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DSKWanders Pics from my travels to share with you!

• What We See •I can appreciate the craftsmanship of any skilled sculptor, painter, musician, and others. Not to be too...
10/24/2026

• What We See •

I can appreciate the craftsmanship of any skilled sculptor, painter, musician, and others. Not to be too controversial, that doesn't mean I necessarily like a particular work and there are those that may think they're skilled but I may disagree - such is the nature of art. It's often subjective. But the point is that there are lots of times I can still appreciate the skill without particularly liking the work.

Maybe that's a sign of maturity. At least for myself (and what I see more common in youth), when I was younger I liked certain things and anything I didn't like I thought was just garbage. Another aspect of this is what I see in politics - that I'm right and you're wrong and therefore there isn't any merit in what you say (usually not true). Or that because you're on the other side, I will criticize and distort anything the slightest bit imperfect - and ignore similar flaws in my candidate.

Anyway, I really appreciate the craftsmanship of Michelangelo. This is his larger than life Moses that we visited in Rome. I can't say I appreciate all the symbolism depicted here from my modern American view about Moses (namely his horns), but I can still appreciate the skill it took to create this art. I can marvel at the work and take a picture of it honoring the skill it took.

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• Feb '25

• Samsung SM-S908U | f2.4, 1/30s, ISO-500, 8mm
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

• Contrasts •Today I'm sharing a pic from our trip to Assisi, Italy. The striking stonework of the lower plaza from the...
10/20/2026

• Contrasts •

Today I'm sharing a pic from our trip to Assisi, Italy. The striking stonework of the lower plaza from the basilica is a sight unto itself. Compared to the winding, narrow streets of this city built on a hill, the spacious piazzas give an interesting contrast.

But once again I am struck by what I learn in preparing these posts. We were told by our Italian tour guide one aspect of the stone used. But when I just Googled it, I found no reference to what he said. But I did find out other interesting things....

What you see in this stone work was a renovation project after two earth quakes damaged much of Assisi in 1997. They also already knew that time had necessitated many repairs so they just did one massive project for a year. Beneath the plaza was a consolidation of tunnels mostly from what I could find for infrastructure: new water, sewer, power pipes etc.

The stonework itself used stone not just from Italy, but Israel, Brazil, China, and Namibia to symbolize the universal draw of pilgrims. It has been hailed as a masterpiece of modern work blending the style, sanctity, and history of Assisi.

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• Feb '25

• Samsung SM-S908U | f1.8, 1/1700s, ISO-12, 6mm
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

• Olive Oil •Perhaps it's because we were just getting hungry but I think it was the Buffalo cheese - but the best pizza...
10/15/2026

• Olive Oil •

Perhaps it's because we were just getting hungry but I think it was the Buffalo cheese - but the best pizza I have ever had was in Florence, Italy. I will also say it has changed how I have pizza. Now whenever I have a choice I will have some olive oil on top. The Italians seem to have olive oil on or in everything - and it's good for you!

The catch is, this wasn't the THAT pizza. That's because I didn't have pizza at the Tre Pini Restaraunt in the hills above Florence. Rather my wife and I were on a tour and they had a very nice spread of various dishes we got to enjoy along with various wines to taste. It was a delightful evening with live guitar and singing to go along with the meal. Thank you Gate 1 Travel!

Of course I had my camera with me and while heading to our tables I saw the window into the kitchen and had to snap a pic so this just happened to be the view at the moment. Let's just say I wouldn't mind having a slice of pizza right now for the fond memories this brings.

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• Feb '25

• Nikon z6iii | f5.6, 1/1250s, ISO-64000, 70mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

• Standing (not so) Tall? •How many places have become famous because of failure? I asked that of myself and looked up ...
10/10/2026

• Standing (not so) Tall? •

How many places have become famous because of failure? I asked that of myself and looked up a few... Chernobyl and Little Big Horn came up in a Google. And then there is the famous cathedral bell tower or better known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Most people know it wasn't designed to lean - the ground just did that. The quite prosperous area had built an impressive cathedral and surrounding Piazza del Miracoli including the bell tower. The ornate marble stone is beautiful in its own right (similar to the cathedral) but not necessarily that much better than other sites. The tilt has given it the fame - and hence the authorities don't want to straighten it (but do want to keep it from falling over). Therefore they have slightly lessened the angle by digging under the higher side (and many other attempts through the centuries).

