Andre's Corner

Some highlights of 2011

2012-02-03T15:59:00.000-05:00

I make this little video from some of the activities we had in 2011.

Enjoy and make some comments. Thanks!

New Year's Eve with the Prices

2012-01-30T17:00:00.006-05:00

Family get-together! Always nice.

Was nice to see Angela and Matt again.

Don and Tim were here. George and Georgia, with Angela and Matt. Mama was already here. And Connie and Duane came later. Check blog below.

Yes, we had fun! Food, some booze including Champagne, and fun for the New Year's celebration! And everyone got along nicely.

So much fun we probably need to do this again. Anyone can call it at their place if they want. Family is just...precious! Thanks to all for been here to start off the year.

Connie and Duane in Macon

2012-01-22T20:54:00.002-05:00

We finally get the much expected Connie and Duane's New Year's visit. It was last week end.
As always, we had lots of fun.

No, we did not spend the whole time in the kitchen and eat-in areas like the pictures may suggest. This was just the only time I remembered to snap some quick pics.

They've introduced us to a new game, Farkle. So it was Rook games one day, and Farkle the next. We "rooked", "farkled", ate great food and snacks, some booze, sat in the sunroom while enjoying the birds outside, and caught up on the news of our lifes. That's what friends and family are for. Good times!

Come back soon, hear!

Point Pelee National Park

2012-01-02T20:38:00.001-05:00

These beautiful birds pics were shared by John Kormendy and I'm passing them on. Enjoy!

Birds at Point Pelee National Park

Don't forget to click the link just above this line to view the pictures.

My first Christmas Bird Count

2011-12-21T22:16:00.000-05:00

Have you ever participated in a CBC (Christmas Bird Count)? It will be going on from December 14 through January 5th, 2012. This is when birders go out in the fields, armed with their binoculars, and count birds all day in specific areas. Yes, all day. It's done in small groups.

If you don't know about this, find out at the Audubon Christmas Bird Count site. It's fascinating.

Well, I did my first one last weekend. A blast! My group, led by Dr. Ivey, started at 5:30 a.m. Before dawn, we spotted five (5!) Barred Owls. One flew right over us. Two sat side by side on a tree a few feet from us, hooting.

We were three to start that early. The rest of the group joined us later. And the chase went on all day with a lunch break. We wanted to see as many bird species as possible.

We were 9 people all together in our team, divided in three small groups of 3 birders each. We've seen a total of 100 bird species and thousands and thousands of birds, especially ducks. For my part, I've identified 83 bird species that day, a record for me. I've added four lifers. A "lifer" is a new bird that a birder has seen for the first time, adding it to his life list of birds identified.

If you want to see the list of birds we've seen that day, you can check it out on our site at Ocmulgee Audubon CBC in Macon. All is all, our Audubon local chapter has identified 110 bird species that day and we set several records.

Everyone has a hobby or a passion, I guess. Birding is great and educative! Beside seeing birds, we do spend time in nature and run into other wildlife. It was truly a great day and I'm already looking forward to next CBC.

What do you want for Christmas?

2011-12-02T12:15:00.000-05:00

Sorry, I wasn't really asking you what you want. I'm only writing about a question someone just asked me.

How do you answer that question? When I thought about it I just said "nothing". What I really want is happy and pleasant experiences with loved ones around for the holidays. How do you box or wrap a "happy experience"?

If I really need something, I'll just go buy it if I have the money. If I don't have the money, oh well, I'll just appreciate what I already have. We have plenty in the Western World we live in. But we always want more. Just because it's Christmas? At the end, all these stuff own us.

I feel blessed my kids and wife don't care much about "stuff". We just like to be together and share happy moments. And that's what I'm looking forward to this holiday season.

I'm not going to be the "Grinch" that stole Xmas. Sure, I'll get a few gifts for the loved ones in my life. But after all is said and done, what counts is the happy moments spent together.

Happy Holidays!

This is how to fix Congress

2011-11-26T18:07:00.004-05:00

Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the
best quotes about the debt ceiling:

"I could end the deficit in 5 minutes," he told CNBC. "You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election".

The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple!

The people demanded it. That was in 1971 - before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc.

Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took one (1) year or less to become the law of the land - all because of public pressure.

Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.

In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.

_*Congressional Reform Act of 2011*_

1. No Tenure / No Pension.

A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they're out of office.

2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.

3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise.
Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 1/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women.

Congressmen/women made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!

If you agree with the above, pass it on.

A Sunday afternoon promenade in nature

2011-10-30T21:57:00.005-04:00

It's a nice day. Why stay inside? Let's go for a walk...where it's pretty, in nature.

So we go off. Debbie and I, with Mama and Kelly, off the Oconee National Forest, "Pond 2A" first, then to our favorite spot, the rocks "by the creek". It's actually called...humm...little falls or something like that. Anyway, we call it "the rocks by the creek".

We saw a lot of birds, including 7 Wild Turkeys. Wish I had a gun with me, I could shoot one for Thanksgiving coming up. Just kidding! We also saw a few ducks and a couple of beavers.

The leaves were changing colors all over, and it was just...pretty. You've got to see it to appreciate it.

Isn't it just amazing how the simple pleasures of life with loved ones are so fulfilling? There we were, taking a ride with stops in the forest and having so much fun. If you remember, this is the same forest where we like to go camp. It's a big forest, full of fun and adventures.

Turkeys are just...well, turkeys, stupid. They were just staying in the road. Maybe they knew this was not turkey season. What if we didn't know and we had a bow and arrows! They were so close. OK, we were not there to harm nature but to enjoy it, and we enjoyed seeing them. sigh...just thinking of Thanksgiving, you know.

Grayton Beach State Park

2011-10-07T21:26:00.001-04:00

Have you noticed anything about this beach? Hardly anyone else...except for the shorebirds.
This beach has the prettiest white sand you'll want on a beach, and the colors of the water are just beautiful. Hues of green and blue.

Debbie and Connie made the artwork in the sand. Nice work!
The seats in the background are ours. At times, we feel we have the place just to ourselves. That's where the adults become kids again and play in the sand.

Debbie and Connie in the Ocean.
We had a great time! Pleasant weather, hardly anyone on the beach, nice and very reasonable accommodation, very clean surroundings (owned and maintained by the State).
I hope I didn't tell you where this place is located. It's a "family and close friends" secret. If you figure it out...pssst, don't tell anyone. We don't want this pretty beach to get crowded. Keep it quiet.

Birdwatching with a group.

2011-09-25T18:29:00.001-04:00

Have you ever gone birding with a group before?

"Birding" is what "birders" do when they go out into the birds natural habitats to watch and observe birds, usually seeing a lot more birds than in a backyard. Birders typically have better equipments and are more experienced. We tend to keep a journal of our birding experience and a list of birds we see.

Well, this is how a birders group looks like as you can see in these pictures.

Debbie and I belong to the local Audubon Society and from time to time (once a month usually) we go birding with them. With more eyes and ears, and more experience as a group, we see a lot more birds and learn something new every time.

There are various degrees of expertise in the group including botanists, biologists...and people passionate about butterflies, wild flowers, or just forest trees.

Of course, we love going out birding alone as much as we can too.
If you're not a birder yet, maybe you want to check into it. You might like it!

Labor Day visit at Connie's

2011-09-25T17:57:00.000-04:00

This turned out to be a great way to spend the extended weekend of the Labor Day holiday.

We visited with Connie and Duane after picking up Mama on the way.

The weather was perfect to spend time at the pool the first day. Then came the rain, a perfect time to play games inside, Taboo (a game), and Rook (another game).

As usual, time bassed by quickly. We made the best of it. See you next time!

Camping at Oconee NF

2011-09-13T20:29:00.000-04:00

Hiking in the woods. Debbie.

We went camping this weekend. Was fun and relaxing.

Birdwatching. Andre.

Lots of birdwatching. We were lucky to view some of the migratory birds going through Georgia.


Relaxing time.

A great advantage of primitive camping is simply to enjoy to serenity of the forest. Peaceful and quiet.

Andre in the screen tent.

The weather has been great. Not hot, not cold. Hardly any insects. And at night, a full moon.

What is your real age?

2011-08-30T16:59:00.005-04:00

Do you know your real age? OK, how old are you? What is it based on? From the day you were born to today? That's just chronological. And that's how we typically tell our age. But the title of this post is "what's your real age?". So there must be something more to it, right?


Got a birthday cake for my 50th!

I just turned 50 this month. What's the difference between this month and next month? Or the day of your birthday and the next? Just another day, right? Well, not if you just turned 50 years old. That's half a century! But again, you're not 85 years old walking with a cane. What if you're still keeping up with the 32 years old guys or gals hiking, doing martial arts, or playing basketball and soccer? Ladies do those sort of things too. What do you have in common with the next 50 years old puffing and huffing? OK, you're no longer 30. But, biologically, are you the same age as the man or woman out of shape and tired? Biologically? So, our "real age" is not just in time, or chronological.

So, if you're not 50 years old yet...and you didn't discard this, but you're actually reading it. Great. People who are not 50 old years, or 100, think they'll never get there; but it happens so quickly. You feel you were 25 years old, and it seems just like yesterday. As for me, I'm happy, healthy, and so optimistic about the next 50 years to come. It's gonna be fun. Not just for me, for you too.

You have friends and family! Life is good.

If you're 35, you'll be 50 in 15 years. In other words, when 15 years pass by (which it will) you will no longer be 35, as much as you want to stay young and keep going to Disney World... So, how do you prepare? Take care of your body, your mind, and your spirit. Watch how you use your back. This is the first thing that start hurting when you lift heavy stuff. Ladies with high heels...just don't do it everyday. Bend down with your knees, not leaning forward. We all know that, but don't always do it. You're laughing, because you think this is trivial? Guess what, I didn't do it all the time, and now my back hurts, sometimes, after lifting heavy stuff or after real strenuous exercise...and I'm in good shape. Thank God, that's the only thing hurting, for now.
Do you use cream on face and neck, arms..., regularly? Sunscreen when needed? Again this is not trivial when we're talking about age. Why do you think some people get wrinkles so fast? Take a minute and read on what to do to stay young at an early age. Just Google the subject. This will give you more "mileage".

You have beautiful children who love you. Life is even better!

Your mind is important to take care of. Read good books, books that stimulate your mind. You've got to keep thinking ahead and stay up-to date. I just finished reading "Hot, flat, and crowded" by Thomas Friedman and learned a lot. A must read book by the way. How can we stay sharp mentally if we don't get new and fresh ideas inside our minds constantly? Real Age is more mental than physical. I feel 38, I act 38, I breathe 38, I do what 38 years old guys do, I even look...you decide on that. 38? That was a few years back. (I got stuck on that age). Maybe I need to adjust (mentally) to 40 now. You, my friend,...pick an age, and be that age. Go for it. Stay fit, eat right, and keep your mind sharp.


You have a lovely wife who loves you. You got it made! Happy birthday.

Your spiritual life. You're a spirit in a body. Not the other way around. You need to nourish that spiritual side with what is right for you in your journey. All I have to say here is this. Don't neglect your spiritual being. I have my spiritual life that enriches me greatly. Find yours...and do it. If you're a Christian, keep the faith. If you're a Buddhist, you know what Buddhists do, ... This blog is not about religion and I'm not going to preach any specific faith here. Find the way, on your own, the Truth that is immutable. Your path is not mine and I trust that God will lead you as He has led me.

Now! If you're over 50, let's talk. The best is to come! With all the advances in medical technologies, medicine in general, and geriatrics, it's a safe bet that someone who is less than 60 years old today can live to be 100 years old in 40 years or more. You now have more experience and wisdom. You're more patient. And you probably have already figured out that, in this sphere we're now in, ultimately, nothing really matters. So, you're more (or totally) at peace. (For me, it's in the spiritual and mental realms that truly matters). You love the journey. Being half way through or more, does have some benefits.

Celebrate your life. Stay young in mind and spirit, and you're young!

Today, you can plan and retire in a beautiful country by the beach or the mountains with a reasonable income. This was not possible just a few years back. Today, the world is our backyard. We need to take care of our bodies now more than ever, eating healthy, exercising, and staying connected.

Our real age is not measured in the number of years we've spent on earth. It's more in the way we truly feel in our mind, body, and spirit. We live in a manner that is consistent with the age we think we are. (This is what this whole blog post is about. So, please read the last couple of sentences again). Sure, some people (maybe most) may feel and act in a manner consistent with their chronological age, but you don't have to. You certainly can be younger, or older, than your "age". So, how old are you? Your "real age".

Today, we think, not of having electricity, but finding a way to generate clean, abundant, and cheap electrons to generate clean energy. Computing power is getting greatly accelerated. What will it be in 30 years when we can still fully enjoy it? We see more hybrid and electric cars on our roads today. Do you remember what we used to have 15 years ago? Can you imagine 10 years from now, what you and I will be doing? I can't wait. I'm just so excited about the future.

When you look back at where we where just over 20 years ago, you can hardly imagine where we'll be in the next 20 years. We'll still be young enough to enjoy it. Are you getting as excited about the future as I am? The future is full of promises and hope. Let's embrace it. Sure, there will always be the gloom and doom prophets, exceptionally in this temporarily recessionary times. But you and I know "this too shall pass".

Sure, I'm only 50 years old, and you may be younger or older, but the future is bright for both of us. I'm full of optimism about it. Embrace the future, prepare for it, and enjoy it.

If you liked this post, share it. The icons are at the bottoms. Thanks. ...and you put some comments, I'd love to continue the discussion.

P.S. The pictures on this post were taken from by birthday's "little" celebration.

A Painted Bunting weekend

2011-07-17T20:07:00.002-04:00

Have you ever seen the Painted Bunting?

Avez-vous jamais vu le "Passerin Nonpareil"?. Un des plus jolis oiseaux en Amerique du Nord.

We spent a weekend at Skidaway State Park outside of Savannah, Georgia and saw 4 of these beautiful birds.

Un weekend passé en nature pour observer la nature, surtout les oiseaux...et quelle bonne surprise! Sur 36 especes d'oiseaux observées, nous avons vu le Passerin Nonpareil que nous essayions de voir depuis 3 ans!!!

We've been trying to see the Painted Bunting for the last couple of years and finally saw 4! of them the same day. We were so happy, we would have opened a bottle of Champagne if we were not in the woods hiking. hahaha

Une marche dans les bois qui s'est bien tournée.

The whole surrounding was most beautiful and just pleasant. We were in Skidaway Island near Tybee Island, almost 4 hours drive from Macon. A boring drive but it was worth it.
Can you see the Painted Bunting in the middle of the last picture? Click on the last pic and you'll see the Painted Bunting in the middle of the tree trunk.

A backyard metamorphosis

2011-06-30T21:47:00.003-04:00

Debbie has transformed our backyard into a colorful garden. And of course, we're spending more time there this summer.

All senses are pleased. The lively colors of the flowers, the running water from the fountain, the cute lights, and the birds chirping and singing.

This live bouquet is made in a strawberry pot with various rambling plants. What a clever idea!

You can see more picture at Debbie's Secret Garden
Check it out.

A happy "Father's Day"

2011-06-19T22:29:00.001-04:00

Today is father's day.
Mine turned out to be a happy one. Actually, the whole weekend was a happy and pleasant one.

Kelly and Leah have been working in Atlanta for the summer. Both came down to spend the weekend with Debbie and I for "Father's Day".

They have sweet words and cards for me. Very touching. We told each other how much we love each other again...because we really do love each other, Dad and his daughters.
It is as I've said many time to them, "always have, always will, no matter what".

This picture of the fountain with the "lady and the shell" is in the background of the first picture. It's so beautiful I thought you should have a peek at the pleasant surrounding we've enjoyed this weekend. I know you can't hear the water flowing, or see all the pretty flowers around the set up, with the visiting butterflies, but just believe me when I say it's beautiful and relaxing. The credit goes to Debbie.

This last picture simply shows how relaxing the weekend was. Have I already used the word "relaxing" in this post? Well, it was that much. We even had a nice dinner outside with candles, soft music, (no, we didn't dance this time), and the special touches Debbie adds to occasions. Remember now, we love each other and we like to be together.

It's very rewarding for a man to see his children grow up to become nice and thoughtful young ladies with whom you have a close relationship. I hope for many fathers to experience this blessing.

A few days at Grayton Beach

2011-05-21T22:25:00.000-04:00

Spending time with Kelly and Leah, James and Melba in the Panhandle of Florida.

It always seems to me that the beach by the Gulf of Mexico is prettier than by the Atlantic. What do you think?

It's windy.

The area by the State Park on the beach is typically not crowded. You get to enjoy it a whole lot better.

You can camp in the State Park or rent one of the cabins.

This is birdwatching on the beach, where the birds are watching you.

Nice hat!

Debbie looks relaxed here.

Her favorite place, a quiet beach.

Andre and his daughters

White sand, pretty ocean colors, perfect blue sky.

We've seen a few wildlife during those few days. Beside a decent variety of birds, we saw a small shark in the water, a couple of dolphins, schools of fish, stingrays, and a manatee on the last day. Not bad.

There is also a beautiful "dune lake" on the other side (inland) from the beach. A lake with white sand dunes.

Debbie, Kelly and Leah, the day the water was calm.

I've added a short video just to give you the envy to go spend some relaxing time at the beach. If you're on a budget and you want a quiet and pretty beach, go to Grayton Beach State Park. Shh...That's our little secret.

Storm damage in Cullman, Alabama

2011-05-02T15:27:00.000-04:00

Alabama was hit pretty hard by the recent storm. When nature unleashes its destructive force, very little can stand in her way. We saw it first hand. Instead of me telling you, just watch this short video.

We went to see Connie in Alabama. James and Melba, Ricky and Duane got there before us. I understand that Duane was the first one to come check on Connie. There were down trees all over the place.


Part of Connie's backyard

The Price siblings, with Duane and Jeremy, cut down a lot of tree branches that were hanging and did a preliminary cleanup of removal of the tree debris that were blocking pathways to the house and the driveway. They also removed a good size tree out of the swimming pool! They left on Thursday.

Debbie and I got there on Friday morning to lend a hand. Debbie was a great help in organizing food items and some other practical issues when there is no power. I continued with the outside clean up until Duane and Ricky came back. Ricky went back to work, cleaning the pool. Duane got on phone taking care of logistics.

It's nice to have family around in time of disaster. Everything just seems easier to handle. Connie is pretty strong herself, and Duane was a very good support. But, just the fact to see siblings coming from out of town to help in one way or the other, is certainly a great morale booster. I know Debbie and I were happy to do what we could.

The front yard with the birch tree down

Connie had fallen trees all the the yard. That includes the front yard with the pretty birch tree, the huge mulberry tree in the back is down, the pine, oak, and maple trees were down too, left and right.

At the end of the day, Debbie had a great meal prepared for all to enjoy. No, no time for Rook games that day.

As I was working in the yard, I saw a lot of juvenile birds following their parents asking for food. They seemed a bit frantic to me. The baby Blue Jay was actually cute. A lot of these birds were getting food from the mulberry tree that came down unfortunately. I also saw some picking up nest building materials to start rebuilding. Just like the humans were doing in Tuscaloosa and Cullman county.

Break time! Are you blowing me a kiss?

We caught some breaks, spent some time together, enjoyed Debbie's great cooking, and did a little more work.

While we were still working, Obama came to visit not too far from us. We tried to invite him over but couldn't reach him. I'm sure he would have helped too. Just a little cleaning...with everyone pitching in.

Hey Tiger, it'll be OK.

As you look around after a couple of days, you feel a sense of normalcy returning. No more debris in the immediate areas, the smiles returning, the birds changing from alert stances to more relaxed poses. Connie's laughing again...and a game of Rook!

It's now time to go back home again.

Camping at the Okefenokee swamp

2011-04-24T09:00:00.003-04:00

Finally, we're camping at the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. We chose the Stephen Foster State Park because it's better situated in the middle of the swamp.

You can get some good information on the Okefenokee at http://www.fws.gov/okefenokee/.
Connie has been wanting to visit this park for a while...so there we are. Debbie and I, with Connie and Duane, camping. The park is nice with good facilities i.e. electricity and water at the camp site, and bathrooms with hot water.

You can find a blog post of our trip with a little different in formation on the swamp at okefenokee camping trip.
As always, we enjoyed the serenity and peace of camping, but the Okefenokee Swamp offers something extra. Sure, excellent variety of wildlife including great birding, but also the opportunity to rent canoes or boats and explore the swamp.

We took a motorized boat one day and two canoes another day to enjoy the Okefenokee. Oh yes, the alligators were all over, keeping a safe distance. This is also a great birding place. We've identified a handful of new birds (to us) such as the Swallow-tailed Kite, the Northern Parula, ..., and we enjoyed birds coming to our campsite. The Pileated Woodpeckers and the Red-shouldered Hawks were regular visitors, not to forget the Catbirds, various woodpeckers, and warblers. All together, we've seen over 40 different birds on this trip.

If you're not already enjoying the pleasures of tent camping, you probably need to check this tent camping site out.

The Okefenokee is unique in many ways. You have a dark colored water that reflects the vegetation and the sky like a mirror. (The dark color comes from tannin which actually keeps the water clean).
You'll also find some rare plants here such as the carnivorous sundews. The cypresses, tupelos, water lilies and pines always give a unique feel to the canoe rides through the swamp...

...And as always the great peaceful feel of camping amid a rich wildlife.

Before we knew it, time has passed and we needed to head back after a four-day three-night camping trip. We want to come back to the "land of the trembling earth" as the Indians used to call this place.

Esther's 40th birthday

2011-04-18T06:08:00.005-04:00

The big 4 0 for Esther was celebrated at her house on the 2nd of April. All the Coquerels were invited but only those in the U.S. made it to the invitation for obvious reasons.

How nice! It's been a while since we all got together like this. It always seems that we like to see each other when we meet. The children of the children of Papa Coquerel are teenagers and young adults now. How At 40, Esther is looking great. Young and beautiful, not to forget smart and dedicated.

Taking turns, Jacques and I (I'm Andre) shared encouraging words and memories about their sister. Jean-Luc gave the blessing. Emanuel, Esther, and their children prepared some delicious dishes for all to enjoy.time quickly time passes by!

The drink? They also had drinks but then it seemed that everyone had the same idea. "I'm been invited...let me bring...a bottle of wine!". So, we ended up with more bottles of wine then they were wine drinkers in the group. We all forget to think about who actually drinks in the family. They will be...well, I won't say. Not too many.

Phoebe's Mom was there as you can see in one of the pictures. That was nice. She is always good company. I'm guessing she doesn't want to miss Chloe's arrival. Chloe is going to be the new addition in the Coquerel family, to Phoebe and Jean-Luc. We can't wait to meet her.

It was nice to get together. Let's do it more often.

Camping doesn't always go as planned.

2011-03-22T22:31:00.037-04:00

It's good to be prepared when camping. You just never know.

Things usually go as planned while we camp. Sure, there are glitches sometimes. Such as on our first primitive camping when we got caught up in strong winds in the middle of the night and ran for cover to the truck. Big mistake, stay in the tent. You actually anchor it that way. That was at Big Lazar Wildlife Management Area. We've learnt a lot since then.

Well, nothing really happened on that trip..except a little excitement in the night...the wind, an animal walking around the tent while we were trying to sleep, and earlier that night, me trying to scare off an animal. I couldn't see it but he growled at me. Of course, I growled back as best as a "half scared human" could. I couldn't run, he would chase me, so I ran him off. ... It was all fun, and we considered it our graduating camping test.

Check this site out if you need to be prepared too tent camping.

We went camping this past weekend in the Oconee National Forest. And for the first time we had to abort and come home earlier. Yes, camping doesn't always go right.

We've never come home earlier. Instead, I remember when we were enjoying the peace and quiet so much that we stayed another day. And that has happened more than once. Now, we prepare to stay one extra night/day, just in case. So what happened, you might ask?

Everything was going fine. The Whip-poor-wills are singing their heart out in the night. These are night birds that eat insects and they have a unique call. It goes like this "whipowill, whipowill, whipowill...". And they can carry on, especially when they've just migrated back and are looking for a mate. Here is a picture for you, courtesy of Lloyd Spitalnik.

by Dmitry Benbau

Did I say everything was going fine? We saw the most beautiful moon I've ever seen in my life! It was big, stunning, all white and bright. I pointed my binoculars toward it and ...wow! I saw things I've never seen before such as holes, long crater lines, shadows of hills or whatever they were. I knew this was unusual so I checked it out when we got home and sure enough, the super "perigee moon", not seen since March of 1993. You needed to be at a place without all the lights of the city to really appreciate it.

The next day, we heard a helicopter and an airplane sounds in the distance close to our camping site. We saw smoke, and then ashes falling from the sky. A forest fire, not one of those induced and controlled burns by foresters. A real bad forest fire.

by Lloyd Spitalnik

We were just enjoying the birds, the peace and serenity. Some pretty Pine Warblers were around among other cute birds. See the picture of the Pine Warbler?

Debbie suggested we pack up and leave. I started taking down our station...and the sky cleared. Pretty much.

We enjoyed the rest of the day, made a nice campfire, enjoyed the moon again. This time it looked more like a harvest moon. Still big, and a different color. Go figure. White one day, reddish the next day.

Time to go to bed around 10:00 p.m. We doused the fire, and we couldn't believe what we saw next. Smoke all around our area. What a surprise.

We went to the tent. As I was getting ready to sleep, Debbie suggested we go home. Go home, in the middle of the night? How can we take down all these tents in semi-darkness, tired... Well, are you married? Then you know about not arguing with your wife.

I was sure the smoke would clear, but I would hate to be wrong on this one. So, I asked "you really want to go home?" "Yes", came the reply. We took down everything in the night (remember the full moon? came in handy), packed the truck. At 11:30 p.m. the smoke was still there, no wind to blow it away. Now, I'm really happy I kept my mouth shut. She was right.

This is how our site looked before we took it down. (This picture is not from last weekend, but all the same elements were there).

Packing everything was easy because we knew where everything was. Be prepared, learn tent camping. Now, we can say that we took down our whole site in the middle of the night in semi-darkness. That's our "black belt in camping".

Enjoying nature can be a family affair

2011-03-15T22:11:00.001-04:00

Children learn from their parents. Usually. What's better than to go for a walk a nature. It's beckoning us to come and smell the fresh air, listen to the water running, and watch the birds.

This is just what we did this past weekend. It was nice. The trees were blooming, the butterflies were out, the migrant birds were coming back. We saw some Purple Martins.

We went to the Little Water Falls at the Piedmont Wildlife Refuge. Didn't we go there just a weekend earlier? Oh yes, it's never the same, and there are a handful of places in nature we go to regularly. And when Kelly and Leah are there, it just doubles the fun.

The water is still running, making a nice waterfall. It's cool just to sit by it and listen to the water. This is a pretty place. I'm sure you have pretty places like this near you too. Make the time to go if you can. Take the kids with you, if you have kids. It's best to start early. That way they want to keep going later.

We all had a good time and we can't wait till next time.

An afternoon at the Piedmont Wildlife Refuge

2011-03-06T21:07:00.001-05:00

What do you do when you're in love with nature? You're right! You go visit her. And she puts up her prettiest colors for you. She lets her pretty birds sing for you. She shows you the trees getting ready for spring, and the little miracles she knows how to perform. Just look.

We paid nature a visit this afternoon, and she was happy we came. We saw no one else visiting at the Piedmont Wildfile Refuge. We felt she was a bit lonely. She blew us kisses through the cold breezes. At first it just felt like a cold wind to us then we realized that Nature was just caressing our faces. Ok, calm down now, Mother. Show us some pretty birds.

Have ever seen Purple Martins and Tree Swallows performing their dances over the water? Nice, very nice. They make their acrobatic dances and swoop over the surface of the water, tirelessly. We were not sure if we should be clapping or not.

Do you see the raging water in the last two pictures? Well, we were here last fall and we could walk all over the place. Now, a beautiful waterfall. The background made us look like we belong...so we took some pictures. Have you noticed the natural green carpet of moss being laid in the 1st picture? Sure, I'll sleep there. But no, thanks, I'll bring my own tent. I'm not sleeping on the carpet. Just kidding, no camping allowed there actually.

All in all, it was a pleasant afternoon. We saw flocks of birds, some may be migrating back north (the ducks). We drove through the Refuge (sort of protected forest) and stopped whenever there was something interesting. We walk also, of course. That's part of birding, taking a walk in nature, isn't it?

Nature is beautiful. Go pay a visit sometimes.

A weekend of gardening and birding

2011-02-28T23:24:00.001-05:00

This weekend went by quickly. It was nice and we took full advantage of it.

Saturday was the day for gardening. We did more preparation work in our small backyard. We're expanding our garden this year. It's amazing how much a person can plant in a small space if done correctly. What do you prefer to have? A lawn to mow every weekend or a vegetable garden for fresh produce?

This basket of vegetables is from our garden, but from a previous year. We'd like to enjoy the same fresh and tasty vegetables this year too.

If seems like we got a head start this year. The secret? We follow our own advice from our gardening blog. Here is the post for you too gardening activities in winter. It felt good to see the fruit tree nicely pruned, the tools ready and clean, vegetables already germinating from early seeding inside the house... you just need to read the article to see what I'm talking about. Debbie came up with a new design idea for the enlarged garden.

After the gardening work on Saturday, we grilled and sat outside to enjoy the rest of the day. Yes, we had a few well deserved drinks too...in moderation.

Sunday. Later on in the day, we went out to the Bond Swamp for a two-hour birdwatching.
We love the Bond Swamp because it always so quiet out there. As usual, we were the only people there, which is quite alright with us. The birds were quite active. We saw a good variety of Woodpeckers, from the Pileated to the Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers. Also a fair amount of Song Birds. We appreciated them all.

Birding is such a relaxing hobby. We love it, and we're getting better at it too. I have an ebook on my outdoors blog to get anyone started in birdwatching. You can check it out if you want. It cost about the same as a 6-pack of beer (yes, I'm selling it), and here is the link: getting into birding. Maybe we'll go out birding together one day...and you'll be prepared.

Back to the woods. It was amazing to see how the trees started having buds, and some are having new leaves already. We even saw a few butterflies. I picked up a book at the book fair on butterflies this Friday for a dollar. (There is a book fair once a year in Macon by the "friends of the library" where you can get books from 50 cents to a couple of dollars for most of the books). Maybe I can identify these butterflies next time I see them. They come to the gardens at the house too. We'll see how that goes.

This is picture from the Bond Swamp, but from a previous visit.

Kelly came over in the afternoon and we set up on the back deck for some pleasant and relaxing time together. It was simple but nice. Debbie took some plants and flowers out of the sunroom to the deck, and we good some music going, some snacks, a card game... I wish you were closer, you could have joined us.

Did you watch the Oscars? Well, we watched most of it. It was getting too long, as usual.

Ok, that's it for now. I hope your weekend was good too.

Our first camping trip of the year.

2011-02-22T23:28:00.001-05:00

Our first camping trip of the year came earlier than expected. We're in February and it feels like we're having an early spring. Such a nice weather for a winter month. Just what we've been waiting for, the first opportunity to go camping.

Off we go...to the Oconee National Forest where you can enjoy a weekend of relaxing camping in the woods. All by yourselves.

We were totally set up within an hour and half from the time we reached our location; tent, dining/sitting tent, bathroom, chairs and tables...everything around well organized. Then we sat down to relax. And it hit us. Oh gosh! that quiet, that peace and serenity that keeps bringing us back.
All we could hear were the birds around us. As usual, some were singing, and some were just playing, chasing each other around like kids do.

We did have a visitor. We heard it (him, her?) walking loudly on the dead leaves, going through the woods around our camping site. We wondered what it was. A deer, a bear, a bobcat? Maybe a coyote? This could be a good story to share: there we were, in the huge Oconee Forest, minding our own business, then came this big bear walking behind our camping site with his cub. He wasn't afraid of us. So we approached them both. The cub was a little shy. We made friends and they came back that evening to enjoy the camp fire with us... Oh no, it was just an Armadillo! No interesting bear, not even a deer. And there I was, hoping for an interesting encounter.

At least he did his routine at daylight on our first day of camping. Every evening since then, this armadillo will make his round shortly after dark. Maybe he didn't want his picture taken again. Can you see him in this picture? Not very photogenic.

Besides the armadillo, we did hear a pack of Wild Turkeys going through the woods almost every day we were there. They came very close to our camp the first day. We thought we could see them, but nada.

Then comes the nightfall. Glorious night! Lift up your head and look at the starry night. Even with a full moon, the sky was lit with bright stars. We tried to remember the different constellations. We need to brush up on that. We were almost directly under the Orion Belt.

Beautiful campfire, quiet night, full of stars...what else do you need to enjoy camping? We even had some Earl Grey tea that first evening. Just to warm ourselves up. The nights were cool. The Whip-poor-wills and Chuck-will's-widows have gone to South America for the winter (these are nightjar birds). We did hear the Great Horned Owl hooting in the middle of the night. Always nice to hear the owls.

We've been at this site before and birds came to visit all the day long. This time, we really noticed less activities. So we went out in the forest birdwatching. No trails. And, of course, we were rewarded. People draw pretty bird pictures in bird books, but birds are actually prettier in real life. When we see them with your binoculars, you'll start to really appreciate their beauty... especially now with their bright colors.

We've identified over 36 bird species and our favorites on this trip were the White-breasted Nuthatches. Our most frequent visitors were the Eastern Towhees. They were the first to call out and sing first thing in the morning, and they were the last to retire for the night. The largest group was the Red headed Woodpeckers.

We spent three nights in the woods and thoroughly enjoyed it, but we were happy to be back home too. We thought of those you could have been here with us, and we missed them. Hopefully, next time.

Birding at Rum Creek M.A.R.S.H. Project

2011-01-28T20:24:00.003-05:00

We went birding at the the Rum Creek MARSH project this past weekend. We were actually going to Lake Juliette when we decided to stop by this place we kept passing by in the past.

If you're a birder, you know when you strike gold. Just like seeing the Scissor Flycatchers in the Ozarks, AK last year. This place is so unpretentious you wouldn't realize it's so rich with waterfowl. You can easily pass it by without noticing.

The sign simply says "wildlife viewing area". Located on the left before the turn to Lake Juliette. The gate is closed and you just park by the side of the road and walk by the large pond, more like a small lake.

Before getting far, all the ducks took off in a startling manner. Wow! So many. Fortunately, they landed further in the middle of the lake. And...

...there they were. Probably 40 ducks. Hooded Mergansers, Green-Winged Teals, Buffleheads, Redheads, Lesser Scaups, Pied-billed Grebes, Canvasbacks. There several of each species. It was fun to watch them dive in the water for food, interact with each other, and move from one part of the lake to the other.

You'll get to see other birds as well. We saw some pretty Pine Warblers, and some cute Golden Kinglets. There were various Woodpeckers too (Red Bellied, Downy, and Red Headed).

Why do we get excited about seeing these waterfowl? They're usually not from our area. They've migrated from way up North and Canada for the winter and they're going back. So, we couldn't see them when it's nice and warm outside. They're on vacation, chilling here till it gets warm again. And they're happy to see some Southerners too. Maybe, that's why they were quacking so loud.

The year in review

2011-01-03T23:31:00.004-05:00

Another year is over. Not so eventful, right? Think again.

Sure, my life hasn't been very eventful this past year. A lot was happening every place else.

I'll start with ...me. Aaaaargh! still on a tight budget...and it's all my fault. Andre, admit it. You could have worked harder, burn the midnight candle and get that new business off the ground like you know how. I know you try and try and try some more BUT when the results are not there, then it's not good enough. And you don't have enough to show for it! And you know it! This is not a game! Andre, it's a life you're living, so...push the envelop in 2011. Got it?
That's me talking to myself and slapping myself over the head. Why?

Because I've reached most of my goals except my financial ones. I just wanna be debt free, that's all. It wasn't that bad though. I was just as happy as the year before, and the year before that. Happiness is an inside job. And you can find it anywhere, anytime. It doesn't have to be as drastic as in the movie "Life is beautiful" with Roberto Benigni...

...Just imagine the 33 Chilean miners getting rescued after 69 days underground. Do you think Prince William and Kate Middleton were any happier than the miners even though it was royalty getting engaged, compared to poor miners in Chile getting out of a hole? Or do you think these guys were any happier than Debbie and me camping at Oconee National Forest after we just spotted two birds we've never seen before...and now, it's late afternoon, and we're eating crackers with homemade paté for snack and sipping on our favorite Merlot? It's hard to say who was happier. All I know is, I was happy! again and again...with the kids, working, birding, camping, relaxing, writing, learning.

It's strange how the year went. A real good thing happens, followed by a not-so-good event. Or vice versa. Sarah Shourd, one of the three US hikers, got released last year. Good. But what about her two friends still in an Iranian jail? No one is even talking about them anymore.

Chile gets hits by a horrible earthquake and shows great logistic prowess and rebuilds quickly. And then they got hit again (with Argentina) just a couple of days ago by another big earthquake. Well, they'll recover. Brazil elects their first female president with a peaceful and democratic transfer of power. Good progress, and yet still today, other leaders refuse to yield power after loosing elections (Ivory Coast for instance).

Remember the big oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico with the "Deepwater Horizon" offshore oil rig? Well, we all thought how horrendous that was going to be on the wildlife in the area. And it turned out not to be as bad as feared. Sometimes we do worry about things that never happens (the oil spill was still bad, and irresponsible). I was thinking about other near misses we had last year i.e. North Korea and the South almost going to war, the near collapse of our financial system...

