Do You Have One Of These?

New Topic - Simple Pleasures

2008-02-16T11:56:00.002-06:00

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have been stuck in the winter doldrums. My topic is those simple pleasures that you love to do and that bring a smile to your face when you think about them. For me, it is my knitting. To you it may just seem like sticks and string,but whenever I am stressed or down in the dumps, I can just pick it up and feel all the tension melt away as I hear the click of the needles and watch my project grow. What is your simple pleasure?

Sure Sign It's Fall

2007-09-24T16:07:00.000-06:00

The huge flocks of grackles foraging in preparation for their migration south is usually the first sign that it's truly fall ... even before leaf changes and apple-picking.

And we know it's spring, when they come back ;).

Fall

2007-09-19T16:07:00.000-06:00

On a bright sunny day, this leaf serves as a reminder of this time of year.

First Sign of Fall

2007-09-19T13:30:00.000-06:00

What a cute little leaf I found on

the first Sunday of September

Fall Is...

2007-09-17T20:48:00.000-06:00

Wow! I can't believe how long I have been away from this, and it is still going!! That is so cool! Everyone ought to make a concept-blog and then bail out, and then come back, just so they can be amazed that their idea still lives on!! Good on ya, all!! ;D!

Fall is... the corn getting harvested. This is this morning... when I came home for lunch, the corn was all gone...

Fall Is...

2007-09-17T05:13:00.000-06:00

To me, fall means cider season!

Nuke a mug of cider for 2 minutes, and toss a cinnamon apple herbal tea bag in there on a nippy night--mmmmm! That's Fall!

New Topic! Fall.

2007-09-15T15:10:00.000-06:00

Time for a new topic folks. What makes you think of fall? Whenever I think of fall, I think of fairs, cotton candy etc.

Pretty Ugly

2007-09-02T08:45:00.000-06:00

This is a common sight and one that fills me with mixed feelings. Is it pretty or ugly? I can't decide.

Unsightly lines?

2007-08-20T01:00:00.001-06:00

I think there is some irony in the fact that I found this tree in Los Angeles:

Even more so when I realized that it's on the boulevard in front of a dermatologist's house!

Ugly or Beautiful......It's in the eye of the beholder

2007-08-13T17:03:00.000-06:00

Well, although bugs creep me out most of the time, I do like taking a good picture of them. So here's a "Is it ugly or Beautiful" post. hmmmmm..............can we choose a subject or am I breaking the rules????

Big and Little

2007-08-10T17:40:00.000-06:00

I haven't got a couple of adorable big and little animals, so I though I would shock and amaze you with a different type of big and little.

Big and little PILLS!

The little orange pill is so small that if I have to pick one up at work, I bust out the tweezers. The big white pill is soooo large I don't know how people swallow them!

Big and Little part two

2007-08-10T10:31:00.000-06:00

Here are mine. They're so much fun to have around. Sure can cheer you up when you're feeling down sometimes. And they always seem to know when I'm sad :)

And thanks for inviting me here, this should be fun :)

Big Little

2007-07-27T06:46:00.000-06:00

Since I dragged everyone down (including myself) with my post below, I am jumping in with an idea that's got a lot of happy and cute potential. BIG and little.

My little poodle is on the left. Our next door neighbor's GINORMOUS mutt is on the right. They are good buddies.

We call it the destruction site

2007-07-25T13:47:00.000-06:00

To the right is my neighborhood. To the left WAS a forest when we bought our house.

So sad.

Bye Bye Bridge

2007-07-20T06:35:00.000-06:00

I too have been absent for some time. Here's my construction shot - the new Lake Okanagan Bridge.

And a shot that wasn't taken through the windshield:
I took these photos as I was driving from my old house for the last time en route to the airport as I continue my long, drawn out move from British Columbia to Ontario.

Never thought that photos of a construction site would make me get teary.

In no particular order...

