Splendid Little Stars: January 2013

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Sun Puddle Delight

Nothing is better than sampling all the delightful sun puddles about the house on a sunny day! (Oliver is demonstrating his snoozing expertise!)

Monday, January 28, 2013

aaaaaaahhh......

Hyacinths scent the air with their gorgeous perfume! How wonderful when outside the world looks dark, dreary, and dead. These were a lovely gift from my thoughtful son.

photo by me © 2013

Thursday, January 24, 2013

jagged

jag' ged

adjective:

>with rough, sharp points protruding

>marked by irregular projections and indentations on the edge or surface
>having ragged notches, points, or teeth; zigzag
>having a sharply uneven edge or surface

synonyms:

jaggy - toothed - indented - ragged - dentate - rugged

All jagged photos below were taken in the Superstition Mountains and at the Aviation Museum on a recent trip to Arizona.

Superstition Mountain from Lost Dutchman State Park

The Superstition Mountains are located in the Sonoran Desert east of Phoenix. The main peak is 5057 feet (1541 meters). This photo shows the volcanic rock formations on the western end. The mountain is an old and inactive "super volcano." Lost Dutchman is named after a most famous lost gold mine.

The Aviation Museum has 2 hangers full of planes as well as planes outside. Featured are planes from WWI to the Vietnam War. One can even takes rides in some of them!

LINKS:
Lost Dutchman State Park
Superstition Mountain
photos and hiking map of Superstition Mountain
Commemorative Air Force Arizona Wing Aviation Museum

Thursday, January 17, 2013

island sunset

the sun sinks golden

swallowed hungrily by waves

swept away by tides

This photo was taken on a favorite island--St Maartin in the Netherland Antilles. Mullet Bay is a beautiful white sand beach with turquoise waters. One can snorkel along the rocks in this photo.

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun! This week our letter is "I." Come visit others' submissions HERE and join in the fun!

I'm also linking up with SkyWatch Friday hosted by Sylvia and Sandy. Come join us in this awesome meme, link up, and meet folks from all over the globe.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Happy National Rubber Duckie Day!

Oliver

Earnest

January 13 is National Rubber Duckie Day!
Rubber Duckies were invented in the late 1800s along with the invention of rubber. In the 1970s, Rubber Duckies became hugely popular when Ernie sang his Rubber Duckie Song on Sesame Street. (thanks to creator Jim Henson!)

Ernie sings Rubber Duckie Song

Rubber duck (now made out of vinyl plastic) races have become popular methods for fundraising. Money is donated to the organization sponsoring the race. A duck is assigned. All the ducks are dumped into a waterway. The first duck to cross the finish line wins a prize for its sponsor.

The largest race takes place in my hometown--Cincinnati. Ohio. The annual Freestore Foodbank Rubber Duck Regatta began in 1994. Over 100,000 ducks race. This fundraiser has netted over $4.6 million since its beginning.

January 13 is Rubber Duckie Day because it is Ernie's rubber duck's birthday.

LINKS:
RubaDuck everything you can possibly think of to know about rubber ducks!
giant rubber duck floats around the waterways of the world
rubber ducks history
20,000 rubber ducks lost at sea

a couple other races:
Australia: The Great Brisbane Duck Race each year raises funds for the PA Research Foundation. 30,000 ducks raced in 2011.
UK: The annual Stockbridge Duck Race is held in Stockbridge, Edinburgh to raise money for local charities. 1000 rubber ducks are released.

PS: Katz Tales inspired my post with her facebook post about The Cats of Wildcat Woods blog post celebrating Rubber Duckie Day with photos of cats and duckies. Go see! cute!

photos by me © 2013

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Desert Haiku

rocks tumble downward

plunging over sage green shrubs

silent moon gazes

photo: somewhere in Salt River Canyon, Arizona

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun! This week our letter is "H" Come visit others' submissions HERE and join in the fun!

I'm also linking up with SkyWatch Friday hosted bySylvia and Sandy. Come join us in this awesome meme, link up, and meet folks from all over the globe.