Travelog for: Cool Jules

Christmas was lots of fun with the other toys and the bears who live here.
Roo arrived in time to join us so there were four of us.

Crizle bought a new bear from the Mater Hospital Childrens Fund and he is called Monty. We are great friends.

We all celebrated New Year together with party poppers. Loads of fun.

Happy 2008 everyone.

Yay I have arrived in Miami!!!

Today we go to a Chinese New Year Festival.  Smith is interested in seeing a dragon dance, it's his life mission.

The dragon dance is quite colorful and interesting.  The dragon, along with the baby lions, danced around the venue to the drumming.







These two are the mascots of the Beijin Olympic 2008.



There are a lot of booths at the festival.  This one has a lot of colorful Chinese arts and crafts like the pretty umbrella.



Cool Jules and I helped out at the Puff Dragon Boat Racing Team's promotional booth. 



They have an impressive collection of the medals and trophies they won. 







I found a small paddle but I think it's still too big for me.



We also visited the booth Tarepanda was volunteering at, by Tzu Chi, a Taiwanese charity organization.

These Chinese knots ornaments are hand woven by the volunteers.



These are the bubbles for making the boba tea.



Chinese snacks, also hand made, on sale.  There are the fried tofu, fried dumplings, soy sauce eggs, and pan fried buns.



The veggie buns are first steamed in bamboo steamers.



Then they are pan fried to finish.

So, what's a cool dude like me doing in Miami?  Visit the South Beach of course.

On the causeway heading to Miami Beach, we can see the cruises docked at the port.  Boy, I wish one day I will be onboard one to the Bahamas.  That would be so COOL!



This is the world famous Ocean Drive on SoBe.  It is lined with palm trees and Art Deco style buildings.  The place to see and be seen.





What nice weather!  And I so look totally cool.  No, I mean HOT!



And here is the house where the designer Versace used to live.  That is, until he got killed right on the doorsteps in front of the gate. 

Today we go to the Fairchild Tropical Park.



They are having an orchid show.  Look at all the colorful flowers. (okay, what's it? two guys posing in front of some flowers???? Can you tell I am not too thrilled?)





This is not orchid but the plant that blooms 8-feet-tall flower that stinks like rotten meat (to attract flies to propagate).  Fortunately they only do so once every few years and not now!

There are also sculptures done by famous artist.  This one is by Botero.



This is a very interesting artwork by Roy Lichtenstein.  When you walk around the house and look at it from different angle, the house appears to fold and change perspective.  It's amazing and we keep walking around it until we get dizzy. 
(you can see a video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqsI09Tx2Sk  It's not the same house but the effect is similar)







Dale Chihuly, a famous glass artist, also has some pieces exhibited here.



What an interesting day.  It's a bit sad to leave Miami and its nice weather, but I will be flying to visit my next host. 

Well I arrived in Colorado and really stood up to my name -- I was COOOOOOL.  It was so nice and warm in Miami and then I get here and crawl out of my envelope in the mailbox and discover its only 20 degrees F (-5C) and I was some cold.  As soon as I got into my hosts house I curled up on the couch with a lot of blankets.  I asked wourpet if she would build a fire in the fireplace but she just laughed at me and said it was cool but not cold. I said "I'm Cool and its COLD!"

Today was a lot warmer.  Wourpet said that in the desert it gets very cold at night, even in the summer.  We went down to the store and I looked around and said "This isn't desert" and wourpet laughed (she laughs at me a lot) and said its called alpine desert and we're right on the edge of it here.  Even though Grand Junction is in a valley, it is very dry and needs irrigation to keep things growing.
I looked again and could see mountains all around us.  Wourpet said we might go for a drive out of town and I will be able to really see the desert.  Even cactii (thats like more than one cactus)

Today wourpet said we had a special event at the mall.  Mesa Mall and the Blue Star Mothers were having a little party for military families -- especially for children who have a loved one not home right now.



I was invited as a special guest but they said I wasn't the ONLY special guest. 



We had breakfast first and I gobbled up some nice warm sweet rolls. 



Next we had an easter egg hunt and I was very happy when I found out the eggs were full of candy.



We got even more candy and other goodys in our goody bags that were handed out.



All of a sudden everybody jumped up and looked at me and they were clapping and cheering and I felt quite ... well, Cool....  until I found out they had spotted the Easter bunny coming up behind me.

Once the Easter Bunny got there I decided he must be the other Special guest but I was happy to have had my 'moment'. 

Its been too cold outside for me even if Wourpet said it was well above freezing.  I've been just hanging about inside and finding things to do.  I have been onto the TV site and checked out what everyone else is doing.

Its nice that I can get in and see the pictures and read the travelogs -- it keeps me from getting too homesick.

Well I'm still staying indoors but Wourpet needs the computer so I am doing my exploring in other places. 
I found a bag of candy on the kitchen counter...

I met a bear named Humphrey up on a shelf above the computer.  We talked for awhile and he said he will be a TV someday but he is still working on his business plan.

Then I met a lovable (he kissed me) pup on the table under the rose bush.  He said he is already sort of a TV because he travels around in the host dads suitcase.  His last trip was into the hospital so he is glad to be back home.

The weather man said there is a chance of blowing snow, can you believe it.  Wourpet told me to relax because there is no snow outside to blow but I thought maybe if it blows hard enough it might get here,  Brrrrr!
I'm staying inside and stoking the fire.


Its a very warm fire and I learned how to be very safe..

Hahahaha -- whooeee!  Today Wourpet said she had a cool surprise for me since I stay inside the house so much.  She put me on her vacuum cleaner so I could go for a ride.  This was so COOL! I was a real COOL JULES.  It was like a little space ship and hauled me all over the floor on its own.  Wourpet said its a robot.


I rode it around the house from room to room and we bumped and banged into things like a bumper car and spun around in circles and zig zagged back and forth.  Wourpet said she might take a video next time if I ride it again.  That was so much FUN!

Today was St Patricks Day!  It was also a little warmer but when Wourpet invited me out to help move the woodpile I declined.  She said if I stayed in I could help with the inside chores.  I did the laundry and folded the clothes from the dryer.


I loaded the dishwasher.


I watered the plants...



and I fed the fish...

After I finished the chores I did some more exploring around the house.  Well -- I spent quite awhile looking at the fish actually...





and then I worked out for awhile on the exercise equipment...


I went over to see if there was a fire in the fireplace and I found this cool thing called a pit and pendulum...




I didn't do much else because I watched it for hours.  The pendulum swings in circles and makes squares in the sand -- can you imagine that.  I tried to watch for it to make a circle but it just kept swinging in circles and making squares.  Circles and squares -- go figure.  It was Cool.

Today I ventured outside finally.  Well, okay -- I ventured into the garage.  While I was there I found a bucket with some clayy and another bag of clay so I played with them for awhile and tried to make some little sculptures. 



It didn't work very good for me -- I guess I'm just not a sculptor.



The floor in the garage is covered with really COOL foam pads.  I did some jumping and some somersaults.




Maybe -- just maybe -- it will be warm enough for me to go out and see the desert tomorrow.