Statue of Liberty

We spent Saturday at the Statue of Liberty. It was sunny and warm, a perfect day to be out in NYC.

We took the subway to Battery Park. As we approached the ferry dock, we saw a long line of people waiting. We were lucky that our reserved tickets allowed us to bypass the outside line and enter the security tent. Before you can board the ferry, you need to take off your coat, belt, watch, and handbags. All items are x-rayed and then you pass thru a metal detector.

If you want to enter the pedestal or go up to the crown, you need to pass thru another round of security screenings. This second screening took even longer than the first. Before you enter the pedestal, you pass thru a museum which explains the history of the Statue.

After climbing 143 stairs, we had reached the top of the pedestal. All I kept thinking was that I need to go back to the gym. It was amazing to see how many international tourists were visiting. If you are thinking of visiting, be prepared to spend a lot of time waiting for security checks and the ferry.

Let's Play

Cooper looks like he is being terrorized by Otis, but Coop gives as good as he gets

Marist College

While we were in Poughkeepsie, we decided to stop and visit Marist. We were stunned to see how much the campus has changed since we graduated. All of these photos are of buildings that did not exist when we were students.

I always wished that Marist had a nicer library. The James Cannavino digital library was beautiful and very impressive.

I had read about the recently opened Hancock Center and was wowed by the electronic trading floor classroom.

The Dyson Center now sits where our graduation ceremony took place.

Walkway II

More photos from the Walkway over the Hudson

Walkway Over The Hudson

The Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge has been converted into a pedestrian walkway. Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park is a linear walkway spanning the Hudson River. At 212 feet tall and 1.28 miles long, it is the longest, elevated pedestrian bridge in the world.

On a beautiful fall morning it was the perfect place to take a walk and enjoy the spectacular water views and  changing leaves. In about two more weeks the foliage will be at its peak. Parking is $5.

I was  surprised by the large number of people that were walking on the bridge at 9:30 am. There were Mom's pushing strollers, couples sipping coffee, groups of joggers and dog walkers. If you are ever in Poughkeepsie, I would recommend visiting the Walkway

Having a WHALE of a good time

You're Home!

Otis can't wait to greet us when we get home from work.

Seeing how happy Otis is always makes a tough day better.

Bionic Ears

I was baking in the kitchen. Jeff and Cooper were upstairs, with Coop sound asleep.

I pulled a metal pan out of the cabinet and it made a loud clang. Jeff said Coop's head jerked up and he immediately raced downstairs.

It seems that Coop thought the noise came from the dog treat jar being opened. Coop immediately sat down in the kitchen and lifted his paw, waiting for a snack.

New Grass

After the new walkway was installed this spring, Jeff planted grass seed. I had hopes that the grass would grow and we would have a lush front lawn. When the turtle tried to nest in this area the grass was torn out and weeds took over.

We are now trying to once again get the grass to grow. I was happy to see little green shoots appearing. It seems all this rainy weather does have a positive side!

Snug as a bug, in a rug

Mums

Couldn't resist these beautiful mums at Costco

It is nice to have some color on the deck.

Who needs toys ?

Otis loves to pick up boxes and carry them around. Given a chance, Otis will tear the box apart.

Otis knows that boxes are not toys. I think Otis likes being chased around, as we try to retrieve the forbidden item.

A Touch of Spring

Fall is almost here and summer will soon be a distant memory.

When I saw these Dutch Iris, I new that I needed to bring springtime back to our home.

Comfortable ?

Otis spends a lot of time, lying on his back, with his paws up in the air.

Cooper sometimes adopts a similar pose.

I cannot imagine that sleeping like this is very comfortable. However, since each dog does this, it must make their back feel good.

Together Again

While we were vacationing at Kiawah Island, SC, Cooper and Otis stayed at Passage East Kennels. When we dropped the dogs off, the attendant  checked to make sure he had our contact information. The words, "We rarely need to call, but just in case..." stuck in my brain.

Each day I checked the cell phone to make sure there was no emergency message that Cooper or Otis was sick. When we picked the dogs up, Otis raced around like we had been gone for months.

Both dogs were bathed before entering the house. Otis followed Jeff and I wherever we went. It was obvious that Otis did not want to be left behind again. Cooper raced upstairs and hopped on the bed to take a 3 hour nap. Even Otis eventually settled down to sleep.

Birds of Prey

We visited the amazing Birds of Prey Center in Awendaw, SC. The Center houses eagles, hawks, falcons, vultures and owls. Many of these birds have been injured (a bald eagle was shot , a hawk hit by a car) and can no longer live in the wild. Photo: Turkey Vulture.

It was a beautiful sunny day. As we toured the grounds, we could see wild hawks and vultures soaring overhead. Our tour guide was wonderful and we learned a lot about these magnificent birds. About 50% of the birds which are brought to the Center are returned to the wild. Photo: Hawk

After the tour, there is a free flight demonstration. It was amazing to see a vulture, hawk, falcon and owl flying free, but returning to the trainer when called. When the turkey vulture landed on the ground, the wild vultures which were soaring above flew closer to see if there was food. I asked the owl trainer if the blood curdling screams we hear at night were from owls. He laughed and said owl's hoot - the screams are from the rabbits or squirrels they catch.  Photo: Falcon

I have always been fascinated by raptors and the hours spent at the Birds of Prey Center passed quickly. Jeff and I agreed that we would definitely return here again. If you are ever in the Charleston area, I highly recommend you add this to your must see list. Photo: Barred Owl

Charleston Tea Plantation

We visited the Charleston Tea Plantation on Wadmalaw Island, SC. This is the only tea plantation in the US.  Tea plants are disease resistant, have no natural enemies and can produce tea for hundreds of years.

I did not realize that tea grew on bushes. The top 3 inches of the bush are cut off every 3 weeks from May - Oct. The tea is then dried and the stems separated from the leaves. Black, green and oolong tea are all from the same plant. It is the amount of drying time that determines what type of tea is created.

The harvester which trims and collects the tea leaves does the work of 500 men. The egrets follow the harvester and feast on the grasshoppers and bugs which are disturbed when the tea leaves are collected.

Kiawah Flora & Fauna

The Fat Hen

While walking on the beach at Kiawah, we met a couple who highly recommended eating at The Fat Hen restaurant on Johns Island.

We looked at the menu online and decided that it would be worth a try. The Fat Hen uses locally grown ingredients in their dishes and is very popular with visitors and locals. I called to make a reservation and was told that they were completely booked, but we could get a spot the next day.

When we arrived at the restaurant, I saw that water was served in Mason jars and knew this would be a relaxing place to eat. As an appetizer, Jeff had onion soup and I had a salad topped with goat cheese. The goat cheese was the freshest that I had ever tasted. For dinner I had crab cakes (no bread crumbs, just solid crab) and Jeff had steak and spinach. Jeff raved about the fresh garlic spinach and said it was the best he ever had.

At the Fat Hen there is no salt or pepper on the table. It is obvious that the chef does not want anyone to alter his creations. Dinner was fantastic, but I was disappointed with dessert.

The waiter recommended the chocolate peanut butter cake, but we ordered an apple tart. The tart was ok, but did not live up to the dinner. We should have taken the waiter's advice.

If you are ever at Kiawah, I would highly recommend dining at the Fat Hen - just remember to order the chocolate cake.

Kiawah Scenes

If you look closely, you will see 2 deer in this photo