RIVER CRUISING

Today we ventured out with the boat and checked out the rivers. We have always wanted to, just never got to it. Forecast was rain so we brought the covers and we were able to stay dry when it would pour. Had some sun breaks and was able to see a lot of pretty sights. Was a nice way to see the city. We want to go back and tie up to the dock at Newport Bay Restaurant and have lunch.

Our city has a lot of cool bridges. This is only 2 of what we saw.



Convention center in the background


View of the city in the background


I took a picture of this tugboat because my husband grew up on one that looked very similiar. He said that this one might be a little bigger but not by much. His family lived on this instead of a landhome. He has said it was pretty cool. They would just take their home wherever and they spent a lot of time around Catalina Island. They would catch fish during the day and would be eating it that night.

Was interesting to see all the houseboats along the river. I thought this one was the most beautiful and...

...this one was the most unusual. I called it the potato bug home. Steve called it the airstream home. I'm sure I could find an article on it.

Petting Zoo

Went to a state fair today. I loved the petting zoo. They had 3 different kinds of fawns in there, 2 wallaby's (very soft), a very gentle llama (kids were practically laying on the thing), several goats, a couple chickens and I'm sure I'm forgetting some other things. But this particular pygmy goat I was petting was just so darn cute. You can barely see my daughter behind me but she's more interested in playing with the straw and trying to cover up the animals.

If you want to hear more about the fair, click here to go to my other blog.

R.I.P Kevin Duckworth "00" (1964-2008)

Back in the 90's was when I loved to watch the Blazers play. Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, Buck Williams, Jerome Kersey, Cliff Robinson and all the rest. The most inspirational figure was a soft-hearted yet determined 300-pound center named Kevin Duckworth.
Kevin Duckworth, 44, a two-time NBA All-Star who starred on Western Conference Championship teams in Portland in 1990 and 1992, passed away Monday evening in Gleneden Beach, Oregon.

A member of the Trail Blazers from 1986-93, the 7-footer - affectionately known to Trail Blazers fans simply as "Duck" - also played for San Antonio, Washington, Milwaukee and the Los Angeles Clippers during his 11-year NBA career.

"Today is an extremely sad day for the Trail Blazers family," Trail Blazers President Larry Miller said. "Kevin will be remembered by fans as one of the most popular and recognizable players to ever wear the Blazers uniform, but to people who knew him, he'll be remembered as one of the warmest and biggest-hearted."

Duckworth remained in the Portland area after his playing career ended, living in Tigard, Or with his fiancee and his 2 children. Kevin was an avid fisherman & outdoorsman, and a skilled carpenter.

Duckworth died of a heart attack on Monday, August 25, 2008 in Gleneden Beach, Oregon, near the coastal town of Lincoln City. He collapsed in his hotel room, and emergency services were unable to revive him. His death was confirmed by the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office. Duckworth was on the Oregon Coast representing the TrailBlazers as a Heritage Ambassador on the team's 19-city Statewide Summer Tour, hosting a free kids basketball clinic.

OUR ZOO HAS A NEW BABY!

He is so adorable looking I just had to share...


Oregon Zoo's Rose-Tu Is Now The Proud Mother Of A Healthy Son

Rose-Tu, a 14-year-old Asian elephant and first-time mother, gave birth to a 286-pound, male calf at the Oregon Zoo at 3:56 p.m. on Aug 23. The first-time mother seemed confused during the birth and showed aggression to the calf. Veterinarians and keeper staff quickly intervened, but reintroduction efforts are now underway.

"The baby is calling to his mom and she's calling back," said Mike Keele, the zoo's deputy director and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' species survival plan coordinator for Asian elephants. "Our veterinarians have examined the calf to see if he sustained any injuries, however from the behavioral signs we've seen thus far, we're very hopeful."

Keele believes that because Rose-Tu had never seen a birth before, she became confused when the baby was born.

"After several failed but energetic attempts, the calf finally stood up and took his first few steps," said Keele. "He has a good suckle response and took water from a keeper's finger within the first hour after birth," he added.

Rose-Tu is doing well after more than 31 hours of labor, thanks to a daily exercise regimen that has kept her in top shape.

PRAYING MANTIS

Today when I got back from the park I found a praying mantis on a bush by our driveway. I've been hoping this summer to find one. I found one over 10yrs ago and kept it for awhile, feeding it crickets.

I went in and got my daughters bug container and put it inside with a part of the bush. I kept it in there for a couple hours then I took these pictures of it before I let it go onto a bush in our backyard. I would have liked to have kept her but I just don't have the time nor the energy to keep her alive.

I think these bugs are not only odd looking but are also very cool. I always think of the movie Aliens when I see them. They turn their head and study you and they always look like they understand. Not sure if you have ever seen one eat but that's cool too. They will hold their victim with their big forearms and devour it. If you ever see one in your yard, keep it there. They do a great job of getting rid of the bugs.

