Vacation Recap.

Friday May 21st Needles and I headed North to Indianapolis to stay at Microtel. The cost of the room for the night and a weeks worth of parking was cheaper than just parking for a week at the airport parking. When we got settled in we walked over to the restaurant Kazablanka. The food was good and before long we were going to bed in anticipation of the flight the next morning. The next morning we went down for a continental breakfast and our shuttle ride to the airport. Check in at the Indianapolis airport was smooth as glass and we ended up with an hour and a half to burn. We waited until one hour until the flight before heading through security. After getting the full body scan we wandered through the gates and was amazed when we spied a vending machine. This wasn't your ordinary venting machine. This one dispensed make up and not your Walmart cheap stuff as explained to me by Needles. We made it to our gate and waited until time to board. The plane arrived and we settled into our seats. The flight was smooth and the next stop was Beantown. Flying into Logan Aiport was neat to see Boston Harbor pass under the plane. Seeing the boats and the small islands off the coast made the destination more concrete and not just a dream or a destination made up in a story. We grabbed our checked luggage and made our way to the taxi stand. Taxis were there waiting and after we loaded in we were in route to the Bulfinch Hotel. The room was nice and spacious with a huge comfy bed dominating the room and dark stained furniture. The tiled shower was inviting but we were hoping to get some food and then do the Ghost and Graveyard trolley tour. We ended up eating at Boston Beer Works and then I knew we needed to call and get reservations for the tour but when I called I got a automated services. The chances of getting into the tour schedule for that night wasn't looking to good. Before long I got a phone call and it was the G&G trolley tour calling to see if I could make it for the 9pm tour. We said sure and hot footed it the mile down to Atlantic and to the G&G trolley stop. We waited about 15 minutes until our tour was going to start. We sat on the trolley and enjoyed as the people putting on the tour sneeked around the trolley and scared the crap out of passengers that weren't paying attention. I do know that before the tour was underway we did loose a couple of passengers that I guess didn't take to being scared. They just got up and walked off down the sidewalk. The tour started and as we made our way through the streets of Boston where we were treated to tales of the macabre. We did visit two burying grounds one being The Grainary and Copp's Hill. The Grainary holds the bodies of Ben Franklin's parents, Paul Revere, and John Hancock. We drove by the first hotel in the United States, The Omni Parker Hotel. This hotel is also known to be one of the most haunted. We also drove down Charles street and the room of Mary Sullivan the disputed last victim of The Boston Strangler. We also visited Boston Common which was the first public park in the United States. This area was used for grazing of livestock and also public executions. They explained the art and skill in execution by hanging and some of the more grotesque details in the act. Also the fade of paying off grave diggers to bury people who paid the price over other peoples graves and have their names also etched into the already used tombstone. When the tour concluded it was around 10:30pm so it was time to head back to the hotel. End of Day One.
The next morning we had a Whale Watching Cruise scheduled so we again walked the mile to the New England Aquarium and checked in for our cruise. The cruise personnel informed us of the sea conditions and also taking motion sickness medication might be needed. They said that the boat would rise and fall 2 to 3 feet every 8 seconds and that the temperature was about 10 degrees cooler than land temp. With the boat moving about 30 to 40 mph that makes the temps feel more like 20 to 30 degrees cooler than land temps. We boarded the catamaran and was under way. After we made it out of the harbor the speed of the boat increased and the fog that seemed to surround us made me think that this trip maybe a waist of time. About the time we got to the whales feeding area the fog started to clear and the sun started to shine and within just a few minutes our first whale was spotted just off the front of the boat. We made our way in that direction and drifted into a parallel direction of the whales movement. We got to spend about 45 minutes in the area with the whales and in no time it was time to head back. We did get to see a couple of humpback whales and from a photo of one of the tails or flukes they determined one of them was a whale they named Pallet. The trip back was quicker and we sat on the second deck out of the wind and sun. On our way back into the harbor we passed by a couple of lighthouses, Long Island and Grave's. We also passed by sailboats moving through the harbor. After we docked we finished looking around the aquarium. We got to see the penguins and various types of fish, rays, sharks and jelly fish in the tanks. We also watched some of the seal training exercises. At the end of the day we decided to eat at the aquarium's dining center. When we sat down we still could feel the movement of the boat swimming in our ears. It took a few hours for this weird sensation to pass. We made our way make to the hotel and settled in for the night. I developed a serious craving for Chinese food and it didn't take much convincing to make Needles agree. I think it went something like this. ME- "I'm craving Chinese." NEEDLES-"YES!" We did a little Internet search for the closest Chinese restaurant and then decided on delivery. The food was excellent and there was way too much of it. We ended up eating about half of it and since we didn't have a refrigerator in the room, ended up throwing the rest of it away. End of Day Two.
Day three was trolley tour day. We walked to stop number four which was Boston Garden. After a short wait we boarded our trolley. The driver's name was Buck and he was great. The information about the city was entertaining and witty with some comedic flare. He even broke into song at times and was very friendly with the people on the tour. We got to go by many historical places and the architecture of some of the building was amazing. A lot of the churches were very ornate in detail. We got to see the original Cheers, the Old State House and the site of the Boston Massacre. The Old North Church and site of Paul Revere's one if by land two if by sea. As mentioned before we went by the Boston Gardens and also Fenway Park. We got to visit the Destroyer class ship Cassin Young and USS Constitution. We also walked to the site and Memorial of Bunker Hill and Paul Revere's House. We ended the day around 5pm because that's when the trolley tour ended and also we had been on the go a lot the last few days and decided to relax the rest of the evening. When we got back to the hotel we showered to wash off the day. We decided on room service from the Flat Iron Tapas Grill and was that ever the right decision. I had the Cajun Ribs and Needles had the Beef Tips and it was excellent. That was the perfect end of day three.

