Patrick L Archibald

SouthEast LinuxFest 2010

2010-06-13T17:54:00.000-04:00

I thoroughly enjoyed the second annual SouthEast LinuxFest. I met several of my on-line friends and gained a wealth of information from the sessions. A tip of the hat to all the hard working organizers and speakers. Great job!

This year the event was held at the Marriott at Renaissance Park hotel in Spartanburg, SC. In 2009 it was held at Clemson University.

The hotel accommodations were great. The Marriott had large meeting rooms and the staff seemed to be there when needed and invisible when they weren't needed.

There was a great crowd on hand for Saturday's events. The crowd on Sunday was slim. I think next year it should be Friday 1PM through Saturday evening. I would leave Sunday as a travel day.

The session schedule was varied and packed. There were 6 tracks on Saturday and many Birds of a Feather (BOF) meetings. Below is a list of the sessions I attended:

Friday afternoon - UbuCon: Jono Bacon, Rick Spencer and gang demoed Quickly, the python rapid development tool
Saturday 9AM - Bradley Kuhn: GPLv3: Better Copyleft for Developers and Users
Saturday 10AM - Jon "Maddog" Hall: A Personal History of Free Software (see my video link below).
Saturday 11AM - Nick Owen: Securing your network with open-source technologies: Tips & Tricks
Saturday 1PM - Cat Allman: Getting Started in Free and Open Source
Saturday 2PM - Doug Vann: How Drupal is expanding the role of OpenSource in Government, Private Industry and Beyond!
Saturday 3PM - Michael DeHaan: Datacenter Automation Strategies With Puppet
Saturday 4PM - Jay Pfaffman: LTSP as a New Model of Ubiquitous Computing for Schools: Fact or Foolishness?
Sunday 9AM - Alan Hicks: Introduction to the 802.11 MAC

If you are interested in Linux/Free and Open Source Software I highly recommend attending SouthEast LinuxFest 2011. Stay tuned to the SouthEast LinuxFest website http://www.southeastlinuxfest.org.

Here is a video clip I put together from my favorite SouthEast LinuxFest 2010 session. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb26slhtT1Q

Matthew Godbold High School Graduation Party

2010-06-05T11:23:00.000-04:00

Matthew Godbold graduated high school in 2010. A party was held to celebrate his achievement. A good time was had by all. Enjoy Donna's photo album.

Renovation 2010 - Lighting Purchased and ThinSet Removal

2010-05-02T20:00:00.001-04:00

We purchased our under cabinet lighting, 2 sconce lights for the foyer, 1 hanging light for the foyer, 1 hanging light for the dining room, 1 dome light for the foyer and 2 dome lights for the hallway. Everything but the sconce lights are Quoizel. Most of it was in stock at Charleston Lighting and Interiors and was on sale during their annual outdoor tent sale. The remaining items will be in Saturday May 8, 2010. This was the highlight of our weekend (pun intended).

Our electrician should be in Wednesday to start phase 1 of the electrical work.

We met with our tile installer on Saturday. Among the many things discussed it was confirmed that we must remove the thinset from the slab flooring.

We spent several hours Saturday and Sunday removing thinset from the slab floors. What a PITA. We have tried several methods. The most promising and least labor intensive is using a pneumatic hammer with a chisel installed. It is very slow going and dusty. We only completed an 1/8th of the floor. I plan to visit AAA Rentals to look for some better tool. Ever forum post I've read mentions how hard it is to remove thinset is and there is no silver bullet. In our case the thinset and the flooring have become one. It is hard work regardless of the tool.

Our 18x18 inch tile is in. There are 2 pallets weighing 1500 lbs each. Too much for my Ford Ranger. The installer will pick it up soon. We still need to locate and purchase our decorative tile for the foyer. We are looking for some 3x6 and 3x3 pieces in glossy black.

That's it from the dust bowl.

Renovation 2010 - Remaining Floors Prepped

2010-04-25T16:51:00.000-04:00

We removed the vinyl flooring, adhesive, and quarter round molding from the laundry room, ironing room, and half bath. We are ready for the electrician, painter, tile layer, and cabinet installers.

Laundry room

Ironing room

Renovation 2010 - Floor Prep and Appliances Delivered

2010-04-19T05:41:00.000-04:00

We spent the weekend prepping the floors. Our appliances were delivered Saturday and will hang out in our garage for a few weeks pending flooring, cabinets, and painting.

