What is it?

There is an actual word to describe this "phenomenon". The first part, ignore the pan to the right. To the right are some bubbling mud pots. The main focus of the video is what I'm talking about. It's in Yellowstone and never spouts water. Go!

**June 22** ---> Alright, Dad won, it's a fumarole. Here's a big pat on the back! ;)

Leaping Dolphins, Batman!

We loved the repeat dolphin show. In fact, our favorite thing about it was that most of it wasn't a repeat! Compared to the Saturday show, it was the winner! A trainer got in the water with them; more performing, less talk. One dolphin even did a "Flipper Trick", as I call it. She swam backwards on her tail.



There was more leaping, splashing and fun. Oh, and the kids thought I was the bomb when I let them sit by themselves in the "Splash Zone". The Splash Zone occupies the first four rows all the way around the arena. They warn people before the show starts that there is a "possibility" of getting wet in this area. That's a lie. There is no possibility, it's a guarantee! The dolphins swim over and splash water over the side. On purpose. And that's exactly what the kids wanted. I sat safely three row higher, well out of range. The kids were a bit disappointed that they only got their feet wet. But I reassured them that next time, we would get there in plenty of time to reserve "wet seats". For them, not me. Or my expensive camera.

A thing of beauty . . .

This picture does not need any words. But maybe an explanation. It's beautiful! Can I tell you how beautiful this package of chicken is? It's fresh. Not frozen. I decided on the spur of the moment to make chicken curry for dinner and I could. I didn't have to plan 2 days beforehand, repackage the frozen slabs to ziploc bags and defrost them in the fridge. Or, if I forgot to defrost and we HAD to have chicken, sticking each individual slab in the microwave on defrost, flip at the beeps, and still not have a defrosted piece 'o' chicken. It's boneless. Not some scrawny bird that's more bone than meat. It's cheap. Well, it was cheap before, but the quality thereof was exceedingly lacking. It was tender. Not stringy, tough, gamey or freezer burned. I had a delectable curry on the table in 25 minutes. That. Is. Beautiful.

Jellyfish

Since we have a membership to the Aquarium (and we want to get our money's worth) we went back on Monday. But we didn't go back alone, we went with a good friend of ours, Janyece (and her parents and sons). They had quite a lot further to drive than we did, but we all made it. I was amazed that I could leave the hotel parking lot at 9:50am and be parking my car at 10:04am.

We had a mission, see the jellyfish. There is so much to see, it's impossible to see in one day. We focused on that exhibit and seeing the dolphin show again. Oh, and the sharks. Mairyn is currently obsessed with them. I did not know there were that many different kinds of jellyfish. There were these fat little ones that had tentacles like a loofa sponge, others that didn't have any tentacles at all and were mostly blob. The coolest, by far, was the one in the video. Lights, camera, action!



I knew that jellyfish could do that, but seeing it in person, wow. Just the coolest! We went to the dolphin show again because we can see it for free each time we go. (because of the membership) It was kinda different from the Saturday show we saw. I was thinking it would be more mundane because it was a weekday. Nay no burrito! Even cooler. We'll find out more about that tomorrow!

Saturday in Annapolis

No, we don't have any ties to Annapolis or the Naval Academy. We just like it. A lot. I love Annapolis. The Bay and the old streets and houses. It just feels good there. We went around the Naval Academy Museum, and the campus. The weather was just perfect. Some people were complaining that it was a little warm. "A little warm"? C'mon, you're talking to a Cairo family here, we can take the heat. We finished up the day at Buddy's Crabs & Ribs. A visit to Annapolis is not complete without eating there. We hit the classic Saturday buffet. And it's not the bad kind of buffet, it's the greatest. And I was in the mood for crab legs as well. Truly, you really have to be in the right frame of mind to eat fresh crab. A lotta work for not a whole lotta meat. But it's the sweetest, buttery-est (is too a word) mouthful that will ever pass your lips. Spencer went to the other end of the spectrum and had the fall-off-the-bone ribs. Win-win situation in my book. Oh, and kids eat free. Win-win-win.

Family Pictures

Getting a family of 6 to cooperate on a group picture is not easy. Which is why I'm so happy about this latest family picture. When we went to Boise for my brother-in-law's wedding, we made sure we took the kids to see and walk around the Boise Temple. I brought my tripod since they were still dressed in their dressy clothes for church. I set it up and we got it on the first try! I took a few more to try and get a better one, but that one was a winner. Wow, surprise, surprise. I like this one below the best, but alas and alack, Jacqueline is not looking in the right direction. If I was better with Photoshop, maybe . . . .

I'd also like to start a family picture tradition. Have one posed and then let everyone do their own thing and have a crazy one. And then frame them side by side. I'll have to do that next time we have one!

I also tried to get the kids into formation and get a good one. We eventually did. Though it's a long process as you can see.

Final product, i.e. the best of the bunch, meaning no arms up or sneezing and everyone with a mostly pleasant look.


A surprising spontaneous snap

Crossing threads

We have to find ways to entertain ourselves. I'm teaching Eliza how to cross-stitch. We found the perfect learner kit at the craft store last week. She kept saying, "Can we just find a kit for 'Eliza' and stitch that?" I was just about ready to buy some aida cloth and create a pattern for her when we stumbled upon the clearance rack. And there was a little kit with a pattern for initials. So Eliza is stitching her initial, E. I remember my mom gave me a pre-printed kit that made a rose when I was about her age. Right now we're focusing on technique, then we'll learn more fundamentals. So guess who's finding the center, starting new threads and doing the "tricky parts"? Me. But she has done a majority of it on her own. She felt really inspired to learn cross-stitch after visiting Nauvoo and seeing the framed stitchery in all the old houses there and that the girls that had made them were her age. So, she's embarking on learning a new skill that I hope she'll continue to enjoy.