Thursday, May 28, 2009

Genealogy and Journals.. Here I Come


People are always asking me why are you still blogging, so I googled it. It's supposed to add many things to your life... like mostly how to make more money by networking or selling a product. It could even be selling yourself to be a news journalist, editor, commentator, or just generally reach beyond just and Facebook and grab people. Do I get lots of comments? Noooo... but even though I do love comments, it's not important. I get thousands of hits for the lists of old-fashioned sayings, silly videos, and the picture of my grand daughter with a watermelon back in Arkansas---it has been downloaded hundreds of times. I don't know why, it's just hick and cute. Low resolution and I think even done with a phone, but it is a precious candid picture that has been viewed by so many all over the world. BTW it's not my picture to share it's copyrighted and my Bree hasn't given permission to use it, but I'm glad everyone loves it. The reason I blog:

I blog for me. I blog for my journal and if anyone wants to read it... I'm an open book. I have nothing to hide, it's the real... real me... and some of it's about my husband that I truthfully write about... and dearly love him with all my heart. I'm not trying to blog to win followers, lurkers, or anything. If I some how meet another sweet dear friend connecting through faith, common interests, old friendships...I so welcome that! I love the sharing that comes from just wanting to help another. Sharing information and yourselves is wonderful. I love new recipes, new hobbies, ways to keep healthy, grow a tremendous garden, be organized, make my scrapbooks better lol, decorate, and especially my most important work, genealogy. I want to continue to learn new things and I want my children and grandchildren to never quit learning and receive the wonderful possibilities that open up to them, through knowledge. I appreciate all that I've found on blogs. There's an explosion of information and good there that I want to partake of. (sorry to end with a preposition, but I'm not trying to be a writer)

New Years Resolution in June: Genealogy, my blog journal, and our ward's website and the CERT website are going to be my main focus along with my Young Women's calling and journaling along the way... the activities, testimonies, and teachings of the Savior on our YW's Blog. I can do a resolution in the middle of the year, right? I still have my emails. Still love those and will try and keep-up.

Okay, it's sharing time..My great grandmother Martha (Loepp) McKean was absolutely famous for her eggie pancakes. We haven't changed making the crepes, but added on someone's shortcut and they call them German puff-pancakes. This recipe makes 24 and you can't cook them in silicon cups because they won't get done. Remember that. My Little puff picture was taken with my one pixel camera because my new camera is missing. ughhh. These are my eggie pancakes (French, of course on the left) and Kiely's puff pancake with the berry on top. It's really like a tiny puffed bowl that you can fill with anything. Marnie found the recipe somewhere on a wonderful blog and I'm passing it along. Believe me you'll want to make more than 24. So work the blender good before you start.



Here's the grand recipe for the puff French/German? Baby Eggie Pancakes:

Start with putting the ingredients into a blender and preheat the oven to 400 degrees and add:

1 cup of milk
1 cup of flour
1/4 cup of sugar or less
Tiny pinch of salt
Tiny pour of vanilla
1/4 c of melted butter
6 eggs

Pour the mixture into a muffin pan that is coated and then we still spray Pam on the muffin pan. Fill half-way and cook for 15 minutes. It may take a while to perfect this ...because everyone's oven is slightly different. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Or eat like my grandpa with just butter and sugar. Or... you can break-down and use Maple Syrup or even be fancy and do up whip cream and cherries. The one I did for the picture was yogurt and raspberry. Leave out the vanilla and sugar and you have a cup for apple-chicken salad. I can't convince my children to eat that. They like them as breakfast or breakfast/dinner. You can make your meal even more fattening by flouring the bacon and take it out before it gets too crispy, this won't work in the microwave you have to fry it. I think that's my Uncle Dan O'Connor's addition to Eggie Pancake Breakfast. He said he floured trout, and fresh side, why not bacon? Yum.

I just got hungry. Wow, and I need my meds. When did it get dark outside?

Grandma Martha (Loepp) McKean would never approve of the German attachment to the pancakes, so we'll call them baby eggie pancakes. And you know what? We've got chicken eggs filling our fridge. Why do our chickens lay twice a day?

