End of the Year metal detecting

A little more metal detecting near the Butterfly Garden at the Louisville Zoo. 
I found a baby's pacifier.  After I dug it up I looked it over to see what was metal that detected it.  The only think metal on it is the spring on the clip.
I found a heart.  Dooney loves who?  Looks to me like Bour???
I found a total of $2.65.  I think the 1967 Kennedy Half Dollar is a Silver clad.  I may be wrong, but I think the 1965-69 were silver clad.
Not a bad haul for about and hour of digging.  Not quite minimum wage.

No, they're not professional models, just my granddaughters!

We had Erin and Jill for a sleepover last night.  Of course, they didn't change out of their pajamas until 3:00 pm.  But, after they changed I thought I'd get a picture.  You know Uncle Brian or Uncle Kevin didn't get this shirt for Erin.  Erin has gone to see the Lady Cardinals play basketball several times and really likes to watch them. Therefore, UL has become her favorite!
It's not hard to get Erin to pose for a picture.  Get the camera out, and she's already in a pose.

Now, with Jillian, that's a different story.  Get the camera out and She runs and hides, makes a face, or covers or closes her eyes until the camera is put away.  But today, she decided to pose for me.  I think it was because she wanted to show off her new outfit.  It does look nice, doesn't it? 

As always, it was fun having the girls for a sleepover, even though they make Grampy sleep upstairs while they sleep in the basement with Mimi!

Probably The Last Round of the Year, #64

We played Iroquois GC today in what will in all probability be my last round for 2011.  The weather wasn't bad but the course was really sloppy.  Almost every hole you had to slosh up part of the fairway.  I played with Brian today, with my usual Thursday group.  Our foursome finished with and average net score of 72.  I don't know how we did, team wise.  But our average score was pretty easy to compute.  We ALL shot a 72!  Brian, zero handicap, shot a 72.  My 83 less 11 was 72.  JR had a 87 less 15, 72, and Buddy shot a 78, less his 6 handicap, 72.  I'd love to see that be the low score and all of us split the money plus win the team money.  I don't think that will happen. 
The course played a little tough today, with the wind blowing pretty good and the fairways pretty wet.  We do play from the forward tees, but this time of year, with the wind, cold air, and wet fairways, we need to.  The greens must have been really tough today because we had a whole lot of 3-putts. I know I had my share.  They were a lot faster than we gave them credit for, and those downhill putts really rolled well past the hole.  I 3-putted the last 2 holes plus a penalty stroke dropping out from against a tree on 17.  3 strokes wasted on the last 2 holes.  My 83 should easily have been below 80.  But, this time of year I'm always glad to just get in a round of golf and I have to be happy with whatever score I shoot.  So, I'm happy.  I did find out that I won $4 from the last round I played at Shawnee GC several weeks ago.  We tied low team.

Christmas Breakfast with Beth and Joel

We met Beth and Joel for Breakfast at Frisch's this morning.  Mark, Kim, Erin, Jill, Mary Lynn, Brian, Mark W., Brent, Matt, and Jessica joined them.  Because I never get in the picture, I drew myself in, between Mark and Beth.  I'm actually a little taller, but I didn't want to cut off Beth!
It was a rainy morning, but it didn't dampen our good time.  Beth and Joel were heading to see Uncle George before heading back to Columbus.  Getting together with family members is what the Holidays are all about!

A little more metal detecting

I went back over to the Zoo again today.  This time I detected in the field on the other side of the parking lot, just behind the Butterfly Garden. 
It was also a very clean field, not much buried trash.  So, when you got a hit, you dug it up.  I found a couple of different 'spills', one with 7 or 8 quarters in it.  I just made one pass about halfway up the middle of the field, then back again.  So, there's still a large area that needs to be covered.
I didn't find anything worth talking about, except a larger amount of money than you would normally find, due to the amount of quarters.
You sure can tell the pennies that are 1983 or newer just by looking at what they look like after being in the ground a short while.

Christmas Day 2011

As we've done for the past 8 years, Christmas Day was spent out at the East End Tabler's.  It's always fun to have the family together, opening gifts, and seeing what Santa brought Erin and Jillian.

