tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113668292011-11-03T20:53:53.263-05:00A simple blog started on a Thursday by a tollbooth operator on the Information Superhighway.MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.comBlogger2101100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-44029386836187809802011-05-30T14:09:00.001-05:002011-05-30T14:10:55.510-05:00

The circus is in town, as in Cirque du Soleil. Ovo is performing in front of the Mall of America

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-75843175969473869952011-05-25T23:34:00.000-05:002011-05-25T23:39:50.150-05:00

As a celebration of Geek Culture Day, I programmed an Arduino board to send the message "Hello Geek Cultures!" in Morse Code. The plural on cultures is because there are so many different ways of being geek- find yours and embrace it. A video of this code running has been posted to below for your enjoyment. Source code for the Arduino project follows for those who are in the Geek Source Code

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-41494084357751776102011-05-24T01:59:00.000-05:002011-05-24T16:37:52.496-05:00

A nice sunny day in America.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-22645140625258279592011-05-22T01:59:00.000-05:002011-05-24T16:38:23.947-05:00

I didn't start the day expecting to see a Delorean decked out in Back to the Future style. But there it is! Nicely done, the interior featured appropriate renderings as well. And yes, that is a person dressed as Batman in the background. Don't ask.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-58533872213588392602011-04-25T01:59:00.000-05:002011-05-19T18:56:21.654-05:00

Been a while since I've posted a "Pic of the Day". Golf course development continues, here's a shot from the fairway.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-75598599889403525712011-02-02T08:42:00.000-06:002011-02-02T08:54:02.356-06:00

A weak picture of downtown Minneapolis from 5 miles south. It's from a phone camera not designed for distance, but a keeper because the sun has come out after days of haze.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-34839444103481744052011-01-23T17:16:00.000-06:002011-01-24T09:27:59.598-06:00

I noticed this sketch on the Robotics team captain's notebook. He was planning the organizational structure and is apparently blissfully unaware of the negative connotations of the term "pyramid scheme". Either that or he has a sense of humor and sarcasm that I wasn't aware of until now.One of the interesting aspects of working with a team of students on robotics (or perhaps on anything for

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-91869071886823932932011-01-16T01:59:00.000-06:002011-01-22T19:53:56.873-06:00

FIRST Robotics isn't just about the robot, it isn't even mainly about the robot. It is about hands on experience showing students that careers in engineering can be fun and rewarding. Along the way the students pick things up, like how to combine whatever resources you have on hand to solve (sometimes complex) problems. One of the programming students set up a camera to take time lapse photos

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-25083470573277184842011-01-08T01:59:00.000-06:002011-01-24T09:29:00.353-06:00

It was time to warm the students up for the FIRST Robotics FRC build season. The team decided a fun way to prepare would be to have teams build trebuchets to throw a tennis ball.Trebuchet building would let the students get some practice researching, designing, planning materials and building. It was quick, and was also something that could be opened up to non-students involved with the program

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-36580650616876509782010-12-26T01:59:00.000-06:002011-01-13T10:29:22.240-06:00

It seems cats in general, not just this one, love sitting under a Christmas Tree.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-42048169313184634532010-12-14T12:01:00.001-06:002010-12-14T12:01:42.172-06:00

OK, Just a mobile blogging test here. Nothing to see, move along.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-38203614735904555432010-12-13T01:59:00.000-06:002010-12-14T14:30:31.194-06:00

OK, the snow has stopped. But I don't think we'll be dining outside today.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-72817754586483604572010-12-04T15:52:00.000-06:002010-12-04T15:54:36.103-06:00

You've probably heard of sun dogs, well here's a Snow Dog in fresh powder.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-56393780998909638332010-11-01T01:59:00.000-05:002010-11-17T11:15:39.442-06:00

More progress in the new Stone Haven development (formerly Carriage Hills golf course, this road going through what was a club house into the driving range).

