...Ramblings

Rats! Or, rabbits.

2011-02-07T01:58:00.000-05:00

Perhaps I should have specified the first day of which summer. It makes all the difference! So, by the first day of summer in the Year of the Rabbit, I shall post photos from our ever more distant trip to Japan 2009. Happy new year!

Lunar New Year's resolution

2010-01-31T03:17:00.000-05:00

With the lunar new year upcoming in two weeks, it's time for a lunar new year resolution. Some believe that putting a goal in writing makes it more likely that the goal will be accomplished. I believe in hoping that will turn out to be true!

My goal: I will post photos and stories from our 2009 Japan visit ... before the first day of summer. (Please believe me, that's a stretch goal!)

Maybe...

2009-06-16T20:00:00.004-04:00

Thinking that just maybe, some photos of Japan are due to be posted. And probably from many other places as well. How does that song go? "Anticipation..." Or more probably, "pro-cras-ti-na-a-tion..." Photos will be posted soon. Soon!

Chicago?!

2009-04-28T00:36:00.002-04:00

Okay, not really Chicago. I'm in St. Charles for a couple of days, and finding it amusing to be living out of a suitcase again, however briefly. The small room is rather posh (also amusing, but quite nice) and is fitted out with ultra modern decor, a flatscreen tv, tidy coffee pot and servings of Colombian coffee. It almost feels like a favorite small hotel in NYC. Spouse is missing out.

Time for sleep. Tomorrow brings new ways of looking at things, oodles of inspiration and - brace meself - a guest speaker in the form of a former lead solo for the Blue Angels! Certainly sounds like a perfect day.

'Night, all.

Back, relaxed and happy

2009-04-21T00:22:00.002-04:00

We've been home for a week now, and are very happy. It was truly a wonderful trip, and we are just beginning to realize what an adventure we had! As I look at the photos from earlier in the trip, it seems like so long ago, and each subsequent photo draws out an "oh yes, that was great!" or "remember how terrific that was?" Now to make room on the hard drive for the photos - or to make time to select at least some highlights...

Ready

2009-04-11T08:05:00.002-04:00

Saturday evening here... another warm, sunny day, made lovelier by a visit with family. We got to meet up with Kuniko, her son Kyouichi, his wife and their two children. After a delicious lunch, we visited the graves of the 47 ronin. Now I really do have to see the movie!

As we begin our trip home in a little more than ten hours, it is time to pack. We really should have brought an empty duffle bag or two.

Looking forward to seeing everyone very soon! (And of course, to editing and posting photos and so forth... only 8,000 or so from which to choose. Easy!)

Family tomorrow

2009-04-09T21:47:00.002-04:00

Hooray for a sunny and warm Friday morning in Tokyo! We will spend Saturday with family, so today is our last day on our own. Yesterday was terrific - the folks went on their own adventure, and Gary and I wandered through the far reaches of old neighborhoods.

Highlights:
- local artisans
- a gull version of King of the Hill (the game, not the tv show)
- something that was not mochi, despite claims to the contrary
- lots of walking
- friendly, escape-minded black cat
- a caution about "no!! smorking"
- helpful strangers
- Tony Blanco?!

Ah, parents are ready to ramble. Ciao for now...

A warm sunny day!

2009-04-08T22:58:00.002-04:00

It is Thursday morning - warm and sunny! The weather was nice here yesterday too, so we are very much looking forward to the day. Spouse is already on a mission to secure tickets to tonight's Yakult Swallows vs Chunichi Dragons game, so the folks will be on the own, probably much to their relief. :) Tomorrow all four of us will go to the Giants vs Tigers game. But we probably won't be joined by a sumo wrestler. That's good, really, because the last time watching said sumo wrestler and his entourage enjoy McDonald's and KFC led my stomach on the same path. Not that I'm complaining!

Off we go to explore.

Tokyo-bound

2009-04-07T21:23:00.001-04:00

Wednesday morning here. Heading for Tokyo. Beautiful and sunny and a perfect day for hiking in the Japanese alps. Or for riding in a train and taking photos of the countryside. Hope our next ryokan has internet access!

Still living, not so much blogging

2009-04-07T08:36:00.002-04:00

Okay, so we have been terrible about blogging. Our reasons: 1) limited internet access, 2) unlimited cold symptoms, and 3) actually spending all of our time walking, seeing, eating, enjoying, etc etc etc. What an amazing trip this is! We leave Matsumoto tomorrow morning (it is now Tuesday night here) and head for Tokyo. Before we know it, we'll be plane-bound for 14 hours. What are the chances my brother will remember he said he would come pick up the folks? Quite good, right?

