Just my thoughts again today.

Reading or writing in the Shelter log.

This beautiful buck showed no sign of being afraid.

This Doe would not stick around for a treat.

Pictures of Sherry with the Shenandoah Calley in the back ground.

These small horses are wild horses in 'Grayson Highlands State park' in Virginia.

There are 2172 mi (3500KM) of Appalachian Trail through 14 states. WE have walked through 12 states and parts of the last two. Of the hundreds of folks we have met on the Trail, the ‘oar makers’ brother was the only obnoxious person we met. He was indeed, strange.

Some folk walk the trail then come back to live around, and maintain it. There are others who become ‘trail angels’. They perform many good deeds. Once we passed a cool creek, just a few inches deep. Someone had lined the bottom with two or three cases of canned drinks.

Some folk place many gallons of fresh water at trail crossings, when water is scarce. If one has extra food they may hang it in a shelter for fellow hikers. We have hung a sack of apples to share with hikers.
There are many hostels along the way, some accept only donations, others are free. In the Whites (where we have not hiked yet) there are some expensive hostels, but everyone says they are very nice. Some hikers can pay for their nights’ lodgings by working. We will decide if we ever get there. LOL
I think the most beautiful part of the trail is in Virginia. Of course VA has 550 miles (885 KM) of trail. The easy part is the Shenandoah’s. Once you get up on the top you sort of go up and down ridges, always overlooking the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. Wildlife is abundant and you don’t go far without seeing a deer. We saw two bears and smelled two. They are easy to smell after a rain, they smell pretty rank with that thick fur.
Presently we are Just below Blowing Rock, near Lenoir, NC. While here we normally make it over to Virginia and walk a part of the trail Near Watauga Lake. Hopefully to meet some hikers Sherry has been following on the Net.
Trust you all are well and enjoying this beautiful Spring weather. It is wonderful here in the mountains. We have a friend, ‘Mary Ann’, who lives here on the mountain, she has been by to see us, that is always a pleasure.
Thanks for coming this way.
Nite Shipslog
PS:****** Only 7 per cent of the population are lefties.

**** The average housefly lives for one month (Unless he falls to my swatter).

*****40,000 Americans are injured by toilets each year. (Just about the time I just about the time I was un-potty trained, OOOOOPPPS!!)

*** A coat hanger is 44 inches long when straightened. (Most are straightened to try to unlock cars)

Northern half of the Smokies

This is the samller and lighter tent we down/ or upgraded to.

We left New Found Gap after sitting on a ledge and drinking that free soft drink and eating our cheese crackers, while tourists watched us, sorta like we were in a zoo. LOL. We did talk with some folks. Within a mile either side of the Gap you see hundreds of folks out for a stroll on the AT. Once you get past the mile mark you again find quiet and calm. The views are always spectacular and as you walk the AT you do not know if you are in NC or TN, the trail goes in and out of both.

At one point we broke our own rules and walked off the trail about a half mile to a shelter. Upon arriving there was already a hiker there. He explained he was sick and was recooperating here for a few days. Any extra food would be appreciated. We had NO EXTRA food. After a little while of conversation we were about ready to hike back to the AT and pitch our tent. Then our hike was saved by a man and his young son (about 10-12) who hiked up. They were great company and we sort of ignored old obnoxious. He did chime in later and commented we did not like him because he was a Jew. I tried to ignore that too.

Later on he said, “You probably know my sister works in a oar house.” And he repeated it a couple times laughing at his own joke. The Man and son had a folding bow saw, so we took turns cutting some good fire wood and had a great fire. We love camp fires and in spite of the nasty company (who retired early thank goodness) we had an enjoyable evening before turning in.

One evening at a shelter we were the first to arrive, and I was cooking inside the shelter. This one had a half floor, the front part you could use to cook under the shelter. I had made a nice little place for our stove and had the water boiling for the Ramein noodles, when a small mouse fell from the ceiling and hit a rock within inches of the pot, nearly had meat with the noodles. LOL HE was stunned so I deposited him out in the woods. Later a Church group came and we had another very interesting evening conversing with folks from Indiana.

MET SOME COLLEGE STUDENTS AND A TEACHER FROM ATLANTA. WE WERE AROUND THE FIRE SPINNING TALES WHEN THE SUBJECT OF WALKING ON COALS CAME UP. THE TEACHER SAID HE AND SEVERAL OTHERS HAD WALKED ON RED HOT WOOD COALS (NOT CHARCOAL). HE DECLARED IT DID NOT BURN NOR HURT. WE HAD A BIG FIRE, WITH A LOT OF COALS, NO ONE OFFERED TO GIVE A DEMONSTRATION. That sorta dropped my belief in the tale.

On the eleventh day we took the Chestnut Branch Trail and walked into Mountain Mama’s and had that Delicious Cheeseburger and fries, we had finished the Smokies and were headed for Virginia.

Thanks for coming this way.
Nite Shipslog
PS:
****** Ham and eggs. A day's work for a chicken,
a lifetime commitment for a pig.

***** The trouble with life is there's no background music, that YOU can hear.

Some things about the Appalachian Trail

Sherry looking at the trail maps to find out where we are!!!

