Sorry...

Sorry...

Halloween frame of mind.

Movie tyme...

Alice says...

According to Alice...

Everything comes with a price

SHARED FROM WDW NEWS TODAY (the photo clips)

The opinions expressed in the text are solely mine.

Yep... Everything comes with a price... a higher price. Higher prices are not new to Disney,  but sometimes ya still have to wonder about prices in general and the quality/quantity factor. It's an age old store, actually a way of life... prices goes up, and quality and quantity goes down. The new Food and Wine Festival coupons are no exception to this trend. In fact many times, Disney seems to be at the pinnacle of the price/quality/quantity game. The game? Yes, the game to get more money for less value to the guest. But it is what it is,  and no one is forcing you. I haven't been to the Food & Wine festival for a while. Towards the end of our regular annual visits to this event, we called it the Beer & Wine Fest. Disney's emphasis was certainly on how much beer or wine or alcohol you can drink. But nevertheless a great event to attend. A word of caution... unless things have changed drastically... Don't plan in being there on Friday and Saturday evenings. Why? If nothing has changed,  its a Drunk Fest. And while it's only a small percentage of the guests that get drunk, that small percentage adds up to a lot of people. People that are in your face no matter where you go. My personal experience...Rudeness and profanity go hand in hand those nights. Controls... well having been to Epcot hundreds of times, I can tell you that I've never seen less (practically none) managers and security out and about. In the shops, yes... but out and about to control the drinks... none. So if you go, go during the weekdays and daytime... enjoy it during the best times.

Harvey

Houston Texas... Hurricane Harvey... such a disaster that will take years upon years to recover. Some things will never be recovered. Lives lost, homes lost, families destroyed. A true tragedy made worse by people not heeding the days of warnings. There's always gonna be people that choose to stay to weather out the storm... for whatever reason that makes sense to them. Five days of advance warnings that it was going to catastrophic flooding and damage. The forecast was for high damaging winds of a category 4 hurricane with more than 24 inches of rain the first 24 hours. People were warned to get out or possibly die. People were warned that if they don't leave that emergency help would not be available... no one will be able to help you in your hour of crisis. So why... just why did so many people not heed the warning? There are always going to be those that don't have the means to evacuate. The city should have made arrangements to move these people... That's a failure . But what of the tens of thousands that had the means to leave... and didn't. What would possess people to stay, faced with such certain devastation? There's lots of words that come to mind... none of then very kind. All of this added exponentially to the problems and the difficulty to deal with the disaster. Truly a natural disaster complicated by the man-made disaster by those that had the means to leave... but didn't. My heart goes out to everyone,  but some things you just can't understand. 

This will just have to do

This will just have to do...

Sign #1

Didn't see it?

Bet you'll see what's next!

Face it...

The many faces of the geosphere...

Rving update

Rving update:  Well, it all started as a notion... then a dream... then with planning, it became a reality. In 2003 we sold the house, got the rv of our dreams and drove off into the sunset. Wow, 14 years full time rving.  Over 100,000 miles to date, ranging from Maryland to Florida,  to Texas, to Missouri and most states in between. Almost every year we spent some time in Florida ranging from Homestead to Pensacola. Our travels took us to the sea shore, to the mountains & valleys,  to the plains & rivers. Sometimes we worked, sometimes we just relaxed and traveled.  We workamped in campgrounds, and were seasonal cast members at Disney World from 2005 - 2011. Lots of great places, great fun, and great people. We experienced more in the last 14 years than any other times in our life. Best times ever... and we got to do whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted, and for as long or short a time as we wanted. Currently enjoying the mountains of Virginia with our daughter and grand girls. Would not change anything...full-time rving was and is the best decision of my life, except for marrying my wonderful wife. Lots of people have the dream... if it's yours, plan for it, and enjoy the best years of your life.

Frame of mind

Perhaps it's merely frame of mind,
(thinking about Halloween)
or my imagination,  but this tree looks really creepy scary.

That's not fair.

