Larry Has His Own Version of MGI

I don't know if I have ever talked about Sundance and his propensity to retrieve . . . cat toys. We started noticing this as he would bat various toys to the bottom of the stairs and then pick them up in his mouth and bring them up to us, to show us his great "hunting" skills (really easy when they're already "dead"!). We then started giving him different toys to see just what he would retrieve. From the little rabbit-fur-covered one-inch mice, we advanced to larger toys and eventually even covered an empty toilet paper cardboard tube with rabbit fur -- oh! his new favorite to retrieve! Then a little toy teddy bear that golf had amputated the arms and legs off of for some project or other -- ta-da! new, NEW favorite (Larry pointed out how easy it was to "kill" and tote a quadruple amputee!). Okay, a little more weight: a beanie Furby Baby. No problem for this Great Colorpoint Hunter. The rabbit fur toilet paper tube was such a favorite, golf decided Sundance needed more of a challenge, so she covered a paper towel cardboard tube with rabbit fur. No problemo!

When searching for something else on eBay, golf found that Ty made beanie babies in the form of little cats, so if Sundance is retrieving a Furby Baby beanie, he could retrieve a Ty beanie, right? Unfortunately, golf knew nothing about Beanies Babies, so when she bought a supposedly Himalayan beanie, it was 14" long and a little large for Sundance to retrieve -- at least to this point in time, he has shown no interest in doing such. In the meantime, Larry started moving the Himmie beanie around to different places around the house where the cats hang out. AHA! Larry has his own prop to move around. golf can't WAIT to take me AND the beanie Himmie on vacation for pictures! Hey, it WAS Larry's idea to move the little critter around . . . .

First, however, here I am with Himmie Beanie (HB):

I think you can see that his size might make it a bit intimidating for Sundance to tote him around in his mouth.

Sundance's first exposure to HB -- obviously not very pleased that HB is encroaching on HIS space on the back of the loveseat!

Still a little testy on the kitty condo. Though Sundance is not overly aggressive to this, in effect, stuffed animal, he still needs to check out just WHO this is in his territory.

"Okay, I can tolerate him here for now."

"Uhhhhh, golf, . . . . what is this and what am I supposed to do about it?"

"Okay, if he'll just sit there, I may accept a limited co-existence."

"As long as it doesn't interfere with or interrupt my naps . . . . . "

(big, resigned sigh . . . .)

So, now, if Larry is enjoying moving HB around the house to tickle golf's funny bone as to where he places him where the cats are usually seen. Okay, this is the first step toward "posing" addiction. Once you start putting something . . . somewhere and thinking the placement is really cute and clever, you're a sick puppe and THEN you start taking it on vacation -- you're either a slight eccentric who doesn't care what anyone thinks -- or a total nutcase . . . .

Now I have to live with TWO nutcases???? :-o!!!

Friday, March 19 -- New Tapestry

Yes, it's been a long time since I posted anything, but I haven't done anything much or gone anywhere (Helloooooooo, GOLF! It's time to plan the next vacation!!!!!), so I haven't had a lot to say. The potential explanation for same is below.

Remember the bargello needlepoint risers golf posted pictures of last July? Well, she enjoyed doing that needlepoint so much that she decided to embark on another bargello needlepoint project (at the suggestion of her older sister). She was going to make a large "tapestry" wall hanging for the 20-foot entry/foyer of our house. She ordered the needlepoint canvas and figured it would probably be a year-long project -- or more. Ha! Notice the date: She finished it seven months later! It's 3' x 6' -- ye gads, that's really big! She spent the past couple of weekends figuring out how to get it up on the wall -- it's about 15' up the wall. Getting it in place was not easy. I won't even GO into the details of how she had to bungee-cord herself to the top of the ladder when it was nearly vertical, just so she could use both hands to mark the wall while holding a level tool . . . . . However, here is the tapestry in place! The pineapple quilt beside it was made by golf's 88-year-old mother (because she loves making quilts and Larry loves pineapples, in memory of all their Hawaii vacations. He wanted golf to make a pineapple needlepoint piece, but she couldn't figure out a pattern for that -- yet!).

First, a picture of the two pieces in place -- this picture may show some proportion to the height of the entryhall.

Here is a picture "straight on" to show a little more detail and a better view without distortion. If you like examining for detail, you will notice that the pattern is rather "checkerboard," with "four-way" bargello squares every other square ("four-way" means the pattern goes out in four triangles to the edges from a center point -- look for it).

So this is all for now. And speaking of "now," golf is currently working on a new needlepoint chair seat for her paternal grandfather's rocking chair (he was a sheriff in Arkansas in the late 1800s) -- she already made the needlepoint seat and back for her maternal grandmother's rocking chair. She is a needlepointing fool!

Hopefully the next time I post something, it will be from somewhere . . . . not here! But the only thing golf has planned in the near future is a trip to the Tennessee Mountains for a "sibling retreat" in April. Well, maybe there'll be some kind of photo op . . . . .

