The Life of the Queen

Last of Vacation Photos

2008-07-25T20:08:00.004-04:00

The mangroves around our hotel had ground crabs that came out at dusk. There is one in the center of this photo immediately to the right of the center trunk. The people in the balconies got treated to my backside pointed right at them when I bent into the bushes to take this picture. I'm sure they were thinking I was some wild woman of Borneo out there with my head in the bushes and my ass in the air...it's a good thing I really don't give a crap what they think.

These are my toes when I kicked my feet up to relax and wait for a sunset.
The sunset the first night was rather tame, but still pretty.
This is Katie and I at Theater of the Sea's private beach, if you look close you can see the parrot fish swimming in front of us. They were so beautiful with red, purple, and turquoise colors. They also have mouths that look like parrot bills...I guess that is why they named them that!
This birdy is all ruffled up in the breeze. Looks like he is ready for the fashion run way.
These colorful fellows were stationed throughout the park on various paths and branches.

This guy is located somewhere on the premises and glows in the dark. We didn't see him in person, Theater of the Sea gave us this picture.

Katie got to hold a parrot after the parrot show.

The second night gave us a much more showy sunset. God knows my favorite color is purple!

These signs were posted by the bridge that goes out to the keys...I never thought I'd see a sign like this in America. It turned out to be false advertisement because I never saw a croc except the ones on my feet.

Sea Lion Swim

2008-07-20T18:10:00.005-04:00

This is Mimi. She is a California Sea Lion. She is also incredibly adorable. I am thinking of putting in a lagoon of my own, just so I can have my own Mimi!

Mimi was very affectionate and went to giving us kisses straight away!
She was a really good kisser--if you don't mind fish breath.
She even went to the trouble to jump through hoops for us. How accommodating!
Then she swam around with us and gave us an exclusive tour of her private lagoon.
She must really be a Georgia Sea Lion, because she had such Southern Hospitality! She could teach a few people I know some manners! We won't mention any names you all know who I am talking about...

Then Mimi was feeling tired from all the kissing and swimming and what not, so she asked us to cuddle with her for a little while so she could rest a bit.

Are you watching this Scott?! Even Sea Lions are better at cuddling than you are! (Ya damn cactus!)

After her rest and cuddle time, Mimi was the life of the party again. She knows a lot of jokes! Have you heard the one where a sea lion walks into a bar....

Dolphin Swim

2008-07-17T12:12:00.006-04:00

Before I begin today's post, you must know the background story for this trip. When Katie was in Kindergarten her class made a book in which each child drew a picture of what they wanted to be when they grew up. It was filled with ballerinas, firemen, and teachers--until you got to Katie's page. She wanted to be a dolphin when she grew up. Now, all good parents are supposed to tell their children they can be anything they want to be when they grow up. Unfortunately technology has not afforded us the opportunity for "species change" operations as of yet, so it put me in somewhat of a dilemma. Since I couldn't encourage her to BE a dolphin, I encouraged her to save up money to SWIM with a dolphin. I opened a savings account in 2005 and put birthday money, Christmas money, and $10.00 here and there and promised her that when she was 8 I would take her to swim with dolphins. My friend Shelli and her husband Ernie went to a spectacular place for their honeymoon in the Keys called Theater of the Sea. Shelli said she knew we would love this place because it had so many opportunities for animal encounters for Katie (our nature lover) and they rescue animals (and anyone who knows me, knows how passionate I am about that). So I looked them up on the Internet and was impressed with how affordable it was and the fact that the animals are in REAL ocean lagoons--not man made pools. I booked the trip and today's post is about the dolphin swim. I'll post the Sea Lion swim soon--I can't take too much time away from my classes!

This is the sign at the front entrance. I was tingling with excitement when I saw it.

This is one of the several rescued kitties roaming the property. It was cool because it had a Mohawk--probably due to matted fur having to be removed upon rescue (I've seen that before when I worked for the Humane Society). What was doubly awesome was that the kitties roamed freely and weren't trying to eat the parrots--who were also roaming freely, or the iguanas--you guessed it--roaming freely!
This picture has three sea turtles (two of them blend quite well with the rocks) and one of them is wearing a life jacket because it's injury prevented it from being able to reach the surface for air on its own. I never knew they came in turtle sizes!
This is two of the MANY rescued parrots on the property. They seem to have no problem with public displays of affection. Their parrot show was very cute.
This is me and Katie waiting to go and have our dolphin swim. I was 80% scared and 20% excited. Katie was just 100% stoked!
This was our swim partner Stormy. He was 25 years old and 55o pounds and had two sons that were born in the park Twister and Sherman. I was a little intimidated by his size and the fact that the lady told us he was their dominant male dolphin. "Dominate" usually equals aggression--but Stormy turned out to be a sweety.

This is me and Stormy going for our buddy swim around the lagoon. He was making cool noises at me with his blowhole the entire time. I have no clue what he was saying, but he sounded happy.

Then Stormy gave me a dorsal tow back to the beach. I was amazed at how powerful he was. I didn't know if I could hold on tight enough he was going SO fast.

Next Katie had her turn to buddy swim and she said he was chirping at her also. I can't believe how brave she was to have her little 64 pound self swimming beside a 550 pound dolphin!

She loved the dorsal tow and the look on her face in this picture proves it! After this Stormy took off and disappeared for a few minutes because his sons were performing a show in the next lagoon (separated by a gate) and he went to go and watch them for a few minutes. What a good dolphin daddy he was! The trainers just asked us to get out of the water until he came back because they don't reprimand the dolphins or force them to do anything they don't want to do. In a few minutes he was popping his head up by the beach waiting for us to get back in and swim with him.

Next Stormy gave us kisses--what a flirt! Scott says this the only other guy he approves of me kissing.

Katie and Stormy sitting in the Sea...K-I-S-S-I-N-G...

Then we got Stormy hugs! Dolphins are awesome!

Katie really loved the hug part--she kept accidentally covering his eye and blowhole. Stormy was very patient and seemed to know she didn't mean to.

This is Stormy and I slow dancing. I was playing "What A Wonderful World" in my mind's iPod.

This is Katie fast dancing with Stormy. It looked sort of like the Twist...

We (and another little girl who swam with us, but we didn't know) gave Stormy a goodbye rub...

And then a goodbye wave.

Then we were off to have some lunch and explore the park before our Sea Lion swim. I 'll post those pictures soon.

Our Trip to the Keys-Day One

2008-07-16T16:16:00.006-04:00

Right before our trip to the Keys Katie lost another tooth. The tooth fairy is having to reach into her retirement fund because the teeth are coming out so fast around here!

Enroute to the Keys I took various pictures that were interesting to me, like this one of a YELLOW John Deere. What blasphemy!
I couldn't believe I was actually riding through the Evergaldes, so I took a picture of this sign to make it more real to me.
We even went past the Everglades National Park...
Of course I talked my sweetie into driving because I can't take pictures and drive at the same time (ahhemm...Jenn...).
I was disappointed because by the time we got to this sign I had only seen ONE alligator on Alligator Alley and it was dead on the side of the road. Scott refused to stop so I could take a picture of a smooshed gator. I told him a smooshed gator picture is better than NO gator picture, but he was unconvinced. So I think they should change the name to Alligatorless Alley.
So I still had to settle for more pictures like this...not as exciting as I had hoped.

Then we finally go to the hotel. It was very nice. We stayed at the Key Largo Marriott Resort. Our room was great except the refrigerator was hidden in a false drawer in the dresser and we didn't find it until we were packing up to leave and Scott was checking every drawer to make sure we didn't leave anything behind. We could have had cocktails in our room at night...or even COLD water. I guess we will know better for next time.

This is Katie checking out the lagoon behind the hotel. We saw sharks in the water by the boat dock, so knee deep was the limit for exploring the reef.

Katie found a lot of hermit crabs in the reef, like this one who refused to peek out for the camera.

This was Scott over checking out the cabanas...I think he was trying to find me a cabana boy so he could relax...

Katie and Scott paused for a picture during their reef exploring (notice Scott is nowhere NEAR the water).

Scott snapped a picture of me getting ready to get in the pool.

I got revenge by catching a photo of him in the pool.

Some palm trees are really TALL.

And this was just our first day of the trip. Stay tuned for pictures of our dolphin and sea lion swim. I had to neglect my studies for too long to post this!

Fourth of July

2008-07-08T20:28:00.008-04:00

Granny & Katie at Uncle Shawn's

My cousin Joe and my Uncle Robbie & Suzi

This one is for the Dew--a rainbow in the middle of a storm cloud!

