Sneezy

Ah pheel lize meh noze iz donnah expoed!!!**

I drive a white truck... only right now it isn't white. It is a dusty yellow. For the past 13 days the tree pollen count has been in the very high zone. Pine, oak, various ornamental flowering trees and shrubs are contributing to the sticky golden mess that covers everything. Ahhh, spring time in Georgia.

Let's do that the quiz:

• Do you have red, watery eyes?
  
• Do you sneeze a lot?
  
• Do you have an itchy nose?
  
• Do you have a runny nose with clear drainage?
  
• Do you have a stuffy nose?
  

Where's the all the above box?

The pollen count today was 5768 according to a report on Georgia Public Radio. A count of 120 per cubic meter would be considered in the High Zone.

Red Oak

Pecan

Pine

Willow Oak

**In case you need a translation: I feel like my nose is going to explode!!!

Cherry Blossoms

The International Cherry Blossom Festival ended last weekend. For ten days, the city of Macon opens up with gracious southern hospitality. Some 300,000 Yoshino cherry trees across the city were in full bloom. Yesterday, we got to see the show without the crowds and too many vendors hawking their wares.









As we walked down the corridor. we were in awe. It seemed that the tree limbs were spun with pink and white cotton candy.




I believe this little guy was happy to see the mobs gone from his habitat.

Why was tempted to ask him about saving 15% on my car insurance???

Stressing

• 35 minutes early for my appointment
• 24 minutes late to be called back
• Hair shaved from my chest to stick the EKG patches
• IV installed
• First round of Thallium injected
• 15 minutes of the glowing stuff coursing through my veins
• 16 1/2 minutes of lying on the most uncomfortable table in the world with a rotating camera circling around my chest
• 12 lead EKG
• 140/100 BP - ouch
• 15 minutes of walking on the treadmill - I actually did good with this - but I was so ready for it to be over
• Second round of Thallium injected
• 15 minutes of the glowing stuff coursing through my veins
• 16 1/2 more minutes of pictures of inside my ribs

The worst part of the entire ordeal... being Decaffeinated for +24 hours. I am such a coffee junkie! And my head was pounding the whole time!

I have a phone appointment with Dr. Jones tomorrow at 2:30 for my results.

Blooming along the Trail

They crawl along the grond and will cover over small scrub oaks. The faint but fragrant aroma is intoxicating. The Cherokee Roses lined our path as we drove to Macon today.

The Legend of the Cherokee Rose

No better symbol exists of the pain and suffering of the Trail Where They Cried than the Cherokee Rose. The mothers of the Cherokee grieved so much that the chiefs prayed for a sign to lift the mother's spirits and give them strength to care for their children. From that day forward, a beautiful new flower, a rose, grew wherever a mother's tear fell to the ground. The rose is white, for the mother's tears. It has a gold center, for the gold taken from the Cherokee lands, and seven leaves on each stem that represent the seven Cherokee clans that made the journey. To this day, the Cherokee Rose prospers along the route of the "Trail of Tears". The Cherokee Rose is now the official flower of the State of Georgia.

Rosa laevigata on the Golden Isles Parkway

Examation

All during high school and college, I never really studied for a test at the last minute... None of that burning the midnight oil stuff. If I hadn't gotten it during the actual lecture and assignments, then all that fretting at the last hours would make little difference.

I have to take a test tomorrow. I need not fail this one. I don't want it to be my final... Mid-term would be nice.

My Cardiac Stress Test is scheduled for 12:30 tomorrow.

• No caffeine since lunch today.
• Light breakfast and nothing after 8:30 AM
• Comfortable clothing and shoes

That's all the cramming necessary to prepare for tomorrow's test. Hopefully, I can ace it!

Chief Noc-A-Homa

And when we started talking I could not believe my ears,
You said you were a Braves fan even through the rotten years.

My Kind of Girl, Collin Raye


92 years old she is…


Back in the days when the only television reception available was an antenna (the higher you can get it the better the reception – and that wasn’t the greatest), Mama Mildred would watch the Braves games on WTBS, but just barely. The picture was fuzzy at best. If it happened to be during a peak in the sunspot cycle, you could forget it. Channel 17 from Atlanta was pumping some megawatts in the days before cable, and way before satellite dishes. Turn the rotary just right. And when the snow on the screen was so bad that it was not viewable, she would listen to the games on the radio. Mama got hooked on the Braves.

When she finally gave in and got hooked up on the Dish Network, she was like a kid set loose in a candy store. But there was the problem of when and what station would be carrying the broadcast of the next game. Sissy did the first list about 8 years ago. I have done the years since. Date, opponent, stadium, start time and channel number are printed out for each month of the season. Seven crisp sheets of paper are now placed on a clip board beside the lift chair.

With good coaching, pitching, fielding and hitting – I will get to print out an eight sheet come October.

Hummer Migration facts

From the migration page on hummingbirds.net:

Most Ruby-throated Hummingbirds winter between southern Mexico and northern Panama. Since hummingbirds lead solitary lives and neither live nor migrate in flocks, an individual bird may spend the winter anywhere in this range where the habitat is favorable, but probably returns to the same location each winter. Ruby-throats begin moving north as early as January, and by the end of February they are at the northern coast of Yucatan, gorging on insects and spiders to add a thick layer of fat in preparation for flying to the U.S. Some will skirt the Gulf of Mexico and follow the Texas coast north, while most apparently cross the Gulf, typically leaving at dusk for a nonstop flight of up to 500 miles, which takes 18-22 hours depending on the weather. Although hummingbirds may fly over water in company of mixed flocks of other bird species, they do not "hitchhike" on other birds. Some hummingbirds land on offshore oil rigs or fishing boats to rest. Individual birds may make landfall anywhere between southern Texas and central Florida. Before departing, each bird will have nearly doubled its weight, from about 3.25 grams to over 6 grams; when it reaches the U.S. Gulf coast, it may weigh only 2.5 grams. It's also possible that a few Ruby-throats island-hop across the Caribbean and enter the U.S. through the Florida Keys.

Males depart Yucatan first, followed about 10 days later by the first females. But the migration is spread over a three-month period, which prevents a catastrophic weather event from wiping out the entire species. This means that a few birds will arrive at any location very early (the dots on the migration map), but the bulk of the population will follow later, so you may not see your first hummingbird for several more weeks. Each individual has its own internal map and schedule, and "your" birds may arrive early, late, or anywhere within a two-month span.Once in North America, migration proceeds at an average rate of about 20 miles per day, generally following the earliest blooming of flowers hummingbirds prefer. The northward migration is complete by late May. Banding studies show that each bird tends to return every year to the same place it hatched, even visiting the same feeders.

