Neilans

Par Three Golf

2011-07-22T17:50:00.002-04:00

Just for the record - (no pix due to brutally hot, humid conditions which resulted in no one wanting to hold still one minute longer) - Sunil and I played par three golf twice recently. He had at least a couple of fours ... and I had one three. We both loved it, even if we were draggin' a by the end of six or seven holes!

Spruce Flats Falls Hike in the Smokies

2011-07-18T22:11:00.004-04:00

This new-to-us trail is well marked and well maintained. It is not on the Smoky Mountain trails list because it is actually on the property of Tremont Institute.

It is rocky enough to be challenging, but is still very do-able.

Sunil stops at a high overlook to enjoy the view.

Spruce Flats Falls Trail

2011-07-18T21:41:00.003-04:00

Sunil scraped his knee, and fixed it himself with his red bandanna. Grammylyn was right about always taking a bandanna!

Success! He made it to Spruce Flats Falls and they were awesome!

The carved log made handy steps for both climbing and descending.

Safari

2011-07-18T12:54:00.004-04:00

Look for this design in a jigsaw puzzle coming soon to a Christmas present near you!

The water buffalo were right where they should have been: in the water. However, they soon hauled out and came up to our wagon to be fed. One of them licked Sunil's hand, as did one of the American bison, too, later. Slobbery, and AWESOME!

Briarwood Safari Part 1

2011-07-18T12:32:00.007-04:00

Thw young bighorn sheep came right up into the wagon. While he was there, he scraped his horn against Sunil's arm, then (gently) headbutted him. Pretty exciting stuff.

Sunil fed the young elk directly from his outstretched hand.

The zebra got into the wagon as far as he could. He nipped a couple of people, but only adults and they were only startled, not hurt.

The male elk had large antlers covered in velvet. We got to touch them, and they were sooo soft. Actually, Sunil "head wrestled" him when he got too greedy and began gobbling the feed too fast. Quote: "He's really strong!"

The buffalo were shedding and shaggy, but still huge.

Briarwood Safari in Tennessee

2011-07-18T12:22:00.003-04:00

Sunil feeding the beautiful little alpaca from the feed bucket while the Llama waits her turn.

Appropriate sign!

Yes, the Buffalo came right up and stuck out his tongue so we could drop the dry feed right onto it. Note said tongue is BLUE!

This emu was behind a fence, but others roamed freely.

2011-07-17T17:05:00.000-04:00

Sunil and John are ready to hit the links at Kahite Golf course!

2011-07-17T16:53:00.004-04:00

Grammylyn and Sunil ready for church.

Sunil looked great in his Sunday suit, white shirt and tie! (And so did GrampaJohn)

GrampaJohn and Sunil made a rough-sawn wren house for our deck.

Sunil loves to read his Mom's Kindle ... and does so for hours.

Spruce Flats Falls, Safari

2011-07-13T20:20:00.003-04:00

Just an update: Yesterday Sunil and I went to the Briarwood Ranch Safari near Morristown, TN. It was awesome.

Today we took a new hike ... to Spruce Flats Falls, also awesome. It was a mildly strenuous but not very long (1 mile each way) hike to a tall falls with lots of smaller cascades and quiet pools where we could get wet on a brutally hot day. We both agreed it's our new most favorite hike. It's on the way to Cades Cove, but much closer - way before the traffic starts to back up, which is always a plus.

Pix to be added soon (if the boy ever goes to sleep before I do.) He's been good about going to bed around 9 PM, but lately so have I! Where he gets that energy, I don't know ... but if I could just get him to share, we'd be great.

Summer time and Grandkids

2011-07-10T22:31:00.003-04:00

John, Sheela and Sunil out to dinner at the Yacht Club.

Sheela's championship award ... first place in her age group (against 10 other girls!)

Sunil and Sheela pick up their awards.

Sheela and GJ

2011-06-27T22:57:00.003-04:00

Sheela has been playing golf (nine holes) with her GrampaJohn just like a grownup! Here they are at Tanasi course in Tellico Village.

2011-06-25T11:26:00.003-04:00

Sheela and I attended a couple of Diversity of Life in America lectures this week in the Twin Creeks Science and Education Center outside Gatlinburg.

We learned about a rare spider that lives only above 5500 feet, in a particular kind of moss covering north facing rocks in spruce-fir forests. Interesting spider, booooring speaker.

Yesterday we heard an interesting speaker (Dr. Ernest Bernard) on the subject of "springtails" which are sort of arachnids (Collembola, to be specific) ... and among the most plentiful life forms on the planet. Who knew? They are tiny, but not microscopic, and we found a bunch of them in the leaf litter on the forest floor. They are EVERYWHERE.

High note: Sheela captured (sucked up in an aspirator) one of the rarest of them all ... only the eighth one ever captured ... and only the third in the Smokies.

Then ... Sheela and I were intereviewed by a photographer who was there doing a segment on the DLIA - Roger Herr, of HiDefSouth. (Sheela would not let me use the photo of her being interviewed.) That's Zora, and Roger behind the camera, and Sheela kibbitzing behind them. We are in front of the Twin Creeks Science and Education Center. It was fun - after all, we got to talk about ourselves!

More Smokies Stuff

2011-06-25T11:13:00.004-04:00

The rate springtail that Sheela collected is shown on the big honkin' screen ... it is the thing that looks like an armored tank with white legs.

This is a photo of one of the slides projected on the wall during the lecture. It shows a springtail profile. Creepy critters, no?

A tiny little moth we spotted posing for us on a glass door in the Science Center.

Outdoors near the Science Center we spotted three water snakes ... this one posed for us nicely both days ... on the same rocks.

Thanks for reading this!

2011-06-21T12:23:00.002-04:00

Sheela is here ... we've been pretty busy, but should have some pix to share soon.

She played golf with John on Father's Day ... he loved having her along just like a grownup! (They let me tag along ... I didn't even mind gettng beaten by them both ... it was still fun.)

I'm still here!

2011-06-16T17:40:00.002-04:00

I'm just re-discovering how to do this ... and of course no photos today, because we had a lightning storm last evening and I left the computer on. No big damage, just the fact that it combined with a dead (maybe lightning-blasted?) wireless router - it all took up lots of time checking a rechecking and so forth and so on. For now, at least I'm back on-line and trying to get up to date.

Kindle Skin

2011-03-04T23:24:00.003-05:00

I had trouble with the letters wearing off my Kindle ... I often play EveryWord, which includes lots of typing ... and after replacing it a couple of times, I finally found a protective - and beautiful - skin that actually covers the keys. As a bonus, the new skin has the letters and other keys written even more clearly. Also, the colors make it easier to find when I set it down on top of other stuff.

Wow

2011-03-03T08:10:00.002-05:00

This man broke his neck in an accident, is paralyzed from the neck down, and is an amazing artist. He is holding the brush hand in his teeth, and is controlling it with the use of his neck muscles. The other apparati in front of his face include a "blow tube" that he uses to maneuver his wheelchair.
Although I find this particular painting a bit too "out there" for my taste, he had a tent filled with more beautiful things he has done.
Talk about refusing to accept a handicap, and getting on with your life!

Amazing sculptures at Naples Art Fair

2011-03-01T20:32:00.002-05:00

The Art Fair, one of the top ten in the country, is juried and the displays are always impressive. This glass work was very elaborate , if not exactly my taste.

These metal ladies appeared to be floating above our heads.

Click on this one and look at the detail. This is a remarkably life-like scupture made from acrylic cast on a real human body. The clothing and props are real.

Spotted at the Art Fair

2011-02-28T13:35:00.003-05:00

No, this wasn't at the Swamp Buggy Races (where this sort of shirt might be expected) but at the Naples Art Fair ... people watching is fun there, too!

Here I am again!

2011-02-27T16:13:00.003-05:00

Well, Tracy "guilted" me into getting back on the Blog scene. So, here I am with John and our friends Margarita Man and Eileen. She's from Michigan, so is especially enjoying the outdoor eating (and drinking) experience in February. As the whole US seems to be having an extreme winter (as I speak we are watching snow on cactus in Tucson, Arizona!) we are living in our unreal wonderland with lots and lots of sunshine!

Sheela and I at the Knoxville Zoo

2010-07-31T12:34:00.003-04:00

I really don't know what sort of pig this is (the zoo's web pages leave a lot to be desired) but I loved him, anyway!

A rare sighting of a posing Sheela!

Sheela here

2010-07-30T14:26:00.004-04:00

Our sticks came in handy for dipping our bandannas.

The trail meanders mostly beside the water; sometimes right down close to it, and other times high up on the bluffs.

Which gave us great views across Tellico Lake.

Catching up on old news ... we've had company for four straight weeks, and I was having too much fun to stop and update till now. All's quiet in the house now, so I have time.

Sheela was here for golf and rec camps, plus the usual extra week, and of course we made time to go hiking. This was a nearby trail, with lovely lake views and a nice breeze. We took the three mile loop instead of the five because it was almost 100 degrees and the aforementioned breeze wasn't nearly refreshing enough!

Rec camp

2010-07-05T22:50:00.003-04:00

"Flames" face paint done by the staff at Rec Camp.

A piece of hose and a plastic kazoo make a fine french horn!

2010-07-03T11:17:00.002-04:00

Sunil and Grammylyn use a magnifying glass to identify a Daddy Long Legs they have trapped in a jar. (He is a "harvestman")

A pitifully poor photo of said arthropod ... really, really hard to focus on a bug in a jar!

2010-07-03T10:59:00.002-04:00

Sunil and our neighbor Judy began their car wash business in earnest this year. He delivered twelve of these flyers to our neighbors.

He is washing Lin's car; Judy is, too, but she refuses to let me take her picture.

He actually washed my car and GJ's, too, for free.

More varmint trouble

2010-06-30T18:04:00.002-04:00

While moving a flower pot from our front porch, we found an uninvited hitchhiker. We gave him flying lessons over our back railing.

2010-06-30T10:54:00.002-04:00

Sunil is setting the squirrel trap. We found out later (after an unsuccessful try) that we were reading the wrong list of preferred treats for squirrels. He could care less about peanut butter, it turns out.) We will try again tonite with cereal.

An extreme self portrait by the boy child. (Taken in the car on the way back from the airport).
GrampaJohn and Sunil try some crazy eights.

Sunil is here!

2010-06-28T21:03:00.002-04:00

Okay, so no pix as he debarked from the plane, nor any as he photogenically enjoyed his cup of ice cream at the Tic Toc, nor as he frolicked in the outdoor pool.

However, here's the photo: he is relaxing in our soaking tub with his favorite book and a refreshing beverage ... what a life, huh?

It's Off to the Editor!

