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After a stop at home to unload our finds we went to our local Half-Price Bookstore which is a favorite. maps.app.goo.gl/gV6ttdnKbGh9SLtn8 Olivia was hunting for more Agatha Christie paperbacks and she found some. In the center of the stack of books are 5 […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

In the center of the stack of books are 5 more Agatha Christie books and an anthology of Agatha Christie stories. Also Spy Family #15 because we all love the manga series.

Then we drove back closer to home to visit the Used Book Depot in McKinney. This was a new used bookstore for us at well. That made three new bookstores in the same day! @u2katrina.bsky.social and I think it is a record for us. No one found anything at this […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

Neat Christmas tree made out of books near the entrance.

Katrina looking at books and our daughter hunting for more Agatha Christie books.

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@u2katrina.bsky.social spotted Memory by Linda Nagata in the scifi section and I bought it. I have it in ebook and it is wonderful to have a physical copy of as well! 6/

Cover of Memory by Linda Nagata that my wonderful wife found.

@u2katrina.bsky.social Next we went to Sundrop Books, a nice very well organized store with lots of great used books. maps.app.goo.gl/jfLMraT2Dd7AGkg2 sundropbooks.com 5/

Bookmark with the store's address and website.

Large stuffed sloth lounges on a ledge above bookshelves.

Cute block of wood shaped like a thick tome titled "Writer's Block".

Table of lots of cute crocheted "reading buddies". My favorite is the dino cowboy on the right with the hat, red bandana and lasso.

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@u2katrina.bsky.social We then went next door to a combination cookie store and bakery. Two Handed Cookie Co makes delicious HUGE cookies that are about 8"/20 cm in diameter! We got the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip and it was delicious! Denison Bakery has wonderful fresh bread, granola and coffee.

The many varieties of huge cookies.
Left to right:
Lemon Pie
White chocolate macadamia nut
Monster PB&J
Old school peanut butter

Decoration on the wall of a pink bicycle with large chocolate chip cookie wheels.

Delicious sourdough granola with triple berries and small dark chocolate chunks.

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Our Pen and Page purchases @u2kura got: Roald Dahl's The Umbrella Man Daughter got three Agatha Christie books: Hercule Poirot's Christmas Evil Under the Sun Thursday Club Murders I got: The Cheese Monkeys by Chip Kidd Marathon Man by William Goldman The […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

Top three books in the stack are Agatha Christie books:
Hercule Poirot's Christmas
Evil Under the Sun
Thursday Club Murders

The Cheese Monkeys by Chip Kidd
Marathon Man by William Goldman
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

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First bookstore in Denison was Pen and Page Weathered Books They are a family run store that I learned of at a Ray Wiley Hubbard outdoor concert in Denison on August 31st. Located here: maps.app.goo.gl/gyKUZjimZ5bwa7Qm9 Their online store is here […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

Store front of Pen and Page Weathered Books in Denison, Texas. Building is painted brick red with large windows and tan wooden doors. A small A-frame sign in front lists info and specials. In the right window are some books, tshirts and hanging folded page book art.

Lighted sign "Just one more page"
"Pen & Page Weathered Books"
on an ivy background.
Above and below are six total folded page book art pieces.

Detail of the beautiful crocheted white rose and green stem and leaves.

Ivy wall with a lighted sign
"Read Books
Be Kind
Stay Weird".
Some folded page book art and origami butterflies adorn the wall too.
Two shelves in the lower right hold 5 books in exquisite wrapping that are "blind date with a book" options.

Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 05/09/2026

Today was a fun day, drove to Denison, Texas with @u2katrina.bsky.social and our daughter to visit some independent bookstores and explore. Then ended up going to another independent bookstore in McKinney before visiting a favorite Half-Price bookstore in Frisco […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

White dude with glasses and salt& pepper hair and beard smiling broadly.
He's wearing a cool new tshirt that reads:
Booked all weekend
With drawing of stacked books and a library card.

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If you live or have lived in the United States go give this dialect quiz at try: mydialect.us I did the extended version and got these results:

Map of the Continental United States with the West side tinted red for most similar and East side tinted blue for least similar.

