5.30.2009 - 24 comments 

Not too far from the location of my last post from Denver, Colorado is a place called Estes Park, Colorado and it is the gateway to the Rocky Mountain National Park which just happens to be one of those National Parks that should be experienced rather than just viewed. But frankly, the viewing is perhaps as staggering to the eye as many of the other National Parks in the United States.

Although having said that, I still plan to upload several of my favorite shots of the park along with this post. But, as you can see from these pictures, the park itself has a very diverse population of not only plants and trees, but also of animals who inhabit the park in almost every corner of its huge size and the fact that it's also a living showcase of the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains, with its elevations ranging from 8,000 feet in the wet, grassy valleys to 14,259 feet at the weather-ravaged top of Longs Peak, provides visitors like us with opportunities for countless breathtaking experiences and the many adventures to be found everywhere you look in the park. We also picnicked in the park, but I will spare you the shot of our picnic table, but it was right near to where I took the moose picture.

Throughout its 416 square miles of rock-ribbed wilderness, Rocky Mountain National Park truly is a land of superlatives. Here you will find that at least 60 mountains exceed 12,000 feet, topping off at 14,259 feet on the football field-sized summit of Longs Peak. Names such as Cirrus, Chiefs Head, Isolation, Mummy, and Storm evoke the grandeur of this high landscape.

Among its many attributes, Rocky Mountain National Park has also been the home to Native Americans for at least the last 12,000 years. This even makes me feel young, but the remains of all the known prehistoric cultures except Folsom (ca. 10,000-8000 years ago) have been found in the park. The basic prehistoric sequence is Clovis (11,000–10,000); Folsom; Early, Middle and Late Archaic (7,500-2,000); and the Early, Middle, and Late Ceramic cultures (2,000 to 300).

The major inhabitants of the Park area in historic times were the Ute and Arapaho. Ute origins may have been in the Great Basin and/or the mountainous areas of the State and we strongly suspect that Uto-Aztecan speaking ancestors of the Ute have occupied the Colorado Mountains for at least 6,000 years. The Apache appear to have been in the park for at least 400 years as based on the presence of their pottery and historical accounts of a battle with the Arapaho in the 1830s in Upper Beaver Meadow.

The Arapaho homeland was originally in Minnesota, and they migrated into Colorado by about 1790. No less than 36 place names in the Park are of Arapaho origin. By about 1880, the Ute had been moved to reservations in Colorado and Utah, and the Arapaho to Oklahoma and Wyoming. Due to the high altitude and severe winters, occupation for these hunter-gatherers in the park was confined to the warmer months. Major occupation may have been in the fall of the year when the high altitude elk game drives were in operation. Present evidence indicates that winter occupation was at lower altitude along the Front Range, and in Middle and North Parks.

Historic archeological sites include the remains of roads, resorts, ranches, mines, mining towns, cabins, sawmills, water control structures, three CCC camps, signs, and several old National Park Service campgrounds and entrance stations. Some 400 prehistoric and 600 historic archeological sites have been recorded thanks to a five year long survey of the park by the University of Northern Colorado.

Although the great peaks comprise the essence of the park, the delicate alpine flowers, clear lakes, rushing mountain waters, and impressive forests appeal to all the senses. An array of wildlife - bighorn sheep, ptarmigan, coyote, elk all adds life to the landscape almost around every corner. As you can see I caught a few shots of many of those my self as well as a marmot which look a lot like the woodchuck I found in my yard last summer. Can you see it on the rocks in the first (top) shot? Well, if you can't a also put in a closer shot down below.

The wide variety of elevations and habitats create a choice of activities for visitors. From scenic drives and short strolls along a gentle trail to more ambitious daylong hikes to vertical mountain climbs, Rocky Mountain National Park offers many ways to experience nature in all of its splendor.

Going to the highest point of the road that runs through the park from a starting point in Boulder Colorado then up to Estes Park then on to the Beaver Meadows Entrance Station of the park we went all the way through the park from visitor center to visitor center and finally exited the park out of the Southwestern corner of the park which finally lead us down to Grand Lake and eventually south back to Highway 70.

This day long auto trip through the park made for a whole day of stopping and looking over the views of the valleys below and seeing the interesting wildlife around almost every corner of this wonderful park.

I can’t wait for another trip around and through this wonderful National Park someday in the not too distant future.

"A government that is big enough to give you all you want is big enough to take it all away."~ Barry Goldwater

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5.01.2009 - 23 comments 

As many of you know, when Mrs. LZ and I are in a different (either medium or large sized) town, we usually try and venture out to check out the local botanical garden to see what they have to offer. Some of these have turned out to be real treasures and not always necessarily expected.

I would say that was exactly the way we thought about our experience at the Denver Botanic Gardens. We were not expecting anything as nice or certainly as large as perhaps the Chicago Botanic Gardens but also nothing as nice as what we found there.

The Denver Botanic Gardens are located at York Street right downtown between Cheeseman Park on the West and Congress Park on the Southeast of gardens. The gardens actually presents a very wide range of gardens and collections that illustrate an ever-widening diversity of plants from all corners of the world. Not just from the Colorado area. These distinctive gardens define and celebrate their Western identity and a unique high altitude climate and geography.

An additional uniqueness about the gardens here in Denver is that many of their innovative gardens are in fact models of drought-tolerance and they also showcase native and adapted plants that thrive in many Western gardens in several of the adjoining states.

Throughout the Denver Botanic Gardens, there are time honored traditions of European horticulture merged with a dynamic diversity of plants and design that represent the best in local horticultural achievement.

Denver Botanic Gardens is an accredited museum by the American Association of Museums, with scientifically documented living collections and two preserved collections. The garden’s Plant Records Department manages botanical and horticultural information for over 16,000 taxa (plural of the name applied to a taxonomic group in a formal system of nomenclature) in over 250 plant families.

While there we had to evade several little downpours, which could help explain my "less than normal" amount of photos. Of course it could be that I was just busy enjoying the beauty all around me.

This Denver Botanic Gardens was a hit in LZ's Places to see while you are in Denver.

"Any woman who understands the problems of running a home will be nearer to understanding the problems of running a country." ~ Margaret Thatcher

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4.05.2009 - 32 comments 

So you might ask; “Where in the heck have I been?” Well the truth is that in the last couple of months (and in a three week period) I have had to take two separate week long trips to upstate New York. It wasn’t bad enough that I had to take one trip there, but with just one week at home, I had to turn right around and do it again. While I was flying over Buffalo, NY., I could not help but think of the (then recent) plane crash just outside of Buffalo. But at the same time I saw Niagara Falls from the air.

The cold and whiteness of the ground outside reminded me of a trip that Mrs. LZ and I took several years ago to view the falls in the wintertime from the Canadian side. Even though I am sure than many of you may have seen the falls in the summertime, but I doubt if many of you have ever seen the falls in the wintertime. But those of you who have, I am sure that you will agree with me, that it a totally different than it is in the summertime?

I did a blog post about the falls many months ago, but it really dealt with the normal history and experiences around the falls. But the summer falls bare little similarity to what the falls look like in the dead of winter. The only thing that seemed the same to me about the falls was the noise that was generated by the falling water of the falls over their precipice which still had that almost deafening sound that the falls generated.

They even have what is called the “Winter Festival of Lights” there at this time of year. Of coarse we didn’t stick around on our day trip there to see the falls lit up at night, but the pictures that we saw of it seemed that they were just beautiful. In fact, you can experience the illuminating beauty of the lights located along the Niagara Parks Winter Wonderland lighting route and throughout the City of Niagara Falls! Their event’s fireworks illuminate the winter sky above the falls every Friday night! The mighty falls glows with color nightly during this Winter Festival of Lights.

Also as part of the festival, you can enjoy fantastic stage productions throughout the Festival. In fact, past performances have included Disney's® Beauty and the Beast and Seussical the Musical! You can also have a barrel of laughs at the Niagara Falls Comedy Fest with top comedians from around the world. Past performers at these events have included John Pinette, Brent Butt, Nikki Payne & Jeremy Hotz! If so inclined, you can get your cheer on at the Annual Festival of Lights Cheerleading Competition!

During the Winter Festival of Lights, the 3 plus mile lighting route along the Niagara Parkway is known as the Niagara Parks Winter Wonderland. Within the Niagara Parks Winter Wonderland, you will notice the Life in Niagara lighting displays, which feature the award-winning Niagara grape and wine industry, an historic 1812 battle, and Fort Erie Racing. A wide variety of winter activities like skating, skiing, ice hockey and carriage rides are also displayed throughout the Niagara Parks Winter Wonderland.

And while we didn’t do any of these, it was still nice to know that they were available to us for a price. While I can’t recommend the falls location weather temperatures in the winter, I can still honestly recommend the view!

“No steam or gas ever drives anything until it is confined. No Niagara is ever turned into light and power until it is tunneled. No life ever grows until it is focused, dedicated, disciplined.” ~ Joan Rivers

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1.12.2009 - 59 comments 

Before I get to this somewhat unique post, I want to apologize to all of you who have been wondering where in the heck I have been for the last month or so. The truth is that not only are the holidays a busy time of year for our family... what with birthdays, wedding anniversaries, Christmas and New Year, but this year we even threw in a wedding and several other events to boot.

In addition to having all of that going on, our PC has been having some issues too. Issues so bad in fact, that we had to put it out of its misery and secure ourselves a new one. That event has just been completed this last weekend. But the trying to recover data and photos has been well... TRYING!

Now on to the post… The hands you see here are actually those of Mrs. LZ and me. At least how they looked 40 years ago. It is really hard to believe that Mrs. LZ has put up with being married to me for exactly 40 years last month! Wow! What courage, what guts, what backbone and what tenacity this woman has shown. But really, what I would say in all seriousness is "What LOVE she has shown me over all of that time!"

When I think about the fact that after our wonderful honeymoon night on a round bed in the Honeymoon Suite at the Mission Inn in Riverside, California, we followed it directly by our snow-bound honeymoon week in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California (by the way... we spent it in a cabin) hidden away in Lake Arrowhead, California. It all seems not all that long ago and many of those memories are still fresh.

I could also tell you all about the first meal I tried to make for my new bride, but then you'd "really wonder" why she has stayed with me for these four decades. (Really that part hasn't changed too much over 40 years). If I can't grill it, you're better off not trying to fill it... (Your stomach that is). Ask Mrs. LZ sometime about my Honeymoon biscuits covered with baked marshmallows... ah... NO scratch that! She may have forgotten that "particular instance" in these last four decades, and I'd really hate to remind her of it if in fact she has forgotten it.

Then when I think about moving into our new (newlywed) apartment which was shortly followed by my fourteen and a half months in the jungles of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, it seems like millenniums away from today. But we did what we had to do, and thankfully I came home to her in one piece and a few pounds lighter and a lot tanner.

For everyday that I spent in Vietnam we wrote each other a letter and because out in the jungles, the mail is not always as good as it was "Back in the World," we both used to number the back of the envelope so that if we got more than one delivered in the same day, we would know which one to read first.

I also took a deck of cards over there with me and once every week I would put a card in one of my letters. I told my new bride that by the time she had the whole deck of cards at home, that I would be home to her very soon too. When I actually extended my tour of duty over there for another two and a half months, I started sending her the jokers from that deck.

I am not sure how funny she found either of those two actions, but she abided with my decision and never really discussed my decision with me in our letters. I had my reasons for doing that, which were mostly driven by the fact that when I got back to the world, I just wanted to put Vietnam and the U.S. Army experience behind me and go back to my civilian job and the wife that I loved and missed.

I think that experience is something that I will never forget and retrospectively I am honored to have been able to serve my country. But like I have told many people, I think it may be even tougher on the spouses of servicemen and servicewoman than it is on those who are actually involved directly in the service of their country. I think they serve differently, but none the less, they TOO serve. Every time I see a soldier kiss his young bride "goodbye" at an airport, I just want to run up to them, hug them both and say; "I know how it feels!"

If someone was to ask me; “What is the secret to being married for 40 years?” I would have to say that you just can't give up on each other ever! Sometimes the things that bring you the most strife in your life are actually the things that make your love stronger and bring you closer together. You have to work at a marriage every day and you don't get to take a day off from it. But at the end of each day, you know that you have done the right thing in order to keep your marriage strong.

Because most of you were not able to make it to our wedding... (Because many of you may not even been born then) but regardless of that, you can now vicariously re-live that day through our photos of it that I have posted here and this slide show I put together for my wife to help celebrate our 40th Anniversary via this musical slide show of our wedding.

Our 40th Anniversary was celebrated by our sons and their families. The first thing they did was to invite us over to lunch at our youngest son’s house, where he and his fiancé made brunch for all of us included guests were my Mother-in-Law (who was spending the holidays with us) and then my oldest son and his wife and our grandson and two granddaughters.

After the brunch was over we were presented with a card with reservations to a very nice restaurant here in the city with a nice amount of cash to pay for a very lavish dinner that is probably not something we would have done on our own. After we opened the cards, I played the Wedding Video (above) we then played “Guitar Hero” for a while and then they said we had to all take off for our oldest son's house where they had a cookie and punch celebration for us too.

When we got over to his place, we noticed that our neighbors and really good friends pulled up right in front of us. After we went into his house, the door bell kept ringing with more and more of our best friends who were also there for the Surprise Party they had put together to celebrate our special day. Our kids had really pulled off the SURPRISE part of the party and none of the guests had given away the surprise. It was truly a wonderful day and the dinner was wonderful. Mrs. LZ and I could not have been prouder!

Even though I have picked up a few more pounds and a few more wrinkles and (for me) a lot more gray hair, I love Mrs. LZ today even much more than I did on the day that I married her. She was truly a gift from God for me! Mrs. LZ; "I will love you tell death do us part... and still… even long after that!" You are WONDERFUL! ALL MY LOVE!

"So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself." Ephesians 5:28

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12.01.2008 - 47 comments 

This was one of those tours that I really was not all that wild about doing, but I could not have been more wrong about this dam. From the minute we pulled into the parking lot and got our first real look at the dam, boy was it impressive! It was really a lot bigger than it looked as we were flying into Las Vegas. But if you get to Las Vegas sometime, it is worth the drive out to Bolder City to just see it, if for nothing else.

We found out all sorts of things about the dam and its history. Like that fact that in 1930, construction began on the Hoover Dam and it was the largest dam of its kind at the time. Despite its remote location and harsh working conditions, it was completed in less than five years. That was actually two years ahead of schedule and unlike most government projects it was well under budget too.

Of course the dam is named after America's 31st president, Herbert Hoover, who also played an extremely large role in bringing the nearby states into agreement about water allocations, thus settling an ongoing 25-year controversy. The dam has been called Boulder Canyon Dam as well as Boulder Dam, but Hoover Dam was reinstated as the official name by Congress in 1947*.

As a National Historic Landmark, Hoover Dam is the highest concrete dam in the Western Hemisphere, standing at more than 725 feet above the Colorado River. With 17 generators producing 4 billion kilowatts of electricity a year, it also is one of the country's largest hydroelectric power facilities. Operation and maintenance of the facility are solely supported by revenue from power sales.

Two tours of the dam are available and well worth the time and money spent. For $11 per person (and discounts were available for children, seniors and active military) is the actual Hoover Dam Power Plant Tour. This tour is broken up into several components at numerous locations. The unique tour format allows guests to pick and choose which locations they want to see and the complete tour generally lasts about two hours.

The Hoover Dam Power Plant Tour begins like a lot of the tours we’ve been on, with a brief video presentation depicting the history of Hoover Dam and how it came to be. Afterwards, a guide will escorted us to an elevator for a 500-foot descent to get an up-close look at the power plant generators housed at the base of the dam. The dam is 726.4 feet high, 1,244 feet across at the top, it is 660 feet thick at the base and 45 feet thick at the top.

It weighs 6.6 million tons and can store up 2 years 'average' flow from the Colorado River. Total storage capacity can be measured in 30,500,000 acre feet and the surface area of Lake Mead is 146,000 acres, the maximum water surface elevation of Lake Mead is 1229 FT, the maximum depth of Lake Mead is 590 FT, the length of Lake Mead is 115 miles.

One of the shots I have here (below) was of two of the "Winged Figures of the Republic" by Oskar J.W. Hansen, which is part of the monument of dedication on the Nevada side of the dam. I just thought that it was very cool and in fact it reminded me of something that could have been built by the same architects of the Great Pyramid of Giza. It also had many signs and symbols of the marble slabs in front of the Winged Figures of the Republic. It was really one of my favorite parts of the dam area.The dam has a power generating capacity of 2.8 million kilowatts, and it cost ONLY $49,000,000 to build Hoover Dam, $165,000,000 to complete the Boulder Canyon Project which includes the Imperial Dam, Hoover Dam and the American Canal. If you look at it closely, see if you don't fell the way I did upon viewing it?

The dam contains about 4,360,000 cubic yards of concrete. There are 96,000,000 pounds of steel and metalwork used by the dam - but none of it is actually IN the dam. In spite of some rumors to the opposite, NO ONE IS BURIED IN THE DAM (because Jimmy Hoffa went missing long after the dam was completed)! About 16,000 men and women worked on the project and about 3,500 people were employed at any specific time. Officially, there were 96 'industrial' fatalities during the construction of Hoover Dam.

Guests on the dam tour can also see the original diversion tunnels and stand atop a giant, 30-foot pipe where they can feel the rumble of Colorado River water racing through it. It was so busy around the dam with all of the cars and all of the tourists that it is no wonder that Project Management Team (PMT) was developed to oversee the design and construction of the project. The PMT has representation from each of the major project stakeholders including the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the States of Arizona and Nevada, the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) and the National Park Service (NPS). Central Federal Lands Highway Division (CFLHD) will act in the lead management role for all elements of project procurement, design and construction.

Construction of the Colorado River Bridge is advancing with construction of the 1,060 foot twin-rib concrete arch. The Colorado River Bridge is the central portion of the Hoover Dam Bypass Project. Construction on the nearly 2,000 foot long bridge began in late January 2005 and the completion of the entire Hoover Dam Bypass Project is expected in June 2010. When completed, this signature bridge will span the Black Canyon (about 1,600 feet south of the Hoover Dam), connecting the Arizona and Nevada Approach highways nearly 900-feet above the Colorado River. It was easy to see where the work was going on there, but I still wasn’t too sure that anything was going to hurry traffic along in this area unless they make the new bridge a NON-tourist route. But then, I could be wrong!

"This morning I came, I saw, and I was conquered, as everyone would be who sees for the first time this great feat of mankind. . . .Ten years ago the place where we gathered was an un-peopled, forbidding desert. In the bottom of the gloomy canyon whose precipitous walls rose to height of more than a thousand feet, flowed a turbulent, dangerous river. . . . The site of Boulder City was a cactus-covered waste. And the transformation wrought here in these years is a twentieth century marvel." ~ From a Speech by President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the Dedication of Boulder (Hoover) Dam, September 30, 1935

*P.S. For those who care about this historical detail, on May 8, 1933, Harold Ickes, Franklin Roosevelt's Secretary of the Interior, decided that the name of the dam should be 'Boulder Dam', its original name. The reason for this was no doubt political. Then on April 30, 1947, the resolution renaming the dam back to Hoover Dam was passed by congress and signed by President Harry S. Truman.

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11.12.2008 - 32 comments 

What can you say about a place with such natural beauty as Barbados? Well I read the “Travel & Leisure” Magazine every month and this month they have about 10 pages about this wonderful little country. So it made me want to do a post about it for those of you that may want to go there some time.

One thing I caution you about is what side of the road they drive on, to say nothing about where they happened to place the steering wheels in their rentals cars, but that only takes a few mistakes to make you think carefully while driving around the island.

Barbados is the most eastern island in the Caribbean and is a tiny dot on most world maps with an area of 166 sq miles. Barbados has a population of about 260,000 which is quite high considering its size. With 60 miles of coastline, Barbados has much to offer its visitors in terms of water sports and beach activities. I hope you will be spending much of your day relaxing there! We did, but we did a lot of travel around the island as well.

In researching for our trip we found out that the island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. Slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum and molasses production through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance.

The country is close to Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and just Northeast and right off of the coast of Venezuela. Their primary Industries include: Tourism, sugar, financial services, information services, light manufacturing, component assembly for export. And of course the world famous Barbados Rum production.

In our travels around the country, we saw not only lots of this famous sugar cane, but we also saw sugar beets crops being grow. They were carted around in horse driven carts (just like this guy that I have added a picture of) at the bottom of my post here. The one thing that we were cautioned about was trying to take pictures of the Bajans themselves. They have a fear that it captures part of their soul to be photographed. But for a few bucks… this guy was more than happy to give up a little of his soul.

There were several things that we did that we really enjoyed. One of those adventures was called "Harrison’s Cave", which was like a smaller version of the Carlsbad Caverns. I’ll post a couple of shots from inside the caves too. The caves are geographically located in the center of Barbados, Harrison's Cave is a natural phenomenon, unique to the tropical world. The really cool part about it was that you get to ride through them. This specially designed transport takes you down through the underground tunnels to a sight so beautiful, that few can compare. In the specially lighted caverns, you can view the majestic stalactites and stalagmites which have been growing from the floors and ceilings for many centuries.

Cascading through the caves, the crystal blue waters form magnificent pools and waterfalls, filling the senses with sights and sounds of such pure wonder, that it is guaranteed to be the experience of a lifetime. It was one of the highlights of our trip and not something you would ever expect to find in Barbados.

Another very enjoyable side trip away from the beautiful white sand beaches of this lovely island country was a trip to what they call the “Flower Forest of Barbados”.

It was located in the heart of St. Joseph and is called the Flower Forest. This 50 acre attraction offers an explosion of greenery and commanding vistas of the island's stunning Scotland District.

You can see from my pictures here that the owners aptly consider this attraction "a cross between a botanical garden and a nature trail", since you can take an hour or a day to leisurely stroll the Forest’s winding paths while eyeing a virtual wonderland of tropical flora (as you can see Mrs. LZ doing here). The paths are all amusingly named, and while you will never get lost, you might get really confused as there are several short and long cuts coming off the main paths. "Don't worry, be happy" as there is no time limit and no fixed way to travel through this forestland. The Flower Forest has a main lobby with gift shop and snackette (as they called it).

Another thing we did there was to check out the capital of the country. It is the historic Bridgetown and is one of the oldest cities in the Caribbean with many historic landmarks and a variety of restaurants and Duty-Free shopping. Of course Mrs. LZ wanted to spend more time here than I did, but it was a bustling little city. It also had many old historic buildings, most of which looked like they would have fit right in anywhere in the U.K. in the 19th century.

Another place that we really enjoyed was the Old Codrington College in the St. Johns part of the country. You may actually remember this post from several months ago? So I won't add shots of it again. But if you want to see the post, (again or for perhaps the first time) you can see it by clicking on its name in this paragraph.

More than 70 per cent of the island's 260,000 people are direct descendents from the forced mass Africa migration of the late 1600s and 1700s-the slave trade. The island also has a peaceful blend of European (primarily British) settler blood with the Afro descendents, as well as small but vibrant Hindu (India), Arab (Lebanese and Syrian) and Jewish communities.

African influence is readily seen in the art, craft and literary works produced on the island, as well as many of the foods and figures of speech. Bajans are a quick-witted, fun-loving people and their gift for the double entendre or turn of phrase is most visible through calypso and literature. Local festivals, particularly the island's biggest national festival, Crop Over, (think Mardi Gras) reflect specific elements of Bajan life.

The primary driving force of the economy and lifestyle is the sugar crop. It was the island's largest income-earner from the late 1600s until the late 1980s, and remains a powerful influence in both the lifestyle and the economy. "Crop Over" is a celebration of this agricultural mainstay. The other prime economic influence is, of course, the fishing industry and festivals hailing this trade are also held.

We also noticed a lot of farm animals (like goats and cows) wandering around many of the areas that looked like they could have been family farms without fences. If you happened to be in the center part of the island, it was not very easy to figure out where you were, but after all it is an island, so how lost can you get? (Don’t ask!) But in spite of that, this still gets the LZ stamp of approval.

"We must not promise what we ought not, lest we be called on to perform what we cannot". ~ ABRAHAM LINCOLN, in a speech delivered before the first Republican state convention of Illinois, Bloomington, Illinois, May 29, 1856

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10.14.2008 - 41 comments 

As many of you may know, I love to photograph both plants and flowers. So, an opportunity to visit the Sunken Gardens in Lincoln, Nebraska was one of the highlights to our trip there. Even though there are many tourist activities that would rate much higher on some other peoples' lists of things to see in Lincoln, Nebraska, this one rated about the highest with me. As you can see from these pictures, it was just a beautiful day and an ever prettier garden.

The gardens themselves are at the southwest corner of 27th and D Streets, and have been the pride and joy of citizens since its completion in 1931. This 1.5 acre lot was constructed over the winter of 1930-31, during the worst financial depression the United States ever experienced. Well that may be a sign that it might be time for a new wing to this place given the current economic times and our own stock market woes, but this project was part of a program used by the City of Lincoln as an opportunity for unemployed men to earn money to support their families. The program helped families survive those hard times, as very little money was available for employment in any line of work.

In the early 1900s, Antelope Park extended from Sheridan Boulevard to O street, following the meandering path of the Antelope Creek. The construction of a new bridge over 27th street and Capital Parkway required straightening and relocating the stream several hundred feet to the north through D Street. Completion of the bridge left a large depression in the middle of the lot with a sheer bank on all sides, preventing development. As a result, for many years the area was used primarily during the winter by the neighboring children for sledding.

Incorporating the corner of 27th and D streets into an active part of the parks system had been a desire for many years. The piece of land that makes up the base of the Sunken Gardens was donated by Mr. Henry H. and Mrs. Sarah H. Frey in 1906. During this time, several lots in this area were donated to the Parks Department, adding to the linear nature of the park along Antelope Creek. In the fall of 1930, J.C. Seacrest donated two adjacent lots on the west side of the block to the Parks Department. The addition of these lots to the site provided the opportunity to create a garden of beauty for Lincoln's residents.

E.M. Bair, city commissioner and park head, (in those days) was the driving force behind the acquisition of this parcel of land and its development. Many newspaper articles credit Commissioner Bair as being one of the main government officials responsible for much of the development in the Parks Department. During this time, Bair created several different city improvements projects, of which he was able to assign temporary jobs to more than 200 unemployed men. This government sponsored program was put into effect to benefit the city and those in need Crew members were able to work an eight-hour shift at the rate of 40 cents per hour, twice per week, earning $6.40 per week. These temporary crews were sent out to work in many different areas of the parks to perform tasks ranging from tree trimming to construction projects. It was from this work force that at least 15 men were added to existing parks staff to help construct the Sunken Gardens.

In the beginning, the Sunken Gardens was referred to as Lincoln's "Rock Garden" to reflect its design. In fact when we first saw this place, we were somewhat surprised because we sort of thought that the gardens would have been under water rather that just under the street elevation from which it garners its name.

During the 1930s, in the United States, building rock gardens in progressive communities such as Lincoln was very popular. These gardens, including the Sunken Gardens, used rocks to form the garden's skeleton and contained rocks structures, such as water fountains or memorials. Rock retaining walls at different heights created terraced levels in the garden. Each level could be filled with different types of ground hugging sedum, a succulent perennial. Rock gardens were often located along and designed to mimic natural ravines using winding patterns and irregular widths. These design elements can still be seen in the rock walls of the Sunken Gardens.

Construction of the garden began with the removal of the old disfigured trees on the site. Then several truckloads of rock were brought to the site to lay out the rock walls. The rock used in the walls of the garden was harvested entirely from Lancaster County, of which Lincoln is the county seat. The cost of hauling the rock and the labor to install it were the only expenses for building the walls. The lower retaining walls were constructed of white limestone, while the reddish-colored rocks, which were collected from land south of where the Nebraska State Penitentiary currently stands, provided the main color scheme for the walls.

Semicircular flower beds were used to decorate the slopes along the north and east banks of the garden next to 27th and D streets. These beds were designed to accentuate the bright hues of the plantings on the bottom of the garden, contrasted by white gravel paths that wandered throughout the garden.

Three cement-lined pools were built in the bottom of the garden to create peaceful sights and sounds of water. The southern-most pool was used exclusively for a water lily display and contained several species of tropical and hardy water lilies. Henry Goebel reported that the majority of the lilies had been purchased from the Botanical Gardens in St. Louis, Missouri. The garden's main water display was the four-level waterfall, which flowed down the southern terraces. Water was pumped approximately 20 feet to the top and then trickled down four large steps into a pool stocked with colorful fish.

"I expect to make this spot the most beautiful place in the city, either in or out of the parks. The ground lends itself perfectly to the making of a sunken garden, and at the same time a spot rich in beauty, at a small expense." ~ E.M. Bair, Lincoln NE city commissioner and park head during the years of the Great Depression

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9.20.2008 - 29 comments 

Hailed as "America's Desert Playground" and a refuge for Hollywood's brightest stars, Palm Springs offers miles of palm-lined canyons, cascading waterfalls, desert flora, and big horn sheep. The city blends a rich heritage — steeped in Indian, Mexican and Western cultures — with world-class entertainment and a sophisticated business district. Palm Springs is referred to as "The Golf Capital of the World," with more than 100 championship courses. As you know from my previous post, Palm Springs Aerial Tramway takes sightseers from the sun-drenched desert to snow-capped mountains.

The popular Village in Palm Springs is alive with a variety of restaurants, trendy shops, historic sites and annual festivals. Towering in the background, of these cities is the majestic Mt. San Jacinto offers hiking and horseback riding. As I am sure that you remember that this is also at the top of the Arial Tramway.

As for the best season to visit... Palm Springs is said to be sunny and warm 354 days a year. If you are so inclined, you can take a tour in Palm Springs to see how the rich and famous live via a tour of the Palm Springs Celebrity Tour. This glamorous tour drives past 30-40 homes of the celebrities. If you can only imagine yourself living in abodes formerly occupied by the likes of Frank Sinatra and Walter Annenberg. The tour also includes a great commentary and a bit of Palm Springs history thrown in for good measure.

You can also visit the cities of Cathedral City (The re-born city), Rancho Mirage (The Playground of the Presidents), Indian Wells (The wealthiest city in the nation), Palm Desert (Home of El Paseo Drive). This street is often called the “Rodeo Drive” of the Desert and could actually been a post in and of itself. But most of the stores that you see on Rodeo Drive you weill find on El Paseo Drive as well . But the closest Mrs. LZ and I actually got to entering one of these stores, was a trip to the Rudy’s Resturant for a large Strawberry malt!

Palm Desert (which by the way, is where we just happened to be staying our week on our visit to the Palm Springs area). While on this leg of the tour, you can see the estates of Frank Sinatra, Walter Annenberg, and even the church that Dolly Sinatra re-furbished. You can also walk through a nature garden and much more. We happened to be staying at the Marriott Resort Villas there in Palm Desert.

The tour takes a short break to experience the natural Dates of the Coachello Valley. The Coachella Valley is a large stretch of land in Southern California that is populated by close to a million people and which includes the famed tourist mecca of Palm Springs. After this short break, you will head into the heart of the “Old Movie Colony” of Palm Springs and the Las Palmas area of Palm Springs. You can even get up close and personal with the stars on the second leg of their tour. You also get to see the homes of stars like Bob Hope, Dina Shore, Alan Ladd, Elvis, Liberace, Celine Dion, Arnold Schwartzenagger, Ronald Regan, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and several more.

I have never seen so many golf courses in such a small area in my life. There may be some, but I sure don’t know where they are. It is amazing to me just how all of these perfectly manicured golf courses were so green and beautiful, when the truth about that particular area of California is more adept to the Sand Traps than it is to beautifully manicured “greens”. If you go just a few miles from any of these beautiful resort golf courses, what you find is a nothing more than a stark desert.

Even though the desert can also be beautiful, but perhaps the next time we go there, we’ll wait until winter. Palm Springs, California has been called a desert oasis with a cosmopolitan twist and LZ agrees! Well... and where else can you get a "Ruby's" Shake, an "In & Out" Burger and an "Island's" burger and a "Karl's Jr.'s" burger all in one afternoon?

"Not to have known- as most men have not-either the mountain or the desert is not to have known one's self. Not to have known one's self is to have known no one."- Joseph Wood Krutch

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9.02.2008 - 29 comments 

While in Southern California, the one thing I told Mrs. LZ that I really wanted to do was to take the relatively newly renovated Palm Springs Aerial Tramway up to its top station. The biggest difference in the renovation is that the cars now rotate around twice in the path from both the bottom to the top and from the top to the bottom.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway constructed in rugged Chino Canyon on the north edge of Palm Springs is about two hours by car from Los Angeles and San Diego did not just happen. It required foresight, planning, financing and, most of all a vision. For years, it was the dream of a young electrical engineer named Francis F. Crocker to "go up there where it's nice and cool".

Construction of the Tramway was an engineering challenge and was soon labeled the "eighth wonder of the world." The superlative was earned because of the ingenious use of helicopters in erecting four of the five supporting towers. Some 20 years later, the Tramway was designated an historical civil engineering landmark.

When we got there I noticed that there seemed to be a lot more places to park than I remember seeing here on my previous some 30 + years earlier. But I would still say that the area looked about the same as I remembered it. Except (if you look at the second shot on the bottom) that is what the cars looked like that I rode in back then.

The ride up the side of the mountain was just as simulating as I had remembered it, but this time you had the change of viewing direction as it did its two 360 On a hot summer's day, one of the best things to do in Palm Springs is to take a ride from the dry desert floor with the Aerial Tramway, 5,873 feet up into the cool, moist climate of the San Jacinto Mountains. Come and ascend into a pristine wilderness aboard the world's largest rotating tramcars! Truly one of the greatest experiences in Southern California!

These are the world's largest rotating tramcars that carry visitors from an elevation of 2,643 feet (where we parked to start the trip) to a Mountain Station located at the 8,516-foot level of Mt San Jacinto State Park and Wilderness. It also has the steepest vertical cable rise in the U.S. and the second steepest in the world. They say that the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is truly one of the greatest experiences in Southern California.

