Todd Wright There

Highlights of the 2011 Indianapolis Auto Show

2011-12-27T19:56:00.000-08:00

The Entrance.

Wading through Hyundais to get to the . . .

. . . Jags. They wouldn't let me inside this one. And moments later I was told not even to touch it. I've seen enough of that one.

This model comes with a model.

Perhaps the coolest sedan ever, I give you the Porsche Cayman.

Funny Shopping Bags from Europe

2011-11-14T16:07:00.001-08:00

Crazy Europeans. You're going to need to know what to expect these days if you plan on shopping over there. Forewarned is forearmed!

As always, anything received in email is fair game for posting. These were received from my friend, Dimi.

Another Beautiful Fall Day in Shakertown

2011-09-30T10:14:00.000-07:00

I was in the neighborhood yesterday and decided to stop by for lunch. My lens caught a lot of beautiful views. Click the link to learn more about Shakertown. For tourism info click here.

This is the furniture shop. You can buy all of the furniture pictured below.

Just to prove I was there.

A Shaker cat. I doubt he's celibate though.

The restaurant from the outside.

Nice life.

Now that's an ox!

Up close and personal. He just wanted his head scratched. I obliged him, steering (no pun intended) clear of those horns.

Wieliczka Salt Mine An Astounding Subterranean Salt Cathedral

2011-09-06T10:04:00.000-07:00

I received these photos in email from my friend Rob Rose. And as you know, my policy is that anything received in email is fair game for posting.

Image Credit Flickr user magro kr

Deep underground in Poland lies something remarkable but little known outside Eastern Europe . For centuries, miners have extracted salt there, but left behind things quite startling and unique. Take a look at the most unusual salt mine in the world.

Image Credit Flickr User magro_kr

From the outside, Wieliczka Salt Mine doesnt look extraordinary. It looks extremely well kept for a place that hasnt mined any salt for over ten years but apart from that it looks ordinary. However, over two hundred meters below ground it holds an astonishing secret. This is the salt mine that became an art gallery, cathedral and underground lake.

Image Credit Flickr User teachandlearn

Image Credit Flickr User Zsoolt

Situated in the Krakow area, Wieliczka is a small town of close to twenty thousand inhabitants. It was founded in the twelfth century by a local Duke to mine the rich deposits of salt that lie beneath. Until 1996 it did just that but the generations of miners did more than just extract. They left behind them a breathtaking record of their time underground in the shape of statues of mythic, historical and religious figures. They even created their own chapels in which to pray. Perhaps their most astonishing legacy is the huge underground cathedral they left behind for posterity.

Image Credit Flickr User EnglishGirlAbroad

Image Credit Flickr User bildungsroman

It may feel like you are in the middle of a Jules Verne adventure as you descend in to the depths of the world. After a one hundred and fifty meter climb down wooden stairs the visitor to the salt mine will see some amazing sites. About the most astounding in terms of its sheer size and audacity is the Chapel of Saint Kinga. The Polish people have for many centuries been devout Catholics and this was more than just a long term hobby to relieve the boredom of being underground. This was an act of worship.

Image Credit Flickr User Dimitry B

Image Credit Flickr User PeteReed

Amazingly, even the chandeliers in the cathedral are made of salt. It was not simply hewn from the ground and then thrown together; however, the process is rather more painstaking for the lighting. After extraction the rock salt was first of all dissolved. It was then reconstituted with the impurities taken out so that it achieved a glass-like finish. The chandeliers are what many visitors think the rest of the cavernous mine will be like as they have a picture in their minds of salt as they would sprinkle on their meals! However, the rock salt occurs naturally in different shades of grey (something like you would expect granite to look like).

Image Credit Flickr User Steve_w

Image Credit Flickr User King-of-herrings

Still, that doesnt stop well over one million visitors (mainly from Poland and its eastern European neighbors) from visiting the mine to see, amongst other things, how salt was mined in the past.

