where are the rabbits this year ?

i seemed to have made a new friend this year - this little well-fed guy making himself at home in my back yard

late pics from from a roadtrip

pebbles carefully placed on a tree by a lake by persons unknown

 blue sky clouds snow-capped mountains and unending expanses of grassland 

cowboys casually wear cowboy hats in this part of the world 

a marmot pokes its head up to stare at an unfamiliar photographer

on a lazy afternoon grass-weed seeds float across the picture frame on a light summer breeze

artwork in a window of a downtown store late after closing hours 

as the sun sets to the west shadows form across mountains and prairie lands 

an endless number of meandering streams and rivers cross the landscape 

an eerie grove of ashen and burned trees litter the mountain high above the tree line 

first part of a road trip

took a drive on a highway that runs through a mountain desert - spotted a lonely cloud 

a local storm system dumping a full load of rain on the valley floor  

a pair of tourists getting their bearings

the only attraction in town attracts a wide range of visitors to this mountain metropolis

a monumental testament to the dedication of impassioned people is quite impressive

inexpensive italian wine in a downtown gastro restaurant 

a colorful street musician with a mended instrument entertaining passersby and restaurant patrons  

downtown

enjoying a cold one at an outdoor cafe near the city - a resourceful waiter collected a handful of sunglasses from nearby patrons to observe the solar eclipse

an exuberant fan of street fairs shows off his bone

graffiti art partially blocked by a couple of port-o-toilets

a crowd of young attention seekers dancing to the hypnotic beat of club dance music

a talented musician performing for pedestrians on a busy sidewalk 

late winter trip to asia

it is the end of winter with temperatures hovering about the freezing point - a dreary view of residential rooftops near the high-rise business district

the high-rise business district at the end of a long workday

a cool jazz bar provides a warm setting for conversation drink and live music

a traditional dance performance for tourists and locals at a dinner-theater venue at the foothills of nam-san

a different day and a different city - the location should be obvious from the iconic night skyline

took a trek to one of the most remote spots outside of this city where a rather large statue resides on a hill top

the spot is in an undeveloped and surprisingly peaceful locale

meanwhile closer to the center of town a new high-end shopping mall has sprung up and seems to be thriving in this monied economy

one simple pleasure is the ferry ride - offering a 10 minute respite from the perils of city life

a wet fish shop setting up for the day

a roadside restaurant serving spicy crabs where tables have overflowed into the street forcing loyal patrons to eat while keeping a wary eye out for fast-moving cars

enjoying a nice cold one in a bar with a view of this growing metropolis

the city view from my hotel room

fresh sliced and garnished beef being prepared at a yakiniku restaurant that has a distinct local signature

a video is included here for posterity

in the woods behind the house

there are trees that stand tall in eerie circles

moss that grow thick on waist-high stone walls

and tree tops that seem to reach higher than the moon

back in the southland for the holidays

driving through downtown - opened the moon roof - and looked up

a large list of specials scribbled in chalk at a japanese-italian restaurant

a short-staffed restaurant kitchen crew working on a holiday weekend

a store sells all manners of mexican wrestling masks to anyone with ten dollars and a dream