This ancient Redwood rests in Big Trees national park, California, in a grove well suited for the gentle sequoia. From Wikipedia 'it is an evergreen, long-lived, monoecious treet living for up to 2,000 years, and commonly considered the tallest tree in the world, reaching up to 112 meters in height and 7 meters diameter at the base. It is thought to be named after the Cherokee India leader, Sequoyah." Cool.
Madeleine tries on finger paints during a play-date with Kitan (30/9/04), art-work thanks to nanny Aggie whose energy keeps the kids on their toes. 
I attend a rather dry investors conference in the Swiss canton and town of Zug (22/6/06), where I recall from my year in Geneva that not much happens in Switzerland. Thus is the case here. The German-speaking town is next to the Zug lake, and foot of the Zugerberg (3,225 feet). The setting is charming, the people are fit and the vice underground. I took the photo with my phone camera, so the quality not as good as it could be. Still, I like the light reflected from the water, and the sunset quite lovely. 
England awaits the World Cup quarter-finals tomorrow Saturday. Eitan's heros include the obvious David Beckham who, despite general mediocre performance, remains a world-class set-player and has kept England in the tournament with two excellent bending corning kicks against Paraguay and 
Ecuador. Michael Owen, another favorite, is out following a freak accident in the opening minutes against Equador. We also pull for Wayne Rooney, Stephen Gerrard and Joe Cole, who are playing to expectations and carry the weight of England's dreams. Dear reader do not under-estimate how important this game is.
Madeleine and her second cousins Bella and Lola take a ride on Charlie, a patient 26-year old horse at Aunt Martine and Bill Minnis's ranch in Colorado.
Participants gather for the wedding rehersal - 22/6/06. Maire and Scott's wedding took place in this field next to the Minnis ranch. The vista included rolling clouds, mountain ranges and tall grass. The ceremony was conduced by Maire's father, an Episcopal priest. The bride was delivered to the site in a cart drawn by Charlie and driven by her sister Molly, maid of honour. The bride wore a white full-length gown trimmed with blue and white check gingham ribbon, along with cowboy boots.
Madeleine and Sonnet spend the week in Colorado at Maire Minnis's wedding and celebration (25/6/07). Sonnet's family is re-united including mom Silver and her three sisters Robin, Missy and Martine and their husbands, brother Marcus, cousins Bru and Brooke and Molly and many others. This photograph taken in front of the local drugs store on a lazy afternoon.
Tim Larrison and I visit the Normandy beaches (17/2/02). We were blessed with fine weather, and guidance from uncle Larry Lee who provides a schedule of must-see places (Larry went to the 50th anniversary with John Eisenhower and Bill Clinton). What strikes immediately is the emptiness of the place, and the sand cliffs which provide the perfect vantage point for a downward pointing gunnery.
This photo taken in our Maida Vale flat, July 17, 2001.
Sonnet is under the covers likely exhausted.
Eitan scores a giant lolly at the the school fair, organised in part by your's truly. On a hot day in the UK (ok, about 85 fehrenhait) the community turns out to support the local institution, participating in auctions, inflate-a-slides, jumpy-castles, bbq and of course candy floss, popcorn and other forms of junk food. The fair is the school's largest money rake, beating out Christmas by a whisker. There is a lovely sense of community as mums and dads sweat out the stalls, while the kids run amok wired by sugar and the heat. The theme this year was 'circus' and while there were no cages nor animials, Zippo's suppled a cadre of clowns and jugglers. All in all, an A+ afternoon.
Christian Wright visits Germany and the World Cup (15/6/06), which began 9 June and matches the 32 qualifying clubs vying for the championship one month later in Berlin. Christian's itinerary includes London to see his England play in a proper setting - a smokey pub filled with maniacal fans drinking, cursing and sweating for the red and white. Fortunately for this afternoon, the boys eek out a 2-nil victory against Trinidad & Tobago, a team they should have beat handily. Still, the Capital erupts in joy; we celebrate at dinner on the Marlybone High Street.
Madeleine get's in on the action (17/6/06)
. Unlike Eitan who scarffed his treat on the day, Madeleine savours the experience and lords it over her brother' the rest of the weekend. The sticky gathers dirt, hair, dust... but this fails to pursuade Madeleine to throw the thing out. Sonnet and I try, but the screeches of protest unbearable. The final straw is the trail of blue, yellow and red across the couch, wall and any other exposed space under five feet.
Sonnet and Madeleine in front of 123 Lauderdale Mansions (19/10/02).
Madeleine up from a nap, and collecting herself before letting loose.
Eitan discovers the sand-trap at the local race track in Maida Vale (5/10/02). For a good hour or more he amuses himself - impressive when one considers that he has been walking for six months. Nb this is where Roger Bannister trained to become the first person to break the four minute mile. For my part, I pound away on the stationary bike or treadmill at the adjacent gym while recovering from various running related injuries.
I took this after-hours photo of two Mannequins on rue du Faubourg St. Honoree in Paris (9/6/06).
The kids hard at work at our local wine restaurant. Outside of the photo - dad with his glass of chianti.
This sculpture at the Royal Academy by Damien Hirst, b. 1965, perhaps the best known of YBAs (Young British Artists)(7/6/06). Death is a central theme in his work. He is best known for his Natural History series, in which dead animals (such as a shark, a sheep or a cow) are preserved, sometimes cut-up, in formaldehyde. His iconic work is The Physical Impossibility Of Death In the Mind Of Someone Living, an 18ft tiger shark in formaldehyde in a vitrine.
A beautiful day in London sees us in Richmond Park for a picnic and some piggy-backing. This weekend otherwise spent watching England vs.Jamaica, known here as the "raggae-ists," in a "friendly" football match before next week's World Cup. England's 6-0 victory spreads hope and elation across the island. Eitan, Madeleine and I have our all-England gear for Paraguay 9 June. Other activities include pool-side romp, bbq and Sonnet's chocolate pudding pie and Steve & Louisa's 10th anniversary party. To work tomorrow for some rest.
Switzerland October '05 where I visited rue de l'Ecole-de-Médecine, my high school jr year address chez Tendon (to orient yourself, think Springstein's "Born in the USA", Yvan Lendl, Margaret Thatcher and the good 'ol USSR). To my surprise Yvette greeted me at the doorway. The apartment remains the same, though smaller (Msr. Tendon died several years ago). I'm reminded of my step-sister Joelle, 15 years old and having a torid affair with 24 year-old Theofile David, a strapping 200 meter butterflier ranked top 25 in the world. Or Etienne Dagon who earned Switzerland's first Olympics swimming medal - bronze in the 200m breast stroke in L.A. I watched Dano Halsell set the world record for the 100m short-course free, broken by Matt Biondi. All team-mates on Geneve Natation 1885. I also re-visited College de Candolle whose sciences track compared favorably to my first two years of college - combined. Mostly I was happy to be in Geneva on a nice day, able to use my french, and feeling the distance between that time.