Well, in that case: Welcome Home, little fellows!

They'rrrrrrrre back......

We had just finished supper. Dishes were loaded into the dishwasher. I was downloading the photos that Sarah had taken today. Sarah walked to the front door and GASPED!!!

"HUMMINGBIRD!!!"

We grabbed the camera and waited... Last summer we finally got hummingbirds to come to our front deck. And they came in groves!

We had been tracking the spring migration on hummingbird.net, so we had set up one of our feeders on the front deck and one in the Paulownina tree on the path to the goat pen. Fresh sugar solution (4:1) was prepared - very similar to Georgia Sweet Tea!

The sun was low in the west and light was fading quickly this evening. But we were able to get several decent shots.



We saw at least 3 of the teeny emerald and ruby buzz bombers - all males today. We can't wait for the chance to take more photos of the hummingbirds in full sunlight!

You do have Smell-o-Internet, dontcha?

Oh, you don't... Too bad! The wisteria in the front/back yard is in full bloom and full aroma.

The wisteria is only out done in South Georgia by the "cow eating plant" (a.k.a.: Kudzu) in covering the country side. Down the street from work, the trees are wrapped in light purple blooms. Let go wild, wisteria will take over ground, fences and trees alike. But given the right application of the pruning shears, the wisteria will make a wonderful accent to the landscape of most any yard.

One of many bumble bees taking in the fragrance and nectar!

The "First" Day of Spring

The calendar has caught up with the season, at least in south Georgia. Watching the early morning news on CNN this AM, the weather guy, Bob Van Dillen was telling of the freezing temperatures and snow still falling in the north lands. (Pop-ups galore if you click the links to CNN).

I got a wonderful reminder that spring is in "full bloom" around here. NOT a flowering tree, which there are plenty... This one was heard. NOPE, not a chorus of peppers being all froggy in the swamp spring head. Those little fellows have been busy "Chrrrrrrippp-ing" for a couple of weeks already. This sound came from the most vocal of all night time birds.

As I walked in the pre-dawn darkness to the truck this morning, I stopped still in my tracks. The repeating of his night song was echoing in the crisp air.

Whip - poor - will, whip - poor- will, whip - poor - will...

lather - rinse - repeat...

I remember the pre-air conditioned summers of my youth, with my head practically laying on the sill the screened window. Hoping to catch a fleeing breeze on my face, as I sweated myself to sleep. And the voice of Poor Will, resounding in the hardwoods.

Whip - poor - will, whip - poor- will, whip - poor - will...

Whippoorwills are an elusive bird. Only once have I seen the muddy feathers of Mr. Will. On the dirt road leading away from the house - the reflective orange of the eye, give away his location before I could even begin to make out the outline against the red clay. And flight was taken before a good look was obtained.

So here is Spring. I placed my backpack in the truck, cupped my ears and squatted down to listen...

Image of a "poised" Whippoorwill by Mike Danzenbaker

How not to complain!

The old farmer was most proud of two things: his prize bull and his amazing bird dog.

Driving home from the Cattle competition at the county fair with a blue ribbon on the dash, the bird dog on the seat beside him and the bull in the bed of the pickup, the farmer was smiling from ear to ear.

As the trio was approaching home, a tire blew on the truck and into the ditch they went. All three were thrown from the vehicle – the bull to the back, the dog to the side and the farmer toward the front.

What a mess, the farmer did inventory of his injuries. He wasn’t able to move.

The bull was bellowing in pain, the dog was yelping from his injuries. Surely, neither one could survive such bodily damage.

Just then a State Trooper, happens on the accident scene. Seeing the condition of the bull, he pulls out his service revolver and –

BANG!!!

The Trooper turns his attention to the bird dog –

BANG!!!

Then moving to the front of the truck, the Trooper asked the farmer, “How do you feel?”

The farmer immediately jumped to his feet, “Never better in my life!!!”

More Dogwood Lore

The rural people of Cumberland Plateau are keen observers of nature and weather. Over the years they gathered much knowledge concerning seasonal weather lore. Counting the fogs on August Morns to predict the number of snows in the winter, the thickness of the hulls on the hickory nuts to tell the harshness of winter, even whether or not to set out on that fishing trip...

When the wind is blowing in the North
No fisherman should set forth,
When the wind is blowing in the East,
'Tis not fit for man nor beast,
When the wind is blowing in the South
It brings the food over the fish's mouth,
When the wind is blowing in the West,
That is when the fishing's best!

Another one of these legends concerns a natural phenomenon that occurs each spring when winter returns. In April, the white the blossoms of the dogwood tree cover the hardwood understory. But during this blooming, there is always a cold spell, which brings a dramatic drop in temperature and an light frost and even the occasional snow flurry. My grandparents and parents (and lots of other Tennessee folks) called this Dogwood Winter, and I’ve observed it too, occurring almost every year without fail during my childhood and early adulthood.

Instead of April, dogwoods bloom in mid-March in south Georgia. Earlier in the week, we saw several days with temperatures in the mid to upper 80's. A strong North-West wind yesterday afternoon and clear skies overnight delivered lows in the lower 40's.

Dogwood Winter in even defined on Dave's Garden website (the first entry when you Google). Now, where have I heard of that URL before???

Dogwood...

This has been the sign of spring that I have been waiting for!

Dogwood trees in south Georgia are nothing like the ones in Middle Tennessee. Well, actually they are probably exactly like the ones in Middle Tennessee. Most likely, they were shipped from the many nurseries in and around McMinnville.

And that's the thing. There are very few native dogwood trees on the plains that were once flooded by the Atlantic Ocean - unlike the hills of the Cumberland Plateau, where the under story of woods are covered with brilliant white blooms in the early spring. My childhood was filled with these four petal flowers. Yeah, I know the the center cluster are the flowers and the "petals" are actually bracts (modified leaves).

But try telling that horticultural fact to a six year old boy, who just filled a Coke bottle with water and placed into it three limbs of the showiest dogwood blooms he could find. Then carrying them into the green shingled house, grinning from ear to ear, "These flowers are for you, Mama."

The Old, Old, Legend Of The Dogwood

Two thousand years ago, few trees in the Middle East were big enough to construct anything. However, one tree was valued above the others for its thick trunk and fine, strong wood. When the Romans came to rule over Jerusalem, their government used this same timber to build the crosses for executing criminals. A group of workers were assigned to gather wood for the crosses. Before long, every Roman official knew the best wood came from these gatherers of execution wood, so those workers became popular.