What is remarkable about the ride, aside from the breathtaking views of the valley, is the change in temperature. At the bottom of the tram route, the temperature on the desert floor can reach 120 degrees. Rising up through mountain canyons and chimneys, you arrive in an arctic-alpine forest with giant Ponderosa pines.

The thrilling vertical ascent gives you views of the Chino Canyon and the San Jacinto Mountains from the front of the car, while the Sonoran Desert is splayed out below from the rear of the car. Look to the top of Chino Canyon, snap a few photos, and then look behind and below as you move from one ecological zone to another. Even though the day we did this, it seemed pretty smoggy to me, but it didn’t damage our excitement, but it did kind of spoil my photos of the desert floor from the top though

We noticed at the Mountain Station, you can walk from the car into the large, 3-story facility which has a cocktail lounge, dining facilities, a gift shop and observation decks. We walked all around here and after going outside and hiking around a little (while taking some photos up there too.)

One of my favorite parts up here was the station theater. It featured "Building on a Dream" which was an 18-minute film on the history of the history and construction of the Tramway. I really sort of enjoyed hearing all of this information and seeing the pictures of the construction of the tramway. Up at the top you can also explore the 14,000-acre Mt. San Jacinto State Park and Wilderness Area, which has 54 miles of hiking trails, rustic campgrounds, and granite outcroppings providing clear views of the cities below.

One of the things that I sort of forgot about is that once you go up there, you can stay for as long as you want, but if you are there after the last cable car goes down, you’ll be stuck up there for the rest of the night. It almost made me want to wait and go down after dark, but I think that the last one actually goes down before it actually gets dark, plus there would not be much to see down below except the lights of Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, La Quinta and Indio.

Another interesting point to me was that the two cable cars are actually tied together at opposite ends of the cable. This means that you pass the other car both halfway up and halfway down the mountain. And even though you are both traveling at the exact same speed, it seems as though the other car is going faster than you are. It was really an enjoyable ride and it gets the LZ seal of approval. If you get out around Palm Springs, California it is worth a small side trip to the Tramway.

“Talk not of wasted affection! affection never was wasted;
If it enrich not the heart of another, its waters returning
Back to their springs, like the rain, shall fill them full of refreshment” ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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8.24.2008 - 27 comments 

This was not our first visit to either San Diego nor was it our first visit to Old Town in that city. We used to visit here a couple of times a year while we lived in Southern California. But frankly, I had never given it as much attention as it had probably always deserved. One reason may have been that I never really knew that as part of the the Founding of California Old Town San Diego is actually considered the "birthplace" of California.

San Diego is the site of the first permanent Spanish settlement in California. It was here in 1769, that Father Junipero Serra came to establish the very first mission in a chain of 21 missions that were to be the cornerstone of California’s colonization. Father Serra’s mission and Presidio were built on a hillside overlooking what is currently known as Old Town San Diego. At the base of the hill in 1820’s, a small Mexican community of adobe buildings was formed and by 1835 had attained the status of El Pueblo de San Diego. In 1846, a U.S. Navy Lieutenant and a Marine Lieutenant, raised the American flag in the Old Town San Diego Plaza.

In 1968, the State of California Department of Parks and Recreation established Old Town State Historic Park to preserve the rich heritage that characterized San Diego during the 1821 to 1872 period. The park includes a main plaza, exhibits, museums and living history demonstrations.

Historic buildings include La Casa de Estudillo, La Casa de Bandini, La Casa de Altamirno Pedrorena and the Mason Street School, San Diego’s first one room schoolhouse. Just up the hill from Old Town San Diego Historic State Park, you’ll find Heritage Park where several of San Diego’s most notable Victorian homes have been relocated and authentically restored to their original splendor. Just a short walk down San Diego Avenue is the Whaley House, an officially designated haunted house, the Little Adobe Chapel on Conde Street, the first Church in Old Town San Diego and El Campo Santo on San Diego Avenue, a 1850 Catholic Cemetery.

But let me tell what I do know and love about "Old Town" San Diego, that being the food that you can find there that to me if the best Mexican Food North of the Mexico border. For that reason alone, it was our first stop after leaving San Diego's Lindbergh. One such place is called "Old Town Mexican Cafe Cantina" where we not only saw the ladies hand-making the tortillas, but also the pleasure of Mrs. LZ and I eating those same tortillas. But for me, the best part of this place was finding the best Chile Relleno I have had since moving to the Midwest from Southern California several years ago. We even ate there another time prior to leaving San Diego, just to insure that they had not played a trick on me. But it was just as good as it was the first time I had it there.

There was also the visit to the first one room School House in San Diego (that I mentioned above) and the charming stories about its first young single schoolmarm who came by boat from the East Coast down to South America and then she took a train across the isthmus of Panama (prior to the Panama Canal being built) and then of her taking another ship from that point to San Diego for her new job (there in this school house) that she secured as it teacher from the next some 38 years.

My suggestion is that if you ever get a chance to visit San Diego, you should really visit Old Town San Diego, to get a perspective of how California really started. And by the way... don't forget to have dinner "Old Town Mexican Cafe Cantina" and tell them that LZ said; "you NEED to try their Chile Rellenos!" And... if you look closely at that last shot... you'll see Mrs. LZ reminiscing of the "olden days" before I bought her that new washer and dyer a couple of years ago.

“Buck did not read the newspapers, or he would have known that trouble was brewing, not alone for himself, but for every tide-water dog, strong of muscle and with warm, long hair, from Puget Sound to San Diego” ~ Jack London

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8.10.2008 - 28 comments 

This is really not a very uplifting post, but perhaps it will in some ways help us to remember some of the worst things done to man by other men just because of some religious prejudice. Mrs. LZ and I visited this place while on vacation in Miami, and it was something that not only was I not expecting, but also that was extremely moving to walk through an view. But before I tell you about that, here is a little history about how the Memorial got built in the first place.

In the fall of 1984, a small group of Holocaust survivors formed a committee dedicated to building a permanent memorial to the memory of the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust.

The Holocaust Memorial Committee was formally established a year later as a private non-profit organization. Its objective was to organize a permanent committee, locate a potential site, develop ideas for the scope and design of the Memorial, and determine ways and means of financial support for the project.

With full cooperation from the City of Miami Beach Commission, the present site at Meridian Avenue and Dade Blvd. was designated to receive the Memorial. Kenneth Treister, architect and sculptor, was entrusted with interpreting the Holocaust into a structure which would memorialize its victims, serve as solace to its survivors, and also inform with factual representations in pictures and words of this century's greatest human crime.

The Holocaust Memorial on Miami Beach was dedicated and opened to the public in February 1990. Since then, the committee is devoted not only to maintaining the memorial, but to developing cultural and educational programs for the community. The committee invites you to join the effort to make a lasting impact on future generations.

The Holocaust Memorial took over four years to be built, reaching its final stage at dedication ceremonies on Sunday February 4, 1990, with Elie Wiesel, Nobel laureate as guest speaker.

Visitors to the Memorial will at first be met by a visual sensation of contrasting elements: the brightness of the luminous Jerusalem stone, which represents the basic building material for the Memorial, and the stark, somber black granite, which lines the walls; another contrast is offered by the stillness of water in the reflecting pool with its majestic lily pads of uncommon dimension, and the azure sky reflecting its patterns in the water, almost competing with the somber reminder of the site's purpose - the reflecting shapes provided by the Memorial's sculpture.

Two parts of a semicircular black granite wall provide two important components of the memorial: on the visitor's right begins the journey into the universe of the Holocaust. In the first three panels of the granite wall, I presented a short but concise history of the event, from 1933 through 1945 and followed it up with a chronological pictorial depiction of Holocaust events and experiences, accompanied by textual explanations and maps.

From almost the moment that Mrs. LZ and I walked into this place, there was a sense of both sadness and of peace, almost the same feeling that most people have as they visit the grave of a dear loved one who has parted from us and this world. As I looked at these walls and saw all of the names of all of the people that we are aware were taken in the Holocaust, it is truly hard to believe that people could ever treat other human being in this manner.

This kind of thing can only happen when good people let evil people walk all over OTHERS and then "DO NOTHING". But so it was with Hitler and the Nazis. I am not Jewish, but this was not only about the Jewish people being made a scapegoat for what Hitler thought was wrong with the world and wanted to change it into what he thought was his image of a superior race as he viewed it, but it was really nothing more than pure evil putting itself higher than God and His rules for life. It took a long time before someone stood up to this evil and beat it. But it takes courage and as Winston Churchill said... "Courage is the first virtue, without it, none of the others matter!"

As for evil in the world that was done to the Jewish people by Hitler and the Nazis, the Jewish people say... "Never Again!"

Mrs. LZ and I are flying off to San Diego, California this week... I'll be reading all of your blogs on our return!

"I want to go on living even after my death! And therefore I am grateful to God for giving me this gift, this possibility of developing myself and of writing, of expressing all that is in me. I can shake off everything if I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn." ~ From the Diary of Anne Frank dated Tuesday, 4 April, 1944

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7.30.2008 - 29 comments 

Well, some of you may have thought that we were never going to leave BlogStock ’08, but it really was a whole lot of fun and I just wanted to make sure I shared the photos and adventures from that event. Again, many thanks to those who were not only there, but also to our hosts and planners; Cliff & Marilyn Morrow as well as Ralph & Char Campbell.

Shortly after this BlogStock event, we had the privilege of watching our two granddaughters for about a week and a half while their parents got to enjoy a second honeymoon in Napa Valley, CA. Before they left for California, we asked if it was "OK" if we took the girls on a road trip withw us, so that we could have a little vacation with them while the folks were enjoying their "wine country" vacation. They said; “Sure… go ahead!” So with that approval, Mrs. LZ, the girls and I took off on our own little adventure and as you may have already surmised, it was to Altoona, Iowa to an Amusement Park called Adventureland.

Altoona, Iowa is less than a half hour East of Des Moines, Iowa. Other than Adventureland, about the only other place we saw around Altoona was a horse racing track called Prairie Meadows. But if you went to the city’s website, it doesn’t offer much more information than the following:

“Altoona is located in Polk County, Iowa about 5 miles from Des Moines. Altoona has a population of 13,301 in 2005 and one of the lowest city tax rates in the metro area. We are conveniently located approximately 20 minutes from the Des Moines International Airport and about 15 minutes from the Ankeny Airport. We offer many large city amenities but with small town quality and convenience. Altoona offers beautiful recreational bike trails, a new aquatic park, fire department, and library. Shopping is abundant with a Lowe's, Menards, Target, and Wal-Mart. After a day of shopping enjoy entertainment at Prairie Meadows Casino or Adventureland Park. Then enjoy dinner at one of our many restaurants and stay for the night in one of our five hotels. Come see why Altoona, Iowa is the best little town in the metro. “

So when I say that was all we saw there, I guess I should have added the Lowe's, Menards, Target, and Wal-Mart too? But the most important part was that we had an excellent time there with our granddaughters.

I was really surprised that both of the granddaughters wanted to go on ALL of the rides, even some of the ones that were a little too exciting for Mrs. LZ and I. I think they could have spent the whole day on that “Silly Silo”, which just about made me want to call “BULLAH!” And if nothing else made me too dizzy to walk for a few minutes. It was a giant tub like device that spun around at a very fast rate and then the floor dropped out from under you while centrifugal force held you to the wall.

The park’s own brochure stated that… “Adventureland Amusement Park contains over 100 rides, shows, and attractions including some of the country's most exciting roller coasters and thrill rides that can challenge the most avid amusement park enthusiasts. There are also plenty of rides for less adventurous guests including great water rides as well as a full compliment of children's rides spread throughout the park. But the entertainment doesn't stop with rides - Adventureland presents a full array of shows in the park - from live music to magic to song and dance - there's always something to suit everyone's taste. Simply the most fun you will have all year! Adventureland Park is a smoke free facility.

Speaking of “thrill rides that can challenge the most avid amusement park enthusiasts”… another ride that surprised me was the Space Shot. This thing shot up about 240 feet in the air in about 2 seconds. Then it sounded like it blew up as you then dropped about another 100 feet before going back up to the top again. It was really quite invigorating for this old guy! The youngest granddaughter was not quite big enough to go on this ride because of height requirements or she may have just been as adventuresome as her bigger sister.

The girls also really enjoyed getting wet on several of the rides like Saw Mill Splash and the River Rapids – Log Ride. It was ok for the girls, because they had their swim suits on under their clothes, but Mrs. LZ and I were not that smart. But we still had fun just the same. There was also another water type ride that I really enjoyed in which we got soaked called the “Splash Over”. The name (in and of itself) should have been a give-away of what that ride was going to be all about. But it was still a “wet” kick in the pants. In fact, I think that was perhaps my favorite ride of the day.

We also even got to go under the Big Top for the Hannaford Circus which had acts all the way from frizbee catching dogs to a lady on the flying trapeeze to a guy who juggled ping pong balls with his mouth and the final act of a guy being shot from a cannon. That's the guy who's out of focus!

Some of the non-water related rides that we went on were the giant Skywheel which was like a giant Ferris wheel, only with round baskets that would hold at least 4 people instead of the usual type that is like a ski lift. Those of you who have noticed that I changed my avatar lately, may also noticed that it is just that I want to show off that I am as tough as my eight year old granddaughter is on the Space Shot! (It looks as though it blew off my glasses and my flip flops... but really I just made sure that I didn't lose them on the ride! What a TRIP! This is why you have kids when you are YOUNG.

“Perfect love sometimes does not come until grandchildren are born” ~ Welch Proverb

“Our grandchildren accept us for ourselves, without rebuke or effort to change us, as no one in our entire lives has ever done, not our parents, siblings, spouses, friends - and hardly ever our own grown children.” ~ Ruth Goode

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7.22.2008 - 28 comments 

Ok! Ok! I know that some of you may think will this party "never end" here in Tekamah, Nebraska? But I just wanted to do this my third and final BlogStock post by showing both the Front and Rear covers of the BlogStock book that Ralph Campbell put together for all of the BlogStock folks. (*As is the case with all my photos... you can just double click to see the larger version of the shot and then just hit the BACK button to return to this page again).

BlogStock '08 Bloggers:

1) Cliff and Marilyn Morrow
2) Jerry Wiley
3) Jamie Dawn
4) Dan & Julie Morrow Family
5) Nora Spitznogle
6) Rachel Phelps
7) Paul Nichols & his wife
8) Desiree Wallace
9) Jim & Mrs. Jim Hovendic
10) Terah Goerzen
11) LZ & Mrs. LZ Blogger (you are already here)
12) Janelle Carson
13) John, Terah & Jacob Goerzen
14) Georgette Jones Family
15) Catherine Harwood Family
16) Ralph & Char Campbell



As I left off on the last post, we had left the winery and arrived at Cliff and Marilyn's farm. This is where the action started moving toward the hamburger and hotdog supper prep activities. As we road for miles and miles down a gravel road, we saw the Burma Shave (type) signs that marked the road to the farm. Not only were these fun to read, but they also made you feel as though you really were NOT lost.


If we had been driving this road by ourselves, this might have been a concern to a city boy like me. When we got to the farm, the first thing I did was to wander the property and started taking shots of the farm equipment, silos, barns, horses, ponies, gardens, corn fields, farm house etc. that were all around the place.


Mrs. LZ both spotted the first cherry tree that either of us had ever remembered seeing. We had no idea that the cherries from this and other cherry trees on Cliff and Marilyn's property would later become one of the gift bag items via the homemade Cherry Jelly jar.

Most of the folks who had not been to the farm, were out exploring it as well. But as more people starting arriving for the burger and dog dinner we all sort of started ending up at the tables under the tent.


This made for a lot of discussion about personal aspects of each of our lives and how we all managed to end up here at BlogStock '08 in Tekamah, Nebraska on the 4th of July in 2008. This information in (and of) itself could have filled a book of many chapters. Such a diverse group of people from all sorts of backgrounds and different interests, but all seemed interested in their blogging buddies own personal stories.




I loved the cover shot of Cliff and Ralph in the "high corn" and it seems completely in tune with the event itself. I did however take some liberties (with the back cover up top) and added the numbers to the photos on that rear cover of the book so that you could see who these bloggers actually were for those of you who may not be familiar with all of the participants. I also included their names beside that rear cover information.



I was extremely happy to see so many of the bloggers that I have enjoyed reading over the time that I have been blogging, but then at the same time, I wished that some of the others who I read on a regular basis (or whom post on my blog) would have been there as well. But what a nice group of people were in attendance even sans a few fellow bloggers I have learned to call friends.


My only disappointment in this whole wonderfully planned BlogStock event (for me) at all, was just Mrs. LZ and I having to leave it before it was all over! Well... and I suppose, the fact that the Cherry Jelly didn't even last through the weekend! Just in case you haven't figured out who Mrs. LZ is... she's the pretty blonde lady in the red and white striped blouse riding in many of the horse shots with Jamie Dawn below.


"The happiest moments my heart knows are those in which it is pouring forth its affections to a few esteemed characters."

~ Thomas Jefferson

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7.16.2008 - 22 comments 

Well I sort of apologize for not getting some more pictures from BlogStock '08 posted, but it not just that I'm LZ (read LAZY), but it is rather that I've just been a little busy since the Fourth of July. For that reason I am going to make this a short post and just add more pictures from the event (post Tekamah, Nebraska Parade).


After the parade, we all went to Cliff's mother in law's house for a while prior to our next agenda the winery. After getting to meet the rest of Cliff and Marilyn's family, we all went out to Silver Hills Winery where they had a nice lunch laid out for us complete with breads, lunch meats, cheeses, salads and desserts. If you wanted to test out their wines that was also available for a very minor charge. This part of the event allowed us all to learn a little more about each other. Things like where we were all from, what we did there and often, how we got into blogging in the first place.


The picnic area was large enough for us all to find places to sit and be able to eat confortably out of the sun if that was your preferrence. As you can see, most of the bloggers attended this event, but the were a few who had made alternate plans for that particular part of BlogStock '08.


After a nice lunch and some good conversation, we were off to Cliff and Marilyn's farm where there was a large tent set up with lots of tables and chairs to seat us all. As I stated in the prior post, I made sure I was following someone on the trip from the winery to the farm, just to make sure I was not driving around in a corn field maze for the rest of BlogStock '08 Event.


More photos to come on my final BlogStock '08 post next time. This will include the horse and pony rides, eating and just having fun with the other bloggers.

"The only way to have a friend is to be one." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

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7.09.2008 - 32 comments 

Can the 4th of July get any more traditional than a parade down "Main Street" Mid-America, U.S.A.? Well, I think not! Then, when you throw in a Parade Float that you are riding on in that parade (and) trying to get some canned goods food and money donated to a local food pantry, the excitement becomes palatable. At least, that was the experience that Mrs. LZ and I had this Fourth of July. In fact, the only thing that might make it more exciting is if you are going to be doing it with some of your internet blogging buddies that you in fact may have never even met before today!

Let me tell you how this exciting day progressed for Mrs. LZ and me. First as we pulled into town via Hi-way 75 through charming little towns like Fort Calhoun, Blair and Herman, we noticed that Tekamah had a very large billboard style sign just at the edge of the city stating simply; “Welcome to Tekamah, Nebraska” this in and of itself seemed like a GOOD start to me. I let Mrs. LZ know that “we are HERE!” Just getting there sometimes can be half of the battle ya know? But, she just gave me one of those… (“Why am I still married to you after all of these years?”) looks!

When we arrived, a little earlier than we had expected to, we noticed that the BlogStock ’08 Float (that we had expected to find SOMEWHERE) was not visible to us. We did however; manage to find the booth that was set-up for the parade participants. As we pulled up to that little set-up area table, and even after asking several people in the parade prep area. They would say things like… “BlogStock? Oh… that’s Cliff’s group, we haven’t seen him yet today!” And even though that was a little concerning to us, we drove around in the set-up area for a while until I finally saw him pulling up with the BlogStock float in tow. I recognized him right away and I asked him if he “had room on the float for a couple more”. He said; “You bet!”

As for these bloggers, most of them where exactly what I had expected them to be (after reading their posts for years). Bloggers for the most part seem to have a tendency to gravitate to other bloggers with either the same interests, or often, at least similar values. The theme of our float “BlogStock Salutes Disney”, but its “purpose” was actually to collect food and money for the local Tekamah, Nebraska food pantry.

My blogging buddy of a couple of years now Cliff Morrow was exactly as I had expected. Just as humorous and down to earth in real life as he is on his blog. Even the funny little off-hand comments that Cliff made around us, were exactly what I would have expected he would say in any given situation (or as a response he might post on a blog). He was just a real funny and uplifting kind of guy. His humor is very subtle and dry, but also very quick and witty. Cliff‘s buddy Ralph (who was also the other BlogStock organizer along with Cliff) is a longtime personal friend of Cliff’s and you could see just how the two of them could actually pull this whole thing off together. Their skills and talents just seemed to augment each others.

Their wives Marilyn and Char have been friends since they were little girls in Colorado together. I think I heard one of them say that they can’t remember NOT knowing each other. They are the real brains and beauty behind those two guys though! But at the very least… there was a certain synergy in this “fabulous four” that pulled this whole thing off with almost seamless precision.

One of the female Bloggers that I have really enjoyed reading for a couple of years now (Jamie Dawn) was just as sweet as I thought she would be and Mrs. LZ just loved her. Her husband Keith is a pastor of a non-denominational church in Northern California, but I never before heard of the city in which it was located, and I still can’t even remember its name now. It seems like it was somewhere between the bay area and the San Joaquin Valley somewhere. Keith was a very nice and laid back guy. Jamie Dawn and Keith also brought their college age daughter (Courtney) with them. Courtney loves to take photo shots of everything, (so she and I are on the same page here). They also have a son who was not there, because he was doing some sort of music recording. Both Courtney and her brother Taylor are frequent post subjects on Jamie Dawn’s Blog.

There were people from, Colorado, Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky there too and maybe a couple of states I have forgotten about too. When the parade was over, we all went to Silver Hills (a local winery) for a nice buffet lunch. This was also a nice chance to get to know some of the other folks. And several from Cliff’s family were also there, his sons, daughter and grandkids too. Cliff and Marilyn’s sons (Tom and Dan and their wives and kids) were there from Lincoln, NE. Julie (their daughter and her son and daughter) live very close to Cliff and Marilyn’s place.

Most of the activities of the day (after the Tekamah Parade) happened out on Cliff and Marilyn’s farm. So, after the time we spent at the winery, we all took off caravan style to meet up again at Cliff and Marilyn’s place. They had a big tent set up outside with tables and chairs for everyone to be able to sit down and talk and have a few snacks while many of the guests helped get everything set up for the hamburger and hotdog dinner that Ralph got busy grilling the hot dogs and burgers for.

These folks really know how to put on some eating events, if you ask me! I would imagine that all in all, there were about 50 people there for BlogStock ’08 (including the kids and grandkids). After supper was completed there were both horse rides and 4 wheel ATV rides around the farm. Mrs. LZ really surprised me once again, by wanting to actually ride a horse. She did it and she just loved it. It is helpful to know that the last time Mrs. LZ road a horse was when we were on Grand Bahamas Island. That particular time, the horse tried to run her into a tree. But even though that was some years ago, (and I figured she had forgotten all about it) but she still wanted to ride again. But, she did admit that she had remembered the Grand Bahamas ride and in spite of that, she still wanted to get back in the saddle again.

The farmhouse itself was out in the middle of acres, acres and acres of fields planted with corn. If I had not been following someone, I doubt if I would have found it without a police escort. I am pretty sure a GPS here, would have been fruitless. The good thing was that the farmhouse was the last thing on the road, so I didn’t really have to worry about how I would get out of there and back to the highway.

The food was great and the people were at least as nice as I expected (if not more so). The Morrow’s farm had a couple of big old cherry trees with actual cherries on them. Both Mrs. LZ and I had really never even seen a cherry tree before. So we were thrilled by this particular discovery on the farm.

Mrs. LZ and I stayed at the farm until almost 10:00 P.M until other commitments for the weekend took us away and on our return trip back home again. But when Cliff found out that we were leaving and not coming back, to BlogStock that weekend, they decided to have a little ceremony that they had planned on doing the last night of BlogStock, so that Mrs. LZ and I could be part of it too. So he asked us if we could stay around just a while longer, so that he could do a little something. We said; “sure!”

Then, Cliff sort of did a little speech about how the whole concept of BlogStock was Ralph’s brainchild and he explained how without Ralph’s effort and the help of their wives (Marilyn and Char) it would NOT have happened. After the speech and the applause for all of the help, Cliff and Ralph then passed out bags to each BlogStock participant that contained a BlockStock ’08 Book (that was a spiral bound collection of the blogger's posts). This book contained at least two blog posts from each of us bloggers, as well as bios from each of us. On the front of the book was a picture of Ralph & Cliff with just their heads sticking out of rows of corn and on the back was a collage made with all of the BlogStock participants very own pictures.

In addition to the book, there was also a local paper that just happened to have an article about BlogStock ’08 and the parade and the Bloggers participation in the parade to gather food and money for the Tekamah food pantry. The bag also contained a jar of honey from the farm as well as a jar of jelly made from the cherries off of those trees outside of the Morrow farmhouse. It also contained a couple of ball point pens from Cliff’s latest run (and won) for Burke County Supervisor. It also contained a glass proudly emblazoned with the name of the kennels that Cliff’s wife Marilyn runs (with the help of their grown daughter Julie). All in all, just a very fun day for us and the weather could not have been any nicer for a GREAT 4th of July!

I will post some pictures from the parade with this post and then ones from the Silver Hills Winery and the Morrow Farm on later posts. To Cliff, Marilyn, Ralph and Char… Thanks for a wonderful visit and a great BlogStock event! You guys should be very proud of your planning and execution that made BlogStock ’08 a wonderful event filled with the spirit of what the celebration of America’s "Independence Day" is all about.

To all of you bloggers that I just met there, if I wasn’t reading you before, I will be now, to those of you that I already read and post on your blogs… It was truly a pleasure and an honor to get to know you even better through this visit. I hope that we can all do it again sometime! It was truly a memorable event and an absolutely wonderful Fourth of July for Mrs. LZ and me. As the old Bob Hope theme song used to say… “Thanks For The Memories!”

“You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.” ~ Erma Bombeck

7.02.2008 - 17 comments 

As promised this time we are going to take a look at this beautiful part of the world from the air via a Jack Harter Helicopter. From the minute we walked out to the helio-pad, I was excited. Jack met us once we were seated and told us to put on our headphones so that we could hear his narration of exactly what we were viewing on this 60 minute trip over the island of Kauai. This actually took longer than the hour, just because Jack likes to make each trip a little unique. This was also a plus in my book.

When we took off, I was surprised at how much smoother the flight was as compared to those chopper flights I took all the time when I was in Vietnam in those Army Vertol CH-47 Chinooks and Bell UH-1 Iroquois Hueys that we called Slicks. This thing was very comfortable and enjoyable. Well, and I suppose that the fact that no one was shooting at us also made it much more relaxed and comfortably too.

This was the one thing that I really wanted to do while on Kauai. I had heard that it was the garden island and I wanted to see just how beautiful those areas were that you could only view from a helicopter and thankfully Jack did just that by taking us over to many areas of the island that are just not really accessible by any other form of transportation. The waterfalls from the movie “Jurassic Park” were just a few of the really cool things that Jack took us over to see. I may include a couple of those falls shots as well (even though) they were not actually on the Napali Coast.

I really can’t say enough about Jack’s abilities as a chopper pilot, but additionally he knew Kauai like the back of his hand. He simply would not let a sight go by without first pointing it out to make sure that we all saw EVERYTHING. And by everything... I mean; The Nawiliwili Harbor and the Menehune Fishpond, Kipu Kai and the Tunnel of Trees, Manawaiopuna Falls in Hanapepe Valley, Olokele Canyon's and its pristine beauty, Waimea Canyon (also called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific), the North Shore beaches from Ke'e to Hanalei Bay and Valley. Hanalei Bay is also where my Rough Rider buddy’s Zodiac Boat took off from.

Jack also made sure that we saw Mt. Waialeale and the heart of Kauai's ancient volcano and finally, Wailua Falls and of course, my favorite Na Pali's spectacular sea cliffs and valleys. Jack also pointed out where the “Wettest Place in the world was”. I think he said that it gets 600 inches of rain a year up there. Of course as you might imagine with that much rain, it was cloudy and raining up there.

Jack was also insistent about getting a view of the island through a rainbow and made sure that we all got a chance to get a photo of that event. Before this trip, no one had told Mrs. LZ and me about Jack Harter and his helicopter tours, but his helicopter business was associated with the Kauai Marriott Resort & Beach Club, where we were staying on Kalapaki Beach, in Lihue. The hotel concierge recommended him very highly, but not until this flight was completed did I understand why. This time with Jack Harter in his helicopter over Kauai was truly the highlight of our trip to Kauai. I hope you enjoyed it too? Jack Harter gets the “LZ Five Star Award for Quality Service” in my book!

Now Mrs. LZ and I are off for the Fourth of July Celebration at BlogStock '08! With some of our blogging buddies. I hope if I don't see you there that all of you Americans have a safe and Happy Fourth of July holiday.

"We invite you to escape the ordinary; to leave the byways of man and immerse yourself in the wilderness grandeur of the Garden Isle. Only by exploring its natural wonders can you truly capture the meaning of this glorious island." ~ Jack and Bev Harter

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6.24.2008 - 24 comments 

When I remember back on some of the most beautiful places in the world that I have ever seen, the Napali Coast of Kauai always comes up toward the top of my personal list. Those of you that have managed to visit this beautiful place know exactly what I am talking about.

There are really about only three ways to get to this place. First you can hike and back pack back in there, second you can view it from a helicopter, or you can take the Zodiac boats there from Princeville, Kauai.

Well, we managed to do two out of the three of these options. We decided to forgo the backpacking. Maybe if I had been 20, 30 or even 40, I might have gone for the backpacking idea, but at our age the helicopter and the Zodiac boats seemed to be our best options. Before I tell you about those adventures, let me first explain about the Zodiac boats.

We have friends in California, (let’s just call them Jack & Jill) who told us that we just “had to take the Zodiac Boats around to the Napali Coast!” Jack & Jill are about the same age as Mrs. LZ and I, so we thought… this will be great! So, we made sure we planned to do that and set up reservations while we were there.

After a beautiful drive from our hotel (the Marriott at Lihue, Kauai) around to the other side of the island to Princeville, we said there were a lot of beautiful places to stop and have a picnic on the way. But the Zodiac boats excursion also included a picnic on the beach on the Napali coast. Not only did it come with lunch, but the extended lunch time also came with a little snorkeling and fish feeding on that same beach. All of this sounds pretty nice, but let me tell you a little about this sea cave travel adventure!

First, they pack you into these Zodiac boats like sardines and then they tell you that you better be able to hold on to not only the people you are smashed against, but also to the rope on the boats air bag pontoons. When I say “hang on”, I am not exaggerating. If you don’t hang on for dear life, you’ll be out there swimming with the sea tortoises very soon. I am not kidding this was one heck of an exhilarating ride.

There were many times, I wanted to yell out… “Let me off of this damn thing!” But, I was determined to live through this adventure one way or another. I also felt like our boat driver, was trying to insure that we NEVER came back here again. He was about 40 + years old and was a transplanted mainlander, who thought he was a stand-up comic as he reported to us that his parents always wanted me to have a job where he could wear a suit to work. He said all of this at the same time he was turning around to show us all his tan and his tiny bikini style “Speedo” SUIT! His jokes got worse as the trip continued, but like the old saying goes… “The beatings (of the waves) will continue until morale improves”.

But you know… in spite of the extremely rough ride to get around to the sea caves of the Napali coast, the caves were wonderful and extremely fun. Of course our wonder-boy driver like to insure that we could be quickly killed of he didn’t time the waves correctly as we would be smashed against the cliffs or smashed into the cave ceilings. Just more of his 40 + boyish charm I’m sure!

As you can see from the pictures, the caves were actually very neat and it was kind of fun going in and out of them. One of them even went back in one side of the cliff and out of the other side. But most of the caves required both entrance and exit from the same hole. This coupled with the timing of the waves and the skills of our stand up comic Zodiac operator made for quite an adventure for Mrs. LZ and I.

After we had all the scares (I mean excitement) that we could take, we were off to the picnic lunch on the beach. Which by being on dry land alone made it enjoyable, but was also a nice respite, from the somewhat pounding adventures with our Zodiac boat driver the Marquis de Sade. This picnic was followed by snorkeling in the little bay in front of the picnic beach.

While we were enjoying ourselves on this beach, another group of tourists came onto the beach in a power sail Catamaran. These folks jokingly asked us if we had actually come here on the Zodiac boat. We responded (not so jokingly) and asked them if they wanted to “TRADE”. Needless to say, as much as we tried, they didn’t go for it!

Not too much after that, we were on our way back to Princeville while the beatings continued. When we got back to Princeville, we were greeted by a person who wanted to interview us about the “JOYS” of our just recently completed trip. Well… Mrs. LZ, soberly answered her, “I’ve never done ANYTHING like it before!” I guess the interviewer got the idea and moved on to people who actually had smiles on the faces.

When we had completed our Kauai trip and had returned home, I asked Jack (of Jack & Jill) if they had really taken the Zodiac boats to see the Napali Coast. Sheepishly, he responded, “oh no, we took the Catamarans!” If I ever decide to make this trip again, I know I will be making it “by myself” but maybe it will help if I wear a SUIT! Next post… the Napali Coast from the air.

Beating the drums for Hawaii is not hard to do... the place just grows on you. ~ James MacArthur

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6.14.2008 - 23 comments 

After my last post about the Musse D’Orsay, many folks seem to be surprised by the fact that I liked the Musse D’Orsay better than the Louvre. And, even though I didn’t mean that from the perspective of the size or even the numbers of masterpieces, but I only meant it from my love of the work of the impressionists alone. For me all those works of Renoir, Monet, in one very beautifully restored building was the pièce de résistance. A little French here for “VERY COOL” in “LZ’s” language!

