Baby Harry

I try to keep the blog about interesting subjects that provide photographic opportunities. The blog is not intended to be a personal journal but more of a platform to share my work. Today's blog may cross over into personal but it's a story I'd like to share.

Please welcome Harry to our world! Harry is my second grand child, also second grand son. After having 2 boys of my own, I guess it's a somewhat familiar feeling that I now have 2 grandsons. With a third grandson due in September, I feel the Costenoble boys have been destined to carry on the name, but maybe one day a little girl. Perhaps next time!

For me, it's just special to see your son holding his baby boy!

Thanks for viewing the blog and have a great week!

John

Web: www.noblecoastphotography.com

Phone: 704 905 9403

Email: noblecoastphotography@gmail.com

Craggy Dome

Living in North Carolina has a natural advantage that I truly enjoy.  Being close to the Atlantic Ocean you can enjoy the beauty and pleasures of the North and South Carolina coast with it's sandy beaches. However if a mountain hike is something that you enjoy, you can easily travel along the Blue Ridge Parkway and virtually find a new place to explore any day you visit. North Carolina makes it easy to find nature's beauty.


Craggy Dome located at mile post 364 on the Blue Ridge Parkway has over a 6100 foot elevation and is home to unique vegetation and breathtaking views of the nearby rugged "Great Craggies" mountains. Standing on the bald Craggy Dome, and surrounded by short mountain shrubbery I was treated to a bright blue Carolina sky reflected on the mountains and into the valleys. Another beautiful Blue Ridge vista to treasure!

Thank you for viewing the blog and have a great week!

John

Web: www.noblecoastphotography.com

Phone: 704 905 9403

Email: noblecoastphotography@gmail.com

Cameo Appearance

The first documented cameo carving dates back to 350 BC.  Early cameos were worn by royalty in Greece and Italy and usually carved from a variety of gem stones. Eventually the cameo became a popular jewelry piece within the Roman Empire. With that, the cameo craftsman started to carve  cameos from glass and less precious hard stones. It was in the 15th and 16th centuries that shells started to be used to create jewelry cameo carvings. Large conch shells were imported from all over the world to become Italian fine art jewelry. In the mid 1800's Queen Victoria of England forever popularized the cameo as it became her favorite jewelry.

Even today cameos are a popular jewelry piece found in many personal collections. In Italy, you can still find artists carving shells into beautiful cameos. The modern Italian cameo artist uses the same assortment of small hand chisels and files that have been used for centuries to create their jewelry from the hard sea shells.

 During a visit to Pompeii, Italy I had the pleasure to meet and watch 70 year old Saverio work his artistry on some shells. In his broken English, Saverio told me he has been a cameo artist since his teen age years and some of his tools are older than he is. While one of Saverio's heavily calloused hands held the shell, his other hand chiseled the relief image to produce a beautifully detailed work of art. 

Thank you for viewing the blog and have a great week!

John

Web: www.noblecoastphotography.com

Phone: 704 905 9403

Email: noblecoastphotography@gmail.com

Home Grown

 During the first half of the 20th century communities in the United States established "Victory Gardens" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_garden. The Victory Garden was a private or community vegetable garden planted and harvested to reduce demands on the country's resources during the war years. In 1943 Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt planted a Victory Garden on the White House grounds. The Victory Garden movement proved successful as more than 20 million home gardens supplied 40% of the produce consumed in the United States. Many things changed after the end of World War II and the White House Victory Garden was replaced with green lawn. The Clintons brought back the idea of a White House vegetable garden. This effort was mainly resigned to potted plants on the roof of the White House because the White house grounds were deemed too formal for a full vegetable garden. Since then, with the many benefits of a home vegetable garden now rejuvenated in public opinion, the Obamas have planted the largest White House vegetable garden on the south lawn.

As vegetable gardens have made a comeback at the White House, so have they in many private homes all over the United States. It has been reported that the demand for vegetable seeds is up 22% since 2008. Because of economic and environmental reasons, the number of homes planting a vegetable, fruit and or a herb garden is growing at an approximate 10% rate per year! For the people who don't have room in their backyard or don't have a backyard, a community garden is often the answer. Today's community gardens are usually managed by a professional staff and sometimes require a membership fee to join. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/victorygarden/

The number of families planting a summer vegetable garden continues to grow every year. And why not? People are looking for healthy organic alternatives to what they find at the local supermarket. Whatever the reason, the increasingly popular home vegetable garden can provide families with local grown fresh vegetables and a healthy safe source of food. Anyone want any tomatoes?

Thank you for viewing the blog and have a great week!

John

Web: www.noblecoastphotgraphy.com

Phone: 704 905 9403

Email: noblecoastphotography@gmail.com

  

An Evening with the North Mississipi Allstars

The Neighborhood Theatre http://www.neighborhoodtheatre.com/ located in the funky arts district of NODA http://www.noda.org/ of Charlotte, NC http://charmeck.org/Pages/default.aspx continues to impress with great music acts at some of the most reasonable ticket prices around. I went to see the North Mississipi Allstars http://www.nmallstars.com/  put on one of their fun jamming shows and they proceeded to blow away the audience.

The band is composed of brothers Luther Dickson on guitar, Cody Dickson playing drums and bassist Chris Chew. The trio have been playing their rootsey blues themed music together since 1996. All three of the musicians have had side projects since forming the North Mississipi Allstars. Most notably, Luther has been playing lead guitar for the Black Crowes while Cody and Chris are part of the Hill Country Revue. Luther and Cody are sons of the late legendary Memphis music producer Jim Dickinson. Jim Dickson introduced his sons to the sounds of country blues at a young age and the Memphis blues influence is present in many of their songs. The band's most recent album, Keys to the Kingdom http://www.amazon.com/Keys-Kingdom-North-Mississippi-Allstars/dp/B004GX18OO is a tribute to Jim Dickson.

Thanks for viewing the blog and have great week!

John

Web: www.noblecoastphotography.com

Phone: 704 905 9403

Email: noblecoastphotgraphy@gmail.com

   

The Smallest "Boys of Summer"

Although the first organized baseball game was played in 1846, it wasn't until 1938 that Carl Stotz created a baseball league for children. Today, Little League Baseball http://www.littleleague.org/Little_League_Online.htm is the world's largest organized youth sports program. Not only is Little League Baseball being played in all 50 states, kids in more than 80 countries are playing Little League Baseball. The basic goal of Little League Baseball remains as Carl Stotz intended; give children a game that provides the fundamental principles of sportsmanship, fair play and teamwork.

At a T Ball Little League game you will get a chance to see the youngest baseball players learn all about "America's Pastime". As Dads coach and pitch to the players, you will hear Moms and siblings cheer on the future major league stars! The Little League organization in Cornelius, NC   http://www.cornelius.org/ has some great coaches and along with the beautifully manicured baseball fields, these little guys get to feel like Derek Jeter for a day!

Thanks for viewing the blog and have a great week!

John

Web: www.noblecoastphotography.com

Phone: 704 905 9403

Email: noblecoastphotography@gmail.com

Tuscan Beauty

Traveling through the country sides of Italy you get to see many small towns that offer unique charms. San Gimignano is located 35 miles south of Florence in the beautiful Tuscany region of Italy. The town is enclosed within the many towers and walls that were built up during a time of good fortune, 1100 - 1300 ad. The cultivation of saffron contributed to much of the early prosperity in San Gimignano. Still today, the naturally produced saffron from San Gimignano is considered the best in the world. Vernaccia wine is another local specialty being produced at the vineyards from this area. The dry white Vernaccia wine is recognized as one of Italy's highest quality white wines.

The old towers and walls of San Gimignano provide a unique skyline for visitors and it's 7,100 residents. Quiet narrow cobble stone streets bring you to views of  beautiful country side vineyards and homes with laundry hanging from their open windows. The variety of country side vistas along with the 12th century architecture create extraordinary beauty.

Thanks for viewing the blog and have great week!

John

Web: www.noblecoastphotography.com

Phone: 704 905 9403

Email: noblecoastphotography@gmail.com