Dog Boxes

My husband, T, and I went letterboxing this afternoon.  For T, it was a "treasure hunt."  Both letterboxes we attempted to find today were dog-related.

The first box was "Man's Best Friend" and was located at a business where one would take a dog that wasn't feeling well.

Here is T, getting ready to stamp his "logbook" with the treasure we found!

The second box was "Saving Jimmy" and was located at a dog park near this business.

Here is T, who "jumped" in front of my picture of the dog park!

Here we are, on our way to look for the letterbox.

My husband and T relaxed while I stamped my logbook.  (T blew a kiss to me!)

Here is T, getting ready to stamp his "logbook."  He likes to look at the treasure before he stamps!

The owner of this letterbox carved the stamp from a drawing she made of her dog, Jimmy.  She and her family saved Jimmy from an animal shelter.

Linked to:
   Mommy Moments
   Titus 2 Tuesday
   Wonderful Wednesday

Sparklers!

Here are some photos from July 4th...of last year!...about which I never blogged....

They capture T's first experience with sparklers!

He had such fun!!

Here he is, posing as the Statue of Liberty...his idea!

Happy Independence Day!  Have a fun and safe day.  :)

Handiwork

As we exited the store yesterday evening, we marveled at the unusual and very beautiful sky....

                      ♪♫     The mountains are His,
                                  The valleys are His,
                                  The stars are His handiwork, too....     ♫♪

Linked to:
   RaRa

Dahlonega

This week, T will be going to camp for the first time!  He is excited; I am excited and nervous!  The camp is located in Dahlonega, Georgia.  Since none of us had been to Dahlonega before, we decided to visit the town the day before camp was to begin.

The weather was gorgeous, so we ordered lunch at Connie's Ice Cream Parlor & Sandwich Shop and carried the to-go containers to Hancock Park for a picnic.

We ate grilled cheese on sourdough sandwiches!  Yum!!

We saw this "tree" in Hancock Park.

It's the Maibaum History Tree, a visual depiction of Dahlonega's history.  There is a sign nearby that tells what is illustrated on each branch of the tree.

Dahlonega is known for GOLD!  Benjamin Parks was the first to discover gold in the area in 1828, which began the first major gold rush in America in 1829.

The name Dahlonega originates from the Cherokee word "talonega" (also spelled "dalonige"), which means "yellow" or "golden."

We saw this gold mine shaft, which is part of an exhibit located in The Smith House.

The shaft had a 20-foot vertical fall, ending at a spot where two horizontal mine shafts came off.

Downtown Dahlonega is organized around the Dahlonega Gold Museum.

Built in 1836, the Old Lumpkin County Courthouse now houses the Dahlonega Gold Museum.  The courthouse building was built using locally-made brick which included trace amounts of gold.  It is the oldest existing courthouse in Georgia.

On display in Hancock Park is the Chestatee River Diving Bell.

The diving bell was used in 1875 to mine the depths of the Chestatee River by retrieving buckets of gold-bearing gravel from the river bottom.  The miners descended into the diving bell through the air lock.

We walked Dahlonega's historic streets and Public Square while visiting many of the 65 retail shops.  However, we didn't have time to see and do everything we wanted...so we are planning to return in the near future!

photo credits:
   gold mine shaft
   Dahlonega Gold Museum

Linked to:
   Preschool & Kindergarten Community
   Titus 2 Tuesday
   From House to Home

Advent Calendar

I just became aware of a 2014 Advent calendar that can be downloaded for free.   It is "Journey to the Manger:  2014 Advent Activity Calendar" and is offered by Thriving Family magazine which is a Focus on the Family publication that encourages, teaches, celebrates, and inspires families to thrive in Christ.

You can prepare for Christmas as a family and learn more about Bible characters related to the Nativity.  Scripture, a lesson, an activity, a prayer, and a puzzle is provided for each day of Advent.  The downloads include:

• Advent poster - full-color and black-and-white versions
• character cutouts - 26 individual Bible characters
• parents' guide - for 26 days of Advent
• kids' puzzles - 26 different puzzles

1.  Print out the Advent poster and assemble it.  Hang it in a central location in your home.

2.  Print out the characters of Christmas.  Each day of Advent, your child can cut out the Bible character for that day and attach it to the poster.  It might take a bit of searching to find the correct location!  (The character's background should be matched to the image on the poster.)

3.  Each day, plan the Scripture reading, short lesson, child-friendly activity, and prayer that highlights a different person or animal related to the Nativity.  The parents' guide has it all laid out!

4.  After enjoying a time of family fun and reflection, let your child work on a puzzle page.  For each day of Advent, there is a related puzzle, interesting Bible fact, and suggestions for discovering more!

Treasure the season of Advent as you lead your family on a faith-filled journey to the manger.  You can find the free downloads here.

Advent starts on November 30th!

photos source:  Thriving Family

Happy Birthday

I had a happy birthday today!  :D

First of all, my husband took a half-day vacation in order to have two new tires put on my van...and that wasn't even my birthday present!  ;o)  (I had a flat tire the day before.)

Then, he actually made a birthday plan...to take me out for supper!  And (knowing how I like my options), he gave me a choice of four great places to eat:
Copper River Grill (steak, seafood), Fatz (endless ribs!), Mythos (Greek, Italian), or Portofino's (Italian).  I chose Portofino's.  I love that restaurant, and I love their manicotti.  (Guess what I ordered for supper?!)

Afterward, I opened a card from my husband, a card from T, and a gift from T.

set of two flour sack towels...
for my apple-themed kitchen

My husband told me that he had shopped for my gift last weekend, but ended up having to order it...consequently, it won't be available for "gift-giving" until tomorrow or Friday when it arrives in the mail.  No problem; I can wait!  :D

I also received so many other nice expressions of love and friendship.  I received four birthday cards in the mail, an e-card, four e-mail messages, four telephone calls, and 25 facebook posts!  Yes — a happy birthday, indeed!  :)

Great Horned Owl

We took a field trip to the zoo this afternoon...to see a Great Horned Owl!

(It was difficult to get photos without the cage visible in front of the owl!)

Check out those talons!

We learned....

We saw many other birds.

Most of the animals were very "social" for a change!  As soon as we walked up to the glass, this alligator entered the water and swam over to us.

He "visited" with us for quite a while!

This orangutan was sitting at the glass, waiting for us!

We took a break from looking at the animals for some photo opportunities.  :)

Then, back to watching the animals.

Next, into the reptile house.

The small petting area had some farm animals.

We cooled off in the gift shop while we browsed.  We purchased this stuffed Great Horned Owl for T.  When squeezed in the middle, it says "Who-whoo, whoo-whoo.  Who-whoo, whoo-whoo."

This little booklet of information was attached to it.

Great Horned Owl

Great Horned Owls are the heaviest owls in North America and are found throughout much of the United States, even living near people.  They live in forest or field edges and are generally nocturnal.  Weighing an average of three pounds, they are strong for their size and capable of hunting prey larger than themselves.  Skunks, rabbits, snakes, and even cats are preyed upon by Great Horned Owls.

After leaving the zoo, T wanted to play at the nearby park...so we obliged!

Linked to:
   Field Trip Friday