Peering From the Pier

Today the Lady and Mister Guy told me that we would go see that big ship again. It was going to be sailing out in the Delaware Bay! It would be cool to see it with all of its sails upl. So all day I  waited to go. While I was at home waiting, the Lady and Mister Guy went out  to eat lunch. They found a new place called Blue Sea Cafe. They did not know it was all decorated in orange and blue, like me! My kind of place! But I didn't get to go. The Lady took some pictures to show me.

At dinner time we all left to go see the big ship. When we got to the dock, it was already out sailing.  Mister Guy and I waited and watched for it to come back. The Lady wanted to take pictures. While we all were waiting, she took some pictures of us. 

Mister Guy always tries to make sure I can see the interesting things. He also makes sure  that all of my fur is orderly for the pictures. 

The Lady tries to make sure  we both look good. 

The big ship finally came. It had been out sailing for almost two hours. 

We were all disappointed because it did not have its big sails out as it approached the dock.   It was being powered by a motor.  That just didnt seem right.  I guess they have be careful just how fast they are going when they come into the dock. It was still cool to see it gliding across the water. 

The place where the big ship lives also has a ferry. I learned that ferrys are another kind of big boat.  This one that takes people across to a place called New Jersey.   I think that I have heard on a TV commercial that New Jersey is where they make salsa.  The ferry will even let people take their cars aboard! 

Before we left the ferry terminal, we stopped to take a picture at the ferry boat sign. 

The ferry has been going back and forth from Lewes to Cape May for 50 years! Gosh, I haven't even been around a whole year yet.  I think the Lady and Mister Guy are older than the ferry route.

On our way out, the Lady got all excited because she saw something and said we had to stop. She called  it Ms Pac-Man. I watched it for a while. 

The Lady said she used to play Ms Pac-Man A LOT once upon a time. So I learned this was a game I was seeing. She said it was more than a game; it was therapy when she was in college...whatever that means.

I was more interested in the reflection of myself than in those little ghostie things floating around.  

Don't tell the Lady though;  she was so excited to show this game to me.   We went to the Blue Ocean Cafe, the blue and orange restaurant from earlier, they were closed. The Lady took my picture next to their sign. We matched perfectly!  I would like this place.  The Mister Guy promised to take me next time we come to Lewes.

Tomorrow we go home. I really have not been there much. Maybe this time I will get to learn more about where I will live most of the time.  But first, a new airport.  And, maybe a new T-shirt!

And Now Ships...

Yesterday the weather was cloudy, but there wasn't any rain. So the Lady and Mister Guy took me out with them. We went to the Cape Henlopen State Park.  The first thing I saw was this sign.

Were they talking about me?  Am I a pet?  I wasn't so sure I liked this place.  The Mister Guy assured me that I was not a pet; he said that I was family.  That made me feel good. 

The Lady wanted to get pictures of something called a lighthouse. At first I wondered if this was the opposite of a heavy house. When we got there and I saw it. I must be right! The house was in the middle of the water so must be light to float, right? 

It sure looked tall…and it was round! Did someone live there?

The Lady and Mister Guy explained that it was really a big tower with a light on top to help big ships find their way through the breakwaters without hitting the land. Someone might live on the bottom of the lighthouse to make sure the light went on at the right time. And, it is so tall so the light shines a long way!  I think that's cool.

We got to see the beach too. I had already been to a beach. But there were not any belly dancers at this one! I took a second to sit on this bench. It is nice that someone put the bench here to help remember another person.  It is so peaceful here.  I bet the people who donated this bench come here where it is quiet and beautiful and think about the person they love and miss.

Then we went to the park shop and I got another shirt! Yay!  I love new shirts from the places I've been! This one is blue. Not MY blue, but blue. We went out to the woods and took some pictures.

 I got to play in a tree. 

Mister Guy showed me a pine cone and explained how the tree I was playing in came from a pine cone just like the one I was holding. 

It made me wonder if blue furry monsters come from blue fur tree cones.  The Mister Guy explained that I had my "I's" and "you's" mixed up...something about fir and fur confused.  He talked about phoning home or home phones…I didn't quite catch it all.  That was too much for a furry blue and orange monster to think about on a Sunday afternoon in the park.

After that we saw another tower. This one was not a lighthouse. It was big and heavy and we could walk right up to it. 

We could even climb up inside it, up to the tippy top. Mr Guy read that there were a bunch of these towers in Delaware. They were built to let people watch out for the enemy in a war. He said it was called World War II. I asked what war was and he said it was when people got so mad that they started killing each other. He said that there have been two times that so many people were mad at each other that almost the whole world was fighting. These times are called World Wars.  There had been many smaller wars. In fact people are fighting each other right now in places far away.

That sounds bad to me, even if it is far away. Blue and orange furry monsters like everyone.   I then got scared and asked if people here could start killing each other. The Lady said sometimes they do. I did not like hearing that.

To take my mind of or fighting, we decided to climb up the tower.  I could see a long way. 

