polar opposites

for those of us on the east coast (and maybe elsewhere) who suffered yesterday through a daytime temp of over 70 degrees, here's a picture of europe doing just the opposite (more pix at the BBC link, including snow in greece...really)

this is steam rising from a river in st. petersburg, russia.

it is simple coincidence that i watched an inconvenient truth yesterday.

hook em'

driving through missouri to see my extended family, we were compelled to pull over and snap these longhorns. the big brown fella in the back was the most impressive, but he was *so* not interested in us...didn't even swish his tail.

a pic i didn't get: the confederate flag flying outside a bar less than 6 miles from my parents' town in IL near the mighty mississip. (this, and yet i still cannot convince them to leave the area.)

the windy city

the chicago skyline on christmas eve day...

doncha love bigcity skylines? and flying over cities?

maybe not so much loving the flying over water (even if it is just a great lake).

the land of 10,000 lakes

they are not kidding! here are a few of minnesota's lakes for those who've yet to witness this state's many bodies of water in person.

shuttle what?

shuttlecock. ya know, badminton?

except these are REALLY HUGE shuttlecocks. on a grassy, lush lawn, yes...ready to be smacked over a net at a bar-b-que, no.

here i am enjoying a phoon-filled afternoon during my recent trip to KCMO (kansas city, missouri, that is).