2010-05-05T17:23:00.002-04:00

YAY!

My manuscript has been shipped off to the desk of the editor !
(note: not publisher, just editor - big difference)

Mainly that means I don't have to think about it again until she sends it back to me - filled with notes about things to change. THEN I'll have to think about it again.

Hooray, hooray!

BTW- it's 95,000 words - so it's the size of a regular book.

Villa stuff

2010-05-05T17:19:00.003-04:00

Our huge green plant (I've totally forgotten its name) all of a sudden bloomed! Big surprise!

Do you think the wind was blowing? Nothing newsworthy, but a dramatic storm nonetheless.

It's Swamp Buggy time again!

2010-04-01T17:50:00.003-04:00

There seem to be a lot of different shapes and sizes, and sometimes they mix things up in the heats, so there may be a couple of different classes racing together.

It's all very confusing. But lots and lots of fun!

And they're off!

I promise, we only go to these things when we have someone to take with us who hasn't been before ... this time it was Sandy's friends the Gilmans ... from Alaska. We just HAD to take them!

Swamp Buggy Races, cont'd

2010-04-01T17:41:00.002-04:00

The rooster tails can be impressive when they get up to speed.

But when you lose momentum, it can really, really slow you down!

Another aptly named participant ... The "Frog Spit!" I pulled for him to win, based on the name alone, but, alas, no luck!

Can you see him out there, way down low in the water? Oh, well, there'll always be another day and another race.

Swamp Buggy Races, again!

2010-04-01T17:13:00.004-04:00

The "Tar Buggy" lost one of his back wheels right at the starting line.

To add insult to injury, the driver of the "Tar Buggy" had to wade in and retrieve his own broken pieces.

One of the "rewards" for being the champion is the opportunity to pick up the Swamp Buggy Queen and jump with her into the water ... note the boat they're jumping from is the "Too Much Fun!"

We loved the Redneck windchimes for sale at the venue!

My New Venture

2010-03-25T13:11:00.003-04:00

I had my photo printed on canvas and stretched ready for framing ... and she is now on display in a local art/frame shop. If she sells, then I'll hopefully get my investment back ... if not, then we will hang her proudly on our own wall!

We're still in Florida

2010-03-14T14:52:00.002-04:00

We've actually done a few photogenic activities recently, but I'm too busy (or lazy) to get the photos onto the blog.

Sandy came down for a week-plus visit, and after we'd done a few explorations around Naples she and I took a ferry ride down to Key West ... and beyond. Pix to follow.

Just wanted to say we're still here!

Evergladedes

2010-02-23T14:51:00.003-05:00

We enjoyed a visit recently with our Tellico Village friends Boyd and Kathy. Since they were "newbies to the 'Glades we took them to our usual swamp activities.

The airboat ride is a must.

The mangrove channels were filled with brackish water, in contrast to the last time we went (with the kids and kidlings) when the drought had everything muddy and shallow. Made for a great ride.

We chose "Speedy Johnson's" airboat company because he paints his boats (and his shop) bright yellow. Much, much more photogenic than the ususal metallic grays.

Of course, the tourists all love the gator crossing signs ....

... and also the gators, close up!

Officially an Old Fart !

2010-02-22T15:36:00.003-05:00

We are officially "Old Farts!"

We spent an entire evening eating pizza and Wii Bowling with some other "old" friends. It's actually really fun ... and, yes, we were sore the next morning. Haven't used those exact muscles for awhile.

This is John's avatar for the game.

Santa, John

2009-12-18T00:04:00.002-05:00

Here's why John gets lots of second glances in the mall around this time of year..

This Santa was in the Dallas farmer's market after the parade.

In Texas

2009-12-07T11:03:00.002-05:00

I just know I've written a Blog entry since I left Florida. Darn! Don't know where it went.

Anyhow, we're with Karin and her family this week. Been to two parades and stayed downtown in the Indigo Hotel again. Farmer's market, too. All traditions fulfilled for Sheel's b-day. Everything went so smoothly, too - it's great that the kids are not only not extra work, but they are both actually very useful. The whole weekend gets easier every time. Of course, it has always been fun!

Pictures sometime this week, I promise.

Why I've not been blogging much

2009-11-16T19:52:00.003-05:00

Sometimes I sit on the enclosed part of our lanai, where the breezes are delicious, while I'm writing.
It's a slow slog, but it's coming along!

Living Garden

2009-11-16T19:38:00.004-05:00

This was so cool. There is a professional street performance troupe called Living Garden, and they were in Naples last weekend to advertise the grand opening of our newly renovated local botanical gardens.

There were two women, performing separately. They were on tall stilts, and they were holding what I call 'hand stilts' as well, so they had four balance points they could use at any one time. They were completely wrapped in ivy and grapes, and basically walked around, twining around various structures and striking ballet-type poses. Really, really amazing.

They mostly moved in slow motion, and it was hard to discern the shape of the person inside. They startled quite a few unwary shoppers when they went from stationary to moving!

The Dry Season

2009-11-02T21:16:00.002-05:00

It's official. Florida has entered its "dry season".
Our hurricane season this year was eerily calm, but I'm not complaining.
We are still in a drought here, but it seems to be much better than the last few years. At least there is water is some of the roadside ditches.

Summer Storm

2009-10-27T23:06:00.004-04:00

This is just a random shot. When we drive down to Florida in the summertime, this is the sort of skies we often see. Lashing rainstorms sweep across the highway in bands - sometimes drenching us and sometimes going off to one side or the other before we get to them. (John was driving while I was shooting).

And, oh yes, the orange construction cone beside the road is also a very common sight along I-75.

I'm still here!

2009-10-24T13:48:00.003-04:00

I'm still in Florida, working on The Book. One would think that writing on a computer should be very neat and tidy ... but actually my accoutrements have now expanded all the way through the living room and even onto the dining room table. It's amazing.

(Photo by John, when he was down here with me.) Now he's home in the cold rain and I'm still here in the hot, hot sunshine.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-10-07T20:53:00.003-04:00

It was the perfect evening. The food was scrumptious, the scenery gorgeous, the company charming!

My key lime pie dessert was garnished with a candle by our well-trained and very good waitress.

The next morning I awoke to a dozen red roses...life is good.

Wish I'd taken the camera ...

2009-10-03T13:26:00.002-04:00

We went out to dinner with Harlan and Shirley a couple nights ago. The last night of the "Whole Lobster" dinner special at a pretty nice place about 45 minutes away.

The lobsters were beautiful and bright red - albeit a bit on the tough side. The rice pilaf was actually just brown and white rice mixed together. The french onion soup was great, though, as was the company - so it was well worth the drive.

I almost always have my camera with me - but not that time. Darn.

Earlier, back in Tennessee

2009-09-27T17:10:00.002-04:00

Our Cimarron Circle Gang got together to celebrate the simple fact that the eight of us were all in town at the same time -- at least for long enough to go out to dinner at the local Mexican restaurant and then back over to Phyllis and Dave's. This is a fun group, and it was a jolly evening.

Out for the evening

2009-09-27T16:57:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was my sister-in-law's birthday. We went to a lovely restaurant for a seafood and steak dinner, then later met friends at a local karaoke bar for music and dancing. And, yes, the music was really good. The only folks who volunteered to take the mike had all obviously been practicing a lot and I loved them all.

The photo at the top is Ann standing at the front to be serenaded by everyone ... "Happy Birthday" was the tune, of course!

We made it, Safe and Sound

2009-09-26T15:57:00.003-04:00

We had an easy two-day drive down. Saw lots of those famous late-afternoon, south-
Florida thunderstorms all around us, but most of them missed us. A bit of a slow down once or twice, but John drove like a trooper.

John is already playing golf today with Jim, and I've been round to see our friends from Michigan who now live near us here.

All is in good shape - our neighbors stayed here for about a week last month, and they had the local cleaning lady come in after they left, so the place is probably cleaner than it was when we left last spring.

We're famous!

2009-09-23T13:38:00.002-04:00

Our photo was printed today in the Family Moments section of the Knoxville News Sentinel.

I figured that three generations of our family on LeConte was at least as interesting as four generations of someone else's family in the parking lot at Shoney's restaurant ... and the paper apparently agreed!

And don't we look fine?!

Local Loudon County Event

2009-09-19T11:33:00.003-04:00

John and I and a neighbor spent a refreshing evening last week attending the local fiddler's convention. Lots and lots and lots of good bluegrass fiddlin'. Lots of good ol' traditional American outdoor food. And one "home grown" character wearing a black bear hat. All good.

Aha! A mystery solved

2009-09-18T17:30:00.005-04:00

A crappy picture, but it's the content that counts....

This silly squirrel is actually chewing the wood from beneath our deck railing! I have no idea what it is that tastes so good, but I'll be he's been doing that to the ends of our wooden swinging porch chairs, too.

Makes more sense than the wasps, which do also "mine" cellulose from exposed wood, but it didn't seem possible that they could do that much damage. Well, now I think I understand who the real culprit is!

Note to self ... I apparently need to wash those windows!

Peace Garden

2009-09-11T14:11:00.002-04:00

The church members had made a small garden with donated flowers ... but because the bulldozers are coming soon, they dug up the plants to take home to "foster" until the new construction is finished.

Our Church's Storage Shed moves to its new location

2009-09-11T13:55:00.004-04:00

First they tore down the old foundation, then put it up on wheels and moved it to the other end of the parking lot.

After precisely backing it over pre-dug foundation grooves, the masons built a new foundation underneath it.

All very slick and fun to watch!

Update

2009-09-03T10:10:00.004-04:00

No photos this time, just a note to let you all know we're still kicking.

I've been busy working on a photography project as a volunteer. Our community church is starting a huge new expansion and we are recording the progress. It's just getting started ... the construction will be taking place for the next year and a half.

So far I've snapped a bunch of interior and exterior photos of the church for a "this is how it looked in 2009" sort of thing. Then, a house-moving company picked up the garage-storage shed and hauled it down to the other end of the large parking lot. That was fun to watch ... maybe I'll put a couple of those pix in today.

Then I also snapped the small "peace garden" that members had planted over the years. Since it will be bulldozed next week, they asked for folks to come dig up a few plants each to take home and "foster" in their own gardens until a new one is ready next year ... then they will bring the plants back (or replace them with similar ones if the originals don't survive the move in the heat of August.)

Then we had the large ground-breaking ceremony with speakers and shovels and good and music and lots of crowd shots, etc.

Anyway, I actually did organize all those various photos and got them uploaded to Picasa. Whew!

Now, we are going to leave today to drive to Albion for a Labor Day family picnic. Be back middle of next week.

