Category: FUN

Woke up real early this morning so decided to take a walk around the block in my leopard print pajamas.  Nobody knows me here but I did make these two new friends:

Until now the only Burrowing Owl I was familiar with was the winery in the Okanagan, British Columbia (which by the way is very good)….….but the real thing does exist and it is a lovely sight to behold.  They’re a tiny but long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. They nest and roost in burrows – hence the name.

The Burrowing Owl is currently on British Columbia’s Red List meaning that as of 2006 they are Endangered.  They’re endangered for a variety of reasons (too numerous to mention here) but for starters the reproduction rate of Burrowing Owls is limited by the availability of suitable habitat. The last breeding record for Burrowing Owls in BC was in 1970.

The outlook for Burrowing Owls in British Columbia is reasonably good. Although habitat loss continues, many other impacts have been minimized, thanks in part to public awareness and support.  To become more aware please refer to this link:

http://www.naturecanada.ca/endangered_know_our_species_burrowingowl…

 p.s.  The sun was starting to rise as I walked back just in time to see a man wearing a bathrobe walk out to get his morning paper – didn’t feel too bad wearing p.j’s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So was it as happy as Milo & his mommy?

How was your day?

 

Also a very “happy birthday” to one special dog (see below).

At the “members only” dog club

Ha, ha……fooled you!

Knew that would get your attention but I really meant Manatees, those loveable, large, docile aquatic sea creatures found mostly in Florida.  Did you know that they are related to the Elephant? Other than size there’s nothing elephantine about them other than they’re mammals and also vegetarian.

We were so lucky to see six of them this morning in their natural habitat on the Suwannee River.  Several years ago in Jamaica by chance I had the opportunity of swimming with one again in its natural habitat.  I heard that a Manatee saved someone from drowning so I pretended to drown but I guess it didn’t consider me save worthy because it ignored me.  Nonetheless it was a moving experience.

I still want to adopt one.  Well not to have at home – where would I put it?  Not even room in the bathtub.  But for as little as $25 you can help protect this endangered species with the Adopt-A-Manatee program. Funds will go toward efforts to help protect them and their habitat. And unlike a child adoption program here you can even choose a manatee from a selection to match your personality.  After reviewing several I’m having difficulty deciding between the following choices:

Elaine – she’s been known to get into her fair share of mischief  (so opposite of me)

Floyd – he is a “ham” who has been in films & magazines (the glamour appeals to me)

Lenny – who prefers rest to all other activities.  (well lazy can be okay…..sometimes)

Crazy Nick – his behaviour is known to be erratic such as going north, rather than south in midwinter; hence the name. (I’ve never been good with directions either).  He’s being tracked by radio telemetry that produces information on behaviour.

Margarito – he can be identified by a number of scars from boat hits and a missing right flipper.  I’m leaning towards choosing this guy.

Go to: http://savethemanatee.org/

AND if you have time for just two wineries in Somona make sure to visit Gloria Ferrer Vineyards. They make some incredible tasting pinot noirs – some of which you can only buy on the property.  Their 2007 estate grown & bottled Pinot was given a ’94 point rating by the “wine enthusiast” which is one of the highest ever.  As a matter of fact i’m having a glass right now as i’m writing this.

Did I mention that we were there as soon as they opened their doors at 10:00 a.m.? It’s always 5:00 o’clock somewhere right? Breakfast consisted of a pour of Chardonnay (just to make sure it was as good as I remembered from the last time) and a wine filled truffle.  Biting into the truffle was like those brandy filled chocolates where the liquid just pours out. Wasn’t expecting that –  delicious.  Hope it’s not true about you are what you eat……….

My new BFF is IN-N-OUT –  best fast food fix for burgers – but the fries are terrible.