Recent highlights:
- friendly schoolchildren
- delicious, aromatic homemade plum wine (literally, and not that you asked or wanted to know, I am drooling at the recollection)
- lost objects
- found objects
- department stores that do not sell cameras
- snow in Japan's Alps
- warmth in the valleys
- welcoming, patient people
- surprise gifts
- familial togetherness
- general happiness

Wishing the same to you all. =^-^=

Matsumoto

2009-04-06T01:03:00.003-04:00

Osaka was .... interesting! We have just arrived in Matsumoto (it is 2pm Monday afternoon here) and are heading to our rooms, but couldn't pass by the opportunity to toss out a free update. In retrospect, it makes sense that the upscale hotels don't offer a laptop, but it is still highly annoying :-D

Mother has taken hours of film and Father has taken so many photos that his camera is out of service (top priority today: procure new camera). For my part, my photo count is somewhere north of 7000, but I am working hard to delete the flotsam and jetsam. Or at least the flotsam. Because when a very large sumo wrestler sits four seats away at a ballgame, what is one to do but take a per kilo quantity of photos?

Other recent excitement includes whale sharks and mola molas, drunken cherry blossom viewing (witnessed, not experienced personally), crescent moon over famous torii, pushy deer, steep mountain trail, creepy monkey, wild raccoons out for a moonlit jaunt, parental (shep-)herding, noisy Americans and ever so much more.

All feet are holding up well, walking shoes are performing fabulously. More soon! (Really!)

Cold, and a cold

2009-04-03T20:35:00.000-04:00

No blogging due to nasty cold. Also, very cold outside! Leaving Kyoto for Osaka. xoxoxo to all!

Kyoto

2009-04-01T21:28:00.002-04:00

Lightning post - we are embarking upon Day 2 in Kyoto (Thursday morning here) and ready to take a long walk. Mother and Father are happy and well and walking farther than seems reasonable to expect at 80 and 78. A longer update soon. Meanwhile, much love to all!

Yes, we live!

2009-03-29T04:43:00.003-04:00

In fact, beyond not having internet access at our past few hotels, we have been so busy living that we haven't had time to stop into an internet cafe either. Everyone is having a wonderful time (really!)

Following Beppu, we spent a lovely day at Mt. Aso (nothing like a live volcano with sulferous gases to emphasize our "place" on the planet) (L&G, Father misread it as "sulfurious," which was just as hilarious as you might expect :-D ).

Then we headed to Kumamoto where we were dazzled by the local castle and the former residence of the highest ranking shogun ... I am so building a house like that one, one of these days, if only out of toothpicks.

We took a ferry to "somewhere on the coast on the way to" Unzen, enjoyed the pungent aromas of the onsen there, and took lots of pictures as we zipped through OBAMA (hooray!) on the way to Nagasaki.

Yesterday (Saturday) we arrived in Kitakyushu-shi, Kokura to be exact. We visited all day today with family - Chizuko, Tsurue, Mr. Ilie (Shichan's son), his wife, Michiko, Miyoko, her husband, Masaharu, and more cousins. [will respectfully add names later!]

It is now Sunday evening and we are headed off to dinner. Itadakimasu (sp?) !

Out of computer time - much more to come! xoxo to all!

Quick notes

2009-03-21T06:22:00.002-04:00

Saturday
- Oita
- people painting a van
- "youth" in need of a loincloth
- lunch at Tokiwa - pancakes actually = CAKE!
- train ride
- tiny, hungry yellow kitty (shared pancake)
- old grocery store - no Mr. Tamada :(
- family bathhouse
- house where Lyn lived as toddler
- Camp Chickamaugua
- bats

Mother english to nihongo-o hanashimasu

2009-03-20T20:09:00.002-04:00

It is a beautiful Saturday morning in Beppu. Sunny, bright, a little chilly, but beautiful. As with yesterday, breakfast was a small feast. We think today's fish was swordfish (yes, overfished, but I felt only tiny guilt about this 2x2 portion). Now we are full of energy to start the day.

