What is that in there?

Is that really an eye-ball looking out at us? Hard to believe. What could it be? Whatever it is, it looks like its glasses have slipped down around its nose!

More fun with....

What the...?

A Beautiful Resting Place

Recently, I took a walk through the Cesis kapi (cemetary). It's a lovely, peaceful, park-like setting for contemplation. How fragile we are...

A Piper Seeks the Ghost of Ivan the Terrible

As I walked towards town at midday, I wandered through Castle Park and heard the plaintive notes of a solitary bagpiper. His tune drew my thoughts back to sadder times when these grounds suffered at the hands of Ivan and his murderous minions.

A Cloudy Day in Cesis

A lovely old kindergarten.

A Russian Orthodox Church.

The old Cesis brewery, until this year the oldest continuously operating in the Baltics. Now it will be renovated to be an arts and cultural center. When it's finished, it will be a wonderful addition to our community.

Just walkin' around town

A short walk out the door...floralingus

Jammin' With The PMS Band...(Pete, Mike, Scott)

Last summer in Seattle every Friday night was "jam" night with my brother on guitar and Pete on bass. Usually other musicians would show up for a little fun and quite a party would develop. These fotos have been given the "blasted" treatment in post processing (possibly reflecting the condition of the players by the end of the night?)

Vertical Things

In the town of Matisi.

The Cesis water tower.

The Riga Freedom Monument.

The Riga train station clock tower.

The Cesis water tower from the living room window.

Autumn is on the way...

Up, up and away...

Fooling around with color

Nature's Beauty

These were taken out the kitchen window using the Fuji F30. The first one is at about 3X zoom and the second one is two fotos made into a panorama using the free program photostitch.

Rezekne At Night

These were taken from an upper floor of the Hotel Latgale. 

Faces of Summer

Parnu, Estonia

We just returned from a little side-trip to Parnu, Estonia, about 3 hours by car from Cesis. It's a little like Jurmala in Latvia. They both began as Czarist-era bathing resorts and are now just nice places to visit. Parnu has noticeably improved since our last visit two years ago. Everything just looks brighter and more cheerful. The beach is still fabulous fine sand and now there are more modern amenitities for travelers, many nice guest houses, and hotels in period architecture. If you're ever in the Baltics, it's definitely worth a vist.

What the...?

An interesting look to Doma Laukums - Dome Square - by using artwork on the otherwise blank side of an adjacent building. Nice work.

Back to Riga

This view is from Kipsala island in the Daugava River across from the Old Town of Riga. It's not really an island but a long, narrow peninsula that paralles the south bank of the river. It's getting some much-needed development upgrades as housing, condos, restaurants and a boat haven have all sprung up in the past five years. Now it's a nice place to walk and admire the scenery.

Return From Seattle

Seattle is a beautiful city with many hills which provide great views. Also, it has an extensive ferry system giving you even more views. The last two photos are of the Experience Music Project designed by Frank Gehry with the Monorail running through it, and the University of Washington Library where my wife worked last summer.