The Cruising Adventures of Wild Blue and crew...
- Thread starter JamesTXSD
- Start date
Jim,
This week's strip reminds me of my first trip to the Grand Canyon many years ago. I had an assignment in Phoenix and took a couple of days off before my return east. Drove up to the Canyon and parked, walked down to the first point that looks into the Canyon. As I approached the edge of the rim my knees began to shake and I was in complete awe of what lay before me. I sat for over an hour just staring and absorbing. Although I had seen many photos nothing had prepared me for the grandeur and color and the constant change. I spent the whole day walking the rim, forgot about food and everything else.
After "recovering" somewhat I began to watch other first timers. They were in two basic groups. Those that were affected, more or less, as I was and the second group who seemed to say "...well we've seen the Canyon, what's next?"
I have a similar reaction each time I go back. One of my favorite books is The Man Who Walked Through Time by Colin Fletcher. This is the account of his backpacking from one end of the Canyon to the other without coming out. He did this with food and water caches and air drops.
Thanks for this and all of the strips.
Harper
This week's strip reminds me of my first trip to the Grand Canyon many years ago. I had an assignment in Phoenix and took a couple of days off before my return east. Drove up to the Canyon and parked, walked down to the first point that looks into the Canyon. As I approached the edge of the rim my knees began to shake and I was in complete awe of what lay before me. I sat for over an hour just staring and absorbing. Although I had seen many photos nothing had prepared me for the grandeur and color and the constant change. I spent the whole day walking the rim, forgot about food and everything else.
After "recovering" somewhat I began to watch other first timers. They were in two basic groups. Those that were affected, more or less, as I was and the second group who seemed to say "...well we've seen the Canyon, what's next?"
I have a similar reaction each time I go back. One of my favorite books is The Man Who Walked Through Time by Colin Fletcher. This is the account of his backpacking from one end of the Canyon to the other without coming out. He did this with food and water caches and air drops.
Thanks for this and all of the strips.
Harper
We're enjoying our time at this RV resort! Nice to be in one place for a while. We are able to "take care of some business"... like getting mail forwarded, ordering some stuff for the RV, and we were able to go on a field trip with our daughter's class today.
Yep, you don't know fun until you've gotten on a bus full of 4th graders. :wink: Off to "the BIG school" (high school). The local arts council sponsored a program by 3 gentlemen who demonstrated African instruments and rhythms. Plenty of hands-on stuff for the kids. Yep, you don't know fun until you're amongst 500+ 4th graders playing instruments, clapping, chanting, and dancing.
It wasn't quite as laid back as sitting in with Eric Stone's guitar player in the Keys, but when they brought some of the adults on stage, they needed a volunteer with "musical ability." No one volunteered, so I stepped up. Yep, first time I've ever played "lead drum" for an African dance with a guy on stilts! As in: 12 feet tall.
I had the camera in my pocket and both hands playing the drums, so I was only able to get this shot from the stage after the dance...
This guy danced up and down the aisles - the kids loved it!
And now we're back enjoying "quiet time" at the RV resort. 8)
Best wishes,
Jim B.
Yep, you don't know fun until you've gotten on a bus full of 4th graders. :wink: Off to "the BIG school" (high school). The local arts council sponsored a program by 3 gentlemen who demonstrated African instruments and rhythms. Plenty of hands-on stuff for the kids. Yep, you don't know fun until you're amongst 500+ 4th graders playing instruments, clapping, chanting, and dancing.
It wasn't quite as laid back as sitting in with Eric Stone's guitar player in the Keys, but when they brought some of the adults on stage, they needed a volunteer with "musical ability." No one volunteered, so I stepped up. Yep, first time I've ever played "lead drum" for an African dance with a guy on stilts! As in: 12 feet tall.
I had the camera in my pocket and both hands playing the drums, so I was only able to get this shot from the stage after the dance...This guy danced up and down the aisles - the kids loved it!
And now we're back enjoying "quiet time" at the RV resort. 8)
Best wishes,
Jim B.
My bad - I haven't mentioned the furry travel companion in a while. Izzy is doing fine. Still scrawny, but growing. LOTS of energy. And like most young ones, when she wears through that energy, she tuckers out quick. Also like most young ones, sweet... when she's asleep. Here's proof...
Best wishes,
Jim
Best wishes,
Jim
We're still out and about with the RV...
Those who don't travel with furry family members miss out. Take this morning, for example - we had the pleasure of a "treasure hunt" in our own cruising condo.
Izzy was batting something around on the kitchen floor. I looked up and saw something shiny... on closer inspection, it was one of Joan's diamond earrings. The key word in that previous sentence is one... as in: where's the other one? The earrings had been on the dining table. I looked - nope, not there. I looked all around the table... under the recliners... under and inside the couch. One of the floor vents is near where Izzy had been playing... I took a screwdriver to that. No joy. Moved to the other floor vent and removed that one. Nothing as far as I could reach. I was about to take the screwdriver to the cat when Joan said, "I found it!" On the floor in the bedroom, tucked under the bedspread. The little packrat had carried it up the stairs and either batted it around or tried to hide it. All unnoticed by us.
Now, before you say, "Oh, the poor little thing must have been bored..." let me say that she has a basket full of toys (and she plays with them). A cat tower, with more toys tied to it. Another toy on a bungee cord. Our human kid didn't develop an affinity for shiny jewelry until she was in her teens. :wink:
See what you're missing out on. :roll:
Best wishes,
Jim B.
Those who don't travel with furry family members miss out. Take this morning, for example - we had the pleasure of a "treasure hunt" in our own cruising condo.
Izzy was batting something around on the kitchen floor. I looked up and saw something shiny... on closer inspection, it was one of Joan's diamond earrings. The key word in that previous sentence is one... as in: where's the other one? The earrings had been on the dining table. I looked - nope, not there. I looked all around the table... under the recliners... under and inside the couch. One of the floor vents is near where Izzy had been playing... I took a screwdriver to that. No joy. Moved to the other floor vent and removed that one. Nothing as far as I could reach. I was about to take the screwdriver to the cat when Joan said, "I found it!" On the floor in the bedroom, tucked under the bedspread. The little packrat had carried it up the stairs and either batted it around or tried to hide it. All unnoticed by us.
Now, before you say, "Oh, the poor little thing must have been bored..." let me say that she has a basket full of toys (and she plays with them). A cat tower, with more toys tied to it. Another toy on a bungee cord. Our human kid didn't develop an affinity for shiny jewelry until she was in her teens. :wink:
See what you're missing out on. :roll:
Best wishes,
Jim B.
Captains Cat
New member
I must have missed the pierced ears in her previous pictures. If she doesn't have them, she should, then she won't lose them! Izzy I mean... :cat :love :thup
charlie
charlie
Charlie - While I was taking out the floor register, I considered piercing her ears... right through her head. :wink: Joan would never let that happen.
Dave - Izzy's lot in life has improved considerably from that 3x3' cage she shared with another (bigger) cat at the shelter. She gets 4 meals a day, her choice of comfortable places to sleep, and more toys than I had when I was a kid. She gets lots of attention and is welcome in Joan's lap anytime she wants. If she comes when she's called, she is praised. Other than that, she has no other "chores". We should all have it as good as that cat!
If her "needs" are beyond that, she is going to have to "trade up." 8)
The cat's humble servant,
Jim
Don't let the sweet face fool you...
Sweet kitty or juvenile jewel thief - you make the call.
Dave - Izzy's lot in life has improved considerably from that 3x3' cage she shared with another (bigger) cat at the shelter. She gets 4 meals a day, her choice of comfortable places to sleep, and more toys than I had when I was a kid. She gets lots of attention and is welcome in Joan's lap anytime she wants. If she comes when she's called, she is praised. Other than that, she has no other "chores". We should all have it as good as that cat!
If her "needs" are beyond that, she is going to have to "trade up." 8)
The cat's humble servant,
Jim
Don't let the sweet face fool you...
Sweet kitty or juvenile jewel thief - you make the call.
Clearly evidence that Joan doesn't need or shouldn't have diamond earrings. :wink: At least that's what I think Izzy was trying to tell you. :lol: Of course using that logic and what our dog steals, my wife should own any shoes or underwear. I'm OK with the latter but I think she should have shoes.
Pat Anderson
New member
Yes, the bubble should say "Dogs have owners, us cats have servants..."
DaveS":100x7p1d said:
Captains Cat
New member
Our kitties :cat :cat prefer to think of us as "Staff", not servants.... :roll:
Now the dog :dog , he's neither, just a plain nuisance! :lol:
Charlie
Now the dog :dog , he's neither, just a plain nuisance! :lol:
Charlie
rogerbum":vh0y2vek said:
Sounds more like your dog has a fetish. :roll: Another difference between dogs vs cats... cats do not want to sniff the crotch of everyone who comes in your home. Cats do not hump your leg.
It's been so long since we had to kid or kitty-proof our place. I don't think Izzy is attracted to just jewelry; her real motive seems to be "testing" her adoptive parents. Remote control, iPod, keys... put it down and she takes that as a invitation to play with it.
I've been told that the cat universe is comprised of four elements: toys, beds, scratching posts, and food. :wink:
Best wishes,
Jim
Ah, Herb, we don't intend to stay away forever. :wink: I certainly do miss the daily dolphin sightings... nice photo! Makes me homesick.
We're enjoying our time in the desert, especially getting to spend time with Steph and Dan. The only water we've had to play in is the pool and hot tub here in the resort we're staying at.
Joan checks the Valley newspapers on-line on occasion... looks like spring break in the Tropical Tip has gone pretty smooth. Where we are currently, spring break means people under 55 can use the pool more than two hours in the morning. 8)
Tell the dolphins we said, "Hi!" Thanks for the view from home.
Best wishes,
Jim
PS - Joan said to tell you your photo made her day!
Makes me homesick.We're enjoying our time in the desert, especially getting to spend time with Steph and Dan. The only water we've had to play in is the pool and hot tub here in the resort we're staying at.
Joan checks the Valley newspapers on-line on occasion... looks like spring break in the Tropical Tip has gone pretty smooth. Where we are currently, spring break means people under 55 can use the pool more than two hours in the morning. 8)
Tell the dolphins we said, "Hi!" Thanks for the view from home.
Best wishes,
Jim
PS - Joan said to tell you your photo made her day!
Pat Anderson
New member
Make that five: toys, beds, scratching posts, food and LITTER BOXES!
JamesTXSD":23l2uo1u said:
Steve Grover
New member
AND SYDNEY :dog has NEVER, NEVER humped any ones leg :wink
Back to school. Week-long testing going on in the Arizona schools right now... lots of stress on the kids and the teachers. Their testing is completed each day an hour or two before school gets out... but the teachers are not allowed to teach anything that might be on the tests afterwards. The kids are wiped anyway. So, that last hour is spent with "de-stressing." This looks like a job for Captain Jim. :roll: Joan and I played games with the kids - educational, of course. Yahtzee is good for teaching math. Uno teaches them decision-making. I suggested black-jack, but they had already spent their lunch money.
Steph asked if I'd bring my guitar, so I led the kids in some singing. No, I don't really know any "kid" songs. But, I did pull "Little Red Riding Hood" out of my dusty memory (use to sing that for Steph when she was little); Joan added the wolf howls. My biggest problem was finding songs that didn't have "adult themes"; we finished up with "Brown Eyed Girl" (and some lyric changing on the fly :wink: ) and the kids singing along on the "sha, la, la, la, la, la" stuff. It gave them a chance to blow off some steam.
One little girl asked if I knew Taylor Swift's "Teardrops on my Guitar"? I explained to them that country music rots their minds... sarcasm is lost on young kids. :twisted: Another kid asked for "Smoke on the Water" (can you tell they have Guitar Hero at home? )... it doesn't sound quite the same when played on an acoustic. One little guy said he was taking guitar lessons, so I coaxed him up to show his stuff... got the class chanting his name to get him up there! 8)
Definitely the youngest (and most sober) audience I've ever played to. :lol: Hopefully it achieved the desired results.
We spent a nice evening with the kids, then came back to our cruising condo. We're heading out at the end of the week - have to get in all that togetherness.
Best wishes,
Jim B.
Steph asked if I'd bring my guitar, so I led the kids in some singing. No, I don't really know any "kid" songs. But, I did pull "Little Red Riding Hood" out of my dusty memory (use to sing that for Steph when she was little); Joan added the wolf howls. My biggest problem was finding songs that didn't have "adult themes"; we finished up with "Brown Eyed Girl" (and some lyric changing on the fly :wink: ) and the kids singing along on the "sha, la, la, la, la, la" stuff. It gave them a chance to blow off some steam.
One little girl asked if I knew Taylor Swift's "Teardrops on my Guitar"?
I explained to them that country music rots their minds... sarcasm is lost on young kids. :twisted: Another kid asked for "Smoke on the Water" (can you tell they have Guitar Hero at home? )... it doesn't sound quite the same when played on an acoustic. One little guy said he was taking guitar lessons, so I coaxed him up to show his stuff... got the class chanting his name to get him up there! 8) Definitely the youngest (and most sober) audience I've ever played to. :lol: Hopefully it achieved the desired results.
We spent a nice evening with the kids, then came back to our cruising condo. We're heading out at the end of the week - have to get in all that togetherness.
Best wishes,
Jim B.