It's Good to Get Away!

Vacation is good.  It recharges those internal batteries that slowly lose power from too much stress, work, and deadlines.  All the things in our every day lives drains our batteries, even the good times, so it's good to take a break and get away from it all.

That is what we did a few weeks ago to a place where the sun was shining, the breezes were warm, and there wasn't a drop of rain in sight.  That place was St. Petersburg, Florida, or more specifically, Maderia Beach.

Madeira Beach in the Morning

This was taken from our balcony.  What a great view!  It was past the early morning hour, and although the weather was warm, there were few people out.  I guess everyone else was already getting their breakfast [growl].

Sandy Shore Condo

This was our first experience with renting a condo, and it was definitely a good one.  We had a one bedroom unit with full kitchen, 2 TVs, a nice balcony and the whole wall facing the Gulf was glass.  There were assigned parking spaces, and our unit had covered parking.  This was a great choice, and I'd stay there again.  Oh, the heated pool was nice, too.

I didn't see any, did you?

On the trip down, we always stop at this rest area just as we get on I-75 around Gainsville.  This sign has always been there, but I haven't seen the first snake.  Apparently there was one...once upon a time.

A Slimy Alligator

What they don't warn you about is the alligator living in the slimy pond at that same rest area.  Go figure.  An alligator you can see vs. invisible poisonous snakes.  This pond is fenced in...which makes me wonder just how he got in there in the first place. 

Kenny's Korner

St. Pete has been our vacation spot for almost 20 years, and we continue to discover new places and things to do.  Over the years, we've seen places come and go.  Favorite  restaurants have been there one year and gone the next.  One place that has been there for over 60 years, and under present management for over 20, is Kenny's Korner.  It is a small restaurant in Reddington Beach that serves breakfast and lunch. 

Beach at Ft. DeSoto

No trip would be complete without a visit to Ft. DeSoto.  Ft. DeSoto is the largest park in Pinellas County, and is made up of 5 islands.  The fort was used in WWII as a gunnery and bombing range.  Besides the fort, there are several fishing piers, boat loading ramps, long stretches of gorgeous beach, bicycle paths (rental available), canoe and kayak rental, picnic areas and so much more.

One of many "white birds"

When you walk out onto the pier that extends 500 feet into the Gulf, you have a fantastic view, great fishing, and birds...of all kinds...everywhere.

Don't mind me...just warming my buns.

Last, but not least, is lunch at the Palm Pavillion in Clearwater.  It's an open, airy, beach restaurant/bar with plenty of outdoor seating on the deck shaded from the sun by many colorful umbrellas.   This year we had stone crab for the first time.  We pulled big, meaty pieces of sweet crab out of steaming hot shells and dipped them in melted butter.

Palm Pavillion

So much seafood, so little time.  We ate seafood every night except the first night on the way down.  What's my favorite seafood?  Just about anything that swims.
 

Blogging Categories: Where do you fall?

Photo credit: Michel Wal

We've come a long way from the ancient tablets where there ideas were carved into stone, and only those  present could view it.  Today our words go out to the entire world with the click of a key.  

Creative Writing bloggers showcase their talent by putting words together to draw us into a story created from their own imagination, be it prose or poetry.  Examples can be found on Magpie Tales and One Shot Wednesday Poetry, to name a few.  I sort of stumbled into this type of writing at a time when I wanted to add new life into my own blog.

Photography bloggers focus not on the written word, but rather how life is seen through the eye of the camera.  Beautiful pictures take us around the world season by season showing what many of us would otherwise never see.

Bloggers who Teach know that while anyone can create a blog and start writing, it isn't as cut and dried as that.  More experienced writers, and those with a lot of natural talent may fare just fine.  For everyone else, there are those who teach about how to get readers, get comments, pinpoint our target audience, determine the tone of our blog, find our niche, and more.

So the question is this, which of these categories do you fall into?  Does your blog blur the style lines?  What, if anything, would you change if you could have a do over, and what's stopping you?

