The Show

We left Pine Mountain today. I liked it there a lot.  On our last night, I tried to convince my parents that Naked and Afraid is a good show.  My mom shook her head and scoffed that this show was as bad, if not worse, than my other favorite show, The Bachelor. My dad asked why the people had to be naked.  After watching awhile, my mom went back to reading.  My dad claimed, "This is no different than how we spent our days back in Dorchester, scrabbling to survive, constantly on the look out for food.  Were we naked?  No. But believe me in all other respects, it was very similar to this."

The Azaleas

We had one mission today and one mission only----to check out the 20,000 azaleas blooming at Callaway Gardens. In short, we got the job done.  After walking along the azalea trail, we found the perfect picnic spot. I'm pretty impressed with the sandwiches I made, to tell you the truth. Now we're relaxing.  Lupe's napping next to me as I blog.

The only snag in this restful vacation spot is a persistent beep that goes off every minute or two.  Dad and I have searched for the source, but we can't find it.  Mom can't hear it and gloats, "I swear this deafness ends up being a blessing so much of the time!"

The Results

Karl with a K

 We watched the election results together last night and Dad was upset about Hillary's wins.  He said, "I'm going to bed where I'll weep into my pillow."

The morning started off discordantly, but then Mom strongly suggested we cease all forms of political bantering.  We took our coffees out on to the deck and looked at the lake and the birds.  We saw some ducks and some herons.  Mom and Dad taught me about an old song called Rory Get Your Dory, There's a Herring in the Bay."  BarETBeth came by and took us out to lunch in Chipley.

Kudos to us for turning it around.  We're all good people and there's nothing to be angry about when we're on spring break in Pine Mountain.

The Paralysis

Shopped for food stuffs for our adventure yesterday---english muffins, wine, potato chips. When we got to the market, Mom seemed to be taking her time getting out of the car.  Then she laughed, "Oh I always forget that my seat belt is on.  I panic every time and think, 'I'm paralyzed!' but then I remember that I'm buckled in."  This struck us both as hilarious.

We're heading to Pine Mountain Georgia today.  We're bringing two dogs, Lupe and Karl with a K.  I'm hoping the azaleas are in bloom at Calloway Gardens.

The Break

I'm reading a most excellent book right now called M Train by Patti Smith.  Don't want to brag, but it's a signed first edition.  (Thanks, Seattle KIN!)

Patti Smith mulls over some ideas and as I read her beautiful book, I get to mulling and googling.  Today I'm learning about Alfred Wegener, polar researcher and creator of the theory of continental drift.

I'm also watching Spunky the Hunter cat lolling beneath a blooming azalea in the backyard.  A downy woodpecker's doing some work on the cherry tree nearby.  I'm also arguing with my dad about Hilary Clinton every 20 or 30 minutes.  My dad really hates her.  I think he should lighten up. The good news is my dad also hates Trump, so he's feeling the Bern. Welladay.  I'm thinking about making a macaroni salad.

The Skeeters

The last two weeks have LITERALLY been hell on wheels.  Anne Lamott's latest fb entry is timely for me, putting me back on track just in the nick of time. Lamott suggests that everyone calm the heck down and stop living like water skeeters.  Like a water skeeter, I've been zip zipping along, darting this way and that, hither thither and yon. March Madness.  No way to live.  I'm going to take Lamott's suggestion and sit down, see where I am, and see what I need.

In short, I'm regrouping.  I'm on spring break.  I'm going to visit Mom and Dad down in the south.  I told my dad on the phone today that we might want to head over to the wild animal park that's nearby. He said, "Let me tell you something.  I'm not that crazy about wild animal parks.  Especially since the cat brought a bird in the house this morning and it took me forty minutes of running around after it to get it back outside.  Don't know how I got to this point in my life where I'm running after dogs, cats and birds at 87 years old."

       So I'm not sure we'll be going to the wild animal park, but I will tell you this.  We're going to have fun and we're going to knock off this water skeeter nonsense, and we're going to be blogging regularly, so pop back if you get a chance.  If you want to.   Happy Spring Break Dearhearts.

#TwinTuesday

Whale Shark and Passport over here.  A dreamy kind of combo.  Check out the twin over at Word Savvy's Place.

FYI:  I would not see The Treasure if I were you.  I hated that movie.  Husbandman has this to say, "It was a waste of film.  I wish that after digging the hole in his backyard the protagonist had simply buried the director.  Alive."  It's about 2 guys who dig for treasure in a backyard.  It's getting a solid ZERO on the fist of five.

The Whales

We're going to start talking about simple machines soon.  I bought a bunch of plastic whales and dolphins to use to introduce the unit.  I was going to ask the Thirdlanders to use the plastic animals to design a rescue of a beached or stranded animal.  Full disclaimer: This wasn't an original idea.

Come to find out, it's not that easy to rescue a stranded whale.  Also, I'm seeing little evidence that simple machines come in to play all that much. I know this because I'm now obsessed with watching videos of whale rescues. I've watched quite a few over the past hour and that's why my report cards aren't done yet.  Just FYI: If you do come upon a beached whale or dolphin, be careful because they could have a disease that could make you very sick.  Also, if you feel like putting water on them, go ahead, but avoid pouring water into the blow hole.  That's how they breathe.

The Democracy

The craziness with the Republicans is driving me over the edge.  I listen constantly to pundits who predict more mayhem to come. I want it all to stop, but it's like my addiction to Hoarders.  I can't stop watching.  When I heard the second worst guy in the world calling his opponent, "Little Mario" on a clip this week, I froze in my tracks, a veritable pillar of salt.  My mind became a dish of haywire cacciatore.  People say this drama is good for the Dems, but I don't know. I'm feeling troubled.

Thursday Creativity Share

We just finished reading Circus Mirandus. I didn't love it but the Thirdlanders surely did. They insist on a sequel.

Writer's Wednesday: Shapiro Book

This is what I like about Shapiro's writing book.  She says that when you're overwhelmed by an energy that's pulling you away from the writing task, (which happens to me constantly), you should think of that energy as a wave.  Don't run from it.  Ride it.  If you can ride the wave of energy, great things will happen. I do like that idea, but I wonder if she's right about that? KC's reading this book too. 
       The Thirdlanders are in the midst of standardized testing.  That's why I have the globus again.