FALL IS HERE

Fall

You know fall is here when the first frost is on the lawn, when the leaves start to change from that green to the vibrant shades of golden yellows and orange , to the sunset reds and browns like the sands of the beach. You also know when Fall is Here ,when you see pumpkins , ghosts and goblins, and kids Treat or Treating. When most people have packed their shorts away and the long pants are the style. when the steam rises from the heads of the players in the cool of the nighttime football game. You know Fall is Here when you see the harvest displays with bales of straw,pumpkins and Indian corn displayed through out the neighborhood. But I know Fall is Here when it is down to the final Cross Country Track Meets that are being held all around the country. I just love to run . Running is something I got into twenty or more years ago. Running was a way that I could stay in somewhat of a decent shape though the winter months when it was too cold to ride the bicycle. Over recent years I have been a little more dedicated to the running than that of biking tho I still love both. Just that time allows more opportunity for running , where biking take 3-4 hours for a good ride you can get a good work out running in just one to one and a half hours . This morning I went to Milliken Park which is a spacious area just about a mile north of town and about a mile from home that is owned by Roger Milliken who opens this beautiful grounds to the public. On the campus ,if you want to call it that , is about every species of trees you can think of . At this time of the year The Fall the colors are just breath taking.This was the setting for the Southern Conference Cross Country Championships. So thought I would post some pictures of the event .

Click on pictures to enlarge



These guys and gals are fast... as a matter of note
I went back to the course today and ran the 5 mile men's course... Now the slowest male runner finished in just under 30 minutes . I ran the course in 1 hour and one minute... I was over twice as slow as the slowest male runner..
Like I said These Guys and Gals are Good....GWH

A Trip Back in Time (John dela Howe 2008 Reunion)

This Saturday started a little different than our usual Saturday. Lois and I were waiting on Cindy to arrive for our trip to John dela Howe School for the 25th school reunion, which happens to be 5o years since we meet every two years and was started with the first in 1957.

This is not a reunion just for one class but a school reunion for anyone that was ever at John dela Howe, students, staff, friends and just about anyone who would like to join the fun.

Most Saturday I go for a run with some of my friends and fellow Running Club members and Delores and Cindy go to yard sales for their Saturday morning venture. Cindy arrived and she was elected to do the driving . After a stop at Hardees for breakfast we were on our way to John dela Howe School for a bi-yearly school reunion

Arriving at the school we registered and were given our name tags and a roster of Alumni members . I met some of my old classmates that I had not seen in 50 plus years . After looking at a lot of photographs dating from the twenties to the present day and finding some of my old classmates and friends from long ago later went to the dining hall for lunch.. The Old Main Building





Original Old School Building

After lunch we walked around the campus and saw some of the buildings . Later we had the business meeting which lasted about an hour and finally ended with a gathering on the front steps of the Old Main Building for a group picture. A little time was spent talking with all the old classmates and friends we had made during the visit. Then we headed home . I was just a great day and one we will remember for a long time....




Here are some photos of the day

This is Palmetto Cottage where I

stayed for several years




This was an ice sculpture of the
school's logo



Reunion picture 2008

Bird Watching on the Deck.

The Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis, is a medium-sized thrush found in open woodlands, farmlands and orchards.
Adults have a white belly. Adult males are bright blue on top and have a reddish brown throat and breast. Adult females have lighter blue wings and tail, a brownish throat and breast and a grey crown and back. Eastern Bluebirds are found east of the Rockies, southern Canada to the Gulf States and southeastern Arizona to Nicaragua.
The bright blue breeding plumage of the male, easily observed on a wire or open perch, fluttering down to the mowed grass to capture a grasshopper, cricket or beetle makes this species a favorite of birders. The male's call includes sometimes soft warbles of jeew or chir-wi or the melodious song.
That is the encyclopedia definition of the eastern bluebird. My definition is a little different .
To me the bluebird is one of the most colorful bird in the bird kingdom . He is smart , energetic, hard worker , protective , and very devoted to family.

Once you have the bluebirds take up resident in your yard the joy begins. Watching the male come and pick a spot for the nest , which in our case happens to be one of the bluebird houses that we have place in our yard. Early in the spring when the male first appears watching him searching around the area for the best house to show his prospective mate hoping she will say yes and accept his offering . If she does she busy herself with the chore of building the nest and laying and hatching the eggs. All this time the male is busy supplying the food to the female.

This is the time that we really enjoy the birdwatching as the male is busy supplying the food while the female hatches the eggs. Several years ago we started helping them out by feeding them what is known as meal worms we buy from the local bird supply store. We place a small dish on the rail of the deck in which we have put some worms. Watching the bird as he goes back and forth feeding his mate while she is on the nest you observe the devotion he has . This goes on till after the eggs have hatched and till the birds leave the nest. You have heard the old saying

" When the bird leave the nest" or something to that effect , meaning that when you leave the nest you are on your own. Well that is not the case with the bluebird. The male will still feed the chicks while at the same time taking them to the safety of the bushes or trees near by. We put the worms out and he will come down and get his beak full and fly to the trees where the chicks are waiting with open mouths. Over several days the chicks venture farther and farther away . I don't know how old papa bluebird know but he is able to keep track where each is located and take turns feeding each. Soon the chicks come down to the dish of worms themselves and sit there while they are still fed. Slowly as if a light is turned on they start to peck at the worms . At this time you know it will be just another day or so and they will be on their own.. But the birdwatching is not over . Much to our delight the bluebirds will have two and sometime three broods a season that is the good thing about My Favorite Bird . The Eastern Bluebird they are here for the entire summer to enjoy...

Mema , Andrew , Ashley and Christopher at the Beach In line for dinner ...

Family Snapshots

Click on picture to enlarge


Delores and Gaines
1955

Delores and Gaines at Donnie's and Madaline's in Welford 1955

Gaines and Delores


Suzanne , Andrew and Terry

Cindy , Kerrie, Ashley and Rick
Gaines and Stan #9 and Melvin Hill Rd.

Gaines and Jeff at Melvin Hill Feb. 06

Mema , Christopher and Papa
Christopher

Andrew and Christopher at Woodfin
Golf Course

Mema in the kitchen


Old school building at John dela Howe

Kerrie

Top L to R

Gaines 1959 ,Tom and Gaines in front Barber shop 1984

\Bottom Ashley and Delores . 1985 Gaines at the start of The Mount Mitchell Ride.1993

Ashley 1974 Bottom Picture Gaines front friend back... 1995 Max Patch near NC/Tenn Line

Two Special Visitors

A few days ago we had the pleasant suprise of a visit from one of our friends(Evelyn) and she brought a another visitor with her BEAR is his name . Can't describe Bear so will just show you the pictures of this little rascal.

Mema and Bear

So Evelyn you and Bear come back again our door is always open....Gaines and Delores

The Construction Is About Finished

Preparing for a days work...

Bob hard at workWell the construction has enter the last days I hope. Bob a neighbor of ours has taken the job of painting the parts of the house that we feel like needs to be painted to finish the construction or the destruction of the wall that stood between the den/kitchen portion of our house. This project started a week or so before Thanksgiving and is about to be finished here the second week of January, but having this kind of work done you learn not to get in a hurry , just sit back, take a good breath and wait. When you are dealing with , the contractor and he has sub contracted the electrical , the cabinet work, and the floor work , you learn to be patient , because they work on their time table not yours . This will be the last blog on this venture. I will show picture from the start to finish. All in all I guess the job went on a scale of 1 to 10 I would give it an 8 so which is not bad for this kink of project.

Before Mema's Dolls in the living room side of the wall

Before the Den /Kitchen wall

After the wall is removed from the Living Room side.

After from the Den/Kitchen Side

So after about 2 months of the house being upside down we have decided to take a few months off from the construction business and give it a rest. We still need to do some (or have some ) work done on the hall , but that can wait till spring when we can get outside while most of it is going on... So until then will see you in the Spring.... on the next home improvement venture.