This is underneath the main entrance to the Louvre. When you leave, one of the exits you can take is this staircase out to the main entrance. That circular column has a desk at the top, and the guy who sits at the desk makes the column go up and down all day long. Paris, France; September, 2011

We take a gander at the I'lle de Cite as we continue our week in the city of light. This island is where the city began, as a tribe known as the Parisii lived here until the Romans came in, kicked them off, and built a fort. Paris, France; September, 2011.

The Grind is going back to Paris for this week. Here's one of the inner courtyard of the Louvre at night. Paris, France; September, 2011.

Fiery leaves on a cloudy day, Clackamas, Oregon; November, 2011.

Turned leaves on a Japanese maple. Portland, Oregon; November, 2011.

The house across the street right at sunrise. Madras, Oregon; October, 2011.

The window when one can have yellow above and yellow below is fairly small, as is the time to walk through and crunch those leaves. Holliday Park, Portland, Oregon; November, 20121.

This week, we're doing Fall at the Grind. By now, the wind, rain, and snow have taken all the color away, but we've still go photos. So get ready for those reds, oranges, and yellows people! This one was taken about a week and a half ago. Clackamas, Oregon; November, 20121.

A willow tree hangs over the Seine next to the Pont Louis-Phillippe, with the residences of the I'lle de Saint Louis in the background. Taken from the Rive Droite, Paris, France; September, 2011.

Rust never sleeps, Part Deux. (And apparently, neither does vegetation). Madras, Oregon; August, 2011.

Rust never sleeps, Part One. Madras, Oregon; August, 2011.

A flock of seagulls, which surprised the guys in the boat. Click on the photo to find the lone pelican. The mouth of Siletz Bay, Lincoln City, Oregon; October, 2011.

Another in my occasional series of Lines, Light, Textures, and Patterns. Portland, Oregon; August, 2011.

Cathedral du Notre Dame at sunset. Paris, France; September, 2011.

Soft petals and a bug after a rain. (Click the photo for a better look) Lincoln City, Oregon; October, 2011.

I'm ready for my closeup, Mr. Gr8ful. Portland, Oregon; August, 2011.

Mount Jefferson with a cloud cap. (Click on the photo for more detail) Taken from Madras, Oregon; November, 2011.

102 things not to do if you hate taxes...

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Autumn is the season of incredible color. Well, so is Spring, but it's Autumn right now….*Chuckle*…One can find photos of this tree all over the Internet, but all the ones I've seen are taken from the other side. Japanese Garden, Portland, Oregon; October, 2007.

The road less traveled--don't get lost in there. Somewhere along US HWY 97 in rural Klamath County, Oregon; November, 2011.

So I was driving to work one morning a couple of weeks ago and topped a rise just before I arrived. Off in the distance I could see the top of a hot air balloon, not quite fully filled. So instead of turning into the driveway at work, I kept going down the road and was able to catch this shot of the balloon just after lift-off. Redmond, Oregon; October, 2011.

Sun begins burning off clouds over a wooden pier along the Oregon coast. Historic Taft region, Lincoln City, Oregon; October, 2011.

So on the way home from Paris, the Whimpy Kid had us stop and catch a couple of Furthur shows at Red Rocks (He does get whiney when he doesn't get his way). They were 2 excellent shows. Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, Colorado; September, 2011.