tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8099087.post-1107070329981036832005-01-29T23:31:00.000-08:002005-01-30T22:16:21.326-08:00It’s been a while since I posted any pictures, and thought maybe you would like to see some more. The sunsets around here are generally pretty nice. I understand that the gorgeous West Texas sunsets are due to the dust in the air. I think probably here they’re fed by all the debris in the air from car bombs, but whatever, the effect is pretty nice. <br /> <br />This picture was taken at one of the artificial lakes that Saddam had built around his palace area, and I think it may be about my favorite. The lake always has lots of loons on it, along with a variety of cranes and kingfishers. <br /> <br /><a href='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/219/2540/1024/Loon%20Lake.jpg'><img border='0' class='phostImg' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/219/2540/400/Loon%20Lake.jpg'></a> <br /> <br />Here’s a picture of one of the sunsets I was telling you about that was taken the day we had a combination of sandstorm and rain. The sandstorm was pretty interesting; the sky turned an amber color and stayed that way for most of the afternoon. I kept feeling like I forgot to take off sunshades. <br /> <br /><a href='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/219/2540/1024/Dustyset1.jpg'><img border='0' class='phostImg' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/219/2540/400/Dustyset1.jpg'></a> <br /> <br />But just to keep things in the proper perspective, here’s a photo taken near the main dining facility. My friends with some military familiarity will recognize it as a UXO (Unexploded Ordinance) marker. I suspect the round is in the canal behind the marker, and EOD just decided it wasn’t worth the effort yet to try to blow it or recover it. All part of the local ambience. <br /> <br /><a href='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/219/2540/1024/UXO.jpg'><img border='0' class='phostImg' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/219/2540/400/UXO.jpg'></a> <br />Chief Desert Foxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16834244487850163653noreply@blogger.com