FROM RICKY

              BREAK, BREAK, BREAK

 

 

               Break, break, break,

              On thy cold gray stones, O Sea!

              And I would that my tongue could utter

             The thoughts that arise in me.

 

             O, well for the fisherman's boy,

             That he shouts with his sister at play!

              O, well for the sailor lad,

             That he sings in his boat on the bay!

             And the stately ships go on

             To their haven under the hill;

             But O for the touch of a vanish'd hand,

             And the sound of a voice that is still!

            Break, break, break

            At the foot of thy crags, O Sea!

 

                                Lord Alfred Tennyson

 

 

( photos from my Hawaiian Holiday Collection-vdc)

pets galore

of kids and pets...

top photo: Emma Forbes trying to imitate an animal..2 anacondas gossiping?

 

Mia with Toronto's famous CN Tower in the background...

 

A crash lesson on how to make a pie crust? At the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE)...

 

Boppy, Emma and Mia's family pet, waiting for the pie to be finished...

 

Still at the Ex..A male nudist would not dare approach this Ostrich cage...:)

 

Hmmm..I could smell PINAPAITAN and KALDERETA!

 

"WE ARE POOR LITTLE LAMBS, who have lost their way..Baaa, baaa, baaa!"

 

A TV emcee, a mike on one hand,  a horned owl with the other. Poor critter. He should be sleeping during day time...

 

A donkey, sometimes called a Jack ass..:) The young goat is so cute ( enough to eat!)

 

..oh yeah, especially before every meal...

 

Emma the DJ..!! At the EX again, of course...

 

Still at the EX....Meet the famous Canadian snowbird: the plane of course!

archie's back!

My Meeting with MJ...

 

This is one of my blogs at NBA.com discussion board.

 

My memorable night in the year January, 2001 was when my ex-boss brought me in the Lakers game with his friends in a limo. We were dropped off at the back where the  VIP's were. A dude in a nice suit escorted us  to the suite where we watched the game of Lakers Vs. Washington Wizards.

 

From half time break we went down to the ground of the Staple Center and we were escorted again. We passed through  those doors with guards until we reached the cigar or lunch room ( or something like that ) and we were sipping wine, sampling finger foods, etc.. 

 

Suddenly,  Michael Jordan appeared from the door followed by the Zen Master coach Phil Jackson heading towards  us!. Our escort introduced him to us,  and we shook hands.

 

Believe it or not when I shook his hand,  he noticed my new MJ shoes that I just bought that day from Las Vegas.  That same day, we  flew to LA just to watch the game.

 

MJ started the conversation talking about  my new pair of shoes .One of the former players of Chicago bulls name Hally joked about the shoes,  then we talked again about other things. After the nice conversation, MJ patted my shoulder as if I am   one of his good friends.

 

Since that time,  when I am in in a party and the  conversation drifts to  sports,  I always tell that story and everybody listens very attentively.. I guess they are fond of MJ too!

 

Just my luck to met an icon in the basketball field, I guess!

 

That was my unforgettable, 15- minute  experience mingling  with the Zen Master and MJ. ---#

 

--Archie Macanas

digital photography

some tools of the trade

these are some of Annie's toys/tools/etc..celphones have now cameras, blackberries too...I wonder what will they think next?..

 

Favorite subject?..HRH!!...:)

 

Nothing like a nice dish, a camera person ( at your service ) and a fully charged cel phone..Paradise!

 

Now, the cool waters of  ( whats the name of the place again?.)

 

Annie's little darling..:) Growing  up so fast...

 

 

she's a photographer too!! watch the birdie, daddy!

 

"a tree in the meadow"

*************

 

 

MARCIE'S FINE FEATHERED FRIENDS...

blue eggs in a well made nest...

 

same subject, different view...

 

the miracle of creation!!

 

tiny babies, huddling for warmth..

 

Mama bird,  doing her job..(Marcie must have used a telephoto for this shot)

 

A nature shot could not get any better than this!

 

so with this one!!!..

 

ordinarily, a bird is camera shy..

 

Baby birdie thinks it is in a rain forest...

 

"Hush little birdie, don't you cry.."

 

a BIG KUDOS for Marcie and Dave for such astonishing photos!!..THANK YOU!!

 

 

 

 

from Marcie....

My Little Fine-feathered Friends

By: Marcie Uson Wise

 

We spent four years living overseas plus one in Hawaii. When we moved back to our home there was lots to do. Lot’s of work to be done. One day around the beginning of spring I decided to buy some hanging plants. I went to Lowe’s Home Improvement store and bought some potted impatients and vinca hanging plants, which I proceeded to hang on our front porch.

A few weeks after hanging the plants, I noticed that every time I opened the front door a bird flew away from my hanging plant to a nearby tree. Upon investigating, I discovered that the mother sparrow had built a nest in the hanging plant. I noticed a tiny, beautiful egg in the nest. Eventually two more eggs appeared.

For the next few weeks, the mama sparrow, Maggie (our dog), and I watched each other through the curtains covering the window or the front door. The sparrow repositioned herself in the nest to keep an eye on me and Maggie. Each time I took Maggie out for a walk, the mama sparrow always flew away. When she left the nest to find food, I hurried to water the vinca plants.

I also introduced our sparrow guests to our two sons, Ben and Adam who also became interested in the comings and goings of the mama as well as how the baby sparrows progressed.

I feel so blessed and lucky that this little feathered friend dropped in for a visit and planned to bring along her noisy babies. My Filipino hospitality set in and I was more than happy to accommodate her for an extended visit.

Three or four weeks later I heard chirping noises. Mama and the baby sparrows exchanged chirps then hopped off into the bushes/below the hanging plant. For five minutes I watched the spot where they entered the shrub and took photos before they flew away to the safety of the upper branches. One by one they all flew away. I hoped that I will see them again, but I know I won’t. Each time I look at the empty nest I feel both sadness and joy because I understood that the sparrows’ departure was exactly as Mother Nature had planned.---#

PHOTOS COMING NEXT!!!

from my son's Christmas album....

HOLIDAY PHOTOS FROM

NEW BRUNSWICK!!!

Here are some Christmas and New Year's Eve photos of my son Oliver's family in New Brunswick.   My daughter-in-law Teresa tried to do a photo shoot with the girls dressed in red smiling happily by the Christmas tree but as you can see Audrey had her own ideas of how to pose for the photos.  She was quite the clown!
 
The photos with the groups of kids are from their New Year's Eve party.  Olivia and her best friend Piper are the two in the centre, and Audrey is with her best friend Sorcha in the one where she's wearing the Sleeping Beauty gown that she got for Christmas.
 
Audrey is hard at work on Christmas night determined to finish her Elmo workbook before going to bed.
 
The picture of the kids playing on the snow hill was taken from inside.  Teresa loves how she can stay nice and warm and just watch them out from the kitchen window.
 
To all my friends and readers, all the best for all of us in 2008 and we're looking forward to our times together this year, whenever they may be!
 
**********************************************

Olivia with friend, Audrey is the girl in a pink dress...

 

"...Audrey had her own ideas of how to pose for the photos.  She was quite the clown!..."

 

Olivia Stanley Costes...

 

Olivia and younger sister, Audrey..Their dad, my son Oliver, works as an animation artistin N.B.

 

Christmas lights hurtin' your eyes, Audrey?

 

Audrey prayin' the boxes will contain the gifts she asked from Santa...

 

Teresa and Oliver....

 

Olivia and Company....