More Sunil in Tennessee

2009-08-29T00:22:00.003-04:00

Our neighbor, Judy, borrowed Sunil to help her wash her car.

Then, she persuaded him to wash mine, too. He even used a toothbrush on the hubcaps.

It is still shiny clean today, and it has been a month or more since he was here!

He was very handy to have around.

Sunil and his best rainbow ever

2009-08-10T13:04:00.002-04:00

Sunil loved seeing this rainbow while frolicking on our deck in the rain ... see his wet shirt!

A vist to Mr. Bill and Ms Donna

2009-08-02T18:09:00.003-04:00

First, a little pool golf. The ball he has just whiffed should be headed for the "green" which is floating in the pool.

Next, a picnic dinner poolside.

Afterward, several brisk rounds of Pachinko on Mr. Bill's own machine.

And, he didn't even need any quarters... because Bill is such a good host!

Sunil's domestic activities at Grammylyn's

2009-08-02T18:00:00.002-04:00

First, yummy cookies.

Then, a batch of unique two-toned brownies. Marbled.

Sunil tries his hand at weaving. Here he is loading the shuttle. The two pieces in the foreground were done by Sheela earlier.

Sunil's visit to Tennessee

2009-08-02T17:24:00.003-04:00

GrampaJohn helps Sunil finish the bird house he made at Rec Camp.

Making just the right sign for the front of the house is important.

Voila! The "wren rental" is installed on our back deck rail and ready and waiting for tenants. Later, Sunil placed yarn pieces nearby for the birds to use to make their nest ... whenever that may be.

2009-07-21T17:56:00.001-04:00

The best part of the hike ... Sunil and Sid met us toward the end of the hike and relieved us of our packs. Thank you, Sunil and Sid!!!!!

The clouds rolled in and out all the way down in the morning.

Mt LeConte continued

2009-07-21T17:54:00.003-04:00

Because of the rain, the waterfalls crossed the trails.

The Sharmas decide to break out the ponchos for the first part of the trip down.

Even when it isn't actually raining, the middle-upper part of the trail is almost almost always foggy ... read: in the clouds!

The pink flowers are probably Carolina rhododendron.

Most of the access trails to the Lodge come together along a short ridge that I call the Fairy Forest.

This is the cabin Karin, Sid and Sheela shared at LeConte Lodge. It faced ours which was across the "Main Street".

Mt. LeConte more miscellaneous

2009-07-21T17:52:00.003-04:00

Sunil had the upper bunk, Grammylyn slept below. The bucket held our drinking/washing water, and the enamel bowl was our "sink." John had his own single bunk, which pretty well finished filling up all the available space.

Ah, the charm of a kerosene lantern at night.

Karin sporting her LED lighted-cap. She is ready for any eventuality.

Sid was already relaxing of the porch of their cabin by the time I made it up the trail almost three hours later.

Mt. LeConte hike miscellaneous

2009-07-21T17:49:00.003-04:00

Yep, the trail definitely hugs the steep mountainside. Karin and Sunil.

The Alum Cave Bluffs Trail has gorgeous views.

Up close, the mushrooms offer their own charm.

White rhododendron blossoms add beauty to the hike. This scene was from the first bridge from the parking lot.

John, Lyn, Sheela, Sid, Sunil and Karin at the beginning of the first day, cheerful and energetic.

Mount LeConte "Official Photo"

2009-07-21T16:51:00.003-04:00

Here we all are, having not only made it to the top, but having also survived the overnight storms and actually wearing our available-only-at-the-top LeConte tees!

Sunil earns his bear badge!

2009-07-20T12:45:00.003-04:00

Sunil and Grammylyn hiked the Laurel Falls Trail and were rewarded with a great bear sighting. A mama bear was digging into a rotten log fairly near the trail, and her two cubs were gamboling nearby. (BTW there were about 100 other people on this easy trail, so we were safely in the middle of a huge group while we were watching the bears.)

More Village festivities

2009-07-08T11:20:00.003-04:00

Sheela met one of the clowns ... he offered her a "big eyeball" and she took it! He had expected her to shriek and jump away, I'm sure. She enjoyed it all the rest of the day ... and the rest of week, too, in fact!

These are our famous "Tellico Tappers" who entertain the Village regularly. They are all at least 50 and one of them is 80! They can all kick as high as their shoulders, and I admire them greatly.

Just a general overview of the Independence day "doings" in the Village. There were at least three hours of music ... from the local dulcimer band to Irish dancing to folk songs to rock'n'roll to big band sounds. Not to mention the hot dogs and barbecue sandwiches and ice cream and popcorn and...you get the picture! John and Sheela and I were seated in a group of about eight of our friends and neighbors, and of course we saw many more folks we recognized throughout the evening.

Climbing wall

2009-07-07T23:06:00.002-04:00

We attended our local festival (right in the Village) on July 3rd. Sheela got another step higher than this, then called it quits when the next "rock" twisted around loosely in her grip. She went higher than anyone else - while I was standing there, anyway. Fun!

Outdoors again

2009-07-06T14:44:00.002-04:00

Once again, Sheela and I did our traditional sleep-out-on-the-deck adventure. The first time, we had to bail when an unexpected rainstorm came up; the next time we managed to stay out all night. BTW, I was sleeping on every throw rug and comforter I could find in the house!

Un-photographed

2009-07-06T14:42:00.001-04:00

We also swam in the indoor pool at the wellness center, played a bit of tennis at the rec center, and walked a lot around the neighborhood. Playing with the dog next door ("Laney") has also proved to be a lot of fun.

