Vieques (Still More)
Now I know what a bioluminescent bay is! And wow! We swam in it under the stars and there seemed to be stars in the water, too, many many tiny ones. And when we moved everything glowed. A barracuda swam by, this long glittering thing. The place was called Mosquito Bay but there were no mosquitoes. I didn’t want to ever come out. Other than that we had no problems.
Condolences from everyone here to Rio’s friend and family. So sorry to hear the news.
Tags: bioluminescence, dinoflagellates, Vieques
This entry was posted on Friday, December 31st, 2010 at 9:11 am and is filed under Chet The Dog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
9:15 am on December 31st, 2010
Chet: Swimming with the stars (and barracuda) sounds heavenly.
9:23 am on December 31st, 2010
Morning Dawson!
I wonder . . . when Chet came out of the water, did the bioluminescence stay on his fur. He could have sent out shooting stars when he shook!
He could have been Chet of the Baskervilles.
9:27 am on December 31st, 2010
Morning Melanie: That is a wonderful image. I’m off to work.
9:29 am on December 31st, 2010
OOO a glowing Chet sounds really cool. I hope they got pictures!
Good New Year’s Eve Melanie and Dawson.
9:46 am on December 31st, 2010
Were you given a bath when you finally came out Chet?
Good morning everyone.
9:56 am on December 31st, 2010
Hi, Everybody.
Rio, please let your friend know she is not alone. We all send love and siber hugs and wish we could do more to help her.
10:28 am on December 31st, 2010
Down the hills into the west . . .
off to do errands. Looking for a cover for the Kindle. B.Stover, loved that site, will have to think about that for birthday present.
YSAS wants one of their belts. Actually, he would take everything on the site if he could.
Take care everyone, and Riö the Pack is sending slurpy, drooly kisses and hugs to you and your friend.
10:53 am on December 31st, 2010
11:15 am on December 31st, 2010
Another try.
11:26 am on December 31st, 2010
Sorry, I had a card for you, but it doesn’t want to fly. I’ll try again later.
In the meantime, I wish you all a wonderful new year.
11:32 am on December 31st, 2010
Chet, Stover already asked you about the bath so that shuts my mom up about one concern. Mom says don’t drink the salt water while swimming.
It was 8 degress at my house this morning. Woooeeee
11:38 am on December 31st, 2010
Rio and Family, Thinking of you guys today. As others have already said, we wish there was something we could do, but we all are here for you.
11:46 am on December 31st, 2010
Tyb: A wish for a wonderful year for you also!
SH: It’s 46 here. We seem to have exchanged normal conditions for this time of year. (It will be getting colder here starting tomorrow.)
I’m going to make Jason’s mom’s Buttermilk Fruitcake now.
12:30 pm on December 31st, 2010
Our weather is like Bee’s. Should hit 50 today, and they mid 20s tomorrow. At least much of the snow is melting.
Picked up Wailing Wind by Hillerman at the library yesterday, and the Boy in Striped Pajamas movie. Any opinions on either?
12:50 pm on December 31st, 2010
Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all have a healthy and happy New Year. Thinking of Rio and his family today.
Melanie: Wonderful image of the shooting stars and Chet shaking.
1:10 pm on December 31st, 2010
Good afternoon all.
I love the visual of the shimmery water. All we get here is shimmery snow. I suppose you could swim in it, but I don’t think the feeling would be the same.
I really like to see glittery things. I wonder if that is why Sam is a princess? They get to wear shimmery things.
Hmmmm Maybe Staff should get me some shimmer. Right now all she does is tie a fleece scarf around my neck. No shimmer in that. I have seen lovely diamond (I am sure) collars on some dogs. Maybe I could have a diamond collar.
Rio would respect me more if I had a diamond collar. Yes he would.
1:51 pm on December 31st, 2010
Alice, maybe we could take up a collection here on the blog so you could get a diamond collar. I’m not into bling myself.
Barb, this is no help, but mom has read all of Hillerman’s books and liked them. She just can’t put together all the stories with their titles…poor memory. Mom’s two favorite Hillerman books are the ones that are based on actual events. One happens in the present, but tells about the time in 1956 that two commecial airlines colllided over the Grand Canyon. We think that is titled, The Fallen Man. Her second favorite one is based on three no-goods that shot a lawman and escaped into the Canyon Country of southeast Utah. Mom remembers when that happened and the search for those guys. She doesn’t remember the name of that book, but it is one of Hillerman’s more recent ones.