2007-07-13T13:37:00.000-06:00

yeah I am a little late with some of my finds...due to computer problems and a touch of laziness so here is an older topic (oddly enough one that I suggested, oh well)
My dirty little secret is that I hate to unpack my suitcases...I will leave them for months sitting around and we will live out of them...and then it will take several more months before they get put away...and generally we travel so much that they never get put away...what is a girl to do?!

Construction on Peachtree

2007-07-11T15:20:00.000-06:00

Here's what's happening on Peachtree Road as recorded by my spy camera:

This crane is building this:

This condo complex is going to be huge.

And this crane is working on another set of condos only a block away.

This crane? Beats me. It's working on something near the hospital.

Now, this is all within one mile along Peachtree. I can only hope I'm gone before people start moving in. Traffic is going to be horrendous!

Enjoy!
-T. Budnik

Water Towers

2007-07-10T05:17:00.000-06:00

Minneapolis has several historic water towers. This oneabove is called The Witches Hat tower, and is located on the highest point in the city. The view from there is gorgeous.

Here's the other one, called The Washburn Water tower, named for the neighborhood that it looms over, and my old high school. The stone carvings on this one are make it look very ominous if you stand directly underneath. Both of them are prime tourist spots and very lovely places to be.

Construction

2007-07-06T08:37:00.001-06:00

Around here, summertime means one thing....construction! So, how'z about a picture of some heavy construction machinery?

What's building in your neighbourhood?

Mixed messege's and Ice Cream

2007-06-30T21:25:00.000-06:00

@ the ben and jerry's factory in Waterbury, VT I don't think they know if they want you to come or go...or maybe this is like a test for a new ice cream flavor..."do nut know what your doing" maybe it will have choc./van/coffee/strawberry/banana ice cream with every nut you can imagine and a chocolate swirl...oh heck what do I know I just went thru the door.

All along the Watertower....

2007-06-30T17:55:00.001-06:00

Sorry, but this topic brigs Jim Morrison to my mind. And here is a shot of one of 3 watertowers that I pass on a regular basis. The others didn't turn out as well.

Edit: As Bezzie pointed out that should be Hendrix! My bad....

Peonies!

2007-06-25T00:23:00.000-06:00

It has been the best peony year ever! I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that we are moving this summer. They must have overheard my husband and I talking and decided to perform well so they would be dug up and taken with me - like I don't have enought OTHER stuff to do besides dig up a bunch of plants and then RE-PLANT them 5 miles away. Oh well...gotta do it.

My Hometown Water Tower

2007-06-19T07:59:00.000-06:00

I think I have posted before when we did the "Home of the giant..." that my home town has a huge pumpkin fesival in the fall that draws huge crowds and media attention. Well we are a lil pumpkin crazy there so why not paint the water tower to look like the very gourd that brings such wonderful revenue to our little town?

Watertower found!

2007-06-18T16:20:00.001-06:00

It's not very tall, so I didn't find it until I was right up on it. So here you go! A nice view of my town watertower's undercarriage.

all along the watertower

2007-06-15T11:23:00.000-06:00

When I first started this project, this was a subject I really wanted to do... I have been a sorta lame host, falling off the wagon in recent months, but I am lovin the way you all have picked up the camera and run with it!! Do you have one of these??

Howz it growin?

2007-06-12T15:26:00.000-06:00

Here is my happy spot...

Clockwise from the onions, potatoes, sunflowers, cabbage, broccoli and raspberries....

from the other corner, black raspberries, tomatoes, pinto beans, and poles ready for some green beans too...

Howz it growin'?

2007-06-08T10:36:00.000-06:00

Well it was growing good til they died...yup I took this a while ago I just haven't posted it yet, and now I need to get down and take pix of the tiger lillies that have taken their place....I did not plant these, which is why they are doing so well. We have been in our house almost 2 years, and they just keep coming back and I love it. If I had anything to do with these I am sure they would be dead by now. So I am going to enjoy them as long as I can.

I will take a picture of the new flowers and add later.

Howz it Growin?

2007-06-07T22:10:00.000-06:00

We're growing a sweet pea in our house. Here it is in November:

And check her out now!

Howz it growing?

