Another Geyser not far away...notice the rainbow!!
Microbes are responsible for the colors!
The first scene as I drove in this morning!
Lake Yellowstone and West Thumb Geyser Basin in the distance.
I found a beach!! on Lake Yellowstone...AND there were seagulls!!! I swear!!
I am now at Old Faithful Inn writing to yall and listening to a great piano player and warm in a beautiful Lodge!
then sat and ate the Tunas (cactus fruit) from El Cerrito, New Mexico...yummy!!
Saw this cow moose across the river munching on the willows...she probably stayed there a good hour. 
Started out in Alpine, Chinati Hot Springs, Big Bend, Texas....
New Mexico... Colorado.....just too many pics to go through so will start with where I am now.......
One of my jobs was to design and put in the greywater system for the schoolhouse. I had lots of help..we put in 2 pipes (ABS) that ended in a rock enclave, then goes into a mulch basin of hay and planted a fruit tree at the end of each one. One of the 11 residents in this village has vowed to keep them watered as noone lives in the schoolhouse.
Then we took a side trip to Las Vegas, New Mexico and about 6 miles from town there are the Montezuma Hot Springs..Robin and I have a soak.
The bees arrived via U.S.Postal Service all the way from Kentucky...I received a call at 5:50 AM saying they were in and I could come pick them up....this is 2 hives that came crated together. About 2 pounds of bees per box. They have been in here for 3 days and there is sugar water inside in a can to keep them alive. The Queen Bee is in her separate box. I had their home all ready for them. 
I checked them today and they are drawing out the comb and have even put honey in some...others are capped off with brood inside where the Queen has laid eggs and waiting for new babies to be born!
Visiting the Humpback Whales in the Bay of Banderas, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.....saw a LOT of whales......great boat trips.....mostly cloudy....and hardly any wind so did not get a chance to do the kite aerial photography.
About 20 miles south of Puerto Vallarta is a most magical Botanical Garden! Lovely setting on a river and a very fine restaurant! We were treated like royalty really as the owners are personal friends with Keith and Oscar.
I met Oscar a couple years ago in Holbox, Mexico when we were there filming the International Whale Shark Conference. He introduced us to this technology of Kite Aerial Photography (KAP). Since then I have visited him at his home in Puerto Vallarta and accompanied him on several boat trips out in the Bay of Banderas to see the Humpback Whales. They are having their babies now and there is a lot of activity. He sent me these photos yesterday!!!
Oscar is a marine biologist and has been researching the Whales for almost 20 years now. I will be helping him put all his data into a Geographic Information System (GIS). He now has a GPS on the camera so we will be incorporating that as well. I am so looking forward to being in Mexico again and I hear the Pacific Ocean is shaking around now so who knows what we will see or feel??!! MOre later....love, cynthai
to do this 12th Annual event. My daugther Bonnie, (left) and her friend Rachael participated as 
well. The air temperature was about 50 so the water actually feels warm...its weird...and the excitement makes you forget you are about to JUMP IN! There is no turning back as the current is strong and we had to be careful not to step on the endangered Wild Rice.
After the plunge we used a large blanket for our "dressing room".
The River Foundation serves Black Eyed Peas and Hot Chocolate to the Plungers. There were Hot dogs as well. This was a great way to break into 2010 as I will be spending a LOT of time on this river in the upcoming months. I have registered for Graduate classes and it just so happens the River snakes through campus.....Weeeedoggieeeeeee!! 
Louisiana is VERY flat and well water is everywhere....this is a Marsh...full of alligators and
and so much waterfowl that its easy to see why they call this state the "Sportsman's Paradise"
I will be posting more photos of the Composting Toilet construction as I know many of you are interested.....I was thinking to create a separate blog for that and so will let you know if I do that.
Melinda Esco has written her first book entitled "Texas Wineries". She tells the historical and current story of growing grapes and making wine in Texas as a business. This small book will inspire you to go on a wine tasting tour! I particularly like the little graphic roadrunner that runs through the book! Congratulations Melinda!!
