Seasons

JFK said...

2010-06-19T20:05:00.002-04:00

A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.

John F. Kennedy

2010-04-18T20:09:00.009-04:00

It was a simple question. "What's all that?"

The answer, "It's Rachel's life in jewelry", bounced off of me initially.

Then I got to looking...

Apparently, over the years, all of Rachie's jewelry-like stuff was worn for a while and then for various reasons ended up in a "drawer", which probably took several different forms, also, over the years. I think this is the current "form". It was all dumped out on the kitchen counter...

And sorted, sorta...

Not sure how this ended up there but I suspect maybe Bekah...

The sorting progressed...

The intention, I was told, was that this stuff was going to go to

Emma and Katy, but it had to be divied up.

I think this will become Emma's, but I could be wrong...

Anyway, everyone seems happy, and isn't that what matters?

Ian is Here!

2010-04-17T18:09:00.005-04:00

Raising three girls hasn't really prepared me for a two year old boy. There was Mitchell, of course, but he was...well, he was not Ian. We've had a lot of fun though. A ride on Papa's four-wheeler. We also went to Lowe's and we went to the coffee shop and we swung by the funeral home. I had to show him off, you know.

Cartoons playing in the background once seemed a real distraction from my reading or internet surfing but I've discovered a new appreciation for them. Ian actually stood still for 2 or 3 minutes in a row.

He's a fine feller...

Air - La Femme D'Argent

2010-03-03T18:00:00.001-05:00

Hat tip to Ace of Spades HQ...

A glimpse of the past: San Francisco in 1905
Here is some footage taken from a streetcar in San Francisco back in 1905, before the 1906 earthquake. It's interesting to watch the people dodge streetcars, early automobiles, and even horses. And apparently people really did wear the costumes that we see today in period pieces. And I doubt any of the people shown would have imagined that they would be watched by people almost a hundred years later using magic-like technology. Yet I doubt they were fundamentally all that different from you or me. The soundtrack is La Femme D'Argent by Air.

Hey Kids! Try This at Home!

2010-01-09T17:39:00.002-05:00

When I first heard it on Fox it thought "This can't be!"
So I tried it at home! Now I believe...
Here's what you do. Go to your Google search bar and type "Christianity is"
Amazing, huh?
Now type in "Islam is"
Dumbfounding, eh?
Did ya notice the dropdown box just disappeared?
So, now you know that Islam is NOT bullshit like Christianity.
Thanks Google!
Wait a minute... I wonder what it will return if I type in "Google is".
Well there ya go! Google is the Devil!!!
Thanks again, Google!

"Elvis Is Everywhere" Mojo Nixon 1986 "Happy 75th Birthday to the King"

2010-01-09T05:36:00.001-05:00

Just on the off chance you don't check out Iowahawk regularly...

They Stole Our Future, But They Cannot Break Our Will (PJTV)

2010-01-07T05:11:00.001-05:00

Al Qaeda No. 2 Releases Christmas Video

2009-12-14T18:03:00.001-05:00

Al Qaeda No. 2 Releases Christmas Video

Posted using ShareThis

The Man With The Green Thumb

2009-07-25T19:09:00.006-04:00

Even after losing his balance and falling in the creek...
and breaking 9 ribs...

he had started the garden...

we added to it...

weeded it...

watered it...

and nursed it along, with his advice and help...while he couldn't.

Anyway, I went to Tom's house this afternoon because he said the beans were ready to pick.

And they were. And so were the black-eyed peas and the squash and the cukes, and oh, there's a cantalope that didn't make it into the picture. He's always had the greenest thumb I ever saw.
He's amazing. To look at him today you would never know what he'd been through.

He's driving, fixing his own meals, going to the post office. Word has it he's planning a trip to Florida. I'll bet he works a little fishing in while he's there.

He's tough, buddy!

Cat House

2009-07-25T16:53:00.005-04:00

Aren't they cute? And they're free!! Be the first one on your block to get one of these fine mousers. Hurry, while supplies last. They won't last forever!

Peek-A-Boo!
Oh yeah. The big one stays.

Typhoon or Squall?

2009-07-06T17:38:00.011-04:00

Paul and I went fishing on Monday...

