Cancún- A Vacation in Paradise

We've just returned from a one-in-a-lifetime wonderful vacation to Cancún. Our oldest son, Erik, hosted us at one of the resorts that he manages (he is head of HR over several companies). It was a marvelous, wonderful, rejuvenating, relaxing and luxurious 5 days in the sun; made all the sweeter because we left 18" of snow at home. We left 20°F in Springville and found 20°C (68°F) in Cancún. Since we didn't want to leave our house at 0-dark-thirty we spent all day Friday traveling. Erik and a private car (Suburban) with driver picked us up at the airport. We were welcomed into the vehicle with cool, damp, scented washclothes and cold bottled water.

The next morning when I opened the curtains I was greeted with paradise! This is the view we enjoyed each day. Ahhhh...

SECRETS SILVERSANDS MAYA RIVIERA RESORT 

Erik is quite adventurous in his eating and recommended the octopus for dinner the night we arrived. I've eaten octopus before, but nothing like this. It was tasty and the ends of the tentacles were wonderfully crispy!

Saturday was our day to see the markets in downtown Cancún. We stopped at the the famous Cancún sign, and since there was quite a line to take a photo in front of the sign, we opted to go down on the beach to get our photo op. (And, yes, I used some creative editing to get Cancún facing the right way!)

It is winter in Cancún so the days were cool, never above 23°C (73.4°F) and the nights were cooler, 18°C (65°F) Frankly it was cooler than I had planned on. Next time I will bring a couple of jackets or sweaters.

THE BEACH BY THE CANCUN SIGN

There was a little playground on the beach and Gordon wanted to get a couple of cute shots...

Who knew? This takes me back to the days of our honeymoon 34+ years ago when we ended up falling down laughing in the aisle while trying on tennie-runners at K-Mart!

The markets were interesting. One of my favorites were these *chicken-dance* pollos! Bwahahaha! Can't you just hear the chicken dance music?

I found a pretty white blouse at a cute little shop that Megan likes and bought it to be my Provo City Center Temple blouse. It makes me happy just thinking about it!

Erik was in search of some little embroidered purses to take back for Megan. We eventually found them, but not before we found this guy who was serving mangos on a stick. He expertly peeled and cut it to look like a flower. Then he added some non-spicy red sauce, lime juice, salt and, for the brave, a hot chili powder (I passed on the spicy!) It was delicious and I was glad there were the aforementioned damp cloths in the Suburban with which to clean my face, between slurpey, juicy bites and eventually my hands.

And although we'd eaten a sumptuous breakfast Erik had a hankering for food from one of his favorite restaurants. I was still quite full so only ordered a tomato-avocado salad. Yummy!

This was Erik's quest... chapulines (grasshopper tacos)! I HAD to try them and they were actually quite tasty with a crunchiness from the legs. But the best part was the freshly made masa tortillas being cooked right there in a corner of the restaurant! I could have eaten a dozen... but used my willpower!

Dinner that night was at the Bordeaux restaurant at the resort. When we'd made a reservation earlier in the day I asked the manager what he would recommend. My meal started with escargot, continuing with French onion soup, grouper fish and ending with crème brûlée. It was wonderfully delicious from beginning to end. (So much so that the next night I went back alone, while Gordon watched the Super Bowl, in Spanish, and had it all again substituting a salad for the grouper fish)

There was ample time to wander the resort, soak up the sun, take photos and relax.

EGRET IN THE LITTLE LAGOON AT RESORT

I will be back over the next few days with more posts about each day in paradise.

Sweet Linden Trees

As I sit here this evening blogging from my deck I am enveloped with the aroma of my back-door neighbor's linden trees. Every June they burst forth in a heady, sweet fragrance that is sometime so thick it is almost overpowering!

I'm sure that I've seen them in bloom before but I couldn't remember what they looked like so I asked if I could come capture their likeness. Certainly to pour forth a scent that is best described as being similar to plumeria or freesia the blossoms must be large, similar to east coast dogwood or camellias.

But, no, they are just these little fuzzy blossoms.

And what did I spy on my way to get this photo? A precious white butterfly making the rounds on my lavender. He and the honey bees were taking it in turn to sup at the spikes.

"So Here I Am, Just Mindin' My Own Business..."

