Cider Hill Road, York, ME
I didn't think we were going to have color this fall due to the drought and strange weather....but momma nature is resilient and she's come through, just a bit later than usual. 
Cape Neddick River, Cape Neddick, ME
Custom Cooper at the Hyatt on the Hill, Washington DC. The license plate reads WhpprJR.
Burger King was a corporate sponsor for a medial conference being held at the hotel......I'm guessing the topic wasn't cardiac care or obesity specialists.
My dad shared a few more photos from the Safari and on this 9th anniversary of the embassy bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, I thought I'd share them with you. This elephant is wet on the bottom, dry on the top. The photo was taken in Amboseli National Park.
And I can never resist a good giraffe photo.
And the lions.....they showed little fear of the safari vehicles and allowed for some up close photos.
Tiger Lillies, Cape Neddick ME (retouched and texturized in Photoshop)
It's been a busy week at the job that pays the mortgage. We present to the new owners tomorrow and those presentations will determine quite a bit about which programs get funded (we're now owned by PE, so ROI is now everything-- if you know what those acronyms stand for you understand--if you don't consider yourself very lucky) and to some extent, who gets big new jobs in the new organization. No pressure here, folks. But I have spent about 60 hours this week building powerpoint decks, double checking financial reports, making sure competitive market overviews are correct and up-to-date, and revising budgets. Yee Haw! Don't you wish you had a fun job like mine? Is it only Wednesday? Can the week get any longer?
The Red Sox are hopelessly mired in some catch-22, tire spinning funk and can't get a fire lit. The offense is offensive (pardon, it's been long week). The Yanks are now only 8 back and closing hard. Julian Tavarez starts tonight, so we'll be viewing our latest obsession, AKA the complete West Wing Series on DVD. I cannot get enough of it. How did I miss this series when it was in Prime Time?
I hope you're all well. I cannot wait for a free minute to visit your blogs and catch up.
My brother can still make a good cut on a water ski....but he's never been able to cut a rug.
Cold enough for mittens and fleece at the beach, so we took our walk along the river this morning. The rain has stopped and the sun is scheduled to make an appearance later this morning.
Last night, the wind was pounding and the rain was coming in buckets and we needed a dinner to warm the bones and the soul. It's spargal time in Germany (the country practically comees to a screeching halt) and the asparagus at our market is tender and fresh, so why not?
Cut stalks (I prefer to snap the stalks, as they separate easily at the point where it's too woody to be good eating) and all remaining asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces.
Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add asparagus pieces and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add 5 cups broth and simmer, covered, until asparagus is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
While soup simmers, cook reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then drain.
Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth, transferring to a bowl (use caution when blending hot liquids), and return to pan. Stir in crème fraîche, then add more broth to thin soup to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil and whisk in remaining tablespoon butter.
Add lemon juice and garnish with asparagus tips.
(adapted from a recipe found at Epicurious)
Last year during the Mother's Day Floods, Spike got a little nervous and decided he needed a boat. Or we think that's what he was doing; he spent two entire days in the bread basket (and aye-uh, I washed the napkin after he decided to get out). It's raining hard enough today that I thought this image was worth revisiting.
Every year, Mother Nature and the University, somehow manage to have the tulips in full bloom for graduation. As the Senior Class receives their diploma, they'll process past this bed of yellows and reds.
These two made getting into the office quite difficult this morning. I had to put on my best Archie Griffin imitation (juke left, fake right, stutter step and then go--extremely athletic considering the stilettos I was wearing) to get past them.
The Maine office security staff is no where near as diligent in their work:
Loveland, Ohio 4:45pm
In 24 hours I'll be back in Maine, just in time to cook for the Cinco de Mayo party.
So far, the menu includes four salsas in varying degrees of heat, White Trash Margaritas (I'll drink one in your honor, Marie), Premium Gold Margaritas, Mexican Pasta Salad, Chicken Fajitas and Queso Dip.
Mexican Beer, soft drinks and lemon water are also available.
Any additional menu suggestions, dear readers?
As for "the boats", I really don't gamble much, so last night after dinner I gave my $50.00 gift certificate (comped by the hotel) to my boss and said "put it on red." I went to bed. This morning, he handed me a nice, crisp $100.00 bill. Heh. Doubled my money and never set foot on the boat. Nice.
The Belterra Casino. Belterra, IN
The hotel is in Indiana. The casino is in the riverboat on the Ohio River. There's no gambling in Indiana, ya'll.
Now, when someone in Cincinnati asks you if you'd "like to go to the boats" you'll know what they're talking about.
