Ryan to the Rescue!

For the last twenty one years, Mr. Bruce has used a Darden laptop. Well, you and I both know that is soon coming to an end, so a trip to Costco last week was made by yours truly and her spouse to purchase a new one. You've heard it from me before, a saying I learned from my sister--young people are native users, whereas, folks our age are "digital immigrants." That said, setting up a new computer can be a daunting task for an immigrant. That is where Jon's best friend Ryan comes into the picture. The sweet young man, well that is if you think 30 years old is young, came over on Friday night to rescue Bruce.

Hurray for native users! This is not the first time Ryan has come to the rescue--if not for him, I swear Jonathan would never have graduated high school. Not to be confused with the responsible Jonathan of today, back then, he was a super procrastinator, and that included getting ready for school. At the time I was working, having left for work at 6:30 AM, so not around to supervise, or more like, cajole Jon. To say that driving Jonathan took the patience of Job is putting it mildly! Thank you Ryan!

Before we go any further, there are a few buildings I wanted to show you from Miami Beach that I think you might like. Remember when the GAP was cool? Before they lost their way? At least the store off Lincoln Road is cool.

Actually they are building a new store nearby where Bruce tells me that a man died on the job!! He fell to his death through open flooring, not too unlike what you've been seeing at Bill's house. No longer though--I've not seen it with my own two eyes, but by Sunday afternoon, the sub-floor is in!!

Walking in the alleyway, I thought this combination was a little comical.

That truck was jam packed with cardboard--the sign on the side of the truck said something about a recycler, although when I saw the fellow coming towards the truck from the dumpster,  I couldn't help but think of what once was called, a trash picker.

I don't know what it is about me, but every time I eat at a fast food restaurant, this is most definitely the case! Napkins are balled up all around my space by the time I am done.

I did not eat there, however, with my history, I'm thinking it might be more than five!

So, who goes to a private home with 49 windows? Of course you know the answer to that, we did! One of the other project managers lives a little grander than we do, and if he said it once, he said it ten times, how he washed all 49 windows before the party Saturday night. Did I mention there are 49 windows? The party was for Barb and Steve who are marrying in April.

Steve is coming up against one of his friend Bruce's famous bows, and by golly, he beats it! The family knows of what I speak.

In addition to 49 windows, their home sits on a big lake with a wonderfully long dock jutting out into the water. Without their help, I may have completely overlooked this Sandhill crane sitting atop her nest.

After watching the nest building, they've been anxiously awaiting the new arrivals!  Now that is something I'd love to see--baby cranes!

While we're chatting birds, in the last two weeks our feeders have been overrun by these tiny birds,

whose identification escapes me. You would think they are in the finch family, but I've yet to discover which one.

So, we are on our way to Bill's last week when out of the corner of my eye I see something brand new to me. Big deal, right? Well, to me it was. I wish a photograph could really capture the BEAUTY of this flowering trees, which I think very well might be, not one but two white tabebuia trees.

Or, maybe not. Currently the city is filled with gorgeous yellow and pink trees in bloom, but the white is something entirely new to me. Looking around the web, I'm not convinced this is a tabebuia tree, but I don't know what else it could be. Any ideas?

Gorgeous, right? I visited SunDance yesterday to sign a licensing agreement, it seems like perhaps there is a market for my images on products. We shall see. I did learn, however, that Kirkland's placed a third order for the one they are selling, and as a matter of fact, it is of a tabebuia tree! Very encouraging to know these things.

Because of the party Saturday evening, we had to tear ourselves away early from our day job at Bill's house which is beginning to look more like a home every day.

He and I took a productive trip to Southeast Steel for some appliance shopping--it won't be too much longer before he'll need them.

Speaking of not too much longer, our trip to London for the big day is fast approaching! I'm mildly stressing about the weather, however, during our trip in October, I discovered that most of my fears were unfounded. Let us hope that is the case while visiting the UK in the spring!

Am I the only one out of sync due to the time change? Being the "early to bed, early to rise" gal that I am, I was enjoying the early morning light, when the calendar pulled the rug out from under me. :(