2:01 pm on December 31st, 2010
Dear Mr Husky,
I appreciate the thought. Staff has a ‘bedazzler’ and lots of rhinestones. I would settle for that. She is just a lazy slug and should get to work that is what I say.
Humph!
2:22 pm on December 31st, 2010
Siber, The Fallen Man is about a missing person who they find on a rock ledge, after 20 years. Hunting Badger is the one about 3 bad guys who rob a casino. In the book they mention a real life situation that happened the year before, around 1998, I think. Is that what you are thinking of?
2:27 pm on December 31st, 2010
Tough!… We here are having a hard time facing the loss of Grandma…sniff!…She was very important and special to my friend….snuffle!… I loved her because she always fed me whatever she was eating…heh!… My friend is dealing with the idea that she will never see her little Grandma again on this earth. Although, she is doing better this afternoon and finally turned on the computer…snort!
Grateful!….She wanted me to tell all of you how much all of the prayers and amazingly kind words you have written means to her….snorkel!…It is comforting to know others are thinking about us during this time….sniff!…So thank you one and all.
Trapped!…We are pretty much trapped in our house because of the storm…snort!…So I’ve been napping and she has started on a new Quilling project….grunt!…Late last night she came up with a new flower design that she is excited about. We were up till 3:30am because someone here could not sleep and I didn’t want her to be alone on the couch ….wheeze!…So she is working on putting this new clever flower into a project, I guess. I’m not allowed to even look at it….sneeze!cough!
2:28 pm on December 31st, 2010
Alice!… You had a diamond studded collar on when you went on the Training Mission…grunt!…What did you do with it? Did you hock it to have your fake fur dyed?…snort!
2:47 pm on December 31st, 2010
Rio,
I have no memory (at this time) of any diamond studded collars. Are you sure about this Rio? If I had a diamond studded collar I am sure I would remember it.
I think you are making it up so as to try to keep me from getting one. If I get one then you would have to treat me with great respect. No talking about ‘fake fur’ or ‘bleaching’ or any thing else disrespectful.
2:48 pm on December 31st, 2010
Oh, and ‘snort’ back at you.
3:06 pm on December 31st, 2010
Neighbors!… She got all bundled up to go shovel her walk and for a terrorizing moment I thought she was going to make me go outside too…gulp! …Anyway once she started shoveling two neighbors came over and did it for her…snort!… A good thing too, because it is sooooo cold out and the wind is still blowing….brrrrrrr!
Alice!…I definitely remember you having a diamond studded collar along with some expensive sunglasses…grunt!… Just ask Molly or Sam, they will remember…sneeze!
3:24 pm on December 31st, 2010
The buttermilk fruitcake looks lovely.(Dried cranberries, dates and walnuts.) I can’t say how it smells or tastes because I’ve lost my sense of smell and taste AGAIN. It’s very annoying. I just hope the sinus infection isn’t back. I’m going to the doctor next Tuesday.
I have a fruit and herb drying “machine” so I’ve decided that for the next batch of fruitcake I’ll dry pineapple. (It really tastes like pineapple this way rather than the surgary stuff you buy.) Then I’ll use that, dates (my favorite dried fruit), apricots and dried mangos and pecans. Very tropical.
3:27 pm on December 31st, 2010
Glad you’re back Riö. And try to stay in, your friend does not need to hold down a flying pug in the wind. Can’t wait to see the new design.
Barb&MagPie: I’m guessing that tornado in IL was not near you?
Back from doing errands. Snuck the Kindle into B & N and found that their Nook covers for the Colored Nook fit perfectly with the Kindle!
Tourquise blue and a place to have a photo in front. I’m going to ask Zoë which photo would be best.
Note to self: Next time you have to do errands DO NOT DO THEM ON NEW YEAR’S EVE! Jeez, everyone and their bad driving brothers were out today.
3:28 pm on December 31st, 2010
Siber H: You do not need bling.
Alice: You also don’t need bling, but it would be the icing on the cake!
3:29 pm on December 31st, 2010
B.Stover: With the delicious things you cook, you need to be able to taste! They sure sound wonderful.
3:32 pm on December 31st, 2010
I think it’s absolutely wonderful that Melanie went into B&N and bought the Nook cover for her Kindle. Heh! I knew what traffic and stores would be like which is why I’m not going out today.
You and your friend shouldn’t either Rio.(And yes, it’s nice having you back.)
Has anyone ever noticed a bird when it looks as though it has the hiccups? I don’t know how else to describe it.
