Thanksgiving Blessing ~ Swan Turnblad Mansion Dining Room

The American Swedish Institute (ASI) is a museum and cultural center in the Phillips West neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The organization is dedicated to the preservation and study of the historic role Sweden and Swedish Americans have played in US culture and history. The museum complex includes the Swan Turnblad Mansion, completed in 1910, and the adjoining Nelson Cultural Center, completed in 2012. Today, ASI serves as a gathering place for all people to share experiences around themes of culture, migration, the environment and the arts, informed by enduring links to Sweden. The museum offers exhibitions from Sweden and the Nordic region, programming for youth and family, and in recent years, has expanded its performing arts offerings. The museum's restaurant, FIKA, was named "Best Lunch In Minnesota" by the Star Tribune in 2013 for its New Nordic cuisine. Wikipedia

Veterans Day - Honoring All Who Served

Fog of War ~ European theatre of World War II; Historical reenactment, Massachusetts World War II Weekend Orange Municipal Airport—Orange, Massachusetts—World War II reenactment is the historical reenactment of the various combatants involved in World War II. The types of events include living history, which emphasises the garrison life of the average serviceman or servicewoman, and tactical events, involving simulated combat operations. The hobby has expanded significantly since the 1970s and is now practiced around the world.—Wikipedia

World Photography Day

Africa in the Animal Kingdom ~ Disney's Animal Kingdom is a zoological theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It is the largest theme park in the world, covering 580 acres. The park opened on Earth Day, April 22, 1998, and was the fourth theme park built at the resort. The park is dedicated and themed entirely around the natural environment and animal conservation, a philosophy once pioneered by Walt Disney himself. Africa is one of the original areas of the park. Set in the fictional east African port village of Harambe, this area contains several animal exhibits. Harambe includes a "hotel," restaurants, an outdoor bar that has live entertainment, and different marketplaces. The village is the namesake of the Harambe Wildlife Preserve, the fictional home of Africa's main attraction, Kilimanjaro Safaris. On the western side of Africa is the Harambe Theater, which is home to the Festival of the Lion King, a stage attraction based on Disney's 1994 film, The Lion King.—Wikipedia

Three County Fair Ferris Wheel

Three County Fair—the Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden Agricultural Society was formed and incorporated by a special act of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts state legislature in 1818. The Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden Agricultural Society is a non-profit organization and the purpose of the Society was then as it is now: “To promote agriculture, agricultural education, and agricultural science in the Commonwealth.” Exhibitions, displays, competitions and demonstrations were the “tools of choice” as the Society went about fulfilling its purpose. Premiums are still awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in a variety of agricultural and domestic categories. Over two centuries later, and without interruption, the Fair has evolved to offer a variety of experiences for its Fairgoers from farmers sharing their farming techniques, carnivals, games, thoroughbred horse racing (which ended in 2005), livestock demonstrations, crafts, demolition derbies, music, foods and unique entertainment performances as we prepare for harvest.—3countyfair.com

Flying in the OBX

The Outer Banks are a major tourist destination and are known around the world for their wide expanse of open beachfront. The Cape Hatteras National Seashore has four campgrounds open to visitors. The treacherous seas off the Outer Banks and the large number of shipwrecks that have occurred there have given these seas the nickname Graveyard of the Atlantic. The abbreviations OBX (Outer Banks) and SOBX (Southern Outer Banks) are modern terms used to promote tourism and to market a variety of stickers, t-shirts, and other items to vacationers. OBX, which originated first, is generally used in the northern Outer Banks. SOBX is used primarily in Carteret County, which is also known as the Crystal Coast.—Wikipedia

Abraham Lincoln Bust

Abraham Lincoln, by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, c. 1923—The National Portrait Gallery is a historic art museum located in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1962 and opened to the public in 1968, it is part of the Smithsonian Institution. Its collections focus on images of famous Americans. The museum is housed in the historic Old Patent Office Building, as is the Smithsonian American Art Museum. With the visual arts, performing arts and new media, the Portrait Gallery introduces you to the people who have shaped the country—poets, presidents, actors, activists, visionaries, villains...and everyone in between. Its collection weaves together story and biography from precolonial times to the present to tell the American story.—Wikipedia & The Smithsonian Institution

Mesa Verde Sculpture and Vista

The sculpture outside the Mesa Verde National Park Visitor And Research Center is titled "The Ancient Ones," and was created by Edward J. Fraughton. Gifted to the park from the Mesa Verde Foundation, it depicts an ancestral Puebloan climbing up a cliff face using hand and toe holds while carrying a bundle of wood for fuel. This image was processed as an HDR (High Dynamic Range) composition.

