tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33299149625939822102024-03-16T12:08:45.612+00:00Waggs WalkaboutWelcome to the next crazy adventure of the Wagg Shaw Clan. Follow us as we explore Great Britain and Europe while living in the UK as American ex-pats. It will never be boring!Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.comBlogger391125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-90955229817725701302024-03-16T11:46:00.001+00:002024-03-16T11:46:05.702+00:00A New Home<p> The Wagg Shaw's have moved to a new home and so has this blog. You can find us at <a href="https://www.waggshaw.com/" target="_blank"> https://www.waggshaw.com/</a><a href="https://www.waggshaw.com/"> </a><br /></p>Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-25401327943947136872015-11-18T02:58:00.001+00:002015-11-18T02:58:24.466+00:00From the Back Seat (November 2015)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My favorite Russian is learning the difference between
fiction and nonfiction literature. This morning on the way to school, he
interrogated me on all the book titles of which he could recall and I helped
him sort them into the appropriate category. He then proceeded on to television
shows, then things people had told him. When we got to the urban legend of
there being crocodiles in the sewer, I sighed and informed him that the concept
was undoubtedly fiction. Despite the fact that we were driving in the blinding
snow with temperatures hovering at freezing, he wasn’t willing to accept the
fact that there were no giant reptiles living in the sewers of Denver,
Colorado.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This
is why I pity the people that try out reason my son:</span></i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Mom, is
Mike Rowe on Dirty Jobs a fiction or non-fiction guy?” I explained that Mike
Rowe was a real person not just a character on a tv show. The voice in the back
seat then suggested that we call Mike Rowe and ask if he thought there were
crocodiles in our sewer. I reiterated my views on reptiles in the snow. The
response was “Maybe we can send an email and invite him for a cup of tea and a
cracker, to be polite, and then he could look in our sewer for a crocodile.” At this point, I
said “Sure, we can give that a whirl.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is why it might be MANY YEARS before we give this child open access
to the internet.</span></div>
Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-81382909396806651972014-10-16T03:14:00.000+00:002014-10-16T03:14:26.419+00:00The Voice From The Back Seat<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
D: "When you take Spruce for a walk, and he poops, how do you pick it up?"</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
Me: "Yes, responsible dog owner always pick up after their dogs. It's pretty gross, but I use a plastic bag on my hand to pick it up."</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">D: “If your pet is a cat, do you have to pick up its poop with your hands?”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Me: “Well, in the city, your have to train your cat to poop in a litter box and then you have to use a little shovel to scoop out the cat poop.”<br />D: “Do you have to pick from poop from a horse?”<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><br />Me: with a sigh “Well….if the horse lives outside in a pasture, you don’t have to, but if you horse is in a stall or small pasture, you might need to clean it up, but you get to use a tool with a long handle.”<br />D: “Can horses swim?”<br />Me: “Yes, they can swim.”<br />D: After a very long pause, “If you take your horse in deep water, does he need one of those special masks and that tube thing in this mouth?”<br />Me: While biting my cheek, “No, horses don’t need snorkel masks.”</span></div>
</div>
Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-58303057893481777672014-10-12T01:49:00.001+00:002014-10-12T02:12:31.514+00:00Children are the reason we are crazy!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgeUENhj5fC9RxeEjJOW6YhUvE000t4g5oVkEn1qFXP-TP0wdwq4vjCNteQ75bkGXKyt76YFrznhSHtw-zq3fvhW6BUlmyx3Hptd_oGMK9XXNO57ecRTqbXfbor2_G8t5AnxB30ob5xMV7/s1600/adj_IMG_4340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgeUENhj5fC9RxeEjJOW6YhUvE000t4g5oVkEn1qFXP-TP0wdwq4vjCNteQ75bkGXKyt76YFrznhSHtw-zq3fvhW6BUlmyx3Hptd_oGMK9XXNO57ecRTqbXfbor2_G8t5AnxB30ob5xMV7/s1600/adj_IMG_4340.jpg" height="200" width="141" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 13.3333339691162px;">This picture has nothing to </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 13.3333339691162px;">do </span><span style="font-size: 13.3333339691162px;">with </span><span style="font-size: 13.3333339691162px;">the post other than it </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 13.3333339691162px;">is of </span><span style="font-size: 13.3333339691162px;">the </span><span style="font-size: 13.3333339691162px;">reason </span><span style="font-size: 13.3333339691162px;">I am crazy.</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As we were getting ready to head out the door to soccer this morning, I asked by darling child if he had brushed his teeth. After a long pause, he hesitantly said yes. As the mother of a seven year old, I know that most answered must be verified. My follow-up question was “If I feel your toothbrush, will it be wet?” This resulted in a big sigh, a hanging of the head, with a negative shaking motion.<br />
<br />
Although he has been practicing his skills of deception lately, he is a horrible liar (thankfully!). I proceeded to pitch a bit of a fit about the fact that lying is not tolerated in this house. I will admit to getting a bit carried away with the topic and was possibly more dramatic that needed (maybe). I marched him into the bathroom and stood there like a drill sergeant, prepared to glare at him throughout the brushing. He reached for the tooth brush and touched the bristles. He turned to back to me with an enormous smile and said “Hey Mom, it’s wet, maybe I already brushed.” <br />
<br />
And, that’s why my left eye was twitching before noon today.<br />
<br />
My own mother often blamed my siblings and I for making her crazy and I always thought, she was just being irrational. I now get it entirely.<br />
</div>
Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-23286027600244759842014-09-09T01:45:00.003+00:002014-09-09T01:46:22.609+00:00The Voice From the Back Seat<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
D: “Hey Mom, who is the guy singing this song?”<br />
<br />
Me: “I don’t know the singers name, but the band is called the Scorpions.” (<em>Rock You Like a Hurricane,</em> was playing on the radio.)<br />
<br />
D: “This is my new favorite song. I bet when this guy grows up, he’s gonna be a real good rocker.”<br />
<br />
<br />
P: With a big smile, “I believe you’re correct.”<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-52430840163136698512014-06-05T04:34:00.001+00:002014-06-05T04:34:50.530+00:00The Things You Learn on the Way to Work<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here's a list of the things I heard this morning from the voice in the
back seat:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dad is slow because he is even older than the Spruce (the
dog).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If summer day camp caught on fire and the firemen came, it
would be fire camp.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If a milk tanker would pull up next to the Royal Dairy home
delivery truck, they could stick a big pipe in the delivery truck and fill all
the jugs really fast.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you don’t watch enough TV, you will get a headache.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last but not least - “Hey Mom, you know why I talk so
much? I splain lots of things so you can understand
things better.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicutQpyvzT9yzUl3Cw3lehyzJFbQUh9o12kE5_Ee2M8zz0mFRYwtRmLzS_B6pQZtU5lR3dPC-vpK091EH6NiFWTqwWsbWOuN4eBmkJbPCnACnD7eykDy_zx7DtZuEpL5rKqxkhc6Ixn76_/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicutQpyvzT9yzUl3Cw3lehyzJFbQUh9o12kE5_Ee2M8zz0mFRYwtRmLzS_B6pQZtU5lR3dPC-vpK091EH6NiFWTqwWsbWOuN4eBmkJbPCnACnD7eykDy_zx7DtZuEpL5rKqxkhc6Ixn76_/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-26972428057713986872014-04-01T03:16:00.000+00:002014-04-01T03:16:49.246+00:00Big Sighs From The Back Seat<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
D: Hey Mom - I need to
grow really fast.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me: Why do you need
to grow fast?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
D: Cause I was born in a different country.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me: Why does being
born in a different country necessitate you growing fast?<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
D: (Big Sigh) That’s
just the way it work, and you not get a vote.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hmm - wonder where he gets that attitude??????</div>
</div>
Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-11925975420869198662014-03-19T01:56:00.002+00:002014-03-19T01:56:08.304+00:00The Things You Hear at the Dinner Table<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
There were many disjointed bits in the middle, but here’s a synopsis of tonight’s dinner conversation:</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Dennis: “Mom, you know what’s been on my mind?”</div>
<div class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px;">
Me: (thinking - there’s a loaded questions, if there ever was one) “No, what have you been thinking about.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Dennis: “It is very windy today.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Me: “You are right. It was very very windy day.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Dennis: “It was, and today we not take our who whos outside in the wind.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Dave’s chin was instantly buried in his chest. I laid my fork down in an effort not to drop it while containing the insane urge to giggle.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Me: “That certainly sounds like a sensible idea. What sort of who whos do you play with at school?” (sometimes, I can't stop myself)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Dennis: “The big round kind that you twirl around.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
I lost my ability to speak while holding back tears of laugher.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Dave: “Dennis, do you mean hula hoops?”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Dennis: “Yeah, that’s what I said. We not take our who whos outside in the wind, cause they will blow away today.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
That’s gonna be funny for a long time.</div>
</div>
</div>
Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-9802968875764464542014-03-15T03:29:00.000+00:002014-03-15T03:36:06.735+00:00From the Back Seat<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> </o:p>On our 7 minute drive to school, I was listening to a news story
on the radio that mentions the White House and from the back seat I hear......</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
D: “I see that white house”<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiSNtpGF2NrU3Xd-IlAUcvhVTW17OtwzxwEoWNdcMjOrZj9nY9X1QMTBAgiydlSqaWgCTbVGpFC4fzgh3RANv_8bB8O9lSAAPndcAijKgNy8E80gGl8xnoLVro6zDJ7AvQCYMYVudHuXO/s1600/IMG_0604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiSNtpGF2NrU3Xd-IlAUcvhVTW17OtwzxwEoWNdcMjOrZj9nY9X1QMTBAgiydlSqaWgCTbVGpFC4fzgh3RANv_8bB8O9lSAAPndcAijKgNy8E80gGl8xnoLVro6zDJ7AvQCYMYVudHuXO/s1600/IMG_0604.jpg" height="320" width="241" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me: “That’s not the White
House they were talking about.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
D: “Where’s that white house she talk about?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me: “It’s a special building
in Washington DC, where the President of the United States lives.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
D: “Have we been to
his house?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me: “You haven’t been
there, but I was in the White House once, a long time ago.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
D: “Are there Army
guys there?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me: “There are lots special
guards there.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
D: “Do they have guns?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me: “Yes, some of
them have guns.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
D: “Did the guy that lives there come and talk to you.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me: “No, I did not get to talk to the President of the United
States.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
D: “That not very polite.
You should talk to people when they come to your house. Is that right,
Mom?” <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-2783861930943608242014-03-11T02:55:00.000+00:002014-03-11T02:55:12.238+00:00Is it spring yet?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last week was a rough one at our house, Dennis and I were
both sick early in the week and he wasn’t feeling up to snuff throughout the
rest of the week. By Tuesday evening the
fever was down and when he asked permission to remove the railing from the
basement stairs, I decided he was well enough to go to school the following
day. Off to school he went, but the
notes I received from the teacher each evening indicated that Mr. Personality
might not have been up to his usual charming self.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On Wednesday, the teacher reported him as “wild” and not a
good listener. Thursday’s report was
that he had shoved another student to the floor. Upon cross examination, the defendant
reported that the victim has said that he wanted to be a cat and that the
action was justified because “We not like cats. So I pushed him.” Not being a big fan of felines, I respect his
point of view, but we had a long talk about not judging someone’s ideas and never
inflicting injury. When I picked him up
from school on Friday, the teacher reported that when it was time to line up
and leave the library, my son had leapt into a canoe that was part of a display
and attempted to paddle away. I’m hoping
the teacher had a few glasses of wine on our behalf this weekend; although I
did have a couple of extras just in case.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If all that wasn’t enough, Dennis received an invitation to
a birthday party which he refused to attend because “That kid yells a lot and I
think we can go to the beach instead.” During
the course of the weekend, any time we asked Dennis question, he replied “No, I wanna go to the beach and build sand castles.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s been a long first winter in America.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-60827894120840364032014-03-05T05:22:00.002+00:002014-03-05T05:22:50.778+00:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
More often than not, I could not tell you what I was thinking when I decide a child sounded like a good idea. It’s not that I regret my decision, but it often crosses my mind that I have NO business being a role model for a small child, let alone be a parent. The thought that saves me is that I’m not parenting just any child. Somehow, some way, the stars lined to bring Dennis and I together. Call it karma, god, destiny, fate, providence, what have you, there had to be a master plan that put the two of us together with ever patient Dave. Most days, I just hope that when the evil genius that we are raising takes over the world, he looks back fondly on the crazy old people that raised him.<br />
<br />
Here are few of the reasons my eye left twitches:<br />
<br />
Dennis recently asked if we could eat at the White Fence Farm restaurant. I asked him why he wanted to eat there and he replied, "They have a playground and they feed you chicken food." I told him that I wasn't interested in eating the same thing that chickens eat. There was a BIG sigh from the back seat and in total disgust he said "They not feed you corn there, they feed you dead chickens."<br />
<br />
While listening to Lady Antebellum,<i> Down Town</i><br />
D: What's down town?<br />
Me: It's where you go to dance and listen to music.<br />
D: If you take girls there, will they kiss you?<br />
Me:........maybe<br />
D: I take girls there.<br />
<br />
After being in bed for a half hour, Dennis came into the living room and said that if he put his hand on his chest he could feel his heart beating and it was really fast and might pop put of this chest. I assured him that his heart would be just fine and that he needed to get back into bed. About half way up the stairs, he yelled "I not have a banana today, maybe I eat one now." Since my heart was then beating rapidly and my left eye was twitching, I strongly urged he get his bum to bed - without a banana.<br />
<br />
As the week progressed, my child had gotten slower and slower in getting ready for school. I was hounding him to hurry up to the breakfast table, hurry up to finish breakfast, hurry up and brush his teeth, hurry up and get dressed. Five minutes before we needed to walk out the down, I went upstairs and discovered him standing in there in his Super Hero undies, marvelling at the circuitry inside an old cell phone. I strongly recommended he get some clothes on and he responded with “but Mom, there’s some really cool stuff in here.” He went to school that day with uncombed hair.<br />
<br />
As my foot hit the bottom step, the voice from the living room yelled, "Hey Mom, I watching News 9 and it’s a Bronco day today, there a volcano in Matra (Sumatra) and good thing we not there live there cause it hurts you a lot and they have a big boat on a big lake that breaks big ice. What we have for breakfast?"</div>
Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-77297726781820874692013-10-11T04:47:00.002+00:002013-10-11T17:15:28.867+00:00From the back seat<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I know it's been way to long and I won't bother to make excuses, so here's a snippet from a recent drive time conversation.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb0T1aL0Y0ndXMZGh3AHx-P8E6k09h3iPQoQjc-M9iznZxtrfkq2B0qjeyGFlOUhZyWu5wHzn3DL74s9gD-tyMuNywBMWOOLpyu3y9Z7XbYcIHQ2V3m-zhIrRJ5dDiMAnPj8q78-HECIL4/s1600/copilot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb0T1aL0Y0ndXMZGh3AHx-P8E6k09h3iPQoQjc-M9iznZxtrfkq2B0qjeyGFlOUhZyWu5wHzn3DL74s9gD-tyMuNywBMWOOLpyu3y9Z7XbYcIHQ2V3m-zhIrRJ5dDiMAnPj8q78-HECIL4/s1600/copilot.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">From the back seat<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">D:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Hey Mom, can you
do that thing outside?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Me: “What thing?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">D: “That special thing. You not do that special outside,
right?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Me: (trying to keep my mind out of the gutter) “I don’t know
what thing you’re talking about.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">D: “That special thing that you do with Dad.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Me: dead silence<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">D: “That special thing where dad gived you that ring.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Me: “Do you mean my wedding ring?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">D: “Yes!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You not get
weddinged outside, right?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Me:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Yes, you can get
married outside.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">D: “That not a good idea.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Me : just because I had to know “Why isn’t it a good idea to
get married outside?”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">D: "Cause you drop the special ring in the grass and you not find it anymore. That not good."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p>This is why I don't listen to the radio much these days.</o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
</div>
Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-48437703281210425412013-05-04T05:28:00.001+00:002013-05-04T05:28:14.061+00:00Some things NEVER change<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
We have returned to the USA and have finally surfaced from
the pandemonium of an international relo with 5 weeks’ notice (more about that
later). In the 3 weeks since landing in
Denver, we have bought a house, two cars, and a whole lot of clothes. Having
survived 3 snow storms in as many weeks, we’re starting to find a new normal. Just to prove it, I thought I share the
following with you.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know many of my friends and family find amusement if not
outright hilarity in the wacky escapades of me and the Russian. It now appears that total strangers find us
entertaining as well. While we were in the
grocery store recently, a lady informed me that she’d like to follow us through
the store listening to our conversation.
