More photos from My Weekend:
Squaw Valley Ski Resort and Donner Lake area:



The decking at the top of Squaw, over looking Lake Tahoe in the distance.







Bleak at the top grasses and Alpines find nourishment amid rough broken granite.










Squaw Valley Ski resort with Swimming Pool and Hot tub at the top of the Mountains.








Squaw Valley held the 1960 Winter Olympics and there are a number of reminders of the event including a museum of the event.






Donner Lake is around 6000 feet above sea level
Thie view taken around 7000 feet looking down on the lake.





Looking up at the clouds some trees did not make it though the winter where snow falls over 20 feet and will make the area unrecognizable from its summer greens and browns.








Throughout the walk there were Meadows and covered areas in dappled sunshine where Wild Flowers and Alpines were flourshing in their short growing flowering and seeding season.










Snow still held firm on the sides of the Mountains around 7,000 feet above sea level. Streams of cold melting snow tricking across the path and down the Mountain.








View of Donner Lake around 8,000 feet above sea level at Donner Peak as the sun begins to set.








The Large rocks stand firm as if balanced on the top of the Mountain and show the ravages of the weather.








Sun Set silouettes the trees that only cling onto life at the tops of the Moutnains strive to survive in the heat of the Summer and the depth of Winter.

Photos from the Tahoe Part of my Weekend

Of the 900 or more photos I took here is a small sample of what I can only say is one of the most wonderful places I have ever visited. I walked and drove around the North shore of Lake Tahoe.

I visited the Squaw Valley Ski Resort where the 1960 Winter Olympics were held.
I had a mega meal at an Irish pub after a long walk up one of the Mountains, then went up the cable car, purchased some swimming trunks and swam in the pool and sat in the big hot tub to relax the musclesin my legs.

I also drove around Donner Lake and walked up the mountain there alongside at another Ski resort where I watched the sun go down as I head back down the mountain.


The early morning mist over Lake Tahoe.
The Lake was calm the temperature warm with a cool freshness that filled the air. The smell of cedar and pine and scented flowers.







The day warms up the sun beats down and the Lake shimmers.
I managed a dip in Lake Tahoe one of the days. It was cool and very refreshing
It was a very hot day and a refreshing wash and a swim was much welcome.





I walked up several Mountains. Hot and steady incline and worth every steps and my legs certainly felt they had been worked.






To turn a corner and see a beautiful view a pretty flower, a meadow, butterflies flitting around.










The contrast of granite rocks against delicate grasses and flowers with the blues of the sky and Lake. I realized Im walking between 6000 and 8000 feet above sea level.

The Great Break: Entry for July 20th
Ever felt that everything is going your way and something or someone is watching over you and in control and ensuring things run smoothly for you?

Well Thursday was not one of those days for me. At one point I was asking myself what did I need to learn from this day because I started out tired and became inwardly frustrated and then conscious of how I could do nothing about what was happening, I thought about how I could get back to that point of resigned acceptance. .
I think I managed frustrated disinterest and a just go with the flow approach in the end.

The best made plans:
Get up at 4.00am,
Shower, dress check out of Hotel, return Rental Car and get on 6.30am ET flight from Indianapolis to Chicago.
Arrive at Chicago at 6.25am CT, (yes amazing seemed even faster than the Concord could have done, I was thinking).
I was going to grab some breakfast and then get the 8.30am CT flight to Reno.
Arrive in Reno at around 10.30am. PST.
Check into Hilton hotel and resort in Reno, and then go explore Tahoe area.
Breath in fresh air, see the views, vistas, the lakes, relax, read, take photos, walk, sit unwind.
The rest of Friday and the weekend being a mix of hiking, eating, relaxing, taking photos, etc.

The reality unfolds:
So this is what actually happened. As I write , is still happening whilst on a plane on the way to Reno at 7.15pm CT due to land around 9.45pm PST (that’s from where I set off 12.45 EST).

So the early night Wednesday turned out to be around 12.30am, after finishing work , grabbing a couple of those free happy hour Bacardi and cokes with some work collegues who had waited patiently for me for over an hour whilst without a doubt having a few more drinks than I managed. The drinks were followed by the most tender steak I have had for ages at the local Texas Roadhouse.
Then there was the return to the hotel packing and bed. Of course. I couldn’t sleep, in fact I was so convinced that is was the sheets in the bed I was in that switched to the other double bed in the room at around 2.00am. I managed about 2 hours sleep in total before getting up at 4.00am to undertake the planned activities.
Arrived at the airport far too early under estimating the lack of traffic. I sat at the gate and did some work for an hour or more and then we loaded up.
Beginning to look forward to some food and a smooth transition to the next flight and pleased that I had gotten some work already out of the way for next week.

The flight time to Chicago should have been well under 45 minutes and after nearly a hour after take off it is announced that we are circling St Louis, which to me is the wrong direction.
Did this Pilot know what he was doing I wondered. Anyway this delay was due to some bad weather over Chicago. Now that’s never a surprise having spend 6 years traveling back and forth there weekly I was used to that. An hour or so delay is almost routine.

