Point Defiance Park

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We took a trip through Tacoma after our visit to the Bonsai Museum to go to Point Defiance Park.  There was plenty to see and do in the park and, while we were there to go for a hike on the trails, we did check out some of the other parts.  Some of these will have posts of their own but to start things off (if you exclude a post that has already come out from the park), here are some shots of the park grounds.  There is a nice visitor center that has the look of a large chalet about it.  There is also a pond area which is home to plenty of ducks and turtles.  There is also a Japanese themed event location that can be hired out and was apparently being used for a wedding while we were there.

The park is also home to a zoo.  We are known to visit zoos to see what they have on offer, but this trip was not about that.  We may well head back some time to see the animals but that will have to wait for now.  Before we started exploring, we had brought some lunch with us and we were able to enjoy one of the many picnic benches.  The one we chose was very close to a statue commemorating one of the founders of the park.  I can’t recall his name, but I think I am safe in saying it wasn’t Point Defiance (unless his parents really didn’t like him!).

I’ll Make the Lunchtime Effort for an Avanti

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Paine Field is about fifteen minutes from the office.  I wouldn’t normally nip out at lunchtime to photograph something but, when I saw that an Avanti was coming in, I figured that was worth my time.  They are not too common around here so grabbing my lunch and heading up was worth it.  At least I knew exactly how far out it was and when it was due so I could be there just in time and get the shots before heading back to the office.  It beats eating your lunch at the desk!

City Center Fishing Pond

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Looking out of the window of my hotel in Minato, there was a pond behind the building.  It took a while to work out what it was but, on the weekend, it was easier to see.  This is a fishing pond.  It is in between all of the hotels and, even on a hot and steamy day, there were plenty of people fishing.  I don’t know what the pond was stocked with and what the rules are once you catch something but I was more taken that this existed at all.

Kodiak Tiger With Floats

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While waiting for a few vintage types to arrive at Paine Field for Skyfair the following day we got an interesting bonus.  A Kodiak showed up on approach.  Not only was it equipped with floats but it was also painted in a tiger stripe livery that was pretty striking.  Not a type that might normally get too much attention but, fitted out like this, it certainly did.

Tranquil Park Space in a Busy City

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Cities are bustling places but old cities tend to have an advantage over newer ones and that is decent park spaces.  When modern cities develop, all the land is valuable and there is a problem with preserving space.  Older cities dealt with the preservation of space a long time ago and Tokyo is no exception.  I got off the train at Shibuya and was walking up to Shinjuku.  I went past some of the buildings from the ’64 Olympics and in to Yoyogi Park.  On a Sunday morning, it was a really pleasant place to be.

In common with most of my trip, even first thing in the morning it was very hot and humid.  Being close to the ponds and fountains provided a bit of relief although only a bit.  Walking through the trees at least kept me out of the sun and that was a welcome break from the warmth.  There were trails around the park that were getting plenty of use, some of the open spaces were being used for exercises by groups and individuals and some people were just sleeping.

I had hoped to walk all the way through the park up to Shinjuku but the area where the National Olympic Youth Center and the Meiji Jingu Shrine were meant the top area was blocked off the way I went so I had to divert out on to the street to continue my trek.

Completing the ANA Star Wars Set

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ANA painted three jets in special schemes in association with Star Wars.  They have an R2-D2 scheme on a 787-9 and a BB-8 scheme on a 777-300ER and I have shot both of them in the US.  They have appeared on the blog here and here.  The third jet was a C-3PO scheme that was on a jet that was used in the Asia regional flights so I did not anticipate seeing it.  However, it showed up at Haneda while I was there.  Consequently, I got to shoot it at last.  Sadly, it departed off the other runway so I only got a distant backlit shot.

There was another 767 that also showed up with some Star Wars markings on it.  It wasn’t a complex scheme like the first three but it was a Star Wars scheme.  I guess I must have got all of them by now unless anyone knows of another one that is out there?

