tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3091129243056462562024-03-08T00:29:45.243-08:00Allophile...peregrinations, geographical and mental--musings and snapshotsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger352125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309112924305646256.post-538284925951589202016-08-16T15:42:00.008-07:002016-08-16T15:54:22.357-07:00August, again...<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Snippets of thoughts, the ranting-and-raving that includes inside-jokes that I know old friends will 'get,' along with snapshots of minutiae from wherever we are--the fact that this blog has not been updated in a <i>year</i> shows me that my 'need' to communicate such things has made the move over to Instagram & Twitter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Not that I was every truly 'personal' on this blog... My wife and I always figured that the phone and e-mail and texts would serve for important, immediate contact, so this format ended up serving as a visual bridge for those who know us, but one that wouldn't offer up too much to those who don't need to know more... a more guarded, <i>anti</i>-facebook of our choosing...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">That's still what this is, then, I guess, just evolving into...an annual post?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">And being stuck here, sick-at-home, away from work--I'm back at this desk typing with all ten fingers instead of thumbing away on my phone. Yep, the usual back-to-the-new-school-year cold caught up with me last Friday night; I've been back in the classroom with students since August 4th, and since Saturday it's been nothing but soup and vitamins. And some pizza. OK, and a glass of wine, too, last night. The restaurant down the road has this special going on right now, (pizza, salad, and drinks for 2 for $20), and I felt good enough to get out of the house for a bit with my wife...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Therapeutic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The new year is off to a good enough start, student-wise. Yeah, there's the perennial lack of materials. <i>What, you want textbooks? And projector bulbs? desks? silly, silly teachers... </i>The school where I work is routinely listed as one of the best in the country--but it feels as if it's almost more <i>in spite of</i> instead of <i>because of</i> how certain things are (not)done... Imagine if...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Enough.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Time for the summer in review. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Much less hectic than last summer with its moving of two households and driving of my mother's car across the country and then setting her up with new doctors and getting ready for a bit of neurosurgery right after settling into her new Arizona life. (She's doing well, by the way, adapting her gardening to the desert and learning that <i>moles</i> are amazing Mexican sauces, too.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This summer was framed by Maui and Monument Valley...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Maui!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">After sixteen years of marriage, S. and I <i>finally</i> got around to taking a truly <i>relaxing</i> vacation--no language classes, no scouting of locations for a possible year-abroad, no relatives to visit, no gathering of materials for future use in my classroom--all great trips, but those are trips with <i>mission statements;</i> we just wanted to relax. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">And we did. It was worth every penny. (Wow, lots of pennies for Hawaii. Lots.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Timeless" may be a cliché--just like faux-'tintyping' of iphone-photos may, by now, be a cliché--but with roots in truth and feeling, so, yes, staying on the eastern tip of Maui, at the end of the legendary 'Road to Hana' felt <i>timeless. </i>Deep breaths and everlasting trade winds... Restorative.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Guys, if your wife wants the two of you to do a spa-day, do it. You'll love her for it, too. Outdoor showers with ferns and orchids growing out of lava-rock. Crashing surf just beyond. Your mind will have a new happy place.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">On the other end of the island, we spent a few days in Napili Bay. Sea turtles and <a href="http://myfavoriteanimalpostcards.blogspot.com/2015/02/humuhumunukunukuapuaa-reef-triggerfish.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">humuhumunukunukuapua'a</span></a> swimming right up to you! Sunsets framed by the islands of Lana'i and Moloka'i. And a black dog playing in the surf, epitomizing happiness:</span><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/allophile/28076345711/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Black Dog. Happiness. Moloka'i in view..."><img alt="Black Dog. Happiness. Moloka'i in view..." height="549" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7545/28076345711_95992c21c9.jpg" width="550" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">(and this photo <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BHC8tb4jWsp/?taken-by=destinationhotels" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">won us a couple of hotel nights in a little instagram contest</span></a>! Thanks, pup!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The very first day we got there, S. and I turned to each other and said, "what took us so long to finally get here?" Already plotting to go back...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The photos could go on, ad nauseum. I'm guessing that if you're reading this, you've already seen a few, so...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">...on to Monument Valley.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">After nine years of living here, I finally made it up there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Going on a weekday, there were few American visitors--I heard more German and French than anything. These Wild West Vibes, popular with European road-trippers... And I mean, yeah, the landscape is <i>epic:</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In mid-July, I had to spend a week at a teachers' workshop up in Phoenix--from there it's a few hours closer to Navajo country than it is from Tucson, so I decided to tack on a little road-trip to round out the summer. From Monument Valley I drove down to Chinle, where some friends live, the gateway to <a href="https://www.nps.gov/cach/index.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Canyon de Chelly National Monument</span></a>, with its scores of ancient ruins:</span><br />
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...and petroglyphs:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and those whose families have lived here for centuries:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Driving through <a href="https://www.nps.gov/pefo/index.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Petrified Forest National Park</span></a> on my way back to Tucson:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This summer, I learned that a couple of photos placed in this year's <a href="http://www.ippawards.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">IPPAwards</span></a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Just a wall I drive by on my morning commute; glad I stopped to take a picture of it--an <a href="http://www.ippawards.com/2016-winners-abstract/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">honorable mention in the ABSTRACT category</span></a>:</span><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/allophile/23531543532/in/album-72157633363605319/" nbsp="" title="wall of rectangles"><img alt="wall of rectangles" height="640" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5720/23531543532_e3811f7f6c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and an <a href="http://www.ippawards.com/2016-winners-landscape/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">honorable mention in the landscape category</span></a> as well, seen on one of my morning runs in Sabino Canyon:</span><br />
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<span id="goog_285592462"></span><span id="goog_285592463"></span><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/allophile/23185838514/in/album-72157633363605319/" nbsp="" title="morning, spilling into the canyon..."><img alt="morning, spilling into the canyon..." height="640" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/1/660/23185838514_5abeb5b57c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The best camera's the one that's with you.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One last thing about photos--it turns out that I have <a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/search/photographer?excludenudity=true&family=creative&license=rf&page=2&photographer=joseph%20cyr%20%2F%20eyeem&sort=best#license" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">a few dozen photos listed for sale on Getty Images</span></a>--mostly nature, some architecture... Yes, this is a bit of shameless self-advertising. But hey, if you need some stock images, you'll know the source personally...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This year, for the first time, I have a few students who speak Cantonese. Also, Lao (also known as Laotian). <i>Allons, enfants de ces patries, le jour d'apprendre est arrivé...</i></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309112924305646256.post-4532079379700110232015-08-10T21:00:00.000-07:002015-08-11T16:37:48.660-07:002900 miles. Summer, short. Driving, long.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">August already...in Arizona, back-to-school doesn't wait until after the dog days of summer. Last Thursday the teens returned, so I'm back in the classroom, hoping the air-conditioning won't malfunction, as it has <i>every</i> August since I began teaching in Tucson...106 degrees outside is no joke.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I try not to inflict a what-I-did-on-my-summer-vacation-assignment on my students, but I do feel compelled, here, to post my own summary: a good chunk of June was spent moving (<i>two households)</i> and traveling, and although it was definitely not <i>vacation, </i>Seneca's oft-quoted <i>"travel and change of place impart new vigor</i>" comes to mind...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The <i>vigorous </i>route, then: 2900 miles...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ddaOTaawjlo6b_cu1SzqjjNcU6KZmGBukqcnRYiTzMcVei8gkANio8Gv-dxnba3PWMsR1Wi_L7iSgcmZiDYMDx7FnCXjqGTRD_haHssb_C2ReHIDpPS_O1H02gbuI3z_dd0q1MlylS2Q/s1600/1+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ddaOTaawjlo6b_cu1SzqjjNcU6KZmGBukqcnRYiTzMcVei8gkANio8Gv-dxnba3PWMsR1Wi_L7iSgcmZiDYMDx7FnCXjqGTRD_haHssb_C2ReHIDpPS_O1H02gbuI3z_dd0q1MlylS2Q/s400/1+map.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">After my wife and I moved into a new home at the beginning of June, I immediately flew to Georgia to help my mother pack up for her own move; she lives down the road from us in Tucson now. At the last minute, arrangements to ship her car fell through. (Beware the shady conglomerate of car-shippers based out of southern Florida.) Result: I ended up driving her car out west--a cross-continent road trip through The South and Texas, with a several-day detour to visit friends in central Florida...So, from Augusta, via Atlanta, down to the Orlando area, then through Mobile, New Orleans, on to San Antonio through El Paso, ending up, almost three thousand miles later, back in Tucson.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">====================</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUftTY41A0CGLl39frf9fZIrr28pVNIsM4PFlqMNF2oCFQx2eNwi7ybKm_MgFpLxId-boqJjBgqDBtFhVavTEECU_zeTFpFC4HgZdz8HxCK-TJDl0raLgYcC_X7Ki6XRh1sqHtkU_T8wOu/s1600/IMG_0926.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUftTY41A0CGLl39frf9fZIrr28pVNIsM4PFlqMNF2oCFQx2eNwi7ybKm_MgFpLxId-boqJjBgqDBtFhVavTEECU_zeTFpFC4HgZdz8HxCK-TJDl0raLgYcC_X7Ki6XRh1sqHtkU_T8wOu/s400/IMG_0926.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A South Carolina sunrise,</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">from the Georgia side of the Savannah River...</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">On my visits to Georgia over the years, especially since I've lived in the desert, I've come to love morning runs along the Savannah River, on the <span style="color: lime;">Augusta Canal </span>trail. Languid mornings, fog lifting over backwater reflections...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglOiRVArj13ptn0ecmmfyZI5CZFZ4DQEhTPu0X-5uTGDsZCy-ULjBOoRSruLJec2BI9cpOWYochWjZqUdixsuz9EoeK7rTbP5Ib88qjtTiXpgf-6JDXuZD4NdyVm0ecuyNzvvJ68xhzeS/s1600/IMG_9546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglOiRVArj13ptn0ecmmfyZI5CZFZ4DQEhTPu0X-5uTGDsZCy-ULjBOoRSruLJec2BI9cpOWYochWjZqUdixsuz9EoeK7rTbP5Ib88qjtTiXpgf-6JDXuZD4NdyVm0ecuyNzvvJ68xhzeS/s640/IMG_9546.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...19th-century brick, railroad bridges...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTchPqLg95RDSn9Uo6JTRxrpchOXZqdDYa_gzU_E2kItIw6kj87OYPfalFVQvBSJlvmnQ8XkY-Jr0TDj1ZWsqZ6jV3jNq1GU27_TupZ65o1E4wQAIApSJpRcZpAgpOH0VgoLrjyVH0Zmm/s1600/IMG_9696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTchPqLg95RDSn9Uo6JTRxrpchOXZqdDYa_gzU_E2kItIw6kj87OYPfalFVQvBSJlvmnQ8XkY-Jr0TDj1ZWsqZ6jV3jNq1GU27_TupZ65o1E4wQAIApSJpRcZpAgpOH0VgoLrjyVH0Zmm/s400/IMG_9696.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Maybe it sounds shallow--I mean, <i>people</i> are most important, and I still have friends in Georgia--but now that I no longer have family members who live there, which will make any future visits much less frequent--one of the things I'll miss most is that trail. Water, tunnels of greenery curtained with Spanish moss, humid solitude, history...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Neither of my parents is from Georgia, but that's where we ended up living when my father retired from the military when I was a kid. Nice enough, but I never did really feel 'at home.' As polite as people can be--and part of me does miss the social lubrication of 'yessirs' and 'thank you ma'ams'--I never could completely get away from "you ain't from around here, boy, are ya." So, I came back out west for grad school, moving to Seattle, and after spending a year each in France and Nicaragua, I've been in Arizona for eight years now...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Georgia's second city does have its international side, which pre-dates "The New South" of the late 20th century.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtaLxlpcXJUj2BXnEiYRcbktF_kdSMN-_aHLdBAR_0k2oU37Dx5tmLghyphenhyphenJv62bT4v0jII5zcvSGetBLobHN96fmME71_fMeBeolB2E1vCTnaSHCfzFM9gj1B6U_yvxkjxb-BBj8A4NRRP_/s1600/IMG_1160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtaLxlpcXJUj2BXnEiYRcbktF_kdSMN-_aHLdBAR_0k2oU37Dx5tmLghyphenhyphenJv62bT4v0jII5zcvSGetBLobHN96fmME71_fMeBeolB2E1vCTnaSHCfzFM9gj1B6U_yvxkjxb-BBj8A4NRRP_/s400/IMG_1160.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Chinese script on an antebellum building...<i>huh?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">(I went to high school just a few blocks from here.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Go back up to that canal--dug in the mid-19th century by African slave and Irish-immigrant labor, then enlarged in the 1870's by Chinese workers; those laborers, from either further afield weren't limited to building the railroads out West... In the Reconstruction South, Augusta became home to one of the oldest Chinese communities east of the Mississippi...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And at the Saturday morning Farmers' market down by the river--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgykMqx5ydO7pXjR2BbRhX98102_F4gyJcjFF0FKAYruPdDFpHG78wvU0DXkjpBqg77p9KdyRUXFhwhkGxAhuIV8o-Kg4mOD9bvfmrRddgtKvA9ic18Bmv9yyyy98xECyr_BCK4ZIcqRuu6/s1600/IMG_9715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgykMqx5ydO7pXjR2BbRhX98102_F4gyJcjFF0FKAYruPdDFpHG78wvU0DXkjpBqg77p9KdyRUXFhwhkGxAhuIV8o-Kg4mOD9bvfmrRddgtKvA9ic18Bmv9yyyy98xECyr_BCK4ZIcqRuu6/s400/IMG_9715.JPG" width="300" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">--you can now get <i>arepas colombianas: </i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqrt3r598-CM61NNOSrzIvNPzYOXt3-2ghZddcYmj5WGsVK2ytmRA78qUbw3tg5lfgknH125yxGHKq5M8IkUTp0JyXuw-l9gYUbNffEIMF8LMwPcHDcbFC9l7QQVHtmyyVAAqJUX8_i_D/s1600/IMG_9717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqrt3r598-CM61NNOSrzIvNPzYOXt3-2ghZddcYmj5WGsVK2ytmRA78qUbw3tg5lfgknH125yxGHKq5M8IkUTp0JyXuw-l9gYUbNffEIMF8LMwPcHDcbFC9l7QQVHtmyyVAAqJUX8_i_D/s400/IMG_9717.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Grits and fried green tomatoes still rule, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">but this small southern city has evolving tastes...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Also just a few blocks from where I went to high school, a relic of 18th-century farm life--the home of a signer of the Declaration of Independence:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbAjZa9gNIKjYxJW8Z2mQOsqGGrMHTU9pbU8gdOXsfYtKz0zRjMZ2NPZqd8JOg9quWG5gWosv2Mvm-dkmk6dma1wgJvIsq9gxm3lTMtCyYVZnXh0Luiu5V6rlXW3P8Fs6s3giJjfGn7ax6/s1600/IMG_9752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbAjZa9gNIKjYxJW8Z2mQOsqGGrMHTU9pbU8gdOXsfYtKz0zRjMZ2NPZqd8JOg9quWG5gWosv2Mvm-dkmk6dma1wgJvIsq9gxm3lTMtCyYVZnXh0Luiu5V6rlXW3P8Fs6s3giJjfGn7ax6/s400/IMG_9752.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/augusta/meadowgarden.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Meadow Garden</span></a> dates to the 1790's and was originally the home of George Walton, a young member of the Georgia delegation to the Continental Congress of 1776.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I'd never been, so I visited this landmark during what will probably turn out to be my last trip to Georgia for a good while. The vibrant interior, furnished with period pieces, struck me. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhliGU5TJ13mTJhoQ9qAViGg3QZF23NyO3h5hP89evTvH4Iu8ehECOAppmvCjRTnpxKWFJbFthj1qhACARAkEiXAnO5XWmGdFkaycJdLXoZI7rT6I1XQkKOjMCvOHDXo7g58-C9_9RupfF-/s1600/IMG_9748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhliGU5TJ13mTJhoQ9qAViGg3QZF23NyO3h5hP89evTvH4Iu8ehECOAppmvCjRTnpxKWFJbFthj1qhACARAkEiXAnO5XWmGdFkaycJdLXoZI7rT6I1XQkKOjMCvOHDXo7g58-C9_9RupfF-/s320/IMG_9748.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This blue: historically accurate. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Who knew that 18th-century decorators favored such a bold shade?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">During the Federalist Era, almost every home had a portrait of George Washington...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjds1SbEoIPSl7Qf3vAFp0JcbWy-P9ox5p1sWHTqQJWRIhZ84FvZP2RXXIAcqLK7lujhiVTono1DfQeZDqwresS7iZwMWRpqqg9tSWyXPaGrcoImM8-TxxA-PYEOkzGemzZs9nQVw9RPOOX/s1600/peaches.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjds1SbEoIPSl7Qf3vAFp0JcbWy-P9ox5p1sWHTqQJWRIhZ84FvZP2RXXIAcqLK7lujhiVTono1DfQeZDqwresS7iZwMWRpqqg9tSWyXPaGrcoImM8-TxxA-PYEOkzGemzZs9nQVw9RPOOX/s320/peaches.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and here, he presides on a wall of...yep, peaches. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Georgia has been taking that fruit seriously for a long time...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-kQJRM93N6KNa64-8wou4G8G5sAZD3wnxgxU8JDHZXY3xM39I68wVTMRRsAEGGCBXz9mI4jFIQ7R11tGPGJ5Xf3dEMBBolgxGhzQrIj_aAieWxmFi8jz0CTy4ll7DB1WpGAE1DQsIvi5W/s1600/IMG_9876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-kQJRM93N6KNa64-8wou4G8G5sAZD3wnxgxU8JDHZXY3xM39I68wVTMRRsAEGGCBXz9mI4jFIQ7R11tGPGJ5Xf3dEMBBolgxGhzQrIj_aAieWxmFi8jz0CTy4ll7DB1WpGAE1DQsIvi5W/s320/IMG_9876.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What's better on a summer day than a drippingly fragrant peach?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(Note, too, how "y'all" is spelled here...correctly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"Ya'll" makes my skin crawl.)</span></div>
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After driving my mother to Atlanta, where she got on the plane to Arizona, I headed down to central Florida to see old friends. With days of hotels and highway driving looming before me, their home was truly an oasis.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wKIIPOV1Ztji5dPkw9RsRGhUp74VAsSlO9jdDqlttBmblfCjgJ6HD4AoMna1eZCSrwPySuVgDji_JZXdPgvDMIqxBYbN26vO-iOUsiILW3WsVD4k6VOv3yIbp6uA1PB1UD-ZCKpDQgQO/s1600/IMG_9974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wKIIPOV1Ztji5dPkw9RsRGhUp74VAsSlO9jdDqlttBmblfCjgJ6HD4AoMna1eZCSrwPySuVgDji_JZXdPgvDMIqxBYbN26vO-iOUsiILW3WsVD4k6VOv3yIbp6uA1PB1UD-ZCKpDQgQO/s400/IMG_9974.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Kitchen-wall words with pedigree...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Ahh, subtropical mornings:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsXj1UidP6fdZfzABgy24UDNq0l-Ns4AO5XqtHd4v9aGGbTetqGnWUPu-CO6gmL8CZfwjmoIO1miY8wQRGXzHJZM83FLXyjmVKy5scR_rCqM2Z_WHiHLG1V6bJ5FMAagjMLKRF5nEOXBw/s1600/IMG_9938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsXj1UidP6fdZfzABgy24UDNq0l-Ns4AO5XqtHd4v9aGGbTetqGnWUPu-CO6gmL8CZfwjmoIO1miY8wQRGXzHJZM83FLXyjmVKy5scR_rCqM2Z_WHiHLG1V6bJ5FMAagjMLKRF5nEOXBw/s400/IMG_9938.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...with BIG birds!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy60Sa-614GpufflW5xSZFn513afijCDDENu1a-uwGICuAscBqh9dDOOIkqNINnnyXg-7Yq602-HCJnF9R27gk4B3DJDRFBvAQA9sN_uBNwW3gtcEEqab2Qk9211O1-w8GjwITXOfAgUzF/s1600/IMG_0069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy60Sa-614GpufflW5xSZFn513afijCDDENu1a-uwGICuAscBqh9dDOOIkqNINnnyXg-7Yq602-HCJnF9R27gk4B3DJDRFBvAQA9sN_uBNwW3gtcEEqab2Qk9211O1-w8GjwITXOfAgUzF/s640/IMG_0069.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">These neighborhood sand hill cranes let me get so close...Alarmingly tall...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Hearing their cries, it felt like I was running through the wilderness instead of a suburban neighborhood...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Downtown Orlando's Lake Eola Park:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjxkfc8VfKyjBqOcxFkvybLh4KIcItEKuHvGXT8nfi_0d21w4DVC_-Z7mBN4IDiflJlGBi0dZTownOvoUn6HtpUKE6HFM9aW5pAFAfHzXREAuq4-jpt6f-3dXN3jFHQ-y5BF4jt28tdP-/s1600/IMG_0995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjxkfc8VfKyjBqOcxFkvybLh4KIcItEKuHvGXT8nfi_0d21w4DVC_-Z7mBN4IDiflJlGBi0dZTownOvoUn6HtpUKE6HFM9aW5pAFAfHzXREAuq4-jpt6f-3dXN3jFHQ-y5BF4jt28tdP-/s640/IMG_0995.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Away from the theme parks, Orlando is a birdwatcher's dream, tree-filled and never far from water...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and street-art. This wall truly caught my eye, as I drove by it on the day that the tv/radio/print/socialnetwork news was saturated with the details of<span style="color: lime;"> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleston_church_shooting" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">the Charleston church shooting</span></a></span>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipHivYoyaVohEWSZ21LihyphenhyphenttKkHnZgW5WfWhZAiWkE760hQKF211pefVCU9xRKUMJ5oFr1j8y7J1GdUbXWHGbu1xubr9N2gygzFUlS-o_ru65NM8b4_i_b1yjIaPOb5Bm-6OsGj2WIZ47N/s1600/IMG_0034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipHivYoyaVohEWSZ21LihyphenhyphenttKkHnZgW5WfWhZAiWkE760hQKF211pefVCU9xRKUMJ5oFr1j8y7J1GdUbXWHGbu1xubr9N2gygzFUlS-o_ru65NM8b4_i_b1yjIaPOb5Bm-6OsGj2WIZ47N/s400/IMG_0034.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Head, and heart, hurt.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Oh, The South...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"Tortured past" and "complicated legacy" are the clichéd perennial fallback phrases that almost everyone uses when talking about The South's history of slavery and segregation. Really, though, is there anywhere on the planet that can escape those epithets? (<i>I'm reminded of this quote from great Western writer Wallace Stegner: "No one who has studied Western History can cling to the belief that the Nazis invented genocide."</i>) Prejudice-fueled-injustice--its flavor may vary, but its presence marks all corners of human geography... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, having spent the largest chunk of my growing-up down South, I can't help but note the lingering aftertaste of the American brand of chattel slavery south of the Mason-Dixon Line whenever I see the region's historical architecture. So much of it <i>is</i> lovely, aesthetically...but I've never been comfortable with those who insist on using the adjective 'genteel' when describing the Antebellum 'way of life.' This summer, with the Charleston shooting and the resulting Confederate-flag discussions, the 'heritage-not-hate' slogans were heard again...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and although this building (below) is not directly linked to that politically-controversial issue...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLIKrD0x-jTSDLPrfTlw_12Fz0udFAblMoJtiWIK9jqPL3e0rWePmdxXGuCKhu4MTHg1MhOa7fa-dUp-qfF2zDUaatL-NIF6gvSegoeqDiEHM6Ew1DdtvOEyF27hX0U_RMidZ7p_4M4sb/s1600/IMG_1012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLIKrD0x-jTSDLPrfTlw_12Fz0udFAblMoJtiWIK9jqPL3e0rWePmdxXGuCKhu4MTHg1MhOa7fa-dUp-qfF2zDUaatL-NIF6gvSegoeqDiEHM6Ew1DdtvOEyF27hX0U_RMidZ7p_4M4sb/s400/IMG_1012.JPG" width="367" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...it does epitomize for me, the unpleasant undertones of a historically complete understanding of The South's "heritage." This structure in Augusta, Georgia (again, just up the street and around the corner from where I went to high school) is the old First Baptist Church--the site, where in 1845, a regional convention of Baptists decided to formally separate themselves from the national denomination in order to become "Southern Baptists." Why? Slavery. More and more of their coreligionists up north were becoming increasingly vocal Abolitionists, so it was time for a break. The genesis of the Southern Baptist Convention was their pro-slavery stance; truly, black and white. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Lovely building. Heritage, indeed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Millions of Americans today owe their religious affiliation to what took place here. And yet...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">How many truly understand the origin? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This should not be read as a rant against any one denomination in particular--but history is history.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>It wasn't until 1995</i> that the Southern Baptist Convention formally 'repented' of its pro-slavery position.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Driving up from Orlando to finally head out west, I took a detour off I-10 up in Florida's panhandle. I'd never seen the Gulf Coast, and I was curious about the so-called 'Redneck Riviera.' </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It was a Saturday; it felt like half of the population within a half-day's drive of the Gulf of Mexico was all here. Stuck in traffic, this vacant lot caught my eye:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9MM_uJWcdzeL86eFPXOQ0qqM6vREmPoYQmh0W0L4Fd6KSOcC5KT5Z17CGyVMpNK6LKrcwafqkLrh-jBlvUWXnsxzigBjEcOcsgwBAf7CxaArzRGq1vnRdr3XBFBsZFRYektusuFIgE2H/s1600/IMG_1011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9MM_uJWcdzeL86eFPXOQ0qqM6vREmPoYQmh0W0L4Fd6KSOcC5KT5Z17CGyVMpNK6LKrcwafqkLrh-jBlvUWXnsxzigBjEcOcsgwBAf7CxaArzRGq1vnRdr3XBFBsZFRYektusuFIgE2H/s640/IMG_1011.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Some juxtaposition, eh?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Powdery white beaches and turquoise waters. Check.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTF7adzgfWHCV1Vep9cITfXpb1mtijrbyCRjxRzteLpfNTJ55U7FT_quZ7YSUo01UWWqND2adn18cYmB7kiLWizBeCurRvF7gmUAogudIsGbn6tqwtQjWgrYopxUxKpaEm6_ltLskGdMS1/s1600/IMG_0120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTF7adzgfWHCV1Vep9cITfXpb1mtijrbyCRjxRzteLpfNTJ55U7FT_quZ7YSUo01UWWqND2adn18cYmB7kiLWizBeCurRvF7gmUAogudIsGbn6tqwtQjWgrYopxUxKpaEm6_ltLskGdMS1/s400/IMG_0120.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">By evening, along the Alabama coastal wetlands around Mobile Bay.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9awMheEmrlWEiaF88GCO21Q6ddJjyDEsy2MA3i-sOt_DznqqnkgiZgSY60zXVIBxv3Jc6O6QQec8qTkvNbkfh2228uewnAm_RprjLGV5xGvuf08ZQiDmIz-Pcgw4bAGhlUpGINs1EXYR/s1600/IMG_0137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9awMheEmrlWEiaF88GCO21Q6ddJjyDEsy2MA3i-sOt_DznqqnkgiZgSY60zXVIBxv3Jc6O6QQec8qTkvNbkfh2228uewnAm_RprjLGV5xGvuf08ZQiDmIz-Pcgw4bAGhlUpGINs1EXYR/s400/IMG_0137.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Mobile.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It had never been on my radar as a destination. I decided to spend the night here--a childhood friend, whom I'd not seen in many years, moved here a while ago, so it was good to see him and his family...And, oh, the seafood...(Try <a href="http://www.originaloysterhouse.com/index.php" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">The Oyster House</span></a> on the causeway.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The next morning I drove through downtown--home to the tallest skyscrapers on the Gulf Coast and also old <a href="http://www.museumofmobile.com/ft_conde.php" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Fort Condé</span>-</a>-the original French military fortifications on Mobile Bay. Mobile would be French, then Spanish and British before finally becoming American in 1813.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJA0S9kErSNrQfnMAXi5nugTujRCi01mPyWg3OJYpa_3zju0YT08ROaDtkthUTekWoYpVkQP8rFToT9QxKOmQuf8TFjtsg6wu69L_VWH2AW3HugU_oJZn9qqWUQDHFIEz28onPm60TM4r/s1600/IMG_0998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJA0S9kErSNrQfnMAXi5nugTujRCi01mPyWg3OJYpa_3zju0YT08ROaDtkthUTekWoYpVkQP8rFToT9QxKOmQuf8TFjtsg6wu69L_VWH2AW3HugU_oJZn9qqWUQDHFIEz28onPm60TM4r/s400/IMG_0998.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">By late morning, I was in New Orleans. </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Time for beignets and café au lait at the Café du Monde.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nPuqyob9TSHhp_5sOUplKW9lMv6t10UPzgZ5suvrmKv1qx1hzYG-t1jE7OvnsNDMXOeOIUXclFrOsmxTl3V0eTV3xHpovUS6ZZc7eAvY3qt_fdWKxJn-Yf5dkJq9zmWuHpX40nu7oRQJ/s1600/IMG_0176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nPuqyob9TSHhp_5sOUplKW9lMv6t10UPzgZ5suvrmKv1qx1hzYG-t1jE7OvnsNDMXOeOIUXclFrOsmxTl3V0eTV3xHpovUS6ZZc7eAvY3qt_fdWKxJn-Yf5dkJq9zmWuHpX40nu7oRQJ/s400/IMG_0176.JPG" width="300" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Obscene amounts of powdered sugar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">There are some things you just have to do.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Along with the Louisiana air itself, the copious white powder and the throngs of sweaty tourists make <i>everything </i>sticky...truly <i>atmospheric</i>...and gloriously so. And the wait staff--visual confirmation of New Orleans' legacy as an outpost of the French Empire and an immigrant draw--largely Vietnamese...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I was wondering if this corner of Jackson Square had become one of those tourists-have-replaced-the-locals landmarks. While waiting in line for the restroom (yes, have to queue up for the toilet), a guy next to me asked me, "so, are ya from here?" I asked him the same question, to which he replied: "Oh yeah I come here all the time, and especially when friends from out of town visit." Okay, then!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Such a celebrated city--a city I'd not yet visited--but I only had a few hours here...enough of a first-hand taste, though, to ensure that I will return.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Z1QSxFDmQX-7nXLzyz-kZWGcgIivmkHzzYpzp2eWxh07QwdzWL-TFBpxrysBt6gUqVWsypobNw583tjk1JC7iCemr6qalZ594uKWk_FO2LJYY7zhG4A_4uFmcqjYHKuJ5nYP_6SJkLOS/s1600/IMG_0320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Z1QSxFDmQX-7nXLzyz-kZWGcgIivmkHzzYpzp2eWxh07QwdzWL-TFBpxrysBt6gUqVWsypobNw583tjk1JC7iCemr6qalZ594uKWk_FO2LJYY7zhG4A_4uFmcqjYHKuJ5nYP_6SJkLOS/s400/IMG_0320.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">While French is no longer the language-of-the-street in the French Quarter, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">you have to love how local sports fan have adopted <i>Frenchy</i> spelling: "GEAUX Saints!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(I know, I know, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm a French-teacher-who-works-in-the-U.S.,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">but I'd never yet visited <i>La Nouvelle Orléans</i>?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Hey, I was gonna get around to it eventually,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">it was on my list...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>and it still is.</i>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">With limited time, after just several hours in The Crescent City, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I kept heading west, this time away from I-10,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">driving along the Mississippi River, through Vacherie.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOFri9U6LjfYWqugj0MUMSlO28MYNVBC9i9vclwOH-KFcypNfkx6viUr7TJNsODGuG0ssIgRkBvIIwvdbjl8_BM4ufWgRnyW9FfWaqQzCwpozoVfawBSB85fSgKcfsdjpMepsDyZvdctH/s1600/IMG_0336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOFri9U6LjfYWqugj0MUMSlO28MYNVBC9i9vclwOH-KFcypNfkx6viUr7TJNsODGuG0ssIgRkBvIIwvdbjl8_BM4ufWgRnyW9FfWaqQzCwpozoVfawBSB85fSgKcfsdjpMepsDyZvdctH/s400/IMG_0336.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Banana trees everywhere,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">next to tin-roofed wooden structures.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Felt like I was back in Central America.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Truly sub-tropical down in those parishes...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In the bookstore of the old Laura Plantation on this River Road, I had a conversation with one of the docents--a young man who speaks fluent local French--<i>le bon français acadien</i>. He learned it spending summers with his grandparents and great-grandparents <i>who spoke no English</i>. Finding fluent Louisiana francophones is becoming more difficult, as the younger people increasingly turn to mainstream English...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Et voilà: "<a href="http://www.oakalleyplantation.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Oak Alley</span></a>."</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCnARi4YX1viIRFqB5Hhiuzot1yMXu0lIPjQFiDtyElAqIaIcGF7NAJd2Txd5pegMadjxmtfVdiB_mdhKjsZCgrqB1bQTlApQOzg34mQvHtrRllon09eC3GY66S7aDGPCUBSw4m8JwREC/s1600/IMG_0291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCnARi4YX1viIRFqB5Hhiuzot1yMXu0lIPjQFiDtyElAqIaIcGF7NAJd2Txd5pegMadjxmtfVdiB_mdhKjsZCgrqB1bQTlApQOzg34mQvHtrRllon09eC3GY66S7aDGPCUBSw4m8JwREC/s640/IMG_0291.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A Southern Plantation home <i>par excellence</i>, and the French is entirely intentional. This was originally named "Bon Séjour," founded by the Aimé and Roman families in the 1830's. The sugar aristocracy along the lower Mississippi River was mostly French-speaking Créole society who preferred that their daughters not marry <i>les Américains. </i>A magnificent setting--centuries-old oaks, the mighty Mississippi, and pillared Greek Revival Majesty...all built with slave labor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The honesty of Oak Alley's depiction and exhibits of slave life impressed me. (It wasn't too long ago that visitors to many plantations still encountered phrases such as 'and this is where the <i>servants</i> lived'...)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Inside a slave's shack.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh21tEKr3Sqz-9SbX1vQRYxDOBkL5Cvbn3XJXqHfmB-V8os_MwZQ_7_QrEpr0Bdvxzg0BbTJLMh354DVoTsJ8TbTXoNWC1GB7J1pJglMqJrWh26AG62dz1FDzdJnhBG07yCbSA1wJg3wTGY/s1600/IMG_0241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh21tEKr3Sqz-9SbX1vQRYxDOBkL5Cvbn3XJXqHfmB-V8os_MwZQ_7_QrEpr0Bdvxzg0BbTJLMh354DVoTsJ8TbTXoNWC1GB7J1pJglMqJrWh26AG62dz1FDzdJnhBG07yCbSA1wJg3wTGY/s320/IMG_0241.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">An example of an iron 'collar' with bells,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">and below that, "<i>children's transport shackles."</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjddb_BO5W1Q9rigV6hejXGHEhAuRDZ0xdIlaHVBA_Td7FHT7HcHt4v7wTh2uU2TEF4z9DISMhMcHMUckB6cS22YvUVaLM7toMHioJGEJZI8nz1S4WdrPWNQQs7d4Wct6su9ChGt-xMsOsp/s1600/IMG_0237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjddb_BO5W1Q9rigV6hejXGHEhAuRDZ0xdIlaHVBA_Td7FHT7HcHt4v7wTh2uU2TEF4z9DISMhMcHMUckB6cS22YvUVaLM7toMHioJGEJZI8nz1S4WdrPWNQQs7d4Wct6su9ChGt-xMsOsp/s640/IMG_0237.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyx3UAJJZTZP-SjGpbK8k71m0-WWS2z2ZnCpGyjovJF9S6pSr0WFA63TjgF__GihCaXzoUBU4RzcXAqv8BU0BVcUEwdfndeYlJ_7iCI50swjj-i4jeCIjgcJ1U_NfuAfUFbOJmA_pgmyti/s1600/IMG_0239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyx3UAJJZTZP-SjGpbK8k71m0-WWS2z2ZnCpGyjovJF9S6pSr0WFA63TjgF__GihCaXzoUBU4RzcXAqv8BU0BVcUEwdfndeYlJ_7iCI50swjj-i4jeCIjgcJ1U_NfuAfUFbOJmA_pgmyti/s400/IMG_0239.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Table and map showing the percentage of the regional population that was actually made up of slaves...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimxzfGGNwXzJc3YZdRG-d3hR6G2ChlXeep8-_LROJHrEHV3_jfyo_XoCHd4Wabk6OBPUn2OSLGJnyl571HJHpM2TWGoUKQvH2eWEG4caIPPzxGm5IAvHCrHcdpfNMbmvbXPDxkKm4oCUAb/s1600/IMG_0240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimxzfGGNwXzJc3YZdRG-d3hR6G2ChlXeep8-_LROJHrEHV3_jfyo_XoCHd4Wabk6OBPUn2OSLGJnyl571HJHpM2TWGoUKQvH2eWEG4caIPPzxGm5IAvHCrHcdpfNMbmvbXPDxkKm4oCUAb/s400/IMG_0240.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and a listing of some of the names of the French-speaking African slaves--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">no last names, no African names--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a memorial, of sorts, to those</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">who made plantation life possible here during the </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Antebellum decades of "The Peculiar Institution." </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1eqAnOn9NB_2-Sy5IECMknjqK02F9Up-i4x91HsRUzV9O6RtHQIeaNFtM3fg9AQKM1dBLTybbkeNvzvAYxfZYRZbGCNcM3C6eIx9h-fecYrpCu9MUwtAMnEudGVbYofdSyRYYpcwlIUP/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1eqAnOn9NB_2-Sy5IECMknjqK02F9Up-i4x91HsRUzV9O6RtHQIeaNFtM3fg9AQKM1dBLTybbkeNvzvAYxfZYRZbGCNcM3C6eIx9h-fecYrpCu9MUwtAMnEudGVbYofdSyRYYpcwlIUP/s400/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<br />
From Créole life along the Mississippi to the Cajun world along the Bayou Teche:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-ARmRXCokvIJwe51sF0T84MqJvpC2gUSVp98d8XzIdih6QL8a14vRndh5MYJqR1bT6R4WfV4OvNQjV87KZ3p3aOKa4vSYtex_AU7JrMtZtzfEiXdlPoFSMrKQWO_EqbcVVl9MRMSj8w2/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-ARmRXCokvIJwe51sF0T84MqJvpC2gUSVp98d8XzIdih6QL8a14vRndh5MYJqR1bT6R4WfV4OvNQjV87KZ3p3aOKa4vSYtex_AU7JrMtZtzfEiXdlPoFSMrKQWO_EqbcVVl9MRMSj8w2/s400/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I stopped in Breaux Bridge ("Pont Breaux" here) to stretch my legs in the Crawfish Capital of the world. The helpful lady in the regional information office, proud of her local heritage, told me that, as I continued heading west, there were two things I <i>had</i> to do: eat <i>boudin</i> and handle baby 'gators.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So I did.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiik1IePxJ7eKRPvSUc4uIfQmPiszVEJXYrmQnJSRQMU32CLiElUOpKSpmYmuHqeG900MLWg2YpmXGzERQHMmvaPaSZJmfa9Od-xRfktcsEUyZUJ-So4us2yOYE8yHyo6mqyGCVa11TkWWH/s1600/boudin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiik1IePxJ7eKRPvSUc4uIfQmPiszVEJXYrmQnJSRQMU32CLiElUOpKSpmYmuHqeG900MLWg2YpmXGzERQHMmvaPaSZJmfa9Od-xRfktcsEUyZUJ-So4us2yOYE8yHyo6mqyGCVa11TkWWH/s640/boudin.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">At <a href="http://www.boudincapitaloftheworld.com/2012/06/billys-boudin-and-cracklin.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Billy's</span></a>, in Lafayette Parish. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The town of Scott is, officialy, "<a href="http://www.boudincapitaloftheworld.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">The Boudin Capital of the World</span></a>." In much of the French-speaking world, 'boudin' can refer to a blood-sausage, but in Louisiana, it's blessedly safe for non-vampires. Pork, rice, spice...all nicely en<i>cased</i>. I tasted it in all its glory: boudin roll, (yep, fried in an egg-roll wrapper) plain boudin, and boudin balls (crunchy!), washed down with Dr. Pepper in a glass bottle. <i>Mangez, buvez, </i>as they say...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As for handling baby alligators,</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUHRn_mQ3n1n4WZ88jmlGqbZ3oC7GPy8whyorw8EDaiSixqsrDxS8zyv9xf1p9v3gyFLJPc61yX-SpRZMhkYbYOecDJxZchLuij3JGXTF6AxvlynxJ_EJm1a-a6mEoocFKKpQEj6BjK5a/s1600/IMG_1010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUHRn_mQ3n1n4WZ88jmlGqbZ3oC7GPy8whyorw8EDaiSixqsrDxS8zyv9xf1p9v3gyFLJPc61yX-SpRZMhkYbYOecDJxZchLuij3JGXTF6AxvlynxJ_EJm1a-a6mEoocFKKpQEj6BjK5a/s400/IMG_1010.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">it may be touristy,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">but <a href="http://www.jeffdavis.org/tourism/attractions/gator-chateau.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">it's just off I-10 in Jennings</span></a>--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>you can't not</i> get off the highway to handle these guys.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">They are so docile...and so (surprisingly) <i>soft.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The boudin kept me going all the way through Houston at rush-hour until I finally arrived in San Antonio.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59p2n4Atf1QwJAZCOUTDvyx3GRKhnazoLUe_RwiuZsZE_BGe-iPRBGSdDs9KGCJZdYYUFYMrTfd7i1KXnB5G2Z716mwlsCIrHlvuxbRWvfzvASYl3M3duGgcsIqd16iXPNh36Z38ItpBL/s1600/IMG_0423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59p2n4Atf1QwJAZCOUTDvyx3GRKhnazoLUe_RwiuZsZE_BGe-iPRBGSdDs9KGCJZdYYUFYMrTfd7i1KXnB5G2Z716mwlsCIrHlvuxbRWvfzvASYl3M3duGgcsIqd16iXPNh36Z38ItpBL/s640/IMG_0423.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Alamo. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Riverwalk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A pedestrian oasis after driving all day...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The next morning, I got up early--desperately needing a morning run after the previous day of porcine-feasting in Cajun Country. The streets in the <a href="http://www.sanantonio.gov/historic/Districts/King_William.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">King William district</span></a>, lined with 19th-century mansions, and the paths along the San Antonio River, make for a perfect urban loop of greenery and architecture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11GE4EFqBQosisdk9FSYX5RaJwBFjd1MpWSA9bMbstf_KjcmiAlZLS4MFfY1ggTJArp0tFAdBRjKDwSkAbNIwjB7PYQTB7WKjDTTGGzjvUiwdDC9dTKdwE1ovC2GbAgbG1gTCvdKaEsOe/s1600/IMG_0439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11GE4EFqBQosisdk9FSYX5RaJwBFjd1MpWSA9bMbstf_KjcmiAlZLS4MFfY1ggTJArp0tFAdBRjKDwSkAbNIwjB7PYQTB7WKjDTTGGzjvUiwdDC9dTKdwE1ovC2GbAgbG1gTCvdKaEsOe/s400/IMG_0439.JPG" width="400" /></a> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsLcEOrsLE0ze9IYknLDOCWqh3Qs_grD-TsbGpoBZuxHbwKrO3kNfw7IS-Yj-j7hGYgU2h_MXYTVE5FQUYscAE2-wDeDjU8eDMd3y4BgiCTSKFSUpNG1culN5_sn1pxK-XcybIqsWfhDc1/s1600/IMG_0451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsLcEOrsLE0ze9IYknLDOCWqh3Qs_grD-TsbGpoBZuxHbwKrO3kNfw7IS-Yj-j7hGYgU2h_MXYTVE5FQUYscAE2-wDeDjU8eDMd3y4BgiCTSKFSUpNG1culN5_sn1pxK-XcybIqsWfhDc1/s640/IMG_0451.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(The city even puts out a <a href="http://www.nhsa.org/files/san-antonio-attractions.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">handy brochure with maps</span></a> for downtown run/walk routes.)</span></div>
