Mystery of the Missing Parrot

Once upon a time, in a dense forest nestled between mountains, lived a wise and intelligent Owl named Athena. Athena had lived for centuries and had seen many wonders of the world. She had always been fascinated by the mysteries of the universe and spent her days studying ancient texts and observing the world around her.

One day, Athena heard some commotion in the forest. She flew over to investigate and found a group of shimmering emerald green exotic but noisy parrots. The parrots were causing a ruckus, screeching and squawking loudly, and disturbing the peace of the forest.

Athena, being wise and patient, decided to approach the parrots calmly. She introduced herself and asked them why they were making so much noise. The parrots explained that they were trying to solve a mystery that had been puzzling them for days.

The mystery was about the disappearance of their leader, an older and wiser parrot named Fernando. Fernando had gone missing without a trace, and the parrots were afraid that he had met with some kind of danger.

Athena was intrigued by the mystery and decided to help the parrots solve it. She asked the parrots to tell her everything they knew about Fernando’s disappearance. Together, they began to investigate the forest, looking for clues.

As they searched, Athena and the parrots encountered many challenges. They had to navigate through dense thickets, climb steep hills, and cross raging rivers. But despite the obstacles, they persevered, using their unique strengths and abilities to overcome each challenge.

Finally, after many days of searching, they stumbled upon a hidden cave. Inside the cave, they found Fernando, who had been trapped by a group of mischievous monkeys. The monkeys had been playing a prank on Fernando, but it had gone too far, and Fernando had been stuck in the cave for days.

Athena and the parrots were overjoyed to find Fernando safe and sound. They worked together to free him from the cave and return him to his flock. The parrots were grateful to Athena for her help, and they invited her to join their flock.

Athena was touched by their invitation but declined. She explained that she had her own responsibilities and that her mission was to continue studying the mysteries of the universe. However, she promised to visit the parrots from time to time and share her knowledge with them.

And so, Athena bid farewell to the parrots and flew off into the forest, her mind full of wonder and her heart full of gratitude. She knew that her encounter with the parrots had been a special one, and that together, they had solved a great mystery together.

The Blue Owl Adventures

Once upon a time, in a deep forest, lived a Blue Owl. This owl was not like any other bird in the forest. It was known to be the wisest of them all. Its feathers shimmered in the sunlight, and its eyes sparkled with intelligence. The other birds often sought its advice whenever they were in trouble.

The Blue Owl loved to explore and go on adventures. It believed that knowledge and wisdom could be found in every corner of the world. And so, the Blue Owl set out on its first adventure in search of clues to a mystery.

The mystery was about a lost city that was said to be hidden deep in the jungle. The Blue Owl had heard rumors about the city and was determined to find it. It flew over mountains and valleys, crossed rivers, and finally reached the dense jungle.

The Blue Owl searched for days and nights until it finally stumbled upon a clue. It was a map that led to the lost city. The owl followed the map, dodging dangerous animals and navigating through treacherous terrain.

Finally, after days of travel, the Blue Owl reached the lost city. It was a magnificent sight, with towering buildings and intricate architecture. The owl explored every nook and corner of the city, gathering knowledge and wisdom about the people who lived there.

The Blue Owl continued on its journey, traveling across different countries, and encountering various mysteries along the way. It solved each one of them, always relying on its intelligence and wisdom. It was said that the Blue Owl had traveled to every corner of the world, seeking knowledge and adventure.

Years passed, and the Blue Owl grew old. Its feathers lost their luster, and its eyesight began to fade. But the owl was content. It had seen and learned so much during its adventures. It had solved mysteries, made friends, and explored the world. And so, the Blue Owl retired to its forest, where it spent the rest of its days, sharing its wisdom with the younger birds and animals.

The Blue Owl had become a legend, a symbol of wisdom and knowledge, inspiring generations to come. And though it had long departed from the world, its legacy lived on, inspiring others to go on their own adventures and seek knowledge in every corner of the world.

Fresh Mint

Back in April I bought a fresh mint plant from the supermarket. The normal pattern with these store bought plants then follows:-

  • Water the plant
  • Pick the leaves to use in different ways
  • Water the plant
  • Pick more leaves
  • Water the plant
  • Unless you have a garden…
  • Plant has barely any leaves left, doesn’t really recover and gets thrown away

Not this time. I was fed up of buying plants to use but then not having them last longer than a month tops.

Living in an apartment is limited when you want to keep your plants healthy, alive and a long time but having good weather most of the year certainly helps them stay around a little longer if not more work to keep them happily watered. If I’m hot then the plant certainly isn’t going to feel any cooler.

In the past I’ve had mint in the garden. It takes over patches year after year, gets stronger no matter how much you cut it back and always returns with a vengeance. It can quickly get out of control but smells amazing so you put up with it anyway.

I decided to tackle looking after this potted mint plant a different way. He’d already survived being grown, popped into a plant pot, travelling to the store and then coming home with me. It had even survived me plucking its minty leaves so I could at least help him survive a bit longer!

If you’d like to save a mint plant and give it longer life than just a few weeks here and there why not check out how I managed to get from wispy to wonderful Strong Minty Plant and still have it around 6 months after buying it.

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Crochet

I’ve known how to knit for quite a while but have always been fascinated with the amazing things you can make with Crochet. There are the classic and well known Granny Squares turned into amazing blankets and afghans, intricate lace, the wonderful world of Amigurumi and everything else in-between.

Ergonomic Handles are more comfortable to hold
Ergonomic Handles are more comfortable to hold

You can’t start to learn something without the right tools. Recently, I ordered some crochet hooks and a pouch to store them in. There are many different types of crochet hook you can buy, but after some research I decided to buy the Clover Ergonomic Hooks as they looked sturdy with lots of reviews about how great they are compared to their thinner counterparts.

This set features a soft easy grip that is warm to the touch and gives the user the most comfortable finger placement as well as tireless functionality.

The polished Aluminum hook is the perfect shape for smooth crocheting.

Each of the 10 sizes features a different bright and fun colored handle. The sizes are B-2.25mm, C-2.75mm, D-3.25mm, E-3.50mm, F-3.75mm, G-4.00mm, 7-4.50mm, H-5.00mm, I-5.50mm, and J-6.00mm.

Holds 8 crochet hooks safely and securely
Holds 8 crochet hooks safely and securely

Interestingly, the case matched the one I have to store my Knitting Needles (you can find out more about them here), so I was really pleased about that. Obviously a much smaller version to accommodate the size of the hooks and perfect to throw in your bag for crochet-on-the-go.

It’s called the Clover Getaway Case for Soft Touch Crochet Hooks

Lots of room and well made
Lots of room and well made

There is only space for 8 hooks but I have managed to pop the other two on top and fold down the inside flap. Once the pouch is rolled up it holds them all securely, so I haven’t found this to be a problem.

Considering you’ll most likely have a couple of projects on the go anyway, will help solve the storage problem.

The timing of my order was perfect as my Mother-in-Law was visiting and set me up and running on the basics – starting chain and practicing the single crochet stitch (sc) back and forth. I even managed to change color.

However, she couldn’t stay forever so I had to practice on my own and also find some more help. Thank goodness for the wonderful world wide web. You can pretty much find anything you want especially videos to help you learn many things – crochet, luckily for me, being one of them.

I’m part of a knitting/crochet community on Ravelry and someone suggested the best beginner crochet tutorials she had found with really clear instructions were with help from the Crochet Geek. She really explains the stitches well, has slow motion segments in her videos, so you can really following along, and before you know it I’d made my first crochet hat. Considering I’d only been doing crochet three weeks up to that point, I astounded myself. Give it a try…if I can do it you can too!

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Joe’s Stone Crab

Joe's Stone CrabFor more than 100 years, no visit to Miami has been complete without stopping in at Joe’s Stone Crab.

The restaurant was opened in 1913, by Joe Weiss, who began his Miami Beach career by cooking at Smith’s Casino. Joe’s is the top buyer of Florida stone crab claws, and it plays a significant role in the industry, influencing the wholesale price and financing many crabbers.

Even though stone crabs are their most famous dish now, fish was served, rather than crabs, when the restaurant first opened.

Joe’s Stone Crab is often visited by politicians, actors, and athletes. The restaurant is reputedly referenced in Ian Fleming’s novel “Goldfinger” as “Bill’s on the Beach” in which James Bond ate the best meal he had ever eaten in his life.


There are two sections to Joe’s – the Take Away section, although you can eat in too, and theJoe's Take Away main restaurant that offers a lunch and dinner menu.

Joe’s Take Away, is the best of both worlds. The Take Away is casual dining serving three meals a day, 7 days a week with a coffee bar and private room, JoAnns, for special occasions.

There’s a selection of breakfasts and speciality dishes available starting from 7:30am and yes Stone Crab is available for breakfast if you wish.

They have seasonal opening hours that coincide with the Stone Crabbing season (Oct 15 to May 15). When the season is over, Joe’s Take Away closes and the main restaurant only offers a reduced dinner menu available in the evening.

They also offer the famous authentic Key Lime Pie. You can buy them by the slice or alternatively take a whole pie away. This is a great option as you can freeze it until you need a piece (if it lasts that long!).

Interesting Facts about the Florida Stone Crab

The Florida Stone Crab is a delicacy known around the world. Its sweet taste and perfect texture, however, means its popularity has spawned a number of impersonators, including Pacific Rock Crab, Baja Stone Crab, Red Rock Crab and Japanese Crab (to name a few).

Select your fresh Stone Crabs
Select your fresh Stone Crabs

Because these non-Florida Stone Crabs don’t have the benefit of the warm tropical waters of the Keys and Gulf, they are stringier in texture and much gamier in taste. That’s why at Joe’s Stone Crab they only serve the real thing.

Florida Stone Crabs are found along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts but are commercially harvested almost entirely in Florida. In the wild, adult Stone Crabs are easily recognized by their oval body and two large claws.

The adult body of the Stone Crab is dark brownish red, more or less mottled and spotted with dusky gray. An interesting feature about the Stone Crab is the mark on the inside of the large claw that resembles a thumb print.

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Wisdom Wednesday – Yesterday and Today

Your favorite time of the week is here again. You never know, you may be inspired to do something different…yes, its Wisdom Wednesday, where the posts speak for themselves.


Don't let the past ruin the present. Have a great day.
Don’t let the past ruin the present. Have a great day.

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Wisdom Wednesday – Look Forward


Social Media Links

After successfully adding a logo to my header, I’ve decided to continue tweaking the Travelling Banana site. Today I added a few Social Media links. You can find them just under the Travelling Banana logo or if you’re visiting on a mobile device, drop down the menu (the three lines often referred to as the hamburger) and you’ll see them pop up.

In case you’ve been living on Pluto or you’ve actually been busy doing more important things, you may not know what some of those hieroglyphics mean.

Here’s a quick guide on the Social Media icons I have added to my site.

TumblrTumblr – pronounced “tumbler” is a microblogging platform and social networking website. Often contains a mixture of art, design, photos and videos. It has been around since Feb 2007

TwitterTwitter – Twitter is an online social networking service that enables users to send and read short 140-character messages called “tweets”.  It’s been around since Mar 2006.

FlickrFlickr – pronounced “flicker” is an image and video hosting website owned by Yahoo. It’s a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs since Feb 2004.

PinterestPinterest – Pinterest is a visual discovery tool that you can use to find ideas for all your projects and interests. It has been around since Mar 2010.

Google+Google+ – pronounced and sometimes written as “Google Plus” is an interest-based social network that is owned and operated by Google Inc. It has been around since Jun 2011.

Have you noticed how a lot of these social media sites launched in February or March apart from Google – I wonder why?

This is only a small selection of a vast amount of social media sites that are popping up all over the place.


Here are a few of my doodles that you can find on Tumblr


 

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