Friday, August 30, 2019

Tell Me Something Good

In an effort to stay awake Tuesday afternoon, I joined friends for happy hour down at the pool, figuring if I am talking I won't fall asleep. It worked. Launching into some of our challenges, Susan piped up saying, "tell me something good!" And so I shall.

We were most grateful that Michelle was able to take us to the airport and while waiting I asked B to take my photo in my entirely blue outfit. She pulled up, saying, "let me take one of the two of you!"
My blue suitcase was already in the trunk of her car! As you also well know, all of the travel that Bruce did in his work life left us with some perks, one of which is airline miles allowing us to use them for first class seats, something we would never be able to afford on our own. It was very nice although for the life of me I could never figure out all of the buttons in my little cocoon.
We left our home around noon on Monday, and after a five hour layover in NYC, we arrived in London around 11 in the morning. In other words, in spite of our cushy seats, it is still a very long day. Matt had taken the train out to Heathrow, guiding us through the airport maze, and we boarded the train into the city, specifically a Hilton hotel (also points) about two blocks from the Tate Modern which was our first stop after dropping off our bags.

Count me excited to see this in person!
Apparently the trick after such a long flight and time change is to keep on moving, so we did. After a trip on the Underground we arrived near the National Gallery where we saw some fantastic art, a fact that does not even need saying. Matt gave us a bit of an art education while we were there.
Don't you just love the ceiling detail, a theme that would be repeated in all the grand places we visited. After a bit of wandering through the galleries, we made our way outdoors to Trafalgar Square, a place most any visitor to London includes in their itinerary. Vancouver is no London, but seeing so many people wandering about reminded me again of why I loved our time there so much.
Of course the weather was pleasant, so that helped bring folks out.
I think this makes our fifth trip to London so having photographed many of the major sights, on this trip I thought I might try and give a sense of the scale of the city. Photographing the lions gave me just that opportunity.
From there we walked down the street seeing these Stop Brexit protestors adjacent to Number 10 Downing Street. If you are wondering what Matt and Tom think of Brexit, they do no approve.
As we walked I kept lagging behind which is why I have so many photographs of my men from the back, including this shot with
the Union Jack, Parliament, and the iconic red box. Eventually we made our way back to the hotel where the street next to it is this!
Should you not know, my maiden name is Price! Tom met us after work, we had an early supper, and back to the hotel for these tired folks who slept very well Tuesday night!

Another thing I thought might be fun is to photograph the hotel lobbies where we stayed. I watched a woman arranging these beautiful flowers,
and here's the cool furniture.
Apparently while the hotel was being constructed a fox kept hanging around the building site which gave them the idea for a bit of a woodland theme carried over in the lobby bathroom, the doors of which were almost hard to figure out how to open.
That's a theme also repeated endlessly, figuring simple things out, AND remembering where I put my tube card or my hotel card. Honestly, it makes me feel so stupid, but that seems to be the way it is when traveling. Some folks call it part of the adventure, and perhaps that is true, but I just felt like a dummy. 😁

How about this?
It's not every day that I see something with my name on it! Look at these gorgeous baked goods!!!
As an aside, I've just finished making some chocolate chip cookies pre-storm, as well as some blueberry muffins that are waiting in the freezer should we lose power. Don't know what I'm talking about? Hurricane Dorian is allegedly heading our way. Where did they come up with that name? Does not roll easily off the tongue.

Back to the trip.....

Because going to Dover was out of the question, instead we went to the Victoria and Albert Museum spending hours there, but first we had to take the tube and get out of the station. It's crowded my friends. Good thing Matt is a bit taller than some so we were able to keep him in sight!
The first room we visited was furniture which turned out to be fortuitous as we learned about different styles and methods of furniture making. While in Copenhagen this bit of knowledge served us well which I'll tell you about when we travel there together.
Naturally we were delighted by the huge Chihuly chandelier for two reasons: one, it is stunning, and two because during our very first visit to London we saw a large Chihuly exhibit at the V&A, our introduction to his amazing glass work.
The courtyard is nearly as beautiful as the inside of the museum.
Following lunch, Matt took us to the Cast Court, something we knew nothing about. As we entered we watched a woman cleaning an old column which looked like exacting work to me.
This area was roped off as they were working on well, I don't know what to call it. Maybe an altar?
The line shows how far they have come. Honestly everything in there was interesting with great little videos explaining how they make plaster casts, as well as metal casting. This cast of "David" is probably the closest I will ever come to seeing the original.
This is an unbelievable dress made in the 40's we saw while passing through a Korean exhibit. Super cool, right? All individual pieces!
Guiding us back to our hotel, Matt went home to Tom for dinner, but not before telling us about a nearby restaurant he thought we'd like. All I can tell you is it was Italian and very tasty. We walked back to the hotel in a light rain.
After a good night's sleep and we were off to Scandinavia which I can hardly with to share with you in my next post. Should you have missed the first trip post, you can find it here.

In the meantime, I'm thinking positive about the hurricane, more so than my beloved husband. But you knew that already, didn't you?

your friend,

Gail

p.s. I hope I told you something good!

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Traveling with the Pros

So here's a funny story....

For nearly the entire trip we followed Matt and Tom on our travels through London, Norway, and Copenhagen as if we were the children, and they were the parents. It was a very good deal for this couple. Finally, on our last night together it was decided that we were capable to make our way to Heathrow on our own. And it began just fine with us taking the Jubilee Line to Green Park, changing to the Piccadilly Line for the final bit of the trip. Now generally, or it has been our experience, traveling on the underground is fantastic, and we've done it on our own more than once. However, when we boarded the second train there were not one, not two, but three scruffy looking young men sleeping on several seats, a definite no-no. Plus, they smelled. Because it takes 45 minutes or so to get to Heathrow we both felt uncomfortable and when the train approached a station Bruce said, let's move or something to that effect. Having been married for so long we hardly need to say a word and know what the other is thinking. NOT! Bruce hopped off the train with his bag, and as it was dawning on me to do the same, the doors closed and the train took off!! Now what do I do? It took me about three stops, after not being able to text him because we were underground, to finally decide to get off at a stop and maybe he would be on the next train. Meanwhile, he was getting off at each stop hoping I would be there!! It was at the Earls Court station that I finally made my move, standing on the platform hoping he would be on the next train and by golly, there he was!! All's well that ends well, but I told Bruce it was like a scene in a movie with a happy ending!!

I awoke early this morning, really too early, but I will sleep well tonight because our travel day yesterday was very, very, long. Anyway, I've had time to scan through my photographs and picked a few to share. First and foremost, the whole thing was put together by Matt with input from Tom. Not only that, but he made all of the reservations, making it so easy on these old folks. Plus, they gave us a beautiful overnight ferry trip for our anniversary which you'll learn more about in the coming days.

These two!!!
We had a few challenges along the way, some overcome more easily than others. Our planned trip to Dover was impossible because of rainy weather so instead, we went to the Victoria and Albert Museum, spending hours admiring a tiny bit of their beautiful collection. Lunch was outdoors.
Tom, our resident historian was working that day, however, he joined us the next when we flew to Bergen, Norway from Gatwick Airport. We woke the next morning to very sunny weather as shown in this photo of what I'm calling the town square, although that is not the official name.
One of the reasons we went to Norway is because I mentioned to Matt how much I missed the mountains so he picked this spot for me to experience them once again. Plus, they like Scandinavia having visited the area several times. Together they travel what I call a lot, and Matt travels for work. I probably have this wrong, (my poor memory is legendary) but I seem to recall him saying he's visited thirty countries. I do know for a fact that one year he visited six continents so he knows what he is doing in the travel department. Anyway, he'd booked a tour called Norway in a Nutshell which included a fjord boat tour followed by a railway experience across Norway. Sounds fantastic, right? It was, however, sadly the morning of the trip it was raining as we walked with our luggage to the boat. The weather did not improve as time went on. The sky was leaden, making the mountains hulks in the clouds, mist and rain. Guess what? It was fantastic!!!! A blue sky experience is what you would see in their promotional material, but the atmosphere created by the low hanging clouds was more than I could have hoped for.
All four of us began the trip outside, but the men tired of the weather after the first few hours. You know me...don't want to miss anything so I stayed outdoors most of the time, ending our journey looking the worse for wear. Matt braved the wind and rain for this photo.
We landed in Flam and while the rain had mostly quit, the clouds were still hanging low.
These will not be the only photos of this remarkable landscape that you see, but for today we are doing a quick overview. I'm skipping all of Oslo in this post, making our next stop Copenhagen, a beautiful city where we took a canal trip.
It was while there that Bruce began experiencing tremendous pain, so much so we had to get back to the hotel. Not what one hopes for in a foreign city, but because he's had one before, I was pretty sure it was a kidney stone. Let's just say he was extremely miserable for the remainder of our time there. Matt and I visited a Butterfly house that was fantastic,
until my camera battery died! Oh friends, did I have my share of camera troubles. Well, actually mostly one thing...the camera will not turn off which I know sounds crazy, but sadly it is true. I had to keep pulling the battery out. At first Matt thought I'd done something wrong with my settings until he investigated, learning that I am not the first person to have this problem with an Olympus OMD. And to think I almost brought along a second camera! Nonetheless, I worked around it and we continued seeing remarkable things, including Rosenborg, a castle whose interior drew gasps from these Americans. The outdoor grounds were darn good as well.
Back in London after three days in Copenhagen, we spent the night at Matt and Tom's amazing home. I'd been dying to see it in person and it was every bit as special as I thought it would be. Plus, they have a garden!
Although the train tickets were already purchased, Matt decided that traveling to Melton Mowbray to visit Tom's folks was going to be way too much for Bruce. Instead he found a doctor, called a taxi and we went to the 33rd floor of a building in Canary Wharf for a consultation. He agreed with our diagnosis and prescribed some stronger pain medication for Bruce which helped tremendously. Because we'd planned for an overnight stay at the Flude's home, we had no hotel booked so we spent a second night with Matt and Tom. With the help of the pain meds, we all walked to a restaurant along the Thames for dinner. Bonus points for a wonderful sunset!
While Bruce was resting the next day, I took a long walk along Regent's Canal and was oh so thrilled to see a Robin in a little wooded area. Not like any Robin I've seen before--way cuter!
And did you know there are City farms scattered in London neighborhoods?
Marvelous trip guided by locals who are pros. What more could a person ask for?

As I type this, Bruce is feeling good, so we are hoping that means he passed it already! Let's hope so.

your friend,

Gail

Saturday, August 10, 2019

Call Me Crazy

Where shall I begin?

This morning I emptied the dishwasher first thing. Not blog worthy except for the fact that I did so because our owl stayed away today. Most days this week however, we've been treated to the sight of the owl quietly perched on a tree branch. Except one morning I watched as she swooped down to the water for something tasty which she proceeded to eat on the branch. I have no clue where the other owl went, but I'm thankful for every morning when one of them shows up.
Bruce came outside yesterday and began hooting at the owl who soon proceeded to fly off!
As you can see by the blurred motion, I get excited and can't for the life of me hold the camera still!! One morning while out searching, I was most delighted to see a Green Heron perched on a fallen tree branch. Herons of every type are easily seen around these parts, the green ones not so much.
Another morning, from our bedroom window, there was some excitement when I saw a mother Wood Duck and her brood walking in the grass, presumably to head over to the canal that leads to the big lake. It was Bruce who suggested I head outside to see what was happening. Never one to need prodding, I popped outdoors. Mama hid her family well in the grass...
that is until a Red Shouldered Hawk came flying in looking for food.
You should have seen how fast the duck family moved in an effort to be safe! Fortunately they made it to the water in time, although the mama was quite vocal expressing her either relief, or dismay that it happened at all!
Staying on Lake Willisara, I have no explanation why this is so, but our four ducklings seemed to have made it past the danger phase with all four of them growing up!
Because you have been following along, I bet this surprises you as well. Generally the ducklings don't make it so this seems to be quite rare. Interestingly enough, or at least to me, is the fact that the Papa has been nowhere to be found unlike earlier in the season when both parents were attentive. Isn't it fun watching real time nature?

Veering away from nature for a moment, let's go inside, specifically our bedroom where I had Bruce hang this super neat plant hanger that I filled with cuttings.
I nearly returned it because I couldn't think of a suitable location, but then thought of this idea which will work better once we replace the art work. Another thing I began work on is a small bed quilt for the end of our bed. While I love the scrappy one I have, in an attempt to coordinate things I pulled fabric from my baskets along with a few new purchased pieces which are shown piled up on my sewing table.
For me, this little corner is what makes a house a home. Firstly a better look at the drapery material! On the shelves is a wooden Puffin Nancy brought back from Iceland, a flower calendar from London, a photo I took at Bill and Fallon's wedding, the framed photos above are ones my Dad took in Rome in the 60's, and the list goes on. That orange stuff on the left is the awesome ironing board Bill gave me for Christmas several years ago that stayed up when I had my sewing room. Now, however, I struggle to find a good place to set it up when I'm sewing. For now, I iron in our bathroom. That's a new one, right? One of the reasons I wanted to make something more of our bedroom is that it felt so sterile before that it did not foster a place for creativity, thus my sewing machine remained in the off position. It would be a stretch to say that I've got my mojo back just yet, but I did put together a super simple piece that is still in the works.
Here's something exciting.....our very first Gardenia bloom!
Right about now you are thinking to yourself, same old, same old. Or maybe you aren't, but you would love to see something brand new. Am I right? Let's get on it then, shall we?

Thinking through my twelve years of blogging, I can't remember a time that I featured fungi, but then again, we all know how bad my memory is so I could just as easily be wrong about that. In any case, two days ago when Bruce was walking with me around Lake Davis, almost immediately I noticed a greenish colored mushroom in the leaves under the spreading arms of one of the many large oak trees.
Not long after, I saw some that were deep orange. And then I saw others that were of various sizes, some small and some huge as the one pictured below.
Were they all there on Tuesday and I just didn't notice? A mystery was developing and the more I saw the more intrigued I became. As we did with the alligators, I began a mental tally, thinking that I'd seen at least ten different mushrooms. So?

Following our sweaty walk, we visited Maureen who is doing as well as can be expected. No better, but no worse. Then we came home and had tuna fish sandwiches. The thing is, I could not get those mushrooms off my mind, prompting me to go to the web and find out what I could about Florida mushrooms. Not as much as you might think, or at least with my limited skills. What I did find, however, were not one, but two Facebook pages devoted to edible mushrooms. Scrolling through I still wasn't really able to identify the ones I'd seen. In spite of the crazy heat at that time of the day, I told Bruce, I think I'll go back and get some samples to examine. "Sure honey, have fun!"

If you can imagine, aside from the Muscovy ducks that followed me because I was holding a bag (and small knife), I barely noticed the birds while collecting sixteen different kinds of mushrooms! You know what comes next don't you? Yup....photos!
That one in the front that has what looks like cocoa powder on it was very interesting, although I still can't identify a single one of them, they sure are fascinating.
Some come in little clumps, some are thick, some large as a pita bread, and oh so colorful.  The undersides are as varied as the caps.
Once I was home, I got a large sheet of parchment paper, carefully laying them all out, dirt, twigs, weeds, and all. Before long a few small bugs crawled out prompting me to re-think where I had them. Yup, they went back outdoors on the front porch. I even had a little show and tell when I went to the pool to meet up with Susan, Sandy and Gayle who humored me by feigning interest. Just kidding, I think they weren't faking it!

During that afternoon hunt, I never did spot the greenish one, but it did satisfy my curiosity, at least for the time being. That said, it's highly unlikely that I will become a forager, simply because it is too scientific for the likes of me. Anyway, I'm still learning about birds, and I hope you are as well.
While Bruce is attending the condo association budget meeting, I am doing laundry in preparation for our trip, only two days away now. Woo hoo!!

your friend,

Gail

p.s. I began this post yesterday morning, stopping for an excursion that began with me returning all the mushrooms to Lake Davis in case they are food for some creatures. Perhaps I'll pop over there once the laundry is done and check on them. Call me crazy....

A Week Ago Tuesday