Happy Anniversary

Happy anniversary to my beautiful bride. 37 years of marriage and still going strong. Technically, it's just over 43 years and counting if you include our school years. The portfolio includes 4 kids and 3 grandkids (so far). 

U2 Messages

U2 in Nashville put up a lot of messages on a huge video board that bisected the stadium from the middle of the stage almost to the seats at the other end of the bowl. If you were on the sides of the stadium, you got a great view of these huge video boards which the band also used as a long, thin stage. If you were straight across from the stage, you sort of got shut out. Those seats were listed as "obstructed" view. Here are some of the messages that the band displayed before the concert. They presented a strong theme of empowering women, although as I now scan this composite, not so many show up on these three shot. The tour was titled Experience + Innocence which the NYT called rock with a mission and that was on full display in Nashville. Really fun show.

Memorial Day + U2

Got to see U2 put on a great show while in Nashville. Just a spur of the minute decision to go to the show got us some excellent seats about an hour before the show started. What luck. Best staged show that I have ever seen.

Baby Seal climbing up the beach

 Late April/early March is a great time to go to La Jolla in California as you can see a lot of young ones there learning their stuff. This baby seal was cute as a button as it made its way up the beach. They are not great on land at this point but they eventually get to where they want to go.

Sun Worshipper

It's not just humans who come out to see the sunset. This little fellow was enjoying the view as well.

California Seal King of the Hill

These two male seals were going at it for all of the 15 minutes that I stood and watched and I have no reason to doubt that they are still going at it a week or so later. They were totally into a 'king of the hill" fight with only one of them going to be able to stay on this island. The fact that their were plenty of other islands available didn't matter. These two wanted this one and no other. The three watchers at the end of the island are sea lions so the seals were not fighting over women--or at least those women. Quite entertaining.

Best Friends Sleepover

Always fun to get your best friends to sleepover, especially when it is a little cool outside. I remember when the neighborhood kids would come over to sleep over with our kids. Never got quite this close, as this is a close group, but they always had fun. Hopefully, no one snores. Taken near Children's Beach in La Jolla.

Sometimes you feel like this.....

I can't tell for sure if seals actually smile to show emotion, but if so, I know exactly how this seal feels. Sometimes, you just want to lay around, feel fat and smile. This shot is from a recent trip to La Jolla at the Children's Beach, which really should be called Seal Beach. You are lucky you can't smell the beach when you look at this shot. Quite the smell, let me tell you.

Downey Woodpecker's Meet Cute in my yard

A male Downey Woodpecker prepares a home for a mate.....

....he stands tall to advertise his wares.

A female Downey stops by to investigate. 

 The location seems to meet with her approval.

Perhaps we will get baby Downey's soon? 

My one and only shot last night

This is it. My one and only shot from Nina and Drew's wedding last night. I decided to let the photographers shoot the wedding but they were gone late in the evening when Nina and Drew signed the marriage certificate along with Drew's brother, Matt, who fulfilled the role of the officiant. So, I got this one shot with my cell phone. Matt did such a fantastic job delivering the wedding ceremony and all of the family and friends that participated in the ceremony with readings and toasts later were just great. The Holzfeind family is a tough act to follow. Nina and Drew designed a ceremony that really reflected who they are as a couple and a family with Lili. So, I don't have any pictures, except this one. Now I am pissed I don't have any pictures. Oh well, everyone says to "be there in the moment". Yea, that's bunk. Be there, sure, but shoot it too. Anyway, a fantastic wedding. Couldn't have been better. Cheryl and I are very fortunate that two of our kids with weddings this year (Jono got married in January) picked such fantastic partners as spouses.

Since I don't have any wedding pictures to show, I do have a video of family pictures from both Drew's family and ours of Nina and Drew growing up. We played this at the rehearsal dinner. For those who are friends and family of Nina and Drew, take a look. (Tthanks for Drew's mom, Margie, for the idea and for sharing these pictures with us. They are a treat and I had a lot of fun putting this video together:)

https://animoto.com/play/07DINYL8bqZ134TJ1KRbfA

Big Weekend for Nina and Drew

Big wedding weekend ahead for Nina and Drew. We love you both and look forward to the celebration of your love.

Naperville, Illinois -- City of Murals

This is the third of the 5 scenes shown on the riverwalk near the Hotel Indigo. Like the first one I posted two days ago, I don't really see a Naperville connection. There are a lot of flags from different countries and we have lots of residents of all countries and ethnicities here in Naperville--but so do most other communities as well. Doesn't really matter. It is a nice scene that shows diversity with lots of color in the scene, which is what I look for anyway!

Naperville, Illinois -- City of Murals

This mural, as with the one yesterday, is found on the riverwalk near the new Hotel Indigo. Unlike yesterday, it is supposed to be of Naperville as the Moore Lumber Company is a business that used to operate near the river. On the bottom left is a man washing his car in the river. This is the second mural with a car in river washing scene. I guess that must have been a thing. Who knew?

Naperville, Illinois -- City of Murals

I waited until I was sure that Spring was here before posting this mural depicting a winter scene. We had far too much of that in April (one of the coldest on record). This is not painted, obviously, but I think it counts as a mural since it is on a wall and part of a series of 4 scenes. The wall is located on the riverwalk in downtown Naperville near the Hotel Indigo. I think part of it was underwater or nearly so when the river over ran its banks. Happens every year in the Spring.  Unlike the rest of the murals in town, I am not sure it is a picture of Naperville, but it could be. It also could be a scene from anywhere as it is pretty nondescript. Still, for a November or December day it would be a wonderful place to visit.

Naperville, Illinois -- City of Murals

This is part of another wall sized mural located just outside the downtown area on the Naperville Fine Art Center and Gallery building on 5th Street, across from the Naperville train station. This mural depicts various styles of famous artists with this portion crimping from artist Dick Locher, who was the creator of Dick Tracy and a Naperville resident.

Naperville, Illinois -- City of Murals

This is part of the 7th mural of the 15 or so murals displayed in downtown Naperville that I have shown over the past two weeks. This portion is more of old Naperville with my buddy Jim Wehrli's great-grandparents house featured towards the right side, where they raised 13 children. No wonder there are so many Wehrli's around. The larger house is the Beach Inn, an old-time hotel and tavern which stood for many years in downtown Naperville. The military man, just cut off on the right was shown on yesterday's Shot of the Day. The mural is so big, it is hard to get a good shot, so I broke it up into two separate pictures.

Naperville, Illinois -- City of Murals

Very realistic view on this portion of the murals on Chicago Avenue in downtown Naperville. Service men and women would send dolls from around the world to our librarian at the Naperville Library. I will have to see if the collection is on display. Wonderful colors, no? 

Naperville, Illinois -- City of Murals

Another art deco mural from Sullivan's building off of Chicago Avenue. Lots of medical professionals in this one who were instrumental in getting land for Edwards Hospital and donating land for Centennial Beach and Naper Settlement.

Naperville, Illinois -- City of Murals

The second of three Art Deco themed murals showing Naperville history on Chicago Avenue in downtown Naperville.