Livin' the Dream

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

2012-02-15T22:02:00.001-05:00

What a great day today was. Sunny skies, temp 80*+ and a field trip. Bill took Titan a quick walk, then he (the dog) was crated while Bill and I headed out of town, footloose and fancy free, for a few hours anyway. We had read about this place a couple of years ago and today was the day for our visit.

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is a 14,000 acre preserve located 1 1/2 hours south of us. However, the TomTom couldn't seem to find it for us. It's 14,000 acres for crying out loud! "The old growth cypress at Corkscrew were saved" from logging "and are now the largest and oldest virgin bald cypress forest in North America." Much of the growth in this preserve was here when Columbus discovered this country. That boggles my mind!

There is a 2.25 mile boardwalk that winds it's way through four native habitats. We took about 2 hours to complete the loop walk.

The boardwalk is made from a Brazilian ironwood called Ipe (EE-pay) sometimes referred to as Pau Lope. The wood is very resistant to rot, insects, UV exposure, splintering and chemicals. It is harvested in a very sustainable way as well.

It is very quiet (for the most part) except for the sound of the breeze, the birds and other visitors whispering and pointing out exciting things to see.

This is the dry season so some of the places had evidence of water, but there wasn't any today.

Unfortunately, my photos don't do this place justice ;o(

We did see lots of birds and we even got pictures of some of them...

Anhinga sunning itself

Pileated Woodpecker

I tried to crop these pictures so the woodpecker would be easier to see but couldn't make it work. We watched this one for quite a while.

Remember the sign that said "quiet". The only time that wasn't heeded was when a woman spotted an "ALLIGATOR!". It was so funny, everyone went running to the bridge to check it out.

Picture of people running to take pictures. Can you spot Bill?


ALLIGATOR!

Yeah, okay, so it's not a huge alligator but it's the only wild one I've ever seen this close. We are guessing this little guy was around 18". One of the staff reported there were two BIG ones earlier in the day, probably before Titan and I got out of bed.

I never would have thought that alligators even needed a place to get out of the rain.

There are several kinds of Tillandsia (air plants)...

Tillandsia with blosson

You can read about the Bald Cypress for yourself right here.

These signs even tell you how far you've walked


Up, up and away

Alligator Flag blossom

There were lots of places to get off the main walk, sit quietly and enjoy.

A tree grows through it

Remember, it's winter, so most of the leaves are gone. What a great day. We had a wonderful time and look forward to visiting again, maybe when Wendy comes to stay ;o)

Thanks for stopping by...

;o)

Wordless Wednesday 2/15/12

2012-02-15T07:50:00.000-05:00

Thanks for stopping by...

;o)

Happy Valentines Day

2012-02-14T11:00:00.000-05:00

Spend it with the ones you love and may there be many!

Thanks for stopping by...

;o)

WhineNot

2012-02-11T20:48:00.000-05:00

I am not what one would call a wine connoisseur. In fact, I never drank ANY wine before somewhere around 2000, when one of my co-workers introduced me to White Zinfandel. That's the wine that doesn't taste like wine and a real wine drinker would never let it touch their lips. I.Liked.It! It was sweet and that's what made it a winner in my book. After that, it was WZ for me, no matter what was offered or available.

Somewhere along the line, it was suggested by someone (was it you?) that I try a Riesling. I.Liked.It! Riesling is "a white wine that ranges from dry to very sweet and is made from a single variety of grape originally grown in Germany". Now I have two different options.

Generally, when I buy Riesling, I buy Schmitt Sohne, for two very good reasons. I can hear you asking yourself, "And what would those two reasons be?" First of all, price! I have the reputation of being very ~~cheap~~ frugal when it comes to spending money and SS is relatively inexpensive. The second reason...it comes in a really pretty blue bottle. Is there any better reason to purchase a wine? I think not!

Yesterday, thanks to Groupon, Bill and I went to a new-to-us place in Punta Gorda called Closer to the Vine. It's a nice little wine bar/coffee shop that serves lunch, has wine tasting events and serves some appetizers in the evening. I got a $20 coupon for $10 before we left Maine. Since the lunches ran $6 - $9, I figured a glass of wine was in order. After all...It's.A.Wine.Bar. There were two kinds of Riesling and I chose the one with a little effervescence (bubbles, kind of like champagne). I.Liked.It! In fact, I liked it so much, I bought a bottle to bring home since it fit my criteria - sweet and only $11.

This is a damn nice photo, is it not?

You can probably read for yourself, it's called Frisk and the label says "Prickly Riesling". I guess the prickly really means bubbley. Anyway, I highly recommend it (Lori).

Unfortunately, it comes in a boring green bottle. On the "up" side, it's a screw top ;o)

Thanks for stopping by...

;o)

Blogland

2012-02-09T08:33:00.001-05:00

As I said in my post about Knox, I love reading blogs. In the event you have any interest in the blogs I'm following, here are links to some of them. They are about pit bulls or dog fostering or both ;o)

A Heartbeat at My Feet

The BadRap Barn blog

Love & a Six Foot Leash

Of Pit bulls and Patience

Peace, Love & Fostering

Pittieful Love

Last one, I promise...

StubbyDog

I read them because I get a lot of good, free, information about raising a pit bull, training one and living with one on a daily basis. I learn that I'm not the only one that has a dog with "issues" and that makes me feel better. Technically, Titan only has one "issue", his leash reactivity when around other dogs. We continue to work on his over excitement when he meets people but that, for me, isn't really an "issue".

There are some others I read that keep me updated about Breed Specific Legislation, some about the art of Zentangle and a few others about quilts and quilting.

Enjoy ;o)

Thanks for stopping by...

;o)

Wordless Wednesday 2/8/12

2012-02-08T10:06:00.000-05:00


Gnome Home

Thanks for stopping by...

;o)

Goodbye Knox, R.I.P.

2012-02-06T20:59:00.002-05:00

Christmas Day 2011

Let me explain a little about Knox. I love blogs; I am subscribed to about 60 of them. In the beginning, they were all about quilts and quilting. Then, I retired; then, I volunteered a lot of hours at the Animal Welfare League in Pt. Charlotte, FL and worked with a lot of pit bull type dogs. I had been introduced to the breed by Dan, my daughter's husband (as of 9/23/11) and had learned that they aren't anything, ANYTHING, like they are portrayed by the media. I fell in love with them.

Long story short, I started replacing my quilting blogs with blogs about pit bulls and doggie foster families. One blog leads to another and another and another. Through one of these blogs, Pittiful Love, I came to know Knox.

I learned that he was very loved by his people, Jessica and Brian

that he was a doggie blood donor,

a breed ambassador and a great foster brother.


Knox and Buddha

Sadly, Knox became very ill, very quickly shortly after Christmas and last week his people made the extremely difficult decision to release him from his suffering. So, holding him in their hands, they wished him a safe trip over the Rainbow Bridge.

Each of us welcomes an animal into our homes and hearts, knowing that we will receive unconditional love, along with laughs and adventure. We also know, that the end will come too soon and we will have to say "good-bye" before we are ready. If you are inclined, please stop by Pittiful Love's Facebook page and leave them a note, letting them know that you share their grief and sadness and offering them words of support as they work their way through this difficult time.

2009 - 2012

Thanks for stopping by...

;o)

ps...these photos are from the Pittiful Love blog.

Bungalow Update

2012-02-03T22:34:00.000-05:00

This is what the "bungalow" looked like last spring before we left...


2/2011

This is what it looks like now...

Seriously??? The place looks like it's been sitting there for years. I'm pretty sure they spent more on the landscaping than any place I have ever lived was worth.

And then there's the back...

Of course, there's a nice in ground pool, with a two-story cage. The cage allows everyone to play outside in the pool or sit on the deck drinking martinis or on the balcony, and not have to be bothered by bugs. I sure would like to know how much $$$ is tied up in this little "bungalow".

Thanks for stopping by...

;o)

Da Blimp, Da Blimp

2012-02-02T09:41:00.002-05:00

Thanks for stopping by...

;o)

Wordless Wednesday 2/1/12

2012-02-01T06:59:00.002-05:00

Thanks for stopping by...

;o)

Chillaxin'

2012-01-31T21:00:00.003-05:00

Thanks for stopping by...

;o)

The Tide Was Low

2012-01-30T22:27:00.000-05:00

Peace Rive from the boardwalk

Peace River from the pier at the end of Harborwalk

but the wind was high

On the pier at the end of Harborwalk

Thanks for stopping by...

;o)

Harborwalk

2012-01-28T20:12:00.000-05:00

We take the dog for a walk every.single.day while we are in FL, assuming the weather is good. We have enjoyed clear blue skies and warm temperatures, which means we have been out walking. One of our favorite places to walk is called "Harborwalk" and it follows the Peace River as it flows into Charlotte Harbor.

There have been a few changes along the walk since last year.


2011

There is a new Tiki Bar this year...


That handsome man & his nice dog are still here

Last year we saw three manatees and several dolphins. We saw this dolphin last week.

It's hard to take good pictures of dolphins

Last year they started working on this section of the walk.

2011

It's been widened and paved,

2012

lights and landscaping were added,

even benches, doggie bags and decorative trash cans were installed.

There is a lot of wildlife around here. Last year Bill saw an alligator along this section but he got so excited he couldn't make his camera take a picture. Since wildlife can't read the "sidewalk closed" signs they didn't realize the concrete was wet.

Obviously some type of bird

Not sure yet, still learning

I feel like I should know these, raccoon maybe?

Bear?

These are so cool ;o) There's a snake print too, but I didn't get a good photo.

It's a really nice walk, maybe 2-3 miles. There are two piers where people can get off the walk and overlook the river. So can their dogs.

Thanks for stopping by...

;o)

Wordless Wednesday 1/25/12

2012-01-25T18:44:00.001-05:00

Adult Beverages

2012-01-23T20:54:00.000-05:00

hahaha

Thanks for stopping by...

;o)

"Hotel Port Charlotte" Mural Update

2012-01-22T22:18:00.000-05:00

When we left last March, this was the status of one of the new murals in Punta Gorda. It was started after we arrived last year; I think the artist works very fast.

This is how it looks now, all done.

Not only is this one finished, but there is a completed one on the building next door.

These were finished faster than I completed Wendy & Dan's wedding quilt.

Thanks for stopping by...

;o)

Four Words I Hate To Hear

2012-01-19T21:45:00.002-05:00

A little background. We arrive and are settling in nicely. I'm out walking the dog, along the road, within a few houses of home. I'm at the corner when the neighbor pulls into his driveway and out jumps his passenger. I can hear her telling Bob, the neighbor, "I have to go say "hi" to the dog." "I can't wait to meet the dog." She is literally jumping for joy as she heads toward Titan and me. She doesn't ask if it's okay to say "hi" or meet the dog, she just comes bouncing along, all excited and talking like she has had way too much caffeine already.

Me: "You can meet him but he has to be polite." Fat chance of that, Titan is just as bouncy as she is.

Her: "Oh, sure." She doesn't, however, wait for him to calm down or sit down, she just comes running up talking rapidly in a high, excited voice and waving her hands all around. "You're beautiful, what's his name, how old is he" blah, blah, blah.

Me: "Titan, sit" (yeah, right) "His name is Titan, he's 2." "Titan, sit" (still no luck)

Her: as she kneels down to see him face to face "He's very friendly" as he's trying to jump in her face.