My cousin Summer eating a brownie!

My cousin Andrea and her boyfriend Kyle (I used to change her diaper...I can't believe she is old enough to have a boyfriend!)

The jet ski that the storm (with the rainbow in the middle) kept us from enjoying. The lightning was horrible. I think God was giving us his own light display for the Fourth of July.

Scott, Uncle Shawn, Joe and Uncle Robbie sitting by the lake waiting to see if the storm will strike or pass over (it didn't pass over).

We had a nice time watching fireworks on the lake after the storm passed. Our night really went out with a bang when Scott's ex called and said she was at the hospital in St. Pete with Jarhett because his appendix was ruptured. We have been there ever since then, and now he gets to come home tonight with an IV port in his arm that runs up by his heart. He will be on IV antibiotics and fluids for at least 21 more days. Upon reaching the hospital, his appendix had been ruptured for five days and he had lost 15 pounds and was very dehydrated. His mom thought he had the flu until he kept doubling over in pain and refused to eat anything. He had a procedure to drain some of the infection on Monday and we have to wait for antibiotics to clear up the rest before he can have surgery because he is too septic to open for surgery without releasing the bacteria into his bloodstream, which could be fatal. He probably won't be strong enough for surgery to remove the appendix until September. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers. So far he is taking this like a trooper (I was the one crying).

Duck by Katie

2008-07-03T21:29:00.006-04:00

Hey Mom, haven't you always just wished you could be a duck? A real one, because they are so cute? I have always wanted to be a duck!

Look Mom, if I pretend like I am ignoring them, they come to me...it's like Jedi duck control! Cool!

See Mom! They are letting me join their flock! I am Katie--hear me QUACK!

I am now going to be one with the ducks and swim with them all over this pond. My best friends live in a pond! Can I be home schooled so I can play with the ducks instead of go to school? I like ducks way more than any dumb ole people.

Hey! No fair, the other ducks don't have to take a bath in a tub!!!! I'm an embarrassment to duckhood....sigh.

Beach Lessons

2008-07-03T16:53:00.003-04:00

I learned some lessons while at the beach.

The first lesson is "Why They Call It A Miracle Suit." My bathing suit is called a Miracle Suit. My niece asked me if it was a Miracle Suit and I said, "Why? Does it make me look miraculous?" and she said yes--so we high fived! But that is not why it is called a Miracle Suit... In the event that you have in fact been bathing in this bathing suit and consequently it becomes wet and then suddenly the Hurricanes you drank have made their way through the plumbing and you have to find a restroom as soon as possible (stay with me--we're almost there), after using the restroom, it takes a miracle to get the damn suit pulled back up! I still have a bruise on my ankle... I recommend laying out to dry as much as possible before attempting to don this wet suit in a cramped bathroom stall with people outside getting nervous because they hear a lot of struggling and see random glimpses of elbows, shoulders and knees over the top of the stall door. This, my friends, is why it called a Miracle Suit!

The second lesson I learned is that life guards aren't just for looking cute on a tall chair, or as characters in incredibly lame television shows like Baywatch. They really do save people and respond VERY quickly. I actually got to witness a rescue at the beach and the lifeguard ran out into the water with his life preserver and two lifeguard trucks showed up in seconds with lights flashing. It was pretty scary--but the weirdest part, was the person that was saved stayed in the water after the rescue! I think if that were me the story would have ended right there--vacation OVER!

The third lesson I learned is to never, ever, under any circumstances go into a souvenir shop with three small children. Not only was the place overcrowded with merchandise, but other people and their small children too. There was a large hermit crab tank in the front of the store and children were draping themselves all over it and shoving their faces under other people to see in. You would have thought something much cooler than hermit crabs were in that tank the way people were acting! I had to retreat to the back of the store to avoid a panic attack from sensory overload of people bumping me, children shrieking, and four people talking to me at once. Next time I will arrange for another guest to wait with the children involved in the trip and then we can swap off. I'll bet they can find our kids' fingerprints on everything below four feet high in that store. I think we made the owner start drinking...I saw him sipping something behind the counter.

The fourth lesson I learned is how the human bodies sync with each other. I know you have all heard about how women who live or work together end up with their menstrual cycles syncing and it turns out that men can experience a similar phenomenon. After sleeping in close quarters for one night, two men can synchronize their snoring--much to the annoyance of their over tired wives. Between Scott and my dad, that place sounded like a saw mill. I really expected to start developing allergies to saw dust in the middle of the night in the midst of my sleep deprived psychosis. I also witnessed that everyone in the room all synced to the same toileting schedule and there was only one bathroom in the room. No sooner than one person stepped inside the magical room, everyone else developed a serious bathroom related crisis at the exact moment. Scary...I wonder if Myth Busters wants to test that one out.

The fifth lesson I learned is that bellhops are like stray dogs. If you tip them--they keep swarming around your vicinity trying to look loyal and hoping for more of the same. We tipped one of them with a watermelon and he is still on my back porch offering to proofread this for me. (Seriously the bellhops were awesome and really went out of their way to help us--I just wondered if they were naturally that kind, or if it was from classical conditioning [my psychology teachers would be so proud]). (And we really did tip once with a watermelon--don't sneer--it was seedless and delicious.)

The sixth lesson I learned was that if you are unfortunate enough to be at the same hotel as Dennis the Menace and you see him disassembling the light in swimming pool and laying it on the edge of the pool with the wires hanging into the water--get your kids out of the pool fast and go report it to the hotel management. If not, everyone (including Dennis' dad) will act like nothing is happening and continue swirling around in the pool waiting to be electrocuted! Seriously, even cows know how to stay out of the way of lightning in storms--yet these supposedly higher beings couldn't put together: water + exposed electrical wires = electrocution/possible death. When I went and told the manager what happened and that people weren't getting out of the pool, he freaked out. People were removed from the pool against their will and the electricity to the pool was turned completely off. By the time maintenance had the pool all fixed, little Dennis had struck again by busting one of the glass bulbs around the deck lights. This kid will either grow up to be the next Thomas Edison and make a revolution in electricity or he will be in JDC for property destruction. Good luck with that electrical engineering job little Dennis!

The seventh and final lesson--because 7 is my favorite number--is that Hurricanes are really REALLY good drinks and you can call every third one Katrina because it will be pretty devastating.

Beach Bliss

2008-07-01T18:59:00.011-04:00

Hurricanes coming right up!

Me and my Honey

Lounging in the pool

Digging for shells

Gnarly surfers dude!

The three Musketeers get ready for bed

Montana looking at a little clear jellyfish Katie found on the shore

Dad and Mom being silly

Kids in the Mushroom Pool

The beach was awesome! I had to get over my fear of the kids being sucked up by a rip tide so I could actually enjoy myself, but I eventually did get over it. It turns out the Daytona Beach Resort and Conference Center was a pretty upscale place. The staff were SO helpful and friendly and the pools and rooms were so clean and nice. I was very pleased and I am VERY picky, so it has to be a great place. We could see dolphins jumping in the ocean from our balcony one morning! The tikki bar by the pools, did not have mint leaves to make my mojitos, so I had hurricanes in honor of Jenn. They are SO good! A very beachy drink. I got a wicked tan and it was fun to watch the kids exploring the beach for marine life. One of the best vacations ever, and I am so glad my mom and dad got to come with me. Scott came in second place in his golf tournament so he was also pleased with this trip.

Nature Therapy

2008-06-18T15:37:00.002-04:00

My visit at my parent's house is drawing to a close and I have really benefited from the nature therapy. One day I saw a deer, a rabbit, a bevy of quail, two black snakes, hummingbirds, wild ducks, a squirrel, and some butterflies. That was just in one day! I don't know of many people who live in such a paradise of nature. I hope to be living here one day soon myself. I have enjoyed not only the wild animals but also the company of my mom's dumb ass dog, the chickens, guineas, ducks, and in some regards the turkeys (turkeys aren't exactly cuddly creatures). We released the guineas the other day because they were getting too big to be in pens. They have had a little chicken growing up with them because she was too small to be in with the other chickens, so we released her with them. She copies whatever the guineas do and she is getting spots like them too, so I believe she thinks she is a guinea. I like to go out there and when the birds see me coming they run up to me (I know it's just because they think I'm their meal ticket) and my dad said he really thinks I'm a duck whisperer because they seem to like me so much. I can put my hand down and all the guineas run over to me and the little chick will jump in my hand. Some of the guineas will let me pet their backs. I think all this animal contact has been very good for me...I haven't needed my blood pressure medicine the entire time I've been here. I'll soon be headed back home for a while to take care of some business and go to the beach, and then I am hoping to return to my ducks for some more of the peace they instill in my spirit.