We are heading to Oita to exchange our Japan Rail pass vouchers for the real thing. After one too many exciting moments with plane tickets and boarding passes and luggage claim tickets, I decided that I will be in charge of carrying everyone's rail passes. If lost, you are simply out of luck and cannot buy them in country, so it is a little like carrying a few loose diamonds in one's pocket.

After Oita, we are going up into the hills of Beppu to see if the folks can recognize any of their old stomping grounds. While driving yesterday, we passed a green, lovely park that used to be Father's military camp. He recognized the location, and is looking forward to seeing what else may bring back memories. For my part, I am looking forward to the stories that will come along with them. For instance, I learned how Father and Dickie Lee Poole got tickets for riding their bikes too quickly downhill on main street. Picture that for a moment :)

All right - off to adventure!

We have arrived!

2009-03-20T04:45:00.002-04:00

We are in Beppu．Ｕｈ－ｏｈ．Ｉｔ　ａｐｐｅａｒｓ　Ｉ　ｈａｖｅ　ａｃｃｉｄｅｎｔａｌｌｙ　ａｃｔｉｖａｔｅｄ　ｓｏｍｅｔｈｉｎｇ　ｗｈｉｃｈ　．．．　ｗｅｌｌ，　Ｉ　ｄｏｎ’ｔ　ｋｎｏｗ　ｗｈａｔ　ｉｔ　ｉｓ　ｄｏｉｎｇ。　Ａｎｙｗａｙ，　ｗｅ　ｓｐｅｎｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｄａｙ　ｗｉｔｈ　Ｈｉｋｏ，　Ｋｕｎｉｋｏ　ａｎｄ　Ｆｕｃｈａｎ．　Ｔｉｍｅ　ｆｏｒ　ｍｏｒｅ　ｖｉｓｉｔｉｎｇ．　Ｓａｙｏｎａｒａ！

Long time

2009-03-08T23:38:00.000-04:00

It has been a while. We are getting ready to head back out into the world.

Traveling

2009-01-08T23:25:00.008-05:00

.... There he goes.

August 3, 1966 - January 7, 2009

Until next time, friend.
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RBP

2008-12-27T23:38:00.001-05:00

Random Baseball Photo (potentially interesting, probably blurry, always random)

Oh, fabulous. Fuzzy, but - hey, we did win this one!

Big moon

2008-12-18T23:39:00.005-05:00

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Last weekend, the moon was so big and bright that I woke the spouse (or tried to, at least) to see it. Really beautiful. Despite another recent 'lunar' post, I'm not much of a night sky watcher these days; we live so close to the city that we see only the general pink haze most evenings. But as I turned out lights to go upstairs and found I could still find my way perfectly without them, this big moon stopped me in my tracks. After giving up on getting the spouse to come see, a cat and I hung out for a little while, soaking up the moonlight.

In the morning, I read that the moon's orbit brought it closer than it has been in 15 years. That whole thing about "living in the moment" makes a little more sense now. Pretty awesome.

Drafted

2008-12-09T23:51:00.009-05:00

The household is pleased to announce that the 2009 draft was completed this past Sunday. A full slate of games was selected and pre-season trading is expected to get underway shortly.

In business news, household commodity analysts recommend decisive action to secure the portfolio, issuing a strong "Buy" on Teixeira. Industry concensus on Dunn, however, is a guarded "Are you serious? Pass."

The household "accu-whether" service is calling for a 60% chance of cheering, hampered only by the lingering presence of GM Bowden. If Bowden maintains current strength and heads in a decision-making direction, fans can expect the impact to be felt throughout the season, with scattered to heavy frustration of up to 50%. Our forecast also shows a 70 to 80% chance of light to mild grousing, with southwesterly gusts of cursing in innings 6 through 9.

Powerball lottery quick picks for the number of games Nick Johnson will play before incurring his 2009 season-ending injury are: 4, 6, 12, 15 and 24.

Also, we want Rauch back. And can someone wash Screech? That is one FOUL FOWL. P.U.!

(c) miws is a writer for travel-lightly.blogspot.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. All works herein are copyrighted and may be transmitted with credit to the travel-lightly network. :)

Snow

2008-12-06T20:42:00.003-05:00

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Snow?! It doesn't snow here in December!

(And yes, that dusting totally qualifies as snow, especially where local drivers - including me, I confess - are concerned.)
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Celestial!

2008-12-01T23:54:00.006-05:00

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Beautiful night. :) Not a fancy photo, but beautiful night nonetheless.