"...out for an evening stroll when some *yappy-crappy* little dog outs me! *Yap-yap-yap*  Mind your own business Whitey! Hey! I'm allowed to walk on the public street if I want to!"



"Then this absolute FREAK OF NATURE in plaid shorts comes stomping up to me! Hey! Watch where you're stepping! My legs are fragile (fra-GEE-lay... must be Italian!) but does *FoN* pay any attention? No! And then this huge foot comes way close to me... watch out!  Don't touch me... I have tarantula skills!"



"HA! It works every time! Act fierce and they go away and leave me alone. Now, if I can just get up this curb and into the grass I will be set for the evening of catching my fill of crickets! DE-lish!"

"OH MY STINKIN'HECK!! (hey, I AM a Utah Tarantula!) There's the grass! I can feel it with my front furry feet! Wait! WAIT!! WAIT!!! Something green and long is prodding me ahead! I don't like this! Where did that nice cool grass go? I'm trapped in this tall white thing! Wait... wait... I can just climb up the side! But every time I try there is a 7.0 earthquake and I fall back to the slimey-peach-scented-floor of my prison cell! Wahhhh! I was just mindin' my own business!! Sniff! Sob!"

"Then, and you're not going to believe this, the whole sky goes dark blue! I can distinguish the faint letters... B Y U! What does this mean?"

"Mild aftershocks keep coming in a rhythmic pattern, but I'm holding it together! When all of a sudden the sky lightens and I hear the most awful screeching and wailing from some little mutant FoN beings who go by the names of Zoe and Lucy! Zoe is very respectful and wants to know all about me but that Lucy! Stop with the screeching... you are breaking my poor arachnid eardrums."

"I never thought I would be thankful to see the sky go dark again... but I am! Blessed silence and just a rhythmic rocking motion. (Eeww! I think I'm going to be sick!)"

"Then, if you will believe this, the sky lightens again and my prison cell seems to be slowly tumbling! What is that? Hey I know that! Dried grass, dirt, weeds, bushes... I'm going to make a break for it! FoN starts to leave... but WAIT! No! don't come back at me with that pink-clicking thing!"



"Oh, blessed freedom! I guess I will think twice before I go out for an evening stroll down the middle of the street! It's grass and weeds for all the way!"

**By special request from Tawna! 

Tarantula!!!

This evening I had to go repair the fence where Harley has literally knocked off boards trying to get at Wilson-the-dog, that none of the neighborhood dogs like. (Poor Wilson!) While I was out there wielding my power drill the Pickerings came walking by with their little dog, Cooper (who also hates poor Wilson). We got to chatting and pretty soon Cooper starts growling and barking at something. I assumed it was another dog!

NOPE...

It was this bad boy! Walking Stalking across the street, bold as you please!  You know me!  I whipped out my MPC!



What the heck? I'd heard that tarantulas lived in Utah but didn't expect to see one in my neighborhood! This is the first one I've seen in seven and half years.

I've been told that tarantulas don't bite humans (I even let one climb on Tadhg's arm several years ago when we found it in YLP! Yeah, great Grammie behavior!)

I wanted to give my viewers a size comparison so I stuck my foot down by him.  He was ok until I accidentally touched his little furry leg... then he was in attack mode! I could practically hear him hiss!



And even though I read that tarantulas have been kept in captivity for 30 years I wasn't interested in testing that theory! Luckily I had a stray BYU bucket in the backyard from fruit picking (he was making quick getaway for the grass) so I yoinked it up, got a long iris leaf to use as a prod and got this furry creature into the bucket. He, on the other hand, wasn't too excited about this idea! He was determined to crawl out of said bucket and try his fangs at human-bites! (YIKES! Was my adrenaline ever flowing!)

But since he is *just one of God's little creatures* I speedy-quick got a lid so I could safely carry him to the field not too far from my house (read- far enough away that he won't come back for a visit!) and liberate him.



Boy, oh boy, will he ever have a story to tell the other tarantulas!

Joanie's Big Day

Let me just start by asking, "How can Little Joanie be sixty-years-old?" I've always been the baby of the family... even now I have people say, "You're only 60? Try it from here!" Ah well, 60 is the oldest I've ever been!



On my actual birthday Ann and Wayne came up to go to dinner with us. It was very nice to spend this day with one of my sisters who *prayed for me*!