Midnight Misadventures

2008-06-17T13:51:00.003-04:00

The other night my dutiful watch by the window was rewarded when the ducks came waddling up the trail in all their web-footed splendor at 8:53 PM. I stayed up late working on homework and watching TV and I was just getting ready for bed when the dog started barking at midnight. I went outside in my pajamas with a flashlight to make sure nothing was after the animals. After seeing that nothing was amiss, I returned to the house, only to find that I was locked out. Great. I was in the middle of nowhere in my pajamas in the middle of the night, locked out. So I started knocking on the door--the answer was simple enough--all I had to do was knock on the door, wake up Katie and she could let me in. She didn't wake up. So I started pounding on the door--nothing. I walked around to her window and knocked on the window--she didn't even stir. I started banging on the window so hard I was afraid I might break the glass--still no response. I banged even harder, yelled her name and flashed the flashlight in and out of her window--still no success. Why the hell can't I ever sleep that soundly?! So I decide I can just go get a screwdriver from my Dad's tool box and take the door knob off. I get to the door, screwdriver in hand and find that are no screws around the knob....nice. I go back to the tool box, get a bondo blade, and decide I will just jimmy the lock. I start wiggling the door knob so I can see exactly where to insert the blade and the damn door pops open! Feeling both frustrated and relieved I put my Dad's tools back and went inside to bed. I learned two things that night, 1) when Katie is sleeping, if there is ever an emergency, nothing short of an air horn and a bucket of ice water is going to get her attention and 2) I really should have paid more attention when I worked at the juvenile detention center because in the event that you need to get into a place that seems inaccessible, you really need to be able to access a situation from a criminal point of view. I also kept hearing a saying (I learned when I worked for the Humane Society) in the back of my mind: No good deed goes unpunished. That's what I get for rushing out to save animals from a terrible demise in the middle of the night--locked out. So I have to stop and wonder, if there really are past lives, what did I do in mine to piss God off so much....

Morning Mayhem

2008-06-13T20:31:00.002-04:00

This morning I was abruptly awakened by my mom. She came in my room looking panicked. She said she had walked down to the pond early this morning to check on the ducks after their first night out of the pen and she couldn't find any of them. She went down several trails looking for them (or their unfortunate remains) and still saw no sign of them. She was on her way in to tell us to come help look, when she passed their old pen and saw that they had all gone inside their house and were sleeping. Instead of homing pigeons, we have homing ducks. Somehow they found their way all the way back to the house from the pond last night. Our family is so smart--even our ducks are gifted. (My mom's dog on the other hand, not so much...) Today Katie and I herded the ducks back down to their pond, so she now joins the ranks of the talented and rare duck herders of South Georgia. This afternoon my mom and I went shopping for a while. When we got home my parents left for a trip to move more of their stuff from the house they sold in Florida and Katie and I stayed here to hold down the fort. I have important duties--all related to animal husbandry--while they are away. I spent the rest of the afternoon on a nature walk with Katie, taking pictures of the wide array of flowers and fruit growing on my parent's property--and of course pictures of the ducks, turkeys, and Katie. I will have to post them later because my Mom's ISP is too slow and I don't have the patience to wait for them to upload. For now I am just camping by the window waiting to catch the ducks in the act of their migratory passage from pond to house to get an idea of what time they do it. This will help us know when to check on them--and where to check on them. Now I'm off to do some much avoided homework while I keep vigilant watch at my post!

Georgia Ducks

2008-06-12T22:26:00.004-04:00

I have been in Georgia for the last few days taking a much needed reprieve from the hustle and bustle of life at home. I feel so at peace here in nature. I have been helping my parents take care of the turkeys, ducks, chickens, and guineas. We released the turkeys yesterday night and then a hellacious storm came and blew down all these tree limbs. It also hailed and knocked our power out for 11 hours! We were so afraid something happened to the turkeys, but this morning they were fine and had flown into the duck pen to weather the storm. We let them out and then I did something I have never done before--I was a duck herder. My mom and I rounded up the ducks and herded them down to the pond because they are finally old enough. Their little feet were flip flapping on the trail all the way down. I like to think of myself as a "Duck Whisperer" because they followed me around the pond when I went back to check on them later. I just sat in the swing by the pond for a long time and watched the ducks swimming and they came and hung out right by my feet. It was so relaxing! I told my mom that people should not be using prozac for mood disorders and depression, they should just go get some ducks and watch them. I think I will talk to Walgreens and see if they can start dispensing water fowl to treat depression and anxiety. I think I may be on to something here....

My Dog Looks Like A Sea Lion

2008-06-04T21:52:00.004-04:00

See the Sea Lion on the far left with its mouth open...my dog looks just like it!
Weird post, I know, but the resemblance is uncanny. I wonder if she can balance a ball on her nose...

School's Out For the Summer!

2008-06-04T21:30:00.003-04:00

Today was a cool day at work and home. It was the last day of school for the kids (we still have to work) so we had a huge celebration all day. We played games and cooked out and had a big water balloon and water squirter fight. We danced and ate and laughed and had so much fun. We had a staff musical chair game and let's just say my new nick name (along with Rasputia) is Musical Chair Nazi. (Evil laughter--I'm not a cheater I'm an innovative thinker...no one can take the last chair from you if you carry it around the circle under your butt or slam all the competition out of the way with your big butt--I knew I have been maintaining this thing for a reason.) It was also great because the staff who are annoying and not-so-nice with the kids stayed away from the festivities (I think fun is against their religion or something like that) so the kids were able to really let loose and enjoy themselves without the threat of someone being evil to them for it. Kind of like Ms. Hannigan on Little Orphan Annie, "Is that laughter I hear??!" Anyhow the day ended great and I'm glad all the kids had such a blast. I am almost afraid that I had more fun than they did.

I decided to get home early and fill a bunch of water balloons up. Then when it was time for the kids to get off the bus Scott and I hid in the bushes by the front porch with our stash of balloons and had the front door locked. When the kids got up to the porch we jumped out of the bushes and yelled, "BANZAI!!!!!!!" and attacked them with water balloons. They started running and we chased them (which resulted in me falling and twisting my ankle--but like a good soldier I finished the battle by rolling on the ground and launching balloons). Somehow Katie got through with only her feet wet so when she got inside I snuck in the kitchen and filled a water squirter up and then I jumped into the living room and nailed her right in the back. Then we all got changed into our bathing suits and went to the lake and swam and went out in the boat. We even brought Suzi who did a little surfing on her boogie board and went on boat rides. My Aunt and Uncle came out and swam with us too. It was all so much fun and I wish everyday could be such an adventure and filled with so much joy and laughter and surprise. The kids were very impressed that we made such a big deal over the last day of school. The only glitch was because there was so much water assault involved today--there was no camera on me. I just have to be happy with all the pictures in my head.

Garden Delight

2008-06-03T19:39:00.018-04:00

These are flowers from my mom's yard in Georgia. I spent an afternoon photographing them because they were so delicious with color and shapes! I have no idea what most of them are--so enjoy and feel free to drop flower names if you know them. Begonia?

Pansy?
Some kind of lily

Daylily

Salvia? or Shrimp Plant?

Pansy?

Gladiola

Impatient?

Impatient

Petunia?

Yellow Rose

Lady Bug on a leaf

Katie's Feliz Cumpleano Ocho

2008-06-03T19:24:00.011-04:00

These are pictures from Katie's birthday where she got a pie in the face at our favorite Mexican restaurant in Valdosta, GA--El Toreo's! OLE!

Last Trip to Georgia

2008-06-01T15:06:00.012-04:00

These are a sampling of photos from our last trip to Georgia--excluding Katie's birthday shots from El Toreo's, those will be on another post. Saturday night we went to the drags in Cecil, GA.
Scott, Dad, Jarhett, and Mom at the race track

These little birdies had just hatched in a duffel bag in my dad's shop that a bird decided would be a great place to build a nest!

Jarhett holding a baby Guinea

He's no chicken, farm life suits him just fine!

Jarhett holding one the chickens

Mom and Dad's baby ducks huddle in fear in the corner (they really didn't like my camera).

Scott, Jarhett, and Katie fishing at Deer Pond

Katie holding her chicken, "Carly"--remember how small they were at Easter???

Katie helps take the baby ducks to the pool for supervised swim time. When they are babies they have to be watched in water because they can drown very easily (I never knew that, so I thought I'd throw that in).

