Goodbyes and good byways

After spending the afternoon with family at my uncle's funeral, I had a pretty scenic drive home.

This roadside "overlook" even had an observation deck, offering panoramic views and historical information.


Taking this wooded trail...

opened up to this hidden lake, nestled in Iowa's Loess Hills.


My favorite thing about this house is the simple wooden tree swing, hanging on the left.

The Fremont County Courthouse in Sidney, Iowa.

Though it was built in 1889, what I like about this shot is the rain sensor on the left for the underground sprinkler system.

The well must be dry.

Like they say, "You can take the boy out of the country..."

I doubt anyone but my siblings would know why this reminds me of learning to drive. (As young teenagers — practicing to drive on our rural, country roads with Dad — he paid more attention to whether or not there were weeds in the fields, if the rows were straight, and comparing crops than to our speedometer!)



Last picture out the car window, just a mile from home.

Divine order

In Tabor, Iowa — population 993. (Click on this picture to enlarge it, and it's even more impressive.)

Taken in the landscaping at the base of this church.

Post piano recital

Where will Landon fall asleep today?

But don't worry. I put pillows at the bottom of the stairs, in case he rolled over.

On Jack's last day of first grade, Landon (asleep on his back, in the brown leather club chair) thought he could hang with the big kids playing Wii after school. I guess not.

You can tell he's taking an early nap, 'cause he's still in his jammies!

This afternoon, Leslie turned on a nursery rhyme CD in the loft while she finished cleaning downstairs. When she went up to check on him, the CD was still going ... but he sure wasn't!

Road to Omaha

BWI to MCI

Our friend Brian is fond of the phrase, "God is good." That's certainly what I kept thinking, as I flew home from Baltimore on Friday and saw some amazing cloud formations.

First big and bumpy, then smooth and wispy. But, as always, they were much more impressive in person.

Boys in trees

Charm City II

View from my Marriott hotel room, on the 31st floor.

View of Baltimore's popular Inner Harbor, on the other side of the hotel.

An impressive-looking building...

...and then you see what it was used for.



Sand sculpture...

...and the sand sculptor.

The Baltimore World Trade Center, designed by I.M. Pei, is the tallest regular pentagonal building in the world.

Charm City

I flew to Baltimore for work yesterday and, before even going to my hotel, I met an old friend who I worked with at church camp for dinner! I've known Brenda for more than 20 years and went to her wedding almost exactly a year ago. She works at the headquarters of Lutheran World Relief and (after walking to a Thai restaurant a couple of blocks away), she gave me a tour of her office building which has a rooftop patio on three sides!

The Baltimore Ravens' football stadium in the distance.

In the middle on the far left is historic Federal Hill Park, a public park since 1879. Brenda said that at the top of the tall building in the distance, Will & Jada Pinkett Smith (she's a native Baltimorean) live in the penthouse.

Breakfast of Champions

Playin' with Ava

The house of Bliss

We realized that Linda, little Trevan and I were all wearing navy polos and plaid shorts. Then we realized we look like a Kohl's ad.

iPhotos

Miscellaneous pics taken in the past month with Leslie's new iPhone.





Even when taking self-portraits, this app lets you see yourself on the screen by creating a mirror image (which you can tell, because Landon's dimple is on the wrong side).