We removed the vinyl flooring from the kitchen, carpet from the dining room and ceramic tile from entrance and hallway. The old ceramic tiles were laid directly on the slab and did not want to come up. I had to use a 4 pound sledge hammer and a chisel. This was the most physically challenging job I've had since filling in the swimming pool a few years ago. Below are two videos and several pictures documenting the weekend activity.

Convection wall mounted oven.

Stainless steel counter depth refrigerator.

Wall mount oven.

Range top.

Entrance with ceramic tile removed.

Hallway with ceramic tile removed. Quarter round molding removed and tape to the wall.

Dining room with carpet removed.

Kitchen with vinyl flooring removed.

Vidoes segments shot with a Canon HF20. Video created in Blender on Ubuntu 9.10.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9W1G_OL3Wc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_5afEfKRYw

Renovation 2010 - Tile Finally Selected

2010-04-02T17:12:00.000-04:00

After several weeks of shopping we have selected our tile. Palmetto Tile Distributors at 4639 Rivers Av has the widest selection and the best showroom in the Charleston SC area. See below a photo taken at the Palmetto Tile showroom of our possible tile configuration for our foyer.

Charleston Battery Sunrise on Good Friday 2010

2010-04-02T16:37:00.000-04:00

I awoke 5AM Good Friday to travel from Goose Creek to downtown Charleston in pursuit of a picturesque sunrise. My first stop was on top of the Charleston Visitor Center parking garage. I didn't like the scene from that vantage point. Too many ugly rooftops. My next stop was California Dreaming restaurant dock. The James Island connector bridge ruined my view there. My last stop was Charleston's East Battery. I set my tri-pod and camera to film a beautiful sunrise. Getting up before dawn makes my day off from work a little longer and witnessing the sun in all its glory puts everything into proper perspective. A fantastic start to a long weekend. Happy Easter everyone.

Charleston Battery Sunrise on Good Friday 2010

Charleston East Battery Homes on Good Friday 2010

2010-04-02T15:39:00.001-04:00

Shortly after sunrise I secured my Canon HF20 video camera and tri-pod on to the bed of my Ford Ranger pick-up and filmed the historic homes of Charleston's East Battery. The music is The Charleston from the Internet Archive.

View Larger Map Charleston East Battery Homes on Good Friday 2010

Cooper River Bridge Run 2010

2010-03-27T23:02:00.002-04:00

The Cooper River Bridge Run is the best organized and the best conducted 10-K race in the world. It includes world-class competition in a unique setting with unparalleled participant satisfaction. It broadens community cooperation and participation in healthy events throughout the year. The Cooper River Bridge Run serves as a model of health motivation for other communities throughout the world.

Below are two YouTube videos I put together. The first one features the wheelchair racers and the second features the run's race leaders. Check them out in HD if you have the bandwidth and horsepower.
Wheelchair racers
Leading Runners

Renovation 2010 - Weekend 02

2010-03-21T18:27:00.000-04:00

During weekend 02 of renovation 2010 we've accomplished the following in the kitchen:

Wall paper removed ✔
Popcorn texture removed from ceiling ✔
Microwave removed ✔
All cabinets removed except for around the sink ✔

Our trip to Melcer Tile Company did not yield a floor tile we really like. We came home with a couple of samples but we'll probably look around some more. That is it for this week. See kitchen photos below.

Popcorn texture removed from ceiling.

All cabinets removed except for around the sink.

Wall paper removed all the way to the bay window.

Renovation 2010 Begins - Weekend 01

2010-03-14T20:30:00.001-04:00

Donna and I have been saving and planning for a long overdue kitchen renovation. April K. Lipps, Interior Designer, has been a great help with the planning. We've picked out the kitchen cabinets and have an initial design drawn by Patti Palmer of Home Depot. We have the granite picked out for the counter tops. We are still debating the tile which will cover almost half of our home, including our entrance, dining, kitchen and laundry room.

The demolition in the kitchen started this weekend. Donna and I will be doing most of the demolition work to save some cash. This weekend we removed some wall paper and a few of the kitchen cabinets. I reused the kitchen pantry in the garage. I have one door to put on the pantry after some glue dries.

Well that is it for weekend 01. See the pictures of the devastation below.

Picture above is where the kitchen pantry and one other cabinet was.

Picture above shows the cabinet removed from the left corner where the US flag is standing for the night. Opposite that corner is where the pantry and other cabinet was.

