ambivalent images

Smart Arc

A tiny smart car passes by the Arc de Triomphe. The massive scale of the monument makes the already diminutive car look even more tiny. I want a Smart ForTwo!

(Thus ends our brief tour of Paris. L. and her sister had a terrific time and I'm saving my pennies so that one day I may also return to the City of Light.)

Industrial Strength Sleep

A sign inside the Pompidou Center (I think). This was probably part of an art installation of some kind. L. should really be posting this so she could explain...

I don't know what it means, but I think I could use some of that...

Sacre Coeur

The giant white basilica overlooking Montmarte. I really like this view...

Wi-Fi World!

A giant wi-fi symbol in the plaza outside the Pompidou Center. The Pompidou was about my favorite museum in Paris and it turns out it was L's favorite, too.

Les Give Me Five!

An ad at a Paris bus stop. It looks like they might be giving away MacBooks, but I'm not really sure.

Shakespeare and Co.

Shakespeare and Co., which I'm told is a very old bookstore in Paris.

Parisenne Chopper

Bikes L. saw on the streets of Paris. The red one looks superfun to ride, while the green one looks like your typical bicycle built for two.

Notre Dame

The cathedral from a bit of distance. At right is the back of the cathedral. Both views highlight the flying buttresses that support the building from the outside. It's amazing to think construction of this building began in 1163 and didn't finish until nearly 200 years later. The U.S. has only been a nation for just over 200 years. The mind boggles...

Paris Metro

The inside of a metro train in Paris. Nice, huh? As you can see from the pic at right, most of the trains are double-deckers, which is pretty interesting. I was in Paris about 11 years ago and I don't remember any double-decker trains. It seems like a good way to accommodate a growing ridership...

The Tower towers

The Seine with the Eiffel Tower in the background. This is another of the pics L. took on her trip to Paris.

LIttle Eiffel Stands In the Archway

Yes, that's really the Eiffel Tower! What is it doing here? L. got to go to Paris for a few days and this is one of the many great pictures she took. I'll be featuring a few more in the next few days.

The Eiffel Tower always makes me think of the Pixies' song, “Alec Eiffel,” the lyrics of which I copy for you below so you don't have to visit one of those ad-encrusted lyrics sites.

Pioneer of aerodynamics
(little eiffel, little eiffel)
they thought he was real smart alec
(little eiffel, little eiffel)
he thought big they called it a phallic
(little eiffel, little eiffel)
they didn't know he was panoramic
little eiffel stands in the archway
(little eiffel, little eiffel)
keeping low doesn't make no sense
sometimes people can be oh so dense
they didn't want it but he built it anyway
(little eiffel, little eiffel)
little eiffel stands in the archway
(little eiffel, little eiffel)
keeping low don't make sense
keeping low doesn't make no-sense
(little eiffel, little eiffel)
little eiffel stands in the archway
oh alexander i see you beneath
the archway of aerodynamics.

Steel Indian Silhouettes

Steel sculptures at the summit of the Chief Joseph Highway. I bet these sculptures look spectacular in different light.

The sculptures help commemorate the Nez Perce warriors who were hunted down by General William Tecumseh Sherman as part of the white man's effort to exterminate or otherwise crush the non-white native peoples of the west in the late 19th century. Yet another sad and disgraceful period of American history...

Mountain Lake

A lake high above Red Lodge. Of course I don't remember the name of this lake, but it was a short hike from a campground on one of the last turnoffs as you head up Beartooth Pass. People were pulling lots of little fish out of the lake and mostly throwing them back in. I need to get a good map so I can learn the names of this lake, as well as the mountain that's reflected in it.

Cooke City Morning

The view down main street in Cooke City looking toward Yellowstone. We stayed overnight in Cooke City and, while I wouldn't recommend the Soda Butte Lodge, I definitely recommend the cafe across the street and the coffee and pastry place just up the way. Cooke City is basically inaccessible to automobiles in the winter—snowmobiles only. It's kind of a crazy little place, but one to which I definitely hope to return soon.

Bison Jam

Bison block the road in Yellowstone. They seem to be having some sort of important conversation there on the asphalt, don't you think?

We sat in this “jam” for at least 15 minutes before a few cars decided to ease around these animals. When cars began passing them (albeit very slowly), the bison decided they might as well give the road back to the four-wheeled beasts.

At right is a shot of more bison in the meadow beside the road. Lots of little ones were feeding and frolicking in the grass.

Yellowstone Rainbow

A rainbow shimmers in the mist of the Lower Falls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. This was also from Uncle Tom's Trail.

Lower Falls

The lower falls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Awesome.

This was taken from the stairs on Uncle Tom's Trail.