USAIN BOLT from Jamaica

I've been trying to watch the olympics and most the time my busy schedule has made it a little hard. There is so much coverage of it and at times it gets a little overwhelming but I do try to watch when I can.
Having said that, I did happen to catch Usain Bolt break the worlds record the other night. This guy is amazing and was inspiring to watch him. And I just love his name.


BEIJING (AP) -- Usain Bolt of Jamaica broke the world record by winning the 200 meters in 19.30 seconds Wednesday night, becoming the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to sweep the 100 and 200 gold medals at an Olympics.

Bolt is the first man ever to break the world marks in both sprints at an Olympics. Not even Lewis or Jesse Owens managed that.

Showing what he can do when he runs at full speed all the way through the finish-something he hadn't done yet in the Beijing Games-Bolt eclipsed the old record of 19.32 seconds set by Michael Johnson in Atlanta in 1996.

Bolt was an astonishing 0.52 seconds ahead of Churandy Martina of Netherlands Antilles, who was second across the finish line but later was disqualified after a U.S. team protest that he had run out of his lane.

The third man across the line, Wallace Spearmon of the United States, also was disqualified for leaving his lane.

Those rulings meant Shawn Crawford of the United States, the defending Olympic champion, wound up with the silver medal, and another American, Walter Dix, ended up with the bronze medal despite being the fifth man across the finish line.

The performance marked Bolt as one of the breakthrough stars of these Summer Games, coming on the heels of his victory in the 100 Saturday night.

He bettered his own world record in that race by winning in 9.69 seconds-despite slowing down over the final 20 meters to showboat.

KITE BOARDER IN STORM

I saw this footage on the news this morning. Not the best view but ya get the picture.
I just can't believe the guy didn't let go when he was slammed down the first time on the sand.

Kite boarder at A1A (Florida beach) tries to fly during TS Fay

UNSETTLING SIGHTINGS

Today when I was driving home from work I was stopped at a red light. There were about 3 cars in front of me on this double lane highway. I'm sitting there in my car when I noticed this very very low income guy walking with a wagon towing behind him. Inside of that was most likely all of his possessions and his dog. I have seen this guy before with his dog and he is usually about a block farther up. Sitting along the roadside at various points. He never seems to be those ones who are sitting and begging for things. Just sitting off to the side.

Today he was weaving through the cars to cross while we were stopped at the light. There was a big space between me and the car in front of me. He chose to cross in front of me and I realized he'd be walking right by my drivers side. Then I realized my window was down and I started to roll it up and could tell he would see me doing that so I stopped. I didn't want him to see me going out of my way to avoid him.

When he walked by I gave him just a small slight smile. Not one of those toothy smiles, just a slight curve of the lips. He locked eyes with me, not stopping in his tracks and what came out of his mouth next really shocked me. He said "why don't you do me a favor..hit me."

I just sat there. I watched him in my side mirror. He kept walking along the side of the road, against traffic. What he said really bothered me. Was he serious? And of course it made me wonder what got him to this point in his life. What did he used to be like? He spoke well. And of course, spoke to the point. Also I was surprised of what he said because he had a 4 legged friend with him. So I took him as being a caring person, looking after his dog.

I drove the rest of the 3 miles to home, thinking about what had just happened. That very small sentence. He wasn't rude about it. He didn't act like he was joking. He didn't even ask me for money. Does he say that all the time when someones sitting with their window down? Mostly though I go back to what I said above. How did he get in that circumstance and what kind of a person did he used to be. Does he really want to die or did he just do it for shock value. I may never know.

LONG DRIVES

Do you ever notice how busy life can be that you hardly get times to talk to your significant other? My husband and I are on opposite schedules and we don't have any mutual days off together. Right now we don't really have a choice and secondly it cuts down on the amount of childcare we would need. Makes it hard to do things together but we manage.

So this last Saturday we had plans to drive to the beach. I tell ya, car rides on an open highway are a great place to talk. It passes the time and plus there are not too many distractions. Just think of all the miles of serious discussion that those highways have heard.

We ended up discussing something personal that we've been struggling with this year. My life for awhile now has felt in a holding pattern and that car ride may have given me some answers. It was a hard topic and many times I was either fighting back tears or just letting em fall. But on the other side of all that I do feel somewhat better.

So with that being said, I feel we may have somewhat of an answer. I feel like I need to try it on for size. See how it feels, see if it's the right decision. For me and for us. It's not an easy subject and it's not a subject that you can just make a quick yes or no out of. But it may just be the one that is right for our circumstances.

COASTAL PICTURES

MYSTERIOUS BLACK STUFF

Ok, this is too weird looking. Could they not make it fashionable with millions of people watching. At least NIKE could have endorsed it and made it look somewhat sportsy. Read on...

The mystery of the black stuff on Kerri Walsh's shoulder
By Chris Chase

"My friend said she's covering up a tattoo."

"The black tape might be a tribute to somebody."

