In my husband's family, they have what they call pujas, where they worship their gods. They offer special foods and prayers, and say blessings over a sacred flame.

You'll see a white shell in the foreground. It's a conch shell. The priest blows in the conch shell to make a horn like noise. Blowing the conch is a ritual during the puja and is a form of prayer to the gods.

After the puja, everyone shares the sacred food.

This is me when I was in high school. 17, in love with music, and the man who took these photos. We're in a field about 1/4 mile from my house where I grew up.

Yes, I was almost a music major...and then I realized I had to put food on the table. And I just wasn't that good a musician! :spin:




The other photo is of the City I have grown to love over the past two years. Yes, it really looks like that. Often.

It amazes me every time I see it.

great pictures. Soounds like they are attached to beautiful memories.

Ever been to the Salish Lodge?

Very familiar sites for me growing up...

*sniff*

I miss FL....

Hmm so thats why my phone bill has been so high the last few months lol lol lol

I have that^^^^ cat :p

Take his phone card away.

She's adorable, Sweetie!

Our first snow.... looking off our back 4-seasons room.

That^^ looks like school mornings back when I was growing up. Thanks for the lovely trip down memory lane Chey! :D

You are welcome! :D Remember, when you are in merry old England, and miss home - let me know and I will take some pictures for you! ((((LIZZ))))

That would be fantastic Chey! You know what would be the things I might miss the most are pictures of snow and snowdrifts. And then in the summer, my grandparents like to take pictures of the corn on the 4th of July. As silly as that may sound, it will always mean "home" to me.

(((((Chey)))))

A long while ago (im going back about 10 years now) i used to work for VW and was sent on a training course to their head office here in the UK. I was given a very unique car to drive there and back.

The day before Lizz arrived i saw it again.....Told you it was unique

Yeah, I think you hit it square on the head there Mayhem. "Unique"

She's a beauty alright. :D

I guess they figured you wouln't be trying to slip into the titty bar on their tab with that parked in front. :roflmao:

waiting for breakfast
 

Taken at Miami Metrozoo last week...this female tiger was waiting for the zookeeper to feed her.

...so was this lioness
 

Also taken at Metrozoo...

Ohhh such pretty kitties! I love tigers!

Here are a few pics I took today... The first is of some trees that broke during the freezing rain storm we had a couple of nights ago, and the other two are of the snow in the park next to where I live (you can see broken branches in those pics too). I love snow :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Beautiful winter pics. I like snow in December thru February. After that...Spring please!

:daisy:

This last summer, back in Iowa, I accidently got a picture of a bat in flight. I thought it was pretty neato!

While we were at my parents yesterday just before sunday lunch we saw this small furry creature having its sunday lunch.

It was there for a good 20 mins chowing down

Yesterday, I took a drive and ended in E. Peoria looking across the Illinois River towards Peoria. I had my camera and took several pictures of the skyline and when I got home ... I combined three into something of a panorama shot. Originally 5487 x 1809 pixels ... it was too large to upload, so, I kept reducing it down until it was under 100K.

So, here it is, one of my first attempts at merging pictures into a panoramic shot ...



The second picture is of one of the smallest "tow boats" I've seen on the river. Kind of a misnomer since they really push the barges. Anyway. It was kind of cute.

Was actually just getting ready to PM you to post that panoramic shot on this one. Great minds huh? :D

Here's another panorama of two converging railroad tracks. There's actually five converging tracks, but to include them all took far, far too much space. Anyway, I thought it looked interesting.

I guess I'll add one more ... actually my first try ... just an open area in local park.

Those are FANTASTIC!!!! Great job!!!

Great photos DB, the first one shot across the Illinois looked familiar to me. I've been by that way a time or two in years past

Yes, but exactly where and how do the tracks converge? *That's* the interesting part.

Awsome pics DB!! Can't wait to see some of that country this summer.

Just about where I was standing quietly minding my own business taking pictures when this rumble started and a loud whistle blew ... thinking it was some fair damsel flirting, I played it coy and closed my eyes .... (scene fades to black ... :angel: :wish: :angel: ).

:)

A political intrusion too far?
 

I just bought these at the Supermarket.

No photo-shop etc required.

I love the tag....

"There's no substitute for quality."

:rofl:

OMG that is good!

Reminds me of a friend of mine who always asked for "Whisker Biscuits and Gravy" when we'd go out for breakfast after a night at the bars. That moron got slapped by pretty much every waitress in the state. :spin:

I suspect this is an appeal to the wedge of the Australian psyche which relates to the drovers and stockmen, mainly itinerant animal musterers akin to the American "cowboy". The bush these men lived and worked in bore little resemblance to the female hall of companionship.

Here's a Nude E-card that cup sent me

Here's a picture of The Spirit of Peoria riverboat docked near the downtown. Boat takes cruises (in warmer weather) up and down the Illinois River including dinner cruises and over night trips to Starved Rock State Park about 70-80 miles up river.

Picture of the sign on the door to the men's portion of the seperated beach (for Hasidic and observent Jews) in Tel Aviv. This beach is gorgeous - Israel loves its beaches and this one is on the Mediteranean Sea.

Man, I'd love to spend a day on that!!! A great pic for the middle of January!!

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e...bermuda2006.jpg


Bermuda