When there are 1,645 letters with a two-page enclosure to mail out, having a machine to fold and stuff them all is a godsend!
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Final sightseeing before landing
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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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Christmas at Epcot
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Sun, moon, and stars (okay, sun, moon, and planet, but somehow that doesn't sound as inspirational!)
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Pouring pancake batter onto the in-table griddle
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Coming in for a landing
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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.
Lori and Lisa's kids are dreaming of a white Christmas
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Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.
Meg loves Winnie the Pooh
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1850s-1870s sugar mill ruins
Description in photo two prior.
Someone in my neighborhood might've taken things a bit far last weekend
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I think this may have been at my dad's parents' house in North Carolina
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Biltmore mansion laundry facilities
Washing was aided by a belt-driven barrel washer.
Prepping my iced tea, I asked Meg to "hand me some yellow stuff" and this is what she gave me
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Family at the top
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Got to catch up with these guys on vacation from Texas and have a wonderful lunch and conversation
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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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Well I didn't plan to sit front and center at tonight's Prophecy Encounter program by Doug Batchelor, but somehow, here I am
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Dear Criminal Minds producers: that is NOT Tampa
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Just found out (typo notwithstanding) a submission I made to this year’s Society of Adventist Communicators annual awards was chosen as a winner (hat tip to Alicia and Heidi for letting me know)
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Ark Encounter
Welcome.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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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!
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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My wife and I labored on Labor Day, getting our garage straightened up sufficiently to bring the car inside for protection during Hurricane Dorian
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Charleston architecture
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Ominous weather bearing down on Central Florida
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Crap, I’m old
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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.
Ark Encounter official photo stop—ramp to door version
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College graduation
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Good night, Florida
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CN Tower glass floor
One of the most unique attractions of the CN Tower is its glass floor…
A beautiful day in the neighborhood
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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
Hangin’ with the local wildlife at my office
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Millennium Falcon Rice Krispie dessert (yes, the antenna was the first piece to be removed)
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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.
Godzilla vs. the Sandcastles—Mason happily volunteered to knock them down when it was time to leave
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My relocated workspace
It’s been a few months since I posted a photo of my workspace at the time of my relocation from Communication to the Service Center which showed my desk in a still-being-set-up state. Last week I finally finished making the new location my own space by getting my framed art and diploma on the surrounding walls (thanks for the help, Miguel).
Good morning from New Smyrna Beach, day 5
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I’m only mixing for rehearsals and not the actual performances, but it was fun to get back into this seat after such a long time
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I officially no longer have to avoid spoilers!
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Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
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Anyone have a clue what H-E-double hockey sticks this thing is?
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It's been a very busy day
1,000 copies each of 10 Spanish-language Bible lessons, double-sided and folded in half, for a total of 20,000 impressions on 10,000 sheets of paper. WHEW!
Fortunately, these will last the evangelist a LONG time before I ever have to print more.
Oh, and for anyone who follows me on social media, lesson 2 of this batch is the one I was talking about a while ago that had two erroneous booger elements colored blue and causing the entire inside spread to want to copy in color instead of only B&W!
Thumbuddies (autocorrect wanted to change that to thumb issues)
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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.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Biltmore mansion entrance hall
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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.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Lavender in Biltmore Gardens
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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2017 Nissan Versa SV
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Video clip of the closing portion of "Together"
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Crazy—nearly 400 kids registered for VBS at my church with more than 200 volunteer staff!
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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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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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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.")
Terry Shaw, President/CEO of Adventist Health System
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Final positioning check
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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).
A very tired, but very happy family
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…which is paved with discarded ballast stones from ships
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Biltmore mansion servant dining room
Between 30-35 servants ate three meals per day in this room.
My neighborhood sits high above three enormous, deep retention ditches—virtually zero flood risk #HurricaneIrma
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Welcome to my vantage point for the next few hours
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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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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Good night, Florida
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Rock-painting craft at family camp
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Day 4
7 days, 7 photos in black and white of your everyday life. No explanation. No people.
I was challenged by no one and I won't be challenging anyone. I just wanted to do this.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Old well found during property renovation
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My office's reception desk has been cast as the set of a café counter for Sunday night's Christmas program (printing a large background banner was my idea)
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Dad picked me up from college today and handed me breakfast
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Entrance to Ponce de Leon Springs State Park
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Say whaaaaaat‽
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Y’all are just a bunch of turkeys!
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Heyward Washington House
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Sugar Mill Machinery
Two examples of sugar cane crushing machinery from the mid-1800s are shown. Dunlawton Plantation used machinery similar to what is seen in the next photo, but the mill was steam powered. Spring Garden Plantation (here) was the only water-powered sugar mill in Florida.
Interesting history on a building in Charleston
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I don't recognize the interior so this must be inside the trailer
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Replica water wheel at the Old Spanish Sugar Mill restaurant
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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.
I guess that explains the early morning power outage
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Big flock of gobblers in my neighborhood
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Reaching the first drop of Dollywood's Wild Eagle coaster
I'm unsure whether we are on the ride vehicle in this particular shot. In any case, this was an amazing coaster. Smooth and fun. There was surprisingly not a long ride, so after the four of us completed one pass, we looped around and got right back on again for a second ride. Lisa and I sat in the front, and we agreed—Best. Coaster. Ever!
Sightseers
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Final sightseeing before landing
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
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Sometimes I wish Sunpass transponders were available in black
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Spaghetti Warehouse in historic Ybor City district
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Candlelight Processional performers in the holding tent ready for rehearsal
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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.
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.
2017 Nissan Versa SV
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Lots of activities—including face painting
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Musicians for second song performance, "Healing Tower"
Terry Sampson, drums; and Kevin Sorensen, bass. Not pictured: Jason Salagubang, keyboard.
2017 Nissan Versa SV
It feels like I've attained a certain official-ness by finally being able to ditch the temporary tag and install my custom license plate.
Family and guests visiting at the barn venue during rehearsal the day before the event
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Happy Birthday, USA!
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Good morning from New Smyrna Beach, day 2
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Enjoying a trip on Dollywood's vintage steam train—except for the tiny specks of soot!
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Building storm 3of3
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Sorting games at work
I have already stated that my new job is fun. I’m not saying it’s glamorous!
Seeing these on Wawa gas pumps makes me very happy
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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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Oh the long list of stores I could name that need a spot like this
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Good night, Florida
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Old well found during property renovation
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Charleston architecture
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Ark Encounter
Scale model.