Learn about the Buffalo

An informational table at the Tower Falls visitor center in Yellowstone National Park. The sign on the left says:

NOTICE TO VISITORS: This group is expressing first amendment rights. These activities are not connected with nor endorsed by the National Park Service.

Of course, that disclaimer made me pay much more attention than I would have otherwise. The table offered information about the bison in the park and about how they can be killed by ranchers if they wander outside the National Park boundaries. (There are no fences to keep the animals inside Yellowstone.) If I understand correctly, ranchers want to kill the bison b/c bison can carry a disease (brucellosis?) that, if transferred to cows, would cause the cows to have a stillborn calf. However, there's never been a proven case of the disease moving from bison to cattle, so the ranchers don't have much justification for their fear. Nevertheless, as the law stands now, ranchers can kill bison if the bison are on their private land. So this group was encouraging people to sign a petition to change the law and prevent ranchers from killing bison. Seems like a good idea to me.

Sky Lake

A small pond near the top of Beartooth Pass.

Beartooth Vista II

Another view from near the top of Beartooth Pass. This one is right near the top of the ski lift that looks entirely out of place when this area isn't covered in rocks. Apparently this steep slope is used as a late spring Olympic training ground and extreme tourist thrill, hence the ski lift up the nearly vertical rock face.

Beartooth Vista I

The view from near the top of Beartooth Pass. Here are some more interesting pics from the state. Obviously the views from the road are spectacular. To make it even better, try it on a motorcycle or a nice sporty convertible if at all possible. I haven't tried either myself, but I saw lots of people who were doing it and it looked like the perfect thing.

Hank's Place

A diner in Red Lodge, Montana. We stopped in for breakfast here and were very pleased w/the food, even if the service left something to be desired in terms of speed. Life just moves more slowly in Montana, I think, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. It can be frustrating sometimes when you forget to take off your “rush rush rush” city hat, but otherwise it can be quite refreshing.

Huffy Rack

A rack of identical Huffy Santa Fe bicycles on the U of M campus. This rack just appeared one afternoon on the lawn on my way home from class. Very strange...

DoubleTree of Doom

The DoubleTree hotel in Missoula, MT, the site of the July 2006 MT Bar Exam. Good: It has AC. Bad: It doesn't have enough outlets for us all to use laptops. The bar examiners don't allow the use of laptops, anyway, but it's only a matter of time before they do. I might just have something to do with that....

Grizz

The preeminent grizzly statue on the University of Montana campus. This one sits in the focal point of the main quad with what I would call “old main” in the background, and Mt. Sentinel behind that. It's actually very picturesque, even if you can't tell from this photo. ;-)

Mt. Sentinel Fire Road

The Mt. Sentinel fire road as seen from a little ways up the mountain and looking down toward the U of M campus.

Hangin' High

A hang-glider circles in for a landing over the University of Montana soccer fields in Missoula. I've seen several gliders in the sky on recent evenings. It looks like incredible fun!

ASUM Gardens

The community gardens of the Associated Students of the University of Montana. (At least I think that's what ASUM stands for.) Mt. Sentinel rises in the background. This is a wonderful place to go for a run or an evening stroll...

Montana Hall

A view of the East side (I think) of Montana Hall on the Montana State University campus. This was one of the coolest buildings on campus but unfortunately it was all fenced off for reroofing and maybe other repairs.

MSU

The Montana State University logo above the sign for Strand Union in Bozeman. I was on the campus for a couple of days of training. My short stay suggested that Bozeman would be a pretty cool place to live and definitely a nice place to be an undergrad.

Stumpy Bear

A bear sculpture on the University of Montana campus. As you can see from the pic at right, this bear has been carved out of a tree stump. Or maybe it was just set on a tree stump, but I'd like to think it was carved out of the tree itself. Whatever. The Grizzly is the mascot of the University of Montana so there are bears all over the place here. Specifically, I've seen at least three bear carvings like this that look like they were carved out of the trees on whose stumps they stand.

Western Bird Column

A sculpture on the Univeristy of Montana campus just outside the business school. The steel into which those birds are cut is about 3-4 inches thick. At right is a shot of the sculpture looking up from the base. I like the latter perspective better but it doesn't show the bird silhouettes as clearly. I regret that I didn't write down the title of the sculpture and its artist, but it's pretty cool, don't you think?

Continental Divide

The sign marking the Continental Divide heading East on I-90 just past Butte. Along with the Great Basin, the Divide is one of the great geographic landmarks of the western U.S.

I-90 Sunset

The sun sets below a line of hills on I-90 about halfway between Billings and Missoula. I'm getting a little too familiar w/this drive. It's pretty and I actually enjoy it—even if I do have to listen to bar review lectures for 5 hours. Maybe that's actually why I like it—it's about my most productive study time!

