TODAY'S TRIVIA:

1835 - Hans Christian Andersen published his 1st book of fairy tales

1843 - 1st chartered mutual life insurance company opens

1878 - 1st White House telephone installed



1891 - James Naismith creates the game of basketball in Springfield MA

1909 - 1st Christmas Club payment made, to Carlisle Trust Co, Pa

1913 - 1st drive-up gasoline station opens (Pittsburg)

1917 - Boys Town founded by Father Edward Flanagan west of Omaha Neb

1929 - BINGO invented by Edwin S Lowe

1955 - Rosa Parks arrested for refusing to move to the back of bus

1959 - 1st color photograph of Earth from outer space

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS:

1671 - Francesco Stradivari, Italian violin maker/son of Antonius

1913 - Mary Martin, actress (Peter Pan) Larry Hagman's mom

1929 - Dick Shawn, actor (Producers, Maid to Order, Angel)

1935 - Lou Rawls, vocalist (Dean Martin's Golddigers, Natural Man)

1935 - Woody Allen [Allen Konigsberg], actor/writer/director (Annie Hall)

1939 - Lee Trevino, PGA golfer (US Open 1968, 71)

1945 - Bette Midler, singer/actress (Do You Want to Dance?)

1951 - Treat Williams, actor (Flashpoint, Hair)

1958 - Charlene Tilton, actress (Lucy Ewing-Dallas)

PS Who says you can't have everything?

Good morning Rusty... where are all the mermaids?

I wanted to mention that I went to Buddy Dive and spoke with Sandra, and she said to tell her dad (Gerritt Blonk) that she says hello and that all is well. She looks great, all blond and suntanned!

Signed,

Mermaid Kelly

Welcome back Kelly!!!

It was nice to see you having a good time in front of the cams last week.

Cynde kept us up to date from your e-mails!!! Sorry to hear you came home to SNOW!!!!!

Rusty - where are the mermaids!?!!?

It was rough going back to work this morning - after the long weekend!!! I am still stuck in James Bond world!!! I must have seen 10 007 movies over 3 days!!!!

Rusty, ROTFLMAO! Our cam cop has never looked better!

Kelly, did you use a body double this time? LOL! Still snowing? That's what you get for not taking me! phhttt! (Just kidding my little cactus flower)

Our cam cop is ready for anything - in the water and out!



Well, come on, kids. I can't supply ALL the mermaids. LOL

Good Morning all. Martin is a dry suit, to weird. He's cold blooded like myself and would die in one.

Back to Bonaire redux, I did not get any mermaid shots (I should have dove the Plaza more), here's some squid instead.

Just wanted to pop in and say to all you little mermaids and mermen. Haven't had a lot of time for chit chat lately as we have been busy painting the hallway. It is such a big job.

Morning, all!

So, Kelly, I understand you, too, have snow. Fortunately for me, I haven't just come back from Bon. I feel for you.

Snow update in Juneau--total accumulation of the latest snow storm was 12 inches at my house. Others, of course, go more; others less. Its supposed to be rainy today and tomorrow and then turn back to snow. This is a bad time of year. Can't quite make up its mind.

Unfortunately, with the rain, comes the ice that's been building up under the snow. Can't get up my driveway right now, even with 4-wheel drive. One job for today? Get some ice melt on it.

Cecil, I know a few people who dive with wet suits in Juneau; but only a few. Most of us have more sense . Water temp here is usually around 38 to 42 F/3 to 5 C.

The only times that I have dove with a wet suit was when I was getting my certification in St. Thomas and then traveling throughout the Carribean. That was back in 1984!

Total snow accumulation for the month of November -- 24.9 inches

Cecil, I think Martin does have a dry suit Nice squid pics

Dan, yes we have snow. Just flurries now, no accumulation, but man is it cold! I got off the airplane in Columbus in a tank top and sandals! The flight attendant said, "uhhhh you might want to put a jacket on". Wahhhhhh I was ready to go right back to Bonaire. I hate this cold.

Dan - BRRRRRRR!!!! 24.0 inches in November - here is the sunny south we couldn't even get to freezing but one day in November (had many days in the 70's!!! - that is unusual!!!
However it looks like winter is coming this week temps are dropping and we are going to be in the low 50's and 40's for highs and at freezing for the lows!!!

Rusty - Martini does look imposing in that dry suit!!! Just the look for the Cam Cop!!!

Kelly - bet the cold is making your PBD worse than expected!!!!

Annie B. - painting a hallway!!! I have several rooms that need painting - want to come over and help on this side of the pond!?!?

Cecil - Cool squid pics!!!

Dan, 24.9 inches for the month of November? Yikes!

