Fresh Start

I saw an old and dear friend today. This person has always been his own boss and recently had to close his business and work for someone else. Glad to report that he is adjusting well and is happy in his new position as employee instead of employer.
I never really wanted the responsibility of employer. I am relied upon by quite a few people but I don't have the onus of providing payroll for others. The responsibility I shoulder is more than enough thank you.
I visited my dad today. He is resting on a hillside overlooking a peaceful lake in the country. He shares the hillside with a lot of other veterans. That particular section is reserved for veterans and their families. I may try to buy myself a place there. I had a long talk with dad about recent events in the family and even though I really bungled some things I think he would approve of the way I've tried to correct it. Dad was always a lot more understanding than almost anyone I know. He would have a bemused look and then come out with advice that reflected a wisdom far beyond his limited formal education. Shows that observation is often far superior to education. I like to think that I can judge events with both experience and education. I just wish I had the wisdom he had. thanks for reading.

Sunrise after the storm

Sorry I haven't posted recently. I was going thru some tuff personal stuff. I have to give you all some advice. Hold on to the ones you love as tightly as you can. Money and material things are nice but when it all gets boiled down personal relationships are the only things that matter. We, as humans, need someone to care about us and show affection towards us. Without that we come to see life as pretty useless. If you have someone who loves you hold onto them with all your might. Don't let them go. Do anything you have to do to keep them and cherish them with all your heart. Life is pretty hopeless without someone to share it with. Be true to them and as a result you will be true to yourself. When your time on this earth ends have something to pass on, someone to remember you. Have an epitaph that shows you were a caring, loving person. Something like "Devoted Husband" or "Good Freind" or "True Companion". Be real and G-d Bless. thanks for reading.

It Aint Funny

One of the Southern Phrases that really puzzles me is It aint funny. Example, "He slapped his wife so hard it aint funny." Just how hard can you slap your wife and it be funny? When he ran that red light that transfer truck hit him so hard it aint funny. Somehow humor is missing in this incident not matter how hard he was hit. I'm not sure where this phrase started but I am sure that it harkens back to a time when people were somewhat less concerned with political correctness. That gun made a hole so big in him it aint funny. That milk I drank was so sour it aint funny. That fire got out of hand so fast it aint funny. They got married and had six kids so fast it aint funny. When his parachute didn't open he got to the ground so fast it aint funny. After that mule kicked him in the head he acted so peculiar it aint funny. It just aint funny.
Fall is definately here. The trees are changing colors and leaves are falling. I usually wait until Thanksgiving to pick up leaves and then repeat after Christmas. This way I only have to do it twice. I used to try to keep up with the leaves and ended up working like a madman the entire season. Puts me in mind of the Groundskeepers at Clemson. I saw three of these guys chasing a small pile of leaves with their leafblowers one day. It was like they had a fanatic fixation on these leaves. They worked together to push this pile 100 yards across the lawn into a bigger pile. After they left the wind began to blow the leaves back over the lawn. It would have been quicker and cheaper to have one guy with a rake pick them up and put them in a bag.
thanks for reading.

I haven't talked about cars in a while so here goes. I remember that old flathead Fords had a peculiar way to mount the water pump to the engine. Two of the mounting bolts were hidden inside the inlet and outlet. It was not uncommon for rookie mechanics to literally demolish a water pump trying to get it off the motor. Older, seasoned mechanics would stand back and grin remembering the frustration they experienced the first time they were faced with the hidden bolts. My experience with this situation years ago helped me many times over the years as I learned to expect the unexpected when working on unfamiliar machines.
I heard today that the Euro Auto Show in Greenville is going to feature Triumphs this year. This brought to mind my 65 Triumph Spitfire. The car had a wooden dash and a positive ground. Real leather seats and a removable steel hardtop lined with real leather were standard. The top was heavy and awkward to remove but really kept out the weather. The Spit featured an 1147cc engine with dual sidedraft carbs. I watched tornadic winds literally lift it off the ground once during a storm and it was light enough that my freinds would amuse themselves by raising the back off the ground and let me go through the gears to see how fast I could get while sitting still. One of the few I wish I still had.

Yesterday I was in a fast food place and looked out the front window. I noticed that across from this place was a line of Crepe Myrtles, beyond these was a line of Oak trees. The early morning fog had settled between them and created a wonderful still life. I noticed that the employees were going about their business as if they hadn't noticed this beautiful scene directly in front of them. I wonder how many cubicle workers there are out there who would take a pay cut to be able to see this instead of a cubicle wall every day? My point is this, take time to look at the beautiful things of this world. Life is too short to miss it.
I'll be hosting a trainee today. "New Guy" is going to ride with me all day today and tomorrow. I guess I'll have to stop for lunch and quit at a decent hour. I usually eat on the run if I eat at all and work 11-12 hours. I don't want to scare the guy on his first day so I''l take it easy on him. Thanks for reading.

