Hi everyone

I have been away for awhile.  Actually this is first my post since April 31!!!

I went to St. John's to visit Rana & Mark for a few days, while Roger was off on yet another adventure.  He went out on a crab fishing boat!!!  200 MILES out into the North Atlantic....in all that wind and terrible weather!!

Thank Goodness for modern technology and satellite phones.  I was really nervous while he was out----with good reason.  He didn't let on to just how stormy it really was while he was out there....until he got back---which saved my fingernails and possibly all my hair.

He went out for on the "Roberts Sisters II"-- here's a picture of the boat a day before they left.  The boat was moored at the south side dock in St. John's harbor ---Cabot Tower on Signal Hill in the background....

Below are a few photos that he managed to take...it was a trip of a lifetime---the captain(Terry Bungay) and all the crew were extraordinary...

This particular vessel can carry 50 000 pounds of live crab in her holding tanks. 

That's a lot of crab dip!!!!

Roger was amazed at how hard the crew works for the entire trip.  When they come in to offload, they usually spend one night at home, load all fresh supplies on the boat and do it all over again.  This is not a lazy man's work.

Even though this trip was extremely rough (weather wise), Roger did manage to get this beautiful picture of the sunset, during the one period of about two hours that was relatively calm.....

 It is work, work, work for the crew throughout the entire trip---

 Daytime........

 

or Night-time......

The objective is to get the crab quota, get in and offload, then go out again.

It's not a bed of roses on the great North Atlantic Ocean..  Below is a shot of the ocean ahead as the boat headed out to haul the first crab traps.  Roger said this view shows a relatively calm water in comparison to most of this trip....

A glimpse at the mighty North Atlantic Ocean

 This, in my opinion, is one of the most delightful sites on planet earth today.......

A peek at one of the magical views as you cruise back into the safety of St. John's harbor

 Of course--this makes it all worth while.....

Yummy!!!!

is for..........ZOO


This past September, I had my very first visit to a zoo....and it was quite a zoo......

I have about 400 pictures that I took at the zoo...It was really hard to narrow it down to three or four for my blog post.

So pretty...and pink

I was happy there was a glass wall between us!!

Again....really appreciated that glass wall!! ha ha

The zoo-keeper couldn't identify the creature in the bottom right....Oh, it's Dave!!!

I loved the elephants,  They are so big, but almost graceful at the same time.

We spent an entire day the Bronx zoo, but I could've 

easily gone back for 

another day.  It was fabulous!

z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z

Now folks......this being the last day of the A-Z challenge, 

I'd like to put out a fun little challenge for my readers....

Learn the alphabet backwards!!!

When my parents went to school.....back in the 20's and 30's, 

they both had to memorize the alphabet backwards 

as well as forward--as most of us know it.

I tried it last summer, had it posted on the fridge and I 

almost had it.  Then one 

day, in a cleaning and tidying frenzy, I threw it out.

But.....it's back there now.  

There is a little bit of a rhyme to it, I've added a link.  

By the way---"Z" is pronounced "Zed"--ha ha

The letters are grouped as follows:

Z Y X

W V

U T S

R Q P

O N M

 L K J

I H G

F E D

&

C B A

Ok--signing off from the April A-Z challenge. 

I loved it and now I'm going to settle in and visit all the 
people who visited me during April.
  I am going to respond to everyone and 

work on improving my own blog.
I'm so happy I took the "A-Z" challenge!

Let me know how you do with my "Z-A" challenge!

Cheers ;o)

"Y" Day!!!

I would like to share an interest of mine that starts 
with the letter Y---....Yoko Ono Lennon

I find this lady totally captivating, fascinating and still very beautiful.  We drove by where she lives in New York City on one of our "Hop on-Hop off" bus tours.

She lives in the The Dakota Apartments.  According to our tour guide, Yoko Ono owns an entire floor in this magnificent building!!!  It was amazing---I took several photos (well, as many as I could, while standing on the top floor of a moving "double-decker" bus!)--take a peek...

Yoko Ono's apartment in New York City

Area where John Lennon was shot, right in front of his apartment building, NYC.

I was actually right in front of New York City's most legendary apartment building!!

 The Dakota Apartments is famous for many other things as well.....click here and read about some more.

Now, on a much lighter, but no less important "Y" word....

is for YUMMY......

These are photos that hold such Yummy memories...we visited Carlos Bake Shop ---"Cake Boss"--while in New York.

This place is my definition of YUMMY!!!!!!

Yum

Yum Yum

Did I say Yum??

Yummy!!

Have you ever thought you'd love to get accidentally locked in somewhere overnight??? ha ha

Happy Saturday, Ya'll

"X"......mmm.....hhmmmmm...oh boy---I've been 

dreading this one since April 1--but here it 

is and now I have to deal with it.  Oh well, 

here goes --

"X" is for .......Xanthippe, Xenial & Xerosis 

My husband tells me I become a bit of a Xanthippe over  certain things. I agree....ha ha! 

X-straps shoes,,,NICE!!

Remember...

A Happy Wife is a Happy Life!!

XO bracelet (Kisses and Hugs)

We are both guilty of being xenial-- we love hosting little 

"get-togethers"!  Any little excuse for us ;o)
 
Roger has a real issue during the winter months with 
xerosis,  especially on his hands. 

That's it folks---This "X"-File is closed!!

Cheers 

"W" is for...Wineglasses, Watermelon and Waterfalls!!

Let's start with wineglasses.  I love wine & I love to paint, so I paint the occasional wine glass as gifts for close friends and family.  Here are a few pics of some of the glasses I've painted...

"Little Black Dress" glasses

Ladybug glass

This one is a big hit among my "girl" friends!!!! ha ha

 

"Hot Lips"

More "Hot Lips"

These are just a few of my samples....I have made many more.  I actually had made several and given them away as gifts before I started taking pictures of them.  It is a bit tedious and time-consuming, but my friends and family love it when they get one of my glasses as a gift.  

*******************************

"W" is for......Watermelon.  

Watermelon is probably my favourite summertime treat.  I love it alone, in salads, or in smoothies.  I love to scoop out the watermelon and use the watermelon peel as a bowl for a nice summer fruit salad.  This is an awesome centerpiece for your summer brunch "get-togethers" or even on the patio in the evening when you're enjoying drinks!


Here are a couple of the most impressive watermelon presentations I've seen--these were at one of the buffet lines on the Carnival Spirit  

What do you think??

**************************************************

"W" is for Waterfall!!

I'll tell you---I am blessed.  

Below are a few pictures of the awesome views that I get as I walk on the Middle Brook trail-way....just two minutes from my house!!  I usually walk it at least three times a week, but when I'm lucky, I get to walk it every day.  How many people can do this??

This is just one of five.....(YES, FIVE!), scheduled salmon rivers within about 5 kilometers of my house.  The Gambo area is very popular with salmon fisherman from all over the province and beyond.  It is amazing to walk the trail during salmon season and watch a fisherman play out a nice Atlantic salmon.

Middle Brook Falls

Middle Brook Falls

Trail view of the river

You can almost smell the fresh air and hear the rustle of the water as you look at these photos, can't you??

I hope you all get 1/100th of the joy from looking at these photos as I got from taking them....Cheers!