This has been a long week and I’m glad it’s over.  We had a high level visit here in Ankara and spent all day Friday getting things ready in the hotel where he will stay for one night.  I will forever be amazed at the expenses that are thrown out for visits like this.  Still, it wasn’t as bad at a presidential visit while we were in Moscow back in 2009.

What can I say?  Your tax dollars are paying me extra to help maintain the security of these visits, but I cannot fully grasp the reasoning in the resources used for something like this.  Diplomacy is what it is.  Whatever it is.

Kick butt.  D.

In 2001, the Good Lord made it possible for me to go on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje.  This is a small town in Bosnia/Herzegovina where the Mother of Jesus appeared to several young children.  It itself is an amazing story, and I suggest taking time to research it.  Better yet, click here to take you to my Mother’s website that tells it far better than I can.  A lot to read but very worth it.

Then click here to read what I wrote about it on my return.

After sitting on the Mediterranean coast in Mersin for three days, we traveled back north to the area known as Cappadocia about three hours away.  These rock formations are part of volcanoes where the surrounding soil eroded away leaving only the cores.  We will go back again to get many more pictures later, but these were taken as we drove out of the area.

Many of these unusual formations have houses built into them, even hotels.  Look at this picture below:

And always add a picture of a pretty lady when you can.We will visit this again before the cold weather returns.  Bear in mind all who plan to visit, these are on the agenda.  And what you see here, is but a drop in the bucket of what is out there.  To get a better grasp of the this incredible sight, go to Wikipedia.

Kick butt.  D.

We spent last week doing a bit of traveling down south.  I had to work in Adana and Terese came along with me.  After work on Friday, we traveled down to Mersin, sitting on the Mediterranean Sea.  Spent three nights there and just relaxed in the salty humidity of the Sea.  Below is the Mediterranean, looking East of the hotel.… and looking West.The city of Mersin to the North.A view of the city at night..Sitting out with cigar and drink…… and a young visitor.And us.Next is Cappadocia.

Last weekend, we had another Wingfest and had about 45 people show up.  It was pretty much the limit of our apartment.  So, the next one in a few months will have to be somewhere else.  As I took these pictures, I tell people they are for my 900 year old mother.   No one objected, so I will post what I want.   Below are the beginnings of margarita fixens. The chicken wings The chicken wing cook.The chicken wing cook’s damn cat before the fest.  Once it started, we neither saw nor heard, hide nor head of her.Some of the finished delicacy.A strange variation with rum.One of the special quests of the party, Donna (working in Afghanistan) on the left and our good Turkish friend, Ayda on the right. Zeynep and Ayda, both Turkish beauties.

And various shots of good people.   A few shots of some of the good Marines who attended. Finishing the evening with Marines and cigars.We plan to do another one in a few months in honor of another good friend who will be leaving soon.  D.

I recently came across writings from years past and decided to create a new page to post them.  The first words are what I saw when I helped with the building of a giant cross on Interstate 40 in the Texas Panhandle.  Later I will post things I saw from a pilgrimage in Medjugorje in Bosnia/Herzegovina, close to the border of Croatia.  Then some writings from Afghanistan, which I would guess have affected me more than anything else I have written.

The new post is on the left under Page Three – What I Saw.  But you can click: The Cross to get you there quicker.