Talking about near collapse of financial system, I'd said this is the worse recession I've ever witnessed. I know I haven't been around that long, but still. Sure, I saw the impact on people who use to work for me that I had to let go, and they still calling me for work...but then the brokers (mortgage and real estate) going out of business, and then banks going out of business, large corporations going out of business, then cities and counties going bankrupt, and countries going out of business, bankrupt (what do you think happened in Iceland?), even European countries , members of the European Community, having to be bailed out (yes, because they were bankrupt! can't pay their bills). I'm referring to Greece and Ireland this time, and more to follow. Things are also getting better. 2011 will be better for lots of reasons. Keep reading.

The Euro survived, we're experiencing a modest growth that will continue, we responded quickly and saved our core financial system, and overall we remained the only Superpower in the world with the largest economy. Our 15 Trillion Dollar economy is three times as large as China's, just to give you an idea. And we've started leading again with the Dollar remaining the World Exchange Currency. Other countries keep doing good and South Africa just got added to the BRIC group of emerging economies (BRIC: Brazil, Russia, Indian, China), now BRICS.

Some quick personal notes in this year review. My daughter Leah started college and just got her first car! Kelly went to France and visited my brother Eli and his family all by herself. Debbie and I went to Arkansas with Connie and Duane, and we had a lot of fun.

It's rewarding when you put efforts into something you want to do, and then you make it happen. That's how I felt when Debbie and I renovated our sun room ourselves and decorated it nicely. Just paint, caulking, time and elbow grease. Now, we're spending time there watching birds in the backyard. Cozy and warm. Same thing when I got a trophy at the last Taekwondo tournament and later my 3rd Dan for black belt. Yeah!

There is so much more I want to write about but I'm concerned people will be in a hurry to go back to their computer games and Facebook and not read the whole thing. Tell the truth. Ok, I'll skip the World Cup, the blizzards that shut down European airports and stranded travelers just before the holidays, I'll even skip our road trips down to Florida for camping because it was too cold here in Georgia. I skipped even that! with all the interesting things that happened because I just want you to read this.

Now, I need you to do me a big favor. If you read this post all the way to the end, make a comment just to say "I read the whole darn thing". I just need to know if I need to make next year's review shorter or not.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Merry Christmas to everyone

2010-12-23T22:45:00.004-05:00

Merry Christmas to everyone.
I hope this holiday season is a peaceful and pleasant for you and your loved ones.
Enjoy this video clip.

Testing for 3rd degree black belt

2010-12-13T14:37:00.001-05:00

Finally, I've tested for my 3rd Dan (degree) this past week end.
In our Taekwondo school, a student needs to test two times for his or her 1st degree through 5th degree black belt. This was my 2nd testing. I'm glad it's over with.

If you ever wanted to learn a great martial art like Taekwondo with some of the devastating techniques they don't even teach in traditional TKD school, then check out this site:

Taekwondo lessons and self defense.

It all went well. As usual, the packed room at the beginning looks almost empty by the time I do the more interesting parts of my testing i.e. self-defense demonstration, my form (Kae Baek), and free sparring with other black belts. People can leave after their test and, except for the board breaking, the higher belt goes last.

It's fun to practice martial arts. It keeps you in shape and help keep a little competitive spirit. By sparring with people 10 years younger than yourself, you feel younger too.
It's nice to see a lot of people start kaekwondo at our school. Most people never reach the black belt level, and more people quit after getting their first degree black belt. I was pleased to stay with it this long (almost 8 years) to get my 3rd degree. I practiced Judo for 10 years so I feel well rounded now.

Sure, I've practiced in Dojos, and TKD schools, but today, a person can learn how to defend himself (or herself) with step by step techniques. If you're interested you can find out some of the techniques in this tutorial program:

taekwondo techniques and self defense. Click on the link.

Camping at St. Andrews SP

2010-12-04T18:11:00.003-05:00

Camping on Thanksgiving??? Why not? Isn't Thanksgiving a family time? Well, it could be ... a time to give thanks...while spending time with family. (Kelly and Leah were in Pittsburgh visiting with their Grandmother). What if you could go camping (something you like to do very much), with some family members, give thanks while you're there, and (yes!) play some games of Rook at the same time?...and do some birdwatching. I know, you'll pack up and go too. All you need is gas money. You already have the rest.

That sounds like a perfect idea to me. And that's what we did this past Thanksgiving holiday. Oh, the place was full of campers. They all brought their families too. Except for our next door camper from Canada. We invited him over one night to join us at the camp fire. Nice fellow. He was travelling back from the Florida Keys all the the way back to Canada after been in Cuba. Sounds like fun.
If you didn't know where St. Andrews State Park is, I'll tell you. In the Florida Panhandle. Why go all the way there? Because that's where it's warm. And it's cold in Georgia. Except for one windy and rainy night, the weather has been nice. We even went to the beach where people were thoroughly enjoying themselves.

You can read about the windy night and other detail on the camping at www.outdoorstentcamping.com.

St. Andrews is a State Park so we had water and electricity at our site. Nice. This park is big with a Lagoon (looks like a lake to me), a nature trail, a the beach area, a fishing pier, and other things too.

The nature trail was great. It runs right by the lake; so you could see waterfowl birds, wading and diving birds, and Passerines. Out of 45 different birds we've identified, we've seen 7 new birds. We're birders, remember? We've seen fewer new birds this time because we've been at Grayton Beach not too long ago. Both parks are in the same general area.

Having Connie and Duane during this camping trip was just great. They're family (Thanksgiving!) and they're great people to spend time with. They're sweet and if you meet them, you'll just love them. They're good Rook players too.

Our camp site was just by the lake. We got a great view with all the birds' activities and big fishes jumping out of the water.
I'm always surprised when we come back from camping about how we can have so much fun and spend so little money. I guess it's a state of mind. The "happy state of mind". Life is short, don't sweat the small stuff. Enjoy it.

We've seen some very unique things on this camping trip. For the first time in my life I saw 3 big bucks (male deer) together. One was a 12 pointer, the next was a 12, and the 3rd one has 8 points. (Maybe they were on their family Thanksgiving get-together too). How did I count the points on their horns? They just stood there starring at me. I used my binoculars to make sure I counted right. Then I saw them again, a little later. This time Duane, Debbie and Connie were there too. Boy, Duane got excited. He wished James and Carey were there.

We went to the pier by the beach. A handful of people were fishing. It was like fishing in a barrel. They cast their line, pull it right back up, a fish. Then another one, and another one. I stood beside a teenager and when he casted his line, he pulled it right back up, a fish was hooked by his dorsal fin!!! just run into the line I guess. All these people were just throwing the fish back in the water. And there comes one of the raccoons hanging around for easy meal. Some of the fishes were getting stranded in the rocks. That's what the raccoons were going for.

One of the raccoons wanted to try Debbie's shoes on while Debbie was dipping her feet in the water at the beach. (The pier separated the beach from the lagoon.) We saw him on time and chased him away. But then...sorry I can't tell you all. You just have to go camp and taste the fun by yourself.

A walk in the woods

2010-11-09T22:43:00.001-05:00

There are rewards that come with birdwatching. You get to walk in the woods to see the birds. So, you get to see the wild flowers too, and the pretty mushrooms.

I don't know what kind of mushrooms these are, but they are colorful and beautiful. Debbie took some pictures of them.

How do you like this painting of the grass with the flowers, the brushes, and the trees? Isn't it just beautiful? Nature painted it and we took a picture of it...as we were looking at the real version in nature. It still came out as a beautiful canvas but we walked right through it.
We saw several Wood Ducks that day. There is a pond nearby. Maybe one of the best close up views of these beautiful birds. Wood Ducks are one of my favorites ducks because they're so colorful. There were six of them.

After the walk, it was nice to rest a bit and just listen to the birds and the pleasant silence of nature. Yes, nature is quiet and serene but you can still hear it. Very pleasant indeed.

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On our way back, we saw this area off the road and checked it out. Very nice with terraces of rocks and descending levels of water basins. I just sat in that natural seat. This is a perfect place to have a picnic. The sound of the water below is just soothing.

If you ever want to relax, just take a nice walk in the woods. You'll be smiling after

A couple of self defense techniques

2010-11-08T23:09:00.001-05:00

Check out this "simple" self-defense moves. The 3 minutes free sparring (fighting) at the end were taking forever to upload so I trimmed the video clip.

Enjoy!

Monarch Butterflies

2010-10-21T17:09:00.000-04:00

They are in migration...going south of the border. Monarch butterflies. They stopped by the pretty beaches and the beautiful lakes and wild flowers. Some were tired of the trip and fell on the way. Most will make it. If they see a nice person, they'll land on him or her.

Watch the video.

Videos of camping at Grayton Beach SP

2010-10-19T22:35:00.001-04:00

This 1st video shows how we set up camp. It may be a bit boring but I just want you to see how simple and fun it is to camp. And cheap too!

This 2nd video shows you the area around the camping site. This includes the Dune Lake, the Nature Trail, and the beach area. Very nice. Believe me, we enjoyed it.
So sorry about the sounds on the video. I first recorded comments while recording. The sound came way too low, so I recorded a new narration but I couldn't get rid of the old one. Don't know how. lol

Camping at Grayton Beach SP

2010-10-19T21:35:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since we've done a State Park camping. We've been enjoying our primitive camping trips. It's hard to beat the quiet and serenity of those settings.

This time we went back to a State Park. Oh yes, it was nice to have electricity and water at the site. The bathrooms with hot showers were nice too...but you have neighbors. These neighbors were not the owls and the singing birds. I shouldn't complain.

The weather was perfect. The beach with its white Florida sand was beautiful. The nature walk was peaceful and pleasant. And we saw 16 new birds out of about 34 different birds seen on the weekend, not counting the ones we couldn't identify.

We've extended our camping weekend by one extra day because it was so nice. Beside the birds, we got the chance to see a lot of Monarch Butterflies hanging out for a while on their migratory path to Mexico or further south.

A side benefit of camping at the beach in a State Park is that you get to enjoy a beautiful beach that is not crowded at all. And Grayton Beach SP has a Dune Lake as well. One of the only two dune lakes in the world. The other one is in South Africa.

On our way home, we were really having a hard time deciding which type of camping we like best; primitive camping or State Park camping. I guess we like them both.

So...they want to learn Judo

2010-10-06T20:58:00.001-04:00

I just got back from the Tae Kwon Do school where I taught...Judo!!! Full circle. I started martial arts with Judo. After a little more than 10 years, I took a break, then started learning Tae Kwon Do. I'm preparing to take my test for my black belt 3rd Dan this month.

I was happy to be officially promoted "Assistant Instructor" two months ago even though I've been assisting for about a year now. My promotion came with a little surprise. I'm assigned a group of teenage black belt kids with the mission of teaching them Judo takedown techniques. Boy! was I happy!!! I love Judo...and these kids remind me of myself learning Judo as a teenager. We're having fun.

Aikido, Judo, or Jiu Jitsu are a very nice complement to a Korean style martial art like TaeKwonDo. Like Karate or Kung Fu, TaeKwonDo is excellent for an attack or defense with an opponent by striking versus a grappling. Your legs are longer and stronger than your arms for kicking. The judo moves come in handy when a person tries to grab you. That could put the karate or tae kwon do practitioner at a slight disadvantage (being grabbed). That's the reason it's excellent to combine both styles of martial arts. That's also why you now see "mixed martial arts" schools today. Of course, you instinctively mix it yourself when you know both formats (striking arts and grappling arts).

Just for your information, Karate, Judo, Jujutsu and Aikido are of Japanese origins, while Taekwondo is of Korean origin and Kun fu is of China.

Well, I don't expect to ever be in a fight outside of martial arts tournaments, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared. I practice as a sport so I can stay in decent shape and also to compete in tournaments. But who knows, maybe I will just help a "lil' ol' lady" being attacked by some bullies one day.

P.S. Unlike my usual posts, I talked a lot about myself in this one. As you may have noticed if you read my blog, I usually don't do that . So, you'll forgive me this time.

Camping at Oconee National Forest

2010-09-22T16:10:00.001-04:00

We went camping last week end. Was fun as usual. But more importantly, serene, peaceful, quiet... no one around, just nature with its unique sounds.
Oh yes! we saw new birds. This post really shows you the basic items we use to set up our site. We try to make ourselves a little bit comfortable. But nothing beats your own bed at home or your own bathroom. We settle for little inconveniences to enjoy the peace of the woods, the forest and nature at its best.

What is your passion?

2010-09-13T22:48:00.001-04:00

We went for some birdwatching this week-end. Twice! Debbie and I.

Yes, we saw some new birds. And yes! we were excited like kids. It's always fun to see new birds. These birds are not "new". We just haven't seen and identified them before. We now have some favorite birds that we're always happy to see again and again; such as the Summer Tanager, the Pileated Woodpecker, the Indigo Bunting...the Yellow Warbler... you get the idea.