They said it might rain...

Sorta looked like it might...
Thought about suggesting we leave..
But it was a long walk, and, well, you know...

Thank goodness for bridge pilings. The sand blowing through
there would take your skin off!

By the way, the boat in the video below was a beautiful
red boat that looked new and the wind blew it onto the
sandbar there at Matanzas Inlet and they were still there
when we left, trying to push it off.

2009-03-25T17:52:00.003-04:00

I am pleased to break my drought with this since some things one stumbles across simply must be forced to the forefront for the betterment of society.

Deppity Kilpatrick

2009-01-20T07:52:00.012-05:00

Mitchell was just ridin' the range one day acheckin' out the lay of the land....

Out of the West come a lawman. He was havin' trouble with some interlopers around these parts who were committin' acts of lawlessness...

He needed help. Mitchell allowed as how he would help and volunteered to be deputized, right there on the spot.

Officer Martinez was his name, New York City was from where he came. Well, he's been here about 7 years.

He knows a good man when he sees one and deputized Mitchell right there on the spot and then sent him out on patrol.

See the badge? It's an official St. Augustine PD badge!

I'm feeling safer already!

Deppity Kilpatrick rides off into the sunset.....

2009-01-11T08:08:00.001-05:00

I've enjoyed this guy's writing for many years and he doesn't disappoint here.

Thoughts?

Emma Shopping

2008-12-07T17:57:00.002-05:00

Here's a picture of Emma helping Nita shop...
By the way, am I the only one who has to refresh occasionally to get pictures to come up on blogs? Just wonderin'
Oh, Sarah...pictures......... (thanks)

Trout

2008-10-19T09:45:00.008-04:00

Sooooo......
If those guys can net up a bunch of mullet, so can I, right? Probably, no, definitely, if they're running like Thursday but this is Friday and they're NOT running like Thursday. So after throwing my net in various places in the inlet with no success I settled in with some GULP! rootbeer flavored artificial mullet.
The couple right below us, in pity I'm sure, after watching my attempts to net up some bait gave me a bucket full of mullet they had caught. After that, it was game on! Rachel was getting into it too.

After I caught this trout she had a flounder on and lost him right at the waterline.

We had to take him to the Salt Run pier to clean him because it's the only place I know of that has a place to clean with running water.

Looking for a handout.

Bait

2008-10-19T07:57:00.002-04:00

The beach was full of seaweed on Thursday so we drove to Matanzas Inlet. You can get on the beach there and drive around under the bridge to a point just inside the inlet and in sight of Fort Matanzas. The tide was running out. The current was strong when we got there and kept getting stronger but you could still wade out in it without much difficulty. We immediately noticed the mullet running upstream. Just a steady line of them.
The guys in the collage above showed up with nets and started bringing them in. One had a 10' net and the other a 12' net. They would throw into "holes" and bring out nets full of them which they would empty into the laundry baskets and then into a huge tank on the back of their truck. They sell them to a processor who bags them up and freezes them then ships them all over the place. When you can't catch fresh mullet to fish with the next best thing is a "popsicle".
(click the picture for a better view)

The One That Didn't Get Away

2008-10-15T18:47:00.008-04:00

Tooling up the ICW. What's that up ahead? In the picture, it's in the palms at the base of the condominium. Let's go a little closer...

Oh, hey, cool, it's a sculpture. Looks like a man and a boy and a huge fish jumping over them...

I think it's a grandpa and grandson. Papa, oh, I mean the grandfather, is showing Ian, whoops, I mean his grandson, how big the fish was that he caught. Now about that fish. he looks like he means harm but I can see where Ian, I mean the grandson, is rarin' back with his pole to take care of that fish. Well, that just figgers...

A daughter would do the same thing. I mean if a fish that big presented itself. It wasn't that big, though, and by the time I got him cleaned he wouldn't have made a fillet-o'-fish sandwich at McDonald's but he's swimming in the Crisco Ocean right now and soon will be a fond memory.

