On Wednesday, the Reptile Man came to visit my kids' elementary school. It is a very worthwhile show to watch. The owner of the Reptile Man business, and the Washington Serpentarium is Scott Peterson. You could say that he is an advocate for reptiles of all kinds. He is based in Monroe, in the Seattle area. His business is open 365 days a year, and speaking at schools is part of his commitment to spreading the word about how necessary and wonderful reptiles are. He is very informative, having studied zoology in college. And he has a very calm, soothing voice. And that's just as well, because when he is holding up a venomous snake, or an alligator in a room full of people, he has to keep everyone calm. I have seen him before, and I've also visited his serpentarium. However, each time I see his show, I learn something new. At one point, for example, he held up Lucy the alligator, telling us many facts about the animal. I didn't know that alligators never stop growing, and can reach up to 1000 lbs in weight. Lucy is just a baby, and was raised as a new born by Mr. Peterson. In fact, he raises all his animals from newborns or eggs; he doesn't keep any wild-born animals. All of his venomous snakes have had their venom sacks removed, obviously for the safety of everyone around them. And, talking about snakes, he has many, many kinds, including the deadly black mamba, cobras, and rattle snakes, and the non-venomous pythons, anacondas, and boas. I also didn't realize just how important snakes are because of their diet. They mainly eat rodents, and that saves us all from diseases and a lack of crops. One of the animals that I liked best was the African tortoise. They can live up to 200 years. I was able to pet the one he brought. It was amazing. It's shell was thick and hard like rock. In fact, you can drive a car over one and it won't be crushed; it is that strong! Lions try to eat them, and have to give up, because they cannot penetrate the touch shells. It really was quite a show. The children and parents loved it. I recommend his website too, at : reptileman.com. Enjoy!

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: an advocate, venomous, rodents.

1. He is an advocate for abandoned animals, and works hard to protect them.

2. The black mamba is the most dangerous venomous snake in the world.

3. Rats and mice breed very quickly, and spread diseases if uncontrolled.

I'm so used to going to Walmart, that I could probably get there with my eyes closed. It's two blocks away from our house, so it's the perfect place for a quick shop stop. There have been renovations going on there for several months now. It started out with heavy machinery digging up a large section of the parking lot, then scaffolding on the outside, and lots of building noises. I happened to pop in the other day to buy some basic essentials, like milk and bread, when I realized that things had progressed somewhat. Where I usually walk in, was locked. It looked derelict actually, as the entryway sign had been taken down. And where there had been covered scaffolding, a new entryway was on display. It isn't quite finished yet; the sign is actually just a hanging sign. However, the entryway is usable; people were walking in and out, there were several drink dispensing machines there, and a lot more room. In true 'buy some stuff' style, the entryway was full of tasty, unhealthy treats like chips and coke, stacked like a tunnel that you had to walk through to get to the rest of the store. I'm actually excited about the rest of walmart being finished, because it will cut my shopping experience in half. After I shop at walmart, I always have to go somewhere else for fresh fruit and vegetables. Poor me! I always seem to be in a hurry, so shopping in one place will be convenient. I'm not sure what the other shops in town will do when Walmart becomes a 'super store'. Competition is healthy, but that is easy to say if you don't own a shop in the same town as Walmart. The reason I'm talking for the second time about Walmart is because it's a 'big deal' over here; it is a monstrous business that keeps its customers because of its unbeatable prices. Its slogan is "Save money. Live better." That is simple and straight to the point, isn't it! So, let's see if, in the near future, their grand re-opening lives up to their tremendous reputation.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: scaffolding, basic essentials, no big deal.

1. The cathedral is being cleaned, and has scaffolding all over it.

2. We have run out of some basic essentials, so I will run to the store and get them.

3. The cinema is full, so we have to wait an hour until the next showing. No big deal!

Wow! What a shot! I have been hoping to get a photo or a video of deer to show all of you. This time of year is crazy with the deer coming down from the nearby mountains. They are all over the place, and obviously very comfortable in town. I think the fact that there are orchards here and there in town help. They sleep in the orchards, and have plenty to eat there. Then at night they walk around the neighborhoods, looking for more tasty treats. It just so happens that a favorite spot for some of them is our property! A few years ago, we found three of them sleeping on our back porch! Now, however, we have dogs, so they keep away. The two dogs that we have live in the back garden. It is a large area that is fenced in, ideal for dogs. So now, we don't have any deer visitors in the back garden. Our dogs do, however, alert us as soon as they smell them approach. Infact, they bark like crazy and drive everybody nuts. It doesn't happen during the day, because the deer only come around at night. We have often had to put the dogs in the garage at 3am because of the noise. We don't want to make enemies of our neighbors. I can see that deer have been hanging out in our front yard because there are hoof prints and droppings everywhere. One of my neighbor friends told me that she saw a large herd of deer walk up the road, and settle in my front garden where we have alpine trees. When I was pulling up to the house the other night, my headlights flashed in the eyes of three deer who were happily munching away at the plants near my entryway. The dogs were barking, of course, but the deer seemed to know that the noisey want-to-be-wolves couldn't get out. I drove towards the deer very slowly, illuminating them. Their ears pricked up and they turned to face me. Then, they gracefully turned and walked into the darkness. It doesn't happen very much, but when it does, it is so worth watching.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: to alert, to drive ...nuts, hoof/ paw prints, a herd.

