Camping at O'Leno

A couple of years ago we were camping at O'Leno State Park in Florida. It rained and rained, the whole time we were there. Across from our site was a class A motorhome. I didn't see anyone around it the whole weekend, no one coming or going. Late Saturday afternoon we heard a loud crack, and then a crash that shook the ground. The ground had gotten so saturated with all the rain, that a tree fell and crashed into the motorhome. We investigated, we still did not know if anyone was inside. It turned out the the owners had parked it and taken their tow car to the area football game.

They would have surely been killed if they had been inside. The park was full of trees, and we were a little frightened but we stayed until Sunday morning. It continued to rain, but no other trees fell.

Did you see it?

Did you see the DaVinci Code movie? What did you think of it?



If you didn't see it, let me save you the trouble. Just read the book, it was much better in print.

View from the hammock

Ah! this is the life! nothing like a hammock to get you in the right frame of mind!
Late in the afternoon, waiting for the sun to set.


I reached in my pocket and got my camera phone.


I could just lay here or call for a pizza! Ah! I love modern technology!

Amtrak Auto Train

We are headed out next week on vacation to see my family in Virginia. We are taking the auto train from Sanford, Florida to Lorton, Virginia. This rail car is typical of the ones used to stack the cars two rows high. Amtrak Auto Train is one of the longest trains. Depending on the number of cars loaded on, the train can be up to a mile long!

You turn in your car at the station and they give you a magnetic number to stick on the side of the car. (This identifies your car when they unload at the other end, they call out the numbers as they take the cars off.) The station crew drive the cars on to the elevator platforms and load the cars onto the train.


You board the passenger part of the train, and at 4 PM the train leaves for the 16 hour journey. You can have dinner in the dining car, spend time in the lounge car, or just walk around the train. You can have just regular seats, or a sleeping car (which I prefer).


The really neat thing about the train is the great view. You enter the train at street level, but all the seats and rooms are upstairs. The dining car is a first class restaurant, and even though the train is moving and swaying, the waiters never seem to spill food on you! You watch the landscape go by as you eat your meal.

I am not much of a fan of jet plane travel. (OK, truth be told, I hate it!) Squeezed to capacity in a jet plane is not my idea of fun. The train takes longer, but what do I care? I am retired, I have all the time in the world!

1954 computer

52 years ago this is what we thought the home computer would look like in 2004. What do you suppose the steering wheel was for???

Maxine, I love her!

Good housekeeping tip:

Always keep several get well cards on the mantle..........so if unexpected guests arrive, they might think you've been sick and unable to clean.

Snake story

I hesitate to tell this story. If I had heard this from someone else, I would have said, "bullshit" but I SWEAR - this is a true account. I do have witnesses, so that helps! When I was a deputy sheriff in the 1980's, before I made detective, I was on the road in a radio dispatched patrol car. The county is divided up into zones, and each deputy is responsible to respond to calls within that zone. If I live to be one hundred, I will never forget this. It was the day before I was scheduled to go on vacation. I got a "snake call" in a subdivision that was still under construction. It was a high dollar community, with fancy concrete walls and enclosed entrances. The complainant met me in the street and told me that a "huge" snake had been crawling down the street, and that he last saw it slither into an enclosed courtyard of a vacant house. The man described the snake as black & yellow with diamond shapes on it's back.

Now I was scared enough to pee my pants, but I couldn't show it. I shudder at even a photo of a snake and I knew this was a poisonous rattler. I loaded up my revolver with snake shot - special bullets that have tiny bb's instead of a single round. I had heard through the years that the strike of a rattlesnake is so fast, that it cannot be seen with the human eye. I know that rattlesnakes are "pit vipers" sensing heat to strike their prey, even in the dark. My back-up arrived, Deputy "Chuck", a 6 foot 5 inch man. I drew my gun and entered the courtyard with Chuck close enough to be my back-pack. My hands were sweating so bad that I could hardly keep a good grip on the gun, and I felt my mouth turn to sawdust. Chuck whispered (as if the snake could hear)"There he is!" (two feet from the end of my gun) The snake had coiled up under a springery fern, I could only see the side of him. "BANG-BANG" I quickly double tapped him (shot twice) without aiming. No movement. Someone else entered the courtyard with a rake and poked at the snake, announcing that he was dead. They drug him out of there, and to my suprise he was about 7 feet long. They held him up, and wanted me to have my photo taken with him. No way. Snakes, even dead ones, continue to move because of all the muscle contraction in their bodies. Upon further examination of the snakes head, which was as big as my fist, I saw two side by side bullet holes in the back of his mouth through his head! I did not aim at his head, I could not see it. The snake had reacted to the heat of the bullets and caught them in his mouth. Now that's fast. I still shudder to this day when I think of this incident!

Welcome to Florida!

"I will bite your arms and/ or legs off!"

"What part of "dangerous" didn't you understand?"

"I have my mouth open so you will step inside, I will have you over for lunch!"

"If you let your little dogs/ cats/ children near me, I will eat them." "No, I am not mean, they just look like prey to me."

