Happiness is....

 

 

 All my boys together, again!

A wonderful week of Thanksgiving,Lennon's Birthday, and a whirlwind of activities.

 

Most of the grands.....James and Jess...Kayleb and dinner out...seeing all the boys together at Chris and Tina's new place...making our Thanksgiving dinner...and lots and lots of leftover pie!

Loved the ultra-sound ornament!

...my soon-to-be grand!

They are soooooooooooooooooooo happy...and have decided on a Winnie The Pooh nursery theme.

Must find a giant Winnie The Pooh stuffie.

James and Jess...Lennon...Chris and Tina...all healthy, happy and doing well.

It is all a Mother could ever want!

John spent Thanksgiving proper with Robert...then off to Ohio to visit with Eric and Melissa post-holiday.

Today is all about recovery.

His.

Mine.

We are watching the Colts Game...then the Kansas Game...and eating Thanksgiving leftovers...and that is about it.

All the house-stuff will still be here to do tomorrow.

Love...and so very thankful,

Carla and Finnegan 

 

 

A Week of THANKS

 

A truly wonderful week here...beginning with James and family last Sunday and news that my middle (Lennon) will be up from his birthday through Thanksgiving this year...and Chris tapping on the door later in the week, catching up and showing me the ultra-sound of my (soon-to-be) latest grand-baby...and Tina coming over...and a big break-through with my feral (Finnegan) when he finally crossed the threshold and brought his entire self in the house!

Yes...it has been a very good week...and I am blessed.

Perfect way to begin a week of Thanksgiving!

And I AM thankful...for my sons and their families and happiness...and all the grands...and my family and friends...and John and family and friends...and our cats...and for another year...and for ENOUGH...always.

It is always okay...and there is always enough.

"...and rotisserie chicken!"

                                             -Finnegan

 The cameras now off at Brooks Falls, and night for the next 65 days.

Snow and ice covering everything and the bears are now denned.

We won't catch a glimpse of them, again, until June.

Spent yesterday getting the last minute things done before Lennon arrives...and today is all about relaxing...football and food!

Back at the end of the week!

 

Happy Thanksgiving...and remember...there is ALWAYS something to be thankful for....

Love,

Carla and Finn

 

 

                                                                               - Gadget

  

Virtual SA: El Tatio Geysers

 

Then, somehow, in a valley outside of San Pedro, Chile...in the midst of the aridity and lunar landscape...you have the water-table and below ground thermal heat and pressure to create this.

Go figure.

The El Tatio Geysers.

https://youtu.be/fn5k7tURnhA?si=rQXiqON3t2sZSEaU

One thing you will notice, immediately.

Where there is water (mist)...there is life!

Scrub plants surround the geysers...survive on the fine mist in the air.

With the scrub comes the vicuna...a llama-type animal indigenous to Chile.

Tourists can even swim in a thermal pool.

The water temperature, there, stays from 89 to 95 degrees and is like relaxing in a warm bath.

Most of the geysers are surrounded by geyser mounds, which are built up from the minerals ejected when they erupt. 

These are also known as discharge deposits.

Because the use of the area for geothermal energy could cause the geysers to suddenly cease to exist, the Chilean government fights the energy department...preferring the tourist dollars.

El Tatio provides about 90% of San Pedro's tourism.

Until next time...

Virtual SA: The Atacama Desert- Chile

Brrr...here in the Indiana November chill...it is easy to whisk away to the virtual warmth of Chile's Atacama desert!

A 41,000 sq. mile strip of land West of the Andes Mountains.

The second driest desert in the World!

Tour

https://youtu.be/1i-mQ7rfJp8?si=hIrhaDwJjaXYsxXp 

https://youtu.be/AdRIaS0tfJg?si=zMYKwgccMxsn8Tul

This desert is known for almost a total lack of precipitation. Not even one inch for the entire year.

The soil here has been compared to Mars.

Some parts are so arid that no plant/animal life can survive.

Closer to the ocean the fog provides enough moisture for both limited plant and animal life to thrive.

The edge-towns are sparsely populated.

There are several astronomical observatories here because of the high mountains, dry air, freedom from light pollution, and nearly non-existent cloud cover.

Tour

https://youtu.be/IM4hhIwlYpY?si=yC81AtmdmAswZmB-

Chilean Skies

https://youtu.be/W4BFQJsBRuk?si=Rerg7gZtc_B4Q8bZ

The Milky Way

https://youtu.be/XQ28OXLwFl4?si=P_v5zNiWBeZ6QaIT

One of the tourist events here is solar-car racing.

The First Solar Race

https://youtu.be/GHWvWxdTvQY?si=1R77Ri-M7xcjwwZh
 

About 80 km from San Pedro is a unique valley whose bottom is filled with multiple active geysers...which we will have to see!!!

Until then...

 

 

 

This Week's Cup...

 

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...the bears are sleeping!

And Fall is slowly falling here.

Everything turning brown and slowly drifting to the ground.

And COLD in the mornings , now.

"Yep...freezing my fuzzy butt off, Mom!"

                                                             -Finnegan

John's friend, Chris, won the spookiest yard Halloween Contest.

But outside was nothing compared to an indoor shot of his bedroom...I could not SLEEP like this.

How creepy is that???

Starting to feel like there might be bodies in the crawl-space.

Just sayin'  

My guy has been biking a lot...and the bike path is beautiful!

My favorite is when he calls me from the tunnel and wolf-howls!!!

Silly guy.

Don and I, had our Fall Bunch...and it was nice...catching up and politics and omg...Chris and Tina are pregnant and due in June! 

 Going to be the cutest baby, ever!!!!

Ola and I, also caught up this week and had our Fall luncheon.

So thrilled for Kayleb, who soon will have his
FIRST EVER apartment...and is very excited! I'm seeing a shopping trip in our near future.

Looking forward to pictures...and doing lunch together after he gets moved in.

The very best part is that he will have it for this Christmas!

Cinderella Day, today...cleaning and making potato soup and looking forward to the morning Colts game with John, and an afternoon visit by James and Jess (his fiancee) and the kids.

And getting ready for Lennon's arrival.

He will be up for his 35th birthday and over Thanksgiving!!!

Busy times, and life is good.

Love,

Carla and Finn.

Virtual SA: Chile (overview)

 So today we are here...

...virtually, anyway...

And true be told...I know nothing about this strip of coastal country...and will be discovering it along with all of you.

Officially The Republic of Chile it covers the coastline...has an area of 293,000 square miles and is home to about 17.5 million people.

The country also controls several islands...including Easter Island (who knew) and which we will be checking out on this adventure!

The name originates from "...where the land ends."

The people are a mixture of Indian, European, African...and the primary language is Spanish.

The predominate religion is Catholic.

There is a mixture of climates. From the driest of desert...to Mediterranean and subtropical...and even Alpine and Glacial in some areas.

So much to see and do in this very diverse country!

Come along.... 

 

Seriously????

 

What the hell, people?

I get sick for a week and a half...come back and ya'll have GONE CRAZY while I was gone.

That's it!

You're all grounded.

Yes...even you Israel...and don't you roll you're eyes at me, Palestine!

You're the REASON we can't have nice things.

Today, I'm missing Walter "That's The Way It Is" Cronkite...a lot.

I am appalled that Associated Press has to run a column now entitled

THINGS THAT ACTUALLY DIDN'T HAPPEN THIS WEEK

WTF?????

We don't know whether Putin had a heart attack...or not.

 Is alive...or dead...or being paraded around like Weekend at Bernie's

War still rages in Ukraine with Russia.

Israel and Palestine now, like 

Hold mah beer...and watch this.

Wall to wall coverage of Trump and family...because...yeah...indictments...crime...gag orders...Truth Social....and more. 

And Taylor Swift is eating my brain...and has taken over my football team.

And no...I NEVER wonder if Travis calls her Tay-Tay in private...okay????

Big Deep Breath.

So, OTHER than that Mrs. Lincoln...how was the play?

 

Woke at 7 AM with the cats....all the cats...

My Finnegan...his sister, Maggie...the feral Black Tom..and the neighbor's Charlie-Cat...

"Heard you serve breakfast."

Apparently, in Cat World...word travels fast.

And I am The Crazy Cat Lady for this winter...lol!

But it feels good to feel good again!

And, by tonight, I will have restored some semblance of organization/cleanliness to both myself and this house. 

Totally missed Week 7 and my team (Kansas City) plays Miami..at 9:30 in the morning...in Germany!

...which is 1:30 PM, there...

It is coffee, John, cherry pie and football for breakfast!!!

No word whether Taylor will be there, yet...or not.

...sigh...

Off for a hot bubble bath and then my Cinderella Day...and maybe a nap!

Love,

Carla, 

Finn and Maggie

 

Update:

 

And I'm loving this Sunday Morning Football from Germany!

 

Coffee, John, My Finnegan Cat, Bacon...an omelette, toast and butter, orange juice, and 21 (us) to 0 (them) at half-time!!!

And no TAYLOR SWIFT!!!!

What a great game so far....

 

We won...we won..we won!!!

Now I have to turn my attention to finishing up this place...I've a Fall Brunch to host tomorrow!!

 

 

 

 

 

October is Over...Our Road-Trip and Leaf-Peeping...and In Bed with a Bug.

 

Feeling a bit like Rip Van Winkle, after finally waking up and feeling a little closer to human, today!

Came home after our outing and proceeded to get really really really sick.

BLEAH!

Somewhere between a bad URI and cold...but less than the flu or pneumonia. After the second day of high fevers and sweats I did have the presence of mind to Covid Test...and it was negative...so there's that.

But the headache and fevers are gone...I'm re-hydrating and starting to actually feel hungry again for the first time in days...I'm rested (slept through two days)...and have to slip out and get my mail and pay the rent before they think I've died.

Anyway...October is over...bring on November!!!

An absolutely outstanding Fall!

John and I spent a few days in Terre Haute...plundered Val Demmings Park...

Set picnic dates for next Spring, Summer and Fall, here!

Went back-roading from Bridgeton...through Mansfield...Leaf Peeping all the way home!
 

Down into valleys with an abandoned population and over-grown wooden shacks.

"These people don't even know there IS a president."

Past outlying towns so far off the grid

 "These people KNOW...but they just don't care."

And hours later when I believed we were so fucking lost...I mean absolutely...completely...might have to move out here...lost...

We came on the Dunbar Covered Bridge and it was like

"Hey...I KNOW where we are!!!!!"

And in 11 minutes...we were back to civilization..and home.

It was an amazing adventure, honey!

But Fall has fell...and everything is turning the lovely shades of rust and brown that is November.

My black locust changing from green to yellow..then orange and rust...now depositing its tiny leaflets everywhere.

"And it is COLD, Mom!!!!"

                                            -Finnegan

Whose sister, Maggie, has started piling in with him for warmth...and maybe morning treats.

Gadget's position on the cold.

Pulling this mess back together and grateful to be feeling better!

Love,

Carla and Finn