up at dicovery bay with grandma and grandpa

fun & games with Great-grandma and auntie meghann

Great-grandma & great-grandpa are all smiles

kayla's enjoying manicure from great-grandma

Chinese New Year Parade

Well, we were going to attend the Chinese New Year Parade last night, and perhaps get some pictures to post here, but it rained. That in itself shouldn't have been enough to stop us but it wasn't just regular rain. It was blowing wind, and "sheets of rain". That stopped us.
We did watch a bit of it on television; all those little troopers stripping off their heavy weather gear just before they marched in front of the cameras. In any case, I hope everyone escaped from getting a cold or the flu.
(Speaking of the flu, we're being told that it's going to be a bad "flu season" this year. Even if you received your flu shot this season, it will only protect you from around 40% of the flu viruses out there, so keep washing your hands and keep them away from your eyes or nose.)

So here are some pictures from the Chinese New Year Parade in Sydney a couple of years ago.

The entire parade stretched out for about three city blocks on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

She wouldn't stop moving

Unlike the local parade, there was only one dragon.

Yes, just like our local parade, not everything has to do with Chinese New Year.

The Chinese New Year Parade marks the end of the New Years celebration. Let's hope for better weather next year, if only for the sake of the kids in the parade.

And speaking of cats...

This is Lucas. Smokie usually stays with our friends in Tehachapi when we travel and Lucas is a fixture there. Lucas is pretty much in charge of the place and all the dogs know it, including Smokie.
Lucas is also the "Cujo" of cats, as evidenced by these pictures of him refusing to look you in the eye.
One morning, while we were sitting in the dining room, Lucas appeared outside with a tiny little rabbit squirming around his mouth. We watched in horror as he took the young rabbit, squealing and jerking, to a corner and slowly devour it. First the head, then the body, and within minutes nothing was left except two tiny rabbit's feet (I'm not sure if they were the lucky ones). I guess the rabbit's feet were left there to show us just exactly who was in charge.
Some time later that day, the feet disappeared.

It feels like spring already

A week of warm weather (well, at least warmer weather) and it feels like spring already. The trees are starting to bud so I guess it's time to whip the garden into shape. It's still early for all the tender stuff but I'm sure there's something that needs planting somewhere.

These pictures are from the Getty Museum taken a few years ago when we all went down to Aunt Betsy's birthday party. The garden areas are small but they were laid out with some interesting things.



Here's something you could do with all that rebar you have laying around in the garage. That feature to keep people off the little lawn areas is an interesting touch.

A Beagle?

OMG, a beagle won "Best of Show" at the Westminster Dog Show. The first Beagle to win in the 132 year event. I guess it's fitting that his name is UNO.

Thank goodness the poodle didn't win. I have nothing against poodles but - "Best of Show"??
I could never understand why poodles need to be groomed the way they are.

And if there were a sleeping competition associated with the dog show, Smokie, the Labrasnore retriever, would have won hands down.

We didn't finish last!

My team played our first tournament today in Antioch and I'm pleased to announce that we didn't finish dead last. We placed 12th out of a field of 15...fourth to last, HA! Our team only had time to get in 1/2 a day worth of practice whereas most of these teams have been playing together for months or years.

While they don't give trophies for 12th place, it was universally agreed that we were the best dressed team. Our team blog is www.teamufia.com

Edited 2/11 with more pics: