Random Ramblings Through the Years: December 2017

Since Angie and Josh were heading back to St. Louis for Christmas this year and we had yet more Dr. appointments the next week, we left a few days before Christmas and went to spend Tim's birthday with him and Faith in Knoxville on our way to St. Louis. It was a short visit, only 2 nights, but we planned to spend a few more nights with them on our way back to Georgia.

1-5-17 Blues game --Bill gave "us" some tickets to a Blues game that someone gave him. Ken wasn't intersted in going and it took me quite awhile to find someone to go with me. We hadn't been friends with the Fischers in quite some time, but as a last resort, I called Becky anyway. Funny how things work out. We were able to talk a lot out and become friends again. Although it seems to have resulted in the Schneiderjans not wanting anything to do with us anymore. I don't have time for such petty actions, so be it.

1-5-17 COLD!!!! And what's St. Louis without a little snow?!

1-6-17 frozen Mississippi river

1-9-17 Migratory bird sanctuary near Alton--found this place in just the last couple years. Such a neat place.

1-9-17 Migratory bird sanctuary

After some debate, we had decided to leave on Friday the 13th and spend the holiday weekend with Tim and Faith. I think Ken was just using that rational as an excuse for staying in ST. Louis a little longer then we "needed" to. But the weather made it necessary to leave on the 12th instead. They were calling for a huge ice storm to hit on the 13th.

1-12-17 St Louis - Knoxville

1-12-17 St Louis to Knoxville

Since the kids have moved to Knoxville, they have become hikers. Even plan on going on an overnight hike in the Smokey's this summer. So they asked if I'd like to go to 7 Islands birding park about 30 miles away. Of course I said yes.

1-15-17 7 islands park

1-15-17 knoxville skyline

1-16-17 on our drive home from Knoxville

1-20-17 walking along Ive Creek Greenway

Ken turned 65 today! Another milestone reach---he's now on Medicare! Can't believe we're that old already! Where has the time gone?! Just so happened his birthday was on a Saturday and the kids decided it was a good time for our monthly meet up brunch. So the girls picked Maple Street restaurant in Chattanooga as the brunch spot this month and we met Tim and Faith there about noon

1-28-17 Ken's birthday in Chattanooga with all the kids

1-31-17 Sunset at West Bank park on Lake Lanier

I didn't often go to the Mall of Georgia, but it is quite the draw here. Especially during the holidays and traffic gets ridiculous! I do like going to the JCPenney's here, but don't have to go in the mall for that. But figured I ought to walk around in it at least once. It is a really nice mall.

2-2-17 Mall of Georgia

Feb. 4, 2017---off to Orlando!!!!

Ken and I decided it was time to go back and see what's changed in Orlando in our absence. So I found really cheap airfare---$47@ way ATL-MCO / person and reserved a car for $149/week. We were all set---------until President Trump thought it was a good idea to more highly vet people from terrorist hotbeds and block 7 countries from traveling here for 90 days while a new vetting process was established. So protesting was going on everywhere. To avoid all the protesters at the airports, we decided just to drive. But it turned out to be a great decision to drive! It allowed us to make a couple side trips on our way there and back.

2-4-17 Silver Springs on our way to Orange Lake Resort in Orlando

2-5-17 Opopka Drive

2-5-17 Orange Lake sunset

2-5-17 Orange lake sunset

2-6-17 around Orange Lake Resort

2-6-17 around Orange Lake Resort-outside our villa

2-6-17 around Orange Lake Resort

2-7-17 P Leu Gardens

2-7-17 shuttle boat at Downtown Disney

I'd heard Merritt island is a must do thing for birders, so I was excited to go. Turned out to be a bit disappointing. I liked Apopka better, and loved the S. Florida wetlands. But it was still neat to see.

2-8-17 Merritt Island

Since we were by the coast, we had to go check it out. Many little biting bugs checked me out there!

2-8-17 Cape Canaveral National Seashore

2-9-17 Brinson, Lakefront Park---showing off the incredibly itchy bug bites I got from Cape Canaveral Seashore the night before.

