Bill's Blog

Interpretation- North Carolina Mountains

 

Mount Airy, North Carolina
May 12, 2012

A Day in the Park

North Carolina Zoo
Asheboro, NC

One of the Best Zoo's in the country.
"At 1,371 acres (555 ha), it is one of the largest "walk-through" natural-habitat zoo in the world, the first in the United States, and only one of two state-owned zoos in the United States.The NC Zoo has over 1100 animals from more than 250 species primarily representing Africa and North America. The zoo is open 364 days a year and receives more than 700,000 visitors annually."
(from Wikopedia- click on link at top of page for more detail)

Been going there since it started life in 1976. Now it is huge.

Sunday. May 13:
Warm, cloudy day (rained in the afternoon)
Zoo was packed; a goodly chunk of the 700,000 annual visitors were there!

 

The King keeping a lazy eye on things... what you don't see is a hundred or so people keeping an eye on him.

 

Chimps are always a good show... they play to the crowd. Look closely, you can see this was shot through glass.

 

Just before the rain hit. Fortunately we were on our way out by this time.

 

South Carolina Trivia

The Big Peach
Gaffney, South Carolina

If you have ever driven I85 between Atlanta and Charlotte, you saw the Big Peach. In fact, you can't miss it: headed South it sits just off the interstate on your right conveniently located at the end of a long curve so you look straight at it before passing by.

We have been driving past it for years (since 1981 to be specific) and have never stopped, but every time we pass it, even if alone, someone says "There's the Big Peach!" Finally, we took a few moments to tour the Big Peach up close and personal...

Big Peach ("Peachoid") Trivia

 Since 1996, the small area surrounding the Big Peach has been Millwood Park.
Unfortunately the Park is currently closed and somewhat unkempt.

More trivia:

- There have been allegations that from a certain angle, the Big Peach resembles... hmmmm... an anatomical part of a woman's body. Big Peach Believers dismiss such nonsense.

- The frontage road that runs by the Big Peach is Peachoid Road.

- South Carolina is the 2nd largest producer of peaches (2nd only to California), which occasionally gripes their Southern neighbor, The Peach State.

- The peach is the official South Carolina State Fruit

- South Carolina gave itself the nickname "The Tastier Peach State" 

 

Best BBQ ever...

The BEST BBQ ever...
(let the arguments begin)

Lexington, North Carolina of course

 

Nothing fancy, always crowded. Just the best BBQ

 

Basic Southern menu (un-sweetened tea on request only).

 

Course- chopped plate:
BBQ, Slaw, Fries, hushpuppies, Tea.

This BBQ is not for the faint of heart...
vinegar- based sweet & spicy sauce (no funky red stuff to hide the tender pork flavor) , hit- you- in- the- face vinegar slaw,  fresh "home-made" hushpuppies and, of course, tea (extra sauce off to the side outside of image... but required).

 

Around back where the magic happens

 

Signs of the time- North Carolina

Along the road...

Hung on the window of a convenience store.

Women's Room door...
what makes it really funny is the door is inside a BBQ Restaurant!

 

It seems there was this Flood in 1947...
and Joe was there!!!

When visiting a North Carolina BBQ Restaurant
it is very important to have matching shirt and pig!

Good Morning
(not a local sign)

Round Peak vineyards...
the sign is a topological representation of the peak.

 

So the question is...
who is looking at who?

Galax, North Carolina &
Asheboro, NC (NC Zoo)

May 12, 2012

Prehistoric Close-ups

Prehistoric Close-ups

Spectacled caiman crocodile at Crazy Alan's Swamp Shack; Kemah (Houston), TX. They were less than a foot long but looked like they were having a really bad day... week... year... forever. In fact, it really appeared they were considering what they would do to the weird creatures on the other side of the glass if the glass were not there!

Colorado & Utah

Colorado Sunrise

White Trees

Urban Sunrise

 

Utah Storm

Storm in Blue

Mountain Pass

 

Utah Storm

Storm coming in over the Mountains

Provo, UT
April 12, 2012

Florida Morning- Urban

Behind the Hilton Garden Inn

 

 

Stop McSunrise

Oldsmar, FL
02/29/12

'Vegas Lights

'Vegas Lights

From 65th floor of THE Hotel at Mandalay Bay

View from a small camera

For Christmas I got a small point n' shoot camera (Canon G12), so now I can add Irritating Guy with small camera along with Irritating guy with big camera to my resume. Image quality is not as good but it sure is easier to get "snaps" with the little camera. Here are some of my favorites so far:

 

Jodi (first of course)

Elf Mikey

Reading together

 

My favorite lady (she will hate this picture)

 

Julie: owner of Tres Sabores Winery

Dinner

Osso Bucco

Por Que No remnants

Ruth & Brian

Mark & some other guy (OK, I didn't take this one, but it was taken with my camera)

Friends forever

HA, Sparkler in your ear!

