Snake spit....

....because really, what's more fun than getting spit on by a snake???

Worth the wait!

It was great fun watching the kids wait for these buckets to flip! They would get so excited and would all scream as they saw the bucket start to tip over.

Sorry again, about the wait! I've been having internet issues this week. However, I do have good news!! I finally bought Photoshop Elements. I'm so glad I did. I didn't realize it had so many capabilities. Now, I can do a little more to my photos that pass them through a quick crop and enhance in iPhoto. So, bear with me as I learn how to master Photoshop!

Hero of the day!

Another photo from the water park. This guy was the hero of the day for all of the smaller kids. The buckets in the photo periodically fill up with water, and then, when they are full enough, they spill over and splash all of the kids below. Well, it seems that sometimes this did not happen soon enough. Imagine the happy screaming from all of these kids when this guy was successful in tipping the bucket!

Summer fun

My favorite 9 yr old decided to have his birthday party at a water park here in town. I work days, so by the time I leave work, the hottest part of the day is usually over, so it was great fun to be outside all day!! I have several pictures I'll be posting of this great park, but these girls seemed to have to right idea for keeping cool.

Nice chandelier....

Here is the bar area of the Stumble Inn. The big bull-pen was off to the right as I took this picture. The antler chandelier was begging to be shared. I was holding the camera up, waiting for people to move so I could take the picture, and didn't notice the smoke until after I took it, but I think it looks kind of cool. This bar is not technically within Omaha city limits. Last year Omaha passed a smoking ban law, so most places are now smoke free.

Rodeo

Sorry, everyone! I know it's not a great quality photo, but really, the bull-riding still makes me giggle when I think about it. Somehow, I can't imagine getting up voluntarily in front of all of those people to get thrown off a fake bull, much less paying for the experience. Large quantities of alcohol would have to be consumed, and I'm not really much of a drinker. Still I applaud these brave souls....they have more guts than I do! I'd much rather stand outside the ring and take pictures!!

Ride 'em Cowboy!

A friend recently took me to the Stumble Inn. We had a blast hanging out with some friends and watching the brave (and/or possible drunk) souls who rode this mechanical bull in front of everyone in the bar. The place has wood floors, antler chandeliers, and this huge pen in the middle where you can pay to ride the bull. I got some great photos, but no bull-riding for me that day.

Posting has been sporadic this week, sorry about that! Thanks for those of you who keep coming back to visit! I love, love, looove my job at the hospital, and I know how lucky I am to be able to say that, but after all, it is a hospital, and we deal with emotional things like illness and death. As an interpreter, I get to know my patients very well sometimes. This past week or so has been very emotional and tiring with one family in particular, and I haven't made it out to take many photos. It's a blessing to know that in some small way, I can help make a difficult time for someone maybe just a tad brighter.
However, my camera and I are planning to spend a lot more quality time together in the upcoming days!! :-)
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Life Net....

At the Donate Life event that I posted about recently, the Life-Net helicopter made its annual appearance. They open the helicopter for taking pictures, getting in to see what it's like inside, and the pilots are there to answer questions. The kids love it! I work with some of the EMTs who fly sometimes, so it's fun to see them there. Close to the end of the event, the helicopter takes off and everyone can watch - from the safe distance behind the row of security guards whose elbows are in the picture. I'm very proud of my hospital! Patients are brought in from many places, and I frequently hear/see the helicopter as I'm arriving or leaving work.

Woodmen Tower

The Woodmen Tower, in downtown Omaha, was the tallest building in the city for over 30 years. With 30 stories, it reaches a height of 478 ft. It is the home of the Woodmen of the World insurance company. In 2002, First National Bank's opened its new headquarters in a 634ft building which now ranks as the tallest. The Woodmen Tower has been my "skyline" since I was little and moved here. I was driving downtown recently and snapped this photo from my car (hence the fuzziness). There was an eerie glow to the city that night, and I like the light in this photo.