The baby ducks get swimming lessons from the big guys.

They had trouble getting back out of the pool, so my Dad built them a little ramp and Katie put food on it so they wouldn't be afraid to use it.

All the things we did on this trip make me even more certain that nature and family time is good for my soul. Scott said, "How come you're always nervous and stressed out, but when we go to Georgia and you get out there on the farm, you look totally relaxed?" That is exactly what I've been trying to explain! The kids didn't even argue and never once said they were bored! I am reading a book about how children are suffering from nature deficit disorder because of the loss of opportunities to enjoy and explore nature and it really rings true when I see the kids on the farm.

Reception Pictures

2008-05-31T09:38:00.014-04:00

I found out my new classes start June 2nd, so I had better get all caught up on the things I've missed blogging! Here are the reception photos from the barn dance we had. It was very HOT--so pardon my flushed appearance in every shot! These are also kind of poor quality photos becuase it was so dark in there. Overall it was a blast! These pictures are not in order because I am in a hurry to get Katie to the salon to have her hair cut.

Me and my mom dancing to "In My Daughter's Eyes" by Martina McBride.

Scott and Chelsea dancing.

Scott and Casi dancing.

My granny came out to dance to "Brick House" Go Granny!

My Cousin Deanne and Aunt Mary-Anne were laughing because I was trying to get away from this woman who kept trying to hunch me. I announced, "I LIKE MEN!" and scooted away and it really cracked up my cousin and my aunt. The woman was one of Scott's friend's girlfriend.

I danced to "There You'll Be" by Faith Hill with my Daddy.

Jenn and Bill got the award for the people who traveled the farthest to attend!

My sister with her fiance Mike.

Jarhett with my granddaughter Haylee.

Me and some of my family

Everyone was dancing--even my Mom and Dad!

More dancing! Hey--Mike, watch those hands...she's my little sister!

Scott and I danced to "My Best Friend" by Tim McGraw for our wedding song.

Scott danced with Katie and our grandson Coleman.

Deer Farm

2008-05-29T16:10:00.019-04:00

We went to the Deer Farm in Sevierville, TN one of the last days of our honeymoon. It was awesome because I got to touch and feed a lot of animals that were on my bucket list to pet! Many of the animals here are rescues or were donated by people who couldn't care for them any longer. The staff were super nice and I recommend this place for anyone who is an animal lover or has kids who love animals and want a touchy feely experience!

This little goat was born a few days before we arrived and was about the size of a young kitten.

Here is the nanny goat with the two kitty-sized kids! The mom was only about the size of a small dog.

Scott fed apples to the reindeer.

Feeding the mini-donkeys! I'll turn him into a farm boy yet!

I feel so at home with the donkeys...I wonder why that is?

Scott fed the camels...eventually. At first he was afraid of them.
Okay, I admit it, so was I. They were really sweet to people, but not so nice to each other--fighting over the food!

I never knew Guanacos were SO soft!

This elk was a camera hog. He really should get an agent.

Scott feeding the elk.

This was a HUGE furry cow of some sort from Scotland.

I got to touch a zebra! I got to touch a zebra!

A zonkey is what happens when a zebra and a donkey fall in love...

This little deer kept following me around. Adorable.

All the deer loved me. I felt like a superstar!
There were other animals there too, like horses, rams, kangaroos, wallabies, pigs, prairie dogs, peacocks, etc. I am just too worn out this afternoon to add more pictures. We can't wait to bring the kids to visit this place.

Honeymoon Pictures

2008-05-26T21:13:00.033-04:00

Our honeymoon was a bunch of stops in a bunch of places, so I picked one or two of the best photos from each place--since I took about 400 photos. I left out pictures from the Deer Farm until another post, because I want to use a bunch of those (it was my favorite place on the trip). Inside the Windsor Motel
The lobby of the Windsor Motel

The outside of the Windsor (complete with the annoying bus that screwed up my shot!)

The entrance to the Andersonville National Cemetery and Prisoner of War Museum

Headstones in the National Cemetery in Andersonville, GA

An alligator turtle in the road in Andersonville, GA

Inside the Whistle Stop Cafe where the movie Fried Green Tomatoes was filmed in Juliette, GA

Mom and Aunt Jeanne waiting for their fried green tomatoes

The Dew Drop Inn across the street from the Whistle Stop Cafe

Scott by the grill where "Frank Bennett" was cooked up in the movie

The Whistle Stop Cafe

The window of the cafe

The dogwoods in North Georgia were so thick in the woods it looked like snow!

On the bridge at Andy's Trout Farm

The Dillard House and its tulips!

A bird's nest at Aunt Jeanne's cabin

Mom & Aunt Jeanne relax in the hot tub

Thank God for hot tubs after hiking

The mountain dog that refused to leave the porch of our cabin

A view of a river from the Smokey Mountain Railroad ride we took

On the train

Ducks taking a break from nesting on the river

Us at the rafting and canoeing lay over on the train ride

An old house and barn from the train ride

A ground hog on a mountain side in Cherokee, NC

The Pioneer Museum in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park

At Angel Falls

Playing in the ICE cold water at Chimney Tops Park

Posing on a rock in the river in Chimney Tops Park

Horseback riding in Sevierville, TN

Elk had recently been released into the Great Smokey Mountain National Park and we saw them eating on the side of the road two nights in a row! This guy was HUGE and about 5 or 6 feet away from the van and not even phased by us. Note the radio collar.

Honey Moon Day One

2008-04-06T09:00:00.002-04:00

Yesterday we set out on our Honey Moon Trip. We woke up to lightening, rain, cloudy skies, and pretty miserable weather in general. Needless to say, we were bummed because we wanted to go to lots of outdoor places to explore on our way up to the cabin. So we started crossing destinations off our list because of the weather. We regrouped and decided to visit places we could see indoors. We went to the Windsor Hotel in Americus, GA. When we got there it was raining a lot and there was a giant tour bus parked RIGHT in front of the hotel so I couldn't get a good shot of the front with the canopy that had the name on it. I was all pissed because I had to get all wet going across the road to the hotel and when we got inside it was sort of "haunted mansion" looking inside. Then Mom took us to this staircase where there are supposed ghost sightings of a little girl because someone pushed her and her mother down the elevator shaft and they both died and now they allegedly haunt that stairwell. Then I was trying to take pictures inside and the lighting was so bad that all my shots were coming out too dark, so again I was pissed. Then I was trying to get down this staircase to follow Scott, my Mom and Aunt Jeanne (they traveled up with us on their way to my Aunt's cabin in NC) and these people were blocking my way for about ten minutes and I thought it was really rude because they were just standing there and talking and not letting me pass. Then I got a little lost trying to catch up to my family once I did get past them. Then outside it was still raining and the giant bus was STILL parked right in the middle of my photo opportunity so I got more irritated. Then the drive to the Andersonville Prisoner of War Museum and veteran's cemetery was rainy and horrible. We got there and got out and took pictures in the rain which was screwing up my hair and make-up and spotting up my glasses. The Museum movie made me cry. Then Scott and my Mom were lingering longer than I wanted to. Then we went to the Whistle Stop Cafe in Juliette, GA where they filmed the movie Fried Green Tomatoes. That was totally awesome because the rain had stopped and I could take pictures. Then I noticed that Ruth and Idgy's house was CLOSED and so was the GIFT SHOP! What the hell?! Couldn't I catch a break? Then we headed for my Aunt's cabin, but I was out of my allergy eye drops and my eyes were starting to swell up from the different pollen, so we stopped at a pharmacy to see if they could transfer my prescription and the pharmacy counter was closed! We got up to my Aunt's cabin and I drank three rum and dews and we all sat up and talked until nearly 2:00 AM. I went to bed and woke this morning and I spoke harshly to myself and this is what I said, "You are a malcontent, unappreciative, little bitch who takes too much for granted!" I should be glad I even get to go on a trip like this rain or no rain, good photo ops or not, because I don't know very many people who can go on trips for a week to the mountains and stay in a beautiful cabin get to see a lot of awesome stuff on the way. After my harsh words I decided to take a new attitude for the rest of this trip. This morning we saw a bird sitting on her nest right outside my Aunt's front door. Then I saw calves bucking up and playing in the valley below us. Simple things that make the world more beautiful--even if it rains. No time to post pics this morning, we have a full day ahead of us, so I will post some pics maybe tonight. I got some shots of a place called the Dew Drop Inn for my best friend with the same alias. Can't wait to share them, but for now adventure beckons and I must answer its call.