Indoors time

2009-07-06T14:33:00.002-04:00

Mmmm....she made brownies for us ... which we enjoyed with ice cream, whipped cream, and caramel and/or chocolate sauce!

Sheela loved the squeegee/lambswool tool, so I "let" her use it on all the windows!

This is the year for learning to knit. (In addition to the loom weaving and finger weaving that she already knew how to do. Oh, and a little crocheting, too.

Cooking

2009-07-06T10:56:00.002-04:00

Of course, I always like it when Sheela jumps right in to help me cook. We collaborated on a yummy spaghetti dinner.

Next to Heaven

2009-07-06T10:50:00.002-04:00

Sheela and I thoroughly enjoyed a horseback ride in the Smokies. Just the two of us, no group, no leader. Stunning views. (This is the same place we went during the SmithKith reunion.)

Perfect day, topped off - of course - by an ice cream cone at the fudge shop in Townsend.

Dinner on the Deck

2009-07-04T10:58:00.002-04:00

Sheela and GrampaJohn enjoy an informal burger meal on the deck. The blackberries were for dessert later, served straight out of the bowl!

Sheela's here!

2009-07-03T17:22:00.003-04:00

She's here and we've been very, very busy.

In fact, we're on our way out right now but here's a teaser photo...more to come!

Blackberry picking was almost the first order of business ... they are yummy this year!

Home again, home again, jiggity jog

2009-06-14T00:13:00.002-04:00

We're home again ... Tennessee home, that is!

At the end of my stay in Florida, John flew down to join me there, then we drove to Texas to see the kids and kidlings there. Wonderful visit!

Then down to San Antonio to visit old friends and enjoy the Riverwalk experience - really nice.

Then a 20-hour (two days) trip and now we're home listening to the songbirds that I've missed for so long.

Px to follow - Me

Grammy and Grandsir's poetry

2009-05-15T16:58:00.003-04:00

I'm still working on the book about the folks - Grammy, especially. I'm reading through a hand-written journal in which she recorded many poems and other tidbits that she especially enjoyed. Including these two jewels, one written by her and the second one by GrandSir. I just wanted to share them!

Background - she worked for him sometimes at his office at Williamsburg Memorial Park in Virginia. She did typing and filing and such when she wasn't working in her iris gardens or at her paying civil service job.

"Dear Boss, While You Were Out" by Louise Clay Smith 22 Oct 1976

Nobody came.
Nobody called.
Though I was alone
The time never palled.

Records to keep
Typing to do
Kept me as busy
As "ol' gal in a shoe"

Your other workers
Know what's to be done
So - you needn't worry
We're earning our "mon"!

"While You Are In, Dear Secretary" by Walter P. Smith 26 Oct 1976

When I'm away from the office all day
I never worry, never fear
If I know Louise is here!

All the things you will have done
One way or another
Always seem to end up right
Just the way I'd "ruther".

It means so much to feel at ease
While doing outside chores
Peace of mind is easy to find
When you're here minding the store!"

Well I never said we were talented!
Thanks for reading!

I'm still around!

2009-05-08T20:31:00.003-04:00

I know I haven't blogged for a long time. I think most of you know that I am our Florida place, holed up and hermit-ly while I'm working on The Book.

I still read everyone else's blogs, though.

My brightest spot recently was a phone call today from Sheela - "just because." I loved hearing from her!!

John and I can hardly wait to get to her house ... in just a couple of weeks we'll be there.

I have gone out for several beach walks - some in the evenings at sunset time and once in the early am. Love that, and it has to be good exercise ... the sand makes for slow going sometimes.

I always take the camera, and I think I have a couple good shots of sunsets, waves, birds, etc but I'm not letting myself even download them to the computer yet. When John gets down here in about ten days, I will take time to do some of that.

Right now the goal is to get this book rewritten one more time, then shipped off to an editor. Not a publisher - just someone to edit it for me. (So I can rewrite it again!) I'm still enjoying reading it, which is a good thing. I figure, if I like it there must be a few other folks out there who will like it, too.

Me

East Tennessee

2009-04-14T13:24:00.003-04:00

Our topography here is of course much different than in Florida. Just wanted to show a bit of our scenery from our walks on the Boy Scout Trail near Tellico Lake last week.

Another favorite shot from the wedding

2009-04-06T15:47:00.002-04:00

I don't know why, I just like this.

Hiking

2009-04-04T22:56:00.002-04:00

Our neighbor Judy - who is only here part-time - is back in town today. We went for two walks.

The first was a mile and a quarter one across the top of the earthen part of the dam (twice). Then home for lunch and a few errands, then back out again into the lovely, lovely warm and sunny day for a three-mile jaunt through hilly woods with lake views - sometimes on both sides of the trail.

So that makes five miles for me today ... the first time in quite awhile that I have gone that far.

Then, more heaven! I took advantage of our Japanese -style soaking tub. I even used the handy accordion-folding-style plastic top for the tub (from Brian and Tracy from Japan) to keep the water hot until I could get into it to soak. Ahhh.

Life is truly good.

Rainbow

2009-04-04T22:47:00.002-04:00

This is my favorite shot from Mollie's wedding. I took this from the parking lot as we were going into the venue.

Honestly, this one was not photo-shopped! (well, except I did erase a white car that happened to be in it. But the rainbow and that gorgeous red tree are just as they were!)

