Riverbum's Random Ramblings

Callaway Gardens in the Winter

2012-01-23T18:03:00.002-05:00

We visited Callaway Gardens yesterday. It is free to get in during January and February, which is nice....of course, not as much is blooming. We had a great time all the same in the butterfly house and the Sibley Center (greenhouses)

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge

2012-01-07T23:56:00.001-05:00

Great Blue Heron

Taking Flight

A Tern in the Last Glow of the Day

Diving for Supper at Sunset

Bracing Against the Wind

My neck is longer than your neck!

Ibis always remind me of something from a Dr. Seuss book.

One of three manatees that we spoted on the Wakulla River

Who says woodpeckers only go after large tree trunks?

Morning Dew on Prickly Pears

Warming in the Sun

A Young Eagle is Framed by Dead Trees

Siamese Twins?

Atlanta Botanical Garden Lights

2011-12-17T18:52:00.003-05:00

Fort Hawkins Christmas

2011-12-12T19:47:00.002-05:00

Macon by Moonlight

2011-12-11T12:42:00.001-05:00

I shot this from atop the Great Temple Mound at Ocmulgee National Monument last night after sunset. I then did some Photoshop magic to it, resulting is this very odd, but strangely satisfying image of the skyline of Macon, GA.

St. Joseph's Catholic Church

2011-11-27T00:17:00.001-05:00

Here are some shots that I took today at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Macon, GA

An odd angle

2011-11-20T02:45:00.001-05:00

The spire above Mercer University here in town normally towers above everything nearby; however at this upward angled shot, it appears short and squat.

Rose Hill Cemetery

2011-11-06T08:50:00.005-05:00

My friend Bonnie called to see if I wanted to meet her for some photography after work one day last week. I joined her with one of her photography workshop students. Here are a few of my pics.

Providence Canyon Hike

2011-10-24T06:46:00.003-04:00

Bonnie and I ventured down into Providence Canyon yesterday. It was a nice trip and we enjoyed the diversion. The weather was perfect! Not too hot, not too cool. My only complaint came later that night as my left knee complained about the day's hike. The last of the wild azaleas were still blooming...which was a surprise. The trees are just beginning to turn their fall colors, which match the shades of red, orange, and white in the canyon walls.

Carters Lake

2011-10-08T11:52:00.001-04:00

An HDR that I made at Carter's Lake, at the very end of the road and down the trail at Doll Mountain Recreation Area's campground. I combined 7 images to make this one, but I overworked it a bit and I think it shows.

Ocmulgee Indian Celebration 2011

2011-10-06T17:04:00.004-04:00

Sapelo Island and Cabretta Island Camping

2011-09-05T15:50:00.000-04:00

Here are several photos from this past week's trip to

Sapelo Island with the

Georgia Wilderness Society.

Sleeping with the Fishes

2011-08-20T22:00:00.003-04:00

A bunch of friends went to the Georgia Aquarium for one of their overnighters. I slept right up against the huge window next to 6.3 million gallons of sea water....very cool!

E.G. Kight CD Release Party

2011-08-07T00:50:00.009-04:00

I went downtown to E.G. Kight's CD release party at the Cox Capitol Theater tonight. She had an all star cast of people playing with her tonight, plus her regular band too:

Randall Bramblett, Tommy Talton, Gil Gillis, Paul Hornsby, and the Abby Owens Band.

Bragg Jam

2011-07-30T23:29:00.006-04:00

Tonight, I went downtown to the annual Bragg Jam. It is a big collection of bands from all over the southeast that are playing in town on one night as a fundraiser for local civic projects. There were 36 bands playing on 9 stages tonight.

I bounced around for about 4 hours (the first half of the shows); but my knee gave out and I had to call it quits before it really started hurting.

Sunflower Farm Festival

2011-07-03T20:27:00.005-04:00

We visited the Sunflower Farm Festival this morning. A very nice craft show with a huge field of sunflowers. It is south of Rutledge, in the middle of nowhere. A bit tricky to find...thank goodness for GPS.

A few birds

2011-06-18T18:39:00.003-04:00

Spotted these two, among many more, at the Rum Creek Non-Game Office this morning.

