Fresh Fruit

Sue's First Strawberry


Photographed 4/06


Sue harvested her first strawberries Saturday evening. Not many, only three but they were very sweet - a good variety.

I'm sorry for not posting as much to all of your blogs lately. I've had a return bout with the flu and for a few days could not bring myself to the computer. To top that off I added a new and rather large graphics program and had software and memory issues. I think these have now been solved, so I hope to be more timely with my post. I tried to catch up on everyone's today, sorry if I missed yours.

I'm still having to use a walker to get about but, there's improvement and I hope to be back to just a cane by this Friday. I look forward to that because the walker takes both hands making it hard to do much else. You cannot carry anything including anything to eat or drink.

Sue is in town all this week but, she has a business dinner Monday night and super early meeting the next morning. She'll have to be up and going at 5am to be there on time. She is taking Wednesday off. It's our 20th wedding anniversary. It's hard to believe its been that long. I can still picture her standing in front of the priest with her bright lilies looking so beautiful. I wish you could have seen the smile on my face!
Wild Rose


Photographed 4/06


The last photo is a wild rose that was growing by the roadside. I saw it on a recent drive. I think it was once an old home site.

CITY PHOTO - The Buford Hatchery

The Street Sign


Photographed 4/06


A street sign lets you know you're at the Buford Trout hatchery. The Buford hatchery is one of several through out the state run by the DNR (Department of Natural Resources). There function is to stock the public lakes and waterways with fish for anglers to enjoy.
Information Board



Photographed 4/06


The Buford Hatchery sits on 38 acres adjacent to the Chattahoochee River about a mile downstream from the dam on Lake Lanier. The hatchery grounds are open to the public and tours are given every Sunday at 1 pm.
The Trout Runs


Photographed 4/06

This is one of the trout runs. The hatchery raises about one million trout per cycle. These fish range in size from fingerling to legal sized keepers and even a few of the trophy size (10 lbs) for release into the Trout Waters of Georgia.


Electric Fences Surrounding the Runs


Photographed 4/06

The trout runs have electric fences around them to discourage raccoons and opossums from turning them into open fish markets.





The Trout


Photographed 4/06


The type of trout raised by this hatchery are Rainbow, Brown and Brook. The brown are the only trout thought to be native to Georgia streams. The Rainbow and to a lesser extent the Brown have flourished in the colder Trout Waters of Georgia. Freshly caught trout make a great meal.
Wildlife Observation Areas

Photographed 4/06


With its location next to the river and the Family Fishing Pond, which is a beaver built pond, there are many chances to spot local wildlife and migratory birds. It's a favorite location for hawks in the area. There are several walking trails on the property for visitors to enjoy.

Fly Home

American Goldfinch



Photographed 4/06



Well, The doctor says my hand appears to be healing. A couple of more months should do the trick. That's good news, even if the whole reason I made the hour long drive to this office was to tied up for me to use. Now I have to go back again in two weeks but, he assures me they will have time for the test then. It just kills 3-4 hours of my time in the middle of the day,

Blue Grosbeak (female)

Photographed 4/06



More good news, Sue's trip to Minneapolis got put off until a later date. She'll be home in time for dinner tomorrow night. That's much better than late Friday night. I'll have to come up with some special for dinner for her and flowers of course. Lilies are getting to be hard to find around here. When we were first dating and lived in Athens, GA there was a place called Blooms of Holland. It was a great place to get fresh flowers. They had all kinds of lilies and other Dutch flowers. The last time we were there they now sell only to weddings - guess that's where the big money is,

My hip is better today, not as painful. I still need the walker to get around. It looks as if I was a little optimistic in thinking I would be back to just a cane by week's end. It's more like next week's end. They've decided to give the fistula a couple of more weeks before using it. Most likely for my hands sake.

My cleaning numbers have not been as good as they would like to see. This means I have to be hooked up to the machine at dialysis 30-40 minutes longer each time. Now it's a little more than 4 hours at a time.

Thanks for dropping by.
Mark

Fly Away

Carolina Chickadee

Photographed 4/06



Yes, Sue has flown to Phoenix on business. She left about 1 pm our time and just called me about thirty minutes ago to say she got there and had no trouble.

