Archive for the ‘Personal/Family’ Category

I know I’ve been absent and it’s a combination of factors. Just got back from a vacation/trip to Minnesota. My visit to family was a bit different this time in that a good friend from Tennessee came with me. Her son had just recently moved to Duluth, MN to a new Coast Guard station after spending a year of duty on a 110 foot cutter in the Gulf patrolling the oil rigs. People often commented to him that at least it must be cooler on the water, that isn’t true. Because the water temperature is so warm those 130º temps also include high humidity, just think you’re on a small boat in those temps for 30 days at a time. He wanted cold weather for a change and the Duluth station was open. The neat thing, my friend and I spent time with her son while introducing him to my family plus we visited the North Shore of Lake Superior. I hadn’t spent time up on the North Shore in years and had forgotten how beautiful and quirky the area and people are. We had a great time.

In Grand Marais,MN we ate at a pizza place and later saw this billboard. You betcha ya gotta luv it!

On our drive through Sauk Center,MN we saw this restaurant and absolutely cracked up. What a funny combination.

For some reason my internet has been slow as molasses which has been highly irritating.

Sven and Ole Pizza, Grand Marais Mn, Sauk Center, chinese mexican buffet

I finally broke down and cleaned up my ‘Peeps’, gave them a fresh new look. I’d say Ma and Pa look pretty spiffy!

Thank a Veteran, My Peeps

Sorry about my absence. My notebook PC’s display went dark and I’ve been waiting for parts. Waiting and waiting and waiting. The first LCD Inverter that came in was bad and now another is due today. I’m really hoping I can back to blogging here soon.

Today, I am taking the time to post using my old desktop which is like watching paint dry. But I’ve got a News Release from CWAN that I don’t want to delay posting.

Hopefully, I’ll be back to full speed by tonight.

I have a friend whose name is Linda Shutlz. She’s a fighter and she never stopped fighting her nemesis which was cancer. Cancer finally took Linda from us very early Saturday morning (January 31, 2009). I got to know Linda through Williamson County’s handgun safety class. Even though Linda was very familiar and comfortable with handguns (her hubbie Ed was a former CEO for Smith & Wesson), she took the class because it was a way for her to get back to shooting after her last bout with cancer. Unfortunately this wasn’t her last bout with cancer. Linda was the force behind the Charity Gun Shoot I’ve participated in the last 2 years. Linda and her hubbie Ed energized me to extend myself beyond my comfort zone with guns and learn to appreciate and enjoy the hobby of shooting.

From May 30th of 2008:

The Williamson Herald recently did a story on Linda and her fight against cancer.

photo: Carole Robinson

Linda Shultz knows full well what cancer can do to a personadn a family. She has been fighting the disease since January 2005. One the weapons she uses her fight is the second annual Linda Shultz Charity Shoot on May 31. The money the shoot raises stays in the community where it goes towards local cancer research and the American Cancer Society’s Middle Tennessee chapter, which helps families who are dealing with cancer.

I learned of true grit and perseverance from Linda Shutz who refused to give in to cancer. She always wanted to attend events even if she was in pain. She took such pride with her appearance and she had the most marvelous shoes. I love shoes and Linda was a shoe maven!

Good Bye dear sweet Linda. You made a difference and you will be missed. I am happy you have left behind the pain and joined your Lord Jesus Christ. I know you will be looking after all of us who loved you.

Linda Shaw Shultz, Ed Shultz, Brentwood TN, Jan 31 2009, Linda Shultz Charity Shoot

I always love to find art along the highway soooooo…..

The moose is probably more art than I usually find but since it’s a display for an Art Center in Old Forge this is a bit more professional than my usual finds. I loved the whimsical nature of this moose.

Now this bear is along the usual unique fare I find.

I also took a couple more sunsets photos from my friend’s camp and it’s strange because the clouds were about the same almost every night.

Yesterday we spent the afternoon at Camp Sagamore which was the getaway wilderness spot for the Vanderbilts. The drive up the mountain was beautiful and the camp itself is amazing considering when it was built (think it was started in 1897). We had a nice lunch, questionable tour and then heard a music group which musically tells the story of the Adirondacks. I say questionable tour because we had a tour guide who was rather negative about the Vanderbilts and appeared to have issues with ‘the rich’.

This is the main building since each member of the Vanderbilt family
had their own building.

This bowling alley was just incredible. It’s exposed to the elements and has lasted
without a ripple in the floor. They used 6 feet of cement under the alley and
is still fully functioning today.

I was zoning out the tour guide and saw this rabbit stretching itself
outside the bowling alley.

View across the lake from the front of the main building

The music show was entertaining but I admit we’d had enough after an hour.

Our sunset last night from my friend’s camp

Today we’re taking a boat ride and doing some more shopping. Not really anymore trips anywhere, just relaxing a bit.

Yesterday we went to Boonville for their Woodsmen Parade. It was like no parade I’ve ever seen before. Instead of floats and marching bands Boonville has semi’s, Caterpillars, logging trucks, just every kind of truck imaginable. Horns tooting from the trucks was overwhelming. There were a few odd little entrants in the parade that were very charming.

First is this lady who I loved for her local color

There were also the Veterans in the parade

One of the many long lines of trucks in the parade

We were told that by next year this truck would be refurbished and in the parade

This woman cracked us up pulling this wagon, we still don’t quite understand
what her wagon was about.

I thought this classic Mack truck was nice

These 2 guys were entertaining with their Pig ‘floats’.

Today it’s off to Sagamore at Raquette Lake , NY. It’s a former Vanderbilt Family Camp in the Andirondacks.

Some photos from the last couple days. Yesterday we did a bit of canoing around the lake and then headed into Old Forge, NY. Old Forge is quite touristy but in a charming way.

Bears anyone?

This one store had a number of stuffed fauns, I just thought it was bizarre.
They were displayed as though it was a stuffed doll.

We had dinner at Frankies and I loved the menu cover.

Today we’re off to Boonesville, NY for the Woodsmen Parade.

My puppy in a bag was nosing around at Olive Garden tonight in Maple Grove before we went to see the Glenn Beck simulcast.

I have this decorative mailbox on my front porch, the blue birds really like it for their nest. In fact, the wrens like it too. This nest included 4 blue eggs and 1 white spotted egg. When I saw the spotted egg I thought hmmmm, that’s odd. Then I asked a friend who stopped by and was told that was a wren’s egg. How this happened, don’t know. But I’m watching the babies since they just hatched in the last couple days.

If you look closely you can see the little beak sticking up in the air looking for food.

Technorati Tags: Blue Birds, Wrens, baby blue birds