Sapelo Island

2011-05-26T11:32:00.006-04:00

These photos are from a trip to Sapelo Island that I take with friends each May. Sapelo is one of my favorite places to go, simply because of the miles of beach that are undeveloped (a rarity these days!)

Battle of Byron Festival

2011-05-08T10:37:00.008-04:00

The Battle of Byron is the annual community festival in Byron, Ga. It is a great small community festival with all sorts of competitions (mud volleyball, high heels race, tricycle race, bed race, egg toss, etc...), plus an antique car and motorcycle show, craft and food, and live entertainment. Video from local news.

The winners of the Mud Volleyball Competition are above

Above, local TV personalities Ben Jones and Laura Lynch-Jones emcee the races

Is it just me, or do those baby dolls just have a creepy look...so realistic, but sorta scary too.

Sunrise on Coleman Hill

2011-04-29T07:57:00.002-04:00

A sunrise shot from atop Coleman Hill in Macon, GA. The use of a polarizer really brought out the detail of the high, wispy clouds.

Ocala National Forest

2011-04-10T09:22:00.004-04:00

This past weekend, we paddled the Silver River and Juniper Springs. Here are a few photos of what we saw...and yes, there are wild monkeys in the Ocala National Forest in Florida:

Spring is Popping

2011-02-27T16:02:00.001-05:00

Pileated Woodpecker

2011-02-13T09:37:00.003-05:00

The pileated woodpecker is about the size of a crow, so quite a large bird to be drilling into your trees. This one was digging into my pecan trees this morning. I was surprised that he let me get within 25 feet of him. Most of the time, they fly away very quickly. Maybe he just wanted his photo taken!

Smoke, Water, and Shadows

2011-02-06T12:16:00.002-05:00

Last week, I went to the Middle Georgia Camera Club's meeting. They were practicing shooting smoke, water, and shadows. Here are a couple of my favorites.

Dowtown Pics

2011-02-01T05:08:00.003-05:00

This odd poster is mounted high upon the wall of a building in Macon.
I can only assume that it was once part of some advertising for a business
that has long since disappeared.

I have taken a similar shot of this building before, but the
lovely blue skies urged me to do the same again.

A day at High Falls

2011-01-31T10:03:00.003-05:00

Bonnie and I spent the day at High Falls State Park yesterday. We did a little photographing and a little hiking. Nothing serious, just a fun day, enjoying the unusually warm weather.

No school on Monday

2011-01-09T15:36:00.002-05:00

Well, it is official....no school on Monday, January 10th.

That weird noise that you hear in the background is the collective cheers of 25,000 students here in Macon!

Of course, if you think that the kids are happy about it, you should see the teachers!

Ice storm is on the way?

2011-01-09T10:37:00.003-05:00

Well, the forecasters say that we are going to get some ice and sleet. It all depends on who you listen to; but anywhere from a tiny bit of ice to 1-3 inches of sleet and ice on the trees.

I am certainly hoping for no ice. Not only does it make for bad driving conditions, but if it collects on the powerlines and trees, we might be without power for a bit. And that just makes it chaotic at work. As you probably know, I work for the local school district and even if cancel school (which has not been done yet), it means that I and a few others get to go in and check the buildings for damage, make sure the heat and power is on, and so forth.

So I am keeping my fingers crossed for a little snow or sleet, but not too much tonight and tomorrow.

Art Happens!

2011-01-07T21:29:00.006-05:00

Tonight, I went down to The 567, which was hosting an art showing in their upstairs gallery space. There was a great turn out for the event, a good variety of art projects on display, and live music too.

After I left, and as wandering around downtown, I stopped off at a few of my favorite haunts. As I left the Rookery, I noticed someone was down the alley.

It was William Haun, a local photographer, shooting a performer, Amy Godwin. I believe he was using his video capture on his camera and not taking stills...but could be wrong.

In any case, I whipped out my cell phone and snapped a pic myself (sorry, but without a flash, I got a lot of blur in the image). The glow of the streetlights in the distance was great. I wish that I had my Canon 7D with me! Could have been a great shot.

You just never know where you are going to find art happening in Macon, Georgia!