Picture above shows where we stopped the wall paper removal.

Here is the kitchen pantry relocated to the garage. Notice the doors are different colors. Like I mentioned the renovation is long overdue. The remaining door will be mounted after the glue on the damaged face board dries.

Rare Snow Accumulation in Goose Creek SC USA

2010-02-13T07:43:00.005-05:00

Remote Control Camera

2009-09-20T18:07:00.013-04:00

I read about another powerful package of free and open source software (FOSS) today. This software application can control over 1,100 different cameras. The command is gphoto2. With this command you can instruct a camera to take a picture, retrieve pictures, list files on the camera, delete files off the camera, etc...

I like birdwatching and taking pictures of birds. I could never get close enough to take a good picture until now. With gphoto2 I can set my camera on a tri-pod in my backyard right in front of my bird feeders. I connect the camera via USB to a netbook. The netbook sits under the camera on the tri-pod. The netbook is connected to my wireless router via Wi-Fi. I have a computer in the living room that has a window view of my feeders. I remotely connect to my netbook using the ssh command. When a bird comes in to feed I execute the gphoto2 command on the netbook and now I've got an up-close-and-personal photo of the bird.

Here is the command syntax I'm using on my netbook running Ubuntu 9.04 operating system: gphoto2 --capture-image --get-file capt0000.jpg --folder /store_00010001 --hook-script test-hook.sh --force-overwrite The gphoto2 command above tells the netbook to instruct the camera to take a photo, get the file from the camera and display it. I can then decide whether or not it is a keeper. If it is a keeper I copy the file from the netbook to my computer in the living room with the following command: scp 192.168.111.2:/home/htplainf/capt0000.jpg capt0009.jpg The command scp above performs a secure copy from the netbook to the computer in the living room.

I didn't get to spend much time taking pictures due to the inclement weather but I did iron out my work flow. Below are a couple shots of up-close-and-personal cardinals. Click on the photos to enlarge.

I'm frequently amazed by the free and open source Linux operating system Ubuntu. If it can be done with software it can be done on Linux and at no cost to the user.

Compilation Video of the 2005 Ravenel Bridge Fireworks Show

2009-09-19T16:12:00.012-04:00

On July 14, 2005 the cities of Charleston and Mt Pleasant SC celebrated the opening of the Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge with a magnificent fireworks show. I snapped over 400 pictures that night. I published the photos to my website PatrickArchibald.com. The next day the photos went viral. The site went down for a few hours while I negotiated extra bandwidth with my web hosting provider. Good times.

Recently while exploring video encoding on my Ubuntu 8.10 Linux computer I ran across the mencoder command. One of the many things you can do with the mencoder command is create videos from images.

My 400 fireworks photos are compiled at 15 per second in the video below. Enjoy the next 28 seconds.

Below is the command syntax I used to create this video.
mencoder "mf://*.jpg" -mf fps=15 -o output.avi -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4

I'm frequently amazed by the free and open source Linux operating system Ubuntu. If it can be done with software it can be done on Linux and at no cost to the user.

Goose Creek Fireworks July 4th 2009

2009-07-04T21:36:00.004-04:00

We watched from our backyard deck the city of Goose Creek shoot fireworks. They started the show a little early in the evening. You could still see blue sky. Check out the slideshow.

Mount Pleasant Pier

2009-07-04T08:27:00.004-04:00

The Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission and the Town of Mount Pleasant have built a super park/pier. To visit the pier take the Ravenel bridge into Mt Pleasant SC and turn right like you are going to Patriots Point. The entrance to the Mt Pleasant Pier is on the right. Check out my Mt Pleasant Pier photo album.

PLA KayakCam

2009-05-30T21:34:00.014-04:00

I mounted my HD video camera to my kayak and paddled Chicken Creek SC. It was a relaxing trip. I have some YouTube clips to share below. Nothing exciting just a peaceful time-out. Enjoy.

View Larger Map

Hummingbird Video Clips

2009-05-17T18:28:00.031-04:00

To capture a rare vacation I purchased a high-definition video camera, Canon HF20. I didn't get much vacation footage but I'm starting a library of hummingbird video clips. My original plan was to combine the clips into a single 5 minute video production complete with transitions and audio but my aging PC is not up to the task of HD video editing. The revised plan is to just upload the clips as-is to YouTube. Below are links to the HD version of my YouTube clips. Please ignore or mute the audio.

