Beautiful! (Looks cold) I've had enough of cold weather, thank you very much . . . .

A fabulous set! (You do get around, don't you?)

Excellent photos, Sylvia!

Here are a few of my trees. I take a lot of tree photos.


DEC_1672.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr


DEC_1679.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr


DEC_1728.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr


DEC_1588.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr


DEC_1591.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr


DEC_2371.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr


DEC_2476.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr


DSC_7364.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr (famous “Lone Cypress” of Pebble Beach)


DSC_7251.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr (giant Sequoia)


Chip #1 (256MB) 092.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr


Chip #1 (256MB) 102.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr


Chip #1 (256MB) 103.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr

That’s enough! These are all posted from Flickr, so if you want to know where they were taken, just click on the photo and read the description (if there is one); at least check where the Album is.

I've been through all 39 of the previous pages, and the fantastic photos I've seen are really interesting! Thanks to all who contributed.

So sorry to hear about your loss, both of business and your facility. I live in NE Dallas and also had water issues, but mine were less severe. Pipes under my kitchen sink sprung leaks and I had a first floor flood before the water got shut off. Most of that mess has been cleared up and my pipes are being fixed. (I don't have home insurance, either.)

Zell am Moos, Mondsee, Austria in 1998 -- two churches

In 1998 the secular chorus I sang with made a concert tour of Germany and Austria. One of the places we sang was the town of Zell am Moos, not far from Salzburg, Austria. While there I visited 2 churches. I don’t have a lot of photos of either one, so I’m putting both of them into a single set-this one.

Basilica St. Michael
The basilica St. Michael is the cultural and spiritual heart of the Mondsee region.
This gothic former monastery is just as striking today as ever. Its two towers stretch 52m into the sky. This late gothic church was constructed in the 15th century under the direction of abbot Benedikt Eck and is the second biggest church in Upper Austria. Saint Wolfgang spent a year in Mondsee in 976 as Bishop of Ratisbon and founded the pilgim church at the Wolfgangsee lake. The basilica Mondsee reached international fame because the wedding scene in the movie "Sound of Music" with Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer was filmed inside.


04-24 Pfarre St. Michael Mondsee in Zell-am-Moos.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr (front view)


04-25 Interior of Pfarre St. Michael Mondsee.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr (interior long view)


04-26 Pulpit in Pfarre St. Michael Mondsee.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr (Pulpt, sorry about glare)


04-27 Altar of Pfarre St. Michael Mondsee.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr (the Chancel)


04-28 Altar of Pfarre St. Michael Mondsee.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr (the Altar)

The Parish Church (Pfarrkirche Zell am Moos)
The single nave gothic church in Zell am Moos is one of many churches in the Mondsee region. The parish church of Zell am Moos was first mentioned in 1107 and once used to be a Holy Mary's pilgrimage church. The church is opened to visitors all year.


04-32 Parish Church Zell-am-Moos.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr (exterior view)


04-33 Altar of Parish Church Zell-am-Moos.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr (the Altar)

Thanks, Sylvias! I note you also viewed Part 2.

Hi, Sylvias! Thank you so much! I do love our new church facility--it is now complete as to what was planned so many years ago. Our 6000 members really do enjoy it, and use it a lot daily. Many civic organizations also have meetings there, and we have a program supporting the city of Richardson. The Richardson Symphony Orchestra holds concerts in the Sanctuary when they need an organ, and smaller groups use the stage in the Worship and Arts Center from time to time (seats several hundred). The Sanctuary is awesome and the acoustics are great (about a 2-second reverberation time, and smooth--soft sounds can be heard even in the corners). We as a congregation are truly blessed, and the outlying area benefits, too. We are a "giving" church, the best in the area.

Thanks a lot, Jay.

Thanks, Jay. Happy you liked it.

Thanks, Mike! I do agree. My photos of our church were not done in the usual way I do churches I visit elsewhere, and organizing a set for that purpose from them was somewhat daunting. Most photos were either of the organ installations or during services (for church documentation) and not for showing off the place. It's also a very large place, as local churches go, with a lot of variety. For that reason I decided to concentrate on just the Sanctuary and its exterior and interior. There's a lot to see of the rest of the faclity, but 10 photos wouldn't begin to cover it adequately. (And I don't have a lot of documentation of the 2nd Phase build, for some reason.)

Regarding the Day 4 -- Sun, Moon, and Stars window. I had decided that I'd be one of the 8 window donors, but wasn't really "into" the designs. I chose the one with the most pictorial elements in it, and I relate them to my father, mother, and sister, in that order (maudlin, I know, but it works for me). It disturbs me that it is not fully visible to all the congregation because of that display screen. It also has a shade on the interior that can be used to cover it when they want to darken the Sanctuary, and the tech crew doesn't always leave the shade open after darkening it to prevent it interfering with the screen display. That shade (and the one on the oppossite window) needs to be open unless an active display is on the screen. I didn't pay for a window to be left covered up. (Rant off)

Hi, Mike! So happy you liked it, and the other as well. Thank you very much.

You're welcome! I appreciate your coming and nice comments.

First United Methodist Church of Richardson, Texas – Part 2, the major Stained Glass Windows

I’ve prepared sets of many churches I’ve visited around the World for viewing at UHH, but had not done so for my own church (where I’m a member). I decided that it was time I did so. I have a large assortment of photos of the facility, so selecting just a few was difficult.

