Bringin' the Cheese

On Hiatus

2011-09-14T16:48:00.001-07:00

Still not feeling it . . .

Day 249 - Vineyard Pano

2011-09-06T17:36:00.001-07:00

This is only a portion of the Hall Ranch vineyards.

Day 248 - Fountain

2011-09-06T17:29:00.000-07:00

Several people laughed when I got down on my hands and knees to get this shot . . . then apologized when I showed it to them.

Day 247 - Chandelier

2011-09-06T17:27:00.000-07:00

This chandelier hangs in one of the Robert Hall banquet rooms.

Day 246 - Crushed Grapes

2011-09-06T17:25:00.001-07:00

Robert Hall, one of the larger wineries in Paso, feeds these crushed green grapes to their herd of black Angus cattle.

Day 245 - Grapes

2011-09-06T17:23:00.001-07:00

Spent the holiday weekend in Paso Robles for a wedding & had the chance to visit a number of wineries . . .

Day 244 - Hollywood

2011-09-01T11:36:00.001-07:00

A little hazy, but not bad for a midweek afternoon . . .

Day 243 - Griffith Observatory

2011-09-01T11:30:00.000-07:00

While doing some post-production work this week in Hollywood, I noticed this view of the Griffith Observatory from my parking garage.

Day 242 - Fire Pit

2011-09-01T11:19:00.001-07:00

A gas-fueled campfire . . . ah, city life. Save us Oliver Wendell Douglas.

Day 241 - Roast Lamb

2011-08-29T16:11:00.001-07:00

For those who might be a bit squeamish at seeing an entire roasted lamb on a spit, I'm only posting this . . . but trust me, it was delicious.

Museum of Glass

2011-08-29T15:52:00.001-07:00

On the waterfront in Tacoma is the Museum of Glass, a relatively new museum dedicated to contemporary glass art.

Being outside the museum at sunrise unfortunately meant it wasn't open yet to visitors, but the light was perfect for the cone that houses the glassblowing Hot Shop and the two large outdoor installations, Fluent Steps and Water Forest.

Day 240 - Nooksack River Pano

2011-08-26T13:37:00.001-07:00

This is the Nooksack River at the base of Mt. Baker in the Snoqualmie National Forest, located in Whatcom, Washington.

Gotta love those names.

Day 239 - Spider

2011-08-26T13:34:00.001-07:00

"Spider on Foxglove"

A (mostly) still life. Double-click on the picture to really see the beauty in the detail.

Day 238 - Inchworm

2011-08-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

"Two and two are four
Four and four are eight
Eight and eight are sixteen
Sixteen and sixteen are thirty-two"

Day 237 - Foxglove

2011-08-25T17:05:00.000-07:00

All along the side of the road were these long stalks of foxglove, or Digitalis purpurea. Because of its toxicity, I personally like one of its other names: Dead Man's Bells.

Day 236 - Color

2011-08-25T17:03:00.001-07:00

Don't know what these were, but there were a lot of 'em, and they were the most color in an otherwise drab, rainy forest.

Day 235 - Maple Leafs

2011-08-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know the plural of "leaf" is "leaves," but since I was only a stone's throw from the Canadian border, I'm spelling it this way.

Day 234 - Mt. Baker

2011-08-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe that there's still snow on the mountains in mid-August.

Day 233 - Sunrise Pano

2011-08-25T12:14:00.001-07:00

The sunrise over the marina in downtown Tacoma was absolutely stunning.

Day 232 - Warehouse Lofts

2011-08-25T11:50:00.001-07:00

This old warehouse was converted into loft apartments; the top is the newer side facing the marina, the bottom is the older side facing the train tracks.

Day 231 - Union Station

2011-08-25T11:42:00.000-07:00

The old Union Station in downtown Tacoma is now a courthouse building.

Day 230 - Sunset

2011-08-25T11:36:00.001-07:00

Production means long days, which means you're on set for both sunrise and sunset.

Day 229 - Mt. Ranier

2011-08-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

On a recent trip to the Pacific Northwest, I spent some time in Tacoma. This was the view of Mt. Ranier from my hotel window.

Day 228 - Poker Pano

2011-08-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

Three generations of a family playing poker outside on a summer afternoon . . . awesome.

Day 227 - Life Lessons

2011-08-16T16:57:00.000-07:00

Don't bet against an 89-year old World War II Navy veteran in poker...he never bluffs.

Day 226 - Tomatoes

2011-08-15T17:37:00.001-07:00

There's just something about fresh, ripe, seasonal tomatoes . . .

Day 225 - Blocking

2011-08-15T17:22:00.001-07:00

I may not have the strongest arm, but I do pride myself in being able to block balls in the dirt.

Day 224 - Baserunning

2011-08-15T17:20:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to my teammate George for shooting these pictures of me playing for the Beachwood Canyon Giants . . .

Day 223 - Downtown Baseball Panorama

2011-08-15T17:11:00.000-07:00

One of the baseball fields we play at in the Los Angeles Baseball League is the Roybal Learning Center downtown.

Day 222 - People I Dig

2011-08-10T13:11:00.001-07:00

Steve is one of the smartest people I know; I'm privileged to call him both a colleague and a friend. His love for the outdoors is complemented nicely by his skill as a photographer, and his Midwestern upbringing and solid moral fiber makes his personality top-notch to boot.

We're the same age, just two days apart, and this is nearly a month overdue, but happy birthday, amigo, and may your trails always be clear.

Day 221 - People I Dig

2011-08-09T14:42:00.000-07:00

It's been often said that MD is the face of the agency; I can't imagine anyone better.

Day 220 - Catalina Sunset

2011-08-05T11:26:00.001-07:00

And with this lovely sunset pano from Parson's Landing, we bid adieu to Catalina Island, at least for this trip. I've finally caught up to my picture a day quota too, so with only 145 days left in 2011, let's see what else comes my way . . .

Day 219 - Campfire

2011-08-05T11:24:00.000-07:00

A campfire on the beach at sunset? Yes, please . . .

Day 218 - Campfire

2011-08-05T11:23:00.001-07:00

Sometimes you just need to warm your feet . . .

Day 217 - Sea Pebbles

2011-08-05T11:21:00.001-07:00

The beach at Parson's Landing wasn't sand, but rather this amalgamation of small stones, pebbles, and sea shells.

Day 216 - Camping Names

2011-08-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

Continuing another tradition, we were all given camping names which we put on our cups . . . these are "Tomfoolery 1" and "Tomfoolery 2."

Day 215 - Tube Snails

2011-08-05T11:14:00.001-07:00

The shells of these tube snails are cemented to other rocks . . .

Day 214 - Beach / Canyon Pano

2011-08-05T11:10:00.001-07:00

The far end of Parson's Landing went from the water back up into the hills that we had hiked along on our way in.

Day 213 - Campfire Cooking

2011-08-05T10:59:00.001-07:00

My friend Mike has noted the absence of food pics in this here space, so Mike, this one's for you:

One of the best parts about camping is cooking over a wood fire . . . there's a definite difference between a charcoal grill and an actual campfire.

We had tri-tip for dinner both nights, and S'mores for dessert . . .

Day 212 - Campsite

2011-08-05T10:50:00.000-07:00

Rather than pitch the tent on the shoreline gravel, we opted for a flat patch of dirt nestled a bit further back. More comfortable, less windy, and much quieter . . .

Day 211 - Parson's Landing

2011-08-04T17:11:00.000-07:00

Over seven miles and a few blisters later, we made it to our campsite at Parson's Landing.

Day 210 - Texture

2011-08-04T17:10:00.000-07:00

I suppose the hike wouldn't have taken as long if I hadn't stopped so often to take pictures . . .

Day 209 - Solitude

2011-08-04T17:06:00.000-07:00

The Silver Peak Trail climbed over 1500 feet in a very short period of time, making the steep entry hike very challenging; we wondered what the fence posts we passed were meant to keep in or out . . .

Day 208 - Prickly Pear

2011-08-04T17:01:00.001-07:00

Day 207 - Prickly Pear

2011-08-04T16:57:00.000-07:00

The prickly pear cactus, or opuntia, were blooming all along our hiking route and campsite.

Day 206 - Catalina Harbor

2011-08-04T16:48:00.000-07:00

Across the isthmus from Two Harbors is the actual Catalina Harbor.

Day 205 - Isthmus Pano

2011-08-04T16:45:00.001-07:00

A narrow isthmus connects the small northern part of the island to the larger southern part.

Day 204 - Hiking

2011-08-04T16:39:00.000-07:00

After landing at Two Harbors, we set out along the Trans Catalina Trail, taking the Silver Peak Trail up into the peaks of Catalina, before heading down Boushay Road to the campsite.

Day 203 - Vincent Thomas Bridge

2011-08-04T16:35:00.001-07:00

A weekend of group camping on Catalina Island at Parson's Landing meant we left the Los Angeles Harbor in San Pedro from a berth right under the Vincent Thomas Bridge.

