Sunrise in Decatur

Sunrise in Decatur, originally uploaded by tjs1963 (Terri).

This was my view on the way to work yesterday. Better than the cell phone shots, right?

Be of good courage....

For a dear old friend who has a loved one facing surgery today:

Psalm 31:24 - "Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord."

I pray that things go well and as expected. Know that you and yours are in my thoughts.

Baby grasshopper on wild iris

Baby grasshopper on wild iris, originally uploaded by tjs1963 (Terri).

Still having problems uploading directly to Blogger. One suggested solution was to upload from the Flickr account. So this is a test to see if it works!

Three Days of Bankhead....

Forest that is, with a little Sipsey thrown in at the end. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to post here in the blog. For some unknown reason, I am now unable to upload photos to the blog from my laptop. It says "uploading" and then just sits there and sits there and sits...you get the idea.

I will get some on the Flickr account in a day or so though. I was just so darn tired last night, I didn't even download them from the camera.

I took half a day of "comp" time on Friday, grabbed lunch, changed clothes, grabbed Len and scooted off the to the forest for the afternoon. Saturday, as soon as search & rescue practice was over, we again headed out to the woods and met dixiephotogirl at Kinlock Falls for a little shooting. Unfortunately, the volume of water was so HUGE it was hard to get a good shot. That much water just blows out the white in the shot. However, she took us a little further upstream to a nice little falls/cascade area where I think we got some pretty decent pics.

Got up bright and early Sunday morning (brrrr, cold) and headed out for one more day of all day hiking and waterfall chasing. We met up with Jeremy and Geoff at the Brushy Lake picnic area and took off. Please check their photostreams. They've already posted some great shots, as has dixiephotogirl.

So, I'm a little sore this morning but greatly refreshed after 3 days enjoying God's glory in Bankhead Forest and the Sipsey Wilderness. Yes, I spent Sunday in the wilderness instead of the pew, but I think it was just as spiritual an experience. I praised God with my hiking books and my Canon XS. And I was extremely thankful.

The Annunciation

According to the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church, today is the Day of Annunciation. The Annunciation is the revelation to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, that she would conceive a child, the Son of God. What a concept, no pun intended.

I was raised in an evangelical, holy rolling, Bible thumping, speaking in tongues, slaying in the spirit, laying on of hands, we did everything but handle snakes, country congregational Methodist church in Lawrence County, Alabama. And I don't mean any of those terms in any derogatory way. But, I couldn't describe that little church in any other way. I can still remember standing up in the pew singing "I'll Fly Away" before I could read the words in the hymnal. "Altar Calls" could last hours while the piano player played "Just As I Am" the whole time. And if you don't know what an Altar Call is, just Google it. There was no gray area in this little church. It was black or white, good or evil, Heaven or Hell. Your choice. My Ma Zola was there every time the doors were open (no exaggeration) and if I was staying at her house, I was there too. There was no A/C and not much heat. During the summer, we used hand fans from the local funeral home with a picture of Jesus knocking on the door on one side and the funeral home's advertisement on the other. If you weren't using it to fan, you were using it to swat and kill wasps. These were my formative religious years.

After Momma died, I went to live with my paternal grandparents and started attending a church "in town" with my best friend. It wasn't quite what I would call "high" church, more "middle" church. A good bit of pomp and ceremony, but not overly stuffy and self-righteous. I was there until my divorce. He got the church.

I didn't go to church for many, many years after that. I was a little bitter about losing "my" church in the divorce and honestly, I was still a lot bitter over the other major event in my life, my mother's death. I decided it was time for a break. Then I got a job at a certain nuclear power plant and was working rotating shift work. The few Sundays I had off were MINE, not His. Then things changed again and I got a regular Mon-Fri kind of job and weekends were free. Along comes that same best friend from my childhood telling me about this great new church she had been attending, Church of the Good Shepherd Episcopal. Episcopal?? What the heck is that? My first trip to COGS happened to be Easter Sunday 1998. I was going to go to the 2nd service and meet my friend there and sit with her, since I wouldn't know anyone. Guess what. She wasn't there. I was alone. Crap. But an amazing thing happened. I felt like I had been there forever. I actually ended up knowing a few folks there and those I didn't know made me feel so welcome, I didn't feel like a newcomer. COGS Episcopal turned out to be a perfect, absolutely perfect fit for me. I love the liturgy, the ceremony, the readings, the music.

I didn't really start this blog today with the intent of reciting my religious history. But, I suppose it is all a part of who I am today, religiously speaking. I've been a bit lax for the last couple of years. I think I needed a break. I haven't left the church again, just taking a vacation I guess. I still read the Book of Common Prayer and the Lectionary on a semi-regular basis.

