Callaway Resort & Gardens

 Callaway Resort & Gardens is a beautiful place to stay or visit.  For us it is a one hour trip by highway or one and a quarter hour trip using the more interesting backroads, primarily Georgia highway twenty seven.  They have lots of activities all year round that make this a great place to visit multiple times throughout the year.

 We went this time to see the Birds of Prey show, the Blue Morpho Butterfly Exhibit, the Car show, and the Hot Air Balloon show. All are very accesible and fun.   

Barred Owl

Great Horned Owl

Red Tailed Hawk

Harris Hawk

 The Car Show had some beautiful cars of all types from restorations to rat rods.

 And then of course the Balloon Festival. We had to wait for the winds to die down before the Balloons could be launched.  The first balloon went up when the winds were blowing at eight miles an hour with the forecast showing the decreasing to less than five.  Its fascinating to watch them set these balloons up, it takes a lot of teamwork.

First up.

First to fly

 Eventually there were nine balloons tethered and giving rides to a lot of people.

 For the Balloon Glow event there were six balloons, two with very creative designs.

 I watched as one of the balloons was being raised.  Because these balloons were not being flown they did not need to be tethered.

After laying out the balloon they begin inflating it with a gas powered fan and the close up the top air release with velcro tabs.  

The basket and balloon laying on the ground nearly ready for filling with hot air from the burner.

Filling the balloon with hot air. Pretty spectacular at dusk.

Once it is warm enough, the balloon rotates upright while the ground crew hang on to keep it in place.

 The final result is a beautiful light display for the crowd.

Callaway Resort & Gardens

 U.S. Highway 27,  Pine Mountain, GA 31822

www.CallawayGardens.com

Kathryn Nee Photographer

Last Friday I went to the Boyd Gallery for a pop up artist show featuring the photography of Kathryn Nee.  She has some beautiful work, most of it shot in abandoned buildings.  What makes her work interesting is how she creates a story with composition, light and point of view in her pictures that leaves you wondering. 

You can find her work at www.kathrynnee.com and on Instagram as just_a_nobody_girl_

The Boyd Gallery is a fun place to visit to see the work of David Boyd Sr. and David Boyd Jr.  Boyd Sr. paints humorous cartoons and Boyd Jr. creates beautiful plein air landscape and cityscape paintings.  Also pop up exhibits of other artists work makes revisiting the gallery worthwhile.

WWW.DavidBoydJr.com

WWW.OldBoyd.com

Chattanooga

On a vacation trip to Chattanooga we had plenty of time to travel so rather than taking the interstate which would normally take two and a half hours we took Georgia highways alternate twenty seven, twenty seven and 100.  The reason we like to do this is it gives us time to see the scenery and small towns that are bypassed by the interstate highways.

An old farm with goats and chickens roaming around amongst the old cars and tractor along Hwy 27.

Passing through small towns like Carrolton for lunch at the Corner Cafe with the beautiful mural, Sangre de Cristina Sunrise, by Kate Moon Davis.

Sangre de Cristina Sunrise by Kate Moon Davis

Cedartown and Summerville are two other towns we would never have experienced if we went roaring by on the interstate.

Cedartown Coca Cola Bottling museum

Summerville Depot, one of the stops on the Tennessee Valley Railroad.  Also home to Paradise Garden.

Couey House in Dowdy park.

It was raining as we passed the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National and Military Park so we didn't stop.

We stayed at the Bluff View Inn over looking the Tennessee River in Chattanooga.

Bluff View Inn, Hunter Museum of American Art on the Tennessee River

From there we were able to walk to many of the attractions, Restaurants and stores with a lot of art work on display.  

The Batter

John Dreyfuss

Full Count

ThePitcher

John Dreyfuss

Full Count

The Catcher

John Dreyfuss

Full Count

The Umpire

John Dreyfuss

Full Count

Red Grooms

Lindy Hop

A visit to the Tennessee Aquarium is worthwhile as they show how the water flows down from the mountains to the ocean creating Habitats for many creatures along the way.

A dinner cruise on the Southern Belle up to Chickamauga Dam.

One bad ass 1959 Buick LeSabre lowrider in front of Rembrandt's Coffee House.

1959 Buick LeSabre

It was an enjoyable, relaxing getaway.  Take the time to enjoy the ride.

Enviromental Portraiture

One type of photography I really enjoy is enviromental portraiture.  Showing people doing what they do that others never see, I believe, is enlightening and educational.

Working on the landing gear of an airplane.

Installing fasteners in a skin replacement on an airplane.

Preparing fish in a restaurant in Narita Japan

Traveling Man

  I was fortunate as a child that my parents were interested in traveling.  That started me on the path to seeing many countries and places.  We travelled in the United States and Europe seeing many beautiful sites along the way.  After graduating high school and joining the Military I travelled through Central and South America, seeing my first volcanoes, big cats, monkeys, and large colorful birds.

  I started making photographs about the same time we started traveling.  I do not remember the first camera I used but I do remember being fastenated by my grandfathers Olympus OM SLR camera.  Shortly there after I received my first SLR, a Minolta SR-T with a 50mm lens.  I used that camera through high school to shoot for the yearbook.  I also was able to go to a local college and learn how to develop and print black and white photographs.

  Later when that camera was stolen, I bought a Canon AE-1 Program which I used to make photographs during my travels throughout Central and South America.

 Follow my travels...

Netherlands Open Air Museum, Hoeferlaan 4, 6816 SG Arnhem, Netherlands.  Some time in the 1970's