2007-06-05T20:41:00.000-06:00

Hi! Thought it was about time I got back here! :)

Petunia's still alive!! The wave variety!

Waving again!

My own container creation! Geranium in the middle, Ivy, etc. It's still doing well!
Everyone laughs at me as I'm known to have a black thumb...well...almost a month later and all of these are hanging in there!

Howz it growin'?

2007-06-05T18:06:00.001-06:00

What's growing in my garden???

Lots and lots..... From top to bottom:

Cherubs (well, I don't grow them, y'know!), Spiderwort, Lupine,

Bleeding Heart and Johnny Jump Ups, Flax,

Painted Daisies and Yarrow

Howz It Growing

2007-06-02T10:05:00.000-06:00

I don't have room for a garden (rental), but I do have a landing on my back steps that gets plenty o'sunlight.

So I planted a pot garden. I've got tomatoes, sunflowers, nastursiums, a mother's day marigold, onions, oregano and now my favorite one--a potato.

I "rooted" a Yukon Gold potato from a funky tater we had leftover from a bag we bought at the grocery store.

This was my potato the Friday of Memorial Day weekend:

Here it is yesterday (a week later):

I just got done watering my pot garden and I swear that potato has gotten bigger from that picture yesterday!

New Topic!

2007-06-01T17:42:00.000-06:00

Time for a new topic, I think....Howz it Growin? What's growing in your garden/flowerpot/neighbourhood/cracks in the sidewalk, etc?

Here's what's in my front garden.

Marigolds!

Mixed Message

2007-05-27T12:30:00.000-06:00

We went to visit the Statue of Liberty yesterday and waiting in the loooong line in Battery Park, I saw this guy.

What made it even more of a mixed message was the police officer that walked right by him and didn't say anything!!!

As an aside, I felt awful for that big old dog. It was about 90 degrees and that thing looked so uncomfortable in all that fur!

No Sens!

2007-05-25T16:01:00.000-06:00

Hmmm, this sign doesn't make sens to me!

Is it a new kind of toy?

(if you aren't sure what it is, email me and I'll tell ya! funnipharm AT Gmail dot com)

It's Snowing!

2007-05-24T14:56:00.000-06:00

This is a view out the front door, right after a rain with cherry blossoms in full bloom.

Mixed Messages

2007-05-22T15:38:00.001-06:00

I am headed out of town tomorrow, so I thought I'd leave a new idea before I go. I call it "Mixed Messages." Think signage gone awry, billboards that have been messed with, or just public messages you find amusing. I hope you guys are into it!

I would measure my elf, but I think he ran off with my tape measure.

Obstructed view

2007-05-20T06:03:00.000-06:00

I could have stood up and taken the picture so that you could truly see the "view" (which is of a couple of houses on the other side of one of the three roads leading to the famed seven-mile stretch of "white, sandy beach"), but I thought it might be more fun for you to see what I actually see every day - my children's art.

The stuff on the windows is "paint." It's called "window cling" paint, and we trace a picture with one color onto a plastic baggie, let it dry, and then go back and fill in the outline with another color(s). When the paint is completely dry it peels right off the baggie, and we can stick it to the windows. All of the pictures on this window were hand-drawn by my nine year old and "painted" by her and her sisters. We usually change the scene with the season.

I think it's a lovely view. What do you think?

My view

2007-05-19T14:36:00.000-06:00

The view out my back window. The one I see the most, as it is in a direct line from where I sit at my computer.

Looks nice, eh? Not so much in the winter. There are no leaves and all I can see is the back of the house across the lot....sigh...

View From My Window

2007-05-19T07:55:00.000-06:00

This is the window where my computer sits. That's a Bayberry bush and if I had been on the ball a week ago and snapped this photo, you could have seen it in riotous bloom, covered in tiny, sweet smelling white flowers. It's nice to sit here, the bush provides shade and fun for the birds. But I would rather have this view.

This is out my sunroom window, looking onto my bird feeding stations, lots of green and a nice quiet spot for sitting, relaxing and dozing off. The Hawthorn tree on the right is in full bloom; natures big joke I like to call it. Blooms beautifully but smells like old laundry.