  Lots of things change as you get older. Most people change and mature as a result of life's experiences. Many things that bother the young hold little weight with the mature. Situations are much clearer and less emotional. Understanding and logic prevail over the emotions and bad decisions that plague the mostly younger. So what perplexes most of us older folks?  It's simply hard to understand how emotional and just plainly stupid people can be. It's also hard to understand the need for people to be prejudice.  Add to that it's also hard to understand the mentality of those that not only are offended by things,  but then expect society to yield to their offended feelings... and that's simply what they are, just feelings. It starts at a young age when all you hear is "that's not fair"... as if society needs to cuddle to their feelings. Kids growing up today have it easier than past generations ever did, yet they have the feeling that life isn't fair, then grow up to be adults that are offended by everything that doesn't suit their concept of what a "fair" life would be. To add to the problem,  society gives them credence for their feelings that life has short changed them,  so they have the right be offended, and all should bow to their feelings.  Sad situation.  So do we raise our kids to be whiny and coddled... to turn out this way as adults?... sure looks that way.

Inquiring minds

Inquiring minds want to know.
Okay... easy answer...

Busch Gardens

Remembering Busch Gardens in Williamsburg Virginia. Perhaps the most beautiful amusement park anywhere.

Princess and the Frog

Movie: Princess and the Frog promotion.
Before the movie came out Disney did a show on the Liberty Bell Riverboat which continued down the street at Liberty Square.  We were fortunate to be at Disney when they were doing the show. Absolutely wonderful show with lots of room for large crowds between Liberty Square and  Frontierland, all the way around to Big Thunder Mountain.  Fresh and exciting performances and a very good setting utilizing the Riverboat. But as soon as the movie broke... it was gone. Most times these short run shows, usually promoting a movie, are truly terrific. Here's a few photos. 

Tis the season?

Tis the season? Everything seems to come earlier every year. I guess there's several reasons. One, ya get to enjoy and prepare for it longer, rather than rushing around in a mad rush trying to see it all in just a week. Two, with so many people,  its nice to spread things out so that when you do go, crowds are less. And three, there's also the economic considerations that businesses will make more sales the earlier they start. So Halloween prep starts September 1st... and Christmas prep starts November 1st. Here's the first sign of all things pumpkin to start.

Kellermans

Kellerman's... better known as Mountain Lake Lodge. Nestled on top a a Virginia mountain top is the Mountain Lake Resort. Known to locals for many years with added fame for having the original Dirty Dancing movie being filmed there. Several plaques around the resort note key filming locations... most notably the one where Johnny lifts Baby up out of the water.  Back then, the lake was completely full to its nearly 50 acre capacity. Due to natural causes the lake slowly slowly drained to basically a mud hole. The once beautiful lake is mostly a weed/bush filled dry lake bed. That aside, the lake is coming back very slowly,  but the lodge and grounds are still beautiful. The lodge itself is a great throwback to historic times were stone construction ruled. If you get the chance to stay there, its a very unique experience. Just visiting can get you a experience and a good meal in the lodges restaurant. 

R.M.S. Titanic

R.M.S. Titanic. We all know the story... but I sometimes wonder why I'm emotionally drawn to certain events in history... And the Titanic is certainly one of those events. I see the photos of the ship and artifacts and have the feeling that I've seen them before... they look all too familiar.  Sometimes a bit unnerving, but not scary at all... kinda like seeing and remembering something from your childhood.   Idoeno.

Skyline Drive & the A.T.

Went to Skyline Drive today... had to get my Senior Lifetime National Parks Pass for $10 before the price increase on Monday to $80.  Beautiful ride across the mountains and all the overlooks, and I even walked the AT. The Appalachian Trail. The A.T. via Skyline Drive stretches for about 105 miles from the northern entrance at Front Royal to the southern entrance at Waynesboro. Getting back to walking a A.T. ... as I said it stretches about 105 miles... given my knee issues, I was only able to walk about 20. Shelly waited for me and watched me as I went up the hill and out of sight. I soon returned after my 20 yard trek, none the worse, and able to claim... yeah... I walked part of the A.T. ... it was cool... and I did it. Don't ya get some kind of a badge or patch for that? Anyway... it was a fun day... made all the more special being with Shelly, my wife. Beautiful weather and beautiful scenery. Followed by a nice dinner in Charlottesville, at the Wood Grill Buffet. Great day out.