Because the fog got so heavy I had to continually wipe down the lens, in the end most of the later images never really turned out as the fog became heavier and heavier, but these first few did and a few more taken a little earlier of the Bay Bridge.

This is a 3 image stitch.

Group of travelers in the Small Crater of the Negev

Isragirl Presents : Travelers in the Small Crater, Photo by Niva Simon ©

This photo by Niva Simon was taken in the small crater in the Negev. The craters of the Negev (Ramon Crater, Big Crater and Small Crater) formed over years due to the disappearing of the ocean and the change in river flows. The crater is a valley surrounded by steep walls and drained by a single riverbed. Ramon is the world's largest crater of this type. In the photo you can see a group of travelers walking towards the cliff edge. The vistas at all three craters are stunning.

Mountain Goat at Sunset on Israel National Trail

Isragirl Presents : Mountain Goat at Sunset, Photo by Nadav Rotem ©

This photo by Nadav Rotem, was taken on the last part of Israel National Trail. Rotem trekked along the trail for 53 days and when he got to Yoaash Mountain he encountered this mountain goat watching the sunset. This picture was taken not far from Eilat, and Yoaash Mountain is a great day trip from the town where you'll find beautiful view over looking the Egyptian border, as well as good opportunities to meet local wildlife.

Wildlife, Sunsets, Craters and Blue, Blue Sky - This is Israel

• Travel Israel: Guide, Travel Tips, Photos and Videos
• Romantic Getaway vs. Family Vacation
• Eilat's Attractions
• Active Holiday in Israel
• Eilat's Beaches
• Israel Photo Gallery

"Like music and art, love of nature is a common language that can transcend political or social boundaries." Jimmy Carter

HeyJules posted a weathervane on her blog The Way I See It a few days ago and her photo reminded me of this weathervane which flies high atop one of the barns at the University of Wisconsin's agricultural complex in downtown Madison. (Except her photo was of a horse vane, and quite a lot smaller.)

I'm not really sure why the name James is on the vane - perhaps it really is the name of the cow, or more likely the name of a farm family.

Addition to the post: I decided I had better check to see if I could find out why this cow was named James. And I did find out. Seems there was a company called the James Co. out of Fort Atkinson, WI that made large weather vanes in a variety of animal shapes around the 1900s. I found quite a few examples through antique dealers' sites: several rooster vanes - these all seem to have been used for target practice and have bullet holes in them - and another cow vane. One dealer recently sold a James weathervane for $1300, so evidently they are collector's items.

If you want to learn some pretty awesome information about weather vanes in general, including why 18th Century vanes required a king's permission, and what a 9th Century papal decree decreed about vanes, this short article on these silhouettes in the sky will tell all.

In the evening before the sunset
You broke my heart with your black words...
Black like this black boat....
But the sun will always shine...
You will not close it...

The shadow man is waiting still under the tree in moonlight....

* I stay, I pray
See you in heaven far away.
I stay, I pray
See you in heaven one day.
Mike Oldfield

I haven't seen any swimmers yet. I haven't seen any lifeguards either. . .

Lake Mendota
University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin

Sometimes thinking is good to heal...
When I sit and watch the sea after meal...
There are lights that blink other side of Bosphorus,
Shut my door of grief as papers to seal...

Like seagulls...
Always at shoreline...
Habitual rutins...

Only You, only You are always with me...
When I cry, when I smile...
Only You, only You make me strong..
Whenever I am weak, when I am in wrong...
You are my God...
You are my Allah!
La ilahe illallah Mohammeden Rasulullah...

On the subject of tutorials, if you haven't seen this old post on bookbinding tutorials yet, now is probably a good time, there could be some good tips there for binding your final publication.

The calendar says spring. Who looks at calendars anyway? It's time to rely on ancient wisdom and consult the snow dial.

Let's see. Thursday, March 27, 2008, 10:52 am, CDT. Ah, the snow dial says it's SNOWING. Those ancients are pretty darn smart. They are correct.

This photograph is brought to you by the letter "S". "S" is for Spring. "S" is for Snow. "S" is for Snowy-Spring. (with my fond regards to Sesame Street - maybe I'll go sit with Bert and Ernie for awhile and stew)

"S" is for Sigh!

But "S" is also for Smile.

“Being born in a duck yard does not matter, if only you are hatched from a swan's egg.” Hans Christian Andersen

This Tundra Swan, oddly enough named "Snowflake," sits prettily in a pile of snow at the Baraboo City Zoo in Baraboo, Wisconsin. She lives there with two large flocks of ducks -- the Mallards and the wood ducks.

Today is not my turn to make a post, but I decided to put pictures from today's dance class here. They turned out to be very good.

I'd like to make a personal remark that I don't like Yair's comments on me being and behaving silly. ;) That's why I will put pictures from Yair's todays 5 females massage session here. ;P

Girls on the balcony

Sophie

Sophie and Yair

Yair's 5 females personal massage session

Yair and Aga (photo by Nathan :)

Chez and Natalie

Alex

Katrina

If You are not at the pictures so far, don't feel bad or excluded, cause You are in the background of this picture for sure!

I may be a little scattered recently, because I'm going back to Poland and my life in England is finishing now for a while. So I feel much in transition point, in between. But as my Buddist landlord says: try to enjoy the present moment and don't think of the future. My exchange contract at the Dartington College ends on Friday just after tomorrow's dance assesment with Helga. I'm flying back to Poland after Easter. I'm trying to d enjoy last weeks here. I've read my landlord's book about getting rid of anger within oneself which says that first you have to enjoy the food that you are eating and concentrate on it and on the present tense. To do it you have to chew your food a lot to make it a liquid in your mounth. So I'm trying to chew a lot recently and grasp to the moment.