A politically correct wish for the season

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday(tm), practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all and a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2006, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great, (not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country or is the only "AMERICA" in the western hemisphere), and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform, or sexual orientation of the wishee.

By accepting this greeting,you are accepting these terms:

This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.

WMCC News

WMCC News offers a great way to poke fun at the crazy politics and people of Macon, GA. Although you have to be familiar with the various people that are being discussed to fully appreciate this blog, I still think most people would get a kick out of it. The satire and humor are great!

Torreya

Torreya State Park in the panhandle of Florida is the destination for this year's New Year's trip. Looks like we will be doing some hiking, and bicycling too.

I am hoping that my leg doesn't give me a lot of problems on the trip. I have been having a lot of numbness, causes by a pinched nerve. The official name is Meralgia Paresthetica.

I am doing the final prep work for Christmas today....wrapping the last presents and so forth. I have had 2 annoying things happen today....first, my floor furnace has been cutting off for some reason. All I have to do is go turn it off, then back on, and it starts back up....but I need to find out what is going on with it. I changed the batteries in the thermostat...maybe that will help. And the second thing is a call on my cell phone. It has rang 3 times today, but nobody is there. In fact, it often hangs up before I can answer it. There is no number shown on the cell phone, so I do not know who it is. It isn't showing it as a private number, instead it says unknown. Hope it stops before nightfall.

JibJab_205YearEnd.swf

Bush in review

absolut corruption.jpg

From http://www.presidentmoron.com/

Keep your Jesus off of my penis

Because of the way that the Christian Extreme Right has taken over, this is becoming the sentiment around here. Click the link above and then choose to WATCH FILM

Attack of the Chickens!

The birds come running every time that they see me in the yard. I guess that I have spoiled them by feeding them too much by hand, so they think that I am just there to feed them. But I do enjoy watching them do their chickeny things.

Outsourcing gone bad.
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Tomorrow is World AIDS Day

is December 1st.

Click icon for more info

Thanksgiving

I survived yet another Thanksgiving. We week before, I had taken off for the Okefenokee Swamp. We had a great time and enjoyed the good weather. Then it was off to Atlanta for the holiday at my brother's place. Nice house, tiny yard. I couldn't live like that....the houses are crammed so tightly together.

The food was good and the family was on best behavior....no food fights, anyway.

I was tired out from the swamp paddle, so did not go on John's traditional after Turkey Day paddle on the Flint.

Night #2 at the BOE

Working late tonight

I just got home (2:45am) from work. They called about 10:30 tonight (on a Saturday) with the server room overheating at the Board Office. So off I go down there. Yep, it was 106 degrees inside the server cabinet and about 87 in the room. We try to maintain the cabinets below 95.

The 2 modular coolers were running, so I went up to check the big chiller for the building....it was off. Gary S. showed up a bit later and we started checking the safeties......then the pneumatic controls. The chiller tried once, then died.

Gary D came in a bit later and we all did some head scratching. No luck. Then about 12:00, Bud arrived. More head scratching, checking, rechecking, and so forth.

About 2:00, we placed a call to the service guy in Atlanta....he wasn't too happy about that, but he will get over it. While Bud was on the phone with him, I reset a low voltage cutoff, then the oil pressure hi and low switches, and then hit the auto switch and it started up smooth as silk.

We stayed till about 2:30 and all was still working and the server cabinets had cooled down to 95. So I re-activated the emergency paging system, which I had cut off about midnight as that it was driving us crazy with automated messages about the conditions at the Board Office.

Gary D was heading back up to the mechanical room to round us Gary S and Bud when I left a 2:30. I am assuming that they were right behind me....although I did not see them leave, nor did I get a phone message, so I am assuming that all is well in the world and they went home also.

It is now almost 3:00am, and I am off to bed.

Yes, it is a cult

Click here to see what I consider a cult! Apple

Fined for using letters W and Q

20 people fined for using letters W and Q - Oct 25, 2005 When I saw this story, I thought that it was some sort of strange Sesame Street flashback gone bad. I remember the show that was brought to us by the letters W and Q! And also the number 6....but it must be ok to use the number 6 without worry about being fined....just W and Q.

I loved Sesame Street as a kid. I particularly like Grover, Ernie, and Oscar. Does that say something about me? Not sure. Maybe.