Cayman Islands -- January 9-11, 2010

Map of Grand Cayman:

Here we are on Grand Cayman. It's sprinkling when we arrive, not a good sign. And as it turns out, rather prophetic.

We get out lefthand drive rental car and drive from the airport to The Reef, our condo complex on the East End, more along the northeast corner of the island (see map above, where it has the label from a Panoramio photo "Reef Resort Sunrise").
When we get to the resort, we are delighted with our condo, but the wind is fierce and very chilly. We find out this is the coldest Cayman has been for years. And it stays this way for our entire visit, and Larry and golf are very disappointed that it is never warm enough for them to try snorkeling, even if the water were calm enough, which it isn't.
The rough surf at our beach is shown above:

The view to the right outside our condo above:

The Reef''s pier above:

Morritt's Tortuga Resort is to our right; above is its pier.

The view to the left outside our door above (the grill Larry will use to cook the steaks).
The parking lot side of the complex:

The view out our condo sliding glass doors:
The view from the sidewalk toward our condo:

We ended up opening the window in the bathroom for a cross-breeze and left the condo doors wide open all night and having the strong window and rough surf lull us to sleep every night.

Saturday afternoon golf and Larry just got their bearings, grocery shopped (things are EXPENSIVE on Grand Cayman), and cooked one of the big steaks they'd brought (in their checked bag, frozen to thaw during flight and eat for dinner -- that worked!) and tried to enjoy the view and stay warm.

Come Sunday morning, it's still cold and windy; so Larry and golf just went exploring. They drove up to Rum Point and looked around there. There are some REALLY big houses on Grand Cayman (even more pictures of them around the island later down the blog), but here's one at the Rum Point Harbor.
And those along the way there:

Signs at Rum Point: list of hurricanes:

Destination distances:

Looking west from Rum Point toward Sting Ray City area:

Rum Point Pier (where golf's visor blew off on Tuesday, and we walked about a half mile down the beach till it floated in close enough to shore so golf could wade in hip-deep and retrieve it):

Can you spot Larry in the middle of the picture below, wearing khaki slacks and a long-sleeved black sweatshirt? That's how chilly it was -- golf and Larry never had a chance to wear shorts! (Thank goodness there were laundry facilities on-site at the condo, because they wore the same winter clothes every day till the last day!)

Monday, they headed south and east toward Bodden Town, passing the blow hole:

Brain coral fossil near the blow hole:
In Bodden Town, they visited the historic Pedro Castle, one of the oldest houses on Grand Cayman. It was really impressive, with wonderful porches all around, stairs, shutters -- what you WANT to see as a 19th-century tropical house.

Note Larry is STILL in long pants and a long-sleeved sweatshirt -- odd to see in such a tropical environment. But that's how it was STILL so chilly.

Then Larry and golf continue east, looking for Smith's Cove, supposedly a good place to snorkel (they still have hope the weather will warm up -- it doesn't). On the way there, they see still more huge houses:

In heading back toward the condo, they stop and view a rather silly little tourist trap called the "Pirates' Caves" (but what else did they have to do since they couldn't snorkel?!?!?), where there was sort of small petting zoo and photo ops with some tropical birds (okay, okay, they were desperate for entertainment). golf with Brutus, the cockatoo:

January 6, 2010 -- "Lonely" Bettas

To understand this post, you need to understand that golf has a phobia about keeping the house "over-heated" (over 66 degrees F) in the winter. Atlanta has had an exceptionally cold winter this year (if you haven't seen all the news reports!). Her bettas are just in bowls normally kept on the kitchen bar/counter. However, that area is pretty chilly in the house, and, ideally, bettas are supposed to be in water that is 82 degrees F. Not golf's poor bettas! They have to learn to adapt to cold water or perish. Well, the bedroom where the goldfish tank is stays a lot warmer (due to the architecture of the house), so golf moved the bettas (in their vases) into the bedroom beside the goldfish tank. When Larry saw them in their new location after he got home from work that night around midnight, he then sent golf an email at work the next day, asking if she had moved the bettas to be beside the goldfish tank because she thought they were "lonely" and needed company! Cracked her up! She guessed he wasn't aware how cold the little buggers were! Here they are in their "warmer" climes (with a couple of the goldfish showing behind them, as distorted by the curvature of the betta vases):

January 5, 2010 -- FotoSketcher -- Cool app!

golf got an email today with an app that changes your pictures to watercolors or oil paintings. I wasn't that impressed with the "oil paintings" but the pictures converted to watercolors are pretty cool. Can you spot me in the picture below, sitting on the wall at the tidal pool at "Robin's Nest" -- from our Oahu trip in September '08?
Here's golf walking along Nurses' Beach on Kauai:

This is the eucalyptus tunnel on Kauai:

Ta-da! Obviously the boathouse (Magnum's residence) at the Anderson Estate/Robin's Nest:

And an old deserted/abandoned building near the Kualoa Ranch on Oahu -- a former hospital? We never could find out what it is/was. If anyone knows, please advise.

If you would like this free app, just go to www.fotosketcher.com.