My garden

This is the first time I have ever had a flower garden. I have a nice area right outside my bedroom window. I put up a cute wrought iron fence to keep the dogs out of it. (the dogs think they own this place!) I hope the garden survives. I had help picking out the plants because some can be in the hot Florida sun and others need to be in partial shade. Anyway, I can't even pronouce some of the plant names, but I like the way they look. I will see if I can keep them alive! I am watering everyday, and using Miracle Grow fertilizer once a week. I know that I have created MORE work for myself, but it should be fun!

Guns

My guns:
Smith & Wesson 9mm,
Colt .380 cal,
Smith & Wesson .38 revolver


One of my many duties when I worked was that of firearms instructor and armorer for the police department. I was responsible for the care and maintainance of all department owned firearms. Included in this, was my responsibility to run the range & teach and qualify new officers. All officers had to show proficiency with the department handguns, as well as any personal handguns that they carried off duty. I would schedule a "range date" twice a year, and all officers had to attend. The department owned Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistols. I picked this particular firearm after testing several others, primarily for it's safety features. It will not fire, even with a bullet in the breech, if the magazine is out. It will not fire with the de-cocking safety lever down because the firing pin is blocked. It will not fire if the slide is not lined up. You can see if there is a bullet in the breech just by observing a little slot in the slide on the top. There could be a time that an officer gets his gun taken away by a suspect. If this occurs, these safety features could save the officers life, simply by him knowing where to grab the gun to move the slide, or hit the magazine release lever. Anyway, I was sucessful in teaching the officers all these extra tricks, and we were lucky that during my watch there were no officer involved shootings. Believe it or not I did not even like guns before I was in law enforcement. They scared me, like they do most people, until I became familiar with them and realized that they are just a tool. It is difficult to be a Mom and have firearms in the house. I figured out early that the boys woud be curious about them. So, once in a while, I would take the guns out (unloaded of course) and show them to the boys. I would let them handle the guns, pull the trigger, etc., always teaching them the "laser rule" - NEVER point the gun at themselves or anyone else, pretend a laser is pointing out of the barrel. Children are naturally curious; I told them to tell me if they wanted to see the guns, but to never handle them without me being present. They always wanted to learn to shoot, and I told them to wait until they were 16. (That age creeped up on me quick, and the other day I took Preston for his first shooting lesson!) I am still called upon once in a while to give a private lesson, and I enjoy the one-on-one teaching much better than teaching a group. I feel more comfortable with guns now, but I still have a healthy respect. I get annoyed when the news reports that a "gun went off" and someone is shot. There is no way in the world that guns shoot without someone actually pulling the trigger!

Student driver

When will it end? Me in the passenger seat, clutching my seatbelt strap! I like to drive. If we go anywhere, I am usually the one to drive. I have to let my son drive now, he is 16 and has his learner's permit. He will be getting his license in August, so I have to let him behind the wheel. Sometimes it is very nerve-wracking! Today, I found myself closing my eyes as we approached a traffic light. I know he is going to stop, and basically he is a good driver so far. I don't want to yell, "GET ON THE DAMN BRAKE!" You young mothers - beware! -Driver training is way worse than potty training, now I am the one going pee in my pants!!! For several years when I worked I was a field training officer. I had to teach rookie cops how to high speed pursuit drive, with lights and sirens on! I have either lost my nerve or my near death experience has caused me to turn into a wimp. I would feel much better if I could have my foot on one of those passenger side brakes, like they have in driver training cars. I think, for me, it is all about giving up control. I hate it. I am gonna be a bitch if I ever have to live in an old folks home!

Last parade

The boys and the band marched in the last parade for this school year this past Saturday night. I didn't march with them this year. Instead we watched the parade from the sidelines. This was nice, we got to see the other bands and floats. I am always worried about Preston getting enough water since his last bout with dehydration, so I bought him a "Camelback" water backpack. This thing is neat, a little two quart bladder bottle inside a backpack made for it. It has a tube that goes over your shoulder, and a little bite valve, so it doesn't leak, and the cold water on your back keeps you cool! It worked really well, and he liked it. I am going to suggest to the band director that we get these for all the members.

End of the school year

Matt on drums




Preston on tuba





Last night was the final concert for the band, and the awards ceremony. Each group performed (concert band, jazz band, marching band) in the courtyard of the high school, then we had a banquet and awards were given out to each section. We brought our lawn chairs and enjoyed some wonderful music from the young musicians. It was a nice relaxing evening. We are proud of our "band boys" and their acomplishments this year. The boys are looking forward to summer vacation, just a couple more weeks until school is over for this year.

Tree house

Reading Susan's recent post made me think back to the time when the "moms" built a tree house for the "boys" several years ago. We thought that they would spend hours playing in their new fort. Preston was up there about twice before he discovered that there were spiders in the oak tree, and that was the end of that! Matthew played up there a few times too, but not nearly as much as I thought he would. I discovered that it is better to let the boys do their own thing. Sometimes a discarded cardboard box is the best play fort, and a hell of a lot cheaper! The tree house was up for about a year and a half before we tore it down. In this photo, Preston is in the house right before demolition began. Notice he is not touching anything in there, still scared of spiders!