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Heading west--the <a href="http://www.hill-country-visitor.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Texas Hill Country</span></a>: big sky, wildflowers...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vxhvqRlzNPPkf7GTeFSLkggC0BXBTBxADuOBrHtXXaSVQ3dYnyGTtnK0kRnHDTy30LEJnqXN-19J_FilSbthmW2CraLvGudLvMuEMGQbNmGwBePzugavnU6uB72k1iLwVSuGF1m3i_qu/s1600/IMG_0495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vxhvqRlzNPPkf7GTeFSLkggC0BXBTBxADuOBrHtXXaSVQ3dYnyGTtnK0kRnHDTy30LEJnqXN-19J_FilSbthmW2CraLvGudLvMuEMGQbNmGwBePzugavnU6uB72k1iLwVSuGF1m3i_qu/s640/IMG_0495.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and, of course, barbecue.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hpGdx9F5n8ODwUGfOo0CzJNEszs39snYyr9wGm3SMDg1i5ziazCRNgxLV4CjGBZe_Elm73ivB5w3ZO63bFNODfxDZdC8quWMUcPX15JD8GA7sVIp_jkX3wutrZE97h-ZjGVX246Xo3dE/s1600/IMG_0501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hpGdx9F5n8ODwUGfOo0CzJNEszs39snYyr9wGm3SMDg1i5ziazCRNgxLV4CjGBZe_Elm73ivB5w3ZO63bFNODfxDZdC8quWMUcPX15JD8GA7sVIp_jkX3wutrZE97h-ZjGVX246Xo3dE/s400/IMG_0501.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
At last, just one more night in a hotel before sleeping in my own bed again in Tucson--spent the night in El Paso, and drove up a bare mountainside for this view the next morning--looking over the city into Ciudad Juárez, Mexico:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU96slDMh_W_1CvaCvGUsZsnuxlkocChvZYvZN2KL2T50C0PU8jJG9xBhfuLCLOfTLPaxhMgGZu21smZkePwJQyzG32vR-TAhz6KENgBS7dIsNPI5OoJYbTVlmD_RZM9xFl4mKOnZl4DNN/s1600/IMG_0575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU96slDMh_W_1CvaCvGUsZsnuxlkocChvZYvZN2KL2T50C0PU8jJG9xBhfuLCLOfTLPaxhMgGZu21smZkePwJQyzG32vR-TAhz6KENgBS7dIsNPI5OoJYbTVlmD_RZM9xFl4mKOnZl4DNN/s640/IMG_0575.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Back in the desert again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Borderlands.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(Another place where history's 'mixed legacy'</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">has led to a complicated present.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">An unlikely spot, perhaps, but this hillside motel just north of downtown is home to one of the best roadside breakfasts I have ever had. Think Waffle House...or Alice's Diner--but Spanish-speaking.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-B4VgUEY-eVu6GQlvJ_qqkt3btEau5JPW5g5-aNk4tT6YEPrUANieT8YlRs-NTltV3TqsIYRkz7dJiN5MbBpQCz516YZ9Dl8n61AYLksu5uQ8qjSDpbCTP4M43o6NcSncrxDyvcgw0MP/s1600/IMG_1003+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-B4VgUEY-eVu6GQlvJ_qqkt3btEau5JPW5g5-aNk4tT6YEPrUANieT8YlRs-NTltV3TqsIYRkz7dJiN5MbBpQCz516YZ9Dl8n61AYLksu5uQ8qjSDpbCTP4M43o6NcSncrxDyvcgw0MP/s640/IMG_1003+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Next time I'm passing through west Texas, this hole-in-the-wall will be a destination. Driving west from the lands of grits and biscuits-and-gravy, this taste of hashbrowns and <i>huevos con frijoles </i>made me feel like I was 'back home'--a culinary welcome-back to the Southwest...¡Gracias, Lucy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Before the final four and a half hours of driving to Tucson, I walked around downtown El Paso a bit.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAMpFJzYGFBli7_EcI5uMTRqWSX0RlkuwS92fGObB5Ub59sugleRVFUrL9S6RIXpW9IB-S-hEBERgHDi_i6aBo4VvRiVMdHoE_GEU7_cQ0E-CLd6myeeBp_BClyVNpf626dTXInEVa98R9/s1600/IMG_0735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAMpFJzYGFBli7_EcI5uMTRqWSX0RlkuwS92fGObB5Ub59sugleRVFUrL9S6RIXpW9IB-S-hEBERgHDi_i6aBo4VvRiVMdHoE_GEU7_cQ0E-CLd6myeeBp_BClyVNpf626dTXInEVa98R9/s400/IMG_0735.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">streetscape in the Segundo Barrio district,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">the blocks surrounding the border crossing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Color and lively shopping...and good eats...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And, for the last meal on the road--lunch just a few hours before arriving in Tucson,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">in Mesilla, New Mexico, a plate of red- and green-chile smothered enchiladas in <a href="http://www.laposta-de-mesilla.com/history" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">La Posta De Mesilla</span></a><i>, </i>an adobe compound that was once a stop on the Butterfield Stagecoach Line in the 19th century, when this tiny town served as the territorial capital for New Mexico and Arizona...</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijoDuxnXd3EfEuGUPcNcn4yvo_XS1GTLjt-npze_m5pAY__MZQ7p7qXAcJC-NoZWDwEp58V9NiZ9wwGV-Ys_GB9VNoLBiO_vA_sxgk3WqyKa51VhbNwWY32AI7mdwRw_ME4IER8J4Ypr5S/s1600/IMG_1006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijoDuxnXd3EfEuGUPcNcn4yvo_XS1GTLjt-npze_m5pAY__MZQ7p7qXAcJC-NoZWDwEp58V9NiZ9wwGV-Ys_GB9VNoLBiO_vA_sxgk3WqyKa51VhbNwWY32AI7mdwRw_ME4IER8J4Ypr5S/s640/IMG_1006.JPG" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Taste of place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The place that's become home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Desert Southwest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Road trip, safely ended.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The soundtrack to summer in Tucson is the song of cicadas--hidden in the mesquite and palo verde trees...you will occasionally spot one resting in the morning hours on a stucco wall:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAzfzWsWXtwVQvPgv6jOMkzD3lNlqsSTzhf-6IedAx1uzQK1G8OhSuAbWnbTSOR2tj3fikmBYb-tY1qya4eo8rOVOrgDi868H8DX8FQyEqskOgRfpvLbTVBAzEndo6DLUa1-k195e1jbIO/s1600/IMG_1126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAzfzWsWXtwVQvPgv6jOMkzD3lNlqsSTzhf-6IedAx1uzQK1G8OhSuAbWnbTSOR2tj3fikmBYb-tY1qya4eo8rOVOrgDi868H8DX8FQyEqskOgRfpvLbTVBAzEndo6DLUa1-k195e1jbIO/s320/IMG_1126.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And when the heat in the lowlands gets to be too much, all you have to do is <i>go up</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A quick 45-minute drive from my house takes me to the highest peaks and trails in the Santa Catalina Mountains, where, at 9000', it's 30 degrees cooler than the desert 6500' below...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OslpsWiIVaDv8aIyyXWT5_FF2vtU1DGTjk7fmKXMYL8RYeZCTfH9R2-pCVBDJOAmonAUIRBiS43fimSaCMOkZ2vLX2VTsrP7aGNSOA2pY033sAIJ7fvl-VM-hxmwKp2dxz3qp_hgsaRt/s1600/IMG_0833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OslpsWiIVaDv8aIyyXWT5_FF2vtU1DGTjk7fmKXMYL8RYeZCTfH9R2-pCVBDJOAmonAUIRBiS43fimSaCMOkZ2vLX2VTsrP7aGNSOA2pY033sAIJ7fvl-VM-hxmwKp2dxz3qp_hgsaRt/s640/IMG_0833.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...green cool peaks, granite crags, sky island meadows...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8KQpGxQ7UIcmMYyCeOeQJIRVtZzvuccR3tQJH6Qd8j3HVvl_bYusPQWDeaIyMI4xH2cE_r8Zy80BDZq0mCR8Mdmc5eoeLXmcj8TFYoNBFMsb1UFZeuPg-u7nem1QCP0lrXUBMA7l5boJ/s1600/Z+last+pic+of+trying+to+hold+on+to+summer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8KQpGxQ7UIcmMYyCeOeQJIRVtZzvuccR3tQJH6Qd8j3HVvl_bYusPQWDeaIyMI4xH2cE_r8Zy80BDZq0mCR8Mdmc5eoeLXmcj8TFYoNBFMsb1UFZeuPg-u7nem1QCP0lrXUBMA7l5boJ/s400/Z+last+pic+of+trying+to+hold+on+to+summer.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and we try to hold on to summer...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">mountaintops, long days, wildflowers...</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309112924305646256.post-70903052015155447962015-04-28T17:52:00.001-07:002015-04-29T21:29:40.488-07:00"...the dominance of the eye..."<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A few years ago, I came across <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Book-Migrations-Fully-Updated-Second/dp/1844677087/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_5"><span style="color: lime;">A Book of Migrations</span></a> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca_Solnit"><span style="color: lime;">Rebecca Solnit</span></a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This passage from that remarkable book has stuck with me:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Perhaps people travel for pleasure because the visual
is much more memorable than the tangible, the seen than the felt. At the
time, traveling may be nothing more than a series of discomforts in magnificent
settings: running for the train to paradise in a heat wave, carrying an
ever heavier pack in alpine splendor, seeing sublime ruins with stomach
trouble. Yet it is the field of images and not the body of sensations that
lingers. My mother once remarked that if women remembered what childbirth
felt like, no one would have more than one child. And so I, third child
of a third child, owe my existence to forgetting and my taste for travels to
the dominance of the eye..."</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...the field of images...</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> ...the dominance of the eye...</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Maybe<i> that's</i> why I haven't felt as much of a need in recent months to come back to this blog. In high school and as an undergrad, I entertained the notion that I was a wordsmith...In grad school, writing <i>about</i> writing grew tiresome, and then when I spent a year abroad living in Paris, I occasionally dreamed about getting a 'real camera' and documenting more of the images that were informing my sense-of-myself-within-geography instead of translating the images into words. (I did spend large amounts of time writing to the woman who would later marry me, though, conflating sense-of-place and sense-of-me in both par-avion letters and scrolluminous e-mails...)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This blog began as an outgrowth of group e-mails sent to friends during the year that my wife and I lived in Nicaragua. Within a year of moving back to Seattle, we realized that we wanted to leave behind the leaden sky winters of the Pacific Northwest, and so we moved down here to Tucson. (Eight years now?!) To share our impressions of the Sonoran Desert with our friends and family 'back home' and 'back East', I kept posting a few times a month for a few years...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and then smart-phones happened.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> ...and then Instagram.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Yes, the tyranny of the square-format and the ubiquity of over-sharing are inescapable facets of the tool/beast which has become our portal, via our thumbs, to ever expanding grids of curated lives. So be it. Or rather, to be more <i>modernly </i><span style="color: lime;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/magazine/how-you-do-you-perfectly-captures-our-narcissistic-culture.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;"><i>tautological</i>:</span></a><i> </i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>it is what it is.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Within the constraints of captions and hashtags, then, my need to write and share images has been finding a more immediate outlet <a href="https://instagram.com/allophile_/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">here</span></a>:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Images from past trips, snapshots from trail-runs, minutiae conveying a sense-of-place...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Hmm...this blog then--becoming more of a forum for occasional musings and ranting/raving/reflecting...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a self-published monthly? semi-monthly...?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.allophile.com/2014/07/after-month-of-running-around-korea.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">desination running-guides</span></a>? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.allophile.com/2014/01/a-five-day-road-trip-from-tucson-to.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">road-trip travelogues</span></a>? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"<a href="http://www.wired.com/2014/01/defense-listicle-list-article/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">listicles</span></a>?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Looks like it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Thanks, readers, for keeping up... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Here are a couple of those 'listicles' I've recently had published, by the way,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">for <a href="http://visitarizona.com/intent?utm_campaign=FY15NationalMedia&utm_medium=banner&utm_source=Matador&utm_content=article&source=Matador" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Arizona Tourism</span></a> and the <a href="http://matadornetwork.com/author/josephcyr/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Matador Network</span></a>: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> - <a href="http://matadornetwork.com/life/20-things-didnt-know-arizona/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">20 Things You Didn't Know About Arizona</span></a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> - <a href="http://matadornetwork.com/trips/8-incredible-natural-areas-arizona-youve-probably-never-heard/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">8 Incredible Natural Areas in Arizona You've Probably Never Heard of</span></a></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309112924305646256.post-14224745812976762332015-03-13T00:47:00.000-07:002015-03-13T01:13:00.120-07:00"Exploring The Elements"--to Santa Fe and back...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">After being sidelined by a trail-running injury, and then busy with winter quarter teaching, I'm back--back to running (!) and, finally, posting again...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Earlier today, I was <a href="http://antitouristtraveler.com/2015/03/11/explore-the-elements/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">nominated by Kathryn Cooper</span></a> (founder of the weekly twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/travelpicschat" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">#travelpics</span></a> chat and blogger/photographer on <a href="http://antitouristtraveler.com/"><span style="color: lime;">antitouristtraveler.com</span></a>) to take part in the Thomas Cook "<a href="http://www.thomascook.com/blog/featured-posts/explore-the-elements/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;"><b>Explore the Elements</b></span></a>" Travel photoblogging challenge...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> A couple of weekends ago, my wife and I took a little road-trip up to Santa Fe, and I'd been meaning to post a few photos...so, with today's nomination, (<i>Thanks, Kathryn!), </i>I've decided to limit this 'elemental exploration' to just four shots from that long weekend--a distillation of sense-of-place via mobile photography. (<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">All photos below taken with an iPhone5s.</span></i>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">=========</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"<b>EARTH</b>"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In this snowy Santa Fe streetscape--the oldest house in the U.S., an adobe structure, dating to at least the mid-1600's, built literally out of the earth. "Adobe," one of civilization's earliest building materials, has an ancient etymology going straight back to Egypt of 2000 BCE; the word entered English via Coptic, Demotic, Arabic, and finally Spanish.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFlVBmlrYAXeG1chTWwXlaJhbDYg2ZWLZ7PXd15V-YME6a_vIGw5atXVBUyh17IdZaC-iOBx_dZ2rU3kiGeqmXJgOscqqey5K3hHGAy1182M_EO5dKxQ2zGVSzGJJKOaVwD-Wd3J1LaQKA/s1600/oldest+house+streetscape.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFlVBmlrYAXeG1chTWwXlaJhbDYg2ZWLZ7PXd15V-YME6a_vIGw5atXVBUyh17IdZaC-iOBx_dZ2rU3kiGeqmXJgOscqqey5K3hHGAy1182M_EO5dKxQ2zGVSzGJJKOaVwD-Wd3J1LaQKA/s1600/oldest+house+streetscape.JPG" height="568" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Few cities in the U.S. are as imbued with a 'sense-of-place' as New Mexico's four-century-old capital...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">========</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"<b>FIRE</b>"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">On a winter day, waiting for a capsaicin-laced meal inside Santa Fe's legendary "<a href="http://www.sfshed.com/restaurant.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">The Shed</span></a>," warm up by the corner kiva, or 'bee-hive', fireplace. (<i>It was 16 degrees outside the day we ate here!</i>) The building that houses this James-Beard-award-winning restaurant dates to the 1690's, and the red chile is among the best you'll ever have anywhere.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiel0DKxEfJ_vUNOyk-oXQXzZLUPrZU6OWk1bD6C192wKFVSPeNq4-20Ykp685yml0A-lbjRTEnXMo7W_Ntx2I7u8dDa7G1vpItJ47HVis5W26cRC7zQIj5WL-otKISypv201DBB5LmPfKL/s1600/IMG_5975+The+Shed+fireplace.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiel0DKxEfJ_vUNOyk-oXQXzZLUPrZU6OWk1bD6C192wKFVSPeNq4-20Ykp685yml0A-lbjRTEnXMo7W_Ntx2I7u8dDa7G1vpItJ47HVis5W26cRC7zQIj5WL-otKISypv201DBB5LmPfKL/s1600/IMG_5975+The+Shed+fireplace.JPG" height="640" width="451" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">==========</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"<b>WATER</b>"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Driving back down to Tucson from Santa Fe, we stopped in the small town of "Truth or Consequences" for lunch. Located along the Rio Grande, this town was known as "Hot Springs" until the year 1950, when, on a dare, the town re-named itself after a famous radio quiz show. The 'taking of the waters' is still a mainstay, even if the geothermally-endowed downtown has its share of buildings in varying stages of photogenic decay. The combination of blues--turquoise plaster of the old "Fire Water Lodge" against the desert cerulean sky--so evocative of that one element that is so sorely lacking in the desert, except for here, where it can be piped up from the ground, naturally pre-heated.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKxA0EUZCvY9Ro4P9WKowXjPNJExQ1j3rht8x4S8FE0P8NeoQG7YQUWDa8oleYPS7xh7EF52Dww_rG2bJ3eI6vCz7tplkS6urvu0bGRPjxeTPdZ0fEWeoVIwBuWIUFdBP6jureJKWWXq_/s1600/IMG_5957+truth+or+consequences+fire+water+building.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKxA0EUZCvY9Ro4P9WKowXjPNJExQ1j3rht8x4S8FE0P8NeoQG7YQUWDa8oleYPS7xh7EF52Dww_rG2bJ3eI6vCz7tplkS6urvu0bGRPjxeTPdZ0fEWeoVIwBuWIUFdBP6jureJKWWXq_/s1600/IMG_5957+truth+or+consequences+fire+water+building.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"<b>AIR</b>"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Well to the south of Santa Fe, and several thousand feet lower in elevation, spring is definitely in the air. We stopped somewhere near the Continental Divide to stretch our legs and walk among these wildflowers--Mexican Gold Poppies. Wind causes the petals to close up, but even with the breeze, they lend such striking color to the desert spring landscape.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF5e6S_oNQWB2Byb1bpdjgZdNntiB9teRGbOCO3xkqVPwppWp5JWfduxGz6W6PCxqFPGXpG60xukjYLJpJ3YfXaCOvkliPGxOjJG7wztSI1gzAHeh4q3A5trnlzEGfYU2_mUjkLWApm7Rh/s1600/IMG_5595+poppies+near+continental+divide.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF5e6S_oNQWB2Byb1bpdjgZdNntiB9teRGbOCO3xkqVPwppWp5JWfduxGz6W6PCxqFPGXpG60xukjYLJpJ3YfXaCOvkliPGxOjJG7wztSI1gzAHeh4q3A5trnlzEGfYU2_mUjkLWApm7Rh/s1600/IMG_5595+poppies+near+continental+divide.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Part of this "Explore the Elements" challenge includes inviting others to participate. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, I nominate:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Joshua Berman of "<a href="http://blog.joshuaberman.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">The Tranquilo Traveler</span></a>"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Andi Fisher of "<a href="http://misadventureswithandi.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Misadventures With And</span>i</a>"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Amber West of "<a href="http://withoutsushi.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">A Day Without Sushi</span></a>"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> <a href="http://www.colinroohanphotography.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Colin Roohan</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> <a href="http://amberfrenchphotography.com/#/page/6054/ticket-to-ride-travel/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Amber French</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Incidentally, I have a new instagram account,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>where I'll be posting </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>travel/architecture/landscape</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>sense-of-place/traveldeeper:</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: lime; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><a href="https://instagram.com/allophile_/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">@allophile_</span></a></i></span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309112924305646256.post-5725285581644285412015-01-02T10:52:00.001-08:002015-01-02T10:54:04.054-08:00Beginning the year with snow! (first time in 55 years...)<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, here in southern Arizona, the last day of 2014 ended up being a rainy day...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and then all night the rain came down...which just before midnight turned into snow! And i</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">t kept snowing through much of the early morning hours of January 1st...which means that Tucson woke up to a rare snow-covered New Year's Day:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgve4i59LCt8yDEzmL0nmkkd3-FVgNXjJTWGRc8r9Z5tFal5ve1SQbHIfboe2bGPAxqHvvgoJ7Vupd0t8hH6c0Za_YSkJ8P6klp7mDbOvXVyrDhJFZhsx4u9VU5rYfQRv0p2Dsw41Cb9Ofv/s1600/IMG_3327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgve4i59LCt8yDEzmL0nmkkd3-FVgNXjJTWGRc8r9Z5tFal5ve1SQbHIfboe2bGPAxqHvvgoJ7Vupd0t8hH6c0Za_YSkJ8P6klp7mDbOvXVyrDhJFZhsx4u9VU5rYfQRv0p2Dsw41Cb9Ofv/s1600/IMG_3327.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...not often that the day dawns on snow-frosted palms and saguaros down here:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihkh-VClYbD4USviMhvz2rNYSyEiqvRU2BZ9dVsM2ogK-b3U2yDXeWDw0tHDI-MGFvm0t_SqEHNBoBdTZsAVJd1e7JgenXPDoKb3fvtsS9Ms5jy_Kw9IBnbw06aqeJvZ0m_95TqhVM8Lrv/s1600/IMG_3331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihkh-VClYbD4USviMhvz2rNYSyEiqvRU2BZ9dVsM2ogK-b3U2yDXeWDw0tHDI-MGFvm0t_SqEHNBoBdTZsAVJd1e7JgenXPDoKb3fvtsS9Ms5jy_Kw9IBnbw06aqeJvZ0m_95TqhVM8Lrv/s1600/IMG_3331.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbjWXshCJMYnSpbKAUXaY0HifLFx9XaWhP9pC-FHlbKPMGbx35tY9eivjdbFiJgRf6-_ESqFm0nIToJ_pGrQ-MNjrTQnVgkpm8jkzvK2IcB0R9_QyDQN95u5FMKVifQgTc1wR7qlJZpT_b/s1600/IMG_3404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbjWXshCJMYnSpbKAUXaY0HifLFx9XaWhP9pC-FHlbKPMGbx35tY9eivjdbFiJgRf6-_ESqFm0nIToJ_pGrQ-MNjrTQnVgkpm8jkzvK2IcB0R9_QyDQN95u5FMKVifQgTc1wR7qlJZpT_b/s1600/IMG_3404.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...it's been a while since the last time this happened:</span></div>
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<a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B6PtH_rCEAAcN3W.png:large" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B6PtH_rCEAAcN3W.png:large" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Snow is ALWAYS a big deal down here in the desert.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A few more white-coated scenes from yesterday:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcQ6EH0o9Pgv8Hro-GhHWPTBybqYemyIUbQjvDXArzkULn28tecvsRptZkwDO5diYlXW1i16__HFaQyRWdMJAvwZ4T0q9L6zQ9LSui03yhyaowVMtr6UdyOs3vJcLcIpH7ZXI4FxsZkAd/s1600/IMG_3337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcQ6EH0o9Pgv8Hro-GhHWPTBybqYemyIUbQjvDXArzkULn28tecvsRptZkwDO5diYlXW1i16__HFaQyRWdMJAvwZ4T0q9L6zQ9LSui03yhyaowVMtr6UdyOs3vJcLcIpH7ZXI4FxsZkAd/s1600/IMG_3337.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">cypresses and palms, white-tinged at dawn</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDUEDzk13QTEHOt5vbKYocEjfff4N-C6lK5QDbwSO5a1cO9AVUXXgop-OHgOZmBCY9neOHYGFerNDLd4BqI-8aNScakmjVZEQt-IKm3ghPrMj4GUMeNZI25DYyE7UdsXJzhIJ4Hs-Q-Dh/s1600/IMG_3403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDUEDzk13QTEHOt5vbKYocEjfff4N-C6lK5QDbwSO5a1cO9AVUXXgop-OHgOZmBCY9neOHYGFerNDLd4BqI-8aNScakmjVZEQt-IKm3ghPrMj4GUMeNZI25DYyE7UdsXJzhIJ4Hs-Q-Dh/s1600/IMG_3403.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Almost immediately after the sun rose over the mountains, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">the winter-colored landscape began to disappear, audibly,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">with an omnipresent drip-drip-drip...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-xVAOQiUgshrNpBMSl0vjPd8C33qMAN6p6GLkUCCwhyCV_nXu-NXNrIa-Ke7oy9neX4iAPZyATJyg4jyPph0WklnQaWylVL6SFMMFhlk_Yhacw-4Y0uyowvRUZsWG6QczU_kE6ukaFm7/s1600/IMG_3422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-xVAOQiUgshrNpBMSl0vjPd8C33qMAN6p6GLkUCCwhyCV_nXu-NXNrIa-Ke7oy9neX4iAPZyATJyg4jyPph0WklnQaWylVL6SFMMFhlk_Yhacw-4Y0uyowvRUZsWG6QczU_kE6ukaFm7/s1600/IMG_3422.JPG" height="302" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkwktMruyMGfu8AcMl9b-sXNwh-7b5C5Ul4OQRdVuRg0kdaqoVC8iS56r63JJfzsFTlPLHkISO3gKh9mzCgXExSAJR-cTq2D3d06OIY-ZqHnSkWpA54PCFkGIKuHmv57vplVdxUvn1hgB/s1600/IMG_3425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkwktMruyMGfu8AcMl9b-sXNwh-7b5C5Ul4OQRdVuRg0kdaqoVC8iS56r63JJfzsFTlPLHkISO3gKh9mzCgXExSAJR-cTq2D3d06OIY-ZqHnSkWpA54PCFkGIKuHmv57vplVdxUvn1hgB/s1600/IMG_3425.JPG" height="640" width="472" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMBQe0mvtyhv8jnpmzF6304NrEC4g5_sQrgu8FCIi4o8p3NugGZiN7Gl8__zIna8O_27PK1xQT_GJYi7xPXmWERoBD54XRy2mDrXQ5vXnWHmyQL7T_ZOxvm8FdlNvLbK7B67qbClkfUF24/s1600/IMG_3421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMBQe0mvtyhv8jnpmzF6304NrEC4g5_sQrgu8FCIi4o8p3NugGZiN7Gl8__zIna8O_27PK1xQT_GJYi7xPXmWERoBD54XRy2mDrXQ5vXnWHmyQL7T_ZOxvm8FdlNvLbK7B67qbClkfUF24/s1600/IMG_3421.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...looking down into Sabino Canyon, where the cottonwoods lining the creek have hung onto their autumn foliage:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxB_q19svW9VVg89S4TDTnMqLZGi88lnRZ0GNp_l4-XQBhZKUq-z294ayKV89XSmsYansCPTvQ_uaCxxf8hDPF_13u6FHoP5W0q5mgWL-sjvhqP9o_CVZBdBWp-YyNx0fKM-FPze3AUMcJ/s1600/IMG_3428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxB_q19svW9VVg89S4TDTnMqLZGi88lnRZ0GNp_l4-XQBhZKUq-z294ayKV89XSmsYansCPTvQ_uaCxxf8hDPF_13u6FHoP5W0q5mgWL-sjvhqP9o_CVZBdBWp-YyNx0fKM-FPze3AUMcJ/s1600/IMG_3428.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5IxzIKUz2oRMFDUJLbAAbazC_HAs9uPaHHh00JdBBydjCA6_WBc9_8f-XA4PhpYkzD8gtTM-SSAJlFzv_2YKnToBbtL18uzZwkjLREf1u7osPYPJGN3BJAB2xq2Tkwsw7KRkPelGZFRFL/s1600/IMG_3431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5IxzIKUz2oRMFDUJLbAAbazC_HAs9uPaHHh00JdBBydjCA6_WBc9_8f-XA4PhpYkzD8gtTM-SSAJlFzv_2YKnToBbtL18uzZwkjLREf1u7osPYPJGN3BJAB2xq2Tkwsw7KRkPelGZFRFL/s1600/IMG_3431.JPG" height="409" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...where the creek leaves the canyon and foothills for the open desert:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPYEvNZb5nVQwvwRCaV5BH6RzXguXH-n091t7pS_KjKgGeHkfy8t4J7wzO0DZA5L6ERef6SIEl9-B4zk-IImyDDuS39MwzR4iLIpPBc3kyqTaAQ7T3nnPzl0a5kgnpEgrsNbdqrrLUmso/s1600/IMG_3405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPYEvNZb5nVQwvwRCaV5BH6RzXguXH-n091t7pS_KjKgGeHkfy8t4J7wzO0DZA5L6ERef6SIEl9-B4zk-IImyDDuS39MwzR4iLIpPBc3kyqTaAQ7T3nnPzl0a5kgnpEgrsNbdqrrLUmso/s1600/IMG_3405.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So fleeting...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">By the time my wife and I finished our hike late morning, most of the snow had disappeared from the desert floor; the shady slopes and higher elevations are still hanging on to the white stuff, for now...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The last time we had a significant snowfall down in the desert was in February of 2013:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9kS6KSX1jzH3t0N5LgpJOgveBwJzd2_fXMfVnN_EMZ4cX0zY_SVBWk3OPTu1eQDlFJh8-o3l_UAUi0Pr2_Sq_3NGqe9J3syGEDI3sBcVzM_tgxeLsFsa-QMSKUHRI7U0qDOTaL5-9OW6/s640/IMG_8124+t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9kS6KSX1jzH3t0N5LgpJOgveBwJzd2_fXMfVnN_EMZ4cX0zY_SVBWk3OPTu1eQDlFJh8-o3l_UAUi0Pr2_Sq_3NGqe9J3syGEDI3sBcVzM_tgxeLsFsa-QMSKUHRI7U0qDOTaL5-9OW6/s640/IMG_8124+t.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_37083009"><i><span style="color: lime; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">http://www.allophile.com/2013_02_01_archive.html </span></i></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_37083009"><i><span style="color: lime; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">http://www.afar.com/places/saguaro-national-park-az-tucson</span></i></a></div>
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<a href="http://snapseeded.blogspot.com/2013_02_01_archive.html"><i><span style="color: lime; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">http://snapseeded.blogspot.com/2013_02_01_archive.html</span></i></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Next time? Likely not for another 6 or 7 years, at least...</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309112924305646256.post-22300061078896839422014-12-29T08:56:00.002-08:002014-12-29T08:58:49.228-08:002014 through the lens of my iPhone...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Like most of us now, I'm almost never without my camera-that-also-makes-phone-calls. So--some of this year's scenic mobile-photography highlights, from the Desert Southwest to NE Asia, Chicago and the Cascades...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> The first light of the year, spilling into the Grand Canyon; sunrise on January 1st, 2014:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYO1N5yw2fKFpzu63F7XORJzDywCRRkr5MOpf2TIiHnBoshGaXNrMBCwczlXHYjI-dprO-XL_tk8a88QcbtzmNMrFqY_Lzy_utibxve8Pquu_liAd5ZmkWOv6KjlGaVbfxrs_t7n_fUgCW/s1600/IMG_4898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYO1N5yw2fKFpzu63F7XORJzDywCRRkr5MOpf2TIiHnBoshGaXNrMBCwczlXHYjI-dprO-XL_tk8a88QcbtzmNMrFqY_Lzy_utibxve8Pquu_liAd5ZmkWOv6KjlGaVbfxrs_t7n_fUgCW/s1600/IMG_4898.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> The year began with a mini road-trip--up to the Grand Canyon and then over to Santa Fe:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibelkbg0f6ymyXhCeJkZrJhed1DepFdLPJHmRmtbFh03VdbYaqs7gtCvQJd2e-Io4smVkKFhbFV21W8h2Tg3ZKw6GtzBa-R9HSW_9INA53c8xS6XDAVCir26jfIYrO24lCW04wwlUZNqL6/s1600/IMG_5112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibelkbg0f6ymyXhCeJkZrJhed1DepFdLPJHmRmtbFh03VdbYaqs7gtCvQJd2e-Io4smVkKFhbFV21W8h2Tg3ZKw6GtzBa-R9HSW_9INA53c8xS6XDAVCir26jfIYrO24lCW04wwlUZNqL6/s1600/IMG_5112.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(so honored that this photo was included in</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://iphonephotographyschool.com/best-iphone-photos-2014/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">"The 100 Best iPhone Photos of 2014"</span></a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Paris Las Vegas. So weird.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJDlLO3I5B4IFi8Y5PEYnv1JGUDO33oGLWw7m9Rfn0CdCW1iO2bggwFrHLXh6vFClG6fwrHhEsCVVxO_KPrJKeVciz1WJF1TR4Rp8k1eclnrdVkPTgNKSx6xqnBI3B4gDOGtiaGDJQ4Cc/s1600/IMG_6070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJDlLO3I5B4IFi8Y5PEYnv1JGUDO33oGLWw7m9Rfn0CdCW1iO2bggwFrHLXh6vFClG6fwrHhEsCVVxO_KPrJKeVciz1WJF1TR4Rp8k1eclnrdVkPTgNKSx6xqnBI3B4gDOGtiaGDJQ4Cc/s1600/IMG_6070.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As spring arrives in the Arizona,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> mountain snowmelt turns the lower desert green--</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> in the Santa Catalina foothills:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbXv2mwVE_BX2DTRMzHXMoXlFh5HScP6nFBi15hD-w2a0Bo4oz9g4VWR0zDy56cadv1yccb7uYdyPwGPJpy-qqlE2i3w-vYqoIK_oDAac8WEmmEkE0_dSfbwMVD3IYiERzbij6VFFS8xE/s1600/IMG_0070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbXv2mwVE_BX2DTRMzHXMoXlFh5HScP6nFBi15hD-w2a0Bo4oz9g4VWR0zDy56cadv1yccb7uYdyPwGPJpy-qqlE2i3w-vYqoIK_oDAac8WEmmEkE0_dSfbwMVD3IYiERzbij6VFFS8xE/s1600/IMG_0070.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and the deserts bloom;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> for miles, globemallow carpeted the ground to the west of Phoenix:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU9S8w_K9XU0TUUOMgHKtLWQyE9rKnNzjcXw_qk9ckDg3oppG1SENUAMJpTjVniB86zbVGLZ0-As1u7ICwHkkgEIweEZFrdL_f3AtGPt8wX5mok6lyo4VPZ4uevc8JnRshJKCc3fMNKS54/s1600/IMG_7629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU9S8w_K9XU0TUUOMgHKtLWQyE9rKnNzjcXw_qk9ckDg3oppG1SENUAMJpTjVniB86zbVGLZ0-As1u7ICwHkkgEIweEZFrdL_f3AtGPt8wX5mok6lyo4VPZ4uevc8JnRshJKCc3fMNKS54/s1600/IMG_7629.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and late spring brings out the saguaro-bouquets:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSBZXwdRjZpoXsqiV8jUi69P2gQ7KpWzsqj7NbZTu-nkioemeJJW3z4-3NTyYrXk2Sg-zaJw0JYdqhwoDPkeg6xB2aFnW24g0AWVLDZMD39vd-4kvw8Z0zMF3vGj5WM9Om7-wqvHIA9L1/s1600/IMG_0082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSBZXwdRjZpoXsqiV8jUi69P2gQ7KpWzsqj7NbZTu-nkioemeJJW3z4-3NTyYrXk2Sg-zaJw0JYdqhwoDPkeg6xB2aFnW24g0AWVLDZMD39vd-4kvw8Z0zMF3vGj5WM9Om7-wqvHIA9L1/s1600/IMG_0082.JPG" height="400" width="301" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Summer found us in South Korea,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">traveling around the country for a month.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This was my fifth trip there,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">but even the familiar can be framed by the unexpected:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPSm3kWU_gKrFRx52OWPXpM-9r5fybXF8tNxRVOjhmw0vcmKAFEccVAyge9ZGhbJbE-psrwogBqJqafah4tw1GHJVZgcbDCftld05l8CJKARnkx9aGaW00bkWTYoVYC7SMctfI2qrfSfTT/s1600/IMG_2856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPSm3kWU_gKrFRx52OWPXpM-9r5fybXF8tNxRVOjhmw0vcmKAFEccVAyge9ZGhbJbE-psrwogBqJqafah4tw1GHJVZgcbDCftld05l8CJKARnkx9aGaW00bkWTYoVYC7SMctfI2qrfSfTT/s1600/IMG_2856.JPG" height="640" width="496" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In Seoul's Itaewon district, on a Friday afternoon,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">you'd be forgiven for mistaking the streetscape</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">for a Middle-Eastern scene--Hallal groceries </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">surrounding a hilltop mosque--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">globalization and migration patterns... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Languid summer mornings along the river in Jeonju:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4OvlbbPPbv96u6D_45R4LAJX1yaXhY4KZt9JfqEAEwfKtZADxei2vXfcoX3yS9PJeWG2cUnIlMGk1TZO5-qHCiXRSaeQzEkfiSTPc5kiWStaubUTLhTReKFYb5Ph2Bwod7787iM_jc25/s1600/IMG_3777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4OvlbbPPbv96u6D_45R4LAJX1yaXhY4KZt9JfqEAEwfKtZADxei2vXfcoX3yS9PJeWG2cUnIlMGk1TZO5-qHCiXRSaeQzEkfiSTPc5kiWStaubUTLhTReKFYb5Ph2Bwod7787iM_jc25/s1600/IMG_3777.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A four-hundred-year-old lecture hall in a Confucian academy, still used for classes:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4nArGQdI0lDRPeol9sKIDK-6IGuU7_FseP9TH7xWKpx9j1RS_hqmUQXjfJ9YZL4Y5cgQUlrtCi4iQZ4a0Ynvsk1hu2kwDpP4OiGXHEYNuZsrqL-koWA0U4aCWAjhAYhRXQTT-1fmCY_h/s1600/IMG_4230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4nArGQdI0lDRPeol9sKIDK-6IGuU7_FseP9TH7xWKpx9j1RS_hqmUQXjfJ9YZL4Y5cgQUlrtCi4iQZ4a0Ynvsk1hu2kwDpP4OiGXHEYNuZsrqL-koWA0U4aCWAjhAYhRXQTT-1fmCY_h/s1600/IMG_4230.JPG" height="400" width="298" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Back in Seoul, inside architect Zaha Hadid's newly opened Dongdaemun Design Plaza:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeomVgduiKcgi3nIbDr_PTgubDgaPhm3tmFcXJLaPAzIARhBK1Lje62Z1w5Zz-CnFJY-lp8UNckLRfjfWpDGhZ3LU_9DY3rA-cxTXRLpGQ1flQ-hc7TIVow20aneLobz3lLw84S9hsrerz/s1600/IMG_5728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeomVgduiKcgi3nIbDr_PTgubDgaPhm3tmFcXJLaPAzIARhBK1Lje62Z1w5Zz-CnFJY-lp8UNckLRfjfWpDGhZ3LU_9DY3rA-cxTXRLpGQ1flQ-hc7TIVow20aneLobz3lLw84S9hsrerz/s1600/IMG_5728.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> ...like a spaceship on the outside, eh?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVAYRGg1iWYA7KI8I0N0cukL4IhQNqOD9SELY9JaPTa3cazHTnlUfVJH7Ln6p9uUc3dksxxllYoARi2oFLUti7-WZT3eYSgOY3jFy6Ohyphenhyphen8H-9yD-fpBIu9hdV78ALUZbSWZr6u01WyO87v/s1600/IMG_5729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVAYRGg1iWYA7KI8I0N0cukL4IhQNqOD9SELY9JaPTa3cazHTnlUfVJH7Ln6p9uUc3dksxxllYoARi2oFLUti7-WZT3eYSgOY3jFy6Ohyphenhyphen8H-9yD-fpBIu9hdV78ALUZbSWZr6u01WyO87v/s1600/IMG_5729.JPG" height="398" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Looking down on Seoul's old South Gate--the view from our room on a one-night hotel splurge:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgju_Zbve59n7SHBODpd2MeA3mAQOJzCyb7QZL2y1qY9FZUV8ZPhKdaeOZNaV24-5kOdDgg_NdO_qF8ZMdBfyPKvu7EYlQvlnTsnbT9NXYhusNtJO_mWLlBN8HpIL0TXm0pSxVtu9HGXs/s1600/IMG_5754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgju_Zbve59n7SHBODpd2MeA3mAQOJzCyb7QZL2y1qY9FZUV8ZPhKdaeOZNaV24-5kOdDgg_NdO_qF8ZMdBfyPKvu7EYlQvlnTsnbT9NXYhusNtJO_mWLlBN8HpIL0TXm0pSxVtu9HGXs/s1600/IMG_5754.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Facing the hills, in Busan's Gamcheon district:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6hiAX70YjyDLgyAZVjTKh8iLjJ8AZgxtsKoZp7CiJwahRR98u_P780h0rVXpQ69S65s82KXPCQjy35GMfqFmZ5kDqSxHlAt4LLcSysUJDDWtkWXu9VUgy8lvLTaLoEi_e7f12LGLS7mH0/s1600/IMG_6510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6hiAX70YjyDLgyAZVjTKh8iLjJ8AZgxtsKoZp7CiJwahRR98u_P780h0rVXpQ69S65s82KXPCQjy35GMfqFmZ5kDqSxHlAt4LLcSysUJDDWtkWXu9VUgy8lvLTaLoEi_e7f12LGLS7mH0/s1600/IMG_6510.JPG" height="400" width="317" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Over to <a href="http://www.afar.com/travelers/joseph-cyr/wanderlists/ulleung-do-island" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Ulleungdo island</span></a>--the most beautiful island you've never heard of, off the
east coast of Korea: a lush, vertical volcanic landscape rising out of Siberian
and Japanese currents, rich in seafood and medicinal mountain vegetables,
splendid isolation, and hardy smiles. Very few non-Koreans make it here; GO NOW
before the government's "Mysterious Island" campaign draws too much
