Angel Oak 9-04-2011

Angel Oak




We visited the massive tree today and thought this was something to share.

Reportedly the oldest thing -- living or man-made -- east of the Rockies, Angel Oak is a live oak tree aged approximately 1,500 years. Some locals simply call it The Tree. It stands in a wooded area along Bohicket Road of John's Island outside Charleston, South Carolina. You won't find a lot of stuff like tee shirt shacks around there, because basically the attraction is a single tree standing in a park. So keep an eye out for signs and drive slowly.- Duane Spurlock

Angel Oak is a live oak. It is native to the low country and is not very tall but has a wide spread canopy. Lumber from the live oak forests in the sea islands was highly valued for shipbuilding in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Angel Oak stands on part of Abraham Waight's 1717 land grant. Mr. Waight owned several plantations. The City of Charleston now owns Angel Oak. There is no charge to view the tree and is a must see when visiting Charleston, South Carolina

For tourists who haven't visited Angel Oak, you should know that it is this state's most imposing work of nature, more impressive even than a plate of shrimp and grits. The Tree (one instinctively capitalizes the word when talking about this colossal vegetable) stands in an obscure wooded area of John's Island, some 12 miles beyond the Ashley River. The Tree is huge, and it is ancient. Estimates of its age run as high as 1,500 years.

Towering over 65 feet high, the Angel Oak has shaded John's Island, South Carolina, for over 1400 years, and would have sprouted 1000 years before Columbus' arrival in the New World. Recorded history traces the ownership of the live oak and surrounding land, back to the year 1717 when Abraham Waight received it as part of a small land grant. The tree stayed in the Waight family for four generations, and was part of a Marriage Settlement to Justus Angel and Martha Waight Tucker Angel. In modern times, the Angel Oak has become the focal point of a public park. Today the live oak has a diameter of spread reaching 160 feet, a circumference of nearly 25 feet, and covers 17,100 square feet of ground. www.historictrees.org

The Angel Oak is thought to be one of the oldest living things east of the Mississippi River. Acorns from the Angel Oak have grown to produce authentic direct-offspring trees.. Live oaks generally grow out and not up, but the Angel Oak has had plenty of time to do both, standing 65 ft high and with a canopy providing 17,000 square feet of shade. Its limbs, the size of tree trunks themselves, are so large and heavy that some of them rest on the ground (some even drop underground for a few feet and then come back up), a feature common to only the very oldest live oaks. It has survived countless hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and human interference, so there's a good chance it will still be there waiting for you.

In the spring and summer there are numerous artistic events, including the "Evening Under the Angel Oak" series, which feature music, dramatic presentations, and various other activities, especially during the Spoleto Festival in May/June. Keep an eye out for these, as they present an especially rewarding opportunity to visit this majestic figure. Jill Bahr, the choreographer of this particular "Rite," told me she was amazed to find that the entire Charleston Ballet company, 19 dancers, could hide behind the trunk of The Tree.

Angel Oak was damaged severely during Hurricane Hugo but has since recovered and grows on John’s Island near Charleston, South Carolina.

Easter

Easter,
It is so sad how we have allowed Satan to come in and insert the “Easter Buddy” in place of Christ.
We will never be able to fathom what took place on the Cross. Our Lord bared not only the sins of the believers, but the sins of the whole world. While he hung on the cross he was so disfigured not just from the flogging he was given, but from the sins on the world he bared.
Not to many of us take the time to realize the stress he was under at the garden of Gethsemane.
It was not death on the cross he feared. He came on purpose to die. He feared lest He might not get through as the Son of Man. He could get through as the Son of God-Satan could not touch Him there: but Satan’s onslaught was that He would get through as an isolated Figure only; and that would mean that He could be no Saviour. Satan was defeated and this was his final onslaught against our Lord as Son of Man is in Gethsemane.
The agony in Gethsemane is the agony of the Son of God in fulfilling His destiny as the Saviour of the World. The veil is drawn aside to reveal all it cost Him to make it possible for us to become sons of God. His agony is the basis of the simplicity of our salvation. The Cross of Christ is a triumph for the Son of Man. It was not only a sign that Our Lord had triumph to save the human race. EVERY human being can get through into the presence of God now because of what the Son of Man went through. -insert from The Utmost for His Highest; Oswald Chambers

We celebrate Easter that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ paid a high price for us, but the one thing we really need to understand that if we only believe in God the Father, Jesus Christ and the cross we will never enter into the Pearly Gates.
We have to believe also in the Resurrection of Christ. If we do not believe in the whole part and partial we are saved. 1Corinthians 15:1-4. If it was not for the resurrection than we cannot be
resurrected with our saviour when he returns.

We live in the “Grace Period”. Paul’s gospel is the only gospel who speaks of grace.
If we follow the four gospels than we do not have the resurrection of Christ.

