Roaming Magnum, G.I.

Magnum in Mexico -- MGI Visits Cancun

2008-07-13T19:20:00.012-04:00

The lobby of the Coral Ocean and Turquesa.

View from the lobby out over the main swimming pool

with the ocean in the distance.

View of the resort from the lobby (the thatched roof showing at the lower

left is a covered walkway to the distant buildings [we were in the one

the farthest from everything! At least we were able to

"walk off" all the food we ate!])

Below: The "main" swimming pool with the "swim-up" bar (the thatched roof building here is where the pictures further below were taken).

One of the courtyards between the buildings.

Below, view from our room out to the "kiddie pool."

Here I am on the beach under a thatched umbrella (like the one seen in the background) and below that, soaking up some rays.

At the swim-up bar, initially hiding because I was a little worried about how my presence would be accepted.

Starting to come out of hiding (the frozen strawberry margaritas may have had something to do with this . . . .)

Okay, this one's done, gimme another!

Oh, yeah, I need another!

Better do a couple of laps to work off the booze.
Water ballet (nope, guess the booze didn't get "worked off").

It's okay, I'm fine!

Dark Chocolate M&Ms

2008-06-17T08:38:00.003-04:00

golf has a SERIOUS mental health problem . . . .

June 16 -- ANOTHER new toy!

2008-06-16T18:20:00.005-04:00

Look what I got! Another MD500C with the V tail! This is a Corgi and is bigger than the one pictured on the April 13 post http://roamingmagnumgi.blogspot.com/2008/04/april-13-2008-new-toy.html).

Larry asked, "Don't you have enough helicopters?" What kind of question is THAT? You can never have enough helicopters (just ask T.C. G.I.!).

(Oh, yes -- the little red gear showing under the rotors is a little cog wheel that spins the rotors. I would paint it to match the striping, but every time it moved, it would spin away from the color it was matching when painted in one position. Think about it . . . . )

Sunday, June 8, 2008

2008-06-08T18:13:00.004-04:00

First of all, a follow-up to the last post. The letter sent to Brian Grazer was revised slightly, but it was in essence what was posted here. Unfortunately for us original Magnum, P.I., fans who would prefer the original cast in the movie, when and if it is ever made, both the email and the snail-mail letter were returned to golf. So poor Brian Grazer has no idea of what he needs to do with the movie (according to us). So in honor of Hawaiian sunrises and sunsets, we submit the picture below, taken May 17 but in Atlanta, not Hawaii:

In the meantime, this seems to be the season of home repair and improvement for golf and Larry. You will recall the hot water heater of last month (or was it the month before?). And you may recall the kitchen sink search of a few weeks ago. Well, we had the time today, so -- to work on the new sink.

The old sink, after removal and being placed on the floor.

Me, peeking through the vent at the front panel.

In the area below where the sink was . . .

The hole in the counter where the sink was.
The new one will soon be here.

And here's the new one, just awaiting connections.

Supervising installation.
And I think I'll wait till all is finished before adding any more pictures.

This shows enough mess -- the next pictures will be of a pretty, new, shiny sink!

May 26, 2008 -- Draft letter to Brian Grazer (in charge of Magnum, P.I., movie)

2008-05-26T18:21:00.009-04:00

(Can't believe GI Joe has hands that can't salute . . . . . at least, I tried).

I post this today for golfmobile as her effort to honor veterans with an extra tip to Vietnam (for Thomas Magnum, Rick Wright, and Theodore Calvin) and to the Iraq/Afghanistan soldiers, our current heroes.