Among some of our "new birds" are the American Redstart, the Prothonotary Warbler, the Hooded Warbler, and the Shiny Cowbird. All of them are pretty. Very pretty.

Then something interesting happens. You see a new bird for the first time. The bird gets nice and lets you see him (or her) real good. Almost like saying "people don't see me often, so since you found me, I let you look". You're happy, excited. Then you look in all your bird books and you can't find the bird!!! This is the second time this has happened to us. In the same area. The huge Oconee National Forest. I'm going to start naming birds: "Yellow-headed Coquerel Oriole" (Debbie and I have seen that bird!), "Coquerel Tanager" (we saw that one too!!!). What if I write them in the library books and return them. Mass circulation. Oh, maybe we did see some "new birds". I mean...like no one else has documented. Hum.

As you can see, we're passionate about birds. What's your passion? Good for you! Enjoy it!

A week in the Ozarks

2010-08-22T22:38:00.002-04:00

Finally, a week vacation in the Ozarks, Arkansas.
We spent this pleasant week with two of our favorite people, Connie and Duane.

Did you know Arkansas has beautiful forests, mountains, rivers, caverns, nice people, wildlife? Now you know. It has all that and more.

We stayed near a Lake (Greer's Lake) and this lake has a mountain in the middle of it. To get that breathtaking view, you take a ferry or rent a boat, then climb the mountain. Only half a mile steep climb but lots of fun. The view is worth the climb.

The resort where we stayed was in a very natural setting. We even saw a bear crossing the road in front of our car! A black bear. His name is Charlie. Duane named him. Every time we go out, we keep our eyes out for Charlie but we never saw Charlie again. He is afraid of people.

The deer in the area are not afraid of people. They'll say Hi! to you and even show you their fawns and does. The snakes were not afraid either. When we tried to cool off in a natural rock pool, the snakes just joined in happily, coming out of the rocks. Except we were not too happy with their company. They looked like a bunch of juvenile water moccasins to me. Hum, nice but no thank you. I bet they wondered why we had to leave so quickly. Sure, they just wanted to "play". Little vampires! Debbie said they were creepy.

I have an assignment for you. Go see the Blanchard Springs Caverns before you die. I can't describe it. Let's just say it's Grand. You go in and you go...WOW!!! If you don't see it before you die, don't worry, I think that's gonna be one of the wonders that will be in heaven anyhow. It's still nice to see here for your first glimpse.
These pictures you're looking at are not lying. Everybody was happy.

Debbie and I saw our first Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher. This bird is beautiful and graceful with its long scissor tailed. It's on our bird-to-see list.

Additional pictures from the trip are on the top right corner of this page.

Did I say we played Rook? Connie won the most. Debbie won the first put-put golf game and Duane won the second one. We stayed at a golf resort with 2 golf courses...but the place is known for it's award winning put put golf course. Imagine that!
We just got back a week ago but I'm almost ready for the next trip. I forgot how nice vacations are.

Sugar Loaf Mountain. Top

2010-08-20T18:23:00.000-04:00

Our cozy backyard and garden

2010-07-28T15:16:00.001-04:00

We haven't been at any place exotic lately, except our backyard, and Connie's, and camping, and birdwatching... So, I made a slideshow of our backyard for the last 3 years.

It's a garden, it's a cozy porch, it's a cool backyard, it's where we grill, it's where we read, it's where Debbie toils, it's a bird's place, it's...exotic! it's our paradise!!!

The sildeshow is on the top right hand corner.

Enjoy!

In memory of LC, the Lap Cat

2010-07-23T16:54:00.001-04:00

Our dear LC (Lap Cat) has departed. She taught me a great lesson about "pets".
When she joined our family, we called her LC for LapCat because she wanted to sit on our laps as a kitten even tough we hardly knew each other. First day!

She chose us and no one else. She came to us. She was the most affectionate cat to us, but mean to everyone else, just about. Of course, she knew Kelly and Leah were part of the family. And she knew not to mess with Andre's kids...or else. She was a smart cat like that.

She was attached to Debbie and Debbie was her "mother". That's the lesson LC taught me. A "pet", an "animal" can join your family and become part of the "family". LC was part of our family. We love her. We miss her.

I was naive, thinking she has just a "pet", a "glorified animal" wanting to be petted. So, I pet her, I was nice to her, and "tolerated" her at times when she just wanted too much attention. But Debbie loved her. Like a mother.
I wish I knew how much she loved her. I would have been nicer to LC instead of just "nice". LC never mess with me because she knew I know "Cat's Judo". The one where you put the cat in a choke and she can't move nor breathe. Yeah, we played too!... and when she take out her claws, I take out my cat's judo moves. So, we liked and respected each other. No claws, no cat's judo. That was our deal.

Then she got sick. Bad genes. She could have lived a year or two longer. She fought for her life. And I noticed Debbie was already missing her. So I was nicer to her. The cat, not Debbie. I'm always nice to Debbie! Then I wished she never leaved us. Her last days, or months, were nicer. LC has been sick since January. Going outside, and experiencing TLC from both Debbie and I, made her stay longer. Or she would have been gone earlier. He passed away in our arms, with love. We'll miss her, and if there there is an afterlife for pets, we'll meet again. I've set the appointment, just in case. We love you, LapCat...and hasta lavista (till we meet again)...and I'll be nicer still, more for Debbie, because I love her for loving you.

Our vegetable garden

2010-07-18T14:11:00.001-04:00

It's time to enjoy the vegetable garden now. Debbie has worked hard on this. We're reaping tomatoes and we've eaten cantaloupe. Delicious!
The squash didn't do too good this year. Everything else seems to be doing just fine. Once we figured out that a vegetable garden needs lots of water. The recent rains helped too.

Beside the vegetables, the peachtree is full of peaches and the figs have started getting ripe from the figtree. We're wondering about the peaches because they came quickly by the bunch and now they're growing and ripening very slowing. They're not quite sure what to do next. I've talked to them and explained the deal: you're supposed to grow nice and juicy, and we're supposed to eat you. We gave them fertilizer...so... what's the problem? They don't seem to like that deal.
A vegetable garden makes a backyard green and lush. It also attracts butterflies. With some extra bird feeders this year, we got to watch the pretty greenery, a nice variety of birds, and lots of butterflies.

Several birds have bred around the house. A wren was nice enough to make his nest in the birdhouse directly across from the patio. We enjoyed watching the whole process from nest building, incubating, hatching and feeding. It was cute to see these little bird beaks sticking out as the mother wren bring food back and forth. It almost seems like these birdies eat a lot!
Then, a few days ago, they were gone. They left the nest. But this morning, Debbie saw a little wren come to the patio and singing her heart out "I can fly now! I'm big now! Looky, looky, looky!". Or something like that.
We also saw baby Catbirds, Cardinals, Mockingbirds, Towhees even some baby squirrels.

I think I'm going back to the patio and enjoy myself.

Quiet and Relaxing 4th of July

2010-07-08T22:35:00.000-04:00

4 people on the 4th, relaxing and enjoying themselves.
That's how last week end was for us.
Are these T-shirts patriotic or what? It's the 4th of July after all.
It simply couldn't have been a better time weather wise. No rain, not too hot, with a perfect pool temperature.
So, guess what we did. Spent time in the pool, then played Rook, then ate, clean up, back in the pool, then Rook...
Everybody was happy the whole week end.

Yes, quiet, peaceful, and relaxing fun. We didn't even miss the fireworks. We did miss Duane. Don't be jealous if I didn't mention your name. It's just that Duane was bidding by text messaging while we were playing. That's how bad he wanted to play Rook that week end. lol

Some of these very impromptu get-togethers usually turn out to be the best. It was one of those. Perfect week-end.

Hiking

2010-06-27T17:10:00.000-04:00

The Ocmulgee River runs through Macon and there is a trail near it. Many trails actually. We found a new trail and went for a good hiking trip today.

What a fun hiking trip it turned out to be? You stopped by the river a couple of times but walked and walked the rest of the times. We didn't know the trail was that long or we would have brought water. But, we survived.

Even tough it was hot, the hiking meandered through many areas with canopies of trees, giving us good umbrage.

We truly enjoyed ourselves because we realized this is a well-kept secret in Macon. We run into no one. People have not discovered this pretty trail yet. And! there were many areas to picnic. We're going back soon! and better equipped.

The river was very beautiful with fish jumping up left and right. We saw many birds including a Mississippi Kite. Debbie identified many trees and plants as well. Kelly was happy to share these precious moments. We enjoyed ourselves.

Visiting with James and Melba

2010-06-10T21:48:00.000-04:00

Did you know Melba has a green thumb? Oh yeah.
Debbie and I saw her gardens recently and we were impressed.
Lush vegetables and flowers. Looking healthy too. I know that's not easy because we're trying to grow a garden too.

Besides the beautiful gardens of vegetables and flowers, we enjoyed sitting outside and watching all kinds of birds coming to the feeders. We saw a beautiful Goldfinch, several Bluebirds, Cardinals, Chickadees....

Did I mention we played Rook outside? Well, we did...at the music of the songbirds. So comforting, Melba "shot the moon". Did she make it? Ask in the com
ments and I'll tell you.

Louis dropped by for a few minutes with his precious Granddaughter.
We enjoyed ourselves. Thanks for having us over, James and Melba.

Memorial Day Week End at Connie's

2010-06-01T22:14:00.001-04:00

This turned out to be one of the classic Price Family get-together.
Everybody was happy to see each other.

The intermittent rain did not allow for much swimming so we did the next best thing. Play Rook, drink, eat, play some more Rook, eat some ... and share a lot of stories.
We had a diverse group with the Price siblings with "Mama", the in-laws including Linda, a couple of grand kids, a dog, 5 cats. Did I forget anybody?
Impressive that everybody was in their best behavior.

Three couples were together the evening before everyone got there on Sunday. Connie and Duane, Carey and Martha, and Debbie and I.

We had some fun with some strange combination of "things that don't go together". As Duane pointed out, alcohol and politics don't go together. Does Carey get drunk or is he immune to all that beer? Connie had fun with the bottle in front of her (in the picture). Then the decibel went up! Add in some politics with Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck, Clinton, Bush...Carey threw Al Gore in there too.
Are all these people brothers, politicians, friends, enemies, ..., who cares? Let me just play some Rook games, will you? No dice. People were sitting in front of the games but paying no attention. ...it's your bid...it's your turn...you got that one...everybody already bid, we're just waiting for you... no, you just got in for 105...so we're actually set..but it's OK...it's just a game (if you will just play it!!!) That's what Duane and I were saying all evening.
Connie was happy that evening. That bottle (the Malibu Coconut Rum or something like that) was only 21%. Trust me, she said it 5 times so I remember. I actually never understood but I didn't want to ask. Do I need to look that stupid, you know. I was at her house, but now I'm on my Blog so I'm asking. If I had 10 shots of that rum, does it make it 10 times 21%, or 10 times the 21% divided by volume of the bottle multiplied by the volume of the shot glass, or just 21% 10 times? The answer doesn't really matter. I saw the effect. You're so happy...you almost pass out. The next morning..., let's not talk about that. By the way, I had a couple of shots too. And it was good rum.

Compared to that evening, the next day of fun, food, and games was almost boring. You guys missed all the fun. Next time, just bring your tents.
See you next time. Hasta la otra vez! (in Spanish)

King Snake in the trail!

2010-05-17T15:13:00.000-04:00

Just came back from a quick walk at the Mound. I don't like to go to the Mound in the middle of the day because most of the self respecting birds are taking their siesta. But I couldn't resist when I was just around the corner in the Fort Hill area checking on a property.

Not too many birds today but, wow, the King Snake! Long, pretty, unafraid. A man walked right beside him and I was impressed by how unafraid he was. I found out later he didn't see the snake. I asked him. I had to wait till the snake got out of the path. He looks like the snake I've touch once before. I was just not in the mood today. He was facing me this time with his head up. Maybe he was giving his name and I didn't even realize. Shoot.

Have I said once before that no two birdwatching outings are ever the same? Guess what I saw this time? The Pileated Woodpecker at the lower end of a tree in the Loop area. He then came down on the ground!!! A Pileated on the ground, then up the tree, low. Never seen that before. And that's not all.
A Mississippi Kite was flying over the water with a small snake in his bill. The snake was still alive, wingling. I forgot Mississippi Kites eat snakes too. Maybe I didn't know until I just saw it.

On my way back, there was that King Snake again!!! In the path, like if he owned it. And he was not getting out of the way this time. I had to do what "Larry" did earlier. Walk right beside him. At least I said Hi! and told him my name. Till we meet again. Better to be friends with these snakes.

