Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Holidays

Early Valentine Gifts

Chocolate Strawberries

Since we’re going to be on the road during the St. Valentine’s Holiday, Bob thought it would be best to present me with my gift before we get going. Yesterday, I received a couple of pieces of Waterford Crystal, namely, a nice nine inch crystal bowl and a crystal seahorse paperweight which is more of a showcase knick-knack than a paperweight. I have received Waterford crystal for Valentines Day for a number of years now. It is nice to see the tradition continue.

Today, a box containing a dozen delicious chocolate-covered strawberries showed up. You can see from the image above, that I already enjoyed one of these tasty delicacies before taking the photo, since there are only eleven left in the box now in the fridge. I plan to “ration” them out at no more than one per day until they’re gone. Click on the image to enlarge.

28 Jan 2016 by Holidays

Christmas 2015


Damsel and I wish each and everyone a very Merry Christmas! We hope that you all have been and will continue to be blessed as we have been.

We are spending our Christmas with each other and our dogs at home, away from the hubbub and secure in our little house. We plan to travel and visit with family and friends after the new year begins.

Damsel took the image seen in the animation above on New Year’s Eve, 2014, just about a year ago. It was the ONLY snow day that we have seen in the five years since moving to Arizona.

Again, blessings to you and yours and enjoy the Christmas Holiday.

24 Dec 2015 by Arizona Holidays

Christmas Shopping and Shipping Done!

Christmas Shipping DoneWe left many relatives and friends in California when we moved to Arizona. We still like to get Christmas gifts for the children who live out there (grandchildren, a great grandchild, nieces and nephews). So, today was my day to finish Christmas wrapping, Christmas cards and Christmas shipping.

I spent some of the morning addressing envelopes and stuffing them with our custom cards. Our card exchange list is pretty small, so that didn’t take too much time.

Next, I brought out all the gifts we have been accumulating since last Christmas (yes, I shop all year long for the right stuff), wrapped them and put on the labels for each. Then, I packaged them into the five boxes destined for the five families out there with kids. Bob prepared the USPS Priority Mail labels for the boxes which I taped on to each one.

Image: Boxes at the mailbox ready for USPS pick up

We stacked all the boxes by the mailbox when they were ready. We just made it under the wire since a few minutes after we put them there, the USPS carrier showed up, loaded the boxes in the little van and headed off for the next stop along the route. Click on the image to enlarge.

15 Dec 2015 by Arizona Holidays

‘Tis the Season

Christmas Decorating

With the advent of the Christmas Season, each year, I put out our usual ornaments and decorations. The red balls on the green palo verde tree, the poinsettias around the mailbox, the wreath on the courtyard gate and the Nutcracker Guards on either side of the walkway.

Inside, we have a little Christmas tree, some Christmas troll dolls and a chili pepper wreath, among other various and sundry Christmas items. We are ready for our fifth Christmas in our wonderful retirement palace.

04 Dec 2015 by Arizona Holidays Home & Garden Retirement

Happy Thanksgiving!


We have so much to be thankful for this year. We’re in good health, blessed by God’s bounty and have a wonderful extended family.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and to yours!

CB&D

26 Nov 2015 by Culture Food & Dining Holidays

One Decade Ago

Anchorage Street Fair

Throwback Thursday! Ten years ago over the Independence Day Holiday, Damsel and I flew to Anchorage for an Alaska-by-rail tour. We left LAX, connected through Portland and got to Anchorage mid-afternoon. The day we got there, there was a street fair in town a couple of blocks from the hotel. We hung out there for a while and came back for the buffet at the hotel later.

The next morning we embarked on the first leg of the trip winding up at Denali National Park where we stayed that night. There were plenty of museums, a dog sledding exhibit and other activities to entertain us. On the Fourth of July, they shot off fireworks at nine PM, but they were difficult to see in the sunlight (land of the midnight sun and all that). Our hotel cabin was on the south bank of the Denali River.

The following morning, we waited in the rain while the train pulled into the station at Denali. You can see the rainfall in the photo above. Click on the image to enlarge.

The rain stopped a little way up the tracks and it was clear all the way to Fairbanks. We spent a good evening at the hotel that night, taking a break from the TV entertainment to go outside and truly witness the midnight sun. Wow!

The next day was a flight from Fairbanks to Portland and thence back to LAX where we rescued the truck from the parking lot and headed back home. It’s really hard to realize that was ten years ago.

02 Jul 2015 by Holidays Travel Wanderlust

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