More in D.C. ....

First of all, credit goes to Bob for photographing me in the Member's Only Room at the Library of Congress. The lighting was excellent and the decor was phenomenal; subject matter, of course, was something that needed a little bit of work! So how did we get into the Member's Only Room? Well, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin invited us! Well, not just us, but the entire Illinois Community College Trustees Association to discuss Pell and Perkins grant funding as well as the proposed education bill pending within Congress (update -- he did speak about loan forgiveness to prosecutors and public defenders -- it's still being considered). Prior to that, we spent the morning visiting the various Senate and House offices speaking to legislative assistants regarding pending bills. The business day ended on the top floor of the Hart building for a brief reception thrown by the South Carolina Senators for all representatives of community colleges. The view over the capitol was great!

Washington, D.C. -- Exciting Times ....

I thought that by leaving the -25 degree weather behind in Chicago, I would find warmer weather. Well, it's somewhat warmer, but it's still VERY COLD and WINDY here in D.C. Still below zero with the wind chill, but I guess not as cold as it is at home.

The plane ride was somewhat eventful, in fact, I've never experienced turbulence like it before (FYI, neither had the stewardess who had been working for over thirty-five years). During the trip, we dropped three times, only later to find out it was about 50-100 feet each time. It felt kind of like a ride at Great America and I was having a blast, but it was short-lived when I remembered that my ticket didn't include the "added experience."

The educational seminars have been informative, as usual, and tomorrow, we will talk with Senator Durbin to lobby support for community colleges.

It is such an amazing time to be in Washington at this of the year! The Potomac Primaries are tomorrow, so all the buzz in D.C. is about who is going to win. Today, out of mere chance and a little ingenuity, we ended up at the University of Maryland for the Barak Obama rally. The line was over a mile long, stretching and bending clear across the campus. Amazingly, with over 17,000 people crammed inside of the stadium, Barak was fortunate enough to end up speaking only twenty feet away from me! (Side note -- not the closest we've been. In 2006, he used the urinal right next to me down in the tunnels under the Congressional buildings -- I'm pretty sure he remembered me today).

What was awe inspiring about today was the fact that there were so many young people that wanted to be involved in the process of electing the next President of the United States! This is so refreshing in a society that appears to have become complacent and distant from becoming involved within their own government. While talking with some of the people who attended, they said they didn't know who they were going to vote for this coming election, but they wanted to be informed.

This Democratic rally came on the heels of attending the local Republican rally at the Brandywine in Dixon. That place was packed, too, but not quite as much as this Presidential primary. It's been very refreshing to see everyone becoming actively involved within their own governments and looking to make a change.

Each and every generation has a time when it must meet its calling, perhaps that time is now. Change is good, yet active participation is necessary for that change to take place. I'm really excited to see what the rest of the week has to bring. Stay tuned!

Dog Days of Winter ....

Forty Degrees today and time for a brisk walk, or rather run. Jake and Farley are enjoying their time outdoors! When it was all said and done, we found an angel laying on the ground.

Cabin Fever ....

So it's only been a few days since I was out in the New Mexico forest cutting trees, but this weather has been suffocating! Wind chills fell as low as 20 below zero (Fahrenheit for my international watchers), and the snow drifts in the yard were easily three feet high. Today, the weather was a balmy 20 degrees. This meant that at least the dogs could go outside for at least more than a minute. Also, it meant that I could actually spend a couple minutes photographing outdoors.

As soon as I stepped outside, I saw this huge bird sitting on top of one of the branches; I'm thinking that Farley and Jake looked like a tasty meal after the brief cold spell. This bird was fast. It hovered just over the field at about 40 MPH (paced it later in the day with the car). I think it's called a red-tipped hawk, but I'm not certain (feel free to correct me if you know). Also, as I headed into the office, I noticed this other bird of prey watching the cars go by on the side of the road. Amazingly, it's an immature bald eagle. I found this to be pretty amazing because I haven't seen an eagle this far away from the river (about three miles). It makes sense, though, because a good portion of the river is jammed with ice and there are very few open spots left to fish.

Finally, since it was such a nice day. we all took a quick road trip to the Palisades Park near Savanna. Jake and Farley got to get out and stretch their legs. Farley, a little more than Jake.

The last image you see here, courtesy of Rochelle, is what my week was like after work. Jet lag finally set in, and Farley, my little furnace, made it difficult not to fall asleep.

New Mexico ....

No matter what time of the year it is, it has always felt like the same temperature in the mountains near Las Vegas, New Mexico. This time, however, it did feel a slightly colder; but, it was still bearable, and as always, beautiful.

My brother and I were able to finish prepping a fence line through the mountains (see the not so great photo) that goes east to west through the mountains for approximately a mile. While initially this may seem like an easy feat, keep in mind the terrain drops about 50 feet in some places and shoots straight back up. Each morning began with a purchase of t-posts and approximately an hour's drive through paved, gravel, and finally dirt roads into the mountains; using the description of roads is actually a generous term as the terrain is more aptly a jeep trail. Then, we would work the entire day hammering posts into the ground manually with a post pounding hammer. While this process may not seem hazardous at first, you can feel the goose egg on my head which proves otherwise.

When the sun slipped under the peaks, we would begin our way back into town, grab a bite to eat with the family, hit the natural hot springs, and then sometimes have a drink. We would repeat this process each and every day.

The hot springs near the Arm and Hammer International College are not only rejuvenating, but offer a wonderful view during the evening of the old monestarey. This college hosts students from around the world an opportunity for advanced studies here in the United States and was once funded by the queen of England.

Other events that occurred besides the goose egg were a dog attack, a spider bite, and a brief ride to the hospital in the ambulance. So, if you want to find out more, you'll have to ask! I can't wait to go back!

A good day for fishing ....

I drove out past the highschool today and watched the Duke get ready to hunt. It was definitely a sunny, clear day; one of the very few this winter has brought us.

Some more images of Arizona

I finally had an opportunity add some more images from my venture to Arizona. It was an absolutely beautiful environment, from sun to rain, desert to snow, 60 degrees to only 6, it was a contrast in and of itself. By far, though, the Grand Canyon was the most magnificent and awe inspiring natural monument that I experienced on this trip, not to mention my life. As for the seminar portion of the trip, I was able to learn a great deal, too, more about 1983 litigation, county governance, and other civil government practice. It was well worth it.