We eventually end up moving on and circling another airport Moline, Illinois. I never even knew that there was such a place.
We are cleared for landing in Chicago but the Regional Jet is going to need some more fuel to get the short distance left.
We Land in Moline, Illinois. A nice little place if you actually wanted to visit it. I actually did not.
As we refuel then we are finding ourselves having to deplane, which is never a good thing in an airport you just don’t want to visit and all due to more delays in Chicago. . Free Wireless Internet at this little airport, well that’s a big bonus… another opportunity to catch up on work respond to E-Mail and keep ahead of the work on my vacation day.
The benefits of driving to a sea port and getting on a cruise ship once again seem appealing.

We are loading back on after about another hour or so excited that we are once again resuming out onward journey . Some people needing to get to California, others the UK, Seattle, Calgary, Everyone had already stories of missed flights ahead of them., some talking of driving.
Now a Regional Jet on American Airlines is small, yet there was a sense of community like a little village of people traveling around, unlike the big planes where you are one of a mass of bodies shunting on and off and getting in each others way.
The plane had one seat on the left and two seats on the right side.
I was on the left of the plane seat 10A, and with my back Pack filled with Computer, Media player and camera equipment that all nicely fills all the leg room under the seat in front of me. So cramped is about as good as it gets.
By now it’s not looking good for my 8.25am flight out of Chicago. Given the time already 10.00am. Having anticipated this I had already looked on line and found a seat on a follow up flight at 4.15pm, just in case.
I had also established that my 8.25am Chicago flight was re scheduled for 11.15am, so really there was a slim chance I could get that.
We had another take off slot and we were going to make it in time , if everyone loaded up quickly and we set off I could get the 11.15am flight to Reno.
Well we are all seated , the engines fired up when the Pilot comes on the intercom and we have a technical problem with the GPS so a quick 2 minute boot down of the jets engines and a re boot , then we’d be off. ..or thats what the Pilot said would happen.
20 minutes later the engines roaring up and as we head off the to the runway I realize that I’m likely not going to get my 11.15 am flight , but once at Chicago, maybe there were other options and at least food.
We are set to take off when the engines die down. Chicago once again blocked for landings. We sit. A further 20 minute, then 40 minutes passed, and then we are given a slot to land at Chicago O'Hare, but we need to quickly pop back to the gate to refuel again, oh really who should have thought of that a little earlier.
We of course lost our take off and landing slot and the weather clamps down in Chicago once again. Most frustrating when the sun is beating down only a few miles away from Chicago where we are at.
Some F16 fighters do some mock fly past landings and shoot up into the sky after burners on full. A little entertaining but takes my mind to the UK where there is the Farnborough Air show the largest air show in the world and then more so to Jon and Tim who are being taken to Paris for a few days before their trip to Corfu on Monday.

I’m still sitting in a cramped hot plane, reading a book Tibetan book on compassion, and patience, instead of being on a Mountain looking over a lake and wonderful country side.
In Summary:
We made 4 attempted take offs, returning to the gate 3 times including 2 refueling and 2 deplaning opportunities, before we finally got to take off and actually away.
As we shot off down the runway people aplauded. I reminded the person next to me that the wheels were still on the ground and we could still slow down to a stop before reaching the end of the runway. Yes I was already full of positive inspiration.

Well as we approached Chicago the Pilot comes on the intercom and starts, …”well your not going to believe this"…then pauses……I feared the worst , we were heading back to Moline I was sure, but he contunied, ....."we are going to land in Chicago". I guess that did feel like the least likely of the option at the time. If I had mustered up the energy I’d have clapped and cheered, a few did. . I was too tired and hungry and hoping my alarm would go off and I’d wake up in the hotel room to find that this was all a bad dream and I'd then get dressed and start my day again.

Once in Chicago I needed to find my next flight. Every check in desk had lines of 10 -20 people at them, my flight was not on the TV monitors the place was full of people everywhere, the courtesy phones were not working.

I realized that that as half of the population of the USA was milling around the airport. In desperation I headed to the Admirals Lounge. What was it going to take for me to join.
I didn’t care I’d pay anything. $5000 ? worth every penny.
Well I found that my Executive BA status gets me in, but the lounge for no cost, but the lady directs me to the First Class Emerald lounge which she said is less busy, quiet and has some good food.

I was greeted there by happy relaxed staff and a bowl of chocolates which I started eating as they checked me into my flight. Once checked in I headed for the other foodstuff. Smoked Salmon, Cheeses, teas, cakes, chocolate covered strawberries, all served with wireless internet access. So another opportunity to catch up with work.