Before I visited last year, I mostly wondered how much tilt do we really see and how big is it really? You can find dimensions: 3.97 degrees & about 51 ft / 15.5 m diameter, but I think this pic says a lot (thought the lens cause extra tilt or keystoning compared to our eyes). Or as I paraphrase an old saying: a jpeg is worth 10,000 texts (but is 10,000 times as many bytes).

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• Feb '25

• Nikon z6iii | f8, 1/500s, ISO-100, 29mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

• Masquerade •Some places are known for their celebrations meaning it's a specific draw for people to come to - as in th...
10/04/2026

• Masquerade •

Some places are known for their celebrations meaning it's a specific draw for people to come to - as in the case of Mardi Gras. New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro are certainly known for it but Venice Italy has also joined the list.

Last year my wife and I happened to visit Venice a little before the carnival, but the costumes were starting to come out especially in the Piazza San Marco.

Though the Venician carnival traces back to the 1100's, it was outlawed in 1797. It was brought back in just 1979 in an effort to revive old history and culture. The masks are especially a center point and they even have an annual competition of international renown for the best mask culminating the event.

While in the piazza during the season there are plenty of those in costume ready to have their picture taken - generally for you to get a selfie with them. There are also places you can rent a costume to really get involved with the celebration. Venice isn't just about the canals anymore!

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• Feb '25

• Nikon z6iii | f5.6, 1/1600s, ISO-1600, 230mm | Sigma 150-600, f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

• Teddy Bear •Stay away! Do NOT come any closer! Well, I may exaggerate, but not by much. At least not without warnin...
09/22/2026

• Teddy Bear •

Stay away! Do NOT come any closer! Well, I may exaggerate, but not by much. At least not without warning.

I wandered a bit in the desert at the Saguaro National Monument outside of Tucson, Arizona, USA. The winter months are a good time to visit the Arizona desert when the sun isn't as lethal. There is easy access in and around the cities of Phoenix and Tucson. Here we see the tall Saguaro (/səˈ(ɡ)wɑːroʊ/ sə-(G)WAR-oh), some Yucca, various bushes and then there's the "Teddy Bear" cactus shining golden in front.

I learned the Teddy Bear was also called the jumping cactus, but now it appears that's not quite true. Cholla in general are "jumping", but this one's nick-name is the teddy bear because the "balls" or "links" at the outer edge have some many spines they look soft and fuzzy. But trust me - they're not. In fact, should you even barely touch it the barbs on the needles will cling quite well (and painfully). Do NOT try to take it off with your hand, but rather use a comb, pliers, or a stick. Despite the name, they do not "jump", but they can come off quite easily - even a moderate breeze. And be careful where you step which is why a fair distance is advised. Saguaro on the other hand can easily be carefully touched without issue. All the same, the desert is a fragile ecology so please don't hit, shoot, or otherwise damage any of them.

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• Sept '26

• Nikon z6iii | f8, 1/320s, ISO-720, 55mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

• Historic Arizona •I have visited San Xavier Del Bac several times in my youth but it has been quite a few decades sinc...
09/15/2026

• Historic Arizona •

I have visited San Xavier Del Bac several times in my youth but it has been quite a few decades since my last visit (I'm not young any more). So while touring the Tucson area I decided to stop by. Here we can see the east bell tower. The towers are distinctive since one has a top tier and the other doesn't.

The original Catholic mission was established north a ways in 1692 but that was destroyed in 1770. They rebuilt this one between 1783 and 1797 making it almost as old as the United States. In that time this was part of Mexico but after the US bought the southern part of what is now Arizona it makes this building the oldest European structure in the state.

Besides its age, it's also a great example of the classic colonial Spanish architecture of the US southwest. For all these reasons along with the religious faithful, it hosts about 200,000 visitors each year. As a historic southwest site, it's a great place for those visiting the southwest to see.