"Hemi"

what a difference a haircut makes!

The way I see it. . . .

As I read the news and see the television reports, I don't know how much longer we will survive as a civilization. There seems to be so much unrest, fighting, and poverty. It is so depressing. Since I retired about 15 years before I expected too, I thought that the rest of my life would be stress free. I envisioned myself traveling around the country, pulling my travel trailer, care free. It looks like that is not a possibility unless a bring a wheelbarrow full of cash to pay for gas. It is kind of sad that we spend so much energy arguing and fighting. Our time would be so much better spent finding disease cures, looking for alternative fuel sources, helping the poverty stricken people. Instead the leaders and politicians run the world pursuing their own agendas, with no regard for the other guy and his opinion. I have always considered myself an optimist, but lately the whole state of the world has me really "down". The sad thing is that I really don't know what to do about it. Write my congressman? No one seems to care unless it is around election time. When I look at history, even in my short lifetime, I see other dire times when it looked like the end of the world was in sight. Maybe the world has always been this way, but now, more than ever before, it looks to me like we are on the brink of disaster.

Six weird things

I was tagged by Doubleknot to list 6 weird things about myself. Doubleknot said, "I know you are perfectly normal". HA! We will see!

1. I am a technical nut, I like any and all techie stuff.

2. I am WAY older than the young person inside my mind.

3.I am teaching myself to play the trumpet, and no one in my household knows this, I practice when I am home alone!

4. Now that I am retired and home alot, my three dogs are my new best friends!

5. I am so mechanical that I can take anything apart and put it back together.

6. I feel extraordinarily close to my "bloggie" friends.

Pain in the Neck

It took me several weeks to figure this out. I have had a pain in the muscle in the back (left side) of my neck. I kept thinking that I was "sleeping wrong" so I made an extra effort to place my pillows just right, and sleep on the non-affected side. Nothing helped, every morning I woke up, sometimes so stiff that I couldn't turn my head. I even considered going to the doctor. I like to figure things out on my own first, so when I visit the doctor, I can make my own diagnosis - then he can just agree with me! I am so glad I didn't go to the doc for this. It turns out that the pain in my neck is YOUR fault. Yes, that's right, it is because of you. Reading your blogs late into the night when I am sleepy has caused me to prop my chin on my left hand, with my elbow propped on the desk. I navigate thru the blogs with my right hand on the mouse, while I inadvertently hyper-extend my neck muscle by propping my head up! Pretty pitiful, I can't even hold up my own head! I have made an extra effort since I discovered this dilema to sit up straight and concentrate on correct posture. If you happen to see me propping my head, you have my permission to slap me out of this chair!

LIAR!

Most people think that the police do not/ can not / will not lie to them. Nothing could be further from the truth! The police are allowed to lie, it is covered by statute. They lie to get confessions, and it is perfectly legal. They just can't make promises to coerce a confession. One of the things I used to do with a burglary suspect is leave the interview room and get some generic fingerprint lift cards from an unrelated crime scene. I would come back into the room, throw the fingerprint cards down on the table, and simply say, "Who do you think these prints belong to?" Then I would leave again. Of course suspects are NEVER alone while at the police station, and I would go into the next room and watch through the two-way mirror. Usually a guilty suspect couldn't help looking at the cards. He would pick up the cards to see how clear the print lifts were, and even look at his own fingers to see if they compared. It was funny, a game of cat and mouse. Another thing I used to do is play the "What if I told you" game. It works like this, I would say to the suspect - "What if I told you someone saw you in that neighborhood?" (note: I did not say that someone did actually see them) Of course these sneaky tactics were meant to solict a confession from the guilty or absolve the innocent. If you are ever in police custody, remember, everything you do and say CAN be held against you. So shut up! Remember your right to remain silent. Let the evidence show your guilt or innocence. Lucky for me, everyone always wanted to talk.

Retirement is good!

Question: How many days in a week?
Answer: 6 Saturdays, 1 Sunday

Question: When is a retiree's bedtime?
Answer: Three hours after he falls asleep on the couch.

Question: How many retirees to change a light bulb?
Answer: Only one, but it might take all day.

Question: What's the biggest gripe of retirees?
Answer: There is not enough time to get everything done.

Question: Why don't retirees mind being called Seniors?
Answer: The term comes with a 10% percent discount.

Question: Among retirees what is considered formal attire?
Answer: Tied shoes.

Question: Why do retirees count pennies?
Answer: They are the only ones who have the time.

Question: What is the common term for someone who enjoys work and refuses to retire?
Answer: NUTS!

Question: What is the best way to describe retirement?
Answer: The never ending Coffee Break.

Thanks Bob!

No wonder. . .

. . .everyone hates to learn English. Note: if Chocolatebox reads these, she may give up trying to learn this language!

We must polish the Polish furniture.

He could lead if he would get the lead out.

The farm was used to produce produce.

The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

The soldier decided to desert in the desert.

This was a good time to present the present.

A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

I did not object to the object.

The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

The bandage was wound around the wound.

There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

They were too close to the door to close it.

The buck does funny things when the does are present.

They sent a sewer down to stitch the tear in the sewer line.

