Hysteria & Demons & Cherry Blossoms

So, we just got back from Scotland... BARELY. I am convinced we are cursed when it comes to traveling together. At Christmas, flights were a nightmare because of the snow, and for this Easter wedding, flights were a nightmare because of an Icelandic volcano. What's up your sleeve next time, Gatwick? Godzilla? Plus we missed our first connecting flight going up to Inverness since it took over 1 hour to get our bags. I then proceeded to have a minor breakdown for a consistent six hours or so while Duncan sorted things out, and got us into an airport lounge for free drinks.

Hysterical Woman

I had a few more other bouts of hysterical nonsense which I attribute to lack of sleep, but in the olden days would you know they would blame my UTERUS? I also had SLEEP PARALYSIS on my first night in Scotland, which in the olden days they used to blame on DEMONS. So I put the two and two together and decided I have a DEMONIC UTERUS. (I had a brief moment of panic when looking up sleep paralysis and found it to be a symptom of narcolepsy, which I confused with necrophelia, and they're not the same AT ALL).

Back in Vancouver now though and the cherry blossoms are well, blossoming, and it's beautiful and there's no volcanos and I had a nice sleep without demons sitting on me.

Cherry Blossoms Near Burrard Skytrain Station

Scotland itself was brilliant, and I got to see my darling in a KILT and a BALMORAL, and he looked lovely. And we danced, kinda, except I wouldn't let him lead since I'm awkward like that and also I kept thinking my dress was falling down. WHY DOES HE TAKE ME TO NICE PLACES? Anyways, more to come on Scotland later...

It sounds so simple I just gotta go...

Oh, Mexico. (Thanks James Taylor)

I miss it. I want to go there and hang out on the beach and read piles of books and drink coconuts. I drove there with my mom when I was 19 and we just drove all over the place and had a bunch of fun. I kind of hated her during a lot of moments, because I was 19, but looking back now I thought it was one of the best experiences of my life. Life-changing, momentous, and wonderful. Glorious even.

The book/website The People's Guide to Mexico is a great resource for driving in Mexico, and it's great to even read as a book - his stories and tales are so interesting and funny. A true travel book that leads you to your own tequila-induced adventure, and not just a "guide" that tells you what hostels to stay at, where to eat, where to drink, where to shop, etc...

I mean, just look how pretty...

Palenque

 Mexico D.F. Palacio de Bellas Artes

Pyramid de la Luna

Somehow Duncan is not convinced about Mexico (whaaa???), but I think THESE could convince him:

Puerto Escondido

more waves
 

Sea Turtle 

(ok, the sea turtle is for me... they're just so beautiful and helpless and vulnerable)

If you're still no convinced, maybe some Mexico cycle chic is in order, from here and here

There's so many places to go! And just so much terrible television to watch... ah, life's dilemmas!

Wolf, Ocelot and the Lot

Holey Moley. These are some good looking animal portraits. I'm pretty partial to the wolf with the starry sky. I want that on a t-shirt. The ocelot ain't so bad either.

Joel Sartore, a National Geographic photographer (great job title) is behind all these lovelies. He had to get a federally permitted fly handler (strange job title) for the fly photo!  He's got a book out now called RARE: Portraits of America's Endangered Animals. I think I kind of want it.

Pretty Ocelot Eyes.

 

 You kind of scare me, grizzly bear. Look how big your head is! (But you are still very cute). I just feel like you might always be around where I camp. Let's keep a safe distance, ok? I'll give you honey, in a bear shaped container for you.

 St. Andrew Beach Mouse, you are pretty cute when you're sitting still, but apparently you don't do that much. Chill out. (P.S. Are your eyes all PUPIL or what?).

 You look so pretty and old, Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit. You were the last one in your genetic line, and that makes me a little sad even though I didn't know you existed until today, and now you don't even exist. I missed you.

A federally permitted fly handler had to catch you and knock you out with CO2 gas to get this photo, did you know that, Delhi Sands Flower-Loving Fly? But I think the karate kid could've got you with chop sticks, he's pretty good. Also, you don't need to call yourself Flower-Loving, everyone loves flowers! Or is that a hint?

You're kind of giving me the hairy eyeball, California Condor, but yet you're still kind of pretty fascinating. Oh wait a minute, you actually look like a scrotum.

And YOU, Mexican Gray Wolf! You look like a cosmic peyote god set against those stars. I think we could be friends, you and me.

LOVE those photos.  (All found here)

Also, did you know the amphibians are dying at an alarming rate?  (This has nothing to do with the guy we knew when we were kids that would swallow frogs live and then later on puke them back up LIVE. No joke. He did that for real. We dared him for the whole summer.)

Fresh to Death

My favourite March event is starting! That is my good friend Andrew's March Madness pool. I still have to finalize my picks, but I always get excited about March Madness for some reason. (Sometimes I don't even end up watching that much basketball). I hope Duncan and I have completely different picks so then maybe I can beat him at one more thing. I have a soft spot for Gonzaga and Wake Forest because I like their names. I always try to push them through farther than they should go. I'm such an irrational woman!

Also, Easter is coming up and today I was reminded of Pysanky eggs (by the lovely Betsey Hinze), which I had done a few times as a kid. You can't really screw these up, they always seem to look lovely (even when I did them as a dumb kid!). We'll be in Scotland for Easter so hopefully I can try one there! (Expect mine to look nothing like the ones below....)

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