Today was Ginger's last day at the Navy/Marine Corps Relief Society. They had a nice lunch (hmmm....good sushi); I took this photo after most of the people had left.
From the left---Jennifer, Kristen, Ginger, Sandra, Amanda & Ebru.
September 24 (Monday): Image #270
Start out with some oatmeal, follow it with a little flax seed, some yogurt, orange juice and some frozen strawberries and blueberries. Mmmmm.....that's a good way to start the day.
September 23 (Sunday): Image #269
We had dinner with a couple of families from church. Here is our friend Abby, her new daughter Ellie, and proud grandmother Gai-Gai.
I will begrudgingly post this next photo. Chet and I got beat by Ginger and Sarah in a hot game of Cornhole. The winner gets their photo posted online.
September 22 (Saturday): Image #268
I spent most of today working on school stuff. Since we will be in California for the better part of two weeks, I am trying to get ahead o the game.
Sepember 21 (Friday): Image #267
I wear a flight suit to work every day except Monday. All the other officers wear patches that are specific to their particular crew. Since I am not on a crew, I wear a variety of patches. In a shameless bit of self-promotion, for the last two weeks, I have been sporting the Whitney Classic patch. Less than one week to go.
September 20 (Thursday): Image #266
Our house has been totally covered over the last few days with lovebugs (Plecia nearctica). They are all over the windows, the doors, the walls--everywhere. They swarm twice a year, in late Spring and late summer. This isn't a two headed bug. It's two bugs that are. . .connected.(Denise--have fun with this one.) The male and female attach at the rear, and stay that way the rest of their lives--they never disconnect.. In fact, once the male dies, the female drags him around until she lays her eggs a few days later.
There is also an old wives-tale that stats the strength of the hurricane season is directly related to the strenth of the lovebug swarm. If that's true, it;s time to put on the hurricane shutters.
September 19 (Wednesday): Image #265
Some of you have asked what was in the big cardboard box on yesterday's picture. It is a new bike box, so I can travel with my bike. We leave next Wednesday for The Whitney Classic, and I am shipping my bike to California tomorrow.If you were reading this blog back on Feb 14 or May 5, you know that I only dig around in the gear closet before a big trip. I have some extra space in my bike case, so I was filling it up with some items that we will need for a little trip after the Whitney.
Our good friends Julie and Sylvan are hiking the John Muir Trail, a 210 mile trail from Yosemite Valley to Mount Whitney. On the Monday after the Whitney, we will drive up to Bishop and hike in the South Lakes Trailhead with their last food re-supply. We will probably spend two or three nights with them, just north of the Palisades Glacier and maybe even sneak in a peak ascent of Mt. Aggasiz.
If you want to see some great images of where we are headed, here is a good link.
September 18 (Tuesday): Image #264
I got this huge package in the mail today. It's almost as big as I am!In addition, today is my Mom's birthday! Happy Birthday!!
September 16 (Sunday): Image #262
While Ginger was in Charlotte, I spent the weekend in Washington, DC, at the second of 12 weekend residencies in the graduate courses I am taking. The classes are held a half block away from the Capital, and during one of my breaks, I walked down to the National Archives. Among other things, the Archives houses The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
This statue sits just outside the entrance of the Archives. It is called "Heritage", and the quote across the bottom reads, "The heritage of the past is the seed that brings forth the harvest of the future."
September 15 (Saturday): Image #261
Ginger's brother Eric, the proud new owner of Woodrow's Nursery in York, South Carolina.
September 14 (Friday): Image #260
Ginger spent the weekend in Charlotte. Here she is at Gretchen's (a friend since middle school) wedding reception.
September 13 (Thursday): Image #259
Unbelievably, the AC started leaking water in the garage. With vivid thoughts of reptiles and marsupials and big money repairs, I was happy to find out it was just a clogged pipe.
September 11 (Tuesday): Image #257
I don't know how these situations come about but. . .The Navy/Marine Corps Relief Society, where Ginger works, was having a training day at the base in Beaufort, SC. One of Ginger's co-workers owns this three-wheeled motorcycle, and before you can roadtrip, they loaded up and headed up the highway. And yes, it poured rain just after they left.
September 10 (Monday): Image #256
I used to know the name of this butterfly, and the flower it is on...but I can't remember. I need some gingko for my memory.
September 8 (Saturday): Image #254
Twenty days until the Whitney Classic. I had a modest goal of raising $5,000 for the work of Summit Adventure. As of today, I have raised $5,770. Maybe I should have aimed for $6000?You can make your donation here.
