My World # 27

April 13, 2009
Crown Point High School, circa 1960.

Crown Point High School, circa 1960.

This is my posting for the My World meme.  Last week over 120 people shared their world through this meme.  To see more of our fascinating world, or to join and share your world, click HERE.

The picture above is another taken from a slide made many years ago.  The school is Crown Point High School from which I graduated in 1960.  CPHS  was a city school and I lived out in the country, so I had to take the bus each day.  The school had about a thousand students when I was there.

I have to admit that the athletic teams were not very good while I was a student there.  An addition to the school which included a new gymnasium was completed in time for my senior year.  Our basketball team celebrated by losing every game that season!  The football team wasn’t that much better.  Fortunately our marching band (and other musical groups) was very good.  It was said in town that people went to the football games to see the band.

I wasn’t involved in either the athletic or music programs.  I did, however, write for the school newspaper my last two years.  Our school mascot was a bulldog, named George.  My senior year I had a column titled ‘George Sez…’, but they used a drawing of the bulldog in the header.  The editor said the bulldog looked better than I did!  (I hope she was kidding).

A new Crown Point High School as built about ten years ago, but this building was an important part of My World.

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Peppermint Stick Tulip

April 13, 2009

pepperminttulipcollage

One of the more interesting variety of tulips we have in our yard this year is Peppermint Stick Tulip.  It’s quite small as far as tulips go, but we have been fascinated by it.

The three pictures in the collage above (which can be enlarged) were taken over a five day period.  The top picture on the left shows the tulip before it starts to open.  I’m guessing that this appearance is how the tulip got it’s name.  The coloration does look somewhat like  that of a peppermint stick.  The picture on the bottom left shows the tulip as it begins to open.

The large picture on the right shows the open tulip.  It’s quite different from whatI would expect looking at the first photo.

I hope you enjoyed this part of our flower bed.

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Posted in Garden | 22 Comments »

Scenic Sunday # 39

April 12, 2009
Sunrise on Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. December 4, 2008.

Sunrise on Mt. Nebo, Arkansas. December 4, 2008.

This is my post for the Scenic Sunday meme, which shares beautiful scenes from around the world.  To see more Scenic Sunday posts, or to join and post your own pictures, click HERE.

The picture above was taken on Mt. Nebo in Arkansas in December of last year.  It seems appropriate on this Easter morning to post a picture of a sunrise — that moment when the darkness of the world is about to be overcome by the light of heaven.

That’s exactly what is celebrated today — the Son rising; the Light of Heaven overcoming Darkness.

Our church service this morning will begin with these words:

Alleluia!  Christ  is risen.
The Lord is risen indeed.  Alleluia!

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Posted in Scenic Sunday | 17 Comments »

Garvan Woodland Gardens

April 11, 2009

garvanwater

I’m beginning to feel as if I’m moving backward with my to-do lists.  I’m now spending more time out in the yard.  That’s something I thoroughly enjoy, but it means I’m getting further and further behind on working on my  pictures.  I still haven’t gotten through all the pictures we took when we went to Arkansas .  Hopefully I can get them done before Christmas!

I’ve mentioned a couple of times that we went to Garvan Woodland Gardens near Hotsprings, Arkansas.  We went there because our Arkansas waterfall book had a listing for a waterfall in the garden.  The gardens are the botanical garden of the University of Arkansas and are well worth a visit if you are in the area.

The collage above is made up of the waterfall and several of the other streams and cascades in the gardens.  The streams were almost as pretty as the flowers.

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Posted in Travels | 14 Comments »

Skywatch Friday # 39

April 9, 2009
Pointe West, Galveston Island, Texas. April 15, 2008.

Pointe West, Galveston Island, Texas. April 15, 2008.

Sky Watch Friday is a weekly meme in which people share pictures of the sky,  Last week over 350 people shared beautiful sky pictures through this meme.  To see more pictures from around the world or to join and post your own pictures, click HERE.

The picture above was taken on Galveston Island in April, 2008, before Hurricane Ike devastated the island later in the year.  Betsy’s son worked at a new resort on the island and he was giving us a tour of the resort club house when I took this picture.  I like the clouds floating in over the Gulf.

It’s difficult to reconcile this pretty picture with the damage caused by the hurricane.

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I’d Never Dated a Feminist Before

April 9, 2009
Betsy at Centennial Park. April 7, 2001.

Betsy at Centennial Park. April 7, 2001.

Tuesday, April 7, was the eighth anniversary of my second date with Betsy.  We had our first date (a dinner date) on March 29, 2001.

I was working in Nashville at the time, in an office building near Centennial Park.  I often walked in Centennial during my lunch hours and knew that the tulips and other flowers in the park were absolutely beautiful.  So I invited Betsy to go there on a Saturday morning.  She accepted — Mother Nature cooperated — we had a beautiful day in which to enjoy the park.  The picture above is the very first picture I ever took of Betsy.

