Seldom Seen Scene

The world is full of interesting people, most of whom I have not met. One such person is the creator of an unusual monument in the bluff country of southwestern Wisconsin. She has created a fascinating venue that features a stone circle, composed on 19 monoliths meticulously arranged and oriented. In addition, there are numerous other monoliths on the site, positioned strategically in reference to the rising of the sun or positions of stars. Not many of us have the ambition that this person has to conceive of a dream, and then execute it. I admire her for that. The site is called Kinstone. I'll let you hunt around the Internet for it. Thanks to +Jon Dannehy for taking us there.

Vote for your favorite Norway photo!

Here are four of my top Norway pictures. Please vote for your favorite!

 Entry #1. The Bryggen, Bergen


Entry #2. Balestrand

 Entry #3. Hornindalsvatnet

Entry #4. Molde Sunset

Travelogue: Hawaii #4

When +Janet Swanson and I went to Hawaii we really enjoyed botanical gardens at Waimea Valley on the north shore of Oahu. There was an amazing variety of beautiful plant and animal life. Here's a two-fer, with just a glimpse of the beauty we saw there.

Travelogue: Norway #5

When +Janet Swanson and I were in Oslo, we used part of the afternoon one day to tour the harbor area. There are a couple of "minicruise" services that allow you to "hop on,  hop off" at a few destinations around Oslo harbor. As we boarded one of the boats, we ducked below out of the wind for a moment. There was a little snack bar below deck, and seated around a table were four older gentlemen enjoying a huge bowl of shrimp. I assumed they weren't tourists, but just four buddies who were hanging out on the boat to shoot the bull. I asked the boat tour guide to ask them on my behalf for permission to take their picture. They gave me some good-natured guff (via the interpreter), but I told them I'd give them half of the proceeds I was going to make selling their portrait. They laughed, and let me take this shot.

Travelogue: China #3

Here's a view over Shanghai from the so-called Pearl Tower. This view barely begins to describe the expanse of the city. The skyscraper to the left has the nickname, The Bottle Opener. It's the Shanghai World Financial Center, among the tallest buildings on mainland China.

February 2012 Balloons

Hard to believe there was so little snow on the ground two years ago, when I took these hot air balloon pics. I always love the creativity that goes into creating a hot air balloon.

Travelogue: Hawaii #3

+Janet Swanson and I are recalling our Hawaii trip, and one of our memorable moments was going to see the double waterfall at Wailua on the island of Kauai. The waterfall itself is amazing (it was part of the opening scenery in the old Fantasy Island tv series), but we got just as much of a kick talking to a mainland transplant that we affectionately refer to as "Coconut Dude". He was camped out by the overlook of the falls. He was not selling coconuts - for that would have been a clear violation of the No Soliciting sign that was posted there - but he had a stack of fresh-picked coconuts that he was giving away for a "free will donation". He left the mainland to pursue his love interest on Kauai (not sure how that was working out...), and he was biding his time climbing trees and *not* selling coconuts. To this day, we get a good laugh out of his free spirit. A good reminder for us all to let go of the seriousness of the world sometimes.

Today you get a three-fer... three shots from Wailua Falls and "Coconut Dude".