The Photo Atelier

Ellastra

2011-11-29T08:05:00.001-05:00

A banner created for my wife's webpage... By the way, if you're tired and need a vacation, don't hesitate to check with Ellastra

Walk

2011-01-31T22:32:00.002-05:00

A walk on the Galveston beach

Today's joke:

A businessman boarded a plane to find, sitting next to him, an elegant woman wearing the largest, most stunning diamond ring he had ever seen.
He asked her about it.
"This is the Hoelzen diamond," she said. "It is beautiful, but there is a terrible curse that goes with it."
"What's the curse?" the man asked.
"Mr. Hoelzen."

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T10:00:00.000-05:00

May New Year's Eve find you seated around the table, together with your beloved family and cherished friends. May you find the food better, the environment quieter, the cost much cheaper, and the pleasure more fulfilling than anything else you might ordinarily do that night.
May what you see in the mirror delight you, and what others see in you delight them. May someone love you enough to forgive your faults, be blind to your blemishes, and tell the world about your virtues.
May you remember to say "I love you" at least once a day to your spouse, your child, your parent, your siblings; but not to your secretary, your nurse, your masseuse, your hairdresser or your tennis instructor.
And may we live in a world at peace and with the awareness of God's love in every sunset, every flower's unfolding petals, every baby's smile, every lover's kiss, and every wonderful, astonishing, miraculous beat of our heart.

Happy New Year, y'all!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T13:05:00.001-05:00

Wish y'all a Merry Christmas and lots and lots of gifts!

This is another moonshot (not moonshine!), postworked in PS...

Some short Xmas jokes:

What did Adam say on the day before Christmas ?
It's Christmas, Eve !

How do you make an idiot laugh on boxing day ?
Tell him a joke on Christmas Eve !

What do you have in December that you don't have in any other month ?
The letter "D" !

What does Father Christmas suffer from if he gets stuck in a chimney ?
Santa Claustrophobia !

What do you call a letter sent up the chimney on Christmas Eve ?
Black mail !

Who delivers cat's Christmas presents ?
Santa Paws !

Puffy

2010-12-14T00:40:00.000-05:00

Hello y'all! It's been a while since I posted last picture, so here I come again with the youngest member of the family: he's only 2 months old...

Today's joke:

The husband rushes himself in the bedroom and yells at his wife:
"Honey, run for your life! The house is on fire!"
A voice from the wardrobe says:
"Save the furniture!"

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-29T23:22:00.001-04:00

I know I wasn't that active lately, but I'm really busy with my job, and unfortunately I can't keep up with y'all, and I apologize for that... so I "stopped" by to tell y'all Happy Halloween!

Today's joke:

Q: What does a child monster call his parents?
A: Mummy and Deady!

Blue Night

2010-10-08T18:18:00.000-04:00

The night opened its wing
And it stretched out on our street
A carpet of thousands of stars
Just for us
The moon in its blue nest
Pours butterflies of light
Which are dancing around us
For both of us

The lyrics belong to an old (that means 80's!) Romanian love song, named "Blue Night", while the shot was taken in northern Michigan, last week, when I've been with some business in Boyne City.

Today's joke:

A woman was having a passionate affair with an inspector from a pest-control company. One afternoon they were carrying on in the bedroom together when her husband arrived home unexpectedly.
'Quick,' said the woman to the lover, 'into the closet!' She pushed him in the closet, stark naked.
The husband, however, became suspicious and after a search of the bedroom discovered the man in the closet.
'Who are you?' he asked him.
'I'm an inspector from Bugs-B-Gone,' said the exterminator.
'What are you doing in there?' the husband asked.
'I'm investigating a complaint about an infestation of moths,' the man replied.
'And where are your clothes?' asked the husband.
The man looked down at himself and said, 'Those little bastards!'

Arrival

2010-09-27T12:31:00.002-04:00

Another sunrise shot from the island of Galveston...

Today's joke:

A blonde teenage girl, wanting to earn some extra money for the summer, decided to hire herself out as a 'handy-woman' and started canvassing a nearby well-to-do neighborhood.
She went to the front door of the first house, and asked the owner if he had any odd jobs for her to do.
'Well, I guess I could use somebody to paint my porch,' he said.
'How much will you charge me?'
Delighted, the girl quickly responded, 'How about $50?'
The man agreed and told her that the paint brushes and everything she would need was in the garage.
The man's wife, hearing the Conversation said to her husband, 'Does she realize that our porch goes ALL the way around the house?'
He responded, 'That's a bit cynical, isn't it?'
The wife replied, 'You're right. I guess I'm starting to believe all those dumb blonde jokes.
Later that day, the blonde came to the door to collect her money.
'You're finished already?' the startled husband asked.
'Yes, the blonde replied, and I even had paint left over, so I gave it two coats.'
Impressed, the man reached into his pocket for the $50.00 and handed it to her along with a ten dollar tip.
'And by the way,' the blonde added, 'it's not a Porch, it's a Lexus.'

Innocent Eyes

2010-09-01T23:23:00.002-04:00

I found him/her while me and my wife were taking a walk around our area. He/she wasn't alone, there was at least one more kitten, but too scared to come out from the place where they were living, an abandoned or non-functional car. I didn't have my regular camera, but my wife's camera, a tiny Olympus FE, so the quality of the picture isn't a great one...

And now some more facts about Texas!

IT'S SO HOT AND DRY IN TEXAS...

....the birds have to use potholders to pull the worms out of the ground.
....the trees are whistling for the dogs.
....the best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.
....hot water comes from both taps. ....you can make sun tea instantly.
....you learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.
....the temperature drops below 95 F (35 C) and you feel a little chilly.
....you discover that in July it only takes two fingers to steer your car.
....you discover that you can get sunburned through your car window.
....you actually burn your hand opening the car door.
....you break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 A.M.
....your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death"?
....you realize that asphalt has a liquid stage.
....the potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter.
....the cows are giving evaporated milk.
....farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying boiled eggs

The Lighthouse of Port Huron

2010-08-26T13:53:00.000-04:00

Shot taken few days ago while being in a short vacation in Michigan... of course, the shot was taken during the day...

Today's joke (not from Michigan, but Texas!):

IT'S SO DRY IN TEXAS...

That the Baptist are starting to baptize by sprinkling,
The Methodists are using wet-wipes,
Presbyterians are giving rain checks,
And the Catholics are praying for the wine to turn back into water!

Follow the Red Sun

2010-08-13T08:33:00.002-04:00

A colorful sunrise in Galveston (where else!), shot taken about a week ago...

Today's joke:

A guy named Bud was overseeing his herd in a remote mountainous pasture in California when suddenly a brand-new BMW advanced toward him out of a cloud of dust.
The driver, a young man in a Brioni suit, Gucci shoes, RayBan sunglasses and YSL tie, leaned out the window and asked the cowboy, "If I tell you exactly how many cows and calves you have in your herd, Will you give me a calf?"
Bud looks at the man, obviously a yuppie, then looks at his peacefully grazing herd and calmly answers, "Sure, Why not?"
The yuppie parks his car, whips out his Dell notebook computer, connects it to his Cingular RAZR V3 cell phone, and surfs to a NASA page on the Internet, where he calls up a GPS satellite to get an exact fix on his location which he then feeds to another NASA satellite that scans the area in an ultra-high-resolution photo.
The young man then opens the digital photo in Adobe Photoshop and exports it to an image processing facility in Hamburg , Germany .
Within seconds, he receives an email on his Palm Pilot that the image has been processed and the data stored. He then accesses an MS-SQL database through an ODBC connected Excel spreadsheet with email on his Blackberry and, after a few minutes, receives a response.
Finally, he prints out a full-color, 150-page report on his hi-tech, miniaturized HP LaserJet printer, turns to the cowboy and says, "You have exactly 1,586 cows and calves."
"That's right. Well, I guess you can take one of my calves," says Bud.
He watches the young man select one of the animals and looks on with amusement as the young man stuffs it into the trunk of his car.
Then Bud says to the young man, "Hey, if I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give me back my calf?"
The young man thinks about it for a second and then says, "Okay, why not?"
"You're a Congressman for the U.S. Government", says Bud.
"Wow! That's correct," says the yuppie, "but how did you guess that?"
"No guessing required." answered the cowboy. "You showed up here even though nobody called you; you want to get paid for an answer I already knew, to a question I never asked. You used millions of dollars wort h of equipment trying to show me how much smarter than me you are; and you don't know a thing about how working people make a living -- or about cows, for that matter. This is a herd of sheep........
Now give me back my dog!

Just Flowers (for Liz)

2010-07-28T17:07:00.002-04:00

Just learned from Schonee's post that soon it will be your B-day, so here I come along with my best wishes for you!

Today's joke:

A blonde made several attempts to sell her old car. She was having a lot of problems finding a buyer because the car had 340,000 miles on it. She discussed her problem with a brunette that she worked with at a bar.
The brunette suggested, "There may be a chance to sell that car easier, but it's not going to be legal.""That doesn't matter at all," replied the blonde. "All that matters it that I am able to sell this car."
"Alright," replied the brunette. In a quiet voice, she told the blonde: "Here is the address of a friend of mine. He owns a car repair shop around here. Tell him I sent you, and he will turn the counter back on your car to 40,000 miles. Then it shouldn't be a problem to sell your car."
The following weekend, the blonde took a trip to the mechanic on the brunette's advice.
About one month after that, the brunette saw the blonde and asked, "Did you sell your car?"
"No!" replied the blonde. "Why should I? It only has 40,000 miles on it."

Who gives them a Red Card?

2010-07-11T18:14:00.000-04:00

This World Cup was a joke, a parody of soccer. It would be better said that it was a mockery of the sport. Many have profited greatly at the expense of incorrect judgement calls. If it was incidents that happened once or twice it would be quickly forgotten from the pages of our minds, but they were from beginning of the championship and continued until it concluded, even in the final act for the World Cup. I am at a loss of words, how can I express the events. The bias of the referees was undeniable. When will FIFA realize the importance of using replay review to make an objective call? Clearly one of the most frustrated teams this world cup was Team USA, but the same can said of Italy who should have won its last game by 4 - 3, instead of losing by 2 - 3. The Italians scored a perfectly valid goal, plus a crystal clear penalty that was not granted to them by the referee in question. Maybe Italy deserved to be eliminated due to their unconvincing performance. They were too weak for a reigning world champion, but a theft remains theft. They were robbed of a victory if not more. Another memorable situation was when the referee had invented a free kick for African team vs Uruguay in the last minute of play (my guess is that African team was supposed to qualify), then a penalty was easily awarded for the African team. Eventually the team’s worth became apparent. The Africans were left where they belong. Spain was visibly frustrated as the match against Paraguay, but like the game that I mentioned earlier, it was Spain's turn to be helped by the referees in the last act of the competition. Maybe the Dutch did not deserve a victory, but football is no longer a sport for fun, but a business, and those guys with the big bucks give a damn about fans and spectators.
Congratulations to the Netherlands, congratulations Germany, congratulations U.S.!

Empty Street

2010-06-03T09:54:00.001-04:00

The main image was taken at Ameristar Casino in Kansas City, while the capture with the reddish sky is from Gallipolis, OH area. No other touches!

Now some more facts from Texas!

TEXAS HAS IT ALL Part 2

No need to travel to Washington D.C.
Whitehouse , Texas 75791

We even have a city named after our planet!
Earth , Texas 79031
We have a city named after our state
Texas City , Texas 77590

Exhausted?
Energy , Texas 76452
Pep , Texas 79353

Cold?
Blanket , Texas 76432
Winters, Texas

Like to read about History?
Santa Anna , Texas
Goliad , Texas
Alamo , Texas
Gun Barrel City , Texas
Robert Lee , Texas

Need Office Supplies?
Staples, Texas 78670

Want to go into outer space?
Venus , Texas 76084
Mars , Texas 79062

You guessed it. It's on the state line.
Texline , Texas 79087

For the kids...
Kermit , Texas 79745
Elmo , Texas 75118
Nemo , Texas 76070
Tarzan , Texas 79783
Winnie , Texas 77665
Sylvester , Texas 79560

Other city names in Texas , to make you smile.......
Frognot , Texas 75424
Bigfoot , Texas 78005
Hogeye , Texas 75423
Cactus , Texas 79013
Notrees , Texas 79759
Best, Texas 76932
Veribest , Texas 76886
Kickapoo , Texas 75763
Dime Box , Texas 77853
Old Dime Box , Texas 77853
Telephone , Texas 75488
Telegraph , Texas 76883
Whiteface , Texas 79379
Twitty, Texas 79079

And last but not least, the Anti-Al Gore City
Kilgore , Texas 75662

And our favorites...
Cut n Shoot, Texas
Gun Barrell City , Texas
Hoop And Holler, Texas
Ding Dong, Texas
and, of course,
Muleshoe , Texas

Runner

2010-06-02T05:55:00.003-04:00

Shot taken Sunday, in Galveston. I went down there with my brother and some friends to have some fun, but with all the traffic and heat, I lost my appetite for any kind of fun. As a matter of fact I've never seen before such a traffic in that area as it was on that day... but anyway, let's get back to the picture. For those who know the area, they know the water cannot be that blue, but brownie, so I had to make it look like a real water... hope it worked!

And some facts from Texas!

TEXAS HAS IT ALL Part 1

Feeling a litle Down?- Why not Visit
Smiley , Texas 78159
Paradise , Texas 76073
Rainbow , Texas 76077
Sweet Home , Texas 77987
Comfort , Texas 78013
Friendship, Texas 76530

Love the Sun?
Sun City , Texas 78628
Sunrise , Texas 76661
Sunset, Texas 76270
Sundown, Texas 79372
Sunray , Texas 79086
Sunny Side , Texas 77423

Want something to eat?
Bacon , Texas 76301
Noodle , Texas 79536
Oatmeal , Texas 78605
Turkey , Texas 79261
Trout , Texas 75789
Sugar Land , Texas 77479
Salty, Texas 76567
Rice , Texas 75155
Pearland , Texas 77581
Orange , Texas 77630
And top it off with:
Sweetwater , Texas 79556

Why travel to other cities? Texas has them all!
Detroit , Texas 75436
Cleveland , Texas 75436
Colorado City , Texas 79512
Denver City , Texas 79323
Klondike , Texas 75448
Nevada , Texas 75173
Memphis , Texas 79245
Miami , Texas 79059
Boston , Texas 75570
Santa Fe , Texas 77517
Tennessee Colony , Texas 75861
Reno , Texas 75462
Pasadena , Texas 77506
Columbus , Texas 78934
Feel like traveling outside the country?
Athens , Texas 75751
Canadian, Texas 79014
China , Texas 77613
Egypt , Texas 77436
Ireland , Texas 76538
Italy , Texas 76538
Turkey , Texas 79261
London , Texas 76854
New London , Texas 75682
Paris , Texas 75460
Palestine , Texas 75801
Roma, Texas 78584

Loredana (2)

2010-05-23T10:21:00.002-04:00

Here's another shot from the Loredana's concert... of course, I did some work on it, as you can see!

Today's joke:

What's the difference between a pessimist and an optimist?
The optimist learn English, the pessimist learn Chinese!

The Sky's On Fire

2010-05-22T22:29:00.004-04:00

Here are two shots from Cornersville, TN... Yep, I've been caught by a thunderstorm, so I had to wait til it calmed down, which was perfect for a coffee and lots of shots! Oh, and a great place to have a BBQ at Pop's (at the Tennessean Truck Stop - I-65, exit 22)

Today's joke:

The French President is sitting in his office when his telephone rings.
'Hallo, Mr. Sarkozy!' a heavily accented voice said 'This is Paddy down at the Harp Pub in County Clare, Ireland... I am ringing to inform you that we are officially declaring war on you.
We voted to reject the Lisbon treaty.'
'Well, Paddy,' Sarkozy replied, 'This is indeed important news. How big is your army?'
'Right now,' says Paddy, after a moment's calculation, 'there is myself, me Cousin Sean, me next door neighbour Seamus, and the entire darts team from the pub. That makes eleven.'
Sarkozy paused. 'I must tell you, paddy, that I have 100,000 men in my army waiting to move on my command.'
'Begoora!' says Paddy. 'I'll have to ring you back.'
Sure enough, the next day, Paddy calls again. 'Mr. Sarkozy, the war is still on. We have managed to get us some infantry equipment!'
'And what equipment would that be paddy?' Sarkozy asks.
'Well, we have two combines, a bulldozer, and Murphy's farm tractor..'
Sarkozy sighs amused. 'I must tell you, Paddy, that I have 6,000 tanks and 5,000 armoured personnel carriers.
Also, I have increased my army to 150,000 since we last spoke.'
'Saints preserve us!' says Paddy... I'll have to get back to you.'
Sure enough, Paddy rings again the next day. 'Mr. Sarkozy, the war is still on! We have managed to get ourselves airborne!
We have modified Jackie McLaughlin's ultra-light with a couple of shotguns in the cockpit, and four boys from the Shamrock Bar have joined us as well!'
Sarkozy was silent for a minute and then cleared his throat. 'I must tell you, Paddy,
that I have 100 bombers and 200 fighter planes.
My military bases are surrounded by laser-guided, surface-to-air missile sites.
And since we last spoke, I have increased my army to 200,000.'
'Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!' says Paddy, 'I will have to ring you back.'
Sure enough, Paddy calls again the next day.
'Top o' the mornin', Mr. Sarkozy.
I am sorry to inform you that we have had to call off the war.'
'Really? I am sorry to hear that,' says Sarkozy. 'Why the sudden change of heart?'
'Well,' says Paddy, 'we had a long chat over a few pints of Guinness and packets of crisps, and we decided there is no fookin' way we can feed 200,000 prisoners.'

Arizona 82

2010-05-10T02:28:00.002-04:00

Just messing with another shot from Arizona, shot taken on state route 82. Yep, I'm still here!

Today's joke:

HOW TO INSTALL A HOME SECURITY SYSTEM IN THE SOUTH

1. Go to a secondhand store and buy a pair of men's used size 14-16
work boots.
2. Place them on your front porch, along with a copy of Guns &Ammo magazine and your NRA magazines.
3. Put a few giant-sized dog dishes next to the boots and magazine.
4. Leave a note on your door that reads:
"Hey Bubba, Big Jim, Duke and Slim, I went for more ammunition. Back in about an hour. Don't mess with the pit bulls -- they attacked the mailman this morning and messed him up real bad. I don't think Killer took part in it but it was hard to tell from all the blood. Anyways, I locked all four of 'em in the house. Better wait in your truck till I get back."