Carol of the Belts...yes, Belts, not Bells

2010-12-20T20:56:00.003-05:00

Carol of the Belts...yes, Belts, not Bells

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-13T16:48:00.003-05:00

Enjoy the music of the season...done in a fun way. Guaranteed to make you smile. CLICK HERE

Thanksgiving Thoughts

2010-11-22T17:44:00.004-05:00

Once again, it is that time of year when families gather, eat, and pose for photos. Long lost relatives that you haven't seen since last year show up, trash the house that you spent the last week trying to clean up, and then are gone after a few hours of snacking on the leftovers (taking all of the good bits home with them and leaving the rest). Everyone is all smiles and happy in that semi-medicated vacant stare sort of way...perhaps due to a few too many glasses of wine.

The family fun is followed closely by the crazed rush of shoppers, elbowing and pushing their way to the Black Friday sale items at their local stores. The retailers have started opening their doors at midnight this year...just in case the masses want, no, need to get their hands upon the latest thing that they have been brainwashed by advertising executives to think that they must have.

By the end of the weekend, we are still trying to come up with ways to get rid of the leftovers from the meal, figuring out where all the money went while we shopped, and wondering how to get those cranberry stains out of the beige carpet. We swear that things will be different next year; fully knowing in our heart of hearts that they won't.

That all being said, we still have a lot for which to be thankful.

Have a safe holiday everyone!

Batman gets his shirt

2010-11-11T14:42:00.000-05:00

Gary, your gift was delivered to Mike today. THANKS!

Georgia National Fair

2010-10-09T07:29:00.007-04:00

I went down to the Georgia National Fair last night in Perry. My feet are still sore from all of the walking...it is HUGE. Here are a few photos:

Ocmulgee Indian Celebration

2010-09-19T15:19:00.003-04:00

Today was the last day of the Ocmulgee Indian Celebration at the Ocmulgee National Monument.

Photos for My Employer

2010-09-18T13:31:00.005-04:00

I am not normally into taking photographs of buildings...much less the ones that I work at...but I do enjoy a challenge. One of the directors that I work with asked me to take some photos of a few of the schools, and use those for artwork in the hallways of the office. So here are a few of my first drafts:

A day in Atlanta

2010-09-04T23:23:00.002-04:00

We spent most of the afternoon in Atlanta.

Bonnie and I explored every nook in the Fernbank Museum, and then tried to get to the Carter Center before it closed; but failed.

The Zeppelin Zoo

2010-07-31T21:40:00.002-04:00

A very word intense, but insanely cool video from over at Joe's website.

Camping at Standing Indian

2010-07-12T20:40:00.002-04:00

I spent the past weekend camping with my parents in North Carolina.

My dad and I are dwarfed by this giant poplar tree near Standing Indian Campground.

Meanwhile, my mom held down the fort, reading by the campfire.

They had a nice riverfront site, and I had the one right next door...very convenient for joint meals!

break in follow up

2010-07-07T08:55:00.000-04:00

Well, I was wrong. The burglars did get into the main garage. While getting ready for my trip this weekend, I discovered that in fact they did steal both of my bicycles (the old frame only, and my newer one that I usually ride), and also the weed eater is gone.

Not a happy camper!

2010-07-02T20:57:00.003-04:00

As I was cutting grass this evening, I went around to the back side of my garage....an area that I rarely go....and what did I find?

A big hole that someone knocked in the wall sometime in the past 2 weeks!

The burglar had kicked through the exterior wall and went into the rear storage room, which fortunately was just full of mostly junk stuff.

The only thing that I could tell that was taken was an old bicycle that was in there. Fortunately, nothing that I will miss....but now I have to re-do the entire back end of the garage. Grrrrr!

I put up a temporary piece of plywood that I had, but will have to go buy the regular wood siding and do it right this week. Lucky that I am on furlough this week to get it done!

Trip Pics

2010-06-14T19:25:00.004-04:00

A bunch of photos are now posted on my Facebook page. You can see the album and click on the photo to move to the next by going here. We spent 13 days traveling up the entire Blue Ridge Parkway, and then the Skyline Drive...plus a crazy one day tour of Washington DC.

Here is one of the shots.....a mama bear was nursing two cubs just 30 feet or so from our tents in Shenandoah National Park (Big Meadow Campground).

