Statue of Liberty National Monument...

The Fourth of July - click

...New York Harbor, a gift from France,
you should visit, if you get the chance,
a symbol created just for us stands on an island in the bay,
visitors welcome, tours are there, you can see it, even today*.

Emma Lazarus wrote the poem, on the base for all to see,
"give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free",
to see it you board a boat in New York, that's the trick,
then you must have hope, not to be sea sick.

*April 8, 2010-A budget was passed and monuments and parks remain open.  I didn't know if it would or wouldn't when I picked this as today's topic.

Interesting facts-click to enlarge

A full view

As seen from the air - click

Springfield Armory National Historic Site...

The Original

...Massachusetts, the site in Springfield was selected...
..by George Washington, after he was elected...
...to be dedicated to make this a site number one...
...used and continued to put the US in the manufacture of gun(s).

It started in 1777, and was closed in 1968,
a "glorious" past would be put behind us, as fate.
It started with muskets, and ended with the M14,
with 1903 a prime year, and the M1 in between.


Civil War rifles



The M1 Garrand, 4.5 million made
I carried one everywhere in Navy boot camp-1958

A look at the grounds

Today

I.ll be back tomorrow, I think.

Sitka National Historical Park....

Totemic object collection

...Alaska, the very first Historic Park, it dates to 1890,

it marks the end of the last war (1802)  between natives and Europeans;
on the site of the last Tlingit (ting-get) people and Russian explorers,
now used to display and store totems from all peoples.

Tlingit, Aleut and Haida all used totem to record...
..history of their people, carved in spruce.
Some poles are now reproduction of some of the very old..
..totem in the collection, come see, come out of the cold.



Tlingit ceremonial dress and dance



The Park shoreline

Part of the City of Sitka





















Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area....



Waiting for cool water



A Waterloo Boy tractor at the Grout Museum - click

 ...Iowa, a area of farming and agribusiness for us all to see,
lots of towns and places out here for us to be;
I've centered on the "Silos" it had to be the plan,
I've been hooked on farming, since I was a "little man".

Farms of all descriptions, are out here in this land,
feeding millions of people, I might have some in my hand,
this is Northeastern Iowa, corn, hogs and dairy all to be seen,
but there are only four photos, because of me, I'm mean.

A rural sunset

Marshalltown, Iowa





Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 2....

"Somewhere over the rainbow..." -click

...California.  Another day in this park, we need to see it all,
join in a short walk (uphill) with me, and we'll have a ball;
see these trees up close and personal, well through photos then,
and in the end, you will see, it's worth doing yet again.

Sometimes it's hard to imagine the glory that we see,
who would have thought I'd say such stuff - it's only a tree;
but trees are nature at it's best magnificent and tall,
add some rocks and water, then you'll have it all.

magnificent and tall - click

the walk uphill, on the rocks, lots of steps - click

more rocks and trees, rugged - click