Sunset in Arizona

2010-05-09T12:06:00.003-04:00

I've been kinda busy lately, that's why I wasn't around here too much... even now, when I post this one, I am in Arizona, enjoying the a/c from the hotel room and not the hot and shiny sun from outside! And of course, being here in Arizona, what else could I post but a local image... and a local joke, based on the new AZ law regarding illegal immigrants:

Drinking with an Arizona Girl!

A Mexican, an Arab, and an Arizona girl are in the same bar.
When the Mexican finishes his beer, he throws his glass in the air, pulls out his pistol, and shoots the glass to pieces. He says,'In Mexico, our glasses are so cheap we don't need to drink with the same one twice.'
The Arab, obviously impressed by this, drinks non-alcohol beer, throws it into the air, pulls out his AK-47, and shoots the glass to pieces. He says, 'In the Arab World, we have so much sand to make glasses that we don't need to drink with the same one twice either.'
The Arizona girl, cool as a cucumber, picks up her beer, downs it in one gulp, throws the glass into the air, whips out her 45, and shoots the Mexican and the Arab.
Catching her glass, setting it on the bar, and calling for a refill, she says,
'In Arizona, we have so many illegal aliens that we don't have to drink
with the same ones twice.'

Canola Field

2010-04-21T10:37:00.000-04:00

I took this shot two years ago while traveling through Romania (at that time I was riding a train)... this image is from Alba county.

Today's joke:

A truck driver was driving along on the freeway and noticed a sign that read: Low Bridge Ahead. Before he knows it, the bridge is right in front of him and his truck gets wedged under it. Cars are backed up for miles.
Finally a police car comes up. The cop gets out of his car and walks to the truck driver, puts his hands on his hips and says:
"Got stuck, huh?"
The truck driver says:
"No, I was delivering this bridge and I ran out of fuel!"

Chromo Cars

2010-04-19T12:44:00.000-04:00

I was just tryin' to remove some cars from this image, when it came up to me the idea of changing all the cars into... chrome! The shot was taken in Engers, Germany.

Today's joke:

On his 77th birthday, Pete got a gift certificate from his wife Molly.
The certificate paid for a visit to a medicine man living on a nearby reservation who was rumored to have a cure for erectile dysfunction.
After being persuaded, Pete drove to the reservation and handed his gift certificate to the medicine man.
The medicine man produced a potion, handed it to Pete, and with a grip on his shoulder warned, "This is powerful medicine and it must be respected. You take only a teaspoonful and then say '1-2-3.' When you do that, you will become more manly than you have ever been in your life and you will be able to perform as long as you want."
Pete was encouraged. As he walked away he turned and asked, "How do I stop the medicine from working?"
The medicine man responded, "Your partner must say '1-2-3-4,' but when she does, the medicine will not work again until the next full moon."
Eager to see if it would work, Pete went home, showered, shaved, took a teaspoonful of the medicine, and then invited his wife to join him in the bedroom. When she came in, he took off his clothes and said, "1-2-3". Immediately, he was the manliest of men.
His wife was excited and began throwing off her clothes. And then she asked, "What was the 1-2-3 for?"

And that, boys and girls, is why we should never end our sentences with a preposition...because we could end up with a dangling participle...

I-96

2010-04-10T14:35:00.004-04:00

Shot taken just before landing at DTW (Detroit Metro Airport)... You can see the north-west side of Detroit Metropolitan area, and as the title says, that large freeway is I-96, that starts from the Ambassador Bridge (bridge that connects Detroit to Windsor (Ontario) and ends-up on Michigan's western coast, if I'm not mistaken, in Muskegon, crossing another two large cities, Lansing (Michigan's Capital) and Grand Rapids.

Today's joke:

An efficiency expert concluded his lecture with a note of caution:
"You don't want to try these techniques at home."
"Why not?" asked somebody from the audience.
"I watched my wife's routine at breakfast for years," the expert explained. "She made lots of trips between the refrigerator, stove, table and cabinets, often carrying a single item at a time. One day I told her, 'Hon, why don't you try carrying several things at once?'"
"Did it save time?" the person in the audience asked.
"Actually, yes," replied the expert. "Previously, it would take her 20 minutes to make breakfast. Now I do it in seven."

Frankenmuth - Michigan's Little Bavaria (2)

2010-04-07T19:31:00.001-04:00

Here's the second collage, with a different positioning of the images.

Frankenmuth - Michigan's Little Bavaria

2010-04-05T18:53:00.000-04:00

First of all, no joke for today!!!
Now, I made two collages of Frankenmuth, or you may call them "postcards", but I'm not decided which one looks better... maybe y'all help me make up my mind!

Try it at full size!

A short history of Frankenmuth, MI

The idea of founding Frankenmuth was first fostered due to a German missionary named Frederick Wyneken working in the states of Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. In 1840 he wrote an appeal to all the Lutherans in Germany for help, telling them of the hardships of the German pioneers in his region and of their lack of pastors, churches, and schools.

This appeal struck the heart of Wilhelm Loehe, pastor of the country church in Neuendettelsau, Mittelfranken, Kingdom of Bavaria. Loehe was a popular and influential preacher in his time because of his strict adherence to church doctrines at a time when rationalism was more commonly preached. He organized a mission society, still operating today, and began training teachers and pastors for work in the United States. His idea formulated in 1844, was an experiment to send a mission congregation with a dual purpose: to give spiritual comfort to the German pioneers in the Midwest, specifically the Saginaw Valley, and to show the native Indians in the area "Wie gut und schön es ist Jesus zu sehen" (how good and wonderful it is to see Jesus).

Loehe wrote the pastor of a Swabian settlement in Michigan to recommend a site for his mission colony. He approved the location along the Cass River in Michigan, naming it "Frankenmuth". The German word "Franken" represents the Province of Franconia in the Kingdom of Bavaria, and the German word "Muth" means courage, thus the city name Frankenmuth means "courage of the Franconians". Thirteen people, mostly farmers from the area around Neuendettelsau (eight were from Rosstal) volunteered to form the colony. Loehe selected Pastor August Craemer, a graduate of Erlangen University who was, in 1844, teaching German at Oxford, England, to train to be the mission colony's pastor and leader.

The colonists had meetings during the 1844-45 winter to discuss the founding of their colony and to set down their congregation's constitution. It defined the colonists' responsibilities to each other and the church, and it outlined the colony's government. Frankenmuth was to be an exclusively German-Lutheran community, and the colonists pledged to remain loyal to Germany and faithful to the German language.

The emigrants departed from Nuernberg on April 5, 1845 and traveled by foot, wagons, and trains to Bremerhafen, where they bought the provisions for their voyage. On April 20 they boarded the CAROLINE, where four engaged couples in the party were married, since they hadn't been able to satisfy the strict German marriage law requirements. The trip began with a bad start, as the drunken captain steered the ship into a sand bank of the Weser River. Because of winds and storms, they had to sail around Scotland instead of through the English Channel.

Their journey across the Atlantic encountered violent storms, seasickness, a nightmare collision with an English trawler, and undesirable winds which drove the ship north into icebergs and dense fog for three days. The ship was damp and overcrowded, and their food became stale. Toward the end of the journey almost everyone in the group contracted smallpox, and a child in the party died from it. They reached New York Harbor on June 8, after 50 days of sailing.

To reach Michigan, they took a steamboat, a train (which collided with a coal train, giving them only slight injuries), and another steamboat. They took another steamer to Detroit and then a sailing ship on Lake Huron for a week-long trip to Bay City. From there they had to pull the ship 15 miles up the Saginaw River to Saginaw, where they stayed until their exact settlement site was chosen. They were objects of curiosity to the French and English of the city because of their Franconian dress and habits.

A few of the colonists walked to the future settlement region to examine the land. They selected a slightly hilly area which reminded them of the native Mittelfranken and built a rough shelter there. On August 18, almost four months after they had left Bremerhafen, the 15 colonists packed their belongings in an oxcart and walked about 12 miles through forest, thickets, and swamps to Frankenmuth.

They purchased 680 acres of Indian Reservation land from the federal government for $1,700.00. The colonists were often weakened with malaria while working at clearing the forest. A combination church-school-parsonage log cabin, built in the center of the land tract, was completed before Christmas day. The church was named St. Lorenz, after their mother churches in Neuendettelsau and Rosstal. The settlement, however wasn't developed exactly according to Loehe's original plan.

Pastors Loehe and Craemer wanted everyone to build their homes together near the church, so that the group would remain intact and organized in the manner of German villages. The colonists disagreed, and all decided to live on their own 120 acre farms which they would clear.

While the first settlers were erecting their log houses, Pastor Craemer began to visit the Chippewa Indians in the area to interest them in a mission school for their children. But there were unanticipated problems. Before the colonists had arrived in Saginaw, they knew nothing of the Indians' appearance, behavior, culture, or language. The Indians were already leaving the Frankenmuth area in search of better hunting grounds away from the cleared lands of the white man. Efforts to change their nomadic habits to "Germanize" and "Lutheranize" them weren't very successful. By 1847, most of the area's Indians lived along rivers 30-80 miles west. In total, about 35 Indians were taught and baptized into St. Lorenz Church. Although the Indian mission in Frankenmuth closed, the immigrant congregation continued to grow and prosper.

