No Big Deal, But Wait!...

...It Was A VERY BIG DEAL!

We are so glad we considered it a big enough deal to show up for our youngest granddaughter's graduation from Baptist College of Health Sciences.

This graduation was a big deal beyond our expectations. It had been a long time since we had been to a college/university commencement ceremony, and we were so proud to see Sarah receive her diploma after four years of studies. She is now a Radiation Therapist. Having said that, we've told you pretty much all we know. When I saw her with a book entitled Anatomy when she was in her first year, I knew she was going to learn all kinds of "stuff" I did not know and didn't want to know. Did I say we are proud of her? It's more than that, but hard to express our feelings. It would have been such a shame to have missed her graduation after her studying for four long years to attain her diploma.





The above photos are of the interior and exterior of Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, Tennessee, where the commencement ceremony took place. To say it is a large church does not describe what this church is like. I have to use the term "mega church" to attempt to explain what it was like. So many people attended this celebration that not even enough programs were printed for the occasion. The prelude, procession, and the awarding of the diplomas and honor awards were all so very impressive. The commencement speech was the best I'd ever heard. Special music was "You Lift Me Up" by a violinist and soprano, that did exact what it's title says.

Some photos from our trip >>>>>>>
Trip for Graduation


Definitely was a BIG DEAL!

On the road to the mountains and back

We've been back from our fall trip to Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee for several days, but it's been a little more difficult to recover because of a few unpleasantries on our return. We've almost quit blogging but felt this was a special trip that was like old vacations in which we packed just about all we could into a week of travel.

The 43rd Annual Octoberfest in Helen, Georgia, spurred us on the get it planned and get on the road in an Enterprise rental car. Wendell drove all the 1672 miles on the Chrysler before we turned it back in at Foley, Alabama.

Blogging really takes too long to go into details. What we do feel, is photos and even a couple of videos tell the story better than writing about it.

We stayed in motels in Cedartown, GA; Clayton, GA; Dillard, GA; and Villa Rica, GA, leaving on October 10 and returning on October 17.

While we were gone, some tiny rodents (mice) had a exciting time inhabiting our place and some of them even met their maker -- what a STINK!

Also, while doing a week's worth of laundry, the old clothes washer bit the dust.

Are you beginning to see the negative side to the trip now?

Moving right along, we'll just launch you into the photos.
2013 Fall Trip

The best way to view the videos is on YouTube.

Octoberfest in Helen, GA, 2013

Smoky Mountain National Park on Columbus Day Holiday 2013

Australia

You must know that we've never been to Australia, but we know people who have visited there. Seems like our bro-in-law has visited there twice and had rave reviews about those visits.

Well, I found enough today to decide to include this post as armchair travel.

Here's the diary of a family who appears to have traveled lots and their description opened my eyes to things I had never considered. Can you imagine a kankaroo on a beach? See their comments at:
Diamond Head, Crowdy Bay National Park: Beach Kangaroos.

rain, Rain, RAIN!

This not a normal or usual blog post for THE PERPETUAL VACATIONERS, but it's just noteworthy enough that we are making an exception. It has rained several times today already, which is not normally newsworthy for Lower Alabama, but this summer has been an exception.

Most days recently, either one or both of us were doing some watering detail of grass, shrubs, or flowers. Even after today's rain, if we don't receive anymore for several days, that will not be necessary more than likely.

It looks like weather forecasts are for more because of a tropical depression.

A video was recorded today just so we can look at it if we wonder what it's like for it to rain.


♫ ♪ The sound of rain is music to our ears!♫ ♪

Been on the Road

... and in the air at times.

Have you missed us?

Hope not.

It's been so much trouble to fool with the photos, we're just going to show them to you and let that do it because we really don't feel like doing a blog post. Seems like maybe it's too much trouble to go into detail.

Does that make sense? Well, it does to us right now because we have things to do and places to go in Lower Alabama.

Here's the photos from a week of travel in Mississippi, Tennessee, and the upper part of Alabama.

Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday

Mississippi's Appalachian Mountains

WHERE? Webster County, Mississippi – near Eupora

Thanks to Terry Harpole in Maben, Mississippi, I'm able to share a brief trip with you. I love the video and audio sketches Walt Grayson of WLBT provides to people in his TV show Look Around Mississippi.

Two minutes well spent:

Old Cove with Walt Grayson
courtesy of Jackson's WLBT-TV

Magic Christmas in Lights

WHEN? Friday · December 3

WHERE? Bellingrath Gardens and Home · Theodore, Alabama

Our youngest daughter treated us to the Lights Show put on each holiday season at Bellingrath Gardens and Home. It had particularly been recommeded to us from a long-time resident and friend from Mobile, so we knew it was well worth the trip to view it. We had not seen it already because we really don't like to drive at night. With Carla doing most of the night driving on our return home, we sprung for an unbelievably entertaining evening as we strolled the gardens decorated everywhere with seasonal light decorations while Christmas songs played from many speakers in the gardens. The weather could not have been better with calm winds and only the need for a jacket while leisurely walking all the paths.

• An early disappointment: We left our camera at home. Carla had hers, though, and snapped lots of photos as long as its battery allowed.
• A pleasant surprise: The area's frost-free autumn encouraged spectacular blooms on the gardens' flowering plants. The cascading chrysanthemums were fantastic, and the rose garden was prettier than when we visited last April. Although there were fewer roses today, the December blooms seemed invigorated by the cooler temps. We recommend arriving long before dark to see the beauty of the blooming plants, then stay for the lights after nightfall. The only negative about approaching it this way is that old joints tire before that much time and walking. Perhaps a better recommendation is to make two visits: one in the daytime and one in the evening.
• A clever plan: We arrived before dark and missed heavy traffic, some by the busloads, attending the special lights display. As we departed, vehicles were streaming in to enjoy holiday lights.

More photos would have been taken and probably some videos if we'd had our Canon camera. The reason we were unable to bring it finally unwound after lots of searching back at home. We theorized the camera had fallen out of my unzipped purse sitting on the bedroom floor and slid under the end of the bed out of sight.

Leaving our camera behind certainly didn't deter all three of us from enjoying our visit. The photos that Carla took with her camera illustrate what an impressive and entertaining evening it was:

Christmastime at Bellingrath Gardens

This Bellingrath Gardens video reveals more about this premier Christmas lights display:

A very full day

WHEN? Friday · April 23

WHERE? Bellingrath Gardens and Home · Theodore, Alabama

Since the Fairhope Pier was on our way to Bellingrath, we made a stop there and took a few photos and walked out to the end of the pier and back to get loosened up for all the walking at the gardens.

We knew we were missing the display of azaleas, which had already passed. You can read about this in an April 10, 2010, article by Bill Finch at Azlaeas of Bellingrath; Gardens welcomes city’s famed blooms

BUT, there was plenty to look at and take photos of, which also included lots of walking. We thought we were never going to find the the Japanese Garden, which is now called the Oriental-American Garden, but we finally found it. Once we were in it, we began to think we were being held captive and would never get out of it. Finally we exited at the entrance where we came in. By that time, we were "Bellingrathed out" and hungry. The Magnolia Cafe near the garden entrance was in the process of closing by the time we got there, but they still had tuna salad and chicken salad sandwiches, which our appetites were more than prepared for.

Wendell pulled a fast one on us as we left there, and we returned a different way. Boy, was it a different way. He figured out a way to get to Dauphin Island and take the ferry from there back to the Mobile area on the other side of Mobile Bay.

You will not believe how many photos we took as well as two videos, which you can view at:

2010-04-23 Hatfield's Visit

A picture...

A picture is worth a thousand words and it's possible a video is even better (see the side bar).

This three point sermon is missing at least one more part:

Special deliveries

WHEN? Sunday · August 12

WHERE? Hulett, Wyoming · find us on the map

Two churches in nearby Hulett

A noticeable difference between the Southern states and the rugged Midwest is the number of churches. After being members of Wells Memorial UMC for twenty-plus years, Mae Dean and Wendell keep up with Keith Tonkel's sermons by subscribing to monthly CD's. Wells also provides sermons in MP3 format on its website to farflung worshippers.

This Hulett flowerbed suggests that fewer churches
certainly doesn't mean less of God's beauty

South Dakota's prettiest garden

WHEN? Last weekend

WHERE? Spearfish, South Dakota · find us on the map

Mae Dean was graciously invited for an impromptu tour of the cottage gardens at Devashan, a Spearfish antiques business.

Since devachan means a little piece of heaven in the Hindu religion's ancient Sanskrit language, it's a fitting name for this charming local landmark.

Devashan's owners also provide Up The Creek's annual breakfast and lunch buffets at Spearfish Campground during Bike Week.

See more Devashan garden photos on flickr

The Executioners

WHEN? Monday · July 2

WHERE? Devils Tower National Monument

Leafy Spurge · Euphorbia esula

Heavy Spring rainfalls have encouraged heavy growth of non-native leafy spurge. To diminish its ecological impact on native plant species, out-of-state professionals arrive by the truckload to spray these noxious plants with chemical weed killer.

April showers bring ...

WHEN? Friday · June 29

WHERE? Devils Tower National Monument · find us on the map

After an unusually rainy Spring, northeast Wyoming has been brilliantly green, combined with bursts of color from its showy wildflowers. The National Audubon Society's Field Guide to the Rocky Mountain States has helped Mae Dean accurately identify many varieties.

A wolf in sheep's clothing

Dame's Rocket Hesperis matronalis
is not native to North America and is on the
Department of Agriculture's noxious weed list

---

Scarlet Globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea

Western Yarrow Achillaea millifolium

See more Devils Tower flora photos on flickr

Whew!

WHEN? Sunday · May 13

WHERE? Devils Tower National Monument · find us on the map

Mothers Day morning began with brisk a hike along Joyner Ridge Trail, located on the park's north side. It was hard for Mae Dean to believe that this trail was only two-tenths of a mile longer than the one she walked a few days ago.

Morning views along Joyner Ridge Trail

See more Joyner Ridge Trail photos on flickr