It sad because I'm already missing her. My dinner was not the same without her here to talk with. I occupied my time this afternoon shooting birds at our new feeder. It was one of my birthday gifts from my parents.
House Finch


Photographed 4/06



The birds found it in no time flat! I thought it would take at least a few days for them to see it.
Tuesday I go to the surgeon for an update on my hand and the fistula. Sorry about the lack of post lately. I had a return of my flu friend, complete with a fever, chills and upset stomach. I was just dragging and couldn't bring myself to get on the computer. I'm feeling much improved today other than the hole in my heart that opens up when Sue is away on a long trip.

Cheers to all!
Mark

CITY PHOTO - Dahlonega, Georgia

Dahlonega's Country Music Festival


Photographed 4/06



Dahlonega is a small town about 15 minutes north of my house or about 45 minutes north of Atlanta. It sits in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and is now the home to many artist. Their works can be found in the many shops and galleries that surround the downtown square.
The Country Music Fest

Photographed 4/06


Dahlonega's was first known as Licklog as it was an area where deer came to drink.

The word dahlonega means gold in the Cherokee language who were the native inhabitants of the area.

Benjamin Parks was hunting deer here in 1828 when he stumbled on the purest vein of gold in the world. The cry of Gold! brought fortune hunter from all over.
Country Music Fest


Photographed 4/06



In 1832, the U. S. Began plans for a mint. By the time the mint was completed in 1838 the gold rush was mostly over. Over the next 100 years men would continue to search the hills and streams for gold but, no commercial quantities of gold would be found again.

Country Music Fest



Photographed 4/06



Dahlonega Has many bed and breakfast inns close by and is just minutes away from many scenic mountain views. It has become a favorite with tourist from Atlanta, all over Georgia, the U.S. and even the world. There are many fine restaurants to enjoy there as well.

Lily for My Friends

Photographer 2/06




This photo is for all with a love for lilies and flowers. They were illuminated by the natural light of a late winter sunset.

Together

Mr & Mrs Cardinal






Sue and I have seen this pair of birds for about two years now. In the photo he watch out for her as she takes a bath. She had done the same for him moments earlier. I do believe these birds mate for life.

Both our parents had their 50th wedding anniversaries in the past month. Sue and I will have our 20th anniversary May 3rd and if Sue and I live long enough we too will celebrate our 50th in 30 years too.

I'm not saying divorce is a bad thing, It could be the best thing to ever happen, although it may seem like it at first. No one should stay in a bad marriage if there is no hope it will change. Absolutely not if there is ANY physical harm or mental abuse.

It's not to say we never have some disagreements, we do. We always manage to work them out and move forward together.

As I'm typing this with my one finger method, Sue is preping for her trip to Phoenix on Sunday and Minneapolis Tuesday evening. Isn't work travel fun? - NOT! I'm already starting to miss her and she doesn't leave until tomorrow around noon.

Just as the birds in the photos, I watch over her and she over me. We are a team together for ever. When we both were single we wondered if we would ever meet the "right' person. We were not looking at the time. It was an accidental meeting of chance but, things grew from there.

Field of Dreams

Arkansas Rice Field






When we lived in Stuttgart, AR I had a 60 mile one way commute three day each week to Little Rock. I would pass these fields and be inspired by their stark beauty and wonder whose field of dreams this was? The farmer who planted and nurtured his crop. His children who would hopefully benefit from his labors. The company who would buy, mill and sell the rice to other businesses or was it just me, the one who got to see the beauty in these fields. I guess it was everyone's who came in contact with the field. Each could take away a part of the field in their dreams.

I think it's this way with many people. One may plant the seeds for his dream but others may also enjoy the fields that grow from these seeds.

I am making a new effort to see and enjoy the beauty of the simple in life. Hopefully I can capture some of this in my photos and share his with others while I still can.

I know I'm never going to have millions of dollars or invent some fantastic creation. I know I'll never be a professional photographer but I can share what I think represents simple beauty.

