Blues Armory

- The Blues Armory is a large brick armory in downtown Richmond, Virginia. Housing the Richmond Light Infantry Blues, the castle-like structure originally served multiple purposes, with a food market on the ground floor and a drill hall for the National Guard on the top floor. Completed in 1910, it was designed by the Washington, D.C. firm of Averill and Hall. The castellated design was not entirely whimsical, as the structure was designed to withstand attack during riots. The University of Richmond Spiders basketball team played home games in the Blues Armory from 1947 to 1950. The Nation Guard moved out in the 1960's and the building is mostly empty today. iPhone 4, 1/125 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 80.

Cross-eyed

- My little buddy Sherlock has a slight cross-eyed trait that is sometimes found in oriental cats. It doesn't seem to bother him at all and his eyes are a striking shade of blue. He's a Tonkinese, Tonk for short, a cross between Siamese and Burmese breeds. Tonks are lively, friendly, often talkative cats, with gregarious personalities. While Sherlock doesn't talk much, he does love to play fetch and will retrieve a toy as long as you're willing to toss it. Canon 40D, 1/10 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 800, 100mm focal length.

Details

This architectural detail is a terra cotta rosette located within a deep reveal at the central entrance to 130 W. 57th Street in New York City. Built in 1907-08 to provide living and working facilities for artists, the studio building at 130 West 57th Street is a rare surviving example of this unusual building type, and a reminder of the early twentieth century period when West 57th Street was a center of artistic activities. The Art Nouveau structure was designed by architects Pollard & Steinam and was home to American impressionist painter Childe Hassam and painter Irving Wiles. For over ten years the first floor retail space was home to New York's Planet Hollywood restaurant before it moved to the current Times Square location. Canon G11, 1/60 sec @ f/3.2, ISO 400.

Grate

- Close-up of the grate over an underground electric utility vault in downtown Norfolk, Virginia. Canon 5D Mark II, 1/3200 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400, converted to black and white in Lightroom 4 with Silver Efex Pro 2.

Anchors Aweigh

The massive port side anchor of the battleship USS Wisconsin. The ship's two anchors, port and starboard bow, each weigh 30,000 pounds. Canon G1X, 1/250 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200, converted to black & white in Lightroom 4 with Silver Efex Pro 2 plug-in.

More Wright Stuff

- Spent this evening building building Lincoln Logs with my grandson. Lincoln Logs were invented in 1916, by John Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright. The toy was based on the architecture of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, designed by the inventor's father. The foundation of the hotel was designed with interlocking beams, which made the structure "earthquake proof". This feature assisted in the design of the toy logs, ensuring stability of the miniature buildings created with the toy set. John Lloyd Wright was issued US Patent 1,351,086 on August 31, 1920, for a "Toy-Cabin Construction." Today Lincoln Logs are distributed by K'nex. Canon G11, 1/80 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400 in macro mode.

BCR 2014

- Switcher 2014 leased by the Bay Coast Railroad from Locomotive Leasing Partners (LLPX) is used at the southern yard for the Bay Coast Railroad at Little Creek in Virginia Beach, Virgina. The Bay Coast took over operations of the Eastern Shore Railroad in 2006 operating a 90 mile connection on the DelMarVa peninsula from Pocomoke City, Maryland to Little Creek, Virginia via 64 miles of rail and a 26 miles Chesapeake Bay crossing using one of only two remaining "carfloats" left in operation in the U.S. BCR 2014 is an EMD GP38, a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division in July 1970 and was once owned by Conrail and operated as CSXT 1946. Here's a short video of BCR 2014 pulling mixed freight including two massive 16 inch gun barrels from the Battleship Missouri earlier this year. iPhone 4, 1/385 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 80, Camera+ app.