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-48109037811203875572010-10-30T01:59:00.000-05:002010-11-17T11:20:43.917-06:00

Given the view in this photo is facing North, What's wrong with this picture? That isn't a sun rising on the horizon, its a reflection off a couple buildings appropriately named "Reflections". They are an interesting pair of buildings; their LEED certification (translation: environmentally friendly construction and energy efficient) may explain the highly reflective nature of the curtain-glass

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-21092132316474948302010-10-17T01:59:00.000-05:002010-10-21T15:02:25.711-05:00

Time to walk back to the former carriage hills golf course and see how things are going. There are well defined roads now, this one goes through the former club house site. It's being built with what I call the Suburban Curve. I think there is a rule that suburban roads cannot be straight, it distinguishes the 'suburbs' from the 'city'. Or something like that.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-58742275141670227192010-10-12T01:59:00.000-05:002010-10-21T14:58:35.671-05:00

Another sign of the changing seasons - Ground Fog! It's hard to get a good picture on the fly. Sure you could stake out the perfect spot (maybe a picturesque golf course), arrive before sunrise and wait for the light to be just right. Or you could be just waiting to turn onto a street after picking up some coffee and snap a picture through the windshield of your car.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-34959029860100396832010-10-10T01:59:00.000-05:002010-10-21T14:55:09.520-05:00

We've had an odd fall anomaly in my neighborhood, all the trees were changing colors at once. Usually a few will go early, then the die-hards will follow suit. Not so much this year, but that seems to have passed. The green faded and the tree's true color stood out for a while, now that has faded too and the dry leaves are falling. Without a strong wind you get scenes like this one, a lone

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-84787162464726888982010-10-04T01:59:00.000-05:002010-10-21T14:50:09.671-05:00

It's getting colder in the North Country. This little leaf caught some frost overnight in the lawn.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-62194990298636003612010-09-29T01:59:00.000-05:002010-09-29T09:39:12.837-05:00

Not quite a yellow brick road, more a golden tree drive (with an amazon man shadow in the street, at this time of year near sunset my shadow is 27 feet long).

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-12293971433498466772010-09-27T01:59:00.000-05:002010-09-29T09:34:34.291-05:00

If this photo were taken a couple months from now, Ditto Dog would be on a field of white snow.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-14065639917034677532010-09-26T01:59:00.000-05:002010-09-29T09:37:04.233-05:00

Looking closely between the bulldozer and dump truck you can see a line of sticks with pink flags and fire hydrants. That, my friends, is a future road through what used to be a golf course.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-58240055337263776382010-09-20T01:59:00.000-05:002010-09-29T09:56:50.960-05:00

In June I took a picture of this area as a freshly planted field. I was thinking I'd get back during growing season, taking pictures as the field grew. Summer was busy, including a trip to a farmers market where these kinds of crops get sold. Here we are in the fall, some of the crops have been harvested but there's still more coming in.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-21471157839220787032010-09-19T01:59:00.000-05:002010-09-24T14:51:00.975-05:00

It was time for the annual Renaissance Fair picture. Each year I take one outside the main entrance. This particular Reni Fair is outside the Twin Cities. It was started in 1971, making it one of the oldest and largest in the United States. But what does Wikipedia know? What I know is its big. Permanent buildings and performance spaces make for a well attended six-weekend event where people

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-49433556407444789552010-09-15T01:59:00.000-05:002010-09-24T14:45:04.781-05:00

Just in case you were wondering what could be done with a little over $11 billion dollars, I give you City Center, Las Vegas. It covers 76 acres, and was originally estimated to cost $4 billion (whoops, I thought my estimates were sometimes off). Multiple towers are connected by walkways inside and out, bringing the 2,400 condo units, 4,800 hotel rooms, unknown number of stores, resturants, and

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-87790676061725800492010-09-14T01:59:00.000-05:002010-09-24T14:27:44.932-05:00

Yes, this picture was taken in the desert. Tera formed, manipulated, energized, paved, air conditioned, and altered in every way imaginable- desert. At the south end of the Las Vegas Strip sits Mandalay Bay, and at the East entrance to the resort is this little bit of "take me away from it all". Nicely done, I hardly believed I was where my GPS claimed me to be.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-49010571147718780342010-09-13T01:59:00.000-05:002010-09-24T14:24:23.787-05:00

While on a couple days off from work to attend a wedding in Las Vegas this wall painting caught my eye. I was grabbing some coffee at a Starbucks between the Monte Carlo and City Center to get the day started. The quote, very appropriate for a vacation destination (and hard to read the top line in the photo) says:"Vacation Days, fall leaves, playing hooky, the first page of a book, writing all

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-38317980816257578062010-09-12T01:59:00.000-05:002010-09-24T14:19:09.216-05:00

A few hours after a getting off a flight to Las Vegas, I saw this scene in the Bellagio. Interestingly enough, this exhibit at the conservatory was being removed a few nights later as I walked back through the same area. The summer theme with giant butterflies, water cans, and ants had reached the end of it's run.I know, it is wholly inadequate in terms of a picture of the day given the events

