Montreal / WWC
We were in Montreal for the Germany / France match on Friday. It was fun being in the city again.
It was a bit odd walking back into the Olympic Stadium. We had been there while the Expos were still playing, and Peter mentioned that the last time we saw a game there he was sure we would never set foot in the place again (The franchise moved to DC after the 2004 season). It is a shame that they put a roof on it, as watching outdoor sporting events in a covered venue is a somewhat unnatural. And the place still smells of garlic fries and burgers. But it was a great match, with Germany winning on penalties 1-1 (5-4). We were all rooting for France, but the atmosphere was fantastic, and it was great to see a World Cup match in person.
On Saturday morning we went to the Botanical Garden and hung out with Peggy Ross and her husband Peter. Great little bonsai collection.
Peter has been following Formula One for a few years now, and we had heard that anyone could drive around on the actual circuit. It is so cool, as it is divided so that one lane is for automobiles (max 30 kph) and the other is for bicycles, roller blades, other non-motorized conveyances and people who just want to walk. And it shows up on the GPS. Turn right in 0.6 miles!
Here’s the Element at the back of the starting grid.
New Haven Union Station
I picked up Peter at Union Station this afternoon. It was a beautiful day.
Off to Montreal tomorrow to watch Friday’s France / Germany WWC match. O Canada.
Summer Solstice
Yesterday was the longest day of the year, and there was a little event at the UMASS Sunwheel. We put the dog in the car and went down to see what was happening. It was a beautiful evening.
This has been the greenest summer I can remember in a long time, although that could relate to the fact that I was in California earlier this month, and the contrast is striking.
Willard Suitcases / Back to Work / Flora T
I’ll be back in Rotterdam tomorrow, and am looking forward to shooting again. We are hoping to finish up with Margaret D’s things soon, and once the Exploratorium cases are back from California, that will just about do it.
I have just uploaded Flora T’s photos to the willardsuitcases.com site and it is worth checking out. She had some amazing possessions. When you go to the site, click on “The Cases”, select Flora T, and be sure to select view “all” at the bottom of the page.
My friend Lin Stuhler has just put up a few new posts on her site. Well worth checking out. Click here and here.
I hope to post some images from tomorrow when I get home in the evening. Thanks for following.
Ithaca / Drone / Peter Carroll
I’m in Ithaca for an interesting meeting about the suitcases, and have been staying with Peter Carroll. He has been flying drones for his work for a few years now and just got the latest Phantom 3. Very cool and amazing to watch. Here is a link to some of his test footage. Digital imaging has changed the world for videographers and photographers to such an extent that our ability to do new an interesting things is almost unbelievable.
Have a great week everybody.
Disney / The Huntington
Cristine grew up going to Disneyland as a very young child. Her parents would drop off all three kids when the park opened and they would pick them up when it closed. Many of her popular culture references are Disney related. Once when we were snorkeling in the Caribbean, she popped up from a dive and said “It’s just like the submarine ride at Disneyland”! We would go to the park while visiting her family when Peter was little, and I really got to like it as well.
We had a wonderful day there on Wednesday which included a fine meal at the Blue Bayou. Our table overlooked the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and I was able to make this nice picture.
Yesterday we went to The Huntington near Pasadena, which in its own way is just as cool as Disneyland. We started off in the Botanical Center which was full of orchids.
Then moved on to the rose garden.
Made the obligatory stop to see Blue Boy.
Which is breathtaking. Gainsborough had it rockin’.
Asked about Turner, and they had this, “The Grand Canal. A Street Scene in Venice”. Here is a detail.
Yikes!
And then walked into this room and nearly fell over when I saw this.
When we were in the American Art building I was somehow reminded of a painting in my brother’s and my bedroom when we were children. All I could remember was a guy lashed to a small boat being circled by sharks. So I did a quick search on my phone (guy lashed to a small boat being circled by sharks painting) and saw this. I don’t know why we had it in our house, and as a child I remember being frightened by it. Bob, do you remember this?
Just got back from a last visit to In-n-Out. I guess it’s time to go home.
Jon Crispin's Notebook 
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