To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

After a number of injections my jaw got number.

Upon seeing the tear in my clothes I shed a tear.

I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

I read it once and will read it again. (yes, you will!)

I learned much from this learned treatise.

I was content to note the content of the message.

The Blessed Virgin blessed her. Blessed her richly.

It's a bit wicked to over-trim a short wicked candle.

If he will absent himself we mark him absent.

I incline toward bypassing the incline.

thanks to "BOB"

Guess who?

I heard a "tap-tap-tapping" at my door this morning. I captured this photo outside in the garden. Could it be...??????

Remembering

April 1st marks the second anniversary of my friends death. Jody is missed by her friends and family. The "biting" grief is starting to subside, giving way to sweet remembrances. We always had fun, even at work in the throws of a serious case. Jody was a "crimes against children" detective. This is a specialized area for a detective that only investigates crimes with juvenile victims. In sexual abuse cases the job involves emotional interviews of traumatized children. Often times these cases lack of any physical evidence. Sometimes it is frustrating work, because you know that a crime has occurred, but there is not enough evidence to make an arrest. The way it works is that the lead detective will make the case, then three or four of us would go in for the actual arrest. Child sexual battery offenders have a lot to lose if they are caught and prosecuted. In Florida these offenses are "capital felonies", meaning they can get life in prison if convicted. I remember a particular case of a multi-victim offender that Jody finally got the goods on. Jody's husband, (who was my detective-partner), another plain clothes detective and I went along with Jody for the arrest. We parked on the next block and had a marked unit standing by to take the bad guy to jail. We were sneaking up the block approaching the offender's house, when Jody wispered, "Does anyone have handcuffs?" Everyone stopped and looked at each other, no one replied. Finally I said, "What would you people do if I wasn't such a boyscout?" I produced some handcuffs from my jacket pocket! It is difficult to carry all the cop tools when you are in plain clothes. You have to keep a gun, extra ammo, badge, handcuffs and a two way radio - all concealed! Detectives start to get complacent and keep this stuff under the seat in the car. I stopped carrying a purse and started wearing a shoulder holster many years ago. You know how you have to sometimes "dump out your purse" looking for something. Imagine trying to find your gun and handcuffs! When a bad guy threatens you, you don't have the time to say, "hang on a minute, it is right here in my purse somewhere!!!" Anyway, we got the creep arrested, and convicted. Jody never has to deal with these "scum of the earth" offenders anymore. She put many of them in jail. Job well done, Jody - Rest in peace.

Long ago

My "bloggie" friend "Jellyhead's" recent post reminded me of long ago and far away, back when I was a child. We don't recall these times near enough. My dad died when I was 23, a long time ago. I didn't have near enough time with him. I am, however, blessed with many childhood memories. Dad used to read to us every night at bedtime. He like poetry, and we would always ask for "Casey at the Bat", a baseball poem that my brother loved. My favorite was the "Owl and the Pussycat". After all this time, I think I can still remember it. It goes something like this:

The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea
in a beautiful pea green boat.
They took some honey and plenty of money
wrapped up in a five pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above and sang to a small guitar,
"Oh lovely Pussy, Oh Pussy my love, what a beautiful Pussy you are, you are, what a beautiful Pussy you are!"
Said Puss to the Owl, "You elegant fowl,
how charmingly sweet you sing,
oh let us be married, too long we have tarried,
but what shall we do for a ring?".
So they sailed away for a year and a day to the land where the bong trees grow,
and there in the wood, a piggy-wig stood,
with a ring on the end of his nose -his nose-
with a ring on the end of his nose.
Said Owl to the pig, "Are you willing to sell for one shilling your ring?" Said the piggy, "I will!"
So they took it away and were married next day
by the turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mints, and slices of quints,
which they ate with a runcible spoon.
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
they danced by the light of the moon -the moon-
they danced by the light of the moon!

That was from memory, so I hope I remembered it all, forty years is a long time ago.

Mo.. money

I got a big income tax return this year. I decided not to squander the money, instead I will spend it on stuff for my house. I bought this new light for the dining room. We had a perfectly good light and ceiling fan. We hardly ever used the fan, because it was too cool over the table. I like my food to be HOT when I eat it! I saw this light and I really like stained glass, so I got it. I also called the door man to install one of those decorative doors. Instead of buying a whole new front door, they cut out the center of the existing door, and put decorative windowpane glass in it. I have a small house, so I like to make it as unique and nice as I can. I have a lot more spring projects to keep me busy. More later, I am off to the home improvement store to spend more money!

Florida Aquarium

Yesterday we went to the Florida Aquarium in Tampa. I am familiar with many species of aquatic life, living in a state surrounded by water, but I had never seen anything like this. This is a "Leafy Sea Dragon" It looks sort of like a sea horse with leaves! What an interesting animal. The leaves do not act as fins to stear the animal, but are just for camouflage. He moves by means of a tiny little transparent fin on his back. This animal is native to Australia. This is the first time I have observed one of them - I could have stayed and watched him all day. Facinating!

