Nevada Christmas, Post # 2

This Nevada Christmas posting #2 deals with a lot of pre-Christmas activities as well as Christmas day activities. There are advantages of getting older but some of the disadvantages are tough to live with. Chief among these disadvantages are hurting joints  (especially knees) which preclude you being able to get on the floor to play with a very active great grandson. I told my grand daughter ahead of time to not be disappointed if I did not spend a lot of time on the floor playing with the little guy. The knees just will not let me get down and get back up although I did make it a few times.

Great grandpa Bill on the floor playing with great grandson Carter. Right now Carter's thing is to point to something (anything) and say what sounds like "this". You tell him and he immediately points to something else. Never an end.

Carter on his "growly bear"

 Carter loves to pull things around.

Carter unhappy as he tries to learn how to get out of this chair. It took several tries but he mastered it.

Carter loves any toy that has light and makes a noise.

 This poor keyboard takes a beating and is easy to pull around by the cord.

He loves his blow up reindeer.

 Carter poses for photograph. Isn't that a handsome young man.

 One of Nicku's Christmas decorations

 Some of the stockings hung on the fireplace mantel in anticipation

 Beautiful tree all decorated and waiting for the big day.

I love this decoration on the wall of Nicku's dining room. A declaration of Nicku and Corey's thoughts and belief.

Nicku, Carter and Corey before we go to the Candle Light Service at their church.

 Candle Light Service. I missed the shot with the candles lit.

Leaving Candle Light Service.

 Landscape scene from church

Christmas Eve would not be complete especially if you have children if you do not have to assemble some toys. I am not sure but Parisa is perhaps giving Corey advice on assemble of this toy wagon.

Christmas morning and I think I can safely say Santa Clause has been here. Louie one of the two Jack Russel that live here seems to be trying to figure out what all this stuff is.

 One of Carter's favorite toy seemed to be this toy that he can ride and push around. It has all sorts of lights. things that move and make a lot of noise.

Of course if you can't get to work right you can always pull it around on its side.

Here Corey is instructing his dog Gunter, while Peanut is on the couch and Louie is barely visible.

Louie and Peanut on couch with Carter while Dad takes a picture.

Louie is a very gentle and loving dog who has had a hip operation which has slowed him down a lot. He tries hard but spends a lot of time moving on three legs especially late in the day. He slept with me some nights.

Just so you know as wonderful as Christmas was there was a down side. Janice came down with a stomach bug of some sort that kept her in bed a couple of days and yours truly got it and laid me low for a  period. That made history for me because I have not had anything like that for at least 20 or 30 years. Could it have something with reaching that 85 year old Plato? 

After much discussion it was decided Janice and I would drive back to her home rather fly. We were loaded down with luggage and presents. It was a very pleasant and beautiful drive of roughly 4 hours. Thank you Nicku and Corey for having all of us in your home for Christmas 2016. I know it was stressful and tiring as you near you trimester point in your pregnancy. Again thank you it was most enjoyable.

Posting # 3 will cover activities after returning to California at Janice's home. Remember what I always say. God loves you and so do I.

Grandpa Bill

Nevada Christmas, Post # 1

This posting will cover my Christmas vacation in Nevada which was spent with my grand daughter and her husband and son; my oldest daughter and her husband as well as my grand daughter from New York and her husband. Of course I cannot leave out my great grandson. What a joy to see him and the family

Of course any trip like this means that Annabel who is such a trooper has to go into boarding. Took her to boarding for 15 days. She got out of the car knowing where she was and headed straight inside. While I was checking her in they came to get her and off she went leading them back to the boarding area and never once looked back to see if I was coming. As much as it hurts me it tells me she likes it there and is well cared for. Next is to get the house ready for my being away for 15 days, get packed and print my boarding passes and get some rest and  wait till morning to go to the airport.

Arrived at the Greater Cincinnati airport to see a beautiful sunrise. It is interesting to a lot of people that the Greater Cincinnati airport  is actually located in Kentucky.  I fly to Reno, Nevada to visit my grand daughter and her family. She lives in Spanish Springs, Nevada near Reno. Boarding the aircraft in Cincinnati was a young man with a medical assist dog a large beautiful German Shepherd. He had the first row window seat in first class. After he got seated himself he unfolded a piece of thin black cloth and placed it on the floor at his feet. The dog lay down and went to sleep. Later he woke the dog up and was talking to him and petting him. What impressed me so much was that while he was talking to the dog the dog never took his eyes off him. Cloudy and bumpy most of the flight and no snow on the ground at Denver or Reno.