September 6 (Thursday): Image #252
The AC repairman came today, and quickly found the source of our problem. At some point, this little Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) crawled up in our AC unit and got fried in some electrical wires. When he got fried, so did the AC. A few new wires, and we were back in business. It was just in time, because I was about to break a sweat.
September 5 (Wednesday): Image #251
Many of you were shocked and outraged last Tuesday when I recounted the vicious assault on Moses, the Great Orange Hunter. The vet said it wasn't a snake bite, but we didn't know what it was. Well, this afternoon, I found out.
I was clearing some things away from the front of the AC unit so the repairman could have easy access (yes---still no AC). when I noticed a pair of beady eyes looking at me. There is a couple people I know who have beady eyes, but none of them are in Florida, so I quickly recognized it for what it really was, an Opossum (in the family Didelphimorphia. They are so disgusting, I couldn't bring myself to find the genus and species). This was the vile creature that attacked Moses, and it had taken up residence in my garage.
Despite a strong attempt at laying still and ignoring me and hoping I would go away, the possum was eventually evicted from the garage. As a matter of fact, I chased it across the street where. . .well, suffice it to say that the possum will not be an issue anymore.
Did that vile marsupial tear up my AC unit? The repairman comes tomorrow, and we will learn the truth.
Vengeance for Moses. By the way, Moses is recovering very nicely and should be at 100% soon.
Sep 4 (Tuesday): Image #250
Late this afternoon, we noticed the house wasn't as cool as it should be. That's right---the dreaded fate of everyone who lives in such a sweltering place came true....the AC conked out. I took this photo of our thermostat at 11:15 at night---a sweltering 88 degree.
September 3 (Monday): Image #249
What better way to celebrate Labor Day than with a frosty bowl of homemade goodness?
"It turns out that if you really want good ice cream, you just have to tolerate a little more global warming. That's a trade-off that I personally am willing to make."--Anonymous
August 31 (Friday): Image #246
Our neighbors bought a new tent, and wanted our help as they set it up for the first time. Since it was raining outside, they decided to erect it inside in their family room. If you are paying attention to the details of this photo, you will notice that yes, Ginger is wearing a pair of my boxers shorts and yes, I am still wearing that same pair of cut-off blue jeans.
August 30 (Thursday): Image #245
Those pesky squirrels in the backyard continue to ravage our bird feeder, and they put a serious hurt on it last night. 
They broke the support, ripped off the top and broke a piece of the bottom. Regardless, it didn't stop this beautiful Cardinal. (I know---I already took a picture of a Cardinal, but they are everywhere in our backyard, and so vibrant!)
They broke the support, ripped off the top and broke a piece of the bottom. Regardless, it didn't stop this beautiful Cardinal. (I know---I already took a picture of a Cardinal, but they are everywhere in our backyard, and so vibrant!)
August 29 (Wednesday): Image #244
I have been a little tardy in posting pictures lately, partly because I had two weeks of catch-up after Alaska, and partly because my laptop was in the shop. It's back and better than ever, with a repaired modulator valve and new flux capacitor. I'll try to catch up soon.
August 28 (Tuesday): Image #243
I went out into the garage this evening about 6:00, and noticed that something was wrong with Moses, the Great Orange Hunter. Her foot was terribly swollen and she had a few bloody gashes on her paw. The vet thought it might be a snake bite, so we raced off to the Animal ER!
To make a long story short--it wasn't a snakebite, but the vet suspects a bite from some other animal. Her foot got shaved, she got shot full of antibiotics and we returned home with our furry little patient.
She is not very happy.
August 27 (Monday): Image #242
31 days until the Whitney Classic. I gotta start riding. Too much whale blubber and homemade ice cream has made me soft. I hurried home from work, only to get caught in a thunderstorm 3 minutes after I ride away.
August 26 (Sunday): Image #241
Today was the Mason family's last Sunday at their church, and in addition to being commissioned as SBC missionaries through the North American Mission Board, I had the distinct privilege to swear him into the Navy. He reports September 8th to Officer Indoctrination School in Newport, Rhode Island. Best wishes to Becky, his wife and their two sons, Jacob and Graham!
August 25 (Saturday): Image #240
My good friend Butch, who I met 17 years ago when we both started working at Camp McCall, is resigning as the Music Minister at a church in Greenville, SC and entering the Navy to serve as a Chaplain. He gets commissioned tomorrow, and today we hosted a little get together at Lake Bowen for all the guys we used to work with. We had a good turnout--about 55-60 people showed up, including spouses and kids.
As soon as a certain someone sends me that picture, I will post it here:
As soon as a certain someone sends me that picture, I will post it here:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)