Face transplant news prompts thoughts

There was big news today, and I hope you did not miss it. A woman in Cleveland was given a face transplant. Apparently, she was horribly disfigured, and so this will surely be a wonderful thing for her. The face she got was from a woman who had died. This is the fourth face transplant in history.

At first I thought it would be very strange for the family of the dead woman -- to see that same face on another person. Oh, that would be eerie, don't you think?

But I suppose the face will look different because of the differing shape and bone structure of its new host.

Still, the thought about getting a new face prompts some thoughts, at least it did for me.

Have you seen the new movie "Australia" starring hunky, studly guy Hugh Jackman (sexiest man of the year according to People Magazine)? He looks like he came right off the cover of a romance novel, with bulging muscles and the kind of face that I believe would drive most women wild.

I have decided that if he should die (I'm not wishing it, mind you), I would like to have his face. I could workout a bit more in the gym to build up my muscles. It would be very interesting to be that good looking. I have always wondered what it would be like.

Anyway, if you know me know now and one day meet me and I look very, very different, then you will know why.

Washington state is coffee crazy

When most people think of Washington they think of Seattle or they think of tall mountains, or ferns or slimy banana slugs. And they think of coffee. Washington is the birthplace of Starbucks. Even in eastern Washington, which is mostly wide open space (as you can see in this photo), people love their coffee. Along U.S. 395, this billboard advertises the next caffeine opportunity. From the looks of this picture, it's hard to imagine there's anything ahead but sagebrush.

Happy Travel Trailer

This is a very happy trailer. I photographed it in Chloride, Arizona, which is pretty much a ghost town these days.

Two headed things along the road

I came across this two headed cow (calf) in a museum in Colorado. That was quite a few years ago, so I don't know if it is still there. I suppose there are many other two headed creatures out there in museum-land. I saw a two-headed rattlesnake in a museum near the entrance to Carlsbad Caverns National Park. It was okay, but not nearly as impressive as the two headed calf.

And while on the subject of odd things, in a little town in Arizona -- can't remember the name now -- I had the good fortune to see the world's largest hairball (from a cat). It was huge and very impressive. I think it must have been coughed up by a very big cat. I think it would have choked a little cat.

A good reason to travel the back roads with your RV

Do you prefer to travel the back roads with your RV instead of the highways? I drive the "blue highways" as often as possible, where I can see the roadside up close rather than from a distance. Here is a short video essay I did about one of my favorite things to watch for as I travel the two-lane highways of North America.