Lakefentonandtexas-mary

July 2010 at Lake Fenton

2011-01-15T11:36:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time coming but I am going to try to catch up with my blogging . I may jump around a bit with the dates. I have lots of pictures so I'll try to load the blogs with lots of photos. I will start with last summer.

Our family of swans come to visit. It is the same family that comes every year. We know this because they "call" us by name and consider us friends [OK, we are just a meal ticket] . Actually if they are within range we just say "Hey, come on in". They leave a wake getting to us.

During July 2010, family from California arrive transforming our house into Party Central.. Non -stop people 24 hours a day. All the water activities repeat every day. Tubing, skiing, Kayaking, wake boarding and this year Gary brought his long board from Wisconsin and discovered surfing the wake behind Lisa's boat Oh yes, there was just plain old swimming and relaxing on floats..

Daughter Lisa and her Grandson Trypp are regular visitors all summer. Trypp really enjoys the lake. He is an easy going happy child.

The photos below are some of the day and night action on our new deck.

The Palm Tree, Mike sent from California just to show Tina what a real Palm Tree is, not the cheesy plastic one she has in her yard. We added lights just for show. We had a great time with this all summer. In spite of all that harassing Tina took "custody" of this Tree for the winter and she is charged with keeping it alive until next year.

With the deck full , we used the annex
[ yard]

Gary entertained us every day and night with his singing and playing.

Trying out the long board.

Lisa's famous Boat "The Moomba"

Best buddies, Bob and Mark.

Best Buddies Dennis and Chloe

The "Girls" hang out. Chloe, Kelly, Hannah.

The Young Adults play President and Butt Heads..It escapes me why, but they love this game.

One of the days was cold and rainy, as we were headed off the lake we had to rescue another pontoon and tow them to the farthest end of the lake... You can see how much we enjoyed this journey. After dropping the helpless off we had Kevin and Dennis shelter us with towels and we real cranked it up to get back to warm, dry shelter.

The Helpless Pontoon

Kevin says he is not cold. The rest of us were freezing.

I guess Tina was happy,, or was it beer?

Gary had to return to our house to load up his long board even though we tried to hide it on him.

This was at lunch on the way to airport, I am really hoping these faces mean they do not want to leave Grandma's house., not a indication of their visit.

Tina loving the Palm Tree

Bird training at the zoo

2010-09-09T20:07:00.000-07:00

--Random Photos of the Bird Training.

I have many photos so I just picked out some. I have one
of a dove. We are having a hard time figuring it out. Has the Dove got his head

twisted all the way around to eat or is it upside down, if so why are his legs on the wrong side? I took the photo and do not remember this.

I must say we are having a very enjoyable time and putting in lots of hours doing this. Thank you to all for helping us learn so much first hand about the world of birds. Everyone we are working with is so nice putting up with our questions.

Notes on training Birds,,,, Ask Bob or Ellie what the

three biggest "dangers" are to Bird Training and I am sure you think they

will say # 3- - - getting pooped on,,,,#2 Getting bit [thought

that was #1 did you?] and #1 - - drum roll here...... Getting

locked in the cage as Mary rushes out when her group arrives

for a walking tour. Keepers are working in another area, no one

is around, only solution is having to call the office to get

someone to find the keeper to come to the rescue.

Moral of this story is - - -Always keep your phone

with you. And - - - "Mary, keep hands off the

lock"!

Bob and Jessie getting ready to "capture and release" into the Aviary.

And finally this is what we were working towards. The birds interacting with the people and all the smiling faces. Job well done..

Ellie Dillon with a budgie [parakeet]

Getting our new batch of trainees..

Doves are so friendly and quick to learn.

After lots of patience, all 49 parakeets come to eat. We decided that 49 are too many at one time to train as you do not have enough hands to hold all the cups of seed so we had to use a large tray and work into cups and sticks after that. We love that we can use the time to train basically as we want.

Bob with his favorite bird, Tex, the Vulture.

Working at the Zoo..

2010-02-04T13:55:00.000-08:00

While working Fish Cones at the zoo a small group of young teens and a mother [ my perception] came by the fish cone area. One of the girls shyly smiled as she passed then turned around and ask if they could interview me about the zoo.. Of course I said yes believing all my newly acquired knowledge would be put to use.. She said they would stop on the way back.

Not too much time passed when I looked up and they were back. Three young girls a teen boy and the lady with a canvas bag. Again the shy smile with a small tablet and pen said "can we do it now" Sure ,,,,,

I watched in amazement as a seemly well choreographed movement occurred. the boy went to my right , the girls lined in a semi circle on the left , the lady reached into the bag and produced a large size video camera.

Now I am questioning what is happening but I become the shy one and follow the " directors" orders, she is saying I will ask the first question and then each will take turns with our questions. This group has now become Steven Spielberg and company.

In hindsite this is the point where I should have ask what the questions are going to be ,but I believe I can handle this, listening to the talk about lighting and what is in the background, which is Bob , selling his fish cones and not saying a word.. My back to him I wonder if he is aware of the action unfolding, only a few feet away he must be!. With a red light blinking in my face,, I expect to hear “Action”.

Question number 1,,What is the effect of global warming on the Zoo and the rest of the world.

I think I repeated something I heard on Television.

Next 2 questions again global warming and the polar bears ..

Finally the young man smiles and says What can be done to correct these problems? I am thinking he should of said “April FOOL”!! To add to my discomfort I hear Bob snickering behind me …

I now understand why someone will only answer questions that are submitted ahead of time in writing..

I do not remember this being covered in class,, Where oh where are Pat, Jerry, Sergio , Emma , anyone,,some help please..

“Thank You “and in a heart beat they are packed up and gone.. still wondering what just happened, gaining my senses I think, wait , I can tell you about the Gorilla family , the names of the Orangutans , about the new babies in the zoo, let me tell you about the baby Camel, but they are out of site.

Random summer and fall..

2009-11-09T12:04:00.000-08:00

--You have got to love this Lakeshore Gang.. Do they look dangerous or what??
For those who do not know Kelly, Tina, Devon [Kelly's sister], Mary, Lisa, Denise.

I totally love the pumpkin fields,, Kristi and Alex do also..

Later at the barns we find these large pumpkins to sit on and we pick up squash and gourds.. Hauk farms are very good to us.

After driving Lisa's car where I thought it would not go , Denise gets in the muddy field and carries the heavy ones for the girls. I just love this picture.

The great squash I take to Texas for Thanksgiving.. Thank you Hauk Farms.

Build me a deck.com

2009-09-19T08:21:00.000-07:00

July 29 -Aug. 7, 2009

Steps to getting a new deck ,, Number 1, Be sure to take the "before" picture. Note the cement steps and the inground basement entrance. These will become two of the tricky issues although in much different ways.

On the first day the man with the machine comes to dig the holes for the posts. Careful not to back too far down the hill into the lake..

Next the post are cemented in the holes and the sand is piled up around them.

Our great crew. Ben and Mike.. They were here every day and very hard workers.

When Kristi seen these posts she said she thought my deck was going to be awful high! I had to agree with her.

We just have to try it out ,so, we lift table and chairs onto surface and have Mark and Tina join us for a brew. Careful not to fall into the basement steps. Then we have to remove all the furniture , because the working crew will be here early in the morning..

Ben just doing his job..

Finally see how nicely the basement stairs have disappeared.. These guys worked real hard to engineer a unique door that was easy for me to use and yet be strong enough to walk/sit on. They really rock!!

You would not even know there were steps or an entrance there. You open it from below and it rolls on casters ,ramp up, onto the deck.

This photo shows how they keep working on it . Many "tweeks" and ideas were changed as some worked and others did not, it became a work in progress because it was the first time this idea was used in just this way.

Mike works hard..

The finished deck.. We have a nice bench across the front for extra seating and saftey. The wrap around steps on each of the front corners give it a good balance.

We love it.

If you need any type of deck or remodeling give these good guys a call. They are so easy to work with.. Call Dennis at 810-629-8818..

Now for the cement steps,, I put them on Craigs List , no interest, I tried giving them away, too heavy, thought about putting them in the lake for use by sea wall, no way to move them, Now I just wanted to get them out of the yard they are killing the grass and do not fit the "decore" of the new deck. Dwight came through , he showed up with buckets, hammer and a tarp. Dwight and Bob busted them up and hauled them away to Dwight's property to use as a base on the long drive. Thank You Dwight, a win win !

We should have done this 10 years ago.

Hinckley,Mn July 13-17, 2009

2009-08-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

Some of the sights on the trip to and from Hinckley, Min for the annual Paradise Park Reunion..Connie and Mary traveled together for a fun Mother, Daughter outing.

Because I am known by certain little people as Grandma NoNo, I just had to take this photo..

We stayed all 4 nights at different Casino's , This one is the Island Casino in upper Michigan.

Tooling down highway 2 , we spy this guy and his cow standing in a field.

Cow is an old oil tank and milk can, not sure about the man. It is a hike to get out to him through deep grass[? ] or you know we would have a photo of one of us next to him.

A real nice park on the way to Fayette historical mining town.

Old mining town we walked around and read all the interesting information.,

Harbor at the Fayette mining town where you can camp in your boat right here at the docks in the State Park. It is on Lake Michigan. I bet it is a little known area.

19 miles of winding road called the Tunnel of Trees ..This road follows the shore of Lake Michigan and has some great homes and views to drool over..

Entrance to the harbor where the docks to camp are located.

Back across the beautiful "Big Mac"
Never get tired of this view.

Oops, this one is still north of the bridge...

Now in lower Michigan on the Tunnel of Trees, we spy this deer who is not scared of us at all. We get out of the car and he just looks at us.

July 4 never ends, part 3

2009-07-31T10:31:00.000-07:00

What a way to start the day with views like this

One day we travel to the corner pub and the boys find a favorite "guy" thing to do.

