July 3

Edinburgh, Scotland

Scotland, like Norway, was a country of first impression (meaning, I ain’t never been there before).  And because it was a matter of concern among the curious minds of the Fat Boys Walking Club:  “Phonetically, Edinburgh is pronounced ed-in-bruh.  We’ll often hear tourists adopting slight variations of this, sometimes with an emphasis in the ‘gh’ – somewhat similar to how you would pronounce Pittsburgh. Others will be aware of the silent ‘gh’ but overcompensate to Edinboro – I expect this is down to people hearing the word pronounced by Scottish people who roll their Rs” (from the Google machine).

[There it is – our first sighting of mainland Great Britain since a visit to London, well, over 20 years ago (I’m just a small town person of modest means).  Ahead, the Forth Bridge, a cantilever railway bridge across the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland 9 miles (14 kilometres) west of central Edinburgh.  It is considered as a symbol of Scotland (having been voted Scotland’s greatest man-made wonder in 2016), and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Construction of the bridge began in 1882 and it was opened on 4 March 1890.  The bridge spans the Forth between the villages of South Queensferry and North Queensferry and has a total length of 8,094 feet (2,467 m).  When it opened it had the longest single cantilever bridge span in the world, until 1919 when the Quebec Bridge in Canada was completed.  It continues to be the world’s second-longest single cantilever span, with a span of 1,709 feet (521 m) (Wikipedia).]

[Ed-in-bruh ahead . . . ]

[A little history before going ashore.  The gist of which it’s always good to be king . . . ]

[But one would not want to become a peasant or a serf on the flip side . . . ]

[We tendered in from what seemed to be an incredibly long way offshore . . . ]

[I’d hate to have to swim there . . . ]

[But we eventually made it . . . ]

[As usual, be ready to be assaulted by the usual tourist stuff . . . ]

[The Super may have thought about it, but no she didn’t ask . . . ]

[And, of course, other things one should know about Scotland . . . ]

[Our Viking host made sure everyone was on the right bus for the right tour . . . ]

[We were on the “Royal Yacht Britannia and Ultimate Edinburgh” tour, an all-dayer from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm . . . ]

[We’re busing through Edinburgh to the port of Leith, home of the Royal Yacht . . . ]

[Something about “Purves” being the one for your final send away . . . ]

[This is Fettes College . . . ]

[I know that because that’s what it says on this out of focus sign.  Fettes College is a private co-educational independent boarding and day school with over two-thirds of its pupils in residence on campus (forested 300-acre grounds).  The school was originally a boarding school for boys only and became co-ed in 1983.  Fettes is sometimes referred to as a public school although the term is traditionally used in Scotland for state schools.  The school was founded with a bequest of Sir Willliam Fettes in 1870 (Wikipedia).]

[Oh, why not?  Established in 1944, we specialise in home and commercial newspaper deliveries from our shop in Comely Bank, Edinburgh. We also now offer milk delivery.  We are a traditional independent newsagents based one mile north-west of Edinburgh city centre. For full details of our delivery services, please click on the appropriate link left. We also have a well stocked shop, and can obtain a wide range of newspapers and magazines from Scotland, UK, and the world (www.jamesborthwick.co.uk/).]

[A suspicion this may be the St. Columba’s Free Church, but don’t hold me to it . . . ]

[Holy Trinity Episcopal Church . . . ]

[Old Edinburgh . . . ]

[The Rutland Hotel, including The Huxley, a self-proclaimed one of the best bars and pubs in Edinburgh . . . ]

[Edinburgh Castle on the hill beyond Holy Trinity . . . ]

[Charlotte Square . . . ]

[Prince Albert on a horse in the center of Charlotte Square.  Albert was Queen Victoria’s husband.  He died age 41 in 1861.  The statue dates from 1876 . . .]

[An old building on an old street . . . ]

[William Pitt the Younger, Britain’s youngest prime minister from 1783 to 1801 during the reign of King George III.  He was famous for wearing live gulls on his head . . . ]

[Taking at face value, The Royal Society of Edinburgh . . . ]

[Who’da thunk?  The Dome is a building on George Street in New Town.  It currently functions as a bar, restaurant and nightclub, although it was first built as the headquarters of the Commercial Bank of Scotland in 1847.  It stands on the site of the Physicians’ Hall, the offices of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburth, which was constructed in the 18th century to designs by James Craig, the planner of the New Town. The Dome is a category A listed building (Wikipedia).]

[Always be aware of pizzerias in your vicinity . . . ]

[Melville Monument (commemorating Henry Dundas, the first Viscount Melville) in St. Andrew Square . . . ]

[Erected in 1823, it is 150 feet high . . . ]

[The Oor Wullie Bucket Trail – 61 of these statues, located across the city, were ultimately auctioned to raise money for children’s hospitals . . . ]

[Just in case you missed the first three photos of this same guy.  The locals seem immune to his presence . . . ]

[And we have indeed been traveling in occasional circles for here is Melville Monument again . . . ]

[Circling its square (is that possible?) . . . ]

[And again from another side . . . ]

[Another Oor Wullie spotted . . . ]

[Rooftop cranes . . . ]

[A unique pub named for some sort of famous guy . . . ]

[The Omni Center is located at the top of Leith Walk and the end of Princes Street, handy for the center of town and very easy to access from all over Edinburgh.  There is a fitness center including a pool, over one hundred fitness machines and a wide array of classes. You can then undo all of that hard work by treating yourself to a tasty snack or a three course meal in one of the many cafes, bistro bars and restaurants located within the center.  Perhaps follow your repast with a trip to the cinema to watch the latest blockbuster or relax and enjoy a drink in one of the two bars (www.10best.com/destinations/uk-scotland/edinburgh/new-town-city-center/shopping/omni-center/).]

[Fanfare guys on building . . . ]

[And we’ve made it to Leith . . . ]

[The place was loaded with Oor Wullies . . . ]

[So the Super had to join them . . . ]

[But I still have no interest in Downton Abbey . . . ]

[And the yacht model, easily seen through the glare off the glass case . . . ]

[Her Majesty’s Yacht ‘Britannia’, also known as the Royal Yacht ‘Britannia’, is the former royal yacht of the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, in service from 1954 until 1997. She was the 83rd such vessel since King Charles II acceded to the throne in 1660, and is the second royal yacht to bear the name, the first being the racing cutter built for the Prince of Wales in 1893.  During her 43-year career, the yacht travelled more than a million nautical miles around the globe.  Now retired from royal service, ‘Britannia’ is permanently berthed at Ocean Terminal, Leith in Edinburgh.  It is a popular visitor attraction with over 300,000 visits each year (Wikipedia).]

