Spinning

"As long as the world is turning and spinning, we're gonna be dizzy

and we're gonna make mistakes."

                                                                                            --Mel Brooks

Giant Splash Pad

These pictures are of one of the 50-foot towers in Chicago's Millennium Park that projects facial images (of Chicago residents) and stands tall above the enormous reflecting pools below.  In addition, occasionally throughout the day and into the evening, these faces move and water begins to pour out of what appears to be the person's mouth.  Essentially, it's like standing in a waterfall that's disguised as the face of a well known individual.  Watching this is very entertaining and great for cooling off on a steamy day in the city.

3 Things

"I have just three things to teach:  simplicity, patience, compassion.

These three are your greatest treasures."

                                                                                          --Lao Tzu

Light Up the Night

Who doesn't love fireworks over the water?  Well, I know several pet owners that dread such events as their furry family members don't do well with the frightening booms and bangs; however, on West Lake Okoboji (in northwest Iowa) it's a beautiful sight.  These images show the colorful displays, the barge from which the explosives are launched and all the onlookers in boats -- notice those tiny red and green lights just above the water.   This annual 4th of July tradition is one that draws hundreds and never disappoints.

Upcycling

Before

Admittedly I'm very fond of Starbuck's unsweetened cold brew coffee but prefer the taste of it sold in the small brown bottles rather than in the larger multi-serving plastic container.  However, I cringe each time I drop the bottle in the recycling bin and feel compelled to try to creatively reuse the container.  

So, I decided to try something ... and, the result can be seen in the next image.  

Trust me when I say this was super easy as I first pulled off the two large stickers and then wrapped raffia around the sticky residue that remained.  Next, I went to a craft bin in my basement and found a few autumn-colored piques of berries and leaves.  Total prep time was under twenty minutes.  This arrangement is going to be a gift but I have lots of ideas for recycling more of these little brown gems.

After

Sailing through Summer

"Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language."

                                                                          --Henry James

Tidal Wave

"You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment."

                                                                                       --Henry David Thoreau

Christmas in July

Wanted to share these images of lights in the night as folks on Lake Delhi recently decorated for  Christmas in July.  This lake is in a section of the Maquoketa River between the towns of Manchester and Delhi, Iowa.  Many people in the area are thrilled to have this event back on the calendar after experiencing a devastating flood that caused the old dam to breach and the river to instantly return to its natural state.  Eight years later with a new dam fully operational, there's reason to celebrate.

Let it Flow

"Love is a positive, symbiotic, reciprocal flow between two or more entities."

                                                                              --Inga Muscio