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31/12/09

2009 in Pictures - May

May is expected to bring Spring season! it did.. though it was pretty cold and unusually cold for that time of the year, it did not stop the flowers from blooming, it did not stop the birds from coming out and singing, and it did not stop me from going to Holland, Michigan to enjoy the Tulip Festival.

I had rented a Nissan Altima for this trip, and I loved driving it... had not driven a car so smooth and so responsive yet! Totally totally loved it... and had just the right company in Joy along with me... Pritam, Sunil and Golu joined us from Minneapolis later in the evening after we checked into our motel near Holland!

Photography would have been a challenge for sure, because I do not know what to do when I am supposed to take pictures of flowers... I personally came back satisfied with the pictures I took that weekend though! enjoy the moments and some photographs from Holland below... This might just be one of the most colorful months of 2009!


The right set of people makes a trip so much better! I am so grateful to have good travel companions all the time (I also take credit in that though! I chose who I travel with, most of the time)

Artist's tables are one of the most interesting things that I know of... they shout out loud of creativity!


I have also been fascinated by wheels and rims for a long time... but I do not have a liking for such loud rims! I like them subtle... like Radha!


Holland in addition to the Tulips, is also famous for wooden shoes! And yes, you can wear them!


I also drove a Jeep Commander... Big SuV... loads of space! and Jeep :)

We managed to find a lovely local Italian restaurant for lunch and then a decent Indian restaurant for Dinner... had to rush and drive fast to reach the Indian one in the night before it closed, but we did manage...

Another very interesting thing we did in Holland was go on a Sand dunes safari... it was a crazy sand ride with adventurous twists and turns in a 1979 dodge truck!

The Big Red light house in Holland... This place was exactly opposite to Milwaukee on the other side of Lake Michigan...


We also managed to check out a local market in Holland before we headed back to Milwaukee.


I love huskies! Period! This one had such beautiful blue eyes!


Also visited a winery on our way out of Holland... Experienced a bit different US there... very quiet, non-concrete, natural America... lovely it was!


And more flowers near home!


The third car I drove in the month of May was a Mazda 6. Radical design, but another beauty to drive! I had rented it to get Ma Pa from the Chicago airport! Cannot explain that feeling in words... going to an airport to pick up mom dad after their first ever flight! very precious memory!


In May itself, I drove to Minneapolis and Chicago with Mom Dad!


This is a view from the 14th floor apartment in Minneapolis... my home away from home in America... the famous or rather infamous 1409!


See you with some pictures from June soon!

28/12/09

...

Jai Ram ji ki!


2009 in Pictures - April

The biggest thing about April 2009 was 30on30... It was a personal achievement which brought immense satisfaction to me, and I am glad that the thought worked so well! April was also about some warm days, more rain, less snow, and some cold days too...


My birthday was celebrated by cutting an Apple pie instead of a cake because the gang from MSP could not find a cake shop on their way to Milwaukee on my birthday... it was nice to have friends on birthday night, though birthdays usually are no big deal for me...

We thought of going to 6-flags, the amusement park about an hour south of Milwaukee, but it was too cold to get on the rides and we had to come back, much to disappointment of Deepak who wanted to go inside... Later in the year, we did manage to get to the park and enjoy a few rides...


We also visited the Miller Brewery in Milwaukee that weekend... For those who did not know, Milwaukee is famous for its beer as well! At one point of time, it used to have the largest number of breweries in the US.


After the free tour, you get to taste the 3 key beers that Miller makes at this brewery!


I also got my flash in April... the macro lens and the flash unit were my birthday presents to myself... I suck at using flash in photographs, and have to learn how to use it... one item on my to-do list for 2010...


Talking of places to visit, I also spent a few days at the Milwaukee Art Museum in April...

April 10th was cold for sure... but there were really warms days in April too... the picture says it all I guess!


Rain and the macro lens... good combination if you know how to use it well... My first attempt and much below average, still does not stop me from posting a few pictures I liked from that evening...


This brings me to the end of a wonderful first quarter of the new year! The other months' pictures can be seen here if you have not seen them already...


See you later with some pictures from May!