Your Bio

Really! this is the most recent picture I could find!

Around the World

Featured Galleries

City of Bath -- June 22, 2006 : We took the train from Paddington Station to Bath. I have to say that Bath, at least the old part of it which is all I have seen, is the prettiest town I've ever seen. We wandered around a bit and found the area around the Baths and the Abbey is full of quaint shops selling fudge, Burger King, the Tie Rack, and, of course, The Disney Store. MD said it reminded her of the shopping arcade attached to Caesar's Palace. We also took a tour of the local Avon which was very nice. Mary had a yen for stuffed potatoes so we dined at a local purveyor. I assayed the nachos. I have had worse but I think I would have preferred the falafel baguette Mary saw advertised elsewhere. Mmmm carbs. Paul and I spent the evening on a Bath pub crawl/tour which mostly involved no longer extant pubs but was pretty interesting. Upshot of that was it was my first night since arriving I stayed up past 8 and the first one where I wasn't lying awake at midnight. That was because I didn't turn out the light until midnight.

City of Bath -- June 22, 2006

We took the train from Paddington Station to Bath. I have to say that ...

Updated: Oct 07, 2006 7:58am PST

Community Solar System, Peoria, IL, October 9, 2004 : Peoria, Illinois is home to the world's largest scale model of the Solar System. On October 9, we saw the Sun and all nine planets.

Community Solar System, Peoria, IL, October 9, 2004

Peoria, Illinois is home to the world's largest scale model of the Sol ...

Updated: Nov 15, 2004 4:37am PST

Tiptons, Scanned :

Tiptons, Scanned

Updated: Nov 29, 2006 3:47pm PST

Evil and Buddha :

Evil and Buddha

Updated: Apr 29, 2009 4:26pm PST

Top 200 Photo Keywords

1950s  •  1960s  •  2001 subaru  •  475 martingale  •  a9  •  aberdeen station  •  acoma  •  albany mounds  •  albuquerque  •  analemma  •  anderson gardens  •  arbor low  •  arkansas  •  asmodeus  •  atcbeacon  •  atomic museum  •  baby rhinoceros  •  bahai temple  •  bath  •  bath abbey  •  bleeding heart  •  boo  •  boston  •  bridge  •  british museum  •  brookfield zoo  •  bull shoals dam  •  canada  •  cape cod  •  captn nemos  •  cat  •  cave of the winds  •  charlestown navy yard  •  cheongsam  •  chicago botanic garden  •  chute  •  cicada  •  cliff dwellings  •  colorado  •  concord  •  costume  •  crow  •  cubs  •  dc  •  dolphin  •  dubuque  •  edinburgh  •  edinburgh castle  •  england  •  england euphemism  •  england london  •  england mary  •  england paul mary  •  england scotland border  •  eths  •  euphemism  •  evanston  •  evil  •  expo 67  •  fireworks  •  flower  •  forth rail bridge  •  funicular  •  geoff  •  gills bay ferry  •  giraffe  •  gloucester  •  gnomon  •  goose  •  graduation  •  hadrians wall  •  halloween  •  hampton court palace  •  harvard museum of natural history  •  hats  •  helicopter  •  heron  •  housesteads  •  illinois  •  indiana jones  •  iowa  •  ipcc  •  joy yee  •  kami  •  karen  •  knowes of trotty  •  koi  •  krokirefur  •  kronos  •  las vegas  •  liberty tree mall  •  license plate  •  lily  •  lincoln highway  •  lizard  •  london  •  lotus  •  lynnfield  •  maes howe  •  mainland  •  manitou springs  •  mary  •  marys wrist  •  massachusetts  •  mercury  •  mesa  •  mike  •  monroe center  •  montreal  •  mountain  •  mountains  •  mt rainier  •  murphys bleachers  •  my dead car  •  neptune  •  nevada  •  new mexico  •  noko  •  northlink  •  notre dame basilica of montreal  •  octopus  •  office  •  ohare airport  •  old deer  •  old kirk  •  old man of hoy  •  orkney  •  panorama  •  paul  •  peoria  •  petroglyph  •  pluto  •  pointecallire  •  priory gatehouse  •  prom  •  prototype game graphics  •  pulteney street bridge  •  pump room  •  quail  •  quebec  •  queen snake  •  ring of brodgar  •  roadrunner  •  rochelle  •  rock  •  roman baths  •  royal  •  sabula  •  salt marsh  •  sandia tram  •  scotland  •  scrabster stromness ferry  •  sea horse  •  sea otter  •  seattle  •  seattle aquarium  •  skaill house  •  skara brae  •  solar system  •  space marine  •  st josephs  •  st magnus  •  st magnus cathedral  •  st margarets hope  •  stonehenge  •  stones of stenness  •  stromness  •  sun  •  sunrise  •  swan  •  tdybr  •  tebay services  •  tech summit 2007  •  tiltshift  •  tower of london  •  train  •  uk  •  ural motorcycle  •  uranus  •  venus  •  washington  •  water lily  •  wetheral  •  whale  •  wilmette  •  winifred  •  zebra  •  zjhxk  •  zoo  •  1998  •  1999  •  2001  •  2003  •  2004  •  2005  •  2006  •  2007  •  2008  •  2009

Galleries

LiveJournal Pics : Hosting for any photos I include in my LiveJournal.