Between visits to the food bar, I read and respond to mail. Listened to the BBC on the computer and then I’m spotted in the company’s instant message system and I start receiving IM’s from people who thought I was at the end of my work day.
Several problems solved later and a few issue related phone calls I adjust my time sheet for half day vacation and half day work. Lets face it when I was not working I was just having a blast cramped up in a small regional jet for most of what was in effect over the 8 hour period, but it was not the company’s fault. .
Apart from a packet of cashew nuts I managed to get from the flight attendant I had not eaten all day up until this point.
The First Class lounge was a feast of food to be eaten and when I packed up my computer and got ready to leave for my further delayed Reno flight I realized how many times I must have gone back to the food counter.

There were had 8 empty plates of food,
Two empty cups of tea,
Two empty water bottles
Several stained napkins
5 empty chocolate wrappers and
A number of crumbs left on the table.
As a result I was full and a little happier and more relaxed.

Now the flight I’m finally on was all set to leave at 6.15pm but there was a slight problem with some bags and we were going to be 5 minutes delayed whilst they sorted those out. 7.15pm some what more than 5 minutes later if you ask me, we pull away from the gate. And I now am programmed to dread the sound of a high pitched ‘ping’ followed by a pilot starting a sentence …
” Well Folks thanks your for your patience..............”
It is always a precursor to some bad news.
“ It rings of sentences like ,
“ You’re a great person , but……”
“ You’ve done a fantastic job but…..”
“ It’s a great day ….but”
‘We are all set for take off ….but”
‘ I’d like to tell you some great news, …but..”

Well Things being what there have been today it was over and hour later that they sorted all the bags out.
Beyond caring and beyond looking forward to getting to Reno, just wondering if I should have just gone back to Houston, or stayed in Indianapolis for the weekend, I will now arrive in the dark and have lost a whole day to explore was on my mind and I tried to put is aside. “ It is what it is”
I’m tired, lacking feeling about anything and ready to have a hot bath and go to bed.
I am also surrounded by people who all have their own stories of delayed hopes, shattered arrangements and yes we are all alive, and many are a lot worse off we are not getting bombed, like the evacuees from Lebanon, yet we often only see what is directly in front of us and most of the time that’s all we care about

If I was to sum up the events of the day and how I feel about it all so far…
It’s a lost day of board dullness and lots of smoked Salmon and chocolate strawberries.

Everything’s relative and this has just been one ‘relatively frustrating waste of time days’ that if I was not so cynical was really an in transit work day, undertaken whilst fasting.
I read the Times newspaper, borrowed from the BA Lounge in Houston from Monday, and then moved over to reading a book on the life of the Dali Lama, and my problems are nothing. In fact made me feel that my life is nothing in fact.

His teachings I tried to absorb in the morning as my frustration built up, and tried to become a positive light for those around, but really all I wanted to do was to be kidnapping the pilot, hijacking the plane and telling the Pilot to fly the bloody thing to Reno now or suffer…Is that a bad thing ?

In fact the Pilot was extremely frustrated himself, and came off the plane at one point when we were eat the Moline airport and said that he had never had to deal with such a ridiculous situation as we had today and thanked us all for not losing it and being so professional about things.
Now I guess I would have felt bad about kidnapping him and guess I need to keep reading the book on the Tibetan Buddhist principles of compassion and patience. .
I guess I still have time to Practice that as we fly over Denver with 1 hour and 40 minutes to go . yawn. Time to grab some sleep.

...addendum.
I arrived , my rental car had been given away, as I was classified as a 'no show' being 12 hours late......I was not pleased with the persons attitude.....This was just another thing I had to deal with and I did not deal with this well, nor their policy that I have to arrive within 2 hours from the original booking time. The guy did not even seem to come out with a helpful solution. I was just a no show so the car was no longer there for me. I guess Id walk aroudn all weekend then. . . . . .
My reaction was along the lines of 'how can I be a no show.....I'm bloody well standing here in front of you'.
Anyway eventually we managed to negotiate an alternative solution.
Thankfully there were no real prolems with the hotel, apart from no coffee maker machine in the room. . Now I like a coffee maker to heat up water for a cup of tea and I don't recall a time in the USA when been in a hotel without a coffee maker in the room. This was not really a big deal BUT, I could REALLY do with a cup of tea.

Aparently some rooms have a coffee makers and some don't have coffee makers and I was in a room that does not have a coffee machine. The solution was simple and explained to me on the phone with Housekeeping. I was told that in the morning I could move move my room to get a room with a coffee maker.

I suggested that is was just a little bit inefficient and maybe, just maybe, it would be easier for them to move a coffee maker to my room rather than me pack up everything again and move the person to the coffee maker.
After the day I have had I was in no fit state to deal with this. I was prepared to even go buy my own in the morning, but I was not going to move my bags again. Sometime very soon after the phone call to houesekeeping a man brought me a coffee maker and cups. That next cup of tea that was made, was much needed and wonderful.
House keeping of the Reno Hilton now have an alternative process for dealing with customers who like coffee makers in their room.

