In honor of the faltering economy I have written the following limerick . . .

We can be without crime called a caper,
and go without breathing a vapor.
But the thing most sad
when life turns bad
is to find there is no toilet paper

So it's okay on UHH to express your feelings only if they flatter the subject?

That was intended as a joke. See, the two people were looking out of the bay door as if saying "Goodbye" "Chips" was a 1941 movie.

"Goodbye Mr. Chips" :-)

The original sky is too bald. Eagles and blue sky go together. I like No. 2. Great shot, by the way.

Don't understand why you would favor a bald sky over any of the others. Eagles and blue sky go together. No. 2 is just right.

This bit of information I got off the web: Due to recent deaths, littering, and vandalism, the pinnacle has been under strict evaluation and observation by local Shiprock Pinnacle Tribal Advocates and by two Navajo Chapter organizations since early 2016, who oversee the area and encourage the public to not drive around the formation as if it had open access. Hiking, filming, and driving are all prohibited to the public due to its sacred nature and its sacred space. According to the Navajo traditionalists, an ecosystem of living and non-living matter needs to be protected and unharmed. In the Navajo traditional way, people are to respect the ecosystem and not disrupt its processes. It is recommended that the public respect the Navajo people who visit daily for religious activities and other miscellaneous purposes as it is Navajo trust land. A core/protection and buffer zones will be established soon. Local Shiprock Pinnacle Tribal Advocates and the two Navajo Chapter organizations also encourage visitors to use common sense etiquette and remember that the Navajo Nation is a sovereign, self-governed nation with rules and laws that must be followed.

Wasn't there a photo of the "other side" just recently in UHH? There is a long string of similar rocks leading off into the distance. I was quite surprised to see that. Tony Hillerman used Shiprock prominently in one of his books, but I can't recall the title.

A camera is indeed a too. Use your tools anyway you wish to get the result you want. Would a carpenter not use a tri square before sawing a board because he thought to do so was cheating?

Wonderful series. Thanks so much for posting.

Best I've ever seen of Half Dome. I had no idea such an image of it was possible.

You mentioned the trumpet player as one "subject" that could be picked out of the the street scene. To do that would necessitate putting her in a "close-up."

My humble opinion of this photo and the reply is -- the subject is the street. Of course the image is "busy". The phtographer wanted to show a slice of life, a street scene. Why must every photo be a closeup?
To isolate on the trumpet player would show a guy playing a trumpet. But that isn't the reason for the picture. The reason is to show a street on which a guy is playing a trumpet, the hydrant is decorated, the menu is displayed on an outdoor sign, etc, etc.

Darn. All my ances are ugly.

European pagans were largely responsible for dressing their homes with the branches of evergreen fir trees in order to bring color and light into their dull winters. The decorations in the box and on the dog are not necessarily "Christmas" decorations, even though they happen to be in a comic strip entitled B.C. (This Nit Picker says "Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!)