Here are the highlights of what she overhead:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
P: Dennis, please stop reorganizing the shelves.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
D: But mom, they very messy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
P: They are not messy; the shelves are just not fully
stocked.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
D: I can fix it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
P: I know you can, but I would like to get done with the
shopping SOON and it’s not your job to straighten of the shelves.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
D: Whose job is it?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
P: There are people who work here that will fill the shelves
up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
D: What his name? Why
he not do it now?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
P: I don’t know their
names, but I promise you that this evening after we go home, the people with
that job will come and fill up the shelves and tidy everything up. Can we PLEASE keep moving??????<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
D: Hey mom, what’s my job?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
P: (BIG SIGH) To be a good kid and do what your mommy asks.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
D: Oh<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Minutes later in the seafood section<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
D: HEY MOM, THIS FISH STILL HAVE HIS HEAD ON! AND IT HAVE TAIL AND FLIPPERS ON TOO!!!!!!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
P: Yes, it does. That
is a trout.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
D: Hey mom, whose job is it to take their heads off?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
P: The butcher<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
D: Why he not do his job?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My next stop was the wine section.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-47009875265869529142013-03-04T13:01:00.000+00:002013-03-04T13:01:11.674+00:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Today’s post is photo essay of the randomness of
my day.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFO2UmM700yFFPH2w0IUtwkPWhtsOX8MMQ7x44pJ0x_ZlRy8qSDdtl9X90p02KuCsvM-Hq86IyEO1AIMD41z7kVpfspNYUW4WcHogELdj-DCBEPit74xWGAPnNR-_TAyVwHZDtGFBiJgO/s1600/IMG_7379-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="419" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFO2UmM700yFFPH2w0IUtwkPWhtsOX8MMQ7x44pJ0x_ZlRy8qSDdtl9X90p02KuCsvM-Hq86IyEO1AIMD41z7kVpfspNYUW4WcHogELdj-DCBEPit74xWGAPnNR-_TAyVwHZDtGFBiJgO/s640/IMG_7379-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNAZhLbkS_5oiVNYmbj40ENMKGsWogqbgwyFi_HFYRp3k_QNC8hw4JgcOvL6zrNRwJ9gFyIVrwi1HG_lfztddWI6HbADPd4WjSuHHIf6sWzlCpHCduMBNMFOtOYifEZEwRTg6HrCtoK2ZF/s1600/IMG_7382-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
<br />
Not a day goes by that I don't look at this little face and fall in love all over again.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNAZhLbkS_5oiVNYmbj40ENMKGsWogqbgwyFi_HFYRp3k_QNC8hw4JgcOvL6zrNRwJ9gFyIVrwi1HG_lfztddWI6HbADPd4WjSuHHIf6sWzlCpHCduMBNMFOtOYifEZEwRTg6HrCtoK2ZF/s1600/IMG_7382-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNAZhLbkS_5oiVNYmbj40ENMKGsWogqbgwyFi_HFYRp3k_QNC8hw4JgcOvL6zrNRwJ9gFyIVrwi1HG_lfztddWI6HbADPd4WjSuHHIf6sWzlCpHCduMBNMFOtOYifEZEwRTg6HrCtoK2ZF/s640/IMG_7382-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
We went out for a walk to stuff flyers for the upcoming neighborhood picnic and water balloon fight into all the mailboxes in our hood. I took my camera along and snapped a close up of shot of these buds on a gum tree.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXtP7W44BEV32RBaehu7y50iSaTkBlMD7hegyO7nur06KzLKOMjH1ZDhzZDDnPtcBokZUTWI2AD8OpvdCZokmWGOmrrpEmjeEgD480Td52hl1UXIW4v6Yq7gLWxv8SIG17fQ2ROODcRyS/s1600/IMG_7396-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXtP7W44BEV32RBaehu7y50iSaTkBlMD7hegyO7nur06KzLKOMjH1ZDhzZDDnPtcBokZUTWI2AD8OpvdCZokmWGOmrrpEmjeEgD480Td52hl1UXIW4v6Yq7gLWxv8SIG17fQ2ROODcRyS/s640/IMG_7396-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I still contend that bougainvillea is an evil shrub, but I can help but appreciate the intense color and exotic beauty, right up to the moment their 2 inch long needle like spikes tear at my flesh and leaving me bleeding.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgZEQXs0zbXQSLFey5nv-yuQQ3EtQcxuwZY3lkyzigJftkUAmp0CzDyUxfRAIzOX5Q3zDtAcxbbWURmABktOus6ZrwSIdrpFp3y6tGEob2TYDN96wW7A1GbMx2lONK0H2hlEwCrwoLbtK/s1600/IMG_7409-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgZEQXs0zbXQSLFey5nv-yuQQ3EtQcxuwZY3lkyzigJftkUAmp0CzDyUxfRAIzOX5Q3zDtAcxbbWURmABktOus6ZrwSIdrpFp3y6tGEob2TYDN96wW7A1GbMx2lONK0H2hlEwCrwoLbtK/s640/IMG_7409-3.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
After the mail box stuffing, we stopped in the park for a little soccer practice.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEpRHxXnGa_N0IgCv0j_srAesXRrI7mlFO9dVKW8Qi-plK7HL4isCTQb2BtKOgoPP8Efiu9eeIVv910SEk5WLGP0hf3Rxp1SBbqZj2oZIG7aglM-fYcsY7J0Ln9ZM9pOR3YfhKW2dAjbkD/s1600/IMG_7420-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEpRHxXnGa_N0IgCv0j_srAesXRrI7mlFO9dVKW8Qi-plK7HL4isCTQb2BtKOgoPP8Efiu9eeIVv910SEk5WLGP0hf3Rxp1SBbqZj2oZIG7aglM-fYcsY7J0Ln9ZM9pOR3YfhKW2dAjbkD/s640/IMG_7420-4.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgykkWsXKHVP9mJGtTVN9gQ6emDosGsN0GRqyX3VmilH1zGCaAndbSYpLzdPVggWQz4c7zzynBEfrTiNnzZ91eNrKXrrj85ABxc96MSWgzSeSLyEGXJqD4ti_m03htLdy8964QxlB42a0fT/s1600/IMG_7443-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgykkWsXKHVP9mJGtTVN9gQ6emDosGsN0GRqyX3VmilH1zGCaAndbSYpLzdPVggWQz4c7zzynBEfrTiNnzZ91eNrKXrrj85ABxc96MSWgzSeSLyEGXJqD4ti_m03htLdy8964QxlB42a0fT/s640/IMG_7443-5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIuGX50TQ14Psv3BfqJLk7PLQExVIbDteggI7_DeOTli6453HBVkcaifzmBSxiQrmLc25_zawBcTgL0kxca6Ld-G15luYcRMfWi7HVjkeZ1pTkU3jn9_a7JLzTQpYKX7_rwq30ztM4jfm/s1600/IMG_7462-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIuGX50TQ14Psv3BfqJLk7PLQExVIbDteggI7_DeOTli6453HBVkcaifzmBSxiQrmLc25_zawBcTgL0kxca6Ld-G15luYcRMfWi7HVjkeZ1pTkU3jn9_a7JLzTQpYKX7_rwq30ztM4jfm/s640/IMG_7462-6.jpg" width="466" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsGrRivYoKoAabK7JtAWwttI3jI3JUrOlMG2cVHIGnCLcqknDJN6gsLVLTiGt1ab98YQl4d0rZa7-93YZlGSb-wzP7OIe7OrYdaKJevCkI6ZdNu0VV4FHywhbrtxNPDF71zJSbFZAFBwe/s1600/IMG_7471-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsGrRivYoKoAabK7JtAWwttI3jI3JUrOlMG2cVHIGnCLcqknDJN6gsLVLTiGt1ab98YQl4d0rZa7-93YZlGSb-wzP7OIe7OrYdaKJevCkI6ZdNu0VV4FHywhbrtxNPDF71zJSbFZAFBwe/s640/IMG_7471-7.jpg" width="422" /></a></div>
<br />
Darn this is CUTE!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigmGJBKynoTN8kJq6L3hpRXoQ1t3U_nWkYWPWukf7MrnGD6JIP2oWHEew6Wo3a9YDM9pEew9aVCxjp4MjyRIGech4gFyt5G56y1o-JZgQ-PZeHlCPbJ4jsB89EA1SoNosAx005ld8ihRZR/s1600/IMG_7476-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigmGJBKynoTN8kJq6L3hpRXoQ1t3U_nWkYWPWukf7MrnGD6JIP2oWHEew6Wo3a9YDM9pEew9aVCxjp4MjyRIGech4gFyt5G56y1o-JZgQ-PZeHlCPbJ4jsB89EA1SoNosAx005ld8ihRZR/s640/IMG_7476-8.jpg" width="632" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAD-fRaj_RkTfqpZ4wtY8rrjYjKLt4RsP7qlabM6C-ndhXLfZyrOWi0qxBzu3cfEacgis1BsnKq1dZCEDcJBKlBV56m8mZv2hX3ccnvUF_7JG2vjY5x_ex_umubt0NoH2lBM04-nImIP-k/s1600/IMG_7480-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
And he sticks the landing!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAD-fRaj_RkTfqpZ4wtY8rrjYjKLt4RsP7qlabM6C-ndhXLfZyrOWi0qxBzu3cfEacgis1BsnKq1dZCEDcJBKlBV56m8mZv2hX3ccnvUF_7JG2vjY5x_ex_umubt0NoH2lBM04-nImIP-k/s1600/IMG_7480-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAD-fRaj_RkTfqpZ4wtY8rrjYjKLt4RsP7qlabM6C-ndhXLfZyrOWi0qxBzu3cfEacgis1BsnKq1dZCEDcJBKlBV56m8mZv2hX3ccnvUF_7JG2vjY5x_ex_umubt0NoH2lBM04-nImIP-k/s640/IMG_7480-10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I have no idea of the name of this plant. It's a blooming bush in my front yard and is covered by delicate white flowers.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4WR0uld_-f5OhXVgnFxiVcXLTeA_BRzKZ5Iu3sFnb2kV2DfzbZ_vY7heNt9eECmgEvW4Mex6_2abpqKK6LvKG0dsPzU6MyKBj5r3WRBIzCUgDCLBVta2TiVXV9NnVzoo8uSeoVbqiJ7Z/s1600/IMG_7479-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="467" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4WR0uld_-f5OhXVgnFxiVcXLTeA_BRzKZ5Iu3sFnb2kV2DfzbZ_vY7heNt9eECmgEvW4Mex6_2abpqKK6LvKG0dsPzU6MyKBj5r3WRBIzCUgDCLBVta2TiVXV9NnVzoo8uSeoVbqiJ7Z/s640/IMG_7479-9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
As I was shooting a honey bee zoomed in for a bite.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjquXt-w7WAfVhsUp6YZ27r2m_OweMjiD_sRq_LzxV8-JJfTqfLId-TBn203HpavdNwIf0AoHi8Z3QHg3RUIi6T4LVyU4rFgdZLA4uV-q0AFEk_5a-cUaRgG-IAhdybLVzS3XBuG-X_Er-9/s1600/IMG_7483-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjquXt-w7WAfVhsUp6YZ27r2m_OweMjiD_sRq_LzxV8-JJfTqfLId-TBn203HpavdNwIf0AoHi8Z3QHg3RUIi6T4LVyU4rFgdZLA4uV-q0AFEk_5a-cUaRgG-IAhdybLVzS3XBuG-X_Er-9/s640/IMG_7483-11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Oh goody the lemons are beginning to turn yellow!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Told you it was a random kinda day.</span></div>
Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-36451626172064774212013-02-24T06:01:00.003+00:002013-03-04T12:16:23.671+00:00Rotorua, New Zealand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Day two in New Zealand had a distinctive smell although it wasn't pleasant it was a whole lot better than the lingering scent of car sickness. The town of <a href="http://www.rotoruanz.com/" target="_blank">Rotorua</a> sits in an area of major geothermal activity. That means, hot springs, geysers, bubbling mud pools and plenty of sulfur!<br />
<br />
The temperature in some of the pool exceeds the boiling point and the traditional Maori people used pools for cooking, laundry and heating their homes. Tourists have been visiting the springs in this area since the early 1800’s.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhEoigNztdi_XD1o1mPDCeBmg9XSl4wyRLfKqZQtA1c0y5irOcsqfWu7W7iNGPBuTotJ7WwGadpAe4bUX1YtvIn6DFx90Xo-IdguuDq5J8ygUIbkQ6CIlD9MNJS4njjRkSD7aefJL1ESc/s1600/IMG_5815_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhEoigNztdi_XD1o1mPDCeBmg9XSl4wyRLfKqZQtA1c0y5irOcsqfWu7W7iNGPBuTotJ7WwGadpAe4bUX1YtvIn6DFx90Xo-IdguuDq5J8ygUIbkQ6CIlD9MNJS4njjRkSD7aefJL1ESc/s640/IMG_5815_adj.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boiling water bubbles in the pool.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaahPpkW5IfPHNEMO_RGkNZMHEUHwq0h_0ONUcgaUGhEr6KJosemvnJYhSi2jUsz9gly0dnjeFvoV2kDoiDxgwTBfbqXwBsr1l-I1nJ74SO7SfiECNbIR4iZ2LSaO3Myh5kWDmiNvwo0/s1600/IMG_5858-adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaahPpkW5IfPHNEMO_RGkNZMHEUHwq0h_0ONUcgaUGhEr6KJosemvnJYhSi2jUsz9gly0dnjeFvoV2kDoiDxgwTBfbqXwBsr1l-I1nJ74SO7SfiECNbIR4iZ2LSaO3Myh5kWDmiNvwo0/s640/IMG_5858-adj.jpg" width="546" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dancing mud!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9YXD79DHRqRiqtQcYonIQG9-yiI6UPEo40wTqTCI-tRKyEldviGR0OwkejCEPSaEV76-jC_o8z7HvtZAJVsbQE_NyuJiFjEHHFzWVHIlkgCib9hhO0NJ24EBEoWsFRSz8hJfGOY-ndg/s1600/IMG_5857_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9YXD79DHRqRiqtQcYonIQG9-yiI6UPEo40wTqTCI-tRKyEldviGR0OwkejCEPSaEV76-jC_o8z7HvtZAJVsbQE_NyuJiFjEHHFzWVHIlkgCib9hhO0NJ24EBEoWsFRSz8hJfGOY-ndg/s640/IMG_5857_adj.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boiling mud is an intriguing concept and pretty amazing to watch.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtz17qXqfvWEPDNIBWrjyRFDVOTVk8MhrWY7CeKpXc57rJKqAR0tyttlaDvmWCqcazFyDiNWLPBEeQtvj-TYm1pasuYCn1zc7uffbdjnAQQLVSqtuEKMi58tG2yXoNw0ZqxEkodAuC-rU/s1600/IMG_5812_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtz17qXqfvWEPDNIBWrjyRFDVOTVk8MhrWY7CeKpXc57rJKqAR0tyttlaDvmWCqcazFyDiNWLPBEeQtvj-TYm1pasuYCn1zc7uffbdjnAQQLVSqtuEKMi58tG2yXoNw0ZqxEkodAuC-rU/s640/IMG_5812_adj.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
