Tootfinder

Are you in or near #Raleigh North Carolina and in any way curious about #AmateurRadio / #HamRadio? This weekend is our annual joint open house and emergency operations prac…

Move over Munch. 🐠 🐠 🐟 🐟 😱
(painting hanging at an Alpine-valley restaurant; May 29, 2026)
#photography #amateur #FotoMontag #PhotoMonday #scream #fish #painting

A unique and beautiful interior balcony. Love the woodwork, the skylight, and the colors, but I wonder what that window opens to. 🪟
Spotted today at Palimaru Matha #Udupi #India. Lucky to have gone inside while I waited out the rain.
#photography #amateur #FensterFreitag #WindowFriday #window #skylight #balcony #sculpture #art

Many in South India dedicate Saturdays to Lord Shreeniwaasa (aka Wenkataesha). They offer special prayers to him at home, visit his temple, sing his praise, take his "prasaada" (blessings).
Alt text has a brief of what's in this picture (taken May 11, 2026 #Bengaluru).
#photography #amateur #tradition #India #Hindu #Saturday

🌸 🌹
#photography #amateur #flowers #bloomscrolling

Fruits on flowers. 🍒💐
(this morning on the kitchen table)
#photography #amateur #fruits #cherries #stillLife #Germany

A 200 years old wooden window with exquisite carving. The paint/polish is recent. 🪟
(Sep. 10, 2025, Krishnapura Matha, #Udupi #India)
#phitography #amateur #FensterFreitag #WindowFriday #window

#BillyWarlock #ErikaEleniak
Season 2 Episode 22 "Summer of '85"
#RandomBaywatch #lvdlpx #Baywatch #BaywatchBabes #Love #Romance #Amateur #Detective #SummerOf85

I love how the red one stands out, and how the water drops present themselves. 🍒
BTW the sweetest cherries you'll ever taste. 🤤
#photography #amateur #fruit #cherries

Thrift shops are treasures of art. You just have to look carefully.
#photography #amateur #storage #thriftShop #art #Germany

Ancient rocks. 🪨
(shot yesterday)
#photography #amateur #glass #jar #stillLife

#tbt: Jun 17 *2025*, hiked up this rock. Was a 5hr activity IIRC. 🥾⛰️
#photography #amateur #Alps #hiking #throwback #throwbackThursday #mountain

So much opulence they sell gold coins by the bags. In supermarkets. 😲
Like how historians say the markets of Hampi did at the peak of the Vijayanagara empire. 🪙
#trinkets #cheap #coins #humor #Germany #India #photography #amateur

I visited an #art #exhibition of some works by #German artist Robert Andreas Drude who, among other things, merges disparate paintings to create interesting new work, like this "Bergpfad" mixed with Kitchen Maid. 🖼️
(my picture of a framed oil painting)
#photography #amateur #painting #KitchenMaid #FotoMontag #PhotoMonday

Stopped at a storefront to stay out of rain and spotted this beautiful home across from the store. 🏠
Love the intense blue, the contrasting brown trims, and the falling rain drops. 💦
#photography #amateur #PhotoMonday #FotoMontag #Udupi #India #rain

8:45am: Late enough in the day for white light but still early enough for soft play of light and shadow.
This church is on the same hill where I found the campanula I posted a couple of days ago.
#photography #amateur #FotoMontag #PhotoMonday #Alps #church

Calamondins in a pot, in Austria. "Edible" says the label. 🍋
#fruit #citrus #lemon #photography #amateur #travel

Nearly 20 years visiting this town and I keep finding new (to me) beautiful things. Each day of each visit. 🏠 ⛰️ ☺️
#Austria #Alps #homes #hills #nature #photography #amateur

Changing room. Not the most private but it'll do in a hurry. 🦸‍♂️
#iykyk #phoneBooth #booth #Austria #photography #amateur #travel

Panoramas. They all look the same but they aren't. And no picture can truly capture what the eyes actually see. 🏔️
#photography #amateur #Austria #Alps #mountains #valleys #river #nature #travel

Beach rose.🌹
#photography #amateur #FotoMontag #photoMonday #flower #bloomscrolling #Austria #Alps

Climbing rose (I think) by a window. Shot June 1st in Rotholz #Austria.
#photography #amateur #WindowFriday #FensterFreitag #Window #flowers #rose #bloomscrolling

Was 7⁰C in the valley this morning. Cold enough up in the mountains to get a bit of new snow, from what my eyes and camera could see. 🏔️
#Austria #Alps #travel #mountain #valley #nature #photography #amateur

Bathing idols in milk, yogurt, honey, ghee, coconut water looks, feels good but the idols need thorough cleaning after. And they've so many idols. 😲
These pictures are mine:
1. 700 year old idols, hand cleaned by the Swamiji
2. About 25% idols cleaned
4. Cleaning crew
#photography #amateur #sculpture #ritual

6.7km leisurely river walk in the valley last Friday. Great views throughout but seeing this mare with braids was special. She even walked up to us to show her best side. 🐴 😍
And the bridge with googly eyes. 👀
#walking #health #photography #amateur #horse #bridge #nature #FotoMontag #PhotoMonday #Austria #Alps

The moon right now. Almost half way through the waxing phase. 🌓
#photography #amateur #moon #night #Germany

A welcome mat for the new baby and the mom. The two will be seated here for a brief ritual before entering the home for the first time.
(May 11, 2026 #Bengaluru)
#tradition #India #birth #ritual #photography #amateur

Hindu Friday tradition celebrates Lakshmee, goddess of prosperity (the seated idol with flowers around in the picture). And, where there is Lakshmee there is Naaraayana (the portrait); with Naaraayana is Hanuma (the bronze bell). Silver "aarathi" lamps with ghee-soaked wicks in the middle.
Vibes. ✨
#photography #amateur #tradition #Friday