Not Like Everyone Else

Lilac, one of Mom's favorite flowers

Mom once said "she's not like everyone else" about me, and I guess it's true. But what she didn't say was that she wasn't like everyone else either, and neither was Daddy.  They were very special people with no limit on their love or generosity.  I'm so blessed that these two people were my parents.

Flash Friday 55

Wine and Llamas

Last Sunday, Kevin and Ashley went wine tasting with us.  It was our first visit to the Divine Llama Vineyard, and it was lots of fun.  The tasting room is the property's original farmhouse.  Before it was restored, it was in such bad condition that the fire department refused to burn it down, so they chose to restore it instead.  The place is gorgeous, with a large front porch overlooking the vineyard.  They share the property with llamas, miniature horses, a miniature burro, several dogs, and cats and some 30 chickens.  Some of their wines are named after their llamas, who are raised as pets, and show animals only.

It truly is a farm, with what looked like several acres of some type of beans out back.  From their house, just down the gravel drive, they have a great view of Pilot Mountain from every window.

We tasted their array of wines, and they were all very good.  The last two in the lineup were slightly sweet, and not so much to my liking, but were still good wines.

At Divine Llama, they grow Chardonnay, Chardonel, Traminette, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc.  The first three were dry white wines, and my favorites.  The wines in North Carolina have come a long ways since we began tasting them five years ago.

We noticed as we drove in that there were still grapes hanging on the vines, so I asked if they had completed their harvest.  She said they had and the remaining grapes were left for the birds, etc.  The reason being that if they used all the grapes they would have  more wine than they could bottle and sell before the next harvest.  They produce about 12,000 bottles per year.  From my taste experience, I would think that soon they should be able to sell all they could bottle.

The End Of The Line

End Bahnof, two small words with big meaning.  Picture this:  Two people... foreign country...with little knowledge of the language, but they didn't let that stop them.  They hopped the train into the city to go sightseeing and visit the zoo.  After a fun afternoon, and feeling quite proud of themselves, they boarded the train to return to their hotel.  Theirs was the last stop and so they waited.  End Bahnof came and went and still they sat...waiting for their stop...until...  The train finally came to a stop...in something like a tunnel, dark and deserted.  

photo credit: wikipedia

Concerned?  Yes.  Scared?  A little.  After what seemed like hours, but probably more like 15-20 minutes, the train started moving again.  When the doors opened again at the "first stop", they got off, in the face of all those people waiting to get on.  What do you suppose those people were thinking?  The train was supposed to be empty. 

Who were those people, you ask?  Why, that would be me and my hubby, of course, in Germany, back a dozen or so years, and after sitting in what was probably a turnaround, we'll never forget the importance of End Bahnof. (Translation - end railway station, or the end of the line).

Ten Things I Have Learned From Blogging: Anniversary Edition

Photo Credit:  nImA Destiny

In celebration of  Roses to Rainbows' first year in the blogosphere, I would like to share with you some of the things I have learned and people I've met.

1.  Getting comments.  After six months of the occasional visitor and no comments, I decided to look for help.  An internet search landed me on Barbara Swafford's Blogging Without a Blog.  She taught me the importance of reading and commenting on fellow bloggers' posts.  This is one of the most valuable lessons I learned, and led me to eventually write on the value of comments.

2.  A new type of pen pal.  In years past, a pen pal was someone with whom you exchanged written letters, but probably had never met.  Nowadays, with the popularity of the internet, the pen pal has changed.  The computer screen has replaced stationery, and the keyboard has replaced the pen.  We frequently exchange thoughts with people we haven't met; does this make us pen pals?

3.  People will give you things.  I got a lovely purple pen from my friend Margaret at Nanny Goats in Panties, that I use to rough out some of my posts.  She mentioned it in one of her posts, and I asked if she was selling them.  "No, but I'll send you one."  Thanks Margaret.