3:37 pm on December 31st, 2010
BStover,
I have never seen a bird with hiccups and I watch birds a lot. AbbietheKitty had hiccups about two days ago. She would sit there very solemnly and then her whole body would bump up. Very funny to watch. She wasn’t very concerned about it. It seemed to go away in a few minutes.
3:39 pm on December 31st, 2010
I’ve been outside…just dashed in to say Hi! to Rio.
What a grand day we are having. The wind has come up, and it is a frozen wasteland out there. I’m going back out now because we don’t get too many days like this. Mom will make me come in when it gets dark. We compromise.
3:43 pm on December 31st, 2010
I have B.Stover and Barb & MagPie’s weather.
The dogs have been barking for two days.
Which means THE BEAVERS are being obnoxious.
This pic is just off the Pack’s play yard.
They are not amused.
(If you enlarge it, you can see the beaver track)
3:45 pm on December 31st, 2010
Staff: Your description Abbie’s hiccups is just like the birds. Their bodies seems to bump up several times, their legs seem to get a bit longer and it goes away quickly. They never seem concerned.
3:47 pm on December 31st, 2010
That is a really pretty picture when it is enlarged…I see the beaver track.
3:48 pm on December 31st, 2010
Oh no! The beavers are at it again. Lovely picture though. We don’t have that much snow left here. It’s been raining quite hard at times.
3:56 pm on December 31st, 2010
Melanie,
Those beavers need to store enough food to last the whole winter. And this one is going to be a long one. MrStaff was saying just yesterday that it seemed like a long winter already and it has just started.
Give those beavers a break.
(The picture is beautiful)
3:57 pm on December 31st, 2010
I have to go get ready for the guests. Clean off the dining room table so we can play cards and eat pizza and have a good time. BBL
4:02 pm on December 31st, 2010
Dear Staff, I would give the beavers a break, if they would stop cutting down our trees. This is the newest one, down on the river beach. We will not have shade this summer.
I have noticed that today they are headed up river again to chew their way through our neighbor’s apple trees.
The dogs are barking on that side of the house!
4:04 pm on December 31st, 2010
On a happier note . . .
While out, I bought mussels. Zoë and I will be having them steamed and also some roasted root vegetables for our NYE dinner.
4:38 pm on December 31st, 2010
Hello everyone. I have been off-line because Mom made the mistake of loaning her laptop to Wolfie’s boys Christmas day. They totally destroyed it. Dad has to replace the harddrive AND install Windows 7. I’m using her old laptop, which the boys also messed up, but Dad fixed it. My boys also managed to kill the battery in Mom’s car when they went up the hill to text on mom’s phone. Now mom’s phone is lost. Worst of all, mom found a homemade bong inside the woodstove.
It wasn’t a good week.
4:41 pm on December 31st, 2010
I don’t want to get in trouble for saying anything about Alice. We did make her wear sunglasses (Chanel, no less) so those eyes of hers couldn’t mesmerize us, and, well, she did order me around a lot getting things I’m not allowed to talk about.
4:41 pm on December 31st, 2010
We recently read an interesting article. In the Chinese calendar, 2010 was the year of the tiger, anxious, stressful, on edge. (Paraphrasing here.) 2011 is the year of the rabbit, which is warm and fuzzy and relaxed. I hope they’re right.
4:42 pm on December 31st, 2010
Mrelanie, Lovely picture. We are having mild weather today, no tornado, not even high winds. Lucky us!
Siber, The Fallen Man was the one where they discovered a body of a rock climber who has been missing 20 years. The next one Barb read was Hunting Badger, and it involved 3 men who robbed a casino. They make reference to a real police murder which occured around the same time. All the ones she is reading are after Leaphorn retires, but he still gets involved in cases with Jim Chee. I think there are 3 – 4 more that were written before Hiller’s death in 2008.
Tonight we are staying in, and are having a shrimp cocktail, pickled herring, strip steak, sauteed mushrooms, etc, and some sparkling cawtaba grape juice, instead of wine. We have joined Melanie in the non-drinking group. So no more wonderful wine, or bourbon for us!
4:42 pm on December 31st, 2010
Sam,
You can tell me. I promise I won’t tell anyone.
4:45 pm on December 31st, 2010
Melanie,
I’m almost afraid to ask, but how is Dan? He wasn’t blurred into a goat, was he? I surely hope not. Because I have no idea how to unblur anyone.
4:51 pm on December 31st, 2010
Test. We have tried to post 3 times and it is not going!
4:51 pm on December 31st, 2010
(Whispering) Wolfie, now don’t tell, but I had to keep bringing AJ her catnip, Tail Fluff, hair dye and the sparkly bling that she took when Staff wasn’t looking. Shhh!
