Happy Canada Day! We've traditionally spent our Independence Days near the grill, before tailgating at the local fireworks show. This year, we are setting sail to a couple of Mexican ports with two teen children and a 3-year-old grandson in tow. It should be interesting, to say the least. I learned a long time ago that, although cruise lines serve lobster, steak, etc., it's usually just mediocre. They are, after all, cooking for 2,000 people. My goal, other than to relax and get plenty of photos of the kids, is to beat my wife at Cribbage at least half a dozen times; not lose at the craps table; and come up with at least 3-4 good food-related topics for my blog. I think I'm just as excited about my Sunday lunch plans. It seems there is an Alfie's Fish 'n Chips still operating near Houston. This chain went bye bye long ago. It won't be 5-star fare ... or even 2-star. But I'll get to revisit one of my (young) childhood faves and write a Yelp! review to boot. Have a safe and happy Fourth, everyone!

Happy Canada Day to our Canadian neighbors and happy Independence Day to everyone here in the United States. I have nothing in particular planned, Elery and I have been working hard renovating the kitchen. I just painted countertops and they can't be used for a couple of days. Ashley is in the hospital, the docs think it's her gallbladder. No, kidney stones. No, wait.....oh, they don't know. Ugh. Makayla is signed up for ballet camp and I've been driving her back and forth to Grand Rapids. Fireworks used to be fun until they started popping them off at every amusement park, ball game, car dealership opening, whatever. Now I don't care if I ever see them again, but Amanda is working on the 4th of July and I might end up with Bud and Makayla somewhere. Have fun, everyone! Annie

A non-mass produced outrigger in Moorea, French Polynesia.

I will try to stick a few pictures of the wildlife garden on here. We are just going to let most of it go because there is no way we can keep it watered enough in this heat, plus we are on water rationing.. This is one of the flower beds. You can see that it is about gone. This is along the hwy, I am parked down in the bar ditch. This bed has not had hose water this year. I am surprised how well the zinnias have held up. The sun flowers behind may not live long enough to bloom. There is another bed larger than this one about 50 feet back to the left, but the deer have eaten the sun flowers, in that bed they were not protected by an electric fence. This is some of the peas and tomatoes, their future does not look well either. Peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers, I doubt that we can keep them alive either. Water melons, peas and sweet potatoes. I doubt that they will live. Cantaloupe, we are going to try to save these.