M View

The view from the top of the concrete “M” on Mt. Sentinel above Missoula.

Spike

A railroad spike on the tracks just east of Missoula. At right is the view down the tracks toward town. If you follow the Kim Williams Nature Trail to its end and keep going on the short singletrack trail that heads up to the right, this is about where you'll end up.

Missoula Drive

I-90 coming down out of the mountains just west of Missoula. The drive from Billings is long (at least 5 hours), but definitely beautiful.

Smile, You're in Montana!

A sign on I-94 just inside Montanas eastern border.

Do Not Approach Wildlife

A sign at the Theodore Roosevelt National Park on the western edge of North Dakota. I stopped here for a break on my drive and was reminded that Teddy R. was quite the outdoorsman—a buffalo-killer, even. He apparently fell in love with the “bad lands” and set aside many acres of them for a national park. I also thought it was fitting juxtaposition to the bison in D.C.

Dog Is My Copilot

Sisu sleeps the seat of the truck beside me. The shot at right shows her in another common sleeping position.

One of the really great things about our dog is what a great car traveller she is. She gets pretty antsy and anxious when you start packing up in preparation for a trip, but once you get her in a vehicle moving at a regular pace, she's out like a light. And she'll sleep for hours and hours. If you stop, she wants out, but as soon as you're back on the road, she's back asleep. I think our 24-hour marathon drive sort of pushed her to the limit of her ability to sleep, though. In the last couple of hours she was just laying there but her eyes weren't always closed.

Impact Wrench

The impact wrench Mr. Tire Man in Mandan, ND, used to remove and replace my trailer wheel. As you can see from the pic at right, the tire was shredded. I looked back in my rearview mirror just as I was picking up speed to leave Bismark at about 4 a.m. when I looked in the rear-view mirror and saw sparks flying from the tire. I pulled over immediately and found that the tire had lost most all of its rubber but was still holding air. I could see an exit about a mile up the road so I turned on the flashers and headed in at about 20 mph. In about a half mile I heard a “pop” that I assume was the tire blowing b/c when I finally got to the exit and the truck stop there the tire had great big gaping holes in it.

That truck stop didn't sell tires so I had to limp back into Mandan, a suburb of Bismark, about 12 miles back the way I'd come. There I found a tire store that opened at 8 a.m. so I parked and waited. Once its doors opened, I was out of there in less than 10 minutes. Awesome. Thank you Mr. Mandan Tire Man!

Of course, now Budget doesn't want to pay me for the tire. Apparently I was supposed to call a roadside assistance number so Budget could take care of a problem like that, but no one ever told me that so I just fixed it and figured I'd be reimbursed. We're still in negotiations, but it's something to remember in the future—if your rental truck/trailer breaks down, do not fix it yourself!

Lucy Lick

A blurry shot of my cousin's dog, Lucy, saying hello. I took another shot of her in profile so you can get a better idea of what she looks like—a cute little Shi-Tzu. Very lively, very affectionate, loves to be held and given attention. Small dogs are cool b/c they can't really damage people or things. While we were inside saying hi to Lucy and talking, our big monster dog was in the backyard killing the flowers and threatening to claw holes in the window screens. She wasn't being malicious, she's just big enough to do damage w/out meaning to. Of course, we love her anyway.

jesUSAves

A banner in the back window of a truck on I-70 somewhere in Ohio. The soaring eagle, the stars and stripes, and the salvation of Jesus all wrapped organically and inextricably around the U.S.A.—just as they should be, of course. Stephen Colbert, you totally need to add this to your show!

18th Century Shingles

Paint peels from the ornate wooden shingles atop a side building at Mt. Vernon. Texture!

18th Century Scales

A set of scales hanging in the storehouse at Mt. Vernon. The storehouse sits just across a little path/road from the kitchen so that supplies would be w/in easy reach. The storehouse also was the place to get thread, leather, and just about anything else a plantation might need.

We were at Mt. Vernon yesterday. It was my first visit and I enjoyed it, but is it really worth $13/person? And where is that money going? Anyway, the short drive down there from D.C. is pretty and the grounds are beautiful, as well. I esp. liked the 16-sided barn, but I'm just weird like that.

Museum of Law

The entrance to the ABA's Museum of Law in Chicago. Did you know the ABA had a museum of law? Me neither. I was just wandering around down by the river and saw a little sign for it through the window, so in I went. I found it to be a relatively small space (one big room in the basement) filled with colorful exhibits about all the U.S. Presidents who were also lawyers. Supposedly that's just the current exhibit, but it was all that was there and there was no indication of the kinds of things the museum had exhibited in the past or will exhibit in the future. Anyway, I wouldn't add it to a tourist itinerary, but if you're wandering around and need to kill a half hour (or if you're really interested in Presidential history), it might be worth your while.

