Busy summer 2010

During our visit to Wisconsin in July we visited an old time candy shoppe named Ziegler's Half Nuts.
We went their seeking Kookaburra licorice from New Zealand for Sheila's mother Karen. It is very soft and tastes a bit like tropical punch. We also found a wide variety of classic candies, unfortunately a few had a coconut surprise inside. But many of them were a nostalgic nugget from a time prior to my existence. It may become a required pit stop during our northern vacations.

Sheila and her co-workers hold a pampered chef party earlier last Fall held by JoAnna, who is the sister of one of Sheila's best friends. They have become great friends, almost adoptive family whom we spend holidays and the occasional card game with.

The Delta Queen sails into its retirement home along the shoreline of the Tennessee River in Chattanooga.

I shot a few games of football this season, mainly because I can't sit on metal bleachers for four quarters and we have adopted the Ridgeland Panthers as our local team. It's either go to the game, or open the windows and listen to it since we are about 400 wards away from the field.

Superman touchdown... 15 yard penalty on kick off.

Time for a one-handed push up

The sign says it all

Geoff Achison (left) and Randall Bramblett

Got to eat lunch with Jeff, Rebecca, and Geoff Achison on a Saturday afternoon. Achison is from Melbourne, Australia, I have been fortunate to catch several of his performances. This time Sheila and I were able to watch him with Randall Bramblett for an acoustic set following lunch, and then at Riverfront Nights. It's a free concert series which spotlighted the combined talent these two solo artists have. In the photo Geoff wails on an acoustic guitar to "Whipping Post".

A few friends of ours (Jeff and Rebecca) tied the knot on Cumberland Island, Georgia earlier this summer. They held a reception for friends in Chattanooga several weeks later where I got this shot.

We also managed to see one of our favorite bands, Here Come the Mummies, perform for the first time in Milwaukee (the night after our tenth anniversary).

Got to see one of my favorite Blues players during our annual Riverbend Fesitval. Tab Benoit is from New Orleans blending a raspy Cajun accent with chords that cry out from his road-weary guitar.

Ten Year Anniversary

We took a short trip to Sheboygan Wisconsin to celebrate our ten year wedding anniversary.

We travelled to a few art museums, watched fireworks in Elkhart Lake, and stayed at Taushek's Bed and Breakfast which was one mile from Road America Raceway.

Sheila scopes out our dining options, which led us to Schwarz's Supper Club in St. Anna.

We spent some time in Sheboygan the day after our anniversary, mostly along the shoreline at a park and a homemade boat regatta that drew quite a crowd.

The foam Cheeseheads don't seem to be helping much, but at least they are in their Sunday best.

Can't remember if they took first or second, but I bet they had an ethanol trolling motor hidden away on board.

The red boat became a submarine from nearly the start, two of his shipmates abandoned ship, but he did manage to keep it afloat until he was half way on the final turn toward home.

"Abandon ship"- hey wait these are Packer fans not Bears fan. The four remaining stayed on until the boat went fully under, then started throwing the pieces toward shore.

Snow photos

For the first time in our decade in dixie, where minor dustings are considered snow fall, our grass is covered, and brushing off the car was requirement. This snowfall stayed on the ground for nearly an entire week, which made for some pretty scenery, sparse grocery store shelves and dozens of car wrecks.

Our 2008 Toyota Camry we purchased after Thanksgiving, I have practiced numerous times on how to shift into neutral and other suggested precautions since this is one of those covered under the recall for the defects which cause a case of "Runaway Ride".

Summer Hours? I guess it is time for a slushy then.

A Rossville resident celebrates the snowfall with southern tradition, which involves a last minute trip to the grocery store for bread and milk just because everyone else is doing it. I must confess we did a bit of shopping the night prior to these storms, in part just for fun to watch the others, and partly because one of these days we really will get some accumulation which in this case amounted to 4 inches.

A neighbor in our subdivision finds a fun way to get around.

McFarland Avenue, a road near our home, becomes congested with slow moving traffic due to the slippery hill.

The officials brought out any piece of equipment to clear the snowfall, including a backhoe for the more difficult spots.

Our next door neighbors snowman, there were about a half dozen of them along our road by the next morning. The fun part was seeing them leaning over days later, like drunken sailors.

A major intersection, (Hwy 27 and Hwy 2) becomes a stripped landscape of slush covered streets.

Remembering Talle

48 Hours Mysteries

Anyone who may want to know about what I work on, may want to tune in the CBS on January 30th at 10 p.m. I may be very briefly (blink and you will miss it) visible in the later portion of the show. The Sam Parker murder trial was covered by our local media, along with catching the attention of national news like Greta Van Susteren and Nancy Grace (Judy covered it too, Mom!) while the case was unfolding back in March 2007. I am the only person at our paper that has covered the case since it started, predominantly in multimedia.

In the event you do see me for the four seconds or so I might be up there. I may not be in the most flattering of light, since the 48 Hours crew covers how other media deal with the story. The angle of the above photo would lead me to believe that they focused on the half dozen reporters that were flanking the mother of Teresa Parker following the verdict. Could wind up looking like a bit of a paparazzi, but I hope not.

My experience during the trial was tedious, time-consuming, and hectic at moments, leaving you physically drained after the first few days. My compassion for the family was more consciously apparent in the earlier phase of the case when there was a search going on. Seeing family members blindsided by grief and shock of what they are having to contend with is challenging. Even the media conveys thoughts of hope and prayers, while the family is inundated with cameras and interviews. The trial phase of this case, my only experience like this, brings about different sentiments. You see the family members and hope they do their best before the jury and judge. "Give em Hell in there" I guess would be the phrase if one dared to say it.

I have been around the courts for numerous other cases, not having been around for the original occurrences. A DUI homicide case when I first started comes to mind, because of the sobbing by friends and family, and the

Christmas 2009

Sheila's sister and family exchanging gifts

"this box had better be from Sam's club,
and it had better say Chicken of the Sea on it"- Harley

a few goodies for the travels of Sheila's parents.

Sheila opens a gift

Grandma teaches Colin and Griffin about Rays.

Colin pets a shark.

Colin in the tank

Griffin in the tank

"I'd like to be a jellyfish, cuz jellyfish don't pay rent,"- JB

"there just simple protoplasm, clear as cellophane
they ride the winds of fortune, life without a brain,"- JB

Sheila in the rainforest

having a little fun, and in need of a peanut butter burger with lettuce for lunch, Elvis would be proud.

some other creature at the Tennessee Aquarium, which we
now have an annual pass for when those visitors drop in.

a bit of shark tank maintenance, rumor has it they have frequent job openings...

the not so big fishies

happy turtle collage