10-11-2008, Download, Nita's Camera

2008-10-11T18:03:00.018-04:00

Catchy title, huh? Really though, every once in a while I'll see a bunch of good pictures on Nita's camera and decide that I need to pop 'em on my computer. The problem is, they are usually accumulated over several days (read, "events"), forcing a "stack of stuff" blog post. So, without further ado.....
My previous post on Rache's 4H baking didn't include anything in the way of preparation so here's a few pics of that.
Ready to take to the judging....

After the judging....

Ian judging....

Ian being Ian. Sweet, I mean....

About that. Kids are really something but a grandchild IS different. You hear that from people but until you have one it doesn't really mean so much. It's hard to explain. All I know is I like it!

Emma (daughter #4, sorry Mike & Sheila) and Ian. He had this tongue thing going while they were here. I think it had something to do with teething.

Brother Ty held revival at Clinchfield Baptist last weekend. Three men came forward and got baptised. Oh wait, Bro. Ty was one of them. That explains Pastor Paul up in the Baptistry.

Bro. Ty and Maid Bekah following the ceremony.

Can't seem to get away from that hamburger cake.

Tea party's are very popular here.

Mountain Glory. Rachel always helps me as I do my DBA duties. This year, Anna was here and was up early this morning so we drafted her to help too. We were there at 6:30 a.m. to help the vendors get set up, as usual. Rache and I have been doing this for many years. Freddie Killough says that she figures Rachel will take over for her some day.

Well, that clears the slate. We're leaving for St. Augustine on Monday morning so maybe I'll have something good to share from our trip.

Wow...lots poppin'!

2008-10-03T17:54:00.012-04:00

It's been a while since I posted and today was pretty event filled and picture worthy so here we go. Sarah and Ian arrived around 3:30 today, Rachel had a 4H contest and Bekah had a marriage proposal. More on some of that later. Meanwhile.....
Rachel had eight entries (every category) in the 4H Bake Off, Senior Division today. Six of her entries took first place (purple ribbon) while four of those took Best of Show (earning two purple ribbons). Each purple ribbon earned her $10 for a total of $100. That's a pretty good incentive for kids to get involved in 4H, I think.
This coconut pie must have been especially good. Only half of it made it back home!
I love pumpkin roll and this one was a double ribbon winner.

Apple muffins.....

Angel biscuits.....

Buttermilk biscuits.....

The banana nut bread won a red ribbon. I think it had something to do with our oven not being level.....

After the judging we had a hamburger cook-out.

Oh wait, there's a ribbon there. Did my hamburger cooking win a ribbon? Uh, no....

It's a cake. It won Best of Show too.....

The bun is made from yellow cake. The meat is made from chocolate cake. Marshmallow Fondant are the tomatoes, onions, lettuce, sesame seeds and cheese. The mustard and mayonnaise are made from frosting. The pickles are green Fruit Roll-up Stackers. It took several hours to put it all together. Great job Rache!!

Rachel says that next year she won't have so many entries and that's OK but we'll see...

Next year is a long way off.

Hoot Owl Mine

2008-08-16T16:19:00.020-04:00

Howard wanted to try out his new four-wheeler. I'm always up for that so Monday we took off for the Hoot Owl Mine in Mitchell County. We've been there before but it's always a fun ride. First stop was a small abandoned feldspar mine not too far down the trail.

There is some really pretty scenery just about everywhere you look.

Viewed from the opposite ridge, these holes in

the mountainside give the mine it's name.

You can just drive right on in and all the way down to the bottom where there is a "lake". I don't know how deep it is but would guess not very.

It's a little unsettling when you're in there because you can just imagine a big chunk of rock falling off and bonking you on your punkin' head.

This "pond" is a result of mining activities and is always there, even in extreme drought conditions. I tossed a rock in and shot the resulting wave action reflected on the rock above. It looked like a spider web.

This is another view of the pond from a different angle. The water seems sort of chalky, I guess from the feldspar. Someone once told me that one of the uses of feldspar was to obtain the glossy finish on magazine covers.

Here we are headed out. Howard is visible back up the trail. This shot also shows the sheer size of the mine.

This is a view of the pond from the trail going out.

I made this panarama from six pictures I stitched together. This is about a 300 degree view from a high meadow that is situated at about 4000 feet elevation.

Altogether a good day riding but then I can't remember a bad day four-wheeling!

