Sergio and the Bridge

Astoria, Oregon ~ November 2, 2014

Here is Sergio, my Colombian friend and tapir colleague, on a wet day in Astoria. If you think he might be out of his element here, take a look at his photos of the Colombian Andes. His photo site starts here. You'll enjoy the slide show, including many photos taken while crossing the US with Lee.

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Windy Day on the Space Needle

Seattle, Washington ~ November 6, 2014

Somebody was enjoying the windy day at the top of Seattle's landmark attraction. I don't know who she is, but this girl and a couple of other kids were having the time of their lives running back and forth on the deck above the Emerald City.

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Someday I Will Go Inside

Paris ~ October 14, 2008

Galerie de Paléontologie et d'Anatomie Comparée

I love this building at 2 Rue Buffon near the southeast corner of the Jardin des Plantes. I've taken many pictures of the outside, including its very cool dinosaur sculpture and the critters attached to the outside of the building, but the doors have always been locked when I've been there. The inside of this building is the kind of thing I dream about. I can't imagine anyplace better. I should have been a paleontologist.

The early scientists are memorialized along with the animals. The name on the plaque in this photo is A. d'Orbigny. Alcide Dessalines d'Orbigney (1802-1857) traveled in South America and studied it's natural history and geology. He drew the first comprehensive map of the continent and is considered the father of stratigraphical paleontology, having noticed the importance played by the different layers in which fossils are found.

Update: I haven't been posting regularly. I've been feeling worse for a few days, but today I'm feeling better. I'm still topsy-turvey from the parathyroid disease and the surgeries in 2012. I'm beginning to figure out why my recovery may be so slow. Calcium is absolutely vital to the way the body works. It's not just about building strong bones and healthy teeth. It acts as a secondary messaging system for the endocrine system as well as a transmitter for the nervous system. Over the years my whole body had to adjust to higher calcium, then suddenly they threw it a curve-ball, removing the tumors that kept my calcium too high and causing it to go much lower. This looks perfect on paper, but everything has to adjust. Nobody explained the degree to which this could happen. I knew that the nervous system was affected, but I didn't realize until yesterday that calcium is also a transmitter for hormones, including thyroid and others. My thyroid TSH was at a pretty normal level before the first surgery and now it's quite high. I guess it takes a while to come back to normal. Meanwhile, life can be very uncomfortable. I was improving through January, and then February became very stressful and I got severe flu (or something). When I type too much I get inflammations, which is why I haven't been commenting, either. I'm doing better today, and trying to do everything right. Eating gobs of protein and taking lots of calcium helps, along with sleep and rest. I'm still figuring it out myself and with several Facebook groups, as my doctors have all been very uninformed on relevant points.

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Alter Ego?

Stratford-upon-Avon, England ~ February 17, 2010

Shakespeare's Birthplace

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Woman with Accordion

Paris ~ October 18, 2008

This goofy scene looks like something you would find inside an historic vaudeville show, not out on the street, but after all, it was Montmartre, and it seems all of Montmartre has become a circus. I didn't know that, because the last time I was there, it was gray, empty, and you could see across the square. I'm not saying it wasn't fun, but it wasn't the Montmartre I remember from previous visits. I think about these things a lot as more and more places become less real and more like Disneyland. But things change. When I was first there - finding something I wanted not to change - it wasn't the Montmartre of Picasso's time, either. In those days, Montmartre was a country village.

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Not Quite Pavement

London ~ February 14, 2010

On the London Underground

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Information

Portland, Oregon ~ August 7, 2010

Pioneer Square

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Variety and Veneer

Manaus, Brazil ~ April 14, 2007

In and around the central market can be seen a variety of paving styles and patterns, mainly in black and white. The yellow-bordered truck ramp blends right in, especially as the rain created a veneer of mud like an artist's wash over everything.

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Rectangles on The High Street

Oxford, England ~ February 18, 2010

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On Oxford Street

London ~ February 14, 2010

All pavement photos are not pretty, but they're interesting in their own way. One of the first things that caught my attention was the incredible variety of metal covers and gratings, their interesting patterns, the words saying where they're located or where they are made. Love the cowboy boot.

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Mall

Rome ~ April 15, 2004

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Burning Down the House

Seattle ~ June 24, 2009

David Byrne Concert

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Info

Rome Zoo ~ April 14, 2004

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Turquoise and black

Paris Metro ~ October 14, 2008