Me: "Yes, he's very people friendly but he isn't great around other dogs."

Her: Here they come, my least favorite words to hear coming from a stranger's mouth, especially one that just met me and my dog. "I'm a dog trainer."

Me: (thinking to myself)..."Great" with much sarcasm "He's usually better behaved."

Her: "Well, that thing on his face is clearly cutting off the circulation."

Me: (to myself)..."You're a dog trainer and don't know what a gentle leader is???"

Her: "Do you take him to the dog park?"

Me: (again, to myself)..."Didn't I just tell you he isn't great around other dogs?" "No, we don't take him to the dog park."

The dog park generally has several dogs running around off leash.

Her: "What about the dog beach in Venice, do you take him there?"

Me: (to myself)..."What part of the "I'm a dog trainer" in you doesn't understand the part about "he's not great around other dogs?" "No, we don't take him to the dog beach, either, he isn't great with other dogs."

The dog beach, which has dozens of dogs running around off leash, is reached by going through the dog park, which also has dozens of dogs running around off leash.

Her: "My dog helps me train dogs."

Me: (to myself yet again)..."Perfect, that's just perfect!" "Oh, that's nice."

Her: "You know, it's really important to socialize your dog."

Me: "Yeah, I know. We work on it when we're home."

The entire time we are talking, she's very animated, talking a mile a minute and Titan never once settled down, just kept acting like an overexcited dog trainer on crack.

In my limited experience, the dog trainers I know and have worked with always teach the importance of asking permission to meet a dog. They teach that if the dog is not calm and relaxed, it doesn't get any attention. Two strikes for you "I'm a dog trainer" lady.

The property she is occupying was vacant last year, which was perfect as it backs up to our property. I'm convinced that she is being passive, aggressive about allowing her dog to "help" Titan. We go outside and shortly after that, she comes out with her dog (a very calm, uninterested in us dog, I will give it credit). She lets her dog out off leash and I see her chasing/following it through our yard and around the neighborhood. Bill saw her walking her dog, on a leash, through our yard just past the flags for the invisible fence. I figure she is putting her dog's scent in our yard so Titan can pick up on it and get used to it.

It's going to be an interesting three months.

Thanks for stopping by...

;o)

Shit!

2012-01-19T10:37:00.000-05:00

Thank you very much for picking up after your dog!

Thanks for stopping by...

;o)

Wordless Wednesday 1/18/12

2012-01-18T07:44:00.003-05:00

Thanks for stopping by...

;o)

Sunrise, Sunset

2012-01-16T20:36:00.000-05:00

People who know me know that I don't see many sunrises. I think they are beautiful and would enjoy seeing more of them if they just took place later in the day! Soooo, you probably won't see any sunrise pictures in this blog.


Sunset 1/15/2012

Almost every evening we sit outside with the dog and watch the sunset, which takes place around 6:00 this time of year. Bill enjoys a cigar, I have a beer or glass of wine and the dog runs around the yard and plays with his toy.

Although the sunset above is beautiful, it was taken from the bridge down the road. The sunset we see every night looks more like this...

because it sets behind the house in our backyard. Bummer. When Bill hits the megabucks, we'll sit on our lanai and watch the sun set over the ocean. Until then...

Thanks for stopping by...

;o)

One of These Things is not Like the Others

2012-01-14T19:44:00.000-05:00

Can you guess which one doesn't belong?


You read it right, it's a MASERATI!!!

The flying B stands for...BENTLEY!!!

Obviously, our little Toyota Rav 4 is in very good company but alas, is not like the others. We often begin our walks at the Fisherman's Village parking lot. Generally, we park on the grass at the end of the lot; we never know what will be parked next to us when we return.

This beauty was there earlier in the week, all the way from Ontario.

That yellow one next to it isn't half bad either.

Even the Coke cooler on the back is uber cool.

It's embarrassing when I have to wipe the drool off Bill's chin.

Thanks for stopping by...

;o)

Safe Travels

2012-01-07T19:45:00.002-05:00

As reported earlier, we have made our trip south for the third year. We even bought a roof top carrier in order for Bill to see out the back window. I'm happy to report that the three days on the road were mostly uneventful, with the exception of snow in VA. We enjoyed using Bill's smart phone to keep track of the snow so we weren't surprised. We did hear from Bill's sister-in-law reporting a five car collision, which was apparently behind us, thankfully.

Titan was a great backseat passenger and began the trip very alert and making sure that Bill was heading in the right direction.

Left turn ahead, then a right turn. Stop sign...STOP SIGN!!!

It didn't take long for him to curl into a ball and settle into a nap.

I love riding in the car. zzzzzzzzzzz

Our first overnight in VA was nice and quiet; however, Titan didn't do very well the second night. We stayed in a nice motel with inside entrances along a corridor. This establishment did not have any restrictions on pets (such as weight or breed) and did not charge an additional pet fee (which can be as much as $25) so there were a lot of other dogs. Anyone who knows Titan knows, he's not a big fan of other dogs. Walking him was always an adventure and he spent the entire night "on alert" pacing, parking himself in front of the door just waiting for someone or something to pass by so he could warn us. We finally put a footstool and a chair in front of the door to keep him away. Thankfully there wasn't an emergency; we would have killed ourselves trying to get past the chair and over the darn footstool in order to get out the door. He was extremely vocal and we worried that we would be kicked out if anyone complained. It was a very long night and we have made the decision that we must stay in a place that has outside entrances. We will pay a little more if it means a few less dogs.

We are very happy to be here, settled in and enjoying beautiful weather.

Thanks for stopping by...

;o)

It's That Time Again

2012-01-02T19:23:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow we are heading back to Florida for the winter. YAY!!! The weather so far this winter has been down right balmy but tomorrow the high is predicted to be 18*! It's time to go. Three days on the road and we will be back in short sleeves and sandals. YAY! There will be lots more blogging once we get settled.

Until then...

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Holiday Colors

2011-12-25T09:58:00.000-05:00

In honor of Christmas, I'm wearing the only red and green garment that hangs in my closet.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Thankful Tuesday

2011-12-06T22:32:00.000-05:00

This is my beautiful daughter, Wendy Bee

I have inadvertently hurt her feelings by not counting her as one of my blessings in my Thanksgiving post. I can only imagine how she must have felt reading the post that counted many blessings, but didn't count her. Not really an oversight on my part, because I'm thankful for her EVERY. SINGLE day and I was thinking along a different line when I wrote that post. I believe I take her for granted because she is here, in the same town and I know I can talk to her or see her whenever I want or need to. I have updated my original Thanksgiving post and this post is an expression of my thankfulness for her.

I'm thankful that she is a strong, independent woman. I'm thankful that she has a mind of her own and isn't afraid to express her feelings. I'm thankful that she found and married the man she loves.

I'm thankful that she stepped out of her comfort zone and became a Zumba instructor. It's such fun for me to watch her in front of the class, where I know she feels self-conscious, knowing that she is MY child and I'm so proud of her.

I'm thankful for her beautiful "self". I not only cherish her as my child but also as my friend. We check in with each other most days, not long conversations but a nice chat just catching up on the day's news. She is beautiful inside and out. She is strong, intelligent and compassionate. She is my daughter; she is my friend. The words "I Love You" are inadequate to express my true emotions. It is so much more than those three words; so much deeper. They will have to suffice...I Love You, Wendy and I'm sorry I hurt you.

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T22:06:00.010-05:00

There is much to be thankful for today...

Mr. Bill and I are very healthy and happy. We have enough money to make ends meet and still throw in some fun.

Bass Harbor Headlight, Mt. Desert Island

We didn't get any snow yesterday.

Wendy and Dan are sharing their first Thanksgiving as husband and wife and she is responsible for everyone being together on this day.


Ireland

Greg and his family arrived safely from MA for the holiday.

Fun at Camp, Brownfield, ME

My fantastic sister-on-law, Paula, welcomes my children into her home as though they were her own.

My best friend, Su, is still hanging in there.

We are able to spend the worst of the winter months in FL.

I have a job that I enjoy and they hired me knowing I spend the winters away.

One of my co-workers, Julie, is going to foster Sassy, the cat, over the winter.

Grandma Bee, at 90 years old, was able to join us for dinner.

Beatrice Wehmeyer (Grandma Bee)

I could probably go on and on but the simple truth is...I am very blessed!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones.

Thanks for stopping by...

;o)

Updated 12/6/11

Falling Leaves ;o(

2011-11-13T20:44:00.000-05:00

UGH! Mr. Bill has cleaned up the yard several times already. After the rain and wind there are lots more leaves off the trees and on the ground. Maybe just one or two more times and it will be over for this year.

Mr. Bill likes to ride over them on the tractor, grind them up, then pick them up with the tractor and dump them in the woods. It's sure better than picking them all up and carrying them into the woods ourselves.

Thanks for stopping by...

;o)

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T21:55:00.000-04:00

This was the best I could do today...

Just a local yokel

Hope you had a howling good Halloween.

Holy Windy Batman

2011-10-06T20:58:00.000-04:00

According to the weatherman, today was going to be sunnier (which it was) but not as windy (which it was NOT). We hiked Cadillac Mtn. North Ridge Trail, which coincidentally, we climbed on this same date in 2004. How weird is that? It was a much nicer day in 2004. According to my notes, it was 50*-55* with a cold wind on the summit. Today it was maybe 45*-50* and there was a very strong, cold wind blowing the entire time.

We hiked uphill for 1 hr. 50 min., which is only 5 minutes more than it took us SEVEN years ago. I guess we haven't slowed down too much.


This is where we were...overlooking Bald Porcupine Island

We were going up, over and past this... Looks like a long way

We ate lunch at a picnic table behind the gift shop. We had on several layers but were still freezing. The little weather station in the gift shop recorded 41* with wind gusts up to 26 mph making it feel like 31*. No wonder we were freezing.

Cadillac Mtn Summit, 41* feels like 31*

I can hear you gasp and say "OMG, I didn't know she was THAT fat!". As you know, the camera adds 10 pounds. Add that to the 10 pounds of clothes I have on to keep warm and that explains why I look so fat. That's my explanation and I'm sticking to it ;o)

There is something about stone stairs in the woods that intrigues me.

It was a beautiful day and it wasn't raining! It took us 1 hr. and 30 min. to hike back down (10 minutes longer than 2004). I guess our knees aren't what they used to be. It felt good to get in the car and warm up.

We had the awesome popovers and tea again, which were wonderful as always. The late afternoon sun on The Bubbles created a picturesque backdrop for our own little photo shoot.


Jordan Pond and The Bubbles

Another great day together doing something we love, hiking in Acadia. We are heading home tomorrow but looking forward to next year already.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

One of my favorite places

2011-10-05T21:02:00.000-04:00

Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine. It's absolutely beautiful! Bill and I come here at least once a year. We are a little late this year because of Wendy's wedding but just in time for the fall colors. Well actually, the colors are a little late this year because of the mild temperatures at night. That's about to come to an end, it will be below freezing tonight!

We got here on Monday, which turned out to be a fairly nice day. It was warm enough to sit outside during the evening and we enjoyed a nice sunset from Cadillac Mountain.

Fog settling in the low areas

Love a good sunset

Tuesday brought rain!