View From My Window

2007-05-18T12:37:00.000-06:00

And for my inaugural post...

Hello Suburbia!

Through the screen you can see the tiny tree in our front yard (because most full grown trees were plowed down to build this subdivision), the across the street neighbor's fuel efficient compact car, our traditional mailbox (sadly, the flag is not up), and a glimpse of my irises. I planted two bulbs two years ago and they have exploded out control.

from my window

2007-05-17T12:51:00.000-06:00

Here is the view out my front window. I love my house sooo much!!! Moved here from Chicago, where the view was rather "Honeymooners". Now, we have 1.5 acres on the edge of town... ah! For less than we paid in rent in Chi-town!! Here's to the country life...

View From My Window

2007-05-15T20:43:00.000-06:00

Why it's Clancy's Pub and attached liquor store!

Classy! Clancy's Pub comes fully equipped with scantily clad women "dancing" and serving drinks. County regulations are in place so that their tops and bottoms stay in place.

View from.....

2007-05-15T07:47:00.000-06:00

While this is not technically a view from my window, it is a view from my sister's bedroom window in their new house and it was too pretty a picture not to share with you all! This is the city of Bangor in all its springtime glory! Enjoy!

View from my window

2007-05-14T21:58:00.000-06:00

I spend a lot of time driving around for my chillin's and so this is the view from my window...
Aren't you glad you aren't driving the KIA, I mean I am driving and taking photos...did I ever mention how safe I am? Anyway now that my computer is working I can post my entries, so here is one...only a few more to go.

Another topic

2007-05-10T14:44:00.000-06:00

I have an idea for another topic....how aboout Weird and Wonderful? Something that you think is kinda strange or just plain old weird.

My Bridge.

2007-05-10T14:41:00.000-06:00

This is a bit behind most of you, but here is bridge picture for you to enjoy. This bridge is in the city of Arona, Italy. Near Lago Maggiore.

View from my window......

2007-04-27T15:30:00.000-06:00

How about this...(feel free to boo and hiss)

What's the view like where you spend most of your days? Is it out the kitchen window? Your office? Do you get a lot of windshield time? Is your window your computer?

Here's mine.......

This is a view of downtown State College, PA, with the Old Main bell tower on the horizon. If you look carefully you can see the PA State Flag to the right, and the US Flag hidden behind the trees to the left. Also note we're just beginning to get some green around here.

I am particularly enamored of the scruffy apartment buildings..... It is slightly cut off because there is a deck outside my office.

We need a new topic......

2007-04-27T04:31:00.000-06:00

Anyone got a really, really great idea????

Spring Showers???

2007-04-13T18:10:00.000-06:00

This, my dear friends and to all that are looking is what spring apparently looks like in Maine this year. This was taken at 6:30am this morning after a storm dropped 8+ inches on us poor Mainers last night. Spring must have forgotten that it had already sprung! :) Good thing I have my (finally!) completed butterfly socks to keep me warm! What's the weather like in your neck of the woods?

not so dirty secret.....it could be worse!

2007-04-13T06:32:00.000-06:00

Could I be any more transparent at this time??

Yes, I love to cook and I love to read about cooking and I love to think about cooking, keep up on what is new in the cooking world and anything else related to cooking that I can find.
I love wine too. 'Nuf said.

The 'healthy cooking' magazine was one I picked up off a news stand that I had never seen before; it's the only one in the stack that doesn't regularly get stuffed into my mailbox. I am a member of the American Chef's Federation, so the magazine second from the bottom on the left is their monthly mailing, mostly full of news on trends, and happenings of the non-celebrity chefs, plus plenty of drool worthy recipes. 'real food' is a quarterly magazine put out by a local grocer. I imagine you recognize everything else. My favs are Eating Well for the recipes, and Saveur for the reading.

Hungry??

dirty little not-so-secret...

2007-04-11T21:38:00.000-06:00

WILL WORK FOR YARN

My Dirty Secret

2007-04-11T08:45:00.000-06:00

I can't remember the last time I washed my sheets.

