Very Important Person

A VIP was in Albany yesterday, US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. He was in the area to promote the 'Race to the Top' awards. That's a Federal program where the states compete against each other to win Federal money. That sounds crass but it's not easy to explain in a short blog posting.

New York State was awarded something on the order of $700 million.

Secretary Duncan has been taking the bus as part of his 'Back to school' tour.

That's the spot!

Our Swissy has a few favourite places on her typical walk route where she drops and rolls onto her back, wriggling along the grass. It must feel good, because she spends a good 5 minutes or so if we leave her to her own devices.

She's a good dog.

Hello world!

The rain stopped and these micro puddles were beckoning...

James at Newtown Daily Photo runs a theme called Weekend Reflections. Around a hundred photo bloggers post a photo containing a reflection; beautiful work. Click the link and go see! I love the heron(s) this week!

Skywatch Friday

The Moon seems so far away.

When I was a boy, I was thrilled by the astronauts walking on the Moon, but I must confess that I always had the deepest respect for Michael Collins, the man who was all alone orbiting the Moon when Armstrong and Aldrin were down there. Most people remember the 12 who walked, but not the 15 who orbited...

A group of photobloggers post a photo of their skies each Friday - it's called Skywatch Friday. Click the link to see photos from round the world.

Rain drop

Nestled in the leaves of my hedge, the biggest drop is about 1/4 inch in diameter. So tiny, and yet in their billions, trillions, they fill the rivers and oceans.

Autumn rain?

It's been raining continuously for over 30 hours. After the long dry spell, it's impossible not to think that the autumn rain has begun. The outside temperature is 64F / 18C and I had to close some of the house windows last night to keep out the chill.

Of course we still have another few weeks of summer, but this view from inside the car is a reminder of the next season on the menu.

The National Weather service predicts a 100% chance of rain today. I won't be taking the motorcycle to work!

Rainy flower

Having a bit of rain today but this flower doesn't seem to mind one bit.