Sherry Don't care where we are, Tree across the Trail so she took a 'pack on' break.

Grand sons Matt and Luke with our packs. Mine 53 pounds, Sherry carried 33-35 pounds.

How long ago was this? The one on the left Matt will Graduate HS next year. LOL

Today's important information, some you just cannot live without!!!! LOL

Before attempting to tell of the second section of the Smokies I will cover a few points you may not know. For one thing Dogs are not allowed to accompany hikers (Thru the Smokies) unless it is a seeing eye dog. Many hikers hike with dogs, but they must kennel their dogs when they get to the Smokies and pay to have them shuttled to the other end of the park. This is a rule the hikers do not understand, since on the first thirty miles of the trail through the Smokies, they allow Horses. One of those Government rules that no one can explain, except to say, “That is the rules, write the National Forest Service and complain.”

Now as you enter the Smokies you find a registration log. You must fill out the log and tell where you plan each night on your hike through. I laughed, but really tried to comply. By the second night we were two days off schedule, no one checked or shot us, so I guess it was okay.

Shelters will sleep twelve hikers, 16-20 if it is raining (LOL). When you come to a shelter you plan to spend the night in you claim a spot by rolling out your blanket or sleeping bag. I slept beside beautiful girls (besides my wife of course), ugly men and dogs. Sometimes the smell is bad but not often since one side of the shelter is always open.

TOILETS: Most of the shelters have some type of toilet. Each is unique. There are some with just enough boards to cover the private parts. Some are Hilarious. Most of the time you dig a little cat hole to do your business and cover it up. We all carry a small scoop.

The Shelters have a Hiker Journal. Most hikers record their feelings for the day. Water sources are noted so others can find it. If the mice are bad in the shelter it will be logged. Some of the hikers are artists and draw pictures. Some are poets and leave their mark. It is an evening’s pleasure to read back through the notes.

Facts of the trail. Most folks lose a few pounds, if we all stayed on the trail we would lose more. Problem is, those Hiker Journals also list the All-U-Can-eat Places in the next town. Or tell you where the best Pizza or Hamburger is. When we hiked thru the Smokies the notes always said, “Mountain Mama’s has the best Cheeseburger on the Trail, you gotta try it, two miles off the trail.” So about every five to seven days you make it into some town and gorge yourself!!
Oh yes in closing this entry, study shows that most hikers gain at least a half shoe size on a 2000 mile hike. I gained about a size. (Sherry is not talking, I think that is a girl thang!)
Thanks for coming this way,
Nite Shipslog
PS:

(Tomorrow the guy with a sister in the 'Oar house')

****** He who dies with the most toys is nonetheless dead.

***** A picture is worth a thousand words, but it uses up three thousand times the memory.

More Smokeys and a BIG BEAR!

This was a campsite in our early hikes. We traded this for a much smaller (LIGHTER) real back packing tent.

This is a beautiful water source. Some parts of the trail it is hard to find water, so you keep your water bottles full when you can. At first I did not carry a water purifier (filter) later we added one when we started fighting bugs and varmets for water..

This is a shelter. They are scattered throughout the trail. Some are a mile off the trail, however. When we came to one of those, we skipped it altogether, figuring that mile in and mile out would be better spent going North. Ha! Sherry is in a sleeping bag on the right. We met these two ladies here at this shelter. The one in Blue was very active, the other preferred to read and write in the shelter. They were real nice ladies.

This was 'Moving day' (WE are in the Blue Ridge Mts for a few days).

Hiking the Smokies you meet some interesting folks. Before we reached Clingmans dome (Yesterday’s entry) we met a small group of young Dr.’s & Lawyers. They were hiking straight through the fifty miles without camping trying to break some record. They stopped by our camp fire for a few minutes to rest, find the spring, and eat a snack. About the same time we met a College girl, her brother and Father who were hiking together. She was a Fast pitch Soft ball player. She had a bat & ball. The brother would pitch to her and she would bat it back to him, they never missed.
We also met a two girls and their trainer they were training for some marathon. The girls were in great shape but the trainer had the worst feet I have ever seen in my life. I was afraid for him and they still had twenty or thirty miles to go. He had what you would call blisters on top of blisters. They had a large first aid pack and had already used all their ‘Second Skin’ covering and his feet were bleeding terrible. WE donated some ‘mole skin’ and some other hikers donated their ‘second skin’. I hurt for the guy.
Now back to Newfound Gap.
The Appalachian Trail crosses US 441 at Newfound Gap. crossing, we passed the Rockefeller Monument and started up the trail. I was reminded of a time when I was 6 years old. My dad was driving to his church headquarters in Cleveland TN. I always wanted to go because the road went through The Cherokee Indian Reservation and I always got to see an Indian in full head dress as we drove through. On up the Mt. we came to the Gap. Dad stopped and parked so we could get out, stretch and use the clean outhouses provided by the Park Service. That day we had seen several Black bears on the road, but the Gap was in a cloud, like a fog. I took off up the trail Mama called, “don’t go too far, we won’t be here long. “

Daddy said this was a cloud, I wanted to get above it and look down on it. I didn't go too far before I saw a dark form ahead, I slowed down, at first thinking it was another tourist. It WAS NOT, IT WAS A BIG BLACK BEAR, AT LEAST 30 FT. TALL (LOL) as he stood on his hind legs. This kid ran a hundred miles an hour back down the trail.