This is a new facility where construction began in 2001, after a decision by the membership to embark on a move to a larger facility located a short distance away. This was a chancy step since the economy was not robust at that time, but we desperately needed more space (particularly for parking!). I was a member of the Worship Committee (which had input to what the Sanctuary would be like) and the Organ Selection Committee (which recommended an organ builder and basic design). It was decided that the church complex could not be done in one build, but that there would be several phases in the construction; however, building the final Sanctuary as part of the first phase, including the pipe organ, was part of the plan. The 1300-seat Sanctuary was completed in 2006 and the first service there was 26 Mar 2006; installation of the organ, which had been built in Germany, began that June. Funding problems also dictated that the pipe organ be built in 2 phases, as well, and Phase 1 was completed in time for Christmas 2006. Phase 2, primarily the Gallery portion, was completed in 2010. Phase 2 of the complex build was begun in 2015 and completed in 2016. This provided a new Worship and Arts Center (a Great Room and a small theater, where the Contemporary services would also be held) and a big Music Suite with rehearsal facilities for the big music program at FUMCR.

Because it is a large complex, in keeping with my prior concentration on Sanctuary interiors, I will primarily be showing that portion of the complex here (and before Phase 2 build). The roof support in the Sanctuary was designed to give the impression of a cathedral; it involves intricate solid wood columns with branching tops—there are no nails or screws used in these supports, just steel plates as joiners (hidden) and 43,500 stainless steel pins connecting it all together.

There are 2 sets: Part 1 of the Sanctuary building exterior and interior, and Part 2 of the main stained glass windows (this set). There are 7 large round stained glass windows in the Sanctuary, each representing a Day of Creation (loosely interpreted). They were created by a studio in Blenham, Texas. I am presenting them in the order of the “days”—the first 6 are about 15 feet in diameter and the 7th is about 35 feet across. I confess that I’m not enthusiastic about these windows because I prefer pictorial ones. They are very lovely, however, and paint the interior with beautiful colors.

Day 1 -- Light and Darkness

Day 1 by David Casteel, on Flickr

Day 2 -- Separation of the Waters

Day 2 by David Casteel, on Flickr

Day 3 -- Plant Life and Vegetation

Day 3 by David Casteel, on Flickr

Day 4 -- Sun, Moon, and Stars

Day 4 by David Casteel, on Flickr (I purchased this window as a memorial to my parents and sister)

Day 5 – Birds and Sea Creatures

Day 5 by David Casteel, on Flickr

Day 6 – Humankind

Day 6 by David Casteel, on Flickr

Day 7 – the Sabbath Day

Day 7 by David Casteel, on Flickr (located behind the organ at the front of the Sanctuary)

There is a Day 8 – Eternity located in the Narthex, but I’ve not been able to photograph it due to structural details in the way. It is very similar to Day 7, with different colors.

Link to Part 1: https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-686537-1.html#12017954

First United Methodist Church of Richardson, Texas – Part 1, the Sanctuary building

I’ve prepared sets of many churches I’ve visited around the World for viewing at UHH, but had not done so for my own church (where I’m a member). I decided that it was time I did so. I have a large assortment of photos of the facility, so selecting just a few will be difficult.

This is a new facility where construction began in 2001, after a decision by the membership to embark on a move to a larger facility located a short distance away. This was a chancy step since the economy was not robust at that time, but we desperately needed more space (particularly for parking!). I was a member of the Worship Committee (which had input to what the Sanctuary would be like) and the Organ Selection Committee (which recommended an organ builder and basic design). It was decided that the church complex could not be done in one build, but that there would be several phases in the construction; however, building the final Sanctuary as part of the first phase, including the pipe organ, was part of the plan. The 1300-seat Sanctuary was completed in 2006 and the first service there was 26 Mar 2006; installation of the organ, which had been built in Germany, began that June. Funding problems also dictated that the pipe organ be built in 2 phases, as well, and Phase 1 was completed in time for Christmas 2006. Phase 2, primarily the Gallery portion, was completed in 2010. Phase 2 of the complex build was begun in 2015 and completed in 2016. This provided a new Worship and Arts Center (a Great Room and a small theater, where the Contemporary services would also be held) and a big Music Suite with rehearsal facilities for the big music program at FUMCR.

Because it is a large complex, in keeping with my prior concentration on Sanctuary interiors, I will primarily be showing that portion of the complex here (and before Phase 2 build). The roof support in the Sanctuary was designed to give the impression of a cathedral; it involves intricate solid wood columns with branching tops—there are no nails or screws used in these supports, just steel plates as joiners (hidden) and 43,500 stainless steel pins connecting it all together.

There are 2 sets: Part 1 of the Sanctuary building exterior and interior, and Part 2 of the main stained glass windows.

Exterior views

DSC_0104a by David Casteel, on Flickr (view of Phase 1 from adjacent freeway)


DSC_0349 by David Casteel, on Flickr (Sanctuary building, Phase 1)


DSD_0012 by David Casteel, on Flickr (dropoff for Sanctuary)

Interior views

Klais_0029 by David Casteel, on Flickr (view from the Balcony, showing the Klais organ)


DSC_0349x by David Casteel, on Flickr (detail of support structure)


DSC_0347 by David Casteel, on Flickr (greater detail, showing some of the pins)


DSC_0337 by David Casteel, on Flickr (view of the Sanctuary the day of the First Services, gathering)


Klais_0025a by David Casteel, on Flickr (the Main Organ and principal window)


DSC_3102 by David Casteel, on Flickr (Antiphonal Organ, in the Gallery)


DSC_3112 by David Casteel, on Flickr (detail of the Antiphonal Organ, showing the Fanfare Trumpet pipes)

Link to Part 2: https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-686538-1.html#12017957