 Beautiful sunrise

My United Aircraft.

Flying from Denver to Reno it is always interesting to see the very large circle which are made by the irrigation systems.

Since my birthday was on the 19 of December it was decided the family would wait until I got to Nevada to celebrate. All of my life that I can remember even as a small child I had a chocolate pie for my birthday. My Mom always made it, then my wife kept the tradition and after she died one of my daughter would do the honor of making my birthday pie. This time my oldest daughter Janice made both a chocolate and also coconut cream pie both of which are my favorite.

Chocolate Pie

Coconut cream

Biscuits

Preparing to blow out the candles

 Have never seen birthday candles like these

 Heat from the candles cause the whole feature to turn.

Enough air left in this 85 year old body to blow out the candles the first try

Information about this birthday candle.

I know some readers will be wondering about the beautiful plate of biscuits with my birthday pie. There was a tradition among my relatives and others in North West Arkansas to have what we called chocolate gravy and biscuits. The gravy was nothing more than chocolate pie filling served hot in a bowl instead of baking it is a pie crust. It was served over hot biscuits and I along with a lot of other people loved it. Much easier than baking the pie. 

 Snow on the mountains near my grand daughters home in Nevada.

 Some of the family taking a hike partially up the mountain directly behind my grand daughters home.

 Sunset behind my grand daughters home.

Sunset behind my grand daughters home.

 These four all bundled up to spend in day in the mountains skiing. They were so bundled up they said they would have to drive with the windows down to keep from getting to hot. Ha. Left to right Daniel Howard, his wife My grand daughter Parisa, Bami Bastani my daughter Janice's husband and Corey Bruce my grand daughter Nicku's husband..

Posting #2 will cover Christmas and playing with great grandson Carter. Remember what I always say God loves you and so do I.

Grandpa Bill

Ark Encounter, July 12, 2016, Emzara's Kitchen & Animals Post 9

Emzara's Kitchen.

This posting (9) covers Emzara's Kitchen. She was Noah's wife. Her kitchen is where all visitors to the Ark Encounter can get some good food and refreshments. They have a good selection of fast food  and salads which is reasonably priced. Also included are photographs of the numerous animals in and around the dining area. The dining area consists of the entire first floor as well as the second floor. Stairs and elevator give access to the second floor. There is a balacony that surrounds the second flooor on three sides where you have a good view of the outside of the Ark and other areas that are right under development.

 This Big Guy Greets You As You Enter. You Can See In The Background Where You Place Your Orders. You Can Also One Set of Stairs That Lead to The Second Floor Dining Area.

We Ate at The Table Just to The Left of This Water Buffalo. That is my Daughter Janice Seated at That Table.

There was a sign which indicated that all these animals were legally taken and processed by a taxidermist.

General views throughout the Ark were covered in post # 1. The living quarters were covered in posting 2. Posting  3 covers the display on the third deck and covers just the Flood display.   Post Number 4 covers the display about the Ice Age which obviously happened after the Flood. Post number 5 covers Babel which was built when the people did not obey God following the flood. God told the people to multiply and spread all over the earth  Instead they decided to stay in one place and build a city and a tower.  We see what God did.  Posting number 6 goes back to the entrance and picks up some areas not previously covered.  Posting (7) covers a question we hear asked all the time when there is a big storm, accident, fire or other situation where there is a lot of suffering, starvation and loss of life. That question is " Why Does a Loving God Allow so Much Death And Suffering?"  "Was it Just For God to Judge The Whole World?" "Is God Cruel?" These questions are answered in posting # 8. Also included are animals not previously posted that make the trip worthwhile.

You can see my earlier postings on the Ark and my travels by visiting my blog which can be found at Grandpa Bill and Black Beauty Travel Or Grandpa Bill And Lady Blue Travel

http://www.wdiven.blogspot.com.  Once there search index ( over 300 ) of older postings.Since May 1912 I have visited numerous National Parks and many Presidential Libraries and Museums and many other historic locations.  As always comments are welcome.

Remember as I always say God loves you and so do I.

Grandpa Bill