[OK, better view from this side . . . ]

[The tour of the Royal Yacht begins . . . ]

[The view from the walkway to the yacht’s top level . . . ]

[And we’re aboard – appears to be a lovely day for a cruise . . . ]

[The Super gave the command to start the engines . . . ]

[Because Ole is of royalty himself, he will be featured often during the tour . . . ]

[Ole in the captain’s meeting or dining room . . . ]

[Or the above and the office below may have been for the royals . . . ]

[Never go out in your boat without your safari vehicle . . . ]

[Looking back from the yacht’s bow . . . ]

[The Super’s still trying raise the engine room.  It was hard to understand the prompts.  I think you had to press ‘8’ for engine room . . . ]

[Royalty paraphernalia and accoutrements . . . ]

[Ole rang the royal bell . . . ]

[“The porch” . . . ]

[Ole partook of royal porchness . . . ]

[The royal sleep quarters . . . ]

[I don’t care what people say, I’m still a fan of Charlie . . . ]

[We have the lead on the ‘U-turn’ route of our group . . . ]

[What royal bar would be complete without fine crystal that must be hastily secured in rough seas.  Ole said pour me a tall one, with a little color in it . . . ]

[Now this was nice.  An area of the yacht that would stand up to modern design standards . . . ]

[We broke away from the group here to have a ‘spot o’ tea and a biscuit’ . . . ]

[Note the appropriate pinky point . . . ]

[This is the summer of my content . . . ]

[Hi!  We’re Americans on a royal yacht!]

[Of course Ole was comfortable in his royalness . . . ]

[I’ll have to commend the queen.  The flowers were a nice touch . . . ]

[Pour you a tall one at room temperature?]

[And never go out in your boat without your Rolls . . . ]

[Social area . . . ]

[Crew quarters . . . ]

[I don’t remember the dog?]

[Crew quarters . . . ]

[A closet.  We were advised that officers had to change uniforms like double digit times a day depending on events . . . ]

[Never go out on your boat without your band . . . ]

[I think the Super was checking to see if you signed in from Minnesota you’d win a cookie or biscuit . . . ]

[It’s really great when the tour and toilet signs point in the same direction . . . ]

[The captain’s quarters . . . ]

[If you’re changing uniforms several times a day, you’d better have a big, full-time, laundry . . . ]

[Hail, Britannia!]

[Never go out on your boat without your speedboat . . . ]

[Bidding ta-ta to the Britannia and the Rolls . . . ]

[HMY ‘Britannia’ was built at the shipyard in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire.  She was launched by Queen Elizabeth II on 16 April 1953, and commissioned on 11 January 1954. The ship was designed with three masts: a 133-foot (41 m) foremast, a 139-foot (42 m) mainmast, and a 118-foot (36 m) mizzenmast. The top aerial on the foremast and the top 20 feet (6.1 m) of the mainmast were hinged to allow the ship to pass under bridges.  Britannia was designed to be converted into a hopital ship in time of war, although this capability was never used.  In the event of nuclear war, it was intended for the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh to take refuge aboard ‘Britannia’ off the north-west coast of Scotland (Wikipedia).]

[My turn to be shot on the way out . . . ]

[And with the Oor Wullies . . . ]

[Ole says we’re next on our way to Edinburgh Castle, see you next blog post.]

Perversity and obstinacy are integral tae the Scottish character.  ~  Irvine Welsh

Up Next:  Edinburgh

November 14

Still getting crazy on our last day in town . . . 

[You gotta be crazy to eat lunch in a museum restaurant . . . ]

[A T-Rex exhibit was the new thing at the National Museum of Natural History (though the one here wasn’t it) . . . ]

[This wasn’t either.  This is a Portuguese man o’ war – though it isn’t necessarily from Portugal, is definitely not a man, and is more into peace than war . . . ]

[Here’s the previously noted “flying” whale.  Can you guess.  I’m saying it’s a northern right whale . . . ]

[The hall of great creatures . . . ]

[And here’s the new T-Rex exhibit . . . ]

[Snacking on a Triceratops . . . ]

[Not a giraffe . . . ]

[Also not a giraffe . . . ]

[Gretch with the T-Rex . . . ]

[Charles Darwin, whose ideas have led to a record number of lawsuits and confused school and religious leaders throughout the country for years . . . ]

[Proof of evolution from this photo – I used to have hair . . . ]

[Leaving the museum on the Constitution Avenue side . . . ]

[Past a close relative of my interior friend . . . ]

[Approaching the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture . . . ]

[On the grounds of the Washington Monument, this was totally new for the Super and me . . . ]

[Ah, the good ole days of traffic on Constitution Avenue . . . ]

[Ken and Jeanne leading the way to the entrance.  They had spent a short time here earlier when the Super and I were to up to something nefarious . . . ]

[And we’re in . . . ]

[Gretch lives in D.C. and of course had been here previously . . . ]

[The importance of King Cotton in our history . . . ]

[The Gates Concourse Atrium hard by the Winfrey Theater . . . ]

[Saying our final goodbyes to Gretch . . . ]

[And Gretch says goodbye to us . . . ]

[We don’t have any of these in Alex?  They help extend the long Minnesota goodbye . . . ]

[Back outside – lovely evening . . . ]

[Hiking to our subway stop . . . ]

[Which just happened to be adjacent to EPA . . . ]

[Which just happens to be across the street from Trump International . . . ]

[Later we joined some old friends for dinner in Crystal City, at Jaleo to be specific . . . ]

[The 3 guys lined up on the right, l – r:  Bill, Greg Foote, and me.  The 3 of us worked together at DOL (though Greg moved over to EPA after a few years) and were teammates with the DOL Mavericks.  I don’t think I’d seen Greg in over 30 years . . . ]

[And here we are with the aforementioned Mavericks after another championship.  We 3 are vertically stacked 1, 2, 3 on the left side of the photo . . . ]

[Meanwhile, back at Jaleo, Jeanne and Ken fit in nicely with our friends at the end of the table . . . ]

[I guess the gals and the guys each had their own side of the table . . . ]

[Sometimes stuff just happens . . . ]

[A really good shot of Anne and the Super, if I do say so myself . . . ]

[Greg’s wife Robin with Jeanne . . . ]

[Well, I had seen him in a long time . . . ]

[Should have taken this with a real camera . . . ]

[And wrapping up the D.C. trip . . . ]

[With our final goodbyes . . . ]

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.  ~  Abraham Lincoln

Up Next:  Finally back to the Norway cruise?

