12/28/07 - It really DOES rain in the rain forest

On today’s adventure we visited two waterfalls and a sulfur spring in Dominica. The views were beautiful and I learned something interesting--the name “rain forest” wasn’t an accident. It really does rain there. Thankfully it seems to stop as quickly as it starts.

12/28/07 - Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream

Let’s see, I’ll have a scoop of chocolate and a scoop of phish food…and put it in the cone that is shaped like my hat.

12/28/07 - Lost another one

Now I am starting to get worried. A third gingerbread man has gone missing. I’m starting to think there is some kind of conspiracy!

12/27/07 - Hello from St. Thomas!

Today we stopped at our second port of call, St. Thomas. It is a very beautiful island. There are many more mountains here than in my homeland of Gnomistan. Mr. and Mrs. S took me on a sky ride to the top of a mountain. What a scenic view!

12/27/07 - Elephants and rabbits and gnomes, oh my!

Once again we returned to the cabin at the end of a long night to find another animal loose on the bed! Thankfully this one was as friendly as last night’s elephant. This a very strange place though….In all my years of travel, I have never seen an elephant and a rabbit to be the same size. Curious indeed.

12/27/07 - Another Gingerbread missing

Another one of my gingerbread friends failed to return last night. That’s the second one that has disappeared. Well, it’s a big ship, but he couldn’t have gone too far.

12/26/07 - Wild Kingdom

At the end of the night, after a lovely poolside buffet, we came back to the room only to discover that an elephant had escaped from the zoo! Oh my! Fortunately I was able to use my gnomish powers and tame the wild beast. We have since become the best of friends.

12/26/07 - Duty free…but not pain free

I learned something very valuable today. Just because you can buy gnome-size bottles of liquor doesn’t mean you should drink them all at once. Please make the ship stop spinning.

12/26/07 - Puerto Rico

Land Ho! Our first spotting of land in three days. This sure looks different from Bayonne! Today we stopped at the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. We all went shopping in downtown old San Juan and had a lovely time. Here is a photo of me with our ship. It doesn’t look so big from here.

12/26/07 - Gingerbread Missing

Last night one of my gingerbread friends never came back from a long night of partying... I do hope he is all right! The other gingerbread men didn’t seem to be too concerned. Apparently he does this all the time.

12/25/07 - All I Want for Christmas...

Dear Santa,

I would like a new car (remote control is acceptable), a win for Penn State at the Alamo Bowl...and a puppy!

12/25/07 - Gingerbread Village

Merry Christmas everyone! I am very impressed with all of the decorations on the ship. Here is a gingerbread village that we found on deck five. I wonder if this is where my new friends were partying last night?

12/25/07 - Christmas Party

My gingerbread friends and I went out to imbibe some of the local liquors. I never knew that my new friends could drink so much! The next morning I awoke and found them in this sorry state.

12/24/07 - Gnome-Sized Hot Tub

Finally, all the comment cards I have left for the cruise line have paid off! They are now providing gnome-sized hot tubs. I can’t wait to try one out.

Day Two - At Sea

It’s day two of my getaway and I couldn’t be more relaxed. I would like to introduce you to some of the new friends who I have met since I came onboard. Mr. S’s father was kind enough to send along a few of his holiday creations. They don’t say much but they sure like to party.

Our cabin

Our cabin is a wee bit cozy but it will be more than adequate. Our cabin steward, Horace, is a pleasant gentleman. He kindly leaves a gnome-sized candy bar just for me every night on the pillow. I just have to keep Mr. S from stealing it!

Welcome aboard the Explorer of the Seas!

Welcome aboard the beautiful Explorer of the Seas. After spending a wonderful day at Mr. S’s parents’ house we left for the not-so-beautiful port of Bayonne, NJ. The ship is massive! With my small legs it could take me all day just to walk the length of the ship. Thankfully Mr. and Mrs. S have agreed to carry me most of the time. Aren’t they wonderful?

Well, it’s time for the muster drill. I don’t quite think that this life vest is going to fit me. I’ll have to talk to guest relations about this.

Almost Time to Set Sail

Well, Golly-Gee! Can you believe it? It's almost time to set sail! I just can't contain myself, I'm so excited. In the picture, I'm checking out all of the spots Mr. & Mrs. S have visited in the past, with an eye to the places I will explore in the coming weeks. I'll report from the road, or should I say sea, soon.

Cheerio,

NG

Well, Hello!

Greetings, Friends! And welcome to my blog. Do allow me to introduce myself. I am Nittany Gnome, Mr. & Mrs. S's official traveling gnome. I am the brother of the lazy, good for nothing Deck Gnome. And yes, I am a distant cousin of that other famous gnome who also likes to travel.

I joined Mr. & Mrs. S's family in November when they returned to Happy Valley. It was love at first sight when they saw me, much like when the two of them met all those years ago. (Mrs. S tells me that it was nine years ago. Well, my goodness!)

I'll be sending you updates from my debut cruise, which is coming up rather soon. In the meantime, check back for updates on my preparations. I expect to be quite busy--I must secure a passport, luggage, and suitable cruise-wear--but I will try to keep you, my fans, apprised of my progress.

Cheerio!
Nitt