Rain drops on the screen at Edgewater #6

The day wasn't a total washout, we went to the Jordan Pond House for popovers and tea, YUM!

Popovers, butter, strawberry jam and Earl Grey tea

The view was typical of the day.

Foggy Bubbles

Today was sunnier, much drier and a lot windier. We discovered the Schooner Head Overlook yesterday and returned today for a walk along Schooner Head Path. It's a 2.8 mile walk to Compass Harbor (and 2.8 miles BACK).

Schooner Head Path

It was an easy walk with a few uphills and a few downhills, but long!

Stairs to Compass Harbor

Schoodic Peninsula in the distance

We found a nice warm spot along the rocks and out of the wind to sit and enjoy lunch.


The view at lunch Thanks for stopping by... ;o)

Day Trippin'

2011-07-25T21:57:00.000-04:00

Today was supposed to be spent with "the Paula's" shopping in Portsmouth. The Paula's consist of my sister-in-law Paula (1) and her best friend, Paula (2). Well, Paula 2 is working on a wedding dress for someone and it isn't going very well. Paula 1 is working on a baby quilt and it isn't going very well, either. So neither of them was all that interested in spending the day shopping. I should be working on a wedding quilt, which I have been faithfully working on nearly every day, but a day with no plans is always a good day for me.

Mr. Bill and I talked about going to the beach; unfortunately, the weather report didn't look great for the beach. Mr. Bill decided we would go for a day trip and it would be a surprise to me. He said it wasn't very far away and I had never been there before. Oh...K...

We headed South on the Turnpike, through the rotary in Portsmouth and ended up at Odiorne State Park in Rye, NH. It covers 331.5 acres and houses the remnants of an old fort. We took a nice walk along the coast

View of Isles of Shoals in the distance from the coastal path


One of the tide pools

and through the woods where we found a very nice granite memorial bench overlooking the mouth of the river.

We discovered a quiet area along the coast where this bird bath was located.

Next we came across this monument, erected in 1899, dedicated to the original settlers in this area.

The path to the monument, lined with stone walls.

As I said, there was an old fort located here and several of the bunkers are still here, although you can't get inside, you can get under and come out the other side.

We discovered later, after looking at a map, that we should have continued on the path and we would have come to a point of land within the park. Instead, we went through the bunker, and returned to the parking area. We came to a nice view of the salt marsh across the road.

Then, in the middle of no where, with no explanation other than Dolphin Fountain, we came across this.

We ate our lunch on one of the benches overlooking the ocean and the park across the river.

Then we took some self portraits...it's harder than you think.

"Oop's, I think I moved too soon."


Something's not quite right... Good enuf! Thanks for stopping by... ;o)

Going to Pieces

2011-06-17T21:08:00.001-04:00

It's all about "the quilt" right now, in my spare time, at least. On my days off last weekend...it rained! Big surprise for those that know me. I have rotten luck when it comes to good weather on my days off. That's another story for another day. Today's story is about quilting. Well, to be more precise, it's about cutting big pieces of fabric into small pieces of fabric so that it can be sewed into big pieces again. That's what quilters know. Here are some photos to give you an idea what I'm talkin' about.

First I start with six rectangles . These colors are not true but you will notice the fabric alternates light and dark.

Next, I stack them one on top of the other and draw the pattern that I will be cutting. You have to look closely to see where I have drawn chalk lines.

Once I have drawn the lines, I pin a number to each piece. This allows me to sew them back together in the right order. I didn't number the two pieces in the middle because they will be shuffled once the fabrics are cut.

Next, I cut along the lines. Remember, there are six pieces of fabric stacked together.

Now that the pieces are cut, I shuffle the top fabric of the two middle pieces to the bottom of the stack. Can you see what has appeared?

Ta Da! A heart magically appears. Then I sew each rectangle back together and every seam is a C.U.R.V.E! I use lots of pins and I don't sew quickly soooooo, it takes me about 45 minutes for each one and there are 36 of them. Each set of six produces a different heart because I drew the template differently each time.

Good thing etiquette allows a year after the wedding to present a gift.

The photos are a little blurry because I cropped them to bring them closer. I'm a quilter, not a photographer.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

"The Dream"

2011-05-30T23:01:00.002-04:00

When I considered what to call this blog, I was indeed Livin' The Dream. For a number of years I dreamed of being away from New England in the winter; away from shoveling snow, driving on icy roads and freezing my butt off. I dreamed of spending the winter somewhere sunny and warm where I could be outside, getting some exercise, going to the beach, just chillin'. January, 2009 the dream became reality when we parked in Florida for the winter...hence the name of this blog.

"The Dream" is not the same for everyone. Some dream of more money, a bigger house, a nicer car, a faster boat. Others dream of a healthy child, a rewarding job, enough to eat. I realize that I live "The Dream" every day, one way or another. I live TD as I watch my children grow into mature, hard-working, compassionate adults. I live TD as my son becomes a husband and a father and I become a grandmother. I live TD as my daughter prepares to wed the man she loves and I become the "mother of the bride". I live TD as the man that loves me shares his home with me, cooks for me, works in the garden with me, sometimes dances with me, makes me laugh, shares his life with me. I live TD as I visit with old friends and make new ones.

For me, TD is doing things that I wanted to do before, but wasn't able to for one reason or another. It's sleeping in my own bed every night. It's sleeping until I wake up, around 8:00 am and laying there until I feel like getting out of bed. It's having a job that I enjoy and that makes me feel capable and competent. It's having a dog again. It's enjoying the holidays knowing that neither Bill or I will have to work or take vacation . It's getting the senior discount. It's spending the winter in Florida, where it's sunny and warm and I'm not freezing my butt off.

What's your dream?

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Thankful Thursday

2011-05-19T21:56:00.001-04:00

After days and days of gray skies, damp weather and cool temperatures, I thought it might be a good idea to think of some good things about this stinky weather. Here is what I came up with...

The grass is really green
The trees and flowers are blooming nicely
It's good for mushrooms
The frogs like it
The ponds are all full
There is little fear of a drought
We are being spared the dreaded cancer causing rays from the sun.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Yard Work

2011-05-15T22:01:00.000-04:00

Although Sir Titan has an underground electric fence that keeps him safely in the yard, it does not keep other dogs or wild animals from coming into the yard. It also does not allow him to have friends over for a romping good time. Alas, Sir Titan has not had any doggie friends to play with since Christmas. We feel that it is important for his well being to be around other dogs and have "play dates". Sooo, what's a family to do? We decided to fence in part of the back yard, which requires some big time yard work.

We contacted a former co-worker of mine that has all the big toys needed to get the job started. It was a three day project but we are well on our way to a nice, big play yard for Sir Titan and his friends.


4.1.11...Lots of brush needed to be cleared


5.8.11...Bill had cut some of the brush by hand


5.11.11...Some of the trees are down, this one is on the list

5.11.11...A nice load of lumber


5.12.11...Removing another stump


5.13.11 @ 7:35 am...Fire showing, note the pile on the left


5.13.11 @ 8:23 am...adding fuel to the fire from the other pile

Scott, Barb and their two boys came over to watch the excavator and cook hotdogs over the fire for lunch. They even found time to help Harold move some of the brush.


Cole is a good helper


So is his big brother, Trevor


5.13.11 @ 3:33 pm...after the fire

The fire smoldered well into the night before Mr. Bill put water to it (only after he played with the excavator a little).

Next step is having an estimate from the fence company and maybe some loam and grass seed. Unfortunately, after rain all day, it's just a bunch of nice, wet dirt (otherwise known as mud)!

We think Mr. Titan will enjoy a new fence, a big play yard and doggie friends over on a play date.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

It's A Start

2011-05-03T21:14:00.000-04:00

September 23 is coming REALLY fast. I haven’t been sewing as often as I would like, which is nothing new. However, today I completed the first (of many) blocks in the "wedding quilt"…

It looks a little skewed because I was standing on my tiptoes trying to take the picture while it was sitting on the ironing board. Like I said, "it's a start".

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

I Am Titan - I LOVE Stuffing

2011-04-11T22:27:00.001-04:00

I started to enjoy this toy a looooong time ago but my mama took it away with some tall tale about "fixing it". Yeah, right. She finally gave up on that idea and gave it back to me so I could have fun. I had a lot of fun!

I was missing you my little, furry friend

This is low carb stuffing, right?

This stuffing is a little "dry"

What do you mean I'm finished?

Thanks for stopping by...

Woof, Woof

In the Beginning

2011-04-09T20:40:00.001-04:00

there was a beautiful young woman

and a handsome young man

and they became engaged

I promised them a quilt as a wedding gift.

The pattern was selected from the book titled "Stack a New Deck" by Karla Alexander

"Joker's Wild"

The first two fabrics have been purchased

There's a lot to be done but not a lot of time to do it. Guess I better get busy!

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Undone

2011-04-02T23:54:00.001-04:00

This empty floss holder, coupled with the fact that Marden's closes at 5:00 pm on Saturday is the reason this bunny wall hanging is not hanging on the wall!

It's only been sitting around for a few ~~weeks~~, ~~months~~, okay, years but I'm finally in the mood to get it finished! Maybe tomorrow, sigh.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

I Am Titan - It's Good to be Home

2011-04-02T19:36:00.000-04:00

Aaaahhhhhhhh...

An afternoon "sleep" in the sun

My mama and papa are not happy about the snow stuff but I'm super happy. I ran and ran and ran until I had to rest. I'm happy about the sunroom, too!

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Not Funny, Really Not Funny ;o(

2011-04-02T15:15:00.000-04:00

We left this...

and this...

for this...

We are very unhappy campers ;o(

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Bloom Where You Are Planted

2011-03-29T20:56:00.000-04:00

Amaryllis, along our walk in Punta Gorda

Cactus plant in the neighbor's garden; taller than I am

Kind of obscene little blossom, huh? Started as a house plant

Clemetis? some kind of Osteospermum? what?

In the front garden


Bird of Paradise, in the front garden; these suffered some damage due to cold weather in December


Flowering bush in City of Palms Park, Ft. Myers; reached the first balcony

Hibiscus tree, along our walk in Punta Gorda, previously seen in "orange" post

Update...eagles, "bungalow" & mural

2011-03-21T20:56:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately, the eagle update is minimal...there are no eagles. Although one of the adults was seen earlier in the season, the pair did not return. Sad ;o(

The "bungalow" has nothing happening on the outside other than some stucco and there is a big sign warning of felony charges for anyone venturing onto the property. We were going to check out the inside but decided against it. Actually, Mr. Bill suggested I check out the inside while he waited in the car. HA, I.Don't.Think.So!

The mural hasn't changed since the last picture was posted

however, there was a nice article in the local paper, Punta Gorda Herald, about the artist. It answered a couple of the earlier questions.
1) How does he paint so close? Answer..."The secret is my digital camera"..."I take a picture and look at it on the LCD screen." I don't understand how that helps but it appears to work for him.
2) Doesn't the paint dry out in the sun? His answer doesn't apply to the paint drying; however, "he also built himself an umbrella contraption that keeps the section of the painting he's working on out of the sun, which can distort the artist's perception of colors."

This mural shows several famous people that once stayed at The Hotel Port Charlotte. From the left...Clarence Darrow, Henry Ford, Boy Scout founder Daniel Beard, Thomas Edison, golfer Patty Berg, Andrew Mellon and Harvey Firestone.

