The Girls - Singing in the rain

I wasn't going to post this picture but had a change of heart. She was smiling for me!

Emmy got caught in the rain..but I don't think she minded it at all.

She is just about to loose the other top tooth..and I love the drop of rain on her nose.

McKinley got caught in the rain too. She was having fun standing on the steps and letting the rain fall on her from the roof... This water had to be warmer than the creek!

That's what I'm talking about

I've taken a lot of grief because I have already bought two rocking chairs for the porch at the new house. But as you can see the rockers have come in very handy for some of the most important stuff being done at the house.

So they can fuss all they want ...but it looks like I have the best seat around. Now if we can just get the sinks in and have some running water in the house!!! Soon very soon.

More Progress..

I have been trying to post some pictures for a while..not sure what I am doing wrong. Anyway, here is a picture of some more progress on the Ga property. The small two-story house is now a small three story house..Wayne was doing some clearing also..not much but enough to see the creek. I'll post that view later.

Progress report

Jamie took some pictures for us of the progress on the new house.

This picture should have been last!!!
The foundation is in and the framing will begin on Saturday!

For you..Granny-Blue

Cousins

Great-grands

Trouble

all the same!!!

Mac, Emmy, Luke,

Charlie, Jacob, Cohen, Gracie

Love them!!!

Hard Workers

The first step...putting up the power pole in GA.A couple weeks ago we went and got all our permits to begin construction on our "Welkin" in Georgia (We have decided to call our 'Plantation' Welkin..it means "the vault, or view of heaven from earth, it is an old English word mostly used in poetry now days). I was so pleased that Grannyship went with us...and she is a worker..so she insisted in helping Wayne. It was a good day. They enjoyed each other..just look at the smiles.
I took this picture of her hand...as you can see she has always been a hard worker...her hands tell their on story..She is a trooper..Guess that's where her son got it from.

Remember My Lemons??

Well, I got my answer...yes my lemons will turn yellow on the tree..These lemons are huge.
These are the first lemons I've grown..I had read that they would turn yellow by November, and they did
I've picked four or five and the tree has about 14 more on it.

Lemonade anyone???

Hitchin-a-Ride

I was getting ready to put the final chemicals in the pool, and put the cover on it, when I caught this guy hitchin-a-ride on the chlorinator..I hated to tell him but his ride will end tomorrow..cover goes on without fail.

Good Night Alaska

As we were getting ready to leave Alaska, it was bitter sweet. Alaska, for the most part, is a beautiful place..We knew it was going to be wonderful to have our babies closer to home and at the same time it was more than likely we would not be returning to "The Last Frontier".This was one of my favorite pictures.

As we left, it was fitting to have this beautiful scene to remember...The midnight sun was just about to set and gave a pink glow to the white capped mountains. We all have wonderful memories and lots a great pictures to look back and enjoy...

If you ever get the opportunity.....go you'll love it...

The Moose is Loose...or not

This "Lady" was in the parking lot of the Army Lodging we stayed in just before we left Alaska. There was a "Gentleman" there too but by the time I got the camera, ran down the hall, down the stairs and around the corner...he was gone. I was told by those how were out there in time..the "Gentleman" was looking for some "action" and the "Lady" was having no part of it eh?, him. So he left.
Anyway, she was beautiful..and was very obliging..way more into having her picture taken than her....well...you get the picture.

Mean while back in Alaska

Well, what can I say...some issues a raised and I just have not had time or energy to get back to my beloved blog..maybe now that at least some of the issues are settling in in Ga. I can get back to it. I thought this was so beautiful..it was a very bright and clear day in AK just before we left and we were out at Otter Lake and Gwen Lake with the kids..this tree was so gold and sky so blue I just loved it..
Even through the shadows the gold was gleaming
You can see all the leaves on the ground..it was so pretty..more pics on this later..the kids were posing pretty good..and Pop maned the camera like a champ.

Ah, Homer

I know yuk! But I, for one, had never seen this before and just knew I did not care to see it again...It' s kelp. Most of the time it is under the water, the tiny tail part is actually the "root" and is in the sand..the "bulb", when the tide is in, floats and the kelp leaves look like hair to me...anyway. Looking from our balcony it looked Bad....




"Open it, open it, Pop.. what does it look like?" Well, I missed the face but I a sure you it was not the pearl she thought it to be!.

You can see how much the tide goes out here it looks like the water is higher than us...This cliff was magnificent.

Our last look at Homer, as we were driving on Skyline Drive... Bitter sweet...love to have the kids home and they love coming home..but we knew this was ,more than likely, our last trip to Alaska.

Trip Check Day 4 & 5

10/11 & 12/07

I did not get to blog until late today so, now that Jame is in "real time" and has phone service it will be a bit easier to keep up with her. They said Grande Pairie was a big city, Edmonton, the Capital of Alberta, was still larger (about like Atlanta) they were heading into Calgary about 5:00pm EST. Trying to make it to High River, but not sure the kids can hold out for that. (just heard from her...they made it). Had some "interesting" things happen...more from her on that. Lots of pairies with lots and lots of round bales of hay..they even bale the median of the four lane highway! She a sures me she, huh..Shane, is taking pictures..she said she cannot take her eyes off the road..They are confident they will be into USA tomorrow. WooYoo!!

