Wisdom

When I made my sunrise trip to the mountains last week, I couldn't help but to pay a visit to Pretty Place. I've written about it before and showed you pictures. I have one more to share with you. Every pillar of this outdoor chapel has plaques on each side. Each one with a prayer, bible verse, or quote.

I took some time to read a few more of these while there. Here was one of my favorites.

It says:

"We can only see a little of the ocean.
Just a few miles distant from the rocky shore;
But out there - Far beyond our eyes' horizon,
There's more - Immeasurably more.
We can only see a little of God's Loving - A few rich treasures from his mighty store;
But out there - Far beyond our eyes' horizon, there's more - Immeasurably more."
- Author Unknown

Father / Son hike

On Saturday I took Randy out hiking. We traveled up to Rainbow falls near the N. Carolina border inside YMCA camp property. I couldn’t remember for certain, but I thought the hike would take about an hour to reach the falls.

We stopped in at the office to sign in and the guy looked at me like Randy wasn’t going to make it. I told him I had hiked it twice before and we’d see how far we could get.

We started out at 11am. At 12:30pm we came to a crossing of a creek. There was no obvious way to cross. This was not the hike I remembered. It also was taking way too long. Randy was complaining that it was too dangerous and his legs were too tired. It was dangerous because of the steep edges the trail followed in some areas. He even told me it was the worst day of his life ever. I took a line from the Simpson’s movie, which he liked, “worst day of your life SO FAR”. He did get a bit of a laugh out of that. I told him we would turn around and head back up the hill. We took a few breaks going back up. Once we were half way or more back we found a small trail that split off and went through some mud. We took that small trail and within five minutes, we were at the falls.

I had taken a wrong turn on this unmarked trail and took us forty five minutes out of the way. That was an hour and a half of hiking I could have saved us. Randy reminded me that it was my fault we went the wrong way. I reminded him it was his fault we ran out of food. Before we left, he was smearing peanut butter on some celery sticks. He made six. I asked if he only wanted three each. He shrugged his shoulders. He just didn’t want to smear any more peanut butter. I emphasized that it didn’t sound like much food.

At the waterfall, Randy’s attitude improved greatly. We even took some pictures together. From then on, we had a great time together. I’m not sure he really appreciates these long hikes. He asked several times if they would ever install an elevator. He said they could make it out of wood to keep it more “in nature”.

Baby's first trip out

Early last week I was really dying to get out and do some hiking. The baby is not old enough for a hike yet. As soon as she can hold her head up well enough, then I will carry her on the hikes. We're not there yet. So, we took a drive over to the Hartwell Dam.

The dam was completed in 1962 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It provides some hydro power and also acts as flood control downstream of the Savannah. We parked under the highway and looked around the river area for a bit. Baby did a great job sleeping during this.

We drove up closer to the dam and I was able to walk along the top of it. In the picture from a few days ago, you can see the trail leading onto the dam. About a third of the way across, they have a fence preventing you from going further. I think this is more about keeping people from Georgia trying to make their way into our state, than keeping me off the dam. Here's a photo looking down the river from standing on the dam.

We sat down at at the side of the river for a few minutes for me to take some pictures. I used the opportunity to get the flash out and play with some of my equipment.

Next we drove over the bridge into Georgia. That's where the visitor center is located. It's true that I warned Cari as she got out of the car, "Watch your back, you're in Georgia now". I don't really know what that meant, but I looked back at the car as I went inside as a precaution. Inside they had maps and photographs. The most interesting thing we saw was a display showing some of the wildlife from the area. They had a bear, fox, beaver, and a few other specimen in the display. Have you ever seen a beaver? THESE THINGS ARE MUCH BIGGER THAN I WOULD HAVE GUESSED. The size of a small dog. I don't know what I was expecting, but somehow, I thought a beaver would be the size of a large cat. Certainly no larger than a groundhog.

Brenna did a good job going out with us. It was windy and cold on top of the dam, but she didn't complain one bit. Neither did Cari.

Dam Again!