2-9-17 Brinson, Lakefront Park---hadn't plan to go here, but we needed new tires for the Taurus and this was near the tire store Ken found. So glad we inadvertantly found it. I would go here again.

2-9-17 Brinson, Lakefront Park---so glad we stayed for sunset, too!

2-10-17 Albin Park, Orlando---using more of our reciprocal garden membership

2-10-17 Opopka-back to Opopka on our way back from Albin

2-10-17 Opopka

2-11-17 Orlando to Buford

2-11-17 Orlando to Buford--lots of cotton fields in S. Georgia

2-11-17 Orlando to Buford--by way of Providence Canyone

Just a little Georgia ranch--

2-21-17 to Pooles Mill

2-21-17 Pooles Mill

2-23-17 Gainesville

2-23-17 Gainesville--Mellow Mushroom

2-23-17 Gainesville

2-23-17 Sunset park, lake lanier

2-23-17 sunset park, lake lanier

2-25-17 Chili Cookoff at Angie and Josh's church

2-25-17 Chili Cookoff at Angie and Josh's church---yea, I won! a $25 gift certificate to Panera Bread Company

2-27-17 on our way to St. Louis, car and trailer that flew by us earlier

2-27-17 on our way to St. Louis

2-28-17 MOBOT orchid show

3-5-17 to the Smokey's with the Knoxville kids

3-5-17 suitcase full of Zoysia grass

3-6-17 Knoxville - Buford

3-8-17 Gibbs garden

3-10-17 weekend in Ellijay

3-11-17 weekend in Ellijay

3-12-17 snowy N Georgia mountains

3-12-17 Amacolola Falls

3-13-17 Fall Creek Falls

3-12-17 fall creek falls

3-12-17 Toccoa River swinging bridge

3-12-17 sea creek falls

3-20-17 Sunset Cove

3-25-17 Atlanta botanical Gardens

3-26-17 Ivy Creek Greenway

3-29-17 Athens, State botanical gardens

4-1-17 Atl botanical gardens-Gainesville

4-1-17 dino by our condo

4-4-17 Little Mulberry park

4-8-17 George Pierce park with Southern Wings birding club

4-10-17 George Pierce Park

4-13-17 Ivy Creek Greenway

4-15-17 Chattanooga Choo Choo with the kids

4-15-17 driving home from Chattanooga Choo Choo with the kids

4-15-17 amacalola on our way home from Chat

4-19-17 biking the Suwanee Greenway

4-20-17 back to St. Louis for another baby shower!

This time it's for Angie and Josh! Now that they're approved to adopt, it was time to start thinking about what all they need. Her friends in St. Louis, who have also adopted from Bethany, suggested we throw a baby shower for her. Angie wanted it to be a "couples" shower, so we let her find the time and place. She chose Tower Grove Park in downtown St. Louis at the Turkish Pavilion on April 23rd. So Angie and I drove her SUV to St. Louis. Josh followed on Friday night after work and flew home Sunday after the shower. Ken stayed in Georgia and watched the dogs.

4-20-17 drive to St. Louis for Hicks baby shower!

4-22-17 prepping for the shower

4-23-17 Tower Grove Park for Hicks baby shower

4-25-17 stl - buford

4-28-17 ivy creek greenway

5-28-17 mill creek greenway

4-28-17 ivy creek greenway

4-29-17 sloten auction

5-1-17 book reading at ATL botanical gardens with Angie

5-2-17 Gibb on the way to Knoxville

5-2-17 on the way to Knoxville

5-3-17 Great Smokey Mountains

5-3-17 Great Smokey Mountains--when I discovered even though my A-fib may be doing better, I now get episodes of tachicardia. Which kicked in on this hike for the first time making me rather worried.

5-3-17 Great Smokey Mountains---Laurel falls--- got to the falls and tried to rest til my heart cooperated again, but it wasn't working.

5-3-17 Great Smokey Mountains--started hiking back remembering there was a Ranger not too far away in case I still was having problems. Fortunately I found a tissue and cold water and put it on my face which got my heart to slow down.

