Just last night Julianna was encouraging me to learn how to snorkel...........................

Snorkeler shot after being mistaken for rodent

EUGENE, Ore. - A snorkeler who was shot in the head after he was apparently mistaken for a swimming rodent (a nutria) was in good condition after surgery, a hospital said Saturday....

William Roderick, 60, of Reedsport, has been charged with assault, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of methamphetamine and marijuana. He was being held in the county jail....

Roderick told deputies he thought Cheesman was a nutria swimming in the Smith River near Reedsport, about 90 miles southwest of Eugene, and shot him with a .22-caliber rifle, police said....

So the burning question is: What the heck is a NUTRIA?

Well, the little critters actually have their own website at nutria.com.

Fact 1: Nutria (myocastor coypus) is a large semi-aquatic rodent

Fact 2: They are indigenous to South America! (Hmmm. Oregon is not in South America, Oregon is not even remotely close to South America)

Fact 3: They were imported to Louisiana for fur farming industry (Nutria with a little garden tiller! Can't get that out of my head). They have caused great damage to the coastal wetlands of Louisiana (with their little tillers, I'm sure and which, by the way, is no where close to Oregon!).

Mr. Nutria

Cool picture of ice art. This guy pours colored water from the top to create this. PRETTY!

The next burning question: Who is the father of Anna Nicole's baby?

So far...4 guys are in the running (actually one of the guys is dead, but he froze his little 90 yr. old spermies, so he counts). Stay tuned................

To continue our educational theme because my life is too boring to write about, I give you (drum roll, please).......the moldy cheese cam.

Just in case you have nothing to do (and apparently at least 500,000 people have gone to this site so far), you can watch cheese mold. How educational is that??? !!!!

OK, I could not resist. I went and looked! It shows a big round chunk of partially molded cheese just sitting there, doing nothing. There is a counter next to it....51 days, 8 hours............down to milliseconds! Apparently it takes about a year for the entire process then the cheese can be sold to those crazy people that eat that stuff (including my cousins in England). So, if you forget today, you have 301 days to catch the cheese cam.


OMG! I forgot to tell you. I was totally shocked and in despair!!!! Someone did a family geneology thing of my family. My family comes from Cheshire, England in Chester County. OK, knew that, no problem. But before that!!!!! Oh Lord, my family came from Normandy. NORMANDY!!! Do you know where that is???? FRANCE. OMG. How horrific is that???? I refuse to be of French origin. My British roots are cringing!

Panda Update:

Lun Lun was playing with Mei Lan and accidently pitched the cub over her head (see below). Oops. Little Lani recovered quickly and went for Mom's ears in retaliation.