Since 3rd Sunday Family dinner was this weekend Camille asked if I wanted her to make a Pig Pickin' Cake (cha! YES!) Stuart went digging for candles and the best selection available was a *6* and then a *0* made of mandarin oranges!



Everyone sang *Happy Birthday to Joanie/Mom/Grammie* complete with some harmony by Kevin (I love harmony!)

And as exciting as turning 60 might be for me... it couldn't hold a candle to Uncle Stuart and a swarm of ants on the patio!



This is the second time they've done this!



Which isn't a very smart move... what can I expect? They are ants!

Happy Blog-Birthday to Me!

Five years... 

Count them 1... 2... 3... 4... 5...

I can hardly believe its been five years since I started my blog. It's usually easy for me to keep track of when my blog birthday is because my sweet niece founded her blog, Rosehaven Cottage, just before I did. In fact, Cindy was my inspiration!

Keeping a journal has long been an obsession-of-sorts with me. I learned early on that I could work through many problems by writing them down. I've captured precious Heavenly inspiration that, having gone unwritten, would have been completely lost and forgotten.

My blog has been an extension of my journal... and best of all- a Photo Journal.  My memory works much like a mental photograph album... I have technicolor-surround-sound-smell-a-vision memories!

As I anticipated this day I've gone back and read some of my early posts... I love these journeys  I'm so grateful for this wonderful record that has been created for me, and yes, even my posterity.

About this bumble-bee...



He was just chillin' on the side of my shed. He was so big I could see him from my bedroom window. As I mentioned recently, I've always been fascinated by bumble bees. And this happy little fellow hung out long enough for me to get up-close-and-personal. Isn't he beautiful?

What To Do?

We've been treated to two glorious COOL rainy days! Yay! I love this tiny reprieve from the July heat.

We arrived home from church in a light drizzle. As I got out of the car I saw some-THING on the driveway. Immediately I recognized it as a snail! My first impulse was to go pick it up and chuck it into the street (don't hold that against me... I did grow up in the country).

But that cruel thought was immediately eclipsed by the thought...

"GO GRAB YOUR CAMERA AND A BATH TOWEL

 AND CAPTURE THAT IMAGE!"

I wanted Gordon to come take a photo of me taking a photo of the snail, lying on my belly in my Sunday clothes... but he was too busy attacking the pot roast. Maybe next time.

What Is It?

Seriously, I'd like some help here... what is doing this? It's like miniature mole hills in my PAW-th. ("A PAW-th,  a PAW-th!" Name that movie!)



The holes range in size from pencil lead size to kindergarten pencil size (does anyone else remember those fat black pencils we used in kindergarten? I can smell them right now!)



Other than the hole that is surrounded by the miniature hill all of the holes look like someone, some-THING, drilled a perfectly manicured hole in the dirt between the stones in my PAW-th.



I dumped baking soda down the first miniature mole hill, but all the THING did was make another one and bore even more holes in my PAW-th! I've considered just dumping Diazinon down these holes... but for some reason just can't bring myself to do it.

So, what do you think? Will they excavate under the foundation of my house?

Spider Wars

Yesterday dawned with the smell of rain in the air! Ahh... I love that smell. I was so pleased, and GRATEFUL, when it started raining just a little while later! I threw open all the windows that I'd closed at 5:30 am and let in that wonderful, damp, cool air. Have I mentioned I love the rain? Especially in the summer?

Early afternoon we needed to take Ashton to her piano lessons up in American Fork so I started closing the ground floor window to a safe/locked position. That was when I spied this...

OK... I'm not a scaredy-cat where spiders or insects are concerned so I find this kind of stuff very interesting! I had no idea this kind of thing could happen in the spider kingdom...



Wouldn't all spiders be impervious to sticky webs? Or is it kind of like germs and antibodies, you are only good with your own germs?

The funny/interesting part is...

THE LITTLE SPIDER IS WHOOPIN' ON THE BIG SPIDER. I could see her/him wrapping up that big dude.



It's the kind of thing I would have stayed and watched if I hadn't just been walking out of the house.

So?? How did it end? I have to admit that I just stopped typing this post and went outside to see if I could determine the outcome!

