Fish

There are lots of old traditions about good foods and good luck in the New Year. In many cultures having a pigs assured a steady supply of food in the coming year, so being able to have ham for New Years was a symbol of hoped for prosperity. Along came the French with Champagne, I don't know what it is a symbol of, but it is fun. In seafaring cultures the symbol is frequently some form of fish, sardines, krill, tuna . . . I really am not very fussy, with all this water there must be fresh sushi around here someplace. TR

The anointing of the fruit cake

You know it is Christmas when DGs family pulls out the bottles of booze. No not to deal with the stress, though that has been contemplated, to anoint the fruitcake. Fruitcake is horribly misunderstood and mistreated in this country. It is not really a cake; it is a desert of candied and preserved fruits and nuts. Done well, it is very-very good and should not be ridiculed. DG’s mother has been making fruit cake for about 30 years. Make fun of fruit cake in this house at your own risk. Adding a little extra booze is always a sign that Christmas is upon us. Make sure you have a designated driver before indulging in Mom’s fruit cake.

Merry Christmas,

TR

Up a Tree

I really don't understand what some birds see in trees. Hanging out waiting for Christmas.

TR

Subversive

Access to Travel Penguin by state employees at work has been blocked by the security people at the Commonwealth. It must be all of the subversive content, or maybe the Queen got in touch with them about Scotland, I knew it would catch up with us sooner or later.

TR

Dreaming of a white Christmas

Old friends dropped by to say hi and we gathered around the tree to enjoy some old favorite Christmas carols. Merry Christmas from TR and WH

In search of a virgin

After four hours of trying to get email to work on a new Windows Vista machine we decided it was time for desperate measures. Fortunately shortly after prostrating ourselves before the oracle things started to work. Just to be safe, we are still looking for a sacrifice.

TR

Tag From http://hiddenmahala.blogspot.com/

Seven random and little known things about me:

1) I was hatched in China

2) I have a back-up twin (just in case.)

3) I have been fished out of an alligator infested swamp in Florida

4) I once fell in the rocks along the Mediterranean in Italy (close call.)

5) I never travel alone

6) I have an increasing balance problem and have to have my tail adjusted from time to time

7) I love sushi

TR

The Captain said, “Welcome aboard Comrade”

Here I am in the ward room of a Russian submarine. My family has a long and distinguished underwater history, but this was the first time on a Russian sub, I can’t tell you where this was taken, well I could, but then my comrades might come looking for you and we wouldn’t want that now would we?

TR

Hotel Del Coronado

One of my best friends is form Coronado Island, now I know why he left. Pretty place, nice classic hotel, but a bird oculd waste away to nothing around here.

TR

Seals

It was really quite amazing to find seals on the beach near San Diego. If I spent more time in the wilds, seals might concern me, but my ocean crossings have been by air or boat, and seals are not much of a threat from 38,000 feet or when you are safely ensconced in a container ship. Here they kept them well cordoned off on the children's beach. No children around, kind of makes me wonder of the Mom's horror stories had some merit.

TR

Awakened by the sound of footsteps overhead

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS by Clement Clarke Moore
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;The children were nestled all snug in their beds,While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.Away to the window I flew like a flash,Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, Not reindeer, nor penguins, nor Santa himself, but a van full of Mexicans to finish my roof.

There will not be raindrops falling on the head of this little penguin.

TR

Tower Bridge

Kell sent out one of those proverbial 10 things you never knew about me email forward and reply things. There was a question about where have you been and where would you like to be. Tower Bridge in London would be fun.

TR

A woodchuck, a hamster and a penguin go into a bar

with a penguin security detail.

You should have heard the three of us trying to explain this gathering of furry and feathered creatures to the three RV dealers at the next table. They were last seen shaking their heads and ordering a couple more rounds, wondering why they asked, and why France?

A great time was had by all the furry and feathered creatures.

TR

Only in California!

It is a good thing I don't spend much time in California.

TR

Gathering the Spoils

In preparation for this week's gathering of the despots I was reviewing the goodies gathered during the summer campaign in Scotland. The Medea is currently on loan to a floating museum in San Diego, no time to to get her to the Ohio River front to host dinner this week in her lovely salon. To the victors go the spoils!

TR

Tea at the Hotel Del Coronado

Earlier this week I stopped by for tea with a couple of old friends at the Hotel Del Coronado on the beach near San Diego. I do think that the jewled wings are a nice touch!

TR

I am Home,
Great trip, planes on time.
More later.

TR

On the Road Again

We are off to San Diego in the morning. A few days in the warm California sun should do this little bird a world of good.

Happy Thanksgiving, glad I'm not a turkey.

TR

Veteran's Day : Ste. Mere Eglise

There aren’t enough battle fields here in the United States. The ones we have are from the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. Wars that are distant in time. Memories of which are faded.

Sunday is Veteran’s Day here in the United States. A day set aside to honor all of the men and women who served in the military, those who lived to return home and those who did not. Traveling in France this summer I renewed my love of the country and the people. In doing so I realized why invading Europe at the end of World War II was worth the price. We truly returned freedom to wonderful places and people, people who truly saw us as a liberating force. I also came to realize the magnitude of the undertaking and the number of people who were injured or died to free Europe from a government that put ideology and national policy ahead of fundamental human freedoms, including the right to live.

Traveling to the battle fields I better understood why. Why we fought a war. Why the war was important to the history of civilization. Why honoring those who served in the wars is important. As Americans we need to travel more to understand what it is that we do when we send our military off to fight wars, and why we do it.

TR

One year until the next big election

We are sitting back watching local election results tonight. The "pardon" me Governor appears to be well on his way to being thrown out of office. Happy Days Are On There Way!

TR