Palm Tree

I always love palm trees as I've never lived anywhere warm enough for them to grow. For Skywatch Friday, here's one from the Charleston area.

Cripple Creek Views

I've been showing some photos of the area's mining history. Here are views around the town of Cripple Creek, one of the main gold-mining towns. These days it survives mainly on legalized gambling - here's a view of the town itself.

It's situated in a very pretty, hilly area on the Western side of Pikes Peak.

There are only a couple of roads into town, but it's only a little over an hour from Colorado Springs.

Our World Tuesday

Grey Golden Gate Bridge (1998)

Scenic Weekends

The Weekend in Black and White

Vintage Weekly

Misty Swamp

Skywatch Friday

Theresa Mine

I don't have a lot of information about this mine, the Theresa Mine, in the Victor/Cripple Creek area.

It operated from 1895 to 1961.

The buildings are still standing but decaying. This is the change house.

At one time it would have been a hive of activity. Can you imagine getting in that cage suspended by one cable to go hundreds of feet underground?

Here is the hoist mechanism, still intact but I'd guess not functional.

I'll continue my series on local mining next week.

Our World Tuesday

Denver Fish (2)

Camera Critters

Saturday's Critters

Yet Another Summer Sky

Today's high temperature: 67 °F (19.4 °C). Tomorrow night's expected low: 9 °F (-12.8 °C) That's quite a difference! For Skywatch Friday, let's look back to summer before it takes a break (it will be warm again by Sunday).

Independence Mill Ruins

Continuing with my series on mining, you may wonder what happens to all the ore that comes out of the mine. In the case of a large mine like the Independence, it's milled and the gold is extracted on-site. All that's left of the milling operation is ruins.

You can go inside the old buildings but in most cases there's not much left.

I still think it makes for some pretty photos.

Of course there are mountainous backdrops wherever you look.

That's all from this mine, but I've got lots more to come from this exploration of the area's mining history. Visit Our World Tuesday to see photos from many other parts of the world.

Alcatraz 1998

From a 1998 trip to San Francisco, here's a shot of Alcatraz. I bet you could get the same photo in 2016.

Scenic Weekends

Vintage Weekly

Nashville Skyline (1)

Skywatch Friday

Independence Mine Area

Surrounding the actual Independence Mine near Victor, Colorado are various structures in poor condition - this probably funneled water.

Here's another nearby mine, I don't remember which one.

And of course there are huge piles of tailings everywhere, frequently polluted with heavy metals.

Our World Tuesday

Denver Fish (1)

I have no idea what it is, but it's from the Denver Aquarium.

Camera Critters

Saturday's Critters

Foggy Swamp

I recently spent a week vacationing in the southeast United States, and here's a Skywatch Friday photo from Charleston on a foggy morning taken near our hotel. There are lots more photos to come from this trip!