Gettysburg Battlefield II–Devil’s Den

At the southern end of the battlefields in Gettysburg, there is a formation of rocks known as Devil’s Den. Located at the base of Little Round Top, the formation of rocks played a strategic role in the battle. Some of the fiercest fighting took place here.

A view of Devil’s Den, as seen from Little Round top.

Devil’s Den

The rocks are full of gaps and crevices, where soldiers could hide and move.

Little Round Top, seen from Devil’s Den

Looking roughly southward, from the high ground at Devil’s Den. It is from this direction the Confederate Army charged, driving out the Union Forces on the second day of the battle.

Next to Devil’s Den is a field of rocks, where intense fighting took place. It is here that many, many soldiers from both sides fell. This area has become known as the Slaughter Pen (this photo is a long, panoramic shot. Click on the photo to see the whole picture).

Thanks for visiting, and for allowing me to engage in a small history lesson as I show off my pictures. It is amazing how a couple days reading signs can make one an “expert”! It did not hurt that I found a good book at the library on the civil war, sort of a Civil War for Dummies type of book. It was called “Civil War for Dummies” (really!).

Gettysburg

My family and I recently took a vacation out east, and spent several days in Gettysburg, PA.  We found it to be a charming town, and an incredibly interesting battlefield park.  Our first day there, we took the Auto Tour around the battlefield, following the course of the battle, and marveling over the countless monuments and memorials.  I highly recommend this tour as a great way to start your visit, and get a general feel for the course of the battle. 

Here are just a tiny fraction of the shots I took there (no pun intended). 

The scenery around the park was beautiful, with mountains in the distance, and the old fashion fences, that I just love.  A photograph cannot do justice to the views.

As you can see, the next couple of shots are from the:

The landscape has, in many cases, been brought back to the condition it was in at the time of the battle.  This view down the cannon barrel (located next to the above monument) gives a nice feel for what the soldiers would have seen.  Minus the thousands of armed opponents, of course.

As you can see, we were not the only tourists enjoying the sunny, hot day.

As I mentioned before, there were countless monuments.  Here is the North Carolina monument…

And the memorial to the First Pennsylvania Cavalry.

Ok, you know I could not go an entire post without a little bit of wildlife.  This little guy (and I do mean little) was crawling up a rock while I was looking at another memorial.

 

Thanks for visiting.  I have a lot more to share, so come back again soon!

Kitchen Close Ups

Well my photo project is nearing an end.  It has not worked quite as I wanted.  I was suppose to take a close up each day, but at times I have missed days and had to take 2 or 3 at a time to make up.  I have learned a lesson – do not plan projects like this when you will be taking a major cross country vacation.

Some good news though, I have many MANY pictures from Pennsylvania and Virginia, and will have lots of pictures to post.  Pictures that are NOT close ups!

But now, back to the subject at hand.  Today my inspiration hit me while cooking some pasta for a salad.  And so the theme of todays close up entries:  Kitchen Close Ups.

The spray nozzle on a can of non-stick spray:

The clock on my microwave oven (bet you cannot guess what time I took this picture!):

And my favorite, the flame on my gas stove:

I will be getting back to my usual varied assortment of subjects, especially nature and wildlife, soon.  Thanks for bearing with me while I experiment.  And, as always, thanks for stopping by.

Days 23 and 24

Day 23

The plug end of my son’s earbuds.

Day 24

I did one end yesterday, now for the other end.

Day 22

A little beetle I found at the campsite.

Three more close ups

I have been on the road, vacationing with my family, so I have not had steady access, or time, to post pictures.  These three should bring me up to date.

DAY 19

Can you guess where we are on vacation?  And can you guess what this is?

Yep, you were right!  It is the wheel hub of a cannon on top of Devils Den, in Gettysburg Battlefield Park!

Here is another from Gettysburg:

The lettering above is from this monument:

Just to show there is more than just history at Gettysburg, here is a simple flower from next to the monument above.

There will be more to come!

Days 17 and 18

Day 17

Lichen growing on some rock next to our campsite.

Day 18

I was trying to get a picture of the flowerhead on this weed when this little bug came in for a landing.  As they say, timing is everything!

Days 15 and 16

Here are a couple more from my collection of close ups.  Halfway through the month, folks.

DAY 15

I hope none of you out there are pharmacists.  If you are, then you can probably tell what kind of pill I take every day.

DAY 16

Living on the edge.  The knife edge that is.   Hmmmm it does not look nearly so sharp from this perspective.  I thought my steak was just tough.

I will be heading out for a bit of traveling soon, so my posts may be a bit less frequent.  It all depends on my access to internet.  But rest assured, the photography will continue, and I will post as I am able.

Day 14

Price check on aisle 3!!!!!!!

Day 13

This shot is the result of a walk with my wife.  Our coriopsis flowers are in full bloom and were just shouting out to be photographed. 

Flowers are always fun to capture.  It is hard to go wrong!

Day 12

Here is another quickie.  The result of looking over my shoulder at my wife’s sewing cabinet.  I am sure you get the point!

Not quite as sharp as I would like (the photo, not the pin), but still a fun shot.  Thanks for visiting.

Day 11

I found this maple seed on a short walk today.  I thought it would make a fine subject for today’s close up.

Day 10

It is day 10, a third of the way through my month of close ups.  It was a busy day, so just a quickie today.  Something fun…

 

It is a holiday after all, a good day for playing cards.

 

A Weekend Walk

I finally got out to go on a safari today.  It has been a long time, what with work, kids activities, and some personal health issues.  But today the weather was perfect, and I got out.  I just went to the local park and boat launch, at the end of our road, but it was a wonderful outing.

The orange lilies were in bloom, a sure way to know you are in the middle of summer.

A goldfinch hiding in some weeds.

One of the challenges I have set for myself is to try to find beauty, or at least interest, in even the most common items.  This is the old gazebo in the park, in need of some TLC.

My safari took a real turn toward the better when I looked down by the boat launch.  A great egret and a mallard were there, and did not seem to mind me at all.

A large group of Canada geese decided to move into the cove along the edge of the river.

It was very good to get out again and take pictures.  The park was nearly empty of other people, and it was quiet, except for all the birds.  Very relaxing.  Perhaps the best part, for me, was the results of a test I was conducting.  I just purchased a new, rather high tech shoulder strap for my camera.  I have been having some problems with my neck, and having a camera hanging off it was making it worse.  But this new strap worked beautifully at keeping the weight on the shoulder, and I felt no stress, strain or pain!

Day 9

While taking a walk in a local park, I spotted this wildflower.  I decided it would be a perfect subject for todays close up.

Day 8

“The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout….           Down came the rain and washed the spider out…”

So he crawled onto the bench on our front porch, where he was almost sat on by my wife.

I have got to hand it to my lovely wife.  Not only did she not scream (like I would have), but she helped wrangle it while I took the picture.  Thanks Wendy!!

Close up - Day 7

One week down, and going strong.  I have found that living in a 100+ year old house gives you lots of opportunities for interesting close ups.  For example…

 

You really do not find that kind of detail on modern doorknobs…