4:54 pm on December 31st, 2010
Now it worked. Siber, The Fallen Man is the book about the rock climber whose body they find after 20 years. Barb is reading the ones that started with Leaphorn’s retirement. He still works with Jim Chee to solve the mysteries. I think there are about 6-8 in that series.
Melanie, we are having mild weather with no wind. No tornadoes, thank dog!
4:58 pm on December 31st, 2010
(Whispering) I give you my pinkie promise that I will never tell a single soul.
4:58 pm on December 31st, 2010
Tonight we are having pickled herring (for good luck), shrimp cocktail, strip steak with sauteed mushrooms, etc. Toasting with sparkling cawtaba juice, as Barb has joined Melanie in the non-drinking group. No more wonderful wine or bourbon for her!
4:59 pm on December 31st, 2010
Oh, that message was for Sam. Shhhhhh
5:01 pm on December 31st, 2010
Here is a message for the techies out there. Mom ordered her ipad and it will be here on Tuesday. Except she accidently ordered a 32 gig instead of 64. Sheesh. Should she send it back and get teh 64? Or will 32 be enough. She isn’t a power user, but I, Wolfie, might be. One never knows.
5:04 pm on December 31st, 2010
Wolfie, This is probably a really dumb question, but why does your mom loan all her good stuff to the boys when they disrespect everything so much? She is too nice. Why doesn’t she say NO until they earn privileges?
5:06 pm on December 31st, 2010
Wolfie, sorry to hear about the things that are going on, still, with the boys. Stay safe, all of you. Year of the tiger was great for me! it’s my birth year.
Melanie, nice descriptions of shooting stars coming off Chet and of the flying pug. And those pictures are so beautiful. We’re having a heatwave so it’s nice to look at something refreshing and cold. Nice to look at but not be outside in, i think.
Rio, I’m glad to hear your friend is doing better this afternoon.
Okay, all you cooking experts, the first time I made that beautiful English toffee, it worked brilliantly. I’ve tried twice since and it has split both times and I can’t get it to go back together. What’s the secret? does that mean it’s too hot? The whisking didn’t help…
5:09 pm on December 31st, 2010
Oh SAM you little tattleTAIL.
Yes I like a little catnip now and again. But the only other thing you brought me was Salmon treats.
I deny the Tail fluff, the hair dye and any sparkly bling.
(this program does not believe either the word sparkly or bling)
It was just a nice soft brush. Jeez! No tail fluff.
I haven’t ever had to use any hair dye just a little hydrogen peroxide when I was fresh out of the woods. The woods are hard on a little Kat.
And I have never had BLING!
But I deserve it.
Enough said.
5:23 pm on December 31st, 2010
Wolfie – First and most important – DO NOT LET YOUR BOYS TOUCH THE IPAD!!!! It won’t make it through the day.
Whether you need 32G or 64G mainly has to do with how it’s going to be used. That gig number is for disk space. My Mom has an 8G iPad because she doesn’t use it for storage.
HIDE THE IPAD!!!!
5:41 pm on December 31st, 2010
Photo!… If she can finish up the flower befor the sun goes down, she said she would take a photo of it for whoever is interested…grunt!… The two she made yesterday need some excess glue removed. That stuff is supposed to dry clear, but I think she was a little shaky yesterday and last night, so too much glue was used….wheeze!
Beavers!… I really like that photo and I have no quarrels with Beavers…heh!… Probably because none of them live around me…snort!…My friend had to go to a ‘viewing’, whatever that is. It was something she did not want to do, but her mother needed her to go with her. Her mom is either exhausted or coming down with the flu. Not sure which….sneeze!… Because of the icy roads only a few people showed up. …sniff!…She said now she knows Grandma passed away in her sleep, because she has a very peaceful expression on her face and she looks like she is sleeping restfully….wheeze!…This has given my friend a lot of comfort. I’m relieved….snuffle!
5:44 pm on December 31st, 2010
Beavers! I used to think I liked them. But then I read a horrible story in the news about a beaver that killed a Husky by a dog park in Alberta. That’s right, a Husky. It was in Alberta. Medicine Hat or close by. Since then, I don’t think much of beavers. Big rats!
Wolfie: Those boys are walking tornadoes. I hope the Chinese calendar is right. The year of the Tiger was a stressful one for me. And it is going out with a bang. I’ve been to 3 funerals this week. I am ready for the year of the rabbit.
LizF: I heard that Australia is having some very bad weather.
Rio: Thinking of you and your friend.
