After These Messages...

Those of you who read my blog regularly may have noticed I've dropped off on posting anything new lately.

Yeah.  I know.  I guess I'll chalk it up to being less than inspired.

Since I don't want to write a new post that's lacking in substance or that certain "something" I strive for in the tone for my little corner of the internet, I've decided to take a short break from blogging for a bit.

Not too long...just a blip.  I'll be back soon! 

The hubby, Cheety and I will be gearing up for our next move, (which will be here before we know it) and I'll be back sharing our nonsense soon enough.

For those who find their way here on occasion, I'll see ya soon!

Ta-ta for now.

Five Favorites

Photo Credit: Keith McDuffee, Northborough, MA, USA (Oven roasted french fries) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Come on...you know you love my occasionally recurring five favorites posts!  Five favorite what?  Anything!

Anything slight or substantial in life that causes joy, soothes my spirit, makes me smile, fills my belly...you get the idea.  Here's hoping you try something new or find a favorite for yourself!
 
1.  Cold Bananas
This is for real. I don't know about you, but I've always stored my bananas in a fruit bowl on the counter.  Until the one time I didn't.  It was actually on our monster road trip when we moved from Key West to Alaska.  I had a banana in the cooler, which got all nice and chilled while it sat in the ice.  Once I pulled it out to snack on, it was so refreshingly cold and so much better than a room temperature banana that I had a banana epiphany.  That's right.  A banana.  Epiphany.  Cold is the way to go.

2.  Harney & Sons Tea
I have to thank one of my oldest friends for this one.  From their fancy sachet tea bags to their excellent flavors, I can't get enough of their tea.  A hot cup of Harney & Sons peppermint tea after a cold, rainy dog walk?  Perfection.

3.  Steak-cut French Fries
It's hands down the best cut for french fries.  No contest.  Beats out waffle cut by a mile, that's for sure.  And shoe string?  Don't even bother with that nonsense.  With steak cut, you know you're eating a potato.  And isn't that what the fry is all about??

4.  Guinness
That is all.

5. Stitch Fix
I might need an intervention here.  This personal stylist service is a blast.  Fill out a short style assessment online and you're on your way.  If you don't like some or any of the pieces they pick, send them back - free shipping.  It's a super fun way to branch out and get out of your style comfort zone.  It's worth trying at least once...but like me, I bet you'll keep going back for more.

First five favorites of 2017...done! 

Ta-ta for now.

Monterey

I'd read that the Monterey/Pacific Grove/Carmel/Big Sur areas were among some of the most beautiful parts of California.  Well, thanks to a travel-centric few weeks, I can say with confidence that everything I read was spot-on.

I mean...really.  Just look at this coastline!

Pacific Grove

Pacific Grove

I was in love with the crooked, unique looking Monterey Pine trees.  Just beautiful and windswept all along the coastline.

The hubby was on leave over the holidays, so we took lots of day trips and a few quick overnights while he was off.  December was a very full month!

On one of our trips, we loaded up the Cricket for our first California camping expedition, and headed on down the road to Monterey for New Year's weekend.

We set up camp at a military campground called - appropriately - Monterey Pines.

Of course, the Puggy Boy got his own doggie sleeping bag mat for the occasion. Only the best for the spoiled pup, right?

We spent most of our time exploring the towns in the area, and my favorite was Pacific Grove.  It was such a beautiful coastal town with lots of dog-friendly beaches.  I couldn't get enough of that salty, sea air.

Carmel Beach

Can't you just smell the beach?  It was the perfect blend of breezy, salty, and misty.

We had some excellent meals both out at a few restaurants and a few at our campsite. Overall, it was a great trip!

Pup friendly dining in Carmel

 

New Year's Eve Dinner in the Cricket

I think we've packed quite a bit of travel in our short lived Sacramento tour.  I have a few more trips up my sleeve, but they'll have to be quick because when we blink, it'll be time to move again. 

Such is the nomad Coastie life.  But hey, nomad ain't so bad when we're calling California home.  For the moment, anyway.

Ta-ta for now.

Year of the...?

Birds.  Yay, nay, or indifferent?  I'm a resounding yay in that category.  Love 'em!  I've fancied myself an extremely novice birder for a while, but I can hold my own with lots of common bird id's.

I watch, think about, and attempt to identify birds more than I'd like to admit!  Especially when we hike and travel.

To the point where when I I see a bird and don't know what it is, I try to commit the main features to memory so I can look it up to hopefully id later.  You know, to add it to my slowly growing bird arsenal.

My latest newly identified bird was an Oak Titmouse in my neighborhood.  What a little cutie pie!

Oak Titmouse

Photo credit: By Ingrid Taylar from San Francisco Bay Area - California, USA (Oak Titmouse in the Shade), via Wikimedia Commons

Got that one now.  I won't wonder about what kind it is anymore! 

I can remember one time when we lived in Florida, I was driving past a small pond and saw a substantial flock of Wood Storks wading and chilling around the pond.  I got so excited about seeing almost a dozen Wood Storks all in one place that I almost drove off the road.

The mighty Wood Stork

Photo credit: by Charlesjsharp (Own work, from Sharp Photography, sharpphotography), via Wikimedia Commons

What?  It's a somewhat rare sighting!  And if you're lucky you'll only see 1 or 2, but not over a dozen all together!  It was super cool.  Not to worry, I didn't actually drive off the road.  It was close, though.

Yep, I'm a bird nerd through and through.  But, despite all my birding nonsense, I guess I wasn't really part of the club.

Why?

Well, because I was completely in the dark about a fun little little New Year's Day birder tradition that exists.  Now that I know about it, I guess I'm really legit.  Ha.

I can thank Rare Encounters with Ordinary Birds by Lyanda Lynn Haupt for enlightening me.  The gist is this.

The very first bird you're able to identify on New Year's Day is your bird of the year.  So whatever you identify becomes your "year of the fill in the blank."

On New Year's Day this year, we were camping in Monterey, CA, so I knew I might have a unique opportunity to see a bird I possibly wouldn't normally see.

Or so I thought.

Turned out my bird of the year is one that I see every day in my backyard.  But, it's also a species I identified only after moving to California.  So, a common bird for this area, but still a new to me species.

Ready?  Drum roll, please.

2017 is my year of the Western Scrub Jay.  The name was just recently changed from Western Scrub Jay to California Scrub Jay.  Which begs the question, "Why does California feel the need to appropriate the name?"  But again, I digress.

They're actually super vibrant, beautiful birds.  Also on the irritating side because they're extremely screechy and loud.  There's no mistaking their squawk when you hear it. Straight up obnoxious!

Western/California Scrub Jay

Photo credit: by Jessica Merz (Flickr: Western Scrub-Jay), via Wikimedia Commons

I'm glad my bird of the year turned out to be the Scrub Jay.  No, not because I can fully unleash obnoxiousness in 2017.

Because it's a perfect geographic reflection of exactly where in the world we are in 2017 on our loony Coast Guard path.  Year of the Scrub Jay!  Bring it.

Ta-ta for now.