Even Great Grandparents Evelyn and Bud join in the fun.

Kevin shows off his winning form.

OK, this is NOT going to happen!!

No wonder we were tired, so much to do ,seems like we did not have time to sleep.

Dennis , Kevin and Kelly all have their Birthdays in the month of July so we went to the Fireplace for the Monday night car cruise and to celebrate the Birthdays.

Dennis was not crazy about all the attention but Kevin gets into the spirit of the day.

Grandpa won a set of funnels in a drawing . Kelly thought they would make a fine party hat..

Gathering all the family Corvettes on the street outside Dwight's garage to travel to the Fireplace and Cruise.
Which one do we get to ride in?? Dwight's '57' or Grandpa's Z06 , Yellow Stretch or Uncle Jeff's speedy convertible??

Uncle Jeff takes Dennis on the first leg in the 57....

OK, Mike draws the lucky number and gets to drive Jeff's tricked out car and the blond [Lisa ]that comes along for the ride. Hey ,I thought this cruise was guys only!!!!

More photos I found of the lake activities,, anyone who wants , gets to try the wake board. Dennis getting some air time

Mike has fun and makes it look easy for a "first timer".

Lisa Polzin on her new Wake board showing her form.

I found many more pictures to include, they depict the many hours the tubes were in use.Even after this action Dennis stayed on.

He just likes the daredevil stuff.

Getting ready for another tube cruise.."All Aboard"

We are not that far out in the sticks that we do not have the Ice Cream truck playing the pied Piper music calling all children,,

The truck goes to the end of the street and back so we wait for the return trip.
"Look, Look, we have money."

"Me first, I want this one".

Sitting on the old fashion Tractor tire tube with Aunt Connie is lots of fun also. You don't always need a motor.

Things must be winding down because we are sitting still for a few seconds, can sleeping be next? Almost.

Moe likes the boat and gets worn out too.

Boccie ball becomes a challenge with so little open space we make the obstacles a part of the game. Play it where the white ball lands. The narrow strip between the houses is now called the Alley of play. Stay out of the Tomatoes..

If your ball goes down the hill into the lake ,,, well so do you..

Sing, sing, sing, so much fun to end the day with music. Thanks again to Gary and Katie for joining us..

July 4th week Part 2

2009-07-30T06:53:00.000-07:00

This is a bit lengthy but fun for me to relive it all,, I hope you enjoy.

Don't you think Lisa's boat looks good on Devon's boat lift. It took all 3 yards for enough space to handle the fun. Thank you to our good Neighbors..

Lisa and Jeff and girls arrive by water as do most of the parties.

With so many people, we "install" extra sleeping accommodations in the yard with a tent, Now this is not your old fashion style camping , it has a 30 inch high queen air bed,many pillows, comforters , snacks , and a flat screen TV with a DVD player...call 1-800-fun time for reservations. Showtime in the tent, get your tickets and popcorn;[back] Alex, Kristi, Kelly, Hannah, [front] Dennis,Gabe, Kevin.

Lisa has her 'Moomba' for lots of water sports. Kelly, Kevin, Lisa.

There is ALWAYS someone in the yard to visit with . have a drink with or

eat , but talking and catching up seems to be the favorite activity..

Ken, Missy, Tina, Connie, Denise

July 4Th morning finds Lisa and Ken loading the bikes into the boat for the trip to Cases Island and the Island parade. The kids love taking their bikes across the water for the parade.

Waving to the Crowd that is staying behind.
On the Island getting ready to start the parade.

The real reason they come is the 'build your own' Sundaes after. What is better than an Ice Cream Sunday for breakfast on the Fourth of July..

During July 4Th afternoon the crowd starts gathering at Eagle Point or the new Pig Beach, or piglet beach, or , well it is known by many names.

There is drinking, music, swimming, drinking, socializing, singing, drinking,
We cruise by just to see what we can see,, oh someone we know being interviewed by the local TV station that is being chauffeured in the Sheriff boat. We all need our 15 minutes of fame somehow.
An Army of Deputies from the County Sheriff are stationed on the shore to watch the fun ,oops, I mean patrol, get flirted with by the drinking females, stop the nudity , and be harassed by the macho males,, What do you think? , tough duty or not?

As darkness falls, like Ants to a picnic, the boats gather in front of the Island for the Fireworks show. We opt to sit on the hill and watch , we have invited many over to share the space and almost ran out of room, we needed stadium seating.. The water in front of the house was non-stop boats and pontoons tied up side by side from Patton's to Fullers for about 170 feet.

Early the next morning before anyone was up I had to come out and take a picture, The yard actually looked better than I thought it would after 50-60 pairs of feet hanging out the night before.. The beer can fairy must of come during the night..Someone cleaned up..

If it was as much fun for you as it was for me,,,, stay tuned for part 3

July 4th week Part 1

2009-07-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

For those who do not know about this week, We have three Grand kids and their Dad Mike staying with us for a week and we do not leave the property [except to get more supplies] and everyone drops in at any time from early morning until late at night, It is like hosting an open house that lasts 24/7 for a week ..It is crazy , fun and exhausting all at the same time.

The house where it all starts.. It was soon know as the place to be or Party Central.

I will start with the water activities ....

Seems like everyone showed up even the Swans came for snacks..

Some of the water activities during the week ,, Here Kristi tried to see how far she could run across the water. Kind of like trying to fly.

Looking for a slower pace Mike tried the paddle boat.

Denise proving she still "can " and throwing out the challenge to her sisters.

Kristy and Kelly leaving shore for a ride with Grandma on the pontoon but got bored very soon. Too slow and not enough action for them.

See I told you they were bored.

Dennis did his first wake boarding and thought it was easy. He wanted to master all the tricks and never gave up . He learned a 180 and back with no one to coach him.

I just like this picture of Kevin swimming , I thought it looked like sharks were circling around him.

Many many hours were spent on the tubes bouncing and hanging on and trying all the Dare Devil things without falling off, well most of the time they stayed on despite our best efforts to shake them....................

Even showing off a bit, look no hands..

OK, this one was quite tricky..

Sometimes you have to be the "spotter".

Our Noodle-heads

We even had LIVE Entertainment on the first two nights. Our great Entertainer Gary , straight from Green Bay Wis. He brought his "roadie" with him, niece Katy.

Of course we have the three Amigos..The adult version.

Three Cousins form the all girls club.

Mike always "volunteers" to do the man grill thing.. It equals good eats.Even on vacation you must remember to brush.

Our Pier of d' Nort

2009-06-08T15:28:00.000-07:00

May 13, 2009 took delivery of the new dock.

Friday, May 15, 2009 braving chilly weather and chilly water ..

After doing much searching on the Internet and elsewhere I found this docking system that claims a single 14 year old [or a married one] can put this in or out of the water without getting wet. This seemed to be just what we were looking for so we put our money here instead of the stock market [thought it would be a better investment].
. Not really believing the claims about the single 14 year old, Mark and Bob don waders and get into the water to do it the old fashion way and adjust the legs for water depth.

Lisa was impressed and did her best Vanna White impression.

The Company custom built the first section to fit our steel supports welded onto the sea wall. They also cut the decking into 2 foot sections so we could handle the lighter/smaller pieces.

Lisa carried the sections down the hill and onto the dock determined to do it the way the video shows. The unconvinced stayed in the water.

Snapping the end sections together ,,,,
tip it up and over and

let it drop,, SPLASH.. what fun is that..

Yahoo,,see how close they got as to where to set the leg brace.

Almost a perfect level section, just drop in the 2 foot dock sections and next year no one will be in the water.

The finishing touches are the vinyl bumpers and the new stairs with railings. We add the pontoon the next day .. Very pleased with our Pier of d'Nort.

The Border Wall

2009-05-21T19:33:00.000-07:00

Going back to some of the stuff I forgot to write about from Texas.

One day we were talking about the Infamous Border Wall being built along the Rio Grande River, off one of our highways so we thought ,why not see if we can find it? After a 15 minute drive , Success. There it is sitting just off the road .. Finding a break in the wall with no one in sight , we drive right up to the opening and part way through, thinking how cool is this while looking over our shoulder for the Border patrol.
Getting out, we get up close, take a few pictures before Charley gets a little nervous and we leave.

No one as far as you can see..

Driving away on the dirt trail ,we meet another car of Winter Texans and tell them go ahead and drive up to the wall no one will stop you.

As we pull back onto the road we look back and there are 2 Border Patrol cars stopping the group. Where did they come from? We do not stop but head out down the highway.... Big brother is always watching from the Cameras.. From maybe a couple miles away.

Lake Conroe, part 2

2009-04-23T17:27:00.000-07:00

April 11-18, 2009

Our Favorite place to go for Mexican food. Fajita Jacks.

Read the top 10 reasons to come sit at the bar.

The Entrance into a fun time with good food.

View of our condo from the Loft , which had a bedroom and full bath upstairs and bedroon and bath downstairs.

Bob pretending to clean up on our last day.

Different birds we seen on our travels except the ducks came walking across our patio area.

The only place I could get a WiFi hit was the patio. While sitting out there I notice this building getting a new roof and the view was not bad. I checked it out every day ,one warm day the workers were shirtless..

Two miles down the road on the corner of a soon to be build Subdivision ,there is this great field of Bluebonnets. Always lots of Cars full of Families going into the field with all kinds of cameras. There was a slight hill , Flag Poles , so many photo ops..

What shocked us the most was on the Lake there was no room, every foot of land was used. In some places the roofs overlapped. FOR REAL!! And we thought houses on Lake Fenton were close together.

While looking at a house that was for sale , here comes Bambi down the drive across the street into some woods.
ONLY IN TEXAS.....We travel to the Woodlands a town built around lots of upscale shopping. There was even a channel you could take a water taxi from one store to another......What do we spy for security in the parking lot??? I would of though Segway at least but I forgot this is Texas,, A woman on a horse!!!!! This made me laugh.