5:48 pm on December 31st, 2010
This year coming to an end has been a tough one for so many of us on the blog – Melanie, Dan, Wolfie, Staff, Rio and his friend, Barb, and probably some others, too. Let us hope Wolfie is right and that 2011 will be warm, fuzzy and relaxed. We could all use that!
5:50 pm on December 31st, 2010
Melanie: Beautiful pictures!
Wolfie: I think Mollypop’s suggestion re the IPAD is a good one.
I hope 2011 is like the rabbit. 2010 was not.
Bee: Was the buttermilk fruitcake receipe posted on the blog? If so, how can I find it. It sounds so good.
5:59 pm on December 31st, 2010
Barb, since The Fallen Man is not the name of the book mom liked, she hasn’t a clue what the name of the one about the Grand Canyon plane crash is. She gave all those books away so she can’t look it up.
Melanie, mom knows exactly how you feel about the beavers because she doesn’t much like skunks, at least the ones that live around here.
6:08 pm on December 31st, 2010
A beaver killed a dog?? Jeez. We saw your wild weather on the news, how amazing all that snow is. Here it’s all about floods, we had some local floods at the start of December but now half of Queensland is underwater. (Queensland is 700,000 square miles).
Three funerals Dawson? what a week!
6:09 pm on December 31st, 2010
We read Dawson’s post…We do not like Beavers now….all beavers, no matter where they live. Moose have also killed huskies and probably other dogs, but we only know about the huskies.
6:19 pm on December 31st, 2010
A moose is A LOT bigger than a beaver. We are really surprised that a beaver could kill a husky. I have heard of racoons killing large dogs.
I think I will stick to my mousies and rats. They are quite managable, and I have to say, fun.
6:19 pm on December 31st, 2010
Barb — The Wailing Wind is quite good, with a great ending. Interesting, a number of Hillerman’s books have the word “Wind” in the title. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is very intense and may be quite unsettling, but is extremely well done.
Melanie — Tried posting this last night, but the iPad goat ate it, so I’ll try again. Tana French is an author that you will either love or hate, unlikely to be in-between. Her novels are very well written, quite gripping, very psychological and a bit dark. Having said that, my dad was enthralled by both In the Woods and The LIkeness (her second book) and could not put either down once he got started reading them. At the same time, he does understand why some people may not like her stories at all and find them quite disturbing.
I think we are settling in here for a fairly quiet New Years Eve, maybe a late night walk around midnight to usher in the New Year. I sincerely hope Wolfie is right in his prognosis for 2011, we could certainly use it, and maybe even a bit of bioluminescence for all of us too.
Wookie
P.S. I definitely remember all of Alice’s bling from the training mission.
6:28 pm on December 31st, 2010
There!…There you have it Alice! This is coming from the highest authority, Agent Wookie, who wrote the original mission notes …snort!… You had a diamond studded collar on during the Training Mission…grunt!…She hocked it and now she can’t face up to the ugly truth…heh!
6:40 pm on December 31st, 2010
Siber H: The Skeleton Man by Tony Hillerman is about 2 planes crashing over the Grand Canyon.
6:47 pm on December 31st, 2010
Siber H: The Skeleton Man by Tony Hillerman is about 2 planes crashing over the Grand Canyon.
Oh oh. Wookie is right (of course – when has he ever been wrong). “Alice was sitting in the passenger seat looking very glamorous in her new fur coat and expensive bling. She had on a diamond-studded collar and was wearing a pair of designer sunglasses.” May 11th, 2010
6:48 pm on December 31st, 2010
Siber H: The Skeleton Man by Tony Hillerman is about 2 planes crashing over the Grand Canyon.
Oh oh. Double posting. excuse me.
6:49 pm on December 31st, 2010
Oh oh. Triple posting excuse, excuse, excuse me.
6:50 pm on December 31st, 2010
Well, if Alice had a fleece scarf on in that mission, it was very sparkly, I mean very, very sparkly. And for fleece – NOT.
6:59 pm on December 31st, 2010
That’s It!!! Thanks Dawson. We don’t know why we have so much trouble with the titles of Hillerman’s books. Your triple posting may actually help us to remember that one.
7:07 pm on December 31st, 2010
Siber H: Oh, that’s why I triple posted. So you would remember. Right.
7:25 pm on December 31st, 2010
Dawson, Are you having problems posting? We tried several times today and it wouldn’t post. Then once it said we had already said that, but it still hadn’t posted.
7:27 pm on December 31st, 2010
Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me . . . snicker.