In 1846 a second group of about 90 emigrants journeyed to Frankenmuth. Loehe complained about the large number, because he felt that many didn't have the missionary cause at heart. Many of these people came from the Altmuehl region of Bavaria (20 were from the city of Rosstal). After seven weeks of stormy sailing, they reached New York Harbor. Two and a half weeks later they reached Frankenmuth, traveling the same route as the 1845 group. This second group had a more difficult time traveling through U.S. cities, since none of them spoke any English. Upon reaching the Frankenmuth clearing, they were deeply disappointed. One settler wrote home, "The most miserable village in Germany has palaces by comparison."

These colonists also bought land and began to clear the trees and build homes. Many of them would lead in the development of St. Lorenz Church and especially the business community of Frankenmuth. A log church was completed by December 26, 1846. The town developed about a mile east of the church and initial settlement in 1847, where a dam and mill were built on the Cass River.

Encouraged by the success of the Frankenmuth settlement, Pastor Loehe also organized three other colonies in Michigan. Frankentrost, about six miles north of Frankenmuth, was founded in 1847 by about 22 families. Loehe's purpose was not another mission colony, but rather to cluster German Lutherans together in Michigan. Farms were set up in long, narrow strips along one road so that all the houses could be built close to each other, more like a German "dorf." Frankenlust, 22 miles north of Frankenmuth, was settled in 1848 for the same reason as Frankentrost. Loehe's fourth colony, started in 1850, had a different purpose: to help poor and/or unmarried Germans to lead new and better lives. Frankenhilf, called Richville today, is about 9 miles northeast of Frankenmuth. Originally, Loehe planned it as an industrial center for high employment, but farming prevailed after the forests were cleared.

All the settlements grew as farms replaced the pine forests. Immigration continued through the end of the 19th century as friends and relatives of settlers joined them in Michigan. Many were craftsmen and businessmen who continued their same trades here. Frankenmuth established a reputation for its flour, saw and woolen mills. They also produced beer, cheese, and sausage. A half dozen hotels served travelers. Agricultural and self-sustaining businesses were the norm.

Great changes were in store after World War II. The development of the interstate highways led the community into the visitor industry and the town capitalized its assets. Local pride in its government, schools, and civic organizations led the town in the 1960's through the 1980's to become a "bedroom" community for families. Economic and civic vitality serve the community as it prides itself on believing that all businesses have to work together. Cohesiveness and mutually agreed upon goals allow the city to face the future with confidence.

To Serve And Protect (2)

2010-04-01T00:36:00.002-04:00

Shot taken in Denver, CO while taking a walk in downtown...

Today's jokes are about marriage:

A newly married man asked his wife:
"Would you have married me if my father hadn't left me a fortune?"
"Honey," the woman replied sweetly, "I'd have married you, NO MATTER WHO LEFT YOU A FORTUNE!"

A wife asked her husband:
"What do you like most in me, my pretty face or my sexy body?"
He looked at her from head to toe and replied:
"I like your sense of humor!"

Old Lottery

2010-03-26T09:12:00.004-04:00

This was a standard kiosk for the Romanian National Lottery during the communism era. The shot was taken in the city of Felix Baths...

And speaking about communism, let's have a laugh from that era:

Q: What is KGB?
A: It's the heart of the Communist Party, which beats, and beats, and beats...

And another one:

Two convicts were having a conversation:
"John, how many years you got?" asks the first one.
"15 years", answers John.
"What for? What did you do?"
"Nothing!" says John.
"You're lying! For nothing you get only 5 years!"

Let's ride a train!

2010-03-18T01:01:00.005-04:00

Shot taken in New Mexico while traveling on I-40 at 75 mph... and that was between two snow showers, well first was a snow storm actually, just before Albuquerque, while the second just a snow shower, somewhere close to the AZ state line...

Today's joke:

A man stumbles up to the only other patron in a bar and asks if he can buy him a drink."Why, of course," comes the reply. The first man then asks: "Where are you from?"
"I'm from Ireland," replies the second man.
The first man responds: "You don't say, I'm from Ireland, too! Let's have another round to Ireland."
"Of course," replies the second man.
Curious, the first man then asks: "Where in Ireland are you from?"
"Dublin," comes the reply.
"I can't believe it," says the first man.
"I'm from Dublin, too! Let's have another drink to Dublin."
"Of course," replies the second man.
Curiosity again strikes and the first man asks:
"What school did you go to?"
"Saint Mary's," replies the second man.
"I graduated in '62."
"This is unbelievable!" the first man says.
"I went to Saint Mary's and I graduated in '62, too!"
About that time, in comes one of the regulars and sits down at the bar.
"What's been going on?" he asks the bartender.
"Nothing much," replies the bartender. "The O'Malley twins are drunk again."

Nothing About Pleasantville

2010-03-17T12:00:00.000-04:00

Well, I've choose this title 'cause it reminded me those scenes from "Pleasantville" when things turned into color from b/w...
I took this shot in Bonn, Germany...

Today's joke:

A young engineer was leaving the office at 3.45 p.m. when he found the acting CEO standing in front of a shredder with a piece of paper in his hand.
"Listen," said the Acting CEO, "this is a very sensitive and important document, and my secretary is not here. Can you make this thing work?"
"Certainly," said the young engineer. He turned the machine on, inserted the paper, and pressed the start button.
"Excellent, excellent!" said the Acting CEO as his paper disappeared inside the machine, "I just need one copy."

Lesson: Never, ever, assume that your boss knows what he's doing.

The Little Princess

2010-03-08T22:22:00.005-05:00

Well, it's not me the one who calls her "Princess" (I'm not a monarchist, that's why!), but her father - my younger brother. Here we were at Starbucks, she was waiting for her vanilla milkshake, and she didn't want me to picture her (usually she likes to be a photo model, but that day I guess she was really tired, she had I don't know what kinda dance contest, then the long walk in Kemah, and so on). Unlucky her, I had enough patience to wait til she turned her head toward me!

Today's joke (from a Canadian friend):

A father walks into a restaurant with his young son. He gives the young boy 3 nickels to play with to keep him occupied. Suddenly, the boy starts choking, going blue in the face. The father realizes the boy has swallowed the nickels and starts Slapping him on the back. The boy coughs up 2 of the nickels, but keeps choking. Looking at his son, the father is panicking, shouting for help. A well dressed, attractive, and serious looking woman, in a blue business suit is sitting at a coffee bar, reading a newspaper and sipping a cup of coffee. At the sound of the commotion, she looks up, puts her coffee cup down, neatly folds the newspaper and places it on the counter, gets up from her seat and makes her way, unhurried, across the restaurant. Reaching the boy, the woman carefully drops his pants; takes hold of the boy's testicles and starts to squeeze and twist, gently at first and then ever so firmly.. After a few seconds the boy convulses violently and coughs up the last nickel, which the woman deftly catches in her free hand. Releasing the boy's testicles, the woman hands the nickel to the father and walks back to her seat at the coffee bar without saying a word. As soon as he is sure that his son has suffered no ill effects, the father rushes over to the woman and starts thanking her saying:
"I've never seen anybody do anything like that before, it was fantastic. Are you a doctor?"
"No", the woman replied. "I'm with Revenue Canada..."

The Country Music Singer

2010-02-17T04:38:00.003-05:00

Actually he didn't play guitar for the last fifty years, but at least he posed for me and my brother as a country music singer. Maybe some of you guessed already, he is my father, he was visiting us, and I took this shot on Sunday...

Today's joke:

There were two golfers on the golf course. One of the men pulled out a cigarette, and asked his friend for a light. His friend pulls out a 12 inch Bic lighter.
- "Woah, where did you get such a large Bic?"
- "Oh, my genie got it for me."
- "Your genie? You have a genie? Where is he?"
- "He is in my golf bag."
- "Can I see him?"
So the friend looks in the bag and out comes the genie. The man says to the genie; "I am your master's best friend. Would you grant me just one wish?"
The genie says "yes, just one wish". So the man wishes for a million bucks. The genie goes back in the golf bag without saying a word. Pretty soon, the sky starts to get dark. Then it gets even darker. The man looks up and sees a million ducks. He gets real upset, and says "what is the matter with your genie? Is he hard of hearing? I said a million Bucks, not a million Ducks."
"Do you really think I asked for a 12 inch Bic?"

Between the Lines

2010-02-05T12:42:00.003-05:00

Hmm, I don't know which one to say it's the original shot, 'cause there are two halves! Well, I'd start with the sea, the shot was taken in the bay of Shore Acres, TX while the clouds are "Made In Indiana" (uff, finally something not made in China!!!). Yes, the boat was right there, just had to remove other three boats... parol d'honeur, I didn't sink 'em!

Today's joke is from Georgia, where actually I am right now:

A young man from Georgia came running in the restaurant and said to his buddy:
"Bubba, somebody just stole your pickup truck from the parking lot!"
Bubba replied:
"Did you see who it was?"
The young man answered:
"I couldn't tell, but I got the license number..."

