Photo for My Thoughts

I was working on a project in Perth, Western Australia. This was my first time in the country, on the continent, and in that particular hemisphere so I was excited and scared at the same time. Aren't most of the poisonous things in the world in Australia? I'm pretty sure I read that somewhere. No, it was DEADLY. The seven most deadly animals in the world live in Australia. Yikes. That might not even be true, but you can see now how quickly these things can gain momentum. Since I was staying in a bungalow by myself for three weeks (it was cheaper for the company than staying in a hotel room for that long), I immediately purchased a giant can of insect spray and carried it with me from room to room. The only intruder I ever encountered was a cricket, but from what I can remember that thing was enormous. Like something from the jurassic period. Or Alabama. And I may have let out a chord-like keen of distress as I released half of the can's contents on the unfortunate guy bu...

A trip with good friends always includes laughter, ruined plans, at least one unforgettable moment (hopefully more), great conversation, and delicious food. On Tuesday, I experienced ruined plans, witnessed an unforgettable moment, and had a good laugh over delicious food. Avery and I awoke before the sun again, on a mission to capture the New England sunrise from a new vantage point. The weather forecast included rain but not until later in the day, so on Monday night I told Avery I would wake up at 3:30am and look up through the yurt skylight to make the go/no-go call. If I could see the stars, we'd get up and head to the park. If not, we'd sleep in. In the wee hours, I heard the tinkle of my cell phone alarm clock and laying on my back in the loft bed, opened my eyes to peer through the plastic bubble at the top of our yurt. Twice as many stars as appear in the Cleveland sky twinkled back at me and I smiled. Good morning, Maine. "Avery..." I whispered. ...