Precious Moments

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No Explanation Needed

Twin Pins - Okay, Maybe not...but close!

Our Miniature Pinschers have been in the family for almost 5 years now so I felt it was time to share some of my "Twins pics".


We chose Rusty on June 22 of 2005 when he was less than 2 weeks old. We decided to get a female a few months after we brought Rusty home. Both of our dogs are from the Prancealots Miniature Pinscher Kennel. Our pups are even featured in a Miniature Pinscher book. (I guess I should break down and buy the book one of these days...)





























We have traveled there and brought each puppy home so I can honestly state that I have never seen a breeder that has such a clean and loving environment as what you will find at Prancealots. Robyn..I want to thank you again for giving us such an entertaining set of "twins"!

Unanswered Questions...

I was talking to a co-worker today and realized there are a few unanswered questions that we pondered but could not come up with the answers. We are not sure if there are any real answers - but why not ask them here to see if anyone else has any insight...

Some people at work will understand this better than others - but...

"Yo Dude...really - how did those sunglasses actually get into your pants pockets? You know they weren't yours."

Can anyone answer just how a pair of sunglasses that are yours can end up in another person's slacks pocket when you didn't give them to the person?

Can anyone tell me why people who have such great talent in some things have the attention span of a gnat?

Many of us have worked with people who are so skilled and are talented in one manner- but cannot stay focused on some of the simplest things. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

...and the last question...

Why do people who get picked up for "Driving Under the Influence" still continue to "drink and drive"?

This has always been something that I have wondered about. You will find some interesting facts about Drunk Driving here.

You see, I was hit head-on by William D. McCauley on February 5, 1995. Mr. McCauley was booked with over a .21 Blood Alcohol Level that Sunday night. I was off work for over a year going through physical therapy. The pain was so bad at times that I wished I had died. I will also admit that Mr. McCauley passed me one time years later on the freeway - driving recklessly - that I almost called 911 and reported a drunk driver. I also checked the paper the next day to make sure there had not been any accidents between where I was and Elk Grove.

The one moral of this blog - Please do not drink and drive - the life you save may be your own or someone else that has more to give than you....

Turtle Bay Exploration Park

I found a great place to visit when in the Redding, California area. It is the Turtle Bay Exploration Park. The main reason for my first visit was to see the Bald Eagle nest. Liberty and Patriot are the parents of three bald eaglets again this year...but the reason for this blog is to tell you about many other wonderful things to see and do around the Exploration Park.

You will find a very unique "pedestrian" bridge appropriately named the Sundial Bridge. On the east side of the Sacramento River you will also find the McConnell Arboretum & Gardens with some very different areas.

There is also a Museum, a railroad historical exhibit, a Turtle Pond and a children's playground - plus many more things as seen on the map.

I will also suggest going early in the day if you are visiting during the summer months. It will be much cooler then. You will also be able to enjoy a cool beverage or lunch at the Cafe at Turtle Bay when it is time to get out of the sun.

PS...don't forget to stop and enjoy the turtles in the turtle pond near the river as seen in that slideshow...and here is the other slideshow of the first visit to the Eagle Nest

Birds to Share

I thought I would share my "Birds" slideshow tonight. These are some of the birds I have been able to photograph in the recent months. I have been using a great book to help me identify the birds - along with some online friends. The pg numbers reference the page number of the book.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed taking them...

The Garden of Eagles

This year I started following the Norfolk Botanical Garden Eagles via a live web-cam. It has been a great learning experience along with "meeting" new friends via the "Eagle Chat" which has been sponsored by WVEC TV.


(Calendar Cover photo courtesy of Tim Fearington)

The Eagle Cam has many different groups involved...with one being The Wildlife Center of Virginia. This Center depends largely on donations to do what they do and one way they have found to help raise money is to offer a calendar where photographers have donated their photos of the Norfolk Eagles that were taken throughout the nesting season.

(photos courtesy of S. Taylor)

I believe this is the second year for the calendar project. I did buy one for 2010 and it is beautiful! You can now pre-order your 2011 Garden of Eagles Calendar so you can have them in time for Christmas presents or just so you start the new year with a fresh calendar. It is for a great cause plus you will have some wonderful photos to keep after the year is over! I am sure you will enjoy them as much as I have this year!

Here is a sample page of the upcoming Calendar...

November Calendar Photo Courtesy of James R Deal

Please click on calendar for an enlarged view.

Birds, Birds And More Birds

Little did I know that I would take a new hobby just from viewing a live webcam of a bird nest...but I have.

I have started to take photographs of many different birds.


The process does not stop after taking the picture. I will then try to identify them. One of the best books to identify a bird happens to be this book. I have found it at Costco for about the same price - but some money is donated to a wildlife rehab center if it is ordered from that specific link.
You should really look at the birds around you. They are not as drab as you may think! I will share other photos here soon -