Down Memory Lane: Our Texas Visit

March 22, 2010

Scenes from our trip to Texas. April, 2009.

In April, 2009, Betsy and I went to Texas to visit our family down there.  We went down there to see our granddaughters play softball.  Both are outstanding athletes and they had games scheduled through the weekend.

Unfortunately, the weather  had other ideas.  Very severe thunderstorms moved through the area (with a couple of tornadoes for good measure) and caused wide-spread flooding.  All the games were canceled.

Instead of seeing games the day after the storms, Betsy’s son took us around to see some of the damage around them caused by Hurricane Ike six months previous.  The amount of damage still visible was really amazing.

We did see signs of progress and normalcy both on the Texas mainland and on Galveston Island.  On the western end of the island we found a beach that looked like it did before the hurricane struck.

We didn’t get to see the girls play softball, but we did  have an enjoyable time with our family on our Texas visit.

To see these pictures and others, click HERE.

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I’m grateful that our family got through the hurricane unhurt and with no damage to their home.

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Posted in Family | 9 Comments »

Scenic Sunday #88: The Great Wall

March 21, 2010

The Great Wall at Badaling near Beijing. June, 1987.

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 show your own pictures, click HERE.

Among the high points in my life have been my times teaching in China.  I taught in China on four different occasions.  I was over there for the first time in 1987 and first climbed the Great Wall in June of that year.

The picture above was taken at Badaling, the pass nearest Beijing with a gate in the wall.  You can see the gate in the center left of the picture (which can enlarged).  I climbed up to the third watch tower on one side of the pass, which is where I took the picture.  At that time there were many Chinese visiting the Wall, but very few foreigners.

Our guide said that anyone making it to that third tower would become a “Hero of the People’s Republic”.  I was the only member of our group that became a “Hero” that day.  My legs felt rubbery by the time I got back down, but the climb was definitely worth it.

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Today I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to visit some of the far corners of our world.

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Posted in Scenic Sunday | 11 Comments »

Working in the Garden

March 20, 2010

Tulips in our garden in 2009.

We’ve had two days of sunshine and blue skies!  We were home yesterday (Friday) so I was able to work out in the yard.  It was wonderful to be able to get my hands dirty in the soil again.  The mail woman brought us some roses that needed to be planted and I was able to get four of them planted.  I have one more spot to fill, which hopefully I will do Saturday.

Our  crocus are now blooming very nicely now.  I took some pictures, but haven’t had a chance to do anything with them.  I’ll post some pictures in the next day or so.  In the meantime you can check out Betsy’s new header on her blog.

The daffodils and tulips are coming up although we don’t have any blooming yet.  For the time being we have to be content remembering our tulips from last year.

To see these pictures and others, click HERE.

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Today I’m grateful for the beauty of growing plants.

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Posted in Garden | 12 Comments »

Skywatch Friday:

March 19, 2010

Blue skies in the Glade. March 12, 2010.

This is my post for Skywatch Friday, a meme for sharing views of the sky from all over the world.  To see more, or to join and share your own photos of the sky, click HERE.

The scene above may not appear to be much to many of you, but we think it’s absolutely  gorgeous.  Yesterday (Thursday) was the first day in a week in which we were able to see blue sky.  And it was the first time in a week in which the clouds were white instead of gray or black.  In short, the sky was beautiful.  I hope we soon have many more days like this.

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My Dad got a good report from the doctor and we found Mom and Dad to both be in good spirits.  We were able to run some errands and help with some chores around the house, so it was a good and productive visit.

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Today I’m grateful for each opportunity I have to spend a day with my parents.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 18 Comments »

Down Memory Lane: Hen Wallow Falls

March 18, 2010

Scenes from our hike to Hen Wallow Falls. March 27, 2009.

Betsy and I visited Serenity Falls for the first time in March, 2009.  In addition to the time we spent at the cabin enjoying the waterfall right there, we also got to enjoy the  Cosby, Tennessee, side of the Smokies.

The area around Cosby is often referred to as the ‘Quiet Side of the Smokies’ because most visitors head toward Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.  In many ways it seems possible to enjoy the beauty of nature more because there are fewer distractions.

Hen Wallow Falls is one of the taller waterfalls on the Cosby side of the Smokies and the hike to the waterfall is slightly over two miles.  Of course, once we got to the waterfall we had to get back to the car, but the trail through the forest was very pleasant.  We saw only one other couple on the trail during our entire hike.

Our hike to Hen Wallow Falls was a very wonderful way to spend part of a day.

To see these pictures and others, click HERE.

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We’re making a trip to Hendersonville today so I can take my Dad to the doctor.  It’s just a routine checkup, but it does mean I’ll be away from my computer most of the day.  I’ll try to catch up as quickly as I can after we get back up.

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Posted in Waterfalls | 14 Comments »

Watery Wednesday #79: St. Stephen’s Green

March 17, 2010

St. Stephen's Green, Dublin, Ireland. May 16, 2002.

This is my post for Watery Wednesday.  To see more of our beautiful watery world, or to join and post your own pictures to share, click HERE.

In May, 2002, I was sent by my employer to so some work at our Dublin, Ireland, facility.  The hours were long, but one evening one of my Irish colleagues showed me around downtown Dublin.  I thought the picture above, of St. Stephen’s Green in Dublin, would make a perfect Watery Wednesday post for St. Patrick’s Day.

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Posted in Watery Wednesday | 13 Comments »

My World: Remembering Our Roses (5)

March 16, 2010

More of our 2009 roses.

This is my post for the My World meme.  It is hosted by Klaus, Ivar, Sandy, Wren, and Fishing Guy.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

Spring has been put on hold here on the Plateau in Tennessee.  We’ve had four days of dreary clouds and rain with cold weather.  Today (Tuesday) is supposed to be better although our temperatures are still supposed to be below normal.

So I’m still using pictures to remember our roses from last year.  Hopefully we’ll soon have warm, sunny days and new growth to enjoy.

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Posted in My World | 14 Comments »

A Picture and a Story

March 15, 2010

Floating restaurants in Aberdeen village, Hong Kong. June, 1987.

I have been tagged by Kirigalpotha from Sri Lanka.  I tend to shy away from tags, but I got curious about where this one would lead, so I followed the rules (up to a point).

The rules for this tag are as follows:

1. Open your 1st Photo folder.
2. Scroll to the 10th photo.
3. Post the photo and the story behind it.
4. Tag 5 or more people.

The first folder in my Pictures folder is 1987 Aberdeen.  The tenth picture (scanned from a slide) is shown above.

I should hasten to explain that Aberdeen is a village on the south shore of Hong Kong Island.  In 1987 I traveled to China for the first time with a party from the college at which I was teaching.  Our first stop along the way was Hong Kong.  We spent three or four days there and one day we took a tour of Hong Kong Island.  Aberdeen was one of the stops on the tour.

Aberdeen was (and as far as I can tell still is) known for its floating village and floating restaurants.  Fishing is an important part of industry in Aberdeen and many residents live on boats anchored in the harbor.  The floating restaurants, such as the ones in the picture, are quite large and seem to do a good business.  Our group visited Aberdeen in the morning, so we missed the opportunity to eat at one of these restaurants.

Now I’m going to break the rules.  Instead of tagging anyone I’m going to invite anyone who is interested to check their computer.  If an interesting picture and story pops up, please share it with us.

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Posted in China | 11 Comments »

Scenic Sunday #87: Sunrise on Mount Nebo

March 14, 2010

Sunrise from Mount Nebo, Arkansas. December 2, 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 show your own pictures, click HERE.

If you’ve come to this blog on a regular basis, you know that Mount Nebo in Arkansas is a favorite place for Betsy and me.  We’ve made several trips there, always staying in ‘our’ cabin at the top of the mountain.

Mount Nebo gives us a chance to forget about the cares of the world, to relax, hike, and visit waterfalls.  It also gives us a wonderful place to see the beginning and the ending of the day.

The photo above was taken at Sunrise Point on Mount Nebo.

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Today I’m grateful for the opportunities present in each new morning.

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Posted in Scenic Sunday | 11 Comments »

Can It Be That Spring Is Coming?

March 13, 2010

Crocus in our side flower bed. March 12, 2010.

Yesterday (Friday) was dreary and rainy up here on the Plateau.  That wasn’t a bad thing since I had much to do after being gone for several days.

But in the late afternoon the rain stopped and the sun came out for a while.  I took the opportunity to quickly walk the yard and was very pleasantly surprised to see a clump of crocuses about ready to open.  It seems as if it has been forever since we had any color in our yard.

I also noticed that hyacinths, daffodils and tulips have broken through the ground.  And what is even more exciting some of our roses are starting to show signs of life.  Can it be that Spring may actually get here?

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Today I’m grateful for the promise contained in spring flowers.

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Posted in Garden | 19 Comments »

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