I also liked Mr. Hooper, who owned the store....till he died.

Here comes Wilma

Not this Wilma. Instead, here comes another hurricane...Wilma. Watch out south Florida!

Dog Condoms - Canine Birth Control

What a shock......Dog Condoms have been recalled. Not only is this website's product line a bit odd....featuring "meat scented condoms" for dogs.....but even more odd is the recall notice!

Infant Confinement Specialists Since 2001

Babycage.net - Infant Confinement Specialists Since 2001 is a very weird website that features cages that designed for small children.

At first glance, this sounds like some sort of horrible parent's torture device....but as I think more about it, maybe they are onto something.

Mom checks out of hospital

Good news. Mom went home. Not a critical heart issue. More tests to come though.

Mom Hospitalized

My mother had to go to hospital yesterday with chest and arm pains. The doctors have initially said that it doesn't look like she had a heart attack...but after looking at her EKG, x-rays, and other tests; they wanted to keep her there yesterday and last night. More tests today.

She is in good spirits and says that she doesn't think it is anything terribly serious, but does want to find out what is causing the pains.

The really bad part is that she checked into the hospital yesterday....on her 60th birthday! How sad....although the nurses did give her a second piece of chocolate cake with dinner, she said.

Kay Redmond's journal

A good friend of mine, Kay Redmond, has recently been diagnosed with lung cancer. In order to keep friends informed, she has created Kay Redmond's online journal, which has her story as she works through radiation and chemo.

Please take a moment to look it over, if you know Kay. And drop her some encouraging words.

Thank Goodness

Big Bone Lick State Park has a most odd...and slightly obscene....sounding name. Thankfully, the linked article describes why there are so many "big bones" there....they were attracted by the "lick".

I am so lazy

Ok....so I am supposed to be all packed and ready to leave afterwork Friday for a trip to Florida. So that means that I really have to be all packed before I leave Friday morning. It is now late on Wednesday, and I have done no packing at all. So tomorrow afterwork, I need to do the following:

• load the canoe
• find the paddles and pfds
• roll up the tent
• get the sleeping pad and bag
• go buy food for the weekend
• pack food
• pack cooler
• wash and pack some clothes
• print out my maps

So looks like it will be a late night tomorrow.

Gone to the flea market this morning. Bought only one thing, a crank flashlight for $5.

Chicken wings and soda bottle used in officer assault, cops say

Macon Telegraph | 09/28/2005 | Chicken wings and soda bottle used in officer assault, cops say: "Chicken wings and soda bottle used in officer assault, cops say

ASSOCIATED PRESS

SMYRNA - A Florida woman was arrested after allegedly attacking a suburban Atlanta police officer with a plate of chicken wings and a 2-liter bottle, police said.

Beverly Anne Campbell, 61, of St. Petersburg, Fla., was arrested for misdemeanor battery and felony assault on a police officer, according to a Smyrna police arrest warrant. She was also arrested on a misdemeanor charge of inciting a riot, the warrant said.

The incident happened Friday during a function at the Smyrna Community Center, said spokesman Capt. Keith Zgnoc. Officer W.D. Nesbit stopped a driver leaving the event who was traveling the wrong way on a one-way street.

But Campbell apparently objected to the traffic stop and attempted to turn the crowd against the officer, according to the warrant.

She allegedly threw the plate of chicken wings at Nesbit, hit him with the Coke bottle in the neck and then punched him in the face, 'several times, leaving visible injuries,' according to the warrant.

Another partygoer, Darius Campbell, was arrested on felony obstruction and misdemeanor counts of battery and inciting a riot.

The car driver, Brian Cedric Campbell, was arrested for aggravated assault on an officer and obstruction and misdemeanor counts of inciting a riot, disobeying a traffic control device and refusing a DUI test.

Smyrna is about 12 miles northwest of Atlanta."

No Brothel for the Pit Crew!

Oddly Enough News Article | Reuters.com: "SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - Two high-class brothels hoping to attract racers and pit crews in Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix were shut down after they posted sexually explicit advertisements on 30 billboards around South America's largest city.

Sao Paulo Mayor Jose Serra demanded the billboards be covered with blank white sheets and his code enforcement officers sealed doorways to the brothels, Romanza and Cafe Millenium, with concrete blocks.