Ian's Visit

2008-08-14T05:47:00.005-04:00

Ian came to visit us recently.

Oh, Paul and Sarah came with him.

Don't want to leave them out!Too sweet!

Sarah seemed to always have plenty of help taking care of Little Feller.
Sarah, I know you're going back to work soon but that's a little too
gung-ho isn't it? With the nurse's cap and all?
He love him Mama!

And then they had to go.

We'll see them all again soon.

South of here.

Can't wait!

This ain't Florida....Is it?

2008-07-22T19:44:00.013-04:00

Ahhh! The mountains of North Carolina!

Such a respite from the lowlands. To be at 3300' elevation

with the cool breezes blowing up the valley, through the sliding

doors and into the cabin, cooling the house almost to the point

of needing a fire to ward off the chill. The beautiful flora of the highlands.

The cozy bed with thick comforter against the chill of the night.
Lovely!

Calm and serene.

Cozy and warm.

Picturesque.

And now, the rest of the story.

It was hot. Real hot.

It had been a while since we had been to Franklin and I thought it

would be a good idea to go over and weedeat and blow everything off.

It really wasn't that bad. It was about 80 degrees and there was a

slight breeze blowing up from the valley. I turned on the fan over the

bed when I went to sleep and by morning I had to turn it off because

it was too much. It didn't take it long though, come morning, for it to

warm up. I had the hard work done though so it was just a matter of

shutting things down and leaving. Chad and his family are going next

weekend (brave souls) and that's good. A house needs to be lived in.

In the meantime though I'll keep it up best I can. Anybody want to

spend a weekend in Franklin? Come on Trixie. Let's go home. We'll

come back when it's cool enough that you feel like romping around the deck.

A Week Away

2008-07-06T18:42:00.031-04:00

I thought this might be a good time to wrap up a week spent in St. Augustine that was supposed to be more than just Bekah, Tyler and myself. Kenita was unable to go because of back problems which will be addressed soon, and because Bekah has classes this was the only opportunity she would have to go South this Summer. The pelican above followed us for over half a mile at 28 mph on one of the days we spent fishing on th ICW. He seemed to want to stay with us as we traveled up the waterway. Below is a picture of a manatee which was one of a "herd" of them we came upon that day. They weren't giving us a lot of skin to take pictures of but we did see one that had been hit by a propeller. The cut was real pink in color.

After taking the boat out we took it to the local car wash to clean it and happened across this little family of ducks. Mama Duck was hissing at me as I took the picture. She was moving her brood away from the mean old human but I was just trying to get a decent picture.

A few pictures of the place in St. Auggie...

We thought seriouly about taking the boat out in the bay for the Fourth of July fireworks show but decided against it since I've never navigated in the dark. We drove in as close as we could and rode bikes into town. Although we regretted not going in the boat, it was probably the best thing because getting out of town was a lot easier on bikes than it would have been in the boat.

When we first got downtown there was a military band in the plaza and they were fantastic.

There were a lot of boats in the bay, too.

Since we got there so early, we rode the bikes around town for a while. This picture and the next two were taken beneath the Tiffany windows of the Flagler College dining hall. I just looked up as we were leaving and this shot presented itself.

Odd man out...

Ah...young love!

Odd man out redeux...

Casa Monica at dusk.

Morons at dusk.

And...some of the show...

I have to say, it was the best fireworks show I've ever seen, especially the last three minutes. The finale was awesome. Just a constant, solar plexus pounding show.

Fishin', sorta

2008-06-30T18:32:00.007-04:00

Our fishing drought was finally ended today by the capture of not one but two wily denizens of the deep. Our heroic struggles against these two awesome specimens was not to be sneezed at. Bek fought her Sheephead for all of 3 or 4 minutes while I battled against my "toadfish?" for well over 4 1/2 minutes, finally boating the beast.

Scrappy Girls

2008-06-27T16:03:00.005-04:00

Getaway

2008-06-08T19:30:00.029-04:00

Another last minute Sunday ride into the mountains of North Carolina. It was 95 degrees when I left Marion at 3:30 to head up into the "cool" mountains. Straight up Coxes Creek Road toward Spruce Pine and then a quick dodge onto the Blue Ridge Parkway at the top of the mountain and then North toward Linville. There is an instant cooling effect after you get on the Parkway from the canopy of tree limbs.