Super Freak!

2010-05-28T17:45:00.002-04:00

Some fun from today's retirement party for Gary at work.

A Night at the Fabulous Fox Theater

2010-05-23T00:36:00.006-04:00

What a great night! Thanks to one of the artists performing tonight (EG rocks!), I was able to attend the live broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor and friends in Atlanta at the Fabulous Fox Theatre.

Guests tonight included E.G. Kight and Caroline Herring (above).

Also performing were the super sounding bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers (above) and southern humorist, Roy Blount, Jr. (below)

Garrison's tales, songs, and the latest news from Lake Wobegon and the interesting people who live there always keeps the audience mesmerized!

It was a lot of fun and I would highly recommend it if they are ever in your neck of the woods!

And after the show, it was great to meet a few of the performers and backstage folks, and to sit and chat with some great talent at the cocktail lounge next door. What a great evening!

Sapelo Island

2010-05-18T23:27:00.006-04:00

Got back from Sapelo Island on Sunday....fantastic trip.
Here are a few photos.

Douglass Theater Reception

2010-05-08T13:10:00.009-04:00

Last night, I went to the Douglass Theater, where three area artists were showing some of their work.

Lynne Barta had some of her photography up (a mix of really nice still life images and landscapes).

William Hau n had a collection of portraits that he has taken around the world that were very striking and drew lots of praise.

Woodrow Gray's wire sculptures were also on display and were very creative and whimsical at times.

The Douglass was our first stop as we toured all over downtown last night. It was great to see so many people out enjoying the evening. There were several bands playing outside, as well as individual musicians inside the clubs, bars, and restaurants. Plus, several of the art galleries were open, showing off local artist's work.

We stopped by Acapulco for a late supper (yum!) and grabbed a fruit smoothy for the evening stroll to the tunes of the Loose Screws Band at the end of the evening

Really?

2010-05-06T16:51:00.003-04:00

Hmmmm.

I guess the fine print at the bottom saves the day.
Always read the fine print!

Georgia State Fair

2010-05-02T21:37:00.004-04:00

Spent the afternoon at the Georgia State Fair, here in Macon today.
Yep, pig races!!!

Here piggy, piggy, piggy!

2010-05-01T20:24:00.002-04:00

Spent part of the afternoon with my friend Bonnie at the local festival in Byron. Had a great time, watching people, visiting the museum, smelling the carnival food, and just hanging out.

Bonnie was "volun-told" to be in the pie eating contest, and she even got to wear a pig's snout.

Of course, I had to have a camera handy. Actually, it was her camera. I had mine in one hand and hers in the other...but I finally put mine away and just used hers and she kindly shared the porcine images!

On the road again

2010-04-27T11:32:00.002-04:00

My truck is back in the driveway...hurray, hurray. Amazing how $3,500 worth of damage can be taken care of in a week....and the paint job even matches.

wash out weekend

2010-04-24T07:59:00.001-04:00

The rain canceled my plan for today...was going to go canoeing this morning, then maybe stop in Barnesville for BBQ on the way home. Today is the Blues and BBQ festival there.

Might be a good day to just nap around the house instead!

Macon On The Cheap

2010-04-18T12:28:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite websites to visit. You just never know what you might find. Sometimes, it is wonderful stuff, sometimes not. But the price is right either way!

Macon On The Cheap — Your Guide to the Best Deals on Restaurants, Shopping, and Events in Macon, Georgia

Stuck at Home

2010-04-18T09:28:00.002-04:00

Well, here I sit at home. As you may know, a car turned across my lane of traffic, right in front of me, and I crashed into her on the way to work last week....so I am stuck at home without a vehicle for a week or so. They say, my truck will be ready a week from Tuesday or Wednesday. It seems like a long time, and the damage didn't look like $3,500. But what do I know? It will be a new bumper, lights, grill, and fender...so yeah, I guess that is about right.

In the meantime, I will have plenty of time to catch up on my reading here at the house.

Hummingbird

2010-04-12T06:07:00.001-04:00

I spotted my first hummingbird of the year at my feeder yesterday. I guess that makes it officially springtime now!

