Down Under with the Mine Tour

Bisbee is home of the Queen Copper Mine and we (Markkanen, Amy, Doug, Jobi, and I) decided to check it out. First, we had to gear up with bright yellow slickers, hard hats and lamps. Then we had to get on this very narrow train thing where everyone straddled a long seat on each cart. As we headed into the mine, the guide stopped a little way in to check on all of us. The tunnel is very narrow and it can be a bit freaky, especially after hearing all the news about the Utah mine collapse. I was actually worried about my sister getting claustrophobic, but as it turned out, her boyfriend was the one who skee-daddled off the train back to the main office for a refund, then promptly hit the bar. The tour was good, but the guide was a bit long winded and my sister expressed her "enthusiasm" by a facial experssion I've never seen on her before. By the end of the tour....the rest of us needed a drink and joined Doug at the bar!

Heading down to Bisbee....

When Steve Markkanen and I drove to Bisbee, we made a quick stop in Tombstone, AZ. I got a shot of the OK Corral and a guy ready to give stagecoach rides to the tourons. When we arrived at my sister's place, I had to take some shots of her studio decor: ruby red slippers mixed with lime green and bright turquoise. Amy loves bright colors (in case you didn't notice!). Towards evening the clouds got darker. Finally, I got to see some lightning strikes and hear thunder, but the bulk of the rain was to the east of us. The last shot shows the stormy sky looming above us.

Traildust Town

A group of us Monterey Meteorologists met up in Tucson's Traildust Town for some grub and the ever popular Old Time Photo Shop. While walking down the streets of Traildust, I found a drinking trough for horses which had a scrub brush. I needed a bath because my luggage didn't arrive with me and I was still in the same clothes. Apparently, XpressJet thought it'd be more convenient if my suitcase stayed behind in Monterey for an extra 24 hours. (I exaggerate a bit. Markkanen let me borrow a t-shirt and I did some quick shopping at Target, but the sarcasm towards Xpressjet is not exaggerated!) Steve got in touch with his feminine side and posed as a lovely damsel. And last, but not least, the old time photo! I took a photo of the photo with my camera. Pictured with me are Markkanen, Steve & Suzanne, Jeff & Barb. Fun night!!!

Caught in the Cacti

Once again...I've jet-setted to a new exciting place. I am now in Tucson, AZ!!!! This blog has the obligatory cacti pix. First, we have the Devil Cactus. See how the blooms are up on top like a couple of horns - spooky, eh? Next, we have the happy-go-lucky Flower-Eyes Cactus. Then, an up-close, abstract shot of a saguaro with a far away shot of a saguaro. Finally, me getting pricked by a prickly pear.

Amy's Wedding in Olympia

So here are a few shots of my high school friend Amy on her big day! It was a lovely day for a lovely couple! When I wasn't taking photos...I did a little musical conducting on the side! (ok - so the musicians agreed to let me stand in front of them and pretend, but I'm sure I added inspiration to the music during that song!)

Olympia Wedding Rehearsal

Before my friend, Amy, got married, her mom showed us how to make corsages. There's a pic of me and my first corsage. Then I took a close-up shot of my corsage with the wedding rings. The wedding site was a beautiful place called Swantown Inn - a gorgeous historical building. The shot I took was a bit overexposed (was in a hurry), but you get the idea. At the rehearsal, I found a cute ol' garden gnome hiding in the grass and had to take his picture!

Not Sleepless in Seattle

I've been quite the jetsetter lately. Last weekend, I flew to Seattle to meet up with some high school friends of mine, Heatherly & Jennifer. Our eventual destination was Olympia for my friend Amy's wedding. But...similar to my NY wedding trip, once I arrived we decided to grab lunch in the city before heading to the wedding location. We went to Pike's Place where I kissed a pig and met a pet opossum. Seriously, some guy had rescued this opossum after being hit by a car and now carries the creature on his shoulder while explaining the joys of opossumhood. The guy was very nice and knowledgeable....but accessorizing with rodents enhances the hillbilly look.