Thank you for your continued Payers.

Note: Jacob had to save Emmy..she stepped off into the deep end of the pool...over her head...thank God Jacob "saved her life".

More in Homer....

Watch tall boys have the time of their life... in their stinky, will not take it off, lucky fishin' shirt.
Marvel at Gods handy work, again. The Katchemak Bay looking toward the Cooks Inlet.
See a loon, lookin for lunch
Stand out in front of the oldest establishment in Homer, They say you can tell the average height of the old seafarers, from by looking at the door. There is a light house attached to this building..but I had the honkin lens on ..so Jamie has the best Picture of it. Dang it!
Pick up really neat rocks..out of the kelp. And Shane better have put my really neat rocks in that trailer!! LOL

Trip Check day 3

10/10/07

Made it to Ft. Nelson, BC 12:09 m EST, Traveled 591 miles

will rest a bit today and then head towards Grande Prairie

Saw herds of Buffalo, elk, mule deer, wild horses (that they kids wanted to roundup), dull sheep right in the road...no bear yet.

Elevation 1396 ft.Temp was a "nice" 32 degrees

Jamie said she asked one lady how they knew about the wheather forcast, because she could not find the "local forcast" the lady said "we just look outside..and unless it gets 50 below we don't worry about it." Crossed Canyons..on bridges with on guard rails..awesome but made her legs hurt as she looked back and saw Mack's little face.

Have gone up and down steep rolling mountains so much Mack throws up her hands and says "Weeee" like she is on a roller coaster.

And one last thing...she said the territory is so expansive, the mountains so big..they feel like ants....just a tiny speck in God's great world. She is looking for her cord, knows it is somewhere in the trailer, so she can post..the motel had internet hookup!! Oh, she said it cost about $80. to fillup her car in AK, in BC it cost $90. for a half tank!!! that's more than DOUBLE!!!

Things to do in Homer....a series

These next few day will be a glimpse into our two days at Homer. Checkin out the hunting and fishing stuff with your buddy...

and get an Ice Cream too!

Walk with your best friend on the beach for the first time, in a long time.
Check out the beach, for the first time in your life (Mack); laugh and spend time with your Pop again.
Enjoy the view, no matter what view you have .
Watch boats speed by. (Jacob took this picture.) The weather was rainy and dark but it gets better...If you enlarge these they look a little better.

Trip Check, Day one

10/8/07

Left Anchorage about 2:oo pm EST headed to Tok, AK. arrived about 11:00 pm EST

Traveled Approx. 300 miles.

The expected low temp last night in Tok 1 degree.

Will spend the night before heading out in the AM to Whitehorse in the Yukon, will cross boarder into Yukon and time zone.

Had to hug mountains on one side and avoid washouts on the outside of the road, about 3,400 ft. straight down. They are on the Glenn Allen Highway... Have seen snow bunnies, coyotes and have been higher than the USCG radio towers..seen one other car..

Thank you for your prayers, it is so good to have good friends, God Bless you all.

To be continued...

We'er out of here

No picture...just love you all..thanks for the prayers and see ya in a couple of weeks!

Get a Room!!!

These ding dang bugs are everywhere! Have they no shame??In the house, garage, car, and even in the frig if you leave it open long enough. I hate them..they are so pesky...one even climbed on the inside of my glasses..on my face today!!! YUK!

Wrought Iron Gates

I would love to have a gate

similar to this

if I did not have dump trucks

and big equipment coming in

and out of it constantly.This one is nice.. with the oak tree, moss and azalea's behind it.
I did a little research a while back on wrought iron gate designs.

The one above (if my memory serves me) is called "scroll".
This one is called "floral".

A lot of the gates tell stories of families, trades, and some speak of royalty. They can contain a lot of information, even can say if you are a Christian, by the symbol, cool huh? Charleston has some really beautiful ones..this gate is actually in Walterboro, SC. Gates are the entryway into gardens and always seen so welcoming. Not sure what design I like, today you see them with palmetto trees, turkeys', and deer on them. So far I like all that I've seen so it will hard to choose..if I ever get to.

The Real Thing

I love old bottles, I have quite a collection.

My nephew scuba dives off the docks in Savannah

and has given me some really cool ones.

I have a milk bottle collection.. even some from Brays' Island Dairy..

Wayne has been working on Parris Island for few months,

this week he dug up this old coke bottle. Knowing I love

the old bottles he brings all he finds home for me,

he says I always smile when I get them

The really cool thing about this one is it was bottled in Ridgeland, SC.

I know the Ridgeland Bottle Co started in 1910...

It celebrated it's 50th anniversary in 1960, It's not there today but I could not find

out when it closed.

The bottle is really nice.....

but I keep telling Wayne when he digs up that buried

treasure chest full of gold doubloons I'll be ecstatic.

Why?

Can anyone tell me why people paint the trunks of trees white?

It appears that it's a southern thing.

Kinda like burying old tiers halfway in the ground, like edging and painting them white.
It has always been a puzzlement to me...

Mount Sheldon.?

I was 0n my way home this afternoon, and I saw a mountain off in the distance.

Now, if I were in Alaska this would not be news, there are mountains everywhere.

But how often do we get to see one in Sheldon?

Looks just like a mountain range, huh?
Alas, it was only clouds..