Villas on the Lake, Lake Conroe, Texas

2009-04-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

April 11, 2009, RCI Vacation Week.

Our Condo for the week at Lake Conroe

If you bring your boat there is a spot at the pier for you, With 22,000 acres of water and 154 miles of shoreline there is plenty of exploring, especially when you get lost. {No, we did not!}Walking the Boardwalk in front of the private homes.

You can see the lake from the pool. Strolling around the grounds past Pool #2, we watch the Volleyball players.

Bob relaxes on the Patio on the "backside" of the Condo.

This drive around the lake reminds us of northern Michigan. We kept reminding ourselves that we were still in Texas. So different from the "Valley" where it is desert and Palm trees.

Easter Sunday we see a truck with Bunny Ears sticking up on the windows.

Texas State Prison at Huntsville, where the worst of the worst live on Death Row waiting their date with a needle.

Traveling to Huntsville State Prison , we spent a couple hours visiting the Museum reading information about life from both sides of the bars and looking at the items for sale made by Prisoners.

This Pistol was found under a magazine on Bonnie's lap after she was shot and killed.

Prisoners get very cleaver passing the long hours to keep the boredom low.
Some of the items on display were this monopoly game . See how "personal" they made the game.

I am not sure where the material for the ship came from but the flowers are made of toilet paper. Very delicate and beautiful. Soap and dental floss also were used in many ways.

Here is the "star" of the museum "Old Sparky" the famous Electric Chair.

There is a long explanation of how it works and what happens when someone is in the chair. You get a vivid description which make chills go down your spine. Talk about being scared straight..

Babies at the Zoo

2009-04-03T20:25:00.000-07:00

Yes! , the Little Zebra is here. We see "it" at 5 days old. Cute as a button with brownish fuzz covering the body. Born March 23 and as of April 2 , the mother has not brought baby inside so the Keepers do not know boy or girl..They are waiting to get their hands on it to check out the health but told me it looks healthy.

It ran and jumped around, never too far from Mom.

Hey Mom, catch me if you can..

Spotted these one day old ducklings sitting in the sun waiting to jump in the water when Mom says its OK.

While watching the Giraffes the whole group took off running like something was chasing them, Even the Gazelle joined in and ran with them.

Running very fast kicking up dust they ran through this muddy area. When they would slide on the mud I was afraid they would fall.

Sometimes they would circle around and go back the other way round. This lasted over 5 minutes and one ran through the covered area and hit his neck on the pole. Everyone at the Zoo seem perplexed as to why this was happening.

Maybe a snake came out of the resaca, just some unplanned enrichment..

After things calmed down all Giraffes were thirsty.

Animals read the newspaper

2009-03-27T13:57:00.000-07:00

Hummmm!!! The weather page says sunny and warm today.

March 8 finds the new Docents working at the Clinic with Dr Tom putting together Newspaper and wooden stakes to be put into the Animal Exhibits. This is to give the animals something different to look at and explore to keep them more interested and have a less boring life. The Papers are stapled onto the stakes and then put into the exhibits at various times during the day. The ones in with the Tigers, Gorillas, Bears, etc are done early before animals are released from their night quarters. The papers are sprayed with a scent also.

Then we watch and make a note of what the animals do and their reaction. It sometimes looks like they are reading the paper which is the intended result. The Public sometimes "gets" it but mostly asks why is the paper in there.

The Docents arrive early and set up our assembly line to get the job done. We are using the exam table in the clinic as our work area. There were more than one glitch this day with bursts of panic ,but it all worked out.

Giraffes and Gazelle spot the paper.

Wow , maybe I need glasses!!

OK, you read this one to the rest of us..

The keeper hands out treats after.

Spider Monkey seems impressed at first but then.......

pulled the stake out of ground , threw it down and walked away. I sometime want to react the same way . Later the paper and stake was in the water.

This is the Zebra keeper who was telling us about the Zebra that is expecting and what a good mother they say she is. Any day now!!

What is Black and White and "Red" all over!!!!

Answer,, Zebra reading a Newspaper....... I know , an old joke...

Enjoy the Zoo with us

2009-03-23T19:52:00.000-07:00

This Zebra is going to have a baby any day , so the watch is on..

Our Giraffe family is growing with babies almost every year.

Bob falls in love with Merry the new Camel. She has grown so much she tried stepping over the gate, so she is back with the adults but acts lonely and looks at us like she wants our touch again.

One of the active Spider Monkeys

Wilda [above] and Collette with a 2 year old Crocodile in the class.

Our Gorilla Family on Gorilla Island. There are 13 in the family , so much fun to watch their interaction with each other.

Look who is in a uniform and working.......

One of Bob's first jobs was working the Fish Cone booth. He sells small Ice Cream cones filled with pellet type fish food . This is for the fish , turtles , ducks, birds, but sometimes even the kids eat it, at least the cone part. Ewwww.. We tell them when pellets are gone to break up the cone and throw it into the water . This is a big hit and there is no break when the Zoo is busy. The booth made 98.00 in 2 1/2 hours today. That is almost 400 fish cones at $.25 apiece. That is a lots of pellets to be put into cones. Keeps a guy hopping. Me, I run for supplies and "patrol" the bridge area to keep the food from being thrown to the other animals on different diets, take the money and make change.

There are big,big carp, and very large turtles that come to eat. Every once in a while a water snake swims by but does not eat ,this always gets lots of attention.

A Rattlesnake skeleton that was painstakingly put together with glue and a toothpick. Lots of patience was involved.

When you see the pretty rock waterfalls around the zoo,,, well,, this is what they look like from "behind the scenes". Did you think they were natural? Pumps and pipes move the water., Will walked down the steps by the boat and took pictures. I wonder if the Public could see him through the water fall..

Dr Burchfield discussing the information from the evening class.

Behind the Scenes Tour

2009-03-17T16:56:00.000-07:00

Part of our training is a Behind the scenes tour , which was so interesting we talked Sergio into to giving us another tour a week after the first.

2009 Docent Class Photo

More fun photos from the training days,,

"Behind the scenes" in Brian Henley's domain we get to see Galapagos Tortoise eggs incubating in plastic boxes and.........

Rattlesnakes growing in jars

One day Docent Barb took the bubble machine over to the Gorillas and let the bubbles float across onto the Island. They all seem intrigued by the bubbles and like human children they tried to catch them.

I forgot what this big skull was from but I am sure it was a cat type creature. I know it was a Carnivore from looking at the teeth and the powerful jaw. See how much we have learned . Connie noticed the skull on shirt framed by the jaw. I never could have planed that one.

This 2 day old Turtle is shown next to my hand.

Sea food in the "walk in cooler" for the Zoo animals.Sea food in the resaca for the "freeloaders".

We watched this bird wrestle with this fish , loose him and grab the fish again. See how the Bird has got his beak through the eye? Then to our amazement about 20 people watched as he swallowed it whole. It took a while for him to get it in the position of head first because of the scales. His neck expanded as it went down.

This is Martha and she has baby Margret with her [see the little hand] . Her expression is one any mother can relate to. Write me a caption to the photo below and I will add some to the blog.

Comment from Polzin:

"Where's my baby daddy is he off with that other chimp I'll kill him"

Rick is bringing the Kangaroos in for their feeding. All animals are fed their dinner inside. This is how they get them inside for the night. If for some reason one refuses to come in , it will not be forced in, it will just get to camp out with no dinner.. Snacks are given outside in the "playground.

At the Australian exhibit we view the Kangaroo's from above. Why you ask? Well the nervous animals have no predators that come at them from above in nature, so if the Public is above and Kangaroos only have to deal with their keepers on ground level they are much calmer and easier to handle.

On one of our Behind The Scenes tours , Sergio explains the 2 door system and takes us all around the zoo to learn about the "secrets".

When we came through the Kitchen Sergio hands us carrots and tell us to take them with us , but we do not know why, lunch maybe?? After walking half way around smiling and reminding us not to loose our carrots, Sergio has us climb over the rock wall into the Tortoise yard . Oh Boy ,do we get their attention. In Tortoise speed they rush us..

The Tortoises do not have teeth but a very powerful beak . I was surprised that they do not snap but are pretty gentle when they take hold of the carrot and if you hang on tight you can feel the power when they break off a piece. The trick to this is to see how short of a carrot you are brave enough to hold on to.

When the carrots are gone it is time to "out run" the Tortoise.

Working at Gladys Porter Zoo

2009-02-19T21:38:00.000-08:00

Classroom studies

The day CPA classes were over ,Mary joins Bob , Kathy and Will at the 2009 class of Docents at the Gladys Porter Zoo. It seems there is a trading the 2 legged type of animal for 4 legged ones. Not real sure which is the more dangerous. This is training to work with the Public and along side the Keepers to help care for the animals. Our goal is to Teach and Educate through Entertaining stories and facts while keeping the Animals and Public safe.

After fifty hours of classroom work with TESTS every night we learn there is a lot more involved than ever expected. Some of the book learning is way over our heads. All this behind the scenes experience changes the way you look at the Zoo.

Kathy , Will and Bob doing their shadowing on the train. Shadowing is like on the job training. On the train we learn the spiel the narrator uses and where the train travels in the Zoo. This could be one of our future duties if we chose.

Dr Patrick Burchfield, Managing Director and one of our Instructors

Brian Henley is the Herpetarium Supervisor [Frogs, Crocodiles, Tortoises, ] . Fact: When the Zoo acquired the Komoto Dragon Brian was his handler and was very good with him, so Brian was acquired as part of the package.

Emma, with the hand sanitizer works with the Education department. She is the one who grades our papers and keeps us on track.

Dr. Tom deMaar, Senior Veterinarian [photo by Kathy]
Quote: Everything on earth has a time to eat and a time to be eaten."

Sometimes it is hard to learn and observe the Circle of Life in such close quarters.

