Staycation

     Last week mom and dad were on vacation.  They decided this time around to stick close to home and do a bunch of stuff nearby that they've talked about doing but hadn't gotten around to.  As much as they wanted to keep active it was also about relaxing and trying to catch up on some rest, which I'm always for.
     Their week included sleeping in, something dad's not real good at, hiking and lots of walking, catching up on reading, taking in a movie (they said you've gotta see Hereditary) and stopping to take a few deep breaths.
     They made sure to quench their thirst with, among other things, a seasonal on-tap favorite Blue Ridge Blueberry Wheat (a little lighter, very refreshing and not overly fruity) during a stop at Top of the Hill in downtown Chapel Hill, which called for an approximately 8- to 9-mile walk altogether so there was no driving, you know, just in case.
     The week was mostly all about relaxing, taking it easy and making it as stress-free as possible. My personal favorite part was just having both of them around more often than usual, and I was not disappointed.

What's not to love about sleeping in?

I was in heaven all week!

Yup, this sums up oh, say, half the week or so?

Mom noticed this hitchhiker on dad's backpack during a hike along the Eno River. 

Spending an afternoon at The North Carolina Botanical Gardens included sights like this little critter...

...and lots of these.

Mom and dad came upon this guy hanging out about shoulder-height along a trail in the woods.

These Venus Fly Traps were also found at the NC Botanical Gardens.

Are these things not amazing? And can you believe dad's phone took this?

     Sadly, dad had to get back to work and back to his old grumbly, bitchy self.  I loved having both of them around all week, but all good things must come to an end.  The weather ended up pretty much perfect all week. They got in some exercise, I got lots of attention, and I think the relaxation, though short-lived, was beneficial.

Warning- Rated R for Intense Action Sequences

 As you can see by dad having to hold the old gal down, Cleo's having an overactive day here.
     What you're looking at is a series from the 2018 Tortielympics and Cleo placed first in every event.
     

      Note her incredible ability to bend and twist, and the way she maneuvers through each challenging part of the course.

      Here, taking part in the Extreme Yawning event and easily overtaking all competitors, Cleo shows her uber-agility, clearly eying the gold.

     Once again, due to the intense level of energy, dad is called in to harness this indefatigable ball of endurance in place, not wanting her to exhaust her unsparing well of physical resources.


Note from Cleo:  Dad's just being an A-hole.  He's just cranky and has to take it out on someone.  He woke up at 3:15 this morning, had to pee, and couldn't go back to sleep because his head was swirling with everything he's got going on at work.  He and mom are on vacation this coming week and dad, the king of procrastination, hates loose ends.
     

Oh Dear and Some Other Blah, Blah, Blah

     As I'm sure I've been forced to share unselfishly shared in other posts, mom and dad love to get out in the fresh air and do some hiking and walking whenever they can.
     On a recent weekend outing in Carolina North Forest right here in Chapel Hill, they heard a rustling nearby and stopped to watch this beautiful creature standing not 20 feet from them.
     She froze, looked up at mom and dad, then simply lowered her head and continued grazing.
     Then, the next day they were back out there in a different part of the forest and spotted this beauty staring at them.  They watched her for a moment, dad got his phone out for some quick pictures, then they quietly left her in peace.  

While out doing some errands on the 4th, in a wooded residential neighborhood nearby they had to stop the car for a mom and her two fawns hopping across the road.  They were too quick for pictures, but the young'uns were absolutely adorable, though not as adorable as me.

     And now for something not about me I'd love to I'm being forced to share.  Once in a blue moon dad heads out to the Carrboro Arts Center to warble sing his heart out with Pop Up Chorus.  He's been doing this off and on pretty much since we moved to Chapel Hill, and he's real excited (yawn) about the songs they did the other night.

     There's usually a good sized crowd in attendance, and the last outing saw more than 200 joyful members belting out Abba's "Dancing Queen" and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody".  "I mean, Come on, who doesn't love these?!" cried the big guy with the psycho falsetto voice (my opinion.  Trust me, he waltzes around this place croaking and bleating unrestrained).  

     Anyway, like I said, he's real excited about these two hits, songs from his youth about a hundred fifty years ago.  Now and then he goes on and on about the seventies, gets this glazed, sad look in his eyes and starts babbling something about the good old days (uh oh, he's telling me to get back on topic). 

     You can find Pop Up Chorus on YouTube, Facebook, Myplace, Yourspace, whatever really awesome social media-hey-look-at-me-I-wanna-share-with-the-world thingy it is you humans do.

     

Um, excuse me, now can we get back to me? (hey, check out the big guy's stinky toes back there)