Creek Street

 The famous Creek Street in Kechikan Alaska, funky and fun. This place is loaded with history and fun facts, way too much to do one single post. Creek Street is a boardwalk that tourist keep flocking to, mostly for photos and to purchase interesting gifts. Cruise boat's can drop off up to 10,000 to 12,000 visitors per day, not bad for a town with an estimated population of 12,000 people. Welcome to Alaska's First City and they proudly remind you they are "The Salmon Capital of the World".

Ketchikan Creek is a active salmon spawning creek and it's a great place to witness them. Creek Street has a very famous saying. It's where more men, than fish, went upstream to spawn!!! We will cover the story behind this saying very soon. We truly enjoyed this little fishing village, very cool.

Duck Xing

Duck Xing, so much in such a small phrase. I didn't grow up loving nature, or animals outside of my pet Lab Astro, my rabbits, and guinea pigs, and of course Shamu. I did love the ocean and baseball, so maybe that makes me a nature lover? Over the years I have found my enjoyment and interest in the colorful world of ducks increasing, that's right ducks! When we moved to Richardson Texas and our new backyard became Cottonwood Park that's when my fascination with ducks started. The first sign of ducks was our duck crossing, which I found funny, but over time it became a funky, quirky and necessary part of our new community. We have a large duck population that rules the neighborhood and they seem to know it. As they cross the streets at will knowing that every car will stop and enjoy watching them cross at their own leisure, Mother duck with babies all in a straight line, matching to the beat of their duck world rhythm. It's a nice break in our otherwise busy lives. Nearly every morning we are home we enjoy a peaceful walk around our lake and creek urban oasis,

Now, as we travel around the world it seems that ducks keep popping up, I can't get away from them, not that I would want to. The ducks and I have an understanding, you don't pop on me and I'll take beautiful or at least the best I can produce, photos of the duck nation. It seems to be working out so far. If you follow me on Twitter@BillHamMedia or Instagram BillHamiltonMedia, you can find my postings of our Duck community. May the ducks be with you!

A Night of Magic

A Night of Magic and incredible end to your mandatory education. Your special night is better referred to as your prom night. What has changed over the years is how the prom has become a bigger deal complete with elaborate themed events, undoubtedly created by the need for party planners to have another season to help fill their calendar. Kinda like, Hallmark invented Valentines Day, Donuts Day, give your Neighbor a card day, etc. Please don't let my cynicism diminish these events or the special place they hold our lives and development of who we are today.

I do enjoy the youthful optimism and excitement in these kids, while I remember my prom night and how I had to leave my then girlfriend at home because I agreed to take the girl from my 8th grade prom and likewise she left her boyfriend at home, why? our prom sold out and I wasn't going to miss my right of passage and either was she. Yes, it was a fun night, but also one of mixed emotions. The prom is still and always will be an important right of passage as we transition from our childhood dreams into our adult reality of life will never be the same again. So, during these season's of change, look back with fondness of your teen years and if you went to your prom how did it turn out? Many times I thought the kids who didn't attend this big night, maybe they were the lucky ones for not going through the anguish of asking your date out leaving your self and self esteem open to the crushing disappointment of being turned down. If they said yes, weeks of stress about what to wear, what flowers to buy, where to have dinner, and if your lucky enough the stress of getting the nerve to swallow your pride and then going in for the dreaded and yet exciting possibility of a successful good night kiss! Young love so full of endless dreams and endless stress. Thank God we survived and can enjoy our golden years wondering what if....

Love is in the air

Love is in the air and that is why we love weddings. If your a romantic and always sees your glass as half full these events are for you. We love the optimism of the great wedding, the coupling of two spirits that now share a common cause, a joint vision of what life could be. Your love knows no boundaries, no limits, and no cynicism. At the moment the preacher says; I now pronounce you man and wife, you future is bright and you can go as far as your eternal love will take you. Then comes the honeymoon, endless nights of unbridled love making, and planing your shared dream of your long happy life together, building your family and fulfilling your destiny together. We wish every young couple entering holy matrimony nothing but  sunny skies and a passion for each other that will never fad through out the years. Our prayers are with you, enjoy the most wonderful ride life has to offer.

They lived happily ever after.

