Sunday sunrise
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Super thrilled to once again have a respectable-looking front lawn, with massive props to my father-in-law, Dean, and his colleague, Dave for the install
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Parmesan-crusted baked chicken and boiled yellow baby potatoes—nom nom
Last time I made this chicken was five years ago. It tasted great but appearance was unappealing. I know what I did wrong then and didn’t repeat the mistake this time. Deelish!
Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
That moment when both pets know mommy isn’t feeling well, set aside their differences, and cuddle to give their care
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Biltmore mansion Halloween room
Originally used for storage, the walls were painted over the course of several weeks by the Cecils, joined by family and friends, with this unusal theme for a New Year's Eve party in 1925—the year after George's daughter, Cornelia, married John Cecil, a British diplomat.
Biltmore mansion post-tour
The weather was much more pleasant when we exited the house after our tour, enabling me to capture a few nicer shots of the exterior.
"Moose in the City"
Throughout the city, moose sculptures greeted Session attendees. Titled "Moose In The City," the outdoor art gallery was based on the Chicago art exhibit, "Cows On Parade," and featured hundreds of life-sized fiberglass moose designed by Torontonian artists. Several moose were located around the Convention Centre and SkyDome.
Biltmore mansion banquet hall organ loft
A 1916 Skinner pipe organ looms over the banquet hall. A large motor for the fan providing air to the pipes is in the basement—photo is later in this album.
Biltmore mansion smoking room
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"The Audience"
Session attendees who reach the SkyDome by crossing the bridge from Front Street can't help but notice this large, metallic-painted sculpture on the side of the SkyDome. This sculpture, and its second part on another part of the building, titled "The Audience" by Michael Snow, depicts various types of baseball fans such as "V for Victory," "Pointer," "Man and Boy," "Camera Man," "Clapper," "Binoculars," and more.
I’m not especially fond of dried berries, so I was amused—not annoyed—that this otherwise tasty snack literally only contained three blueberries
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Trail entrance at Lake Jesup Conservation Area
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Lyonia Preserve is a scrub forest restoration area and, as such, is known for its population of Scrub Jays—one granted us a considerable time to admire before flying away
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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My first attempt at the helicopter meme
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Ark Encounter
Feeding large animals.
Ark Encounter
Noah's prayer.
We really know how to party at WholeLife Church Retreat
This video was shot in HDR. If you are using an HDR-compatible viewer, the YouTube copy looks vastly better: youtu.be/ZeS32RkC2eY
Mason’s a goner but Maddox will exact his revenge
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Checking out the UK pavilion
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Biltmore mansion kitchen pantry
Both electric and manual dumbwaiters raised trays of food to the butler's pantry and floors above.
Moongazing
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Hitchhiker
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One of the 22 gators we spotted
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Today is my office’s annual clean up/clean out day—sadly, I didn’t get a “before” picture, but happy to have finally eliminated all the clutter that had accumulated on my main production work table
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I hope Friday night’s weather isn’t a foretaste of the entire weekend
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Nothing left but a memory
Spent the majority of a 22-year span of time in the building that used to occupy this lot. For the last few years, it was piled up with construction equipment for the I-4 expansion project. But that’s all gone as well. Now to find out who buys the lot from D.O.T. and what new business goes in.
A reasonably successful first-go using a Taylor egg timer
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This many members of our family coming together is a rare treat—I just wish the reason for the gathering wasn’t because an important person is missing
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Not the worst hotel room view :-)
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Biltmore mansion entrance hall
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.
A triumphant and delicious return to Central Florida, extra special because Lori, Meg, and Adri all could come too—we made the excursion to Clermont to partake of Fazoli’s!
Super extra special because our table number was 17 which has significant meaning to Lori and me.
Peaceful ending
The reunited furballs wasted no time settling right back into their routines and enjoyed some couch cuddles.
Turkey 2022 was a success
My late mother was always the source of my holiday turkey fix. This year, my culinary school-enrolled stepdaughter stepped up and knocked it out of the park!
Paper shortages are real, y’all—a job tomorrow will basically use up what’s left here, then I simply can no longer do full bleed 8.5x11 booklets
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SkyDome seen from CN Tower
Looking down on the SkyDome where the GC Session business meetings and the evening mission pageants are held.
Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Thursday sunrise
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My part is done—now my wife decorates
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Obligatory group photo
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I would tell you to not be a dummy, but even dummies know how to do social distancing—what’s your excuse?
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Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.
Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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I’ve known of the brushing scam phenomenon, but this is my first direct encounter
A brushing scam is when spammy Amazon Marketplace vendors pay for positive reviews, but a literal shipment has to be made which consist of cheap junky products. Two such very strange items came to my office—a pair of moist towelette packages and, inexplicably, a single blank crack-and-peel address label!
Sculpture Unveiling
A sculpture by renowned American sculptor Victor Issa was unveiled during the Session opening ceremony. The artwork, depicting the second coming of Christ, represents the Adventist hope in the soon return of Christ. Featuring 12 life-sized bronze images, the work represents, in three dimensions, one of the central beliefs of the Adventist church—the second coming of Jesus to Earth.
"Words that one usually wouldn't use to describe hard, shiny metal seem to come easily to those who stand among the pieces of this bronze sculpture," says Charlotte McClure, public relations director for the Adventist Church worldwide.
All 12 pieces of the sculpture were later permanently installed in the lobby of the World Church headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland.
"Moose in the City"
Throughout the city, moose sculptures greeted Session attendees. Titled "Moose In The City," the outdoor art gallery was based on the Chicago art exhibit, "Cows On Parade," and featured hundreds of life-sized fiberglass moose designed by Torontonian artists. Several moose were located around the Convention Centre and SkyDome.
Ark Encounter
Ark size and shape.
Saturday, July 8—Parade of Nations
The much-awaited "Parade of Nations"—complete with national flags, video commentary, and music—concluded the Adventist World Session in Toronto. The colorful spectacle highlighted the 205 countries in which Seventh-day Adventists operate, celebrating achievements and recognizing challenges.
The applause and cheers for the different countries indicated a wide range of nationalities attending the Session, with the loudest being for Jamaica, the U.S., and the host country Canada.
The ceremony is illustrative of the multi-national nature of the Church who are united in a faith that transcends national boundaries and cultures.
Biltmore mansion music room
Poor exposure in this dark room, but it shows the Meissen porcelain figures of the 12 Apostles from the 1730s-1740s, created by Johann Joachim Kändler. And to the left of the figures is the "Triumphal Arch of Maximilian," an 18th-century woodcut print Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I (1459-1519) commissioned from Albrecht Dürer and others about 1515.
Wednesday, July 5—The first military chaplain
A representative from Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries dressed in-character as Cornelius the Centurion, the first military chaplain in the Bible (Acts 10).
Full moon stealing the show of a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch
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Good night, Florida (actually this was last night, but hey)
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Two of the awesomest stepkids you’ll find anywhere
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Hella's
Hella's is a very popular Greek restaurant and bakery in Tarpon Springs.
The Christmas storage shelves are at last back in order and put away
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Monday afternoon arrival
We intended to leave home and arrive close to the 4pm checkin time. I had a small bit of work at the office that took much longer due to a coworker's home emergency preventing him from taking over my task. Thus, it was more like 7pm that we made it to our destination.
Ark Encounter
Deck floor plans.
CN Tower glass floor
…an attraction that is not for the faint of heart.
Our Thanksgiving meal contributions are ready: potatoes shredded for casserole, eggs boiled and peeled to become deviled, and cans of cranberry sauce to crack open—en route to Tampa soon
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Whatever it takes
Adam Bujak, director of Adventist Ministry to College and University Students in Ontario and an Adventist News Network photographer, will go to any extreme to get the right photo. "Thanks Adam!"
Hot dog, anyone?
Session attendees were delighted to discover that the many hot dog vendors surrounding the Convention Centre and SkyDome began selling vegetarian hot dogs several years ago. The vendors quickly stocked up on veggie dogs when they were told the city would be filled with Seventh-day Adventists who are, predominately, vegetarian. (We who served on the NAD communication team were quick to assure anyone who asked, the veggie-dogs were delicious!)
"Moose in the City"
Throughout the city, moose sculptures greeted Session attendees. Titled "Moose In The City," the outdoor art gallery was based on the Chicago art exhibit, "Cows On Parade," and featured hundreds of life-sized fiberglass moose designed by Torontonian artists. Several moose were located around the Convention Centre and SkyDome.
Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Alfond Inn lobby
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Mom is gone, passed this morning—came to Tampa house and later saw this on the dining room table; I can’t even
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The shot from the official Dazzling Nights kiosk
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Good night, Florida
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If you ever hear me say I have to move a ton of paper, please believe me when I say I am really not exaggerating
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Biltmore mansion entrance hall
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Time to line up
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A very pretty day made for some very pretty landscape scenery
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I was quite clear this morning that today was going to be a really long day—good night!
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Sunday evening visitor
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Anhinga at Mead Gardens
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Monday, July 3—Schneider elected NAD president
Don C. Schneider was elected NAD president, replacing A.C. McClure.
The NAD press release is available on my Session 2000 archive page.
Playing with night mode—Canada pavilion
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Thursday sunrise
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Sunday sunrise
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It was suggested maybe my hand was causing the shape of the eclipse, so my wife found a card and punched a hole in it—still works!
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Good night, Florida
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Biltmore mansion oak sitting room
This paneled sitting area connected George and Edith's bedrooms. The room is where they usually shared breakfast and was where Edith planned the day with the head housekeeper.
Playing with night mode—China pavilion
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Congrats to my nephew, Riley Alexander Bennett, on his high school graduation!
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Rusty Pelican restaurant entrance
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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"Moose in the City"
Throughout the city, moose sculptures greeted Session attendees. Titled "Moose In The City," the outdoor art gallery was based on the Chicago art exhibit, "Cows On Parade," and featured hundreds of life-sized fiberglass moose designed by Torontonian artists. Several moose were located around the Convention Centre and SkyDome.
Biltmore mansion second floor living hall
The two large pantings on the far wall are of architect Richard Morris Hunt and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. The left wall features a painting of the Cecil family, descendants of George Vanderbilt.
Biltmore mansion music room
This multi-shot stitched panoroama is better quality/exposure than the next photo, but doesn't show as much of the complete room.
This was a bare/unfinished room in George Vanderbilt's time. Before it was completed in 1976 by George's descendants, it was used during World War II as a secret storage location for valuable art from the National Gallery in Washington, D.C.
First time encounter with this flavor—my new Favorite Thing™ of the moment
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Candlelight Processional group photo at the church before leaving
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Biltmore mansion Winter Garden
The atrium area has a glass roof illuminating the center fountain sculpture, Boy Stealing Geese, by Karl Bitter which was installed just weeks before George Vanderbilt opened the house to his family on Christmas Eve, 1895.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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…with my sweetie
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Good night, Florida
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Biltmore mansion pool
Though no longer holding water, the 70,000-gallon indoor pool was heated and still has its original underwater lighting. Call buttons located near the doors allowed swimmers to order refreshements or signal they were ready to leave and needed help changing.