Life - Is It Ever Fair

A Barn in North Georgia

Photographed 4/06



Life, is it ever really fair? I sit here this morning typing with one finger due to my recent hand troubles. My view is through a large triple window unit overlooking our deck and back yard. It's a beautiful sunny day outside. Tomorrow is my birthday. Things should be good or getting better.
Another Barn

Photographed 4/06


I'm sitting here waiting to go to the emergency room at the local hospital. Early this morning I fell on the hip I fractured two years ago. At that time they drilled into the shaft of the leg bone and put a pin in my hip to repair it. It was a great job and I suffered no loss in my range of movement.

It's about four hours later and I'm back from the hospital. Some good news, no new fractures just a large deep bruise at the crux of my pelvis. The treatment is ice packs for two days and try not to put weight on it for the next five days, This plus a supply of pain medication should help I'm told.
Still Another Barn

Photographed 4/06

Sue had to be at work this morning because a group of "big wigs" from the new company,Cargil, were coming to meet with her today and tomorrow. She has dinner with them tonight too so it was important for her to be there.

My Mom and Dad were going on a short trip but instead came here to help out again. I feel really bad about having to ask them to come here again. They have been so good about helping us out but, I can't seem to do anything for them. It's not fair to them that they have to keep spending their time here.

These barns are from a very recent drive near my house. They were on a side road I pass by quite often but had never been down. We decided to take it last Sunday to see what was on it and that's where I found these.

CITY PHOTO

Sorry, no City Photo for today. Blogger isn't uploading my photos again. This is becoming tiresome. I'll try again tomorrow.

Mark

Our Easter Day At Home

Arizona Blazing Sun



Photographed 4/06



These are some of the plants Sue set out yesterday. I love the colors of the Arizona Blazing Sun. It caught my eye in the garden store because it was so colorful.



Georgia Blue


Photographed 4/06


It was Sue who noticed the Georgia Blue. Its a ground cover that should remain an evergreen in our area. If not the leaves should turn a bronze in the late fall/winter. It looks so delicate but you should be able to walk on it without damage to it.

Sue's Strawberry Pot


Photographed 4/06


I bought this strawberry pot for Sue last year but then we could find no strawberries to plant. We took no chances this year and purchased the strawberries as soon as they were out.








Strawberry Blossom

Photographed 4/06

Our plants already had some blooms and several small berries on them. WE got quite a few berries 2 years ago. There's nothing better on a weekend breakfast than home made waffles with whipped cream and fresh picked strawberries.

This is how we spent our Easter at home. Dinner was grilled steak and onions with rice and salad. Sue surprised me with an egg custard pie for dessert. It's one of my favorites that I can't indulge in very often.

All in all it was avery nice way to spend the day.

Have a good day.
Mark

EASTER

Sacrifice


Photographed 8/05





I thought it proper to post this image at Easter. I hope this does not offend anyone. It was once censored at another site by the moderator because it offended his Jewish background. This is however a Christian holiday and therefore this post reflects that. If you are offended, I'm sorry that you have so little tolerance but, too bad. The world is full of things we may not like. Hopefully we learn to deal with them in a positive way.
Spring Flowers I

Photographed 4/06

Sue bought some flowers to plant in our deck boxes and some strawberries for her strawberry pot this morning after we went to the post office. Tomorrow she'll plant them.

it's almost time to update my bio with my new age. I can't believe I've made it to 47. When I was younger all I hoped to do was make it to 35. That was easy. I was still in good health then with all my body parts. Now, I don't know if reaching 47 is a blessing or a curse.

Spring Flowers II

Photographed 4/06

Easter is a time of hope and that's all I have and need. Here are some more spring flower photos.

Taxes II

Peanuts Drinking Water



Photographed 4/06





This is peanuts one of our pets. We call him that because of his love for peanuts. He will eat a whole bowl in one sitting. He's a thirsty little fellow. Kind of like the Federal Government drinking from my pocket it never seems to get enough!

Yes, the taxes are finally done and this year they want more. It's the first time in 10 years we owe them. I can't believe we owe them more than we've already paid but after reviewing it several times the answer was the same. We'll get back several hundred dollars from the state. This isn't a good birthday gift. Last year we got back a little more than $1,600 and I had planned to use this years refund to buy a Nikon D200. I guess it will wait until next year now. Oh well, I guess the government can use the money for the school systems to teach classes in Spanish so children don't have to learn English.

We didn't dye ant Easter eggs this year - a first. We usually always dye eggs and hide them around the house. We've both been either too tired or busy to get to it this year. Maybe tomorrow we might still get a chance to dye a few.

We now have several hummingbirds using our feeder. They're a little skidish so far this year. Last year I could stand by the feeder and they would come right up to it. They most likely will again as time goes by.

The hand hurts more now. I don't know if that's good or bad but, it is getting more blood flow to it. I can't believe I'm still suffering effects of the flu. I'm getting periods of low fevers, occasional chills and aches quite often.

Tomorrow is going to be beautiful with much sunshine and temps in the low 80's again. We'll take a short drive somewhere, maybe to the mountains or even south of Atlanta. We'll just let the truck decide where to take us.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND

CITY PHOTO - A Sight from Doraville, GA

King Kong Motors



Photographed 4/06




I know this is not a great or even good "city photo", but when I saw it I knew I had to get a photo of it. It's just so silly.
When I first saw this I laughed. Why King Kong would endorse used cars I do not know. I don't think I would purchase one from him. lol

HAPPY EASTER

Fresh Flowers for Sue


Photographed 4/06




I'm looking forward to the long Holiday weekend. The weather is going to be great with lots of sunshine and temps in the low 80's. That's just perfect for an Easter holiday.

Sue will get back into town tonight about 8 pm and it'll be wonderful to have her home again. I still have not completed our tax returns yet. I've got a few small items to go over but I'll make the Monday midnight deadline.

Sorry for the lack of post lately, I just haven't felt up to the task. I feel a little better today. I slept very soundly last night. I think that had to do with the pain medication I took just before going to bed. My arm was hurting so much I finally gave in and took some. During the day I can keep my mind busy and control the pain that way but at night my brain tends to dwell on it, so the pills are helpful.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and a Happy Easter.
Regards - Mark

Surgical Update

Phlox in Our Yard


Photographed 4/06





Other than starting two hours late my surgery today seemed to go very well. It will be another two to three weeks before they can evaluate the final results. At the present I can't tell any difference. I think my hand feels warmer but, I think that's just hopeful thinking on my part. My arm does definitely hurt at the moment, They gave me an Rx for some pain medication. I'll try to wait until bed time before taking any. Bed time is fast in coming tonight as I am very tired at the present time.

Sue arrived home safely about 7;00 pm this evening and leaves again tomorrow afternoon. So she will be here to sleep next to me and that's a very comforting thing.

Lots of things to do tomorrow - Get my truck inspected and then get new tags for it. This is a process they can take up to several hours depending on how long the lines are. Because we live in a metro Atlanta county emissions testing is required before the county will issue the tags. I see it as just another way to collect a fee from us.

CITY PNOTO - Decatur Pt II

View into the City



Photographed 4/06



The city of Decatur was founded in 1823. It is the second oldest municipality in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the seat of DeKalb County. There are 18,000 residents of Decatur and during the day about 24,000 people are in Decatur to work.

The courthouse square in downtown Decatur is located on a rise of land where two Indian trails once crossed.

Decatur was incorporated December 10, 1823, and named after Stephen Decatur, a Revolutionary War naval hero.
New Condos in the City


Photographed 4/06

Early residents rejected a proposal by the Western and Atlantic Railroad to make Decatur a major stop on its new line in the 1830s. The citizens did not want the noise, smoke and confusion, and turned the railroad down. The railroad thus moved seven miles west to a small settlement called Terminus. Which later became Atlanta.

Steve's House

Photographed 4/06

Housing prices in Decatur have risen dramatically in the last ten years. Prices for the new condo units pictured above start at $235,000USD for a one bedroom unit. My friend Steve's house is typical of those in Decatur and now run about $325,000 for a two bedroom to around 675,000 for a four bed two bath dwelling. The county has the second highest tax rate in Georgia. While a very trendy place to live, it's expensive.