attention to this rugged wonder.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QPxx-cY19R9jJ-_jw_RiLYijlL2z2oIOW_rck7L2xh1wGF25rnigCjJPiN1UQtadQ2GRB3AmPtvhaSlj5VmN72iIMOwOeIzc3Jki7ssokYaEPekxZ0msGNwTumdpDFwnWNgCycWf7MYy/s1600/IMG_0083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QPxx-cY19R9jJ-_jw_RiLYijlL2z2oIOW_rck7L2xh1wGF25rnigCjJPiN1UQtadQ2GRB3AmPtvhaSlj5VmN72iIMOwOeIzc3Jki7ssokYaEPekxZ0msGNwTumdpDFwnWNgCycWf7MYy/s1600/IMG_0083.JPG" height="220" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and we got to stay <i><a href="http://www.afar.com/places/ulleung-do-chusan-ilga-korea-ulleung-gun" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">here</span></a></i>:</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWW5kfW_CUnItOdPqh2O_UNcTya9rM_yQTrJaMTAv2V3xgCr2KJ2itIQKyON1wq1AM0gJB_A8HTsh0LURqk3SuE-oMmdu2uyqSMN31fV6tfnAcIiME0ZzTpzZMiAlO9aOHi0PFcqlvb3_/s1600/IMG_6652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWW5kfW_CUnItOdPqh2O_UNcTya9rM_yQTrJaMTAv2V3xgCr2KJ2itIQKyON1wq1AM0gJB_A8HTsh0LURqk3SuE-oMmdu2uyqSMN31fV6tfnAcIiME0ZzTpzZMiAlO9aOHi0PFcqlvb3_/s1600/IMG_6652.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> ...and 'the unintentional poetry of an old brick wall,' in the port of Mokpo, on Korea's SW tip:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8bNdvhwJjFCy4fm_HVdsDRkQWUF1NXBdndVKHxzpenPLjMroopZ2gOyQvK7uCUzE_byOg7kq3SDecBZbUB9n4UlULBwf2BMqBkO_WBtuz0EHQFgtLY4BShZEm1utjLc9y5UYeyz9zCcsW/s1600/IMG_6455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8bNdvhwJjFCy4fm_HVdsDRkQWUF1NXBdndVKHxzpenPLjMroopZ2gOyQvK7uCUzE_byOg7kq3SDecBZbUB9n4UlULBwf2BMqBkO_WBtuz0EHQFgtLY4BShZEm1utjLc9y5UYeyz9zCcsW/s1600/IMG_6455.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">--featured on <a href="http://www.iphoneographycentral.com/apps-uncovered-1-august-2014/"><span style="color: lime;">http://www.iphoneographycentral.com/apps-uncovered-1-august-2014/</span></a></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> For this scene, I used the PerspectiveCorrect app to
straighten the bricks’ vertical lines a bit, and then Snapseed’s “details”
option to bring out the wall’s texture.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Earlier this summer, I spent a month traveling around South Korea, and toward
end of my stay, I decided to spend a couple of days in the city of Mokpo, a
port on the SW tip of the country–one section of the country that I had never
before visited. The old center of the city is full of architecture from the
Japanese Colonial period (1910-1945), some of it being preserved, but lots of
it in varying degrees of photographically-interesting decrepitude. It was an
incredibly muggy afternoon, and after a morning of hiking, I had just finished
a lunch of the local specialty, octopus soup, when I walked past this wall
around the corner from the restaurant. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> I was immediately struck by how
aesthetically pleasing the proportions of the differently colored sections of brick
and tile were–pleasing, and yet completely unintentional: the outline of what
once had been a staircase, the weeds growing luxuriantly in what had once been
an adjacent building… What gets built, what gets torn down, what gets left
behind, what is deliberate versus what is spontaneous–so much goes into
building a city, into deciding how to relate the history of a place, into
considering what’s worth keeping and commemorating or what should be
forgotten…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Korea’s 20th-century history has been such a fast-paced combination
of painful humiliation followed by dizzying, breathtaking modernization; the
seaside city of Mokpo illustrates all of that in such a compact space, and this
particular wall, to me, seemed emblematic of it all. Three days later, I flew
back to the U.S.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Back to Southern Arizona, escaping the summer's triple-digit heat by spending some time up on Mount Lemmon--almost <i>alpine</i>, with wildflowers, evergreens, and a ski-lift:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs5E96I866uXvvn2jlmhH0QEECDRCTPAwLPbIWcPdtxT6TStjzHBePV5iJdnLz3zK2yk2NOxWMYRfAH5waw5dBWsH_BAPmKTKe6GpP5x4mGLsEzpg89Njl4hT4pKqENmkHLQ_RJFFU0L4s/s1600/IMG_8375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs5E96I866uXvvn2jlmhH0QEECDRCTPAwLPbIWcPdtxT6TStjzHBePV5iJdnLz3zK2yk2NOxWMYRfAH5waw5dBWsH_BAPmKTKe6GpP5x4mGLsEzpg89Njl4hT4pKqENmkHLQ_RJFFU0L4s/s1600/IMG_8375.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Just after Labor Day, a few days up in Seattle, with a day-hike up on Mt. Rainier:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMDLLqk2iziVUtkSKLrIzjhQfjJofrGFq4ZFdyJsU1_NJs6wesoyPu6TxhQziGqLE34D6twLnB0WcbzFxsz0WHSqqwqUjAZSldQL292Y4S1w5-vm8jUudJdzYg3MbXj-ywzHYcml27_7fB/s1600/IMG_8154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMDLLqk2iziVUtkSKLrIzjhQfjJofrGFq4ZFdyJsU1_NJs6wesoyPu6TxhQziGqLE34D6twLnB0WcbzFxsz0WHSqqwqUjAZSldQL292Y4S1w5-vm8jUudJdzYg3MbXj-ywzHYcml27_7fB/s1600/IMG_8154.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBBofv5iUfOzo0mSwz-w6oXDgKU911nPEecFZI-f-hiebkPxY0b9-ahvgp60AJC00NkfOGYbqJRwp5GTm3QANIaTSmaK9jIagz0wDkBoBclkPqcAJa1bG6dk8pNvYJol-PGpnMdfC5efO/s1600/IMG_8095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBBofv5iUfOzo0mSwz-w6oXDgKU911nPEecFZI-f-hiebkPxY0b9-ahvgp60AJC00NkfOGYbqJRwp5GTm3QANIaTSmaK9jIagz0wDkBoBclkPqcAJa1bG6dk8pNvYJol-PGpnMdfC5efO/s1600/IMG_8095.JPG" height="226" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And a week in Chicago in October:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYoiiWmoALC8a60UDHmAIcs2qKUFhEQYx84OKRxZ_hDmbioDhFcFF_dlDd6i8XROP9CwRvwMl_Nn97tZiAZrT1jJ3NGU-c1CCp5btup6LJpqCtz0HUNjCUoRbfueAYHa3wT5STYJPwg20/s1600/IMG_9554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYoiiWmoALC8a60UDHmAIcs2qKUFhEQYx84OKRxZ_hDmbioDhFcFF_dlDd6i8XROP9CwRvwMl_Nn97tZiAZrT1jJ3NGU-c1CCp5btup6LJpqCtz0HUNjCUoRbfueAYHa3wT5STYJPwg20/s1600/IMG_9554.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipN3luE8TsfCtujXXe4VP_br_7oittjLJqEOXJzbpke8_cYZslSEj8JAFnY37MEGl9EbJ5W81wZJepsYUNMqlusp4yMFWIjH7VNd2NNlvAAYVL2glgsNBI4irc3dAJhHHH1VX9WskTwYua/s1600/IMG_1309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipN3luE8TsfCtujXXe4VP_br_7oittjLJqEOXJzbpke8_cYZslSEj8JAFnY37MEGl9EbJ5W81wZJepsYUNMqlusp4yMFWIjH7VNd2NNlvAAYVL2glgsNBI4irc3dAJhHHH1VX9WskTwYua/s1600/IMG_1309.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwR_b6qN1EUAeyClbAh5kLBENyHstpJNBs9zO4OVkq01cutzd54gz5FYrfoPdls0Ny_MyX-FKyzEedmSFigNJdrfc1iCcjaOHWpqMYdODy9oB3LaVuv6HsBuq3bTdxj32aHt1AaBekh75l/s1600/IMG_2193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwR_b6qN1EUAeyClbAh5kLBENyHstpJNBs9zO4OVkq01cutzd54gz5FYrfoPdls0Ny_MyX-FKyzEedmSFigNJdrfc1iCcjaOHWpqMYdODy9oB3LaVuv6HsBuq3bTdxj32aHt1AaBekh75l/s1600/IMG_2193.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I thought it would just be gimmicky, but I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed <a href="http://theskydeck.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">the glass-floored "Ledge"</span></a> on top of the Willis Tower:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjOWAHiXBvufksNcXxXItAJWieyfd00WjjwQFd3jwUTaLFAbCROuhfP7pjnF4iK9DXYCQ8YaH4c8XqZsgFyipMCJ_1q-TlE4eiXhM6RlclgTkksAu-2pMC7ukox7MPjdGY_CmR-jIQyCMx/s1600/IMG_9400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjOWAHiXBvufksNcXxXItAJWieyfd00WjjwQFd3jwUTaLFAbCROuhfP7pjnF4iK9DXYCQ8YaH4c8XqZsgFyipMCJ_1q-TlE4eiXhM6RlclgTkksAu-2pMC7ukox7MPjdGY_CmR-jIQyCMx/s1600/IMG_9400.JPG" height="296" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And back to Tucson for the remainder of the year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As cliché as they might be considered,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">desert sunsets just never get old...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bWIE2E6jxToRmsVKr5-YWLXUK64DvQxYOr7vaLUsXKfbknd6bWiUeubjmNVZsaN695mmmz1s3mo1LylbuWtB_sIrauVY57rWNMR0xIdVtVIr5xIdqHjMhVhm5JMd5RybXVVOhTS7aQH9/s1600/IMG_2170+(2)%2Bsunset%2Bnon-painterly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bWIE2E6jxToRmsVKr5-YWLXUK64DvQxYOr7vaLUsXKfbknd6bWiUeubjmNVZsaN695mmmz1s3mo1LylbuWtB_sIrauVY57rWNMR0xIdVtVIr5xIdqHjMhVhm5JMd5RybXVVOhTS7aQH9/s1600/IMG_2170+(2)%2Bsunset%2Bnon-painterly.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This fall, Hipstamatic came out with its <a href="http://hipstamatic.com/tintype/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">TinType app</span></a>...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> great tool for portraits--fun with making faces:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRixWZXJ3dnq608Zhrf6DYhunCYrWi9wpNqUW0ShA24MqVqEaLq8zq9nn6lO0QhKiCLNSPpszIFaaZ-dtejaOJau3h1Vdbaml5LgTkSZAf_Y-0yRK79ddnA9NXfqIiTexeuMz6DMDmXgUE/s1600/IMG_0742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRixWZXJ3dnq608Zhrf6DYhunCYrWi9wpNqUW0ShA24MqVqEaLq8zq9nn6lO0QhKiCLNSPpszIFaaZ-dtejaOJau3h1Vdbaml5LgTkSZAf_Y-0yRK79ddnA9NXfqIiTexeuMz6DMDmXgUE/s1600/IMG_0742.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Bxdv3TH-KN7u3DI7JRWEYhDA-oDaLChzFFhDmvBQYmMwO5l1HvRkeKNLsEpV1Im4KDzD2aO76ycAYwEEDOFlU2PDu8yBQX7GBJ143mBvFy1A0ryMMNr9umQanheDY6SKEZgjzstTFiOG/s1600/IMG_1425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Bxdv3TH-KN7u3DI7JRWEYhDA-oDaLChzFFhDmvBQYmMwO5l1HvRkeKNLsEpV1Im4KDzD2aO76ycAYwEEDOFlU2PDu8yBQX7GBJ143mBvFy1A0ryMMNr9umQanheDY6SKEZgjzstTFiOG/s1600/IMG_1425.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9nmTdO6wjLHaUwRJbY-k4TTaI4se9qrySR0ZQAEHBTHhPBjBU8EyCdW-ReBs6fNEyJoNLJSLGE0WdZpuqUdxNWYmXXV_UscKKxN2OMXh0is3AthhKYib0D2vqASEk0xu9pbG5VroC8MV/s1600/IMG_2441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9nmTdO6wjLHaUwRJbY-k4TTaI4se9qrySR0ZQAEHBTHhPBjBU8EyCdW-ReBs6fNEyJoNLJSLGE0WdZpuqUdxNWYmXXV_UscKKxN2OMXh0is3AthhKYib0D2vqASEk0xu9pbG5VroC8MV/s1600/IMG_2441.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0xerjaVUi5GFoQniSnQNjnMCCOyLtWv2xfXf5ytkEO34SIyYhyllrRoF3wrd7S6Clwy8g0UETqxKAllHJ_N-zxLGv9wWAFpmwGDHXsls3SnlaH4-KkrbRyXQWa33JPrF9Ywj7JkdFmmG/s1600/IMG_2548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0xerjaVUi5GFoQniSnQNjnMCCOyLtWv2xfXf5ytkEO34SIyYhyllrRoF3wrd7S6Clwy8g0UETqxKAllHJ_N-zxLGv9wWAFpmwGDHXsls3SnlaH4-KkrbRyXQWa33JPrF9Ywj7JkdFmmG/s1600/IMG_2548.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and what it looks like here NOW</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eDXuoK7YVMhrLE2Is2pmJtEcDkvd74zX4smwGr-a0dIm_3BjaqRb2lfXXpz1aFUGJY0giwy5HUqhkgirx1Lt8qftSJ2YL5JPviIlL56jWAbTx8Osqaw2ohZV-5iIl2EQ4MnDHTVpR8sK/s1600/IMG_2532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eDXuoK7YVMhrLE2Is2pmJtEcDkvd74zX4smwGr-a0dIm_3BjaqRb2lfXXpz1aFUGJY0giwy5HUqhkgirx1Lt8qftSJ2YL5JPviIlL56jWAbTx8Osqaw2ohZV-5iIl2EQ4MnDHTVpR8sK/s1600/IMG_2532.JPG" height="428" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">'Fall'-color peaking late here in Tucson;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">December in Sabino Canyon is glorious...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Five weeks ago, today, I had <a href="http://www.allophile.com/2014/11/on-trail-etiquette-or-lack.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">the trail-'incident'</span></a> that has exiled me from running.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Most of the last few weeks, I've felt like this:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84cj7cNXEe2D6Bav57A5ggnvBIESe2bteBbw0rzWwTQCw19IhpMPK3gSKHKcnxR2nphWkWJ8cYfIMSn7L82WeCmZXI31fP8aSi-Fx6M_5lIfycR53OlvJAyGdSvbUJm0SIarRFDFaWZdr/s1600/IMG_0089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84cj7cNXEe2D6Bav57A5ggnvBIESe2bteBbw0rzWwTQCw19IhpMPK3gSKHKcnxR2nphWkWJ8cYfIMSn7L82WeCmZXI31fP8aSi-Fx6M_5lIfycR53OlvJAyGdSvbUJm0SIarRFDFaWZdr/s1600/IMG_0089.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">'jailed' by my crutches...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(but having fun with the <a href="http://www.xnview.com/en/mobile/xnviewphotofx/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">XNview PhotoFX app</span></a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Time has passed, physical therapy is coming along,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">and I finally got the okay to retire the crutches.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, this past weekend I tried a short hike...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...back on the same trail where I had the bad fall.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Not often you see this--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">the exposed 'cacto-skeleton'</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">of a decaying prickly pear,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">covered in lacy ice crystals:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHfLYSLka8qe4j2SuIYgTAouAz73QPpgM85dX2pqESOq3zqxrhOaKpYaNBxzIgHDgS6uKl6o8KEeyhn3hDNZXD6RO4qkYODN5K2uObRXyxwb-Hzo-8p4bWWMuXxQ8ax8y53M2-qYEvuFN/s1600/IMG_3071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHfLYSLka8qe4j2SuIYgTAouAz73QPpgM85dX2pqESOq3zqxrhOaKpYaNBxzIgHDgS6uKl6o8KEeyhn3hDNZXD6RO4qkYODN5K2uObRXyxwb-Hzo-8p4bWWMuXxQ8ax8y53M2-qYEvuFN/s1600/IMG_3071.jpg" height="400" width="292" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Just behind the little dam in lower Sabino Canyon:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3mGqkS8DThEt7u9ffoWVXcMJ0K_LKxbK0Nj9AbjfFEK5Kr5WnMvbtvaog6vO1u56y0tf3WGkuCB4DH2El9CIq60xygf1pBIfhBDZav7eJ0581UT0ivH7coXg3hKWXnXj0iaRgmFXPloo/s1600/IMG_3046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3mGqkS8DThEt7u9ffoWVXcMJ0K_LKxbK0Nj9AbjfFEK5Kr5WnMvbtvaog6vO1u56y0tf3WGkuCB4DH2El9CIq60xygf1pBIfhBDZav7eJ0581UT0ivH7coXg3hKWXnXj0iaRgmFXPloo/s1600/IMG_3046.jpg" height="317" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Santa Catalina Mountains...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJhLNaeGCifeMoaGuQlgqDP4rYJZ49UQCGw2IQqxbHx8xOE5NhU-SFuhMUPg22oOxafkYGOvKRzMxbRZOac8haYbLLFzpnA4U76g6A53kSE2c6G1fJibaqr2XjQZDeyH4F0IGqBXfrgYS/s1600/IMG_3048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJhLNaeGCifeMoaGuQlgqDP4rYJZ49UQCGw2IQqxbHx8xOE5NhU-SFuhMUPg22oOxafkYGOvKRzMxbRZOac8haYbLLFzpnA4U76g6A53kSE2c6G1fJibaqr2XjQZDeyH4F0IGqBXfrgYS/s1600/IMG_3048.jpg" height="288" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Hoping to run around these hills again soon...</span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309112924305646256.post-19802242439567895572014-11-28T15:52:00.000-08:002014-11-30T19:45:17.860-08:00on trail etiquette, or a lack thereof...leading to scenes of my last trail-runs for a while<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It's a perfect 79 degrees outside today in Tucson, cerulean skies and lingering wildflowers...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...but I am a prisoner to <a href="http://www.aofas.org/footcaremd/how-to/foot-injury/Pages/How%20to%20Care%20for%20a%20Sprained%20Ankle.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">R.I.C.E.--rest, ice, compression, and elevation</span></a>--care for a pretty bad sprained ankle and possible fracture. There was a tumble in the desert this past Monday, you see, leading to my current exile-from-the-trails and dependency on crutches...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...which means I won't be running out in <i>this</i> for a while:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZBtKzSoylwQS8pLN1CvaDWXWK3hRho3RjDaCziAJFnBpCbYiGj07Y3LRKaI-UhbPnuVlPw7EJpKrz1juIMLdyoMmSijtG3p_3RH_lSPT1qKXr1M7C5keHEEZkUePzVuC5GC2O5zGOxG2/s1600/IMG_2170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZBtKzSoylwQS8pLN1CvaDWXWK3hRho3RjDaCziAJFnBpCbYiGj07Y3LRKaI-UhbPnuVlPw7EJpKrz1juIMLdyoMmSijtG3p_3RH_lSPT1qKXr1M7C5keHEEZkUePzVuC5GC2O5zGOxG2/s1600/IMG_2170.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(Desert sunsets just never get old, and I mean <i>never</i>...)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Please, then, humor me and pass on my rant: "People, <a href="http://www.hikingdude.com/hiking-etiquette.php" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">PLEASE learn TRAIL ETIQUETTE</span></a>!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Monday after work, I drove up to Sabino Canyon--a perfect evening for a trail-run--and about a third-of-a-mile on the way to Bear Canyon, on a downhill, narrow, rocky section, I was approaching a group of hikers. They were single-file, but then just as I was about to call out to let them know I was coming, they stopped and spread out suddenly, never looking back, completely blocking my path. In that split second, I had horrible visions of crashing into the older woman, her impaling herself on a cactus and breaking a hip, and of course, the subsequent lawsuit... So, I tried to stop, but on this descending rocky path, all I could do was take a hard fall. While trying to fall away from the hikers, I ended up twisting my right leg and rolling over.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As I came to a stop, the lady turned around and said "oh yes, the sand is slippery, isn't it?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It took every ounce of self-control in me to to not yell back--IT'S NOT THE SAND IT'S YOUR CLUELESSNESS!!! I stood up, realizing I had gravel embedded in my hand and leg, and a throbbing ankle. (Fortunately I had avoided self-acupuncture; I'd not fallen onto a cactus.) I hobbled back to my car--a third-of-a-mile morphing into a long trek--and then drove, using my left foot to brake...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">By the way, that group of hikers didn't even help me up, they just continued on their way.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Bad Samaritans, bad Samaritans...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I knew right away that this was not just a garden-variety-sprain, so as soon as my wife got home from work, she took me to the Urgent Care...For the first time in my life, I had to use a wheelchair...and by this time my ankle was elephantine; upon entering the examination room, the p.a.'s eyes widened as she spit out "oh my god that's swollen!" Hmm, reassuring, that...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The x-rays didn't show any obvious fractures, but because the swelling was so extensive (an injection in the gluteus maximus was required), an occult fracture couldn't be ruled out, and so I've been referred to an orthopaedist...with the earliest appointment over a week away.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Crutches, which I've never had to use, are NOT fun. I've graduated from sympathy to empathy when it comes to seeing my students on crutches...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A day home from work, and then a day back at work on Wednesday--premature, now that I look back...fortunately my students are a pretty good bunch of kids, so there was no classroom mayhem as I was glued to my desk with my foot up on a chair all-day...yesterday and today I've been off...My mother happens to be visiting us, so at least she and my wife have been able to share the burden of waiting on me...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I'd just bought a new pair of shoes, too--trail-runners. May I heartily recommend the <a href="http://www.brooksrunning.com/en_us/mens-cascadia-9-trail-running-shoes/110160.html?dwvar_110160_color=470&cgid=mens-runningshoes-trail#start=1" target="_blank"><span style="color: cyan;">Brooks Cascadia in blue</span></a>...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Here, then, are some recent scenes from the trails from which I'll be exiled for a while. (I almost always run with my iPhone on a wrist-strap. Miraculously, the phone wasn't even scratched on Monday.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Santa Catalina mountains are just glorious this time of year... </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDa2XPD0EzyMBEbKJm1fSwyNC1jDGuSCkklABQAndfgt2T__OZxteHkCXxPIkpIzge0wGDloODifS15dLgG0mpg1jBWvp726vE2MlQDJSXQGQAN9CeWWC3h1qGZhENZ8fj57Q0lItqjS82/s1600/IMG_1994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDa2XPD0EzyMBEbKJm1fSwyNC1jDGuSCkklABQAndfgt2T__OZxteHkCXxPIkpIzge0wGDloODifS15dLgG0mpg1jBWvp726vE2MlQDJSXQGQAN9CeWWC3h1qGZhENZ8fj57Q0lItqjS82/s1600/IMG_1994.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Jp6qa2sRgAM0G-TKR4WgzSBAahlQGwnFpWHZsQczhHENfz54m5wG7CGxXCvL763il4qy22mJAx4ZnJXOQbtu0CsTEULbdPBb-OdQaXtHKEfUVlm6ocSfpIARSd7nkg_ZO1-4YpvHhzPw/s1600/IMG_1969.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Jp6qa2sRgAM0G-TKR4WgzSBAahlQGwnFpWHZsQczhHENfz54m5wG7CGxXCvL763il4qy22mJAx4ZnJXOQbtu0CsTEULbdPBb-OdQaXtHKEfUVlm6ocSfpIARSd7nkg_ZO1-4YpvHhzPw/s1600/IMG_1969.JPG" height="400" width="246" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The shoes.<br />They'll be resting for a while.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcuYAO4J-YxxpIKqSMjyDbwaEMxQzzwuQJrz0gdPsIECiQDLx5KM34pGgYbGrUEsDKXuP4wx0CAWlFEs0k-FJbU2FK9jAX2R3h_CU256viW_E6qIkRHuob_5MtyJvSq02zV9Hpzhl-brH/s1600/IMG_1968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcuYAO4J-YxxpIKqSMjyDbwaEMxQzzwuQJrz0gdPsIECiQDLx5KM34pGgYbGrUEsDKXuP4wx0CAWlFEs0k-FJbU2FK9jAX2R3h_CU256viW_E6qIkRHuob_5MtyJvSq02zV9Hpzhl-brH/s1600/IMG_1968.JPG" height="510" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhjAUuPp9mPNtKzHoulmzMUqx7A6MvoNOq8s9gjG1pj3T5cJEffLnoPCcxLr5qC6_IwAWG_U-0sWite4XlQfM-glGuWoA-atxv3iePIft7oJu6nqoaJmOZZQ6ygysQWDIrxqTj222qyKt/s1600/IMG_1572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhjAUuPp9mPNtKzHoulmzMUqx7A6MvoNOq8s9gjG1pj3T5cJEffLnoPCcxLr5qC6_IwAWG_U-0sWite4XlQfM-glGuWoA-atxv3iePIft7oJu6nqoaJmOZZQ6ygysQWDIrxqTj222qyKt/s1600/IMG_1572.JPG" height="640" width="441" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">With my wifelast week, not far from where I fell on Monday...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3AzKBiEdqmL6Zp53YS-8_oD_OuKPeJPFFd8xh1bKfrTxjfgoBLBfocRFmzROhKqFPVvs4NneZahbXuV42r8ICjb3M6HJmDs6TZ840I8xO1U3IIWbB-mDVdJ8-A5pxkbdzbX9TolTqSiWs/s1600/IMG_1757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3AzKBiEdqmL6Zp53YS-8_oD_OuKPeJPFFd8xh1bKfrTxjfgoBLBfocRFmzROhKqFPVvs4NneZahbXuV42r8ICjb3M6HJmDs6TZ840I8xO1U3IIWbB-mDVdJ8-A5pxkbdzbX9TolTqSiWs/s1600/IMG_1757.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Looking into Sabino Canyon</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfKMFAEJVjMJ9uh8V2HJZg9X9m74DzVu3j7-njNxiMkwdOLGIiybwQ2Re7UeHKx3RqZdKKei9tEC-oyrrPyb3WHmBFIKIrrmpKSOcbw7ErPjntUp0D1qIsAEjXPFc86MFwwWfCj8WjWOe/s1600/IMG_2113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfKMFAEJVjMJ9uh8V2HJZg9X9m74DzVu3j7-njNxiMkwdOLGIiybwQ2Re7UeHKx3RqZdKKei9tEC-oyrrPyb3WHmBFIKIrrmpKSOcbw7ErPjntUp0D1qIsAEjXPFc86MFwwWfCj8WjWOe/s1600/IMG_2113.JPG" height="640" width="498" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">in Bear Canyon, remnants of the late monsoon rains...</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...evening runs so often end up by running into the desert sunset...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijp3ED28QzbSRCSMYSQVQyVbDd8kUlO1rrUTxuCqCZ4MKqazuREG008iDDJoiI7O4g84d7t4wSt7aWa1eOLQVCPzBzp6TOD3fWmkMF-dGSv79J2emLx3Q_u9Y16pX96Xvt4JUz1WPLGfJD/s1600/IMG_1774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijp3ED28QzbSRCSMYSQVQyVbDd8kUlO1rrUTxuCqCZ4MKqazuREG008iDDJoiI7O4g84d7t4wSt7aWa1eOLQVCPzBzp6TOD3fWmkMF-dGSv79J2emLx3Q_u9Y16pX96Xvt4JUz1WPLGfJD/s1600/IMG_1774.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOJ5BJpLJDHcmf77KdBUu4HPW1jtxoJ70NqrMAOE-AYShtqyhym1hrXR2lOklC5ZuqGOELIFU0wW9NjBvaO_cP5ibSu7kT1UWU2WqGY0LhD_r6NDqHrfpc-AROl1G3eFrVcMFrYjE8g3U/s1600/IMG_1811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOJ5BJpLJDHcmf77KdBUu4HPW1jtxoJ70NqrMAOE-AYShtqyhym1hrXR2lOklC5ZuqGOELIFU0wW9NjBvaO_cP5ibSu7kT1UWU2WqGY0LhD_r6NDqHrfpc-AROl1G3eFrVcMFrYjE8g3U/s1600/IMG_1811.JPG" height="247" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wwNojnAMclYNM5DMOYZaqLERTLKSu02qrfvR4QZKcfLG27NKhdyeyxM-lmVKxKj_AJpMIqlUSATy-xEN-aHrIgypsJYxnh6-QIbXj5o-qINh3okxRrmqVIRdeZniWgU0ZYv0FS6LCTUB/s1600/IMG_1967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wwNojnAMclYNM5DMOYZaqLERTLKSu02qrfvR4QZKcfLG27NKhdyeyxM-lmVKxKj_AJpMIqlUSATy-xEN-aHrIgypsJYxnh6-QIbXj5o-qINh3okxRrmqVIRdeZniWgU0ZYv0FS6LCTUB/s1600/IMG_1967.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Is there any better way to end the day?</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, while I 'rice,'</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">here's a thoughtful card some friends sent me, with this message:</span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"hope you're doing more than hopping around soon!"</span></i></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvM9687MVZbudnUFPJLq-dDY8c1jygD0gYL5rxSkYKILqH1_N2QCTXyakN85BuYI3lon0hTOwV7QfRilwY8bDAIr2_6jXHmO6kCUL39OWVpgXsqB4Crlg9mjp2cMhS94SaDVatIxTRmUo/s1600/IMG_2154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvM9687MVZbudnUFPJLq-dDY8c1jygD0gYL5rxSkYKILqH1_N2QCTXyakN85BuYI3lon0hTOwV7QfRilwY8bDAIr2_6jXHmO6kCUL39OWVpgXsqB4Crlg9mjp2cMhS94SaDVatIxTRmUo/s1600/IMG_2154.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309112924305646256.post-6969688814436135292014-11-05T05:42:00.000-08:002014-11-05T05:42:34.693-08:00'making faces'...with Hipstamatic's new TinType app...(mostly) Wordless Wednesday...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When Hipstamatic came out with its new <a href="http://hipstamatic.com/tintype/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">TinType app</span></a> a couple of weeks ago, I knew I'd have to start bugging friends to let me 'play with their faces' a bit. Ever since I got my first iPhone, I've been avid about landscape and travel mobile photography...but portraits weren't a priority. TinType has made me want to explore a bit more the variety of faces...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgafp2IySEzGUs4608J5ly169jsiiMn_gmz6sK-iqHe897QgAYuLkUDYkfG7Ag3slHORj3PNwqPiGr5hOiHSERIbhlCRvWWS_u74EspvsHmSPaHVw6t9rWSHm0nC5dafJuaxvMB5Sd-C6x_/s1600/IMG_0798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgafp2IySEzGUs4608J5ly169jsiiMn_gmz6sK-iqHe897QgAYuLkUDYkfG7Ag3slHORj3PNwqPiGr5hOiHSERIbhlCRvWWS_u74EspvsHmSPaHVw6t9rWSHm0nC5dafJuaxvMB5Sd-C6x_/s1600/IMG_0798.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCn104fzBkba6ILzkypLomelfJEoxzJ-RyZpE145Abu7u61PfFtrbtnqOzNY47p3xZrBm4eS1T4Q3J0uEq-0WiyDemO3owwnkXYIormvoM__mzlFjSF9LArwdnfQRk3Wm1mIi6QjcFZQn/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCn104fzBkba6ILzkypLomelfJEoxzJ-RyZpE145Abu7u61PfFtrbtnqOzNY47p3xZrBm4eS1T4Q3J0uEq-0WiyDemO3owwnkXYIormvoM__mzlFjSF9LArwdnfQRk3Wm1mIi6QjcFZQn/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" height="400" width="321" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LBs-NSF1NlGty_M6fdjChy6MhZBjzYgwTiURW1WRrHP4_WrGmpq9v2xOsOOQuOIo5LOt_r35KHHDh0nYribcw4jABysx3rmP2SkJLAgZir_GA4NSaI2Zh24-88gbK7EOTfUP8mNuS9Jz/s1600/IMG_0439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LBs-NSF1NlGty_M6fdjChy6MhZBjzYgwTiURW1WRrHP4_WrGmpq9v2xOsOOQuOIo5LOt_r35KHHDh0nYribcw4jABysx3rmP2SkJLAgZir_GA4NSaI2Zh24-88gbK7EOTfUP8mNuS9Jz/s1600/IMG_0439.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHebCQ-Y1AXVKak9IL6IZSg-WCwAAPF5A8yi_DZB9KkLI2gP5QbzFLAYsl-olLgsww0LtKbpQye6vIMpBss5SMGyzR5Z6i-ABGFADlERCsSz4uwSTO_encPwtGPEs45toqLX8yen2qzLiU/s1600/IMG_0619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHebCQ-Y1AXVKak9IL6IZSg-WCwAAPF5A8yi_DZB9KkLI2gP5QbzFLAYsl-olLgsww0LtKbpQye6vIMpBss5SMGyzR5Z6i-ABGFADlERCsSz4uwSTO_encPwtGPEs45toqLX8yen2qzLiU/s1600/IMG_0619.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpgCA7rUd_WdpN4tf5tWlKEZvoNDqTD1cifKmkTKw_uDgcLvznUoaPx6bR0lzT1v3ssaycCAGnIaRKyoT6SOLHQIzkE2okvmvzSTC6djaqZ2QdQGuDxWsMQwKhzEUvH5OLoFosvXfXIBh/s1600/IMG_0743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpgCA7rUd_WdpN4tf5tWlKEZvoNDqTD1cifKmkTKw_uDgcLvznUoaPx6bR0lzT1v3ssaycCAGnIaRKyoT6SOLHQIzkE2okvmvzSTC6djaqZ2QdQGuDxWsMQwKhzEUvH5OLoFosvXfXIBh/s1600/IMG_0743.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">mére et filles...</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS1uiuvZvt5ZAztVx2Fafe3_yM6lvfhfnXtEZlQMGBSqNnpqV9XHoigdtrqFlCzZpIr7PwEWz0GhWyKD7WJMAGj_6g_C84beh3BIGdICQ8Iz46ds1iKh1MKx_wrkjhUjKMQCsPKLKQNl35/s1600/IMG_0761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS1uiuvZvt5ZAztVx2Fafe3_yM6lvfhfnXtEZlQMGBSqNnpqV9XHoigdtrqFlCzZpIr7PwEWz0GhWyKD7WJMAGj_6g_C84beh3BIGdICQ8Iz46ds1iKh1MKx_wrkjhUjKMQCsPKLKQNl35/s1600/IMG_0761.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclgFCLEJ3KgUNpuHlcu8xg2QhaxwvfhfvtTZNN8nSfkuSndRb1qrC_sds6FS2UkLLgccrB00038QZV8jt40tHABaisXQAm4WVHkI8sRC9LMmtH7Qwk1mFb8PWOWOptpQoHT-L9WRZjDFD/s1600/IMG_1086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclgFCLEJ3KgUNpuHlcu8xg2QhaxwvfhfvtTZNN8nSfkuSndRb1qrC_sds6FS2UkLLgccrB00038QZV8jt40tHABaisXQAm4WVHkI8sRC9LMmtH7Qwk1mFb8PWOWOptpQoHT-L9WRZjDFD/s1600/IMG_1086.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgxGS6OZR4qoRyFAfFy-a1IdutJ31HnGLEMdsBRwmPzjqYTpJicO3Q8JtFexi7YENC-rlGApQJxMFaWBJdDM1bbxWb3EEUcBBK-68AVXORnuSO9C35jKXfWFcuprK5vKuaVVrfA108az-/s1600/IMG_1179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgxGS6OZR4qoRyFAfFy-a1IdutJ31HnGLEMdsBRwmPzjqYTpJicO3Q8JtFexi7YENC-rlGApQJxMFaWBJdDM1bbxWb3EEUcBBK-68AVXORnuSO9C35jKXfWFcuprK5vKuaVVrfA108az-/s1600/IMG_1179.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and it can be a fun tool for landscapes too:</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnf0nTI-ntpEXtjoCJTGsaA7G5HbwKJIWRa11FCTucGWQqgrgNvmlhGe9-xYVF8gjHFW0En777X_rmAGNvQDhIQr0B33yRPbQIERkAGJN9ELBRuJDq8mHy6nO09yaOBB80IsjawXQdft8/s1600/IMG_1189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnf0nTI-ntpEXtjoCJTGsaA7G5HbwKJIWRa11FCTucGWQqgrgNvmlhGe9-xYVF8gjHFW0En777X_rmAGNvQDhIQr0B33yRPbQIERkAGJN9ELBRuJDq8mHy6nO09yaOBB80IsjawXQdft8/s1600/IMG_1189.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Cottonwood at San Pedro House</span></td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309112924305646256.post-43034730127832745762014-10-14T16:17:00.004-07:002014-10-15T11:14:39.267-07:00running around Chicago...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Here's some perspective</i>:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwZGULSivgtgo6BVy5wcCLeL5otsRL2YW1-ZigIToeMnllPDkMhyphenhyphenY7zGHi0pHNbj-IgOj_GT9RSy7a2plaBQlRQXyc4Y3HR_qWzr09L3Ia7_MqPLHYMWbJN8y8fdGLBkxxcYwY_A97cdo/s1600/IMG_9400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwZGULSivgtgo6BVy5wcCLeL5otsRL2YW1-ZigIToeMnllPDkMhyphenhyphenY7zGHi0pHNbj-IgOj_GT9RSy7a2plaBQlRQXyc4Y3HR_qWzr09L3Ia7_MqPLHYMWbJN8y8fdGLBkxxcYwY_A97cdo/s1600/IMG_9400.JPG" height="468" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">From 1353 feet (412 meters) above Chicago's streets, 103 floors up, looking down through the glass floor of the <a href="http://theskydeck.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Willis Tower's Skydeck "Ledge"</span></a>...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I was ten years old the last time I rode the elevator to the top of what was then the tallest building (originally "The Sears Tower") in the world; no glass-floor back then...So up I went last Sunday, at the beginning of a week-long stay, taking advantage of my school-district's Fall Break to go see relatives I'd not seen in years...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Even going just after opening time on a Sunday morning, I ended up spending an hour waiting in lines--to go through security, to buy a ticket, to get on the elevator...but <i>definitely worth it</i>. Just know that you'll spend a lot of time waiting. I don't want to imagine what the crowds would be like on a clear summer weekend...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But too much pounding-of-the-pavement is not good for the soul, so...time for a trail-run:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigz7Hg3-HF_cDnffhpEdNrOUSRUB-8Mu9XBKU4dejdqUO9FURVf0dCrtjAV7Kur9Yhz_uSLsPV3rDtxUwVPgjxQDAO13nGwC16inJRx3sLdjEjVW27JYPodl-qyX-MrLixoVsWBq0IwHUd/s1600/IMG_9334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigz7Hg3-HF_cDnffhpEdNrOUSRUB-8Mu9XBKU4dejdqUO9FURVf0dCrtjAV7Kur9Yhz_uSLsPV3rDtxUwVPgjxQDAO13nGwC16inJRx3sLdjEjVW27JYPodl-qyX-MrLixoVsWBq0IwHUd/s1600/IMG_9334.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">You don't have to go far out of the city to find such a bucolic setting, fortunately.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Starting up near the Wisconsin border, the <a href="http://www.traillink.com/trail/des-plaines-river-trail.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Des Plaines River trail system</span></a> winds <i>over 50 miles</i> through Forest Preserves down into western Chicago:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7ozmAvJbN0G0Wkf8vELGzSMACA6BtG-rdm4gToxX4aBokaFeGmF71TgVf0szrtWObxRj2Jtb758m6PkmQZSXSQ6qbga2HAVaJMGzkHTFh6TkjYFdTVQokCg-kMNE_PWb4l9HQb5b8JOS/s1600/des+plaines+river+trail+map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7ozmAvJbN0G0Wkf8vELGzSMACA6BtG-rdm4gToxX4aBokaFeGmF71TgVf0szrtWObxRj2Jtb758m6PkmQZSXSQ6qbga2HAVaJMGzkHTFh6TkjYFdTVQokCg-kMNE_PWb4l9HQb5b8JOS/s1600/des+plaines+river+trail+map.JPG" height="640" width="484" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>(<a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?vpsrc=0&ctz=360&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=210441096411748673470.0004b1a159bf5803c3d7a&t=m&ll=42.198004,-87.896118&spn=0.71216,1.647949&z=9&source=embed&dg=feature" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">map from Google</span></a>)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">==========</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It's true, though, that you don't go to Chicago just to see trees;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Millenium Park</span></a> is one of the best places from which to admire the architecture:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_KjIrcwNGX9iJ-siXGM_w8C964fcH7KiC89lS4HvLzaPeJJ9NsW4P086uTshGKvi3sClDvintzJHc68HmvXH4Mt65BjyPe8EFKnldi4NF-4znkwG7hbuX4SPHhv_7RpMaouTrRTn53qX/s1600/IMG_9554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_KjIrcwNGX9iJ-siXGM_w8C964fcH7KiC89lS4HvLzaPeJJ9NsW4P086uTshGKvi3sClDvintzJHc68HmvXH4Mt65BjyPe8EFKnldi4NF-4znkwG7hbuX4SPHhv_7RpMaouTrRTn53qX/s1600/IMG_9554.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I'd wanted to see "The Bean" (officially known as "Cloud Gate") ever since it was installed back in 2006; this public art by Indian-born British artist <a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/anish-kapoor-1384" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Anish Kapoor</span></a> has become one of Chicago's best-loved landmarks, surrounded by a constant sea of selfie-takers...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvCZT0pC7f2IsZrUHqHvdBuZF-5kjrn8QCXpT2hzK9L3BSt6RkJMyOaGPSBOU-YvYK1nK8xWZBnrkJivlgKKPKiHvkn3Mdb7V9kJHk5IGOFhfPj10C6IeX2qER5-Q0Xe87KyRii1pfQbBO/s1600/IMG_0062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvCZT0pC7f2IsZrUHqHvdBuZF-5kjrn8QCXpT2hzK9L3BSt6RkJMyOaGPSBOU-YvYK1nK8xWZBnrkJivlgKKPKiHvkn3Mdb7V9kJHk5IGOFhfPj10C6IeX2qER5-Q0Xe87KyRii1pfQbBO/s1600/IMG_0062.JPG" height="400" width="280" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-YC4GrZiv1HgaIfnWvEgjHFk5kNLkH_7xC87dsTeXIgjDx7Oto26ms3iEQ3yL7aHxhpYqZVqYeb3TbJijUStHQjTdmAPel4MWPA3r7Sza6EV9SGFcsoHwFbED5OTR8GHvOPt-5IRIsxy/s1600/IMG_0135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-YC4GrZiv1HgaIfnWvEgjHFk5kNLkH_7xC87dsTeXIgjDx7Oto26ms3iEQ3yL7aHxhpYqZVqYeb3TbJijUStHQjTdmAPel4MWPA3r7Sza6EV9SGFcsoHwFbED5OTR8GHvOPt-5IRIsxy/s1600/IMG_0135.JPG" height="377" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and here's the Legacy Tower, a <i>residential</i> complex;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> how'bout a slice of sky to go with your skyline...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHpCEH1cOwleNVhoB_x5TjxLv5Z5hLV6CkPczjR4cMVk26AuTrWfP9-QBtV-q9rdCA4WtTR-VkDiLpn6ebPgBSAVIf0IRUDmUryZ-hK5y-2invIip5RzeoKHGIwDrycxKNIzLFZxxfyI7/s1600/IMG_0075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHpCEH1cOwleNVhoB_x5TjxLv5Z5hLV6CkPczjR4cMVk26AuTrWfP9-QBtV-q9rdCA4WtTR-VkDiLpn6ebPgBSAVIf0IRUDmUryZ-hK5y-2invIip5RzeoKHGIwDrycxKNIzLFZxxfyI7/s1600/IMG_0075.JPG" height="640" width="372" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">==========</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And, a (not-so) random scene from the campus of the University of Chicago:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLgUC5swgbRaXjhUESaOwRRTG3kykkbNlOA-HV931GSn3RAiSRv9phHYHzEuDRBjKf7xo4NrRY6enPsnZXDcUbIX0hz227zBmT2hqbmQq3wBg-E_vWLHicaJ3SJtFQdlq5gvidO5LY4Uow/s1600/IMG_9270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLgUC5swgbRaXjhUESaOwRRTG3kykkbNlOA-HV931GSn3RAiSRv9phHYHzEuDRBjKf7xo4NrRY6enPsnZXDcUbIX0hz227zBmT2hqbmQq3wBg-E_vWLHicaJ3SJtFQdlq5gvidO5LY4Uow/s1600/IMG_9270.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Years ago, I'd visited some friends who were going to school there, and we wanted to check out the <a href="https://oi.uchicago.edu/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Oriental Institute</span></a>, an on-campus museum that contains one of the finest collections of Middle-Eastern Antiquities in North America...that day, though, <i>the one day I was able to be there</i>, the museum was closed. CLOSED! It ended up taking me twenty years to get back there...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVIZrR14arJhEJtj_2Q-UyDiGLaQ6nGyAbTHhzHLbl8dHw1i1og64h3aRDBVaBlrvc-uK-Rb6r7Kvxqd-pifwdTxAw2D_8gxibBLgh-mpwBau0B5sZrs3LDbCInDi4tJ1h2-vQvkjCn68E/s1600/IMG_9297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVIZrR14arJhEJtj_2Q-UyDiGLaQ6nGyAbTHhzHLbl8dHw1i1og64h3aRDBVaBlrvc-uK-Rb6r7Kvxqd-pifwdTxAw2D_8gxibBLgh-mpwBau0B5sZrs3LDbCInDi4tJ1h2-vQvkjCn68E/s1600/IMG_9297.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I know, I know, using the word "gem" is a cliché--<i>but, truly, truly, this museum is one!</i> Just a sampling of its collection, above: that's Sennacherib on the left--a sculpture from the throne room of King Sargon of Assyria! Then one of the lion-friezes from the ceremonial Ishtar gateway in Babylon!! And then, a column from the Persian capital from the reigns of Darius and Xerxes!!! If you have any interest at all in ancient archaeology, the accounts of Herodotus, or Biblical history, you'll wander these galleries with goose-bumps. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">==========</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Back to the skyline...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwATvHtpJ2_-bKiMVLj-zfYLllJEtUHW5Tp1GEu_PENHXD9IIkbv3rv2NzzEjwcmIUXmb_NX_sXD22UJS0RqsVIAeXSi7mx6SCgc7zwx79f829HPBDEICgI4W7nxEsIRustMGffc5-bgUl/s1600/IMG_9291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwATvHtpJ2_-bKiMVLj-zfYLllJEtUHW5Tp1GEu_PENHXD9IIkbv3rv2NzzEjwcmIUXmb_NX_sXD22UJS0RqsVIAeXSi7mx6SCgc7zwx79f829HPBDEICgI4W7nxEsIRustMGffc5-bgUl/s1600/IMG_9291.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...I mean, what other city in the U.S. can compare with this vast lakefront?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">==========</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Back to running--or rather, to what you do <i>after</i> a run.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One morning, after running along the Des Plaines River, I stopped for coffee and a pastry,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">but this is no ordinary "French bakery":</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHdaEX5-ZgaAgddfTs4jumKJXpmTIzRldVhprJJjZcu4o5c1usoEc0ZeakTgDjSKo5ZREP3JMAWJgKTnOgCkuV2ILmOcFR9py6EIOsqHYJvX-jypZSEsUGP05rySVmZG7lCxvX8Tpp_wK/s1600/IMG_9335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHdaEX5-ZgaAgddfTs4jumKJXpmTIzRldVhprJJjZcu4o5c1usoEc0ZeakTgDjSKo5ZREP3JMAWJgKTnOgCkuV2ILmOcFR9py6EIOsqHYJvX-jypZSEsUGP05rySVmZG7lCxvX8Tpp_wK/s1600/IMG_9335.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It's not really "French" either, despite its name...rather, it's <i>authentically...Korean.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The northwestern parts of Chicago have become very Koreanized, and "Tous les Jours" is a good example, even if at first glance you wouldn't think so. You see, "<a href="http://tljus.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Tous les Jours</span></a>" is based in Seoul. That's right, Seoul...and they're as ubiquitous there as Starbucks is in Seattle. <i>Voilà</i>. And that glorified pig-in-a-blanket would be a 'soh-see-jee.' In a croissant. <i>Vive les pâtisseries franco-coréennes!</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