Biltmore mansion post-tour
The weather was much more pleasant when we exited the house after our tour, enabling me to capture a few nicer shots of the exterior.
CN Tower
At 1,815 feet, 5 inches, Canada's CN Tower was the world's tallest free-standing structure until 2007 when it was overtaken by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE. It is an important telecommunications hub and the center of tourism in Toronto since it was built in 1976. The observation platform is 1,136 feet or 114 stories above the ground.
Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Tomorrow
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Biltmore Gardens Railway
Part of the railway miniature ran past an amazing scale model of the mansion.
Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.
"Moose in the City"
Throughout the city, moose sculptures greeted Session attendees. Titled "Moose In The City," the outdoor art gallery was based on the Chicago art exhibit, "Cows On Parade," and featured hundreds of life-sized fiberglass moose designed by Torontonian artists. Several moose were located around the Convention Centre and SkyDome.
Cuckoo clocks in the Germany pavilion
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New office toy—HP DesignJet XL 3600 MFP
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Before and after
One of the most satisfying parts of my job is when I can take an existing item produced in house for one of my office’s departments and dramatically improve it. (Please tell me you can see the difference!)
Ark Encounter
Panorama shot showing the opening between all decks—level 3.
Will you permit me to boast for just a second on my packaging tape box-cornering skill?
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Trail scenery
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Sundown sky
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It’s unboxing day!
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Had the opportunity to hold an original 1st generation iPhone for the first time in probably more than 10 years—wow I forgot how small they were!
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Alfond Inn conservatory where the baby shower was held
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Biltmore Estate Gardens
Following an all-day Tuesday drive to Asheville, NC, where we met up with my parents, we spent Wednesday touring the Biltmore Estate, starting with the gardens which was featuring a temporary attraction, Biltmore Gardens Railway with miniature train sets.
Tuesday, July 4—Interview studio
GCTV's news desk and interview area were located in the heart of the exhibition hall. Pictured is newly elected North American Division President Don C. Schneider and It Is Written Speaker/Director Mark Finley preparing for a an interview on the Adventist Communication Network.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Giraffe at Central Florida Zoo
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Misc. other photos from the week—South Hall entrance
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Not all family members were quite in the mood for a group selfie
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CN Tower
There aren't many outdoor locations in downtown Toronto where the CN Tower doesn't make its presence known.
Alfond Inn lobby, leading to conservatory
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Saturday afternoon scenery at Camp Kulaqua—King Chapel
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Good night, Florida
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Meg loves Winnie the Pooh
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Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Downtown Toronto seen from CN Tower
Probably the best vantage point of downtown Toronto you'll find.
Ark Encounter
Dining area.
Loud and clear
The sound of every spoken word and every musical note coming from the stage was routed through this mixing console in the middle of the Session Floor. Those who sat in the rear portions of the SkyDome experienced an interesting curiosity of science, caused by the sheer size of the venue—it takes almost a full second for sound to travel from the powerful speakers to the back of the SkyDome. Since light doesn't have this perceived delay, the effect was accentuated when the sound was heard while also watching the JumboTron video display above the stage.
Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.
How on earth is this nephew of mine already a teenager‽ Happy 13th birthday, Mason!
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"Moose in the City"
Throughout the city, moose sculptures greeted Session attendees. Titled "Moose In The City," the outdoor art gallery was based on the Chicago art exhibit, "Cows On Parade," and featured hundreds of life-sized fiberglass moose designed by Torontonian artists. Several moose were located around the Convention Centre and SkyDome.
Didn’t realize another rocket was going up this morning so soon after the Falcon Heavy, but there it was, on my way to work—kudos SpaceX team, but not to Space Karen!
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Waiting in the weather
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Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Admittedly it’s been a minute since I’ve seen my blood sugar that low!
Very surprised this morning to see a glucose reading less than half what I’ve been at each morning lately. I’m okay now—I had some bread and peanut butter and four hours later it’s at 115. Yes, I’m watching this carefully.
Family meetup
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Bought a humidifier to ease wife’s Covid-induced congestion—seems to be doing its job!
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Thursday sunrise
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Well okay, just so long as the desire is not for a führer
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Good night, Florida
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Meg learns about phone booths
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Saturday sunrise
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We created a Mandalorian battle scene on top of my nephew’s birthday cake
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ABC
A full-fledged, 10,000-square-foot Adventist Book Centre was set up in the exhibition hall for the benefit of Session attendees. More than 50 authors participated in book signings.
Ark Encounter
We're inside the door!
Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Biltmore mansion grand staircase
Inspired by the staircase at the Chateau de Blois in the Loire Valley, Biltmore’s grand staircase is a marvel of physics built using counterbalance. The weight of each of the solid limestone slab steps is offset by the weight of the wall bearing down.
There is a 1,700-pound electric light fixture suspended from the middle of the grand staircase. It hangs from a single bolt that runs through steel girders under the dome roof. The bolt has been replaced only once since the house was built. Wisely designed, the copper dome opens for easier access to the fixture.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Deviled eggs redux—mixed in a little salt as I should have done the first time, and had access to smoked paprika; YUMMO
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Good night, Florida—stay safe in the storm
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Biltmore mansion oak sitting room
This paneled sitting area connected George and Edith's bedrooms. The room is where they usually shared breakfast and was where Edith planned the day with the head housekeeper.
Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.
YinYang
If a white cat crosses the path, does it cancel out a black cat previously crossing the path?
Just because it doesn’t snow in Florida doesn’t mean we don’t sometimes have to shovel our sidewalks!
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Celebrating 10 years
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Saturday sunrise
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Thursday, June 29—countless flags adorned the Session main stage
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
21-year-old relic still boots up!
Sorry, at the time this photo was snapped, I had no idea if the G4 tower barely visible still boots.
Real tacos, real beauty
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Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Saturday afternoon scenery at Camp Kulaqua—beautiful day for a boardwalk stroll
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Black bears at Central Florida Zoo
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Didn’t observe any appreciable damage in my neighborhood except for two large trees down and a third losing a major limb; all three in the park and didn’t hit any buildings—literally missed smashing a picnic table by two inches!
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Canoers on the peaceful Santa Fe River
Playing with iOS Cinematic mode with a handheld attempt at faking a crane move shot.
This video was shot in HDR. If you are using an HDR-compatible viewer, the YouTube copy looks vastly better: https://youtu.be/OC8H1XPINFw
Biltmore mansion post-tour
The weather was much more pleasant when we exited the house after our tour, enabling me to capture a few nicer shots of the exterior.
Biltmore mansion main kitchen
Biltmore's chef led a team of more than a dozen kitchen workers. The copper pots are original to the house.
First beach day
A lot of Tuesday was spent sleeping in and getting odds and ends in order, including some shopping trips. Didn't get down to the beach until later in the afternoon, by which time I was able to sit in the shade of the seawall without needing the beach umbrella.
Stormy evening
I don't remember the rain ever reaching us, but I used the opportunity to take some artful license with filters to create this shot.
Alfond Inn architecture
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I suppose Pandora’s proofreader wasn’t paid in full
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Giraffes at Central Florida Zoo
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I Voted! (local elections—sadly not yet time to vote out DeathSantis)
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Time to line up
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One of the 22 gators we spotted
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Entering the Lyonia Preserve
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North SkyDome Entrance
A bridge over a Toronto rail line, connecting Front Street with the SkyDome, was the path many Session attendees travelled when entering the SkyDome and the cafeteria. The CN Tower is also accessed from this vicinity.
Biltmore mansion servant bedroom
Most uncommonly for the period, Biltmore servants had a comfortably furnished, heated, private room. Most servants were allowed two hours off daily, but were still on call. They received one afternoon and one evening off per week as well as a half day every other Sunday.
Ark Encounter
Japheth and Rayneh.
Impressive thunderhead building over Orlando
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Celebrating Meg’s dual high school/college AA graduation
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Butterfly pose at Central Florida Zoo
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We reached the observation tower
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"Moose in the City"
Throughout the city, moose sculptures greeted Session attendees. Titled "Moose In The City," the outdoor art gallery was based on the Chicago art exhibit, "Cows On Parade," and featured hundreds of life-sized fiberglass moose designed by Torontonian artists. Several moose were located around the Convention Centre and SkyDome.
Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Ark Encounter official photo stop—ramp to door version
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.
Dad, brother, wife, and me after a wonderful meal at Rusty Pelican
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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A Rainbow of Ministry
The Session's host—the North American Division—erected this large banner, making the exhibition booth immediately identifiable. Beneath the banner, visitors found kiosks with brochures and online information about the Division's ministries, resources, organizations, and members. There were interactive web kiosks and presentations given by Division personnel and ministry leaders—live and on video.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Good night, Florida (iPhone 11 Pro night mode continues to amaze—this photo was captured at 9:45pm)
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Home for three of the four nights of the South Florida schedule of regional pre-session meetings of our constituency session
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My view today—operating graphics and videos for my office’s business meeting
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Pastitsio
I chose this dish that is something like a Greek lasagna, but it's described as, "Famous casserole of ziti, ground beef, Romano cheese and baked with a creamy sauce." It came with rice pilaf, a wedge of Greek-style potato, and peas which, in spite of probably coming from a can, had a very enjoyable seasoning.
Biltmore mansion salon
Edith Vanderbilt, George’s wife, had a love of drama throughout her life and often hosted masquerade parties and theatrical events in Biltmore House. After setting aside her plan to convert the Salon into an auditorium, Edith furnished the room as a Turkish Sitting Room, complete with Persian rugs, oversized cushions for guests to lounge on, and a draped fabric ceiling treatment that remains today.
Top of the observation tower
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
"Moose in the City"
Throughout the city, moose sculptures greeted Session attendees. Titled "Moose In The City," the outdoor art gallery was based on the Chicago art exhibit, "Cows On Parade," and featured hundreds of life-sized fiberglass moose designed by Torontonian artists. Several moose were located around the Convention Centre and SkyDome.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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That’s a wrap—celebrating completion at Applebee’s!
Marathon travel to eight locations all around the state for regional meetings is complete and a success. Thanks to Abdiel for treating staff to a late night dinner.
Wednesday sunrise
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It's install day for our new production copier with an awesome new booklet finisher
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Biltmore mansion post-tour
The weather was much more pleasant when we exited the house after our tour, enabling me to capture a few nicer shots of the exterior.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Sunday sunrise
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Eric and Adri were tired
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Tarantula at Central Florida Zoo
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Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Xander's vacation
First stop, Pet Paradise Resort where Xander spent the week while we traveled.
Biltmore mansion library
George's collection ranges from American and English literature to history, religion, philosophy, art, and architecture.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Birds on the nature drive
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Biltmore mansion gun room
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Not bad for an iPhone Night Mode shot of the Jupiter/Saturn Christmas Star
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Family Fun at TopGolf
Yeah yeah yeah, horrible form. You pros in the peanut gallery just hush. It was my very first time. But we had loads of fun and I made a couple drives well beyond 100 yards!
