Here’s an image I took tonight as wind and rain delivered a monsoon dousing. Desert plants smiled as rainwater soaked their roots. I always wonder about the rabbits, coyotes, bob cats, birds, and javelina. Where do they take shelter from rain, wind, and lightning? Somewhere out there. . . . they will be back tomorrow.
A mourning dove fledged this afternoon. Mother flew off in the morning – perhaps to Paris? Enough is enough she said, and that’s how I feel about my trip to France. Time to move on. These last images are a mix of scenes and tell their own stories. Visit France via a great website – http://www.monuments-nationaux.fr
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Here’s what I love about Paris – open-air markets, incredible fruit, vegetables, seafood, prepared food, and cheese. I love food, so the city if perfect for me. Paris has an efficient, expansive metro and rail system, but you must pay a Euro to use the WC. And, get used to having some guy standing next to you at the wash sink. Guide books extol the wonders of the city – a truly great city.
Here’s what I like about France – strict gun control laws, centralized education, paved roads and highways maintained by drivers’ tolls. Bucolic small towns and villages. Stone walls and wildflowers. Normandy, history, museums, and much more.
What don’t I like? Cobblestones. Dog litter. Cigarette butts. A woman next to us at an outdoor cafe smoked four cigarettes while she ate dinner. If second-hand smoke is annoying, take a table inside the restaurant.
ART
FOOD
The retail shops on Rue Saint-Jean (Bayeux, France) were closed when I stopped for a second look. Jean Paul’s quirky window display of nude mannequins hit a high note in creative merchandising. Up and down the street, signs offering discounts were plastered on store front windows. Mannequins were dressed – some wore shoes. Some wore hats. I hope I have the right retailing idea, start with a naked body and customers will want to see your merchandise. How’s that, Jean Paul?
Two weeks between Paris, Dijon, Rouen, Bayeux, and the Normandy coast. I begin with images from my most favorite part of Paris – Montmartre. The “I Love You” wall at Place de Abbesses has 612 enameled tiles written in 250 languages. A smudge next to Rita Hayworth – the image of Ava Gardner has been removed. http://www.lesjetaime.com/english.
The Nevada Museum of Art is my first stop whenever I visit Reno. Last week I saw the Dave Eggers Insufferable Throne of God exhibit. Eggers is a San Francisco-based writer with many talents in his quiver. In describing his show which ends on July 26, Eggers said, “I think of what that animal might be thinking . . . “
Come on back and relax.
A tour of Public Lands & National Parks in the USA
Consider Writing 