Left Field

Being out of work can feel like baseball and being picked to play the position of ‘left-field.’  For the most part left-field never was a busy or seemingly purposeful place to be, as a matter of fact it was possible to loose track of how many ‘outs’ had occurred – and many times even where the ball was at.  Of course early-on that was the tradition of the left-field player, the one of a wandering mind and thinking of lots of other things rather than the game at hand – so at the moment, I’m keeping the tradition of playing ‘left-field’ alive as I meander around the lake in the name of progress.

Our visit with Gray and Licia, a winter blizzard (the snow is still on the ground), and then a night eating chicken-wings and watching football in Charlotte with JP and Melissa made our Christmas complete a week early.

Its nice to see kids become young folks and then adults, its even better to learn that their value’s have risen above their parents – not sure why that happens, but its a pretty good feeling.

With our Holiday behind us a week early I returned to the Lake for more dock-work, seems to be the routine I’m getting into - Monday through Thursday or Friday, then back to Kim’s for the weekend, I like it.

But this past weekend (and Christmas day) Kim made a rare winter visit to the lake (too quiet and remote for her during the winter), it was a simple time where I continued to work on the dock while she enjoyed her beverage and kept her “feet-up,” – the kitty did too.

The wildlife and wood-ducks (beautiful) were around so many times during the day I just stop and just watch them do their thing.  The weather is similar to Asheville, but with the temperature 8 degrees warmer down the mountain (which is a big difference), its easier to be outside and enjoying the work.

The pace is perfect, when the frost is gone (usually about 930) I head outside and start wherever I want, ’one screw at a time.’  Of course I have a small ‘field of dreams bag‘, which leads to many insignificant revelations as I work (in left-field) - It has been pure enjoyment – my only tangible goal was to complete all the things ‘below the waterline’ before January 15 (when they will ’put the stopper back in’) and the lake level returns 8 feet where it will remain three years.  I am really close to that goal.

Kim came for Christmas weekend so I have returned to Hendersonville for New Years week – 2009 was a good year, lots to feel blessed about.

- and I do……

Happy New Years Birthday Melissa/JP.

But then along came Jethro…..

Well I was almost at a stand-still with the Dock, and then along came Gray with the much needed boost to the ‘crows-nest.’

If I learned anything from my Dad, it was that if your son comes for a visit – put him to work the first day (chances are that he’s not worth a flip after visiting friends the rest of the trip), I guess it only took a visit from me for my Dad to figure that out – I ‘picked up’ on it too….

So Gray and I spent a day in the mud challenged by this heavy 30-foot utility pole, and there was a point that we thought the pole might win………. His girlfriend Licia was along and pitched in (also took these pictures)..

Go girl….

We ’skated’ the pole across the early morning frost and worked (heaved) it into position,

It was kinda like ‘Stonehenge,’ – but ‘quality-time too in its own way.

then it slipped (this is where we though it might have us beat), but then it was to plan ‘b’…….

looked for a little help…………

and after a few anxious moments (it vertical and ‘tetering’) persevered……

The effort evolved into this....

Thanks buddy, now hang around for some more ‘quality-time,’ – What? you have things to do?

- have a good visit with your friends.

Dock Work

We have a small place on a lake in South Carolina,  the lake itself is about 500 acres with 4 fresh mountain streams constantly feeding it from the bordering National Park.  Its a great place nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Yes, South Carolina has a few mountains, very scenic too - man-made Lakes Jocassee and Lakes Keowee are each just a few miles away – Highlands, NC, and Cashiers, NC are fewer than 30 miles away.

There are about 168 homes around our lake (Lake Cherokee), mostly seasonal places with about 40 folks living here year-round – its very peaceful, almost too quiet sometimes.

Most of the activity on the lake happens in the summer months (between Memorial Day and Labor Day), and most of the activity within each of the homes centers around the kitchens, porches, or dock areas.

We are part of an association of owners once called The Lake Cherokee Hunting and Fishing Club, created in the 40’s or 50’s and emphasizing wildlife conservation.  Once every three years we lower the water during the winter so that property owners can work on their docks, seawalls, and swimming areas.  This year was one of those years, so in anticipation of this years lowering of the water, I have spent many of my weekdays preparing for some much needed dock-work and maintenance of my own – the rain has delayed things a bit.  With the level to be raised again in January, construction time for rebuilding our dock is getting tight – I am doing all that I can to stay with it.

With this type of schedule working alone kind of helps – its not like I can go out and do everything at once, or even set the large posts until the water level in the soil lowers too – ’setting the posts’ is relative to the water table, so my work follows the level of the lake – now that will change when its time to put the decking down – c’mon over, but for now its a fairly simple pace.