Sweet 16

Today was my son's 16th birthday. I find it so hard to believe. Time has gone by in a flash. Wasn't he just learning to talk, walk, go to the potty? Wasn't that just yesterday? He is a wonderful son, I love him so much, I am so proud of him. I remember the first "joke" he told. He was about 2 years old, around Christmas time. He was looking out the window as we were riding in the car, he said, "Mommy, see those birds sitting on the wire?" "They are holding on with their foot claws, not their santa claus." That was the beginning of the wise guy comments! He is naturally funny. Today he had three of his teenage friends come to the house for a couple of hours. They sat around and laughed and joked and played video games. He was embarassed that I put up a "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" banner, but I refused to take it down. They all had cake and ice cream, but we didn't DARE sing the birthday song!

Detective Sergeant Retired

I finally cleaned out my locker the other night. I have been retired since February 2004, so it was about time! I have just avoided going out there for a long time. I did not want to run into some of the people that opposed my disability retirement. You see, I got an "in the line of duty" retirement, and some people disagreed with that. The law in the State of Florida asserts that if you did not have heart disease when you started your law enforcement job, and you got it - then it is presumed to have been caused by the job, thus a line of duty disability. The retirement board fought me "tooth & nail" and I was quite put off by that. I was always willing to "lay down my life" if required for my job. It hurt my feelings that no one stood up for me. As long as I was doing the job, being on call 24-7, then they were happy with me. Once I was of no further use to them, they turned their backs on me. My fault too, a job is just a job, and you should never get so involved that you take things personally. When I drove out to the PD, it was like old times when I used to get called out in the night for a major incident. It was late, and there wasn't much traffic, it only took about 20 minutes to get there. I could not find the duty officer, so I drove around using my detective skills to find him (find the all night coffee, find the cop). Sure enough, he was at the all night store commiserating with the cops of the adjacent jurisdiction. It was like old times, everyone was glad to see me. I could fall right back into the cop shop thing very easily. My heart won't let me though. As I cleaned out my locker of change of clothes, bullet proof vest, various tooth brushes, hair brushes, soap, towel, shoe polish, etc., I thought about how prepared I always was for any situation - to stay there for days if need be. I should have been more prepared for the inevitability of an accident or disability. In thinking about any career, you should remember this little poem that I found;
Take your hand and stick it in a bucket of water up to the wrist, then take it out and the hole that remains is a measure of how you'll be missed!

How about this?

Can You Read This?

I Cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!if you can raed tihs psas it on !!

Progress

I used to live somewhat in the country. I am two miles or so east of the interstate highway, and most of the population is west of the interstate, closer to the Gulf of Mexico. The area is beautiful, and I have live here over half my life. Lately, there is new development all around me. 800 acres of land around my small neighborhood has now been sold and is being developed. Once it was quiet here, now everyday I hear the sound of heavy machinery. They are building roads, moving dirt around, preparing lots for the new homes. I took a walk back into the new neighborhood the other day. It is amazing vast. I could see for miles back into what used to be a heavily wooded area. Every tree is gone, replaced by miles and miles of new paved roads. I am not against progress, but it is still kind of sad. Over 1,000 people a day are moving to Florida, so I guess we have to put them somewhere. I wonder what happend to all the animals that made the woods their home. There are foxes, opossoms, red-tail hawks, bob-cats and many other animals that have been displaced. I will take my camera next time I go, so I can post some photos.

Studying Australia

Studying other countries is my most recent hobby, probably because of Google Earth.

The questions below about Australia are from potential visitors. They were posted on an Australian Tourism Website and the answers are the actual responses by the website officials, who obviously have a sense of humor.

Q: Does it ever get windy in Australia? I have never seen it rain on TV,how do the plants grow? (UK)
A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.

Q: Will I be able to see kangaroos in the street? (USA)
A: Depends how much you've been drinking.

Q: I want to walk from Perth to Sydney - can I follow the railroad tracks?(Sweden)
A: Sure, it's only three thousand miles, take lots of water.

Q: Is it safe to run around in the bushes in Australia? (Sweden)
A: So it's true what they say about Swedes.

Q: Are there any ATMs in Australia? Can you send me a list of them inBrisbane, Cairns, Townsville and Hervey Bay? (UK)
A: What did your last slave die of?

Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Australia? (USA)
A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe.Aus-tra-lia is that big island in the middle of the Pacific which does not... oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Kings Cross. Come naked.

Q: Which direction is North in Australia? (USA)
A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.

Q: Can I bring cutlery into Australia? (UK)
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.

Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? (USA)
A: Aus-tri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is...oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Kings Cross, straight after the hippo races. Come naked.

Q: Can I wear high heels in Australia? ( UK)
A: You are a British politician, right?

Q: Are there supermarkets in Sydney and is milk available all year round?(Germany)
A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of vegan hunter/gatherers. Milk is illegal.

Q: Please send a list of all doctors in Australia who can dispense rattlesnake serum. (USA)
A: Rattlesnakes live in A-mer-i-ca which is where YOU come from. All Australian snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make good pets.

Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Australia, but I forget its name. It's a kind of bear and lives in trees. (USA)
A: It's called a Drop Bear. They are so called because they drop out of Gum trees and eat the brains of anyone walking underneath them. You can scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.