4.  Writing can be fun.  I discovered Magpie Tales, a blog dedicated to creative writing.  Willow, from Life at Willow Manor, posts a picture prompt every week, and writers from all around the world participate with original short stories and poetry.

5.  Writing can be frustrating.  There are also hours...days even...that you sit and stare at a blank screen or sheet of paper waiting for the right words to come along and bail your bloggy butt out of writing purgatory.  Here are my tips for beating writer's block.

6.  Bloggers form support groups.  Tribal Blogs is a network for serious bloggers, started by Jen of Redhead Ranting.  It is filled with friendly, supportive people willing to share information, and give advice (when asked, of course).

7.  Blogs can take on a life of their own.  I had different ideas about what my blog would become.  I wanted to create a source of local information to help people find good bargains and special events around town.  Problem - no local readers.  After finding #4, I began to realize that writing was more interesting to me and more appealing to others, thus changing the focus of my blog.

8.  "Build it and they will come" does not apply to blogging.  When I first started out, I thought I could just create a blog, publish posts and wait for people to show up.  Well, I guess that is true in part...the waiting part.  See Item #1.

9.  What widgets and gadgets really are.  I thought widgets and gadets were things usually found in one's junk drawer.  They are actually those little blocks found on your sidebar, containing code that put text and/or graphics on your blog.  Speaking of the Junk Drawer, "Hi Kathy".

10.  I have a lot more to learn.  I guess this is the most important thing I have learned thus far.  I am learning every day, by reading, experimenting; what works, and what doesn't.  It is all part of the process of blogging, and I am happily looking forward my next year in the blogosphere.

I have met so many helpful and encouraging people that I couldn't begin list them all here, but you know who you are.  I do want to send out a special thank you to my friend Sara from A Sharing Connection.  She has been right there encouraging me ever since the first comment I left on her one of her photo story posts. This was my initial venture into creative writing.

The Quote of the Week will return next week.

Isn't that Entrancing?

ENTRANCE - to put into a trance; to fill with delight or wonder.
ENTRANCE - the means by which to enter; the act of entering.

The same spelling, different pronunciations, and different meanings.  OK, are you with me so far?

Some years ago, hubby and I went to one of those Home & Garden Expos, and window shopped and fantasized about all the things we could with our house, or at least the house we aspired to have one day.  We talked to people and collected brochures.  At home later that evening, I was sitting cross-legged on the bed pouring over the brochures we picked up; one in particular and, puzzled about something that just didn't seem right, I asked "What's an ENTRANCE"?

And hubby says, "Let's see?  Hmmm...ah..."

Then I get The Look.  How dumb did I feel?  




Where you place the accent does make a difference.

Anything like this ever happen to you?

Verbal Confusion

OK, so we get in the car to go for lunch.  The A/C is on and it hits hubby right in the face.  Now I drove the car last, and even though he is some 9 inches taller than me, the seat height adjustment puts our faces at approximately the same level.  That means that when I have the three closest vents pointing at my poor, overheated face, he gets a face full the next time he drives.  "You have all three vents blowing on your face?"  My explanation is this:  "Well, when I've been out and I'm hot and I'm stuff."  "So is that a roundabout way of saying that you're hot stuff?"  At which I laugh so hard I could barely breathe.  

Isn't it great when you can have a good laugh at yourself?

Those Who Read Blogs Together

Have some odd conversations.  Here's a couple blurbs from last night.

Hubby said, "Redhead had a new one 8 hours ago."  

Me:  "Yeah, I read it, the one about..." 

Him:  "eHarmony Fail."  

"Yeah, that one."  He reads for a minute then asks, "what about that guy she had the date with?" 

"I don't know - someone asked the same question, but I read, commented and moved on.   I haven't been back yet to see if she said anything about it." 

Next:

"Did you read Babs Beetle?"  

Me:  "I did."  

Him:  "She has closed angle glaucoma."  

Me:  "Same as me." 