1. The alarm alerted us to the fire that had started in the kitchen.

2. That music is driving me nuts; can you please turn it down, or off!

3. A good hunter can track an animal by its prints: paw prints for wild cats and bears, and hoof prints for deer, elk, and moose.

4. There are so many names for groups of animals: a herd of cows, a school of fish, a pack of wolves, and a swarm of bees are just a few.

Have you heard of skeet shooting, or perhaps clay pigeon shooting? Well, we are beginning to do it. Having  been inspired by his grandfather in Scotland, my son Cass caught the bug. Doing it once when we went to stay with my father last summer just wasn't enough for him. When we returned to Wenatchee, he brought with him two of 'Grandad's' shooting magazines. I, at first, tried not to think about guns; I don't know much about them, and quite frankly, they scare me. However, my dad has been a hunter all of his life, and is an example of using guns responsibly, and only for hunting or clay pigeon shooting. My husband decided to try skeet shooting recently. He bought a couple of shot guns, ammunition, and a skeet thrower. So we are set. We have everything that we need. It just so happens that guns are very popular in this part of the country. Many men hunt deer, wild turkey, or even bear and cougar. A lot of them are very skilled, and even become bow hunters. There are several gun shops in town, gun sections in major stores, and all sorts of clubs to join. Having seen my father shoot birds while I was young, I feel that that would be a reasonable kind of hunting. You can eat the birds as well. Bringing down a larger animal, however, doesn't appeal to me at all. I'm certainly not an expert, nor do I intend to be. I'll leave that to the people who know what they're doing. For now, starting out skeet shooting, learning all about safety issues, the equipment, and how to aim, are enough for me. We went to a shooting range at the weekend. It is a simple place, a couple of miles from our house, up towards the mountains. You have to have a club key to unlock the gate and get in, and then you drive to either a pistol range, a rifle range, or a shotgun range. The place was empty when we went. It is still very cold outside, so I'm sure a lot of the regular shooters were staying at home. And yes, I actually had a go. It was funny though. Looking back now, I realise that I was standing in the wrong position, my head was uncomfortably leaning on the gun, and I barely knew which eye to close in order to look down the barrel. I must have looked ridiculous! However, my husband and my son gave me all the advice I needed to stand and aim properly, and that made a difference. I didn't manage to hit any skeets, but at least I feel that I'm a step closer to aiming and firing.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: to catch the bug, ammunition, issue.

1. After travelling to Australia, he caught the travel bug.

2. They found some old World War II ammunition in their back yard.

3. We have to play the game fairly, so it doesn't become an issue.

I hope that this never happens to you. You're driving along, minding your own business, when suddenly your car stops. It could be because of engine trouble, or because of something in the road that is preventing the car from moving. I spotted this poor man the other day as I was pulling onto the main road. He was digging the snow out from around his tires. The trouble was, he wasn't parked on the side of the road. He was right in the middle of the main road, with two lanes of traffic on either side of him. He was in the turn lane. That is where the snow plows pile up the snow from the rest of the road. And that is where, if your wheels aren't  big enough, and your engine isn't strong enough, you get stuck. I was relieved to see that there was another man with him who was also digging around the wheels of the little truck. Lucky for them, they had shovels. Who ever carries shovels in the car when you drive? If I got stuck like that, I would have to dig myself out with my shoe, or the cup holder of the car. It must have been something to do with their job. They were both dressed in the same uniform, and I could make out that there was a company name on the vehicle. I had to drive off before I saw them dig themselves free. They're not there now, so their efforts paid off. I remember getting 'stranded' on a road once. It wasn't because of snow, either. It was years ago. I was driving my husband's Chevy truck across the large, main bridge. It was a great day, I was listening to music, I had the window down; everything was perfect. Then, suddenly, the truck started to slow down. Before I knew it, I had pulled over to the hard shoulder. A few cars beeped me as they passed. The traffic speed was fifty, and I was doing zero. I had been too busy enjoying the wind blowing through my hair, to notice that the fuel level was blinking 'empty'. Oops! Thankfully, my brother-in-law came to the rescue with a canister of gas, and I was able to complete my trip and get home. How embarrassing! That was a mistake that I won't forget.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: to spot, to make out, a canister.