Image Credit Flickr User teachandlearn

For safety reasons less than one percent of the mine is open to visitors, but even that is still almost four kilometers in length more than enough to weary the average tourist after an hour or two. The mine was closed for two reasons the low price of salt on the world market made it too expensive to extract here. Also, the mine was slowly flooding another reason why visitors are restricted to certain areas only.

Image Credit Flickr User Wit

The religious carvings are, in reality, what draw many to this mine as much for their amazing verisimilitude as for their Christian aesthetics. The above shows Jesus appearing to the apostles after the crucifixion. He shows the doubter, Saint Thomas , the wounds on his wrists.

Image Credit Flickr User Zsoolt

Another remarkable carving, this time a take on The Last Supper. The work and patience that must have gone in to the creation of these sculptures is extraordinary. One wonders what the miners would have thought of their work going on general display? They came to be quite used to it, in fact, even during the mines busiest period in the nineteenth century. The cream of Europes thinkers visited the site you can still see many of their names in the old visitors books on display.

Image Credit Flickr User teachandlearn

Image Credit Flickr User magro kr

These reliefs are perhaps among some of the most iconographic works of Christian folk art in the world and really do deserve to be shown. It comes as little surprise to learn that the mine was placed on the original list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites back in 1978.

Image Credit Flickr User magro_kr

Image Credit Flickr User magro kr

Image Credit Flickr User teachandlearn

Not all of the work is relief-based. There are many life sized statues that must have taken a considerable amount of time months, perhaps even years to create. Within the confines of the mine there is also much to be learned about the miners from the machinery and tools that they used many of which are on display and are centuries old. A catastrophic flood in 1992 dealt the last blow to commercial salt mining in the area and now the mine functions purely as a tourist attraction. Brine is, however, still extracted from the mine and then evaporated to produce some salt, but hardly on the ancient scale. If this was not done, then the mines would soon become flooded once again.

Image Credit Flickr User Just_tom

Image Credit Flickr User Woodlet

Not all of the statues have a religious or symbolic imagery attached to them. The miners had a sense of humor, after all! Here can be seen their own take on the legend of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. The intricately carved dwarves must have seemed to some of the miners a kind of ironic depiction of their own work.

Image Credit Flickr User Kyle Horner

The miners even threw in a dragon for good measure! Certainly, they may have whistled while they did it but the conditions in the salt mine were far from comfortable and the hours were long the fact that it was subterranean could hardly have added to the excitement of going to work each morning.

Image Credit Flickr User waxorian

Image Credit Flickr User il conte di luna

To cap it all there is even an underground lake, lit by subdued electricity and candles. This is perhaps where the old legends of lakes to the underworld and Catholic imagery of the saints work together to best leave a lasting impression of the mine. How different a few minutes reflection here must have been to the noise and sweat of everyday working life in the mine.

Image Credit Flickr User Matt Kowal

The Bengals Experience

2011-08-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

I haven't had a chance to see the new stadium, so I jumped at the chance to drive up to Cincinnati to watch the pre-season home opener against the Carolina Panthers Thursday night. A good time was had by all.

The stadium by day.

Before the game.

Pre-game warm-ups.

This is Brittney, the featured Ben-gal. She's a kindergarten teacher . . . "but, of course, you are."

Pre-game prayer.

National Anthem.

Someone thought they where wearing their black pants tonight . . .

Action on the field.

A cat on the prowl.

An escalator to heaven.

Serving up drinks.

A break in the action.

Bengal Bob in his natural habitat.

My friend Angie and our adopted son for the game.

Cute!

Some people will do anything to get their faces on the scoreboard.

More action on the field.

Final score: Cinci 24, Carolina 13

A view of the skyline from the stadium.

The stadium by night.

Some views of the picturesque bridge.

Great American Ballpark by night.

Night transit across the river.

Carolina Panthers Kicking Game

2011-08-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of the NFL kicking game, so it was a real thrill for me to get to watch the kickers for the Carolina Panthers, number 5 Adi Kunalic and number 10 Olindo Mare, warming up before their pre-season game Thursday night against the Cincinnati Bengals, as these pictures will attest.