I used to take The Bible very literally, the result of that little country church. Then I took it a little less literally, the result of that "city" church. I suppose at this point in my life, I am less sure of all things religious and Bible-related than at any other time in my life. But I'm okay with that. I know what's important to me and I let others worry about what's important to them.

Today's Psalm from the Book of Common Prayer is one of my favorites:

Psalm 40:1-11, BCP
Expectans, expectavi

1
I waited patiently upon the LORD;
he stooped to me and heard my cry.

2
He lifted me out of the desolate pit, out of the mire and clay;
he set my feet upon a high cliff and made my footing sure.

3
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God;
many shall see, and stand in awe,
and put their trust in the LORD.

4
Happy are they who trust in the LORD!
they do not resort to evil spirits or turn to false gods.

5
Great things are they that you have done, O LORD my God!
how great your wonders and your plans for us!
there is none who can be compared with you.

6
Oh, that I could make them known and tell them!
but they are more than I can count.

7
In sacrifice and offering you take no pleasure
(you have given me ears to hear you);

8
Burnt-offering and sin-offering you have not required,
and so I said, "Behold, I come.

9
In the roll of the book it is written concerning me:
'I love to do your will, O my God;
your law is deep in my heart."'

10
I proclaimed righteousness in the great congregation;
behold, I did not restrain my lips;
and that, O LORD, you know.

11
Your righteousness have I not hidden in my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your deliverance;
I have not concealed your love and faithfulness from the great congregation.


And from today's Gospel reading:
Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

If only we could all respond with Mary's conviction.

So I'm at Wal-Mart yesterday....

...on my wy home from work. In between the 12-pack of Angel Soft bathroom tissue and the Signature Artisan Bread - Wholegrain Filone, I had a bottle of Meridian Chardonnay. Wal-Mart has always been a little flaky in their "carding" rules. Sometimes I get asked for ID apologetically and told, "I have to see everyone's ID," while other times the cashier barely even glances at me. I noticed that the guy in front of me also had wine among his items, Bella Sera Pinot Grigio.

I know as I've gotten older that "young" folks look younger and younger, but trust me, this guy was no "young thing." Thinning hair (very thin), moderate crow's feet, etc. Had to have been in his....well, definitely OVER 21, way over. I saw the cashier scan the wine and then ask him for his ID. He obliged, finished checking out and was gone.

I'm up. I swipe the debit card and leave the wallet out because I'm sure she's going to ask for MY ID. No way I look older than that guy. She scans the bottle, grabs the toilet paper, scans, eye drops, scans, ..... Are you getting the drift?

I tried not to let it bother me, but I was tempted to chase down that guy in the parking lot and demand he show me his damn driver license. Probably would have just made me feel worse. Whatever.

Here's another crappy phone picture of another beautiful sunrise from my little house in the country:



Thank God for beautiful mornings like today. Brightens my day, lightens my mood.

Whew - what a week

Spent the entire week last week in Scottsville, TX attending the annual Shreveport Fire Deptartment's Canine Search & Rescue Seminar. This is our 3rd one. Had a great time, met some wonderful new folks in our wilderness/airscent class and got to visit with some old friends from previous seminars. I will be posting some pics on Flickr and will link when I do.

We got home Saturday afternoon. I got up bright and early Sunday and hit Bankhead Forest for a full day of hiking. Unfortunately most of it was solo, but I had a blast anyway. I did meet 'Seester and daughter, 'Seester's sister and daughter, and Bo at Caney Creek for a quick trip down to the falls. Bo, Seester and I had a *fun* hike down and back while sharing stories about dating, dumping, old flames, unfriending, misogyny (thank goodness for The American Heritage), obnoxious students and various other topics.

Here's a link to a few of my pics: Terri's Flickr photostream. I'll post more later. A little story about the one of the black snake...One of my earliest memories of Bankhead Forest happened at Brushy Lake (where I snapped the shot of the snake). Momma & Daddy, my two brothers and sister and I went to Brushy Lake alot in the summer. Picnics, playing, fishing, a little hiking. I still remember my two brothers and sister running down the path toward the dam. Of course, I was the *baby* who always got left behind! I ran after them. There was a big black stick lying across the path. They all jumped over it. I decided to kick it. Not a stick. Big black snake. Just like the one I almost stepped on yesterday, same path, almost same spot, on my way to the dam. Of course, I grabbed the camera, slapped on the zoom lens and started shooting.

Back to work today, bummer. But, I was greeted with a beautiful sunrise as I pulled out of the driveway. Here's a crappy phone shot:




Life is STILL good and getting better every day.

SAR Dog Seminar

Posting will be rather skimpy this week I'm afraid. Len & I and the doggies are in the beautiful hamlet of Scottsville, TX (pop. 203). We are attending the Shreveport Fire Department's annual Search & Rescue Seminar this week. I should have some good doggie pictures to post. Weather is going to be sunny/partly cloudy and in the 70s all week! Perfect.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!

