ê¿êspi20.com — watching and writing

Ken left Saturday to go and pick up our granddaughter and bring her back to South Carolina to spend this next week with us. He’s off work for the week because BMW has their annual shutdown for plant maintenance this week, so the timing worked out perfectly for her to spend some time with us. We don’t get to spend nearly enough time with the grandkids, so it’s a special treat when we get to have one of them for a whole week to ourselves.

Yes, we spoil them — what self-respecting grandparent would let such an opportunity go by?

When they got home last night, I was immediately struck by how Chrystalyn has grown! It’s been 18 months since we last saw her and her mother is terrible about sending us photos, so we had no idea that she had shot up like she has. She’s 5′7″ tall now — which makes her 3″ taller than I am! She’s now wearing glasses, too which also make her look older. I can’t believe she’s only 13! She looks like a young woman now. Gosh they grow up so fast!

She tripped a few weeks ago and hurt her ankle — spent a week in a cast as they were afraid she had damaged growth plates, but now just wears a brace. I know Ken wanted to take her to Carowinds in North Carolina one day. Guess we should check out getting some NC health insurance just to make sure she is covered in case she re-injures that ankle!

Besides the theme park visit, she wanted to see a movie, but when we checked last night, it’s not playing in our area yet (and I’ve forgotten the name of it already!).

Last week was her birthday and although we sent her a card and a gift, we have other gifts to give her as the week goes by. I ordered some autographed books for her in the series she’s currently reading. I sure hope they get here before she has to leave. We also got her some accessories for her IPOD. The plan was to make this seem like a week-long birthday party to celebrate her turning into a teenager.

So far, it’s gone over pretty well!

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Have you seen this lovely award across the blogosphere lately?

I have and have so envied all the wonderful blogs who have received it. Of course, they’re all eminently worthy of receiving the award and I have agreed with every single choice! When the site wasn’t familiar to me, I visited it from the links at the awards site and found yet more wonderful blogs to add to my daily reading pleasure.

Can you imagine how excited I was to find out someone chose this humble blog as a recipient?!?

I’m so touched that Iris from  The BuzzNutter chose me as one of her 5 recipients to pass the trophy on to. I’m even more touched by what she wrote about my blog — go read it — she’s so sweet!

Since part of the conditions of being an Arte y Pico recipient are that you must choose 5 other blogs to pass it on to, now I have the task of choosing only 5 out of the hundreds of blogs I so admire every day.

From the Arte y Pico originator:

The “Arte y Pico” award was created and to be given to bloggers who inspire others with their creative energy and their talents, whether it be writing, artwork in all medias When you receive this award it is considered a “special honor”. Once you have received this award, you are to pass it on to at least 5 others.

I guess first and foremost has to be Sailor from Nice to All. Just like his blog’s title he IS nice to all. Not to mention he helps you make your blog or website a better place for everyone to visit. Thank you, Sailor for all you’ve done for me — helped me to be a better net citizen. I know I still have a ways to go, but with your guidance, I’m sure to get there.

My second choice goes to a blog that has given me much pleasure to read and follow. Nicole at Modern Glam has brought me to the brink of fashion. I haven’t actually fallen in yet (much to my husband’s relief), but I’m getting pretty close. Nicole’s sense of fashion is impeccable. She’s doesn’t let trends get in her way of creating a solid, fashionable look that is never garish or uncomplimentary. You end up looking totally glamorous when she gets through with you.

Third choice is one blog that I’ve been reading for months although I don’t think I’ve ever left one single comment on his site. There really isn’t much I can offer in the way of a comment beyond “wonderful choice!” or “WOW”. Clark picks some of he coolest videos to be found anywhere on the net and brings them to me. I like a lot of different types of music and so does Clark — from jazz to rock and roll, classical to contemporary Clark finds unique and awe inspiring videos exhibiting the best of the best. So, for some great music videos, head over to Clark’s Picks and see what’s on for today.

You know that I can’t leave you without a food blog, don’t you? Cooking  IS an art and cooking healthy is beyond art. Gina’s Weight Watchers Recipes goes way beyond diet food. Gina presents us with tasty, healthily prepared foods that are designed to help us lose or maintain weight loss. The food is presented arfully and believe me when I tell you it’s delicious! I have several people at work reading her blog and using her recipes to help them with their weight control goals.

Last but certainly not least is Kriz Cpec Photo Blog. Photography is my second hobby (after blogging) and Kriz is much like me in that he enjoys photographing birds, flowers and wildlife. I appreciate photos of people and landscapes, too but photos of birds especially enthrall me. This young person captures birds in all sorts of settings doing all the things birds do. His photography skills improve daily and he’s caught some really great shots of unique specimines as well as done some outstanding art shots of lights. I wish I had access to the aviary where he does most of his photography!