Cities most & least like you
Interpolated from the nearest survey responses.
MOST SIMILAR
1. San Francisco, CA (50%)
2. Los Angeles, CA (50%)
3. Albuquerque, NM (50%)

LEAST SIMILAR
1. Minneapolis, MN (46%)
2. Portland, ME (46%)
3. Atlanta, GA (46%)

What gave you away
Answers that point most strongly to California.
What is your *general* term for a big road that you drive relatively fast on?
freeway

What do you call the insect that flies around in the summer and has a rear
section that glows in the dark?
firefly

How do you pronounce 'mirror'?
Meer-er (two syllables)

What is your term for a large, heavy blanket?
Comforter

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Standing at the location that Maps said should have a marker there was nothing but trees, ground and undergrowth. Walking back I saw railroad tracks and walked over. On the other side of the tracks was a small gap in the trees with a marker labeled Appalachian […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

Green arrow points to a small circle with a white border at the actual Mason-Dixon Line marker. Incorrect location is indicated by a rook icon in a purple map pointer outline.

Other side of the railroad tracks with a gap in the trees with a sign reading Appalachian Trail.

Trailhead mailbox and marker for the Mason-Dixon Line.

View looking down my body besides the Mason-Dixon Line marker. My left foot is in Pennsylvania and my right foot is in Maryland.

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Since Maps indicated the Mason-Dixon Line marker was in the northern direction of the Appalachian Trail I started walking that way. Came upon a large swing gate that was closed but the trail went around it so I did too. 5/

Me before starting down the trail. I'm a slightly tanned Caucasian male with a short (mostly grey) beard. I'm wearing my brown, ventilated "Aussie bush" hat, my auto-tinting glasses [Yep, I'm soooo cool! 😎] and a dark grey tshirt with Great A'tuin the turtle carrying 4 elephants on its back with Discworld setting on the elephants.

In the background a path disappears into the distance.

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As I was walking back to the car I noticed an even larger parking lot a little further down the road for the Pen Mar County Park. There were a few visible structures and an obviously gorgeous view of the valley so in I went. 4/

Sign for Pen Mar County Park.
Washington County Parks and Recreation Department
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
A program Open Space project

View looking through some trees with a path leading towards an overlook shelter of a beautiful wooded valley. On the right in the mid ground a US flag flutters in the slight breeze.

Close up of a sign
Top has
Maine 1080 miles with an arrow pointing to the right (North)
Bottom has
Georgia 920 miles with an arrow pointing to the left (South)

A little bit of the gorgeous valley is visible behind the sign.

Photo of the gorgeous, tree filled valley from the overlook shelter.
The sky is a beautiful blue with scattered fluffy white clouds.

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When I walked in the front doors of the hotel this evening the lobby lighting accented the Progress Pride Flag sticker at the bottom of the sliding door. Good folks are everywhere. ♥️ :trans_heart: The hotel is the Quality Inn Harrisonburg I-81 in Virginia.

The siding front door of my hotel has a Progress Pride Flag sticker at the bottom.

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/08/2026

Beautiful sunset this evening behind the Shenandoah Mountains west of Harrisonburg, Virginia. Cicadas are softly chattering at each other and a lovely breeze is blowing. Walking from my hotel to local pub for a regional beer. #Virginia #Sunset

Beautiful sunset behind the Shenandoah Mountains west of Harrisonburg, Virginia.

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Several times my family has commented "Oh, are those wired headphones new?" and I've been puzzled since I had on earbuds. Then they've said "Oh, it's your glasses strap." Finally saw in the bathroom mirror what they've been seeing: The colorful rubber strap on […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

Right side of my head showing the colorful rubber strap on my glasses hanging behind my ear.
It lines up with my earbud like an optical illusion.