5-3-17 Great Smokey Mountains

5-3-17 Great Smokey Mountains--a road side waterfall

5-3-17 Great Smokey Mountains

5-5-17 GSNP closed due to wind and rain

5-7-17 TN garden and snack before hand

5-7-17 TN garden

5-11-17 angie and me to Knoxville for an estate sale

5-12-17 early birthday dinner for me---our Cunetto's of Buford!

5-12-17 early birthday dinner for me---our Cunetto's of Buford! So good!!!

2017 May South Florida 10 night trip:

Since we had airfare credit with Southwest to use before June 9th, we decided to use it to go to South Florida for 10 days. I was able to pick up 2 nights at the Wyndham Royal Vista and 9 (one overlapping Royal Vista) at the Palm Aire. It was great going back and playing tourist in the area we lived for a year.

5-14-17 S. Florida Vacation time!

5-14-17 Butterfly garden

5-14-17 Royal Vista beach, pompano

5-15-17 Wakodahatchee

Happy Birthday to me!!1

5-16-17 naples

5-16-17 ken under the pier at naples

5-17-17 Green Cay

5-18-17 Flamingo Gardens

5-18-17 our Loxahatchee sunset

5-19-17 main Loxahatchee

5-19-17 lighthouse by Pompano

5-20-17 wako

5-21-17 Everglades

5-22-17 Deerfield beach

5-22-17 Wako

5-23-17 FLL-ATL

5-26-17 George Pierce park

5-30-17 Marrietta--who knew we would live so close to here some day and Ken would be going to this very hospital that I went with Angie to for her specialist appointment. While she was in her appointment, I rode around Marrietta and liked what I saw.

5-31-17 Old Federal Park again

6-2017 Ivy creek greenway

6-2-17 Atlanta Botanical Garden -curious garden

6-8-17 West Bank on Lake Lanier

6-9-17 Josh's birthday

6-10-17 downtown Atlanta

6-16-17 Ivy Creek Greenway after a big rain

6-17-17 back to St. Louis: and Happy Birthday, Faith!!!

We thought about going to Knoxville on our way and celebrating Faith's birthday with them, but when we asked them what they had planned, they mentioned taking off work and going on hikes all weekend. So we figured we'd see them in July when we come out to pet sit. Plus they've been having visitors from St. Louis just about every weekend for a month and more to come, so figured they may be visited out.

6-17-17 Castelli's Moonlight Restaurant in Alton---a place we have to go to whenever we're in town. Their chicken is the BEST!

The main reason why we came back at this time was because Florissant now has a rule that if you're renting a house out, you must attend a class on being a landlord. They also raised the annual landlord fee from $15 to $50. So when we were back in St. Louis for our tax papers we checked on when we could do the class. Turned out is was full up until June 19th, so we signed up for it. We pretty much dreaded the class---8 hours long. But it actully turned out to be really interesting and very informative. They even provided Old Town Doughnuts for breakfast and Firehouse Subs for lunch.

6-19-17 landlord school

What better way to celebrate then by bringing home your new vehicle!!!??? I jokingly asked isn't anniversary 42 metal and Angie said no, it's real-estate.

6-20-17 Happy 42nd anniversary to us!!!!

6-21-17 Bill Even threw a surprise anniversary "party" for us at Stef's! He's always so thoughtful.

6-29-17 MOBOT

6-30-17 heading back to Georgia

6-30-17 always traffic delays between St. Louis and Georgia!

7-2017 ivy creek greenway

7-7-17 off to Knoxville---

And we're off, again. This time to Knoxville to visit Tim and Faith, and watch the animals while they go on an overnight hike into the mountains (Le Conte Mt). There are cabins on top of the mountain that you can only get to by hiking to them. They're so popular that there's a lottery to get to stay at them---even with the $300, or so, reservation fee (which also includes dinner and breakfast).

