SOUTHERN GIRL IN THE CITY

It's been one month since I moved to the Big Apple and I'm still humming Frank Sinatra's famous song! Sorry I haven't updated this blog in a while. But I finally have something to talk about. New York City! It's so great to be back!

In the 4 weeks I've been here I've had 9 visitors, seen 7 Broadway shows and made some great new friends!

WHERE TO BEGIN?

I'll start with the move. Ugh! A 3-day drive in a moving truck is brutal. Thankfully my sweet sister tagged along and did most of the driving. We were exhausted when we pulled into the city, but it didn't take long to wake up. Maneuvering the 16-foot truck in New York traffic was interesting, to say the least. We took out an orange road cone and clipped the side of a city bus with our side-view mirror before we finally arrived at my apartment. Thankfully I'd taken out extra insurance on the truck!

I don't know who was more relieved to finally be in the new apartment - me or these guys who had not enjoyed the trip one bit. More on their adjustment later.

FUN WITH SISTERS

My sister-in-law flew up to help with the unpacking, but that daunting task didn't stop the 3 of us from exploring and taking in the magic of New York. We toured Central Park, shopped 5th Ave. and sang along at the musicals Mama Mia and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Great food and wine were sprinkled in. I was home!

FUN WITH FRIENDS

Kelly and Ginger left and a few days later three of my dearest friends arrived to help me "settle in". Our weekend included some shopping, great dinners, the musicals Memphis and Nice Work If You Can get It, a scary and expensive pedi-cab ride through the city and a late night stop at an Asian restaurant/karaoke bar with private singing rooms. You can find anything in New York.

MY MATCHBOX

I did finally settle into the apartment, although as I write this, there are still a couple of boxes that need to go to the storage unit I had to rent, as I brought way more stuff than my 600 sq. foot place can accommodate.

At least it has a great view... for the cats... who like to sit in the window and watch the pigeons roost on the ledge of the brick wall my windows face. Hey, it's New York. I'm not home much, anyway.

SMALL WORLD

I love my building, though, and a week after I moved in, I met a neighbor who was just moving in, too. It turns out his first cousin is my former executive producer in Denver. He and his partner live on the 15th floor. I'm on the 10th. They have a great view of 6th Ave. which will host the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade this year. I've already secured an invite!

We've been exploring the city together and even ended up at a swanky gallery opening - invitation only. On a whim one night, we grabbed discounted tickets to the play One Man, Two Guvnors, and laughed throughout the entire show. Afterword we took a quick pic with this year's Tony Winner James Corden, who is most deserving of the award.

WORKIN' FOR A LIVIN'

I'm loving my job. The people are great and I know I'll learn a lot. We've been rehearsing the last few weeks for our big launch on Monday. It's New York City's first 9pm newscast and I'm excited to be producing it! Stay tuned!

The Man, the Myth, the Legend: Jerry Jones

If you ever find yourself needing to design a state of the art football arena, I highly recommend consulting with Jerry Jones. I visited his Cowboys Stadium for the second time last weekend and was amazed all over again.

Last January I had the pleasure of watching my LSU Tigers win the Cotton Bowl under Jerry's bright lights. We sat on the fourth level, and while they weren't the best seats in the house, it didn't matter because I couldn't take

my eyes off the colossal jumbotron.

On Saturday I returned to Cowboys Stadium for our season opener against Oregon. A guest of a friend, my seat in the stadium was a tremendous upgrade from the Cotton Bowl. Club level. Row 17. Forty-five yard line. I certainly didn't need the jumbotron but did catch myself looking up from time to time.

As luck would have it, our seats were near Mr. Jones' suite and before kickoff he emerged to greet the crowd. I just couldn't help myself. I had to tell him what I thought about his stadium. So I marched over to say hi. Here's how the exchange went.

Me: Mr. Jones. Your stadium is just amazing.

Jerry Jones: Well thank you so much. Where are you from?

Me: Abilene

Jerry Jones: Great. Well, thank you so much for coming out.

Me: Well, thanks for having me.

Short and sweet. But my friend did snap a quick picture and later I learned that the whole thing was seen on the jumbotron!

Not sure when I'll be back in Cowboys Stadium, but it will be hard to top the experience I had Saturday night. Oh, and we won the game!

