Cottonwood

This spectacular light was found in a town park in Superior, Colorado. An overnight snowfall was still clinging to the trees despite noontime sun, as it remained well below freezing. I believe this is some kind of cottonwood, though I'm not confident.

Eldora, Colorado

Eldora Mountain Resort offers some fine skiing and is quite convenient to those living in Boulder.  We spent a day out in the cross country area, and the conditions were gorgeous.  Unlike in the Pacific Northwest, cold temperatures lead to a consistently powdery show surface.  It was dry and cold, rather than wet and warm.

Avery's Barrel-Aged Series

One advantage to being a successful brewery is that there's room in the budget for experimentation. Avery started putting beer into barrels in 2008, and their Barrel-Aged Series has resulted in a wide range of interesting brews. Barrels are sourced from those used for Portugese madeira, Maker's Mark bourbon, and Gosling's rum.

The expense and limited scale of production, paired with a strong demand, means that this sort of beer is ridiculously expensive and difficult to obtain.

Avery Brewing

Avery is a not so micro brewery, based in a modest strip mall in Boulder. The stout and ale served here in their taproom were both excellent.

They've been so commercially successful that they're soon to be moving to a purpose-built property in a new location across town.

Bill Hughes

This spectacular oil painting was Bill Hughes' last. Land of Condor shows a fantastic geography and a mastery of good light. It makes me want to seek out the fictional land in the artist's eye, and go hiking there.

Seen at the excellent Leanin' Tree Museum of Western Art in Boulder.

Diamonds on the soles of her shoes

People say she's crazy.

Corso Como is both a pedestrian mall in Milan, and a moderately priced shoe brand.

Long Point Inner Bay

Long Point extends 40km into Lake Ontario. The inner bay formed between Long Point (along the top) and Turkey Point (in the foreground) freezes solidly enough most years to allow safe carriage of pedestrians and vehicles. The reports out recently show an ice depth of 12 to 16 inches depending on location. This makes for reliable ice fishing for lake perch and pike, if you can stand the cold.

The seams visible from the air are pressure cracks, and occur on any large body of ice.

Delta Domestic BusinessElite

Delta is really making an effort to win the Seattle market. They are the only carrier to offer a truly premium seat to any domestic destination, in this case New York. They charge perhaps $400 more for this nonstop over their competitors, and do not freely upgrade elites. The care and attention to the service, and the underlying quality, was refreshing compared to standard domestic first class.

Aeromexico's 787s

Aeromexico currently leases three 787-8 Dreamliners from ILFC, each of which were delivered in the latter half of 2013.  This is N961AM, serial 115, on its way to Mexico City.

Silent Conversation, Part One

Delta's flagship Sky Club in JFK's terminal 4 is spectacular and worth a visit. There's an open-air terrace, a stylish bar, and plenty of seating.

The art that was commissioned for this space is also distinctive. This is Silent Conversation, Part One, by an uncredited artist. It's crafted out of panels of Boeing's aircraft aluminum intended for 747s. The Dr Seuss quote is legible, but the Descartes one isn't quite, so I'll transcribe it:

the reading of all good books
is like conversation
with the finest men
of the past centuries.

High Line

The High Line is a sort of sanitized version of an abandoned rail line, with daily closures after dark, a surprising density of park wardens patrolling it, and careful (and expensive) landscaping and art.  A stroll along its 1.5-mile length is quite recommended.

Chelsea Market Christmas

An extravagant display of Christmas lights adorns the Chelsea Market, and a pair of girls plays among them as others peruse the shops and restaurants on the ground floor.

Nick Walker's Street Art

At first glance I thought this stencil art might be a Banksy. Further research led to discovering it is Ratatouille by Nick Walker, a street artist from Bristol who has been active since the early 1990s.

Well Worn Door, Little W 12th St

I found this well worn door to be quite attractive on Little W 12th St in the Meatpacking District. It's the entry to Revel, an expensive bar with mixed reviews.

Zabar's

A long row of specialists cuts lox and other cuts of smoked salmon at Zabar's of the Upper West Side. It's an impressive Jewish deli, and is conveniently open on Saturdays. The bakery stocks an excellent "signature sourdough" rye.