The Todd Wright 1st Annual Little Girl's Birthday Party Photo Contest Nominees (2011)

2011-07-06T04:52:00.000-07:00

My friend Jeana threw a birthday party for her 4-year-old daughter recently. With such uber-adorable subject-matter, I took these world-class pictures of the gala affair. They are listed below at random. Cast your vote for First, Second and Third Place winners in a comment. Voting closes on my birthday, one week from today.

#10

Aroldis Chapman of the Cincinnati Reds

2011-07-05T04:54:00.000-07:00

He's the fastest pitcher on record-ever! He has been clocked at 106 mph. See him now. No telling how long an arm like that can last.

Lexington's Gratz Park Prepped for the 4th, 2011

2011-07-03T22:17:00.000-07:00

No bunting on this one but it's just too beautiful not to post.

The mayor's house.

Reds vs. Yankees, June 23, 2011

2011-06-23T13:49:00.000-07:00

We took the ferry over from the landing at Riverboat Row in Newport, Kentucky. It cost 5 bucks for the round trip. That's me in the Reds hat, holding a Hooters diet Pepsi. I had the grilled grouper sandwich, in anticipation of a brat with sauerkraut at the park, which I was finally ready for in the 8th inning.

We passed the Belle of Cincinnati en route.

We settled into a great upper-deck view of the field, with the Ohio River in the background.

Here I am with my friend Neil, awaiting the first pitch.

Johnny Cueto was on the mound for the Reds.

Some dude (Brian Gordon) was on the hill for the Yanks.

Manager Joe Girardi arguing a call with the ump. It's funny because after a while, they play the sound of a baby crying over the PA system.

Here's Joey Votto, ready for the pitch.

Votto fouling one off.

But the offensive hero of this game was Chris Heisey, who hit there home runs in the Reds' 10-2 victory over the Bronx Bombers, after loosing the first two games of the series.

Here are the fireworks after Heisey's thrid homer of the night. But the real heroes of the game were Cueto and the Reds' bullpen, who only made three of the Reds 10 runs necessary.

Manager Joe Girardi arguing a call with the ump. It's funny because after a while, they play the sound of a baby crying over the PA system.

Joe Girardi handing the ball to one of his relievers.

At the end of a great evening of baseball, we headed back on the boat to Riverboat Row and drove back to Lexington.

Ottawa Tulip Festival 2011

2011-05-19T11:32:00.001-07:00

A few shots from the Ottawa Tulip Festival, taken on 15 May 2011.

And one to prove I was there.

A Real Dog-Lover . . . Get it?

2011-03-09T09:31:00.000-08:00

This story came to me in email (which means it's fair game for posting) from my friend Rob Rose of Carpenter-Warren Insurance Agency (for all your insurance needs . . .). It appears to have originated at Snopes.com.

I've posted it to my travel blog because the story takes place in England.

* * *

True Story.

In 2003, police in Warwickshire , England, opened a garden shed and found a whimpering, cowering dog. The dog had been locked in the shed and abandoned. It was dirty and malnourished, and had quite clearly been abused.

In an act of kindness, the police took the dog, which was a female greyhound, to the Nuneaton Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, which is run by a man named Geoff Grewcock, and known as a haven for animals abandoned, orphaned, or otherwise in need.

Geoff and the other sanctuary staff went to work with two aims: to restore the dog to full health, and to win her trust. It took several weeks, but eventually both goals were achieved. They named her Jasmine, and they started to think about finding her an adoptive home.

Jasmine, however, had other ideas. No one quite remembers how it came about, but Jasmine started welcoming all animal arrivals at the sanctuary. It would not matter if it were a puppy, a fox cub, a rabbit or, any other lost or hurting animal. Jasmine would just peer into the box or cage and, when and where possible, deliver a welcoming lick.

Geoff relates one of the early incidents. "We had two puppies that had been abandoned by a nearby railway line. One was a Lakeland Terrier cross and another was a Jack Russell Doberman cross. They were tiny when they arrived at the centre, and Jasmine approached them and grabbed one by the scruff of the neck in her mouth and put him on the settee. Then she fetched the other one and sat down with them, cuddling them."

