Hey Aliens, you'd better watch out, the Boat House is coming and you need to be afraid, be very afraid!
The year my grandson John graduated from high school we invited him to come and visit Ron and I in New Mexico. My son Ryan drove down from Denver to join us on this wonderful journey so we would have a merry group in our rental car.
Thus began the saga of "tacky road trip". Our primary destination would be Carlsbad Caverns in Southern NM, but oh the sights we would see on the journey between Santa Fe and Carlsbad, lots of cactus, deer, antelope, fields of chiles growing in abundance, mountains to explore, apples to buy from the orchids on the side of the road, "Christmas" chile on our enchiladas (green and red).
The "secret" stop Ron and I had planned for this trip was to be Roswell, NM, the home of a purported UFO crash in the 1940's. After all, we worked at a National Laboratory north of Santa Fe where those aliens from that UFO were rumored to be held. I personally never saw an alien there, at least I don't think I did, but you never know for sure, do you? Now, you have to remember, a lot of our co-workers and colleagues had very different accents, and some looked and acted a tad strange, even to two people who had lived on the West coast in our younger years, where we had more than our share of strange people.
John and Ryan both groaned when we pulled into the dusty little town, UFO signs and pictures of alien museums abounded, everything a lover of "The X Files" would go crazy over. As an aside, I think it's interesting that we ended up moving to the same part of the U.S. as "the smoking man" from the X Files. We feel very safe here in Birch Bay, because I'm sure, with "the smoking man" living here the aliens surely won't follow.
Anyway, I digress, the first thing we did after pulling into Roswell was to find the tackiest rubber alien statue outside of one of the many museums on the main drag. "John and Ryan, I want to take your picture next to him/her/it." Ron immediately pulled into the nearest parking place ahead of a little old lady who was vying for the same spot. John groaned, "you guys don't seriously believe in this stuff, do you?" "Well, we'll just have to see" I replied, again, after all "you never know".
After paying a small entrance fee (probably for buying alien food) Ron and I pulled our reluctant grandson and son in through the double front doors. Ron and I went in eagerly, anxious to see all of the amazing out of our world stuff, John kind of hung his head and looked around to make sure there were no girls watching him go into such a place, and Ryan was now kind of getting the idea and a spark of interest was starting to grow in him.
"Look John and Ryan" I said, old photos of the Alien autopsy, "what color do you think their blood is?", I can't tell because these photos are all black and white, "maybe their blood is actually black and white." Another louder groan, "oh grandma, pleeze!"
After touring all of the sights, and touching all of this alien stuff (would this be the cause of later health issues in Ron and I, or were we just destined to get older like everyone else?) But, once again I digress, as we walked around looking at the photos on the last wall I let out a loud gasp, "Ron, Ron, come and look at this, this is amazing!" There on the wall was a photo of one of my co-workers, someone I used to car pool with. Maybe there was some truth to the rumors of Aliens stored where we worked after all. It turned out that my co-worker was shown testing something found in a Roswell field that turned out to be a piece of jewelry (or so say they say).
Anyway, after a great lunch in a local restaurant, Christmas on our enchiladas, off we went to Carlsbad, and a more normal part of our "Tacky Road Trip".
As to the aliens.........(you never know)
Monday, February 21, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
The Red Vase
The boy's tongue kept licking at his cracked, sunburnt lips, it was kind of like poking at a sore tooth, as hard as he tried he just couldn't leave the spot alone and it stung a little more every time he touched it. As sweat trickled from his sun tipped hair, it ran onto his smooth forehead creating a fine, dusty path, stinging his eyes first, then meandering along the lean cheekbones of youth, onto lips that were already chapped by a summer of mowing lawns. He could taste the saltiness, the brininess reminding him of the warm Pacific waters of Birch Bay where his family usually vacationed every summer. This summer was an exception, his Mom had broken her ankle, and in spite of her protests his Dad said they would stay home so she could rest and heal some more, they would go to the beach next year instead.
His friends thought he was crazy, mowing yards in the neighborhood every day in the hot summer sun of the Spokane River Valley when he could instead be playing ball with them at the local field, or hanging out at the public pool where they would feign indifference when the, soon to be, seventh grade girls would flirt with them. He was pretty sure each of them was secretly flattered by this attention, after all these same girls had suddenly grown more interesting in the past year, even though they had gone to school with most of them for the past seven years.
