Seeing as I am a Brit, it seemed appropriate that I start today's thread, seeing as it is Charles Dickens Day.


Charles Dickens is probably England's most popular author. He was born in Portsmouth, England on February 7, 1812, but spent most of his childhood in London where he based many of his novels. He started writing short stories at the age of 24 and continued to write until his death in 1890. His books related the bad conditions of the working classes and poor people in hopes of bringing about social change.

I have a collection of Charles Dickens books which were passed down to me from my Great Uncle. Have got to say that I have not read them.

And what a pretty morning in Bon

This is SOOOOOOOoooooooo pretty

If I'd learned how to do that flicking thumbnail thing that Annie can do, I'd make one for you all of this morning's sunrise. You'll just have to imagine it all together and flicking fast.

Talking of Annie, I hope you and Emma have an easy trip today. Give Emma my love. Her new hair cut sounds great. Glad she has made it an exciting experience rather than a depressing one. You are doing so well. love and hugs for ya

I am enjoying the sunrise this morning [in case you didn;t guess] LOL:

This has been as beautiful as watching the sunset

, Jenni and all other Bonaire Talkers! Thank you for the lovely day start. Happy Dicken's Day to us and "God Bless Us Everyone" especially Annie and Emma.

Today is Travel Day for me. I fly to Chicago and in to the big snow. Won't be around much til Monday. Try not to have too much fun without me or I'll never catch up!!!

Safe trip Margarite

Why are you going to Chicago? I am considering going to CT end of April and wanted a flight to Hartford. One of the routes offered was via Chicago and I wondered about stopping off there. What you think?

divers

bye bye off to work

Jenni - OMG - Hartford via CHICAGO?? That sounds so weird. Chicago, the Windy City, is so far West of us - I've never been anywhere near it. Can't they get you into Raleigh NC or NYC or Boston? Of course, Chicago has the Field Museum and it's said to be one of the finest in the world - and an awesome aquarium. I'd do it for that!



Margarita - enjoy the change of scenery - fly safe!

In addition to Freddie's suggestion that we respect NO GIF threads - we can also help by starting new threads at 40 messages or so.

mornin' all, peek in before i start getting ready for work...it is cold this am (low 50's maybe?) haven't checked the weather. got up and the house was 58 degrees, so i HAD to turn the heater on! i hate it when that happens in southern california! lol! michael met me down at the boat last night and we went for a sunset walk around the harbor, then had some wine and played some cards...it was nice cause it was cold so we HAD to turn the heater on in the cabin of the boat! i know, please don't throw the cyber snowballs at me so hard!

It is BEAUTIFUL outside right now - the snow is falling steadily and the spruces that provide a windbreak at back of our yard are frosted.

We have a couple male cardinals frolicking (SP?) at the seed on the ground right outside BoxerBob's *office* window. (Every couple of hours it's either eaten up or covered up by snow so we run out and replenish the supply. There are a half dozen squirrels out there and a zillion sparrows - both English and native Whitethroated.)

Cecil - getting any snow pix today?

I need some Bonaire!

Cynde,

I know how hard it must be to see the suffering and misery of your northern buddies! However, this is all very character building you know. Every year for months we get the old,"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger", test.

All the biting bugs are eliminated, the trees are stripped of their leaves and it looks like something out of Lord of the Rings. We all develop "cabin fever", or worse.

Then Spring arrives and we start to breathe again.

Well, so it makes us collectively border line psychotics - but you have the goods on that so you can understand and tolerate us loonie, eh?

From my ice-house in the wasteland,

Bill

Hey Cynde...

Hey, Shiva is back - wonder if she'll destroy the cam fliter again?



Okay, where would you rather be - at Freddie's or at Jake's?

Yes Cynde here is one from me to you as well!!!

and another picture of our gal Shiva

Monster lens cleaner from the deep



Visitors

I think Shiva is actually TASTING the cam this morning!!!!

Woops!! Got the pics. and the comments upside-over!!