I didn't get a card in the mail, but here is the next best thing:



To a wonderful and dear friend now living and working in the great metropolis of Birmingham.

Happy Birthday, Christy!!

Comfort Zone

I must say that my "comfort zone" is gradually getting bigger. I made it to the March NAPG meeting. The anxiety level was much reduced this time around. Of course, Saintseester was there (thank you very much for the geocoin!!), as was my dear hubby, who drove all the way to Huntsville to have pizza with us, even though he worked off of midnight shift that morning.

There were over 20 NAPG members there for this meeting. Tommy's was packed! Several of the folks I met last month were there, along with a whole bunch of new ones. We had a great time, shared stories and pictures, and got a nice quick HDR demonstration by Nick.

Further widening my "comfort zone," I took several folks out to the Sipsey Wilderness on Saturday afternoon for a little waterfall shooting. 'Seester was there with her gang and two other folks from Flickr who I had never met before that day, Kelli & Justin. It's a little scary meeting someone for the first time by taking them hiking in a wilderness area. It all worked out beautifully and I think everyone got some terrific shots. Check out all three photostreams. I think you'll agree.

BTW...

I am officially giving up my Flickr 365 Project. I just can't do that yet. Oh well - I gave it a try. "Maybe next year." ;-)

A sense of urgency

Last month I *celebrated* (yeah, right) my 46th birthday. With the exception of my 30th birthday and then my 40th, birthdays in general haven't really bothered me all that much. Until now. For some reason, this magical 46th has completely thrown me for a loop. I don't know why. Perhaps it pushing over that halfway point between 40 and the DREADED 50.

In the days since Feb. 19 I am feeling more anxious and filled with urgency. I lay in bed at night trying to sleep and keep going through all the things I want to do, I *need* to do.

My husband and I have been hiking for years. Sometimes we go more often than others. We sit and look at the maps and books and talk about which hikes we are going to do, or want to do. But recently I keep thinking I have GOT to get them done and soon. I just want to get out and hike every day. The hell with work!

I recently got a really nice digital camera, something I've wanted to get and learn to use for years. But now, time is a-wastin'. I just want to get out there and shoot, shoot, shoot.

I've been doing canine search & rescue now for a little over 5 years. I am getting the "itch" to train another dog in a different discipline than I am currently doing because my current pup just doesn't seem really interested in the other displine, but it's something I want to try. Gotta do it now, before it gets too late.

Time is just slipping through my fingers and I'm desperately trying to slow it down, even just a little. I'm scared of that day when I won't be able to do the things I want to do. It's getting closer with every passing day.

Ahh, Sipsey

Yesterday I again had the pleasure to accompany/lead a small group of digital photographer buddies into the Jewel of the South - The Sipsey Wilderness. One of them had never been to Bankhead (unbelievable!). One of them had only been once, a couple of weeks ago. And the last has only been a couple of times. None of them had been to Saturday's destination: Turkey Foot Creek Canyon.

I think I'm safe in saying that they were all very happy with the trip. It's a relatively easy hike, just around 1 mile, up through a beautiful little canyon. I have been to this canyon numerous times and have run into other people there only once!! So few know about it. It's really just off the road and you would never imagine that such a gorgeous canyon is just outside your car door. But, that's a good thing really. I like going there and not having to fight crowds. Plus, it remains very trash-free just because of that fact.

I love taking folks to the Sipsey. People come from all over the US to hike there, but so many people within north Alabama don't know anything about it. It's a wonder, a jewel, a secret place. But, it is one that begs to be discovered.

Here's a shot:

You gotta love this administration...

...so many quotes, so little time:

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told an audience Friday "never waste a good crisis,"

And from this past November:
"You never want a serious crisis to go to waste," Rahm Emanuel, Mr. Obama's new chief of staff, told a Wall Street Journal conference of top corporate chief executives this week.

So, Crisis = Good. Yes?

Hiatus

And is was purely unintentional. Seems like every day, right in the middle of something, I'd think, "You need to get online and post." But alas, I suffer from AADD (adult attention deficit disorder) and when I would actually get unbusy and have time to post, I would lose myself and my time doing something else. You know, like reading 'Seester's blog, or obsessing over my Facebook page, reading DrudgeReport, perusing the pics on Flickr. You know, important stuff.

I'm working on something, but it's not ready. Needs a little tweaking. So, instead of a wordy post, enjoy a little beauty from GSMNP:




Visibility is not too good today, but it's still a beautiful place and I am still wishing I was there....

A VERY bad wife...

...almost. I didn't forget it, but was just so darn (good word - Lent) busy at work I just didn't get a chance to post.



HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY WONDERFUL HUSBAND, LEN !!!