I hate laundry. Why make more of it?

Don't worry, if you ever came to visit me, I'd make sure you got clean sheets!

Dirty Little Secret

2007-04-10T17:15:00.000-06:00

I love fast food. I Know Better but I could eat at out everyday, e coli and all. I don't like vegetables. I really wish I did but I have to force myself to eat them.

My secret...

2007-04-10T09:23:00.000-06:00

I have a dirty little secret. In a world of Hybrid vehicles, everything 'green' and eco-friendly, with citizens in fear of Global Warming. . I drive a gas guzzling SUV, and I don't buy the cheap gas. We're talkin' $3.54 per gallon. . . yikes!

close up of Lake Boniface

2007-04-07T11:36:00.001-06:00

close up of Lake Boniface
Originally uploaded by Fireweed in Alaska.

This is a true sign of spring in Alaska. I think this is the third time these guys have been to our office parking lot draining different parts of the lot. They weren't very happy either...

The snow is slowly melting though...soon we will be up in the 50's. :)

Springtime!

2007-04-03T15:46:00.000-06:00

Here's my Springtime ritual! A bike ride downtown to see the Cherry Blossoms! It's here!

And the Cherry Blossom Sky:

Aren't they gorgeous?

Happy Spring!

Close-up

2007-03-27T03:46:00.000-06:00

It's almost time for one of these. We use them more here in Europe than in the U.S. What is it?

Psst!

2007-03-25T12:35:00.000-06:00

Wanna hear a secret? Actually, wanna SEE a secret?

I am a skin-care ho! And the picture only includes things I use weekly. I have scads of other stuff I bought that I didn't like or didn't work the way I expected it too etc.

The funny part is that I had no idea this was unusual. My grandmother was also a skin-care afficionado. So at least I come by it honestly!

Spring Closeups

2007-03-21T21:36:00.000-06:00

It has sprung, even though I didn't want it to yet.

What is left of my Hyacinth's...I weeded/dug/rearranged and who know where the bulbs are now!

Rose bush leaves already!

And only in NC...a Dandelion...hmmmm

Springy close-ups

2007-03-21T19:45:00.000-06:00

The first sign of Spring in my yard is definitely finding blossoms on our nectarine tree. I had to trick my camera into taking this one, so we could see it REAL close-up..

Next. . . while tinkering around outside, thinking of things to photograph, I saw something in a new way... can you tell what it is??

why... it's the edge of a Hydrangea leaf. I honestly never realized they were spikey!

Spring is Here in the ATL

2007-03-21T16:05:00.000-06:00

I'm slow to do this one. But this is what Atlanta looks like in the spring:

Pollen! (That's my windshield.) If you have allergies, Atlanta is not the place to live. My car is glowing with yellow pollen.

And,

It's rumored that these trees smell like sex in the spring. Those are Georgians' words, not mine.

Enjoy!
T. Budnik

Signs of Spring

2007-03-20T14:40:00.000-06:00

Finally....

Noticed these lil buggers this morning. Not sure what they are since we moved inlast May but I suspect these are tulips. Also looks like someone has been munching on them already.

Bridges

2007-03-20T04:39:00.000-06:00

This is a bridge. And a boat.

This is a bridge. On a boat.

And this is a bridge. On a boat. Going under a bridge.

Suggestion...

2007-03-19T10:36:00.000-06:00

So I thought maybe for another challenge we can do....dirty little secrets! What do you indulge in that maybe you wouldn't let the rest of the world know? You know take it where ever the sound of the question leads you, except maybe your bedroom (I mean I would like to get to know you all but I think that might not fly on this blog ;) ). Well I am off to photograph my secret, let me know if you all are interested.

Another Close-up

2007-03-18T14:58:00.000-06:00

The opportunity for another interesting close-up presented itself to me. So I took advantage.

I was baking, sort of....

Ta da! Rice Krispie Squares. Haven't had these in years. Ummm, excuse me for a minute....I think I see my name on one of those...