Ending note:
I was looking for a bit of lace for my picture of the puff pancake and when I pulled the lace tablecloth out.... my great grandmother's sister, Great gg Aunt Meta Agathe Katherine (Loepp) Chandler's beautiful, lace bedspread came out with it. It has a matching pillow cover or table cover. It's here to remind me to do my genealogy, it is! Aunt Meta gave my great grandmother these things including a cross necklace given by Meta to Grandma McKean. The cross necklace was originally from Minna (Ortmann) Loepp's aunt and the cross necklace is now worn by Timery (Wellman) Carlson, my niece. My mother once said when I was really young that the necklace was over 200 years old. (Just so you know, this was the hardest explanation of how I'm related to someone that I've ever posted) Anyway, my mother wore the cross when she was married and I know more. Nevermind.

Loepp and Ortmann's Eggie Pancakes With A New Twist

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Our Ordinary Ranch Is Filled With Danger Daily. I Hurt Kids..Baby Goats

I honestly don't know where to start with this. It really started I guess, with me pacing and as much as my knees hurt... I couldn't quit. I knew it was time and this chore makes for a really, really bad day. Disbudding a kid literally makes me feel terrible. The goats are so young and I'm always afraid of the reaction to the Tetanus Antitoxin. The last batch of Tetanus must have been bad and all the goats abscessed, lots of hair loss, and also died. You are probably trying to figure out how did the injection abscessed so fast. Well, my husband brought them back with epinephrine, antihistamine, and pounding on their chest to get them back. Yes, they made it, but they were scarred for life. The hair has never grown back and the goat can never be shown.

Kiely said today was it. I was antsy from last night and dreamed about the drama of disbudding kids all night. I hate to hurt them on purpose. There are lots of things we do to animals that cause pain, but not like this kind. We breed them and the kidding or birthing hurts. Teats hurt, shots hurt, tattooing hurts, I don't mind so much dealing with those.... and actually I like castrating the buck kids. That's pretty wrong. Don't ask me why, but it changes the goats attitude so much they can be a wonderful pet. I just know the outcome is so good on their behavior. Some people need that done to them!

Dehorning can be dangerous, if not done right the sinus is open and flies can get in and it's called "fly-stuck." Maggots eventually kill the animal. Disbudding burns the horn root and doesn't open the sinus. Fly-stuck can be in other places, but we won't go there now.

I went right-up straight out of bed paced awhile and started the iron heating outside and it was almost red-hot in 15 minutes. It's an expensive iron and the high heat is a good thing. Kiely shaved their heads and I went out to get it over with in my slippers and flannel nightgown. The smell is exactly like burned hot-dogs and the smell ruins picnics all summer for me. The first singe and I pop-off the small horn bud and then I go back and hit it firmly until a copper ring shows around the bud. It took a couple turns of the iron. Their face gets so hot. Kiely was right there with the Furral Spray that cools the burn instantly. Yes, they had some meds. But, I was going to do it bare-handed, I didn't want to stick my hand in my old gloves. You know, spiders like cozy gloves. Steve bought me big, suede welding gloves just in case I slipped with the iron. I slipped last year and burned my glove from one end to the other. I thought I was okay this time, no shaking. I had already taken my heart pills. That little voice in my head, the one that just whispers, "caution." I obeyed the soft admonition and put on my gloves. Yes, the goat jumped in an odd way that has never happened before. The doe unfortunately has three rings. I slipped and hit the top of my hand and thumb. The heavy gloves were there. My prayers of thanks were constantly in my heart the rest of today. I'm so glad I had the gloves on my hands.

The pictures show the little spotted goat with the messed-up head. They took the shots okay. The dogs sense seizures and both dogs played with the kittens gently while the goats played after they're heads were burned. I can only imagine the headache they must still have. Kiely said they look good this evening.


If you are reading this and ready to leave a comment to say let them be and grow their horns. You are probably thinking the goats need their horns because it helps them cool their body with all the blood that flows through the horn. The horns also help defend themselves. Have you haven't seen the often sad result of leaving the horns on them? It is a humane act to take the horns off. Horns always get caught in fences and other stuff. It's the goat's inquisitive nature that gets them stuck, but the real mess is when another goat hits the one stuck, yes... they pick on each other, playing or "pecking order" meanness. The result is that the horn tears from the head and they bleed to death. Yep, I've seen little spiked horns puncture the dam's udder and you have a big, leaky mess that doesn't end well. The butting of the udder is a natural way to make the udder let-down more milk.

And then..... there's what we are dealing with right now with our dear "Tundra," our horned-goat and he is horned because I just plain couldn't kill the horn root. Tundra was unfortunately swung around by children (not my family) and he knows his horns ARE a defense. I needed to keep him because he is absolutely the best buck we have ever produced. Kiely's own genetics. After this year however, he's gone. He could actually kill a child if they got in the pen because now the buck is full-grown.