As we started North I told Sherry of my first hike here. Short & fast, LOL.

Tomorrow maybe I will get to the last half of the Smokies and the guy whose sister worked in a 'oar house'.
Nite Shipslog
PS:
Only in America.....do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.
ALSO:
Why isn't there mouse-flavored cat food?

Hiking through the Smokey Mt. National Park

Sometimes we walked together sometimes separated by as much as a mile, each with their thoughts. Here Sherry is ahead of me skirting an open field.

Here the trail is nice but narrow. Notice the ever present white blaze internationally known to mark the Appalachian Trail.

This is one of the 'Walks in the Woods' very pleasant parts of the trail where Sherry could hike side by side and talk.

One of the thousands of distant mountain views from atop a summit. Breath taking and you never tire of them.

I think the Smoky Mountains are the most visited National Park in America. We were looking forward to hiking that one hundred + miles of Appalachian Trail.

Back when we hiked the Smokeys the shelters were protected by chain link fencing. We only slept in the tent one night I think the rest was in shelters. We started our hike going North from Fontana Dam in NC. There are some unique spots on the trail one is the mountain called ‘Rocky Top’. Rocky top was in the clouds the day we reached it’s summit. I sang ‘Good old Rocky Top, Rocky Top Tennessee’, at least four times, because it had some false tops. A false top is when the hiker is sure he is at the top, but then the heart drops when you walk a little further and see another climb.
We also passed Clingman’s Dome and had to shed our packs and climb to the top of the viewing structure. Our next stop was Collin’s Mt. Shelter where we met a father/son team hiking. We were shocked when we woke up smelling bacon and eggs and bread for their breakfast. It was their first morning on the trail. We talked for a little while, then they went South and we walked North towards New Found Gap.
The funniest thing happened at the Gap. We honestly expected some vending machines because the Gap is the main tourist stop for views in the Smokies. It is the Gap between The Cherokee nation and Gatlinburg, TN. We had been walking for five days. Daily we had a hand full of raisins, one pack of ramein noodles and we each had a pack of Lance Cheese crackers. That is about ten ounces of food between us. We were LOOKING for the vending machines. NONE did we see. I spotted a guy with a Monaco RV hat on. So since we had something in common I asked him if he had seen any vending machines. He said no. His wife said, “we have some drinks in the car if you would like one.”
Old tough Jack says, “No, that is all right, we will just head up the trail.”
“Oh no we want, we will take the drinks and be glad to pay you for them,” my quite reserved wife said. So we got two drinks, and they sure tasted good. Of course the couple would take no pay for the drinks. Seeing how pitiful my dear wife looked. LOL
We were half way through the Smokies.
Tomorrow continue the trip through, fifty more miles to Mountain Mama’s.

Nite Shipslog,
PS
*** Being "over the hill" is much better than being under it!

**** Wrinkled Was Not One of the Things I Wanted to Be When I Grew up.

*** Procrastinate !!! Now !!!

**** I Have a Degree in Liberal Arts; Do You Want Fries With That?

SURPRISE, HERE IS YOUR LIMO!!!!

Our Driver for the Evening......................

Three Well-to-do couples out slumming for the evening!!

Don & Evelyn Don is giving directions tothe Driver, they happened to have mutual friends

Jack & Sherry

Shirl and The Smoke

This is the Limo for the evening............... Our Surprise and Gift from our Son Mark


Today's exciting entry....................

Will take a break from the trail to share an exciting tale. I have never been one for rank, position and trappings. A Thursday, while I was working on the trailer to install a heater and A/C, Sherry got a phone call from Mark our youngest son. Somehow he had a Limo for 8 hours. Told mom to get me Shirl/Smoke, and friends and take the limo out to dinner. Soooo about six on Fri evening Don & Evelyn came over, and just in a few minutes Mark drove up and was directing the limo backing down our drive.
He said have fun and enjoy yourselves and he drove off. The driver was very courteous. Shirl was at Smoke’s house. Smoke lives in the elite neighborhood of Gaston County, Cramer Mountain. We drove up and was okayed by the guard, then on to Smokey’s house. We picked him and Shirl up. We had forgotten our camera, Shirl had hers, so if I get any pictures on here, they will be from Shirl or Smoke’s camera.
WE all got a good laugh as Smoke was telling a story about the new Gate guard that wanted to be called Officer Stevens. He had contacted Smoke about his Frequent Visitors list. After awhile Smoke said he dropped off his list. The List included: Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, The /Governor and a few more high profile names. After that he said Officer Stevens was very nice to him.
We went to the Red Lobster and had a great meal. Sherry had the limo cell phone and just before leaving she called him and he was waiting at the door when we walked out. Smoke and Don hit it off and had a good conversation.