By the way, the photos will ALL be on Snapfish soon. I wanted to get the album done and sent to Mollie before I put all of them out there. And I did get it finished a couple of days ago.

Oh, and I am deleting and cropping and such, so it shouldn't be too painful to go through them.

We're home again

2009-04-02T20:35:00.002-04:00

Well, we're back in Tennessee, and watching rain for the first time in over three months!

We missed the dogwoods and the Bradford pear tree blooms, but the redbuds are in their glory, and were all the way across the mountains on our trip.

We detoured around to Daytona Beach on the way home, visiting our friends the Boazes. A lovely time; they are super folks.

I've been buried (literally) in my latest Big Project ... fixing my photos from Mollie's wedding last fall, and uploading them to the Kodak site to be printed into a wedding album. I had just installed a new(er) version of Photoshop this winter, and have been on a trip of discovery, seeing what I can do with it. I finally got the book (for "dummies") and it is very easy to follow. My favorite thing was to add a pretty sunset behind a few of the outside group shots of the wedding party. Mollie really wanted one, and did her best to schedule the time and place for the ceremony to give her a shot at it, but after an all-day rain, the weather cleared up just a bit ... mostly gray skies with even darker gray clouds. So I was pleased to "fix" it for her.

I also was able to use a bunch of candid shots after I "erased" the motley groups of other guests, waiters and exit signs from behind the folks I wanted to feature. Much, much easier with this version than my really old one.

Remind me never to do a wedding again, though. Stakes are too high, tension is too great. I'm glad I did this one, and I did end up with a bunch of family-group photos to share with various relatives, so all was not for naught.

Big Birds

2009-03-25T10:40:00.004-04:00

We took a spur-of-the-moment ride back out to Corkscrew Swamp yesterday, because we heard that a couple of fairly rare bird species were gathering there.

Like true old-fart birdwatchers, we sat on a bench on the boardwalk for hours just enjoying the wildlife show.

The amusingly pink-footed woodstork, and the perfectly named "roseate spoonbill" were particularly interesting. The spoonbills are 32 inches tall and one of the very few pink birds in the US.

The woodstorks are even larger, at 40".

The showy egret is neither rare nor large, but very pretty!

Shark Valley

2009-03-19T15:30:00.005-04:00

On Tuesday, Colin and Eileen took us back to the oddly named "Shark Valley" section of the Everglades National Park.
Colin rode his bicycle around the 15-mile paved loop while the rest of us opted to take the tram.

At the mid-point of the loop, we climbed the lookout tower ramp - similar to the one in the Smokies on the NC/TN state lines - except the view was much, much different!
(The little person is Eileen.)

Colin and John could see for miles and miles across the "sawgrass prairie."

In the area below us, we saw alligators, turtles, fish and about a dozen kinds of birds, including nesting pairs of herons feeding their young.

"Wicked"

2009-03-19T14:07:00.002-04:00

We thoroughly enjoyed our foray into Ft. Myers to the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Theatre to see "Wicked." The play is a prequel to the familiar, standard "Wizard of Oz," and tells the story of Glinda "the Good," and Elphaba "the Wicked Witch of the West" from birth to boarding school (as roommates) and on up to the part where Dorothy's Kansas house falls on Nessarose, the "other" witch.
Lots of great costumes, interesting special effects (rather low tech but appropriate for the venue) and of course fun music.
We started the evening with dinner out with Cliff and Marilyn, then the musical, then home again before midnite. Lovely old-folks-style outing.

Side note: I had blogged this earlier, but just realized it went under Sheela's blog page instead of my own. No idea how I got those two blogs rearranged on my main page, but so it goes for me!

Music

2009-03-07T16:40:00.002-05:00

Lest you think we have sunk to new lows of inactivity and brain stimulation while we are down here in the warm sunshine, I thought I would bring you up to date on our music listening enjoyment.

Since we have been here we have seen (and heard): Karl Cole's six-keyboard concert; Andy Wahlberg's "harp-guitar" concert; The Townsmen Orchestra playing Glenn Miller's big-band sounds; Sue Garton on her four-octave hand bells, the Harry James orchestra, as well as an outdoor concert in the park downtown and of course the previously mentioned Ricky Scaggs blue-grass concert.

Mom went with us to most of these, of course.

However, she begged off on going with us to see the live theater version of "Wicked," so we have scheduled ourselves to go see that after she and Peter have flown back to NY.

We have had as guests our friends Bill and Donna from TN for a week or so; my cousin Cliff, his wife Marilyn and their daughter Jan (all temporarily in nearby Ft. Myers) for a fun-filled day in the Swamp, our friends Eileen and Colin (temporarily staying in a mutual friends' house right here in our neighborhood) and of course Mom and now Peter.

So. although I haven't blogged much, it's not as though we haven't been active!

Anhinga Eye

2009-03-05T15:58:00.003-05:00

I did manage to catch one fellow in a good pose, though. This anhinga had just emerged from his swim beneath the pond lettuce. We had never noticed that they had such wonderfully made-up eyes!

A family outing

2009-03-04T16:05:00.003-05:00

Pete is visiting, and we all took a trip up to the Audobon Wildlife Sanctuary at nearby Corkscrew Swamp.

Mom allowed us to take advantage of the loaner wheelchair so she could join us on our two and a half mile stroll to see the birds and animals.

Actually, she couldn't really see much, but she enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine, and we all described to her in detail what we were finding.