No, as much as he'd like to be out playing with his buddies he had a quest this summer, he just had to raise another $17.50 to add to the stash he had already earned, and once he had that amount he would have enough to follow through on his plan, a plan that he was pretty sure would cheer his usually happy Mom up. Her birthday would be in a few weeks and he now had the perfect gift in mind, something that would take her mind off of the injury she had received when she had fallen over something he had accidentally left out on the sidewalk leading to the garage. She didn't blame him, but Dad had sure lit into him about it, and to be honest he felt kind of guilty, though he would never had done anything to hurt his Mom.
He had spotted the glass vase in the front window of the new gift shop after it had opened on Main Street earlier in the year. He was frantic that if he didn't get the rest of his money collected soon someone else would buy it because it was just too beautiful, in fact, the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and if someone else bought it would be lost forever, and would be a tragedy for sure. This was the perfect birthday gift for his mother, something she would never, ever buy for herself. The color was exactly right, hadn't she always said red was her favorite color, and this glass vase was the most amazing red he'd ever seen. Whenever the sunshine hit it bright red rays would shoot out in every direction, tinging everything they touched with a ruby glow.
Finally the day came, his hard work had paid off, after counting his stash of money one more time, he know that he had exactly the right amount and he could hardly wait to rush downtown to purchase the beautiful vase.
Something was terribly wrong, as the boy turned the corner the sunlight that was shining through the glass windows shone onto a set of blue dishes, pretty dishes true, but not something that would turn his mother's world a cheery rosy color, not the red vase he had been yearning to buy all summer long. Oh no, this can't be happening! All of my hard work, Mom feeling down because of me and now everything I've saved for is gone, how could this have happened?
The bell hanging over the entrance door cheerfully tinkled as the boy slowly pushed it inward toward the colorful interior of the air conditioned shop. The coolness of air seemed to slap his heated face, a face that looked as if it were on the verge of tears, although twelve year old boys surely don't cry in public, he thought to himself. It was all he could do not to turn around and run for home where he knew he could shut himself in his room and grieve in private, but he steeled himself to go in and talk to the woman who owned the little shop.
"Why, hello young man, can I help you with something?" the pretty young woman dusting off a statue on a side shelf said, turning around as she put her cleaning rag aside. "I've seen you looking in our front window before, is there something that interests you?"
"The red vase, what's happened to the red vase?" the boy gasped, barely getting the words out, "I wanted to buy it for my Mom for her birthday, and now it's gone?" "What am I going to do, he thought to himself."
"Why dear, I've just put it in the back of the store, so I could put the new set of blue dishes we just got in and show them off in the front window." That vase is beautiful, isn't it?" Would you like me to wrap it up for your Mom's birthday?
"Oh, look at the red colors shooting all around the room!" exclaimed the pretty woman, sitting with her leg propped up on an ottoman, a cast that everyone who attended her birthday party signed. "This is the best birthday I've ever had, thank you son, I love you!" "I love you too Mom!"
His friends thought he was crazy, mowing yards in the neighborhood every day in the hot summer sun of the Spokane River Valley when he could instead be playing ball with them at the local field, or hanging out at the public pool where they would feign indifference when the, soon to be, seventh grade girls would flirt with them. He was pretty sure each of them was secretly flattered by this attention, after all these same girls had suddenly grown more interesting in the past year, even though they had gone to school with most of them for the past seven years.
No, as much as he'd like to be out playing with his buddies he had a quest this summer, he just had to raise another $17.50 to add to the stash he had already earned, and once he had that amount he would have enough to follow through on his plan, a plan that he was pretty sure would cheer his usually happy Mom up. Her birthday would be in a few weeks and he now had the perfect gift in mind, something that would take her mind off of the injury she had received when she had fallen over something he had accidentally left out on the sidewalk leading to the garage. She didn't blame him, but Dad had sure lit into him about it, and to be honest he felt kind of guilty, though he would never had done anything to hurt his Mom.
He had spotted the glass vase in the front window of the new gift shop after it had opened on Main Street earlier in the year. He was frantic that if he didn't get the rest of his money collected soon someone else would buy it because it was just too beautiful, in fact, the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and if someone else bought it would be lost forever, and would be a tragedy for sure. This was the perfect birthday gift for his mother, something she would never, ever buy for herself. The color was exactly right, hadn't she always said red was her favorite color, and this glass vase was the most amazing red he'd ever seen. Whenever the sunshine hit it bright red rays would shoot out in every direction, tinging everything they touched with a ruby glow.