I have more to write but I better go back to work!

Kelly is going to Paris

2010-05-16T18:32:00.000-04:00

Traveling is good for expanding our horizons. Before you know it, your children are traveling overseas by themselves. (If you have children). I can understand Kelly's excitement. I was doing the same thing at her age and getting all excited about it. Now, it's her turn. She has already visited Togo, Canada, and the Dominican Republic. She has many more trips ahead. Leah is following right behind.

Kelly is in the 1st picture with a friend from Bangladesh, studying abroad. "Abroad" here is the US. And she is going to Paris in the same French program too. How cool is that? I wish for their small group to see a lot, experience a lot, have fun, and grow in maturity. I believe traveling makes a person more mature and more humble. You know your backyard is not the end of the world.

Alligator at the Ocmulgee

2010-05-11T21:09:00.002-04:00

After checking on a property early this morning, I stopped by the Mound on my way back to the office.
Conveniently, the Park is on my way back.
It was early, and it was cool. Birds were out including the Great Crested Flycatcher, several Great Egrets and one lonely Blue Heron. I don't want to bore you with all the birds in this post. Trust me, they were out, and they were vocal.

I was hurrying back when I saw, just lying on a log, a little alligator. You can easily miss him but I always check those logs because that's where the big water moccasins use to sunbathe. I guess they got evicted by the alligator.

I just saw a man on the trail a few minutes earlier. I've seen him around here before. I carry my binoculars, he carries his camera with powerful zoom lenses.

Well, I shared my find with him and he sent me three pictures of the alligator. He also shared the snake he saw and I missed. A long black Rat Snake in a branch above the trail. The tree branches form a canopy in that area and you can just walk under. Very convenient when it gets hot. Pretty too. Well, I walked right under the snake and didn't see him. I think that snake knows me by now and I recognized him too. We've met a few times before. Last year and this year. We just never got the chance to properly introduce ourselves. Hey Rat Snake, if you ever read this blog, my name is Andre and you must be Blackie, right?

Isn't nature just beautiful? Alligators are photogenic, black snakes are pretty and friendly, birds say hello to you and sing you pretty songs...Get out every chance you get. Miracles are all around you. If you wait till you're old, you can't walk as good, you can't see as good, and you'll wish you've done it earlier.

Spring birdwatching at the Ocmulgee

2010-05-09T17:43:00.000-04:00

We went this morning for some birdwatching at the Ocmulgee National Monument. No two birdwatching trips are ever the same! You always have a different experience even if you go back to the same areas again and again.

The Indigo Buntings are out. They are pretty blue birds with beautiful songs. They like to sing. We saw Bluebirds too, with a bright blue color. The usual birds were there such as the Great Blue Heron, Great Egrets, (some were flying and were so gracious!), Cardinals, Phoebes (singing their heart out!), Killdeer, Titmice and Chickadees. A Red Shouldered Hawk was perched on top of a tree and watched us walk by. Did you know black birds could be pretty too? Red-Winged Blackbirds, Rusty Blackbirds, Common Grackles, and Brewer Blackbirds. They're all out in our area now.

The Great Crested Flycatcher is visiting, and the Eastern Kingbird was begging to be seen by singing as loud as he could. Sparrows and Wrens are always around too here. So many birds when you start looking!

We were rewarded by observing a male and female Summer Tanager playing around like teenage birds in the foliage. The unique thing about the male Tanager was that he was not fully red. When we checked it out later at home, we understood that his red with yellows were the colors of a Summer Tanager in his first Spring. Interesting that these birds have girlfriends so early. We recognized the female immediately from our last camping trip when they were hanging around the campsite.

Chipmunks are out, as well as turtles, and the deer.

We also heard two Barred Owls hooting loud in plain daylight, then barking at each other. Fun, just fun to be out.

So, why do we do it?

2010-05-02T19:58:00.001-04:00

We just came back from a camping trip two week-ends ago. And there we go again. Another camping trip this week-end. So, why do we do it? Why do we keep going any chance we get?
Look at Debbie in this first picture and you'll get your answer. IT MAKES US HAPPY. People line up in a crowded place like Disney to enjoy a few minutes of entertaining or relaxing scene. People travel long distances to be at the beach and soak in the pleasant experience of the waves crashing on the shore. Why do you need to fight a crowd just to have a singular experience, unique to you?
Maybe if money was no object we'll go scuba diving in the Great Barrier, then go to Fiji or the Seychelles Island, go for a zip line experience over some forests in Costa Rica or the Amazon in Brazil, and...stop for breakfast in historic Paris before coming home. Right?
Otherwise, you drive 45 mins to an hour from home to a quiet and peaceful forest, camp where the birds will come visit you, see some unique creatures we still can't find in books or on line, and come back home. The inner being tastes the same repose, same unique and adventurous experience, and is totally refreshed...and it only costs one hour worth of gas in your vehicle (no, 2 hours, you have to come back). But gosh! it's peaceful, tranquil, restful.
So, why are more people not doing this?
Bugs-we don't like them either. Debbie won't go on the trails when the bugs are out. And we bring repellents. This time we even brought a can of "outdoor camp fogger". We used the whole g.d. can! The gnats were out, and we shielded our site. But we couldn't go on the trails this time. (We still saw over 20 different bird species just around the camp site).
Isn't it sinful to like nature so much then go in and spray chemical for your own cocoon? Hum, I guess so. May God forgive us then. and we just lost a few hours in longevity with all the bug spray this week-end. True, but we've also been adding years by new habits. net result? still ahead by a few years, not to worry. Keep drinking that wine, baby! and eat all those organic vegetables from our own garden. We'll be 100 years old in no time anyhow. Then we'll find a way to die, like snorkeling with the stingrays. Who knows. (The wine part was a joke guys!)
Other reason people won't camp-snakes, bears, mountain lions, and other ferocious attacking creatures. Hum... hard, very hard to find any of those. Even the snakes. Very hard to find. But again, we're not looking. These creatures hear you a mile away and go their way. And we go ours. You're not prey for them and you're not competing for the same food. We found a turtle with a yellow head and yellow legs. Do you know the name? A weird creature came to visit us at the campsite. It looks like a squirrel but totally black and much bigger than a squirrel with a white face that looks flattened. He can climb trees super fast.
Wanna go camping? Let us know. We'd love company.

A little week-end project

2010-04-19T11:46:00.001-04:00

Beside some gardening, we did a little week-end project.
Got three old doors out of storage. Spray painted 2 of the doors.
Connected all three.
The tricky part was to prop them up and brace them well so the wind won't knock them down. It all looked so good when we were finished that Debbie added her special decorative touch to it.
And...voila!
A nice little addition to the garden.

A graduating camping test

2010-04-13T22:27:00.002-04:00

Finally! We feel we have truly camped. This is the first time we have camped in a place no one has camped before.
I don't mean that no one has camped in the Oconee National Forest before. But you're supposed to camp at designated camping areas. Well, this Forest does not have very many "designated" camping areas. There were brush fires around our favorite spot. Not too pretty. Our second choice was already taken. The next site was too far. This is a big forest!... we had just enough time to set up camp before nightfall and we haven't had diner yet.
Well, we did what any reasonable person would do.
Go back home...hahaha, that would be quite unreasonable. We spotted an abandoned trail and drove our Humvee (actually our Ford truck) around the fallen trees and mud holes and found the perfect camping spot. Perfect, because no one else will dare come here. It was on a dead end trail with enough obstacles to discourage the fainthearted. We cleared "our site" with tools we brought and set up camp.
We got our duties down pack. I was setting up stations left and right while Debbie was making a gourmet meal. No worry, we brought wine and beer too! 5 Stars camping in the forest, you bet.
It then hit us! We just set up a comfortable camp site in the middle of nowhere. And we were happy like two little kids sent to heaven.
After some quiet moments, the birds started visiting. It was barely dark when the Great Horn and Barred Owls stated hooting like crazy. And the Whip-O-Wills (these are night birds), forget it, they were all around us wipowilling their hearts out! Just makes you smile.
The only unhappy campers we've made were a pack of some wild canines whose path we've inadvertently blocked. They howled, barked, cried, laughed like stupid hyenas in the middle of the night. No dice. It's now our spot for 2 nights! Stay away! When I realized what we did to them, I just smiled and went right back to sleep. We're the kings of the jungle, the humans. Everything else stayed away at a respectful distance. Maybe Debbie didn't see it the same way, but heck she had the loaded gun! I have my childish and naive confidence. I hesitated telling my "Betterhalf" we've blocked the path of those ... whatever they were. Nobody wants to scare his wife in the middle of a forest in the middle of the night! That would be stupid!

All in all we've identified 22 birds including 4 new species we haven't seen before. This does not include the dozen or so we could not identify or the ones we couldn't even see.

We saw a water spring on one of our walks. Debbie saw it first...at a very Elvishlike setting of the forest.
A baby snake tried to crawl under our tent. I picked it up and threw it back in the woods, sparring his life. I could have just killed that lost soul but I guess I'm maturing now. That was the only snake we saw. Usually we don't see snakes. Maybe because they ran for cover when they hear us, or because we're looking up for birds. (Hey, we're not stupid though).
The memorable thing during this camping trip is the amazing serenity and peace of the place. At night, you have a beautiful sky full of stars. Glorious. We feel like just having graduated from camping after this pleasant adventure.

Picnic at Oconee National Forest

2010-04-04T07:57:00.000-04:00

What's the next best thing to camping? You're right! An all day picnic in nature. And that's just what we did this beautiful Saturday Spring day.
We found the perfect spot by a running stream and set up our station complete with our own come-along bathroom. Ooooh, the sound of nature, the serenity of the forest, the melody of birds singing in the trees. Everybody seemed to have enjoyed it because everybody looked happy all day. Of course, the pulled BBQ pork sandwiches with macaroni cheese casserole helped. Did I mention chips, beer, all the bad stuff for you? Nah, we worked it off! There was the good ol' iced tea for those who don't drink, of course.
Debbie's Mom was visiting this week and enjoyed all of it too. The one thing you can't experience with these pictures is the soothing sound of the running water. I think that put Kelly to sleep.
Have you ever wondered why I enjoyed nature so much but I usually wear pants? Well, I wouldn't want any bugs crawling on my legs! That's why. And it makes it easier to go deep in the woods.
Oh yes, we did play some Rook games too. As usual, time passed by quickly. But there is another day.

The great rewards of birdwatching

2010-03-21T21:21:00.000-04:00

After working in the yard yesterday, we went for some birdwatching at the Piedmont Wildlife Refuge. We wanted to see some waterfowl so we headed straight to the pond and marsh areas.
What a nice surprise as we got there! A Double-crested Cormorant was sitting right in the middle of the pond on a tilted log. Just like in the bird books. We know this bird but we've never actually seen one before. We see his "cousins" the Anhingas all the time. Hello, Mr. Cormorant, you're not bad looking. A small flock of Canada Geese were having some "loud conversations" at the other edge of the pond.

Now, we're off to the marsh areas. We met various Passerines (songbirds) on our way. A determined Titmouse was singing his heart off, calling for a female. Never mind humans walking by! Getting close to the marshes. Nothing, nothing, nada. Turtles... wait a minute, ducks, YES!!! ducks, pretty ducks. These are some very pretty ducks playing in the water. You think the Wood Ducks and Mallards are pretty. Yes, they are, but these ducks are different and pretty. Full and fluffed red-burgundy head with a green mask, the same distinctive green you see in the Mallards and Wood Ducks. More of the same green was in their wings as they were splashing in the water. A straight white line runs downward his body toward the front, his tail... what's that??? Some distance to the right of the ducks were four Sand Hill Cranes watching us and wondering why we were not looking at them instead! They're special visitors from Florida!!! We don't have them here in Georgia usually. We saw their unmistakable red caps before they took off. Four of them, big but graceful in their flight.

The Sand Hill Cranes got the Green-Winged Teals aware and they too took off. Yes, those pretty ducks were Green-Winged Teals. After our Teals took off, another group of ducks took. Those might be Wood Ducks, we didn't have a good look. Then another group! Mallards? Oh well, there they go. We've seen Mallards and Wood Ducks here before. The Green-Winged Teals were our first. As we were walking around, another group of 4 waterfoul just took off also. Were those sleeping or something? And how did we miss them? Ok, ok, now we know. Next time, we're coming even earlier, setting up a blind and waitting for them birds! We ain't walking in on those no more, hear?

