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Half-mast
The flag at Ditto Landing is at half-mast.
Why? I’m not sure – this was photographed before the pull-out from Afghanistan. There have been so many tragedies in recent times.
They all start blending together, and we get numb to the sadness.
Beware of Alligators
A sign I thought I’d never see on a trail here in Huntsville! They released several alligators some 20+ years ago in order to control the beaver population, and apparently they can survive the winter here. Sort of reminds me of the 1930s when someone introduced kudzu into the southeastern U.S. as a way to control erosion. Some as long as 12 or 14 feet have been spotted (alligators, not kudzu!). This sign is on the new section of the Singing River Trail behind the new Grissom High School.
There are several ponds along the greenway trail, and this is the largest. Several folks I talked with have spotted a 6 or 8-foot alligator either in this pond, one of the smaller ponds, or basking on the banks near the trails. Well, I’ll not go in search of any of them, but if one does show up, hopefully I’ll have my camera with a long telephoto lens on it!
Posted in Photoblog, Wildlife
Tagged Alligators, Grissom High School, Singing River Trail
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Gargoyles in Downtown Huntsville
Or perhaps I should call them frogoyles! Look closer…
I have known about these for a long time as the only gargoyles in downtown Huntsville, but only recently took close-up photos showing their amphibian nature. They are on the top floor of the Terry-Hutchens Building at Jefferson and Clinton.
Posted in Urban
Tagged Downtown Huntsville, Frogoyles, Gargoyles, Terry-Hutchens Building
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Able and Baker, Monkeynauts
On the side of the newly opened 106 Jefferson, the Hilton Curio Hotel in Downtown Huntsville, are these two delightful creatures. I knew their names as soon as I realized they were up there. They are Able and Baker, the first primates that went into space on a Redstone Rocket designed here in town. Yes, they returned safely, although Able died a few days later from post-flight surgery complications. Baker, whom I had the privilege of meeting, lived out her remaining days of retirement and leisure here at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center and is buried there. 106 Jefferson, still under construction in these photos, has a roof-top bar and grill named after these two monkeys.
Posted in Photoblog, Urban
Tagged 106 Jefferson, Able, Baker, Downtown Huntsville, Hilton Curio Hotel, Monkeynauts, U.S. Space and Rocket Center
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A Study in Whiskers
Old and New
Looking southwest on Jefferson at Spring Street. I see five different fonts being used here. As a youngster, I had my first bank account at the now-defunct Henderson National Bank with its art-deco architecture.
Phill Gibson 