Soapbox Derby

2010-04-11T18:39:00.003-04:00

One of several racers in today's Magnolia Street Soapbox Derby in Macon, GA. I think this is the winning run, although he just about runs off of the course at the end!

Spring Flowers

2010-04-11T09:29:00.003-04:00

Well, it took a bit, but spring is finally here!

The flowers around my house are blooming...as the peach, camellias, redbuds, and daffodils begin to fade, the azaleas, dogwoods, and vinca are beginning to flower.

The grass should be greening up very soon too.

The pecan trees are also beginning to leaf out, so it will be back to the shade for the back acre of my yard very soon.

The trees around the house and in the back are a mixed blessing...I love the shade during the summer, but I always worry about those huge trees just a few feet from the house when storms come through.

Pollen, Pollen, Pollen

2010-04-06T19:23:00.003-04:00

Last week, my dad helped me to put a new metal roof on the garage. It is an orange-ish red roof; but as you can see below, in a week's time it has been covered by pollen.

So much pollen, that it now blends in with the color of the outside walls, which are a yellowish beige.

I have never seen so much pollen! Even the grass in the yard is yellow and a small cloud of pollen rises up around you as you walk across the yard!

Cumberland Island Photos

2010-03-30T22:30:00.003-04:00

2010-03-28T10:32:00.001-04:00

Heading home from Cunberland Island. Good trip. Photos later.

More signs of Spring

2010-03-16T08:27:00.002-04:00

Spring is almost here!

2010-03-14T22:55:00.002-04:00

The robins have invaded, the daffodils are blooming, and the trees are starting to take on their pastel hues...all signs that Spring is on the way!

Kennesaw Mountain

2010-03-01T12:35:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I joined a few friends for a romp up Kennesaw Mountain. It is one of the last battlefields before Atlanta fell to the Yankees during the American Civil War. This is one of the canons up at the top.

On a side note, I have signed up for a photography workshop in the Okefenokee Swamp in two weeks with John Reed.

Photo Instruction

2010-02-22T16:50:00.000-05:00

Beginning Photo Clinics is a new website that a friend of mine has started, where she offers very affordable classes on photography instruction. It is geared more toward beginners, but would also be a good source for workshops for people of all ages who have an interest in photos.

Snowy Afternoon

2010-02-13T18:43:00.003-05:00

The large snowflakes really added up quickly to about 4 inches of fresh snow yesterday. About 3 of it was still on the ground this morning, but the sunny day today managed to melt all of it except for some in shady spots. That will be gone tomorrow.

It did not take too long before the camellias blossoms began to freeze and turn brown in the cold. Although a lot of the red and white blossoms were probably lost, I think the pinks are mostly ok. They had just began to bloom, and most are still in buds.

My Goofy Baby

2010-02-10T23:04:00.002-05:00

Callie loves to flop on the couch and chair and roll around like a gymnast.

Although this pose is not the most lady-like, it does capture the real Callie in action.

Striving for Balance

2010-01-23T12:25:00.003-05:00

Today's topic for PhotoHunt is "Balanced".

I decided to go with this shot of the head of a carving that is in my home. While I am not a practicing Buddhist by any means, I do recognize that many of the tenets of that belief system have positive real world outcomes for many people....including the idea of reaching a balance in your life.

Mom's surgery

2010-01-20T22:51:00.002-05:00

Good news so far. Mom's surgery went well, or so they tell me. There was a little bleeding problem today and one bought of very low blood pressure...but Dad says that all is good now. I spoke with her by phone this afternoon. She seemed to be in good spirits, although that could be the pain meds.

Pea Soup?

2010-01-19T09:08:00.002-05:00

Haw Creek was covered by duckweed and looked like pea soup!

A tree had fallen across the creek and caused the duck week to build up behind it, rather than floating on down. The result was about 200 yards of greenery on the creek.

It looked nasty, but was easy to paddle through.

Did you enjoy the previous furlough? Want more?

2010-01-14T23:30:00.001-05:00

Bibb school employees facing furloughs again

Well, the link above says it all. Looks like we will be spending another week at home unpaid. It sucks, but I know that we are still doing so much better than a lot of other people who have lost their jobs. Although the story in the link indicates that the school board hasn't yet approved the proposal, I am fairly sure that they will. The budget simply demands it.