LiveJournal Pics

Hosting for any photos I include in my LiveJournal.

Updated: Jul 25, 2009 9:03am PST

May 22, 2009 : Mary and I went. The brochure said May was the best month to go but not a lot was actually in bloom. I was playing with the depth of field on my camera and Mary was very patient.

May 22, 2009

Mary and I went. The brochure said May was the best month to go but no ...

Updated: May 25, 2009 8:36am PST

Tilt Shift Maker :

Tilt Shift Maker

Updated: May 11, 2009 2:42pm PST

August 20, 2008 : Mike and Karen were in town briefly and I figured the Botanic Garden was convenient and appropriate. These pictures are primarily from the Railroad Garden and the Water Gardens.

August 20, 2008

Mike and Karen were in town briefly and I figured the Botanic Garden w ...

Updated: May 11, 2009 2:40pm PST

Evil and Buddha :

Evil and Buddha

Updated: Apr 29, 2009 4:26pm PST

Kronos : Pictures from work.

Kronos

Pictures from work.

Updated: Mar 12, 2009 8:14am PST

password protected gallery

This and That

Occasional pictures...

Updated: Feb 08, 2009 12:41pm PST

Space Needle, 4/1/2002

Paul, Mary and I drove up to Seattle for the day to go to Archie McPhe ...

Updated: Nov 01, 2008 1:33pm PST

Point Defiance, 4/2/2002

Updated: Nov 01, 2008 1:32pm PST

Dubuque to Wheeling, the Scenic Route, October 12, 2008 : Instead of coming straight back, we jogged down the Iowa side of the Mississippi. We had planned to cross at Clinton but there was a camper so we crossed at Sabula instead. I don't think the Mississippi is at it's widest here, but I think the crossing must be one of the longest. Once we were back in Illinois we stopped at Albany Mounds and Rochelle before heading home.

Dubuque to Wheeling, the Scenic Route, October 12, 2008

Instead of coming straight back, we jogged down the Iowa side of the M ...

Updated: Oct 25, 2008 12:20pm PST

Fourth Street Elevator, National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium and the Mississippi River, October 11, 2008 : Fourth Street Elevator Riding the Fourth Street Elevator was the reason we went to Dubuque. $2.00 well spent; I've decided to collect funiculars! National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium Nifty as the elevator was, it took less than an hour to do it pretty thoroughly so after we went to the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. It's not really much of an aquarium but they do have old boats you can tour. One of them, the William M. Black, is a sort of B & B. I looked into it before we went but the lack of internet was a deal breaker for me. The museum also offers river tours that are supposed to be educational and stuff. We took one. Maybe it was because I was sitting over the engines but I didn't get much out of it education-wise. However, it was a gorgeous day to be on the river so totally worth it.

Fourth Street Elevator, National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium and the Mississippi River, October 11, 2008

Fourth Street Elevator Riding the Fourth Street Elevator was the reaso ...

Updated: Oct 19, 2008 1:59pm PST

Anderson Gardens, October 10, 2008 : On our way to Dubuque, we stopped at Anderson Gardens in Rockford. According to some list I saw, this is the best Japanese Garden in North America. I don't really know what that means but it was awfully pretty!

Anderson Gardens, October 10, 2008

On our way to Dubuque, we stopped at Anderson Gardens in Rockford. ...

Updated: Oct 19, 2008 11:56am PST

password protected gallery

Kate's & Henry's Wedding, October 2003

Miscellaneous pictures from Kate and Henry's wedding and associated fe ...

Updated: Sep 21, 2008 3:51pm PST

March 14-16, 2008 : I had to go to Boston on Business so I took a day off and went out early for a long weekend on Cape Cod. Nokomarie kindly showed me around and I'm given to understand that the Cape is much less crowded in March than it is in July.

March 14-16, 2008

I had to go to Boston on Business so I took a day off and went out ear ...

Updated: Sep 14, 2008 10:50am PST

License Plates : Interesting license plates...

License Plates

Interesting license plates...

Updated: Sep 13, 2008 1:23pm PST

Mary's Prom Night and Graduation : Mary in prom and graduation garb.

Mary's Prom Night and Graduation

Mary in prom and graduation garb.