The hotel, itself, will be painted on the building next door.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

DUH!

2011-03-20T17:02:00.001-04:00

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

A Rose By Any Other Name...

2011-03-19T07:43:00.001-04:00

Weird, huh?

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

I Am Titan - This Is My Nose

2011-03-18T09:12:00.002-04:00

Also called a snout


My snout as it appears when I'm practicing my driving

My snout when my mama tells me to "sit" so she can take photos for her "blog"

A blurry close-up of my snout because sometimes my mama takes too long when I'm "sit"ing

My papa is of the opinion that my nose/snout was getting too dry and cracked and didn't look good on a dog that is "handsome" (at least that's what people keeping saying about me). So, he took matters into his own hands and bought this stuff.

I'm slightly annoyed that he is putting stuff on my nose/snout that doesn't even have a picture of a dog like me on it. He says it will make my nose soft. ugh! whatever!

This is what it looks like under the cover, after my papa stuck his finger in it. It's kind of soft and gooey and he says it doesn't small THAT bad. Well, it doesn't smell like cat poop and it sure doesn't taste like cat poop (one of my favorites) so what's the point?

This is what it looks like when he smashes it all over my nose/snout. You can't tell but my mama has a good hold on my collar so that I can't run the other way. You also can't tell that my lip is curled up in an effort to scare my papa. He obviously is not scared and just keeps rubbing that soother stuff all over my poor nose/snout. I have to admit that my nose is a lot softer now, which I think makes me even more handsome than I already was.

Woof, Woof
;o)

I Am Kathy

2011-03-17T21:10:00.001-04:00

I pick up "poop".

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

I Am Titan - I Am Happy & Spoiled

2011-03-15T21:46:00.001-04:00

I was so happy when my Auntie Wendy came to visit me. I was happy to share her with my mama and papa, too. We went for walks and rode in the car and she spent lots of time spoiling me. ;o) Then she went home and I was sad! ;o(

Last week, I was happy x 2 when my Auntie Jocelyn and her friend Michelle came to visit ;o) They spoil me just like my Auntie Wendy (and even more) and Auntie Jocelyn was the first one to save me while she was waiting for my mama and papa to find me and take me home "for the weekend".

Just like when Auntie Wendy came, I was expected to ride in the waaaaay back. But I still don't like it back there, so I didn't stay.


I am making my biggest HAPPY FACE!

I was very happy after I escaped from the waaaaay back and was sitting with "the girls". My mama and papa didn't make me return to the waaaaay back so I got to settle down with my Auntie Jocelyn (she's from May-n).

I think she's almost as happy as I am.

We had a good time while they were here. They went for a walk with us and I was on my best behavior because we didn't see any other dogs so I didn't have to use my quiet voice and try not to sing. I even walked with Michelle and gave her my best, trained "heel".

They spent a lot of time at the beach, where I'm not allowed to go because I'm a d.o.g. They were home with us every night, tho, and slept in my bedroom in the big, fancy bed. Now, I hate to say this but Auntie Jocelyn is kind of a "push over". She liked to get really comfy, snuggled in the bed, talking to EEEE-thun and I liked to jump up and snuggle with her. She knew the rules and told me to get down (several times actually) but she was too comfy to MAKE me get down. So.I.Didn't. I got nice and comfy, too.

Then I heard it, that dreadful noise...my mama's footsteps coming down the hall. There I was, with no place to hide, caught on the bed. It was really Auntie Jocelyn's fault because she was more interested in talking to EEEE-thun than keeping me out of trouble. In fact, she pretended like she didn't know my mama was there, she just kept talking, pretending like nothing was wrong, like there was not a dog lying right next to her. I had to get OFF and sleep in my crate, all alone, until the sun came up the next day. That's when I get to sleep on the bed and not get in trouble. I am supposed to sleep at the foot of the bed, but as I said earlier, Auntie Jocelyn is a "push over".

Sleeping at the HEAD of the bed, resting on the PILLOW!!!

My mama and papa would Never.Have.Known if "you-know-who" didn't take a picture.

I had fun playing a joke on A.J. one night when she kind of dozed off and I got on the bed, very quietly, and settled right down. When she got up to use the bathroom, she closed the door on my crate. Now, remember, I'm already ON the bed; I'm not IN my crate ;o) Michelle spoiled the joke! She asked A.J. why she was closing the door on the crate and A.J. replied that it was to keep me in the crate until the sun came up. Then Michelle turned me in and advised A.J. that I wasn't in there. hahaha, that would have been such a good joke, to sleep on the bed ALL night because the crate door was closed and I was already on the outside.

Sadly, "the girls" had to go back to May-n today and I'm sad, again ;o( It's just my mama and papa and me until we go back to May-n, too. I did overhear that there's gonna be a play-date for me when we get home. I'm looking forward to that because I haven't had any other dogs to play with the whole time we have been in Floor-i-duh and that's been a long time.

Woof, Woof
;o)

Venice...Florida, that is

2011-03-14T21:42:00.000-04:00

Today we took a trip with "the girls" to Venice. We thought they would enjoy seeing the Gulf of Mexico. They both spent a little too much time in the sun yesterday, so we stayed at Venice Beach for a couple of hours. They did manage to soak up some additional sun,

do some shelling,

some shopping and along with Bill, enjoy some gelato (Italian ice cream).

It's softer than ice cream and made without butterfat, so it must be good for you, right?

One of them, I won't mention any names (Jocelyn) was enthusiastically enjoying hers. I think her eyes were closed behind those sunglasses.

We had time for a quick photo op before heading home.

Remember, the camera adds 10 pounds

Bill & I should be so photogenic ;o(

It was a beautiful day, temps in the low 80's with a light breeze, a perfect blue sky and special people to share it with.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Lions, Tigers & Bears, Oh My!

2011-03-12T20:05:00.000-05:00

After looking over a brochure from this wildlife sanctuary, Jocelyn exclaimed, "We have to go". And so we did. It is located in Arcadia and the trip took us about an hour. It is owned and operated by a husband and wife team and numerous volunteers. Their mission is to give homes to unwanted exotic animals and endangered species. You can check out their website here.

This donkey was born only a few weeks ago and was only slightly smaller when born. Ouch!


Baby donkey on the left, mom on the right


Female lion

Is this not a beautiful animal?

Known by many names including panther & bobcat

Leopard

Such a sad face


Siberian tiger siblings; only a few months old

Jocelyn & Michelle (see the tiger in the background)

It takes about 100 pounds of meat to feed the animals at this sanctuary, every day, along with vegetables, fruits and other food items.

There are a number of other animals here, not just the ones we photographed. Most of the animals find their way to this sanctuary after irresponsible owners obtain them thinking they will make a great pet. Once they get too big, or take too much time, or cost too much to feed, or aren't fun anymore, or any number of other excuses, and their owners don't want them any more, these people are willing to provide them a safe place for the rest of their lives.

They also offer a Safari Dinner which provides a guided tour behind the scenes to watch the animals eat and includes dinner on the outside terrace overlooking the sanctuary. Something fun for next winter.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

It's Not All Play and No Work

2011-03-06T09:32:00.001-05:00

See Mr. Bill rake leaves in the backyard.

It's not all fun and games here in Southwest Florida.

As for me...I'm busy taking pictures and keeping Sir Titan away from the rake!

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Sky Blue

2011-03-05T23:21:00.006-05:00

It has been a little more cloudy and windy this week. Not complaining, can't expect a cloudless sky all the time. This was our Southwestern Florida sky on Wednesday...


Spectacular Sky

This was our sky this afternoon...


Stormy Sky Today

We had some light showers this afternoon and the sky looked a little mean. It was, however, still 80*!

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

I Am Titan - I Walk the Line

2011-03-05T21:21:00.000-05:00

It's nice and sunny here in Floor-i-duh and the tem-purrrr-a-chur has been above average, in the low 80's. My mama and papa just love it here and they say it's a lot nicer than last winter. Sunny and warm suits me fine too! As I have already told you, we walk Every.Single.Day! But...when it's warmer, we don't walk as far because I get really tired. It was a little cooler this week because there were more clouds and it was windy, which means...we walk farther. I don't mind either way, as long as I get exercise.

However, when the sun is out and it's a little hotter, the black stuff under my feet gets hotter, too. I have learned a good trick, though, to keep my four pretties cooler.

"Someone" painted these nice WHITE lines on that hot black stuff. That was very nice of "someone" huh? That "someone" even painted them wide enough for all four of my pretty feet.

Woof, Woof
;o)

I Am Titan - I Sleep on the Bed

2011-03-04T09:40:00.001-05:00

My mama and papa are getting easier to man-ip-u-late the longer we spend days and nights together. I'm enjoying all this attention and I'm glad they don't have a job while we are in Flor-i-duh. Unlike them, I like to get up a little earlier, not too long after the sun starts peeking through the blinds on the window. They, on the other hand, like to sleep later because "they don't work and don't have to be anywhere anytime soon." So, in an effort to get me to sleep later, they have started letting me out of my crate when I start calling to them in the morning and letting me SLEEP ON THE BED WITH THEM!!!!!

WOO HOO, I wondered just how long I was going to have to work on them. It turned out to be easier than I thought. I might have pushed a little too hard this morning; I started "talking" about 4:30 or "Oh Dark Thirty" as they like to say. I don't think that is going to work again ;o(

Naturally, I assumed that since they were letting me on the bed, it didn't really matter whether or not they were in the bed, too. Well, color me surprised, when I got myself in trouble because I wasn't "invited" to be on the bed.

I am able to walk very quietly down the hall and leap, again very quietly onto the bed. The jingly things they make me wear around my neck don't do any jingling when I'm doing something I haven't been "invited" to do. I made myself a very nice nest of pillows and quilts while I was on the bed and I blend in so well with the copper colored special blanket that covers the bed, my mama didn't even see me when she came wondering what I was up to. I was very still and quiet and she actually turned around and walked back down the hall because I didn't make a peep or move a muscle. HA! I think I was holding my breath but was wearing a big grin when she came around for a second look and I.Was.Busted. I can tell when I'm in trouble because she uses her LOUD voice.

Sooooo, for now, I will be happy sleeping on the bed in the morning before we all get up and start on the day. However, I will keep working on them until I can sleep on the bed whenever I want.

My mama is sorry that she didn't take my picture before she used her LOUD voice and told me "OFF" because she says a post is no fun without a picture. I say she should think about that the next time before she uses her LOUD voice and ruins my good time.

Woof, Woof
;o)

CALOSTIMUCU

2011-03-03T21:40:00.000-05:00

This wooden sculpture is located just over the bridge in Punta Gorda near one of the areas we park for our walk. I believe the name means "The Whispering Giant" and is an effigy to the first people that inhabited the area. I should have taken the photo with one of us in it so it's size would be more apparent; it is quite large.

The street side shows an Indian face...

with a flying eagle carved at the top...

It may seem strange but as often as we have walked or driven by this sculpture, we never noticed that the back side is not the back of a head but a different face completely...

and rather than the flying eagle, there is a beaver...

In our defense, the back side does not face the street but faces the side lawn of a residence.