As he read through the comments, he noticed one where someone using eye drops not only missed her eye, but actually missed her entire face.  As he started to remark on that, he realized it was my comment, and said "I thought that sounded familiar", and I said, "that would be me."

I blog and he reads.  I think he got into it when I showed him the now famous Junk Drawer.  Any of y'all share your favorite reads?

Jelly Jar Mojo

Have you ever pulled the jelly jar from the fridge and grunted and strained to get the lid off?  Only to find out that the lid is stuck worse than an elephant in quicksand.  That's when you know that Mongo has been there.  Mongo is what we call the mysteriously powerful critter that sneaks in and super-tightens your jar lids.  You never know when he'll strike.

Jelly jar and my tools.

There wasn't much to choose from for lunch the other day, so I decided on a PB&J.  Bread-check, peanut butter-check, and then I reach for the jelly.  It's just ordinary grape jelly in an ordinary jar.  That is it used to be ordinary.  Now it it's been Mongo-tized.

After some grunting and straining it's still not budging, so I pull out my strap wrench.  This handy-dandy gadget didn't come from any fancy kitchen store.  Nope, hubby got it from the plumber who was working on the toilets at work.  He asked the guy where he could buy one.  Plumber said it's part of the kit and they're disposable.  Well, it got disposed of into hubby's hands, and then into mine.  It usually works like a charm but not this time, all because Mongo snuck in and put his mojo on my jelly jar.  So I went old school and whacked it with the kitchen scissors (Mom's method for loosening stubborn jar lids).  Strange, but it works.  Then I popped the strap wrench back on and... success.  For a moment there I thought I was going to need the jaws of life just to open the jelly.  

Does Mongo ever wreak havoc on your jars?

A Stinging Situation

How about those yellow jackets?  Those nasty, mean,  ground-dwelling attack bees? (which aren't really bees at all but rather members of the wasp family). Well, I tangled with some a few weeks ago.  After a long dry spell, we got rain, and the grass began to grow again.  You know how it is in the summer, either feast or famine in the weather department.  In spite of the sweltering heat and humidity, I gassed up the mower and started pushing.  I made one pass down along the fence, turned and started back up the yard.  Ouch...a sharp pain in my leg.  Mower must have picked up a rock or something.  Ow, smack on the other leg - what the heck?  Uh oh...now my ear, I'm in trouble.  I had just mowed over a yellow jacket nest.  

Image Source:  Wikimedia

At that point, I left the mower in its tracks and made a mad dash to the house where I was dancing around, swatting, and hollering like a crazy person.  I'm sure it was a hilarious sight, but there was no one there to witness it.  There was some momentary concern since I'd just been stung three times, and  I'm somewhat allergic to honeybees.  What would yellow jackets do to me?  Hubby was working so the only person to look after me was me.  Isn't that when most stuff happens?  A bee flew past my head, I shrieked and flailed some more.  Afraid there might be more on me, I yanked off my T-shirt and threw it on the floor, charged through the house and back, picked up the shirt - no bees, put shirt back on.  

I tried to e-mail hubby, but I didn't have my glasses and my fingers weren't working too well, all that shaking going on I guess.  I grabbed the cell phone instead, and pushed the quick dial number...it's ringing.  I looked down and saw that there still bees on my pants.  Freaking!  Phone off, pants off inside out, left lying on the kitchen floor with one dead bee still attached.  I charged back through the house for more pants.

Sometime in the midst of all that commotion, I had the good sense to swallow a Benadryl.  With all this racing around, I was out of breath, huffing and puffing like a freight train, so when I got hubby on the phone, it took a couple of minutes for him to get the whole story.  Hubby: "I'm leaving now."  Me: "I didn't call you for you to come home, I just wanted you to know what happened."  Hubby:  "I know, but I want to be there".   

Now for the first aid - I made a paste of meat tenderizer and water to neutralize the pain and swelling (which, when compared to honeybee stings, was relatively minor).  Hubby asked me to call him every 10 minutes as he drove home to make sure I was all right.  Needless to say, I didn't finish the mowing.

