TROUTS LATEST PHOTOS
January, 2007 – Issue #68
Bob and Camille embark upon a new year.
58 YEARS AGO – ITHACA, NEW YORK 1949
We had never seen this photo of Mom, age 17, on her Indian motorcycle. It captures her happy, loving spirit perfectly.
There is no easy way to say this; Mom and Dad were in a nasty car accident January 5th and although Dad was able to walk away from the scene, Mom was not. She suffered a shattered pelvis, broken neck, broken femur and ribs as well as a lacerated spleen, internal bleeding and lung damage.
Needless to say, all of the family and friends were shocked and saddened and began praying for her recovery. After a couple of weeks in ICU, Mom was released, in a halo neck brace, to a nursing home in her community where she is making steady progress.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Another year, another trip to the laundromat.
NOTHING NEW OUT HERE
After they finished the laundry, Bob and Camille walked over to the Biodiesel plant in the snow.
A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
We took five days and flew to Southern California with Amy to look at colleges.
Camille caught this pelican hanging around the cafe on a San Diego pier.
We enjoyed ourselves despite record old temperatures. Camille was thrilled to see the Queen Mary and get on the beach.
If these palms weren’t so prickly, Camille would have hugged them. We miss palm trees in our life and hope to get back to somewhere warm soon.
OVERPASS
Amy captured this picture from a bridge on the San Diego State University Campus. There are more campus photos at Romping Across California Campuses
THE SUN SETS ON OUR LAST DAY
There are more pictures on January Jaunt to Southern California
BACK TO REALITY
Our next trip took us to Denton, Texas, where Bob helped Charlie out at the Biodiesel plant. On January 19th, Bob went out on the grease collection route with Jimmy. It was just about freezing and the bins were semi-solid.
Not to mention full of debris like this dead bird and plastic cup. Basically, restaurants collect their old fryer oil in bins behind their restaurant, which can be pumped into a truck and made into Biodiesel. Makes eating out a lot less attractive, doesn’t it?
MEN AT WORK
It took Bob and Jimmy two hours of heating the bin and pumping it out to suck out half of the thick grease. A couple of days later, Bob and Charlie went to the top of the landfill to adjust the methane collection apparatus. They collect the methane and use it to run the Biodiesel plant.
This is the view from the top of the landfill.
DOWNTIME
We made a side trip to visit Tio Bob who lives near Denton, Texas. Before going out to dinner, Bob and Uncle Bob traded music on their computers. We had not seen Tio Bob since he left Little Corn Island in 2005. He was the engineer there and more – he held the whole operation together. There is a photo of him outside our “house” at Casa Iguana in February ’05.
SNOW ARTISTS
Steve and Team Colorado are at it again – carving Michigan snow into a piece they titled Passing Wisdom.
DAWN OF A NEW DAY
Sunrise from the bed and breakfast on the last day of the month.
THIS MONTH’S QUOTES:
The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?” But…the good Samaritan reversed the question: “If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?” – Martin Luther King Jr.
The friend who holds your hand and says the wrong thing is made of dearer stuff than the one who stays away. – Barbara Kingsolver
When we honestly ask ourselves which people in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share out pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. – Henri Nouwen
We are here to help each other get through this thing, whatever it is. – Mark Vonnegut