We should call her HOOVER - she is really sucked onto the cam this time!

geez gang, got me all wet! on my way into work this morning i followed the laguna beach marine mammal rescue truck into the dana point harbor, he had 2 california sea lions in cages in the back, i assume he was going to release them back into the water. they were really cute...oh and for all you divers that are getting old, good news!
Seniors Safely Scuba Dive

Cynde - awwww. They are so cute and can tear your arm off. I'd still love to have one or two in our ponds out back. I'm afraid they'd blow thru all the goldfish in about ten minutes, tho.

Charlotte is being coy today (Koi?):



A couple divers I somehow blinked and missed earlier:



Beautiful portrait of Bluebeard:

here are some pics of previous rehab sea lions and releases, the release pictures are adorable!
http://www.fslmmc.org/snapshots.html

smack!

My sister-in law is from Oklahoma and has a slight accent. She has cats and when she lived in the south she would take them to the groomers and have what is called a Line Cut. To her a line cut is when all of the fur hanging down below the cat's tummy is taken off (because it gets matted or snarled). When she moved to Chicago with my brother, one of the cats fur got all tangled up during the move so she took it in for a line cut. She was quite surprised when she heard the price as it was twice as much as it was down south. She confirmed with the groomer that he understood what a line cut was and he said "yes, I know what a LION cut is." It seems her accent came out sounding like LION not LINE and this is how her cat was returned to her. (see PHOTOS) She cried for a week...but not as much as the cat. It was November in Chicago and the cat needed all the fur it had. The cat is now fine.

Gas in car to go to groomers: $4.50

Cat car carrier: $32.99

Grooming fee: $80.00

Getting the look from one seriously pissed off cat: Priceless

oh, wasn't my sisterinlaw, i got this from a friend...also, fish id please?

poor kitty ...great story

i think those are parrotts but it's hard to tell...

I'm hyperventelating here!! That cat is tooooo much!

Bill

Rusty...thanks for the picture...I didn't know what it was! That octopus was really squeezing pretty tight!

Afternoon all!!! 1 foot of snow here at the beach....no work for me

bob, look at the shape of the tail, i don't think parrot...and the dorsal fin is running down the entire back, and it is pretty big...the shape of the caudal fin is more fanlike, and the parrot's is usually a trunkate with a leading edge....

meryl, big story about folks refusing to get the smallpox vaccine, did you ever get yours?

I'm suppose to go by bus next week...hospital called today and said that they may not cover us for hazards of sickness or death from shots...we are covered under workmans comp if the illness is over 7 days...I said "Well...death is over 7 days..no?" and she said..."well yes"....but we have to wait till Tuesday for the final ok....I told her if I am not vaccinated I am not going to care for anyone brought in with smallpox.

They make you go through all these forms...They said they have fully researched this,,,and 1 week before they are saying legally they may not be able to do it.....Makes ya wonder how much they really know!

Paw Puddy Cat


Obviously not happy, and I don;t blame him/her!!!

Hey, hang on a second....

the lone fish...
sure...I stay home from work...and no one is around...poo

i'm here peekin' in meryl! id that fish up above for me please!

I'm here - tho' not for much longer

Hi Meryl

Hi bluetang

And with sailboat

My call is a young parrot fish....

looking in the book...maybe a wrasse....pardon the expression...the slippery dick wrasse...

it is Charles Dickens day...!

You're pardoned, Meryl. How on earth did it get that name? Or should I not ask!

sunsets we missed.....

too small!

Ooh, those last two are stunning. Wish I hadn't missed them live. And thanks for posting them, Meryl.

Well, I am running a two day weekend workshop, and I have just about got everything ready for tomorrow. Wish me luck!!!

I am off to my bed. Night Night Meryl. Night Night Everyone.

night Jen and Tang...thanks for keeping me company

Ok I missed you all today. Spent hours and hours waiting just for Emma to get her five minute zap. What a rotten day. I just wanna thank you all for your good wishes, they really do give me the strength that I need right now. Night night all. I hope I can get some time to be here tomorrow. Luv ya all. Annie B.

about the name of the fish above (wrasse) - they are still bachelors...