Been Busy, Grandchildren Visiting

To my few loyal readers...I have neither quit the blog nor fallen off the earth. For the past week my younger daughter, Siobhan, her husband, Jeffrey, and two of our grandchildren, Ezekiel and Phineas (Don't you just love those names?), have been visiting. They are a very demanding family and force me to spend time with the little guys doing all kinds of fun things. We've been to Homosassa Springs to see the manatees and other strange critters. We also drove to Tampa for two days of additional animal watching: one day at the Florida Aquarium and another at the Lowry Park Zoo. We've had a wonderful time, despite the steamy weather (high 90s); but the little guys are resilient, much more so than their grandparents. Don't know what we'll be doing this week, but I'm sure the women have made plans.

Here's a photo of the happy family as they boarded the boat in Homosassa for the ride to the state park:

Jeffrey returned to Massachusetts this morning, leaving his family behind. The poor boy, unlike his father-in-law, must still work to keep the wife and kids in new sneakers.


The only real excitement so far was the now infamous squirrel attack at Homosassa. While we sat at a picnic table to savor our fine, homemade peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, a squirrel apparently decided that Diane's lunch was simply too good to resist. He jumped on her shoulder, sprinted right across her face, and down her other arm. Fortunately, he left nothing behind other than a minor scratch and some mild hysteria. After this little stunt, he actually tried to do it again, but I managed to connect my shoe to his belly and send him airborne into the bushes. He wasn't hurt, but learned his lesson and did not return. At left is a photo of this overly aggressive rodent poised to attack...

I don't expect to post much on the blog until after July 1. Until then, God's peace and enjoy this life that God has given you.