To us, the most amazing thing about this sculpture is the fact that it survived Hurricane Charlie, although the two hotels located across the street sustained extensive damage. The Best Western was repaired and has reopened, the Holiday Inn was completely destroyed.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Another Wildlife Kind of Day

2011-03-01T19:33:00.000-05:00

Alas, no pictures...again! However, on a road trip to Ft. Myers and back to visit the going-out-of-business Borders store, I saw an alligator sunning itself along one of the canals. Although I did have my camera, we were traveling on a busy highway with lots of traffic. So, once again, you will have to believe me.

While Mr. Bill was grilling the fillets for dinner, an owl flew through the yard and landed on an electrical pole at the property line. We watched it for quite awhile, until the meat was done and it was too dark to see him/her any more.

It was slightly cooler today with mostly cloudy skies and a few rain showers. The rain is badly needed so we didn't complain.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

I Am Titan - Happy 1/2 Birthday to Me

2011-03-01T07:23:00.001-05:00

I guess my mama and papa don't know my actual birthday, so they use September 1, 2009. That means today I am 1 1/2 years old in dog years; that's about 10 1/2 in people years.

Sometimes people call it 18 months old, which sounds a LOT older but it's still about 10 1/2 in people years.

Funny, I don't feel any different but my mama and papa heard, or read that once I reached 1 1/2, I would be more mature and better behaved. Huh? Who or what would make such an outrageous statement?

I believe that same "who or what" said something like between 1 1/2 - 2 years a pit bull matures, kind of like flipping a switch. Well, I don't even know what mature means but I'm not ready to be that yet. It doesn't sound like fun to be mature. It sounds kind of old and boring. I'm so busy being trained, I don't have enough time in the day to be mature, too. I think I'll wait to be 2. But, I will enjoy any special treats that might be coming my way to celebrate my 1/2 birthday.

Woof, Woof
;o)

Wildlife, Oh Yeah!

2011-02-28T17:49:00.000-05:00

I have failed miserably at taking photos of the wild animals we have seen this winter. That's because, when I carry the camera, we don't see any and when I leave it in the car, we see lots of them. I guess they are camera shy.

Anyway, here's the count...

While I was getting my hair done, Mr. Bill took Sir Titan for a walk and saw an alligator. He got sooooo excited (Mr. Bill, that is) that try as he might, he couldn't get the camera in his phone to work properly...alas, there is no picture.

Several weeks ago, while walking by the river, we watched a couple of dolphins playing in the harbor. They would throw a fish into the air then jump after it. They were quite close to the edge so we could see them clearly. Unfortunately, it started pouring, which soaked all three of us and ended our little nature lover's moment. Ironically, that's the only time we have been caught in the rain this winter.

Today, again on our walk, we saw three manatees. They were about 100 yards away but easily visible. At one point, something apparently frightened them because there were three large, difficult to describe, foamy disturbances in the water and they swam rapidly away. It was the coolest thing, EVA!

This does not count the numerous different birds we have seen or the handful of snakes and lizards.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Update..."bungalow" & mural, article 2

2011-02-24T08:33:00.002-05:00

The mural is coming along very nicely. I don't know how the artist gets the perspective right working so close or how he paints when it is so sunny, without the paint drying out too quickly.

The "bungalow" doesn't show much progress, apparently they are working on the inside.

Some of the roofing is complete and there is strapping on the front. We assume this is for the siding. At this rate, it will never be ready by the end of March.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Sunny & Warm

2011-02-23T23:59:00.001-05:00

JUST THE WAY WE LIKE IT!

The weather has been nothing but spectacular for the past 10 days or so and promises to continue into the 80's through next weekend.

Our winter tans are coming along nicely.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

I Am Titan - I am a Hunter

2011-02-23T20:33:00.001-05:00

My mama and papa tell me that I am an American Pit Bull Terrier! I don't know what that really means but they say it is a good thing, so that makes me happy and proud. I went online and found out what a terrier is... any of various usually small (I'm not very small) energetic (I am very energetic) dogs originally used by hunters to dig for small game and engage the quarry underground or drive it out. Now, that's what I'm talkin' about in this blog.

I have a nice, although limited, kingdom in our back yard here in Flor-i-duh. It's boundary is marked, not by a moat filled with ally-gate-ers, but by these annoying, shockingly efficient, white flags, which I admit kind of scare me, so I stay away from them.

The yard is technically much bigger than my kingdom but I am doing my very best to protect my kingdom from small game, known here in Flor-i-duh as...get-goes.

Flor-i-duh get-go trying to attract me

These get-goes are very fast and can hide almost everywhere, so they could hide anywhere in the yard without entering my kingdom. However, where they choose to hide is smack in the middle of my kingdom in the planter that surrounds the tree. They hide there because they have heard my mama and papa say "Titan, OFF!" or "Titan, get out of there!" so they figure they are safe.

Listening intently to the get-goes tease me...nah, nah, nah,nah, na,na

They even make noises that my mama and papa can't hear, purposely taunting me ;o(

Not.So.Fast get-goes!

Sooo, I have been hunting them, hiding my head near the plants in the planter, so they can't see me hunting them.


Can't see me, can you?

Proof that I am a good "hider"

Unfortunately, no matter how well I hide, I can't catch those darn get-goes. I think they got their name because they "get up and go" really fast! Plus, when they aren't going really fast, they don't move at all but hide better than I can. I have occasionally frightened them onto the tree, which causes me to jump straight up and into the planter, which causes my mama or papa to talk loudly to me and I know I am in trouble. I hear the get-goes softly laughing as I am unceremoniously dragged out of the planter. But I am not deterred and continue to hunt (and get into trouble) until I am removed from my kingdom and relegated to the house.

Tomorrow is another day and I will try again!

Woof, Woof
;o)

OPA!!

2011-02-20T21:33:00.000-05:00

You might ask yourself...what exactly does that mean. That's what I was asking after spending yesterday afternoon at the Greek Festival. According to Answer.com...It doesn't really 'mean' anything. It's an exclamation of joy, like "whoopee" or "hooray."

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at the festival. We passed up the Wine and Jazz Festival; neither of us likes jazz and I only like wine that isn't really wine. So instead, we decided to spend some time with others enjoying good food and fun dancing.

Lunch was very tasty, although I didn't know what the ingredients were or how to pronounce it. They were very helpful and provided nice photos and a description of what was available.

Lower left...spanakopita (spinach pie) REALLY GOOD!
Upper left...souvlaki (pork kabob in a pita roll) not that good ;o(
Upper right...greek salad (kind of speaks for itself, huh?) good
Lower right...dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) REALLY GOOD except they are served cold and I expected them to be hot, so it was a surprise in my mouth ;o)

I had tasted the spanakopita before but it was frozen and this was fresh. Fresh is better! I had always wanted to taste stuffed grape leaves and they were really tasty. These were filled with rice and must have been sitting in a kind of marinade.


Stuffed grape leaves and a tasty beverage

Greek salad, spinach pie and stuffed grape leaves

For dessert we had Kourabiedes (butter cookies covered with powdered sugar). We didn't get a picture of these but they were also very good. However, a word to the wise, don't take a big bite of a kouradiedes because there is so much powdered sugar floating around in your mouth, you can't breathe and IF you breathe, you suck all that sugar down your throat and it's really hard to make enough saliva to wet all that damn sugar. Take small bites ;o)

They also had Greek music and dancing, which was lots of fun to watch and everyone was having a good time.

Father Ian welcomed those that were interested into the church and gave an interesting presentation about the history of the church, the three sections of the church and the icons.

From there we headed to Fishermen's Village and had our cup of coffee on the swing by the river.

Our second favorite swing (the marina is to the left)

Our least favorite swing but sometimes it's the only choice

The weather has been picture perfect for the past week and promises to continue through next weekend. The skies are clear, the sun is warm and bright and the temps are in the low 80's.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

PS...if anyone knows why the videos aren't coming up with the picture and the play arrow, please let me know. They are correct on the draft ;o(

I Am Titan - I Speak My Mind

2011-02-16T09:21:00.004-05:00

My mama says she ah-pawl-i-gizes that you can't see me very well...

but she said she has to "sees" the moment because I'm not very kew-op-er-a-tiv. She doesn't use her happy voice when she says that so I don't think it's a comp-li-ment like when she calls me handsome or says I'm a good boy.

Woof, Woof

;o)

Red, White and Blue

2011-02-15T22:30:00.001-05:00

Toenails painted RED resting on a bed of sand, bleached nearly WHITE by the sun,

disappearing into a sea of BLUE

under a cloudless sky.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T22:01:00.000-05:00

What did you do to celebrate today?

For 12 to 15 years I worked for a florist and delivered flowers on Valentine's Day. I always loved that job because, for the most part, everyone loves getting flowers and they were happy to see me at their door. I filled my car with as many deliveries as possible and got to enjoy the arrangements until the car was empty. Having my car filled with the fragrance of dozens of flowers was awesome.

For the past couple of years, Mr. Bill and I decided we weren't going to buy gifts for each other but we would go out for a nice dinner. There is a restaurant not far away that offers a Valentine special for dinner and we talked about going there; however, I didn't exactly jump up and call. Sooo, by the time I called last week they had availability for reservations at 3:00 (IN THE AFTERNOON) OR 9:00 (NEARLY MY BEDTIME). Thanks, anyway. We stopped at our favorite butcher shop over the weekend and they had a wonderful Valentine special, which Mr. Bill thought sounded good. Well, he was right. We had two beautiful fillets, two twice baked potatoes and some baby asparagus.

All for about half of what we would have paid someone else to cook it and serve it up. Mr. Bill cooked the fillets to perfection, of course!

That's not all...we shared a superb cupcake for dessert, which we picked up at the farmer's market over the weekend.

Chocolate, chocolate chip with chocolate frosting and red sprinkles

These cupcakes are about half again as big as a regular cupcake. They are not only delicious but are filled with a chocolate mousse.

It was a very nice Valentine dinner. Thank you Mr. Bill.

At the risk of freaking everyone out, we spent the morning doing something that neither of us has ever done before. Rest assured...all is well. We spent 3 1/2 hours in the emergency room at a local hospital. I have been having some lower rib pain almost since we got here. I figured I pulled a muscle, or dislocated a rib, or something else that I couldn't explain. It was better for awhile but has been bothering me the last couple of weeks and wasn't getting better. I spoke to the insurance "Nurse Line" last night to ask whether or not it was something to be concerned about or if it could wait until we got home. I was a little disconcerted when she said I should visit an Urgent Care Clinic or the ER since it had been going on so long. Soooo, that's where we headed this morning. They were very nice and efficient, took several xrays and didn't find anything. My diagnosis was musculoskeletal chest pain (a pulled or strained muscle) and they gave me a couple of prescriptions.

I didn't call any family or friends because it makes everyone worry and I didn't see any point in people worrying until I knew what was going on, so hopefully I'm not in trouble with anyone. I already have an appointment with my PCP in April when we return so I can follow up then, if necessary. While speaking with the insurance company, I discovered that I can sign up for a program that allows me to have a PCP in Florida as well as Maine and it doesn't cost anything extra. I had no idea that was an option but I'm excited to start the paperwork so I can have a Dr. next year when we come down. Just.In.Case.

And that's what we did today.

Generally, for Valentine's Day, I send cards to my children and my girlfriends, letting them know that I think they are special and I'm glad they are in my life. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do that this year. I do have a new idea for next year; however, for all my friends that usually get a card and a few new ones, let this be your Valentine card.

