Back to the Woods

This weekend I was packed up again and unpacked in a place where owls like me feel most at home (Well, owls, anyway. There aren't many owls like me...) - the forest.

Yep, this weekend they took me camping.


The family were like different people out in the woods. They were super-mellow and I liked that a lot! Of course Tammy and I got up early every morning to read and write and commune with nature. There are a lot of birds making noise early in the morning, who knew? (I'm nocturnal by nature, remember?) It was no hootie hoo, but their songs were pretty. For morning birds.

Check it out! I even had my own door to the tent!


I admired Shelby's boots so much that she let me try them on. I thought they looked great, but no-one saw fit to let me keep them - or even wear them for the rest of the day. Boots are for people, blah blah blah...


Of course I liked the nights the best, when I could sit around the campfire with my gnomie.

All the coolest folks come out at night.


Lea let me sing while she played her guitar: Whooooooo are you? Whooo whoooo? Whooo whooo?

I had forgotten how much better everything tastes outside!

What a great weekend, I hope I get to go camping again real soon! Do you think next weekend is too much to hope for?

How do You Say "Hootie Hoo" in Spanish?

The family celebrated Cinco de Mayo like many in the United States do: We went out for Mexican food and big ole margaritas. Apparently this is a holiday that is not extensively celebrated in Mexico, but in the United States it's been pretty much appropriated as a good excuse for a cocktail. I am not adverse to this, and actually think there should be more ethnic/cocktail oriented holidays. One owls opinion. Ahem.

The kids had virgin daiquiris that they said were super-yummy.


The grown ups had margaritas on the rocks. Me? I indulged in a little bit of everything.

The kids were tickled, because, as you can see in the picture, the table at which we were seated had an owl on it. I told them if you look hard enough, there are owls everywhere. Their association with me has just heightened their awareness.

I liked this restaurant - I fit in very well with their color scheme. In an era when even some fast food places are taking a stab at understated, it's refreshing to go somewhere that isn't afraid to be big and bold and out there. What's that you say? My digestion? Didn't affect it a bit.

Hootie Hoo, and Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Nothing Matters in the Whole Wide World, When You're in Love With a Jersey Owl

Well folks, I was packed up in my little green box again, and this time I was unpacked in Wildwood, New Jersey.


We went to Wildwood to watch a friends daughter perform in a dance competition. When we arrived in the room, there were flowers and candy waiting there for her. She shared a few of the special M&M's with me. I thought that was kind of cool.

You can't tell from the picture, but the purple ones say: Fusion XI (her dance team) and the yellow ones say: Go For The Gold

After a quick shower we headed to the convention center to watch her preliminary competition. the weather was cold and gray and rainy, but that didn't squelch my enthusiasm one bit as we headed for the boardwalk. Even through the ugly weather, that first glimpse of the ocean made me smile.

There I am in the shower! How embarrassing!

Sitting on the boardwalk, watching the people go by.

The girls ultimately won the gold in their competition. I enjoyed watching all of the teams perform. It was so graceful and beautiful. Grace isn't something I've had a lot of exposure to this year, no offense intended to my host family.

Gillian let me pose with her medal. Her gold medal, thank you very much!

I learned pretty quickly that one of the best things about the Jersey Shore is the food.

There was good east coast pizza...

Philly Cheesesteaks

And fudge and saltwater taffy.

I made some friends on the boardwalk, as I tend to do.

Some pirate eye candy for any sexual preference

I rode the trams on the boardwalk. The quality of this picture is rather poor, because that ride was BUMPY!

I ended my day at the beach back at the Wildwood sign.

What a fun adventure! It was so much fun making new friends and spending time on another beach, even if it was a cold rainy time. It was a nice reminder that summer is just 'round the corner!