I Love FISH!

Alive or Dead, I LOVE Fish. This may sound a bit odd, but fish are fantastic. I must admit that I am not a big fan of actually touching a live fish, but I do love watching them. I did touch the rays and sharks. I thought they would feel the same, but I was surprised by the slimy feel of the sharks compared to the rubbery texture of the rays. Kaleb is the fellow in black.Good seafood is a favorite. I have eaten most kinds of fish. The raw oysters were rather interesting, but as long as you didn't chew too long, they were actually pretty tasty. I do prefer salt water fish to fresh water fish though. For some reason, fresh water fish have such strong "fishy" tastes. I know there are some fish I haven't tried, but give me time .I could spend hours watching fish, especially at aquariums. Dylan, Jamie, Kaleb and I had the good fortune of going to the Atlanta Aquarium. It was spectacular. Now, nothing outdoes Sea World, but this was pretty good. Of course, the kids got bored long before I did.

Extremely fascinating are the tunnels that you can walk through and experience life underwater without ever having to hold your breathe. I just wish I could get everyone to look at the camera at once.

Dylan is the person with the blue plaid hoodie. A simulated river stands above him. To put it into perspective, you have to remember that Dylan is 6'7' tall. The flash takes away from the scenery, but without the flash it is difficult to truly get an idea of how large the displays were.

Keep in mind as you look at this picture that the large fish in the water is probably about 50 to 60 feet in length(His relfection is what you see on the top of him.), and there were four of them in this tank along with thousands of other fish.

So, if anyone is bored and wants to sit for hours mesmerized by the beauty of the fish. Let me know. I am always up for a good aquarium.

A Yard Full of Snow is slowly melting.

I do love the change of seasons. This year, however, I was hoping for a change earlier than usual. I was seriously beginning to wonder whether winter would end. Fortunately, I am beginning to see signs of another world. I am still in awe of the amount of snow we received this winter. Maine actually had mountain ranges in parking lots as there was no where to go except up with the snow. The first picture is our home after about the second or third storm in December. I am quite grateful that the ice storm froze the grass because it was much easier to push the snow on a hard surface than a soft one. We had already pushed the snow at least another six or seven feet from the tree.

By the time the last storm hit, our yard was completely full of snow. The tree on the right of the picture is the one in the middle in the picture above. Our driveway had narrowed to allow for a vehicle to pass, but two at a time would be impossible.

Beauty still reigned amidst the cold and the snow. Sunrises were even more spectacular with the barren landscape below. Strength could always be found. Look at the tree that refuses to give up its leaves until new ones bloom. I must admit though that as our snow pack is melting, my heart is rising. I have made it through another winter, and summer is mine to enjoy.

At this point, I think I will have leaves on the trees before the snow melts. I guess, we will just have to wait and see.

A Ferry Ride, A Good Lunch, and A Nice Walk!

Exploring new places has always been something Jake and I have and continue to enjoy. Through our explorations, we have discovered many quaint places that we have come to love.

The joys of being brothers! Waiting for the ferry can be such fun especially when you can torment each other while you wait!

I must admit my vanity here. This is a farily decent picture of me, but Jake looks like a hoodlum with his glasses and hat. However, he likes his ears warm. Imagine that! He did take them off for other pictures, but this is the best one, so we are stuck with the hoodlum look. I love him anyway. Yes, I did tell him this!

The ferry ride to Peaks Island is a favorite. Peaks Island is a small island located about 3 miles east of Portland. Peaks Island has become a favorite destination. The ferry ride to the island is quite relaxing. On a hot summer's day, the ride can be refreshing as a cool breeze blows off the ocean. In the spring it can be a bit chilly, and in winter downright cold. We love going during the spring before the tourist season arrives. Our first visit to the island we fell in love with a quaint restaurant called "The Cockeyed Gull." Now, a couple times a year we hope on the ferry for a ride to the island to enjoy a good meal and a pleasant walk. The north loop of the island is about 4 miles. On a warm spring day, such as the one we had this day, the walk proved to be relaxing and enjoyable.(Well, most of the time. Unless your eight-year old would rather be playing video games and whines and plods along as though you are completely torturing him, hoping that he is torturing you, so you will go home. We did win this one though.)

We were fascinated watching the tug boats push this huge oil tanker to the docks.

Cold!

I figured it was time to blog (or rather whine) about the cold since I blogged (whinned) about the snow. I have never been nor do I think I ever will be a great fan of the cold. Our first year in Maine, it didn't snow until about the middle of January. We were even on the beach in January taking pictures and walking around with jackets, but not the last two years.

Winter seems to be unending. According to our local meteorlogists, January was the third coldest on record. YUCK!!!!! It will be interesting to see if any records are broken. I can't believe that some haven't fallen, and the winter doesn't seem to be ending to soon either. We plowed the driveway again today! Thank Heaven the temperatures aren't where they were, but the snow isn't melting too quickly either.

We actually had pipes freeze this year. I guess 30 below zero is a tad bit cold. We were quite fortunate though that the pipe didn't burst and no real damage was done. I do know that I am praying for warm weather and sunshine.

I am beginning to wonder if there is/was this thing called grass!