Mountain Pies

2011-08-04T16:06:00.000-07:00

In anticipation of a camping trip to Catalina, I experimented making hobo, or mountain pies. Using a long-handled pie iron, we stuffed two pieces of buttered bread with more butter, cinnamon sugar, and fruit, and after about eight minutes in the hot coals, created a crispy stuffed pocket.

We wound up not taking the pie iron to Catalina, but the mountain pie was a good preview of campfire cooking.

Day 202 - All-Star Closers

2011-07-21T16:44:00.001-07:00

With the Padres and Giants playing extra innings, I got to see both teams' All-Star closers pitch. That's Heath Bell of San Diego on the left and Brian "Fear the Beard" Wilson of the Giants below.

Day 201 - Left Field Corner

2011-07-20T13:40:00.000-07:00

The left field corner of PETCO contains the Western Metal Building, an historic structure from the early 20th century that was incorporated into the construction of the stadium in 2004.

Day 200 - PETCO Park Panos

2011-07-19T16:23:00.000-07:00

PETCO Park by itself doesn't have the charm of other ballparks, but then again, it's reflective of San Diego's very nature: low-key, relaxing, and thoroughly enjoyable.

The Gaslamp Quarter just north of the park is a perfect example of the successful urban revitalization that sports franchises always tout when arguing for a new ballpark, and in this case, is a perfect pre- and post-game complement for the Padres. As for the on-field product, well, let's just say the Padres are in a state of perpetual rebuilding.

Day 199 - San Diego Bay

2011-07-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

The Hilton's pool faced San Diego Bay, and, while it had a gorgeous view of Coronado, was way too windy to be completely enjoyable.

Day 198 - PETCO Park

2011-07-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

The stadium tour went through the press box, which had one of the best views of the field; I wished I could've been in there during the game the following day to take some panos.

Day 197 - San Diego

2011-07-18T15:05:00.001-07:00

Spent a glorious weekend in San Diego, highlighted by a tour of PETCO Park on Saturday and the Padres/Giants game on Sunday. Stayed at the Hilton Bayfront, connected to the stadium by the pedestrian bridge in the foreground.

Day 196 - Grand Canyon National Park

2011-07-15T11:27:00.001-07:00

And so we end the Grand Canyon portion of our trip . . . this was taken at the end of the hike down the Bright Angel Trail into the canyon; I had almost made it back up to the top after four-miles roundtrip, was drenched in sweat, had giant blisters on both my feet, and, unbeknownst to me at the time, was suffering from salt & electrolyte loss. So I was rather elated to be done with this portion of my day.

All in all, it was a wonderful trip, start to finish, and I'm still in awe of the natural beauty of the Grand Canyon.

Day 195 - Grand Canyon National Park

2011-07-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

These are the last of my Grand Canyon panoramas; it's been hard to choose which ones are my favorites.

One of the park rangers said that the canyon changes minute-to-minute because of the way the light and shadows strike the surfaces . . . and I'm inclined to agree.

Day 194 - Celebration

2011-07-13T16:38:00.001-07:00

Sometimes when you can't raise a glass, you just raise the bottle . . .

Day 193 - Grand Canyon National Park

2011-07-13T16:29:00.000-07:00

While traversing the eastern side of the South Rim, it became almost a game avoiding all the buses that disgorged tourists like ants at a picnic. It became harder and harder to get pristine panos like this one, without clumps of people in the shot.

Day 192 - Grand Canyon National Park

2011-07-11T16:48:00.000-07:00

After exploring the middle and western portions of the South Rim, the last day was reserved for the eastern side, also known as the Desert View. You can see the Colorado River in the center of the picture winding its way through the canyon it made...

Day 191 - Grand Canyon National Park

2011-07-08T15:12:00.000-07:00

After hiking, we continued walking west along the South Rim of the canyon and saw this Agave utahensis, or Utah agave, with a bloom well over seven feet high. The big bumblebees loved it.

Day 190 - Grand Canyon National Park

2011-07-08T15:10:00.001-07:00

When in the canyon itself, there's much more depth and texture than as visible from the rim.

Day 189 - Grand Canyon National Park

2011-07-08T11:23:00.000-07:00

The full hike on the Bright Angel Trail from the rim to the canyon bottom is 4.9 miles, but given that it was late June and well over 90 degrees, getting just two miles into the canyon was a remarkable feat. And hiking down was the easy part . . . hiking back up and out, well, that was a little harder.