If you have a slow Internet connection or an older computer you may need to toggle from the HD version by clicking on the red HD button at the bottom of the YouTube video player or try playing the standard versions directly from my YouTube channel.

PLA Tech Notes Blog

2009-01-03T21:56:00.002-05:00

I have a technical blog at http://platechnotes.patrickarchibald.com/. Take a look at it and stick it in your RSS reader if you are interested.

My Neighborhood in Google Street View

2009-01-03T21:43:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure how long ago this was done but Google captured my neighborhood in Street View. It is kind of neat and creepy. The photo looks like it was shot in December of 2007.
View Larger Map

Hanahan Christmas Parade 2008

2008-12-06T13:19:00.001-05:00

The 2008 Hanahan Christmas Parade was held December 6. Check out the slideshow.

Tesla Roadster

2008-12-02T20:50:00.005-05:00

What I want for Christmas or for my birthday or just cause.

100% electric
0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds
Burns no bloody oil
244 miles per charge
Pennies per mile

Home Depot Recycles CFL

2008-11-29T19:39:00.005-05:00

I learned from earth911.com that Home Depot recycles Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFL). I took 4 burned out CFLs to the Home Depot on Northwoods Blvd. There is a recycle bin just inside the front door. And guess what? I purchased something after depositing the CFLs. It really does pay for a company to be green.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T13:13:00.003-05:00

The wife and I were in Myrtle Beach for Thanksgiving. Food, drink, family, and friends. Good times. Check out the album.

Steven and Rondalyn Wed

2008-11-15T17:24:00.001-05:00

Check out the album.

Halloween Party 2008

2008-11-02T00:11:00.004-04:00

Halloween Party benefiting the Moncks Corner Relay for Life. Check out the slide show.

Jenny and Greg Wed

2008-10-18T21:58:00.002-04:00

October 18, 2008 - Jenny and Greg wed at Mepkin Abbey South Carolina USA. Check out the photo album.

Sister Martha and Puppy Q-Tip

2008-09-06T21:09:00.002-04:00

My sister Martha with her new puppy Q-Tip on his first night home. He is a Coton De Tulear from Buffalo. Check out the slide show.

CeleBROtion

2008-08-17T01:22:00.001-04:00

Donna, Laurie, and Jeff threw a wonderful celebratory party for Bro Don. Check out the celeBROtion.

Dana and Laurie Skydive

2008-07-20T17:18:00.003-04:00

Check out the album.

Gina and Jeremy Wed

2008-07-20T17:06:00.002-04:00

Check out the album.

Hummingbird Sticking His Tongue Out

2008-07-12T19:35:00.004-04:00

Here is the best of my hummingbird photos for July 12, 2008. Check out my Hummingbird album for more photos.

Fitness: A Building Block for Managerial Leadership

2008-06-19T17:36:00.002-04:00

Here are my presentation slides for a talk I gave to my co-workers on June 19, 2008.

Alzheimer's Support Group Apple TV Demo

2008-06-14T15:53:00.002-04:00

I will give a demonstration of Apple TV to the Alzheimer's Support Group June 17, 2008. I have been using Apple TV's slide show function to help trigger memories for my mother who has Alzheimer's. Below are my slides for the demonstration.

Jersey Mike's Subs In Goose Creek SC

2008-06-14T15:44:00.002-04:00

A tip of the hat to Jersey Mike's Subs in Goose Creek SC. They buy their tomatoes locally, Johns Island SC.

Bushy Park Sites and Fruit Bowls

2008-06-01T10:44:00.006-04:00

I caught this Red-Winged Blackbird and Common Moorhen while kayaking the fresh water side of Bushy Park. The more colorful Wood Ducks I saw from a distance were too timid to be photographed this morning, maybe next time. I also enjoyed breakfast on the water. I've gotten hooked on Publix fresh cut fruit bowls lately. Good stuff.

Hell Hole Swamp Festival 2008

2008-05-03T15:03:00.002-04:00

Kids, candy, tractors, motorcycles, horses, and The Omar Shriners. The 2008 Hell Hole Festival parade in Jamestown SC had it all. Check out the slideshow.

Air Expo 2008 Charleston SC

2008-04-26T19:14:00.001-04:00

Air Expo 2008 Charleston SC April 26. We had a enjoyable day despite spending a couple of hours in traffic. The show was packed full of exciting events. The finale was a demonstration by the US Air Force Thunderbirds. Check out the slideshow.

