The Sarc Family Blog: May 2009

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Mountain Treats!

My first attempt at a chocolate bundt cake and Maddy's muffins!

The Blue Ridge Range comprises the majority of the Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachians are a loose-knit series of mountain ranges that extend from Maine to Alabama and include portions of New Hampsire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticutt, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. These mountains formed the greatest barrier to the westward movement of European and American settlers until the 19th century.

West of the Blue Ridge range is a second series of mountains that runs from West Central North Carolina to Fannin County, Georgia. In Georgia, this range is known as the Cohuttas; further north they are called the Smoky Mountains. The Cohuttas and the Smokies are part of the Blue Ridge province, yet they are actually geologically distinct from the Blue Ridge Mountain Range and quite a bit older.

For more visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Ridge_Mountains

Toccoa House Blue Ridge, GA.

This weekend we gathered at the Toccoa House located just north of Blue Ridge, GA for a family vacation.

The Toccoa House spans over twelve acres of pristine mountain land, and features over one thousand feet of river frontage.

Toccoa offers four distinct and private rental cabins. The cabins are all within walking distance from each other and they have a brand new in-ground seasonally heated swimming pool.

For more visit: http://www.toccoahouse.com

Doggy Camp!

Jackson and Gaget spent the weekend, with a six pack of Iams each, at Doggy Camp while we visited the Blue Ridge Mtns.

Their dorm room sported a doggy double bed, TV and their own private window overlooking the outdoor dog runs.

For more visit: http://www.townelakevets.com

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Sunset at Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach was the birthplace of American surfing. Since then it has become a center of surf culture and beach lifestyle. It is home to some of the world's leading companies in the surf industry and the International Surf Museum, as well as host of the U.S. Open of Surfing. Beginning less than one block from the beach, The Main Street District is a Mediterranean-style shopping area that is definitely the place to come for what's current in the surf and beach industry. It's no surprise that the internationally known brands are headquartered here. The Huntington Beach pier has been the site of many professional surfing and volleyball competitions as well as high profile concerts. The pier was built in 1904 and has been rebuilt numerous times. At 1822 feet, it is the longest in the United States.

For more visit: http://www.surfcityusa.com or http://www.hbcams.com

Duke's Huntington Beach CA.

Over the years I have visited the LA area more that a dozen times and each time I visit Duke's either in Huntinton Beach or Malibu.

Famous for their "Huli Huli" Chicken, I really enjoy the Coconut Shrimp and Teriyaki Steak.

No visit to Duke's would be complete without Hula Pie.

What’s a Hula Pie, you ask? It’s a very generous serving of macadamia nut ice cream on top of a chocolate cookie crust. Then this decadence is topped with chocolate fudge sauce, whipped cream and more macadamia nuts. Sound good? Did I just hear your stomach growl? Or was that mine? Hula Pie is served on plates nine or ten inches in diameter, so maybe that will give you an idea of how big this dessert actually is. It’ is definitely very sharable for two or more people. The pie is so famous that Duke's even has part of their web page devoted to the pie with suggestions for how to eat it.

For more visit: http://www.dukeshuntington.com

Ball Python!

While visiting Huntington Beach for dinner Monday evening we noticed this man with his snake or this snake with his dinner!!

Mr. Python was 5 1/2 tall and sported a beautiful snake skin swim suit!

Ball pythons (Python regius) are found at the edges of the forest lands of Central and Western Africa. They are equally comfortable on the ground and in trees. They are crepuscular, active around dawn and dusk. Called royal pythons in Europe, here in the United States we call them "balls" due to their habit of curling themselves up into a tight ball when they are nervous, their heads pulled firmly into the center. Like most pythons, ball pythons are curious and gentle snakes.
Ball pythons typically reach 4 feet (1.2 m) in length; occasionally there are specimens that reach 5 feet (1.5 m). When properly fed, their bodies become nicely rounded.

For more visit: http://www.kingsnake.com/ballpythonguide go ahead I dare you, lol!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Mr. Stempson!

Mr. Stempson had his first bloom of the season yesterday!

A quick count revealed 280 potential blooms!

Mr Stempson started out as one 6" potted plant eight years ago.

Mother's Day

Last Saturday evening we took Judd and June out to celebrate Mother's Day and Judd's Birthday at Stoney River in Roswell.

We had a fantastic dinner and loads of fun.

For more visit: http://www.stoneyriver.com

Saturday, May 09, 2009

Orange County Choppers!

As a big fan of the Tuttles I was thrill to find the Patriot Chopper I watched them build for the National Guard on TV outside my hotel room in Jefferson City TN last week.

The National Guard’s Patriot Chopper motorcycle will be featured on The Learning Channel on Jan. 17 and 24, according to a press release.
The construction of the bike, which was unveiled in September at the Army National Guard Readiness Center in Arlington, Va., will be documented on the show “American Chopper.”
Built using designs submitted by soldiers, the Patriot Chopper is the first of three motorcycles being built for the Guard by Orange County Choppers.
Metal worker Paul Teutul and his son, Paul Jr., founded Orange County Choppers in 1999. They became famous when their show “American Chopper” aired on the Discovery Channel in 2002.
Early last year, soldiers were invited to submit ideas for the Guard-sponsored bike. The bike is red, white and blue and also features the Army Combat Uniform pattern. There also is a list of every U.S. war and conflict involving the Guard.
The four soldiers whose ideas were used on the bike are Chief Warrant Officer David Vasquez of Colorado, Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Billet of Georgia, Sgt. 1st Class Richard Crawford of Illinois, and Pfc. Joseph Scheibe of Ohio.
The Patriot Chopper and the other two Guard bikes will be used for recruiting and to promote motorcycle safety.

For more visit: http://www.orangecountychoppers.com