I was holding him just a couple days ago and he turned on me and completely just knocked me down with just the force of his neck and I fell on him. The fall was all in "slow-mo" I do think it was because I wasn't balanced. I had half of one of my shoes on. Anyway, I pushed him to the ground and I pinned-him good. I was there for a while, he didn't die. That was a win for the goat because, Ewww-weee... he completely reeked and the awful stench stayed with me. Kiely side-tracked him and I used the shelter and stood-up and limped out. Yes, I took numerous showers and don't write me and tell me you have a soap that gets rid of the odor, because I've used them all. It just sticks to me or it stays in my nose. I don't know. You'd think after about 30 years of this I would get used to it. Never.




We have these baby animals that are calling the wild animals to come eat them. The lambs won't stay in their pen, they find a way and escape. The kittens drink goat's milk and we always catch the babies from the feral mothers and try to raise them to give away. One is a Himalayan and beautiful. All the rest are this gray and white, but just as darling. It's hard not to be afraid for them. Kiely crashed the back of her car last year. The bumper has a big scratch that's still there from trying to dodge a kitten. The car was so new it had the paper plates from the dealer. There is danger even from us.

Okay, let's see. Wanna' make a donkey mad? Again today. Kiely roped Rosa, the donkey, when she needed some doctoring on her front cannon area of her front legs. We suspect it's from the chain-link fence. Kiely, the good tech, treated her wounds, but the donkey got upset from the "Little dog" biting her back legs and the lasso tightened-up. She found a lasso with a good hondo. Why can't I find that rope when I need it? Anyway, Rosa, aka Banana, as in quote from Juno, the movie..."Jeez Banana, shut your friggin' gob, ok!" flips-out rears and works herself loose with a lasso around her neck. Our dear neighbor, Amy. Kiely's BFF and a real brave cowgirl starts working her. Amy got kicked real good (bad) in the leg and it's swollen. I didn't know a thing about the whole donkey incident. Kiely didn't want me involved. I guess she thought the disbudding was just too much for my heart. Yeah, the kicking of Amy, pretty much did me in. I went to Young Women and I did win the poker game at the Church. Well, it was The "Sequence Game", not poker... and we didn't bet. If there were bets I woulda' bet, I'd lose.

What a day. But, you know...every single day is like this. I could write the same stuff everyday. It's a rattlesnake, it's my husband being knocked-out, it's running my foot over with the golf cart. I'm beginning to look at all my plants differently. If they are remotely poisonous, they're outta' here because someone will eat them. Not-new-favorite, family, quirky old-fashioned term that I remembered (take a breath here) I always use, but actually I "think"..another good word, however for the family's sake.... and my not wanting to repent again ( my family knows which word that is, and I'm not telling) I say... instead, a loud, "Dad-gum!" Bree thank you for letting me know that's Mayflower, Arkansas' designated "title" for the town. Do they have a "Dad-gum Paw-rade? and a "Dad-gum Fes-table?" I love Arkansas. I do! It's the "Dad-gum Capitol of the World!"

HHAAAAWWWW----HEEEEEEE!! Rosa/Banana's ears are soooo good she can hear me open a can of soda-pop in my bedroom! And..... out of her lovely mouth comes that loud yell, "FEED ME!" That's the literal translation from Donkey language. It echoes all through the "Oaks." Yes, we do have neighbors. That's a weird word! Ever notice .... "Neigh" bors. Does that mean they're in yelling distance or just negative? That's A Big "Neigh-gatory."

We Really Should Have Named Our Place Danger Ranch

Monday, May 25, 2009

Explain Why Isn't Saturday A Rest Day To Get Ready For Sunday?

Have you ever had the thought cross your mind that Saturday should be a PRE-REST day? I mean, really! We overload it with all those get the ready for Sunday chores and try and squeeze maybe a bit of adventure like "Night At the Museum II" and stay-up making bread for the missionaries, cleaning house, preparing lessons, can't say babysit, actually...but we can't live without a bunch of little ones and then there's the ranch chores--we try very hard to make it to church on Sunday morning before others. It's an actual race! And then we smugly say to ourselves, I bet they didn't have to milk seven goats this morning, and we still beat them to our own personal pew again.