Smoke is used to being an Emcee and has a quick and ready wit. He is a joy to be around. Shirl was pretty nice. With Smoke there, he was able to keep her from dancing on the tables, like she usually does. LOL…. All jokes aside it was a very pleasant evening.

Oh yeah, I may get this wrong but when Smoke got in the Limo he put a CD in the CD player, I think it was a parody about a White Stretch Limo. Not hearing too well I am not sure, but everyone cracked up. We tried to wave at everyone as we drove to the Restaurant. Problem is in a Limo, no one knows you are there. I had always said, if I was in there I would want everybody to know "Hey that is Jack in there!" But alas, no body knew. Maybe I should put it in the paper. LOL

We had a great evening, thanks to a gift from our Son Mark. Now Jack, the oldest son, is taking his Mom out on a date Sat. Nite to see a Show (play) or program of sorts. I am not sure which.
Soon we should be leaving to go to the mountains.
Thanks for coming by the Log.
Nite Shipslog.
PS:

******* A hangover is the wrath of grapes.

***** A journey of a thousand miles begins with a cash advance.

****** Stupidity is not a handicap. Park elsewhere!

**** They call it PMS because MadCow Diseasewas already taken.

More on the Appalachian TRail

Looking down on one of the many lakes along the Trail.

We talk about R& R on the trail is is Rocks and Roots. Rocks above and Roots below.

Our second try at section hiking...

The next year we did return to Standing Indian and hiked to Roan Mountain in Tennessee. That included the beautiful Smoky Mountains.

We decided to do a leap frog trip with our tow vehicle and motor home. We found a camp ground near Winding Stair Gap at Franklin, NC. Great folks they stored the motor home for $1 a night, never saw it so cheap before or after. We then drove the tow vehicle to Fontana Dam in NC, and started walking back toward Winding stairs. About 80 miles I think. It was a good hike. One night we had made camp and it was near dusk. I spied a young girl, about 17 just a getting it up the trail.

“Aren’t you pitching a tent for the night?” I called.
“Not yet she said I still have a few miles to go.” We passed the time of day, told her where the next water was, and she took off into the evening. That was one tough lady. We met a lot of them from 16 to 70 hiking alone, with no fear of the night, animals or other worries. Hardy ladies out to prove nothing to others, mostly to themselves. You have to admire them.
One night in that section, we pitched our tents, cooked our noodles and settled in. I looked up on the mountain and saw a cave with a rock in the front that looked exactly like an angel as the sun hit it. It was an amazing moment and beautiful.

WE actually pushed the last day on that section. I think we walked 17 miles, a record for us on the trail. But when we came out at Winding stair Gap, we were beat. It was five or six miles down the highway to the motor home. We hitched a ride. Yeah, we hitchhiked. Sherry didn’t think she would ever do it, but she did.

A nice older couple stopped to pick us up. The lady said her daughter was a hiker and had told her if she ever saw backpackers to give them a ride. They took us right to our Motor home door. They are called angels on the trail, and they definitely are.

We drove the motor home to Fontana Dam to pick up the tow vehicle and headed to Virginia on the other end of the Smokies to find a camp ground.
Next section for that year was The Great Smoky Mountains, 100 miles with only one road, and not supply towns.
Thanks for reading this stuff,
Nite Shipslog
PS:
What the girls say:
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, totally worn out and screaming 'WOOO HOOOOO what a ride!' author unknown

To the Girls !! I'm not going to vacuum til Sears makes one you can ride on. - Roseanne Barr-

Behind every successful man is a surprised woman - Maryon Pearson-

When life hands you lemons, ask for tequila and salt and call me over!!

Appalachian trail, First attempt!!!!

Sherry ahead of me in Vermont, a beautiful section of the Trail.

My girl at one of the many 'Shelters' maintained on the Trail.

Me, walking a log that the Beavers had dropped across the Trail. (Mosquito netting over my head)

Now, Today's Excitement!!!!!

We have hiked about 1750 miles of the Appalachian trail. We started On Springer Mountain in Georgia and went to New Hampshire, just past Dartmouth College. The trail goes through Dartmouth. But we did not do it in one hike. Oh, we wanted to, shucks we planned to and we tried to, but we only made it One hundred miles on the first try.

It was a funny thing, we quit at Standing Indian Mountain. That was the very spot where Sherry was inspired to do this hike. Just before reaching the campground, where we were going to pitch the tent, take a bath and call for a shuttle back to Elli Jay, GA where we had stored our car, Sherry fell. We were crossing Kimsey Creek on a small log just a few inches above the water when Sherry let her pack shift back and pull her down. I turned to see her just give in and fall backwards into the creek. It was very hot and the water felt good. She got up before her ‘stuff’ got soaked. And we drug ourselves the last mile to a campsite.

WE registered paid for the site, took a bath, called for a shuttle to come the next day and cooked our supper. We had bought a can of stew beef at the camp store and some other stuff. Sherry did not want to see any more Ramein noodles this trip. That night it rained, the tent leaked we were miserable and Sherry just broke down and bawled.