Floating Bridge

2007-03-16T17:40:00.000-06:00

I grew up in a city that had 2 intersecting rivers, so to me it seems normal to have a few bridges. Right now, I live across the lake from the city proper, so I deal with The Bridge on a regular basis. This is the only bridge across a fairly long lake, built at the narrowest point; it's just under 1 mile long. Here's a view of the bridge from my balcony:

Here's another view, taken from the top of the mountain on which I live. Because the lake is so deep, there's a section about 1/2 mile in length which floats on pontoons. This is the only floating bridge in Canada. (My MIL insists that the bridge, which she has yet to see in person, cannot be a floating bridge because concrete is too heavy to float. She tells us that it must be a suspension bridge.) In order to let boats pass through, there are 2 raised sections - 1 on either side. The section on the left side of the picture has a portion that lifts to let tall sailboats through.
Some pictures taken while driving across the lift bridge
It's charming to have to wait for a sailboat to pass by the first time. After a few times, though, you wonder what the hell people are thinking when they decide to go under the bridge during rush hour.
This is the section of the bridge on my side of the lake. As you see, there are 3 lanes. The direction of traffic in the middle lane alternates about twice an hour. When this bridge was built, it was big enough to accomodate traffic to and from the sleepy little town. But in the last 10 years, there has been a population explosion, and delays in crossing the bridge are common. At rush hour, it may add 10 minutes or so to one's drive. But come summer, when the snowbirds return and the tourists arrive in droves, it can get pretty hairy - it wasn't unusual to add an extra 45-60 minutes to my drive home because of congestion going across the bridge. There is an online bridge cam site which allows you to see what traffic is like in either direction. Unfortunately, there's not really any other option to get across, unless you drive 45 minutes north to the top of the lake, and then drive for 45 minutes down a windy 2 lane road that runs along the other side of the lake. I got a fair amount of knitting done this summer while stuck in bridge traffic.

Here you can see one of the spans of a new bridge, which is in the process of being built. It will have 5 lanes. The old bridge is near the end of it's life span, so it is going to be demolished once the new bridge is completed. The projected completion date is summer 2008. Which will be long after we are gone. The general consensus is that taxes and house prices on our side of the lake will go up significantly once the new bridge is completed.

I've enjoyed being able to see the water from my car window as I cross the lake everyday. A little flash of nature in the middle of my commute.

Up close and personal

2007-03-15T18:40:00.001-06:00

Something strange for sure........stiff and white and in plain sight

Don't know what it is..........

what a snoozer!

Close up...

2007-03-15T11:42:00.000-06:00

Can you guess what it is?

YEP....FLOWERS!!!

My beautiful son had his daddy put "flowers for mommy" on their grocery list, and they left them on the dashboard of the truck for me to find after work. Man that makes a day brighter don't you think?

Spring!

2007-03-14T10:25:00.000-06:00

I didn't think I'd be able to find a sign of spring here that was any different than the muddy driveway (because that's a definite sign of mud season ... er, Spring), but it's been warm(ish) for the last couple of days (highs in the 40s), and we see grass - a definite sign that spring has arrived.

Now, we're going to take our first walk around the neighborhood since October :).

Happy Spring, Everyone!

Close up coils

2007-03-14T10:07:00.000-06:00

What walks down stairs, alone or in pairs and makes a slinkity sound?

A spring, a spring, a marvelous thing, Everyone knows it's Slinky.

It's Slinky! It's Slinky! For fun, it's a wonderful toy. It's Slinky! It's Slinky!It's fun for a girl and a boy. It's fun for a girl and a boy.

When googling Slinky, I discovered it's Slinky's 60th anniversary! I like the old school metal ones so much better than the plastic ones. As a kid I could never get mine to march down the stairs like they did in the commercial. Maybe two or three steps on a good day. And, how many of you ended up with a hopelessly tangled mess when Slinky ended up on the bottom of the toy box?

close up and personal like

2007-03-14T09:56:00.000-06:00

I know you all know all about this... most of you are the knitterly types...

what is it?? Well, it's the finally finished socks!