US Army Golden Knights Opening Ceremony
Angel 7Air Force Reserve Jet Car
Trojan HorsemenC-17 Formation Airdrop
WWII Warbirds Flight
Big Dog T-33
F-15E Strike Eagle Demo
C-17 Globemaster III DemoTeam Vortex Pitts
Red Bull Helicopter
F-18C Hornet Demo
Patty Wagstaff
Patty vs Jet Car
F-22 Raptor Demo
US Army Golden Knights USAF Thunderbirds

Relay For Life 2008 Moncks Corner SC

2008-04-25T22:31:00.002-04:00

The 2008 Relay For Life held in Moncks Corner April 25th. Check out the photo gallery.

Sunrise Charleston April 12 2008

2008-04-12T08:42:00.004-04:00

I enjoyed a nice sunrise over Charleston SC from the James Island Connector bridge. Check out the short slide show.

Cooper River Bridge Run 2008

2008-04-05T13:27:00.003-04:00

The 31st annual Cooper River Bridge Run was filled with triumph, victories, fun, and a little bit of pain. Check out the nearly 1,000 picture slide show.

Bertha's Birthday Bash

2008-03-02T16:06:00.003-05:00

Family and friends celebrated my Aunt Bertha's birthday at Duncan United Methodist Church in historic Georgetown SC. Check out the slide show.

Hanahan Christmas Parade 2007

2007-12-01T13:42:00.000-05:00

The 30th annual Hanahan Christmas parade was big fun for all. Check out the album.

Ghoulish Glossies

2007-10-28T14:40:00.000-04:00

Which is scarier, the Halloween partiers or the Cooper's Hawk eating his prey? Happy Halloween.

Alligator Bites

2007-09-17T18:55:00.000-04:00

A man snorkeling at Short Stay Naval Recreational Park outside of Moncks Corner SC had his arm bit off by an alligator. Here is a link to our local on-line paper The Post and Courier. Be sure to check out the small photo gallery link in the article. Some of the on-line comments are interesting. My favorite is the first one "Gee whiz, no wonder it's called Short Stay!".

96 Wave FM RIP

2007-09-01T22:01:00.000-04:00

The only Charleston radio station that mattered is no more. It has be replaced by "The New Upchuck FM".

96 Wave you will be missed.

Hummingbirds Unfazed By The Heat

2007-08-12T19:59:00.000-04:00

The hummingbirds that visit my feeders haven't slowed down a bit during this week's heat wave. They just keep on humming. I change their sugar water every other day especially when it is this hot. Stay cool.

Intense Lightning Storm

2007-08-12T10:22:00.000-04:00

A cold front rolled through last night, Saturday August 11 2007, bringing with it an intense lightning storm to Goose Creek SC. The power went out momentarily and Comcast cable TV service is still out as of the time of this post.

Vehicle containing explosives pulled on Highway 176 in Goose Creek SC

2007-08-04T21:24:00.000-04:00

I ran into a detour tonight on the way to my home in Goose Creek SC from Summerville. Highway 176 was blocked off. A vehicle pulled in a routine traffic stop contained explosives. Local police and the FBI investigated.

For the latest information check the following local news web sites:

Goose Creek July 4th 2007

2007-07-04T22:32:00.000-04:00

The City of Goose Creek put on their usual stellar fireworks show to celebrate Independence Day 2007. Check out my album. Happy Birthday America!

Moncks Corner Festival In The Park 2007

2007-06-30T22:12:00.000-04:00

The Moncks Corner Festival In The Park was held at The Old Santee Canal Park. I caught the fireworks show from the bank of The Tailrace Canal. Check out my album. Have a happy and safe Independence Day.

Tip: Don't use noise reduction on your camera while shooting fireworks. Find out why on my tech notes blog.

Painted Bunting

2007-06-30T14:48:00.000-04:00

This is the first time I've seen a Painted Bunting visit my backyard. I hope it is not the last. His plumage is brilliant. See a few more pictures of him in my Painted Bunting album.

Boo And Phil Wed

2007-06-23T18:50:00.000-04:00

Our good friends Boo and Phil were married Friday June 22, 2007. Congratulations! The marriage ceremony took place at the Moncks Corner United Methodist Church and the reception was held at Somerset Point, Pinopolis SC. Enjoy some photos from the wedding and the reception.

