An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel: February 2011

Monday, February 28, 2011

My world - Lindy loves peanut butter

Dick likes a spoonful of peanut butter now and then, and he will let Lindy lick the spoon when he's done. This time, he finished off all his peanut butter, and gave the plastic jar to Lindy.

Lindy looks at me suspiciously to see if I disapprove.
Then she decides too many people are looking at her in the kitchen. (Two of us.)

She moves to a little mat in the living room.
"Aha! Now it's all mine," she exclaims gloatingly, ignoring Dick and the camera.

"Ahh, this is dog heaven!"
Photos by Richard Schear

Posted for My World Tuesday, presented every week by

the My World team, Wren, Sandy, Sylvia, Louise, Klaus, and Fishing Guy

To get a glimpse of other worlds from other parts of the planet, please click

HERE!

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Total: 139. This is obviously a fairy tale.

She put a coin into the wishing shoe, which multiplied her $20 goldpiece a millionfold.

The square-fingered glove handed her the new coins.

Microfiction Monday requires us to write about a picture, provided each week by the lovely and talented Susan at Stony River, in 140 characters or less, including spaces and punctuation.

I could never do it if I didn’t have the help of Design 215’s character counter, which can be found below, but today I did it in 139 characters.

http://www.design215.com/toolbox/character_count.php

To see how others interpreted the photo shown above, please click

HERE!

Mellow yellows, many murals make up Moose Jaw

Moose Jaw is known to TV cartoon fans as the town where super-hero Atomic Betty attended school
at Moose Jaw Heights...when she wasn't somewhere in space, protecting the galaxy.
However, the city is also known for its murals. There are so many murals, I could only show a few last year, the first time I featured them on Mellow Yellow Monday.
Now, because yellow is such a bright spring-and-summer kind of color, here are a few more, to brighten up a snowy winter. I know Moose Jaw is having a snowy winter, because it's just a few hours from here, in Saskatchewan, the Canadian province east of Alberta. At least Moose Javians (yes, that's what its citizens are called) have these murals to brighten up an otherwise white scene for them!

This only one half of a large mural depicting the rolling hills, lush valleys and wandering rivers of the Canadian prairie.

This ceramic mural depicts the Temple Garden Spa in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan,
where guests can enjoy a spa treatment or swim in the indoor/outdoor hot springs pool.

Moose Jaw's legendary reputation, as having once been Al Capone's hideout, means many murals depict his era.

Canada's air show favorites, the Snowbirds, are based in Moose Jaw.

Photos by Richard Schear and Kay Davies

Posted for the Mellow Yellow Monday meme.

CLICK HERE for many mellow yellows from around the world.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Pet Pride - Roxy tries to get Mya's attention

Photo by Kay Davies

Exhausted from posing for pictures in the pretty dress Auntie Kay and Uncle Dick brought her from Hawaii, our grandniece Mya decides to look the other way to play with her toys. Her pug pup, Roxy, refuses to be ignored, however, and tries to entice Mya with another toy. Roxy's toy is almost the same colors as Mya's dress, Lindy noticed when she saw this photo.

Posted for Pet Pride, the pet-photo meme hosted every week

by Bozo and his family in Mumbai.

Lindy says, "Hi, Bozo! I haven't met Roxy but I'm sure she'd like you, too."

To see other pets as their families see them, please click

HERE!

Hello - Goodbye - camera critters are shy

This sweet young thing was peering around a tree, looking at Dick and Lindy as they looked at her. But she was somewhat shy, so she'd no sooner said hello, than she decided to say goodbye.

Photos by Richard Schear

Posted for Misty Dawn's animal photo meme...
Camera Critters.

To see other critters captured by other cameras, please click
HERE!

Staying out of the shade, but casting shadows

Crows might not be everyone's favorite bird, but they sure can be entertaining. These four, and a few others, were picking up bread my friend Ruth threw onto her front lawn near White Rock, BC, earlier this month. Their antics were fun to watch, and we laughed at their squabbles.

Photo by Kay Davies

Posted for Shadow Shot Sunday, hosted each week by Tracy at Hey Harriet!

To see other shadows from around the world, please click

HERE!

