Saturday, August 29, 2009

Rub a Dub Dub, Bubbles in the Tub


My sister was giving Mrs. Tiggy-winkle her bath the other night, and I couldn't resist taking a few snapshots! Tiggles is perfectly adorable 99% of the time, but I particularly love seeing her have her bath.



Unfortunately, Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle doesn't seem to enjoy the bathing experience (though some hedgehogs are quite fond of swimming!). She spends most of her time looking for the closest escape route. If you've never seen a hedgehog swim before, you're missing out!



There's just something adorable about wet whiskers and the "Please don't do this to me" look on her little hedgie face!



Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Love, Eskimo Style




Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle is a rather prickly niece,
but she gives the best Eskimo kisses!

Photo credit to my sister, Tiffany

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Train Up a Child


"Do we observe in [professed Christians] any remarkable care to instruct their children in the principles of the faith which they profess, and to furnish them with arguments for the defense of it? They would blush, on their child's coming out into the world, to think him defective in any branch of that knowledge, or of those accomplishments which belong to his station in life, and accordingly these are cultivated with becoming assiduity. But he is left to collect his religion as he may; the study of Christianity has formed no part of his education, and his attachment to it (where any attachment to it exists at all) is, too often, not the preference of sober reason, but merely the residue of early prejudice and groundless prepossession. He was born in a Christian country, of course he is a Christian; his father was a member of the church of England, so is he. When such is the hereditary religion handed down from generation to generation, it cannot surprise us to observe young men of sense and spirit beginning to doubt altogether of the truth of the system in which they have been brought up, and ready to abandon a station which they are unable to defend...


Let us beware before it be too late."

William Wilberforce, A Practical View of Christianity



"Train up a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not depart from it."
~ Proverbs 22:6 ~

Friday, August 14, 2009

The Lesser of Two Weevils


As promised, I have a Surprise for you -- a very literal, very big, and very salty Surprise.



My mom and sister had an opportunity to see the Broadway show "Wicked" while in San Diego. My dad and I, on the other hand, chose the "lesser of two weevils" by visiting the San Diego Maritime Museum. I don't know why I love ships so much, but they absolutely fascinate me! Especially sailing ships. I love books and movies that involve the British navy in the 18th and 19th centuries. One of those movies happens to be "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World." (Only M&C fans will understand the "weevils" bit... *wink*) On display at the Maritime Museum is the HMS Surprise, the ship used in "Master and Commander!" And oh, is she ever lovely! (I borrowed my sister's lovely Nikon D40 and had a little too much fun, so please excuse the bevy of pictures!)



Can't you just envision Captain Jack Aubrey perched in the rigging?





I did man the helm for a few moments:



Below decks, they had an array of M&C props and costumes, including some for my favorite character, little midshipman Blakeney:






~ The Star of India

This lovely vessel is the oldest ship in the world to maintain a regular sailing schedule. It's the prize of the Museum's collection, and with good reason!





It's an alien! Oh, no -- just dad's reflection in the binnacle!







The captain:




~ Russian B-39 Submarine

It was quite thrilling to go inside a real Soviet sub! Talk about cramped quarters -- claustrophobic little me would never last long in a submarine. The accomodations were primitve and certainly not designed for comfort!





Outside the sub was a display warning visitors that they would have to crawl through four circular hatches inside the sub -- complete with a hole in the display the size of one of the hatches! I managed all four in a skirt! *wink*






~ Steamship Berkeley

The main museum is housed on the old Berkeley, a former San Francisco ferry. The lower deck now features many exhibits, while the upper deck still retains the original seating. It was gorgeous! Wooden seats, gorgeous woodwork, and stained glass all 'round the top.




~ The Medea

The Medea is a small pleasure yacht built by a Scot in the early 20th century. It saw service in both world wars before it was restored and brought to the museum. I can't even imagine having a pleasure yacht! She was quite a lovely little thing, and inside all was comfort and luxury:






~ The USS Dolphin

There was another sub on display, this one an American research sub called "The Dolphin." Much more comfortable than the Soviet sub! Its official depth record is still classified, but it has gone to depths of over 3,000 feet. Dad took a look through the periscope:



And surprisingly, even a camera can capture the view:




And last, but not least, while touring The Medea we caught a glimpse of the yacht "Stars and Stripes," former champion of the America's Cup Race! I didn't even notice the flag beside me while I took a snapshot of the yacht's name -- ironic!



