A Stowaway tries to get into the Apartment...

Amazingly, it's still right up in the lower 80's here in Lakeland. While Oregon gets pounded with flooding and winds, we are lying around cooking.

In fact - today - 12/13/07 - the girls and I went for a swim in the swimming pool. It is not heated, I might add. It was a little chilly, but not even close to the body numbing temperatures we used to face in Oregon.

Anyhow...

The other day we were hanging out in the apartment and a little stowaway tried to sneak in the front door.

Thankfully it wasn't one of the scary creatures that sneak around here from time to time.






Talk soon,

Happy Sixth - Keekers...

It's funny how different kids can be - even within the same family.

As far as presents and events Kait is pure energy. She bounces off the walls and won't sit still. And then you have Keeley - she kind of sits there very somber and stoic. Almost as if she's debating the relevancy of the time/space continuum. It's hard to read her thoughts and ideas from the way her face looks.

Thankfully she's all girl, and she'll just come right out and tell you the truth just like the nose sitting right on your face.

Anyhow, she turned 6 a few weeks ago.

And here's a recap of the big day...

She wanted a Hello Kitty theme. For the most part, Christy captured that - but there was one thing we couldn't really get just right... the cake. So we had to settle for a Hello Kitty hobby - ballet. But Kee liked it well enough, and she was impressed mostly with the gorgeous colors of the cake, not really the picture on it.

And she didn't mind eating it either.


Finally, a few shots of Keeley opening up some of her gifts. I think she had a super day all the way around.




Love,
Al

Merritt Island Florida

Hi again,

It's been awhile again, but I wanted to send something out.

While Dad and Mom Miller were here a few weeks ago, we were able to make it over the Atlantic Coast.

Unfortunately, I didn't feel we could spend the money to treat them to the Canaveral Space Center. However... we did get to go check out a place called Merritt Island. It's right by the Cape Canaveral Space Center.

It was pretty cool - and definitely worth going back and site-seeing. There's a TON of pictures here, so I hope you like them.

Here, we start off with some vegetation - simple, not too dangerous. These were actually from the place we stayed at over there near Cocoa Beach

Here's a great shot of a coconut tree.

This is a funky one - I guess it's a star fruit tree?


This one looks a little more vicious... I call it the 'Don't Mess With Me, Or I'll Saw Your Hand Off' tree. I'm sure it has a different name, but that is what I think of. You know, it's a guy thing!

This one is of a drunken bird. He had some kind of a balance problem, so he had to stick his wing out there to keep himself standing up - there's some really potent water in these here parts.

Here's a wild pig. These things are TOTALLY COOL! And you can see a bird in the top, right keeping his eyes on these feisty little devils. He didn't want to get too close, I can guarantee that.
Real quick... I don't know if you've heard this story - but the first time we came here we were driving down the Beeline highway at about 60 miles an hour, and over on the right side of the highway is this gigantic, wild pig. After picking ourselves up off the floor boards of the car, Christy and I both had to ask if we had just seen what we thought. Definitely NOT a sight you get to enjoy every day. And not an animal I've come across in my Oregon travels. I hear these things are pretty radical you don't ever want to get in their way.

This one just happened to be crossing the road right in front of us. We barely had time to snap this shot before it disappeared into the grass.

Here's a gator that's even bigger than the one here at our apartment complex. This one was just lying there waiting for some tasty morsel to get out their car, so he could have some lunch. YUMMEE!!!!!

The three blobs you see there are manatees. It's hard to get a good picture of them, because they don't really come out of the water to sunbathe, but I think you get the idea. Seeing these animals is truly an amazing life experience. You must do it. I mean... it's not like getting married or having a baby, but it is a very, very cool thing to see something that big and that beautiful just cruising around in the water. Sometime soon, we'll update you on what it's like to be up close and a little too personal with a manatee. Until then just know this... they weigh about 2000 pounds. That's something the size of a car just sitting there - and even if they don't want to hurt you - they still can.

Here's a little better shot of a manatee tail.

And we'll end it here...
The perfectly timed appearance of two dolphin swimming by as we were gawking at the manatees. Truly an amazing site - I don't know that I could possibly ever get tired of looking at the animals God created!


Talk soon...

Al

Downtown Disney

Last time I told you our first visitors, Mama and Papa Miller were here.

One of our excursions was to head over to the Atlantic ocean. Along the way, we dropped into Downtown Disney, in Orlando.

While it's not 'THE' theme park, it IS the super cheap - i.e. free - version of the real thing. Where you can go in, and shop, and spend money to your heart's content.

Here's a few shots from inside the Downtown Disney Danger Zone.

These first ones are for all of you Disney fans out there:







And now these ones are for all of you Speer fans out there:

In this first one, I can't tell if she's bored out of her mind, OR so absolutely excited she can't stop singing like an opera star?



Here's a couple of nicer ones of the girls.




All the best

Our first visitors have come and gone.

Hi,
Our first visitors have left the state. The Miller's stopped in for a visit with us over the last week. We dropped them off at the airport this morning - so as far as I know they are no longer here.

It was great to finally see some more familiar faces. People who actually have been in the Pacific Northwest, and can tell us about adventures from home. So... in a way it was great to have them here, but it's also been bittersweet to see them go.

Unfortunately, I am a little leary of spending our money (since I'm a lazy bum and not working yet) so I had to squash a few big outting plans we had.

Thank goodness we at least did a few fun things while they were here.

Maybe most impressive was right here next to the apartments...

A big gator just hanging out.

Here it is from the far side of the lake. You can get an idea of the size with the car and other bird on the electric post there on the left.



And here it is from a little closer up. It still doesn't give you too great of an indication of the size of this one, but I think Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin would have been proud to wrestle this one around. It was definitely more intimidating than some of the other little things we've seen. This one could do some serious damage even to an adult.



Love you guys,
Al

My first NFL football game - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Hi all,

Here's a birthday gift from my wife.

This is my very first - EVER - live NFL football game.

The cool thing is... it was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They just happen to be my favorite football team. I can't say I'm a HUGE fan, but I definitely like to watch whenever I get the chance.

Right across from the football field is the N.Y. Yankees spring training field... 'Legends Field'.


Christy came with me, which was absolutely killer. Getting to watch my first game with my wife. I think she was checking out all the drunken Buccaneer fans - she likes people watching - but I still liked having her there.



The game was great. They played the Arizona Cardinals -- AND WON! Yeah!

Here's a few shots - for posterity.
These first ones were all pre-game stuff.




This is my favorite action photo. Unfortunately it's of Warner, passing for the Cardinals. We did get a few other pics of the action that came out pretty good, but I liked this one best.


In the 3rd quarter, we wandered down to the concession area. It was a LOT closer to the action, and we got this shot. Unfortunately, it seems almost everyone at the game was pretty intoxicated - especially near the vending area - so we didn't hang out down there near the action too long. I'm not really into seeing people act like that.


All-in-all it was totally cool. I'm not sure I'll go back too often. But I loved going once, and I will go with any of you who want to check it out when you come down... Josh? Dad? Andy? Don? Mark? Taku? Rob? Just let me know, and we'll see what we can do.

All the best,
Al

Finally, a neighbor I can appreciate

Hi guys,
Here's a quick one. Last week, we had the pleasure of rescuing (at least it felt like a rescue) this turtle from the road here by the apartments.

He's a pretty good sized turtle. The girls had a great time checking him out.

That's the road in the background. Cars come through there about 20-30 mph, and he could have easily been squashed.




So it felt good to help out a neighbor. At least we can appreciate this one - since our other neighbor seems to be possessed by some sort of nastiness.


Al

P.S. the girls washed their hands afterwards. Christy tells me turtles can carry salmonella, so I made sure they cleaned up.