Brown Pelican in Philadelphia Zoo

We saw this brown pelican in the Philadelphia Zoo on 22nd March 2008. There is nothing special about pelican and we have seen it many times in the wild or the zoo. From what we learned, this pelican is different. It was injured in the wild and rescued by wildlife rehabilitation centers. Because of its injuries, it was just unable to go back to wild. After we learned that, we really have mixed feeling on this pelican. We were happy to see them in the zoo. On the other hands, it was sad to see that they were not able to go back to their normal life. In their case, the zoo was like hospital to them.

Peacock in Philadelphia Zoo

When we were in the Philadelphia Zoo on 22nd March 208, we saw many peacocks running around within the zoo in the walkway and driveway. We walked and they walked. As you know, male peacocks carry beautiful long feathers in their backs. We saw a couple of peacock openings while we were there. They were so pretty and attracted big crowd of people.

This photograph was taken when that peacock was about to finish up its opening but the feathers were not completely closed up. From its back, it really looked like a beautiful lady skirt. The zoo must have fed them nicely. The feather looked so shiny and healthy. Zoologists must have researched peacock diet really well to grow such pretty feathers.

Alligator Snapping Turtle in Philadelphia Zoo

We saw this Alligator Snapping Turtle in Philadelphia Zoo on 22nd March 2008. It stays still most of the time and looked old. At our first sight, we thought that it is old and therefore it does not want to move much. After talking to the volunteer at the zoo right by the turtle water tank, he changed what we thought completely. This turtle is already 80 years old and we were right about it. The way Snapping Turtle getting food is quite fascinating. When it is hungry, all it has to do is to open its mouth and stay still. The turtle has something special in its mouth which lures fish. When a fish comes by, the turtle shuts its mouth and traps the fish. So, the turtle has a good reason not to move too much and aging is not a factor at all.

Fortunately, human does not get food that way. Otherwise, everyone would stay still waiting for food to come alone. There would not be any social gathering, party, or things like that.

Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison

On 2nd May 2007, we took a walking tour in Madison, Wisconsin around the University of Wisconsin at Madison campus. Madison is a beautiful city. When we were there, we felt that the city was alive and energetic. Just a short walk, we reached the Wisconsin State Capitol. This Capitol was completed in 1917. It is 284.4 feet high from the ground floor to the top of the statue on the dome and just three feet and one-half inch shorter than the Capitol in DC. We think that the difference in height must be intentional.

The exterior of this Capitol is constructed with White Bethel Vermont granite which is considered to be the hardest and most durable stone using in construction.

Cheetah in Philadelphia Zoo

When we visited the Philadelphia Zoo on 22nd March 2008, there were 3 cheetahs out in a small area. It was sad to see that since cheetah is capable of running over 60 miles per hour. So, those 3 cheetahs might not have enough exercise and they have no way to practice their great running technique. On the other hands, the zoo did a wonderful job keeping the cheetahs healthy and energetic.

Even though cheetah can run very fast, they can only sustain that speed in a very short distance. So, the wild cheetah would sneak as close to their prey as possible before they start the chase. Cheetah knows how to work around its limitation.

Peacock Opening in Philadelphia Zoo

We have seen peacock opening before. It is a rare occasion and we have to be extremely lucky to see it. On 22nd March 2008, our good friends, Yu and Yudong, took us to the Philadelphia Zoo. We were so amazed to see so many peacocks running around in the zoo and we were lucky enough to see a couple of peacock openings. The opening was so beautiful and many people stopped and watched the whole event.

As you know, the male peacock opening is to attract female peacock. When that male peacock opened up, he tried very hard to dance facing some female peacocks. However, those female peacocks simply ignored it and looked away. They might have seen too many of those, nothing special any more.

African Elephant in Philadelphia Zoo

There is nothing we need to say about this picture. What you think this elephant was doing is absolutely right. On 22nd March 2008, we visited the Philadelphia Zoo, America's first zoo with some good friends. In the 40 acre land, the zoo has so many displays. We did not have to hike several miles to see the displays. While we walked by to see the African elephants, one of them was doing the thing. We were so lucky to have our cameras with us. The process took place in about 10 seconds. We heard one of the ladies close-by saying that it was like a water hose. That was a very precise description and we could not agree more.

Philadelphia Downtown in Pennsylvania

In most of the big city downtowns, there are a bunch of skyscrapers. Most of the time, if we look from above, they alway look good. However, viewing over Philadelphia downtown at 400 ft high on the Philadelphia Zoo balloon is one of most beautiful cities we have ever seen. There is a river running around it and a highway by the river. The view is just gorgeous. On 22nd March 2008, we traveled to Philadelphia and got on to the balloon in the Philadelphia Zoo. It was well worth the effort.

On the balloon, we stood inside the round basket covering with nets all over for our safety. However, for photography, the basket with net made it so difficult to take pictures. Luckily, the holes on the net are just big enough for the lens to get through. The trick was to use left hand to hang on the rail so that we could stand still. Then, used right hand only to hold the camera with the lens through the net, and had the index finger release the shuttle. It was hard to do all above at the same time but most normal human beings could do that.

Crocodile and Alligator in Philadelphia Zoo

What is the difference between a crocodile and an alligator? We have this question for a long time but we never have a chance to get the answer. When we visited the Philadelphia Zoo on 22nd March 2008, the volunteer, Adrienne, gave us the answer. She explained to us in great detail by holding fake skulls of crocodile and alligator to show us their difference.

In this picture, the left one (on her right hand) is crocodile and the right one (on her left hand) is alligator. Crocodiles tend to have more pointed "V"-shaped noses while alligators have a wide "U"-shaped rounded snout like a shovel. In Crocodiles, the upper jaw and lower jaw are approximately the same width. So, teeth in the lower jaw fit along the margin of the upper jaw when the mouth shuts. Only a few front teeth are shown for crocodiles. In alligators, the upper jaw is wider than the lower jaw and completely overlaps it. Therefore, when the mouth closes, the teeth in the lower jaw are almost completely hidden. Teeth are shown all around the mouth for alligator.

If you really see a wild crocodile or an alligator, make sure that you are safe before you are trying to figure out whether it is crocodile or alligator. They can be very still. But, when either one attacks, it will be extremely fast and you will not have time to get away.

Float House in Victoria

Many people would like to sleep on water beds. We think the reason of that may be because people like the feeling of floating in water which is very relaxing. For most of the water bed owners, they spend about one third of the time on the water beds in 24 hours on the average. There is one way to be able to float in water all day if you live in a float house like this one.

We saw a lot of float houses in Victoria when Joyce and Bennet took us to tour the island on 9th September 2006. Those float houses have all the features most regular houses have, patio, bedrooms, living room, hardwood floor, etc. We think the major difference between a float house and a regular house is the yard. For float houses, the front and back yards are the sea. So, they go to the yard to row a boat but not basketball, for instance.

If you worry that the float house would sink, relax. One of the float houses was on sale while we were there and the sign had this statement "Positive floatation, i.e. cannot sink".

Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria

On 9th September 2006, our good friends, Joyce and Bennet, took us to tour Victoria in Canada. One of the places we visited was the Craigdarroch Castle. This castle was built by Robert Dunsmuir in late 19th century to symbolize his wealth and assert his social status. Materials used to build this castle included stone, stained glass, wrought iron, and fine woods. Designers, craftsmen, and materials were drawn from all over North American through the transcontinental rail systems.

Craigdarroch Castle was completed in 1890. However, Robert Dunsmuir died in 1889 before the completion of this gorgeous mansion.

Balloon in Philadelphia Zoo

We have known about big balloon for taking people up in the sky for a long time. On 22nd March 2008, we finally had a chance to get on one in the Philadelphia Zoo. This helium balloon lifted to 400 ft high and stayed there for several minutes before it came back down. While we were up in the sky, we had a beautiful view of Philadelphia downtown. After talking to the operators there, we realized that they used hot air balloon before but switched to helium to save the energy cost and increase safety factor this year. They would also stop running the balloon when the wind was over 25 miles per hour and it could take only 20 people at a time.

Early in the morning, they were testing the balloon to see whether it was suitable to let people in. An hour later, nature was cooperating and we were so lucky to get on to it.

Spiderman in Philadelphia Zoo

On 22nd March 2008, our good friends, Yu and Yudong, took us to the Philadelphia Zoo. Their son, Ethan, 3.5 years old, went to the zoo with us, of course. Ethan was so excited and had so much energy. He could run around non-stop for several hours in the zoo without getting tired at all. In other words, getting Ethan to stay still for 5 minutes in the zoo was very difficult. However, there was one way to do that. Ethan agreed to have his face paint as Spiderman. While his face was being painted by the painter, he sat still there for 5 minutes and he did not even say a word the whole time.

This photo was taken right after the face painting was done. The painter really did a wonderful job to do that. There was no pain to Ethan at all to get the Spiderman face. But, it was painful for him to get the paint washed away.

