Throwing Missus Chica from the Train…

I mentioned Blogher was coming up a few weeks ago. As much as would like to attend and charm the ladies out of their socks, I am unfit to travel. I get deathly car sick, so planes are out of the question too. Any trip that exceeds twenty minutes travel time, ensures that I will be ralphing in the back seat, the front seat and every location between. It’s not pretty. The last extended ride I took, involved the Missus rolling down the window gagging as the car coasted off the interstate. Nope been there, done that, bought the t-shirt and don’t I don’t need to visit again.

The Missus will be serving as my “representative” at the conference. She is ecstatic about rooming with Meno and Maggie, and meeting others while in Chicago.

I was concerned she might feel left out not having a blog of her very own. So last week, I insisted she get her own blog. I helped her master feebly attempt modifying style-sheets. We sent off one SOS to to the web host, and viola, she’s in business with her own url and everything. No small feat for a housecat without opposable thumbs, and a woman who hasn’t actively coded web pages in a decade.

Anyhoo, if you’re interested in checking out her new digs (Provided you haven’t found it on your own, yet. Yes, you know who you are.), drop me an e-mail at tux(dot)kitty(at)hotmail(dot)com. I promise your personal information will be held in the strictest of confidence. I will not share your information with the IRS, private detectives, or marketing outfits, because I too abhor the MAN and look forward to sticking it to him whenever possible.

Big City Recap

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Having stated the obvious, it was my good intention to upload a second post yesterday. I started this draft fifty minutes prior the witching hour only to be faced with yet another black out sponsored by my beloved internet service provider. There are two high speed providers in the area, and neither one is worthy of a referral or a coveted spot on the Christmas card list.

Dirty Girl and I were abandoned for an impromptu long weekend in the city. One moment the Mister was scratching my soft belly, the next he was squealing tires at the four stop exiting the subdivision. What gives? Aren’t Dirt Girl and I charming enough to spend to spend time with indefinitely? Have our conversations grown tired and dull?

I did I little rummaging in the office after they pulled out of the driveway. I found information for an aquarium, a botanical garden, a winery, and a zoo. All recreational interests that our barely metropolitan city lacks. Maybe I should have drug out the pet carrier and dropped the subtle hint that I too would like to experience more than our geography offers.

The folks were two of maybe fifteen people in the entire state who have yet to visit the largest aquarium in the southeast. It was a nice facility. The layout was not as well thought out as this place, and the sign-age and educational information were somewhat lacking, but its only been in operation a year. There is still time to get it right. The staff was extremely courteous and professional. There had a snag with tickets, which the staff quickly resolved without any inconvenience to the Mister and Missus. They experienced a degree of professionalism thought to previously be extinct. If you are one of the remaining ten who have not yet been, I would recommend visiting.

For a more peaceful outing, they finished the afternoon with a tour and wine tasting at a local vineyard. They would have enjoyed spending more time at the winery, but they were delayed by weekend traffic gridlock. I’m not qualified to make recommendations for consumiption, but if you like dessert wine, you might consider their muscadine varieties.

The following morning was spent at the botanical gardens. There was a wonderful collection of orchids on display, and water lilies were in bloom. Ponds were filled with bullfrog tadpoles that were larger than goldfish. Integrated within the different gardens were large sculptures from David Rogers.

Before returning home, the folks went to the zoo to visit this new addition. The Mister and Missus were able to see the pandas at their most active time during the day. Mother and baby were busy tussling and playing chase. After spending three days surrounded by large crowds, make that large LOUD crowds, the folks seemed relieved to return to the peaceful quiet that is home.

For those interested, New pictures have been uploaded to the flickr page.

Gone Fishin’….

When time constraints prevent you from composing a proper post, you upload a picture, right? The Misssus confiscated the laptop, so I’m sipping coffee with lots of cream at my local watering hole. She didn’t give any notice about this, otherwise I would have prepared better. Anyhoo, here’s a picture from the aquarium she emailed me this morning. I hope to have a proper post late this evening.

Poetry Friday: Trip

Poor Mona has been terribly busy for the past week, and hardly had a moment to herself to reflect. But, our fearless leader has made an offering for Poetry, the word is trip. To honor Mona properly I have composed yet another ill-thought poem, and I will insist to the Mister and Missus they retreat from the homestead for a long weekend away. As for Mona, I hope she can find the time for a day trip of her own. Cheers Everyone!

Birddogging

Nancy had the balls to give out a homework assignment. She obviously recognizes me for the slacker that I really am. So bird is the word, eh? I have a few random thoughts on the subject.

UNO

I woke up this morning with my throat dry and my lungs burning from the smoke that permeated the house through a window left ajar. Ash traveling from a forest fires burning over sixty miles away, rested in a thin blanket on the Mister’s truck. I lifted my head long enough to peer out the bathroom window and see the yellow haze of smoke obscuring the bright foliage of the back yard. I had no choice but to leave bed for a drink of water, so I opted to join Missus Chica at the kitchen table for a cup of coffee.

Undeterred by the singed air, three robins were hanging out near the bird feeder. There was a male and two females. Initially the male fed directly from the feeder, and knocked seed to the ground so the two females could eat. Later the male flew to the ground and began feeding the smaller of the two females seed with his beak. I suppose she could have been his offspring, but I’ve never witnessed a bird behave in this way outside the nest.

There was a gentle peacefulness about the whole entourage. The kind of peace we spend our whole lives seeking and never noticing, because we tend to be distracted by burning bushes.

DOS

If you click on the picture and look carefully, you will see nine cedar waxwings drinking from the fishpond water feature. These birds operate with a mob mentality. The travel in large flocks and will strip all the berries from ten foot holly in twenty seconds flat, leaving a wake of bird shit as they move from one food source to the next.

TRES

Missus Chica has an interesting rapport with the bird kingdom. Emus like to follow her around, but the ostrich…..well lets just say his intentions aren’t honorable. He was really smitten with her, he put the move on her the last time she went to the animal park and it looked a lot like this: