Morning Visitor

We have an early morning visitor that comes each day. I think it is an egret? I need to find out. Sure is cute.

Another Beautiful Day

We went to eat at a pizza place tonight and it was good. Different varieties that you could try. The spinach with ricotta and mozzarella was very good. The crust was crisp and crunchy without being salty and greasy. The we went out to Bridge Street pier. An older historic pier on the bay side. A pesky pelican was begging for bait and I caught a few good shots of him. There was a crane that was perched and wanting a crab that had attached itself to the side of the pier. A little boy tossed him a fish which satisfied him for the moment. The crane was the same type that has been visiting us each morning on the deck.

Windy morning

Woke up this morning to wind and clouds. I am out on the porch. Only place that allows wifi connection and am hoping sand does not blow up my nose and in my face. I now need to decide whether or not I will clean up this messy place or take a walk on the beach and chase the clouds away. Maybe I should just get up off this computer and do both! HA! Vince and Susan are probably fighting Atlanta traffic by now and are on their way down here. They will stay a few streets over. Happy Anniversary you guys! Can't believe it has been five years already! Seems like yesterday.

More sunny days and sunsets on Anna Maria Island

Strange windy weather for the last few days

We have had some strange weather around here. It was very calm today after some evening thunder and lightening and a very windy rough day yesterday. When all of a sudden a squall blew in that blew everything around. I had just gotten out of the water and boom! We had to rush around and gather loose items and take down the canopy for fear it would blow away. Still windy but sunny. A little storm action is taking place out in the gulf so blowing things up a bit. Got cleaned up so now deciding what to do for the rest of the afternoon. I like to hang out at the beach all day! Sunsets have not been great either since we have been here. Too hazy from the stormy weather. Will try again tonight. Still beautiful though. Even a windy day in paradise all good! Pictures blurry because I have been having some trouble with focus in the dusk time of day.

dolphin

went to the Rod and Reel pier last night and caught this little dolphin swimming around the pier on the bay side. Lots of little fish in the area so he was having a snack. I could not catch him very well with the telephoto. He rolled on his back once and was really showing off but I did not catch it. Maybe tonight I will catch some and I will try video this time.

Anna Maria

Loved this Spanish moss that we saw on the way down. The one close up has some good bokeh in the background. It has been hot, windy and humid here but by the water it is not bad. Today the waves were too big to float comfortably, so it was get in and get out fast.

The reason why worry kills more people than work is that more people worry than work.
Robert Frost
US poet (1874 - 1963)

Why post about work? Work and worry could both be my middle name. That is why I am trying to work through my worry by getting away and relaxing. Getting ready to start the second leg of the journey today. Then Ahhh. No worry. Fun work! Love to you all.

Dad- Did you feed the dobermans last night? Franklin and Howie love you! Make sure you keep them fed. They get hungry and testy if they have to wait too long. Love yA!

As the traveler who has once been from home is wiser than he who has never left his own doorstep, so a knowledge of one other culture should sharpen our ability to scrutinize more steadily, to appreciate more lovingly, our own.

Margaret Mead

Heading to the Beach

We are headed to our favorite little Florida Island in the morning. Wish us well and pray for our safe travel. We need a relaxing and slow paced vacation right now for a variety of reasons.

Mama so sorry I did not get to talk to you this evening when you called. I wanted to call you at 7:15 but you know that is a bad time of night to interupt your television viewing! HA! Go check on the little cucumbers and sugar snap peas. Pick what you can and enjoy. I will be sad to miss all of the cucumbers that will soon be ready.

Travis, thanks for holding down the fort! We greatly appreciate it.

Just look at this lovely place though!

Shanon's birthday in Indy

We went to Indy this weekend to celebrate my cousin's 50th birthday. It was a total surprise and she did not know that her oldest son, his wife and baby son were in from Florida. She was truly shocked and surprised.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Albert Schweitzer
At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person.
Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.

Kings Island

Gabe, Mel and Abbi Grace came in last weekend and I went to Kings Island with them. She was absolutely unbelievable. She rode as many big roller coasters as the park would let her on because of height restraints. She loved it. Needless to say, I was just along to watch the bags. I would not be on a ride. I never have been able to tolerate movement like that without getting sick. Here are a few pictures of the fun.

