New Mexico - Spring 2009

Recently, I had the opportunity to take a few days and head to New Mexico to do a little bit of outdoor work. After driving down through Kansas and hanging out in Topeka for a couple of days due to the transmission breaking down, the majestic view of the mountains was well worth the wait, as were the rejuvinating hot springs. Hanging out with my family is always a blast. BTW, the family photo you see above is only a slice of the whole crowd. My Big Fat Greek Wedding has nothing on me ;)!

Gettysburg ... and Washington, D.C.

I had a few hours to kill on Sunday afternoon before the annual lobbying convention began, so a couple of good friends and I rented a vehicle and headed out of D.C. to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. While we drove around the countryside hitting all of the various battle points, we listened to a historian on cd who recounted the importance of each stop's events. The loss of life was simply staggering ... two stories that I can still hear in my mind are that when the battle in the Wheat Field was said and done, one soldier remarked that there wasn't a spot he could step on which was solid ground. Another remembered laying wounded for two days, waiting for help, and brandishing his sword at the hogs who were feasting on the deceased and those who couldn't fight them off. 51,112 casulties in three days.

The other two images are, of course, the White House and the Capitol Building near the reflecting pool. There seemed to be a very different, energetic buzz happening in D.C. with the new administration. Everyone was focused on passing the new Stimulus Bill in the hopes of dispersing the funds within (60) days ... but no one is quite sure where or how exactly the funds will be dispersed.

I did have the opporutnity to meet with Senator Durbin, Arne Duncan, and Representative Don Manzullo (the last one thoroughly disappointed us). I'm hoping for change!

I had the wonderful opportunity to join a very talented group on a humanitarian trip to Negril, Jamaica at the end of November. They had two goals: First, to implement technology within the classroom, and secondly, to establish the foundation for a bio diesel program to be utilized by emergency vehicles. I am happy to report that not only was the weather beautiful, but the trip was a worthwhile investment and I hope to continue volunteering annually.

Last night in Jamaica ...

On my last day in Jamaica, I was able to spend an hour on the beach and witness the setting sun which changed moods and colors every minute ... breathtaking.

Robert, the man "living with the street" who reminded me that Jamaica was heaven ... well, that everywhere we are at is heaven here on earth because it's such a gift to have life.

A view from Blue Cave Castle in Negril, just outside of my room.

Tony, one of the locals, who owns a small bar/restaurant just down the street.

After making it through customs on Friday afternoon, Bill met me in the airport and we made our way to the Blue Cave Castle in Negril, our meeting point, and started dicussing the logistics of the project at Sheffield school and the biodiesel at the Lucea fire department. Later on Saturday, I was introduced to many of the locals, and started familiarizing myself with the area. The best part of all of this, 70 degrees is the low for the day, and right now, I'm sitting in a tiki type hut, about 100' away from the ocean. Okay, so the internet isn't the greatest ... but seriously, I can live with that ...

NYC

This was my first time to New York City, and I must say, it is very different than any other place that I've had the opportunity to travel. Simply put, this is an international mecca.

While walking down the streets, my ears tuned in to so many different conversations, accents, and dialects. So many different smells wafted through the air, and the food was remarkable, even from the street vendors. With all of the cultural diversity, this is definitely the perfect place for the UN.

There are so many different places that I didn't have the time to vist ... oh well, I guess that just means I'll have to go back :).

Dusk in Dixon ...

Tonight, I had the privileged opportunity of enjoying a wonderful home-cooked Thai dinner atop one of the roof-tops in downtown Dixon. As you can see, the view was splendid as it overlooked the river from the historic downtown area. Several friends, both old and new, made the already splendid meal, fantastic. The menu was chock full of Thai shrimp (which are enormous), seasoned and grilled pork, basted chicken wings, and Thai crunchy peanuts. Far from anything else, there is nothing that brings people together better than a meal shared with friends ... I am blessed.

Top of the world ...

A view off the top of the grain bin on Saturday night after a small thunderstorm passed through ... those are star trails at the top.

A bird by any other name ...

On Friday afternoon, I was fortunate enough to have the wonderful opportunity to board a mighty pirating vessel and travel along the dangerous waves of the Rock River with good ol' Captain No-Beard. Seriously, though, what a wonderful jaunt down the Rock on the pontoon around the little island where we came across these spectacular blue herons. I've been trying to get close enough to these new-age dinosaurs for awhile now, and finally, my friend Bob helped me accomplish this task. For those of you who don't know, this little island in the middle of the Rock used to be home to an amusement park prior to the dam being placed on the river. I hear that on some nights, you can still hear the laughter of children who tried to swim across to the island when they didn't have money to pay for a ferry ride.

Potential ...

On the way to Sterling on Route 30 going to Morrison, I thought I would intercept this fast moving storm. It had produced a large bow-echo on the radar and tornadoes had been reported in the Clinton, IA region, just across the border. When I stopped the SUV, it was still about ninety degrees outside and muggy. These clouds were tumbling right over one another and you could hear the wind rushing through above. Radar indicated sustained shear winds of over 70 MPH! Shortly after my arrival, the storm appeared to become organized and its potential for tornadic threats severely diminished, at least in that area.

Franklin Grove Summer Harvest Festival ...

John and Diane Nicholson, the official honorees of the Franlin Grove Summer Harvest Festival.

Essie takes some quiet time for herself amidst the chaos of the beginning of the parade.

Uncle Jim, Aunt Janet, and the rest of the family!


My boss taking a break after chatting with the locals on the parade route.

John Nicholson walking back through the streets of Franklin Grove after the parade (this guy is always busy!).


Sunset on the way home from the parade. Gorgeous day!

This was the first time that I've been able to celebrate Franklin Grove's Summer Harvest Festival. What a great place, and what a wonderful time for a parade! Sunset is the perfect time for a parade. The lighting is beautiful, the temperature has dropped, and everyone has had the opportunity to spend time with their family all day. Franklin Grove has got it goin' on. John & Diane Nicholson, good friends of mine, were the honorees for the parade and for good reason, too. John sits on the Lee County Board as vice-chair, while Diane works as the director of the Lee County tourism as well as a trustee for Franklin. More than anything else, these are good people who are genuinely trying to better the area.

It was a nice surprise to run into my Aunt Janet and the rest of the family. Her ties with Franklin stem from growing up in the Dixon area and working in Ashton at Crest foods as a computer programmer for many years. It's always great to find friendly faces in the crowd.

As for next year, I plan on getting to Franklin a little earlier to hit the town-wide garage sales and staying later for the square dance!

Planting at the Home Farm - May 21

My dad checking out the "new" planter as he closed in on finishing up planting beans at his farm.

The weather vane on the old barn.

Sunset on a beautiful spring day!

Finally, the fields were dry enough to finish up planting. New to us, but probably still in the 80's, we used a John Deere planter to sew the crop. Giving credit where credit is due, and so I don't hear anything more about it, my brother and dad did most of the planting. I was only able to help with the changing of planter boxes (from corn to beans) and loading the seed. Although, if you ask me later on, I opened and closed the fields!

Day 3 - Stormchasing Lost Images - Seriously, Colorado is this much cooler than Kansas?!

Rich and I after we conquered the mountainous trek up Pike's Peak ... halfway anyway ... and in the Highlander.

Standing on the dam, looking at Pikes Peak. I swear I felt this thing shake.

Captain Morgan strikes one more time! Pike's Peak -- CONQUERED!

A view of Colorado Springs from one of the many scenic pull-offs going up Pike's Peak.