"I think you are special. Thanks for being part of my life. Happy Valentine's Day"

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Sunrise...Sunset

2011-02-12T23:31:00.001-05:00

If you see photos of the sunrise on this blog, it's very likely that my blog has been taken over by aliens. I always enjoyed the sunrise when I was working and we had an early call. "So this is what it looks like" was my usual comment. I would watch them all the time if they just came later in the day.

This was my view out the back door during dinner tonight.

Not too shabby, huh?

I'm sure there's a way to take out those electrical wires but I don't have a clue how to do it.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

BBRRRRRRR, Again ;o(

2011-02-12T17:33:00.001-05:00

Granted, there wasn't any frost on the pumpkin, not on the blades of grass, didn't have to scrape the car windows (actually, the car was in the garage, but I digress) but it was pretty darn cold this morning when I took Sir Titan for his morning walk to take care of business. The wind was blowing a gale and the temp was in the LOW 40's! It warmed up to 67* by late in the afternoon; however, this was my apparel for the day.

Natural cotton sunscreen

Yeah, that's right, a long sleeve t-shirt, winter jacket, jeans, shoes and socks. My mittens and earmuffs are in my pocket, along with residue from the dog treats that Sir Titan loves and doggie "litter" (aka poop) bags (empty of course). I didn't need the earmuffs or mittens but my motto is..."if you think about it, you should do it". It's kind of the Universe's way of talking to you.

Although I have listened long and hard, I don't hear any sympathetic awwwws from anyone but that's okay; just keeping you updated. Tonight is supposed to be "the last cold night until fall". Yeah, right; I think I may have heard that one before.

The upcoming week promises to be "the best week of the year, so far".

That's what I'm talkin' about!

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

I Am Titan - I Am Sad

2011-02-10T07:05:00.001-05:00

I was happy today when I got into the car for my ride to "the walk" and I wasn't in the waaaaaay back! But wait, where is my backseat buddy? huh? What have you two done with her? NOOOOOO, tell me it's not true, tell me she didn't go home to May-n! UGH!

Now I'm sad and lonesome...

I'll just wait here on her rug till she comes back.

Thanks for visiting Wen-D; I miss you. I'll see you in the spring (or so I'm told).

Woof, Woof
;o)

Time Flies

2011-02-09T19:03:00.002-05:00

when you're having fun. Wendy came to visit, we had fun, time flew by, Wendy left. ;o( It was so nice to have my daughter visit for a long weekend; she didn't come down at all last year and I missed her. She arrived on Saturday around 2, actually landed a few minutes early. By the time she reached Bill and me, we were both crying (me and Wendy...not me and Bill).

We wanted to fit in as much as possible during her short stay; where we live, where we spend our time, why we love it here, without spending a lot of time in the car. We don't really do much except walk the dog, have coffee, sit by the river...blah, blah, blah. She was up for anything; just wanted to relax. Yeah, we do that a lot, too.

Since it was only 15 minutes from the airport, we stopped at the Manatee Park to see the manatees, or not. We read in the paper that the manatees don't like the cold water in the gulf (colder than 68*) and they hang out in the park, near a warm water discharge from the Florida Power & Light company. It's the best place to see them between November and March, but NOT when the air temperature has been in the 80's for the past couple of days and the gulf water has warmed to more than 68*. We looked and looked, moved from one spot to another to get a really good look and looked some more. Not.A.Single.Manatee.In.The.Park! Luckily there was a nice volunteer that informed us not to hurt ourselves looking because there was Not.A.Single (or married for that matter) Manatee.In.The.Park. The gulf waters were too warm and they weren't traveling down the Orange River to the park. Apparently they didn't get the memo that Wendy was here and we wanted to see manatees.


Can you tell it was windy?


Manatee Park on the Orange River

No manatees ;o( No alligators ;o)


Two chicks and a "sea cow"

Too bad we didn't know about this park last year when the gulf was in the 50's and so was the air temp.

On Sunday,Wendy and I went to the farmer's market at History Park. We did a little sightseeing and saw some amazing things...my condo at Maria Manor, the Animal Welfare League and Ponce de Leon Park. I know, very exciting! After picking up Mr. Bill and Sir Titan, we went for a walk along the river, then lunch at Arby's. We took another short road trip to show Wendy the Tampa Bay Rays spring training stadium and Charlotte Harbor Beach Park. You can determine from our attire and very little detective work that it wasn't the warmest day on record; overcast and breezy.

Fishing Pier along our walk on the Peace River


Pier at Charlotte Harbor Beach Park

Monday started out quite foggy but the wind was nice enough to blow it all away and it turned out to be a beautiful day. We left the house early (for us) and walked Sir Titan, then returned home to give him some alone time in his crate. We had lunch at Cubby's, a little sandwich/ice cream shop, then proceeded to Fishermen's Village where we enjoyed a coffee on the swing by the river. We even collaborated on a haiku...
   Pelicans diving
     Fish jump in the air briefly
     Geckos in the tree
Wendy and I left Mr. Bill to enjoy some alone time in the sun with a good cigar while we did some shopping, after which we returned to Cubby's for some of their awesome, homemade ice cream. Yum!

We picked up pizza for dinner as Mr. Bill wasn't feeling very well.

After an early walk with Sir Titan along Tamiami Trail, we tried some coffee from the Hava Java Coffee Shop and learned a valuable lesson. If you are going to sit outside in the sun and enjoy your coffee, look before you sit...

We had a pretty good rain the night before and one of the chairs wasn't quite dry. Thank you Mr. Bill for being such a good sport. We returned home for a change of clothes, picked up Wendy's luggage and headed to Ft. Myers and the airport so Wendy could catch her flight home.

As I watched her walk away, I realized that she is no longer my little girl. She has grown into a beautiful, responsible, compassionate young woman and I couldn't be more proud to call her my daughter. I was sad to see her leave so quickly but thoroughly enjoyed her visit; she is easy company and her visit made me very happy.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Things You Won't See in Maine (TYWSIM) Vol. 1 Article 2

2011-02-07T18:29:00.000-05:00

And I thought we were lazy going to Dunkin Donuts for coffee...

Granted, this wouldn't be fun if the weather was less than great, so there is another one in town that allows you to drive through the building and select your beverage and tobacco choices. Because, everyone knows, you don't want to get any exercise by getting out of your car and actually walking to make your purchases.

These are mangrove trees that grow along the bank of the river. You can find more information here. "These trees have a unique relationship with salt water and poor soil that allow them to thrive. Large roots holding the trees above the ground or water are characteristic of mangrove trees. Mangrove trees survive salt water inundation by excreting it at the root level and by storing excess salt in leaves that later fall off."

These are located on a small island in the river near our "coffee swing." "Mangrove trees are found all over the world in tropical and subtropical climates*. They are found in tidal zones, swamps and shorelines."

*This would explain why You Won't See Them In Maine.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

I Am Titan - I Have a Backseat Buddy ;o)

2011-02-06T21:02:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone!

I'm taking a couple of minutes during half-time of the big football game to let you know that my Auntie Wen-D came to visit my mama and papa here in Flor-i-duh. I really like her because she likes me and likes to hear me talk and sing.

One of the best things about having her here is that I have someone to sit with when we go places in the car. I usually have to ride alone behind my mama and papa but can lean over and smell them or give them kisses whenever I want. (Well, not really when I want because they tell me to "get back", but sometimes.) Big surprise today when we went for a ride...the backseat was not laying down like it usually does, it was sitting up and I was supposed to ride in the waaaaaay back part of the car. I don't like being in the waaaaaay back, it's very far away from my mama and papa. However, I was close to my Auntie Wen-D, which I did like.

I behaved myself nicely when we rode in the car to get to our walk, which was very fast today because everyone was keeping up with Auntie Wen-D and she walks really, really fast. I behaved myself nicely after our walk when we took another ride to show Auntie Wen-D the Tampa Bay Rays spring training stadium and the Charlotte Harbor Beach Park. Auntie Wen-D behaved very well too by snuggling up under her sweatshirt and taking a little nap. (Don't worry, Auntie Wen-D, it's our little secret; riding in the car puts me to sleep, too.)

I finally had enough of being alone in the waaaaaay back...


I'm making a break for it.

I kind of figured that if I didn't make eye contact with anyone, they wouldn't notice me. I didn't figure that out quite right but Auntie Wen-D said it was okay and I could stay. YAY! I love her for letting me out of the waaaaaay back and I rewarded her with one of my special kisses.


At first she played hard to get ;o(


Then she gave in to my charm ;o)

I love sharing the backseat with my buddy, Auntie Wen-D.

Woof, Woof
;o)

I am Titan - I Have a New Toy

2011-02-03T22:32:00.002-05:00

Yeah, that's right, my papa brought out a new toy for me today. Come to find out, it was in the car, right under my nose for a couple of weeks. I heard they were going to save it and let me play with it when we go to the doggie park. However, it appears we are NEVER going to the doggie park because there are always too many dogs there and I get way too excited. Sometimes when I'm excited I don't behave myself very well. Sometimes just walking past the doggie park gets me excited but that's mostly when the dogs behind the fence are not behaving themselves and making lots of growly noises. My mama and papa think that because the "others" are behind the fence, and I can't see them, I don't know they are there. DUH! They forget that my ears and my nose are like a gazillion times better than their's. So much for making new friends at the doggie park.

I have a toy kind of like my new one but we left it in May-n.

This is the coolest toy (next to my rubber duck) ever! It's hard to tell from this picture my mama took but it has three tails, kind of like me but I only have one ;o) When my mama or papa throw this toy, it flies through the air and I run as fast as I can to catch it. The one at home doesn't have tails any more. That's because when I get tired of chasing it I like to chew on it and come to find out, these tails are NOT in-d-stuck-ta-bull. AND, this one s.q.u.e.e.k.s! I love toys that squeek.

Today I was a little off my game because I got really tired on our walk. It was warm today, I heard my mama say 84*, whatever that means. I know she was smiling when she said it so it must be good.
Even though we stopped several times and they gave me bowls of nice cold water, I still got tired. Soooo, when my papa brought out this new toy, I was happy and excited, but I just didn't have the get-up-and-go that I usually do. Even so, my papa was excited for me and throw the toy nice and high.

um, excuse me, I know I run fast and jump high but how, exactly, am I supposed to get that?

Yeah, that's right, papa threw my toy right into the gutter! Luckily, he knows where the little ladder is and was able to get it down for me.

Woof, Woof
:o)

Update...traffic cones & mural

2011-02-03T20:27:00.001-05:00

Although we thought maybe they were planting more trees, it turns out that was not the case.

The traffic cones marked the spot for new signage, actually kind of nice.

The "Hotel Port Charlotte" mural is coming along quickly.

2/1/2011


2/3/2011

I have no idea how much time the artist puts in every day but I don't think he works in the morning when the sun is hitting the building.

It was beautiful today, it was partly sunny and the temperature reached 84*. We shortened our walk a little so that Sir Titan didn't get overheated.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

I Am Blue

2011-02-01T18:06:00.001-05:00

No matter how you look at it, I think the title sums it up...