The rest of the weekend turned out to be fantastic. Once I arrived relaxed and started afresh the next day. If I can get photos to load again I will add some from the weekend.
Lake Tahoe and the surrounding area is just an amazing beautiful, relaxing and interesting place. The mountains amazing and exploring them was like being in another world and the Lake refreshing and wondefuly blue. Something you just don't see in Houston.

'Another Day another Dime'.
Indianapolis once again.
Early start for me to get up and to the airport to catch the 6.30am Delta flight to Indianapolis via Cincinatti on one of the small Regional Jets.
I slept on the plane as soon as we started to take off and I felt so sleepy whilst changing planes I wondered how I managed to find the next gate between flights and then I slept again on the second plane, wakeing up wondering where I was. The flight from Cincinatti to Indianapolis was only 25 minites and when I woke up I thought I was still on the runway waiting to take off.

Busy week at work from morning through evening ,12 hour days for this first week, and then some more when back in the room at the hotel.
Not so sunny in Indianapolis this week. Thick Fog on one of the mornings, and it rained the rest of the week.
I made it to the last 5 minutes of 'happy hour' Tuesday evening evening thanks to others on the team heading out before me and ordering me a couple of drinks before they closed the free bar at 7.30pm, at the Embassy Suites. We later ate and then I returned to listen to the BBC on the internet. I slept like a log each night, just not long enough.

Squeezed a swim in at 6.30am on Tuesday morning and a dip in the hot tub before breakfast. Wednesday morning started with early morning phone conference before breakfast.
No chance to walk around outside or explore much, as I forgot my umberella, but it seems there is a walking path along a river near the Hotel. Another week I'll explore that.

I did some research to find a Theater that is showing the film, that I wanted to see. 'An Inconvenient Truth' http://www.climatecrisis.net/

Interestingly enough it was only showing in a few Houston Cinemas, and, not for long, and I had missed the opportunity there. Everywhere else in the country it seems that the film is getting a fair amount of viewing opportunity.

I found a theater not too far from work, at Keystone Mall, North of Indianapolis and just made it to the 8.00pm showing. An extremely comfortable Theater, plenty of room no one around. several other films showing but no one around, even for the other films. Maybe no one goes out when it rains. Only 5 people in the film I went to see also.

It was a very interesting film, full of convincing facts about Global Climate change and impact of that change and how we are very likely contributing and speeding up that change.
The rate of change given the length of time we have been on the planet and how all records indicate rapid changes in that relatively short period. The Environment and the planet we live on is in need of preserving and here are a few interesting points fromt the web site.

- The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled in the last 30 years.
- Malaria has spread to higher altitudes in places like the Colombian Andes, 7,000 feet above sea level.
- The flow of ice from glaciers in Greenland has more than doubled over the past decade.
- At least 279 species of plants and animals are already responding to global warming, moving closer to the poles.
- If the warming continues, we can expect catastrophic consequences.
- Deaths from global warming will double in just 25 years -- to 300,000 people a year.
- Global sea levels could rise by more than 20 feet with the loss of shelf ice in Greenland and
Antarctica, devastating coastal areas worldwide.
- Heat waves will be more frequent and more intense.
- Droughts and wildfires will occur more often.
- The Arctic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050.
- More than a million species worldwide could be driven to extinction by 2050.

On returning home I spend Thursday evening with Jonathan . Went with him to purchase himself a digital camera and then ate at our Sushi restaurant in Champions Forest.

Herman Park and Art Museums.

This morning there was some hope that today would be sunny and warm. maybe nice to wander around Herman Park and visit some of the Art galleries as today was 'Art Houston' Day when all the Galleries around the Houston area open, some with evening events and refreshments.
It was an opportunity for me to go and view some of these places.

The day started out sunny so I decided to drive just South of the City of Houston, parking in Herman Park. I started my walk around the reflection pond and then went walking around the Japanese gardens.





Then the Rose Gardens just next to the Museum of Science and Natural History and not far from the Miller Ourdoor Theater.















I some found the secluded gardens through a fragrance garden, full of herbs and spices where many insects were busy collecting pollen.








I entered a sculpture garden with some interesting and odd and conventional sculpture. I found myself exiting that area, by now pretty hot and sweaty, and looking for an art gallery to cool off in.







I also stumbled upon the 'Jung Center' for education and learning. It looked interesting and cool so I entered.
Founded in 1958 to aid learning and gain fresh perspectives and deper insights into the human condition, is what it purpose was. There was a lecture going on and I contemplated booking into one in a few weeks.
It was a restful place with some interesting art on the walls, lecture rooms, a library and a book store.
I spent a good hour or so in a meditative environment, gentle music playing and the tinkling of chimes in the background. I spent my time flicking through books, reading paragraphs on various spiritually edifying aspects of life.

I purchased 3 books.
'How to find the Work you Love' by Laurence G,. Boldt.
'The Roar of Silence' by Don C. Campbell and
'The Wisdom Teachings of the Dalai Lama'.

Having been rejunivated spiritually, and a lot cooler than when in the humid hot Houston atmosphere, I continued on my wanderings again.
It was clouding over now.