Here is the first draft of my letter to Mr. Grazer. Please feel free to leave a comment regarding edits, additions, or if you want your name added to the signatories:

May 27, 2008

Via email (b.grazer@imagine-entertainment.com) and First Class Mail

Mr. Brian Grazer
Imagine Entertainment
9465 Wilshire Blvd., Seventh Floor
Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Re: Magnum, P.I., Movie

Dear Mr. Grazer:

I do not know if you are aware of how many Magnum, P.I., fans there are in the world and how they feel about the potential of a Magnum, P.I. (“MPI”) movie. I cannot presume to speak for all of them, but I am writing to you on behalf of quite a few of the 250 MPI fans who congregate at http://www.magnum-mania.com/ and discuss everything MPI-related – the characters, the episodes, the guest stars, the plots, the characters, the sets, the scenery, and many, many other topics. You will hardly find a group more knowledgeable about the show, with particular emphasis on the founder of the website, James J. Walters, and many forum members with nearly limitless knowledge about the show -- only a small sampling of the many there: IslandHopper (who is an expert at finding inconsistencies and continuity flubs), Doc Ibold, rubber chicken (who is amazing with his ability to find filming locations on Google Earth), N1095A, SelleckLover, Kahunagirl, Miss Q, Carol the Dabbler, IKWYT, eeyore, eegorr, Shermy, grapeshot, Miss Q, and many, many others.

We have discussed the MPI movie and kicked around numerous ideas – and hopes. The one thing that we all agree on, as do several other online sites that discuss the movie, including an online petition with over 2,300 virtual signatures, is that the original cast must be in the movie, at least as much as they are available (we understand that John Hillerman is not available). As a sample of what we have opined:

From Vanity, in France:

I simply do not see any reason why there should be a movie called Magnum PI, IF it is out of place, out of time and out of core essentials. MPI is a state of mind, the original cast undoubtedly contributed to it. The set, the Ferrari (not any Ferrari), Robin's Nest, the chopper (not any other one).... remove any of these elements, remove the original guys behind the scene who created the stories, and all you'll end up with, in my opinion, just an average movie. But MPI was not just a TV series, and that's what makes it so special. So just a movie is just not good enough either. I'll skip.

From Carol the Dabbler, in Indiana:

I agree with Vanity -- Magnum was a state of mind -- a "happening."

From Icepick:

The thought of this movie not being what we know it should be makes me feel sick to my stomach and it's something I try to avoid thinking about. I can't for the life of me imagine what intolerable pain it's going to be around the time this movie comes out. Part of me will want to see it for the simple fact it's Magnum oriented, which normally we would be clambering to see, but on the other hand it's not the MPI we know and love and we will just point out and observe every little mistake and nuance that doesn't fit. I think it could be aggravating.

From lutherhgillis:

The MPI series was as much about the people who played the characters as about the characters. Without the people, there is no show.

From Tiger308

In NO way should a movie be attempted without the original cast. Period. There is tremendous potential for a very good film or TV movie, with a lot of references to all the details from the series, but without the original guys it would be a worthless joke.

Generally:

No one can play Magnum but Selleck!! NOBODY!!

I just can't see anybody else in the Magnum role.

Even a well done Magnum PI movie trying to recreate a portion of the 8 years on Hawaii as a PI, already covered by the show, will miss the mark. If they try to make it too funny, we would wind up with another Dukes of Hazzard movie debacle. The show itself was just too complex to lend itself to a single good movie. That leads to my real fear about the movie. It seems like Hollywood doesn't get what made Magnum PI popular. There a high probability that even a serious take on the show will miss. It wasn't a Hunk show, it wasn't really even a detective/crime show. It wasn't about the car. Hollywood didn't get Magnum at the time (see all the copies- Matt Houston, Knight Rider--that lacked the depth and complexity of the show). I don't think there much chance they'll figure it out now.

I think the main audience for a Magnum P.I. movie would still prefer to see Selleck back in the role. Otherwise, it would really just be another action/comedy using the Magnum name.

The only difference between Magnum and other recent TV films is that Selleck truly made the character his own. Shows like Starsky and Hutch, Charlie's Angels, Miami Vice, etc., didn't really feature characters that could only be played by a certain actor. For example, the most distinctive aspect of Miami Vice was not the actors, but the sense of style it conveyed. In this respect, it's almost similar to Shatner as Kirk, Stallone as Rocky, or Ford as Indy. In such cases, the actors are so heavily identified with the roles that audiences really don't care how old the actors are.

