Them!

We has a false Beth coming home alarm the other day and thought you would enjoy "THEM!"

Uncle Sam Retires!

Uncle Sam has retired and we all gathered at June and Judds to celebrate Saturday evening with champaign and cake!

Isaiah enjoyed his cake and a bit of coffee, lol!!!!!

Mobile AL

As I said in an earlier post I ended my week in Mobile AL.

Every season in this coastal city has something to offer to visitors, and the warm climate lends itself to many outdoor activities.The Senior Bowl, a national football game involving college seniors from all over America, is played each January. The following month visitors can celebrate Mardi Gras, this period of festivities includes gala parades and balls. An awakening of the beauty in Mobile unfolds every March in colors of rose, pink, red, violet and white as the azaleas come into season. Mobile receives national attention with America's Junior Miss Program. Fifty-two high school girls from all over the country travel to Mobile for the national competition in June.Mobilians enjoy a variety of activities year round including boating, sailing, fishing, hunting, jogging, tennis and most any other type of sport.

For more visit: http://www.cityofmobile.org/visiting.php

Full Circle!

July of 2003 in Rosenburg TX I build CVS 5972 now fours later I'm back with a staff to remodel it!! CVS is remodeling hundreds of there newer stores converting them to what they call Life stores.

Home Of The Blue Angels

This week I returned to Mobile AL flying into Pensacola FL home of the Blue Angels!

The Blue Angels’ mission is to enhance Navy and Marine Corps recruiting efforts and to represent the naval service to the United States, its elected leadership and foreign nations. The Blue Angels serve as positive role models and goodwill ambassadors for the U. S. Navy and Marine Corps.
A Blue Angels flight demonstration exhibits choreographed refinements of skills possessed by all naval aviators. It includes the graceful aerobatic maneuvers of the four-plane Diamond Formation, in concert with the fast-paced, high-performance maneuvers of its two Solo Pilots. Finally, the team illustrates the pinnacle of precision flying, performing maneuvers locked as a unit in the renowned, six-jet Delta Formation.
The team is stationed at Forrest Sherman Field, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, during the show season. However, the squadron spends January through March training pilots and new team members at Naval Air Facility El Centro, California.
The Blue Angels are scheduled to fly 66 air shows at 35 air show sites in the United States during the 2007 season, as the team celebrates 20 years of flying the F/A-18 Hornet.
Last season, more than 15 million spectators watched the Blue Angels perform. Since its inception in 1946, the Blue Angels have performed for more than 427 million fans.

For More Visit: http://www.blueangels.navy.mil

Mobile River Delta

On my way to Mobile AL this week I crossed the Mobile River Delta.

The Mobile Delta consists of approximately 20,323 acres of water just north of Mobile Bay. Second only to the Mississippi River Delta in size, the Mobile Delta is an environmental showplace that is 30 miles long and 12 miles wide. It covers more than 200,000 acres of swamps, river bottomlands and marshes. Congress named the Mobile Delta a National Natural Landmark in 1974; fewer than 600 sites have received that honor. It is formed by the confluence of the Alabama and Tombigbee Rivers. The Mobile Delta is a complex network of tidally influenced rivers, creeks, bays, lakes, wetlands, and bayous.

Cooper T's Grille House

While visiting Mobile AL this week I had lunch at Cooper T's Grille House.

As you can see they have a unique outdoor fixture over the front door of the restaurant. It's the tail end section of a Boeing 727 Whisper Jet!

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

The Keller Krew's New Blog

The Keller Krew has moved to Alberta and my cousin Laura has started her own blog at http://thekellerkrew.blogspot.com to update the family on all things new with her family.

We all look forward to her postings and seeing the kids.

The Old And The Beautiful!

For some reason I continue to get older and grayer however my wonderful wife continues to gets more beautiful and more blonde with age. I'm a lucky man!

This was taken a few months ago while at dinner with Beth's parents.

Record Heat Wave

This was taken minutes ago in our kitchen window. 101 in the shade.

Atlanta has broken records the past two days with yesterday topping 103!!!

More hot weather is expected during the weekend with excessive heat warnings or heat advisories in effect for much of the state.
Metro Atlanta saw a record high for the second day in a row. Friday's temperatures of 103 degrees topped the previous record of 97 degrees set in 1941. It also marks the first time since 1993 that Atlanta has experienced three straight days of 100-degree temperatures.
A new record high of 103 degrees for Atlanta was recorded Thursday at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The previous record for August 9th was 101 degrees set in 1980.
The National Weather Service said the mercury hit 106 degrees in Augusta, 105 in Athens, 103 in Albany, Cartersville and Macon, 102 in Rome and 100 in Alma, Columbus and Gainesville. Both Athens and Macon eclipsed their records for the day.

More Flowers

My Adenium continues to bloom. It really is enjoying the heat!!!

BUFF!

In my younger days and in a "galaxy far, far away" I was assigned to SAC's 7th Bomb Wing at Carswell AFB located in Fort Worth TX.

I flew KC 135 tankers and we inflight refueled B-52's or the BUFF.

This one is still sporting it's Vietnam night mission paint scheme and is a "D" model.

Toast Man!!!

Beth made me breakfast this morning! She's so good! I didn't want to eat Toast Man!

USS DRUM (SS 228)

Also on display next to the USS Alabama is the submarine USS DRUM (SS 228) .

The USS DRUM (SS-228) was launched May 12, 1941 by Portsmouth Navy Yard, New Hampshire, sponsored by Mrs. Thomas Holcomb. She was commissioned November 1, 1941, CDR R.H. Rice in command.
DRUM arrived at Pearl Harbor from the east coast April 1, 1942, and after a voyage to Midway, cleared Pearl Harbor April 14, 1942, action bound on her first war patrol. Cruising off the coast of Japan, she sank the seaplane Tender MIZUHO and three cargo ships in the month of May, returning to Pearl Harbor June 12th to refit. DRUM's second war patrol, which she made in the waters between Truk and Kavieng from July 10th to September 2nd, found her efforts frustrated by poor torpedo performance, but she damaged one freighter before returning to Midway to refit.