The moon, Venus and Jupiter!
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Mini-holiday

2008-11-21T00:04:00.001-05:00

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There are few things as relaxing as a day at the beach. :)

the spoils of October 11

to.c

Excuuuuuuse me

2008-11-14T21:16:00.005-05:00

Someone took objection to the first set of photos. :-D

Time travel

2008-11-12T00:12:00.003-05:00

Today's photo is brought to you courtesy of the 80s.

Wow.

Leafy

2008-11-03T23:51:00.000-05:00

Caution

2008-11-02T23:02:00.000-05:00

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Boy, were there ever!

Vibes

2008-10-27T23:44:00.003-04:00

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.Sending good vibes your way, D.

Whirled series

2008-10-26T02:06:00.004-04:00

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Worn out by rain delay. Couldn't decide who to root for.

Good mood

2008-10-21T23:55:00.002-04:00

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No special occasion. Any day is a good day with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.
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Solitude

2008-10-14T21:04:00.005-04:00

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The spouse set out to enjoy a leisurely holiday hike along the Potomac, but was joined by "about a thousand other people" on the Billy Goat Trail.

He calls this photo, "Ah, much better now!"

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Extra happy

2008-10-05T23:44:00.006-04:00

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One day on the way home from my sister's, we saw a bright triple rainbow, much brighter than we could capture with our simple camera. It seemed a fitting close to a lovely day.

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Pondering

2008-10-01T00:02:00.000-04:00

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We still haven't had the get-up-and-go to sort out where we'll be headed, but the wheels are turning a little better now. Something simple and relaxing would do nicely.

Forward

2008-09-16T23:21:00.002-04:00

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.To do: Sort out destination for next adventure.

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Taste of heaven

2008-09-08T23:26:00.001-04:00

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Ben's Chili Bowl is the BEST. Even the car's GPS system knew it by name.
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More humor

2008-09-07T23:59:00.001-04:00

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Rookie hazing. Welcome to the bigs, Estrada!

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Humor

2008-09-05T23:07:00.001-04:00

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This strikes us as very funny. Nomar's #1 fan!

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LAD fans

2008-09-04T23:24:00.005-04:00

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This photo is from the August 28, 2008 baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the LA Dodgers. Despite the Dodgers' loss to the Nats, these two true blue fans were looking on the bright side. The spouse offered to take their photo with their camera (and did), but after I showed him this one, he pronounced it much better than the one he took. We weren't able to catch up to them, but maybe they'll find their way here. Way funny.

red beard. los angeles dodgers

Night sky

2008-09-03T23:20:00.002-04:00

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Simple

2008-09-02T23:37:00.002-04:00

NYC, 2005

In the middle of the park, in the middle of the city, on a warm summer day, this little one took his bath unperturbed by all the goings-on around him. Ah, simple pleasures! Dusty, but simple.

Perspective

2008-09-01T23:06:00.003-04:00

Peru, 2006

Walking in the Andes ... fresh air, fresh perspective on life.

Birthday

2008-08-27T00:15:00.004-04:00

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Happy day! Which is it, Ringo Starr or Toulouse Lautrec? And yes, I can read the hat. But it still looks like Ringo to me. Hope you have a great day!
=^-^=

Next time

2008-08-24T23:25:00.001-04:00

Good effort, P-Nats. Better game next time.

Birthday

2008-08-22T00:14:00.002-04:00

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It's your day! I hope it is wonderful, just like you. =^-^=

Nook who?

2008-08-20T23:35:00.002-04:00

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Willie Harris has great hustle and great attitude. It was serious fun to sit in the outfield and see him make some key plays.

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Habit

2008-08-19T23:05:00.001-04:00

Tokyo

This is the fellow (in the blue shirt) who arrived promptly to work every morning, bright and early, and proceeded to change his pants. At his desk. In front of the window. With the blinds open. Who needs modesty when one has anonymity? Not this guy! After all, it's just business.

Festivals

2008-08-18T23:10:00.005-04:00

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It's one of those late summer evenings, perfect for strolling through a county fair or town festival. Although this photo at Ueno Park was taken in the spring, it still has the same good vibe of brilliant sights and pleasant weather.

Tokyo, 2007

Sight-seeing

2008-08-12T23:09:00.001-04:00

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The view from the Tokyo Tower, April 2007.

