Summer of fun
I'm at Shirley's now and it happens to be Michael Box' birthday, July 22,2010. Today Shirley showed me how to make new folders for my pictures, so I have been making dozens of folders and sorting my pictures. My most recent camera download had 333 pictures from several states. I also deleted the really horrid pictures of me. (chuckle).
I am going to write my timeline of vacationing sort of backwards. I came to Shirley's through Sedona and Jerome, but they gave me the "been there, done that" vibe, so I took some pictures, grabbed a couple of cactus buds and rolled on into town.
The last place I visited before Shirley's was Tupelo. MS, the birthplace of the King of Rock N' Roll, Elvis Presley. I went into the little 2 room home his daddy had built. His dad's real hat hangs on the wall. The furniture is not original because they had to hock that, then they lost their home. Elvis twin was stillborn and his mom couldn't have kids after that. On the grounds they also had the little church Elvis used to go to where the pastor actually taught Elvis to play the guitar his mom had bought him down at the hardware store. They have an abbreviated mock church service in there with movie screens on three sides so you feel like you're participating in the church service. There is a chapel there which was built by fan donations. It is full of stained glass windows. I took a lot of pictures for my future music room. I bought guitar picks at the giftshop and a photo of Elvis when he was 3 yrs old. I was on my way to Graceland when I was driving through Tupelo and remembered it as his birthplace. I went to the MS information building and got the brochures and put the address in my garmin and was there pretty darn quick. I went to the drugstore where Gladys Presley bought Elvis his first guitar. Also they had guitars around town that were painted with scenes, etc., like the Seattle pigs, and I tried to get as many photos of them as I could. The sky had turned black and the wind came up and I ran around trying to get the photos before the sky opened up. I had driven through 2 storms on the way across the south from Todds and this one was pretty bad too. I headed out of town.
My brother Tom showed up my last day at Todd's and he had to work that night and was disappointed that he hadn't gotten to take me out on his boat, so I held off leaving Todd's and went out gator hunting the next morning at 7AM with Tom. I helped him launch his boat and he was surprised that I could still do it. Getting out early was great. We got to see a lot of alligators. I was so excited when I saw a big one stand up and run into the water. Tom said that's a rare occasion. I took pictures of whatever gators I could and also took pictures of trees reflecting in the water.
Todd and I had gone before that to see the manatees. He thought we would see gators at the nature preserve, but the water was filthy and nothing would want to live there. We got to the
river and saw dolphins, but no manatees. Then we saw a cluster of people on the other side who were taking pictures so we drove around to that side and there were manatee families frolicking in the boat docking area. Todd had never seen that. THere used to be so many people the manatees wouldn't go near there. They are like alligators in that they don't surface for very long, and if one end is up, the other isn't. I think I got a few nose pictures and body shots, but not much. It was awesome to see them though.
Todd and I went to the gift shop at the alligator farm. He picked out an alligator claw back scratcher that looks likes it's giving you the finger. We went to a convenience store where Todd knew they sold alligator heads cheaper than at the alligator farm, so he bought me one. I took pictures faking the gator was biting my neck. I also bought a circular boney thing that's a part of the allligator's back, but not his spine. They have they circular ridged bones all over the top of their backs. During mating season they shake their backs to make a loued rattling noise and roar. (I wonder if that's where shake, rattle and roll came from. That's when I'd be saying, "see you later, alligator.")
Tyler played the guitar a little bit after Todd bugged him for a couple of days. He's pretty good with heavy metal. He's got a friend sharing his room so he doesn't practice much. He needs to learn that you practice for yourself and you should not stop for anyone. (I learned that the hard way.) Erika is a beautiful girl, but doesn't know it yet. She does still look like Trudy in ways, but she also looks like Elizabeth Taylor. She's her own special self. She got left back this year so she'd be with her good friend in a lower grade. She's been left back twice. Tyler is going into his second year of college. We just celebrate our kids differences and hope for the best.
Todd's wife Christine smokes about 2 packs a day. She is using an inhaler quite a few times daily now. Her birthday is the 25th. I sure hope she makes it, and gets some help if she has trouble with it. I quite on Halloween 1996 and I my lungs are very healthy. She has a good job and is doing well. She used to be in management and is working her way up again. I've always liked her.
I was trying to leave Beaver Dams at a reasonable time, meaning before the summer got going. The hangup was that my mother wanted me to come get my baby grand piano she had left me and I contracted with 2 different piano companies who left me in the lurch. I finally found a company whose owner lived in Seaford and he was a handshake-gave-my-work guy. I will use Gentil Movers again if given the chance. Got to eat will post again later, alligator.
