Liebster Award!

A break from my adventures with Sockie... More posts will be coming soon!

My lovely friend, Moriah, from Home on the Erie Canal, awarded my blog the Liebster Award! Thank you so much, Moriah! I am honoured to receive this. :)

here's how this award works:

+ thank the amazing blogger that nominated you

+ answer the 11 questions the nominator provided

+ nominate a few other bloggers who have less than 200 followers

+ post 11 different questions for your nominees to answer

+ contact your nominees to let them know that you've nominated them 

1. What is your favorite kind of pencil?
   Any kind of crazy looking HB pencil. The crazier it is, the better.
2. How long have you blogged?
   Umm.. My goodness, I don't know. I think for about a year now? Although I haven't done much with my other blog recently. I'm going to try to resurrect it soon.
3. Do you like pickles?
   Do I like pickles? DO I LIKE PICKLES?? Um, yes!! I DO. A lot. They are one of my favourite foods. I love pickles. LOVE. THEM.
4. Have you ever played on a wooden playground?
   Yes, I have. There were several I went to when I was younger. Some of my best memories were made at those wooden playgrounds. Unfortunately, they have been replaced by pathetic plastic ones... Something about safety.... Oi, people.
5. What is your favorite flower?
   My favourite flower is the rose. I think most people say that. My second favourite is the hibiscus. I think that's probably more interesting than a rose. I just...like roses better. ;)
6. Do you like to bike?
   YES. I spend most of my summers biking. Since I do not have my own car, my bike and the bus are my main forms of transportation. If it's warm out, I generally opt for my bike. It's relaxing and great exercise!
7. How would you describe yourself in an 11 word sentence?
   I am a strange enigma and whiffle through the tulgey wood.
8. What is the longest book you read?
   Uhh, oh my. I think it was one of the Twilight books, actually...heheh.
9. Do you know any other languages other than English?
   I'm fluent in English - obviously - and American Sign Language. I know a bit of French, but I only understand it best when I'm reading it. It's been a while since I've studied it. I need to get back to that...
10. What was the most hideous outfit combination you wore as a child?
    Hoo boy! Oh yes. I had this outfit that I actually wore a few times. It was this pair of shockingly bright, neon pink shorts, and this striped, greenish vomit coloured and faded orange, baggy shirt. I believe I was, ahem, colourblind at that point in my life.
11. Are you afraid of heights?
    I am indeed. I don't mind airplanes and roller coasters, but put me on a ferris wheel and I will start panicking. I also am not a fan of bridges.

Oh my. Who should I nominate? I don't know very many people who blog.
I nominate:
Josh at The Daily Happenings
Rachel at Life, the Universe, and Everything: As Seen Through My Eyes

11 questions to come up with, eh? How about these?

1. What...is your name? 
2. What...is your quest?
3. What...is your favourite colour? 
4. What do you do with witches? 
5. And what do you burn, apart from witches? 
6. Now, why do witches burn? 
7. So how do you tell whether she is made of wood? 
8. But can you not also build bridges out of stone? 
9. Does wood sink in water? 
10. What else floats in water? 
11. Do you know where these questions are from? ;)

 

Thank you again, Moriah! Sockie and I feel very loved. :)

A Bus Adventure

On Saturday, Sockie and I grabbed my friend, Daniel, and we went for an afternoon of riding buses to random places. We had an open day so we decided, why not? While we were riding the first bus downtown, we decided we'd visit the beach first. It was awfully cool to do much of anything besides walk around on the sand, but it was sunny and we couldn't think of anywhere else to go at that moment. We got on the bus to go to the beach, but we caught it when it was going to its first stop, which was the other side of the city, so we rode the bus for an hour and a half before we actually arrived at the beach. We knew that was going to happen, but we didn't mind. Riding the bus for that long provides plenty of time for relaxation and pleasant conversation.


Sockie riding on the first bus. Someone commented from the front of the bus, "Oh look! It's a sock monkey!"

Sockie in front of the lake at the beach! I think this is a very flattering picture of him. ;)

The lake... It was beautiful when we went! It was so blue and hazy in the distance.

Shells! There were so many all over the sand.

Shells again! With me picking some up. It felt so cool.

A ladybug on some driftwood. There were so many pieces of driftwood all over the sand!

The three of us decided to walk down the pier after we walked around on the beach. I took a picture of Daniel and Sockie together!

After we hung out at the beach for about an hour, we headed back downtown once again. Sockie sunned on part of a bridge while Daniel and I discussed what to do next. 

We decided to go visit a friend on the other side of town, so while we waited for the bus to come, we got a snack at a little cafe.

We caught the bus and visited my friend for about an hour and then we came back downtown. We then had to wait about 45 minutes for our bus to take us home. It was quite chilly out, but we had a wonderful conversation with a stranger and that kept us occupied and it distracted us away from the nippy air. Here Sockie waits patiently inside the bus shelter.

We had an awesome day riding buses all over creation. I'd love to do it again soon, and I probably will. What a great Saturday!

A Sunday Bike Ride

This past Sunday, Sockie and I went on a long bike ride along the Erie canal with my friend, Levi. It was exhausting, but still very fun! The path was pretty, the air was warm, the sun was shining, and it was absolutely perfect.


Levi befriended a kitty! It's the canal cat. ;)

A train track at one of our rest break points. I really love train tracks.

A railroad crossing! The train tracks ran along the path for a long while.

I stopped at this spot for a second to take a breather. It was a very serene little scene here!

We stopped a ways out and had a snack before we turned around and headed back. The sun was starting to get lower in the sky by then.