RBP

2008-08-07T23:46:00.002-04:00

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Random Baseball Photo (potentially interesting, probably blurry, always random)

I nearly got the coolest photo during this game. Byrnes was biting his shirt. Can't remember why I didn't get the shot, but there you are. Also can't believe we beat them in a doubleheader today. Bet they get us back next weekend.
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Family

2008-08-05T23:03:00.005-04:00

Sacred Valley, Peru, 2006

We were walking along a dirt path, high in the Andes, when we encountered this family huddled close to a stone wall. It was hard to resist scooping up a fuzzy duckling, but mama duck is no doubt very fast with that strong bill of hers.

Mossy

2008-08-04T23:47:00.001-04:00

Kyoto, 2007

I'd much rather have a garden of moss than anything needing mowing.

Symmetry

2008-08-03T23:18:00.008-04:00

Enroute to Kyoto, 2007

We loved the beauty of clean patterns and simple order.

Restful space

2008-08-02T23:44:00.010-04:00

Enroute to Kyoto, 2007

I'm a big fan of traveling by train. It opens up a view of life that we don't usually get to see. While many photos come out blurry or with a tree or post or pole in the middle of them (I think that's my special gift, to capture such photos), sometimes there's a photo that is either entirely grand, or grand in a small way.

We like this one's geometry and earthy tones. And beyond the very obvious vegetable garden, there's a modest "thinking" one just beyond. The photo is too grainy to clearly make out its composition, but the elements are there: wood, water, earth, stone. A single chair awaits, inviting rest and introspection. Nothing too grand, but certainly worth some thought on its own.

Pretending

2008-07-29T23:24:00.004-04:00

.California, 2004

Still pretending we're in Point Reyes. It's working; I feel more relaxed already!

Breathe

2008-07-26T23:12:00.006-04:00

California, 2004

Mostly what we need is to just breathe a little more deeply, walk a little more slowly, treat each other with a little more kindness, so that we can all live more completely. Can't be all that hard, can it?

Summer holiday

2008-07-23T23:30:00.001-04:00

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This would do nicely.

Everglades, 2005

Mental travel

2008-07-20T23:48:00.005-04:00

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Some places you don't even need to return to, to remember vividly.

Tulum is like that. The heat, the sun, the smell of the salt sea air, the sensation of sand and limestone crunching underfoot. The rustling of lizards, and nearer El Castillo, the call of birds as they dart in and out of the cool recesses. The thickness of humidity momentarily cast off by an ocean breeze. The sudden and fleeting clarity brought by a draught of fresh water.

And everywhere, the solid, stylized architecture, intricately crafted in carved stone, its roughness smoothed with plaster and stories scribed in earthy pigment.

Tulum, Mexico, 2005
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Yes, it's easy to remember quite clearly. Somehow that makes us want to return all the more.

Summertime

2008-07-15T23:33:00.004-04:00

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It's nearly hummingbird time.

Santa Fe, 2005

Parking aplenty

2008-07-13T23:49:00.008-04:00

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There's no trouble finding a parking spot in Tokyo...
if your car is about the size of a cafe table, that is.

Tokyo, 2007
-click photo to enlarge-

Close to home

2008-07-07T22:34:00.007-04:00

.Peru, 2006

No photo could ever really do the Urubamba Valley justice, but this one gives just a hint of its other-worldliness (tall asparagus included).

Happy 4th!

2008-07-04T23:09:00.007-04:00

Quote

2008-06-29T20:18:00.007-04:00

"C'mon. Somebody make this game interesting."
- A little kid a couple rows back at last night's game.

Seriously.

Dominated

2008-06-28T23:33:00.006-04:00

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At least no one gave up, other than the Oriole fan in the push-up contest.

And the folks were happy. That does make it all worthwhile.

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Victory!!

2008-06-27T23:59:00.003-04:00

Wow. Surprising. But GREAT!

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Look, Ma, on time!

2008-06-26T23:59:00.005-04:00

I was even five minutes early! Really exciting.

So this is what 6am looks like.

Victory?!

2008-06-25T23:59:00.003-04:00

.Camera went a little loony and was taking very dark photos, but still managed to capture Flores' winning hit. We actually won??
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RBP

2008-06-24T23:59:00.006-04:00

Random Baseball Photo (potentially interesting, probably blurry, always random)

Voila! Ken Griffey, Jr.
Shockingly, our guys won that night.
Sorry, Ken. We couldn't believe it, either.
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HD-ready

2008-06-23T22:59:00.006-04:00

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"C'mon, you guys are perfect for HD!"

