Yours 'til Niagara Falls

Benedict the XVI

I was lucky enough to be in New York City on Saturday.  The Pope must have been stalking me, because he was there, too.  I wanted to see him, so I went to the corner of 57th and 5th Avenue (near Tiffany's) and stood behind the barricades.  I got there about three hours before the motorcade which was planned for 1:30.  I was with a nice group of people.  Hour one, my husband and I waited.  Hour two, the crowd started singing hymns and chanting.  Hour three, you can feel the anticipation building.  Finally, the purr of the motorcycles is heard. The moment arrived!  The Pope mobile was making its way down 5th Avenue.  The moment I had been waiting for!  I was ready with my camera to commemorate this big event:

(click to enlarge)

Oh, well, better luck next time!

Aren't You Just Dying to See My Vacation Pictures?

The place we stayed in Boca Raton was beyond gorgeous.  We had a view of the Intercostal Waterway.  The grounds were perfectly manicured.  Here's a peek:

I was able to sit on the balcony and read to my heart's content. I read a stack of magazines, an excellent novel Water For Elephants and started another Maisie Dobbs mystery.  We took a few day trips including a trip to the everglades, a day at the Seaquarium, a trip to Miami and some walks on the beach.

I got the chance to see a manatee up close at the Seaquarium.  They are one of the few facilities with the know-how to take care of wounded and maimed manatees.  Consequently, it was a pretty beat-up group of manatees.  But they are really interesting to observe.

I had a wonderful trip.  One thing I have to note is that the residents of Boca Raton, Florida are unfriendly.  I've been to a lot of places, but this place is populated with people who look right through you as if you are invisible.  I'm actually considering sending a note to their chamber of commerce.  You'd think people living in a place which resembles paradise could shake loose with a smile from time to time.

Into the Mouth of the Rat

I finished the "Rat Race" scarf by Morehouse Farms -   http://www.morehousefarm.com/KnittingKits/Scarves/RatRace/

The person who designed this is a genius!  The shaping and the way the sections are connected are cleverly designed and beautifully described in the directions.  Really nice merino yarn comes with the kit, too.  I added the embroidery floss nose and whiskers just for fun.  I'm not partial to the red plastic faceted beads provided for the eyes.  There weren't enough anyway because I ended up having enough yarn to make two extra rats for a total of ten rats.

Today I will spend my day packing for a trip to Boca Raton, Florida.  Coincidentally, the name of that city translates from Spanish to "the mouth of the rat".  This refers to the harbor area which was edged with rough boulders which chewed up Spanish explorers' boats when they came to that place.  Packing clothes is a cinch.  My challenge is to pack enough knitting, sewing, reading material, etc., to keep me happy for a week off.  I'm not up on what is allowed on planes in terms of needles.  Maybe an innocent-looking plastic crochet hook would pass muster.  Anyhoo..I hope I see a manatee.

We will be stopping in New York on the way home.  I'm really happy because I'll be able to be on 5th Avenue Saturday afternoon to see Pope Benedict XIV in the Pope mobile.