But with that said, the canyon takes on a completely different perspective, and has a completely different beauty, from the inside looking up and out than it does from the top down.

Day 188 - Grand Canyon National Park

2011-07-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

After arriving at the Grand Canyon in the late afternoon on Sunday, Monday was the "tough" day, hiking down into the canyon as far as stamina, heat, and water would allow. Although in hindsight, walking west 2 ½ miles along the Rim Trail from the Visitors' Center to the trail head may not have been the best thing to do first, despite a view like this from the top.

Day 187 - Grand Canyon National Park

2011-07-06T12:42:00.001-07:00

The last time I had been to the Grand Canyon was in 1981; my family rented a pop-up trailer and we drove all over the West visiting National Parks. So visiting again as an adult 30 years later was like seeing the canyon for the very first time, especially with an appreciation for sunsets like this one.

Day 186 - Arizona Desert

2011-07-06T12:34:00.000-07:00

Driving through the Arizona desert on my way to the Grand Canyon, this was the vista on a scenic overlook about an hour east of Hoover Dam.

Day 185 - Fourth of July

2011-07-06T12:31:00.001-07:00

The only way to shoot fireworks well is to use a tripod, but it can be such a hassle in crowds . . . so I rested the camera on my stomach. Better, but not great.

Day 184 - Grand Canyon National Park

2011-06-30T18:13:00.001-07:00

I just returned yesterday from a wonderful three-day visit to the Grand Canyon . . . here's a teaser pano.

Day 183 - Corn on the Cob

2011-06-30T18:11:00.001-07:00

It's not fried (grilled, actually), but this was my personal favorite. And so we end the gastronomic adventure of the San Diego County Fair . . .

Day 182 - Fried Klondike Bar

2011-06-30T18:03:00.000-07:00

Chicken Charlie's is the premier destination for all things fried, and the hands-down winner was the fried Klondike bar. My guess is that they're frozen way below the normal temperature for ice cream so they don't melt in the oil, but it was a perfect combination of hot and cold, with sweet & creamy mixed in.

Day 181 - Funnel Cake

2011-06-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

A fair classic, although I miss the ones with boysenberries from Knott's Berry Farm.

Day 180 - Texas Tater Twister

2011-06-23T17:19:00.000-07:00

This was a new one - a foot-long hotdog wrapped in a twisted fried potato. I had mine dusted with garlic parmesan, but it still lacked a lot of flavor.

Day 179 - Aussie Beer Battered Potatoes

2011-06-23T17:13:00.000-07:00

These were surprisingly good, although a little heavy, especially when coated in the cheese sauce.

Day 178 - Fried Kool-Aid

2011-06-23T16:58:00.000-07:00

Apparently this is the hot (no pun intended) fried thing on the fair circuit this year - Kool-Aid powder mixed into sweet batter & dropped into the hot oil. How they're different from doughnuts, I'm not sure, but people were snapping 'em up for the sheer novelty.

Day 177 - Fried Cheese

2011-06-23T16:51:00.001-07:00

And as we enter the fried foods section of our county fair excursion, the weak of stomach may now be excused.

Day 176 - General Lee

2011-06-23T16:48:00.001-07:00

What's a county fair without the General Lee? "Just some good ol' boys, never meanin' no harm, beats all ya ever saw, been in trouble with the law since the day they was born . . ."

Day 175 - Pig Mania?

2011-06-23T16:17:00.001-07:00

I recently spent a day at the San Diego County Fair in Del Mar, and when I saw these piglets, I tried to remember what their point value would be in Pig Mania . . .

Chicago Cubs - Wrigley Field

2011-06-23T12:51:00.001-07:00

I suppose the recent calls to replace Wrigley Field are to be expected; today's society always wants what's new, improved, and modern. But there's something that's just so . . . historic when you step off the El at the Addison Street exit and there it is. The oldest stadium in the National League, the second oldest in baseball. It was built in 1914, which is why you'll never see a stadium built like it (or Fenway Park in Boston) ever again. It's shoehorned into an actual neighborhood, bordered on all four sides by Addison and Clark Streets in the front, and Waveland and Sheffield Avenues in the back. At the corner of Waveland and Sheffield is a statue of the Cubs' late broadcaster Harry Carey, fittingly underneath the "Bud Light Bleachers" sign, as Carey had the tendency to drink heavily before and during games.

There's also a statue of Cubs' legend Ernie Banks along the Clark side; sadly his mantra of "Let's play two!" has become as obsolete as Wrigley surely will.