We love the Presidents but we'd rather avoid that dude.
Stand aside, son. You're blocking the way to Ben's Chili Bowl.
And no, we don't know where Tom was. That might've sealed the deal.
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Watchful

2008-06-17T23:53:00.013-04:00

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Archives, 2005.

Mama osprey watched us closely. Two rather scraggly babies were tucked behind her in the nest. The family waited impatiently for Papa osprey, who had just returned from his mid-morning hunt with a large fish. Papa perched atop a nearby post while finishing his share of the fish. The babies were quiet, but Mama called persistently (and piercingly) for what seemed like a very long time, wanting to feed the babies - and get a chance to stretch her own wings and maybe find a fish for herself.

Small friend

2008-06-16T22:24:00.001-04:00

.This little fellow scooted away from the footpath through my father's backyard. Very small, and a sign of good things.

Fitting right in

2008-06-15T23:18:00.003-04:00

.Flashback to a favorite moment: Spouse as leaf-cutter ant.

I'd rather be...

2008-06-13T19:05:00.003-04:00

Friends!

2008-06-12T23:57:00.004-04:00

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Wonderful visits lately :)

Summer

2008-06-11T23:32:00.003-04:00

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Where has spring gone?! A few days yet to get out and enjoy it.

Kyoto, Japan

Wishful thinking

2008-06-10T23:14:00.005-04:00

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You know how some moments stay with you forever after?

I wish I had figured out what was meant to be put into the bowl (food? or money?) and tried to provide it.

Monk in Kyoto, Ian Smith

No, really

2008-06-07T23:34:00.004-04:00

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Sorry, Shawn Hill. You pitched a great game.

.190 >> .364

2008-06-05T23:55:00.007-04:00

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To the Cardinals fan who kept yelling ".190!" during Elijah Dukes' 10th inning at-bat:

Sometimes .364 isn't all it's cracked up to be.
:)

Grandma is 101!

2008-06-02T00:03:00.006-04:00

Happy hundred-and-first birthday, Grandma!

A bluebird comes to sing to Grandma on her big day.

Grandma and her favorite grandson

Carrie gets a spin from Caden.

Earl and Howard

Aunt Helen and Grandma

Howard, Earl, Jimmy, Skip and Gene

Reunions are best for reminiscing.

Grandma and her kids

Traveling

2008-05-30T23:37:00.003-04:00

Traveling to Kyoto, April 2007

Trains are probably our favorite way to travel. There is so much to see, and it's such a roomy, relaxing way to do it. Every passing moment brings another interesting scene into view. The clean lines of this storage building in Japan and the controlled fancifulness of the garden plantings speak so clearly to the culture.

RBP*

2008-05-28T23:27:00.004-04:00

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* Random Baseball Photo: Truly random, unnamed, uncropped, probably blurry, possibly interesting, possibly not.

Ah, it's some sort of Dodger, watched with resignation by Frank Robinson and other vaguely interested parties. All I remember is that we won.

Irony?

2008-05-24T23:58:00.005-04:00

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At tonight's game, Tim Pabst won the Budweiser/Busch "Good Sport" Designated Driver of the Game. Coincidence is often mistaken for irony, but this, in any case, is funny.

12-zip rally!

2008-05-22T23:12:00.002-04:00

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Yeah, so the home team came back from a near 12-0 defeat to score a couple of runs and end on a somewhat less depressing 12-2 final tally. Oddly, I had the best time ever at a game where the Phillies were involved. (Maybe because it was raining so most of their fans finked out.) Photos forthcoming!
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Continued

2008-05-14T23:14:00.003-04:00

There are so many great photos from the May 3rd game, it's really hard to choose. For the moment, we'll just keep celebrating that victory. :)

No photos!

2008-05-10T23:37:00.002-04:00

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I went to a ballgame tonight. My camera didn't. It was accidental and surprising, and it felt pretty strange. Photos are how I remember what I've seen. Not that it was such a game to remember - we got totally wiped out. But still.
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Great day

2008-05-06T23:05:00.002-04:00

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Saturday was a great day! It was wonderful to spend a day with the folks.

