Memphis Manatee Missing

That's right, the little devil has made himself scarce. Yesterday the Manatee Rescue Team from Sea World in Orlando were hoping for a fairy tale ending. They'd driven 14 hours or so from Orlando to Memphis to rescue a manatee in the Wolf River Harbor. When they arrived, they checked the manatee and prepared for an early morning rescue. When the sun came up, they realized the manatee had hit the road ... as it were. The poor animal is no doubt scared to death ... Yeah. I'm worried about him.
I'M OUTTA HERE
Manatee Rescue Update:
(2:30pm) Officials are calling off their "intense hunt" for the manatee in Wolf River Harbor. Search crews believe that the manatee is no longer in Wolf River Harbor, and that it may have migrated south. While local authorities will continue to patrol the harbor for the animal, crews from Sea World and the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife are leaving the scene.
They will, of course, return if the manatee reappears. I'm so hoping he just migrated south to warmer waters, which would be natural for him.

Oh, you gotta see this -- how it takes me back!
That's the tower cam high above WAND-TV in Decatur, IL looking down on SouthSide drive. If you keep driving north -- I mean in relation to this photo -- you'll head right into SouthShores, a kind of subdivision/shopping center-kinda place. You can see two of the (I believe) seven basins of Lake Decatur.

And that's a current shot of the weather nearest to me, at Jackson Careers and Technology Magnet Intermediate. Let me tell you, it's been raining horses and donkeys for three days w/ winds whipping at 20.25mph and although it's died down somewhat now we still don't have sun here on the ranch. It's not cold, right now it's 66° but it's just wettttttttttt, and I'm sick of it.

Bet you can't guess where this is!
That is actually the Aina Haina Elementary School in Honolulu, HI where it's noon on a school day. See the little kids? The weather there is 78.5° while the wind is out of the NE at 8.3mph. I can feel the breeeeeeeeeeze ... !

Meanwhile, this is the scene from Denver:

This storm dumped so much snow that schools are closed! Forget flying in and out of DIA. It ain't happenin'.
TWO FEET OF SNOW
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't envious.

Finally -- and this is only fair -- this is the scene of what will soon be a very exciting event, in less than two hours!
That's right fellow babies, that's a shot of Busch Stadium in STL from KMOV TV, where it's presently 47° w/ winds out of the NW at 3.5mph. The wind chill is presently 45° but "Tonight: Windy...colder. Cloudy in the evening then clearing. Low around 40. Northwest wind 10 to 20 mph. Gusts up to 35 mph in the evening." Oh me. That makes no difference, no one knows how to handle Busch Stadium better than the Cardinals as evidenced by their record at home. By the way, what in Sam Hell is wrong w/ the Tigers pitchers?? Could they make more errors?? I mean, even if they tried really hard?? Bad for them, good for us! Woo-hoo!

Do I have a recipe for you! Get a load of it, and tell me this doesn't sound delectable?

Title: Banana Rum Ice Cream
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Whipping cream
1 1/2 cups Half and half
6 large Egg yolks
2/3 cups Sugar
3 tablespoons Dark rum
1/2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
1 pound Ripe bananas; (about 3 med), peeled
2 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice

Pour cream and half and half into heavy medium saucepan. Bring mixture just
to simmer. Whisk yolks and sugar in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in
hot cream mixture. Return mixture to same saucepan and stir over medium-low
heat until mixture thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is
drawn across, about 7 minutes (do not boil). Strain custard into clean
large bowl. Stir in rum and vanilla. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
Puree bananas and lemon juice in processor until smooth. Stir into custard.
Process in ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Transfer to covered container and freeze. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead.)
Makes about 2 quarts.

Sadly, I no longer eat this way. Yup, I've turned into a Healthy Eater aka I've Beat My Body Up Long Enough. Only fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, no refined sugars and so on. It makes it sort of difficult since I have a reaction to aspartame -- it really limits my choices but oh well, you can't have everything. I just drink tons of water now, about 48oz. per day and more if I can stand it. Also, only one soda a day. Sigh!

I'm outta here like a Memphis Manatee -- gotta get Beer For My Horses!

Where My Down Coat?

