Crossing railroad tracks is always dangerous. The endless stream of black coal cars, red cattle cars and bland box cars was mind-numbing ... Boring! So boring, passenger-car drivers would day-dream or even doze off waiting for the caboose to pass. The last car of a train is always the caboose. Always! This is my "caboose" … Continue reading Caboose
Sandhills Crane, 2022 The light was pretty good for this mid-morning shot. Not too hot yet, and the birds were active. This photo was taken at the Wildlife Safari Park near Ashland, Nebraska. The drive-thru park has a wide variety of animals, all native to Nebraska except for the lonely Black Bear. Animals have plenty … Continue reading Sandhills Crane
This is the view from the Church of Our Lady of Remedy that sits half way up the steep mountain overlooking Kotor, Montenegro. (see Chapel) Thought for the Day: Once a year, go somewhere you’ve never been before. The Dalai Lama
The New Year is always welcomed with a toast. If your holiday spending put a big dent in your budget, you might try cutting back on your New Year's spending. The traditional New Years toast MUST include champagne, but people generally don't pay too much attention to the snacks. Try Cheetos and give your budget … Continue reading New Year’s Toast
It's been extremely cold for the last 4-5 days, daily high temps in single digits, light snow and 30-40 mph winds. At 9 AM on December 23 I witnessed a sundog, which is caused by the sun shining through ice crystals. Awesome sight! Thought for the Day: Far away there in the sunshine are my … Continue reading Sundog
Watching these turtles is like watching paint dry. Gradually they were making progress walking on this log. No need for a fast shutter, their movement was barely noticeable. Sort of like kids waiting for Santa when time stands still. Watching the clock, but never see it move. Checking the calendar ... several times a day. … Continue reading Waiting for Santa
About half way up the steep mountain sits a small chapel overlooking Kotor, Montenegro. There is a well worn path leading up to the chapel. The path was paved with fist-sized stones and had many cut backs which made the climb almost bearable. Thought for the Day: After climbing a great hill, one only finds … Continue reading Chapel
Kotor City Wall City walls that protected medieval cities are not uncommon. But, the wall protecting Kotor, Montegero is in a class of its own. Built in the early 1400's, it is nearly five miles long, over 60' tall and 50' wide at its base. Thought for the Day: The strength of walls depends on … Continue reading City Wall
Snow is coming -- it won't be long now. Thought for the Day: Dont complain about the snow on your neighbors roof when your own doorstep is unclean. Confucius
Kotor, Montenegro I awoke shortly after daybreak. The coastline was visible from both sides of the ship. For the next 90 minutes we sailed between winding mountainous coastlines, also known as Europe's southern most fiords. Suddenly, we reached a deadend and arrived at Kotor, Montenegro. Nestled at the base of steep limestone cliffs, it was … Continue reading Kotor, Montenegro
Monday was always laundry day when I was a kid. While roaming the streets of Split, Croatia I found numerous scenes like this. I checked the calendar: Monday ... of course. Thought for the Day: We should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or … Continue reading Laundry Day
I found this ancient gutter and downspout in Corfu, Greece. It appeared to be serving more as a planter than anything else. The porcelain electric insulators had long been retired. Thought for the Day: We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars.Oscar Wilde
Corfu, Greece The small island of Corfu, Greece was protected by two fortresses, one at each end of the island. The Old Fortress, pictured above, was built by the Venetians and completed in 1545. Thought for the Day: Fate has terrible power. You cannot escape it by wealth or war. No fort will keep it … Continue reading Corfu Fortress
Take one last look at lush green vegetation before the snow falls. The fall colors are still around, but will be short lived. The last two nights have seen the temps plummet into the teens. This scene is from mid-summer at Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha, Nebraska. Thought for the Day: Life starts all over again … Continue reading One Last Look
The architectural renaissance of Lithuania is evident in Riga. The post WW II building in the foreground serves as a prominant benchmark of the past in contrast with the modern skyscraper in the background. Thought foir the Day: The mother art is architecture. Without an architecture of our own we have no soul of our … Continue reading Architectural Contrast
I had always thought Greek was a "dead language"; i.e. not spoken, but its letters used in mathmatics and college fraternity names. A recent visit to Greece told me I was wrong. The language is still very much alive, assuming this sign says, "Keep Out". As they say, "It's all Greek to me." Thought for … Continue reading Greek Alphabet
Kudos to Corfu for providing a fabulous first impression. This is what I saw from the balcony of our stateroom on the Viking Sky. This scenic Greek island provided many photo ops, which will be shown in future blog posts. Thought for the Day: You never get a second chance to make a first impression. … Continue reading Corfu, Greece
Chioggia Main Street The small town of Chioggia, Italy has only one main street. On Sunday the street is used as a central meeting place, Most of the shops are closed, except for those selling cheap souvenirs to cruise ship passengers, but bars and restaurants are full. It's family time and the main street is … Continue reading Chioggia Sunday
Canadian Geese A week ago the temperature dove into the teens and remained below freezing for two successive nights. As if Mother Nature's alarm clock went off, the skies are filled with migrating birds heading south. Thought for the Day: The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you do anything … Continue reading Flying South
Flower Box Window flower boxes are common in Europe. This second floor scene was found in Chioggia, Italy. I found the symmetry very interesting. Thought for the Day: Tidiness is a virtue, symmetry is often a constituent of beauty.Winston Churchill
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