The image at right (click to enlarge) is just an example of the kinds of quotations you'll see painted on the walls in the museum.

YHF Building 1

One of the coolest apartment buildings on the river in Chicago. This building was featured w/its next-door twin on the cover of Wilco's “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” CD. I also think I spent Thanksgiving in about 1992 on one of the upper floors of one of these buildings. You'd think I'd know whether I actually did that, but you'd be wrong. I was with my girlfriend at the time and we were living in Missouri. She had a friend who invited us to spend Thanksgiving w/her family in Chicago, so we headed north. We got there late at night and after navigating through the city to downtown we ended up inside a parking garage. From there, we moved through hallways and elevators to the friend's apartment up on a very high floor. That's when I realized that we must be in one of these buildings—looking out the balcony you could see such a view! Plus the balcony was rounded, the room itself seemed rounded, so it all made sense. But now, years later, I wonder. Was I really in one of these buildings, or is it just my imagination making it seem that way? The whole experience seems a little surreal, so who knows....

Stairs and Stacks

Looking up through a tangle of fire escape at a silvery smokestack in downtown Chicago. The photo at right (click to enlarge) shows the silvery smokestack from a bit of distance. There was so little color in these photos to begin with that I decided to convert them to black and white. I think the conversion emphasizes the high contrast and all the intersecting lines that make the image interesting—at least to me.

Self-Portrait in Bean

My reflection beneath the “bean” in Milennium Park. I took this at about 9:30 a.m. on a damp, gray workday, so I was the only person there! It was pretty cool, considering the last time I saw the “bean” it was mobbed with people. If you don't know the “bean,” these pictures should give you a better idea about it, and here is a bit of data about it.

Creative Destruction

The view through a fence around a construction site near Washington and State in downtown Chicago. One of the greatest virtues of Chicago (at least for me) is its architecture. This image shows several different generations of buildings and styles. I don't know my architecture well enough to name what is visible here, but it goes from the older and more ornate to the much newer, more plain boxes of more contemporary construction. The construction site in the foreground covers a full city block—what kind of building will rise there? What kind of building had to be removed to make way for this new one?

Urban Canyon II

The view from an “El” station in Chicago. I believe this was the station in front of the Public Library on the southern end of the loop. I had to fly to Chicago last Friday for an interview, but since that only took 30 minutes I ended up taking quite a few pictures, some of which you'll see here in the next few days.

Views like this are available at every turn in downtown Chicago, but they remain remarkable to a country bumpkin like me. D.C. seems almost like a small town compared to Chicago and the lack of views like this in D.C. are part of the reason for that. Of course, I think I prefer the smaller city feel of D.C. Could I learn to live and thrive in urban canyons like this one? Hmmm......

No TSA at DCA

Long lines form early on a Saturday morning at the entrance to the concourse at National Airport. The security screeners had not yet opened for business so people who arrived more than 45 minutes before the departure of their flight simply had to wait.

In-Dash Doggie

BG sits on the dash of my mom's Beetle wating for us to come back to him. BG is a small dog and the Beetle must have one of the biggest dash areas of any car I've ever seen, so he fits up there pretty nicely with a good view. He seemed to like waiting there for us, but he'd always get up and start prowling around anxiously as soon as he saw us coming back to the car (see pic at right).

Looking Down On Montana

Looking down on Montana immediately south of Billings. I think I took this within about 5-10 minutes of takeoff and the flight path was south-southwest toward Denver, CO. The picture at right was taken just a couple of minutes later.

And people ask me why I want to move to Montana. Hmph.

(Obviously this photo is out of chronological order since I made this flight on Dec. 31. I'll get back to the chronological order in a couple of days.)

New Year's Eve Travel Scene

A father and daughter catch some sleep at Denver International Airport on New Year's Eve day.

TRUWEST

The ultimate Montana license plate: It says “TRUWEST” and it was on a big pickup completely covered in mud.

Pouting BG

My dad's dog, BG, waiting patiently for someone to let him down off of the table. When we go to grandma's all he wants to do is run around and sniff the whole house for possible crumbs someone might have dropped somewhere. This means he's not very happy if he has to stay in one room. We put him on the card table because that way he couldn't keep scratching the door to get out. Isn't he cute?

After Christmas

An overflowing trash can seemed a fitting symbol of post-Christmas America. This one was outside a Best Buy in Billings, MT.

Gingerbread House

A snazzy little gingerbread house helps make a festive holiday atosphere at my grandma's house.

