Birthday Skies

On my birthday, the sky was full of the letter X. Luckily, I was able to capture them with my trusty iPhone.

8 a.m.

5 p.m. I realize it's hard to see the X, but trust me, it's there.

At the Japanese Festival

These banners depict carp, which swim upstream and therefore symbolize strength and perseverance. I'm going to need some of that on my first day back after the long holiday weekend.

As they say in Nihongo: Ganbatte, ne!

The Office: Bricks and Stone

A while back I posted about the building I work in and promised that it would be the first in a series. Welcome to the second in the series.

Back in the day, bricks were the building material of choice, and so it's impossible to escape them in my office -- even in the bathrooms. And then there are the stones that form the foundation: massive sandy-colored things that were probably shifted by teams of mules, or men.

The bricks meet stone in the basement.





Old and new bricks combine to fill arches.



A modern convenience set on a time-tested foundation.



A latch for a massive sliding door.



A wacky brick; there are heaps of these.

Michigan vs. Illinois: Round One

I've developed a thoroughly unscientific, completely biased theory that Michigan skies are the prettiest. Thus I present the first of several rounds of photo throwdowns.

Illinois:

Michigan:

Lookout Tower

On our way to Michigan last week, we passed this lookout tower (we had to ask what it was) near Hartford, IL. When it's completed, it will offer a killer view of the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.

Getting fancy with the camera

When you're on a road trip, you're not driving, and the sky is super-pretty, having a camera is a great boon.

Peace