Q: Do you have perfume in Australia? (France)
A: No, WE don't stink.

Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you
tell me where I can sell it in Australia? (USA)
A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.

Q: Can you tell me the regions in Tasmania where the female population is smaller than the male population? (Italy)
A: Yes, gay nightclubs.

Q: Do you celebrate Christmas in Australia? (France)
A: Only at Christmas.

Q: I was in Australia in 1969 on R+R, and I want to contact the girl I dated while I was staying in Kings Cross. Can you help? (USA)
A: Yes, and you will still have to pay her by the hour.

Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? (USA)
A: Yes, but you'll have to learn it first.

I can't stop looking!

If you haven't been to Google Earth yet, you need to go there. I love it. I can't stop looking around. Flying all over the world, looking at places that I have only read about. I remember more about Geography class than I thought. Some of the places are vague, you can just see the basics, but other places are so complete that you can see cars and people on the street! I can see my house on Google Earth, that is amazing! Just plug in your address to the search and see what comes up. Tonight I went to Rome, Paris, Japan, Australia, and New York City. I get lost looking for landmarks that I know. Before I know it, it is way past bedtime and I am computer weary! If you feel closer to me now, it is because I "buzzed" over your neighborhood last night!

New doggie door

Over the past weekend I put a new doggie door in the back screen porch. They already had a flap to go out to the porch, now they can go all the way out by themselves. Now I hear the sound of "flap-flap" then "flap-flap" again and again, as they practice going in and out of their new door.



Buddy says, "I like it OK, but I would rather stay outside."

For the boys

“Come to the edge.”
“We Can’t, We’re afraid.”
“Come to the edge.”
“We can’t. We will fall!”
“Come to the edge.”
And they came.
And she pushed them.
And they flew.

Guillaume Apollinaire 1880-1918



Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

Mark Twain


And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.

Anais Nin

Metric recipe for disaster!

I am not the best cook in the world. I try to feed the family healty meals, even if they are not fancy. My son likes Shepard's Pie. The kind they make at school, not mine! I have tried several recipes that I have found in cook books and on the internet, but I cannot seem to get it right. While grocery shopping the other day, I found this Knorr packet to make Shepard's Pie and I thought that was a good idea, that maybe this would be the one that he likes. Last night I began to fix the meal and I quickly discovered that the directions were "foreign" to me. The recipe called for 450g of beef, 700g mashed potato, 300ml of water! I had NO IDEA what any of this means! A closer look at the packet showed that it was from Dublin, Ireland. How stupid are we here in America that we haven't made the conversion to metric like the rest of the world! I muddled through with the help of a conversion chart that I found on the internet. He ate it, but I could tell that it still wasn't up to the standard of the school lunch ladies!

Band decison

Preston told me this morning that he does not think he wants to go on tour with The Magic this summer. He thinks that it would be too difficult to do it all summer. I told him that he might look back on his decision and be disapointed that he did not go. He said that he will probably audition again next year. We talked about how far he had come in his exercising and strength training. He wants to continue to run and go to the gym. It has been a positive experience for him, and he got lots of good musical instruction while at the camps. I am a little disapointed because he would have traveled to a lot of places and learned to be on his own. On the other hand, he will be grown soon enough, and I would have really missed him this summer! He is still involved with his high school band, so there is plenty for him to do.

February band camp

It is bittersweet to watch your child work so hard. He plays a contra (tuba) the heaviest horn in the band. Last camp he came home defeated, dehydrated, and weak. He worked everyday since, jogging and at the gym. This camp I saw a different person. He was determined to do this. I saw him drinking water at every break - he learned the hard way that he must hydrate or his muscles will not work for him.

We had an interesting weekend. On Saturday, Preston had to attend a mandatory concert evaluation with his high school band. I had to pick him up at band camp at noon and drive like a bat out of hell back home to get him there on time. He participated in the evaulation which took about an hour, then we were back in the car enroute to Ocala.

In concert band he gets to sit down with his horn! One of the most wonderful things about all this activity, believe it or not, is the time we spend alone together in the car. He is a captive audience, I can talk to him, and even more important - he can talk to me. He told me on Saturday that he may not want to march with The Magic. By Sunday, he had changed his mind again. He is ambivilent about going on tour for the whole summer. I told him that it is his decision, but that it is a chance of a lifetime. I hope he goes, but time will tell. He has one more camp before he has to make up his mind and make a commitment. "Terrible twos" in a child's life are a piece of cake compared to being the mother of a teenager!

OK, I really didn't consider BEARS being in the forest. How stupid is that? When I reserved the site, I thought it had electric and water hook-up. Most state parks do. Not this one, it is a National Park! I was lucky to get in before it got dark, and I did have a nice paved pad to park on. Nothing to hook up, thank goodness I had replenished my fresh water tank, so I had 37 gallons to flush the toliet and take showers. My travel trailer is self contained, so I can run the lights and water pump on battery. The water heater, furnace and stove run on propane. The waste water has a 37 gallon holding tank. It is nicer to have an electrical hook-up and water, but I can deal without it. I dropped my son off at band camp, and was back about 8 PM. It was a long, dark night. I heard something outside, but I didn't want to look. I knew if I saw a bear, that I would be up the rest of the night! I figured if a bear wanted to eat someone, there were plenty of people in tents all around me. I even saw some tasty looking children down by the lake! There are bear-proof hidden latch handles on the trash cans that bears can't open! I had trouble sleeping because it was so dark and quiet. My thoughts drifted to my "bloggies" and I wondered what all of you were doing! I started figuring out what time it was in Japan and Australia - and wondering what the weather was like there. I guess if I travel this summer, I will have to get wireless internet!

