daveb Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 In most of the pics it looks a little too saturated to be powder blue. I saw some rabbits on my morning walk today, at a place along the edge of the woods with some grassy areas and a pond. There was also a gray squirrel sitting on a stub of a branch up on a tree, nibbling on something. And the other usual critters, like deer and various birds (robins, crows, ducks, Canada geese, and assorted songbirds). It's feeling very Spring-like here lately, with lows around 40F or so (4-5C) and highs in the low to mid-50s (11-12C or so). At least we are still getting a good amount of rain. Too soon for it to get warm! I hope it doesn't presage an early and/or hot Summer. 8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Skycaptain Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 @cdrdash, yays for all the seals , the sea looks lively as well. The colour is Schtroumpfbleu 😋😋 We've had three consecutive frosty mornings, which is as close to winter as we've seen yet. 10 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
teatree Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 My phone is reporting -5 F/-21 C this morning. (It did seem a wee bit nippier than usual, when I took out the dogs....) I DO like cold weather but in the 20s F would be just fine! 8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Skycaptain Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Dogs, nippier 😋😋 My cats are profoundly allergic to any temperature under 25°c, 77°f, and have moved onto the radiator for autumn, winter, spring and half of summer 7 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BobRossRules Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 A while ago I submitted my guide dog's DNA for an analysis. They can determine what breed as well as any health risks they might have. She is a silver labrador, but her hair is long and wavy, and a silver color. When I tell people that she is a labrador, they often respond "well she must have a mix as she doesn't look like the typical lab." I thought it would be cool to know for sure. The test results are in, and she is 100% Labrador Retriever. 9 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
daveb Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 26 minutes ago, faraday☘ said: The test results are in, and she is 100% Labrador Retriever. The lab results are in? Yay, Samantha! 7 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ryn2 Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 1 hour ago, faraday☘ said: The test results are in, and she is 100% Labrador Retriever. That *is* cool! 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Muledeer Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 3 hours ago, faraday☘ said: The test results are in, and she is 100% Labrador Retriever. Yep. I knew that. When I get back home I will share an image of her puppyhood photo that you shared with us a few years ago.. So I have been staying in Salt Lake City the last few days. I was walking in the neighborhood where I grew up and encountered an old boyhood acquaintance whom I went to school and church with. He was getting out of his car in front of his mother's home as I was walking by. "Are you Brett?" I asked him. He was, and we had a nice five minute discussion about our lives in the past 40 years. I remember names better than faces. 8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
daveb Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 Sometimes, when I visit my mom (she is still living in the house I grew up in) some random person will stop by, and after a bit I might realize "oh, that's so and so from when I knew them when we were kids". 8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
will123 Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 Broke a tooth during dinner Monday. No discomfort and the edges aren't irritating my tongue so I should survive until Monday when I see the dentist. A short snowmobile ride today with a younger fellow to pack down the snow on a new trail for the local club. Almost 300 klicks so far. 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Skycaptain Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 Snowmobiling sounds fun, a broken tooth less so. My kitties know something unusual is going on, and are playing up. Nothing drastic, just at friend is staying the night, so I've been moving furniture. So I was treated to the midnight meowathon, jumping on the bed, and any other sleep preventing mischiefs 9 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ryn2 Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 5 hours ago, will123 said: Broke a tooth during dinner Monday. No discomfort and the edges aren't irritating my tongue so I should survive until Monday when I see the dentist. Hopefully they can just round off the edges then! 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
will123 Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 4 hours ago, ryn2 said: Hopefully they can just round off the edges then! No it'll need a crown. The 'outboard' portion broke away leaving tbe existing filling pretty much exposed. 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pickles. Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 Been mostly off the grid for a number of days, down in New Orleans with my Utah daughter. The first time to Louisiana for both of us, and after our first delightful day of walking around the French Quarter and doing city stuff, we decided that was enough urban for us, so hastened to make reservations for an airboat tour. We were ignorant and too hasty--"airboat" sounded gentle--but really it's just a very loud boat. On the one hand, it was our first time in a swamp and we loved it and were just so happy to be there; on the other hand...not our style. Our "Snowmobile of the Swamp" necessitated sound-cancelling headphones, and was not at all what we had envisioned, but all-in-all we loved just being on the water, and it was glorious when the motor was cut. The waterways and bayous were lined with bald white cypress draped in Spanish moss, and we had sightings of turkey vultures, hawks, bald eagles, cardinals, ducks, coots, pelicans (flying, diving, skimming over the water), a large owl sitting smack dab in a tree right by our boat, Great Blue Heron, several types of egrets (including the pristinely white Great Egret), bright green turtles sunning on logs; and...dun, dun, dun, dun!...alligators! The weather was a bit on the cold side for alligators, we were told, but our guide took us to a reliable spot where we saw four of varying sizes--several in the water (including one adorable itty bitty), and one big beauty sunning on a log (with a turtle sunning within snapping distance if only the alligator had turned to look). The next day we hiked in Big Branch Marsh on the other side of Lake Pontchartrain; the hike was a combination of boardwalk through the marsh and regular footpaths through areas with high enough elevation. It was all very other-worldly and beautiful; the views looked like photos I have seen of the African savannah. You had to remind yourself there was water underneath; an area as far as the eye could see would be thickly carpeted with what looked like AstroTurf--with lush grasses and sedges behind--and all of it in water. A highlight of the day was staying a bit past sunset and witnessing one Great Egret after another fly in to roost for the night. They all came to the same few almost-leafless pines (30-ish egrets by the time we headed to our car), and their large white bodies on the dark branches were such a sight to behold. We wondered how many more would arrive before dark -- 40? 50? 100? I think Louisiana must be the haven of birdwatchers; I have little bird knowledge, but I can still feel the thrill. Yesterday, our last day, we reserved a swamp kayak tour. We'd been hanging out a bit with a New Orleans friend over our time who also came along, but besides us three and the tour guide there was only one other person. This made for a cozy little tour, and we got to go into another state (Mississippi). It was no further than the marsh the day before--45 minutes from New Orleans--and my daughter was thrilled to be visiting two new states instead of one. Today, back in Portland, it's hard to imagine that I was on a swamp in Mississippi just yesterday, with a flight last night that got me home at midnight local time (2:00 am Louisiana time). How is it possible??? Today I've been dealing with car issues, work issues, and a little bit of Portland rain, but it's good to be home and back with my sweet little Marrakesh. 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
daveb Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 4 minutes ago, pickles mcgee said: but it's good to be home and back with my sweet little Marrakesh. @faraday☘ and I had a great time in New Orleans in 2018. I would not have thought to vacation there myself, since I'm not a fan of hot weather (especially humid hot). But I really enjoyed the various sights and tours and stuff we did (museums, zoo, graveyard tour, the French Quarter, swamp tour (not an airboat, which given your description, I'm glad we didn't do)). 9 hours ago, will123 said: No it'll need a crown. I have an appointment tomorrow to get my permanent crown installed. 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ryn2 Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 23 minutes ago, pickles mcgee said: back with my sweet little Marrakesh. Aww! Sounds like a nice trip overall... 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ryn2 Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 15 minutes ago, daveb said: I have an appointment tomorrow to get my permanent crown installed. Congratulations on your coronation! 7 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
daveb Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 Just now, ryn2 said: Congratulations on your coronation! Thanks! It's far from my first! I have more crowns than half the royal houses of Europe. 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ryn2 Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 Same, same. 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pickles. Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 10 minutes ago, daveb said: @faraday☘ and I had a great time in New Orleans in 2018. I would not have thought to vacation there myself, since I'm not a fan of hot weather (especially humid hot). But I really enjoyed the various sights and tours and stuff we did (museums, zoo, graveyard tour, the French Quarter, swamp tour (not an airboat, which given your description, I'm glad we didn't do)). I remember @faraday☘ texting me a photo from that trip, and now that I've been I would love to hear so much more about where you went and what you did. For us, Friday and Saturday were in the 70s, Sunday in the 50s or 60s, and Monday and Tuesday the high was 51 both days. Our last three days were so dry that my hair was super staticky! I would have preferred 60s and 70s with some humidity, but it was still great. What month did you go and how was the weather? Which museums? What kind of swamp tour, and what did you see? And where did you stay? (We were in Marigny, right next to the French Quarter.) If you don't mind my asking... 😊 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Muledeer Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 (edited) 23 hours ago, Muledeer said: When I get back home I will share an image of her puppyhood photo that you shared with us a few years ago.. as promised, Samantha's puppy photo: She's a Lab. Edited January 23, 2020 by Muledeer 10 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pickles. Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 45 minutes ago, pickles mcgee said: and...duh, duh, duh, duh!... This does not seem like the right spelling for the sound that signals an exciting announcement. Does anyone know the correct spelling? 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pickles. Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 Just now, Muledeer said: as promised, Samantha's puppy photo: Awww... 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pickles. Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 OMG, I love owls. (Not my photo; this is from the internet. The owl I saw did not have "horns," but otherwise looked very similar.) 7 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
daveb Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 We stayed in a hotel just a couple of blocks away from the French Quarter and not too far from the river. Also close to the streetcar lines. It was mid-October and kind of steamy, with some good rain at times, too, but not super hot. Let me see if I can remember where/what we did: we walked to Louis Armstrong Park and walked around there, went to a "death museum" (little storefront museum in the French Quarter; all about death), went to a science museum not far from there, went on a big paddlewheel boat to the site of the Battle of New Orleans from the War of 1812 and walked around there, the swamp tour was outside of town (they took us on a bus to the tour site, then we went out on a flat-bottomed boat that held 20 or 30 people (and 1 dog), not sure exactly where it was), did a walking tour of a big graveyard and surrounding neighborhood in the Garden District (I think that's what it was called), took the streetcar out to the Audubon zoo (and got lost following my directions, which entailed us walking all the way around the zoo's exterior to get back to the entrance), did plenty of walking in the French Quarter and rode a horse cart around a bit there. Also sampled a few restaurants (had impossible burgers at a Dave & Buster's restaurant a couple blocks from our hotel). Not sure if I missed anything... 24 minutes ago, Muledeer said: Samantha's puppy photo: Are you sure? Looks more like Marybeth. 23 minutes ago, pickles mcgee said: Does anyone know the correct spelling? I probably would have said "dun, dun, dun", but the idea comes across anyway. 19 minutes ago, pickles mcgee said: owls My grandmother collected owl figurines back in the day. 7 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Muledeer Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 1 minute ago, daveb said: Are you sure? Looks more like Marybeth. It could be....you've met them, right? I don't know my Samantha from my Marybeth these days. @faraday☘' s great Dogs! 8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
daveb Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 6 minutes ago, Muledeer said: It could be....you've met them, right? I don't know my Samantha from my Marybeth these days. @faraday☘' s great Dogs! Yep, I've met the dogs. The one in the background of that pic looks like Isabelle. Marybeth is pale with a dark nose like that puppy. Samantha is more of a silvery brown with a brown nose. Great dogs (and cats, too) 7 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pickles. Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 1 hour ago, daveb said: We stayed in a hotel just a couple of blocks away from the French Quarter and not too far from the river. Also close to the streetcar lines. It was mid-October and kind of steamy, with some good rain at times, too, but not super hot. Let me see if I can remember where/what we did: we walked to Louis Armstrong Park and walked around there, went to a "death museum" (little storefront museum in the French Quarter; all about death), went to a science museum not far from there, went on a big paddlewheel boat to the site of the Battle of New Orleans from the War of 1812 and walked around there, the swamp tour was outside of town (they took us on a bus to the tour site, then we went out on a flat-bottomed boat that held 20 or 30 people (and 1 dog), not sure exactly where it was), did a walking tour of a big graveyard and surrounding neighborhood in the Garden District (I think that's what it was called), took the streetcar out to the Audobon zoo (and got lost following my directions, which entailed us walking all the way around the zoo's exterior to get back to the entrance), did plenty of walking in the French Quarter and rode a horse cart around a bit there. Also sampled a few restaurants (had impossible burgers at a Dave & Buster's restaurant a couple blocks from our hotel). Not sure if I missed anything... You did a lot! How many nights? We were there just 4 nights (my daughter has a hard time taking more time off work, as she's the one in charge). Our first swamp tour was near Barataria, about a half hour south of New Orleans. Do you remember any animals that you saw on your tour? Quote I probably would have said "dun, dun, dun", but the idea comes across anyway. That is so much better! Off to edit... Quote My grandmother collected owl figurines back in the day. My Portland daughter collects owl figurines. I don't think she has very many, though (maybe three?). She's a thrift store kind of person, so it's just when she sees a good one at a thrift store. 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
daveb Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 37 minutes ago, pickles mcgee said: How many nights? 5 or 6 days/nights, I think. 37 minutes ago, pickles mcgee said: Do you remember any animals that you saw on your tour? Alligators, various birds (the one that sticks in my mind is the cardinal as I had never seen any in person before), raccoons, feral pig, turtles 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pickles. Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 Feral pigs...wow!! We saw a nutria in the marsh during our hike. It was busy foraging along the shore of a waterway; we watched it for quite a while before sunset. 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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