Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 20 May 2018

Hallo Chicago: That building in the foreground is the Chicago Institute of Art on Michigan Drive, just a block or two from Lake Michigan.

Don't know what this building is - was near the end of my multiple-mile hike - but I liked it.

Alexander Caldwell's "Flamingo."

A view from a bridge (lots of tour boats typically along this stretch; just missed one)

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Here's the train that took us from Chicago to Seattle (only the train that run west from Chicago have two levels).

This is my roomette:  There's an identical seat opposite; both slide down to form a rather comfy bed, which is made up every night by the attendant.  Loos are at the end of the carriage and also on the lower level along with the shower.  Larger rooms with bathrooms, etc., available for $$$$$s.  I got a good deal on my fare, given that I was being transported across the continent with picture windows and all food provided - for two nights and two days. You can just see the underside of the upper bunk over the window...  Agile/skinny couples do well in these (or solo travelers)

Good Morning.  Dry here, but cloudier than of late. (Just had to add cloudier to the dictionary on here....)

Annette - Thanks for posting the great pics - I was fascinated by the double decker trains when M. Portillo did his travel programme, and if I'm not mistaken, he was in Chicago, too. We can't take in those huge wide, empty spaces as you roll through the countryside, they seem impossibly big. Love the flamingo sculpture.

I will be driving to Wales on my own in Ruby, now that we have two reliable cars. We could not do this before as my OH ran such an old 'banger'. He will follow me on Thursday (after his golf!) and will bring Bonnie, too. She would rather be with him anyway, and also he will have the bigger car with a dog crate in the back. I plan to stop halfway where we usually do, to change drivers - except that I'll just want to stretch my legs and have a cold drink.

I expect we'll both return on the same day.

Off to go pack, now!

Fascinated by the lava flow in Hawaii, we got interested on volcanic activity when we started going to The Canaries years ago: on Lanzarote, there is a special underground Volcanic Study Centre where you can see an exhibition about it, and the "worm holes" caused by the hot lava activity underground.

Will look at Diane's link later.

PS. -- Has anyone seen Fred the Labrador, with the eight ducklings he's adopted? Can't do a link, but it'll be on the BBC Website.

Good morning, all; a bit chilly – well, back to spring after the freaky summer weather, but continuing dry.

Linda – I think the Bee Fest was because it was, or had been at the weekend, World Bee Day – it was an opportunity for the Bee Club to show what they had learnt, and practice interacting with members of the public.  These subjects get broadened into the curriculum in other departments – for example, J was assisting at a cookery lesson making Honey Buns during the day!  Pleased to see your OH is transporting Bonnie – if you had her with you and she was missing him, it could be quite difficult!  Will seek out Fred and Ducklings!

Annette – thanks for posting pics – Chicago looks impressive – and clean (at least in those parts!) – our cities are so dirty that we are ashamed of them!  The city makes quite a contrast with the never-ending prairie which followed!  Good to see what the train – and your quarters – looked like!

Mix of domestic and gardening here today, so quite busy, as we are aiming towards a nature reserve visit tomorrow.

Some progress this morning and the sun has come out brightly.  OH is mowing now, while I work on the church newsletter.

The volcano link I gave yesterday is now no longer active. However, CNN is livestreaming the volcano eruption HERE. Their live video is really good. The sounds are incredible. 

Back in a few minutes with replies. 

Annette: I enjoyed all of your photos. I would guess that those structures you asked me about are grain bins. By the style and the surrounding landscape, I think that's North Dakota, so those bins probably are holding wheat -- maybe barley. North Dakota grows a lot of other crops: canola, soybeans, sugar beets, sunflowers, corn... But I'm not sure how those are stored up there.

I love that prairie big sky country. In northern Indiana, where I spent much of my youth, there are big sky prairies, but ours don't compare to the vast expanses up north. I loved those photos of the farms. 

I also loved the train photos. Oh, how I wish I could take a long, long train trip right now to clear my mind.

Thanks for the Chicago photos. It's been a long time since I've been up there. Downtown Chicago is beautiful, but OG not all of it is that clean. Also, it's notorious for its political corruption.

I was fascinated by your photo of the Knights Templar tower. I would love to walk through that building. The energy in that old place must be overwhelming. I cannot believe that it's so accessible, just left open for people to tour. That couldn't be done here in my area. People would steal every part of it, including the walls. 

Wonderful photos of Greenland. When I get rich (LOL!), I want to tour Shetland, the other Scottish islands, Iceland, Greenland, and both Canadian coasts.

Thanks for your photos. Glad you had a nice trip!!!

Lindy: I hope you have a great trip to Wales. Those were gorgeous photos of Bonnie. What a beautiful puppy dog. 

Rosy: Nice to see you. I hope you like your new neighbours and that your family situation is improving.

Heather: I hope the doldrums are lessening for you. I think it's wonderful that your family stays close to you. Don't be critical of yourself for mourning. My brother passed just before your OH. I've been missing him terribly. I don't have any family left, except his kids (whom I rarely see). He used to regularly drive from central Indiana to Evansville (a long drive south) on business. He would call me at least once a week and talk for a couple of hours while he drove. (He's the only one who would talk politics with me. LOL) I know how bereft I feel, and I can only imagine how hard it still must be for you. Hang in there.

Annette: I was sorry to read that the whales are hungry due to declining amounts of available food. Poor critters. If you don't like the Windows 10 photo software, you might try Fotor online. It's a free photo editing software with very good basic stuff (resize, crop, etc.) and also some advanced features. You don't have to download anything or even sign up. Just upload your photo, make your changes, then save it. It's easy to use.

Lynette: I hope the docs can help you and you won't fall anymore. 

AQ: I'm so glad that the weather is cooler and you can enjoy your travels again! Yay! I always love to hear about your trips and see your photos. Your land is so beautiful. Much more arid than Indiana.

OG: I'm so very glad that you've been able to get out more now and especially that you've been able to travel on a short trip. Well done! I'm also glad that your daughter sent a chatty email. Please send me a milkshake from the ice cream farm. I want a mocha shake. LOL

Hello to everyone I've missed. I can't make anymore replies. I have to go outdoors and pull stupid weeds in the heat and humidity. Dang.