My very yummy dinner at San Miguel Mexican Grill in Apopka
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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.
Spaghetti Warehouse in historic Ybor City district
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Biltmore mansion bowling alley
The house featured one of the nation's first bowling alleys instealled in a private residence.
Ladies and gentlemen, I submit to you this nomination for the photo example of the 2019 edition dictionary listing for “redneck”
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Biltmore Gardens Railway
Model train passing in front of the mansion scale model.
My office’s previous bulk cutter was 3-decade-old busted jawn and died a couple months ago—today, we had the new hotness delivered!
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Four family members, one chair
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Just three minutes to cook a Blaze Pizza
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Sunrise 4
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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We successfully escaped Moriarty’s Game Room—SO MUCH FUN
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Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
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Colorful flag entrance
Photo by Lori Bennett
It's been a good little car for 13 years, but its era has reached an end—final resting place before scrap
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Florida Hospital Voices of Legacy, directed by Vivian Cook
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It was the briefest of glimpses, but I caught a tiny peek of the supermoon this morning
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Good morning, Florida (bonus points if you can find Venus in this photo)
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Brother-in-law Danny Myers joined us for the hospital tour
Photo by Lori Bennett
Strange that I'm not fond of motorcycles today, considering I was clearly enjoying myself in this photo
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Info panel on how sugar was made at Spring Garden Plantation
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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.
So this happened today
A few insta-impressions:
(1) LOVE the size.
(2) When can I add Dark Sky to the middle and Fantastical to the top of the Infograph Modular face?
(3) Gonna miss Time Travel. I know people seldom used it but it was great for Dark Sky forecasts.
(4) Obviously I will wear it next time I’m swimming, but coming from a Series 0, I’m paranoid!
(5) Jury is still out whether I’ll keep Digital Crown haptics enabled.
Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
Aric and Rainey making progress.
Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
Threading the sweetgrass weave one loop at a time.
A few days later, returning to Epcot for a full day of fun
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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.
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.
“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.
Ark Encounter
Panorama shot showing the opening between all decks—level 1.
Good night, Florida
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Parting singer group shot
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Good night, Florida
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Biltmore mansion library
George's collection ranges from American and English literature to history, religion, philosophy, art, and architecture.
Sunday evening visitor
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Plenty of photo-op locations
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ALL. DAY. LONG. TODAY.
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Parting singer group shot
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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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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.
Fun with light refraction
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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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Slave Mart Museum
No photos allowed inside.
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.
Downtown Toronto seen from CN Tower
Probably the best vantage point of downtown Toronto you'll find.
The view from my resort room this week did not suck
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Possibly the most creative thing I've ever seen done with a fork
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Good night, Florida 2of3
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Awww, my parents drove over from Tampa to join us for supper last night
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Biltmore mansion kitchen pantry
Both electric and manual dumbwaiters raised trays of food to the butler's pantry and floors above.
Charleston architecture
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For those who might ask, that’s a Blackmagic Design ATEM Production Studio 4K in the background of the previous photo
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The Old Spanish Sugar Mill restaurant
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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.
Thursday, June 29—countless flags adorned the Session main stage
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The energy of birthday sugar rushes cannot be clearly captured on camera
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Good night, Florida
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Anyone remember BitCam?
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Sunrise 3
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Finally reorganized the shelves for large-size paper stock to something a bit more logical and even created room to get yet-to-be-opened cases off the floor
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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.
When designing gas pumps, who decided, more often than not, that the hose has to hang in front of the part a customer uses the most?
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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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Good night, Florida—and good riddance, Dorian
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Ark Encounter
Space utilization.
Biltmore mansion—George Vanderbilt chamber
In the background, a mirror in the bathroom doorway gives a glimpse of George's paw-footed bathtub.
Biltmore mansion gymnasium
Rowing machine, parallel bars, Indian clubs, medicine balls, and needle bath shower massages.
Charleston alley
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At last, proper storage/organization of all my iPad accessories and gadgets thanks to Skooba Design products—thanks mom/dad for the birthday gift!
I. LOVE. THIS. BAG.
After a good many years, I have retired the too-small Case Logic tote which carried my iPad in one sleeve and an absolute hodgepodge of gadgets in another pouch. I had previously bought Skooba Design's Cable Stable DLX (the green-lined organizer) thinking I could use it for my stuff and simply lay the iPad inside and close up, but it was too full to close.
When Skooba confirmed the DLX would fit inside the largest pouch in the V.3 Satchel Mini, I knew I'd found my solution. Most of my gadgets are organized in the DLX with a few larger ones in pockets located in the Satchel's smaller storage pouch (top of photo). Then the iPad slides easily into the third pouch normally designed for a small laptop. My 10.5" iPad Pro fits nicely and I suspect a full size iPad Pro would fit instead in the unlikely event I ever choose to upgrade to that size. Besides not having enough room for my gadgets in the old Case Logic tote, the 10.5" iPad Pro only barely fit, whereas it easily slides in and out of the V.3 Satchel Mini.
Biltmore mansion laundry facilities
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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 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 canning pantry
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Congrats to my nephew, Riley Alexander Bennett, on his high school graduation!
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iPhone 7 Unboxing
No, I'm not really concerned about the loss of the 3.5mm audio jack. I have used Apple's earbuds for a long time, so I have no trouble using the Lightning connector instead of 3.5mm. As for piping music to an external source, I essentially always do that with my iPad rather than my iPhone, or with my old 5G iPod.
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.
Caricature time lapse
Clearing old/unneeded files from my computer and realized I never shared this time lapse of Meg and Adri's caricature drawing at 2018 Strawberry Festival.
Moving day
I have officially transferred to a new department now that Communication has been deprecated. I'll tell more in a blog post next week. For now, I'm sharing a farewell image of my previous office and a glimpse at the early stages of setting up my new workspace.
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.
I had set a goal of meeting my 500-calorie goal for 365 consecutive days—blew past it and hit 400 days yesterday, so I’m REALLY ready for a break!
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Approaching the attraction
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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.
Chaperone meeting
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After leaving FLA, Lori and I stopped for dinner and I shot this evening sky before walking into the restaurant
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Ark Encounter
Feeding large animals.
It’s been a long, busy weekend—I’m tired, but it’s been a wonderful Camp Meeting, and the last big meeting is over
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Good morning from New Smyrna Beach, day 6
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Playing with night mode—Mexico pavilion
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Visiting Peach World on the way home from S.C. was, shall we say, an experience
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Absolutely no idea where this was
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Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.
