Tired Duo

Dudley (the 110 pound lap dog) and his new BFF rest after the big day recently. Dudley has the habit of finding a stuffed friend for a few weeks and carrying around his affection all day, to bed, etc.

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No Country for Old Men Intro--Amateur Version

I snapped a 360 degree video standing on the slopes on the west side of Smoky Valley this past summer. The wind is typical...

Wintering Breed

A male Dark-eyed Junco (or in our area of the country the sub-species are called Slate-colored Juncos) enjoys some seeds on the feeder out back. He has many friends, both feathered and furred, to help out with the task that requires constant addition of new seeds and suet.

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Kids Nowadays

Gee, I remember when nice homemade sugar cookies and milk were always left for the big guy :)

Merry Christmas!!!

Looks like all the girls and boys have been good this year!!!

The photo above is of the tree at 54 Holly on Christmas Eve evening.....the oldest has her own tree now (see photo below) with its presents but the last two siblings here have been rearranging presents under the pretense of "making things look good".....yeah right.

Our MTSU student's Christmas tree.

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Off Road Tandem

On a recent fueling stop, a pair of rugged off road vehicles caught my eye---and heart. I guess you would have had to have owned one of these (in liquid or air cooled versions) to understand. Very cool.

Random Exit Sign

But I truly have to believe they have great margaritas somewhere in town with a local band that plays some Buffett :)

Long Way from Home

Sliding into one of the two elevators at the Hampton Inn in Albuquerque, I was greeted with this spread across the doors when they closed. The "Monument of the States" has rocks from all 48 states (Hey, it was made as a show of unity after attack on Pearl Harbor so Alaska and Hawaii weren't on the list). I've driven by it many times but the last time I actually stopped and looked was ~40 years ago on an elementary school field trip.

Carol of the Bells

The Christmas Choir Concert in Dyersburg is an annual tradition. All of our children have sang at this concert---once all three together. Our two youngest sang last night and, as all parents can, we could pick out their individual voices throughout the evening :) The last piece of music was "Carol of the Bells". Things are doing very well in the Mid-South.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra eat your heart out :)

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Dawntreader and Mini arrived safely

Dawntreader and Mini arrived safely at 54 Holly Lane at 4:15am CST.....

Just outside Oklahoma City

Copse of Giant Windmills

Texas Panhandle

Big Mesa

Small Mesas

Double Decker in New Mexico Mesa Country

Somewhere near the Texas-New Mexico border

Mini and her best friend

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Albuquerque New Mexico

Not taking any directions from Wascally Wabbits!

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Flagstaff AZ

Kingman Arizona

Lake Mead

Sin City

Armagosa Valley

Not sure which would cause more damage....the world's firecracker or what I believe is Yucca Mountain in the background

Heading East!!!

Dawntreader warming up for the voyage home.

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Eastern Glow Passage

Hold of the Dawntreader as she's being loaded....

Happy Birthday Girl

Your mom and dad wish you a smiley, sun-shiny birthday today Miss B!!!!

Crimson Maple Leaf Under Pebbled Ice

Another in the series of still artwork from western Tennessee.

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Happy Birthday Sister!!!!

Just wanted to make sure people reading my blog know that you are __ years old today. I would never tell anyone how old you are :) Have a great day!!

(Helping my little sister since 1968)

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Single Digits

Just a wee bit of morning chill in the valley this morning.

Rolling in the Dough

The two youngest siblings are taking part in a time honored tradition----cutting sugar cookie dough. In a few minutes the other half of the tradition----decorating baked sugar cookies. Neither of these should be confused with the actual eating of the above mentioned cookies :)



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Alert Feral Feline Guarding the Big Fat Yeast Rolls

With the kitchen getting a bit warm with two turkeys cooking, the rolls were moved to the dining room to slow their expansive growth.  They were guarded by the youngest feline who was resting in one of her more favorite spots.  One of the turkeys did go home with the oldest of the BAM crew and I wonder if at some time in the future 4 turkeys will be needed?  We're gonna need a bigger oven!

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Last Batch--Wintry Mix Tonight!

This really is the last batch of green tomatoes from the garden this year. The previous ones were picked but the light freeze only got some of the outer leaves. These will go into the box with a few of the rest....and for those of you who remember that box full, they have been turning red over the past couple of weeks. The little woman has been eating a few but blanching most for sauces and soups. Up to 3 gallon bags worth so far and counting. I took a photo of the intense process below---boil water, dip the fruits for a minute and remove.  Those tomatoes were all green not too long ago!!!!


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Just a few more and then we're done

The large red oak on the east side of the house is nearly done dropping this year's leaves. A prolific leaf and acorn maker, past discussions have centered on the tree's removal but the shade it provides outweighs the annual clean-up.  This warm fall season though has had prevailing winds from the southwest---similar to springtime.  This allowed the dropping leaves to target the pool area as seen below.  The saving grace in all of this is the mulch that I'll get to put into the flower beds over the winter!!
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Foggy Morning over a Leafy Bed

Coming down hot and heavy now!