Getting In The Christmas Mood

I'm a bit late getting into the Christmas mood this year.  I'm not sure why.  I've listened daily to Christmas music, watched an extraordinary amount of Hallmark movies, made 12 pounds of fudge and I've even begun to delve into my holiday DVD collection.  But I'm still feeling a bit Scroogish.  Maybe it's the fact that there are no children in our house.  Whatever the cause I fear that Christmas will come and I won't be ready for it.

To combat that possibility I plan to go to Christmas Town as much as possible.  Hopefully there will even be a snowy day here and there as well.  So far we've only gone once.  We braved the opening day.  The park opens at 2 and we got there at 3.  You would think the traffic would have thinned out by then, but no.  The main parking lots were almost full already.  It actually took us 1 1/2 hours to park, redeem our passes and get in.  All in all not too bad for opening day.

I have 29 days to get ready!

The first place we headed to was Holiday Hills.  It have a retro them that brings me right back to my childhood.  Lots of Rudolphs and large Christmas bulbs.  Great music as well.  We normally like to eat the buffet in the Dasher's Diner.  But this year they moved the traditional Christmas food over to behind the Festhaus.  They put up large heated tents and have the buffets in them.  It's probably best as it has a greater capacity.

Love the retro theme!

The Pompei was spectacular as always.  According to Busch Gardens there are 1,584,000 lights in the Polar Pathway area.

More beautiful than can be captured in a photo

We had a lovely day at Christmas Town.  The ice show 'Twas The Night was fabulous.  We also saw Scrooge No More and enjoyed it very much.  The actor playing Tiny Tim was different from last year, I think.  The one last year was missing several teeth and was completely adorable.  He was perfect for the part and really seemed to enjoy performing.  The boy this year was good but I kind of missed that toothy smile!  Hopefully I can get some good photos in the next couple of weeks.

In the meantime I have several more pounds of fudge to make and Christmas cards to prepare.  I am determined to get them in the mail earlier than Christmas Eve!  If you have any suggestions on how to get in the hap, hap, happiest mood please leave a comment.

Sharon

Spring Is Upon Us At Last!

Last week it was snowing.  Today I'm wondering where I put my shorts!  Most likely they're packed away in the attic.  I'm too lazy to look for them so I'll just have to suffer (enjoy) the heat.

It's hard to believe it's time for Busch Gardens to re-open.  I can't tell you how much I'm so ready for it.  Around here the kids are going on spring break and Busch will be open next weekend.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed for good weather.  There is a funnel cake with my name on it.

Busch Gardens is so pretty in the Spring.  They really put a lot of work into the decor and landscaping.  They always open just in time for Easter.  The Easter Bunny is in residence in one of the shops by the Festhaus and the kids line up to have a turn at sitting on his lap.  Maybe one of these days I'll give it a go myself!  NOT!

This isn't a bunny but he's definitely a cutie.  When I grew up in the mountains we had an owl that stayed by our house.  I've always had a love for them and I especially love the little ones they have at Busch.

Wishing you a wonderful Spring and Happy Easter.
Sharon

World of Pets Expo

This time of year it's kind of hard to find things to do.  For the past few weekends the weather has been particularly nasty.  But this weekend is fab!  It was actually 74 degrees yesterday.  We busted out of the house and headed over to the Hampton Convention Center for the World of Pets Expo.

I really wasn't intending to go this year as my interest is mostly in turtles these days and I didn't see anything about turtles on their website.  But a co-worker told me that they were going to have a reptile section with turtle displays so I quickly changed my mind.  I was so looking forward to seeing some cute little fellows and also I'm searching for a local reptile vet.

The entry line was amazingly long.  And almost everyone had their dog with them.  Dogs of all varieties and states of dress abounded!  Of course I took some photos.  Not my best work as the dogs were quite excited and I had to work in between lots of human legs!

I think she was the prettiest

In line for the contest

A crowd favorite

Coolness!

What a cutie!

There was also a show called Johnny Peers Muttville Comix.  The dogs were great and the crowd loved the show.

Johnny Peers Muttville Comix

Here we go!

Brave little guy

One of the most popular events was the Dock Dogs competition.  I have seen the Dock Dogs in the past and it's always a good time.  I always get a kick out of the doggie "swimsuits".  I'd love to get one for Chloe but it might be best to not draw attention to her full figure!

Color coordinated team

All in all it was a fun event.  There were snakes, mice, miniature horses and even some camels in addition to the cats and dogs.  The petting zoo had just about any animal you could think of to pet.  I especially loved the baby goats and miniature horses.  I would be very happy to bring them home with me.  The only disappointment I had was in not seeing even one single turtle.  Guess I need to look for a Reptile Expo.

