Cathedral

The Satiago Cathedral in Antigua, Guatemala was decorated yesterday for Advent/Christmas. Check out the before and after pictures.

Tuesday, 29 November 2011                    Before

 Wednesday, 30 November 2011              After

Mother

This mama was selling ice cream from a cart when I first saw her. She walked away with her preschool daughter and a baby wrapped in the shawl on her back.

 Her young son caught a ride on a horse-drawn carriage.

Kak'ik

Tonight for dinner (in Antigua), I had Kak'ik, a traditional Guatemalan Spicy Turkey Stew.

The soup included vegetables (green beans, carrot, acorn squash and chayote) in a spicy broth with two large turkey leg pieces on the bone, served with a plate of rice. It was really delicious.

Crèche

I bought these figures at an outdoor market in Niamey, Niger in 2009. They are carved from soapstone. The rough carving is polished with water before it is blackened with fire. The final step is to etch in the details. 

The shepherd is identified by the typical conical African shepherd's hat. The wisemen are on the right. Animals in the stable include a sheep, two camels, a donkey and a hippo.

 The following pictures were taken the day I bought this nativity set.

This craftsman worked in a shed behind the sellers in the outdoor market.

Carving the stone.

Polishing the figure before blackening it.

Selling in the market.

Christmas

With Thanksgiving over it's time to feature some Christmas items. This Nativity is handmade by artist/craftsman Bud Young of Wheaton and a member of my church, Wheaton Bible Church.

Surprise

When the temp got up to 55°at 1PM I headed out for a bike ride. At about 3 miles into the ride on the Illinois Prairie Path, I was passed by someone going the other way who said "Hey," just as we passed. We both stopped, and then I realized it was my friend Kim Gerber.  

I met Kim in 2005 when our mutual friend Bruce Gregersen organized the first of three baseball trips. 

Bodega

A bodega is Venezuela's version of a convenience store. Many are set up inside the family garage. This one depicts the historic, more traditional ones of years gone by, with stucco walls and a clay tile roof. They can still be found in out-of-the-way rural villages.

Teapot

I bought this bone china teapot in Heathrow airport in 2000 when I was traveling back to the US. Ivy Cottage by James Sadler in the Country Cottages series. Made in England.

Snow?

They are predicting temps in the 60's by Friday. It was  42°F today at noon when I noticed this snow plow. 
Why was it sitting in the parking lot of the local supermarket when there is no threat of temps below freezing?

LIghts

21 November 2011*

Putting up the Christmas lights in Winfield, IL.

* Taken 21 November 2011 but not posted until 22 November 2011

Jazz

My nephew Isaac Mercer played trumpet and flugelhorn in the North Park University (Chicago) Jazz Concert this afternoon. Here he pays a solo with the Jazz Combo.

Dinner

Tonight I got to have family from Indiana over for dinner. Pictured are: my sister Gail, her husband Mike; my niece Hannah, and Hannah's children Kian and Veda. We had a great time together.

Painting

This painting is of Los Aleros, Venezuela, a rural colonial town in the mountains near Merida that was "restored" in the 1980's as a living history destination.

The brown paint is actually tobacco.

Too Early

Tonight's photo was quite an adventure. The inspiration for it started yesterday when I heard my first Christmas song on the radio. "It's too early!" On my way home tonight I noticed this house was fully lighted for Christmas, even though it's only been below freezing a couple nights and American Thanksgiving is still a week away. 

I drove on by and right away started thinking I should turn around to take a picture. With no space on the shoulder to park, I pulled into a nearby cul-da-sac and walked back to the home. My first step off the narrow shoulder landed me in muddy ditch water. On higher ground, I quickly discovered I was walking right into the neck-high branches of a row of trees. The next thing I knew, my glasses had been knocked from my face and lay on the ground.  Retrieving them, I moved back to the narrow shoulder and eventually ended up in a pile of leaves up to my knees. 


It took more than a dozen attempts and most of them were  pretty blurry, but when i got home, three that were reasonably clear and this one is the best. 

"But, it's really too early!"


P.S. Can you believe it, Hallmark Channel is already playing Christmas movies?

Friends

My friend Cindy Fox from Florida is in town for a few days. She came for dinner tonight and we had a fun time together. In 10 days we'll be together again; on vacation in a place where it is warm.

Frost

By itself frost isn't much. It needs another item to really "shine." It even makes a dried up, brown leaf sparkle.

Candle

A candle always improves the ambience, especially if it's scented.

Cemetery

The Horse and Hound Burial ground at St James Farm in autumn.

November Brown

Beautiful dead prairie plant

Remember

Tonight I went to Cantigny Park and the 1st Division Museum for a special Armisist Day program. 

I was not successful at taking photos of the Luminaries so I'm posting a photo I took last year.

Each light represents six, First Division soldiers killed in action, from WW1 through the present, (13,000+ lost soldiers.)

Willow

The sun came out this morning just as I drove by on my way to work.

Scarecrows

Today I remembered to take photos before going to work and found these fun scarecrows in my neighbor's yard.

Indian Corn

Night Photos

With Daylight Saving Time disappearing over the weekend, I was driving home home in the dark and decided to experiment with some nighttime photos in downtown Winfield where there are plenty of cars and colorful neon signs. What do you think of the result?

Golf

While walking in Herrick Lake Forest Preserve, I took a path that runs along the western border of Arrowhead Golf Club. I'd decided to duck through the trees and take a look. I got there just in time to see this fellow tee off on the sixth hole.

Planes

Today I went to DuPage Airport to watch small planes take off and land. 

Eventually I noticed this hanger was open and was amazed by this man pulling the plane out onto the tarmac. It moved easily and it didn't look like he was straining at all to get it to move. It needed a tug and after that he just guided it into place. 

Curb

I found this situation rather amusing.

The sign warning drivers of a curb appears to have been flattened; probably by someone who drove over the curb. In fact the entrance to the parking lot is quite narrow and a delivery truck would most always find itself driving over the curb.

Deco

I finally put up some fall decorations.

Thanskgiving Decorations

As I drove through Winfield tonight I couldn't help but notice the Thanksgiving decorations at Winfield Flower Shoppe and Village Square Antiques. The porch is just full of flowers and antiques. Enjoy!

The Artist

It was warm and sunny and I spent the afternoon outdoors on an 11+ mile bike ride. On the way home, I stopped at Blackwell Forest Preserve to see if there was anything interesting to photograph. 

These young girls were picking up trash and had to stop and see what he was painting.

Here's bit of the landscape he trying to put on canvas.