Today is the day - Rusty meets Jenni and the Earth tips off its axis AGAIN!

We're meeting about 10 am at Springfield College and then we're heading into the Berkshires for a ride thru some beautiful country. Since it's Wednesday Dadz has offered to chauffeur. We'll do some shopping at an Outlet *Town* and then meet up with BoxerBob at Red Rose tonight.

I'll let you know if Jenni talks like 'arry Potter!

So glad you all sent love and hugs and snuggly quilts yesterday. I am up and ready to go see Jenni in a couple of hours. No time to chat but I will let you all know how it goes today.

I'm so excited - it's like getting to meet Mary Poppins! LOL

Freddie - I'm still in withdrawal. I had such a great time with you and George. You are both so KOOKY!

I fink Jenni will 'av more of a northern accent, not a "arry Potter" one like wot we 'av dhaan here in London. LOL.

Enjoy your day. Can't wait to hear all about it. Annie B.

It's...

Yo-Yo Day

Yo-yos may be the world's oldest toys. 3,000 year old stone yo-yos have been found in Greece, and ivory yo-yos were made in China about 1000 B.C. Popular with the French royal court and in Victorian England, they came to the U.S. with the emigrants. Three presidents (Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon) publicly displayed their skill - and in 1992, a yo-yo went into space with astronaut Jeffry Hoffman on the space shuttle Atlantis.

Rusty, you will have so much fun today! I can imagine your excitement, and can tell you are so looking forward to your meeting! I am meeting Cynde for the first time in July, and we are so excited about that. It's fun meeting new people, and finding new friends. Wouldn't it be great for all of us to take vacation together and meet in Bonaire? Ahhhh wishful thinking. Although it IS only 65 more days for us!

Good morning, Annie B.!


Kelly

Well, my hair is drying, my makeup is on and I'm about to jump into my clothes. I just heard from Jenni and it looks like all systems are go for LAUNCH!

Annie, Kelly - wish you were here! Imagine that.

Here's Mandy or an old paper bag from Seb's lunch.

Have a great time, doesn't look to bad on the weather side. A little cool (mid 60's) and high thin clouds, visibility was pretty good when I came to work maybe 10 miles. Good day for a trip to the mountains. God am I tempted. Got to have the vacation time for Bonaire.

Which is now 38 and a wake up

Cecil, I know I said it already but I'm sorry Cynde and I will miss you on our trip. I didn't post the other day when you posted the picture you took but it was awesome. You have a talent!

Chance of rain here in central Ohio today.

Rusty, yes I CAN imagine, and it makes me laugh just thinking about it!

morning gang! 64 more days for me...i am sad that i won't get to get to meet martin, angela, cecil and sue...

rusty and jenni, have dad take pics so we can see!

annie, you crack me up gal...could hear mary poppins saying da words!

have to have another glucose tolerance test this morning YUCK! can i tell you that i am NOT looking forward to this again???? i have been putting it off for a LONG time, but now doc says it has to be done...can't eat and then have to drink a sugar cocktail and have them draw blood for 2 hours...brought some work with me to keep me occupied between vampire bites

had dinner with my oceanography prof last night with his wife and the head of the kelp project...he just got back from the indian ocean, and is now headed to dubai (sp) in the arab nation area...will try to find a link to the project he is working on there...then he goes to russia to do some dive research, then back to the indian ocean...what a life! this guy was the pioneer for the oga mask system....and has gadgets up the ying yang...michael was in heaven to say the least looking and playing with all the toys...

Hi all. One of the rare free minutes I've had lately. Really wanted to get to Springfield tonight to witness the Rusty-Jenni conjunction, but tonight is when Beth gets back from her Costa Rica field trip (http://hullma.virtualtownhall.net/Public_Documents/HullMA_HighSchClass/merritt/CostaRicaHomePage). Toyed with the idea of heading out to Springfield for the get together, and then coming back early in time to meet the returnees, but got the impression that time is going to be meaningless in Springfield this evening.

That was the crux of my problem also John. If I stayed in Springfield to even 9:00 PM it would be midnight before I got home and I do need my beauty sleep.

John, how is the oil slick doing? Quite a mess and worse time of the year with lots of nesting critters. Lets hope they have better luck on the clean-up today, hopefully better winds.

Haven't heard any updates on the spill, Cecil. That's down on the south coast, so doesn't affect us up here on Mass. Bay near Boston. Good thing, too, because the wind has shifted from the north to the east, now, which would have it drifting straight onshore if it were here (Of course, east isn't good for them down there either).