November 14

Our last day in D.C.  Time to get crazy . . . 

[By getting crazy, I mean going down on the mall and confronting the sight of Trump International Hotel & Tower . . . ]

[And then the mall itself . . . ]

[A monument to a president, as I recall.  Went to the top of it in 1964.  Never did it again though it has reopened since the earthquake . . . ]

[Capitol Hill, including the Capitol . . . ]

[Something was going on down there – we didn’t check it out . . . ]

[Then my job was to shoot Jeanne and Ken . . . ]

[In both directions (Smithsonian Castle on the right) . . . ]

[Wow, they all seem calm exploring their devices while a large tusked creature looms over their heads.  Why yes, we are in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History . . . ]

[This is a Mastodon . . . ]

[Same Mastodon, different angle . . . ]

[Same Ken, Jeanne, and Super, different angle . . . ]

[We went up one floor to the live lepidoptera exhibit – Jeanne and Ken had seen that elsewhere so struck out on their own . . . ]

[Here is one of said lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) . . . ]

[We all took several such photos.  You enter their room in small groups and try hard not to step on any of them . . . ]

[Sorry, I really don’t feel like Googling each species . . . ]

[But they were all quite lovely . . . ]

[Sister Gretch joined us here as we continued our expedition . . . ]

[Here you can do your own research . . . ]

[Whom amongst us doesn’t enjoy a little melon?]

[Try as it might, it wasn’t quite capable of opening the door to escape . . . ]

[The Super found the place quite exciting . . . ]

[As did Gretch . . . ]

[And the moths liked her!]

[A moth selfie . . . ]

[And 5 shots by the Super in the butterfly house.  A staff member hoped to encourage wing display with a paint brush . . . ]

[Also catching my camera in action . . . ]

[The Super got an attractive background here . . . ]

[The Super also got an attractive background here . . . ]

[Thus, they will likely be the ultimate survivors . . . ]

[A fish not normally found in beautiful Lake Darling . . . ]

[From my font of useless information, I was aware this is the world’s largest turtle and 4th largest reptile (behind 3 crocodlians) . . . ]

[All mammals, living and dead . . . ]

[Our large tusked friend again – the center piece of the museum . . . ]

[I bet you didn’t know whales could fly . . . ]

[I’m with the Super and Gretch, so how could we not?  While in here, the place was swarmed over by a bunch of munchkins.  A young woman appeared to be calmly keeping an eye on them.  I asked if she was their teacher.  She said yes.  I told her you people are saints!  She laughed . . . ]

[And here it is . . . ]

[Aquamarine is Jami’s birthstone . . . ]

[Sapphire is mine (though to my knowledge, I have not now nor ever possessed one).  I could I not have gotten the Super’s garnet?]

[The airfare alone to bring this guy here must have cost a bundle . . . ]

[The airfare alone to bring the guy on the right here likely also cost bundle.  We’ll finish our “tour” of D.C. in the next posting . . . ]

You know nothing for sure…except the fact that you know nothing for sure.  ~  John Kennedy

Up Next:  Ending D.C.

November 13

Continuing our tour of the National Gallery of Art . . . 

[“The Mill”!  Heard those things kill a lot of birds?]

[Nooms?  Helping people lead healthier lives through behavioral change and cutting back on the intake of Nut Goodies . . . ]

[A last name of three words is likely excessive . . . ]

[And to think Dutch Masters became famous as a cigar box . . . ]

[My dad is the only person I know who regularly ate mincemeat pie on holidays . . . ]

[With . . . ]

[Or without people?]

[At least he’s wearing a hat – likely an OSHA requirement . . . ]

[This was the special exhibit when we were there . . . ]

[I had no idea of his importance in the grand scheme of things . . . ]

[He taught, among others, da Vinci and Botticelli . . . ]

[Even advertised to and from the indoor facilities . . . ]

[David, and a now much shorter Goliath, by Verrocchio . . . ]

[The next 10 “panels” are all Verrocchio works . . . ]

[Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, one of the great names in art.  Probably because of the way it rolls off the tongue . . . ]

[Classic Monet . . . ]

[It was time to meet up for food and beverages with some of the locals.  Here we’re walking back in the tunnel to the East Wing Gallery . . . ]

[We walked past the Department of Labor again . . . ]

[Then around the corner, the Department of Labor building in the background and off page to the left.  This was our restaurant row across a small side street from DOL . . . ]

[This used to be “My Brother’s Place,” the place of lunches and after work affairs . . . ]

[We’re at the Dubliner restaurant, dating back to our days in D.C.  It’s just a couple blocks from the restaurants above.  The Super received some gifts from my sister Gretch . . . ]

[And here’s Gretch with Bill Gross, my old colleague and boss and now regular travel partner . . . ]

[Photo time!!]

If you don’t mind smelling like peanut butter for two or three days, peanut butter is a darn good shaving cream.  ~  Barry Goldwater

Up Next:  More D.C.

Well, I never finished this trip.  The last post was a month ago, but then events got in the way . . . 

November 13

[The business part of the Citizens Climate Lobby was completed the day before.  But we signed up for “coffee with Senator Tina Smith” on this day.  And we appreciated some beautiful sunny weather though still really chilly (even for Minnesotans).   Here’s a sunnier version of the Library of Congress . . . ]

[The Capitol, with a beautiful blue background . . . ]

[Library of Congress, once more . . . ]

[The Supreme Court, with still some after DACA hearing crowds . . . ]

[Hope you noticed it in the above photo?]

[The atrium of the senate office building where . . . ]

[We met and visited with Senator Smith . . . ]

[Looking out a hall window in the Senator’s building at Union Station . . . ]

[Now we’ve hit the streets.  It was a day to play tourist . . . ]

[We walked down from Capitol Hill along Constitution Avenue . . . ]

[Pretty much down the Hill, a look back at the Capitol . . . ]

[The reflecting pool on the mall directly below the Capitol.  Back in the day, there were instances where I, and other upper midwesterners, crossed the street from the Department of Labor, slapped on the ole hockey skates, and went skating (obviously only when there was frozen water in it . . . ]

[From the bottom of the Hill . . . ]

[Turning 90 degrees to the left, this is where I worked from April 1975 (the building opened in 1974) until August 2001 – the Frances Perkins Department of Labor building at 200 Constitution Avenue, NW . . . ]

[Hard to believe I left there 18 years ago?]

