Yesterday, March 29, began the beginning of the two-week long celebration of the cherry blossoms and the commencement of spring in Washington, DC.
From the official National Cherry Blossom Festival website:
The National Cherry Blossom Festival annually commemorates the 1912 gift to the city of Washington of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to enhance the growing friendship between the United States and Japan and celebrate the continued close relationship between our two peoples.
In a simple ceremony on March 27, 1912, First Lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted the first two of these trees on the north bank of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park. By 1915 the United States government had responded with a gift of flowering dogwood trees to the people of Japan. In 1927, a group of American school children reenacted the initial planting; the first festival was held in 1935, sponsored by civic groups in the nation’s capital.
Three thousand, eight hundred more trees were accepted in 1965 by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson. In 1981 the cycle of giving came full circle. Japanese horticulturalists came to take cuttings from our trees to replace Yoshino cherry trees in Japan which had been destroyed in a flood. With this return gift, the trees again fulfilled their roles as a symbol and agent of friendship. The most recent event in this cycle occurred in the fall of 1999. It involved the formal planting in the Tidal Basin of a new generation of cuttings from a famous Japanese cherry tree in Gifu province reputed to be over 1500 years old.
In 1994 the Festival was expanded to two weeks to accommodate the many activities that happen during the trees blooming. Today the National Cherry Blossom Festival is coordinated by the National Cherry Blossom Festival, Inc., an umbrella organization consisting of representatives of business, civic and governmental organizations. Over a million people visit Washington each year to admire the blossoming cherry trees and participate in the Festival that heralds the beginning of spring in the nation’s capital.
I, recently, ran across an article about a couple in Hillman, Michigan who run an unusual resort. They cater to those who are interested in seeing elk in their natural habitat. If you have ever looked at an elk you have appreciated their unusual beauty and size. When I hear of accidents involving a deer I often think how much worse it would be to hit an elk. Calves weigh between 30 and 40 pounds at birth, and 225 to 275 pounds at weaning about 6 months of age.
Their antlers have a felt like substance growing on them similar to velvet. They get new antlers each summer. Elk were nearly hunted into extinction in the late 1800s. Michigan launched a restoration program and now has a wild elk population that averages 1,000 head plus several domestic elk farms.
The Elk Antler Log Cabin is a beautiful lodge built from Norway pine and is decorated with antiques. It holds a large dining room that can seat 100 hungry people. Reservations can be made to take elk rides which are taken in custom-built rigs. A cross between a sleigh and a carriage, the axles can be changed to meet the needs of the terrain.
I read an article in our local paper that said travel is down due to the price of gasoline. I can believe that. It cost me at least $200 to drive to Pigeon Forge and back last week. It is something we all think about, especially if we are on a budget. If it comes to buying groceries or going on vacation, I think we all know that groceries will have to be bought.
There are other ways to vacation. We have lovely hotels in our area that would love to have our business. We could spend the weekend enjoying the hot tub and not having to make our own bed.
The Holiday Inn in Indianapolis has a new water play center that is attracting many who do not want to drive any farther than they have to. They had a big ad in our newspaper and we live 2 hours away. It looks awesome. It has water slides and even has a pirate ship. I think it would be amazing and inexpensive to stay there.
I talk a lot about traveling. There are many places I have been and want to share my thoughts about them. There are places I would love to see. There is another type of journey. That is the one my friend is on. She had weight losss woodlands surgery and it has changed her life. 
This surgery changes your whole life. That said, it is important to learn all there is to know about the psychological effects as well as the health effects of this surgery. JourneyLite surgical center is designed with their clients well being in mind. Physical and emotional aspects are studied. No one is allowed to go into this life changing surgery without weighing all the aspects it entails. It is a reversible surgery but even that has risks. They want you to succeed when you decide to have lap-band surgery. I wish my friend the best of luck on her journey and offer all the support I am able to give.
What is a person supposed to do when they love a brand of food and cannot find it. I am referring to my favorite milk shake from Steak and Shake. I love to order their cookies and cream shake and get it to reward myself. It can be a reward for getting out of bed. I am not picky. I love those shakes.
When Stacy lived in Baltimore, she could not find a Steak and Shake. That is why she had to move to Florida. Not really. The government moved her but had it not, it would have been a good reason to relocate. To live where there is no Steak and Shake would be unthinkable.
When we were in Louisiana we enjoyed eating fresh seafood. We happened upon a restaurant that was popular with the locals. We were thrilled when we found out we had to wait to receive our dinner. Why would we be excited about waiting for our dinner? The boat was coming in from a fresh catch and we would be eating fresh shrimp right off the boat. That is what you call fresh.
