So, it's been awhile...

I know it has been a month or so since I last posted anything but I have been busy. I have been chopping wood, fly fishing, building a house, traveling to Mexico, and spending time with the family.

Let’s start with chopping wood; a real therapeutic chore. From the sound of the chainsaw to the swing of the splitter (looks like an axe on one side and a sledge hammer on the other). The smell of fresh chopped wood, a cup of hot coffee on a cold and sunny fall morning is just relaxing. So is the nap that I take afterwards. At the beginning of November Chris and I headed out to the woods to chop some fire wood early in the morning. I have mentioned Chris before and his random yet detailed stories that you just have to hear so you’re in luck because here is a couple story 1 and story 2.  That afternoon, after chopping wood, story time, and a nap, I decided to head to the water to do a little fly fishing. One thing I learned back in the summer is that trout love cold water and if fished right they will bite all through fall and into the winter. I made it to the river by late afternoon with a few hours of daylight left, and even though I didn’t catch a single fish it was a beautiful and relaxing setting. Crystal clear water lined with trees that were covered with all shades of reds, oranges, and yellows. The top of the water close to the bank was covered with the same leaves floating down the river getting stuck in an eddy (a circular movement of water) and behind logs. It was a good day.

The following week amber and I were packing up and getting ready to head to Mexico for a friend’s wedding. The night before we left amber was in an accident. She walked away without injury thank goodness but the car never made it. The next morning we headed to the airport to fly south. After boarding the pilot came over the loud speaker and stated that we were grounded because they had bad weather in Chicago. By the time we made it to Chicago we missed our connecting flight to Mexico and were stuck there until the next day, well stuck at a hotel close to the airport. We made it to Mexico a day late but we were there. The weather was cloudy but warm most of the time and we saw rain almost every day except the day of the wedding. Aside from the mediocre weather and being a day late we had a great time. Ate and drank our share, got to spend some much deserve alone time with my sexy hot wife, even got in a night swim, had a chance to do some snorkeling and fishing, and the wedding was beautiful. On our way home by the way of  two plane rides and  a three hour layover Amber was  pulled aside twice for an extra security check and when we landed in Atlanta we were sent into a what I’ll call an interrogation area. We weren’t frisked or asked to strip and our luggage wasn’t even searched, we were just asked a few questions about what we were bringing back into the states, “a coffee mug and Christmas ornament,” were our answer. The guy looked at us with a confused look and asked again, “Did you bring any alcohol, tobacco, or drugs in with you?” Again we answered, “No just the mug and ornament.” So he sent us on our way.  We finally made it home late that night exhausted from all the traveling.

We have been building a house, well contractors have been, for the past few months and it has finally come down to the last few steps and we couldn’t be more eager to get in. Watching go from just a lot, to a hole in the ground, to four walls and a roof has been more than exciting but now we are just ready for it to be done and for us to get in our brand new house.

Thanksgiving came up and we had a chance to spend time with the family which is always nice we all chatted each other up about life and drank too much but the most exciting part was the Iron Bowl. And if you don’t know what I’m talking about then you need to leave now. No wait stay, I’ll tell you. It is the Auburn and Alabama football game, a rivalry that has been going on for over a hundred years and this year was by far the best game I have ever seen. Number 1 Alabama playing number 4 Auburn in a true battle of the beasts and it came down to the last second, the score was tied and Alabama has the ball with one second left they decide to try a 57 yard field goal; the kick is up it has the aim its going, going, this one could make it, no it’s short. Caught in the back of the end zone by Chris Davis he brings it out to the 20, 25, 30 here comes Alabama players, down the sideline for Chris Davis past the 50 untouched by Alabama, 35, 30, 25 he could win it for Auburn, TOUCHDOWN!!!! Auburn wins the Iron Bowl! Auburn beats undefeated Alabama! Auburn wins! Auburn wins! My parent’s house blew up in a roar of excitement, the house was almost shaking with all clapping, yelling, screaming, my sister may have peed her pants a little, the neighbor came running over to add to the yelling and screaming,  even penny the pup was excited barking along with the family. Oh yeah did I forget to mention we are Auburn fans?

            So that was my month of November. Definitely had some rough times there for a minute but the good times always outweigh the bad. I’ll try not to let it go so long before the next post either and I already have some pics to post and I should get some more up before the New Year. Until next time, WAR EAGLE!

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, and catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore, Dream, Discover.”                                                       –Mark Twain

Pictures

When traveling the country side of Ohio you don't have much n the way of a beautiful scenery. there is no mountains, castles or cathedrals, no crystal clear rivers rushing over boulders, there is this;

 Miles upon miles of flat, unappealing farmland. Occasionally you are amused by a slight hill, group of trees that show the fall colors, or even a dilapidated barn, if that's what you like. But it isn't all lost, there are a few gems, you just have to find them. Although not above a clear river the bridge made for a nice scene with the trees on the bank of the waters.

I found this walking bridge in a nature preserve that I never knew existed until last week. Now I did do a little editing just to help the orange pop out a little more. 

Back to night photography. This was shot from a pull off for lake access near a fairly busy road, streaks of light at the bottom are cars. The streak of light in the sky is a plane and the cluster of stars that the plane is cutting in half is the head of the constellation Hydra, the water snake.

Found this on the internet;

Pink-wash and Mary Jane

You know you’re old when you purposely turn the radio to the news stations and actually listen. I have been listening to it on and off for the past year and more so in the past few months because of the increase of commute time to work. Surprisingly it’s not as boring as I used to think it was.