Arkansas - The (So) Natural State

2010-02-04T10:00:00.003-05:00

I never had in mind to create such a collage, I had other images that were waiting on line, but after traveling through the Natural State aka Diamond State aka Arkansas, I had to do it. There was an ice storm the day before, so when I got there I expected to find nice and clean roads... well, what I found was totally different. The state of Arkansas loves the nature too much to remove that natural ice from the roads. Also they love and care too much for that salt to throw it just away on the roads. Even in their Capital was the same situation, with roads covered in ice, or should I say "glazed"? So, my dear friends, whenever you intend to travel through Arkansas during the winter time, check the forecast first!

Today's joke is not from Arkansas but West Virginia!

A man in West Virginia had a flat tire, pulled off on the side of the road, and proceeded to put a withered bouquet of flowers in front of the car and another one behind it. Then he got back in the car and waited.
A passerby rubbernecked the scene as he drove by and was so curious he turned around and went back. He asked the fellow what the problem was.
The man replied, "I got me a flat tar."
The passerby asked, "But what's with the flowers?"
The man responded, "When you breaks down they says to put flares in the front and flares in the back! I
doesn't understand it neither. But, you stopped, so, I guess it works! You got a extry spar?"

Fisherman's Daughter (2)

2010-01-27T13:51:00.002-05:00

Howdy from the frozen El Paso, Texas! Eh, not quite freezing, but it's coooold!
For today I got this mixture of three images, whic actually it's a redo of an older post... the girl which actually was sitting on a trampoline in the backyard and sticking her head through a hole in the net, while the background is from the Black Sea (Romania, as well as the boat, but from a different location...

Today's joke (thank you, Nedu!):

Any references to “blondes” is purely coincidental!

Last year I replaced all the windows in my house with that expensive double-pane energy efficient kind, and today, I got a call from the contractor who installed them... He was complaining that the work had been completed a whole year ago and I still hadn't paid for them.
Hellloooo,.............just because I'm blond doesn't mean that I am automatically stupid. So, I told him just what his fast talking sales guy had told me last year, that in ONE YEAR these windows would pay for themselves! Helllooooo? It's been a year! I told him... There was only silence at the other end of the line, so I finally just hung up... He never called back. I bet he felt like an idiot.

Blue Night

2010-01-25T11:22:00.004-05:00

Redone (I made some little changes to the original version)

OK, here we go... this is another manipulation which actually I created it about a year ago, but I just did some little modifications to it... the bottom of the image is a real picture from Wyoming, while the top was created in my Photoshop.
Wish y'all a wonderful day!

Today's joke:

What says the woman:
- This place looks miserable! Let's clean it up together! All your things are laying on the floor and pretty soon you'll be naked if you don't wash your clothes right now!
What hears the man:
- Blah, blah, blah, LET'S, blah, blah, blah, TOGETHER, blah, blah, blah, LAYING ON THE FLOOR, blah, blah, blah, NAKED, blah, blah, blah, RIGHT NOW!

Bran Castle

2010-01-24T05:09:00.002-05:00

This is another manipulation, of course! As you can see on the lower image, which is actually the original shot, I captured the castle during the day (For those who don't know, the castle is located in the city of Bran, pretty close to Brasov, a large city from Romania... hope you gonna like it!

Now, have you ever thought of learning chinese? Well, here's your first lesson!

Learn Chinese in 5 Minutes!!!

(Must Read Out Loud)

1) That's not right………………………….Sum Ting Wong

2) Are you harbouring a fugitive…………..Hu Yu Hai Ding

3) See me ASAP…………………………Kum Hia

4) Stupid Man……………………………….Dum Gai

5) Small Horse………………………………Tai Ni Po Ni

6) Did you go to the beach…………………Wai Yu So Tan

7) I bumped the coffee table……………….Ai Bang Mai Ni

8) I think you need a face lift………………..Chin Tu Fat

9) It's very dark in here……………………Wai So Dim

10) I thought you were on a diet…………….Wai Yu Mun Ching

11) This is a tow away zone………………….No Pah King

12) Our meeting is scheduled for next week………WaiYu Kum Nao

13) Staying out of sight……………………..Lei Ying Lo

14) He's cleaning his automobile……………Wa Shing Ka

15) Your body odor is offensive…………….Yu Stin Ki Pu

Forever Yours

2010-01-23T00:42:00.002-05:00

REPOSTED

Shot taken in November '08, by the Lake St. Clair (Michigan)

And now a joke about the same subject...

A couple had been married for 50 years.
They were sitting at the breakfast table one morning when the wife says:
- Just think, fifty years ago we were sitting here at this breakfast table together!
- I know, the old man said, we were probably sitting here naked as a jaybird fifty years ago...
- Well, Granny snickered, let's relive some old times!
Where upon, the two stripped to the buff and sat down at the table.
- You know honey, the little old lady breathlessly replied, my nipples are as hot for you today as they were fifty years ago!
- I wouldn't be surprised, replied her husband, one's in your coffee and the other is in your oatmeal!

Vanilla

2010-01-20T19:11:00.000-05:00

This one is my very first e-card using this style with the colored rectangle on its right side. I really proud of what I created, it was that kind of love at first sight... til others came out of my photoshop! Hope you'll like it too!
Wish y'all a wonderful day!

Solitude (2)

2010-01-19T10:05:00.001-05:00

This is another shot from Galveston, but a fresh one... been over there last weekend!

Today no joking... I got a warning from a friend that lives in Germany, and I decided to share it with you... maybe some of you know already about this:

"Last week a friend of mine parked in a public parking lot. When he left the parking (driving his car, of course), he noticed there was a piece of paper on the rear window. When he picked it up (when he got home) he saw just a fuel receipt. Fortunately for him, one of his friends told him that he did the right thing not stopping right there on the parking lot, because someone was waiting for him to get out from the car.

This technique applies to both women and men. Watch for the papers stuck on your car's rear window, that's a new way to stealing a car (not joking!)

It's simple.
You go into a parking lot, you get in, start the engine and put in reverse while looking through the mirror to move your car, then you notice there's a paper stuck in the middle of the rear window. You stop, get out from your car to remove the paper (or whatever they put there) that blocks the view. When you get in the back of your car, the thief goes in your car, which unfortunately for you, has the engine runing, and leaves so fast, that practically you won't have time to react!
And ladies, guess what? I bet your purse is in the car. As well as your ID, money, credit cards, keys, etc. From that moment your home and your identity is compromised!

ATTENTION TO THIS NEW PROCEDURE.
If you see a paper stuck on the rear window, lock your doors, start the engine and go. You can remove the paper later!"

So, just be careful or you'll have the (unfortunate) chance to walk like the guy from my picture!

Smoking Hot (2)

2010-01-17T20:02:00.000-05:00

That's an old engine from Galveston Rail Museum (some of you know already this work), kinda too oldie and forgotten... they still rebuild or repair the Museum after the Ike's devastation, as well as they work on those old tramways... the weather was pretty nice today, so I took a trip to the ocean, so I just checked today the "situation" in town, and the result is nothing new...

Today's joke:

It was the first time the blonde was eating Thanksgiving dinner without her family. Trying to re-enact the tradition, she prepared a dinner for herself alone. The next day, her mother called to see how everything went.
- Oh, mother, I made myself a lovely dinner, but I had so much trouble trying to eat the turkey! said the daughter.
- Did it not taste good? her mother asked.
- I don't know, the blonde said. It wouldn't sit still!

Galveston's Fishermen

2010-01-16T23:10:00.002-05:00

An older shot from Galveston Island...

Today's joke:

A guy came into a bar one day and said to the barman:
- Give me sixdouble vodkas!
The barman says:
- Wow! You must have had one hell of a day!
- Yes, I've just found out my older brother is gay.
The next day the same guy came into the bar and placed the same order for drinks.
When the bartender asked what the problem was today the answer came back:
- I've just found out that my younger brother is gay too!
On the third day the guy came into the bar and ordered another six double vodkas.
The bartender said:
- Darn! Doesn't anybody in your family like women?
- Yeah, my wife...

Tuscan Lakes

2010-01-14T08:13:00.003-05:00

Shot taken nearby Houston, in a sunny day, as you can see...

Many thanks for your comments on my last post with the Dynamo girl!

Today's joke:

A guy goes to the Government to interview for a job. The interviewer asks him:
"Are you a veteran?"
The guy says:
"Why yes, in fact, I served two tours inVietnam."
"Good," says the interviewer, "That counts in your favor. Do you have any service-related disabilities?"
The guy says:
"In fact I am 100% disabled. During a battle, an explosion removed my private parts so they declared me disabled, it doesn't affect my ability to work, though."
"Sorry to hear about the damage, but I have some good news for you, I can hire you right now! Our working hours are 8 to 4. Come on in about 10, and we'll get you started."
The guy says:
"If working hours are from 8 to 4, why do you want me to come at 10?"
"Well, here at the government, we don't do anything but sit around and scratch our balls for the first two hours. No point of your coming in for that"

Forza Dynamo! (2)

2010-01-12T08:26:00.002-05:00

Just a redo of the picture I've posted a month ago... changed the background with the Robertson Stadium, the home of Dynamo...