I asked what was wrong. She said, “I really thought we could hike the entire trail, and we just hiked a hundred miles. What is everybody going to think after I told them we were going to hike the trail?”

I thought for a minute and started laughing and said, “Honey you just hiked 100 miles. You saw a black bear and then slept in a tent not 100 yards from where the bear was. You climbed Blood Mountain in Georgia. Now think, ONE HUNDRED MILES, we just hiked through the mountains ONE HUNDRED MILES. How many people do you personally know who have walked 100 miles?”

“None. But…”

“That is right NONE, I am pretty proud of the fact we walked from Springer to Standing Indian. You should be to. We will be back next year better prepared and go much farther.” And we did.

We learned a lot on that short 100 mile hike and it helped us get through many many more.

Thanks for coming by the LOG.

Nite Shipslog.

PS:

What the Girls have said:

Thirty-five is when you finally get your head together and your body starts falling apart.

- Caryn Leschen -

If you can't be a good example -- then you'll just have to be a horrible warning. -Catherine-

Inside every older person is a younger person -- wondering what the hell happened? - Cora Harvey Armstrong-

Inside me lives a skinny woman crying to get out But I can usually shut her up with cookies. (Unknown)

Appalachian Trail, Kimsey Creek Trail

Here the old man is taking a break.

Some group hiking together near Dartmouth College.

’Standing Indian’ is a National Park near Franklin, NC. The campground is considered primitive because it does not have electric or water hook-ups. It is not a completely back to nature campground, but it is close.

While camping there we took what is called the Kimsey Creek Trail to the top of Standing Indian Mountain. At the crest, it joins with the Appalachian Trail. At this time of the year, through time for the snow to fly, if you are near the trail for an hour or so you will encounter some smelly back-packing hiker. He or she is walking the world famous Appalachian Trail, which is the longest, maintained, and marked foot path in the world. From Georgia to Maine, if you look closely as you drive you will see signs saying ‘Appalachian Trail crossing’ on many roads.

There are some places where the trail actually follows a road for a mile or two, hikers actually do a ‘road walk’ before heading back into the forest to continue the solitude of the AT. If you park at one of these trail heads and wait, you will meet some very interesting folks. They will be male and female; they can be very young or very old. But if you have time wait and talk to one, maybe give them a ride into the nearest town, you will be surprised at the stories on the trail.

There will be one central theme; they have fallen in love with the trail. Most folks that start thinking of hiking the AT want to do a thru-hike. That is to Hike the entire 2175 miles in shot. Folks do it in four to six months of steady walking. The rule of the AT is to hike your hike. Some walk 20 plus miles a day, while there are others like us, who can make six to ten miles a day.

Some folk walk alone while others hike in pairs or groups. Most groups break up after awhile because some want to walk faster, etc. On the trail you meet folks from all walks of life and from many countries. Seldom does a hiker use his or her name. If one is not chosen, someone will tag you with a name. WE met: Pigpen, Papa Smurf, Cloudy, Freight Train, Blue, Mama’s boy, Pilgrim, Scarf, Boats, CuppaJava, Christian, Mr. President, Penquin, Mooseburger and hundreds more. We are the Overland Hermits. WE met folks from Germany, Australia, South Africa, England, Canada, New Zealand and from all over the USA.

We met students, lawyers, doctors, pilots, engineers, bums, preacher, a pastor, grandmas, grandpas, A family home schooling the kids as they hiked, scout groups and church groups. It is another life out there. We were fascinated.

Thanks for coming this way,

NIte Shipslog

PS: What the girls say:

The hardest years in life are those between ten and seventy.
-Helen Hayes (at 73)-
I refuse to think of them as chin hair. I think of them as stray eyebrows.
- Janette Barber-
Old age ain't no place for sissies .
-Bette Davis

Pictures of the new Drive way

The beginning of the new drive, That is a concrete Black Cocker spaniel on top of the rock mail boxes. My favorite dog when I was a kid. I called him Ace.

Continuing down the side of the upper 'CONDO'

This is the back, you can see our motor home on the other side of the fence. The Pine needles cover a multitude of sins.

Probably the CAT's fault (Blatantly copied title)

Front of Shirl's condo after new pine needles.

Little garden with pine needles added.

Shirls garden area at our Motor Home front door. Before pine needles.

Today's terrible entry...................

I love corn bread and milk. Last night I decided to have some since we had some corn bread left from beans and cornbread.

Yeah, I guess it must be the cat’s fault, but we don’t have a cat. The milk was sour.

Problem is I had already heated the corn bread in the micro and crumbled it in to the glass and added the milk, before I smelled it. Now I like butter milk and cornbread, is there any difference. I ate it anyway. I hoped I would not be as sick as this computer. I am Okay I think. I am wondering what is really happening to the computer systems. I have heard from several who are having the same problem, pages stacking continually and you have to just hit the OFF button to stop it.Debbie and Lindie are having that exact problem. Paula and Lucy are having problems, I don’t know if it is the same. The funny thing most of the time is when Sherry and I are working with the Blogs.

Sherry says she cooks with sour milk, I should be Okay!

Sherry is trying to get a Graduation Party ready for the twins, having a rough time getting schedules together. It is hard to schedule anything now a days.

