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Eucharist
Eucharist at Trinity Episcopal Church, Lebanon, Missouri. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I was at Trinity Episcopal Church, Lebanon, MIssouri to record a video interview. I love this church, the lighting is so photogenic and colors soft and warm, I took advantage of my visit to get a few more ‘stock’ pictures for myself and the diocese.
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Waiting
Waiting — Trinity Episcopal Church, Lebanon, Missouri. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Trinity in Lebanon is one of my favorite churches to have to shoot in. It may just be that I’ve been lucky, but the lighting when I’ve been taking pictures here has been (appropriately) divine.
Today I was here to record a couple of video interviews, but the light was so pretty I couldn’t resist grabbing a couple of (well a few) stock pictures. This is one of my favorites.
I should point out that I’m the (part-time) Communications Director, not the diocesan photographer — there isn’t one. Unless I can find a volunteer to take pictures I have to step into the breach, which can be problematical when I have other things I need to be doing at the same time. My friend Gary Z. does a great job handling the Kansas City churches when he can, but with 48 churches, spanning the state from top to bottom it’s a bit of an ask, especially as most events take place in the evenings or at weekends.
Three more of my favorite pictures from today
Trinity Episcopal Church, Lebanon, Missouri. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Eucharist at Trinity Episcopal Church, Lebanon, Missouri. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
Stained Glass window — Trinity Episcopal Church, Lebanon, Missouri. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Meanwhile, here are some kitties
Tubby & Mao. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Mao (a.k.a Blue Kitty, on the right) normally ignores Tubby. Today they were snuggle buddies.
Life got busy, and things like processing and posting pictures have had to take a back seat. It’s looking like I’m going to be too busy to have any opportunities to post anything until after the diocesan convention in November or more likely, until after my next magazine publication date in mid-December. A chance to spend some time out in the woods with my hammock and new gear would be appreciated too.
Some highlights to come, Jim blacksmithing in his workshop, the National Air Force Museum in Dalton Ohio, and some Frank Lloyd Wright designed homes in Pennsylvania (yes, we actually went away on a mini-break that didn’t involve hiking or camping).
In the meantime here are some more cuuute kittie pictures.
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Sunrise, hills and clouds
Sunrise, hills and clouds, Charleston, West Virginia. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. We broke our trip home at Charleston, West Virginia, and spent our only night in a hotel. The rest of the time we found Airbnb places which varied from ‘excellent’ to ‘OMG how quickly can we get out of here?’ There was only one in the latter category, though the tale of the collapsing bed will no doubt stick with us for a long time.
This looks very ‘wilderness’ but that’s only because I used the zoom lens to crop out all the street furniture… The real deal was like this:
Charleston — taken from Google Street view You can just make out the pokey-up tree in my picture just above the service station canopy.
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Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall – Not what you expect to find in the Pennsylvania countryside. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved 
Berlin Wall – Not what you expect to find in the Pennsylvania countryside. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved Incongruous and unexpected are two words that come to mind when encountering this section of the Berlin Wall in the midst of the Pennsylvania countryside in the grounds of Kentuck Knob.
Using spot color is my attempt to bring out that incongruity in the picture. I resisted the temptation to make the colors overly bright or contrasty. I have a temptation to go pop-art with it. Maybe I’ll revisit it another day.
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Kentuck Knob — Frank Lloyd Wright
Kentuck Knob – Carport and front door. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Our last stop before heading back to Missouri was a visit to Kentuck Knob for another Frank Lloyd Wright fest. Also known as the Hagan House, Kentuck Knob is
a one-story (with basement) Usonian house designed on an octagonal grid.We’d booked for the full tour which if you are interested in Frank Lloyd Wright’s work is highly recommended. The normal tours only get to peek at the rooms, whereas on the full tour you get to go in and inspect all the rooms including the studio and basement.
I was disappointed to discover that photography was not allowed in the house, so we’ll have to make do with the outside shots I took.
