You just can’t make this stuff up.
If you know anything about DARPA, you’ll know that creating a James Bond mackerel is one of their least crazy ideas.
Recruiting fish and shrimp as espionage agents?
Why not. They’ve launched a brain computer interface and are engineering buildings that would grow and repair themselves.
After that, a Jason Bourne eel is child’s play.
Time for an update on the stories making the news on my town’s Facebook page.
Traffic jams are awful, no two ways about it…..
But in my town?
They’re not always bumper to bumper.
And then there was this:
No, damn it! I did not.
We’ve lived here over 17 years and the only moose I’ve seen was a dead one on I-95.
Trotting right down Main Street?
Another missed opportunity.
And finally, there was this:
My first thought was the zombie fish apocalypse had begun… and I started to get a little nervous.
But it turns out a bald eagle was fishing the river, dropped his sturgeon while flying and decided to munch on it in situ.
Because the thought of zombie fish taking over my blog?
Not cool.
Making our way inside, I was surprised by the number of dead things at the Virginia Living Museum.
And to be honest?
They didn’t look too happy about the fact either.
Look at the stink eye on this owl.
Clearly he’s not pleased with that skeleton placement.
The woodchuck has a piece of wood.
A bit too on point…. no?
And Bambi?
Well, he looks like he’s ready to bite off a curator’s finger…. or two.
Even the turtle you climb into wasn’t immune from the specter of death.
But what really took the cake?
The Christmas tree….
Complete with a fish skull angel topper.
If that doesn’t give junior screaming holiday nightmares… nothing will.
Thankfully there were live creatures as well.
Though little people had to be talked into petting them.
Horseshoe crabs used to wash up on the Jersey shore by the dozens when I was a kid and they always fascinated me.
A more prehistoric sea creature you’re not apt to find.
There were interestingly set up exhibits on multiple levels.
Where the husband practiced his fish whispering again.
Various tanks contained the beautiful…
And the bizarre.
I couldn’t quite figure out this crab.
Was he picking his nose… or giving me the finger?
Tough call.
I was pleased to see my favorite Lionfish again….
Spiky venomous fins and all.
Gracie fell totally in love with a puffer and sang songs to it…..
Though she got yelled at by a volunteer for being a little too physical with the tank.
I’m not sure why disco colored lights ruled in the jellyfish area.
But we enjoyed the aquarium and it’s funky residents.
There was an odd cave like area….
That was very dark and next to impossible to take pictures in… so I can’t share the bats and snakes and reptiles we saw.
But I did manage a shot of the sign for my husband’s spirit animal.
Yup… change the shiny objects part to rusty crap? And they’re his people.
Gracie enjoyed the interactive children’s section where all the other kids were making plates of plastic food for their parents.
My contribution to the meal she was making for her mother?
What can I say?
You just can’t beat a nicely roasted rat.
By the time we reached the end of the pier and turned around? We were walking icicles from the frigid wind…
And I think the husband was starting to rethink this whole marriage thing.
I kept telling him it was a beautiful, brisk, clear day….
And he kept stifling his impulse to heave me over the side.
Yes, like that.
Heading back to the building we followed red memorial fish…
Agreed wholeheartedly with a turtle….
And discovered there was a miniature aquarium inside.
Fish are wonderful.
And sometimes wonderfully strange.
I always wonder what the heck they’re thinking.
Here’s my husband, the Fish Whisperer, having a moment.
It’s odd. He sidles up next to a tank and they flock to him….
Which allows me to get some fun shots.
Is it me…
Or is that an awfully small head for such a large body?
Interspecies communing over, I thought about trying to get the husband to walk the beach with me…
But I was envisioning another wife with a bad idea buried under that mound of sand and called it good.
Continuing farther down the coast of the Outer Banks, I wanted to stop and walk out on a pier.
(Have I mentioned that I have a knack for picking the coldest, windiest, most frigid days to do this? Seriously… it’s a gift. If there’s one bitter cold day on an otherwise delightfully warm 2 week vacation? That’s the one I’ll choose to walk out on a pier.)
There’s the husband, bracing himself against the wind and giving me (and my phone) the evil eye.
And there’s the entrance to Jennette’s Pier, the biggest and best in Nags Head.
Gladly.
This type… and the other. It was too damn cold for either of them.
Approaching the entrance…. you don’t follow a yellow brick road.
But a line of memorial blue fish.
I love this idea!
A quick peek at the beach…
The map…
And me mumbling ‘Holy Crap it’s freezing! Can you read the pier history a little faster please?’
A quick peek at the beach on the other side.
Through the gate…
Past the turtle.
And finally, the door…
Where the husband had to hold on to his hat so it didn’t fly off.
It was that windy.
A brief warm respite inside to pay the $2 ticket price and out we went.
As piers go?
It rocked.
Even the birds agreed.
These guys were everywhere.
Fighting the wind just like us.
Hairdo?
Not so much.
So we walked….
Shivering in the arctic blast…. with the husband cursing me under his breath.
Good times.
Every now and then there would be a wind break where we’d huddle to catch our breath.
And then finally, we reached the end.
