Veteran's day thank you

     It's rainy and dark (my vitamin D reserves are getting very, very low) but that's OK because I had an amazing weekend!  Ice skating and the bruises associated with that nearly crippled Kayla, but she is recovering.  There was also pigeon hunting, horseback riding, football, and time spent with my friends and family that I will cherish.  All in all, it was a jam-packed weekend that made 6:45AM a decidedly unpleasant experience.

     On to the main reason for my post: photo of the week, the Veteran's Day Special.  First of all, I want to sincerely and humbly thank all of those veterans, personally known or otherwise, who have risked their lives and lived to tell us about it.  They were brave enough to sacrifice so much of life that I don't think I ever could put on the line.  They not only risked their own lives, but they gave up time with family and friends, they gave up comforts that I take for granted, and did it for my freedom.  I pray I never take that for granted.  Have you ever taken the time to hear a veteran's story?  I have a few times and they are amazing.  Go find a vet, listen to them, nod your head and ask questions...you will be amazed with the perspective you gain.  This is in honor of them:

     This is a Veteran's memorial near downtown Schenectady and falls within the lines of my "self-project" of finding long-lost Schenectady.  I look at this 3" gun, made by Rock Island Arsenal (I think) in 1944, every day before boarding the bus for work and think, "hey! I should photograph that cuz it's old and detailed and would make an interesting black & white"  Well as luck would have it, one day last week was very foggy and I brought my camera.  This is the best composition and I love the fog covering the back ground.  I've contacted a few different agencies because I really want to know the back story of the gun--when I know, you'll know.

     I do hope you enjoy the photo, and I hope you go find a veteran that you know and spend a few moments with them.  Take them out to taco bell or something and talk, they deserve it.

     Lastly, if you know of any sites around the city that you think to yourself, "that would be an awesome photograph, Tim Lawrence the photo-pro extraordinaire (just kidding!) should go snap a few shots", please let me know.  I'm hungry for history knowledge of the area.  Have a great day, stay warm!

-Tim  

Schenectady: The lost city

I know, I know...it's not Monday!  Sorry to keep ya'll waiting, it's been amazingly busy and I've fallen behind on my editing.  I started using RAW files instead of JPEG and that's a whole new learning curve to overcome, hence why I haven't done much uploading anywhere lately.

Well here it is, or they rather...

There is a wonderful little article that I found explaining the origins of this sign, here's the link.  This guy does a much better job explaining it than I would so I step back into the role of information liaison.                                                           >>http://www.lostlandmarks.org/cokeschenectady.html<<

This photo is possibly the start of my first " personal project".  I assigned myself the task of finding, photographing, and writing about all of the little things in Schenectady, NY that has been lost to history.  There is a wealth of knowledge and history in this old city and I've always loved history (my grandmother has always been a history buff and passed that on to me), but I've never taken the time to explore my own city.  I'm not going to be posting a whole ton of photos constantly, as I want this project to take time, lots of time.  In this digital world and instantly attainable (and subsequently just a instantly forgettable) information, I'd like to slow down a bit and make something lasting.  Wish me luck :)