Georgia on my Mind

[dinahsmum]

Here's the song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Thls_tMuFkc) and here's a very few pics.

Georgia Aquarium is fantastic
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v393/Dinahsmum/DSC02366.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v393/Dinahsmum/DSC02368.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v393/Dinahsmum/DSC02369.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v393/Dinahsmum/DSC02370.jpg


and look at this chap! I've asked for one for xmas! Fuzzy pic because the perspex/glass is scratched - don't know if that is people from the outside or fluffies from the inside

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v393/Dinahsmum/DSC02372.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v393/Dinahsmum/DSC02374.jpg


and a couple of the choreagraphed fountains in Centennial Olympic Park
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v393/Dinahsmum/DSC02380.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v393/Dinahsmum/DSC02381.jpg

[angieh]

Is that fluffie a sea otter DM? He/she is very cute! Did you get any photos of the birds you asked about? Amazing fish too! They look HUGE.

Those fountains must be a real blessing on a hot day!

[dinahsmum]

He's a sea otter. They had 4, I think. This one was just doing the sea otter thing, floating on his back, doing his manicure and playing with those yellow kiddies nesting cups, rather than cracking an oyster.
They also had a group of much smaller SE Asian otters who were charming - playing together like kittens or perhaps ferrets, except the play also included water.
No bird pics, I'm afraid.
The fish were gi-normous and the very biggest are in fact whale-sharks.
I'll use this thread to ask DM(US) about a most beautiful tree with mauve flowers, the colour of wisteria, but not trailing - upright flowers like chestnut 'candles'. Any ideas? I asked our host but he wasn't much of an outdoorsy person and couldn't even confirm those birds as mockingbirds.

[janey83]

Cool pics, I love going to things like that.

[dandysmom]

He's a sea otter. They had 4, I think. This one was just doing the sea otter thing, floating on his back, doing his manicure and playing with those yellow kiddies nesting cups, rather than cracking an oyster.
They also had a group of much smaller SE Asian otters who were charming - playing together like kittens or perhaps ferrets, except the play also included water.
No bird pics, I'm afraid.
The fish were gi-normous and the very biggest are in fact whale-sharks.
I'll use this thread to ask DM(US) about a most beautiful tree with mauve flowers, the colour of wisteria, but not trailing - upright flowers like chestnut 'candles'. Any ideas? I asked our host but he wasn't much of an outdoorsy person and couldn't even confirm those birds as mockingbirds.


That's the paulonia. They are gorgeous, This isn't a great pic, best I could find the blooms look too blue in it; it is really the color of wisteria.

http://www.dragontrees.com/images/ukiah1.jpg
http://www.dragontrees.com/images/ukiah1.jpg

[Mags]

What an amazing aquarium ........... so many fish!!

Love the sea otter, he's cute! :D

[dinahsmum]

That's it!
Also spelt Paulownia - here are some good pics from google image click here (http://images.google.co.uk/images?gbv=2&hl=en&q=paulownia+tree+flower&sa=N&start=0&ndsp=20)
Wonderful to see growing 'wild' at the side of roads

[PoshPuss]

Fab pics! Love the sea otter! Cuteness itself, so human in their expressions and dexterity.
That tree also grows in Spain as my friend had one opposite her flat out there in Denia. Looks a lot like a jacaranda (?sp) tree too.

[Kazz]

I think looking at those pictures Georgia will be on your mind for a while. I love sea otter well all otter always have done since I saw ring bright water I think.

[Leesy]

What fab pics the pics of the aquarium are fantastic:D :D

[Moli]

Lovely pictures....love the aquaruim....

[alexgirl73]

That aquarium looks stunning!

[dinahsmum]

Yet more info (http://apps.kew.org/trees/?page_id=128)on the Paulownia and pics of a specimen at Kew Gardens. It's possible to grow them from seed apparently but the blooms are susceptible to frost. Thompson & Morgan (http://www.thompson-morgan.com/seeds1/group/paulownia.html) sell the seeds. I might have a go but I'm nt sure where I could put any resultant tree!

[Kazz]

Yet more info (http://apps.kew.org/trees/?page_id=128)on the Paulownia and pics of a specimen at Kew Gardens. It's possible to grow them from seed apparently but the blooms are susceptible to frost. Thompson & Morgan (http://www.thompson-morgan.com/seeds1/group/paulownia.html) sell the seeds. I might have a go but I'm nt sure where I could put any resultant tree!

Put one on the edge of your allotment...there must be green edges/hedges?

[dinahsmum]

I realise that I have forgotten to say anything about Southern Food. I can only comment on restaurant food as we ate out all the time.
Much was simply good restaurant food, with no discernable regional element but there were two memorable meals.
One was at Ted's Montana Grill (the Ted being Ted Turner of CNN [based in Atlanta]), which wasn't exactly Southern but was bison, as he is trying to establish good, environmentally sound farming practice etc. The others had bison steak, but I had eaten beef steak the previous day so avoide dthat and had the bison pot roast instead. it was glorious. I tasted the steak (of course) and thought it was very good. A little sweeter and a little drier than beef, veering towards the taste/texture of venison.
The other, and a real Southern meal, in a specialist Southern restaurant, was Jumbalaya. We've all sung along to The Carpenters but who has known what the dish comprises? It was a spicey, ricey dish, with shrimp ie, large prawns, mussels and bell peppers. Very tasty. A rare pud, of pecan pie too - very nice.

I also tasted biscuit - virtually scone - served as a savoury with 'gravy' - I didn't like that, a white liquid, salty and rather indeterminate; and grits - coarse corn meal, with a taste of polenta but texture of rice/bulgar wheat etc. Did not see fried squirrel or butter-fried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on offer but maybe that's not suprising - maybe I have read too much Elvis history!

[angieh]

I've always wondered what mint julep (sp?) is like.... minty, presumably but I have no idea what else is in it!

Like the sound of the bison pot roast.

[dandysmom]

Angie, here's the mint julep recipe. I don't care especially for them, too sweet; but they are a Southern classic and always served at the Kentucky Derby.

http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink5382.html

I'm not a big fan of Southern cooking, the biscuits with that awful salty gravy are on my "never eat" list, also the grits! But I adore jambalaya, it's really a Creole recipe; I fix at home now and again.

Re the fried squirrel, etc., DM, while I adore Elvis' music I think he had really really weird taste in food ....... :shock: :roll:

[angieh]

Thanks for that link Eileen. I had no idea it had whisky (bourbon) in it and I am not keen on whisky. It does sound very sweet - I think I'd prefer G&T with lemon and ice! I always thought it was a sort of cold refreshing drink that was drunk on hot sultry days by genteel ladies a la "Gone with the Wind"!!!! Maybe I'm thinking of iced tea .... :D

[dandysmom]

You're right, Southerners are very big on iced tea. My Dad was a bourbon drinker, but on the rocks; don't know where he acquired that taste as he was a New Englander by birth. I'm a gin person myself (as you know!), but like lime in my G & T!