Dog Daze

Blue haze and dog daze. Okay enough pun. The dog days of summer normally here run from mid July to mid August. This year they seemed to start in June and have extended to the end of August and who knows how much longer we'll have this oppressive heat and haze! A few mornings ago the temperature at 7:00 AM was 88 F and the humidity was 88%. Walking outdoors is more like swimming in a sauna standing up.

And people wondered why hippies did naked mud slides in the 60's and my generation took up streaking in the summers of the early 70's? I can't believe that we southerners even wear clothes. The Amazonian natives have the dress code about worked out. I say we adopt it. At work the other day I was wearing a knit shit and kakis when three suits marched in, white starched shirts, ties, and full suit coats. I don't think someone stupid enough to wear those outfits in this heat and humidity deserves to be an executive. Who was it said, "YOU CAN"T CURE STUPID!"?

Elvis Lives!

After work yesterday, Miss N and I cruised up to Hendersonville to attend Music on Main and a car show. These are regular Friday evening events there during the summer. Hendersonville is in the mountainous regions of western North Carolina, so its cooler there in the evenings than it is elsewhere in the south. A good number of celebrities have retired to the Tryon, Ashville, Hendersonville area over the years. Occasionally, you spot one. Last night we spotted Elvis at the concert. He kept dodging our camera phones, but finally I slipped this shot. Jeepers! He's what....ummm, seventy five now? Looks to be about right.

The concert is loads of relaxing fun. If you live in the area, cruise over to Main Street Hendersonville, NC on any Friday evening this summer. You gotta love it!

Posted by Dread who needed a break bad at the end of this week.

What's a Holiday?

I found the above pic of an area of Tahiti on the internet some time ago, and yesterday turned it into a watercolor. I like it, so I'm sharing here. Mainly I'm sharing it here because I forgot to pack the camera, (twice!) this weekend. Hence, there are no pictures of the various lakes, mountains, and byways visited over the holiday weekend. A pause, a rememberance, and a mediation were part of my day yesterday. My father's generation was World War II. My generation was Vietnam. My son's generation is Iraq and Afghanistan. Through the generations we should have learned, that freedom is precious and not cheap. There is no security in freedom, and there is no freedom in security. In other words, we can not be secure in our freedom when we give up our freedom for security.

I Don't Think We're in the South Anymore Toto!

You can click on this thing above to get the larger image, if you're not afraid to look at it in a larger scale. I unexpectedly came across this the other day while researching something on the net. It wasn't labeled or explained; just the picture. I haven't a clue what it is, what it will grow up to be or anything about it. I thought some of my readers may have bumped into one someplace before; say maybe while digging a hole to Russia from Madagascar? Let me know if you have a clue as to its identity, and any control tips just in case I should get an infestation of them in the lawn or something. Personally, I think they would be more likely to infest your nightmares than your lawn. But, I'm just saying....

Posted by Dread because of curiosity.

Mountain Get Away

Sunday was an opportunity to cruise into the lower Blue Ridge Mountains, do a little fishing, take a few pictures, enjoy some good food and the wonderful company of the Divine Miss "N". Our trek began at the Junction, a country restaurant located at Gowansville, on the corner of the junction of Highways 11 and 14 in Spartanburg County. The fare there partially consists of fried chicken, baked macaroni and cheese, green beans, okra, fried green tomatoes, candied yams, biscuits, mashed potatoes, creamed corn, salad, slaw, potato salad, cakes, puddings ice cream, and the list goes on but you get the picture.

After being disabled by lunch we cruised up past Pumpkintown and Cleveland to Table Rock State Park where we lounged by the lake, fished and took a few pictures. Later we rode up to Cesar's Head and took a few more pictures. Then, a leisurely ride home. I missed a picture of the male swallowtail butterfly, the huge raven at Cesar's Head and the trout that Miss N had out of the water but slipped back into the lake.

Miss N doesn't like for me to take her picture, but I got one of her from the rear as we passed between a narrow angled cleft in the mountain at Cesar's Head. Knowing how she would react if I posted that shot from the rear here, I'll just keep it for myself. Some of the other scenes from our day trip are posted below.













Above is the famous Ceasar's Head rock formation. I don't know why it is called Cesar's Head nor why it is famous. Straining my imagination, it could be say a Chinese monkey?

Posted by Dread who really wanted the raven shot.