Day four was our last day in Boston and since we couldn't check into our B&B in Salem until 3pm we decided to have our luggage stored at the hotel and finish a few things in Boston. We walked to Boston Museum of Science and looked over the interesting displays. We also did a Dinosaurs 3D movie which was interesting. When we left the Museum we caught the trolley to do some souvenir shopping and then catch the orange trolley line into the South of Boston. This is where the Boston tea party happened but unfortunately the ship is having some renovation work and wasn't there. We did get to go by the Old South Train Station and several interesting buildings. When we got back it was time to pick up our luggage at the hotel and head to North Station and then to Salem. After several stops we were in Salem and a phone call to the B&B we soon had transportation to the Morning Glory B&B. After we got settled in we decided to grab some supper. It was still early for the restaurants to open so we grabbed a cold beverage from Captain Dusty's to hold us over. It was Mexican night at In a Pig's Eye so we ordered and enjoyed our food. When we returned back to the B&B I noticed that the road beside the place was a dead end terminating at Salem Sound. There was a bench that you could set and watch the harbor traffic. Also just down the wharf there was a light house Derby Wharf Light. We sat and enjoyed the scenery until it got late. End of Day Four.Day Five started after our breakfast at the B&B. We soon found out that we had an hour before things started to wake up in town. We walked down the street to the Friendship and old style recreation of a sailboat and on into town and to the trolley stop. We grabbed a couple of tickets and passed the time in the souvenir shop until the first trolley arrived. We hopped aboard and was under way stopping at several sites in town and then moving on to Winter Island and the site of Old Fort Pickering. We drove by Willow Park and Dead Horse Beach and was told the interesting story of how Dead Horse Beach got its name. We then went through the high rent district and got to see some of the homes that were some of the first in New England Design. Door windows and coffin doors and also a house that had a front stair case for the boys and another for the girls so when they wore petticoats the boys wouldn't be able to look up their skirts. We got to tour the Burying Point and see the grave site of the man the build the House of Seven Gables. Also the grave of The Hanging Judge Hawthorne of the Witch Trials and a gentleman that came over on the Mayflower. Lunch time found us close to Red's, a local restaurant that makes just about anything would would want to eat. It was very good and for a spooky note while we were there eating the power went out and was out for several seconds. After lunch we visited several of the museums a yarn shop and some of the quirky souvenir shops. It was getting close to 5 pm and the museums were getting ready to close so we decided to head back to the B&B and relax the rest of the evening. We ate supper at The Witch's Brew and the Brew Steak was amazing. When we got back the skies looked cloudy and dark and with in a few minutes the rain started to come down. The wind kicked up and dropped the unseasonably warm temps down by 15 degrees. That night we were able to sleep with the windows open and the sound of bells on the buoys in the harbor ringing. A few cracks of thunder the air as the storm moved though the area. End of Day Five.