Gosh — I could give out more than 5 awards! There are so many awesome blogs out there. I’m so blessed to be a part of this community.

Thank you again, Iris, for gifting me with not only this award, but your friendship as well.

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I don’t think I AM any of those things really — just observant and curious about life around me, but I know you want to get to the details, don’t you?? It’s really YOU who are the perverts.

As I often am, I was looking out my “office” (read the spare bedroom that I use as a combination bird room and office — two things that don’t always compliment one another — that’s another post) window which is where I get most of my photos of birds and other wildlife from when I noticed what I have always CALLED a chameleon but which is really a green anole or Carolina anole on the railing of my porch. It’s not uncommon for me to see one there — after all, the porch has shade and sun and is visited by flying insects which the anoles eat.

It’s almost always a male I see - bright green and flashing his red dewlap and doing this odd little up and down bounce with the front of his body. In the back of my mind, I knew this was signalling for a female, but had never seen a female on the porch, just a male.

Today was different. Today there was a female on the porch.

It’s breeding season for the anoles — actually from my research, it’s the middle of their breeding season which starts in April and ends in September, so I guess you could say they’re at the peak right now.

She approached him rather tentatively.

I noticed that she was brown to his bright green, but then I also noticed that he was changing colors to match her. She did this odd little hump up in the middle of her body and a couple of head bounces. He raised up on his front legs as tall as he could go and displayed his dewlap to the fullest extent as if to say “aren’t I the handsomest guy you’ve ever clapped your pretty green eyes on???

I thought “AHA! Now I’m gonna see some lizard sex!!”

They approached one another as if they were going to touch, but never did. She did another humpy movement with her body and turned around. He did some more posturing.

She took a few steps away and arched her neck which I construed as a “come hither” movement.

Evidently he wasn’t in the mood for foreplay because he humped up and pooped on the porch rail!

She left.

I guess in anole talk she told him he was a dickhead or something and he told her what he thought of that in a rather graphic manner. She said “screw you” and went looking for a guy with class.

Of course I photographed the entire sequence — including the poop scene — yeah I know — that alone labels me as a sick pervert –  which you can see at Travelin’ Show

Please excuse me - I have to go clean lizard shit off my porch rail..

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Image via Wikipedia

Today brought the candidates for President’s foreign policy advisors, Randy Scheunemann and Denis McDonough debated their respective candidate’s foreign policy today albeit not face to face with NPR’s Robert Seigal.

O’Bama’s policy of course entails pulling troops out of Iraq beginning immediately upon taking office. He leaves himself the out of allowing to “keep a presence in Iraq” of American troops who will be tasked with “counterterrorism missions against al-Qaida“.

McCain’s is to keep troop levels troops in Iraq until al-Qaida is defeated and no longer able “to pose a strategic threat to the country.”

Now I see these two “policies” as not so divisive as the candidates would like we the people to think they are. Much like the difference between men’s jewelry and women’s, the gold is there and the value is there, it’s the weight and substance that’s different. O’Bama sets a timeline to reduce troop levels. McCain has never said he WOULDN’T reduce troop levels, but he doesn’t want to publish a timeline that the enemy can use against us. Here, O’Bama has the weight behind him. In keeping Iraq out of al-Qaida’s hands, McCain’s policy is the weightier one, but O’Bama doesn’t advocate removing American military presence in it’s entirety and has definitely said we would continue to mount missions against al-Qaida.

On the issue of Iran, we see a greater difference. McCain wants to continue sanctions and have no diplomatic relations with the current Iranian government, while O’Bama would open the door of diplomatic discussion. His advisor, Mr. McDonough cites the ground made by the Bush administration with North Korea once diplomatic discussion was opened.

There are fundamental differences between Iran and North Korea, however. The sanctions imposed against North Korea were effective in that they adversely affected that country’s economy. That brought North Korea to the bargaining table, not opening the diplomatic door.

The sanctions against Iran are having very little effect on it’s economy because of it’s position in the money rich oil market. They will never enter into talks with anyone trying to curb their foray into nuclear weapons development as they are operating from a position of power. The US’s continued weak dollar is not helping it to gain any leverage either. That’s not to say that some agreement couldn’t be reached with Iran concerning nuclear development, but it won’t be achieved in the same manner as the North Korea agreement was.

I’m having a really hard time with these two candiadates as they both posses strengths I applaud, but both possess weaknesses I deplore. Neither is the perfect one in my eyes and neither is better than the other. Together they might make the perfect team, but I’m afraid hell would freeze over before that would ever happen.

It’s going to be interesting to see who they choose as running mates. I feel like O’Bama - Clinton would be the strongest Democratic ticket and think that McCain - Rice would make a formidable Republican ticket.