I understood how this tower was used. I was glad to hear it help keep fighting from happening here, but the idea of people killing each other still made me sad. Then I looked down I saw this message and it made me happy.  

There must be some people who are not angry.

We climbed back down…well, actually the Mister guy carried me all the way up and all the way down. 

Then we went to a place on the water that was not a beach. There was a place for ships to stop. It's called a dock. And wow!  What a ship was docked there!  It was a cool looking ship with an anchor and port holes, and ladders...a ran right to it!

The Mister Guy smiled at me and then told me to turn around and look the other direction.

OH WOW!  This ship was much cooler.  It had a bigger anchor, more port holes, longer ladders, and great big sails!

I was told that this ship is a copy of a ship that existed a long time ago, one that brought people from far away to Delaware. But, they did not call it Delaware back then. Those people wanted to get somewhere they could live happily ever after…just like me.  I liked hearing that last part of the story. 

So, I had a very good day! It was fun, a little sad, but good over all.

And I got a new shirt!

Back In Lewes

We are back in Delaware, where I met my people. I haven’t been out and about much this trip, but that is okay.: it is nice to just stay at the house where it is not too hot and where it is pretty quiet except when there are surprise parties, but that is another story! 

Yesterday Mister Guy and the Lady went to a place called Fort Delaware. The Lady had some picture taking friends that met them there. I was disappointed that I did not get to go because I heard one of them, named Michele, asked about me. I like meeting new people and thought it was not nice of the Mister Guy and Lady to leave me behind. 

But when they came home, they were all wet! While they were on Pea Patch Island, it rained a whole bunch and they were caught out in it without any kind of jackets to keep their fur dry. Mister Guy even showed me a picture from the boat that showed all the rain at the Fort.

Getting all wet would not be good for my fur. So I guess the adult people, Mister Guy and the Lady, were right not to take me.  Sometimes it makes me upset when the adult people are right. But, yesterday would not have been a good day for a blue furry monster like me to have been out and about in the rain.  You wouldn't believe what my fur looks like when it is soggy…not a pretty sight!

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Okay, there have been no trains, but there have been some cars, a trolley, and LOTS of planes...and airports.  My people seem to travel a lot.  When we met, they told me that they are homebodies, but I'm not sure that I believe them.

My very first plane ride ever was when we left Delaware to head to the place they call home, Dallas.  I was a little scared about this whole flying thing, but the Mister Guy told me it would all be good.  I was lucky.  Because I am considered a "lap baby" I got to sit in someone's lap on all the flights home. Having someone hold me helped me feel not so scared.

Our first flight was from Salisbury, Maryland to Charlotte, North Carolina.

 This is a tiny airport with only one security checkpoint and two gates.  There were not too many people.  I was feeling like a brave blue monster.  Once we got all checked in, the Mister Guy took me to the window to show me what an airplane looked like.

I wasn't clear on how that big hunk of metal sitting out there was going to get off the ground and fly through the air, but I believed my people that it would.  As a monster who is mechanically capable, born with a passion for putting things together and making them work, I was totally fascinated by this flying machine.

Our seats on the airplane gave me the perfect view of what the Mister Guy called the propeller.  He told me that that is the important piece that makes the plane fly.

I watched as we rolled down the runway, the propeller spinning faster and faster until finally we were in the air!  This was a kind of mechanical ingenuity that I have never experienced but would like to explore.

We landed in Charlotte where we spent the night so that the Lady Person could spend time with some of her college friends.  She had not seen them in twenty five years.  That is a long time!!!

In addition to putting things together, I am also a monster who also enjoys napping.  While my people visited with their friends, I enjoyed a quiet nap at the hotel.

After the excitement of my first plane trip, this was an appreciated nap.  I wish they had added to my T-shirt collection by buying me a Charlotte shirt (since I did sleep in the city), but not this trip.  I think they were too busy telling old stories to think about a shirt for me.  I forgive them.  They said that I could get one next time.

The next day, we flew home to Dallas.  This time it was on a much bigger airplane.  It had big jet engines that made it fly faster.  They were not as much fun to look at as the propellers on yesterday's little plane.

We weren't home in Dallas very long before it was back on another plane!  This time we headed west to San Diego California.  My people were attending a conference.  Our flight to San Diego left at 5:15 in the morning.  As I said above, I am monster that enjoys sleep.  They scooped me up and got me on the plane for this trip, but I remember very little of it.  5:15 in the morning is way too early for a fury blue monster to be photographed!

By the time we landed in San Diego, I was rested and wide awake.  The first thing I saw were these cool trees.

Texas and Delaware do not have trees like this, at least not that I have seen in my short life.

We took a van to our hotel.

I liked the van because it was blue!

The hotel where we spent the next week was huge!  It had tall buildings and lots of swimming pools, and restaurants, and lots more palm trees.  It was so big that it had its own map.  The Mister Guy and I looked at the map to make sure that none of us got lost.