Day Six was to be our last day in Salem. We packed up our luggage and stowed it in the hallway until our rental car was to be delivered for the 3rd part of our trip. We walked over to the house of Seven Gables and walked the tour, we then stopped by Ole Pepper Candy Shop, the oldest candy shop in the United States. On into town we waited on the opening of Count Orlock's and also to do some souvenir shopping. A quick stop at a coffee shop and it was time for lunch so we stopped in at Derby Deli for our last meal in Salem before heading North. After lunch we walked to the B&B and gathered our luggage awaiting the rental car. We enjoyed the garden seating area and all too soon it was time to leave Salem for the next leg of the trip. We were driven to Beverly, MA. We dropped off the Enterprise guys and did some quick paperwork and were on our way to Kittery, Maine. We drove through New Hampshire and into Maine. Just over the Bridge we came into Kittery and made the right to get to our next B&B. The Ocean's Edge B&B was a cozy home just at the edge of an inlet. When arrived we settled in and walked around the area to get a lay of the land. We decided to go into town foe Supper so a trip to Robert's Maine Grill. After supper we went back to the B&B and relaxed the rest of the evening. End of Day Six.

Day Seven was a day of exploration. I had a couple of things I wanted to see but most of the day kinda fell just the way it did by pure happenstance. We started the day at Fort McClary and looking over the fort and the grounds. We could also see Portsmouth Harbor light and Whale Back lighthouse. We then moved on North up the coast and into York and Cape Neddick. Nubble lighthouse is one of the most photographed lighthouse on the East coast. We sat and watched the waves crash on the rocks and the wildlife moving through the water between the main land and the island the lighthouse is on. We visited the local souvenir shop and then stumbled upon Brown's Old Fashion Ice Cream Shop. The ice cream was excellent and we then kept moving North to Ogunquit. We stopped and walked to The Marginal Walkway which is a walkway along the coast with breathtaking views of the surrounding beach and rocky coast. It was amazing and I think it was then when Needles and I fell in love with Maine. We loved the small town feel and the small quirky shops that line the streets. The pet friendly atmosphere and the general friendliness and easy going personalities. It just seemed the air was a lot easier to breath in Maine. Needles wanted to visit a local yarn shop so we headed back toward Kittery and to the yarn shop. We got back to the B&B and made plans for supper. We made it to Warren's Lobster House. The food was good and with our last meals from Kittery in our bellies it was time to go back to the B&B for our last night on Maine. End Day Seven.Day Eight was a travel day. It started early with driving South from Kittery, Maine to Beverly, Mass. We then turned in the rental car and walked the .2 mile to the train station heading to Boston's North Station. At North Station we grabbed a taxi to get to Logan Airport and catch our first flight. First part of the flight delivered us to Atlanta, Ga. We had a lay over of about an hour before our final flight to Indianapolis, Indiana. When we arrived in Indy we called the Microtel for our shuttle back to the hotel and our parked car. When we got back to the car we had the three hour drive home. We arrived home around 7pm. When we got home we were exhausted but since the A/C was turned off it was too hot to be able to get a quick nap so while the A/C cooled down the house we cleaned up the kitty hair the cats left all over the house. We watched a little TV and made a few phone calls but ultimately ended up going to bed around 10pm. It was a fantastic trip and I wish it didn't end but I am also glad to be home.

Vacation

Three flights, one cruise, 2 cabs, 3 trolley tours and 2670 miles later vacation is over.
It was a blast but I am exhausted.


Check out the slide show of the vacation pics to the right.

One More Day...

Tomorrow we are heading off on our vacation. I hope to have some interesting photos to share when I get back. If I find time I will try to post a few pics while we are gone. See ya in a few days.

VACATION!