Good night, Florida
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Cute little Mickey ear musical Ferris wheel
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Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
Lori making progress
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.
Door cam belonging to a neighbor not far from my house caught an image of this guy about the same time I was walking out the house to the car to go to work this morning! 😱
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Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
Threading the sweetgrass weave one loop at a time.
Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
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Preparing to sing
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Three down, seven to go
Actually, this was progress two days prior to posting this photo, but I sort of forgot to post it. The photo shows the process of manually adding front and back covers to 500 sets of a 20-page booklet. So yes, that means earlier I ran 11,000 sheets through the copier—21,000 impressions since the inside pages were double sided.
Based on available information, let's take a guess what time Lee will get away for lunch
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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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Good morning, Florida
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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.
A mural in one of the subway stops
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Good night, Florida
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I offered to Facebook Live my brother’s wedding next weekend—my “compensation” is getting to keep the Glif mount and iRig Pre he bought that will make the broadcast much better (I just tested them and they work flawlessly)
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Nearing the top
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Day 7
7 days, 7 photos in black and white of your everyday life. No explanation. No people.
I was challenged by no one and I won't be challenging anyone. I just wanted to do this.
Biltmore mansion laundry facilities
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Charleston architecture
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Daryl Tol, President/CEO of Florida Hospital and Adventist Health System Central Division
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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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Playing with night mode—France pavilion
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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).
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 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.
My wife is part of the choir during two services today at Florida Hospital Church—live stream beginning at 9:30am. http://hospitalchurch.org/sermons/watch-live/
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Newly remodeled Altamonte Apple Store is SWEET
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GCTV production
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We saw Chalmers Street…
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Good night, Florida
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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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Ark Encounter
Panorama shot showing the opening between all decks—level 1.
Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
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Scenery before tomorrow's storm
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Seeking a gadget bag to hold my iPad Air 2 plus these items
I'll happily accept advice on a gadget bag that will suit my needs and not break my wallet. I've seen some Tom Bihn bags that I LOVE, but I can't justify the price. Looking for alternatives.
All the items in this photo (plus my iPad) fit in my current bag, but it's crammed full with no organization.
Some comments on the contents: Yes, my rarely used checks are in a Vera Bradley cover. My old vinyl cover wore out and my wife put them in this case, and I've never had an excuse to change it. And yes, I do carry a SIM tray opener tool from a long-ago iPhone model since Apple doesn't bundle them any more. Two sets of earbuds? Yep, one with the 3.5mm jack and one with the Lightning jack for my iPhone 7. Yes, I'm redundant enough to carry the 3.5mm earbuds plus the 3.5mm to Lightning adapter. And yes, I still carry a Lightning adapter for old 30-pin Dock accessories. Why carry the bulky add-on cable for the charger brick? It actually has less to do with grounding and more to do with lengthening the charge cable as I often need to do. Last comment is to identify the gray square at the bottom as a little pouch holding multicolor sticky note pads.
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.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Ark Encounter
Dining area.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scenic moment at Church at the Cross
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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.
Misc. other photos from the week—South Hall entrance
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I was surprised today to see Calvary Orlando refurbished with brand new multicolor seats, replacing the pews
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Grandpa was teaching Maddox how to catch the football
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Video of my first experience with basketweaving
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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.
Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon
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The original sugar mill wheel
In the photo: Local residents pose at the mill wheel in the late 1800s. The building is no longer standing.
This artifact is all that remains of the original sugar mill wheel. The sugar mill was constructed in the 1830s and operated until 1864, when the property was Spring Garden Plantation. The wheel powered the machinery that pressed sugar cane for its juice. It was the only water-powered sugar mill in Florida!
In 1835, the mill was destroyed by Seminole Indians at the beginning of the Second Seminole War. In 1864, it was destroyed again, this time by Union troops during the Civil War because the owner, Thomas Starke, was supplying food to Confederate troops.
The abandoned mill deteriorated from insects and rot in the late 1800s. Around 1910 it was rebuilt, possibly as a tourist attraction. A project in 1998 removed this part of the wheel, replacing it with the current wheel, which is not operational.
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.
Spaghetti Warehouse in historic Ybor City district
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Xmas door decor
I swear, this was my boss' idea, not mine! I only executed the production of it. (It might help to disclose that besides the print work I am largely responsible for, the Service Center also processes the building's incoming and outgoing mail.)
Good night, Florida
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Ark Encounter
We're inside the door!
I Voted! (local elections—sadly not yet time to vote out DeathSantis)
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2017 Nissan Versa SV
Ignore that temporary tag. My regular MAC-USER plate will go on there as soon as the registration arrives in the mail.
(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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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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I'm not quite sure how a metal box with no electronic parts can be "out of order"
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Luggage is Tetris'd into the van and we're ready to go
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Picked up a few new geocaches today with the nephews
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Replica water wheel at the Old Spanish Sugar Mill restaurant
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Final result of a craft/prop project for a Vacation Bible School event
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Ironwork by renowned blacksmith Philip Simmons
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Good night, Florida
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Michael English performing for annual Florida Hospital Thanksgiving program
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Charleston architecture
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The apocalypse has begun
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Awww, poor guy must either be old/sick or hurt—found him on the sidewalk, wouldn’t move for nothing, and I didn’t know what to do :-(
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Sign shop: “Do you want that with or without typos?” / Customer: “Without.”
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Sunday, July 2—Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Playing with night mode—China pavilion
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Rainbow Row
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Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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We nearly didn’t go to Epcot today—torrential rain around 8:30am that cleared up very quickly
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Mowing the lawn
Clearly I was older than two at this point since it's the back yard of the house we moved into. Ain't it awesome how no one in the early 1970s thought it was a problem to let a kid stand behind a running mower with no shoes or shirt?
Target seems to have a distorted definition of "lower than advertised"
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Slave Mart Museum
No photos allowed inside
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.
LEGO challenge—build something you think is at least 100 years old
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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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.
Chillin’ (literally) with the penguins
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Sugar Mill Machinery
Description in prior photo.
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.
Souvenir Kellogg's Corn Flakes boxes from the 150th anniversary program celebrating Adventist Health
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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.
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.
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.
It's *only* $500! Can't I have one?
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Clouds, Moon, Jupiter, Juno
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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.
2002 Chevrolet Silverado
Technically, this truck was never mine—rather, it was a two-time loaner from my father-in-law. I'm including it in this album because the title was actually in my name for a short period of time.
It had been in storage for more than a year. It never did drive quite right, but it got me to work and back for several weeks in September and October 2016 after the Vibe died for the second time (permanently) until I purchased a Town & Country minivan for my wife, and I took over the Accord.
Then, when the Accord died in February 2017, I had to use this truck again while I sought a permanent vehicle for myself. I ultimately bought a new Versa (later in this album) in April 2017, and my father-in-law finally sold the Silverado to one of his neighbors.
Arrival
Columbia Union College chartered its bus for guests arriving at Session—a quick photo shows it blending in with the local landmarks.
The Fountain of Youth
To attract tourists in the 1880s, local business owners changed the name of this property from Spring Garden to Ponce De Leon Springs. The area was advertised in northern states as a winter resort with its own Fountain of Youth, pouring out millions of gallons of "deliciously healthy" water.
In the 1950s, this site became one of Florida's many roadside attractions. Again, the Fountain of Youth was featured. It included two structures. The wall in the next photo is said to have been the location of a small fountain where visitors could drink the water. About 200 feet south (up the hill, two photos after this one), you can see the second structure with basins at different levels. This created a waterfall effect then flowed down into the fountain wall here.
Any collectors looking for an antique (likely nonfunctional) Brownie?
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Good night, Florida 2of3
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Good morning from New Smyrna Beach, final day
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Replica water wheel at the Old Spanish Sugar Mill restaurant
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Florida Hospital Voices of Legacy
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Mystery Mine ride at Dollywood
Lori captured Lisa, Danny, Meg, and me on the the Dollywood Mystery Mine ride
Our destination…
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Ark Encounter
Feeding and removing waste for large animals.
Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
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A great anniversary day at Magic Kingdom
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Home for the next seven days
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Dubose Heyward House
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Preparing to sing
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Merry Christmas—Altamonte Mall style
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Another pretty sunrise this morning
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Pediatric emergency room suite
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Panorama of the approach walkway to Ark Encounter
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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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.
Never knew Uno made a version with these huge cards!
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Good night, Florida 3of3
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And we're off!
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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.
Building storm 1of3
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Ark Encounter
Inside looking at the bow.
Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
After completing a couple loops, Henrietta helped close off my weave into a Christmas ornament.
Ark Encounter
Ventilation.
Charleston architecture
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South Hall seen from CN Tower
The South Hall, entirely underground, was the location of the Adventist Book Center and the exhibit hall.
Passed a family of deer during my morning walk
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Playing with night mode—China pavilion
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Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.
Only in America is there an official Department of Redundancy Department
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Scootin' around
Session attendees got used to a lot of walking. John Duroe, Southern Asia-Pacific Division communication director, found a better way.
Charleston architecture
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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
Ark size and shape.
Good night, Florida
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2017 Nissan Versa SV
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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My 2017 Versa is averaging ½ mile per gallon higher than the maximum rated highway economy—way to go, Nissan!
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Blue tungsten carbide
Don't worry, it's not a replacement. I still have my original. But, with my wife's blessing, I now have a colorful alternative wedding band. I don't impulse-buy things like this very often, but I found this beautiful ring at a Strawberry Festival vendor at an extremely attractive price.
…with my sweetie
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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2017 Nissan Versa SV
Very cool-looking accents in the form of chrome door handles.
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.
Major controlled burn in Wekiva Preserve
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Sunset from the Orlando Eye
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
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Dollywood's Harvey Water Clock
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Playing with night mode—China pavilion
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My parents joined Lori and me for the trip
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Biltmore mansion gun room
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Boys will be boys
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Good night, Florida
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Current status
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Took a detour past the hospital where I was born
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Good morning, Florida—time to get back to work
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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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.
Sunset from the Orlando Eye
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Found in a small Mt. Dora bookstore—hilarious stuff inside
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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"Please do not bend" — (there was literally nothing but this piece of paper in the envelope!)
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The apocalypse approacheth
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Spectacular double rainbow over my home ahead of Hurricane Irma
I'm choosing to interpret this as God's way of telling me we're going to be okay through the storm.
Charleston architecture
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Good night, Florida
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2017 Nissan Versa SV
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Hunted a simple geocache—first one I've looked for in a great many years
Crab Cakes
www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC3M3HY
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.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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I love relaxing piano “muisc” in the morning
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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.
The kids—deceptively calm
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Weekend video duty for 2018 Florida Pathfinder Red Zone
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Charleston architecture
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Thanksgiving family portrait
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Heyward Washington House
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Toy Story came out 21 years ago, and Buzz & Woody are *still* in danger of getting left behind!
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The neighborhood park lost an enormous tree #HurricaneIrma
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Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
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Real tacos, real beauty
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Florida spring afternoon
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I wonder if my coworkers will concur
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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.
Not the worst hotel room view :-)
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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.
Mary Poppins also made an appearance
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Ark Encounter
Retrieving the dove with an olive branch.
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.
Rockin’ with the sea lions
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Good night, Florida
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Well this was definitely a project-and-a-half that I helped fabricate
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Lots of selfies
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The cotton candy station was extremely popular
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Spaghetti Warehouse in historic Ybor City district
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Sun not visible, skies are dark—why travel to Tennessee? There's a total eclipse happening right here in Florida!
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Mystery Mine ride at Dollywood
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Enjoying the treat!
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Florida afternoon skies
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Happy kids wrapping up a fun afternoon at the beach
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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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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!)
I have a back-and-forth, love-hate relationship between the old Modular Apple Watch face and the new Infograph Modular face
The complication sizes on Infograph Modular are great on the Series 4, but I disdain Apple’s mandate for the small ones to be circular based. I really want the old style small Modular complications on the new Infograph Modular face.
Finally enjoying a taste of the Christmas gift from my bro- and sis-in-law; wow, this stuff tastes wonderful!
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Picked up a geocache this morning—I hope its owner replaces the broken container soon
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Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.
Biltmore mansion upper floor hallway
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Love the old camera display
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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.
Time to line up
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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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Hey pastors—ever accidentally drop your wireless mic transmitter pack while standing in the baptistry?
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Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.
I know—I put up a B&W version for the 7-day project, but I wanted to post the color version as well
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Mary Poppins also made an appearance
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Looking forward to this view every day this week—hopefully a few sunrises, too
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The requisite silly snapshot
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Night shot, post-flight
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The Old Spanish Sugar Mill restaurant
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Charleston architecture
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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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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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VIP grand opening of the new Florida Hospital Apopka
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Day 1
7 days, 7 photos in black and white of your everyday life. No explanation. No people.
I was challenged by no one and I won't be challenging anyone. I just wanted to do this.
Fountain of Youth—upper portion
Description in photo two prior.
Misc. other photos from the week—puppet ministry
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My brother-in-law has this crazy notion that Apple, Inc. is getting into the cosmetics business
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Real iPads, real beauty
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Hello from Florida Camp Meeting
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Spaghetti Warehouse in historic Ybor City district
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Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
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The masses of performers make their way to the stage
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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.
It's time for another exciting chapter of "Can Lee publish this month's podcast before the end of the month?"
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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.
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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Ark Encounter
Feeding and removing waste for small animals.
Intense lightning storm tonight
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2017 Nissan Versa SV
Apologies for the somewhat blurry picture here. Didn't realize it wasn't sharp until after I set up this album.
The ancient Apple Cinema HD Display has been replaced by a Dell UltraSharp U2415 LED monitor—half as thick, much tinier bezel, and, at long last, adjustable height!
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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.
Crowd Walk Life
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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 morning, Florida
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Adri being silly in 2015 to demonstrate new iPhone Live Photos
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Newborn me
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A tech glitch prevented video to the system on opening night, but it’s now been resolved and media is ready for Friday morning at Camp Meeting 2019
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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.
Obligatory parting Spaceship Earth shot
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Charleston alley
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Rolled over 200K on the Honda this evening
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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.
Ark Encounter
Panorama shot showing the opening between all decks—level 2.
Godspeed, SpaceX crew! (Photos by my wife, Lori)
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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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.
Biltmore mansion—George Vanderbilt chamber
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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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Day 3
7 days, 7 photos in black and white of your everyday life. No explanation. No people.
I was challenged by no one and I won't be challenging anyone. I just wanted to do this.
Charleston architecture
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Good night, Florida
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In case you couldn't guess on last week's photo where I arranged to spend a few nights
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Happy Thanksgiving from our crazy family to yours
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CN Tower glass floor
…an attraction that is not for the faint of heart.
"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.
Ironwork by renowned blacksmith Philip Simmons
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Mason’s a goner but Maddox will exact his revenge
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2017 Nissan Versa SV
The trunk is rather cavernous for such a small vehicle, and the rear seats fold down to allow even longer items to fit.
Day 6
7 days, 7 photos in black and white of your everyday life. No explanation. No people.
I was challenged by no one and I won't be challenging anyone. I just wanted to do this.
Morning moon
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City trolley—among the more unique forms of Toronto transportation
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Meg learns about phone booths
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Time for another installment of the post-dinner-family-outing-group-selfie series
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Visiting historic downtown Sweetwater prior to the anniversary celebration
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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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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Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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More celebratory banners
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The gang's all ready
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iPad on a monopod—that's a new one for me
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As evidenced by a little extra sun today, I'm definitely a watch-wearer once again—thanks, Apple
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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.
More night mode experimentation—character greet facility at Norway pavilion
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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.
CN Tower
There aren't many outdoor locations in downtown Toronto where the CN Tower doesn't make its presence known.
Charleston architecture
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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.
Candlelight Processional group photo at the church before leaving
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The neighborhood park is a mess #HurricaneIrma
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Good night, Florida
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Sears in Altamonte Mall is shutting down—more than half the upper floor is bare and looks creepy
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Biltmore mansion official photo stop
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Good night, Florida
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Went outside to enjoy the brilliant sunset colors and could hardly stand the deafening cicadas
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Sunscreen application #fail
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Biltmore mansion—George Vanderbilt chamber
George's grand walnut bed.
Sunday, the day after the anniversary party, our immediate family drove back to Pigeon Forge for a trip to Dollywood
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Storm over Kissimmee
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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 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.
Still beachin’ it
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Misc. other photos from the week—some sort of large cake presented during the main meetings
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The maze
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Happy Thanksgiving from the Bennett/Bixby/Myers family
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The local resident bird of prey watched over me from his lamp post perch beneath a third-quarter moon during my walk this morning
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Finally spotted some dolphin at the beach (excuse the grainy, digitally enlarged/zoomed video)
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Sunset from the Orlando Eye
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Marvelous rainbow last night
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Time to update my prescription—went with a whole new look with my frames
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Check out who got straight A's last quarter
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That feeling when you were doing oh so well with your hand lettering, until… 😖
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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.
I usually forget to use portrait mode, but I remembered this time
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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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The kids—silliest
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Subterfuge remote control
One of the amusements at Disney Springs is the Strolling Piano—a pianist/singer who sits at her piano on a roving platform. Another employee controls its movement, and I found him—with a sneaky RC device disguised as a Super Big Gulp-type cup!
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.
Toronto had a very nice, clean subway system
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Family outing to Crepevine
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Good night, Florida
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See, Ross, it IS possible to not make the "everyday" mistake—as HomeGoods proves
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Good night, Florida
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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.
Biltmore mansion master bedroom hallway
This hallway connects George and Edith's bedrooms along with the sitting room between the two bedrooms.
Getting ready for my high school graduation
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Afternoon beach time has been cancelled
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This hired entertainer walked around demonstrating a variety of stunts including plate spinning, juggling, and stilt walking
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Does a flock of turkeys in my back yard mean Thanksgiving comes early this year?
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Ark Encounter
Japheth and Rayneh.
The apocalypse approacheth
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Still seeing strong gusts, but things seem to have fared well in North Apopka—power has remained on
PS - video is double speed.
Wekiva River at Wilson’s Landing Park
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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As I always say, obligatory parting Spaceship Earth shot
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Playing with night mode—UK pavilion
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1,370 pieces printed, collated, stuffed, and stamped in 40 minutes—1.75 seconds per piece: not bad!
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Cuckoo clocks in the Germany pavilion
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Old Methuselah
This cypress tree, which is more than 500 years old, got its name in the 1950s when the park was the Ponce de Leon Springs tourist attraction. The tree somehow survived in the early 1800s when cypress trees throughout Florida were cut for lumber.
North Hall seen from CN Tower
The North Hall was primarily used as a mass cafeteria during the Session.
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.
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.
Depart from me, foul liquid that pricketh my skin—nevermore shalt thou come unto my presence
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Old well found during property renovation
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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.
The Barnett ranch is a beautiful property with scenic views
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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.
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.
My first home
I don't remember a thing about it, but I lived in this trailer until around age 2. But I definitely remember the old Impala.
