Princeton professor, Bernard Lewis celebrates his 100th birthday today. Perhaps the world’s greatest scholar on the history of Islam, I had the great privilege of sharing a dinner and evening with him a few years ago where he graciously permitted to pose for the following photo. Apparently he is still going strong. Happy Birthday Bernie. In the words of the Jewish blessing, may he live to be 120. We need him.
Today is Bob Dylan’s 75th birthday. While never much of a fan (that second coming of Christ thing back in the 60s kind of put me off), I fully understand the appeal of his music.
CORRECTIONAL FACILTIY, RED WING, MINNESOTA
The correctional facility at Red Wing, Minnesota was Bob’s “College of Knowledge” and overlooks Highway 61. His famous breakout didn’t last very long. He was apprehended by Lake City Sheriff Howard “Toughie” Gludt. Howard was a golf buddy of my father and I had the privilege of playing a few rounds with him.
HOWARD GLUDT TOMBSTONE, LAKE CITY, MINNESOTA
Howard now lies a good nine iron shot from my father in the Lakewood Cemetery in Lake City.
As a result of his brush with Rock and Roll history, Howard made into the title track of Dylan’s most famous album.
“Well Georgia Sam he had a bloody nose
Welfare Department they wouldn’t give him no clothes
He asked poor Howard where can I go
Howard said there’s only one place I know
Sam said tell me quick man I got to run
Ol’ Howard just pointed with his gun
And said that way down on Highway 61″
Thanks for the memories, Toughie Gludt!
IN APPLE BLOSSOM TIME!!
CEDAR WAXWING
MAGNOLIA WARBLER
FEMALE RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD
WILSON’S WARBLER
TENNESSEE WARBLER
BALTIMORE ORIOLE
Spent a few hours digging this skulker out of the shadows. Various views. Enjoy!
WILSON’S WARBLER
NORTHERN WATER SNAKE MATING BALL
THREE HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE
Patiently awaiting the arrival of spring warblers. In the meantime taking advantage of what’s available.
VIRGINA RAIL RUFFLES HIS FEATHERS
WILD TURKEY DISPLAYING
CARDINAL RED ON BLUE
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
GREAT EGRET
Had fun recently shooting some male common mergansers in an early evening feeding frenzy. Normally a difficult bird to get close too, their passion for fishing provided some opportunities for some relatively close encounters.
COMMON MERGANSER
Action can often get hot and heavy!
COMMON MERGANSER SURFACES WITH CATCH!!
EYES ON THE PRIZE!!
Look at those razor-sharp reverse serrations in the bill!!! Not designed for “catch and release”!!
With today’s distressing news coming out of Brussels, I recall the day 18 months ago when I raised a middle finger salute to ISIS and defied their specific threat to hit London Transport and made a pilgrimage from central London out to Runnymede. The Metropolitan Police guarding Waterloo Station, dressed in full Robocop with automatic weapons strapped across their chests and pistols holstered on their thighs (back in my student days they went unarmed!), regarded my heavy camera backpack with suspicion. Nevertheless I was allowed to board the train out to Egham and begin my hike through the rolling meadows along the winding Thames in the west of London.
Runnymede is the world famous meadow where King John signed the Magna Carta on June 15, 1215.
MAGNA CARTA, NICOLAS VINCENT, OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
Oxford University’s Bodleian Library is home to five thirteenth century copies of Magna Carta. The Bodleian is Britain’s oldest library and second only in size to the very modern British Library in central London.
Nicholas Vincent, a world authority on Magna Carta, has just this month released a new treatise which commemorates the 800th anniversary of the signing of the famous charter. It is available from Oxford University Press, the largest book publisher in Europe.
Introduction from Professor Vincent’s magnificent tome: “Magna Carta is the most famous document in English history, arguably in the history of the English-speaking world.”
MAGNA CARTA MEMORIAL, RUNNYMEDE
The memorial was erected in 1959 by the American Bar Association in recognition of America’s legacy of jurisprudence stretching back to Runnymede.
Shortly after posting my photos of that day on my blog, I was contacted by the Bodleian for permission to use the above image in their 800th anniversary project. I’m flattered that they have chosen to display it as a two page centrefold in their flagship Magna Carta anniversary edition. Congratulations to all on a job well done!!
Another image shot that day went into an interactive display at Worcester Cathedral just steps from the royal effigy (best in Britain!) of King John (see above cover). For more on the use of that image, click here.
All in all it proved to be one of my most productive days.
MAGNA CARTA LIBERTATUM
LET FREEDOM RING, BABY!!
LET FREEDOM RING!!
One unexpected treat during my recent Minnesota sojourn was a pair of cooperative Rough-legged Hawks in the nearby state park. Normally a very uncooperative bird, I was lucky to get a couple of close encounters.
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, STATE PARK, FRONTENAC, MINNESOTA
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK
BEARDED TURKEY
Plenty of wild turkey in the region. I was fortunate to catch this strutting Tom in brilliant colour.
A week in the American Mid-West, chasing Bald Eagles on the Upper Mississippi.
READ’S LANDING, LAKE PEPIN, HIAWATHA VALLEY, MINNESOTA
Formerly a wood refueling station for the classic Mississippi steamboats of the 19th century, Read’s Landing is now home to one of the best concentrations of Bald Eagles in the Mid-West, due to its mile expanse of open water.
BALD EAGLE TAKES FLIGHT
Most of the Eagles have come down from Canada to winter in prime fishing territory.
ICE FISHING DERBY ON THE “POND” AT OLD FRONTENAC
Eagles face stiff competition for winter fishing from humans on the Upper Mississippi. Here an annual fishing derby takes place on a backwater channel of the great river near the historic town of Old Frontenac.
FORT ST. ANTOINE
Lake Pepin, Frontenac, River St. Croix, Beauharnois, St. Antoine??? Sounds like shooting in Quebec, n’est-ce pas!! My good friend Jerome will no doubt be pleased that all this territory was first mapped and explored by the French in the 17th century as explained in this historical marker.