The billboards showed a photo made to look like a scantily clad woman was performing fellatio on a man in a racing uniform. Captions on the advertisements said in both Portuguese and English: 'Do you know what happens after the (winners') podium?.'

Another advertisement in Sao Paulo targeting race car drivers reads 'emotion in every curve' alongside a semi-nude woman, the newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo reported.

Every year, brothel owners put up dozens of billboards targeting rich customers who visit Sao Paulo for the Formula One race.

But since taking office in January, the tough-talking Serra has tried to clean up the sleazy side of Sao Paulo, including shutting down cheap downtown hotels frequented by crack addicts.

Prostitution in Brazil is legal, but pimping is not. To avoid hassles from police, many brothel owners say they run 'relaxation clubs for men' and that sexual services are not provided in exchange for money."

Midstate schools closing to save gas

Macon Telegraph | 09/23/2005 | Midstate schools closing to save gas

Well, at least some of the staff gets to stay at home for 2 days....not me. I get to work it. And better yet....I don't get any extra money for it. Ahhhhh....the joy of being salaried.

Waiting on another hurricane

The guys on CNN and FoxNews are chomping at the bits in anticipation of the newest hurricane to threaten the Gulf of Mexico....Rita. The reporters are already staking out their spots to report the hurricane on Saturday as it comes ashore. I know that so many were killed in Katrina a couple of weeks ago, that it forces the issue to the front of most people's minds...but enough is enough. They will have things so hyped up that we simply must watch them all day on Saturday as the storm rolls in.

Hopefully, enough people will get out of the Texas - Lousianna area in time to keep the death-toll down. Mother Nature simply isn't one to be toyed with. She has the power to snap a house into splinters in a few seconds.

Driving thru Helen, Ga on my way home...after a weekend of camping at Vogel State Park.

My aunt and uncle just returned from a week or two in Ireland. If you have an interest and the time, you can go see a bunch of their photos at this website...a word of warning, do not try this on a dial up modem. This is only for higher speed connections, or you will be waiting a very long time...not that each photo is of very high resolution, but simply because of the number of photos.
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Before and After.....Without the photo being held, you wouldn't have known what was there! Katrina was a terrible blow to so many people.
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Hurricane Relief

The devastation in the wake of Hurricane Katrina is heartbreaking, and my thoughts are with those struggling in the aftermath of this disaster. As victims of this natural disaster are attempting to recover, American Red Cross volunteers have been deployed to the hardest hit areas of Katrina's destruction, supplying hundreds of thousands of victims left homeless with critical necessities. By making a financial gift to Hurricane 2005 Relief, the Red Cross can provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need. I urge you to contribute to this worthy cause.

The tornado sirens are going off....so best log off. Here is a shot of the local radar as a band from Hurricane Katrina moves our way.
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Now this is the way that I like a beach....big and empty, where you can walk and see no condos, no tourists, and nothing except for your own footprints.
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Great sunset over Sapelo Island, off the Georgia coast.
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Big waves on Sapelo Island......kicked up by Hurricane Katrina
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I was one of the table captains at the BBQ contest in Manchester last weekend. My friend Bonnie snapped this pic of me, as I showed one of the boxes of meat to the other judges.
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Manchester Bound

Manchester Times has the list of events for this weekend's trip to Manchester, Tennessee. I am judging the BBQ event there, and Bonnie is coming with me to keep me out of trouble! Will have some photos when we return.

And now I can't even walk out the back door of the house to the garage without taking the long way around the house!
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Debris
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A big branch broke out of the pecan tree...snatching down my power lines to the garage, and pulling some of the fascia boards and soffet down on the corner of the house. Luckily, no fire when the electric wires snapped and the big limbs missed my truck by about 10 feet. Looks like a few hundred dollars will need to be spent to fix it. Just enough to not make it worthwhile to claim on insurance.
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60th anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

This week is the 60th anniversary of the dropping of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of WWII. I have been reading a fair bit about whether it saved lives or not, how ethical it was, and folks with 20/20 hindsight doing armchair quarterbacking. So I figured that I might as well join in.

It is difficult to judge how many lives the use of the two bombs in Japan may have saved.