Plus, one problem with a modern update is that it robs the character of a very essential ingredient: Vietnam. It wasn't just war, but being forced to go to war that led Magnum into a state of arrested adolescence. Yet today, it's not that uncommon to see a carefree, unmarried guy in his thirties who still enjoys childish pursuits (such as videogames, etc.). So they not only need to worry about finding the right actor, but also updating the character so that it contains the same amount of depth.

Without Tom Selleck and the rest of the gang, there is no Magnum P.I. Tom Selleck IS Magnum.

Such a great show. It really is an amalgam of the cast, the characters, the location, the time it was made all coming together with such synergy.

SELLECK IS MAGNUM.

As far as I know, Tom has only stated that he wouldn't do one of those silly walk-on cameos that some stars do when they turn their series into a movie. He seems to still be leaving the door open that he is available if the producers would come to their senses and go with the original cast. The fans have stated over and over that is what they want and he is correct in stating they will be upset with anyone other than him as Thomas Magnum.

As for what SHOULD be in the movie, in addition to the original cast members who are still available:

The Eve Anderson Estate as Robin's Nest Main House & Guest House indoor sets that match the original show The Ferrari 308 GTS The Hughes 500D Chopper The King Kamehameha Club (w/ Beach Bar) The Team Ring The "iconic" theme song Robin Masters (voice only) Include some of the major recurring characters (Carol, Tanaka, etc.) The Minor Ones (which I'd love to see): Everything Walt said, plus ... The rubber chicken The masks The ‘stache Magnum's sax River Kwai Bridge model The Vanagon, the Jimmy, the Audi Recreate some of the famous shots from the show (the look back, the snorkel shot, etc.)

Zeus & Apollo aka The Lads.

Will Magnum look at the camera?

The Hawaiian shirts. Would love to see his great red parrot one again.

I'd be just as happy to see this as a *well-made* TV movie as in the theater. The series was perfectly scaled for television, and I fear that attempts to "enlarge" it for a theatrical movie might do serious damage to its charm. In fact, if “they” insist on doing a so-called Magnum movie w/o Our Guys, then once it bombs, maybe they will come to their collective senses and do a real Magnum TV movie. They would obviously have to do justice to the project in order to talk TS into it.

And now for a couple of plot ideas for the movie with the original stars brought up to date:

TS returned to VA after Rick's wedding. Frank has died and he lives with his Mother so Lily can be raised around family and he took a desk job, so he would no longer be involved in danger, putting Lily at risk of being orphaned. Lily has finished college and she and TS, who has just retired, return to Hawaii for the first time since they left. Robin Masters has passed away and left the estate to his half-brother, Jonathan Quayle Higgins. Magnum finds the place abandoned and run down, much as it appears today. Higgins is not there; he has disappeared. TS walks around for the first time and has flashbacks of old times on the estate (flashbacks from old shows). In the process of trying to find Higgins, he discovers Higgins and Robin are half brothers. Thus explaining why he thought Higgins was Robin. A subplot with Lily, she is being stalked and TS fears it has something to do with the people who murdered Michelle. I don't know why Higgins has disappeared but it will be serious, complicated and dangerous. I haven't got many details yet, but it would end up with Higgins found, TS and Lily and his mother moving onto the estate, and TS killing the person stalking Lily who turns out just to be a crazy guy. Maybe Higgins and Catherine become involved? Maybe Karen Teal comes back into TS’ life (she was my favorite most believable romantic interest), maybe Lily hooks up with Rick and Cleo's son? As the show ends TS walk by a pet store and two tiny Dobie pups in the window catch his eye. You just know they are going home with him.

