Calico Contemplations

Moving...

2009-08-23T16:10:00.002-05:00

So the bug has hit and I'm moving this blog onto a self-hosted wordpress format. Please come and visit me at Calico Contemplations.

Another Day At The Zoo

2009-08-22T19:40:00.002-05:00

We took a trip to the zoo again today. We were hoping to see the snake show, as we haven't seen it yet; but once again it was canceled. So instead we rode around with our favorite tram driver. We were excited to learn that the new exhibit will be open in early October. I can't wait to see the grizzlies and wolves up close.

Looking at the sky on Friday... #3

2009-08-21T07:00:00.004-05:00

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I thought all the clouds in the sky were so pretty but this picture caught my eye once I had the photos on my computer, what do you see?

Thursday Thirteen #3 - The Letter B

2009-08-20T10:09:00.007-05:00

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It's easy, and fun!

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Wordless Wednesday #3

2009-08-19T07:00:00.001-05:00

Heads or Tails - Heads - "Pail" OR Tails - "Pale"

2009-08-18T09:22:00.006-05:00

HEADS - "Pail" *OR* TAILS - "Pale"

We eat an extremely low sodium diet in our household; but during a search for new ideas last week, I stumbled upon something that just, well you'll see.

Offered by US Wellness Meats The Salt-Free Pemmican Pail is described as being the same great recipe as the salt-free pemmican bars, the only change is that the pail packaging method eliminates the bar format and will require a spoon for extraction. This description left me wondering, so...

I checked out the The Salt-Free Pemmican Bars and got a clearer picture of the ingredients. Made from the same great recipe as their cherry/honey free pemmican but without the salt for those watching their sodium intake. 3.2 ounce bars will average 45% tallow and 55% dried jerky. Each bar contains 20 grams protein and approx. 400 calories. No additives or preservatives.

Another search for pemmican lead to this Wikipedia info:

Pemmican is a concentrated mixture of fat and protein used as a nutritious emergency foodstuff. The word comes from the Cree word pimîhkân, "pemmican", which itself is derived from the word pimî, "fat, grease". It was widely adopted as a high-energy food by Europeans involved in the fur trade and later by Arctic and Antarctic explorers, such as Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen. Properly packaged, pemmican can be stored for long periods of time.

And so now I offer to you the pail of pemmican that will never reach our table, no matter how low sodium it is...

Looking at the sky on Friday...#2

2009-08-14T06:13:00.005-05:00

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A quick series of photos as a plane flew over us during last week's visit to the zoo.

Thursday Thirteen #2 - Places I'd Love to Go Back to Visit

2009-08-13T07:49:00.010-05:00

13 Places I'd Love to Go Back to Visit

Chattanooga, TN - I'd like to live in this area sometime in the near future. We discovered the charm of this city totally by accident and have been back several times. It is easy to walk around, the people are friendly, and there seems to be a never ending list of things to do. The climate and scenery are pretty terrific too!

Newport, VT - I was born there and summered there as a child. The natural beauty and cool weather is just fantastic.

Rochester, NY - Try this in the spring during the Lilac festival, the smell is beyond belief. For a smaller city it has alot of history and some fabulous natural attractions.

Toronto, Cananda - Growing up in Western NY meant that trips to Canada happened pretty frequently. As a kid I loved Toronto because there was always something fun to do, and as I grew up I began to appreciate how clean, friendly, and safe it is. There is everything from shopping to hockey, fine dining to Hard Rock, city streets to country side. If you go try staying a little outside the city and use the subway, you will save a lot of money.

New River Gorge, Fayette County, WV - When I move from Western NY to NW Georgia this was one of the places we drove through. We couldn't stop for long but did walk around the gorge lookout trail. Someday I will go back to do the whitewater rafting.

Lake Wylie, SC - This was another stop on the NY to GA move and what a treat it was. We actually spent the night in NC; but it was the 4th of July and we were in search of fireworks. I saw the best display I have ever seen sitting on the bridge over Lake Wylie. If you get a chance to go there for the 4th I highly recommend it.

Green Lakes, NY - This was a family favorite for camping, the lakes are spectacular and you can't really see the color in pictures you have to see it for yourself. It's a short drive into Syracuse too, just in case you crave some civilization while you camp.

Letchworth State Park, Castile, NY - This park was close enough to home a child that we often went here for family hikes. I also took several school, girl scout, and summer camp day trips. Mother nature at her best.

