A LITTLE MORE ZOO TIME...

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies!!  We are approaching a New Year very quickly.

My friend, Charlotte B., who prompted the road trip to the Alexandria Zoo, has shared a few of her photos with me and I think they are worth showing to you!  No great revelations here.  Just some fun photos.  I hope you enjoy them.

Beautiful Great Egret

An opposite to the Egret, the Black Swan

The Cougar was very aware but seemed relaxed

I just call this one "Cute Thing" as I do not know exactly what it is.  Looks a little like a warthog?

Owls are such incredible birds.

We were fortunate the Lioness was out taking a little nap when we were there

I had a shot of the Beaver... but this is a much better "swimming" shot!!

This Parrot-like bird was absolutely stunning in its plumage!!

Again, I showed you my shot of the Turtles including the Albino... but this close-up was SOOO good!!

The two White Tigers were out napping, also.  What beautiful creatures!

Always interesting to see things one cannot see every day.  I encourage you to take those opportunities when you can!

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe, healthy, and Happy New Year!!

Until next post...

"I WENT TO THE ANIMAL FAIR..."

That's right, Blogging Pals.  If you are of "a certain age", you likely remember that little song.  If you don't, you can use Google to find several versions.  :)

That is the song which came to mind when my friend, Charlotte B., and I took a little trip to the Alexandria Zoo recently.

I am not generally a fan of zoos.  I love seeing animals... but feel as though they are not in an environment that is appropriate for them.  There are always a few that seem really stressed which clearly is not good for them.  But... she wanted to take some photos so I took advantage of the opportunity for a little road trip and some quality catch-up time with my friend!

I was pleasantly surprised at what we found.  She had not been there in many years and was also pleased to see many improvements.  Most (not all) of the environments were as natural as one can make them and nearly all seemed to be of reasonable size for most of the animals.  While it was not ideal, it was definitely much better than I had anticipated, thus less distressing than it could have been.

So... with all that said, let me share the photos I took with my phone while there.  (I'm sure Charlotte's were MUCH better... but hopefully none of you have a discerning eye!)  Without further ado...

There were 3 Galapagos Tortoises there.  Two were enjoying lunch!

What's a Day at the Zoo without a flock of pink flamingos!!  This little gang was napping.

An example of the attempts to provide "natural" environments.  Well done.

One of two beautiful Black Bears

The other Black Bear

Kinda' funny to see a big ol' Whitetail buck... but he had two girlfriends nearby and no competition!!

Two Bald Eagles that have been injured and cannot fly have a lovely environment of their own.

The second Bald Eagle.  So glad they have a place to live peacefully.

Turtles on a log!!  I guess the first one is an albino?  Have never seen this before.  It was enjoying the sun, too!

I cannot show you the scale of this guy in a photo... but thought you might want to read about it before you see it!!

This guy is HUGE and I would NOT want his jaws clamping down on MY finger!!

This poor fella' could not reach any trees so I'm not certain exactly how he keeps his teeth groomed.   The trees in his enclosure were surrounded by heavy wire.  I'm not sure it is right to keep a beaver in such an environment.

So... we spent a substantial amount of time wandering slowly through the property.  It was much larger than I had expected and is very easily accessible to the folks in Alexandria.  There were multiple groups of families with kids there to spend some time.  A small train ran through the property so one could catch a quick tour or a respite.

There were some beautiful birds there including some terrific owls.  There were some exotic animals there, too.  There were two white tigers, a pair of lions (although we only saw the lioness), and apparently a new jaguar exhibit.  We didn't see the jaguars.

At any rate, if you live near a zoo or some type of wildlife park, remember to take a little break and go visit it!  You don't have to be a kid to enjoy seeing the critters.

As Christmas approaches, remember to be calm, be patient, and go easy on the egg nog!!

Until next post...

RANDOM STUFF...

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies!!

I hope you all had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving... and did not overindulge any more than you planned.  :)  (Yes, planning one's overindulgences can be beneficial.)

Well, I haven't been terribly busy so I don't have a whole lot to share... but I figured this would be a good time to show you a few random pictures.

First of all, my personal trainer did a BIG reno/expansion at her studio, Sculpture Training.  After spending some time training at a different location (believe it or not, we were working out in my old second grade classroom!), she had a wonderful grand re-opening.  You can visit the "old" studio here so you can compare a little bit.  :)

I know many of you are fans of some of the signs I run across (and others send to me), so I want to share one my friend, Debbie J., sent to me recently.

Finally, I have culled through some of my early-morning walk photos and thought you might enjoy seeing them.  A couple of sunrises, some low fog, and a beautiful moonset make that walk less daunting!

That's really all I have for you today.  I did make a run to the Alexandria Zoo with my friend, Charlotte B., recently.  While she was there to take really good photos, I snapped a few with my phone that I will share with you all soon.

Until next post...

IT'S VERY "PLANE" TO ME!!!

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Pals!!

What fun there is to be found at the local airport (Beauregard Regional)!

The weekend of November 3rd found a veteran's salute at South Beauregard.  A gentleman there reached out to obtain some flyovers in tribute.  Since it is difficult (and expensive!) to book formation flying teams (Blue Angels, etc.), he worked with some really great individuals who are WWII airplane enthusiasts.  These terrific folks own and fly their aircraft privately... but they are nearly always ready to provide tribute flyovers just for the cost of fuel.  After all, it gives them a great opportunity to fly together and enjoy their (expensive!) hobby!

Our airport was the most convenient to the festivities so we were fortunate enough to have the entire "fleet" fly in!!  They fueled up, chatted, and prepared for their flyovers.  They were scheduled in three groups.