"But she is like that with all of our animals, even the rabbits. She takes all the stress out of them, and it helps them to not only feel close to her, but to settle into their new surroundings. She has done the same with the fox and badger cubs, she licks the rabbits and guinea pigs, and even lets the birds perch on the bridge of her nose."

Jasmine, the timid, abused, deserted waif, became the animal sanctuary's resident surrogate mother, a role for which she might have been born. The list of orphaned and abandoned youngsters she has cared for comprises five fox cubs, four badger cubs, fifteen chicks, eight guinea pigs, two stray puppies and fifteen rabbits - and one roe deer fawn. Tiny Bramble, eleven weeks old, was found semi-conscious in a field. Upon arrival at the sanctuary, Jasmine cuddled up to her to keep her warm, and then went into the full foster-mum role. Jasmine the greyhound showers Bramble the roe deer with affection, and makes sure nothing is matted.

"They are inseparable," says Geoff. "Bramble walks between her legs, and they keep kissing each other. They walk together round the sanctuary. It's a real treat to see them."

Jasmine will continue to care for Bramble until she is old enough to be returned to woodland life. When that happens, Jasmine will not be lonely. She will be too busy showering love and affection on the next orphan or victim of abuse.

Pictured from the left are: "Toby", a stray Lakeland dog; "Bramble", orphaned roe deer; "Buster", a stray Jack Russell; a dumped rabbit; "Sky", an injured barn owl; and "Jasmine", with a mother's heart doing best what a caring mother would do...and such is the order of God's Creation.

And, just in case you wondered, Snopes.com has verified the truth of this wonderful story and the reality of these photographs which accompany the story.

So you can pass this story on, and maybe make someone else's day to be just a little brighter!

The World's Biggest Ice Skating Rink

2011-02-27T19:38:00.000-08:00

A short video of the Ottawa/Rideau Canal in winter.

The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder Available Now!

2011-02-27T10:00:00.000-08:00

Update 2/27/11 - Amazon has put The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder on sale for $9.35 ($8.88 for Kindle). Don't know how long this will last. Thanks, Amazon!

Update 2/23/11 - The Facebook launch is official:

E-Launch of The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder

It's official! My book, The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder, is available in both Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Just waiting on Amazon to correct the book description for the paperback before sending out an electronic launch FB event tomorrow.

I'd be honored if you'd buy my book.

Launch Date for Self-Improvement Book Club Murder

2011-02-15T15:20:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: Due to user error (me being the user) the launch date for for The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder has been moved back to the 23rd of February. It will be worth the wait!

* * *

The launch date for The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder will be 16 February. That's the date I anticipate that the softcover version will be available on Amazon. It's already available in Kindle e-book format.

I must say that early "test market" results are very positive. Thanks, everyone, for your interest and encouragement!

Winterlude Ottawa and Gatineau February 2011

2011-02-07T14:42:00.000-08:00

A few shots from Winterlude, which straddles the Ottawa River with snow sculptures on the Gatineau, Quebec, side and ice sculptures on the Ottawa, Ontario, side. We made it to see the snow sculptures.

A nice example of modern art.

Ice slides for the kiddos.

A larger ice slide.

Putting some finishing touches on one of the sculptures.

Parliament Hill across the river in the background.

A nice one of a lumberjack playing an according. Nice spikes.

One of me in front of a hockey scene, just to prove I was there.

A strange one of a skier.

Canadians have their own take on carnival food.

This is the ever-popular (and exceedingly simple) maple syrup on a stick, which is called Maple Taffy.

He pours it out on the snow to cool and while it is still malleable he rolls it up with a popsicle stick.

And here is the final product. How's that for a spokesmodel smile?

I give you the beaver tail, the Canadian answer to funnel cakes. Unlike it's American sister product, the beaver tail comes in both sweet and savory varieties. It's texture is both soft and crispy (better than the funnel cake--sorry Rhonda). The deep-fried dough comes out of the fryer looking like this.

This is the "classique" variety (we were on the French side of the border, so you have to say it that way or they get mad) with cinnamon and sugar.