Where the husband realized we had to walk back, into the wind…. and started cursing me under his breath all over again.
So many wonderful creatures to photograph.
The bizarre…
To the beautiful…
And back again.
That’s a smile only a mother could love.
Seahorses.
Is there anything weirder…
Or more wonderful to watch swimming?
I think not.
This was the largest tank in the aquarium.
And the husband was fascinated by it’s largest occupant.
I think they were having a moment.
But we had to go upstairs….
And take a peek from a different perspective.
Not many aquariums will let you behind the scenes but Woods Hole is delightfully different.
You can chat with the staff who prepare the fish food…
Groan at some bad jokes…
And trade smiles with the residents.
I swear he winked at me.
I did not, but I do now.
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and I hated to say goodbye.
And by the looks of this guy, he was sorry to see us leave as well. To which I can only say…
Alright, I could have said something else.
But this seemed appropriate.
The tiny village of Woods Hole.
Home to the famous oceanographic institute… where you can visit, but can’t park your car.
Also home to a drawbridge….
And some wonderfully odd ships popping out of nowhere.
Our original plan was to visit the institute but when we realized we’d have to park downtown and walk ( in a 20 degree wind chill, after just hiking the Knob in a 20 degree wind chill) we opted for the aquarium instead.
I’d read it was small and didn’t get my hopes up…
But they actually had a large diversity of marine life….
As well as some fascinating exhibits.
No, not all the fish were pretty.
But it’s the weirdos I like best anyway.
Like this fellow….
And his large friend.
Pardon all the background noise, it was rather crowded the day we went.
Did anyone else realize loggerhead turtles were so freakin’ big?
Here’s someone you don’t want to step on accidentally.
This next guy looks my husband’s grumpy uncle.
Imagine having that stare at you across the Christmas dinner table every year.
Fish scales can be counted like tree rings?
Another thing I didn’t know.
I was beyond thrilled they had Lion Fish.
They’re my favorite!
Okay, yes.
They’re poisonous as hell and would just as soon kill you as look at you…
But aren’t they grand?
I mean come on…
Wouldn’t you risk a little venom…
To sidle up next to one of these beauties?
More blurbs from my town’s FB page that are too good not to share.
Lots of things were lost this month….
Along with Batman, there was the weekly pig escape.
Before moving here, I never knew errant pigs were such a problem.
And apparently sheep are as well.
Big white coffee tables.
Ya gotta love it.
This next one was amusing as well.
I’m not sure a bat circling your couch is a valid reason to call 911…. but I never saw the update, so maybe I’m wrong.
And finally, there was this….
Glad I wasn’t in town that day….
Thankfully our air was fish stink free.
Flying fish and Coo Coo is the national dish of Barbados.
But I did, because….
Did you know….
When CBS broadcast the first ever color television show they were the only ones who actually owned a color television?
Did you know…
The Egyptian hieroglyph for one hundred thousand is a tadpole?
Kind of makes you wonder what they were counting…
Did you know…
A snallygaster is a mythical dragon like beast that supposedly haunts rural Maryland?
And all this time I thought it was just David Hasslehoff.
Did you know…
Lachanophobia is the fear of vegetables?
Like kale.
That shit is everywhere.
Did you know…
Aztec emperor Montezuma had a nephew named Cuitlahac?
Roughly translated Cuitlahac means “plenty of excrement”.
Clearly Monty’s sister had a sense of humor.
Did you know…
In Japan, robots pay union dues.
Which answers the age old age question…
Who killed Jimmy Hoffa?
We tried Kume last week.
A Japanese restaurant with an interesting…. although slightly disturbing, statue out front.
A giant (think full sized pick up truck) red sumo wrestler.
Okaaay….
Inside, the decor was modern and lit with neon colors.
As were the cocktails.
Blue Hawaiian Martini? I have no earthly idea what was in it… but highly recommend two. Or three.
There was a Hibachi Room, as well as a sushi bar.
And I had to laugh at the healthy purple rice announcement.
It’s coming…
We just don’t know when.
(Sorry, I had to.)
And yes, I’m that annoying person in your party who has to point out all the grammatical errors on the menu.
Slamon ?
Not once, but twice.
And I think tarta meant the tuna was raw, not slutty….
But I could be wrong.
Google’s Slutty Fish Halloween costume proves it.
Our appetizer plate of tempura treats was tasty.
Though I’m not sure how or why their shrimp looked like Italy.
Every meal came with miso soup and salad.
Not being a seaweed and bean curd fan, I passed on the soup…. with basically tasted like hot salt water anyway.
But can someone please explain to me why they’re serving salad at a Japanese restaurant? It was awful. Hard as a rock iceberg lettuce with a hulled out chunk of unripened tomato. Blech!
Nothing remotely Asian about that.
The chicken Yaki Soba entree was good, and plentiful enough for me to eat as lunch the next day.
The grilled seafood plate was also quite nice with lobster, scallops, shrimp and assorted veggies.
Too full for the fried tofu ice cream…
We exited.
And ran smack into this –
A pick up truck sized red Sumo wrestler’s *ss.
Good times.
River's world..... 