BIGGERING CONTINUES--EARLY MARCH EDITION

In January I put up a post about the loss of our scruffy but shady trees along the canal by our house.

As the trees went down the girders went up for a multi-story addition to the assisted living complex nearby.

 The construction workers have put in long hours assembling this big structure.  They wake us up before sunrise with banging and rumblings and are still toiling away long after dark.   It looks like a life-size K’nex Toy set at this point.

 At the same time a new bridge is being built to provide access across the canal.

 Manufacturing skills of all kinds are being put to use.

A variety of heavy equipment such as cranes, fork lifts, bull dozers, and cement mixers come and go all day.

 No matter what the weather the workers have been busy making this job happen.  A few weeks ago the outside walls started going up in a shocking shade of green.  We’re hoping there will be an outside layer to cover that up.

 We watched three stories and an elevator shaft take shape.

 Then some kind of rooftop decks appeared.  Oh, great.  Now there will be neighbors watching from above as we come and go.

 

They brought in the big gear to rip out the tree stumps and move the canal over so our street could be widened.  A wider street with curb and gutter may be nice but it will also bring more traffic to our quiet neighborhood.

 Another backhoe arrived to take on shrubbery which had overgrown the canal banks.

 The debris was cleared and hauled off in dump trucks.

 One day there were so many rigs at work that it looked like the sandbox at a daycare.

 There were three backhoes in the canal, plus a front loader, dump trucks and a compactor.  There was also the beep-beep backup alarm from the crane and clanging from girders coming from the nearby building construction.  At least when this is all over the new neighbors should be very quiet.

 It was entertaining to watch this backhoe operator work and work to loosen and pull up the old tree stumps.  Even though there is only a city block of canal bank to clear, we are guessing they will be at it for days.

 Still, it is amazing what can be accomplished by one guy in a piece of heavy equipment.

STREET VIEW, MAJORCA, SPAIN

February is almost over and it is a good thing it had an extra day this year.  I needed time to finish my watercolor paintings for The Virtual Paintout.  This month we virtually explored Majorca where the members of Spain's royal family spend their summer holidays in the Marivent Palace.  Wikipedia says it is a popular tourist destination and I could see why.

Settlements dating back to the bronze age have been discovered there along with artifacts left behind by Phoenicians and Romans.

I liked the rustic buildings, the narrow streets and sunny skies I found as I moved the little yellow Google Pegman around the map.

Majorca has a long history of seafaring.  In the harbors I saw small and unusual boats.  Turns out they are crafts called Llauts which are specific to this area.  The design is a part of their history of fishing boats.

I call this one, "Neighborhood Watch."  I followed a narrow street in Palma and found this white haired lady gazing from her balcony.  The timeless buildings plus the variety of textures and colors made this a painting waiting to happen. 

Google Street View is a great tool for armchair travelers like me who will never in this life be able to afford trips to exotic places like Majorca or scuba diving along the Geat Barrier Reef.

As always these paintings and more are for sale at my Etsy Site, Watercolors by Leenie.  

DOGGY DAY AFTERNOON

Warmer days have melted our snow down to lower levels, but there is still plenty of the white stuff up north.  That’s where we went Saturday to watch the not-so-serious part of the Annual American Dog Derby.

 We arrived after the big dogs and their sleds had been down the 40-plus mile track and back.  Now it was time for some kid fun.

 The Junior Race was followed by the Skjoring Potluck Race...

...in which one to two dogs assist a cross country skier along a four mile track.

 This team left with the most speed and control in my opinion. 

 While the racers were out we did a little people and dog watching.  Almost everybody brought their dogs for the day.

 Almost everybody.

 There were dogs of all sizes and breeds.

 Here comes back the fast team…still with plenty of hustle but those tongues are hanging out.

 The return of another one of the Junior Mushers to plenty of applause and high fives.

After the sled races the crowd moved to Main Street for the next set of events.

 First were the Kid Snowshoe Races.  The racers were grouped by age and strapped into snowshoes and set off.

 There was some very serious competition.

Next came the Mutt Race wherein dogs with no training were harnessed to a dog sled and encouraged to pull their friend down the track.

 

 Some dogs did okay with a little encouragement.

 Others were having none of it.

 Then there were the dogs who were just happy to be there and expecting a treat at any moment.

 Just for fun here is some action from the snowshoe races.

The last ones on snowshoes were the Mormon Missionaries.

 First the Sisters.

 Then the Elders. They had been assisting all day with the events and deserved a moment to show off.

 It was a great day to get out of the house and enjoy the sun and the end of a long winter.

 Kids and dogs.  What’s not to like?