Can you believe this fellow?  There we were, innocently enjoying our grilled Mahi sandwich and this guy picked a fight with another guy and the photo session turned into a near brawl as the other guy challenged this guy for the near-to-table territory.  HA!  

 

This is a pretty little beverage, easy enough to do by pouring thicker and then thinner juices into a glass.  We COULD try this if you wish, but I was thinking of something a bit more complicated for our next class.

 

Do come share an evening with me, Cooking with flavors and the bounty of spring.  This class is on a Thursday (many of you have said Wednesdays are not good so...) 

 

I'll demonstrate, and you take notes and then eat everything.  25.00 gets you a spot in our Garden Room.  There will be no class in June since I'm going on a trip, so sign up for this one!

 

Thursday, May 16th  6:30-8:00 pm. call 252-1500 to save your spots.

Oops!  I left without saving the May newsletter onto the website which means I cannot tell you what is going to be served for dinner this week.

 

YIKES!  Bad Laurey.

 

So you have three choices:

1) Go to the shop and pick up a copy of the printed May newsletter.

2) Call the shop to see what today's dinner to go is going to be.

3) Just order it without knowing.  Take a chance.  I'm sure it'll be great.

 

(Sorry.)

 

Um.  I don't know what we're having.  

 

SO sorry!

 

It is normally very calm here but the winds turned and have been coming in from the Northwest for the past couple of days and so this is what we've been seeing.

 

Isn't this the most intriguing thing?

When excited (I think they're excited) they bob their heads up and down or side to side and then hiss and whip around.  Very thrilling.

 

Hmm.  I can see that I have not been very responsible lately.  I forgot (or neglected) to put the monthly newsletter onto the website.  I can't write a very informative note to you because of this.  And, um, well, I'm here in a bathing suit looking out at the Caribbean and watching palm tress sway.

 

Vacation is a time to NOT be responsible, right?  

 

I got the chance to go diving a couple of times earlier this week.  I have not dived for a while, so it was a thrill and a bit of a fright at first.  But the gent who guided us epitomizes calm and he held my hand as I tried to maintain an equal buoyancy, inflating and deflating my vest in vain as I bobbed up and sank down like a yo yo.  He helped me, though and our dive took us through caverns of towering coral and schools of lazy but huge Tarpon.

 

After lunch we decided to dive again which was beyond my wildest dreams, and headed to the other side of the wall where we found gigantic lobsters, enormous barrel sponges with tiny iridescent shrimp delicately tiptoing around.  I won the eel-spotting prize, with three gorgeous sinewy beauties which were tucked into caves or had ventured out into the open water.  

 

This is sea turtle breeding ground.  The last time I visited it was egg-laying time.  And some nests were hatching which is a fun thing to see.  And even if you miss the hatch, the beach is filled with tiny little bay turtle footsteps scrambling from the nest to the ses.

 

While it's a bit too early for that, I have seen Barracuda and a few sea turtles, Anglefish and Grouper and all sorts of other things.

 

I do hope you are planning to join me on Sunday, May 19th.  Ride, pretend to ride, ride a little bit, or don't ride.  But come and celebrate Livestrong Weekend in Asheville.  This is a big deal.  BIG!

 

By the way - the day is going to be lots of fun.  The Kid's Ride starts at 1:00 at the Carrier Park Track.  We'll all cheer them on and then will all send the 25 and 50-mile riders on their merry way. 

 

While they are off, we'll have bands and face painting and hula hoops and temporary tattoos and massage and yoga and the Gypsy Queen's yums.  There will be a whole lot more so even if you're not riding or if you are a Virtual or InSPIRIT rider, you can still come and celebrate the day and this wonderful program for cancer survivors (like me!)

 

Do please visit our website just below here and read all about it.  Sign up for something, okay? 

 

Please?!

 

We're also having a big dinner on Saturday night.  Lauren Tamayo, our local Silver Medalist from the London Olympics, is our guest of honor.  Get a phot of yourself with her medal (it is HEAVY!)  And she'll be with us on Sunday too, riding and enjoying the day.

 

Just a reminder, my friends, this is our first time at this.  I had a little idea and it is going to be a big thing, I hope.  So please come and be a part of this.  Please.