mainline

It's only October

2011-10-30T07:23:00.001-07:00

Link

2011-09-02T13:51:00.000-07:00

My other blog

Heavy(ish) Machinery

2011-05-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

Cleaning the paddocks. Someone has to.

Cruising the Hudson by sludgeboat

2011-05-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

What could be finer?

More Flood

2011-03-12T13:37:00.000-08:00

Spring Flood

2011-03-12T08:19:00.000-08:00

Winter's End

2011-02-21T10:44:00.001-08:00

I always think that cabin should sprout chicken feet and run away, like something out of a Russian fairy tale. The ice on the creek is almost a foot thick, but it's breaking up now.

Catskill-Delaware UV Treatment Facility (CAT-DEL UV)

2011-02-10T15:51:00.000-08:00

One of my biggest projects (double click image to actually see it)

Two cool facts:

This plant will double US capacity for the UV treatment of drinking water.

Building this requires that a man dive almost 600' down a narrow, waterfilled shaft to cement and seal a through pipe.

Coopers or Sharpshin Hawk, Queens NY

2011-02-09T07:28:00.001-08:00

They love bird feeders - so many delicious snacks

Snow

2011-02-05T10:34:00.001-08:00

Tornado like weather event. Queens NY

2010-09-20T10:39:00.001-07:00

I bet belief in Global Climate Change is virtually universal on this block.

Downtown Manhattan - cloudy and wet

2010-01-25T07:02:00.001-08:00

Flying up the Hudson

2010-01-24T14:25:00.000-08:00

2009-06-18T06:14:00.000-07:00

C and her wheelchair touring near Petra. The trap was pulled by a stallion who was being conditioned for endurance racing.

The bike is a Minsk - the same kind of motorcycle used by Mullah Omar to escape capture by the US Special Forces and their Northern Alliance allies. Earlier that day the headlight fell out and hit me in the shin. I bled like a stuck pig.

In some Central Highlands village. The guy at the far left was a schoolteacher. He was born during the "American War" and thus did not get nearly enough food while he was growing up. Which is why he's so short.Camel riding. Can't recommend it.

Cause Tet is like that

2009-02-20T17:22:00.001-08:00

shots from the ring road

2009-01-29T05:04:00.000-08:00

where plant matter for Tet is purchased

The kid is alright.

2009-01-23T00:52:00.000-08:00

Vacation is over - it's time to go home!

2009-01-23T00:49:00.000-08:00

Want to see SE Asia? Talk to these guys: http://vietnamexplorers.com
Seriously - they are the best!

Pagodas & kitchen gods.

2009-01-22T06:53:00.000-08:00

Around Tet the three kitchen gods of the old year go back up to heaven to make their report. It is therefor a good idea to perform some kind of good deed at this time. Many people will purchase and release three goldfish. Goldfish symbolize dragons. Goldfish do not do well (usually) when released into the wild. Make of this what you will.

Water buffalo

2009-01-21T08:03:00.000-08:00

can pull heavier loads than ponies, but they are far slower.
Also. It has been known to happen, particularly on hot summer days, that a water buffalo will decide that the place it needs to be, right now, is in the water. If it is attached to cart with 400 lbs of presold rice in it, when it makes this decision, that's too bad.

2009-01-21T07:50:00.000-08:00

Border gate #10. That's China on the other side.

A lot of goods are moved over the border by hand - both into China and into VN. Apparently that which travels by people power is subject to much less inspection and delay than that which is transported by motorized conveyance.

These

2009-01-21T02:02:00.001-08:00

are the farmers,
and this:

Is their still. It's stone ax simple but surprisingly effective. The bowl of cold water on top causes droplets of alcohol to condense from the steam. If the droplets fall on the board they trickle out. If they fall back into the mash they double distill. What I had was about 50 proof and surprisingly drinkable.