PicasaFlash.com

2007-06-12T22:29:00.000-04:00

PicasaFlash.com is a new website that allows you to easily view Picasa Web Albums in an Adobe Flash slide-show. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Kayaking Bushy Park

2007-06-10T18:23:00.000-04:00

While kayaking the Back River I snapped these photos of a couple of Wood Ducks and a Great Blue Heron in flight. I put in on the fresh water side of Bushy Park boat landings. As usual the multiple landings were busy with dozens of boats and personal water crafts. Enjoy more photos by visiting my Picasa Web Albums.

Hummingbirds Enjoy Barry's Rain

2007-06-02T20:46:00.000-04:00

Tropical depression Barry brought the southeast some much needed rain. The hummingbirds seemed to enjoy the weather. See more hummingbirds pictures in my hummingbird album.

Back In Business

2007-05-20T20:48:00.000-04:00

I'm back in business. I replaced the 300mm zoom lens I ruined with my kayak capsizing. To protect my new equipment I purchased a waterproof Pelican case from Boater's World in Mt Pleasant. See the Pelican case protect by Blackberry and camera in this animated graphic. Saturday I tried out my new zoom on a pair of Osprey that live in a nest off of Bushy Park Rd in Berkeley County SC. Today I kayaked Wambaw Creek and spotted a Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron and plenty of alligators.

Charleston Maritime Festival 2007

2007-05-19T14:07:00.000-04:00

I took some snapshots at The Charleston Maritime Festival 2007. Check out my album. I wish I could have seen the ships sail into the Charleston harbor.

Brookgreen Gardens

2007-05-13T15:21:00.000-04:00

We took a two hour detour through Brookgreen Gardens on our way to Myrtle Beach SC. It was a nice visit. The gardens are very well maintained. Be sure to visit if you get the chance. Until then check out some photos.

Shriner Parade Myrtle Beach SC

2007-05-13T14:54:00.000-04:00

The 2007 Shriner parade in Myrtle Beach SC was entertaining as usual. Here are some photos from the event.

New Camera

2007-05-05T15:37:00.000-04:00

While holding my breath I inserted a battery and flipped the switch to my old Nikon D70 camera this morning. Nothing. It didn't survive last weekend's soaking. Rather than spend at least a couple of hundred bucks getting it repaired I decided to purchase a new Nikon D40x. Here are some of the first pictures I snapped.

The Inevtiable

2007-04-29T16:32:00.000-04:00

The inevitable happened during my kayak trip on Sunday April 29, 2007. On my return from the rice fields near the Cooper River I capsized my kayak. The first time ever. I foolishly thought I was immune to capsizing. I had been rolling with boater's wakes all day with out incident. I dropped my guard toward the end of my trip and turned right over. My BlackBerry and Nikon D70 got soaked. I'm pretty sure the BlackBerry will dry out and recover. I'm not so sure about my D70. We'll see. Check out my SC Lowcountry picture gallery for possibly some of the last pictures ever taken with my Nikon D70.

Relay For Life

2007-04-28T00:51:00.000-04:00

The 10th annual American Cancer Society Moncks Corner Relay For Life event was held April 27 & 28, 2007. Check out the photo gallery.

Goose Creek Symphony Under the Stars

2007-04-21T22:34:00.000-04:00

The city of Goose Creek held a free concert featuring the Stratford High School and Charleston Southern University Wind Ensembles Saturday evening April 21, 2007. The event concluded with a fireworks display. Check out the pictures I shot from my backyard.

Stormy Weather

2007-04-15T11:37:00.000-04:00

The storm system rolling across the southeast today, April 25 2007, has brought some heavy winds but not much rain to Goose Creek SC. Looks like we got lucky.

Gator Sunbathing

2007-04-14T14:43:00.000-04:00

While kayaking today I snapped a few pictures of this gator sunbathing on the banks of Back River. I took about a 8 mile round trip depicted on this map of Durham Creek landing in Berkeley County SC. Click on the photo to see the picture album. Or check out the movie on YouTube.

Alligator April 14, 2007

First Hummingbird Sighting

2007-04-09T19:53:00.000-04:00

We saw our first hummingbird of the season today drinking from our feeder. No pictures yet. Coming soon...

Google's wall of dirt

2007-04-07T09:45:00.000-04:00

Is this is part of construction or a visor to keep the public from viewing construction? There is a big wall of dirt from my vantage point. See framed photo below. I'm not about to trespass so, for now, this is all that I'm seeing.