Actually, I made that up. We made it by the skin-of-our-teeth and there's all kinds of pews open because only about--at the most--70 people show-up on a good Sunday. We aren't milking any goats, because Kiely does that with all the feeding. Okay, I did go to the movie, and made bread until 2:00 am. and then Kiely had her first real lesson. She stayed-up 'til 4:00 am. Kiely does that. hahaha She's used to it. College finals just got over and that's the way she studies. Her teachers think now, that she has brown hair and librarian glasses, that she doesn't need to study at all. Kiely go back to the blond hair...I'm telling you they will give you a break!













The Spinach can came from our Arkansas daughter's in-laws. They brought us a present from their year's supply. Why is that odd? Well, that Spinach was canned in Siloam, Akansas. Chuck and Bee got the Spinach years ago and were doing some resorting. They live just 15 or 20 minutes from us in Ventura. The reason that's so weird is that it was not only my husband's old missionary stomping grounds, but near our Bree, their Chip, and our grandchildren's home. Steve actually found some Butter Beans (and he loves them) from Oxnard, California. He picked them up from Muskogee, Oklahoma in the middle of winter while serving there on his mission... 1968-1970. The world is so small, isn't it?

I NEED some Spinach if it really gives a person knock-out energy, bring it on. I had a genealogy headache Sunday. No one understands why I can't remember anybody's birthday, where they were born, their telephone numbers, or even what family they belong to. Telephones! Shoot! Everyone's got at the least 3, even the grandchildren have phone numbers and they keep changing, just like their ages. Well, I think know I know why I can't remember everything .... Just ask me who was born on 15 June 1843? Margaretta Cox: She was born in Illinois, but lived in Walnut Creek, Minnesota, yeah, sounds familiar. Yes, she is buried near "The Little House, Ingalls" and near the creek toward town. Margaretta is my grandmother's... Aura Margaret Freeman's grandmother. She was named after her great aunt. I get so side-tracked on the stories of my ancestor's lives that I can't seem to just write the names in the PAF, IGI, and New Family Search. Okay...sweet blog followers acronyms that only special genealogists know. Ancestors, I NEED some help here! My A.D.D. is bogging me down, it's a good thing I don't have a window over my desk.


There were 10 grandchildren at my house Sunday, plus their moms and Steve, Kiely, and Dustin, and my mom. It's a crazy Sunday afternoon. I slept through Tatum and Steve's shouting match. Not mad at all... just that Steve was trying to "out-yell" Tatum. She was really excited and she just got louder as she became more excited. Cracked Steve up and he should have explained the famous... "Mel can hear you, next door," comeback... but Mel died. I'm SURE he heard them. I didn't hear a thing at that point... I was really asleep with plugs in my ears. This is how Tatum needs to sign her name. She likes it.

Okay four kids went home and so just a few were still here and I sat-back and videoed just a portion of the "kitchen scene." This is Sunday Family Time. It didn't matter that the camera was going...they actually were crazier earlier....



Does the song seem familiar just a little bit? Be Sure And Turn Off My Music Or You WILL GO CRAZY...PROMISE!!

Sunday is a precious day.
It’s the Day we Honor the Savior’s Way.
We go to Church, we sing and pray and
We are blessed with the Sacrament too, day.
We try to learn, and love everyone, and
We call it our Spiritual Rest Day.
Then, we have family time and
Work on our goals, so we can be
ready to start Mon..day.

I just now thought the song sounds like the "Pirates of The Caribbean" It's the Saturday Song out of the Children's Song Book from Church, but seeing the kids run rampant, yeah...pirate song is going in my mind. Maybe it's just the way the flute sounds. hahahaha

All the wild ones stayed overnight at Marnie's and dear pregnant Larin went home all alone. TO REST! I love grandchildren they're really our entertainment and JOY!

If We Put More Into Sunday, Our Cups Runneth Over, Wow


Friday, May 22, 2009

Can you see a Jack Ass in this Picture? It's a Hidden Picture. My Post is about Kids and Kids. Baby Goats vs. Children! What Are We Really Raising ?



Rock 'n' Oaks Ranch turns into a nursery to entertain children and remind us all of how the simple pleasures of life are just watching our children and grandchildren interact with other young, sweet animals. The playing tether-ball and fetch with our dogs, riding the horses, or just running free with the lambs and kids make all of us think happily about our own discovery with baby chicks and messy baby ducks. We remember squealing baby pigs and after the fear is gone, they latch on to our ears to whisper sweet, slobbery loves.