But really trying to do the Louvre in one day, is almost like trying to see all of Paris in one day. It just really isn’t possible. But the good news is that I still tried! Tried, but if you changed the position of a couple of letters in the word “tried” and what you end up with is TIRED!

I have to start out on the outside of this place. The first thing you notice approaching the Courtyard to the Museum of the Louvre, prominently displayed at the centre is this wonderful looking palace, is that it looks like it is right out of a Louis XIV era movie. Then, you notice this funny glass pyramid thing popping up right out of nowhere that (has no semblance) to anything remotely attached to this building or its architecture. One could almost say; “where in the world did that thing come from?” But then, the realization that they intended it to look like that, in stark contrast to the building of the Louvre itself.

As you approach it, you realize, that this glass pyramid is actually now the entrance to the Louvre. French President Francois Mitterand proposed that he wanted to enhance the Louvre in 1983. Mitterand plans included the renovation of the building and moving the Finance Ministry elsewhere, permitting display throughout. I.M. Pei, a Chinese-American architect, was awarded the project and proposed a glass pyramid for the central courtyard, which he argued created a "strong symbolic element ... delicate and stable, correctly proportioned so as not to overwhelm the architecture of the Louvre but rearing its point there..." The pyramid and underground lobby, which enclose the entrance area, was inaugurated on October 15, 1988. See… just as I surmised!

The museum is on the Right Bank, in the neighborhood referred to as the 1st arrondissement and lies between the Seine River and the Rue de Rivoli. The Louvre is slightly askew of the axe historique, a long architectural straightaway that cuts through the centre of Paris.

The Louvre is one of the world's most visited art museums, a historic monument, and a national symbol. I can’t even tell you how many things there are to see here, but according to their own website, collection contains more than 380,000 objects and displays 35,000 works of art drawn from eight curatorial departments. More than 652,000 sq feet of exhibition space is dedicated to the permanent collection. Sources state that the collection includes 11,900 paintings, the second largest holding of Western pictorial art in the world after the State Hermitage in Russia.

Six thousand paintings are on permanent display, and 5,900 are in storage. Besides paintings, the Louvre exhibits include sculptures, art objects, and archaeological finds. Oversight of the property is carried out by nearly 2,000 Louvre employees led by Henri Loyrette, the director.

The thing that really got to me about the place was the realitively small size of the Mona Lisa compared to some of the works that took up a whole wall. But the Mona Lisa was heavily guarded and framed as if someone might try and steal it or worse yet, try and photograph it. So here’s the picture I took of it, not that you can really see anything more than the frame case it was housed in.

The Louvre as a showplace for artwork dates from the time of François I, but it was not until the French Revolution that the royal collection opened to the public and became the "Muséum central des Arts".

On 10 August 1792, the Bourbon monarchy collapsed, Louis XVI was imprisoned, and all art in the royal collection was declared to be national property. The National Assembly, deciding that the collection had been weakened by being "dispersed" and that the matter was "urgent", turned the palace into a museum. The royal collection was combined with Church property, which had been appropriated by the State in 1789. With legal authorization given on 6 May 1791, the marquis de Marigny and his successor, the comte d'Angiviller, began developing the Louvre's permanent collection.

The museum opened to the public on 10 August 1793, with much fanfare, because the national artistic display was seen as a demonstration of revolutionary ideals. That works once reserved for the ancien régime were viewable by the public was important to the nascent republic as a "benefit of Liberty". The museum's opening was hectic, as artists lived in residence, and works were placed randomly throughout the old palace. However, the republic dedicated a considerable sum, 100,000 livres per year, to help the institution expand its collection with works from abroad. From 1794 onwards, France's victorious revolutionary armies brought back increasing numbers of pieces from across Europe, aiming to establish the Louvre as a major European museum and a symbol of revolutionary progress. Significant additions to the young collection were masterpieces from Italy, including the Laocoon and his sons and the Apollo Belvedere from the papal collection, which arrived in Paris in July 1798 with much pomp and ceremony.

The sculptures department contains work created before 1850 that does not belong in the Etruscan, Greek, and Roman department. The Louvre has been a repository of sculpted material since its time as a palace; however, since only ancient architecture was considered suitable for study, the first display of medieval, Renaissance, and modern works did not occur until 1824 except for Michelangelo's Dying Slave and Rebellious Slave.

Initially, the collection was relatively small, with about 100 works, because of the government's focus on Versaille. It remained so until 1847, when Léon Laborde was given control of the department. Laborde developed the medieval section and purchased the first such statues and sculpture in the collection, King Childebert and stanga door, respectively. Initially, the collection was part of the department of antiquities but was given autonomy in 1871 under Louis Courajod, a director who organized a wider representation of French works. In 1986 all works from after 1850 were relocated to the new Musée d'Orsay. And you are aware of my excitement about this decision?

As part of the Grand Louvre project, the sculpture department was separated into two exhibition spaces; the French collection is displayed in the Richelieu wing, while foreign works are located throughout the Denon wing.

The sculpture collection's comprehensive overview of French sculpture includes Romanesque works such as the 11th century Daniel in the Lions' Den and the 12th century Virgin of Auvergne. In the 16th century, French sculpture grew more delicate and restrained because of the Renaissance influence, as can be seen Jean Goujon's bas-reliefs, and Germain Pilon's Descent from the Cross and Resurrection of Christ. The 17th and18th centuries are represented by Étienne Maurice Falconet's Woman Bathing and Amour menaçant; and François Anguier's obelisks. The neoclassical period highlights include Antonio Canova's Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss (1787), one of the Louvre's most famous works and one that demonstrates the period's emphasis on emotion and love.

For me, the most impressive part of the whole place, was the fact that around every corner of this place, was yet another shot worthy of a post card from Paris stating, “Wish You Were Here!”

"To any artist, worthy of the name, all in nature is beautiful, because his eyes, fearlessly accepting all exterior truth, read there, as in an open book, all the inner truth." ~ Auguste Rodin

P.S. ~ Did you find the Mona Lisa?

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5.28.2008 - 32 comments 

You know for a guy (like me) who has a love of both art and photography you would think that this would be a fun post, but this is a post that is not so much about my photographs and words as it is about the work of some of the world’s best impressionist artists and this fantastic building that they are housed in. I only had the idea to do this post while I was actually looking at some of the shots I did for my last post about all the tulips in Pella, Iowa of the tulips. They actually reminded me of seeing all of the impressionists works that were at the Musee D’Orsay in Paris. In particular, were the many works of Claude Monet that are kept in this one of a kind museum.

I was told that this wonderful building (that now is the Musee D’Orsay), was at one time similar to a very old "Parisian" version of New York City's Grand Central Station, but the story goes back much much further than that story ever could. Even though that part of the history of the museum does sort of go like that, it also goes way back before that time.

The Musee D’Orsay (or as I liked to call it); “The Orsay Impressionist Art Museum”. But really, it is called the “Musee D’Orsay” and not the cute little name I gave it. I do think that my nomenclature however, is a much more descriptive name frankly, than the one bestowed on it though.

The actual site of the Musee D’Orsay is filled with history. Way back in the 16th Century it was the gardens of Marguerite de Valois, queen to Henri IV. and it was divided up after her death, it was covered with a very upper class neighborhood. Meanwhile on the banks of the river Seine pieces of the famous property were becoming a stopping place for river traffic.

This demand made is necessary to form a quay, and in 1615 the Quai d'Orsay was stated under the auspices of Napoleon the first. At the end of the 18th century the Hôtel de Salm (today the Musée de la Légion d'honneur) was built, between 1782 and 1788. On the exact spot of the Museum there was a cavalry barracks and the Palais d'Orsay. During the Paris Commune in 1871, the entire neighborhood was burnt to the ground. For thirty years the ruins of the Palais d'Orsay was a “reminder of the horrors of France’s civil war”.

In 1900 the French government gave the land to the Oleans Railway Company who planned to build a more central terminal station on the site of the ruined Palais d'Orsay. The project was considered a challenging one because of the vicinity of the Louvre and the Palais de la Légion d'honneur. It would be a horror if the new station didn’t fit in with its neighbors. It didn’t take long before it would be one of the most modern transport facilities in Paris.

After 1939 the station began to feel its age and slowly slipped into obsolescence. While it continued to function it was all downhill; its hotel closed its doors in 1973 despite its historic position, and many changes were soon to follow.

On October 20th 1977 the Direction des Musées de France made the decision to make the station into a museum. It would celebrate the life and times of the first half of the 19th century. The President of the Republic, François Mitterrand, inaugurated the new museum on December 1st, 1986, and it opened to the public on December 9th. There were many pictures and post cards around the museum that showed the different stages of this restoration which was quite spectacular in both its scope and efforts.

While I have a couple of shots of the buildings of the Musee D’Orsay here, the real treasures (and for that matter) the true art of this post has more to do with the masters of the impressionist era, than it does with anything that I might write or even photograph here.

Let me tell you that even the Louvre (in all of its glory, pomp and circumstance) could not hold a candle (in my opinion) to what I found in the Musee D’Orsay. It holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1915, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography, and is probably best known for its extensive collection of the impressionist masterpieces that I so love by popular painters such as Monet and Renoir. I was just blown away by the self portraits on Vincent Van Gogh that were in the D’Orsay. I always thought that there was just one of these gems, but I saw several different ones around the museum.

The Musee D’Orsay is a place I will never forget, and truly one of my favorite places to visit in Paris. If I could do only one museum in Paris, it would be this one. I truly loved it!

“Love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well.” ~ Vincent Van Gogh

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5.16.2008 - 41 comments 

Hey!... What's up here? Oh I just did some modifications to my HTML code and changed around my template so that I can have some more room for text and pictures. It may mess up the look of some of my past posts, but they are done anyway. I hope that you like the new format, but I do, so it will more that likely stay this way until I decide to change it again in a year or two! Although I don't mind coding in HTML, (but it is) the real reason I gave up coding my other websites and started blogging instead.

Many of you may have remembered my post from Pella, Iowa a couple of years ago? But I have been promising Mrs. LZ that I would take her back there some day for another visit to their famous Tulip Festival. Well last weekend was "the time" of that promised re-visit to Pella and although I probably don't have much new to tell you either about the town or even the festival, I do have a lot of new pictures of this years crop of beautiful and unique tulips. So consider this a week late "Mother's Day gift" from me!

The same things that were there on our last visit here are still all there: The Vermeer Mill & Interpretive Center, The Wyatt Earp House, The Miniature Village, The Flower Gardens, The Scholte House and the normal Annual Festival Events. The Pella Historical Village itself is a collage of more than twenty buildings, some more than 150 years old. Others were built later or even moved in and restored in keeping with our Dutch heritage. These structures are nestled in a courtyard laced with brick walkways.

As we were watching the Glockenspiel (or as they call it "the Klokkenspel") again this year, I noticed something that I don't think I had ever noticed before. That being, that the benches around the Klokkenspel are made in the shape of the letter "S"... which unless you know what a "Danish Letter" is, may have NO significance to you at all. But, if you do know about these Danish pastries, you'll know that they are a sure joy to eat for breakfast, lunch, and even dinner (and for that matter) as a snack anytime in between. I'll try and slip in a picture of one of the benches so you can see how well they match up with the shape of the Danish Letters. (Darn! I wished I had taken some shots of the "Danish Letters" too.

This little town's economy seems to be related to two things, the first is the Pella Window Company which has its manufacturing, training and corporate headquarters all in this relatively small and quaint little town. The other industry that seemed to be thriving was the "tourist industry" activities (at least at this time of year)!

This town always reminds us of Solvang, California for all of those who are familiar with that town. But I am sure that in the winter, there would be no comparison (at least as far as the weather goes). But the upside is that I doubt that the folks in Pella have to put their tulip bulbs in the refrigerator all winter either. Or worry about earthquakes either.

We have always tried to time our visits to Pella at least a week before or a week after the Tulip Festival for the obvious reason; there are just too many people there then. This year by Mrs. LZ and me going on the week after the festival, we still got to see a lot of beautiful tulips, but we didn't get to see a lot of tourists (like us) there.

Although we did not do the Scholte House Tour, we did do the Scholte Gardens which are done for FREE. Most of the tulips you'll see in my picture were taken at Scholte Gardens.

Pella is beautiful and unique all year long, but at Tulip Time it comes alive with tulips, Dutch attire, parades, food, fun and more. Thousands of residents wear Dutch attire and celebrate our Dutch heritage. Three days each spring, Pella becomes Holland to Pella residents and visitors like Mrs. LZ and I.

You can travel back in time with Pella the first week in May to a European village full of windmills, tulips and excitement as we celebrate their 72nd anniversary (2008) of this colorful festival. Anytime you visit Pella, there are historical sights, ethnic foods, Dutch architecture, great shops, and friendly people.

Another place that I love is the little Wooden Shoe Pond that is shaped just like a little wooden shoe and is surrounded by little tulip gardens everywhere. Another thing that you can see is how they people who live in the city plant tulips in the parkways in front of their houses. I thought that this was just the GREATEST!

Another place that we had a nice meal was at a place called "Smokey Row" and although it was much like a cross between a coffee shop, a 50's diner and a restaurant, it was till kind of fun and the food was good. The service (what there was) involved you going up to the counter and ordering and then paying, but they did bring your food to the table when it was served, but it seemed to be run by some college kids, who seemed more interested in the kids that came in to just talk than they did with the people who were actually eating there, but kids will always be kids!

We had a couple of very nice meals there but as for dessert, we moved down the street to Jaarsma Bakery to stock up on some Danish Letters for the trip back home. We also got a couple of other goodies that just looked too good to pass up!

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” ~ Soren Kierkegaard (Danish Philosopher and Theologian)

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5.09.2008 - 28 comments 

The first thing I want to do here is to say “A Very Happy Mother’s Day” to all of you Mom’s out there as we day celebrate this “Holy of Holies” day. That is just a little pun from us Dad’s who better know exactly how very important the celebration of the second Sunday in May every year really is! As for my bride of almost 40 years now… I want to tell you that… “I Love you even more today than the day I fell in love with you all those decades ago!” No kid could ever ask for a more loving mom than you are, and no husband could ever ask for a better wife to help raise his kids than you!” ~ “HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to you Mrs. LZ!”

Now on with my post… as many of you know, every year the “Oracle of Omaha” Warren Buffet (the Richest Man in the World) has his annual Shareholders Meeting in the Headquarters city of his company “Berkshire – Hathaway” in Omaha, Nebraska. This year I was one of those 31,000 guests of Berkshire – Hathaway at their annual meeting. It was really quite overwhelming. They refer to it as the “Woodstock of Capitalism” and I would say that was true even if just from a sheer numbers perspective. Although the meeting itself was very well done (and at times) very humorous and even entertaining, I plan to make this post about some of the things to do in Omaha and not so much about the shareholders meeting per se. The meeting was held at the newly built Qwest Centre in downtown Omaha.

Inside the welcome package given out to everyone was a small booklet about the things to do in Omaha. Many of those you may have heard of and others you probably had no idea that such a place even existed. Let me tell you about a few top picks on “LZ’s List of What to See” and do while you are there. The first one is also the photo on the top of my blog. It is not only the tallest thing in the city, but it is also the most noticeable part of the skyline. If you know anything about the Minneapolis skyline, you may think that this is the Wells Fargo Bank Building, but it is not. It is actually another bank though. It is called the First National Bank of Omaha.

If you ask very nicely the security will actually let you in the lobby there where you can admire the architecture from the inside. Additionally you can see what they have done in there too. The thing that I thought was very cool was the fact that the building that they tore down to build this bank building was partially saved (at least the façade) to re-use inside the lobby as an historical adornment. I’ll try and post one of those shots too. The lobby was also very cool because it was kind of like a greenhouse with all glass on both sides of the building. There were also very neat brass sculptures both inside and outside the building. The sculptures seemed to all be of prairie dwelling animals that Lewis & Clark may have found here as they mapped out a way to the Pacific Ocean via the Missouri River. This bank is privately owned by the Lauritzen family. (This will have significance much later in my post.)

The Missouri River is not only the Eastern border between Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa, but it is also where the Eastern edge and border of the City of Omaha as well. They have almost completed a pedestrian bridge that runs from just a few hundred yards out of the back doors of the Qwest Centre and then over the Missouri River and back inside a park in Council Bluffs, Iowa. It was just a pity that it was not completed in time for the meeting! I am sure that Warren Buffett would have wished for it too? But I think they said it will be completed by November of this year.

There is also what is termed as the "Lewis & Clark Riverwalk" right along this same area, where we found a nice restaurant called "Rick Boatyard Café." This place looked like a knock-off of the styling of the Coronado Inn on the Coronado Isle just off of San Diego, California (for those of you familiar with that landmark hotel) . I don’t think this styling was by accident. But, it was a nice place to relax and have lunch, and although it was the Missouri River and not the Pacific Ocean, it did have a certain beach feel to it.

Another place on the list of things to do and see was the "Old Market" (as it is called). This area was full of restaurants, boutiques and my favorite a real outdoor market that they called the “Farmers’ Market”. This happens every Saturday morning from late spring through early fall. While this was primarily farmers bringing stuff that they grew in their fields, it was also full of stuff that other vendors like bee-keepers and florists brought to sell as well. I’ll put in a shot or two from the “Farmers’ Market” as well.

