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Post by bjd on Sept 22, 2013 17:04:53 GMT
Compared to the way your family dressed on their outing in 1962, tourists are certainly slobs now -- a lot fatter too.
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Post by htmb on Sept 22, 2013 17:58:05 GMT
I have been intrigued by this fort ever since my first visit as a child, mainly because it's made of blocks of coquina stone. Coquina rock is the product of sedimentary formations that underlie much of Florida's Atlantic shore. Coquina is a mixture of shell fragments and quartz grains held together by calcium carbonate that formed when higher sea levels covered our present coast. Coquina means "tiny shell" in Spanish. The name also was given to the small clam, Donaxvariabilis, whose shells provided the natural aggregate for Coquina rock. Anastasia Island was called "Cantera" - Spanish for quarry - in St. Augustine, because it was a rich source of superior Coquina rock. Large-scale quarrying began under Spanish rule in 1671 for the construction of the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine.SourceThe thickness of the outer walls of the castle vary from 14 to 19 feet at the base, and tapers to 9 feet at the top. There are reported to be over 400,000 blocks of stone in the building. Each one was cut and set by hand.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2013 18:02:18 GMT
That's because they didn't have video games back then.
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Post by htmb on Sept 22, 2013 18:22:28 GMT
The pock marks in the outer wall of the fort presumably came from various attacks. The main reason I has gone to the fort soon after arriving in St. Augustine was because I wanted to photograph the cannon firing ceremony held five times a day. The "Spanish soldier" in the photograph is actually the park ranger who sold me my day pass to the fort. A very personable fellow.
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Post by htmb on Sept 22, 2013 21:52:29 GMT
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Post by htmb on Sept 22, 2013 22:12:52 GMT
After the ranger completed his comments to the assembled group of onlookers he began speaking in Spanish and giving very precise orders to the troops. Notice the hands placed over the ears. The cannon balls were about the size of baseballs, and one of my goals was to photograph one as it was shot out of a cannon. The noise was deafening and the crowd members had been warned to cover their ears. However, only my left ear was plugged up since my right hand was holding the camera. Deafening sound for sure! It actually hurt a bit. A good set of ear plugs would have come in handy.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2013 23:49:56 GMT
Interesting thread, htmb. It must have been so hot under those uniforms for them back in the old days.
I see soldiers still dress up here as well, in Fredericton by the Army barracks. It's always fun to watch the ceremonial maneuvers they do.
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Post by questa on Sept 23, 2013 4:28:09 GMT
htmb...What a terrific set of pics, jumping from ancient to mid 20th Century to 21st Century. The place looks so interesting and romantic that I may have found a reason to visit US after all.
and to catch the cannon's blast...excellent. How are your ears now?
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Post by htmb on Sept 23, 2013 19:36:26 GMT
Good point, Deyana. It was 90F/32C when I was at the fort and there was absolutely no shade on the top. Fortunately, the ceremony puts the "soldiers" outside for less than 20 minutes, but even in my pinafore and Maryjanes I found it very hot and was happy there was a bit of a breeze. Thanks, Questa. I'm glad you are enjoying my report. I thought my ears were fine, but my boss came into my office this morning and I have no idea how long he'd been standing there before I noticed. I'd have to guess the hearing in my right ear, which is closest to the door, is a bit dimmed. Maybe that's a good thing.
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Post by htmb on Sept 23, 2013 21:47:44 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2013 21:53:40 GMT
I hope the soldiers found a little coolness in their stone chambers.
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Post by htmb on Sept 23, 2013 22:01:14 GMT
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Post by htmb on Sept 24, 2013 1:34:30 GMT
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Post by mich64 on Sept 24, 2013 2:00:07 GMT
what a beautiful thread! and I would have stepped into that shop in your last photo, my favorite kind of shop.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2013 20:16:06 GMT
Where oh where are my photos of Saint Augustine?
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Post by htmb on Sept 24, 2013 20:21:05 GMT
Well, now you have to find them for sure.
