Three Years Later and Here I Am

My first post since 2013, and you would think that I have much to catch up.  I do, but I'm not going to all at once.  But, here is a small taste.

The job from 2012, was fun, but made no money, and actually cost me more than I netted after taxes.  When the job changed to not be fun anymore, I left it, and as threatened before, opened my own business.  So far, it actually makes money.  Not much, but it does turn a small profit with each assignment.  That is at least an improvement over working for someone else, and my out of pocket expenses each day costing me more than my net take home pay.

It's been a hot and humid summer this 2016, and I am looking forward, I think, for the first time in my life, to a cool autumn and cold winter.  I usually don't like cold weather, but this year's humidity and heat has beat me down like no other year.  I am ready to brave the cold.

I obtained my lifetime hunting and fishing license this past year, but so far have only made actual use of it for fishing once, and caught nothing.  Whether or not I bag any game this winter, the license will afford me the legality of exploring the woodlands this hunting season from early morning to late evening if I wish, while armed against whatever beasties that may be lurking there.  Much like my fishing trips, hunting for me is most often not about what I bring back with me, but what I carried with me and left behind on my return.  Stress, misplaced priorities, out of proportion worries and concerns, all seem to easily get left behind at the edge of a hunting blind, shore line, or forest edge.  Hopefully I'll take more pictures also, and post the better of them here.

I also started making videos this year and posting them on YouTube.  My editing software leaves much to be desired when it comes to sound, and I have made many blunders with my first few videos.  I hope to improve the videos this fall and winter.  If you are interested, you can search YouTube for Uncle Dread.  New videos will definitely be about the outdoors, bushcraft, survival, etc.  I may try to post some here, if that is possible.

I am deeply worried about this year's election of the President of the United States.  That's all I will say about it here, since I am already expressing my views on that pretty strongly in other venues.

More on life here beneath the Carolina moon later.  After my long absence from here, I don't want to over stay my welcome on my first return visit.

Dread

Sky Eagles

There's no pictures with this post.  I was too awe struck to think of raising the camera.  Cruising up 108 and somewhere off the beaten path in Polk County North Carolina, I looked up to see a bald eagle soaring and circling to ride a thermal up. I pulled off the road to watch.  Another eagle joined the first and they began to call out to each other, as they continued circling the thermal updraft.  Eventually, they reached a fairly high altitude and drifted away.  This was my first fully confirmed spotting of a bald eagle in the wild.  The other two spottings were at such a great distance that I couldn't confirm with confidence that I had indeed spotted an eagle.  This time it was up close, with no doubt left, and two of them at that!  What an amazing and beautiful sight! 

To bad I missed taking pictures.  No doubt, you've seen pictures of eagles though.  I have seen pictures of eagles; plenty of them.  But, never before had I seen a live eagle in the wild.  It's one of those, you had to be there to appreciate it things.  That's one more check mark on my bucket list.

And to think that it happened, right here, beneath the Carolina moon.

Dread

The Bright Spot of 2012

I tried retirement this year.  It stank!  So, I took another job, but I think it is actually costing me more to work than I am making.  I must have one of those jobs the Obama administration brags all the time about creating.  Its not a job!  It's a tax!

I may have to open my own business so that I can at least benefit from the tax write off of loosing money while working my tushie off.  More on this later as it progresses.  Meanwhile I'm enjoying an unusually mild Christmas season.  Lower heating bills!  Lower income!  Shorter shopping lists!

Some things are looking up though.  The price of groceries, the cost of healthcare, homeowner's insurance premiums, auto insurance premiums, clothing costs, electric costs.  Yep.  All up!  As for the folks who call this prosperity?  They can have my share!

Merry Christmas!  The one bright spot of 2012!

Dread

Could This Be the Opportunity of My and Your Lifetime?

I came across this while looking into methods of making money on-line.  I am initially impressed and fully intending to spend a little time trying various approaches.  This appears to be one of the stronger approaches.  http://clicks2offers.go2jump.org/SHYuK
There is a giant, viral, marketing, loop hole out there! Learn how to earn $65,000+ in 30 days. Endless Traffic, Limitless Possibilities. Learn a proven system that anybody can profit from. Look up their track record!  This is not a get rich easy and quick scheme.  It is HARD work.  But you do it mostly at your computer with your internet connection.  Those two assets you already have, which keeps your investment at a real minimum.  If you can use a computer, and an internet browser, then there is no reason you can't learn this!  It will take effort on your part, but how much effort do you put into a job that you don't even like working for a boss you don't even like?  Just give this a look over!  You owe yourself the exposure to this opportunity of a life time!  http://clicks2offers.go2jump.org/SHYuK  Do it now!

