Florida`

John and I love going to Florida, and this last trip was no exception. We travelled to Kissimmeeand stayed at a friends house for several days. Then spent time in Madeira Beach area of St. Pete's, then back to Kissimmee.

December is probably one of the cooler times to visit, but I love that time of year there. Not too hot, Christmas decorations all around, and great walks without dying in the heat.

We spent a small amount of time in Disneyworld - Epcot to be exact - and it was very interesting indeed, but as I'm not a child, it was a little disappointing as well - but, then again, nothing can live up to the hype that these Disney places have been given over the years.

Epcot was very well done and it took a day to see the whole area and to experience the different pavilions that represent several countries in different areas of the world. My favourite was Germany - even though it was primarily a street in Germany that represented the architecture of some streets that are actually in the country. I loved how authentic it 'looked'... but the inside each building was a 'tourist trap', meaning selling whatever Disney sells to make more money. I also liked the experience of flying in "SOARIN'" We were strapped in a large seat, lifted from the ground/floor and put before a large surround sound/IMAX screen. A movie was then shown of places around the world as seen from a jet whizing through and over all the sites. Each time the aircraft dived, dipped, lifted or soared, we felt it in the chairs and moved with the aircraft. Amazing!!!!

Canada

China

Germany

Into Morocco

Christmas preparation was taking place while we were in Florida and it was difficult to get my head around Christmas in hot, sunny weather. The decorations and music were there, but the cold was not. Therefore, the feeling of Christmas was not in the air for me. Some of the Decorations at Epcot and Disneyworld Downtown were amazing and it was a photographers photo-op!

Our most exciting moments at Epcot came at 9:30 p.m. when the fireworks began. It was definitely worth the wait and some parts of it definitely gave goosebumps, which I am not prone to. In the beginning a gigantic world globe glowing from the inside, floated across a waterway into our view. The beautiful music and amazing announcers voice told the story of the earth and it's people very dramatically. This continued for 10 to 15 minutes. The main part of the fireworks began when this was over and went on for quite some time, all to the rythms of the music surrounding us.

The earth came out of the fire and water with a story surrounded by music and light!

The fireworks displayed to a backdrop of beautiful music!

On around day four we travelled to St. Pete's and spent time in the Madeira Beach area at our friend's sister's condo. A beautiful retreat with a pool, lots of space, beautiful grounds and within

walking distance of a long, white sandy beach. We spent time walking the beach in the mornings and in the heated pool in the afternoons. Several suppers were provided by my friends relatives, which was so welcome, mainly because restaurant food can get tiresome after awhile, even though we did make our own breakfast and most of our lunches.

John and his friend, Jim, were lucky enough to get tickets for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Football game, which I would have loved to attend as well, but if anyone was going to the game it was going to be the men as there were only two tickets available for them. According to their report - the game was so-so, but the whole experience was amazing, as I thought it would be. The experience of 40,000 fans in one arena was worth the ticket. There were half-time shows, fan shows and fan fun all around them - great memories!

Our last days were spent back in Kissimmee area and Cocoa Beach on the Atlantic coast. We decided to spend our last full day in Florida on a beach we had never been to before, so we headed out toward Cape Canaveral. Just below NASA Space Centre is where this beach is located. A beautiful, wild, gigantic Atlantic Ocean Beach with big surf, cool breezes and mist in the air. We walked for an hour and never came to the end. It was another amazing day topped off by lunch in a little Italian restaurant that gave great service. On our way back to our Florida home in Kissimmee we stopped at an outlet mall and spent an hour or two looking around. We spoke with a very energetic camera salesperson who explained many of the features of a tiny Sony camera that could do 'almost' everything a large SLR, zoomed lens camera will do. I also entered, for the first time, a LU-LU Lemon store(Canadian) and checked out some of their very special exercise clothes which I will fit into someday! n the way back to our Florida home in Kissimmee!

Alas, on Friday it was time to come home and so by 9 a.m. we had left our home and returned to Orlando airport. We arrived home to very cold conditions, but at least it wasn't raining or snowing, and now we have our memories to keep us warm until the next time.

White Flower...AKA Bunchberries

White Flower...AKA Bunchberries, a photo by Mark Veitch on Flickr.

one of my sons photos and one of my very favourite!!!!

Aruba update

Well, it's been awhile! We've been as busy as nailers!!!. Travelling, renovating, and every day living.

We travelled to Aruba and spent 17 day there from March 1st. to 17th. What a trip! An amazing island with wonderful, friendly people and lots of interesting places to visit for such a small place... 6 mi. x 19 mi., and we saw every inch of it!

We stayed in a Cunuku house owned by a gentleman John met when he worked in Alberta for a few months.

A car went with the house and we made good use of it. We travelled to every beach and ever site to be seen, beginning with A donkey sanctuary...http://www.arubandonkey.org/ and took some great photo's including this one of their youngest member.

Aruba Vacation

We're leavin' on a jet plane
Don't know if I'll be back again....!

We are so lucky to have the means to enjoy a wonderful holiday for seventeen days in Aruba beginning in two days time and then off to a ten day cruise from Fort Lauderdale on Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas.

I am looking forward to every moment. Aruba is a very tiny island in the southern Caribbean, a colony of the Netherlands. It's white sandy beaches, beautiful resorts, wonderful attractions and many shops will make it a great place to relax and forget about everything.

I'll check out the art scene and maybe even do a lesson or two if there are any available.

Cats in January

Well, as usual, it's been awhile. It's a cool, snowy January day and I'm a little bored... therefore I'll write about my cats.
These days I'm down to two cats... Sofie and Oats. They are such a delight to have. I love watching them interact in there defensive or aggressive ways. Sofie is the boss, even though Oats is the scarier one when it comes to what she'll do to make her point known with humans.

Oats is part abyssinian. Sofie could either be part birman, or part siberian?

Sofie is such a pleasing cat to the eye that there are so many more photos of her, but I've begun to note, as I had in previous years, that Oats is a very unusual cat. She's quite independent, loves to lie in your lap for short periods of time. Will sit for 10 to 15 minutes at a time staring at the wall and will spend other times scratching inside a bookcase, a cupboard or on a wall??

Oats is also the hunter. Sofie thinks she is but would not catch an animal even if it fell in her mouth. From mid June to the end of September is Oat's hunting season. She brings up birds, shrews, mice, small rats, an occasional squirrel and rabbit. We have a cat door and we have to check the house on our return to make sure we don't have any unwelcome visitors dropped of by Oats. She loves to feed us!.. and even though she has the smallest little meow... it can be quite loud when she's coming with a mouth full of shrew!!

She is twelve this year, but her age is still not showing. She may sleep a little more, but that's it! Sofie is about six and still acts like a kitten in many ways.. can be frisky, playful, or downright lazy!!