Historically, <a href="http://www.chicagokoreantown.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Koreatown in Chicago</span></a> was centered along Lawrence Avenue, in the city...now it's <a href="http://www.suntimes.com/news/garcia/17519767-452/searching-for-korea-town.html#.VD2xtvldUuc" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">moved to the 'burbs</span></a>... <a href="http://www.uhpress.hawaii.edu/p-5743-9780824836719.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;"><i>Ethnoburbs</i></span></a>. They're here, and full of tasty things...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...like these <i>kimchi-mandu: </i>dumplings filled with minced kimchi and pork<i>...</i>Try them at <a href="http://wooilbbq.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Wooil restaurant</span></a>, in Buffalo Grove, maybe a 20-minute drive north of O'Hare:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZHcDPyAd82cF3hkQe-tmt4cb6xi6c2MB6bK7OQf1HEhKl2Fc_ABPjXmMfD9tDn7lONiVMLkjx3KAsh5cK3X7tXWKG8u7amJgUeiqpHqdQkBlTy_8wjHKJWKT64_52Ud-cvdUprkWymOql/s1600/IMG_9964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZHcDPyAd82cF3hkQe-tmt4cb6xi6c2MB6bK7OQf1HEhKl2Fc_ABPjXmMfD9tDn7lONiVMLkjx3KAsh5cK3X7tXWKG8u7amJgUeiqpHqdQkBlTy_8wjHKJWKT64_52Ud-cvdUprkWymOql/s1600/IMG_9964.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">==========</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Okay, back downtown. If you look very carefully up the western façade of the Willis Tower, you can just make out the glass-floored 'ledges' at the top:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijdAiHoBwn9UyIqCO7rNSnu_YokKxDYiDZKmiR0Pm-mr0sLpRCM4FJ5c9FGAO2RhrZv2u5KAoMfgjhzqK8W45LGDHUQn68wI0gdpo1PX4_O3FGhcuERsFm0eiJGlY7Gusrjo-cO1JXsUdx/s1600/IMG_9405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijdAiHoBwn9UyIqCO7rNSnu_YokKxDYiDZKmiR0Pm-mr0sLpRCM4FJ5c9FGAO2RhrZv2u5KAoMfgjhzqK8W45LGDHUQn68wI0gdpo1PX4_O3FGhcuERsFm0eiJGlY7Gusrjo-cO1JXsUdx/s1600/IMG_9405.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Not for the acrophobic, and you might have to stand in line (again),</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">to get your turn to stand 'in the air'...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">but come on, it's just cool.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The ten-year-old-boy in me still jumps at this.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqY-LQFAE9R5qLMRjl0y8GkQB9nFbo_mFmuPw_Y_JPoELlwhOkAPotT0_D9-Gr_Pk0xNAbnLXrdmtSe7sAjjjzKcaWsA7T86ce58XUIgZh_n8kjkEgaExBA4B5xG62w_4znCVOif-WBaaT/s1600/IMG_9386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqY-LQFAE9R5qLMRjl0y8GkQB9nFbo_mFmuPw_Y_JPoELlwhOkAPotT0_D9-Gr_Pk0xNAbnLXrdmtSe7sAjjjzKcaWsA7T86ce58XUIgZh_n8kjkEgaExBA4B5xG62w_4znCVOif-WBaaT/s1600/IMG_9386.JPG" height="640" width="370" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Looking to the north and northwest:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3cx3h8lSZMLrPa2hV-NzIm6r9xVbEzC6Q-f9qy6Znj3dyxr7SmvhEXxiuKEH-qKMRHZnaZRaQn2kyVVsRIfQ30AeUDR_oeNuVQBN0CEtF62K3yeAdaUtTXk6jLGGBulvHKJa0kLorxzxb/s1600/IMG_9902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3cx3h8lSZMLrPa2hV-NzIm6r9xVbEzC6Q-f9qy6Znj3dyxr7SmvhEXxiuKEH-qKMRHZnaZRaQn2kyVVsRIfQ30AeUDR_oeNuVQBN0CEtF62K3yeAdaUtTXk6jLGGBulvHKJa0kLorxzxb/s1600/IMG_9902.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and to the east over Lake Michigan...</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">..and one last look <i>up...</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzVizDGcV5-4FKkX8gYITDNAM-p7SwjEMPsB_gPrw9-Ek8VsjuiHX_WMTGQ2fFC94i1JTz53hAmJTPykxAX-CpKbwMWAopQxxtmrbyhIIZCqiic1L3CCDODsF9AeqbuScnu3pJuW87jD7D/s1600/IMG_9637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzVizDGcV5-4FKkX8gYITDNAM-p7SwjEMPsB_gPrw9-Ek8VsjuiHX_WMTGQ2fFC94i1JTz53hAmJTPykxAX-CpKbwMWAopQxxtmrbyhIIZCqiic1L3CCDODsF9AeqbuScnu3pJuW87jD7D/s1600/IMG_9637.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">==========</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Out of the steel-and-glass canyons, into greener space,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">another trail run along the Des Plaines River, this time well north of the city, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">in one of the preserve's sections near Gurnee, Illinois:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC8SY4lRCWDyMIHbJkS-EIbkw_LgniGg4nLztUBTSFZt3YbgI3woaRr7HF_yuurMN21z0QgTlj4luMJn8NK_vn2LFI8eCLR78c6qjZyqozkmEi1PtcxSWNPpPumlGg89FZ86NuQpFvHnfP/s1600/IMG_9632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC8SY4lRCWDyMIHbJkS-EIbkw_LgniGg4nLztUBTSFZt3YbgI3woaRr7HF_yuurMN21z0QgTlj4luMJn8NK_vn2LFI8eCLR78c6qjZyqozkmEi1PtcxSWNPpPumlGg89FZ86NuQpFvHnfP/s1600/IMG_9632.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Suburban rush-hour is a world away when you can lose yourself among the trees and wetlands...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjuhtRZWtetAfQQE7KifaBIu1-CY8fI-Bbhyphenhyphen2GSeIjgem1bS7LmKL0accZ2nx1DaE2poHoTRhDfrqUvljbd3D5j6oOhAxiFzy8utgY29htRMjEbIOQuNUqcpuE4BluQxqHhoC90KNZ0An/s1600/IMG_9633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjuhtRZWtetAfQQE7KifaBIu1-CY8fI-Bbhyphenhyphen2GSeIjgem1bS7LmKL0accZ2nx1DaE2poHoTRhDfrqUvljbd3D5j6oOhAxiFzy8utgY29htRMjEbIOQuNUqcpuE4BluQxqHhoC90KNZ0An/s1600/IMG_9633.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Being October, and along with the fact that I've lived in Tucson for seven years now, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">the <i>trees </i>in the Midwest are such a treat this time of year:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HXIGldFrAzurThOFI5mc3KPVH6sO-_Yq0YP6A9rRWPtTKDjTA9GgyG2fqNX_HIsV-FjtOM9RIGvV_VGQagCAlaWZmVPLTbQR4HNnN5Lmw_ezkY1DH3XrOZMgiCUJN_iTgBe8pRvC38ze/s1600/IMG_9778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HXIGldFrAzurThOFI5mc3KPVH6sO-_Yq0YP6A9rRWPtTKDjTA9GgyG2fqNX_HIsV-FjtOM9RIGvV_VGQagCAlaWZmVPLTbQR4HNnN5Lmw_ezkY1DH3XrOZMgiCUJN_iTgBe8pRvC38ze/s1600/IMG_9778.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">==========</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One of the best places to run in the Chicago area is found in its far northwest suburbs: the <a href="http://www.lcfpd.org/preserves/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.view&object_id=210&type=P" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Rollins Savanna Forest Preserve</span></a>--<i>1200 acres</i> of wetlands, wildflowers, prairie grasses, and oak groves:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNTE4ZmnNa59nmim8Y6nEwnhZkvxRNSVRVVcy7bp6e81aZAjcDDll2x9dKxcNFE70TtNQ1YkvvYMA6Ukh4_k-4lTBOHtAr_AkZaLy7HDxR03XTbW7crvO8KLBiK4ncQOtz52WhqaQSol1/s1600/IMG_9887.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNTE4ZmnNa59nmim8Y6nEwnhZkvxRNSVRVVcy7bp6e81aZAjcDDll2x9dKxcNFE70TtNQ1YkvvYMA6Ukh4_k-4lTBOHtAr_AkZaLy7HDxR03XTbW7crvO8KLBiK4ncQOtz52WhqaQSol1/s1600/IMG_9887.JPG" height="283" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If you combine the two main loops, it makes for a nice 6-miler...</span><br />
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<span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRbexWqrVv63jBV6BJg2lnJL3Z0g4OsCQI7U5LoZmihvUutcjWMTo9KktZsYX1EDG-dFdKQevi2O2-W4fxdMoZEAHK1x7QAESmVrfHnd8kqQrcHaF4NAxWlh3YCeA8alYx-L3F9tkZXbq/s1600/IMG_9890.JPG" height="468" width="640" /></span></div>
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<span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYEhT5yYyHiVbP13Vwcgplm_sHVDn_Y7ipH2kv_qLCuHlDS-S_P0rCoIR6KL_-o3ZUgun5_mMLpr5EeBJIlFYNpE9LoQyZwLoz-4wSyudjlO0jxInbttSocepnRJGct6Xc-GCy96up4aX/s1600/rollins+savanna+map.JPG" height="409" width="640" /></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: lime; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.lcfpd.org/docs/map_22915.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">(the full-sized pdf can be found here)</span></a></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
...and since the first frosts haven't arrived yet, the last of the summer wildflowers are still around:</span><br />
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<span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFUaIwkHoUZOjoMA0b8fn8EAPu78KolOYAjjda_VbE5krONONZnBMXzu-vFfaQvXxYQYOvXMHuJHfQz0FjEiB-p4ckmrNe7yoykEUZBZ85ieegCI8sCJQVfLHkf2E9E8xipgsm-QVG0U8A/s1600/IMG_9897.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">==========</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">On my last full day there, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">before flying back to the Arizona desert,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">time to soak up some aquatic views:</span></div>
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<span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiiIwwlzNDG1o-W7DNLk22jiem1MTDO0YuuqkUovGzbPbrIdoYXDOYHtfhKforO4Ry8Cw-GI_85fulsxQMTUxlyq8QHprzJYe_2KT4cYo4uhfxXu76gwtQsOqbGlkDRRLcHX3KsggWFSCj/s1600/IMG_9984.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...along the lakefront in Waukegan: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Lake Michigan truly is an inland sea--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">dunes, jetties with gulls, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">birdprints on flour-fine sand, and even a few shells...</span></div>
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<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309112924305646256.post-26012836924506509412014-09-21T23:20:00.004-07:002014-09-21T23:48:28.755-07:00"Black and White" for this Monday's #travelpics...and the Sonoran Desert's "Second Spring"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Another summer has come and gone...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Tomorrow is the first official day of Autumn...AND it's Monday. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Keep your wanderlust alive, though, by signing on for the weekly #travelpics chat on twitter, hosted by Kathryn Cooper a.k.a. @AntiTourist and her co-hosts @sihpromatum, @TheTravelCamel, @VibrantIreland, and @travellingmolly... Check in at 3 p.m. ET/ noon on the West Coast.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://antitouristtraveler.com/travelpics/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">This week's theme</span></a> will be "<b>black and white</b>" in travel photography...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...which got me thinking back to when I first began thinking about taking black-and-white photos. It was during the year I lived in <i>Paris</i>; all I had, in those pre-digital-camera days, on my grad-school budget was a point-and-shoot...The <a href="http://www.monoprix.fr/trouver-mon-magasin/monoprix-saint-cloud-saint-cloud-161.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Monoprix</span></a> supermarket around the corner from where I lived had a kiosk where I would drop off my rolls of film, hoping for scenes to turn out. Few cities are as photographically documented as Paris, but even so, I was anxious to get a few shots that would be "MINE" and not just some postcard.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One winter morning, then, from the roof of the <a href="http://www.printemps.com/services/autres_services/w/Restaurants-Printemps-Haussmann-34193" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;"><i>Printemps</i> department store</span></a>: </span></div>
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<span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSYTh-Z0AApWhhRN39Iw4r7FuezM7zP_iiec6dVDNqV7Go-vGVisVVk0Yk7d9CMUL6nNQdMnWLVHqc4684GWZyF28FMzlCg3jRD-GMSTgfN07205IvtJ4ooj44XulNlVr3QHWaEN8ZdIJB/s1600/b&w+from+printemps+roof.jpg" height="296" width="640" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">During that winter, I spent a week-and-a-half down in <i>Barcelona</i>,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">thinking about my father who had died only a year-and-a-half before.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">he'd spent quite a bit of time in Spain before he met my mother;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> I ended up chasing his ghost around the city.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This wall in the <i>Barri Gòtic</i> got me thinking about all that gets embedded in a place,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">all that gets embedded in us as we travel...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_1ISqUraYRWHjTJmh96B_iVM5d5KJh5L5Ac37UxszqTIll4Y9oC1wOT_IOl1JiqOBgTmva1Ma7QP-8TMCuv8diY6ESlY6b248EFhwBie08RPx8-4aqtjg01opLRayMvCgJ627CKiTYXz/s1600/barri+gotic+architecture+b_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_1ISqUraYRWHjTJmh96B_iVM5d5KJh5L5Ac37UxszqTIll4Y9oC1wOT_IOl1JiqOBgTmva1Ma7QP-8TMCuv8diY6ESlY6b248EFhwBie08RPx8-4aqtjg01opLRayMvCgJ627CKiTYXz/s1600/barri+gotic+architecture+b_Snapseed.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Another wall, several years later, far from Spain--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">one of the finest examples of Inca stonework:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">the twelve-angled stone in <i>Cuzco, Perú</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">No metal tools, no mortar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Centuries of earthquakes haven't toppled this wall;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">the masonry is so well-fitted that even today,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">not even a sheet of paper will fit between the stones.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsNC1nqDpK08slSzOt6NDH-ImltmrBgQuzirrTBwHsFy8WlKmCKF9dy7ixIC7YPnCxLIZXaTCQ9GgydFC9_K4rsVD58mNO5Va2KX0iGGG3Pq19Z3COZvxEC40DqjT-sZmVUbVMvWVuD1Z/s1600/twelve-sided+stone+in+cuzco+bw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsNC1nqDpK08slSzOt6NDH-ImltmrBgQuzirrTBwHsFy8WlKmCKF9dy7ixIC7YPnCxLIZXaTCQ9GgydFC9_K4rsVD58mNO5Va2KX0iGGG3Pq19Z3COZvxEC40DqjT-sZmVUbVMvWVuD1Z/s1600/twelve-sided+stone+in+cuzco+bw.jpg" height="255" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When shape and texture alone are what you want to capture in an image,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">color becomes a distraction.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Moving to Arizona seven years ago, we couldn't get enough of the iconic saguaros. I've since calmed down a bit, taking fewer cactus pics, but here's one of my favorites from our first hike in <i>Saguaro National Park</i>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_CdHSnOeleujqq8TeOfJ6FqvNpHZY5bDvvE0ZNaQ12uWkyzihntfjtDy6WO31qphRKoxHgDQCVwBlVx70EU60sztNEP8HgYib7HoMh5WZEIt8oIdEs-FKcYKJQ3pKd8K2_WIqfV2UQsQ/s1600/21-saguaro+'handshake'%2Bt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_CdHSnOeleujqq8TeOfJ6FqvNpHZY5bDvvE0ZNaQ12uWkyzihntfjtDy6WO31qphRKoxHgDQCVwBlVx70EU60sztNEP8HgYib7HoMh5WZEIt8oIdEs-FKcYKJQ3pKd8K2_WIqfV2UQsQ/s1600/21-saguaro+'handshake'%2Bt.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The botany here invites zooming in--this agave almost becomes a study in abstract repetition:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6i9OcsmJFT6oqFYl9CUC4txUsyivcKZDYfYGLpIREv64iyQXOheWVHk89qj5Cdj3oBLTqjD1w1UurruFfBp7eK6758EieUXHWQ6PPxa-GaXxoJHvXqNQhAAOPJ6asP8GaM6sJmMvHnNA/s1600/7-Agave+b&w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6i9OcsmJFT6oqFYl9CUC4txUsyivcKZDYfYGLpIREv64iyQXOheWVHk89qj5Cdj3oBLTqjD1w1UurruFfBp7eK6758EieUXHWQ6PPxa-GaXxoJHvXqNQhAAOPJ6asP8GaM6sJmMvHnNA/s1600/7-Agave+b&w.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Back to France and architecture--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">last summer my wife and I finally made it to the <i>Château de Chenonceau</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It's one of the most photographed sights in Europe, with its arches over the River Cher. Don't make the mistake of passing it by, thinking that it would just be better to avoid the crowds by going to some other castle. Come <i>here</i> mid-week, in the late afternoon, when the big tour-bus-groups begin to leave. You'll have the Renaissance galleries and gardens almost to yourself if you stay until closing time.</span></div>
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<a href="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2882/9553801032_d29ab75ecb_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2882/9553801032_d29ab75ecb_b.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(and, incidentally, all the rest of these are iPhone-photos)</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7434/9556546575_91674b3f58_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7434/9556546575_91674b3f58_b.jpg" width="318" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Still in France, to the Southwest, now,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">in the Tower of the <i>Château de Montaigne</i>...</span></div>
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<span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDbIDJLLjGvrd-302RnXStun7nPXlJerm5SY8MEnjgAyZZShI7FtBtMMp0MhA6P6aXg1YaBxtjuT41_HaY8AEDjnUxWzLljXzTXQsswk4qWVoNIR0qlMRVfNJkeKprZXR-IPXu0MtqPIpV/s1600/IMG_8698.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...the residence of the famed Renaissance man Michel de
Montaigne, who, in some ways, can be considered Europe's first 'modern' writer,
inventor of the essay and a 'blogger' before his time. During the year I lived
in France as a grad-student, I'd never had the chance to make my way down to
this part of France; it was a delight to wander around the
vineyard-covered landscape.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Montaigne (1533-1592) spent the last years of his life in
the circular tower of his family's château, converting its different levels
into his chapel, library, study, and bedroom. He wrote all of his
"Essais" here, in semi-retirement after years of public service and
traveling. While my visit was not exactly a 'literary pilgrimmage,' being in
this tower, in the rooms where so many thoughts were carefully crafted so long
ago--it was sobering.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Thinking about the ability of photography to capture a
moment and render it timeless, this passage from Montaigne comes to mind: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> "The utility
of living consists not in the length of days, but in the use of time; a man may
have lived long, and yet lived but a little. Make use of time while it is
present with you. It depends upon your will, and not upon the number of days,
to have a sufficient length of life."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Back to the Southwest US,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a streetscape in <i>Santa Fe</i>:</span></div>
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<a href="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7434/11742968066_7ebcf5fa29_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7434/11742968066_7ebcf5fa29_b.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Again, a wall...shape, texture, and shadow at play...black-and-white is the way to go...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A scene from earlier this summer--an oasis on the outskirts of <i>Tucson</i> drying out:</span><br />
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<span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTi_-12r6DLIYFHeeKvcTdrYIk-Mj_EyXAogXVBLZ8kraCiLEL6Upi1lQVLXwD5dBtBGB7nmAbi2tMLbeEcJUEw-wzW69ijCOkkQSYRhmH4mSMsGaICk_MTgSTRZs3joydAdhjnzjNsNNz/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" height="406" width="640" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">No shortage of water here,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">flowing in the <i>Jeonju River in S. Korea</i> this past June:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQNWtmDACVQZqYNY_jve58XLAdROECaaMIdTs2NV47ggqbwjihtNVMH-Iq-Is3DLI5OGj10RnRKrBd53XVxylqlyMr2d2lxhjt35bKtKi4aCnJueJuvM1jpM8qrBJfjT0VuN-SWnFVyM9-/s1600/IMG_8700.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and from Jeonju up to <i>Seoul, </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">for this view of Zaha Hadid's recently completed <a href="http://www.seouldesign.or.kr/eng/plaza/concept.jsp" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Dongdaemun Design Plaza</span></a>:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="395" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2917/14527767652_bfaa3a77dd_b.jpg" width="400" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and some of the not-so-spiral stairs inside:</span></div>
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<img border="0" height="400" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3895/14527300284_e372d2171d_b.jpg" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;" width="295" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For some more architecture-and-people,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">this scene from the <i>Jardin des Tuileries in Paris</i>:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXV-Htqn7Ut9U9h2TXQuz70L_ulXiJoQ2aXflV9IFoq2Bli-et4gNe7jK8nZCeU_8i8n1dKlvHPq2CnXve9JL-cnuThCLhSoxzsep3W8vWpsGkCZ5evwZH6QbFPXvvC-pQegM8vDHqRz6/s1600/IMG_8694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXV-Htqn7Ut9U9h2TXQuz70L_ulXiJoQ2aXflV9IFoq2Bli-et4gNe7jK8nZCeU_8i8n1dKlvHPq2CnXve9JL-cnuThCLhSoxzsep3W8vWpsGkCZ5evwZH6QbFPXvvC-pQegM8vDHqRz6/s1600/IMG_8694.JPG" height="640" width="360" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Talking intently on his cell-phone, on a sunny lunch-break, after a long grey spring--the ups and downs of living and working in the French capital...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
And some outdoor cooking, in front of the XVIIIth-c. <i>Mission San Xavier del Bac</i>, just outside of Tucson:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwhq24XOTny4kw8xn8lF8L5MHe_isuTD3j-hmavL0YK9z3NZxHAMZ-RcVEyGtpqk3SVc-NsM_PmN5UByVvBkr4kGiYX3eU2_FfXk0Gm2ZmCFniY066PWvpBDFlkSAg_FV1PdYYIkZOi4Ga/s1600/IMG_8696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwhq24XOTny4kw8xn8lF8L5MHe_isuTD3j-hmavL0YK9z3NZxHAMZ-RcVEyGtpqk3SVc-NsM_PmN5UByVvBkr4kGiYX3eU2_FfXk0Gm2ZmCFniY066PWvpBDFlkSAg_FV1PdYYIkZOi4Ga/s1600/IMG_8696.JPG" height="640" width="360" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And finally, to the <i>Grand Canyon</i> State's namesake landscape:</span><br />
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<span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5tkyLI8uDH2QC2Dm_9nsHH8qMSbgnmbXi1WIIpEkSmR6-o3iGW5JzvEYd2oFv8K9HiUYErRYF7BGkhiV52t1Lbn_SzrYOk2FdxhsJ1qPASr0qt-Q_7r5h0b2guPE91G7SYypGeGbCTVvd/s1600/IMG_8695.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Last November, I spent a couple of days here; I hadn't been in a few years, and I also had a little bit of
fact-finding to do for a project I was working on. In the past, the timing hadn't
worked out to see sunset or sunrise over the vast chasm, so I made sure to
include time for that on this trip. As I arrived at dawn and made my way to the
edge of the South Rim, I saw that the canyon was filled with a sea of fog--I
didn't learn until later that it was a rare inversion, a climatic phenomenon
that only occurs once a decade or so in the Grand Canyon--definitely a
privileged moment! I meant to take some photos of the sunrise and the morning
light spilling into the gorges below, but instead, the play of light and fog
ended up stealing the show.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I took this particular photo just a few minutes after
arriving. While the sunrise a half-hour later was indeed spectacular, this shot
ended up being one of my favorites. This particular tree-topped outcropping,
disappearing into the roiling mist reminded me of Chinese scroll paintings and
landscapes I had hiked in while in the mountains of Korea, so I decided to take
a vertical shot, including just enough of the dawn sky for color, but focusing
on the rocky profile and trees disappearing into the fog, masking the
canyon-floor a mile below. I'm sure there must have been some visitors who were
disappointed because they couldn't see into the canyon on this particular
morning, but for me, watching the waves of fog in the quiet cold--it's one of
the most spectacular landscape-moments I've ever seen...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> ...and in this morning's Sunday newspaper, I woke up to this:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqx2qgHvD-HuGhMn5JIYKxOy_FwJOnce7_WNJa0vAuykz89L5OxWhUWou3-O3BY_oKLNZCKG2HNf22Hl02Jq5Oa7AHlVnXa8KaApuO9GKRBiqGBX1iKbK3A9XLBthM7Pbc1imxlOnwrTA2/s1600/IMG_8593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqx2qgHvD-HuGhMn5JIYKxOy_FwJOnce7_WNJa0vAuykz89L5OxWhUWou3-O3BY_oKLNZCKG2HNf22Hl02Jq5Oa7AHlVnXa8KaApuO9GKRBiqGBX1iKbK3A9XLBthM7Pbc1imxlOnwrTA2/s1600/IMG_8593.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This photo won first place in the <a href="http://tucson.com/entertainment/vacation-photo-contest-winners/article_b40c8356-abd5-53d5-a39f-0a3183fdbe46.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Arizona Daily Star/Western National Parks Association photo contest</span></a>; definitely a nice way to wake up to a weekend morning!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">===============</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">By mid-September, most years, the monsoon begins to dry out here in southern Arizona. The rains have been good in Tucson this year; what locals call '<i>the Second Spring</i>' is well under way. Wildflowers are blooming again, taking advantage of the moisture and the break from the 100+ degree days. Here are a few scenes from my run along the trail to Bear Canyon this morning...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3OocfVhzyGS6GYB3rue8mrflWpZ5LXDhd4SSST9iB0mLyjkMgGRF3zUfW5lH4HF9O4xj7V7aOLW8p1jX-x8oNsknVpuF_nPhGi5VkZPW_gsmdRLAVwQ-qg_jfQKY3C41RmOI0yTN8pLk5/s1600/IMG_8690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3OocfVhzyGS6GYB3rue8mrflWpZ5LXDhd4SSST9iB0mLyjkMgGRF3zUfW5lH4HF9O4xj7V7aOLW8p1jX-x8oNsknVpuF_nPhGi5VkZPW_gsmdRLAVwQ-qg_jfQKY3C41RmOI0yTN8pLk5/s1600/IMG_8690.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As I ran into Bear Canyon, this guy-on-horseback was sauntering out...</span><br />
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<span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzazAVP-6llxCcNVusJs2CdeqnozeSGC1iGue3Uj7sVj5lP_qxTsBd_e_otKqDZDOX2_LU_CgzxDLi_0A93iB0a6I-wqcT4MEeX2OkOClimoOeRQaS4x9PITp3dj_MOmY7kVUbYoxZuBxW/s1600/IMG_8673.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Lush and well-watered, the canyons right now...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Along the trails, in the flowing washes, some of the wildflowers I saw this morning:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ6jqtPWFZUKsrkSjx49Ef7LJ-5370v_sPdF8LWi6TmMJlgB3M2T35w52fqyewE-slqHZL2U3bCubjYzW5_M4F_yUMRkjVpOohGgdvnwjHg_1vp9rqtdoU7AiAi29RmgYZ-EBANrIMAqBN/s1600/IMG_8683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ6jqtPWFZUKsrkSjx49Ef7LJ-5370v_sPdF8LWi6TmMJlgB3M2T35w52fqyewE-slqHZL2U3bCubjYzW5_M4F_yUMRkjVpOohGgdvnwjHg_1vp9rqtdoU7AiAi29RmgYZ-EBANrIMAqBN/s1600/IMG_8683.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">clockwise, from top left:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">ivyleaf morning-glory, Coulter's hibiscus (aka 'desert rosemallow),</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">allionia incarnata (aka 'trailing windmills')</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">and desert thorn-apple datura</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(<a href="http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">This website</span></a>, incidentally, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">is one of the best resources for identifying desert plants and blooms.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">An evening scene, from last week:</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8l-OVMA_5Kb0n0QFNNfd8A0j1LB_EFshqElOGoqrgNlMBDU298M3ionqNrac_9n5m6_yw3ILljFRTLe0Ua4pIAn-Pgw6Db24MWsgQFEPvG75ZYiDmN-wQIjgOJ2jXZXrY3U4t_5OwNCv6/s1600/IMG_8237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8l-OVMA_5Kb0n0QFNNfd8A0j1LB_EFshqElOGoqrgNlMBDU298M3ionqNrac_9n5m6_yw3ILljFRTLe0Ua4pIAn-Pgw6Db24MWsgQFEPvG75ZYiDmN-wQIjgOJ2jXZXrY3U4t_5OwNCv6/s1600/IMG_8237.JPG" height="400" width="315" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(blooming next to the prickly pear: 'psilostrophe cooperi,' aka 'paperflower')</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Technically, there are three distinct 'summers' in the Sonoran desert.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The first hot, dry summer--May-June,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> then the rainy monsoon--July through mid-September,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> and finally, the post-monsoon summer, which lasts through most of October.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This 'Second Spring' is just the briefly blossoming tail-end of the monsoon...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We'll enjoy it while it lasts.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309112924305646256.post-69224348126716432682014-09-14T21:39:00.002-07:002014-09-21T20:53:04.989-07:00a quick hike on Mt. Rainier...and a GREEN #travelpics chat...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">September is probably the best time of year to visit the Pacific Northwest. After Labor Day, kids return to school and the summer tourist crowds thin out, but the summer weather lingers on... Apples begin to ripen, there are still wildflowers in the Cascades...the sun can almost make you forget that for the most of the year, this is one of the greyest, wettest parts of North America...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Last week, my wife and I flew up for a quick visit--it was her parents' 50th anniversary, so this was mainly a friends-and-family trip (and a much needed one!)...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">but we did have just enough time for an afternoon hike on Mt. Rainier:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeXOC6sOORmnAoJGxf6oVroRz1984Wnq20Pked766ElHlzEebGAVV8ekHxyuGTzl3YvyVjM-T1qMOHkg3tCC6ta5up9oRtathpc1ms5rn-F3-3I3YuZzpBgBZXQrEmE0WweEiPwR2kZGAM/s1600/photo+2+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeXOC6sOORmnAoJGxf6oVroRz1984Wnq20Pked766ElHlzEebGAVV8ekHxyuGTzl3YvyVjM-T1qMOHkg3tCC6ta5up9oRtathpc1ms5rn-F3-3I3YuZzpBgBZXQrEmE0WweEiPwR2kZGAM/s1600/photo+2+(2).JPG" height="640" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The most-visited part of the National Park is about halfway up the southern slope;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">the official name of the area is "Paradise;" appropriately named...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The marmots are omnipresent and completely acclimated to humans;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">photographically irresistible when they pose like meerkats:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGuzDnZiMTK8P3ybqK3XFRmLVFgyp2MFmYXFKfnFo5slcRouxPVy23PEKxw31GNp2nU4A4fSZ1h6szzQqSwtmk5PONT01ijdlPp8E_ZRMEb5Ex2Ih9U_X1iXsNECQB6zHqtJPE4lQ95OSy/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGuzDnZiMTK8P3ybqK3XFRmLVFgyp2MFmYXFKfnFo5slcRouxPVy23PEKxw31GNp2nU4A4fSZ1h6szzQqSwtmk5PONT01ijdlPp8E_ZRMEb5Ex2Ih9U_X1iXsNECQB6zHqtJPE4lQ95OSy/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...or when they lounge on sun-warmed rocks...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjONgUa4LqJXEYO0RpPe72Fd_hydKTnv1kqqjphCFiuWKh002PQc6-Z5gwocCte_xK5I7Is-LVGlCIbEG_zQlLejPNNw4JRfOZIRsj7T-Lx89kAqTejUJw1xf4pVVr7RPnr0MxdZ042nfdc/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjONgUa4LqJXEYO0RpPe72Fd_hydKTnv1kqqjphCFiuWKh002PQc6-Z5gwocCte_xK5I7Is-LVGlCIbEG_zQlLejPNNw4JRfOZIRsj7T-Lx89kAqTejUJw1xf4pVVr7RPnr0MxdZ042nfdc/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(check out those teeth)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Glacial and snow-melt everywhere, cascading through the green landscape...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-iqG-HTxBP1eHkWwjqMgiYzzbLGktqjWp4qpLZ9LMZxO_gPE0-JSahJgTaw2xEcs-ufALzjNnb5IjFTqnofAjQpxSDxmc0OpqbK8YTd62rjZgjM3_ZZ7bHwQuq1XmSAMmMCJdQSfmB8U/s1600/rainier+waterfall+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-iqG-HTxBP1eHkWwjqMgiYzzbLGktqjWp4qpLZ9LMZxO_gPE0-JSahJgTaw2xEcs-ufALzjNnb5IjFTqnofAjQpxSDxmc0OpqbK8YTd62rjZgjM3_ZZ7bHwQuq1XmSAMmMCJdQSfmB8U/s1600/rainier+waterfall+2.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">more marmots...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxOGv5LLpERf4i58FpTD1E6cC8yTqaXb03QV1zpEToGym-ayaYUajh0cnp1dPKzwM_FYFuuw4SfMAZiUySp_1G7_XeETTLZZnQMB6ywiu1KRiwB9eOsrQAwZsEgr1nr79yJiUJm5EixGur/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxOGv5LLpERf4i58FpTD1E6cC8yTqaXb03QV1zpEToGym-ayaYUajh0cnp1dPKzwM_FYFuuw4SfMAZiUySp_1G7_XeETTLZZnQMB6ywiu1KRiwB9eOsrQAwZsEgr1nr79yJiUJm5EixGur/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and deer...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_LNFyusybmb_qvxwcD3jC919MNEeQoIEMNJXyLzWOeaklQnhbWyO4Nkh21HSYwEkZxK6LNoWwcwZBYVrQcDnQjOU9SdSYsn5jxHbnbELlNJ6KE_LZQul31zuGjUewdk7B2IG_um9Ng6Ym/s1600/photo+1+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_LNFyusybmb_qvxwcD3jC919MNEeQoIEMNJXyLzWOeaklQnhbWyO4Nkh21HSYwEkZxK6LNoWwcwZBYVrQcDnQjOU9SdSYsn5jxHbnbELlNJ6KE_LZQul31zuGjUewdk7B2IG_um9Ng6Ym/s1600/photo+1+(2).JPG" height="640" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9iWkTsqv-XDVC9X4kR3im1fwYNYnn9g8QyD2LXbkkWHytbWeX_G9vWlIyQ9rDNLuA73i6RVQcouMXlQAG854LRQ0QZoDCdcynuxoEzyeaDk6qEHYh31ZEGnnDrwS5ao10n3-LrStQUCjR/s1600/photo+4+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9iWkTsqv-XDVC9X4kR3im1fwYNYnn9g8QyD2LXbkkWHytbWeX_G9vWlIyQ9rDNLuA73i6RVQcouMXlQAG854LRQ0QZoDCdcynuxoEzyeaDk6qEHYh31ZEGnnDrwS5ao10n3-LrStQUCjR/s1600/photo+4+(2).JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and more waterfalls up on the Nisqually glacier:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzoeN29pzAOjUAGJxRUle5bxJuA3MURGD2NEbQg-uANz5vbuPLJzNe88Mlw1GnlrXeOmSERHJObpECYK26-2txBjDPNq7Oj2kJ1ftlybNDhIo-ZFR_WyIlOzg8rRc2kkqdwrPKCdvmcCw/s1600/rainier+waterfall+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzoeN29pzAOjUAGJxRUle5bxJuA3MURGD2NEbQg-uANz5vbuPLJzNe88Mlw1GnlrXeOmSERHJObpECYK26-2txBjDPNq7Oj2kJ1ftlybNDhIo-ZFR_WyIlOzg8rRc2kkqdwrPKCdvmcCw/s1600/rainier+waterfall+1.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and one more marmot-shot:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLK85v8zqqDbtp9p6IFGJZRaK1Q0B1udsKSBa_8_7rCi7Cmm7MHrlRpHhbFIOrYI5C94cB23ZSqbNjRK8BU_UhuDIw3LZB3APGplqcyefegq0dJF59jOczNkrwEqcNjyz6CuIuJOZWXpS/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLK85v8zqqDbtp9p6IFGJZRaK1Q0B1udsKSBa_8_7rCi7Cmm7MHrlRpHhbFIOrYI5C94cB23ZSqbNjRK8BU_UhuDIw3LZB3APGplqcyefegq0dJF59jOczNkrwEqcNjyz6CuIuJOZWXpS/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...glimpses of the glaciated volcanic summit, like a dream in the sky...<span style="text-align: center;"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUXspKq7VTeVooewjK7aXn4Y1EEWPZdBlRW364ZdFboWBP-z6ym7P0GwBg5cFVh2aAw23HT3yzPINXkxCKFiCX0wnRbwfl4X5KhXo4pAthCMVz8j_KNJEb37maHV7vFDSXEBR5WSH-KQ_1/s1600/photo+3+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUXspKq7VTeVooewjK7aXn4Y1EEWPZdBlRW364ZdFboWBP-z6ym7P0GwBg5cFVh2aAw23HT3yzPINXkxCKFiCX0wnRbwfl4X5KhXo4pAthCMVz8j_KNJEb37maHV7vFDSXEBR5WSH-KQ_1/s1600/photo+3+(2).JPG" height="640" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> ...and looking south toward the Tatoosh range:</span><br />
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<a href="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5585/15005678409_8d59190605_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5585/15005678409_8d59190605_b.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Down in the lowlands,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">apples are ripening.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This stand in Seattle's Pike Place Market caught my eye: </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCslSRfkCaud9yWor6wu5bXdxfqXyKZY0MttWG631GcS1_Dk2vs0C0n9g8sOljfOFlbtJv5_uLQ1uOUX7tOne1o0IPmNEZIkUFkuznhLIOaTm68QODLIboZQpMA8zFQOetobMsxd_I2BR/s1600/scary+apple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCslSRfkCaud9yWor6wu5bXdxfqXyKZY0MttWG631GcS1_Dk2vs0C0n9g8sOljfOFlbtJv5_uLQ1uOUX7tOne1o0IPmNEZIkUFkuznhLIOaTm68QODLIboZQpMA8zFQOetobMsxd_I2BR/s1600/scary+apple.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Very. Scary. Fruit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A few more photos from recent travels, below, thinking about tomorrow's "green" theme for the weekly #travelpics chat on twitter, which takes place every Monday from 3-4 pm ET; the theme changes each week, and <a href="http://antitouristtraveler.com/travelpics/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">questions are posted ahead of time</span></a>. My AZ lunch-hour at work doesn't quite line up with the chat's timing, so here are a few green scenes ahead of time...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Back in June, we spent a few days on <a href="http://traveling-allophile.tumblr.com/post/90821040674/the-most-beautiful-island-youve-never-heard-of" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Ulleung-do</span></a>, a jagged island about a hundred miles off the east coast of Korea, volcanic, isolated and so so green:</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.afar.com/travelers/joseph-cyr/wanderlists/ulleung-do-island"><span style="color: lime; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">http://www.afar.com/travelers/joseph-cyr/wanderlists/ulleung-do-island</span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/on-ulleungdos-north-shore-sleep-above-the-sea" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Where we stayed</span></a>, on the north shore of the island:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJA5H-iFkfS5CwfAdtO6ZvkpIiCNXxSGNhmy3L-FWNmToWOjiNnvKYtUxyCMM01MfFDVPWp83koJcn90YBOL-9qFRy-Ke1QeHmHQdUSMLTsOmo-DApN4T-bwLk_XRZwhLrWZUmRVl4npLu/s1600/ulleung+lodge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJA5H-iFkfS5CwfAdtO6ZvkpIiCNXxSGNhmy3L-FWNmToWOjiNnvKYtUxyCMM01MfFDVPWp83koJcn90YBOL-9qFRy-Ke1QeHmHQdUSMLTsOmo-DApN4T-bwLk_XRZwhLrWZUmRVl4npLu/s1600/ulleung+lodge.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Later in the month we spent a few days in the traditional city of Jeonju, in the country's SW; here's a riverside scene:</span></div>
<a href="http://media.afar.com/uploads/images/post_images/images/qMGrCbe8qD/post_display_d5785ef487e8cef7480f1da0f247e937.jpg?1405490833" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="http://media.afar.com/uploads/images/post_images/images/qMGrCbe8qD/post_display_d5785ef487e8cef7480f1da0f247e937.jpg?1405490833" height="422" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/down-by-the-river-in-jeonju"><span style="color: lime;">http://www.afar.com/highlights/down-by-the-river-in-jeonju</span></a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Looking up at the ceiling of a pavilion</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">on Yudalsan mountain in the city of Mokpo,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">on the southwestern tip of the Korean peninsula:</span></div>
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<a href="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3887/14487371594_6fd47dd01a_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3887/14487371594_6fd47dd01a_b.jpg" width="560" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Last summer, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">during a few days in Barcelona, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">we gladly partook of </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">this summer-tapas-must:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> "<a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/pimientos-de-padron-a-taste-of-summer-in-barcelona" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">pimientos de padrón</span></a>:"</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5sMf_y59DPyRHMoc9M9W8piAx93qrYxRAS_BEo-LVmyypY5yNVi3darHi4ufoYRAJdenuU9kmefQMWJqAh3jWv4swCo0Sy17kioQf7FETQgcupcTbYsOUE7Ugjez2cFKV2E-n-1U7x7j/s1600/IMG_6282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5sMf_y59DPyRHMoc9M9W8piAx93qrYxRAS_BEo-LVmyypY5yNVi3darHi4ufoYRAJdenuU9kmefQMWJqAh3jWv4swCo0Sy17kioQf7FETQgcupcTbYsOUE7Ugjez2cFKV2E-n-1U7x7j/s1600/IMG_6282.JPG" height="640" width="450" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and in Paris, a walkable map near the Musée d'Orsay; the world comes to the Left Bank:</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlS6QiFYaEzeoZs-gBwyZUVTd3XbGXcSM-gMNJJiGww2oZYW3emvCFgXbIh8IRKk7QyS-vebeEKfRbx3UuvCgbw3-2ZNtV7fO-jrvFb2pgT8-JhUeV_Kokic43jtFz9M_b3RjH6QEqX65I/s1600/IMG_8074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlS6QiFYaEzeoZs-gBwyZUVTd3XbGXcSM-gMNJJiGww2oZYW3emvCFgXbIh8IRKk7QyS-vebeEKfRbx3UuvCgbw3-2ZNtV7fO-jrvFb2pgT8-JhUeV_Kokic43jtFz9M_b3RjH6QEqX65I/s1600/IMG_8074.JPG" height="414" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Along the Augusta Canal in Georgia,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">green overtakes red:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBCkxWYn30uwJHOpk-mfvHCJQXp8tiqhBbKNRIL0VOOMZcgiGr2hpGX2YE7325kXRnhoJMVHDqkkc0FJhZC5w103jWb1Q1C5rowyFPBK1fjwdpjv9O25t5gF6Q-Il4pDIq4vXj3orp1U6q/s1600/IMG_2377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBCkxWYn30uwJHOpk-mfvHCJQXp8tiqhBbKNRIL0VOOMZcgiGr2hpGX2YE7325kXRnhoJMVHDqkkc0FJhZC5w103jWb1Q1C5rowyFPBK1fjwdpjv9O25t5gF6Q-Il4pDIq4vXj3orp1U6q/s1600/IMG_2377.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and along the Savannah River, Spanish moss draping the subtropical scene:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqIrXryqT-B_ij-P9H_PWVbP-bGEp8GiWQOCw6NrBNDekx5gHoRwov13-7Ialb7fVVl0uMiyF4xwQCcNlhlV6TAcV0F8KEGrQeocCGVa3HI1SWS-UKdZgcBe8UC9QiuMU_HZzumhSyMqs8/s1600/IMG_2460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqIrXryqT-B_ij-P9H_PWVbP-bGEp8GiWQOCw6NrBNDekx5gHoRwov13-7Ialb7fVVl0uMiyF4xwQCcNlhlV6TAcV0F8KEGrQeocCGVa3HI1SWS-UKdZgcBe8UC9QiuMU_HZzumhSyMqs8/s1600/IMG_2460.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Back home in Tucson,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">when the water flows,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">the Sonoran Desert can be surprisingly lush...</span></div>
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<a href="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5246/13941120196_be1b31cbdd_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5246/13941120196_be1b31cbdd_b.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and in this same desert, the summer monsoon has provided plenty of feed for these hummingbird-moth-caterpillars:</span><br />