Just behind the Jung Center was the Houston Contemporary Art Gallery. At first sight I though it was a warehouse or an area blocked off for building work, but the oddly shaped building I walked around eventually finding the entrance of this no doubt hurricane proof building. It was a bit like walking down into a bunker.
There was much interesting Art and Sculptures inside and the art extended out side where there was a metal palm tree outside.
After visiting that I entered another gallery, where some people were drinking wine , I could not find where they got it from, and I tried to look thirsty, but did not get offered any.
It started to rain as I left that gallery, wineless, but inspired by some of the art there.

It was only raining lightly, but the scenario looked bad for more heavy rain so I headed to the Houston Museum of Fine Art just down and across the road.
10% discount if you are a member of 'AAA' (American Automibile Association, not as I once thought many years ago, Advanced Alchoholics Annonymous).
I first headed to 'Cafe Express' in the center of the museum for a much needed late lunch, and an opportunity to catch up on the Germany v Portugal Football scores. (bad luck Portugal).

I started reading my books also. In fact I sat down in various galleries to read, where they had comfortable seats.
The atmosphere in the Museum was tranquil, and cool, and I could hear thunder and torrential rain outside. There was no rush to go anywhere else.
The Museum is much bigger than I originally thought, with antiquities right through to modern art. There is a tunnel under the road joining to another building belonging to the Museum. The Tunnel was worth experiencing in itself.
The tunnel was designed by someone called James Turrell, and it is called ' The Light Inside' it is an amazing optical illusion of light and I walked through it a couple of times just to work out what I was walking on and whether if I stepped off the sides of the black path, would I fall into oblivion or was it on the same level.
After several hours in the Art Museum, I ventured back outside to a humid and yet drying out Houston.
The Clouds were slowly clearing.
I wandered back around Herman park.


I must say that the Squirrels there were extremely tame and this one followed me around until he realized there was no way I was relinquising any nuts for him.

I was contemplating heading off to the Miller Outdoor Theater and watching the music performers that were scheduled for the evening 7.00pm -9.00pm. However, I was feeling my legs having walked most of the day, and my back carrying the camera, all saying to me go home old man, so I headed back to the car and drove home.

Feeling mentally rested, once back home I sat on the front porch with a much needed cup of tea, relaxing to Indian Flute music, burning incense and Tiki lamps lit, to ward off the mosquitos and that is where I wrote this blog entry.
Macie joined me laying down on the steps watching the rabbits.

Cicadas were calling with their repetative almost electrical sounding call, whilst tree frogs called out with their high pitch calls.
We have some frogs, or maybe they are toads, whose call sounds like sheep. Most odd.
After giving up looking for sheep some years ago I realised it was the toads.
I wonder if they are covered with wool ? and I can't find 'Sheep Frogs' in the Amphibian books I have.
The success story of the evening is that no mosquitos were around me until the incense burnt out. I considered that a major win in the battle to find ways to enjoy my front Porch without being something elses meal. The other conclusion I came to is that Tiki lamps look nice as they burn, but are ineffective in keeping Mosquitos away , but mosquities do not like the smell of Lavender incense.

Will this be the end of the dull wet rainy days?






























Macie enjoyed getting out for a run around the back.
It was wet under foot and mosquitos were plenty.
Macie also cooled off by sitting down then laying down in a cool muddy puddle.















The Gas Company had two drilling vehicles behind the house today.
They were taking soil samples behind the house yesterday.
Looks like they are going to lay a second pipeline around the back along side the existing pipe underground pipe.

The Supervisor of the drilling told me they should start within the next few months.

There has been so much development off to our West that it appears they need more gas pumped to them than the existing pipeline can provide.
I'm assuming that there will soon be many months of digging, noise and mud where I leave the house to walk.
















The week so far.
I have been working, from home, food shoping, cleaning carpets.
Cleaned all carpets upstairs today.

I have cycled twice during this week and walked Macie between rain showers.
Managed a few walking and Photo sorties around the back of the house, once again betwen showers.

The evenings I listen to the BBC, surf the net, do my blog entries, work a little.

Jeep liberty ended up in the service Garage this week for $388 worth of work.

Seems my camera has developed another mark on the sensor.
I have to work out how to get that cleaned, as the place I take it is not open Saturdays and I'm travelling from next week. Need to get it cleaned up somehow before I go to Reno/Lake Tahoe in a few weeks.
Hopeful to get out some where this weekend, especialy if the weather is dry.

Other events on my mind.
It was a year ago I was back in the UK in London and arrived at Trafalgar Square to experience the celebrations as London was announced as the hosts of the 2012 Olympic games.
There was the Live Aid concerts in Hyde Park and I took the kids up to see the stage.
It was also an opportunity to visit second world war events and of course the Celebrations of the Battle of Trafalgar. What a great Country the UK is. There is no doubt. I miss it, countryside,pubs, history, and the people.

Of course also one year ago today was the London Bombings.