Candy Merry Christmas Canes!

A bag of miniature candy canes free for the taking at some shop I was in before the holidays. It was a small gesture, but I certainly enjoyed my candy cane. I think it was the only one I had this year.

At any rate, I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve Above the Clouds

The setting sun gave the clouds a beautiful glow as I flew West on Christmas Eve. This part of the flight was great—a huge new plane with neat little video screens in all of the seatbacks. Too bad they were showing some crap movie, but I had a great book to read so the time flew by. Overall, the trip was made far too long by the fact that it involved not one but two plane changes. Somehow I managed to book a flight from the middle of Michigan to Chicago, from Chicago to Denver, and from Denver to Montana. Yeah, it was the cheapest flight I could find, but that's just ridiculous.

Bovine Mucus

Two cows try to catch a breath of fresh air while traffic moves slowly on the highway. L. actually took this shot and she did a terrific job, don't you think? I do.

On our drive we also saw what seemed like incredibly cheap gas (pictured at right). I don't expect to say anything less than $1.89/gallon for the rest of my life. Around here in D.C. we can still find $2.05/gallon at one or two places, but mostly it's around $2.19 and up.

Incredible Big Screen

Mr. and Mrs. Incredible tease each other on M's humongo tv. It's a good thing I don't have a tv this big or I would never be able to get anything done. Speaking of which, I think one of my shows is about to start...

First Snow

Snow creates a lacey pattern on a storm drain cover. This was the first snow of the season for us.

City Christmas Tree Shopping

Trees wait for good homes in a drugstore parking lot. L. and I were pretty surprised to see trees selling for upwards of $10/foot; some were going for as much as $140 or more and not because they were 14 feet tall. I guess you pay a premium to get a nice tree hauled all the way into the city. At right is a cool netting contraption that allows the tree seller to “wrap” your tree in a plastic net to make it easier to tie to the top of your car. You just shove the tree through the hole tip-first and it comes out the other end tightly sheathed in a tube of netting. Cool.

At the lot where M. bought her tree I learned from the lone salesman that he lives in the trailer that was parked near the trees and has to stay there 24/7 for the month of December, more or less. He's sort of a combined salesman and security guard. All the trees are tagged with a number by his employer and if he can't account for every one at the end of the season, it comes out of his check. For this work he hopes to make $1600-$1800. I'm not sure why it's variable; perhaps he gets a commission on what he sells.

That makes me sad. Why should a guy who basically spends a month freezing his arse off in the cold make less than $2k for the pleasure, while lots of other people in that neighborhood are going to make that and more for sitting on their arses in nice, warm, offices for only 40-hours/week? It just doesn't seem right...

M. did get a good tree, though, and when she paid the man the tree didn't really seem so expensive anymore.

Fire Escapes

An alley in downtown Chicago is filled to the sky with fire escapes. Chicago is such an incredibly vertical city compared to D.C., but then, what city isn't?

Frank Pitzker Pavilion

The other cool work of art in the park near the bean in Chicago. Ok, it's the “Frank Gehry-designed Pritzker Pavilion, the most sophisticated outdoor concert venue of its kind in the United States.” It definitely does look like a cool place to see a show. Big props to Chicago for Millenium Park in general, which is totally new since I was last there.

Spitting Faces in Millennium Park

One of the two light art pieces in Millennium Park. These two giant towers of glass bricks with embedded little LED lights face each other and apparently in the summer the faces appear on them and periodically water squirts from the mouths of the faces. The faces also move—they're basically video close-ups of different faces. Unfortunately the weather was much too cold for water to be running, so I guess during the winter these two exhibits just sort of make faces at each other and the world.

Worshipping the Bean

An unknown woman lays down beneath "the bean" for a great reflection shot. I took many many more pics of the bean, because, well, that's what you're supposed to do, isn't it?

It's strange, but this simple sculpture is so darned cool I would almost move to Chicago just for the chance to go and hang out in its presence whenever I wanted to. I look forward to returning on a warmer day (this was about the coldest day of the fall up to that point, I think) when there's no scaffolding on the bottom so I can walk under it and get one of those great crazy pics with the swirling reflections. (Here's another cool one.)

Lake Michigan Morning

Looking south along the shore of Lake Michigan toward downtown Chicago just after sunrise. I just got new running shoes for the first time since I started training for the marathon last May so I decided to try them out in Chicago. The lake shore is a beautiful place to run but hella cold when the wind is whipping in from over the water. Yikes.

I read something in the Chicago “Time Out” magazine about how the lake froze so quickly last year that the waves froze, too, so that when this guy rode his bike out onto the ice he was riding over the ridges of frozen waves. Crazy.

