Tulum

We took a bus excursion to the ruins of Tulum. The tour was interesting enough, but rather crowded. Iguanas were everywhere, showing no fear of the tourists. The cliff side ocean setting really stands out on one side of the complex, but the other quickly fades to jungle.

Family Gathering

Many relations from across Texas and Oklahoma arrived at the country estate in west Texas. Parents and grandparents from both sides mingled. From my point of view, the stars of the show were Anna and John’s five girls, several of whom took part in the ceremony. I marveled at the young women Holly and Martha have become.

Dinner

Our hosts included dinner and dancing after the ceremony took place under a large tent. The sun broke free of the clouds as it neared the horizon, allowing some wonderful directional light with which to create artful photographs.

Medieval Collection

The artwork from the early to late Medieval period on exhibit strongly shows the influence of the Church on the country, and conversely, the particular influence of Northern sensibility on sculpture and iconography in Denmark. Rich dark wood carving and monster motifs speak of dark forests and wild coastlines. I was most fascinated by this carving of St George, and it’s particular location in the museum space.

Valley View

The location of the house and plantation provide lovely views of the surrounding mountains. This section of the valley has been extensively farmed, so most of the trees have been cleared. This give a sense of openness to the land and connection to the surrounding mountains.

Chickens

The chickens follow the cows in the pasture. The spread the cow patties and grow healthy on a diet of grass and bugs. During the winter, they are kept in multi-use shelters.

Gators

The alligators are common in the river we ran down. They slip into the water and disappear as the boat approaches.

Silent Sentinel

It was a magic moment when we spotting the eagle. The bald eagle watched us with a keen eye as the boat coasted nearer. The bird is so proud and imposing that we were all very quiet. It turned to stare at us before taking flight.

Mangrove Swamp

As part of the ride, we had a slow cruise through the mangroves which border the main expanse of the river. It was still and green and cool under the trees, with just a foot or two of water beneath the boat.

Be Careful

Since alligators are so plentiful and so intriguing, many places show them off. After the ride, we each had a turn holding a baby alligator. It was not cold or slimy, but rather like a leather bag.

Dolphins

The dolphins are wonderful to behold in the Seaworld shows. We watched the dolphin show twice.

Animals

The animals are the stars of the show. Besides dolphins, killer whales and sea lions have their own shows.

Dolphin Feeding

Seaworld has a large pool for the dolphin feeding time. A select few paying guests can suit up and wade out to feed the dolphins up close. The rest of us crowd the wall of the pool and hope for a friendly dolphin to come within reach. Joy got to run her hand over a dolphins skin this way.

Cow of the Sea

There is no ride at Seaworld based around the manatee, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t wonderful creatures. I really enjoy seeing them when we visit wildlife parks. I wish we had some manatees here in Virginia to control the growth of weed in the rivers.

Feeding Time

One of our main reasons for the trip to Chicago was to take part in the Poolside with Penguins program. Joy got to take part in the prep work and feeding of the Humboldt penguins. She even got to pet one! She describes the feathers as sort of plasticy. There was a distinct odor to the birds as well.

Pictures

My job in the Poolside with Penguins program was to try to get better pictures than the pro. I succeeded.

Bears

We got to the bear habitat at feeding time. The bears like fruit and the water.

Water World

The dolphin and seal habitats are very cool. The view into the dolphin tank is cast in blue: the still dolphin is nearly invisible.

Scenic Vistas of Virginia

One of the best benefits of the Parkway is the attention to viewpoint. The designers of the route took advantage of the best points to stop and look out over the valley. We stopped half a dozen times to see the view. The only downside was the swarms of pesky gnats.

Wild Deer in the Road

The deer were thick in the woods that day. Spilling over into the road and standing on the median were the deer as well. We actually circled around a few times to stare at the deer munching on sweet grass in the median. Several times we had to stop as deer ran across the road in front of us.

Beaches

Fences surround the dunes at Ocean City to protect them. Barriers also protect the beach.

On The Boardwalk

The Boardwalk is the place to watch people, shop, and get to your place on the beach. Bikes, joggers, and pedestrians travel up and down the boardwalk at all times of the day. Ocean City’s Boardwalk is wood plank, and has a great feel when walking and makes a great sound when riding a bike. The 2 1/2 mile Boardwalk separates the beach from the buildings of the city.

Shops Of The Boardwalk

Our favorite shop on the Boardwalk is Johnson’s Popcorn. The caramel corn is sure tasty! We got a few slices of the floppy thin crust pizza they serve back East and sat on a bench for lunch. When we visited this year, we came before the season so many of the shops were not yet open.

Early Walks

I love the early light, and at 6:00 a.m. few people are about.