It was a beautiful day after lots and lots of rain Friday and Saturday. Very nice getting to meet Mel's extended family before the wedding. It will be easier to put the faces with the names now. I can't believe it is getting so close. I don't even have a dress yet. I have looked but haven't seen anything I want to try on.

Weekend in Nashville

We had a whirlwind weekend in Nashville. Abbi Grace had her birthday and we went to a tea for Gabe and Mel. Exhausted but had lots of fun. Been back to the grind at work and not able to post an pics. Thought I would tonight.

Where do I start? Lets see...

We had Vince's Birthday, played in a tent, had a wedding shower, a sleepover, a birthday party for Alex, unloaded a tractor trailer full of compost, packed up the house for flooring, had flooring installed, planted annuals around the front of the house, unpacked furniture and stuff and then collapsed! No really, we still are going strong.








Just realized like a silly girl that I needed to add these in opposite order. Oh well you are seeing it backwards! I am really tired.

Busy Two Weeks and loads of computer problems

We have celebrated birthdays, had sleepovers with two year olds and four year olds at our house for the first time in a long time, celebrated a wedding shower, packed the house in preparation for new flooring, had to make the difficult decision to have our dog Baxter put to sleep, unpacked and moved all the furniture back in and whew! both computers got a worm of some sort and our email address was pirated and mass spam email was sent out from our address. Insight Communications shut us down not once, but twice. Both computers have had to have work and we are not sure even after the work that hackers can't get into them again. All that and work to go to every day on top of it. More than anybody should have to go through in a week. I will post pictures as soon as I get them downloaded.

Some Patio Pavers Go Down

Roger is in the middle of placing some pavers down where a pile of mulch once was. We are leaving the mulch as a base and adding sand for now. If it shifts too much then maybe we will start over and create a new base. The mulch was once the home of a big mud pile off the deck and it has worked well, but the mulch comes in on everyone's feet. Now the key will be if the sand particles and small rock chips come in with this onto the new hardwood when we get it down in a couple of weeks. Here is the start. Rained lots today so no work that way. I will post after we have it all worked out!

Susan Boyle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-KiGva9dV4 Check out this link to hear Susan Boyle sing. Amazing! Embedding disabled.

Wedding Centerpieces

I am trying to figure out table centerpieces for the Gabe and Melody's wedding. I can't seem to find exactly what we are looking for. The tables are round and we have already purchased two different height cylinder containers that will have pillar candles and clear half marbles. The other piece we are not sure about to complete the trilogy so to speak. I would like to do some sort of floral but can't quite get the shape or height right. I saw some florals in glass cylinders covered in water with a floating candle on top. Funny, Susan had seen the same ones and emailed me the link. Can't decide if they would look too strange or different and not traditional enough. Will the flowers last long in the water? How would I get them all made and looking good through the night and next day if I tried to make them early? Arrrrghhhh! Time is running out.

More anniversary pictures

Here are some shots of Victorian Square and Triangle park fountains. Some were through the pedway glass and the drops were raindrops that started to fall. The little nest at first when I took the picture I thought was real but as I looked at it closer up it looks manufactured. Cute anyway!

Anniversary

Today is our anniversary. We had a very nice dinner at DeSha's and a walk around triangle park. Mom brought us some beautiful tulips. Ignore the mess that surrounds the kitchen. We did not clean up much before we left.

Lexington Cemetery and Henry Clay's Home Gardens

Roger and I decided to enjoy the beautiful weather before the storm tonight and the projected drop in temperatures that are expected for tomorrow. We should have snow Monday night and Tuesday morning.

Look carefully at the trees in the first slide show. One tree at the base has some knarly twisted truck bark with knotholes that look like a ape face. The same tree at the middle has some more knotting that looks like a turtle head poking out. There were so many people at the cemetery with children dressed up in spring outfits taking pictures. The tulips were spectacular.

So many of the trees are just getting ready to bloom, so hopefully the weather will not freeze the blooms completely. It is supposed to be 28-30 degrees for 2 to 3 days so who knows what will happen but for today we had a great time out enjoying the bounty.