Boy Scout ready

OK, I bought a generator from Harbor Freight. It is 11 hp. 5700 watts, so I should be able to run power in case a hurricane takes it out. I hated to spend the money, and I hope I never have to use it. I has a 5 gallon gas tank for 15 hour run time. The best part is that I got it for $399.99 (why don't they just charge $400.?) That was a good price. I like to be prepared - like the Boy Scouts. I am packing up to head out of town today - hope everyone has a nice weekend!

Buying stuff I will probably never use

I hate to do it. Today I am going to buy a generator. It is about $500. I hope I never have to use it, but it is good to have in the "hurricane belt". I have vowed to buy at least one hurricane related item every season. I have already purchased window boards that slip in quickly with hurricane clips, and they are good to protect the windows from flying objects. The problems usually happen with the after effects of the storm, when we don't have power for days. I have a small generator now, but today I will buy a bigger one. It will run the refrigerator, freezer, a couple of lights and a fan (a must in the hot, hell hole!) I guess this is the price I pay for living in this paradise. The damn generator weighs 154 pounds! I will have to build a wheel kit for it, so I can pull it around. I am off to the nearest Harbor Freight store.

On the road again

I will be heading out, trailer in tow, again this weekend. Preston has Magic band camp in Umatilla, Florida. I have reservations to camp in nearby Ocala National Forest. I can camp in most National and State parks for half price, because I am disabled, and it is pretty cheap to camp there anyway - usually about $15. to $18. a night. I hope to do lots more camping this summer. I have a camping "buddy" that lives in Murphy, North Carolina. He is a retired cop, used to be my partner. He has a travel trailer and we sometimes plan trips together in the summer. In 2004, we spent a week with both trailers in Stone Mountain, Georgia. It was very nice. I am lucky to be able to travel around. I look forward







to this summer, I want to take a few camping trips. Hey, maybe I will come and see some of you!!!

Check this out

Here's a lovely guy. In 1999 he molested some children. I put him in jail, but he is scheduled to get out in 2028 - or earlier if he gets gain time for good behavior. The nine year old girl he molested will forever be my hero. When this creep sneaked into her house one night, she was smart enough to keep her wits about her. She did what he said, but when he told her to come outside with him, she said "NO". That probably saved her life. This guy told his young female victims that he had accomplices in the other room waiting to kill their parents if they made a sound. One victim laid quietly in fear for several hours until she heard her dad wake up and she knew he was safe. We were lucky that this guy got 30 years, the streets are a little safer for a while. I know that when molesters get out of jail, they go right back for another victim. I advocate tattooing "MOLESTER" in big red letters across their foreheads. I do not think this would be cruel or unusual punishment!

Hobbies

How about it? What's your hobby? Retired people need hobbies because the "idle mind is the devil's playground" (heh-heh) I have been thinking about it lately and I guess my hobby is photography. So that led me to scrapbooking. My roomate is a scrapper and that is how I got started with that. I am not near the nut that she is about it. I have a scrapbook for my son's high school band, one for his DCI band, and one for my dogs. I cut out little cute snapshots and arrange them on a page of the book in a unique and crafty way. I think it is rather silly, and I got into it quite by accident because of the photo thing. You might be suprised to know that this scrapbooking craze is a billion dollar industry. I also raise homing pigeons. I have about 30 of them in a coup in my back yard. Now birders are serious about this, they race these birds. Not me. I just like 'em. I don't want them to race; I just like to let them out sometimes and watch them fly around. The most I ever do is take a couple of them about five miles away and see how long it takes them to get back. I am fascinated by their homing skills, but I have no idea how they do it. Those are my only hobbies. Unless you can count camping or biking, but those are more sports I guess. Oh yeah, don't forget blogging - I love blogging and I especially love to read your blogs (all of you know who you are) I guess that is a hobby too. What is your hobby?

Back to normal

We are back to our normal temperature here in Florida. We had a few cold days, and actually saw frost for the first time this year. I like the mild weather, that is why I live here. Soon the long, hot summer will be upon us, with 90+ degrees everyday. I still love it, I am too old to handle snow anymore. I was born in New York and I remember playing in the snow and walking to school in the snow. In contrast, my son has always lived in Florida, and doesn't know what real cold is. I can't ever get him to put on a jacket, the most I can get him to wear is a hooded sweatshirt. He asked me what the white stuff (frost) was on the grass yesterday, and was amazed that he could see his breath! The temperature should go up into the high 70's today. ahhhhhh!