One day, the wood gatherers received a special request. An officer of the Roman court came and said, "The King of Jews is to be put to death. Deliver an extra-large cross made from your finest wood." So, a fresh tree was cut from the forest of the trees with thick trunks and fine, strong wood. An extra-tall (and extra-heavy) cross was quickly made and delivered. Three days after the death of Jesus of Nazereth, the chief wood gatherer got alarming news. "All of our finest trees are withering!" the messenger whispered. The wood gatherer hurried to the forest and saw that it was true.

Several years later, the chief wood gatherer heard that, every spring, many people visited the old forest that had once made his job so easy. Despite his advancing years, he set out to discover why. He saw the remains of forest, now like a salty bottoms, with only a few trees still standing tall, baked, lifeless and rotting.

But what was this? As he drew closer, his feeble eyes could make out the people walking among thousands of beautiful, flowering bushes. Seeing one of his own workers there, the old man said, "No one could ever make a cross out of this twisted wood. Our finest tree has gone to the dogs!" He noticed the beautiful white flowers, each blossom looking as if it had been burned from the touch of a miniature cross.

So...an old and beautiful legend has it that, at the time of the crucifixion, the dogwood was comparable in size to the oak tree and other monarchs of the forest. Because of its firmness and strength it was selected as the timber for the cross, but to be put to such a cruel use greatly distressed the tree. Sensing this, the crucified Jesus in his gentle pity for the sorrow and suffering of all said to it: "Because of your sorrow and pity for My sufferings, never again will the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used as a gibbet. Henceforth it will be slender, bent and twisted and its blossoms will be in the form of a cross -- two long and two short petals. In the center of the outer edge of each petal there will be nail prints -- brown with rust and stained with red -- and in the center of the flower will be a crown of thorns, and all who see this will remember.

~author unknown~

DLST

The clock on my office did not fall back last October. I just did the math and adjusted whenever I looked at it.

And do I really need a clock on the wall of my office or a watch on my arm?

The 1969 Chicago song "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" couldn't be written today. Everyone knows what time it is, even the people who aren't wearing watches.

These days, the correct time is everywhere: in the corner of the computer screen, on the satellite television when channels are switched, car radios, microwaves, ovens even coffee makers... And, perhaps most significantly, on cell phones, BlackBerries, MP3 players and GPSr's. Most people these days carry a highly accurate and durable time piece, but it isn't a watch.

I have several watches in a drawer slowly draining the batteries to nil. A couple that cost several hundred dollars to one that was a single buck on a flea market table more than a decade ago. Today, it would cost more to replace the battery in that one.

As I stand at the work table in the lab and glance at the clock on the wall, I no longer have to calculate to know whether it is fifteen minutes till time for lunch (or an hour and fifteen minutes). At least until the first weekend of November.

Trading Up!

And speaking of Roadside Produce Stands....

I was reading some emails from two years ago from a member of the Yahoo Group Yorkie South.

At the roadside stand, Mrs. Miller was bagging some early potatoes for me. I noticed a small boy,delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas.

I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller and the ragged boy next to me.

"Hello Barry, how are you today?"

"H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas. Sure look good."

"They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?"

"Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time."

"Good. Anything I can help you with?"

"No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas."

"Would you like to take some home?"

"No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with."

"Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?"

"All I got's my prize marble here."

"Is that right? Let me see it."

"Here 'tis. She's a dandy."

"I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?"

"Not zackley . but almost."

"Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble."

"Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller."

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said, "There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, perhaps."

I left the stand smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering.

Several years went by, each more rapid that the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his viewing that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.

Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts ... all very professional looking.

They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket.

Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and mentioned the story she had told me about the marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.

"Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about.! They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim "traded" them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size ... they came to pay their debt."

"We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world," she confided, "but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho."

With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.

Roadside Fruit Stand

With late summer, given enough rain, wild plums are abundant in south Georgia. While not the best for eating, their flavor is just right for jelly making. So come August, I will be carrying a bucket in the back of the truck - waiting for the tale-tell change from green to crimson along the side of the road.

Whatcha going to do this weekend?

215 plus miles of folks set up to sell any and everything!!!



A portion of the route is less than a mile from our front door!!!

More Signs of Spring

We started down the driveway.

Sarah: "Where's the camera?"

Me: "On the table."

Sarah:

Me: "Let's walk to back house and get it. It's just a few extra steps and we can use the exercise. "

We walk the gentle rise back to the back door. Then back to the trek around the paths through the fields and woods.

Blackberries (not electronic communication devices) and Pear Trees were in bloom.

And the Oxalis on the southern side of the house is showing out!

Another Sign of Spring

Our Paulownia trees are blooming! After the severe wind and heavy rains last night, we were welcomed this morning by light purple flowers.

The Lion Roared, LOUDLY

Sixteen people in Alabama and Georgia are reported dead after tornadoes hit the southern region. Severe storms and strong winds with rotation were within 30 miles of us last night.

*Photo: The Lion King, Disney Corp.

Purple Martins

Yay, the Purple Martins are back!
The Purple Martins are back!
The Purple Martins are back!

Thunderstorms and Lions and Lambs

Mae West said it best - "Hold onto your hats, it's going to be quite a bumpy ride!"

So starts the weather in South Georgia on the first day of March:
100% Chance of Thunderstorms
High temperature 73°
Wind gust to 25 mph

If March comes in like a lion, it goes out like a lamb. And, if. March comes in like a lamb, it goes out like a lion.

The whole lion and lamb thing always had me confused as a child. I suspected it had something to do with the “lions and lambs shall lie down together” business, but that never seemed to happen on Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom which was my reality test, way back then.

Yeah, yeah, I know the actual verse is --- “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.” from Isaiah 11:6.

Well, I didn’t actually *know* the quote, as in had the knowledge stored in my head, but I did know how to search for it, and that’s all that counts, right? Life is just one big open book test.

As drove to work this morning, part of my gray matter rung up something from, again, way back!

John Belushi cleared it all up on Saturday Night Live in a bit he did with Chevy Chase about the way March’s entrance and exit is depicted around the world. I didn't have the skit stored in my head, but I did know how to search for it.

Chevy Chase:
Last week we made the comment that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Now here to reply is our chief meteorologist, John Belushi, with a seasonal report.

John Belushi:
Thank you Chevy. Well, another winter is almost over and March true to form has come in like a lion, and hopefully will go out like a lamb. At least that's how March works here in the United States.
But did you know that March behaves differently in other countries? In Norway, for example, March comes in like a polar bear and goes out like a walrus. Or, take the case of Honduras where March comes in like a lamb and goes out like a salt marsh harvest mouse.
Let's compare this to the Maldive Islands where March comes in like a wildebeest and goes out like an ant. A tiny, little ant about this big.

[holds thumb and index fingers a small distance apart]

Unlike the Malay Peninsula where March comes in like a worm-eating fernbird and goes out like a worm-eating fernbird. In fact, their whole year is like a worm-eating fernbird.
Or consider the Republic of South Africa where March comes in like a lion and goes out like a different lion. Like one has a mane, and one doesn't have a mane. Or in certain parts of South America where March swims in like a sea otter, and then it slithers out like a giant anaconda.
There you can buy land real cheap, you know. And there's a country where March hops in like a kangaroo, and stays a kangaroo for a while, and then it becomes a slightly smaller kangaroo. Then, then, then for a couple of days it's sort of a cross between a, a frilled lizard and a common house cat.

[Chevy Chase tries to interrupt him]

Wait wait wait wait. Then it changes back into a smaller kangaroo, and then it goes out like a, like a wild dingo. Now, now, and it's not Australia! Now, now, you'd think it would be Australia, but it's not!


[Chevy Chase tries to interrupt him]

Now look, pal! I know a country where March comes in like an emu and goes out like a tapir. And they don't even know what it means! All right? Now listen, there are nine different countries, where March comes in like a frog, and goes out like a golden retriever. But that- that's not the weird part! No, no, the weird part is, is the frog. The frog- The weird part is-

[John has seizure and falls off chair]

Ultrasound Evidence

My uncle Ronnie was a Teacher, Principal and even School Superintendent. Because he dealt with students and their parents, he would said, “I don’t have a heart, I’ve got a thumping gizzard, instead.” Well, that was until the doctor told him he had a heart attack several years ago. “I finally have proof that I have a heart after all. And there was no denying the hospital bill, either!!!”

As Robin moved the magic wand – smearing the yuckiest goop known to Mankind across my left side – she said, “There’s your Aorta, all four chambers and the colors show the blood flow through the chambers.”

The doctor came into the darkened room and stared at the screen.

“You have had uncontrolled hypertension for a few years now. And just like a weightlifter, the increased exercise has caused the heart muscle to grow.”

With nothing to with which to compare, this is now my baseline. Increased wall thickens – what should have been 12 to 14 mm was 16 to 18 mm.

Having a big heart is good, when it is caring for others.

Having a big heart from unknown and unmanaged high blood pressure, isn’t good at all.

Spring is Knocking

Lower 70's and Sunshine. It was a beautiful afternoon.

So is Spring really here? I don't think so.

1. The Purple Martins have not arrived back to the farm.
2. There is no green buds on the pecan trees.

It was told to me that my Dad-in-Law would state, "Mother Nature can fool most trees to bloom and bud, but she can't fool the pecan tree."

Three plus weeks until vernal equinox, so there is still time for cold fingers to snap.

Air Bags and Guardian Angels

I have known Brian’s family for nearly 15 years now, meeting Brian when he was 10 or 11 years old. I worked with his step-dad when with Savannah Luggage. His mom is the special lady at Tumi, especially on Friday mornings – and for salary associates, every other Friday.

Brian is an officer for the Helena Police force. Several weeks ago he was working a license check road block near the old fair grounds. He was having a rough time with the car in front of me and with a one sided grin; he looked back toward my truck and saw who was next in line. I returned my wallet to my back pocket. I reached instead for a form of identification he would know just as well. My badge with the security disk for entry into “free trade zone” warehouse hangs on a retractable key reel. As I approach, I flash my photo i.d. with the word “TUMI” on the side.


“Hey, Mr. Bob. How ya doing?”

We talk for the short time until there is a car approaching from behind me.

“If you need anything, give me a call. You still have my cell phone number, don’t ya?”

I still do.

Monday afternoon, a man thought it would be a good day to run a red light and then elude the police trying to stop him. Others from the Sherriff’s department and the two towns that make up our community joined in the chase. Highway 319/441 South was the road where Brian and a Deputy were traveling when they got the call of the fugitive location. Brian did a quick turnaround and was heading back to town. Ed, was in the black and orange Sherriff’s car behind Brian and decided to make his reversal on Temperance Road. The area around the south part of Telfair County was many little rises and valleys as the terrain slopes down to the Ocmulgee River. Temperance Road happens to be just over the top of one of those little hills. Brian says he remembers seeing 80 m.p,h. on his speedometer and he was still accelerating. The force of the impact is so great, the doors on the passenger side of Ed’s car are forced open as the entire seat is ejected and lands some 40 yards down the road.

Ed was taken to Macon, while Brian remained in Taylor-Telfair Hospital.

His mom and sister are standing in his hospital room as I enter Tuesday evening.

“He is down in Radiology. They just left a few minutes ago.” Kathy and Mindy looked like they both needed sleep.

I am shown photos of the remnants of two police cruisers. Under normal circumstances, I would have believed no would could survive such an accident. But they did.

Thank God for Airbags and Guardian Angels.

After a MRI Tuesday night, Brian was transferred to Middle Georgia Medical Center yesterday afternoon. I anxiously await news from Kathy this morning.

No Thanks, I'm in a hurry!!!

• Robitussin DM
• Orange Juice
• Grape Juice
• Cranberry Juice
• Box of Kleenex
  

My list for Wal*Mart was short and urgent. Sarah is not feeling so good. I make my way around the store, entering via the door by the Garden Department. Robitussin is close by. But OJ is in the totally opposite corner of the store. I make my way through and around the crowds that gather at 5:00.

I get to front of the store with the rest of the crowd, but with the good fortune of getting to a nearby register just as the cashier was returning from the customer service area. So I breeze through checkout.

Then I am face with another line - the one leading toward the exit. Six or seven buggies are lined up with a lady with a yellow highlighter marking receipts. As the other folks play “Follow the Leader”, I make my way toward the door via the fast lane.

“Ya know – you don’t have to stand in line for Yellow Highlighter Lady!!!”

I carry my bags to the truck and am on my way while others are still waiting.

The Year of the Pig

When it is Noon in south Georgia, it is Midnight in Taiwan and Hong Kong. I have received emails from the Tumi Asia folks at all hours of the day. One of the associates from the Hong Kong office is noted for sending emails in the afternoon E.S.T. Which means, the wee hours of the morning on the other side of the globe.

Any given day I will have a dozen or more emails from the Chen's, Lai's and Hou's of the organization. I checked several times over the long Presidents' Day Weekend. Nothing, None, Nadda! Not a single email from the Asia in the past 5 days.

Happy Chinese New Year!

63 Years and 1 Day

Sometime last week, the bulb in Mama's security light went out!!! So, I called the Little Ocmulgee E.M.C. to have it replaced.

"How is the account listed?"

I gave her Mama's name.

"Is there another name?"

I gave her Daddy's name.

"I don't see that one either. What's the phone number?"

I gave her Mama's phone number.

"Would it be listed as W. F."

I replied, "Yes, that was her late-husband's initials."

"Oh, is he deceased?"

"Yes, ma'am... Several years ago."

"She needs to come in and apply for service in her name. And she will be eligible for his Capital Credits. It will probably nice little amount."

So after lunch, we drove downtown to the office. Out of curiosity, I asked when the orginial membership was started.

Tammy replied, "February 18, 1944." I think my jaw nearly hit the counter top!!!

Sarah was a negative six months old. I would imagine that the only use for electricity back then was for lighting the night. Cooking was still done on a wood stove, heat came from the fireplace that is now covered over and hot water was a pot on the stove. I wonder how long afterwards Daddy got them a radio...



Later, we drove around the country-side - taking a bunch of photos and listening to Mama tell of the days of covered wagons and cotton fields. Mama's enjoy her President's Day ride... but not nearly as much as we enjoyed listening to her!!!

Take Two Asprin?

Sarah woke up with a fever this morning....

Puppy Fever!!!

We called the kennel where we bought Metro. No Yorkie Pups! But our second choice of breeds would be a Pomeranian. Uh-oh, Gwen has one of those!!!



She was a cutie!



Metro was impressed!

Gwen said she would never be big enough to be a mommy. So we left our cards with the words --- "Yorkie Female" --- written on it.
Maybe someday we will get a call!

Whiskers

Well, it lasted 104 days...

My face was not ready for the daily ritual of scraping with slivers of metal. Sunday morning was the last time I shaved and by this morning my usual mix of white, grey and reddish brown stubble has covered the space that was void for just over 3 months.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day, Baby!!!


mmmmmmmmmm, Cherry Blossoms!!!

Surprise!!!

The cell phone rung as we arrived at church Friday night for the Valentine Banquet.

"What are we having for lunch tomorrow?" Sherry was on the other end.

She left her house at 4:00 AM CST --- she arrived at our house at 11:30 AM EST! Six hours and thirty minutes for the 386 miles (*does math*) - she averaged 59.38 m.p.h and she stopped in Atlanta to get her oil changed!!!

She went to church with us Sunday morning and headed back to Tennessee at 2:30. The plan was - when we got home from church we would call her to see where she was. I was thinking Monteagle. However, she said "Murfreesboro". 71.43 m.p.h. on the return trip!!!

Thanks Sis!!! I am so glad you were able to make it down to south Georgia to "make sure I turned 50"... and thanks for my Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake.

By some quirk, I actually weighed in at a pound less than I did last Thursday!

Seeing Double

I always said that the only difference between the two of them was their age. Of the 29 Mother & Daughter contestants, they placed FOURTH!!!

The judges selected the top 5 and the audience voted by applause for the winner.


I think it was rigged!

Half of a Century

18,262 days.

438,288 hours

26,297,280 minutes

1,576,836,800 seconds


and for the first time I feel every second - as the time on my birth certificate is plus 50 years.

Back to the Doctor

I was feeling kinda fuzzy this morning at work, so I took my blood pressure.

153/114

I didn't believe it, so I took it again.

149/111

Not much better, uh?

So I call the doctor's office, Betsy told me to "get yourself here, but be careful"!

148/108

I was just going to comfirm that the blood pressure cuff at work wasn't accurate. But she said, "I want Doc to see ya this morning". I brought in my laptop with the Excel spreadsheet of the BP readings for the last 7 days.

After looking over my chart and spreadsheet, Dr. S went to the storage cabinet and returned with a month's supply of Micardis ...

After the exam was over, Dr. S began asking about my laptop --- I think there maybe a Toshiba in his future. Oh, he didn't charge me for the office visit and I didn't charge him for the computer advice!

Royal Ambassadors

Make learning FUN!

This is one of the goals of Royal Ambassadors. Six boys divided into two teams.

After three innings, the score is tied at one run each...

Finally Did it!

We drove to Savannah for a long overdue checkup on the back surgery done last May. What should have been the six month follow-up in November - more like 9 months. Scheduled to see Gary, the Physician Assistant, we said hello to him as we entered the hallway to the examination rooms. That would be the last time we saw Gary yesterday morning. Dr. Heiges spotted Sarah as he exited the exam room across the way. Smiles and waves were exchanged, just before she was escorted to the radiology department. Dr. Heiges stepped in to the room and shook my hand, "I almost didn't recognize her with the different hair color, I'm use to the darker hair. Is she getting pictures taken?"

Moments later, xray read... Dr. H. did the consult instead of Gary. He had taken time from his busy schedule to spend it with Sarah. He is a GOOD DOCTOR!!!

Lunch with Brooke at Chili's --- Yummmmmmmm. And then a bit of shopping...






As we drove through Vidalia, we decided to visit with Dot for a few minutes. We were welcomed with kisses from Tit Bit and Dot. The article that appears in today's edition of the Vidalia Advance was saved on her laptop as a word file. She asked me to read it aloud. Last week, Carlson was honored posthumously by the Peace Officers’ Association of Georgia (POAG) with a Life Time Achievement Award.

I almost made it to the end of the article without tearing up...

It was finally the right time to share with Dot what I had written nearly 6 months ago.

She almost made it to the end of the blog without tearing up...

Toldja it was coming!

Well, it is official!

My southern way of life has caught up with me. Too many fried foods and too many rich desserts.

Besides my blood pressure being to high, my bad cholesterol is slightly elevated (the 'good' cholesterol was o.k.) and my blood sugar is on the fringe of stepping from the green zone to the yellow zone.

And then Doc got real ugly. He said, "You need to drop 16 to 18 pounds!"

A prescription for Lipitor, an asprin per day, and start DASH - Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension are my instructions.

Febuary 26 will find me in Macon for a Cardio Stress Test.

A stop at the grocery store preceded the pharmacy. Fruits, salads, 100% juices, oatmeal and oat grain products - on the list. Steak, chops and other good stuff - off the list.

With family history being what it is, I should have known!

I wanna slap Paula Dean!

Four Day Study

Give an engineer a task and he will usually over do it.

Four days of taking and recording my blood pressure as directed by my doctor. Well, actually he said to take it twice or three time per day. I took 5 readings per day!


Average of 21 readings: 141/96

No wonder my head hurts!

North to South

298 miles from the Tennessee line to the Florida line, what a difference that distance makes. Especially when weather is concern. And today the variations were even more dramatic.

The northern third received up to six inches of snow.

The middle third received freezing rain, sleet and rain.

The southern third (and my main interest) started receiving rain, very hard rain, about 8:45 this morning.

On the drive home, the strangest thing was announced on Georgia Public Radio:

Southeast Georgia is under a tornado warning until 1 A.M. tonight.

Tornados? In February???

Well instead of the usual saying ---

If you don’t like the weather in Georgia, wait 24 hours. It will change.

How about?

If you don’t like your weather in Georgia, move 100 miles. It will be different.

Blood Pressure and Blood Work

As I told the doctor yesterday morning, "I haven't been to the doctor this century!"

I was feeling funny on Saturday after we had finished running the water line to the goat/chicken pen. I thought it was just the stuff I had last week kicking me in the butt again. I was walking up the slight incline from the mailbox when if felt dizzy. When I got back in the house, Sarah said my face was beet red. My soon to be FIFTY year old body has caught up with me - my blood pressure was elevated.

Sunday Morning I didn't feel like going to Sunday School. I woke up about 10:30, too late for morning worship. But I did make it to evening worship. Selinda being the good nurse that she is, offered to take my blood pressure with the sphygmomanometer from the first aid kit in the kitchen.

155/100



So, off to the Doctor in, uh, er... I don't actually remember when I last went to a doctor!!!

And to show off, I beat the numbers from the night before ---

168/108

So after a night of fasting, I head to the lab this morning. Three vials of blood later, I head back to house. I see a change of diet and more pills in my future. We will see for sure Friday morning.

Sick Day

Did I pick up the bug from someone at church or work?

Folks are determine to be in public when they shouldn't. The spread of viruses is at a peak after the holidays. Families are in close contact, traveling cross country and back home - bringing the germs from distant lands with them.

The days of my vacation were spend on the farm. But going back to work on the 3rd, put me in contact with creepy crawly from who knows where. I was cold and chilled all day yesterday.



Here I sit - connected to the email server in New Jersey. Telephone, if needed, is on the table beside the recliner.

So, am I really taking a day off? Oh well, I will blame someone from work for infecting me with this yuk I've got!!!

Another Milestone

A year has passed since I got the call from Sherry that Dad had passed away on that Monday morning.

Freddie and Eletha have four sons. As the Minister delivered the eulogy last Thursday, he said to the boys, “There will be times in the future, when you will want to ask your Dad just one more question.”

Nope. I wouldn't have any questions for Mom and Dad. But I would love to be able to speak to them, or rather, listen to them. I would soak up their words like a sponge. As I sit here at my desk today, finished with my lunch, this would be the time of day I would pick up the phone and give them a call. This is when it really hits me!!!

Mom and Dad, I miss you so much!

Good Day to Stay in Bed?

Below is an article from MSN today...

Today has been declared the most depressing day of the year. This year, make it your call.


The superstitious have long worried about courting bad luck on Friday the 13th and stayed “beware the Ides of March.” But for the past couple of years there has been another day to mark in black on the calendar: The most depressing day of the year.

In 2005, a psychologist named Cliff Arnall (who was, at the time, a part-time lecturer at the University of Cardiff Centre for Lifelong Learning in Wales), declared that he had devised a formula to calculate the worst day. That year, it was Monday, Jan. 24; last year, Monday, Jan. 23. So watch out, because today may well be 2007’s most miserable day.

Monday, January 23, 2006 - he hit that one on the head!

Arnall’s so-called formula looks like this: [W + (D-d)] x TQM x NA.

All of the letters and symbols apparently represent a sort of mathematical code to track the following:

W: How bad the weather is at this time of year.

D: Amount of debt accumulated over the holidays minus how much is paid off.

T: The time since the holidays.

Q: Amount of time passed since New Year’s resolutions have gone south.

M: Our general motivation levels.

NA: The need to take action.

Now that the fun of the holidays is over, we need to make a plan that gives us something to look forward to. Arnall’s dreaded-day formula was originally commissioned as a public relations stunt for Sky Travel. The company planned to use it as a tool for encouraging depressed people to start booking winter getaways. In the two years since he created it, Arnall and his equation received plenty of January press—and, eventually, lots of backlash.

Several bloggers in Britain, for instance, took issue with Arnall’s pseudoscience, posting entries with titles such as “Will someone please muffle Cliff Arnall.” And an article in the London Times last January, called “Research + PR = a very depressing equation,” exposed Arnall’s prescription as a work for hire rather than a true academic exercise.

“It’s based on no science, no research and it’s incredibly gimmicky,” says Ellen McGrath, Ph.D., president and founder of Bridge Coaching Institute in New York City. “But as a marketing strategy, it’s brilliant.”

Here’s an interesting twist: McGrath concedes that if you dissect the gimmick, Arnall’s equation does take into account some very real issues. “He took several currents of common experience and funneled them into one specific moment,” she says.

The weather—and in particular, the lack of daylight—is an issue in January and February, especially in the northern latitudes. And that’s the primary cause of seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Wow, what a fitting acronym!!!

Another universal dilemma around this time of year is debt.. “Buyer’s remorse is a core part of the post-holiday blues,” acknowledges McGrath. “Love is defined as buying a great gift, but when the bills come due in January it can lead to depression.”

Late January is also time to confront reality, say psychologists. Difficult decisions about jobs, family and relationships are often put off until after the holidays. So while we may wake up feeling very positive on Jan. 1, life may look a lot less shiny a few weeks later.

While Arnall’s equation has received its fair share of criticism, most experts agree that if this “day of doom” prediction helps raise awareness about the serious issues of depression and seasonal affective disorder, then, overall that’s a good thing and not harmful. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that almost 18.8 million American adults suffer from depression and nearly six percent of the population is affected by SAD.

Still, plenty of people take offense at such a specific “most depressing day” pronouncement. “It essentially vacates any concept of free will or self-determinism, putting the focus on external events rather than what’s within us,” says Susan C. Vaughn, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at Columbia University.

Vaughn elaborates: Even if you have maxed out your credit cards, failed at your New Year’s resolutions, and the weather is lousy, not everyone will succumb to depression—especially not all of us on the same day. In fact, some psychologists and life coaches argue that January can be a time of focus and motivation. The frenzy of the holidays is past, and there is time to concentrate on accomplishing new goals.

“It depends on how you interpret it,” says McGrath. “One choice makes you lose power and one makes you gain it."

So Cheer Up, there are better days ahead!

Freddie and Eletha

Eletha was the Sarah's boss for nearly three years. Quality Control Manager to Quality Control Supervisor.

Freddie and Eletha celebrated 40 years of marriage this past summer. Hills and valleys, ups and downs. We knew Freddie mostly from Eletha and the times the three of us had lunch together in the Q.C. office. He was a sick man for about eight years, since he retired from A.Y.P. due to health issues. We only met once, at the department cookout at their house in the summer of 2002. But we shared a common interest. NASCAR!