What would any trip to Omaha be without a trip to the world famous “Boys Town” made famous by the 1936 movie of the same name by Spencer Tracey and Mickey Rooney?

When in Boys’ Town, you can see not only the farm, the schools and churches on the property, but you can take a car tour from a CD or cassette tape that will guide you around the huge facility and give you enough time to stop in each and every area that appeals to you. While on this trip you can also see the breathtaking Dowd Chapel and Father Flanagan Shrine, and discover how Father Flanagan sparked a revolution in childcare at the “Hall of History”. When you are back at the Visitors Center, you can learn even more about Boys Town’s history and see all of the things of a historic nature relevant to the evolution on Boys Town. In 1916, Father Flanagan opened the Workingman's Hotel in Omaha, a place for homeless young men to live while they looked for work.

What you see on this wonderful campus today all came from a Catholic Priest (Father Edward Flanagan) who had a philosophy that “There are no bad boys. There is only bad environment, bad training, bad example, bad thinking.” Another famous quote made famous by Boys Town was not from Father Flanagan, but instead directed to Father Flanagan, when one of the boys who was carrying his brother on his back stated; “He aint’ heavy Father, he’s my brother”. You will also be able to see a statue or two around the campus that depict that quote and in fact it may even be a trademarked symbol of “Boys Town”.

Another compelling visitor choice is the Henry Doorly Zoo. This zoo is just packed full of things to do like many innovative facilities and exhibits to not only preserve a broad array of species, but to also vividly present them to the public. These facilities are exemplary to zoos throughout the country and the globe not unlike my last post about Australia’s Zoo. The Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom Pavilion, Lozier IMAX Theater, and Cat Complex all showcase fascinating wildlife and other exotic places. The Scott Aquarium and Lied Jungle, Desert Dome, Kingdoms of the Night, Hubbard Gorilla Valley and Hubbard Orangutan Forest provide immersive environments that display animals in their natural habitats and are all worth the visit.

If you don’t run out of time while doing the above, you can also check out right next door to the Zoo, where they play the College World Series each year at a place called Rosenblatt Stadium. This is where the College Worlds Series has been played every year for the last 50 years. Rosenblatt Stadium is also Home to the “Omaha Royals” which is a farm club for the Kansas City Royals. There was some buzz around town about building a new stadium for that purpose in the not too distant future.

My last suggestion is a very beautiful place (may be the prettiest in the city). Do you remember at the first part of this post in which I discussed the family that owns First National Bank? Well that family is part of the reason for this next item. It is called the Lauritzen Gardens. It is also called Omaha Botanical Center as well. But most of the money that built this wonderful place actually came from the then wife of the President of the bank. Mrs. Lauritzen has passed away recently, at a fairly young age, but they say she never lost her love of the gardens. I just loved the miniture Railroad that they have there which has the skyline of Omaha replacated using all natural items. I've never really seen anything quite like it before.

Lauritzen Gardens exists as the result of a unique public-private partnership. The garden has held a long-term property management agreement with the city of Omaha since 1993. In 1998, a 30-acre site, with prime visibility and easier vehicular access from Interstate 80, was purchased on the south end of the current property. This new addition increased the garden's total acreage to 100, and paved the way for the visitor and education center. Construction for the 32,000-square-foot center began in 2000. A year-round facility, it opened to the public in October of 2001 and features a floral display hall with seasonal flower shows, a unique gift shop, café, a resource library, banquet and meeting spaces, and classrooms.

To keep this beautiful and thriving organization running, the garden is privately funded, and relies on capital campaign contributions, event sponsorships, admissions, memberships and facility rental income. Nearly $20 million has been invested in the attraction to date. Lauritzen Gardens was so named following a generous contribution from the Lauritzen family, a family that has played a significant role in Omaha's history and development.

I haven't even mentioned the truly wonderful pink marble Joselyn Art Museum which was packed with beautful art from everywhere (and from every artist) you can imagine. To say nothing about the Heartland of America park with its Memorials and huge fountain and lake. Or what about the Durham Western Heritage Museum which is actually a converted Railroad Station in the days when train stations were in palce to be. It even had a working "Soda Fountain" like those that would have been around during World War II.

For those of you who thought, what in the heck is there to do in Omaha, Nebraska, like LZ and 31,000 of my closest “new friends”, you can now say; “There’s a lot to do in Omaha! You’d be surprised!” I know we were! Oh! and by the way... for those of you who are going to attend Blogstock '08 in Tekamah, Nebraska this is the city you will perhaps even stay in and certainly will be flying into.

“Without God at the beginning, there can be only confusion at the end.” “No race that does not take care of its young can hope to survive—or deserves to survive.” ~ Father Edward Flanagan

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5.02.2008 - 24 comments 

One of the other things “To DO” in Brisbane is actually included here is this post, but it really isn’t in Brisbane, but Brisbane happens to be the closest real city to it. But really, my purpose in this post is not to try and take a side or even give much insight other than my opinion of this truly wonderful park. We were so impressed with this zoo, that we wished we could have spent more than just a day there.

I have wanted to do this particular post for some time now, but because not too long after our visit to Steve Irwin’s Australia’s Zoo, Steve lost his life while doing what he loved most, (communing with nature). When that happened, I really didn’t want to blog about our expierence because it seemed almost disrespectful to his loss. But the pain of that world wide grief from Steve's loss seems to have subsided and won’t be mentioned much again until the next yearly milestone of his death.

The zoo is in the city of Beerwah which was only about an hour’s bus ride from our hotel in Brisbane. Australia’s Zoo was actually opened by Bob and Lyn Irwin (Steve Irwin's folks) in 1970 under the name Beerwah Reptile Park. Bob Irwin is a world renowned herpetologist, who is also regarded as a pioneer in the keeping and breeding of reptiles. His wife Lyn was one of the first to care for and rehabilitate sick and injured wildlife in southeast Queensland.

Bob and Lyn passed on their love and respect for wildlife onto their children, especially to their son Steve Irwin, who had helped his parents since childhood to care for crocodiles and reptiles and to maintain the growing number of animals in the zoo. Over a decade later the park was renamed to the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park and the area was doubled with the purchase of another four acres. In 1987 the Crocodile Environmental Park was opened in an effort to aid saltwater crocodile protection. By the 1990s the Crocodile Environmental Park had become very popular and was seen as unique for its display of crocodile feeding within the park.

In 1991 Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" Irwin overtook management of the zoo. In 1992 the park was renamed again, becoming Australia Zoo. Currently, the zoo maintains more than 1000 animals and over 550 staff.

The zoo has encompassed a large area of 72 acres which will be expanded to over 500 acres over time in the areas in which many of the animals live. In order to reduce long walks, a 'modified trailered bus' has been utilized, named Steve's Safari Shuttle, which operates on a reasonably narrow bitumen roadway circuit.

At the zoo there is also a stadium, named the 'Animal Planet Crocoseum', which has a capacity of approximately 5000. At the time of its construction, it was the first in the world where snake, bird and crocodile shows were conducted.

Australia Zoo calls these shows 'Wildlife Warriors 101". One can also view a crocodile feeding and even participate in an elephant feeding (the elephant feeding can be participated in during the mornings on the roadway circuit at the first crossover to the internal section of the zoo or in the afternoons at 'Elephantasia' (Australia's largest Elephant exhibit) around the back of the zoo near tiger temple).

There is a running space for kangaroos that you can feed, and there is often an opportunity to pet a koala. The zoo's sponsored charity Wildlife Warriors also run a rescue operation and care station for any native wildlife who may be injured in accidents outside the zoo.

As of the end of 2006, the elephant enclosure was expanded, the water pool had just been completed and 'Elephantasia' officially opened in December of 2006. Furthermore, a construction of an artificial island (to represent the Island of Madagascar), began in 2006, and accommodates African animals such as tortoises, lemurs and other species not yet represented. The South-East Asian Precinct will also be improved with the introduction of Orangutans, and transfer of the Komodo Dragons, which inhabit an enclosure near to the entrance to create a more complete Bio-Climatic Asian Region. A number of high-profile people have contributed to or supported Australia Zoo, including Justin Timberlake and the Dalai Lama.

Speaking of celebrity types, they had a guy there at the park as an entertainer playing many of the aborigines’ musical instruments like the didgeridoo and then more contemporary instruments like drums, guitars, keyboards, harps and flutes. His name was Matt James (also known as Matty). Matty's songs were very unique, and even though I thought about buying one of his CD’s, (and retrospectively wished I had) because I could not find them for sale outside of the park. I thought for sure I would be able to find them once I got back to the states, but I was not able to find them anywhere here.

Mrs. LZ was almost scared to death when we were in the ‘Animal Planet Crocoseum' and the zoo employees started walking around the Crocoseum with snakes, asked everyone to pet them. Mrs. LZ said; “No thank you!” And she meant it!

If you happen to follow news from "down-under" about the Zoo, you may know that in March 2008, the Zoo was accused of animal 'cruelty' and of breaking Australian law 13 times by not releasing koalas within their prescribed habitats. The Environment Protection Association said that they are now monitoring and investigating why the Koalas were not released correctly.

Recently a staff member told a local paper ("The Sunday Mail") that American-born Mrs. Irwin plans to sell the tourist attraction to US television channel Animal Planet and move back to the United States with children Bindi and Robert.

The speculation surrounding the sale and move was believed to be behind the recent rift, which saw her father-in-law, Bob Irwin, leave the zoo he started 32 years ago. The zoo employee said the rumored sale and $100 million Disney-style wildlife theme park was common knowledge among the zoo's current 550 staff members.

However an Australia Zoo spokeswoman said the leaked information was incorrect. She said Australia Zoo had not been sold to Animal Planet and Mrs. Irwin had no plans to leave Australia. The spokeswoman refused to comment on future plans that might involve Animal Planet.

As you can see from the attached shots I too there, we had just a wonderful day at the zoo and were extremely impressed with how friendly all the employees were. As a very positive review from me was how clean this park was. Much like you would expect from a “Disney type” park.

“I believe our biggest issue is the same biggest issue that the whole world is facing, and that's habitat destruction.” ~ Steve Irwin

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4.26.2008 - 26 comments 

I took this shot while we were touring the city. It shows what a real metropolitan area Brisbane is. It also shows the river that the city is named after. As you can see from my photo, the city was very metropolitan, but yet not as large as Sydney. There was also a bridge (the Story Bridge) there, that was designed by the same man who designed the world Famous Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Brisbane is actually the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and it is the third largest city in Australia. It has a population of just fewer than 2.0 million and an urban agglomeration of over 2.4 million people. It is a city set close to the Pacific Ocean, and is situated beside the Brisbane River on plains between Moreton Bay and the Great Dividing Range in south-eastern Queensland. (Ask me about Moreton Bay bugs sometime!) They aren't really bugs at all, but rather they are small little lobsters. The flesh of the Moreton Bay bug is reported to be unusually versatile, and can be cooked in a variety of ways, both sweet and savory.

The city of Brisbane was named in honor of Sir Thomas Brisbane; the city grew from a harsh penal colony established in 1824 at Redcliffe, 40 km to the north. The colony was moved to Brisbane in 1825 and free settlers were permitted from 1842. It was chosen as the capital of Queensland when it was proclaimed a separate colony in 1859. The city developed slowly until after World War II, when it played a central role in the Allied campaign as the South West Pacific headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur.

When people visit Brisbane, there are the "must-see" places? Where are these places that give tourists a memorable view, an insight into the city, the history and the people of Brisbane. If time is your enemy when visiting Brisbane, try one or two or more of these top picks. Perhaps next time you’re here, you can explore the many other delights the city has to offer on a day trip around the Brisbane regions. One of the guided tour bus tours we decided to take included the Green Mountains and the rain forests there. It also included the Tamborine Mountain area.

Tamborine Mountain is certainly not a typical suburban community. The local population numbers about 6,000 people. The peace and beauty of this area has attracted many talented artisans and crafts. Keen gardeners consider it a perfect retirement spot where they can indulge their green thumbs to their heart's content and develop gardens straight out of Eden. Young families choose to live here because they consider it an ideal place to rear children away from the temptations of suburban life.

Mrs. LZ and I had a very nice morning tea at a small little restaurant here as part of our tour. It was a very nice open air dining area that we chose to eat in. As you can see from the photo, Mrs. LZ was enjoying herself while we were there. The photo of me outside of the place looks as though I was expecting to pay the bill for everyone on the tour bus.

Many professional and academic people also call Tamborine Mountain their home. They consider the daily trip to work is more than compensated for by the delights of coming home to the relaxed lifestyle and fresh clean air this Mountain plateau offers. Farming is still a way of life. Where once this fertile area produced commercial citrus fruits, vegetables and milk, it now produces mainly avocados, kiwifruit and rhubarb. It is also an excellent producer of cut flowers, many exported directly to overseas markets.

This small plateau is rich in animal and bird life. Bird feeding is a local hobby enjoyed by many residents. The most friendly and colorful birds are the parrots, especially the aptly named Rainbow Lorikeets. The beautiful red and green King Parrots, the pastel blue and yellow Pale Headed Rosellas and the red and purple Eastern Rosellas are all to be seen in most Mountain gardens. The music of the Mountain is provided by a less gaudy band of feathered creatures. Magpies, Butcher Birds and the shy Whip Bird harmonize from daybreak until sundown.

The Mountain is home to the first National Park declared in Queensland and now has a number of separate parks on the plateau and the shelves surrounding it. Six of these sections have walking paths in them of varying lengths and degree of difficulty. If you can find the time to walk through some of our National Parks you will hear many other bird songs and see an amazing range of Australia's bird life. The Brush Turkey inhabits the rainforest in this area and home gardens. The hen Turkey is the perfect female liberationist. The male builds huge mounds of leaf mulch then she lays her eggs in the mound and walks away leaving him to manage the entire incubation process.

Notice the cool bridges high in the air going from trees to other trees? I thought that they were very cool and something that you just don’t see much of in the states (at least that I am aware of). Also if you wonder what Mrs. LZ is looking at inside that tree, it is a tree that has actually been taken over by what they call a strangler vine, which basically "takes over" the tree from both the outside and the inside. It only keeps the tree alive for its own nourishment.

In fact the next shot after Mrs. LZ's picture looking up the inside of the tree, is actually the same thing that she saw looking up there. The bright areas in the center of the picture, are actually the top part of the tree (with the sun showing through) that the stangler vine has taken over from both the outside and the inside. Is that wierd or what?

I have put together this little "LZ's list" of major things not to be missed while you are there:

Mt Coot-tha Lookout ~ Even if you only have an hour or so to spare, you can take the drive up to the top of Mt Coot-tha to get a view of the whole of Brisbane city. You’ll see the curves of the river, the lines of the freeway, and the skyline of the CBD. Plus, on a clear day you can see south-west to the distant ranges, east towards Moreton Bay and miles in every other direction. Enjoy the facilities of a cafe, restaurant and lookout at the top.

South Bank ~ Where did people gather in Brisbane before South Bank was created? It’s hard to imagine the city without this destination. Every visitor to Brisbane will enjoy South Bank’s sandy beach, the open grassy picnic spots, the shops and dozens of eating places. There are the cinemas, regular free live entertainment and many festivals and fireworks throughout the year.

The Cultural Centre ~ From here you can enjoy Queensland’s arts and theatre at the Cultural Centre, South Bank. Spend time at the Queensland Art Gallery, Sciencentre (especially popular kids), State Library of Queensland and brand new Gallery of Modern Art . Get tickets to see a play, opera, ballet or dozens of other performances at the Cultural Centre.

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary ~ Visitors from overseas will just love the abundant and easily seen Australian wildlife at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. You can hold a koala, feed a kangaroo, (or as Mrs. LZ did) pet a wallaby, hear a talk about our reptiles – it all makes for a great day out.

A trip on the river ~ Even the locals love to get out on the Brisbane River and it’s so easy and cheap to do with a journey on the CityCat. One of these shots I took looks out over the bow of one of theses as we were crusing the Brisbane River. For just a few dollars, you can take a cruise up and down the river, stopping where ever you like along the way – South Bank, University of Queensland, New Farm...The City Cats glide over the water and we saw million dollar houses. We travelled under the Story Bridge (that I mentioned above and have included a shot of here) and get a whole new perspective. The ferry guide gives you a lot of information about the city as you cruise along.

This boat trip up the river was actually very fun and helps you really see the city from many different perspectives. We stopped along the river and enjoyed a lunch with a couple who were vacationing here from New Zealand. It was very nice and at our tour guide's urging, I enjoyed their famous local beers "XXXX Gold" as it was called. Then we cruised back to where we had stated the boat ride. Brisbane is a very nice city and well worth the visit if you get up to Southern Queensland.

A woman uses her intelligence to find reasons to support her intuition. ~ Gilbert K. Chesterton

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4.18.2008 - 29 comments 

Leaving New South Wales from Sydney and moving up the coast we flew from the Sydney Airport up to the Coolangatta Airport. Coolangatta is the closest airport to Surfers Paradise and is in the state of Queensland. We made this trip up here via Qantas own budget airline “Jet Star.com” Airlines, which was more like flying “Southwest” (or “TED” in the states), than it was like really flying directly with Qantas. We were however thrilled to see a Krispy Kreme Donut Café in the Sydney Airport, right next to our Jet Star gate. This was like a touch of home to both of us and something that seemed familiar from our home in the Midwest USA.

