JUST THINKING AND TALKING

Things have been hectic at Smoky Mountain Harley Davidson, where I work and I have been lax in planning out strategy for adventures this Spring and Summer. Selling motorcycles is a pretty full time job and doesn't leave much "whoopy have fun" time. But I make it a point to see that Douglas gets out for a few hours every opportunity I have. We went to the ruins again today because its a huge area and Douglas can roam over terrain that is hilly and flat all in the same outing. The ruin area is a great place to find photo opportunities too. I finally learned how to take a time delay photo with my new camera. A lot of things crossed my mind today; many unrelated. Things like I haven't been home to Pennsylvania to visit the few relations I have, in two years. I have friends I miss a lot also. I want to organize a boating, fishing trip to a lake in Georgia called West Point Lake and I would like to plan it for a time when a good friend from PA, Al, is down here. And Janet deserves some time also. She works very hard to run her business and to keep a 40 acre birding sanctuary going; not to mention two young boys. I have to keep going on my outings to the forests, streams and lakes to gather photographic images of all that takes place there. And then there's Red. I MISS RIDING THAT MOTORCYCLE! We will be putting Red on the blog a lot more this year. And then there's that other thing I have been thinking about. I have been pondering on starting a small wood shop. I always liked working with wood. I used to be a finish carpenter in the old days and I can turn out some pretty creative articles. I have been amazed at the prices folks are getting for antique tables. I have inspected a couple pieces and I saw strength in the construction, and design in the surface but I saw no creativity and precision in the piece fitment or assembly. The product I speak of was a coffee table made of barn wood with round fence post legs. The barn wood was the overpowering attraction. The tables were neat but not as well constructed as I would like to see; at least for the price of $400.00 anyway. Anyhow, I would need to procure a table saw, router, edger and planer to do the job right. I am obsessed with the term quality and nothing is acceptable to me but the best quality. Therefore, the woodworking tools would have to be expensive, unless I could find pre-owned tools. Cheap tools usually are not accurate. Quality usually goes with price. That means it might be awhile before I can pull the woodshop "trick" off. I could probably build three to four table creations a week if I set my mind to it. That certainly would support the wonder lust habit I have. Its something to think about. It's been a mild winter and I think this summer will be warm and dry. The blog will contain lots of photography, camping, motorcycling, animal stories, hiking and fishing tales and boating adventures for sure. For those of you who have never met my whole family; they are below. Be safe and please be kind to all animals.

Of course, here's the star of the show. Man, he's a fine dog. He's a champion in my eyes and my friend.

Can't forget about Sea Foam; the almost starved to death girl who wondered in one day. She's fine and beautiful now and healthy.

Happy makes the blogs once in a while. More so than Homer. She's been a good pal. Only thing is that she likes to steal things off my computer desk; like the mouse pad.

I didn't want Homer to feel left out of things so here he is, all bright eyed. Homer's not a boater or a motorcyclist so he doesn't make the blog's very often. But he's part of the family.