Last year we were traveling around the M25 to meet Hazel's cousin, whilst traffic signes flashed on the M25 saying that London was closed.
We saw it unfold on the TV at the pub we went to and listened to the radio when in the car.
Stunned and wondering if there was going to be more during our stay there.

Today in London there were commemorations and 2 minutes silence.
Without the BBC web site once again I'd be starved of in depth news about things going on in the world.
Felt very deeply sad at recalling that day, and for all who were killed injured or impacted in any way.

Just do not understand why people can even think that blowing up anyone or anything, even themselves proves anything apart from a deep seated need to have some sort of mental health treatment, possibly a lobotomy.

Tomorrow and the semi finals of the World Cup Football.
Sunday the finals.
I think this truely World event, where countries from all over the world come together for one single sport is just an amazing thing.
The hopes and dissappointent, and then hopes again for another 4 years.
In my view it is even more intense than the Winter or Summer Olympics, or the Commonwealth Games.
I've been pretty much an inconsistent football supporter as I never really followed the sport at a team level seriously when in the UK, except for Cup final's and Eurpoean Cup etc.

I've been following the World Cup religiously. When working at my desk at home, I have my other computer set to the BBC Sport's 2 minute updates whilst the bunny ears black and white weather radio TV picks the game up on the Spanish Channel.
At weekends I watch it on ESPN, commentated by American commentators which to me are a little more understandable than the Spanish Commentators but the passion is just not the same.

Weather very wet in Houston in the mid 70's, whilst in the UK sunny wih temperatures reaching the hight 90's.
I find the storms fascinating.
Especially when the rain is heavy, the ligthening and Thunder, impressive and powerful.
The July 4th weather was wet and grey and unimpressive rain.
We were invited out to some friends house where we ate , played poker and ate, and watched Germany losing to Italy during the Football World Cup, what an end to the match.
It was wet all day but dried out for everyone to set off their fireworks in the evening.
Neighbours had tons of them, big and loud.
It appears that one of the fireworks must have landed on the house and has left a burn mark by Jons window.
Jon and I watched the Houston fireworks on the Tv and then I went to bed early.



The area behind the house where Macie usually runs around is turned into a duck pond.







Waking up every morning to rain is a little tedious.
I did manage a cycle ride for 30 minutes today with blue sky overhead the sun beating down heating up the already humid atmosphere.
Huge storm clouds all around moving round and closing in.
Soon the sky above was once again dark and heavy rain falling.















We have had some pretty strong winds also.
No damage just some garden furniature rearranged.











This evening ther ewas some extremely violent lightening and thunder during a shortburst of weather activity.
Day and night every few hours storms pass through rain falls and streets suffer from flash flooding as the drains try to cope with the torrential rain.










The end of each day and more storms roll in overnight.
They say the weather should clear up towards the end of the week.

Life is like a Bowl of Cherries
&
Jon brings me a new Friend.... thanks for the Gift Jonathan, you had me going for a minute..
So I went shopping today in HEB. Needed milk, and bread and other stuff and when at the check out there was bags and bags of Cherries. They looked great, so I became the victim of upsell and I put some on the conveyer belt to be checked out.
All evening I have had the phrase . ' Life is like a Bowl of Cherries' on my mind.
Why? Not why is it is on my mind?
Why is life like a bowl of Cherries?

Why isn't life a bowl of Chocolate M&M's? or Raisons? Peanuts? or Cookies? (chocolate chip of course). Or why does life have to be a bowl of anything at all?

The more I thought through it, the more I wondered what is that saying all about, where did it originate from?

Cherries are red, have a skin holding everything in and a long green twig coming out the end to hold. They are soft under the skin on the outside, with a big hard stone (or pit, as everyone else in the world seems to refer to the hard seed thing), in the middle. You either damage your teeth on that Pit thingy, or have to remove it with your fingers or just spit out somewhere.
So there is the analogy it seems. I guess you could also just suck that Pit thing up and swallow it I guess also.
I'm still confused.

I'm sure we all have said this saying at some time or at least have heard the saying at some time or other.

Whilst I'm pondering this and researching, I'm eating my way through the bowl, as I chew and spit, I'm dumbfounded, yet hopeful for inspiration, as to why 'Life is life a Bowl of Cherries'.

Now this saying has to come from either some deep long standing mythical analogy or some over pubisized song from somewhere.

Initially I though the 1960's so like the 'Dawning of the Age of Aquarius', or 'The World is just a Great big Onion' or some such stuff. Something that has ingrained itself on our Psyche, something so familiar that we take it for granted as a saying without any though about what we are saying. Who did this to us ? Who is to blame?

I just had to start looking for a meaning or explanation behind this saying
Once I started looking around I began to get pretty frustrated I must say.

I came across sites selling bowls of 'Faux Cherries' that look so real one ladies husband even started eating them aparently. (obviously he had no sense of taste...and a strong stomach).

