Fall Colors

It has been a fabulous week for colors in the Chicago area. Tuesday it was raining again, just lightly & there was very little wind. As I coming home there were carpets of leaves covering the area under many of the trees. Some were reds others were yellows & a few oranges too. It was a very pleasing effect & I was thankful to be there to see it.
Last night was "The Taste of Randolph Fulton Market." Brody's donated the balloons. We asked Bill & Teri from American Balloon Company of Glen Ellyn to create & install the decor at the event. The event is held at the Galleria Marchetti an excellent venue for this type of networking.

It is not easy to photograph this stuff, but I believe these images give you a feel for how they looked. The RFMA Taste was very successful this year. The balloons were a hit & of course the food was exceptional.

Frosty Morning Walk by the Creek

It was cold in the Chicago area today, I suppose that is why it was so still & quite when I woke at about 7. The Salt Creek runs about ½ a mile from my house. I have enjoyed many hours walking, skiing, biking & boating in & around this visionary resource over the 20 plus years that I have lived in Westchester, IL.

In college I was a Photography Major, but I burned out my junior year, & never pursued photography professionally. I have an recurring fantasy of working for National Geographic, or Sports Illustrated, which I nourish by having this saying next to one of my many desks "It's never to late to be what you could have been."

On one of my walks last year I was awed by the frost crystals on the plants. I did not have a camera with me & must have made a pact with myself to revisit this place at the proper time. This morning I was disappointed as I walked the trail. There was no frost, no ice in frozen puddles, the ground didn't even crunch under my footfalls.

I did find some nice mushrooms.
These mushrooms made me think of the "Omnivore's Dilemma" which is; they sure do look good, but will they kill you if you eat them? There is another part of this dilemma too, being a true Omnivore one will eat anything, therefore we have morals & ethics.

Well I kept on going & lucky for me I wandered into the back side of the sledding hill. The open prairie like space was frosted! You may not realize but you must have very special conditions to have this kind of frost or even dew. If there is any wind at all they will not form.
What does any of this have to do with balloons, you ask? Well everything & nothing at all.

A Call to Action From Our Commander-in-Chief

This arrived in my inbox this afternoon. I think it is wonderful!

From: President Barack Obama [mailto:info@barackobama.com]
Sent: Friday, October 09, 2009 4:15 PM
To: Lee Kaufman
Subject: A call to action

Lee --

This morning, Michelle and I awoke to some surprising and humbling news. At 6 a.m., we received word that I'd been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009.

To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.

But I also know that throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes.

That is why I've said that I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations and all peoples to confront the common challenges of the 21st century. These challenges won't all be met during my presidency, or even my lifetime. But I know these challenges can be met so long as it's recognized that they will not be met by one person or one nation alone.

This award -- and the call to action that comes with it -- does not belong simply to me or my administration; it belongs to all people around the world who have fought for justice and for peace. And most of all, it belongs to you, the men and women of America, who have dared to hope and have worked so hard to make our world a little better.

So today we humbly recommit to the important work that we've begun together. I'm grateful that you've stood with me thus far, and I'm honored to continue our vital work in the years to come.

Thank you,
President Barack Obama

Do You Speak BALLOON?

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