Multimedia Player's or For the Love of iPOD

One of the things I like to do when I'm talking to people about music is for both of us to take out our iPod's and list the first five songs that come up on Shuffle.

My list for Today, Friday, May 29

1. Christmas Is by Johnny Mathis.
Well, slightly off season, but enjoyable.

2. All at Once by Whitney Houston.
Got her first album, before she became WHITNEY HOUSTON. She had a guest role on Silver Spoons, which was part of the publicity for her album.

3. I've Done Everything for You by Rick Springfield. I was so in love with him, still really enjoy his music.

4. Look What You Done For Me by Al Green. Was part of a greatest hits album. Not a bad song, but...

5. Only the Lonely by Roy Orbison. Love me some Roy Orbison, probably because my parents listened to it, so I heard it alot. But he was pretty awesome.

Paraguayan Artistry

One of the things few things to do in Paraguay on a weekend was to go shopping in the artesian towns, this picture was taken in Tobati. The man is Senor Zenon Paez, it's his shop. See this link http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+making+of+a+saint-a08494608 to read more about his life and work. The lovely lady next between us is Vida Martinez, a very good friend, with whom I've sadly lost touch. Senor Paez was lovely and I bought a copy of the tall thin wood carving next to him. I love it and Senor Paez was such a nice man. Under the photo of Senor Paez's family is a photo of him gifting Pope John Paul II with a special present. He pointed it out every time we visited him -- it was one of his proudest moments, I think.


Here is a sample of his work. Mostly saints, but on the bottom row are masks and peasant and his ox cart, which seemed to be a big "thing" in Paraguay at the time.

Here is the wood he saved for his carvings. I can't recall the name of the wood, but it had a very special scent.

My first big art purchase. It's a lapacho tree (otherwise known as a jacaranda). They are everywhere in Paraguay. They line one of the main avenue's in Asuncion and when the petals fall off the tree into the tram rails you would look down the Avenue and see two lines of purple, it was very picturesque -- I wish I had taken one. I bought this painting in particular because it was very representative to me of the Paraguayan countryside.

I don't remember where I took this one, it was one of the little artesian towns. That is not water in the background though.

This church is on the other side of the street. Very pretty, yes?

Don't recall where this was, but thought it was the weirdest rock I have every seen.

This is the "la Residencia" statue commemorating Paraguayn independence.

Typical "modern" village street in Paraguay.

Even more typical with the cow in the road!

Me shaking hads with President Carter! He monitored the first "democratic" election in Paraguay. Corruption in this, like in everything there was rampant. But at the end of the day people voted for the Colorado Party because it was the party they knew. I think they would've won even without the corruption. Carter's Secret Service team were a lot of fun!

Me and my date, Larry, before my first Marine Ball.

Me and the Marine Security Guards at the ball. This was the best group I've ever had the opportunity to work with -- a lovely group of men.

I had a GREAT time at the event.

Iguazu Falls

There wasn't a whole lot to do in my first posting in Asuncion, Paraguay. The only place cheap and close was Iguazu Falls in the tri-border area of Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina. It was a relatively short drive and the hotel rates were very reasonable. We saw wildlife, strange billboards and lots and lots of waterfalls.
These are toucan's I'm sorry you can't see them very well. I need to get Photoshop so I can enlarge and stuff. I was very excited to see the toucans though.


These are coati's, they were everywhere and very aggressive as they were used to people feeding them, as you see these people doing.

This was at least my third visit to Iguazu Falls. I'm afraid I don't remember all their names. The girl on the left was our summer intern, then there is Stephanie Gonzalez, Karen Williams, another woman whose name I don't remember -- but I remember hearing she married a Marine guard. Then there I am -- note the long hair. Then there is Carlos -- he was one of our Marine's, a really nice, funny guy.

That's Stephanie and Carlos in front of me, we decided to see the falls from the bottom up close and person. It was wet. It was fun.

You go to see the Falls, expect to get WET. This wasn't the wettest part, but you could guarantee getting a bit damp.

This was one of the strange billboards. I couldn't resist. I was told they're advertising bull semen. Strange and weird, but amusing.

One of the many views of Iguazu Falls.

And Another.

And another. One of my favorite shots. I have a lot more in my scrapbook.

But I won't bore you, it's just more of the same.

More Paraguay Pictures Coming Soon! I love my new scanner.

Sunsets at Cape Conran.

One.
Two.

Three.

Four.

Bendigo and the Dandenong Ranges

The Imperial Dragon - Bendigo. It's one of the parade ones --

which we missed by a matter of hours.

Bendigo was very pretty. Lots of nice architecture.

Courtesy of all the gold mined in the area.

After the gold mine tour.
We were dirty and I had a headache from the helmut.


Deej drilling for gold -- didn't find any though.

Part of the mine.

The Puffing Billy Steam Train in the Dandenong Ranges.
But because of fire danger we had a regular engine.
Still cool though.

Another view of Puffing Billy.

A view from Puffing Billy.

Melbourne

Old Melbourne Jail or as the Aussie's spell it, "goal".

The workings of a clock in the mall - cute.

They built the mall around this old shot gun pellet tower.


It was Easter-time so Ferroro Rocher put up this big gold egg.
It wasn't chocolate.

The prosecutor in the Ned Kelly Trial. She did an awesome job.

Beauty of a train station -- turn of century.

Melbourne City View.

Jervis Bay Area

Yes, Only with CAUTION!
Yea! Deej didn't fall off the cliff!!!

Kangaroo or Wallaby? I'll never know.

View of ocean during the Murray's Beach bushwalk.

Our first sight of marsupial wildlife -- a wallaby.

Orbost and the Snowy River Area

A pretty picture. Naturally prepared by the sea.

Have no idea what this is, but it's cool. Weird. Kinda creepy.

The most awesome seashell beach.

Deej's first kangaroos!

A pretty vista in the Orbost area.

The Buchan Caves.

Again, the Buchan Caves.

The view from our bedroom at the B&B at 6:00 a.m.