I am going to write my timeline of vacationing sort of backwards. I came to Shirley's through Sedona and Jerome, but they gave me the "been there, done that" vibe, so I took some pictures, grabbed a couple of cactus buds and rolled on into town.
The last place I visited before Shirley's was Tupelo. MS, the birthplace of the King of Rock N' Roll, Elvis Presley. I went into the little 2 room home his daddy had built. His dad's real hat hangs on the wall. The furniture is not original because they had to hock that, then they lost their home. Elvis twin was stillborn and his mom couldn't have kids after that. On the grounds they also had the little church Elvis used to go to where the pastor actually taught Elvis to play the guitar his mom had bought him down at the hardware store. They have an abbreviated mock church service in there with movie screens on three sides so you feel like you're participating in the church service. There is a chapel there which was built by fan donations. It is full of stained glass windows. I took a lot of pictures for my future music room. I bought guitar picks at the giftshop and a photo of Elvis when he was 3 yrs old. I was on my way to Graceland when I was driving through Tupelo and remembered it as his birthplace. I went to the MS information building and got the brochures and put the address in my garmin and was there pretty darn quick. I went to the drugstore where Gladys Presley bought Elvis his first guitar. Also they had guitars around town that were painted with scenes, etc., like the Seattle pigs, and I tried to get as many photos of them as I could. The sky had turned black and the wind came up and I ran around trying to get the photos before the sky opened up. I had driven through 2 storms on the way across the south from Todds and this one was pretty bad too. I headed out of town.
My brother Tom showed up my last day at Todd's and he had to work that night and was disappointed that he hadn't gotten to take me out on his boat, so I held off leaving Todd's and went out gator hunting the next morning at 7AM with Tom. I helped him launch his boat and he was surprised that I could still do it. Getting out early was great. We got to see a lot of alligators. I was so excited when I saw a big one stand up and run into the water. Tom said that's a rare occasion. I took pictures of whatever gators I could and also took pictures of trees reflecting in the water.
Todd and I had gone before that to see the manatees. He thought we would see gators at the nature preserve, but the water was filthy and nothing would want to live there. We got to the
river and saw dolphins, but no manatees. Then we saw a cluster of people on the other side who were taking pictures so we drove around to that side and there were manatee families frolicking in the boat docking area. Todd had never seen that. THere used to be so many people the manatees wouldn't go near there. They are like alligators in that they don't surface for very long, and if one end is up, the other isn't. I think I got a few nose pictures and body shots, but not much. It was awesome to see them though.
Todd and I went to the gift shop at the alligator farm. He picked out an alligator claw back scratcher that looks likes it's giving you the finger. We went to a convenience store where Todd knew they sold alligator heads cheaper than at the alligator farm, so he bought me one. I took pictures faking the gator was biting my neck. I also bought a circular boney thing that's a part of the allligator's back, but not his spine. They have they circular ridged bones all over the top of their backs. During mating season they shake their backs to make a loued rattling noise and roar. (I wonder if that's where shake, rattle and roll came from. That's when I'd be saying, "see you later, alligator.")
Tyler played the guitar a little bit after Todd bugged him for a couple of days. He's pretty good with heavy metal. He's got a friend sharing his room so he doesn't practice much. He needs to learn that you practice for yourself and you should not stop for anyone. (I learned that the hard way.) Erika is a beautiful girl, but doesn't know it yet. She does still look like Trudy in ways, but she also looks like Elizabeth Taylor. She's her own special self. She got left back this year so she'd be with her good friend in a lower grade. She's been left back twice. Tyler is going into his second year of college. We just celebrate our kids differences and hope for the best.
Todd's wife Christine smokes about 2 packs a day. She is using an inhaler quite a few times daily now. Her birthday is the 25th. I sure hope she makes it, and gets some help if she has trouble with it. I quite on Halloween 1996 and I my lungs are very healthy. She has a good job and is doing well. She used to be in management and is working her way up again. I've always liked her.
I was trying to leave Beaver Dams at a reasonable time, meaning before the summer got going. The hangup was that my mother wanted me to come get my baby grand piano she had left me and I contracted with 2 different piano companies who left me in the lurch. I finally found a company whose owner lived in Seaford and he was a handshake-gave-my-work guy. I will use Gentil Movers again if given the chance. Got to eat will post again later, alligator.