Old Barn in Central Illinois

Barns like this have largely disappeared throughout the United States. Farms, especially in the Midwest, were much smaller and produced grain (corn, soybeans, wheat and oats) and livestock (mostly hogs and/or beef cattle). Within the last 30 years or so, farms have changed dramatically. Farms are now much larger in terms of acreage and have become much more specialized. A majority of farms (State of Illinois for example) now specialize only in grains (corn and/or soybeans) with some livestock or are primarily involved in livestock production (hogs or beef cattle). This old barn was used for the storage of hay and grain for livestock and for shelter. Since they are now obsolete they have been allowed to deteriorate and eventually razed.

Raymondskill Falls

Raymondskill Falls is a series of three cascading waterfalls located on Raymondskill Creek, Pennsylvania, United States, near several other waterfalls in the area including Dingmans Falls, Bushkill Falls, and Shohola Falls. The three tiers of Raymondskill Falls have a combined height of approximately 150 feet/46 meters. It is the tallest waterfalls in the Pennsylvania. It is part of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

Ilulissat Icefjord

Located on the west coast of Greenland, 250 km north of the Arctic Circle, Greenland’s Ilulissat Icefjord (40,240 ha) is the sea mouth of Sermeq Kujalleq, one of the few glaciers through which the Greenland ice cap reaches the sea. Sermeq Kujalleq is one of the fastest (19 m per day) and most active glaciers in the world. It annually calves over 35 km3 of ice, i.e. 10% of the production of all Greenland calf ice and more than any other glacier outside Antarctica.

Grain Elevator

This grain elevator in Illinois became obsolete when local farmers expanded their grain producing acreage and installed their own grain handling facilities.

An Aruban Sunset

An Aruban Sunset

Covered Bridge

One of only three covered bridges in Illinois. This bridge is located in Sangamon County about 10 miles south of Springfield.

Cypress Trees

These trees are located in a tributary of the Apalachicola River in the Pandhandle Area of Florida.

Fall Foliage in Northeastern United States

Scenic Fall View of Delaware Water Gap

Waterfall in New England

Beach View at St. George Island State Park in Florida

St. George Island State Park is 9 miles of undeveloped beaches and dunes, surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico and Apalachicola Bay. The park occupies 2,023 acres at the end of St. George Island, a long, narrow barrier island, and is a combination of sandy coves, salt marshes, shady pines, and oak forests. The park supports an abundance of marine and bird life.

Tonging Oysters in Apalachicola Bay

Oyster tongers working side by side in Apalachicola Bay. Apalachicola Bay encompasses the waters of St. George Sound and St. Vincent Sound, which provide an ideal environment for oysters. This 210-square-mile estuary is wide and shallow, averaging between six and nine feet deep at low tide. The estuary is dominated by the Apalachicola River in Northwest Florida on the Northern Gulf of Mexico coast, which provides nutrient rich fresh waters vital to the Bay's natural productivity. Oysters grow rapidly in these waters reaching marketable size in less than two years. Apalachicola Bay produces some of the nation's highest quality seafood. Tongers (traditionally called "oystermen") harvest the oysters today in the same manner they have for a century. From small wooden boats 20-23 feet long, using tongs that look somewhat like two rakes attached in scissor-style, the oystermen bring the oysters to the surface. The oysters are brought on board and sorted on a culling board where they are separated by size. Oysters must be at least three inches in length to be considered legally harvestable. The oysters are then stored in burlap bags and shaded until they reach the shore. On shore, the seafood houses employ "housemen" who sort the oysters and package them for sale either in bags or boxes, or send them to be shucked, washed and sold in pints or gallons.

Waterfall at Ricketts Glen State Park in Pennsylvania

Ricketts Glen State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on 13,050 acres (5,280 ha) in Columbia, Luzerne, and Sullivan counties in Pennsylvania in the United States. Ricketts Glen is a National Natural Landmark known for its old-growth forest and 24 named waterfalls along Kitchen Creek, which flows down the Allegheny Front escarpment from the Allegheny Plateau to the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians.

A Mountain Stream in the Winter

Covered Bridge

Pennsylvania has the highest number of covered bridges remaining in the country, with approximately 200 bridges. Columbia and Montour counties are home to the towns of Benton, Berwick, Bloomsburg, and Danville – not to mention 25 of the state’s total covered bridges. By area, the counties have one of the highest concentrations of covered bridges in the world. No two covered bridges are alike and each one has its own history, personality, and story to tell. Columbia County alone has 19 bridges. Montour County has two covered bridges, and four additional bridges span the border between Columbia & Northumberland counties.

A Winter Stream

A Pathway in the Wilderness

This sandy road is at St. Vincent’s Island, Florida, a National Wildlife Refuge.

Winter in the Pocono Mountains

Harvesting Corn in Illinois

Sunbeam in the Caribbean

Sunbeams, or crepuscular rays, are rays of sunlight that appear to radiate from a single point in the sky.

View from The Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway in the United States. It is noted for its scenic beauty. The Parkway runs for 469 miles (755 km) through 29 Virginia and North Carolina counties, linking Shenandoah National Park to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It runs mostly along the spine of the Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains.

Beautiful Waterfall

Trout Stream in Late December