Open Air Fountain Theater at Longwood Gardens during Winter

Hey everyone!

this was long over due and it really is only a short post on something I watched with my girl friend at Longwood this winter!

The open air theater fountain they have outside!

The Open Air Theater was opened in 1914 for performances like concerts, garden parties and the like. It was inspired by European theaters, this one has dressing rooms below the stage to accommodate 100 performers.

The auditorium lawn was made to handle enough lawn chairs for 1,500 people for veiwing.

A water curtain would rise ten foot in front of the stage during all performances, which included all types of music from Jazz to Folk to Broadway.

Later on was the large fountain system was installed when Piere du Pont (founder of Longwood Gardens) expanded and renovated it.

Seven circular basins were created on the stage floor. There are 11 pumps re-circulating 2,00 gallons of water per minute through 750 nozzles that are illuminated with over 600 lights (red, yellow, blue, green and white).

A little history on the fountain for you guys.

The fountain is used in the Winter for the lightening time to have a light fountain show that goes along with winter/holiday themed music.

It was really nice to see and the have snow flake like lights hanging in the trees in the back ground of the fountain.

It was chilly that night so after we watched a full song at the fountain we left the Gardens as we were there all day! Well most the day....

That means there is more post to come with the outside lights that will be a short post and then multiple post on the indoor conservatory! Lots of great photos coming up.

Of course I am still having problems right now with my Windows on my Laptop so I am using Ubuntu right now but all the photos and photo editing software is installed in the Windows OS so I was glad I got these on here for you all to view!

Fantastic colors and precise fountain dancing to the music, I recommend these to see during the lighting during the Holidays!

Info on the fountain that I posted is credited to the Open Air Theater page on Longwoodgardens.org

Open Air shows page at longwoodgardens.org

Started another blog

So I over ran my hobby blog with figure news as well as gundam/mecha news and so there was a mix everyday of the like.

That wasn't what I originally opened the hobby site for even though figure collecting is a hobby of mine now.

So I opened up Samshio Figure, and it covers all that is figure (obviously)

So I did that yesterday and have it all set up (samshiofigure.blogspot.com) and already posting just as much as I post on the other.

I now barley come over to his blog and my girl friend made that a point >_>

Sorry guys I have blogged about my life in a while, heck not even on movies or news or photos!

I swear I will try to get some more up from time to time, the beginning of the school semester has been hectic but I am keeping up with my work, driving, school and work and my now 2 hobby blogs. Posting on news doesn't take much time just a lot to look for and cover but when I want to post my photos here, I could easily drop a slide show on a post but I (being as the cool dude that I am) like to post the photos individually and talk about it and why I took it.

Just the way I am!

Recently I have been acquiring more merchandise. I think I got into the addiction thing again >_>, though some where great buys! A Wireless Blue Ray player for $92, that is really good and looks great (with regular DVD's). I am to cheap to get some Blue Ray's right now but I might soon, just other stuff that I have to pay for right now!

Well I am actually doing some work at work so I am going to get back to doing that, seya!

Time to get way, but probably not

So I think I need time to get away from it all. Everything, all things, many things, total, the works, whole caboodle, whole enchilada, whole shebang, the world in its comprehensive entities of stuff.

Some remote exotic place that I could reach easily where I can bring a camera and some casual summer clothes and a swim suit to enjoy crystal clear waters that are calm near a reef. A nice area where there is no notice of human habitants. Something... peaceful.

Or I could just really practice Zen at home...but rather do the ladder.

Why does it have to be so cold here as well...snow already and if not go back to like 55 degrees F!

I am not complaining about school, just everything to slow down please. I guess people in the older years get to have their life slow down and they don't want it to and I get that but I am young and I want it to slow down. I like it like that with a schedule where it has opening and not something planned all the time, yeah I get work, I know I can not escape that but can I get me time. What is the point of working all the time to make a lot of money when you never have me time to spend the money? You feel me?

I need more money though for the life style I have in mind >_> bummer.

Anyways, I was ranting and I hope soon I get the Longwood garden photos up for all to see. The flowers are really fantastic and I just changed the blog's background. It is the South side of the James River from the Richmond City side, I took it walking on the pipeline.

I had an interesting dream last night, started to write down some ideas, looks like a book in the works, yet another one to add to my growing list of ideas that I am to lazy to start to write or finish writing....

I'm going to head out now, I have a class at 7pm call Art of Detection: Asia bla, see what it is all about. After this semester I have about 35 credits that I at least need to graduate on time. So that is like 17 credits one semester and 18 credits the next semester. Looks like I gotta stay another semester at VCU to get everything in. I am going to try to get Physics this Summer while I intern, maybe double intern and work on weekends. Talk about trying to slow down......and that is this up coming summer >_>

Otakon is one great thing to look forward to though.

I love my girl friend, I guess it appears that I might not care as much anymore, but I really do care about her. I miss her already and she only left on Friday. I value her friendship, as a friend and a girlfriend and as a person I value her. She isn't like others, that I can say. I am extraordinarily lucky to have a person like that to care and love me as much as she does for me. I am truly lucky and sometimes think I don't deserve such a kind-hearted person as her. But I sure do appreciate her being there and caring about me. I love you.

Well I better get off the the class room, night guys.

Scream 4 Trailer

Skool is not all that kool

SO I started my second semester here at VCU today.

Ecology oh boy! So It was a packed lecture hall, it actually was the same one that I had environmental pollution in laster semester and got a B in.

Only difference is that there were like 60 students or so that were in that class so we were spaced out, well today when I took my seat early and everyone followed in before it start it was PACKED.