Goat in Boone

Can you tell this is goat or sheep? We took this picture when we went camping at the KOA Campground in Boone, North Carolina with some very good friends on the last weekend of October in 2007. In fact, there are several ways to distinguish goat from sheep.

Goat says "maa" and sheep says "baa". This picture has no sound and so you can not say. Goat's tail goes up and sheep's tail hangs down. You do not see tail in this picture and so you can not tell. Goats are natural browsers and they prefer to eat leaves and shrubs. Sheeps are grazers and they like to eat short grass and clover. Well, this one on the picture is not eating and so you can not decide.

The answer is goat. The hint is from other pictures we took in the campground. The tail is up and that is why it is a goat.

Bird in Bronx Zoo

Some wise people may tell you not to believe everything you see. Magicians are the ones who say that all the time. We do not do any magic at all. We took this picture on 24th May 2005 in Bronx Zoo in the state of New York. But, be careful not to be fooled by this photo.

At first sight, you may think that the bird on a tree is looking over a wide area of open space with hills far away. Well, here is the truth. The bird is real and so is the tree, although we think the tree may be dead branches. The open space and the hills are actually coming from a big poster by the wall in the back of the exhibit room. With proper lighting in the room, this photo would really make you think we were in countryside taking the picture.

Tiger in Bronx Zoo

On 24th May 2005, we spent several hours in Bronx Zoo in the state of New York. We were so lucky that we were there when the zoo keepers fed the tigers. Of course, they fed them with meat. Because of the feeding activity, we saw all the tigers. We spotted this one sitting like a cat. No wonder why people call tiger big cat.

Mist in Niagara Falls

On 24th June 2005, we visited the famous Niagara Falls with some good friends. We did not have much time to spend there. Otherwise, we would have taken a boat ride such as the one on this picture. That boat will take you to a spot which is very close to where the water are coming down. Because there are huge amount of water coming down, it creates a big mist. Therefore, everyone on the boat is wearing a plastic blue color rain coat.

Spider in the National Gallery of Canada

On 22nd June 2005, we visited Ottawa in Canada for a day. There were so much to see there but we just did not have enough time. We passed by the National Gallery of Canada and saw that huge spider, a giant bronze sculpture named Maman. Maman is 30 feet tall. In her belly, she carries a sac of 26 pure white marble eggs. She was created by Louise Bourgeius in 1999, casted in 2003 and has traveled around the world.

With Maman standing by the front door of the National Gallery of Canada, it has become a landmark of Ottawa.

International Bridge in Thousand Islands

On 23rd June 2005, we traveled to Rockport in Ontario, Canada to get on a ferry to visit the Boldt Castle. On the way there, the ferry passed by 2 islands joined by a short bridge. In this picture, the island on the left is in Canada and the one on the right is in USA. So, the bridge is actually an international bridge across 2 countries.

This must be the shortest international bridge in the world. We are wondering whether there are any US and Canada Customs on these 2 islands.

Lower Falls in Johnston Canyon

On 12th September 2006, we spent a day in the Banff National Park in Canada. By the end of that day, we walked into the beautiful Johnston Canyon. It would take about an hour to hike up to the top and we did that. Along the way, we stopped for a few minutes enjoying the scene and the environment of the Lower Falls. This picture was taken from there.

This canyon is relatively new. It was formed by the water in the past 8000 years. Inside the canyon, it was cool, moist, and shady. It was just so peaceful in that environment.

Turtle in the "Serenade of the Sea"

By the end of January 2008, we went on board of the cruise ship named "Serenade of the Sea" by Royal Caribbean International. That was our first time taking a cruise trip. Once we got on the ship, our first impression of the ship was that it was a big moving hotel. We ate all the meals and slept on the ship. We shopped on the ship. And, we had all kinds of entertainment on the ship. One thing on the ship which was so different from a regular hotel was the room service.

The room service attendant went into our rooms to take care of things twice a day. Every night after all the activities when we went back to our rooms, there was alway a "Towel Art" which was very interesting to look at. One of them was a turtle which was made with a few towels. The towels were just regular, nothing special. With just a little creativity, some towels were transformed into a turtle.

Even though we had a whole day activity and we were tired, we would dissemble the "Towel Art" to learn how to reproduce it. Later on, we found that the ship offered class to teach how to do that. Anyway, we had so much fun just to take the turtle apart trying to learn how several towels came together in a creative way.

Anse La Raye in St. Lucia

On 30th January 2008, we spent a day in St. Lucia as a part of the Caribbean cruise trip. We took a local tour heading to the volcano by Soufriere. On the way there, we stopped at a spot up in the hill overlooking the beautiful fishermen village, Anse La Raye. It was far away from us. Luckily, we had our telephoto 70-300mm zoom lens with us and we were able to take some nice shots.

