Photo-Finish Friday: Views of Paradise

A few views from paradise.

There are fish in the water that are so tiny and see through, that when they end up in the sand, you can hardly see them.  When i do see them flopping, i scoop them back into the water.

Yes, literally, they are clear, and you can walk right by and not see them.  This one is just over an inch long.

For those who want to know why we call them ghost crabs, the next picture will show you.

The crab in the above picture is about 2 inches long.  These are the crabs the children catch and then release by flashlight at night, although i took this picture early in the morning.

Next is a view of paradise, as i like to call it.

This is the view coming up from the beach toward the pool.  It's lush, i can promise you.

Finally, my favorite place to sit, under the waterfall at the larger, outdoor swimming pool.  This is where i relax and do crossword puzzles.

This kind of view is why we don't mind coming back to the same vacation spot year after year.

While i think she only had one picture at a time in mind, i thank Leah at The Goat's Lunch Pail for the idea of a Photo-Finish Friday, and i couldn't help but share more than one picture this time.


Today is

Banana Split Festival -- Wilmington, OH, US (through tomorrow, in the city claiming to be the birthplace of the banana split)

Bell Tower Festival -- Jefferson, IA, US (shows, entertainment, parade, and more all in the shadow of the Mahanay Memorial Bell Tower; through tomorrow)

Birthday of Prince Joachim -- Denmark

Coal Miner Days -- Sparwood, BC, Canada (festival and fun! through Sunday)

Daniel Boone Day -- Kentucky, US (date in he first sighted, in 1767, what would become Kentucky)

Fes Musiques Sacrees du Monde -- Fez, Morocco (Fez Festival of World Sacred Music, with all types of sacred music featured, from Spanish gypsy laments to Sufi chanting and everything between; through the 15th)

Flag Day -- Peru

Great American Brass Band Festival -- Danville, KY, US (this year's theme is Slides Rule, a Celebration of the Trombone; through Sunday)

Journalist's Day -- Argentina (marking the first publication of a newspaper in Argentina on this day in 1810)

Judgement Day -- Fairy Calendar (Leaping songs)

Labour Day -- Bahamas

Lilac Festival -- Mackinac Island, MN, US (largest summer event on the Island; through the 16th)

National Chocolate Ice Cream Day

National Donut Day -- US (successor to the original Donut Day begun by the Salvation Army in 1938 as a fundraiser in Chicago, and it is still used as a fundraiser there for Salvation Army projects)

Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival -- Oklahoma City, OK, US (more than 100 tribes meet to pow wow and celebrate their heritage, through Sunday)

Riverbend Festival -- Chattanooga, TN, US (nine days of fun on the banks of the Tennessee River)

Sacred Heart of Jesus -- Catholic Christian

Senior Race Day -- Isle of Man (final day of the Tourist Trophy races which is for Seniors only)

Sette Giugno -- Malta (commemoration of the tragedy of June 7, 1919, considered their National Day)

St. Meriadoc's Day (Patron of the deaf and against deafness)

Summer Farm Toy Show -- National Farm Toy Museum, Dyersville, IA, US (farm toys, parade, tractor rides, and more; through tomorrow)

Tecumseh! the Epic Outdoor Drama -- Chillicothe, OH, US (Mon-Sat, until Aug. 31; spectacular reenactment of the life and death of the great Shawnee leader)

Texas Folklife Festival -- San Antonio, TX, US (the signature event of the Institute of Texan Cultures; through Sunday)

Union Dissolution Day -- Norway

VCR Day -- the first Sony Betamax went on sale today in 1975

Vestalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (multi-day festival for Vesta, goddess of the hearth, this first day termed the Vesta Asperit; through the 15th)

Vivien Kellems Memorial Day -- born this date in 1896, she fought the IRS and income tax for her whole life

Windsurfing Regatta/Unvarnished Music Festival -- Worthington, MN, US (windsurfing, swap meet, and music on the beach; through Sunday)


Anniversary Today

YMCA is founded by George Williams, 1844


Birthdays Today:

Michael Cera, 1988
Anna Kournikova, 1981
Larisa Oleynik, 1981
Allen Iverson, 1975
Karl Urban, 1972
Prince, 1958
Liam Neeson, 1952
Jenny Jones, 1946
Tom Jones, 1940
Gwendolyn Brooks, 1917
Dean Martin, 1917
Jessica Tandy, 1909
Paul Gauguin, 1848


Today in History:

The first Crusaders begin their Siege of Jerusalem, 1099
Port Royal, Jamaica, is devastated by an earthquake, 1692
David Thompson reaches the mouth of the Saskatchewan River in Manitoba, 1800
Asian cholera reaches Quebec, brought by Irish immigrants, and kills about 6,000 people in Lower Canada, 1832
1,800 Fenian raiders are repelled back to the United States after they loot and plunder around Saint-Armand and Frelighsburg, Quebec, 1866
Tolbert Lanston receives patents for monotype typesetting machines, 1887
Norway's parliament dissolves  its union with Sweden, 1905
Sony introduces the Betamax videocassette recorder for sale to the public, 1975
Priscilla Presley opens Graceland to the public, 1982
Mt. Pinatubo erupts, sending an ash cloud 7km/14.3mi high, 1992
The United Nations defines the Blue Line as the border between Israel and Lebanon, 2000