Dang! I'm getting out of order. Before I had taken the time to tell you about Cari, baby, and I's trip the other day, I've taken another trip. I'll still get the non-interesting story from Hartwell Dam posted with a few more photos. But for now, read this:
I had to drive into Georgia for work today. Last night, when I was getting my map, I noticed a dam near my route. All thanks to Google maps and satellite view. On may way back home, I stopped at the J Stom Thurmond Lake and Dam for lunch. It's about 55 miles downstream from the Hartwell dam (the one I posted two days ago) on the Savannah river.

Two things about this site. If you look, you will see a small fishing boat near the center of the photo. A few minutes earlier, he was right along side of the dam wall. I was thinking they should open the gates just a bit a give him a scare, but they didn't. There are signs all over that warn about being close, but maybe the fishing is better up there.

The other thing is that the highway is the top of the dam. The top is about the width of a bridge, one lane each way. I walked more than half way out and took some photos of the river. A few times, a truck drove by at 55+mph and made me pretty nervous. I got up close to the railing and held it. It probably wasn't that close, but it was a bit scary.

Here's a few views from the top.

Dam!

Is there a story to go with this shot? You bet there is. I hope to write it up tomorrow evening for you.

I'll tell you that this is the Hartwell Dam on the Savannah river. The Savannah forms the border between South Carolina and Georgia. This shot was from the SC side. Later, we went to the visitor center on the Ga side.

As we got out of the car I said, "Watch your back, you're in Georgia now"!

The Song

A few weeks ago I used "Praise You in the Storm" as a blog title. It is currently the title of my favorite song. It is a great song performed by Casting Crowns.

I've been thinking about writing this for a week now. I still don't know how to express the message I want to get out. I've written this twenty minutes ago. I've read and re-read it. I'm not satisfied with my ability to express the meaning of this song to me. I don't want to wait any longer to get this posted.
Read the song. Listen to the song. I don't need to say much more than that. Here's the lyrics followed with some of my thoughts.
---------------------------------------
I was sure by now
God you would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say “Amen”, and it’s still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth
------------------------------------------------
I think what moves me about this song is that it takes effort to do the things they are singing.
The thunder rolls. Everything is going wrong. Maybe you feel the world is coming down on you. Perhaps you lost a loved one or a friend is sick. Imagine you lost your home to a natural disaster. Haven't you heard people say "I'm mad at God"? I have.

At times like that, it takes an amount of conscious effort to praise God. It's easier to be focused on blaming God for the wrong that has been done to you. Through all your pain, you can barely hear God whispering to you, "I am with you". The song tells us that God has never left us. He is holding EVERY tear you have cried.

How much strength does it take to lift your hands and praise God at times like this? Where does my help (strength) come from? My help (strength) comes from the Lord.

The maker of Heaven and Earth.

There are several good videos people have put together of this song on YouTube. One of my favorites is the band performing the song live.

make a decision

I almost always take my lunch to work. The few days that I don't, I like to go to Chick-fil-A.

Today, Sunday, I didn't take my lunch to work. Chick-fil-A is closed on Sunday. I decided to go to Publix (grocery store) and get some bread. That's all, just bread. They have some of the best breads.

Once inside, I was nervous that just bread wouldn't fill me up for long. I walked to the Deli section and got in line for a sub. Then I thought I didn't want to spend that much money. Back to the bakery. I picked up the bread I wanted and started to walk off. I was going to get a drink and some chips. Getting a sub instead of the bread wouldn't cost that much more.

I put the bread back and got back in line for the sub. After I got the sub, I went searching for a drink. I wanted Gatorade. It wasn't near the Pepsi. Once I found Gatorade, I decided I didn't want to spend that much for a large container. There weren't any smaller containers sold individually. I walked back to the Pepsi, but didn't really want that. I decided just to spend the money. Back to the Gatorade where I had to decide on flavor.

A full twenty minutes passed from the time I entered, until I was back in my car.