All the springs in this area, are at or nearing the boiling point. The air temperature that day was over 80F/27C and the steam was really rolling off. I can only imagine what it looks like in the winter.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1jlbnrFADP7SAUC5BuZ0G4U9Y6KgzeXEZCiCTKAMONQrVxU2CxU9pvTjp8xZxBVFKkHWlrVoJeJEfeuwgv_7rNa6Rux2BpJDxdVfCFJ-W39N4zTIdq3-EwaFNig-7GdE_b9yycGPl7pk/s1600/IMG_5826_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1jlbnrFADP7SAUC5BuZ0G4U9Y6KgzeXEZCiCTKAMONQrVxU2CxU9pvTjp8xZxBVFKkHWlrVoJeJEfeuwgv_7rNa6Rux2BpJDxdVfCFJ-W39N4zTIdq3-EwaFNig-7GdE_b9yycGPl7pk/s640/IMG_5826_adj.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My guys disappearing in the steam.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQZe5XogFkBjECtlAkNLG4v1DiXWc-Ng8QZ0v_MtBPwWsDMnsGdoCOyztCv7Jy8xCnqubcqjCR280CP0Qebl14o9UAqUbxntO7hipla_66B7_7zZCZFDHRwcnRUItFf4Ik43uU34MDmw/s1600/IMG_5831_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQZe5XogFkBjECtlAkNLG4v1DiXWc-Ng8QZ0v_MtBPwWsDMnsGdoCOyztCv7Jy8xCnqubcqjCR280CP0Qebl14o9UAqUbxntO7hipla_66B7_7zZCZFDHRwcnRUItFf4Ik43uU34MDmw/s640/IMG_5831_adj.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ldDr3HO_y2psp4tiMjPLAlHKYT4Zxg4L7lhJEbXK6y2hVdHdihH8hr1yWylsk6Pymj_zj5-VqnaigXycZRYE41m4YqwboJ66rRCVTfgu9bRXjTFw0F6YtSzGlhkpdm3vlmGvvob7t8s/s1600/IMG_5829_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ldDr3HO_y2psp4tiMjPLAlHKYT4Zxg4L7lhJEbXK6y2hVdHdihH8hr1yWylsk6Pymj_zj5-VqnaigXycZRYE41m4YqwboJ66rRCVTfgu9bRXjTFw0F6YtSzGlhkpdm3vlmGvvob7t8s/s640/IMG_5829_adj.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It took a second to understand exactly of what we were being warned.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Carving is a traditional art form of the Maori people. These scary little totems are intended to scare away the bad guys, but I think they’re kinda cute.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdML6NQQG26e_NKQy1ocG7aNQbo2S84JB0MVrG_UKafmFWyh_Nz7PknzyHyYn10HHQ2kW6pbl3-2IhjwPznm8Pixs1aBzSBFGuYFtsgncu5RUSrjZDOzG58YwMcb_v9Ez879LzDCc8jA/s1600/IMG_5832_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdML6NQQG26e_NKQy1ocG7aNQbo2S84JB0MVrG_UKafmFWyh_Nz7PknzyHyYn10HHQ2kW6pbl3-2IhjwPznm8Pixs1aBzSBFGuYFtsgncu5RUSrjZDOzG58YwMcb_v9Ez879LzDCc8jA/s640/IMG_5832_adj.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhOgMt8LMQQUILFGJWeAFuxtjBHBdBYnxNyDMTr-K04f2-mRSnZQBxw5TG_fy1oipA2YhAZuFfb6N7NM7r6Pxk18roR2V6D6i58PlY9HzFLwEOeAm0d9IWSalAaCZu6QcajcRZQGym45w/s1600/IMG_5834_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhOgMt8LMQQUILFGJWeAFuxtjBHBdBYnxNyDMTr-K04f2-mRSnZQBxw5TG_fy1oipA2YhAZuFfb6N7NM7r6Pxk18roR2V6D6i58PlY9HzFLwEOeAm0d9IWSalAaCZu6QcajcRZQGym45w/s640/IMG_5834_adj.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQ7UG3lKBRWhhbelpgwWiOBHeQxX1M-srY6mEHADmOTlrcaMhyphenhyphenF4Nr6LR1R3Tjry2AQihjtMFrEqoCE4A1-nM-ptcyqHn59V74-IF_aFtK71UC9__LQj66YO_YWDA65L_qTvIF4gF2ms/s1600/IMG_5836_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQ7UG3lKBRWhhbelpgwWiOBHeQxX1M-srY6mEHADmOTlrcaMhyphenhyphenF4Nr6LR1R3Tjry2AQihjtMFrEqoCE4A1-nM-ptcyqHn59V74-IF_aFtK71UC9__LQj66YO_YWDA65L_qTvIF4gF2ms/s640/IMG_5836_adj.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0iLUQKIiPdit9spbklsvtKqLSSlTG9ToFrQcdEpy7DE7IfCiQhFOBDerJCwg_fhZxTUVjd-7UN6ZvJHszUQ2UsL0D8WWf5_HeaxyGRa-HaQU7qbQwI_Y9mJsFimYv0T3alf7l8RSO-VQ/s1600/IMG_5838_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0iLUQKIiPdit9spbklsvtKqLSSlTG9ToFrQcdEpy7DE7IfCiQhFOBDerJCwg_fhZxTUVjd-7UN6ZvJHszUQ2UsL0D8WWf5_HeaxyGRa-HaQU7qbQwI_Y9mJsFimYv0T3alf7l8RSO-VQ/s640/IMG_5838_adj.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPMlGKQVXheP30O2tMqJ2UW2Npx8JL9jwMocgOw-8uBW4aE6CqoYQx1VmNM7NE1qfsN-1GgspnKcvhMOKmbKDCf1_B3o-LwFVMqYbbtJxwghzKEd7hkuslxJGO2ovSQq69c32NpQN-VE/s1600/IMG_5840_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPMlGKQVXheP30O2tMqJ2UW2Npx8JL9jwMocgOw-8uBW4aE6CqoYQx1VmNM7NE1qfsN-1GgspnKcvhMOKmbKDCf1_B3o-LwFVMqYbbtJxwghzKEd7hkuslxJGO2ovSQq69c32NpQN-VE/s640/IMG_5840_adj.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
Our last stop before leaving Rotorua was the <a href="http://www.caterpillarexperience.co.nz/" target="_blank">Caterpillar Experience. </a> Growing up near Peoria, Illinois and my father and grandfather having earned their living driving Caterpillar bulldozer, made me interested the this museum. Being a mother of a little machinery addict and the daughter and granddaughter of bulldozer operators of made it a MUST on our trip.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWUOsJulvBeZ7pMMXq1hJ-Wr2kRJLPSVH3hZQDzOmXkz7mT40vs6IGKMFE2slTR3b6vMyB0bkTBvAF9NdcabQsy4HliWnnH5aQxQOai94lAYAx4e6BSXq-u3uydovTTJJXVHeQcDhZaY/s1600/IMG_5882_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWUOsJulvBeZ7pMMXq1hJ-Wr2kRJLPSVH3hZQDzOmXkz7mT40vs6IGKMFE2slTR3b6vMyB0bkTBvAF9NdcabQsy4HliWnnH5aQxQOai94lAYAx4e6BSXq-u3uydovTTJJXVHeQcDhZaY/s640/IMG_5882_adj.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The museum was very well thought out and did a great job of presenting the history of New Zealand’s industrialization and the role Caterpillar equipment played in it. On display were some of the very early models built before Cat chose yellow as their signature color. Mining, road building and logging are key part of New Zealand’s history and heavy equipment made it all possible. My little gearhead was in heaven with all those machines. Several of which were open to kids to check out.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOaZgd1I5usnNUeB_ydYnDBFpsYzguYvFuk5jkcXrQ4dUxjs5pHPwJUCNbqthenEo88dsFKAaxhYXA2pYI8x1PXcr7EQFvkX_LQ5nTN9CC6fkVAedQhMlh9Q72fga6Edi72YeARGv4e2k/s1600/IMG_5896_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOaZgd1I5usnNUeB_ydYnDBFpsYzguYvFuk5jkcXrQ4dUxjs5pHPwJUCNbqthenEo88dsFKAaxhYXA2pYI8x1PXcr7EQFvkX_LQ5nTN9CC6fkVAedQhMlh9Q72fga6Edi72YeARGv4e2k/s640/IMG_5896_adj.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxjRhnSQii5CV_WNTHXC7ezZHyRUhA4UwRDgkXl9JVmxR5vGhx7WcwrZNikyoXat2-DZcHegw6z5diiEZ2GLO-mlaLqLJReEC3QB8yDfkRrv4xf-MyhzzKMybka1njAPQiSjAR1_s2Tk/s1600/IMG_5890_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxjRhnSQii5CV_WNTHXC7ezZHyRUhA4UwRDgkXl9JVmxR5vGhx7WcwrZNikyoXat2-DZcHegw6z5diiEZ2GLO-mlaLqLJReEC3QB8yDfkRrv4xf-MyhzzKMybka1njAPQiSjAR1_s2Tk/s640/IMG_5890_adj.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCmWnythejlbXAF_vqX09ySymvBPjUniaklumFMVaRsbmXOiJ_276RgzpEVwnNbKPXwjydBqjDbnjbMISfknBzq-6NoLJVTP3HYL1ooI3HcUj6s66y7CwDWmlUjaq0ujAzaRpBRxEGzI/s1600/IMG_5903_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCmWnythejlbXAF_vqX09ySymvBPjUniaklumFMVaRsbmXOiJ_276RgzpEVwnNbKPXwjydBqjDbnjbMISfknBzq-6NoLJVTP3HYL1ooI3HcUj6s66y7CwDWmlUjaq0ujAzaRpBRxEGzI/s640/IMG_5903_adj.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqDXs5xKm9Acy92x1E0dZtArlJCIBxFO3-h9j_PNWJb5VsNf_lVdIilsKXK3thrPcB0GaKXuvKuOMcIPF60c2YU9D3hV2kFFM_x9G8ZtJ3d0ZfPj3G7y1zshaqqAEjgVNY76qUDBxu0M/s1600/IMG_5905_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqDXs5xKm9Acy92x1E0dZtArlJCIBxFO3-h9j_PNWJb5VsNf_lVdIilsKXK3thrPcB0GaKXuvKuOMcIPF60c2YU9D3hV2kFFM_x9G8ZtJ3d0ZfPj3G7y1zshaqqAEjgVNY76qUDBxu0M/s640/IMG_5905_adj.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCsBKLofOi9HGbNCRs25jDSNf5jxb8yg8QcB1Y6afv5-1SQg0hpaJzUISefnjtdtWWoAlQtKBxRK5VE9_aap2aLcefLmQKF_deksKDD4zGWRVbRKiXDqueTYJyxe-3ht5yGAItjJqsVE/s1600/IMG_5907_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCsBKLofOi9HGbNCRs25jDSNf5jxb8yg8QcB1Y6afv5-1SQg0hpaJzUISefnjtdtWWoAlQtKBxRK5VE9_aap2aLcefLmQKF_deksKDD4zGWRVbRKiXDqueTYJyxe-3ht5yGAItjJqsVE/s640/IMG_5907_adj.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEE-Dx40cLrrxZfdm1hY22Z6F3bv-3FRSIYgy4so_ixkI985K7gUoQNzJNC1vTZdlbqVfc4-BHkk2N8-oH8V5_X9BKx1QSkhQtk8sZusimhh8guOxmpcmPPTRF6ddmc9LnF09HAbQzjyI/s1600/IMG_5912_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEE-Dx40cLrrxZfdm1hY22Z6F3bv-3FRSIYgy4so_ixkI985K7gUoQNzJNC1vTZdlbqVfc4-BHkk2N8-oH8V5_X9BKx1QSkhQtk8sZusimhh8guOxmpcmPPTRF6ddmc9LnF09HAbQzjyI/s640/IMG_5912_adj.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My favorite part was the footpath. The edges had been marked with bulldozer tracks. As I child, I occasionally got to visit my dad at work in the coal strip mines and I was always fascinated by the precision of the tracks pressed into the earth by those massive yellow machines.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
From Rotorua, we headed south east to the Hawkes Bay region enjoying the amazing scenery along the way.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2_xQYDlueP3dlXDJpT0mzOKMEgXWKZf-bhTCFjsEysdtQ05riBY4oztutZVzovaC9Ao_X3_LFSA4DRczYQWK2dD5Qhl6_FH-C3yAIpCw6NYJeCpO610_lkUWWvpEFtgDgjgjDslCMCM/s1600/IMG_5913_lr_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2_xQYDlueP3dlXDJpT0mzOKMEgXWKZf-bhTCFjsEysdtQ05riBY4oztutZVzovaC9Ao_X3_LFSA4DRczYQWK2dD5Qhl6_FH-C3yAIpCw6NYJeCpO610_lkUWWvpEFtgDgjgjDslCMCM/s640/IMG_5913_lr_adj.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZydqirdF24_YEt0xsYB55MD7Luyi2s6oHSQtbYJJhxmZZrkd5YkO9E-MUWg6nGM5GqvOPcPle5E2aQ7EhhyphenhyphenB8AjzUjy_AI5Ped3t0JFTkYNnolm2KoHOyfGP29KH2N-p9MlFU8B6ldg/s1600/IMG_5915_lr_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZydqirdF24_YEt0xsYB55MD7Luyi2s6oHSQtbYJJhxmZZrkd5YkO9E-MUWg6nGM5GqvOPcPle5E2aQ7EhhyphenhyphenB8AjzUjy_AI5Ped3t0JFTkYNnolm2KoHOyfGP29KH2N-p9MlFU8B6ldg/s640/IMG_5915_lr_adj.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those lines on the hills aren't terraces, they're paths worn by hooves!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3J-3KItNcZPAkXpPLma_gS_JnmzpYMl4VWsQBYw_oFSGAtC3AygweNa6EEFTe5SWR9u3JQ7Cxe6eAom7VEnFkHiE2Dj-bsyZwcVQjuMg8as1beZN8Tu1RYTajRRH3eDbKcxw7eKwPHKI/s1600/NZ-1-2+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3J-3KItNcZPAkXpPLma_gS_JnmzpYMl4VWsQBYw_oFSGAtC3AygweNa6EEFTe5SWR9u3JQ7Cxe6eAom7VEnFkHiE2Dj-bsyZwcVQjuMg8as1beZN8Tu1RYTajRRH3eDbKcxw7eKwPHKI/s640/NZ-1-2+-+Copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fencing contractor in New Zealand can be added to the list of things I definitely do NOT want to be when I grow up.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjap-hGSMKBO362m6uPJAY6-4qmjJ-1MUihiMzR-IE2rEfp52_lz0qIXJWAoVZqgQNShG8ieSgxY4lbk2w6bTPdyi35wisfg-bz13pNv92N5SeU3khSL4LDBF8v9HIe0AXSgnRW5V0Alfw/s1600/NZ-2-2+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjap-hGSMKBO362m6uPJAY6-4qmjJ-1MUihiMzR-IE2rEfp52_lz0qIXJWAoVZqgQNShG8ieSgxY4lbk2w6bTPdyi35wisfg-bz13pNv92N5SeU3khSL4LDBF8v9HIe0AXSgnRW5V0Alfw/s640/NZ-2-2+-+Copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything is SO green and lush here, especially compared the dessert of Central Australia.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipyLOkk1xXOkiN8bfx7UdUycLalMcjuNZpGjS-yfLVzDtvnOfpZ6971b87uw4Ln0kvaSwcarxZa8Te0uwO8E7lZE2F8GRPRBBU0yKvXSlYTgolIDJbmJ_ryrBC2wybh0GERUzILzCmz4U/s1600/NZ-5-2+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipyLOkk1xXOkiN8bfx7UdUycLalMcjuNZpGjS-yfLVzDtvnOfpZ6971b87uw4Ln0kvaSwcarxZa8Te0uwO8E7lZE2F8GRPRBBU0yKvXSlYTgolIDJbmJ_ryrBC2wybh0GERUzILzCmz4U/s640/NZ-5-2+-+Copy.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothing like a rest stop with a bit of scenery.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyphenhyphenx8blbtv_DjU8cxuth7ZO0So-IPIwop-vDQyQpCb9gy-OmFYoW0PpxpoGA9mUhN7ZPnVJn88Y42_DkSa5p2N2D_mhuFownDGflSr91x1GM-5CZ6_iJBNHavLTjVYq6rIK0T7EQuCdmI/s1600/NZ-3-2+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyphenhyphenx8blbtv_DjU8cxuth7ZO0So-IPIwop-vDQyQpCb9gy-OmFYoW0PpxpoGA9mUhN7ZPnVJn88Y42_DkSa5p2N2D_mhuFownDGflSr91x1GM-5CZ6_iJBNHavLTjVYq6rIK0T7EQuCdmI/s640/NZ-3-2+-+Copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dairy is one of the primary ag industries in NZ. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje6HwiXub-0Uo6DDLFbDX-9Xi08nvYQbN1ZXv-OdMOHtEpP_b4rj8j6oiItQvUQSyCNpgAJhb71Oyx3XQ9dLPLguFvMKp47YaGhD2xb6KXN9_7doIIWA-SI30TSn3GxjBIx3nvH44kly0/s1600/NZ-4-2+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje6HwiXub-0Uo6DDLFbDX-9Xi08nvYQbN1ZXv-OdMOHtEpP_b4rj8j6oiItQvUQSyCNpgAJhb71Oyx3XQ9dLPLguFvMKp47YaGhD2xb6KXN9_7doIIWA-SI30TSn3GxjBIx3nvH44kly0/s640/NZ-4-2+-+Copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mountains aren't much compared to the Rockies by I wouldn't want to pedal up them!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcnnzIhPez2aj_4xGr_71kNCYP3WHbkB0pA-wir5NPL50Q1k_305VDq_WAwmOKbtUmzNOqMxe56iAfN9g3h0EPTKTnjt7ZHctJ-4Y_8gwpiMGZj7GobUBTtqUE6_4ymj98hGn5zzSUiVE/s1600/NZ-7-2+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcnnzIhPez2aj_4xGr_71kNCYP3WHbkB0pA-wir5NPL50Q1k_305VDq_WAwmOKbtUmzNOqMxe56iAfN9g3h0EPTKTnjt7ZHctJ-4Y_8gwpiMGZj7GobUBTtqUE6_4ymj98hGn5zzSUiVE/s640/NZ-7-2+-+Copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Logging is big business here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMw1Eu6lu83JAbJby4o3L-_1Gg-wStnGiJ7-uAkIf8PwhrV1oM-zYXVGPBMV4D1ryOEi1Wav8c2afS1zmTVMw3H4myZMUywdokBkj__i-_iZ80GCYeXmsWTViiCp-QdSYzbxOz5ho5Ss/s1600/NZ-6-2+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMw1Eu6lu83JAbJby4o3L-_1Gg-wStnGiJ7-uAkIf8PwhrV1oM-zYXVGPBMV4D1ryOEi1Wav8c2afS1zmTVMw3H4myZMUywdokBkj__i-_iZ80GCYeXmsWTViiCp-QdSYzbxOz5ho5Ss/s640/NZ-6-2+-+Copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'd love to see how they plant that many trees in such straight up and over mountains.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On a beautiful but long drive we found our way to Hawkes Bay and arrived at the delightful<a href="http://www.lawncottages.co.nz/home.htm" target="_blank"> Lawn Cottages</a> at East Clive. I was instantly enchanted and wanted to stay forever and that was before I discovered the place was for sale.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGj_ES5v56rRZkRYf2OFPvtVgJu25DVqeP_MV1TEnJXY3WziNKYVLypP62J9UDREYJAPDRGtxZddmI0GCyXOchQ7KEE9E6jEnin8yhRbSuh-6k8ciyz1KAOoNPziVPRR8HZxXanLVQ_YE/s1600/IMG_6304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGj_ES5v56rRZkRYf2OFPvtVgJu25DVqeP_MV1TEnJXY3WziNKYVLypP62J9UDREYJAPDRGtxZddmI0GCyXOchQ7KEE9E6jEnin8yhRbSuh-6k8ciyz1KAOoNPziVPRR8HZxXanLVQ_YE/s640/IMG_6304.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
We stayed in the aptly named Hydrangea cottage.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMUrB7zZSS5rocoFFN7IhXJN-lR28RNRMEX6bq9pbBwhN6hX38r6TObKN_EOxcoYgvPO3gpFlclRfyA0bQXbhgOX8hv1Pj7IA7tb5UkwBrGup-Erc_nW4H1N5dgJ0DhU1ENPuerNfZybw/s1600/IMG_5932_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMUrB7zZSS5rocoFFN7IhXJN-lR28RNRMEX6bq9pbBwhN6hX38r6TObKN_EOxcoYgvPO3gpFlclRfyA0bQXbhgOX8hv1Pj7IA7tb5UkwBrGup-Erc_nW4H1N5dgJ0DhU1ENPuerNfZybw/s640/IMG_5932_adj.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtP6TJeJQzuzQsD7HS21GD-XvaQmPcd3bT7AmsPUuPM8iQ4K8xoCL7I2-KiMkVV6OvkfSCixdhDky1ivQNwzrTk4eQcDiGArcswbs-qgmDumY46JOXyJnSLaUn-FdjSYVRRBHhu6XS91o/s1600/NZ-23-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtP6TJeJQzuzQsD7HS21GD-XvaQmPcd3bT7AmsPUuPM8iQ4K8xoCL7I2-KiMkVV6OvkfSCixdhDky1ivQNwzrTk4eQcDiGArcswbs-qgmDumY46JOXyJnSLaUn-FdjSYVRRBHhu6XS91o/s640/NZ-23-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGXsoRDtqL2I36R9SuSvqPdkdbXkyQ8wX4wYOUsaQsbeY5uQYWSzfAy4Gq1qiciCLakAxvdUbuNp0uPhYepsLEHgxhJZimL1NfBpmv1kv0dNC7gfgyPJFQ8pQuNm_wmJpo7B2phmRdUTo/s1600/IMG_5922_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGXsoRDtqL2I36R9SuSvqPdkdbXkyQ8wX4wYOUsaQsbeY5uQYWSzfAy4Gq1qiciCLakAxvdUbuNp0uPhYepsLEHgxhJZimL1NfBpmv1kv0dNC7gfgyPJFQ8pQuNm_wmJpo7B2phmRdUTo/s640/IMG_5922_adj.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_RhA30zgMyNmf4lfr-N0J04VQfi9V-3LkMu72QIESwz_5-umtWbv_K11A70baGh5Xxyd381eIay4SPiP3P9E6HWkgMscLhW-uEkzJ787t340UKEdXlAl9Gtnt3XIiMIT6HWikn1JRcg/s1600/IMG_5921_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_RhA30zgMyNmf4lfr-N0J04VQfi9V-3LkMu72QIESwz_5-umtWbv_K11A70baGh5Xxyd381eIay4SPiP3P9E6HWkgMscLhW-uEkzJ787t340UKEdXlAl9Gtnt3XIiMIT6HWikn1JRcg/s640/IMG_5921_adj.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhutT6Q-FWcUKBaZG9mSg_-DeDagiS7tn6bf3cm1WhsuZqZFQj6IQ0viaI3C7_b87yP9jhh07i5WFyYTsjCfQo2vtsB6dYzxpv9Q9AUB-yAq6KzdNU_0yYVDz0HE08wBrUVSScRgsLs8h8/s1600/IMG_5923_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhutT6Q-FWcUKBaZG9mSg_-DeDagiS7tn6bf3cm1WhsuZqZFQj6IQ0viaI3C7_b87yP9jhh07i5WFyYTsjCfQo2vtsB6dYzxpv9Q9AUB-yAq6KzdNU_0yYVDz0HE08wBrUVSScRgsLs8h8/s640/IMG_5923_adj.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The cottage was lovely but the private patio iced the cake!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRksO-zn1A5jeXL_hML8Fbl2XzZGYDuVU-fECdj3pOrzNTdlH4tpUoJ_vnd7v_efjlvKv9xn5KlLV-RogdhFMBXvt3G4cdjYVWF_N1kw8y2Jr4Uk-5dQAr8m7eIZuA1txSL_umjoGYCJc/s1600/IMG_5925_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRksO-zn1A5jeXL_hML8Fbl2XzZGYDuVU-fECdj3pOrzNTdlH4tpUoJ_vnd7v_efjlvKv9xn5KlLV-RogdhFMBXvt3G4cdjYVWF_N1kw8y2Jr4Uk-5dQAr8m7eIZuA1txSL_umjoGYCJc/s640/IMG_5925_adj.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTuQMiSYygvR12Gyxtwr6fbfAv86iWZmzi8DVBmD-ucNhe1bqu0rZobP0DcSncd9PDiIz0bFD6UI_TNLMziR1WVCogJQICr69D49jKXx23yONCVAlBVjC_2PdVklo-aXIwskZKYCYVA0/s1600/NZ-13-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTuQMiSYygvR12Gyxtwr6fbfAv86iWZmzi8DVBmD-ucNhe1bqu0rZobP0DcSncd9PDiIz0bFD6UI_TNLMziR1WVCogJQICr69D49jKXx23yONCVAlBVjC_2PdVklo-aXIwskZKYCYVA0/s640/NZ-13-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Each cottage even has it's own tiki!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfeIny2x_Oee2isS4177NG589OUeamEF73DXXkn8jZud6KCG0qTrpTSYQsjDT_M_0fGaUqtXA5O60QsRyxwEuN40OLO0n0M-0an7bmTqy1sGOo9OEzw6vQP358mYvogjouHy5PS3DKBQY/s1600/IMG_5926_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfeIny2x_Oee2isS4177NG589OUeamEF73DXXkn8jZud6KCG0qTrpTSYQsjDT_M_0fGaUqtXA5O60QsRyxwEuN40OLO0n0M-0an7bmTqy1sGOo9OEzw6vQP358mYvogjouHy5PS3DKBQY/s640/IMG_5926_adj.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Along the way, we had run across a great little Italian deli and cheese shop and picked up a few supplies for dinner.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_L527LR8ra5JzXRkGRbXXOAJhGXO8V3u7lgiL8mmNtF3zo9xz43ydnPtB81Wk4uKhDvXb_1C3ODb8znKLBdiAoj59yS-PW6H6v5-Do1vwQZnVRV-YXXtnS7ckC9eyUhoMr_IdQGz85Ng/s1600/IMG_5943_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_L527LR8ra5JzXRkGRbXXOAJhGXO8V3u7lgiL8mmNtF3zo9xz43ydnPtB81Wk4uKhDvXb_1C3ODb8znKLBdiAoj59yS-PW6H6v5-Do1vwQZnVRV-YXXtnS7ckC9eyUhoMr_IdQGz85Ng/s640/IMG_5943_adj.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
After the grown-ups (that’s a reference to height and NOT mental capacity) partook in some sustenance, the garden exploring began in earnest.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB5yBtF97V9KLNvVbHhiCSxESbsHN4IvG_2ha4okcqlFKO2d6XgovoVk0U0JDI86I0604SuksbWoD3ay_dqt1_1TykLBtT76w1adNQo0e6Z8G3ndZmtg47LqKTi2yjio8pNmxzAaAb1C8/s1600/IMG_5953_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB5yBtF97V9KLNvVbHhiCSxESbsHN4IvG_2ha4okcqlFKO2d6XgovoVk0U0JDI86I0604SuksbWoD3ay_dqt1_1TykLBtT76w1adNQo0e6Z8G3ndZmtg47LqKTi2yjio8pNmxzAaAb1C8/s640/IMG_5953_adj.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTS_1asneeir43gIPOP1vwqUJYWLpSce1HbpDUZmG-xc4GVItcTZfMXYSlcawq_f-rBBEKWOmex-ItaDMRKk55YDO7NU5Zo4a8Yk2vYV-dIFeeRKaVqc4Jly71lVr9OZ6Rhe36xnHI86g/s1600/NZ-18-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTS_1asneeir43gIPOP1vwqUJYWLpSce1HbpDUZmG-xc4GVItcTZfMXYSlcawq_f-rBBEKWOmex-ItaDMRKk55YDO7NU5Zo4a8Yk2vYV-dIFeeRKaVqc4Jly71lVr9OZ6Rhe36xnHI86g/s640/NZ-18-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSx-KFTbX-_PbqlHrCruS878yYISNeFr8VHaQjLDYZMGzq3s51Q7fXvo2nlXqQPmkp12vxsGkqe4m9Ni-PePi4fUiZemp1Pfy3Px_uYBZ2gxUDGcpWGPnOWO7vMzuPSNivzROOzyUAN7M/s1600/IMG_5970_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSx-KFTbX-_PbqlHrCruS878yYISNeFr8VHaQjLDYZMGzq3s51Q7fXvo2nlXqQPmkp12vxsGkqe4m9Ni-PePi4fUiZemp1Pfy3Px_uYBZ2gxUDGcpWGPnOWO7vMzuPSNivzROOzyUAN7M/s640/IMG_5970_adj.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The agapanthus there was amazing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLPapCc11iu4awFSKqafaIN-Q83nmlNDQpL8m3tOgYqcudt_Hxs2dyc7am0EJRIMeOypZDjKQUjdF6D1GS-LMOSPrVNWcC3RhXu-f0smv4_rA4Sob3nzxFgHBPaB8VnKrnBi2cRtNk3N4/s1600/IMG_5965_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLPapCc11iu4awFSKqafaIN-Q83nmlNDQpL8m3tOgYqcudt_Hxs2dyc7am0EJRIMeOypZDjKQUjdF6D1GS-LMOSPrVNWcC3RhXu-f0smv4_rA4Sob3nzxFgHBPaB8VnKrnBi2cRtNk3N4/s640/IMG_5965_adj.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<br />
There were plenty of paths and hiding spots designed with the vertically challenged in mind.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-45147116605040000572013-02-19T02:17:00.003+00:002013-02-19T03:29:33.342+00:00New Zealand <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Since lots of people have asked to see pictures from New Zealand, I’m going to do a series of posts that log our trip in photos. Some will be great pictures, some will be blurry and some will be just plain weird. Since that sort of sums up my life, you'll just have to wade on through.<br />
<br />
We visited the north island of New Zealand flying in and out of Auckland. We arrived in Auckland at 11 pm and spent the night at a hotel near the airport, then headed off the next day to explore an island that is approximately the same size as the US state of Pennsylvania. There are only 3.3 million people on the island and over 1 million of them live in the city of Auckland.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5Xhl_34K22KxeOOH8RRtuQWb8KAeScgZ946ySOe1rWWTe7wV0si7qUaRFR9hxzXRwOvHF2DwjjqCIjAg41hFojnsHXzHeEwz5s_iwi60e_SrkndpVv0Vur8xWG2sTrjEwLTRhdWeaH0/s1600/NZ+MAP_post1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5Xhl_34K22KxeOOH8RRtuQWb8KAeScgZ946ySOe1rWWTe7wV0si7qUaRFR9hxzXRwOvHF2DwjjqCIjAg41hFojnsHXzHeEwz5s_iwi60e_SrkndpVv0Vur8xWG2sTrjEwLTRhdWeaH0/s320/NZ+MAP_post1.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<br />
