Wild Barracuda's

Have you ever learned something new, whether it be word or catch phrase, and all of the sudden you start hearing/seeing it everywhere.... well, I have had one of those instances recently. Pull up a chair, grab a hot mug of cider, snuggle up in your nice warm blanket and listen to my adventure in a northwest Ohio jungle.

It was a warm breezy day. I had scheduled a photo shoot for the beautiful Davis family at the 5-7-7 foundation. Wanting to be prepared for the photo shoot I went and scoped out the grounds for ideal settings and backgrounds. Now, I have been to the 5-7-7 foundation a couple of times in the past and knew there was a path that led down to the river, so I decided to check it out and make sure it was(n't) worth going down there to take pictures. First, I walked through a tall grassy area, and then proceeded down some gravel stairs in a wooded area. As I was walking in this wooded playground for the rabid squirrel and chipmunk folk, I remembered my fear of animals. I make it down to the water, not picturesque, and make my way back up the winding gravel terrain (while talking to my husband so someone could at least hear it if I start getting mulled by an animal). There was nothing sweeter than reaching the open prairie lands where civilization lay!

[See side note story below]

Sooo where is this wild barracuda, you may be asking yourself? I get back to work, and need to release the adrenaline from the anxiety of my forest frolic, so I go back to customer service to share my adventures (where the lovely Mrs. Davis works). Trying to keep my cool I begin my story with "I was almost attached by a barracuda at lunch" - not dramatic at all. My friend Heather asks, "did you get in the water or something?" Confused, I say... "no, why? do barracuda's like the water?" I hear laughter coming from the other cubicles.... So then I finally ask the question "What's a barracuda?????" Apparently it's a fish! And thanks to the wonderful worldwide web, I have posted a picture! Scary huh?? I think it might even be more frightening than the mountain lion type creature I was picturing mulling my face!



Since this day I have had multiple run-in's with barracuda's - the song, car, someone else sharing a story that involved a barracuda... you name it!

Side note story: The last time I was at the 5-7-7 foundation, which I think was roughly 6 years ago. I did actually have an encounter with the wild animal kingdom. I was walking down the trail mentioned above, and was pondering on my recent reading's of a book called 'Captivating.' The authors were sharing about their stories about how they asked God to give them a sign in that moment, and being the nature lovers that they are, a random animal appeared and they believed that was their sign from God. Well, me, the non-animal loving, nature (as long as there are not wild animals) enjoying, friendly self starts asking "God, I want an animal too... but God, you know I'm afraid of animals, so nothing scary, but something more than your average furry woodland squirrels & chipmunks because they are in abundance, and I might get that that's my sign. I kid you not, 5 steps later Bambi's mom has stopped dead in her tracks & is staring at me. "Woah God, I must have thought you were listening that close." But I was thankful, because I wasn't scared, and I knew it was God - I don't believe in coincidence.

So there you have it folks!