December 22 & 23

December 21, 2013

There was a family of manitees hanging out by our hotel today!

December 20, 2013

Today we drove to Key West, at the other end of the keys. We spent the day exploring (my favorite part was a trolley tour of the city...I learned so much about the history!) and stayed until the sunset celebration at Mallory Square.

A random guy walked up to us with his parrot and sort of surprised us into getting our picture taken for $10...fortunately, I think this photo was worth the money! Hehe.

We actually ate at Sloppy Joe's for lunch, but I didn't want to take a picture of it until it was all lit up. There was a guy covering classic rock songs while we ate (and doing a good job of it, I might add), so it was pretty fun.

There was a street performer with a "trained pig" at Mallory Square...this is Snorkels! His only trick was being super adorable and drawing a large crowd. And now for the sunset!

December 19, 2013

Today we visited John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo. The park has walking trails and offers snorkeling/diving trips and glass bottom boat rides so that visitors can get an up-close look at the reef. We took a quick walk on one of the trails before heading out to sea...

Unfortunately once we got out to the reef and went down into the enclosed part of the boat to look at the various sea creatures, I started to feel sick. The waves were a bit choppy and I was feeling claustrophobic...I ended up making it out to the back deck just in time to lose my lunch over the railing! It was still a fun boat ride though and I was able to see some of the coral and fish before I had to make my hasty exit. :-)

When we got back to the hotel, the iguanas were out sunning themselves near the parking lot...

 

December 18, 2013

This guy was hanging out at the hotel tiki bar this evening!

December 17, 2013

This is the blossom of a bottlebrush tree in my parents' yard...very pretty! And this is Louie "harvesting" grapefruit (really just taking them down...most of them aren't good for eating at this point!)...

December 16, 2013

Eating at Spaghetti Warehouse has become a bit of tradition after Dad picks me (or us, in this case) up from the airport in Tampa. After we stuff ourselves with carbs, we usually take a walk in downtown Ybor City, which boasts unique Cuban architecture and a number of interesting shops.

December 15, 2013

'Twas a gray day at the farm today. At least the snow is melting I guess.

December 14, 2013

I feel completely justified in making this entire post about Daisy if only because we're dropping her off at the vet tomorrow for a little "vacation" and I won't have a chance to photograph her again for the project. One thing I really love about Daisy is the wide range of expressions that she is capable of...

She also has a great smile, but I don't catch that very often because she hates having the camera pointed at her! One of my other favorite things about Daisy is the way she always sticks one foot out when she lies on her belly. Right now she has to crawl past the Christmas tree to get to the sliding glass door where she can look out over the yard...it's pretty darn cute. :)

That's all for now!

December 13, 2013

Griffy climbed on our bed this evening (something he knows he's not supposed to do), so I crept upstairs to catch his classic "guilty dog" expression. Instead, he was too sleepy to even acknowledge me, let alone pose for any pictures. Poor guy...this picture makes me kind of sad, because it reminds me that he's no spring chicken... :\

December 11 & 12, 2013

Found this colorful little Christmas tree at Famous Dave's (a barbecue restaurant) in Lincoln on Wednesday evening. And tonight, I made my favorite comfort food...

If I live to be 85 I'll probably still be eating Kraft mac and cheese. :)

December 10, 2013

Another beautiful sunset this evening! As picturesque as that looks, the following picture better represents what I've been doing with my life lately:

Louie and I have been watching our way through The Office on Netflix! It's been a lot of fun. :-)

December 9, 2013

As I drove home from work the sun was setting behind the cemetery across from the Kramer church.

I took Daisy to work today; it's the Monday of finals week and she helps relieve at least a little bit of the students' stress. However, a full 8 hours of constant love and petting left her ready for a nap...

To close, here's the view from my office window:

 

December 7 & 8, 2013

Here's my official photo project pic for Saturday:

I wish I was a lot better at playing the guitar, because this one sounds beautiful! Maybe someday...

It snowed this morning and throughout most of the day...Daisy really enjoyed that!