I found sites referring to 'The National Cherry Festival ' in Traverse City, Michigan. I'm thinking maybe if I went there someone could tell me why life is even closely related to a Cherry. It looks quite an event to be honest. Music bands, the Blue Angels display team. I mean I've been totally ignorant of the impact Cherries have had. During the week long festival they intend to 'Rock the Bayside' and its the 80th year of their festival. Look the site up, you'll be amazed....

There are sites to purchase books on Cherries and Poems about Cherries.
I even got a banner ad telling me I had won something, and that 'Life was like a Bowl of Cherries'.
Another offering me a free dinner at Olive Garden, all because I entered a site on Cherries.
I used to associate Olive Garden with Olives and would have expected that to come up when I put in a search for 'Life is like a bowl of Olives', not Cherries.

I came to the conclusion that this is one serous phrase with dangerous conseqences, maybe hidden meanings. Were we talking Conspiracy theories here?
I was becoming increasingly frustrated with this whole exercise, and getting very full of Cherries as I continued eating from the bowl I had taken a photo of.

People have sung songs , written books, poems and I even found a Theses on why life is a bowl of Cherries, but had to pay to find out, so that didn't happen.
But I still had to ask why Cherries, the songs I saw were not famous or written by anyone I'd ever heard or well known by anyone, nor the poems written by a Poet Lauriet.
Why this phrase there had to have been something that started this off.

OK the more I think about it, I get the pit in the middle thing, but why not Apricots? Prunes? or 'Life is like an Avacado' as an anaolgy.

Or more relevant to reality would be 'Life is like an Orange' , you just never know where the annoying little seeds are and there can be many of the little blighters and they always catch you out, but just one predictable pit in the middle, how is that like life?

SUDDENLY SUCCESS.....

It seems I've been on another planet and just discovered what makes this one go around.
This has to be it.
We are too superficial of a society for it to be anything else surely.

Rudy Vallee, now he is pretty famous and others have sung his song but I dont think I've ever hear it- 'Life is like a Bowl of Cherries' 1931.

People are queer, they're always crowing, scrambling and rushing about;
Why don't they stop someday, address themselves this way?
Why are we here? Where are we going? It's time that we found out.
We're not here to stay; we're on a short holiday.

Life is just a bowl of cherries.
Don't take it serious; it's too mysterious.
You work, you save, you worry so,
But you can't take your dough when you go, go, go.

So keep repeating it's the berries,
The strongest oak must fall,
The sweet things in life, to you were just loaned
So how can you lose what you've never owned?
Life is just a bowl of cherries,
So live and laugh at it all.

Life is just a bowl of cherries.
Don't take it serious; it's too mysterious.
At eight each morning I have got a date,
To take my plunge 'round the Empire State.
You'll admit it's not the berries,
In a building that's so tall;
There's a guy in the show, the girls love to kiss;
Get thousands a week just for crooning like this:
Life is just a bowl of . . . aw, nuts! So live and laugh at it all!

So then, now we know what convinced us to believe 'Life is like a Bowl of Cherries', how come the World is just 'A Great Big Onion?'...
OK I'm not even going there or I'll be finding myself eating Onions and looking that up on the internet also to find who got us on that kick.....
Oh blast I feel myself needing to already...
Thank you Marvin Gave and Tammy Terrell for the annoying 'Onion song' in 1969.

LIFE IS TRUELY A BOWL OF CHERRIES....
....and my Gift from Joanthan?

Well Jon bought home a friend for me tonight.

He came back from being out all evening and stood at the dimly lit door to the study, as I was fretting over Cherries, and introduced me to a pretty girl in his arms that he had bought home for me, his Dad.

How many sons would do that for their fathers?

Thanks Jon.


THE CHERRY......
Nice thought.
Keep working on it, but we should probably not tell your mother. ... :)




THE PIT.......
Or is life just a dissappointing cardboard cut out of a girl in a St.Patrick day T-Shirt holding a cardboard bud light.

Who cares she's a little bit of company to add to the already cluttered walls of the study.

Aparently, Jon advises me that he no longer wants to see me get up early to take work related conference calls in my underware. with her in here with me.

Indianapolis and back again:
This was my first trip to Indiana. We flew in over the Indianapolis Race track.
Typical, my camera was packed up in my bag on the way in and we did not fly over it on the way out, maybe next time.
I will be traveling to Indianapolis with work for the coming 2 , 3 months.
It's part of the reason I am not going to England this year and can not get away to go back with the family over the coming few weeks.
I had a chatty lady next to be on the plane to Indianapolis Tuesday morning. She worked for Continental Airlines as a gate agent and was considering writing a book, which she said she'd title ' The life of a Gate Agent'. I'm sure there are plenty of stories there.

