Carrots

Okay, so this is totally random, but since we got behind this truck a couple weeks ago in north Florida (visiting Joe's folks for the weekend) I've found my thoughts meandering back to the experience.

This is a semi full of carrots. We got behind it pulling outta the field. And literally if we had stopped and picked up every carrot that came flyin' out onto the road we'd be set for carrots for months - maybe the next year. Especially when this mother went barrelin' around the curves - he was haulin' ass & carrots were flying.

The scope of agriculture in this area is beyond anything I ever encountered growing up in north Georgia (or during my 20's in Athens for that matter). I'm sure if you grew up in say... Iowa, it wouldn't be that impressive - but for me, the vastness of the area's conventional row cropping & the amount of energy and effort to make it all work gets me thinking.

As an aside: this is only a drop in the bucket as far the number of carrots pulled from these fields. I've heard the Burnam's say during harvest time a semi will pass the house every 5 or 10 minutes. Can you imagine what you could pick up on the roadside then?

Atlanta trip

Beth (my younger sister) graduated with a Master's in Applied Linguistics (from Georgia State U) this past Saturday at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. We made the trip up on Friday & had a great weekend with all the family. Beth's next stop...? she's got a very promising application in... to teach a course in conversational English at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China!

Beth & I

crazy streamer at the ceremony's end

Carrie (right at 20 weeks) & Greg at the Georgia Dome

the baby decides it needs another slice of cheescake :)

Grandaddy & the graduate

four sisters - tummy time

Uncle Dale & Beth

dharma bums

horsin' around with Daddy

bottlebrush flower at Papa Bill's home in Cairo, Ga.

a brief discription:

Bottlebrush is a small but spectacular evergreen tree or shrub. Of the family Myrtaceae it is well known as Callistemon or Bottlebrush Tree. It is easy to grow and loves warmth, moisture and sun. Bottlebrush is native to Australia mostly growing in moist soil in open or woodland sites.

The weekend before last a friend of my family, Steve, rode down with a buddy from Chattanooga for a visit - they were on their bikes headin' to Daytona for the week - I had to get a ride in while he was here! We rode down to Fort McAllister just in perfect time to watch the sunset on the Ogeechee. Ahh,... made me want a motorcycle... What a beautiful free feeling. In due time...

At Levi's first birthday Theresa gave me a flat of 50 coreopsis plants - a hardy periennel, I got them all in the ground (at our Athens home) & they've come back so beautifully this year - and are covered up with blooms! - I moved a few with us to Savannah & they're now cheerfully blooming in the backyard

Zen

Helping Hands

little hands diligent in their work

helping with the current sewing project = a tie-up valence for the downstairs bath

after I sew the seam he takes all the pins out

he'll proclaim the color for any pin with a colored head & they're always pulled first - all the standard silver ones are last

Cinco de Mayo

We're so behind in our postings! We had guests the weekend before last & then we were gone for 3-days this last weekend (to Cairo, Ga & Jennings, Fl). We'll be in Atlanta this coming weekend for my sister Beth's graduation & then to Athens the following weekend to get our house there ready to sell.

Keeping busy during the week - I'm attempting to put some veggies out in our really much too shady backyard. There are a few sunny spots - not many.

Levi's doing great with the potty training - we are diaper free when at home - though I still put a diaper on him for sleeping. I remember reading this somewhere & I agree: potty training is one of the most thankless jobs of parenting! Though how wonderful when it all 'clicks' & you've got a little one making progress!

We're using the same Mother-ease cloth diapers we've had from the beginning - they've held up, but are showing their age - I bought most of them used (on two previous children). I figured out that I've spent $14.80 per month on cloth diapering since Levi's birth - pretty great I think & NO trash produced at all. I'm down to washing two small loads per week.

We've got dinner plans out tonight with an old friend of Joe's for Cinco de Mayo. I'm counting on some margarita specials!

Happy Bithday, Daddy!

Happy birthday to "Big Daddy"! It was yesterday, April 25....the big 56!

By the way....Levi is ready for another tractor ride.

Trip Pics

I made a stop at our house in Athens - to dig up some plants & gather the woodenware from the hive I thought was dead.. instead I found it rockin'

at Lake Herrick in Athens

Athens, Ga at twilight

visiting Aunt Beth at her apartment in Atlanta

storytime with Grandma

our first stop in Chattanooga

at a park in Chattanooga below the Walnut Street walking bridge

thrift store shopping with Aunt Rie

lilacs that Honey planted blooming in Wildwood

helping Uncle Scott

Grandaddy's drive in Wildwood

in Rising Fawn for Alaina's 8th birthday party - all Levi wanted to do was steal jellybeans off the cake

Deanna & Matthew

Easter Sunday: Grandaddy, Tivoli, & Uncle Scott

Grandaddy's first cousin, June, made an unexpected visit on Easter - I hadn't seen her in years!

Remembering

Yesterday, Thursday April 16th a family friend, Mr. Bill Higdon, passed away. He was 89 & the father of my Dad's best man, Dale. Mr. Higdon lived in Wildwood & attended the same church as my folks. When I would visit home, I always remember him asking me about Athens & if I was keeping everyone 'in line' at UGA. Dad will be a pallbearer & my younger sister Beth will play the flute at his funeral.

Mr. Higdon will be buried on Saturday at Forest Hill cemetery in Chattanooga, which is one of my favorite graveyards to visit - my friend Stephen is buried there too - Eddie and I would always go together to see him - my last day with Eddie was spent there. It's a very old Chattanooga cemetery - right at the foot of the mountain - beautiful. Dale said the dogwoods there are now in full bloom.