Lots to do and just eight more days until we leave. I think we have a lot of our itinerary planned out but we left the last couple of days free so we can play it how we like. Friday after work we will be loading up and going up to Indy to stay our first night at a park and fly. Saturday we will make our way to the airport for the flight to Boston.W hen we arrive in Boston we will head to the Bulfinch Hotel for our first few nights. While in Boston we have made plans to visit the Aquarium and do a whale watching cruise. Also we will tour the city on the Old Town Trolley Tours like we did when we were in Washington D.C. last year. There are several interesting stops along the route with one of them being the original Cheers. We will then travel by train to Salem for the second leg of our trip. We have reservations for the Morning Glory B&B and specifically the Sarah Good room. The B&B comes with it's own ghost. We plan to tour the city by trolley while visiting several of the museums there. Then we will rent a car and move on North through New Hampshire and into Kittery, Maine. We will be staying at the Ocean's Edge B&B for the last part of our trip and hopefully some relaxation before it is time to head home.

Pre Vacation Shopping.

Today Needles and I had plans to meet up with Jenny from the Block and do a little shopping. We headed out around 10am and arrived a Kohl's where I scored a couple pairs of jeans and Needles nabbed a couple of tops. We then decided to stop at Appleby's and have lunch. Needles and Jenny had the sirloin and I had their new Jalapeno burger which was very good. After lunch we needed to walk off some of our full stomachs, so we went to Walmart. Needles was finally able to find some jeans that were long enough and I got another pair of pants. I think Jennifer ended up with an outfit and a pair of sunglasses from Kohl's and a couple tops from Walmart. After Walmart we stopped by Pop Around the Clock for some gourmet popcorn. On our way home we had to swing by Dairy Dee. Mmmm D-a-i-r-y-D-e-e-e-e-e. When I got home I went over to Rudy & Brando's house to help with the new construction. They are in the process of adding a couple of rooms in the attic of their house. The 4x8 sheets of plywood for the floor is just about finished. Next framing for the ceiling and the walls. This might happen tomorrow. When I got home I had to jump in the shower for the second shower today. I was itching from head to toe from insulation dust. Yuck! Hope you are having a good weekend.

Just a few pics.

Wide angle lens of my brothers koi pond.

Time lapse of water fall. Exposure time 4 seconds.

Saturday.

Today I was home alone as Needles had a water color workshop in L'ville. I decided to finally put the new taillights on my camper since the tree that fell on the camper last month broke the lens on one of them. I had to order two of them since they didn't make the square lights like it had before. After I got home I finished a video project I had been working on. You will have to check out Needlefingers blog for that. After we had a late supper we noticed the distant rumble of thunder so I grabbed my camera and tried to do some lightning catching. I will say I was somewhat successful. I did manage to catch some lightning on about 4 shots but here is the best ones.

Stormy Weekend.

This weekend has been windy and rainy. Not the condition you would like for getting out and being productive. We did however wake up yesterday and thoughts of a New England vacation ran through our heads and so we pondered when we could go. Needles has a co worker that will probably take maternity leave in July and August. I also wasn't sure what time my co workers had marked off in the next couple of months so we made a run to my work and checked the vacation calender. It just so happens the week we were looking at was open so after a little shopping we headed home to get started. The first thing was books was the flight and we hoped everything else would have to fall into place. We booked our 3 nights in Boston and then I think we are going to take the train up to Salem, Mass. and stay a couple days. The last couple of days we are going to rent a car to do a little running around and we are currently searching for a nice Inn on the coast of Maine with a few luxuries to maybe do some relaxing to end our trip. It seems like a lot of the things we wanted to do has been falling into place really well. A lot of the things we wanted to do or see have been really close to the places we are staying. Before we knew it it was 10pm at night and we had spent most of the day looking over a researching things to do and places to stay. I am excited that in less than a month we will be on vacation.

Above is a couple of shots of a Cardinal that took shelter from yesterdays storm on our back patio.

Five Days

The last five days has flown by. After work Thursday we headed down to Needles Mom's house for the spring turkey season. 5:00am came awful early every morning but I would walk the 1/2 mile or more to the blind or to where I heard the turkeys and settle in to try and call the birds in. The first morning I heard 1 gobble and didn't see a bird. Little did I know this was pretty much going to be par for the season. After the hunts were over, I only saw 1 bird and it was about 150 yards away heading away from me in a hurried manner. I heard a lot of birds but just never seem to be in the direction they wanted to go. Over the hunting season I think I put around 10 to 12 miles on my feet walking through the woods. I think this is maybe my last spring turkey season. When we got home there was a lot to get caught up on. The lawn needed desperately to be mowed, tomato plants that "L" gave us needed to get into some fresh earth and the laundry needed to be done. Today found us also doing some long needed grocery shopping and then a stop by our local Chinese place for lunch. This evening we did a bit of weeding and patio setting. I noticed a pair of house finches hanging around so I thought I would knock the dust off the camera and snap a few shots. Tomorrow it is back to work and it sounds like rain is going to be moving into the area for the next few days.