Of course, Mimi couldn't stop playing with Skittles and Lego, the two rats Erin is keeping for her School Class while on Christmas Break.  I think this one is Lego.  He was a little less skittish than Skittles.

Of course, Jillian didn't stay in her pajamas. She changed to her new nightgown she got for Christmas, then changed to other clothes.  Here, she's playing with her new Strawberry Shortcake dolls.  Changing clothes.  That's what Jillian's all about.  She's playing with her new Strawberry Shortcake dolls here and stayed busy changing their clothes.

Erin got a stuffed giraffe from Grandpa Len, plus a new hat.  I had two pictures, she was smiling in the other one.  I like this one better.  Of course, Erin wore her pajamas all day.

Relaxing and using Jillian for a footstool.  I had a video of Mark, Kevin, and Brian juggling all at the same time, but I can't get it to play on the computer.  And, downloading a video on my blog would probably take about 4 hours, so I can't post the video. 

The day was fun, another Christmas in the books.  Erin and Jill will have another week off school to try out all their new toys and games.  They'll have fun doing that.  They've got a lot of sit at the table and play games, and a lot of games that require a lot of activity.   Plus, another week of playing with the rats.

Blast from the 30 years ago past....

I like to post something on a regular basis, that way my readers will continue to check out my blog.  Unlike some of my fellow bloggers who seem to post every month or so.

It took a long time to break Brian from the "I love UL" habit, but a week in his room with no dinner finally did it.

I taught Mark all I know about fishing.

I know Mark enjoyed the Scouts, but I think Kevin may have only stayed in the Scouts one year.  I think this is the only picture of both of them in their scout uniforms.

And I had to include this.  Probably the best action shot I ever took.  Kevin, with his perfect form, shooting over the other teams star player.  I'm sure the basket was good.  I'm not sure what age group this is, but you'll notice at the other end of the floor the special baskets that sit a little lower than normal.

Another day of Metal Detecting

Did some more metal detecting at the Zoo Field today.  I found a Zoo souvenir penny, and the two pennies below it are Wheat Pennies, a 1944 and 1953.  A total of 82 cents.  I know that doesn't sound like much, but it's the most money I've made in weeks!
I'm not sure about the medallion. It had a little oval piece on it and I think it used to hold a stone of some kind.
The large hunk of metal on the left, I have no idea what it is.  Maybe part of a gate, fireplace grate, or something similar.  It's heavy.

Another Blast from the Past

Mary Lynn with brothers Mark and Ben.  Is there any wonder why I fell in love with this bathing beauty?

Working the Santa Safari

The Louisville Zoo had their 2nd weekend of the Santa Safari.  I worked all three sessions today.  The children go to the 2nd floor, see Santa, receive a 'Passport' that needs 10 stamps, one each from each of the 10 stations set up around the Zoo.  I helped man one of the stations.

The first session I worked in the Meta Zoo at Station #10.  I worked with another Bob, and I handled the Bearded Dragon for an hour.  He was pretty calm, but got a little skittish when a bunch of kids came at him at the same time, a little noisy.  He also got a little restless after he'd been out for awhile, close to the end of the session.  It was fun and the little ones enjoyed touching the Lizard.

The 2nd session I went over to the Herpaquarium to Station #5.  I worked by myself for that hour.  I handled the Ball Python, and just instructed the people to use the hand sanitizer on the table and stamp their 'Passports' themselves.  The people really enjoyed being able to touch a real snake.  The Python, Maude, was pretty docile throughout the session, but got a little restless as time came to a close.  I had one of the Mother's take this picture for me.

The 3rd and final session I worked the same spot, Station #5, but this time I worked with Marisa. I'm sorry if I spelled your name wrong, she told me she was going to check out my blog.  I enjoyed this hour a lot.   Marissa was fun to work with. She's a Veterinarian and her animal knowledge goes well beyond the Docent Training we've received.  The people really like to touch a real, live, snake.  Marissa handled him for most of the session then I took him for the last 20 minutes or so. We had a different  Ball Python for this session, Stevie.

This is fun to do.  The people really enjoy being able to see an animal up close and being able to touch it and have their kids touch it. I mean, how much fun would it be to call Grandma and Grandpa tonight and tell them they touched a real snake?

Another Blast from the Past

Mary Lynn and I have been married 44 years now, and really haven't taken very many vacations. But, we've seen a lot of the country.  Driving out to California just after being married and living in California for 6 months before I left for Vietnam, and driving back to Louisville, allowed us to see many Western sites. Not to mention driving out to Colorado, Texas, and Wyoming when our sons were located out there.  But I think my favorite 'vacation' was in 1994 when just Mary Lynn and I drove up in the Northeast to see the sites.  It was a vacation where we weren't in any hurry, had no reservations at any point, so no time schedule to keep.
We headed  up to Columbus, OH to visit Julie and spent the first night there.

I believe our first stop was Niagara Falls.  We went to the Canada Side.  There were a lot of pictures taken, but I will only show a few 'representative' pictures from each stop.  Here we were on the "Maid of the Mist" boat ride that takes you right up to the bottom of the falls.  As you can see, everyone is issued a raincoat.  You can also see the rainbow formed at the foot of the falls.

I'm not sure I have the stops in the correct order, but I'll act like I do and continue on.  Then on to Philadelphia.  We were there on the 4th Of July, which was neat.  Here is a picture of me touching the 'Liberty Bell'!  Not long after we were there some idiot attacked the Bell with a hammer, damaging it, and making it no longer accessible to the general public.  There were a lot of historical sites to visit while there.

After Philadelphia we headed to Washington, D.C. So many things to see there!  We went to Ford's Theatre, then across the street to the house were Lincoln was taken after he was shot.  This is a photo of the room he died in.   Ford's Theatre is a Museum with lots of artifacts from that night, including Lincoln's bloodstained coat, the pistol used in the assassination, and many other items of interest.  You could go upstairs to see the box Lincoln was sitting in when shot, along with the hole carved in the door by Booth so he could see Lincoln before entering.

Of course a visit to the Smithsonian was required.  Here is Dorothy's ruby red slippers from the Wizard of  Oz. I can't remember all the historical items we saw.  I think the Smithsonian is comprised of 5 buildings, each for different themes.  History, Aeronautical, etc.  Each building is huge, so we didn't get to got through each one.  One item we did get to gaze upon was the "Hope" Diamond.  That was cool.

Of all the places we visited, Arlington Cemetery and the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was the most memorable. I can't stress enough that if you ever visit D.C., make sure to go here and stay for the changing of the guard.  It was very touching to see the respect and reverence shown by these guards to the memory of all who died in defense of our Country.  I guarantee it will give you 'goosebumps'. During the ceremony they demand the crowd remain silent and still, and enforce it!

Then to Gettysburg.  This was a site I really wanted to go see.  Here is a picture of the tower in the middle of the battlefield. The tower is no longer there because they decided it was an eyesore and should be removed.  I think this was the 2nd battle of Gettysburg, fought for many years, but the people who wanted the tower removed finally won.  So this is another thing, besides the Liberty Bell, that is no longer available to tourists.  From the tower, looking out in each direction, they had the landmarks identified.  A very nice way to be able to see the whole battlefield.  But, I can definitely see how they would want it removed as an eyesore.

This was one of the views from the top of the tower.  Of course, the whole area is a Cemetery.  We arrived late in the evening, after dark, and checked in to our Motel.  The next morning, when we got up, we realized our Motel was smack dab in the middle of a cemetery.  Mary Lynn said she wouldn't have slept as well if she'd have known that.  But, just about all of Gettysburg is a Cemetery.  Most of the stones are mass graves, just stating which Infantry Group the soldiers buried there were with.

From there we went to the Pennsylvania Amish Country.  Stopping in Intercourse, Pennsylvania.  We went through all the shops, checked out the crafts, and rode around the Amish Country side watching the farmers plowing their fields with horse drawn plows. 
Then we stopped in West Virginia to play the Golf Course "The Meadows" that has the longest hole in the world. I have a scorecard from there, but I didn't dig it out to get the yardage.  But it is a par 6. 
After that, we headed home.  There were a lot of other pictures, but I can only post so many.  We had a fun time, but were tired when we got home.  A lot of driving and miles covered.

A Blast from the Past!

