More Zoo Pictures

I otter be good.
I'd be lion if I said this was fun.
I knew this belt was too tight, it's squeezing me.
Maybe if I stay in the shadows, I won't look so bad.
She's in the llama family.
Cute!!
This is a singing dog, though he did not vocalize for us.
?
H and a face off with a lynx.
Walking away from the fight.
Some type of goat.

Another Zoo Day

Who wouldn't want to kiss this guy?
In the skunk family, it has an odor.
Pacing Jaguar.
He is eyeing me.
He's in the cat family.
Mama panda catching a break while baby sleeping.
Playing the shy card.
Baby panda in the tree.
He is adorable, we wished he had been awake.
Still hanging out.
Zzzzs!

We went back to the zoo today with Christa and Mandy, we went just to see the baby panda, we were too late the last time. He is so cute, he's only on display from 0900 to 1130, the earlier you get there the better, the lines get long. We walked around the whole zoo, I have more pictures , but can only get a few loaded at a time.

After the zoo we went to the Cheesecake Factory, that is always good, even though I don't like cheesecake. Had a great salad. H and Christa had cheesecake.

The weather today could not have been better, in the high 70's and sunny, just a few white clouds that started moving in as the day got later. I can see the darker clouds coming in now, we are supposed to have rain starting tonight and lasting for several days. So the weather here is not always sunny, but compared to Ohio, it is great!

New Year's Eve

H has read many books this winter, always better to do it in the sun.
Whats an ocean without seagulls.

Today is New Year's Eve, spending part of the day at the beach is wonderful. The sun is bright but it is hazy when you look back at the land. The breeze is from the north and cool, we only were there about 2 hours and I got too cold.

We will go to work at the Interfaith Community Center at 4:30 to help prepare and serve supper, don't know what we are doing later. We have to do something for the last day of the year, and of course stay up until midnight. We need to stop and get some sauerkraut for good luck in the New Year.

Gone Fishing

What our son-in-law says he is wearing to the OSU/LSU game on January 7 in New Orleans. Go Bucks!!
H finished the puzzle he bought yesterday, recognise anyone?

Today we went fishing, or at least to see the fish at the Birch Scripps Aquarium. Not very big but certainly enjoyed seeing the many fish from around the world and some unusual species of animals that can hide themselves in the surrounding areas. Certainly not our son-in-law in those pants, unless there are more OSU fans there than anyone else.

We hope to do something special this next week, either go north to some beaches we have not seen, or south to visit Baja. We'll see what comes up.

Here it is Friday already. I haven't taken anymore pictures, we have been in a slow down mode. Wednesday we worked at the Interfaith Community Center again, helping to prepare and serve dinner. H pounded pork chops to tenderize, by the time he finished his arm was sore, it takes a lot of pork chops to feed 60 people. I chopped vegetables, helped find spices and other vegetables, and of course serve dinner.

Yesterday we really did not do much of anything. In the afternoon we watched videos. Today we did laundry, then Christa called and we went shopping with her and her daughter Mandy, her other 2 daughters and son-in-law have returned home. Mandy is here until the 10th. We didn't need to shop, but some of the sales were too good to pass. I got a sweater and a shirt. H got a jigsaw puzzle. He was looking for a CSI puzzle but could not find it. In fact he is working on it right now.

Hobbes is really becoming an outdoor lover. We put him in his carry case and sit him on a chair in the sun, he would love it if we left him there all day. Of course we can't, I would be afraid he would get out. We get him outside as much as possible. Right now he is curled up beside me, his favorite place.

Christmas Day

Relaxing at the beach


Today we went to the Carlsbad Beach to catch a few rays for everyone back home. It was just right, not to hot, not too windy. The surfers were out and just before we left, we spotted a couple of whales, H got the binoculars and we could see the tails as they dove under. WOW! They were really far out, but we still love to spot them.

Cleveland National Forest

The Lawhorn family tree

Still some snow left in the mountains
Snowball fight
Me sitting down on the job
Acorns packed away for the winter in holes made by the woodpeckers
Prickly Pear
The mountains
Just a dead tree
Another view of the mountains from atop a huge rock.
Christa

Today we went with the Lawhorns to Cleveland National Forest. We were about 5500 to 6000 feet. We hiked up a trail past some really huge boulders and climbed up one to view the mountains. We went thru Julian on our way back, Christa picked up an apple pie there. The road back was like being on the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Smoky Mountains, S curves everywhere, I was getting a little queasy, and I don't usually get car sick. We were trying to hurry because Laura wanted to see the sunset into the ocean, but we couldn't make it there.

We ate dinner with the Lawhorn family for Christmas Eve. Very good dinner, turkey, ham, stuffing, yams, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, and salad. Topped off with apple pie.

Christmas Day we will probably stick close to home, though we talked about going back to zoo if they are open. Would love to see the baby panda.