1. I spotted an owl in the tree, so I zoomed in with my camera and took a picture.

2. It was hard to see, but through the clouds, I could make out a castle.

3. That liquid only comes in half gallon canisters.

It's a strange sight. You get so used to seeing the lovely clean snow falling, and getting piled up on the side of the road. But then, all of a sudden, it seems, that beautiful stuff has turned ugly. I was driving to the shops the other day, when I drove past a huge pile of snow that had recently been dumped there by a snow plow. There seemed to be no mix of the colors at all. The black snow was, obviously, the snow that had been right on the road. It had all kinds of grit, gravel, and dirt mixed in. The white snow was from the most recent fall, which had been heavy. This season creates quite a lot of work around the town. There are snow plows busy every day, moving this pile of snow, clearing that neighborhood, or turning three lanes of traffic into two. I can hear them drive into our neighborhood early in the morning. Beep, beep, beep, I hear as they back up. Their lights flash to make it obvious that they are here. Some people actually make good money by mowing lawns during the warmer months, and then snow plowing during the snowy months. I've got a little 'putt-putt-putt' snow blower for clearing our driveway. I've used it enough to realize that it is super easy. Just follow the instructions, turn the different knobs, push a few buttons, and pull a cord very hard, and it's ready to blow. You just have to make sure that you concentrate, otherwise it's easy to blow a load of snow at your own house or garage. That defeats the object! So, we have a couple of more months to deal with this white stuff. I don't mind using the snow blower on it when it is pretty and clean, but I wouldn't like to deal with the dirty stuff, yuck!

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: grit, gravel, knob, the recent......

1. You won't slip on the snowy road because the plow spread some grit on it.

2. Before we put tarmack on our driveway, it was just gravel.

3. The door knob is wooden, but the one in the dining room is glass.

4. The recent election was very interesting. The recent snow storm was very inconvenient. I was unaware of their recent football victory.

One part of my daily routine during the week is to pick up the kids from school. I'm sure that a lot of you listening now probably do the same thing. Thankfully, I live very close to the school where three of my children go. It's literally a three minute drive from my house. My kids used to catch the bus home, but, interestingly enough, it would take them an hour to get home. We decided that it was a bit of a waste of time sitting on a bus for an hour, when they could be at home relaxing or doing homework. So, now you can find me sitting in the line of cars, waiting for my little ones to come running out. I watch the school buses pull up to the sidewalk, just in front of the kindergarten block. The children who take the bus have to line up outside a little earlier than the rest of the kids; they wouldn't want to miss the bus. Some of the students live far away, so it's a good job that the buses are available. Other children live quite close to the school, so they can simply walk home. There is an interesting system of road safety to get the kids safely across the various roads on the way to and from school. The oldest students in the school, the fifth graders, put a bright green vest on, bring out green plastic models of children that stand on the road near the cross walks, and they help the younger children cross the roads in a safe manner. Cars are supposed to stop at a cross walk anyway, if there are people there. So, that is the system. I sit in my car and wait for the bell. I love to see how the masses of children pour out of the building; they spill out like different colored beads, going everywhere, and of course, making lots of noise. The parents put their magazines away, or put their cell phones down, start up the cars, and get ready for the kids. It's time to hand out some snacks, and to hear the stories about how the day went.

Grammar notes.

 The use of 'enough' + adverbs to express surprize or contrast: strangely enough, oddly enough, interestingly enough.