Or to add a few more details: Higgins has inherited the estate when Robin Masters died, but then HIGGINS dies (I think it's pretty much of a "given" that John Hillerman doesn't want to do any more acting, so we must respect his wishes and leave him out of the cast) and HE leaves the estate to Thomas upon his death. When Thomas comes over, with Lily, he starts investigating Higgins' death and determines that Higgins was murdered, so he has to solve that murder. He brings in TC and Rick to help him, as he usually does. With Higgins dead, it would make for a perfect reason for lots of flashbacks of him from the show, with different scenes of his interacting in the original show with all the other three regulars from MPI (and even Lily!). So maybe we can have Josh Duhamel as Rick's son, James Lesure as TC's son, and the girl who plays Piper on Las Vegas as Lily (gotta respect those dimples!), and they do a lot of the legwork and mystery solving, with advice and support from the older guys. Maybe we could make a little twist that Rick's son is the helicopter pilot from military service and TC's son is the weapons specialist. They both fall in love with Lily (not seriously, but the way Rick always fell in love with every pretty woman he ever met on the show -- this could even be mentioned), so we appeal to the younger generation for a little light-hearted romantic comedy inserted in the plot -- so we have the usual MPI plot of humor and action. But then at the end, light-heartedly, Lily's REAL fiance shows up (who can we cast here?? Steve Carell as his usual nerdy self for some more humor, but then he does something really smart and clever and wins everyone over so you see why Lily loves him) and the two "sons" fly off into the sunset looking for more adventure as the old fogey fathers exchange looks and just shake their heads.

However, you do it, the true consensus of the public who are interested in seeing the movie is that the original actors have to play the roles. The recent success of the new Indiana Jones movie shows that age is NOT a factor in the desire to see the original characters together again. And check the sales of the DVDs of the TV show. Also check the ratings for the “Las Vegas” episode with the “mini-MPI” re-union with Larry Manetti and Roger Mosley guest-starring as A.J. Cooper’s long-time friends. Everyone wants to see Thomas, Rick, and T.C. together again; we don’t care how old they are. We all really want Higgins too, but we also understand that may not be possible. We think three of the main characters WOULD be available for the “right” project. Can’t you please make the right project for the public?

Signed (listed in no particular order),

[signatures omitted until finalized)

Sunday, April 27 -- Two Blooms and a Kitchen Sink

2008-04-27T22:38:00.010-04:00

Just time to add a picture of the amaryllis with two blooms. If these blooms are still pretty when the next two buds bloom, I'll add another picture (but I have a feeling that won't be the case). Hey! Do you think it will bloom again in another five months?

In the meantime, remember our hot water heater escapade? Now we need a new kitchen sink and faucet. What do you think of these? Cream sink with matte black and copper faucet? I rather approve of golf's choice . . . . I think.

So, one of these sinks?

Here's the faucet she wants.

Or this one?

Or this one with the low center divider?

Thursday, April 24, 2008 -- Christmas in the spring?

2008-04-24T18:36:00.004-04:00

golf's boss gave her an amaryllis for Christmas, and it bloomed then. She didn't expect it to bloom again so soon, much less so BIG! See the second picture below for proportion of its height (remember, I'm 11 inches tall and it's more than double my size!). The red blob showing below the full bloom is another bud that is opening, and there are two more buds that should bloom soon, but we think these first blooms probably won't still be open and pretty when the second set blooms. Said boss asked, when I showed her a picture of the plant, if we are living in the Little Shop of Horrors! (and she doesn't even know about all of Larry's orchids!) I do love a boss with a sense of humor!

April 15, 2008 -- Sad news . . . .

2008-04-15T19:52:00.004-04:00

It makes me very sad for golf to report that she has lost one of her cats to a serious health condition. Now I confess I'm not a big cat fan (did you ever see one at the guesthouse at Robin's Nest? I think not!). But this was a cat with great personality and a terrific sense of fun. He was a sealpoint Himalayan and was "theme" named in a litter all named after Old West characters -- his half-brothers were Virgil, Morgan, and Wyatt (Earp), but he was produced in a succeeding litter so he was Bat (for Bat Masterson, an Earp crony) (Virgil and Wyatt are still around, but I don't know if they're missing Bat or just relishing the extra attention these days, while golf mourns Bat). He was such a forceful personality that he ended up being called Batman most of the time. golf is still broken-hearted and missing his presence sorely. So in his honor, I'll take a break from talking about myself and let him usurp this day's post. Here's to you, Batman! (and even golf admits that sometimes he might not have been as graceful as most cats are. But she says, if you have cats, you know they can look really foolish sometimes -- and have the confidence not to be embarrassed!)