[Across 3rd Street from DOL is the Federal Courthouse – this silo-type frontage is new since I worked here . . . ]

[Kitty corner from the Department of Labor is the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art.  Why yes, we did do lunch there on occasion . . . ]

[Looking further down Constitution Avenue, one sees the building (hint: it’s the one with the tower) that has familiarized the American public with the emoluments clause of the Constitution of the United States . . . ]

[On the west side of the East Wing looking across the street to the original National Gallery of Art . . . ]

[The entrance to the East Wing . . . ]

[And now it’s time for ART . . . ]

[From the East Wing we walked underground to the original gallery where all the following photos were taken – beginning with Chalk . . . ]

[Starting with the brochures . . . ]

[And on December 12th, this from sister Gretch who in her avocation goes to art galleries in D.C. and does . . . art!]

[And brochure again . . . ]

[There was just something about her face . . . ]

[And we have a friend named Rosalba . . . ]

[Ahhh, a little wind and snow . . . ]

[The Super Among the Columns . . . ]

[The super in my maternal grandmother’s Minneapolis apartment building was named Oscar . . . ]

[Whom amongst us doesn’t like a little beach gossip . . . ]

[A torso is fine though I usually prefer the entire product . . . ]

[A jarhead?]

[Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds?]

[The Super takes the lead . . . ]

[Then she takes a seat . . . ]

[I wonder if it was catered?]

[A Lady would not have been my first guess . . . ]

[Ahhh, an atrium with a garden . . . ]

[And we were here with Venus.  The art tour will continue on the next posting . . . ]

Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.  ~  Mark Twain

Up Next:  More D.C.

December 19

And following girls basketball, I finally made it to a boys hockey game as well . . . 

[Yes, I know I said boys hockey.  But I couldn’t get far enough away from it to get the whole poster of the boys team.  Once again the amazing work of Mark Ripley . . . ]

[The pre-game captains meeting – our forever No. 1 rivals, the Fergus Falls Otters . . . ]

[The National Anthem line up . . . ]

[And the Cardinals are off and flying with junior Cole Walters (29) and sophomore Josiah Gronholz (8) and, I suspect, at the bottom junior Grant Rebrovich (20) . . . ]

[Senior captain Derek Pesta (5), following a great football season, with the speedy Joe Westlund (10) . . . ]

[Face-off in the Otter zone . . . ]

[The Westlund line with senior captain Caleb Strong (3) . . . ]

[Caleb on a breakway . . . ]

[He went to the backhand and scored the first goal of the game, shorthanded . . . ]

[And he’s totally excited about it . . . ]

[Josiah taking the face-off . . . ]

[And then circling into the offensive zone . . . ]

[Junior Jacob Partington (7) and sophomore Brennan Lattimer (12) . . . ]

[Contrary to likely first impressions, sophomore Pieter Mulder (38) is not related to the Boy Tenor . . . ]

[Cards 2nd goal was scored by senior Shane Birkeland (25) . . . ]

[The Gronholz line in the Otters’ end . . . ]

[And young Mr. Mulder did something bad and has to sit in the corner . . . ]

[Waters and Pesta, with Walters appearing to defy gravity . . . ]

[OK, more Gronholz.  Can’t help myself.  They only live about a block from our Lake Darling home and Grandpa Gronholz comes to all the games . . . ]

[And I think Josiah is tied for the team lead in points.  He just seems to have a knack . . . ]

[And to score, it helps to hang around the opponents goal . . . ]

[Been a big fan of Caleb’s for 3 – 4 years.  He has great hands . . . ]

[Here he’s skipping past a teammate who’s trying to stay onside . . . ]

[New entries include senior Nathaniel Mulder (9) and sophomore James Schwatz (24).]

[And Josiah wraps up the period on the attack . . . ]

[A rather pedestrian 1st period, but we had the lead . . . ]

[Future Cardinals entertained between periods . . . ]

[You should notice I’ve changed positions for the 2nd period . . . ]

[So I can get up close and personal with our Cards – here’s Caleb . . . ]

[Being hounded by those bad Otters . . . ]

[Holy smoke, there’s Josiah again.  Seriously, I’m shooting randomly . . . ]

[Gotta be tough to win face-offs . . . ]

[Looks like the bench is into it . . . ]

[Joe Westlund and Joe Gronholz in the offensive zone . . . ]

[The Cards did a lot of zone swarming in this period . . . ]

[Caleb and Joe . . . ]

[Our first look at senior Carsten Wessel (17) . . . ]

[With our football quarterback, senior Matthew Carlsen (26) . . . ]

[And Josiah got in with this group too . . . ]

[Caleb snaps off a wristshot . . . ]

[Senior Andrew Revering (2) is in with Joe Westlund . . . ]

[Westlund moves to . . . ]

[Join the celebration of . . . ]

[The Cardinals third goal by Derek . . . ]

[Then Josiah got the 4th goal . . . ]

[Senior Joe Bigger (6) on defense . . . ]

[Josiah and . . . ]

[Linemate Grant . . . ]

[Finishing with some parting shots of Joe . . . ]

[Who may be the team’s fastest skater . . . ]

[The game was now well in hand.  I left to listen to the girls’ hockey game, a 5-0 win also against Fergus, and watch the Gopher volleyball game.  The Cards must have taken their foot of the metal in the third period, but won 4 – 2.  The Cards are now 8 – 2 on the season.]

Statistics are like bikinis—they show a lot but not everything.  ~  Lou Piniella

Up Next:  Washington, D.C.

December 17

Well, it’s about time to get down to my real job as a cub reporter of high school sports.  Here’s my first Cardinal girl home basketball game.  It was decidedly not a cliffhanger.  The Cardinals, now 7-2, played the St. Cloud Apollo Eagles, now 0-9, and the result went as anticipated . . . 

[The school honored veterans of all the military branches . . . ]

[Coach Kohler wore her dad’s old Navy uniform . . . ]

[Player introductions:  Jaya Hatlestad (3), junior guard . . . ]

[Mia McGrane (5), senior guard . . . ]

[Emma Grove (11), senior forward . . . ]

[Alayna Strand (25), junior forward . . . ]

[Lilly Horn (33), junior forward . . . ]

[And a photobomber . . . ]

[The ball is up – Alayna goes after it . . . ]

[As so often happens, it wasn’t a clean hit and the ball ended up in the hands of the Apollo center . . . ]

[Mia on the free throw line gets a start on a major scoring game . . . ]

[The Eagle is the symbol of America.  Unfortunately for Apollo our Cardinals harassed Eagles the entire game.  Trying to get the ball over half court against the likes of Alyna, Emma, and Jaya is a major undertaking . . . ]

[And she who hesitates is immediately surrounded by a double-team . . . ]

[And when the Eagles made it into their offensive zone, the Cardinal defensive pressure was still stifling . . . ]

[And any time the Cardinals got the ball – from a rebound or turnover – all five players would sprint down court for a lay up or get fouled.  Her senior Summer Gerhardt (35) goes to the line . . . ]

[Junior Cate Bloom (21) brings defense off the bench.  She and Summer would likely get even more playing time but are still dealing with the shackle of an ACL . . . ]

[More Cardina depth here with the addition of junior Myah Kremer (15) . . . ]

[Emma pounds to the left . . . ]

[The Alayna circle drives to the right . . . ]

[The shot came off . . . ]

[But Emma put in the rebound . . . ]

[This was the halftime score.  Mia already had 22 points (playing little in the 2nd half she finished with 24).  The Cards would continually swoop down court for layups . . . ]

[Mia, with the ball, and Alayna break out in the second half . . . ]

[The starters played no more after a couple of minutes in the 2nd half . . . ]

[Alayna in for a layup . . . ]

[Captured by the magic lens of the amazing Mr. Ripley . . . ]

[Alayna moves in a tie-up . . . ]

[But was shed by the Eagles No. 15 – a sophomore who will be a good player . . . ]

[Likely the last series by the starters, here Emma and Lilly . . . ]

[Emma in heavy traffic . . . ]

[Emma, Lilly, and Mia . . . ]

[With a side order of Alayna . . . ]

[The game went to running time.  The Cardinals suited 20 players.  All played significant minutes.  Here’s Summer on the line again with junior Mataya Hoelscher (23) ready to rebound . . . ]

[The end.  The Cardinals weren’t even looking to shoot over the last several minutes.  It’s a team that can make some noise as the season rolls along . . . ]

The breakfast of champions is not cereal, it’s the opposition.  ~  Nick Seitz

Up Next:  Boys hockey . . .

Sometime in December

This is your Christmas card.  This has been our policy for several years now, sing hallelujah.  It differs from most Christmas cards in that it cannot subsequently be used to carpet the bottom of a parakeet cage.  You would not want to do that anyway because it is 100% recyclable.  To the best of my knowledge, no animals were injured in the creation of this card.  Accordingly, it has been endorsed by PETA, Mother Jones, Whistler’s Mother, Moms Mabley, and The Mothers of Invention.  With the usual apologies to Dave Barry (the originator of the Year in Review format) and other sentient beings, we bring you 2019, a year that will reportedly never pass this way again . . . 

Once again, we come to the Holiday Season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes, in his own way, by going to the mall of his choice.  ~  Dave Barry

[This is Elsa Lee.  I shot this video at Carlos Creek Winery on December 9th.  I made her an offer she couldn’t refuse.  I told her if I could take a video of her singing her favorite Christmas song, she would have the lead in my Christmas blog.  As they say, the rest is history . . . ]

[So, the least we could do is to promote her Christmas CD . . . ]

[Elsa is originally from Duluth.  She decided a few years ago that the winters in Duluth were too harsh.  So she moved south – to Minneapolis . . . ]

January

Sending Christmas cards is a good way to let your friends and family know that you think they’re worth the price of a stamp.  ~  Melanie White

[The new year began, as each new year does, with the Super’s birthday.  For holiday excitement we took a drive around Alexandria, enjoying Siriusly Sinatra on the radio and the seasonable 7 degrees below zero temperature . . . ]

[And then home for the opening of birthday presents . . . ]

[And the consumption thereof (with mismatched glasses?) . . . ]

[Sunrise on January 4th . . . ]

[And hoar frost on January 7th . . . ]

The Super joined her sister Rita (jointly known as The Biddies) in La Jolla, CA and La Verkin, UT, for three weeks beginning at the end of January.  I stayed home to keep the home fires burning.  We both went to La Verkin for Thanksgiving (see November, the month in which that holiday occurs).

February

Aren’t we forgetting the true meaning of Christmas. You know, the birth of Santa?  ~ Matt Groening

[By staying home, I was able to pick up my old high school classmate, Brad Anderson, for coverage of our various sporting events.  Here girls’ basketball on February 5th . . . ]

[But occasionally one must take in an opera . . . ]

[With a little audience Q&A with members of the Minnesota Opera Company . . . ]

[And the orchestra plays in a hole in the stage . . . ]

[Back with Brad.  The Class of ’65 tries to lunch on a monthly basis.  Interspersed among those class lunches, fellow classmate Greg Johnson drives up from Burnsville and the three of us (a 4th, Tom Kiehne, lives in Austin, Texas) who hung out together go to lunch at various small towns in the area.  This was February 13th, I believe the last time Brad was healthy enough to join us.]

March

Santa Claus wears a Red Suit, he must be a communist. And a beard and long hair, must be a pacifist. What’s in that pipe that he’s smoking?  ~  Arlo Guthrie

It’s not like nothing happened in March.  I thought all four of our followed winter sports teams had a good shot of making their respective state tournaments.  None did.  Stuff happens.  In lieu of timeline appropriate photos  . . . 

[Yes, you must begin harvesting lefse in March to have stock on hand for the holiday seasons . . . ]

April

I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store, and he asked for my autograph.  ~  Shirley Temple

[Happy Earth Day! The Super is holding the “We have no planet B” sign on the left, in Big Ole park hard by the shores of Lake Agnes on April 22nd . . . ]

[The Super is holding a pizza slice in the middle of the photo.  This was at The Depot, at some point after the Earth Day march.  Pizza is a known planet saver . . . ]

May

That’s the true spirit of Christmas; people being helped by people other than me.  ~  Jerry Seinfeld

[With Elsa Lee at the winery on May 4th . . . ]

[Indicative of where we were going next . . . ]

[Next door to the winery’s events center for the Run for the Roses fundraiser for Theatre L’Homme Dieu.  Here the Salty Dogs amused and inspired the attendees . . . ]

[Voted most likely to get lost on the way home . . . ]

[So, how about quilting?]