We headed south east out of the city to our first destination of Rotorua. The focal point of the region are the thermal springs and our plans was to get to the hotel in time to visit some of the springs and maybe even soak in there waters. That plan went awry when Dave and Paula failed a parenting pop quiz on the topic of…….car sickness. (You can be thankful that I didn't photograph this episode)<br />
<br />
In our defence, the little guy traversed a few thousand miles last year in the back seat of our car on the trip to Darwin without so much as a burp, so the concept of car sickness wasn’t even a blip on the radar. In retrospect, the drive to Darwin involves a 1000 mile chunk of highway that has nary a hill or curve, certainly no 17% grades and switchbacks. <br />
<br />
The Russian was not happy about getting out of bed that morning and even less impressed about eating breakfast at the hotel before we hit the road. We finally cajoled him into eating a couple of greasy sausages and a glass of milk. We then proceeded to drive for several hours through winding mountain roads without stopping. We did eventually stop at a road-side fruit stand in a pretty little town. Dennis had been sleeping and didn’t want to get out of the car and we didn’t make him. I suggested to Dave that we stop there and take a stroll through the picturesque little town. His preferred to press on since we were only an hour from our destination of the day and I didn’t feel like arguing (I know - that doesn’t happen often). We set off again. About a 30 minute later, Dennis said he was hungry, so I gave him a granola and encouraged him to drink some water. A few minutes later, I looked back and he was white as a sheet and sweating. I told Dave that we needed to find a place to stop and within seconds I got the granola bar and sausages back…… <br />
<br />
Dave got the car stopped and we all piled out but not before the seat belt, the booster seat and our child were coated in our stupidity. It took about a half hour to get everything as clean as 3 water bottles, some paper towels and a package of wet wipes can make it. (Oh how I wish I had purchased the scented variety). We drove rest of the way to our hotel with the windows down.<br />
<br />
<br />
We checked into the hotel. I started a load of laundry; we tossed the kid in the pool and ordered drinks from the bar to be delivered pool side.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjI9xChNo7U44WkekTWJd7bI6C6lve9DD9D6yLWrt9XfoFMqCCV95Z7fkWvgS0O4Ap1Z704AVbQF7AbFoHXnO7TaDMD9ZY_MHG_fNsLNOvbN7Vku6xeAP35_PvQXF8cA_2JFWzj4IuIVk/s1600/IMG_5663_adj-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjI9xChNo7U44WkekTWJd7bI6C6lve9DD9D6yLWrt9XfoFMqCCV95Z7fkWvgS0O4Ap1Z704AVbQF7AbFoHXnO7TaDMD9ZY_MHG_fNsLNOvbN7Vku6xeAP35_PvQXF8cA_2JFWzj4IuIVk/s640/IMG_5663_adj-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Later we ventured out and checked out the government gardens. It was a perfect end of day activity with lovely gardens and lots of open space for short people to run amok.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5A6TtkIWyZwQqW2hEdtPE840ZyrfjBR7e7G37pQ2GfBIFQ3P_pzDS0xn8jnDy31KIrtrQmllImJAYpgxIRhowRXcgeyqqEsNgIev5bIzg0TEAeXuI_-J8NN03Dgy7TOZZoxCa7cq1XM/s1600/IMG_5684-Edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5A6TtkIWyZwQqW2hEdtPE840ZyrfjBR7e7G37pQ2GfBIFQ3P_pzDS0xn8jnDy31KIrtrQmllImJAYpgxIRhowRXcgeyqqEsNgIev5bIzg0TEAeXuI_-J8NN03Dgy7TOZZoxCa7cq1XM/s640/IMG_5684-Edit.JPG" width="425" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGGm_GHcJgMICqBOQfc_cr41jqq1JQDwK1M9HTUzOjQsvGJI_IUSK5FE_Q3bmVZ_poCPdj7iwuImzKbrn-nY6zrNt46ZUI_PlmcrdXlkiB65clhwNKBxmiU7VV1uPGY7ItYDEoXwWf2I/s1600/IMG_5693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGGm_GHcJgMICqBOQfc_cr41jqq1JQDwK1M9HTUzOjQsvGJI_IUSK5FE_Q3bmVZ_poCPdj7iwuImzKbrn-nY6zrNt46ZUI_PlmcrdXlkiB65clhwNKBxmiU7VV1uPGY7ItYDEoXwWf2I/s640/IMG_5693.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2YenoimJnkdJ7CcwXK703Tg3nPUtAdYezTLzae18l9wFSdQVGDAkv_xtfTcimLNig_ebYu14QhyxamV7mz66hO8je4TKHNWnc4CfGIZKn32L6hAMAKiNV72vJ1B38lGEu9597A9pfJ4/s1600/IMG_5701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2YenoimJnkdJ7CcwXK703Tg3nPUtAdYezTLzae18l9wFSdQVGDAkv_xtfTcimLNig_ebYu14QhyxamV7mz66hO8je4TKHNWnc4CfGIZKn32L6hAMAKiNV72vJ1B38lGEu9597A9pfJ4/s640/IMG_5701.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW4xC3fykHKKg5ZyWIEiX4KFJJ9TiYk8a9eeY-4lKR-Sf45MZesjMyHAqGXLeQ694Vo9nW9jPCXBYMZ40ttal1NH-jxRhyphenhyphenbbO6UFG_LNgxDKMgBJTsf7FdSQpiq6AP3lPFi0qfDYrKSIc/s1600/IMG_5680_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW4xC3fykHKKg5ZyWIEiX4KFJJ9TiYk8a9eeY-4lKR-Sf45MZesjMyHAqGXLeQ694Vo9nW9jPCXBYMZ40ttal1NH-jxRhyphenhyphenbbO6UFG_LNgxDKMgBJTsf7FdSQpiq6AP3lPFi0qfDYrKSIc/s640/IMG_5680_adj.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxzYxVrIshgltATdd047EkTEahd-DeNvx7BL1g3IA4IjhAn31Yk6saxB3mtqyuR-UvGnwELwWrazQLSqK78pjzqdqOttFUaPZXkroCzTjP5bRrbhvQNfb3Jj4leN153kqVxpwhY2vybk/s1600/IMG_5702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxzYxVrIshgltATdd047EkTEahd-DeNvx7BL1g3IA4IjhAn31Yk6saxB3mtqyuR-UvGnwELwWrazQLSqK78pjzqdqOttFUaPZXkroCzTjP5bRrbhvQNfb3Jj4leN153kqVxpwhY2vybk/s640/IMG_5702.JPG" width="425" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3nfaELqDA4E8_8R3_jqXbVaT8IcoaUOYsVYpaOFLmF7wqJTELuvHRyC9mC-25j8ncWJX4FlzhMYKMjDX99t4t8fk7NQ_r5xGopdEYY8dmwdGZRyDR-OWxmFDd-X0UMWytp1pfJah1Klw/s1600/IMG_5715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3nfaELqDA4E8_8R3_jqXbVaT8IcoaUOYsVYpaOFLmF7wqJTELuvHRyC9mC-25j8ncWJX4FlzhMYKMjDX99t4t8fk7NQ_r5xGopdEYY8dmwdGZRyDR-OWxmFDd-X0UMWytp1pfJah1Klw/s640/IMG_5715.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqUZl2T5KwMl7Nyg4kUko2uxjThl_KVAOhF61E7er2W4DPenefTiIr85F4PDIXyZSTceHw1t1eD8FmkSFfzPJ9dQILqvSAZGnmvCdux1m1HK_i44TVfxBTjhKvh6Nk-szSiprhvERokRc/s1600/IMG_5705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqUZl2T5KwMl7Nyg4kUko2uxjThl_KVAOhF61E7er2W4DPenefTiIr85F4PDIXyZSTceHw1t1eD8FmkSFfzPJ9dQILqvSAZGnmvCdux1m1HK_i44TVfxBTjhKvh6Nk-szSiprhvERokRc/s640/IMG_5705.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-A6bsWasFbp-17ftjF8ZhSGa7_2-kZEOzYDuTC3jNQAqR9VRSsgDFC5LGZY-Sx_YNC2jAM8rcz9sY9zIbrcFWlbH05w6CFlbIQ0suuJUS-guR-Sr74cjbTruJJ00iVqAWpSeiLENmFR4/s1600/IMG_5721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-A6bsWasFbp-17ftjF8ZhSGa7_2-kZEOzYDuTC3jNQAqR9VRSsgDFC5LGZY-Sx_YNC2jAM8rcz9sY9zIbrcFWlbH05w6CFlbIQ0suuJUS-guR-Sr74cjbTruJJ00iVqAWpSeiLENmFR4/s640/IMG_5721.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ZvulF54Of9IOHRJVulEa3McjHkURiHQzuduXrIhaPIe-_XCdl05N3makhdWshgyA6j1A7S4zKBsTHZHvsk8JteI2z4osl4NqNWjIyafGFqU6ytC-W9j99QZgD_qBzUSzZJ3fogxFjNE/s1600/IMG_5799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ZvulF54Of9IOHRJVulEa3McjHkURiHQzuduXrIhaPIe-_XCdl05N3makhdWshgyA6j1A7S4zKBsTHZHvsk8JteI2z4osl4NqNWjIyafGFqU6ytC-W9j99QZgD_qBzUSzZJ3fogxFjNE/s640/IMG_5799.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9XGQhdRBduTh7jimGlo64VrkunXE_qlJDo9FFDO9e8zzWWS_1Eqghyphenhyphen7Rm8JBLR96lshLpJyxJ5BkuXH3balk0MGyfL-AFfSLPLUA08YoWIq16UIJ9jrbpJ1ipesU9L4Ctk-5GeD03xX4/s1600/IMG_5780_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9XGQhdRBduTh7jimGlo64VrkunXE_qlJDo9FFDO9e8zzWWS_1Eqghyphenhyphen7Rm8JBLR96lshLpJyxJ5BkuXH3balk0MGyfL-AFfSLPLUA08YoWIq16UIJ9jrbpJ1ipesU9L4Ctk-5GeD03xX4/s640/IMG_5780_adj.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-2115877678274420362013-01-10T05:57:00.001+00:002013-01-10T05:57:23.558+00:00Another First Ticked Off The List <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
We leave on vacation tomorrow and I’ve been busy this week prepping, cleaning, sorting and packing. Yesterday Dennis got a haircut and because it hadn’t been lying quite right, I had the barber set the clippers to 3 and go to town. Today we just came home from visit #2 to the barbershop. <br />
<br />
When he and I sat down to eat lunch I noticed a big weird notch cut into the front of his already short hair. I kept thinking how did I not notice that yesterday???? SO off to the barber shop we went. I wasn’t upset with the barber because Dennis is a little boy with short hair and I wasn’t completely convinced that she was the culprit. When we came in the door, I told her we just needed a quick touch up and when Dennis hopped up in the chair, the looked at his hair and said, “If I’d done this it would have been better camouflaged.” I assured her that she wasn’t the primary suspect. While she was trying to blend in the notch into the inch long hair, the barber quizzed him about any creative cutting he may have been involved in or subject too. All she got was the every cheeky smile and "I don't know" response.<br />
<br />
On the way home I continued the interrogation in a happy cheerful manner and halfway home he fessed up to trimming his own hair. We then discussed barber SCHOOL and that mommy and barbers (especially those who hand out candy) don’t like it when little boys cut their own hair.<br />
<br />
The upside is that it won't be in his eyes any time soon and we had the family photo taken last weekend!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxq1ynvlxa0F_XUCi5FcDlyfcNtIvbYA1PAtBLzFC-0Qy9jwnNHunlSHWa1Rwyf4io9rM5534n2XSLRehWCY0FnIy3w2nJDLuahetEoLoBa5PYuiz4TW8-4KFcpiEw67dVLrmpzE7VPmA/s1600/IMG_5643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxq1ynvlxa0F_XUCi5FcDlyfcNtIvbYA1PAtBLzFC-0Qy9jwnNHunlSHWa1Rwyf4io9rM5534n2XSLRehWCY0FnIy3w2nJDLuahetEoLoBa5PYuiz4TW8-4KFcpiEw67dVLrmpzE7VPmA/s320/IMG_5643.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-57467565946630553142012-12-23T12:49:00.001+00:002012-12-23T12:49:44.419+00:00Kids and Meat Saws<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Dave and Dennis stopped at our local butcher shop today to pick up a couple of things for our Christmas Eve dinner. Dave got rather stressed when he lost the kid in a VERY crowded butcher shop. Apparently, I had not bothered to tell Dave of our son’s fascination with the meat saw. The butchers and I know that the second the saw starts spinning, Dennis flies around to the end of the counter to lean on the gate and watch the bone saw in action and he will stay until the works all done. If only Dave had yelled “Where’s Dennis?” any of the people behind the counter would have given him a silly look and pointed to the end of the counter, because we all know where he’d be if there’s meat being cut. <br />
<br />
It’s all just one more reason that all our meat and cheese comes from Milner Meats, great service, good food and free kid entertainment.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-91219199586164413362012-12-10T06:28:00.000+00:002012-12-11T00:07:49.243+00:00Christmas in the Outback<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Even after five years here, the holiday season still leaves me feeling out of kilter. I’m content to live without snow but I’ve never managed to get my head wrapped around Christmas trees, Santa Claus and cookie baking in the sweltering heat. But alas this is my life and Christmas tank tops must be embraced.<br />
<br />
In the past week our calendar was full of holiday activities, such as the preschool Christmas pool party. Dennis’school has big in-ground wading pool and they make a giant slippery slide and they play in the water all day while singing Christmas songs. Saturday morning was a pancake breakfast with Santa. Dave got called into work that morning and had to use the car, so Dennis and I just rode our bikes over to see Santa.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFo63Uk3oeEnKFi6Lw0E04WiyWx5u0fY6KsF0QvDjG2Fl7zYDzEp73RbomXfVMUKn5M1YZKQ4NGlhoQaokplEpTIe-kAVatFWiSn_nJjXT6_mcYWTSzfj_wRg5C3CobR8yiqzZHP0cP-U/s1600/LR_IMG_5435_ADJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFo63Uk3oeEnKFi6Lw0E04WiyWx5u0fY6KsF0QvDjG2Fl7zYDzEp73RbomXfVMUKn5M1YZKQ4NGlhoQaokplEpTIe-kAVatFWiSn_nJjXT6_mcYWTSzfj_wRg5C3CobR8yiqzZHP0cP-U/s400/LR_IMG_5435_ADJ.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm OK with no snow but playing on the monkey bars while waiting to chat with Santa seems seems SO weird.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGReIACwoiFY-gfrMHx8A96DAShg3Vo1Hhouu-sEQGSl06g27JblcrsZ9wKqo1MPlQQ-2kXsWBNLWx3vWj3s6HDS9I2GtnZeGNgx1oqPcI29xiW4WqF2HS9oVCG5jk_ckYSxRwHtIEsSk/s1600/LR_IMG_5437_ADJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGReIACwoiFY-gfrMHx8A96DAShg3Vo1Hhouu-sEQGSl06g27JblcrsZ9wKqo1MPlQQ-2kXsWBNLWx3vWj3s6HDS9I2GtnZeGNgx1oqPcI29xiW4WqF2HS9oVCG5jk_ckYSxRwHtIEsSk/s400/LR_IMG_5437_ADJ.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhpXFgmR0SW2jwbKAc9tvKUKw5yOwhJO4hJLOjvX2hZvYQte2S174e5JbIWMCNzxfi5WFLrRMSwLlHw5hfdE5cQgfuxB4onBuM0qZne9ETq1JZXgbYbEw373v_YgkSmLNalC4VhKevNo/s1600/LR_IMG_5449_ADJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhpXFgmR0SW2jwbKAc9tvKUKw5yOwhJO4hJLOjvX2hZvYQte2S174e5JbIWMCNzxfi5WFLrRMSwLlHw5hfdE5cQgfuxB4onBuM0qZne9ETq1JZXgbYbEw373v_YgkSmLNalC4VhKevNo/s640/LR_IMG_5449_ADJ.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothing like some grapefruit tossing to kill the time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On the way back we took a short cut through the sports fields and stopped to watch a couple innings of little league baseball and a bit of cricket. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tkXF6OEng7ZW6kA7gS0hKG1jwmrByUubCovXh1X_IPXhgCY-TpUTLilNqUJwxDACAahGbOPvec5orSEKuD7cJrQt-jEMjb6uNNw3LPVN9QFIP3qb5VYsRu-WOeiXWPxJoFPtYhjdCZg/s1600/LR_IMG_5467_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tkXF6OEng7ZW6kA7gS0hKG1jwmrByUubCovXh1X_IPXhgCY-TpUTLilNqUJwxDACAahGbOPvec5orSEKuD7cJrQt-jEMjb6uNNw3LPVN9QFIP3qb5VYsRu-WOeiXWPxJoFPtYhjdCZg/s400/LR_IMG_5467_adj.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhpjTi0QD5Lu_x-mH_cC1YSUFHXgPcmBsdOA27f08vn0IAgEhmpbjr-Xmxd0SEFyTy6_dNkEM2HYJNhMNEaEP4EAOaYSEB5a3qkYdcVz8BA0Fk3tDwcQiBk9NU2ujtpI_wyzX1cEjAZU/s1600/LR_IMG_5457_ADJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhpjTi0QD5Lu_x-mH_cC1YSUFHXgPcmBsdOA27f08vn0IAgEhmpbjr-Xmxd0SEFyTy6_dNkEM2HYJNhMNEaEP4EAOaYSEB5a3qkYdcVz8BA0Fk3tDwcQiBk9NU2ujtpI_wyzX1cEjAZU/s400/LR_IMG_5457_ADJ.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We headed home when I was feeling over heated and I noticed that the Russian was getting sun burnt. I had forgotten to apply sun screen to my kid before taking him to see Santa – go figure. </div>
<br />
The mercury continued to climb to a whopping 107F and Dave was still stuck a work, so my sidekick and I commenced on a board game marathon. About an hour into chutes and ladders, Hi Ho Cherryo and Thomas the Train game, my brain was going numb so I decided margaritas might make keep me more amused. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEyXBM1RuG5j7P1OLwnYC6GDsfhkGlXQywBDEgvUsjF-O0NgTngH4VaDeKz99a-MwDMOIzrL7j-hXQbdFsDyws7QKZqiT3MCtd8ZiMLrN5odesIwuQZLmKazAW3jsaTGTgX0xP7Wn-Aeg/s1600/IMG_5616_LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEyXBM1RuG5j7P1OLwnYC6GDsfhkGlXQywBDEgvUsjF-O0NgTngH4VaDeKz99a-MwDMOIzrL7j-hXQbdFsDyws7QKZqiT3MCtd8ZiMLrN5odesIwuQZLmKazAW3jsaTGTgX0xP7Wn-Aeg/s320/IMG_5616_LR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
A few shots of Patron did wonders for my enthusiasm and when Dave eventually game home, he found me doing a victory dance after a hard fought round of Dora the Explorer version of Chutes and Ladders. We all went to bed early that night.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-nln2ytZxW9-ozgiitOnKPO8fdFy79Gturb421GjbfS7hsPdlaVrpDLHlYEwkni3MecnQUROzpNOKR7bnws35Ggq5SsxdELaJnMVjSp1e7gzSL0N9Hj5iYdkrcgeVxisRU1qXlIY400/s1600/LR_IMG_5617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-nln2ytZxW9-ozgiitOnKPO8fdFy79Gturb421GjbfS7hsPdlaVrpDLHlYEwkni3MecnQUROzpNOKR7bnws35Ggq5SsxdELaJnMVjSp1e7gzSL0N9Hj5iYdkrcgeVxisRU1qXlIY400/s400/LR_IMG_5617.jpg" width="400" /></a>Sunday was a very special day in the Alice Springs Christmas season. That morning, volunteers with the APEX organization drove up and down every street in town honking the horn handing out icy pole (aka – popsicles) to anyone that wanted one. We stopped breakfast and ran outside in our PJs to get an icy treat from Santa’s helpers. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZ97XnyigDkK43g6oFn-2Cntb0EkpVlwJUOdDVI8Nmsrcp7Ujsnao_gSzitNNrrcB5_81GoqfhBDfQWtWPR-2-i8SbzY-fMWGnLOg1u-X-MfFiArm77kTcmI40-k7ZrR_Kz85S_kLvXo/s1600/IMG_5621_LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZ97XnyigDkK43g6oFn-2Cntb0EkpVlwJUOdDVI8Nmsrcp7Ujsnao_gSzitNNrrcB5_81GoqfhBDfQWtWPR-2-i8SbzY-fMWGnLOg1u-X-MfFiArm77kTcmI40-k7ZrR_Kz85S_kLvXo/s640/IMG_5621_LR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Once a year it seems perfectly acceptable to have an icy pole along with your Cheerios!<br />
<br />
That night was the town Christmas carol concert held at ANZAC Oval (Oval is an Australian term for football field). We had a fortuitous break in the weather and the high at day was only in the mid-nineties with a perfect breeze, so it cooled off beautifully. Close to 1000 people turned up with their chairs and picnics to enjoy the evening. The show kicked off with a few carols being accompanied by a didgeridoo, which is something you just don’t often see - or hear. Here is a short sample, it's not great quality video but you can hear the didgeridoo playing along for the Little Drummer Boy.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxIHSoVQEWq8wlugxrOo2qF5e5IpnglWcjxNePRkHjj2v9CvSLfe2Iq71SRlaOpRmsmluc8mxGdSPj9In-c7A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
As expected, Santa made an appearance but the highlight of the evening was when the three wise men worked their way to the stage while riding camels. The camels were even decked out with Christmas lights! I don’t have pictures of that but it was VERY cool.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9nAABOhOq-lFcCtaDg3UynABVyH12f1BX8AW8H30BXwJ8RLN8stYRJLax-XW3H7orxymYn06oRuVJCb9WoFdDsGBJxQqFrk9gVe19PUJLukf_Iz-q6i3QqchWN0VuU3Z_Cq5ux2Lzl8/s1600/IMG_5622_lr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9nAABOhOq-lFcCtaDg3UynABVyH12f1BX8AW8H30BXwJ8RLN8stYRJLax-XW3H7orxymYn06oRuVJCb9WoFdDsGBJxQqFrk9gVe19PUJLukf_Iz-q6i3QqchWN0VuU3Z_Cq5ux2Lzl8/s400/IMG_5622_lr.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The camels were there to give the wise men a lift but they were offering rides to the kids before the show.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The evening finished off with an amazing fireworks display. It was a great evening with friends but Hawaiian shirts and banana pineapple ice cream just doesn’t quite ignite the Christmas spirit, but I keep working on that, because I NEVER have to shovel snow here.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6wGS4BaCvHyPUvo-tOvK4TgaXiGrpsKprGHWgUv816rRi7mEgG9tbmYjM-HUIDZTGx2yqfF0kCasyqw10fQ2npoiuf5I9reFJhUGcB55kkbEuSoRNjbMef7Rc1cqdcPK6DsGnkPkcc34/s1600/IMG_5624_lr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6wGS4BaCvHyPUvo-tOvK4TgaXiGrpsKprGHWgUv816rRi7mEgG9tbmYjM-HUIDZTGx2yqfF0kCasyqw10fQ2npoiuf5I9reFJhUGcB55kkbEuSoRNjbMef7Rc1cqdcPK6DsGnkPkcc34/s400/IMG_5624_lr.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-28159225426751718022012-10-24T02:49:00.001+00:002012-10-24T02:49:14.213+00:00Oh My - this is VERY GOOD<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Yesterday was our 6th wedding anniversary and to celebrate I whipped up a gourmet dinner and the dessert was a real show stopper. Due to the alcohol content you might want to follow our lead and serve dessert after the short people are tucked into bed or not .......<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Pavlova with Mango Mojito Sauce </b><br />
from November 2012 Delicious magazine<br />
<br />
4 egg whites<br />
250 g caster (extra fine) sugar<br />
2 tsp cornflour (corn starch)<br />
1 tsp white wine vinegar<br />
300 ml of thickened (whipping) cream, lightly whipped<br />
<br />
<b>Mango Mojito Sauce</b><br />
2 large mangos chopped, plus more mango to serve<br />
¼ C white rum<br />
1 Tbs lime juice<br />
1 Tbs chopped mint, plus extra to serve<br />
1/3 cup caster (extra fine) sugar<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 140°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.<br />
<br />
Place egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl and set over sauce pan of gently simmering water (don’t let bowl touch water). Whisk constantly for 6 to 8 minutes until sugar is dissolved and mixture is thick. Transfer to an electric mixer and beat (or whisk) until mixture is cool, stiff and glossy. Fold in corn flour and vinegar.<br />
<br />
Place 6 dollops of meringue on lined baking tray, making shallow indents on the top of each with the back of a spoon. Bake 1 hour, then turn off oven and allow pavlovas to cool completely in the oven with door slightly ajar.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, for mojito sauce, whiz all the ingredients together in a food processor until smooth.<br />
<br />
To serve top the pavlovas with whipped cream, garnish with extra mango slices and mint drizzle with mango sauce. After checking to make sure no one is watching, lick the sauce bowl clean. It’s REALLY good stuff.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-29615771364337004582012-10-17T23:07:00.000+00:002012-10-17T23:07:18.810+00:00The Masked Crusader at Preschool<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Today was dress up day at preschool. As batman and I drove to school, we had the following exchange:<br />
<br />
Me: “Are you going to fight crime today?”<br />
Batman: “YES!”<br />
<br />
Me: Are you going to catch the bad guys?”<br />
Batman: “Yes!”<br />
<br />
Me: “Are you going to stop playing and get to the toilet before you pee in your pants?” <br />
Batman: “Maybe”<br />
<br />
I think we need to review the super hero handbook – again.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-47441427948482721042012-10-11T07:42:00.003+00:002012-10-11T07:42:54.078+00:00The Masters are Coming Town <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Every two years there is a phenomenon that occurs in Alice Springs called the Masters Games. Nick named the friendly games; this multi-sport competition attracts THOUSANDS of athletes from around town and across the country to compete in the following list of sports:<br />
<br />
Archery<br />
Athletics - Road & Cross Country<br />
Athletics - Track & Field<br />
Badminton<br />
Baseball<br />
Basketball<br />
BMX<br />
Cricket<br />
Cycling<br />
Darts<br />
Eightball<br />
Equestrian<br />
Football (Soccer)<br />
Golf<br />
Field Hockey<br />
Indoor Beach Volleyball<br />
Lawn Bowls<br />
Masters Mile<br />
Motorcycling<br />
Mountain Biking<br />
Netball<br />
Shooting - Clay Target<br />
Shooting - Pistol<br />
