Have yourself a merry little Christmas...

Wishing you all a happy, safe, and fun-filled Christmas!

Dog Love | Wagging Tail and Weepy Eyes

She's 13 years old. She's my best little friend. A world class snuggler and blanket robber. She loves pizza and McD's french fries. She hates anything that might be a green vegetable. And she's had a rough week. It's hell getting old. My eyes are constantly on her. She's not so sturdy on her legs these days. And when she's up at 4 am, I'm up with her... The things we do for doggie love. 

I hope to be back catching up with some posts soon. I just have other things that have taken my attention away...

Sights and Sounds : The Peabody | Memphis, Tennessee

So, let me continue on with my Tennessee journey from September. The last you saw I was just leaving Nashville after spending a couple hours at the Grand Ole Opry. In this episode (and several to follow) we are centering our thoughts and visions on Memphis. Memphis was, well... interesting. Did I always feel safe when walking the streets there? No. Did my camera come out very much? No. Was I happy with having to show ID and be scanned with a metal detector to get onto the most famous street there? Sure... because in front of me, and behind me, were hundreds of other people that were being checked before being allowed to get onto that party street. That was just a tiny little bit of comfort.

I stayed at the Peabody Hotel. And it was a beautiful place. If you don't know it, or haven't been there, check it out. The story of the Peabody Ducks will probably be one of the top stories that you come across.  When I first read about them I thought, hey, that will something to see happen. I mean, yeah, it's a duck, and I've seen plenty of ducks, but how often do you see ducks walking through the lobby of a hotel of this grandeur? Not often would be my guess! So, the ducks come in and the ducks go out at set times throughout the day. I managed to walk in the door about an hour before one of the departures, and the place was MOBBED! Who would have thought? Do they not have ducks in Memphis?

And of course, being the person that I am, and wanting to see what the big deal was about these ducks, I got myself into the middle of it all... wiggled my way up to the red rope, and there I sat. For an hour. In a virtual mosh pit of duck enthusiasts, as it would seem. I listened to the Duck Master explain the history of the ducks (yes there is a duck master...) and I waited. And waited. And waited.

Finally it was time for the great duck retreat for the day. The Duck Master calls them. They hop out of the fountain and they waddle up the red carpet... cameras and flashes going off the whole way... and they get into the elevator and up they go. To their rooftop home. I guess it's something I needed to do because I was there. Would I push my butt into that mosh pit again? Nope!

Music Appreciation | Grand Ole Opry

While I'm not a huge country music fan, I couldn't really be in Tennessee and not get a glimpse of the Grand Ole Opry. So many artists have played here... walked across its stage... stood in the circle. So, on the last day in town, before beginning the multi-hour drive to Memphis which was the next stop on our tour, we stopped at the Opry and walked across that stage.

"Country Comes Home." 

The music returns to the Opry after the flood of 2010 that did so much damage.

The simple artist's entrance into the Opry.

Now y'all know where your fan mail ends up...

A glimpse across the stage...

When the new Opry opened, a large circle of wood was cut from the original stage at the Ryman and inlaid into the stage at the new venue. When the Opry was flooded in 2010 people entered the building in boats and rescued this original circle of wood which was floating in the water. The photo above this last one shows the bottom level of seats in the auditorium. They were underwater. The water also rose four feet over the Grand Ole Opry stage.

So ends this leg of the Tennessee journey... up next, Memphis. Home of the blues and the birthplace of rock and roll.

Olde Swedes Church, pt. 2 | Wilmington, Delaware

A look around the grounds at Olde Swedes Church in Wilmington, Delaware. Just a few of these leftovers to share. The Church sits in the middle of the cemetery. The path through the cemetery makes for a peaceful stroll, filled with history.

Blogging | The Happy Thanksgiving Edition

I hope that all of my friends and family had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I was lucky to be surrounded by those that I love, and a day filled with smiles and laughs. I'm also one of the blessed (or horribly taunted) to have two Thanksgiving dinners... because one only knows you can't NOT have Thanksgiving leftovers... or so it seems! I spent some of the day on Friday wandering with my camera in hand, finding my muse and crawling over it. I didn't take any photos of the family dinner, and felt rather good about that. I left others to cover the festivities... the next day was for me. And the camera came out, but only for a few minutes...

Old Swedes Church | Wilmington, Delaware

I finally got the chance to go check Old Swedes Church in Wilmington, Delaware the other weekend. Thank you to my friend Jerry, (over at Vandyll.net) for keeping me company while I wandered. Old Swedes is the oldest church in the US, built in 1698 by descendants of the Swedish colonists who crossed the Atlantic aboard the Kalmar Nyckel in 1638. A small and quaint church with a regular number of parishioners around 40. Worth a visit, but I wish I had a little bit more time to spend there. The following is a series of photos from the inside of the church. I have some from walking through the cemetery, as well, that I'll do at a later time. For what ever reason it wasn't a great photo day, so they are not great... let's just consider them documentary!

Hallowed Ground | Nashville National Cemetery

A quiet drive through of the Nashville National Cemetery.

A peaceful and beautiful place.

Music City | Nashville, Tennessee

I'm so desperately behind in my postings. This set of photos is from September where I found myself landing in Nashville, TN for a conference... after a horrific travel day, I might add. Delays, multiple missed backup flights, switching airports in Washington, DC... and then a late night arrival. I didn't have a lot of time to explore the city. My free time was at night. Needless to say these are strictly touristy type photos.... working with what I was given, on the fly.

So, that said, I'm going to do my best with getting caught up with the photos that I do have. You'll be seeing fall photos here shortly... it's just the way it is. You have to start catching up somewhere, right?

The first photo is from Owen Bradley park. The photo above this post is directly across the street from that little park. This sculpture's name is "Musica."

BB Kings Blues Club - Great band playing here the night we visited.

Wow. Haven't seen one of these in a LONG time. Found in the hotel lobby.

While walking on Broadway we followed the sound of live music down the strip. We happened to be passing this bar that had some music pouring out of it when we were roped into coming into the grand opening of the place. Small place. Super nice people. National Underground.

Dinner one night was at Jacks Bar-B-Que. OMG... awesome food there, and the crowd to prove it. Know what you want when you step up to order. There's no messing around here! After dinner we roamed the street a bit and stumbled into The Stage on Broadway. A packed house. Great band playing. Waylon, Willie and Cash may be on the wall, but this group was far from country. Good times had by all there. The band played for tips only, and I put in more than my share for this cutie pie lead singer!