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-31934351305511690102010-09-05T01:59:00.000-05:002010-09-09T22:20:40.822-05:00

Tucked away in a back alley at the State Fair is a small convenience store. Steichen's has been at the fair for a long time (zoom in on the picture and note the sign above the door proclaiming "over 75 years at the fair"), and I'm sure most of the 1.7 million people that visited the fair this year have no idea where it is. Their loss, this bit of Americana is classic.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-49559265480891474902010-08-29T01:59:00.000-05:002010-09-09T22:05:17.799-05:00

This was the 10th year The 3rd Lair has had a bike/board demo at the State Fair.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-82007164005443779632010-08-27T01:59:00.000-05:002010-09-09T22:14:09.465-05:00

The cat has been in several picture of the day posts, it is time the dog got some more face time.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-69163994070275951362010-08-25T01:59:00.000-05:002010-09-09T21:49:34.473-05:00

As we slip into the end of summer the sun is setting earlier. Walking the dog after work I noticed a sight I haven't seen for quite a while; street lights coming on early. It was tough to get a picture with my phone, this one was as good as it got and it still looks like a picture of the sun shining through a tree.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-82007974263703242712010-08-24T01:59:00.000-05:002010-09-09T21:46:36.482-05:00

Time for our annual company golf event. The post-golf dinner happened to be south of the office and timed to coincide with people leaving the city. It was a very nice day.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-38029368129604668552010-08-23T01:59:00.000-05:002010-09-09T21:43:40.140-05:00

It's been a good growing season for apples; plenty of rain and sunshine. It was tough getting a picture of a tree full of apples, a rough shot for picture of the day.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-83069773350771242862010-08-22T01:59:00.000-05:002010-09-09T21:40:24.587-05:00

This little abandoned shell of a boat dock was found outside a restaurant-turned-event center. The spousal-unit and I attended a wedding and this seemed like a nice picture of the day as the sun went down.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-63887820095992026132010-08-21T01:59:00.000-05:002010-09-09T22:18:43.062-05:00

Distinctly different from the Cat in Rail picture (and eerily similar to the Oh Hai picture), this one shows the Sugar Cat precariously perched on top of a stair railing.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-19178390345706766742010-08-19T01:59:00.000-05:002010-09-09T21:38:10.486-05:00

It was a Firkin day at Old Chicago. A little over 10 gallons of cask conditioned beer with no carbonation added. Served in a pint glass with a 4oz side glass containing the carbonated version of the same beer for a taste comparison.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-87268441756014455232010-08-18T01:59:00.000-05:002010-08-18T14:46:27.539-05:00

A quick visit to Carriage Hills while walking the dog and these bulldozers were lined up for a picture. Why not oblige them. Some other big construction trucks and equipment were also nearby, maybe they'll get their picture taken another day.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-70215918534951947852010-08-14T01:59:00.000-05:002010-08-18T14:45:24.507-05:00

I left work, turned left, and this is what I saw. I actually drove a bit before deciding I couldn't let this thunderhead cloud go away unphotographed. So I turned around went back to a good spot for a picture, hopped out of the car and made it happen. By the time I got home this had boiled up and been surrounded by masses of other clouds that turned gray and dumped buckets of rain, thunder and

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-6168483440229580472010-08-12T01:59:00.000-05:002010-08-18T14:44:35.493-05:00

My Twitter/Facebook update that went up at the time this picture was taken said "At Old Chicago, eating a Chicago Dog, watching the Twins play the Chicago White Sox". 'nuff said.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-88040724822555291572010-08-10T01:59:00.000-05:002010-08-18T14:43:41.137-05:00

One of those pictures where you turn a corner and say, wow- that would make a nice picture.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-16448579682851437652010-08-09T01:59:00.000-05:002010-08-18T14:26:34.125-05:00

This is a bit of a placeholder picture, I didn't have anything else on this day. But on the theory that each Photo 365 picture could act as a reference shot for future improved versions of the photos, this one shows a picture of Steam. Class, lets go take a better picture of "Steam". Perhaps evaporation off a pond at sunrise would be a close enough "improved version".