Insomniac

2008-04-05T05:33:00.007-04:00

I woke up this morning REALLY early and try as I might, I could not get back to sleep. When you have insomnia, all sorts of things start running through your head. One thing kept replaying in my mind, so I thought, "What the hell, maybe I'll just get up and write about it--I can't sleep anyhow." And so this blog was born:

The other day I was driving Katie to her gymnastics practice (which doubles as a form of comic relief for me) and on the side of the road was a dead Sandhill Crane. I am assuming it was hit by a car, judging by its crumpled position, with feathers jutting out at weird angles. Now these birds are on the endangered species list where I live (or were, I haven't checked it lately) and they are heavily protected. Killing one of these birds can lead to serious fines or even jail time. But that has nothing to do with this story--just thought I'd throw that in for anyone out there thinking of mounting one over their fire place. So anyhow, I saw the bird in the ditch and thought what a pity to see this beautiful animal come to its final resting place like that. These birds live in pairs and mate for life. They are also fiercely protective of their babies (who are incredibly cute and fluffy little red guys). That part of the story comes in later. Standing near the corpse of the bird in the ditch was the mate. The bird kept looking at its dead partner as if it were willing it get up and go destroy someone's expensively sodded lawn in search of buried bugs to eat. But alas, the dead bird would not move. It was really a sad scene. Then I started thinking, "You know what? These birds who are supposed to be lesser creatures than us could teach us homo sapiens a few things about loyalty, devotion, and fidelity." How many people do you know who mate for life, taking no other partners unless their partner dies? How many do you know who would take on a full grown charging bull to protect their mate and/or baby? (I really witnessed this once.) Then I started thinking of ways we could get them off the endangered list and our spouses out of their extra-marital affairs. We could start a Sandhill Crane boot camp for wayward spouses. The cranes could teach them how to not be lying, cheating, bastards and we could feed the cranes in return so people will stop killing them for ruining their perfectly manicured lawns and golf courses. Then we could also start Sandhill Crane parenting classes for the assholes who leave their kids in the car when it's 98 degrees outside while they go shopping for new hot pants to wear to the club tonight, while their pit bull is left home to babysit the kids who survive the sweltering temperatures inside that car. We could have the Sandhill Cranes teach compassion and devotion lessons to all the jerks out there who care more about their sports car or their bank account than their family. I think there are lots of things we could learn from an animal with a brain the size of a walnut. Sometimes I'd rather see humans have better traits than just opposable thumbs and large brains. What good are all those brains and thumbs if you're a greedy, self-centered, thoughtless imbecile? May that deceased crane rest in peace and its partner find a new, equally devoted mate...and may we stop and think of the things that simpler beings can teach us about being better beings ourselves. (Hey I used the word being three times in one sentence--you don't see that every day!) Have a Sandhill Crane day!

Sarcasm Makes Me Smile

2008-04-02T21:58:00.002-04:00

Today I was pumping gas and I heard the weather report being announced. I thought, wow, they report the weather over the speakers at the gas pumps now? Then I looked up and saw a big flat screen TV attached to the top of the gas pump! Is our society THAT addicted to TV that we even need televisions on our gas pumps??? Unless you are filling up a tanker or something, it's not like you are going to be there long enough to watch a full episode of a show. I can see it now, I am standing there pumping gas and become mesmerized by Oprah's new show and there are cars lined up behind me honking their horns in anger, yelling expletives out their windows and making obscene hand gestures in my general direction. Then I'll be like, "Hey! Have a little courtesy why don't ya?! I'm trying to watch a program here!" Is that why our gas prices are getting so high, because we have to finance our own unnecessary entertainment? What about the TVs that are in the check out lanes in the stores now? Now I can try to watch TV and keep my kid from jacking something off the candy shelf at the same time--I really need distractions like that. Thanks to that damn TV my kid is going to land in juvenile hall over a pack of gum because I couldn't tear my attention away from a really good rerun of the Cosby show long enough to notice her pocketing that pack of strawberry Hubba-Bubba. Our cars come with TVs on the ceiling or on the backs of the seats complete with DVD and video game hook ups. Air planes have TVs dangling overhead or embedded in the backs of their seats too. Classrooms have televisions, doctor's waiting rooms and exam rooms now have TVs instead of magazines. Most homes have TVs in about every room! They even have them built to install under cabinets to go in the kitchen and in bathrooms. Our cell phones now get live television feeds so we can watch TV on our phones, our lap tops, our I-Pods, our watches!!!!! It feels like we can't go anywhere without a TV staring us down and demanding our attention. How did people a few generations ago survive without having a TV up their ass at every turn? Did they, dare I say, read? Maybe they talked to each other. Perhaps they had moments of quiet reflection. Fewer kids had ADHD and fewer parents weren't looking when their kid snuck that Bazooka gum into their pocket because they REALLY wanted the tattoo inside, but Mom said no. I know our world is becoming wired more and more every day, but I really think our obsession with media is becoming an epidemic. That being said, I gotta go and check my TIVO to make sure it recorded that show I missed while I was out pumping gas....

Hurry Honey Moon!

2008-03-22T13:10:00.014-04:00

Hot tub on porch

Okay, all this pressure is making me really want to hurry up and go on our honey moon! I am posting pictures of the cabin we will be staying in. I can't wait, but I am afraid I will never want to go back home. It is so awesome! Scott has been so great lately, I think my "little bitch episode" was just what he needed to get back on track. He even cooked for me this week and wrote I love you on the mirror before he left for work yesterday...awww. That's what I'm talking about! Anyhow, these pictures are really out of order, so bear with the scattered descriptions because I don't feel like reordering them!

The Great Room
View from the porch

Master bathroom shower

Kitchen and Dining room

Upstairs loft area

Kitchen

Great room shot from loft

Great room shot with fireplace

Master bedroom

2nd bathroom

Tub in Master Bathroom

2nd Bedroom

Porch

Cabin

Nothing Says Easter Like New Dresses and Baby Chicks

2008-03-20T09:39:00.014-04:00

I took these pictures at my mom's house with chicks that she bought for her farm, NOT as Easter novelty items, just to be clear on that. As former Humane Society volunteer and director, I do not condone the purchase of animals for holiday use only. There are 8 different chicks used in these pictures, although my mom bought about 15. They are so precious and I loved taking these pictures.. I only wish my lighting had been better. Can you get salmonella from kissing a chicken???

Now you can count them since they've hatched...

I LOVE baby chicks mom!

Hey little chicky!

Prim posing in front of the pear tree.

Don't put all your chicks in one basket, they wouldn't fit anyhow...

Hey mom, can I keep her?

AWWW

New outfit, new chicks!

Take more pictures, Mom!

Ack! Chick fuzz on my lips!

How long before they can fly, Mom?

Sweet little chickies!

Oh, MOM they're SO adorable.

I would SO trade my Guinea Pig for some of these, Mom!

100th Post

2008-03-19T11:07:00.034-04:00

In honor of my 100th blog I am posting pictures of some of my favorite pictures and memories. Sorry for the volume, I had to go through over 5000 pictures...so it got hard to choose. I tried not to post any recently posted (even though those are my favorites too!). Next post will be Easter chicks and Katie...I didn't want to post them here because there are too many as it is! Enjoy!

Jarhett, Scott, & Katie four wheeling

Katie & Jarhett at Mom and Dad's Deer Pond

Scott playing cowboy

Jarhett & my Mom's neighbor's donkeys and long horns

Scott, Peyton, Katie, and Jarhett at Reed Bingham State Park

Jarhett, Katie, and Peyton at the lake

Scott hitches a tractor ride with Dad

Jarhett four wheeling in Georgia

Scott and Dad at Emi's housewarming party

Emi & I at her housewarming party

Mom and Katie eating WHITE snow in North Carolina

Mom sledding on a trash can lid in North Carolina

Maverik (nephew), Montana (niece), and Katie in the fountain at the zoo

Coleman and Katie playing in the dirt at the park

Coleman (grandson) AKA Super Man

Katie and Scott on the Sam Shortline Train to Americus, GA

Emi and I on the Sam Shortline Train to Americus, Georgia

Haylee (granddaughter) at the zoo

Jenn and I, New Years 2007

Giant Daisy

Giant Daisies reach for the sky

Katie with Mr. Tiny Toad

Me taking Suzi for a four-wheeler ride

A random Donkey on the side of the road in Adel, GA

Jenn & I in the garden at the Crescent

Mom, Me, & Katie in the garden at Crescent in Valdosta, GA

Emi building our Survivor fort at Fort Desoto

Smoked clams at Fort Desoto

The toes of Emi, Katie, and Me at Fort Desoto Beach

Scott, Katie, Peyton, and Me at Casi's wedding

Katie, Scott, & Me with a zoo employee and an African Penguin that we got to pet!

Haylee (our granddaughter) entertaining us

Deer at a wildlife sanctuary

Party Pictures

2008-03-08T09:24:00.014-05:00

Scott's family threw us a wedding party on Feb. 9th and I am just now getting around to posting the pictures from it. There were lots of more pictures, but I only picked my favorites. Our official reception is going to be on April 11th as far as I know. I just found out last night, but all the details have not been ironed out yet due to phone troubles with the storm. I'll keep you posted! Mari (Scott's sister), Scott & Billy (friend) singing

Peyton (daughter), Tori (niece), & Chelsea (daughter)

Kay (my Granny), Scott & Billy singing

Granny & Scott waiting for the next song to start

Granny cracking up

Ruth (Scott's Mom), Scott, Jim (Scott's Dad) & Me

Our Cake

Cut the Cake

Smear the cake (he started it)

Lick the cake

Clean the mess

I love you!

Last Trip to Georgia in Pictures

2008-03-03T15:13:00.009-05:00

These are some of my favorite pictures from my last trip to Georgia. I can't wait to go up again!

More on Tiger Attack

2007-12-28T14:35:00.000-05:00

"I think it could be feasible for a cat that has been taunted or angered," Jack Hanna, former director of the Columbus Zoo, said Thursday. "I don't think it would ever just do it to do it."

I am inclined to agree with this guy! There is now talk of a shoe and blood found inside the enclosure and a shoe print on the enclosure railing. How accurate this is I don't know, but it appears if this is true that the 3 guys involved in this attack were taunting the cat and possibly hung a leg over the enclosure wall to tease the cat. The wall turned out to only be 12 and a half feet tall, so the zoo is taking the blame for this wall being too low. The investigation continues as to the responsibility the victims played in this attack. They were originally attacked right in front of the enclosure where one of them was killed trying to save his friend. The other two ran to a zoo cafeteria for help and the tiger then followed the trail of blood and resumed it's attack. Police found the cat sitting beside one of the guys when they arrived. When the guy yelled for help, the cat started attacking again. That's when police opened fire and killed the cat. Sounds to me like this cat was being mistreated and decided to fight back this time. How could a zoo think walls 12 and a half feet tall could be enough? I hope all the zoos out there are revisiting their cat enclosure standards so this doesn't happen again.

Tiger Attack

2007-12-27T23:25:00.000-05:00

I forgot I wanted to post something about the tiger attack at The San Diego Zoo. It happened on Christmas Day and one person was killed and two others were mauled but survived. The tiger was shot by police and killed. This same tiger mauled a zoo keeper during a public feeding last year in the same week of December. I find this story very disturbing. This cat had been moved to this zoo in 2005 from a different zoo to hopefully breed with tigers at San Diego Zoo. What is going on at that zoo that the same animal is attacking and killing people two years in a row!? This animal had no record of attacks before moving to this zoo. The reports I have found on the incident are all a little different with the facts, so it is hard for me to sort it all out. One report said the cat was 4 years old, another said she was 5. One said the walls around her enclosure were 12 and half feet high and another said 18 feet high. It appears the cat scaled the wall of her enclosure somehow, so knowing the ACTUAL height of the wall is important. 12 and a half feet would be nothing to scale for a cat who is probably almost that height when standing on her hind legs. I find it hard to believe that the wall could be that low. The 18 foot report is probably more accurate. Still, why was this animal so unhappy that it repeatedly attacked people? Something at that zoo isn't right and I hope a full investigation uncovers it. I know this was a wild animal that was acting as a wild animal does, but this cat was born in captivity and raised by humans. For the most part this creates a bond between animal and human that would not exist in the wild, thereby decreasing the chances of an attack. Keeping the animal happy, entertained, well fed, and healthy also decreases the chances of an attack. Which factor was missing here? I don't think this animal was acting out of a "wild" instinct as some have stated. Yes, killing your prey is natural behavior for a tiger in the WILD not one raised by humans that eats out of a BOWL everyday. Stalking becomes a play behavior that doesn't result in killing unless that play is encouraged in that direction in order to release it back into the wild, or something is wrong with the cat or the cat's lifestyle. A PERSON is to blame for this tragedy that has resulted in the loss of two magnificent lives. This cat was too young to be senile, but there could have been a breeding problem--perhaps inbreeding--that caused a mental breakdown for this cat. I could speculate for days on how humans may have caused this to happen, but I just have a very deep feeling that the cat is not to blame. I am however, glad and sad at the same time, that the tiger was killed. She was obviously dangerous and if something was wrong with her or she had been mistreated she is better off in tiger heaven than alive in those circumstances. I always hate to hear of an animal having to be killed, but sometimes that is the only answer. What would they have done with her after she had killed someone and mauled 3 others if she had not been killed? This story REALLY bothers me.

Spider in my Van

2007-12-27T19:02:00.000-05:00

The other night I was on my way someplace (I forget where) when a spider started running across the INSIDE of my windshield. I like to look at spiders in THEIR habitats and take pictures of them on their webs, however I don't have much appreciation for them when they encroach on my territory because I am TERRIFIED of them. This spider seemed to enjoy itself as it ran willy-nilly all over my windshield as I screamed and tried vehemently not to wreck the van as Katie laughed hysterically at me from the back seat! Really funny stuff when you're not the one sitting with your lap under a nightmare on 8 legs that are slipping around on glass. I could not find a safe place to pull over to get the spider out and I was too afraid it would jump on me to try and swat at it. (Plus I have a huge superstition about killing spiders--it's VERY bad luck--their friends and family find out and send out assassins after you to retaliate!) (GO ahead and laugh! Kill a spider and see if about 5 don't show up in its place!) Finally the spider darts into a tiny space between the windshield and the dash---thank God! At least I can stop watching it and start watching the road again. My eyes kept darting nervously to the spot where it had disappeared, but it didn't come back out. The next day I find strategically placed batches of eggs on my windshield and one part of my dash. Nice parting gift--I'm going away, but leaving 500 of my offspring to entertain you in my absence. Thanks, but NO THANKS! As I used my credit card to scrape away the eggs I felt a little guilty that I was destroying this little creature's magnum opus. I wondered what Charlotte and Wilbur would have thought of me. Wilbur was so excited when he found out there would lots of little Charlottes crawling around in the Spring. I couldn't find myself feeling that same joy as I hoped that I wasn't dropping any eggs that would later hatch in my van, or that there weren't any batches deposited in places I couldn't see. I know I killed some of God's creatures and that makes me sad, but having a predator-free van makes me happy.

God Has Spoken

2007-12-11T15:54:00.000-05:00

I went to work today and had a great day. The department asked me to start directing the Christmas program, because they weren't very pleased with the other person's job and they felt I was doing all the work of it anyhow. They also had me make several props and stuff for the program (which happens to be the Grinch) and they all were telling me what a good job I was doing and how creative and awesome my props were. I felt APPRECIATED which was something I hadn't been feeling before. Then Coach asked me if I was going to help her coach the Special Olympics basketball team again this year and said she really wanted my help. The kids were having a great time practicing for the program and I was having a BALL directing them and showing them what gestures to use and helping them learn their songs. I felt like I LOVE my job again and those kids need someone who LOVES them. I had applications all printed out ready to send to animal hospitals and the zoo and something was holding me back from sending them. I kept praying for God to give me sign--WHERE AM I SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING? WHERE DO YOU NEED MY SERVICE AND TALENTS? I went from loathing my job, to loving it again and I am SURE God was trying to tell me I am supposed to work with special kids/people and that even if I feel unappreciated and stressed, I am there for a reason and the kids appreciate me and THEY are who really matters in the grand scheme of things. Our Christmas program is going to be so awesome! Our first basketball game is Friday. I'm back in the swing of things and it's all for the kids!

Dear Santa,

2007-11-27T22:11:00.000-05:00

Dear Santa,

I have been a pretty good girl this year and I would like to request first off, that we forgo the pony and just give me a couple of nice donkeys.

I would also LOVE to melt away some pounds with my very own elliptical machine--it's my favorite work out machine and I can't find time to join a gym, so having one of these at home would be so AWESOME!

You know we have all wood floors in our house and they get cold in the winter. I would love some of these really fuzzy and soft chenille slipper socks to keep my tootsies warm!

I want this movie Ratatouille because it looks really cute and I never got around to seeing it in the theater.

I would also love my very own photo printer, so I can print all those photos I love to take instead of just storing them in my computer forever.

The new Harry Potter movie the Order of the Phoenix is coming out in December and I have all the others, so you know how important it is that I have a complete collection with me being OCD and all.

I REALLY need a better computer chair. I have to finish college next year and I'll be on the computer a lot and my old chair KILLS my neck and back. I want one of these cushy ergonomically designed chairs almost more than anything else on my list!

No girl's list is complete without diamonds (any variety will do)!

If you don't have a lot of room in the sleigh, cash is fine. I also take PayPal or local checks (I don't think my bank will accept one from the North Pole...) or even cashiers checks or money orders will be fine.

I also want this new book by one of my favorite authors, Wally Lamb. It's called I'll Fly Away and I have already read the first book of his that is related to this one, so again it's the "complete set" syndrome kicking in again. Sorry, OCD happens.

A lap top would be a dream come true because then I could skip the cushy chair request and do my homework wherever it is comfortable.

The Nikon D80 camera is more of a wish than a request. I know it's really expensive, but it takes such BEAUTIFUL photos and you know pictures are my passion. The problem is I can't decide if I want this camera or ....

the Canon Rebel Xti because they have such similar ratings. They are both out of my price range, which is why I am asking you to bring me one or the other. I'll be thrilled with either.

Oh yes, and just in case you think I'm being awfully commercial this year and I usually only ask for books or pajamas, I'd be happy with those too!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

The Queen

P.S. I would also like the Lord of the Rings movies and books and The Pirates of The Caribbean movies. I didn't have time to track down the pictures, so I just added this post script! Oh yeah, and the movie Norbit! Okay those are cheaper than the other outrageous things I listed...so here's hoping!

Boredom Breeds Beauty

2007-11-25T16:36:00.000-05:00

Today was long and boring. I was mad for a good part of the day because Scott was supposed to take me to the zoo to see the baby panther BEFORE it is all grown up, but we stayed at home and did house work instead--what fun. After our housework was done I vegged out in front of the computer and messed around with itunes radio (which has a very annoying all Christmas all the time channel that apparently today was only interested in playing every version of The Little Drummer Boy EVER made) and read a bunch of random blogs that had interesting titles. I found a few that were very interesting and well written, but most of the others were trying to sell something and so they bored me further. Scott was lost in football land, so I grabbed my camera, my kid, and my dog and went on another nature walk down our street to see what photographic splendors I could find. First of all, let me just say that I have never seen (or almost ran into) so many banana spiders in my entire life. Good Lord! It is like their mecca-land in the woods by our house. Every few feet is a web with an upside down horror perched on it over its artfully constructed zig-zag pattern (which I am thankful for, because these really white parts of the web are what save you from not seeing the webs at all!). I got some pretty cool shots of wild honey bees gathering nectar from these weedy little flowers, a spider as big as my hand!, some really pretty (and again--unknown) flowers, and Katie. I am posting some of my favorites below. Enjoy!

Flower Challenge

2007-11-24T18:18:00.001-05:00

This post is a challenge from a gardening blogger who maintains as beautiful a garden as her blog (you can check her out on my favorites links "Blooming Writer"). She did a post of her favorite flowers for this time of year and challenged other readers to follow suit so she could see what their gardens are up to. Well, I must admit that I have no green thumbs and so any plant or flower that can survive without any intervention on my part is always my favorite. These are some garden shots from my house that I took last week --but have NO IDEA what the names of most of these plants are. I'm hoping Jodi can give me hand with that--she is quite the expert. Here are the plants that can survive the wicked gardening practices (or non-practices as the case may be) of the Queen:

This of course is my ever faithful Morning Glory

This yellow beauty and it's beautifully matching inhabitant are unknown to me!

This almost burgundy flower looks somewhat like a Crepe Myrtle (sp?) but none of my others are blooming right now...this one is a mystery to me also.This is a Date Palm in my side yard, it looks cool, but it is VERY messy. The birds and spiders love it!

I have no idea what the GIANT yellow flowers are, but they sure are tall, probably about 10-12 feet tall. I took one shot looking up at them from the ground and I am pretty tall. They look like daisies to me, so I just call 'em Big Ole Daisies--which I'm sure is probably incorrect! The plant below I was told is called a Shrimp Plant, but its not like I would know the difference if it were correct or not.

This plant has such little flowers and they look so dry and kind of like bells and rarely do the flowers all open up at once. Again (here's a surprise) I don't know what they are.

This little beauty is my Tangelo tree which is a cross between an Orange and a Tangerine tree, all I have to say is YUMMY! I could sit under the tree and eat them all day!

I have heard this little white flower called an impatient and a 4 O' Clock, so I don't which if any name is correct. But it comes back every year on its own, so it must like my harsh gardening.

This is a pineapple plant that grew from a pineapple top that came off a pineapple my mom grew in her yard. It hasn't died in 3 years, but it hasn't produced any fruit either. I'm just proud that some thing I planted on purpose hasn't died!
This is my Hibiscus plant and I know that because it said so on the package when I bought it. It came in a pot with two other plants and this one flowers and has grown a foot and a half higher than its friends planted about 4 feet away. The other two also don't get flowers--they just exist. they are green and leafy and and don't grow or make flowers...it's weird.

The Color Purple

2007-11-20T08:29:00.000-05:00

As part of my reflections lately, I have been going on "nature walks" around my yard and neighborhood and finding some of God's artwork that inspires me. I saw this Morning Glory blooming late in the afternoon and couldn't resist a shot. This flower is very symbolic for me because it reminds me of my Granddaddy, who passed away when I was about 14. He was like a father to me and we spent more time together than just about any other adult spent with me during my childhood outside of my mom. He had a wood shop behind his house and I used to spend my summers there learning how to use the tools of the trade. I helped him build tables, gun cabinets, stools, hope chests, end tables, coffee tables, toys, etc. These were some of the most precious moments of my childhood. I had a pretty tumultuous home life and there was a certain peace being in his presence, like all was safe and warm and loving. He never had much to say, but our hearts did a lot of communicating that tongues and voices aren't needed for. Growing all over his wood shop was an incessant vine of Morning Glories. The vine became quite intrusive, even slipping one or two of it's tendrils in through a crack under the door, as if to see what craftsmanship was taking place inside. My Granddaddy never cut them down or pulled them up, or even really made any attempt to control them. He was the one who first told me the name of that truly glorious flower. I asked him why they named it Morning Glory and he said it was because they only bloom in the morning and the blooms close as the day grows later. I don't know if this was true or not, or if he just wanted to have an answer for me; I have noticed that most morning glories do twist up closed by the late afternoon in preparation for their grand appearance the following day. The house I live in now is surrounded by Morning Glory Vines in the woods all around our house and climbing on the house itself. For some reason I cannot bring myself to kill these vines or pull them off of my house because I feel like they symbolize my Grandfather. Every morning I go out my back door and see a whole crop of them blooming gorgeously in the early light of morning and it feels like a giant, "Hello!" from Granddaddy. I feel like their presence here is my Granddaddy saying he will never really leave me and he is protecting my house by wrapping those loving vines around it like his big strong arms would have wrapped around me for one of his famous "bear hugs." I have also noticed that quite a few of the flowers do not close up in the afternoon and this says to me that he is always watching--ALL day, not just in the morning. All of this symbolism makes me think of one of my favorite books, The Color Purple and my favorite quote from the book:

"Listen, God love everything you love--and a mess of stuff you don't. But more than anything else, God love admiration."
"You saying God vain?" I ast.
"Naw," she say. "Not vain, just wanting to share a good thing. I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it."
"What do it do when it pissed off?" I ast.
"Oh it make something else. People think pleasing God is all God care about. But any fool living in the world can see it always trying to please us back."
Excerpt from The Color Purple by Alice Walker

God does please me with my Morning Glories and my memories of my Granddaddy that they bring. No wonder purple is my favorite color!

Deer Fish

2007-11-15T19:57:00.000-05:00

These pictures are amazing. I wish I knew who to give credit for them, but someone sent me this in an e-mail and it said they found this deer 1.5 miles offshore. They caught it and put it in their boat and carried it back to shore and released it. Apparently it was too fatigued from swimming to be combative about being brought into the boat. I wonder what in the world it was swimming out to sea for????? Sounds like a good starter for a children's story....The Deerest Fish of All, or the Deer Old Fish...okay, no more corny "deer" jokes. But you have to admit it is really remarkable. These are the kind of awesome nature photos I would like to capture one day. I'll keep my finger crossed for a better camera and some really confused wildlife!

