Sunday June 28th-

 Any man can be a father, but it

 takes someone special to be a dad...

Today is my dad’s birthday. Arvid and I were 

supposed to take him and my mom out to dinner. 

Unfortunately my dad is not feeling well so rain 

check.  We will be going for a little visit instead

 just to wish I’m happy birthday and to see them. 

Arvid, Sniff and I got home at 3am Saturday 

morning the flight from Missouri was delayed

 because the weather in Florida was not good. 

Summer in Florida. Thunderstorms, rain and 

lightning.  Means flights are always delayed.

Sniff did not want to leave Branson. Only 

because he did not want to get in his pet carrier.

 Of course he acted up a bit.  As always  Arvid

 always seems to know how to comfort him.

He actually had a temper tantrum.  Just 

"screaming" and giving us his best shot at bad

 behaviour and bad attitude.  I thought it was kinda cute, 

after all this is Sniff, and he is a cutie.  At the airport the 

TSA agents wanted to take him home with them.  I told 

them they could have Arvid, NEVER my Sniff.

It was a long day. We wanted to go downtown 

a bit, but neither of us were up for it.  We stayed 

in and just took it easy.  Watched some soccer and a

 movie.  Was good to just stay put and relax. Our last 

sunset before leaving Missouri for this summer.

After 3 hours of sleep I was awake.  Did a Publix 

run.  That’s our grocery store.  On my way back home

 I just thought I would go by Legacy's spot.  I was so 

happy she was there. Of course I had just bought food 

for her so I fed her. She has been cared for because I see 

water and food bowls around.  So happy to see her. 

The same thunderstorms in Florida that delayed our

 flight yesterday is a common occurrence during the 

summer months.  Yesterday's sky by late afternoon.  

Yes there was lightning flashing all over the sky. 

Sunday morning.  Feeling more rested and ready 

for the new day.  Sniff gets used to both places as 

soon as we get there.  He is such a good boy. To 

all a very good day. It's good to be home again. 

In the blink of an eye it could all 

be taken away.  Be grateful always...

~Nadiya~

Saturday June 27th~

There is no place like home. Home 

is where my habits have a habitat..

One guess as to where we are?  Yup! We are back 

home in Fort Myers.  There is no place like home.  We 

love going to other places, but  we love it more when we 

go home.  Back to looking at Legacy Marina taking shape, 

and yes, that is our building.  Nowhere like HOME!

I hope to see Legacy today.  Hope she and 

Newbie are doing okay.  I already got foodies 

and my bag of goodies prepared for them.

Sniff has already reacquainted himself with 

his familiar spots.  Sniff is a good boy.  He adapts

 to every place within minutes. Love my Sniff.

It will be a busy morning here, but a good one.

  To all a very good day.  Morning is here.

I’ve found that the first thirty minutes of 

my day have the biggest impact on how I 

feel for the rest of my waking hours...

~Nadiya~

Friday June 26th~

 To leave home is to grow, to return is to understand...

Last day for now that I will be feeding and seeing 

my wildlife friends.  Back home in Florida we don't 

have this much wildlife to look at, on the other

 hand we do see dolphins, and manatees.🐬

The time has come to go back home.  As always 

it's bittersweet.  I always worry about my wildlife 

friends when I am gone, but luckily there is lots of

 food for them everywhere.  At the same time we 

are all excited to be back home in Florida🌴

I hope to see Legacy tomorrow and feed her.  

Yes, it is good to be going home.  See you in the fall 

Branson.  Thank you for a good summer so far.

Definitely mixed feelings today nice to get to go 

home but I have memories here as well and they

 are special. But there is no place like home...

~Nadiya~

Friday June 26th~

Wake up early and tackle

 the day before it tackles you...

 As always Sniff and I are awake very early.  I feed

 the birds, I clean the deck, I feed and brush Sniff, and

 clean his litter pan.  Then I have my cafe.  All of this

 usually before 5:50 in the morning.  I love  mornings

 especially when I get to witness beautiful sunrises.

This summer here in Branson one of our most visited

  spots has been Big Cedar Lodge.  As mentioned before, 

it is enormous, and if you are lucky you will see all 

sorts of wildlife.  So far we have been fortunate.

Sniff has mastered the art of the stairs.  He is 

faster than speedy Gonzalez, of course that can 

very well be the reason he has slimmed down.

 Sniff, like us has had a great time in Branson.

Yesterday one of our friends texted me and told

 us that our hangout, mainly Arvid and the guys 

will be closing its doors on July 4th for good. 

I will sure miss all their delicious drinks.

The owners have a huge home in Florida, and

 several all around Branson.  Will miss Star Bar

 because it had great drinks, was right across from us 

and it was the hangout spot for arvid and the boys.  Even 

Arvid’s brother went to Star Bar. He enjoyed the band

 that played Country music very very much.  Now we

 need to find a new hangout for when we are back.

To all a very good day. As Rocky said: It ain’t

 about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard 

you can get hit and keep moving forward.

Grateful for small things, big 

things and everything in between...

~Nadiya~

Thursday June 25th~

Cats mastered the art of knowing how to

 obtain food without labour, shelter without 

confinement, and love without penalties...

 I love watching Charly.  She lives life on her

 own terms and no matter what Dave, her human daddy

 says Charly does what she wants when she wants.  Dave

  has a door camera set up especially for Charly.  After

 she's done roaming she goes to the door and patiently

 waits to be let in.  She does not have a long wait.

Arvid and I took another trip to Andy's.  Like I 

have said before, there will never be a time I say no

 to Andy's.  The best frozen custard we have ever had. 

 Wish we had one close to us in Fort Myers.

Yesterday I had a good time with many of the posts 

on social media.  Everyone is talking about FIFA World 

Cup and how it has changed the way Europeans, Asians and 

so many foreigners view America.  Everyone just loves our

 country.  It makes you even prouder to be an American.

  What we take for granted here in America is just something 

others have not fully experienced.  I'm proud to be 

an American, where at least I know I'm free.

Late yesterday afternoon I saw Charley,

 or more like she saw me. I opened the sliding 

door, called her and she came running.  I was so

 hoping to see her and now I am happy.  Fed her 

and after eating she took off roaming again.

I will never be tired of waking up to the 🐦  I love 

my Fatboy, Daisy, Sparrows, Pigeon, Squirrel.  You name 

them I love them.  They make Sniff and I  very happy.

Morning is here and I am loving my quiet time.

Happiness can be found even in the darkest of 

times if one remembers to turn on the light...

~Nadiya~

Wednesday June 24th~

The best and most beautiful things 

in this world cannot be seen or even

 heard, but must be felt with the heart...

 Recently Pigeon has been coming to the deck 

and just sitting on the railing.  Usually she would eat 

on the grass below, but she's gotten brave and comes 

directly to the food source.  Most of the time Squirrel

 is in the food platter, but somehow they have worked

 out a system where each one takes turns to eat.  They 

make Sniff and I happy.  Already missing them.

We had a beautiful day yesterday.  Blue skies and

 sunshine. Today has already begun with a beautiful 

sunrise accompanied by a little mist.  Makes it look 

even prettier from where I stand.  I love mornings.

We did not do much yesterday.  With all these soccer

 games we, well mainly Arvid has to really plan on how 

and when to do things.  Lunch is either one of the breaks 

of after one game is over.  The window to the next game 

is sometimes very short, but Arvid keeps himself busy.

Wishing everyone a very good day.  Let us 

remember that starting the morning on the

 right foot sets the tone for a great day.  

If you're looking for a great dining experience

 look no further.  The Keeter Center is a massive 95,000

square-foot log-and-stone lodge located at the entrance 

of College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri. 

Built by students and opened in 2004, it serves

 as an educational workstation and a tribute to the

 campus's history. The massive multi-function

 facility was built over four-and-a-half years

 by a team of roughly 250 students and the 

college's construction crew. Keeter Center

Rise gently, shine boldly, and embrace the day 

ahead.  Every morning is a beautiful morning...