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• Oct '24

• Nikon z6iii | f11, 1/200s, ISO-200, 24mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

• Looking Up •Look! Up in the Sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, no it's.... the SUN! Maybe most of you aren't old enoug...
09/08/2026

• Looking Up •

Look! Up in the Sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, no it's.... the SUN! Maybe most of you aren't old enough to know that opening reference to Superman (instead of the sun), but this is about the looking up in the sky part.

Welcome to INSIDE the McMath-Pierce solar telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. We're looking up from the ground level to the main / primary / objective mirror assembly what moved the mirror to reflect the sun's light down this shaft about twice the distance behind the camera before bouncing back up to another mirror which reflected it down to the observation instrumentation. To me it's a fascinating bit of engineering made for one purpose - observe the sun (though it could also look at the moon).

I love visiting Kitt Peak. The science and the tangible instruments / telescopes make me feel like a kid again with the wonder about the universe. I'm glad they're keeping it alive as the Windows on the Universe Center for Astronomy Outreach. They've retired this once largest solar telescope from active research since newer ones have been built and satellite instruments now do what it once did. Basically, IMO just as this iconic telescope once ignited my interest, it still does for new generations who look up and wonder.

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• Oct '24

• Nikon z6iii | f22, 1/800s, ISO-3200, 70mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

• Time to Stand Still •As I've said about probably all my cave pics, I really like the otherworldly formations we find h...
09/02/2026

• Time to Stand Still •

As I've said about probably all my cave pics, I really like the otherworldly formations we find hidden beneath our feet. So though I don't visit caves as much as I would like, I love seeing them when I can. Now I'm not a real explorer - I've only visit as a tourist in the developed caves. Maybe I should have gotten into spelunking more when I was younger, but life in the city took my time. So if you're young, explore what you want before your time is gone.

I remember first hearing about Kartchner Caverns back in the 80's. By the time it was developed the wait list was a year long. And as I said, raising a family took all my time and money. So when I finally had both time and money, I finally specifically headed back to Arizona to see the caverns and even had enough money to spend for the photo tour (once a month every third Saturday @ $175 /person). But what a way to get some better than average snapshots. You get to take your tripod and they give lots of time to shoot (almost) to my hearts content. One note I will say is follow the guide's guidance... they know where the best areas are and they'll get there, but don't spend too much time where they aren't staying.

And if you're not into photography that much, enjoy any of the tours. If you like caves, these are worth the stop. All the info is at https://azstateparks.com/kartchner

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• Oct '24

• Nikon z6iii | f2.8, .8s, ISO-100, 29mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed

• Pictures From the Past •Hieroglyphics or Petroglyphs? These are Petroglyphs since they are pictures etched into stone...
08/18/2026

• Pictures From the Past •

Hieroglyphics or Petroglyphs? These are Petroglyphs since they are pictures etched into stone. Hieroglyphics are writing (even if a pictorial / icon based writing). To be honest, I knew there was a distinction, but I just learned the writing aspect in researching for this post.

I was at a trade show in Las Vegas a couple of years ago on the way back from my parent's old house so I had my youngest daughter with me. If at all possible, any time I visit Vegas anymore I like to go out to the Valley of Fire (about an hour away). So I convinced her to go out with. Given it was summer, there was still enough daylight left but most of the trails were closed (which we didn't have time for anyway). But it meant we did visit the Petroglyphs that I hadn't stopped for before and at sunset it gave some nice lighting.

I will note that to see these at Atlatl Rock, you have to climb 84 steps - no option for disabled. It's just that rugged of an area but getting to the site is just a short loop drive off the main road.

I've always found such artifacts interesting. Who actually did this. I mean, not the peoples, but the person(s). What was their name? What were they really trying to express? What else did they like to do? Did they think about us - those who might centuries later wonder about them? We'll never know those answers, but I still like to wonder.

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• Jul '24

• Nikon D5200 | f5.6, 1/125s, ISO-360, 29mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

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