For me it was a catch as catch can on Sunday afternoon between morning and evening services.

For Freddie it was Sunday! or Saturday night! or the whenever there was a replay on Speed Channel. And anytime Swainsboro Raceway was open, he was there.



Freddie's funeral was this morning at Eleven O'clock. Eight of the Q.C. auditors and myself represented Tumi...

Number 15, take your Victory Lap!

Crazy Weather

It has been too warm 'round here lately!

So warm that Japanese Magnolias, Cherry and Peach Trees are blooming all over!





Narcissus Jonquilla have popped up along the Main and side Streets in Ailey - a sure sign of spring on the way! But General Beauregard Lee, Georgia's Weather Rodent, hasn't even thought about poking his head from his minature plantation house!!!

Now with a change in the weather - it was bone chilling today - they won't hang on much longer! :( But it was a welcomed sight. One down side to a mild winter in these parts - gnat and noseeums are sure to be more plentiful come summer!!!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

On what would have been your 75th Birthday!

Boxing Day

Being in the south, Boxing Day doesn’t mean much. Mostly, because there are few businesses other than retail stores open the week after Christmas.

Christmas tree is down. Ornaments are packed away. Bead Angels are boxed. Manger scene figurines are gently bubble wrapped. And everything is in the storage closet. Why does it take hours to put everything in exactly the right place and ripping it down and boxing it away takes only a few hours?

I wore long pants today… for the first time since Sunday when I took off my suit after Christmas Eve Services. Christmas day in shorts is a very common occurrence in South Georgia. Next best chance for shorts will occur on Thursday, for certain on Friday. Weather forecasting by pants, gotta love it.

Merry Christmas

The rain came down in buckets last night/this morning. A gust of wind was strong enough to knock over the small plant on the patio table on the back deck. A check on the roads conditions when there was sufficient light to see revealed ankle deep water across the road. But the need for rain greatly out weighs any inconvenience the mud and muck might cause.

One of the fastest growing plants in southern Georgia is our variety of privet hedge. Along the lane that separates the Farm from the Planted Pines are thousands of these plants. After the main front of the rain had pass by this morning, we transferred about two dozen of the small shrubs around the goat/chicken pen. Another five or seven minutes of rain, while we were eating lunch, helped to water in the tender young plants in their new home.

And lunch!!! Cousin Janice surprised us with Christmas lunch:

Turkey and Dressing
Giblet Gravy
Creamed Green Peas
Cranberry Sauce
Ambrosia
Sweet Potato Soufflé

I had to take a nap and a walk in the woods afterwards. IN THAT ORDER!

By the way: Ducks won!

Christmas Eve

When you are awakened at 3:58 by an incoming text message on the cell phone from a phishing company and it take an hour to get back to sleep, it is much easier to “sleep in” the next morning.

7:45 was my rising time this morning. Dressed and ready for Sunday School and out the door at 9:15. Christmas Eve service was beautiful and after the last Amen was said, the “Pond Sitters” were gathered by all those that wanted one (or two, or more). We loaded four into the PT Cruiser for us and Mama.

My brother-in-law and I rode to the beaver pond this afternoon. It would seem that a couple of ducks, which should be on the farm pond, has taken up habitation about a quarter mile away in the backed up Big Branch! Maurice has borrowed a large live trap to try to capture the gone astray pair. With corn as bait on the trip mechanism, it is now a game of men and ducks.

The traditional Christmas Eve meal of Chili was started early this afternoon and with the Yule fire crackling in the fireplace, all is to do is to wait for the Jolly Fat Guy to make his appearance. Oh, by the way... the air conditioner is not running (at the moment)!

Vacation Day 2

Goldfinch said:

Wouldn't you know... I shut the alarm off last night because today is the first
day that I have had off in over two weeks and I can sleep late... BUT I woke up
promptly at 6:00 AM anyway.

Torry said:

Great. Now I've lost the ability to sleep in, in the mornings.

I know the feeling... The alarm is set for 5:44 on days that I jbex. This has been the case since we moved into our home in May of 2000. I woke as wide-eye this morning at just after 6 AM… I was craving coffee! And coffee was my goal! I opened the canister and the aroma of the beans filled my nostrils. The perfume de café alone was enough to raise my caffeine level.

Coffee and forums and email.

The rains in the past thirty six hours have made the roads like mire in places. The ruts were deep as I make my way for errands in town.

I finally finished the Christmas village. It only took me two weeks to get back on it and only thirty minutes of effort to place the last of the polyvinylchloride snow in place.

A ride on the golf cart into the woods and to the pond later this afternoon; I tossed a few of the fish pellets into the water. A large White Perch broke the surface with a splash. The rods hanging in the garage were at the pond and Beetle Spins were in the water in minutes. Nine of the Blue Gills were gullible enough to think that the grub like plastic would be good for dinner. Guess what we had for dinner!!!

Whether Weather

It has been a strange weather week around the country.

In the Northwest, over 1,000,000 folks were without electricity at the beginning of the week. From winds over the past weekend, some over hurricane strength, limbs and entire trees took down power lines. Snow in the mountains added to the grief. With one body recovered and two still unaccounted for, Mount Hood has added to its victims.

In Colorado, there was over 2 foot of snow, shutting down the Denver airport from Tuesday night until this afternoon. It is said some of the folk may not get flight out till Christmas day. News report video has shown families “camping” in the airport, making the best of a bad situation. And the storm system is heading for the U.P. of Michigan.

Winter Solstice occurred last evening at 7:22 EST, the longest night of the year. Rain started falling shortly thereafter here in South Georgia. Much needed rain. We are way below normal rainfall for the year, with only eight days before the new calendar from the hardware store is positioned in place of the old, nearly expired calendar.

But it was a warm rain… I feed the goats and chickens this morning in my khaki shorts. After I came in and took my daily shower, I dressed in blue jeans and a tee shirt. That lasted about 10 minutes; I retrieved another pair of shorts from the closet. Metro was actually panting this afternoon.

The first full day of winter in the south - that too - is strange. Will I have to turn on the air conditioner to be able to enjoy the Yule Log in the fireplace Christmas Eve?

A Cheerios Meet

It has been said, “Cheerios Meets are the Best” – well, they are!!!

Even when the circumstances are not the greatest.

Tee (Pyewacket) made a slight detour from the normal route that one would take from Central South Carolina to San Antonio, Texas. She had open reservations at the Rainbow Inn. Saturday night around 7:45, she landed on our doorstep. Tired and road weary, she rested and refreshed after 279 miles (the first leg of her journey).

Pippin (her 110 pound German Shepherd) and Tetley (her calico cat) were her travel companions. Wasn’t anyone going to bother Tee with those sentries on duty.

Tea was given as gifts and tea was shared. We had one of the green teas from Taiwan that I received during my Asian trip last November/December. After some announcements in Cheers and Wheypoint, we called it a night and turned in for the evening.

Sunday morning was busy!!! As we prepared ourselves for church, Tee attempted to load new maps into her GPSr. Metro kept her company during Sunday morning worship time. Later, Tee would unloaded her wheel chair and visit with Molly, Sugar and Spice. Molly was not real happy with a huge dog barking so close to her kids.

When we arrived back home, Tee asked me to check the electrical connection on the driver’s seat. With a disconnect of the negative battery terminal for safety and three inches of electrical tape, the wiring was as good as new!

I went caching with Tee… REPEAT, PRN!

We traveled the 0.10 miles to Double Rainbow Cache. Unable to reach the actual cache herself, she pointed out the likely hiding spot and I retrieved the bright yellow First Aid Kit for her. She left a couple of crafty kits, a miniature cowbell


(“We need more COWBELL”)

...and a rainbow plushie that never actually went into cache container. The multi-color critter rode home with us on the golf cart. From the cache, she retrieved “Little Tree” (a HoppingCrow travel bug) and one of the bead Angels. They served as reminder of those who were thinking and praying for her as she traveled.

When we got back to the carport, I told Tee of my plans to order a Geocaching clingy sticker like the one on her windshield. She immediately ripped it off and handed it to me. It now resides on the back glass of my pickup truck.

Then it was time for phase two of the expedition. With a sweep through the house to make sure nothing was left behind, Tee and Pippin (Tetley never really got out of the van) loaded up and with hugs all around, we said our ‘goodbyes and safe travels’.

240 miles later, Tee stopped for the evening south of Montgomery, Alabama.

Monday – someone lit a fire under her behind!!! 780 miles and around 8:00 CST she arrived at her son’s house.

We had followed her progress via the Pyewacket Sighting Network, with many prayers and good thoughts surrounding her. I couldn’t have been any more tired and worn if I had driven the miles myself.

The Troll under the Bridge!

Pigs

The preacher was doing a canvas of the community when he came upon a pleasant enough farmer. When the subject changed to the preacher inviting the farmer to Sunday services, the clodhopper's disposition became very sour.

“Ya know, Preacher! You will never get me in your church. You got a member there that has been owing me money for years,” the farmer snapped.

“Have you confronted this individual about this debt?” responded the preacher.

“Oh, he knows about it!!! Ya ain’t getting me inside the building with the likes of that fellow. In fact, I’m sure that most of the rest of them folk are just like that cheat!!!”

“How can you be so sure of that?”

“Well, you heard of the ol’ saying – ‘Birds of a feather, flock together’. “

Thinking his time would be better spent elsewhere, the Preacher excuses himself and leaves the farmer to his chores.

Days later, the preacher returns to the farmer’s place and tell him that he wants to buy one of his pigs.

“Sure thing, Preacher!!! Just tell me which one you want.”

The preacher stands on the second rung of the gate and points to the very back of the feed lot, “I’ll take that spotted one by the back fence.”

Surprise to see that the preacher has selected the skinniest and ugliest pig from the herd, the farmer gave the preacher a puzzled look, “OK, Preacher! Are ya sure you want that one? Any of the others would be a better choice!”

“Nope, I think that one will do nicely.”

“Uh, whatcha got in mind for that one?”

“I plan to put that pig in the back of my pick-up and ride it all around town. I’m going make sure everyone know that I got that pig from your farm. Wonder if folk will start to think that all of your pigs look like that one?”

The ol’ farmer curled one side of his mouth and said, “What time do y’all start the Sunday Service at that church, anyway?

Sugar and Spice are growing!

12 days old!

Sugar is 5 pounds 6 ounces
Spice is 5 pounds 10 ounces

They are little fuzz balls of bouncing energy. AND, they love the bridge I built for them over the weekend. Now we need a Troll, to live under the bridge.

23 years...

Brandi was just a few weeks old. One of my least favorite daily tasks was lessen by my decision that day. I would grow a beard. The bristles grew in red. Red versus the brown of the thick mass of hair that grows on my top of my head. Well the red has given way to grey and white over the past few years. So much so that my beard was almost invisible when I trimmed it on Saturday evenings for Sunday services and on Wednesday mornings.

I didn't cut it all! I left the moustache - it has been part of me for 30 years. I don't think I would even know how to shave my upper lip! And I also left a goatee. What I shaved away was the the whiter portions.

So what caused me to part with something that has been with me almost half of my life? I'm still not sure!

By the way, what is this short stubble all over my face? I forgot what is was like to have a five o'clock shadow!

Mystery Girl

Hi Laura...
When I was singing in the Choir this morning I almost saw someone.
She was wearing this real cute green sweater. Did you happen to see her?
She came in and had a seat beside her dad. Did you happen to see her?
I turned around as soon as services were over to see if she was still there.
She was gone!!! Did you see where she went???

> insert :sad and disappointed smilie: <

Oh well! I was good almost seeing YOU this morning!!!

The Frog Prince , 1971

Sweetums, lay your ugly head
Down upon your wretched bed.
Close your eyes and go to sleep,
You hulking heap.
Sweetums is so sweet and cute,
Go to sleep your stupid brute.

Sweetums lay your ugly head
Down upon your wretched bed
Bunnykins is sweet and cute
Rest, you giant, stupid brute.

Sweetums lay your ugly head
Down upon your wretched bed.
Close your eyes and go to sleep
Rest, you giant, hulking heap.

NIGHTY-NIGHT... *THUD*

Sugar and Spice

Minnie and Maddie are now Sugar 'n Spice. We have broke our traditional of names our animals with names that start with the letter 'M'.

They are one week old today. And they are the sweetest little things.
Sugar tipped the scales on Saturday at 3 pounds 0.2 ounces.
While Spice was a tad heavier at 3 pounds 4.2 ounces.

Goat Playground

How long to hold a Travel Bug?

Well, like many a Geocacher, sometimes too long!

From May to October is much too long.


Yorkie has finally been placed into one of my caches -
How Sweet (Onions). It will be "sit" there for Pipnella to grab when it reaches NW Ohio via the USPS. Then it will be delivered to another YO-YO to travel around Arizona!

Now, I really need to go caching for real!

365 days

Has it been a year already? When I talked to Sherry today, we both couldn't bring ourselves to the believe that it has.

Mom, we miss you!

Molly is a Mama!!!

They were born sometime early this morning!!!