CITY PHOTO sans Photos

Once again photos are not loading. This makes it very hard to complete the CITY PHOTO post with no photos. lol My thought was to get a jump on things before I left for the hospital this morning but, I guess that will have to wait now. Maybe by the time I get home things will be in working order.

CITY PHOTO - Decatur, GA

An Outdoor Cafe







This is part of what used to be the city square only it's no longer a square. An underground Marta rail line now cuts across the old square. It's a nice area to take a walk and enjoy the small shops and eateries that have moved in here. There's quite a mixture of food here., anything from southern bar-b-que to Indian and Greek. Here's a British Pub a block away and all sorts of sandwich places near by.
The Dekalb Co. Courthouse





Decatur like so many small Georgia towns had the courthouse located in the central square. In the last 10 years Decatur has grown to an unbelievable amount. There's all kinds of new construction going on, mostly condos now. Decatur is popular because of it's closeness to downtown Atlanta Parts of Decatur actually lie within the city limits of Atlanta. How this is done, I'm not sure. My friend Steve has a house about 7 blocks from the square and pays taxes to Dekalb Co, The city of Decatur and the city of Atlanta too. It's become an expensive place to call home.

More on Decatur tomorrow.

New Time, Same Place

Barn in B&W and Color




Photographed 3/06



Things are always changing. My surgery set for Wednesday has now been moved to tomorrow. I found this out when I called to confirm the time to be there on Wednesday. That’s actually good because I don’t have to change my dialysis appointment now.

Sue flew off to Denver this morning. She and the sales rep are meeting with the world’s largest manufacturer of provolone cheese. She is there to help one group with hydrocolloids and tomorrow it’s another group with lecithin questions.

After that it’s home for the night and on to Minneapolis the next afternoon to meet with the people at Cargil headquarters for a couple of days.

I’ve put a new link on my site to Karen’s Place. She’s a photography friend I met at the Porter’s Board site. She too lives in the Atlanta area and has some wonderful images. I’m sure she’ll be posting some on her blog very soon. So take a look and welcome her to blogging. at http://karenspix1.blogspot.com/

Speaking of Porter’s, I have become a little disappointed with them lately. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a great site but, lately I haven’t received much response to photos I’ve posted there. It seems that if you’re a new member you garner a lot of attention but if you’re an older member they don’t have time for you anymore. It’s that or I somehow have managed to offend some of the others but, I don’t think I did. Oh well, it must just be me.

Photo for today another old barn with color added in Photoshop.

The Cat Sleeping - Not Me

North Georgia Barns









I'm unable to sleep again. All I do is flop around in the bed like a freshly caught flounder on the hook. It keeps Sue awake and disturbs Miss Kitty too. She tries to sleep at the foot of the bed.

It's quiet here tonight. Unlike last night when we had some very powerful thunderstorms with a great amounts of lightning, wind and hail. We lost a tree in our back yard to the storm. The wind snapped it off about twenty feet off the ground. Luckily it fell away from the house and into the wooded area.

We made sugar cookies last night to carry to our friend Steve's house today. He craves sugar cookies they're one of his favorites. He lives in Decatur, Georgia another suburb in the Atlanta area. I hope to take some photographs there for the city photo section.

I'm still playing with my income taxes, moving forward ever so slowly. Eight more day to go before they're due - that's two days before my birthday, what a gift they are! If everything goes smoothly this week I might even make it to my 47th year. God, I am almost fifty. I still remember getting my drivers permit like it was yesterday and that was at fifteen. Oh well, tempus fugit as they say.

Photos for today are a couple of more old barns in the Barns of North Georgia series.

I hope everyone is having a great Sunday - Mark

One Thing Leads to Another

B&W Flowers in Color



Photographed 3/06





That song "One Thing Leads To Another" by the 80's band THE FIXX keeps playing in my mind.

This procedure revealed no noticeable narrowing or blockages in the arteries in my left arm or hand. That's some good news but, where does that put us? It puts us back at the hospital next Wednesday for yet another surgery. I think this will be the 8th so far this year.

This one will be to place a band on the fistula to help restore some of the blood supply to the hand. They've told me it will be an outpaient surgery if there are no problems. It's tenetively set for 3 pm. It's a little late in the day for me and it means I'll miss dialysis again. I'll have to reschedule my dialysis for sometime on Thursday.