There are many interesting and funny stories to tell. I have a whole notebook full of notes which I will call on and share with all.

On the Behind the Scenes tour we get to see food for some of the animals in the Kitchen area.

Then we see food for some the of the other animals in the Rat Shack.

If you pick up food for the snakes or Reptiles you have to note on the clipboard , the type [rat or mouse] and amount [ how many]. Be careful or the "food " could escape. The food is carried off in plastic bags from the store. I called it very weird take out...

The keepers have to rotate into the rat shack to clean and feed and water the "food"..It is no one persons job ,,,,all get to share ..

Jerry Stones , Facilities Director, curator of the Gorillas, apes Primates,and teller of the best stories...
"In this world if you don't run fast enough your someones lunch"

We get to see the baby Pygmy Hippo , only 2 weeks old and not on view to the public yet. There will be a contest announced in March to name it. She is much smaller than looks in the photo. She is about 15 inches long.

Of course we have Phantom ,the giant Python. She is 12 feet long and weighs 87 pounds. They take her , other types of snakes , birds, and small critters to schools, TV stations , Store Openings and Civic happenings. You can book with the Zoo to have Birthday parties and sleep overs with the education Department. Any one want to sleep in the room with Phantom?

These Birds greet us each night when we enter the education building.
"Hello, Pretty, pretty bird." Whistle and loud screach when they see the Emma.

Wrapping up the CPA course

2009-01-23T13:18:00.000-08:00

The last night of class.

The last night of class someone brought in a bag of donuts and we make Officers Dave Osborne and Fred Alvear pose with us. Dave Osborne says we are a "sick" group.

Hands off my donut.

Monday , January 19, 2009
Graduation dinner is held at the Lone Star Restaurant .

Officers Fred Alvear and William Bilokury

Connie and Bob attended the dinner with me and Connie renewed her friendship with Officer Fred Alvear

We will miss spending Monday nights with Officer Osborne and his off beat sense of humor..

Our cool cake.

Police Chief Danny Castellio handing out our pins and Wood Engraved Plaques..

Everyone gets one of each , there were no tests or finals to cram for in this course , just a whole lot of fun and eye opening appreciation for our police force.

CPA _ firing range

2009-01-23T12:34:00.000-08:00

It has been a busy time and I am way behind in my blogging..I will try to catch up..

All of our activities have been exciting and enlightening..
The Citizens Police Academy went to the firing range at the Marine Military Academy ,where the instructors let us shoot different weapons and kept us safe at the same time. No small feat with this group!! We had some students who for some reason thought they knew more or just did not listen.

The first order of business was reading the safety rules.

This is Sargent Gracia showing the stance we are trying to achieve but "it did not happen" although a few came close.

Sargent Garcia says,"FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER, FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER, DO IT MY WAY ",, this is hollered many times to one shooter in this group. Finally a tap on shoulder by Officer Osborne and "finger off the trigger" is repeated,,, Oh , ok,

Sargent is just shaking his head.

Threat is the word you listen for as the signal to fire your weapon.

Hold it this way. Feet apart, lean forward , bend your knees, feel the shoulder pocket, lean into it , look down the barrel, line up the site, aim, listen for the word threat, then fire!! TARGET, what target?? I am just happy I did not kill anyone. Maybe driving the cars is more my thing..

Now , Any one want to shoot some slugs?

Everyone has a different stance.

Leo and Sid are the alumni who do a lot of the behind the scenes work setting thing up and helping the students. After we are finished they get to shoot also.

For me the hardest part was reloading the clips with the maxim 15 rounds. I told Officer Osborne I know I put at least 25 rounds into my clip.

Hold the pistol the correct way or your thumb/finger will "get bit".

One thing about this class,, we do eat.

Officer Alvear spends the whole morning cooking on the grill for our noon meal.

Sargent stands behind us and shouts THREAT, and watches, we are lucky to have his expertise in our class as he is going back to work in narcotics after a 2 year break. He is a very patient and knowledgeable instructor. We also had him with us on the driving course.

Are we looking good?

Watching to learn from others mistakes and learning..

Waiting for our turn in very pleasant surroundings. The "old" shooting range was quite primitive we are told. We are the first class to get to use the Military facilities.

Finally, just before leaving Officer Osborne tells us congratulations we have achieved our objective today....yea,, but what was that we ask???

He laughed and said ,"We are all going home with only the holes God gave us". We love our Officers..

Drivers Training- CPA style

2009-01-04T20:14:00.000-08:00

Getting to drive these cars is one of the highlights of this Academy....Every week seems to be more exciting than the last. The most fun since I was a kid. Maybe I still am. We are told this is the course the Officers drive.

Sergeant Mike Garcia describes the timed course and gives us the rules and penalties..

Hit a cone- 1 second

Hit 6 cones - you are done

Miss a lane- 30 seconds,,,,,Sometimes fast is slow and slow is fast...

We are all lost until we take our 2 practice laps to get to know the layout.

Sitting in the "starting block" on the timed course. Go! , go, as fast as you can , don't miss a lane, make a couple of 90 degree turns , come back to tricky part ..

pull into the square with nose of the car up to the double cone. Lock the wheel to the right, honk the horn, hit the gas ,don't forget to shift into reverse , back into the block like you see here, 6 inches from double cone , shift again and go as fast as you feel comfortable , watch out do not hit the cones and finish the course. Slide to a stop in the finishing block and your time stops. Whew!!!!!!!its over ?????What a rush !!!! OK, white knuckles can relax now, start to breath and drive back to get your time. Aiming for 1 minute, my time was 1:10 with one cone down equals 1:11 total.

One of my driving partners, if you are not in the drivers seat , you are riding along in front or back seat [the first time ever in the back of a police car, HONEST] helping the driver with speed and times so they can keep their eyes on the course. HANG ON..spin outs really throw you around.

What can I say??? When ask my name I said "Jane Doe"..

Driving up to the yellow line at 40MPH the light comes on with a right or left arrow, How fast can you react?? You must take the lane the arrow directs you and not hit the cones, go to end , back to center and exit.

A quick picture before the quick reaction into the left lane.

The class on this day. I would not have missed this for the world.

Cone Orange is now my least favorite color!!

Citizens Police Academy

2008-12-23T17:27:00.000-08:00

CPA Classroom Activities , Getting tasered.

I have enrolled in the Citizen Police Academy classes that Connie and Bob went through 2 years ago. Half way through the 10 week course we have learned more about police work , laws and law breakers than I thought possible, best of all ,,,,I am having the time of my life doing it.

Round 2 for Dena.

Learning about Tasers

This is Dena who is a real live wire in our class. Officer Bilokury [in back with the taser] said he had to stand away as she "kicks like a mule". After this she said "can you do it again?"

Each Monday night there is a demonstration of some kind of Police workings. On this night it was all about Tasers.. It included getting some of us students to be tasered in one form or another. No, I did not volunteer.....No one in the class got shot from a distance though the Officers tried to get someone to volunteer but there was no one brave enough after watching a video of some real "bad guys"getting zapped. They did the "drive" taser with this young man . This where they put the gun right against your body and fire. No probes enter the skin with this method . To join in the fun activities you must read and sign a 2 page release form. I still have mine!!!

They did 1-3 seconds not the usual 5 seconds the "bad guys" get. As most of the injury occurs while falling [usually on your face] they have spotters hold on to you.

This young man did not know he hollered out f--- while going down and Sergeant Garcia [in red shirt] said "I did not know you spoke German".. Officer Bilokury seems to enjoy this part of his job evident by his smile in most of the photos.

The group taser is having alligator clips on the end people while locking elbows , the jolt goes through the whole group. All of their feet rose in the air at the same time.

Group two getting tasered. Note: Dana is in all the groups.. the girl is into pain!!
In Texas you can own a Taser. I have the information to order one, hummmmm...

Now comes weapons night.

We get to see the well equipped Harlingen Police Department , thanks to the drug dealers and all the money, cars , etc they get busted with. It all goes into the Police fund.

Officer Bilokury is the weapons expert this night. He demonstrates and explains for us how everything works and answers all our questions no matter how dumb they must seem to him.
The best part of all this is when we go to the firing range we get to shoot all of these and be rated on our marksmanship.

Now if all this does not excite you enough ,,on Friday and Saturday night ,from 6-10 or 10 -2 am."Students" from the class get to ride 4 hour shifts along with an Officer in his car doing his regular Patrol. You sign up on Monday in class and before getting "your officer assigned " you get to sit in on the briefing to learn what is happening that night. Talk about an adrenalin rush. You do not look at the streets of town in the same way. You learn where the drug houses and trouble spots are. The names of the street people and where the Ladies of the Evening hang out. You are there during arrests and handcuffing, the booking process and writing of reports. I was impressed with the respect the officers showed everyone and the driving and multitasking that goes on with all the equipment in the car. Going on calls, 99% of the time you are allowed to get out of the car and be at the Officers side to listen and watch everything that is happening. We have ID badges on us.

Some things I learned,

South Texas weather allows driving with the windows down to listen to and even smell the city. You are another set of eyes and ears on patrol.

In Harlingen there are only 2 things you can not be arrested for, open container, and speeding..Everything else can put you in jail although the officers are very generous to most citizens.

,More on another blog about the actual happenings I witnessed on the streets of Harlingen .. ,

Driving a police car at the airport training course.

Attending the Active shooter day ,using paint guns and Swat Equipment..

STAY TUNED!!

Travel to South Padre Island

2008-12-18T11:30:00.000-08:00

We must have crossed over the Laguna Madre Causeway to South Padre Island 100 times in the last 14 years but we always look forward to the sights .

If you want some good fish and shrimp there are many places to stop to eat.

We never know what we will see from the top of the bridge, Pelicans flying next to your car , Dolphin watch and sail boats. Shrimping and Skiing boats and if your lucky a big ship making its way to the port of Brownsville

Oh, look to the north on the flats there are kites and sail boards on the shallow bayside.