From what we learn, many buildings there are over 100 years old representing typical French and English colonial architecture. Our tour bus drove by that village. People there were happy and busy. Unfortunately, we did not have time to stop there to talk to them.

Ostrich in North Carolina Zoo

On 10th June 2007, we visited the North Carolina Zoo with good friends, Kevin, Lori, and Alexis. Going to zoo has always been one of our favorite activities. Photographing animal is hard since the animals are running around. If they are not moving, the angle and the lighting may not be good for nice shots. Some of the zoos have fences and nets between us and the animals which make photography very difficult. In North Carolina Zoo, the design minimizes the usage of fences and nets. Therefore, we would have much better chances to take some good photos.

When we pointed our cameras to this ostrich, it just looked at us. Ostrich has very good eyesight and maybe it is trying to check out what lenses we were using. Ostrich can run as fast as 40 miles/hour. So, if it decided to come over to take our cameras, we just had to surrender. Luckily, ostrich can not fly.

Derek in Atlanta

In April 2007, we spent a weekend in Atlanta visiting our good friends, Steve and Ani. They took us to the Georgia Aquarium. Their son, Derek, 14 months old by that time came along with us. He was extremely interested in everything he saw in the aquarium. Not just him, for us, it was fascinating too. Derek was particularly interested in swimming fishes, big or small. Even though he was young, he knew that the fishes would look clearer if he got closer to the glass to avoid the glare. He was so smart.

We were watching him and found that the glass reflection made a double of him. It was like Derek was looking at himself. However, we assure you that his attention was in fact the fishes.

Bell Tower in Chapel Hill

When I visited my grandfather when I was little, he had a mechanical clock which would make sound on the hour and half hour. If it was at 3 o'clock, it would make "Dong" 3 times. I was extremely fascinated by that. At night while everyone was sleeping, I would wake up and counted the number of "Dong". It was really one of my childhood dreams to get a clock like that. Many years later, we found that clocks like that were not too expensive at all. So, we told ourselves that we would get one sooner or later. Then, we saw this Bell Tower in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus. The Bell Tower does what our dream clock does and more. It is huge and it can even play some music. That is no way we can own a clock like the Bell Tower. After we get older, we finally realize that there is no reason to own everything nice out there as long as we cherish and enjoy it. So, every time I walk by the Bell Tower, I look up and have a smile on my face.

This picture was taken on 24th January 2007 when we walked by it. The sun was shining from a good angle. Trees with no leaves were not blocking the view. We were simply lucky to find a nice angle for a nice photo of the Bell Tower. Unfortunately, this picture does not do "Dong" at all.

Lady in Antigua

On 29th January 2008, we had about half an hour wandering the beautiful Dickinson Bay in Antigua. There were so much to see there and many people enjoying their time in the beach. Therefore, we simply kept our cameras up, took a lot of pictures. Most of the time, we released the shutters without too much thinking of whether that was a nice picture or not. Maybe, that is the difference between film and digital photography. With a film camera, there is no such thing as "Delete" button.

We took this picture there without much thought about it. When we came home and reviewed all the photos we took, this one caught our eyes. It is simple, nice, and neat. A lady walked to the ocean enjoying the warm water and the view. We, as photographers, enjoyed documenting such a moment on a photograph.

Volcano in St. Lucia

We visited St. Lucia as a part of our cruise trip to the Carribean on 30th January 2008. One of the famous places there to visit is the live volcano near the town of Soufriere (French for Sulfur). From what we learn, that is the world's only drive-in volcano. The white smoke in the picture is actually water steam. The yellow-greenish stuff is sulfur.

As of today, there is no way to record smell. Otherwise, it would be very nice if you see this photo and at the same time smell what we smelled there. We can describe the smell there as rotten eggs. The volcano tour guide told us that the smell is good for our sinuses. We could not tell since we were there just half an hour.

Lunch at Sea in Barbados

How often would you have lunch at sea? You may answer "once a while". But, how often would you have lunch at sea in January winter time in swim suit? Your answer would most likely be "hardly". These people in their swim suits were having lunch on a catamaran at sea in Barbados on 31st January 2008.

So, are you jealous now?

"Young Man and the Sea" in Barbados

On 31st January 2008, we spent a day in Barbados by taking a Snorkeling trip. So, we were on a catamaran at sea most of the time during that day. Taking pictures on a catamaran was not easy at all. It was bumpy. By the time we were about the release the shutter, a wave might come it and move our target away. Anyway, we managed to take some photos.