USS Alabama

After leaving New Orleans I drove to Mobile. AL to final another CVS. While there I had a chance to visit the USS Alabama Battleship display.

The keel of the USS ALABAMA (BB-60) was laid at the Norfolk Navy Yard on 1 February 1940, the sixth vessel to bear the name of Alabama. At the outbreak of hostilities, her hull construction was nearing completion. Some two years later (16 February 1942), the new South Dakota Class battleship was launched in a colorful ceremony attended by many national figures. Sponsoring the vessel was Mrs. Lister Hill, wife of Alabama's Senator Hill. On 16 August 1942, in ceremonies at Portsmouth, Virginia, the new ship was placed in full commission and Captain George B. Wilson, USN, assumed command.

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

The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway.

Each weekday over 42,001 cars and myself cross Lake Pontchartrain on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. The five-member GNOEC is the controlling body of the Causeway which includes the bridge system and the Causeway Approach road system on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain.

The most familiar part of the system is the 24-mile long bridge which consists of two, 2-lane spans running parallel across Lake Pontchartrain connection Jefferson Parish on the South Shore and St. Tammany Parish on the North Shore.

Lake Pontchartrain was named for the Count de Pontchartrain who served as minister of finance during the reign of France's "Sun King," Louis XIV for whom Louisiana is named. Lake Pontchartrain and the Causeway comprise one of America's most famous scenic attractions. The lake is home to a wide variety of fish and shellfish, ducks and other kinds of waterfowl. Pelicans are making a comeback in the lake as well. Ancient trees festooned with Spanish moss mark the lake's edges. The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation has made extraordinary progress in recent years in making the lake clean and beautiful. The twin spans of the Causeway are made of pre­stressed panels supported by over 9,000 concrete pilings. The first span opened to the public in 1956, the second in 1969. The result was one­way driving safety on straight, two­lane railed surfaces 80­feet apart connected by seven crossovers that function as pull­over areas for auto emergencies.

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

Downtown New Orleans

Seen from my 17th floor hotel room New Orleans seems to be coming back from Katrina! Water marks can still be seen on many of the older buildings.

All the streets in this picture were flooded!

The Super Dome

This week took me to New Orleans LA! Holiday Inn was having a super sale on rooms in downtown so I stayed at the Holiday Inn located next to the Super Dome. The city is slowly coming back to life however the National Guard still patrols the streets at night!

Created by law, November 8, 1966 Louisiana Constitutional Amendment Construction began- August 11, 1971 Superdome opened- August 3, 1975.

World's largest steel-constructed room unobstructed by posts.
First privately-managed, publicly-owned arena.
More Super Bowls than any other facility; six, including Super bowl XXXVI in 2002.
World record for an indoor concert - 87,500 for the Rolling Stones in 1981.
Site of 1988 Republican National Convention where George Bush was nominated.
National record for basketball attendance at the NCAA Final Four (64,659 in 1987) and for regular season (68,112 in 1990).
Pope John Paul II addressed 80,000 school children in September, 1987.

For more visit: http://www.superdome.com/site2.php

Georgia Covered Bridges

While visiting a CVS in Atlanta Monday I happened on another Georiga Covered Bridge.

Concord bridge has become the focus of the Concord Covered Bridge Historic Area. An old railroad bed, including a few bridges, in the area has been converted to a dedicated bike trail as part of the PATH Foundation's Silver Comet Trail. Even the bridges along the nearby East-West Connector have been given a timber motif. This historic area also has remnants from Ruff's Mill, the scene of a Civil War battle. Ruins of the dam are still upstream of the bridge as well as parts of the grist mill. The miller's house is still a residence.

This bridge originally consisted of only two spans, each a queen-post truss with steel (or iron) tension rods. The center abutment, as can be seen in the photo of the steel beams above, seems to have been widened from a previous bridge using the same pier. In the 1950's steel beams were added to support the bridge and additional concrete piers were added. There is also a fourth all-steel support which can be seen in the downstream view.

For more visit: http://www.dot.state.ga.us/specialsubjects/specialinterest/covered

My Adenium Boehmianum is flowering

Beth bought me this Adenium several years ago and I had almost given up on it and thought one last try outside during the summer to see if it would fair better. Well it has taken off and started to flower!!!! Mr. Green Thumb does it again, lol!

There are several species of Adenium: Adenium swazicum, Adenium somalense, Adenium arabicum, Adenium boehmianum, Adenium multiflorum, Adenium crispum, Adenium obesum.
Adeniums have many spectacular hybrids. The basic culture is very similar to orchids. A small pot with excellent drainage is a must. Adeniums do not like both over-watering or drying-out. There is a little 'secret' how to create a weird shape of base: just lift the plant a bit every time you re-pot the plant, so the upper parts of roots will be a little exposed. The plant will form more roots that will go down.

Fort Payne, AL

Last week took my to the CVS in Decatur, AL. My route there was via Rome, GA and the mountains of NE Georgia.

Located near the border of AL & GA is Fort Payne AL a very historic mountain town.

This is a picture of the train depot in Fort Payne which now house the county museum and is an excellent example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture with its turrets, arched windows and heavy stone facade. Artifacts from many Indian tribes, 1800–1900 farm equipment, photographs, artwork, historical items, caboose with railroad memorabilia and dioramas are just part of it's charm.

For more visit: http://www.fortpaynedepotmuseum.org and http://www.tourdekalb.com/History.htm