Lake Michigan Highrise

Looking straight up along the shore of Lake Michigan just north of downtown Chicago.

Sears Tower Driveby

Sears Tower from the highway at night.

Turkey Trimmings

The tastes and colors that go with turkey dinner.

MPP White Stripes

A sculpture overlooking the Merriweather Post Pavilion. We were there a couple of weeks ago for the White Stripes/Shins show, and my battery died before I could take many more pics so the best I could do for a White Stripes picture was the shot at right of the t-shirt stand.

The MPP is another cool outdoor concert venue—no seat would be a bad seat there, I think. Three huge screens display what's happening onstage for those who are too far away to see the detail. Of course, if you're just going to watch the band on screen, why not watch videos at home? Perhaps the answer is that most of us don't have sound systems that make our whole body vibrate as we watch and listen. There's also something about live music—even when the musicians are fairly far away, little tiny musical ants on the stage below—that is therapeutic, I think. It's good for the soul. So go see a show, ok?

Barbed Wire

Barbs on the wire fence at Sky Meadows State Park.

Seat 48C

This stub of an airline ticket from London to Dulles was randomly (or accidentally) discarded near the entrance to the D.C. DMV on C St. NW last Saturday. Tickets like this tell stories. There used to be a website devoted to that idea where you could post an image of a stub along with the story to which it was connected. In fact, it looks like Matt Haughey used to do it (scroll down to the bottom and you'll see a link to “Ticketsubs”). I wonder why it disappeared...

Tow

The old car getting hooked up for the long tow back to Michigan. After the car broke down and we finally settled on a plan of action we had to wait about 4-5 hours for the truck to arrive. When it finally got there, it was another 5 hours back to Michigan. Three people and a 60 lb. dog in the cab of a pickup? I don't really recommend it. The best part was our drive through northern Ohio—it's actually a very pretty part of the country!

Last Chance to Buckle

A dire warning for Ohio drivers leaving the parking lot where we waited for our tow truck.

Fatal Drip

The coolant drip that ultimately killed our car—at least as far as we were concerned. This picture is looking up from the ground; it might look upside down because the firewall to the passenger compartment is at the bottom of the photo. As best as I and others I consulted could tell, the source of the drip was the condensation outlet from the heater core—the line that allows air conditioner condensation to drip out on the ground instead of building up elsewhere. Apparently if antifreeze starts pouring out of this drain that's a sure sign your heater core has basically disintegrated so that coolant that flows in there is just rushing right through the box and out on the ground.

A heater core is not an expensive or complicated part, but it can take some time and effort to dig out and replace. On this car (a 1995 Chevy Corsica) you apparently have to remove the dash for the job. I wasn't too excited about that, so I was thinking maybe we should pay someone to do this. Unfortunately, this problem appeared on a Sunday morning in Springfield, Ohio, and there was not a single mechanic open in town. Fun. At first we decided to just get a room, wait until morning, and take it to a mechanic then. After much debate and consideration, we decided instead to wait for a tow to a friendly dealership where we could just get rid of the broken beast in exchange for something in orange. And while it may sound like we made this decision lightly, I assure you we did not. Investing in a new car is asking for its own kind of new trouble so we considered it long and hard. I guess we'll never know if we did the right thing, but, well, we live and learn, right?

Lucy

My cousin's dog posing for the camera in Indy. Lucy is a very sweet and very tiny little Shitzu.

The Accordion Vote

A bumper sticker on the back of our friend's car in Indianapolis. Thanks, you guys, for showing us a delightful time in Indy!!

Beer Drive-Thru

A drive-thru liquor store in downtown Ann Arbor. These aren't that common in most of the country—for fairly obvious reasons, I would think. Still, it sure is convenient if you'd like something from the liquor store!

Darn Near Something

A sign alongside a Michigan road denouncing the Department of Natural Resources. I don't remember the details of the story, but the outline is something like this: The owner of the land you see behind this sign was a wetland. The owner started a development project on the land to fill in the swamp and make a trailer park or something. At the time, he either didn't know he owned a protected wetland or didn't care or the land wasn't actually designated as a wetland at the time he started his project. Whatever the case, the DNR stopped him and he was very not happy. I believe he was/is legally obligated to restore the land to its previous condition, or to make a good faith effort to do so, so what he's doing is every couple of months he comes out and moves some dirt around. Otherwise, the land just sits there, looking pretty ugly and telling all passersby that DNR stands for “Damn Near Russia.” I find this endlessly entertaining. I bet this landowner was thrilled with Kelo v. New London (the recent Supreme Court decision that said the government can take private land to give to private developers for purposes of “economic development”)!