However, if we forgot about our cameras trying to enjoy the environment, it was wonderful and peaceful. We took a picture for this man sitting in the front of the boat enjoying himself. Maybe, he was in a deep thought of something. We are so sure that anyone would be able to solve some difficult problems in that environment. If you do not believe so, try it yourself and you will see.

Live Oak in Bald Head Island

In June 2007, we were invited by Carol and Ed to visit the Bald Head Island by the coast of North Carolina. Even though it has been highly developed as a top notched vacation home site, it keeps its natural beauty in a lot of areas on the island. We found this Live Oak while we drove around with a golf cart.

If you like science as much as we do, you may want to know more about Live Oak. It is evergreen unlike some other oak trees. Dry southern Live Oak lumber has a specific gravity of 0.88 which is the highest of any American hardwood. In fact, the warship, USS Constitution, made with southern Live Oak was known to repel bullet shots.

Tulip in Carolina Inn

The name "Tulip" has always been associated with Holland. In fact, tulip is not a dutch flower. It is originated from Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey and other parts of Central Asia. We like tulip a lot because of its arrogant but simple look.

Tulips are often used in urban landscaping. In early April 2006, we walked by the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. There were thousands of brooming tulips on display right in front of the Inn front door. We spotted these 2 tulips, one white one yellow, one high one low, complimenting to each other nicely in a picture. This photo was taken later in the afternoon and therefore the lighting was nice and soft.

Poppy in Chapel Hill

Spring is always the best time to walk away and take pictures for flowers. On 14th May 2006, we had our camera with us and took a walk around our neighborhood. There were so many beautiful flowers in our neighbors' front yards. We really mean front yard since we have no intention to step on neighbors' properties.

We believe our neighbors' back yards would have a lot more beautiful flowers to enjoy seeing and picture-taking. However, just the front yards, we had more than we can handle. This poppy was one of the pictures we took on that day.

Bee in Chapel Hill

We always like to take pictures for flowers. Here are the reasons. First, they do not run around so that we can position ourselves for the best angle easily. Second, if we go somewhere to take pictures for flowers, there are usually a lot so that we will not be bored. Third, the owners of the flowers are usually very happy to have their flowers picture taken which is a big plus. We admire their work by photographing their products. In fact, we think that gardeners are great people. They have patience and knowledge to do something which do not produce results as soon as they are finished working on it. It takes months even years to see any observable output from their work.

During the spring time in 2006, we walked around the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina and spotted this flower. We took a few pictures and all of a sudden, a bee flew over. We had only half of a second to take this picture, then the bee was gone. We were so fortunate to get this. Again, the nature was helping us to do a better job in photography. Some people might want to call that luck.

White Rose in Chapel Hill

We have not met anyone who does not like rose. However, we have met only a handful of people who know how to grow rose. One of our neighbors, Jasmin, knows exactly how to grow arrogant looking rose. This is one of her brilliant production. When we saw it in early June 2005, we just had to take some pictures. We were simply too excited taking a bunch of pictures, then, we realized that we could enhance its charm by spraying a few water drops on it. We did and we were glad to see the wonderful effect of the water drops in the pictures. So, this picture has some human touch effects in it.

Castillo San Felipe del Morro in Old San Juan

On 2nd February 2008, we visited the famous Castillo San Felipe del Morro in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was built as a fortress as a part of a massive defensive system by the Spaniards starting in 1539. The Spanish Empire was able to control access and commerce in and out with this fortress for over 250 years.

The lighthouse on this picture was rebuilt in 1908 by the US Navy after shellfire from their warship damaged it during the Spanish-American war in 1898.

There are three flags fly over the fortress, the US flag, the Puerto Rican flag, and the old Spanish military flag, known as the Cross of Burgundy.

Presbyterian Church in Old San Juan

On 2nd February 2008, we were wandering around Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. There were so many beautiful buildings in that area. When we saw them, we simple took some pictures. At the same time, we felt so bad that we did not do enough research about Old San Juan before our visit. It was almost like going to a chemistry class without knowing what chemistry was in advance. Anyway, when we saw this building, there was no doubt in our minds that it was a church. To be exact, it is the Presbyterian Church which has magnificent design with rich history.

From what we learn, the origins of the church began with a wedding. One of the members of the church married an Irish man, Mr. Hugh O'Neill. He in turn invested US$15,000, which was used to buy the building in 1907. Since then the church has been in service for over 100 years.