2009-01-20T07:05:00.000-08:00

2009-01-20T06:55:00.000-08:00

I tried to sit in a chair this little horror thought belonged to him/her. He wrestled it away from me and carried it off into his den. True story.

In addition to being butt ugly this hotel was cold and filled with incredibly noisy Vietnamese officials who apparently had nothing better to do than get falling down drunk and the wander the hallways bellowing and shrieking.

2009-01-19T23:26:00.000-08:00

The device slung over his shoulder is a harrow, for use in the paddy. Usually it is pulled by a water buffalo

2009-01-19T23:12:00.000-08:00

This boat mines the river gravel for gold. Apparently there are also people who pan manually but I did not see any.

We had a fair bit of trouble with the bikes. An inner tube, the rear wheel bearings and some clutch components were replaced at various points. The good part: each job was done in less than an hour and cost less than $5.

The road was, in many spots, under construction. Which happened as follows: large amounts of rock would be dropped from the slope above to land in great heaps. these would be roughly flattened and compacted by a bulldozer and then the waiting vehicles would be invited to make their various ways over the result as best they could.

still on the sapa road

2009-01-19T02:21:00.000-08:00

The old women do beautiful embroidery
the very best is on the slings the babies are carried in

Hill tribe village (Black Dao or Red Dao I think)

The road was often blocked - we did a lot of waiting

K - all gardens both in V N and in Laos are private. Most rice is also farmed privately. The whole collective farm thing never really got a foothold in Communist SE Asia

2009-01-19T00:59:00.000-08:00

Those things really are just like zeppole only sweetened with honey instead of powdered suger

Very good while they are hot - quite nasty when they have gotten cold

2009-01-19T00:53:00.000-08:00

With Minsks on the Sapa road

2009-01-19T00:30:00.000-08:00

Here we are on our (more or less) faithful iron steeds actually setting out on the road to Sapa

Even the hill tribes (some are still semi-nomadic) have cell phones now

Suspension bridges really sway quite alarmingly when you cross them

I have found a way to reach my blog

2009-01-17T02:41:00.000-08:00

courtesy of a proxy server in Brazil. but I cant post pictures
:{

on the road

2009-01-13T18:05:00.000-08:00

internet slow or non=existent

more posts in 2 days
V-

HaNoi again

2009-01-11T00:08:00.000-08:00

the kids practicing ballroom were funny. no music, they were not counting, they were just trying to get thru the pattern of steps. it wasn't working out really well for them

last laos

2009-01-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

bought school supplies and distributed to orphans

got mobbed by the little ones while handing out colored pencils

no pix though

Near Luang Prabang

2009-01-09T07:30:00.001-08:00

2009-01-08T23:59:00.000-08:00

Falls, jungle (my guide leads on), a ruined villa, some rice seedlings. But. Also. A dog.

2009-01-08T02:39:00.000-08:00

buddha? e.t.?

even monks must do laundry

sun dried then deep fried, delizioso

2009-01-08T02:14:00.000-08:00

this place is overrun with monks
the dogs are cute and friendly - these two things are not necessarily related

2009-01-07T02:40:00.000-08:00

Laos- so far I've seen temples and statues. I'm told that if I get up at 6am I can see hundreds of monks trooping thru town. Hmmmm .

2009-01-06T03:08:00.000-08:00

friends

view from the hotel window

2009-01-01T17:37:00.000-08:00

The roof of the Duomo (Milan)

2008-06-04T10:39:00.001-07:00

It gets its own post

Lombardy (V)

2008-06-04T10:27:00.000-07:00

You could call it the worlds first mall

Rice paddy in Lombardia

Actually this is Toscana (would you have known if I had not told you?)

Lombardy (C)

2008-06-04T10:11:00.001-07:00

Dead people are fun

Tuscany(C)

2008-06-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

It really looks like this

Tuscany (V)

2008-06-03T12:50:00.000-07:00

Tuscan piggy is delicious

Villa D ESTE AND VILLA D H

2008-06-01T10:53:00.000-07:00

Villa D ESTE by C

2008-06-01T10:34:00.000-07:00

Florence (by C)

2008-05-30T14:32:00.001-07:00

Cheech had a fit that I posted the wrong fat man pic -so here is the right one.