New project just starting. In the picture above with Tatum and Sparkle are playing tag. There are four large pepper trees in the background. All the uncles and my son are getting together and making a fort/tree-house. If it's anything like the one I had just a few steps from where my home sits now, it will be an escape and experience that will enrich the kid's lives forever.

How fun was it to walk a rail fence or stand on a ribbed tank/barrel and maneuver it all over the grass? Yeah, and we learned fast the rocky pasture was not the best place to practice.

My mom, single-handed built us a huge platform and a cabin, high up in an oak tree. The tree house even had a secret escape hatch. It was started the day President Kennedy was shot and finished that weekend. I watched so little of the news coverage. My mother didn't want us to see the tragedy of the assassination of President over and over. Good for her! Bless my dear mother. I do remember the assassination day of November 22nd and I remember him, but I remember him mostly as the great president my Irish grandfather, and uncles revered. Our family was proud of his charismatic leadership he provided and the calm, strong demeanor that we all needed during the scary time of the Berlin Wall and making "fall-out shelters."

Childhood needs to be silly and sweet. I know there are fights and fits...but hey, they only last just a little while. It's part of childhood that hopefully teaches each one of them how much fun it can be when all of us get-along! I'm so glad our family was blessed with a sense of humor.


Tressa to Dad, "Dad! Your eyes are really blue when you get mad!" "Quick wit is much better than a quick runaway." Remember that. You WILL have to come back. Ouch.



Running With the Animals. Tree House Project. No Nintendo Needed

Monday, May 18, 2009

Shocking...Rachel's Hall Pass offering any 12x12 vinyl or phrase from her website

I have always loved vinyl lettering. We did some in Young Women's for one of their goals and making a craft that hangs in their room to always remember_________ and the Young Women choose the phase they wanted and the color. My Kiely still has hers and it's "Never Give Up" by Sir Winston Churchill. I'm still so proud of her and she got her YW's award a couple years ago. I am very proud of all my other five daughters that worked so hard to achieve and complete their Values and goals. The medallions change but the learning, setting goals, living by Gospel Principles, and their testimonies never go away.

Kiely has used that saying, "Never Give Up" to motivate her in all her classes at college. It reminds me of another "Endure To The End" (Maybe that seems so faraway) Kiely wakes-up to this pink sign with black letters in her room everyday. Her room is dark pink with red and orange--sounds terrible, but she has a huge mural of a sunset on the beach and all those colors are in the mural. So are black silhouettes of palm trees. All her accessories are black, including her furniture. Really beautiful designed room. The plaque is prominently displayed over her door.

Kiely never knew who Churchill was or anything about him until her first semester in one of her required courses at school. She was amazed at the message even more, because it was so courageously given during a war that terrorized a nation.

Here's the link to the vinyl lettering website: HALL PASS.

I can't wait to order another, especially for our new "cowboy room" I need to think of a real cowboy saying... This one works for me since I'm constantly taping the fences with Duck Tape where there's a sharp edge or any pokey think that would catch on a collar of one of the goats or sheep. Cute thought... I thought so! Duct tape is the new bailing wire. Actually, some say Bungee Cords, but they can be very dangerous. I've pulled more than one out of the side of a cheek of a goat or sheep. Ewwww... and an eye.

I love my really old tin sign that says, "Caution Electric Fence" and I found in the dirt on our ranch. It was Mr. Wesley's next door. We leased the land for years and the pasture did have an electric fence. The fence probably is what messed my heart up. We would have a "dare-day" and run like crazy to hold a fence pole and then the wire. The last of the string of kids always got thrown down. I learned to run fast. Poor Scott, my little brother seemed like he got shocked-down a lot. How mean, huh? The sign is rusty and has a bullet hole in it and sits on my kitchen shelf to remind me to take my heart medication. I hate thinking about that "procedure" with the defibrillator. I almost got defibbed at the hospital. The Doctor stopped the technician because I might have a clot. Whew! Actually, I did have some and my blood thinner just carried them away. I'm thankful for doctor's inspiration and he paid attention to it. That was a close call. I should have told myself "It's only like our electric fence and being the last to grab on the line of kids" Sometimes you have to just go back and think of the experiences you've already had... to help get you through upcoming challenges. Yep, the sign, it's in my kitchen. I take my pills.


Signs. Can't Get Enough of Them To Remind Us of Real Life



Friday, May 15, 2009

Sailing, Sailing Away To a Heavenly Garden of The North



We were gifted by Steve's family and some of our family... to go on a trip by sea to Victoria and Vancouver by the Island Princess Cruise and then fly home. It was to celebrate Steve's birthday and I can say without hesitation it was the most beautiful, relaxing vacation Steve or I have ever been on. The food was wonderful and I'm so glad I paid attention to our Young Women's and Young Men's Combined Activity on table manners. I've never had a 9 course meal before.