That wasn't all, folks. Before we left the swamp area, we saw three Rusty Blackbirds. Have you ever seen one of those? Well, today was our first time too, so don't feel bad. We got back the truck, ID'ed the birds we've seen and had our breakfast, very contented. As we headed back driving through the forest, we were quite surprised at how vocal the birds were today. Chipping Sparrows, Chickadees, Cardinals... all singing. We were the only humans around so, I guess, they all were happy to see us too. The feeling is mutual. To cap it all, there goes a BIG bird. What was that? We were driving quite slowly already and saw the biggest Red Tail Hawk we've ever seen. He was flying low through the trees, his copper color tail looking very prominent. We stopped and watched him for a minute as he perched, then we all went our ways.

I wish someone told me earlier birdwatching is so rewarding. If you're reading this, trust me, birdwatching is fun. I'm telling you.

Tae Kwon Do tournament

2010-03-16T14:41:00.000-04:00

We had our regional TaeKwonDo tournament this past Saturday. It turned out to be an all day affair. Too many people for the space. We needed at least 10 rings, and we only had 7. So, the process became slow. New schools have joined our regional tournaments. These "sister schools" are more agressive and hit and kick hard. You have different versions of TaeKwonDo, but the basics are the same. Korean styles with a lot of foot techniques.

I've spent most of the day judging. I was assigned one of the kids group, which was nice. I could hear the teenagers having at each other hard around our ring. Yes, some people got hurt, which was unfortunate. But, nothing serious. We show a lot of control in our schools. But if some people are not showing control at tournaments, then of course, everybody start kicking and hitting hard. After the kids did their forms and sparring (fighting), some of the parents went home with their precious little ones. That gave us more space. We pretty much cleared the floor for the adult men black belt competitions. These are the ones you want to watch.

Three divisions for all black belt men. Yes, you have to be a black belt for these divisions. The women had their own black belt divisions but do not compete for the grand championship. That's not fair because some of the women are pretty good. Each division has 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place trophies. The 1st place winners of the divisions meet for the Grand Championship. All three winners came from Georgia and a Macon student won. A good friend of mine, Austin McWaters. We train together. I usually loose fights with him. He is good, and super nice. Austin is fast and young, just 19 years old. He started very early. You can see the people in my division on these two pictures. Too many people fighting for just 3 trophies.

Sometimes, people forget that these are mainly plastic trophies! Overall, there was good sportmanship and everyone was pretty much pleasant and friendly, except when the fights were going on. Then you have no friends.

I came home with a 3rd place trophy. I'm happy. If I'm going to compete again in these tournaments, I will really have to train better. It's getting more and more competitive.

Birdwatching with Connie and Duane

2010-03-11T15:55:00.001-05:00

We got the pleasure of having Connie and Duane in Macon this past week-end.
Yes, we played lots of Rook games and spent a pleasant time together.
The highlight of their visit was a trip to the Bond Swamp. As usual, it was serene, quiet, and we enjoyed a nice walk and saw lots of birds.
Kelly and Leah were at home this past week end also. That made everything even nicer.
Debbie cooked some great meals.
Before you know it the week-end was gone, but we sure were glad for the good company.
See you next time!

It's snowing in Macon

2010-02-12T16:22:00.001-05:00

Our neighbor's house across the street. The green lawn is now white.
Street scene. All turning white. It's gonna be pretty.
Our backyard, getting it's share of snow.
Debbie waving to the snow, or the camera, or to me. Hope it's to me.

Enjoy the snow if you get some. I thought this was supposed to be global warming and not "global cooling". Oh, I get it. It's climate change, everything is extreme.

Die hard birding

2010-01-31T15:07:00.000-05:00

Debbie and I felt like some die-hard birders yesterday when we went to the Ocmulgee Mound for some bird watching. It was 38 degree outside and the cold wind didn't help. I forgot my gloves and the binoculars felt ice cold in my hands at one point.
But, guess what, the birds were out and it turned out to be a pretty rewarding birding outing. We even had a close look at two Pileated Woodpeckers busy in the trees. A small flock of Canada Geese were resting from their migratory trip. They stood on one leg and tucked their heads under their wings. They were so tired they barely moved when we went by.
There were many Northern Flickers around and these birds look quite colorful when you see under their wings. Flocks of Robins were around as well as flocks of Red Wings hanging out with European Starlings. Some birds have made their home here and we see them regularly like the Red Shouldered Hawks, the Great Blue Herons, the Red Headed Woodpeckers with several other Woodpeckers, Chickadees, Titmice, Cardinals, various Warblers and Sparrows. We can finally tell the different Sparrows apart.
However, it's nice to see a different group of birds hanging at The Mound when the seasons change. The Cedar Waxwings have been around in large numbers recently and you can still see them, several Eastern Towhees are now here, Killdeer and some Plovers are back, and the Anhinga has been hanging around.
It's even nicer when you see a bird that you don't normaly see at a site. In this case, we saw a female Mallard and a Ruby Crowned Kinglet. (No, they were not together).
As much as we're learning about birds, we still see and hear birds that we cannot identify. Well, we may be braving the elements and appearing "die hard", but we still have a lot to learn (like forget your gloves when it's cold!).

New Year Eve get together

2010-01-10T21:36:00.002-05:00

We had our New Year celebration with the visit of the Price family.
What a way to kick off the New Year!
We all enjoyed some good food with great company. Of course we played some Rook games and everyone had fun no matter if you won or not. We also played some Pool games and Duane surprised everyone. He is good!

This is Ms. Price (Mama) with some of her children: James, Debbie, Ricky and Connie.

We all were thankful for the past year and are looking for a better 2010. There are a lot of things going on in the world today and it's nice to be together and see the smiles on everyone's face.

What truly counts is Family that's why Debbie and I always feel blessed to have family who care enough to visit.

We wish everyone a great and prosperous year 2010!

The Year in Review

2009-12-23T10:24:00.000-05:00

Another year is almost over. The years seem to pass by faster and faster these days. I don't know what they're in a hurry for.

I've learned new lessons this year. We can get by on a lot less money than we think is possible; and be just as happy! Some of the happiest moments in our lives, I came to find out, don't cost a penny. Those moments are quite unexpected. Think of a perfectly blue sky in the serenity of the woods on a camping trip amid an orchestra of singing birds. While you're still relishing on the symphony of the day, you get rewarded with a beautiful full moon and you hear three different owls. How about a flock of Wood Storks performing a ballet dance in the sky for you, or a Mississippi Kite hovering around your house. In many regards, this year has been one of the happiest, reconnecting with nature again, living day by day, visiting with family, and family visiting with you. Of course, I wish I had more money this year, but again I don't want to trade my situation with anyone else's problem. I'll deal with mine with a thankful and contented heart for what I do have, not dwelling on what I can't have.

The importance of keeping a journal hit home this past week end. I've been keeping a journal of our birdwatching activities and transferred everything in an Excell format I've created. Boy, was I surprised! I've gone birdwatching every single week of the year. Sometimes, I'll leave the house very early, and do some birding before going to the office. Usually, Debbie and I will do some birdwatching on the week end. Since we couldn't take any "exotic" vacations this year, we went on a few camping trips (like last year!) and saw many new birds every time. If someone were to ask me how many different birds we've seen this year I would respond guessing "oh, maybe 50 or so". That's before I went through my journal. In reality, I've seen over 120 different species of birds this year. Some of them are quite beautiful. And some of them sung beautiful songs for me. I'm already getting excited about next year. Once you get a good pair of binoculars, birding doesn't cost a thing except for a few Dollars in gas. And it's fun. I went through a lot of very good birding books that I just checked out at the library.

More on the subject of happiness. Sure, you have the obvious ones: be at peace with everyone, love with all your heart, have passion for life, and live in harmony with yourself. That is to nurture your spirit and mental daily, and respect your body i.e. drink wine in moderation and keep practicing martial arts or whatever you do to exercise. I'm not preaching to you, I'm only sharing my experience of this year. When you do the above, life will throw some bonuses your way. In my case, my daughter Leah is getting all As in 12th grade and doing great on her stepping team. They even won some competitions. Kelly is very happy with her 2nd year in college and doing great too. When your daughter is in 2nd year of college, you no longer ask to see her grades but I know she is doing quite well or she wouldn't be so happy. Or, maybe she's a naturally happy person. I can relate to that.

Debbie did all the beautifull Christmas decorations at the house.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday Seasons to you and your loved ones.

Live with Passion and Love.

William Coquerel visiting Macon

2009-11-30T19:52:00.000-05:00

William, my nephew, visited with us after Thanksgiving.
It was nice to see all these cousins interacting and intereting to notice how alike the Coquerels are. (Kelly, Leah, and William are cousins as you know).
We did our favorite things and William was good sport to join in and have fun. Yes, he learned to play Rook and got good at it too. He got a taste of birdwatching at the Ocmulgee National Monument. William is already used to the outdoors with plenty of camping under his belt in different States.
Looking at this picture it looks like everyone was pretty tired. Actually, it just seemed appealing to lay down on that Indian mound in a clearing that was quite peaceful. After we laid down, the birds sung for us. We had to get up or we would have fallen asleep.
Some of the birds we saw that day: 2 Anhingas, a Great Blue Heron, a White Egret, Phoebes and Eastern Peewees, Cardinals, Several Sparrows (White Throated and Swamp Sparrows), a Red Tail Hawk, Red Headed Woodpeckers, Mockingbirds, Blackbirds(Red Winged), European Starlings, ..., and best of all an American Kestrel that zoomed down and picked up a rodent. We also saw a big Water Moccasin.

Thanksgiving at Jacques'

2009-11-29T09:28:00.000-05:00

All the Coquerels in the US met at Jacques and Claire's for Thanksgiving this past Thursday.
After sitting around and sharing with each other, we had a nice Thanksgiving dinner meal.
Sylvain and Jean-Sam wanted to get a soccer game going but the card players got their way and we ended up playing cards (first). I even taught some people how to play Rook. Emmanuel and William liked it. They are the ones who learned to play.
Jean-Luc taught a new game too: KuhHandel, a German card game with bidding and auctioning.
The day went by so quickly we didn't have time to do everything we wanted to do such as playing soccer and basketball after the card games then go for a walk in the park, and then have some more desert, tea and coffee while listening to the young Coquerels who are becoming piano virtuosos. Well, I guess there is a next time.

The year is almost over!

2009-11-25T18:51:00.000-05:00

Is there one thing that you wanted to do this year that you didn't get a chance to do? Can you still do it? Well, concentrate on that one thing and just do it. The year is almost over, but it's not over yet.

If you had no special goals to accomplish this year, then just enjoy the rest of the year and keep smiling. let's spend time with each other the rest of this year if we can. Family and friends are more important than money and material possessions (or the lack of it). I bet houses, cars, stuff..., you see around you today were there 100 years ago. And I bet what you see there today (material stuff) will be there 100 years from now. While we're going through this plane (experience), let's value what's important i.e. the people (souls) we're here to touch and share with.

If you just read this, then post a comment. Say what's on your mind. Share a thought. I'm just curious who bothers to read this blog. I almost didn't post anything this month then I realize I've never missed a month since i've started. But then, what good is it if nobody reads it?

Take care, love life, smile a lot, be at peace, and don't sweat the small stuff.

Birdwatching at the Bond Swamp

2009-10-26T12:26:00.001-04:00

Debbie and I went birdwatching this Sunday afternoon at the Bond Swamp outside of Macon. I don't recall we've ever seen this much bird activities as we've seen this Sunday. Birds, birds, birds everywhere, and quite vocal too. Totally awesome!

This bank of the swamp was one of the spots we just sat at and watched, and enjoyed ourselves. There were a lot of Northern Flickers among other birds. A couple of Pileated Woodpeckers came for the "party" too.
We like the Bond Swamp, especially the Beaver Creek Trail, because it's very quiet and serene. We hardly ever see anybody here. It's almost like our own little secret birdwatching place.

Besides Deer tracks, we saw some wild pigs ground stirring activities. We didn't see any pigs though. They like to hide, I guess.

Besides birds and animal tracks, we saw something quite peculiar this Sunday. A car parked on the edge of the woods by the parking lot. You read earlier that hardly anyone comes here right? Well, we got curious and run the vehicle tag on the "stolen vehicles" website and sure enough, the car has been reported stolen on Saturday. The Bond Swamp is just inside Twiggs County so it took a few phone calls to get the authorities to go do their "job". Apparently, Macon Police and Bibb County Sheriff Office have no interest because it fell just outside their jurisdiction.

Quite a busy week-end including helping out at a Karate testing Saturday morning.

Kelly's 20th Birthday

2009-10-26T11:34:00.000-04:00

Kelly celebrated her 20th birthday this Saturday. We had some of her friends from college over at the house.
Everything went great. Kelly's friends were nice and pleasant.
We played pool and croquet, and we chatted a bit. Before you know it, the afternoon was over. Kelly has friends from Bulgaria, South Korea, Florida, and one girl whose parents are from Mexico. They were only 8 people at the house, but quite diverse in nationality.

