Electric Squirrels?

It seems like it has been a long time since I put anything out here. We've had some company for the last two weeks as my parents have been here to visit and help out. Jane had a Stamp show in Texas last week and I had some prior commitments with work so Grandmere and Pappi did some shuttling and such to keep Isabelle at school, gymnastics, and swimming lessons. They also wanted to get away from the cold and snow in Nova Scotia. Wouldn't you know it, it got cold enough here while they were here that there could have been snow. In the end we did see some but only in Maggie Valley up in North Carolina on a sightseeing trip. The visit was nice but I'm sure they'll be glad to get back. I think my sister in Carleton and her family will have missed them most. Getting them here was an adventure. Initially on the eve of their departure their flight from Halifax to Washington was cancelled so I got them rerouted through Chicago with the help of a very pleasant United Airlines agent who sounded like he was a retired football lineman (he had a big voice). The next morning I find out that the new flight wasn't going to go so we switched them to another flight through Boston to arrive in Charlotte, North Carolina a day late. In the end it gave Jane and I a chance to see Charlotte. We have heard different things about Charlotte but found the downtown to be easy to get to, clean, and quite pretty. In the end we went to the children's museum, called Discovery Place, while we waited for the flight to arrive and had a nice day of it. (Sorry-no good pictures of the museum.) The visit was full of the usual activities. We went to the Georgia Aquarium, drove into the mountains, ate out a few times at the local barbecue joint, and hit some of the local flea markets. I think my dad enjoyed the flea markets the most. My mom did manage a little shopping for herself and liked the big department stores we have here. Here is another picture of the aquarium. It was interesting to see scuba divers in some of the exhibits. They must have been doing some spring cleaning. This picture was at Centennial Olympic Park. It is one of the legacies from the 96 Olympics held in Atlanta. As you can see the weather was nice that day. The park is somewhere we need to explore a little more. They have lots of activities and interseting things going there year-round. They even had a skating park there at Christmas. The whole area reminds me of the Halifax Commons but busier and without the ball fields. The space is very nice and very pedestrian friendly. Back in Grennville County, I drive by Southside Park every day on the way in to school. Isabelle likes to go there so we try to get out every once in a while. This day we went with one of our neighbors and one of the girls who live on the cul-de-sac. Isabelle had a pretty good time. Now to the squirrel. Service is everything here. You see it in the restaurants, the bank, and at most places where you have to deal with someone to pay a bill or get information. In general they do a great job. The electric company here is also service oriented. When was the last time you got a notice in the mail saying why the power was out on a certain day? Here they send out a card, a "Why we were out card," to explain what happened and how they dealt with it. We've had a few in our time here and for the most part it seems the local animals are mostly to blame. Here is an example: For my part I want to know who found the squirrel and what shape was he in? Did anyone try to resuscitate him or was it a lost cause? Anyway, it's nice to get the note.