Heavy Thoughts

Some days seem to sail by with hardly a ripple on your life and others are like storms stirring everything up and changing your life forever. If you've lived over 5 years you know what I'm talking about. Most days you go about your routine and it seems like no sooner have you gotten out of bed than you are lying down again. Then comes a day when you are in a wreck or the doctor tells you "The News" or someone says something that changes the way you perceive reality and BOOM!, it's one of "Those" days. Those days are not always bad, like the days my chidren were born or the days my sons got married. They are not always recognized either. I have had those days and only later understood that they were one of those days. Like the day I had High Speed Internet installed. Sometimes you are painfully aware of the significance, like the day my Dad died. I was walking down our drive one Fall day several years ago and the wind began to blow leaves all around me as they fell from the trees. I stopped in my tracks and experienced the moment. At that exact moment I understood the passage of time in our lives and really realized for the first time how short our lives really are. I resolved right then to live my life and not let it just pass by. Now every day I look at the sky and I observe the stars and the moon. I look at the world around me and notice the way it changes each day as the light of the sun shifts. I talk to the people I meet and really look at them. They are each the same but remarkably different. I try to keep my sense of humor, there are amusing things happening all the time. You just have to LOOK. The world is a terrible, frightful, overwhelming place. The world is also a wonderful, lovely, delightful place. Finding the balance and enjoying each day is my goal. G-d, whatever you beleive Him to be, made us capable of great things, I wish that for you. Thanks for reading.

Atalaya Castle

Whilst at the beach we visited Huntington Beach State Park. One of the attractions is a 1930's mansion built of concrete and brick. The owners called it Atalaya (watch tower). It is interesting and is a diversion from the beach but is not a place you could call home. The owner designed the building in his head and no formal drawings seem to have been made. You can tell. The rooms ramble around a central courtyard trying to get the feel of a Spanish hacienda. The feel I got was gloomy. There is a ghost tour there in October and I couldn't think of a more natural location. I made a sketch of the place and even that is depressing. There seems to be an organization called Freinds of Atalaya, I don't see how anyone could be a freind to this melancholy pile of brick.
The park itself is a real treasure featuring nature trails and a great beach. The causeway entrance is home to alligators who like to show off. The park is a Birders haven featuring over 300 species. Bird watchers come from all over to enjoy the show. A jetty there protects the inlet and is a special spot for fishermen.
The beach is THE spot in this area for shelling. Check it out if you're in the area.http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/park-finder/state-park/1020.aspx

Beach Trip

Well, we're back from vacation. We usually go in late September or October to avoid the crowds. One of the benefits of the Empty Nest. Of course I have pictures for you.

I got up every morning at 6 and walked on the beach and watched the sun rise. My first morning there as I stood and looked at the stars over the ocean I saw a small meteor shower. A Hollywood moment. I started laughing, It seemed so unreal as if it were staged for my benefit. Maybe it was. I know it really relieved a lot of tension when the stars fell into the ocean. I don't know about you but it's hard for me to stay inwardly focused when watching a cosmic event.

My brother has a place in Myrtle Beach and we usually go down this time of year and repair things. If you're going that way and need advice leave a comment. He knows all the best dining and attractions.

While there I met a guy fishing on the beach. Turns out he's a retired Assembly line worker from Detroit. He was singing the praises of UAW. Well, just the other day I read where their membership was down 75% in the last 10 years and Ford is buying out as many as will cooperate. Seems that the Union that brought so much good to the workers over the years is dying from it's own bureaucratic weight. Something I believe will eventually happen to the USA if it's not already happening.

Country Music

I listen to all kinds of music. I'm not partial to any one genre though I tend to shy away from anything that depends on excessive decibals or high pitched voices. I've been listening to a lot of country lately and it's got me somewhat paranoid. I'm beginning to think that someone is following me around and writing songs about my life. I qoute, " I'm not as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was." "If you're goin through Hell keep on moving...You might get out before the Devil even knows you're there." There's others but that's a good representitive sample. I guess that's the attraction of Country, it speaks to the common people.

I'm going on vacation this coming week so there will be a 4 day period of no posting. My new laptop won't be here till I get back so I'll be computerless for 4 or 5 days. AAARRRGHH! thanks for reading

I think this toilet belongs to a female who has reached the breaking point about having the seat left in the UP position.

Hunting

This is a Henry 12 gauge Shotgun my dad owned. It is very old and I wouldn't feel safe shooting it now. When I was 14 or 15 years old I often came home from school and took it to the woods after squirrel. That's right, we ate those cute rodents. Taste like chicken. Mostly I would just find a tree and sit under it and think. I know it's hard to believe that anyone that age actually has the ability to think but I did. Guess I was abnormal. I really enjoyed sitting there as the day slipped away and the bluejays would scream at me something like "TEAL,TEAL." I was an intruder and they knew the power of my weapon. I never used many shells because I wasn't really there to kill anything. I was mostly there to commune with nature and enjoy a time I think my heart knew would never come again. I still cherish those days in my mind and can go back to them anytime I choose simply by closing my eyes and listening for the growl of a squirrel or the scream of a bluejay. Thanks for reading.

the Hawk

I was heading into Greenville on I385 today when out of the blue a hawk was heading toward my windshield. He/she swerved at the last second and slammed into the corner of my cab. Sounded something like a ball bat hitting my truck. I quickly checked the mirror but all I saw was lots of cars. I'm sure there are little rodents celebrating tonite, "ding dong the hawk is dead". I was sure he was caught in my ladder rack but when I got to a stopping place all I found was this tiny feather. Just in case you weren't aware of it, there is a law against posession of feathers of birds of prey. Wait, this isn't really a hawk feather, it's a pigeon feather. Yeah, that's it, it's a pigeon feather so you can tell the feather police to call off the raid. Not only is it a pigeon feather but I'm not going to keep it. I'll burn it like I burned that old US flag I had laying around for years. Just Joking.