Now a quick stop at the visitors center to see the new sand sculpture . Of course Dolphins pulling a sleigh and a Christmas tree.

Travel north to meet Cliff and Lavonne at the hotel where they are staying on the beach. The view from the third floor and the windy day make the Waves seem hypnotic. We wonder if ,like snow flakes, there are no 2 alike??

We go to La Palms restaurant and sit on the deck close to the beach watching and listening while eating lunch.
Back to the Hotel for happy hour down by the pool with beer , wine and snacks. Chatting with new people as we crowd around and share the tables.

WHAT WERE THEY THINKING??

This gave us a chuckle in the corner of their room ,just inside the front door with no curtain or divider, is the tub with flat screen TV. You are in full view of the rest of the room and the hall [with Soda and Ice machines ] if someone were to open the door . Did room service design this set up?

7 Pm we go to the local theater to see Marley and Me. It was a funny movie up until the end. Everyone who has ever had a pet walks out with tears. I expected to walk out feeling better , after all it is billed as a comedy..

Zoo lights and Trivia

2008-12-11T19:53:00.000-08:00

December 6, 2008.
We meet up with Vango's at the Zoo with 700 kids and their parents for the annual 3 night Zoo Lights presentation. The long line was around the building and down the block before the 6 PM opening. There are lots of lights that look like animals , which is a good thing because all the critters are sleeping out of sight. We did peep through the glass and could barely make out the Gorillas in their beds.

Music, Crafts and lots of homemade items for sale. A very busy spot was the tables where Decorating Gingerbread Cookies with lots of frosting ,sprinkles, M&M and colored sugar was happening. We walk around and out waited most of the kids and then head back to the Gingerbread room ,,, Adults now are taking over with all their decorating skills. What fun to be a kid again. The Gingerbread cookie was a tasty bonus..
You have to visit the Vango blog page to see pictures of our cookies. visitvango@blogspot.com see all the December pages.

I think I liked watching the little ones talking to Santa the best. They were so funny , some were scared , some brave, some bold and some just annoying. One adult had Santa talk to some one on their cell phone!! Santa Claus is one tough gig.. You had to pay 2 bucks to take a picture with Santa with your camera. I tried to charge this couple 1 dollar to take this photo but no dice. When I tried again with a stranger he just laughed and said good idea.

These were the only awake creatures we seen. The smell in this area was so bad we did not linger.

Monday December 8, 2008 Buffalo Wild Wings for lunch.

We meet with our regular friends/competition, the Vango's

They put trivia up on the Big screen for us because there was no sports event at 11:30 am. Wait,, I thought Trivia was a sport.

Vango WINS!! Can you guess which names belongs to who?

This is special because we got the restaurant number 4 in the nation for the game just played.

Always take your Camera to lunch.

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-12-11T19:21:00.001-08:00

What Thanksgiving in Texas looks like. We gather together what family we can find plus good friends Kathy and Will, also known as the Vango Crew. Grandma cooked most of the food while I put her already prepared Turkey in my oven . Everything was served on our side screened porch.

After dinner we played some games and then sat and talked until after 10 PM.

Ummmm good... see Grandma's "limo" just behind Kathy's head? Otherwise know as the golf cart.

Bob's Birthday at the DQ

2008-12-02T15:33:00.000-08:00

Saturday, November 8, 2008.....Bob's

Birthday.

Bob spent the day painting the skirting around the bottom of the Mobil Home, so when night time came we thought a trip to the local car show at the Dairy Queen was called for,, in light of his hard work.

Checking out the red panel truck and the rest of the cars.

Sunday, November 9 , we travel to McAllen to a park where there were about 250 cars of all kinds on display.

Here we have a King Midget . Something I have never heard of before. These cute little cars are no longer made.

Next is restored white Jeep , I thought of Dwight and wonder how he is coming along with the restoring of his white Jeep.

A great looking woody!!!

This one is for Tom ,, We called it very basic.

Bare metal seats , twisted iron bar with skull and helmet for shifter. Everything painted gun metal green/grey. What you see right here is about all there is.. An ammunition case for a console.

A impressive display of Military vehicles all privately owned and restored. Seems someone likes playing Army with Big Boy Toys!!

No words needed here but it was

eye-catching .

A favorite of all you hunters out there.. When Texans think "tree stands" ,,well,, there ya go!!

On the way to Texas -part 2

2008-11-07T20:33:00.000-08:00

This will be a new/different format for my blog, more writing like a journal and photos at the end. Tell me what do you think?

Got up late , still coughing. After 2 pots of coffee we head for Branson
It is windy and Hilly so I drive the car from Columbia to Branson this makes it easier on the Motor Home and Bob. We pull into the Walmart off Hwy 65 and I shop. Talk to Kathy and Will they are at the Landings in Downtown. We will meet up in the morning. We have tickets for 2 shows tomorrow. The weather is still cold..

I slept some after taking NyQuil.

Thursday-10-23-08

Kathy and Will arrive at 9:30. We have coffee and talk. I wash hair in bathroom sink and get ready. We have lunch in our own units and leave at 1 PM for SIX- Six brothers - the only sound you will hear is the human voice.It is AMAZING. You can't believe your ears. A great show. Ate at Bob Evans and go to the 8 pm Liverpool Legends show. The young men look and sound like the Beatles and it is a pretty good show but i think we like the SIX best. Back to our "homes"at 10:30 PM..

Friday 10-24-08

Kathy and Will bring thier mugs of coffee and we talk for a few hours and solve the worlds troubles. HAHA>.

We leave at 2 PM for the Titanic experience. The worlds largest museum attraction. And what an experience it was!!We spent 3 1/2 hours there. Each person is given a "Boarding Pass " with the name of some one who was on the ship. You are not told if you are one of the survivors. As you make your way through the ship and visit the exhbits and galleries different members of the ships crew are stationed and tell you stories about yourself and what happened to you. You can spend as much time as you like and listen to all the stories as people make their way through. Will was given the ID of Captain Smith , who went down with the ship. There are many hands on experiments. It is very interesting and fun despite the pricey 20.00 plus cost.

We eat a quick supper at Baldknobbers and head for the RED HEAD EXPRESS show at the Circle B music theater. A great family show. Mom, Dad, four daughters and three sons from Alaska. Blue grass music. We clap and sing along. The show is new in town and only half filled. We stay after talking to them we find out they are coming to Harlingen , Texas January 15 to audition for the RV parks in the Rio Grande Valley. We get a press kit and CD to help promote them to our activities director.

Saturday-10-25-08

It is still cold , running furnace at nite before bed and again in morning. Time to go more miles southward.. Because of the hills and the long climbs coming into town on the main road we talk to some locals and decide to take a 2 lane road south and west to Ark and OK. Very curvy and pretty views but not too bad on the hills. Slow going , I am driving the car again.

We hook up the car and take 69 south at Chotoch, OK. Spotted Wal mart on the east side of road right at the light. I think we stayed here before. YIPEE a Wifi hit from the Staples store next door.. Cooked supper , Bob walked into Walmart. Iam so tired took shower and to bed still coughing all night.

Sunday10-26-08

It is not as cold this AM, do not have to run the furnace. Fill up with gas , it is getting cheaper [2.15 per gallon] and head for Dallas. Drive through 1 PM still some traffic. At rest Area by Waco I see a very strange man by the back of white Jeep. He had a mask/scarf/gauge on his face. He got into the back and put on 3 jackets one with a hood which he pulled over his head. Now the sun was shinning and you did not need even one jacket. He started walking fast up and down the parking lane, sometimes waving his arms all around. He just looked weird. Others were watching him also. His car had California plates on it. I took his picture.

After Austin we missed our best opportunity for a Walmart so stayed the night at the rest area south of New Braunfels on I 35. It was noisy, lots of highway noise. Not much sleep still coughing. Did not even feel well enough to make my "free minutes" phone calls.

Monday-10-27-08

Drive through San Antonio south to the "Valley". At Corpus Christi where hwy 77 branches we pull into, where else ,,,Wal mart,,, and cut the Alero loose so we can drive to North Padre Island.

Talking to the lady on the gate at the National Park Entrance, we get our senior pass and go check out the campground. No hookups but they have a dump station and water available, also showers. Generators can be run until 10 pm. You can see and listen to the waves , with a nice wooden walk right to the beach. we go out to the end of board walk and watch people surf fishing or walking on beach when Darrell Marshall comes up and we talk for a long time. He retired from Saturn and may know Connie. I took his picture. A nice fellow from a farm in the KY Lakes area. Mousetail ST PK near. He is camping and riding his new motorcycle.

We would like to return for a day or two of camping here , 4.00 per night for us seniors.
Tuesday 10-28-08

Leave at 11 am ,,thinking about all the work ahead setting up the Mobile and unpacking. [Mom came and was a BIG help with that, thanks Mom]. We stop for lunch at rest area south of Kingsville and see some pretty green and black birds looking for handouts. All signs tell us we are in south Texas,,,,birds, 70 and sunny..

Morning dawns foggy over Branson ,MO.

Gathering for morning coffee..

Our area in the far corner high on the hill. There was another Roadtrek that spent 2 nights with us also.

Here we are at the bottom of the Grand Staircase on the Titanic. Can you picture the movie and the fine ladies and gents walking down?? Oh, where are the flowing gowns? We did see the movie ones on display.

Lots of pictures of the RED HEAD EXPRESS family.

When not performing on stage the young boys are very active selling ice cream , CD's and getting drinks. At intermission the whole family waits on the customers.

Dad and one of the daughters.

The girls in their curly wigs.

Mom on this end and Dad on the other. They all worked very hard to entertain us.

Vango heads out to the caves east of Branson and we go south to ARK. We will meet up in the Rio Grande valley about December 1.

The strange man at the rest area.