Inside, Wrigley lives up to its nickname of the "Friendly Confines," as it certainly isn't a big park. But what a park it is. Those ivy covered brick outfield walls, that magnificent hand-operated scoreboard, the lack of advertising, ribbon boards, and video replay give Wrigley such character, that, when coupled with the intimate seating, we could have been watching a game from the 1940's or 50's.

The food was good, although the lack of a pickle spear on the Chicago dog was a glaring omission, but then again, I was there to see the Cubs in their home environment, and wasn't that concerned with my meal - an overindulgence of fried Wisconsin cheese curds can do that to a person.

It was a fitting end to a whirlwind trip - four baseball games in four days in four different stadiums. I do miss my "brother" Thom; he truly is like family to me, and our shared love of baseball makes our strong friendship even stronger. It was also good to see Margie and Dave again, and to quote The Turtles, I'm glad they're so happy together. So thanks, Wrigley, and thanks to all of Chicago. It's a great city, but the weather precludes me from saying I'd like to live there. Cubs fans are a special lot, and to be a part of it, even for just one night, is something every baseball fan should experience.

It's baseball. Pure. Perfect.

Mars Cheese Castle

2011-06-23T10:29:00.001-07:00

We left Milwaukee Monday morning and headed back to Chicago, but made a quick stop at the Mars' Cheese Castle in Kenosha, just off the I-94 freeway. It looked a lot more impressive than it was, and with the exception of some rather unique cheese products, wasn't all that exciting. And since I was leaving the following day and only had carry-on luggage, I wasn't going to run the risk of some glassy-eyed TSA agent making me dump the cheese or mustard I wanted in the trash. 'Cause "frying cheese" certainly piqued my interest . . .

Day 174 - Milwaukee River

2011-06-23T10:24:00.001-07:00

Looking the other way up the river from The Harp . . .

Day 173 - Milwaukee River

2011-06-23T10:22:00.001-07:00

The Milwaukee River runs right through the city, and businesses on the riverfront have great views, like this one from The Harp.

Day 172 - Brats & Curds

2011-06-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

Knocked this back at the Milwaukee Brat House . . .

Day 171 - Beer

2011-06-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

After the Brewers game, we started our nocturnal activities at the Water Street Brewery with this eight-beer sampler. The raspberry weiss was surprisingly good - tart, without any artificial raspberry flavor or cloying sweetness.

Milwaukee Brewers - Miller Park

2011-06-22T16:06:00.000-07:00

The morning after seeing the White Sox in Chicago, Thom, Dave and I drove 90 minutes north up I-94 to Milwaukee to see the Brewers host Thom's hometown St. Louis Cardinals.

Miller Park, with its unique retractable roof, looks nothing like any other ballpark I've ever seen; my boss said it looked like an observatory. Out front is a statue of Henry Aaron, who played for many years with the Milwaukee Braves, then finished his career as a Brewer.

The scoreboard is well-designed, well laid out, and easy to read, especially with the roof partially open (or closed) so that the mound and home plate were both in the shade. Good for the hitters and pitchers, not so good for a photographer.

The iconic sausage race (Polish, Italian, Brat, Hot Dog, and Chorizo) was fun to look at, but the Presidents' Race at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. is basically the same thing.

But the food . . . my goodness. In addition to all five sausages in the sausage race (I tried the brat and chorizo), Dave had the barbecue sliders (brisket and pulled pork) and I had to have the authentic Wisconsin fried cheese curds (and yes, they really do squeak when you eat them, and yes, they're served in a paper canoe.)

And when Prince Fielder hit the eventual game-winning homer in the bottom of the eighth, I even got to see Bernie Brewer go down his slide and wave the flag. Granted, it's not into a giant beer stein, like it was in old Milwaukee County Stadium, but it's fun nonetheless.

And in the end, in a tribute to my dad, I raised a glass of his favorite beer, Miller Genuine Draft to Miller Park. And the clouds even masked the roof's shadow, even for just a bit.

Unique stadium, great food, awesome environment, overall, we had a blast.

Day 170 - Breakfast

2011-06-22T16:03:00.001-07:00

And then Dave made waffles for breakfast Sunday morning before he, Thom and I headed up to Milwaukee to see the Brewers take on the Cardinals. And no, we didn't stay up all night swappin' manly stories. Beatles RockBand, yes. Manly stories, no . . .

Day 169 - People I Dig

2011-06-22T15:59:00.000-07:00

Despite the cold, wind, and rain, Margie and Dave were excellent hosts at the White Sox game.