&lt;/ifram&gt; Google Berkeley County SC

Cooper River Bridge Run 2007

2007-03-30T18:49:00.000-04:00

The 30th annual Cooper River Bridge Run was held on March 31, 2007.

The first 500 photos are here
The remaining pictures are here.

Grand Gator Sighting

2007-03-24T14:48:00.000-04:00

I paddled-up behind this gator while kayaking Durham Creek. I took some more photos of this beast before he slithered into the water but my camera was shaking. I wonder why?

Google Berkeley County SC

2007-03-24T14:02:00.000-04:00

I put together this panoramic view of the Google Berkeley County SC site that is under construction. I have a larger version here if you prefer. Here is a short slide show. I will be posting more pictures as the construction continues.

Clipboard Image Publisher

2007-01-14T23:41:00.000-05:00

I've published version 1 of my Clipboard Image Publisher. It makes publishing print screen images quick and easy. Great for Gmail users. Read more about it.

Hanahan Christmas Parade 2006

2006-12-03T15:51:00.000-05:00

We enjoyed Hanahan's Christmas parade Saturday December 2, 2006. I published some photos using Picasa's Web Albums. Check out the slideshow.

New Thumbnail View

2006-11-03T22:48:00.000-05:00

You can now view my pictures as an array of thumbnails. To do this click on the Quantity column when listing my pictures by albums, dates, or labels. To view the full size picture, click on the thumbnail.

To view the photos via the original slide show click on the Album, Date, or Label column.

Please note that the thumbnails are created on the fly so they take longer to render.

Library Thing

2006-09-17T13:32:00.000-04:00

The Library Thing is a cool web site. If you every want to catalog your library on-line this will do it. It uses several sources including Amazon.com's database to get the book information. There are many methods to input your books. My favorite is to use a pen scanner on the book's ISBN bar code.

Here is my little library which includes books from my office and home.

Rock on, PLA

Charles Towne Landing

2006-08-19T15:38:00.000-04:00

We visited Charles Towne Landing to view their latest renovations. We enjoyed the walk, sites, and sounds. The firing of a replica 1670 cannon capped off our visit with a bang. View the slideshow.

More fun with Hummers

2006-08-14T21:56:00.000-04:00

I've taken over 1,000 pictures the last two days of hummingbirds and thin air. I still haven't taken "The Money Shot" but I thought these were worth sharing. Enjoy. View the slideshow.

Humming right along

2006-08-13T21:05:00.000-04:00

Humming right along. We have a half dozen or so hummingbirds visiting our feeders. They are a joy to watch and tough subjects to photograph. View the slideshow.

Goose Creek Independence Day Fireworks 2006

2006-07-04T22:26:00.000-04:00

The city of Goose Creek put on a good Independence Day fireworks show for 2006. A couple of small fires ignited down wind from the launch area. View the slideshow.

Moncks Corner Independence Day Fireworks July 1, 2006

2006-07-01T23:17:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th of July everyone! We enjoyed the Independence Day Fireworks from the Stony Landing Plantation in Moncks Corner Saturday July 1, 2006. View the slideshow.

Good Morning

2006-06-10T08:17:00.000-04:00

Mother Nature on Mother's Day

2006-05-14T21:37:00.000-04:00

Mother nature put on a show for Mother's Day. Starting with a beautiful sunrise in Myrtle Beach to a violent evening thunderstorm in Goose Creek.View the slideshow.

Shriner Parade May 13, 2006

2006-05-14T14:43:00.000-04:00

The Shriner parade marched down Main St North Myrtle Beach SC Saturday May 13, 2006. View the slideshow.

The Purple Ball 2006

2006-05-12T07:53:00.000-04:00

The Purple Ball a legislative and medical research update benefit for the Alzheimer's Association Palmetto Chapter was held at the Charleston Harbor Club May 11, 2006. View the slideshow.

Lowcountry Shrimp Festival and Blessing of the Fleet 2006

2006-05-06T16:32:00.000-04:00

The Lowcountry Shrimp Festival and Blessing of the Fleet was held in McClellanville SC May 6, 2006. View the slideshow.

Relay For Life 2006

2006-04-28T23:48:00.000-04:00

The annual American Cancer Society Relay For Life overnight event was held in Moncks Corner SC USA April 28, 2006. View the slideshow.