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-64413141582368707672010-08-08T01:59:00.000-05:002010-08-18T14:25:14.530-05:00

Back from my trip just in time to catch this little dude trying to cross a busy road. The spousal-unit and I stopped and pulled him off the street, snapped his picture, then put him in a wooded wetland nearby. Hopefully he'll stay off the street in the future.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-6215731341863812932010-08-07T01:59:00.000-05:002010-08-18T14:24:11.225-05:00

I took this picture while on an unplanned detour returning to the Boston Airport. After returning home I googled the bridge and found it is actually the Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge. Nice name, nearly as complex as the design. Still, not a bad picture for a spur of the moment stuck in traffic photo.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-56615461352188244542010-08-05T01:59:00.000-05:002010-08-18T14:11:59.521-05:00

It may not look like a tree, or even a double tree, but that's what it is. A quick walk through the neighborhood near the hotel turned up a lot of commerical property and not much else. Not very photogenic on the outside, it was comfortable enough on the inside.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-55752151277681041032010-08-04T01:59:00.000-05:002010-08-18T14:09:25.309-05:00

The hotel I stayed at has this nice pillow arrangement to greet travelers. It is cute, I'm just wondering if anybody actually uses that many pillows when they sleep.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-77273213601210639362010-08-03T01:59:00.000-05:002010-08-18T14:06:58.002-05:00

On a business trip to Boston my flight was delayed, leaving me with the arrival time shown in the picture. I'm crediting this photo to the day I left on the trip, not the morning of my arrival.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-22653865625135390772010-08-02T01:59:00.000-05:002010-08-11T22:08:45.699-05:00

These flowers are guarding the side of my garage. I was opposed to the sunflowers, but the spousal-unit's plan seems to have come together nicely.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-53499349648176212672010-08-01T01:59:00.000-05:002010-08-11T22:04:45.660-05:00

OK, a filler photo. I took this as a reference photo but then didn't take any other pictures that day. So here you go, a memo to myself in photo form.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-79126102955079120882010-07-31T01:59:00.000-05:002010-08-11T22:01:28.550-05:00

The construction continues. Unfortunately the road I was using as a reference point for photos has been removed! I'll have to wing it and take pictures from about the same spots as the transition from Carriage Hills Golf Course to Stonehaven Housing Development continues.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-3140975667985047362010-07-30T01:59:00.000-05:002010-08-11T21:58:25.893-05:00

I've gotten a little behind in posting photos but rest assured, I've got them! I may have missed a day or two, but I'll try to upload in batches of a few a day to get caught up. Catching this picture of my car's odometer at 44444 was a bit tricky but seems to have worked out. No one was injured in the taking of this photo.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-17736293500080885652010-07-29T01:59:00.000-05:002010-08-11T21:58:09.342-05:00

A favorite stop of mine in the Promenade.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-7683664214258838142010-07-28T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-28T10:55:27.584-05:00

Yes, Redeux is a word (sort of, does Urban Dictionary count?).It was (going to be) a dark and stormy night. The front rolled in from the west and hovered over my neighbor's house long enough to get this pic of the day. For a comparision, a much more damaging storm rolled over the same spot not long ago.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-70354161792763625452010-07-27T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-28T10:44:03.641-05:00

The construction is underway. Current activity is focused on relocating hills into valleys to make a "relatively flat but still rolling" terrain. I think one of the things that did in this 120 acre 18 hole golf course was that it was too hilly. My observation is golfers don't like to work too hard while getting their exercise. That and the fact that the money made from a golf course is less

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-65272214994030093602010-07-26T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-28T10:36:54.886-05:00

Another trip to the Promanade in my town. Potbelly makes a delicious meat ball sub and some tasty Banana Strawberry shakes.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-56894616035291362422010-07-25T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-28T10:35:10.587-05:00

It was movie night and as I left the theater I still hadn't taken a picture. Problem solved. The movie we saw was Inception, very fun.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-56793694592279818832010-07-24T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-28T10:33:45.947-05:00

My company's office (liberal use of the phrase "my company", but you get the idea) is located in a city that decided to try to grow a heart. Suburban sprawl had left it without a distinct "downtown" "uptown" or "midtown", but they had some land and wanted to reinvigorate it. A few years in now it is looking pretty good. The real estate downturn has slowed things, but the heart has a pulse.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-72231306935673950352010-07-23T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-28T10:28:21.161-05:00

After almost loosing the cat, I thought I'd update everyone. Her location is known. In this case, she greeted us when we got home, almost like she was saddling up to a bar to tell a tale or hear where we had been.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-54015805515526898602010-07-22T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-28T10:47:38.586-05:00