Shooting - Sporting Shooters<br />
Softball<br />
Squash<br />
Swimming<br />
Table Tennis<br />
Tennis<br />
Tenpin Bowling<br />
Touch Football<br />
Triathlon & Duathlon<br />
Volleyball<br />
<br />
The entire town gets swept up in the spirit of the games. Every hotel room is sold out, camp grounds are bulging, restaurants are jammed and essential items will be sold out from every stores in town. I was in the store today and noticed this end cap near the checkout that was obviously directed toward competitors. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7mNCgIAUtSCeViQjTCMdJigr7RKclBMDnnEYD-3hwiKurSL8D7kGmPgCj4Cn3HcTVcbenvgfcjtavpNUZmylomIXN4hQTKnM_HOJeGkvBIUEoDJa_nKsLgsvILkEDU7lQoZU4bh0ocY/s1600/IMG_5528_LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7mNCgIAUtSCeViQjTCMdJigr7RKclBMDnnEYD-3hwiKurSL8D7kGmPgCj4Cn3HcTVcbenvgfcjtavpNUZmylomIXN4hQTKnM_HOJeGkvBIUEoDJa_nKsLgsvILkEDU7lQoZU4bh0ocY/s640/IMG_5528_LR.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">The featured items are: condoms, ibuprofen, hangover cure, band aids, sunscreen, Deep Heat muscle soother, knee, ankle and wrist supports, cold packs and insect repellents. Everything you need for a week of sports and.........celebrations.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Local legend has it that the first item on the list is general sold out throughout the town by the end of the week and contestants have drank the town out of beer on more than one occasion. Looks like the correlation between the consumption and the use of those to items holds true regardless of the age of the participants.<br />
<br />
The minimum age for competitors is 35 for most sports, with some as low as 25. The great part of the games is that it’s not uncommon to encounter competitors that are 60, 70 and beyond. Team sports are played without taking age into consideration, but most individual sports have age brackets. While cruising the games website, I noticed the top age bracket for archery was 76 and above. Although medals are awarded and even coveted, the spirit of these is the camaraderie and fun had by one and all.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm hoping that the Russian and I can take in a few events and I'll hopefully have some pictures to share.</div>
</div>
Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-39309521434311702662012-10-02T01:01:00.003+00:002012-10-02T01:01:54.921+00:00They Just Come That Way <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
The Russian loves to look at photos on Facebook when I'm on line We saw a post that contained a photo of a tractor and had to discuss it at length. I explained that the person in question was a farmer and the exchange went like this:<br />
<br />
Dennis: He real farmer or pretend farmer like me<br />
Me: He is a real farmer.<br />
Dennis: Wow! Him have cows AND tractor?<br />
Me: Yes, he does.<br />
Dennis: Him have BIG tractor?<br />
Me: Yes, there’s the picture. It’s a BIG tractor.<br />
Dennis: I pretend mines bigger.<br />
<br />
What is it about men?<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-62335443794751266082012-09-30T01:14:00.002+00:002012-09-30T02:39:32.029+00:00The Russian Turns Five <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
If you've ever wondered what happens when a bored over achiever with no sense of self-preservation plans a kid’s birthday, you should have been at our house for Dennis’ 5th birthday party.<br />
<br />
Like so many of my endeavours it started with the simple concept. I needed to make a birthday cake. Of course, if you’re making a birthday cake you might as well invite a few people over to sing, share in the calories and celebrate the kid’s birthday. Last year’s party only had a couple of kids which were quite a bit younger then Dennis. Now that he’s in preschool and has friends, I decided to invite a few of them; so 2 little girls and 2 little boys were invited. Since we know most of their families, we invited the parents and any siblings to come along; plus our close personal friends that are part of Dennis' life.<br />
<br />
I got busy dreaming up cake ideas and finally decided to go with pirates since he often spends an entire day in a pirate suit and knows that swords must be checked at the door of the dining room. He’s still a little miffed that the wild parrots in our yard won’t sit on his shoulder but that’s a whole other story. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIiVM30VY7VqrhbLhuKYkZyoKPw5O6Qa7SBBD7Y907t6Dss8Dx4JL197RPhzhCMUYFJAmXmHFWZEfvUypyBqm2rPUQ5OePXRFKUqQz08WkSL0k3kP57DLxMQXS902S-GMeyOiYKUu8sZU/s1600/LR_IMG_5483.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIiVM30VY7VqrhbLhuKYkZyoKPw5O6Qa7SBBD7Y907t6Dss8Dx4JL197RPhzhCMUYFJAmXmHFWZEfvUypyBqm2rPUQ5OePXRFKUqQz08WkSL0k3kP57DLxMQXS902S-GMeyOiYKUu8sZU/s320/LR_IMG_5483.jpg" width="320" /></a>Since I have way too much time on my hands, I decided to make a few decorations to dress up the yard and play along with the pirate theme. The first endeavour was the sea monster to put on the side of the shed. It’s a 7 x 7 garden shed but a 7 foot sea monster didn't seem very intimidating. SO, I decided to make it look like the monster was rising up out the water. That seems like a perfect solution until I was out in the yard one afternoon and it occurred to me that the shed backs to the fence and I could make a bigger monster if I took it around the corner and continued along the fence. The challenge was that my kitchen is only 8 foot square and the only non-carpeted room in the house. Hence the sea monster had to be drawn and painted and left to dry in sections and assembled on the fence the day of the party. <br />
<br />
Once I really got rolling, it was all downhill. I dreamed up walking the plank across croc infested water, a wall of jelly fish and having kids hop scotching across a chain of islands. It didn't seem that over the top in theory, but on the day of the party, I questioned my own sanity. <br />
<br />
<br />
There's also the fact that one of the little boys from preschool couldn't come to the party and I didn't want girls to out number the boys, so I invited two other boys who's families we met recently. What I didn't fully process was that they each have two siblings - SO, all in we had 12 kids coming.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
The sea serpent took 2 days to make; cake baking in the world’s smallest oven was an all-day process, plus another day to decorate, none of which could happen while there was a serpent on the kitchen floor. Dennis got to help out by painting the waves to put in front of the serpent and the hopping islands and that kept him outside for hours. <br />
<br />
Fortunately my dear friend Jennifer offered to help by drawing a shark and crocodile on the patio. She had so much fun that she just kept drawing sea life and even came back a second day to draw MORE including the driveway and footpath. She also kept the Russian entertained so that I could paint and cook in peace. There were also the 100 balloons for the jelly fish that couldn't be blown up and turned into jelly fish until the day of the party. Then were was the need to re-engineer the school of jelly fish because of the strong breeze that day. That little effort took an extra hour to whip up. Yes, I am certifiable. As Dave and I were laying in bed the morning of the party talking about everything that had to be done, I said to him "I am my own worst enemy". He kissed me and replied "No honey, YOU are MY worst enemy", then chuckled and got out of bed to attack the mountain of tasks to be done. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3K609uncp9WcKcqODorKitNgMV8ORcMZtyPTmF58pcX3Fo1kbUEDpdTAHbcPlhh_HMrS2dlkBXubv-JPotqitnaUKHdJQJWbcgyQi64dmzTDBWEV_E1s6Ws1m8ZjW9SXU7DoGE9HmqkQ/s1600/LR_DSC_2948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3K609uncp9WcKcqODorKitNgMV8ORcMZtyPTmF58pcX3Fo1kbUEDpdTAHbcPlhh_HMrS2dlkBXubv-JPotqitnaUKHdJQJWbcgyQi64dmzTDBWEV_E1s6Ws1m8ZjW9SXU7DoGE9HmqkQ/s640/LR_DSC_2948.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Chalk artist and friend Jennifer met guests as they came through the gate and handed out pirate hats, swords, eye patches and treasure maps to all the little pirates.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_U3PFv_x4oMMLPqcSKeAquTi00F9FEf-wPRA3C-UGQ4ZohLZHc8A6kbhhyphenhyphen9568q-35LLjklhstH6cpMhBH3tY49fHMhiIQxYmAgtKNoToYeJexBoBmQoN0QCrEqNNzW7HCjI5mw_HR0/s1600/LR_DSC_2960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_U3PFv_x4oMMLPqcSKeAquTi00F9FEf-wPRA3C-UGQ4ZohLZHc8A6kbhhyphenhyphen9568q-35LLjklhstH6cpMhBH3tY49fHMhiIQxYmAgtKNoToYeJexBoBmQoN0QCrEqNNzW7HCjI5mw_HR0/s640/LR_DSC_2960.jpg" width="420" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artist Jen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsKwTdqz_3nSbfy_6rILOlXyWyoMm47c3sYgOVy2Xd9-ARzsxSvSubAOTNVWZBAix4CEibZqmN5Pi8kap151E0baJMf3kT5MLCp9Rrl2dD962CvVj-N6HHL64PTRlZMM24cYrE1-ZmaY/s1600/LR_DSC_2946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsKwTdqz_3nSbfy_6rILOlXyWyoMm47c3sYgOVy2Xd9-ARzsxSvSubAOTNVWZBAix4CEibZqmN5Pi8kap151E0baJMf3kT5MLCp9Rrl2dD962CvVj-N6HHL64PTRlZMM24cYrE1-ZmaY/s640/LR_DSC_2946.jpg" width="420" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Party guests were met with "Arrrrrhhhh Maties!" from the birthday boy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-6xCV-0PYNwdIwdKF5BtFdtYIIAkum0vwma9QadF0IXqLN_zLDv1XyfZayNfylCNEoMmMgMFYP0s55FAdMgT_olTfvvwJNYZxjN1QVsgfPME79CGRp_1ppvsCVbFFIzKQSLR4QuTfPo/s1600/LR_DSC_2943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-6xCV-0PYNwdIwdKF5BtFdtYIIAkum0vwma9QadF0IXqLN_zLDv1XyfZayNfylCNEoMmMgMFYP0s55FAdMgT_olTfvvwJNYZxjN1QVsgfPME79CGRp_1ppvsCVbFFIzKQSLR4QuTfPo/s640/LR_DSC_2943.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZkk2XYVnHSNeG0JB0dP9CEdObB9D0ncuiY9j5XK0hx4X5-TTpZ9nxMjjbQu-cr7d2-QXPJSvfdf5-r0G4PycJpvtshYquSuPBBDbO_NquznCosYAfVha6JTYPRnSb4rHO0l43ArXgqM/s1600/LR_DSC_2925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZkk2XYVnHSNeG0JB0dP9CEdObB9D0ncuiY9j5XK0hx4X5-TTpZ9nxMjjbQu-cr7d2-QXPJSvfdf5-r0G4PycJpvtshYquSuPBBDbO_NquznCosYAfVha6JTYPRnSb4rHO0l43ArXgqM/s640/LR_DSC_2925.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the sea life was less scary than others.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivXcZpaHPNiRTV_NbV7v06M7kZfF_5Ant5kFbNZHOnrZBTDRTvZkjfdmkbD1j_vrOtku0Z_a5Kawl1RxwF6jUMELJu0U6AdfYd2eRyjMoqu1558thjsX9wLb9tm9n73F2p4bZmWnKXIk/s1600/LR_DSC_2923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="419" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivXcZpaHPNiRTV_NbV7v06M7kZfF_5Ant5kFbNZHOnrZBTDRTvZkjfdmkbD1j_vrOtku0Z_a5Kawl1RxwF6jUMELJu0U6AdfYd2eRyjMoqu1558thjsX9wLb9tm9n73F2p4bZmWnKXIk/s640/LR_DSC_2923.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even Nemo appeared on our patio.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVtQOLd4grW7_4vG4Mj75WzvVqsuE1Zd0I6PUeu6VpfUUeLe6XXzQyD6QPDS_du9F-a88CBKeVR2e4nAobJ51i1yWk1CLaUu_EZ1_lUSxkMHWE7Sdr8mqvdjg3LOa7Xkk9NUr5gW5w2g/s1600/LR_DSC_2927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="419" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVtQOLd4grW7_4vG4Mj75WzvVqsuE1Zd0I6PUeu6VpfUUeLe6XXzQyD6QPDS_du9F-a88CBKeVR2e4nAobJ51i1yWk1CLaUu_EZ1_lUSxkMHWE7Sdr8mqvdjg3LOa7Xkk9NUr5gW5w2g/s640/LR_DSC_2927.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wind was a hard on the jelly fish but was effect was still pretty impressive.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfxVfjf_iGbEGeeKfrK6EB1NLeOZ3M8Q8Nskg5P5ZhMLxvy91QMbt_DtjcLmzBIbvXAWJYU4WusMBYerh3KLqyy17JMv8Q1Q6LQZ08pKNzWUo56lFHk6ki03Au9649sUH-iqWp19RmefM/s1600/LR_DSC_2929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfxVfjf_iGbEGeeKfrK6EB1NLeOZ3M8Q8Nskg5P5ZhMLxvy91QMbt_DtjcLmzBIbvXAWJYU4WusMBYerh3KLqyy17JMv8Q1Q6LQZ08pKNzWUo56lFHk6ki03Au9649sUH-iqWp19RmefM/s640/LR_DSC_2929.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