Today's joke:

Two men are in a pub. One says to his mate:
"My mother-in-law is an angel".
The reply from his friend......
"You're so lucky... Mine's still alive..."

Run For Your Life!

2010-01-09T14:34:00.004-05:00

It happened right on my street, on New Year's Eve... my neighbors started to light up the fireworks about half an hour before the midnight, and everything was just fine til one of those multi-popping thing went in a wrong direction, actually spreading all over on that area, including one that popped right on a wall of his house. As you can see, I witnessed the event!

Today's joke:

An old Italian Mafia Don is dying and he calls for his grandson to approach the bed, "Lissin a me. I wanna for you to taka my chrome-plated .38-caliber revolver so you will always remember me."
The grandson smiles weakly and replies, "But Grandpa, I really doana lika guns. Howzabout you leava me you ROLEX watch instead?"
Gasping for air, the old man answers with a snarl in his voice, "Shuddup an lissin. Somma day you gonna runna da business. You gonna have a beautifula wife, lotsa money, a biga home, and maybe a couple of bambinos."
After a slight pause to catch his breath he continues, "Somma day you gonna comma home and maybe finda you wife inna bed with another man. Whadda you gonna do then...pointa to your watch and say 'Time's up?'"

Cats Leave Paw Prints on Our Hearts

2010-01-03T00:19:00.004-05:00

A mixture of several pictures, including the ones that some of you already know: Alley, Boots and Miss Kitty!

Today's joke:

Two informally dressed ladies happened to start up a conversation during an endless wait in the LAX airport. The first lady was an arrogant California woman married to a wealthy man. The second was a well mannered elderly woman from the South.
When the conversation centered on whether they had any children, the California woman started by saying, "When my first child was born, my husband built a beautiful mansion for me."
The lady from the South commented, "Well, isn't that precious?"
The first woman continued, "When my second child was born, my husband bought me a beautiful Mercedes-Benz..
Again, the lady from the South commented, "Well, isn't that precious?"
The first woman continued boasting, "Then, when my third child was born, my husband bought me this exquisite diamond bracelet.
Yet again, the Southern lady commented, "Well, isn't that precious?"
The first woman then asked her companion, "What did your husband buy for you when you had your first child?"
"My husband sent me to charm school," declared the Southern lady.
"Charm school?" the first woman cried, "Oh, my God! What on earth for?"
The Southern lady responded, "Well for example, instead of saying "Who gives a shit?" I learned to say, "Well, isn't that precious?"

Young & Innocent

2010-01-02T01:21:00.004-05:00

I've been visiting some relatives today, and one of my nieces was playing with her brand new friends, two kittens, and one of 'em is right here!

Today's joke:

Granddad was reminiscing about the good old days...

"When I were a lad, Momma would send me down to t'corner store wi' a dollar, and I'd come back wi' five pounds o' potatoes, two loaves o' bread, three pints o' milk, a pound o' cheese, a packet o' tea, an' 'alf a dozen eggs. Yer can't do that now. Too many damm security cameras."

Series 1941

2010-01-01T15:02:00.001-05:00

A Plymouth 1941. Shot taken at the Woodward Dream Cruise...

Happy New Year, everyone!

Happy New Year 2010!

2009-12-31T07:32:00.002-05:00

I wish to thank y'all for being always around me, watching my work, and most of all, supporting my work with your kind comments!
Best wishes for 2010!
Happy New Year!

Nickajack Lake

2009-12-30T17:23:00.005-05:00

It was really early in the morning when I stopped here to take several shots... Nickajack Lake is located in Tennessee, off I-24, about 20 miles west of Chattanooga, TN.

Today's joke:

A very old man lay dying in his bed. In death's doorway, he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favorite chocolate chip cookie wafting up the stairs.
He gathered his remaining strength and lifted himself from the bed. Leaning against the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom, and with even greater effort forced himself down the stairs, gripping the railing with both hands.
With labored breath, he leaned against the door frame, gazing into the kitchen. Were it not for death's agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven.
There, spread out on newspapers on the kitchen table were literally hundreds of his favorite chocolate chip cookies.
Was it heaven? Or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted wife, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man?
Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself toward the table. The aged and withered hand, shaking, made its way to a cookie at the edge of the table, when he was suddenly smacked with a spatula by his wife.
"Stay out of those," she said. "They're for the funeral.

Musicar

2009-12-29T14:01:00.005-05:00

I met the guy somewhere near Abilene, TX. He was going to some weird cars show, well, he told me that show's real name, but I simply don't remember it. And no, there are no manipulations on this image!

And speaking about cars, did you know that the words "race car" spelled backward spells "race car"? :D

Today's joke:

If you've ever worked for a boss who reacts before getting the facts and thinking things through, you will love this!

Arcelor-Mittal Steel, feeling it was time for a shake up, hired a new CEO. The new boss was determined to rid the company of all slackers. On a tour of the facilities, the CEO noticed a guy leaning against a wall. The room was full of workers and he wanted to let them know that he meant business. He asked the guy, "How much money do you make a week?"

A little surprised, the young man looked at him and said, "I make $400 a week. Why?"
The CEO said, "Wait right here." He walked back to his office, came back in two minutes, and handed the guy $1,600 in cash and said, "Here's four weeks' pay. Now GET OUT and don't come back."

Feeling pretty good about himself, the CEO looked around the room and asked, "Does anyone want to tell me what that goof-ball did here?" From across the room a voice said, "Pizza delivery guy from Domino's."

Am I cool or am I cool?

2009-12-28T07:35:00.002-05:00

He was outside that cold night, just like me... me because I was smoking (No smoking allowed inside), and he because he was dog (No pets allowed inside). But don't worry, he had his place inside the garage, where it was as warm as inside the house. So, while having my smoke, I took some shots of this cute puppy, and here's one of 'em!

Galleria

2009-12-26T08:23:00.004-05:00

Last night I went to downtown in Houston, looking for the traditional Christmas lights decorations, but seriously, the downtown was looking more like an abandoned city than a city on Christmas. Just a very few walkers, some more homeless dudes, and that's it! Then my brother proposed Galleria, a town next to Houston, a place where he said is inhabited by rich people and for sure the City Hall spent more money to put some Christmas decorations on streets. And he was right!

And a joke for the cold season!

Did you hear about the two blondes who froze to death in a drive-in movie?
They had gone to see "Closed for the Winter"!

Christianity

2009-12-25T10:04:00.003-05:00

An important moment in everyone's life: the baptizing day. So it was here, in the City of Alba Iulia, the daughter of a good friend of mine getting baptized.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T10:59:00.003-05:00

To all my friends, "followers" and everyone who opens this page, I wish y'all a Merry Christmas!

Pink'n'blu

2009-12-19T12:07:00.000-05:00

Have y'all a pleasant weekend!

Santa Comes To School

2009-12-18T20:53:00.002-05:00

I took this shot tonight at a school from the neighborhood...

Hermannstadt

2009-12-17T01:14:00.003-05:00

Hermannstadt is the old name of the City of Sibiu, Romania. The first official record referring to the Sibiu area comes from 1191, when Pope Celestine III confirmed the existence of the free prepositure of the German settlers in Transylvania, the prepositure having its headquarters in Sibiu, named Cibinium at that time, later becoming Hermanstadt. It was probably built near a Roman settlement, that's why the name of Cibinium

Holsten

2009-12-16T23:06:00.001-05:00

Actually the place is called PUB 13 and it is located inside the historical fortress of Alba Iulia, Romania

Forza Dynamo!

2009-12-15T13:27:00.003-05:00

This is a mixture of some shots, including the Dynamo Girl (she's a cheerleader), taken last summer at Robertson Stadium...

Today's joke:

An Irishman goes into the confessional box after years of being away from the Church.
There's a fully equipped bar with Guinness on tap. On the other wall is a dazzling array of the finest cigars and chocolates. Then the priest comes in.
"Father, forgive me, for it's been a very long time since I've been to confession, but I must first admit that the confessional box is much more inviting than it used to be."
The priest replies:
"Get out. You're in my side!"

Christmas time

2009-12-14T10:04:00.004-05:00

Even if there are ten more days til this major event, it seems that everybody is ready for it!
Shot taken in the City of Sibiu (Romania) in December '07

Have a candy!

2009-12-13T22:23:00.002-05:00

Actually they're bubble gum!
Shot taken tonight at Almeda Mall in Houston, TX

Crowded bridges

2009-12-09T09:06:00.001-05:00

Shot taken on I-10 in Louisiana, on the Basin Bridge.

Sleeping Bootsy

2009-12-08T19:14:00.001-05:00

Boots taking a nap under the Christmas Tree

Flight of the Navigator

2009-12-07T07:54:00.002-05:00

Another shot of the "frozen" egret. She took off when I tried to get closer for a better shot...

Solitude

2009-12-06T10:28:00.004-05:00

An image from the Galveston Bay.
Not too many boaters at water, for sure due to the cold weather...

Freezing

2009-12-05T22:06:00.004-05:00

It was sunny, but freezing... it was the next day after those two inches of fallen snow in Houston...
Shot taken on Dec. 5th in Shoreacres, TX

Today's joke... well, it has to be a joke! Just got it from a friend... a Chicagoan friend...