Folks, beavers can be up to 100 pounds, usually about 60. The way they are eating around here, I would guess we’ve got the 100 pounders.
Zoë, Dan and I are going for fuzzy, warm and relaxed.
Wölfie: sorry to hear about the guys. Jeez. Give them a centimeter and they take a kilometer. I would agree about the iPAD. That is yours. Say, My iPad, Mine.
It works with the Pack. Dan is out of that hospital and in Rehab. Liking it.
Wöökie: I think 2011 full of bioluminescence would be wonderful.
7:27 pm on December 31st, 2010
Thrice!…. Sometimes one does have to knock three times on Siberh’s head before he realizes where he is and what he was just saying…heh!…especially if he is out digging holes or has been out digging holes, or if he is thinking about digging holes…snort!
7:45 pm on December 31st, 2010
Liz: What is a birth year?
MollieABP: The buttermilk fruitcake recipe was posted here by Jasper. I don’t remember when though. Do you know when it was Jasper? I copied it and can post it here if you like.
Rio: I’d like to see a picture because this is a flower of your friend’s own creation right?
7:58 pm on December 31st, 2010
Stover!…I asked and she said it is not Totally an Original…sniff!… She was trying to make a flower in one of her new books but it wasn’t working. So she changed it to a more 3-D flower and she thinks its way prettier than the one in the book…grunt!… Each one of these flowers consists of 49 objects that have to be made individually, Not including any stems or leaves…heh!…She’s freakin’ crazy if you ask me…sniff!
8:02 pm on December 31st, 2010
Finish!…Right now she is working on the final and hardest part for her…heh!…It’s the center of the flower…sniff!…This alone has 19 itty bitty pieces that have to be rolled and then glued together in a certain way… snort!…Freakin’ crazy I’m telling ya!
8:09 pm on December 31st, 2010
We are watching a show called “Decoding Dogs”. So far I haven’t seen a single dog doing any decoding. They are trying to turn foxes into dogs. Uh..o…k… whatever. BTW whatever was again voted the most annoying word for 2010.
8:15 pm on December 31st, 2010
San Francisco was just selected to host America’s Cup.
That should be interesting.
Rio: Hope to see the flower when it is finished. A 3D flower sounds pretty.
8:19 pm on December 31st, 2010
My boys do not even know that Mom bought an ipad. That info is on a need to know basis, and they do NOT need to know!!
Mom got a little mushy during Christmas, and caved. No more. In fact, we have “asked” the boys to leave on January 8. It is breaking our hearts, but it is obvious even to mushy moms that the boys are not willing to follow our rules. According to the therapists, it must be done Now so that they will have an opportunity to learn the necessary lessons. Tough, tough, tough.
But as long as they can blame mom for all of their shortcomings, they will not grow.
8:21 pm on December 31st, 2010
Here’s to 2011!
(all together now)
Should auld acquaintance be forgot…..
8:25 pm on December 31st, 2010
From Mary….
About the toffee….the only thing time that I have had a problem with separation of butter and sugar is when I used cheap butter. That really does make a difference. You may try turning down the flame, but the whisking seems to help. I’ll have to ponder on this…..
8:26 pm on December 31st, 2010
Happy New Years Eve, guys. We missed yesterday because of Mom’s late night working. Then she comes home and crashes.
Rio, this is when we wish we had the talent that many of the other bloggers have to put into words the sadness we feel for your friend. What a tough year she has had. We’re glad she found that Grandma passsed in her sleep. It is always a comfort to know the passage was peaceful. Macy posted yesterday about how close we all have become on the blog…people who don’t know each other, who sometimes argue like siblings, but who are ultimately there for each other. All of us are here for you in thought and heart. And please post the pictures of the new project when she finishes it!!
SiberH, a friend at work showed Mom a UTube video of a huskie-type dog “singing” a baby to sleep. It was TOO COOL! Don’t know if we can find it again, and if we do, if we can tag the link to the blog, but we will try. You will be impressed, even though you aren’t really a kid lover (we aren’t either).
8:29 pm on December 31st, 2010
Rio – whatever you do, do not sneeze on the project. That would not be good.
Mom watched a utube video on two cats playing patty cake, patty cake. It was a hoot!!
8:39 pm on December 31st, 2010
Hello plunderers! HNY greetings to all.
This is Jaspers’ mom here. Jazzy is sleeping off a visit to the vet today for a dental cleaning. One tooth was loose and had to be extracted. He is on pain meds, needs soft food for 2 days and a re-visit to the vet next week to check on the stitches. I have not looked at his teeth, just let him sleep. He is moaning in his sleep. I have bought some soft food and he scarfed one of those babies down quite quickly, thank you. He was pretty wobbly when I picked him up from the vet, not able to judge how to jump up on the arm of the chair where he usually sleeps. I had to give him a hand both up and down.