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<a href="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5567/14900202437_56945b9883_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5567/14900202437_56945b9883_b.jpg" width="464" /></span></a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309112924305646256.post-1901752188038096612014-09-04T18:00:00.000-07:002014-09-02T22:05:59.233-07:00For this week's FriFotos: ORANGE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If you're interested in travel, photography, and travel-photography, Twitter's <b>#FriFotos </b>chat/forum/photo-share is probably already a weekly ritual... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(For more info: <a href="http://weblog.bestloved.com/the-rules-of-friday-photo-forum-or-frifotos/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">check out this</span></a>.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Anyone is welcome to participate...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and since this week's theme (announced on Tuesday) is going to be "ORANGE," these scenes from the past few years come to mind:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">From this past winter,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a foggy sunrise over the Grand Canyon:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrq_s2AMAwWLZMStDA_mRQCkEDu_i-PIj1FVmwti0HYEO0y3xaindgGc0upZMvHZrFakbhTy4NhG3mrVA2Ube8jh4kPd1fBOZYL0sAZ1saMsmhhRUBKUOwKkbgCkJA4_1mCqq5N_SXmeZz/s1600/JosephCyr07-people.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrq_s2AMAwWLZMStDA_mRQCkEDu_i-PIj1FVmwti0HYEO0y3xaindgGc0upZMvHZrFakbhTy4NhG3mrVA2Ube8jh4kPd1fBOZYL0sAZ1saMsmhhRUBKUOwKkbgCkJA4_1mCqq5N_SXmeZz/s1600/JosephCyr07-people.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">sunset behind Point Loma,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">from Coronado Island, California</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOy9fjxlmbXXKGHF_ha9Mb4y2adkFpk-9Np2jHJQURc8zHjeXVsg8H9D4OcB5qYhXpkDu37DsQVhECObak47ltwq8rj8xxS7CCj-cZ19e-zuAVxDIsvTPMpKWY25l2DvPiLIRvlgV1_cob/s1600/IMG_2616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOy9fjxlmbXXKGHF_ha9Mb4y2adkFpk-9Np2jHJQURc8zHjeXVsg8H9D4OcB5qYhXpkDu37DsQVhECObak47ltwq8rj8xxS7CCj-cZ19e-zuAVxDIsvTPMpKWY25l2DvPiLIRvlgV1_cob/s1600/IMG_2616.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...to something man-made,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">spotted near the Canal St.-Martin in Paris last summer:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfE3yXeDV3soMLhaxocprreK2b4w55PmrpTMvvcaMbMnZuO4GJW5Kd-F7lGNqDmH9nRMEb8G1VTnGGsADfjmnfwQIravVgT6uF7xketD8LBwVUID9Sf8J_z4SrkvaAfqoyNrh5hjcrYU4/s1600/IMG_3848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfE3yXeDV3soMLhaxocprreK2b4w55PmrpTMvvcaMbMnZuO4GJW5Kd-F7lGNqDmH9nRMEb8G1VTnGGsADfjmnfwQIravVgT6uF7xketD8LBwVUID9Sf8J_z4SrkvaAfqoyNrh5hjcrYU4/s1600/IMG_3848.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">windows outlined in orange</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">in the Château de Chambord, France:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSBvJyA5cBYAqzEsLGY22cVxlpzkI3TDySqD57CkYEeEoXQeI3pSBoI9KhnBEfrmUn8tBpIBYV1LUxKJNkyztwV_z5KfGRShc0LA-mTf2U50eHLhCyMr-KgthS6Ie3sVsgGtwbs48KqKr/s1600/IMG_7475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSBvJyA5cBYAqzEsLGY22cVxlpzkI3TDySqD57CkYEeEoXQeI3pSBoI9KhnBEfrmUn8tBpIBYV1LUxKJNkyztwV_z5KfGRShc0LA-mTf2U50eHLhCyMr-KgthS6Ie3sVsgGtwbs48KqKr/s1600/IMG_7475.JPG" height="400" width="280" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">the glorious stained-glass ceiling</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">of the Palau de la Musica Catalana, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Barcelona:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90B9P4dWASc0SrxTgtsJLaMf54n7IOVBAZcoAPQ7eFuB5DqYw8D96jf2FLI3yAbAKBmXqO-agNAGKZESgwxwo39SSfZDYPmk1LPwbFspwica3fJXSPUNhwnSj95FVx-tCaZRnPcViqBYK/s1600/barcelona+palau+de+la+musica+ceiling.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90B9P4dWASc0SrxTgtsJLaMf54n7IOVBAZcoAPQ7eFuB5DqYw8D96jf2FLI3yAbAKBmXqO-agNAGKZESgwxwo39SSfZDYPmk1LPwbFspwica3fJXSPUNhwnSj95FVx-tCaZRnPcViqBYK/s1600/barcelona+palau+de+la+musica+ceiling.JPG" height="640" width="321" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...back to nature, the orange glow of a summer evening </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">on the Canal de Midi in the South of France:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZauCbRDw1lQhZalBnDDfpdUap0M6dx1zIrShW64ldZxhb0npr2yAh1BSZ3oGyD0dQzDjnQSHwsbXTxMLMKsdypvGmipX7FC-G9Ti16l6XZ156Y1bQOAzW0m-Wyz6AsXmMfZuP_OvBhvjk/s1600/canal+du+midi+coucher+du+soleil.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZauCbRDw1lQhZalBnDDfpdUap0M6dx1zIrShW64ldZxhb0npr2yAh1BSZ3oGyD0dQzDjnQSHwsbXTxMLMKsdypvGmipX7FC-G9Ti16l6XZ156Y1bQOAzW0m-Wyz6AsXmMfZuP_OvBhvjk/s1600/canal+du+midi+coucher+du+soleil.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and the Volcán de Agua throwing its shadow</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">into the sky to the west of Guatemala City:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFi2q6kXmi-wRo4SjInkucFHEmfFwMlAYFH8prU5qvnFMMRM5BGQ0u8viEdNlo8HZkRTb2tuHmALSeXIFLmP4TqgNnz3Cn0kUJSEAjklr6UQTGt_68xDekKMTqFSi9U07fpEvWJjZPD5Bc/s1600/IMG_0265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFi2q6kXmi-wRo4SjInkucFHEmfFwMlAYFH8prU5qvnFMMRM5BGQ0u8viEdNlo8HZkRTb2tuHmALSeXIFLmP4TqgNnz3Cn0kUJSEAjklr6UQTGt_68xDekKMTqFSi9U07fpEvWJjZPD5Bc/s1600/IMG_0265.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">From this summer, on Korea's <a href="http://www.afar.com/travelers/joseph-cyr/wanderlists/ulleung-do-island" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Ulleung-do island</span></a>,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">(the most beautiful island you've never heard of)</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">the distinctive local "hobakmakgeolli" ale,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">brewed from rice and <i>pumpkin</i>:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9bLiunO27V765pDaR_0MFoPGoesXdMRUHsbragMWw0uS9-j6hpoDIaXLy0788eWylbGFRVSgOvXfmcxPS4E27O8IikwTs95YZa9mn7n3-2JCpJfTd0X98tssekLRg6JcVCJLmskpsz_tx/s1600/AFAR+Ulleungdo+hobak+makgeolli.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9bLiunO27V765pDaR_0MFoPGoesXdMRUHsbragMWw0uS9-j6hpoDIaXLy0788eWylbGFRVSgOvXfmcxPS4E27O8IikwTs95YZa9mn7n3-2JCpJfTd0X98tssekLRg6JcVCJLmskpsz_tx/s1600/AFAR+Ulleungdo+hobak+makgeolli.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For more info on this unique island beverage, <a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/hobakmakkolli-a-pumpkin-and-rice-what-ulleung-dos-quintessential-drink" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">click here</span></a>...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...a brightly jacketed senior citizen swinging </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">through some morning calisthenics</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">near a riverside market in Jeonju, S. Korea:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwn_cbQmW9Y7bGVVwp6S7QG4X15tQBO_aSYLGF2QrmCIhQF_LEZETJIlwHP6DeKMv9_Xz2EtNdyYkn7UrUaIWTczKnWEzVCE1pMj_fpsZGee1uodsmeCi87Hk-Ti4KNovR_BgDTxib7I3w/s1600/orange+photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwn_cbQmW9Y7bGVVwp6S7QG4X15tQBO_aSYLGF2QrmCIhQF_LEZETJIlwHP6DeKMv9_Xz2EtNdyYkn7UrUaIWTczKnWEzVCE1pMj_fpsZGee1uodsmeCi87Hk-Ti4KNovR_BgDTxib7I3w/s1600/orange+photo+1.JPG" height="256" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...a 'guardian dragon' on the ceiling of the gateway </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">of the old South Gate leading into downtown Seoul:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bzgltfvYaUBiHC8kZvKFEOEINaet3AgGXofikn7AenUiwMWo6CDaQh5OJRyzRELKoO7KGx1P-VaXO8OH1Wb6crnAYApRQ-5aRSLsy6gWJamNDq2TQ7P0Yy9c7Jh5JindRwXQLgnjfSWO/s1600/orange+photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bzgltfvYaUBiHC8kZvKFEOEINaet3AgGXofikn7AenUiwMWo6CDaQh5OJRyzRELKoO7KGx1P-VaXO8OH1Wb6crnAYApRQ-5aRSLsy6gWJamNDq2TQ7P0Yy9c7Jh5JindRwXQLgnjfSWO/s1600/orange+photo+2.JPG" height="400" width="381" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...looking up through some of the lanterns</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">at Jogye-sa temple in central Seoul:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNWUf6WnCvsW5XBXVSq_oAp44n0U-NuIUMsgJoxF1cbTwsigcYyFVTIgGazALApDPEv1A-mWTmdP70yF7ITEtClhD_yOCLcBbWHmqvbDMTmp2NuxUj__dMClh01ooYODyjrt3dm8__kc6/s1600/orange+photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNWUf6WnCvsW5XBXVSq_oAp44n0U-NuIUMsgJoxF1cbTwsigcYyFVTIgGazALApDPEv1A-mWTmdP70yF7ITEtClhD_yOCLcBbWHmqvbDMTmp2NuxUj__dMClh01ooYODyjrt3dm8__kc6/s1600/orange+photo+3.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and <i>back home to Tucson</i>,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">one of the adobe Sonoran-style row-houses in the Barrio Viejo:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcnaxYJ8WHwfrf_5OW1Yy-U7iAh_DxtDDOIf4RA-kc_A1oq5uGhDPYa4T-Wkie9r04QoOIzDXF77U6kRu7DL49x7d4M0fB_f439y_6nA3TyUH7nKkesy2ZCNHp4kTS2orDKjD2u8TLk5Y-/s1600/doorways+collage+detail+IMG_4735b_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcnaxYJ8WHwfrf_5OW1Yy-U7iAh_DxtDDOIf4RA-kc_A1oq5uGhDPYa4T-Wkie9r04QoOIzDXF77U6kRu7DL49x7d4M0fB_f439y_6nA3TyUH7nKkesy2ZCNHp4kTS2orDKjD2u8TLk5Y-/s1600/doorways+collage+detail+IMG_4735b_Snapseed.jpg" height="400" width="331" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">the desert in bloom: poppies in spring after the winter rains,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Catalina State Park:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUYVh3G7rgDd9oRum7dkxZw_ypTuQuhyfe0mGXjy7PkJagGfHj2WJjhPLVp6nK0-HaerveGqsEKlfLUaWMpF4nRNdgW1GyqJaBvoUIQBTXjg6QEJeu7ucOzEpfVRsM7lSeWy261B1FIHT/s1600/9-catalina+state+park+poppies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUYVh3G7rgDd9oRum7dkxZw_ypTuQuhyfe0mGXjy7PkJagGfHj2WJjhPLVp6nK0-HaerveGqsEKlfLUaWMpF4nRNdgW1GyqJaBvoUIQBTXjg6QEJeu7ucOzEpfVRsM7lSeWy261B1FIHT/s1600/9-catalina+state+park+poppies.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">summer--Mexican-red-bird-of-paradise in bloom:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlv3QvXNK83MChFgGNMjS7XFqHKELhqqwO-MZx5ImkvZsPjNhPkxe1gQyrl-QRt6ziAAefGVWHAdAO1ZKQXIDAqDKZSqBVzOLHIlHeD2PcjWDnjLHIVIjpRiLH2hcZjPjkgmEJEEszienv/s1600/13-Mexican+red+bird+of+paradise+and+butterfly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlv3QvXNK83MChFgGNMjS7XFqHKELhqqwO-MZx5ImkvZsPjNhPkxe1gQyrl-QRt6ziAAefGVWHAdAO1ZKQXIDAqDKZSqBVzOLHIlHeD2PcjWDnjLHIVIjpRiLH2hcZjPjkgmEJEEszienv/s1600/13-Mexican+red+bird+of+paradise+and+butterfly.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> ...fishhook barrel cactus in bloom,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">adding some color in late summer:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYVdSI2I_yiNbwqVPQsIWVDvxYa1F7ll-ezK6KrWuA1i1IblRqwPD7PZW-c3z2u3aniC7Bnn3pyWQx863SUW-K-D_lL4SISY5Nb_dqAQr7uE4CjP4J6XBDMue33AJTj8t1sDMhQc2tmBqL/s1600/4-barrel+cactus+bloom+4+x+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYVdSI2I_yiNbwqVPQsIWVDvxYa1F7ll-ezK6KrWuA1i1IblRqwPD7PZW-c3z2u3aniC7Bnn3pyWQx863SUW-K-D_lL4SISY5Nb_dqAQr7uE4CjP4J6XBDMue33AJTj8t1sDMhQc2tmBqL/s1600/4-barrel+cactus+bloom+4+x+6.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">autumn in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, northern edge of Tucson:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHNIGg84nYS_KyYs2Lom1GgumG_HpEAKY-JgLrA0OH6FOvPrXo1dMDB4mzBliYSGgw61YIad_PkGFQG2W1NHJCpxCg-FvtgtCFYMYczrNOBeQ9wuwONxIzivFtuMtqkabxo2EJ89gpx97t/s1600/dec+19+sabino+canyon+t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHNIGg84nYS_KyYs2Lom1GgumG_HpEAKY-JgLrA0OH6FOvPrXo1dMDB4mzBliYSGgw61YIad_PkGFQG2W1NHJCpxCg-FvtgtCFYMYczrNOBeQ9wuwONxIzivFtuMtqkabxo2EJ89gpx97t/s1600/dec+19+sabino+canyon+t.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and the fall color lingering into December along desert creeks,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">cottonwoods along Sabino Creek:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHvFdf5f1_a1ktcD5xI4d5q2CnAm_zADfgD9RrTyk0il8YOX1OCwqrT9ZhyphenhyphenGgqnN6q_xau-DuyRZXFEpohPg1xxiIOLkQ09Zts0kjHObVfzNMJBM28ebC3SrOhT-DYMD6jBPgts3Qs4Enr/s1600/Cottonwoods+along+Sabino+Creek+in+December+MPA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHvFdf5f1_a1ktcD5xI4d5q2CnAm_zADfgD9RrTyk0il8YOX1OCwqrT9ZhyphenhyphenGgqnN6q_xau-DuyRZXFEpohPg1xxiIOLkQ09Zts0kjHObVfzNMJBM28ebC3SrOhT-DYMD6jBPgts3Qs4Enr/s1600/Cottonwoods+along+Sabino+Creek+in+December+MPA.jpg" height="296" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Sunset from Gates Pass,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">beetle on a jojoba leaf:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMbZdSxyCTeuOug3ZbTpnXEvcOAJvxGwi16TXydmOfbV4TZvaCjDgC-GVFd8h8iYLa5C3lleXRw9bOPu16CtENS4559TA2t9HFTlHxE00uH-voTEltZslaGwbA6OfoyjOyFW9bjtvGzDP/s1600/IMG_1039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMbZdSxyCTeuOug3ZbTpnXEvcOAJvxGwi16TXydmOfbV4TZvaCjDgC-GVFd8h8iYLa5C3lleXRw9bOPu16CtENS4559TA2t9HFTlHxE00uH-voTEltZslaGwbA6OfoyjOyFW9bjtvGzDP/s1600/IMG_1039.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309112924305646256.post-58781421669413647862014-09-02T19:05:00.001-07:002014-09-02T20:49:03.283-07:00Another Labor Day, another run among the saguaros...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I've been back in the classroom for over four weeks now here in Tucson; this past weekend was the first 'break.' </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Yesterday, though, instead of sleeping in on Labor Day--time to get up before dawn to meet friends and get ready for this:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKuvOOZHrZ5Mby_tRJyRvL-AFabHZz2-9djKkj2Kg6f-0sZAO1Au2fenUOrQmvLxtzTviDGv8Ld23GQRABd8z-wCnJmLDmQJWGdVyPi7xMEWPvwwKRaamQ5tiPUQ4V4T0qlBbg6MQWWVj/s1600/laborday2014b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKuvOOZHrZ5Mby_tRJyRvL-AFabHZz2-9djKkj2Kg6f-0sZAO1Au2fenUOrQmvLxtzTviDGv8Ld23GQRABd8z-wCnJmLDmQJWGdVyPi7xMEWPvwwKRaamQ5tiPUQ4V4T0qlBbg6MQWWVj/s1600/laborday2014b.JPG" height="640" width="284" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.azroadrunners.org/races/detail/saguaro" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Signed up</span></a> for the fifth year in a row...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Ahh, the sound of a thousand pairs of feet </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">among the cacti,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the sun rising </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">over the mountains on Tucson's eastern edge...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKuvOOZHrZ5Mby_tRJyRvL-AFabHZz2-9djKkj2Kg6f-0sZAO1Au2fenUOrQmvLxtzTviDGv8Ld23GQRABd8z-wCnJmLDmQJWGdVyPi7xMEWPvwwKRaamQ5tiPUQ4V4T0qlBbg6MQWWVj/s1600/laborday2014b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEe_jM8ubQnPdinnHWx-mrlEHBhrCURWqQ_fOBwr8IZcqAAN4fYcMSN7i_kUi9375RhI7bE2XGGJiYOeXJbFI8Olflnz8oJ0M16Y_uAezgDfWl-dln3COx0NMQxfmAWAGyN3TlNLYt6KpE/s1600/laborday2014a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEe_jM8ubQnPdinnHWx-mrlEHBhrCURWqQ_fOBwr8IZcqAAN4fYcMSN7i_kUi9375RhI7bE2XGGJiYOeXJbFI8Olflnz8oJ0M16Y_uAezgDfWl-dln3COx0NMQxfmAWAGyN3TlNLYt6KpE/s1600/laborday2014a.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As the map shows, Tucson is flanked on both sides by the two halves of Saguaro National Park.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, although <a href="http://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/best-towns/Tucson-Arizona.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">the city</span></a> didn't make <a href="http://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/best-towns/Best-Towns-16-Greatest-Places-to-Live-in-America.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;"><i>this year</i>'s list</span></a> of </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>Outside</i></b> magazine's '<a href="http://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/best-towns/Life-is-Better-Here.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">best outdoor towns</span></a>,'</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">you can see <a href="http://www.allophile.com/2011/09/friday-after-work-in-one-of-19-best.htmlhttp://www.allophile.com/2011/09/friday-after-work-in-one-of-19-best.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">why it has in the past</span></a>...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Last year, the weekend of the run,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I got rear-ended <i>on the way to pick up</i> race-day materials,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">so I had to skip it...</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(By the way, you're NOT 'in good hands with Allstate.'</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It took MONTHS to get a less-than-satisfactory settlement...)</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It felt so good to run the hilly loop this year,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">without any car accidents...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">==================</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Earlier this weekend, on Saturday morning, a run into Sabino Canyon:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...this bend in the canyon had been bone-dry since the end of last winter;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">the monsoon has done its job--reflections are back:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRjDHxFnV0DQC6BvxtT18WuBp7CqJ149ReXlZh0ps0a0Lh-gklCWiJkq_8xADxTmEO8KIarMbZxoWiH1N3MWv6i2dwL_vn4Vv3BjYyajm89snprw0Mbao0shQu7is45E6rDN_nzJPE5fJ/s1600/sept+2014+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRjDHxFnV0DQC6BvxtT18WuBp7CqJ149ReXlZh0ps0a0Lh-gklCWiJkq_8xADxTmEO8KIarMbZxoWiH1N3MWv6i2dwL_vn4Vv3BjYyajm89snprw0Mbao0shQu7is45E6rDN_nzJPE5fJ/s1600/sept+2014+1.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> (incidentally, the photo above was on the <a href="http://www.jrn.com/kgun9/weather" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">TV news</span></a> Saturday night...)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndgOgHQICOJpVPhhJJLKFJyMu4lZ5TxdQ_ZL5JcWER7aSfEK8ArwRGYwfTmhxK7t6hACwcAA2hyuuVgwbzHWQhqh3RA_Bebd6vZxbz7Qa3QMVQumWtvaaOpdVZAU-mVeGcBSH8B1sE177/s1600/sept+2014+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndgOgHQICOJpVPhhJJLKFJyMu4lZ5TxdQ_ZL5JcWER7aSfEK8ArwRGYwfTmhxK7t6hACwcAA2hyuuVgwbzHWQhqh3RA_Bebd6vZxbz7Qa3QMVQumWtvaaOpdVZAU-mVeGcBSH8B1sE177/s1600/sept+2014+2.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...but, what caught my eye the most: the "<i>hyles lineata</i>" caterpillar:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsC4F8PDxlIu7iyi0xpnTsFLKXyudCP5Iw8FbDCde13KDBbmztOGJ9QkRfA8iuwsvDd8K_YcQ8SqMKFEs6tnx5rdl6J0jDnBnhq1yMNWE6USE3UiWj-nvUtPUn71A-9k4VkQCN0iAmNFSK/s1600/sept+2014+hummingbird+moth+caterpillar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsC4F8PDxlIu7iyi0xpnTsFLKXyudCP5Iw8FbDCde13KDBbmztOGJ9QkRfA8iuwsvDd8K_YcQ8SqMKFEs6tnx5rdl6J0jDnBnhq1yMNWE6USE3UiWj-nvUtPUn71A-9k4VkQCN0iAmNFSK/s1600/sept+2014+hummingbird+moth+caterpillar.jpg" height="640" width="464" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...which eventually metamorphoses into this:</span></div>
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Hummingbird_Moth_(9687769149).jpg/800px-Hummingbird_Moth_(9687769149).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Hummingbird_Moth_(9687769149).jpg/800px-Hummingbird_Moth_(9687769149).jpg" height="318" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyles_lineata" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #eeeeee;">(above photo via: </span><span style="color: lime;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyles_lineata</span><span style="color: #cccccc;">)</span></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">No wonder why it's called a 'hummingbird moth'...</span></div>
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===============</div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One more scene from Sabino Canyon, below...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...which, I'm honored to say, you'll be able to see if you happen to find yourself in Canada, about two hours north of Toronto, from tomorrow through the 28th of this month. The <a href="http://www.bmfa.on.ca/Mobile_Photography.php" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Blue Mountain Foundation of the Arts</span></a> in Collingwood, Ontario, is exhibiting<span style="color: lime;"> <span style="color: lime;"><a href="http://mobilephotoawards.com/pocket-vistas-jury-2/" style="text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">the juried selection</span></a><u> </u></span><a href="http://mobilephotoawards.com/pocket-vistas-jury-2/" style="text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">of the Mobile Photography Awards "Pocket Vistas" competition</span></a></span><u><span style="color: lime;">.</span></u></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNfCMZRRh9eOMysvV-gYUzdSMAXdJzxFRIWXHzxBpBLgL16ND1qLtM2TWiOdLiSjIb2458fDfr_5dikxo-emo_B212qAO9v8XdYdaEQ0sd5-yvRPQweeOa7E6essyvCGo-2me_O7ZgguY/s1600/JosephCyr01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNfCMZRRh9eOMysvV-gYUzdSMAXdJzxFRIWXHzxBpBLgL16ND1qLtM2TWiOdLiSjIb2458fDfr_5dikxo-emo_B212qAO9v8XdYdaEQ0sd5-yvRPQweeOa7E6essyvCGo-2me_O7ZgguY/s1600/JosephCyr01.jpg" height="370" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: lime; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/allophile/11430061285/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">taken about 3 miles into the Canyon, last December</span></a>)</span></i></td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309112924305646256.post-41642997409133664722014-08-04T15:48:00.004-07:002014-08-04T15:52:31.325-07:00Where they've been...<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Every year, as school begins, I like to take stock of who my students are--where they're from, where they've been. People are often surprised by how diverse this desert town is...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">...and also surprised by how EARLY the school-year starts here.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Last Thursday was Tucson's back-to-school date.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times;">(It was July 31st. JULY!?!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.allophile.com/2011/08/two-weeks-in.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">A few years ago</span></a><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">, the number of countries-of-origin was remarkable: two dozen!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Last year, when I switched to the school where I'm currently teaching, I definitely noted the absence of international refugee students, but </span><a href="http://www.allophile.com/2013/08/this-years-languages.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">the diversity of languages</span></a><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> spoken in the students' homes (15) was still noteworthy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">This year, I thought I'd consider where my students have lived and/or visited. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here's the result; a pretty well-traveled group, having lived in or been to every continent except Antarctica:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Argentina</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Aruba</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Australia</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Bangladesh</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Belgium</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Belize</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Bolivia</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Brazil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Canada</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Chile</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">China</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Denmark</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Dominican Republic</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ecuador</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">England</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ethiopia</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">France</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Germany</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Greece</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Indonesia</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ireland</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Israel</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Italy</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Jamaica</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Japan</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Kenya</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Korea</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Mexico</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Netherlands</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Peru</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Philippines</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Portugal</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Puerto Rico</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Romania</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Russia</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Scotland</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Singapore</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Spain</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Switzerland</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Taiwan</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Thailand</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Togo</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Turkey</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">United States</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<em><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Forty-four countries!</span></strong></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">(Yes, I do know that Puerto Rico is part of the U.S., </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">but for this list's geo-cultural purposes,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I let it stand alone...)</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">I did ask, as I do every year, what languages are spoken at home, </span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">and this year, for the first time, </span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">I saw "Maltese"...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">...and "Klingon." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hmm...</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309112924305646256.post-15732154447431668322014-07-11T15:53:00.003-07:002014-07-11T16:01:14.798-07:00After a month of running around Korea...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Today marks two weeks--already?--that I've been back in Tucson.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">From late May through most of June, my wife and I were HERE:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdho-LfsrtIPkd_7501DwAkW_HAUvRWM1epDrB17f1A5Blr100zGjlt2tNBL7f_N-n0hS6i23ZjK5sZt7-5tYGfQvetQt2e_MgHfFZsxtUjI7Vxb_wglSQCjZZdmlUeNErYAdnRBT4wl0u/s1600/IMG_5983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdho-LfsrtIPkd_7501DwAkW_HAUvRWM1epDrB17f1A5Blr100zGjlt2tNBL7f_N-n0hS6i23ZjK5sZt7-5tYGfQvetQt2e_MgHfFZsxtUjI7Vxb_wglSQCjZZdmlUeNErYAdnRBT4wl0u/s1600/IMG_5983.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(during the trip, I posted to <a href="http://traveling-allophile.tumblr.com/"><span style="color: lime;">traveling-allophile.tumblr.com</span></a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It's taken me almost two weeks to get over the wicked East Asia-West Coast US jet-lag...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Finally, I'm sleeping 'normally' enough so that I can wake up and beat the summer desert heat by going for early morning runs...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and running has become something I make sure to do whenever traveling. Last summer, I took advantage of my jet-lag <a href="http://snapseeded.blogspot.com/2013/08/this-summers-scenic-runs-georgia-france.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">by going for a long run along the Canal St.-Martin in Paris</span></a> when I couldn't sleep on my first day back in France. This summer, upon our arrival in Korea, somehow we were able to 'switch' to the local time zone immediately; we flew in late at night, went straight from the airport to a nearby hotel, and the next morning, I found myself running along a saltwater canal in the 'instant city' of Songdo, built on land re-claimed from the sea across the harbor from Incheon airport:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKYevKLHcVCj5SYisWqdBo2HF5jp0ylefwj0UlDsIi5dxfziLZvSDcnY7idSur3DTZOfedFJ8tGKvB4UMv5ECfh3NoQuFNl5U-0Yh1bifWFtTMTse1LHIz2c2gHM_v8JfKDxFLzVEhR5Y/s1600/IMG_1102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKYevKLHcVCj5SYisWqdBo2HF5jp0ylefwj0UlDsIi5dxfziLZvSDcnY7idSur3DTZOfedFJ8tGKvB4UMv5ECfh3NoQuFNl5U-0Yh1bifWFtTMTse1LHIz2c2gHM_v8JfKDxFLzVEhR5Y/s1600/IMG_1102.JPG" height="241" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Jet-lag is inevitable, and it might work in your 'favor' or not;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">whatever the case--<i>RUN!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It's one of the best ways to get over travel fatigue while at the same time getting the true feet-on-the-ground feel of a place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A few other scenes from running around Korea...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">====================================</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Running along the top edge of Seoul's remaining old city wall,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">just north of the Bukchon neighborhood,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">on the slopes of Bugaksan mountain:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndZzWXMnoZ0uwuA_TTxmRxlR8lcUIGZuF5eTbWerbtJ2cl1QRnwcB1cfj9-fLLbwGKraw_CSAbx1SF1pKBRPef6saTeVwbXEwwGQu5g5X1Y2efUGBZ4feJCBiwCp9ql7FFLBCrAQJb7QU/s1600/IMG_6014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndZzWXMnoZ0uwuA_TTxmRxlR8lcUIGZuF5eTbWerbtJ2cl1QRnwcB1cfj9-fLLbwGKraw_CSAbx1SF1pKBRPef6saTeVwbXEwwGQu5g5X1Y2efUGBZ4feJCBiwCp9ql7FFLBCrAQJb7QU/s1600/IMG_6014.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Down along Chong-gye-cheon stream, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">beneath the skyscrapers of downtown's Jongno district:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FO6pUyNuZz55HcltWWa_ImdDmgeK3VPu6li-V0xfpPuewdCwIvACDlTqDfosWnPXBFtD6QWD0aFIallClaurzunutZDSfeIYkdtlUOx4R5vQtklFezmqoeJuJaEc-NcgvWT1SByeozCy/s1600/IMG_5992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FO6pUyNuZz55HcltWWa_ImdDmgeK3VPu6li-V0xfpPuewdCwIvACDlTqDfosWnPXBFtD6QWD0aFIallClaurzunutZDSfeIYkdtlUOx4R5vQtklFezmqoeJuJaEc-NcgvWT1SByeozCy/s1600/IMG_5992.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Along poppy-lined vegetable gardens in Gangneung:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNkiYNvY1P3Jz07tRWFYdIh4G0_MKb3J6kKN5_CnsdYBuv1OHa9CthKTjYvP8r2yHuNqKdsSJQa4PuO1wcL7msHv0lcVrb1pWugF4ylZhKgS2xSApd0mtDgoqRx7idug3edRxTL9lzpLg/s1600/IMG_2695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNkiYNvY1P3Jz07tRWFYdIh4G0_MKb3J6kKN5_CnsdYBuv1OHa9CthKTjYvP8r2yHuNqKdsSJQa4PuO1wcL7msHv0lcVrb1pWugF4ylZhKgS2xSApd0mtDgoqRx7idug3edRxTL9lzpLg/s1600/IMG_2695.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...on the sandy boardwalk along the country's east coast in Gangneung:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDK9zfHX8c-g3g8e9jzTzGARN3F2u1SRjArPQt6u4EJf_z0bT-dkQIiwCEtauMYEl2X2AJEi9tAWqTGMrd9oGR0DZt5a35jVNFF_iOF2vmMwpmtmZDMaKXGej81pptasB5oybRVjTqt5dF/s1600/IMG_2719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDK9zfHX8c-g3g8e9jzTzGARN3F2u1SRjArPQt6u4EJf_z0bT-dkQIiwCEtauMYEl2X2AJEi9tAWqTGMrd9oGR0DZt5a35jVNFF_iOF2vmMwpmtmZDMaKXGej81pptasB5oybRVjTqt5dF/s1600/IMG_2719.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">By the remaining fortified gate in Jeonju, in the country's Southwest:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVUkAnFTO7WRZjXKoKeN33cWibzYNURMejMcNJ7t7IdMWrZNuLUBepRbKGGSA110iYjRMBTHInZo2wTN-MLhzx7dMBj-7xJAJ5DkPGv1uoXt4HNv5aHXcyk_3TfVDGb-xWQ4ABZAKQyOGS/s1600/IMG_3773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVUkAnFTO7WRZjXKoKeN33cWibzYNURMejMcNJ7t7IdMWrZNuLUBepRbKGGSA110iYjRMBTHInZo2wTN-MLhzx7dMBj-7xJAJ5DkPGv1uoXt4HNv5aHXcyk_3TfVDGb-xWQ4ABZAKQyOGS/s1600/IMG_3773.JPG" height="196" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Crossing the Jeonju river on an idyllic morning:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3wC3cw2xLfvlnsDRHeVXtExRUNfewnfUhCbHGe_YLktkqORmM9GMIB3WZZ3uBXvg0aTDvBpEyF4EXAnFTUMLCE0hJwsgG73rsn-5BC2LipVQXnB6o_sJSbRJ3gTFm1RWpFE8ZAsn3qP-/s1600/IMG_3777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3wC3cw2xLfvlnsDRHeVXtExRUNfewnfUhCbHGe_YLktkqORmM9GMIB3WZZ3uBXvg0aTDvBpEyF4EXAnFTUMLCE0hJwsgG73rsn-5BC2LipVQXnB6o_sJSbRJ3gTFm1RWpFE8ZAsn3qP-/s1600/IMG_3777.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">===============================</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, back to Songdo, on that first morning.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Large parts of the city--Korea's gamble on establishing a brand-new international business hub for NE Asia--are still vacant lots, as I saw when I opened the curtains from our tenth-floor hotel room:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi39U-KwBHonI2QzB7SUhHNmiQz79z1cB2PWH6-rXWDlBcK1x-NFw2XqR6gN1u23TerTiI__6ihF5-MZOIYd77uBoY2Hh2BBNFwKHVjve9TwP1KiibSIHf1OBdtpjwIhodN8bR0sPq1RCNF/s1600/IMG_0925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi39U-KwBHonI2QzB7SUhHNmiQz79z1cB2PWH6-rXWDlBcK1x-NFw2XqR6gN1u23TerTiI__6ihF5-MZOIYd77uBoY2Hh2BBNFwKHVjve9TwP1KiibSIHf1OBdtpjwIhodN8bR0sPq1RCNF/s1600/IMG_0925.JPG" height="260" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The morning was foggy, but by later in the day, this was the view:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG7xZ3snhruGNB6VKrJDr5Tj5sa3E9thUjWhJxlA5GCtRsEb7iThb6xRr-Gf62qEPrFRhEPBA61t8SXlWS20xbFgself1rl38bD56_ghst3mbW4346ULcRFH1dYxpFoUWiEflZ1Z43yVRU/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG7xZ3snhruGNB6VKrJDr5Tj5sa3E9thUjWhJxlA5GCtRsEb7iThb6xRr-Gf62qEPrFRhEPBA61t8SXlWS20xbFgself1rl38bD56_ghst3mbW4346ULcRFH1dYxpFoUWiEflZ1Z43yVRU/s1600/photo+5.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">--the elegant bridge that links the Incheon airport to the new city of Songdo..</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The city is 'filling in' nicely, with families moving into these apartment buildings:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2SgAjmYzUoaie_dndg8jjM9ENjyq4Pk161XJKu9u2I7T0xdDW7rKTESFqprxyAyZgPpPOE-wXP7bIzP9r5FdWjHXWj6lcOma2wn6OPHkvjyn2-8c8H3r623iaxBzxA_SRURGG7C6gXmk/s1600/IMG_5985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2SgAjmYzUoaie_dndg8jjM9ENjyq4Pk161XJKu9u2I7T0xdDW7rKTESFqprxyAyZgPpPOE-wXP7bIzP9r5FdWjHXWj6lcOma2wn6OPHkvjyn2-8c8H3r623iaxBzxA_SRURGG7C6gXmk/s1600/IMG_5985.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">No shortage of modern angles and curves:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_oWJdtJm9WOv9QnjfEtr5JELiv7w5DrdxJJeQLcM3hsDwaWzaiCVJlFaD0zc_FeNu1jIY1n5_0wQH0JY1UTg6qpeteTwvSX6aRfxPzSdxb-vP0-OTBfiPIjnrDjXj0J5SAQBsxeUieH3Q/s1600/IMG_1010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_oWJdtJm9WOv9QnjfEtr5JELiv7w5DrdxJJeQLcM3hsDwaWzaiCVJlFaD0zc_FeNu1jIY1n5_0wQH0JY1UTg6qpeteTwvSX6aRfxPzSdxb-vP0-OTBfiPIjnrDjXj0J5SAQBsxeUieH3Q/s1600/IMG_1010.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...along with the requisite public art:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYv3OEXGerJOrRHLPVYVG37aCY9A89ZL1I4Xq8LLDghMApGSdXKDK1YcJcTTNYM7Th6yKSZ1AMrSTNjSlvcx6HtWo1MUHgTFRwi6fH3qjt6KXCn3NOeuEkntWxxaCwCqxQYB4e1B9rhDl/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYv3OEXGerJOrRHLPVYVG37aCY9A89ZL1I4Xq8LLDghMApGSdXKDK1YcJcTTNYM7Th6yKSZ1AMrSTNjSlvcx6HtWo1MUHgTFRwi6fH3qjt6KXCn3NOeuEkntWxxaCwCqxQYB4e1B9rhDl/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The city is scheduled to host this September's Asian Games, so as I ran through the "Central Park" area, there was a lot of construction work and tidying-up still going on... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Songdo is being developed as a planned modern Asian city that is consciously adapting what works in cities around the world: New York's Central Park, Venetian canals, Savannah's numerous neighborhood squares, along with incredible wifi connectivity. It's supposed to be a "smart city," with live-work-play pedestrian access.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-23757738" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">BBC article</span></a> recently reported:</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The waste disposal system is also impressive - or it would
be if you could see it. Because there are no rubbish trucks trawling the
streets or vast bins dotted around blocks of flats. Instead, all household
waste is sucked directly from individual kitchens through a vast underground
network of tunnels, to waste processing centres, where it's automatically
