A Happy Easter to All

I hope you all awoke to a wonderful basket full of goodies and a sense of renewal in your soul.

We made it home last night after having a late start from Riverside. A friend who watches the place (and enjoys it as much as we do) popped in with his daughter for a beer and a bienget. Well, his daughter had the bienget, he had the beer, mind you. It's one of our rituals to have biengets before leaving the Gulf. The hub and the kid had a morning on the beach and brought back a whole box of the delicacies! I thought I had died and gone to heaven! We still have the entire box (less four or five) sitting in the kitchen. I can actually hear my name being whispered from the box! Hush now.

I had a lovely box from Connie waiting for me upon my arrival home--a prize I had won on her blog. Isn't it just too sweet? And a sweet note from Shelley including the precious hang tag on the bunny painting above. Such sweet folks out there in Blogland.

I found these quaint little bottles in Fairhope. I've now filled them with little grape hyacinths, narcissus and rosemary.

Little Bunny Fru Fru is dressed in her finest for the day. Sure am glad someone went to the trouble of dressing for the occasion. I have on my usual jeans and t-shirt garb.

All my peeps (which Beth gave me) are lines up and ready to be eaten. Oh my.

And then there's the cat who ate the canary. Thank goodness we don't have a canary. Looks like she got a hold of a feather from somewhere! What pleasure she has in her eyes! "Who me? I have nothing in my mouth!"

Well, I'm off to cook Easter supper. Yum. I can almost smell it now! Will share the menu with you a little later.

A Day at the Beach

As we promised the kid, we beached it all day today. It was fabulous, to say the least.

We drove along the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway) to Perdido Key, FL. It's our favorite spot on the Gulf of Mexico.

It was another picture-perfect day--not a cloud in the sky. And, of course, I have the sunburn to prove it.

I brought all my magazines that I never seem to get through at home. I loved this saying.

I finally settled in to read through the latest issue of Artful Blogging, complete with lovely Janet's beautiful drawing. Kudos to J!


Some beach-towel views.

A delicious dinner at The Crab Trap, along with my favorite pina colada, of course. Thinking of you GGC!
We have slathered lotion on our rosy little faces, lit a fire and are now settled in for the night. The moon is lighting the river for the little boats returning home. It's our last night here until summer arrives. I keep pinching myself. It was another memorable Spring Break at riverside.

Life is good.

Breakfast on the River

Banana Pudding on Pelican Landing? Bring it on!

Happy first day of spring, everyone!

Prudy Pelican Visit

I'd much rather have Prudy visiting rather than than old tailless lizard any old day. We have named the porch The Lizard Lounge. Perhaps the dock can now be called Pelican Landing?

Wednesday Randomness

This is one of my calla lilies I brought down to Riverside. They are magnificent.

Bella looking for her next catch as I catch up on reading about the Sparkledrawers Sisters on Vallen's site.

The kid and I shared a muffuletta yesterday for lunch. Just like being in NOLA.

Felix's Fish Camp, which I will tell you all about later. Major yum.

One of Wintzell's many signs. I liked the woman quote. hehe.

Here's the kid trying to "coax" the tailless lizard from under the sofa. Didn't work. He corrected me last night and let me know the lizard was living with us for two days, not one. It was Sunday when all the commotion started.

It's a rainy day which is always fun. The kid and I have plans to do some more running around. Lord forbid we ever sit still for a minute or two. The hub is in the Carolina's for the day--bidness--but comes home tonight. Think we will spend the evening on the Gulf since we will be picking him up in Pensacola. Always lots to do there.

And, they're off! Well, first I have to wake the kid up. Hey, he's on Spring Break!

Bella. Bad, Bad Bella

Bella is definitely feeling her felinity, I think, for the first time. Monday was her day to shine as a huntress and a cat. Fun for her, not so for me.

Bella caught her second lizard and brought it into the house. Fun. Of course, I was the one who saw her with the thing dangling from her mouth. At which time I screamed for the hub to "grab it."