Catfish (shark!)

The catfish L. caught. I'm told it was probably about 20 pounds, but I hefted it in the net and it seemed a heck of a lot heavier than that. We tossed it back—catfish are scary!

Anchor

The anchor sitting on the deck of the pontoon as we cruise across the lake.

Shadow Fishing

My own shadow while fishing from the front of the pontoon boat. If you look closely you can see the shadow of the pole I'm holding and not catching any fish on. We actually pulled in quite a lot of fish this day (bluegills), but I took this during a slow period when the fish just weren't biting for some reason.

Midwestern Smoke

An industrial plant sends a steady stream of steam or smoke into the winter air, somewhere in Ohio. I took this photo last week on our drive returning to D.C. from Michigan. This is the final “vacation” photo for now because school starts again today. (Oh, thanks to my sister for the cool new shoes you see on my feet in the thumbnail at right -- everyone loves them and they're very comfy and handy to slip on and off for traveling and walking the dog. Thank you, W!)

Holiday Baubles

Colorful ornaments with family names painted on them make another striking holiday decoration. (Sorry, I didn't have pics like this before the holidays when they might have seemed more appropriate, so you're getting them now instead. We will return to our regularly scheduled programming very soon.)

Nutcrackers

A row of nutcrackers at L's parents' house. L's brother has been collecting these little wooden bad boys for many many years now, and as you can see from the smaller pic at right, the collection has grown quite extensive. (There are at least two more 'crackers that didn't make it into this shot.) I don't know if any of them have ever been used to crack nuts, but they certainly make a striking holiday display.

Freezing Rain

A tree coated in ice after a night of freezing rain in Michigan. This seemed like unusual weather for late December in Michigan, but now things there look like they should be again—temperatures below freezing with plenty of snow on the ground.

Waiting Planes

Planes wait at the gates outside a Detroit airport terminal on New Year's Eve, 2004. I flew from Montana to Michigan on the 31st, and everything seemed to be running smoothly. I felt lucky for that, since Northwest frequently cancels flights between Detroit and the little airport that was my final destination. The little picture at right shows rural Michigan from the air as we went in for a landing at MBS (Midland, Bay City, Saginaw).

Drive-Thru Espresso

A drive-thru espresso stand in Billings, Montana. This is one of many similar stands of the Mountain Mudd “chain.” I mean, I guess it's a chain. I hate to say it (because I don't really like to enjoy or encourage our car culture), but I love these things. The world needs more of them. They are a very, very good idea. Except, we shouldn't be driving so much, right? Right. So no, bad idea. But if you have to drive, and you like coffee, these kinds of things are a no-brainer!

Doormat

The doormat at my mother's house. This rug goes way back in our family to I don't know when, but I have vague memories of it from a long long time ago. Strange the things we remember...

Post Holiday Detritus

Rimrock Mall (in Billings, MT) a few days after Christmas.

Agate Forest

A slice of agate appears to present a late afternoon forest scene. Can you see it? The trees along the bottom in a shallow valley, something dark in the background—perhaps a mountain range—and the the sky light gray and hazy as the sun sets on the left. Or something like that. Maybe the dark top is storm clouds gathering. Anyway, it's all natural; look and see what you can make of it, kind of like seeing pictures in clouds, but more permanent. This was a piece of agate that my uncle gave to my mom; I'm not sure where my uncle got it, but some people spend a considerable amount of time wandering the plains “hunting” for rocks like this. Maybe it's mostly a western thing. Many of the same people also hunt for arrowheads, which are plentiful (or used to be) in certain areas where native tribes hunted or lived. Oh, and just so you know, there's also an Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in Nebraska, near Scottsbluff on the western end of the state. It might make an interesting stop on your next cross-country drive.

Bingo! 2005!

Two nearly-full bingo cards up close. My grandmother likes to play simple games, so we played one game of Bingo, many games of Scrabble (the original game, not the “super” version), some Uno, and even Old Maid. We also took her to see “The Incredibles,” and she disliked the movie so much she couldn't stop warning people to save their money and skip seeing it themselves. I liked it a lot, myself, but I can see why someone raised without television or cartoons might not really appreciate it. Oh, but Happy New Year, everyone! May 2005 bring you health, wealth, and wisdom, or at least one of the above.

Yellowstone River Ice

Ice chunks on the Yellowstone River in Eastern Montana. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the Yellowstone is “the longest undammed river in the contiguous United States.” It's possibly prettiest at its source in Yellowstone National Park, but you can find great views (and great fishing, I'm told) all along its length.