"Tails of Corkscrew Swamp"

2009-03-04T16:01:00.003-05:00

While we were traversing the swamp along the lovely boardwalk, we were treated with the sights and sounds of swamp life.

Unfortunately for me, the photo opportunities were mostly limited to the back sides of the animals!

Correction

2009-03-01T08:50:00.000-05:00

No mangroves on this trail. Seems like they are everywhere else we go, though!

More about Lake Avalon

2009-02-28T15:40:00.004-05:00

The trail around the lake is about a mile and a quarter long. It winds around through mangroves and live oaks, and beside marshy areas, creeks and ponds. With sunshine and shadow and a wide variety of birds, it makes for a lovely walk, especially in our winter sunshine.

The parking lot is adjacent to the butterfly garden, complete with a man-made waterfall and pond. This is where I find the smaller song birds.

Around Lake Avalon

2009-02-28T15:29:00.002-05:00

At the end of the trail, I come back around to the pier where Gramma has been sitting and waiting for me.

(I'm sorry - I can never quite get the photos and the words to come out in the right order. I try, though - Lord knows, I try!)

Gramma at the lake

2009-02-27T16:30:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Alberta and I went to a nearby park for the afternoon. Here we have just gotten to the pier ... later she enjoyed sitting on a bench at the end of the pier while I walked all the way around the lake.

Red Shouldered Hawk

2009-02-26T21:45:00.002-05:00

Isn't this lovely? You can even see his "red shoulders" with the sunlight shining through.

He had been sitting on the top branch, looking like any other hawk-type bird, when I decided to try to get a shot of him anyway. It would've been a boring, probably a throw-away, shot. He decided to take off just when I was squeezing the shutter.

Moonlight Canoeing in the 'Glades

2009-02-06T15:20:00.002-05:00

These photos are dark because, well, because the entire trip was taken in the dark, with no lights. Two hours, mostly on a small river running through the Everglades.

I took a throwaway camera because I really, really did not want to dunk my good Canon.

I took very few shots even then because once everyone's eyes adjusted to the almost total darkness any light at all was distrubing and the flash was excrutciatingly painful.

At first we had only starlight. Venus was so bright that when she peeked through the mangroves it was almost startling.

Later, as the moon rose and shone over our shoulders and onto the treetops in front of us it felt like a car was coming from behind us ... or maybe a train, since it came from so high!

As we turned to come back up the river, the moon seemed to burn into our retinas. Amazing!

We had a ranger to lead us, and each canoe had a glow-stick attached to the back so we could follow. A nice, gentle little light which reflected beautifully on the surface of the water. There were only four canoes in our group, and we spent most of the two hours in silence.

It was really a zen-like experience, and we loved every minute of it. When we described the trip to our friends and family later, we were met with quizzical expressions and questions along the line of: "What exactly did you enjoy about being out on the water in the dark?" If they didn't "get it" right away, I suppose they never will.

Fun Day

2009-01-29T12:52:00.002-05:00

We spent the day at Clam Pass Beach with Bill and Donna (and Grandma, too!)
Mostly lolling about beneath our big red beach umbrella and watching the shore birds and snow birds. (The favorite snow bird was wearing a thong bikini with a small ruffly skirt attached around the waist. Interesting effect!) Sorry, no photo.

Home again to clean up, then back out to a Ricky Skaggs (bluegrass musician) concert at the Phil. Great, high energy, super talent.

Grandma had already begged off going to the concert, but enjoyed the beach.

Big Cypress Swamp

2009-01-27T12:16:00.004-05:00

This week the Longs are here with us. We spent a lovely afternoon wandering through Big Cypress Swamp on the less-than-a-mile-long boardwalk.

While we were standing at the water's edge - before we were actually on the boardwalk itself - a red-shouldered hawk flew down to the ground right at our feet and carried off what seemed to be a small rodent. Then he sat on a nearby branch to enjoy his lunch.

We saw only one alligator, but at least a dozen kinds of birds, including the bald eagles which have nested again on the tall tree not too far from the walkway. Karin and Sid and the kids saw the same pair (on the same nest) when they were here last year.

2009-01-24T11:19:00.002-05:00

Today Grandma is moving over to Jim and Ann's house. It's been fun having her around. She will be there for the next three or four weeks, then back here again until we go back north.

Also today, our friends Bill and Donna from Tennessee will be arriving for a one-week stay. We have many activities planned for them while they are here ... first on the list will be asking Bill to help John install our new garbage disposal. I'm sure they will be hoping the excitement level will go up from there!

The disposal problem has been sort of exciting, though, all by itself. It developed an invisible crack in the plastic housing, which allwed a slow leak. We more or less let that go for a week or so, trusting that the bucket we already had stored under there would catch the drips, which it did ... for a while.

However, yesterday, the tiny little crack expanded to a 2-inch slit. Then, when we used the disposal, it sprayed the water (dirty water, of course) out forcefully instead of letting it drip. When I opened the under-sink cabinet door to see what was going on, it sprayed all the way out into the room. The effect was sort of like when you spit between your teeth to make the spray go further!

Wow. Nevera dull moment, huh?

We're still here!

2009-01-21T15:05:00.002-05:00

Still alive and kickin', even if I don't blog often enough. I think I just get really, really lazy when we come down to the warm weather.

My biggest excitement this week so far has been Bingo at the senior center with Grandma.

There will be more soon, though.