Healthier Eating

Since joining the gym I have been making a good effort to cook healthier meals at home. After work yesterday I stopped at the grocery store to replenished my supply of produce. I decided to grill some pork chops but couldn't decide on a vegetable. I had just gotten pea pods, broccoli, asparagus, red bell peppers and a few other beautiful veggies. Since I couldn't choose I just started throwing a bit of each into a pan and did a quick stir fry. It was so rich with colors that Dale grabbed his camera and photographed while I tossed the veggies around in the pan. It was delicious with the pork! I have been doing well but still wish that veggies tasted as good as cookies! My taste buds often prefer less healthy choices, but I do try to resist more often now.

First Day of Spring

Today is the first day of Spring and we woke up to about four or five inches of snow. It's gorgeous! (Because we know it will melt very soon, it's even more gorgeous.) Dale and I went for a walk along the creek and on the trails by my house then we also drove out to Lake Heron where the gulls were very busy. It was fun to trudge around in the fresh snow leaving prints and kicking up powder.

Thursday I washed my car wearing flip-flops, capris and short sleeves. Today I wore my snow boots. I guess that's March in Iowa! Its been a wonderful week.

Cats at the Zoo

Sunday afternoon turned into a bright Spring day so Dale and I decided to head to the zoo. I really wanted to be outside but it was too muddy to do many outdoor activities. The zoo was a good destination.

The cats were especially cooperative, even a bit lazy. It was fun to catch the tiger's yawn. I also took lots of pictures of the red pandas but I am sure that I can get a better shot of them another day.

Reiman Gardens

Last weekend Dale and I made two trips to Ames to watch Jake and the Mason City Mohawks play hockey. It was fun to watch the boy skate. They did very well.
While in Ames we took the time to visit a couple of our favorite places. On Friday night we went to Hickory Park for bar-b-que with Dan and Jill. It was fun to hang out with them and eat delicious food together.




Saturday morning after the game Dale and I headed over to Reiman Gardens specifically to visit the butterfly garden with our cameras. It is a beautiful and peaceful space. I was surprised to see a constant flow of people of all ages through the butterfly area on a Saturday morning. It is a quite popular place.

It was like visiting summer in the very early days of spring. It was a gray and chilly day but quite warm and green in the butterfly garden area. It was a fun place for photography and I took lots of photos. They are amazing creatures.

New Orleans

Two weeks ago my friend, Becky and I spent a Saturday in New Orleans. As we entered the French Quarter, I said, "New Orleans is just so different from anyplace else!" The culture, food, music and architecture are unique in so many ways. It was fun to enjoy a gorgeous sunny day exploring the French Quarter. I took a few photos and ate lots of great food. Red beans and rice, Muffulettas, pralines and beignets. . . all in one day!

I tried to sneak a quick photo of a man holding this sign outside of a French Quarter establishment. He spotted me immediately and insisted on trading the sign for my camera so that he could take a photo of Becky and me. Of course, he wanted a tip but he was so much nicer about it than some of the others, so we were happy to play the game! We did not get one of these huge beers but do see great humor in the sign!

Visiting Springtime

It's been two weeks since I flew to Mississippi to visit Becky. I also got to miss a snowstorm and visit Spring at the same time! I am just now getting to my photos and my blog.

This cute little guy is Sam who became my walking partner while I was in Hattiesburg. I loved getting out to walk with short sleeves and no ice! Sam seemed to enjoy the walks and he made it more fun for me too. We walked every day at least once.



I did my walking around the neighborhood and it was great. Hattiesburg Mississippi is in the pine belt. It's great to see all the pine needles and the gigantic pine cones on the ground. I loved seeing the foliage and even some blossoms in February. The walks were a treat and it was nice to keep up with my exercise even when away from home. I tucked my point and shoot camera in my pocket and got a few shots of Spring. I was so excited to see daffodils! The week before I arrived there had been a six inch snowfall so you can see some brown edges on some flowers. I have another post coming yet. I will post a few pictures of our Saturday in New Orleans, but not today!