Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - October 9, 2011

It's Sunday morning time for my weekly off television topic photo post. I don't really have any photos I've taken during the past week. Yep, you heard me. After I returned home from vacation, I kind of became a hermit. I think that I only went out Thursday evening for dinner and a Trader Joe's trip with a friend.

Most of the rest of the week I've spent with my knee elevated. I swear it took three days to get the swelling down. I guess I really did overdo things with both the knee and the lack of stamina post-surgery issues. However, I'm up to snuff once again and should be out and about more.

Since I took a gazillion photos on my vacation, I don't lack for photo fodder. I also put together three videos ... enjoy!

Fox-tailed squirrel

Unfortunately I spooked him, so it's not the best of shots. But check out that glorious tail!

Wild horses with cattle egret

The cattle egrets often sit atop the horses to eat flies and other insects. The horses seem to appreciate and accept them.

Sunrise

Sunset

Walking stick bug in the grass

I haven't seen any walking sticks since I was a child!

Looking out over the Currituck Sound

Flowers on a power pole

Pelican flying low over the ocean

Osprey nest atop a power pole

Rough surf

As a storm approaches

Neighbors heading out during high tide

Cool. I found investment property!

What can I say? It was there in Kill Devil Hills.

Sunrise with which I took editing liberties.

Damselfly

HUGE spider has a meal.

Tanning, I presume.

Reflection and its bird

Vincent wanting out of boarding!

He's a real happy kitty now. I think he purred two days straight.

Survivor South Pacific 10/05 Episode Blog Party

Survivors ready? It's almost time for the show to start here on the East Coast. As it airs, I'll be updating this post with major events. But the real fun and active discussion can be found in the blog party comments. Stop on in and share your thoughts on the show!

The duel -- Christine beat Papa Bear although it was very close.

The Immunity Challenge has three from each tribe bearing weight. Uh-oh ... two men and one woman from each. The reward is a rooster and two hens.

Savaii wins! And Dawn has really redeemed herself by holding onto 140 pounds (guys Brandon and Jim went out earlier loaded with 240) and being the last person standing.

Tribal Council time.

The tally --
Edna
Stacy
Stacy
Stacy
Stacy
Stacy

G'bye Stacy

The Amazing Race 19 Blog Party - 10/02/2011

The show is running about 24 minutes late here in the NYC area. If it's on time in your area, feel free to jump in on the comments! My updating of this entry is going to be a bit sparse tonight. I'll definitely include the two eliminations. However, while I was away on vacation, my little cable digital box doohickey on my TV near my computer decided to stop working. So I'll be watching my TV in the other room and checking in during commercials. (No, I don't own a laptop. Sigh.)

Are you ready to race?

Gah! Ethan and Jenna arrived 10th, Philiminated.
Ron and Bill last, Philiminated.

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - October 2, 2011

It's Sunday morning, time for my off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken. I'm cheating a bit this week because I'm totally exhausted. So, I'm using photos I've already posted during the week on Facebook. I will be going through my photos and putting together albums rather than posting thousands of images here on Blogger.

I had a fantastic time last week in Corolla (NC) -- the Outer Banks. I did do a bit too much standing and walking and by Friday I could barely walk at all. But it was all worth it! I gave that new knee quite a work out even if I didn't try surfing, nor did I end up renting a bike. I got very little sleep and tended to stay up later than everyone else, then get up early almost every morning so I could watch (and photograph) the sunrise and take walks on the beach.

We ate very well with meals in local restaurants and fantastic meals cooked by my fellow vacation friends at the house. Marge made us all breakfast daily. (Hey! Where's my breakfast today? I'm hungry!)

When it came to the ocean, I was a bit of a wimp. I don't really trust my knee -- sometimes it gives way on dry land. Plus I have a caught in the rip tide incident in my past when I almost drowned. So I limited myself to about knee-high wades in the surf. I do love that hot tub, though! That felt like heaven!

I became mesmerized by the abundant ghost crabs in the area. I had brought a flashlight to look for them at night, but it wasn't needed. If they weren't so darned cute, I'd say the area was infested with them. I took some video of one eating a Cheez-It and another working on his hole. I have to edit them a bit, but will let you know when they're up.

The big highlight of the trip was our Jeep-ish vehicle guided tour of the northern part of Corolla where the wild Spanish mustangs live. They used to be all over Corolla, but too many were being hit by cars as the town developed. Now they're fenced away from the lower part and have a huge expanse of land only accessible by 4x4 vehicles. Yes, (sigh) there are houses up there. The horses date back 500 years when they were abandoned by Spaniards fleeing the Outer Banks. They're gorgeous.

Oh. And they pronounce it Cah-RALL-ah, not like the car.

Margarita on the front deck

We did see quite a bit of rain in the first few days, plus thunderstorms nearly every overnight. The wind blew the rain onto the back decks facing the ocean. But the front deck, at least a part of it, usually stayed dry.

Gulls on pylons in the sound

We de-crabbed our pool on a regular basis

Isn't he cute? We rescued some alive, but unfortunately we didn't get to others in time. This one was very alive. He jumped out of the net and skittered away on his little crab legs.

Keep off the dunes!

The dunes protect the homes and the Outer Banks itself from hurricane tidal waters. I couldn't get up the dunes if I wanted to. Going up and down the stairs from our crow's nest private beach access was grueling enough on the knee.

Jellyfish

Dead jellyfish were found every morning on my early walks, but I didn't see any live ones in my ocean forays.

At the local library

Surf's up!