My first stop was the Orchard at Altapass. Apples played a significant role in pioneer culture, and, don't kid yourself, it took a pioneer spirit to settle this country. Scratching out enough flat, rock-free land to cultivate a garden was a major challenge. I've always marvelled at the sight of rock piles situated at the bottom of a one-time "field" that an early settler cleared to grow enough "truck" to feed his family.

This overlook also afforded a view across the North Cove valley to the mountains that rise up to the ridge overlooking the Linville Gorge and the Kistler Memorial Highway which follows this ridge for several miles down to Lake James. It's several miles across but you can see where fires burned earlier in the Spring.

This faraway view of fiery destruction is in stark contrast to the cool scenes one experiences travelling up the Parkway, even in the midst of a drought.

Below is native azalea which can be seen in many different colors.

I'm not sure what this flower is...

Below is mountain laurel which at lower elevations is bloomed out but up here is at full bloom in early June.

Christmas trees are big business up here in this country.

The Hemlock Wooly Adelgid is destroying our hemlocks. This hemlock on the Linville River should be full and lush and green. Instead, the foliage is sparse and thin, the normal shade provided to the river environs gone. What the long-term effects this will have on trout streams is unknown but it probably won't be good.

Below is a healthy hemlock bough on which can be seen new growth and a healthy color.

This bough is infected. It's obviously less lush and the infestation can be seen thickly embedded on the leaves. These bugs suck the very life out of the tree. it's said that if you or your children have not seen a hemlock forest that you had better go now because in a few years they will be gone.

Grandfather Mountain, 5:30Marion, 6:15

Makes me want to go back up there!

Stack of Stuff

2008-06-01T18:44:00.035-04:00

A few things from the last few days that need posting but with no specific theme. To try to wrap up our (my) week (few days) with Rachel and her friends on her St. Augustine birthday getaway...

Not to overdo any one particular attraction, but we feel like taking guests to Washington Oaks is worth doing and it's proving to be photogenic in every season that we've visited. We'll see what the heat of Summer is like but so far it's been a very worthwhile stop.

Here are the girls at the plantation home that's on the property.

The roses were pretty well bloomed out but there were still many opportunities for good photos. Did you notice anything different about the last few photos? I've got a new macro lens that takes very good close-ups. It's not something you would want to use for distance pictures but it's excellent for the up close stuff. I'm still learning...depth of field, etc.

Some more... Close up: Palm Trunk

I just about tripped over this guy. He looks pretty big but was probably only 3 feet long. Oh, did I mention that Washington Oaks is close to J.T.'s (home of a really good hamburger and onion rings)?It's hard to hold back on lunch when you're really hungry knowing you're going to chow down at Ruth's Chris that evening. We managed to get away on time and got there at the appointed hour despite the time it took them all to get ready. Final touches on the ride to Ponte Vedra. The very picture of savoir-faire. Are these the same girls who jumped out of the boat that day?

The next day, a quick trip to Fort Matanzas. Matanzas translates to "slaughter". Read about it here...

.....after which we had a quick lunch at The World Famous Oasis.....

.....followed by late afternoon sunbathing on the beach. My time was short by now. Even though the girls planned to stay a couple of more days, I needed to return to the mountains, for I had promised my oldest, Sarah, that I would meet her and Kristen and Lacy and IAN in Asheville for dinner Saturday night. We had a real good visit and Ian was, as is usual, very laid back...

He's a pretty cool dude, don't you think?

In Over Their Heads?

2008-05-28T20:24:00.015-04:00

Today was the "boat ride" day. And fishing. We fished. I fished. I've fished a lot here. Never caught anything, but I've fished a lot. Well, anyway, we launched the boat at the lighthouse, "Salt Run", it's called. Used to be the inlet until they plowed the new one through at Vilano. We had the bimini top up most of the way, out Salt Run to St. Augustine, old town, then out the inlet about a mile off shore. Then we came back in and up the Tolomato River (intracoastal) a few miles. We wanted to eat at Cap's but they aren't open for lunch until Friday. We rode back to town and put in at the city docks. Everyone was getting hungry so we walked into town and ate at the sandwich shop in Casa Monica. When we got back to the boat we decided to go South and went as far as the 206 bridge. I figured that was far enough for the day and headed back towards town. We decided to put the top down and get a little sun.