Snow Pics from Dad

2010-01-11T23:27:00.002-05:00

Dad sent me a few photos of the snow at his house. Looks to be about 3 or 4 inches. Dad says his woodpile is really going down with the constant fire burning in their stove. Fortunately, he has enough wood to get well into next year already cut and split.

The Days of Summer are Gone

2010-01-06T16:46:00.002-05:00

Alas, the days of summer are but a fleeting memory. Gone are the flowers. Gone are the butterflies.

But all too soon, they will return again!

Toothy Smile

2010-01-05T06:59:00.000-05:00

Everyone smiles for the camera...even an alligator!

Lil Blue Heron

2010-01-04T23:45:00.000-05:00

The Mud Pit

2010-01-04T03:53:00.002-05:00

One of the more memorable events on the Florida trip was the mud. Although it was sunny for most of the days, we did get one night of rain, which turned a bit of Bob and Suzanne's field into a mud pit. I think a total of 5 or 6 vehicles got stuck in it on Thursday and Friday. The big pile up was on Friday morning when Bob Scheider was leaving and his van got stuck. So Marty took his 4 wheel drive truck to pull him out...except that he just went down to the axles on all 4 tires. So it was my turn to try to pull people out as the rain continued to fall.

With everyone's help, we pieced together a plan and a very long tow rope which allowed me to pull Bob's van out easily, and then to pull Marty's truck out. We then all got behind Marsha's car as it was pulled out of the field...only to get stuck before crossing the boggy part. So, it was one more car that I pulled out. Amazingly, Cindy and Bonita just drove across it like no problem!

Everyone got so wet, that most people decided to take the day off from paddling as so we dried off by going into town for a late lunch at Bob Evans.

Thanks goes out to Cyndi for these pics.

Returned Home Safe Last Night

2010-01-03T17:35:00.004-05:00

After a long drive, we made it back home from Florida just before dark and the temperature was dropping fast. Just enough time to get the canoes put away and the junk hauled into the house.

The trip was a great one. Pics are on my facebook page now, more to be added later...and I will probably post those here over the next few days.

This was how we saw things when we awoke the first morning in central Florida....frost on the ground! We didn't have power, so didn't run the heat in Bonnie's camper and it was about the same inside as out. Brrrr!

Off to Florida

2009-12-27T06:20:00.003-05:00

I am in Florida for some canoeing with friends from the Georgia Wilderness Society and the Florida Sport Paddlers Club.

Hope to have some photos when I return.

Think warm thoughts...the weather for the first few days is supposed to be cool, but warming toward the end.

Sunday afternoon's snow

2009-12-21T05:38:00.001-05:00

A bit of snow fell up on top of the Chestnut Knob near my Mom and Dad's house. It was very pretty!

Nu-Way Afterdark

2009-12-08T05:39:00.003-05:00

Like their slogan says, "I'd go a long way for a Nu-Way"

This is one of the nation's oldest hotdog restaurants! It is as old as Nathan's in New York City, but has a better flavor....and it is right here in Macon, GA!

Sidewalk Splendor

2009-12-07T04:37:00.001-05:00

I really liked the way the light fell onto the sidewalk from this walkway light in Macon the other night.

Scrolls in Repetition

2009-12-06T07:51:00.005-05:00

While walking in downtown Macon, I spotted this line of decorative scrollwork beneath a balcony on Mulberry Street. It was taken at night, so that is reason for the slightly strange coloring...which I actually like!

I just love repetitive patterns!

Downtown Macon's Christmas at Night

2009-12-05T09:05:00.004-05:00

Last night, Bonnie and I strolled around downtown for a while. The air was cool and brisk, but that just made the yummy Cuban sandwich even better at the end of the evening. Here are a couple shots of the big tree. On the left is the old Armory Ballroom and to the right are the twin spires of St. Joseph's Catholic Church. To see a 360 view of the inside the church, click here, then click on one of the green symbol to the right of the interior shot that you want to see. Use then controls at the bottom or place the mouse over part of the image to move it about. The stained glass really is quite lovely.

And why did I eat too much at Thanksgiving?

2009-11-30T22:51:00.001-05:00

Why did I eat so much? Because I have no will power!