A mural in one of the subway stops
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Airport dropoff scenery
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Bald eagle at Central Florida Zoo
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Documenting Hurricane Ian’s passing
I’m truly astonished my Ring doorbell camera kept capturing images during the time I lost power. Never realized it would buffer the interval snapshots until WiFi was restored so it could upload them. Clearly the device’s battery lasts at least 13 hours which was the duration I had lost power.
Update to a classic
The Bic four-color ballpoint pen was the dream school supply for every ’70s and ’80s kid. If you had one, you were cool. Yes, I had one. And now I have this one, thanks to my employer’s health insurance provider.
Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Smyrna Beach was most definitely not "ew"
Screen printing mistake on this pair of beach shorts.
Biltmore mansion laundry facilities
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Good night, Florida
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Meg loves Winnie the Pooh
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Ark Encounter
Panorama shot showing the opening between all decks—level 2.
Wednesday sunrise
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The art in the skylight dome made for colorful patterns as the sun shone through them to the floor
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Good night, Florida
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Hole 17
If you know us, you know the number 17 is very meaningful to us.
Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
We went Soarin’
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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My Ring doorbell said they could leave a message, so this is the message my stepdaughter’s best friend left for me - LOL
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Back stage
Event participants preparing for their part in a program contribute to the flurry of activity that goes on behind the elaborate stage backdrop.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Mary Poppins also made an appearance
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Welcome to adulthood, Meg
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A very pretty day made for some very pretty landscape scenery
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GCTV production
An extraordinary sense of humor and irony is sometimes what makes the difference between a good video editor and a great video editor.
SPECIES:
Television Editor, Editorus Fatigus
Nocturnal & Diurnal
HABITAT:
Often found in dark, damp cubicles, occasionally passed out under the desk.
PRIMARY DIET:
Little Debbie's Snack Cakes.
Biltmore mansion stone hallway
After descending through a narrow service stairwell below the grand staircase, this long hallway runs along the house's foundation toward the south side.
Finishing the evening with family dinner at Tijuana Flats
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Trail scenery
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Biltmore mansion laundry facilities drying room
Some of the damp laundry was dried indoors draped over rolling racks warmed by heating elements.
More iPhone 11 Pro experimentation, using the super wide angle lens on this koi pond in the Japan pavilion after a tasty lunch
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Local public elementary school teachers did a drive-by parade through neighboring communities for their students staying at home
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Dazzling Nights at Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Video and photos captured at Dazzling Nights at Harry P. Leu Gardens.
If you have HDR-capable technology, I strongly recommend using that equipment to watch the YouTube version in HDR.
I’ve been honing my digital menu board design skills—consolidated to 2-column layout which opened up a LOT of space for more content including a new photo carousel
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Good night, Florida
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Tajín takeaway
So—Blaze Pizza had a promotion recently where customers could collect a free mini bottle of Tajín seasoning (chili pepper flake with lime flavoring). I was interested in trying it, but I seldom get all the way over to Winter Park, the closest location to my work.
Generally when I get over that way, it's to pick up a paper order for the print shop. The Mac Paper outlet is not far from Blaze Pizza. Since I had to make a pickup today, and I had a discount coupon, I decided on Blaze for lunch.
I totally assumed the promotion was long since over. When I realized a manager was at the pickup counter handing out online orders, I asked him about it.
Apparently the mini bottles weren’t moving as fast as he would've liked, and the stores get some sort of credit for the number of bottles they give away. He was about to hand me a bottle from a small bag, then changed his mind and just handed me the whole bag! There were eight bottles inside (gave three to my coworker).
Got my inner Nerf War on today during my nephew’s 7th birthday party (photos by Lori)
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Family pose
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Some played…some observed…all fun for continued celebration of Maddox’ 7th birthday
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Congrats, SpaceX team
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Birds on the nature drive
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A few days later, returning to Epcot for a full day of fun
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Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Sunday, the day after the anniversary party, our immediate family drove back to Pigeon Forge for a trip to Dollywood
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Trimming the "fat"
Butchers may be skilled at trimming fat from meat—I am skilled at trimming excess laminate from hundreds of cards.
Alfond Inn central courtyard
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If someone ever tells you the print industry doesn’t require math, they are LYING
You will win MAJOR kudos if you can decipher what I was doing here.
Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Famished after a long day at the mansion, we thorouthly enjoyed a late lunch at Cedric's Tavern—my sandwich was DEELISH
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The Session was broadcast via satellite
Adventist Communication Network (ACN) and Adventist Global Communication Network (AGCN) teamed up to bring satellite broadcasts of the Session to the world. Their television room (pictured), production offices, and a news desk/interview area were set up in the exhibition area of the Convention Centre.
Cool shadow streaks from the setting sun
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Black Jeep of the family
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Biltmore mansion breakfast room
Grainy and poorly exposed, my panorama shot of this dark room gives a glimpse of the elaborately decorative ceiling.
Ark Encounter official photo stop—daytime angle version
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Vacation Cross Connection
In planning our June 2019 vacation, it was fascinating to realize all our destinations collectively formed the shape of a cross.
Biltmore mansion oak sitting room
This paneled sitting area connected George and Edith's bedrooms. The room is where they usually shared breakfast and was where Edith planned the day with the head housekeeper.
Holiday illumination on trees at Apopka’s Kit Land Nelson Park
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Godspeed, SpaceX crew! (Photos by my wife, Lori)
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Dollywood's Harvey Water Clock
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Ambitious Zoom event redux
I had collaborated on an event back in May that streamed participants in Zoom to Facebook and YouTube. My role was managing videos, media, countdowns, etc. It was a huge experiment that came off really well with a couple caveats that we have now worked through. In August, we did it again with even greater success.
☯️
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Deviled egg prep is complete
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Oh nothing, just printing 14 *thousand* flyers to be distributed around the state
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Ark Encounter
Kitchen.
Florida afternoon skies
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Calling grandma
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Crocodile at Central Florida Zoo
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WLC SNL Host Stevie pays the consequences of losing the game
I smell a rigged game—Stevie was always the one who'd lose his hair.
This video was shot in HDR. If you are using an HDR-compatible viewer, the YouTube copy looks vastly better: youtu.be/zE1FkJTie2U
Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Mom, she’s laying in my space again!
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Biltmore mansion gymnasium
Rowing machine, parallel bars, Indian clubs, medicine balls, and needle bath shower massages.
Biltmore Gardens Railway
Model train passing in front of the mansion scale model.
A rare moment of peace, harmony, and tranquility
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Figment went upside down (the only night mode shot on the moving ride that turned out well)
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Trail scenery
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Misc. other photos from the week—amateur radio tower
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Good morning, Florida
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Thursday sunrise
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Neighborhood stepping up tonight from all directions
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Birds on the nature drive
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Good night, Florida
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For Halloween supper, my stepdaughter made Mummy Meatloaf
For the record, I generally enjoy meatloaf, and hers was really good. Who knew cayenne pepper works REALLY well in meatloaf! Oh, the bandages were cut from puff pastry sheets and the eyes were green olives.
Awesome dinner prepared by my stepdaughter
After a very busy (but very good) day, it was a splendid treat to enjoy this dinner. My stepdaughter is studying culinary arts, and she plussed my idea for basic steak and baked potato into this masterpiece all with her own seasoning blend. And the she used a nondairy heavy cream to make the potato purée so my wife could also enjoy. I’d have never been able to guess there was no dairy (or gluten) on this plate! (Photo by my wife because I was too hungry and eager to snap one of my own!)
Trail map—we took the blue pill…er, I mean the blue trail
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Human, stay
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Biltmore mansion—Edith Vanderbilt chamber
Purple and gold fabrics adorn Edith's Louis XV-style feminine retreat. Eighty years after the original fabrics were created, replacements woven by the same French company were installed during restoration of the room.
Good night, Florida
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Good night, Florida
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Enjoying the treat!
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My parents visited today for Christmas gift exchange, a little help updating outdoor light fixtures, and yummy lunch
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Wood damage
I’m starting to love the iPhone 13 Pro macro feature. Might be a lot of these in the future. This shot is the busted end of my wooden paper jogger that accidentally caught the blade of the hydraulic bulk cutter. (If you want to see what the jogger tool is for, see this video: flic.kr/p/2m8uj1x )
Adventist commemorative stamp detail
Photo by Bryans Stynyk. Painting title: "Storm Clouds."
Picturing the sun breaking through the clouds, this commemorative stamp represents the Adventist Church as a "people of hope." The stamp is the first in North America to honor the work of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and was unveiled by Canada Post during the Session opening ceremony.
Adventist Review temporary office
The Review published daily issues during the session. Passers-by could view the production room in the exhibition hall.
Good night, Florida
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Biltmore mansion official photo stop—Winter Garden version
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
My and my dad’s birthdays (5th and 11th) are close enough to Independence Day that our parties tend to lean on that theme
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Ark Encounter
Inside looking at the bow.
View from the top of the observation tower
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Sunday sunrise
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In case you ever wondered what my LEAST favorite task is at my job
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Apparently Karl the Fog was visiting Florida again today
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Good night, Florida
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Good night, Florida
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Biltmore mansion third floor living hall
This was the common space used by special visitors who stayed in the guest accommodations located on the third floor.
Beautiful sunset over Congo River
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A list of good reasons to come here is very short, but at least the place is photogenic
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Ice cream solves everything
It must be true. It's right there on a neon sign!
Saturday afternoon scenery at Camp Kulaqua—Prayer Place
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Mary Poppins also made an appearance
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Happy 2nd Christmas
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Biltmore mansion upper/exterior view of Winter Garden atrium
This view looks out from a window on the third floor above the master bedroom hallway.
Ark Encounter
Panorama shot showing the opening between all decks—level 3.
Biltmore mansion banquet hall
I shot a panorama to show a full floor-to-ceiling view, but exposure often ends up yucky in panorama shots.
Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
The next day we drove to Pigeon Forge and had lunch at Cheddar's with a few of the family members who would be attending the 50th anniversary party that weekend
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Dealing with locking bathroom tissue holders
Pro tip for workers whose offices use these silly locking toilet roll holders and hate when custodians don't pay attention whether the roll is going over the top. You'll find a little button on one side that you can depress with a small tool, such as the one pictured, to release the lock. Just note that the roll holder only reattaches the same direction, so you will have to take the paper off the holder, turn it around, slide it back on the holder, and put the holder back into place this same direction.
Now, we just need a hack to avoid the wobble these rolls create—I presume to help keep them from spinning out of control and dumping a bunch of paper on the floor.
Sprite with a story
On September 6, 2014, I felt as though this bottle of Sprite was perhaps the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
I had been admitted to the hospital with terrible stomach pain which turned out to be pancreatitis. I hadn't really consumed anything for a couple days (nor did I want to) due to the pain, but by September 6, the meds were beginning to work. I was jonesin' really badly for something with flavor.
Looking back, considering that I was ultimately diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, receiving a sugary soda from a nurse may not have been the wisest thing. But, since I couldn't manage to finish even half of it, and I'd consumed virtually nothing for a while, nothing horrible came of it.