I am sure that almost all of you have heard of Qantas, but there may be a few things that you didn’t know about it. For example, did you know it is the national airline of Australia? And, did you know the name was originally "QANTAS", an acronym for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". I only make that point, because Coolangatta was our first visit to the State of Queensland. As we were flying up there, we flew over areas that reminded me a lot of the Southern California costal areas before all of the excessive development from about the1960’s and on until even today.

Qantas is also nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo”, the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Kingsford Smith International Airport, and is Australia's largest airline. Qantas is the world's third oldest airline, the oldest in fact in the English speaking world, and the oldest airline operating under its own, and same, name.

In 2007, Qantas was voted the fifth best airline in the world by research consultancy Skytrax, a drop from the second position it held in both 2005 and 2006. I couple of other interesting facts were supplied to me by one of my blogging buddies (Peter Holtie), who also told me that Qantas is the only word that starts with a “Q”, (but is not) followed by a “U” in the English language. An additional point that Peter made was that it is the ONLY airline flying with a perfect safety record. I will say, that their service was exceptional, professional and fantastic to boot, but the safety part would have been the BEST!

Once we landed in Coolangatta, we had to find a way to get to the Marriott Resort in Surfers Paradise. Both Coolangatta and Surfers Paradise are in an area of Queensland that is called the “Gold Coast”. We found that we could either take a cab there or more reasonably priced there were buses that actually dropped you off at the hotels along the strip in Surfers Paradise and other areas along the Gold Coast. Gold Coast Tourist Shuttle operates door to door airport transfers, one way and return, 7 days a week from the Gold Coast Airport, also known as Coolangatta Airport. We felt lucky that our hotel was one of those with a stop, and even luckier, it was cheaper than a cab or limo.

After arriving at the Marriott Resort in Surfers Paradise, we checked into our room and then decided to check with the concierge to see what was available to do for our week while we were there. To our surprise, there was much more to do there than we had ever expected to do, let alone to have to try and do it all in a week. So we started planning out the week and set up reservations for some of the things we knew that we really wanted to do while we were in Surfers Paradise. Our room was on about the 21st floor, so we had a very nice view of both the ocean, but also of the nicely appointed grounds and pool of the resort.

The most shocking thing about this Gold Coast area was the huge number of hotels and condominiums in the area. I was expecting something, more like Newport Beach than Miami Beach or Honolulu. As you can see from the photos I took there, the beaches were pristine and not full of people at all. It was an everyday ritual for me to get up and go down to the beach before sunrise and try and get some good shots of the beach. As I looked south down the beach all I could see was beach as far as I could see. All I could think of was what prime land that would be back in the states. Of course with a name like Gold Coast, it is more than likely prime land there in Australia too!

The Marriott there in Surfers Paradise also had some very unique and impressive amenities to it as well. One of the things that were really cool and a bit unusual was the fact that it had its own lagoon (with a real sand beach) in it. It also had a bar that you had to either swim to, underneath the falls, or take a group of tunnels to get back into. This was a little dark, especially if you just came out of the sun and walked into, but either way, it was very unique and nice to see.

The other things about the Gold Coast area that were unique, was that it was made up of a lot of neat little beach towns that all seemed to be connected to each other. And at times, it was difficult which of the towns you were actually in. In addition to Coolangatta and Surfers Paradise the cities had names like; Coolangatta, Currumbin, Bilinga, Tugun, Main Beach, Burleigh Heads, Southport, and the Gold Coast Hinterland are all in this area.

Coolangatta is situated at the southern end of the Gold Coast and it is home to some of the area's prettiest beaches. Located at the mouth of the Tweed River, just a 30 minute drive from Murwillumbah and Lamington National Parks. Currumbin, Tugun and Bilinga which are also situated at the southern end of the Gold Coast.

Main Beach is at the northern end of one of the Gold Coast's most popular walks. The historic Main Beach bathing pavilion is worth a stop offering timely refreshments. There are also several dive sites in the area including the wreck of the Scottish Princes.

Burleigh Heads is nestled beneath the beautiful Burleigh Headland National Park. The beach is protected and offers fantastic views north to Surfers Paradise. Burleigh's tubular surf is famous around the world and its host to international surfing contests. Echo Beach, just south of the headland is a great place for a picnic.

Broadbeach has fantastic parkland adjoining it that has playground equipment and great picnic facilities. The Kurrawa Surf Life Saving Club is located at Broadbeach and it hosts the annual Australian Surf Lifesaving Titles. The streets are lined with trendy al-fresco cafes and other eateries. There are some good craft markets on the first and third Sunday of every month.

Surfers Paradise is a popular spot for families with its perfect swimming beach. There are nearby cafes and shopping areas including the Paradise Centre which is situated on Cavill Avenue, the main shopping street. There are excellent night markets on every Friday night. We did this, but I actually don’t think we bought any thing there, but there were many local artists, displaying their handy work there.

This area around here was also called the Cavill Mall area. This was where we found many nice restaurants and in spite of that, ended up eating at a Hard Rock Cafe, which also had a familiar feel to it from the states. Trying to live "outside the box" just a little while ordering, I ordered an Aussie Burger, while Mrs. LZ did the healthy eating thing and ordered a salad.

Southport is recognized as the Gold Coast's Central Business District. Southport also has a selection of shopping malls, boutiques, cafes and restaurants and is sheltered by the Broadwater Spit overlooking the Broadwater and South Stradbroke Island. Both Mrs. LZ and I managed to find a few things here that we just had to have.

The Gold Coast Hinterland is a sub-tropical paradise that makes the area one of the most biologically diverse regions in Australia. There are a number of National Parks within the hinterland's densely forested McPherson Range making it a paradise for walkers. If you look closely at the picture where our flight took off from Sydney flying North, you will see the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and eve the ferries going in and out of Circular Quay. I apologize for the reflection from the plane window, but I was so excited by the view of the whole Sydney area, I didn't even notice it, until after we landed in Coolangatta.

We were here in this Gold Coast area for a week and managed to eat and shop in almost all of these areas. Even though this area is very popular destination with not only the Aussies themselves, it is also a popular tourist destination for people from New Zealand, Japan and Asia as well. Even though these areas are popular and full of people, it doesn’t take you very long to get away from the city and the tourists and get to the hinterlands if that is your purpose. Many of you may have already figured out that Surfers Paradise is where I took the picture that has been on my blog site template for quite some time now? One of my very favorite shots, not only beacuse of its natural beauty, but more so because of the memories that go with it.

“It is true, I never assisted the sun materially in his rising; but, doubt not, it was of the last importance only to be present at it.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

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4.11.2008 - 24 comments 

Circular Quay is really the hub of Sydney Harbour. It's situated at a small inlet called Sydney Cove, (which was) the founding site for Sydney and Australia. It is a stepping-off point for most attractions based around the harbour and an exciting place to be on a warm summer's day. The quay (pronounced key) is a vibrant, bustling place with ferries leaving every few minutes to different parts of the harbour, including Manly, Watson .y, Mosman and Taronga Park Zoo. This is also where we caught the ferry to several other places. There are great views of the Harbour Bridge, in every direction and all are just a short distance away.

You can see that most of my shots here are either from or of this particular area of the Harbour. We also walked over the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge on foot over to North Sydney from this area. This also gave us some great shots of the Opera House from above.

On the southern side of Circular Quay is a walkway that leads to the Sydney Opera House and then around to the Royal Botanical Gardens; (from my last post). While on the Northern side, a short walk along a lovely landscaped walkway takes you to the Harbour Bridge and "The Rocks", one of the oldest, most attractive and most interesting parts of Sydney. This is also where Mrs. LZ and I enjoyed not only walking and shopping, but also a couple of really nice meals were eaten by us here in "The Rocks" area.

Circular Quay is also at the foot of the central business district and the older, historic end of the city. Buses depart here for Bondi Beach and the eastern suburbs. This was also the place that we walked to each morning to have breakfast almost all of our mornings while in Sydney at a place called City Extra. It was kind of neat, because their menus were much like a newspaper, which I am sure, was intentional. You’ll see a shot of Mrs. LZ having breakfast here. You’ll also be able to notice the Harbour Bridge in the background of the picture. We enjoyed our morning walks down here to the City Extra and because this place stays open 24 hours, it's convenient if you get the munchies at a ridiculous hour. It's also nicely placed, right next to the Manly ferry terminal. The plastic chairs and outdoor tables make it a pleasant spot to while away an inexpensive meal. A range of pastas were available on the menu, as well as salads, pies, steaks, ribs, fish, and Asian-influenced dishes. There's also a very good selection of desserts. The food is much nicer and a better value than next door at Rossini.

Of interest to a large number of Sydney visitors — particularly those who grew up on Mark Twain, Robert Louis Stevenson and other well-known writers — are the metal plaques embedded in the Circular Quay walkway from near the Overseas Passenger Terminal down to the jetties and up to the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House.

This is the Sydney Writers Walk and the plaques contain interesting and pertinent passages from the works of Australian and international writers honored there. Actually the writers — with their metal plaques embedded along the walkway around Sydney's Circular Quay — are being honored, and their lives and works celebrated, on the Sydney Writers Walk. You will find these plaques from around the International Passenger Terminal on West Circular Quay, down to the walkway between the ferry jetties and the train station, and all the way to the side of the Sydney Opera House forecourt on East Circular Quay.

The writers represented on Writers Walk include not only Australians but also those who lived in, or visited, Australia, such as D H Lawrence, Rudyard Kipling and Mark Twain. The plaques, themselves actually, provided interesting, informative reading in capsule form, especially… if you are not familiar with the writer.

There is a major railway station at the quay, which is part of the underground City Circle, which skirts around the CBD. Alongside the ferry terminals are a number of small outdoor cafes (I'll throw in a picture of one with this post) and the area is a magnet for buskers and hustlers of every description. Notice the two Aboriginese guys getting ready for their show here in the Harbour at Circular Quay?

The top picture on this post shows our hotel (Marriott) which was our home for the week we were staying in Sydney. It is directly to the right of the larger skyscraper as you look at that top picture post. While we spent a complete week in this area of Sydney, it seemed as though we never really ran out of interesting things to see and do here. I would recommend it to anyone traveling down-under.

“But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine.” ~ Thomas Jefferson

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4.03.2008 - 25 comments 

I don't know how many of you watch much TV, but Mrs. LZ and I like to watch some of the reality TV Shows. One that we have been watching ("The Biggest Loser") had this week’s episode from Sydney, Australia. Of course as we watched the finalists climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge and doing their version of a Triathlon in the Botanical Gardens, it brought back many fond memories of Sydney and especially of the Botanical Gardens. I thought I would go back into my photo archives’ from the trip and see what I could find that might be interesting to you all.

The gardens themselves are very easy to find. If you are at what is known as the Circular Quay (pronounced key) area of the Sydney Harbour (where all the ferries start from) and if you are looking north, the Harbour Bridge would be on your left and the Opera house would be on your right. All you have to do is follow the path around and toward the Sydney Opera House and then just keep going around it to the East and there taking up a very large area, is the Royal Botanical Gardens. It is just about the only thing around there without a high rise on it.

The history of the Royal Botanic Gardens is very interesting as well. The first farm on the Australian continent, ‘nine acres in corn’ at Farm Cove, was established in 1788 by Governor Phillip. Although that farm failed, the land has been in constant cultivation since that time, as ways were found to make the relatively infertile soils more productive.

The Botanic Gardens were founded on this site by Governor Macquarie in 1816 as part of the Governor’s Domain. Our long history of collection and study of plants began with the appointment of the first Colonial Botanist, Charles Fraser, in 1817. The Botanic Gardens is thus the oldest scientific institution in Australia and, from the earliest days, has played a major role in the acclimatization of plants from other regions.

In this same area, there is a place that is referred to as Mrs. Macquarie's Point. It is really at the far side of what is called Farm Cove where the Harbour's water goes in all around the front of the Gardens. Almost like a small port within the Harbour. This point is also at the top of what is called Mrs. Macquarie's Chair, because if you look at it on a map, that is sort of what it looks like. Both of these places were obviously name after the first Governor's wife.

After a succession of colonial botanists and superintendents, including the brothers Richard and Allan Cunningham, both also early explorers, John Carne Bidwill was appointed as the first Director in 1847. He was succeeded the following year by Charles Moore, a Scotsman who had trained in the Botanic Gardens of Trinity College, Dublin. Moore, Director for 48 years (1848–96), did much to develop the Botanic Gardens in their modern form. He boldly tackled the problems of poor soil, inadequate water and shortage of funds to develop much of the Gardens in the form we see today. The Palm Grove, in the heart of the Royal Botanic Gardens, is a reminder of his skill and foresight, as is the reclaimed land behind the Farm Cove seawall which added a significant area to the Royal Botanic Gardens.

In 1862 Sydney’s first zoo was opened within the Botanic Gardens and remained there until 1883, when most of it was transferred to Moore Park. During these years much of the remnant natural vegetation of the surrounding Domain was removed and planted as parkland. The Moreton Bay Figs, one of the major elements of this planting, continue to dominate the landscape.

In 1879 a substantial area of the Domain, south of the Government House stables (now the Conservatorium of Music), was taken for the building of the Garden Exhibition Palace. This building, ‘an outstanding example of Victorian architectural exuberance, with towers and turrets deployed around a giant dome 100 feet in diameter surmounted by a lantern 200 feet above the ground’, dominated Sydney’s skyline and covered over two hectares. The International Exhibition held in the Palace attracted over one million visitors. However, the building was destroyed by fire in 1882 and the land, now known as the Palace Garden, was added to the Botanic Gardens.

Towards the end of his time as Director, Moore, together with Ernst Betche, published the Handbook of the Flora of New South Wales, further establishing the Botanic Gardens as a centre for the science of botany.

Moore was succeeded by Joseph Henry Maiden who, during his 28-year term, added much to Moore’s maturing landscape. He organized the construction of a new herbarium building, opened in 1901 (today part of the Anderson Building), and made major improvements to the Domain. However, the Botanic Gardens suffered from loss of staff positions during the First World War and, in the depression of the 1930s; the position of Director was lost. Both the Herbarium and the living collections languished. From 1945 Robert Anderson worked to reunify the two. In 1959 the title ‘Royal’ was granted and the Herbarium and Royal Botanic Gardens were administratively reunified under the title Royal Botanic Gardens. Knowles Mair (1965–70) achieved reunification and the Royal Botanic Gardens began its return to eminence.

The breadth of activities increased over these decades with the formation of the Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens; educational and ecological programs; the Flora of New South Wales; the scientific journals Telopea and Cunninghamia and programs of computerized documentation of both the living and herbarium collections.

The Royal Botanic Gardens celebrated its 175th anniversary in 1991. During Professor Chambers’ ten years as Director, the Rose Garden (1988), the Fernery (1993), the Herb Garden (1994), and the Oriental Garden (1997) were opened and the Rare and Threatened Species Garden (1998) was commenced to further enrich the experience of visitors. The Royal Botanic Gardens Foundation was established to seek a wider range of support for future needs.

In 2003 the business name of the organization, comprising the three Botanic Gardens and the Domain and administered by the Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, was changed from the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney to the Botanic Gardens Trust.

There were many wonderfully unique things in these Botanical Gardens, but some of the ones that blew our minds were the huge amount (and size) of the fruit bats that seemed to be everywhere in the park. Many of the gardens' numerous fruit bats (aka flying foxes) choose a spot high up on these palm trees.

We were told that the bats were NOT indigenous to the area, but they sure were everywhere. The first time one of them flew closely over our heads, I thought is was a USAF B-2 Bomber on patrol. The bats seemed to be harmless and mostly just hung around hanging from the trees that they seemed to prefer. Here are some more shots I took of the gardens. There was a really cute little tea room not far from where the majority of these fruit bats liked to hang out and although we did stop there and had a little something to eat, we made sure we stayed under the roof while eating.

You may also notice that Mrs. LZ is on the first car of this little train that actually took us on a trip around and through the Gardens, but then when we got back to the start we went back in a walked all over the Gardens rather than running and biking through this place like the "Biggest Loser" contestants did. Notice also that Mrs. LZ couldn't wait to get her seat right behind the engineer? That is her sticking her blonde head out of the train with the pink sweatshirt on. This place was much like New York's Central park in size, but much prettier and the fact that it was right on Sydney Harbour, didn't hurt either!

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." ~ Gilbert K. Chesterton

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3.27.2008 - 23 comments 

I think many of you might remember, that in those early posts of mine, I would only add one picture to each one of my posts. There are many of those posts that I would (retrospectively) like to go back and add many more pictures than just the single one I used to post at the time. Everyone seems to enjoy the increased numbers of photos that I started adding at several bloggers requests sometime last summer. This is one of those that definitely needs more photos and even more time for discussion.

