Vacation in Las Vegas & electing a President


20121106-163002.jpg

This is the view from the window of our hotel in Las Vegas. We were here last 25 years ago, my husband had heard so much about the changes that had taken place during that time that he has spent ages planning a return trip.

Well, the city has certainly changed and grown since we saw it last, but apart from the dazzling lights and razzmatazz of The Strip there’s a lot of buzz here about the forthcoming election.

The buzz we have got has mostly been from taxi drivers who are very keen to tell us how they feel.

One summed up what most of them had told us, “the politicians all shaft the working man, so best vote for the one who will shaft us the least.” (He said his vote was for Obama).

I laughed with him at what he told us, but reflected that I could have been talking with a taxi driver back home, or anywhere else in the world for that matter. The sentiment would have been the same.

I will watch the results with interest and be thinking of Joe the taxi driver, he will be working but listening to his radio.

Weekly Photo Challenge – Foreign


Map of Hokkaido showing the subprefectures and...

Map of Hokkaido showing the subprefectures and the primary cities (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Foreign – something unfamiliar, something different; this was certainly true of a visit to Japan a few years ago. We saw lots of food on sale in a local market which we had never seen before and which looked very strange to us. Later, dressed in tradional kimonos and seated crosslegged on the floor, we were served a wonderful selection of food at a formal banquet.

 

We travelled to the beautiful northern island of Hokkaido to visit the hot spring village of Norboribetsu-Onsen. Here visitors can enjoy the waters in one of the many spa hotels. It is a sort of ritual, where men and women bathe in separate areas. Once you have undressed and showered, you take a dip in several hot pools, each containing a different water.  It is very therapeutic and strangely refreshing. Above the village is “Hell Valley” where you can see the sulphur pits and geysers gushing up into the air.  The smell is something else……

But the sights and sounds of Japan will stay with me for a very long time

 

Sunday Post – CITY


Love the photos of Florence in Jake’s post, it is one of my most favourite cities.  Here are a few photographs of other cities that I enjoyed visiting

Calgary, Alberta

A view of  Gibraltar from The Rock

Columbus Circle in New York

and finally. a cloudy day in Barcelona

Hope you like my selection. See other city posts

http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/2012/10/20/sunday-post-city/

Danger from above


The whitewashed walls reflected the sun’s glare. Alice adjusted her sunglasses.

Small stones skittered and bounced down a wall then, with a wail, a boy landed at her feet. He was small, dirty and frightened; Alice saw blood running down his left leg. She took off her rucksack, pulling out a bottle of water and some tissue.  She bathed his leg while he stared defiantly up at her. A battered car screeched to a halt, Alice stared in disbelief as the driver pulled out a gun. She screamed as a shot rang out. Pocketing his gun the boy hobbled away.

 

Thanks to Jan Morrill for the photograph and to Madison Woods for “Friday Fictioneers”. http://www.madison-woods.com/Wordpress/index-of-stories/101212-2/

 

 

Life throws me a curved ball


I haven’t posted anything for a while; I have had to deal with some very upsetting family developments which, quite frankly have let me stunned. I had been away to Crete and had a wonderful holiday (post on that to follow hopefully) when on my way home from the airport, I had to deal with a call from a distraught daughter-in-law.

My son has moved of their home.  There have been no arguments, no-one else is involved; he just feels the need to be on his own and work out what it is that is making him unhappy. He has said he will arrange to see a counsellor.

Their marriage was one I would have bet on as a sure thing; they are so good together and have been for almost 18 years

I have spoken to them both, offered a bed, food, a shoulder, a sounding board – anything that will help.  She is the daughter I never had and I am feeling so incredibly sad for them both.

I hope to be back with you soon, sorry not to have been around for a while