I'm not sure which one decided it had gotten hot enough to jump in but about the time we got back to town it was decided.

After many individual and dual dives in they decided that a group jump was needed.

A couple of other interesting things happened today. We passed two men and two young boys in a boat who were in trouble. They'd been fishing. Their motor laid down on them so we towed them in to where they had launched. After that I spotted a really nice cruiser putting along toward town so I decided I would speed up and check out their ride. About the time we got pretty close up behind them they noticed us and laid the coals to it. They ate our lunch. We caught up to them near the city docks which is where the diving started. Oh, by the way, there were many dolphin (Flipper-type) where the girls were diving so they figured they had been "swimming with the dolphins".

Primordial Muck, or Mud Puppies?

2008-05-27T20:00:00.019-04:00

You can't make this up!

Five kids + lots of muck = various stages of coverage. You have to wonder what forces influence each kid's decision as to how much mud to apply. Following are pictures of the kids from muckiest to least mucky.

I first noticed them from my balcony throwing their nets into the water by the dock. I figured they were trying to catch some bait. I walked down to the dock and saw this and asked them if they would be there for a while that I wanted to get their picture. They said "we'll go back in for you!" I hustled back to the house and got my camera...
This one thoroughly reveled in the mud.
This one seemed to enjoy it as much as his buddy but took longer to plaster his hair with it!

The one on the right had the right attitude but just couldn't seem to totally immerse himself completely in the artistic medium du jour.

This fellow obviously knew that to come home home looking like the others was not advisable. A quick face rinse would do it!

How sweet is she? Hey, she runs with the big dogs!!

Have you ever heard of mud angels?
OUCH!!

The neighbors seemed to enjoy them.

Ian would never.....

Spring Has Sprung (mostly)

2008-05-04T17:35:00.027-04:00

I took my first scooter ride of the year today. There it was, when I got home from church, beckoning. OK. Where to go? Mt. Mitchell? Can't go wrong there! I headed up Hwy. 80, past Lake Tahoma, Buck Creek, through Dead Man's curve, all the way to where it intersects with the Blue Ridge Parkway and there I took a break. There were some riders there and one of them was showing some interest in my scooter. He asked a lot of questions about it. It's a gas mileage thing! They call Harleys "hogs" for more than one reason.

From there it was on to Mt. Mitchell. It's the highest point East of the Mississippi River. It was 76 degrees in Marion when I left and by the time I got to the top of Mt. Mitchell it was 51 degrees! I had planned on a cup of hot chocolate when I got there but the concession stand isn't open yet. There were a couple of guys there in the parking lot who had come up on rice rockets and they were showing lots of interest in my scooter. They also asked lots of questions and wanted to know about gas mileage. One of them had looked into Burgmans extensively and knew a lot about them. He is seriously considering trading his 1150cc bike for a Burgman 400cc.

While I was there I got some pictures of Balsam trees. I love a Balsam. There's something foreboding about a Balsam forest, or maybe it's just because the only ones I ever see are on Mitchell and it's usually cloudy and misty and cool up there and so it just seems that way.

I know I've been in St. Augustine a lot lately so it may be understandable that I likened this growth to Spanish Moss. It isn't, of course. I don't think Live Oaks grow at 6400 ft. elevation. I'm not sure what it is but it seemed to thrive on dead and dying Balsam trees.

I took a bunch of pictures of plants that were blooming out on this trip. When you're riding, and you want to take pictures, you have to make a concious effort to STOP, when you see something photo worthy, park, get the camera out, shoot, put the camera up, crank up and go. It's a groove you get into...slow down, look...don't be in a hurry. Here's a few pics.....

Little blue flowers....

This picture was taken from about a foot off the Parkway.

This, I think, is a Catawba Magnolia bloom....
We've all seen these....
??????????????All day, I had this feeling that there was something missing...

It's Spring...

There should be some...Oh, yeah, that's what it is...Trillium!