Updated: Sep 13, 2008 12:48pm PST

St. Joeph's Oratory : My company sent me to Montreal so I went up early Saturday instead of late Sunday. This way, I got some about a day and a half of sight-seeing in. Too bad, I couldn't convince P or MD to come with! Anyways, when I arrived at my hotel it was too early for check-in so I left my suitcase at the front desk and, bearing laptop and camera (in a convenient backpack, of course), set out for St. Joseph's Oratory which was in the neighborhood.

St. Joeph's Oratory

My company sent me to Montreal so I went up early Saturday instead of ...

Updated: Aug 19, 2008 3:53pm PST

Old Montreal : Sunday I went to "Old Montreal" to visit the archaeology museum. I passed Notre Dame on the way. Afterwards I took a boat tour.

Old Montreal

Sunday I went to "Old Montreal" to visit the archaeology museum. I pas ...

Updated: Aug 19, 2008 3:45pm PST

Home, January 4, 2008 : Our flight out, at 8:05AM, was uneventful and we were home by 1:30PM.

Home, January 4, 2008

Our flight out, at 8:05AM, was uneventful and we were home by 1:30PM.

Updated: Jan 27, 2008 10:53am PST

Acoma Pueblo, January 2, 2008 : Acoma Pueblo is the oldest continuously occupied community in the US. The day we went to Acoma was the best day of the vacation; it's a gorgeous place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there. A $10 camera permit was required for each camera. Mary was struck because non-residents are prohibited from drawing. Paul and I each got a permit and it was well worth it.. Even with the permit, one is not allowed to take pictures of residents without their permission or take pictures of the cemetery or the inside of the church. I imagine the tour guide, who did an excellent job of relating the oral history, also enforces these restrictions.

Acoma Pueblo, January 2, 2008

Acoma Pueblo is the oldest continuously occupied community in the US. ...

Updated: Jan 26, 2008 5:12pm PST

Sandia Peak Tramway; December 31, 2007 and January 3, 2008 : We went to ride the Sandia Tram on New Year's Eve but they don't run it when the winds are more than 40mph, which they were, so we came back on the 3rd. The Sandia Tram claims to be the "world's longest aerial tramway" and traverses "breathtaking terrain". Now, I've seen the elephant.

Sandia Peak Tramway; December 31, 2007 and January 3, 2008

We went to ride the Sandia Tram on New Year's Eve but they don't run i ...

Updated: Jan 23, 2008 5:33pm PST

Petroglyph National Monument, December 30, 2007 : Looking at the weather forecast, it seemed that Sunday would be the warmest day of vacation, with highs in the mid 40s, so that's the day we went to Petroglyph National Monument. I have to say the weather was perfect; I started out in my fleece jacket and ended up in shirt sleeves.

Petroglyph National Monument, December 30, 2007

Looking at the weather forecast, it seemed that Sunday would be the wa ...

Updated: Jan 14, 2008 5:31pm PST

Maxwell Museum and Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, December 29, 2007 : The Maxwell Museum of Anthropology is at UNM. One advantage of going over Christmas break is that parking was not an issue! The Maxwell is not a bad little museum. It has a fairly extensive, though self-aggrandizing, exhibit on local archeology. When we were there, they also had a traveling exhibit on Inuit that was pretty interest. Poor Mary has never had a walrus intestine parka to keep the wet out! The gift shop looked quite nice but was closed when we were there. From the Maxwell, we went to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. Their museum was of the in-our-own-words nature so I wasn't too impressed (also, no photography allowed in the museum). We did see a short film on making pottery from scratch, starting with gathering the clay, that had interesting parts. However, the raison d'être of the cultural center appeared to be the gift shop which was quite extensive and seemed to have some high end jewelry and pottery.

Maxwell Museum and Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, December 29, 2007

The Maxwell Museum of Anthropology is at UNM. One advantage of going o ...

Updated: Jan 12, 2008 6:22am PST

Sunrise and the National Atomic Museum, December 28, 2007 : First day in Albuquerque, I started off by taking pictures from the motel parking lot of the sun coming up over the mountains. In the afternoon we went to the National Atomic Museum. Oh, sure, they had all kind of stuff on bombs but what interested me were the consumer products! They also had a very striking exhibit on propaganda, the captions didn't tie to a particular poster well but the posters themselves were nifty cool.

Sunrise and the National Atomic Museum, December 28, 2007

First day in Albuquerque, I started off by taking pictures from the mo ...

Updated: Jan 07, 2008 5:58pm PST

Shedd Aquarium, November 24, 2007 : I met up with Kroki_Refur at the Shedd. Didn't take too many pictures, though.

Shedd Aquarium, November 24, 2007

I met up with Kroki_Refur at the Shedd. Didn't take too many pictures, ...

Updated: Nov 25, 2007 10:19am PST

Cubs Game, 8/20/2007 : Kronos outing to Chicago vs. St. Louis. We rented a roof top across from the park. Despite the rain, a fine time was had by all.

Cubs Game, 8/20/2007

Kronos outing to Chicago vs. St. Louis. We rented a roof top across f ...

Updated: Aug 22, 2007 4:29pm PST

Fireworks, July 3, 2007 : Willmette, Gillson Park. I was trying to take pictures of the fireworks but I needed to do more studying.

Fireworks, July 3, 2007

Willmette, Gillson Park. I was trying to take pictures of the firework ...

Updated: Jul 04, 2007 3:43pm PST

Washington by Night, July 3, 2004 : We took a commercial tour of Washington in the evening. MD and Paul did not care for for being at the mercy of someone else's schedule. Here are some of the pictures I took. Most didn't come out. The Viet Nam War Memorial was closed.

Washington by Night, July 3, 2004

We took a commercial tour of Washington in the evening. MD and Paul di ...

Updated: Jun 30, 2007 10:01am PST

Evanston and Wilmette -- June, 2007 : So, last Saturday MD took her SAT. It was rescheduled from May at the last minute. Because of the rescheduling she couldn't take it close to home so she opted for Evanston. Evanston is a 40 minute drive and she had to be there by 7:30. There went my leisurely tea. So what to do while waiting on her? She had no idea how long the thing was which made me reluctant to drive home only to have to drive back before I could get properly settled. I lived in Evanston from 1970 to 1987 so I opted to take my DSLR that I still don't have doped out and play tourist, taking photos of my old stomping grounds.

Evanston and Wilmette -- June, 2007

So, last Saturday MD took her SAT. It was rescheduled from May at the ...

Updated: Jun 09, 2007 11:33am PST

Chicago Wildlife : Animals seen around the Chicago metropolitan area, outside of captivity.

Chicago Wildlife

Animals seen around the Chicago metropolitan area, outside of captivit ...

Updated: Jun 05, 2007 6:05pm PST

Costumes : Costumes

Costumes

Costumes

Updated: May 24, 2007 2:56pm PST

Brookfield Zoo, May 13, 2007 : Couldn't have had a nicer day to go to the zoo. Unfortunately, it was Mother's Day and we weren't the only ones that thought that. Still we had a good time.

Brookfield Zoo, May 13, 2007

Couldn't have had a nicer day to go to the zoo. Unfortunately, it was ...

Updated: May 13, 2007 3:42pm PST

password protected gallery

Greens, Scanned

Updated: Dec 16, 2006 5:52am PST

Mary's Wrist 2006 : On November 7th, Mary was fetching a ball from the top of collapsed bleachers. On the way down she slipped and fell. I was called at work and actually beat her to the hospital.

Mary's Wrist 2006

On November 7th, Mary was fetching a ball from the top of collapsed bl ...

Updated: Dec 13, 2006 6:26pm PST

Tiptons, Scanned :

Tiptons, Scanned

Updated: Nov 29, 2006 3:47pm PST

Hampton Court and St. Paul's -- July 3 and 4, 2006 : Hampton Court was not a big success. It was too hot. On the plus side I will say the maze is much more effective in June than it is in March. Not that it was a race or anything but I beat. On the down side they have all these formal gardens you can't go into which seems counter garden-y to me. No interior pictures because they don't let you photograph in much of the palace. Only one picture of St. Paul's for a similar reason.

Hampton Court and St. Paul's -- July 3 and 4, 2006

Hampton Court was not a big success. It was too hot. On the plus side ...

Updated: Oct 08, 2006 7:58am PST

Ring of Brodgar -- June 29, 2006 : Maes Howe is supposed to be a chambered tomb. They think this because of the design but it's larger than any of the other chambered tombs and contained no human bone. It's older than the Great pyramid and they let you go in, no pictures allowed though. You have to go with a Ranger. The inside is covered with viking graffitti ("the finest collection of runic inscriptions outside Scandinavia") and they don't want modern additions. The ranger was very informative. So, anyway, we reserved our tour spots and went to see the Stones of Stenness and Ring of Brodgar while we were waiting. In the end, we didn't do the Ring of Brodgar until after Maes Howe. We decided to wait for the Ranger guided tour at 1PM. The Ranger did an awesome job; she was well worth the wait. By that time we (Mary and I) were all a bit neolithiced out so we headed back to the Kirkwall.

Ring of Brodgar -- June 29, 2006

Maes Howe is supposed to be a chambered tomb. They think this because ...

Updated: Oct 08, 2006 7:51am PST

British Museum -- July 2, 2006 : Our second visit to the British Museum of the trip (it was very near our London hotel) and we did some pick up shots for the first visit (that's all the Assyrian stuff). We also saw Neolithic England and the Mexico exhibits.

British Museum -- July 2, 2006

Our second visit to the British Museum of the trip (it was very near o ...

Updated: Oct 08, 2006 7:07am PST

Skara Brae and Kirkwall -- June 28, 2006 : Skara Brae was pretty cool. The museum is small but well done with what is known clearly differentiated from what is supposed. Apparently, you used to be able to go down into the site. For obvious reasons that is no longer allowed so now they have a replica house you can go in and you just have to peer into the real thing from the perimeter. Associated with Skara Brae is Skaill House, the finest 17th century mansion in Orkney. As house tours go, MD rated it below the reproduction of Thoreau's cabin but above the Molly Brown house and the Louisa May Alcott house. It was nice because it was self guided, with laminated sheets in each room with the points of interest. Also, the house was occupied up until 1991 and they didn't really try to do period rooms. It was more how it looked this century with all the stuff a family accumulates over a century or two in the same house. Then we did the Knowes of Trotty. This was Paul's bright idea from one of his books. It is supposed to be 11 cairns but the map only shows 7. Anyways, remember the car park at Arbor Low? And the money tin? The Knowes of Trotty isn't commercial like that. We drove up to the farm. The farmer got off his tractor and directed us through his barn and across the pasture to the Knowes. The farmer was either mute or just incredibly taciturn as he never spoke to us. Needless to say there was no path across the pasture. There weren't even signs on the gates reminding us to close them after ourselves. I think the actual Knowes were a disappointment to Paul. They were all grassed over with not much to see. For some reason Mary and Paul were a bit creeped out by the wind rippling the grass on the cairns. We also saw St. Magnus Cathedral, 'The Light in the North'. It was originally a Norse cathedral as Orkney didn't become part of Scotland until 1468 and the cathedral was founded in 1137. It's very handsome in a rugged sort of way.

Skara Brae and Kirkwall -- June 28, 2006

Skara Brae was pretty cool. The museum is small but well done with wha ...

Updated: Oct 07, 2006 6:56pm PST

Edinburgh to Kirkwall -- June 27, 2006 : We managed to get on the road at 7:30, as we planned. However, there were a few wrong turns so it took us an hour to get out of the city. We were aiming for a 1:15 ferry from Scrabster at the north end of Scotland. Between twisty roads and old people in pedal cars, it looked like we wouldn't make it. There is a later ferry but it is several hours later. We went to plan B. We went for the 1:45 ferry from Gills Bay. Made it with 5 minutes to spare though, apparently, Paul's heart was in his mouth at times. In my defense, it must be stated that the posted limit on the narrow country roads was 60mph which I only exceeded when passing. Crossing was uneventful. Drove across 3 or 4 islands to get to Mainland, where Kirkwall is. There was a dead ship at the first causeway. Hotel rooms were nicer than Bath but no internet.

Edinburgh to Kirkwall -- June 27, 2006

We managed to get on the road at 7:30, as we planned. However, there w ...

Updated: Oct 07, 2006 4:41pm PST

Edinburgh Castle -- June 26, 2006 : Edinburgh Castle was a disappointment. Maybe because I was tired or maybe because I was fretting about the laundry (which did get done by the way. Woot!) it just wasn't all that. The castle, as you probably know, has a street up to it on one side while the other side perches on a black crag. It is very intimidating, much more so than the Tower, especially if you approach from the crag side as we did. There's a big flat area in front that looked like it was normally a coach park. When we were there they were setting up the stands for the Tattoo so there was quite the traffic jam on the High Street (or Royal Mile, maybe both. Whichever goes up to the Castle) The disappointment was inside. The exhibits were lackluster and scanty on actual artificacts. I did see the Honors (Scottish crown jewels) which involved a brisk walk through a museum than consisted solely of dioramas of important events concerning the Honors. I also did an exhibit on prisoners of war that tried to give you the feel for what it was like for the POWs in the Castle in 1781. Also scanty on artifacts but it did have one nifty exhibit, three doors that prisoners had carved graffitti into with an explication of selected carvings. Gift shops abounded but they seemed to mostly sell "Wow! You are in Scotland now!" stuff rather than items specific to the Castle. So, long story short, it didn't send me but maybe I was just stressed and tired.

Edinburgh Castle -- June 26, 2006

Edinburgh Castle was a disappointment. Maybe because I was tired or ma ...

Updated: Oct 07, 2006 4:14pm PST

Wetheral to Edinburgh, via Housesteads and Jedburgh -- June 25, 2006 : Driving into Wetheral, we passed a historical marker for the Priory Gatehouse. Naturally, Paul had to stop there on the way out of town. Then we hit Houseteads, the most complete example of a Roman fort in Northern Europe, followed by late lunch in Jedburgh and winding up in Edinburgh.

Wetheral to Edinburgh, via Housesteads and Jedburgh -- June 25, 2006

Driving into Wetheral, we passed a historical marker for the Priory Ga ...