I can't remember if I took this one in Kill Devil Hills or Nag's Head. I only saw one surfer near our house and I didn't think the waves were that great for surfing for the most part.

Early morning

THE WILD HORSES ...

Solitary sunrise

But he likes Cheez-Its!

Vincent at Best Friends

He comes home this afternoon. Yay!

Survivor South Pacific 9/28 Blog Party

Survivors ready? It's almost time for the show to start here on the East Coast. As it airs, I'll be updating this post with major events. But the real fun and active discussion can be found in the blog party comments. Stop on in and share your thoughts on the show!

It's immediately to Redemption Island for the suel between Christine and Semhar. It's concentration and balance. Semhar goes all funky with some spoken word prayer. Christine wins! Bye Semhar.

Brandon admitted to all that he;s Russell Hantz's nephew. He tells them he hates to lie and Russell is NOT him.

Ozzy told Keith he had the idol. Keith told Whitney after promising to tell no one.
Baby Hantz continues to alienate the rest of his tribe with his odd behavior.

Immunity challenge ahead -- reward is coffee, tea, etc. Upolu wins ... and Coach is still doing so much better than his previous seasons.

The tribe wants to vote out Papa Bear, but tell Papa Bear it's Cochran. Papa Bear pretended he found the idol, made a fake one and told Cochran.

The tally --
Papa Bear
Cochran
Jim
Papa Bear
Papa Bear
Papa Bear

Papa Bear is heading over to Redemption to go up against Christine.

The Amazing Race 19 Season Premiere Blog Party

It's here! Welcome to the blog party! As the show airs, I'll post major events here in this entry. But the real fun is in the comments area. Please stop in and share your thoughts on the show!

Racers ready?

Margo has the pool all set to go! Here are the random match-ups --

**POOL MATCH-UP****

Amani and Marcus - Nana in N G W, Tammy, Jackie
Andy and Tommy - Caela, DKNYNC, meb
Bill and Cathi - Pam, Auntie Leigh, Monty924
Ernie and Cindy - Brent McKee, Becky, Delee
Ethan and Jenna - BuzzmaKaylaniam, Lisanne, Sydney
Jeremy and Sandy - Donna in AL, Zoetawny, DoraM
Justin and Jennifer - Rbennie, Lynn1, Margo
Kaylani and Lisa - Donna in FL, Laurie, ML
Laurence and Zac - Ed, estelle, JOEY
Liz and Marie - SueGee, Jennasmom, ChicMc
Ron and Bill - PDXGranny, Glenn, Terry in PA

This season has a new obstacle called a hazard.

Good. One of the cocktail waitresses dropped a passport. (I'm not impressed with them.) Gotta give them credit ,,, they tweeted and good samaritans turned it in to them. Kaylana and Lisa, with the hazard for coming in last in the first challenge, have to have one bungee jump..

Ernie and Cindy arrived at the pit stop first. OMG! Bill and Cathi were last, but it's the first non-elimination in a premiere. They're still in the race. Next week is the first ever double elimination.

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - September 25, 2011

My new friend Ralph, the ghost crab

It's Sunday morning, time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken. As an on television topic reminder -- don't forget ... the new season of The Amazing Race begins tonight 8 PM ET/PT! C'mon by the blog party!

Okay, most of you know I'm on a trip. Mind you, my neighbor (who has machetes and is far more likely to use them than I) is watching my apartment. So, no funny business.

Getting to the Norfolk airport was a nightmare on Friday. The weather caused all kinds of airline delays and cancellations. My own planned route -- Newark, Detroit, Norfolk -- got discombobulated. The flight out of Newark was running so late I'd miss the last Detroit to Norfolk plane. So I was re-routed through Atlanta instead. They promised me my checked bag would be rerouted too.

They lied. My checked bag went to Detroit and missed the last plane of the night to Norfolk. Grr. I couldn't wait for that plane to come in Saturday afternoon, so they did deliver the bag to the house here (with its TSA approved lock and the nifty yellow zipper pulls ripped off).

But all is cool -- met up with Laurie, Margo, Marge, Ann, Ruth, Elaine and Delee. Despite the rainy day here, we ate well and goofed off well! I roamed the beach despite the rain. My photos aren't that great because, while I made sure to keep my camera lens away from the raindrops, my eyeglasses didn't fare as well. Haf the time I couldn't see what I was shooting! But the rain stopped during the evening and I KNOW I'll have plenty to shoot during the week.

Here ya go ...

EWR

Nuff said.

Gate Gourmet

At EWR

Rain, fog and plane

The fog was so heavy that the airplanes taking off soon vanished from sight. Once I was flying and saw the sunset above the clouds, that was striking -- a deep shade of red over the floor pillows of clouds. No photos as I didn't have a window seat because I was on a plane going to Atlanta instead of my original flight.

Virginia cool 'shrooms

Laurie pointed these out to me by the parking lot of the hotel we stayed at Friday night.

From the same area

'Shrooms from the side

Note Santa runs the locksmith

The sign adjacent to this decrepit business said something about super security. Maybe the Claus ... I don't know. This is in Virginia. I think. Maybe North Carolina.

Corolla NC 'shrooms

I suppose it's okay if you carry it in the open.

Wet bird

Wazzat?

Why ... it's a herd of pelicans!

Don't tell me it's a pod. I don't want to hear it. I like herd.

Vincent at his Best Friends

Whenever I bring him there, the big monitor flips to photos they've taken of him. Sniffle. I miss him! But they do treat him well there.