Here's my opinion.....The overall number of lives saved...probably not that many. If Japan did not surrender and the US forces had to go in and seize control of Japan, the losses to American and Japanese troops would be very high....perhaps a few hundred thousand soldiers in total would be killed. Of course, by using the bombs, hundreds of thousands were killed...many instantly, others over the next several years due to radiation effects. So it seems to me, that the use really did not save that many lives in general.....it saved American lives...but not lives in general.

The real question is how close was Japan to surrendering when the bombs were dropped. There is still much debate on whether a negotiated peace could have been agreed to, which would have negated the need for a US invasion of Japan. In the original Potsdam Talks, the Japanese rejected the US demand for an unconditional surrender. Later, the US changed the language to say an unconditional surrender of the military....in order for there to be some wiggle room for the Japanese to keep the Emperor. This option was never fully explored in negotiations to my knowledge. And keep in mind that after the bombs were dropped, Tojo took the fall for the war, going so far as to say at his trial that he always obeyed everything that the Emperor said, with the exception of starting the war. This was done primarily to isolate the Emperor, so that he could remain at least as a figurehead monarch...which he did.

I think that at that time, the decision to drop the bombs had more than just one goal. First and foremost, it was to demonstrate the power of the US and to lead to a quick surrender, without the need for a invasion. But there were more reasons.....the Russians had declared war on Japan only a few days before the Hiroshima bomb was detonated. The US had already seen how the Russian forces had seized large parts of eastern Europe and did not want to have a similar Russian presence in Japan. The US military also wanted to demonstrate to the Russians that they were not afraid to use the big weapons....a not so subtle reminder to the Russians not to break their agreements in Europe. And finally, it was a weapons test. Over $2 billion had been sunk into creating those two bombs and the Trinity device....and that is is $2 billion in 1945 dollars. There were some that believed that if we didn't use the weapons, it was a tremendous waste of much needed cash during wartime.

Ok. So that is my two cents worth on the topic of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

I hate laundry day!

Got that lazy feeling

Well, the doorbell just rang. I was asleep and enjoying my rest on this, my day off....I peeked out the window and spotted a lady with a big stack of Jehovah's Witness pamphlets in her hands walking from the front door toward the back door. I thought about snatching open the door and blessing her out for waking people up. But I figured that it was just easier to ignore the doorbell.

Now I have nothing against individuals expressing and enjoying their own religious beliefs. But why do they have the need to come onto my property and do so? I am not seeking them out to tell them about my thoughts on things that are important to me.

Oh well....so much for my nap today.

Day after tomorrow is the first day back at school here. I came across this old photo and it made me think about how much easier that we have it now. This photo was captioned as being from the late 1850's.
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How humid is it?

CLICK HERE to see an example of how humid it is right now here in Georgia.

MSN Virtual Earth

MSN Virtual Earth is now available online. You can get a map or aerial photography of most anywhere in the US, and much of the world. Double click on the map to zoom in. The Road Map / Aerial Photo button is near the top left if you want to toggle between the two.

Urban Fireside Cooking

So....you are out doing some camping in a very urban setting....and you want to cook your breakfast. But wait...there is no grill! No worries. Just enjoy the use of our new and improved Redneck Grill. Available at your local Piggly Wiggly, Wal-Mart, and/or other fine stores.
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National Hurricane Center / Tropical Prediction Center

National Hurricane Center / Tropical Prediction Center has great info about the hurricanes that affect North America. I am watching Hurricane Dennis currently as it makes its way northward.

Signed up for a course at JCCFS

The John C. Campbell Folk School of Brasstown, NC will be where I am at next March....so long as the class makes, which I would think that it would, although I am the first person to sign up for it.

I am going to take weeklong dulcimer construction class during the last week of March. The text of the course description is below:

Build and Learn to Play a Mountain Dulcimer
• Instructor: Mark Edelman

Build a basic teardrop-shaped mountain dulcimer
using power tools. Complete instruction will be
given; no prior woodworking experience is
necessary. After finishing the dulcimers, students
will be instructed in the basics of tuning, as well
as simple rhythm and timing, while learning to
play several songs. Come prepared to work most
evenings due to the amount of construction
time involved.

I am a Daddy! Ok...so maybe not a Daddy, but one of my hens brought out 13 little ones today for the first time! She was clucking away....so proud.
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album of photos from Sapelo

Photos from my trip with friends to Sapelo Island. I am lucky enough to get to go back in a couple of weeks, then again in August.

Automated dialer #2

That automated dialer called back again a number of times tonight (3:00am), so I managed to capture the phone number and did a google search for it. It is coming from one of the locations at my work! From a school!

I will be having a conversation with someone tomorrow morning first thing about this.

Bar B Q Forum BBQ

The Bar B Q Forum is a great place to ask questions about bbq...both backyard and competition.

stupid automated dialer

Beginning about 6:00am this morning, I received a call every 3 minutes from some sort of automated dialer. I called the phone number back, but nobody answered. Probably some sort of automated computer stuff. I had planned on sleeping for another 45 minutes or so...but no such luck.

Is it me or has Wonder Woman sort of let herself go a bit?
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Allison Krauss & Union Station....Yard Sale

This past weekend, I decided to have a yard sale....what a trip. On Friday night, I had tickets to see Allison Krauss and Union Station at the Coliseum...great show with good seats (only 10 rows from the stage). Sound byte #1 Sound byte #2 Sound byte #3 Sound byte #4 If they come to your town, definitely don't miss them!

Well, I didn't make it home till 11:30pm. So I worked till 1:00am dragging my crap out there, to join Sherrie's (she brought hers over while I was at the concert). Then grabbed a couple hours of sleep and got up to finish setting up at 6:00am. The first customers arrived about 7:15am. Sherrie showed up around 7:45 and we worked the sale till 5:00pm. I did not strike it rich...but made about $130. More importantly, I got rid of a lot of junk.

fertilizing the trees

I spent the last hour outside broadcasting a fertilizer mixture onto the yard in hopes of getting some pecans this fall. I have about a dozen pecan trees on my property, and had a really good crop 3 years ago. But the last several have been really poor to almost none. I know that pecans can run in cycles, and I am hoping that this year will be a good one for the nuts.

The Onion | America's Finest News Source™

The Onion | America's Finest News Source™ is not really news....so much as it is a funny satire of the news. Definitely worth a visit.

Scary!
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Ok....it is time to garden!

I broke out the tiller today and plowed up a small section (about 12 x 20 feet) in my yard for the beginnings of a garden. It is still getting down near freezing some nights, so I will hold up for another week or two before putting out the tomatoes, peppers, and such. All I planted today was about 50 onions. I will need to till up more space for the other crops later probably. I am not going to do a really big veggie garden this year. If it gets too big, I find that I just don't take care of it very well (weeding and such).

The wind is really howling out there today. The top blew off my chicken pen, the garbage cart blew over, and I am keeping an eye out for two dead pines in the far back yard.

STOMP

I had a great time tonight with Bonnie. We had a good dinner at The Rookery downtown, and then headed over to the Grand Opera House to see STOMP. What a fabulous show! It just goes to prove that you can make music out of anything! It was very funny too. A few of the performers had some very funny parts in it. Two full hours, without an intermission, of entertainment and not a single word was spoken...even though you followed the entire storyline.

Rain, rain....

The rain started last night late. Big ol' drops that really make a loud noise when they hit the metal surround of my air conditioner just outside of my bedroom window. Although it did wake me up, it was ok...I enjoy hearing it. By the time I got up this morning about 6:30, the rain had slowed to a light mist. The forecast is for off and on showers over the next 2 days, then cooler.

I thought that if it wasn't raining bad, I might go for a walk today. Not sure where though. Probably shouldn't wander off on a long hike with the weather as it is. Just a mile or two.

Canoe Withdrawal Symptoms

I think it has been way too long since I last was in my canoe. I believe it was in October or maybe November....I have been kayaking since then, but not canoeing. So tomorrow I am heading out with friends for a nice daypaddle on the Flint River. The weather is a little cool, but shouldn't be too bad. At least it is supposed to hold off on rain till Sunday.

Today at work was terribly dull and yet filled with activity. Lots of meetings, which are usually a bit on the dry side...but they do make the day go by quickly. One nice one was the last. We met with the architect and engineer who are doing one of our new elementary schools to give them our wishlist. Ok....so funding is low, so it really isn't a wishlist, so much as it is a lists of do's and don'ts.

Getting close to bedtime now....gotta rise early tomorrow.....I haven't gotten anything ready for canoeing at all and I am supposed to be at Bonnie's at 9:00. So I figure that I will need to start loading the canoe onto the truck by about 8:00 to leave at 8:15. So best plan on getting up around 7:00 or before.