Chattooga

Weekends often call for just getting out and rambling.  Last weekend, the Divine Miss N and I trekked from the Piedmont region to what is referred to as the "dark corner" of South Carolina.  We went about as far north and west as you can go and still stay in South Carolina.  The pictures below are from the Chattooga River.  Famous for dramatic white water adventures, the Chattooga was also the famous setting for Deliverance.  Do you hear banjo music?  I don't know, but we did see a fantastic wild natural area.

And to think that it's all here beneath the Carolina Moon.

The Divine Miss N and I took a walking tour of downtown Greenville, South Carolina yesterday.  Its a beautiful tree canopy covered area.  After browsing through the Mast General Store , we lunched on Ruben and Cuban sandwiches at the Blue Ridge Brewing Company.  If you like those sandwiches, this is the place. I have to also recommend the ale enhanced, house made, ketchup and mustard.  One word; wonderful! 

After lunch, we made our way down to the Reedy River where the Reedy River Duck Derby was being held.  It's an annual fund raiser for a local charity, hence all of the rubber duckies piled up against the skimmers in the photo.  I'm impressed with what Greenville has accomplished for its once dying downtown, and the remainder of the city and surrounding area.  Its a very livable city. 

I took this quick vid with the HTC droid phone while on a Sunday afternoon circuit ride with the Divine Miss N, through part of western South and North Carolina. This is over the rail at Connestee Falls, along Hwy 276 South of Brevard North Carolina.

KONY 2012

If you don't watch anything else this year, watch this video.  Then act.

KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

Somewhere in Arkansas..

Relative of Bill and Hillary I would imagine...

Arrogant Lies To The Rescue

Once again, the muslim named and apparently foreign born president of incompetence has tried to spin utter failure into a story of immense success. I have three words for his state of the union address: WHAT A CROCK!

Twas the Day After Christmas and ....

Can't be any worse than the return to dysfunctional employment..

A Bi-lingual Message from Randy the Red Neck Reindeer

Y'all

Either "y'all" has both a plural and singular form, or the entire south is schizophrenic.  I prefer to believe the former, but I greatly fear its the latter.  There's, "Y'all get off the porch!", and there's, "Y'all's crazy!".  See, what I mean?

This shot was taken a few weeks ago from high in the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains, somewhere along the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The colors have completely changed now, and last weekend, the Divine Miss N and I took a trek to Tennessee and took loads of pix.  We're sorting through those now and will post a few soon.  By the way, we found that there are now elk once again in the North Carolina mountains.  They were brought in from Colorado and Canada a few years ago and, according to the park ranger we encountered, the wild breeding program has been a success.  There are now North Carolina wild born elk.  These things are as big as a small horse.  As you can see from the pix, we were able to get up close with one of the transplanted mother elk. 

Southern Humor

Yesterday, an acquaintance sent me this supposed joke:

An illegal alien, a muslim, and a communist, walk into a bar. The bartender says, "What can I get you to drink, Mr. President?"

At first I laughed,but then, I thought about what the odds were that it was true.

An Icon of Our Generation Passes

I never was a fan of the products.  But I always admired the creativity, innovation, and marketing savvy of the man.  He was a genius shaper of out times and very likely our futures.

Another Caractère de Notoriété Buys the Farm

March 29, 2011 a local character of some notoriety, Barney Barnwell, passed.  I missed posting anything here at the time. With his passing, passes another piece of an era.  He founded the Moonshiner's Reunion, held every autumn at his Plum Hollow Farm, claimed to be a former moonshiner (I don't know about the "former" part).  He played fiddle in the Plum Hollow Band, and also founded the Plum Hollow Alternative Bluegrass Festival, held on his farm each spring.  Both festivals were huge annual successes.  

Barney reveled in his notoriety and eccentric reputation, because he was mostly an entrepreneur and entertainer/artist.  He could spin a yarn as good as any liar, and since he made a living at it from time to time, I guess you could say he was a professional liar.  He would have liked being called that.  Some of his works are the Plum Hollow Farm which you can visit in New Prospect SC, the band's recordings, various spirit tree carvings, and some of his tall tales.  The Discovery Channel and the History Channel have both filmed Barney at the farm.  