Updated: Oct 07, 2006 3:16pm PST

Bath to Arbor Low to Wetheral -- June 24, 2006 : This was the day we went to collect our car. Paul was concerned there would be a problem with our licenses. It went swimmingly. The very nice young man was showing us all the features of the car when I noticed a possible problem: WW: Is this a manual? VNYM: Yes. WW: I can't drive a stick. P: It's been 10 years since I drove a stick. Is there an automatic we can have? * VNYM goes off to to speak with manager and confer with computer.* VNYM: The closest automatic is in Bristol. It's a smaller car. Would that be acceptable? And that is how we ended up limping to Bristol. My hair was raised. Paul's skills with a manual transmission far exceed mine but he doesn't get much practice. Either the car already had a severe pull to the left or it developed one on the way. Plus the trip was was complicated by not having an exact address to naivigate to. But we made it. Finally. After Arbor Low, I did the lion's share of the driving and I have this to say: Driving on the left; piece of cake. Driving 110 mph (on the M6); easy peasy. Driving on an 8 foot wide 2 way road; that's a challenge.

Bath to Arbor Low to Wetheral -- June 24, 2006

This was the day we went to collect our car. Paul was concerned there ...

Updated: Oct 07, 2006 1:46pm PST

Roman Baths, Bath Abbey and Stonehenge -- June 23rd, 2006 : Two World Heritage Sites in one day! OK, technically the City of Bath is a World Heritage Site but we didn't hit do anything cultural Thursday. Did the Baths, took the waters; at least a few sips. The Baths are pretty cool with a very nice museum with good balance of expository cards to exhibit. I gave up on the audio tour. It was over produced. Tell me what I'm looking at and why it's of interest; don't give me crappy mood music. In other words, cut to the chase. Then a quick dash through the Abbey. Don't have much to compare it to but it was lovely. After lunch we did a boughten tour of Stonehenge. It didn't include commentary around the stones but that was fine; admission includes a free audio tour. I gave up on this one as well. It was even worse than the Baths, including all kinds of supposition. Regarding the fence, it is nice that you can get pictures without a bunch of strangers in them. It would be nice to go up to the stones but those clods (i.e. everyone else) should not be allowed to. I did not successfully get pictures of the "Tank Crossing" signs on the route or the chalk horse.

Roman Baths, Bath Abbey and Stonehenge -- June 23rd, 2006

Two World Heritage Sites in one day! OK, technically the City of Bath ...

Updated: Oct 07, 2006 12:29pm PST

Aberdeen to London by Train -- July 1, 2006 : We dropped the car in Aberdeen and took the train to London. The train was running behind schedule. We got into London 10 minutes late. They were very apologetic. This was the day England lost to Italy. I don't have any pictures of the platoon of bobbies we saw keeping order.

Aberdeen to London by Train -- July 1, 2006

We dropped the car in Aberdeen and took the train to London. The train ...

Updated: Oct 07, 2006 11:23am PST

City of Bath -- June 22, 2006 : We took the train from Paddington Station to Bath. I have to say that Bath, at least the old part of it which is all I have seen, is the prettiest town I've ever seen. We wandered around a bit and found the area around the Baths and the Abbey is full of quaint shops selling fudge, Burger King, the Tie Rack, and, of course, The Disney Store. MD said it reminded her of the shopping arcade attached to Caesar's Palace. We also took a tour of the local Avon which was very nice. Mary had a yen for stuffed potatoes so we dined at a local purveyor. I assayed the nachos. I have had worse but I think I would have preferred the falafel baguette Mary saw advertised elsewhere. Mmmm carbs. Paul and I spent the evening on a Bath pub crawl/tour which mostly involved no longer extant pubs but was pretty interesting. Upshot of that was it was my first night since arriving I stayed up past 8 and the first one where I wasn't lying awake at midnight. That was because I didn't turn out the light until midnight.

City of Bath -- June 22, 2006

We took the train from Paddington Station to Bath. I have to say that ...

Updated: Oct 07, 2006 7:58am PST

Tower of London -- June 21, 2006 : Paul and I went to the Tower once long ago (circa 1982). For a structure as old as the Tower it is surprising how much has changed since then. Paul noticed areas which were now open that were not open to the public then. I noticed traffic flow improvements: you are now moved past the Crown Jewels on a conveyor at a brisk yet stately pace and the stairway in the Bloody Tower used to be 2 way. I well remember sharing it with school kids with clipboards. The Tower now has an award winning lavatory. One of the ladies' facilities has received Loo of the Year multiple times. According to Paul, the corresponding men's has not received a similar honor. And, no, I'm not fixated on plumbing. Really. We dutifully did the jewels but I think the armory was enjoyed more by our happy little family. Mary lusts after a bill ("One of the more interesting and complicated looking pole arms was the bill, a favored weapon of the English based on an agricultural tool that was primarliy used for pruning trees and is still in use today. Its broad curved blade with numerous hooks and projections made it an ideal weapon for dragging horsemen from the saddle and inflicting a wide variety of ghastly wounds upon its victims, making it especially popular with the footsoldier.").