Yep, that big dude is all curled up and desiccated in the corner of the web AND there are random spider leg in the web... kind of like a warning to any other marauding spiders-

PRIVATE PROPERTY-

Violators will be eaten!

Dragonfly

Back in April, when my lilacs were in bloom, I walked out the back door and saw this handsome fellow just chillin' on the lilacs. I stealthily crept back inside for my Rebel and came back out just as quietly to captured him in all of his beauty.



I'm sure glad I stumbled upon this photo... it is too good not to share.

Hole-in-the-Rock: Flora and Fauna

I realized that I had so many photos from our trip down to southern Utah that I would need to break it up into several posts. And anyone who knows me and my photographic habits recognizes that I can rarely pass up a photo of flora or fauna... they just make me happy!

This is Dance Hall Rock (about 35 miles along our trail) were the pioneers camped for a LONG TIME while scouts went out to decide what route would work best. They had nightly dances to break up the time. You have to admire their tenacity.



This is also where I viewed the illusive, and sometimes violent, rock monkey. These treacherous primates often masquerade as human-adolescent males... but don't let their appearance fool you. As soon as they return to their native habitat (large rock formations, the higher the better) rock monkeys become wildly daring and refuse to listen to their trainers. YOUTH LEADERS- BE WARNED!

LOOK OUT OF THE WAY!

Observe the rock monkey's propensity to play right on the edge of the precipice! (Stupid monkeys!)



I was also able to capture the shadow of the long-legged rock gazelle, but this mammal is invisible to dSLR's powers.



Now... these little creatures! HA! They had no chance against my superior powers! I could have squished them like an ant. I love his little antie (or is that auntie?) foot-prints in the sand.



And look at this little worker's shadow! I see he hasn't learned magic powers yet. Whew!



OK... this is more my speed! That is the nice thing about fauna... usually it isn't moving away from you at a high rate of speed. I love the deep orange/red color of this delicate desert wildflower.



I'm not familiar with southern Utah wildflowers so I don't know the name of either one of these pretty little flowers.



And speaking of tenacity! Look at this sweet little buttercup growing up from a crack in the slickrock! (Is this where I burst into song? My little buttercup- has the sweetest smile!)



On the ride out (did I mention that it was 55.5 miles of dirt, wash-boarded, bumpy road?) I saw cacti on the side of the road, so I was pretty happy to find one when we reached Hole-in-the-Rock.



But I was even more excited when I found this little lovely, still in bloom!



You know, it makes all the bumps worth it when there are beautiful vista, dangerous fauna and delicate flora at the journey's end.

288- Dragonfly

The days are getting shorter and nights are getting colder; we all start to move a little slower... including this very cooperative little fellow. I was within inches of him, lying on my stomach on the cement with him. After I was finished I got up turned around and when I'd turned back he'd flown away.

258- A Gaggle of Dragonflies

About dinner time Gordon went out to get the mail, when he came back in he told me to get my best camera and go fast out to the driveway... there was a whole gaggle of dragonflies out there buzzing around like crazy.

It was very difficult to get a photo of them they were moving so fast. There had to be a couple o'dozen of them!



I've been wondering why they were here and what they were doing. Then a thought just popped into my head!!! fruit flies! Yes, dragonflies are great bug catchers... I sure hope that is what they are doing!

249- Yellow Coneflower

Frequently I will capture a flower that I'm not sure what it is. It always pleases me when I make a guess, do a quick Google search and find out that I'm real close. This yellow coneflower is one of those. It just looked like it must be a coneflower!

And I caught another little insect interloper...

241- Hummingbird Dilemma

Thanksgiving Point gardens draw sweet little hummingbird. As we toured the gardens we saw several but they were always to fast for me. As we returned to the *club house* an adventurous little soul came right up to this big, sweet pot of blossoms and started sipping.



I had on my standard 18-55mm lens so I do have zoom capabilities, but I was surprised with how close she let me move in.



I also keep my camera set on burst mode so I was able to get lots of good shots of her selecting the sweetest nectar these beautiful flowers had to offer.



Then all of a sudden she jerked into hyper-reverse-lift... I wasn't approaching any more... what had spooked her?



I see her dilemma! And she was having NOTHING to do with this *ill tempered-rodent* wasp. Can't say that I blame her in the least.