Front door from the car port. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
kentuck Knob – Carport. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
kentuck Knob – Carport and studio (left). Not a realistic studio – far too dark. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
kentuck Knob – Bedrooms Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
Fascia / Soffit trim detail. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
Stone detail. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
kentuck Knob – Carport. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
View from the sculpture garden. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
kentuck Knob – Imposing. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
kentuck Knob – The house drawfs the small lawn. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
Kentuck Knob – Frank Lloyd Wright’s initial tile. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Duncan House – Frank Lloyd Wright
Duncan House – Frank Lloyd Wright, at Polymath Park. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved We booked in for a whistle-stop tour of another three mid-century modern houses and the tour included an early dinner. The houses included the Duncan House by Frank Lloyd Wright. It was a fast-paced tour, so opportunities for pictures were a bit rushed. We were constantly on the move, and waiting for people on the tour to get out of shot wasn’t a practical option. Unfortunately, outside shots were limited too because the tour bus was parked in front of the buildings.
Regardless of the photographic problems, it was a wonderful opportunity to see several more mid-century modern houses in just a few hours. If you get a chance I recommend going to visit.
- Polymath Park Website
- Duncan House (Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation)
- More by Frank Lloyd Wright on Breakfast in America
Duncan House – Frank Lloyd Wright, at Polymath Park. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved 
Duncan House – Frank Lloyd Wright, at Polymath Park. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved 
Duncan House – Frank Lloyd Wright, at Polymath Park. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved 
Duncan House – Frank Lloyd Wright, at Polymath Park. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved 
Duncan House – Frank Lloyd Wright, at Polymath Park. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved
Duncan House – Frank Lloyd Wright, at Polymath Park. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved
Duncan House – Frank Lloyd Wright, at Polymath Park. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved
Duncan House – Frank Lloyd Wright, at Polymath Park. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved
Duncan House – Frank Lloyd Wright, at Polymath Park. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved
Duncan House – Frank Lloyd Wright, at Polymath Park. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved -
Fallingwater — as close as you can get
As close as you can get. Fallingwater. Bear Run, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. There is no public access to the area where the most iconic picture of Fallingwater was taken. We have to make do with a spot a couple of hundred yards away.
Not obvious from this picture are the dozen or more people between me and Fallingwater trying to take selfies with this in the background.
The other issue I faced was waiting for the tours to clear the terraces. I gave up on that one, but only after I got one picture with the lower terrace clear, but of course a bunch of people turned up on the next terrace …
Trying again invariably one of the selfie subjects would obstruct the view.
As close as you can get. Fallingwater. Bear Run, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. With a sturdy tripod I could have put together a multi-exposure shot removing the tours. Maybe that’s something to try when we go back.
Fallingwater Video
I recently (2025) found this fifteen-minute YouTube video about Fallingwater, which includes a lot of interior and exterior shots. Enjoy!
Links
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Fallingwater — Not the usual angle
Not the usual angle. Fallingwater. Bear Run, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Peeking through the trees, here’s a tantalizing view of the terrace layout. What I’ve found amusing in all my reading about Fallingwater, is how the authors skirt around and allude to, what was obviously a fundamental requirement of the Kaufmanns; privacy for nude sunbathing. Even from up on this slope, while the ‘public’ terrace is overlooked, the Kaufmann’s small private terraces are screened.
Not the usual angle. Fallingwater. Bear Run, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. -
Bear Run
Bear Run, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, But do you know what’s to be seen if you face the other way?
No? Well, here is the view in the other direction.
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Fallingwater — Frank Lloyd Wright
Fallingwater. Bear Run, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. We didn’t book early enough so we only got to go on the ‘short’ (90 minute or so) tour. We’ll be back for the extended tour. I’ve been O.D.-ing on FLLW and the history of
Fallingwater .(Three
image portrait orientation panorama. Tricky to get handheld, especially when there are people in the shot).- Fallingwater website
- Fallingwater Wikipedia entry
- More by Frank Lloyd Wright on Breakfast in America
Fallingwater. Bear Run, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Vanishing Point
Vanishing Point. Sunset, Pymatuning Lake, Pennsylvania. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved -
Cold War Era Gallery
Cold War Exhibits at the National Museum of the US Air Force. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. National Museum of the US Air Force
Not one of my usual posts, but I couldn’t visit this museum without taking lots of pictures.
As with all my posts, click on any image to see it full screen and kick off a slideshow of all the images.
It was interesting to note the differences between this museum and the Imperial War Museum at Duxford. I mean apart from the size — this hanger alone has a maximum capacity of 10,000 people! There was a lot more emphasis on the people including displays of personal items belonging to ‘famous’ pilots and flight crews, and
lot less about the engineering and development.B-2 Stealth Bomber + added SR-71
B-2 at the National Museum of the US Air Force (where’s Ginger?) Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I couldn’t get far enough away from it for a non-distorted picture. Ginger loves these because they used to buzz her parents’ house on training runs.
