Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Trains and Elvis

Friday we joined back up with the WINs on the Lewis and Clark circuit in Omaha, Nebraska. The group has grown to about 50 people, and we pretty much took over the Glenn Cunningham City Park campground.


It's a beautiful campground beside a lake, although we've had a lot of rain recently and the lake has risen. I wouldn't want to try to plug into this electrical outlet!


We meet everyday at 5:00 to discuss what we're doing next. And each day Carolyn gives us a quiz on Lewis and Clark.


Everytime I go through Omaha, my father asks me if I went to see the trains. So I finally did! These 2 giant locomotives, one steam and one diesel, sit atop a bluff overlooking the Missouri River.


Built in November, 1944, the "Big Boy" is the most powerful, heaviest, and longest steam locomotive ever built. Twenty-five of them were made.


Locomotive 6900 was the first "Centennial" locomotive produced in 1969 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the transcontinental railroad. They are the world's largest single-unit diesel locomotive.


On Sunday, we went down to the Riverfront to the "Taste of Omaha."



The best thing was that Elvis was here!



He even handed out scarves and kisses. I'll bet she's going to sell this on Ebay!

This is a beautiful song - to hear the original Elvis version, click here.


Walking home I was drawn to this building. It was the perfect subject to try out my new toy. I broke down and bought Topaz Adjust, the image manipulation software.


Here's the "after." The software is not stand-alone, it's a plug-in to other photo programs. Not wanting to buy Photoshop, I was pleased to find out that it works with my old Microsoft Digital Image program. Yippee!

10 comments:

  1. WOW!! Your new photo doodad sure brought out the details in your picture.

    Looks like you all are having fun!!

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  2. Good job....The Topaz results are great with the before and after. The use is also noted with Locomotive 6900. Looking forward to more in the future.

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  3. Good to know that Elvis is alive and well in Omaha. That program is pretty neat - I'll have to try it.

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  4. I'm glad to see you visited the trains! I remember seeing the 6900 come thru town on a cross-country tour. It was one of the goosebump occasions.

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  5. WOW that Topaz is a great tool, your photos are always great now they will be even Greater!!
    I love the nostalgia of trains,,,everytime I hear the whistle of the train that runs near here in the distance it brings my wanderlust up..like I should run out and hitch a ride..lol
    Dont you love Elvis?--he just keeps on getting younger each time I see him!!

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  6. I, too, love the new photo app. Your photos are always a delight!

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  7. I loved the pics of the trains, and how wonderful to see Elvis lol

    I hope before I pass on that I can do some RV traveling like that, it looks like so much fun.

    Thanks for sharing, hope you are having a happy week.

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  8. You are quite the technical geek! :c) It is amazing how you made that picture look better. What will you come up with next? lol

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  9. Pretty good Elvis! I love your pictures and was very impressed with your new Topaz software. Thanks for sharing your secret -- I would have just thought you were a fantastic photographer (which you are).

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  10. The new toy make the picture much clearer.

    The Big Boy I had the chance to see the one from Oklahoma, it passed me when I was traveling from El Reno, To Chicacha. That sucker is one big Locomotive.
    Thanks the pictures are great as always.
    Dan (BubbaDan)

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