NASCAR

No sooner had we been back from the other continent, it was time to endulge in some real American hard core, red neck fun called NASCAR.
Nascar is probably the American equivalent of Formula 1 racing with the exception that you bring your own beer in a stadium that holds 120 000 and more people.
The only essential thing is really a pair of earplugs and some patience, other than that all you need is to sit and watch 400 laps of car racing with the occasional hold up after a crash that takes the action to a virtual standstill.

As boring as this may sound, it actually isn't. The atmosphere you find yourself in, is more than electric and the huge crowd as well as the monstrous noise of the race cars and the action gives you a real buzz and definitely takes you to a higher plane.

Our friends Chris and Tara got us some very hard to come by tickets and well equipped with a couple of six packs,tank tops and a 70 to 300mm lens we got ourselves a piece of the action;-)))

Enjoy!!

LIFE IS GOOD!!!!!

Now that we have been back from Europe for almost two weeks and I have regained control over my house hold and most importantly sorted trough the thousands of photos that I took overseas, I can sit down and reflect on this wonderful summer in Austria and England.

After an anxious, very early start (fear of flying !!!), Finley and I arrived save and HAPPY in Heathrow. All fears about crash landing in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean,having to survive days without food and water, bound to a small raft, in blistering heat, a sun burnt, dehydrated child clinging to its mothers breast, were instantaneously forgotten the moment the 767 touched down.
My religion teacher would have been proud of me, hearing all those prayers that suddenly found their way back into my head, but once on safe ground it was like...Jesus WHO???
Anyway, we made it there and this feeling of happiness and home coming took over my soul and made way to bloody annoyance as we were coming up to Tower Bridge and Windsor Castle in what must have been the 500th circle around London.

The first five days in Henley flew by and by the time I said hello to Stephen's family, made a quick shopping trip to Reading, had Finley utterly spoiled by his Granny and Grandad and fitted in the first of many pints of lager, we were on our way again to the airport and off to my beloved home of Waldhausen, my childhood paradise and home to so many people I love dearly.

My two favorite sisters Ida and Gitti picked us up from Vienna and whilst Finley slept through most of it, I was getting myself ready for a summer of fun.
And a summer of fun it was indeed, filled with sunshine and rain, walks around the lake and to the homecoming cross, horse riding and riding in horse drawn carriages, fun fares, stag dues and hen nights, weddings, christenings, rock concerts on Hader Gottfried's stage in the lake, yoga lessons at the pool, waitressing on BBQ nights, visiting castles and old friends, eating grilled fish on sticks on the lake side terasse, having friends over from England, taking hundreds of pictures on a small country horse show and admiring a 95 year old pipe smoking man watching the world go by from the height of his horse drawn carriage.
All this and more took place in a small matter of 4 weeks and needs to last for the rest of the year. If I could stick all those memories in a bottle, just to open it from time to time and smell the sweet smell of summer in Waldhausen, I would be the happiest person alive. Instead I have captured some of those memories on film and whenever I look at the photos it's almost taking me right back to this magic place called home.

Lot's of love to all you guys overseas!!!!!