~Nadiya~

Tuesday June 23rd~

A grateful heart recognizes 

the beauty in everyday moments...

Norway won last night, needless to say, Arvid 

is a happy man.  All his screaming and cussing

 while the game was going on sure paid off.

 Home is calling and we are all looking 

forward to going home, knowing that we will be

 back in Branson in the fall.  It feels nice to break 

up the stay.  Looking forward to seeing my furry 

friend in Fort Myers.  Legacy and Newbie.

Though it rained quite a bit yesterday, that

 sure did not stop the birds and the squirrels from

 showing up.  In fact if anything, they love the rain. 

Squirrel is not afraid of Sniff. For a few hours it

 looked like fall had already arrived to Branson.

Yesterday's drive took us to Chateau on the Lake 

an iconic lakeside resort featuring a full-service 

luxury spa, an award-winning restaurant,

and a state-of-the-art convention center.

We have never not had a good time there, 

best of all are those sunsets on the lake.  

To all a very good day.  What if today, 

we were just grateful for everything?

Gratitude makes life's journey sweeter...

~Nadiya~

Monday June 22nd~

Start where you are. Use what

 you have. Do what you can...

 Summer so far in Branson has been very good.

  It is soon coming to an end, but we will be back in

 the fall.  Looking forward to going home to Florida,

 and having some time to be on my own.  I am very

 grateful for the life we have, and the people in it.

Yesterday was also a day filled with soccer.  Arvid 

and I ended up going to Lake Vibez in the afternoon; 

formerly known as Area 71.  You think you’re going

 into a gas station, but once you get in you realize

 just how wrong you are. In a very good way.

Known as The Destination Gas Station, where 

you stop for gas and stay for the vibez.  It has a 

huge lounge at the bottom of the building where 

concerts and bigger events are held.  Arvid saw

 the Reggae concert there not so long ago.

Lake Vibez Branson (former Area 71)

We have a fairly busy week ahead of us. I’m 

looking forward to going home soon. I need 

to take Sniff to the vet and figure out if there 

is anything wrong with him. Hopefully not.

He looks great now super active, but he is 

getting skinnier with each passing day.  Arvid

 says he looks good. He does, but I just want to

Make sure there is nothing wrong with him.

The last 6 hours it has been raining and 

thundering non-stop.  Thunder so loud the entire 

apartment complex shook.  Lightning is also going

 off like crazy.  Sniff spent most of the time under 

the bed, but then came to me for comfort.

It is still thundering, raining and lightning continues. 

Seems like most of the week is looking stormy, but with

 the weather in Branson that can change in the blink

 of an eye.  Good morning and a good day to all.

It's a new week.  Breathe in peace.

 Expect something good.  Say yes to 

growth.  Let this week surprise you...

~Nadiya~

Sunday June 21st~

First we eat, then we do everything else. 

Food isn't just fuel; it's a universal 

language, a form of art, and one 

of life's greatest pleasures...

 Yesterday Arvid and I went to Capone's 

Speakeasy Grill once again for dinner.  Voted the

 best steak in Branson, and as far as I am concerned 

the best steak I have ever had. I want to say even

 better or the same as Smith and Wollensky.

Yesterday while Arvid was watching soccer

 games I took some time and went to the outlets.

  The traffic right now is horrible. Seems like everyone

 is in Branson. It took me 15 mins to find a parking 

spot and over 20 minutes over to State Road 76, 

Branson, Missouri’s famous vibrant main strip.

Explore The Branson Strip

Today will be "mostly" a quiet day at home.  

Sniff is already in relaxed mode.  Arvid is getting

 ready to watch soccer, and I just want to read a little

 and not be bothered with much more, other than

 watch Sniff watch the birds and the squirrels.  

A very good day to all.  Remember 

whether you're resting your mind or prepping your 

planner, a calm Sunday builds a strong Monday.

My favorite playlist? Birds, coffee, and Sunday

 silence. Let Sunday be your soft restart button...

~Nadiya~