My (rented) ride for the week while I figure out what to do about my dead Vibe—2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport
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Lars Houmann, COO of Adventist Health System
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Celebrating birthdays with a chocolate LEGO cake
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Good night, Florida 1of3
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…and now for the reveal
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Side view of a typical slave quarters (left) built behind a master's home in front (right)
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Good night, Florida
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Good night, Florida
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Building storm 2of3
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Biltmore mansion official photo stop—Winter Garden version
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Ark Encounter
Panorama shot showing the opening between all decks—level 3.
Day 2
7 days, 7 photos in black and white of your everyday life. No explanation. No people.
I was challenged by no one and I won't be challenging anyone. I just wanted to do this.
Super bright rainbow
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Family pose
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Been a while since I've driven beneath a Hyperlapse-worthy sky
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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.
Pre-sunset show
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The neighborhood park lost an enormous tree #HurricaneIrma
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Departing the boarding area
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Shelf cloud
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Sunrise 1
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2017 Nissan Versa SV
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Happiness is a freshly washed car
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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.
Biltmore mansion laundry facilities
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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.
1850s-1870s sugar mill ruins
Description in prior photo.
Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Managed a shot of the eclipse through a coworker's pair of glasses—not a great shot, but it's mine
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I did some preliminary vehicle shopping today, but sadly this Ferrari wasn't a consideration
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Good morning from New Smyrna Beach, day 6
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Obligatory departing SSE shot
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Biltmore mansion vegetable pantry
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Pediatric section
Photo by Lori Bennett
Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.
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.
HMCS Toronto in port, seen from CN Tower
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Ark Encounter
Water and waste technology.
Many gas street lanterns in downtown Charleston
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GCTV production
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Guess where I'm spending a few nights :-)
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Good night, Florida
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Good morning from New Smyrna Beach, day 3
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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.
Third Annual Myers’ House Easter Egg Hunt
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Biltmore Gardens Railway video
90 seconds of miniature railway footage.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Back yard bear sighting at my sister-in-law’s home
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Ark Encounter
Noah's prayer.
Fountain of Youth—lower portion
Description in prior photo.
Good night, Florida
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Good morning, Florida
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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.
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.
Charleston architecture
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Sunrise 2
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Natalie Grant at Florida Hospital's annual Thanksgiving program
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Biltmore mansion laundry facilities
Washing was aided by a belt-driven barrel washer.
It was a nice couple of hours at the beach, but then the clouds rolled in
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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.
Charleston architecture
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On Friday, the camp entrance road was the absolute smoothest I’d ever experienced, but after Saturday’s deluge, my Sunday departure was a 5MPH creep over the bumpiest I’ve ever seen
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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!
Sunset from the Orlando Eye
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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.
2017 Nissan Versa SV
After having lost both the Pontiac Vibe and the Honda Accord to mechanical issues, I finally bit the bullet and, with my wife's blessing, purchased a 2017 Nissan Versa SV in April 2017.
I didn't initially set out to buy something brand new. In the process of seeking a car for me to replace the Accord and the borrowed Silverado, a number of used options as private sales came to my attention, but none quite seemed right. I eventually chose to talk to a childhood friend of mine who is co-owner of an Orlando-area Nissan dealership. Upon looking at a couple used vehicles in my price range, I was nearly ready to buy a brick red 2013 Versa. I slept on the decision and, the next morning, readjusted some budget numbers which resulted in my ability to increase what I could afford monthly. In doing so, the dealer came up with this brand-new 2017 Versa that was much better equipped than the used model. So, this makes my third-ever brand-new car (or only two that I've purchased—one of them was a lease).
Interesting footnote, it *technically* was not sold as a new car. From what I understand, it was previously sold, but never delivered. I'm not sure if that means the buyer didn't pick it up and reneged on the sale, or some other circumstance. Whatever the case, it had literally been "sold" once prior, thus had to be sold to me as a used vehicle, in spite of never truly having a previous owner and only 8 miles showing on the odometer!
The Exodus away from the beach
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Good night, Florida
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Church picnic at Wilson’s Landing Park
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So, a funny thing just happened…
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Living room pose with that awesome wall paneling that went many years with no moulding
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The Old Spanish Sugar Mill restaurant seen from across Ponce de Leon Springs
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Charleston architecture
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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We went Soarin’
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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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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Good morning, Florida (iPhone 7 HDR photo—absolutely no adjustments or filters)
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Another popular station was the free kettle corn (yummy) set up outside along with several bounce houses
(Photo by Lori Bennett since my hands were full and couldn't easily snap my own shot here.)
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
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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.
Storm a-brewin'
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Japanese drum demonstration
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Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.
It was probably for the best that I couldn’t use Flickr while it was down—I had a LOT of weekend preparation work to do
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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.
2006 Chrysler Town & Country
During the first period in late 2016 that I drove the borrowed Silverado, my wife and I searched for a second vehicle for long-term. Upon realizing that it would really be advantageous to be able to transport more than 4-5 people on occasion, we found this minivan in really decent condition at a good price in October 2016. Upon acquisition, it became my wife's primary vehicle and I started driving the Honda Accord until it died. The T&C is showing a few signs of its own issues, but I'm praying it's something I can easily remedy soon so my wife can drive this for a good while longer.
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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Spaghetti Warehouse in historic Ybor City district
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2017 Nissan Versa SV
It's a relatively basic model, but includes a driver-side armrest (a requirement for my long-ago shoulder injury), USB and 3.5mm jacks which both carry audio, Bluetooth for phone calls and voice control (but not audio streaming), and two conveniently placed power ports—one under the dash and one between the seats which can be reached by the rear passengers.
On duty all day since 7am to record the HR Summit hosted by my office
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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.
Final sightseeing before landing
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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.
Good morning from New Smyrna Beach, final day
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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.
Biltmore mansion banquet hall
Looking the opposite direction toward the organ loft.
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.
Grandmas who love their grandkids take time to be shown things on their iPhones
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Waiting in the green room tent
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Sunset from the Orlando Eye
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Ark Encounter
Three types of lighting.
Joe Kilsheimer, Mayor, City of Apopka
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Meg believes she can fly
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25-year recognition
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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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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.
Charleston architecture
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What is this miracle product that keeps your food off dirty grill bars but can still leave dark grill lines?
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Someone chose not to ride
This was hilarious. Adri not only had little interest in riding the more extreme Dollywood coasters, she totally owned her lack of desire. Aunt Lisa and Uncle Danny bought these shirts for the girls. Yes, Adri happily wears her "chicken" shirt.
Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
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First time I've ever experienced La-Z-Boy-style reclining seats in a theater—I could get used to this!
