Jelly Belly

About an hour drive away from Inverness, just over the Wisconsin border, there is a Jelly Belly warehouse/store. You can take a tour and see how jelly beans are made. The company goes back before the 1900's. It really is a fascinating tour. This is taken out in front of the store. If you are ever in Kenosha, Wisconsin....it is a great place for a visit....AND they have a tasting counter for those unusual flavors you might like to try!

On the street where I live

It seems like it was overnight the leaves went from green to brown. This is the sugar maple in front of my house that usually turns a BRILLANT color of red. It is turning orange and dropping leaves. The Honey Locus has already dropped all its leaves. Maybe because we haven't had a lot of rain in the past month......

The end of the season

Even though my flower garden is about done....the asters are the last to go....here is a stalwart fellow looking for something. I do believe that is a WEED the bee is on but far be it from me to purge my entire flower bed of weeds.....not that I haven't tried...I just wear out after a bit!

A hazardous crossing

Thanks to Louis over at San Francisco Daily Blog for hosting bridge Sunday!
This is a street in our neighborhood that is a very tight crossing over a very small creek. When there is ice on the road....you do need to pay attention to the hazard sign! Have a great Sunday.

A people bridge in Beijing

In order to cross the street in Beijing, we had to use this.....it was quite fun actually!Thanks to Louis over at San Fransisco Dailyhttp://bayphoto.blogspot.comphoto for hosting the Bridges series!

A Beijing wedding

Meet our new daughter in law, Rainey...or Yang Ran. Gregory married her in June in Beijing...We had a wonderful time and are delighted to have Rainey as a member of our family. They have been here visiting for a few weeks. I am sure she will be delighted to get home as she has met sooooo many of Greg's relatives --on both sides of the family. I can only imagine what she will tell her parents about her new family! I certainly remember what I told my parents after I met all 9 siblings of my husband.....quite the event!!!

A bridge in Kansas City, Mo

Thanks so much to *Louis* over at San Francisco Bay Daily Photo for hosting The Sunday Bridge Series. While I was NOT playing croquet, I have spent one weekend in Kansas City, MO. and the other in Washington D.C. And after this weekend...which is our 34th wedding anniversary, I will be gone to Beijing, China for my oldest son's wedding. Blogging is NOT easy to do in China if you do not have a computer to take with you so I will be unable to stop and visit. Hope you all have a great month.
This is a bridge I saw as we left a FABULOUS barbecue in Kansas City. It goes over a retention ditch I think.

Lake Shore Drive Bridges

I was downtown playing croquet this morning and had to drive down Lake Shore Drive. I was amazed at how many bridges I had to go under.This bridge is actually over the Chicago River and you can't see it other than the towers around it. I do believe it raises to let the boats go out to Lake Michigan.
Thanks to *Louis* over at San Francisco for hosting the Sunday Bridge series...click on the Golden Gate Bridge icon to see more!

Candied sticks

This is a display at a resturant near me, Cooper's Hawk. It has a lovley selection of wines but I was struck by their "sticky" display. It is sugar coated. I haven't seen anything like this before.

An Interstate Bridge

 
Since I live in the Midwest....bridges aren't as common here in the breadbasket of the world! But there are PLENTY of interstate bridges to see. This one is actually a figure 8 but I like this view. Thanks to *Louis* over at San Francisco for hosting the Sunday Bridge series...click on the Golden Gate Bridge icon to see more!

2 Foot Bridges

 
These 2 foot bridges are on one of the holes of the Inverness Golf Course.....a very exclusive club that I don't belong to by the way....the only way to get this photo without actually playing the course is to walk up someone's driveway so I opted for just driving by and shooting this.
Thanks to *Louis* over at San Francisco for hosting the new Bridges series. Please click on the San Francisco bridge icon and visit all the bridges today from around the world.
T

A New Orleans bridge

 
The funny thing about this bridge is it goes no where. The building on the right used to be a brewery that is no longer. The building on the left has some stores in it and a fast food aisle and I guess at one time the idea would be to grab a beer and a sandwich and sit outside.
Thanks to *Louis* over at San Francisco for hosting the new Bridges series.