sorted, deodorised and treated to be kinder to the environment. </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Not bad, eh?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Some investors are hoping that part of Songdo's growth will come from Western expats who are growing tired of the pollution in China and will come settle here. Hmm. (I read that <a href="http://www.lefigaro.fr/secteur/high-tech/2014/04/21/01007-20140421ARTFIG00140-songdo-la-ville-100-connectee-de-la-coree-du-sud.php" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">in this recent article</span></a> from France's <i>LeFigaro</i>.)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLZEUXfExY5hvPJtZnJIWn3I0N9gYW63wQ3d-TQ1l5d2JpJGOAVmup9rHawAevl8QCGsA2CDFN0mwja5MkHokwiKR-kslAcBxOcC9R85Or0jDnI7qpcmd2HEa3lyRPzTkZjiJPhw2DUwA/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLZEUXfExY5hvPJtZnJIWn3I0N9gYW63wQ3d-TQ1l5d2JpJGOAVmup9rHawAevl8QCGsA2CDFN0mwja5MkHokwiKR-kslAcBxOcC9R85Or0jDnI7qpcmd2HEa3lyRPzTkZjiJPhw2DUwA/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTENxFDV28Ddwk4M7mekDqAVLuWfSCJhZ307h316LkApb2IL2a0pzLRx1CBmRoyiD_4g7kIXUiH74n0XjVdBewlRmwTsW7mxrfD1HxyK6F1QQXhfgDbNhyt5G2gjdezWwNdPNWJcq9q9t/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTENxFDV28Ddwk4M7mekDqAVLuWfSCJhZ307h316LkApb2IL2a0pzLRx1CBmRoyiD_4g7kIXUiH74n0XjVdBewlRmwTsW7mxrfD1HxyK6F1QQXhfgDbNhyt5G2gjdezWwNdPNWJcq9q9t/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Among the multitude of newly planted trees, there is also a plethora of public exercise equipment, traditional Korean shade-pavilions, and e<i>ven a phone-booth-sized public library</i>:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTnjH_l-c0QoQXHwoIY9JCKgJIb1C7cET9GwvFfFO70zWDoeTW_P97nGbaPfpD0MLoGe3PNaFHayD5BZMeHgnrL1nzGXfHB30KiUgNjoX_gOHbXcktVxuO32Eje7STXV5Nw09Y_pq1VxD/s1600/IMG_1006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTnjH_l-c0QoQXHwoIY9JCKgJIb1C7cET9GwvFfFO70zWDoeTW_P97nGbaPfpD0MLoGe3PNaFHayD5BZMeHgnrL1nzGXfHB30KiUgNjoX_gOHbXcktVxuO32Eje7STXV5Nw09Y_pq1VxD/s1600/IMG_1006.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Get tired of straining your eyes by reading on your smart phone or tablet while on your lunch break? Ahh, the tactile pleasure of paper in your hands...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And there's the subway--gleaming, all polished granite and marble--feels vaguely post-apocalyptic, hardly a soul in sight:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kQo6LNfCWob0W_WJDOhsC5wwriThVs1tQWxronLuY6-jXWT6rgUi8c2pS4RStcMO6uLbCKdBgcdJw7Z4uRSDtnMHtyeYD36oHAqRU2AfGEnil389iq7NPIP5D9N-oTP6TtSSVJUbdbAK/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kQo6LNfCWob0W_WJDOhsC5wwriThVs1tQWxronLuY6-jXWT6rgUi8c2pS4RStcMO6uLbCKdBgcdJw7Z4uRSDtnMHtyeYD36oHAqRU2AfGEnil389iq7NPIP5D9N-oTP6TtSSVJUbdbAK/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But you can be in central Seoul in an hour, avoiding the traffic jams above ground.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">That's what my wife did, after our first day in Korea--we took the subway from Songdo into the capital, an easy ride...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">=====================</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Running around Korea, then...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...in the weeks to come, I'll post more specifics about the remaining running routes:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">mountain, stream, and river runs in Seoul, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">along the coast and around a lake in Gangneung,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">and through a 'hanok village' and along the river in Jeonju.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDFUT7QgIjwXoJll96URinFAud2zAfSN3aN1ThiCQtyG6ZUetntglgCRaNgbKZGT-0Sn8iLwF9g3dg8sSDIEF0FJZK-eBNtC8J7L0mtcGurA3DLEXhFmxAhCCed8KQEU55hL4_Ma9iQUbW/s1600/IMG_5991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDFUT7QgIjwXoJll96URinFAud2zAfSN3aN1ThiCQtyG6ZUetntglgCRaNgbKZGT-0Sn8iLwF9g3dg8sSDIEF0FJZK-eBNtC8J7L0mtcGurA3DLEXhFmxAhCCed8KQEU55hL4_Ma9iQUbW/s1600/IMG_5991.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Yours truly, running...and it's <i>not</i> a selfie...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">More on this later.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309112924305646256.post-82043207129187707462014-05-27T13:20:00.002-07:002014-05-27T13:42:18.711-07:00"You need to hear what I have to say about breakfast wraps!" --while traveling...<div class="mobile-photo">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"<i>Breakfast wraps</i>?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Maybe you recall this <a href="https://www.cartoonbank.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">cartoon</span></a> from a few years ago:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_YLAYswPZKvm-9dqe5xDEL8HWpBB17Ffi_AQDl8fSN9zAChINavyYtpYwsLNJQBMqItABHMrbXCTKPT3Azmc2t_qoK4ZS6zQCxYBK7WtjN3a9reqyX6UWUOQGBXofl5i0nU8ChFFjoXle/s1600/photo+1-730376.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_YLAYswPZKvm-9dqe5xDEL8HWpBB17Ffi_AQDl8fSN9zAChINavyYtpYwsLNJQBMqItABHMrbXCTKPT3Azmc2t_qoK4ZS6zQCxYBK7WtjN3a9reqyX6UWUOQGBXofl5i0nU8ChFFjoXle/s320/photo+1-730376.PNG" height="400" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6018180030810831730" width="381" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When the New Yorker published this, Twitter hadn't yet taken over as the 'breakfast-wrap-megaphone.' As an increasing number of bloggers have monetized and professionalized, I wonder if the cartoon above is as accurate as it was back in 2007? (<i>Incidentally, for me, now, Twitter is more of a media-sharing platform rather than a social-media-keep-up-with-'friends' tool</i>.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I do wonder, as I realize that I've been blogging for almost <i>eight</i> years now, what exactly this blog is. It grew out of weekly e-mails during the year we leaved in Nicaragua...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I don't <i>think</i> it's just my breakfast-wrap-megaphone...but it's not frequent or in-depth enough to truly be a 'travel-blog' or a 'teacher's-blog'...and yet I feel compelled to come back to it, at least monthly, to post <i>some</i>thing... I've always tried to be somewhat guarded on this blog--refraining from the overly personal, thinking that our close friends who read this would know how we're <i>really</i> doing, anyway... Since I joined twitter and instagram--only to keep up with a limited circle of friends--I've felt less of the need to post here...But the limitations of twitter and instagram keep me coming back to the blog...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...especially as big trips approach.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The school-year ended last Friday, so I'm <i>free</i> for two months...</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>Travel and change of place </i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>impart new vigor to the mind.</i></b></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: orange; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">--Seneca</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This summer's 'big trip' begins <i>tomorrow</i>: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">after three summers away, my wife and I are returning to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Seoul-Selection-Guides-Robert-Koehler/dp/8991913997" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Korea</span></a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Wanting to travel light, I'm not bringing a laptop this time--just an iPad...and I've come to realize that blogging to this particular blog is somewhat cumbersome from an iPad--text alone would work just fine, but wanting to format text WITH photos--not so user-friendly. (<i>Come on, blogspot folks--you can do better!</i>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> So, for any of you who want to 'hear about--and see--our breakfast wraps' while we'll be traveling, here's where you can go:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: lime; font-size: large;"><a href="http://traveling-allophile.tumblr.com/"><span style="color: lime;">http://traveling-allophile.tumblr.com/</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm not giving up on allophile.com--but for the next month or so, I'll mainly be using tumblr...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>==========</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.afar.com/travel-guides/south-korea/seoul/guide" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Seoul</span></a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It's a city I keep returning to--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYRH8Nz49t7UO8AXIe61qXoeVTpw5KMiz8KEx_v2oM2jkqj2fOR88eRAddZsxAmjWQmE53IGEfFPbnZgqXNmCxNP65O_h28Zgstd9KLcDCRac9fSaIUSHNhnQ-FdNGR_yswCvRzPVEg2lK/s320/photo-707095.JPG" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">--and not just because I was born there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm a young teen in this photo; an uncle of mine took this of me standing in front of the city's old South Gate--built in the 1390's, it survived centuries of invasions and wars until <a href="http://www.allophile.com/2008/02/gate-gone_12.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">an arsonist severely damaged it</span></a> back in 2008. When my wife and I were last in Seoul, an enormous reconstruction-shelter was hiding <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namdaemun" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Namdaemun</span></a> (officially known as "Sungnyemun"--'mun' meaning 'gate') from view as the restoration continued. In May of last year, it was finally re-opened to the public...can't wait to see it again, <i>twenty-five years</i> after the photo above was taken. And I'll still be wearing a camera-bag...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Sightseeing, though, isn't the main point of this trip.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It's <i>language.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Korean.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My mother's mother-tongue...and yet <i>it was my wife's idea, really</i>, that we should make this trip this year--<i>she</i> wants to get a kick-start in learning Korean, and for me this will be impetus <a href="http://www.allophile.com/2011_05_01_archive.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">to keep going down the road to fluency</span></a>...Starting next Monday, then: intensive language classes in the heart of Seoul.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I joke with my wife that she grew up with more Koreans than I ever did; her neighborhood and high-school in suburban Seattle were more like an outpost of Seoul than I ever experienced while growing up in Germany, southern Arizona, and finally in Georgia. True, my mother is Korean, but my father didn't speak the language, so English was our home lingua franca...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A couple of years before we moved to Nicaragua, we took intensive one-on-one language lessons in Antigua, Guatemala--that was my wife's introduction to Spanish, and for her learning-style, it was a perfect beginning. Not long after that, she was easily conversant, and then after we returned from our Central American peregrinations, she took on French. (And, although she won't 'own' this fact, in my professional opinion, she's <i>almost</i> caught up to me, <i>le prof de français!) </i>So, now--time to 'tame' (note, not 'conquer') a <i>non-</i>Indo-European language. Deep breaths...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Syntax and verb-endings will not rule the entire time, though--there will plenty of architectural and culinary exploring over the next few weeks; after our language classes, we'll be traveling around the country...stay tuned. (On the <i><a href="http://traveling-allophile.tumblr.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">other</span></a></i> blog, that is.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>==========</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As we leave, <i>this</i> is what Tucson looks like right now;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">we'll be leaving the desert just as the last of spring's waters dry up,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">waiting for the monsoon to arrive in July:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixVTvevfaLefULL2VWn2Kj1WmxowCfBL852R51dbW8-h5Trb8XiQ6jzfCvfnukhU844GpImX7zmWXNNsvSzkCpQN9DevEeUm1B8y2Mrlbkgl1qyG3APm9uQsB9uKe2Br_rliYpzavyYQe/s320/photo+2-732984.JPG" height="300" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6018180043505753058" width="400" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(one of my favorite spots while running--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">where Sabino creek exits its canyon on Tucson's NE edge--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">seen a month ago, then yesterday...)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Saguaros in bloom:</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Summer...</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Tomorrow's forecast high-temperature: 106.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A fine day to fly away...</span></i></div>
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<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-5xyRSPFlMMo%2FU4Tj2GL5f-I%2FAAAAAAAAFkg%2Fn3ru8pw6rU8%2Fs320%2Fphoto-707095.JPG&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYRH8Nz49t7UO8AXIe61qXoeVTpw5KMiz8KEx_v2oM2jkqj2fOR88eRAddZsxAmjWQmE53IGEfFPbnZgqXNmCxNP65O_h28Zgstd9KLcDCRac9fSaIUSHNhnQ-FdNGR_yswCvRzPVEg2lK/s320/photo-707095.JPG" -->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309112924305646256.post-89735386745313415522014-05-08T18:38:00.004-07:002014-05-08T18:42:36.475-07:00With and Without...Spring morphing into summer in Sabino Canyon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Tucson's early spring is morphing into an early summer this year--and<span style="color: lime;"> <a href="http://azstarnet.com/news/local/sabino-creek-stops-flowing-weeks-earlier-than-last-years/article_9cbfe4f5-0e6b-5202-b3bc-9c32d2c324d1.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">the drying up of Sabino Creek</span></a></span> is striking proof. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, here are some before-and-after scenes, from recent runs,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"with" water and "without"...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQN9edgyBryooNRC4qST0tIXA4AwR4tMkmAOOWKSa_E8lVcUBTmUPjQFeCKHWQ0W_u_9JWbnPM4dedcXvu5XLg9gamaFTWjrCihGW62nyk51BmxVlZYyQc7nW-cglMVflu_eEpGwUjYs_/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQN9edgyBryooNRC4qST0tIXA4AwR4tMkmAOOWKSa_E8lVcUBTmUPjQFeCKHWQ0W_u_9JWbnPM4dedcXvu5XLg9gamaFTWjrCihGW62nyk51BmxVlZYyQc7nW-cglMVflu_eEpGwUjYs_/s1600/photo+5.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjg7qQdaLNsGc2AxfycxGpYf1DnE6VWzxlr-PHEAEv-N19N7POufruqlm4Tsc4-VLD2h6vhxkV985RrS-FqfmPr3h50C3rhnDprxtKIn40WzbzRs24MFxoAcvCzaAxhSmgYo7hbufxybk7/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjg7qQdaLNsGc2AxfycxGpYf1DnE6VWzxlr-PHEAEv-N19N7POufruqlm4Tsc4-VLD2h6vhxkV985RrS-FqfmPr3h50C3rhnDprxtKIn40WzbzRs24MFxoAcvCzaAxhSmgYo7hbufxybk7/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqM_yuzY0FHMaBwMaVSHkSBpoLoE4C5m0rz5Vau9m9jqj-umua5KnazapYZcjncJY7YSAnO9c8jGXZohJE16gBB_edid4TP5FVaNV-t8TnvnTUpFMl8W9Wa3mNNJ2l61OQT7oCTlVuA44g/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqM_yuzY0FHMaBwMaVSHkSBpoLoE4C5m0rz5Vau9m9jqj-umua5KnazapYZcjncJY7YSAnO9c8jGXZohJE16gBB_edid4TP5FVaNV-t8TnvnTUpFMl8W9Wa3mNNJ2l61OQT7oCTlVuA44g/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5z3WNi7X3g2zXuwNlWIAyltFxwakSDddlkBlJRwCazMvo7fzgYYxSmF9u04X-HUyGRMU_4WslRkZ33UpEGsluLyK8jfGCEtZMaYFVjmQCPVuziCNxFGsd2Yg_1shMbbHdTFK8uv36kDR/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5z3WNi7X3g2zXuwNlWIAyltFxwakSDddlkBlJRwCazMvo7fzgYYxSmF9u04X-HUyGRMU_4WslRkZ33UpEGsluLyK8jfGCEtZMaYFVjmQCPVuziCNxFGsd2Yg_1shMbbHdTFK8uv36kDR/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">================================</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And, from a couple of weeks ago, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a scene from where the creek exits the canyon:</span></div>
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<a href="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5246/13941120196_be1b31cbdd_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5246/13941120196_be1b31cbdd_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Although the creek is no longer flowing,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a few reflective spots still remain, including this one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Incidentally--it was featured on:</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.iphoneographycentral.com/apps-uncovered-25-april-2014/"><span style="color: lime; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">http://www.iphoneographycentral.com/apps-uncovered-25-april-2014/</span></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">(and, it made the TV news...small thrill...)</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>And...as I get ready for an upcoming trip to Korea--any of you have opinions on the best platform for travel-photo-blogging via iPad? I'm not taking my laptop, and unfortunately, the 'blogger' mobile-blogging app is cumbersome and distorts photos...Let me know!</i></span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309112924305646256.post-51712586935808607072014-04-02T21:56:00.002-07:002014-04-02T21:57:31.233-07:00For this week's #FriFotos: STAIRS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For a few months now, I've been enjoying the weekly #FriFotos travel photography round-up every Friday on Twitter...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Since this week's theme is 'stairs,' I thought I'd gather a few far-flung scenes for a blog post--from France to Korea, Canada to Guatemala, and a few Desert Southwest locales as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">From last summer,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">in the Rennaissance tower of the </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.chateau-montaigne.com/?lang=en" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Château de Montaigne</span></a> in the SW of France:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_w7f6-_b3Rnrhx7VL3_vaQfIuTbi0g0-ysvhWdOAnBVbs2H5W6owIBfy7XKt6pGON_rrs5nYV6LHj36OI3NCl4BD5CLCX4VujTNm8XDRlpYjE47iy75SBtf_lxi7I5LDs0EEBBo_WlaTp/s1600/montaigne+tower+stairs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_w7f6-_b3Rnrhx7VL3_vaQfIuTbi0g0-ysvhWdOAnBVbs2H5W6owIBfy7XKt6pGON_rrs5nYV6LHj36OI3NCl4BD5CLCX4VujTNm8XDRlpYjE47iy75SBtf_lxi7I5LDs0EEBBo_WlaTp/s1600/montaigne+tower+stairs.JPG" height="400" width="290" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Literally, in the worn steps </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">of the 16th-century</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">essayist and humanist,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/montaigne/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Michel de Montaigne</span></a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">From my current desert hometown,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a detail of Tucson's</span></div>
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<a href="http://stphilipsplaza.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">St. Philip's Plaza</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsHUBvz61_y6eDnljRIHTf7AIt_tatiJ2kEOVjPf4rMGWlc-fd3_un-J7bA5K2mfj7bacpUot92_YVAi0NQS25zSeflMFj9w-1Ee6HmfIgQrUmgAQomjVaJmdxDc3r4paBSdxohG8XaMV/s1600/IMG_6054+t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsHUBvz61_y6eDnljRIHTf7AIt_tatiJ2kEOVjPf4rMGWlc-fd3_un-J7bA5K2mfj7bacpUot92_YVAi0NQS25zSeflMFj9w-1Ee6HmfIgQrUmgAQomjVaJmdxDc3r4paBSdxohG8XaMV/s1600/IMG_6054+t.jpg" height="400" width="377" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Back to France,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">to the Loire valley--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">one of the spiral stone staircases</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">at the <a href="http://chambord.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Château de Chambord</span></a>:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh4k_FDkDMsuXWVoW1U788IAKXNDSdhEH3bChJZO9am82ZShOYRVq1RFeX66ypUVTwtTQVhbRSTPjnaM_wm5OcbebC2WizZamihT_6umQtUP0R5B-EhMfB0UIoe9Lk3_XPNn5_crUMyokQ/s1600/Escalier+a+Chambord.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh4k_FDkDMsuXWVoW1U788IAKXNDSdhEH3bChJZO9am82ZShOYRVq1RFeX66ypUVTwtTQVhbRSTPjnaM_wm5OcbebC2WizZamihT_6umQtUP0R5B-EhMfB0UIoe9Lk3_XPNn5_crUMyokQ/s1600/Escalier+a+Chambord.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Further south,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">on the legendary <a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/outwitting-the-devil-for-a-bridge" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Pont Valentré bridge in Cahors</span></a>,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">the time-eroded stairs from the 14th-century: </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lZz2oqQogjPJHsHLNPmbmwkNg1tB8MAPoS03vUA-olpROO49DQMJp5BwXiUCPvHrctnWRs7luk_ZJkMIxtBmLK4n3mKezOjxLmBAX4hH60BfNIOVUhKID6_0KPlcZ1YNstMoYumeZYUy/s1600/IMG_5033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lZz2oqQogjPJHsHLNPmbmwkNg1tB8MAPoS03vUA-olpROO49DQMJp5BwXiUCPvHrctnWRs7luk_ZJkMIxtBmLK4n3mKezOjxLmBAX4hH60BfNIOVUhKID6_0KPlcZ1YNstMoYumeZYUy/s1600/IMG_5033.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Traveling far to the east,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">to the stairs leading up to </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Seoul's Joseon-dynasty </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/stay-at-the-end-of-a-dynasty" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Altar to Heaven</span></a>:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN4bpANMlGATmaOP9ZEHHT_pXzJECj7SJtb44EvGpS7dDihS0PVKoiN6XqnVp6A4ISIZrR-7ZHmXq6LCtqKO9bKJtb3snLmTG3Sr5qoWL28mIy9VMVvEG_R7VgfoBpeu0AXmaEEbjogWxj/s1600/IMG_6894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN4bpANMlGATmaOP9ZEHHT_pXzJECj7SJtb44EvGpS7dDihS0PVKoiN6XqnVp6A4ISIZrR-7ZHmXq6LCtqKO9bKJtb3snLmTG3Sr5qoWL28mIy9VMVvEG_R7VgfoBpeu0AXmaEEbjogWxj/s1600/IMG_6894.JPG" height="640" width="470" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">From one of the world's largest cities</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">to a 'lost' city in the Guatemalan jungle--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">the steep access stairs built to protect</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">the original stone stairs </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">on this Maya temple in <a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/above-the-jungle-canopy-mayan-temples" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Tikal</span></a>:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntBD7hrReu9VzTDXrLyy4ObUVF6Dop4cZuCDqH02dj-nrNEyXamlNG9UjltRE9MQo8GgV3hF_W0w4NLX8x_f3me3MzSqRzy2rJg29yo49DmTFxXnnZQThUl-wK7_kFbjH0i16O6vzCi08/s1600/IMG_0090_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntBD7hrReu9VzTDXrLyy4ObUVF6Dop4cZuCDqH02dj-nrNEyXamlNG9UjltRE9MQo8GgV3hF_W0w4NLX8x_f3me3MzSqRzy2rJg29yo49DmTFxXnnZQThUl-wK7_kFbjH0i16O6vzCi08/s1600/IMG_0090_Snapseed.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Up to Montréal--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">some of the city's iconic </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/two-solitudes-dot-dot-dot-languages-and-friendship" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">curving exterior stairs</span></a>:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="Montreal, QC, Montreal, Canada" src="http://media.afar.com/uploads/images/post_images/images/Agml8qNDQT/post_display_6d610edc1affb67184144cbff4ef691d?1383781859" height="400" width="337" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and elsewhere in the city,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> to the stairs reserved for </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">pilgrims climbing on their knees</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">up to the <a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/dot-dot-dot-on-ones-knees" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Oratoire St.-Joseph</span></a>:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="Saint Joseph, Westmount, Canada" src="http://media.afar.com/uploads/images/post_images/images/gyNojR1Aus/post_display_24996b12304306305b5da26adad6bb03?1383785261" height="400" width="321" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Speaking of St. Joseph,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">and heading south now,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">some believe in a legend that says </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">that St. Joseph is responsible for these stairs:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="Loretto Chapel, Santa Fe, NM, Santa Fe, New Mexico" src="http://media.afar.com/uploads/images/post_images/images/DaXRrnRdlc/post_display_open-uri20140309-32692-v6trn?1394407173" height="424" width="640" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The '<a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/a-helix-of-belief-and-physics-the-miraculous-staircase-in-santa-fe" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">miraculous stairs</span></a>' of the Loreto Chapel in Santa Fe, NM</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Closer to home again:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1q77GV2ihhjse9HwGGRGnp8Vq5NS0SBiwxeIC4FLrveAO3MU5oyM7nGObOk7kV7f_litMEg_ZewBQvy3p3dCZYgLX7mMMUeZgDU0Trto0_m4CL8fPtzPjXN3JfkpuU9WTjQeU0vrZcvg/s1600/bisbee+stairs+sepia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1q77GV2ihhjse9HwGGRGnp8Vq5NS0SBiwxeIC4FLrveAO3MU5oyM7nGObOk7kV7f_litMEg_ZewBQvy3p3dCZYgLX7mMMUeZgDU0Trto0_m4CL8fPtzPjXN3JfkpuU9WTjQeU0vrZcvg/s1600/bisbee+stairs+sepia.jpg" height="640" width="408" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">--one of my favorite architectural spots</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">in <a href="http://www.afar.com/travel-guides/united-states/arizona/bisbee/guide" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Bisbee, AZ</span></a>,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">just off 'Brewery Gulch'</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And back to the Tucson area </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">for the most recent scene,</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">from just down the road--</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the utilitarian military stairs that </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">descend to the underground control </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">bunker of the only </span><span style="color: lime; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/a-hole-in-the-ground-like-no-other-the-titan-missile-museum" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Titan Missile silo</span></a> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">now open to the public:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAq5YHrgTCla_rYhREAOg8vyF36iVgCHVwSJVJxAtlSW6vca81HwJG1spq8_aTNNCLMEYPKBh7jOB95yTs88G0W3xFlYwa7YIea2XDHOSgtYoAvhyVQohJUqLQwsqdOK6OjzbE4DzM9I6Y/s1600/titan+missile+museum+stairs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAq5YHrgTCla_rYhREAOg8vyF36iVgCHVwSJVJxAtlSW6vca81HwJG1spq8_aTNNCLMEYPKBh7jOB95yTs88G0W3xFlYwa7YIea2XDHOSgtYoAvhyVQohJUqLQwsqdOK6OjzbE4DzM9I6Y/s1600/titan+missile+museum+stairs.JPG" height="400" width="246" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A sobering relic of the Cold War--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>nothing like thoughts of </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>an nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>to end with...</i></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309112924305646256.post-4961534474095776912014-03-09T19:54:00.001-07:002014-03-09T19:54:33.324-07:00From Little Tokyo back to Tucson: iphoneography with apps<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">From last weekend's quick road-trip to Los Angeles, a few scenes showing how to 'correct' or 'dramatize' an iPhone snapshot, whether a streetscape or a landscape.</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(These photos taken with an iPhone5s)</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">On First Street, just east of downtown L.A.,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">the iconic "<a href="http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/western-region/Far_EastBldgSAT.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Chop Suey Far East building</span></a>,"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">built in the 1890's,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">and which served for much of the 20th century</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">as a hub for Little Tokyo's community </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">of Chinese and Japanese immigrants:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDLCkFyOek9RhD7M7viDcgzNC5Pi7a25kzglqe3J95iqbZSS_iAiVoKZqTXhTMJPIxOAfA35K_YtBY3E59e6GDhljBW6Ym7ZFXGg751-Ujc2R501NqXZgrUXhXD1DB0u0GMyZ3HS72c_d/s640/blogger-image--1662848545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDLCkFyOek9RhD7M7viDcgzNC5Pi7a25kzglqe3J95iqbZSS_iAiVoKZqTXhTMJPIxOAfA35K_YtBY3E59e6GDhljBW6Ym7ZFXGg751-Ujc2R501NqXZgrUXhXD1DB0u0GMyZ3HS72c_d/s400/blogger-image--1662848545.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The distinctive arch and vintage neon sign, along with the street-front fire-escape-stairs make for a classic 20th-century American streetscape, and the Los Angeles City Hall (1920's) on the left adds to the sense-of-place...But the distortion caused by the angle from which I took this quick photo is distracting, and the sky looks washed out, since I wanted the exposure to show the building façades instead of the clouds.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, first,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">use the <span style="color: lime;"><a href="http://perspectivecorrect.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Perspective Correct App</span></a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">to 're-set' the buildings as being perpendicular to the street:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirwIybSMWUEN_2K4vDqiwto_UE8YcsvXNKB_kcAOhwUtRjkvd3TQpmF1ynsIxYOCZoqBFHSqn1i8kOT2NybGK8p-8gFhyphenhyphenT-Dt5FqlxZkhdVbRPjOuZP_jV2zomonjd6Dvxr7FbC0pN2X4b/s640/blogger-image-1355130567.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirwIybSMWUEN_2K4vDqiwto_UE8YcsvXNKB_kcAOhwUtRjkvd3TQpmF1ynsIxYOCZoqBFHSqn1i8kOT2NybGK8p-8gFhyphenhyphenT-Dt5FqlxZkhdVbRPjOuZP_jV2zomonjd6Dvxr7FbC0pN2X4b/s400/blogger-image-1355130567.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Then, using "Tune Image" and a bit of the "HDR scape" tools </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">on <a href="https://plus.google.com/+Snapseed/posts" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">snapseed</span></a>,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">the drama of lifting clouds</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">and the texture of the bricks</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">reappear:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1Xp7RYQ6lSWYj1nMxWO4Xm3DpASXbfZznu3np76JAELspPIzJ3O0EE_CCiSkkkWBPZxO3TSRDkjII6enxABsOdHy8HUZWFkfcjoG00By_ImcdnVeUwNZO_JrMbOIWCVXaBlK5eRYQjCx/s640/blogger-image--958515996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1Xp7RYQ6lSWYj1nMxWO4Xm3DpASXbfZznu3np76JAELspPIzJ3O0EE_CCiSkkkWBPZxO3TSRDkjII6enxABsOdHy8HUZWFkfcjoG00By_ImcdnVeUwNZO_JrMbOIWCVXaBlK5eRYQjCx/s400/blogger-image--958515996.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My wife liked the cinematic feel of this color version, but I thought this would work as a black-and-white scene, with just the "chop suey" sign highlighted in color...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and so for this, the <a href="http://www.pocketpixels.com/ColorSplash.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">ColorSplash app</span></a> comes in handy:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvj_NXoXlRLFs50VvVqzjzHQL6YYclohhvTk5rT9fxxQ6qNGuZcEhibRCoDL9mQOVi8LwAb15_ZV_UZ_Gk9vZ28g9WCNr1H-Tvp0NUVPJaNY4IEBW6ZA013z48cLdEUbE0A_HuuDffhNk/s640/blogger-image--442168318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvj_NXoXlRLFs50VvVqzjzHQL6YYclohhvTk5rT9fxxQ6qNGuZcEhibRCoDL9mQOVi8LwAb15_ZV_UZ_Gk9vZ28g9WCNr1H-Tvp0NUVPJaNY4IEBW6ZA013z48cLdEUbE0A_HuuDffhNk/s400/blogger-image--442168318.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But the sky was a bit grainy for my taste,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">so using the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/big-lens/id470460905?mt=8" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">BigLens app</span></a>,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">the sky can be selectively blurred:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbf9z5x8rEa-VIYCW4De-odUNYnariZRO-6PGppZmaoOS6_L_7hXyi0sKzS7wiu3nWPgp9AVSZnuwqYGDn0VgXyeCfLcaq3ItXbgxwYUPRiN0HnOqKNe0iz7fZjRt1b8GmhjjYBFtM7HQ/s640/blogger-image--369212298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbf9z5x8rEa-VIYCW4De-odUNYnariZRO-6PGppZmaoOS6_L_7hXyi0sKzS7wiu3nWPgp9AVSZnuwqYGDn0VgXyeCfLcaq3ItXbgxwYUPRiN0HnOqKNe0iz7fZjRt1b8GmhjjYBFtM7HQ/s400/blogger-image--369212298.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And, finally, using <a href="http://www.mextures.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Mextures</span></a>, some faux-vintage texture and color add to the mood:</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymxL81fUXtVW6646nsGkB6yM372T2Adb8fIRM4kx2-Rcdj_fH_GhY3mxZNuPGhuyDlRvP8hl-42eQhN9bWlIm8nBqpogqQD0j560ipy4ynmn3qW7-2c3CZzvGCMpe78IfNVkbmtYwQhIo/s640/blogger-image-1375585811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymxL81fUXtVW6646nsGkB6yM372T2Adb8fIRM4kx2-Rcdj_fH_GhY3mxZNuPGhuyDlRvP8hl-42eQhN9bWlIm8nBqpogqQD0j560ipy4ynmn3qW7-2c3CZzvGCMpe78IfNVkbmtYwQhIo/s640/blogger-image-1375585811.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></span></a><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">==============================</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">On the drive back to Tucson from L.A. we passed through a normally boring stretch of desert that's come to life with wildflowers. I've lived in Arizona for nearly seven years, and I've never seen such an expanse of globemallow in bloom--for several miles along I-10 to the west of Phoenix, this was the scene:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzRLArgZYoOLAWhAz8iM7ceZbb7Qtq8V-vhSbBNiTd7kH9-qSP2Jp1Gx8w1LRlkAP4gCPIoM9g7mQgL4P-FAarKRZuKliWSkmvuarlpQGYA-Dm2a-ztyq5B-xwwheOVr6SU9KvZrff-fy/s640/blogger-image--1131850381.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzRLArgZYoOLAWhAz8iM7ceZbb7Qtq8V-vhSbBNiTd7kH9-qSP2Jp1Gx8w1LRlkAP4gCPIoM9g7mQgL4P-FAarKRZuKliWSkmvuarlpQGYA-Dm2a-ztyq5B-xwwheOVr6SU9KvZrff-fy/s320/blogger-image--1131850381.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Bright afternoon sun 'bleaches' the scene, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">so using <i>snapseed</i> again, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">to crop and bring out the vibrancy of the blooms</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">by correcting the exposure, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I end up with this:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSI9OwnoklhNxfMtCHla0DW1hyq9pqFXy583cSLDs0X22x3uyPJEUNMkcKZIFtYFGD1GXW4tEDNFHbe4GlEPv2vPgjgHuGJWSdVxXXNs6upgFfAL5MI2jE2ZC2kXWtECsvrTWvcDrcpy25/s640/blogger-image-886009325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSI9OwnoklhNxfMtCHla0DW1hyq9pqFXy583cSLDs0X22x3uyPJEUNMkcKZIFtYFGD1GXW4tEDNFHbe4GlEPv2vPgjgHuGJWSdVxXXNs6upgFfAL5MI2jE2ZC2kXWtECsvrTWvcDrcpy25/s640/blogger-image-886009325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSI9OwnoklhNxfMtCHla0DW1hyq9pqFXy583cSLDs0X22x3uyPJEUNMkcKZIFtYFGD1GXW4tEDNFHbe4GlEPv2vPgjgHuGJWSdVxXXNs6upgFfAL5MI2jE2ZC2kXWtECsvrTWvcDrcpy25/s400/blogger-image-886009325.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">==============================</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Back home, the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">are dotted with brittlebush in bloom right now,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">splashes of yellow on the saguaro-studded hills:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIQ1S618uid66-OCQbxTx2TE55phDjjOAN9Q1Silh4gDxcTcqXIdwpqfgcmBmIRSkMYWppc_C6mCqP5sfDL7TApOQVtO6vOlj-TJhbBhyphenhyphendz0YhXqxAx4jtbO7Vx7k9cd1Ac3uoBSKQ_Yh/s320/photo+1-781363.JPG" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Taking this shot from close to ground level, however,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">resulted in a slight distortion--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">the saguaros are pointing 'outward' </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">away from the center of the photo.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, using the above-mentioned</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Perspective Correct</i>, I end up with this:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcebyXQqDlNA8Phw6OQNEy_wjBRefP9K5OjPWdASHp7SOlzttmG1gZOdgdzXaHXX8zuQ0miMAwUvnoFt95DXTW5L6Nf6_JXWvZV1VAAbl2SuAPf7yyPjMqC-bdEHUeQtelfnClsRDJfxuk/s640/blogger-image--1303535462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcebyXQqDlNA8Phw6OQNEy_wjBRefP9K5OjPWdASHp7SOlzttmG1gZOdgdzXaHXX8zuQ0miMAwUvnoFt95DXTW5L6Nf6_JXWvZV1VAAbl2SuAPf7yyPjMqC-bdEHUeQtelfnClsRDJfxuk/s400/blogger-image--1303535462.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This scene also lends itself to 'color-splashing,'</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">so first I used <i>snapseed</i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">to oversaturate the color (above),</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">then I used the 'color-splash' tool within the <span style="color: lime;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/laminar-pro-image-editor/id477581818?mt=8" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Laminar app</span></a> </span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">to keep the wildflowers yellow </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">while <i>de</i>-saturating everything else in the scene (below).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Finally, for the textures in the final image,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I used <i>Mextures</i> again,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">before some final exposure-tweaking and vignetting in <i>snapseed</i>:</span></div>
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<a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7336/13039028225_bef00fb29c_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7336/13039028225_bef00fb29c_o.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Spring in the Sonoran Desert...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, from architecture to wildflowers, <i>Perspective Correct</i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">can be such a useful tool...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and <i>snapseed</i> still remains my favorite 'go-to' tool.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The 'slap-on' filters available in so many apps and in so much of social media can be convenient, but if you want to get beyond the 'pre-fab' feeling you get when you use them for your photos, spend some time getting to know what you can do with an app like <i>snapseed </i>or <i>Laminar</i>. True, many apps are 'one-hit-wonders,' but even within those limited effects, there's so much potential customization available at your fingertips.</span></div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-LO6FpFlXfZQ%2FUx0UvsSxUnI%2FAAAAAAAAFd0%2FFxIcE4HgDXc%2Fs320%2Fphoto%252B1-781363.JPG&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIQ1S618uid66-OCQbxTx2TE55phDjjOAN9Q1Silh4gDxcTcqXIdwpqfgcmBmIRSkMYWppc_C6mCqP5sfDL7TApOQVtO6vOlj-TJhbBhyphenhyphendz0YhXqxAx4jtbO7Vx7k9cd1Ac3uoBSKQ_Yh/s320/photo+1-781363.JPG" -->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309112924305646256.post-59814112767706623312014-03-03T22:47:00.001-08:002014-03-03T22:51:24.051-08:00Cilantro-daikon kimchi. Yep, you read that right. Well, it's more of a 'curtido'...<div class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Cilantro. (Or, "coriander.) You love it or you hate it. My introduction to it, when I was a teenager, did not inspire affection. <i>Tastes like soap! </i>How far I have come--I <i>love</i> those leaves now...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My mother is Korean, so I grew up eating all sorts of leafy greens..but 'cilantro?' I'd never heard of it. Neither had she...And most Koreans, when first introduced to the parsley-look-alike, don't like it--its distinctive aromatic signature just isn't found in the traditional Korean flavor palette...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...which is strange, given that China, which is just next door, has a long history of using cilantro.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, recently, my wife and I were discussing this curious geo-culinary situation--and I thought that cilantro <i>would</i> marry well with traditional Korean flavors--perhaps even as a type of <a href="http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20410300,00.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">kimchi</span></a>. "Ooh, maybe I'm inventing something!" Well, it didn't take too many searches on the Internet to realize that I wouldn't be able to claim authorship of a new dish--on KoreafornianCooking.com, I found <i><a href="http://www.koreaforniancooking.com/2012/12/gosu-cilantro-kimchi.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">this</span></a>. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It turns out that cilantro <i>does</i> have, ahem, <i>roots</i>, on the Korean peninsula--in the North and also in the vegetarian Buddhist temple cuisine tradition. But for almost all modern-day South Koreans, 'cilantro-kimchi' just isn't in their vocabulary...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But it SHOULD BE...and if you want to try it out, below is my take on it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And while I'm not 'inventing' anything here, I<i> am </i>modifying the recipe from the KoreafornianCooking.com website.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My first attempt ended up too salty for my taste--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">and then, when I decided to try again, I thought that shredded carrots would add a nice contrasting color...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...with the end result:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1UbkUABmGdmcuXSO2mHpkT6pCxmxUzg8IMM5XfHsfODLv3_zqEav-ySc9-v-iDJzJp095ZBjq7F79yXC7_9v-y11seDI9M74cCAQHF3MMcJj8Cm4mnicKRXR8lQImgfPQGxpvhjwGvnuu/s1600/photo+3-706945.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1UbkUABmGdmcuXSO2mHpkT6pCxmxUzg8IMM5XfHsfODLv3_zqEav-ySc9-v-iDJzJp095ZBjq7F79yXC7_9v-y11seDI9M74cCAQHF3MMcJj8Cm4mnicKRXR8lQImgfPQGxpvhjwGvnuu/s320/photo+3-706945.JPG" height="400" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5986806057577688546" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, here goes with the recipe.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Daikon-cilantro-carrot kimchi</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(mooh goh-sooh dahn-geun kim-chi)</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 cups of roughly chopped cilantro</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">("goh-sooh" is</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">the Korean word for this herb)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 1/2 cups of shredded daikon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(called "mu" in Korean,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">and incidentally,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">the equivalent for 'cankles.'</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Make sure the radish is firm;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">the texture should be similar to jicama.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup of chopped green onion</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4 tablespoons of minced or crushed garlic</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">sea-salt--start with 1 teaspoon,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">then add to taste as you mix</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 teaspoons finely minced ginger</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 teaspoons Korean red pepper powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(sun-dried New Mexico red chile works too)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup of shredded carrot</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(vocab lesson: "dahn-geun")</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4j0ZklHD2NgbU17Uf_P7bI9tURxE1085ZcWY2opXRNpKfNoqgIvaa1e8aO6qlHxi1T2BUXPThqZuCVJ0J5RAUdIQC8x7uxCfQveAUMsjognC0N6j9Se9khfH7-cdAfpD3NprbtoxBTwIA/s1600/photo+1-700196.JPG"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4j0ZklHD2NgbU17Uf_P7bI9tURxE1085ZcWY2opXRNpKfNoqgIvaa1e8aO6qlHxi1T2BUXPThqZuCVJ0J5RAUdIQC8x7uxCfQveAUMsjognC0N6j9Se9khfH7-cdAfpD3NprbtoxBTwIA/s320/photo+1-700196.JPG" height="300" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5986806029789270338" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I forgot to include the sea-salt and carrots in the photos.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Sorry.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhixGPCW3ly1SRazQEXOTWqiYUnlNJzHPPzvKCZ7NPC7-_QENlz8Ke9X-XpAZer7oQJH38v94b8qY00B_sbOZhnrTyznhvBRuP0iXxPfYdyKKLTQHlWVBil5vsrHEEC7Ftfhoy33WdqOQBZ/s1600/photo+2-703594.JPG"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhixGPCW3ly1SRazQEXOTWqiYUnlNJzHPPzvKCZ7NPC7-_QENlz8Ke9X-XpAZer7oQJH38v94b8qY00B_sbOZhnrTyznhvBRuP0iXxPfYdyKKLTQHlWVBil5vsrHEEC7Ftfhoy33WdqOQBZ/s320/photo+2-703594.JPG" height="300" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5986806045110366994" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In a large metal bowl,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">mix the shredded carrot, green onion,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">roughly chopped cilantro, and shredded daikon together.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In a separate, small bowl, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">mix the chile powder, ginger, salt, and garlic into a paste.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Then, using your hands--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">wearing disposable food-prep gloves!--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">slowly work the pepper garlic paste </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">into the vegetables in the large bowl,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">rubbing the seasoning in...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As you finish, taste and see if the vegetables are salty enough.