Life's Field Adjustments

Sunrise on Coot's Bar & Grill at the Edisto Pavilion~Edisto Beach is a town in Colleton County, South Carolina. Edisto Beach's population was 414 as of the 2010 census, down from 641 in 2000. The town limits include only the developed coastal area of Edisto Island within Colleton County, while the majority of the island consists of unincorporated land in Charleston County. Due to its status as a bedroom community, Edisto Beach is among the most affluent communities in the state.—Wikipedia

Maple Sap Bucket at Sunrise

Maple syrup is a syrup usually made from the xylem sap of sugar maple, red maple, or black maple trees, although it can also be made from other maple species. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before winter; the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap in late winter and early spring. Maple trees are tapped by drilling holes into their trunks and collecting the exuded sap, which is processed by heating to evaporate much of the water, leaving the concentrated syrup. Maple syrup was first collected and used by the indigenous peoples of North America, and the practice was adopted by European settlers, who gradually refined production methods. Maple syrup is often used as a condiment for pancakes, waffles, French toast, oatmeal or porridge. It is also used as an ingredient in baking and as a sweetener or flavouring agent.—Wikipedia

Chatham Fleet in Aunt Lydia’s Cove near Tern Island

Located on Cape Cod in Chatham, Massachusetts. Lying between the Chatham mainland and Tern Island, Aunt Lydia’s Cove and its sandbars and island beaches can be viewed from Shore Road and the Chatham Fish Pier. This cove is one of the area's best places to spot gray and harbor seals.

Not all those who wander are lost

Somerset Reservoir is a large lake in southern Vermont that is nestled deep within the Green Mountain National Forest accessed by a 10-mile long dirt road. Located at the headwaters of the Deerfield River in Stratton and Somerset, Vermont. The lake is a dammed section of the Deerfield River, and is roughly 6.5 miles long and covers 1,568 acres. The shoreline is totally undeveloped, but there is a small boat launch, some picnic tables, and a porta-potty for those who come to recreate. The lake sits at 2,000 feet above sea level, so it’s a great place to cool off in the summer. The winter snows don’t melt here until May. Winds can be fierce here, and it’s an excellent spot to bring a small sailboat, fishing boats, canoes, or kayaks. Summer weekends can be busy, but because the lake is so big, you will always find solitude on the water or hiking trails. There is an extensive trail network in Green Mountain National Forest, and the East Branch Trail runs along the east side of Somerset Reservoir, all the way to Grout Pond, which is just north of Somerset. Mountain bikers use the trail, and it is part of the Catamount cross-country ski trail that runs the length of Vermont.—outdoorproject.com

Saint Nicholas Day

Father Christmas at Old Sturbridge Village—Old Sturbridge Village is a living history museum located in Sturbridge, Massachusetts which recreates life in rural New England during the 1790s through 1830s. It is the largest living history museum in New England, covering more than 200 acres. The Village includes 59 antique buildings, three water-powered mills, and a working farm. The museum is popular among tourists and for educational field trips. Costumed interpreters speaking in modern English help visitors understand 19th-century life.—Wikipedia

Will Be Called the Son of God

A longstanding holiday tradition of the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, the presentation of its' Christmas tree and 18th-century Neapolitan creche. A 20-foot blue spruce is gracefully adorned with cherubs and angels, while at the base an elaborate collection of Nativity scenes that were traditional to 18th-centry Naples: adoring shepherds and their flocks, the procession of the three Magi, and spirited peasants and townspeople. The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the United States fourth most visited art museum in the world.—Wikipedia

Patience and fortitude

Apollo 1 On Board In Spirit—In January 2017, ""Ad Astra Per Aspera – A Rough Road Leads to the Stars"" opened in the Apollo/Saturn V Center to commemorate the fallen astronauts of Apollo 1: Command Pilot Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, Senior Pilot Ed White, and Pilot Roger B. Chaffee. The permanent tribute showcases personal memorabilia from the three astronauts, with photos and videos from their professional and personal lives. The exhibit also displays the charred three-section Block I hatch from the fire and a redesigned Block II hatch. The Block II hatch flew on all following Apollo missions that could open quicker in the event of an emergency. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is the visitor center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida. The center is north-northwest of Cape Canaveral on the Atlantic Ocean, midway between Miami and Jacksonville on Florida's Space Coast, due east of Orlando. It features exhibits and displays, historic spacecraft and memorabilia, shows, IMAX theaters, and a range of bus tours of the spaceport. "Space Shuttle Atlantis" exhibit is home to the real Space Shuttle Atlantis orbiter and the Shuttle Launch Experience, a simulated ride into space. The center also provides astronaut training experiences, including a multi-axial chair and Mars Base simulator. The visitor complex also has daily presentations from a veteran NASA astronaut. A bus tour, included with admission, encompasses the separate Apollo/Saturn V Center.—kennedyspacecenter.com & Wikipedia