This is a panorama of 4 pictures, stitched together, of a "field" of Trillium, but really, there were virtually acres upon acres of trillium between the Mineral Museum in Spruce Pine and Crabtree Meadows. I've never seen anything like it.

The shades of white and pink were innumerable, but the sheer numbers of flowers are indescribable and of course pictures don't do it justice. There is a short window of opportunity in the Spring to experience this showy display and I hope everyone can, sometime, see it. Here are a few pictures...

So, all in all, a great day in the mountains of western North Carolina.

St. Augustine, avec des amis

2008-05-01T18:46:00.021-04:00

Bruno and Marie Noelle Hugon, and little Raphael (14 mos.) visited us in St. Augustine recently.

Marie Noelle (nee) Canin is a Parisian friend of ours of many years who not too long ago married Bruno Hugon and out of this marriage came Raphael.

You could not ask for more delightful guests. Marie Noelle has been to Florida (the Keys) with us before she married Bruno but this was his first trip to the states. We ate a lot of good food, fished a little, went to the beach, shopped, and did some of the tourist attractions such as the Alligator Farm.

Raphael was photographed after having subdued one of the fearsome beasts.

Communication was very easy as Marie Noelle speaks fluent English and Bruno does exceptionally well understanding English. Let's just say his English is a whole lot better than my French!

We also took a quick trip to Washington Oaks where the rose garden was in full bloom.And J.T.'s, where the burgers and onion rings were fantastic, as usual.

Au revior.

Easter Eve, 2008

2008-03-22T17:57:00.016-04:00

He's big, he's bad, he's anti-social. He's got 4" barbs on the back of his legs and he knows how to use 'em. He's also protective but I don't think he knows why. He mainly knows I schoosed him away with a stick early on and he's never forgotten it.

In other words...I don't go in the coop. I'd like to, though, because I need to put some mulch in there to replace all the scratching they've done but I'm not going in there (see John Ray Davis for confirmation on this). Not while he's around. The discussion turned to sending him away today. I mentioned that it would be good if Brian Price would just come and get him and maybe replace him with some of his Banty hens. Brian dealt with him before, a couple of years ago. He threw open the door to the coop, walked up to Speedy, snatched him up and packed him under his arm and Speedy looked like he'd been had. No fighting, no struggle, just complete submission.

I don't have it in me but it doesn't matter because once he's gone that'll be it. We don't really need him anyway. He crows early in the morning ruining any chance I may have of sleeping in and he fertilizes the eggs which we don't need so...why keep him? I bounced it off Trixie...who said "Off with his head",

and Lollie...who said..."What she said".
I think they (Lollie) were more concerned with when supper would be served and when the condo would be painted. It's a dog's life.......

That reminds me. Bekah sent Joe to Boone yesterday. I know that was hard for her but I'm hoping that things will be better for Joe and maybe Bek can spend more time with him there. She's going to join the Appalachian Equestrian Club. She'll miss him here but I hope she'll meet some people there who can help her hone her skills. Thanks to Tim Bennett for his help!

As for Speedy, Trixie and Lollie?

I say, "Let them eat cake".

Easter blessings to all!

(He is Risen)

Me & Ian

2008-03-11T20:23:00.003-04:00

Sweetness Here!

2008-02-26T18:34:00.006-05:00

I got the call from Sarah on Thursday, February 21, 2008 at about lunchtime. In fact, I was eating lunch at the time with Tim McEntire at Countryside B-B-Q. "He's on the way", she said. I managed to get away around 5:00 or so. The girls would've gone with me except for a 4H Fashion Revue and 4H Entertains on Saturday that they had been preparing for for a long time. In the meantime Paul had booked me a reservation through Priceline at the Intercontinental in Buckhead ("Beam me up, Scotty") and I arrived there at about 10:00 p.m. Went to bed and got up early Friday morning and headed to Piedmont Hospital. Sarah is a L&D nurse there so you could say that she received very good treatment.

After what seemed like no time at all and an extremely "easy" delivery, Ian James Kotronis entered this world. The name was a secret until he came and I think was only nailed down that very day. No wonder they couldn't tell anyone! This precious little baby had to go to the intermediate care nursery because of some minor respiration problems followed by some equally minor jaundice problems. We got to hold him in the nursery but he wasn't able to go to his mama's room. But...he is home now and doing well and we are planning to go see him early in March.

