Thursday, March 29, 2007
hey hey hey, hope everyone is doing fine during this hectic period of deadline chasing and report/paper submitting! yesterday was our very 1st part of be-raggerfied!!! and we welcome one new comm member who is Yuen Kim, she will be part of the admin team doing PR! for yesterday, due to the timing, a lot of people could not make it down so in the end it was more of like a pd and dpds project instead of e whole comm. however, it is ok because there're def more chances for us to come together to do Rag one! What we did was to wash up all the cans and bottles in the clubroom, pack up all the cardboards nicely, collect empty A4 boxes from the Central Library Photocopy Room & lastly dropping by our very dear Rag house to keep the cans and bottles. It definitely feels good to be back doing rag stuff again after such a long time! haha, looking forward to more of such activities to come oh! hoping that next time will have improvements & we'll get to see more of each other and get to know more of each other!
Raggers jia you!!!
` lets be raggerfied
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
hey ppl, e newly found SARS is celebrating it's 1st birthday~! ;) haha, BUT this year slightly got some difference and the name has been slightly changed to suit the objective of the project this time round. from saving to supporting~! sth like a continuation from last yr!!! anyway, it will be from 20/3-22/3 (tue-thur) from 10am-5pm. what we will be doing this time around is adopt-a-tool and photo collage sale~!!! haha, for more details, drop by the booth just outside arts club room & there'll be raggers to tell you more on how you can help out with Arts Rag 2007~ ^0^
Xin Yu
` lets be raggerfied
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Raggers,
While you are at your work and life around school and home, juz a gentle reminder here, do check up the yahoo groups regularly, and if you have not post up your timetables, plz plz go and do it soooooooooonnnnnnnnnn. Better still, do it nowww. Thanks guys, cheers!
Kenneth ;)
` lets be raggerfied
Hey Raggers, how are you guys coping with those freaking assignments piling in? Hope you all are still surviving eh, haha, have to tahannn!! Coz we are going to need each other alooot for Rag k, All the best for your upcoming deadlines, and for those who have already completed your assignments, hope you did them well. Raggers Jiayou!!!
Kenneth ;)
` lets be raggerfied
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
hey people, next week will be the annual Saving-Arts-Rag Scheme (SARS). it will be from 20/3-22/3 (tue-thur). do check it out & ask your friends along also ok? we're trying to get as much donations from the general arts population as possible if not budget will sure bust de. let's all make it a successful one ok? i will be doing updates here about what we're doing so do let as much fellow raggers as possible know about this blog. and also other fellow arts students who are interested in rag ya? ^-^
Xin Yu (:
` lets be raggerfied
Friday, March 9, 2007
Rag is back once more!!! It is a Freshmen Orientation Programme that not only involves freshmen actively but also seniors as well! For the unique experience which you will not be able to experience anywhere else, for the passion, triumph and friendship, rag is definitely something you will live to regret if you give it a miss. especially if you are someone who loves building and sees relationships plus friendships bond very seriously. For more details, do not hesitate to contact Serene, our Personal Relations Executive, at 93632762. (: or me at 97823579!
Xin Yu
DPD Admin
Rag 2007
` lets be raggerfied
I would like to thank all for making ARTS RAG 06 such a memorable and touching journey. We have gone through so much and sacrificed many things to come to where we are today... We are raggers of arts, regardless of being a senior or a junior, and i hope that all of you have had a wonderful journey as i did.
Saving Arts Rag Scheme is therefore officially a success, because i know that those raggers of 2006 would be there still to carry on what we have left behind. Building upon the strong foundation that we have create, and ready to embark on another year of Arts Rag. It was really really really heartening to read mails from raggers, whom only joined us for a month, that they truely been raggerfied. I have been through a time when Arts Rag was at its lowest. Now, i can proudly say that those times are far behind us. With our visions united, Arts would make a name for itself on Rag Day in the near future.
I always hear that it takes years to build up Rag, to become champions. I never believe in it. We pushed the limits and became champions in the eyes of others within a year. Even though there was no recognition by the judges, even though there was no physical object to mark our victory, i believe that our Rag proved to others that it doesnt take years to win. Of course, i hope that this also serves as a reminder to us. We should never look down on others as they, too, may just become winners. Just remember that you should always be proud of your float as in your eyes, it is always a winner, a champion float.