Finally the day came, his hard work had paid off, after counting his stash of money one more time, he know that he had exactly the right amount and he could hardly wait to rush downtown to purchase the beautiful vase.
Something was terribly wrong, as the boy turned the corner the sunlight that was shining through the glass windows shone onto a set of blue dishes, pretty dishes true, but not something that would turn his mother's world a cheery rosy color, not the red vase he had been yearning to buy all summer long. Oh no, this can't be happening! All of my hard work, Mom feeling down because of me and now everything I've saved for is gone, how could this have happened?
The bell hanging over the entrance door cheerfully tinkled as the boy slowly pushed it inward toward the colorful interior of the air conditioned shop. The coolness of air seemed to slap his heated face, a face that looked as if it were on the verge of tears, although twelve year old boys surely don't cry in public, he thought to himself. It was all he could do not to turn around and run for home where he knew he could shut himself in his room and grieve in private, but he steeled himself to go in and talk to the woman who owned the little shop.
"Why, hello young man, can I help you with something?" the pretty young woman dusting off a statue on a side shelf said, turning around as she put her cleaning rag aside. "I've seen you looking in our front window before, is there something that interests you?"
"The red vase, what's happened to the red vase?" the boy gasped, barely getting the words out, "I wanted to buy it for my Mom for her birthday, and now it's gone?" "What am I going to do, he thought to himself."
"Why dear, I've just put it in the back of the store, so I could put the new set of blue dishes we just got in and show them off in the front window." That vase is beautiful, isn't it?" Would you like me to wrap it up for your Mom's birthday?
"Oh, look at the red colors shooting all around the room!" exclaimed the pretty woman, sitting with her leg propped up on an ottoman, a cast that everyone who attended her birthday party signed. "This is the best birthday I've ever had, thank you son, I love you!" "I love you too Mom!"
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Blizzard of 1888 and Eponine
First of all enjoying visit of son, daughter-in-law and most of all Eponine our two year old granddaughter. We're babysitting tonight while Greg and Meka are on a date night. What fun!
Secondly, here is a photo Ron took last Tuesday of Mt. Baker, color thanks to Photo Shop, but everything else is as we saw it, just beautiful.
Lastly, just finished a riveting book titled "The Children's Blizzard" by a gentleman named
David Laskin. This blizzard arose in moments and killed many where they stood, unfortunately many school children died as schools were released at the time this storm hit. Amazing what humanity goes through. Do any of you have family in these areas who might have a family history of this storm?
Anyway, will be back blogging later in the week.
Stay warm all, from Nancy of the Boat House in Birch Bay.
Secondly, here is a photo Ron took last Tuesday of Mt. Baker, color thanks to Photo Shop, but everything else is as we saw it, just beautiful.
David Laskin. This blizzard arose in moments and killed many where they stood, unfortunately many school children died as schools were released at the time this storm hit. Amazing what humanity goes through. Do any of you have family in these areas who might have a family history of this storm?
Anyway, will be back blogging later in the week.
Stay warm all, from Nancy of the Boat House in Birch Bay.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
The Countdown Begins
Only 2 days to go and 2 1/2 year old granddaughter, daughter-in-law Meka, and son Greg will be here from the wilds of Colorado (Denver to be exact). We're looking forward to seeing Meka and Greg, but, sorry guys we're reeeeeally looking forward to seeing Eponine. Time for spoiling, rides around the neighborhood on Grandpa's power chair, and story times.
I spent yesterday moving furniture around, cleaning carpets (making our office into a little girls bedroom), the last time they were here she was still in a crib, time moves much too fast, and babies grow up much to quickly.
Will continue my blogs next week, I'm sure we'll be exhausted and exhilarated at the same time.
Have a great week, from Nancy at the Boat House in Birch Bay
I spent yesterday moving furniture around, cleaning carpets (making our office into a little girls bedroom), the last time they were here she was still in a crib, time moves much too fast, and babies grow up much to quickly.
Will continue my blogs next week, I'm sure we'll be exhausted and exhilarated at the same time.
Have a great week, from Nancy at the Boat House in Birch Bay
Friday, February 4, 2011
"Open Wide"
Guess where I spent a couple of hours yesterday afternoon? Yes, I had an emergency visit to the dentist after a week of an off again on again toothache. Two separate friends had recommended this dentist, and he was exactly as described, gentle, calm, very nice, and most of all forgiving. I haven't gone to the dentist as often as I should lately, a new roof, car repairs, emergency surgeries, lattes, and I admit it a slight fear of dental offices (I'm sure it's just the Musak), always seemed to get in the way. Well, lattes are on the back burner now and oral surgery is front and center, at least I have teeth to smile with and with the dentist's help I'll be able to keep on smiling. So, I'm prepared to "open wide".