She also has a thing about the SR-71 Blackbird, and there was one tucked in behind the B-2. It looked like the SR-71 hadn’t been cleaned since its last flight.
B-2 and SR-71 Blackbird at the National Museum of the US Air Force. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
SR-71 Blackbird at the National Museum of the US Air Force. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. A-10A Thunderbolt (Warthog)
I took a shine to these watching them on training flights along Stockton lake. One passed a hundred feet or so above me when I was out in my kayak. The kayak shook. And I know it was low because it had to pass over an island and that is 60′ tall. Unusually on that occasion there were three of them — they normally practiced in pairs — The first two passed further out in the lake. The last one made me jump, as I wasn’t expecting it, and the first I knew about it was when it crested the island about 100 yards from me. I could count the rivets…
Their training flights along the lake were
cancelled when one hit a powerline. So, yes they flew low.
A-10 Thunderbolt (Warthog) at the National Museum of the US Air Force. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
A-10 Thunderbolt (Warthog) at the National Museum of the US Air Force. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. And lots more …
Convair B-36 PeacemakerThe B-36 really is unique. What with the pusher props and jet engines as well.
It wasn’t until after I visited the museum that I read up about it. It even had a tiny fighter that was carried inside and launched and recovered in-flight!
Unfortunately, the fighters (Avro CF-100 Mk.4A Canuck nearest to the camera) get in the way of the huge and different Convair B-36 at the National Museum of the US Air Force. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
WWII Gallery
Messerschmitt Bf 109G-10 at the National Museum of the US Air Force. it was really difficult picking a representative picture for this post. I didn’t take pictures of the aircraft that were typically a part of my youth, (Spitfire, Hurricane, Beaufighter, De Havilland Mosquito, Northrop P-61C Black Widow — don’t ask.) so it was down to the ME 109 to take the lead spot.
The most sobering moment was realizing that I was standing in front of what was once
a live nuclear bomb (now decommissioned of course), of the type used to bring the war in the Pacific to a close.The most surreal moment was when I did a double-take upon seeing a couple of Chinese guys taking selfies in front of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress and Fat Man atomic bomb.
As with all my posts, click on any image to see it full screen and kick off a slideshow of all the images.
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Memphis Belle
Memphis Belle at the National Museum of the US Air Force. Dayton, Ohio. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Our visit to the National Museum of the US Air Force couldn’t have been better timed. In May 2018 the restored Memphis Belle was put on display.
Memphis Belle at the National Museum of the US Air Force. Dayton, Ohio. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
Memphis Belle. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
National Museum of the US Air Force, Early Years Gallery
Standard J-1 at the National Museum of the US Air Force. As with all my posts, click on any image to see it full screen and kick off a slideshow of all the images.
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Tri-Puss
Tri-puss – Tubby and Blue Kitty are touching! Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. It’s an uncommon configuration, and for Blue Kitty to let Tubby touch her is almost unheard of. And it’s a cute picture too.
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Morty – Workshop Cat
‘Morty’ – Workshop Cat. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. For an outdoor cat, Morty looks exceptionally healthy. I suspect that Jim has something to do with that. It’s even more surprising as Morty spends his time in the workshop wandering around ignoring the red-hot metal, banging, sparks, and roaring forge.
‘Morty’ – Workshop Cat. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Valance – Three Studies in Light
Valance – One. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. We popped down to Thornfield to spend three days with Ginger’s parents. Our trip was delayed by a couple of days as I came down with a cold. I’ll admit to temporarily misplacing my photo Mojo again. It made a brief reappearance on Monday morning. There is quite a lot to come, as I took some pictures and video of Jim blacksmithing in the workshop.
I think ‘three studies in light’ is a bit of a pretentious title, as actually, nah, I was just trying to capture the essence of what I saw, there was very little adjustment or studying regarding the light.
However, I had been watching the light change for about half an hour as the sun came up through the mist. There was something ‘old world’ about the pattern, fabric, color, and light that held my attention.
Valance – Two. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
Valance – Three. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. It was very humid over the weekend, as evidenced by the condensation on the window. (By the way. That’s not one of Jim and Carol’s house windows, we stayed in the ‘Little House’).
Bonus picture. I loved the look of the scrunched up comforter on the bed.
Comforter. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Twisted
Twisted – Jim Davis. Copyright © 2018 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