Have you tangled with these little nasties, and how did you fare?

Monster in the Morning

Doesn't look like a monster, does he?

I have created a monster!  Not the slimy green, two-headed kind out of some sci-fi flick.  No, mine has four legs and long gray hair.  He is my little buddy, Rosie.  
Why is he suddenly a monster?  A little thing called canned cat food (and this is how it all began).  He started out asking for breakfast at 7 a.m.  Every morning, I  make not one, but three trips to the kitchen to feed him.  He must have his food in small portions, otherwise he just licks at it and pushes it around the dish until it's all mooshed up and gross.  

It gets worse.  His "breakfast time" keeps getting earlier and earlier, and his growing addiction to the stuff is driving us both crazy.  He will sit on my pillow, beg and whine into my ear, and then paw at me until I get up.  What began as a 7 a.m. breakfast, has moved to 6:00, then 5:30 and then 5:00.  This morning the clock said 4:50 when the call came.  When he is serious about eating, there is no putting him off and still sleep.  So mama drags her weary butt out of the bed and trudges to the kitchen, pulls out the food and starts the feeding process.  After the third serving, I close the bedroom door and hope he is sated for a couple hours while I catch a few more zzzz's.

How about now?

Rosie has a look that will turn you into Swiss cheese!  In other words, he'll stare holes in you until his needs are met.

So what's feeding time like at your house?

Blogging Blockage - More Ways to Get Inspired

List posts are an important part of the blogging culture.  Recently several excellent bloggers have put together list posts filled with tips for minimizing the effects of the seasonal decline in readership, and keeping the creative juices flowing during a drought.  So now I'm sharing my list of inspirational tactics.

1. Take a shower.  The shower is a peaceful place, and the solitude of the running water can totally block out all distractions and let you think, uninterrupted for a good 15 minutes, or right up until you accidentally slice the crap out of your leg with an errant swipe of a sharp implement.  Any coherent thought then goes right out the window, to be replaced by silent cursing of said sharp implement.
 
2. Mow the yard.  Much the same principle as #1.  To provide thinking time where all other sounds are blocked out.  Just make sure to wear a headset if you tend to think out loud so the neighbors won't think you're talking to yourself.
 
3. Pictures.  We all have tons of pictures on our computers now that cameras have gone digital and gigabytes are a dime a dozen.  Look through your pictures folder until something screams "I'm a post" to you.
 
4. Take a nap.  No not literally, just lie down and let your mind wander over anything or nothing in particular.  Random thoughts will form and sometimes a post will emerge.  You might think of places you've been, experiences from your childhood, your courtship, or something funny that happened at the market last week.
 
5. Cook.  If you like to cook, get into the kitchen and create a new dish.  Just start putting stuff together and see what you get.  Don't forget to document with pictures.  Remember, regardless of whether it's great or gross you can get a story out of it.
 
6. Day trip.  Write about your last outing to the lake, a winery (these are some I've used), a trip to the zoo, or a week at the beach.  That way those of us who don't go anywhere can live vicariously through your post.  These also make great picture posts which means you don't have to do as much actual writing.
 
7. Your pets.  Cats, dogs, birds and, of course, goats all make for good material.  This is where the video function on your camera comes in handy.  Show us Fluffy or Fido's latest antics.
 
8. Go fictional.  Just make something up.  Write short stories, poetry, fantasy, a sci-fi thriller, a mystery, or whatever from your favorite genre.  Just don't write a novel - save that for the publisher.
 
9. Document a DIY project or write a "how-to" article.  You know how to do something that others would find helpful.  Find that something, and let us know how it's done.
 
10. List post.  If none of the above jump starts your blogging engine, by all means write your own list post.  

Ode to Toilet Paper

Can you have too much toilet paper?  The answer...apparently not.  This is a portion of the toilet paper we rounded up from my parents' house while cleaning it out for people to move in - the portion that was not in the attic.