Sharon

#worldofpetsexpo, #petexpo,

Newport News Video

I haven't blogged much this summer.  I meant to.  Really I did.  During my workday I write really imaginative posts in my head.  Unfortunately by the time I get home they have disappeared along with my willpower and energy!

This summer has gone blazingly fast as usual.  I haven't done everything I wanted to but at least put a dent in my Summertime List.  Even managed to fit in a trip home to the mountains.  Oh joy!  Rapture!  I'll blog about that when I get the pictures ready.

There are so many activities to do in this area.  But you know how it is.  When you live somewhere you mostly leave that stuff to the tourists while you sit in the AC complaining about the heat and not having anything to do or anywhere to go!

I came across this cool video that features Newport News and the surrounding area.  The phrase that's repeated often is "Get out of the bed now".  That's something I say to myself all the time.  And lately I have to force myself to get out of the house as well.  I have so much work to do it's a real struggle to make time for fun as well.  But this Wake Up To Newport News video is a great incentive to get out and about.  Be careful about watching it though.  The song might get stuck in your head!

Sharon

#newportnewsva
#funinva

Fun and Interesting Photos

In my last post I shared some pretty spring photos.  Now I'd like to show some of the more interesting and fun sights I've captured.  If you pay attention there is usually something interesting going on around you.  You just have to look.  Of course there's also a plentiful supply of things you wish you had never seen but that get burned into your memory permanently.  We won't go into that right now!

This lizard is not beautiful in the ordinary sense but he had PERSONALITY and that makes him beautiful in his own right.

The is one of the rescued eagles that live at Busch Gardens.  His wing is injured but he is majestic none the less.  There are a few of these rescued birds in the park.

Funny story that has nothing to do with what I'm talking about... A couple of weeks ago as I was driving on a busy highway I noticed a very large bald eagle sitting on top of a telephone pole.  It's not unusual to see hawks and vultures in that area but I've never seen an eagle, especially one sitting on a pole.  He was massive.  Then right after I passed him I also passed a fender bender.  Guess I wasn't the only one who noticed the eagle!  Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of him...or the accident.

Here is one of the drummers from the show in Italy.  Amazingly his smile and energy don't dissolve in the heat.

What can I say?  These two are just perfect examples of how to have fun at work.  I didn't think they noticed me trying to sneak a photo.  But then they suddenly struck a pose for me!  Great attitudes!

Beefeaters in England

And now for something completely different...  This little corner of Italy is decorated in an Asian theme for the Food and Wine Festival.

Very colorful

I just realized today that June is almost over.  Why do the summer months go by so fast?  There must be some scientific explanation.  People are already planning Independence Day activities.  I'm not ready for it.  Once again I will try to fit in everything I want to do this Summer and at the end of it I'm sure once again I will have failed to do half of them.  I guess I'll just content myself with the half and hopefully capture them in photos so I will have something to look at as I sit under a pile of blankets next winter!

Sharon

The Colors of Busch Gardens in the Spring

It's been awhile since I've blogged.  I try to make time for it but time is one of those things that just seems to get away from me.  Like everyone else I don't have enough hours in my day.

I did manage to take a few opportunities to get out and about...with my trusty camera, of course.  Here are a few of the scenes that caught my eye.

I see you admiring my beauty!

What a lovely

Handsome fellow

Enjoying a lazy afternoon

Busch Gardens in full bloom

Serene in green

Electric England

Busch Gardens is known as one of the most beautiful amusement parks in the country.  It's a wonderful place to practice photography.  The only downside is having to fight the crowds.  Why do people insist on walking in front of me when they surely can see the camera in front of my face?  It can be very trying to the patience.  Thankfully we have season passes so we can go during the less popular hours.  We love to go at the end of the day just to do a little walking (for exercise) and then treat ourselves with ice cream or funnel cakes (to cancel out the exercise)!
Sharon

#photography, #Busch

Bacon's Castle

Country Drive and Historical Walk

Just around the corner from the Pork, Peanut and Pine Festival we ran across a site called Bacon's Castle.  I'll admit I had never heard of a castle in Virginia so the idea of touring one was hard to resist.  It was so easy to find I can't believe I never noticed it before.  I guess when I drove by on previous trips I had my mind on the pork chop sandwiches at the festival!

Country road through soybean and corn fields

At any rate, it was a lovely day for a ride through the Surry countryside.  It seemed like miles and miles of soybeans and corn fields.  Made me feel all "Scarletty" if you know what I mean.  As we left the Chippokes Plantation State Park it was just a hop, a skip and a jump (as they say) to the castle.  And we were just in time for the last tour.

Bacon's Castle

We paid the very inexpensive admission fee and waited in the parlor for the tour to begin.  So far we were the only ones there.  Our guide was a very charming and knowledgeable girl named Demi.  Thank goodness another couple joined us at the last moment  and then halfway through the tour a family joined us.  It made for a nice group.

I have to admit I didn't retain much of the information in my memory.  Truth be told I was too busy looking for nice shots and I've always had trouble remembering details about wars and such.  Hubby thoroughly enjoyed the historical information though.

Bacon's Rebellion painting

We started in the parlor and then made our way up the stairs.  I love exploring old houses.  This was a real treat for me. Here are a few of my favorite photos.  I especially love the rear stairwell.

We ended in the basement.  It was surprisingly cold down there.  A cold spot in Virginia is not easy to find in July!

Before we headed home, we walked around the grounds.  It just happened that a crew from Ghost Hunters was setting up to spend the night.   The story is there is a girl's ghost who pulls on  the back of your shirt.  No one pulled my shirt but if I had know about it ahead of time I would have had some fun with it!

 

Ghost Hunters

Slave Quarters

The tour took about 45 minutes and was well worth the admission price. I highly recommend it for history buffs.  For more information check the Bacon's Castle website.

Sharon

Springtime Walk At Newport News Park

Dilemma

Sometimes at this time of year you have a major dilemma on your hands.  It seems like there are a lot of great movies released just in time for Spring Break. On the other hand the weather is just starting to get really nice.  So what's a person to do?  I know what I should do...paint, paperwork, housework.  But that's no fun at all.

 

Easy Decision

I opt for a small hike in the park.  Nothing major, just 3 miles.  I think I can handle that!  Packed up Hubby, my trusty camera and bottles of water and off we went  on our lovely nature walk.

Photo Trophies 

The first thing we came across was this crane.  He was flying low by the swamp.

Crane

We were crossing the Swamp Bridge and I was enjoying the baby River Cooters.  So was this frog.  He was waiting for one to come his way.  Thankfully the tiny one I was watching was out of his reach.  And Jase Robertson might love frogs, but the last thing I think about when looking at one is "Yummy!"

Bullfrog

Red-bellied Cooter

This Turkey Vulture was flying overhead.  He was making quite a racket.  I will say he was not very attractive.  But to each his own.  Maybe in the vulture world he's a hottie!

Turkey Vulture

I was standing on the bridge overlooking the swamp trying to be quiet, when some of the brushes to my right started to move.  I heard a lot of rustling sounds and then suddenly this young beaver swam in front of me.  He was happily chewing up reeds.  We also spotted a larger beaver playing out in the deeper water.  I have never seen a beaver in the wild and now I have seen two on the same day.

Beaver

Once over the bridge I hoped to spot some deer.  Unfortunately I didn't see a single one.  But I did see my first butterfly of the season.  This is a Zebra Swallowtail.

Zebra Swallowtail

I came across two birds that were so high I really couldn't tell what they were.  All I saw from the first one was a flash of blue.  I thought it was maybe a bluejay.  The second one flew overhead with something in his claws.  I figured it was probably some nesting material.  On my computer I was surprised to see that what I had photographed was actually a bluebird (never seen one before) and an osprey who had caught himself a fish dinner.  The third bird was was hidden in the brush on the bank.  It took a lot of searching on the web before I found out he was a green heron.

Bluebird

Osprey

Green Heron

I was beginning to fear I wouldn't spot any snakes.  We walked that whole 3 mile trail and didn't find a single one until the very end.  This guy was right off the trail by the parking lot!  He was about 5-6 feet long and happily wrapping around a tree.  Success!

Black Rat Snake

What a wonderful way to spend a day!  I had a great time and I hope you enjoy my photos.

Sharon

#nature walk in Newport News, #Virginia trails, #Virginia hiking, #Newport News trails

Daffodil Festival At Gloucester, VA

Dogs!

The first thing I noticed at the Gloucester Daffodil Festival was that everyone (well, not everyone, but a whole lot of people) love their dogs.  And they love to bring them out and show them off.  Does everyone in Gloucester have a pedigree dog?  They came in all sizes.  This well-dressed fellow was my favorite.  He was enjoying himself very much.

Mighty Dog

These greyhounds were enjoying themselves also. But they were actually hard at work.

Greyhounds

Shriners!

The Shriners are always crowd pleasers.  I don't know where they get the vehicles but I would love to drive one.

Beauty Queens!

No festival parade would be complete without a beauty queen float.  This photo was taken at the very end of the parade and the girls were still having a good time.

I have to say I really enjoyed myself at the Gloucester Daffodil Festival.  The small town atmosphere was wonderful.  So was the kettle corn!  There was lively music from a band called The Janitors.  Of course there was lots of food and  plenty of craft booths to keep me happy.  I look forward to going again next year.

Sharon