Sue will be out of town for this one. She's going to Colorado to visit a customer with one of the sales people to answer the technical questions they can't ever seem to answer. Then she flies to Minneapolis to Cargil's headquarters for a meeting. As of yesterday they are no longer part of Degussa but, 100% Cargil. Then she'll fly home Thursday evening arriving here about 8:00 pm.

Mom and Dad will be here to take me and bring me home. The hospital requires someone other than yourself drives you home after any surgery. They're happy to help out and I'm lucky to have them be able to do this.

This is just a little update on things. It's about time for bed,. My dialysis for Friday was changed to 6:30 am tomorrow which means getting up at 5:30 am to eat and get ready. That's much too early to rise on a Saturday for an unpleasant task.

Picture for today is a flower photo adjusted in Photoshop, desaturated and spot colored. I'm just playing around with it.

Everyone have a good weekend!
Mark

Tulips





Photographed 4/06




Well, the taxes are not done but they’re closer to being finished. At least it helps to keep my mind off tomorrow.

It’ll be the same as always. I’ll have to fill out stacks of paperwork for the hospital that I’ve filled out the last six times I was here this year. One would think in this day and age of the computer they would be able to keep a record of this information. I am talking about the basics here – Name, address, phone, person to contact and their info etc. No you must go through this entire ritual each time.

The reason I’m not looking forward to this procedure is the last time I had a nearly identical one done it caused me to have a TIA (mini stroke). That’s something I do not wish to repeat again.

CITY PHOTO, sorry but the flu reared its ugly head again and I felt miserable so no photos for you. Most likely not until Monday the 10th after everything gets back to normal, if there is a normal around here.

Lots of things going on in April here, Mom’s birthday is the 10th, income taxes are due the17th, my birthday is the 19th and Mom and Dad’s 50th wedding anniversary is the 20th. So much to do and so little time. Add to that doctors and hospital visits, Sue being out of town twice before the 20th I feel like I’m just treading water here.

Photo for the day: These are some tulips I found growing beside the road. They have great color and are cheery, I need that and I hope you enjoy them too.

More Test

Pecan Grove




Photographed 4/06




Ever feel like you're on a long journey, you mat be able to see the path ahead just not your destination? That's how I'm feeling now about my whole life. It's like a light fog has shrouded all the answers in my life.

The surgeon has decided now to do another procedure before modifying the fistula. I got the call this morning informing me to be at the hospital at 8 am Friday morning for the test. It involves inserting a tiny camera into a major artery and guiding it into the area you wish to examine. If they find a narrowing they can either do a balloon angioplasty or insert a stint to open that area. After this you have to remain there for four hours and lie very still so you don't open the incision site and bleed to death. Sounds like a great way to kick off the weekend - not!

Just an update on the latest. Now I must begin work on this years income taxes. A chore I was putting off until I felt better but, time is quickly running out to finish them.

City Photo - Cumming, GA II

The Garden at St Brendan Catholic Church





Photographed 4/06



I thought I would show you a little more of things in Cumming from an average day. These are some photos of the church we attend.
Mary


Photographed 4/06


The Church we attend has a beautiful little garden set out in it's parking area. Colorful flowers and small waterfalls invite you to stop and spend a moment to think and reflect. It is so peaceful. It was a very nice addition to the church.

Waterfall



Photographed 4/06


The waterfalls are such a nice feature. Their sounds set your mind into a very tranquil condition. You could easily spend an afternoon just sitting or reading by them.


The Other Waterfall

Answers

A Nice Cup of Lady Grey



Photographed 9/05



Well, by this time tomorrow I should have the answers I need to make an informed decision about my hand. I would wager it will involve another surgery and hospital stay. I'm using my"expect the worse and be happily surprised if the outcome is better mode". This way you can never suffer disappointment if things don't go as well as planned
Cherry Tree in the Mist





Photographed 4/06



We got Sue some new tires today. There wasn't as much fog this morning as they were saying on the news last night. I did manage some fog shots and will post them over the next few days.