April 13, 2008 -- New Toy!

2008-04-13T10:46:00.003-04:00

I'm very pleased to report that I have a new toy! Here is the early version of T.C.'s helicopter -- the MD500C - with the four main rotor blades and the V-tail (as opposed to the five rotor blades of the MD500D with the T-tail).

However, I had to put it aside to help Larry install a new hot water heater. Now THAT was a chore! In spite of several setbacks and unanticipated obstructions, he accomplished it efficiently and promptly. (But he wouldn't let me take any more pictures, I guess I was just in the way too much while he was trying to work.) Nevertheless, thanks to Larry for a job well done!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! March 17, 2008

2008-03-17T19:28:00.005-04:00

I confess I do not have a green outfit. Did you ever see me in one from 1980-88 on the show? I think not. I wore a lot of crazy costumes, but a St. Paddy's Day leprechaun outfit was not one of them.

Therefore, since we haven't added to our blog or uploaded any pictures recently, we just decided to take a picture of the blossoming Bradford pear trees along the street outside our subdivision. It looks very pretty when driving toward it -- we just couldn't get a better picture because traffic was behind us. Picky people . . . . .

Oh, yes! A friend has suggested I jump out of the helicopter when we fly over Robin's Nest. Say what? However, I have a feeling Larry might be tempted to adopt this idea . . . . I think I'll take a body double along (if I can sneak him into the luggage).

March 7, 2008

2008-03-07T21:03:00.009-05:00

golf has been practicing for her hoped-for trip to Hawaii in September! She has arranged to fly a Robinson 44 over Robin's Nest, so she can concentrate on piloting the aircraft and Larry can film from the back seat. Therefore, in anticipation of such activity, she has been practicing flying the R44 in MicroSoft FlightSimulator, plus the Abacus Whirlybirds add-on so she has a R44 to crash (okay, she doesn't crash it ALL the time). She's made a "test" video of learning to pilot this aircraft. You should be able to see it here (oh, yes! Note where the rotors slow down suddenly and then stop -- fortunately the helicopter keeps flying as though there is no problem -- so it turns out okay. But it adds a little "odd" twist to the video, can't explain it, won't try):

Plus a little flight past Robin's Nest, as she hopes to do:

Okay, she'll concede that she's not very good at landing on the "H" of the helipad . . . . but she comes close. So I'm willing to give her a little credit for hanging in there and continuing to try to improve. We'll have to wait and see if we get a better video in a few months.

February 25, 2008

2008-02-25T08:18:00.007-05:00

Check the links to the left for a new link to a new video on youtube. golf tried to upload it directly here, but it wouldn't upload -- maybe too big for this server right now. Anyway, it's a flight simulator movie as a hint as to what golf wants to do in Hawaii in September (though I doubt she'll be able to land at TC's Island Hoppers pier . . . . ).

Now the REAL question is: How am I going to be able to stow away and take the flight with her? And if she flies with the doors off, what can I do to keep from falling out? Need some advice from my Little Voice, but I figure I have about six months to plan this thing out. I better make a note to myself to be sure to remember to take my headset.

February 22, 2008

2008-02-22T19:19:00.003-05:00

Boy, things sure are quiet around here during the winter! golf has been busy knitting a sweater for Larry, or practicing her helicopter flying skills with Microsoft Flight Simulator (more on that in a minute). As you've seen with the fireplace pictures, we've had lots of fires, but we've had enough warm, spring-like weather to fool some of the plants. Here is one of our daffodils, already blooming!

This week there was a complete lunar eclipse, but we didn't get a picture of it. However, when golf got home around 6 p.m., the full moon was there so she tried to get a picture of me with the moon. Somehow the moon looked much bigger "in person" than it does in this picture. I'm rather disappointed with how it looks here. But this is the one that later that night got eclipsed!