The beautiful ,peaceful beach on North Padre Island.

Bob watching the waves from the boardwalk.
Darrell Marshall from KY Lakes. See the campground just steps away.

Note ; I go to Doctor on Thursday he tells me I have bronchitis. He fixes me up with steroids, antibiotics, and some kicking cough medicine. I finally sleep through the night lying in bed. After 6 days I feel much better.

On the way to Texas

2008-11-07T20:25:00.000-08:00

This year we cross the Missouri River on our way to Columbia, MO. to see Cliff and Lavonne Custin. We are taking our time and enjoying the country even more.

Night time is rough for me as I am coughing non stop when the sun goes down. Nothing seem to help. I have bought every over the counter drug Wal mart has to offer. I even got suggestions from the pharmacy. Cough drops and sipping water are my staple during the day.

When we get to Columbia we follow Cliff's direction to the local Wal- Mart and unhook the car. We spend the night and do a little housekeeping. In the morning Cliff and Lavonne come and pick us up and we go back to their house and spend the day visiting . We go to their favorite sports Bar and Grill for a great lunch and back to the house. After Cliff fixes us a tasty supper and more talk, we are chauffeured back to the Motor Home for the night.

The boys are looking good!!

Rusty likes to keep a close eye on us. Babe is more relaxed and sort of ignores us.

Later that night I am still coughing and move to the couch to try a more upright position. At 3AM,, knock,knock on the door. It is cold windy and raining but there stands a woman in grey sweatshirt Hood. I ask what she needs and she hold up some kind of ID card , points to the north and says something about her son and needs to get a room for the night. I tell her to try Wal-mart [it is open 24 hours, and Ihop is right there also] she throws up her hands and says I tried there and walks away. I watch her wake up 3 other Motor Homes and then get into a SUV and drive to the front door. There she waits until a red pickup drives up and talks to the man. He goes in and comes back to her after about 10 minutes. She then drives away to the north. I felt bad for her, but in this day and age you just can not open your door to strangers, especially at 3 AM..

In the morning I talk to some of the other Motor Home people in the parking lot and they feel the same. One man gave her $5.00 through a window in his door. Later Cliff tells me the county has a great program for people in need but the just want money.

We stop at this very nice Visitor Center in Ill and take a picture of this pink and grey van that is packed to the roof. I mention that they must be traveling alone because there is only one seat available and that is the drivers seat.

Soon we are talking to the 57 year old lady who is traveling with her little pug dog from Rhode Island to California by herself. She sold her house and is not sure what route to take. When I mention a map she says "oh, I am not good with maps". She shows me a wad of notebook papers someone had written directions on. She asks what we think and how many states she will go through and what are they. She did have a Cracker Barrel map that showed the states. I point them out to her. As simply as possible we tell her to take I -55 south to 40 west to California and GOOD LUCK!!!.. Oh yes the dog rode on top of the stuff piled on the passenger seat.

Sunset through the windshield of the Motor Home while driving west on I 70 .

Family Lake Houses

2008-11-01T18:55:00.000-07:00

OCTOBER, 2008

There are four of our family currently living on Lake Fenton and we would love to have more.

I am still working on that plan. I took one last ride around the lake before we took out the pontoon and now have pictures from the lake of our family homes.

The home of Mary and Bob Bills

Home of sister Carol and Dwight Polzin

Home of Nephew Jeff and Lisa Polzin

Home of Daughter Denise and Richard Hauk

Shoreline of our Home , We are lucky to have the extra 1/2 lot to the north of us.

In the fall we are invaded with the Dirty Birds

One of the hazards and annoyances of Lake Fenton.... Pigeons and their nasty "gifts".

This is now the largest house being built on the lake. It completely blocks the house behind it. These are NOT lake houses only out of place shows of wealth.. this is my soapbox...

Getting trees trimmed

2008-11-01T17:43:00.000-07:00

September 3, 2008, A crew of hard working young Mexican men [the boss man spoke English]came in to take off some big limbs that were hanging over our roof from the neighbors trees. They did a very good job and we were very impressed. They did not even touch the plastic fencing between houses.

They did all this with one man with a chain saw in the tree and a series of cables and ropes lowering the limbs. Others pulled and guided the heavy limbs to the ground.

It totally filled the yard with branches and leaves.

A chain saw came next and the young strong ones pulled the branches and carried the logs out to the chipper.

When they finished raking you would not even know there was work done..NO MESS LEFT.

The "monkey man" with the saw.. He could balance and knew just where to cut.

Bob kept a close eye from a safe distance. We were both impressed with how quickly and efficently they worked.

I highly recomend them!!!!

Goodby party at Lisa's

2008-10-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

Carson did not get the eye to eye stare down. He kept looking away at the camera..

We had a great goodbye gathering at Lisa's. Amy and I and Boys went shopping at Toys R Us and then play time at the mall. We rode the rides lots of time.. [Elevator and Escalators].. Quite an experience for Grandma while Mom was shopping. Carson said I was "just like a Mom, A REAL GOOD MOM"! He makes me laugh..

Shopping at IKEA is always fun when you can take someone new to see the different way to shop. Lisa and I enjoy one of the kitchen displays.

D Devon's sister , Kelly was all eyes and amazed at the whole store. Of course you can't go to IKEA with out having the famous meatballs for lunch. Devon was getting some Christmas shopping out of the way and also picked out something for herself.. Oops, was I not to mention that??

Kim's visit

2008-09-12T14:34:00.000-07:00

Kim comes to town for a visit and it was non stop gatherings..

Kim , Lisa, Connie, Denise, all four sisters together,, This is a rare occasion ..

Come on now guys,, Bob and Dwight, it is not rocket science, just opening a bottle of wine..
Kim and Chole at Carol's house..
Seems like we wore her right out..

Mark and Tina at the Moose Club, always a good time and stay too long..We now have ground rules for when they live next door full time. A curfew was in order..ha ha..

Here is why we hate to leave Lake Fenton ..

--

Traveling home from Hinkley

2008-08-13T11:01:00.000-07:00

On the way back from Hinkley we take highway 70 through Wisconsin . It is a nice 2 lane scenic road. A few small towns and when we get to St Germaine we stop at the Pier of d'nort factory. They make a unique docking system that one person can put in and out of the water without getting wet. Check out the web site, there is humor involved. We meet the owners/salesman/workers [total of about 5] They are very friendly and show us all around. We are definitely interested..

In Manistique there is a pretty lighthouse.

We drive around for more vantage points and see many boats coming into the harbor at a fast clip and decided that a fast moving storm is over Lake Michigan moving towards us.

I spy this patriotic Moose and make Bob pull over. This will be the only Moose we see on this trip.
Following the Lake Michigan Shoreline , We just can't get enough of the "Mighty Mac" which was 50 years old in 2007. Taking advantage of all the places to stop and we snap even more pictures.

At one of the rest areas there was this sign along with many " DO NOT DRINK THE WATER" signs that were posted all over all the buildings and fountains. No explanation , just warnings.
This group was playing music ,talking, drinking and just hanging about... They were not drinking the water.

Come and walk the beach..
This could be South Padre Island but it is really Lake Michigan just a few miles west of the photo of the Bridge.
--There is a long stretch where you can pull over and just enjoy a day on the beach.

After crossing The Straits of Mackinac into the lower Peninsula of Michigan, we go west on county road 66 and before long we see something crossing the road in front of us. Bob and Mary both shout "Oh My, Look at that"... It is a BIG Black Bear lumbering across the road into the woods. Now, I know it is hard to believe there are no pictures of it but I was driving and did not want to take my eyes off of this very unusual sight.. We have never seen a bear on or near a road like that before.. I will never forget the way it was loping along.

When we get to Cross Village we go south on 119 which is called the Tunnel of Trees. Nineteen miles of narrow twisting road all the way to Harbor Springs. Somehow it seemed a lot farther to the Driver..me!!

Yes, I confess the driver again took the pictures!!
There is more of Michigan for us to explore..

Late note: After getting home and a few phone calls back and forth, we bought one of the Pier d nort docking systems.

Hinkley , MN.-

2008-08-09T12:33:00.000-07:00

Finally we arrive...................

Check into the Grand Hinkley Inn, a beautiful 2 story hotel, we are greeted by many friends who have arrived before us. the Hospitality room is right next to the front desk and a fun place to hang out and see who has showed up. . The shuttle bus runs to the casino every 15 minutes 24/7 so you are good to go any time you get the itch. It is a short distance and many people are seen taking the scenic walk.Bob, Corkey, Jimmy, Bud, Evelyn are some of the friends hanging out in our gathering room. Eating at 4 Pm , cards and games and lots of talk, talk, talk follow. Then it is back to the Casino.

This is the patio outside of the Hospitality Room that is ours to use for the 2 day stay.

This seems like a good thing..

In a parking lot of a small shopping area ,Bob found his 'Cabin in the Woods".. It was very much the size of a Park Model [400 sq ft] with a loft. Nothing on the inside just log walls.
Yes, I could live here. [by myself] I wonder if he means in the parking lot or intends to move it to the woods.

See the Expressway signs in the background? No chance of getting "lost " in this area.

All too soon it is time to say Good by until next fall in Texas. Don Ringblom and George Wallin have only about an hour drive to get home. We all meet in the morning for the breakfast, coffee and saying goodbye's. Then out of our rooms by 11 AM.

Lavonne and Bea are settled in and ready to go. See you all soon...

The BIG MAC

2008-08-01T10:43:00.000-07:00

July 14th , 2008, We head out to Hinkley, MN, for the Paradise Park Reunion and get to do one of our favourite things, cross the Mackinac Bridge. There are so many impressive sights and I always take too many pictures. Come with me as I share the Beautiful Big Mac with you.

This is the first view as you get close.
Look off to the left and there are two of these large wind turbines usually turning slowly.

This is so much fun for me, not so much for driver Bob. It is a long way down to the water.

