This and That 3/30/2014

One thing you give up when you write a blog – at least a personal one like Bree’s blogs have been – is most of your secrets.  After doing this for over five years, I’m pretty certain my readers know almost as much about me as my husband and children do.  Oh, I have a few tidbits I haven’t – and won’t ever – share with anyone except family, but for the most part, all of you know me pretty darn well.

On the flip side of that is how well I don’t know most of you.  Oh, there are a few who have been with me practically since I wrote the first word of the first blog.  You’ve commented, you’ve emailed, we’re friends on Facebook – we even chat on the phone occasionally and meet up on Mackinac Island for lunch or dinner or for a Rum Runner at the Pink Pony!  That little group I’m pretty familiar with – your likes, your dislikes, your kids and grandkids, etc.

I wish I knew all of you as well as I know those few, but I guess that’s pretty unrealistic.  When I came up with those 10 questions on Thursday, I had no idea I’d hear from so many of you.  It was awesome to read your answers and even more awesome to learn what an interesting, well-traveled, and diverse group read this blog each week.  Your answers were sometimes funny and sometimes poignant; but they were all enlightening, and I was very impressed by the thought you put into them.

I especially loved how a few of you began to interact with each other over some of the answers – especially music.  And I was very touched when several of you reached out to Melody J., who mentioned the sad loss of sweet Oreo, her beloved kitty.  You are such a tender-hearted family of readers – another reason I love you all so much.

A few things I learned:

• Favorite Song:  Except for the love theme from “Somewhere in Time”, there wasn’t a single favorite song named twice.  I spent a little time on Google and YouTube this week familiarizing myself with some of the songs you mentioned that I didn’t know. 
• Favorite Food:  A few repeats here (chocolate, fried chicken, pizza, and cheeseburgers), but after that the foods were just as varied as the songs.  I have to tell you that someone’s Key West Stone Crab with drawn butter sure made me sit up and take notice!  That sounds YUM-MY!
• Favorite magazine:  Several “People”, and “Good Housekeeping” and “Coastal Living” got a couple of votes.  Then there was a lot of variety.  Two I’d never heard of were “Canada’s History” and Arizona Highways”.
• Pet other than dog or cat:  Hands down, y’all want HORSES!   I thought the penquin was a very interesting choice, as was the stingray.
• Childhood plans as a grown-up:  Many of you wanted to teach, and a few would have chosen nursing.  After that the vocations were varied and soooo interesting.  A few of my favorites – Park Ranger, Jockey or Groomer at a race track, and Paul McCartney’s wife!
• Favorite vacation:  All together now . . . . Mackinac Island!  Besides my favorite spot on earth, y’all have been to some really amazing places.  Some I’d like to see that were mentioned – Alaska, Australia, and Israel.  Most romantic answer:  “Anyplace with my hubby”.  Awww . . .
• Where ELSE would you like to visit?  Quite a few said Ireland, Italy, and Alaska.  The answers were mostly outside the U.S., but someone said the Northwest rain forests (I’d like to visit there also).  And I loved another’s idea of taking a year to tour the U.S.  One husband said he wanted to show his wife Bali and Thailand.  Very lucky lady!
• Concert tickets:  Like favorite songs, this one was all over the place, with only Michael Buble, Eric Clapton, and Paul McCartney getting two votes each.  On this one – again – I Googled and YouTubed a few names, and discovered comedian Chonda Pierce in the process.  Oh my gosh, what a funny lady!
• Famous people you’ve met:  No repeats at all, but lots of interesting stories – kissing Elvis, meeting Bob Dylan and his Bull Mastiff in an elevator, and giving George Strait a speeding ticket!
• Talent you wish you had:  The majority of you want to sing well, followed closely by playing an instrument.

That’s about all I could do with the results, but I sure want to say thank you for allowing me learn a little more about the group “out there” who tune in to the Hortons’ adventures with such regularity.  I loved getting to know you better, and we will do this again real soon!

 MACKINAC ISLAND – MICHIGAN

The snow is slowly melting, people are still cruising the ice bridge, and the Great Mackinac Island Deer Hunt has been successful!

Greg Main’s photo of slushy Market Street this week. He says it’s “pretty late for there to still be this much snow”, but now that the melt has started, maybe Spring can get started also.

 

Late in the week on the ice bridge. (Photo: Nicole Doud)

The Deer Story:  For the last two months there have been sightings of deer on Mackinac.  Some say the deer have been on the island as long as two years (deer often come across the ice during the winter and usually return back across the ice before the big melt).  Finding a deer on the island during the summer is about as likely as finding the proverbial needle in a haystack.  But anyway, there HAVE been rumors that deer did stay on the island last spring and have successfully stayed hidden all this time.  Then again, these could be deer who have just come over THIS winter.  Whatever the story, deer sightings became more and more plentiful the last two months, but no one could capture them on camera . . . until THIS WEEK!

I think this was the first official photo posted. It shows three deer calmly arriving on the West Bluff in front of the winterized cottages.  (Photo: Harold Polzin)

 

And then today, Greg Main caught what’s believed to be the same three deer behind the West Bluff cottages. Hoping these sweeties make it back across the ice soon!

 

BEVERLY BEACH/SUNSET INLET – FLORIDA

The word is our lot was surveyed this week.  Ted plans to go down this coming weekend to check on things.  I may – or may not – go.

LAKE BLACKSHEAR – GEORGIA

As I mentioned on Thursday, we had quite a busy week, and we’re all looking forward to this one coming up, when nobody has any plans or appointments.  Nice!

Linda, one of my Pet Partner co-workers, got this shot of Bear on Thursday at a local assisted living facility. Two ladies, one on the sofa and the other on a chair next to the sofa, were taking turns getting some Golden love from the Bearster. When another lady moved off the sofa, Bear just climbed up and took her place, resting his head on this lady’s shoulder as if he did it just that way every day. He is such a ham!

 

It rained all day Friday, and then late Friday afternoon the wind kicked in. An hour later we had waves crashing over the sea wall into our yard, creating giant puddles of water inside the fence. No thunder and lightning – just rain and wind – and lots of debris in the yard to clean up the next morning!

 

I’m going to close with a little tribute tonight.  When Melody mentioned she lost her kitty, Oreo, this week, she was the third person I’d heard from recently who had lost a precious pet that was featured in the tribute collages for Marty Harris a few weeks ago.  There was also one pet I heard about who didn’t make it into Marty’s collage, but whose “Mom” let me know he had crossed the Rainbow Bridge.  All of these babies led wonderful, long, love-filled lives, and I just thought it would be nice to feature them one more time.

Deborah’s Morgaine

 

Melody’s  Oreo

 

Nancy’s Shaggy Dog

 

Heidi’s Buddy

A friend sent a quote to me this week on Facebook, and I wondered why.  It was that day I heard about Melody’s cat, and I thought, “That’s why I got the quote – so I could share it with Melody.”  That’s what I did, and although it mentions dogs, the same is true for cats, horses, birds, hamsters – any creature we have loved and cherished over the years.  Here it is:

It’s my special prayer tonight – after grieving the loss –  that each of these families will continue to expand their hearts, and that all of us leave this earth one day with very big hearts created by all the animals we have loved.

God bless.