It was just piled up so, just to be silly, I put it in this bookcase.  It's not every day you see a bookcase full of papier de toilette.  Now that would make a fine addition to anyone's "reading room" don't you think?  How much am I bid?

So, as they say, the nut doesn't fall far from the tree.  Pictured here are 48 rolls of toilet paper.  I expect I have about three times that much in my attic as we speak.

In the end, this was left for my friends who moved in.

So tell me, what do you stock up on?  And how much is too much?

At the Lake

Over Memorial weekend we went out to Salem Lake, had a picnic and did a little walking.

Here is an interesting little guy I spotted while walking along the trail.  He almost looks like he's in a bubble.

You can see the clouds reflected in the water. 

This is the dam.  They are going to be draining part of the lake to replace the dam sometime in the next year.

   

Here is another view of the dam through the fence.  The gate was locked because of flooding on the trail from the previous night's rain.

  This long-legged bird could be a great blue heron.  
He's just looking for a little lunch.

Gone to the Dogs?

Y'all know about Dog Days, right?  Those sticky, steamy summer days where there is no such thing as a good-hair day, and just breathing leaves you sapped and soggy?  Well, I'd say they've come to these parts early this year.  Suddenly it's hot with the rat-drenching humidity typical of "Dog Days", and outdoor interests are quickly cast aside for the comfort of air conditioning.

As the humidity rose, I began to wonder where Dog Days originated, and why we use our canine friends to describe such beastly conditions.  Dog Days, as we know them here in the South, normally begin about the time we are cranking up for the Fourth of July, and are the hottest, most humid days of the summer.  The phrase Dog Days comes from Sirius, or the Dog star.  Ancient beliefs hold that this star, second only in brightness to the sun, was the cause of this miserably hot weather.  Also, at that time Dog Days were thought to be evil, causing the seas to boil, wine to turn sour, and bring on burning fevers and hysterics in man.  In those days, Romans would sacrifice a dog to appease Sirius in hopes of getting relief from the heat.

The OId Farmers Almanac shows Dog Days to be the period of 40 days from July 3 through August 11.  It's not even officially summer in our part of the world.  Have the miseries of Dog Days struck your area yet?  

Got Mice?

No?  We did, well "mouse singular", we hope.  We'd just gotten back from a walk after dinner, and I was sitting at my desk doing bloggy stuff when out of the corner of my eye I glimpsed movement.  Rosie was in fast forward behind something small, round and brown, that was, fortunately moving faster than he was.  Out of my mouth spewed “oh my Lord”, and instantly I was up, scrambling for a flashlight to squint behind the refrigerator.  Ah, there he is.  One beady little eye looking back at me.  He's so cute!  Yeah, I know this is a disease-ridden rodent just waiting for the chance to nibble his way through my cereal.  Yikes, that stuff’s expensive.  Gotta get rid of the mouse!

By the time hubby emerged from the reading room (you guys know what that is, right?), our furry guest had come out, and having caught the attention of yet another cat, was now cowering under the stove.  Do you see something wrong with this story, or more specifically, with this mouse?  We live with three cats, one of whom lived outside for years, supplementing his daily helping of cat chow with critter parts.  This poor lil' mouse wouldn't stand a chance.

After exhausting our available options, including trying to entice him into a bucket with some cat food, we gave up and went to bed, leaving the mouse ensconced in his hidey place under the stove.  He was apparently settling in for a life of leisure and all the kibble he could eat, assuming he could survive the 3-foot journey to the cats' food.

So who won this little cat and mouse game?  We did!  We went out and got a Tomcat Live Catch Mouse Trap.  For less than $5 and a dab of peanut butter, we were able to trap and release our furry friend back to the wilds of our back yard.  So if you have uninvited mouse guests, I recommend this product for their safe eviction.

This recommendation is made solely from our own purchase and use of this product.

