Journey from the Mountains to the Ocean.

The Thanksgiving weekend has all meanings to all people. To us, well, we din't really have the bigfam meal in mind, so we decided to be non-traditional. Let's have turkey on Monday, and go somewhere new, see new things, taste new food, and get tired!
Starting out lazily on Thursday was great! no traffic, so we packed a lunch, lots of junk food, arranged Minky to have a sitter, and left at the crack of 10. When traveling,, the landscape really changes as we approach the hangy-down that is the Florida peninsula. Of course the Terrain changes little, kinda flat, no mountains, but the Flora and Fauna of palms and pines really looks like it was hit repeatedly with an ugly-stick. They just got thru a severe drought, and the Hurkarainns really have hammered that little boot of land. What remains after a hurricaine really has to be cut down , and the growth just comes back naturally, or manmadedlly, I guess. Anyway, the Northeast coast to Daytona beach and over to Ocala really are post-apocalypse looking. Short pines with scrub and then large areas of old tall pines and palm trees. Kinda cool/ scary as llandscapes go. There were many Horse ranches in the Ocala area, just beautiful with the white fences and wide open spaces, horses in Florida?
The biggest thrill for me was that the biggest rod run and carshow of the year was on this very weekend! Gawd! I was in Hotrod Heaven! Thousands of cars of all shapes and price ranges, even with flamethrowers! decended on Daytona for the whole weekend, and I din't even know it! (really, I din't even). What ashow for the carnut, and the girls, they were really good sports, (just as I would be for a quilt show) we spent the first evening on Daytona beach with thousands of these loud and crazy cars with grey haired mid-age drivers at their helm.
The next morning we got up and headed for the racetrack for the track tour, and found that the whole acreage was filled with the rod run! We browsed the fields until about two, and headed for Ocala to the West.
Neat country, and the dragracing museum was a thrill for me as it was all about the famous dragracer Don Garlits. I've followed his career since 1964, and really was thrilled to see his old cars and race memoooorabelliia. Snooze for the girls....Sooo we took off for the coast-WEST COAST that is!
In Tarpon Springs, on the coast, we found the streets *sparkly clean* and the beautiful sunshine in the 70's. We spent the day at the beach and watched the kite (flat Stanley) try to get a breeze. we found the breeze and the local waterfowl there, Not shy at all!and even got to see the pirate ships invade in broad daylight. What a beautiful, white sand, seashell-rich beach! it really made the Charleston brown water look yucky. Listen to this, comparing beaches in late November! HA-HA Still LOVE the SNOW???????
WE really had a fun time, and really wish that everyone of you could have been with us-Next time!



Love to you all! happy thanksgiving! Tim And Lisa And E lizabeth

Posted by Tim at 8:13 PM | Permalink | Comments

Halloween has been a wild time around here, We are not much for scaring each other but we do have fun with costumes. Tamara has a natural talent for make-up artistry and did an outstanding job in Denver transposing her friends, Kris did his own makeup at work to attend a party and was so disturbing when I saw his picture I started to see black dots and thought I would faint.
IN the cute department, Shannon was the winner as the worlds most precious chicken, but he had stiff competition with Beatrice sporting her Playboy Bunny costume. She did however win a 20$ gift certificate at Pet Smart. And Elizabeth----- with the most clever costume idea of all won a trip for 2 to New York ---3 days, 2 nights with her costume we call Censorship.

We had fun but we werent scared UNTIL---------------------------Well you know its election time-----------------------we are scared-------especially as we are all sitting around the fire listening to NPR, we watched the most fascinating and liberating documentary on Fair Elections Coalition in Florida and OHIO's unforgivable mistakes. Check it out HBO--Hacking Democracy-------------This is really the scariest thing of all. Those new Diebold voting machines are so easily hacked, that the election will be a sham by the evening of the vote. That means that all the incumbents will stay in office until the votes are litigated, and the war will rage. CHEATING blatantly, cheating not so blatantly and discarding the rights of all of us to vote.
BE AFRAID BE VERY VERY AFRAID.

We will keep you posted. What is the most important race that you are voting for? Gay Marriage? New Governor? Congressman ? School Board? Dog and Cats marraige rights? Flat tire repair?

Please share with us what you are worried about.
Halloween escape--------------
So This year, some friends suggested we do the GHOST tour downtown of historical Charleston just to have some thrills.
There are 4 tours, The dungeon and jail being the MOST scary the graveyard and lamplit walk being the least. and my friend was kind enough to book us on the baby believer graveyard tour. For those who may or may not believe in ghosts and just want to walk around downtown Charleston at night for fun.

IT WAS A SCREAM!!!!! But not what you think. We didnt scream but we had tons of fun.
The ghost tour guide was a young college girl with the theatrics of a high school drama student. She memorized her script but wasnt one to stray from the path for added thrills and chills.
But she was clever and it was a very well written script.
We start out at the St. Andrews Episcopal church where she explains to us the Home and Away graveyard idea.
The young mother ghost who is haunting the graveyard in search of " beating the daylights out of young pregnant mothers" for revenge. The ghost of John Calhoun ( CHarlestons Most REGALed politician) and his confusion about where he is suppose to lay down and find peace.
We learned the meaning of the terms

Dead ringer
Difference in a cemetary and graveyard
Pushing up daisies
Cradle Graves
Jolly Roger -Which means Jole' Rouge Beautiful Red. ( they would hang Bloody red sheet from the mast.
Skull and cross bones.......... Poison Symbol Dont dig this up or Plague
Marble slabs on top of the graves.
Which way do headstones face? Why

My friend is so worried that we didnt get scared enough nor learn enough that she is already planning another tour called the Ghosts of Charleston designed after the famous book.

I think Ill wait in the car while Tim goes to this one. I loved the history but the ghost thing is a stretch and I think my negative opinion ruins it for others. I m pretty sure I can find an historic really good restaurant downtown to hang out in while Tim is meeting the ghosts of Charleston.

remember please vote.

Posted by Tim at 9:33 PM | Permalink | Comments