Mark

Photographing the sparklers

Sandra

Sparkler

Grape vines at night

Old fashioned grape press

Workin' the numbers

End of a long, but good, day

Photographer

Three balloons

Flying into Oakland

Why I don't mind going to California for work...

Working trips into California for me are usually grueling... when not going to visit the kids... and this one was no exception.

Wednesday evening: fly from Richmond, VA to San Francisco via Philadelphia (in a middle seat for 5+ hours), rent a car, fight traffic forever to get to hotel... which is a dump. Whew.

Next morning: call after call after panic call after "You did what?" call, interspersed by free hotel "breakfast" in front of computer and including bad coffee, followed by an afternoon client meeting. Then more Fun In Traffic to get to the Oakland airport.

BUT WAIT... hidden in downtown Oakland, a bit of a ways from Jack London Square and in a really not too nice section of Oakland (assuming there are nice sections of Oakland) are my favorite urban wineries: JC Cellars & Dashe Cellars. Nooooooooo, they do not grow grapes in the city, but they do make very good wine in downtown Oakland. Both Jeff Cohn (JC Cellars) and Michael & Anne Dashe (Dashe) shop the area for grapes to create great wines with. Who says you have to make wine right where the grapes are grown?

Both are in the same big warehouse that, when walking in, you find floor to ceiling barrels of wine and all the paraphernalia necessary to make good wine. The tasting "room" is in a corner of the winery just inside the door. Not the most elegant of tasting rooms but the wines are superb, the folks working the tastings great and it is only a very short distance on to the airport.

There is a long bar, JC Cellars on the left, Dashe Cellars on the right. Do a tasting for one (I usually start with JC) and then slide over "next door" for a tasting at the other. Two different winemakers with their own distinct styles... it really is like going to two different wineries. 

So, two tastings and some great conversations later, it is off to the airport (after figuring out how to get three bottles in the suitcase), nicely de-compressed, really relaxed and feeling the world actually is a much better place than it was before walking through the doors.

Going to the San Fran/ Oakland area in the near future? Go de-compress at JC Cellars/ Dashe Cellars yourselves... just don't crowd the bar space if I am in town!!!

 

 

 

Study in Granite

Study in Granite

Milford, MA
01/28/2012

Fire and Fantasy

Fire and Fantasy

 

 

 

January 14, 2012

Madison, WI

Madison, State Capital of Wisconsin, has one of the nicest State Capital buildings I have come across...

In the daylight...
(at the bottom of the image you can see some of the controversy surrounding the Governor)

In the early evening..

and just after dark...

During the day, you can walk through the building from one end to the other,
with no security in sight
(an amazing thing in these days and times).

 

Surrounding the capital building are

guys keeping a close watch on things,

beautifully restored old buildings,

 

and fancy embellishments on the buildings
(I'm sure they have a formal name, I just don't know what it is)

The days I was there Wisconsin was experiencing a heat-wave: temperatures got into the 50's. The local citizenry treated it like a warm Spring day: t-shirts, short dresses and even the occasional pair of shorts.

I, on the other hand, was more sensibly dressed with a heavy coat, gloves and a warm hat.

January 7-8, 2012

 

Sign of an overly- documented society...

Sign of an overly- documented society...

Ummm, guys, it is a charger for a camera battery:
Plug in charger
Insert battery
When light goes out, remove battery

Is all this REALLY necessary?
(this is only page 1 of 2 pages!)

Napa Wineries, part 2

Tres Sabores

Tres Sabores is a small Rutherford winery that makes excellent Organic Certified wines... and is one of the most beautiful places in the world to spend the night. They have one room they rent out and we were lucky enough to be given the gift of an overnight there.

This is the quiet time of the year at the vineyards: the grapes have been picked and processed, the new growth hasn't started yet and the pruning is a bit of a ways away.

Staying overnight gives you something that, unless you live at a winery or vineyard, very few people see: Sunrise with the grapes. 

The sheep are turned out just before sunrise to graze amongst the vines

Did I mention they rent one room? They do that mainly because... there is only ONE room: an extremely nice "one room apartment" located on one end of the wine building that doubles as the Tasting Reception during the day. Very private, very nice: a perfect place to decompress and forget, for a little while, the craziness of our world.

