3-23-11 Let Sleeping Birds Lie

This is a lorikeet. Lorikeet's are a small to medium-sized arboreal parrots characterized by their specialized brush-tipped tongues for feeding on nectar and small fruits. This one kept falling asleep on the branch. Unfortunately, it didn't get to sleep long as the wind kept shaking the branch he was perched on.

2-22-11 Reticulated Giraffe

Went to Tanganyika Wildlife Park today with a friend to take pictures. This little zoo on the far west side of Wichita was fascinating. Most of the zoo is "hands-on"; you can touch and feed the animals. They also have several animal handlers walking around holding animals that you can ask questions about and touch.

3_18_11 One Clean Dog

Today was "Give the Dog a Bath" day. If I keep him brushed, I don't have to bathe him that often. However, both were WAY overdue. He's pretty good about letting me brush him as long as I do it on a table. Getting him in the bathtub is another story. He's not thrilled, but will finally go. But look out after the bath.....he runs around acting all silly, rubbing against on the carpet, against the couch to get the water off of him. This dog HATES being wet!!!

3-15-2011 March Madness Time!!

I have to admit, by the time March comes, I get into post-season basketball. Kansas has two teams, KU and KSU, in the NCAA tournament and WSU in the NIT. Fun times for Kansas basketball fans!

3-8-201` It's Mardi Gras Time!!

Okay, so I don't normally get into dressing my dog up in silly outfits, but I just couldn't help myself on this one. He's such a good sport!!

3-2-11 You're Never Too Old...

"You're never too old, too whacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read with a child!" Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!!

3-1-11 Grillin' Season Returns

WOO-HOO!! Grillin' season has returned. With the weather getting warmer, I can now return to the outdoor grill. I'm so excited!

2-28-11 Ummm.....Squirrel!

This little guy was teasing Keilo today as he was foraging for food. By the time he jumped to the second tree, Keilo had either lost interest or lost sight of where he was.

2-14-11 Happy Valentine's Day

Today is Valentine's Day. A day to remember the ones that you love. Some say it's a "Hallmark" day. I believe it's a day to celebrate those who mean the most to you.

2-13-11 Warm(er), Sunny Day

Today was beautiful! With the temperature in the lower 50's, Keilo & I couldn't stay indoors. We went for a walk at a nearby park. Althought the ponds were still frozen, there were still lots of fellow "warmth worshipers" out, jogging, walking their dogs, and just enjoying the sun. With the temperatures we have been experiencing over the last couple of weeks, it was not surprise.

2-10-11 Feed the Birds

I cussed the fruit from the Bradford Pear tree in our front yard this fall. The berries covered the yard and the driveway. You couldn't walk across the yard without the bottom of your shoes being covered with smashed berries. Now that winter has come, and we have had so much snow, I have rather enjoyed watching the birds feed upon the berries. At one point, they would pick the berries, then come onto the porch, out of the wind, to eat them, leaving the stems. With the winter we have been having, I'm glad the tree full of berries has been there for them.

2-9-11 Snow, Snow, Everywhere!

We had 9 inches of snow in the past 24 hours. This is the third storm since the first of the year. Glad the forcast says "sunshine" the rest of the week.

2-7-11 Looking Through

The Daily Shoot suggests using a window or door frame to "frame" the shot. I thought this brick fence would "frame" the shot just as well.

2-6-11 Circular United Church of Christ

Another one of the many churches in Charleston, SC. This one has a "castle" feel to it.

2-4-11 Local Southern Wildlife

As we were walking by in Charleston, this little guy was watching!

2-3-11 The (Original) Citadel

This is the side view of the Embassy Suites in Charleston. This also used to be home to "The Citadel". The Citadel is "the Military School of South Carolina." The hotel is located in the original Citadel Military College and is on the National Historical Registry. When they converted it to a hotel they didn't change much of the building. Some of our group said they had "gun turrets" visible in their rooms!

2-2-11 Southern Art

While I was walking around Charleston, I found this class sculpture in the window of an art gallery. Didn't catch the price, but I'm sure it was expensive.

2-1-11 Southern Homes

I LOVE this porch! This is representative of some of the homes in the historic district in
Charleston, SC.

While in Charleston, we went to Kaminsky's, a dessert shop. When I was leaving, I spotted this great looking gargoyle.

1-29-11 Charleston Firefighter Memorial

In the Charleston, there is a small firefighter memorial park, honoring those firefighters who have died in the line of duty. I noticed that in 2007, nine firefighters from differing stations lost their lives. Upon further digging on the internet, I discovered the reason. On June 18, 2007, there was a very large fire in a furniture store, the roof collapsed, covering debris over about two-dozen rescue workers. Nine of those workers, firefighters, lost their lives. The fire was investigated and three days later..."The store had been converted from a 1960's era grocery store with a metal truss roof system. The fire and smoke spread rapidly and the firefighters became lost and separated from their hoses. With air in air-packs running out, they could not find their way out. They died from smoke inhalation."