Of course, when he grabbed it (it being Bella), the thing (thing being the lizard) fell out of her mouth. It was at this time that somehow the lizard's tail fell off. Ew. I think perhaps Bella started the process and the hub finished it off. Ew. OMG. This river living is a tad much for a city girl. The tail was just a wiggling as I yelled for the hub to "get it outta here!" (It, this time, being the flopping tail.) Unfortunately, the tail was the only thing to be thrown out and the lizard has been living with us for an entire day now.

That is, until this afternoon. Yes, the saga continued. The kid and I had just arrived home after a day of running around. I went towards my desk, and there sat the tailless lizard. I had hoped he had already left after leaving the doors open all day. No such luck. Thank goodness we have little butterfly nets. One truly came in handy. The kid was a real pro with the thing. Poor little lizard. He must wonder what in the world is going on in his life. I just wonder where he slept last night. Ew.

Good news is, everyone is where they are supposed to be. Lizard out, Bella in. The little brat actually did get outside the screened-in porch yesterday afternoon. Must have been feeling her oats after catching the lizard. Little brat. She got out in the fenced-in area and just played hide-and-go-seek with the kid and I. I was so mad at her. Should have just left her out there and let her fend for herself. Well, of course I couldn't have done that. But I tell you what, she was on my you-know-what list last night. Brat.

We're all made up today though. All is good at Riverside. Knock wood.

Happy St. Pat's Day!

Are you wearing green?

Home Away from Home

Just what the doctor ordered! A river and a beer. Sigh.

Uneventful ride. Rained until we hit the Alabama border. This is one of our rockets--don't know which one, I'm afraid. Hunstville, AL is home to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. We've never stopped, but it is on the list of things to do at some point in our journeys.

Our azaleas are blooming here. Tomorrow I'm going to take a look out back and see if the wisteria is in bloom. It was last year, this time. Haven't had a walk about yet. The beer and river were calling my name after we unloaded the car. Everything is good.

Spring has Sprung

My goofy 'bama flower girl.

I awoke this morning to the smell of fresh rain. Awwwww. Now, that's what spring is all about-- the smell of wet dirt. I love it. Yesterday, as I was driving around town getting my errands finished up, I saw a farmer tilling his field. And then the smell hit me. Sigh. Fresh dirt.

This morning, as if the garden faery had sprinkled the beds with magical faery dust, most of the hyacinths and daffodils were in full bloom! Poof! Amazing what a few days for warmth and a morning of rain does. It's so pretty and fragrant too, I might add.

If I were going to be home, I would start a bouquet for the house. But since we're on our way out, I will leave these for Mother Earth to enjoy. Oh, and the one lone yellow jacket that has also sprung a little early. Can you spy her? I think I got her a little mad trying to capture her in my lens. The think the last flash kind of dazed her. But not for long. She was back to doing what she does best. Mmmm, don't you know those grape hyacinths sure do taste good.

My flowers of the month arrived on my doorstep this morning. Calla Lilies! I have them soaking in water, but you can guarantee that I'm taking them to Riverside to enjoy for the week. You think I'd leave them here with the teenager and his hoodlum friends? I think not!


Muck buckets full and ready to go, along with Bella's kennel. Last trip, I had to get her a larger one as she had outgrown the cute little kennel she used to ride in. Aw. Can you see the green shell plate? It was my mom's. I remember it from when I was a little girl, always in the cabinet above the stove. I don't remember her ever using it. I think it's absolutely perfect for Riverside; and that's just where it's going.


Here's the last of the anniversary roses. I hated throwing them out, but they were pretty well spent. And another one of my silly 'bama girls--needing a little dusting, I'm afraid. (I found these cuties in Alabama and lovingly call them my 'bama girls.)

Wishing all of you a wonderful weekend. To those on Spring Break, wooooohoooooo! Enjoy!