Photography
POTD: Painted Bench
Small garden.
My evening walk.
08-09-2020
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Snapshots Sunday: Land of Oz
Image is from the early 1970s
09-08-2017
In September of 2017, I paid a visit to a place I had not seen since I was about six years old…the Land of Oz. I remember bits and pieces of the trip. My parents took me in 1972 and two of my strongest memories are of riding on the balloon ride (a converted ski-lift) in a blinding mountain rainstorm and the wet ride in a bus, with no windows, down the mountain, leaving. For years, I wondered what had become of that park.
Originally opening on June 15, 1970, it was a grand place to visit and managed to stay open for a decade, even after a fire in 1975, before falling into disrepair and abandonment. Many things were stolen, vandalized or left to nature.
Appalachian State University had a cultural museum, at one time, that showcased saved pieces from the park including the yellow bricks, some munchkin houses, costumes, parts of the witch’s castle and other assorted props. All artifacts were eventually returned to the park.
In 1991, the park was included in a celebration for Independence Day for Beech Mountain. Watauga High School students dressed in costume. Emerald Mountain, Inc., purchased the property in 1994 and a slow restoration began. An “Autumn at Oz” was started as a reunion for former employees and became a yearly event. By 2010, the park drew 8,000 people.
By the 80th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz movie, 12,000 guests had come through in June of 2019. I have tons of pictures of this place, old and new and, I will be posting them over time. ~Vic
Photo Credit: Emerald Mountain Realty
Land of Oz (Official Website)
POTD: Shaggy Parasol
Macrolepiota Rachodes
And, it is poisonous.
08-06-2018
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POTD: Lost Shoe
At least it’s happy. ~Vic
08-01-2020
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Shutterbug Saturday: First Snow 2021
We don’t get the snow like we used to when I was a kid. I remember lots of snow and ice in the 70s. There were some decent snows in the middle 80s. There was one big snowstorm in early 1996 and that was the last one I saw until the two snow bombs in 2018. I spent nearly a decade in Texas and, I saw one small snow covering and two minor ice storms. That was it.
Here is our first snow of 2021. Colorado has gotten some, too. ~Vic
01-28-2021
Click for a larger view.
Click for a larger view.
Click for a larger view.
POTD: Dandelion
Some folks see a weed. I see two incredible flowers in the bright yellow blooms and the fuzzy seed ball. I also see delicious tea and tasty greens (good for the gallbladder). ~Vic
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POTD: Metal Weed
I can’t for the life of me figure out what the hell this thing is supposed to be. It appears to be iron and looks like something that would exist in Alice in Wonderland. It also reminds me of the strange plants in the Stargate episode One False Step. I’m calling it a weed…Iron Weed. ~Vic
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Photo Credit: Pinterest
POTD: Oxalis
I’m pretty sure this is an Oxalis Articulata or pink sorrel but, it could also be Oxalis Debilis. Either way, it is definitely a Shamrock and it’s in my front yard. ~Vic
Click for a larger view.
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POTD: Lunaria
Also known as Honesty, this could be the annual form or a perennial. Lunaria is Latin for moon-like and refers to the plants seed pods. ~Vic
Click for a larger view.
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Cosmic-Observation 