Unlike many of my fellow bloggers, I like to post at least 3-4 times a week.  Mary Lynn's mentioned on  occasion that she didn't have anything to write about.  I've always thought a good reporter can find a story anywhere,anytime.  So, today, as we approach the Cold Winter months, I thought I'd post a couple of pictures from the past to let you know just what might be ahead.

This was our deck in 1994 after a snowstorm.  I think the forecast for this coming winter calls for above normal snowfall and colder than normal temperatures.  Not looking forward to that at all.

Same snowfall,  Me out front enjoying it.  I'm 18 years older now and I think I'd enjoy it even less if I have to do it again.

I just thought you'd enjoy seeing pictures of snow this deep.  This was the snowfall that shut the State down for a week. The snowfall that UPS told the State that if they couldn't do better than that, then UPS might have to relocate.

Just something to show what might be ahead this winter.

I'll continue adding "Blasts from the Past" as I need more to blog about.  I already have one other in mind.

Shawnee GC on a Tuesday for a Change

We finally got out on a Tuesday at Shawnee GC again.  It's been a few weeks.  It seems like it's been bad weather every Tuesday for awhile.

I went out with the first group today.  We finished way ahead of the group behind us, and there were 4 groups in all.  So, I didn't wait around for everyone to finish, so I don't know how we did.  We played our usual Thursday game on Tuesday.  That's, Team golf with one low man total score.  The team I was on scored well, but were all low handicappers.  Our group shot a 72-72-74, and my 82.  I shot a 41 - 41 = 82.  I'm not sure what my handicap is on Tuesday, and the other guys didn't know theirs either.    But we think we did pretty good.  My 82 would probably net me around a 67-68, and think that would be the worst score in our group.

This was round 63 for the year.

More animal handling as part of my training

Today was the 7th and 8th animals I've handled for Julie, the Animal Keeper in the Meta-Zoo, who is in charge of all the animals.  She must see us handle the animals to OK us signing out the animals for classes.  Even though we've handled them in class, she must OK us herself.

The first animal we handled today was the Andean Milk Snake.  While this is not a picture of us, it's about the same size as the one I handled today.  They're given to us in a pillow case tied up, and in a Tupperware Container.  We need to open up the pillow case, take the snake out, present him to someone to touch, put him back, and tie up the pillow case.

The other animal was a Chinchilla.  They're pretty fast, so you crack open the case just wide enough to put your hand in, make sure you have a good hold on him before you open the case wide enough to bring him out.  He was a little skittish today and kinda hard to hold. He would settle down some after being out for a couple of minutes.  These little guys are pretty fast and hard to catch if you let them get loose.  They're actually a lot smaller than they look because their fur is so thick.


I'm scheduled to work this Saturday at the Santa Safari.  The first hour I'll be in the Young Discovery Room in the MetaZoo Holding a Bearded Dragon.  The second and third hours I'll be in the Herpaquarium by the Komodo Dragon.  I think I'll be holding a Ball Python there.  You don't need to be part of the Santa Safari to go to the Zoo and come by Saturday.  The hours I work are from 10:45 thru 3:45.  See you at the Zoo!

Louisville Zoo Docent Graduation Day

Yesterday was finally Graduation Day!  I received my Diploma, Shirt, and Badge and am now an Official, Decent Docent.

Here I am getting my 'Diploma' from Doug McCoy , our instructor.

There were 25 of us. A couple of them were not able to make the Christmas Party.  This was a fun group to work with, and the Mentors who helped us get through all our projects were all nice and always available for support.  I'd never notice until the whole group got together that the men were a very small minority.

My official Docent Shirt and Name Tag.  I still have to stop by the front office and get my picture taken for my badge. 
While I'll learn a little more every time I work, my official training will be over this afternoon when I handle my last 2 animals for the Meta-Zoo Animal Keeper.  I have to go over at 2:00 today to handle a Milk Snake and a Chinchilla.  This will just involve getting them out of their enclosure, presenting them for someone to touch, then putting them back.  I've done this in class but she wants us to handle the animal for her so she can sign us off on her list and then will let us 'Sign Out' animals, for either classes or Outreach programs.  This is just the final step for me to be allowed to sign animals out.