It got soooo cold last night when I woke up this morning it looked like snow on the grass! Snow? In TN? In October? Never! But it did get freaky cold last night, and now it's returning to more normal temps. Yesterday the high was 53°, the low 33°and normally it's 75°and 50°. Today it'll be around 67°, tomorrow 73° w/ the sun shining brightly! This is normal weather in the south. It sucks. I'm stuck in the No Snow Zone. Life is so not fair, but I don't know what my horses would do if it snowed more than an inch down here and lasted only 30 minutes. I can tell you for a fact, my wolf hybrid doesn't know from snow at all -- she's only 2! I doubt she'll ever learn what it is down here, but I could be surprised. It wouldn't be the first time I fell over in shock ... as a result of various monentous events.

Speaking of which, check out this photo from MI w/ the caption:

"The many colors of fall...reds, golds, and white from snow."

Just check this out, a photo taken yesterday in Chippewa Falls, WI:

I ask you, how lucky is this guy? I loved living in Wisconsin, being right there at the lake front! Yup, we had plenty of lake-effect snow which was awesome -- until I had my first experience w/ thunder-snow. That scared the stuffin' outta me! Otherwise, I loved it, loved every minute I lived there as I recall. I guess because my entire childhood was spent in areas where we had real seasons, where the change in season was highly defined, I miss it all the more. I remember the snow coming down in big, fat flakes, how warm it was when it snowed and the quiet. It's so quiet when it snows! Except of course if you're near O'Hare International Airport where you can hear the birds but not see them. Eerie.

But it's not all bad in the south. So what if my daddy outgrew his tremendous allergies and passed them on to his only child? We had frost last night so the grass will no longer grow -- that goes for the new Bermuda sod in the pasture, by the way -- so that's the end of part of my sneezy problem. However, I'm surrounded by 97 acres of pine and cedar trees which never stop growing. *achoo* But, I do miss the autumn colors -- very little on the ranch, however I do get to enjoy them when I travel. I have a Chris Cagle concert coming up as well as Montgomery Gentry, and I have a few reservations in Tunica -- all comped of course. That would be a Good Thing.

Now this is a gorgeous photo, taken five days ago in Lincoln, NH:

Now it's apple season -- yummy, crunch, tart, sweet, crispy, tasty apples! Is your mouth watering? Remember, an apple a day keeps the doctor away! I don't know what the significance of that is but every time my mama goes to the market she brings me fruit including lots of apples and she often says that to me. I don't know what apples have to do w/ seeing a physician but there you go.

I make an apple crisp (the afore-mentioned recipe Samantha's Famous Apple Crisp which I got out of a cookbook but tweaked) that's to die for! Seriously, I've had people bring me apples just to make them this hot, buttery, cinnamon-y dessert! Mmmm ... this would be another Good Thing.

And back to the snow! Here's an image I'm familiar with:


Oh ... I sorta feel sorry for this guy:


Sucks to be in New York, dude -- they got two feet of snow! Woo-hoo!

And what would this be w/out photos of cats -- Cats Who Look Like Hitler, to be exact!
Disgruntled Hitler:


Where My Eyeballs Hitler:


Stop Exploiting Me Hitler:


And last but not least, Upon My Throne Hitler:


Anyone who is owned by a Furball is familiar w/ that pose! Oh, I love my Furballs ... Even more since we have the automatic litterbox! It rocks! Totally worth the money, no question!

Gotta run -- going to the market, etc.

Sharmy !!

Just for you ... Scenes we aren't often able to view.

Because I didn't know where else to put it, a gorgeous nighttime scene of the Chicago River:

The riotous colors of Autumn:









A stormy sunset in Madison, WI:




This is an actual, unretouched photo of a farm in Wisconsin:

Below, notice even though there are bright fall colors, it's snowing!

This has never happened to me. Sigh. Life is SO not fair!

I just put him in here, a rose-breasted cockatoo.

And this is Sophie, who is curious.




Of course I have to add these ...


From the Evil Cave of Paper, Newton worships all that is unholy.


Starlight hates you, but loves capitalism.


Reach out and touch someone, just not this beast.


The Welcoming Committee: Welcome to the neighborhood, now go back to the Ukraine, where you belong!


Aisha the Evil Alien Cat has landed her ship and is ready to conquer the world with her mutant glowing eye rage!


So...you dare to pester me while I sit on my queenly throne? You disgusting, inferior fleshy-things! Prostrate before me or I will be forced to use your face as a scratching post!

Would a post w/ Evil Cats be complete w/out your old buddy, Gerald Dong?? Nooooo ...


Gerald hates you for playing Lawrence Welk while he tries to tune in Radio Tokyo.

Yeah, you love me. You know you do!