A Cool Tree

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On my route to work each day, I pass by a great looking tree.  I first saw it in the spring when there was blossom to make it look even better.  In fact, what I thought was one tree is actually two.  There is a smaller tree in front of the trunk that makes it look like a very thick trunk whereas it is really a normal size.  However, from the right angle and early in the morning when the sun is on it, the thing looks beautiful.  Sadly, the fire hydrant spoils things a touch!

Phantastic Phun

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I was able to have a day out while in Japan after the work was done and the meetings were complete.  I have seen plenty of pictures from Hyakuri and I was keen to get there.  Mark had kindly brought me up to date with the latest arrangements for visiting, a rental car was booked and I was all set.  Starting out from the center of Tokyo on a Monday morning was surprisingly straightforward and I was soon cruising through the countryside heading to Ibaraki Prefecture.

The weather was a bit overcast.  After days of heat and sun, this was a bit of a surprise but it actually worked a bit in my favor.  I didn’t have a ladder so switching sides in the afternoon was not going to be too simple.  With the clouds, there was far less need to move.  However, that was an issue for later.  I drove up and, as I got close, I had a Phantom pass over me as it was on final approach.  A promising sign.

I got to the towers and got myself settled in.  There was plenty of action on the ramp of the recce unit.  Soon a couple of jets spooled up and taxied.  The came right by me.  I was shooting away but there seemed to be a bit of a focus issue.  Repressing the AF button brought things back into focus so I kept shooting.  Only after they took off did I realize that I had somehow switched to One Shot focus mode.  Crap.  No doubt most of the take off shots would be out of focus – they were.  However, problem fixed and then things were performing as intended.

What followed was a day of Phantom fun.  Recce and fighter jets went up in regular waves.  They taxied right by and then took off in front of us.  What a great way to spend a day.  The recce jets would do a straight in approach and landing.  Some of the fighter guys were more happy to bash the pattern for a while when returning which added to the fun.

As the afternoon wore on, there was a hint of sun showing through the clouds.  Backlight was becoming a bit of an issue but at this point I was staying put until I called it a day.  I had the drive back to the city to deal with, rush hour was beckoning and I needed to get the rental car back.  I made the most of what was on offer before packing up for the day.  The whole trip was so worthwhile.  Plenty have been so it was nothing original but it was pure fun.  There were also other types flying and they will get their own posts.

Command Module

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A day for compiling things from different locations.  The Apollo command modules in this post are a combination of shots from museums across the country.  Since the command module was the only part that made it back from the Apollo missions, it was the part that made it to display.  Even so, there are not too many Apollo missions so not too many command modules.  They do get supplemented though.  There were ground test articles and mockups that were used during the program and have also been preserved.

The thing that is most striking about the early NASA spaceships is the size.  (The current Russian Soyuz capsule is still pretty compact but you aren’t aiming to be in it for too long.) The Mercury capsule was tiny.  Gemini was so-called up but had two people so was still pretty bloody tight.  Apollo was home for three crew for a number of days so had to have a bit more room to play with.  The seating area was not big but there was space behind there to get to and moving around once weightless was a bit easier.

Even so, they are really tiny things in which to spend a lot of time with two other guys.  You were also in space so this little thing was the only hope you had of getting back alive.  You also had to deal with your fellow astronauts, some of whom got a bit ill on journeys.  Read the book on the Apollo 8 mission to learn the unpleasant details.  Those guys were really ready to take on the challenge head on.

Seals Just Hanging Out

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Seeing aquatic creatures when you are at sea level can be tricky.  If they pop out of the surface, you might spot them if you are paying attention.  Get a bit of elevation and things are suddenly a lot easier to spot.  We reached Point Defiance at the turning point of our hike and stopped to look out across the water.  Straight down below us was a group of seals.  Looking down they were immediately obvious.  They would dive down every once in a while but, given how many of them there were, there were always a few on the surface.  They seemed to be just hanging out near the beach on a sunny day.