Now, to explain that virtual helicopter flight computer practice remark above: golf and Larry are going to try to go back to Hawaii in September. golf wants to try to fly a helicopter with Mauna Loa Helicopters when she's there. She did this a couple of times, on the Big Island, but it will be different this time, I promise. But I'm not providing any more teasers at this point in time because we aren't sure that everything golf has planned will come to fruition. You're going to have to wait seven months to find out! But if it works as golf hopes it will, it will be worth the wait.

Stay tuned!

January 19, 2008 -- More Snow!

2008-01-19T13:17:00.000-05:00

It was just raining this morning. The weather reports kept saying it was going to turn to snow and snow all afternoon. This first picture was taken as the snow started to accumulate.

Then golf's mean streak came out, and she stuck TC and me out here in the snow with no winter gear (well, why would we have winter clothes in Hawaii?) Yow, my bare feet are cold!

The neighborhood kids were out in force. They built a snowman in the middle of the road (I provided a carrot for the nose), but then the lady who lives next door told them she would call the police on them if they didn't knock it down. They did, and since we had provided a nose, they came and asked if we had a shovel to move the snow out of the street. We did, but we also requested that, since they had messed up the pristine appearance of our front yard, would they rebuild the snowman in our front yard. They did, and golf gave the snowman (named "Phil" since he was too white to be Tiger) a golf club.

It's a good thing golf got these pictures when she did, because an hour and a half later, some other neighborhood kid(s) decided that something cute just has to be destroyed (why do kids these days think it's cool to ruin something that isn't even theirs?), so Phil was knocked down and broken all over the yard. I suppose we should be grateful that only his hat and ping-pong ball eyes were taken. At least, the kid(s) didn't steal the golf club.

However, the temperature, according to our thermometers, never got below 34 degrees today, so all the pretty snow is melting. According to the weatherpersons, the temperature is supposed to go way below freezing come evening, so what is left will freeze solid, but it would appear that there won't be much left to freeze. Island Hoppers continued to gather a bit of snow on it, but it is also melting fast. I'd hoped to get some big icycles hanging down from the tail, but the snow is melting too fast. Pictures below are from a couple of hours ago. The snow is now melted entirely off the rotors and tail boom.

It was still spitting a few flurries until just a few minutes ago. But now even that has stopped.

Well, it was pretty and fun for a while. I'm just sorry Phil the Snowman didn't even make until when Larry comes home around 11:30 p.m. so he could see the golfing snowman in our front yard when he pulled up and into the driveway, to have his headlights wash over Phil. Alas, that is not to be. I guess that'll teach us to be the only honkies in the neighborhood . . . .

Wednesday, January 16, 2008 -- Snow in Atlanta!

2008-01-16T19:37:00.000-05:00

golf leaves work this afternoon to drive home - and it starts snowing -- in Atlanta!!

Fortunately, I'm there to witness the event.

But look again closely at the picture above -- see what's playing on the XM radio receiver?

It looks as though it's letting up here, but it's really not.

Still coming down, huge 1-inch flakes.

Okay, I missed being there for pictures on the beach in St. Thomas --

but snow in Atlanta is a little more unusual!

Will report more tomorrow. The potential for overnight is . . . .

more snow . . . .

or sleet turning into ice . . . .

or rain to melt everything (bummer . . . .)

But if it freezes overnight, we might have some more entertaining pictures.

Stay tuned!

(However, if there's more snow/ice tomorrow, I'm REALLY
NOT going to appreciate if golf sticks me outside for pictures barefooted!

Sigh . . . .

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

2008-01-08T19:43:00.001-05:00

Hey, look! When golf took the Christmas tree down, she stole all the Magnum PI ornaments (Ferrari 308 GTSs and mini-Island Hoppers birds) and took them to work and put them on top of her computer monitor (I count four Ferraris and six helis) (just ignore her trolls and the picture of Larry at the golf course). Now, the "powers that be" at her office have offered her a flat panel monitor, which she has turned down, because, then, where would she display her toys? Silly fan . . . . but I appreciate her! Well, I should, I guess. I wouldn't exist without her. Hmmm, that's deep . . . .

January 5, 2008 -- Happy New Year!