Centennial Park contains a replica of Athen’s Parthenon and we enjoyed viewing the statue of Athena in the main hall.  The lower level contains an art gallery and they had an exhibit of paintings the day we were there.  I suggested we view the exhibit and Betsy agreed, but she didn’t want me to pay for her admission — she said she could pay her own way.  I pointed out that it was my idea and that I would be glad to pay the small price of admission.  After more discussion and great reluctance on Betsy’s part, she finally let me pay.  We enjoyed the exhibit a great deal.

By the time we left the park it was lunch time.  There was a small restaurant near the park which was recommended to me and I suggested we get some lunch.  Betsy agreed, but ONLY IF I let her pay.  I told her that wasn’t necessary, but she INSISTED and Betsy can be very persuasive when she INSISTS!  Since I didn’t want the day to end, I agreed, and we had a very good and enjoyable lunch.

When the check came, Betsy pulled out her credit card only to be told that the restaurant didn’t take credit cards.  She pulled her check book, but was told they only take cash.  Guess who didn’t have much cash!

By this time I was having a hard time keeping a straight face, but I did a pretty good job of not grinning from ear to ear.  But I will admit that I soon asked her out again.

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Watery Wednesday # 30

April 7, 2009
The American Falls at Niagara. October 25, 2008.

The American Falls at Niagara. October 25, 2008.

This is my post for Watery Wednesday, a weekly meme created and hosted by 2sweetnsaxy of Eyes Mind Heart.  To see more of our beautiful watery world, or to join and post your pictures, click HERE.

As a couple that collects waterfalls, we have been to Niagara Falls twice.  We first visited Niagara Falls in August of 2002, when we spent several days in Canada enjoying the falls and the sights from the Canadian side.

The picture above was taken in October, 2008.  Betsy and I had gone to Buffalo to visit my daughter and her husband and we went to Niagara Falls State Park to see the falls.  It had been raining off and on during the day and there was actually more water going over the falls than we had seen back in 2002.  There was so much water that the mist almost completely obscures the rocks at the base of the falls.

The American Falls is 1060 feet across and has a height of 176 feet, although the rocks at the base reduce the actual fall off water to about 70 feet.  The amount of water going over the falls varies due to two hydroelectric power plants which draw water into their reservoirs above the falls.  However, one fifth of all the fresh water in the world lies in the four upper Great lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron and Erie) and all the outflow empties into the Niagara River and eventually cascades over Niagara Falls.  It’s quite a sight!

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My World # 26

April 6, 2009
Our front yard. April 2, 2009.

Our front yard. April 2, 2009.

This is my post for the My World meme.  Last week there were over 120 people sharing their worlds.  To see more of our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

Right now my world is pretty topsy-tervy.  Earlier this week we were enjoying nice warm weather.  Betsy and I sat out on the deck swing in shirt sleeves to do our daily devotions.  The picture above shows our big rose bed four short days ago.  As you can see the roses are showing lots of new growth.  And isn’t the grass nice and green?

Our front yard, April 6, 2009.

Our front yard, April 6, 2009.

Well, the grass is still green as I write this, but the rose bed has changed as you can see in the picture at the right.  We’re under a freeze warning for the next two nights.  Betsy and I worked this afternoon bringing in the container plants, but what to do about the roses?  We finally decided to cover them as you can see.  It’s supposed to be cloudy with snow tomorrow, but if it’s sunny in the morning we’ll uncover the roses and then cover them again in the late afternoon.

Would you believe that I’m ready for Spring to arrive and STAY in my world?

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Shunkawauken Falls

April 6, 2009
Shunkawauken Falls, Columbus, North Carolina. May 20, 2008.

Shunkawauken Falls, Columbus, North Carolina. May 20, 2008.

My last post showed a view of the western North Carolina countryside from White Oak Mountain.  In the post I mentioned that there was a waterfall behind me as I took that picture.  So I thought I would show you the waterfall today.

Shunkawauken Falls consists of multiple drops and cascascads totaling hundreds of feet, but it is impossible to see the entire falls from a single  vantage point.  The falls is mostly on private land, but the 150 foot drop shown above is the main fall in the upper drop and is visible from  White Oak Mountain Road.

The waterfall was known as Horse Creek Falls until 1891, when the name was changed to honor an Indian chief from the area.

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Posted in Waterfalls | 20 Comments »

Scenic Sunday # 38

April 4, 2009
The view from White Oak Mountain, North Carolina. May, 2008.

The view from White Oak Mountain, North Carolina. May, 2008.

Betsy and I go to the beach each year and we try to arrange the trip to and from the beach in such a way that we can visit waterfalls on the way.

Last  year on the way back home we visited Shunkawauken Falls near Columbus, North Carolina.  Shunkawauken Falls is high up on White Oak Mountain and we found a pullout near the waterfall.

The waterfall was beautiful and we enjoyed our visit.  I may show the waterfall at a later time, but it is behind me as I took this picture of the beautiful western North Carolina countryside.  You can make out some of the buildings in the town of Columbus on the left side of this picture.

Scenic Sunday is a weekly meme in which bloggers share their views of our beautiful world.  To see more scenes, or to post your own, click HERE.

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Posted in Scenic Sunday | 16 Comments »

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