Oh my, oh my.  What excitement!  I burned my lunch (a potato) in the microwave oven a few minutes ago here at work.  As soon as the alarm went off, I immediately called the guard to tell them there was no fire and that it was my smokin potato that had triggered the alarm.  Imagine my surprise and chagrin when two fire trucks and an ambulance came screeching up to our building one minute later . . . for my POTATO.   It did not survive.   The guard evidently didn't relay my message to the fire department quickly enough. Then it took 20 minutes for the loud speakers to come back on and say that it was a false alarm and that every one could go back to their offices.

I really shouldn't talk about it so lightly though, because that's a waste of tax payers' money and a waste of the fire fighters time.  Not to mention, what if someone else had a fire and there was no fire truck to send because they were here for my potato?  What if someone had fallen in a hurry to get out of the building?  What if someone had a heart attack because of the alarm?  

I wonder how much they charge for false alarms?  I wonder if the company will be taking it out of my pay? Oh my!

Mushrooms in my yard                                           Photo by Chris Duffy

We have gotten so much rain lately, that the yard has not had a chance to get dry.  This morning when I looked out the window I saw literally hundreds of mushrooms growing in the front yard.  They're only growning where we have mulch spread so I guess the spores were in the mulch.

Mushrooms in my yard                                           Photo by Chris Duffy

They're a little bit harder to see in this picture.  It's all those little gray circles.  But then when I got home from work tonight there were probably only a dozen or so left.  I guess the birds or rabbits ate them, and since there are no dead birds or rabbits laying about, I'd assume they're not the poisonous variety.  However, I don't plan on eating the last remaining ones just to test that theory. 

Church door in Stow on the Wold                                            Photo and enhancement by Chris Duffy

Here's another one of those interesting doors.  This was the side door to the church building in Stow on the Wold.  Kind of short (for a door anyway) and kind of narrow too.  A fat person would have a big problem getting in and out of that door.  Oh, that's my hubby standing at the door.  Notice that he's standing on the pavement and not on the door step.  He'd have to duck to get in that door.

School of Music Door at Oxford                                            Photo and enhancement by Chris Duffy

Here's hubby again pointing to the School of Music door at Oxford.  He actually asked me to take this picture, since he has a couple music degrees in his quiver.  I was going to take a picture of the door anyway, because it looked interesting.  But this way it's not just a picture of a door; it's more fun this way.  

The latest project at our house

I've hated the wallpaper in the guest bathroom ever since we bought the house almost two years ago, and it took me a long time to finally pick out a pattern that I really liked.  You know how it is sometimes when you love a sample of wallpaper when all you see is the one page out of the wallpaper book, but then when you see it on a large wall you don't like it at all because the way the pattern repeats create an even larger pattern? Well, that's the problem I was running into.  I knew I didn't want one that did that and I didn't want one that was too small a pattern so that's why it's taken so long.  Besides, who enjoys spending hours and hours going through wallpaper books looking for the "perfect" paper.  I liked this paper and I really liked it's border. In fact, I think it was the border than made me decide on this one.  We got it done this week and  I'm happy with the results.

Close up of pattern and border

A building on the Oxford campus                      Photo and enhancement by Chris Duffy

It was interesting to me how the campus at Oxford had so many different kinds of architecture.  I don't know what building this is, but I thought it was pretty.  I'm really bad about not collecting data about the pictures I take when I'm on vacation. I'm so wrapped up in the taking of the pictures that I forget to write down, or even ask, for that matter, what it is I'm taking a picture of. My sister Alice is much better at that than I am.  She keeps great records regarding all the pictures she takes and can expound or almost any of them.

Well, I'm getting the "do you realize how late it is" speech so I'd better call it a night.

House in Bourton on the Water              Photo and enhancement by Chris Duffy
As always, I'd suggest you click on the picture, then the F11 key to see a larger picture.

I know this doesn't really qualify as a Cotswold Cottage . . . more like a Cotswold Mansion, but I just couldn't resist. Heck, it has two elements that are absolutely irresistable for me. . . a stone wall and an iron gate.  I don't know if this is just a private home or if they rent rooms out; it's hard to tell.  The far right end (outside the realm of this picture) looks like it might be the rentable portion, if indeed they do rent rooms.

House in Bourton on the Water                             Photo and enhancement by Chris Duffy

I know it doesn't look like it, but that's not an alley . . . it's not even a street . . . it's a rural highway.  Yup.  I'd sure hate to meet up with a speeder coming from the other direction.  We pulled over so I could get a picture of their fence; like it could really stop any auto taking that curve too fast.  I don't think I could rest too easily sitting on the other side of that wall. 

Mt. Petit Jean in Arkansas                                                               Photo by Chris Duffy

Oh my, this just proves that I'm getting vacation fever again.  I'm searching through old vacation shots looking for a picture to put on Xanga and I remember how much fun all these trips were and . . . I wanna go on another trip.  You know, for a person who says they don't like to travel, I sure like to travel.  I guess the difference is that I don't like going on business trips.  I don't like packing for business trips where you have to pack for every eventuality.  Will the other ladies be dressed casually, or formal or somewhere in between?  I do LOVE to go on adventerous vacations though.  Where packing consists of throwing in a couple pair of jeans, a pair of slacks, a top for each day and my tennis shoes and undies.   You know, dressing, knowing that you don't have to impress anybody!  Where you don't have a rigid schedule that has to be adhered to, no coctail hours to be endured, no banquets . . . just going and seeing the wonderful sights, and taking plenty of pictures.  Ahhhhhhh, that's the life for me. 

Uhhh, excuse me while I go back to work.  You know, they do pay me for working here, and I think the operative word is WORK. . . so I'd better get back to EARNING my pay.

Ice Cream Shop in Chesapeake City                     Photo and enhancement by Chris Duffy

This was one of my favorite shots from my sister Alice and my vacation in the Chesapeake Bay area.  And this was one of our favorite little towns there; we liked it so much we visited it twice.  On the second visit we caught a band concert in the park and had an ice cream cone from this adorable little shop.  As I recall, they were VERY proud of their ice cream.  If memory serves me correctly it was around $3.50 for a single dip waffle cone. 

What I liked most about this shot was the purple cone flowers with the blue/gray building. 

Holly Hocks in Port Deposit                       Photo and enhancement by Chris Duffy

Oh, Happy Day !!!  I'm totally finished loading software and transferring data over to my new computer . . . AND . . . it all works!!!  I'm such a happy camper.  This has taken way too long.  I've had the computer for over two weeks now, but it's all finally fallen into place.   I just HAD to let my Xanga friends know that I can finally say, "Mission Accomplished".   YEAH!!