My people were attending the NOAH (National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation) conference.  Simply stated, that is a conference for those who have white fur.  Though I kind of stuck out with my bright blue and orange fur, the people with the white fur were really nice to me.  I guess they know what it is like to feel different from everyone around you.

When we went to eat, my new NOAH friends made sure I had my own seat and plate at the restaurant.  They wouldn't let me have my own margarita, though.

They gave me water to drink, but I did get to have my picture taken at the bar.

 I got to ride on a trolley.   To do so, I had to have a fancy orange sticker.  I have I mentioned that I like orange?  I wasn't too sure about that sticker on my fur, though.

The trolley ride was fun!  I liked it because it was open and I could feel and smell that salt water breeze blowing through my fur.

While me people attended the boring parts of the conference, well boring to a furry blue and orange monster, I napped and spent time at the pool.

 The people with the white fur kept talking about this stuff called sunscreen, that everyone needed to put it on when they were outside.  Do they not know what a mess that stuff is in my fur?  I think I have enough fur to keep from sunburning!

We spent a day touring Old Town San Diego.  We saw lots of historical sites and leaned quite a bit about the city, but my favorite stop was the candy store.  They had lots of orange jelly beans!

And, I also saw this interesting machine that dispensed candy.  I bet that I could make one of these and fill it with only blue and orange candies.

I enjoyed San Diego.  I was kind of sad to say goodbye.

The one thing that our hotel did not have was a San Diego T-shirt that I liked in my size.  The Lady and Mister Guy told me that they were sure that I could find one at the airport and they were right!

This one matches my fur perfectly!

It was time to get on another plane and head back to Dallas.  Well, not exactly straight back; we had a layover in Phoenix.

Since I have flown so much, I was not scared or overly excited about the day's flights.  Life did get a little more interesting when we landed in Phoenix.  The flight we were supposed to be on from Phoenix to Dallas was super full.  The airlines people asked if anyone would mind giving up their seat and taking the next flight.  Because the Mister Guy and the Lady are nice people, and because they got free flight vouchers, they volunteered.  As soon as our original flight took off, my people were told that the next flight, the one we were supposed to be on, had been cancelled.  Things then got interesting.

Phone calls were made, people ran back and forth, hotels were booked and before I knew it, I was going to get to visit yet another city.  We flew from Phoenix to Tucson to spend the night and would then fly to Dallas the next day.  I thought, "Awesome!  Another T-shirt!"

I did get a T-shirt from Tucson...

...but in all the craziness of changing schedules in Phoenix, I missed out on that one.

Airports are funny places.  It seems like the humans are either super happy or really grumpy.  There is no "in the middle."  I am glad that my people weren't grumpy when our schedule changed.  They were happy because we got to have breakfast with some friends in Tucson before heading to the airport.

We met some other happy people in the Tucson airport.

I like making new friends.

We finally made it home safely and I have been resting from my big adventure because we are leaving again for another trip to Delaware next week.  It is a shame that I am a lap baby; I could be earning lots of frequent flyer miles!

The lady and I are going to try to do better about posting here.  I still need help with this blogging thing so we have develop a routine that works for both of us.

Thank you for reading our stories.  Stay tuned for more about our adventures together!

Leaving Lewes

On my last night in Lewes, The Mister Guy and the Lady took me to the beach.  Though I had never been there before, they said it is a big part of the town.

 I wasn't sure about getting sand in my fur, but I was willing to give it a try because the Mister Guy promised to carry me.

I think I like this guy!

It was almost sunset when we got there.   I liked looking at the water and the clouds...

 ...and the seagulls...

 and…the…belly dancers???

 That’s what the Mister Guy called these women in fancy clothes dancing to a drumbeat on the beach.  I wasn't so sure about them,

but he seemed to like them.  I guess I shouldn’t judge people by what they wear (or don’t wear).

I also was not so sure that the Lady would have been happy if she knew that the Mister Guy was spending so much time looking at these belly dancers.  Because I think I know what is best for him, I took his glasses so that I could see them and he couldn’t.

I am a thoughtful furry monster!

I don't know about the belly dancer clothes.  They were pretty on those ladies, but I don't think that they are appropriate for furry blue and orange monsters.  When I was in the toy store, all the humans, and a few dogs, would come in wearing these things that the Lady says are called “T-shirts”; written on them were names of the places that these humans, and the few canines,  had visited.  I thought that was kind of cool so I asked the Mister Guy and the Lady if maybe I could have a T-shirt from Lewes before we left.  The thing is, I only like blue and orange so I had to find one that matched my fur.  My people said that they thought having a T-shirt was a good idea and that they would help me find one of which I approved.

I think I like these people!  They said that I can collect T-shirts from all the places that I visit!  I am going to be the best dressed blue and orange furry monster around!

I met another furry friend on the beach.

Her people seemed very nice, too. I could tell that her people loved her and she loved them!

As the sun was setting, we left to go home and pack for our busy travel day the next day.  Since I only had the one T-shirt, my packing was easy.