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 16/08/2026

My awesome Best Fiends Forever t-shirt has arrived! Looking forward to reading The Calamities after it releases on Tuesday, August 18th. #Bookstodon

Purple t-shirt with a white demon (kinda looks like a chicken to be honest) with one orange eye and an orange maw full of white teeth.
Around are three circles of runes, symbols and characters from non-english alphabets.
There also are five smaller demons in orange with white maws.
At the top are large gothic characters:
B F F
At the bottom the phrase:
BEST FIENDS FOREVER

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 08/08/2026

@phocks Her name is Rexy and sometimes she dresses up. 🙂

Rexy the T-Rex (skeleton) at the Frisco Public Library. She's wearing bright green sun glasses and a FC Dallas scarf during the 2026 World Cup.

Rexy the T-Rex (skeleton) at the Frisco Public Library. She's wearing bright green sunglasses and yellow arm floaties to celebrate summer.

Rexy the T-Rex (skeleton) at the Frisco Public Library. She's wearing a Santa hat and has a blinking red nose for Christmas 2025. In her arms she's holding a huge holly wreath.

Rexy the T-Rex (skeleton) at the Frisco Public Library. She has on a black witch's hat and is holding a large plastic pumpkin for Trick or Treating last Halloween.

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 01/08/2026

Just found that one of the vendors is a local bookstore, Pen & Page. Picked up a "mystery book" (AKA blind date with a book) and had a great chat. This is definitely my kind of concert. 💕 www.penandpageweatheredbooks.com #Bookstodon

A book nicely wrapped in brown paper with lots of stickers. The folds of the paper make pockets filled with a pen, bookmark, old style library checkout card, a cherry drink mix and a small notebook with "believe" on the cover.
Genre: Mystery
Vibe: Gripping, emotional, tense
Summary:
- Small town Virginia, a tragic explosion leaves multiple people dead and many unanswered questions.
- The event leads to a high stakes murder trial.
- Parents, patients and community members carry secrets that complicate the case.

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 01/08/2026

Drove an hour north to Denison, Texas for their final Music on Main of 2026. (It's a free concert in a park.) Tonight's headliner is Ray Wiley Hubbard. He and the band are definitely bringing that funky outlaw country. I was introduced to Ray when he played a […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

Ray and the band from far back in the park. The stage backdrop has a blue circle with "Music on Main" written in white cursive.
There is a good sound system so no need to try to crowd up at the front.

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 30/07/2026

@sundogplanets Sky Map is showing it might be possible, but the prediction for 2026-07-05 01:35 CDT (06:35 UTC) shows the crescent Moon around 20° above the horizon due East. If the humidity is high then haze of light pollution here in Frisco, Texas just north of Dallas will likely obscure details.

Sky Map prediction for 2026-07-05 01:35 CDT (06:35 UTC) shows the crescent Moon around 20° above the horizon due East.

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 30/07/2026

Great story that I highly recommend 5 out to 5 stars A wonderful tale of second chances and personal growth with a kick ass bar and a cake shop thrown in for good measure. Lots of great characters and -gasp- even some romance. My review at […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

Cover of This is Not a F*cking Romance by George Penney writing as Evie Snow.
At the top of the cover is a hot pink TARDIS with a small blackboard and the 9 rules.

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/07/2026

A very curious bird (pigeon?) watched my very closely from the peak of the roof as I picked up from working on my daughter's bike. Don't know if it was watching to learn or wary of what the hairless ape was up to.

Bird (pigeon?) perched on the peak of our roof watching my intently as I picked up from working on my daughter's bike. Don't know if it was watching to learn or wary of what the hairless ape was up to.
In the bottom right corner are some of our solar panels.

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/07/2026

Tonight we had Tompoezen for dessert. I made it from a kit from a local German restaurant and bakery. Tompoezen is a custard between two crispy puff pastry & topped with icing. It was very good but we're going to try with no icing for the second one. Wikipedia […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

Tompoezen dessert (custard between two crispy, buttery puff pastry & topped with icing). In the background is the kit with ingredients to make two cakes with the custard filling.
It is served on The Very Hungry Caterpillar plate that out oldest daughter made many years ago at a friend's birthday party.

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/07/2026

I was looking at my foam "art" trying to decide if I (accidentally) made anything other that a cloud. My daughter said two swans kissing. But I noticed the tiny eyes staring at me instead.

Foam art in my coffee. My daughter says the two curved, thin lines along the top are swans kissing. So the blob at the bottom is their bodies.