I drove back to work. I was going to sit in the car and listen to the radio during the rest of my lunch. I parked in my normal spot, but decided there were too many people around. I drove over to the park where I ALWAYS eat lunch. Why didn't I just go there to begin with? I DON'T KNOW.

Once at the park, I unpacked my sub, chips, and Gatorade. I looked at the clock. More than half of my lunch time was already gone. All because I couldn't make a few SIMPLE decisions.

I called Cari to complain about myself. I told her that is why I have to take my lunch everyday. I would go crazy if I had to make decisions like that everyday.

Good Morning. . . law breaker

I got up at six this morning. I showered and dressed quickly. I poured my coffee to go and grabbed a bagel without toasting it. I was about ten minutes late. I wasn't going to work this morning, I was headed up into the mountains to take some photos of the sunrise. I felt like I was cutting it close.

I pulled into Caesars Head State Park at 7:30am. The gate to the overlook was locked. A sign was bolted to the front of the gate. "Unlawful to go beyond this point". The ranger station/gift shop had a sign that said the building opened at 9. NINE!! Sunrise was going to be just a bit before eight. I jumped the fence and went to the overlook. It was still pretty dark. I took a few test shots and then I got nervous.

If I was caught, I didn't know what they would do. I'd imagine I would receive a fine. This hobby is not worth a ticket. I went back to the car to think about the situation. There was about thirty minutes until the sun would be high enough to reach the mountain.

After about five minutes, a white truck pulled in and a man got out. He went to the back of his truck and put a jacket on. I was across the parking lot in my car, watching him. "Please be a photographer", I thought. If it was, we could break the law together. Safety in numbers, right?

He pulled a tripod out of his truck. A photographer! I gave him another minute, then I grabbed my gear and walked toward him.

After our good mornings, I asked him, "Do you know what time they open this gate? Do you know how serious they are about this sign?" I pointed to the gate.

He told me that he didn't know what time it opened and he said they are very serious about the sign. Then he told me he worked for the state as a photographer. He made arrangements with the ranger for this morning. I noticed his government license plate. He said he was in no authority to give me permission. He kinda said I would be jumping the gate at my own risk.

I was still considering if I should leave. I was disappointed.

We talked for another minute, then he invited me to jump the fence with him. He said that if they asked, I was with him. THANK YOU, PERRY!

We spent about an hour at the observation area shooting. As we talked, I realized that Perry is a really cool guy.

At a time that I was debating leaving or breaking the law on this random Friday morning, Perry pulled into the parking lot and changed my morning. How amazing is that?

You have to click and see this one enlarged.

Another photo, lighter than this one, is on my Flickr account.

Squash

Have I ever told you the story of Squash?

This story came about while having dinner with some friends. Debbie had prepared a great meal that included squash. I was not about to eat any of the squash. She and Cari tried to convince me to put some of the mash into my mouth. So, I created the following story to distract them of their goal.

It's called squash for a reason. The Indians named it. They planted it, cared for the plants, and carefully harvested the vegetable.

So much work went into getting this nutrition. The women cooked it and served it to the men proudly.

It tasted so nasty the men threw it to the ground and stomped on it to show their displeasure with this new item. The men went into the field and squashed the rest of the vegetable.

Ever since that day, the women called it "Squash". For some reason, only women can enjoy it.

I don't think anyone was believing my story as I told it. It did save me from tasting squash for another five minutes. After my story I did force down one bite. That was my last bite of squash.

Halloween Rules

I like Halloween because I like to eat candy. I like to send my children out to the streets and have them gather candy for me.

Tonight, they went out three times with Cari and some neighbors. I stayed home with Brenna. She and I handed out candy to the visitors. I also ate a lot of candy between visitors.

The kids came back with piles of candy that I started looking through after they went to bed. Yum.

This year we had a soldierand a ballerina

The Revolving Door

One of our favorite things to do at Greenville Memorial was to watch the revolving door.

