New Growth

Three of the big old cottonwoods down near the Little Blue River were cut down this spring.  They had been there as long as I can remember, and at least this one bore a vertical scar from a lightning strike.


The trees aren't quite ready to give up, it seems.  Out of the stumps, there are little shoots with leaves.    

Above Albuquerque

I learned how to spell "Albuquerque" in 1987 while sitting behind a desk in Overland Park, Kansas.  I worked for an accountant, and my new-found skill was not of any particular value on my resume, but it was one thing I never forgot.


There is an excellent place to view Albuquerque on top of Sandia Mountain, and the easiest way to get to the top of the mountain is by way of the tram.  About a dozen or so people stand inside the car, and they ride, suspended above canyons and enjoy close encounters with rock formations.  It's thrilling and fun!

Vanishing Point

Miss Kennedy, the art teacher at Murphy High School in Mobile, Alabama, taught me about using perspective in my drawings.  "The road goes to the vanishing point" she would tell her art students.  But in fact, roads don't really go to a vanishing point in Mobile.  There is always something in between--a building, a tree.  Something.

It's a different situation in western Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas--wherever it was that I took this picture.  Sometimes you just have to visit a place to really grasp a concept like vanishing points, prevailing winds, dryness, the size of the country.

Better Than Vegas

It's a slow season for blog material right now, so I thought I'd pull up a photo from a couple of years ago.  We followed a highway through the west end of the Oklahoma panhandle and came upon a couple of cowboys herding cattle down the road.  We drove slowly behind for a while, and then the cowboy divided the herd so that we could get through.


This unexpected encounter was just about the best part of our whole trip.  It was probably just another day's work for the cowboys, but we town folks enjoyed it immensely.  Hey, who needs Vegas?  This is so much better!

Same Scene, Summer and Winter

There's a place along Blue River Parkway in south Kansas City where water trickles over a limestone formation.  Here it is, first on May 10, 2010, and again on February 4, 2011.

Table Art at Eden Alley

We had lunch at Eden Alley a few days ago.  All of the tables are works of art, but I was particularly fond of this one.  As you can see, it has water lilies on the top, and stems along the table legs.
Below is a close-up of the table top.  Kool, huh?

Reflections on a Sunny Winter Day

Last Thursday I did a fair amount of snow shoveling.  Several neighbors joined in and we got on a roll.  Even though the snow was fairly fluffy, the shoveling was still quite a workout.  So on Thursday afternoon I figured I deserved to spend some time in the Jacuzzi at The View.


I took this photo a year or two ago, which is why you don't see snow outside the window.


This is part of the pool complex.  The Jacuzzi area is near the big windows.  This place is so nice on a sunny winter day, because you get the benefit of a warm, sunny water experience when it's freezing cold outside.


The picture below shows the big pool where I swam laps.  There is some natural light from above there as well.