I have been going for 2 days straight, haircut, picked up sewing at the dry cleaners, back to son’s car dealership for another quick and painless car check/repair, then $150 at the grocery store and finally home.
I picked up a new crockpot recipe book at B&N yesterday and was inspired to create a root veg soup, with potatoes, onion, parsnip, turnip, carrot, but then I got a good price on round steak, so I’m gonna toss that in the pot as well. Also picked up some sangria and champagne. I’m sipping on the sangria right now, with 3 orange slices, a wedge of lemon and lime. Yummo!
I’ve got the Twilight movies lined up for a Edward Cullen NYE Twifest. Edward’s hauling Bella up the mountain to show her his sparkly skin…
Regarding the fruitcake bread, here’s the recipe again:
Christine’s Buttermilk Fruit Cake
3 eggs
1 ½ cup sugar
1 teas vanilla
¾ cup oil
1 teas salt
1 cup of buttermilk
1 teas of baking soda
3 cups flour
1 box of golden raisins
1 lb candied fruit
1 cup chopped walnuts
Mix buttermilk and baking soda, add eggs, sugar vanilla, oil and salt. Mix well then gradually add flour. Once blended stir in fruit and nuts. Pour into greased pans and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
Makes two loaf pans, one Bundt or four mini loafs. Adjust baking time based on pan size.
Christine’s Tips…I prefer to use chopped dried fruit rather than candied fruit. My favorite combination is cranberry, raisin, apricot. But, I have used many different combinations of dried fruit and they are all good (i.e. dates, apples, cherries, pineapple, etc). I have also used pecans which is very good.
8:40 pm on December 31st, 2010
Macy: I would have to agree that “whatever” is a very annoying word. Especially when accompanied by a shrug or roll of the eyes.
Riö: i remember when your friend didn’t think she was artistic and here she is creating original work!
8:42 pm on December 31st, 2010
Jasper’s mom: Yup, you didn’t have days off . . . you had catch up days.
8:51 pm on December 31st, 2010
Original!…Heh! Not entirely true, just a slight change in the design and the way the colors are used…snort!… Original is a very big word…snort!
Puss N’ Boots!… I think your ability to express yourselves has grown considerably this year…snort!…Keep up the good work and thank you for your very expressive kind words…sniffle!
9:03 pm on December 31st, 2010
Gus&BooBear, I thought what you posted was very well said.
It is suppose to get down to 5 degrees here tonight. Yippie!!
Rio, it is going to be even colder where you live.
9:16 pm on December 31st, 2010
Jasper’s Mom: Thank you for posting the receipe again. Hope Jasper is feeling OK tomorrow.
9:23 pm on December 31st, 2010
Well, I’ve toasted the New Year with some Sleepytime Tea and it has to be after 12 somewhere in the world.
So HAPPY NEW YEAR!
TTFN
9:30 pm on December 31st, 2010
Melanie!… Happy New Year!… Lord knows we need a happy one this time…snort!… Give Clarkson a great big slurpy lick for me…heh!…Or better yet, have Patsy give him the slobbery kiss for me…wheeze!.
9:39 pm on December 31st, 2010
Melanie, If you like champagne, you might enjoy this sparkling catawba jucice that Barb is drining tonight. It is very much like champagne, without the alcohol.
Macy, “whatever” was #1, and I think “like” was # 2.
9:49 pm on December 31st, 2010
Good night all and happy new year!
10:05 pm on December 31st, 2010
Two!…Down, many left to go…heh!…If we hit 100 it might drop off quick after that, unless we all crash at Stover’s Blog…snort!
10:53 pm on December 31st, 2010
Sorry B, to miss you before you knocked off, I went to the movies. Chinese horoscopes have twelve signs, tiger, rat ox pig snake monkey horse dog…various others, they go by year not by month so if you were born in 1974 or 1962 or 1950 you’re a Tiger. I don’t remember the order of them, apart from rat then ox then tiger. 2000 was a dragon year, so 2012 will be too.
Mary – thank you for the advice! The first time it separated i was using organic butter i think, $12 worth! So the second time i was using cheaper butter, but I could try one more time with the pricey French one. Fingers crossed.
10:56 pm on December 31st, 2010
I’m fading fast…Rio, you and your friend get a good night’s rest. I’m sure you guys are tired. This has been a difficult year, but there are better days ahead for you.