The mighty Mississippi

 
Thanks to *Louis* over at San Francisco for hosting the new Bridges series.Illinois is known as the "Prairie State" which means it is a pretty flat state. I love *Louis* bridge series so I am trying to be creative in looking for bridges. This is taken while I am driving from Illinois to Missouri so crossing the Mississippi is mandatory. This was taken in March when there was still some snow around. I am amazed that there is a motor boat on the river at this time of the year. Have a great Sunday!

A working New Orleans bridge

 
Thanks to *Louis* over at San Francisco for hosting the new Bridges series. Please stop by his place and see all the lovely bridges!
I live in a fairly flat place so I need to be creative about bridges...but in the meantime...here is a bridge in New Orleans. It is right next to the 9th ward where so many homes and people were lost. Apparently, a barge on this river, went sailing over the levy and wiped out many homes in the middle of the night. (the 9th ward is to the right in this shot.)

Bridge Sunday

 
Thanks to *Louis* over at San Francisco for hosting a new Bridges series.
This is the mighty Mississippi between the state of Illinois and the state of Iowa.....as well as Wisconsin! It is a unique spot because you can see all 3 states. Illinois is on your right across the river, I am standing in Dubuque, Iowa taking the shot and the bridge waaayyyy in the background is the one that goes from Iowa to Wisconsin. The one in the foreground goes between Illinois and Iowa. Enjoy seeing all the bridges around the world today and thanks *Louis*!

Bridge over a Bayou

 
Thanks to *Louis* over at San Francisco for hosting the "Bridges" series. Please stop by his place and see all the lovely bridges!
This photo is from the air as we flew into New Orleans. This bridge is part of the interstate highway if one would chose to drive to New Orleans. It is hard to drive in New Orleans as it is hard to orient to anything. Due to all the water around New Orleans, it gives a whole new meaning on how to find north, south, east or west! Enjoy all the bridges today!

A New Orleans courtyard

 
This was the courtyard out our hotel room. We had a nice balcony that we could sit and watch the activity around us. Bourbon street was just on the other side but this was very tranquil indeed.

New Orleans from the air

 
This was as we approached the airport. Bayous everywhere. It is quite impressive...it was overcast when we arrived and then we had WONDERFUL weather!

New Orleans!

 
No, I didn't go to Mardi Gras but we were in New Orleans last week. We had lovely weather and saw many things. This is where one can catch the free ferry to go across the river from New Orleans to 2 other small cities. We missed the free ferry so I only have the "port" waiting room to share!

Almost Heaven, West Virginia

 
This is a picture off my mom's back porch. She lives in West Virginia (where I grew up) and I just love this shot..
The river is called the Coal River. It dumps into the Kanawha River which goes to
the Ohio River which then empties into the mighty Mississippi. Coal River got its name due to a coal mine at the mouth of the river emptying all of the coal dust into it and the river turning black. The mine has been closed for decades but the name stayed.

A shooting fountain

 

This is the fountain at McCormick Center, which is where the Chicago Auto Show is always held. It is really stunning in real life!

The Display...

 
I looked at this a long time. I still couldn't figure out how the sign pertains to much. This was a display of water for Lexus but it wasn't anything you were going to lean against..all water is contained inside and it was pretty heavy. Interesting sign. I guess I really wanted to see someone one "on" the display so they could be told to get "OFF" :)

It's a dogs life

 
Clancy is not tired of the snow..He LOVES to lay and play in it....I wish I could teach him how to shovel.....

Lamborghini

 

I was afraid to ask how much these babies were....but they sure looked bright! They were behind a roped area and no one could touch them. I think it would've been fun to sit in one of them.

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a..

 


.....Ram Dodge truck (truck of the year!)--suspended upside down at the Chicago Auto Show....One of the few things that I felt was a photo opp. Usually, one can be WOWED by some of the proto-type cars they have been working on. There weren't that many -or they didn't impress me! The Mitsubishi has an electric car...very tiny...that is coming out here next year. I was unclear as to whether it was already being sold overseas.
But all in all, I did enjoy the Auto show.

Pretty but....

 
Yes, it is snowing and I LIKE the snow....but I am to the point that it is pretty to look at as long as you don't have to shovel it and THIS is in desperate need of shoveling....and it is heavy and wet...."Heart attack" snow is what we call it.