A zoo project

Today the kids and I went to the zoo.  We took three cameras and I gave them a project - to take three pictures, one of a water animal, one of a land animal and one of a flying animal.  Although we had to leave the zoo before we got photos of the flying animal, we had a good time and got the other two pictures.

At the Zoo Entrance - By Emma...

...and by Daddy

We started out on the Northern trail.  First stop was the otter pond.  Emma and Elisha both had otters as

their water animal.

Kids with Cameras

Emma's otter photo

Emma wrote a report which says:  "I'd love to tell you about the last time me, daddy and Elisha went to the zoo.  I took very good pictures.  I love them.  You would love them too.  P.S. The pictures I chose are soooo cute."

Elisha's otter photo

Elisha was using my large Olympus, as you can see.  He had a little trouble with the focus to start off with, and then the battery died (which was part of the reason we headed home without completing the project).  But even so, we agree this is a pretty cool underwater picture, even if it is a little out of focus.

The next stop on the northern trail was the brown bears.  Here is Emma taking some photos

Emma and the bear

The photo she took.

When we had finished there we carried on walking and taking photos.  Here is my land animal, a prairie dog in the snow:

Derek's land animal.

Elisha carried on taking pictures and enjoying himself.  He found the asian horses:

'Look, dad!"

And on reviewing all his pictures, this is the one he likes best for a land animal.

Elisha's land animal

His report reads:  My trip to the zoo.  Today I have just returned from the zoo.  There was lots to see there. We saw bear, pigs, fish, horses and much much more.  Me, dad and Emma took some photographs of the animals we saw there.  After this, we did some other things before coming home.  I chose these two pictures because I like them.

So that just leaves my water animal, which is a baby cuttlefish.  Oh, and my report - which you have just finished reading!

Dad's water beastie.

Exercise

Exercising for me is a balance - or maybe a battle.  It is a battle between my muscles and my lungs.  One will give out first when running!  At the moment the muscles can carry the lungs further than the lungs can go.  But that will change soon.

Exercising

New Shoes!

Last year I was involved in a diet competition at Lawn Ranger.  Although I didn't win, I beat the two guys who I worked most closely with, Josh "Chubby Cheeks" and Jesse "I bet anyone $50 I win the whole thing" (which he didn't).  During that time I started running.  Also, during that time I had to go and have my driving licence photo taken and it showed the difference exercising can make.  Compare below...

So, big fat Derek became Bearded thinner Derek in 4 years of America.  Over the winter I have been slowly putting on weight again, and gradually the scales has gone from 235lbs (16 stone 11 or 106 kg) to 240lbs (17 stone 2 or 108 kg).  So time to start exercising again, especially now that the roads are mainly free from snow, ice and slush.

My theory of exercising is simple.  Don't do it if it hurts.  I can see from how long it took me to put on 4 or 5 lbs that my eating habits are pretty good, and I have a reasonably active job.  Why should I want to hurt myself trying to get fit?  So I gently work myself into longer and longer runs.  At my best last year I was running about 4 miles twice a week.  Without stressing myself.

Tonight I ran (and walked to avoid stress) about a mile.  It was a lot better this time than it was the first time I tried it last year.  We'll see how it all goes this time.

Podcast

Every Sunday I do a podcast for Present Truth Ministry.  This is an organisation set up by a good friend of mine, Jason DeMars.  I record it in what seems a backwards way to me - I write the whole podcast first, and then read the transcript.  This is for two reasons.  I have to have an accurate transcription because of translations.  And also because I like to have a good script for my podcast!  Fortunately it is only a short one each week or I would have to change plans.