Ate way too much!

2009-11-27T20:09:00.001-05:00

Oh my...how could I possibly have eaten that much?

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-24T16:42:00.004-05:00

While I am far from a vegan, I did think that this little ad did make you think about the way our food is raised. That being said, I will still probably devour a fair bit of turkey over the next few days.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Skype

2009-11-22T19:21:00.002-05:00

Oh, by the way, if any of you use Skype and want to add me to your contacts, use the Skype button on the left side and add me to your contact list. I finally got my camera working again. It had quit when I had Vista...but since the Windows 7 upgrade disk arrived in the mail, it is back working again.

Really Fast Food Pizza

2009-11-22T19:14:00.004-05:00

On a cold, wet, dreary day like today, there really isn't anything better than something hot from the oven. So I went all out and made a homemade pizza pie. An hour and a half later, my belly was full; but the kitchen was a disaster: flour was all over the counter top, pans were dirty with sauce, and don't get me started about the burnt cheese in the bottom of the oven.

If there was only a way to get hot pizza in a jiffy that didn't involve any clean up....yes, that is what it looks like. I found a pizza vending machine on the internet! Is that crazy or what?

Aliens? No...just a GEICO advertisement

2009-11-16T03:49:00.001-05:00

While out yesterday, I spotted this very odd pattern coming across the sky toward me. What could it be? Aliens? UFO?

It was only later that it came closer and could see that it was being done by a group of small planes, very high up. I wondered what it could be. Then I realized it was skywriting....an advertisement for GEICO insurance!

Collecting Indian Artifacts

2009-11-15T15:25:00.007-05:00

I spent most of today on my hands and knees with about 20 other people, looking for Native American artifacts at Waterworks Park in Macon, GA. Someone screwed up and partially plowed up an archeological area a few weeks ago and exposed quite a bit of material. Area archeologists are working to collect and map the material that is at the surface due to the damage, and are planning for future dig areas.

We collected about 500 or so pieces of pottery, a few spearpoints, a couple of other tools, and flint flakes in about 5 hours of looking. This is on top of about 1,000 pieces that have already been collected in the last 2 weekends. One more weekend, and the site should be fully searched.

The top photo is of a bead (split) that was found, and below it are two typical pieces of pottery. Most of the stuff we found was from the recent past (1600-1750), although one of the spearpoints was of a style common around 10,000 years ago.

Fall Leaves

2009-11-11T06:27:00.002-05:00

I joined a small group of friends and hiked around 7.5 miles on the Pine Mountain Trail as a dayhike. It reminded me how out of shape that I have gotten. It took 2 days for my calves to stop hurting! Walking on flatground is a lot different that up and down the hills and over the rocks!

The trees were turning toward their oranges and reds in a few places. In others, the leaves were already beginning to fall.

Smoky Mountain Trip

2009-11-10T17:29:00.002-05:00

A few people said that they couldn't see my Smoky Mountain shots over on my Facebook page, and wanted to see them here. So here are a few....as always, click to see a bigger version of the photo.

Downtown Macon

2009-11-01T18:54:00.000-05:00

Downtown Macon, GA seems so quiet when you see if from up on the roof.

Spirits in the Cemetery

2009-10-31T11:05:00.001-04:00

Last night, Bonnie and I took the walking tour of Riverside Cemetery just before sunset. They had about a ten actors at various gravesites portraying the dearly departed. They told stories, funny and sad, and gave a lot of history in a very entertaining way.

At the end of the walk, we were at the Hart Mausoleum, where they had a nice spread of cheese, fruit, crackers, and wine. I thought it sort of funny looking to see the actress, who was still in her habit as one of the Sisters of Mercy, popping open a Bud Light at the reception.

Off to go get my truck

2009-10-23T22:06:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow morning, I will be dropping off my rental and heading north with a friend to fetch my truck and its new engine. Yes, I am a few thousand dollars lighter than I used to be, and yes, it has been a rough couple of weeks; however, hopefully it will all come to an end soon.

If all goes well, I should be back behind the wheel of my truck by sundown tomorrow!

Auto-Tune the News #9: Nobel. health care. United Nations.

2009-10-19T17:03:00.001-04:00

They did a great job on this one

Sorry for the absence...

2009-10-19T06:55:00.003-04:00

To the few people who are regular viewers of this webpage, I must apologize for my recent absence of posts. This last week has been rough for me.

My truck is still in the shop, getting a new engine installed. Hopefully, it will be back up and running by this weekend though. My camper is stranded at my parents' home in the meantime. I borrowed my Dad's old car....actually my grandmother's old car in the meantime to use to get to work and around town. On Saturday night, I was in a wreck in it (not my fault, but still a very horrific accident in which to be involved). After dealing with the police and all the emotional baggage of the accident, I was still left without a car. Eventually, I was able to get a rental car, and reportedly my Dad's car made it out of the police impound lot over the weekend. I am still waiting to hear if the insurance company will call it a total loss or if it is repairable. Most likely, a loss.

So now, I am waiting to hear how much the truck will end up being, how much of a loss the car is, plus dealing with the longer term emotional impact of the accident. So as a result, I just have not been posting much online. Things will get better with time, and the posts will be back soon, once I can travel a little bit easier in my own vehicle.

Cades Cove Photos

2009-10-08T11:47:00.003-04:00

Several other photos from the trip to the Smokies are posted here. Hope you enjoy them!

To the left is a pic of some of my photo taking buddies reviewing their shots while they waited on me to finish shooting a small waterfall by the roadside.

I am still waiting to hear from the garage on the total cost estimate on the truck.

Great fun, but expensive

2009-10-05T21:41:00.002-04:00

I had a great time at Cades Cove and the Smokies in general....with one major exception. On the way up there, my truck started making very loud noises. Eventually, I had to abandon it at a Dodge dealership in Lenoir City, TN. The good news is that Dad saved my trip by driving over and hauling my camper (which was in tow behind my truck) to the campground, so I could still spend a few days there. The bad news is that the dealership figured out what the problem was. My spindle rod bearings bit the dust, and the repair cost is so labor intensive, that it will be "cheaper" to buy a new engine for the truck. Notice that "cheaper" is a very relative term.

So today, my Dad came back to the campground and hauled me and the RV to his house. I borrowed their spare car and drove it the other 4 hours home. So now, my truck is about 6 hours away, sitting in the dealership's parking lot, waiting on a tow. I have arranged for it to be towed to a neighbor of my parents' who is a mechanic on Wednesday. He is going to check on prices for a rebuilt engine to replace my dead one, and gently break the news to me in a day or two on that, so I don't go into cardiac arrest the way I did when I heard the price the dealership wanted to do the same thing ($6,200). He said he could do it for MUCH less, which is a good thing.

Oh well, it was a nice trip other than that. We spotted 2 bears, 30 turkey, 30 elk, and about 50 deer. Photos will come in a day or two. Back to work tomorrow morning first though.

I am off to Cades Cove

2009-10-01T20:12:00.001-04:00

The camper is packed and I am off to Cades Cove in the Smokies for the weekend. Here is a video of the area and some of the wildlife. Not sure that I will actually see that much wildlife, but would be nice.

It finally feels like Fall

2009-09-29T06:38:00.003-04:00

After many weeks of temperatures hovering around 90 degrees, it finally feels like Fall is here! The first real cold front managed to push deep into the South yesterday evening and the temperature has dropped about 10 to 15 degrees. As I wake up this morning, it is a very nice 53 degrees outside! And the high today is only going up to 78. True enough that the highs do creep back up to the mid 80's over the next few days...but compared to the past few months, that is a welcome relief.

I am heading up to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in a few days, where the forecast is calling for highs around 70 and lows around 50 each night. I am so ready for Autumn to get here!

Wet Hiking

2009-09-21T06:19:00.006-04:00

Dockery Lake is normally a busy little campground through the summer. The lovely small mountain lake is surrounded by miles of wilderness with good hiking trails and interesting nearby points of interest. There are only eleven campsites, so getting one is usually a hit or miss chance.

Not during a weekend in late September, when four GWS members camped along the shoreline. In fact, the first two nights, we were alone!

How could this be? It might have had something to do with the buckets of rain that fell from time to time. However, in between, were many hours of cool, foggy weather that was perfect for short hikes.