Family humor

2008-04-29T23:22:00.000-04:00

Only family ever really get it. :)

Brief Chief

2008-04-26T23:41:00.001-04:00

The Chief did fine, not giving up any runs in the single inning he pitched Saturday night. We hope to see more of him. Any and all competent pitchers welcome, especially if backed up by a productive offense. *ahem* It's just a slump. They'll work out of it.

More Mule

2008-04-23T23:28:00.004-04:00

more Govt Mule

Mule

2008-04-19T23:00:00.002-04:00

It's always a pleasure to see Govt Mule play. This photo is really blurry but I like it. It's sort of the opposite of the acoustics of Lisner, which were super crisp.

Adventure

2008-04-11T22:20:00.005-04:00

Day trip to a state park. Great fun was had by all.

Streaking

2008-04-10T23:58:00.006-04:00

Some streaks are good. Some ... aren't. Thank goodness it's all about how you play the game.

Hey, captioning! How cool is that?
We have no choice now but to stop mocking Lo Duca.A double for Johnson.
Sad to report that the streak extends to seven losses.
But hey, who's counting?!

WOO!!

2008-03-30T23:59:00.004-04:00

Finally, opening day at the new ballpark! Can you say COLD? Any second thoughts we had about bringing lots of layers were put soundly to rest well before batting practice was over.

Unfrozen caveman groundskeeper.Not the home of the Braves. The boys.The reason for the most serious security screening ever at a ballgame. Note to self: Buy stock in trenchcoats and shiny lapel pins. At the time of the first pitch, I was standing at my sister's seats, so I couldn't see very well. But from up there, it looked high and outside. One might say, wide and to the right.We'll never see the likes of this again.But we hope to see lots and lots more of this...... and this.Zimmerman comes home!Sweet victory, broadcast on the largest whatever screen in whatever. Woohoo!!!!

Heroes

2008-03-24T00:47:00.002-04:00

Uncle Peach, always feisty, always welcoming.

Photo updates COMPLETE

2008-03-13T23:59:00.000-04:00

Really, all that is left to do is to fill in the stories, and of course the hundred things we'll remember. And maybe post a few last favorite photos. And reminisce a little more. And... well, we could go on and on. We hope you have enjoyed coming along for the ride.

- 1/28/08 Ah, Colombia! - added text, photos 3/12
- 1/27/08 Last full day - added photos 3/12
- 1/26/08 La Mulata = happy - added photos 3/10
- 1/26/08 Sunny and 90°F - added photos 3/10
- 1/25/08 Never never - added photos 3/9, 3/10
- 1/24/08 Walled City - added posting, photos 3/8
- 1/24/08 Tranquil Oasis* - added photos 3/8
- 1/23/08 Ballads and Novellas - added photos 3/4
- 1/22/08 Beach time - added photos 2/26
- 1/21/08 8000 feet to sea level - added photos 2/24
- 1/20/08 A day at the park - added photos 2/20
- 1/19/08 Safest driver ever - added photos 2/17, 2/19
- 1/18/08 Bogota - added photos 2/13
- 1/17/08 Esposa Vieja - added photos 2/10
- 1/16/08 Algae bloom! - added photos 2/9, 2/10
- 1/15/08 Diving - added photos 2/9, 2/10
- 1/14/08 Eden - added photos 2/5, 2/10
- 1/13/08 Panama??? - added photos and text 2/1

Organizing

2008-01-31T23:00:00.000-05:00

Still editing photos, but have made a wee bit of progress by organizing the "lightning round" entries into separate posts by date. Photos are always the fun part, which is why it takes so long to choose what to post, but the sooner we can share them, the sooner we can relive it and take you on a bit of the trip too. Soon, soon! :)

Photo peek

2008-01-30T23:15:00.000-05:00

A first look at Isla de Providencia.

Home!

2008-01-29T22:19:00.000-05:00

We arrived home around 130am this morning. Happy (if a bit tired) people surrounded by happy (if a bit overexcited) animals. We uploaded ~1200 photos tonight and will soon be ready to post our top picks and to fill in stories and memorable moments.

Colombia is truly a wonderful place, with some of the friendliest, most welcoming people we have ever had the pleasure of meeting. So much so, we've added the country to our imaginary list of possible places to retire to.

Many thanks for all the good vibes. We had a great time. :)

Ah, Colombia!

2008-01-28T12:00:00.004-05:00

How did this time go so fast? I never imagined we'd enjoy Colombia so much, and feel so very much at home there. Wonderful people, wonderful places. And to think I almost didn't go!