If you remember it, it was in fact the one I posted about Millennium Park back then, of Mrs. LZ and me standing on what “is known as” the BP Pedestrian Bridge. It was really one of the most unique footbridges I have even been on in a city anywhere that I can recall. This is the first bridge designed by architect Frank Gehry, and also doubles as a sound barrier from the traffic of Columbus Drive. Designed in such a way as to provide a smooth transition over Columbus Drive, the bridge does exactly that and more. I heard somewhere that the bridge had a 5 degree incline to it. But it really did seem easy to traverse it; you don’t even notice that you’re over the road until you hear the cars driving underneath you. You may notice the cops on Segways at the other side of the bridge as we were walking toward the lake?

Originally they proposed to put a suspension bridge over the drive, but they thought it might waste too much space. Gehry designed this bridge, and frankly it does a great job of winding over Columbus Drive, while providing an interesting study in stainless steel bridge construction. From overhead you can really tell how well the bridge curves in and out, moving up and down depending on where you're standing.

Millennium Park itself opened less than four years ago on July 16th, 2004 and is located in Chicago bounded by Randolph Street to the North, Columbus Drive to the East, Monroe Drive to the South and the great Magnificent Mile, Michigan Avenue, to the West. The park was originally just an open expanse with railroads and parking and an unsightly eyesore in Chicago's great front lawn that is Grant Park, and is now one of Chicago's most enjoyed public spaces. The park has been open now for almost two years and its effect on the surrounding area has been astounding. New restaurants, condominiums, hotels and various amenities have cropped up around the park making it an even more vibrant area to enjoy.

Some of the other stuff there that I loved was the Cloud Gate sculpture. Originally this piece thought to have been assembled somewhere else, then brought by barge to Chicago, but this did not occur due to various issues. This piece will not be ready for the official opening of the park, but was on view for the public to see. They were barely able to make it in time for a September completion date. By then, all that was left was to weld and polish the sculpture to a beautifully unique and seamless marvelous looking structure. Anish Kapoor is world-renowned for his large art sculptures, and this addition to the park was really being something spectacular to see. This was the artist's first permanent piece in the United States, and will continue to add to Chicago's tradition of providing exceptional public art to its citizens.

The Gehry bandshell as it is called has an interesting story in the way that it came about. (Shown in the top picture.) Initially the idea was that the park would have a modest venue in which it would handle around 30,000 people (if you call that modest?) That proposal was introduced by Mayor Daley on March 21, 1998. Some may say then that they were missing out, because now the capacity is pegged around 11,000 with 4,000 of those being permanent seating, and the rest on the great lawn behind it. I’m not sure if the thirty thousand estimate was a case of being overly optimistic, given how small the area is, but clearly the park would have been nothing more than the bandshell if that had been the case.

One more thing that truly blew my mind was Crown Fountain that was designed by Jaume Plensa. This is probably my favorite addition to the park besides the Gehry Bandshell and Bridge, is this new double fountain with two towers each 50 feet high that display images and video. This fountain designed by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa was funded by a donation from Crown Family, is really a prototype of the future of what modern fountains will try to emulate. Kruek & Sexton Architects are the ones who actually built these wonderful twin fountain towers. I hope you enjoy the extra shots and verbiage?

"I give you Chicago. It is not London and Harvard. It is not Paris and buttermilk. It is American in every chitling and sparerib. It is alive from snout to tail." ~ H L Mencken

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3.20.2008 - 28 comments 

Well at last, spring is finally here and "none-too-soon" for me. This time of year always reminds me of a trip that Mrs. LZ and I took several years ago to central Nebraska. Although this was only a one time visit for us, and quite a thrill for any amature ornithologist (or maybe just bird-watcher) this little adventure happens at this percise time every year and has for literally thousands and thousands of years. It is what is known fondly as the annual migration of the Sandhill cranes.

In order to view this world's largest concentration of Sandhill cranes from observation blinds on the banks of the Platte River in South Central Nebraska, it is necessary to get up very early when these birds are most active. There are trips conducted every year during March and early April, when over a half a million Sandhill cranes along with hundreds of thousands of ducks and geese converge on the Platte River there. One such opportunity is taken from a place called Rowe Sanctuary.

The Rowe Sanctuary is about the most famous and is located right in the heart of this magnificent Sandhill crane staging area where the birds can be viewed in huge gatherings on their nighttime roosts. Trips to our observation blinds are timed to provide the best opportunities to see this spectacle. Group sizes are limited to maintain the quality and uniqueness of the experience.

If you can look at a map of North and South America and try and imagine it was overlaid with the outline of an hour glass, and then imagine these birds flying from the most further most eastern and western points of Mexico and even South America, then making the center of the hour glass overlap a much smaller area between Grand Island and Kearney Nebraska, before it spreads out again at it top up in Canada and Alaska, then you can visualize this yearly path at its smallest and most concentrated amount of birds.

A typical field trip to see the birds, begins and ends with a walk of between 1/4-1/2 mile over level terrain. Morning trips start before dawn as the blinds must be approached under the cover of darkness to prevent spooking the cranes. In the evening, tours arrive at the blinds before the sun sets to view the Sandhill cranes as they return to the river and stay until dark. Benches are available for resting, but the blinds are not heated.

The field trips from Rowe take place every morning and evening from early March through early April. Although they take "walk-ins" when space is available, they also encourage you to call after the first of the year to make your reservations.

The birds themselves are just awesome to watch as they conduct their little mating ritual dances. Cranes are among the oldest living birds on the planet. Fossil records place Sandhill Cranes in Nebraska more than nine million years ago, long before there was a Platte River, which, by comparison, is only a youthful 10,000 years of age. The landscape then was savanna-like and its inhabitants were more like that of modern East Africa; varieties of rhinos, camels, and elephants long since extinct. Yet cranes survived and watched as American bison, pronghorn, and wapiti evolved on the prairies. Humans now dominate the landscape having replaced the bison with cattle and the prairie with corn and concrete. This startling transition occurred in less than 150 years, a mere blink of an eye in geologic time!

Witnessing the gathering of half a million cranes under a blazon Nebraska sunset stirred our senses and sparked our imagination like very few experiences could. What better way to rejuvenate your spirit than with the sights and sounds of such a spectacle with a cold March wind slapping your cheeks? "Why do they stage here along the Platte?", "Where are they going", and "Where do they come from?" are but a few of the many questions visitors ask.

At dawn, (which was our favorite time to watch them) the cranes leave the river and head to the fields to feed. They usually range within five miles of the river. The cornfields provide the cranes with a source of energy, while meadows and alfalfa fields provide essential proteins and minerals. They also serve an important social function as loafing and courtship areas. Another viewing place that we visited while there was the Crane Meadows Nature Center, which was on Alda Road in Wood River, NE.

At dusk, the cranes gather along the broad, shallow reaches of the Platte River to roost for the night. They prefer to stand in water about six inches deep, taking on the configuration of submerged sandbars. Densities of more than 12,000 cranes per half mile of river can occur. During inclement weather they seek out the narrower, more protected stretches of the river. At this time of year occasionally, the river freezes, and the birds must roost in the fields adjacent to the river, huddled together for warmth and protection.

There were times when we looked up in the sky and it was almost like one of the “end of the world” movies where the locusts come to attack the fields and the sky is actually darkened by their sheer numbers. Only instead of being the size of a locust, they are about the size of a flamingo and look very much like a whooping crane only gray rather than white. As I got close enough with my camera (even with the telephoto lens) these things would all take off together in one giant exodus. (No pun on my previous locust reference either). As you can see from most of the closer photos I’ve taken here, the cranes have a red patch on their heads. I was hoping that there was some way to distinguish the males from the females, but alas, I couldn’t figure it out. But it's OK, becuase I am sure that they can!

These Sandhill Cranes are have a height of 3-4 feet, a wingspan of 6 feet, they weigh from 8-12 pounds and fly at a speed of 38 miles per hour. They are also diurnal or daytime migrants and use thermals to their advantage. They will ride the thermal higher and higher up to an altitude of a couple of thousand feet, then they will glide northward in wavering lines losing altitude as they go until they reach the next thermal, spiraling upwards to repeat the process. This method of migration is energy efficient, more so than the power-flapping flight of other species such as geese. On a good day, cranes can travel up to 500 miles although 200 to 300 miles is more typical. In the late afternoon, they seek a wetland of some type to roost for the night and depart the next morning weather permitting, until they reach their destination. This stop for them is a halfway point and they rest up for the rest of their trip.

I am not saying that everyone needs to make this adventuresome trip, but if you love watching birds (as LZ does) then, I am sure that you will never see a site like this again in your life. I was also amazed that these huge birds seemed to be afraid of humans, but as you can see from a couple of my shots, they didn't seem to mind grazing in the harvested corn fields right next to the cattle. Their flight was amazing to watch, and even though I tried to catch its grace and beauty, it just can't all be captured on any media as far as I am concerned.

For those of you out there who are Christians, I want to wish you all and your families a very Blessed Easter! Like the picture of the sun at sunrise at the top of my blog template, the Son of man has risen and has risen indeed. "He is not here; for he is risen, as He said..." Matthew 28:6

"I never for a day gave up listening to the songs of our birds, or watching their peculiar habits, or delineating them in the best way I could." ~ John James Audubon

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3.15.2008 - 22 comments 

I had to take a business trip last week to Des Moines, Iowa. So as any good amateur photographer would do, I took my trusty camera along with me. This was not by any means my first trip to this Capital City of Iowa, but it was the first time I ever took pictures of their beautiful state capital building. I once was given a guided tour of the capital building and was very impressed with the restoration they had completed in just the last few years.

As you can see with these pictures, the Capital building was just about my favorite building in the city. This was not however by any means the largest building in the city. That honor was given to the head quarters of the Principle Financial Group. You can see it is the tallest building in the city’s skyline as I took the photo from the capital building, area and then another one from the downtown area. I would say that the capital building appears to sit up on top of a hill and overlooks the cityscape below it.

As you can also see, there was a really (almost surreal) sculpture in the downtown redevelopment area that I thought looked really interesting but it was also difficult to figure out exactly what it was for, or for that matter, even what it was trying to represent. I just thought that it was very cool. What the heck is that? It seems to be made out of just white capital block letters. But it seems to be a part of the downtown redevelopment that is going on down there not far from the Principle Financial Group's building.

I was surprised and how many things there were to do in this city of about a quarter million people. From things like the Blank Zoo, and the Living History Farms, to the Arboretum (called the Botanical Center) and even their very cool Des Moines Art Center, (a very neat place) for not only art, but also for the shear contemporary architecture of the facility. I was very impressed with this place from a visit there a few years ago.

For all of you who care, the history of Des Moines can be traced back to 1834, when John Dougherty, an Indian Agent at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, recommended that a military post be established at the point where the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers merge. Nine years later, May 1843, Captain James Allen and a company of dragoons from Fort Sanford arrived on the site. Captain Allen proposed to name the garrison Fort Raccoon but was directed by the War Department to use the name Fort Des Moines. This made me ponder the possibility of the Iowa state capital now being called Raccoon!

Settlers began locating almost immediately near the fort. Streets were platted in 1847. The date of incorporation was September 22, 1851 and the first town election was held October 18 when 25 voters unanimously approved the town charter. On October 20th, eight councilmen were elected, and at their first meeting on October 25th, the Reverend Thompson Bird became the first president of the town council. The town continued under the 1851 charter until January 18th, 1853 when the Iowa Fourth General Assembly passed "An Act to Incorporate the Town of Fort Des Moines in Polk County, Iowa. In 1857, Fort Des Moines was shortened to Des Moines and later that year the city was designated the capitol of the State of Iowa.

During the 1900s issues such as the development of permanent roads, new health laws and women's suffrage dominated debate. But with the onset of World War I in August of 1914, expansion slowed as the country braced itself for war. To aid in the nation's war effort, Camp Dodge was established in 1917 and more than 100,000 Iowans were trained for combat.

Des Moines suffered the loss of many young men during the war. As those who were lucky enough to survive returned home, they faced unemployment. In January 1919, Mayor Tom Fairweather estimated that over one thousand veterans needed jobs and urged businesses in the City to assist with this growing problem. Local construction programs helped ease the situation, and the early 1920s saw an increase in building, particularly for Des Moines schools.

Although much of the boom that Des Moines experienced in the 1920s came to a halt with the stock market crash of 1929, the City fared surprisingly well throughout the 1930s. Federally funded projects supplied work that improved the City, including new bridges and streets. By 1941, Des Moines' populations had grown to 160,000 but as 1942 began, the City changed significantly as the nation entered WWII. As in most U.S. cities, food became scarce and thousands of men left the workforce to join the service.

By the end of the War era, Des Moines began to pick up the pieces and concentrate on improving the quality of life. Many businesses flourished in the post war climate, and the City soon emerged as a major insurance center. Other businesses located in Des Moines prospered and the City breezed through the next three decades with a healthy economy. Current information on business and employment statistics in the City of Des Moines indicate that the city continues to thrive.

Today almost 250,000 people live in Des Moines, and the City is recognized as a center for government, education, business, culture, and the arts. Des Moines also has gained national recognition as a major insurance center (the third largest in the world) with nearly 60 life, health, and casualty companies. The City's climate-controlled skywalk system serves as an important link to parking garages, hotels, restaurants, stores, and businesses.

Des Moines Skywalks make up more blocks per capita in Des Moines than in any other city of comparable size in the U.S. The City's numerous tourist attractions and facilities have also established it as a popular and thriving Midwestern city. As you can see from these pictures, these Skywalks are really very helpful during these winter months. For those of you who have ever been to Minneapolis in the winter, you’ll know exactly what I am talking about.

The internationally-acclaimed Iowa State Fair is the single largest event in the state of Iowa and one of the oldest and largest agricultural and industrial expositions in the country. Mrs. LZ and I actually went to this shortly after moving to the Midwest and were actually blown away by all of the folks (and stuff) that showed up here in the state fair grounds in Des Moines. By the way, if you can get it on a stick and into a deep fryer, you’ll find it here for sale while the Iowa State Fair is going on.

I think when most people think of Iowa, the first things they think of are: corn and then pigs and then every Bissextile Year, they also think about this state being the first in the nation to have a primary and caucus’ to elect a President. A distinction (by the way) that they went very far to preserve just this year, by even moving their primary up to the third of January. All in all, though I would say that it was a nice place to visit, and I really loved the capital building.

"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

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3.07.2008 - 22 comments 

Well as promised… I have decided to finish my post about Las Vegas, Nevada. It took me almost two posts in that last post to get through the history of Vegas, which seemed to take almost as long to read as the actually history may have taken.

I was really very surprised by how many people posted a response, which stated they had never been to Vegas. But perhaps my surprise was just because I lived in Southern California for so many years, and it was no big deal to make the drive over to Vegas whenever we felt the need.

Even though it was a several hour drive from Orange County to Las Vegas, Nevada was something we did often when I was younger. (Maybe young and stupid would more aptly apply here?) Of course… in those days, Las Vegas was not the big opulent deal it is today. In fact in the short 10 years since I had last been there, this place had really turned into a beautifully classy desert oasis. This is a stark comparison to the neon city in the desert where gambling was “the king” and only a few of the larger hotels had major headliner shows working on the strip.

While Mrs. LZ and I were in town (to celebrate my birthday), we took in a musical “Mama Mia”; which if you enjoy Abba, would be a great treat for you (as it was for us). We also caught a couple of typical cabaret type shows that frankly didn’t do a whole lot for either of us. But none the less, we were glad we got a chance to experience them.

We also just had to eat at the “Planet Hollywood” Restaurant, just so we could say that we did it. Several others caught my eye as well like, Margaritasville and “In & Out” was a must for a burger, shake and fries and of course a tourist t-shirt.

Mrs. LZ opted out of going with me on the roller coaster (that goes around the front of New York, New York), but I went ahead by myself and had a great time. I still have a love of roller coasters from the days when I was a little boy and went on my first ride on one at about 12 years old. That is when my mother’s cousin took me on the old wooden roller coaster at the Pike Amusement Park on the beach in Long Beach, California, before it was torn down for condos in the pre-Jurassic period. I love that that memory has stuck with me all of those years. And this one at NY/NY was very high tech and as smooth as glass. Not the vibrations that the old wooden ones had that gave you a headache and loosened your tooth fillings.

We did a lot of walking around the city, but also had passes on the monorail and drove down to the old downtown area. Of all the things that I will remember about this trip, one that will remain with me for a long time, was standing in front of the Bellagio Hotel at night when all of a sudden, the load speakers came on and fountains lit up and starting firing water bursts hundreds of feet in the air in sync with the sound of Sinatra singing out “Luck Be a Lady Tonight”! It was a good thing that they shut off the fountains at the end of the song, or I may have still been there watching and listening to that song and water show.

I’ve stuck several of my favorite shots of the city-scapes while we were there down below, but the ones I really liked the best were the ones taken of the old downtown area which was more like I remembered Vegas in the 60’s and 70’s.

Frankly the nostalgic neon lights of old were not the only sights there that were enjoyable. I loved the Canals of Venice that wandered through the Venetian Hotel and into the mall and then even outside. The statues that were actually real live people were also kind of fun, but also a little frightening, if you didn’t happen to realize they were actually real folks in there under all of that neat make-up.

“I have wandered all my life, and I have traveled; the difference between the two is this -- we wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.” ~ Hilaire Belloc

5:35 PM - You can COMMENT to the above post here too...