Sockie sat on a post and waited as we finished our munchies.

The trail ahead! It's a shame the sun was starting to set. I wanted to keep going.

We started the long trek back after we ate. I really wanted to take a picture of this plant along the way. It looked so cool!

A trail marker of a part of the path. We went a long ways!

In the end, I did some calculations and figured that we had gone about 36.2 miles. That's a long bike ride! Sockie was lucky that he couldn't bike. He got the easy part. ;)

A Saturday With Biking and Juggling

This past Saturday, Sockie and I decided to go out and meet my best friend, Rachel, at a juggling event. Originally we were going to go downtown and go to a Bollywood workshop thingamajig at the library, but in the end best friend won over Bollywood. Being a silly person, I didn't check the bus schedules early enough and we ended up missing the bus. So...I decided to bike! Hey, why not? It was only a few miles and it was warm out. Thus began our adventure...

I knew of a nice, pretty trail that would lead me where I wanted to go, so I started off on it. Here is where Sockie and I stopped for a water break. Isn't that little body of water just gorgeous?

Sockie waiting patiently as I drank my refreshing cold water.

The trail ahead of us! It's much nicer and greener in the summer.

After biking for a bit, I took another small breather. Ah, I've always been fascinated by that building in the background... I'm not sure why.

These wires seem to stretch on for a long time. I think it's cool! Electrical wires have always been so beautiful to me in the strangest way since I was very little.

After 40 minutes of biking, Sockie and I finally made it to the college where the juggling event was being held. We met up with Rachel and her boyfriend and we got something to eat. While we were eating, Rachel tied up Sockie and turned him into a pretzel. It's a shame I didn't get a picture of that. After that, we went back and talked and sat on the bleachers for a while. Here's Sockie posing in front of the jugglers in the background.

I didn't take any more pictures after that, but we ended up going to see a really cool juggling show that night with Rachel's brother in it. It was amazing! Those people were so good at what they did. I wish I could juggle. Unfortunately, it is not a skill I've ever been able to pick up. Maybe one day... ;)

I had a delightful time hanging out with everyone that day and they all loved seeing Sockie. Definitely a great Saturday!

Sockie and the Pigeons

Today Sockie and I had a short adventure. We decided to go out and visit the pigeons! We've raised pigeons since I was very very young. They're very cute and personable animals.


Click! She's a sweet bird. The reason her name is Click is because she clicked her beak when she was younger.

Blackbeak! We named him that because he's always had a darker beak. Yes, I named him after a pirate. He is the leader of the cage and the oldest bird.

Fluff! Oh, my dear Fluffy. I raised her by hand. She's the smallest bird in the cage. However, don't let her size fool you. She can stand up for herself quite well. 

Snowy! Snowy is the youngest bird in the cage. She is Blackbeak's mate.

Speckles! Speckles is Click's mate. He's constantly fighting with Blackbeak for control of the cage, but he still doesn't have it. 

Flower! Contrary to his name, Flower is, in fact, a boy. ...We thought he was a girl before. He is Fluff's mate and the biggest bird in the cage.

Sockie wanted to take a picture with everyone. Here's the gang all together!

The pigeons are always fun to visit. :)

A Birthday Night Out

A little note: I was going to post this last week, but unfortunately I've been very sick and unable to write for long periods of time so I did not. Oh well. Better late than never!


On the last Friday in March, I decided to do something fun for my birthday (which was actually that Sunday, but eh), so I went out for a night on the town with Sockie. I was originally going to go to a favourite restaurant of mine, but by the time I got home from various activities and errands, it was too late to make a reservation. So, being moi, I decided to just wing it and find something. Sockie and I caught the bus around 6 and made it downtown, where I reached my first destination, Java's. I think it is quite possibly one of my favourite places to go. It's a little cafe, tucked away on a little side street, right by the Eatsman Theatre. When I got in, I ordered my drink and sat at a little table in the back of the establishment. It's a wonderful place to relax.

My yummy drink! I don't remember the name exactly, something like a "caramel catapan," but it was a delicious creation made with a double shot of espresso, milk, and caramel.

The wall near where I was seated. I really like the art everywhere!

Downstairs, they have the bathrooms and a room with some pool tables. Sockie decided to chill out on one. ;)

After Java's, I was hungry for dinner, so I walked down East Ave to find someplace to eat. I saw a lot of bars and fancy restaurants and more mainstream places, but I finally decided on a little Italian looking restaurant called Veneto. I walked in and they gave me a seat at the bar because there were a lot of parties there that night and it was quite full. I ordered an absolutely delicious meal of venetian free-range chicken with fettuccine, sauteed spinach, and roasted bell peppers. Mmmm, it was so good! Sockie hung out in his monkey sack while he waited for me to finish my meal. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures there, but it was a lovely place. The interior was Italian themed and the atmosphere was very comfortable. I would definitely recommend that  place and go there again myself. After I ate, Sockie and I left and walked back down towards Java's. The air was quite chilly by then, but the night was absolutely gorgeous! I love wandering downtown in the evenings.

Walking down the little street that Java's is on! I love the lights on the trees. They're so magical looking. 

 The Eastman Theatre has such cool lights. Walking under them is always fun.

 Sockie and I sat in the little park in the corner to wait for a friend to pick us up. While we were sitting there, we we looked around at the buildings and enjoyed the beauty around us. Here's Sockie just relaxing on one of the benches.

 The Eastman Theatre! Isn't it just gorgeous looking at night?

I think I had a wonderful birthday night out with my dashing date, Sockie. ;) I hope I can have another night out again sometime soon!