But i noticed the eyes in the middle staring intently with a smile.

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 05/07/2026

We don't have a coffee problem! (It's more of a passion.) I have been gently asked by @u2katrina.bsky.social to stop buying new coffee varieties until we use up one of the 8 varieties already in the queue. Not seen to the right is my short queue of (3 […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

Our brew coffee maker with a queue of coffee varieties that has grown too long per Katrina. 🙂
Not seen to the right is my short queue of (3 currently) espresso coffees. Two decaf and one Chicory.

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 05/07/2026

Our oldest daughter has been crocheting for years and is very talented. She came up with a pattern for a default user pfp and experimented until she was pleased with the results. #Crotchet

Crocheted default user pfp with blue yarn. Looks just like the stylized head and shoulders of the default user pfp.

Crocheted default user pfp made with blue yarn with my thumb and index finger for scale.

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 03/07/2026

[Food Cookies/Biscuits] Hello Aussie and Kiwi folks. I hope it isn't a cultural crime, but I've modified the traditional ANZAC Biscuit recipe to add carob powder. I love them but most of my family thinks they are "just ok". As a result, I often eat too many. I […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

Two baking sheets with parchment paper hold a dozen dark brown ANZAC Biscuits with carob added to the traditional recipe.

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 28/06/2026

(not so) #SilentSunday #Cicadas I was laying on the grass enjoying the breeze and view up though our Bartlett Pear tree. The cicadas in our trees are doing call and response with cicadas in other trees in the neighborhood.

View looking straight up from laying on the grass of the beautiful branches and leaves of our Bartlett Pear tree. The trunk tapers into large branches and then to ever smaller branches.
The mostly clear, blue sky peeks through the branches in spots.

Not seen (but heard) are the "scissor sharpener" cicadas in our trees periodically making noise which is answered by cicadas in trees up and down the block.

This is a familiar sound of summer in Texas and other places with cicadas. ♥️

Empty, brown husk of a molted cicada in our oak tree. If you see one emerging out is hard to believe that a differently shaped green insect was all crammed in the shell pre-molt.

Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 22/06/2026

@evan Aha! Was it Angine de Poitrine by any chance? I learned about them just yesterday when I saw their LPs for sale behind the counter of our local used bookstore and looked them up. I was curious enough about the name to take a picture and look them up last night.

Two Angine de Poitrine LPs for sale behind the counter of our local Half Price Bookstore.

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/06/2026

[Father's Day] @u2katrina.bsky.social Janelle, Olivia and I went to the climbing gym. Olivia didn't feel like climbing, but she took pictures for us. Janelle did really well from her experience in class. She made 6 climbs before getting worn out. I made 3 […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

Janelle at the top of the initial test climb after the safety briefing.

Me at the top of the initial safety climb.

Janelle climbing a 5.8 difficultly wall. She did really well from what she had learned before in class.

Me climbing a difficult 5.7 wall. I did OK but was only about to do 3 climbs before getting too fatigued.

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/06/2026

[Father's Day] @u2katrina.bsky.social Next we went for lunch at La Peep Grill, a long time favorite that we haven't been down to in too long. (Years back there was one close to us in Frisco but it closed down.) We were delighted to run into our next door […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

Day-glow sign in the window of La Peep Grill advertising that they now serve mimosas. Two green long stemmed glasses contain bright green mimosas. With lots of green bubbles floating into the air above them.

Fruit crepe covered in sliced strawberries, bananas, whipped cream and chocolate drizzle.
On the side, four pieces of crispy bacon.

An egg white omelet with slices of avocado, mushroom and diced tomatoes on top. Inside were green chiles, mushrooms, chicken and tomatoes with grated cheese.
On the side are seasoned, cubed peasant potatoes. Between is a small cup of salsa.

On the sidewalk outside La Peep Grill Janelle drew one of the Sky Children of the Light in chalk. Olivia was blowing bubbles.