Progress....

This is a new shopping center that is being built in my old stomping grounds. I grew up in a suburb of Omaha. This is in Papillion, where I went to high school. When I was little, and not even that long ago, this whole area was farmland. I was amazed to see all of the stores that are already opened in the area. It will be beautiful when it is finished, but it was kind of sad also. The whole area is soooo different from how I remember it. I guess it's all in the name of progress.

Omaha has the best music!!!

These are my friends! Chris Saub, Matthew Tobias, and Steve Packwood. They are the Chris Saub Trio, and the best band in Omaha, and pretty much anywhere. It's possible that I could be (slightly) biased, but they are amazingly talented. They played a few days ago at a bar called Two Fine Irishmen, and that is where I took this picture. I took a short video of them also, and as soon as I figure out how to put it up here, I will do so. In the meantime, check out their website and listen to their music www.chrissaub.com. The guys, and Chris by himself, play all around town, about 4 times a week. They played at the Omaha Entertainment Awards (this past January was the first year), and are frequently featured on the radio here in Omaha. To give you an idea, here is a description from their website about the newest CD:
"Aero Regalla" contains 12 new vibrant tracks. Though the album falls under the umbrella of Pop Rock and Roll, listeners will be delighted to find tracks representing other genres: Big Band Swing, Party Funk, and Smokey Rhythm and Blues, all accompanied by a new horn section. A "love opus" and a "soaring anthem" are accompanied by a string section. Even the "Rock and Roll" songs have their unique influences: 60's Brit Rock, 70's Riff Rock (Led Zepplin), coupled with modern tonality and freshness. Intelligent lyrics, creative arrangements and eclectic pop songwriting will allow this album to stand on it's own.

Theme day - View from your bedroom.....

The view from my balcony is much more fun....but here you see the view from my room, which is the theme after all! Sadly, my flower boxes have no flowers.....They will soon, but I'm not known for my gardening skills. I'm working on that. From the balcony the only view is of the sky and the trees, which I love. If you look back in my archives, I actually have a few pictures taken from my balcony. During the crazy snowstorms, it was the safest place outside to take pictures! And the lightning shot that I posted was also taken from the balcony whose corner is visible here.
Be sure to check out the rest of the Theme day shots from these great cities:

Seattle (WA), USA - Manila, Philippines - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Toruń, Poland - Baton Rouge (LA), USA - Seoul, Korea - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Vantaa, Finland - Madison (WI), USA - Saarbrücken, Germany - Cleveland (OH), USA - Chicago (IL), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Omaha (NE), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Stockholm, Sweden - Grenoble, France - Lubbock (TX), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Arradon, France - Hyde, UK - Joplin (MO), USA - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Kansas City (MO), USA - Naples (FL), USA - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Manila, Philippines - Sydney, Australia - Stavanger, Norway - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - London, UK - Chandler (AZ), USA - Nelson, New Zealand - Singapore, Singapore - Hamburg, Germany - Sydney, Australia - Tenerife, Spain - Moscow, Russia - Lyon, France - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Villigen, Switzerland - Anderson (SC), USA - Oslo, Norway - Evry, France - Hayle, UK - Mumbai, India - Kitakami, Japan - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Los Angeles (CA), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - La Antigua, Guatemala - Paderborn, Germany - San Diego (CA), USA - Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia - Madrid, Spain - Lyon, France - Selma (AL), USA - Shanghai, China - Baziège, France - Cologne (NRW), Germany - North Bay (ON), Canada - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Stayton (OR), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Austin (TX), USA - Hong Kong, China - Trier, Germany - Joensuu, Finland - Paris, France - Greenville (SC), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Budapest, Hungary - Cork, Ireland - Bastia, France - Vancouver, Canada - Brookville (OH), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Mainz, Germany - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Zurich, Switzerland - Torino, Italy - Montréal (QC), Canada