"It IS a tattoo."

"Tape. It's some sort of medical tape."

"That's actually a Nike swoosh."

Everyone has an opinion about what that black stuff is on Kerri Walsh's shoulder: some are right, most are wrong. But that's why we're here, to separate the fact from the fiction. After some Phelps-like domination in solving our first three mysteries, Fourth-Place Medal's Investigative Unit (FPMIU) will today tackle the mystery of the black stuff on Kerri Walsh's shoulder.

If you've watched any beach volleyball so far during the Olympics, you've surely noticed it. Spread across American star Kerri Walsh's right shoulder is a distinct black marking that sort of looks like a cross between a tribal tattoo and a Rorschach test. (I see a butterfly.) So what is it?

As is usually the case in instances like this, the most mundane explanation is also the correct one. The black markings on Walsh's shoulder are a sort of medical tape. Specifically, it's called kinesio tape, a special elastic material designed to support muscles while offering an unimpeded range of motion. Walsh had shoulder surgery last fall to remove bone chips, bone spurs and scar tissue that had built up over a lifetime of setting and spiking. The tape, and taping method, help stabilize the shoulder during the match and aids in circulation.

Mystery: solved.

Could it be? OCD?

Ok, I have this problem when I mow the yard. I will be mowing along, back and forth, always looking at what is in front of the mower. Like any responsible gardner would do. When all of a sudden my eyes will spot a ladybug, or a small grasshopper, or some other happy bug struggling to get out of the path of the loud, vibrating machine coming at them. I can't help but stop in my tracks and wait till the bug moves out of my path. I do try to make the bug move faster and yes I hate to admit, there have been times when I have shut the machine off to rescue above said bugs and move them off to the shrubs. I know, I can't help it. I'm sure most people just mow em right up. For some reason I just can't. All I can think of is how, if they survive the blades, they will land up in the heaped pile of debris in the can and never get out. I know, I know. Pathetic. I'm sure I have mowed up plenty of bugs without knowing.

Which brings me to my other weird thing. When I was a kid, I had a mound of stuffed animals on my bed. What kid didn't. My bed was usually always in a corner of the room so my animals would be up against the wall. I literally had to always make sure that all their little faces were not blocked, like they couldn't breathe or something if they were behind their friends. You should have seen how hard it was when I finally packed them up and put them all in a plastic bag. I felt I was suffocating them!

Is all that considered strange? I'm just wondering. Feel free to comment.

Opening Olympic Ceremonies

I love when the Olympics are on. We had plans to go out with my parents to a local festival so I set the Tivo to record tonight. Well we went out to the festival and we didn't stay very long. We were always curious how this festival was every year and decided to finally go. It's so close. We were there for maybe an hour and kind of saw everything we needed to see and thought we'd go out to a nearby restaurant for food.
The one that was nearby, the restaurant part of it is now closed and only the bar side is open. Since we had our daughter with us we needed to find something else and fast because we were hungry.
Since it was Beijing olympic night I suggested chinese food. Earlier I had learned my friend in San Diego was doing that. So we went to dinner and then came home and turned on the opening ceremonies. One of my favorite parts. They always do the most incredible displays and you just sit there in aww. My favorites were the drummers and the boxes that moved up and down. While we were watching those we were discussing how it's done. You expect timed electronics because it is so damn good. But as we were watching and discussing my husband said there are probably people inside and I told him he was probably right. And of course he was! Incredible show and amazing to use 2008 people for most of the shows.

Mosaic

Here is my first attempt at playing with mosaic. I started with a stepping stone and it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the creativity part but there were areas of it that were a little time consuming. I do feel I need to explore that outlet every now and then. I plan on playing with it some more and trying some other projects.

Finally...

Ok, so I am very excited. I have been waiting for TWILIGHT, first book of the series, at the library and I think I'm still in the triple digits waiting. When I first requested the book, I also requested the 3 other books in the series that follow knowing that I'd be on a long waiting list. Of course I received #2 and still haven't recieved the first one!

So we were at Target yesterday and I saw Twilight on the shelf so I just ended up buying it. I am very excited to start reading it but of course I need to finish up the Brooke Shields book first.

Everywhere I turn I've been seeing this Stephenie Meyer series and I've been anxious to read it. I also noticed that the movie is coming out this December. My husband likes most vampire movies out there and for me to enjoy them there needs to be a romantic side to pull me in. From all the reviews I've read I think I will enjoy it. It's a love story with a bite.

Plot Summary:
When her mother gets remarried, Bella moves in with her father, Charlie, who lives in a small town on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, where it rains nearly all the time. There she meets Edward, a strange and gorgeous boy from a strange and gorgeous family, and soon she has fallen madly in love with him.

She also discovers that he and his family are vampires, and this bothers her not at all. It bothers Edward, though; even though they had long ago sworn off human blood in favor of animal predators, he still worries for her safety, both with him and with his family, who control their lust for human blood only by willpower.