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

I am Titan - Today's Letter is P

2011-01-31T20:44:00.003-05:00

I am very much like my mama...she never met a restroom she didn't like. Me...I P. When I get up in the morning...I get to go out to P. Before I go to bed...I get to go out to P. When we are walking (which we do EVERY, SINGLE day) and I hear a strange dog... I NEED to P, somewhere, anywhere, as quickly as I can. Sometimes I get away with it, sometimes my mama or papa says "no, you don't need to P". How do they know that? Best of all, when I pass near any vertical surface, I NEED to P. There are lots of vertical surfaces on our walk and I try to P on every, single one. My mama and papa wonder how is that possible, to P on everything. Sometimes I'm just happy to give it a little dribble, let others know that Titan has been here. BUT, I can't P when I'm heeling! Since I'm in training, I have to heel when we are on our walk. I Can't P and Heel at the same time, YET, but I'm giving it lots of thought.

Just a quick little post to let you know what's been on my mind.

Woof, Woof
;o)

See Food...

2011-01-30T20:30:00.000-05:00

SEA FOOD!!!

Homemade lobster ravioli with vodka sauce and crab cake. YUMMY! (I must admit, this is not a very appealing photo; it kind of looks like someone vomited next to a hamburger.) It did, however, taste better than it photographed.

Since I haven't made it to Goodwill yet for some Waterford crystal wine glasses that someone else discarded, I resorted to this instead...

Is it wrong to drink wine from a martini glass?

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Update...traffic cones

2011-01-30T08:25:00.001-05:00

These...

are now these...

hmmmm...

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

We Report...You Decide

2011-01-29T20:25:00.000-05:00

Considering all the walking we do, not sure how we missed this...

Like...Unlike?
Yay...Nay?
Good...Not so good?
Love it...Hate it?
I'm gonna go get the paint today...Over my dead body?

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

I am Titan - I Love Treats

2011-01-27T23:04:00.002-05:00

I love riding around with my mama and papa. In May-n we like to drive the car to the drive-up window at the bank and Aroma Joe's. I really like it because they give me good treats and I Love Treats!

There isn't any Aroma Joe's here but the bank gives me nice treats and I like them. Today we took the car through the drive-up at McDonalds. Just like home, they don't have treats for dogs, just people, which makes me wonder why we even bother to go there. But...it's hard to tell at first where we are. Nothing gets by me though, I know this is a drive-up window. Um...any chance this is the bank?

Hey, this doesn't look like the bank; maybe it's a new place with new treats. I'm not leaving this window till I'm sure. If I look really hard out the window maybe I can MAKE it be the bank.

Oh yeah, there's the drive-up lady. I always make sure she can see me. "Here I am pretty lady, can you see me? I'm showing you my best side." (Actually, both sides are my best side ;o)

"It's me, Titan, I'm right here! Can you see me, huh? huh? huh? If my papa would just get his darn head out of the way you could see me better." Sometimes I have to resort to climbing into my papa's lap and hanging my head out of the window, but today my mama wouldn't let me ;o(

Ugh, no treats for me!

Woof, Woof
;o)

Beach Time

2011-01-27T20:00:00.000-05:00

It started out cool this morning, in the 40's, but warmed up nicely while we were on our walk. After walking for nearly two hours and a nice coffee by the river, we decided to drop Sir Titan at home for a little "crate" time while we went to the beach. We packed up our chairs and beach bag, I changed into my shorts and off we went.

It only takes about ten minutes to reach the Charlotte Harbor Beach Park and after only a few minutes, we had the place to ourselves.

As beautiful as it looks, it was not quite as warm as we had expected.

A little out of focus but that's my arm in my sweatshirt and my toes sticking out of the nice striped towel. Brrrr, it was chilly. Here's why...

It was windy, not breezy but quite windy and coming right off the water.

We sat quietly for about 45 minutes soaking up the sun's rays, then decided it was time to leave, just like everyone else already did.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Severe Weather

2011-01-25T19:44:00.000-05:00

Tonight we were under a TORNADO WATCH! What.The.*#&^! I admit, I am better emotionally prepared to handle a nor'easter/blizzard warning, than I am a TORNADO WATCH. I don't like being in the big red square on the weather map, with the nice weatherman warning me to "take cover immediately". I mean really...it's not like we can hide in the basement...there is NO basement! There is NO nothing! Being the prepared person I am, I immediately placed long pants, sweatshirt, purse and computer in the bathroom in the center of the house. I also grabbed a book, candle and the dog's collar and leash. I did not, however, grab anything for Mr. Bill. He is very calm and collected; I'm the one having an anxiety attack (but in a very mature manner). He will laugh when he sees my little pile of "preparedness" in the bathroom (hiding behind the door so not to be obvious).

As of now (7:20) we are out of the big red box, but still under a TORNADO WARNING till 9:00PM. Come on 9:00!

I can only imagine how long it's been since Charlotte County has been under a TORNADO WARNING/WATCH. We seem to bring unusual weather with us wherever we go ;o( They had not had a hurricane in over 44 years, until I bought property, then it was only 6 weeks.

It is quiet outside now; I will check the radar, one moment please...the big red box is back but south of us, so I can breath easier. Mr. Bill just found me (in the bathroom) and accused me of hiding. Hiding? Really? A grown woman? Well, yeah, kinda. Too bad I finished off the wine in the big glass last night.

The nice weatherman says it will be stormy all night and we may wake up to heavy wind and thunder around 2:00 or 3:00 AM. That would be assuming that one was actually sleeping, right?

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Wine + Glass

2011-01-25T08:08:00.001-05:00

Any one who knows me knows...I am a lightweight when it comes to alcohol; not a bad thing, just fact! There is ONE wine glass in this house and it's HUGE.

It might not look big, but believe me...IT"S BIG. I put all that I normally drink into it and it barely covers the bottom of the glass. This is actually quite a large amount of wine for me but I wanted to finish the bottle. I think we might go to Goodwill and pick up a couple of smaller glasses, just in case we have company and they would like some wine. When we do that, I'll post another picture of the two glasses together. Then you can see how BIG this wine glass truly is.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Update..."bungalow" & mural

2011-01-24T20:06:00.002-05:00

A nice day today in Southwest Florida, warmed up to 75* but windy. We went on a looooong walk, somewhere between 3 and 4 miles. Poor Sir Titan is still sleeping on his "throne" and barely got up to eat his dinner. We took a couple of photos of works in progress...

As you can see, our new place is coming along nicely. Some of the windows are in and the right side of the roof is done. It's hard to see because it's that nice shiny metal stuff. Are you wondering why we built it up so high? Well, the water table is very high here in FL, so in order to have any storage (and as Mr. Bill will tell you - I Need Storage) we built it up high so we can store stuff on the ground level.

More work on the clouds and it blends in nicely with the real sky ;o)

We are expecting warm temps tomorrow, high 70's, then strong storms overnight.

Only 12 more days till beautiful Wendy comes to visit! I'm excited!

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

BBRRRRRR!

2011-01-23T20:48:00.000-05:00

There is no one in New England that will share any sympathy with me when I say that it was only 36* this morning and there was frost on the grass when I took Titan for a walk at 7:00 this morning. I will admit that the computer said it was only 3* in Sanford, which was warmer than when I went to bed last night...-2*.

However, it warmed up nicely to 65* and was beautifully sunny!

Admittedly, I didn't take pictures of the frost but I found this one online...

because posts are boring without pictures.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

I am Titan - I Need a Job

2011-01-21T10:29:00.010-05:00

Happy Friday Everyone,

I hear my mama and papa say that I need a job. What are they talking about??? I'm a dog for crying out loud. I don't need a job! I have a job. I protect my people, and chew my toys, and shed (but only a little). Well, thanks to my mama's bestest friend, Su, I have the tool for my job.

It's called a backpack. Su used to have a dog named Gwen (short for Guinevere) but she doesn't have her any more and Gwen had this backpack. Well, Su gave this to my mama for me to use. Thanks Su, thanks a lot (insert sarcasm here). I'm just really glad it's blue and not pink, although my papa said I would NEVER wear a pink backpack. Thanks papa, thanks a lot (no sarcasm). Their plan is for me to get used to this backpack so I can carry my own water and bowl. HA, I.Don't.Think.That.Is.Going.To.Happen, EVA! Luckily, they don't make me wear it when it gets too warm outside (which makes no sense, because that's when I really need some water). It's a work in progress and it's just possible, that by the time we leave Floor-ih-duh, I will have a job. Ugh! I prefer being ree-tired, like my mama and papa.

Woof, Woof
;o)

Orange

2011-01-20T22:29:00.000-05:00

Not every day or every post involves a particular color; however, today is ORANGE. Our neighbors, Bob and Jackie (not to be confused with our neighbors, Bob and Helen), have a very nice orange tree in their backyard. It's actually our backyard as well since we have no idea where the boundary is and it's kind of like one big backyard. Anyway, Bob came over yesterday afternoon and brought these...

Four fresh oranges right off the tree. Yummy!

During our walk, we keep finding these...

See, this is number 20 and we have seen them up to number 45. Now, I know what this is - a traffic cone, what I want to know is - what is going in each of these spots. Any ideas? We'll keep you posted.

We also see these on our walk...

This is an hibiscus tree. Aren't these blossoms beautiful?

We got an update on the missing swing - it rotted. No update on whether or not it will be replaced ;o(

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Working on the Winter Tan

2011-01-16T21:14:00.000-05:00

It was warmer today after a few days in the 60's. We visited another farmer's market, located at the Punta Gorda History Park. This is also where the bald eagles have nested for the past few years. We stopped by the other day to see what was happening with the eagles and were disappointed to see no activity and no "eagle watchers", so we assumed there were no eagles. We found out this morning that the eagles are indeed nesting and the "eagle watchers" expect the female will be laying her egg or eggs in the near future. Last year's eaglet died after eating rancid meat brought home by the male, who also got very sick but survived.

We took Sir Titan for a nice long walk so that he could burn off some energy and we could all burn off calories. We did have an ulterior motive. We were going to the beach and he was going to chill in his crate for a while. After stopping at Subway for the daily meal deal, or whatever it's called, we dropped the dog at home, packed our beach paraphernalia and drove a short distance to Charlotte Harbor Beach Park (CHBP).

We visited this park sometime around the hurricane and weren't very impressed; therefore, we have spent most of our beach time driving North to Venice Beach or a little South to Punta Gorda. We were pleasantly surprised by the facilities at CHBP. There are restrooms, basketball and tennis courts, picnic table pavilions, a boat ramp, a public pool ($2.50/day) and a very nice, white sand beach. All of this at the very fair price of 75 cents/hour...not $15 or $20 or more a day, like Wells and Ogunquit.

We enjoyed our lunch at one of the picnic tables, then settled our chairs into the sand along with several others seeking the warmth of the sun. It was not crowded but, being the weekend, there were more people on the beach than a week day, of course. Even so, there was plenty of space. We paid for 2 hours in order to avoid early tanning sun burns and we wanted to get home in time for the Patriots game (guess we could have stayed a lot later.) It always feels so good to soak up the rays of the sun...warms the skin and feeds the soul.

It was a beautiful day!

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Punta Gorda Murals...CATTLE DRIVE DOWN MARION AVENUE

2011-01-14T20:08:00.001-05:00

The Punta Gorda Historical Mural Society (PGHMS) was organized in 1994. "It started with Dr. Robert Andrew's dream to feature historic and educational murals around the City of Punta Gorda." The first mural was started in January, 1995 and dedicated in October, 1995. By the time Hurricane Charley hit Punta Gorda in 2004, 20 murals had been completed around the town. "On Friday, August 13, 2004, Hurricane Charley roared ashore...with winds in excess of 160 mph, destroying...half of the 20 murals..." The PGHMS is in the process of re-painting the lost murals.