So, the whole program has really been fun and interesting.  I can't believe how much I've learned about animals, and it's made me aware of how much more I need to learn in order to teach the different classes offered at the Zoo. 
This past Saturday I worked at the 'Santa Safari', manning one of the check in stations.  For two hours I worked at the Orangutan table, talking to people about the Orangutans.  I worked with another Docent who was very knowledgeable about them and learned a lot.  Then I worked for an hour at the Herpaquarium, presenting a 'White's Tree Frog' to the people and telling them about it.  That little critter was wanting to jump and was hard to handle.  After a while I finally just left him in the container and showed him to people that way.  He was satisfied just to be left alone in his container, so I left him there.  At the Santa Safari, children and their parents get to meet Santa upstairs in the Gheens room, then they leave there and make their way to 10 checkpoints throughout the Zoo getting stamps on their 'passports' at each location.  That way, each checkpoint can tell them a little about the animals at that location while stamping their passports.  It was pretty interesting, and I got to learn a lot.  Santa Safari continues through this next Saturday and Sunday, but I'm not signed up to work that.  I may sign up for some of it while I'm at the Zoo today.  We'll see.

The year is winding down, but still time for a few more rounds of Golf!

I got in round 62 for the year today.  We played Iroquois GC today.  A little chilly, but the sun was shining.

Don't you just love Winter Golf?  It was about 32 degrees when we teed off about 10:30.  I think it climbed to 40 degrees or so by the time we got done.  I was in the last 3-some of 4 groups today.  I don't know why it takes these people so long to play.  We were over 4 1/2 hours. 

I hit the ball well today considering this was my 2nd round in the past 4 weeks.  Only one hole did I hit the ball poorly, resulting in a triple bogey.  My poor scoring was the result of poor putting.  I bet I 3putted 10 greens today.  I shot a 40 - 45 = 85.  My handicap of 10 netted my down to a 75.  We didn't win any money today.  I think my lack of play caused my poor putting.  I had a lot of long putts that I either ran well past the hole, or left well short.  Then, missed my next putt.  I will say ,though, that a got a lot of them close!  A few lip outs.  But, still, berry, berry, poor putting.

Oh well, I don't think I'll be able to get 9 more rounds in to tie last year.

And Speaking of Christmas.......

Weren't we speaking of Christmas?  Well, I thought we were.  Anyway, I've found something that I can put on my Christmas List.  I would like to be able to spend the night at the Zoo on the Night Safari's they have, so I thought an air mattress would be nice to have.  Twin Size.

While this is in no way the type I really want, it's a picture of what I'm talking about.  Something that goes on the floor and provides me with a little cushion while sleeping.  I've seen some at WalMart, w/carrying case for right at $20

And, a handy-dandy rechargeable air pump.  They were a little pricey, as far as I'm concerned.

The ones I saw were upwards of $30.  You may shop around and find one cheaper.  If not, I'd be satisfied with one that plugs into the wall for power.  However, not one that plugs into the cigarette lighter, as I couldn't use that in the MetaZoo.

So, right now, that's all I can think of to put on my Christmas List.  Unless you'd like to have my name engraved on my Most Improved JV trophy.

Ye Olde Flaget H. S. Trophies

After talking with Billy Ralston this past weekend, (Billy was 1 year behind be at Flaget), I decided to dig out my old football trophies.  He said he didn't Letter as a Freshman in football and had never heard of the "F-Man" Trophy.  This was a trophy you received when you Lettered 4 years in a sport.  So I took a picture of it and sent it to him via email.  This all came about because of the 50th anniversary of our State Championship in 1961, as mentioned with team picture a couple of posts ago.

Lettering as a Freshman I received a Letter, that was it.  Then, as a Sophomore I received a Sweater w/letter, then a Junior, a Jacket w/letter.  This trophy was given to Seniors, instead of a Letter, who'd Lettered 4 years.  That wasn't done very often.  In order to receive a Letter you had to play a certain amount of minutes in games.  It helped me a lot that my Freshman and Sophomore years we had very good teams.  So the 'mop-up' minutes were fairly plentiful.
I also noticed that the trophy I received for Most Improved JV didn't even have my name on it!  But, it was presented to me at the end of the year Banquet.  Also, the F-Man trophy has the years 1961, 62, 63.  It didn't have 1960 on it, which was my first letter year.  I don't know why that is, either.
I asked Billy in the email if he thought these might be welcomed at the Flaget Museum.  If they don't go there, when I'm gone I don't think anybody else would want them.  So I may have to check them out.  But, if I do that I just might take that plaque someplace and have my name engraved on it.  What the heck.  People might as well know who the "Most Improved JV" was in 1961.  By the way, even if I keep the plaque, getting my name engraved on it might be a nice Christmas Present from someone.