December 27-28, 2011

Thank-you, Julie: it was perfect!

Napa Wineries, part 1

Alpha Omega Winery

Inglenook
(formerly the Rubicon Estate)

December 28, 2011

Notes (mostly grumbles) from on the road...

Miscellaneous thoughts from on the road...

- Walked into a bank for the first time in years. I needed to get tip change for some of the money I pulled out of ATM outside (I have been a Wells Fargo customer since 1996 but everything is on-line now).

1pm:

How far the banks have fallen: bored 20+ kid in $100 faded bluejeans, with a clipboard, asks if he can help me. I say "All I need is change for this $20. bill." He doesn't speak another word, just points at the teller line. 5-6 people in line; 2 windows manned by two more very young 20+ tellers; at least 6 more employees wandering around bullpen in back chatting and semi-working.

Time goes by; one teller involved in complicated business deposit; other teller arguing with (being argued at) a tattooed girl who wants to cash a check.

Time goes by; argument escalates and "supervisor" (does anyone over 20 work in this place?) intervenes while boyfriend standing by gets involved; business transaction continues; everyone else continues chatting or semi-working; guy at front door is very bored and doesn't hide it.

Time goes by; argument resolved but girl at window announces she has two more transactions and needs to check something; business transaction continues with no end in sight; everyone else continues chatting or semi-working; guy at front door is very bored and doesn't hide it. At lease two employees in back look at growing teller line and resume chatting.

Time goes by; nothing changes. I run out of time and leave, telling the bored guy at the door that I have to catch a flight and cannot wait any longer. He gives a 20+ something shrug of indifference.

Hey, Wells Fargo and other banks: wonder why you are in financial trouble and the Occupy movement says stop using you? THIS IS A BIG PART OF THE REASON!! It is called customer service, remember?

 

- Hilton: How come when I stay for several days I get a plain jane ordinary room... BUT I check in at 8pm for one night, checking out the next morning, and you upgrade me to a huge multi-room suite that I get to enjoy for all of maybe 10 hours, 1/2 of which I am asleep for and another couple of hours I am out of the suite finding something to eat. I didn't hardly get to sit in all the rooms! 

(It was a very nice suite... thanx, guys)

 

- Southwest- My favorite airline, but come on flight attendants, must we hear "Southwest wants to be the first to welcome you to...." Big deal, we are still taxiing down the runway. Let's just leave it at "Welcome to..."

- More Southwest: "We no longer accept expired coupons." You used to accept expired coupons?

- More Southwest: How come the guys who announce "We're goin' to fly it like we stole it" no longer wear the brown leather bomber jackets and now wear the blue suit jackets with the epaulets? Going conservative in your old age?

- Final Southwest: I try to avoid holiday flying but am doing it... a lot... this year. The Get Yourself Photographed With Santa thing at Gate 40 in HOU is cute... for about 2 minutes when you are on an hour wait at the next gate. The kids love it and I'm sure you are a big hit with lots of folks, but I can only stand so much Ho-Ho-Ho- ing and cute Christmas Carols and flash attachments going off. Sigh... I guess I'm an old Bah-humbug (I did move to another adjacent gate where it was quiet, so everyone was happy).

 

- Hotels in general: what DO you do with all those left over little bars of soap and partially used bottles of shampoo?  

- Hotels in general: why is the coffee in the rooms universally the worst coffee in the world? Thank God for Starbucks Via!!

- Hotels in general: An Open Apology to all Perky Front Desk Folks: when I slump in late at night and almost fall asleep on your counter or stumble by at 5 in the morning desperately seeking coffee (see reference above), PLEASE don't take it personally when I do not respond with equal perkiness.  

 

- UPS: thank-you very much for charging me $11 for intercepting and rerouting an overnight package THE DAY AFTER IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DELIVERED because your routing got screwed up.

 

- National Car Rental: NOW that I have finally figured out on my own how to start the cars that come with no keys (push button start), NOW you put instructions in the cars???

(Aside: I once actually had to get someone to show me how to start a car; then there was the late night when the fob- thingee wasn't in the car and vehicle died just past the check-out station... neither of which were very manly- type incidents)

Umm, fellows, you are about a year or so late with the big announcement on how to start a keyless car.

Magic Morning

It was one of those perfect mornings: everything was quiet and peaceful, almost as if the world took a deep breath and stopped to enjoy the morning...

Crystal Beach
Oldsmar, Florida
12/9/11