Sunday Summer Wrap Up

"Horse Parking" in Lancaster County PA

I am back in Kazakhstan, but I feel like something more needs to be said about my summer travels before I can return to posting about my adventures in Kazakhstan.  After spending time in Philadelphia, New York, and Washington DC, I spent a wonderful week in the very aptly named Paradise, PA.  There I ate the freshest, most heavenly sweet corn I have ever tasted, ran into Santa Claus in the post office, and was formally introduced to Lord Peter who later joined me on my flight from Chicago to Abu Dhabi.


I ended my summer in Durango, CO where I visited Mesa Verde, found the "Butch Cassidy bridge", and walked the Animas River trail over and over again in an effort to relax while I waited for a visa to return to Kazakhstan.

Long House at Mesa Verde

At long last, I am back home in Almaty, and am ready to resume my weekly outings.  Stay tuned for a Tidbit Tuesday special about the Pet Bazaar.

To all of the wonderful friends who made my summer quite wonderful: THANKS! 

Animas river from the Butch Cassidy Bridge

Special: "No Sane Person" or "Summer Travels Pt. 1"

My summer holiday is half over and I realized that I have not updated my blog at all since leaving Kazakhstan.  So I give you a monster of a few of my favorite photos from the places I have been thus far.

First: an ominous warning from Philadelphia:

"Warning No [sane] person allowed beyond this point"

My trip began in Philadelphia where I took a week-long course at Villanova, saw some Independence Day festivities, and caught up with old friends.

The Independence Day Parade in front of Independence Hall

My next stop was two conversation filled nights with LB in New York which also featured trips to the Botanical Gardens, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and some wonderful Gelato.

A fountain (People of Mer-ville, BEWARE) in the Botanical Gardens

A magical back staircase in the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Cloud City (unfortunatly sans Lando Calrissian) atop the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Finally, my travels took me to DC where I made the obligatory pilgrimage to the Lincoln Memorial and met up with my friend Ruth.

A boy reading the Gettysburg Address at the Lincoln Memorial

I feel as though I have not really done justice to the trip in this post.  Perhaps I will have to add a postscript later (don't feel obligated to laugh at the pun.  No pun-laughing required here).

Movie Monday: Farewell Philadelphia

In honor (and mourning) of my last day in the Philadelphia region, here is a little video that almost comes close to summing up my experiences here in the last 6 years.  The pictures are all pictures I took of places or things I found interesting as I went about my life in the city.  Unfortunately I am missing some pretty famous landmarks as a consequence of this uneven methodology.  I guess I'll just have to catch shots of those next time.

As hard as Philadelphians are on their city, I have this to say:  I have never once needed help here and not received it.  Someone always steps forward to lend a hand.

I will definitely miss this region!