Another busy weekend.

Since Needles , Jenny and Ragged have ventured to the North for a couple of days of yarn and fiber, I thought I would catch up on some work that seems to have stacked up without me knowing it. I was able to finish off a few of my continuing education classes that I had let slip. 4 down 6 to go. Also I mowed not only my yard but my parents yard too and sprayed the driveway. I love the spring but all the chores that seem to go along with it is the pits. I did however get to have a little fun and snap a few pics of some flowers in the yard and the red bud tree that is in full bloom.

A Full Weekend.

Yesterday after work I came home and took a nap. After the nap I needed to get some gas for the lawnmower and the dreaded first mowing of the lawn. The lawn mowed, I did a bit of trimming and then it was time for Supper. On the menu for the evening was a nice sirloin steak for Needles and New York strip for me on the grill, followed by grilled asparagus. Last year we didn't grill out once but this year we have already had hamburgers, salmon steaks, chicken breasts and steaks. I think we will need to do hot dogs very soon. After supper we went to the very busy Dairy Dee. We were in the drive up line for 20 to 25 minutes. Needles got a small strawberry cheesecake and pineapple twist cone and I got a large hot fudge sundae. We brought them home and sat on the back patio while we enjoyed our treats. I did manage to finish up a few small chores that I had been putting off. We finally went in around 9pm and decided to rent a movie. On tap was the new Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law. It was a good movie but sometimes you had to listen close as the British accents was hard to understand and follow. We finished up watching the movie around midnight and finally retired to bed around 1pm. This morning we enjoyed scrambled eggs and sweet & spicy sausage. After breakfast we started in doing some spring cleaning. We seem to have accumulated a lot of boxes over the winter and needed to do some clutter removal. We seemed to make some progress and get a few things straightened up. I assembled a wire shelf I bought for Needles at least 3 years ago and put it in the room for more off the floor storage. We boxed up some Xmas and Halloween items and took them out to the garage for storage. After lunch we went out to my Mom and Dads house and cleaned up some of the tree that had fallen with still much more to do. We are now at home watching some TV and rubbing some poor kitties that were neglected in our absence. Tomorrow will be Needles B'day and we are going to L's to celebrate that 37 years ago tomorrow a little girl was born that would make my life worth living. Happy Birthday Needles.

Easter Times A Coming!

Today Needles and I played hooky from work for a fun filled day at the dentist. Really it wasn't that bad. We both got clean bills of dental health and then we picked up some fried chicken with coleslaw, baked beans, rolls and headed to Needles Mom's house for lunch and also to color easter eggies. I was working on a project that didn't pan out but I am not deterred and will rethink it and try again. Happy Pre Easter everyone. If you didn't know Needles B'day is on Easter this year.

UGH!

April showers brings May flowers. March showers bring distruction and damage. Thanks March.
Thursday after work I got home and was relaxing when I received a phone call from the neighbor across the street from my Mom and Dad's home. She said that the large tree by the patio had fallen and was on the garage. Needles and I drove out to see how bad it was going to be. When I got there I noticed the camper had some debry on it but otherwise was in good shape. I went home and returned with the ball hitch to see if I could pull out the camper. After outting the truck in 4 wheel drive we were able to move the camper to a better location incase the tree decided to shift and settle a little more. The fun never ends.



This is the carport where I parked my popup camper. I was very lucky in that the only damage it got from the tree falling was a busted tail light.

A "because I haven't posted in almost a month" post.