Friday, February 25, 2011

Railings and rocks reflected in Chinese pond

There was so much to see, so much to capture with our cameras when visiting China in '08, I can't even remember if I took this photo or if Dick did. It was one of us, and we both enjoy sharing it here.

Posted for Weekend Reflections, hosted every weekend by

James at Newtown Daily Photo.

To see other reflections from other lenses, please click

HERE!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Skywatch photo shows land between the snow

Yes, some patches of land between patches of snow! We've had a little bit of snow since this photo was taken, but only a dusting. It is now very, very cold (-20C, which feels like -30 with the wind chill) so my guess is Dick and Lindy won't be walking very far or for very long this afternoon.

Posted for Sky Watch Friday,

brought to us every week by the talented team of Klaus, Wren, Sandy, Sylvia and Fishing Guy.

For beautiful skies from around the world, please click

HERE!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Feel like jumpin, baby, won't you join me, please?

One of my favorite songs was recorded in 1959 by a singer named Frankie Ford. I remember 1959, but I don't remember the singer or the song from that time.
In 1975, the song was covered by a member of one of my favorite groups of the 70s, CCR's own John Fogerty, but I don't remember him recording Sea Cruise.
The Frankie Ford version became one of my favorite songs in the 1990s, probably because its catchy rhythm and fun lyrics made me feel good when I was having health problems.
Now, having discovered that a truly talented musician like John Fogerty covered the song at a time when Creedence Clearwater Revival (aka CCR) was enjoying worldwide popularity, I suspect he chose it for its rhythm and not for its lyrics. Much as I adore John Fogerty, my favorite rendition of Sea Cruise is still the 1959 Frankie Ford recording.
Another little-known fact about Sea Cruise is: this is the only song I have ever performed in Karaoke, ever, anywhere, at all. I did it, completely sober, in a small country town in British Columbia in the 90s. I was there with a group of women friends, and we were all dressed in 1950s outfits. It was great fun, but I'll never do it again. The only place I sing now is in church, where they can't throw me out!

SEA CRUISE

as recorded by Frankie Ford in 1959

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUSd_RYnxAY

Old Man Rhythm is in my shoes

It's no use a-sittin' and a-singin' the blues

So be my guest, you've got nothin' to lose

Won't you let me take you on a sea cruise?

Oo-ee, oo-ee baby

Won't you let me take you on a sea cruise?

Feel like jumpin' - baby, won't you join me, please?

I don't like beggin', but now I'm on bended knees

I got to get to rockin', get my hat off the rack

I got to boogie-woogie like a knife in the back

So be my guest, you've got nothin' to lose

Won't you let me take you on a sea cruise?

Oo-ee, oo-ee baby

Won't you let me take you on a sea cruise?

I got to get to movin', baby, I ain't lyin'

My heart is beatin' rhythm and it's right on time

So be my guest, you've got nothin' to lose

Won't you let me take you on a sea cruise?

Oo-ee, oo-ee baby

Won't you let me take you on a sea cruise?

Feel like jumpin' - baby, won't you join me, please?

I don't like beggin', but now I'm on bended knees

Oo-ee, oo-ee baby

Won't you let me take you on a sea cruise?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvQGawB4Fv4&feature=related

you might notice the lyrics are somewhat different in
1975 version recorded by John Fogerty

Posted for Hootin' Anni's musical meme,

Thursday Theme Song.

To see and hear Thursday theme songs chosen by others, please

CLICK HERE!

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

"F" For Flightless Feathered Friends on Fernandina

Photo by Richard Schear

Flightless cormorants (Phalacrocorax harrisi), also known as Galapagos cormorants, are unique because they are the only cormorants to have lost the ability to fly. This bird is the largest cormorant on the planet today, also one of the world's rarest birds, and the subject of an active conservation program.

After diving for food (fish, eels and small octopi) in the shallow water no more than 100 meters off the shores of only two islands, Isabela and Fernandina, the cormorants dry their short wings in the sun (as shown in the picture above) because their feathers are not waterproof.

In the Wikipedia photo to the right, we can see the bird's upper coloring is blackish, its lower parts brown, and its eye turquoise.
I wish my eyes were turquoise.