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. I was up 20 out of 24 tues and I'm just now getting over it. I'm amazed at what people believe. Some of the things I've heard from supposedly rational people. There are microphones and cameras in almost every store you go in and people are watching you every moment. No lie. My question is, WHY? What have you done to deserve to be watched? I have been in the back rooms many times and I've seen the surveillance videos, they are BORING. If someone were watching you they would probably be ready to commit suicide after about 2 weeks of it. Honestly, unless you pick your nose and eat it nothing you do will get any ones attention. Shoplifters are missed in a lot of stores just because watching for them is so tedious. Casinos are about the only place where this kind of job is really taken seriously. Here's another, the prices are adjusted for each person depending on your race or if the sales staff likes you or not. Give me a break! I have helped program the price codes, it is tedious, time consuming work. They are not going to program several price levels just to punish you for being asinine. If you believe this then you are on an ego trip deluxe. And another, the people in the fast food places spit on the food. Get real! These young folks have got bills to pay just like you and I. I'm sure stuff happens but it is rare and isolated and the victims usually deserve it. So unless you are acting the fool and harassing the staff you probably got the best they had to offer minus the spit. Come on people, get real, the world is, for the most part, exactly what it seems to be. There are very few real conspiracies and Big Brother is more interested in your money than in your life. Word for the day"Deal with it.". I know that's more than one word but deal with it. Thanks for reading, that means you.

Another Week

Some images you have to capture at just the right moment. 15 minutes later and the fog would have lifted and the sky would have turned blue. I hope you enjoy it as much I do. I really love to catch images like this. I know most people think they're boring or mundane but I think they show just how varied and mysterious nature can be. Any place you look can be transformed by rain or fog or sunlight and shadow into a beautiful scene. Only an idiot would think that there is no G-d, the universe left to random chance would not have included beauty. Man, without a divine creator, would not appreciate the beauty shown by nature. I believe that is what is wrong with this world. Many people, like terrorist and axe murderers, have lost that divine spark. They no longer appreciate the rainbow or the early morning fog. I was raised a hunter. Many mornings my dad would wake me before sunrise to go to the fields or woods. I was given a taste of what the world looked like when daylight first touched it. This made a lasting impression on me. I no longer hunt. I have nothing against hunting but it doesn't fit my lifestyle any longer. I was taught never to kill without reason, mainly food. Nowadays I get my food at the supermarket. It's a lot easier and less messy. My hunting I do with the camera. Thanks for reading.

I saw this sign at the hospital today. There were people smoking nearby. I guess this means that it's OK to smoke there but they aren giving it their blessing. I mean if they didn't want you to smoke there they would have said No Smoking, right? Someone I know has a favorite saying, "You can't fix stupid." You also can't fix beurocratic, politically correct ineptitude like that shown by the perpetrators of this sign.

I also thought you might like to see the latest addition to our family. This is my first grand-daughter, Chloe. As you might guess, I'm a pretty proud Gramps. Gotta go, thanks for reading.

Things

Things are different here in the South than in other parts of the country. We tend to have a more laid back attitude toward life. I guess you might call it a "deal with it " culture. If something is bothering you or you find something really frustrating you simply deal with it. You accept it and move on. I guess that's why we don't get too excited about politics. We got all hot and bothered about politics 146 years ago and we're just now getting over it. Prozac helps. I saw a Tshirt one time that really said it all. On the front it said "Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't." On the back it said "Prozac."

Our laid back attitude has helped and hindered us. We tend to live longer and maybe enjoy life a little more. On the other hand many industries are shy of us because they may feel like we're not productive. Nothing could be further from the truth. When we are paid well and treated right we will work our hearts out. If not, we'll find a place to sit down and smoke a cigarette. Actually, I don't smoke but I think the rest of the world does.

You know, it's funny what you remember. I was thinking the other day about a snow we had in december, 1963. It was especially heavy for this area, about 12". That translates to 4 feet in upstate New York. What really struck me and stuck in my memory was that the government warned us not to eat the snow. It was laced with Cesium 190. The atmospheric H-bomb test had contaminated the snow. Everyone took it calmly, today the government would be replaced if something like that happened. Back then it was considered a natural by product of the effort to control the Evil Soviet Empire. Maybe they were right, maybe the Soviets would have taken over the world if we hadn't stood firm. Then again, maybe they woud have collapsed under their own beurocratic weight. Maybe that's what will be the downfall of the US. The government will simply eat up so much of the resources of our great country that we will simply collapse. I guess we'll have to deal with it.

Tattoos

My oldest son is a tattoo artist. The Eagle one is a work in progress. It's mine and he wants it just right when he does it. I've been waiting for it for a couple of years now and I think it may happen soon. The squid is waiting for the right customer. I've never had a tattoo and I'm kinda nervous about it but committed. This will really mean something to me since I'm very proud of the fact that both my sons made Eagle in the Scouts. We had a good weekend. The grandson was with us and he kept us running. I had forgotten just how opinionated 5 year olds can be. There are no greys, just black and white. Got to go. thanks for reading.

I was thinking about something that I haven't thought about in a long, long, time. When I was in school in Atlanta in 1972-3 there was a pedestrian tunnel under I-85. The walls of this tunnel were painted white and local artist used this as a medium for their art. I remember seeing entire pages of Lord of the Rings written there. I wonder if it's still there.
Also when I was there I volunteered to assist in the visit of Richard Nixon to Atlanta during the campaign. I was standing on a street corner by myself when his limo slowed and made the turn. I recall distinctly seeing Pat Nixon, less than 6 feet from me punch Tricky Dick and make him wave at me. If I had known what was to come I probably would have spit on the car. Oh well, you live and learn. The picture is another view from Hwy 11 in upstate SC. Thanks for reading.

New Kitchen

Well, it's the weekend. I worked thru last wknd so it's nice to be able to relax this one. My Grandson is coming to stay with us till tomorrow so we'll be pretty busy. Never a dull moment when he's around. My dad would say " Yeah, he's a go getter." I saw a freind yesterday who really is dissatisfied with his job. Made me really appreciate mine. I have it made, travelling a lot and fixing things. Making people happy. There are bad days like Thursday when I had to spend a couple of hours down in a manhole with gas vapors but we use safety measures. we get really filthy and stink like gas when we get home but I tell my wife, " that's the smell of money." These are some images of my new cabinets. I built them out of Birch cut and milled locally. The Grape leaf design I cut in with dremel and then painted with acrylics before applying the finish coats of clear Lacquer. I made the countertops with the same ceramic tile I used on my floors. Please ignore the mess, sometimes it's worse. I've since added a range hood. I wanted black but I wouldn't pay the premium for it. I bought a white one, gutted it, sanded it, and painted it black. Looks great.
Locally in the news, A county deputy was hit head on by a guy passing illegally. Two young guys who saw the wreck pried his door open and dragged him out of the car just before it burst into flame. The cop would have died if these two guys had not acted. Proves there are still good people out there. When I see people in our stores being rude and hateful to our employees I have to remember things like this so I don't give up hope on the whole human race. Please, If you're reading this, be nice. It don't cost you a thing. Just remind yourself that you are sharing the space with a lot of other people who have the same dreams and hurts as you do. Be nice. Red Green says "Remember, I'm pulling for you, we're all in this together."

Well, I took a day off today. My friend has a cabin on Lake Keeowee and I went up there last night and loafed. It was good to get away from it all for a change. I took these pictures this morning. I really needed a day off and the scenery and peaceful surroundings hit the spot. This is a vacation spot and everybody has returned to work or school. These cabins are about 10 miles from the nearest small town and are hemmed in on both sides by multi-million dollar retirement homes.

The only sound I heard all day was construction work on a distant house. The geese made a little noise and occasionally a boat would pass by. It was a rude shock to have to come back to reality. The new granddaughter is due any day now and I thought maybe she would show up while I was away. The spouse said she would give me a call if the event started so I could hit the road home. Fortunately she tarried.

Day Off

I worked over the holiday (Memorial Day) weekend. I'm taking a day off tomorrow and hope to get some interesting photos to show you. Stay tuned.

In one of my blogs I might have given the wong impression about life in the mills. It was not always an improvement over farm life as this site http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/childlabor/
will show. Some of the pictures were taken close to here. That is the good thing about studying history, it helps us remember out past mistakes and perhaps avoid future ones.

Fall is almost here

I realized today that Fall is almost here. The eye opener was finding acorns covering the bed of my truck. The tiny Pin Oak or Water Oak acorns are insidious. When they begin to fall in earnest they will cover the ground and anything else in the way seemingly in moments from the time you blow them away. They are like tiny ball bearings and will really hurt if they hit you on the head, especially if you have no hair, like yours truly. My dermatologist cautions me about being out without a hat, these things give me another reason to keep my pate covered. I'm a firm believer that when I began to grow a beard G-d got upset with me for covering up such a pretty creation and He began to uncover the top of it. Thus the bearded, hairless, head.
I was thinking more about the cars, one of my few passions, and reflected on one of the ironies of the movies. Many movies and TV shows over the years were sponsored by Auto companies. A result of this sponsorship is that the world of many old grade B movies had only one brand of auto or another. Plymouth was prolific in its' sponsorship in the 50s'. There are many romantic comedies(no, I don't watch them, SHE does) in which the streets of New York are populated entirely by Plymouths with huge fins. Old Sci-Fi fliks seem to be ruled by Fords. Taxis were almost always Dodges or DeSotos. Cars were driven recklessly, almost insanely, and people seldom got more than a scratch when they wrecked. If someone did get killed and the body was shown it had hardly a mark on it. I guess people were tougher back then. When men were shown driving drunk their wives or girlfriends (invariably sober) would only show mild alarm or just seem perturbed and would finally say" Here, move over, let me drive."only after a close call.
I wonder, percentage wise, if as many people were getting killed back then on the highways? Probably, but we didn't have instantaneous news to get the word out.
thanks for reading.

