Konica Minolta Maxxum 5D

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This was my first digital SLR, acquired early in 2006. Naturally enough I used it a fair bit immediately after I got it. But somehow I never took to it. In another post I mention how at one point I had lost my interest in photography in general and specifically in “lugging around” heavy SLRs. Sadly I got this camera around the time this happened and I didn’t really use it a lot. According to Lightroom I’ve taken only 389 pictures with this camera. To be honest I never really gave it a chance to show what it could do. I took it out again a few days ago to give it another try, but so far haven’t been able to find the charger. I’m sure it will turn up. In the meantime some older (2006-2009) pictures.

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Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, NY

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Eirah, 2009

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Blue and White China Cat

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Roy Lichtenstein – A Boat. Storm King Art Center, 2008

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Christmas Tree Ornament

Military Museum of Southern New England – Danbury

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An earlier post dealt with the Danbury Railway Museum.  Not too far away in Danbury is another interesting museum: the Military Museum of Southern New England. According to their web site:

The Military Museum of Southern New England opened in 1995 as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of our nation’s military history. The original intent of the museum was to maintain the memory of American Tank Destroyer units of the Second World War.

Although quite small the museum has a number of indoor exhibits. Outside is a very congested (many vehicles in a quite a small space) but interesting collection of tanks, armored vehicles, howitzers etc. It was quite hard to take pictures as everything was very close together and you often couldn’t get far enough away.

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Grumman TBF Avenger (I think).

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Tank Gunner

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Supermarine Spitfire (the plane often referred to as having won the Battle of Britain) with reflected UK flag.

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Model of German World War II Tiger tank

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Converted shell casing

Stonecrop Gardens

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Conservatory and pond garden

According to the Stonecrop Gardens website:

Stonecrop Gardens is located in Cold Spring, New York and was originally the home of Anne and Frank Cabot. Stonecrop became a public garden in 1992 under the direction of Caroline Burgess.

At its windswept elevation of 1,100 feet in the Hudson Highlands Stonecrop enjoys a Zone 5 climate. The display gardens cover an area of approximately 12 acres and comprise a diverse collection of gardens and plants including woodland and water gardens, a grass garden, raised alpine stone beds, cliff rock gardens, and an enclosed English-style flower garden. Additional features include a Conservatory, display Alpine House, Pit House with an extensive collection of choice dwarf bulbs, and systematic order beds representing over 50 plant families.

Stonecrop’s plant collections and display gardens not only demonstrate what can be achieved by horticultural enthusiasts, but also serve as an educational resource which, together with its professional staff, constitute the foundation upon which is based a developing School of Practical Horticulture.

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Horse pasture

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Flower in the Systematic Order beds

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View near the horse pasture

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Flower in the flower garden – don’t know what kind.

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Flower garden

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All that remains of the home of Francis Cabot

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Water Lillies

Danbury Railway Museum

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According to Wikipedia:

The Danbury Railway Museum (reporting mark DRMX)[3] is housed in the former Union Station on the east end of downtown Danbury, Connecticut, United States. It was established in the mid-1990s following the closure of the station by Metro-North Railroad, and primarily focuses on the history of railroading in southern New England and neighbouring New York. In addition to the former station building, the museum has a collection of heritage railcars in the neighboring railyard it shares with Metro-North.

The station was built in 1903 by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in response to local pressure for a new station after the three railroads that served the city were merged into the New Haven. At its peak period 125 trains stopped there in a day. In 1993 that had dwindled to a few commuter trains, and the Connecticut Department of Transportation, which by then owned the neglected building, closed it in favor of a newer station on the other side of the block. Within two years the museum was formed and restored the station to its former appearance.

It is architecturally distinctive, with Colonial Revival touches on a Richardsonian Romanesque structure. Alfred Hitchcock filmed station scenes for Strangers on a Train on its distinctive curved platform. In 1986, prior to the museum’s use of the building, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[1] It was joined on the Register in 2005 by the former turntable, the only intact one in the state.

For more information see the official website of the museum

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Sad Photo

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I think that this is probably the saddest picture I’ve ever taken. I still have difficulty looking at it.

Around Easter 2012 I was walking in the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.  I think it was the movement of the spinner that caught my attention.  Then I saw the brightly coloured Easter eggs and the happy, smiling Spongebob.  It took a while for it all to sink in.  The inscription on the stone says:  “Our Little Angel.  Stephen Samuel Nunez.  December 4, 2004 – April 27, 2011”.