Refocusing

Sometimes, you get a photograph you weren't expecting.  This was one of those times.  I thought I'd just be getting a regular landscape shot when, instead, what came back through the lens was something closer to one of those vintage postcard paintings of the Grand Canyon.

Love that nature is just so beautiful when you are looking at it with the right attitude.

Life is like that as well, isn't it?  Sometimes when you look at your own day to day through a different angle, it suddenly looks a whole lot better.  Trying to keep a positive outlook can be tough, especially under adverse circumstances or in the midst of a busy run-around time.  But it is important to try to do that for your own sake, as well as the folks around you.

At least that's what I'll be telling myself this week and next as the back to school season gears up at our house.

Predictably, things have gotten busy:  the library clean-up and reorganization has begun in earnest, in advance of an open house next week; lesson planning has also begun; and we're in the middle of a home re-organization as well, as I work toward where I want things to be before the start of school.
All of the vacation photos certainly bring back that feeling of calm relaxation that we had along the journey.  May have to put them up all over the house to keep that going.  It's time to refocus a bit, but not lose the importance of balance.

That's an awfully tough thing to manage sometimes, isn't it?

Carlsbad Caverns: Adventure 750 Feet Underground

Last year, I had the kids in my class do a research project on a National Park.  The Peanut selected Carlsbad Caverns as her park, and enjoyed learning all sorts of intriguing bits of information about this fascinating park.

So when we began planning our cross-country driving vacation, her one big request was that we stop at Carlsbad and go down into the cave and explore.  She wanted to see in person a number of things that she'd read about.

How can you say no to a child who wants to learn more about what she's already researched, right?

Even if it does involve spending an entire day 750 feet below the surface of the Earth, and leave you coming outside at dusk smelling like musty, damp cave.  Let me tell you:  the whole thing was amazing and I would go again in a heartbeat, especially because she was completely fascinated from start to finish, and got to talk with some wonderful National Park Service rangers along the way.


One thing we did that I highly recommend is to get a "self-guided tour" electronic guide stick:  it is triggered by a series of numbered electronic keys that you find all along the path, and it gives a pre-recorded informational tour of each one.  For The Peanut, it was a great boost to what she had already learned about the cave, and it gave a lot of historical background on discoveries and scientific information all along the initial cave entrance pathways as well as all along the Big Room walking tour that we did on our own. 

We also booked a ranger-guided tour of the King's Palace that we loved.  If you are going to book a guided tour, I recommend doing so online well before you get to the caverns -- several were sold out completely the day we toured, and we would have missed out had we waited.  I booked ours several weeks ahead of our trip, and I am very glad that I did.

Snapshots

When we were at the Grand Canyon, The Peanut and I got up before dawn to watch the sun rise over the Grand Canyon.  It was one of the most awe-inspiring things that I have ever seen in my lifetime - the hush that fell over the folks around the rim said that they were experiencing the same sense of wonder.

It was gorgeous, and the photos that I was able to snap do not remotely do it justice.

At various points, it was so beautiful that it was all we could do to breathe.   Just jaw-droppingly beautiful.

Planning A Big Family Driving Vacation...Again

We are trying to plan another big, family driving vacation for this summer.  This time, we're hoping to actually get to go on the vacation (last time was interrupted by a family tragedy, and no one wants to have to go through that again, thank you). 

This has kind of come together on the fly.  My planning is a little all over the place at the moment -- completely not me, as I am much more of a type A plan-a-holic about this sort of thing.

The plan is a sort of cross-country jaunt, punctuated in between by working weeks for Mr. ReddHedd at various offices along the way.  It came about because he had to be out of town for meetings in various places while we are off for our all-too-short summer break, and we decided that we'd like to actually see him for more than 2 or 3 days at a stretch, thank you very much...and thus, the driving idea was born.

Our plan is to go from here to New Orleans for a couple of days, to ride the street cars and see some glorious old mansions and live oaks, and perhaps listen to a little live jazz as well, if we can find a place or two that will allow The Peanut to jam along with us.

From there, we'll head over to Houston on the coastal road of I-10, and stay for a week.

