Third week of college

The third week of college has gone by well. I'm settling in (sort of) and just got 88 on my first Pre-calculus test. Friday there is no school due to Hurricane Eisenhower (Ike), and so I will not be able to drive through a lot of rain and wind that the general and one-time president brings us. Ike is currently projected to pass just southwest of where I live, and bring us the greatest glory of his cavalcade. Unfortunately, people revere him so much that there will be few people out along the road to greet him, even though Texas is his birthplace (specifically Denison, along the river that forms the northern border of Texas). His current reincarnation, however, seems to have been on vacation in the Cape Verde Islands when he was called to duty. Hopefully, he will disappear quickly so that the populace can move on with its peaceful weekend.

On a different note, we have finished the Iliad in Honors Lecture, and received our paper topics. I may post the final copy here for you to read and criticize as a novice college paper. We begin Genesis on Monday. Can't wait!

Birthright

This past August, I spent ten (words can not describe my feelings) days in Israel on a Birthright trip of religious intent, or should I say, a religious group, that was co-ed. I took about 1000 pictures and videos. Many will be put on shmsoft.com/yosef in the coming weeks.
Israel was lovely and awe-inspiring. Birthright is a splendid program. The amount of activities that we did truly gave a full sense of the land, from exploring archaeological digs near the Kotel, to passing by miles of vineyards in the Golan Heights, to praying at the kotel, to floating in the Dead Sea, where, truth to tell, the water is 80 degrees and it's hard to stand in the water, there is so much salt. Aside from the need to keep one's head above water, it is a pleasure to just float, no matter how heavy one is, in water that is self-supporting.

Visit Piony's Journal for the best 15 shots, as chosen by piony, and I will upload the same in the original sizes soon.

Georgia vs. Russia

This man twitters about the conflict in Georgia: http://twitter.com/wardirect

He mentions this picture.

http://pics.livejournal.com/drugoi/pic/00gwa3cb.jpg

Snake partakes of frog

I saw this drama last Friday morning. The garter snake had partially engulfed the frog. After I'd annoyed it enough, it backed off the frog and quickly slithered off. The frog survived the close encounter, albeit with a flattened backside.


Garter Snake tries to eat toad


Snake - at most an inch in width


Toad - squashed

Secrets in the garden

Mother's pictures.


Ornamental "Black Pearl" peppers


Ornamental sweet peppers


Tiny strawberry



Lemon