words are not enough » Animals

[Bandelier National Monument]

Joe Kennedy — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:25:14 +0000

Bandelier National Monument is known for the Native American cliff dwellings built in the porous volcanic rock. Like Yellowstone and the northwest corner of Wyoming, north central New Mexico sits on the caldera of a supervolcano. Much of the rock near Bandelier is soft and easy to carve out into homes, which the Native Americans did. Bandelier is a big park, but the main loop is only about a mile and offers a great glimpse of both the dwellings and the natural environment.

Entry into Bandelier is $12, and you’ll find it is likely the busiest national monument/park in the area, even in November. However, it’s nothing compared to Glacier or Yellowstone in the summer, so don’t let it scare you away.

I traveled the majority of the main loop with a friendly Canadian couple, then took the back end of the main loop’s nature trail by myself. It was on the back end that I encountered these deer. I was no more than 30 feet from them at one point, and I’m sure they’re used to people. Still, it was a genuinely beautiful moment for me.

Photos from Bandelier National Monument outside of Los Alamos, New Mexico in November 2008

[In Memory of Daisy]

Joe Kennedy — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 20:25:23 +0000

Daisy the Beagle, a native of Texas and well-traveled dog, passed away this afternoon. A former resident of Austin, New Orleans, and Mobile, Daisy brought joy to all who knew her. She was skilled in the ways of sitting, laying, and shaking hands; however, her most impressive feat was to bring her leash and collar to her owner when she wanted to walk. She was a good dog. And while Daisy was only a part of my family for sixteen months, she won the hearts of us all. Daisy was 11 years old.

[In Siberia]

Joe Kennedy — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 13:00:11 +0000

It’s been over five years since I went to Russia with the University of Mobile. I wrote about that experience a little more in depth here, here, and here. It was a great trip and I made a few good friends along the way. Anyway, I was rooting through my old photos while reworking my Flickr account (go there, enjoy!) the other day. I came across these two pictures; I spent the entire trip snapping shots with a handful of Kodak disposable cameras. Yes, these were the days before I had my Canon DSLRs. And would you believe some of them still came out alright? Above is a photo of my friend Chesley. Maybe it was the setting, or maybe the grainy-ness. It could have been the look on his face, or maybe it was the old antique feel I gave the photo. But when I look at it, I feel like I’m being transported back to the 1800s. And I love it. Below is a shot of a village horseman. It’s pretty cool how he gave us a salute as he trotted by. The entire village knew Americans were in town, and we spent the entire week running a kids camp for the locals (and some from a village down the road). We were a novelty to them; and they were a novelty for us. I’m glad I got these shots, even if they weren’t with a great camera.

[Scene Stealer]

Joe Kennedy — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:00:31 +0000

I needed a few photos of myself, so I went to the backyard for a little photoshoot. What I didn’t realize is that Daisy was behind me stealing the scene.

Self-Portraits in Mobile, Alabama | July 3, 2009

[The Elephant Brunch]

Joe Kennedy — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:45:19 +0000

The Ringling Bros. Circus is in Mobile for the next few days (the shows are June 18-21) at the Mobile Civic Center. A friend of mine who works at the Civic Center tipped me off to the Elephant Brunch this morning. The elephants were fed lettuce, carrots, bananas, apples, and other good stuff. Enjoy the photos, and be sure to hit “read more” to see the rest.

The Elephant Brunch at the Mobile Civic Center, Mobile, Alabama | June 18, 2009

[Fort Worth Metal Works]

Joe Kennedy — Fri, 08 May 2009 13:00:38 +0000

On Monday I posted photos of the glass art I saw at the Main Street Arts Festival in downtown Fort Worth in April. Wednesday showed photos of downtown architecture. Today I’m posting photos of metal art seen at the Arts Festival. It wouldn’t be Fort Worth or Texas without a large metal longhorn or two. (Fort Worth’s city logo looks conspicuously similar to the Texas Longhorns logo.) I call photo below “Iron Bovine.”

These were pretty interesting. I especially loved the small metal monsters. The same artist created larger animals, including a working giraffe about five feet tall.

I call this one “Abstract Chicken.”

Metal Art at the Main Street Arts Festival in Fort Worth, Texas | April 2009

[Nature's Own]

Joe Kennedy — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 06:00:41 +0000

From the marina in Long Beach, Mississippi | February 2007

I try to visit my hometown of Long Beach, Mississippi every few years, just to see how it’s doing. I was only there from first through seventh grades, but I have fond memories of living on the coast. After Hurricane Katrina obliterated the Mississippi Gulf Coast I made it a point to return while I lived in the area. I took a day trip over to the Coast with a friend in February 2007. In an ironic twist, shortly after we returned to New Orleans a tornado ripped through our neighborhoods, narrowly missing our homes.

At Bandelier National Monument northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico | November 2008

My day at Bandelier was mostly spent looking at and photographing the Native American cliff dwellings. After the half-mile hike with a friendly Canadian couple, I skipped the back half of the main route for the nature trail leading to my car. About two minutes in I spotted about six or seven deer; they weren’t the least interested in me or anybody else, and acted as perfect models for me. It was a pretty magnificent moment.

[Left]: A beggar squirrel at the Botanic Gardens in Fort Worth, Texas | September 2008
[Right]: A seagull lands on a post with its bread at Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans, Louisiana | Fall 2007

The squirrel to the left followed my friends and I around for a few minutes, even blocking our way up the stairs while begging for some fish food. Concerned that we might reenact a scene from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, albeit outdoors, we allowed the little fella to push us backward. He finally ended up almost directly below me, which is when I took this photo.

The seagull above and below grabbed some bread from the park on Lake Pontchartrain. Before I arrived someone dumped bread along the shoreline; seagulls and crows were fighting over it. I watched as this particular seagull grabbed a piece and took off, only to land on a post a few yards out in the water.