Tower of London -- June 21, 2006

Paul and I went to the Tower once long ago (circa 1982). For a structu ...

Updated: Oct 07, 2006 7:32am PST

Kirkwall to Aberdeen -- June 30, 2006 : We intended to take the ferry from Kirkwall to Aberdeen which is a 7 hour trip, leaving Kirkwall about 11PM and getting into Aberdeen in the morning. However, I left booking a cabin too late and there were none available so we (I) decided to drive instead and get a solid night's sleep in Aberdeen.

Kirkwall to Aberdeen -- June 30, 2006

We intended to take the ferry from Kirkwall to Aberdeen which is a 7 h ...

Updated: Oct 06, 2006 7:31pm PST

Elements of Composition : Took a class in making prettier pictures. These are the creme of my class work.

Elements of Composition

Took a class in making prettier pictures. These are the creme of my ...

Updated: Sep 25, 2006 6:56pm PST

Wedding :

Wedding

Updated: May 07, 2006 4:59pm PST

pilgham :

pilgham

Updated: Jan 05, 2006 4:31pm PST

Arkansas, Thanksgiving 2005 : Mike and Karens new environs.

Arkansas, Thanksgiving 2005

Mike and Karens new environs.

Updated: Dec 06, 2005 4:56pm PST

Chicago Botanic Garden, July 1-2, 2005 : The daughter and I went to the Botanic Garden Friday afternoon. I thought, "Weekday, how crowded can they be?" It was 75 instead of the 95 it had been and lots of people were taking an extra long weekend. The place was pretty busy which was annoying and my feet started to hurt but daughter wasn't done. I convinced her to open the place this morning. Other than the leaf blowers or vacuums it was much more pleasant (read that as less crowded). I was mainly playing with the macro mode (for photos less than 18" from the subject) of my camera and found that at that range the offset between the viewfinder and the lens makes a considerable difference. I didn't figure out until I got home I should use the LCD to aim in macro mode. Also I should check the manual.

Chicago Botanic Garden, July 1-2, 2005

The daughter and I went to the Botanic Garden Friday afternoon. I th ...

Updated: Jul 02, 2005 1:50pm PST

Team Shirt Day, 1/12/2005 :

Team Shirt Day, 1/12/2005

Updated: Jan 12, 2005 7:21pm PST

Community Solar System, Peoria, IL, October 9, 2004 : Peoria, Illinois is home to the world's largest scale model of the Solar System. On October 9, we saw the Sun and all nine planets.

Community Solar System, Peoria, IL, October 9, 2004

Peoria, Illinois is home to the world's largest scale model of the Sol ...

Updated: Nov 15, 2004 4:37am PST

Harvard Museum of Natural History and Charlestown Navy Yard, July 1, 2004 : We finally went into Boston. First we drove around Cambridge looking for somewhere to park so we could go to the museum. At last we conceded defeat and parked in an illicit spot; got away with it though. Next we drove into the actual city to a) find the car drop off and b) find the train station. We did at least five loops of the same block, once we found it, looking for the Budget. The train was no sweat. Lastly, we got lost on the way to the Navy Yard. I'd like to blame it on poor signage but my navigational skills probably have to take some of the blame. I must say, Paul, who drove the Boston and Navy Yard legs was very patient. We found it in the end, though.

Harvard Museum of Natural History and Charlestown Navy Yard, July 1, 2004

We finally went into Boston. First we drove around Cambridge looking ...

Updated: Sep 11, 2004 1:59pm PST

Gloucester, June 30, 2004 : After the whale watching, we puttered around Gloucester a bit. It seemed a nice enough town from the little we saw.

Gloucester, June 30, 2004

After the whale watching, we puttered around Gloucester a bit. It seem ...

Updated: Aug 31, 2004 2:58pm PST

Whale Watching, June 30, 2004 : I believe the whale watching day was the most successful day of our vacation. We all enjoyed it; those of us who didn't get motion sick more than those who did. It helped that it was a gorgeous day, not too hot. I will plug Capt. Bill's out of Gloucester, not that I have anything to compare it to. The naturalist attempted to be informative and, most importantly, we saw lots of whales. We saw fin back whales, minke whales and white striped dolphins. I can recognize the fin backs by the titular fin but if it isn't in sight I don't know if the individual is a minke or the fin is just out of sight.

Whale Watching, June 30, 2004

I believe the whale watching day was the most successful day of our va ...

Updated: Aug 31, 2004 5:26am PST

Lexington & Concord, June 29, 2004 : We spent this day in Lexington and Concord, then drove to Lynnfield, Paul's old stomping grounds, for dinner.

Lexington & Concord, June 29, 2004

We spent this day in Lexington and Concord, then drove to Lynnfield, P ...

