vacation

I took a ridiculous number of photos while we were at the lake — about 3 gig worth, if you have to know. Not all of them were keepers but the nicest part about shooting digitally is that I can shoot the same subject over, and over, and over, and over, and just show off the one that turned out well.

Highlights of this batch: lots of good osprey photos and a wee tiny female ruby-throated hummingbird in the trees.

Chopper and I went with my parents to Lynchburg, Tennessee this Saturday to attend the Jack Daniel’s 18th Annual Invitational Barbecue championships, a veritable smorgasbord of pork, beef, and chicken carnage. The event was a hoot — not only did we get to eat some of the yummiest barbecue I’ve had in years, we got to see the population of Lynchburg go from a few hundred to 25,000. The fall foliage was on full display and I took a ton of photos, which I’ve got available for your viewing pleasure. For the maximum effect, start with the first photo and work your way through, hopefully enjoying my witty commentary.

Chopper and I went whitewater rafting on the French Broad near Hot Springs, North Carolina for our ninth anniversary. We have loved Lake Lure, near Asheville, for years, and specifically the Lodge on Lake Lure and make a point to head up at least once every year. We had talked about rafting for a while and, since I am a complete chicken, we decided to go tubing to start out a little lighter. So, I found an appropriate place for tubing and call for a reservation, and lo and behold, somehow, I ended up making a reservation for rafting instead. I decided this was a good idea and Chopper was amused.

When we arrived the next day, I had worked myself up into a considerable state of high anxiety and then my beloved spouse told me the joke. Ha, ha, they thought we made a reservation for tubing, but we missed the trip, and now we’re going rafting.

I was not amused.

Chopper alternately tormented and reassured me on the bus trip to the put-in spot. By the time we got there, I was a wreck. However, we got in, shoved off, and I had a fabulous time. We had a terrific, knowledgeable guide, and beautiful weather for the trip. I did not fall out of the boat (yay).

Chopper hasn’t said I told you so, which is very good for his health.

We took a predictably low-caliber but useful waterproof disposable camera, so we do have some photos for your enjoyment.

I’m visiting my parents in Huntsville, Alabama for a few days and we spent the day at their cabin on Lake Guntersville. Dad and I headed out on the boat for a while and spotted a number of critters, mostly of the feathered variety. Notably, we saw two, maybe three ospreys at close range. One, we discovered to our delight when viewing the photos, had a fish in its talons!

Now, before you view the photos, let me explain the first photo a little better. On our way down to the cabin, I spotted a fairly ordinary looking car wash of the drive-in and do-it-yourself variety. On the end was a room labeled DOG WASH, containing (perhaps not surprisingly) a man washing a dog. I have never seen a do-it-yourself dog wash like this, but I suppose the dog should be glad that this consisted of a tub and sprayer rather than a series of rotating brushes on an assembly line.