Gulf oysters are available in Louisiana year-round and vary in size from season to season. Some folks are at risk when they eat seafood and they should know about how to stay safe when eating any type of fresh fish. Raw oysters can carry the bacteria Vibrio vulnificus which can be transmitted to humans if the oysters are eaten raw. The website www.beoysteraware.com has information about new technologies to ensure safer alternatives to traditional raw oysters for at-risk consumers.
Added safety features that reduce Vibrio vulnificus to non-detectable levels allow for at risk consumers to enjoy fresh oysters. More studies are being done and at this time there are three post-harvest processes existing on a commercial scale. I found the following information at the website:
Three post-harvest treatment processes currently exist on a commercial scale(1): individual quick-freezing (IQF), low heat pasteurization or heat-cool pasteurization (HCP), and high-hydrostatic pressure (HPP).
For more information on each process, check the website. There are other helpful features on the website such as educational information and recipes. Stay safe by knowing the symptoms of Vibrio vulnificus illness. Knowledge is power.
I had to force myself to keep my eyes on the road while driving home from Tennessee. The mountains are magnificent. It literally took my breath away to see how high they reached. My sister and I stayed in a log cabin and drove a steep winding road to get to our wonderful lodging. I made her drive at night after the first night. She is used to those steep drop offs.
I digress. The mountains while driving were magnificent. There was just a bit of fog and I found a radio station that was playing bluegrass music. It was great traveling on the highway.
One of the wildest vacations hubby and I ever went on was when we volunteered to chaparone the high school speech team on their trip to Atlanta, Georgia. Now, there are lots of things to do in Atlanta and believe me when I say, we tried to pack them all in on that trip. How many tmes have you driven through Atlanta and wished you had time to check things out?
We found restaurants that were known to cook real southern cuisine as well as the well known hamburger joints like A’s. We took a tour through the CNN building that was very interesting. We watched as the announcers went about their day announcing the days events. We went through the house where Margaret Mitchell penned Gone With the Wind.
There is so much to see in Atlanta that I recommend you let Trusted Tours & Attractions guide you. If you need family vacation ideas, they have a newsletter with a wealth of information. From Key West Snorkeling to great dining spots, you can sign up for their newsletter and get information for your next adventure. For a limited time, when you sign up for the Trusted Travels eNewsletter you can enter to win an IPOD Nano! Offer ends Monday, March 31st, 2008.
For months now, our church has been raising money to help a group of our members go on a mission trip. The group left today for Haiti. They hope to make a difference in the lives of people in need and to give a message of hope while they are in Haiti. They have some projects lined up and are ready to get to work.
I was not familiar with Haiti and did some research on this beautiful country. The land itself is diverse with mountainous terrain and deep valleys. It also has extensive plateaus, and small plains. In the early 1980s, Haiti became one of the first countries to face an AIDS epidemic. Fear of the disease caused tourists to stay away, and the tourist industry collapsed, causing rising unemployment. Haiti has the highest rates of AIDS, malnutrition, and infant mortality in the region.
In 2004 Hurricane Jeanne ravaged Haiti, killing more than 2,400 people. Lawlessness and gang violence were widespread, and the interim government had no control over parts of the country, which were run by armed former soldiers.
Haiti faced insurrection and because of instable government practices major chaos had errupted. Elections on Feb. 7, 2006 marked the moment of hope for many. The elections, backed by 9,000 United Nations troops, were seen as a crucial step in returning Haiti to some semblance of stability. Former prime minister and Aristide protegé René Préval, ran and won the position of which many of his poor supporters were in favor.
I happened upon a magazine article that reminded me of an oddity. When I was a young child we lived in Amarillo, Texas. When we drove through the city we would see this very tall cowboy who would wave as cars passed by. The magazine article I read talked about The Big Texan Steakhouse. I wonder if this is the restaurant the cowboy worked for or what type of business hired him. Does anyone know? Perhaps it was a car dealership he was paid to draw attention to. I don’t know but I can remember clearly this big tall cowboy dressed in chaps and a big cowboy hat as he stood along the side of the road and waved.
The Big Texan restaurant resembles an old fashioned saloon. With it’s wide porch and decorated facade it welcomes hungry steak eaters to come on in. Offering to give you a free meal if you can eat and entire 72-ounce cut in an hour, the restaurant offers a fun place to get your fill of beef.
Amarillo is home to the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum. Hands-on displays, videos and riding programs will offer many interesting facts on the beautiful breed of horses.
Yesterday, March 29, began the beginning of the two-week long celebration of the cherry blossoms and the commencement of spring in Washington, DC.