7-9-17 Kids heading off on their overnight hiking trip

7-9-17 dropped the kids off then we went exploring some of the Smokey's

7-10-17 back up to the Smokey's to pick up the kids

7-14-17 late birthday dinner for Josh at Smokey Bones

7-15-17 accident witnessed and heroic off duty policewoman

7-15-17 a day in Athens with the kids

7-21-17 Girls weekend to Lake Lure, SC:

What do you do with a $500 Gift certificate for The Biltmore? Plan a girls weekend!!! At first we thought we'd stay at the Biltmore, but after checking hotel prices on property, we decided to stay at a Wyndham resort and go to the Biltmore for the day. Closest Wyndham to both Faith and us is the Wyndham at Fairfield Mountains in Lake Lure, North Carolina, so that's where we stayed. It was about a 3 1/2 hour drive for Angie and me, and about 2 1/2 hours for Faith. But it was a nice ride through some really pretty country.

7-21-17 weekend girls trip with Angie and Faith to Lake Lure,S Carolina.

7-22-17 a fun day at the Biltmore

7-23-17 exploring the town of Lake Lure

7-23-17 exploring Lake Lure

8-3-17 Minnehaha falls walk

8-3-17 Minnehaha falls

8-3-17 Panther falls

8-3-17 Toccoa falls

8-9-17 Gainesville ATL botanical gardens

8-11-17 Braves minor league game about 2 miles from our apartment

8-16-17 Old Federal

8-18-17 ivy creek greenway

8-21-17 total eclipse of the sun

8-21-17 total eclipse of the sun--light again at 2:50

8-22-17 to Lake Lure with Ken

8-23-17 falls in the Pisgah mts

8-23-17 s in the Pisgah mts

8-23-17 pearson falls in the Pisgah mts

8-23-17 walk to pearson falls in the Pisgah mts

8-24-17 Hickory Nut Falls trail

8-24-17 Lake Lure flower bridge

8-25-17 Wildcat Falls, SC

7-25-17 Caesar's Head State Park, sc

8-30-17 ATl Botanical Gardens

Why I love walking through the Ivy Creek Greenway so much!

9-2-17 walking the Ivy Creek Greenway

9-7-17 Gibbs

9-7-17 DeSoto falls

9-11-17 Hurricane Irma in town

9-15-17 sunset from our street

9-16-17 Heading to St. Louis

9-22-17 Fredbird Friday with Becky

9-24-17 W alton sunset

9-25-17 St. Peters countryside

9-26-17 Cardinal game

9-28-17 Shaw Nature Reserve

9-28-17 W alton sunset

9-29-17 picture angie sent of their anniversary date

9-29-17 MOBOT

9-30-17 stl - knoxville

10-1-17 Knoxville with the kids

10-1-17 The Cove

10-1-17Mexican dominoes

I like trying to find a waterfall or something interesting to stop at on the way home from Knoxville, but I didn't spend much time researching that this time. In the short amount of time I did before we left their house, I came across Red Clay Historical Park. Never heard of it before, but it was close to I-75 and made a good bypass around Chattanooga. So we decided to check it out.

10-2-17 knoxville to buford by way of Red Clay State Historic Park

Here is where the Cherokee Nation's council assembled yearly back in 1832-1838.

10-2-17 knoxville to buford by way of Red Clay State Historic Park

10-8-17 Gainesville atl botanical garden

10-11-17 new futon

10-14-17 walk for cancer in Ivy Creek Greenway with people from our complex

10-17-17 ATL botanical gardens

10-17-17 visit with Rick and Sue

10-19-17 to Athens to the State Gardens

10-19-17 State Gardens

10-21-17 to Cineta winery

10-23-17 another crown!

Heading on up to Knoxville again. This time we'll be watching Tim and Faith's pets while they go off to Kansas City for Faith's brother's wedding. So we're heading up to Knoxville a couple days early so we can visit for a couple days with them, too.

10-24-17 Knoxville by way of Amicalola

Since Tim and Faith had an early flight, I decided it would be a great opportunity to see Cades Cove at sunrise. So we were up by 6 and on the road by about 6:30. Dropped the kids off at the Knoxville airport. Then continued on our way up into the Smokey Mountains.