I distinctly remember being in tears over being so happy to finally have something with taste. And I'm pleased to report that after some time of being on Lantus insulin, I managed to get off of it. I'm still on a battle with elevated triglycerides and take a handful of various meds every day, but I'm still off the Lantus and doing all I can to stay off it.
Masked friends
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Biltmore mansion library
Nearly half of George's collection (22,000-23,000 volumes in total) is in this library. A chess set and gaming table in this room was once owned by Napoleon Bonaparte.
Florida skies this morning
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Red sky at morning…
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Biltmore mansion oak sitting room
This paneled sitting area connected George and Edith's bedrooms. The room is where they usually shared breakfast and was where Edith planned the day with the head housekeeper.
Cute marketing tchotchke—a mini pallet full of sticky notes
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My younger stepdaughter made a latte—she’s not especially fond of coffee, but enjoys the process of making things in the kitchen
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Sabbath morning bliss with a sofa full of blankets and fur-babies
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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The dog strong-armed her way into her favorite spot, and I can’t tell if the cat is enjoying the snuggle and the pillow, or if he’s about to unleash terror
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Misc. other photos from the week—some sort of large cake presented during the main meetings
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"Moose in the City"
Throughout the city, moose sculptures greeted Session attendees. Titled "Moose In The City," the outdoor art gallery was based on the Chicago art exhibit, "Cows On Parade," and featured hundreds of life-sized fiberglass moose designed by Torontonian artists. Several moose were located around the Convention Centre and SkyDome.
Major thunderstorm rolling through
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I realize it’s coming in just a plain brown paper bag, but I know for a fact she’ll love what’s inside, and might love what’s NOT inside even more!
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First of three geocaches found—“Got Moss?”
www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC98NJ9_got-moss
GCTV production
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Good night, Florida #NoFilter
Anyone who knows me is aware I virtually never post a photo on which I’ve done no color correction or tweaks of any kind. This post is a rare exception.
Crap, I’m old
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My nights this week #MyTreasuredVBS
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Biltmore mansion dressing room
Plenty of space for changing into bathing costumes, adjacent to the indoor pool.
Allow me to introduce our spiffy new SDD full bleed booklet trimmer and square fold finisher—it’s SO awesome!
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Condo courtyard
Our unit overlooked a beautifully landscaped courtyard. Unfortunately, it was just too hot to make use of the seating area at the end of the boardwalk.
Boys on the trail
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If you knew my mom and happen to be near my office, you’re welcome to stop by and receive a little gift treat and a copy of her life sketch and program booklet from this weekend’s memorial service
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My late mother once guessed she probably prepared more than 100 turkeys in her life; this is the first my dad made after watching her do them year after year, and it looks perfect!
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Biltmore mansion banquet hall—opposite angle
This photo was from later in the tour looking from the opposite corner of the room. It has a better view of the overall size.
The largest dinner held here seated 38 people at the large oak table. However, the Vanderbilts and family members often dined at a smaller table near the triple fireplaces in the background.
At the elegant dinner parties, guests were treated to fine linens, and family silver, china, and crystal including five wine glasses per person.
Good night, Florida
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Sunday sunrise
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Frightening—house fire a block away from mine; apparently began in rear living room, most kids were outside playing, everyone else got out, and all are safe
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Nominating committee
The Nominating Committee room is, of course, closed to spectators. Our photographers, however, were allowed capture images of the scene. Committee members nominate and elect Church leaders, making use of electronic equipment to tabulate votes.
Photo by my friend and colleague, Ron Quick, formerly Carolina Conference communication director. Photos were generally strictly prohibited in this room. Ron was granted a moment to capture this view when sensitive information was not being shown or discussed.
Anybody remember doing this? (I miss FireWire Target Disk Mode)
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Thank you, BJ’s Wholesale, for the gas price break!
Most gas in my area right now is between 3.89 and 4.09. BJ’s Clermont was already good at 3.77. Offer for this month is 50¢ off per gallon after $100+ purchase in the store (which I needed anyway). 3.27 per gallon is great!
Obligatory group selfie
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Misc. other photos from the week—organ and piano
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Good night, Florida
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Mead Gardens scenery
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Nice day for a trail walk
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Biltmore mansion post-tour
The weather was much more pleasant when we exited the house after our tour, enabling me to capture a few nicer shots of the exterior.
Good night, Florida
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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A beautiful Saturday afternoon at Liberty Park in Lake Mary
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Biltmore mansion post-tour
The weather was much more pleasant when we exited the house after our tour, enabling me to capture a few nicer shots of the exterior.
Ark Encounter
Welcome.
Our destination…
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Playing with night mode—France pavilion
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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I wore a new dress to church; "modest is hottest" LOL
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Biltmore mansion—George Vanderbilt chamber closet
None of the clothes displayed here were actually George's, but they are representative of the style of the day. Custom dictacted varying types of attire for different events, so George would often change clothes four to six times per day—a busy prospect for his valet. In George's time, it is generally understood this space was only used for hats and other accessories, with clothing stored elsewhere.
Good night, Florida
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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I learned today is International Wear Your Summer Camp T-shirt Day—my childhood camper shirts are long gone, as is my 1989 staff shirt, but I do have this seven-year-old 60th anniversary polo
Now, can someone please explain why a day celebrating summer camp is held in November?
Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Ark Encounter
A splendid index explaining what "kind" actually means and how the Ark could accommodate what was necessary. (Note that the Bible states Noah brought two—or seven—of every "kind," not necessarily of every single "animal.")
Real iPads, real beauty
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Good morning, Florida
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Enjoying a trip on Dollywood's vintage steam train—except for the tiny specks of soot!
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Eric and Adri were tired
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Sunday sunrise
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Nifty projection mapping demo seen at InfoComm 2015
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Pure unfiltered rottenness
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Sunday sunrise
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Revealing my creative wife’s transformation for the front room of the house
This is a 10-second iPhone Night Mode exposure of an otherwise very dimly lit room—basically just the string of lights framing the center window.
Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.
Holiday lights forming the City of Apopka logo set up at Kit Land Nelson Park
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Biltmore mansion—Edith Vanderbilt chamber
Purple and gold fabrics adorn Edith's Louis XV-style feminine retreat. Eighty years after the original fabrics were created, replacements woven by the same French company were installed during restoration of the room.
Dollywood's Harvey Water Clock
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Technology success story
After I left the communication department in 2017, I no longer had my 1-2 visits quarterly to the magazine mail service way down in south Orlando which I would often use as an excuse to have lunch at one of my favorite restaurants located nearby.
Upon helping another department use this mail service this week, I offered to drive the postage checks down to the location and, of course, enjoy the restaurant for the first time since October 2019.
I got all the way down here and was suddenly brokenhearted to realize I had taken the work truck and mistakenly left my wallet in my car back in Altamonte Springs. :-( And the restaurant unfortunately doesn’t accept Apple Pay.
BUT—there’s a Bank of America diagonally across the street, and nearly all BoA ATMs now let you use an Apple Pay device instead of your debit card.
A quick $20 withdrawal, and I’m now enjoying a helping of the best beef brisket in Orlando! (Sorry, 4 Rivers, Cecil’s has you beat, no contest.)
Ark Encounter
Food supplies.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Cheetahs at Central Florida Zoo
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Good night, Florida
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Ever wonder how you get custom-sized pieces printed multiple-up on a large sheet with ink bleeding to the edge?
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Trail scenery
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Waiting for our table
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Ark Encounter
As we were leaving, the girls pointed out that throughout the museum, there were marks in the floor as if they had been scratched by animal claws. Fascinating detail!
Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Various family members with various travel plans translate to our family Christmas happening tonight instead of next weekend
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Good morning, Florida (actually this shot was from Wednesday—I just forgot to post it)
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Family and guests visiting at the barn venue during rehearsal the day before the event
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Thursday sunrise
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Ark Encounter
Three types of lighting.
Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
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Merry Christmas from the Bennett/Bixby/Luck households
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A van full of audio and lighting tech for coworker friend’s wedding reception tomorrow
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Sprinkle of Spook Concert
Of the 10 selections in this Apopka High School Orchestra concert, the first three were performed by the Primo Orchestra which included Adri and her first time performing on cello.
Chloe and Xander wish you a Merry Christmas
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Sampling a few of Biltmore's wines
We ended up purchasing a bottle of dry rosé and Century™ Sweet Red which tastes amazing
May as well be brain surgery
Techs have been trying to re-integrate a tri-fold module into this copier that was removed 5+ years ago and added to a different copier, and now needs to go back into this one. But this machine won’t talk to it any more and the techs are all stumped. Best theory is an obscure cable got damaged in the last transfer, which means they have to trace all of them to find it.
At least the copier still works when the module is removed, and it’s not mission critical to have it installed. So I’m glad to be able to allow the time the techs need to thoroughly troubleshoot.
I have spoken!
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Biltmore mansion servant dining room
Between 30-35 servants ate three meals per day in this room.
North Hall seen from CN Tower
The North Hall was primarily used as a mass cafeteria during the Session.
Ark Encounter
Space utilization.
Christmas Eve stroll through Kit Land Nelson Park in Apopka
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Pre-sunset show
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Hippo Tours—among the more unique forms of Toronto transportation
While certainly not one of the forms of transportation delegates used to and from the Session, some attendees chose to enjoy a unique trip on this amphibious vehicle.
Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.
Playing with night mode—Mexico pavilion
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Wrapping up a celebration day for four July birthdays (plus two more in absentia)
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Tell me you can hear this photo—Happy New Year
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Biltmore mansion third floor living hall
This was the common space used by special visitors who stayed in the guest accommodations located on the third floor.
A little sightseeing after the show, trying out iPhone 11 Pro night mode in the Germany pavilion
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Post-zoo lunch with more family at Cheddar's
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Crudest possible version of a pinhole camera, but I can officially say I glimpsed today’s eclipse
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Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Good night, Florida
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Biltmore mansion laundry facilities
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Happy birthday, Lisa
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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"Moose in the City"
Throughout the city, moose sculptures greeted Session attendees. Titled "Moose In The City," the outdoor art gallery was based on the Chicago art exhibit, "Cows On Parade," and featured hundreds of life-sized fiberglass moose designed by Torontonian artists. Several moose were located around the Convention Centre and SkyDome.
Sunday sunrise
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Weather didn’t give us a pretty sunset, and this photo is dramatically processed, but we still enjoyed a very nice window table overlooking the bay
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RIP Mophie hip/belt phone holster—you gave almost a decade of faithful service
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Good night, Florida
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OPAAAAA!!!
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Grits and fried eggs, seasoned with black pepper and pink Himalayan salt—both freshly ground, of course! YUM
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Biltmore mansion—George Vanderbilt chamber
George's grand walnut bed.
Good morning, Florida
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This is why you want a square-fold feature when you print booklets
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Moonfall
When a video doorbell timelapse recording makes the overnight setting moon look like a fireball/meteor descending upon your neighbor’s house.
Good night, Florida
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Second of three geocaches found—“Too easy to get stumped”
www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC98NNP_too-easy-to-get-stumped
Good morning, Florida
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Thankfully no appreciable damage, but you can imagine the fear when I came home yesterday to find this—and Elsa hasn’t really even arrived yet!
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Y’all, my egg-peeling game is getting strong (and they were perfectly cooked, too)
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Shuffleboard game
I truly have no clue the last time I played. Took a while to remember it takes a lot less force than you think to slide the pucks to the opposite side.
Sunday sunrise surrounded by structure
I waited till the end of this album to admit, I was absolutely bombarded with no-see-ums during the week. Not so much during the day while on the beach, but they are particularly bad at dawn and dusk. For this last sunrise of the trip, I shot from the top of a stairwell instead. Though diminished, several of these biting nuisances still found me up here!
Ark Encounter
Panorama shot showing the opening between all decks—level 1.
As I always say, obligatory parting Spaceship Earth shot
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Tree tracks
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Birds on the nature drive
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Obligatory Thanksgiving family photo
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30-year recognition
Today, in addition to the expected 30-year pin and certificate, it was a surprise that 30 years was the threshold at which they also handed out fancy little glass awards. Yay me!
Panorama of the approach walkway to Ark Encounter
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CN Tower
There aren't many outdoor locations in downtown Toronto where the CN Tower doesn't make its presence known.
Ark Encounter
This True History of the World board was a fascinating display. I kind of wish I had a print of it, which were available for sale, but I wasn't prepared to spend the money.
Wednesday sunrise
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OH MY GOODNESS I've never had filet mignon before—this was paired with a bit of turkey and perfectly cooked/seasoned carrots atop smooth mashed potatoes with a cream sauce—NOMNOMNOM!
I was so excited about this meal, I forgot to snap my own photo, so my wife, Lori, allowed me to use hers.
Happiness is family sharing a dozen different flavors of ice cream
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GCTV production
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A beautiful day in the neighborhood
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Views of Biltmore Gardens
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Perfect timing
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Went outside to enjoy the brilliant sunset colors and could hardly stand the deafening cicadas
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Biltmore mansion library
A brightened panorama photo of this very dark room gives a view The Chariot of Aurora on the ceiling, originally painted for the Pisani Palace in Venice in the 1720s by Giovanni Pellegrini.
Local public elementary school teachers did a drive-by parade through neighboring communities for their students staying at home
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My wife, her sister, and their mother took a trip to Texas, so we guys got together for Saturday lunch
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Goofy was preparing to meet guests at the park, but turned around when it began to rain
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Visiting historic downtown Sweetwater prior to the anniversary celebration
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Immortal umbrella
Four Graphics hasn't existed for many years, but I'm still friends with my rep, Debby. She gave this branded umbrella to me more than 20 years ago and it still serves me well. I've never known ANY other umbrella remain useful and undamaged after two decades!
(My friend, Jeff's, shot) Edward James Olmos was back stage chatting up the theater attendants prior to the show and I had the chance to say hello and shake his hand
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Arrival
Columbia Union College chartered its bus for guests arriving at Session—a quick photo shows it blending in with the local landmarks.
Lavender in Biltmore Gardens
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This year’s Thanksgiving table
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Good night, Florida
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Hangin’ out up on the shelf while the kiddos slice some ice
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Biltmore mansion vegetable pantry
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Let’s Play Blokus!
A few of my wife’s photos followed by a time-lapse recording of our game.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Local ice cream shop
Cool Treats for NSB was in the shopping plaza across the street from our condo. The hand-make all their own ice cream. I had delicious salted caramel and Lori had a dairy-free chocolate chip that she said was perfect.
One of the 22 gators we spotted
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Time-lapse clip walking back to parking area
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
ABC
A full-fledged, 10,000-square-foot Adventist Book Centre was set up in the exhibition hall for the benefit of Session attendees. More than 50 authors participated in book signings.
Sunday sunrise
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Biltmore mansion—Edith Vanderbilt chamber
Purple and gold fabrics adorn Edith's Louis XV-style feminine retreat. Eighty years after the original fabrics were created, replacements woven by the same French company were installed during restoration of the room.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Obligatory park selfie at Central Florida Zoo
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Biltmore mansion canning pantry
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Thursday sunrise
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A hole opened in the storm at the perfect time to get from the store to the car
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Ark Encounter
Twelve Stones Monument.
Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
I love Moe’s, and I love Chipotle, but Qdoba is just *chef’s kiss* (opinion authenticated by virtue of having eaten at all three this week)
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Ever since I landed on what I deem perfect steps for cooking them, baked potatoes have become a delicious frequent occurrence—sometimes accompanied by yummy chili with beans
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In spite of grieving the loss of my mother last Wednesday, Lori, the girls, and I enjoyed Father’s Day lunch at BJ’s with my dad who’s staying at my house the next two nights
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Biltmore mansion tapestry gallery
This space was used for tea and music (given that the music room was unfinished in George Vanderbilt's day). The huge Flemish tapestries adorning the walls are part of a 1530s set known as The Triumph of the Seven Virtues, representing Charity, Faith, and Prudence. Among the art displayed here is a painting of George above the library door.
Preparing to sing
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Biltmore mansion—George Vanderbilt chamber
Forgive this horrible grainy exposure of this heavily brightened photo of what I believe was the darkest room of the entire tour. But the panorama shows the entirety of George's master bedroom.
Peeps driving Twinkie race cars
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Another 1,000+ copy impressions today
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Backlit cloud looks like a massive electricity arc
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Biltmore mansion grand staircase
Inspired by the staircase at the Chateau de Blois in the Loire Valley, Biltmore’s grand staircase is a marvel of physics built using counterbalance. The weight of each of the solid limestone slab steps is offset by the weight of the wall bearing down.
There is a 1,700-pound electric light fixture suspended from the middle of the grand staircase. It hangs from a single bolt that runs through steel girders under the dome roof. The bolt has been replaced only once since the house was built. Wisely designed, the copper dome opens for easier access to the fixture.
Mac Mini Unboxing
Apple understands product packaging better than *any* other business. Fight me.
Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Unveiling Canada Post's Adventist commemorative stamp
Three million stamps were produced, issued for June 29, 2000-June 28, 2001 at a denomination of 46¢ CDN. The actual stamps were 40mmx26mm and printed with a six-color lithography process.
Beach panorama
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I readily admit this isn’t really what the sunset skies looked like; somewhat underwhelming, so I had some fun with the InstaFlash app
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Adri being silly in 2015 to demonstrate new iPhone Live Photos
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Both Spectrum Music Choice and Pandora have kinda been off their spelling game lately
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Falcon 9 launch—2X speed
We watched the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch early Friday morning, 1:17am. The rocket deployed 22 Starling internet satellites.
Disclosure: the rocket was visible for approximately two minutes. For this video, it kinda dragged on, so I exported it at double speed and added some nebulous spacey music.
Toronto had a very nice, clean subway system
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Managing ProPresenter for a Women’s Ministries One-day Retreat
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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HMCS Toronto in port, seen from CN Tower
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Stay anchor_d… in school so you don’t commit spelling mistakes
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Good morning, Florida
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Sabbath attendance
This panorama was stitched from three photos that weren't originally shot with a panorama in mind. Yet they still give a slight impression of the attendance at Sabbath worship. Conservative guesses placed attendance at approximately 55,000.
Biltmore mansion bowling alley
The house featured one of the nation's first bowling alleys instealled in a private residence.
404 error: fossil fuel not found
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Managing graphics and videos this weekend up at the camp—so glad my station is isolated in the translator booth in spite of fairly strict mask enforcement
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Final positioning check
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Whew—today is going to be a day
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Family in the Biltmore Gardens greenhouses
It was wonderful that my parents could join us for this portion of our trip.
Giraffe at Central Florida Zoo
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Enjoying a trip on Dollywood's vintage steam train—except for the tiny specks of soot!
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Parting singer group shot
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Lyonia Preserve is a scrub forest restoration area and, as such, is known for its population of Scrub Jays—one granted us a considerable time to admire before flying away
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Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Danny and Meg ready to ride Dollywood's Wild Eagle coaster
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Sunday sunrise
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HAIL!
Very possibly the heaviest hail I’ve ever personally encountered.
Good night, Florida
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Time to line up
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Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.
Visiting historic downtown Sweetwater prior to the anniversary celebration
This is my wife, Lori's, shot that she let me use in this album, taken later in our visit when a storm began brewing.
Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford.
The giraffe pen was pitch black. Utterly shocked at how well my phone gathered light and made them visible.
Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.
Rhinoceros at Central Florida Zoo
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Eric and Adri enjoy the view
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Thursday sunset
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Farewell to the two-decade legacy that was iPod
My 5th-generation iPod battery will never hold a charge again, but when plugged in, it still works just fine. I also still have my 3rd-generation iPod in a storage box, but it has refused to boot up even while plugged in for many years now.
Ark Encounter official photo stop—evening lit-up version
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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One of the 22 gators we spotted
If you can't find the gator in this photo, see the next photo.
Sharps and flats
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Bridge fun
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Friday evening storm
The radar made it seem like this rain was headed straight for us, but ultimately only passed to the north. Another storm cell, however, did cause a downpour during the night after we'd gone to bed.
Biltmore mansion—Edith Vanderbilt chamber
Purple and gold fabrics adorn Edith's Louis XV-style feminine retreat. Eighty years after the original fabrics were created, replacements woven by the same French company were installed during restoration of the room.
It was SMOL!
Oh goodness, I found my old iPhone 3G and it still works! Granted it was last used by my wife after I got the iPhone 4, but such memories! It was SO TINY!
International women's meetings
Speakers from eastern Africa, the Caribbean, Japan, Australia, and Canada led a series of meetings that organizers said were an "international celebration of faith." More than 2,000 women were expected to attend the event.
Biltmore mansion breakfast room
In spite of the breakfast room name, both breakfast and luncheon was served in this room. Portaits in this room include George Vanderbilt's grandfather, Cornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt (the founder of the family fortune), and his father, William Henry Vanderbilt.
The two smallest paintings in this photo (bottom of the trio of art to the right of the fireplace) are by Renoir: Young Algerian Girl and Child with an Orange.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Biltmore mansion tapestry gallery
This space was used for tea and music (given that the music room was unfinished in George Vanderbilt's day). The huge Flemish tapestries adorning the walls are part of a 1530s set known as The Triumph of the Seven Virtues, representing Charity, Faith, and Prudence. Among the art displayed here is a painting of George above the library door.
Visited by a beautiful pileated woodpecker as I was leaving the office for lunch today
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Biltmore mansion kitchen storage
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Newly remodeled Altamonte Apple Store is SWEET
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Wednesday sunrise
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Full moon
Thanks to the tetraprism-driven 5X optical zoom lens of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, this is the first time I’ve ever shot a photo of the moon with my phone that I am genuinely happy with. Some past attempts weren’t awful, but not great either. But I’m very impressed with this handheld shot.
Thursday, July 6—Secretariat
Every word of the General Conference Session business meetings must be recorded and transcribed. Secretariat workers performed this function with amazing speed. Every 10 minutes, tapes were taken to be transcribed. The text was available for review shortly thereafter.
One of the 22 gators we spotted
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Leopard at Central Florida Zoo
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Biltmore mansion pool
Though no longer holding water, the 70,000-gallon indoor pool was heated and still has its original underwater lighting. Call buttons located near the doors allowed swimmers to order refreshements or signal they were ready to leave and needed help changing.
Good night, Florida
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Biltmore mansion grand staircase
Inspired by the staircase at the Chateau de Blois in the Loire Valley, Biltmore’s grand staircase is a marvel of physics built using counterbalance. The weight of each of the solid limestone slab steps is offset by the weight of the wall bearing down.
There is a 1,700-pound electric light fixture suspended from the middle of the grand staircase. It hangs from a single bolt that runs through steel girders under the dome roof. The bolt has been replaced only once since the house was built. Wisely designed, the copper dome opens for easier access to the fixture.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Oh 60lb Cover weight Hammermill in 18×12 size, I have missed you sorely—welcome back to my print shop!
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The Barnett ranch is a beautiful property with scenic views
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Rehearsal day at the Barnett ranch in Sweetwater, TN, for the Hunt's 50th anniversary party and vow renewal ceremony
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Biltmore mansion laundry facilities
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Restroom gender ID signs on restroom doors at Schlotzky’s Deli seen during 2015 road trip to San Antonio; I wonder if they’re still there considering today’s equality climate
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Bear encounter
Around 11:30pm, I opened my front door to take my dog out to do her business and immediately saw this big fella sitting on the sidewalk just several yards away. Then a car went by and he got up and trotted away.
Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
A very pretty day made for some very pretty landscape scenery
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Arriving at Ark Encounter
After lunch in Lexington, it was just a 40-50-minute drive to the attraction. (Yes, it was an extremely windy day!)
One of the 22 gators we spotted
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Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Christmas gift from the church—choice of dark, milk, or white chocolate-covered pretzel sticks
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Playing with night mode—China pavilion
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Good night, Florida
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Saturday sunset
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Japanese drum demonstration
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Information, please
The Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) is designed to accommodate multiple organizations meeting in the facility simultaneously. Reportedly, the 2000 World Session was the first event that booked the entire MTCC facility (North and South Buildings) and the SkyDome. With so many activities occurring at so many locations, knowing exactly where to go can seem daunting to the uninitiated. The staffed information booths located at nearly every turn helped people reach their destination and either provided or located answers to an endless variety of questions.
Session floor and stage
The 60x200-foot stage construction was donated by National Church Furnishing Company. Besides the SkyDome's built-in seating for spectators, 14,000 chairs were set up on the main floor, primarily for delegates. More than 10,000 yards of carpet was laid in the exhibition hall for the Adventist Book Center.
Biltmore mansion—George Vanderbilt chamber
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So…that just happened—finally cool again after a week without
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I usually forget to use portrait mode, but I remembered this time
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Odometer fun
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Thanksgiving dinner isn’t over till the pumpkin pie comes out
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Visiting historic downtown Sweetwater prior to the anniversary celebration—we had a yummy lunch at Hunter's Cafe
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Good morning, Florida
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Biltmore mansion servant bedroom
Most uncommonly for the period, Biltmore servants had a comfortably furnished, heated, private room. Most servants were allowed two hours off daily, but were still on call. They received one afternoon and one evening off per week as well as a half day every other Sunday.
My sister-in-law found an addictive little game in the Marshall’s clearance section—Shut the Box
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Visiting historic downtown Sweetwater prior to the anniversary celebration
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Saturday sunset selfie
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Condo property
This panorama includes a bit of the the courtyard area from the prior photo, adding the oceanfront pool and beach beyond.
Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Camera obscura
I discovered a rudimentary camera obscura at my office. The round holes in a metal shelf focus the rectangular light fixtures in the ceiling onto the paper boxes below.
Lyonia Preserve is a scrub forest restoration area and, as such, is known for its population of Scrub Jays—one granted us a considerable time to admire before flying away
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Trail scenery
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Hyperlapse of the varied trail terrain
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Biltmore mansion official photo stop
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Seven floors up in Lake Ivanhoe district looking toward AdventHealth Orlando and beyond
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Ark Encounter
Shem and Ar'yel.
Photos simply had no prayer of depicting just how insanely vibrant a shade of chartreuse adorned this car
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The monthly FPM project
Both of my production copiers running full-tilt for approximately four hours to produce more than 2,000 20-page booklets. Recorded with an iPhone 15 Pro Max in Cinematic mode, 4K, 24fps, and edited in iMovie with Comic Cool effect applied.
Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
iPad history: 2010–2023
Having finally located the last missing device, I now have a family photo of all five iPads I've ever owned. All of them except the original 1st-generation model still power up, thought I can't speak to how long the battery will last on the older models.
I have details of each on a web page—scroll down to iPad history: albj.net/about/computer-history/
No, at the time of this writing, I don't have immediate plans/need to upgrade.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Biltmore mansion rotisserie kitchen
A separate kitchen for roasted meat (venison, wild boar, and other game) was used to keep the smoke and grease out of the other kitchens.
South Hall seen from CN Tower
The South Hall, entirely underground, was the location of the Adventist Book Center and the exhibit hall.
Looks like a region of relatively young trees
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Holy cannoli iPhone 11 Pro night mode is unbelievable—top is standard, nonHDR shot of very dark outdoors, bottom is night mode of same scene!
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Chaperone meeting
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Peeking at another performance of Candlelight Processional, this time with Lisa Ling as the narrator
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Good night, Florida
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Thursday sunset
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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GCTV production
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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The gang's all ready
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Biltmore mansion photo op
A spot in the Halloween room has cutouts of George and Edith from a popular photo of them on the main floor loggia.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Millennium Falcon Rice Krispie dessert (yes, the antenna was the first piece to be removed)
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Anniversary sunset
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Sister-in-law surprised her boys (surrounding still photos shot by Lori)
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Good night, Florida
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Astonishingly, this nasty weather scooted past Apopka without a drop of rain in my area
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Biltmore mansion organ blower
Near the kitchen is a small room housing this motor which powers the fan that provides are to the large organ above in the dining hall (photos earlier in this album).
Ark Encounter
Retrieving the dove with an olive branch.
Biltmore mansion tiled loggia
Looking across the patio toward the tower that houses servant quarters in the basement (behind the stone portion), the music room on the main level, George Vanderbilt's chamber on the second level, and guest chambers above.
This is the first time I realized the Post Office that services where I work memorialized my high school classmate, Staff Sgt. Stacey Mastrapa, who was killed in action in Iraq
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"Moose in the City"
Throughout the city, moose sculptures greeted Session attendees. Titled "Moose In The City," the outdoor art gallery was based on the Chicago art exhibit, "Cows On Parade," and featured hundreds of life-sized fiberglass moose designed by Torontonian artists. Several moose were located around the Convention Centre and SkyDome.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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I have been driving for 37 years; marking today as the first time I’ve had to crawl over to the driver seat from the passenger side because some doofus parked only about 12 inches from the driver side door
I’m just glad I had the van instead of my car—not sure I could’ve gotten across the car’s center console.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Home again home again
Originally thinking to pack up and have a little more time on the beach before leaving, we realized there simply wasn't time before our 10am checkout. Made it home and, soon after, was visited by my dad returning our dog, Chloe, who he'd been caring for during our trip.
Biltmore Gardens Railway
There were several different separate railways throughout the greenhouses.
Good night, Florida
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Taking aim
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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The view from the Biltmore mansion's main level tiled loggia
The patio has splendid views of Biltmore's Deer Park and Blue Ridge Mountains.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Wednesday sunrise
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Biggs house
One of Sweetwater's oldest still-standing homes, occupied by Sweetwater pioneers, Isabella Rankin and her husband, Alexander Biggs.
Lyonia Preserve is a scrub forest restoration area and, as such, is known for its population of Scrub Jays—one granted us a considerable time to admire before flying away
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One of the 22 gators we spotted
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Made-from-scratch banana bread fresh out of the oven
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Another great weekend at Camp Kulaqua for Florida Conference Camp Meeting—I get to work with a fantastic media team crew
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Yes, as a matter of fact I do take milk in my tea, Earl Grey, hot!
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Storm approaching Sanford
This was the scene just as I was leaving Sanford. Skirted the edge of it all the way down Highway 46 home to Apopka and made it without getting dumped on. Yay!
Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
How it started…how it’s going
My preferred paper is still suffering shortages. I HATE the brand I’m having to use as an alternative. Constantly jams.
This photo doesn't even start to properly depict the deep blue of this evening
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Finally enjoying a taste of the Christmas gift from my bro- and sis-in-law; wow, this stuff tastes wonderful!
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Like many other friends, I saw last night’s amazing rainbow too, but just couldn’t get a decent capture; top pic is original/unedited, bottom is some playing around editing but still “meh” compared to how it looked for real
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Took a detour past the hospital where I was born
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Biltmore mansion oak sitting room
This paneled sitting area connected George and Edith's bedrooms. The room is where they usually shared breakfast and was where Edith planned the day with the head housekeeper.
Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Moonshot
Glimpsing the pink/full/super moon.
Cute little Mickey ear musical Ferris wheel
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A very tired, but very happy family
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A very pretty day made for some very pretty landscape scenery
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When your ceiling tile installer doesn’t math out the geometry quite right and has to cut a nickel-sized piece of tile to fill a hole!
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Random birthday celebration—just because
So apparently my stepdaughter found this musician named Clem Turner she likes and found out he turns 20 this month. Just for no real reason, she made her own version of a Carvel-style ice cream cake in celebration. (The cake was good.)
Wednesday, June 28—Session floor and stage
The 60x200-foot stage construction was donated by National Church Furnishing Company. Besides the SkyDome's built-in seating for spectators, 14,000 chairs were set up on the main floor, primarily for delegates. More than 10,000 yards of carpet was laid in the exhibition hall for the Adventist Book Center.
Visiting historic downtown Sweetwater prior to the anniversary celebration
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Biltmore mansion laundry facilities
Washing was aided by a belt-driven barrel washer.
Time to robe-up
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Church member was showing off his funky socks
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Biltmore mansion pre-tour
The sky was a bit wet and dreary when we arrived. I shot these exterior photos before the mansion tour, unsure that I would have another chance with sunnier skies after the tour.
Ark Encounter
Feeding and removing waste for small animals.
6lla de Flora
Cleaning out my photo roll and found this five-year-old sign with a typo I’d forgotten about—a mistake capital “I” at Orlando’s Gaylord Palms Resort.
Salted caramel pretzel—YUM
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Playing with night mode—UK pavilion
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A/V duty today for annual retired worker luncheon
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Revel Artist painting in Altamonte Mall
Came across this painting in the center of Altamonte mall today. I have been at a few events that arranged to have RevelArtist.com as a guest and watched him live in action. Amazing talent.
Step one of voting #DeathSantis out of office
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Biltmore mansion grand staircase
Inspired by the staircase at the Chateau de Blois in the Loire Valley, Biltmore’s grand staircase is a marvel of physics built using counterbalance. The weight of each of the solid limestone slab steps is offset by the weight of the wall bearing down.
