2011- 500 Most Interesting Photos

Three of the finest ladies you'll ever meet, and some of Kristin's closest friends. Taken at Kristin's wedding in Pumpkintown, South Carolina. (yes, Virginia, there really is a Pumpkintown!)

I couldn't resist taking a shot or two of Kristin while she was shooting at the Old Stone Church, Clemson, SC

Deep in thought, Kolton patiently awaits the pizza. Yes, neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow, nor sore throat and common cold shall separate this boy from the joy of hot extra-cheesy pizza. :) Pizza Pro, Central, SC (US)

Turtles have a reputation for being slow, but this guy could move really quickly for a turtle. (Because of the fencing, I couldn't quite get a good centered shot on this guy.) We hung around this turtle for a while because we saw a couple of guys in military fatigues acting suspicious. They kept hanging around the fence doing nothing, but when it appeared no one was watching, they'd walk over toward the turtle, bend over the fence toward him, but then suddenly jerk back up when they saw that we were watching. It just didn't look right, and we weren't going to leave this guy alone, not knowing for sure whether they were trying to do something mischievous or harmful to him. The more we watched them, the more agitated-looking they became. Kristin and I stood there talking nonchalantly with Kolton, glancing over toward the guys each time they approached the turtle. They finally left the area, obviously very angry that we wouldn't leave. After they left, many other people came up near the exhibit, and we moved on. We're not sure, but we may have saved this guy from harm.

Yep! These guys only come up to her shoulders! Kristin is pretty as a picture, and taller than an emperor penguin!

Maybe they're practicing for hibernation. Each time we went by the bears, they were sleeping or almost asleep. Quick overview: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverbanks_Zoo (probably all you really want to know) Official website: riverbanks.org (A little "touristy" but loaded with good information. A little hard to sort through)

(Photo by Kristin) www.flickr.com/photos/gregorylggregory/6184874697 I got Kristin to take some shots of an old chimney beside the railroad track for me. I see this constantly (as I drive by it rather frequently), but I've never taken the time to get some pictures of it before the old chimney falls. The field is covered in kudzu, but for some reason the kudzu won't climb the chimney. Many places alongside the railway are covered in kudzu, as the railway once "planted" kudzu all along the tracks to stop erosion, a decision I'm sure they now regret. Kudzu does stop erosion, but it forgets to stop growing and soon overtakes everything.) I seem to remember this chimney being there when I was seven or eight years old, so I'm not sure how many years ago it's been since the house that once stood there burned down... or for that matter, when the house that once stood there was constructed. (Look carefully at the top of the chimney and you can see that it was once given a new top) (And thanks, Kristin, for humoring daddy in helping me to get these much-wanted shots!) Intersection Church Hill Street and State Road 137, Norris, SC (US)) a humorous look at kudzu: www.southernangel.com/food/kudzu.html

Abandoned Service Station, Edgefield County, SC photo taken from median, US 25/ Rt. 121 (Edgefield Road), overcast conditions/light mist 33.644288, -81.905209

I believing in "customizing" the eating experience. The potato soup doesn't normally come loaded with broccoli, but that can be changed instantly. :) Fatz Cafe, Easley, SC (US)

Watch this video in full HD on Vimeo. Best money I *never* spent. I downloaded Ubuntu 11 on an old PC that was giving me problems when I was trying to re-install Windows. I'm actually impressed with this free Linux Distro. One of the free packages I downloaded was the GCompris educational software package for kids age 2 and up. When Kristin and Kolton came over, I was amazed at how much Kolton loved it! Next, I plan to take an old Acer Netbook I bought for Kristin a year or two ago that runs Windows 7. My first impulse is to install Ubuntu in a virtual box inside Windows using Virtualbox (Virtualbox.org), but since Kristin seldom uses this machine anyway, I've now decided to install it alongside Windows 7 and create a dual-boot system. That way, Ubuntu will be able to run in its own environment, unhampered by Windows. I figure I can't lose, based on Kolton's reaction! (automatic low-res camcorder shot while shooting video)

Can you spot the one that isn't a stuffed animal?