Sign of Spring

2007-03-14T09:54:00.000-06:00

When you live in an area where the weather is nice most year round, it's often hard to tell when the seasons change other than Target putting out the Valentine's or Christmas decorations but in the area where I live, for a all too brief month or two, the hills all around turn all shades of green. This makes the morning commute a little more tolerable:

Spring! Finally!

2007-03-13T08:42:00.000-06:00

From top to bottom we have Ornamental Flax, California Red Poppy and Crocus; all harbingers of Spring in my garden. Hard to believe barely two weeks ago they were all covered with more than 30 inches of snow.

Spring!

2007-03-13T05:24:00.000-06:00

I have no idea what spring is like in New Jersey (in fact I'm a little sad it's spring after being jacked out of winter having been in Texas--I'm SICK of summer weather!)

But I do remember a major sign of spring in Alaska!

In Alaska they don't have a lottery. Instead they bet on things like when ice on the Nenana River is going to melt.

When I was growing up every spring break we would buy our Nenana Ice Classic tickets and make our guesses. Obviously, we never won, but nothing said spring like Ice Classic tickets!

All you have to do is guess the date, hour and minute that the ice on the Nenana River (a small town just a smidge south of Fairbanks) is going to "melt." When it breaks enough, it tips a tripod they set up each winter and it stops the clock it's rigged to.

Of course, you have to make sure you account for earthquakes and such too tripping the tripod early.

Sign of Spring...such as it is.

2007-03-12T14:34:00.000-06:00

The garden gnome has finally made an appearance! Think it's time to get rid of the Christmas ribbons? (Which had new life as Valentine's ribbons.)

Those Golden Gates

2007-03-12T10:30:00.000-06:00

Last Fall, we had several visitors at work in from around the world and took one afternoon to tour San Francisco in an open air bus. Luckily, it was a warm, sunny day and the City was beautiful. It's quite fun to view a familiar place from the tourist's perspective.

Close Up

2007-03-12T08:16:00.000-06:00

Can you guess what it is?

Yum! Cake! they didn't turn out as pretty as I owuld have liked - but they were good!

Up Close

2007-03-12T05:22:00.000-06:00

I'm finally settled again and ready to jump back into "Do You..?"

So for my close up I present:

Yeah ok, pretty easy to guess, but I simply love this...

...window in our new dining room. My five year old son calls it the "churchy window."

Close up....

2007-03-11T19:11:00.000-06:00

Hiya! Still around!!

Do you know what this is???

Still wondering........

Well, it's this! A Pineapple Votive Holder that hubby actually picked up on one of his trips.

Keeps the flame very safe... ;)

It's Sprung!!

2007-03-11T18:52:00.000-06:00

Ok, I thought I'd never get to this post! I watched as budding flowers and snow swept landscapes were posted, and hoped for a sign... from spring. And then today happened! Not only is it the glorious new and improved first day of daylight savings time, it is also the day spring sprung!

First, I spotted this in the flower bed.... daffodils to come...

then... a crowd gathered on the bank of the Rock River to behold the ice flow...

Spring has sprung! Yippee!!

A Bridge Too Far

2007-03-11T16:19:00.001-06:00

OK, this is probably the most famous land-mark in my little hometown of Marlow - our bridge.

It crosses the River Thames with Marlow on the Northern side (left in the picture) and Bisham (pronounced Biss-um) on the Southern side. Marlow is in the county of Buckinghamshire and Bisham in Berkshire.

The bridge was designed by William Tierney-Clark and built in 1829. Tierney-Clark designed many suspension bridges including the first such bridge to span the Thames in London, Hammersmith bridge, and his most famous design, the Széchenyi Chain Bridge across the Danube in Budapest, Hungary. Marlow bridge is an identical but much smaller prototype for that bridge.

The view above is from Higginson Park (see my close up post) and shows All Saints Church on the left - it's one of the most famous views on the River Thames.

Here's a picture taken from the bridge showing the church and the construction of the bridge