This mural - Cattle Drive Down Marion Avenue - is painted on one of the buildings that we pass during our walk. It was dedicated on June 21, 2007.

This is the side of the building from across the street.

A little closer.

And a close-up.

"...the mural pays respect to five well known Florida Cow Hunters. Their head shapes have been fittingly placed in the clouds." If you look closely, you can see three of the five heads.

It's fun to travel around town and see these murals; it makes Punta Gorda kind of special and it's just one of the reasons we enjoy it here.

They continue to work to replace all of the murals that were lost during the hurricane. This one is just beginning and we will keep you updated on the progress. Yesterday it was nothing more than a blue wall and today the artist was painting clouds. (1.16.11 Today we were able to identify this mural as "Hotel Charlotte Harbor. It is one of two that will be painted on adjacent walls.)

(quotes from "Punta Gorda Murals, 2010-2011 Edition)

Thanks for stopping by..;
;o)

I am Titan

2011-01-13T21:38:00.001-05:00

Finally, I got this keyboard thingy away from my mama. I have been wanting to write a post to my mama's blog, whatever that is. I see her sitting there, her fingers blazing across the keyboard thingy, totally ignoring me and thinking that was something I might be able to do with all my thumbs. I'm not very fast but we are ree-tired and have all the time in the world, or so I hear.

My mama was worried about how well I would travel. I thought we were going to town like we always do so I got all excited and my mouth started watering for the treats from the bank and Aroma Joe's. In case you don't know, McDonalds does NOT give treats so I don't even know why we go there. Well, I was in for a big surprise. Other than it being the longest damn car ride I have ever been on, I was pretty spoiled. I mean, my seat was a whole lot cushier than theirs and I could lay down and get sleep eyes whenever I wanted. Sometimes we would slow down, which would wake me up and sometimes we would just stop, for no apparent reason at all because we obviously were not at our final des-tin-a-shun. I mean, we weren't anywhere special except they made me get out and P even if I didn't need to. So, because I could, I took my time and smelled e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g! There was a lot to smell, that's for sure.

I think my mama already told you about the trip and what a good job I did as the family protector. I never saw those shadowy thingys at my house before and they kind of scared me so I figured my mama and papa would be scared, too. I took care of it though and scared them right back.

We are now is Floor-ih-duh and I heard we are staying till the end of March. It's nice here, the big yellow ball is up in the sky a lot and there are all kinds of things I don't remember seeing before, like big birds that fly really low (I think I will catch one some day), little lizards that hide in the plants and run really, really fast (I might not ever catch one but I'm gonna try really hard) and funny trees.

This is a nice people house except the floors are stuff called tile and when I try to run my feet slip and I can't go very fast. It's really hard for me to "sit" like I'm told to do just to get a little treat because my front feet keep slipping out from under me. So I pretend that I am doing "down" instead. Ha, I still get the treat! I'm not allowed on the fur-nich-er which I don't understand because it's already called "FUR-nich-er, but I get to sleep up on the big foot stool (I think they call it ott-o-man). For me it's a total body stool but I leave a little room for my mama and papa's feets.

Sometimes I share the stool with my toy.

Sometimes I'm just too tired so I spread all the way out and ree-lax. My mama and papa covered it up so I wouldn't get fur on the fur-nich-ur (how silly is that?)

We go for a walk EVERY day, even when it's kind of cold. (My mama and papa want to get thinner, but they don't want me to get thinner, so I get to eat MORE.) We see lots of things on our walk...a big swimming pool (they call it a river), little people playing at the park (makes me really excited and sometimes I sing to them, but that usually gets me a big "sshhhh"), birds and other dogs (that get's me excited too, so I sing more and get myself in more trouble.) The walks are fun but my tongue starts hanging out (I think that's what my papa is waiting for) and I'm glad to get some water and climb back into the car for a rest. We play in the back yard when we get back to the people house. My favorite toy is my rubber duck.

It doesn't look like much but my papa makes it fly in the air and I chase after it. You can see where I have had it in my mouth a time or two. It's really fun but then I get tired and my duck and I need to rest.

I keep an eye on it, just because, you never know.

I keep an eye on my mama, too, so she doesn't sneak up and throw it again before I'm done ree-laxin'.

After we play for awhile, I like to just sit in the late afternoon light from the big yellow ball and protect my mama and papa. I'm secretly looking for those little lizards, or squirrels or low flying birds. I keep my guard up because you never know when they will let their guard down.

I like it here in Floor-ih-duh because my mama and papa are ree-tired, which means they don't go to work and I get to spend lots of time with them. I even get to decide when we get up in the morning ;o) They say I am in training because they make me "heel" when we walk and "sit" whenever we stop and I'm not supposed to sing when I see little people or other dogs (that's really, REALLY hard). I get treats when I do a good job and I still get to eat MORE! (Sometimes I pretend like I don't know what they want, then I get treats to train me to do what they want. Really, who's training who here?) They say that Kim and Maryjane will be proud of me when we go home to May-n, so I will keep being trained.

It's almost time for me to take my mama out to see Or-I-Un. I don't even know him but I don't like him, I think he steals the big yellow ball. I don't know where he hides it but he doesn't do a good job because it always comes back!

As my mama says - thanks for stopping by...
;o)

ID Update

2011-01-13T20:35:00.001-05:00

I feel comfortable reporting that these are White Ibis, or is it Ibises? ;o) If anyone reading this knows differently, feel free to correct me (in a nice way, please).

We're Staying

2011-01-13T07:54:00.004-05:00

After serious thought and consideration, Mr. Bill and I have decided to stay put right here in FL. We have contacted a well known and highly recommended contractor to put together a little bungalow for us near the park we love in Punta Gorda.

We will keep you updated as things progress; here's a preview...

While Mr. Bill and Sir Titan check on the current progress, our landscaper sits on the stairs, waiting for instructions.

AND...we have decided to get a new car.

Just a little something to get us around town; should be good on gas!

Sadly, there are no eagles this year; therefore, there will be no eagle update. I will, however, post updates of the "bungalow" as it progresses. Whenever we see a place like this (and believe me, there are plenty, this is small compared to many of them) we ask ourselves, "Why does anyone need that much space?".

Love you guys!

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Things You Won't See in Maine (TYWSIM) Vol. 1 Article 1

2011-01-12T16:31:00.001-05:00

This is the beginning of an ongoing post that will show you exactly what the title indicates, things that we see in FL that you won't see in Maine. This will probably be mostly flora and fauna (plants and animals) but could cover just about anything that I find interesting or weird.

First up, in the flora department...

Yes, I know that you see poinsettias in Maine, but you won't see them planted in the ground like any other outdoor plant, at least not surviving for very long. As we all know, they don't handle the cold very well, so these may be gone after the cold spell due over the next couple of nights. We have seen them in planter boxes as well.

Here's another thing you won't see in Maine...

These very cool birds walk along the roads, eating bugs and other delectable items. If I had my bird book (which is safe and secure in my condo, where I am not) I could find out quickly what they are called. I will find out, but I'll have to fill you in on a later post. I know, you are thinking to yourself, "I see birds eating along the roads all the time". Crows don't count!

Well, that's all for the first article, stay tuned for more useless pictures and information from the sunny south. PS. you can click on any photo and enlarge it.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

A Slow Day

2011-01-09T21:04:00.000-05:00

It was a quiet day today in Southwest FL. As usual, we took the dog for a walk. From there we packed him in the back of the car where he promptly fell asleep while we drove south to Ft. Myers. Mr. Bill's sister gave him a certificate for Omaha Steaks at Christmas and there is a store in FM. (I didn't even know they had stores, I thought it was all mail order.) They were having a 50% off sale so we got a lot of good stuff for not quite as much money. Mr. Bill decided on salmon fillets, filet mignon and sirloin strip steaks. We have to wait till tomorrow to enjoy one of these tasty looking entrees because frozen chicken was slowly unfreezing on the kitchen counter.

We gave Sir Titan a shower tonight in the "beautiful" bathroom. It's great because you walk right in, no sides to step over, and the shower can be hand held.

Is this a great looking bathroom, or what? Anyway, Sir Titan was not all that excited about the whole procedure but between Mr. Bill and I, we got 'er done. As a rule, the dog is not excited about the first time for anything so I figure, next time it will be easier. Right? He didn't even make a big mess when he shook himself off, thanks to a terrific job of towel drying him first by Mr. Bill.

These were "under construction" last year but have been completed. I think they are pretty cute, what do you think?

They are murals painted on the bathroom doors at Laishley Park.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

That's Not How We Left It ;o(

2011-01-08T19:51:00.001-05:00

Last year we were in the habit of getting our coffee at a little shop in the Fishermen's Villages called "The Ornery Attitude" (O.A.). From there we would wander outside and sit on a swing, overlooking Charlotte Harbor and the Peace River. Many nights we sat there sipping our coffee, enjoying a biscotti and watching the sun set as we heard the signal for the boat leaving the harbor, taking passengers on the sunset cruise. You can read more about this favorite spot of ours here.

This is what we found when we stopped today...

The supports are still there but...THERE'S NO SWING! We asked Dave, the O.A. owner about it. Apparently, we are the only ones missing it because he had no idea it had disappeared and no one else had asked about it. However, he is going to check with the maintenance person and see if he can get some answers. We were very disappointed.

We went to our preferred farmer's market today, along with most of Punta Gorda and the surrounding area. Where did all of these people come from? It was never this busy last year. We bought some crab filled homemade ravioli, which we had for dinner along with vodka sauce and they were fabulous! I forgot to get the name of the vendor but we'll get it next week and find out where the business is located.

We also came across a new vendor displaying some of the cutest little dresses I have ever seen. I commented to Mr. Bill about one that I thought would look especially cute on my granddaughter, Ella. However, when I looked at the back, there wasn't anything there, other than a little strap, which I found odd. Luckily, it only took a split second (okay, maybe a couple of seconds) to figure out that it was designed for a dog, not a child. duh This little booth belonged to Koolnani's, owned and operated by a very pleasant woman by the name of Theresa Diaz. I did ask if I could take a couple of photos for my blog and told her about one of the volunteers at the shelter, Beth H., who designs outfits for the shelter dogs. She explained that she owns a couple of Yorkies and started designing outfits for them, then others asked her to make some and next thing, she was in business.

This is only a small section of her display but gives you an idea of how cute these outfits are. Mr. Bill spotted the next one, which makes us think of Wendy Bee...

How freakin' cute is that? She also had collars, bandannas, small animal beds and other animal items, along with some very cute aprons for people. There may have been other people items but her space was getting busy so I didn't get photos of everything; there was a lot more to see. She doesn't have a website but her card says "Kustom Apparel For people & their pets". If you see something you like or want to get in touch with her regarding something for your special furry friend or yourself, you can email her at - koolnani@centurylink.net. I did place an order but it's a surprise, so I can't tell you about it.

It was a very nice day here, 72*, mostly sunny and windy. We had a great walk along the river but came back a different way, just for a change of scenery and because we can.

Titan is a little out of sorts today; hope he's back to his usual self tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)