There is a 1,700-pound electric light fixture suspended from the middle of the grand staircase. It hangs from a single bolt that runs through steel girders under the dome roof. The bolt has been replaced only once since the house was built. Wisely designed, the copper dome opens for easier access to the fixture.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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This looks familiar; maybe I should switch lanes
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Third of three geocaches found—“Moss Haven”
www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC98NJY_moss-haven
Woohoo—congrats, Bucs!
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Biltmore mansion tapestry gallery
This space was used for tea and music (given that the music room was unfinished in George Vanderbilt's day). The huge Flemish tapestries adorning the walls are part of a 1530s set known as The Triumph of the Seven Virtues, representing Charity, Faith, and Prudence. Among the art displayed here is a painting of George above the library door.
Other than the fact I don’t have any paprika, my first go at making deviled eggs was a success
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We really need to talk about the elephant in the room
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Visited mom and her parents today
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Birds on the nature drive
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Lucky mileage
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Milestone odometer reached on my car
Yes, the image is cleaned up in Photoshop because there was dust all over the plastic cover and a bit of camera shake blur. But no, I did NOT edit the numbers to create 88888.
Central Florida Zoo (aka Sanford Zoo)
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Monday morning vibes—it’s been a minute since I’ve dug out my 60s/70s/80s playlist
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Hurricane Ian will not have “passed” in the “past” — that won’t happen until the future
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Biltmore Gardens Railway video
90 seconds of miniature railway footage.
With some help from iPhone 11 Pro Night Mode and a trip through PS Express, I managed to capture this image of the C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) comet ☄️
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
I officially no longer have to avoid spoilers!
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Anniversary day on the beach
In spite of the heat advisories, there was a blatant difference in temperature under any kind of shade, and the sea breeze made it tolerable.
Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.
Map detail of trail
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Monday sunset
Spent a little time at dusk on the beach.
Misc. other photos from the week—puppet ministry
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The recyclable aftermath of trimming bleed from more than 500 booklets
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Ark Encounter
Scale model.
Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Time again for the annual Myers Easter Egg hunt
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Welcome to my weekend—video services for Women’s Ministries Annual Retreat #DareToShare2020
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Have blanket, will lay on it
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Obligatory parting Spaceship Earth shot
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Good morning, Florida
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Saturday afternoon scenery at Camp Kulaqua—Outdoor Chapel
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City trolley—among the more unique forms of Toronto transportation
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Anniversary lunch
A wonderful midweek treat of a meal for our 13th anniversary.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Rosanna Juarez, clown ministry
Part of the NAD web site I curated included a section of "man-on-the-street" style questions put to random attendees. I decided to not include them in this Flickr album, except this one shot because it is so fun. The photo is of Rosanna Juarez who, at the time, was from Los Angeles. The interviewer was Myla (Ferrer) Trenchuk, and I was able to reach out to both these young women on Facebook to share that I had put the web site back online for "funsies."
The original question Myla was asking on this final day of the session was, "What has been your most memorable moment this past week at the General Conference Session?"
Rosanna's response was: "At the subway, there was a man looking at me. So, I approached him and we began to talk. He asked me what I was doing here and I explained to him that I was here doing ministry. He began to tell me his problems and I told him about Jesus and how He can help. I also told him about the meetings at the SkyDome. To my excitement, he said he would try and attend the services this weekend. Praise God!"
Biltmore mansion bowling alley
Automatic pinsetters didn't yet exist, so servants would set up the pins by hand and roll the balls back down the alley to the players.
So very happy my booklet finisher is repaired and operating again
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Downtown Community 2.0—acoustic edition
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Biltmore mansion pool
Though no longer holding water, the 70,000-gallon indoor pool was heated and still has its original underwater lighting. Call buttons located near the doors allowed swimmers to order refreshements or signal they were ready to leave and needed help changing.
And we're off…
We're loaded up in the Honda Pilot my sister-in-law graciously loaned us for the trip, ready for adventures.
Home for a week
Finally settling in, we decided our condo rental was refreshing and modern, but still with a touch of the good kind of "shabby."
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Biltmore mansion official photo stop—garden version
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Saturday, July 1—Leaders back stage prepare for NAD mission program
"The International Festival of Mission" spotlighted a loving, diverse Church family; intent on reaching out to find souls for Jesus. In Saturday evening's program, July 1, the North American Division (NAD) shared how men, women, and children are joining hands to help finish the work and point the world to Jesus as the answer and The Way. The Trans-European Division's report followed NAD.
Many varieties of stories were related on the huge JumboTron video screen, and many of those involved with the stories came out on stage to add their remarks: The Salt Lake City church offering up their diversity as a strength and a witness in their community…the Inland Spanish church in California equipping all its members for evangelism…youth of the Boulder, Colorado, church building the first Seventh-day Adventist church on the Island of Jay in the South Pacific…a youth crusade using computer technology in Fort Lauderdale…and a women's crusade in South Florida. "This," NAD leaders and members affirmed, "is our Church!"
During 1995-1999, there were more than 750 evangelistic crusades—nine of them broadcast via satellite. More than 185,000 new members have been nurtured. For the first time, in 1999, more than 40,000 people were baptized!
Ark Encounter
Live animal exhibit.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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One of the 22 gators we spotted
Close-up of the gator from the previous photo.
Biltmore mansion pastry kitchen
The chef used this kitchen to make elaborate desserts, protected from the heat of the other two kitchens.
Parting singer group shot
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Meg looks for a drink at Central Florida Zoo
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Good night, Florida
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The scenery at the spot I found to wait for my wife’s 1½-hour appointment does not suck
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"Moose in the City"
Throughout the city, moose sculptures greeted Session attendees. Titled "Moose In The City," the outdoor art gallery was based on the Chicago art exhibit, "Cows On Parade," and featured hundreds of life-sized fiberglass moose designed by Torontonian artists. Several moose were located around the Convention Centre and SkyDome.
Celebrating birthdays with a chocolate LEGO cake
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Ark Encounter
Feeding and removing waste for large animals.
Fun with light refraction
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Alfond Inn architecture
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Biltmore mansion Halloween room
Originally used for storage, the walls were painted over the course of several weeks by the Cecils, joined by family and friends, with this unusal theme for a New Year's Eve party in 1925—the year after George's daughter, Cornelia, married John Cecil, a British diplomat.
One of the 22 gators we spotted
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Biltmore mansion grand staircase
Inspired by the staircase at the Chateau de Blois in the Loire Valley, Biltmore’s grand staircase is a marvel of physics built using counterbalance. The weight of each of the solid limestone slab steps is offset by the weight of the wall bearing down.
There is a 1,700-pound electric light fixture suspended from the middle of the grand staircase. It hangs from a single bolt that runs through steel girders under the dome roof. The bolt has been replaced only once since the house was built. Wisely designed, the copper dome opens for easier access to the fixture.
A heavily Christmas-decorated home near Kit Land Nelson Park
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Ark Encounter
Panorama shot showing the opening between all decks—level 1.
Into all the world
Session programs were translated into more than 20 languages including French, Russian, Romanian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, Serbian-Croatian, Korean, and Japanese. The translations are used for satellite broadcasts as well as for attendees in the local audience who can tune into the desired language on radio frequencies. There are also American English and German sign language interpreters in the SkyDome.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Meg gets her sugar fix
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Congo River Jeep
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Mead Gardens scenery
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Entrance to Biltmore Winery
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On ProPresenter duty again—this time, Forest Lake Academy graduation weekend
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Playing with night mode—China pavilion
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Biltmore mansion banquet hall
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Biltmore mansion tiled loggia
Huge rear patio on the main level. It serves as an extension to the adjacent tapestry gallery when the French doors are opened.
Preparing to sing
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My young nephews wanted to try coffee for the first time
Worth while to note that Lisa's drink was flavored and sweet. Danny's, on the other hand, was typical coffee flavor.
Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Happy Thanksgiving from the Bennett/Bixby/Myers family
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Biltmore mansion laundry facilities
Washing was aided by a belt-driven barrel washer.
Bridge fun
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Asian Lantern Festival at Sanford Zoo, December 11, 2021
Video and photos captured at the Asian Lantern Festival at the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens.
If you have HDR-capable technology, I strongly recommend using that equipment to watch the YouTube version in HDR.
Merry Christmas from the Bennetts/Bixbys/Myers
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Biltmore mansion gun room
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Besides enjoying the vastly improved remote of the 6th generation Apple TV, I no longer have to switch to Samsung TV apps to watch 4K UHD, and the 4th generation box will be relocated upstairs
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We found a Fazoli's!
After our Biltmore trip, we headed to Lexington, KY, intending to reach our hotel before terribly late. Unfortunately a nasty storm slowed us down, even pulling off on an exit for a while, and we arrived in the early morning hours the next day. We had a much-needed sleep-in, and then had lunch at a nearby Fazoli's—a rare treat for us ever since the chain pulled out of Florida except for one store in Pensacola. My meal was essentially free due to a promotion they were running on the overhauled chicken parmesan entree where I just completed a short survey about it.
Cool clouds
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Celebrating Meg's graduation—three minutes of relevant clips made from the two-hour livestream
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Adventist Review temporary office
The Review published daily issues during the session. Passers-by could view the production room in the exhibition hall.
Dolphin sighting
Any time I spend more than just a couple hours on Florida's east coast, my hope is to spot at least one dolphin. I was not disappointed this time.
LEGO challenge—build something you think is at least 100 years old
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Working in the dungeon
I had fixed the problem with our HDMI>Ethernet baluns and thought I was all set for this night. Alas, some of the control room equipment still didn't like the balun signal, so I had to control slides isolated in a room away from the main auditorium.
At least it was NICE and COOL in the room (mid 60s) rather than mid 70s in the auditorium!
Thursday sunrise
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Hangin’ with the local wildlife at my office
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In spite of being really tired after working A/V most of the day, I had to take my new mower out for a maiden trial voyage
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“We Three Kings” by Florida Hospital Church Orchestra featuring violin soloist Jordan Jones
This video was an experiment. It’s a mash up of one primary video I shot of the second performance with insertions from the first performance and rehearsal. But my audio was subpar, so I synchronized the video with the house mix audio from the online streaming broadcast.
Apologies this video doesn't seem to play properly in Flickr's mobile app.
Had a great day with Lori and my parents at Strawberry Festival in Plant City—caught a tiny glimpse of Bobby Bones and the Raging Idiots performing
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Adventist Review temporary office
The Review published daily issues during the session. Passers-by could view the production room in the exhibition hall.
Good night, Florida
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I and my cacophony of neighbors are pleased to announce calendar 2020 has officially been blown to bits—thus begins the countdown to January 20 when we can truly celebrate 2021
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Having a splendid day trip for church retreat weekend
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Favorite gas station (for now)
In spite of having numerous pumps that work VERY slowly (I can confirm pump 8 speed is good), and a horrible color to the overhead lighting (this photo is color corrected), this BP is my preferred place to get gas because they're always a day or two delayed in hiking prices after everyone else has jumped (e.g. about a 25¢ hike last night). And yet they don't really delay at all in reducing prices when everyone else comes down.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Birds on the nature drive
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Friday, June 30—Paulsen re-elected
Pastor Jan Paulsen, world president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, was re-elected at 11:26 a.m. on June 30 for a five-year term.