My cousin Janet and Husband Neil are some of the few people who have had the opportunity to enter inside the tower and climb to the view from "up top". Hers is a interesting and funny story about how the wind is so strong it sucks your hair out through the opening and she had a skirt on that day!!!!
Compare this photo with the others , it was taken on the way home on a very foggy day. No blue sky and clouds. I was driving so Bob could look but I could not resist picking up the camera while driving. I told Bob he has to be come the photographer sometimes as it is too dangerous with me doing double duty.

I even like the photo op from the rear view mirror.

Some one even trimmed the trees at the rest area so you can see the Bridge from their deck.
If you have not yet "crossed over the bridge" I invite you to make the trip and see for yourself.

There are many places along Highway 2 to take another look.
Oh yes,, we live aprox 247 miles straight south.
--

Driving the Corvette

2008-07-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

Thursday , July 24, Mary and Bob take " Red" for a ride to Houghton Lake. Cruising down the road in this car gets you lots of looks .. When we stop at the rest area people, OK mostly just guys, come up to you and want to talk cars. One guy just want to know if it was fun to drive. Well gee what do you think???? Of course it is..

The view from the passenger seat.

The very intent driver.

We stop at Spicers on M55 at Houghton Lake to look at Docks and find a nice but pricey one.

This one has all the bells and whistles like a light, chair and flag pole. They all attach to the main section and each comes with its own "add on" price.

We look over the many paddle boats on display. The selection includes some sparkly ones. These too are pricey.
We always end at trip to Houghton lake with a stop at the KilKare Inn for a famous burger and brew.

--

Happy Birthday Grandpa Bud

2008-07-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Bud turns 81 , so we honored him with cake and jokes about his age.

Grandma entertained Chloe with games and "rock a by" songs..

--

Back in Michigan June 20, 2008

2008-06-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

Texas to Michigan June 2008

We finally get a "parole" from the Doctor, so we begin again where things have been on hold for seven weeks in our preparation to leave Texas for Michigan. Bob,, having many injections at the pain clinic with Dr Williams for his back, develops a blood clot. We enter a new world of dealing with blood thinners and shots of Lovenox twice daily. After living with the maybe yes, maybe no,, yo yo life , we leave the park June 14 at 1PM with a bit of sadness as we were feeling like we belong in Texas with the regular summer residents.

We make an instant decision on highway 37 at the highway59 exit to go the Houston route this time instead of Dallas. Stopped at 8 pm for the night at the Wal Mart in Wharton TX.
Driving through Houston early Sunday morning there was still more traffic than we expected. The weather is still 90 plus degrees.

At 2 rest areas on I-10 in LA we heard the chirping of the Cidadades [?], the grasshopper/bugs that appear every 17 years. The sound starts like a low hum and grows to a loud buzz and then dies out only to start again after a couple minutes.

Lake Charles , LA area

Spotted this sign at one of the rest areas and got a chuckle out of it. After thinking it over I scurry back to the Motor Home.

We always like driving through this area.

Here we are crossing the Mississippi River for the first of the 3 crossings we get traveling this route.

The Mississippi Rest Areas are very pretty and have 24 hour security. The guards look like retirees and have comfortable posts with AC, doors that lock and BIG guns on their hips. We have second thoughts about spending the night here!!! Even the one female I seen had her gun. The sign says 6 hour stay but we have no problem stretching the limit. Not much traffic comes through here but those that do are very friendly. The guards seem lonley.
Firing up the generator we have all the comforts of home. Way in the back of the overhead cabinet I come up with a tape of our 1992, 3 month trip around the Country with Patches our little dog. We settle in and relive all the fun we had exploring and vow to do that again.

Bob spotted a foot long ,6 inch high critter standing by side of road,, "what is that"? We are thinking baby alligator.

Leaving I 55 we make the short drive to Tunica for a 24 hour stay at Sam's Town Casino where we leave a donation.

Coming into Memphis there is this sharp curve coming onto Highway that crosses the Mississippi River into AR and MO. The traffic really backs up here as everyone obeys the 25mph sign.
The second crossing of the Mississippi at Memphis, lots of trucks, narrow lanes.

Leaving the Memphis area we see burning fields of something,,, we are not sure. I am thinking rice fields? Do they burn Rice Fields? Once the burning starts , it reminds me of the Sugar Cane burning in TX. There are many fires going on for about 100 miles. Then they are no more.

In some places the sky is real thick with smoke.
We have run the Motor Home real low on gas getting to the Flying "J" at Sikeston MO where we find our best gas prices yet. $3.69 per gallon. Such a bargain we get $181.00 worth!!. We forgo the Wal Mart at Sikeston and get on I-57 north and cross the Mississippi for the third and last time. Here we see the that the River is rising from the flooding in Iowa.

The River is flowing fast and rising over the banks.

We stop for the night at Wal Mart in Benton Ill. Bob's leg is swelled again , maybe too much driving today. There is some issue with the generator not running right , so no home movie and comforts of home for us. Just "ruff camping", we read until dark and go to bed. Today is the first time the tempeture has been below 80 degrees for us in many months.

Indiana rest area has a deer decoy to capture your attention. At the Flyin J in Spiceland IN, we stopped for the night and Bob worked on the generator , it seems the choke was stuck. Back to the comforts again. Are we spoiled or what? We watch our old car racing tape reliving memories of people no longer with us.

As you can tell we do not miss too many rest areas as we are stopping every 70 -100 miles for a short walk and elevating the foot and leg. I figure out of 8 hours on the road we drive 5-6 and spend 2-3 resting, walking and recharging ourselves. We have limited the travel to around 250 miles a day now.
Some Rest areas are very inviting like this one in Ohio.

Crossing the State Line into Michigan. What could be better than following a yellow Corvette.

--Now don't laugh, but it is late in the day so we spend the night 70 miles from home at Cabela's Sports Center. In the morning we dump the holding tanks and do a bit of cleaning. Then we arrive home sorta rested and ready to do all the things necessary to begin living at the Lake again. Bud and Evelyn arrive a couple hours later and help with carrying in food and clothes ..Gas prices for the trip range from $3.69 in MO. to the high of $4.07 in Ohio. Aprox miles 1827.

It is good to be here..

Harlingen White Wings Baseball

2008-06-10T21:14:00.000-07:00

Harlingen White Wings Baseball June 10, 2008

A really fun thing to do in the summer in Harlingen is go to the White Wings Baseball games.. The Team is the Harlingen White Wings. The Mascot is called Wild Wing and he lives up to his name.

At the end of the first half inning the Wild Wing makes his entrance , then the entertainment begins.

In between innings they have previously picked 2 kids from the stands and have them "dress like a White Wing". This consists of having deposited 2 Jerseys on first base, 2 pairs of pants on 2ND base and 2 pairs of shoes on Third.

When told to GO they get dressed at first base and run to the next base , get dressed and so on. The first one to the Bird wins. . the two in this picture did a good job. Sometimes they have a hard time keeping the too large clothing on while running the bases, especially the shoes.

Fans from Paradise Park ,, Jim and Kaye and Glen and Jane . We all have a good time.
Glen and Jane go to all the games..
Sometimes it is talk , talk, talk ,humm ,,seems way too serious..
You try to keep a low profile and do not want to see this.. Being spotted by Wild Wing!! You could be in for some trouble. Earlier while taking the group photo I got a shot from the Birds giant squirt gun. Later he comes by and sees me again.. The man looking at me and grinning knows I am in trouble . Bob is gone and the seat next to me is empty, another bad thing.... The smiling man grabs my camera and takes the next photo for me.

While "falling in love" we "talk", Wild Wing has to communicate without words and he is very good at it. I ask him if he had to go to College for this gig. He indicated yes , he did . I related to him Debbie's story of being proud of her son because he wears a UNIFORM [security] to work and not a Costume with feathers doing magic tricks. Bird actually laughed at this.. He hung around posing for me until I cried "Uncle" saying to him that I was out of film.. everyone laughed at this because it was a digital camera.

More posing ..
Then Kids come along and try tickling him, He attracts kids like a bear to honey. He loves the babies and will "steal" yours and carry them around.

Twin girls sitting in front of us are adorable and Wild Wing liked them also..

However they would not go with him..

Then you have fans like Glen who seek out Wild Wing for a hug and photo.

In between all of the activities there is a Ball game going on..Just to distract us .. ha ha..

The ball is on the way to plate,, Is it a strike??
You're Out!

--

The Up side and not so up side

2008-06-05T20:55:00.000-07:00

June 5, 2008

Living on the Ocean, most houses are built off the ground because of Hurricanes.
This one is one of the best examples we have seen..and then

All of the AC units have to be raised because of water blowing inland , these units are at least 15-20 feet off the ground on side of house. The Docks are always long but you do not have to take them in and out of the water like on Lake Fenton.

Port Isabel has a nice Marina where you can see the fleet of Shrimp boats and if your lucky there will be tug boats pushing their loads ,..

and then there is the rust...

The pavilions at the park are good for sitting in the shade and look so nice,
but then add salt air and you have the rust....
There is a new development on hwy 100 in Laguna Vista [on the main land] with this very pretty common area. The walkways have shells embedded in the cement, benches to sit on and great views .

Again the rust. This waste container is 3 years old. [can you say plastic]
Walking across the building lots with fantastic views of South Padre Island and the Causeway we dream of what kind of house we could build and decide to come back at night to view the lights.

And the downside here well,,,

As anywhere else , things are not always as first impressions would lead you to believe..A great place to visit but think cement or plastic before you build..
Talking to some local people we find they trade cars often or lease.

Photos added for no special reason.. Long horn Cattle are fun to watch moving through the trees and brush, seems so easy even with the "long horns".

The Woodpecker wakes me up from across the street..

--

Port Mansfield and Deer.