John Smith started the day early having set his alarm clock
(MADE IN JAPAN)
for 6 am. While his coffeepot
(MADE IN CHINA)
was perking, he shaved with his electric razor
(MADE IN HONG KONG)
he put on a dress shirt
(MADE IN SRI LANKA)
designer jeans
(MADE IN SINGAPORE)
and tennis shoes
(MADE IN KOREA)
After cooking his breakfast in his new electric skillet
(MADE IN INDIA)
he sat down with his calculator
(MADE IN MEXICO)
to see how much he could spend today.
After setting his watch
(MADE IN TAIWAN)
to the radio
(MADE IN INDIA)
he got in his car
(MADE IN GERMANY)
filled it with GAS
(from Saudi Arabia )
and continued his search for a good paying AMERICAN JOB.
At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day checking his Computer
(MADE in MALAYSIA)
, John decided to relax for a while. He put on his sandals
(MADE IN BRAZIL)
, poured himself a glass of wine
(MADE IN FRANCE)
and turned on his TV
(MADE IN INDONESIA)
, and then wondered why he can't find a good paying job in AMERICA
AND NOW HE'S HOPING HE CAN GET HELP FROM A PRESIDENT
(MADE IN KENYA)

Winter knocked at the door

2009-12-04T16:24:00.005-05:00

No, this image isn't from Houston, but it's snowing! You can see some pics from Houston that I took this morning at http://bdintrainactiune.blogspot.com/2009/12/raritati-texane.html

Dreaming of Springtime

2009-12-03T08:27:00.002-05:00

Every day is getting colder and colder, even right here in Houston. The meteorologist promised us some white stuff for tomorrow... I just hope he is wrong!

Today's joke:

The teacher asks the first graders what do they know about medication, if they know some drugs and what are they for.
First one to answer is Tommy. He says "Advil".
- Excellent, Tommy! says the teacher. Do you know what's that for?
- For cold and headache, answers the kid.
- Very good, Tommy! how about you, Mike? continues the teacher.
- Robitussin, says Mike.
- Good choice, Mike! And what's that for?
- For cough, answers Mike.
- Very good, Mike! says the teacher again. How about you, Johnny?
- Viagra, says little Johnny.
- Gosh, says the teacher, you amaze me, Johnny! Where in the world did you hear about this and if you mentioned it, what's that for?
- It's for diarrhea!
- Johnny, who told you it is for that?
- I heard my mom telling my father "why don't you get a Viagra, maybe that piece of s*it will harden!

Rametz Monastery

2009-12-02T09:30:00.003-05:00

The front entrance of the new church

The old church

The monastery is located in the proximity of village of Rametz, Alba County, Romania (about 20 km off the State Route 1 from the city of Teius), in the Rametz Gorges, by the Stremt River (Trascau Mountains). The Rametz Gorges are extremely narrow, with steep walls. The region was declared natural reservation.

Today's joke:

An elderly Italian man who lived on the outskirts of Rimini (Italy, of course!), went to the local church for confession. When the priest slid open the panel in the confessional, the man said:
"Father.. During World War II, a beautiful Jewish woman from our neighborhood knocked urgently on my door and asked me to hide her from the Nazis So I hid her in my attic."
The priest replied: "That was a wonderful thing you did, and you have no need to confess that."
"There is more to tell, Father.. She started to repay me with sexual favors. This happened several times a week, and sometimes twice on Sundays."
The priest said:
"That was a long time ago and by doing what you did, you placed the two of you in great danger, but two people under those circumstances can easily succumb to the weakness of the flesh. However, if you are truly sorry for your actions, you are indeed forgiven."
"Thank you, Father. That's a great load off my mind. I do have one more question."
"And what is that?" asked the priest.
"Should I tell her the war is over?''

La multi ani, Romania!

2009-12-01T08:28:00.002-05:00

Romanian and EU flags

Romanian map in 1918

Military parade on December 1st

Today is the Romania's National Day! It used to be May 10th while Romania was a kingdom, then the communists changed it to August 23rd, the day when they seized the power and turned against Nazis, and finally after the fall of communism, the gov't changed it to December 1st, the day when back in 1918 the missing part of Romania, Transylvania, became once again part of Romania.

No honey bunny

2009-11-30T08:00:00.003-05:00

Yes, I know... the winter is near! But not in southern Texas!

Today's joke:

A lawyer boarded an airplane in New Orleans with a box of frozen crabs and asked a blonde flight attendant to take care of them for him. She took the box and promised to put it in the crew's refrigerator. He advised her that he was holding her personally responsible for them staying frozen, mentioning in a very haughty manner that he was a lawyer, and proceeded to rant at her about what would happen if she let them thaw out. Needless to say, she was annoyed by his behavior. Shortly before landing in New York, she used the intercom to announce to the entire cabin:
"Would the gentleman who gave me the crabs in New Orleans please raise your hand?"
Not one hand went up ... so she took them home and ate them.

Two lessons here:

1. Lawyers aren't as smart as they think they are.
2. Blondes aren't as dumb as most folks think

Orchids

2009-11-28T15:07:00.002-05:00

Hope you gonna like this one too... :D

Red Rose of Texas

2009-11-27T08:05:00.003-05:00

Dedicated to everyone who visits this blog! I know, some of you will say "hey, it's supposed to be yellow rose of Texas", but this is it, it's red and it's from Texas!

Today's joke:

Three retirees, each with a hearing loss, were playing golf one fine March day.
One remarked to the other:
"Windy, isn't it?"
"No," the second man replied, "it's Thursday..."
And the third man chimed in:
"So am I. Let's have a beer."

Chrysanthemum

2009-11-26T11:01:00.002-05:00

Seasonal shot...

Today's joke:

Two neighbors were having a conversation:
- John, may I use your lawnmower?
- Sure, as long as you don't take it out of my backyard!

Before fall comes

2009-11-25T18:15:00.002-05:00

Shot taken two months ago... and of course, postworked!

Foggy Morning...

2009-11-23T10:17:00.004-05:00

...in Virginia

Today's joke:

A guy took his blonde girlfriend to her first football game. They had great seats right behind the bench. After the game, he asked her how she liked the experience.
"Oh, I really liked it," she said, "especially the really tight pants and all of the big muscles, but I just couldn't understand why they were killing each other for 25 cents."
Dumbfounded, her date asked:
"What on earth do you mean?"
"Well, I saw them flip a coin and one team got it and then for the rest of the game, all they kept screaming was: "Get the quarter back! Get the quarter back!"

Have a cup o'coffee!

2009-11-23T10:07:00.001-05:00

...on route 77!

Virginia Sunset

2009-11-22T20:20:00.003-05:00

Shot taken near the city of Strasburg, VA.

Today's joke:

A guy goes to the Government to interview for a job. The interviewer asks him:
"Are you a veteran?"
The guy says:
"Why yes, in fact, I served two tours inVietnam."
"Good", says the interviewer, "That counts in your favor. Do you have any service-related disabilities?"
The guy says:
"In fact I am 100% disabled. During a battle, an explosion removed my private parts so they declared me disabled, it doesn't affect my ability to work, though."
"Sorry to hear about the damage, but I have some good news for you, I can hire you right now! Our working hours are 8 to 4. Come on in about 10, and we'll get you started."
The guy says:
"If working hours are from 8 to 4, why do you want me to come at 10?"
"Well, here at the government, we don't do anything but sit around and scratch our balls for the first two hours. No point of your coming in for that"

Louisiana Swamps

2009-11-22T20:18:00.002-05:00

Shot taken from the Basin Bridge

Winterized

2009-11-22T20:01:00.002-05:00

The winter is near...

(Shot taken in Arieseni, RO)

Twilight in New Mexico

2009-11-14T02:53:00.001-05:00

A shot before dark in New Mexico...

Arizona (part II)

2009-11-13T07:39:00.001-05:00

More images from Arizona! The shots with the gigantic boulders are from Texas Canyon area (yeah, it's called "Texas" but it's still in Arizona!)...

Arizona

2009-11-12T11:51:00.002-05:00

Some images from my recent trip to Arizona

Sunset

2009-11-11T16:59:00.002-05:00

Evening colors in Houston, TX

Detroit

2009-11-06T00:26:00.003-05:00

I took this shot from Windsor (Ontario), the only place where you can get a real good view over Detroit downtown.

Today's joke:

There were two golfers on the golf course. One of the men pulled out a cigarette, and asked his friend for a light. His friend pulls out a 12 inch Bic lighter.
- "Woah, where did you get such a large Bic?"
- "Oh, my genie got it for me."
- "Your genie? You have a genie? Where is he?"
- "He is in my golf bag."
- "Can I see him?"
So the friend looks in the bag and out comes the genie. The man says to the genie; "I am your master's best friend. Would you grant me just one wish?"
The genie says "yes, just one wish". So the man wishes for a million bucks. The genie goes back in the golf bag without saying a word. Pretty soon, the sky starts to get dark. Then it gets even darker. The man looks up and sees a million ducks. He gets real upset, and says:
- Wwhat is the matter with your genie? Is he hard of hearing? I said a million Bucks, not a million Ducks."
- "Do you really think I asked for a 12 inch Bic?"