National Color Day

Pandora – The World of Avatar is a themed area inspired by James Cameron's movie Avatar, located within Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. Set a generation after the events of the Avatar films, the area is based upon the fictional exoplanetary moon, Pandora, and features Pandora's floating mountains, alien wildlife, and bioluminescent plants. Pandora – The World of Avatar includes two major attractions, Avatar Flight of Passage and Na'vi River Journey, as well as retail and dining outlets. Disney's Animal Kingdom is a zoological theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It is the largest theme park in the world, covering 580 acres. The park opened on Earth Day, April 22, 1998, and was the fourth theme park built at the resort. The park is dedicated and themed entirely around the natural environment and animal conservation, a philosophy once pioneered by Walt Disney himself.—Wikipedia

People Were Created To Be Loved

The Currituck Beach Light is a lighthouse located on the Outer Banks in Corolla, North Carolina. The Currituck Beach Light was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. On December 1, 1875, the Currituck Beach Light was completed, located between Cape Henry Light and Bodie Island. Unlike its fellows, Currituck Beach Light was not painted, leaving its brick facade visible. In 1939, the lighthouse was automated following a merger of the United States Coast Guard with the Bureau of Lighthouses.—Wikipedia

For Unto You Is Born This Day

A longstanding holiday tradition of the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, the presentation of its' Christmas tree and 18th-century Neapolitan crèche. A 20-foot blue spruce is gracefully adorned with cherubs and angels, while at the base an elaborate collection of Nativity scenes that were traditional to 18th-centry Naples: adoring shepherds and their flocks, the procession of the three Magi, and spirited peasants and townspeople. The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the United States fourth most visited art museum in the world.—Wikipedia

National Unicorn Day

“Lillie’s Unicorn” made of steel, driftwood and copper by Artist Lindsey Molyneux of Huntington, Massachusetts. -- Presented at Art In the Orchard, a walking sculpture trail which winds through fruit gardens of Park Hill Orchard in Easthampton, Massachusetts. Park Hill Orchard is a working fruit farm and the sculpture exhibition begins and ends with their harvest season.—parkhillorchard.com

Against The Wind

The USAF Air Demonstration Squadron ("Thunderbirds") is the air demonstration squadron of the United States Air Force (USAF). The Thunderbirds are assigned to the 57th Wing, and are based at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Created in 1953, the USAF Thunderbirds are the third-oldest formal flying aerobatic team (under the same name) in the world, after the United States Navy Blue Angels formed in 1946 and the French Air Force Patrouille de France formed in 1931.—Wikipedia Westfield International Air Show 2017—The airshow featured the United States Air Force (USAF) Thunderbirds and showcased many aircraft, in a combination of aerial and static displays. Hosted by the 104th Fighter Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard at the Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield, Massachusetts.— westfieldairshow.org

High Flight

B-25 Mitchell In The Sky—Westfield International Air Show 2017—The airshow featured the United States Air Force (USAF) Thunderbirds and showcased many aircraft, in a combination of aerial and static displays. Hosted by the 104th Fighter Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard at the Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield, Massachusetts.— westfieldairshow.org

The 3 Cs of Life

The Green River Festival is Western Massachusetts' signature summer event. For one weekend every July, Greenfield Community College in Greenfield, Massachusetts hosts an outrageous celebration of world class music, great local food, beer & wine, a handmade craft fair, and lots of family games and activities. They top it all off with four hot air balloon launches and a spectacular Saturday night balloon glow.— greenriverfestival.com

Sandwich Boardwalk

The Sandwich boardwalk is located in downtown Sandwich, Massachusetts and leads to the Town Beach on Cape Cod Bay. It is a popular tourist attraction and was elected by National Geographic in July 2010 as one of the top ten boardwalks in the United States. It is 1,350 feet long, from Scorton Creek to the Cape Cod Canal, and crossing the Creek Mill and the marsh. It was created in 1875 by Gustavus Howland, the son of Ellis Howland who built the town hall. In 1991, it was almost completely destroyed by Hurricane Bob. It was rebuilt in 1992, financed through the sale of 1,700 personalized planks with engravings. It was damaged by blizzards in March 2018, but has since been rebuilt and reopened.—Wikipedia—This image was processed as an HDR (High Dynamic Range) composition.

National Turkey Lovers Day

The return of the Wild Turkey to New England is a marvelous success story. Once all but extinct from Massachusetts, this iconic bird can be found just about anywhere—woods, suburbs, even cities. When Europeans first settled in Massachusetts, wild turkeys were plentiful throughout the state. With an increasing population, however, over-hunting occurred and forests were gradually cut down for farmland, thus eliminating the turkey’s habitat. In 1851, the last wild turkey in Massachusetts was killed on Mount Tom. In 1972, the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (now known as Mass Wildlife), in cooperation with the University of Massachusetts, received permission to live-trap turkeys in New York state and release them in Massachusetts. Between 1972 and 1973, 37 birds were released. Today, the estimated fall population is more than 20,000 birds. A wild turkey can stand four feet tall, with a large, bulky body covered with bronzy, iridescent feathers. The tom (male) has a reddish blue head and a hair-like “beard” protruding from the breast. The smaller female is duller in coloration than the male.—massaudubon.org