Mary! Low 40s and 50s? And you consider that winter? You need to come north, gal!

Snowing here. Bleah. Then the sun comes out. Then the wind blows more snow this way. The wind is really cranking. Our hawk was back today for a little while - tried to chase down a bird into the rose trellis. Missed. Whew. I hate to intervene but sometimes I can't help myself. I don't feed the little birds just to bait them for the raptors and cats. LOL

I just can't figure out how BoxerBob can work in front of an audience. Five baby squirrels this morning at the feeder by his office window downstairs. They like to sit and look in the window. I wouldn't be able to ignore them.







And doesn't this one looked ticked-off a the so-called squirrel-proof feeder?

Dan - that is winter in the sunny south!!!!

Couldn't handle that below freezing for days on end any more - blood too thin from living below the Mason Dixon line!!!!

We do get at least one big storm every winter that stops everything for days. Back in January of 2000 we had 24 inches of snow from one storm!!
I was in Phoenix at the time and was stuck there for days - the Raleigh airport was closed for 3 days - temps stayed in the teens and 20's - for weeks after that - so the snow would not melt - quite a mess - since we do not have the equipment that our northern neighbors do to clear snow!!!

Last year it was an ice storm - 4 - 6 inches of ice - hard to move around in that too!!!

Even with those infrequent storms - I would rather have the milder winters!!!

I remember being in Baltimore one year. It snowed about an inch. Shut down the entire city. Even public transportation wasn't moving.

But, to be honest, even this area is becoming wimpy. I used to walk to school, regardless of the weather. Now, the either shut the schools down if its really bad, or at least send a "harsh weather" bus to those who live beyond a half-mile from the school. Wimps!

I should clarify an error I made. We did not accumulate 24.9 inches, but that was the total snow fall.

Big chunk of snow just came off the roof--about two feet overhanging the edge about 30 feet long. Shook the house quite a bit when it hit the porch.

Rusty, cute squirrel pics

Dan, you would die laughing at us here in Southern California...it's around 50F at night now, and everyone is complaining about how cold it is...whimps (including me)...When I lived in DC, if it snowed more than 2 inches, schools closed, work closed, the entire city would shut down...they only had like 2 snowplows! Now ice storms...that's a whole other creature of nature...beautiful the way it hangs on the trees, but not so beautiful when you have to drive up a hill!

This is only a test...

Cecil, you get all the best critters - squids and opossums. I always did like weirdos more than most folks. LOL Yep, possums are dumber than a bag of hammers but they are so cute when they're little.



I've raised a few up for release and one small possum can go through a big bowl of dog chow overnight and still be hungry in the morning.

Just got back from Birmingham, and it was my turn to drive. Traffic was awful


I gave my notice, which means I only go once more and then that's it. I love the time there but absolutely hate the not dancing on Sunday night and all that dreadful driving. Birmingham is a dreadful place traffic-wise.

Pretty sunset

Boat still there - night diving????

And this sky is splendiferous

Jenni, you quit a job? Michael has a horrible commute. It's 120 miles round trip daily to San Diego, and traffic is horrible. It takes him an hour to two hours depending on traffic and accidents!

She did say that, long commutes are never fun. Another dirty little secret is the common logic is the commute gets better with time, NOT.

Here's a pano of tonight's sunset.

No, Cynde, I quit going to my monthly therapy group. NOt quite the same. I still am required to have [or have access to] therapy, but will NOT be travelling so far, nor through horrendous traffic. Poor Michael! He has my sympathy.

Great Pano, Cecil!

Well guys, I am now off to my bed. I am wrecked!

Cecil, great pano...

Jenni, I don't see how group therapy could be useful, if your commute there puts you in road rage mode!

Speaking of which, anyone see Anger Management with Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler? Dumb, but funny movie

Oh, I love the mermaid theme!!
There's a surpise! LOL...I read Water Babies when I was about 10 and was sure I was one!
Great pics again Cecil...it is so hard to get a good squid pic! Rusty, cute but bad squirrel...stealing the birds food tsk tsk! I'm afraid the world is covered with bad traffic, Jenni! Cynde, I thought Anger Management was hysterical! Slow start but some of the lines were too funny...maybe because they reminded me of some of the wackos I work with!

Barbara, I laughed quite a bit...Michael fell asleep! I loved the scene with Heather Grahm, and the chocolate! I could hardly contain myself! And "he" just sat there with a dumb look on his face! LOL!

That was a good one Cynde...I liked the line "where did you get that line, out of some porno flick, you sick bastard"...the docs I work with are always talking trash so I have to use it frequently to calm them down! LOL