If I don’t make anymore entries you will know not to eat corn bread and blinky milk, Just Blame the Cat. (Ref: http://pl78064.blogspot.com/ scan down to April 18th entry)

Nite Shipslog Ps:

I have a recommendation from Lindie, AND Rose may have some more for eating places north of Boston. Looking at the map we will probably hit the New Hampshire coast on I-495, via I-290. Probably starting with Chelmsford, Mass. To Amesbury. Then the New Hampshire coast into Mass.

I know we will go to Nunans in Kennebunk. At least we hope to head that way, but we will take whatever comes. You cannot predict life.

True or False:

7. Forty people are sent to the hospital for dog bites every minute.

8. Babies are born without kneecaps. They don't appear until theyare 2-6 years old.

9 The average person over 50 will have spent 5 years waiting in lines.

10. The toothbrush was invented in 1848.

All are true except 10. Toothbrush invented in 1498

Dean, Smokey and Shirl

Smokey at the guitar......... I couldn't get any more up now. This is wierd, These Pictures from a couple days ago.

Edf & Luann were the hosts for the party a couple days ago. These are the only pictures I can get to load on Blogger.

Vernon (Sherry's Bro.) & Janet his wife and my Girl, SHERRY!!!

Today's stuff!!

Well this is Sunday night as I prepare this entry. I cannot believe the trouble we are having with this system. Sherry spent awhile on the phone with Verizon today. It did improve our connection, but the problem we were having came back.

You are going along reading blogs and all a of a sudden the system starts stacking windows on top of windows of the Blog you are attempting to read. Sometimes I can call up ‘System manager’ and eliminate it , but other times I have to just shut the system down with the off button. It is sorta funny I was making a comment on my friend Debbie’s Blog, I told her Sherry (across the kitchen table) was having trouble, but fortunately I was not. As soon as I posted the comment it attacked this system. So we both are in the same boat.
I quickly copied my books (two) at their latest point, so if the worst happened, I would at least have the latest of ‘S’gar’ and ‘Tobies Tales’. I have done very little writing since being home. I am a one track minded guy. If I have other things to do, the lesser things (at the time) take a back seat.
Of course we came home to help my buddy Sonny, if we could. He has been in the hospital the whole time we have been home, except for a few days in rehab. His outlook is not good. He is not fully with us anymore, and it has been mentioned that he may be a ‘Sundowner’. ANOTHER STINKING BUZZWORD. Basically it means his sun is going down, but he is still alive. In other words the beginning of Dementia or Alzheimer’s. He asked me if I had come by Allen’s on the way over (Allen has been dead 25 years). He was also calling for his Mom who has been dead 50 years. I don’t think we can help Sonny. (But I can Cry).
I will always remember Sonny the way he was. He was a man.
Well I did not mean to be on the down side, but at this time it is hard to be otherwise. I tried to upload pictures last night so many times I got tired. I may try again tonight.
Shirl bought 50 bales of pine needles, I spread 47 of them after church today.
NIte Shipslog
PS: Is the following true or false…..

1. Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the Morning.

2. Alfred Hitchcock didn't have a belly button.

3. A pack-a-day smoker will lose approximately 2 teeth every 10 years

4. People do not get sick from cold weather; it's from being indoors a lot more.

5. When you sneeze, all bodily functions stop, even your heart!

All True (according my source on the net.)

PARTY AT ED'S HOUSE

THIS MAY BE IMPOSSIBLE IT IS THE THIRD TIME UP. PICTURES HAVE BEEN LOST. DO I HAVE THE BUG, WORM OR VIRUS/////????


We went to a party last night at my friend Ed’s house. He fixed spaghetti, garlic bread with salad and had peach cobbler for dessert. The meal was delicious. There were five couples at the party. After dinner we just visited. There were two good guitar pickers there so Ed got out his guitar. Smokey was the only one who would play after everybody insisted.
He picked and sang. Smoke, as he is called, did a couple funny ditties and a couple country songs.
Some of us played the card game ‘golf’. Are you familiar with it? It had been a very long time since I had played, it took a few minutes before I got oriented. I liked the game. It was one we used to play when we visited with our good friends from Maine, Al & Judy. It was always fun playing with Al. He kept odds in his head and talked them out toward the end of a game, naming the cards that had been played and the chances of drawing what he wanted. I would always try to remember the cards that had been played, but I forgot after several plays. Someone’s ability to remember cards has always amazed me.
Jim was there and talked a little about gambling with cards. He said if you are in a card game and do not know who the ‘mark’ (sucker) is, it is YOU. That is probably an old joke or rule, I have just never heard it.
WE had a little in common, he had lived in Pascagoula for a couple years working on an oil rig, or for an oil company. He moved there about the time Ray Stevens came out with the ‘Squirrel’ (in church) song. WE lived in Biloxi for a couple years which is just down the road (west) of Pascagoula. We also spent a week in Pascagoula after Katrina, doing some volunteer work.
Thanks for coming by the log.
Nite Shipslog.
PS: The lady in the previous picture was Jane Withers, she represented ‘Comet Cleansers’ as the comet lady for a long time. She was the most famous child actor in the 30’s & 40’s.
Thanks for the help, Dewey(cousin) just wanted me to guess, so I asked your help. He said she is a very sweet lady.

