James Blunt isn't such a pansy after all

A goon he may be; a pansy he is not. James Blunt gave a lively concert last week in Mannheim. He didn't deliver the overly sentimental gushing falsetto we expected. Mr. Blunt rocked out for us.

Kate had scored great seats and VIP parking - thanks to her elaborate connections in the local entertainment industry (she taught the whole arena staff English, even down to the guy who drives the zamboni).

So, aside from keeping our lunch down during "You're Beautiful" and "1973," we thoroughly enjoyed his performance. I would even recommend it.

Deac and Jane in Europe

Dad and Jane came over for their honeymoon last month. We got to catch the start of their trip and accompany them to Switzerland. On the way, we swung by Auggen to visit Laurie and Ernie. Here are some shots and the link to their site

Adobe Elements meets Final Cut

Following is a slight experiment in combining still shots with video software. It comprises about 120 still shots adapted with Adobe Photoshop Elements with graduated stylizing of four effects.

Fall in full effect

Kate, wielding her D80, snapped some peak-fall photos of the town. Although no Vermont "fruity-pebbles-poured-on-mountains" landscape, the ruddy foliage, the terra-cotta-tile roofs, and the ubiquitous maroon sandstone in these parts pleasantly dominate the autumn spectrum. We'd enjoy the season even more if we knew winter wasn't so close behind.

Birthday monkeys

Perry took me down to see monkeys near Lake Constance. I got to feed monkeys popcorn right from my palm the whole day. They were pleasantly fuzzy macaques - chubby, playful, shivering, mutually grooming monkeys. They sat on the posts and awaited their snack.

The monkey mountain, or Affenberg as it is called, also hosted other creatures, including deer, leviathan-sized carp, storks, ducks, geese, and elusive frogs.

We then went on to a town on the banks of Lake Constance for a Greek meal and a stroll along the promenade. Below you'll find a slide show and video of the day. I couldn't think of a better way to spend my birthday - everybody loves monkeys.

Heidelberger Herbst

Every year, Heidelberg holds an autumn festival, to which Germans (and other nationalities) flock. Come 11:00 a.m., the streets are chock-a-block, shoulder-to-shoulder packed. Kate and I snuck down around 8:30 to beat the crowd and get a look at the preparations. The medieval theme is obvious from these shots - but there were also some unexpected sights and sounds.