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Cooking pancakes and veggie sausage patties
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Good morning, Florida
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Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.
Ark Encounter official photo stop—daytime angle version
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
This is the starter piece provided to us to continue weaving.
Biltmore mansion kitchen storage
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2017 Nissan Versa SV
The trunk is rather cavernous for such a small vehicle, and the rear seats fold down to allow even longer items to fit.
Taking flight
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Playing with night mode—Canada pavilion
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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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.
Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
Nathan and Tammy making progress.
Biltmore Gardens Railway
There were several different separate railways throughout the greenhouses.
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.
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.
After 15 years, it is finally time to bid this workhorse behemoth Cinema HD Display—which only recently has begun to exhibit signs of failure—a fond farewell
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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.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Biltmore mansion walk-in refrigerator
Several rooms used early forms of mechanical refrigeration instead of iceboxes or springhouses.
Crane kick pose
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Without the Mac Pro sucking power, my UPS should provide LOTS of iPhone and iPad recharge cycles if we lose power
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Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.
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.
Trip to the Grand Canyon
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Meg loves Winnie the Pooh
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View of downtown Orlando
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Good night, Florida 3of3
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Astonishingly, this nasty weather scooted past Apopka without a drop of rain in my area
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Storm clouds swirled most all of the afternoon, but a fair portion of the afternoon avoided rain
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Enjoying a trip on Dollywood's vintage steam train—except for the tiny specks of soot!
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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.
Wow—my Nissan Versa’s average MPG has passed the 40 mark (it’s rated 39 highway)
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Charleston architecture
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Hangin’ out on Orlando Wall Street Plaza’s Big Chair
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Time to robe-up
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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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I presume there was some sort of gas spill or leak (fire also?) at the intersection of highways 437 & 44—foam clumps flying around everywhere!
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Beautiful day for an outdoor lunch
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Ironwork by renowned blacksmith Philip Simmons
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Church member was showing off his funky socks
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Prepping for performance
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Lee: “Since when does Eeyore smile?” Lori: “Since someone fed him Prozac. It’s wonderful stuff!”
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Operating room
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Views of Biltmore Gardens
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Good morning, Florida, so glad it's daylight again during my usual morning walk hour
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I clearly don’t live in a bear-free community, as evidenced by this guy hanging out in a retention ditch near my home
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Release of white doves
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Visiting historic downtown Sweetwater prior to the anniversary celebration
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Whopper of a storm raced me home to Apopka from the west as I approached from the east—the storm won
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Biltmore mansion detail
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Good morning, Florida
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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.
Beautiful Tampa Bay sunset at The Rusty Pelican while celebrating my parents' 50th anniversary
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Recovery room
Photo by Lori Bennett
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.
Turns out a colander does pretty well at showing eclipse shadows—pretty, too
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Geocaching First To Find
Collaborated with a seasoned player who placed a cache at my work property (with permission) enabling me to claim a coveted FTF.
If you’d like to hunt this cache, search for GC85N88.
Charleston architecture
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Funny Kellogg's corn flakes jingle segment from the Adventist health 150th anniversary program
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Silly nephew thinks he needs my glasses
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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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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I blinked, and the little girl I’ve known was suddenly a young woman
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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At my dad's parents' house in North Carolina
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Visiting historic downtown Sweetwater prior to the anniversary celebration
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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.
First time joining Lisa and Danny at the AHA Heart Walk
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Misc. other photos from the week—organ and piano
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Happiness is family sharing a dozen different flavors of ice cream
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Biltmore mansion banquet hall
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Good night, Florida
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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.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Good morning from New Smyrna Beach
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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.
This is the Strolling Piano I mentioned yesterday with a photo of the guy I found using the disguised remote controller
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Receiving our instructions and introductions for the day in "The Best Friend Room" at The Mills Hotel
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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.
Danny and Meg ready to ride Dollywood's Wild Eagle coaster
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Family dinner with bonus of my parents and brother
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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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Nifty projection mapping demo seen at InfoComm 2015
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Tim Cook, Senior Vice President of Florida Hospital Apopka
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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.
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
Live animal exhibit.
Candlelight Processional group photo upon arrival at the rehearsal area
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Lori and Meg in the Candlelight Processional performance
Photo by Jeff Krause.
The "official" photograph
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Who Built the Sugar Mill?
The rubble in the next two photos is the sugar train, which was used to boil cane juice to produce sugar. Enslaved Africans constructed the bottom 5-6 rows of bricks in the 1850s. The ruins in the following two photos is all that remains of their work here when the area was Spring Garden Plantation from the early 1800s until the Civil War. Slave labor also constructed the original sugar mill building in the 1830s (rebuilt around 1900), as well as docks and storage buildings.
The top section of bricks was added in the 1870s. In 2011, park staff performed stabilization work, adding missing bricks and mortaring the joints to preserve this important part of the park's history.
You might think the packets in this themed container are mustard, but you’d be wrong #Hellmans #Mayo #Mayonnaise #fail
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Good night, Florida
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Impressive thunderhead building over Orlando
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Z88.3 radio has a splendid beginner geocache perfect for introducing someone new to the game—the cache code to search is GC7TGTE
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St. Philip's Church
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Good morning, Florida (iPhone 7 HDR photo—absolutely no adjustments or filters)
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A little sightseeing after the show, trying out iPhone 11 Pro night mode in the Germany pavilion
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Lunch with the family
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I wonder what my car is counting down to
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Good morning, Florida
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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.
"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 pastry kitchen
The chef used this kitchen to make elaborate desserts, protected from the heat of the other two kitchens.
Tiffani Casey, soloist for Florida Hospital Voices of Legacy, performing "Together"
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Proud of this girl—second chair flute at Volusia All-County Music Festival
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Sunset from the Orlando Eye
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Good night, Mickey Mouse
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Biltmore mansion gun room
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Celebrating 10 years
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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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.
Vacation officially begins now!
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Good night, Florida 1of3
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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!)
Good morning from New Smyrna Beach, day 3
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Charleston architecture
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Ark Encounter official photo stop—evening lit-up version
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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The ambiance inside the Old Spanish Sugar Mill restaurant
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Views of Biltmore Gardens
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Pre-fireworks sunset—good night and happy Independence Day, Florida
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With my brother, I'm guessing driving somewhere in the Appalachians
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The kids—sillier
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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.
Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
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Peeking at another performance of Candlelight Processional, this time with Lisa Ling as the narrator
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Good morning from New Smyrna Beach, final day
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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.
