The Sin Of "No Posting"

I have committed the cardinal sin of blogging by not posting. For this I beg forgiveness. I could give you all the excuses of a busy summer, too much to do, and all that would be true, but still yet there were times when I played a game of Free Cell and I could have blogged. Ah, well, fall is here and there is more time for scrapbooking online. While I gather my thoughts enjoy this beautiful photo of the marina at twilight taken in late September.

Through the Ages

Grandmother (Gigi) is showing Elliott how to use her walker. There is 93 years difference in their ages but this moment is timeless.

I can't believe it has been so long since I have posted a blog. It's been a very crazy summer and that is good considering the economy. We're busy serving our customers here at the bay and wow, what a crowd its been in July! We have had condos booked solid since July 1st. There are new sunfish sailing programs, a new fishing pond complete with an awesome walkway and pond fountain, Dockers Bayside Grille has been feeding the crowds, CYC has been entertaining the members and much activity every where you look. We love it!

If you haven't had a chance to visit us at Green Turtle Bay this summer, be sure to make some time, we always love to see you! Hopefully, I will make some time to keep this blog updated a little better too!

Get Your Tan On

My friend, Veb, has already gotten a gorgeous tan and is ready for summer. The flops are out the tat is revealed and the attitude is all about a Water-Way-of-Life.

No Time For Peasants

Peasant blouses, they are everywhere this spring. It's driving me crazy. One or two, okay, but every single rack in every single shop has nothing but these maternity looking peasant blouses in wild decorative patterns and colors. Oh, the shades of Janis Joplin! Me thinks the fashion moguls really, really liked these things. And if you are under 30 something it will seem neat and new. The rest of us have been there and done that and are now combing the fringe shops for something OTHER than peasant blouses that will be on every body this summer. Making thin girls look chubby and chubby girls look pregnant.

Lessons Via Herons

Another bird photo. This must be bird month! Once, I was looking out my office window and saw a heron just like this one walking the dock. While I was watching I was musing on the goodness of God. Just as the thought crossed my mind that God is my provider, that heron reached his long neck down into the water and grabbed a fish and swallowed it whole in no time flat. Wow. That was quite a visual picture of how God really does provide.

I Think I Can Said The Pelican

Wouldn't you know it? I don't blog for several days and when I am ready to commence, a rainbow shows up. So now I have two for today. The American White Pelican has arrived at Barkley Lake on their way to, where? The Great Lakes? I think it so strange that we have these birds like sea gulls and pelicans hanging out here in the middle of the U.S. I guess they know a good thing when they see it.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Wow, what a way to end March, and the rain!

A Fancy Colorful Flight

My friend Donna stopped by the other day to show me her new feathered buddy. He was quite entertaining and very loving. You have to be around a bird for a bit before their personality becomes readily apparent, but they do have one all their own. There are some interesting things that come through my office.

A Fine Irish Fellow

Once a lady told me that she had recently visited Ireland and more recently met my GrandDad. She said that "he couldn't look more Irish than if you plucked him off the streets of Dublin." The Irish heritage showing through. I understand that some of us Gary's came from County Gloucestershire, Ireland way back when. We might have been O'Gary's then, not sure. This photo of GrandDad was taken in 1999 at a family reunion. He is holding Dillon, my cousin Catherine's child. Before he passed away in 2002, he was a great grandfather to 8 boys. He would have been proud to now have 2 girls as well. I'm giving you the hug and giving you the kiss today, GrandDad as I think about you and upcoming St. Patrick's Day.

It's All About The Cake

OK, blow out the candle already and let's eat! Happy 23rd birthday David!

A Day at the Bay

A lovely day at Green Turtle Bay. I'm so looking forward to warmer weather. Maybe next week? We've paid our price with the recent ice storm so now we are looking for our prize of warm sunshine, birds breaking into song, and flowers beginning to pop their heads out for a look around.

Aunt Deane's New Monkey

The original Aunt Deane had her own monkey and now I have mine. Granted Aunt Deane's monkey was alive and could play pranks, but I bet mine will be just as much fun. My Bette brought this to me from her trip in Costa Rica. During the recent ice storm, the only cell call I could get through was to Bette's phone. She told me that she and Dad were sitting on a river in the middle of nowhere Costa Rica surrounded by monkeys. "What do you want me to bring you from my trip?" Bette asked. "A monkey!" said I.

Zero to Sixty

Thursday night it was near zero, last night (Saturday) it was 53. And today it is near 70. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for the warmer weather. It means the power company might be able to get our power on. Tomorrow will be two weeks without the elixir of the gods, the technological wonder, electrical power. Generators have been our friends, keeping the home fires burning so to speak and our phones and computers running the last few days. As you can see in the photo above, our generator running our office, the broken tree in the background and our bulletin board with our Valentine plans which are on hold now until we find out if the power is coming back on in time. The paper had a story this morning about an ice storm that hit Paducah 107 years ago on the exact date. Same thing. 2" of ice, power outages, and the like. They are saying our power grid was in worse shape than when Katrina hit the Lousiana area. Our power company says they have as many as 2800 poles down. And we have 12-15 power companies in our region. Wow.