Paulsen, a Norwegian, has served the Church in this role for the past sixteen months and has extensive pastoral and administrative experience as a missionary, teacher, college principal, and church administrator at the highest levels. Paulsen's re-election came as the first vote of the Adventist World Session on leadership matters.
Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Birds on the nature drive
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Enjoyed assisting a family photo shoot today with this beautiful 1949 Cadillac convertible as a prop
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Ark Encounter
Creation vs. evolution.
Adventist Review temporary office
The Review published daily issues during the session. Passers-by could view the production room in the exhibition hall.
Biltmore mansion banquet hall
Looking the opposite direction toward the organ loft.
Bridge fun
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Saganaki—flamed cheese
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Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Waiting in the green room tent
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CN Tower glass floor
One of the most unique attractions of the CN Tower is its glass floor…
Beach fauna
Not sure what kind of bird this is. Not a traditional seagull. But the poor thing was missing a foot and was hobbling around on just a stump on one leg. :-(
Biltmore mansion pre-tour
The sky was a bit wet and dreary when we arrived. I shot these exterior photos before the mansion tour, unsure that I would have another chance with sunnier skies after the tour.
Sunday snooze session
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
Sunday sunrise
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Biltmore mansion—George Vanderbilt chamber
In the background, a mirror in the bathroom doorway gives a glimpse of George's paw-footed bathtub.
Well-stocked once again
It’s a wonderful thing to have these shelves filled again with plenty of paper that is somewhat still scarce. And as for my favorite 12″×18″ Hammermill 60lb. cover weight sheets which is still very hard to find and that I normally only buy 3–4 cases at a time, my vendor found me an entire pallet that I got approval to buy—so I currently have more than 35,000 sheets of it!
Biltmore mansion billiard room
This room in the bachelors' wing on the main level (although it did not deter female guests) featured custom oak billiard tables made in 1895. There is also a doorway disguised to look like part of the wall which allowed gentlemen to discreetly retire to the adjacent smoking room.
Evening sky was crazy—no, it didn’t look like this enhanced photo, but my original photo was sort of blah, so I edited it to appear as I felt while seeing in person
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Beach day
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Good night, Florida
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Spine-printing success (mostly)
Ever since my office acquired the booklet finisher, I’ve wanted to experiment with printing specifically on the square folded spine portion. Finally got the chance to do that today. It’s not perfect alignment, and the designer didn’t account for where the staples would go, but overall not bad at all.
Biltmore mansion gymnasium
Rowing machine, parallel bars, Indian clubs, medicine balls, and needle bath shower massages.
There was just a little bit of a theme to this year’s Christmas
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I may not be fond of mandatory equipment upgrades, but I want to keep my Spectrum internet alive—and the new box is admittedly tiny and cute
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Commence sand, salt, pollen eradication
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Giraffe at Central Florida Zoo
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Awesome storm clouds drifting by in a time-lapse video
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Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
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Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Super bright rainbow
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Friday, July 7—The NAD communication team
Seated: Celeste Ryan, left, NAD media relations manager; and Hans Olson, NAD communication assistant. Standing, from left: Betty Cooney, Southern California Conference communication director; Denise Valenzuela, Columbia Union Conference communication director; Ednor Davison, Atlantic Union Conference Gleaner managing editor; Jean Thomas, Southwestern Union Conference communication director; and Lee Bennett, Florida Conference communication department production assistant. Web site photographer Glenn Mitchell, Maritime Conference communication director, was behind the camera.
Biltmore mansion master bedroom hallway
This hallway connects George and Edith's bedrooms along with the sitting room between the two bedrooms.
Four family members, one chair
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Biltmore mansion upper floor hallway
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Sunday sunrise
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Mass cafeteria
Metro Toronto Convention Centre Catering gave advance estimates that they would serve more than 400,000 vegetarian meals during the ten days of the Session in this 7,000-seat, 200,000-square-foot dining area in the North Building. They used 112 special cafeteria "speed lines" to expedite service.
Seems like it’s been a long while since I’ve seen a thick foggy morning
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Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
A very pretty day made for some very pretty landscape scenery
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Loads of fun at today’s office Christmas party, in spite of now being thoroughly sore and exhausted from A/V duty
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Time for the >6-hour monthly prison ministry newsletter job
Meanwhile, the other production copier is running 11,500 men's ministry certification cruise flyers!
Arrived this morning to discover the Extron input scaler having a conniption, so we had to improvise
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Good morning, Florida
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Good morning, Florida
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Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
Fun art installation in the skylight dome of the conservatory
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More night mode experimentation—character greet facility at Norway pavilion
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Biltmore mansion detail
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Blanket buddies
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Thursday sunrise
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Full moon through the trees
I’ve assumed for a long time the trees behind my house were fully dense. So it was a little disorienting last night taking the dog outside and seeing the moon blaring low on the horizon through a gap in the foliage.
More night mode experimentation—Mexico pavilion
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I cracked our last five eggs to scramble for Lori and Adri; the last one was a twin—something I’ve never before encountered with eggs!
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Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
New Smyrna Island
Funny, but unintentional—my panorama shot made the beach look like an island!
Good morning, Florida
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Biltmore mansion walk-in refrigerator
Several rooms used early forms of mechanical refrigeration instead of iceboxes or springhouses.
Dad picked me up from college today and handed me breakfast
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Ark Encounter
Live animal exhibit.
Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
I lost horribly in my first time playing Ticket to Ride
I was the yellow pieces. First, I missed 20 points coz stinker Mason (blue) blocked my only chance to reach Calgary from Phoenix. Then I missed another 35 points because the game ended *one* round before I would have completed the final leg of my route from LA to Miami.
As such, six-year-old Maddox (red) managed to completely cream me into a distant last place.
Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
From any angle
Numerous cameras scattered throughout the SkyDome brought pictures from all angles to viewers tuning in to the Session via satellite on the Adventist Communication Network. In the SkyDome, nearly 60,000 delegates, guests, and visitors watched the proceedings on the 100' x 45' JumboTron video display screen above the stage.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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"Moose in the City"
Throughout the city, moose sculptures greeted Session attendees. Titled "Moose In The City," the outdoor art gallery was based on the Chicago art exhibit, "Cows On Parade," and featured hundreds of life-sized fiberglass moose designed by Torontonian artists. Several moose were located around the Convention Centre and SkyDome.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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"Moose in the City"
Throughout the city, moose sculptures greeted Session attendees. Titled "Moose In The City," the outdoor art gallery was based on the Chicago art exhibit, "Cows On Parade," and featured hundreds of life-sized fiberglass moose designed by Torontonian artists. Several moose were located around the Convention Centre and SkyDome.
Behind the scenes of an ambitious Zoom event
Had a load of fun this evening. This weekend was supposed to be the Pathfinder and Adventurer end-of-year Red Zone weekend at Camp Kulaqua. In response to the COVID-19 quarantine, a virtual event was planned called iRedZone. Tomorrow and Sunday will have other events on other social platforms, but tonight was done with program participants in a Zoom conference which was broadcast live on Facebook where many Adventurers and Pathfinders watched live.
I offered to manage media for tonight’s event in the form of me being in the Zoom meeting and sharing content that I prepared in ProPresenter. Other than not accounting for internet latency creating a bit of delay between audio I played from media and people in the Zoom conference singing along, everything else worked out great. I was thrilled to be able to “plus” the overall production, and had a great time doing it. Kudos to all the program participants for a wonderful event.
What you’re seeing in these photos is me juggling two computers. The laptop ran ProPresenter and the Zoom app to which I occasionally shared the ProPresenter output screen. The two other monitors are connected to my personal computer which I used to monitor ProPresenter output and have visibility of the rundown schedule, Bible texts to display during the sermon, and a chat window with the Pathfinder director to keep each other in the loop on what was coming up next.
If you’d like to have a look at the production, go to Facebook and search for the “Florida Conference Adventurers” and “Florida Conference Pathfinders” Pages, then look for the archives for the respective iRedZone live videos.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scrub Jay Wings of the West
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"Moose in the City"
Throughout the city, moose sculptures greeted Session attendees. Titled "Moose In The City," the outdoor art gallery was based on the Chicago art exhibit, "Cows On Parade," and featured hundreds of life-sized fiberglass moose designed by Torontonian artists. Several moose were located around the Convention Centre and SkyDome.
Porcupine at Central Florida Zoo
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Today just keeps on giving
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Dazzling Nights
Harry P. Leu Gardens, December 18, 2021
ABC
A full-fledged, 10,000-square-foot Adventist Book Centre was set up in the exhibition hall for the benefit of Session attendees. More than 50 authors participated in book signings.
Scootin' around
Session attendees got used to a lot of walking. John Duroe, Southern Asia-Pacific Division communication director, found a better way.
iPhone 13 Pro in da house!
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Stormy afternoon
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This is my scene for the day—production for agapeconference.org (hopefully emcee Darren is cool with the photo swipe!)
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Working smarter, not harder (see Flickr description)
For nearly 4½ years, I've unloaded one or two dozen cases of copier paper every couple months into the niche where I store them.
Inspiration struck today when I suddenly realized I could simply drop the entire pallet into the niche!
Granted, I had to slide the entire production copier to the left about 12 inches to give enough clearance for the pallet jack to make the 90° turn, but it works!
Caution resulted in 21 months of online worship services—happy to be at the church once again
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Good morning, Florida
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Sunday, July 2—Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Asian Lantern Festival
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford
It may have looked like smoke from a catastrophic fire, but it really was just clouds
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My part of tree trimming is complete; Lori does the ornaments next
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Celebrating my mother-in-law’s birthday WHOOOOO happens to love owls—what a hoot!
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#LeavesForDays #StraightOuttaMyYard
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Good night, Florida
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Excursion to Daytona Beach for putt golf
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Biltmore mansion banquet hall
A seven-story high ceiling and Flemish tapestries from the 1500s was the scene of dinner parties and celebrations such as the annual Christmas party for Biltmore workers and their families.
Mystery Mine ride at Dollywood
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Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.
Candlelight Processional group photo upon arrival at the rehearsal area
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At last joining the ranks of Ollie solidarity
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Views of Biltmore Gardens
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Biltmore mansion pool
Though no longer holding water, the 70,000-gallon indoor pool was heated and still has its original underwater lighting. Call buttons located near the doors allowed swimmers to order refreshements or signal they were ready to leave and needed help changing.
Ark Encounter
Ventilation.
Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms. This is one of the house's 43 bathrooms—a rarity in 1895 when many homes didn't have a single indoor bathroom.
Lori's selfie shots weren't turning out—night mode to the rescue!
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Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman
Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman greeted Session attendees during the opening ceremony. He presented keys to the city to Jan Paulsen, General Conference president, and Orville Parchment, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada.
Long overdue arborcide
Five-minute interval snapshots from my doorbell camera showing significant lifting and thinning of my front yard trees and removing the trunk of a deceased palm.
Good night, Florida
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Ark Encounter
Water and waste technology.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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