Greek salad—who knew eating healthy could taste so good
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Marvelous rainbow last night
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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.
Good morning, Florida
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Good night, Florida
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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.
My view of the eclipse: probably could’ve done better if not for the lack of motivation—it’s COLD outside!
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You know you're a Florida native when a sight like this doesn't freak you out
(to the tune of Home on the Range)
Liv-ing near the space coast
Where the rockets and the missiles blast away,
And often is heard
a "Go for Launch" word,
And the skies smell of rocket fuel all day
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.
HAIL!
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It may have looked like smoke from a catastrophic fire, but it really was just clouds
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It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas…at my church
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Entrance to Biltmore Winery
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The moon was super-moony tonight!
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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.
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.
Lori's selfie shots weren't turning out—night mode to the rescue!
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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.
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 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.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Smyrna sky 360
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LOTS of awesome BOGOs at Publix right now—love it!
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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!"
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Biltmore mansion official photo stop—garden version
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Here comes the sun, doo doo doo doo…
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Checking out the UK pavilion
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If I fits, I sits
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GCTV production
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Ark Encounter
Food supplies.
Day 5
7 days, 7 photos in black and white of your everyday life. No explanation. No people.
I was challenged by no one and I won't be challenging anyone. I just wanted to do this.
Meg gets her sugar fix
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Biltmore mansion gymnasium
Rowing machine, parallel bars, Indian clubs, medicine balls, and needle bath shower massages.
Such a fun day with my sweetie
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Xander's vacation
First stop, Pet Paradise Resort where Xander spent the week while we traveled.
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.
Found this relic of technology last weekend—a 3G iPod that sadly will not power up, even with a charge cable attached
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Headed back down
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Calling grandma
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Ark Encounter
Twelve Stones Monument.
The "cake" was a creatively decorated cardboard stand for holding cupcakes
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Good morning from New Smyrna Beach, day 4
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(Pre)Rehearsal dinner at FlameStone for my brother’s wedding on Sunday
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My home from age 2 through adulthood, and my dad's old Chevelle
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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There comes a point when quantity completely obliterates quality
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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.
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.
Neighborhood stepping up tonight from all directions
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Centennial banners greeted incoming visitors
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The beach is devouring Mason
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Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.
Biltmore mansion dressing room
Plenty of space for changing into bathing costumes, adjacent to the indoor pool.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Current status
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Good morning Mr. Hawk
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Ark Encounter
Live animal exhibit.
Sunset from the Orlando Eye
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Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
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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.
Fast group photo of Florida Hospital Church choir prior to Candlelight Processional rehearsal
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Time to line up
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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.
Dollywood's Harvey Water Clock
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Good morning, Florida (iPhone 7 HDR photo—absolutely no adjustments or filters)
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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 Adri’s 14th birthday during a walk around Lake Baldwin
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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.
Mac Mini Unboxing
Apple understands product packaging better than *any* other business. Fight me.
Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
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I'm a material witness to this "materiel" typo (seen on an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation)
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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.
’Tis the season for the army of backwards apostrophes
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Yummy Blaze Pizza—and I appreciate they did not make the "everyday" mistake :-)
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Ironwork by renowned blacksmith Philip Simmons
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Parent orientation for our new high school freshman—wait, what? We have a freshman‽
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Shelf cloud
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More night mode experimentation—Mexico pavilion
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Me with my brother and two cousins
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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.
First time geocaching for my nephews
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Lots of activities—including balloon artists
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Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
Meg and Adri really got into the craft.
Always a treat to come here
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Ark Encounter
Creation vs. evolution.
Misc. other photos from the week—amateur radio tower
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Ellen White *was* ordained!
Quote from the White Estate web site:
"From 1871 until her death in 1915, Ellen White was issued ministerial credentials. From 1871 to 1887 she was credentialed by the Michigan Conference, and from 1884 until her death, she was credentialed as a General Conference Minister. On one of the credentials (1885), the word "ordained" is struck through. (In the 1888 Yearbook she was also listed among the California Ministers.) Throughout the years, her name was listed along with ordained ministers rather than licentiates, although her biographical information sheet and the testimony of her family indicates that she did not receive ordination at the hands of church officials."
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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Meeting Terry Benedict
Enjoyed a fabulous workshop day with special guest Terry Benedict, producer of Hacksaw Ridge and producer/director of The Conscientious Objector.
Time to line up
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I know you guys think this is funny—looking like a turban—but would you please let me have the rest of the blanket?
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Sweet 16 (photo by Lori)
Well, her birthday was actually last week, but a number of different celebrations at a number of different venues were planned.
Enjoyed assisting a family photo shoot today with this beautiful 1949 Cadillac convertible as a prop
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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.
50,000 miles in just two years and 19 days—whew!
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Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.
Can we talk for just a second about how ecstatic I am for this Christmas gift?
My former vacuum cleaner was 20+ years old!
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.
Good night, Florida
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Nearing the top
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Ark Encounter
Shem and Ar'yel.
When I leave Epcot at night, I pretty much always capture some variant of this photo
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Ark Encounter
Kitchen.
Charleston Harbor where slave ships landed
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Greetings from church retreat at Camp Kulaqua
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Looks like my home has a guardian—guess it’s a good thing I don’t really tune in the satellite channels all that much any more
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Happy Thanksgiving morning
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Introduction to basketweaving by Henrietta Snype
Threading the sweetgrass weave one loop at a time.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Salted caramel pretzel—YUM
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Fire!
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Good morning from New Smyrna Beach, day 2
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Bulk paper cutter hilarity
Sometimes, my job amuses me.
Our Tuesday afternoon tour of downtown Charleston began with a meetup at The Mills House hotel
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Nissan advertises the 2017 Versa with highway fuel economy of 39 MPG—real life never reaches perfect testing conditions, but this is quite impressive
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Biltmore mansion smoking room
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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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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Spaghetti Warehouse in historic Ybor City district
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Spaghetti Warehouse in historic Ybor City district
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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.
Local public elementary school teachers did a drive-by parade through neighboring communities for their students staying at home
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Ark Encounter
Deck floor plans.
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.
Kids after dinner
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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.
Scenes from the exhibit hall
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Preparing to board
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Sunset from the Orlando Eye
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Rainbow Row
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Biltmore mansion entrance hall
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"Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates…"
During our return home on Monday, we made a pit stop in Savannah, GA, where the welcome center had a few exhibits including this representation of the famous Forrest Gump bus stop scene.
Ark Encounter
Panorama shot showing the opening between all decks—level 3.