Pepper the pup is also "opening wide" drooling all over the floor in the process. Pepper is normally not a drooly kind of dog, but this is just too much for him to contain. He's setting in the kitchen, looking up at Ron (who's also setting in the kitchen) with those sad begging eyes (Pepper that is, not Ron), just waiting for Ron to drop a scrap off of the cutting board where he's trimming meat for the grinder, to be mixed with his special spices, then on to the dehydrator for some of the best jerky around.
I've been busy today also, roasting fresh salsa for the Super Bowl party at Jim and Mary's on Sunday. "Go Green Bay!", I'm a born in Wisc. girl after all. The house smells great, kinda like walking down the middle of Olivera Street in Los Angeles. I'll see if I can chew a few chips on Sunday, maybe I'll just have to sip salsa through a straw, and maybe Jim and Mary will make a soft dip just for me.
Anyway, "OPEN WIDE" Pepper the pup, the meat scraps will fall"; "OPEN WIDE" Philly defense, so Green Bay can run through to the goal; "OPEN WIDE" Super Bowl guests for salsa and chips and other goodies; and "OPEN WIDE" Nancy at the Boat House in Birch Bay, the kind, gentle, and most of all forgiving dentist is waiting.
Pepper the pup is also "opening wide" drooling all over the floor in the process. Pepper is normally not a drooly kind of dog, but this is just too much for him to contain. He's setting in the kitchen, looking up at Ron (who's also setting in the kitchen) with those sad begging eyes (Pepper that is, not Ron), just waiting for Ron to drop a scrap off of the cutting board where he's trimming meat for the grinder, to be mixed with his special spices, then on to the dehydrator for some of the best jerky around.
I've been busy today also, roasting fresh salsa for the Super Bowl party at Jim and Mary's on Sunday. "Go Green Bay!", I'm a born in Wisc. girl after all. The house smells great, kinda like walking down the middle of Olivera Street in Los Angeles. I'll see if I can chew a few chips on Sunday, maybe I'll just have to sip salsa through a straw, and maybe Jim and Mary will make a soft dip just for me.
Anyway, "OPEN WIDE" Pepper the pup, the meat scraps will fall"; "OPEN WIDE" Philly defense, so Green Bay can run through to the goal; "OPEN WIDE" Super Bowl guests for salsa and chips and other goodies; and "OPEN WIDE" Nancy at the Boat House in Birch Bay, the kind, gentle, and most of all forgiving dentist is waiting.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
What's the Remedy for Shyness? Gorilla Spit?
Yes, fellow bloggers, I was shy (I thought very shy), but I suspect most of us felt that way in our teens. Of course, my teens were quite a few years in the past, beginning 52 years ago at age 13. Of all the things you never, ever wanted to do when you were shy was draw attention to yourself, girls just wanted to be demure like Sandra Dee and Natalie Wood, guys wanted to be cool like James Dean, and Edd (Kooky) Byrnes. Oh, those were the days, remember 77 Sunset Strip and asking Kooky to "lend me your comb"? But I digress, we're talking about shyness here after all not shared dandruff.
It was a beautiful Spring day in Los Angeles and our high school was planning a field trip to the
Los Angeles Zoo. We were all getting antsy because exams for the end of the semester were coming up, and following that was that most glorious of times, summer vacation. This was a perfect way to get away from all of that high school stress. My class (freshman, soon to be sophomore) weren't old enough, or popular enough, to be attending proms, so a day at the zoo was a perfect diversion.
"You've got to learn to assert yourself Nancy!" exclaimed my friends. At this point in my life even a boy accidentally (or maybe not so accidentally) bumping into me turned my face bright red, all the way from the roots of my blond hair to the bottom of my neck, and maybe beyond, but I never checked my toes to see. So I had the tendency to be very quiet, and yes demure.
Okay my dear friends, I'm going to be a different Nancy today (after all who at the zoo will know who I am), I can be anyone I want to be, you just watch me.
Just a little zoo background though, in those "good old days" zoos didn't have the wonderful natural habitats that they have today. Most of the animals were in cages (it breaks my heart to remember this) and had only some swings and toys to entertainment them.)