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU!
nighty night
love,
Siber-H
11:11 pm on December 31st, 2010
happy new year all round, guys.
11:13 pm on December 31st, 2010
Happy New Year’s to everyone. I won’t make it to midnight because I have a 12 hour shift tomorrow – need my beauty sleep. I hope to dream about swimming in the bioluminescent waters. Goodbye to the Tiger and hello to the Rabbit.
11:24 pm on December 31st, 2010
Liz!….Isn’t it already 2011 where you are right now?….snort!….How is 2011? Does if feel soft and fuzzy?…grunt!…How’s my sketch coming along anyways?…sniff!
11:27 pm on December 31st, 2010
Crap!…Now I am on the Dark Side…grunt!
11:30 pm on December 31st, 2010
2011 is HOT, so far not very fuzzy but it’s still the year of the Tiger until February, so that’s probably it. Did you make two posts so you can slobber on yourself for new years?
11:34 pm on December 31st, 2010
Happy New Year, everyone. We are going to watch them bring in the new year on Times Square, NYC, and then we will call it a night. Can’t make it to midnight here.
Wolfie, tell your Mom and Dad we will be thinking about them over the next few weeks. It will be hard for everyone, but hopefully the boys Can get their heads straight.
Rio, hope your friend gets through the weekend ok. Our thoughts are with you.
And our best to Dan! HAPPY NEW YEAR!
11:39 pm on December 31st, 2010
Oh, no, sorry – it was Dawson. This thing is displaying funny. Maybe Mike is drunk!
12:20 am on January 1st, 2011
Liz!…So tell me about this studio you go to to work on your art and the upcoming exhibit…sniff!…If I remember correctly you are getting ready for a big display somewhere?…wheeze!
Mike!…I have no doubt at all that the Fabulous Baker Boy is drunk tonight…snort!…Here’s to Mike and all the fun we’ve had this year because of his efforts to create this here blog! And to keep it running.…cheers!…It has it’s bugs, but what bed doesn’t…snorkel!..heh!
1:22 am on January 1st, 2011
Happy New Year everyone. Here is hoping the rabbit year is a good one. Staff says she is a product of a rat year. (Don’t tell Magpie)
Alice is sulking. She muttered something about “rented and being returned drat it all…” I don’t know what to think about that. I have to admit I have never seen her in any shiny stuff and I think that she would wear it if she had it.
But she can be a little sneaky.
Dear Sister Dawson. I am sorry to hear about your bad week. I hope things get better soon. Your shoes are in and Staff is going to get them next week.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
1:22 am on January 1st, 2011
The studio is my spare bedroom! Convenient. But Cricket sits downstairs and demands quite a bit of attention, so it’s not ideal for concentration. I did borrow a friend’s studio when she was away a few weeks ago and it was terrific, no excuses, you just sit and draw – no letting the dog out or giving her a biscuit, no putting the wash on or cleaning the bathroom, just working.
I hope you’re in bed! i know you and your friend didn’t get much sleep last night. I hope you do tonight.
1:35 am on January 1st, 2011
Ahhh!… My friends “studio” is the back bedroom, which isn’t a bedroom anymore… heh!…It is a computer/ TV room / Quilling room…snort!… Yes, we are still UP! She cannot go to sleep yet, for some reason. We will be up till all hours again I fear…yawn!… I’m tired, but I dare not leave her alone…snuff!…She’s not herself right now, and I need to watch her and the House Marathon …grunt!
2:16 am on January 1st, 2011
2011!… Well, we have finally left last year…snort!… Happy New Year to everyone! …snort!… Lets make this year a very good year, one for the books! ..heh!…Lets have a good time, learn a lot, and do something important!…wheeze!…This gang can do anything they put their minds to…heh!
3:57 am on January 1st, 2011
Happy New Years everybody!
I wish these people here would go to bed already. It is almost 3 am and some dogs need their sleep.
Should old friends be forgotten and never brought to mind? I don’t think so. I don’t get the song. Maybe because I am so snoozy.
Mom and Dad had an exciting evening. They played a new game called Quirkle. Dad found it on Amazon. It looked pretty fun, but of course they did not ask me to play even though I gave them my famous paw wave. At least we got to go out and bark in the new year. Hardly anyone else was out to return our barks, but that is ok, because we barked enough for the whole neighborhood.
Oh, good here she comes to turn off the computer so we can get some sleep.
2 days till mom’s birthday. We should really be shopping.
Niters y’all *as if anyone is still here*
Macy out (of the old year)