Diffley Road made an appearance in the Photo 365 project on a sunny day, here's a rainy day comparison shot.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-54904179896562116672010-07-21T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-28T10:25:03.373-05:00

Sigg metal water bottles come with a warning that says not to freeze them. Someone who shall remain nameless (not me) ignored the warning, and this is the result.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-34511444251791100722010-07-20T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-21T16:45:57.721-05:00

This is the cat I almost lost. Although, that might not be the right term; she wasn't lost, I just didn't know where she was. She probably didn't care. My wife disagrees with the cat on that point. I was grilling a burger, my wife was out shopping- instantly you see I had no plausible deniability. The cat, being a sly beast in spite of her cow-ish running style while on a hardwood floor,

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-7760324574225337112010-07-19T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-19T12:01:15.392-05:00

I was given Fallout 3 as a gift at Christmas last year and haven't been gaming much all year long. I'm digging back in now and finding it to be excellent. Its a bit like reading a novel, except there is a lot more work involved in extracting the story. This is a huge game, I've read reviews that rate it at about 300 hours (not sure if that is straight through or including some number of the

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-41866023908648052322010-07-18T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-19T11:53:35.699-05:00

It finally happened. I forgot to take a picture. Now the question becomes; does the Photo 365 project continue until 365 photos or taken, or just ends when day 365 is hit regardless of the number of days missed? I'm thinking the later. An occasional missed picture doesn't significantly degrade the idea of visually capturing daily life.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-61710773606631299952010-07-17T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-19T11:50:28.056-05:00

One of the ideas I had for carrying out this "Photo a day" concept was to snap of picture of things that jumped out at me. This photo is an example of that. Lately I've been driving by this Little Caesar's on my way to work. The little dude on the side of the building jumped out at me, so I took a picture as a backup in case I didn't get anything else during the day.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-41058732416881431012010-07-16T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-19T11:21:06.921-05:00

This is the dock where the robot vacuum goes to recharge after it gets done vacuuming the house. The rolled up pad in front of the dock, clearly blocking the way, is property of the cat (its a scratching pad for exercising her claws- and taking out agresssion). Apparently she decided to try a different form of aggression-relief by sabotaging the robot's attempts to return to its dock. The robot

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-91465231311678634222010-07-15T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-19T11:16:32.479-05:00

Another backup picture. The view is clear in the summer here, outside a coffee shop where I stop in the morning. Just some wild grass plantings to break up the field of green. In about 5 months, this parking lot will be buried in snow and snowbanks will cover the little median where the grass blows in the breeze today. Maybe I'll grab a comparison photo then.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-1667722286185765812010-07-14T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-19T11:12:32.188-05:00

Painting a water tower is a big job. The sandblasting and paint application process in this modern age of eco-protection includes draping the tower in fabric sheets to prevent the sandblasting residue (and new paint too) from drifting over the neighborhood. It also makes the tower look a bit like something Pink Floyd would have used on an album cover.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-71077185988381798872010-07-13T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-19T11:09:54.015-05:00

Another last minute jump out of bed and take a picture photo. This one is the best prize so far in the Old Chicago World Beer Tour. Prizes are given at various numbers of beers on the way to 110 (a complete tour). This was the prize at completing 40 beers (over the course of months, not in a single day!).

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-27615298147638804122010-07-12T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-12T19:04:18.486-05:00

Just a little bunny foo-foo, hoping along to see-you (more likely 'evade you'). He's small and blending into the background quite well.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-49635097373782019492010-07-11T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-12T19:01:10.438-05:00

The New Belgium Tour de Fat was in town today. More in honor of the use of the phrase "Beligum!" in lieu of expletive in DNA books, I give you a New Belgium Beer sign hanging in our local "B-Dubs" (slang for Buffalo Wild Wings).