Fresh amaranth leaves. Almost "farm to table". 🌿
#photography #amateur #PhotoMonday #FotoMontag #greens #produce #India

Wheat ears hung upside down at the local bakery. The second picture is looking at the installation from under it. Looks to me like a large scrub one might use on a rough floor, but with lights. 🌾 🥖
May 21, 2026 #Bavaria #Germany
#photography #amateur #PhotoMonday #FotoMontag #wheat #bakery #decor

Mandalas at the original site of Puthige Matha (near #Udupi #India). 🪷
Witnessed a wonderful and intimate evening service. Then light refreshments made with devotion and love by students there. Warm conversations with everyone we met. Three hours well spent. 🙇‍♂️
#photography #amateur #art #mandala

At end of service:
1. The Swamiji holds up each idol for all to see (as someone announces the idol),
2. wraps the idol in silk cloth,
3. appreciates the idol and places it in a wooden box covered in deer skin [such a box is on the floor, in front of the Swamiji].
4. An assistant puts the boxes in a silver trunk.
#photography #amateur #photoMontag #FotoMonday #Hindu #ritual

Lodging is a big concern visiting Mantralaya #India but turns out we had the best: Clean, large, AC suite ~100m from temple entry; just walk without footwear. It's also their most expensive lodging but worth it, esp. because it sleeps 4.
Bonus that the lodge gave me some nice pictures. 📷
PS: Shiva at lodge entry is odd given the temple's faith, but 😐
#travel #lodging #photography #amateur

My wife took this picture today from the balcony of our rental. 🌴
#photography #NotMine #amateur #SilentSunday #Udupi #India #trees #coconut

I found this #painting today at Krishna Matha #Udupi. Someone (most likely the artist themselves) left it outside the Swamiji's room as their offering.
🖼️ 🌳 🦚 🪈 🐄
(see alt text)
#photography #amateur #PhotoMonday #FotoMontag #art #found #India

Aug. 8: Lucky to attend the main service at Sripadaraja ("shree-paada-raaja") Matha, Bengaluru #India. The service is (must be) performed by the Swamiji himself.
1. An assistant prepares the altar
2. Swamiji places idols on the altar
3. Rituals enrich the altar
4. Service ends with the grand "aarathi" (showing flame).
#photography #amateur #photoMontag #FotoMonday #Hindu #ritual

Paarijaata flowers ("night jasmine") are pretty and very fragrant. They fall off the tree at the slightest breeze, and you often find 10-30-50 around the tree by 6am. No surprise they are the only flowers that may be picked off the floor and still be offered to Hindu gods.
The orange stem gives strings of these flowers a unique look and are very popular in presentations at Wishnu temples. E.g., Picture 4.
The flowers in Pictures 1-3 are from my sister's garden.
Picture 4 is from: #photography #amateur #flowers #bloomscrolling #India

Storing produce and still saving space. 🍌🤓
#photography #amateur #WindowFriday #FensterFreitag #produce #melon #bananas #India

Today, the 4th day of Shraawana month in the Hindu lunar calendar, is Naaga Chathurthi; tomorrow Naaga Panchami. Both days honor serpents (and snakes) with prayers made to the lord of serpents.🐍
In some traditions, women visit brothers on Panchami and get presents.🎁

#photography #amateur #Hindu #India #snake #serpent #mandala #tradition #ama

My second time in Mantralayam #India. The first was over 4 decades ago, and I've virtually no memory of that visit.
I know the kind of great experiences that can be had here, but I've to set low expectations and let things come to me over the next three days. 🙇‍♂️
"raayariddaare" as they say in these parts.
#photography #amateur #FotoMontag #PhotoMonday #travel

Pomelo. Not a fruit I like eating but it makes good pictures.
(Today at a store in #Udupi #India)
#FotoMontag #photoMonday #photography #amateur #fruit #pomelo

An electric fan in interesting colors bolted to a nearly 300-year old wooden ceiling (recently polished). Check out that handcrafted woodwork.
(Shirooru Matha #Udupi #India)
#photography #amateur #architecture #carpentry #wood #appliance

"Upon reflection" I think I got a good deal on these copper and bronze tumblers. 🤓
#photography #amateur #India #tumblers #copper #bronze #reflection #pun #photoMonday #FotoMontag

Vivid colors and beauty almost everywhere you look. Feels good to be back in #India, hopefully for a long-ish stay this time. 🚜
(Zoom in and you'll see there's so much going on in just the front of that tractor.)
#Bengaluru #photography #amateur #tractor #vehicle

Happened on these cleaned pots and pans today at the "chauki" kitchen (where they prepare the offerings) in #Udupi Krishna Matha. Some of the pots, especially the copper ones, are decades old. 🍯
#photography #amateur #FotoMontag #PhotoMonday #pots #India #kitchen

#throwback to July *2024* when I walked along the Trinity River in Fort Worth, Texas aka "Panther City", aka "Cow Town". 🐈‍⬛🤘🎨
#photography #amateur #panther #longhorn #FortWorth #Texas #mural #art #tbt #throwbackThursday

#throwback: I don't know how long this conch has been in my family, but I've seen it since my childhood, generally used like once a year. 🐚
Some of the brown is inherent but the rest should come off if someone cared. Perhaps I should. 😔
#photography #amateur #tbt #throwbackThursday #Thursday #conch #shell #nature

Peered in to admire the bright rainbow umbrella. 🌈 ☂️
PS: A temple gate. The sign on the gate stands for the #Sanskrit word "swasthi" which means "well being". No other symbol is represented.
#photography #amateur #PhotoMonday #FotoMontag #umbrella #rainbow #temple #Udupi #India