Taipei Story House

The Taipei Story House, formerly known as the Yuanshan Mansion, was built in 1913 and now it's a historic house in the Zhongshan District of Taipei Taiwan. This is the only English style home in Taipei and is now a museum on the grounds of the Taipei Expo Park where the world famous Floral Show is held every year. What really got my attention was of course it's European architecture in a city where the main influence is the Japanese architecture. Japan ruled Taiwan from 1895 to 1945, their influence is seen all throughout the country, not only in the culture but also in culinary offerings. Taiwan is a wonderful country to visit, the people are warm and friendly and the food is excellent! 

Taipei Taiwan Rush Hour 2

Every time I'm in China or Taiwan, I am amazed at all the motorcycles and scooters. Of course you wonder how the heck do they put so many on what is already crowded narrow streets. Then you remember most of the cars are very small too, so it's prolly safer than in the USA with suck larger vehicles your sharing the road with. Traffic congestion isn't caused by people, but the sheer numbers of vehicles at one time at a given point in the road. Dan Rather once said; "Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn't block traffic." But, in Asia traffic is a part of their daily lives. You must be patient and forgiving in order to keep your sanity. If you travel to one of the many beautiful Asian countries, be ready for the equivalent of a human frogger video game. While trying to cross the street, you would be the frog!

Trying to Focus

There are times when I feel like all is right, I'm clicking on all cylinders and I can do no wrong. Other times I feel like I'm a little out of sync or out of focus. This happens in sports all the time. One day your golf game is really pretty good and others you seem to be a little behind, off just a pinch, or completely crappy! We can't always control every little aspect of our life and maybe we weren't meant to micro manage our day down to the last detail? I believe you do need a balance between managing what you can control and learning to handle what you can't control.  In the end a lot has to do with your mind set, and how you decide to approach your day, or your next golf shot. Can you learn and then forget what you did wrong? Can you march forward to your next challenge without self destructing what's in front of you, because you can't let go of your previous mistake? The hardest thing in life isn't life it's self, but being able learn from the past, and then move forward with a better understanding of how to handle the future. One of the toughest things is learning how to forgive yourself or others. Forgiveness is the only way to have true peace in your life. Without peace you can't move forward, so you can achieve the success God has planned for your life. You free your mind, then you will see your future clearly and in complete focus.

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Lakeside in China

While in Shanghai China we discovered these three beautiful cities; Wuxi, Huzhou, and Suzhou. This is important because this enormous 869 sq mile water mass called; Lake Tai, Lake Taihu or Great Lake borders all three cities. It's the third largest freshwater lake in the country. The average depth is only 6'6" and has over 90 islands in this beautiful lake. We actually spent days in these cities before I realized it was the same lake I was taking pictures of. Different perspectives and different cities. That's what really got my attention and now I know that our perspective in our lens is also influenced by our lack of knowledge. I will never look at these images the same. My knowledge has increased, which has now influenced my memory of my experience at this lake.

Pick Your Place

When I decide where to go and relax I have many options; I can go to California and visit the coast, I can go to Austin Texas and enjoy the river, I can stay in Dallas and chill on a lake, or I can find one particular harbour and sit by the dock in the bay and watch time fade away (yes, I just worked in a song titles by Jimmy Buffett and Otis Redding). Truly my choice will always be to find a bay or beach and melt into the surroundings and forget who I am and who I'm supposed to be, if not for months, then days will have to do. Something happens when I'm in and around the ocean. Maybe it's my connection with nature, God, or maybe I'm just a beach junkie? I would hope it would be because of a more spiritual connection, or maybe because I am a water sign "Pisces". Now, if you believe in the zodiac thing, as a Pisces, I am supposed to enjoy; escaping from reality, sleeping, romance, swimming, and spiritual themes. That's all pretty true! I did grow up in San Diego California where the ocean and boats were a major part of my upbringing. So, I say we blame my parents for being fortunate enough to plant us in one of the most beautiful cities in the world as our background for the influential time in our life. Remember, when ever in doubt blame you parents, childhood, siblings, and the bad luck you had from birth. So, I'm gonna "Thank" my parents for this bad luck I had at birth to have a loving family and the awesome Pacific Ocean as my personal playground for the best years a kid could ever ask for.