The sea serpent was my favourite and couldn't bring myself to throw her away after the party so she now lives in the preschool class room.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUw3dcpuvtp3G62NAa_xGSysPckRxoXwqr8VjhWmPFZWTgFOCJ3XcLD5JmPbLHV57sd26bX1ry8_intYYyksXbOlS6cbuL2vvlVSUZILTb3V6ghRvR_RMqR-ktnkRzZ26d97adWThqZs/s1600/LR_DSC_2937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUw3dcpuvtp3G62NAa_xGSysPckRxoXwqr8VjhWmPFZWTgFOCJ3XcLD5JmPbLHV57sd26bX1ry8_intYYyksXbOlS6cbuL2vvlVSUZILTb3V6ghRvR_RMqR-ktnkRzZ26d97adWThqZs/s640/LR_DSC_2937.jpg" width="422" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
Dennis loved to show guests how to jump from island to island after they had survived the silly string attack from Captain Dave.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The pirates came in all shapes and sizes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivD2QEHEehojK6jNnX1AXGmXjH9JuW9G2wQm7wbxCEF4z1fxLqLB4CLKHz5mS63G7_Egu5i3nZ2sCwqRtdAHWaTQrAP0uGOO4eGfnExptidasUj_PfvUkAVed-1_8udx4o67Nnx8baQig/s1600/LR_DSC_2952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivD2QEHEehojK6jNnX1AXGmXjH9JuW9G2wQm7wbxCEF4z1fxLqLB4CLKHz5mS63G7_Egu5i3nZ2sCwqRtdAHWaTQrAP0uGOO4eGfnExptidasUj_PfvUkAVed-1_8udx4o67Nnx8baQig/s640/LR_DSC_2952.jpg" width="419" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg7woAMZsmbsGRpHRyFGxKraa8yxM2jgPewrYO6P5033SSYYL0ICJ6HDuxO-wlUaaTI4U4g2_mnD7IfzOSybiPRKfucGQzCMmm4cjqLd_NV_lL_nsdTCwg56Jw0401n8w6ATYBwMPBOcU/s1600/LR_DSC_2953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg7woAMZsmbsGRpHRyFGxKraa8yxM2jgPewrYO6P5033SSYYL0ICJ6HDuxO-wlUaaTI4U4g2_mnD7IfzOSybiPRKfucGQzCMmm4cjqLd_NV_lL_nsdTCwg56Jw0401n8w6ATYBwMPBOcU/s640/LR_DSC_2953.jpg" width="420" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GoozCsuDKcwysFIba18_xfpDc4dYnLums6K-L-bU_-JtU2qb12Bb-Z3wQlPXw_zImpK6nlgVVvPMq28HuMk1x1hdu5mcW8toOGyTs3L6-hccdCrHaRP6LWqrzqH4nTSDFIzoUzE9FFs/s1600/LR_DSC_2958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GoozCsuDKcwysFIba18_xfpDc4dYnLums6K-L-bU_-JtU2qb12Bb-Z3wQlPXw_zImpK6nlgVVvPMq28HuMk1x1hdu5mcW8toOGyTs3L6-hccdCrHaRP6LWqrzqH4nTSDFIzoUzE9FFs/s640/LR_DSC_2958.jpg" width="379" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-jZBVxjAS_XTc4Vqu-ZA9TFn5tHiCVWzT2zgbXSIu4nNYlXQnKU4DyAUo0xnYGo7i9C6ZqTpMYmLdkvkpOJF-A7By7hyxR2lWFmONVUu2zGiKCdqPpszuLkkZJuUDqILSP8egM46i2M/s1600/LR_DSC_2972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-jZBVxjAS_XTc4Vqu-ZA9TFn5tHiCVWzT2zgbXSIu4nNYlXQnKU4DyAUo0xnYGo7i9C6ZqTpMYmLdkvkpOJF-A7By7hyxR2lWFmONVUu2zGiKCdqPpszuLkkZJuUDqILSP8egM46i2M/s640/LR_DSC_2972.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhciuN7WOGV4N7dYWWSjanSCOm5H7X4SW22IRjyKOKQkpJMaBbGYsf-49uaP60ZdfzHItCcSuQNWqQFjq8wRIdE7SIhtP3Wcny1leVCL4zV6hwrdoykcPAh_FHU5zrgCbVxwtWd3rZcltE/s1600/LR_DSC_2982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhciuN7WOGV4N7dYWWSjanSCOm5H7X4SW22IRjyKOKQkpJMaBbGYsf-49uaP60ZdfzHItCcSuQNWqQFjq8wRIdE7SIhtP3Wcny1leVCL4zV6hwrdoykcPAh_FHU5zrgCbVxwtWd3rZcltE/s640/LR_DSC_2982.jpg" width="435" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirL5W5ovU6gPXGwesPFUOmltN6ac8KbQbxPS804SV4M93r93lJGsk81-UPHk4TBC3S_wdUtltT_IoCFViEUvOdHnG30HCAnZfOvXrAAu0beoFpnDj0h10CFvujn-c9yclbArLyZ-LBEEA/s1600/LR_DSC_2993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirL5W5ovU6gPXGwesPFUOmltN6ac8KbQbxPS804SV4M93r93lJGsk81-UPHk4TBC3S_wdUtltT_IoCFViEUvOdHnG30HCAnZfOvXrAAu0beoFpnDj0h10CFvujn-c9yclbArLyZ-LBEEA/s640/LR_DSC_2993.jpg" width="420" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWDB3371AAfYFjHjr1yrPvgkOxT1v9I1kJD3Ad15H-CbtUP7YP8YGfRMYQ7ciQ4y-YfwOmPAfzzH8Yt6O2G9VRpHVZE_o_gNu-Zy-xFyXOKbcYa2YfIb-XoKJP1m68ZPFFYlEJCcRecg/s1600/LR_DSC_3008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="539" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWDB3371AAfYFjHjr1yrPvgkOxT1v9I1kJD3Ad15H-CbtUP7YP8YGfRMYQ7ciQ4y-YfwOmPAfzzH8Yt6O2G9VRpHVZE_o_gNu-Zy-xFyXOKbcYa2YfIb-XoKJP1m68ZPFFYlEJCcRecg/s640/LR_DSC_3008.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju51gezhEa0ISIOwWlfuARoSaiqm0g7k-qeBCDnr-VKiW65Q9eVc6m25bWS1tciMgZjAYqylo58xyYc7a3Bkqg1Ne9R1tjGA5UbInU0TL26rHlsH9doMSDMzPJc2BLlwwt_HBMsyHZVYc/s1600/LR_DSC_3009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="443" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju51gezhEa0ISIOwWlfuARoSaiqm0g7k-qeBCDnr-VKiW65Q9eVc6m25bWS1tciMgZjAYqylo58xyYc7a3Bkqg1Ne9R1tjGA5UbInU0TL26rHlsH9doMSDMzPJc2BLlwwt_HBMsyHZVYc/s640/LR_DSC_3009.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wpKVOFEjplEvTOE54skgqJoQTMkdXu43984mmoYiTvntp-jTwi7iPmcuQtKdzFYq-gNX0BPPEFL97csLkvQ4pm4OhrjuOrpJp7k3ghPUlDlih8DFMUGDTOrDTZ5XE7zwYjnUhAhHgx0/s1600/LR_DSC_3022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="523" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wpKVOFEjplEvTOE54skgqJoQTMkdXu43984mmoYiTvntp-jTwi7iPmcuQtKdzFYq-gNX0BPPEFL97csLkvQ4pm4OhrjuOrpJp7k3ghPUlDlih8DFMUGDTOrDTZ5XE7zwYjnUhAhHgx0/s640/LR_DSC_3022.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF-Yj9z9caOz6xlaRIT6WEEtthDy5GXjP4EAOXXYL0w43yk1sKPXtUlv12NZSKHYjtibC6ol7ytkxXSIPeY0S3iQYSq9aoqcon-ELz0TAoaQETgpQZ-J3pcw8mK-Gw3ZkwfNbGkDd_IsY/s1600/LR_DSC_3035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF-Yj9z9caOz6xlaRIT6WEEtthDy5GXjP4EAOXXYL0w43yk1sKPXtUlv12NZSKHYjtibC6ol7ytkxXSIPeY0S3iQYSq9aoqcon-ELz0TAoaQETgpQZ-J3pcw8mK-Gw3ZkwfNbGkDd_IsY/s640/LR_DSC_3035.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
The new toy chainsaw from earlier in the day showed up and gave the little rascals a distinct advantage in the sword fights.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8U9ZyUmJFPQhERWM10JIeZtn7d-ZEopQumhc8Utmsin1EgdzjAG-ZkmO3j3FCGbrlh68nVC28Idbxn0gFx4_VM74vzqy79e7vjeL3H4hVlCv8MfgJCeEOb3uAWS5Ng8M1T1yz14N0nlE/s1600/LR_DSC_2997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8U9ZyUmJFPQhERWM10JIeZtn7d-ZEopQumhc8Utmsin1EgdzjAG-ZkmO3j3FCGbrlh68nVC28Idbxn0gFx4_VM74vzqy79e7vjeL3H4hVlCv8MfgJCeEOb3uAWS5Ng8M1T1yz14N0nlE/s640/LR_DSC_2997.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Captain Dave was in charge of games and it resulted in a character building activity for him. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFBWo-K6xjkQTViD83DMQ5DLfGwdMC55R_RztuVWDcRDtSUm8wvXz-8fJ4kBHXorx-kSV1HX_xVUGrQ3bVhRv0i7KWmETb_2YS8RyK0ob96Kstbs8oIOBYcPpimvwNfhaJfIluN1vJXc/s1600/LR_DSC_3053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFBWo-K6xjkQTViD83DMQ5DLfGwdMC55R_RztuVWDcRDtSUm8wvXz-8fJ4kBHXorx-kSV1HX_xVUGrQ3bVhRv0i7KWmETb_2YS8RyK0ob96Kstbs8oIOBYcPpimvwNfhaJfIluN1vJXc/s640/LR_DSC_3053.jpg" width="420" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif4mPo7ScZY7TksrTWgMe4QZcMNECAnIKoG_art3NMQqboAxOHPy8iJ6Za42BlyK6znEhe8-_q1ehJa3q6VPCmpGWgMh6s651FCURvPSLfm-ldmVI2YQpCf-bB1h5LleUz2VztoFo9mOg/s1600/LR_DSC_3090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif4mPo7ScZY7TksrTWgMe4QZcMNECAnIKoG_art3NMQqboAxOHPy8iJ6Za42BlyK6znEhe8-_q1ehJa3q6VPCmpGWgMh6s651FCURvPSLfm-ldmVI2YQpCf-bB1h5LleUz2VztoFo9mOg/s640/LR_DSC_3090.jpg" width="420" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's a birthday party without a piñata?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It all started with me dreaming up a cake.........<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKd-hNq0j2qnsShvZkdMpZFkdF0hSHoIKk1W26rNmRUWaJxWqWPW9lfgxEw_pGaM89f3SmOu0LupmGhiK28ONEYTPHAOxG_YTUNTQIhkGbyA-OYAXjqmnaLPzy9Bc0JqIQmbiPET04EE/s1600/LR_DSC_2963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKd-hNq0j2qnsShvZkdMpZFkdF0hSHoIKk1W26rNmRUWaJxWqWPW9lfgxEw_pGaM89f3SmOu0LupmGhiK28ONEYTPHAOxG_YTUNTQIhkGbyA-OYAXjqmnaLPzy9Bc0JqIQmbiPET04EE/s640/LR_DSC_2963.jpg" width="422" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm not going to be offered a spot at Charm City Cakes, but the kids and adults got a kick out of it. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF0BPp9ZsM3iFuXjTP1FAmePiSTINHZFRSbI7l8q3b66idnh2G76cj9-R8IECwRnohJt-VUFTfFqsV9CoR9wfMjsLHV-KifvYxDeS_cS16SrQl6Z147UTyWbyKMF7LbYmAbpszQQXQIUQ/s1600/LR_DSC_3106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF0BPp9ZsM3iFuXjTP1FAmePiSTINHZFRSbI7l8q3b66idnh2G76cj9-R8IECwRnohJt-VUFTfFqsV9CoR9wfMjsLHV-KifvYxDeS_cS16SrQl6Z147UTyWbyKMF7LbYmAbpszQQXQIUQ/s640/LR_DSC_3106.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday boy blows out the candle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzyLD4T5rs01_Jr-GdDshHudB9klDXYbe71tu2RhB5TzSUIc1rD72QXQrlUfRrSVit92mlTn9FjN5jcAAMufhcGOohIjOYusz08odLNi-Axz-DsbZV2gJERPa8mTu-QrLSJr59pmwmySo/s1600/LR_DSC_3129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzyLD4T5rs01_Jr-GdDshHudB9klDXYbe71tu2RhB5TzSUIc1rD72QXQrlUfRrSVit92mlTn9FjN5jcAAMufhcGOohIjOYusz08odLNi-Axz-DsbZV2gJERPa8mTu-QrLSJr59pmwmySo/s640/LR_DSC_3129.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The present mayhem begins.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCc6lzl5ANWWKkL_08SxITIQdZCIIR42ZjtW5yAdWHMUSjObRuN2_E_oaaCJYGIEATs457NEWS-SRYBK1IbywTUXWGCJlHcnPI071ySln_hR4dk1kp0l2_LLj3U1-LHPvw1CXQvASVf8Y/s1600/IMG_5487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCc6lzl5ANWWKkL_08SxITIQdZCIIR42ZjtW5yAdWHMUSjObRuN2_E_oaaCJYGIEATs457NEWS-SRYBK1IbywTUXWGCJlHcnPI071ySln_hR4dk1kp0l2_LLj3U1-LHPvw1CXQvASVf8Y/s640/IMG_5487.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wine made it easier to deal with the chaos.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFce_uul9dVaCM6TS9zCTCppSUd0Q9WTLLPPWvaA00KgFBuBO0oi2IZK1GC63kxhJPHqsYRj_tSWoGJHBNL1tXvYDxy0rqCHAVGgX7IRPMqcEMi7sHjyr60SppEH1bxH2TFaDooZGwR4/s1600/LR_DSC_3162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFce_uul9dVaCM6TS9zCTCppSUd0Q9WTLLPPWvaA00KgFBuBO0oi2IZK1GC63kxhJPHqsYRj_tSWoGJHBNL1tXvYDxy0rqCHAVGgX7IRPMqcEMi7sHjyr60SppEH1bxH2TFaDooZGwR4/s640/LR_DSC_3162.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When they started to turn on the adults we knew it was time to wrap things up!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
It was a great party and a good time was had by all, but I'm thinking that 12 children under 9 at a party might be TOO MANY.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329914962593982210.post-77272377530367004942012-09-17T01:41:00.000+00:002012-09-17T01:41:27.043+00:00Score one for the kid<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s going to be another one of those days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just pointed out to Dennis that his shorts
were on backwards and he pulled out the waistband, looked down his shorts and
said with a grin, “No, my penis still in front.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just walked away. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Walk with mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767879620780372522noreply@blogger.com0