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Yes, kimchi <i>should</i> be salty,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">but not overpoweringly so...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">You'll notice that the vegetables will shrink and that a reddish liquid will be gathering in the bottom. Don't throw this liquid away--let the shredded vegetables 'marinate' in this liquid at least overnight, storing the mixture in a covered container or a large glass jar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">You can eat it right away--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">it's a nice salad-with-a-kick, but the flavors marry better after a few days...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It's a great side with <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/kimchi-quesadillas-355552" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">kimchi-quesadillas</span></a>...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and, it also works as a filling for a </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">California-roll style <span id="goog_348926520"></span><a href="http://koreanfood.about.com/od/riceandnoodlerecipes/r/kimbap.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">kimbap</span></a><span id="goog_348926521"></span>: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35vSE9BpGqcCVYfVfQ0R_FWvtEbU5HRKCGAz4NemCVggjE7_1fYhM7lkbWpN2KUQjePaxhytJc0D8tSRkYRyso4T52dZ-00PTfaOpZDgBz6fU9D_HASMhSuF2L0Afn5cNPmD4WhCtlchl/s320/photo-712612.JPG" width="400" /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(For this, a mixture of brown and white rice,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">rolled up in the seaweed with</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">the daikon-cilantro kimchi,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">seasoned spinach, thinly sliced omelet, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">pan-fried tofu, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">and sprinkled with <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furikake" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">furikake</span></a></i> seasoning.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And again, a close-up of the end-result:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1UbkUABmGdmcuXSO2mHpkT6pCxmxUzg8IMM5XfHsfODLv3_zqEav-ySc9-v-iDJzJp095ZBjq7F79yXC7_9v-y11seDI9M74cCAQHF3MMcJj8Cm4mnicKRXR8lQImgfPQGxpvhjwGvnuu/s1600/photo+3-706945.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1UbkUABmGdmcuXSO2mHpkT6pCxmxUzg8IMM5XfHsfODLv3_zqEav-ySc9-v-iDJzJp095ZBjq7F79yXC7_9v-y11seDI9M74cCAQHF3MMcJj8Cm4mnicKRXR8lQImgfPQGxpvhjwGvnuu/s320/photo+3-706945.JPG" height="400" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5986806057577688546" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: left;">...which, after tasting it, I thought--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="text-align: left;">hmm, the texture reminds me a bit of El Salvadoran </span><a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/curtido-el-salvadoran-cabbage-salad/" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">curtido</span></a><span style="text-align: left;">, </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="text-align: left;">the traditional accompaniment to </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pupusa" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">pupusas</span></a>...</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Add a splash of vinegar (seasoned rice vinegar or white balsamic) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">if you want a 'fusion-curtido.'</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Wait: maybe I <i>have</i> invented something--just as <a href="http://kogibbq.com/about-chef-roy/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Roy Choi</span></a> invented the galbi-taco and the kimchi-quesadilla...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...I <i>just</i> did an internet search--nothing comes up for "Korean curtido" or "curtido coreano" and I don't <i>think</i> there are any<i> El-Seoul-vadoran</i> food-trucks out there. Not yet at least, so...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...OK. I've claimed it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"<i>curtido coreano</i>"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">You saw it here first.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Bon appétit!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...from a few days ago; my wife and I went to the <span style="color: lime;"><a href="http://www.desertmuseum.org/visit/rff_index.php" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Raptor Free Flight</span></a></span> at the <a href="http://www.desertmuseum.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum</span></a>. We go just about every year--it only takes place from October through April...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqhCIrsbJk4m_4II7-NdnTheZg-3ivNEDVFEyF8qLAgoBTqPbrCpFU1OYxkvNYCrfDwpb47HWLE_h3Q1acHcz97p0TDF0tczONjKUkG-i8WkpY4CAyAYuRFXRsq0GSksXEeOtqqq0XOKK/s1600/IMG_5894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqhCIrsbJk4m_4II7-NdnTheZg-3ivNEDVFEyF8qLAgoBTqPbrCpFU1OYxkvNYCrfDwpb47HWLE_h3Q1acHcz97p0TDF0tczONjKUkG-i8WkpY4CAyAYuRFXRsq0GSksXEeOtqqq0XOKK/s1600/IMG_5894.JPG" height="318" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfQAzbY3V3Iq9YHvEhckgQzyo4FtbTnD5MNsQ9M8tPFEX9f8eQBd3FxD7UJmEZ1YkrO8N6FW_0TY5dOszX76P9xEOxK9HFkynweFlAE8B1DmARpxkG1XGUDPDmIQ1m1cezQ7hSY0dmnhu/s1600/IMG_5904+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfQAzbY3V3Iq9YHvEhckgQzyo4FtbTnD5MNsQ9M8tPFEX9f8eQBd3FxD7UJmEZ1YkrO8N6FW_0TY5dOszX76P9xEOxK9HFkynweFlAE8B1DmARpxkG1XGUDPDmIQ1m1cezQ7hSY0dmnhu/s1600/IMG_5904+copy.jpg" height="640" width="510" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5DP-dXCwvqUo339RYu0ng5ASev15R23iHhyaIlYZ2cFpT3mFBFtscdJfgs9f5flIRwmZn3gHbr6JmK6Ovm_EiLw2T9Xne1m6r04TBT7VmxFmZdjuMeQmcgyI8gz50zEdVMEs5Lau9655/s1600/IMG_5909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5DP-dXCwvqUo339RYu0ng5ASev15R23iHhyaIlYZ2cFpT3mFBFtscdJfgs9f5flIRwmZn3gHbr6JmK6Ovm_EiLw2T9Xne1m6r04TBT7VmxFmZdjuMeQmcgyI8gz50zEdVMEs5Lau9655/s1600/IMG_5909.JPG" height="640" width="510" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">More information available here:</span></div>
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<span style="color: lime; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/up-close-at-the-raptor-free-flight"><span style="color: lime;">http://www.afar.com/highlights/up-close-at-the-raptor-free-flight</span></a> </span></div>
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<span style="color: lime; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.desertmuseum.org/about/articles/afar.php"><span style="color: lime;">http://www.desertmuseum.org/about/articles/afar.php</span></a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">==============</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And while this bird is definitely <i>not</i> a raptor,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Lilac Crowned parrots live in the dry deciduous</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">forests on the southern fringes of the Sonoran Desert: </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkiBpfguOlElcHGCWxAfx37ZHEf7kwD1yDgN-IstkcUeL9fGkO5idK_vUrPvtwK9MuV9hf-adi52hDyyX77Fn3yh-LotqyE8k8LyBa-iCbEVCtDQOrN5wJp-ERquKXwYHH_uMax6BqQZhd/s1600/IMG_5862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkiBpfguOlElcHGCWxAfx37ZHEf7kwD1yDgN-IstkcUeL9fGkO5idK_vUrPvtwK9MuV9hf-adi52hDyyX77Fn3yh-LotqyE8k8LyBa-iCbEVCtDQOrN5wJp-ERquKXwYHH_uMax6BqQZhd/s1600/IMG_5862.JPG" height="419" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309112924305646256.post-78263702149052348402014-02-17T21:55:00.001-08:002014-02-17T22:00:21.389-08:00Desert wildflowers--an early spring in Tucson this year<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We've had three record-breaking warm days in a row now--88 on Saturday, 85 Sunday, and 86 today. Even for Tucson, this is about 15-20 degrees above normal. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.allophile.com/2013/02/snow-in-tucson.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Last year, around this time, we had snow</span></a>:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2TS2ccfVApWPM3uq7J8H__qfr3438bxmQzLQINeJhUxly2QSxZ5zmEPTp8EKA0t7Nf-zhx76JnwEMoyrWgZnCYiRj2rOfq3wbu3KZiQmKgN1kZXITqDb3ZsGm1QQvNusOUPvWnU1tyTIw/s1600/IMG_8124+t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2TS2ccfVApWPM3uq7J8H__qfr3438bxmQzLQINeJhUxly2QSxZ5zmEPTp8EKA0t7Nf-zhx76JnwEMoyrWgZnCYiRj2rOfq3wbu3KZiQmKgN1kZXITqDb3ZsGm1QQvNusOUPvWnU1tyTIw/s1600/IMG_8124+t.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://azstarnet.com/news/local/wildflowers-in-tucson-could-flourish/article_f2c71a01-da8a-530f-b2dc-06ee2fc8f330.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">This year</span></a>, we're having wildflowers:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi424DjTaJUoP8aqjYtImCZpFXK1XQwH6R1_5reXoFk7o-UFYJWZqpCN-qf3HQ7Sk0JG1m5poQLR2ZlJ-V2uoSQYCsbY4WR2C9Niz2Fp3GUzUtNk6z3MjNMmZDKrBCwSPr34wHuz4YmXXt3/s640/blogger-image-1620354623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi424DjTaJUoP8aqjYtImCZpFXK1XQwH6R1_5reXoFk7o-UFYJWZqpCN-qf3HQ7Sk0JG1m5poQLR2ZlJ-V2uoSQYCsbY4WR2C9Niz2Fp3GUzUtNk6z3MjNMmZDKrBCwSPr34wHuz4YmXXt3/s640/blogger-image-1620354623.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Fairy duster</i>, also called 'mock mesquite,' in the foothills around Sabino Canyon</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This is all about a month earlier than normal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And here are a few spots to see them.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyqn867SiVsz6vcZ6M7713BKAOqt5LdBVz7Dg4Xa-MLPXvXZgnp0Cf-Tzc3zj49RZro4F5oS2hyGqpytWRbHQuT4Inl9Nv7-FQtCoHtBE3j03u3jjnR-YEtXJ4cfnGG7lMwlGsE_TZ_DC/s640/blogger-image-685515207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyqn867SiVsz6vcZ6M7713BKAOqt5LdBVz7Dg4Xa-MLPXvXZgnp0Cf-Tzc3zj49RZro4F5oS2hyGqpytWRbHQuT4Inl9Nv7-FQtCoHtBE3j03u3jjnR-YEtXJ4cfnGG7lMwlGsE_TZ_DC/s640/blogger-image-685515207.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Santa Catalina prairie clover</i>, along the loop road in Saguaro National Park East</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahFSkVM_eKbwPwLlp4oFLjro-J_v-nTZp-6dLp6UI03j61EcoYtZQOBqvdFOnirFt99kSSN0e4CP4i6FjAyyu4S6h2Ziv_MTrXJw_Dt618UEvN8FoGjCW50wSP9es58oCIh8bIkZif850/s640/blogger-image-1510034024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahFSkVM_eKbwPwLlp4oFLjro-J_v-nTZp-6dLp6UI03j61EcoYtZQOBqvdFOnirFt99kSSN0e4CP4i6FjAyyu4S6h2Ziv_MTrXJw_Dt618UEvN8FoGjCW50wSP9es58oCIh8bIkZif850/s640/blogger-image-1510034024.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Brittlebush</i> beginning to bloom, here in Saguaro National Park</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCLgaMnpYHgb4wUD5G7VnGVJZJsy4qJnM4NCxlYNVBvWhNxMrfCJEYiIciHSsmsHqxHwzgcD8hWTuax_RhJoRlObTU2FpSQ5JoZo4rTudSVHALtJ2he0GyKTpDa6gHTg2AO7hqU8zBPYaD/s640/blogger-image--54830010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCLgaMnpYHgb4wUD5G7VnGVJZJsy4qJnM4NCxlYNVBvWhNxMrfCJEYiIciHSsmsHqxHwzgcD8hWTuax_RhJoRlObTU2FpSQ5JoZo4rTudSVHALtJ2he0GyKTpDa6gHTg2AO7hqU8zBPYaD/s640/blogger-image--54830010.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Desert globemallow</i>, along the Rillito trail</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It's too early to know yet if we'll get the <a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/poppies-in-the-desert" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">carpets of poppies and lupine</span></a> later in some areas, like this scene <i>from last year</i>, along the <a href="http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=852" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Sutherland Trail</span></a> in <a href="http://azstateparks.com/Parks/CATA/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Catalina State Park</span></a>:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6OL8IVdV3x7-gFP1G7in0dwcPknOOLwPSl9yaOWMDgNVgJeF8of-LE-3QhXsfmZjMvblsFNpULY7bVD3ZzBpH5Bn55OhD_PhXjwZC0A-7pYA5gkxDVD1zLDegJtTy93kM1GbyCpIn2_X/s640/IMG_9419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6OL8IVdV3x7-gFP1G7in0dwcPknOOLwPSl9yaOWMDgNVgJeF8of-LE-3QhXsfmZjMvblsFNpULY7bVD3ZzBpH5Bn55OhD_PhXjwZC0A-7pYA5gkxDVD1zLDegJtTy93kM1GbyCpIn2_X/s640/IMG_9419.JPG" height="489" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The timing and temperatures have to be <i>just right</i>...stay tuned...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, it's turning out to be an early spring...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...while at the same time, on a recent run in Sabino Canyon,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">this particular cottonwood was <i>still hanging on</i> to last fall's leaves...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrWafRyYja7rhox8TKQAcIO2ceMG_jwW3-2nKwRv6tHuYCm8OmvuHHm7Q1WBubsohCB8xZ9HAWaw-vDTz1i9xdb4BM-wHyjqtrJ0DFwtY4I1XgqrV-j__opWEs02qzpTT2kSWYOu7ik_H/s640/blogger-image-1728175918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrWafRyYja7rhox8TKQAcIO2ceMG_jwW3-2nKwRv6tHuYCm8OmvuHHm7Q1WBubsohCB8xZ9HAWaw-vDTz1i9xdb4BM-wHyjqtrJ0DFwtY4I1XgqrV-j__opWEs02qzpTT2kSWYOu7ik_H/s640/blogger-image-1728175918.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and about a quarter-mile away in the canyon, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">the first flush of spring on these cottonwoods:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCMO3-qfk6N_M49ieKZ6aNlkErj-_JX2mZVVDUzoRBlJj9UgUyqatL7dugxV3fiRdS7GSiJLfx_zuJSZQ4z1-8JDwJ_1g7W-A_gMrTWJakljBXp-MyZ-Ez4hdKkg1wd0WvAPsb-tBE9dw/s640/blogger-image-1722108793.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCMO3-qfk6N_M49ieKZ6aNlkErj-_JX2mZVVDUzoRBlJj9UgUyqatL7dugxV3fiRdS7GSiJLfx_zuJSZQ4z1-8JDwJ_1g7W-A_gMrTWJakljBXp-MyZ-Ez4hdKkg1wd0WvAPsb-tBE9dw/s640/blogger-image-1722108793.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Crazy canyon micro-climates...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Closer to home,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a sure sign of spring in our backyard--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a close-up of some lemon blooms,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">just about to open:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nMksyLfXA-o_bYcCWMlpLbuCzr-NEH8Y_aalmn89PBNLYkw-YGRNMLl8qYx1ufYmTNJCHepLtcgXm9BYrPAzSuOF0zYFbK4MOgCGqGDWoJCnMdn-yUDGjc_jO-TRmPSjiIwuR7ld9nXD/s640/blogger-image--1067026470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nMksyLfXA-o_bYcCWMlpLbuCzr-NEH8Y_aalmn89PBNLYkw-YGRNMLl8qYx1ufYmTNJCHepLtcgXm9BYrPAzSuOF0zYFbK4MOgCGqGDWoJCnMdn-yUDGjc_jO-TRmPSjiIwuR7ld9nXD/s640/blogger-image--1067026470.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(They always remind me of Chinese hats.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">===================== </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...Also...I've decided to discontinue <i>the other blog, "snapseeded." </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: lime;"><a href="http://snapseeded.blogspot.com/2014/02/looking-through-gatemagazine-pagesand.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Here's the last post from there</span></a>:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">=====================</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Yeah, it's been a few months since I last posted.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I'll explain more in a bit...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But first, some recent news.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Just a few weeks ago, I found out that this photo</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">was one of this year's honorable mentions </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">in the<span style="color: lime;"> <a href="http://mobilephotoawards.com/2013-mobile-photography-awards-travel-by-trover-category-winners/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Mobile Photography Awards</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://mobilephotoawards.com/2013-mobile-photography-awards-travel-by-trover-category-winners/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Travel category</span></a>:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiXqqAmPmmCa1mVtDQaBCNbRVgvhctHOYMbAc4Ob7_F6UN3FDsVsNKjM4OaiPgWM2DAv4dfXFqr57TGdnAigXlY-MtQV0ffzFOVmWzq1b4CT7ppyHxTJ_E3ARxJjWt7i90pj1p3EDznltc/s1600/through+Gwanghwamun+MPA+t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiXqqAmPmmCa1mVtDQaBCNbRVgvhctHOYMbAc4Ob7_F6UN3FDsVsNKjM4OaiPgWM2DAv4dfXFqr57TGdnAigXlY-MtQV0ffzFOVmWzq1b4CT7ppyHxTJ_E3ARxJjWt7i90pj1p3EDznltc/s1600/through+Gwanghwamun+MPA+t.jpg" height="640" width="563" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"Changing of the Guard,</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">through Gwanghwamun Gate"</span></b></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(taken in Seoul, June 2011, iPhone4,</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">edited with snapseed and BigLens)</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">That trip to Korea several summers ago was when I first had my eyes opened to mobile photography...and then about 7 months later, after I got the snapseed app, I began this blog...</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And, in</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://tzipac.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">TZIPAC</span></a>'s upcoming special issue of </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://issuu.com/tzipac/docs/43mm_issue_3" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: lime;">43mm magazine</span></b></a>,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(<i>an exposé on mobile photography</i>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm honored to be published</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">on pages 124-127:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQ4L-WmjoVL-Snud9EG5dYV0IoD0Mw_lHSqdASiB8UJaibWtCtPACWXmScfb9PfTfxubaTAlU1ZwPlzWwbUDx2eRMstjSoOnQ2e8U1wXO6LhdS4wKCKUUCWZ23FuOrgT67ECHOoZFgvf6/s1600/43mm+magazine+georgia+and+sokcho.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQ4L-WmjoVL-Snud9EG5dYV0IoD0Mw_lHSqdASiB8UJaibWtCtPACWXmScfb9PfTfxubaTAlU1ZwPlzWwbUDx2eRMstjSoOnQ2e8U1wXO6LhdS4wKCKUUCWZ23FuOrgT67ECHOoZFgvf6/s1600/43mm+magazine+georgia+and+sokcho.JPG" height="440" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMse0WcQsS7Ookd0tcYOkUxl_mbaeTmDvUsgepMmXquEPWLUugOlsvt-5k3f0AiylKQD0YhXyD_urdZ9NU4J43HWudlT20wksPcJ3Y7cg3l6EHmDdJMm1SgrPFskFELNmtj-9sMT7XJDYu/s1600/43mm+magazine+nighthawks+for+dumplings.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMse0WcQsS7Ookd0tcYOkUxl_mbaeTmDvUsgepMmXquEPWLUugOlsvt-5k3f0AiylKQD0YhXyD_urdZ9NU4J43HWudlT20wksPcJ3Y7cg3l6EHmDdJMm1SgrPFskFELNmtj-9sMT7XJDYu/s1600/43mm+magazine+nighthawks+for+dumplings.JPG" height="444" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Peruse <a href="http://issuu.com/tzipac/docs/43mm_issue_3" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">this issue's pages</span></a>...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It truly is an honor to share page-space with some of today's great mobile-photography artists...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">=====================</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, yes, it's been a few months since I last posted.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I'd been re-thinking if/how to proceed with this blog--which began with my initial interest in mobile photography. I can hardly believe it's already been two years since I began it...I averaged 3 posts per month the first year, but last year, I only posted a couple of dozen times...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One of my posts, back in 2012, even caught the eye of the snapseed team and was featured in their newsletter:<span style="color: lime;"> <a href="http://snapseeded.blogspot.com/2012/03/step-by-step-from-sidewalk-in-insadong.html"><span style="color: lime;">http://snapseeded.blogspot.com/2012/03/step-by-step-from-sidewalk-in-insadong.html</span></a></span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It was a step-by-step 'how-to' showing the potential of snapseed, which back then, hadn't become as well-known...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But since then, while I still use snapseed as my 'go-to' editing app--my 'intial digital darkroom' for my iPhone-photos--I've incorporated other apps into my 'toolbox,' and it no longer seems reasonable to continue a blog about iphoneography which features only one app in its title. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And so, after two years, this is the last post for <i>snapseeded</i>...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I'll continue posting iphoneography--<i>and even that term, I wonder how much longer it will 'live'</i>--on my other blog, <a href="http://allophile.com/"><span style="color: lime;">allophile.com</span></a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It's been such an interesting time to be involved with photography and image-making, as phone-cameras have <i>exploded...</i>Art, journalism, travel-photography--all are being affected by what many are calling a 'new democratization' of photography due to mobile photo technology...I'm looking forward to seeing how it all will continue to evolve...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I think back to what I wrote in the first post of this blog...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I'll re-post it here:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">With <em>snapseed</em> so ideal for travel-photos, for capturing and playing with a <em>sense of place</em>,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">this description of travel, by writer </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca_Solnit"><span style="color: lime; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Rebecca Solnit</em></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">, comes to mind:</span></div>
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<em><span style="color: orange; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Perhaps people travel for pleasure because the visual is much more memorable than the tangible, the seen than the felt. At the time, traveling may be nothing more than a series of discomforts in magnificent settings: running for the train to paradise in a heat wave, carrying an ever heavier pack in alpine splendor, seeing sublime ruins with stomach trouble. Yet it is the field of images and not the body of sensations that lingers. My mother once remarked that if women remembered what childbirth felt like, no one would have more than one child. And so I, third child of a third child, owe my existence to forgetting and my taste for travels to the dominance of the eye..."</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">(--from </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Book-Migrations-Fully-Updated-Second/dp/1844677087/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_5"><span style="color: lime; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>A Book of Migrations</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">)</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">"The field of images...the dominance of the eye..."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> ...all to be played with in the palm of one's hand...</span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: cyan; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>Let's see where it continues to go...</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It's all </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">here, for now...</i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309112924305646256.post-71380728104732024252014-01-26T22:18:00.002-08:002014-02-12T21:25:14.258-08:00900 miles to 'Paris'...and why Paris is NOT 'overrated'...and Gyeongbokgung Palace does it again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">With three days off last weekend, my wife and I decided to take another little road-trip. Neither one of us had ever been to Las Vegas, and as a language teacher, for years I've had many of my French students ask me "Have you been to the Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas?" (Having lived in Paris, France didn't quite suffice, I guess...) As part of my professional duty, then, I decided the time had come to check out the real-faux-thing.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnKtu9PXLibLQCobSM4lu1X27tfq8zCE9h9lJQ7nL2Cx46tZIzAsDRzhKnSP9WGNLo0FA8svWVMOypkjKe8ZvVskHf4bcn5a1hq2OYzZV0FCjwJbT4mFBQXFwLVkE3IFRHaQ-jYErcEyh/s1600/IMG_6041.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnKtu9PXLibLQCobSM4lu1X27tfq8zCE9h9lJQ7nL2Cx46tZIzAsDRzhKnSP9WGNLo0FA8svWVMOypkjKe8ZvVskHf4bcn5a1hq2OYzZV0FCjwJbT4mFBQXFwLVkE3IFRHaQ-jYErcEyh/s1600/IMG_6041.PNG" height="320" width="318" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Up and back in just three days: 900 miles and about 14 hours in the car. Worth it? For this first time, yes. But if/when we return it'll either be by plane or we'll stay for a longer visit...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Between Phoenix and Las Vegas, there's no interstate (yet),</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">and for about a 50-mile stretch,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">the highway is officially known as the <a href="http://www.arizonascenicroads.com/north_central/joshua_forest_article_1.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Joshua Forest Scenic Parkway</span></a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3eGwf3QbjOlTB7tZXQFKLP9X4oLvnvMBtmBFW8yOd1q0b_XqEQj3TR-_79u2kcSuA5gRdM17hrLYhe6sdYI5qsEAYNR3dG39aPFOzNNQEFLTmCzBLMfU8ym8jJHfV2w9j4nW1ykTGeeT/s1600/5900t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3eGwf3QbjOlTB7tZXQFKLP9X4oLvnvMBtmBFW8yOd1q0b_XqEQj3TR-_79u2kcSuA5gRdM17hrLYhe6sdYI5qsEAYNR3dG39aPFOzNNQEFLTmCzBLMfU8ym8jJHfV2w9j4nW1ykTGeeT/s1600/5900t.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Mohave desert meets the Sonoran desert ecosystem here,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">where these plants--straight out of a Dr. Seuss book--thrive...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">About half-an-hour out of Las Vegas, you'll cross over the Colorado River on the newly completed (2010) O'Callaghan-Tilllman Memorial Bridge, 890 feet above the gorge, with a stupendous view of the Hoover Dam, built in the 1930's.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDNG0Htbp9LR7C-5y66SvU6oSdRcVUpUEF_0j2KcG44yKJdDgclY4aZD7e-zYlk7F3WQWq-xoM7TlEYFUSylF2QNQwt3OpiIx5KcFHTC1LXe02Mw0XU2uUQlV-MRGeHGpU-JJTn3IZsTD/s1600/IMG_6023t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDNG0Htbp9LR7C-5y66SvU6oSdRcVUpUEF_0j2KcG44yKJdDgclY4aZD7e-zYlk7F3WQWq-xoM7TlEYFUSylF2QNQwt3OpiIx5KcFHTC1LXe02Mw0XU2uUQlV-MRGeHGpU-JJTn3IZsTD/s1600/IMG_6023t.jpg" height="332" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">You can't see the view while driving, though--walls keep your eyes focused on the road--pull off right after crossing the bridge and you can take a winding road to a parking area with pedestrian access...It's the 2nd-highest bridge in the U.S. and the highest concrete-arch bridge in the world.</span><br />
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We're not gamblers, and we stayed with a friend instead of staying in one of the hotels on The Strip...but, of course, you can't go to Las Vegas and<i> not </i>go to The Strip (which is not the same as 'downtown'), so here are some first impressions.</span><br />
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The half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower dominates the streetscape across from the Bellagio:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Ex1ai0Jxt__cPaxAhURp9Q-bJQkYPkA6JzrE8wS3iy6Qw3SGXAe-QK4InxxCYRRSi82Njd04LeUtZCsz2xHtvld2htls5Ihn0t3y-I2KjBZaechLKJVcrtiJPLkUnr8Zgw7MviD2Ezom/s1600/IMG_5893t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Ex1ai0Jxt__cPaxAhURp9Q-bJQkYPkA6JzrE8wS3iy6Qw3SGXAe-QK4InxxCYRRSi82Njd04LeUtZCsz2xHtvld2htls5Ihn0t3y-I2KjBZaechLKJVcrtiJPLkUnr8Zgw7MviD2Ezom/s1600/IMG_5893t.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Such a glitzy collection of high-rise simulacra here--carefully concocted essences of elsewhere...I couldn't help but approach the whole scene with an anthropological mindset...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Obligatory stop at the water-show in front of the Bellagio--more impressive than I'd imagined it would be, especially considering the bone-dry desert that surrounds the city...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNJOJ7704e0P9KcMzCSzLmhDexgtdgNGe3UkKg2uGTO8b0YA9H5h9VPgivYOHTdonJ76CcTNswcSCAPwQ74xFuKVGOTe36CqK-hMJFHzeaTkHqx3J3XA6CLe0rm7ZZm-keeQzJE0sWNZL/s1600/IMG_5898t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNJOJ7704e0P9KcMzCSzLmhDexgtdgNGe3UkKg2uGTO8b0YA9H5h9VPgivYOHTdonJ76CcTNswcSCAPwQ74xFuKVGOTe36CqK-hMJFHzeaTkHqx3J3XA6CLe0rm7ZZm-keeQzJE0sWNZL/s1600/IMG_5898t.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and then inside the Bellagio, the world's largest chocolate-fountain.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And the current botanical exhibit in the <a href="http://www.bellagio.com/attractions/botanical-garden.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Bellagio's conservatory</span></a> is Chinese New Year:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKqfmN6psRk5eXCt1sVgRa8Bbs-TDv8lElLN_7XhBxU-kOPt0M7EKtWA2jyhimv5ku6bKdKmDMNCaAJV69qFos-vRAhhuQwplFW-TOVukfLA9A1hAPk7gCNiTcJYo-7JfwXM65YVAz8vm/s1600/IMG_5766t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKqfmN6psRk5eXCt1sVgRa8Bbs-TDv8lElLN_7XhBxU-kOPt0M7EKtWA2jyhimv5ku6bKdKmDMNCaAJV69qFos-vRAhhuQwplFW-TOVukfLA9A1hAPk7gCNiTcJYo-7JfwXM65YVAz8vm/s1600/IMG_5766t.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A bit of off-the-Strip abstraction...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYoJ_x-u8GmGTn4nUj92QH0u2mazOUPobcLZ2hpSKdho1vvKMnMIMFig5eI4X8Wyuz_1uGPltAsth-q9GvxjgxdgnHtAsFtHhg9kVh5XL6It90sNt4vCgFr3-i9NdRx-aW25qd0Ko5PpX/s1600/IMG_5915t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYoJ_x-u8GmGTn4nUj92QH0u2mazOUPobcLZ2hpSKdho1vvKMnMIMFig5eI4X8Wyuz_1uGPltAsth-q9GvxjgxdgnHtAsFtHhg9kVh5XL6It90sNt4vCgFr3-i9NdRx-aW25qd0Ko5PpX/s1600/IMG_5915t.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And, there's just nothing like a well-placed pair of googly-eyes, no?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORBEdywYgYBNqdqqap9NZx2AcGyZF7Pm4EkL1p2n9Xrg0AMkir1GLzbCn0eOtNlz78k9mZrK6DGlibGID83d39gl3G8uPN4G9Y5ply2-bnuiCbUcjqO6ApE5MnjfcDQLSjaPXdcpTwHie/s1600/IMG_5916t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORBEdywYgYBNqdqqap9NZx2AcGyZF7Pm4EkL1p2n9Xrg0AMkir1GLzbCn0eOtNlz78k9mZrK6DGlibGID83d39gl3G8uPN4G9Y5ply2-bnuiCbUcjqO6ApE5MnjfcDQLSjaPXdcpTwHie/s1600/IMG_5916t.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(seen on some art on the façade of the Paris casino.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Las Vegas <i>IS </i>a foodie-destination, and we had to eat lunch <i>some</i>where, so,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">why not check out <a href="http://www.aria.com/dining/restaurants/julian-serrano" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">a celebrity-chef-restaurant in the Aria</span></a>?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9A4WP45ZQOfyzkHBmKNWhP_93LfZ7V6gE2Zk4E8eCmtASTZzEq0tIcATFloNGxozvZisQsXMcc5QVg4bY2IGGsnH8RrqfOI-Pw255O7qOqTlf_4FQn1EpIzJoaP3Wcw7iFwOTBAVGfFNZ/s1600/IMG_6082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9A4WP45ZQOfyzkHBmKNWhP_93LfZ7V6gE2Zk4E8eCmtASTZzEq0tIcATFloNGxozvZisQsXMcc5QVg4bY2IGGsnH8RrqfOI-Pw255O7qOqTlf_4FQn1EpIzJoaP3Wcw7iFwOTBAVGfFNZ/s1600/IMG_6082.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Fusion cuisine doesn't work all of the time, but when it
does, it cries out to be savored. At Julian Serrano, on the ground floor of the
Aria hotel, the tried-and-true Spanish plates are eminently tasty, but explore
the "new style tapas" section of the menu as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One of the plates we ordered was the ahi tuna tempura:
served on a bed of seaweed salad and avocado-rocoto-mayo along with ponzu
sauce, garnished with slices of fried garlic. This dish would seem to be
equally at home in the Ginza or Granada...appropriate enough in Las Vegas,
where geography is incidental, but flavors matter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Named by Esquire magazine as one of the nation's best
restaurants in recent years, this is a hotel-lobby-eatery worth checking out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> The Venetian:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulltzgprjR7iCOp-7FrGn4_E6Ez7oqlFoCQ5daUA8dWgeePMCLYmld60YhTOZGixNPcon-HxYjUqnnwNxHLQPnylDNK640s8C4zWcLj-0prCOxqXkmCSPvDFr9g5DC27IeV6ZuGnmzQK5/s1600/IMG_5937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulltzgprjR7iCOp-7FrGn4_E6Ez7oqlFoCQ5daUA8dWgeePMCLYmld60YhTOZGixNPcon-HxYjUqnnwNxHLQPnylDNK640s8C4zWcLj-0prCOxqXkmCSPvDFr9g5DC27IeV6ZuGnmzQK5/s1600/IMG_5937.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A country-Italian dream, no?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Because what says "Venice" more</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">than this duo of country-singers?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmH7uTqF1tLUtXVBqW3SoTiGKAW29TBsKpI8pY6OXNJQcVk-24gJVPppDV0szDGa1ZaEQFILJ9i-D_k2QEGeJ57iKV8Wz8MUjxYJBJ8e49Pj-NzxJIj1cf6oWRHHLyGuU77JWHRRUhvQm9/s1600/IMG_6117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmH7uTqF1tLUtXVBqW3SoTiGKAW29TBsKpI8pY6OXNJQcVk-24gJVPppDV0szDGa1ZaEQFILJ9i-D_k2QEGeJ57iKV8Wz8MUjxYJBJ8e49Pj-NzxJIj1cf6oWRHHLyGuU77JWHRRUhvQm9/s1600/IMG_6117.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When in The Venetian, all things Italian might come to mind, but go up to the 10th floor of the Venezia Tower, think <i>French</i>, and you'll find the best--and most elegant--breakfast on The Strip, which we did on Monday morning, before driving back down to Tucson:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVd4pXLIqtGeWwlgJ_2Q9u5XUXNAo8yfjFL0CXW_UDUJ4dKl6Pv0BurPIbq0Uadl-gi9kD8Zs_JbAitVlKhJcZj4-9_NRcJ-qckOSA5ZJC9lxfVjLQFBZUzV1dMO2LTar2ICjn88k-PE7/s1600/IMG_6043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVd4pXLIqtGeWwlgJ_2Q9u5XUXNAo8yfjFL0CXW_UDUJ4dKl6Pv0BurPIbq0Uadl-gi9kD8Zs_JbAitVlKhJcZj4-9_NRcJ-qckOSA5ZJC9lxfVjLQFBZUzV1dMO2LTar2ICjn88k-PE7/s1600/IMG_6043.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Make your way
down the elegant marbled corridor with views of the Pool Garden courtyard, then
turn right at the dark wood paneling: <a href="http://www.venetian.com/Las-Vegas-Restaurants/Fine-Dining/Bouchon/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Thomas Keller's "Bouchon."</span></a> Amidst the potted palms and soaring
windows, this is relaxing old-school-chic...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Get the Bouchon French Toast: layers of warm brioche,
custard, apples and maple syrup. Whoever you're with should get something
savory with the Lyonnaise potatoes--they're the best breakfast potatoes I have<i> ever </i>had...And don't skip the pâtisseries. Splurge on this breakfast as you
would on a several-course-meal; you won't regret it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Purists might protest, saying that in France, eggs, potatoes
and "French toast" are nonexistent at a traditional breakfast
table--bread, butter, jam, and café au lait should suffice. True. But, that's
the beauty (if 'beauty' is the word) of Las Vegas--it's full of carefully crafted
essences of elsewhere, but copies don't always have to be faithful in every
detail. At Bouchon, you can feast tastefully in the morning as the French
<i>might</i>, not as they actually do.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The exciting highlight that broke up our drive back to Tucson--the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Bridge_(Lake_Havasu_City)" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">London Bridge</span></a>. The real deal, not faux. In the late 1960's, after being painstakingly deconstructed and transported across the ocean, the London Bridge was re-built on the shores of Lake Havasu on the Colorado River. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU6oxMHC1cx5WIP71-NpZaBxN6ZFst-R9PycuH8Ew5Irb7zr6UIcyppFHmlWkMCF-nNFywa7VWzBLALPkyZCRkmjhm7QKJoZYfhqlCz7CFujxkilRu_UOH82G4oWJ9Q3oBxVZfJckoj3wS/s1600/IMG_5985t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU6oxMHC1cx5WIP71-NpZaBxN6ZFst-R9PycuH8Ew5Irb7zr6UIcyppFHmlWkMCF-nNFywa7VWzBLALPkyZCRkmjhm7QKJoZYfhqlCz7CFujxkilRu_UOH82G4oWJ9Q3oBxVZfJckoj3wS/s1600/IMG_5985t.jpg" height="332" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It's worth stopping <i>if</i> you're driving through the area--but my wife and I both agreed that this would not really be a 'destination' for us. Ever again. It's a curiosity. And yes, there <i>is</i> water. And according to some, this bridge is the second-most-visited destination in Arizona, after the Grand Canyon. But...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">At least it's free. I mean--if you <i>really</i> want WATER, Lake Mead--or San Diego!--are not that far of a drive away...(Sorry, Lake Havasu...)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> =====================</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Now, back to Paris.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But not this one.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSXuH1ExorXN7zG8fJ2wITJ8odHq4boOxqTEen8qMBTkiViskXvywaZUzXKLC2mUhTw7HERmR6ZjXdeVdulHqszYCvX2NgH9xREp2hcNJoglBTRHN6y6XdDHKJg85VINxzuKTRsUtB1st/s1600/IMG_6039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSXuH1ExorXN7zG8fJ2wITJ8odHq4boOxqTEen8qMBTkiViskXvywaZUzXKLC2mUhTw7HERmR6ZjXdeVdulHqszYCvX2NgH9xREp2hcNJoglBTRHN6y6XdDHKJg85VINxzuKTRsUtB1st/s1600/IMG_6039.JPG" height="261" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This one:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBgQPVUtxZVIu059i5EnM_9mTgVDKA5AGAXdoYG11-JwlAxIYJA3qC-xdh_lLCbLnduBDRw8o2ljWUy60-2uhmR7LcwUtvjNjeqLxeitUaQNtPTr99hfQ1FCMY96iMN0Es4oRMJPBrMQAE/s1600/IMG_6109%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBgQPVUtxZVIu059i5EnM_9mTgVDKA5AGAXdoYG11-JwlAxIYJA3qC-xdh_lLCbLnduBDRw8o2ljWUy60-2uhmR7LcwUtvjNjeqLxeitUaQNtPTr99hfQ1FCMY96iMN0Es4oRMJPBrMQAE/s1600/IMG_6109%5B1%5D.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(For one glorious morning last summer,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">this was the view that we woke up to--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">literally turning over in bed,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">and seeing this from the pillow</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">in our Montmartre hotel...)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">There has been a spate of negative press about Paris recently. In a travel discussion I was part of the other week, several people took pride in saying how 'overrated' Paris is...Huh? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Yes, I know--I teach French, and so I guess it's entirely predictable that I should come to the defense of the city I was fortunate enough to call home for one heady year...But, really, this recent fad of disdaining one of the world's greatest cities makes my jaw drop. You don't have to 'love' Paris--(and I gotta say, I get hives when I meet language-teacher colleagues who are over-the-top francophiles and adorn every corner of their classrooms with Eiffel-tower-this and fleur-de-lis-that)--but if you're going to be objective and educated-<i>sounding</i> (I mean, at last <i>sound</i> like you know something) you have to acknowledge the importance of this city in the history of World Civilization. (Caps intended.) Portland might be overrated (although I do love 'Portlandia'), but Paris? That's like dismissing the Pyramids or The Great Wall as just, well, you know, <i>piles of rock</i>. Even if you don't know the language, saying that Paris 'just isn't worth visiting' just reveals how much you don't know about what you don't know.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But maybe that's the point. If you don't know anything (or enough) about a place and don't care to find out, then, yes, that place would, according to your uninformed point of view, be 'overrated.' And for people who have a 'theme-park' mentality--those who travel only for diversion and consumption--well, yes, Paris might be 'overrated.' <i>Unlike theme parks, Paris has litter. And homeless. And some of its subway stations smell like piss. So I guess New York and London would also be overrated. And Beijing--puhleez, with its smog and all those people who don't speak English--well, it's overrated as well. So just go to Epcot. Or Las Vegas. Then tell us how 'authentic' it was.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A couple of days ago, <i><a href="http://theatlanticcities.com/"><span style="color: lime;">TheAtlanticCities.com</span></a></i> posted this well-written column, dealing with the same topic, "<a href="http://www.theatlanticcities.com/arts-and-lifestyle/2014/01/hating-paris-so-hot-right-now/8143/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Hating Paris is So Hot Right Now</span></a>." Check it out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I feel compelled to quote Feargus O'Sullivan's conclusion:</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...if we scrutinized other European cities as harshly,
they'd fare no better. Look hard at forward-looking, exciting Berlin, for
example, and you’ll notice that since the millennium its new architecture has
become the dullest and most conservative in all Europe. And if inner Paris is a
museum city, a pretty stage set from which lower and middle income people are
being harried by high costs, then so is London – just without the prettiness.