Hi Kelly, Cynde, John and Cecil. I have just got back from seeing my friend, who is more like a sister to me. Yesterday her eldest son fell down some stairs at work, and has broken a bone in his back, and cannot move now.

This morning her middle son, who's wife just had a baby girl collapsed with a hernia.

We are waiting to hear news on how they both are.

I feel like changing my name to doomsday Annie.

Your friend is lucky to have you, Annie! I know you can lend a sympathetic ear and offer a word of encouragement......
Here's a nice boat...

Look at this!!!

WOWEE! Margarite. Never seen Satch look so good. Annie B.

so fun to see the fish at the reef cam. divers are great to see too, however, i am always a bit jealous.

Ok, Chatters....Today is Beltane.....

This marks the Vernal Equinox, the beginning of warm season. Traditionally, we should drive our herds up into the hills, light a bonfire, sing songs about love and generally celebrate Life, Love, Fertility, and the good Earth.


Then....we run into the forest and choose a tree to make our Maypole. We stay in the forest all night weaving wreaths for our hair, drinking Maywine, decorating the the Maypole . We might also choose to have a lover.... In morning, we take the Maypole back into town ,leave Maybaskets with flowers on our friends front porch. And dance around the Maypole some more...

Sound like fun?? People really do this you know! Do a google search on Beltane. Fascinating stuff.

BTW, this is also one of the few nights when you can actually find fairies in the woods!

My husband is working late tonight. Do you think he will be surprised when he comes home and I'm in the back yard doing pagan dances around a bonfire with flowers in my hair and looking for fairies under the trees????

Here's a little bit of magic from the island!

Hiya guys - WOW!!!! You all gonna wish you were here with me and Rusty. We have had a ball today. Been round the Berkshire Hills, and shopping at the Outlets, and Ben & Jerry's, and taking lots of photos.

And in case you thought this was a scam. Just look at the two of us....

You never can tell Margarite, you ought to try it. Your husband will definitely be surprised rather pleasantly or not is another story. Running through the woods looking for fairies can never be a bad thing unless you live in San Francisco or Provincetown.

I think I may give it a try. In the olde tymes, the maidens did it "skyeclad", but since we've no privacy fences in our neighborhood..... Know what I mean Cecil?

Looky , here!! There's Rusty and Jenni!! Getting ready for HH I would guess. All that shopping can make a girl thirsty!!

Jenni. Nice picture of you and Rusty. So glad you had a lovely day. I'm not jealous one little bit. Honest. LOL Annie B.

Hello my kids! Jenni is a riot - as expected. We're playing with some digital pix that my Dadz took today and you'll see Jenni's pix when she gets home to the UK this weekend. We tried but couldn't offload the pix from her Fuji. As a consolation, we're off to Red Rose for PIZZA!

Climbing the cairn at The Summit of Jacob's Ladder in Becket, MA:

good grief

nighty-nite;)

Excellent, great that you had a nice day. Rusty did you introduce Jenni to the Maine State Bird the Black Fly, they are out in force in my backyard. I was just playing cat and mouse with the Pileated again, he and the Black Flys won.

oh my gosh, what a great day it looks like you had! Now i can put a face with jenni and a loverly one it is!

col...so sad to hear the news

cecil...do you have your gear packed yet?

Not the greatest sunset tonight, needs a sailboat and some clouds. I do like the ripples on the water in this dark one for Rusty.



Funny deal on the packing, I'm looking for memory sticks and Sue's looking for bathing suits. I borrowed mine, she buying. Viva la difference.

cecil, you are SO practical! Like you would really ask Sue to BORROW a bathing suit?

Jenni and Rusty! I am glad you both had (having) a great time!! Love the photos!!

Hi Jenni and Rusty! You look like you are having such a good time! Can't wait for the rest of the pictures and the rest of the story... hope dinner was yummy!

I am still in Springfield, at a friend's house and awaiting collection by yet another friend around midday.

I had an absolutely fantastic time with Rusty [and Dadz - who is SO lovely guys]. What a wonderful thing to meet someone from the other side of the world via a webcam under the water in an island off Venezuela and a chat board. Just amazing!!!

Well, Margarite, spill the beans. Did you do the skyeclad dancing with the fairies at the bottom of the garden, with flowers in your hair? And what did dear hubby say when he saw you?