Pic(k) of the Week: Morning on the Tennessee

I was hiking the Tennessee Riverwalk, near the Veterans Memorial Bridge, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA, when I turned around and this: mist rising over the Tennessee River in early morning light. I may have missed deeper fog only thirty-minutes earlier but, with this view, I didn't mind.

10 October 2021.

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Pic(k) of the Week: Field o'cattails

Field o'cattails.
Riparian autumnal.

Autumn on the marshy edge of Echo Lake —a shallow, 18-acre pond— in DeKalb County, Georgia, USA. 23 September 2021.

Typha latifolia (broadleaf cattail, bulrush, common bulrush, common cattail, cat-o'-nine-tails, great reedmace, cooper's reed, cumbungi) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the genus Typha. It is found as a native plant species in North and South America, Europe, Eurasia, and Africa. T. latifolia is always found in or near water, growing mostly in freshwater but also in slightly brackish marshes.

— Wikipedia.

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Pic(k) of the Week: Off-Ford-able cooperage

Off-Ford-able cooperage.

Night kegs at the diner.

At night, outside the Universal Joint Bar & Grill, in Decatur (Oakhurst), Georgia, USA, on 1 October 2021.

I had pre-envisioned this shot as a black-and-white night street scene. But its teal-and-orange cinematic look —supplied in situ— made me reconsider. Then, again, the (maybe) American-southwest vibe of the monochrome version intrigued me as well. Here's that version:



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Pic(k) of the Week: Waxing gibbous Harvest Moon

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the autumn equinox. Depending on the year, the full Harvest Moon can occur anywhere from two weeks before the autumn equinox to two weeks after. Thus, the Harvest Moon is either the last full moon of the summer season or the first full moon in autumn.

In 2021, the Northern Hemisphere autumn equinox comes on September 22. The full moon falls less than two days earlier, on September 20. Thus, for the Northern Hemisphere, this upcoming full moon is the Harvest Moon and the last full moon of summer.

— EarthSky.

As it happened, clouds and rain obscured my view of the full harvest moon. But not all was lost.

Six days prior, on 14 September, I looked up at the (only slightly clouded) night sky over Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and saw the moon, beautiful even if it was only 52% illuminated and waxing gibbous, announcing the impending end to summer.

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Pic(k) of the Week: Fallen Oktoberfest

On 12 October 1810, Ludwig, crown prince of Bavaria, celebrated his wedding to Therese, princess of Saxe-Hildburghausen, with a big party in the capital city of Munich. He celebrated again the following year and each thereafter continuing to do so after even ascending to the Bavarian throne in 1825. Social unrest —including the Bavarian Beer Riots of 1844— ended his reign in 1848 but the beer-drinking and feasting endured. Bavarians and visitors continue to celebrate the annual bacchanal, from mid-September into early October, calling it Oktoberfest.

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Fallen Oktoberfest

Since 1810, there have been only twenty-six occasions on which Oktoberfest has not been held. The COVID-19 pandemic accounts for two of those: last year and again this. Only twice before has disease has canceled teh celebrations —in 1854 and 1874— on both occasions because of a cholera epidemic.

If Oktoberfest had occurred in Munich this year, it would have begun today, Saturday, 18 September, and concluded sixteen days from now, on Sunday, 3 October, German Unity Day.

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Pic(k) of the Week

Someone (maybe even I) once said, "The colors of autumn are the colors of beer."

So, here, to remember a fallen Oktoberfest: an autumn leaves tableau...but taken last year. Northern hemisphere autumn doesn't begin until 22 September, so things haven't quite yet reached THAT point of fallen color!

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