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-2001182953795337422010-07-10T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-12T18:56:38.817-05:00

A near miss. I was falling asleep and realized I hadn't taken a photo. Having already resorted to posting a picture of my Kindle when a similar thing happened a couple weeks ago, I decided this was as good as any. Consider it a placeholder for a missed shot...by 48 minutes.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-17873658652819392062010-07-09T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-12T18:53:59.864-05:00

The little yellow weeds are in bloom. Another backup photo taken while on the way to work "Just in case" I didn't get anything better later in the day.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-39968440732294294032010-07-07T21:09:00.000-05:002010-07-07T21:23:27.166-05:00

An hour or so before this picture was taken a young buck and doe were tearing through our neighborhood. The buck launched himself into the air to clear a small berm of dirt and fence leading into the abandoned golf course (Carriage Hills, soon to be Stone Haven) I mentioned in a previous post. It seems the construction is stirring up the animals. Of course all I could think as I watched the

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-4282211505647554812010-07-07T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-07T21:09:01.000-05:00

This is a picture that just didn't turn out. The Best Buy store in our town is a pretty new one. The exterior design includes a rakish point in deep blue shooting up into the sky adding some color and flair to an otherwise squarish "big box" brown brick building. The yellow Best Buy tag logo, set at an angle is positioned jauntily on the field of blue. Sounds great, but the picture was snapped

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-67157941512786587242010-07-06T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-07T17:53:37.054-05:00

I remember when I had to ride my bike up hill, both ways, to school in the snow. We had it rough then... Probably heard that one before. This wasn't up hill both ways, it wasn't in the snow either. It was on a bike. And it was 80% humidity. And it was a sweat test. It was also a last minute "oh, crap, I haven't taken a picture yet today and by the time I get back from this bike ride it

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-90630738675826324132010-07-05T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-07T17:50:18.057-05:00

I know, the fourth of July and no patriotic picture. I was walking through a parking lot and took this picture as a back up, just in case I didn't get anything else. Obviously it was a good idea, since the backup picture made it. I left the place where this was taken and forgot to get the 'other' picture I was planning. Maybe that one will get taken on another day. For now, some advice

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-87281557531622187212010-07-04T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-07T17:46:31.186-05:00

It was a hot and hazy day, that shows a bit in this picture (the streaks of sunlight are streaming through the humidity). This is the paddock at Canterbury Downs, celebrating their 25th anniversary with free admission. Horse racing is a seasonal thing here, with the season going from sometime in May to sometime in August.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-2443745742651655302010-07-03T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-07T17:43:21.792-05:00

When I was a kid fireworks were illegal. At the time I thought they were illegal everywhere in Minnesota, but I was a kid, what did I know? Today there are a few varieties that are legal in the town I live in, but only for a short time; so tents like this pop up shortly before the fourth of July. The fireworks they sell are silly things, mostly smoke and not much spark or bang, and certainly

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-90639742823778005222010-07-01T14:00:00.000-05:002010-07-01T14:32:20.884-05:00

It may not look like much, but this truck and the worker inside are connecting up my office to a fiber optic Internet connection. More bandwidth please!

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-39951501712450169392010-07-01T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-01T14:29:42.049-05:00

The first day of the weekly farmer's market has arrived! Every Wednesday through the summer vendors set up tents and tables to form a Farmer's Market for a few hours.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-71251523363706184822010-06-30T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-01T14:27:16.892-05:00

A nice place to hang out. Buffalo Wild Wings is in an area called The Promenade, a collection of shops that includes a few that have made it into the Photo 365 Project (Panera and Panda Express most recently).

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-63523325028429238682010-06-29T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-01T14:23:52.379-05:00

A quick stop for gas on a sunny day with a little wind and the flag caught my eye. Independence day is coming up soon here in the states, so flag- consider yourself posted.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-53752850029974987512010-06-28T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-01T14:22:07.417-05:00

This was dinner. It is called a Minnesota Canoe; a flank steak wrapped around mushrooms, onions and swiss.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-41771691771337274262010-06-27T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-28T10:42:43.319-05:00

It doesn't look like a six year court battle, but it is (or was). The lawyers have all gone home, now the bulldozers take over. This chunk of land was a golf course called Carriage Hills and will soon be transformed into a housing development called Stone Haven. I may catch more pictures here as things develop.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-63852535228195810272010-06-26T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-01T14:06:10.567-05:00

Shortly after the latest storm blew through we stopped by a food place near Panera. I noticed the outside seating at Panera had gotten caught up in the wind, and am getting a little better at catching these moments with my camera. When we left the area a little while later the tables and chairs had been cleaned up.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-14787613102285679292010-06-25T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-01T13:59:02.158-05:00

About 1/3 of an acre to go...

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-51658053498384840552010-06-24T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-01T13:57:25.934-05:00

A new restaurant in town.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-43330537322366681772010-06-23T01:59:00.000-05:002010-07-01T13:55:18.532-05:00

The Robotics team got kicked out of their storage room. Who knew building robots could generate such a mound of...treasure?