And a fashionista

Villa Lante

2008-05-30T14:20:00.001-07:00

2008-05-28T12:31:00.000-07:00

Paolo found the chandelier by the road and made this

thugs (sort of)

it speaks for itself

2008-05-28T12:26:00.000-07:00

2008-05-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

C. likes to take pictures of people taking pictures

More Florence:

2008-05-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

it's hard to photograph the city.
There are hordes of horrid zombies marching lifelessly down all the streets, controlled (we presume) by evil overlords bent on world domination

there is also creepy performance art

So I offer a single detail

Florence

2008-05-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

(Duh)

We are staying in what used to be

workers quarters for an old hat factory.

Hat form? Hat block?

Ageno near Genoa

2008-05-26T08:52:00.000-07:00

Those cute little creatures are baby wild boar. Their mother was not happy to have me photograph her children.

I avoided mother dear but fell and hurt my shoulder. Oh well.

Last Pho in Ha Noi (we stopped on the way to the airport)

2007-04-11T16:47:00.000-07:00

Our waitress crosses the street bearing pho

and we dine

mmm - al fresco

I enjoy a lovely beverage

She records the event for posterity

Bonsai - Viet style

2007-04-08T18:03:00.000-07:00

Cleaning catch basins in Hanoi

2007-04-08T08:04:00.000-07:00

The guy in the green rubber suit goes into the sewer and fills up buckets.

The guy with the long hook pulls up the buckets out of the sewer.
The guy with the helmet empties the buckets into the little cart.

The guy with the big gloves? He's the boss. He watches to see that all is done correctly. Why he wears the gloves is not entirely clear. He certainly does not ever actually touch anything work related.

More pic's by Vic (he took some good ones)

2007-04-04T14:16:00.000-07:00

Country blacksmith: he made machetes out of old car springs and ax heads out of lumps of iron. I bought some of each.

Some monks out by West Lake

People in V N loved to take our picture or to have their friends photograph them while they were standing by us ; go figure.

Some pictures by Vic

2007-04-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

An actual pontoon bridge - how cool is that,

The reflector came off while I was riding and cracked me in the shin. I bled like a stuck pig. Cows can be a real pain; sometimes they just don't get out of the way.

Not this one though, 'cause he's in it

Last day - so sad

2007-04-01T01:38:00.000-07:00

Cheech chatting up some aussies

bunch of mopeds parked inside a fairly upscale eyeglasses place

cops don't like it when you take their pic , this one is writing a ticket

who would think

2007-03-30T23:11:00.000-07:00

a Minsk could look this good

C was shopping. I was making friends with the girl selling pineapple and banana - she lent me some of her stuff

Market

2007-03-30T03:58:00.000-07:00

fish

meat

veggies

2007-03-30T00:53:00.000-07:00

We actually spent most of today in a museum

there is a whole street of these shops

buying a knife

Garden

2007-03-29T04:59:00.000-07:00

We went out to the 'burbs to visit a guy who does the best bonsai (Viet style) in Ha Noi

we were assaulted with starfruit
lots & lots & lots of starfruit
(I'm not that fond of starfruit)

but it's better than old people tea

Random stuff from today

2007-03-29T04:30:00.000-07:00

sweet potato fritters - I've been eating a lot of street food I'm wondering when I'm going to get really sick

she thinks I'm cute

the fish are, in fact, on a bicycle.