1. The new hotel was finished in May, but strangely enough, it wasn't open for clients until a year later.

2. She is very loud and opinionated, but oddly enough, in a group she acts very shy.

3. He is hard of hearing, but interestingly enough, he is a great piano player.

Do you ever fancy eating something really fresh? Something savory, healthy, and tasty? I'm so thankful that there is a place in town where we can get food that is just like that. It's a restaurant called the Wok-About-Grill. It is a play on words. You might already know that a wok is a special kind of frying pan used in Asian cooking. And, because 'to walk about' is an English phrase, the owners of the restaurant decided to change 'walk' to 'wok'. Anyway, it's a cool place. When you walk in, you immediately smell the wonderful stir fries. It's a simple place, but very clean, and nearly always packed. The main idea about the Wok, is that you put the raw vegetables, meat, and uncooked noodles that you want on your plate. Then you add oils, garlic, condiments, and sauces as you like. You hand the plate to one of a group of cooks who puts everything in your bowl on a large, round, cooking surface. After tossing and scraping it for a few minutes, he then sweeps all the cooked food into a new, clean bowl, and there you have your food. It's a smart set up. Think about it: you do some of the work, so the staff can concentrate on cleaning up rather than getting orders of different food. Plus, as a customer, you don't feel as if you are waiting for your food because you experience your meal happen, instead of sitting at a table and not being involved in the process. In this culture of fast food, and other restaurants that use pre-prepared food, it is refreshing to know that what you eat is fresh, fresh, fresh. If you fancy a stirfry that has loads of garlic and onion, then that's what you have. If you want just vegetables and no meat, no problem. I usually have lots of vegetables, some beef, and no noodles. So, the owner must be happy knowing that, with this system, the customer is always satisfied.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: to toss, to scrape, a set up.

1. Put the salad dressing on, and then toss it.

2. I had to scrape my car's windshield this morning because there was so much frost on it.

3. That business has an ingenious set up. The customers actually do most of the work.

Well, it was about time that I got myself a camcorder, a decent one. I have been meaning to for a long time. The app that I have has bonus content which can either be an extra audio file, or a video. Until now, I have not really offered this bonus material because my little camera that takes pictures and videos, does not make quality videos at all. So, I took the plunge. What was I looking for then? Firstly, I wanted something that was easy to use. I also really didn't want anything big. I thought that if I could fit it in my handbag, then I would be happy. And, finally, I wanted something of quality. So, bearing these three things in mind, I drove to Walmart, and went to the electronic department. They mainly had cameras. There were the regular cheapo ones, all the way up to Nikons. Well, I didn't want to spend that much. A friend of mine recommended that I get just a camcorder, not a camera that also takes videos. "A video taking camera could compromise quality," he said. I took his advice. There were only two camcorders to choose from. Both were the same size, shape, and quality. They both had a USB plug to download directly into a computer. However, the slightly more expensive one had HD quality picture, and a stabilizing capability, so when you walk or run while filming, the video doesn't jump around and get blurry. Bingo! I finally got what I needed. I am thrilled with my new device. I'm looking forward to adding video to my apps to become more of an expert producer. I have used my camcorder already: at my son's basketball game, and in a restaurant. One of the cool options is to plug it into our television to see what I have recorded on a big screen. I can also send decent videos to family and friends around the world through email. I'm feeling very proud of myself; I feel like I've caught up to the twenty first century!

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: to be meaning to, to take the plunge, to bear in mind, cheapo.

1. I've been meaning to call you for weeks; I've just been so busy!

2. He took the plunge and started a business; fortunately for him, he was successful.

3. You can borrow my car to drive there, but, bear in mind, the roads are very icy.

4. I finally bought a decent toaster. The one we had was a cheapo, and kept on burning the bread!

Today, I  found in my bag forty stamps that I had bought around Christmas time, and not used. I had bought them for mailing Christmas cards, but this year, for some odd reason, I didn't mail out any cards at all. I usually do. I must have just completely forgotten. Anyway, I'm keeping them with my stationary and office supplies for sending off bills. One thing that I have noticed about stamps is how they increase in price every year. Mailing, or posting letters as we say in England, is becoming more and more expensive. Living far away from friends and family doesn't help either. My mother recently sent off a package of Christmas presents to my sister; we shared the cost of the package, and it is just as well. The postage generally costs more than the value of what you are sending! Then there are all the different options you can choose for the freight. There is Federal Express which is super speedy and very costly. US postal service offers regular delivery, next day air mail (for national deliveries), or mail with tracking. A few days ago my mother also sent a small package to my brother who lives in New Zealand. She was told in the post office that it would cost eighty nine dollars. "What?" she replied. "Why so expensive?" was her next question. Apparently, they had added the tracking charge which was the majority of the total cost. "Forget about the tracking," she said. "Just send it the cheapest way possible." They did, and the price was only one tenth of the original cost. The world of mail is fascinating. When you think of how we manage to communicate with and send things to people on the other side of the planet, and most of the time with success, it is quite impressive! Yes, there are disasters with mail getting lost, held up, or broken, but most of the time, our precious packages arrive on time and in one piece.

Grammar notes

 Common expressions: .... doesn't help, forget the...., to be held up.

1. The car is stuck in the mud, and this rain doesn't help!

OR  It doesn't help that the only supermarket is closed, and we don't have any food!

2. Forget the travel insurance; just buy the plane ticket!

3. My parcel was held up in customs for three weeks.