Mayberry Police Car

I saw this police car in Simpsonville today. Andy and Barney would feel right at home cruising in this Galaxy 500. Made me think about all the cars I've owned, this is a partial list:1950 Ford Pickup, 1959 Dodge Pickup, 1969 Dodge Pickup, 1972 Chevy Pickup, 1973 Chevy Pickup, 1979 Chevy Pickup, 1993 Chevy Pickup(current), 1960 Chevy 2door hardtop, 1965 Mustang notch, 1969 Mercury Montego, 1970 Olds Delta 88 2door hardtop(454,4bbl, would fly), 1972 Pinto, 1970 Fiesta(sounded like an oil can when you closed the doors), 1987 VW Cabriolet(current), 1967 Buick LeSabre(built like a tank), 1967 Triumph Spitfire(wish I had that one back), 1966 Fairlane XL. I'm sure I probably missed one or two. Each one is a story all its' own. The '66 Fairlane was my Senior High car and witnessed all the passions of my youth. The Delta 88 saw me out on my own and helped me woo and win my wife. My good friend, Cleech, bought it from me and blew the motor, bad luck hounded him all his life. I drove the Triumph to Nashville to visit a friend at Vandy and by the time I got back to Greenville 4th and reverse were the only remaining gears. We took our small chidren to Hilton Head in the Fiesta. They had to put their feet up on the luggage all the way there and back. The '69 Dodge Pickup was advertised one saturday in the paper in 1971 for $750, I ran to the door when I got there and beat two other people to it. I told the man, "If it runs and don't smoke I've got the cash." It was a non smoker. The '60 Chevy I bought with a locked up engine. When I towed it in the driveway a man followed me and offered me $100 profit, I took it and threw in the tow rope free of charge. I drive a Company vehicle now and the Cabby and Pickup mostly just sit. A reader commented recently that his dad knew Elvis in the Army in Germany. You never know what's gonna touch somebody, anyway thanks for reading.

Just Riding Around

When people call me as I travel from call to call they usually start the conversation by saying "Hi, what're you doin?". My reply is almost always "Riding Around." I figure a lot of people think that my job consist of just riding around the upstate. They don't take into account the time that I spend at a job site doing some incredibly frustrating or insanely boring task. All in all, though, I really enjoy what I do and consider myself one of the luckiest people in the world. I get to meet all sorts and impress them with my technical skills. Little do they know that with a little training and a lot of patience almost anyone could do this stuff. Fortunately for me most people don't have the intelligence to get the training and almost no one nowadays has any patience.
When I first began this career I was really worried that I couldn't do it. I have since come to realize that even people who have done this for years and years run up against things that they don't understand and by sheer persistence are abel to overcome. I found this photo of my youngest son (see The Wedding) and thought you might like it.

Coast Guard

I almost joined the Coast Guard once. I was in my Freshman year at college and was making poor grades when I began to think of alternatives to getting a job. the VietNam thing was still being decided so I reasoned that Coast Guard would be the only safe bet. The recruiter assured me that the only CG ships in Viet Nam were coastal patrols. I found out later that the "coast" went all the way up both sides of the MeKong river. When I went to take my physical the sergeant came into the room and invited us to follow him. On the other side of the room were the draftees as was made apparent when the sergeant began to scream at them and browbeat them. The thought ran through my head that once I signed the papers there would be no difference between them and me. I told the recruiter that I wanted to think it over, it took me all of 15 seconds. I sometimes wonder what my life would have been like had I signed those papers.
Two of my freinds had #1 draft numbers. One kept up his grades in college and the other joined the Navy and went to Nuke school. I remember staying up and watching the Draft Lottery on TV. The phone started ringing as soon as numbers began to be called. All my freinds were calling to compare their numbers. I was one of the lucky ones with a high draft number. This meant that I could literally thumb my nose at the draft. There would have to be a full fledged war before they would ever call me. I could continue being a hippie and keep my long hair. Our all volunteer armed forces are better by far than the way it was then. When someone joins now it's because they want to serve not because someone is holding a gun to their heads. I hope it can continue this way.
I passed this old junk store yesterday. I'll have to stop and look around sometime.

Grandparents

My Fathers' family were farmers in the area just west of the Mississippi. I have a photo of his dad and mom on their wedding day in 1917. Grandfather was a rough individual, you could see hard work and hard living in his young face. Grandmother was a doll. She wears a huge hat, probably bought or borrowed for the occasion. Her face is angelic, she would live into her 80s' or 90s', no one seems to know her age exactly. He would only live a few short years. The story I'm told is that he died from a medical condition that today would be easily handled in any emergency room. The doctor they took him to refused to see him because the family couldn't afford his fee. Rough times. Grandmother sat on her front porch in the early 60's with my brother. As they talked a car drove up to the small church across the road. Grandmother told my brother "They won't be there long.". Soon the cars' occupants came running out of the church and left in a hurry. My brother said "What got into them?" Grandmother replied " It wasn't the Holy Spirit, the folks over there musta got out the snakes." She knew the people in the car weren't regulars and figured when the snake worshippers got the snakes out they would beat a hasty retreat.
Her house was the crookedest I have ever been in. Each floor tilted a different way and doors were hung slightly crooked to fit the cockeyed frames. There was always a pot of hot coffee and breakfast could be found just about anytime. My aunt was an Elvis fan and Elvis pictures and memorabilia abounded. I believe it was the only place I've ever been where Velvet Elvis pictures were considered a normal decorative item.

Old Times

I was thinking about some of the events of my childhood. I remember going to my Grandparents home in Bowman, Ga.. The house was a weathered old building, immaculate in form but in need of paint. Paint must have seemed a luxury to people who had just lived through a depression and a World War. Nails and TLC had to do instead. There was no indoor plumbing, an outdoor privy and a hand drawn well serving the purpose. There were chickens running in the yard and a cotton field surrounding the house and barn. The barn was a favorite of hide and go seekers, the loft being the best hiding spot. Never mind that the seeker always came directly there to look for you. Grandpa would butcher a chicken while we watched. When he chopped off the head we would always scream and then beg him to "Let it run, Grandpa, Let it run!". Sometimes he would release the headless chicken to scamper aimlessly while we screamed and ran from it. Usually he would take it into the barn and hang it by its' feet for the blood to drain. I can still picture the wires hanging from the ceiling where the chickens were hung. Today chickens are a multi billion dollar business in that area. The smell of chicken houses is carried on the wind for miles. One thing I hold in my memory closely is the well. I remember that the bucket was raised and lowered by a rope wound around a large wooden axle. This axle had at its' end a crank used to lift the full buckets of cold, sweet water. When Grandpa lowered the bucket he would let his hand lay against the wood to control its' descent. The wood was worn smooth where his hand would lay. Sometimes he would lift us children up and let us lay our hands there and "help" him. I can still remember vividly over 40 years later how that felt as the bucket descended into the well and my Grandpa held me with my hand against the wood. He would lean close and say "Be careful, honey, and don't let it burn your hand.". He called all the children "honey", boys and girls. It's funny what you remember. These trips were always made on Sunday after church. The Interstates were under construction ( some things never change) and it took a couple of hours to get there on two lane roads through numerous small towns. Today the trip can be made in a couple of hours on the Interstate if the traffic isn't too bad. We travelled in style in a 1959 Nash Rambler station wagon. A vehicle that, thankfully, Dad traded in for a 1960 Falcon. The Falcon served us well and was retired to O'Shields auto graveyard. There were alway Petunias growing at Grandpas'. It is a sweet smell I will forever associate with a happy childhood. I drove through that area recently and had a hard time spotting the old house, it having been renovated several times over the years. The cotton fields are gone and development has taken thier place. The privy and the well are gone and the barn. The house seems to have shrunk over the years but it still is large in my memory. Thanks for reading.

Tapestry

This is probably not an original idea, I may have even read about it somewhere. I believe our lives are like a tapestry or a painting. Each life we come in contact with contributes a thread or a pattern to it, depending on that persons involvement with us. Those we love and cherish provide the rich borders and colorful illustrations. Some leave discordant splashes of dark tones or maybe even tears in the fabric. Our loved ones mend these places with thier prayers and thier love for us. the events of our lives are seen there in pleasing blends of color or in harsh hues that are difficult to focus on dependent on how these events affected us. The knots that we exprience as we live our lives when seen in reality may be wonderful pictures that are quite pleasing to the eye. Only our Maker and Master knows what our lives look like right now, perhaps it will be revealed to us when we leave these "frail vessels". My wish for you is that you have a rich, colorful, tapestry with no dark places.

Things I saw whilst on the Highway.

I saw this heavy eqpt. being transported on I85 today. I was kinda upset because they didn't have any "Wide Load" banners on the truck. Oh well, some people can get away with anything. I doubt they made much on this shipment.
When I arrived at one of my calls today I found the Sheriff Deputy talking to someone in a car parked on our Fuel Fill Buckets. This couple had come in the store 2 hours before falling down, high stepping, stinking drunk. Then they returned to their car and passed out. The store manager was expecting a fuel shipment so she called the Sheriff to get them moved. There's no problem towing a car but you don't tow with two drunks passed out inside. The Deputy cut them some slack and called someone to come get them and move the car. He could have arrested them for public drunk and disorderly. If I ever get in any trouble I hope I get a nice guy like that. They probably called him names after they left. Typical day at the convenience store. Every day I see people come in the stores and treat the sales staff in rude, inconsiderate ways. I wish they could see their own sons and daughters being treated like that. It would put a different light on it for some but not all.
Here's a shot I caught in downtown Greenville a couple of days ago. I should have remembered that old adage "Red sky at morning, sailors take warning." We had two days of Rain, thunder, and lightning after I got this shot.
Be sure to check out my links, there's some funny and some interesting stuff there.Thanks for reading and tell your friends or someone you don't like.

Well, yesterday was a long one, 13 hours, 6 calls. Today started out with thunder, lightning and rain. Promises to be another long day. I LOVE IT! I like doing what I do.
Thought you might like seeing what it was like in the Spring around here. When your allergies kick in you sneeze, shoot, sneeze, shoot. If you sneeze and shoot at the same time you get a blurry picture.
I gotta go, duty calls. Thanks for looking.

Stormy Day

We've had some really bad storms in the past 24 hrs. The lightning has really been rough on our electronics. Three 12 hr days in a row. I was traveling between stores today and took this shot on hwy 11 in northern Greenville county. The storm had just passed maybe 2 hrs before. This is on the southern edge of the Great Smoky Mountains. You can easily see in the picture why they are called the Smokies. We have a great bunch of guys on our maintenance crew. You seldom hear anyone griping, usually it's more like "what can I do to help?" Very unusual these days. I think it's cause we all really enjoy what we do.
I was thinking about where my dad came from today. He was born and raised in Prairie county, Arkansas, a very different environment than this around here. You can count telephone poles there all the way to the horizon. They grow rice there and I can remember as a child being taken to the levie and hearing ducks eat rice. When it's quiet you can hear the snapping of thousands of duck beaks eating rice. This was in a protected game preserve and I wonder if it's still like that out there? Dad saw no future there and left to join the CCCs' (Civilian Conservation Corps) as soon as he could. Then, when war broke out he joined the army and ended up in upstate South Carolina. From there to Alaska to push the Japs out of Attu and Kiska. When it came time to fight the Japs had already left. Dad liked the upstate and returned here to live after the war. He told me once that the closest he ever came to shooting at the enemy was when he took aim at an incoming plane that had failed to identify itself. At the last minute the spotter recognized the friendly and stopped him from firing. Good for the friendly, dad was a crack shot.

Iraqi Bloggers Central

Iraqi Bloggers Central is a good place to find out what is happening in Iraq. You might even get a different perspective than the Media would lead you to.

Willie Nelson and Dennis Weaver

Thought you might like to see this picture of Willie Nelson at one of our stores promoting Bio-Diesel fuel. Willies' photo was on all the pumps that had this blend of soybean oil and diesel. His pitch was that this was good for the American farmer. In the lower left corner you can see Dennis Weaver. He was an American actor, one of his best known parts was Chester on the GunSmoke series. He was passionate about conservation and environmental issues. he died recently, the thing I remember about this day was the love and concern his wife showed for Mr. Weaver during the autograph session. Willie was a very down to earth person and offered to speak to my wife on the cell phone but she was too bashful to speak to him.

Random Thoughts

I got to thinking about this area and the way it used to be. Less than a hundred years ago this area was largely treeless. The trees had all been clear cut to make room for agriculture. the main cash crop, of course, was cotton. Many acres would belong to one family, what they could not farm themselves they would share crop. Another family would live on the land and farm it, sharing the proceeds with the owners. The history books make the owners look like some kind of evil landlords but in reality they were almost as dirt poor as the sharecroppers. This was sustenance living and I wouldn't want to go back to it. The land looked very different then and erosion was a real problem. The farmers didn't have the luxury of expensive fertilizers and couldn't afford to let the land lie fallow. You could see for miles and all you saw was farm land punctuated by deep gullies caused by unregulated runoff. When Kudzu was introduced to control erosion it was considered a blessing. Now it's largely regarded as a foreign pest. We don't have the severe winters needed to control its' growth. We also don't have the farm animals to eat it and limit its' spread. Back then the farmers would usually let trees grow along the edges of their fields, they would call these "wind breaks". When a tree got to a certain size, however, it was usually cut for firewood. Thus, no large trees ,except perhaps, in the cities. The large two story houses the landowners would build were usually not plumbed and were heated by fireplaces that required constant attention and large volumes of fuel. The "Good Old Days" were filled with a lot of work. When the farm children abandoned the farm and went to work in the mills they attained a luxury they couldn't believe. They had indoor plumbing and regular work hours with more leisure time than they had ever known. The picture is our Koi pond.

Well, it's Sunday here in the Deep South. This is traditionally a day when southerners really kick back and relax. There are still many traditionalist who will go to thier house of worship, go out to eat, and then go home or to a relatives house and talk and visit. Then they will take an afternoon nap, get up, and return to worship this evening. This provides a way to unwind from the work week. Worship and a sharing time with friends and family. Not a bad idea. The flag can be seen from Cherrydale in Greenville. It's on top of the mountain across from the shopping center. This house is next to me and is vacant while being renovated. It is around 100 years old and needed a lot of work. I would have loved to have had it but I don't think I would have ever finished the project. Many years ago the county would pave your drive for free if you would give them a deed to it. Nowadays they want you to have the drive in perfect condition ( graded, paved, curbs, drainage, etc.) before they will accept it. The man who owned this house gave the county a deed to his drive and they paved it back around the mid 60s'. They then attached it to a road behind his property and voila!, he had a heavily travelled county road right through his yard. My dad always used this example to explain why we had a dirt and gravel drive for years after the neighbors had pavement. We finally got it concreted about 15 years ago. Moral of this story, Always look at all angles before accepting a gift from the government. Wife ran over my Japanese Maple with the lawn mower yesterday. She was really upset but I am so glad she is helping me with the lawn (3.5 acres) that I just shrugged it off. It's not worth wasting grief over it. There are too many other worse things that could happen. By the way, we don't care for the whole lawn. My 79 year old mother cuts about 1 acre with a walk behind mower and also trims and blows off the debris. She says it keeps her ticking. I say Thanks. Our Grandson in K5 had a rough week, he got points against him for talking out of turn. Then, friday, he got two rewards for being on good behaviour! It's really rough on him, he always attended a child development where Nana worked so he kinda ruled the roost. Now he is in a school where no one knows him and he has to OBEY the RULES (never his strong point). He's not a bad kid, just slightly spoiled. I take partial credit. One of the benefits of being Gramps. I can spoil them and then send them home. Well, that's all for now. Thanks for reading.

Another day.

Well, it was another day in the life. A manager in one of the stores today was showing me her engagement ring. She had it made to order. Very pretty and very expensive. I wouldn't wear something like that to work in one of our stores. Some of the clientele would chop off your finger to get it and then pawn it for a fraction of its' worth to buy crack. Even in the "better" parts of town you have your bad characters. I usually take my ring off to work on the pumps. I don't need to connect with a live wire with a gold ring. It's an antique ring my dad left me and I don't want some crackhead to take it from me and pawn it for $10 worth of crack. the weather has cooled off some and people are starting to talk about tailgating. Fall is just around the corner and I kinda look forward to it this year. I always get nostalgic in the fall. I read an article today that said that our pets become a valued member of the family. I guess that's true. I know Tiki, our Jack Russell, Chihuahua mix is definitely a part of our family. She follows me around like a two year old. I don't know why, I have never been overly affectionate towards her. I believe she senses that I will always care for her, even if it means bathing her when she doesn't really think she needs it. It's time to wrap this up, Deborah has the main computer and this one starts to make an ungodly whine after it runs a while. I think the mother board is about to give up the ghost.

I thought this was a great street sign. A lot of people go there to visit and some go to live. When I go there it's to think about those friends and family who have departed this life. One of those was a guy we called Cleech. He was a talented individual. Today, had he lived, he would probably be a computer geek. he once broke into the local middle school and stole band instruments. He returned them after he learned to play them all. He didn't know a single note of music. He preferred to buy his stereo components in kit form. That way he doubled his enjoyment. First he enjoyed building it and then he enjoyed listening to it. He joined the Navy and was gone two weeks. They discovered cataracts on his eyes and paid him $600 to take a medical discharge. Afterwards he realized that most companies will pass on hiring an individual with a medical discharge. Broke and jobless he took his own life in despair after his girlfriend broke up with him.

I wish we had some wind the day I took this shot. the flag would have been more impressive and it would have made a better shot.














This whitetail comes to our yard several times a week to eat apples. She knows we're watching but she can't spot us.

Rainy Day

Well, we're finally getting rain. We are way behind in rainfall this year. It's like bibical drought. Now it's raining a kind of slow drenching rain, the kind that is good for things. This is better than the heavy downpours we usually get this time of year. Then it comes down so fast it causes flash floods and it all runs off before it can soak in. Makes me think of all those rain songs. "It must be raindrops (falling from my eyes)" "I wish it would rain" "Raindrops keep falling on my head"etc. At least I don't feel guilty spending the time on the blog. I usually have a million things to do and it's hard to take the time for this. This also makes me think of my Dad. On a day like this he would sit in the carport and look out over his garden and watch it get rained on. I imagine he could almost see it growing. He was a hunter, fisherman, gardener, and handyman. He, like so many of his generation grew up close to the land. He could listen to the night sounds and tell you about the creatures he heard. He passed this love of nature on to me and I'm trying to share it with my Grandchildren. We can, I beleive, love the things of nature without worshipping them. By this I mean that we can reap the benefits of the earth and care for her at the same time. So many tree huggers think that we should all live in grass huts and eats leaves. Well, this good old boy is gonna eat steak and drive his pickemup truck. But I better not see you tossing trash out your car window. Well, enough for now.

I had to travel to Columbia yesterday. We have one store there and usually wait till we have a list of repairs. It's about 140 miles from where I live. My wife thinks it's a big deal but I travel so much that I just look at it as another day. I actually caught three local calls yesterday also. I'm having fresh local peaches on my cereal this morning. South Carolina is large producer of this sweet fruit, greater even than Georgia and they call themselves the Peach State. This time of year it seems like there is a fruit stand on every corner in the Greer area. This Peachoid water tower is in the Greer, Gaffney area. Before they added the leaf the truck drivers were very sarcastic about its' appearance.

I was right

I got called yesterday at 9:ooam, two stores with programming issues. Probably related to lightning, the periphreals, car wash, atm, etc. feed overages to the main system and cause lots of weird glitches. Fortunately no major issues. I was just reading an article about a French Jew who is trying to recover his fathers' suitcase from a holocaust museum. It seems that the museum believes that the fact that the suitcase can be identified as belonging to a specific victim it is rightfully a museum piece. Ignore the fact that there are living close relatives with a claim to the item. Monty Python logic. Someone said that the Europeans love the holocaust museums, it's the living Jews they don't care for.

The Wedding

Thought you'd enjoy some pictures of my youngest sons' wedding in March. I handed the groom the ring with this hand. You'll notice the pink shirt. Not my choice. The Grooms' cake reflects his love of Clemson football. The happy couple. Today we're having a baby shower for this lovely bride. I, of course, will conveniently disappear for several hours. We worked feverishly into the late hours last night cleaning the Ranch in preparation. Will post more later.