For instance there was a story on this morning about a marketing ploy called “Pink-washing.” Because October is breast cancer awareness month there is pink everything, ribbons, clothes, even sports teams are sporting the color all in efforts to raise money for research of breast cancer. Now here comes the dirty, is the money really going to research or is it just a marketing scam. A lady on the radio this morning was quoting numbers (dollar amounts, mortality rate, remission rates, etc.) and the jist of it is that besides the dollars presumably being raised each year the mortality/remission rates haven’t changed dramatically in the past thirty years which raises the question is the money really going towards research? Now I don’t remember all the numbers but I do know the dollar amounts were huge and maybe all the money is really going to research and everyone is really being honest, but with all the money it only makes one think that shouldn’t there have been some improvement or huge breakthrough by now?

            Another headliner that has caught my attention is Colorado being the first state to legalize marijuana for recreational use. This law will create so much revenue for not just for the government but for small and big businesses so it will be a huge benefit for the economy. With such a huge population of smokers in the USA there is no way it can’t bring in money. Less money would be spent fighting drug wars and more money will be brought in by import/export revenue. Taxes alone on selling, harvesting, shipping, packaging, etc. of the plants will increase the government revenue maybe even enough to prevent things like a government shut down. It’s like a new cash crop such as tobacco was when it was first harvested. Farmers, vendors, and, indirectly, food vendors would all turn profits. But marijuana is a mind altering drug, like alcohol, that’s why there are limitations. The first is that a person may have no more than an ounce on them at one time, no one under 21 can buy it, marketers can’t market towards minors, and a person can grow their own but not have more than six plants in their residence (only three can be flowering) and driving while high will earn you time in jail just like driving drunk as it should.

             These are just a couple of stories that make news radio interesting between the less entertaining and depressing stories of politics and terrorism. Now don’t think I'm listening to one station, I listen to them all so when I do have to sit through a political rant I get both sides. Occasionally I have also listened to catholic radio and other religious stations, but that’s a whole other story for another day.

“Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.”   -Mark Twain

DAMN NATURE.....

...you more than just scary. 

"Hong Kong (CNN) -- Swarms of aggressive hornets, in their fall mating season, are inflicting a deadly toll in a central Chinese province.

Hornets have killed 42 people and injured 1,675 people in three cities in Shaanxi province since July, according to the local government. Thirty-seven patients remain in critical or serious condition."

Full article: http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/03/world/asia/hornet-attack-china/

Gov Shut Down

So apparently the government shut down. Well not exactly. This morning, an estimated 800,000 of the 2.1 million federal workers who are deemed nonessential for the operations of the government will be sent home after they have shut down their work. Let’s see, 2.1 million minus 800,000 equals out to 1.3 million people still going to work this morning. That’s not really a shut down more of a mass lay off. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not calling the government a liar… ok I am. You say shut down and people get a little freaked out about jobs and the security of the country. Part of the essential personnel who continue to do their duty today is our military so no fret about the security, but what about jobs? Obviously congress doesn’t shutdown because who then would decide what we do next so they are in the clear. But the whole reason for the “shut down” was because congress couldn’t decide on how to fund The Affordable Care Act or Obama-care. So technically it’s their fault. “The Affordable Care Act is moving forward," Mr. Obama said. So why did we “shut down” if it’s going to happen anyway? “House Democrats said Monday they were willing to pass a six-week spending bill that would keep operations funded at sequester levels, giving Congress more time to negotiate.” So wait, we relieved less than half of the nonessential government but we passed six week bill to keep other parts of the government funded? Why do they keep calling this a shut down? They closed the doors and gates to museums and national parks so the people who were forced these days off without pay can’t go out and enjoy FREE attractions. On Monday, speaker of the US House of Representatives John Boehner told reporters, "What our members want is fairness for the American people." And that’s what we all want is fairness. So why is it that some people get laid off and others don’t? Why can’t we just stop pay or cap pay for certain people that make a certain amount that is funded by tax payers, like congressmen and women. For instance why not take their $174k a year salary (some get more depending on where you sit) and bring it down to the national median household (not personnel) income of $52k. That would save around 62 million and might even fund some of the nonessential staff so they could continue to work. OR why not suspend the current congress since they can’t make a decision and bring in temporary replacements that can decide. It might even put some people in the House who are trying to do good for THE PEOPLE and not in it for the money.  I guess that’s why I’ m not in politics, I’m a practical thinker. I’m sure there are a million other stipulations when it comes to figuring a means to an end on this mess but unless you are on the front lines we can only see and understand what the media tells us, which brings us to another jousting match of its own. Most networks lean one way or the other so you’ll only hear what they want you to. And if you lean one way or the other than you wont bother to listen to the other network. What we need is an independent, someone who can’t be swayed left or right by money or media and can come up with a middle ground that would make this and that work.

Again, just my two cents.   

Grind my gears

You know what really grinds my gears? Is when I walk into a store in the middle of September and the store has already set out Christmas stuff. I mean come on, it’s not even October yet, we still have Halloween and Thanksgiving to get through. It seems they put out Christmas stuff earlier every year, but it doesn’t just happen in the stores. Neighborhoods across the USA seem to put out décor sooner every year as well. Down the street from us someone has put out Halloween décor already. Look it’s not that I’m not excited about the holidays or that I think it’s not smart to start shopping for X-mas gifts early but I just don’t want to start hearing Christmas music on the radio three months in advance.