Monday, February 05, 2007

Re: News from MN, 2/04/2007

Hi Bruce,

Glad to see that your brother in laws "down under" influence is finely
catching on. We''ll make an aussie of you yet :))

Love
Your Budgie Smuggler wearing Brother In Law :))

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bruce Winter" <brucewinter@gmail.com>
To: "Malcolm & Beth Winter" <mwinter@midrivers.com>; "Laurie"
<l.winter@earthlink.com>; <brucewinter@gmail.com>; <nick@misterhouse.net>;
<zachwinter@gmail.com>; <suewinter@hotkey.net.au>; "Brad & Sue Page"
<bsp@hotkey.net.au>; "Scott & Darcy Winter" <sdmwinter@imt.net>; "Mal & Kim
Winter" <malcolmwinter@hotmail.com>; "Paul & Mika Kitamura"
<paul_mika_kitamura@msn.com>; "Craig Kitamura" <bluegardenia5@msn.com>;
"Bryan Tate" <btate@spanish-peaks.com>; "Annie Tate" <annietate@rcn.com>;
"Ben" <bentateone@comcast.net>; "Jim Birkholz" <jbirchwood@comcast.net>;
<Nicholas.Winter@oberlin.edu>; "Mike & Tracy" <mtgates@rangeweb.net>;
<bruce@misterhouse.net>; "Jessica" <peteygirl84@msn.com>; "Cassie"
<caligurliwish@hotmail.com>; "Luke" <tensneone99@hotmail.com>;
<fact10dud@photos.flickr.com>; <samsingitagain@yahoo.com>;
<helenbarkan@gmail.com>; <bruce_winter.bruceletters@blogger.com>;
<brucewinter.postit@spaces.msn.com>; "Crystal" <icecrystal_09@yahoo.com>;
<julian_higgins@emerson.edu>
Sent: Monday, February 05, 2007 11:08 AM
Subject: News from MN, 2/04/2007

> Greets all,
>
> In the last 2 weeks, we (Helen and I) have traveled to warm waters and
> back (from 10 degrees F, to 80, and now back to -10!) and we found and
> communed with the world traveling Nick for a few days. And I have
> several hundred new photos I could share, but I've showed some restraint
> and pruned it down to the following 10.
>
> The 1st 3 are from Nick's trip. He is writing up a long missive
> describing his adventures, which I'll forward when I get it. The
> executive summary is that he had a great time and loves China. He made
> some good friends, didn't have any bad things happen, and will probably
> go back at some point. The photos show:
>
> 1: Some sort of small brick wall he stumbled on.
> 2: Nick getting schooled in fishing by a girl (she caught more)
> 3: Lost in wild forest in an oh-so-stylish pink jumper.
>
> I took him back the MSP airport on Friday. We may or may not see him
> this summer, depending on what he finds for a summer job.
>
> Helen and I had a wonderful time in St Thomas. I managed to spend
> almost all of our 8 days there either on the beach or in the water and
> not burn my pale white desk jockey body. The water was warm and the
> fish were amazing. We saw a billion multi-colored pretty fish, along
> with a turtle, sting ray, octopus, barracuda, and a shark. Those last 2
> were kind of big (4-5 feet), so we didn't dwell on them them too much :)
>
> The first 2 photos come from the a $20 underwater digital camera, which
> lasted for 3 days before it leaked and self destructed. I learned that
> if you bring a slice of bread to the fishes, you become very popular.
>
> The next photo is the beech that was 100 feet from the condo we stayed
> at, where we spent most of our time. It is called Secret Harbor for
> good reason, as it is relatively private. The harbor is shielded from
> rough ocean water, yet has beautiful coral reef for the fishes to play
> in. The 4th photo is from another beach on a neighboring island, St
> Johns, that we visited via a ferry (the kind that floats, not the kind
> that flys).
>
> That black spikey thing is a sea urchin. Beautiful, but nasty. My hand
> met up with a small one one day, so we had to fish a few of those pokies
> from my fingers. I was lucky and avoided the poison, so had little
> pain. Helen's parents joined us the last 2 days (it was their condo we
> stayed at) and it was her Dad was crazy/experienced enough to pick one
> of those bad boys up.
>
> That next photo, with that guy in the speedo tossing his shirt about,
> was not picked by me, but rather by Helen who mumbled something about
> 'gotta have the playgirl shot'. That is my first speedo, but unlike
> Sons Nick and Zach, who's faces contort at the suggestion of speedos, I
> like them. Not only are they quite comfy and slide through the water
> like a mouse through easy cheese, but they look different than the
> ubiquitous baggy swim suites that everyone else wears.
>
> The 2nd to last photo shows Helen wearing a winter coat in 80 degree
> weather, anticipating colder temperatures to come. Not me, I left mine
> in the car (Zack picked us up in Helen's pre-warmed car ... with butt
> warmers!).
>
> The last photo is today's mystery photo. Hint: It is alive and you
> don't want to use it as a pillow.
>
> May all your bowls be super happy!
>
> Bruce
>
>