Darien Lakes State Park, Darien Center, NY - This park is pretty and offers a convienent place to stay if you would like to visit the nearby Darien Lakes Theme Park.

Hampton Beach, NH - I spent one of the best summer vacations of my childhood here, the year E.T. came out. We stayed in a little beach house right near the water and ate fry dough for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I can't remember a single day where we ran out of things to do before we ran out of time.

Lancaster County, PA - This area is a wild mix of modern civilization and old world. The Amish are polite and tolerant and the craftsmanship you see in their products is astounding. Try some of the smaller bed and breakfasts to get a better feel for the area.

Kissimmee/St. Cloud, FL - Disneyworld, Seaworld, Universal Orlando, and Green Meadows Petting Farm, and a multitude of other attractions too numerous to name. If you can't find something to do here you are in big trouble.

Grand Canyon, AZ - I haven't been since I was just shy of 6 years old, but I can still remember thinking that it was amazing. I want to take my daughter there in a few years so that she to can see the wonder of nature and time.

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Wordless Wednesday #2

2009-08-12T07:00:00.002-05:00

It's Here...

Heads or Tails - Heads - Note

2009-08-11T07:00:00.001-05:00

HEADS - "Note"

Note to Self...

Monochrome Monday #1

2009-08-10T07:00:00.003-05:00

Budgie Love

2009-08-08T13:54:00.003-05:00

Looking At The Sky On Friday #1

2009-08-07T07:00:00.003-05:00

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So I quit blogging and then I moved, and discovered that I missed the blogs, and the memes, and the photos. Something else I've learned during the move is that the sky on the Southern East Coast and the sky in the Central South look really different. It's almost like you can touch the sky here at times, the clouds seem to be right over you pressing down. It's a goal to have my camera with me at one of those moments. But for today I have a pretty sky captured while we waited to see Disney's A Christmas Carol Train Tour this week.

I just have to say that if Disney's A Christmas Carol Train Tour comes to a town near you, go. There was tons to see and learn, and a cool touch morphing system at the end. My only warning is get there early and be prepared to wait, they said 2 hours when we got in line and it was just over 1, but we weren't really prepared to stand in the heat. If you would like to see some pictures from our adventure you can check out my homeschooling blog, Discovery For Life, for more.

Click Here To See More Looking At The Sky Photos

Thursday Thirteen #1 - The Letter A

2009-08-06T07:00:00.005-05:00

Thirteen Things That Begin With "A"

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Wordless Wednesday #1

2009-08-05T07:00:00.002-05:00

Her Very First Balloon Ride

Heads or Tails - Heads - Size

2009-08-04T06:46:00.004-05:00

HEADS - "Size"

When I saw the "theme" for this week I immediately thought of one of those random emails that wanders into your inbox via a "friend". I usually hate those things, but this one started with some pictures that were pretty amazing.

We tend to think of Earth as a rather big place; but in the scheme of things...

Starting Over

2009-08-03T07:00:00.001-05:00

Well, all the old blogs have been left in the past along with so much more. I can't even begin to explain how much my life has changed since the last time I blogged on the old blog in April. We are homeschooling this year after a long year of tears and misery, not because she couldn't keep up; but because there was too much turmoil and not enough challenge. I plan to keep most of my blogging about our homeschooling adventures on Discovery for Life. I'm not totally sure what I'm going to do on this one, or how long I will leave it on blogger; but who knows, it could be fun.

Calico Contemplations

Moving...

Another Day At The Zoo

Looking at the sky on Friday... #3

Thursday Thirteen #3 - The Letter B

Wordless Wednesday #3

Heads *or* Tails - Heads - "Pail" *OR* Tails - "Pale"

Looking at the sky on Friday...#2

Thursday Thirteen #2 - Places I'd Love to Go Back to Visit

13 Places I'd Love to Go Back to Visit

Wordless Wednesday #2

It's Here...

Heads *or* Tails - Heads - Note

Note to Self...

Monochrome Monday #1

Budgie Love

Looking At The Sky On Friday #1

Thursday Thirteen #1 - The Letter A

Wordless Wednesday #1

Heads *or* Tails - Heads - Size

Starting Over

Heads or Tails - Heads - "Pail" OR Tails - "Pale"

Heads or Tails - Heads - Note

Heads or Tails - Heads - Size