DAILY PHOTO: Chichen Itza Wall Carvings

Taken in the Summer of 2009

Taken in the Summer of 2009

DAILY PHOTO: Munition Storage Area at RAF Woodbridge

Taken in 1988 or 1989 at RAF Woodbridge.

Taken in 1988 or 1989 at RAF Woodbridge.

This is the Non-Nuclear Munition Storage Area at RAF Woodbridge. Those berms are the backside of storage bunkers where munitions were stored. Apparently, long before I was stationed here, they had had a small tactical nuclear storage area whose boundaries (not shown) were easily discernible in my time by the decaying remnants of  doubled fences, razor wire, a concrete guard bunker, and a tower.

Anyway, it was a source of great hilarity / headache that the local anti-nuclear groups refused to believe nuclear weapons were no longer present. They would occasionally try to break in to show that security was inadequate for (the non-existent) nuclear weapons. Occasionally, they would succeed–because there weren’t nuclear weapons  and so one airman–often on foot–provided security for the whole area, and nothing was line of sight because of the ubiquitous berms. It would take either a long time or a lot of noise to  bust into one of the bunkers and one would probably gain access to nothing more than small arms ammo or bomblets for A-10s. So the security risk was not particularly great (compared to tactical nuke storage.)

I preferred the “ghost hunters” that regularly came around over the anti-nuclear crowd, the former were a little more willing to accept evidence than the latter.

DAILY PHOTO: Color v. Black & White

Taken June 2013 at Lullwater Park in Atlanta.

Taken June 2013 at Lullwater Park in Atlanta.

The same in black and white

The same in black and white

DAILY PHOTO: Roadside Foxglove

Taken June 2, 2013 at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia

Taken June 2, 2013 at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia

This flower is the source of a common heart medicine.

DAILY PHOTO: Headstone Sales in a Tallinn Market

Taken in the summer of 2011

Taken in the summer of 2011

I can’t recall anywhere besides Estonia that I’ve seen headstones for sale in a run-of-the-mill market. It was a market with green grocers, florists, hardware vendors, sellers of trinkets, and headstone engravers. This raised many questions for me. Who buys the headstone? Does one buy one’s own? If so, isn’t there a risk of narcissism in the engraved epitaph? If someone else buys it, is it something one would buy for a loved one or a mortal enemy? I can see it going either way. If it’s for a loved one, one probably has it made after that person’s death, but if it’s for an enemy, one gets it made and delivered beforehand–perhaps directly onto the unassuming melon of said enemy.

Anyone who understands the Tallinn headstone market, feel free to enlighten me.

DAILY PHOTO: Barbershop Harmony Society

Taken March 2012

Taken March 2012 in Nashville, Tennessee

DAILY PHOTO: Budapest Alagút

Taken Summer of 2011

Taken Summer of 2011

DAILY PHOTO: Corrections Museum in Bangkok

Taken in October of 2012

Taken in October of 2012

An old prison complex turned into a park containing a museum of corrections.

DAILY PHOTO: Cristo Blanco in Cuzco

Taken in July of 2010

Taken in July of 2010

DAILY PHOTO: Prague at Steeple Height

Taken in the Summer of 2002 in Prague

Taken in the Summer of 2002 in Prague