Christmas Treat!

Christmas Tree at Capitol

We had a Christmas lunch the other day with my daughter and her family.  Afterwords we visited the state capitol building.  I had parked under it many times over the years but never visited the inside.  It was quite an experience for me.  The Christmas tree was beautiful.  The little kiddies enjoyed the open spaces.

Rotunda

I enjoyed the endless photographic possibilities.  We tried to remember our history.  The capital moved from Chillicothe to Columbus in 1816.  It was not until 1835, if I remember correctly, that they started to build at the current location.  There have been changes since then to the structure.

I found the picture of my local favorite son, Jay Goyl, who is in the House of Representatives.  I saw both chambers where the senate and house meet.  It was too cold outside, though we had excellent light that day, to photograph the building.  Maybe I will get back.

Did I mention how much I enjoyed my daughter and her family?  Merry Christmas.

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Fossil Shark Tooth

Shark Tooth Fossil

These are shark teeth turned to stone, fossilized.  Pliny the Elder who died in the Mt. Vesuvius eruption of 79 AD thought they were objects which fell from the sky during lunar eclipses.  Danish naturalist Nicolaus Steno in 1667 correctly identified them as shark's teeth.  This one and the next one look so much like a tooth I can not see how they could be mistaken. I purchased these from Pam Laurer.  I think they are very nice.  

Shark Tooth Fossil

Others, not shown look more or less triangular and I can see how they might be less identifiable.  Apparently, the teeth are about the only parts of the shark that fossilizes.  I obtained my information from Wikipedia.

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Macro Panorama

rock unknown

I photographed this rock recently.  I was, of course, doing a closeup.  The camera was a little too close and I was lazy.  Instead of moving it back and recomposing, I just rotated the camera on the tripod and stitched the images together in Photoshop.  I was remarkably pleased with the result.  The only thing that really gave me pause about it was the pattern in the background material not lining up perfectly. 

This morning I decided to see if I could use a pano head to shoot a closeup.  I have recently received a King Panohead from Bill King.  I had ordered it at the end of last February but because of a death in the family, Bill could not deliver it until just recently.  I wanted to try it.  I set it up and then rotated the camera down with the head so that I was rotating it at the nodal point of the Sigma 105mm macro lens.

Pano macro setup

I shot the macro pano with four parts.  The previous shot included only two.  I processed the four images and stitched them together in Photoshop.  The fabric pattern lined up and also the rock looked seamless, see below.  I was really excited that this worked.  I think that I will be able to think of other ways to apply this technique.  I have an image with about twice the pixels so that I will be able to make a big print from it.

Rock Unknown macro pano

  I think that I will try printing it on luster canvas paper and do a museum wrap with it.

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Apache Tears

Apache Tears

Apache Tears are obsidian.  Obsidian is volcano glass.  They appear opaque because of the shiny outer surface.  They are are translucent when held up to the light.  They are shaped something like a tear might be imagined to be shaped.

The legend from which they got this name comes from the 1870's.  Apparently, a group of Apache braves were fighting the Calvary which out numbered them.  They rode their ponies off a cliff rather than be killed by the Calvary.  The wives and children of these braves cried upon hearing of their deaths.  The tears they cried turned to obsidian as they fell to the ground.

I really like obsidian for some reason.  It is sometimes used on scalpels used by surgeons.  It can be sharpened to a fine edge.  I understand it is not in wide use because of the expense.

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Rock unknown

Rock unknown

This is also one which went through the tumbler.  I was intrigued by the colors.  I felt uneasy about the white bands.  I thought that I might try to clean this one.  So far, I have not been successful.  It is none-the-less beautiful!

Parts of this rock appear that they might have originated as sedimentary rock.  I have a feeling that it has metamorphosed to its current state.  What forces made this one?

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Concretion?

Concretion?

This one looks like it has "glue" holding it together.  The gray bands appear to hold it together.  I read that this might occur with sedimentary rock.  I don't know if it occurs on this scale.  This rock is about an inch and one half long.  It is no less interesting because I don't know its identity.  This is one I plan on taking to Lowe-Volk in January to get help with ID.

Concretion?

If anyone knows, please feel free to comment.  This one has been through the first stage of  tumbling.

Concretion?

The gray material looked to be Quartz to me.  After checking the hardness, I have decided that it can't be quartz.  The Mohs' hardness is greater than 9.  It is fun to look at and wonder what it might be!

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