The professor said something like a little more then 300 students >_> HOLY CRAP

Crazy amount, his lab though sounded fun...oh wait I didn't take the lab >_> darn

They go out in the field at the Rice Center which is pretty much our schools piece of land that is reserved for projects and such and research for grads, ungrads and even the professors. I feel bad for not visiting it yet.

I am currently at the internship where I am doing a little bit of work before class at 5:30 which is like social research. I bet like a bazillion bucks that there is a lot of busy work in that class...darn.

Well, I get most my nights after 6-7 ish which means I can do home work (yippy :/), play online with Goldeneye (been doing it a lot recently, mostly because I kick A), up date my Hobby Blog (do that a ton and it has been growing quite a bit: comparison, this blog gets maybe an average of 7 views a day, last week on the Hobby blog the average a day was 200. yeah...big difference), and I can watch all the season premiers and episodes for a few weeks now! Lots of shows coming back on; Big Love (last season), The Cape (recently got into), White Collar, Archer (starts next week), Royal Pains, V (on ABC), Parenthood, and I might try Fairly Legal.

There are probably others I forgot and I will find out after I miss them, guess that is what Ondemand is for or the internets.

I am glad that I finally got up the Christmas lights photos on the site now I am behind on the Longwood Garden photos, trust me they are great! GREAT I TELL YOU!

Yeah, well I have some work that actually needs to be done because I didn't do it right before :\ ops

Till next time!

One Piece Chapter 610

One Piece Chapter 610 is out

Christmas Lights of Richmond (Omni Hotel & James Center)

Hey everyone, it has been way to late for this post so I am sorry for that!

I haven't done a photo post, like a real photo post in a while and I will work on the Longwood Garden's photos to get those up as well soon.

For now, I will get these up for you to view since it has been overdue indeed!

So every year in Richmond we have a "Grand Illumination" of the lights that run along the side and edges of a lot of the tall buildings down in the city. Also around the James Center 1, 2 & 3 and the Omni Hotel they have festive like things with a large Christmas tree (not actually living tree), reindeer all around and inside there are a few things that are Christmas themed.

I went the first time down there the Tuesday before Christmas with my girl friend. Her first time to the lights was the previous year with my family and she loved it so of course we were going to go this year. My first time going with out the family but it was nice romantic evening with her. Was chilly so it was hard to take photos :P

I also went Christmas Eve with my family, a family friend and one of my friends. They didn't have anyone to spend the night with and my mother asked her friend and I asked my friend to join us for dinner and some time in the city. They enjoyed coming with us and I am not sure if my friend had gone to see the lights before but it was a nice evening :) I took care of his cat about a week when he left in the morning. He had a flight to Florida on Christmas since his mother was getting married on the 26th!

This was also the first time to really use my new camera outside at night and trying to capture pictures of lighting (also in the chill cold brrr)

Every year my family and I try to find Rudolph since it is hard to find him and we make it a game. This year he was right there at the corner (Cary and 10th) and could easily be seen from the street so there was no game trying to find it since we pointed it out before I even parked haha.

It was nice that there was snow on the ground here and there. It actually snowed on Christmas this year and was fantastic! Love the snow and what it brings. Puts the birds in a frenzy in the woods!

In the Omni Hotel area inside there is a drop box to drop your letters off for Santa to read. Of course you write what you want and drop it in. He will read it and check his list to see if you have been good and will decide if you get it :P

In the James Center 2/Omni Hotel, they have this fountain and like a water pool thing that loops around a good part indoors and they have it themed with penguins and Eskimos fishing and such.

Around the other side they have a pile of presents and the foot of these large Nut Crackers. I wonder where they store these giants. They could crack open heads they are so big.

Anyone see the Nut Cracker at the Richmond Ballet? They have it every year! I never saw it with the Richmond Ballet but at my High school that I went to long ago. It was by like a local group or dance company.

The rest of the Omni, lots of people that came in used the Starbucks to get some expensive tasty coffee products to warm up.

The Christmas tree that they use is the same every year, part of the top this year though a section of the lights were out >_> bummer haha.

They have lots of reindeer out to take photos of and walk around. Lots of family's bring their kids down to get photos. I saw children running around with some hot coco from a street vendor that was also selling glow sticks.

Also music from a guy off Cary Street playing Christmas music from his Saxophone. Sure set the mood with my darling.

I also saw others like couples in there late 20s or a father and daughter that was in her mid 20's.

All was lovely, and enjoyable.

In the James Center 1, a man (or could be a local club) sets up a train set, and a nice one at that.

It is a nice train set with multiple trains, different settings and buildings.

Every year it is there, although on Christmas Eve it was running and there was just the security guard who was in the building haha. I hope he got to spend time with some family or friends that night.

Toshiba's Tablet PC

I think I found a Tablet PC that isn't the iPad that I want now.

It will probably be about 300-600 bucks though and I wonder if you get an option of getting the wi-fi version and then a version that can get on a cell network. hmmm

New Spider-Man Set Photos

New Spider-Man Set Photos

Back from Maryland

Hey everyone, been busy with work and everything else.

Been preparing for school and just got back from another trip to Maryland.

I have more photos from Longwood Gardens and I will be getting those up, I promise.

I have been terrible about posting photos recently and it's bad!

I will get them up and some of the festive lights and themes that they have going on right now!

If you noticed I haven't added new chapters for the Otaku page since the writers and artist are on break over in Japan this week so look forward to new ones for One Piece, Naruto and Bleach next week!

I have gotten more figures in recently along with school books!

Today is a year and a half since I asked my girl friend out and we have been doing great. She came along to Longwood and Maryland as well with my mother and sister!

I'll keep in touch!

Late but Happy New Year!