A little more metal detecting

I metal detected again today in the same area I detected a couple of days ago.  I find it a little strange that I found 3 dimes and 9 pennies a couple of days ago, and today more of the coins were quarters.  It was the same field, just a different path up the field.  It's a fairly clean field, not a lot of tabs or can-fetti, so it's fun to hunt.  I still think there may be something worth finding over there, so I'll be back.  I don't know what used to be there before the Zoo was built.  If there were some homes there, or just a field.  Anyway, I'll probably go back a few more times to see if I can dig up anything.

Metal detecting, first time in a long time!

I got out to metal detect today for the first time in a long time.  I didn't find much, it was cold, but it was nice to get out.  I found 39 cents, a top of a silver plated spoon, and some pieces of a broken up metal figurine.  I don't know what kind of metal it is, but a magnet won't stick to it.  I think it's either pot metal or lead.  It's very heavy, so I think it might be lead.  The larger piece, you can see an ear and flowing hair.  At least, that's what it looks like to me. No idea what it used to be when it was whole.  Could have been part of a lamp, door stop, fireplace cover.  Who knows.  I think there were more pieces in the area, but once I found the large one and several small pieces I figured that was enough to tell me it wasn't worth digging more.
I detected in the field in front of the Zoo.  Actually, beside the Zoo parking lot between Illinois Ave.  I saw some older kids throwing a football around there the other day and figured that it was an open area used by people, and might have something worth finding in the ground.  I figured if the Zoo didn't want me to detect there they'd come out and tell me.  Nobody bothered me.  The biggest problem is that there is no place to park.  There's no parking along the Zoo side, so I parked on the street in front of some one's house.  The lanes aren't very wide, so to get around my car you would have to drive in the other lane.  But, it wasn't a very busy street.  I think I'll try there again.

Flaget H. S. Football State Champs 1961

50 YEARS!  It's hard to believe it's been that long.  I just got a phone call that they're honoring the 1961 Flaget H. S. State Champs at the State Championship football game in Bowling Green, Ky., this Saturday.  I declined to attend, but it would have been nice.  I wish it was being held at Papa John's Stadium in Louisville. 
I was only a sophomore at the time and not a starter, but it was my second 'Letter' year.  I lettered as a Freshman and was a 4 year Letterman in Football.  I did contribute to the season.  I kept one of our Shutouts alive.  While I only played 'mop-up' minutes', I intercepted a pass in the Trinity game on the 10 yard line late in the game when they were driving for a score.  So I feel I had a major part in the number of 'shut-outs' that team had.  That year I won the "Most Improved" JV player trophy.
My Flaget football career had a major setback the following year.  When our starting Fullback was still recovering from a broken ankle, I stepped in to the starting roll pre-season.  While playing a pre-season game at Seneca Park I broke my ribs on a play up the middle.  Several plays after I left the game, the Sophomore Fullback who took my place broke loose for a 60 yard touchdown!.  By the time I recovered from my injury, the starting Senior Fullback had returned and the Sophomore 'Phenom" had jumped ahead of me to be the back-up.  That left me out in the cold.  I talked with Coach Miller and we decided it would be best that I move to the End position.  That's how my Junior and Senior year resulted with me being an end, and why I was wearing #46 in the picture, but as a Junior and Senior I was #83.  Offensive End was a tough position for a guy playing without glasses and was as blind as a bat.  I played much better at Defensive End than I did on Offense.
So, knowing my number now, can you find me?  OK, 2nd row from the bottom, 2nd from the right.

Practicing with our new Camera

I took our new camera to the Zoo today to both
practice using the camera and to get better acquainted with all the exhibits.  I tried a few close ups and zoomed pictures to see if they were sharp or blurred.  I think this snake came out pretty good.  I don't remember for sure what he was, but was some type of Tree Boa.  I put the lens against the glass and snapped this one.