Living under snow

2009-11-05T08:34:00.005-05:00

Winter is near, so be prepared for the worse!
About this shot, it was taken in the village of Arieseni, Romania. As I mentioned in some of my previous posts, that's a very beautiful area for those who love winter games, winter views and fresh but cold air!

Today's joke:

25 signs you've grown up:
Your house plants are alive, and you can't smoke any of them.
Having sex in a twin bed is out of the question.
You keep more food than beer in the fridge.
6:00 AM is when you get up, not when you go to bed.
You hear your favorite song on an elevator.
You watch the Weather Channel.
Your friends marry and divorce instead of hook up and break up.
You go from 130 days of vacation time to 14.
Jeans and a sweater no longer qualify as "dressed up."
You're the one calling the police because those damn kids next door won't turn down the stereo.
Older relatives feel comfortable telling sex jokes around you.
You don't know what time Taco Bell closes anymore.
Your car insurance goes down and your payments go up.
You feed your dog Science Diet instead of McDonalds leftovers.
Sleeping on the couch makes your back hurt.
You no longer take naps from noon to 6 PM.
Dinner and a movie is the whole date instead of the beginning of one.
Eating a basket of chicken wings at 3 AM would severely upset, rather than settle, your stomach.
You go to the drug store for ibuprofen and antacid, not condoms and pregnancy tests.
A $4.00 bottle of wine is no longer "pretty good stuff."
You actually eat breakfast food at breakfast time.
"I just can't drink the way I used to," replaces, "I'm never going to drink that much again."
90% of the time you spend in front of a computer is for real work.
You no longer drink at home to save money before going to a bar.
You read this entire list looking desperately for one sign that doesn't apply to you!!!

Autumn in Midwest III

2009-11-03T15:23:00.004-05:00

Autumnal view from the City of Belton, Missouri (that's just south of Kansas City).

Today's joke:

Two women are chatting:
-Yesterday my doctor told me I'm pregnant...
-Cool! And who's the father?
-That what he couldn't tell me...

Autumn in Midwest II

2009-11-03T15:20:00.003-05:00

A small hill by freeway I-29 in Missouri.

Autumn in Midwest I

2009-11-03T15:14:00.003-05:00

A country road in Iowa.

Me... in her sunglasses!

2009-11-02T18:33:00.003-05:00

The winter is coming, but I'm still dreaming of hot summer beaches!

Today's joke:

Mary's bedtime pray:
- God, please make somehow that London to be Denmark's Capital because that's what I wrote on my exam!

Red Lillies

2009-11-01T13:03:00.001-05:00

A shot taken minutes after the rain stopped...

Today's joke:

-The swimming is not allowed here, says a cop to a civilian who was nearby a lake.
-OK, OK, answers the civilian. I don't want to swim, but to drown myself...
-Then you're lucky, otherwise I'd fine you!

The Clock Fruits

2009-10-31T00:08:00.005-04:00

Of course there's no such a fruit or plant, but the rear-end of these poke weed berries (lat. phytolacca americana) looks like a clock... Well, somehow they are related to the time if you try to eat them: they're dangerously poisonous!

Today's joke:

Little Mary Margaret was not the best student in her Catholic School.
Usually she slept through the class. One day her teacher, a Nun, called on her while she was sleeping.
"Tell me Mary Margaret, who created the universe?"
When Mary Margaret didn't stir, little Johnny who was her friend sitting behind her, took a pin and jabbed her in the rear.
"God Almighty!" shouted Mary Margaret.
The Nun said, "Very good" and continued teaching her class. A little later the Nun asked Mary Margaret:
"Who is our Lord and Savior?"
But she didn't stir from her slumber. Once again, little Johnny came to the rescue and stuck Mary Margaret in the butt.
"Jesus Christ!" shouted Mary and the Nun once again said "Very good," and Mary Margaret fell back asleep.
The Nun asked her a third question:
"What did Eve say to Adam after she had her twenty-third child?"
Again, Johnny came to the rescue. This time Mary Margaret jumped up and shouted:
"If you stick that damn thing in me one more time, I'll break it in half!"

Autumn Afternoon

2009-10-30T11:51:00.002-04:00

This is another manipulation... the trees are actually located along the freeway I-75 in Michigan, just north of Bay City, while the shot with the river is from Frankenmuth, same state but taken in summertime.

Today's joke:

WIFE: "If I died first, would you remarry?"
HUSBAND: "Definitely not!"
WIFE: "Why not - don't you like being married?"
HUSBAND: "Of course I do."
WIFE: "Then why wouldn't you remarry?"
HUSBAND: "Okay, I'd get married again."
WIFE: "You would? (with a hurtful look on her face)."
HUSBAND: (makes audible groan).
WIFE: "Would you sleep with her in our bed?"
HUSBAND: "Where else would we sleep?"
WIFE: "Would you replace my pictures with hers?"
HUSBAND: "That would seem like the proper thing to do."
WIFE: "Would she use my golf clubs?"
HUSBAND: "No, she's left-handed."

The Balloon Girl

2009-10-21T10:43:00.002-04:00

Shot taken in a really freezing night in the City of Sibiu (aka Hermannstadt).

Today's joke:

Did you know that while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December. Female reindeer retain their antlers until after they give birth in the spring. Therefore, according to every historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, every single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen - had to be a girl. We should've known. Only women would be able to drag a fat man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost......

Crystal Clear

2009-10-20T20:02:00.004-04:00

I've checked it out, it's clear, it's cold, it's just perfect for a hot sunny day! Don't try it during the winter!
Shot taken in the neighborhood of the Moeciu Village, Romania

Today's joke:

A Prayer for daddy

"Dear God, this year please send some clothes for all those poor ladies in Daddy's computer,
Amen."

Paris Soir

2009-10-17T08:43:00.005-04:00

It really was evening, so there's nothing related to the Parisian evening paper! Just been playing in my Photoshop... hope you gonna like it!

Insects of the South

2009-10-16T19:01:00.003-04:00

I've selected these two pics for today, a butterfly captured in Tennessee and that ugly spider, which from what I've learned it's a wolf-spider, a female that carries her babies on her back...

Toppings

2009-10-07T11:06:00.003-04:00

Another old shot from the City of Sibiu - aka Hermannstadt - (the old side of the city), Romania.
Hmm, two months ago I met a German couple in Harlingen, TX... they were traveling by their own RV brought from Germany (registered in Germany), which RV was broke down. They asked me for help, initially they thought it's the battery and a jump start will do it, but it wasn't that simple, so I gave 'em my cell to call ADAC (German version of AAA) for help... well, finally the problem was fixed after hours of waiting and lots of calls. Anyways, what I wanted to say, this German guy, Raymund, told me that he visited Sibiu and he founded a really pleasant city, but before visiting it, he was warned that there are Romanians that live underground by the roads, and as soon as they see some foreigners, they attack (robbery)!!! The minute I heard that, I laughed but then I realized how the things work when you don't want tourists to go somewhere else, especially when it's about East...

Today's joke:

Q: It is true that Czechoslovakia asked USSR for help?
A: Yes, it's true! They requested it in 1939 and the approval came in 1968!

Luna

2009-09-30T13:31:00.002-04:00

Luna (same meaning in Italian, Spanish and Romanian languages) means moon... so, here's the moon captured with my new 1300 mm lens... shot taken in Nashville, TN.

Today's joke:

Mary goes to a card reader:
- There are two guys who love me, but I can't marry both, so tell me please who's gonna be the lucky one? asks Mary.
The old woman reads the cards, the looks straight into Mary's eyes and says:
- The lucky one is Mike! You'll marry Jim!

The Watcher

2009-09-25T10:27:00.003-04:00

In Sibiu area (Romania) it's something usual to see such attic windows coming out from the roof, of course speaking about the old houses built about 5-6 centuries ago. They look like eyes that are watching you while you walk around...

Today's joke:

A fella goes into the shower exactly when his wife comes out of the tub. The bell rings instantly. After a short family quarrel about who goes to answer the door, the woman gives up, she covers her body with a towel, goes downstairs and opens the front door. There was Bob, their neighbor. She could not put in a word, because Bob
interrupted her:
- I give you $800 now, if you drop the towel that is covering you.
A little bit surprised, the woman hesitates for a moment, she loosens the towel and remains stark-naked in front of him.
He measures her from head to toe and he holds out eight - $100 bills. Amazed about this story, but happy about her little fortune that she had made in less than 2 minutes, the woman goes upstairs and enters the bathroom again. Her husband, who was still in the shower, asks her:
- Who was it?
- It was Bob, our neighbor.
- Ah, perfect! Has he given you the $800 he owed me?

Louisiana Swamps

2009-09-23T17:10:00.003-04:00

Shot taken in the state of Louisiana in the area called "Atchafalaya".

Today's joke:

During the Vietnam war, the Albanian National Council had a special meeting. The president asked his commarades to help their sister-socialist country Vietnam.
-Brothers, every socialist country is helping Vietnam. I think we should do the same, said the prez.
-I propose, said another albanian fella, to send them a tank!
-This is ridiculous, yelled the prez, there are destroyed daily hundreds of tanks and we send only one tank?
-I propose, said another guy, to send 'em two tanks!
-Commarades, let's be serious, there are destroyed daily hundreds of tanks and we send just two tanks?
-I propose, comes with another idea the albanian fella, to send 'em all three tanks!