10-26-17 sunrise at Cades Cove

10-27-17 knoxville

10-27-17 doggie sitting

10-31-17 spooky

10-31-17 spookyHalloween at Angie and Josh's

11-2-17 Gibbs

11-3-17 to Helen

11-3-17 Helen

11-3-17 Helen to Brasstown Bald

11-3-17 Brasstown Bald

11-3-17 Helton falls near Brasstown

11-4-17 Gibbs

Awhile back I picked up another VIP reservation for 1/2 points and a free upgrade. This time it was for Sapphire Resort in the southern area of N. Carolina. We had never been there before, but after going to Lake Lure a couple times, I've been smitten with N. Carolina. So many beautiful mountains, lakes, and waterfalls. Sapphire Resort is situated in the middle of a bunch of waterfalls. It's also listed as a ski resort! I wasn't looking for snow, but thought this might be a good time to see color in the mountains. It ended up being past peak season, but it was still beautiful---even with the almost constant overcast, fog, and rain that we had all 3 days.

Since we had a 2 bedroom lockoff unit reserved, I asked Angie if she wanted to go. She said yes. To which Ken took it as his chance to beg off the trip and stay back in Buford. So it became another cherished mother/daughter trip.

11-7-17 to Sapphire SC

11-7-17 to Sapphire SC==White water Falls--Whitewater Falls is the highest waterfall east of the Rockies, falling 811 ft.

11-8-17 on our way to The Biltmore, by way of more waterfalls and the Blue Ridge Parkway!

This 15 miles or so of hwy cuts over to the Blue Ridge Parkway and passes a bunch of waterfalls along the way.

11-8-17 Looking Glass falls

11-8-17 Moore Cove Waterfall

11-8-17 on to The Biltmore

11-8-17 The Biltmore

11-9-17 traveling back to Buford, Ga, by way of more waterfalls: Bridal Veil Falls and Dry Falls

11-9-17 Bridal Veil Falls

11-9-17 not so dry Dry Falls

11-11-17 Sloten auction

11-16-17 to a Hockey game

11-17-17 biking Suwanee greenway

11-20-17 sip and strokes at our apartment complex

11-21-17 Gainesville botanical garden---before I knocked the lego turkey off the counter and shattered it! Oops

11-21-17 Gainesville garden

11-22-17 Ivy Creek Greenway

11-24-17 day after Thanksgiving

11-25-17 Dahlonaga with the Hicks

2017 Nov. 28 - Dec. 12 --- 11 Night HAL sunfarer cruise; 3 nt S. Florida vacation:

When Southwest offered some insane airfares to FLL from ATL for $37@ way, I decided it was time for another trip! So I chose Nov. 28 - Dec. 10----the week after Thanksgiving until a couple weeks before Christmas. Now all I had to do was find accommodations and wait for Nov. 28th. We were able to find a good deal for an 11 night Caribbean cruise of Holland America's newest ship, the Koningsdam, for $899@. We were on her last year and really liked it. But we still needed a night before the cruise and 2 nights after the cruise. Having a bunch of Wyndham points, I was able to book the Wyndham Palm Aire. I was even able to get the 4 bedroom penthouse for half the points of a 2 bedroom unit with our VIP status for the night before our cruise.

But before Nov. 28th came around, a little storm called Irma decided to pay a visit to the whole state of Florida and even up to us in Atlanta! 2 weeks before the trip, we got an email from Wyndham saying they were cancelling our pre cruise reservation---and might still cancel our post cruise 2 night reservation. Dang!!!!

12-1-17 embarkation

12-2-17 St. Kitts

12-3-17 St. Lucia

12-3-17 st. lucia

12-4-17 Barbados-folkestone Park

12-5-17 Martinique--we stayed on the ship

12-6-17 Antigua (our first time to this island)

12-6-17 Antigua (our first time to this island) hoped snorkeling would be good, but it wasn't

12-7-17 St. Thomas

12-7-17 st thomas

12-9-17 Halfmoon cay

12-10-17 deerfield beach

12-12-17 wakodahatchee

12-16-17 dollywood with TIm and Faith

12-18-17 Biltmore with Faith

Time to head to St. Louis. Since we were joining the kids there for xmas, I made a Dr. appointment, so our "vacation" there would start a little earlier. Joy, joy!!!

12-19-17 on our way to St. Louis for xmas

12-20-17 Ken and I were at the casino having lunch/dinner when Angie called with BIG news. They were chosen to be parents to a newborn baby girl. They won't be making it here for xmas!