Audra and Gale's Aquatic and Gastronomic Adventure!

Happy Thanksgiving!  Wishing you safe travels and good memories like we enjoyed today.  Audra and I went to Cincinnati to bring Taylor home for his brief break and figured we'd do a little something on the way...

So off to the Newport Aquarium just across the river from downtown Cincy.  Little did we know it was attached to sort of a mall (kinda like a mini-Easton if you are in Columbus, Ohio area.)  Cool!  The parking garage was close (and free if you are there between 11-2 p.m.!)  We thought there would be a crowd, but just a nice amount of folks milling around.  It's not cheap to get in--$23 for adults, but it's interesting and very entertaining/educational for children.

They had blue and silver Christmas decorations and many tanks had holiday props such as lounging or scuba reindeer, a sleigh pulled by sea horses, etc.  They have seasonal shows featuring "Scuba Santa" and others. They play gentle holiday favorite songs throughout the unguided tour.  We missed the "march of the penguins" as it was from 10 to 10:45 a.m.  The aquarium is open 365 days a year (all indoors) and normal hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Below is an "album" of the tour... then scroll on down for our kind of weird lunch!  You can click on the photos to make them bigger.

Wish I would've written down the names of the fish... sorry!

These weird little guys are baby eels!

This is cute for an alligator!

There are many tunnels that give you the feel of being "under the sea."

This guy came right up to visit, too bad the reflection ruins a cool pic, but I wanted you to see it anyway!

An "under the sea" moment in an acrylic tunnel.

This guy is a camera ham... he made several passes to greet visitors.

Snowflake and Snowball are a couple of only a handful of white alligators know to exist.  My photos of  "Mighty Mike" the 14 ft alligator just aren't attractive enough to publish.  He was in a corner.

This guy is an 85 year old Galapagos Tortoise and in no hurry to do anything.

Hard to be scared of this fellow, but I'm sure he has teeth!

This shark looks a bit menacing....

There are several areas where you can pet the marine life.  They always say "touch with 1 or 2 fingers."  If I were announcing, I would say "touch with the 1 or 2 fingers you think you can live without...."  LOL

 

The little penguins played around.  There is theatre seating to watch them.  The large penguins pretty much stood around.

Here are some gorgeous jelly fish photos.  They have a really nice exhibit for them:  

Of course the exit takes you through the gift shop.  Audra got some neat artwork, but not this hat.... 

Here is the view from the aquarium's entrance (this spot is known as the Newport Levee.)

In this little shopping center there are loads of restaurants and bars.  (Unpolitically-correct, I think, to have a seafood restaurant right across from the aquarium...:)  We weren't hungry, but decided we had to try out this cuisine from Tom+Chee, a comfort food place with no regard to nutrition or calories!

The place was packed, especially with little kids.  The menu has all manner of grilled cheese or in this case, grilled mac 'n cheese.  We split a sandwich and it was good, but won't be a staple in our lives...

 and neither will this grilled s'more donut!  This was one of many choices.  We split this as well.  Glad I saved calories with the Diet Coke!

Hope you enjoyed our little trip and will come back to visit 'the Creek soon for some holiday cheer!

Warmest regards for a wonderful and safe holiday season from my family to yours....

Gale

P.S.--Go Buckeyes!  Beat Michigan this Saturday!

The Accidental Expert: "P****d-Off" Pooch Photography

Greetings!

Ivy wasn't much for costumes...

Some dogs have no sense of humor!  As I was going through some photos, I noticed a recurring "mad" dog photo theme.  (Note:  Taking dog photos can make people mad as well.  This can be the case in front of or behind the camera.  Almost every Jack Russell Terrier breeder- couple I knew are now divorced, no doubt in some part because they had to photograph their dogs to register them. Once, I took 3 rolls of 36 photos of a dog and opted to buy doubles thinking there had to be some decent ones.  There wasn't one keeper.  Since we had to pay to get them developed back then, it was an expensive pile tossed in the trash.)  I seem to have a gift for taking even the most attractive dogs and taking perfectly awful photos!


Check these "mad" dog photos out: (Note: When you can't see their lips, they are mad.)  BTW, my Facebook photo is of an annoyed Truly who did not want to pose!

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Gee.  I wonder why Bailey doesn't enjoy being strangled?

Colette wasn't fond of dog shows....

Not sure what Windi's problem is here...

Taylor holding poor Minnie

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Now,  I was just talking about regular photos.  If you really want nasty looks, dress them up!  The only dog I never dressed was Tucker and he was just too cool to embarrass that way.  (Plus, I could make him mad without dressing him up...)  Everyone else was fair game.  No matter what you may think, no dog wants to be dressed up.  Trust me.

Bailey never did smile much, but she definitely isn't digging the Monica Lewinsky "Blue Dress Look"

Windi not liking the glasses

Minnie wanted out of those panties.... We were at the Mardi Growl Ball in New Orleans.

Windi was usually a sport.  But not this time.  She hated the reindeer antlers worse though!

Well, I am sure I can find many more, but you get the idea!  I would say that I'd be better off having a professional take the pics, but...

Normally,  Goldens are happy-go-lucky.  I never showed Bailey in obedience because she wasn't, well, obedient!  Here, she kept jumping off the table.  I picked her up the 3rd time and had had it (and let her know it!)  I am getting "the stink eye" as I stood glaring at her.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this and can relate!  Feel free to post your "mad" dog pics in the comments!

Warmest regards!

Gale