Goodbye my loyal readers, till my next posting!

Ever wonder how honest folks are on the internet?
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Dragging

Today will hopefully be a quick Friday...but no guarantee. I was up too late last night, and so am dragging already and it is only 7:00 in the morning. Today at work will probably be a long one. It was my own fault for staying up too late. I went out with friends to dinner and had a good time. It was about11:30 by the time I got home. And then I answered some email, and such and it ended up being almost 12:45am before I got into bed. That 6:00am alarm came early.

This Sunday is my father's birthday. They are camping nearby, so I am going up there to visit with them this weekend. I had thought about taking the camper up and staying the weekend, but it is a bit cool and so would be staying inside probably a fair bit......probably over at Mom and Dad's RV....so why pay the extra for mine when I could just go by and visit for the majority of the day?

Well, it is time to hop into the shower and head out the door.

Chinese New Year 2005

It almost snuck up on me.....today is Chinese New Year's Day! This is the year of the yiyou (rooster) and begins their year 4703!

Mardi Gras

Just a short note to wish everyone a Happy Mardi Gras

Georgia Attractions. Roadside America

I am so upset.....I was checking a website with "Offbeat Tourist Attractions" and found nothing listed for my hometown here in central Georgia. There were plenty of other Georgia Attractions listed....and a link at the top to the USA Map gives you oodles of oddities to ogle.

Groundhog Day History

Ever wonder about exactly what is the origin of a holiday? How about Groundhog Day's History?

Well, today is Groundhog's Day.....so will he see his shadow or not? We will just have to wait and see. The official announcement comes in about an hour!

Ever had one of those days?

If so, imagine having one of those weeks! I am so bushed. I thought about posting some interesting web finds, but I am just wore out. Maybe after a good night's sleep, I will have time to do so tomorrow.

Dogwood buds covered with ice
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Wild turkeys running across the icy tracks near my home.
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Nandina berries covered by ice
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Here are a couple pics from this morning. The ice has coated everything....trees, houses, vehicles, etc. I hope it doesn't hurt the buds on the dogwood tree (pictured). It has gotten up a few degrees above freezing, but more sleet is still falling. I doubt that the ice and sleet that now covers the yard will melt today...maybe tomorrow.
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AP Wire | 01/26/2005 | Town to Use Pig on 'Groundhawg's Day'

AP Wire | 01/26/2005 | Town to Use Pig on 'Groundhawg's Day'

Fingerprints

Science & Technology at Scientific American.com: Ask the Experts: Biology: Are one's fingerprints similar to those of his or her parents in any discernable way?

Another long held belief is busted....sort of.

Brrr! Cold

The temperature took a sudden plunge....and it is really cold out there. I hope that all my preparations for the freeze hold. I have a little heater running in the camper to help freeze protect it, I have an infrared heat lamp in the chickenhouse for the hens and rooster, and I have covered and wrapped the water taps outside the house. Still, anytime it gets down under 20 degrees, I get nervous.

Yesterday, I went to a suprise birthday party for my brother....35th. It was held at a little bar in Locust Grove. I think it was probably my mother's first time ever in a bar. And they had a karaoke machine there. My sister in law sang a bit, as did her mother. But when my brother and her took to the microphone, I believe it set a new all-time low for quality. Good thing my brother doesn't rely on his voice for a living.

Today, the GWS Board of Directors (which I am not a part of) decided to modify our meetings......going to every other month, instead of every month.....if the members approve. Our meeting attendance has really been low, and it is getting more difficult to find new speakers. We shall see how the membership takes the news.

It is off to bed a bit early tonight.....as that the cold weather means a long day tomorrow at work. I hope to be there by 6:00.....and I am sure the complaint calls will start very soon afterward and will run well into the late afternoon.

An old photo from about 1970 that I happened to find. Gotta love those clothes! I am the little one on the far right.
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Photos from Cumberland Island

Cumberland Island was a great escape for a few days. Enjoy these pages of photos.

Tsunami Relief

Tsunami Relief

album of Florida pics

New album of photos from my recent Florida trip are now online. We paddled several rivers, hiked a little bit, and enjoyed some wonderful warmth the last few days.....although it was cold at night.