Weekender Nov 30 - Dec 01

[Don]

Good morning all. So, DS called last night about 7:45 saying his car wouldn't start. Called back as I was on my way saying he got a jump and the car was running. My tasks for today are to take him to work, then (if the car will start) drive somewhere to get the battery tested and probably purchase a new battery. At least I hope that is what it is, which from all indications it will be. Always something.

I doubt anyone on here watched the Georgia - Georgia Tech football game last night, but it took 8 overtimes for Georgia to win. And while I am glad Georgia won, I have to say that honestly Ga Tech outplayed them the entire game, until the last 5 minutes or so. Which I missed because I went to bed.

Here is a more lighthearted image to start the weekend. I'm going to milk these images as long as I can.  Came back to the ship to find multiple gulls perched on one of the mooring lines, so I took a shot and cropped down to this one.

[Dave]

They are posing so nicely, Don.

It sure looks like your trip was a resounding success if gauged by the number and variety of excellent photos.

Keep them coming, please!

[Rich]

Don, yes, battery replacement always shows up in the Winter!
All in a row, neat! Well seen!

As Dave said, keep them coming!

Here is the finished Sydney Opera house and starting on Lady Liberty.

[Luv2shoot]

Great “in a row “ shot, Don. Yes, please keep them coming.

Dave, sorry to hear about your oven breaking down the day before Thanksgiving. My 20-year old stove is starting to break down. One of the four gas burners no longer works. I do not want to have to buy an electric stove. I have always used gas.

Rich, the corn palace. Is coming along nicely. I look forward to seeing lady liberty when she is finished.

My husband watched the game last night with the 8 overtimes. Wow, that was unreal 
U of Michigan vs OHIO STATE was a battle of the defenses. Both offenses  couldn’t get anything going . It was hard to believe that Ohio was  favored to win by 23 points!

[Don]

Corn Palace is looking good, Rich.

Tough luck Dave on the oven. We replaced our oven and stove top a few years ago when DW decided she wanted to redo the kitchen. We had to stick with electric for the oven, but we did convert the stove top to gas. Since we had gas heat and water heater, it turned out to be fairly easy to do for the stove top, but not so much for the oven. Thus we stayed with electric for that. I do prefer cooking with gas.

Lorell, I watched that game until the last 5 minutes or so. DW watched it all. I think it was 27 to 20, so when I got up this morning to check the score, I honestly figured it would be 27 -20. When I saw the score I thought it was a mistake! Eight overtimes. We were pulling for Georgia, but they were outplayed the entire game by Tech, until I guess the last 2 minutes and the overtimes. Heck of a game. We just finished watching Alabama beat Auburn, so as Alabama and Georgia fans, it was a good 2 days of football.

Took the car to have the battery checked and it apparently is working fine, as well as the alternator. Starts up with no issue now, so we really don't know what was going on with it last night. Time will tell, and it will probably fail at the most inopportune time.

[Dave]

Rich, another huge "Well Done" to the talented artists who design and build the Corn Palace renderings. They never disappoint.

Our Thanksgiving meal SNAFU was unexpected. But the attitude I'm holding is that a pleasure delayed is a pleasure enhanced.

There sure were some surprises in college football; that 8-OT game, Michigan handling Ohio State. It's too early to clarify every team that will make the playoffs. IMO it's likely that the eventual champion will be one of the top 4 teams. But if I had extra cash to bet on an upset winner (probably at pretty good odds too), I'd go with Notre Dame.

And the NFL situation is looking different too: KC is looking beatable (they were lucky to beat the lowly Raiders), Chicago nearly upset Detroit, Dallas finally won a home game. There are some interesting matchups to come this week. If I had to pick one underdog to beware of the rest of the year, it would be Pittsburgh - I really admire how good coach Tomlin is.

[Dave]

Back with a photo taken yesterday morning of a California Fence Lizard.

   

It was actually a bright and colorful day, but this small scene had so little color to it that I bumped up the saturation a bit.

[Don]

Nice composition on the Fence Lizard.

I don't really follow pro football, but the college games this past weekend were wild. I haven't quite figured out how the teams for the playoffs are going to be selected, other than the obvious ones, but it should be an interesting series.

Saw this busker in Prague. The child had gone up and dropped some money in the case. I liked the facial expressions.

[Rich]

Thanks Lorell!

Thanks Don! Another excellent candid Don! Red really adds to the scene.

Thanks Dave, and yes, poor timing on the stove!
Sharp photo of the lizard. Did you desaturate the sky?

[Man From Ironbark]

Good to see everyone is enjoying life and taking photos despite ovens breaking down and flat batteries etc.
Nice work on the lizard there Dave and the facial expressions even outshines the red in your stret image, Don. Your gull have a four-eyed look. They are different to our silver gulls.

Rich, I do wish they'd found some of the blue corn for the opera house in the year of its 51st birthday. Otherwise it is quite cool.

Don started the thread with the gulls. I'll add some more birdlife.
Sure they are the same old crested pigeons you'd see over all maiinland Australia but the extreme tropical north.
They are two young pigeons.