So off I went, singing and dancing out loud, saying hello to everyone I met, the total opposite of the usual Nancy, suppressing my redness by saying I was sunburnt. HA!
What do I spot down on the rolling lawns but a huge building built of bars, four sides and top all bars, in other words a big cage. Hanging from the top was a heavy rope with a tire tied to the bottom, big rubber balls to roll around on the floor, a fake tree built into one corner. A large cattle trough filled with water, and another trough filled with fruit. Inside this abode was the biggest, meanest looking, gorilla I had ever seen. This was a magnificent animal, straight from the jungles of Africa.
It was time to show this crowd just how sophisticated and demure I was, and prove to my friends once and for all that I certainly was not shy. Walking around the cage I would look up and throw kisses through the bars at this big beast, put my fingers to my ears and wiggle them while making faces, crossing my eyes (soooo demure), and sticking my tongue out, after all, I wasn't shy.
All of this time this gigantic gorilla had his back turned to me, moving around his cage as I moved, ignoring this sophisticated blond. Soon he tired of this game and sauntered over to his water trough, taking a big long drink of water, Ha, I thought, now these people will see my animal magnetism, that I can attract attention, just like the popular girls at school. As my mind imagined my newfound popularity the gorilla turned and climbed up to the top of his tire rope, spun around, and spit all over me. He then smiled the biggest gorilla grin you could ever imagine, green slimy teeth and all as I stood there covered in gorilla spit, blond hair handing wet and green across my very red face.
Oh well, one of us was the monkey, and it wasn't the gorilla. To top it all off, I was called into the counselor's office the next day for "acting up" at the Los Angeles Zoo.
I think I'll cure my shyness in some other way.
Greetings, from Nancy of the Boat House, in Birch Bay
It was a beautiful Spring day in Los Angeles and our high school was planning a field trip to the
Los Angeles Zoo. We were all getting antsy because exams for the end of the semester were coming up, and following that was that most glorious of times, summer vacation. This was a perfect way to get away from all of that high school stress. My class (freshman, soon to be sophomore) weren't old enough, or popular enough, to be attending proms, so a day at the zoo was a perfect diversion.
"You've got to learn to assert yourself Nancy!" exclaimed my friends. At this point in my life even a boy accidentally (or maybe not so accidentally) bumping into me turned my face bright red, all the way from the roots of my blond hair to the bottom of my neck, and maybe beyond, but I never checked my toes to see. So I had the tendency to be very quiet, and yes demure.
Okay my dear friends, I'm going to be a different Nancy today (after all who at the zoo will know who I am), I can be anyone I want to be, you just watch me.
Just a little zoo background though, in those "good old days" zoos didn't have the wonderful natural habitats that they have today. Most of the animals were in cages (it breaks my heart to remember this) and had only some swings and toys to entertainment them.)
So off I went, singing and dancing out loud, saying hello to everyone I met, the total opposite of the usual Nancy, suppressing my redness by saying I was sunburnt. HA!
What do I spot down on the rolling lawns but a huge building built of bars, four sides and top all bars, in other words a big cage. Hanging from the top was a heavy rope with a tire tied to the bottom, big rubber balls to roll around on the floor, a fake tree built into one corner. A large cattle trough filled with water, and another trough filled with fruit. Inside this abode was the biggest, meanest looking, gorilla I had ever seen. This was a magnificent animal, straight from the jungles of Africa.
It was time to show this crowd just how sophisticated and demure I was, and prove to my friends once and for all that I certainly was not shy. Walking around the cage I would look up and throw kisses through the bars at this big beast, put my fingers to my ears and wiggle them while making faces, crossing my eyes (soooo demure), and sticking my tongue out, after all, I wasn't shy.
All of this time this gigantic gorilla had his back turned to me, moving around his cage as I moved, ignoring this sophisticated blond. Soon he tired of this game and sauntered over to his water trough, taking a big long drink of water, Ha, I thought, now these people will see my animal magnetism, that I can attract attention, just like the popular girls at school. As my mind imagined my newfound popularity the gorilla turned and climbed up to the top of his tire rope, spun around, and spit all over me. He then smiled the biggest gorilla grin you could ever imagine, green slimy teeth and all as I stood there covered in gorilla spit, blond hair handing wet and green across my very red face.
Oh well, one of us was the monkey, and it wasn't the gorilla. To top it all off, I was called into the counselor's office the next day for "acting up" at the Los Angeles Zoo.
I think I'll cure my shyness in some other way.
Greetings, from Nancy of the Boat House, in Birch Bay
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