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-21585060452509305212010-06-21T20:49:00.000-05:002010-06-21T20:51:20.189-05:00

I've never seen a vision impaired pedestrian in this area, and I suspect they haven't seen me either (groan).Alternate caption: Nary a bar in sight, not sure what this is about.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-12658786729407176512010-06-21T01:59:00.000-05:002010-06-21T20:49:15.659-05:00

Another desparation photo. The day was slipping away with no photo logged. My iPhone doesn't deal well with photos having a dark foreground/light background (not good for most cameras, the iPhone doubly so). Regardless this leaning lamp caught my eye as I walked up to a bookstore.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-11398748945897084902010-06-20T01:59:00.000-05:002010-06-21T20:46:24.481-05:00

A coworker decided to build a dry-fit pizza oven. Dry-fit means it isn't permanent, just a proof-of-concept that will be used for about a year then replaced with a more durable design. In the meantime, pizza, pastries, breads and perhaps roasts will get their turn inside the wood fired oven.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-17771040702213617362010-06-18T14:00:00.000-05:002010-06-19T00:48:05.332-05:00

The long running joke here (and probably everywhere else with similar climate) is "We have two seasons, winter and road construction".I snapped this after grabbing coffee on the way to work. I'm amazed at how quickly these machines can strip an asphalt road. The ground up bits are taken to a local company called Bituminous Roadways where the asphalt is recycled into new asphalt.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-30712514545393011692010-06-18T01:59:00.000-05:002010-06-19T00:39:55.442-05:00

It's tornado season in the Midwest, but usually they don't all come at once. Before today, the most tornadoes confirmed in Minnesota in a single day was 26, that was in 1992. Normally, there are less than that in an entire year. On this day, that record is expected to be broken as dozens of tornadoes sprouted from a line of storms that raced from southwest Minnesota and off to the northeast

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-10644685375738426172010-06-17T01:59:00.000-05:002010-06-19T00:12:29.021-05:00

This field has been left fallow for the last couple years. This year some cars showed up and people stood around looking very serious for a while. Later the field was plowed. Then more cars showed up. Then plants started to grow.They've done a very good job creating these little plots of various plants. The current theory is the field workers leased the field and plan to sell the produce at

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-92201312712808105852010-06-16T01:59:00.000-05:002010-06-16T12:52:50.094-05:00

This is what happens when you forget to take a picture of the day. I was lying in bed reading a book, dozing off, when it occurred to me I had no photo! I berrated myself for a while, considered taking a picture of the ceiling of my bedroom, then decided the kindle in front of me was a better candidate. I spend a fair amount of time looking at this kindle, might as well memorialize it in a

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-75002587693696483922010-06-15T01:59:00.000-05:002010-06-16T12:50:15.943-05:00

A little pic for our friends overseas. A truely american gas pump. Note the color television at the top (it starts a little newscast, weather report, and advertisement when the pump is activated), the digital display and pay-at-the-pump card slot (these particular pumps are open 24 hours, the gas station/convenience store closes, but people can still drive up and buy gas). Not very photo

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-29634555463265387022010-06-14T01:59:00.000-05:002010-06-16T12:25:54.662-05:00

Along with many days of rain comes mushrooms. These little guys pop up fast and in quantity. Fresh ones appear daily as the rain continues, and often in clumps like this.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-17834837150750706502010-06-13T01:59:00.000-05:002010-06-16T12:23:41.334-05:00

It's been raining for several days here. When a break appeared and some errands needed to be done, I took my bike for a wash, I mean ride. Minutes after I got home (and snapped this picture for the Photo 365 project) the light rain turned into a down pour.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-49451888855233911302010-06-12T01:59:00.000-05:002010-06-16T12:20:11.272-05:00

Wanna get your camera licked? Stick it in the face of a black lab. They'll eat (or at least tongue swipe) anything. Note: Dog slime is not a cleaning fluid, quite the opposite.

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11366829.post-86817315239522016022010-06-11T01:59:00.000-05:002010-06-16T12:59:04.507-05:00

Walking the dog in my neighboorhood I'm always struck by this sight. It's like the roadway has projected itself up and sliced off half of the tree. Everywhere else in the neighborhood the trees flow over the roadway, so odd tree-consider yourself photographed!

MazerLodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16870659673491924050noreply@blogger.com0