Who is this lady?

I know the guy on the left, he is my cousin on the West coast. But do you know the lady. He did not tell me who she is. I am sure she is a Movie STar from the past. Let me know if you know her.

Yesterday and let's GOOOOO!

Yesterday. I loved that song by the Beatles.
Anyway Yesterday I worked. Raking rocks, preparing a wild area around our new drive at the other condo. It is not ready fo the pine needles Shirl has ordered. She says I can’t pay for them. Would you argue with her?
I did get the gate ready to install also, I may take a picture. This probably doesn’t make sense, but when Have I ever? I am getting ‘stationary fever’. I just coined that phrase. We are never supposed to be in the same place over three weeks. Here we have been here two months.
We have accomplished some things, and the one is the drive. It is completed.
Ever tried to argue with city hall, forget it. Ann Drive (st) (they also cannot decide on the name), on which we live, on all survey maps joins our property. It was an unpaved road; Just a block long, with us at the end. The city paved with thirty feet of our drive and quit paving. Now a couple days ago we paved to the end of our property. Now we have that thirty foot gap of gravel road, separating us from city paved road. It is not a big deal, but you cannot argue with city hall.
You know! I really do not care. Why worry about something you cannot change? The Condo is up for lease or rent now. I hope Shirl gets good neighbors, because when we get this trip all worked out, ’we are gone’.
I don’t think I am supposed to go into the last folks who lived in the empty condo. The guy was a son of a very good, long time friend. It did not work out too well. May be Shirl will put something in her Blog concerning the bail bondsmen etc. I am not going into that. Nor will I go into the previous tenant with Big dogs in the house, like small horses. HA!
Funny thing is these two Condos are probably the nicest in the city. I cannot manage rentals, I must use an agency. Tom is the man. He can do what is necessary to manage the property. Once we had given up on collecting the last month’s rent and damages. Tom handled it, collected the rent and damages. I have a rough time doing that. I would say just forget it. Thank God for Tom. He does what is right.
I got too personal, but I am running off at the fingers.
Thanks for coming this way.
NIte Shipslog
PS:
Why is it that doctors call what they do 'practice'?
Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?
Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?
Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?

Interview and UFO's

Sherry on a section of the Mormon TRail

Sherry in jail or mabe 'the hole' in Southern Utah.

This is in the Chirachawa Nat'l Monument , near Willcox, Arizona ( Home of Rex Allen)

Today's exciting (No Math to day)

Yesterday Sherry and I had the privilege of being interviewed again by Daphne Bissette, of the Gaston Gazette. She also had a photographer. Daphne said we were interesting. She is a pretty young lady. John, the photographer, was a little older.
Do you notice how young the folks are, that are keeping this world running? Have you noticed they give kids police uniforms and a gun with bullets? I saw an officer the other day that looked like he was a junior in High School. Then I look at myself in a USMC uniform and I look like I am 15. I am amazed that I got as far as I did trying to join underage. I got to the swearing in, the first time at 16.
I didn’t mean to cause a stir on figures, I am sorry I did not give it in Kilo’s. But I had better not go back and redo it. I just wanted to point out that some things are a long ways off. LOL
I really do like the idea of space travel and would love for us to find life on another planet, and go visit. I would be thrilled to just orbit the earth, well maybe do a spacewalk also. That must be a thrill.
I know technology is great and advancing, but I wonder how fast we will actually go once we get a space vehicle that will travel in space.
I was thrilled when we lived in Missouri and we could lie out on our little deck and look at the sky. It seems the stars are so much closer in the Midwest and west. I guess the sky is much cleaner. You could see so many shooting stars and see many satellites arching across the sky.
One night Sherry and I saw a couple UFO’s, really! They were only dots in the sky, like airplanes with their landing lights on, except they made 90 degree turns and were traveling at over 2000 miles an hour by my estimation. Then I called our radar site (where I worked) and they had also seen them on the scope, I was close on the speeds. The USAF denied they existed. HA! I still wonder what they were.
Thanks for coming by the LOG
Nite Shipslog
PS:
Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission.

-Eleanor Roosevelt-

Light years away!!!

Sombrero Galaxy-28 million light years from Earth. Below is the Hour Glass Nebula only 8,000 light years away

The Ant Nebula only 3 to 6,000 light years away.

The above pictures taken by the Hubbell telescope. Sent to me by Glendy

Stick with me through some figures......

The average human cannot understand the speed of light. I remember studying in school that light travels at 186,000 miles per second. For us to think about it is mind boggling. Going sixty miles an hour means in one minute we can go a mile. Wow a mile in a minute.

While we are going that mile light has traveled:
11,160,000 miles, imagine eleven million miles then tack on 160 thousand for good measure. So while we are going sixty miles in one hour, light is traveling 669 million, 600 thousand miles.