Happy Birthday again, Kelly!

A great week-end with the Price Family

2009-10-18T19:24:00.000-04:00

Debbie's Mom has been visiting with us this past week. Ricky came on Friday, then James and Melba on Saturday. Kelly and Leah were here as well.
Thus, we had a great week-end with the Prices. At one point we had two Rook games going simultaneously! We also played pool games. Debbie made some great meals.
The College Football game between Alabama and South Carolina was on on Saturday evening. With some great Alabama fans here (including Mama!), we watched the game. Alabama won. Yeah!
Everybody had fun and the week end just passed by too quickly. Everyone went back home on Sunday. What a great week-end! Come back again, y'all.

A week-end with Elvin and Linda

2009-10-14T16:10:00.000-04:00

We went to Elvin and Linda this past week end.
They have a beautiful home in the country with dogs, lots of dogs. They like to greet people with excitement, and bark because they are scarred. They're beautiful. Susie, the poodle, is the cutest but I liked the Hound Dog best. He is totally unafraid and hardly barks. He wants to be your friend, like a good dog.

Both Elvin and Linda are great cooks, so we had...you guessed it, great food. Mama (Debbie and Elvin's Mom) came for dinner. Always nice to see her. She missed the Rook game. Sorry.
The one thing that struck us there is just how peaceful and quiet it is. You can just sit on their back porch and gaze at the woods, watching birds, and seeing dogs chase squirrels.
We enjoyed ourselves. Elvin and Linda were great hosts.

Another camping trip

2009-10-09T14:07:00.001-04:00

Debbie and I went camping last week end at the Oconee National Forest. We went to a different spot than last time. Rocky Creek is the name of this spot.
This was the best camping trip we ever had so far.
No rain, but beautiful blue sky, serenity and peace like you wouldn't believe, no bug bites, great birdwatching, and no one around, just us.
You could have joined us for some Rook games. Maybe, next time.

Did you know nature has a cathedral made of trees, and a choir made of birds? We saw it last week end!

We have seen many new birds and enjoyed the owls at night. We got lucky with a full moon as well. Even with a full moon, we still enjoyed a "starry night" of a sky full of stars.

If you consider we did not eat any more than usual, then our total cost for this peaceful experience is only $10.00, for gas. Oconee National Forest is about 40 minutes from Macon.

A slideshow of the Ocmulgee last week.

2009-09-29T22:31:00.000-04:00

The Ocmulgee National Monument was flooded last week. The Ocmulgee River crested also.
On the right, there is a slideshow of some "before and after" pictures of the Mound for you.

The water level receded quickly and it's already pretty much back to normal again.

I saw a big alligator the day it really flooded. I was quite surprised. He's gone now, I suppose, unless I see him again.

Click on the slides to enjoy.

Birdwatching at the Piedmont WMA

2009-09-25T14:53:00.000-04:00

Debbie and I went for some birdwatching this past week end at the Piedmont Wildlife Management Area.

It rained but it now seems that we have become "diehard" birders that neither rain nor snow will stop!

Well, we didn't see a lot of birds but we enjoyed the walk in the woods greatly.
It's been raining a lot in Georgia and many areas around us have been flooded.
The last picture show the trail for the Red Cockaded Woodpecker, a hard-to-find woodpecker. We've seen this species last time we were here. Not this time.

What's nice about birdwatching is that even if you don't see a lot of birds you still enjoy the walk.

The Ocmulgee got flooded

2009-09-24T18:41:00.002-04:00

My favorite birdwatching place got flooded.
We've had a lot of rain and these are the results.
This is the walking path that is now flooded.

I still saw a lot of birds that day. A flock of European Starlings has returned to the Mound. I also saw many Red Winged Blackbirds.

My two surprises were a big Water Moccasin (snake) up in a tree taunted by Mockingbirds and a close up look at a young Pileated Woodpecker who seems to be checking me out. Oh, one more surprise. A field mouse run out the shrubs toward me and almost went up my pants for safety, except that I hop up just on time for him to see I was a person and not some kind of tree.

Flooded!

The boardwalk is flooded too.

Lots and lots of water everywhere. Turtles everywhere, frogs everywhere, birds singing and playing.

Labor Day week end at Connie's

2009-09-10T17:28:00.002-04:00

Labor Day week end at Connie's.
We were looking forward to spending lots of time in the pool but it rained the first two days and it did not turned out to be warm enough. The pool was very nice and irresistible so some of us
went in anyhow.

I for one enjoyed it thoroughly.

We ended up playing a lot of games: Rook (of course), Taboo, and Picturenary.

Oh, we ate some good food too. And drank a bit. Not too much.

All in all, it turned out to be a great week end.

Dark clouds over Macon

2009-08-27T20:15:00.001-04:00

Finally, we are about to get our heavy rain. And it poured!

The Ocmulgee in August

2009-08-27T20:06:00.001-04:00

My favorite place for bird watching.
Teaming with life in August.
On the 3rd picture, you can see an Anhinga (that's a big bird) on the top tree limb, a Nutria on the far right side of the main log, and the White Egret that you cannot miss. A Nutria looks like a beaver. This one is big and unafraid. I saw him earlier this week just cleaning himself close by ignoring my presence. Almost like saying, you boy, if you have nothing better to do, sure, just stay there and stare. I don't care. That's a Nutria with an attitude.
The last picture is of a King Snake. I put the pictures in small format this time for people who are still afraid of snakes. However, you can just click on the pics you want and enjoy, even the snake. He was quite friendly. I won't say more.

A natural bridge

2009-08-21T17:37:00.000-04:00

This is a natural bridge in Alabama. Have you ever seen a bridge that is not man-made.
There isn't many of those.
This bridge is out of sheer rock. You can go underneath it and it's quite cool.
Don took us there last week end after birdwatching.

Birdwatching in Alabama

2009-08-19T19:29:00.001-04:00

We visited the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Decatur, Alabama this past week end.

The White Egret in flight. (Click on the pic).
We've never seen such a large concentration of Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Sandhill Cranes, and different species of ducks at one place. It was a real treat for us.
James, Melba and Jordan came along. Don initiated the trip and was there.

After watching birds from an observatory post, we took a walk down the trail.

Debbie saw two Ospreys on our way to the refuge.

Debbie and Melba on the trail.

A new phase in life

2009-08-14T12:54:00.003-04:00

I just had my birthday two days ago. We had a nice and pleasant time together as a family on Saturday with Kelly and Leah. This same week, Kelly is going for her second year in College and Leah is going for her last year in High School. That's when it hit me.

The kids are no longer little "kids"! They've matured and are very much into their own things, their own lives. And they have become pretty independent. This is a new phase in life for me: the children are grown. Thankfully we are very close. Well, you have to move on and make the best out of your "new phase" in life. How did it happen so fast? I'm only 48 years young!

Visit at the Daucet Nature Farm

2009-08-02T17:59:00.001-04:00

Debbie, Kelly and I took a drive to the Daucet Farm this afternoon. This nature center is about 40 minutes drive from Macon. It turned out to be a pretty nice afternoon. We've been there before and once more, we enjoyed it thoroughly. We saw a lot of birds in nature, and bigger birds in cages that the Center has rescued. The rescued birds included most owls found in the South, a Bald Eagle, and an Osprey.
The center has many nature trails in the woods. It also has a well stocked pond with some of the biggest fishes you'll see around.
It felt nice, peaceful and quiet on the trails. If you ever get the chance, check out this place.

P.S. Don't forget to click on the collage for a better view.

Finally a close up view of a Summer Tanager

2009-07-23T16:16:00.004-04:00

Debbie and I went to the Ocmulgee Mound yesterday for a walk. This is also for us a place where we love doing some bird watching. Guess what, we saw a beautiful Summer Tanager and he sang for us beautifully. Wow, I wish I had a camera with me! This is a beautiful bird. This is not the first time we're seeing one, but this is the closest look we ever got of a Summer Tanager. Summer Tanagers are pretty rose-red birds, bigger than Sparrows and Vireos, but smaller than Blue Jays and Doves.

We also saw for the second time this week a Wood Stork. The first time, we saw a whole flock of them. This time, he was lonely one, hanging around with the Egrets, Glossy Ibises, and Herons, almost saying Hum mm I kinda like it here; may be I will relocate to Macon. We'll see.

4th of July at Connie's

2009-07-10T19:13:00.002-04:00

We had a pleasant time at Connie's on the 4th of July week-end.

We spent most of the day on Saturday in the pool and I'm surprised I did not take any pictures of the pool fun. We played games like a bunch of teenagers in that pool on Saturday: diving, splashing, tagging and dodge games with the volley ball; boy! we had fun.
As you can see in the pictures, Kelly and Leah came with us, which was nice. We played some Rook games too. The food was great with grilled chicken, big "ol" cake by Connie, side dishes galore, and booze. Great 4th of July!

Our humble abode

2009-06-30T21:51:00.001-04:00

I was reading this book by Richard Lemieux "Breakfast at Sally's" and realized how much I have to be thankful for. Kelly and Leah are just wonderful, and my Beloved Debbie makes me feel I have found my soul mate.
We have a quiet and peaceful home that is always clean and organized thanks mainly to Debbie. Hey! I'm a pretty clean and organized person myself. Nevertheless, I give Debbie credit for a beautiful abode.
Anytime I want to, I can go to a deep place within myself where I only find the Peace and Love I want and be totally contented no matter what is happening. The bottom fell out of real estate, the business I'm in, but do you complain and mourn, or do you count your blessings?
If I loose all material things out of an unexpected turn of events, but still have Debbie-Kelly-Leah, I will smile and count my blessings one more time. Can you count your blessings?
P.S. Remember to click on the collage pics to see it.

Debbie vegetable garden

2009-06-23T22:05:00.001-04:00

It started out with a portion of the backyard. It had to be weeded out, tilled, and prepared for seeding.
This is the result in about five weeks time. Quite amazing! Debbie did have to do some gardening: watering, controlling bugs in the most organic way she could, rearranging the vegetables around, you name it; she did it. I did do one thing too, actually. When the squash leaves starting dying before we even had any squash, I talked to the plants in a whispering voice and they quit dying. I knew they would listen. I pretty much told them not to let my Debbie down and not to make a fool of themselves.
Some jalapeno peppers. We also had radishes, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, green peppers, and lots and lots of squashes.
A basket of vegetables from Debbie's garden. She got the green thumb!

Picnic at Oconee National Forest

2009-06-15T19:53:00.000-04:00

Debbie, Kelly and I went for a picnic by a creek at the Oconee National Forest yesterday. Everything seemed to have worked out perfect. We wanted to be in the quiet of nature by the water. We set up out site right by the creek where we can hear the water running. Then, we moved our chairs in the water to fully enjoy it while listening to nature. We walked in the creek, heard and saw our share of birds. It seems like some of nature's greatest gifts are free!
P.S. Please, do click on this collage to better enjoy these pictures, especially the top middle one. Isn't that just beautiful? So, it was.

Primitive Camping

2009-06-08T22:16:00.001-04:00

We went primitive camping this past week-end. It turned out to be a week-end of relaxation for us in nature with no one around.
I was feeling sick so I soaked in nature totally and just enjoyed myself. Sure, I was coughing the whole time, but that just kept the animals away! Except for the Chuck-Will's-Widow and the Whip-Poor-Wills who sang all night long. Every night, actually. It didn't bother us. We just smiled every time we would wake up and hear these birds. This is the woods!!!

This is our site: the bedroom is the red and white tent in the background, the bathroom is to the right, the canopy on the left serves as dining room/living room, the truck is usually part of our setting as additional table and storage, and all the area in the square is our living room/dining room/sitting area/observation post/camp site or whatever we want it to be.
This is our bathroom. Yes, you bring your own for primitive camping if you don't want to dig a trench. Debbie is checking out the shower before using it. A "portable solar shower" gave us warm water. Our "commode" is to the right. It worked real good with everything we brought to "control" odor. These "portable toilets" are designed pretty decent nowadays.
We figured out one thing; we'll trade the little inconvenience of not having "modern" bathrooms and hot shower of State Parks for the quiet and peace that you get in a primitive camping setting. Well, if you didn't want to bother reading my long sentence again, I simply meant that I rather bring my own bathroom and warm water than put up with noisy neighbors at State Parks.

A walk in the wood. I saw a SUMMER TANAGER there. A truly pretty red bird. He just sat on a branch and let me watch him until my hands starting getting tired of holding the binoculars. The next day, he came to pay us a short visit at the camp site so Debbie could meet him also.
When I get a better digital camera, I will start showing you all the pretty birds.
Yes, my friends, camp fire under a full moon. Did we have a good time? Trust me on this, we did! And I'm ready to go back, with my Beloved.