Paris is too old, too big and too beautiful to be over, to be completely out of
date or to fail. Its inhabitants are often damned wholesale as rude or
stand-offish, but if anything, it’s they who deserve to be shown a little more
warmth.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And besides, a city where you can have fresh sushi delivered to you via motorcycle <i>canNOT</i> be 'overrated.'</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI78Q4u-EeQsD1LdZaAlrjca0D_T9clh05iPxs8W7WMiChPD-FFUGNw-L7dHO5KD7AGVICh3bDMf51MXdAueBrYZuIEGgEQkdmSHunx356qEGaJJtZS63C-Hp7vtCxzZA1KhdjKNwq3zEg/s1600/IMG_6110%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI78Q4u-EeQsD1LdZaAlrjca0D_T9clh05iPxs8W7WMiChPD-FFUGNw-L7dHO5KD7AGVICh3bDMf51MXdAueBrYZuIEGgEQkdmSHunx356qEGaJJtZS63C-Hp7vtCxzZA1KhdjKNwq3zEg/s1600/IMG_6110%5B1%5D.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...ending with Gyeongbokgung, the largest of the <a href="http://www.afar.com/travelers/joseph-cyr/wanderlists/palaces-in-seoul" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">palaces in Seoul</span></a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A few days ago, the winners of the <a href="http://mobilephotoawards.com/3rd-annual-mobile-photography-awards-winners-honorable-mentions/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">2013 Mobile Photography Awards</span></a> were announced...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">and for the second year in a row, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm honored to have a photo chosen among the Honorable Mentions</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">for the <a href="http://mobilephotoawards.com/2013-mobile-photography-awards-travel-by-trover-category-winners/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Travel</span></a> category:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiXqqAmPmmCa1mVtDQaBCNbRVgvhctHOYMbAc4Ob7_F6UN3FDsVsNKjM4OaiPgWM2DAv4dfXFqr57TGdnAigXlY-MtQV0ffzFOVmWzq1b4CT7ppyHxTJ_E3ARxJjWt7i90pj1p3EDznltc/s1600/through+Gwanghwamun+MPA+t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiXqqAmPmmCa1mVtDQaBCNbRVgvhctHOYMbAc4Ob7_F6UN3FDsVsNKjM4OaiPgWM2DAv4dfXFqr57TGdnAigXlY-MtQV0ffzFOVmWzq1b4CT7ppyHxTJ_E3ARxJjWt7i90pj1p3EDznltc/s1600/through+Gwanghwamun+MPA+t.jpg" height="640" width="564" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">--<a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/through-the-gate-dot-dot-dot-living-history-in-seoul" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">The Changing of the Guard</span></a>, seen through Gwanghwamun Gate--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A scene from the same palace grounds,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">but taken on a different day, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">placed <a href="http://mobilephotographyblog.com/travel/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">last year</span></a>:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAx-yutBNPJmUCiPXOJd3ERZhqcOLbTdJg3__MrSlyGDHTOOSdi7jH9Ull2Nir7CRL4p-Oh-CGXfb9lX3CXkvojIpJqo3LdzKEnduyrxrlgMHV7PgFN30HMLbDQQ6S7ecRfqE1__ZWuUHB/s1600/hyangweonjeon+honorable+mention+in+2012+mpa+travel+t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAx-yutBNPJmUCiPXOJd3ERZhqcOLbTdJg3__MrSlyGDHTOOSdi7jH9Ull2Nir7CRL4p-Oh-CGXfb9lX3CXkvojIpJqo3LdzKEnduyrxrlgMHV7PgFN30HMLbDQQ6S7ecRfqE1__ZWuUHB/s1600/hyangweonjeon+honorable+mention+in+2012+mpa+travel+t.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">--<a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/pavilion-of-far-reaching-fragrance" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Hyangweonjeon</span></a>, "The Pavilion of Far-reaching Fragrance"--</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309112924305646256.post-22251889722284277112014-01-15T22:19:00.001-08:002014-01-15T22:47:31.662-08:00A five-day road trip: from Tucson to the Grand Canyon and Santa Fe<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The semester is already a week-and-a-half under way, but S. and I are still feeling refreshed from a little road-trip we took during my winter break. If you have a few days and the weather is good--which it usually is in this part of the country, even in winter--this itinerary might suit you. </span><br />
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Landscape, architecture, and <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terroir" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">terroir</span></a>: </i>a five-day loop from Tucson.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Day 1</i>--Tucson to the Grand Canyon...<i>Day 2</i>--Grand Canyon to Flagstaff...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Day 3</i>: Flagstaff to Santa Fe...<i>Day 4</i>: Santa Fe and environs...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Day 5</i>: the long drive back to Tucson, with lunch in Hatch.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvr9gJ9gykitoamkvgWX2h3oShyphenhyphenlK5NslYDy_QNJLn2iSidXfUySttRe1vfrDUyDIg-J5JmwiGaxWAfSxdBoaZF1zkXbxse0nEH1ZFr3prRm-RpRyw76dgUvshizyw5BcDl0utfRr64k6/s1600/MAP.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvr9gJ9gykitoamkvgWX2h3oShyphenhyphenlK5NslYDy_QNJLn2iSidXfUySttRe1vfrDUyDIg-J5JmwiGaxWAfSxdBoaZF1zkXbxse0nEH1ZFr3prRm-RpRyw76dgUvshizyw5BcDl0utfRr64k6/s1600/MAP.JPG" /></span></a></div>
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From Tucson to the Grand Canyon--you <i>can </i>do it in five-and-a-half hours<i> if </i>the traffic in Phoenix isn't bad. There are so many worthwhile sights along the way--the ruins of <a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/not-a-fort-not-aztec-but-montezuma-castle-nonetheless" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Montezuma Castle</span></a>, the red rock country of <a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/stay-above-sedona" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Sedona</span></a>, the old mining-town of <a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/still-standing-still-open-dot-dot-dot" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Jerome</span></a>--but if you just want to <i>get there</i>,<i> </i>drive via the old Route 66-town of Williams instead of through Flagstaff, and you'll be stretching your legs on the South Rim by (late) lunch-time.</span><br />
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In winter, the crowds disappear and solitude is possible even on the South Rim. From December through February, you can drive your own vehicle west on the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/grca/parkmgmt/hermit.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Hermit Road</span></a>, instead of having to wait for shuttle buses. Get out to a viewpoint, <a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/sunset-over-the-grand-canyon" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">watch the sunset</span></a>, and if the winds are right, hear the roar of the Colorado River's rapids, a vertical mile below you...The mild afternoon quickly becomes a glacial night at this altitude, with the thin desert air--winter nights sometimes drop into the single digits, even if afternoons are sunny and well above freezing. Bring layers...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsXfUjRUEqVCavhwOHRB65HEg6SD8ZzdadC0K8eJd7f9vajhqVs3IfNUMd7tknQbefWhlDRDvZretCbJyyQu42NWyCc2OumNvwzbRogbhWlJAMYzhHsU3OpTWZilhJXmA260V7YUHYzVV/s1600/IMG_4687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsXfUjRUEqVCavhwOHRB65HEg6SD8ZzdadC0K8eJd7f9vajhqVs3IfNUMd7tknQbefWhlDRDvZretCbJyyQu42NWyCc2OumNvwzbRogbhWlJAMYzhHsU3OpTWZilhJXmA260V7YUHYzVV/s1600/IMG_4687.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, the last sunset of 2013...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwR3fVKBLdHdJqCcPLVf50zGl8jOo1r1YB_LJvDr6OP4IJROJ3XbVHQ-CjhZD0FL2yhYeSoHATzvlAwgQqPe9XlpOQCsXcLfKv5gYv4othrCzd3VAxv2xv-YxEWatwNLFflTZzS4Q2YCAQ/s1600/IMG_4684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwR3fVKBLdHdJqCcPLVf50zGl8jOo1r1YB_LJvDr6OP4IJROJ3XbVHQ-CjhZD0FL2yhYeSoHATzvlAwgQqPe9XlpOQCsXcLfKv5gYv4othrCzd3VAxv2xv-YxEWatwNLFflTZzS4Q2YCAQ/s1600/IMG_4684.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and the first sunrise of 2014:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZTm-FMFCrHPDYNQroTZQQTSpv7cuN8_i8bfP3Zopdz7jJtD5GFWrFxvwPEziAz9ZPVNWgnKI1O0zP6jX1itGFUEhvN4RT_yAB3MQs_FvCl1lMcNGurzjXLsHhtLVJXfrQGGVKlgy6_wua/s1600/IMG_4829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZTm-FMFCrHPDYNQroTZQQTSpv7cuN8_i8bfP3Zopdz7jJtD5GFWrFxvwPEziAz9ZPVNWgnKI1O0zP6jX1itGFUEhvN4RT_yAB3MQs_FvCl1lMcNGurzjXLsHhtLVJXfrQGGVKlgy6_wua/s1600/IMG_4829.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So many visitors come to the canyon, take a few snapshots, and leave after just a few hours at one of the world's greatest sights...Stay at least a night if you can, then wake up the next morning for <a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/dawn-above-the-grand-canyon-finding-solitude" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">sunrise</span></a>. Get to the rim early to see the chasms below light up as sunlight pours into the naked geology...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzDvcE8ekRZlP9CFcis-zKxuMa843DW-GfGkGHnqJSPCytCSZmVYlielCR8BQpqlW1wWv0g_E-OA9WNGBVhaP_fvb9MsyYvW_j8OWK2USXOudYcCAIxOLASJXXODHpCFJTJA3LD8FbCOT/s1600/IMG_4898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzDvcE8ekRZlP9CFcis-zKxuMa843DW-GfGkGHnqJSPCytCSZmVYlielCR8BQpqlW1wWv0g_E-OA9WNGBVhaP_fvb9MsyYvW_j8OWK2USXOudYcCAIxOLASJXXODHpCFJTJA3LD8FbCOT/s1600/IMG_4898.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And maybe, just maybe, <i>Nemo</i> will make an appearance,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">as he gets his portrait taken...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_BKa870LSF-FPdwhXx-eiP-WggqFvTGusU171hZJ6K1yd0F-NQ-3BNI-W_EN95S_muuxTtd9vPIT81MOiJv_ewyLKeFCpzQWaz1_O9QVHIR3fOUieoHSfCGmSApkIY02wsGN5FoGJCsN/s1600/IMG_4844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_BKa870LSF-FPdwhXx-eiP-WggqFvTGusU171hZJ6K1yd0F-NQ-3BNI-W_EN95S_muuxTtd9vPIT81MOiJv_ewyLKeFCpzQWaz1_O9QVHIR3fOUieoHSfCGmSApkIY02wsGN5FoGJCsN/s1600/IMG_4844.JPG" height="400" width="386" /></span></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(Evidently, there is a 'service' in Japan that you purchase that will allow you to send a favorite stuffed animal to a foreign location so that it can be photographed there before it and the photos get returned to you. Hmm...vicarious stuffed-travel? Perhaps that's what was going on here...)</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Driving from the Canyon to Flagstaff you'll pass by the <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/coconino/about-forest/about-area/?cid=stelprdb5340115" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">San Francisco Peaks</span></a>, dormant volcanoes that are the highest peaks in Arizona...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjku2m1OjxZMntdM-HSDyLu_dkaNHSJSOpmOhHlTmV0CXMHbViXtP32NjuV2p60E9dPqMOcIfyKRROWsancSr8iccdyN62YqDkH4VeQx7FWdLzs5zIKF54wnYNpgSKubdAaepGcK0_QgdTR/s1600/IMG_4885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjku2m1OjxZMntdM-HSDyLu_dkaNHSJSOpmOhHlTmV0CXMHbViXtP32NjuV2p60E9dPqMOcIfyKRROWsancSr8iccdyN62YqDkH4VeQx7FWdLzs5zIKF54wnYNpgSKubdAaepGcK0_QgdTR/s1600/IMG_4885.JPG" height="302" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Flagstaff is a mountain/college-town worth exploring. Rather than just pass through on your way from New Mexico to California, or from the Grand Canyon to elsewhere, spend some time here--the 19th-century downtown is compact but vibrant and has become a regional dining mecca, with <a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/sunday-morning-motulenos-in-flagstaff" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">farm-to-table restaurants</span></a> and <a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/microbrews-at-7000-feet-slake-your-thirst-in-flagstaff" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">micro-breweries</span></a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyGc1zTB59JQ79P1IxUfkL0ZeK5Lz5T6HG2RXvjhcDCt6xC7VQGKL4-wzwtyb7H-_r9mRhyphenhyphenTHKwiLPD3XWO64fd1q6JDLUxGrhWDX1hdijuxpPttD6KVRqrSZ3uXCHUPh7IcdX_9-VMj7/s1600/IMG_4907.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyGc1zTB59JQ79P1IxUfkL0ZeK5Lz5T6HG2RXvjhcDCt6xC7VQGKL4-wzwtyb7H-_r9mRhyphenhyphenTHKwiLPD3XWO64fd1q6JDLUxGrhWDX1hdijuxpPttD6KVRqrSZ3uXCHUPh7IcdX_9-VMj7/s1600/IMG_4907.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In <a href="http://babbittsbackcountry.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Babbitt's Backcountry Outfitters</span></a>,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">check out <i>the Girl with the Pearl Earring AND the Blue Backpack</i>...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Check out Diablo Burger for lunch;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">it's '<i><a href="http://www.diabloburger.com/site/page?view=story" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">all about local</span></a></i>.'</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjm9Yn8wC22RFAH6qrVVMoaNwwgNmFTQ7dmJj14pTPy-1VA97HJa2FHJotUlKFB4HT_ghYXCajXx7sh57WkdlAe6wm2TAW1PHzAmtTOLK52shDy84gBDodFlumrhNw_a6-NsSuHIqkTK98/s1600/IMG_4863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjm9Yn8wC22RFAH6qrVVMoaNwwgNmFTQ7dmJj14pTPy-1VA97HJa2FHJotUlKFB4HT_ghYXCajXx7sh57WkdlAe6wm2TAW1PHzAmtTOLK52shDy84gBDodFlumrhNw_a6-NsSuHIqkTK98/s1600/IMG_4863.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And don't forget to <i>tip the cow.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhndPWudr6PestoQOe_yJ7sH_TNeQvFOsUu-LbjoNXgebJkiuymDb867pHsmtGJGXzI5eO3UeYmtOsBdMK2Fpe74UqvfRkbVhSlIyG-hEljpdetmGk3sG750zN2gqfx4Nv5lrmGUdyInF0k/s1600/IMG_4858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhndPWudr6PestoQOe_yJ7sH_TNeQvFOsUu-LbjoNXgebJkiuymDb867pHsmtGJGXzI5eO3UeYmtOsBdMK2Fpe74UqvfRkbVhSlIyG-hEljpdetmGk3sG750zN2gqfx4Nv5lrmGUdyInF0k/s1600/IMG_4858.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">By all means, spend some time in <a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/coffee-martinis-rendezvous-in-flagstaff-dot-dot-dot" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Rendezvous</span></a>, a coffee/martini-bar in a hotel from the 1920's.</span></div>
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<a href="http://media.afar.com/uploads/images/post_images/images/m8AiPVAQC8/post_display_cropped_open-uri20131202-23363-1bzq726?1386035934" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="http://media.afar.com/uploads/images/post_images/images/m8AiPVAQC8/post_display_cropped_open-uri20131202-23363-1bzq726?1386035934" height="430" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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A good place to go for a walk or a run and appreciate the forest-and-volcanic-peak-landscape (Flagstaff sits in the middle of the world's largest expanse of ponderosa pines) is <a href="http://flagstaff.az.gov/index.aspx?NID=1789" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Buffalo Park</span></a>--on a mesa above downtown, a trail loops for a couple of miles through meadow and woodland...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kiU_DthzTbpML6k3msnbkpUGfxLCWPm-nrb36ALXUqlkzx5k_uPGyQAV0CaDqjMdKbz113hcS_Q860iZz_LiQJlmIlaVHNyC5FAkPX9N90UHO1MJDo3-wRk8JAoJeWjK1wJmltXDumu_/s1600/IMG_5242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kiU_DthzTbpML6k3msnbkpUGfxLCWPm-nrb36ALXUqlkzx5k_uPGyQAV0CaDqjMdKbz113hcS_Q860iZz_LiQJlmIlaVHNyC5FAkPX9N90UHO1MJDo3-wRk8JAoJeWjK1wJmltXDumu_/s1600/IMG_5242.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Driving from Flagstaff to Santa Fe will take about five and a half hours, which means you'll hit the town of <i><a href="http://www.thegallupchamber.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Gallup</span></a></i>, NM right about lunch-time. This high-desert town, also on old Route 66, is surrounded by the Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni nations. Avoid the chain-restaurants along the Interstate and go a few blocks into town. Stop in at <a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/answer-new-mexicos-state-question-at-jerrys-cafe" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Jerry's Café</span></a>, and as you eat your plate of red-and-green chile, then soak it up with your sopaipilla, Native American artisans might come around to your table, with some of their crafts for sale...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidotv8RWdTzhVwJ3JwQ0SdidzbO-R41peFY4Q_ZQ7KHeq2LKimJRBeGKarNrkXEeewPsp3abH-WTs-CSDzBlB7Ak85a5bOlO1lOdxOlEhVQyU83rMxSN-vS3hi2xssjE9vZTiC_VSVC0YB/s1600/IMG_4930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidotv8RWdTzhVwJ3JwQ0SdidzbO-R41peFY4Q_ZQ7KHeq2LKimJRBeGKarNrkXEeewPsp3abH-WTs-CSDzBlB7Ak85a5bOlO1lOdxOlEhVQyU83rMxSN-vS3hi2xssjE9vZTiC_VSVC0YB/s1600/IMG_4930.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.afar.com/travel-guides/united-states/new-mexico/santa-fe/highlights" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;"><i>Santa Fe</i></span></a>--I could go on and on about this <a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/jewelry-and-crafts-in-the-shade-of-four-centuries" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">four-hundred-year-old capital of New Mexico</span></a>. No other city in the U.S. Southwest has as compelling a sense-of-place as this adobe town. At the base of the Sangre de Cristo mountains, you can come here for the outdoors--skiing! hiking!--or the <a href="http://santafe.org/Visiting_Santa_Fe/Museums/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">museums</span></a> and <a href="http://www.santafegalleryassociation.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">galleries</span></a>...and <a href="http://www.newmexico.org/culinary/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">the food</span></a> is a highlight for all visitors. <a href="http://www.allophile.com/2012/08/end-of-another-summer-breakback-from-nm.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">I'd visited here before</span></a> in the summer, but my wife had never been, and coming here in the winter, we felt like we had the place to ourselves. Afternoons in the 40's, but nights in the teens...plenty of pinyon-scented coffee and chile-laced chocolate to keep us warm...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6ZkqAdVWKu9qnpk3UsMpiVKxoxUiUdLFmoiejKjChZM1Welxl-X-0ZCctj4kzvGk-CqqALpLFT0metSaUxmPXGOeDKHYhNS8QaErEQSVcpZp6BQThROuMO3JyevofGL1lXql8phKbhaz/s1600/photo+2-709259.JPG" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6ZkqAdVWKu9qnpk3UsMpiVKxoxUiUdLFmoiejKjChZM1Welxl-X-0ZCctj4kzvGk-CqqALpLFT0metSaUxmPXGOeDKHYhNS8QaErEQSVcpZp6BQThROuMO3JyevofGL1lXql8phKbhaz/s320/photo+2-709259.JPG" height="400" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5969353040284364978" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Fajitas in the Plaza on a winter morning...Breathe it in...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And just a few blocks away, some of <a href="http://local.msn.com/events/most-luxurious-places-to-drink-hot-chocolate" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">the best chocolate</span></a> anywhere,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">at <a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/chimayo-in-your-chocolate-in-santa-fe" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Kakawa</span></a>:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKWRYCRUsN0l7hcR_nM_V0GL6QFs4QP_SnrWC80fl7BgXLf7mGvyN8IBqdcU1JPBhO7_0X1FB3KDhLN-OHTQSxQaTckfvb-WIiKAXuDRN0ofdFbPftYK7x6Rr1mY0SdU0lr4cZ-Dfo7ooZ/s1600/santa+fe+kakawa+chocolate+highlight.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKWRYCRUsN0l7hcR_nM_V0GL6QFs4QP_SnrWC80fl7BgXLf7mGvyN8IBqdcU1JPBhO7_0X1FB3KDhLN-OHTQSxQaTckfvb-WIiKAXuDRN0ofdFbPftYK7x6Rr1mY0SdU0lr4cZ-Dfo7ooZ/s1600/santa+fe+kakawa+chocolate+highlight.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://kakawachocolates.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">This unassuming adobe house in Santa Fe</span></a> is home to one of
the world's 'top ten places' to drink chocolate. (Seriously. It ranks up there
with anything in Europe or South America.) Walk the few blocks from the city's
central Plaza, open the door and inhale the pre-columbian fragrance of the
eight or nine 'drinking elixirs' that will be swirling and ready to serve. Free
samples will tempt and educate you...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My wife lingered over the "Spanish" blend, sipping
on a blend of chocolate, floral essence, coconut sugar and spices, while I had
their version of "atole," a traditional hearty breakfast drink made
with blue corn masa, chocolate, honey, Mexican vanilla, and local chimayó chile
pepper.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But there's more to cacao here than just drinking; the
handmade truffles, caramels and mendiants are arrestingly good! The house-made
agave caramels dusted with chile powder (again, from the beloved chimayó
peppers from their namesake valley just north of the city) or topped with nuts
from the pinyon pines so common in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo
mountains--these are treats with a definite taste-of-place.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpwFBMkjW7Q7mwBNNm6rSLuXv9W7rRVKUQ1EArXZMRnDeEXArmxWc_V0RzS2dc5I0ApQv_3uT3e4Ewo5ppMFScgYk01Y48JOkxh7N4troOhSnpchpcuaMrJfLjfbqEOMQK5AcR3HTM2Xv/s1600/IMG_5123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpwFBMkjW7Q7mwBNNm6rSLuXv9W7rRVKUQ1EArXZMRnDeEXArmxWc_V0RzS2dc5I0ApQv_3uT3e4Ewo5ppMFScgYk01Y48JOkxh7N4troOhSnpchpcuaMrJfLjfbqEOMQK5AcR3HTM2Xv/s1600/IMG_5123.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The adobe Mission San Miguel,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">builtin 1610, the oldest church in the U.S.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHl-OhlZxhRScm21PKZIoeulyUNMALAQquhWLMn-dh_O0D_NJc9VJvQnop0y8omBcdvD9tKSEfn0QEddJ_UvfKdlLmhXNynSboPi7uAuA5zmwOPTxYhIdztiauNSiwAyWAz5TU422-RRD/s1600/photo+3-712534.JPG" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHl-OhlZxhRScm21PKZIoeulyUNMALAQquhWLMn-dh_O0D_NJc9VJvQnop0y8omBcdvD9tKSEfn0QEddJ_UvfKdlLmhXNynSboPi7uAuA5zmwOPTxYhIdztiauNSiwAyWAz5TU422-RRD/s320/photo+3-712534.JPG" height="190" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5969353052716348002" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Along the <a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/adobe-churches-and-mountain-views-the-high-road-to-taos" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">high road to Taos</span></a>, the first of the old Spanish settlements in the foothills is Chimayó. It's known for two things: the adobe Santuario with its 'miraculous' dirt (the "Lourdes of America), and its chile peppers. S. <a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/santos-dot-dot-dot-woodcarving-dot-dot-dot-popsicles-and-chile" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">stocked up on different chile</span></a> powders:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrZ-22jb8ZvaLK_Syp-j9Vk3g8vVOVJu8YymsFaqx6-Yok4SQRjBAwopuKBioGPyn7DP8RGIMcl3cWN_yYuqeqIJgdQq7gdLxXRHs2R8de7fhBMlvNfdLJtB_OI1h839fxmUN-X7yXCTL/s1600/photo+1-706614.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrZ-22jb8ZvaLK_Syp-j9Vk3g8vVOVJu8YymsFaqx6-Yok4SQRjBAwopuKBioGPyn7DP8RGIMcl3cWN_yYuqeqIJgdQq7gdLxXRHs2R8de7fhBMlvNfdLJtB_OI1h839fxmUN-X7yXCTL/s320/photo+1-706614.JPG" height="400" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5969353027583615954" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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...and then, we had dinner at a New Mexico institution:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3e3LdSu7rkVmnI84smczUCHyLaBD-E0ccEW79QS_tI-YeXjQvxM8v2BVtxYcrlzZPd6-kW0PJNfdSz_2ydHzQ201reyQ7d0zNsWKKaFer5iZmxrH3kb8zznQelBzPb0CEulYMkAcCt4VA/s1600/rancho+de+chimayo+highlight.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3e3LdSu7rkVmnI84smczUCHyLaBD-E0ccEW79QS_tI-YeXjQvxM8v2BVtxYcrlzZPd6-kW0PJNfdSz_2ydHzQ201reyQ7d0zNsWKKaFer5iZmxrH3kb8zznQelBzPb0CEulYMkAcCt4VA/s1600/rancho+de+chimayo+highlight.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Just down the road from the Santuario is the century-old adobe home that houses
the "<a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/a-culinary-pilgrimage-in-the-foothills-of-the-sangre-de-cristo-mountains" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Rancho de Chimayó</span></a>." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Owned by the
Jaramillo family, this restaurant is known for its carne adovada--pork that has
been stewed to tenderness in red chile. You may or may not believe in the power
of the dirt in the Santuario's floor, but the taste of this valley's chile will
have you convinced that the terroir--the taste of place--deserves its venerable
reputation. Get the "combinación picante" so that you can sample a
tamal, rolled cheese enchilada, beans and posole along with the carne adovada.
And don't use all of your sopaipilla (the steaming square of puffy frybread) to
soak up the chile; save a corner so you can douse it with local honey as a
dessert...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Across the road from the restaurant is a
B&B, run by the same family as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And then back to Tucson. It's a long stretch--7 1/2 hours--driving along the cottonwood-lined valley of the Rio Grande...The tiny town of Hatch will be your lunch-break. This is the self-proclaimed world capital of chile peppers. The soil and climate have turned this place into a center of pepper-production, and the capsaicin is celebrated every year around Labor Day during the Hatch Chile Festival. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We had lunch at the <a href="http://www.afar.com/highlights/red-and-green-lunch-in-the-chile-capital" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Pepper Pot</span></a>, where, incidentally, Anthony Bourdain passed through several years ago for one his television shows...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkytSGRf5y7MUx0qvPY1uZq4fj6Q19FViud1bMZLLTOe-vHoe1J0rwLUP9mfmBYh1PTAC6qmJpDvLJaSIL2ZrEAM8yzFAvXsL1QhqhLXhUNPgnvJcXAQoZ7etPSfiN1Ue7iYn_adzFhIJd/s1600/IMG_5214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkytSGRf5y7MUx0qvPY1uZq4fj6Q19FViud1bMZLLTOe-vHoe1J0rwLUP9mfmBYh1PTAC6qmJpDvLJaSIL2ZrEAM8yzFAvXsL1QhqhLXhUNPgnvJcXAQoZ7etPSfiN1Ue7iYn_adzFhIJd/s1600/IMG_5214.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">================</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">About 1300 miles, this loop through <a href="http://www.afar.com/travelers/joseph-cyr/wanderlists/arizona" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Arizona</span></a> and <a href="http://www.afar.com/travelers/joseph-cyr/wanderlists/new-mexico" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">New Mexico</span></a>--</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">deserts, canyons, forests, valleys of peppers, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Anglo, Hispanic, and Native American societies...</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A drive with a definite sense--<i>and tastes</i>--of place...</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309112924305646256.post-76269235969298857092013-12-30T22:40:00.002-08:002014-01-06T13:31:32.833-08:002013: A couple dozen scenes--seen through my iPhone...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Trying to be brief, then, as I look back at scenes from this past year...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...impossible to narrow it down to just a 'top ten' or even a 'one-per-month'...so, how about a <i>couple dozen</i> of my favorite iphoneographic images from 2013? Local landscapes and some scenes from afar, playing with some b&w and painterly effects as well...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">January--</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">on a hike with my wife in the foothills </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">of the Santa Catalina Mountains, happening upon a deer:</span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1j0KVbzKJ67ZwKm-3dpMR5iCUtCY7XxSt9ZMG1TDT_qTr6tyY3TU-POjzeVwrHqTMd7b2fkDA1vHXpWwpp6P3rkLe4hD_xcdz8VQH2TvrKZr-azn5bHaxGIlXwa24Af-8b0yk7hQ324cY/s640/deer+picframe+t.jpg" /></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>February</b>--</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">after living here for six years, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">finally, a snow-covered-saguaro scene:</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9kS6KSX1jzH3t0N5LgpJOgveBwJzd2_fXMfVnN_EMZ4cX0zY_SVBWk3OPTu1eQDlFJh8-o3l_UAUi0Pr2_Sq_3NGqe9J3syGEDI3sBcVzM_tgxeLsFsa-QMSKUHRI7U0qDOTaL5-9OW6/s400/IMG_8124+t.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">also in <b>February</b>--a brief visit in Palm Springs,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">with this larger-than-life Marilyn Monroe:</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhobtcYwMzejOfcJhxJUc7ycViL2NHCVCSIlZstt4SiTcNq6sRwL_qE09UpeHd-D2BCYKrfOITDT10eIrYzpMN3FWherHZX43WD95njkyHzOdosGoYDRMp-WWjhY-TgM6DeX2Yt8X6andQ7/s640/9t.jpg" /></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">March--</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a warm afternoon at the Mission San Xavier del Bac</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJwb8HUksK0-bM7nF15d3HDLK5wt_057PyDRcr6cr29m2BUMuRtSJ6beTS6Jm6Zugs9nEiVRs7Tx8rURZig8FkkObaI9M0tmg7ZHBpYJllRQV2cR_t9J9h7EXUcJv969DcnYGifN9oOc5H/s400/ramada+and+family+and+facade.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...which led to this 'surrealization' of the </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Mission's not-quite-twin towers:</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdtsMT7KMj81TbgYr3zFZqHbFVbinzJB9HexxLmjnjjjthRB7ssEtnOqMOepjmS9phEPB2zvsFpKzuaEkh0LsH3oh2QW0WfEGNWlm1qq61XtD0hpBPTgWLkTdoe1uv5lAQ71lLubq4azrX/s400/not+quite+twins+t.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">April--</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">an architectural walk through</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Tucson's Barrio Viejo,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">its Sonoran-row-house-soul:</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Ww1IgOSN7rOK35qBOhc0xbyiSIvLmtEBDGTrTqDL7kl7xH5m7ZWjvHpvXv5rpuB0ca9_moDnBOoTdChGY2kk7m3_0LEeL0G9RvTjmhLo_KtdHDVb2Ud2tXL2OxtTxy72YYkAUsKCw6Ve/s400/photo+1-710995.JPG" /></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">May--</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">one of my favorite shots of the year,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">which ended up part of <a href="http://vcphoto.org/phone-tography-a-juried-exhibition/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">a juried exhibition</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://vcphoto.org/phone-tography-a-juried-exhibition/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">in Vermont</span></a>:</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHt2xqKFC3CXj34ag8Iy1Bdd9V8D6FmieV5-V7AyST9RdYS9G__pIm_hQnNpablkcJ4HSd-yFSRKVJ_aNEpyXYgH-GOIi7LTYDfGz6KjIXi4SpCDH53ZUURHc0tfHNP9xdqMnkZyAgj3C/s400/dinosaur+squared+when+he+awoke.jpg" height="400" width="383" /></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">June--</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">running on trails amidst the lush</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">subtropical vegetation along the Savannah River</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">in Georgia:</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVUeQO96l5tChVVmZCeOv5RgqjsSKyYz2uYH52t061ig07DUc2WbHnmgbTBuo55Ymj3gqHLdoQSd5RY_k4q7-HTzw1iosHRBJ7bimQcMKJTldK-ZTzJ2ULvtuQX8fC9N2tGhsWl6MdHwr/s400/running+under+the+spanish+moss.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and seeing nature overtake brick</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">along the 19th-c. Augusta Canal:</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoLns6Kg0l86Ap1kAs7cEB0JjJdT6XpDVN5KZUTWG35V5E-LOaWGNRrRo6CYJpu_Y8wonMBuiFFYFjR72ao_99eAfRSpk0YqmmZy2Ua7iNgflEML8czt8IFpRKgG-9b1W9pmP6sB08jii6/s400/IMG_2381.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">July--</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">back to France, after 11 years away,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">with <i>this</i> view from our hotel </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">one night in Montmartre:</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5479/9589143664_8afa3e2810_o.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(playing more and more with painterly effects this year)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and this lunch-break scene in the </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Jardin des Tuileries;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">ups and downs of cellphone calls:</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3824/9556352145_c699b362a3_o.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and <i>dans la chambre de Montaigne</i>,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">in the château of the great Renaissance</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">writer, Michel de Montaigne:</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfr1EVeMS0whWB2kEc9Xy1-Zpkqc6_ZVNwLht1D6dpCqYJhgyvRC2E60yLmf3QGpWFBjqcgtSgXmgJjlBc8jdjXNrfzgas8NXNwEfmrUmBDDAUn0a-dPiXS7G-n3qlT5HtvEUAbcCU-y93/s400/IMG_3137.JPG" /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...the Château de Chenonceau;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">'magical' is such an overused cliché...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and yet, my wife and I keep coming back to that hackneyed word:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3714/9456972560_155e652588_o.jpg" height="363" width="640" /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...an evening on the Dordogne river,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Sainte-Foy-la-Grande:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3685/9315488381_59c85afa1f_o.jpg" height="318" width="640" /></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...then on to Barcelona,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">where faces of the 21st-c. compete</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">with Roman faces from the 1st-c.:</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVbgCx3cQAKHi9HrsuxUHh83_8avGEbmmGtW5Sl27wnJKvzOr4YtYyi4VXgSJR8h5mkriNX3M9WhRRexQ-U45VgUYy8iYYxNf7UgthqdAKxs4aqMhWag3I4XUn9oov4LOMEiDSggXh4doK/s1600/IMG_6058+faces+of+Barcelona+for+CONDE+NAST+contest+2013+t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVbgCx3cQAKHi9HrsuxUHh83_8avGEbmmGtW5Sl27wnJKvzOr4YtYyi4VXgSJR8h5mkriNX3M9WhRRexQ-U45VgUYy8iYYxNf7UgthqdAKxs4aqMhWag3I4XUn9oov4LOMEiDSggXh4doK/s320/IMG_6058+faces+of+Barcelona+for+CONDE+NAST+contest+2013+t.jpg" height="320" width="313" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and Madrid;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">this street-art's attitude</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">sums up </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"<i>Madrid me mata</i>" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">for me:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7290/9329195439_71e23325ba_o.jpg" height="400" width="234" /></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">August--</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">back to the school-year work-week schedule,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">on an after-work run,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a classic Tucson monsoon-season sunset:</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3710/9490411233_90eafbde24_o.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">September--</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">while on trail-runs,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">stopping to notice the</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">late summer desert rain</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">on datura blooms:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5484/9702319129_2083ee720b_o.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">October--</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a visit to the glorious red-rock country around Sedona:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3755/10496595333_313395499a_o.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">November--</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a Grand Canyon sunset:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5523/11241004426_b97337204c_o.jpg" height="288" width="400" /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and sunrise over a sea of fog,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a perhaps once-in-a-decade event:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3768/11227747545_cb7c209c67_o.jpg" height="640" width="449" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...which also included this otherworldly spectacle,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">the atmospheric phenomenon known as </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a 'glory,' or a "Brokcen Spectre": </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHQj-b2N6m_npjB2z0BOu1vFsSEB8FefKsSTsLlG8sa078RsWC5Zt6xjD8v-YOF_rFaLDNBWw2taOCZly1xEyup5J46ulyE6HWFUiYaQv3fDFQjcSqfkhZZ5KA5gDi30hDcgMqXealOMms/s400/IMG_3130.JPG" /></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">December--</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">late autumn color hanging on</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">over reflections in Sabino Canyon:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgMptCdXPnY-4-G37gK7PC9pTK0pNIHNR1kOSSwdP_Og0t1lxkvXfkuBsWUKni-6eLMqiQP__6ix5JoUJXZmQvxSzA03VXH2cwa8T4Na3dwpgoKV1jpNZ4kD_9WeURZeh1_5hNrO0Cv4P/s640/Dec+17+sycamore+panorama+t.jpg" height="371" width="640" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(above photo featured in<span style="color: lime;"> <a href="http://iphoneogenic.wordpress.com/2014/01/01/top31dec2013/" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">iPhoneOgenic's "top 31 of December" showcase</span></a></span>)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...and the final 'ripening' of the desert cottonwoods:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2_zc3SB2Vbw55krSkxi7kWmEBILI2wU1F6Eng0tNoJm6xCT1ux4jgbwykYxBRrld174-1pdcMYKPdKLQQ6-A5hqhJRkq8TauwRj04Tt9kBNgJ1g_H48Xxw55dVJrtjatIlPYS_y9kI8m/s640/photo-720003.JPG" height="640" width="345" /></span></div>
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