Now folks this is just in one hour. A light year is the distance light can travel in one year. There are 8,760 hours in a year times 669,600,000 equals 5,865,696,000,000 miles a year. If I figure right that is nearly 6 trillion miles.

It is roughly 92 million miles to the sun. It takes less than ten minutes for light to get to earth from the sun. If you could drive a car to the sun it would take you seven years 24/7 at 60mph to get there. So light is pretty fast.
I said all that to say this, Using the Hubbell telescope, scientists have found another something in space that is only 28 million light years away. In other words the light the scientists see now started this way 28 million years ago.

Now folks we ain’t never going there. I guess it is nice to know those facts, but even if it was headed this way to eat up the world, It is going to take it 28 million years to get here, shoot, even Lucy won’t live that long. (That’s my attempt at humor now Luce!) LOL

The pictures are beautiful, and hard to imagine those shapes and colors. But it is hard for me to think in light years.
Just thought you would like to know.

Thanks for coming by the log.
Nite Shipslog
PS:
"Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no
happiness without action."Benjamin Disraeli

If money doesn't grow on trees, then why do banks have branches?

Since bread is square, then why is most sandwich meat round?

Friends? yeah I have at least one.

You see in the background Lee's paving equipment, supposed to pave tomorrow.

I built three display racks to display the books in stores if I ever hear from them. There are wheels on the back and it can be moved around to a convient location or outside to catch walking traffic. They drag like the rolling luggage.

Home sweet home, itching to hit the road.

This is a closer look at the front I put my pretty face on the stands.

Today's plagerized title... Friends, friendship...

Our friend, Paula, I don’t even know whether she prefers Pauline or Paula, but she causes you to think. In her entry yesterday she spoke of friendships. It got me to thinking.

Sherry has many local friends here in Belmont because she lived here for 18 years. She was in grade school through graduation with many of the same folks. It is hard to shop with her or go to a restaurant without running into someone she knows.

So I got to thinking, why don’t I have so many friends? Well I got to counting I have lived in many places; let’s see if I have any friends from them:
Gastonia, NC.. No;
Shelby, NC... No;
High Shoals, NC..No;
Burlington, NC.. Sonny Turner;
Albemarle, NC.. VonDale Tucker;
Valdese, NC..Jim & Bub Page & Betty;
Belmont, NC..Sherry, Martha, Margaret, Buddy, Don, Evelyn, Ed, Sonny, Elmer, Adcocks, Sticky, Billy, Darby, George, Sammy;
Jacksonville, NC..Dallas & Marion Fletcher;
USS Vermillion AKA107..No;
USS Westchester County LST1167..No;
Belmont, NC..Repeat
Biloxi, NC..The Matthews, Colemans, Mathey’s, The Brannens;
Kirksville, MO..No;
Charlotte, NC..No;
Moberly, MO ..Conrads, Guffeys;
Rutherfordton..No;
New Hope, NC..Moody’s, Allens;
Belmont, NC (repeat);
Norfolk, VA..Ambersons;
Great Lakes, Ill .. no;
Washington, DC.. no;
USS Independence CVA62..no;
Bainbridge, MD .. no;
Gitmo, Cuba..Farrs;
Albany, GA .. Dan & Joan Doughton, Jim & Jean Proffitt;
Key West, FL..No;
Washington DC ..No;
Charlotte, NC .. repeat
Mt. Holly, NC..No;
Belmont, NC repeat;
The Overland Motor Home..No;
Tavares, FL.. The Carters, McCoys, Woods;
Monaco Diplomat .. Internet friends.
I did not list the internet friends, but I have a few I consider friends, and I do treasure the acquaintances.
WE lived in some of the places two or three times. My lifetime Average stay = 2 years 2 .12 months (You don’t grow many roots at that rate).(Sherry’s lifetime averages 3 years 2.72 months) She gained because she was in Belmont for 18 years straight. I lived in six towns during that time.

I counted 33 places I have lived and 39 or 40 friends and acquaintances. Is that good? Of those names, we keep in contact with about 24. I didn’t know I had that many friends. I guess I should take time to count them more often and be thankful for them.
As far as I know there are only two people who personally do not like me. One is Kin, and he is sure he has reason not to like me; the other one, I took his fiancé out on a date, he probably still doesn’t care for me (I don’t blame him). As far as I know all my old customers still will speak to me. Paula mentioned she had an ex-renter who was still her friend. That speaks well. Come to think of it, I guess I had one renter who doesn’t care for me. She was absolutely wrong.

But then of course I have a brother in law who says: I have never met the guilty party yet, in their eyes they are right. So I am sure that applies in that case also.
Anyway, I may not have many real close friends, but the ones I have I am very proud of, they make my life more pleasant.
I met Sherry when I was 15, married her when I was 17. She is, of course, my very best friend. She also is my ears, for which I am very thankful. . ( BEST of ALL, we walk together and sleep together, but don’t tell anyone!)
Thanks for coming this way,
Nite Shipslog
PS:
EVER WONDER ...Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkensour skin?
Why women can't put on mascara with their mouth closed?
Why don't you ever see the headline 'Psychic Wins Lottery'?
Why is 'abbreviated' such a long word?
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