Updated: Aug 28, 2004 2:50pm PST

Seattle, June 5, 2004 : We had an afternoon to kill so we decided to go to the Museum of Flight. We arrived at 2:30 to find they were closing at 3 for their single fund raiser of the year. After Paul bought out the store we decided to try the Aquarium. Despite my navigation skills, we arrived at the Aquarium with plenty of time before they closed. I'm not much of a fish person but they have some cool stuff. The first room is mostly tide pool exhibits where children are enticed to touch sea cucumbers ("they feel like Jello"). They also have substantial sea horse and sea otter exhibits.

Seattle, June 5, 2004

We had an afternoon to kill so we decided to go to the Museum of Fligh ...

Updated: Jun 16, 2004 3:46pm PST

Mt. Rainier, WA, June 6, 2004 : We tried to enter the park at the Sunrise entrance (northeast corner of the park) but that road was still closed for the winter (Sunrise is the highest visitor center accessible by car at 6400 feet) so we decided to go to Paradise (5400 feet). I don't remember the name of the entrance we did go in, but it was at the south east corner of the park.

Mt. Rainier, WA, June 6, 2004

We tried to enter the park at the Sunrise entrance (northeast corner o ...

Updated: Jun 12, 2004 5:41pm PST

Mary's 8th Grade Graduation : Most of the pictures of Mary's graduation came out pretty bad so I have only posted a couple. It's OK with Mary. She says she doesn't want any evidence that she wore that maroon robe.

Mary's 8th Grade Graduation

Most of the pictures of Mary's graduation came out pretty bad so I hav ...

Updated: Jun 12, 2004 8:39am PST

password protected gallery

Memorial Day, 2004

Traditional Memorial Day cook out in McHenry. Also birthday party for ...

Updated: Jun 12, 2004 8:13am PST

password protected gallery

June 7, 2004

Updated: Jun 11, 2004 5:08pm PST

Dragon Daughter -- May 27, 2004 : This is Mary dolled up for the 8th grade dance at Holmes JHS. I was a little concerned she would be overdressed but she wasn't. However, I did have to shove her out of the car at the dance because she didn't see anyone she knew. In the end, she stayed until they kicked her out. She wasn't quite this pale. That is my inexperience with the new camera. Mary's expression is not dissatisfaction with the dress, which she selected, but with her mother for forcing her to model.

Dragon Daughter -- May 27, 2004

This is Mary dolled up for the 8th grade dance at Holmes JHS. I was a ...

Updated: May 31, 2004 12:23pm PST

Las Vegas, 2001 : Over Spring break, 2001, Mary and I went to Las Vegas. Paul had to work and stayed home.

Las Vegas, 2001

Over Spring break, 2001, Mary and I went to Las Vegas. Paul had to wor ...

Updated: May 10, 2004 3:08pm PST

Brookfield Zoo, October 19, 2003 : We generally go to the zoo at least once a year. When Mary was younger we went more frequently. One exceptionally mild January Mary went to the zoo three times with varying parents.

Brookfield Zoo, October 19, 2003

We generally go to the zoo at least once a year. When Mary was younger ...

Updated: May 08, 2004 5:26am PST

Cave of the Winds and Manitou Cliff Dwellings : We went tourist trapping in Colorado Springs, November, 2003. These are photos of the Manitou Springs Cliff Dwellings Museum and the Cave of the Winds.

Cave of the Winds and Manitou Cliff Dwellings

We went tourist trapping in Colorado Springs, November, 2003. These ar ...

Updated: May 04, 2004 9:02am PST

Bleeding Heart : I just upgraded from an Olympus D490Z to a Canon Powershot S50 and needed to practice with it. I picked this bleeding heart to test it on. These are a couple of the photos I shot.

Bleeding Heart

I just upgraded from an Olympus D490Z to a Canon Powershot S50 and nee ...

Updated: May 03, 2004 11:15am PST

My Dead Car : March, 2001, about 6:45 AM. Just another day and I'm on my way to work when BANG! a car pulled out of a driveway and whacked into me. This was the first car I bought new and I had only had it for 7 months. My first thought was "I'm going to have a ding." Meanwhile, I take out the sign at the beginning of the median, slew back into my lanes and spin about 150 degrees so I'm pointing almost back the way I came. Fortunately, there was no traffic behind me, I didn't go into the oncoming traffic, wasn't injured (nor was the driver of the pickup that smacked me) but my beloved car was dead.

My Dead Car

March, 2001, about 6:45 AM. Just another day and I'm on my way to work ...

Updated: May 01, 2004 9:00am PST

Las Vegas, 2003 :

Las Vegas, 2003

Updated: Apr 29, 2004 3:30pm PST

Photo Timeline

Browse by: All (934)    2004(159)    2005(81)    2006(314)    2007(141)    2008(204)    2009(35)   

Or, pick your own date range:

Start day:     Stop day: