45 YEARS

Today, January 31, is our 45th Wedding Anniversary.
We went to Disneyland on our honeymoon and we wanted to have our picture taken at the same place 45 years later.
We look a little different than that day but the "heart" is still the same.
Happy Anniversary to my Hubby, and for many, many more years to come.
Love you
Sue

ABC WEDNESDAY LETTER " B "

ABC Wednesday is here again. Today's letter is " B ".
" B " stands for Baggage. I saw this fascinating tower of "unclaimed" Baggage in
the Baggage Claim area of the Sacramento International Airport.
I think its a very clever way to cover some ugly pillars. There are all sorts of bags in this creation, everything from steamer trunks and golf clubs to trombone cases.
Go to Mrs. Nesbitts blog which can be found on my sidebar to see what others are posting for the letter B.
Be sure to enlarge this picture to see all the different bags on display.
Hubby and I will be gone for a few days so it will take me a while to get to all your B posts. Be patient I will visit.

'TIL SUMMER

DREAMING

WISHING

WAITING

THE PERFECT DAY

What could be more perfect than a warm day, a favorite book and a friend on one's lap?
Not much to my way of thinking.
Be sure to enlarge the photo to see the detail.
Take a look at Mr. Mapper's Blog to see some gorgeous shots of the ocean. Just click on his name on my sidebar.

ABC WEDNESDAY for the 4th time

Today we begin the 4th go-around for ABC Wednesday.
The first letter is " A ".
" A " is for giant ANTS. Awfully large ANTS!!
I saw these 2 foot tall ANTS at a local garden nursery. They were bronze castings and very attention-grabbing.
To see who else has posted for our ABC Wednesday just click on Mrs. Nesbitts link on my sidebar.
Why not join in the fun. Its challenging and can be very amusing.
Enlarging this post will show the giant Ants in all their glory.

FOLSOM LAKE

These photos are of Folsom Lake, California. Its a reservoir the supplies
hydropower, flood control, a fish habitat and is a source of water for municipal users.
As you can see, the Lake leval is down. Its actually only half full and getting less every day.
Usually the leval is at 443,000 acre-feet of water and 3 days ago the leval was only at 217,000 acre-feet. One acre-foot of water is about 326,000 gallons.

The snow pack from the Sierra Nevada Mountains feeds the American River which flows into the Lake.
Our snowpack so far has been so light that the prospects for resolving the drought seem very slim.

The Lake is so low that many historic remnants of homestead sites normally underwater are now boat hazards.
When Folsom Lake was created in 1955 a former gold rush town called Mormon Island was flooded. The town dwindled from a booming camp to just a few residents as the prospects of gold faded. Now old foundations and artifacts are appearing . The area is now a California State Park.
The Lake usually is up to where the darker shadows can be seen in these pictures. Sunny California is wonderful but we really need rain and a good dense snow pack soon.
Enlarge the pictures to see the detail.

FOLSOM PRISON

A few days ago Hubby and I took a ride and ended up at the notorious Folsom Prison.
Actually we visited the museum located just outside the Prison Gates. The museum is run by retired correctional peace officers and the officer we talked with had been in service for 40 years. He had LOTS of stories to tell.
Folsom was built as the first maximum security prison. It relieved the overcrowding from San Quentin Prison. The first part of the grounds was built in 1878 and received its first "visitors" in 1880.
There were many escapes and attempted escapes so a large, very solid granite wall and towers were built and completed in 1923. The wall is made of Hand-cut blue granite for which this area is famous. The tower is manned 24/7. I could take pictures as long as no one was identifyable.

Singer Johnny Cash was one of the more famous entertainers to perform at Folsom. Contrary to popular opinion, he was never incarcerated at this prison.


Didn't mean to post this Lake picture at this time but don't know how to delete it after it was posted. This is Folsom Lake and I will be sharing about it next week. (:0)
Remember to enlarge each of the pictures to see the detail more clearly.

ABC WEDNESDAY LETTER " Z "

Here we are at the final letter of the alphabet for the third time. The letter for today is " Z ".
This is for the Folsom City ZOO Sanctuary located in Folsom, California. I appreciate the Zoo's motto
"Teaching Responsible Human Behavior Towards all Animals."
All the animals in this small Zoo Sanctuary have been rescued because they were rejected or confiscated. Most have been severely abused, injured and are not releasable.
The Zoo administration wants to teach conservation and education about the North American wild animals .

It is obvious that these animals are well cared for and have a lot of roaming space and things to keep them energized. Its a shame that they have been abused and can't return to their natural habitat. Perhaps through this Zoo Sanctuary people will learn that they can't keep the wild creatures and that abuse is against the law.

To see others final Z posts go to Mrs. Nesbitts link on my side bar.

THE BLOOMING RIVER

I was so surprised to see the American River blooming at the Effie Yeaw Nature Center in Carmichael, California. I took this last weekend and the River was flowing at a pretty good clip. Near the shore, in only one place, did I find this pink bloom in the water.
Have a great weekend everyone.
As always, enlarging the photo will show more detail.

ABC WEDNESDAY LETTER " Y "

Here we are practically at the end of the alphabet for the third time. Todays letter is the letter " Y ".
" Y " is for Yolo County, California. I found this display with the play on the Wizard of Oz words at the State Fair this summer. Knowing I was doing ABC Wednesday I just had to use this great letter " Y ".
Please check Mrs. Nesbitts link on my sidebar for others participating in the letter " Y ".

REFLECTIONS

Here's looking forward to a wonderful 2009.
Some reflections from the last year contains clouds. Some have blue sky. Others can be a bit muddy and have a sun flare or two.
As this path shows, each reflection leads toward the unknown and who knows whats in store just around the bend.
I'm ready to walk down that path and step into the new year.
Hoping to walk that path with you.
Enlarging the photo will show more detail.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY and HAPPY NEW YEAR

Today is January 1st and is special for obvious reasons. It is also a special day because its my Hubby's birthday.
He's my best friend and the greatest partner in everything we do.
Happy Birthday
Love you lots
Suzy