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/06/2026

[Father's Day] I've had a great Father's Day with @u2katrina.bsky.social and the girls. This morning Katrina got up early to go pick up breakfast tacos from Daddy's Tacos (a local taco chain we all love). We'd never gotten their breakfast tacos before and they […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

Katrina and me on a trail in the woods. We're both smiling big grins.
Katrina has on a grey tshirt and a blue cap with her hair pulled back in a pony tail.
I'm wearing a bright red shirt with scattered Mandalorian and Grogu images and my brown wide-brimmed hat.

Wildflower with a fuzzy stack of alternating layers of white and lilac colored flowers.

Wildflowers with fuzzy red-orange centers surrounded by petals that have a gradient from orange-red to yellow tips.

Katrina and the girls from the back and they walk in front of me down a trail in the woods.

Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/06/2026

I was looking though a nightstand drawer for something and found my first 35mm film camera. It's a Kodak Cameo that I carried around the world in my mid to late 20's. It was very portable and took good photos on varied conditions. It was replaced later by a […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

Kodak Cameo 35mm camera with the cover opened.

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/06/2026

Having a 2nd breakfast of a savory muffin with chutney and a long black coffee from Aussie Grind. Muffin has a small amount of tomato slice and spinach, it is quite delicious alone. Even better with the chutney. #SecondBreakfast #Chutney #AussieGrind

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/06/2026

We got inspired to take the telescope out to look at the crescent Moon, Venus and Jupiter. Venus and Jupiter were just shiny dots though the telescope but the Moon was incredible. Our youngest teen was able to get some great photos though the telescope. I'm […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

Crescent Moon. A large crater is visible.

Crescent Moon with Venus to the lower right. Much further down and to the right is a faint Jupiter.

Wider angle view of the crescent Moon, Venus to the lower right and faint Jupiter much lower and to the right.

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/06/2026

My copy of @minouette 's “Our Fate is Tied To That of The Insects” arrived yesterday. Younger teen went with me to pick out a frame and it is up on the wall besides my desk. Like all of Ele's art work, there are lots of details. Mine has a glorious color […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

Woodblock print with many detailed insects surrounding the message “Our Fate is Tied To That of The Insects” .
The bee in the upper right has a wing that changes color based upon the viewing angle. In this view the wing looks white.

The bee in the upper right has a wing that changes color based upon the viewing angle. In this view the wing is gloriously shiny with tints of green and purple.

The bee in the upper right has a wing that changes color based upon the viewing angle. In this view the wing is slightly purple.

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 12/06/2026

Building with lots of unique, rectangular windows in Basil, Switzerland. #Fensterfreitag

Building in Basil, Switzerland with many unique, rectangular windows.

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 05/06/2026

[Europe Vacation - Day 8] Landed at Heathrow and safely made it through security for our connecting flight with everyone in the group. Found some British treats that listeners to #ThePlaylist have mentioned in the past: Maltesers Smarties Also grabbed a box of 6 Tunnock's dark chocolate tea cakes.

Large bag of Maltesers, two containers of Smarties and a box of 6 dark chocolate Tunnock's tea cakes.

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 01/06/2026

[Europe Trip 2026 - Day 3] Today we got up very early (04:05 CEST) to go to trail station. We're taking an TGV train to Basel Switzerland.

The view down the lower deck of car 15.
We got one of the seats with a table between two sets of seats facing each other.

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 31/05/2026

[Europe Trip 2026 - Day 2] Today was dedicated to visiting the Palace of Versailles and the rest of the town.

Ceiling of one of the rooms in the palace.

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 29/05/2026

[Europe Trip 2026 - Day 1] We have landed in France at Charles De Gaulle airport. Passed over some beautiful green F mm And #Europe #France #Vacation

View out a plane window of beautiful green French countryside. Lots of shades of green for fields in varied shapes.

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Roy @roytoo.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 28/05/2026

[Europe Trip 2026 - Day 0] The whole family is on an educational tour trip to Europe with some students and families. We'll be visiting Paris first for 3 days. Then travel to Switzerland for 2 days and finally to Munich for 3 days. We will spend one day at […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

Airport terminal D at Dallas/Ft Worth airport.
I'm the foreground is a large group of chaperones, students and some family waiting patiently to board our flight to Paris.