Today has been a day of comings and goings. As for the goings...I finally thinned out my catfish family to a more reasonable number. I gave 44 of my cory catfish to a local pet store. I hated to see them go but it was getting really hard to keep the water clean and besides that it's only a matter of time until Butterbean decides they look like food.

 

As for the coming...I finally picked out my new ukulele. Yes I know it's becoming somewhat of an obsession. My collection is definitely growing.  So far I have my little sopranos (Pinky)

 

Hamano

 

 and the one I custom painted (Shellie).

 

Sea turtle on front

 

Mermaid on back

 

Those are what I consider my "fun" ukes. I also have a beautiful tenor Oscar Schmidt.

 

Oscar Schmidt OU6

 

I decided I wanted a concert size which is in between soprano and tenor. So I set the GPS and off we went on a little road trip to Richmond. I've never actually been to Richmond except to drive through. Very interesting place. Lots of cool architecture and paintings on buildings. I have heard about a great ukulele store there so we went to check it out.

 

The store is called Fan Guitar and Ukulele.  I have watched some of their YouTube videos and was really impressed with them.  I also had a friend tell me I just HAD to check out their selection.  So with all that I really had my hopes up that I would be able to find something I loved.

 

Wow! Talk about walls of ukes! I have never seen so many in one place.  It made it so hard to pick one out. I went in there with a certain Kala in mind and ended up leaving with an Ohana!  I probably looked for an hour and changed my mind several times.  The owner was so helpful and full of information.  He even played them all for me.  I finally settled on an Ohana ck-50wg.  It's so beautiful.  The pictures don't do it justice.

Ohana cedar and willow ck-50wg

My so far unnamed Ohana has found a new home and I have hopes that all my little baby cories will find good homes as well.

I also got a Fitbit Blaze today but I'm WAY more excited about the new ukulele!  Hmmm.  Wonder if it's possible to get a workout while playing the ukulele?  Might be worth a try!

 

#ukulele #paintedukulele 

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,

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

It's Officially Christmas Time

Christmas Countdown in Holiday Hills

Busch Gardens Christmas Town is open!

This year Busch Gardens opened Christmas Town a week early.  Unfortunately due to my sprained ankle I didn't get to go to opening weekend.  But hubby and I did go on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.  Probably not the most convenient day as it was one of the $12 discount days.  The place was packed.  It took us forever to get in the park.  The traffic was lined up on all roads leading in.  I even heard later that it took someone almost 2 hours to get in.

You could definitely tell there were a lot of newbies in the park.  They had that totally lost look about them.  And for some reason they always want to stop right in the middle of the path and block everything up.  Somewhat trying to my patience.  But since I was nursing my bum ankle I wasn't exactly sprinting through the park anyway.

Dasher's Diner Buffet

We decided to give Dasher's Diner a try.  It's a buffet that's located in the Holiday Hills village.  In all the times we've been to Christmas Town we have never eaten there for some reason.  I kind of think it was due to Hubby's penchant for Festhaus German sausages.  But I persuaded him to step out and try something new.  I will say that Dasher's Diner is my new favorite place.  I started out very modestly with a salad, roll and chicken leg.  Then I moved on to chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes and gravy and grilled vegetables.  Very yummy.  On my next trip I got Swedish meatballs (on Hubby's recommendation), more mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables.  The vegetables make everything OK don't they?  I definitely think they do.  There was also a dessert bar.  I chose cherry cobbler.  All in all a very yummy and satisfying meal.

The Festhaus all decked out with lights

The park is beautifully decorated.  At night it's really stunning.  If you can stand the height I recommend going up the Nacht Tower.  I did it one time.  Beautiful but scary.  You really can see the whole park from up there though.

Each country has a different theme.  My favorite village is Holiday Hills.  I love that retro American style.  It really screams "Christmas"!  I also like France.  It's so pretty in blue and white.  OK, now that I think of it I love it all!

German village

There is a new show this year called Scrooge No More.  In my opinion this show is worth the admission price all on it's own.  I think this is the best show Busch Gardens has ever had and I have seen them all since the late seventies.

The sets are beautiful.  The special effects were top notch and the talent was way above what you normally find at an amusement park.  You don't want to miss this one.  I hope to go back soon and get better pictures.

Sharon

#ChristmasTown, #WilliamsburgChristmas, #BuschGardens, #Scrooge, #holidayfun,

Filipino Fun

Filipino Festival 2014

I was listening to a radio station out of Richmond, Virginia when I heard a random announcement for a Filipino Festival this weekend.  Oh my!  How could I resist a trip to Richmond for some Filipino food and entertainment?

My small gang headed out with thoughts of pansit and adobo in mind.  We had great weather for the trip and only got lost once or twice!  We won't talk about how this happened (hubby).  After the minor setbacks we found the church and got great parking.  That's always nice.

We made our way through the kid area and vendors.  Lots of traditional Filipino clothing and accessories.  Not many crafts though so I didn't find anything to buy.

There was a covered area for eating and watching the performances.  So we made our way to the food line to check out the good eats.  I chose pansit to start.  Hubby got an empanada and lumpia.  The pansit was good but not as good as my own, naturally.  Hubby rated the lumpia as good and the empanada as "I could eat these all day" great.

The children's Filipino class was performing as we ate.  After that came the line dancing with many from the audience participating.  Although Hubby's feet were itching to head over there, he managed to restrain himself!  Too bad.  I probably would have gotten some prime photos!

Next came a dance troup Kultura Pilipino.  They had performed the night before and were back by request.  No wonder.  They were fabulous!  It was very difficult to get photos from my position under the tent.  Lots of photos with heads and poles in inconvenient places.  But I did manage to get some nice shots anyway.  Enjoy.

 #filipinodance, #Kulturapilipino, #pinoy, #filipinofestival, #filipinocostume,

Independence Day Holiday Weekend

Arthur's Aftermath

After a week of weatherman frenzy, tropical storm Arthur finally made an appearance.  Sort of.  We got a bit of rain Thursday night and some gusty winds on Friday morning.  But when I dragged myself out of bed at around 8:00 the sun was shining and by late afternoon even the winds had died down.   Now I'm not usually one to appreciate a cold front but in this case it was very welcome.  After the blistering, sauna-like days we've had lately this has been like a second Spring.  You couldn't ask for nicer weather for a holiday weekend.  Unfortunately almost all of the events and fireworks in our area were cancelled on Thursday and rescheduled for Saturday.

Busch Gardens To The Rescue!

Fortunately Busch Gardens has started their nightly fireworks display.  It runs from July 3 to August 10.  It used to be called IllumiNites but is now called Star Spangled Nights.  They have decorated Italy in an American theme complete with the Statue of Liberty and a hot dog stand.

I was so happy to see they actually have West Virginia hot dogs on the menu!  Unbelievable!  I am so impressed.  The only thing I see wrong with it is that they left out the onions.  I'm sure they would add them if requested, but to me a real WV hot dog is toasted bun, mustard, onions, chili and coleslaw.  Yummy stuff.  They also have bacon on a stick.  Hubby's eyes lit up on that one.

West Virginia Hot Dog

Life Is Full Of Hard Choices

With mouth watering, I watched them making the hot dogs.  But I held off.  I was saving myself.  I have been thinking about a funnel cake ever since last night and I was on a mission.  So I'll save the hot dog for next time.  Witness my self control.

Strawberry Short Cake Funnel Cake

OK.  So much for my self control.  I ate almost this whole thing.  It's called a Strawberry Short Cake Funnel Cake and it's a wondrous bit of heavenly delight!  If you can't tell, it's a funnel cake layered with strawberries, whipped cream, ice cream and hot fudge drizzled on top.  And it's not the last one I'll ever eat.

 

London Rocks

Busch has totally redecorated England.  I like it.  It's very "London".  As cool as it looks during the day, it really looks fantastic at night.  Totally loved the colors and lighting.

England at night

The London Rocks show was fabulous.  They haven't had a live show in this theater in quite a while and they have outdone themselves with this one.  I love it!  The music was great.  A lot of Beatles with a bit of Rolling Stones, Queen and David Bowie.  Great stuff.  The sets were beautiful.  Hopefully next time I'll get some photos.

London Rocks at the Globe Theatre

Back To Reality

I spent the last day of my holiday weekend trying to get some work done.  I picked my first basket of blackberries!  There were a few birds giving me the evil eye while I worked.  The squirrels got every last peach off my tree today and I refuse to lose my blackberries too.

I also worked on a new tombstone box, a mini scrapbook and a whimsical painted mirror.  I finished the box and the other two projects are almost complete.  Photos to follow.

Sharon

#4thofJuly, #LondonRocks, #holidayweekend, #bestfestivalfood,

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