I may be a "landlubber," but that doesn't mean I don't feel the call of the sea, or love the creaking of rigging and the sway of a boat under my feet. There's something magical about old sailing ships. Have danger and romance ever been so completely combined? Perhaps John Masefield put in best in his poem, "Sea Fever:"


I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.


Thursday, August 13, 2009

California, Here We Come!


BEWARE! This post is suffering from an absurd number of pictures; continue at your own risk.


As our summer vacation -- a rather wistful one, since it's our last family vacation before the wedding -- we decided to visit my parents' old stomping grounds in Southern California. My dad was stationed at Camp Pendleton as a chaplain, so he and my mom became familiar with the San Diego area during that time. My older sister was just a baby, so it was almost as new to her as it was to me!

Our first two days stayed on the Naval submarine base at Point Loma. Our lodgings were right on the water -- I could have jumped from our fourth floor balcony and landed on the rocky beach below, but I decided not to.... *wink* Alas, no photos, since apparently the base is too *top secret* to be captured on film (or memory chip). We did get to watch a sub come in to the harbor; one by one, crew members spilled out of the sub hatch as the two tugboats approached!

The rest of our time we stayed on Coronado Island, which is One of The Most Gorgeous Places on Earth. In my book, anyway.



The best thing about the beach there? The sand *glitters!* It's a mixture of white and black sand, and little tiny gold flecks that sparkle in the sunshine. None of the locals could explain it to us, but my research has come up with an explanation of mica. Isn't that what they use in make-up?



The beach is also a good place to find some shells, including sand dollars. They're a different variety from our Gulf Coast dollars, interestingly.



The most famous attraction on Coronado, however, is the gorgeous Hotel Del Coronado -- which has been a fashionable watering place since it was built in 1888. Frank L. Baum actually wrote several of his books (including some of the Oz books) while wintering on Coronado. The hotel is absolutely gorgeous, both from the beach:



... and in person:









The luscious panelled lobby was incredible! I've now visited two of the three great wooden hotels from America's Golden Age -- The charming Belleview Biltmore in Clearwater, Florida, and The Hotel Del (though we've only stayed overnight at the former). Just one left -- The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island! One day...


Old Town San Diego was another treat. It's actually a state park, with a bevy of shops and little show-yourself-around museums. My favorite shop, hands down, was The Johnson House. I felt like I had just walked into the pages of a Victorian Trading Company magazine! Antique dresses, lovely jewelry, lace gloves, top hats, parasols -- the whole nine yards! The perfect place for a souvenir, in this case a blue cameo locket (have I mentioned that I adore cameos? Well, I do!).



I've already mentioned the San Diego Zoo in my last post, but I have to rave a bit more! I could have spent days in there, looking at all the amazing animals (or letting them look at me -- I'm not quite sure what zoos are really for...). My favorite was probably the hummingbird aviary -- watching a hummingbird take a bath three feet away is quite exhilarating! The exhibits were gorgeous, and the whole place felt like a tropical paradise. The flowers! Oh, the flowers!





And on a whim, Tiffany and I decided to partake of an old childhood favorite:



As soon as I took a bite, I started laughing! It's been so many years since I've had cotton candy that I'd completely forgotten the sensation of eating it! Delicious and hilarious!

On Sunday afternoon, we attended a free organ concert at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park. This is no ordinary pipe organ -- it's an outdoor pipe organ pavilion, and the organ itself has 4,500 pipes!



The architecture is gorgeous, and the music was unbelievable. We opted for a large umbrella (which you could rent for $2), and it turned out to be a merciful protection from the merciless sun!



We also traveled up to La Jolla (Luh Hoy-ya) Cove, which is another breathtaking place -- my kind of coastline, with rocky caves and not much beach!





I love the squirrels on the California coast! The pattern of their fur reminds me of bird feathers -- and they're just so cute and perky!





Of course, no account of a trip to San Diego is complete without mentioning the weather! For us poor baked Floridians, the temperate climate and cool breezes were delicious!

Well, there was one more destination on this trip, but I think it deserves its own post -- this one is shockingly long as it is! Besides, it will be nice to keep it a Surprise.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

You've Got a Friend in Me


So just where was I last week? My absence had an excuse, I assure you! I was hanging out with some new friends:





















Yes, I have a diverse group of friends -- but they all live at the San Diego Zoo!

I'll be sharing some more pictures from our trip over the next few days, because San Diego is just too beautiful not to share!