This weekend was one of the more productive in some aspects. Saturday morning Needles and I planed a trip to get some new tires for the Jeep. After a quick trip to the local bank to cash in my accumulation of change we were on our way. After we found out that they didn't have the tires I needed and had to order them we did a little grocery shopping and then a stop at Taco Bell for lunch. When we got home we decided to grill out since it was a nice day. I had to do a little work on the grill so by the time I was done I think we were ready for supper. I grilled out hamburgers while Needles got the sides ready. Tater tots and onions rings and I had baked beans. Shortly after supper we were visited by my Rudy, Brando and the gang. Before long it was time for them to return home. Brando had picked up New Moon and the local Redbox so last night we were able to watch it. It was pretty good for a "Sparkle-pire" movie. Sunday even though I wanted to sleep late started just as early and Saturday with my eyes popping open at just before 7am. I layed in bed until a quarter after and finally had to get out. I started watching our Net Flicks movie until Needles got out of bed. We had plans for lunch at Needles Moms so before long Needles was up and we headed South. After lunch and dessert I wanted to do some scouting before turkey season and Needles wanted to walk with me though the woods and see the property she lived on most of her life but rarely got to see. When we started out it was just slightly raining but by the time we got to the woods the rain and wind had picked up. When we got to the southern property line we were both soaked through. We did jump up several deer on our walk and watched as they ran through the woods and out of our sight. On our return trip we walked the western tree line until we got into the field and then Needles was able to open an umbrella and knock some of the rain off of her. By the time we got back to the house my ears were so cold they felt like they would break off. I think we walked about 2 and a half miles total but walking mostly in the mud and rain we got a pretty good work out. After we got back to the house we warmed up with some coffee. We returned home and since we haven't been geocaching lately and the caches I had placed weren't getting visited very often I decided to archive them. Of the seven caches I had left I archived 6 of them. Since they were archived I needed to get the containers out of the woods. Needles came along with me as we did quick drive bys of the locations to retrieve the containers. It is amazing how cache containers seem to drift a bit from their original locations. I was able to find all of them except one which I think is missing. After we gathered the containers we needed to make a run to L'ville and return the movie Brando had let us borrow. The weekend went fast and it seemed like we were on the go for most of it. The next few weekends will be busy with family visits and turkey season coming up. Also it seems the first few weekends of spring are busy for caching up on things that I let slide over the last few months. Hope everyone had a nice weekend.

800

800th Post.

Weekend in a blurr.

Friday after work Needles and I came home and did some last minute cleaning to get the house in order for our weekend visitors. Our guests arrived a little after 5pm and while we caught up with each other Needles had homemade chili simmering in the kitchen. After we got our belly's full we watched the Olympics until time for bed. The next morning I got up bright and early at 6:15am and got up to get my shower and get coffee and breakfast under way. Before long Ragged and Cynical joined me with Needles last to shake off the vale of sleep. We enjoyed coffee, scrambled eggs, turkey beacon and toast before we got showers and out the door to visit the local yarn shop for the ladies. After the yarn shop we stopped off at a local sandwich shop called Quickies with their rather peculiar menu. After we ate we ventured over to a gourmet popcorn shop called Pop Around the Clock. We looked over their unusually flavored popcorn. We left with a bag of Chocolate Cherry Bliss, Death by Chocolate, Cookies and Cream and Confetti. We then stopped at Rudy, Brando and the gang for a visit and before long we noticed our belly's growling and after consorting with the Magic 8 Ball our fate was decided to eat at Mi Casita. We arrived home around 9pm and finished off the night with more Olympic coverage before bedtime. This morning both Needles and I slept in. Needles treated us to a dessert type breakfast which consisted of Blueberry Crumble Ala mode. Its good to be an adult and eat sweets for breakfast. We brewed some more coffee and visited with each other until all to quickly it was time for our guests to leave. It was a good weekend even though it went by in a flash. Tomorrow it will be back to work and also a added bonus of training on our new Radiology Information System. I have my fingers crossed and lately the going hasn't been so smooth. I am hoping that we are in the downhill side of this project. Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Happy Valentines Day!

Blue Jay
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco

More Pictures.

Hawk in flight

Kestrel

Red tail hawk

Red tail hawk

Mallards

More Mallards

Bald Eagle 2-13-2010

Another video of the bald eagles in Mt. Carmel, IL. Wish we could get a sunny Saturday.

Asian Culture Night

Tonight Needles and I went to our second Asian Culture Night at VU. The night started off with some presentations and entertainment by the asian students attending the university. We then were released upon the authentic asian food. Korean bbq and edamame wasabi salad were some of the more memorable courses. We then were entertained by Chaitown. An Indian acapella group.

It was a very fun night and we were feed well. It was a great way to kick off the weekend.