This was brought up a little closer than he really was.  Looks pretty good, doesn't it?  This is Walker, the male Giraffe who is the father of the new baby, Amani.  The older baby was just shipped off to another Zoo a couple of weeks ago.

I took about 30 pictures.  A lot of them were of the placards in front of the exhibits.  This is the type of stuff I need to know.  So I figured I could just brows through my pictures and read the placards to study up.  This one is the Mhorr Gazelle.  There are no more of these in the wild.  And, they're not breeding well in captivity.  These beautiful animals are expected to be extinct in our lifetime.  I think the plaque is sharp enough to read.



The new camera has 14.1 megapixels.  Our old one had 3.2 megapixels.  I guess this has a lot to do with the clarity of the pictures, because it takes about 10 times longer to download these to my blog.  I would have put up a few more of them, but it just takes too long. So, in the future blogs, they may have fewer pictures, but the quality will be there!

Playing my last round at Long Run GC

My experiences at Long Run GC has been much like my experiences at Steak and Shake.  I've never had a good experience at either place.  So, I'll state right now, I'll never play Long Run GC again, no matter what comes up.

I played with Brian, Kevin, and J. R.  Even playing bad and hating this course that's always in terrible shape, I still had a nice time playing golf with them.  I shot a 48 -47 = 95 for my 61st round of the year.  I had 71 rounds last year, so I have 10 more this year to catch up.  Don't think I'll make it.  It has been 2 weeks since I've played.  That may have had something to do with how bad I played.  But mostly, I believe the fact that I hate this course played on my mind more than anything, and the whole time I'm playing thinking " Why the hell did I agree to play here?"  The fairways were bad, the greens were shaggy and rutted.  And to top that off, our cart barely made it in to the clubhouse.  The battery was almost played out. 

Oh well, enough complaining.  By playing terrible, that made me hate the course just that much more.  So, I'll let it be.  But, I'll never play there again!

Thanksgiving for Grampy!

The family came over, to visit and eat.

Everyone came, it was quite a treat!

Nana was late, but it was not her fault,

The East End Tabler's arrived before they thought.

Oops!  Go and get Nana, it just slipped my mind.
Mark made the trip, and put them behind.

The big dinner was eaten, with gusto and zest!

Erin and Jillian got their pie before all the rest.

When the big feast was over, all sat back and moaned,
but poor old Grampy in the kitchen to scrub all alone.

The dishes were piled to the ceiling with care,
for they knew that Grampy was scrubbing out there.

So I washed and I cleaned, til the dishes again shone,

Then they all said goodbye, and headed for home.

So that's how it is, Mimi fixes the meal,
I get stuck with the dishes, that's the whole deal!


Naw, that's not exactly how it went.  We all had fun, great to be with the family.  Erin and Jillian got their piece of pie first because I promised them they could have as big a piece of pumpkin pie as they wanted, and could put their own whipped cream on it.  So we had to get it first just in case the wanted a really big piece.
Other than Derby Day, I have to believe this is my favorite day of the year.  Only having fun with the family and eating.  Doesn't get much better than that!

"A Taste of Kentucky" at Chance School

Mary Lynn and I went to Chance School today to visit Erin's Classroom and to go to the Fun Room to see Jillian's project.

We first went to Erin's Classroom for their "Taste of Kentucky".  Erin made a big pot of "Kentucky Burgoo".  Each student made something of Kentucky Flavor for sampling.  Ky Fried Chicken, Country Ham on Biscuits, Hot Browns, Derby Pie, and a host of other items.  I couldn't quiet sample everything, but I tried.  It was all very tasty!

As you can see, there was a lot of food.  I'm pretty sure this wasn't Erin's first time through the line.  I think the dessert table was hit several times by her.

Then we went to the Fun Room to see Jillian's project.  Her Class is studying the Earth and how it was formed.  Her project was a Cave.  She made this cave and told everyone about the Stalactites and Stalagmites, Columns, Bats, and how those  things are formed.  The yellow paper on the right front is a flashlight shining into the cave.

She stood by her cave as people came by and explained  the cave system to them.  I was very impressed by how well she spoke up and wasn't a bit shy about it.