Old Florida, New to Us

2008-02-07T18:18:00.001-05:00

Between Crescent Beach, on the southern end of Anastasia Island and Palm Coast is a section of A1A that is sort of lost in time. The first time I drove down there from St. Augustine Beach with Sarah and Paul we turned off at the first road that said "Old A1A" only to end up on a dead end road with a few houses that, I guess, were pretty close to the ICW.

A dirt road it was, that I suppose was "Old A1A". It was beautiful, with live oaks and spanish moss, typical of Old Florida. After going back out to "new" A1A we headed south again and shortly came to a state park named Washington Oaks Gardens. This section of A1A is paved but you still get a feel for what it must have been like years ago. It's only about a mile long....

Here is an excerpt from the Wikipedia site from the link above:

The park's land has a rich history. Native Americans found the area a productive hunting and fishing area. After European settlement of Florida, the property had a number of owners and was used for various agricultural purposes. One owner was a surveyor named George Washington, a relative of President George Washington. In 1936, Louise Powis Clark, wife of the industrialist Owen D. Young purchased the property as a winter retirement home. She devised the name "Washington Oaks" for the property and is responsible for developing the park's formal gardens, citrus groves, and house. Mr. Young died in 1962 and Mrs. Young donated the property to the State of Florida in 1964. Her donation specified that the "gardens be maintained in their present form".

By the way, if you click on the pictures you get a full-sized version of them.

The orange and grapefruit trees were hanging full

on this beautiful January day and the fruit was ripening. We managed to find some that was ripe (after tasting some that were not quite) and I have to say it was very good, especially a pink grapefruit we ate fresh from the tree.

Across A1A from the entrance to the main part of the park is another section on the ocean side. There you will find a coquina beach. Coquina was the standard building material in the area back in the day and is still used in various forms even today. Coquina is different from Tabby, which is more prevelant on the Georgia coast but there is some Tabby in St. Augustine at the Fountain of Youth.

While we were in town Paul and I got a little fishing in. No catching, just a little fishing.

I hope we can all get back to St. Auggie again real soon.

Sweetness on the way!

2008-02-06T18:54:00.001-05:00

Pappy? Papaw? Gramps? Grampaw? Papa...yeah, maybe that. And Nana? I think so! How can it be that I am going to be the proud Papa of a sweet little baby boy, who, I'm just guessing now, but who will come into this world as a fat little black-eyed black-haired bundle of Papa-lovin' joy! Just blessed I guess. Sarah and Paul seem to be taking all of this in such easy stride that I just know that "what's-his-name" is surely getting such peaceful vibes from them that his eventual emergence into our world will be absolutely serene. Well, I'll ask Sarah about that later. Anyway, I dearly look forward to the times that he and I will have together. How can I not wonder...what will he look like, what will he be like, what will he love, what will he want from life and what will he bring to this world? I don't know but I surely look forward to finding out!

Recipe for Near Disaster

2008-02-04T19:57:00.001-05:00

Take one 25 year old Gheenoe that's been sitting peacefully at my sister's house at Lake Lure in Western North Carolina for years. Add a new $850 trailer and a slightly used 2007 15hp Suzuki motor bought on eBay for close to $2000, which is 10hp more than the boat is rated for. Drag all this down to St. Augustine, Florida because I have a place down there now and a burning desire to go fishing which I have rarely done and done only once in salt water. Add my Dad to the front end of this nautical missile and me at the helm, and drop her in the creek and head out to the Intracoastal Waterway. What do you get? My Dad with white knuckles and me with a curiosity about what that popping sound is at the stern of this monstrous little torpedo. When, on the return trip from the ICW, where, by the way, the wake from a passing yacht convinced me that leaving the creek and venturing out into the ICW was probably not a wise decision, I got to thinking that if the transom of this boat were to crack off from the sheer weight and propulsion of the motor that the boat would probably fill up with water pretty quickly. I decided at that point that a bigger boat was in my future if I was going to fulfill my dream of catching all those "doormat" sized flounder that my family and I are so fond of. Do ya'll know anybody that wants to buy her?