Nauvoo, IL

After many detours due to the rising floodwaters of the Mississippi we finally arrived in Nauvoo, where Joseph Smith and the Mormons settled after being driven from Missouri. It was here that they set up shop and created a successful community that operated autonomously from the areas around it. Later Smith was killed and the Mormons were forced to leave Nauvoo and ultimately resettled in Utah.

Here Comes Momma, Lock the Gate!

Communing with the Grove

Olivia gets in the groove with a grove of Lace Leaf Japanese Maple Trees. Harkness Memorial State Park, Waterford, CT 2008

Here Comes The Sun... flowers

Our first try at a colorful crop of Sunflowers was pretty successful!

Lazy Potomac on a Hazy Day in July

At a bend in the river the Potomac flows slowly past the town of Hancock, MD. My friend John and I walk along a section of the C&O canal that once followed the river all the way to Washington D.C. Maryland in the summer can be a hot, humid, somewhat oppressive place even up in the "highlands" of the piedmont and mountain areas. The river has that smell that rivers have and it made me wish we had a canoe so we could set off down stream.

Picking Tomatoes

Our resident tomato picker is always anxious to pick.

Katy Trail

Exploring an old railroad bridge along the Katy Trail bikeway we encountered the fastest lizard in the world who disappeared under the bridge. We looked and waited but never saw anything more than the initial streak of him running for cover.

Missouri Rhineland

Olivia checks out some interesting rocks along the Katy Trail in Missouri. The Missouri Rhineland area was settled by German immigrants who brought their grape growing and wine making traditions with them. Before prohibition Missouri was the 2nd biggest wine producing state in the USA.

They've Landed!

"Cloud Gate" Millenium Park, Chicago, Illinois June 2008

Maybe I was the only one who didn't know about this thing but what a cool surprise to walk up a rise in Millennium Park in Chicago and come across this! The abstract reflections are from standing underneath and looking up.

New Haven in Autumn

Another view from the top of East Rock Park. Autumn 2005

Church Among the Greens

Somewhere on the road from Paris to Amien. 2002

Meet Me at the Met

A photo montage of the lobby of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC-2003

I first visited here twenty years earlier on a field trip from college. I shared an eye opening day with Toki, Devon and Glen, exploring the museum, Central Park, and just experiencing the essence of New York City.

Gawk Like an Egyptian

Michelle at the Met, 2003.

Gathering of Promises at the Wave Organ

January 2006-While visiting Vera, Baddoura and Dan, we met up with April and Steve and we explored the wave organ on San Francisco Bay. Supposedly the waves or the tides push air through metal and concrete tubes to produce some music or sounds, but we were there for a while and didn't hear anything but sea gulls and boat horns. Still it's a cool place to take a walk to see the sights.

Olivia's 1st Birthday

No Accounting for Taste

One person's masterpiece is another's nightmare. My dad helps me rip out the carpet from one of the bedrooms in our new house. The wall paper is going soon!

American Convenience Store

Your source for the staples: Candy, cigarettes, and lottery tickets.

Ghost Plantation

Wormsloe, near Savannah, Georgia. Before heading out on the hiking trail to the ruins of the former plantation I went up to the woman at the desk of the visitor center.

Me-"I've got a question about how long the trail is."

Her-Stares at me blankly.

Me-"Uhh, how long is the trail?"

Stone Buddhas Have It Easy

Detachment may not be much of an accomplishment for them but they sure set a great example.

Sand Doodle