Vacation at last! (posted by Ann)

We are having a great time on vacation. Lots of diving, we're staying in a really nice place, and I'm actually getting to relax.

This barracuda stared Don down. He's a pretty big guy, about 4 feet long, and the teeth are a little intimidating. Check out the wicked underbite.

And I'd like to have had this guy for dinner. You can't tell scale, but he's big enough for two to share!

More pictures later - off to dive again! We do two dives today during the day, then a break, then we signed up for a night dive.

Tater (posted by Ann)

It was quite a day for Tater yesterday. First, I got this e-mail from Don:

"So Tater starts going nuts. I look out the office window to see the meter reader is here. Nope. But there’s some type of noise coming from downstairs near the dining room window. But there’s no car in the driveway. Tater’s still going nuts. I get downstairs and I hear some sheet metal scraping noise. But there’s nothing out there. Tater’s still going nuts. I hold him back and go out the front door. I hear the scraping noise from near the dining room window. I walk over the edge of the front stoop and it’s coming from the downspout. Some little critter (squirrel or bird) has fallen into the downspout from the gutter. Tater’s calmed down but he’s not happy about the scraping noise. Then I noticed a small bird fly away from the bushes near the downspout. The scraping continues. It must be a bird, and a pretty stupid bird at that.

I just can’t leave the little guy down there. So I get some tools and start disassembling the downspout. Tater is watching intently out of the window. Ready to call 911, I guess. It occurs to me that when I open up the downspout, I’m going to get a small, scared, maybe pissed off bird exploding out of there right in my face. So I stop and get a drop cloth to create a wall of sorts. No more scraping… Uh oh. If it’s gotten into the drain tile, it’s screwed. I pull off a section of the downspout. Nothing falls out. There’s a cap that reduces the opening of the drain tile to the dimension of the downspout. I remove that. Nothing happens. I look down and these two beady eyes are looking up. Crap! How am I going to get that freakin’ bird up out of there. I sit back and think… vacuum cleaner!!! As I’m contemplating the effect of high pressure vacuum on a small bird, a blur of feathers pops out of the drain and disappears.

And not even a simple thank you."

I read the e-mail on my BlackBerry in the middle of a meeting, and had to excuse myself because I couldn't control the laughing.

Then, as if saving a bird wasn't enough for the day, he went out last night and got skunked. Now, remember that we are leaving on vacation tomorrow morning, leaving our house sitter to stay with the dogs. I had to call her this morning and ask whether she would be willing to come and stay. Steve gets to spend his day taking Tater to get cleaned, and trying to get the house to not smell so bad.

I'm headed in to work, wondering whether I smell like skunk. Sure hope not!

Turn-About Dance (posted by Ann)

Steve was invited to the Turn-About Dance. Of course, he was invited on Thursday and the dance was on Saturday, so we went on Saturday and purchased everything on his body in these pictures. Good thing he's young and slim so he needs no tailoring - the suit fit him perfectly. His date is Mariah, and I was invited to one of the parent's houses for picture taking.

Doesn't he look grown? He will be 18 this year, but - but - well, I guess I have no excuse other than saying every mother feels this way, I guess. How can he have grown up so fast?

Mariah looks really pretty, and is a very nice girl. Steve tells me he was the back-up date, which worked for both of them.

Gotta go - crazy schedule this week, with a big meeting that will take up three full days and evenings. I hope we'll get a lot done, because sitting in the same room - for three days - with the same people - for three days - and then going to dinner - for three evenings - sounds pretty bad. Did I mention it's three days?

Things that fly (posted by Ann)

Or, I should say, things that will fly after years of hard work.

Don's airplane was delivered this weekend. We needed help with the unloading, so we called the Warrens. Tim and Ann came over, and Ann brought a bottle of champagne to toast the occasion. It required some work to get the airplane off the trailer, and into the garage/airplane hanger. Here's all the action.

Please note that the champagne was served on the tractor. Very classy, no?
To redeem myself, I made Beef Burgundy for dinner tonight and Steve polished his plate in about 30 seconds. He's decided that the French have the food thing down pat.

Please note that we actually have a picture of Don smiling. He's pretty happy to finally have the plane here.

I have lots more to tell, as you might imagine since I haven't exactly been posting a lot lately (cough, cough). I'll save it, though, since the plane should take main billing.

Are you thawing out? Still frozen? Do you think spring will ever come?