Keksie

She gives Loxy the fox cat liver treats. Rose the raccoon gets grapes and Riley (who is now retired) gets small pieces of carrot. I am not sure what she gives KT the squirrel but he likes mango best.

There is not anything I want to see badly enough to wear a mask through it. I would spend the entire time just wanting to get out and take it off especially now that it has been so long since I wore one.

Our refuge just posted a very interesting video on F-----book about enrichment and training of our ambassadors. I am not sure how to link it but if anyone is interested just look up Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge on the social media site referenced and you can see it.

People have always been able to get on the ship with flu or other communicable illness. It is just covid that there is/was a testing requirement for.

Just an FYI: In my tourist area of NW Florida businesses are not requiring masks, people for the most part are not wearing masks. If you expect everyone around you to wear a mask don't vacation in NW Florida. I guess I don't understand people coming here and then complaining because even though they wore a mask not many other people wore them. When we go places I research as much as I can to see what the policies are and if there is a hint that we would have to wear a mask at any point we don't go there.

I don't do marine mammal encounters especially in foreign countries. You don't know if the animals were captured just for the encounter or if they are there because they can't be released. Taking something from the wild just to make money off it is wrong. Giving an animal the chance of life when it couldn't survive on its own, its habitat has been destroyed or the species needs help to continue is what I believe in.

I thought it was closer to when you arrived that he became ill. You are probably right that he was exposed once in Florida. I know a lot of people are coming down with covid lately. Practically everyone I know has gotten it in the last couple of months.

That sounds like a lovely trip. What an adorable dog!

That is because we don't have to wear a mask in Florida. Other than one business that was late in doing away with the requirement I haven't worn a mask in well over a year. You actually could have been exposed before reaching Florida so it may not have had anything to do with the places you stopped while in Florida but instead the airport you left from or the flight to Florida.

While we are not a zoo the refuge does have ambassador animals. They are very well cared for and get enrichment every day. They are ambassadors because they could not make it in the wild. Riley our striped skunk was retired Friday to a very nice home. She was 10 years old which is old for a skunk. She came to us because she was taken from the wild, descented and made a pet, when the owner found out that it is illegal to have a pet skunk in Florida without a permit they gave her to us. We also have a red fox, a raccoon, a red shouldered hawk, a barred owl, an African spurred tortoise, a gopher tortoise, a three legged box turtle, two corn snakes and 2 leopard geckos. I am going to miss Riley. Every Sunday I would give her a massage with vitamin E oil and brush her out.

You did a great job!

However, all you know is that no one boarding the ship has enough viral load yet to test positive 2 days before!

We are over 7 night cruisers so I am super happy that we have no cruises booked and several land trips planned for this fall. Maybe in 2024 there won't be all the hoops and confusion involved in cruising and it will be fun again. One can hope and then we will book.

Just glad that we have several land trips planned this fall. Maybe next year it will be a pleasure to cruise again, without all the hoops etc. One can hope.

Those are wonderful pictures. You had an adorable model for them!!

She will just have to send the jet to pick you up so you can visit now and again. LOL Let us all know when you purchase the house so we can visit.

Annabel is working on getting her tail floofy!

Samantha's tail is waving happily this morning.

Awww. How cute!

I think they are all lovely! I keep my silver in silver cloth bags and it does not tarnish between uses.

My son was in marching band and I was all the performances. I especially enjoyed the competitions to see all the complex routines they could do. I also loved the drum lines even though he played the trombone.

I can't wait to see the picture of the china. I love the old dishes and my china hutch has plates from his family and mine. One is dated 1909. Unfortunately the only full set we inherited is from my mother and is just plain with a platinum ring. Not what I would pick but it is what it is. The silverware is a combination from my mother and grandmother and I like it and have added a few pieces over the year. The crystal is my mother's and while nice is just plain. I only pull the china, silverware and crystal out a few times a year. I would use it more if I liked it better. My favorite is my Christmas set that I use in November, December, January and February.

I use an old ashtray for yarn scraps. LOL

@A&L_Ont Happy Anniversary. Glad your Mom is doing well. @h20skibum That looks like a wonderful trip. I am a slacker and only have 2 flamingos in my front flower bed. As to paper plates. My husband likes to use them. Probably because I have 5 sets of dishes and silverware. I have my mother's china and silverware for special occasions. I have 4 sets of Pfaltzgraff that I change out for each season.

I miss him.