I had the one made with Nutella (they called it a "hazelnut spread" to avoid copyright infringement, I suppose, but we all knew what they meant).

Here's a closer look at it.

Toronto's CN Tower

2011-02-02T20:16:00.000-08:00

Toronto's CN Tower on a very cold but clear day in January 2011.

Michelle in a "Stop the Madness" pose.

A close up. Actually, this was a candid shot as she prepared for the posed shot.

A cool 1984 view of Toronto behind Michelle.

My just-to-prove-I-was-there shot.

This is a shot of our feet, standing on glass 81 stories over Toronto. It gave me the heebie-jeebies--I don't have that much faith in technology--but Michelle was out in the middle with a bunch of kids--no impulse control.

A great opportunity for advertising when it snows. Enlarge this one to see the heart drawn in the snow behind the buildings.

A boat breaking through the ice.

A Canadian National locomotive, the namesake of the tower.

Jim's Seafood on the Kentucky River in Frankfort, Kentucky

2010-12-28T11:54:00.001-08:00

Jim's Seafood on the Kentucky River in Frankfort is an old school Kentucky restaurant. It's been there, according to the hostess, forever.

It sits on one of the Kentucky River's locks.

While it isn't what you would call picturesque . . .

. . . what with the carcasses of boats . . .

. . . and barges on the far bank, it is interesting and makes for an interesting meal, especially for kids (like me).

Here's one just to show I was there. Jim's is old school right down to the scoop of cole slaw with captain's wafer crackers on the side, sweet tea and ice water you don't have to ask for . . .

. . . and soft round mints for sale on your way out. Now that's a true, locally-owned Kentucky restaurant for you. I neglected to take a picture of my main course of Alaskan whitefish, oysters, and deviled crab, all of it fried, of course. They have broiled selections, which I intended to have, but at the last minute I changed my order and in the commotion forgot to specify . . . and, of course, fried is the default option. But I'll be returning to Jim's and I'll add a photo of the entree at a later date.

Trees and Waterfowl on the Ottawa River

2010-10-27T19:22:00.000-07:00

Today, a beautiful fall day, one hour before sunset.

Seagull standing on a rock in the background.

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

2010-10-11T08:36:00.000-07:00

Ottawa is a beautiful city, especially when you catch her on a crisp fall day with fall colors in full swing. Be sure to click on each photo, then click on the photo a second time for some great--as if you were there--detail.

A view of downtown Ottawa from the balcony, and the Ottawa River.

A view of the Ottawa skyline from the balcony, using a telephoto lens.

A view of the Peace Tower from Major's Hill Park.

A government building beside Major's Hill Park.

A view of the Ottawa Locks.

View from Parliament Hill of the the twin spires of Notre-Dame Cathedral.

View of the Ottawa River and the Supreme Court Building from Parliament Hill.

A view of the Peace Tower.

The Centre Block.

Library of Parliament.

A nice shot of the East Block Tower, part of Parliament Hill.

The "to prove I was there" shot, me beside the Centennial Flame.

Wayne County, Indiana

2010-06-18T12:27:00.000-07:00

In June 2010, I went to visit my Aunt Ruth and Uncle Quentin, who live in Richmond, Indiana. Richmond is a 45-minute drive west from Dayton, Ohio. They live in town now, but they will always be farmers at heart. We have a tradition when I go up there. Uncle Quentin drives me around Wayne County, showing me all the places of interest, some of them the same as my last visit, and sometimes things have changed.

Vote for your favorite photo in a comment.

The tradition begins with a heavy lunch (dinner, as it's called in those parts, and not all that long after a heavy country breakfast) at the current "greasy spoon" of choice. These days its Greens Fork Family Diner in Economy. That's my 80-year-old uncle--he doesn't look 80, does he?

Farmers love to eat. I guess that's why they went into the food business. That's me on the right (just to prove I was there). The special was Roast Beef Manhattan--big city food. We had the special.

Day lilies were in bloom EVERYWHERE in Wayne County.

Wayne County free-range chickens. These were laying hens.

