Existing In BFE

This is an odd little picture of Dad and the kids interacting.   Out of the picture, Mackenzie is looking at something, Brendan is showing me one of his Mutant Ninja Turtles, and I am clutching... anyway, it's not like I felt threatened at the moment, unless it was the picture taker.   A couple things of note.  Firstly, the dresser in the background belonged to my grandparents in Seaton, Herb's folks.  It was in their garage and painted white.  This was refinished and is a nice looking piece.  It is about 8 feet away from me as I type this.  As an antique it is virtually worthless since there were handkerchief drawers on top and on either side,  that were gone when I acquired it.  But, sentimentally, it is something that links me to the past.  And stuff like that is usually priceless.   Secondly, the couch we are sitting on was a thing of beauty.  It belonged to our Seaton neighbor, Arminta McKelvey, who lived ...

I was looking at the map around Warm Springs and noticed a covered bridge about 9 miles away.  It also wasn't one of those refab, fake ones like the Wolf Covered Bridge in Knoxville.  The original Wolf burned in 1994 and they should have just built a new bridge rather than foist a replica on us.  Who cares for brand new fake?    Approaching this one, the Oak Creek Covered Bridge, one must pass through this iron structure to make sure you can fit on the bridge.  Yup, they actually allow traffic to cross; it is a real, working, old, covered bridge.   This was built by slaves in 1840.  I'll wait a bit while all that sinks in.  Now let me add another layer:  the chief builder was a freed slave, Horace King.  Constructed on the "Town Lattice" design, the crisscrossing web of planks (at 45 to 60 degree angles) were joined together by 2500 wooden pegs, or trunnels.  King built many bridges in this part of Ge...

There are "firsts" in life that after experiencing the first time can't ever be duplicated.  It is a lot like Roger Ebert's movie-going axiom, "You can only see a movie for the first time once."   This weekend Norah went to the movies with the big screen.  She saw Jungle Book .  I can only imagine the wonder. ++++++++++ Here is our little tree frog friend who has made a home in our patio plants. ++++++++++ Bear skinning party at the cabin in the woods last Fall.  This Spring we'll be meeting to traipse through the woods in search of tasty morels and rhubarb. We are about at the two week mark.  Mowing, biking, old car-ing, picture-taking, long walks on the beach (oops, wrong one for Northlandia), road trips in the new Jeep,  Midwest food, beer talk, plein air , tinkerin' in the garage, thrift shops, and laughing.   ++++++++++ Why Ayla is called Alfred. ++++++++++ Daddy and ...

Dowdell's Knob is the highest spot in the Pine Mountain ridge near Warm Springs.  It is at the northern edge of the 10,000 acre Roosevelt State Park.  It was here that FDR built a brick grill that is still there.  It was at this spot that he would gaze out at the countryside and contemplate politics, the war and was his favorite outdoor spot.  He brought guests and dignitaries up here for cookouts.   The grill has been filled in with cement in order to preserve it.  FDR and his guests would sit up here and have a casual cookout.  Close by is a life-size statue of FDR looking out at the beautiful vista.   FDR was up here on April 10, 1945 and asked his security detail to leave him alone at this spot.  It was apparent that the War was going to be won.  One can only imagine what he was thinking, most likely how to proceed from was-time to peace-time America.  He would...

Everything is temporary.  Even Polaroids.  Especially Polaroids.  This picture was taken while in college and we seem to be at a hotel.  I haven't the foggiest where but it may have been a fraternity gathering somewhere.  Since I was an officer I might have been forced into it.  But I honestly don't know.  Fraternity conventions were in the summer and we all seem to be dressed for winter.  Oh well, everything is temporary, including memory.   The back of the head is Russ Foust.  I haven't heard from him in a couple years and my emails don't reach him so if you see this, Rascal, write and tell me how you are.  From left is Dave Dixon, the Brain.  Tom "Sandbag" Sandersfeld and yours truly.  I wasn't known to wear socks and here you can tell.  I didn't really start wearing them until I ran into a dress code at the Mary Davis Home. I got by for a while spray painting my feet, but I was caught and ever since I have w...

Before Jonas Salk formulated a cure, polio was a scourge of the young for thousands of years and in major outbreaks in Europe and the U.S.  When Franklin Roosevelt contracted the disease he searched for something that would make his legs work, as he was born in a family that expected great things from him.  He found Warm Springs, Georgia for its warm mineral waters.  He subsequently became a bit of a pied piper for other polio sufferers and put the area on the map.  He also fell in love with the secluded town and surrounding forests.  He built his own getaway and made dozens of trips here while serving as governor of New York and later, President.  He continued to use the pools although he was not cured by the waters, but he and the hundreds of other sufferers felt the buoyancy of the water relieved them of their disease, if only temporarily.   The pools have survived in much the way they were when FDR was here.     ...

You may wonder why Warm Springs again when there were other options, like say, the Everglades which I have never explored.  The reason is two-fold.  I genuinely wanted to take it in again in a less rushed manner.  When I visited three years ago I was on my bike and heading North.  If you have ever travelled with me you know it is rush rush rush.  Can't seem to slow down, even when i know I need to back off.  Taking the current Mrs. Blythe would ensure taking it all in at a snail's pace.   The other reason is that I wanted to have picture taking opportunities.  I am still experimenting and learning the ins-and-outs of a DSLR camera and a back roads trip was just the thing. You can go back in my archive and hunt the Warm Springs trip before, and I hope you do. ( If you are interested check out  Existing in BFE  on 7-31-13 and 8-1-13)    If not, here are just a very few shots to whet your appetite.  T...