Photo potpourri

Lady E. is learning to play music. This year she is taking band and orchestra classes from two exuberant, excellent teachers.  In the space of several months she began to learn how to play the flute and violin. We saw a few concerts at her school.

Grampa K. also took in a performance a bit later in the spring.

I love motorcycles. That said, given my profession, I have grown quite fond of cars. In February the lease for my beloved Nissan Note came to an end. Known to my co-workers as “The Lustmobile” due to its decidedly unsexy qualities, I was sad to see it go. 

I wanted a pic to show my woe and got a wee bit creative (see left). Marina latched on to the idea and expressed her feelings (see right). She celebrates the happy drives we shared!

We haven’t done justice to the delights of Nashville and are still discovering new places. One was our visit to the Parthenon in Centennial Park. Built in 1897 as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition, it is a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens.

In April, right in the heart of downtown, Nashville holds its very own Cherry Blossom Festival. It’s a full day of traditional music, dance (& taiko drums), martial arts, plenty o’ Japanese food, roving cosplay types, the curious and Japan fans alike. 

Courtesy of Nashvilleguru.com

We have participated every year since we arrived in Music City. This year I visited the JET Program tent. That program, after all, was a major turning point in my life journey.

One major perk of living in Tennessee is that Grampa can visit more easily than other places we’ve lived. This particular visit featured a download of his recent trip to Nepal and Thailand. We did a lot of grandchild-focused stuff. I drank a lot of beer. Grampa drove an awful lot coming and going. We love having him here.

In May, we ventured out to the Tennessee Safari Park near Jackson, TN. It’s a drive-through safari, meaning you drive around the 5.5 miles of Safari roads in your own car and interact and feed animals as you putter along.

We bought plenty of feed buckets going in and arrived early enough in the morning that the animals (Zebras, antelope, buffalo, goats, ostriches, llama, and assorted other animals) were still hungry. They are accustomed to us humans, instinctively knowing the cars driving through the park have feed. There is no hesitation popping their heads into the car and gulping the grub. 

We all adapted to the animals’ behavior. They only wanted to eat the food. It was fun. Both Marina and Elena eventually stood up through the car's sunroof and enjoyed the view. 

Only this buffalo stood his ground, refusing to move despite our SUV in his face; we drove around. 

“Kiddovation” is Nissan USA’s version of “Bring Your Child to Work Day.” The event focuses on lighthearted games about innovation in cars and mobility with a kid-friendly twist. It gives a parent like me a chance to share my working world with the kids so they understand about my job. It was a great experience for me and them. 

Marina was interviewed for the company's internal communications video that captured the attending kids' impressions.

Florida is the state of tropical manic genius

Florida…the state of:  Blue Jays spring training, jungle, concrete, tourists, and a magnet for families like us.

Day 4 - Tampa

Given our familial aquatic bent, naturally we toured the Florida Aquarium in downtown Tampa. I had a mild heart attack on account of the entry fee. 

The building and exhibits were great; given how many aquariums we’ve visited over the years, we can be judgy. Overall, the experience was mostly fun--mixed with some sibling fights.

Due to traffic, it was a long drive out to the Blue Jays spring training stadium in Dunedin. It’s located in a lush neighborhood that at that time was brimming with pasty, deliriously happy Spring Break Canucks strolling the sidewalks. Marina and I tried to get into the stadium grounds around the 8th inning of a game to buy Jays gear at the clubhouse but they wouldn't let us in. Photos instead. This wouldn’t happen if John Gibbons were still the skipper of the bluebirds!! 

Evening drive through Clearwater, St. Petersburg, and all the way back up to Tampa. Stopped at a DQ for ice cream after the Sunshine Bridge. The Rising Daughters needed dinner: ice cream! We are bad parents.

Day 5 - Tampa

Busch Gardens: we walked an awful lot during the day. The girls and I stood for 45 minutes waiting for Sheikra, a pretty good roller coaster. But the lack of a quick queue option put a damper on any kind of Disneyesque technique to avoid line-ups. At one point, I went off with Lady E. in tow because she was fixated on attractions that M. could not ride. Sibling Cold War resulted. Beautiful weather out—80 degrees and lots of sunshine. Maxed out the available hours, from 1000 until 1900. Overall, we had a good time but not a great time. Mostly family discord was the main culprit. It happens.

Day 6 - Tampa

Off to a visit an animal shelter in the north Tampa area outfitted as a private zoo that started as a working farm. Surprisingly good time, beauty weather again. Just walking around looking at animals in a farm converted to a NPO, pony rides and homemade coops, many horses. 

Marina spent the bulk of her time taunting the goats and petting the horses. I think she really wants to take horse riding lessons. Also lots of petting guinea pigs. Lady e., being older, is not as giddy but also loves dem animals.

Evening spent by going to Madeira Beach’s John's Falls section to board the "Calypso Breeze" passenger booze-cruise enabler for an evening dinner cruise. Basically, drinks, food, dancing, then back to dock. Best thing about the night was that I got to dance with Marina, two times. (The second time was her choice, heh heh.) Elder sister laughed at my antics, but it was a moment in time. Topped off the evening with a languid night cruise in our Rogue, windows down, back to the hotel room.

Day 7 – Homeward bound

One last whiff of sand, salt and the musky perfume of decomposing tropical foliage in the morning before departure northward. Specifically, a short visit to Cypress Point Park for some surf. We lingered as long as possible, and were sad to leave.

Motoring along the I-4 from Tampa to Orlando’s Celebration area we spotted a biplane slowly bringing religion to the cloudless indigo blue skies above. Seems there is a local skywriter bearing religious messages almost daily. He wrote “LOVE GOD. U + GOD = (Happy Face).

It was mesmerizing to see this slowly materialize above our heads. I later found out this spiritual skywriting is a regular thing. That pilot is a true believer.

Ate late lunch at Boston Lobster Feast in Celebration, Fla. Oh…my…Lord…no…more…seafood.

Outbound to mid-Georgia. We bunked at a Scottish Inn “economy” motel just off the interstate.

Day 8 – Resigned to the road back to the real world

Opened the motel door to see nine cats patrolling around, soliciting food.  M. went nuts over them. She wants to be a zoologist.

Then an almost straight shot homeward. Hit the H-Mart in Atlanta to buy Asian food. Arrived home by 1530. Sunny skies but the trees were still brown in Tennessee. Our flirtation with summer weather was over. The Rising Family had a dang good time.

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