Just a Little Respect

[ A RARE SERIOUS MOMENT ]

A little respect is always good…

and honoring a neighbors wishes is…

being a good neighbor! … right !

this about says it all…

To each his own…

but I found this amusing.

Somewhere back in time…

some that have what they

believe to be a righteous cause…

somehow believe their belief

is good for everyone…

and everyone should be forced to comply.

( Sad Situation )

If this type philosophy

was upheld…

in the past,

than they wouldn’t even have

the right to express their beliefs now.

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WANT

TO FORCE OR IMPOSE ON OTHERS.

Your choice is just that… YOUR choice!

YOUR CHOICE !

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween

Here’s a little Halloween Collage of photos and graphics to Spice up your Halloween.

“Welcome Foolish Mortals”

I really Love doing these!

Have a Safe & Happy Halloween!

but ‘Beware of Hitch Hiking Ghosts”

( I know… we are still in Virginia… these are last years Photo’s)

Fall & November

October is winding down…

there’s a definite chill in the air…

frost is on the pumpkins to be sure…

the leaves have turned…

and are quickly starting to fall…

the wind tosses them to & fro…

an on this chilly misty morning…

we feel the ever increasing need…

to travel far, far, away…

it won’t be long now…

Monday we plan to depart…

and head south for the winter…

that’s what “snowbirds” do…

fly south for the winter…

sunny sky’s and warm breezes…

and a little fun with the “Mouse”…

and maybe a princess or two.

The Magic awaits.

African Adventure

[FLASHBACK]

African Adventure

It all began back in the fall of 2005.

Having been retired, and having a life on the road Rving, more or less “footloose and fancy free” sometimes presents itself with opportunities that might not be available to the normal individuals that are in a normal go to work, support the household, socially acceptable lifestyle. I did that myself for 33 years… and now I do something different. Since we had no restraints and could basically do anything we want to do, where ever we wanted to do it, and for as long as we wanted to do it… well… some opportunities can be very interesting. We were offered an great chance to take a job in Africa. Wow… The Village of Harambe in Kenya, East Africa was our destination. It started as a 4 month program and we were to greet and help English speaking guests. What an experience, and as you can see from the photos it was quite interesting. There was the village which had the hotel ( not much to look at from the outside, but rustically nice within), the old fort originally built in 1420, restaurant, gift shop, and the world famous Safari and Animal Forest Trails. Wild animals were all around both to enjoy on the guided tours and from protected viewing areas. It was strongly suggested that no one wonder off into the wild alone. While under normal conditions the workers & guests would be perfectly safe… outside the protected areas in the wild could be unpredictable and dangerous. There were so many interesting and fascinating things to see and do. The natives also had many great stories and were a story unto themselves. Given the total experience it was more of an adventure and fun than work. Sometimes we would only work 2-3 days a week, the rest of the time was fun & adventure. Lots of things to do and see. Around every turn was something new to experience. The varied exotic wildlife, trees, plants, flowers, and even the birds… everything was different and new and exciting. But I’ll let the photos speak for themselves. The Crazy Bird… The “So what” … “What do you want look”

River Access by the Old Fort…

Strange Beautiful Flowers…

Strange Huge Bird…about 3 foot tall

Rare treat for everyone!

Even better…

Nice little rest area…

Not what I wanted to see… about 5 foot long

Didn’t even know we were there…

Beautiful Colors…

Promise… I won’t do it again! ... Promise.

Dinner ? … Tastes like Chicken ! ?

We returned for second season and had just as much fun as on the first visit. Whenever we were not working we had free access to all the same attractions as the paying guests. We have been on Safari more times than I can count, and spent countless hours walking the viewing trails enjoying the animals in their natural habitat, and all the birds, flowers and trees. A wonderful experience!

Perhaps again sometime… but for now…

too many other things to do!

We met lots of mice people while in Africa and always have a great time there. Our association with this company has offered may other great places to visit. Other adventures include a trip to Asia… the train ride through the mountains and Mt Everest, and rafting on the river rapids. We got lots of great photos on this trip too… my favorite was seeing Asian Bengal Tigers, but that’s another story.

Pic’s of the Girls

Some Picks of the Girls

Happy, Fun, what Memories are made of…

Past Memories

[FLASHBACK]

Wow… Spring 1972

My best friend, the girl next door, as we got ready to make our first trip to Walt Disney World.

After 30+ years I was able through Facebook to reconnect with Jo Ann.

Since we grew up next door to each other we were like brother & sister…more family than just friends.

Make first contact today via E-mail.

More than 30 years ago we both got caught up in life and lost contact with each other.

Good to hear from her again.

Bet she will be surprised I still have this photo.

Connecting with Old Friends

Wow… connecting with friends… well… more than just friends… family that I grew up with. Another positive benefit of Facebook. One of the only regrets I have in my life is to have lost touch with friends that were truly family as we grew up together. Lost in time, and found again. 30 years later… wow… where did the time go? Lots of catching up to do! Highlight of my day!

Boy do I miss the Snow!

[FLASHBACK]

Having spent the last 6 years in Florida for the winter has been great… than I think back to winters back in Maryland… how much I miss the cold, the ice, the snow, the bite of the winter wind… and now how much I appreciate winters in the south.

Yes… those are two cars… in the driveway… burred in the snow. But… always looked at the bright side… the snow was pretty… and I got a couple of days off from work.

plus a few more days off… stressed, strained back… shoveling too much of that pretty scenic snow!

Warm Sun or snow? We be back next spring… later.

A Beautiful Fall Day

Lake Ridge Lake & Clubhouse

Wonderful Fall Foliage

Is finally here…

Great Day for a walk in the woods.

Fall Foliage Day Trip

Took a quick trip today to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Shelly, Me, and Brianna. Mile 199 to 176. The trees are starting to turn, but many are already loosing their leaves. Lots of yellow color … they say it should peak next week… can’t wait! All my life I went to Skyline Drive in Virginia starting in Front Royal. Skyline Drive actually meanders along the peak… first on the east side, than on the west side, back and forth all along the ridge… one overlook after another. I always heard… “Wait until you see the Blue Ridge Parkway” … well… they must not have been talking about the section that we have been on. From mile 175 to 250 there is not much to get excited about…. at least in comparison to Skyline Drive. The rest may really be nice, but this section is rather uneventful. Very few overlooks (200-250) and only 1 (200-175), and that was almost completely obstructed by trees. You are really driving atop the plateau, not the ridge or peak…. so it’s like driving on any other road here atop the mountain… ‘cept for the fact that there are no houses or businesses along the road. Still pretty… but if you are expecting to see lots of overlooks… you will be disappointed. One saving grace is the Mabry Mill (mm 176). It’s an old water powered mill that was used to mill grain and mill wood. It was built by Ed Mabry in 1910 and used until 1936. It is billed as the highlight of this section of the parkway. There’s the mill, and all the water ways and raised water troughs that directed the water from 2 streams to the mill to power the water wheel….there’s also a blacksmith shop, and related out buildings that made up the homestead. The house was actually moved here from Galax… it was originally built in 1836 and was typical of homes from that time. There are also several old time horse powered tools to process sorghum ( molasses substitute) and tree bark for leather tanning stains. There’s even an old “moonshine still” that once helped to make mountain life a bit more merry. All in all a nice place to visit… well worth the trip…. a nice little day trip. It also has a nice little gift shop and restaurant.

Check out the Parkway Guide to overlooks & virtual 360 degree camera at :

http://www.virtualblueridge.com/parkway_tour/overlooks-2.asp