More Paris Doors

I have posted before about my fondness for French doors.   I thought I share a few of my new favorites today.  I would be happy living behind any one of these beautiful addresses.

Have a happy day.

Hiking and Fishing in Montana

There is nothing like a few days in Montana to help a person re-connect with nature.

We hiked Cinnamon Mountain, elevation about 9,200 feet.  

Lunch was well deserved by the time we reached the top of the mountain

One day was spent floating down the Yellowstone River in a raft.

Hubby was busy fishing and I was just along for the ride.  

A pleasant hike along a stream in the Montana section of Yellowstone National Park.

I love the green and orange colors and texture next to the burned trunks of trees.

We were so fortunate to spend 5 days with our great friends who planned great outings and  were amazing hosts.

These photos were taken with my iPhone camera and the Camera + app and the panorama shots were done with the Photosynth app.

Reflections

Now that I am relaxed, it's time to go home.

photo D. Flanagan

How was your week?  Are you ready for the weekend?  Any big plans?

I'll be heading back to Michigan from Elbow Cay, Bahamas.  This week was a mix of relaxation and recreation combined with house maintenance and upkeep.   Looks like I'll be going home to sunnier weather than what it has been in the Bahamas lately. 

See you on Monday.  

Perfect Weekend

I hope you had a fabulous weekend and a happy Mother's Day for all you moms.

Friday night this was the view as hubby and I had drinks and dinner.

Aren't these the sweetest sea urchin earrings?  Hubby found these for me on Etsy.  

The weather was perfect for bike rides, beach walks and reading around the pool.  

Have a great Monday everyone!

Outback Weekend

Happy Monday

I had a most spectacular weekend, a once in a lifetime kind of experience.

Aerial shot I took from a helicopter tour

I spent the weekend in the middle of Australia, in the Northern Territory, visiting the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.  This park is a sacred site of the Anangu, indigenous people of Australia.  Uluru is the world's largest monolith and Australia's most famous landmark.  The red color of the rock is due to the high iron content in its sandstone composition.  You may know Uluru as Ayers Rock.  In 1872, the European explorer, Ernest Giles, who sighted the rock, named it after the South Australian premier at the time, Sir Henry Ayers.

I did a sunrise base trek around Uluru.

Those on the trek were provided a pouch containing these items for breakfast. 

We started our 12K trek in the dark and were treated to lovely color changes of the rock and sky with the sunrise.

Our guide provided us with lots of folk lore and we got to see these paintings in a cave.  The paintings do not tell a story but were more like a "blackboard" for teaching children.

A post trek view from a distance.

Aerial shot taken from a helicopter

Not far from Uluru is Kata Tjuta.  This area is comprised of 36 domes.  Much of this land is considered sacred and visitors are not allowed to explore.  I did take a sunset trek to the area, however.

Hubby and Me in the Valley of the Winds, Kata-Tjuta

Post trek, the tour group was treated to champagne, wine and snacks while viewing sunset.

Kata-Tjuta at the "golden hour".

I feel so fortunate to have been able to experience this magnificent natural landmark in such a grand manner.  

On Vacation "Down Under"

I just "hopped" over to Australia... 

...and boy, am I tired.

Have a good weekend and a joyous Easter if you celebrate.

See you on Monday.

Week's End

My relaxing week in the Bahamas is coming to a close.

Plenty of sun, fresh air and ocean breeze.

I did a few crafty things.  Using a nail tied to some twine, I threaded all sorts of sponges, driftwood and coral to make a natural garland.

For now it is hanging on the fence.

I "jazzed up" my plain Ikea flatware by dipping the handles in Plasti Dip.  Today the red, tomorrow some blue.

I'll be back in Michigan on Sunday.  Have a relaxing and pleasant week dear readers. 

 See you on Monday.

Trouble in Paradise

Ice cubes didn't freeze, milk wasn't cold.  Adjusting the temp of the refrigerator didn't help.  We pulled out the refrigerator expecting to clean out the dust from the condenser and everything would be OK but OH, NO!.....

The back of the refrigerator was rusted out and had an ice build up.  No honey, I don't think we can fix this. 

So after a weekend of dealing with coolers and bags of ice,

we took the 8 am ferry to the "big island" to shop for a new refrigerator.  They had only one stainless steel, side by side of the correct size in stock AND it was on sale!  I'll have that one please.  It shipped on the freight ferry to our  island this afternoon and it is now almost cool enough to stock with the food in the coolers.  

Photo from  Food Network UK

But did that mean we needed to eat out?  No, we made lobster rolls with local, fresh lobster for lunch.  

Of course our dealing without a refrigerator for a weekend is nothing compared with the unfortunate people in Connecticut and elsewhere still dealing without power after that freak snowstorm in October.  It is easy to be creative for two days but weeks without power, grocery stores or the luxury of restaurants is not fun.  Hope all power is restored soon!

East Coast Weekend

I'll be spending a long weekend in the "city of brotherly love" (Philadelphia) and Princeton, NJ. It will be a time with family celebrating birthdays and other special events.  

The famous Love Sculpture by Robert Indiana at JFK Plaza

Logan Circle

This will be the view from the hotel.  

I'm looking forward to a get-away and a little bit of pampering at the hotel.  I hope you all have a lovely weekend and take time to relax and pamper yourself a bit.  See you on Monday.

Working Vacation

I'm having a little working vacation at my house in the Bahamas.

I spent Sunday afternoon assembling these lounge chairs.  They are made of recycled plastic material and are extremely durable.

I took a break from working to attend  a designer handbag show at the Hope Town Harbour Lodge.  Harl Taylor was a Bahamian handbag designer until his untimely death in 2007. Taylor's bags have been carried by Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf's some celebrity owners include Oprah and Kimora Lee Simmons.  His mother has recently reissued his designs. 

The embellished straw bags are names for the women for whom they were created.

Click here to view the entire collection.

A gorgeous seaside setting with prosecco and mini cheesecakes served on sea grape leaves.  

Memorial Day is not celebrated in the Bahamas so Monday was a work day...meaning a fresh coat of paint on interior trim.

Did you celebrate Memorial Day with a parade or cookout?

Island Houses

Houses in the settlement of Hope Town, Elbow Cay

Salt Sea, home of Shelley Malone

This house, Salt Sea, was featured in Coastal Living, February 2011.

This house is typical of Bahamian cottages architecture. 

Isn't this cute?

Almost makes you wish you were a gecko.

Happy Weekend everyone! 

See you on Monday when I'll be back to reality in Michigan.

Sugar Shack: Hope Town

The new home of the Sugar Shack...

...just a few step from the Public Dock in Hope Town.  

Not only a plethora of flavors but t-shirts, towels and souvenirs displayed with beach-theme panache.  Notice the surf board shelf beside the Haagen Dazs freezer and the buckets on the wall holding shirts.  

After a long, cold winter, one of the pleasures of warm weather is being able to open the windows and hear the birds.

A humming bird sitting still long enough for a portrait!