Orange County Fair 2008

The Orange County Fair is held annually late July till the first week of August. It is a cheap and interesting way to spend the day. I went there last Thursday and I was surprised that I got in for only four dollars! The general admission is nine, for seniors it is seven and for kids five and under it is free; however each Thursday the rate for those age 60 and above is only four and all the rides for them are free (like they care for them - they already get dizzy just walking around). Parking is five and ten dollars depending on how far from the fair entrance you park. It is free, if you care to park in the street and walk a bit.

I thought the word was mispelled and it should be "buttered" - it was "battered" indeed, the potatoes looked miserably beaten to a delicious end LOL.

I like mine Pinas style, roasted naked over live charcoal.

Smoked turkey legs

Turkey on a spit

Young "sabongeros"?

A 600 pound hog

Wet sand sculpturing

London Eye

The last time I toured United Kingdom and Ireland, the London Eye (the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe) was not even in the drawing board. It has since become the most famous tourist attraction in the UK since it was built. When my wife and I completed our Mediterranean cruise in 2004, we decided to stay a few more days in London to see and experience the Eye and to revisit old haunts in the city.


On a boat along the Thames with the London Eye in the background

One of the capsules of the Eye

A view from one of the capsules at its apex

Missouri, July 2008

My wife and I were set to fly to Kansas City to visit her ailing nephew-in-law and to join up with her sisters for a road trip in Missouri and neighboring states. However, the nephew unexpectedly succumbed to his ailment, the road trip was put on hold and we wound up attending a funeral instead.


I had to take a picture of the vault as it was being mechanically lowered to its final resting place because this is the first time I saw a photo collage (of the deceased and his family) imbedded on the lid. A boxful of butterflies was also released as part of the ritual. I guess different funeral homes have their own ways of doing things subject to changes and approval of the deceased family.


Kansas City skyline as seen from our approaching car

A lady "cochero" minding her horse as she waits for tourists to hire her carriage for a brief spin in the city.

The courtyard of the Harry Truman library in Independence where the President and his wife are buried.

A play at a KC park

Elk meat for sale at this tiny farmer's market

A heavy downpour the like of which we never experienced in sunny Southern California

An empty bench straddling a jogging/walking trail and the Missouri River