Then across Texas to the Alamo, then Carlsbad Caverns, then over to Tucson, then Phoenix, Arizona to see family for a several days stay.

Then, we'll drive up through the Rockies and over them, taking in the glorious mountains and perhaps a little Mesa Verde as well, then over to Denver for a week's stay there.  Then, we'll head back over across the plains to home.

Thus far, I've managed a lodge reservation at the Grand Canyon, and I'm pretty proud of myself for finding space at this late date.  Yay!

Beyond that, though, there is a lot of planning ahead.

Teaching History Through The National Parks

As a year-end, wrap-up social studies unit, my class is about to embark on an exploration of America's National Park system. 

My plan is to use this to talk about the expansion westward before and after the Civil War, a bit of Native American history, immigration, the Industrial Revolution and the environmental movement that grew in response to it.  It is a LOT of ground to cover for an end of the year discussion, so I'm trying to wrap it in the cloak of something really interesting for the kids by using the National Parks as my bait on the history and geography hooks.

After scouring the internet, I have found some lesson plans and materials available online through the Library of Congress, PBS and the Ken Burns' National Parks documentary series, and on the National Geographic website as well.

Most of the material, however, is not quite what I wanted.  So I'm having to cobble together an entire unit plan, pulling all the disparate pieces together into a more coherent whole, and adding my own material to them as I go along. 

Why, oh why, do I get these ideas and then do this to myself every single time? 

It's a gift and a curse, I suppose, but I do think the kids will learn a lot about American geography and history and even get to see a bit of beautiful scenery and wildlife (on film and in photos, at least) in the process. 

Your Adorable Quotient For Today

This was one of those moments on our vacation where time stopped for a second.  In the gorilla enclosure at the Animal Kingdom, there is a baby gorilla,  just a few months old at this point and utterly adorable.

He kept wanting to hold his momma's hand.  Somehow, I managed to capture the moment when he finally caught hold and gazed up at her.

I wish I had video of him rolling and frolicking and showing off for her beforehand, because it was priceless. 

Growing Up

As hard as it is to say, our little Peanut is growing up. 

We had such a great time on the beach together during our recent trip:  hunting for shells, laughing at the antics of the dogs chasing seagulls on the beach, giggling at the funny little sandpipers, and trying to spot dolphins as they appeared and disappeared in the waves closer to shore.  It was wonderful.

Reconnecting is always nice. 

Being able to do so away from the day-to-day rushing is so much better.  Not having a myriad of distractions and an endless "to do" list of things that need to be done right now lurking in the background makes having those longer conversations or quiet walks along the shore or in a nature preserve or any number of other wonderful things we were able to do while we were away so much more meaningful on so many levels.

It got me thinking about how we might better do that on a weekly basis at home as well.

Sunset on Hilton Head Island

Our last day of vacation truly was magical.  The Peanut and I got up for a sunrise walk and saw some dolphins out frolicking in the surf:  a momma and her young one trying to catch a little fish and having a lot of fun while doing so.  The Peanut was spellbound, as was I, as we scurried along the beach trying to keep up with them.

It was gorgeous and I have plenty of pictures to share with everyone once I get time to get everything re-sized for the blog.

Great Blue Heron

As you probably guessed, we took a little trip just after Christmas.  It was a desperately needed and well-earned vacation, and we enjoyed every minute of it.

But we got back the afternoon before classes began again for The Peanut, and we had to hit the ground running from the moment we pulled into the driveway.

Alas, because I've been so crazy busy since we got home, this poor little blog has suffered for it.

Allow me to make up for it a little bit with a couple of pictures.

There will be many, many more to come in the days ahead not that I've finally gotten a chance to upload them this morning -- but these two were taken in a kind of serendipitous, magical moment that I wanted to share first.

During our trip to Hilton Head, SC, we spent part of a morning hiking through the Sea Pines Forest Preserve.  If you ever find yourself on Hilton Head Island and have an hour or two to view some spectacular scenery and enjoy the heck out of life, this is a wonderful way to do it.

We visited the preserve our last day on the island, and it was one of the best days of our entire vacation.  We had such a blast.

Be Our Guest

If I had it to do all over again, I might have tried be an Imagineer at Walt Disney World.