Big Guy

My parents' dog isn't too sure about the camera. He only weighs 5-6 pounds, and that's full grown, so he's small enough to be intimidated by lots of things, including his toys, his food, and his water bowl. But he's sweet and lovable and makes a great lap blanket when you find yourself taking a late afternoon holiday nap.

Fruitcake

Freshly-cut fruitcake for the holidays! Fruitcake has such a bad rap as the cliched gift that no one wants to receive, but my mom has a friend who continues to make it every year and it's actually pretty good. Very filling, that's for sure.

Super Scrabble

The Super Scrabble board in mid-game. L. gave this game to my mom for Christmas, and since my mom is a long time Scrabble fan, the “super” version was a big hit. I played the game with my family just about every night for four or five nights, and I'm hooked. The game comes with twice as many letters as the original, and something like double the playing squares. It also includes extra bonus spaces, such as quadruple letter and quadruple word scores. This means the game takes longer (it took us close to two hours per game), but hitting 400 points is much much easier than with the original game.

Plow

An old plow waits for restoration on my dad's land. My dad collects parts from old farm implements, including rakes, plows, and wagons. He hopes to restore some of them someday; meanwhile, they make interesting decorations along the road to his little “farm.”

Box of Chocolates

Nutty chocolates make a tempting gift at holiday time. These were a gift from one of my dad's parishioners (he's a Methodist minister). At right you can also see one of the stained glass windows in his Montana church. If you'd been in church today, you would have heard a somewhat spirited sermon about how the Iraq war is not righteous or Christian. Of course, you would have had to listen fairly carefully to pick that out; discretion is sometimes the better part of spiritual guidance.

Merry Christmas!

A candle centerpiece glows on Christmas day. This centerpiece was sitting atop my dad's player piano (the old kind that requires you to pump the pedals to get it to play) and in front of his wood plane collection (those planes are woodworking tools, not things you fly in). I hope everyone had a happy holiday season!

Christmas Carols

My sister's sheet music for “Come All Ye Faithful.” She's been learning to play the piano recently, and has become quite good for a beginner. One of my little regrets in life is that I never learned to play myself. It should have been easy since my mother was a piano teacher, but for some reason I never seemed able to apply myself and my mom didn't want to fight with me about it. Now I wish I'd taken advantage of the opportunity for free and endless lessons, but...

Stroopwaffles!

The Dutch Brothers Bakery in Billings, home of the best stroopwaffles (caramel cookie waffles) you'll ever taste. It's also one of the best places for lunch in Billings; for about $5.00 you get a tasty pastry filled with chicken, beef, spinach, or something else (can't remember), a large cup of terrific soup (often chicken noodle or potato, but it varies), a stroopwaffle, and a small drink. It's a delicious deal. Really, this place is not to be missed if you passing through Billings. Highly recommended.

Iron Peacock

An iron peacock sculpture sits outside a business in downtown Billings, Montana. The thumbnail at right shows the entire sculpture. I believe this was on Montana Avenue, and the business may have been called the Secret Plum, but I can't remember exactly. I do know it's a few doors down from the Log Cabin Bakery, a coffee shop and bakery that advertises free wireless internet access. I haven't tried it yet, but I may have to before my stay here is through.

Transportation Safety?

Transportation Safety Administration workers do their thing at a small Michigan airport. This airport is not large enough to have baggage x-ray machines, so all bags are simply checked by hand. They also test for chemical or explosive residue using these little cloth pieces on the ends of wands that they rub around the zipper handles and other openings of your bags. The cloth piece is then run through some sort of scanner that tests for unknown things. Sometimes the workers also run the cloth around the inside of your bags, but they didn't do it this time. Maybe that's one of those extra precautions for when we're on “orange” alert or something. The thumbnail picture at right is just a view of the clouds above Montana that I thought created a neat texture.

Ohio Winter Driving

Snowy interstate highway somewhere in Pennsylvania or Ohio. L. and I drove from D.C. to Michigan today and snow was falling for about half the trip. I think it was in Ohio that we saw the worst stretch, including about a dozen cars off the road (some smashed up, but most just victims of sliding into the ditch) along a 10-20 mile stretch where you couldn't see the road at all because it was covered with snow. Fun!

Frederick Diner

Mountain View Diner in Frederick, MD. We headed out last Saturday to hike around Sugarloaf Mountain, but we missed the exit and ended up in Frederick. We ended up driving all over the town in search of this Diner, which was recommended by L.'s parents. Thanks to 411, we finally found it, and it was good. I'm not saying I'd go too far out of my way to eat there, but if you're in Frederick and want a traditional diner breakfast or lunch, you can certainly find it here. I got some nice photos from the trip and since they're much better than exploding pop cans or anything else I have time to concoct right now, I'll be posting a few of them over the next week or so.