The Plight of the Snow Birds

2007-11-04T09:26:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday I went to Walmart to get the finishing touches for Katie's Halloween costume. It was then that I realized that the "Snow Birds" had finished their annual migratory passage to our great state from their northern homes. I could tell this because upon approaching the entrance to Walmart, cops were blocking traffic and a life-flight helicopter was trying to find a place to land to clear away the critically injured people in the wreckage below. I quickly found a different route into the Walmart parking lot, only to find that if I wanted to park somewhere, I would have to find another zipcode to do it in because blue-haired ancient people were coming up the lanes in droves and every parking space was filled by giant badly parked vehicles with out of state tags. At this point I also remembered how a situation like this last year kept me from going to Walmart for 4 months because I was afraid I would go to jail for breaking some rude old geezer's hip the next time I went. I finally parked in a whole other county and walked to Walmart. After I got inside the scene was no better. There were old people EVERY WHERE. The problem I have here, is not that they are old, or from out of state, but that they are intrinsically rude and annoying. I am trying to weave between them and they are either moving extremely slow and blocking all the aisles or trying to speed around on those motorized scooters and run over your toes. I thought that their behaviors in Walmart pretty much match those of their driving skills. They are either bumping you with carts, blocking every one's way, or trying to speed past you to make sure that no one gets the last box of prunes before they do. Which brings me to the point that maybe all old people should not be allowed to drive--not even a scooter or a shopping cart. I know, I know--you must think I am an evil geriatric hater or something, but no one loves their granny more than I do. Love has nothing to do with safety. And some of you may say, what about their rights to drive and get around and I say what about my right to not DIE on my way to Walmart. Or my right to not have the backs of my heel rammed for the entire duration of my shopping trips! Everyone knows the fate of Achilles. I know that when I am pushing 100 and I am racing around at unsafe speeds in the wrong lane in my barge sized car that doubles as an assault weapon I will want to eat these words, but for now, for God's sake if you can't see over the steering wheel stay your ass at home! If you can't shop without being a jerk to everyone in the store just because you are cranky that your hemorrhoids are flaring--stay home! This is enough to make me shop online for the rest of the entire season of "Snow Bird" activity. Now I remember why I was ready to move last winter...I think polar bears would be more hospitable.

Halloween

2007-11-02T18:48:00.000-04:00

Here are some of my favorite Halloween pics from this year! Enjoy!

Rattlesnake Festival

2007-10-21T09:20:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I went and got a new hairdo--which I absolutely love! It is virtually maintenance free and exactly my style! Hooray for Scott's sister! She is the one who did my hair and Scott's and Katie's yesterday morning. It was like a family hair reunion. After the hair experience we all went to the Rattlesnake festival. It was pretty boring this year compared to last year. Although I can't complain about the boiled peanuts or the funnel cake (which are the prime reasons for visiting any type of festival or fair). Katie went into the FFA petting zoo, climbed a rock wall, rode a pony, and jumped in a bouncy tent. She also watched a reptile show that I was too cheap to pay $5 to get into myself, so I just paid for her $2 ticket and waited outside the tent for her! Today I am headed to Lowry Park Zoo again to scope out the baby white tigers! It is supposed to rain today, so I will just have to enjoy them in the rain...good thing I'm not wearing a white t-shirt!

Glass and Feathers

2007-10-20T19:30:00.001-04:00

Yesterday we went to the zoo again and brought Jarhett and Emi with us. It was really cool. This time the Tiger was out and he was roaring and yawning and attacking the glass at the window. There was one guy there who kept putting his hand to the glass and the tiger would either try to lick his hand through the glass or he would jump at him and snarl and slap the glass with his ENORMOUS claws. I got some pretty cool (and blurry) shots of this. I have never been more thankful for the invention of glass in my life. It was the most interactive experience I've had with the tigers there. The guy told us he goes there all the time and the tiger always reacts to him like that, so he thinks he must remind him of a zookeeper or a trainer. He also told us that the tiger we saw is the daddy to cubs who come out in the morning at the zoo, so we are going to the zoo in the morning to see if we can see the babies! I can't wait!!! We also saw Meerkat babies this trip. We dropped a feather into their enclosure and all the meerkats ran out of the holes and attacked the feather and bit it and then scratched it into the dirt. It was weird and awesome all at the same time. We petted the stingrays again and got some pretty interesting photos with the manatees too. We also got to see the kangaroos which were closed last time we went. I think I may be becoming addicted to the zoo...there are so many photo opportunites there. This last trip also let the kids feed the lorikeets which was cool, until one of the birds bit Jarhett. Anyhow, to make a long story short, I am stoked about the zoo!

Hickory Horned Devil

2007-10-18T12:45:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago at school, someone told me there were two huge worms in the ESE butterfly garden that were as big as a large hot dog. The cynic in me was like, "Yeah right." I had to go and satisfy my curiosity, so I went and investigated. These things WERE HUGE. They were so exotic looking. It was like something you might see in the Amazon Rainforest, not on our school campus. I had my camera phone with me, but the photos I was able to snap did not do it justice. I have finally made time to do a little research on the thing and found internet pictures and information. The "worm" is actually a caterpillar of a regal moth and is called a hickory horned devil. The younger version of the caterpillar is just as astonishing as the adult caterpillar. I am posting pictures I found on various websites about this really cool "bug."

The top picture is a picture of the young caterpillar (which is not the age I saw at the school). Then there are several shots of an older caterpillar that is not quite as large as the ones in our garden. Someone measured one of them and it was nearly 6 inches long. The last few photos are of the moth it becomes. It figures the day that something really awesome showed up at our school, I did not have my camera with me. Lesson learned...

Crossing Off My List

2007-10-17T20:17:00.001-04:00

I guess Scott finally took the clue that I was lonely and bored. Sunday he took me to Lowry Park Zoo on a date. I got to pet a penguin from Africa and take our picture with it! I can cross Penguin Encounter off my do before I die list! YAY! It was so nice to get out of the damn house and do something not work related. Katie came with us. Scott had never touched a sting ray before and now he has. He was afraid of the penguin and the sting ray! I couldn't believe it. How can you be afraid of something so CUTE? The penguin's name is Tyke and he is 15 months old. It was really a great experience. I can't wait to go back and feed the rhinos, so I renewed my annual pass. Now I can go for a year for free! They said I could even come and volunteer there and get a more behind the scenes look at more animals. I am seriously considering doing that this summer. I could cross off half of my list! Animals are so awesome to me. My job has really been sucking lately. My co-workers really chap my ass. It is like working with Pre-K, except they are adults (in theory). I can't wait to be able to spend my free time at the zoo now and get away from my mundane life in a positive way that allows Katie to tag along! It is almost Halloween and I think that I want to take Katie to Zoo Boo. I am thinking about going to the Hillsboro River State Park Halloween festival if Scott can go. I am too chicken to go immerse myself in a mob of strangers in costume in the woods in the dark alone. Being less of a chicken would certainly make my life more exciting. I am trying to get in any activities I can before my back surgery because I have such a bad feeling about it. I'm sure that it is just my paranoia talking, but just in case I want to have lots of fun before I end up laying around recovering for a month. I know how depressing that can get. I think I will just look at it as an opportunity to catch up on my reading list! My friend is going to loan me her John Irving Books and I am going to have a reading party for one everyday in between my sleeping parties!

Donkey

2007-09-27T19:39:00.000-04:00

As I was sitting here tonight browsing through donkey photos on photbucket, I realized that I am not reaching my full potential for loving donkeys. I didn't even get one single donkey related gift this year for any holiday! I did manage to score the donkey glass and figurines from McDonald's this year. Since my donkey souvenir from California was dismembered and partially digested by a cat I used to have, my donkey collection has really suffered. My mom has a huge donkey stuffed animal from Shrek and I get donkey envy everytime I see it. Katie even tried to steal it for me once, but my dad caught her. Where in the heck do you even find donkey stuff? I am really getting bored with my cat collection and my waterglobe collection. Now I want to focus on my donkey collection (which is practically nonexistent). I have several Eeyore items and several donkey from Shrek items and I am in need of more. So scour your local yard sales and pick up unwanted donkeys! One day I want to start a farm for wayward and misunderstood donkeys. The best way to start is with inanimate ones. Donkeys are our friends! Maybe one day I can be a national spokesperson for the welfare of donkeys, seems like it would be just as an important job as being the president if the current administration is any example...If I go missing next week--you'll know it was because of this post. I don't have Michael Moore's protection at my disposal.