The first group included my friend's (Mr. Bonnie Lee) two Stearman as well as two Bird dogs he owns.  You have seen them in previous posts and I was not at the airport when they arrived to fuel up.

A beautiful pair planning to fly together was comprised of a P-51 Mustang and a Corsair.  These are both incredible aircraft.  The very kind gentleman with the P-51 allowed me to climb into the cockpit!!  Oh My!!  I didn't want to leave it... but I did.  Sigh.

P-51

Corsair

There were four T-6 aircraft which would make up the third group, arriving in formation, peeling off to land one right behind the other.  It was great to see young men (and their wives/girlfriends/significant others/friends) climb out of the two-seater, tandem planes.  These are easier to find (more survived) and less expensive to operate/maintain so many are being snapped up and restored.

And here they are, all lined up for their portrait.  :)

You can see what a beautiful day it was, perfect for flying.  What fun to have this group at our airport even for just a brief time.

And a big thank you to individuals who make sure these planes can keep flying.  As new technologies overwhelm us in every facet of our lives, we need to remember it was the old technology that provided us, and other countries, with the freedoms we continue to enjoy.  When you hear the roar of one of these massive engines, just look up and smile.  There is a pilot up there who is smiling as s/he enjoys flying a little history.  :)

Until next post...

WHERE DID OCTOBER GO?!?

Greetings, Blogging Buddies.

I cannot believe I have let an entire month go by without posting!  While I recognize I have absolutely nothing to share that is important or makes an impact on your daily lives, I still like to at least make sure you know I am alive!  My apology.

Now then... with all that said, I don't have anything huge to share with you.  I do, however, have a few photos for you and hope you will enjoy them.

While I did swear I would NEVER paint again, I have to admit the urge overcame me.  It was NOT cabinets!!  I did decide I was tired of the one exposed painted wall in the kitchen (and the one behind the refrigerator) so began considering my options.  After FIVE (count them... FIVE!) test quarts from Sherwin-Williams to check out various colors, I decided on a paprika-flavored shade that actually does well with the cabinet colors.  At least I think it does.  A couple of Before/After for you:

I think it gives the room a little more "personality" instead of the wall just blending into the trim!  I am a fan of color.

There were a couple of signs I thought you would enjoy.  The first was sent to me by a friend.  The second was one I ran across while driving in Lake Charles.  We made a loop to be sure to capture it for you!

HUH?!?!?!?!?!?!?

So WHERE, exactly, should we discharge our students?!?!?  On the grass?  In the ditch?  Help me out here!!

Ya' gotta' love the things people put in writing!  :)

At any rate, I have some more photos of some great airplanes that came through here to refuel and to do formation flying over a Veterans Celebration in South Beauregard Parish.  Will try to get those posted for you later in the week.

Have a wonderful Veterans Day!!  Remember those who provided you with the freedoms you enjoy today.  Say Thank You to those in uniform when you have that opportunity.  They deserve respect.

Until next time...

WINGS AND WHEELS FLY-IN/CRUISE-IN TIME AGAIN!!!

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies!

Yes... I have been remiss.  It has been far too long since my last post.  I have captured a lot of photos for you of various things (including a couple of signs I know you will appreciate!) but just have not found the time to sit down and post.  The fact that my poor old 10+ year old computer has slowed to about MY pace doesn't help!

At any rate... one of the things that had been keeping the spousal-unit VERY busy during most of September was the Annual Fly-In/Cruise-In at the airport.

So... this year the main attraction was a P-51C Mustang operated by the Commemorative Air Force's Red Tail Squadron.  If you are not familiar with the Tuskegee Airmen and their Red Tail planes, you need to review that information!!  Click on the links in the previous sentence and learn something important about our nation.  There was also a Traveling Exhibit, "Rise Above", which was a short documentary about the Tuskegee Airmen and the man who wanted to be sure their contributions were never forgotten.  It was excellent and showed in a semi-trailer with a 180 degree screen and great sound.  It was in town four days prior to the actual Saturday event and many children were bused to the airport to view it.  I hope they took away the key point which was that you should always persevere toward your dreams and not allow anyone to tell you you can't achieve them.  Good message for all of us.

I was fortunate enough to get a little "sneak preview" of the aircraft the evening before the event as she got her "beauty-rest" in the hangar.

The most exciting part?  There was a raffle to WIN A RIDE in this fabulous plane!!!  How many tickets did I buy?  I'm not telling you.  However, I did not win the flight.  The drawing was held at 1:00 and the winning ticket was drawn by a 94-year old veteran who had been a Crew Chief for both P-38s and P-51s during WWII.  What an honor to have him there.  And, in case you were wondering, he told me the only problem he had was with his legs which would not hold him up long enough!!!  Yep.  He's in better shape than most of us.  He retired from KCS Railroad after being an engineer after the War.  What a guy!

Without further ado, the winner was announced!  It was a young lady who went absolutely ballistic when her name was called.  There was screaming and wailing and mega-excitement in the air.  After signing the paperwork required, she piled into the back seat of the plane and the ride began.  Taxi, run-up, then take-off!!!

It was a good, long ride, lasting about 30 minutes.  We lost sight of them but the young lady was absolutely ecstatic upon their return so I know she thoroughly enjoyed it!  Good for her!

Oh.  Before I forget, there were some great cars, too.  A few that I particularly enjoyed:

So... that has ended and our weather has turned cooler for now.  What a relief!  Looks like this week is going to be just stellar.

Until next post...