Saturday, October 29, 2011

My Birthday

    Now, about a month since it happened, I'm finally writing this post about my 18th birthday! (Oct. 1st)

A good start would be to tell you that the theme was the Kentucky Derby, or horse racing in general.
Jessie and everyone older (except me, obviously) helped decorate, and it turned out great, as you will soon see in the photos. Take note that almost all these photos are by my sister, but I'll say if one isn't.

The general layout...


A mixed bag...note the Clydesdale at the #6 gate!

                                                                 Photos on the walls



                                                                    The "finish line"!

My presents
                                                            Family photos in the morning

What? We were supposed to be ready?

Our Mum took this one, which is why Marjo's in it

A horse shoe shaped dessert and danishes
  A while after breakfast, we went to Sioux passage park for a little while, as they were having some historic stuff going on.
Alexandre, learning how to use a rope maker



I told Marjo to take this photo


Laura-Lise patting a friendly Great Dane (there were a lot of dogs there)

Dressed up...mostly (Katia, L-L, & A)
Afterwards we stopped by Spanish Lake Pond, to see if we could find any wild persimmons. As we were getting out of the van, this immature Red-tailed Hawk landed in a tree nearby! I got the camera to take these next photos of him.



Preening


I got right under him, and you can see how their eyes are set pointing forward


Autumn colors on the walk to find persimmons

Jessie and I, trying to find ripe persimmons. I didn't use to like pictures of me in glasses (I wear them for long-distance),  but they say it makes me look German, which isn't a bad thing! :)
                                                            Scenery across the pond



We found this bat on the walkway, and thought it was sick, but when we came back, he had climbed up a nearby tree.
I think it's a Little Brown Bat (don't say "Well...yeah Sam !", it's a real name!) (my photo)
                                    Trying to find ripe persimmons (there weren't very many! :(  )
K, on my Dad's shoulders, and L-L on mine

Katia looking through a clump

An unintentional Lewis & Clark pose!

Practicing in the field with my new soccer ball
                                                                      The cake!


Katia's wondering "why the funny face?"...

That's what it was supposed to look like! :)


Blowing them out (or about to)

A new knife! How sharp?! ;)

The How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack!! A favorite

An old camera, with the promise for a new one!! =D
  We had a pretty full day, for a birthday! Our bdays usually get eaten up before we're done eating breakfast! ;)


My interest in horses and horse racing came from Walter Farley's "The Black Stallion" series which always stayed in my list of favorite books. A favorite that I later found was the book, "Man O War, a Legend Like Lightning" by Dorothy Ours from the library. This biography about Man O War is one of my favorite books, and I actually got it this year, fitting well with the theme, though Man O War never raced in the Kentucky Derby. Here's a brief overview of Man O War .

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Posts coming hopefully soon!

I have been extremely busy lately, but I hope to put a post about my 18th Birthday (Oct. 1st) and our Vacation to VA Beach, as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, here are some Photos of a female Mourning dove on her nest in a tree beside the hotel where we had Chad & Angie Burn's Reception for their wedding. (Marjo posted about this awhile back).




Shortly after this, I tried to get even closer, and she flew of to a nearby light pole, but returned a little while after I left.