I did not yet get much time to see Indianapolis as is often the case with short weeks away, and I am located north of the city. So the usual opportunities being limited to morning and evening views out of a hotel window.
I did have a small balcony which was a nice touch and it was so nice to be able to have fresh air blow into the room at night. Not something one can do in Houston.
The temperatures were in the 70's which was great and it was sunny which is more than one can say for the rest of the Mid West and East coast area which are suffering from much flooding, and Houston for that matter this weekend.
I have been thinking recently back over all the places I have travelled to and during my conversaiton with the passenger next to me realised I have seen a lot of places in the world and and a lot of cities and beautiful places since being in the the US also.
I'm going to recount all the places at some point.


I return Indianapolis on the 10th July via Cincinnati Airport stop over for an hour.
I wonder if that counts as visitng another state? Never been to Ohio, yet.

During my attempt at logistics for the coming weeks, I made a decision on where my weekend away will be.
Found a great price on an airfare to Reno, Nevada with the help of my resident travel agent after my return and meal out at the Cattle Company, where I met Hazel Timothy and our neighbours Danelle and Trip, on my way home from the airport Thurday night.
( http://www.hazeltravel.globaltravel.com/ ).
Now she has left I have to use the site myself, but its easy, I'm told.

Reno is close to Tahoe and the Mountains and as I was really wanting to visit somewhere Mountainous and different from Houston, it sounds ideal. It is probably also a little safer than Copper Canyon in Mexico which is still high on the list of places to visit, but probably the wrong time of year to be going there.
I will head off to Reno from Indianapolis mid July once Jonathan has left for England.
Today was the day I took Hazel and Timothy to the airport for their mamoth 4,5 weeks in the England, with a visit to Corfu a week after Jonathan joins them in England.

Saturday was a final pack up day. I helped Timothy, the budding photographer and video camera operator, pack up all the camera equipment he was taking with him.

As you will see in the photorgraph we had his legs shortened with a well establihed operation called the 'Toulous-Latrec Operation' so it will feel like there is more leg room in the plane. Jon might need this also before he flies in a week or so, he's just getting too tall.

So Saturday am, we watched the football. Don't you just hate penalty shots as a way of deciding a game. I think they should keep playing until they all drop from exhaustion or someone scores the final goal.
Congratulations Portugal, goodbye England, I have never one the lottery either, and if your going to get sent off with a red card maybe Rooney you should have kicked the guy harder in the testicles.
It's also goodbye to Sven-Goran Eriksson, back to Sweden no doubt and Beckham, good luck in Milan now you resigned as England Captain. Are rumours true that you might end up in the Worlds Soccer 'back water' the USA?

Better luck next time England. I was 6 last time they won a world cup maybe I'll be 66 next time, and my youngest is already 12 and is missing out on this experience.

Of course I'm sure everyone will welcome Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal back to Manchester United, after finishing England off, both with helping encourage the referee to give Wayne Rooney the red card and the that final penalty shot. So many good player from other countries in our home teams, no wonder we can not put a winning side together for a World Cup.
An associate from Portugal advises me that Ronaldo dedicated the goal to his father who died this year.

Maybe England should dedicate their efforts to Fred Trueman from Yorshire, who died Saturday, a most famous Legend in the UK Cricket world, a legend of his time and household name. The first man to claim 300 wickets in Test Cricket. That was in the the 1960's. That era of course was the last time England won the Football World Cup (1966).

So Saturday turned out to be thus stressful and dissapointing TV watching experience, during the football, for all, epsecially for Timothy who was looking forward to watching England win the World Cup whilst over there.

After football we grabbed a 3.00pm lunch out and watched Brazil get beaten by France on the big screen TV in the restaurtant we went to. Good to see that there are enought people over here in the US interested in the World Cup that Football ( soccer) actualy gets air time on the public TV's.

Once I dropped Hazel and Timothy to the airport, I headed back home.

It had been raining again all day. Not just lightly, but torrents of the stuff. Not exactly relax in the garden type of day.
A couple of inches of water on in the back garden and out the fron porch also.
This morning again more storms and strong gusts of wind, ended up blowing the tables around outside again. The heavy one on its side.
On my return from the airport, I had the urge to use a gadget, so I got a handle on a task I had been meaning to do for some weeks, but could not do with people milling around the house, getting in the way.

I cleaned the carpets. Lounge, Bedroom, Study, Stairs, Rugs in Kitchen and around the walking areas in the Dining rooom.

Believe me it was another scary cleaning task, much like vacuumming the settees last time Hazel was away. This was a well overdue task, but now one can roll around on the carpets without danger of getting some rare disease or something.
Macie hid upstairs and gave me odd stares from between the banister rails with 'what are you doing?' kind of looks, whilst I manouvered furniuture off the carpets and used this machine around the downstairs floors.

Jon did ask me how he was supposed to get downstairs whilst the carpets dried, once I had done the stairs , I was forgetting he was still up there in fact. Slide down the banisters...!!!

Once finished about 1.30am, I went out and walked Macie. The rains had stopped and it was humid now and there was fog around. It alomost felt surreal. The closest analogy I can think of is it was like when you walk into a bathroom that you've just run a hot bath or shower, in and the door had been close on it.
It made for an interesting walk. When back I crashed in bed until mid morning Sunday.