Black Eyes and Tutus

What do black eyes, tutus and cookies have in common.  That's right, Kindergarten.  Back when I was a kid, kindergarten wasn't offered in the public school system.  Parents had to pay for their little ones to have juice and cookies with 20 of their closest friends, take tap and ballet lessons and perform for them in embarrassing pink tutus.

Now I envy those with crystal clear memories who can recount the most minute details from the time they were weaned, although many of those same people can't remember yesterday's lunch.  My own memories are scattered and vague, but here are some highlights from my kindergarten experience.

Drawing by Zeimusu

On day one we were lined up along the wall waiting...for what seemed like hours...for our 3-hour class to begin.  As time went on, I settled in, made friends, shared germs, and got my one and only black eye.  Yeah, who knew kindergarten was dangerous.  We all took turns running to see if the teacher was coming, and as fate would have it that day, I took my turn while another kid was running back.  Crack!  Our heads met with a thud producing instant tears and the ensuing shiner.  I'm sure it hurt, but I seem to remember thinking that if I cried, I might not get in trouble.  Hey, I've always been a "thinking" person.

Finally, we all know what great little germ spreaders kids are, right?  Well, before kindergarten, I'd had very little exposure to the outside world, so when I was suddenly corralled with 20 or so germy kids, 3 hours a day, 5 days a week, sharing God only knew what with each other, I caught everything going around.  I threw up so often that Mom knew what I meant when I said it felt like there was a snake in my tummy, and grabbed a bucket.

When I look back, I guess kindergarten wasn’t all bad.  After all there was juice and cookies.  What was kindergarten like for you (or your kids)?

Communication Bloopers

Today's post was inspired by this week's Quote of the Week on communication.  While good communication is key to understanding each other and keeping our relationships running smoothly, sometimes it's not what we say or how we say it, but what is understood that matters.  For instance, here's part of a conversation hubby and I had last night.  So we were in the car heading out to watch Ashley's son's musical presentation at his school, and we were discussing directions, etc.

Hubby:  "Do we want to take Reynolda?
Me:  "No, we can take Silas Creek to University.  Or we can go the same way we go to the Fair.  Do you need a refresher on that?"
Hubby:  "Nope, we go out Miller..."
Me:   "Remember where the bus thing fair took us to park?"  

Well now that didn't make sense, but before I could stop laughing and try again, he said "OK, yeah, I got it."  Strangely, he knew what I was trying to say.  Hmmm, that's a little scary considering how often my fully formed thoughts get mangled beyond recognition somewhere between my mouth and his ears as if they are bounced off of some creepy, thought-encrypting satellite.

What I'd meant to say was - do you remember where we parked and took the shuttle bus to the fair?  That's where we're going.

Sometimes, depending on who you're talking to, you can still make your point no matter how the words come out.  This stuff happens with us all the time, and he says "These things are funny.  You should write this down, this is good stuff".  Funny, eh, I don't know, but it keeps us laughing at ourselves and each other in a good way.  That's got to be a good thing, right?

I'll bet you have a few bloopers, too.  Care to share?

Down By The River

Our latest excursion took us to 421 River Park, a small park on the bank of the Yadkin River.  It is a small park, and its primary purpose is to allow access to the river for canoeing and fishing.  There are a few picnic tables, a horse shoe pit, volley ball and some swings.

From the park you have an excellent view of the river and the bridge on Hwy. 421 which crosses the river.

There were some interesting "decorations" on the bridge.

Someone even left an apology for their artwork.

Here is an interesting view of the bridge.  It reminds me of looking into mirrors and seeing multiple reflections.

This one shows bridge decoration the way nature intended it.  What you see here are what appears to be the nests of cliff swallows or barn swallows.  They build mud nests in very high, protected places.

This is a better picture than I could get, and it shows a clear view of the birds and the nest.  Looks like a full house!

Cliff Swallows - originally uploaded by Snowmanradio