It's an automatic revolving door. You don't need to push it around. I was extremely entertained by this. The door has several sensors on it. If someone does not seem to be following the rules, an automated message is announced, "Please step forward". It is amazing the number of people that are confused by this door. There are two large openings, one on each side. You jump in when you can and walk slowly around to the inside of the building. How hard can it be?
Several times, while Cari and I were mid-journey to the inside, the door stopped. We were trapped. The voice told the idiots to please step forward.

Maybe they thought the floor was rotating and they wouldn't have to walk. As the back side of the opening hit their shoes, it stopped. Children that were not paying attention were the worst offenders of stopping the door.

Cari came to hate the door. It was annoying when you would enter with an idiot. Or if you were entering while an idiot tried to escape the hospital. These situations did not cause me to hate the door. I actually enjoyed watching the idiot get confused as the voice prodded them along.

On Cari's last day at Greenville, I was at work. She called me around lunch time laughing. She said that she was sitting out front after lunch and saw forty people get trapped in the door. She told me the door stopped with a handful of people in it. It announced for the idiot to step forward. Before the door started moving again, more people got in. This happened twice. Cari said both sides of the door were full of people. To the point that nobody could step forward. She said one old man started knocking on the glass wall. He could see the outside, but the door wasn't getting him there. It took a minute before some of the people got out of the revolving door to make room for the others to get the door going again. I wish I could have seen that.

HOME!

15 days ago, Brenna was born at 12:54 pm.

Today she came home.

Shake this guy!

I've talked about the show Man vs Wild before. The crazy man, Bear, gets dropped in remote locations and goes crazy. I just happen to come across this segment on TV tonight. I recorded it on Tivo because I didn't want Cari to miss it. We laughed for a good five minutes at how crazy he looks.



Wow! I was on YouTube looking for that clip to share with you and came across this one. I think this second video would win this guy a crazy award.



After watching the first video, and laughing so hard, I told Cari someone needs to shake that guy. Maybe the cameraman could do it. The camera guy should have put the equipment down, walked over to Bear, and started shaking him. "What's wrong with you, man"? "Snap out of it"! This guy obviously gets a bit nutty. They should just pack him a lunch for the next shoot.

So SWEET!

Over the past week I asked you to participate in a poll. How do you eat poptarts?
The majority of you said you eat them frosting side up. Two of you said you don't know what poptarts are. Where have the two of you been? Over 2 billion poptarts are sold each year!

This poll was prompted after a discussion Cari and I had last week. There were plenty of blog worthy discussions last week as we sat in a hospital staring at each other every day.

Cari bit into her poptart, frosting side up.
"You're doing that backwards," I told her. "Your taste buds are in your tongue. Why would you put the frosting furthest away from it? It's such a waste". For the record, there are some taste buds on the roof of your mouth, but it is believed that the areas that recognize sweet tastes are on the tongue. (Wiki)

Cari continued chomping on the sugared breakfast. She didn't say anything, but gave me the look. The look that says, "You're crazy".

I explained to her that if you flip the poptart frosting side down you will maximize the amount of sweetness you taste in the frosting. Plus the frosting is so smooth on your tongue. It's kinda relaxing. Like licking a silk shirt.

Eating a poptart frosting side up is like licking your jeans. No taste and rough on the tongue.

As I gave Cari her science lesson, her expression remained blank. After she took her last bite, still frosting side up, I asked her how it tasted.

Without smiling she said, "Why don't you lick your jeans and find out".

One more step

Yesterday, Brenna got moved back to the first hospital. It's about half the travel time compared to being at Greenville Memorial. I went up and saw her last night. The quality of the facility going from a NICU to a normal nursery setup is amazing. As I held her last night, I was looking around and watching things happen. Instead of the forty babies we saw in the NICU, this nursery had Brenna and one other. The nurses were all great last night and I am sure she is great there. The place just gives a different impression. Had I not been to Greenville everyday last week, I would never have realized what a hospital can be.

Cari got some photos for me yesterday as she left Greenville. I'll share some of those tonight and tomorrow. I'm headed to work now.

For those that asked, Scrappy Gal did delete her blog. There is not a replacement.

Here's Brenna strapped in and ready for a ride in an ambulance yesterday: