Mary Lou and Glenn

Thanks to Mary Lou and Glenn for inviting us to come along.

The Beach Mart

Here I am doing some more free advertising. These shots were taken inside the store (except for the one at the top.) Which do you prefer, the whale shirt or the dolphin one? What about the fishing boat or the pirate ship?

Shark's Teeth?

Here is a shot of shark's teeth found at the beach. I know the one on the left is a little iffy, and the jury may be out, but more than one other thought it was real.

Hole-In-One

We call this game Putt Putt even if that is not the name they use. This was a new course to us, and its called Fantasy Isle. Here Patrick is shown just after his stroke where he made one of several holes-in-one.

Turtles

Here is a shot of a turtle shell inside the police station of Holden Beach.

Super Mario Galaxy

Of course I have to post a few pics of Patrick and Zachary playing Wii, and here they are doing the Super Mario Galaxy game. I have no clue how to play this game. I stick to the sports mostly.

For the birds

These shots were taken as some were throwing bread out for the seagulls to snatch in midair. I bet you didn't know seagulls could hover, did you?

The Beach

Here are a few shots from around town and more of the Pinhos. The Beach Mart is always a popular place to shop, and the candy store speaks for itself. Shelby Grace is the one at the top with the cute turn-around smile, and then of course, Zachary looking pleasant in one, and a bit silly in another. If you look closely you can see the photographer in the candy store pic.

Holden Beach 2009

Here is a parting shot, that is a shot of the Pinhos as they are parting Holden Beach. We did have a great time, didn't we? I will post some more pics shortly.

The Brunch Group

Sue, Giulia and Adele stopped in Durham a few days on their way to Florida to see Georgia and Dwight (and Eva when she arrives.) So Bill, Pat and I met them at Foster's in Durham on Saturday. Adele didn't seem to be that hungry as she mostly colored and played with a magnetic facial hair game. We all had a good time seeing each other even though it was a short visit.

Louisville Zoo

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Here are a few shots from the Louisville Zoo. It was a very hot day so we didn't stay too long. The peacock pic was taken by Ben, but I am pretty sure the rest are mine. I am particularly "proud" of the shot of the snow leopard, (third one from the bottom.) I put proud in quotation marks because I really shouldn't be proud that we have taken from the wild and caged this rare cat. You can tell he is a southern snow leopard because he has been drinking out of a Dixie Cup.

Garden

And here are a few shots from the garden. Check out the trellis for the cukes!! Notice the tomatoes that came up from last year without any planting!!

Strawberry Fields

Here is a pic of Eli and his mother in the strawberry fields.

Eli's First Wedding

I would say he is properly dressed for the occasion, wouldn't you?

Oddity

Here is one where Ben just happened to snap his pic while my flash was going off. That takes a bit of skill.

Eli

Here are a few others (taken by another photographer.) Did I ever tell you that my favorite color is red? Eli, what's up with the Mets jersey? I thought I taught you to be a Yankees fan, or a Cinncinnati Reds fan.

Louisville Visit

We visited Ben, Sarah and Eli last week and here are a few pics that were taken. I will post some others soon so keep posted. (Notice that Eli has already taken up with Superheros.)

Garden

Here are a couple of pics just a couple day's apart so that you can see how Pat's garden is coming along. So far, we have harvested only radishes, but it won't be too much longer for some other veggies to come in.
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Topsail Beach

I was privileged to obtain these pics of Topsail from an unnamed source. I hope you enjoy them. Sorry but couldn't get pics of the actual beach.

Burning Stump

Here are a few shots showing a stump being burned (last Saturday.) It was fairly dry and it took off pretty quickly.

Robin Eggs

Here is a shot of robin eggs that happen to be in our carport. The mother leaves every time we go near. They make such a mess after they hatch. We have already had wrens hatch and they weren't too bad.

Bluebird Eggs

Here is a shot of my neighbor's bluebird eggs. They may hatch any day now.

Eli Waking Up

Here is a clip of Eli trying to wake up during his last visit to NC.

Garden

Here is the way the plot of land looks after a friend brought his tiller and got it ready.

Veggies

Here are most of the plants which are going into our garden. We have tomatoes, peppers, squash and then we are planting seeds for okra and radishes. In another area, we are planting red onions.

Garden

Here is the way the garden looks today. We need more orange tape to keep the rabbits out.

Radishes

Here is an early shot of our radishes which were planted less than a week ago.

Bees

We have a bee that enjoys hovering over our deck for some reason. This one shows some of his face.

Bees

Here is a side view. And I apologize for the fuzziness, because the camera was trying to focus on the deck rather on the insect.

Bees

Here is a shot of one showing his rear end. I have tried looking these up, and my book shows that this one is very similar to the mining bee. The mining bee is found throughout North America. He looks very similar to the Woolley Bear Hover Fly except that he has a yellow tail. Check out the pics in my National Audubon Society Field Guide. I can't really figure out why he likes our deck; it would seem that he would like to hovering over flowers and do his pollenating.

El Double ClickingE

Here is a clip of Eli double-clicking on a Yahoo! button. I thought this is the easiest way to show it off.

We got together forEaster at Rackley and Vicky's on Sat. I only took a few pics and here is one. Sorry that I am not blogging like I did. Oh, for those that don't know, this is Chris, Liz and Riley.

Eli

Here Eli seems to struggle to turn over, although he has done it many times already.

Ben, Sarah and Eli

Here are a few shots of Ben, Sarah and Eli who came to visit over the long w/e. On Tuesday, we went to see Uncle Rackley, Aunt Vicky and cousin Riley in Greensboro. We enjoyed the long weekend very much.

March Snow

Here are a few shots of our first March snow. I am sure that many of you have pics to share of this snow. Let's see them. Oh, and by the way, the pic in the middle are my two next door neighbors, Curtis and Shirley. (One on each side of our house.)

Job Loss

Well its been just over a week since I learned that I my position at the local dye and finishing plant has been eliminated. Right now its hard to find any job, especially one in textiles. So many out of work makes it tough to find a job. If anyone out there hears of a need of QC Manager in any industry, please let me know.

Damage from the Storm

This post shows a few shots of some of the damage Louisville had from the ice storm a couple weeks ago. Looks like it will be a while before folks can use the walking/riding path at Shelby Park.

Valentine's Day in Louisville

Here are a few teaser shots from our Valentine's weekend in Louisville. More to come later. We had a great time. Check out Eli's blond hair in the top pic. The last picture shows how Ben carried Eli all around in Costco in the Ergo.

Water Heater

We had been having these strange clicking and buzzing sounds coming from our electric water heater for some time. But the water heater still worked--at least we had hot water. We called the manufacturer and got a new board to replace the original one. When I took off the cover, this is what I found. (Notice the burned wires at the upper right.) It seemed reasonable that I might not even need to replace the board. So I didn't. At least not yet. It seems that the problem very well may be solved now. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Snowing in Kernersville

Of course, this can't compare to the kind of snow we have seen down in Morehead City, (see John Duke's blog here.) But it is a nice thing in a flakey sort of way. Schools will be closed here tomorrow for sure, but those of us in the working world will be on time and hitting the ground running. (Just don't be running in a slick parking lot.) If you get the day off, enjoy it. If you have to go to work, enjoy that too. There are so many people out of work that we should all appreciate our employment.

New Blog?

I don't really have anything new to say, just check out the latest pics and clips of Eli here.

Eli Talking

Here is a clip of Eli talking with his dad.

Eli Talking and Moving

Here is a clip of Eli talking with his mother and moving about a bit. Listen to Eli tell a story.

Skyping Folks in Raleigh

Here is a pic of Eli Skyping his aunt Mary Lou, cousins Jennifer, Zachary and Shelby Grace.

Tummy Time

Sorry that some of the shots seem to be a bit fuzzy. I think Eli is moving so much more now, its harder to get a clear shot!

Enjoying the presents

Here you can see folks enjoying their presents. Notice how David really enjoys opening presents!

Getting Ready to Open Presents!!

Here are some pics of some camera-crazy guys wanting to get pics of people opening their presents. I know, I am one of them, but obviously I don't have a pic of myself!

Christmas in Kentucky

We all got together in Louisville for this Christmas season. David arrived in Greensboro early Christmas morning--what a nice present! Then we spent Christmas Day in Greensboro with Pat's brother and sister and their families. Then we (David, Pat and myself) headed to Louisville on the 27th, and David flew out of Louisville early AM New Year's eve. And Pat and I drove home (to NC) yesterday.

Manger Scene

But we know that Christmas really doesn't have anything to do with Santa. Let's get to the real meaning of Christmas. Why did Christ leave his heavenly home to come to this earth? To save us from our sin! And we all need to come to repentence, and ask Jesus to be our personal Saviour and Lord. Just know he died on the cross for the sins of the whole world won't save us. This manger scene is somewhat more elaborate than the one in our home.

Santas

Of course, there were plenty of Santas...

Bears

We go from little to big!!

Miniatures

Next, we have these miniatures, including the Peanuts gang

Salem Creek at Christmas

I enjoy looking at these decorations at Salem Creek even if I never intend to buy any of them. And of course, I enjoy sharing them with all of you. If you know me, you will know that sometimes I feel like a nut, and many of you may think I am a nut, so I start out with these nutcrackers, (with some other figures as well.)

Can Anyone Stop Bob?

OK, now you know I am somewhat of a Survivor fan. I think Survivor Gabon is my favorite one. And by now, you must know I am pulling for Bob. He is a senior who seems to have a knack for winning challenges, both physical ones and mental. He is a very nice guy, a physics teacher by the way, and I like the way he is playing. Does anyone else like Bob? Of course, the winner will be chosen by the jury, and I can't imagine anyone having a problem with Bob.

Its a Wonderful Life

We generally watch "Its a Wonderful Life" every Christmas season, and Monday night we did so again while decorating the tree. This movie is on my list of "The Greatest Movies of All Time." It seems that I never tire of watching it. Kinda like the Andy Griffith shows that I never get weary of watching. Of course, when you watch one over and over, you notice things that didn't hit you so much on earlier viewings. Like the time when George Bailey was talking with Mr. Potter, and Mr. Potter offered him a job. George said he wanted 24 hours to think about it, and THEN he shook Mr. Potter's hand! And after he did, he looked at his hand, like it had been soiled somewhow. And then, he wipes it off on his coat, as if to remove some of the filth. And then there is the scene (see top photo) where George and Mary are both trying to talk on the same phone, and they get close to each other. So much passion! So much energy! Then George is just inches away from Mary (maybe only one inch) and he tells her he doesn't want any ground floors, or plastics, and he NEVER wants to get married--but he kisses Mary over and over. That's the kind of kiss George only talked about earlier when he was wearing the No. 3 jersey and looking at the moon with Mary. That's what I'm talking about.

Alaska's Glacier Bay

I enjoyed seeing clips of Alaska's Glacier Bay at the end of CBS Sunday Morning. (I TiVoed it so I didn't miss Sunday School and church.) Oh, and you may ask, what kind of bird is that? That is a kittiwake. I have never heard of such a bird. But then, there is so much that I don't know that it would fill several libraries.

O Christmas Tree

Here is our Christmas tree for 2008. The bottom pic shows just the lights on it, and the other two show it fully decorated. Which pic do like best of the top two? The one with the flash (very top) doesn't let you see the lights as well, but the one without flash is a bit dark.

The Church of Oprah

Here is the link to a youtube excerpt from Oprah that you may have already seen...
here
and then there is another one
here.

Oprah is correct when she says, "I can't argue religion." However, she gives the impression that she is an authority on the subject. What do you think about her saying she "took God out of the box.?"

Riley and Family

I failed to take my camera to the Thanksgiving get-together in Greensboro Saturday (after Thanksgiving Day.) I must have had a senior moment. (You know you can have senior moments without actually being one.) My sister-in-law was kind enough to send me these shots of her granddaughter Riley, and her loving parents, Chris and Liz. We had a great time of fellowship and of course, things are always lively when there is a cute baby girl to entertain us.

Andy

Anyone who has ever seen this episode (even once) will remember it I'm sure. I have just one question in this trivia quiz, so this will be pass/fail.

What is the name of the city where Jim bought that pick he is showing Andy?

My sister gave me some VHS tapes of Andy, and this is one of the shows.

I would kindly ask that Wild Wild West give others a chance to answer first, as he might be at a slight advantage.

A Rare Night in the Sky

Tonight was supposedly very unusual in that you could see Venus and Jupiter in close proximity with the crescent moon. Too bad my camera can't reach out there like the one WFMY has. But this is what it looked like tonight.

Thanksgiving

I was privileged to eat more "Thanksgiving" meals this year than I can remember.I am not so sure that is an advantage considering my waistline. This is the meal we ate on Thursday with my sister-in-law's mother-in-law, Mrs. Ervin. The food was delicious and the the company was very enjoyable.

QUANTUM OF SOLACE

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Well here it is folks, the review you all have been waiting for. I would have to say this rates as a very good Bond flick, but not the best. Why is it not the best? Any great Bond movie would have to include Q, who is absent in this one. Where are all those gadgets we love to see Bond using without ever having proper training, much less reading the manuals. Of course, there is the matter of the action scenes. They look like they were shot with hand-held cameras, and it makes it hard to follow. On top of that, the chase scenes make it hard to tell where one is in relation to the other. That aside, I did like the way Bond handles these heated life-threatening situations with the kind of cool you that would make Frosty the Snowman look like a hot tamale. I have heard some say they don't like the fact that he doesn't smile very much. I think he smiles when it is called for, but I like the serious demeanor he maintains as he goes about his daily tasks. Again, this is a very good Bond movie, and I highly recommend it.