Shamu is Awesome

Sherah claims the Shamu in Orlando isn't the original Shamu, but the big whale (whoever he may be) is still pretty incredible. We spent the day at Sea World last Monday, and it was a perfect way to spend the afternoon. We walked through almost the entire park, and we got to see both the Shamu show and the sea lion show, which is a pretty funny comedy act. Check out the grainy video I took of the most awesome thing Shamu did -- it was taken from my cell phone, which explains the horrible quality, but the stunt was great!



This was my first time in Florida, and after avoiding Florida like the plague for the past 34 years, I guess I'm glad I went. It was nicer than I thought, and it was greener than I thought, and I liked that the temperatures stayed in the 90s all week. Good thing, too, since we'll be making one more trip to the Sunshine State later this year.

Although I didn't see a single crocagator. Very disappointing.

Memorial Day Weekend at Lake Michigan

It has become a tradition in our little family to spend Memorial Day weekend out at Sherah's parents' cottage on Lake Michigan. We love it out there, and the kids always have a great time playing and running around and enjoying themselves. You know, there are hundreds of miles of beaches along Lake Michigan, but I think this stretch is probably the most beautiful of them all. It helps, of course, that there are mostly private cottages in the area, and no huge public beaches. It's relaxing, it's peaceful, it's scenic, and it's just an amazing place to be.

Plus, Sherah and I have so many memories there! It's where we first became reacquainted, it's where I proposed, and it's where we were married. Some of the most important moments in our lives, and amazingly, they all seem to revolve around that place. Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. It's good to have those memories tied to a special spot.

And don't forget about the sand dunes! Where else in the world can you experience this kind of natural phenomenon? As you can see in the picture, the dunes are enormous out there, especially in the area a mile or so north of the cottage, where this photo was taken. It's incredible to think that these huge, sloping mountains of sand were created by nothing more than the wind blowing off the lake! When looking down over the back side of a dune, it always strikes me how steeply the sand drops off once it's out of the wind's reach. It's truly an amazing work of nature, and it's one thing that makes this part of Michigan so special in the world.