A wood carving of Joseph Terhaar, the patriarch of this farm. He was killed by a bull in 1967.

Wayne County is Amish country now. Here is a typical example of a modern Amish house.

This is a modern Amish farm operation, bought with money from a buy-out in central Pennsylvania, where the property prices are much higher than in Indiana. That's why the Amish have migrated here.

Here is an Amish man working on his footbridge.

Here is an Amish man working his field.

A closer look. Amish people don't believe in taking pictures of themselves. I hope he wasn't offended. It was just such a great shot--epic.

The tradition continues with a trip to the Amish store in Fountain City.

The Amish store. I purchased cashew butter, almond butter and chocolate peanut butter to augment our supply of peanut butter produced locally here in Lexington (JIF).

Amish candy.

Amish preserves.

Amish bread and pies, rhubarb, peace and blueberry. Angel food cake too.

The Levi Coffin House (not Amish), also in Fountain City, was an important stop on the Underground Railroad. You can read more about it here.)

Here is a little more information.

The Arboretum in Lexington, Kentucky

2010-05-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

If you live in Lexington, if you're visiting or just passing through, don't visit the Arboretum--it's already overrun. You're not missing anything anyway . . .

This rose is so Kentucky.

Amazing. The eye doesn't know what to do with this flower. It's the same way in person.

Very "green" but ultimately impractical.

The birds are frightened away because they think these bird baths are giant, bird-eating mushrooms. Go figure.

Great place for a wedding.

Kiev, Ukraine

2010-05-10T02:09:00.000-07:00

St. Sophia Cathedral

A Ukrainian Orthodox Service (audio only). Play it while you look at the pictures.

St Michael's Cathedral

To prove I was there.

St Michael's Cathedral

The National Museum of Capodimonte

2010-04-08T16:08:00.000-07:00

Some pictures from the National Museum of Capodimonte in Naples, Italy.

Kid's playing soccer in front of the Capodimonte Museum.

A bust from the Roman era.

A painting by El Greco.

A vase from the Napoleonic Era. This would be like if Barack Obama had a vase made with his face on it today--kind of cheesy.

This place was a palace before it was a museum.

Amazing detail in this room.

An interior as it would have looked.

A painting by a Dutch artist (I'm not sure which one; if you know please tell me).

A painting by Titian of The Farnese Pope Paul III. This entire collection is called the Farnese Collection because it was owned by the Farnese family.

According to the audio guide, this painting, Antea by Il Parmigianino, is the most important work in the Farnese Collection.

An interior shot. It really is a beautiful, well-done museum.

And to prove I was there, here I am in front of a painting by Atimesia Gentileschi called Giuditta e Oloferne. Having been raised in the Protestant tradition, I was unfamiliar with the story of Giuditta and Oloferne. Catholics will recognize the story of Judith and Holofernes from the Book of Judith, part of the Catholic Bible.

The Isle of Capri

2010-03-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

The view from the ferry.

One of the many ferries that service Capri.

To the left along the waterfront is the entrance to the Funiculare, which takes you up to the Piazzetta. It wasn't running on the day we were there. So we used the buses. You can also rent scooters, if you're brave enough.

A random terrace.

Just water.

One lucky lizard.

One lucky bird, flying amongst the famous Rocks of the Sirens.

Another view of one of the Rocks of the Sirens.

One lucky cat.

Marina Piccola.

A lucky duck (seagull) in Marina Piccola.

I enhanced this shot a little. It looks like an old postcard.

A shot of the coastline through the pines.

I have this one on my computer desktop. Feel free to use it for that yourself. Very peaceful.

This proves I was there.

On a clear day . . .

Nice garden.

Dome of the Church of St. Stefano.

A view of St. Stephano from the Piazzetta. The church seems to have a halo in this picture.

Inside the church.

One of the many little streets around the Piazzetta.

A look at the putty colored bell tower in the Piazzetta.

Another view of the bell tower.

The Piazzetta.

A nice hotel.

A lucky dog in Anacapri.

Leave a comment if you like these pictures. Tell me which is your favorite.