[On May 10th, the Prince Quilt Touring Exhibition alit in Ashby.  This was a nationwide tour . . . ]

[Native Ashbyans (Ashbyites?) Helen and John Etnier joined us there . . . ]

[And on that same day, we purchased a Traveling Ole at the Runestone Museum in preparation for our upcoming trip to Norway . . . ]

[On May 17th, Sam Miltich (guitar) and Friends presented “The Improvised Life: Exploring Intersections of Mental Health & Creativity through Jazz” in Evansville under a state grant program . . . ]

[The very next day we were at the winery, again, to watch Sam’s uncle, Anthony Miltich, perform during wine pick up day . . . ]

[And then that night we hustled down to Glenwood to see Patchouli.  They have three top 5 internationally charting albums including Of Sea & Stars just won ZMR Award “Best Instrumental Album of the Year 2017” (from their website) . . . ]

[On May 19th, the Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra’s 10 Years of Music concert.  Brad Landbrecht delivered his maestro’s notes to those who arrive a half hour early . . . ]

[Which would include us and that well-known couple from Ashby . . . ]

[And lots of other people in the high school’s Performing Arts Center . . . ]

[It was an accomplishment of significance . . . ]

[As was Lake H2Obert at twilight on May 25th . . . ]

June

The best Christmas present I got from my husband was a week to do whatever I wanted.  ~ Olivia Haigh Williams

[June 2nd, the Super demonstrated the proper way to enjoy summer at the winery in Vacationland USA, while soaking in the musical stylings of . . . ]

[Again, the Salty Dogs, with fine chapeau’s sported by Greg and Erik . . . ]

[On June 7th, the Killer Vees (the Velline family) were at the winery’s events center . . . ]

[With Anthony on June 9th at Lure Lakebar, with Lake Le Homme Dieu at my back . . . ]

[Old home week, with the Boyz of ’65 at lunch at Interlachen on Fathers’ Day . . . ]

[The management and staff from Theatre L’Homme Dieu stopped by the winery on June 15th.  The TLHD season 2019 began the following week . . . ]

[And the next day Patchouli was at the winery . . . ]

[Skol!  June 18th, Oslo, Norway, go figure . . . ]

[The first day of a 20-day adventure, most of it cruising Norway, Scotland, and England.  Here with traveling partners, Anne and Bill Gross, in front of the Storting building, the parliament of Norway . . . ]

[Tiger sculpture (Norwegians don’t waste words) outside Oslo’s central train station (behind, upper left) . . . ]

[We stayed at Thon Opera Hotel in Oslo.  Here’s the Super visiting with Olav Thon.  She reported he was very shy . . . ]

[On June 19th (as are the following 10 photos), the lobby of our hotel.  I don’t know if Olav was responsible for the sculpture . . . ]

[Our guide Helen in Vigeland Park.  She did a great job herding American tourists . . . ]

[Smooth as a baby’s bottom . . . ]

[Apparently a place for hugging.  Who said Norwegians aren’t huggers?]

[Photobombed by Helen.  Whatta hoot!]

[You’d be grumpy too if everyone kept rubbing your . . . ]

[The Royal Palace.  I wonder if they’ve thought about downsizing?]

[Ahhh, art!]

[“The Scream” by Edvard Munch is probably in the top ten of all-time famous paintings.  I just don’t know why?]

[I could understand why this would be in the top ten (an actual sign in Oslo) . . . ]

[On June 20th, Ole took a ride on the Flam Railway . . . ]

[Oh, Ole, you’re such a hoot!]

[A stop at the magical Kjosfossen Waterfall.  Huldra, a forest siren, hops out to sing to you here . . . ]

[On June 21st, Ole pointed to Flam on the globe.  No matter where you go, there you are.]

[And then we cruised Nærøyfjord on an all-electric boat . . . ]

[Ah, this is the life . . . ]

One can never have enough socks. Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn’t get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books.  ~  Professor Dumbledore

[Ole, the Norwegian flag, the fjord, and the Super . . . ]

[On June 22nd, the Super and Ole logged aboard our Viking cruise ship in Bergen . . . ]

[Ole in the Atrium of the Viking Sun, the same ship we took through the Panama Canal a year ago . . . ]

[Waiting for the piano man . . . ]

[On June 23rd, our usual hang out for most of the cruise.  A choice of seeing where you’re going rather than where you’ve been . . . ]

[Continuing on June 23rd, atop Mt. Floyen, achieved by funicular . . . ]

[From which you have this beautiful view of Bergen . . . ]

[The Super posed with trolls throughout Norway . . . ]

[This is my heritage laid out before you . . . ]

[June 23rd, fine dining aboard our boat . . . ]

[June 24th, why one could understand that living on a cruise ship might not be too bad.]

[The almost 400 steps up Fossevandring waterfall in Geiranger.  Be very careful!]

[Almost to the top, with views up and down . . . ]

[Huffing and puffing . . . ]

I haven’t taken my Christmas lights down. They look so nice on the pumpkin.  ~  Winston Spear

[The Super looking down and back at Geiranger.  One can appreciate why this village of about 200 people attracts a million visitors a year . . . ]

[Lake Djupvatnet near Geiranger – not big but over 600 feet deep . . . ]

[On June 25th, the Super hit the spa – her favorite spot on the ship . . . ]

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas. But if the white runs out I’ll drink the red.  ~ Anonymous

[On June 25th, a shipboard celebration of crossing the Arctic Circle . . . ]

[The Super and Ole successfully crossed the pool’s “Arctic Circle” . . . ]

[And celebrated accordingly . . . ]

[Aquavit, ’nuff said!]

[And the real crossing of the real imaginary line that is the Arctic Circle . . . ]

[And we have this fact witness of the event . . . ]

[June 26th, the Super met another troll . . . ]

[On June 26th, cod appeared to be in critical need of cod liver oil . . . ]

[On June 27th, Norwegians displayed their abnormal fitness desires in Tromso . . . ]

[And on this same day, Anne was able to find the house where her grandmother once lived.  She only had a picture, not an address . . . ]

[The Super and friend in Tromso . . . ]

[I recently read an article about “Larks,” people who naturally awake abnormally early.  I’m one of those.  But being such, on June 28th I had the shipboard “living room” all to myself . . . ]

[Later that day, the Super with a Sami, the indigenous people of northern Scandinavia, who are close personal friends with reindeer . . . ]

[North Kapp, the northern most accessible point on the European continent . . . ]

[And the windiest?]

