SUNFLOWERS

I didn't plant this Sunflower, our resident Chipmunk did. Theodore, as my wife calls him, would stuff his mouth full of Sunflower seeds and then run off and bury them. I guess he was trying to save them for fall. We let them grow and they produced a pretty good bunch of flowers. Now that Autumn has set in the birds have eaten all the seeds from the flowers and nothing is left but the stalks. With the report that the nuts and berries didn't produce this year we will keep feeding Theodore, and what ever creature comes our way, except the opossum...Bubbles hate that thing.

Hohenecken Castle

This castle sets on top of a hill overlooking the Ramstein area. It was built in the 12th century and was fought after and destroyed several times...finally in the late 1700's.

Nooooo Reservations!

While roaming thru the German countryside I found this small village with a great restaurant. Behind the restaurant is a church built in the early 1800's. Behind the church is a path leading to the top of a hill where you find the ruins of a 12th century castle. we walked to the top and explored the ruins and surveyed the country side from the hill top.

High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air. . . .

Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or ever eagle flew —
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

Edinburgh, Scotland

As many of my trips go we arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland in the late afternoon and by the time we changed clothes, found an ATM, and hopped in a cab we arrived at Edinburgh Castle 15 minutes after it closed for the day. However, the security guard was ex-military (Scots Guard) so he let us past the barriers and we walked to the front door. It was magnificent to say the least. This is the "Mecca" for all Americans of Scottish desent and I made it...yeah! This piece of land has been occupied since 600 BC. The castle dates back to around 900 AD. It has been fought over several times in its history and is still the home of the Scottish Crown Jewels. After we thanked the security guard we waled down the "Royal Mile" to a good restaurant and had a nice late supper. Who knows if or when I will ever see Edinburgh again but to see it at night, with all the churches and streets lit for the summer festival was amazing. On the way back to the hotel one of the guys started whistling "Scotland The Brave". A fitting end to a great experience!

St John's, NF, Canada

The first day of our journey started out pretty good. We had an 80 knot tail wind on our tail which caused us to land almost one hour ahead of schedule. The weather could not have been more perfect on the first day of our North Atlantic travels, probably the prettiest day I've seen in all my years coming up here. When I got to the hotel I asked for a room with a view and the friendly lady checking me in gave me this room...just look at the view. I had a good dinner at Velma's (NF version of local cooking) with Scotty Johnson, a beer with some other friends back at the hotel, and now it is off to bed to get read for another day. Angels BC!

Washington D. C. by night

Last night Bub's and I took the D. C. at night tour. We started at Union Station in an open top double decker bus. We past the Capital Building and several other monuments in route to the Jefferson Memorial. It was beautiful! The next stop was he Roosevelt Memorial, it was a different type of memorial but beautiful and meaningful none the less. When we arrived at the Lincoln Memorial it was really dark and the building was lit up and amazing! But the most beautiful site was of the Washington Monument when you looked at it while standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial. We ended our tour at the Iwo Jima Memorial. Our night ended with the subway breaking down and we ended up on a bus (which is another story). This trip has been wonderful, full of breath taking beauty and heart swelling pride.