod and came to investigate our ship. The whale swam around our ship and under it. The guide was shouting over the loud speaker that "This rarely happens! It's never happened to me before! This one's a curious one!" We could have reached out and touched the whale.

-vc

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5 Stars (out of 5)

Mike Dreyfuss, Sonya Dugal and Julie Nguyen were Peace Corps volunteers in Ghana. They came in 2009. Sonya was one of my trainees. If you want to see the REAL Ghana then Peace Corps volunteers will show it to you. They know the best places to get local food and not get sick. They have traveled all over Ghana and know how to navigate the transportation system from goat carts to air conditioned buses. Pick up The Ghana (Other Places Travel Guide) if you are planning a trip to Ghana.

-vc

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Monday, July 2, 2012

Granite Quarry, Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA

Rockport. Mass is one of my favorite places on this earth. I try to visit it at least once a year when I am in the USA. I am feeling a little bit of withdrawal because I haven't been there for 4 years. I visited the spring of 2008 before I went to Ghana with the Peace Corps. So today I am taking you and me down memory lane to the Granite Quarry at Halibut Point State Park.

Let's take a walk down this wooded path to get to the quarry.

Shaded path with stripes of sun at Halibut Point State Park

Just a moment while I stop and shoot the shadow and light on this fallen tree.

Sunlight and shadows on a fallen log at Halibut Point State Park

When you come to the quarry take a right. You'll see the water filled quarry and beyond the trees the Atlantic Ocean.

Seagulls perching on a slab of granite at Halibut State Park

Not to far to the right I came upon this image. I loved the contrast between the granite, so solid and lasting and the branches, here in the spring and gone in winter.

A triangle of granite with branches to the right with water in the background at Halibut Point State Park.

Let's keep walking. About 1/2 way around you can see the museum and gift shop across the quarry.

A view across the water filled quarry looking at the museum at Halibut Point State Park.

I couldn't resist making a photograph of this weed/flower growing out of the granite slab.

White flowers/weeds growing out of a piece of granite with water in the background at Halibut Point State Park

We will take one last look across the water filled quarry before leaving and heading into Rockport. I'll take you to Rockport another day.

A view from a slab of granite at the water filled quarry at Halibut Point State Park.

Oh but I couldn't resist returning that evening and taking a sunset photograph.

Sunset on the water filled quarry at Halibut Point State Park

If you want more information about park and it's history check out their website. Halibut Point State Park

-vc

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Sunday, July 1, 2012

All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes

Travel back to when Ghana gained it independence. Ghana was the first African nation to earn its independence after colonization. On 6 March, 1957 Kwame Nkruma became the first president of Ghana. He then called for the African Diaspora to come home. Maya Angelou heeded the call. She and her college age son went to Ghana where he attended Legon-The University of Ghana.

It was very interesting to read her reactions to the new African democracy and the reactions of the Ghanaians to Maya Angelou.

-vc

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"Cow" Boys Fishing - Sandema Ghana

Early in my Peace Corps service in Sandema, Upper East Region, Ghana at Sandema Senior High Technical school, I decided to take a walk to a nearby pond. My landlord's son, Thomas, said he would come with me and be my guide.

Upon arriving at the pond the first thing I saw was this cow. I knew some "cow" boys would be nearby. In Ghana if a family has cows the boys of the family usually take them out to the savannah to graze.

Next I saw these lily pads.

Then I found the boys. They were all in the water with dried sticks. I asked Thomas what the boys were doing. He said they were using the sticks to fish. They would push the sticks along the shallow edges of the pond hoping to push something on to the shore.

The catch fit into this boy's hands. It was a frog. Thomas said they would roast it and have some meat to eat that day.

These boys are from the Bulsa tribe. The northern regions of Ghana are very poor. Since colonial time all the commerce has taken place along the coast. A chubby frog would be a welcome addition to their diet.

For a map of Sandema Upper East Region, Ghana, West Africa

-vc

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Saturday, June 30, 2012

Bar Harbor, Maine Memorial Day Weekend 2005

On Memorial Day Weekend in 2005 I went to visit Beth Young and her kids, Cassie and Landy in Winterport, Maine. We traveled to Bar Harbor for the day to visit Acadia National Park.

View from the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, Maine.

Between Oct 7 and March 6 Cadillac Mountain is the first place in the USA that the sun rises on. It's the highest point along the North Atlantic coast.

Waves breaking along the the coast on the Acadia Park Loop Road.

Thunder hole at rest!

-vc

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Friday, June 29, 2012

West Cornwall Bridge, West Cornwall, CT

I love this bridge. When I lived in CT I would photograph it at least once a year. It's a beautiful drive in Litchfield county and a chance to see the Housatonic River.

In the town of West Cornwall on the West Cornwall Bridge Road crossing the Housatonic River.

It's a Town Lattice and Queenpost Truss bridge, built in 1841.

From: http://www.coveredbridgesite.com/ct/w_cornwall.html

-vc

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Thursday, June 28, 2012

March Pass on 6th March

Sandema Senior High Technical School girls marching on 6th March. 6th March is Ghana's Independence Day. Ghana was the first African nation to gain their independence, on 6th March 1957. Like Independence day it is celebrated every year. The schools send teams of boys and girls to the regional capitol to March pass the dignitaries of the region. Unlike our independence Ghana never fired a shot to become independent of their British colonizers. Kwame Nkruma was the architect of this independence and Ghana's first elected President.

For two weeks before the March pass teachers train students to march. The best students then are chosen to go the the regional capitol, where all other schools from Primary to Senior High School send their teams to march as well. Kids love to do it because after waiting for hours in the hot sun and marching they are given a Kalipo fruit drink, like Juicy Juice boxed juices in USA, and some biscuits, cookies!

Some schools,the girls, will wave handkerchiefs as they walk past the dignitary stand. Boys will often do an elaborate salute and turn to face the dignitaries.

Field Marshall at the Sandema, Upper East Region, Ghana - 6th March, 2009, celebration. .

Chief from a nearby village attending the Sandema, Upper East Region, Ghana - 6th March, 2009, celebration.

-vc

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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Granite Falls Near Jackson Hole Wyoming

The year after my divorce my brother, Jack Sevison, let me use his time share in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I asked Helen Aveline if she wanted to go with me and she quickly agreed. A few days later I talking about the trip in the Collection Management Department and Kathie Merlino said she loves to travel - so I invited her along!

Finding this waterfall was one of our Wyoming adventures.

I love waterfalls and I found this waterfall in the guidebook. So one morning we took the guidebook and I took my camera. We followed three state highways then saw signs for Granite Creek - down a dirt road. We had a moments concern due to our rental car but we figured how bad could it be if it's in a guidebook.

The dirt road was 11 miles long! It was muddy. There were potholes big enough to swallow a buffalo. If I remember correctly, I think at one point more than half of the road was washed out. Yet the three musketeers journeyed on in search of the waterfall.

One very muddy car and 11 miles later we found the waterfall.

Helen has a photograph of me taking this photograph. My derriere may be in that photo as I believe in taking photographs in any position but standing. I think I was laying over some roots of a tree and hanging over the bank of Granite Creek to get this shot!

I thought it was completely worth it!

The rental car was fine after we gave it a shower in a car wash.

Thanks gals for a great vacation in Wyoming!

-vc

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