The poles have been no big deal, dig a 4 to 5′ ft hole and drop them in – measure, level, and tie it all together – a little cement doesn’t hurt.  But I do have a telephone pole to use as a flag-pole or ‘crow’s nest I will need help with, Gray…

Like everything else its easy to find more to do.  The old dock has been a little out of square which has ‘bugged’ me for years, but I plan to fix that, now as I close in on the main portion of the dock I have noticed where it has settled and is sagging a bit.  Now it was my plan to merge smoothly into the old dock, but that may be more complicated than first thought (it all needs to be level!).  The problem could lead to more of a rebuild than anticipated, but hey I’m here – let’s do it..

When I need to think about it I go lug a few crossties for the yard (so I try not to think too much), anyway thats what I’ve been up to – I’ve been busier with things to do since leaving the FD than before – its nice though, my own schedule and no ‘random’ interruptions…….

So a quick post before dropping things for a few days of visiting with family, then back Christmas week .

So here’s a cool thought along with a picture from last year -

Our family, sure hopes that your family has a very warm and special Holiday Season……………….

Assimilating

The ‘loop’ was great!  If there was anything ‘wrong’ with it, it was that after kayaking the Silver River, all else had somewhat of a mundane feel to it.

The back roads were relaxing and more peaceful and efficient than I expected – worth every second of the ride – still finding it difficult to ‘just stop’ and snap a picture, but its coming – seems like there are a thousand in my head that I missed.  But the trip remained one of a few simple objectives with no itinerary, no plans – the only one that loomed was the one of a return date prior to Thanksgiving.

From Madeira Beach I returned to our interstate highway system and the ‘hypertension’ that radiates from the frenzy of it all – the ride to Fort Myers was swift in comparison to the past few days.  Once in Fort Myers I tried to slow it down a bit and ride a few of the small streets that at one time encapsulated my whole world.  Most of the familiar places were now camouflaged under forty years of change.

I remember a few years back in riding past the home that I was pretty much raised in and noticing a couple relaxing in the driveway.  I stopped and we chatted with them for a short time, in the conversation I mentioned that I had been raised in the house – and the lady began telling me of her grown children and how their family had also been raised in the same house, the only home that they knew.

I’m not sure but it was a mixed feeling that I felt as I returned to my car and drove away, there was a little bit of a loss of that special place.  The feeling that it was my home, and only my family could know what it was like to call this house “home’ was gone.  I suppose too I began looking at things a little differently on that date, because the reality of “never being able to go-home again’ made me realize that generations of folks cover the trails of our past, as we covered those before us – its an ongoing cycle of life.

Saturday night at the gathering of long-time friends and classmates I put my camera down and enjoyed a full evening of reminiscing with familiar eyes.  It was held in a large nursery of Palm trees and exotic plants, a very nice setting full of fun conversation of past endeavors.

Hall, Herring, Haynie

I spent the night among the Palm trees, the following day I visited and stayed with My friend Dewey along the Caloosahatchee River, I liked it so much I slept on his porch 16 floors above the water, it was a good nights sleep while my feet and senses slowly returned.  Sure he had an extra bedroom, but heck – anyone can sleep in a bedroom… I slept with the sounds of the river surrounding me.

Next objective was to visit my Dad in Orlando, so I tried to run all the old back roads and see the changes, two-hundred miles later I walked in to find Dad napping in his easy chair, at 83 he can rest anytime he likes and he usually does – he was in and out on conversation.

A couple of hours later I was back on the road and running through the small roads of Georgia in the night – it wasn’t as fun as the trip down, and had me wondering why I was ‘back in the frenzy,’ especially at night – I think what I came up with was that I just love traveling, the ride, the character of the land, getting from here to there. I love it more than sitting in one place ‘talking.’

Six hundred miles later I made it to the lakehouse (4am) and fell solidly asleep in 20 minutes.

So I guess the ‘loop’ was practice, a first adjustment to traveling in a more relaxed manner – now I just need to work on the ending a little more.

Madeira Beach

Remained on the ‘bac roads after leaving the Silver Springs/Ocala area – have yet (until today spent any time on an interstate and travel has been perfect.  Sixty MPH is comfortable as can be with no scedule, only simple objectives – so I remained on Hwy 40 from Ocala through all of the ‘Springs” area, little towns and parks (Crystal River area) for canoeing and kayaking.  It was a simple and pleasant ride – I have never minded going at a slower rate, I just hate for someone to ‘force’ (go slow in front of me) me to go slow – but I have ran into none of that, its a good pace.

All the way down and into Clearwater Beach, and down the shoreline to Madeira Beach to my neice’s place.

Hooray for Neices that have done well, stopped by and spent the night with Jill/Don and Lainey and my sister Elaine came over – had a great ribeye dinner and lazed around the place – why would anyone want to go somewhere?

But it was a wonderful night of visiting.  Don and I walked over to a neighbors house and watched them put in some seawall, OSHA would have ran out of paper with the set-up, but they were working hard.

Tommorow will be a Interstate run to FM, not a long one but will get off early and enjoy a ride – we’ll see from there.

ok, short post – on the raod….