Oh yeah, Barnwell also founded and operated the Overall Recording Studios which had an indy label.  So he wasn't totally the hick he portrayed himself to be.  Much like other southern eccentric characters, he loved playing the role.  Pictured above is Barney and George, his pet possum.  You can find more on Barnwell, his music, tales, art, the festivals and the Plum Hollow Farm here:   http://www.moonshiners.com

You can also read Barney's story about when he first got George here: http://swampland.com/articles/view/title:barney_barnwell_a_possums_tale

Neighborhood Infadelism

Just a few blocks away from my residence, there is a house with a flag pole in the front yard.  The flag of the United States of America flies on the pole.  Beneath the flag there is a concrete pig standing guard.

I assume this arrangement in the front garden is a tribute to all Islamic passers by.  I am being facetious of course.  I find this concrete pig in the front garden fascinating.  I would stop to ask the residents there if there is a particular significance to the concrete pig, but I'm guessing they would give me some dissappointing reply.  Something like, "Oh we just thought the pig was cute and decided to bring it home with us."  To which I would very likely ask, "It's such a great conversation piece!  Is there a reason that you don't keep it in your parlor?"  My guess is, from that location it probably wouldn't piss off as many Muslims.  My other guess is, they would reply, "Oh we prefer to keep it out front where everybody passing can enjoy it." 

Pigs have a hard enough time flying.  Now they're concrete.  This has to be something that you would only see here, Beneath the Carolina Moon, which lies beneath the American flag, and then just a little bit south.

The Little Brown Church

I pass this little brown church on my way to and fro.  I snapped a picture of it because it has always held intrigue.  I understand that it is used for storage these days.  With a beautiful pond to the right and just beyond it, the setting is beautiful for a wedding, quiet reflection, or perhaps even a christening or a baptism.  It might would be a money making proposition to fix it up and rent it out for weddings, etc.  I don't know who owns it.  I hate to see it succumb to the elements and become lost to posterity.  But such is the way of the world.  For a while at least, it shall be frozen in time here, Beneath the Carolina Moon.

What follows below, as a connected point of interest, and as a natural dove tail of nostalgia, I offer to you the true story of the original Little Brown Church of American folk music fame.

William Pitts was on his way to visit his bride to be in Fredericksburg, Iowa.  The stagecoach in which he rode stopped at Bradford, which was 14 miles west of Fredericksburg.  He strolled around enjoying the trees, lush green growth, and the gentile rolling hills.  Mr. Pitts found a beautiful spot in a wooded area in the valley that was formed by the Cedar river.  He envisioned a church there, and could not seem to ease the vision in his mind.  Days later, when he returned home, he wrote a poem about the imagined church.


In 1857 he set the lyrics to music and seven years later, Mr. Pitts returned to teach music at the Bradford Academy.  To his surprise, he discovered a small church building being erected on the very spot where he had imagined a church years before.  It was painted brown, because at that time, that was the color of affordable paint.  Mr. Pitts located the copy of his almost forgotten song and at the dedication of the new church building, his singing class from the academy publicly performed  The Little Brown Church for the first time.


Traveling musicians discovered the song, and through the years, its popularity spread throughout country churches.  In time, The Little Brown Church gained its place on the list of American folk music.


Isn't that an awesome story, and awesome church, all brought about by an awesome God.  Awesome!


 

Not For The Weak Stomached

It's Bad Mood Food!

For the last twenty plus years I have refused to eat at Arby's and literally retch at the thought when someone suggests it.  Twenty plus years ago, I was down to my last few dollars and left work at noon for my lunch break.  I stopped at a nearby Arby's drive though and ordered a beef sandwich and drove back to the parking lot at work, where I sat in my pickup truck and opened my sandwich.  Hungrily I bit in deep and as I pulled the sandwich away from my mouth there was resistance and I saw something stretching between the sandwich and my teeth.  I ripped the sandwich away from my mouth and pried it open.  It was loaded with kinky black hair; a huge glob of it.  I opened the door and spit out the huge bite that was in my mouth and threw the sandwich to the ground.  Spitting, gagging and retching I made my way back into my employer's building and made my way to the rest room where I rinsed my mouth with water and gagged some more.  I did without lunch that day, because now I was all but broke and sick to my stomach.

Ever since that day, I have warned people about eating Arby's.  It's not "good mood food".  It's bad mood food.  It's puke mood food!  It's freaking gross food!  All fast food has the potential to be nasty at one time or another.  To me, Arby's will forever be black kinky hair gob, gross, filthy, nasty,... forever.