Coldest night of the year

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!
We are in the middle of winter here in Florida, but tonight is scheduled to be the coldest night so far. Some areas just north of us will get down to freezing tonight. We should only get down to 39 degrees F., but that is cold enough for me. I have a nice fire going and I don't plan to go anywhere. I have to go to the doctor tomorrow, but if I had known it was going to be so cold, I wouldn't have scheduled it! Ready for my "Welcome to Medicare" checkup. I finally qualified for medicare, even though I have been on disability retirement for two years. They make you wait that long. I think they figure if you haven't died in two years, then they will give you health insurance. I plan to have all the free probes, blood tests, check-ups and anything else that they will pay for! I will probably be headed over to the cardioligist next for a stress test, haven't had one of those in awhile. I hope everyone has a nice romantic Valentines Day!

Barr meeting Katie for the first time.

"I really like you, have some of my hay!"

Friday I moved Katie over to Barr's pasture. We had a little trouble getting Katie to load up into the horse trailer, but finally (after and hour and forty-five minutes) she stepped right in. I have moved a lot of horses over the years. Upon arrival at the new place, you have to make sure the new horse gets familiar with the pasture. You do this by walking them around the perimeter a couple of times, so they know the boundries. After a couple of hours, you can bring in the other horses. Usually there is the dominance dance, when they sometimes, squeal, bite and kick. They will run for a while, then eventually settle down. When I brought Barr in, I have never seen such love. It was a true Valentines Day meeting. He loved her at first sight. He sniffed her, she made a little squeal, and kicked her back legs. That was it. No running or biting. They took to each other like bread and butter. He even let her eat grain out of his bucket. If Barr had a thumb, I would have gotten the "thumbs up" from him.

Gator aka "KATIE"

They sent me some more photos of the new horse. She is a real sweetie!

Lottery winner!

I went out to my friends pasture to look at the horses. She has five horses and needs to give away three of them. I am interested in taking an eight year old mare, named "GATOR" (who the hell gave her that name?) She is a sweet horse, in good condition, and I think she will make a nice friend for Barr. Sorry, I forgot to take my camera, so this photo from my cell phone will have to do. I think I will name her "Katie" because it is more of a girl's name, and it sounds a little like Gator, so the horse won't be confused! The horse is brown with a white face, light brown mane and tail, and one white stocking on the left rear leg. She is pretty, with a nice disposition, I think Marion will like her. When Stormy died, Marion's brother said the nicest thing. He said "somewhere a horse has won the lottery", referring to the fact that any horse who ends up being cared for by Marion will never want for anything! I think Katie is the winner.

bloggin' 'bout joggin'

The boys are jogging everyday after school. I take them down to the bridge, they jog over it, I wait on the other side. Everyday I make it a little longer. Yesterday they did a mile and a half. I am glad Preston is building up his stamina. Matt goes jogging for the exercise, but always has to be the winner. I explained to him that it is all about the exercise and breathing, but he is very competitive, and has to get back to the car first! I wish I could jog with them, but walking is about all I can do at this point! The weather has been so beautiful lately, it is enjoyable to be outside. So think about me everyday at 2 PM, I am down at the river, taking in some sun and waiting for the joggers.

Horsie shopping

I went out to the "ranch" again this morning to un-blanket Barr (the horse). It only got down to 44 degrees F. last night, but Marion insists on blanketing that horse! She is quite the over-protective horse mum! It is so quiet out there, makes you want to stay! Barr was an asshole about letting me take his blanket off. He took the apple that I gave him, and when it was finished, he decided that he had enough of me, and walked away. I got a lead rope out and coaxed him over with some sweet feed, then hooked him up. I got the blanket off, then took him for a walk around the pasture - just to show him "who's boss"! I think Barr is just lonely since Stormy died. Tomorrow morning I am going to look at a mare for sale. If she is sound, I might get her for a companion for Barr. It is nice to have at least two horses together if you want to go on a ride. Barr is a wild mustang, he originally came from the adopt-a-horse program at the Bureau of Land Management. I tamed him, then trained him and I had him for about 8 years, then I gave him to Marion about 10 years ago. She loves that horse as if he were her child! I will try to remember to take my camera tomorrow when I go horse shopping!

Crime scenes re-visited

I took an early disability retirement in 2004 because of cardiac problems. During the extensive medical examination to determine if I was disabled, the doctor told me that I have post tramatic stress disorder. At the time, I sort of dismissed this diagnosis as "crap". PTSD in my mind, was something that soldiers got after being in heavy combat. You know, they jump when a firecracker goes off behind them. My problem was different, I had sleep difficulty. I kept dreaming about my cases, and after a while, I wasn't getting much sleep. A slide show of all my cases would play over and over in my head. I took the medication prescribed by the doctor for this, and it seemed to go away. I took the meds for about six months, then quit, just one more medication I didn't think I needed. It worked. I was sleeping better and no further symptoms. Yesterday, I was driving in my car, and I started thinking about one of my cases. It is weird, I guess they will always be with me. Maybe the doctor was right, I do have PTSD. So far it hasn't effected my sleep again. Just like my cardiac problems, this is something I will have to live with. I guess it is really the least of my problems!