Southern Rock and Northerly Motorcycles

2006-04-15T22:07:00.000-04:00

Southern rock and northerly motorcycles filled the air Saturday at the Heritage Motorcycle Rally. Lynyrd Skynyrd rocked the huge crowd in between motorcycle jumpers spreading their wings. View the slideshow.

Cowboy Mouth rocks the Heritage Motorcycle Rally

2006-04-13T23:39:00.000-04:00

Cowboy Mouth rocked the Heritage Motorcycle Rally Thursday night. Fred LeBlanc and crew rocked the small crowd as if they were playing to thousands. His biggest little fan, Dale rocked too. Dale's sisters and friends finished the night off banging on the drums with Fred. It was a great show. View the slideshow.

Kid Rock at the Heritage Motorcycle Rally 2006

2006-04-08T23:09:00.000-04:00

Kid Rock performed an outdoor concert at the Heritage Motorcycle Rally April 8th, 2006. His performance was good. His drummer, Stefanie Eulinberg, rocks! The sound system and stage were top notch. The jumbotron made the show. Without it those of us hanging out on the fringe of the mass of fans would have just looking at ant size musicians on a stage.

The accommodations at the Heritage were terrible. Trash cans were overflowing. Beer stations were out of beer. Those stations that had beer were grossly under staffed. I really want to see the Heritage Motorcycle Rally succeed but they keep shooting their self in the foot. They need to get their act together.

Rock on, PLA

Charleston Air Expo 2006

2006-04-08T17:27:00.000-04:00

The Charleston Air Expo 2006 was held April 8th at the Charleston Air Force base. There was a great crowd on hand to witness the exciting demonstrations. Luckily the bad weather stayed away until the Navy Blue Angels had finished. View the slideshow.

Flowertown Festival 2006

2006-04-02T16:02:00.000-04:00

Summerville's Flowertown Festival is the largest Arts & Crafts festival in South Carolina. With this weekend's picture perfect weather the festival was packed. View the short slideshow.

2006 Cooper River Bridge Run

2006-04-01T13:33:00.000-05:00

Here are a few observations from the 2006 Cooper River Bridge Run (CRBR).

Personal listening devices (iPods) are popular with Cooper River Bridge participants, that goes for cellular phones too.
The participants in the rear of the pack have allot more fun than those in the front.
Krispi Kreme donuts are big even with CRBR'ers.
There are a few Carolina Panthers fans out there. A dozen or so cheered the team when they saw my Panthers shirt.
The CRBR is as strong as ever and is as good as place as any to see people from all walks of life.

Try the CRBR next year and maybe I'll snap a picture of you getting over it. Rock on, PLA

Sea Worthy?

2006-03-25T17:42:00.000-05:00

This is a unique looking vessel. It is a floating deck. I wonder what they do on this thing. This snapshot taken from the deck of the USS Yorktown in the Cooper River - Charleston SC USA.

Joe Satriani Super Colossal

2006-03-19T21:12:00.000-05:00

Joe Satriani’s latest is his greatest. Super Colossal is very easy to listen to again and again. Joe’s playing is cooler and hotter than ever. Layers and layers of guitar. I even like the last tune on the CD, Crowd Chant.

My Favorite DJ

2006-03-19T19:39:00.000-05:00

This is Deyond, my favorite DJ. We also work for the same company. Keep on rocking the Corner, Deyond. PLA

Friends

2006-03-19T19:21:00.000-05:00

Friends

Brothers

2006-03-19T19:18:00.000-05:00

Brothers

Backyard Entertainment

2006-03-19T19:09:00.000-05:00

I have a bird feeder and a bird bath in my backyard. I also have three hummingbird feeders hanging from the eves of my house. The birds have given me many hours (moments at a time) of entertainment. If you don't have a feeder get one and experience it for your self. Rock on, PLA

Move Super Bowl to Saturday

2006-01-27T22:33:00.000-05:00

Here is an idea who's time has come. Move the Super Bowl to Saturday. The NFL has the game starting so late Sunday evening, at least for us on the east coast, that Monday is a real bear. Come on NFL, be a saint. We could really blow it out Saturday, have Sunday to recover, and make it back to work on Monday like true patriots. If you agree, leave a comment on the link below.

Get up early and enjoy a sunrise

2006-01-21T17:06:00.000-05:00

A few times a year I get up early, grab my camera, and witness a sunrise. It is an inspirational site. I highly recommend it. This photo was taken on Martin Luther King Jr day, 2006 from Folly Beach SC.