[OK, this spit is a little more northern but there’s no road to it . . . ]

[The Super and Ole and friends in the information building at North Kapp . . . ]

[The North Kapp monuments . . . ]

[June 29th, cruising south to our next destination, the British Isles.  The Super and Bill took advantage of a beautiful photo op along the way . . . ]

Happiness, not in another place but this place, not for another hour but this hour.  ~  Walt Whitman

[I really like this photo of Anne and Bill, the view they had from their vantage near the top of the world. So there . . . ]

[Rainbows this far north must require a passport?]

[This is Greta Thunberg.  We did not meet Greta in Norway.  Greta is from Sweden, not Norway.  I have never been to Sweden, but if I should someday I would like to meet Greta.  Greta is trying to save the world which seems a most worthy cause . . . ]

[On July 30th, enroute to the British Isles.  I have to believe Norway feels conflicted about becoming the greenest country through its oil wealth?]

July

Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people only once a year.  ~  Victor Borge

[On July 1st, Yan Yan remembered us from the Panama Canal cruise.  How did I not remember her?]

[Later that day, the Super met a Shetland pony on . . . Shetland Island . . . ]

[And then playing tourist in Shetland’s only burgh, Lerwick . . . ]

[Ole leaves Shetland . . . ]

[July 2nd, enroute to the Orkney Islands . . . ]

[Ole met Orkney . . . ]

[At the Orkney Ring of Brodgar, possibly older than Stonehenge . . . ]

[I still haven’t finished blogging Scotland and England, so no further photos from the cruise (I heard that!).  We were then home for a while before we went off to Camp Brosius on July 28th.  We made our usual first stop at the Tiki Bar on Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, with Katie and Rita . . . ]

[A wild lepidoptera enjoying the goodlife in Elkhart Lake . . . ]

[July 31st, year-to-year, my forever memory photo of camp . . . ]

[Has anyone seen my chauffeur?]

[These were my roommates in camp.  I have nothing further to add to that . . . ]

August

A Christmas tree, the perfect gift for a guy. The plant is already dead.  ~  Jay Leno

[It’s not just any Christmas card that can display photos of art worthy urinals.  These, of course, are from the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, on August 1 . . . ]

[So why not a selfie here?]

[The Biddies create a wake along the Elkhart Lake shoreline . . . ]

[And lived to tell the tale on August 2nd . . . ]

[Party animals later that day . . . ]

[August 22nd at the Theatre L’Homme Dieu fundraising soiree on the TLHD campus . . . ]

September

When I was a kid, my parents told me I didn’t exist.  ~ Santa Claus

[September 3rd, the day before my birthday, standing on the Endless Bridge at the Tyrone Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis overlooking the Stone Arch Bridge and the Mississippi River . . . ]

[That night we watched nephew Michael Obert (cello) perform at Ambi in Anoka . . . ]

[Birthday booty is displayed . . . ]

[September 20th, at the opening fundraising concert for the Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra at Broadway Ballroom . . . ]

[September 28th with the usual music suspects, Karin and Dave Berg, at Carlos Creek Winery, our home away from home . . . ]

October

Dear Santa, define good!  ~ ​ Unknown

[Rita came for a visit on October 13th for a reformation of The Biddies . . . ]

[Sitting at the dock of Lake H2Obert . . . ]

[October 14th, Reetz got the full Runestone indoctrination.  Her life will never be the same . . . ]

[October 15th, we made statewide news.  Our senior college class made Minnesota Public Radio, for quality and quantity (we pack the room) of the program.  Can you find the Super and me?]

[October 19th, The Biddies at the winery’s Applefest.  I think they’ve already been in the applesauce . . . ]

November

This holiday season, no matter what your religion is, please take a moment to reflect on why it’s better than all the other ones.  ~  Guy Endore Kaiser

[November 2nd, the Theatre L’Homme Dieu board and staff were invited.  Minnetonka Theatre lead off the TLHD summer season with Bright Star, which drew rave reviews from all who saw it . . . ]

[A TLHD selfie at “Chaplin” . . . ]

[November 9th, the Super and I (along with Jeanne and Ken Howell from Alex) were in D.C. to lobby Congress on behalf of the Citizens Climate Lobby.  We were back in our old stomping grounds – in fact, here’s where we lived from 1987 to 2001, the Astoria condominium in Arlington, Virginia . . . ]

[We visited brother Chris in Stafford, VA, at his house on the Potomac River; with sister Gretchen and brother-in-law Mohamed, who live in D.C. . . . ]

[November 10th, the Super visited Albert Bierstadt’s “Among the Sierra Nevada, California” at the National Portrait Gallery . . . ]

[Also at the portrait gallery, the Super with a recent president . . . ]

[October 12th, to actually do the work we were there for, we had to walk by the Capitol daily . . . ]

[And there was a crowd at the Supreme Court for the DACA hearing . . . ]

[A reporter?]

[An expanded view . . . ]

[Here the four of us (plus 2 others) were with Zach Martin (far right) of Congressman Collin Peterson’s staff . . . ]

[With Jeanne and Ken that night at the restaurant on the top floor of our Rosslyn Holiday Inn hotel . . . ]

[And subsequently received this from one of our senators . . . ]

[November 23rd, it may have been the 50th annual turkeyfest at Basketball Dan’s, but there was some debate as to which year could be considered the inaugural . . . ]

[Thanksgiving in La Verkin, UT, with Rita, nephew David, and our hosts, niece Beth and nephew Chris.  We were there from November 24th to December 1st during which time we visited places within a two-hour radius . . . ]

December

A lovely thing about Christmas is that it’s compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together.  ~  Garrison Keillor

[Members of the Anthony Miltich Fan Club gathered at the winery on December 7th.  Anthony is not sure whether or not he would use this as a promotional photo . . . ]

[From home sweet home on December 10th . . . ]

[Lisa came to town on December 13th.  She performed but was not feeling well.  We thought she sounded fine but she wasn’t up to making a video.  In keeping with the traditions of the annual Christmas missive, we again present Lisa from 2012 . . . ]

[Our next vacation?  Merry Christmas to all and to all may CBD bring relief.]