BTW..Did you notice my hair-do went flat? I need some spikie-stuff like the people use in Canada.


Another first was that it was like a Disneyland ride that lasted for days, but it was real. Hard to believe! It all seems like a dream now. Were we really there? Victoria and Vancouver were as if we stepped off the ship into the Garden of Eden. Cherry blossoms on all the trees, except of course..all the beautiful Dogwood, Magnolia, Lilac, and Rhododendron and Tulips of every shade of color possible and even (sigh, take a breath) lovely bright flowers mixed together with colors at opposite ends of the color wheel. I can't even explain it. It was spectacular to see! The flowers were even made into mosaics. There was every color of green! As we walked the Cherry blossoms fell like pink, soft, snowflakes just for us dusting our path. Heaven.


I love the ocean too...

I didn't arrange my pictures in order. Just slapped them up. Our ship's suite for us was super roomy and had the biggest balcony we've ever had in any hotel we've ever stayed. Beautiful music everywhere and I've never seen the ocean so big. Nothing all around us and it seemed to stay that way the whole trip. Well, then of course in the harbor we had a magnificent view of the city and the mountains.

The weather was wonderful puffy clouds and blue sky, then darker clouds and light rain. I just closed my umbrella and felt the rain on my face. L.A. was over 90 degrees when we left. Oh, I'm so grateful Steve missed the Santa Barbara fire.

There was no Internet because all the stations on the ship were filled and people lined-up to use the computers. We couldn't get cell phone service even in Vancouver. Well, just intermittent. Sometimes someone would call us and it would come through.

I wanted to see the filming of the movie "New Moon" but we got to Victoria and the Ferry would take-up the whole day. That would have been alright. But, it was Mother's Day and of course I knew that Mother's Day was always on Sunday. So I asked if we could just somehow go to Church. I usually have a hard time on Mother's Day. I still have my mother and I love her and I can't even see myself as the mother I had always hoped to be. I was meant to go to Church on THIS Mother's Day. Victoria 1st Ward was wonderful. The bishop's wife even picked us up for Church and we had a ride back. We stayed for all the meetings and like always, the Church's program was on schedule. "Spiritual Gifts" was our Relief Society lesson, Sunday School, and Sacrament Meeting talks. I'm so grateful I didn't go with the temptation to just cruise around and skip Church. I would have missed a great many beautiful brothers and sisters, the Sacrament, and wonderful Spirit there.

The last tour on Monday did take us to all the places "New Moon" will have in the movie--that's all I needed.. Like I've been there. I've seen lots and lots of films shot in Santa Paula. Usually, you may see a glimpse of someone, but the process of shooting is actually boring. Ask my husband who does "movie watch" for the fire department, occasionally. The only really good part is the food they serve on the sets. Most of movie making is standing and waiting for everyone and then repeating it over and over.

I wish I could express how grateful I am that Steve's family gave him such a wonderful birthday present and I could be there with him. It was amazing to me to not even know what was happening in the world, we weren't going to watch TV and waste a moment. Oh, I did just a bit in the hotel on Tuesday morning and then turned it off, yes, French TV and Spanish TV are the same. You wouldn't know what I mean, unless you lived here in Santa Paula.

Our whole trip was just us and no worries. Yes, Marnie....I am hooked. I love riding the ocean on a ship and I'm grateful it wasn't like "The Most Dangerous Catch" Someone should have prevented me from watching that beforehand.


Happy, Happy Birthday, Steven Dear!


I didn't want to leave Stanley Park


Going to Church

Oh, Victoria at Night!

Queen Elizabeth Garden
It used to be a rock quarry like Butchart Garden

Center of the Ship. The Island Princess

Our "Sweet" suite.

Can you see the tall mountains?

Steve got a little crazy with the camera.
This is now our screensaver!
There are light raindrops on the tulips.

I should have done a slide-show, huh?





Can't you just see Vampires
running around in the forest? Just Kidding.
I forgot there is that Big Foot Animal hahaha
I just saw sweet little black, fluffy-tailed
squirrels. I felt like Snow White. I think
they thought I had Cheetos in my pocket.



Wow! How beautiful.

Garden of Eden. Vancouver and Victoria. We are so blessed to have gone there.