A brief hiatus, leaving me, well, let's face it, not too thrilled about the prospect of returning to the daily grind. It has been fruitful, the time away that is. My time in paradise netted me some new images to work with. If nothing else as impetus for pressing forward with ideas that have been brewing since last summer, even before that really. Here's a few, just to get the ball rolling.

This is the street looking down from one of the incredibly steep hills where homes are often built in the small town of Arroyo, Puerto Rico where my wife's mother grew up.

A view from the rear of the house where my mother in law grew up.

The neighbor, Plana, who at 83, still gets out from time to time to survey the banana trees that fill the back yard. He still remembers her family well, though it has been decades since they moved to the US.

Another neighbor, Eriberto, who had one of the best manicured properties on the street. Also has lived there for more than 60 years. Next door is the house where his mother lives.

A view of the street from the roof of the family home. There was an attempt to build a second story years before, but it was destroyed by a storm before it could be completed.