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Post by htmb on Sept 24, 2013 22:29:01 GMT
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Post by htmb on Sept 26, 2013 19:55:20 GMT
Once I got to the the center of the old section the crowds picked up again. Just near the Columbia Restaurant is where I usually run into an assortment of protestors and street people, and this visit was no exception. The seemingly hate-filled god people were there to tell me I was going to hell if I didn't repent. They were actually a bit scary and I did not linger to take photographs, especially since the crowds were so tightly packed in that area. There was just nowhere to stop and get a good photograph unless I was right in their faces.
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Post by htmb on Sept 26, 2013 20:19:22 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 27, 2013 3:30:55 GMT
It's been so many years since I was in St. Augustine, I'd forgotten how very beautiful it is. Lovely report on a fascinating place, Htmb, plus you captured gorgeous clouds. I couldn't figure out why the fort seemed so familiar, rather doubting that my memory would have retained that image. Then it hit me -- I'd seen one very similar in the more recent past, in Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche. Those Spaniards & their seaward-facing forts -- they got a good design & stuck with it! www.visitmexico.com/work/models/VisitMexico30/WebPage/Campeche_Ciudad_Patrimonio/photoEscudo_Campeche_Ciudad_Patrimonio_CAM_HEADER.jpgAfter all the beautiful landscaping & extremely interesting architecture, it was most icky to see the smugly ignorant teapartyites, but we gotta have freedom of expression. And yes, that garden is totally charming!
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Post by htmb on Sept 27, 2013 18:57:02 GMT
Oh, those Spaniards. They certainly built the stone forts to last!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2013 3:36:20 GMT
I had missed the last part of this report, and those quieter areas of town look a lot more interesting than the central tourist area.
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Post by htmb on Sept 8, 2016 17:36:21 GMT
With my oldest daughter turning forty this month, my family started working last spring to plan a joint trip to the Atlantic Coast. Since much of the celebration took place near St. Augustine, I have revived this thread, started in 2012, so I could add a few more photos. But, first things first. We had a hurricane to deal with before we could go to the beach. We were quite fortunate, with one daughter flying in from New York City, and my son's family of six traveling from Arizona, they all made it safely into town just hours before Hurricane Hermine. The hurricane/tropical storm slowed down and also aimed more to the north than had been originally predicted, so our area only suffered some high winds and lots of rain. While places alone the west coast of Florida, such as Cedar Key, experienced a lot of storm damage, we were quite lucky. Most of our county lost power over night, but mine was restored before noon on Friday. Our main concern, due to the location of the storm, had been the threat of tornados, but again, we were spared. So, what do you do with six children when there are too many fallen limbs and debris to play outside? You call the bowling alley. Not only did they have power, they were open. On Saturday, after checking to see that roads were clear, I left for the beach with my oldest and youngest grandchildren, followed my my older daughter and her youngest. We would be joined by the rest of the group later that evening after they attended the university's football opener. The clouds were still dark in places and a few straggly bands of Hermine passed us by throughout the day as Hermine made its way up the eastern coast of the US. Looking north... Then south... Big difference!
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Post by htmb on Sept 8, 2016 21:21:44 GMT
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Post by htmb on Sept 9, 2016 0:07:11 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2016 4:13:21 GMT
That's an excellent set of pictures with an unusual palette of colours, particularly the last photo right above. I was surprised how much the grassy dunes look like the coast in far away Massachusetts.
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 9, 2016 4:39:33 GMT
Next best thing to being there! That's a remarkable group of pictures, Htmb, and I greatly appreciate that you made them BIG enough to really capture the expanse of sea, sand, and sky. I love the intimate peeps you got, from the man and his little dog to the bunny rabbit who thought it was undercover. Really lovely and enjoyable -- thank you! Did you get me some datil pepper seeds?
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Post by htmb on Sept 9, 2016 9:53:44 GMT
Thank you. There's lots more. I just need to get wifi so I can upload.
Datil pepper seeds?
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Post by htmb on Sept 10, 2016 1:26:18 GMT
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Post by mossie on Sept 10, 2016 5:33:11 GMT
Your wildlife is wonderful, had meant to congratulate you on the first sandpiper shot.
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