Day 168 - Late Night Snack

2011-06-22T15:57:00.001-07:00

When all else fails, there's White Castle . . .

Day 167 - Ballpark Food

2011-06-22T15:54:00.000-07:00

My Italian sausage and hot dog at the White Sox game . . . good, but not great.

Day 166 - Typos

2011-06-20T17:34:00.000-07:00

I'm appalled that in the number-two television market in the country, these embarrassingly simple typos could occur in the same broadcast (shame on you, ABC7). For the record, "Tucson" is misspelled in the box in the top image, and the wrong movie is ID'd in the lower third in the bottom - and it's not like the correct title is behind the actress or anything.

Sloppy. Just plain sloppy.

Chicago White Sox - U.S. Cellular Field

2011-06-20T11:05:00.000-07:00

First off, even though the official stadium name is U.S. Cellular Field, it bugs me to no end and I kept calling it Comiskey, its original name when it opened in 1991. It was the first of the "new" stadiums to be built, and, by a year, missed the retro trend that started when Camden Yards opened in Baltimore a year later. With that said, new Comiskey lacks any personality, character, or charm whatsoever, and seems as bland as the cookie-cutter stadiums of the 1970's that popped up in Philadelphia, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati. Out in front is a rather ugly statue honoring the 2005 World Series championship team, but doesn't really add much to the stadium atmosphere. The food was passable, but not memorable. The scoreboard was poorly laid out, with lots of wasted space, and hard to read. Even the iconic pinwheels atop it, along with the fireworks - a carryover from old Comiskey, seemed lost and wasted among all the giant billboards.

Day 165 - Jeppson's Malört

2011-06-20T10:52:00.000-07:00

Dave had a bottle of Jeppson's Malört in his man-cave / basement bar; every first-time visitor had to have a shot. I will say in my defense, (A) I am not a lightweight when it comes to drinking, and (B) this was one of the ugliest-tasting things I have ever had...hence my and Thom's expressions.

Day 164 - Neon

2011-06-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

This Dairy Queen in Lombard, IL had none of the current logos and wording. Instead it had a classic neon sign that looked retro but was actually vintage . . . not enough of this around today.

Day 163 - Pretzels

2011-06-17T17:26:00.001-07:00

And what goes better with beer than pretzels? These soft pretzels came hot with cheese sauce and a sinus-clearing whole-grain horseradish mustard that literally took my breath away.

Day 162 - Beer

2011-06-17T17:23:00.001-07:00

Went to the Two Brothers Brewing Company in Warrenville, IL outside Chicago before heading to see the White Sox play on the South Side. Had this Ebel's Weiss with lunch . . .

Kane County Cougars - Elfstrom Stadium

2011-06-15T17:21:00.000-07:00

My first stop on the Great Baseball Extravaganza of 2011 was Elfstrom Stadium in Geneva, IL, about 45 minutes west of downtown Chicago. Home to the Kane County Cougars, Class-A Midwest League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, the Cougars' stadium was a little bigger than most A-ball stadiums I've been to, but they really hit a homer with the food, no pun intended.

I had a barbecued pork chop sandwich, a hot dog, and an ear of grilled corn with Cajun seasoning . . . some of the best food the whole trip.

Day 160 - Chicago

2011-06-15T17:00:00.001-07:00

I just got back from an extended weekend trip to Chicago and Milwaukee that mostly involved baseball, baseball food, and beer . . . stay tuned . . .

Black and White

2011-06-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

Since Ansel Adams did all his work in Yosemite in black and white, I'll end my collection of Yosemite pictures with my favorites that I've converted to that format. Thanks, Yosemite and thanks to all my friends for such a wonderful trip.

Tunnel View

2011-06-09T13:11:00.001-07:00

Tunnel View is perhaps one of the most iconic images in all of Yosemite, made famous by Ansel Adams. On the left is El Capitan, on the right is Bridalveil Fall, and in the center and a little further back is Half Dome.

Coming out of the Wawona Tunnel on Route 41, the view of Yosemite Valley is amazing, which, unfortunately, can cause quite a traffic snarl.

My scuba group are amazing friends; I just wish we could see each other more often, especially since Mallik and I are now out West.

Day 160 - Mariposa Grove

2011-06-09T12:56:00.000-07:00

This video clip sums up our visit to the Mariposa Grove . . . but the trees truly are spectacular. At the top is Faithful Couple, where two trees grew together so close, their trunks merged into one.