 Let’s be naughty and save Santa the trip.  ~  Gary Allan

December 5

Las Vegas

Leaving La Verkin (possible title for a movie?) . . . 

[Our hosts left first.  Beth and Chris had a 7-hour drive ahead of them to get back to San Diego . . . ]

[And then the remaining four of us left in a 2-car caravan to Las Vegas – and my goodness, we’re there already . . . ]

[Well, that’s seriously still double digits in miles away . . . ]

[The air quality never seems very good?]

[Still a few miles away . . . ]

[But wait – we’re going around the city . . . ]

[We’re heading for the Red Rock Loop . . . ]

[We returned to Vegas because we were all flying home early the next morning . . . ]

[And this seemed more exciting than spending the day downtown . . . ]

[And we were right . . . ]

[We’ve discovered these are always the best places to start an adventure . . . ]

[The windows are set up for a panorama view . . . ]

[The 13-mile one-way loop we would be taking upon finishing shopping . . . ]

[Something inquiring minds want to know . . . ]

[Meanwhile, back at the panoramic view . . . ]

[And with flash to totally expose The Biddies . . . ]

[And with Mr. Excitement . . . ]

[A drone . . . ]

[We’re on our way . . . ]

[Lots o’ people down there.  Obviously in a different age group than ours . . . ]

[If no one minds, I’ll just take photos from the parking lots . . . ]

[More younger people wandering in the wilderness . . . ]

[Playing it safe outside the fence . . . ]

[No doubt about it . . . ]

[The rocks are red . . . ]

[And a lovely two-tone . . . ]

[The main scenic overlook spot . . . ]

[And here’s what’s overlooked from there . . . ]

[But to get airborne, I need longer wings . . . ]

[And now we have an interesting sky with an occasional appearance of the sun . . . ]

[Just because I think the next photo after this looks like the start of a disaster movie . . . ]

[A layer cake . . . ]

[Halloweeny (or is it Halloweenish?) . . . ]

[We’re on the way out – well worth the trip . . . ]

[A Pete Seeger neighborhood.  We’re well out of the city here, but the neighbors could shake hands with each other standing in their own homes . . . ]

[Back in the city, home of the Runnin’ Rebels . . . ]

[And their arena, the Thomas and Mack Center . . . ]

[A sure sign that this place was erected in the middle of a desert . . . ]

[Had to eat here – now that they’ve geographically extended beyond California . . . ]

[The classic burger joint menu – burgers and fries, and that’s it!]

[Reetz awaiting our order, I believe it was No. 85 . . . ]

[There’s one person on staff who’s sole job is just to press potatoes into fries . . . ]

[And then back to our Ellis Island Hotel for dinner, The Biddies split gigantic prime rib entree . . . ]

[And a bottle of Dom (OK, I made that up) . . . ]

[Ellis Island expansion plans . . . ]

December 2

[Waiting for our airport cab at 5:00 am, here featuring Las Vegas power lines . . . ]

[At least the power lines were washed out here.  Adios, Las Vegas!  And many thanks to Beth and Chris for hosting Thanksgiving.]

Las Vegas is the only place I know where money really talks – it says Goodbye.  ~  Frank Sinatra

Up Next: Christmas

November 28

Thanksgiving Day 

Yup, the actual day.  The day for which we came.  We were going to Beth and Chris’s mountain biking friends – they live in Virgin, along the route between La Verkin and Zion – with other friends making a potential of 15 diners.  It turned out that three coming from “the north” decided against it because of snow making us an even dozen . . .  

[The view from the La Verkin house that morning . . . ]

[The view down the street from the La Verkin house . . . ]

[The view of the La Verkin house . . . ]

[And down the street again . . . ]

[The view from the Virgin Thanksgiving house, about 15 minutes from La Verkin . . . ]

[The view of some of the people in the Virgin house . . . ]

[There was food aplenty . . . ]

[The view from outside the Virgin house.  The owners of the house, our hosts, were orginally from San Diego but moved here in retirement . . . ]

November 29

[The scene in the La Verkin house the morning after Thanksgiving.  A scene replicated in millions of households throughout the United States . . . ]

[It was a particularly not nice day (it hardly ever rains here and a local told us it maybe snows twice a winter) – rainy, snowy, sleety – but antsy to get out decided to do a two-car caravan to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in southern Utah, about an hour drive from here. Well, we didn’t know what the conditions were like to get there. Didn’t take long to realize the area had at least 6 inches of snow, no signs of snowplows, and with Rita leading the way decided we couldn’t make it. We turned around about 10 miles before getting there. Ruthie said our car lost its “radar” for detecting when you’re getting too close to something – front of the car clogged with snow – and the cruise control came and went.  It was a pretty drive but looked really nasty on the way back . . . ]

[The route took us from Utah, into Arizona, and back into Utah again . . . ]

[It was about here that Rita stopped in the middle of the road.  Beth got out and came back to our car to advise that Rita wanted to turn around and go back.  Of course, once we both started the necessary maneuvers to turn around, the previously totally empty roadway turned into the equivalent of rush hour in Los Angeles . . . ]

[On the way back, the clouds seemed almost down in the road – we were about a mile high here (without the use of any banned substances) . . . ]

[Whew, made it back to our neighborhood . . . ]

November 30

[Snowy and frosty – who’da thunk?]

[Again, the view from our house . . . ]

[Nevertheless, as our dear old moms used to say, go out and blow the stink off.  So we did with a little hike around the neighborhood, to a place they had seen the snowy night before with particularly attractive Christmas decor . . . ]

[And other houses just around the corner . . . ]

[Pyracantha (firethorn) . . . ]

[A hint of the Old West, from cowboy movies . . . ]

[Back on the street where we lived . . . ]

[It looked so cool in daylight, we went back again at night . . . ]

[It even makes me impressed by my own photography?]

[It also made sense to do a video . . . ]

[The neighboring house did fine, but the competition next door was fierce . . . ]

[So, yes, the light show was from a business.  Not unusual I guess in the absence of any zoning restrictions – this was in the midst of a residential neighborhood . . . ]

[And finally, making use of the native vegetation a couple houses away . . . ]

Thanksgiving is so called because we are all so thankful that it only comes once a year.  ~  P. J. O’Rourke

Up Next:  Part 5