Sunday, February 04, 2007

News from MN, 2/04/2007

Greets all,

In the last 2 weeks, we (Helen and I) have traveled to warm waters and
back (from 10 degrees F, to 80, and now back to -10!) and we found and
communed with the world traveling Nick for a few days. And I have
several hundred new photos I could share, but I've showed some restraint
and pruned it down to the following 10.

The 1st 3 are from Nick's trip. He is writing up a long missive
describing his adventures, which I'll forward when I get it. The
executive summary is that he had a great time and loves China. He made
some good friends, didn't have any bad things happen, and will probably
go back at some point. The photos show:

1: Some sort of small brick wall he stumbled on.
2: Nick getting schooled in fishing by a girl (she caught more)
3: Lost in wild forest in an oh-so-stylish pink jumper.

I took him back the MSP airport on Friday. We may or may not see him
this summer, depending on what he finds for a summer job.

Helen and I had a wonderful time in St Thomas. I managed to spend
almost all of our 8 days there either on the beach or in the water and
not burn my pale white desk jockey body. The water was warm and the
fish were amazing. We saw a billion multi-colored pretty fish, along
with a turtle, sting ray, octopus, barracuda, and a shark. Those last 2
were kind of big (4-5 feet), so we didn't dwell on them them too much :)

The first 2 photos come from the a $20 underwater digital camera, which
lasted for 3 days before it leaked and self destructed. I learned that
if you bring a slice of bread to the fishes, you become very popular.

The next photo is the beech that was 100 feet from the condo we stayed
at, where we spent most of our time. It is called Secret Harbor for
good reason, as it is relatively private. The harbor is shielded from
rough ocean water, yet has beautiful coral reef for the fishes to play
in. The 4th photo is from another beach on a neighboring island, St
Johns, that we visited via a ferry (the kind that floats, not the kind
that flys).

That black spikey thing is a sea urchin. Beautiful, but nasty. My hand
met up with a small one one day, so we had to fish a few of those pokies
from my fingers. I was lucky and avoided the poison, so had little
pain. Helen's parents joined us the last 2 days (it was their condo we
stayed at) and it was her Dad was crazy/experienced enough to pick one
of those bad boys up.

That next photo, with that guy in the speedo tossing his shirt about,
was not picked by me, but rather by Helen who mumbled something about
'gotta have the playgirl shot'. That is my first speedo, but unlike
Sons Nick and Zach, who's faces contort at the suggestion of speedos, I
like them. Not only are they quite comfy and slide through the water
like a mouse through easy cheese, but they look different than the
ubiquitous baggy swim suites that everyone else wears.

The 2nd to last photo shows Helen wearing a winter coat in 80 degree
weather, anticipating colder temperatures to come. Not me, I left mine
in the car (Zack picked us up in Helen's pre-warmed car ... with butt
warmers!).

The last photo is today's mystery photo. Hint: It is alive and you
don't want to use it as a pillow.

May all your bowls be super happy!

Bruce