How fun is this? To be able to create something that brings so much joy to people who love a particular movie? That would be such a blast.

God Bless The Child

While we were in New Orleans, we discovered a great jazz club right on Bourbon Street.

Grammy-winning trumpeter Irvin Mayfield has joined with the Royal Sonesta Hotel and opened a quiet little club tucked away inside the hotel lobby away from the bustle on Bourbon Street. The drinks are a little overpriced but, with the exception of Irvin's live night on Wednesday, there is no cover charge and the friendliness of the bartender and waitstaff and excellence of the performances make the extra cost on drinks more than bearable.

We spent a lot of time just hanging out and watching some live shows several evenings while we were on vacation.

Found this upload, that gives a little taste of what we got to see -- not this performance, but just the live vibe feel.  Nice little mental vacay...enjoy.

Turtle Time At The South Carolina Aquarium

While we were in Charleston, SC, we spent two days exploring their aquarium.  One of The Peanut's favorite things was getting to spend some time up close with the sea turtle in their big aquarium.

She absolutely loves sea turtles, and was thrilled that we could make a donation to the South Carolina Aquarium's sea turtle rescue program.

The above shot was taken on our first visit, while The Peanut and I were standing next to their big tank window gazing at all the fish and sharks.  The sea turtle decided to come down and swim around right in front of us -- serious fun! -- while The Peanut just stood there staring at her completely mesmerized.

Here's a closer view of the sea turtle -- she cooperated and came in even closer while I was snapping a few pictures:

Up Close With Jellyfish

While we were in Charleston, SC, we spent a couple of days at the aquarium there.

I managed to snap this shot after turning a corner and becoming mesmerized by the jellyfish tank for a while.  The first day that we went was a Sunday, the weather was gorgeous outside, and we had the aquarium almost all to ourselves -- which meant we could stand and gaze upon these beautiful jellyfish for as long as we wanted.

There were maybe 7 or 8 of these types of jellyfish in this particular tank, and there must have been a current in it because they kept cycling up and down.  It was like a sort of slow-motion ballet, and absolutely mesmerizing.

Aren't they gorgeous?

I forget what type of jellyfish this was, but their color was just amazing against the bright blue of their tank.

French Quarter Hitching Post

Thought I'd share a vacation shot with everyone.

This hitching post was a French Quarter find.

I was strolling around one morning after grabbing some beignets and cafe au lait with Mr. ReddHedd at Cafe du Monde.  Delicious way to start the day, I have to say -- even if it means having powdered sugar all over your clothes for the rest of the day!

It was a hot, sweaty morning, but I wanted to grab some shots around the French Quarter while the sunshine held -- it looked a little gray further out from town.  I went down a side street to shoot some pictures of this balcony that had wonderfully trailing baskets of ferns hanging down and blowing in the breeze.

When I spotted this weathered hitching post across the street, I knew I had to try and grab a shot.

Bon Voyage?

Next year will be our 20th wedding anniversary.  (I know.  Where did the time go?!?)

In anticipation of this, Mr. ReddHedd asked if I'd like to celebrate our anniversary by taking an extended trip to Paris, France, a city I have always wanted to visit but have never quite gotten to as yet.

Crazy to have been to Moscow in the Soviet days, but never haven gotten to Paris yet, but there you are.

My mother's day gift this year was a Rosetta Stone course on French to brush up my rusty college skills and so everyone else in the family could learn at least how to ask for the restroom and directions if lost.

Thus far, I've wasted away a number of hours browsing rental apartments in Paris and am having a blast just taking a little mental vacation here and there by dreaming about an apartment with a lovely view of Notre Dame or a terrace that peeks out at the city lights...but magically fits within our budget and also has some air conditioning, since we plan on going in the summer once The Peanut is out of school.

This is proving a little more complicated than I initially hoped.  But I will persevere, gazing longingly at luxury apartment rental listings and then moving on to more realistic ones that may or may not have all the amenities a soon-to-be-10-year-old girlie might want as well.

If anyone has some travel experience to share about Paris or a month-long vacation apartment rental, I would love to hear your advice!  Especially if there are rental agencies and/or neighborhoods you think we should avoid like the plague -- or ones that were so wonderful you would recommend them highly.

Whatever we end up doing, just the early planning stages alone have been really, really fun. Nothing like a little mental vacation to give you a much needed break, even if you've only travelled as far as your desktop computer with a cuppa French Roast and a day-old croissant.

Bird Brains

I snapped this picture of a great egret when we spent the day at Sea World in Orlando during our  recent vacation.  Isn't he just gorgeous?

I wish I could have captured how the sweep of tail feathers in the back sort of billowed in the breeze that day, because it was really lovely as it shone snowy white in the sunlight.

I always confuse these beautiful birds with their smaller counterparts, the snowy egrets, no matter how many times I look them up and no matter how bright yellow their bills are compared to the darker color of a snowy egret's bill.  They are my birding faux pas every single time I try to identify one on the fly, what can I say?

In any case, these birds have got a whole routine down pat at Sea World.  You can tell when it is about to be feeding time, because suddenly snowy and great egrets begin to creep around on the rocks and ledges surrounding whatever tank is about to receive some glorious fish bits.

They also appeared to be super smart.

African Grey Crowned Crane

This lovely fellow is an African grey crowned crane.

Their range stretches from the Congo and Kenya all the way south to southeastern South Africa.  Despite their substantial territorial range, their habitat is becoming threatened by over-grazing from cattle and other farming as well as environmental and other issues stemming therefrom like overuse of toxic pesticides and fertilizers which threaten reproduction and drainage issues which threaten traditional marshy and other habitats.

Unearthing The Divine Within

January was to have been the start of turning over yet another new leaf for me.

Yes, I'm one of those people who makes resolutions only to see them get trampled underneath the day to day slog that is life at our house.  In my defense, though, this year dawned with a desperately needed vacation very soon after the start of the year -- a vacation which came at the tail end of several deaths in the family and a double cancer scare for me at year's end, so we really, really needed to give ourselves a big break.

What happened to all my resolutions, though?

Plowed under, I'm afraid.

But it isn't too late.  As of this morning, I am beginning anew, turning to a fresh page and beginning that journey once again to unearth the divine me within this tired husk that I've become.

I was catching up on my reading in Simple Abundance last night, and something that Sarah Ban Breathnach said really resonated:

"We can learn to be the catalysts for our own change."

I need to be that for myself.  To find that catalyst for changing my own self according to my own expectations, not what I think someone else wants from or for me, whether or not they've even said it.  My people pleasing instincts are not always the best caretakers for my inner self, and I need to stop listening to them and start trying to hear that stilled, inner voice that says "enough!" just a little more often.

Dolphin Joy For Everyone

When I mentioned we had a lot of fun, up close time with dolphins at Sea World on our vacation, you just knew I had more pictures, didn't you?

We had such a blast during our slightly more than an hour behind-the-scenes up-close tour.  The Peanut got some serious dolphin time, and loved every minute of it.  And we got to watch her enjoy herself the entire time, which may have been even better.

Here's another up close shot of a friendly dolphin:

Hello, Gorgeous!

This peacock was strutting his stuff at Disney's Animal Kingdom and I couldn't resist trying to snap a few shots of his gorgeous plumage.

I wish I could have captured how his feathers glistened in the bits of sunlight that filtered down through the enclosure he was in, but it is a tough thing to ask a haughty wild animal to pose perfectly for you.

So this is what I got when I just snapped away and hoped for the best.

This is my best close-up shot of him.  Isn't he gorgeous?

And he knows it, too.

This is not the sort of man you want to bring home to momma, now is it? 

If you go to Animal Kingdom, do take the time to walk the entire length of the forest trails -- there is one in Africa that features a number of animals including gorillas and has a lovely bird sanctuary area, and one in Asia that features tigers and a myriad of other exotic birds as well.

I'll be sharing more photos going forward.  Consider this one a taste of things to come. 

For folks who are wondering, this is my own photo which I snapped with my Canon EOS Rebel T2i camera with an 18-135 mm lens. I swear this camera practically takes the photographs itself -- my eye just has to worry about the framing and the timing of the shot.