Camping on Ice

Western Kentucky has been experiencing the worst ice storm of probably the last 100 years. Unreal the damage that has occured and it's almost entirely from lack of electric power and trees falling down. The sound of the limbs cracking under the strain of the ice the was eerie to say the least. It sounded like rifles going off everywhere, crrrraaaacck! Then "crash"as they fell. And fall they did, across power lines everywhere. We are now into our 6th day without power and no telling when it will be restored. A propane tank heater has kept us warm and a new generator lets us run lights and satellite TV, refridgerator, etc. If I would have known I was going to go on an extended camping trip, I would have packed a better. Patience is the word for the day as we wait for power trucks to come to our area.

Brides Affair

The Bristol Bridal Expo in Paducah, Kentucky this weekend was a huge success. Green Turtle Bay was represented by Brian McDonald the resorts Event Coordinator and his assistant, the lovely Mrs. Danille Lee. Prospective brides, fiance's, friends and family were everywhere. The entire parking lot was packed for hours. Brian and Danielle did an outstanding job setting up and manning the booth. Almost makes me want to get married again it's all so exciting!

Green Turtle Bay Resort in Grand Rivers, Kentucky is a great place to have a wedding. So many options to choose from, gazebos, conference center, poolside, even an "island". Southern Living Magazine's Annual Readers Choice (Jan. 09) just named Grand Rivers in the top 10 of two of their categorys, Best Small Town and Most Scenic View. Options for a beautiful and memorable wedding indeed.

Gulls Just Need To Shop

I'm on a hunt for an adjustable bed and that led me to Paducah on Saturday where to my surprise I found sea gulls taking a break in the Kentucky Oaks Mall parking lot. I just think it's weird science or something. What are they doing in middle America no where near the sea?

I first noticed this gull thing a few years back when gulls were in the parking lot of the Eddyville Outlet Mall. Do gulls just prefer mall parking lots? Seeing them was about as strange as actually having my camera with me to take the shot AND it had the memory card in it.

Baby It's Cold Outside

Yes, 9 degrees is cold. The weatherman says it will reach a high of 12 degrees. That prognosticator Frymire said it would be cold today and accurately predicted (by reading tree rings) today's temperature to be 12 degrees. Who woulda thunk? I wonder if a person can really tell the difference between 9 and 12? I just don't think so. Well, I admit I did do a little Photoshop magic on this cell phone camera shot. But it really was 9 degrees when I took the photo this morning. Aruba, Jamacia, boy I wanna be there.

Patti's and Purgatory

Ok - it IS a shameless plug for my friends down at Patti's 1880's but there is more to the story than pork chops. Actually, we had the sampler appetizer for lunch today sans dill pickles (extra cheese sticks) and a cup of pork chili, yummy. Really hit the spot. The purgatory part is the after church conversation at the table. Mike, Mary Ann, Bill and I had quite a discussion stimulated by Pastor Mark's sermon today about the two judgements, Hades and the Lake of Fire. Mike was Catholic growing up so we questioned if Hades was the same as Purgatory. We concluded they were probably the same concept, but no matter, none of us wanted to visit either place. Religion and cheese sticks on Sunday, only in Kentucky.

Twinkle Twinkle

During our Christmas adventures in eastern Kentucky, we noticed a strange phenomenon. There were stars on peoples homes. Lots of stars. BCD thought they had some significant meaning, like some sort of secret cult. With the advent of satellite TV I think it's just overdose on HGTV. On one two hour day trip through the hills we counted 73 stars on houses. Some people even doubled up and had two. It was like some crazy fairy had run amok throughout the hills of eastern Kentucky waving its magic wand and poof! there were stars everywhere. I suspect the same fairy has been in western Kentucky too. I just haven't been looking lately but I know those stars are here, I feel 'em.

Christmas in Eastern Kentucky

Christmas in eastern Kentucky consists of a big yummy spread put on by my sister in-law Jeannie and her husband Shannon. After the meal, the "boys" retire to target shoot and hang out. Cameras and guns lend themselves to posing 1880's style. Ben re-enacts the Jessie James look above and his Dad, BCD, gives a mean snarl brandishing his pistols, below.

A red-neck Kentucky Kristmas was had by all!

The Winter of Our Discontent

We've gone several rounds with old devil flu bug himself this week. Both BCD and I have been down for the count for the second half of our vacation. Side swipped by the most vile villan of a virus that ever crept. It lept on us somewhere between Wal Mart and K-Mart and round we went. No matter the quarts of Purell used, it found it's way into our systems and downloaded it's nasty spam. Finally, with Imodium on our side we are slowly entering into recovery. What began on Monday is subsiding today (Saturday). Of course, the plus side is we've both lost 10 lbs, but I really want a pizza. Sad but true.