2008-01-06T21:04:00.000-05:00

Well, I haven't done much lately. Helped golf undecorate the house but she didn't get any pictures of me. But she's still adding to her "looks like TC's chopper" collection. Here's one that is a weird 1/16 scale, which is not to real scale, not like the Ultimate Soldier BIG one. But this one is, I believe, satisfactory to add to the collection. Ya think?

We've Been Elfed! (December 13)

2007-12-13T11:22:00.000-05:00

Click here

Sunday, December 9, 2007 -- 76 degrees!

2007-12-09T18:29:00.001-05:00

T.C.'s helicopter tolerates being draped with a few Christmas lights (yes, I can almost hear it sighing in resignation).

But then I gather T.C., Rick, and Higgins to wish you all a Mele Kalikimaka!

However, Atlanta weather isn't very "seasonal'!! It's December, for crying out loud! You'd think WE were in Hawaii, in Georgia today. It was a gorgeous, 76-degree day! golf's flowers are blooming. We didn't know that irises (iri??) are fall-blooming flowers. Here's our iris peeping up from under the dead leaves!

With the flash: (wouldn't Higgins be envious?! He has only orchids, right?)

Sunday, December 2 -- Ornaments!

2007-12-02T21:46:00.001-05:00

Three Island Hoppers helicopters and four Ferraris! Can you spot them all? Not too difficult to do, really. I can spread them around on the tree, but for the photo, I needed them all together. Have one more helicopter to add . . . .

Saturday, December 1 -- Winter is Coming!

2007-12-01T17:31:00.001-05:00

Off to get firewood this morning! golf and Larry make a LOT of fires in the winter. Of course, I had to go along to help -- I give great advice on how to load up the back of the golfmobile.

At the place where golf gets the wood.

At home, in the garage, before unloading the wood (see the license plate??)The back of the golfmobile (I guess, currently the "woodmobile") is full of wonderful, aged wood -- burns really well.

And here's the wood after unloading (okay, some was left after we got the last load. Only about 3/4 of this was added today.).

Whew! All done! Don't you know she appreciated my assistance!

More Christmas Decoration Pictures

2007-11-29T08:35:00.001-05:00

Here I am at golf's office with her Christmas girls there. I think perhaps my garb is not appropriate for these "winter" scenes. However, I do like the Breyer horses -- much friendlier than "the lads."

November 28

2007-11-28T20:24:00.000-05:00

Here I am by the Christmas tree. You can see all the little Ferrari 308 GTSes that golf has added as ornaments. One little Island Hoppers helicopter -- NOT the correct shape, but it's all she has right now. All the little toy/mini-size MD500s she has purchased off eBay haven't arrived yet, so she hasn't had a chance to paint them and add them to the tree. When she does, we'll post a picture of all the choppers and all the cars -- and me, of course!

Friday, after Thanksgiving, Evening

2007-11-23T21:25:00.001-05:00

Not the best picture, but it was too cold to set up the tripod,

so here's the house with the lights we set up today.

Of course, we also messed with the cats -- Larry kept putting the "antlers" on them.

Day After Thanksgiving

2007-11-23T15:54:00.001-05:00

The Day After Thanksgiving: That's when golf gets serious about Christmas decorating.

I assisted with the lighted "bow swags" for the windows. When it gets dark, I'll add pictures of how the house looks with the all the lights, etc.

Here's the Santa's Helicopter that Larry got for golf last Christmas. To figure out its size, I'm 12" tall, so you can see how many times I would have to lie down in a straight line to measure it nose to tail -- so it's nearly 6 feet long and just under 4 feet tall. It's now hanging on the front of the house. You'll see it when I post a picture of the house all lit up, after dark. Larry usually teases golf about her Christmas decorating, but this afternoon, after helping her get the house "trimmed," he admitted that he was thinking about what else could be done to make the house even tackier!!

When golf gets a few more little MD500 helicopter toys (purchased on eBay) painted to look like Island Hoppers, I'll post pictures of all the Ferrari 308 GTSes and IH helicopters she's using as ornaments on the Christmas tree.