Dragon Rag was always remembered as the Rag that won. However, I believe that more people would remember our Rag much much more, for whatever reason it may be - the year which we worked the hardest, the year which we were robbed, the best float ever made, the best support ever given to do rag. To me, it doesn't matter... What truly matters, is that i remember the people who walked this journey with me, may it be for 8 months or 1 day. That is what i remember this Casino Rag for. It was because of the people which made this rag a success, not the float that we made, nor the dance that we presented...
Thus, let me say thank you to all again. For all those who had sweat, bled, cried, worked, donated, sacrificed, believed, cheered for Arts Rag 2006, my heart goes all out to you. Thank you.
Lionel
DPD Tech Arts Rag 2006
` lets be raggerfied
Well..., I have never written a blog before and i thot that i never will. Hahaha... How wrong i am to assume that i will be different but i guess not. =P
Hmmm... Currently ARTS RAG 06 has been going very smoothly. I am extremely glad that things are happening as it should (of cos there are some minor issues to settle). Jingyi, with the help of advisors, is doing a fabulous job of leading us. This year's rag has been getting positive remarks from others but it is also thanks to the past years that we are able to learn from and build a strong foundation. It is really difficult to describe this feeling now but i can feel everyone's belief in us.
Basically, I really hope that the rag comm be one big happy family (notice the term "family", has more sense of belonging i feel) and that we would work hard to achieve what we want. Things may not always turn out good but dun hesitate yah, call for help and i will be there (many others will be there for you too). We have the ability to excel, so why not?
I always ask myself whether in the long run i will be satisfied. I always ask myself if all this effort is worthwhile...
And i think these questions can only be answered by myself. I hope everyone asks themselves these too. and of cos, i hope all of you find the answers to yr questions.
Well, i just found another reason to do rag... have you?
Lionel
` lets be raggerfied
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could.
Do not go where the path may lead,
Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
A blaze of glory that accentuates the meaning of life.
A life worth living a destiny fulfilled.
Rag may be the name for cloth and
Flag may symbolise the solidarity of a nation
But for those touched by its soul
Etched is a fire in the belly
A spirit beyond description a passion overwhelming.
A soulful of emotions that weaves the fabric of our bond.
Faith Hope Love Joy Passion Friendship Triumph.
A linguistic miracle that describes
A multitude of emotion
A mosaic of remembrance
A plethora of worth.
It is about the late nights of paper maiche
or the endless sawing
the blisters from dancing
the sticky chewy glue
the monotony of screwing(dont be cheeky)
and going nuts with the bolts
The tiny little sequins
ever hard to sew
The square lashings
and the rattan shaping
The supper from fong seng
and the soccer at forum
The difficulty of cutting
cardboard with scissors
and the headaches of mounting
As you walk past these hallowed halls
after 12 years of formal education
come to a magical world
where impossible is nothing
and imagination is only limited by the bounds of your creativity
Be the person you were born to be
Imagine this on 6 august when the contingent
shouts in triumph of victory
would u want to be just cheering on the stands
or would u want to stand tall in the arena
summoning the strength of heroes
standing on the shoulder of giants
remember again
Somewhere ages and ages hence
Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference
Why Join Rag?
Cos just like loreal youre WORTH it.
Get Raggerfied Now.
Great Things Await Thee.
` lets be raggerfied
I want to look at the faces of all those around me, look past all the dirt, sweat, and grime, and see faces full of hope, of dogged perseverance, of wanting to do all it takes to get the job done.
I want to revel in the ties of brotherhood and friendship, ties stronger than those forged out of blood.
I want the freshmen, and first-time raggers like myself, to know what lies ahead, a journey of great difficulty, of struggle, an odyssey of sorts. The journey will not be easy, but it is worth the effort, once you stand back and see how 3 months of seemingly endless toil and hard work have paid off, resulting in something we can be proud of, something that everybody in the faculty of Arts and Social Sciences can be proud of.
I want all of us to stand together hand in hand, techies and dancers, raggers and non-raggers, to stand together as one, unwavering in our support and dedication, never questioning why we go through so much pain and suffering.
I want to feel the pride that comes with building everything from scratch, the pride that comes with all that precious sweat and blood you have poured into the effort, and when it all comes to a final glorious climax on 6 August, how all of us will feel the joy of having all our plans, efforts and sacrifices come to fruition.
I want the non-raggers to understand that Rag is not so much just another project, but a symbol, a symbol of bonds forged in blood, sweat, toil and tears, that it is these bonds that go one step beyond what camps and orientations establish. For while the latter lay out the foundations for beautiful and wonderful friendships, it is events like Rag that truly solidify them, where the ethereal become corporeal.
It is all too easy to think back on the glory years of Dragon Rag, to reminesce and recall that year of pride. But alas, the world moves on, and so must we. Be not the dragon, that archaic symbol of great antiquity, greedily hoarding treasures and hiding in dark caverns. Instead, be the phoenix, that emblem of rebirth and renewal, ever seeking the sun, always letting its splendour be shown for all to see.
I want to feel the surge of passion, of endless dedication, of never giving up even when the journey seems long and winding.
I want to bask in the glory as our arrival is announced, hearing the rapturous applause and thunderous cheers of our fellow Arts & Social Sciences students.
I want to feel the rush of elation when we are proclaimed triumphant.
I want all of these, and so much more. What about you?
RAG. Passion. Friendship. Triumph.
` lets be raggerfied
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Now that the clean-up is more or less done, it's time for your resident Nature-lover to give a short summary of what raggers can expect to see and hear in and around the house. Given all the vegetation we've got around here, it's no surprise that there are quite a few birds that we don't get to see everyday; certainly more than just your usual mynahs, crows, pigeons and sparrows.
Of course, one has to contend with the insects (Aargh...) Oh well, now that the washing out of decomposing cockroach fragments is done, and hopefully the scale of the mosquito assaults should lessen by now, here's hoping we'll get fewer visits from all the miscellaneous 6-legged things...
But first, a quick look at who has been creating so much misery for us during the clean-up...
(Note: All photos uploaded were not taken by me, but were instead downloaded off Google Images.)
CLEAN-UP: 26-27 May 2005
American cockroach Periplaneta americana... I am so bloody sick and tired of washing out all the dead cockroach bits... At least it seems there aren't many cockroaches around the place now.
The German cockroach Blatella germanica. The other common cockroach species - This small species is actually much more common than the American cockroach, simply because its much smaller size means that infestations go undetected far longer than those of the American cockroach.
Interestingly, both species of cockroach have been wrongly named - the American cockroach did not originate from America, and the German cockroach did not come from Germany. Instead, both species are thought to have originated from Africa, and followed humans as they travelled, eventually becoming the cosmopolitan species they are today.
Household casebearer moth - caterpillars of this nondescript little moth species construct little shelters out of dirt and detritus.
The spider responsible for most of the spider webs and shrivelled-up spider corpses in the corners... the pale daddylonglegs spider Smeringopus pallidus.
Another common household spider, that often spins its little webs in corners and on ceilings - Oecobius concinnus.
If you've noticed, the walls and windows of the house were literally plastered with mud dauber wasp nests; these solitary wasps make little nests out of mud, capture and sting spiders, place them in the nests, and then seal them in alive - a fresh supply of food for the young when they hatch.
Another variation on the shape of nest constructed by mud dauber wasps (probably a different species from the first).
The black wasp that was buzzing around the house on the 1st day and scaring all the girls was probably a mud dauber wasp. And not to worry, mud dauber wasps and potter wasps don't sting people. Now if you see any hornets or bees around, that's a different matter...
Equally common inside the house are the nests of the potter wasps; these use live caterpillars instead of spiders. Either way, imagine being captured by a wasp, stung and paralysed, and then sealed inside a little chamber waiting for the wasp grub to hatch and eat you alive... *shudder*
And let's not forget all the geckos running all over the walls and ceilings... (and leaving all that lizard shit inside the house) Sad to say that geckos living in and around houses don't have the nice colourful patterns of their forest-living counterparts.
Spiny-tailed gecko Hemidactylus frenatus - I still remember all the lizard shit that was on the walls and windows... Not to mention the couple of shrivelled-up lizard carcasses in the cupboards and bathrooms. The spines on the tail distinguish this gecko from other species.
Indo-Pacific gecko Hemidactylus garnotii. Another common household species, the spines on the tail of this species are not as obvious as those of the spiny-tailed gecko. Interestingly, this is an all-female species; all individuals of the species are female, and they reproduce asexually (i.e. they don't have sex at all - quite a sad life if you ask me
).
Four-clawed gecko Gehyra mutilata - another one of the common household gecko species. You can tell this species apart by its flatter tail, and that it has only 4 claws on its feet (as compared to 5 claws on the common house gecko). Individuals in households often appear to be completely pink or even translucent.
Flat-tailed gecko Cosymbotus platyurus. A slightly less common species, this one has the flattest tail of all. Also has more distinctive colour patterns than the other species, which are commonly just a shade of light brown or pink.
Of course, one cannot forget the resident of the garage, which we discovered (and evicted) on 27 May... Warning: Kids, don't try catching snakes with your bare hands unless you're 100% sure that the species in question is completely harmless.
Common wolf snake Lycodon capucinus - Wah lau eh, what an adventure it was catching one of these guys in the garage. (Don't worry guys, it's non-venomous and completely harmless - it feeds mostly on geckos and frogs. Too bad, if you want something to deal with rats, you'll need either cobras or pythons)
UPDATE:
Well, we evicted a snake, and now the garage has a new occupant. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the newest inhabitant of the garage:
Domestic huntsman spider Heteropoda venatoria. This huge spider is actually quite harmless, and does a good job of feeding on cockroaches. In any case, be careful when moving stuff around inside the garage; seeing a spider this size scurrying out from behind the planks can probably give you a heart attack.
A closer view of this huge spider. Now THAT is a big spider. This species does not spin a web, but instead wanders around, stalking large insects and even tiny geckos.
It is easy to spot where lawn wolf spiders (Hippasa holmerae) make their homes - in the morning, their webs, which are spun close to the ground among the grass blades (the better to catch ground-living insects like crickets and grasshoppers), shimmer with droplets of dew. At the Rag house itself, these are especially obvious in the grass that covers the hillside, as well as in the grassy patch behind the kitchen.
DRAIN CLEANING: 31 MAY 2005
I don't know if any of you recall how filthy and clogged up the drains were, and I finally decided to clean them out one Tuesday afternoon. What ensued was a whole lot of backbreaking work and plenty of hopping around trying to avoid all the ant nests and centipedes.
The drains were clogged with dead leaves, sand, soil, and goodness knows what else; in short, an entire ecosystem had sprung up inside the drains, not a good idea considering that this could also become a mosquito breeding haven should any water get trapped in there.
I haven't been able to positively identify all the different ant colonies I disturbed when clearing out the drains (but the bites of some of those species really really hurt), but there were at least 4 different species that called the drains their home. I suggest that we lay out ant bait just in case, and before they invade the house.
But these guys left a very lasting impression:
Weaver ants Oecophylla smaragdina - weaver ant, fire ant, kerengga... whatever you call them, the bites and stings of these ants are %$#&@^ painful! (Another reason to not run around barefoot outside; there's a colony or 2 just outside the house) As far as I know, the colony rules the little pathway that connects the main path and the back door, and I think the same colony also uses the drain along that stretch as its own little highway. I believe it's a good idea when I suggest that people refrain from running around barefoot, especially around that area.
And apart from all the ants, I managed to disturb a dozen or so of these little beasties (Do you need any more convincing as to why running around barefoot is not a good idea??!):
CENTIPEDES!
I could identify at least 2 different species...
Geophilomorph centipede - These small tiny centipedes (the longest one I saw was 3 cm long) should be quite harmless... I had lots of fun catching them and throwing these to the weaver ants hahaha...
However, while geophilomorph centipedes are pretty innocuous (haven't tried catching one with my bare hands though), I cannot guarantee the same for the other species of centipede I spotted running from the drains as I was clearing them...
Scolopendra centipede - Goodness knows how many I evicted from the drains, and those were the small ones. These species of centipedes can grow up to 30 cm in length! Singapore is home to 2 species of these large centipedes - Scolopendra morsitans and Scolopendra subspinipes.
Of course, not everything that scuttled and crawled in the drains were as bothersome as the ants and centipedes... Others just served to illustrate how bloody clogged-up and sediment-filled the drains were.
Woodlice - Do you all remember your primary school science textbooks, talking about woodlice as creatures of the leaf litter community? I frightened a whole lot of these little guys when clearing the drains. Friggin' leaf litter community, alright. Probably kept all those ants and centipedes well-fed until I came along and washed them all away.
You know you have a drainage problem when you actually have earthworms living in the soil that's accumulated inside the drains. The largest one I found was almost the length (but thankfully not the diameter) of my little finger. Oh, and by the way, Jianwu is afraid of earthworms.
While clearing out the drains, I discovered a giant snail slowly crawling beside the drain. I dropped it into the drain, and watched it merrily get carried off in the current. However, there was one point when the drain ran underground, and the snail did not emerge with the flow on the other side. Only after Gerri and I had cleared out a substantial amount of the silt that had built up within did the snail pop out, and by then I guess it had drowned. Oops. My bad.
African giant snail Achatina fulica - another foreign species introduced into Singapore. Don't worry, that's not my hand. And say, anyone craving for escargot over at the house...
Every time I go to the house and see how nice and clean and dirt-free the drains are, I feel damn proud of our achievement and how we cleaned out the entire drainage system in a single day. (PLEASE help keep our drains clean!) 
While working on the float, you might be harassed by honeybees:
Eastern honeybee Apis cerana - Don't ask me why, but honeybees love to buzz around the dustbin, as well as the tap outside the house. They also like to attack people, probably to gather salt and nutrients from our sweat. They appear harmless, but don't go and ji seow them lah.
On the first day, we spotted another inhabitant of the drainage system, one that I hope does not discover all the food we have in the house:
Common rat Rattus norvegicus - One of these popped its head out of the sewer the other day... they'd better not invade the house. (Of course, it could have been any one of the many local rat species, perhaps Rattus tanezumi, Rattus exulans, Rattus tiomanicus, or Rattus annandalei; no matter what, they're all rats)
AVIFAUNA
Of course, there's so much more to the wildlife of 02 Kent Ridge Road than your usual bugs and insects, reptiles, and vermin. We've got birds! And so many different kinds too! =D
Of course, there are your usual common everyday birds, such as:
Javan myna Acridotheres javanicus - Singapore's most common bird, this immigrant from (where else?) Java is all too common.
House crow Corvus splendens - Yet another common bird... Introduced from India, they finally became established in Singapore around World War II. And now they're one of the most common birds you can find around, perhaps to the detriment of some of the native bird species. You ought to watch these in the evening, when they fly in to roost with the cockatoos... Black crows and white cockatoos, and both equally noisy. Or when they're roosting, and suddenly all the crows in the trees fly off for some unknown reason. Dozens of crows flying all over the place; anyone watched Alfed Hitchcock's The Birds?
Feral pigeon Columba livia - Hope they don't crap too much around the house... Pigeon shit is green. Absolutely disgusting...
Apart from the usual boring old birds, the Rag House has also been visited by a few other species of birds, not as common as the boring ol' mynahs, crows and pigeons, but not as rare as they may appear to be. You just need to keep your eyes (and ears) open:
House swift Apus affinis. Easily mistaken for a swallow (although swallows and swifts are not closely related), this bird spends most of its life on the wing. Another bird that has adapted well to urban life, building its little nests in buildings and other manmade structures.
House swifts sometimes gather in large flocks, especially before dusk.
Asian glossy starling Aplonis panayensis - This bird is closely related to the mynas, but slightly less common. The glossy dark green plumage and the red eyes are especially distinctive.
Olive-backed sunbird Nectarinia jugularis - Another pretty common local bird, they're damn hard to spot, since they're so damn tiny and they fly so fast.
Asian koel Eudynamys scolopacea. This is the bird responsible for that maddening call one often hears in the early morning or at dusk. Actually a species of cuckoo, it's a nest parasite of crows. Not to be confused with the Asian glossy starling or crows. This individual is a male.
The colouration of the female koel is markedly different from that of the male.
The koel once wasn't so common in Singapore; it used to be that the majority of koels in
Singapore were once migrants, and only a few koels were resident and bred here. However, it is very likely that due to the great increase in the introduced house crow population, numbers of resident koel have also risen, and thus this bird has become a much more common component of our avifauna.
Like many other members of the cuckoo family, the koel is a brood parasite - it lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, in this case, the koel specialises in the house crow and the large-billed crow. The eggs of the koel are even patterned such that they resemble the eggs of its host species. When the koel chick hatches, it competes with the crow nestlings for food, and may even push the crow eggs or nestlings out of the nest. This results in the crow foster parents feeding just one sole surviving chick - the koel chick itself.
Collared kingfisher Todirhamphus chloris - Singapore's most common kingfisher, often found far from water, since they eat lots of other things besides fish... One of these was sitting in a tree just outside the living room laughing away one day... wonder what the Hell was so funny?
White-throated kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis. Another common local kingfisher, this species, like the collared kingfisher, is often found far from water, feeding on large insects, lizards, frogs and even smaller birds.
Black-naped oriole Oriolus chinensis - Just look out for the bright flash of yellow flying amongst the green. Very easy to spot when they fly out in the open across the road.
Pink-necked green pigeon Treron vernans - One of our native pigeon species, which feeds mainly on fruit. Actually quite common, but rarely seen.
Common flameback Dinopium javanense - Singapore's most common woodpecker species. The bright red crest of the male is unmistakeable.
Yellow-vented bulbul Pycnonotus goiavier - One of the more common native birds of Singapore, I think there's a nest or 2 somewhere near the house.
Yellow-bellied prinia Prinia flaviventer. This little bird is yet another common species that is not often seen.
As dusk falls, you might spot a stocky bird suddenly explode from the leaf litter and undergrowth and fly off. Don't be startled - it's just a large-tailed nightjar (Caprimulgus macrurus). While nightjars chase insects in the air at night, by day they hide on the ground. The camouflage of this nightjar as it sits among leaf litter is superb.
And of course, there are the extremely rare gems, the birds that you almost never see your entire life until you come to 02 Kent Ridge Road... true, some of these birds are not natives, but introduced or the descendants of escaped pets, but still, spotting one of these is pretty notable.
White-crested laughingthrush Garrulax leucolophus - Another introduced species that has established itself in the parks and gardens around Kent Ridge.
Large-billed crow Corvus macrorhynchos. The original native crow of Singapore. This species, while never common to begin with, has been displaced by the recently introduced house crow. Note the completely black colouration and relatively larger bill. Also, it is larger than the house crow, and much more solitary; this crow is always seen alone or in small groups, and never forms large flocks like those of the House crow.
Oriental magpie-robin Copsychus saularis - Formerly Singapore's most common bird, now very rare due to illegal capture for the songbird trade. The pair we spotted from the porch were probably escapees.
White-bellied sea eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster - Haven't managed to see this one at the house yet, but I have heard them nearby. Listen up for the crows and cockatoos; if they're raising a ruckus, an eagle should be flying close by.
Yellow-crested cockatoo Cacatua sulphurea - The most conspicuous immigrant and now well-established resident of Kent Ridge, this Indonesian bird is popular in the pet trade. The sight of 6 or so cockatoos flying directly overhead is breathtaking - don't miss them when you're at the house. Usually, you'll hear their raucous screeching long before you hear them.
Apart from the birds, we do have a couple of mammals to look out for.
Plantain squirrel Callosciurus notatus - The most common local squirrel species, I've lost count of the number of squirrels I've spotted scurrying about the vegetation fringing the roads en route to the house.
And here's an interesting snippet: Along the stretch just before KE VII Hall, right beside the road, I discovered this dead squirrel, which looked like it had slipped, fallen out of the tree, and bashed its head on a rock when it fell. Ouch... Life is cruel to the careless and unwary.
And after a hard day's work, as evening falls, as day gives way to night, you're likely to encounter these guys flying around:
Lesser Asian house bat Scotophilus kuhlii - As dusk falls, or as the whole bunch of Raggers walk down the road towards Fong Seng, you'll probably encounter these fluttering around, chasing insects, especially on cool nights after rain, when all the flying ants and termites are out in full force... watch your head, and enjoy the show.
Of course, this is but a tiny fraction of what one may discover living in and around the house; this post will be updated as time passes, and as new and exciting discoveries are made. But whenever you're at the house, do take time to enjoy and relax, and be grateful for the delightful change in scenery... A nature lover like me certainly appreciates the difference. Just hope the mosquitoes stop harassing us though... =P
` lets be raggerfied
). 