Are You Ready for Some Football?

Ok, it's still a few weeks away, but football season is almost back and I can hardly wait! Besides Christmas, it's my favorite time of year!

For me, it's the LSU Tigers. Always has been. But since moving

to the Big Country last year, West Texas High School Football is now part of the fun, too!

It starts at the beginning of the week when viewers begin

voting on Bigcountryhomepage.com for the team of the week. Last year there

were some very close polls and hundreds if not thousands of people logged on

to vote for their favorites! Then Friday arrives and there's such a frenzy a

round the station. Everyone wearing their Friday night football BCH shirts.

Cameras and cars organized for the dozens of folks heading out to shoot highlights of

all the games.

At about 7:30pm I assume my position at the assignments desk and start collecting the scores. We have a huge dry erase board where we keep up with them, constantly adding updated scores to our website, Facebook and Twitter. It takes about 4 of us to do it! We shout back and forth the numbers and quarters. It's so much fun!

Inevitably there's an elusive score we can't find. Most of

the time the result of a loud crowd preventing our

contacts in the field from answering their phones,

but by the time David Robinett hits the air, we've got them all!

That's my Friday and it's a huge rush of excitement. Then on Saturday it's Tiger Time!

I try to make as many LSU home games as I can. It's a chance to visit with my family and friends who are all there decked out in purple and gold. I should be exhausted after working late Friday night, then getting up to catch the first flight out of Abilene at 5:45am. But as soon as I land in Baton Rouge, the adrenaline starts pumping and I'm ready for the day. The buzz of the crowds roaming campus. The aroma of gumbo and jambalaya wafting through the air. The Golden Band from Tigerland marching the streets - like a mini-parade. It's a celebration like no other.

Sure, there are rituals similar to this going on in college towns across the nation at the same time. But this is MY team and it's so much fun to be right

in the middle of it all.

LSU has been fortunate to have had some really good seasons over the last few years, including two National Championship teams in 2003 and

2007! But I've been spending my fall Saturdays like this since I was a little girl. I've rejoiced in the victories and lamented in the losses (and there were quite a few of those back when I was in college). But I still go. No

matter what we're ranked or how we're playing. Because I love football. And I can't imagine that ever changing.

KTAB News: On the Road... Again!

Our 2nd Annual KTAB On the Road Tour has come to a close and I must say, I’m a little sad. It’s a long, grueling, hot week, but it’s so much fun.

We met so many amazing people on our tour that passed through Snyder, Cisco, Buffalo Gap, Breckenridge and Early and everyone made us feel so welcomed.

Some of the highlights:

Discovering the Manhattan Coffee shop in Snyder and picking up a cool John Wayne Film Festival t-shirt.

David Robinett competing in a pedal car race in Snyder (he came in 2nd).

Four and More playing in Cisco and the Cisco High Cheerleaders (who have amazing toe-touches) and the drum line performing.

Learning about the potter in Buffalo Gap who invented the poached egg maker.

The first woman winning survivor in Buffalo Gap, followed by another female winner in Early! Girl Power!!!

The Texas Gunslingers show in Breckenridge and listening to Shane Stockton’s cover of Rhinestone Cowboy!

Being presented with a key to the City of Breckenridge!

Meeting the residents of Ridgeway Gardens in Early who baked us hundreds of cookies and Valerie who opened her home to us when our bus broke down.

The amazing food from places like Skeet’s Texas Grill in Snyder, The Barbwire Cafe in Cisco, Perini Ranch in Buffalo Gap, Nana’s Sweets and Eats in Breckenridge and Humphrey Pete’s in Early. Yes, David Robinette shared and I highly recommend each place!

Five Zach Harmon concerts!

My team winning the Amazing Race 3 times!!!

I loved it all!

But it would not have been possible without the help of our dedicated team! The KTAB Sales, Production and Engineering departments are the people who made this possible. They put in countless hours planning for 5 huge events and each day worked more than a dozen hours in the hot sun to set up the grounds and plan for 3 live newscasts! So my biggest thanks to them!

And a big thank you to everyone who attended! Can’t wait for next year!

Summer is Sizzling!

Summer is officially here. Although, it felt like it arrived more than a month ago! It's funny, when I arrived in the Big Country last year about this time, the temperatures weren't so bad and we seemed to get a lot of rain. When people told me that was unusual, I didn't really think about. Now, I know what they meant!

But I don't want to complain too much. While I'm more of a spring and fall fan, summer is fun, too. I've been working on creating a backyard retreat. I've got comfy new patio furniture, a grill, some lights strung across my awning and most importantly a fan!

My first night to grill with friends went pretty well. Yummy burgers, vegetables grilled in a new grill basket and grilled corn-on-the-cob! Next up - kabobs!!!

I'm looking forward to a fabulous summer in my backyard with pals. Now if we could only do something about the heat, we could start our parties a little earlier!

A Fairy Tail That Did Not Disappoint

Well, what’d you think? I’m a little tired today. Only slept about 3 hours, but it was worth it. It was every bit the fairy tale I thought it would be.

Kate Middleton looked nothing like a commoner when she emerged from a Bently at Westminster Abby. Her dress was stunning. The long lace sleeves, the fitted bodice, the beautiful a-line skirt. I’d say it was perfect. And Her Royal Highness looked comfortable and at ease in it.

The tiara was a beautiful touch. It was made by Cartier in 1936. Queen Elizabeth lent it to her for the special day.

The earrings, a gift from her parents, were made to match the tiara.

She’s now the Duchess of Cambridge, but she’s been a fashion icon since she emerged into Prince William’s life. Today she proved she deserved that status. Her gown, which she reportedly had a lot of say in the design, is an instant classic.

My favorite moments:

-Prince Harry alerting his big brother that Kate was just behind him at the alter

-Kate clutching her father’s hand as they walked through the Abby

-The carriage ride to the Palace

-The crowd flocking to Buckingham Palace to see the “first kiss”

-Kate mouthing “wow” as she walked out onto the balcony and saw the crowd

-The “second kiss”

An Excuse to Hunt Eggs Again!

In the last two months my family has welcomed two new baby boys into the world. Doles, named after my grandfather, joined us in February and Joseph, named after his father, arrived today. They are first cousins and will grow up to be the best of friends.

I know this because they are the children of my first cousins who are like siblings to me.

I'm so lucky to have been born into this family. My mom is the oldest of four daughters. I'm the oldest of 11 grandchildren on that side of the family. Our grandparents were only children and wanted to create a big, southern family. We celebrate everything together and are always looking for reasons to celebrate. We get seven of them in the fall (LSU home games). In the last few years the spring has been reserved for getting married or having babies.

Doles and Joseph are part of the next generation. They are numbers six and seven respectively. Five boys and two girls. The girls are my brother's children. The oldest boy is my godson. The older kids are already close. They love playing together at our family gatherings. It reminds me of the fun times I had with my cousins growing up.

Our next celebration together is Easter. It's especially fun now that we have an excuse to have egg hunts again!

A Royal Mess!

It's been a few weeks since I brought Princess Kate home, so I thought I'd give you an update. She's crazy!

Since Princess Kate (P.K. for short) moved in, I've had to have the fence in the backyard reinforced twice. I've also spent hours looking for her then chasing her down after she dug out of said fence - twice.

She's not good at sharing. When my other dog Shelby tried to get a toy that was really hers to begin with, a fight ensued. Shelby ended up at the vet with 4 puncture wounds. She came home with antibiotics and pain meds.

The door in my guest bathroom will have to be replaced after she chewed an inch and a half off the bottom. I'm also down one chair cushion.

She did help be "break down" a card board box to fit in the trash can. I didn't even have to ask!

I'm not giving up on her yet! I just know she's got potential. We're looking into obedience schools. I'll keep you posted!

Princess Kate is a Rascal!

I am an animal lover. I always have been. I really wanted to be a veterinarian when I was younger but I was terrible at science and knew I'd never get through vet school. So I set out to save animals the only way I knew how - by giving them a home. I love my pets. They are great company and for the most part pretty well behaved. That is until Princess Kate moved in.

Yes, I've adopted a new dog. She wandered into the station last week. Animal control picked her up and no one ever claimed her. I just couldn't bare the thought of this sweet and beautiful animal being put down. So here I am - the owner of a three year old, solid white, shephard-husky mix.

She's quite regal looking actually, thus her name. Her eyes are icy blue. But she's a rascal. The first day she moved in I left her in what I thought was my secure backyard. When I returned on my dinner break she was gone. I drove around for two hours before I had to head back to the station for the 10pm news. As I was driving down S.14th, there she was - prancing along like she had somewhere to be.

It turned out that she had found a rotten spot in the wood fence, knocked a few boards loose then dug her way to freedom. Yesterday I had the fence fixed and the hole she dug filled. Before I left for work today she'd already started digging a new one. It was hard to be angry when she looked up at me with those eyes, covered from head to toe in dirt. Her expression said something along the lines of, "What... what'd I do?".

Now, she's inside quite a bit, but I have a small house and she and my cats don't really get along yet, so I need to be able to leave her in the backyard from time to time without worrying she'll disappear again.

If you've got a "digger" I'd appreciate any ideas on how to keep her from destroying my yard and setting herself free again.

Meanwhile, I've chosen not to think about the fact that she's not happy with her new home and wants out of here!

Family and Fun Filled Weekend

What a great Presidents' Day weekend I had. My brother John, sister-in-law Ginger and nieces Madison and Caroline visited from Louisiana. Madison is 11 and Caroline is 3 and they had a ball in Abilene. They're ready to come back!

We started things off at the Abilene Zoo. Madison is an animal lover and couldn't wait to see every resident at the zoo. It was hard for her to choose a favorite, but both girls really enjoyed feeding the giraffes. Caroline loved the flamingos. I think their pink coloring is what caught her eye. That and the hot pink flamingo souvenir bottle she brought home. Me, I was mesmerized by the lion cubs, who aren't so small anymore.

After the zoo, Ginger wanted to check out some antique stores. We toured a few before she bought a beautiful old cabinet that barely fit in the back of their suburban. I found an old silver tea service that I'll be polishing up this weekend. While were cruising around downtown Madison insisted we stop at some of the outdoor art displays. She loved the giant cows head along S. 1st.

John is a farmer and wanted to visit some of the western stores in town. He ended up getting a new pair of boots.

I didn't do a very good job of planning ahead. I saved the Children's Museum at the Grace and the NCCIL for Sunday, but they are both closed on Sundays. Unfortunate, but now they have a reason to come back!

Instead on Sunday we ended up at Nelson Park. The girls absolutely loved the Camp Imagination playground. They didn't want to leave, but we finally pried them away for lunch and Caroline's nap.

Next up... Primetime! I had never been, but what a fun place. We played games in the arcade for a long time. I can't wait to go back to bowl and play laser tag!

We had a late reservation Sunday at Perini Ranch. Michelle Ashworth and her boyfriend Larry joined us and what a treat. Everything we ordered was delicious! And we didn't really save room for dessert, but we ordered it anyway!

It was a fabulous weekend. I was so sad when they had to leave Monday morning. But I know they had a ball in Abilene and will be back to visit again soon!

Mom's Recent Visit

It's been a busy few months for me. First the holidays, then covering the Hailey Dunn Case and then the February Freeze! But I finally got a small break last weekend and was thrilled to spend it with my mom!

She and her husband have an R.V. and they love to use it! In the fall they head to Baton Rouge seven weekends out of the year to cheer on the LSU Tigers. In the winter, spring and summer they take trips to different lakes and visit kids. This weekend was my turn!

Pedicures and some shopping were on the agenda and a great dinner out at Lytle Land and Cattle. On Saturday afternoon we drove to Buffalo Gap and toured the Abilene State Park, which looks like a great place for camping. (Picture above was not taken in Abilene!)

It's fun showing off the Big Country. My brother, sister-in-law and nieces are coming for a visit soon - a perfect excuse to experience the Big Country through the eyes of a child. I'm thinking the zoo, The Grace, The Center for Children's Illustrated literature and maybe Frontier Texas. There's so much to do here for kids! Let me know what you think we should do!

Who is Hailey?

If you live in the Big Country and haven’t heard about the Hailey Dunn case, chances are you’ve been living under a rock. She’s been the focus of our newscasts for 3 weeks. Her face is on billboards and fliers statewide. Hundreds of people are looking for this 13 year old girl.

It dawned on me the other day that we’ve been so focused on the search, the investigation, the specifics of the last day she was seen and the only named suspect in the case Shawn Adkins, her mother’s live-in boyfriend, that we may have lost sight of who Hailey Dunn is.

By all accounts, she’s your typical teenage girl. One look around her room shows that. Pink walls, pillows that say “princess”, memorabilia from school tacked up on the walls.

It’s not a secret she is a cheerleader. She’s wearing her uniform in the picture on those billboards and fliers. And she loves to cheer.

But she also loves to play basketball, softball and volleyball and she's first chair saxophone player in the school band.

Her teachers say she’s a good student and very popular at Colorado Middle School.

Like most teenage girls, Hailey has a best friend, Heather. She loves having sleepovers. Heather says they like to stay up late listening to music and watching videos on YouTube.

We don’t know where Hailey is, but we know she isn’t doing any of the things she loves. Not cheering. Not playing basketball, watching videos.

She should be spending her evenings doing homework, playing with her siblings and friends, picking out what she’s going to wear to school tomorrow, practicing her cheers.

We all want answers. We are all praying for Hailey’s safe return. And if something bad has happened to her, we want the person responsible to be punished.

But mostly we just want this little girl to be able to be the fun-loving teenager we now know her to be. Every child deserves that.

If you know Hailey and want to share some stories about her, I'd love to hear them.

Big Country Christmas

I’ve mentioned before how much I love the holidays and I’ve been having so much fun spending my first holiday season in the Big Country. What stands out the most is the generosity of the people here. I have a few examples.

I’d heard about Santa’s Helpers when I first got to KTAB and how full the studio would be of toys during the holidays. It sounded like so much fun! But I had no idea just how many toys we were in for!

When I walked to the set Wednesday, there was literally a small path I had to maneuver to get to the desk. The rest of the space was full of toys, games, dolls, bikes, balls - you name it. Everywhere you looked or walked there were toys!

We’ve been reading letters to Santa from the children in the agencies and what was really neat is seeing some of the specific toys the kids had been asking for. It warms the heart knowing that they’re truly going to have a magical Christmas.

Last weekend the KTAB crew participated in the annual Bell Ringing Battle with our sister station KRBC. We manned the Salvation Army Red Kettles in front of the entrances of the southside Wal Mart. My ears are still ringing!

But it was all for a great cause and I think everyone who shopped that day stopped to donate! Many people gave all the change they had. Others dropped in bills, some of them big. By the end of the day our kettle was completely full and we had to fold the bills into tiny squares just to get them in!

By the way, we won the battle!

So a big thank you to everyone who donated this year, not just to Santa’s Helpers or the Salvation Army, but to whatever charity you helped. It truly makes a difference in so many lives and that’s the best gift of all!

Room To Run At Camp Barkeley

If you’re a dog owner, you and your four-legged friend are in for a treat at Camp Barkeley! Abilene’s first dog park opened over the weekend and to rave reviews! Shelby and I got a sneak peak on Friday and we both loved it!

Dog parks are aplenty in Denver, where we lived before moving to Abilene and we made frequent visits so Shelby could run, frolic and meet up with friends. She didn’t get to do a lot of that in our townhome with no yard!

What’s great about Camp Barkeley is it’s size. Two whole acres are fenced off for large breed dogs. Another acre is next door for smaller pooches. Shelby’s about 30 pounds, so she could probably visit both. We’ll have to see which one fits us best.

There are benches for humans to lounge while the dogs run free, a water fountain for people and the canines and plastic bags and trash cans for easy cleanup.

Another great thing about dog parks is getting to meet other animal lovers. It’s fun to get to know the owners and their dogs and the pooches really seem to enjoy making friends.

Shelby and I are already set to meet up with friends at Camp Barkeley. I think we’ll visit a lot. Hope to see you and your pooch there!

Fall Fun In the Big Country

I love the fall. It's one of my favorite times of year. I love feeling a chill in the air, the scent of a fireplace wafting through the neighborhood. I love the rich colors that come with fall. Shades of brown, red, orange and dark yellows.

I've had a ball so far this fall in the big country. It started with a visit to Disability Resources Inc.'s Pumpkin Patch. I've never seen so many pumpkins! And they come in so many shades! Not just orange. I saw green, yellow, red, white, even pink pumpkins! I filled up a cart with about 10. I just couldn't help myself. I put a few of them on the porch with some mums, some smaller ones on the mantle and then a friend and I carved four of them. We used one of those pumpkin carving kits and made some really cool designs! It was a fun night!

Boo at the Zoo is another fun Big Country tradition that I experienced for the first time this year. I was a little worried it would be canceled because of weather, but it cleared up just in time. And what a turn out! The place was packed with all kinds of ghosts and goblins. My favorite costume was a young man who used purple balloons to dress as a slice of blueberry pie. I also met a couple of toddlers who came as Pebbles and Bam Bam.

Fall to me also means football. I'm a huge football fan and the Crosstown Showdown lived up to all the hype! We did our 5pm and 6pm shows from Shotwell Stadium. It felt more like a small college game than a high school game - folks tailgating in the parking lot, students painted up in their school colors. Such a fun atmosphere!

I love fall. Definitely one of my favorite times of year. But my absolute favorite is just around the corner - Christmas! I can't wait to see what the Big Country has in store for the holidays!

European Vacation

It's no surprise to the people I grew up with that I'm a journalist. I've always been curious, inquisitive and eager to explore. It's served me well over the years and now it's leading me in an exciting new direction. I'm obsessed with traveling! I want to see the world!

I'll have to do it a little at a time, though. Seeing the world isn't cheap. I just got back from a two-week European vacation that took me more than a year to save up for. But it was worth it!

I went to Germany, Austria and Switzerland with a group of friends who also have a passion for travel. We've sort of formed a little travel club. Over the last year we met several times for "planning sessions" to discuss our trip, book hotels, decide what tours we wanted to do and how much luggage we'd allow ourselves to take (I'm known as an over-packer, but I'm getting better!).

The first stop on our journey took us to Munich, Germany, where they were celebrating the 200th Anniversary of Oktoberfest. I'm from Louisiana, a state known for excessive celebration. I've survived several Mardi Gras weekends and Tiger Stadium on Saturday nights after big wins. But I've never seen anything quite like Oktoberfest!

To mark the occasion my friend Mike and I decided to dress in traditional German attire. We had so much fun shopping for his lederhosen and my dirndl. I think we looked great!

We mingled with locals and other tourists on the grounds of Oktoberfest. Huge wooden structures they call "Beer Tents" are assembled just for the occasion each year. They are packed and you have to get an early start if you want to get a table. Bands continuously play German folk songs. By the end of the day we'd either learned the words to most of them, or made up our own. They only serve beer and just one kind. For food, it's pretzels and wiener schnitzel. But the cuisine isn't really the attraction here.

We spent three nights in Munich. We also toured Nymphenburg Palace and spent at least an hour roaming the beautiful grounds. We made stops at Olympic Park and outside BMW Headquarters. The building is shaped like a 4-cylinder engine!

While in Germany we also toured the concentration camp Dachau. It was a somber experience to say the least, but well worth the trip. It gives you a better idea of the atrocities that happened there, a lesson you can’t learn in a history book.

From Germany we made our way to Austria. First stop Vienna. Our hotel was right on the Danube River, which is wide and blue.

One of my favorite stops in Vienna was St. Stephen’s Cathedral. It’s in the heart of the city and a truly spectacular piece of architecture, both inside and out.

We also visited two palaces in Vienna. The Belvedere and the Schoenbrunn. I love palaces. I love touring them thinking about the royalty that used to gather there. I also love exploring the meticulous grounds, their flower beds exploding with color.

Dining in this part of the world is always interesting. One night at dinner I told the waiter I wanted a traditional Austrian entree’. He brought me a huge slab of some kind of fried meat. We think it was pork. It was good, but I barely finished a fifth of it.

On the way back to our hotel one night, we stumbled across the carnival at Prator Park. On a whim, we popped in. We ended up taking a ride on the bumper cars and a spin on one of the tallest swing rides in the world. It took us up 300 feet. It was windy and cold, but probably the best view of the city we could have asked for!

From Vienna, we headed to Salzburg, perhaps my favorite stop on the trip! It's a beautiful city. I could get lost in "Old Town" for days with its cobblestone streets, cafes and endless shops. The Salzach River runs through town and is the most beautiful turquoise color I've ever seen.

Highlights in Salzburg included the Mirabella Gardens, Fortress Festung Hohensalzburg and another Oktoberfest Celebration! But the Sound of Music bus tour was the best way to see the area. Not only did it take us to several of the sites used for filming in the movie, it also took us to the Lake Region just outside of Salzburg. Stunning doesn't even begin to describe it.

But for fans of the movie, this was an exciting and informative adventure. We saw the lake where Julie Andrews and the children fell in and we learned the child who played Gretl couldn't swim! She nearly drowned while filming! We also saw the gazebo where Liesl and Rolf did "I am 16 Going on 17". They had to lock the doors to it, though, because so many people were trying to reenact the scene and kept falling and getting hurt.

We wrapped up our trip in Lucerne, Switzerland. We'd had perfect weather up until this point, so we were due for rain. And we got it. It rained most of the time we were there. Lucerne is still beautiful, even in a fog. The Chapel Bridge connects "Old Town" and "New Town". It's a beautiful, old, wooden pedestrian bridge flanked in colorful plants. White swans crowd around it hoping the tourists will toss them a treat.

We took a cog train up to the top of Mt. Pilatus, which we're told offers a breathtaking view of the city on a clear day. On the way up we saw lots of cows and goats with big bells around their necks. By the time we made it to the top, the rain had turned to snow and we were not dressed for that!

I can't say enough about this trip. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I love seeing other parts of this beautiful planet and can't wait to start planning for my next adventure!

A Few Thoughts On Katrina

If you’ve never been to New Orleans, I hope one day you’ll go. There really isn’t another place on earth like it. Along with a heavy layer of humidity, there’s something in the air there that gives you a sense of hope and pride. You breath it in and for the moment all is right with the world. Anything is possible.

A strange feeling seeing that five years ago this weekend very little was right there. But a lot has changed in five years.

As I reflect on one of the biggest news stories of my generation and certainly of my career, I don’t want to spend a lot of time dwelling on the things I saw the night mighty Katrina blew into town or the days and weeks after. It’s still a lot to take in. It’s still difficult to process.

The staggering loss of life haunts me to this day. The official death toll from the storm is 1,836. The majority of those deaths can be blamed on the catastrophic failure of a weak and neglected levee system. It’s hard not to be angry about that.

I spent the hours before Katrina made landfall outside the Louisiana Superdome. I had done the same thing a year earlier when Hurricane Ivan seemed to be on a direct path to New Orleans. Once again I found myself interviewing residents who’d come seeking shelter.

Like the year before, I met a lot of people in the line waiting to get inside. An elderly grandmother with her two young grandchildren in tow. A single mother holding tightly to her baby. A woman who helped her father push her handicapped mother up the wheelchair ramp. As I was talking to these people, it never dawned on me that some of them wouldn’t make it through the next few days.

I saw a lot in the wake of the storm. But that’s what I remember the most. The people I met that night who’d innocently come looking for shelter only to be lining up for what would become a nightmare.

Some of my dearest friends live in New Orleans and I’ve made several trips back to the city since Katrina. The recovery has been slow, but steady.

Many homes have been renovated or reconstructed, but they sit next to the shells of homes whose owners aren’t as fortunate or determined.

Many businesses have reopened but their customer base isn’t what it used to be. Thousands of their patrons never came home, opting or forced to start over somewhere else.

But there are people in New Orleans who are determined to see their great city rise again. They overcome obstacles and hardships everyday. They press on, though. And if they are scared or overwhelmed or feel defeated, they don’t let it show.

They are the ones who fill the air with hope and pride. They are the ones who make it seem like anything is possible. Like even in a place that has seen pain and suffering of the greatest proportion, all can be right with the world - even if just for a moment.

Something New Around Every Corner

I haven’t moved around a lot, but I have lived in a few different places and certainly, there’s always a period of adjustment that comes with moving. Especially if you move to a town you’re unfamiliar with and don’t know a lot of people. It can be a little frightening. But it’s also a lot of fun!

Fun, because it’s a time for discovery. When you’re new in town, you never know what you’re going to find just around the corner. Everything is an adventure and so far in my short time in the Big Country it’s been an exciting one.

A couple of weeks ago some friends at work asked if I wanted to go see a movie. We all work the evening shift, so it had to be a late one. When I checked listings online, I stumbled across the website for the Town and Country Drive-In. Who knew? So we piled in my car after work and headed for the 11p.m. show. None of us had ever been to a drive-in. In fact, my only experience with it was the scene in Grease where John Travolta sings “Stranded At the Drive-In”.

Since it was our first time there, it took us a few minutes to figure out the best place to park. First we were too far away, then a little too close, then just right. Then we had to angle the car a little so our friend in the back could see better. Once we were parked and the previews started, I realized I should have cleaned the windshield. That’s not something you have to think about normally before a movie!

What a fun experience, though! I can’t wait to do it again.

Another event I’m looking forward to attending again, Art Walk. My friend Laura and I went to the last one in Downtown Abilene. We strolled around enjoying the live music from the small bands set up along the sidewalks. It was so much fun browsing all the vendors’ tables checking out their handmade wares.

It was hot out that day, so we popped into Cypress Street Station to cool off and have some dinner. That’s one of the first places I visited in Abilene when I was here on my job interview. It was as good as I remembered!

Speaking of dining, I got a special treat last week when I met up with Katherine Lane in Albany for lunch. We went to Sander’s Drug Store. What a great place! I had a southwest chicken salad sandwich and some creole soup (it was like they knew I was coming!). So yummy! And what a neat place. The tables were filled with locals, all chatting away. It reminded me of the snack shop in the little town where I grew up.

I’ve got a lot more exploring to do. But I think I’m off to a pretty good start. Who knows what I’ll find around the next corner. I can’t wait to find out!

I Think My Dog Has Roid Rage!

I’ve been in Abilene a little more than two months now and things are going great. I’ve made some wonderful new friends. After a rather daunting move, I’m finally getting settled in to my new home. I’m even able to get around town without having to constantly check the GPS, although, I’m not about to leave home without it! I’m settling in just fine.

My dog Shelby, on the other hand, is having a little trouble. Shelby came into my life unexpectedly about a year ago. She belonged to my best friend who lives in Shreveport, LA. Shelby is allergic to fleas! To her, one flea bite is the equivalent of 100! You can imagine the flea problem in Louisiana. My best friend had been working hard to keep Shelby flea free, but it was a challenge, especially with a toddler and another baby on the way. So we decided Shelby should come live with me in Colorado. Fleas don’t flourish in the high altitude!

Shelby and I immediately bonded. She’s such a sweet girl. And so far, fleas haven’t been a problem for us here in Abilene. I’m very focused when it comes to giving her the flea control each month!

But after a few weeks here, Shelby developed a cough and was constantly licking and gnawing on her feet. It turns out she has allergies! Hopefully, they are seasonal. But for now, she’s on a steroid and it’s making her a little testy! She even growled and barked at one of the cats the other day. She’s never done that!

She’s not coughing or chewing on her feet anymore, though, so the medicine seems to be working.

In the meantime, we’re adjusting things at my house. Shelby gets her own room for now, so the cats won’t bother her. The steroids make her very thirsty, so she gets lots of water and lots of “outside” breaks! Her favorite activity is riding in the car, so we’re doing more of that, too!

Hopefully she won’t have to be on the medicine too much longer. It’s sad to see her fidgety and nervous. But underneath it, she’s still the sweet girl she’s always been, although my cats might not agree!

On The Road Wraps Up In Anson

I can't believe our On The Road Tour has come to an end. What a great week we have had. And what a great send off the town of Anson gave us Friday night.

We set things up at Anson City Park in front of the new playground. We had a huge crowd. Lots of folks who live nearby walked over.

The police chief was there with his new cruiser. It's got all the bells and whistles. We also got a visit from some of the organizers of the Anson Cowboy Christmas. They even wore their beautiful costumes.

My Anson Amazing Race Team was a good one. We won the Road Block and gave Manny (who was filling in for David) the yield. We found every item on the scavenger hunt list, but so did Bob's and Sam's. We ended up winning, though, because my team screamed the loudest!

Kaitlin Sprayberry took the stage first. She has a beautiful voice.

We finished off the entertainment part of the night with all the KTAB staff singing along up front with Zach Harmon!

Our On The Road 2010 Tour was a huge success. It took a lot of work, though. So a big thanks to our KTAB crew that put it all together. They were amazing!!!

I really enjoyed learning more about all the communities we visited and meeting the nice folks of the Big Country.