Posted for the letter F in ABC Wednesday,
an alphabetic meme hosted weekly by Mrs. Nesbitt's
team of fantastic photographers.

To see how other people around the world used the letter F,
please click
HERE!

Monday, February 21, 2011

'My World' was White Rock two weeks ago

Although I've been living in southeastern Alberta for 10 years now, I still go "home" to White Rock, British Columbia, to visit my family as often as I can.

Earlier this month, I left southeastern Alberta's snow-covered landscape when there was a blizzard in the forecast. It was wonderful to see spring had started busting out all over the southwest coast.

The bonnie bloomin' heather.

Tea with two fellow bloggers, one a dear friend of long standing, the other a lovely new friend.

Blue skies over White Rock, and a totem pole hiding behind the branches of a tree.

Uh-oh....

...what's this ugly picture? On the highway heading south from the Vancouver airport, we saw dozens of bald eagles, but I couldn't get a decent shot as we hurried along in my brother's car. This photo is the best of a bad bunch, enlarged so you can see the eagle near the top of the tree on the left.

Posted for My World Tuesday hosted every week by the MWT team of

Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Sylvia and Fishing Guy. Thanks for the good work, team!

To see other worlds from other parts of the planet, please click

HERE!

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Mellow Caribbean yellows for Dick and Monica

Most years, Dick qualifies for his employers' trip to a warm climate during our cold Canadian winters. Most times, I enjoy accompanying him. When, however, a trip is scheduled for a warmer time of year, I find hot climates too much for my constitution. I'm glad Dick has daughters who can go with him. One year, he and his daughter Monica stayed at the Grand Hotel Bavaro in the Dominican Republic.

Yellow flowers can be seen in different places around the hotel.

And what's this? The light makes all the food look deliciously yellow, too.

Posted for Mellow Yellow Monday, brought to us each week by Drowsey Monkey.

To see other mellow yellows as they were discovered by other cameras, please click

HERE!

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Shadow Shot Sunday: kids and animals, with shadows

One of the grandsons in Red Deer had a trip to this outdoor skating rink for his birthday.
Shadows followed the skaters everywhere they went.

Surrounded by shadows not far from our house, this wild rabbit isn't moving a whisker,
because it doesn't want to attract Lindy's attention.

Looking intently for the deer that weren't there, Lindy hasn't noticed the rabbit yet.
Shadow Shots by Richard Schear

Posted for Shadow Shot Sunday, hosted every week by Tracy at Hey, Harriet!

Thanks, Tracy!

To see other shadows captured by other cameras, please click

HERE!

Lindy's daddy is so proud of his lovely pet

Richard Schear photo

When Lindy and her daddy got back from their walk in today's very, very cold weather, he kept saying, again and again, "She's such a good girl. She really is such a good girl!" Someone is very proud of his pretty pet today!
In this photo, Lindy isn't looking as happy as her friend Bozo is in his picture, because she is looking for the small herd of deer they usually see on their winter walks. Lindy gets so excited when she sees the deer, she actually vibrates, her dad says, but she doesn't bark -- she just watches them. Today the deer were nowhere to be seen, probably because Lindy and Dick went out earlier than usual.
Lindy, who knows to the very minute when her mealtimes are, doesn't remember they usually see deer when they go walking at sunset.

Posted for Pet Pride, hosted each week by Bozo and his family in Mumbai.

"Hi, Bozo!" says Lindy.

To see other pets captured digitally by their proud owners, please click

HERE!

To find out what Lindy and her daddy did see on their walk today,

check our blog later for this weekend's Shadow Shot Sunday.

Unreal camera critters, folks, simply unreal

Photo by Kay Davies

Photo by a kindly stranger

As much as I love the small herd of deer who come to visit our yard and to eat the ornamental crabapples from our tree, I'm tired of pictures of them in the snow. I did, however, enjoy seeing a metal deer statue in Moncton, New Brunswick, during my train trip across Canada last year. Someone offered to take a picture of me, my husband Dick, and a gorilla statue at the San Diego Zoo a few years ago. (A sign warns visitors the metal statue may be hot -- but we weren't there in summer.)

Posted for the Camera Critters meme hosted by Misty Dawn. Thanks, Misty!

To see other critters from around the world, please click

HERE!