2008-06-04T13:37:00.000-07:00

May 28,2008

When we go to Port Mansfield we go to the park and watch the fishermen and just relax. The sign says 72 hours parking. We wonder if we could last 72 hours. We know Vango could..

Looking down the row of docks/piers that go out from all the houses. All the large light fixtures on the left are at the end of docks where they have benches and fish cleaning stations.

One of the Nurses from home health care had a real cool picture on her Cell phone of a large Buck that is in the town . She told us where to go on the north side by the park . We have seen a herd of deer on the south side a couple years ago so we went in hopes of getting the "Big Buck" photo.
This what we spotted.

If you go away "squatters" move in.

Driving around this small town Deer seem to be a fixture on the lawns. Buy a house , get some deer. We did not see any Gardens, hum, wonder why?

Alas, no big Buck today but we had a good time anyway..

--

Happy Birthday Lavonne

2008-06-01T13:23:00.000-07:00

May 18,2008

May 18, 2008 is Lavonne Custin's Birthday so off we go to The Palms Resort on South Padre Island for dinner and drinks at their Cafe on the Beach.

In the photos note the family in background. They had FIVE daughters , ages approx 6-16 and one boy age 4 , all well behaved...
The drinks are called Arnold Palmer [non- alcohol],, Lemonade and Ice Tea plus a secret ingredient..
This one is to check out the food...

View of the pool and picnic area. The sign says seats 40.

NO Shirt, NO shoes, NO service, to take care of this we have Flip Flops available.

Our waiter is a Hottie who said no pictures and laughed.. He loved the attention.

Enjoying a laugh with friends.
I took so many photos the Mother started to give me the evil eye.. Can you say Stalker ?

The view to die for,,,and yes the water was this blue today.

Bob and Mary go back on May 29 then call Cliff and Lavonne just to tell them where we are and what they are missing. The young man in black at the end of bar is the cook who delights us with good and attractive food.

--

Rain and Sand

2008-05-24T15:37:00.000-07:00

The first rain in almost 3 months on April 27... Does it not look like summer in Michigan?

Now this is the way to play in the sand.

If you are ever on South Padre Island you must stop at the visitors center and see the sand sculpture. They have one on display all the time and change it every month. Some very talented sand carvers are on the Island.

This is all sand

If you click on the picture it will enlarge and you can view all the details.

Leaving the Island across the Causeway [looking forward]

[Looking back]

All I can say about this is the view in the mirror was really awesome..even if it does not show in the photos. As I was driving and taking pictures Bob looked up and said WHAT ARE YOU DOING?? Gee, I thought he would know me by now. I TAKE PICTURES !!!

--

SPI

2008-05-14T18:05:00.000-07:00

Friday May 9, 2008

Cliff and Lavonne Custin along with Son and Daughter In Law, Steve and Connie are on South Padre Island for 3 days. They invited us over to enjoy the Ocean view and Sound of the Surf from their 8Th floor condo. Enjoy it we did!!!
The view. Too bad you can not hear the sound of the surf. There is nothing like it. It never stops!!

Steve and Connie enjoy the poolside view ..
This is sort of like a surveillance photo shown on "Cops".
Do not even ask how far off the balcony the photographer was hanging to get this shot.
While waiting for the elevator we got quite a start when this young man got off, carrying his Whale. We later spot him making his way to the Ocean.
Wet footsteps make a pattern on the walkway.

We make our way to the Bay Side of the Island and have lunch at Whahoo's outside patio, enjoying the view of the Causeway in background.

Paying the bill and getting ready for the walk back to the Condo. Thank You Steve.

Check out the Harley Emblem on this bike. Somebody has a sense of humor ..We got a chuckle and had a few comments about that.
Cliff, Steve and Connie walked back to the Condo and had to hold up on the safety island on Padre Blvd waiting for traffic to clear. Are they thinking about getting a Tattoo.
"Look out for the boat coming close to your toes". Oh yes, Bob, Mary and Lavonne took the car back to the Condo..

Watching this family on the Beach, they had a patio tent, table ,chairs, cooler and BBQ grill all set up . There were 7 of them and were getting ready to light the grill when along comes the beach patrol and told them no fire in that area. They spent the next 30 minutes dismantling everything, tote it back and pack it in the truck. Then off they drive , all wearing their seat belts as you can plainly see.

--

This is:

2008-05-06T16:34:00.000-07:00

This is : where we are........

Agate and Opel ,, our corner of Paradise [park that is] for the winter.

This is....Motor Home out of storage and waiting to be loaded

This is....our hummingbird feeder that entertains us with more than one of the tiny creatures.
This is....one of the last meals at Logan's Steak House with friends until next fall.

This is.....one of the reason we are antsy to be on the road.

Another of the many reason to leave,,,,the pool area is under construction and the water is cold because the heater is broken. Even the sign isn't right.
With the fencing gone the area looks naked.
And then look at the RV section,,,,Where is everyone?? Oh ,,I know, back in their summer homes.
this is..... the wind, not a breeze but something like a gale with 50 MPH gusts.

Back and forth , in and out cleaning and packing
It takes many , many trips before we are ready to push off..

This is... maybe our last trip in this luxury way to travel due to the high gas prices..Something we will really miss. It is so nice to have your own kitchen, bed and bath. Just pull over, start the generator turn on the TV, maybe a Video, fix supper, have a hot shower [conserving water] and relax. No Campground needed.

this is ...just gross....named him "Twirp".....He moved into our storage, porch area and likes the green indoor/outdoor carpet. Once in a while he scoots under the screen door and goes out side. He is friendly enough but I want him evicted, but do not know how. He is good at being a squatter and is not all that afraid of us but too quick to catch.

--AND THIS IS.....WHERE WE WANT TO BE.

6 AM sunrise on Lake Fenton

condos on SPI

2008-04-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

Come with us on a tour ........

One day the fearsome foursome went to South Padre Island to check out Condos for when the Custin Kids come for a visit. I think what we found were pricey but very nice. Enjoy the views from the 3rd, 7Th and ground floor poolside areas of three different building complexes.

Bob and Lavonne find a nice spot to relax and read while Cliff is still checking out the condos. Nice Stairway. Are they charting the next stop?

Oh , the views from the third floor and the sound of the ocean from living room and bedroom. We could just sit and listen for the whole weekend, but alas the Condo manager seemed to think differently. The "spoil sports" want a reservation made and deposit left. We continue on to the next one.
This one was decorated very nice. We liked it the best. Note the mirrors.

-Next is a Condo on the 7 Th floor. They all had the same basic layout but were decorated differently.
A wet bar is a nice touch but I think I liked the one with the wall of mirrors , it seemed more spacious.

We love the Zoo

2008-04-21T18:08:00.000-07:00

If you connect the dots you have a heart of Giraffes..

We have paws taking a "pause" at the Zoo. Do you know whose feet we see? One is female and one male.

This is what the Gorillas see. I spy Debbie. The Gorilla was very nice to return the camera after snapping this picture.
How did she get that Camera?

Cheese ,, already....

Come on Mom, just touch her once , Noel is very gentle. Oh so soft, too!
Yes , I like you too,, [please don't spit on me]

Ok , OK, I do have my paw down this hole. I 'll get that critter yet. Watch the dirt fly.
--

You gotta love this face..

Awww, what did you bring me today? Baby is so curious about the Troll Doll.

I think I want to kiss you!! [In fact she did give the glass a great big slobbery kiss..]

For those of you who guessed the feet it was the King Of The Jungle... Lions.

A trip to the Zoo is not complete without a stop at Johnny Carino's To eat. Umm Umm the best Pannini Sandwiches and other stuff also. Debbie is visiting Mom and Dad and we always do some outings together. Debbie gives a thumbs up to Johnny Carino's..

I think we made a mistake taking Debbie to the F Street Dairy Bar. She fell in love , so we meet there every night. When we hit the door they start making the Hot Fudge Sundays. I have never eaten so much Ice Cream. It is made on site and yummy!!

Birds and Critters of Paradise Park

2008-04-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

A Hawk with a 5 foot wing span has a nest here in the park and lots of admirers keeping track of the 2 babies that are growing daily. A few patience photographers have pictures of the parents flying in with food delivery.
There are many colorful birds that sing.
"You looking at me??"
Rabbits are a real hazard because they run right in front of you on your Bike. This was taken from my bike. I just ride with camera in hand and click away.
Be careful not to crash as they chase each other around and around darting across the road.
They really are that close. Sometimes you can almost touch them.
How many Rabbits can you see in this picture?

This Family of Lizards/Chameleons share our back porch with us and takes over every afternoon sunning themselves and looking for danger. I guess that we are not danger as we can get quite close. Do you think his tail is that long or is it two critters?
A youngster on our grating next to steps.
On a house down the street, this Chameleon is puffing out his neck to warn me to stay away. He is not one of "ours" so is not friendly.
Wondering if any would like to make a trip to Michigan for the summer. I remember Joann had two hide away in Stans shoes and made the trip to Michigan with her. She discovered them while unpacking the Van. She tried keeping them alive all summer and took him back in the fall [only one survived] We caught live flies and bugs all summer to fed them. After marking him with fingernail polish ,She turned him loose, back in her Florida yard where he lived before the trip north . She seen him all the next winter in the back yard by the down spout. Can you believe the stories he told his family about his adventure?

April 8, Mary goes for her first walk without Connie [Connie had deserted us for Michigan ] and ran into a 4 foot brown with black stripes snake in the middle of the road. It was not moving very fast, just looking around. A small group gathered and it was disposed of and thrown over the fence but I think it lives as no body was found the next day. Mary decides to ride her bike after dark from now on. Feet off the ground sound like a good idea. No pictures of the snake because Mary thought there to be no need to carry camera after dark.

Thursday April 17, Bud and Evelyn spied a 3 foot greenish snake in the yard next to their park model. It crawled under the cement pad next door. Watch where you walk and keep your eyes on the ground!!
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