It had to be done so

2007-03-29T04:23:00.000-07:00

I got a haircut

Daytrip to the country part 2

2007-03-28T05:03:00.000-07:00

the country

(or an alley in the village)

Daytrip to the countryside

2007-03-28T04:36:00.000-07:00

lunch in a two hundred year old home where friends of Vic's make soy sauce the traditional way

Standing stones

2007-03-27T03:33:00.000-07:00

Its hard to tell in the pic but the rooster is tied to the gate with a piece of string

cause I have a relatively good connection tonight

2007-03-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

some random stuff :

a new boat being delivered

the Ho Chi M trail (2007 style)

They are actually pulling the stuff they caught (mostly quite small) free from the net

sometimes

2007-03-26T06:49:00.000-07:00

you look at scenery

or at a fisher(woman)

or eat lunch

But sometime you just gotta ride around in the lobby

I still can't see my blog or answer any comments but L has assured me that my posts are going up so that's good

(I guess)

Farming village

2007-03-25T06:34:00.000-07:00

from the top (left to right)

self trying to look iconic

Vic & Cheech

Vic again (a while ago)

An old village street

I'll let you guess

a concrete barge carrying bricks

I'm

2007-03-24T05:50:00.000-07:00

smokin'

Fisherfolk

2007-03-24T04:57:00.000-07:00

and streetfood.
Deep fried ricecake with a sweet bean paste center
Delishhhhhhh

Sometimes its

2007-03-24T04:27:00.000-07:00

not good

good

on the road

2007-03-23T20:44:00.000-07:00

Hmong women

another new friend

Hmong village

2007-03-23T20:12:00.000-07:00

I had a migrane last night I still feel a little rough apparently I look a little rough too - C says if I was not white people here would think I was homeless (a propos nothing)

Thats Thang by his bike
we had a lot of rain day 1

me an my new best bud. (at the gym)

It's a good thing I'm tough

2007-03-23T04:14:00.000-07:00

'cause life is harsh here in the bush, and the internet connections are 56K modem when you can get them.
I don't know how the locals manage, I really don't - though they seem to be doing pretty goodotherwise. All the kids have their own bicycles and the village dogs are well fed.

I'll try to post some pix later well see how that works out.

Street stuff

2007-03-21T01:01:00.000-07:00

I know she's a little blurred - I shot onehanded with my zoom pushed all the way

This is what's pissing me off.I'm posting all this stuff (I hope) but I can't actually access my own blog to admire my work or answer comments. I wonder if this is some half assed censorship thing or just a peculiarity of the internets here.

Today we had museum

2007-03-21T00:52:00.001-07:00

NOT MY FAVORITE THING
(though I must say some of the bronze age weapons interested)
Tomorrow the motorcycle begins

(the plethora of red things are for weddings)

A little reverence please

2007-03-20T06:42:00.000-07:00

(not for C's attempt to get hopelessly wedged in the alley)

some veggies-some culture-some little girls

2007-03-20T02:59:00.000-07:00

Street food - new friends etc

2007-03-20T02:01:00.000-07:00

Ha Noi Day 2

2007-03-19T05:51:00.000-07:00

Large parts of the city are without power.
Internet access is sporadic at best
Had to work out by candellight

Socialist Realism is not what it used to be.

Ha Noi -day 1-PM

2007-03-18T07:16:00.000-07:00

The gym I found - it does not translate well to image.

Out by West Lake

the only decent photo I took today

Ha Noi -day 1 (AM)

2007-03-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

First day: it's pouring - I have no pix yet. Later I will go find a gym and somewhere to get a massage - not here in the hotel. I want a seedy dive frequented only by the criminal classes.
That'll give me something to photograph. I'll let you know how that works out.

V-

2007-03-09T04:32:00.000-08:00

Can't go to CB's any more.

2007-03-08T04:40:00.000-08:00

Goin here? Pointless for the next 20 years.

2007-03-06T05:08:00.000-08:00

Nahhhhhh not this time

Nine days to go

2007-03-05T06:14:00.000-08:00

Not going here either

Two weeks to go

2007-03-02T06:05:00.000-08:00

no I'm not going here