My Health

July 2010 I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 is related to a persons autoimmune system. Your autoimmune system is designed to protect your cells, but sometimes something goes wrong and it causes the body to attack itself. This can result in many things, MS and Type 1 diabetes for example. The thread can also rear its ugly head by causing complications to the disorder.
Which in my case caused a nodule to form on my thyroid. I had this removed this month and everything seems to be ok.
To those who know me, know how active I am in taking care of my body through good eating habits and daily exercise (I hate that word) I ride my bike and take walks. This has been very hard for me to wrap my brain around, but after quite a bit of reading and
changing up how I look at food labels has been very encouraging.
I thought I was doing really good in my food choices, but I have seen I can do much better and I have. I know with having
excellent doctors is a plus, but we also have to take responsibility for the choices we make and the decision to either cave in and allow the disease to have its way or to stand up and fight for life. Eating to stay as healthy as possible has always been a part of my life. Now eating to live and enjoy life has taken on a whole new meaning. I have not had to change much, but I do answer 3 questions when I feel like enough is enough.
What do I want
How bad do I want it
and What am I willing to do to make it happen.
This is the motto I have raised my children with and still attack each situation with. Whether it is health, finances, or whatever, it is direct and to the point.
I love my life and I have been extremely blessed to enjoy the life I have.

You Never Know What Tomorrow Will Bring

 

Kris and I were invited to go on a group motorcycle ride by one of the guys he works with. Sunday 2-20-11 we all met up and started out towards the Natchez Trail in Mississippi.

We were 30 minutes into the ride when a rider in front of us hit the corner of a child's headboard that was laying in his lane.

To actually see an accident happen right in front of your eyes is the most distributing and helpless feeling a person could ever image.

The event seem to be happening in slow motion than fast forward into a state of hurrying to help. The rider went skidding along the interstate highway than turned and rolled head over many times before skidding off the road.

He was very blessed with only a broken toe, broke rib,fractured rib, fractured collar bone. He was also blessed in not getting run over by a tractor trailer rig that was behind us.

There is so much to watch out for when riding in a group or just being on a highway by yourself. We don't know if the rider was distracted by something else or just didn't see the object in time.

We are thankful that he was wearing the proper clothes and he skin was not torn up too bad. However he was not wearing a full face helmet and his face did get road rash but nothing was broken. He was not wearing gloves and his hands were tore up really bad.

It is our hope that people will learn from this accident. We don't want people to stop riding motorcycles, but safety courses are out there for a reason.

Kris assured me that we would not have crashed like this having our Spyder with 2 wheels in the front. Of Course you still need to be causes when riding.
We do wear a full face helmet and all the appropriate gear.

Even with all the appropriate gear and training things still do happen from time to time. We cannot be afraid to enjoy our life. What gives me peace and the ability to enjoy life is knowing if something does happen to me and I die I know where my soul will be. Everyone can have that same peace. 1 Cor 15:1-4
You never know what tomorrow will bring.

Lucy on the bicycle trail

Lucy enjoys running as I am trying to catch up with her on my bicycle. It has been
nice to be here on Navy Mid South Base. They have a nice walking, running bicycle path all the way around the perimeter of the base. It is a little over 6 miles all the way around. I usually go to the point I have to cross traffic and turn around. This makes
a bit over 8 miles by the time we get back. Of course I do not let Lucy run the whole way.

Kris's new toy

Kris used to have many remote control toys in his younger years. He has been talking for a while he would like to have a sail boat and maybe a plane. Yesterday we stopped in at a local hobby store and took a look at what was available. They had
a neat helicopter that is so small you can fly in the house. So, we bought one. Kris has been having a large time flying it in our rv.
We are planning to get a sail boat when the weather is warmer and a better selection
arrives.

The Bear 10-26-2010

We stopped at a Hampton Inn in Highlands, NC on the way back home from Duane and Heather's wedding. They had a stuffed bear in the lobby of the hotel. Lucy was not
real happy with the bear. She puffed up like she was ready for battle. She does not
care that the bear is many, many times her size. I love my brave little baby!!

Lucy stealing the show 11-2010

We don't think many people notice our new ride.
Lucy has stolen the show. When we stopped for a break people wanted to take her picture. When we were riding down the road people were slowing down and waving and taking pics with
their camera phone! Lucy looked so sweet in her dogie glasses!

Every time we pick her glasses up she gets excited and starts wagging her tail! She is
ready for a ride. We both were so pleased how she took to the new experience.

There was this one young guy who was so cracked up with seeing Lucy he was laughing so hard and beating his steering wheel at the site!

Some people have their dogs in the car with them and pick their dogs up to the window and point at Lucy!

Seeing so many people smile at Lucy makes the heart feel lighter.

Lucy has broken a lot of barriers between motor cycle riders and car riders.

Open Road

Kris and I have been pondering for quite a while how we can enjoy more of the open road.
A few weeks ago we passed by a motor cycle dealer who had a Spyder sitting out in front of their store. We stopped in an checked the vehicle out to see how well it sat for me.
Kris jumped on the internet and spent a good deal of time researching the vehicle and trailer and how to tow it when we relocate.

As of Wednesday July 28 2010 we are the proud owners of a blue Spyder and matching trailer! We drove a rental car to Nashville Tn to take ownership. We then headed out the next day on the Spyder to NC to register it. We took mostly back roads and went in to Murphy,NC.

Submarine Base or Airport, you decide

This is the new airport Kris is working at here in Panama City, FL.
As you can see there is a problem with drainage. The airport was built on a swamp and as they drain the water, the water drains into a park which is close by. The residents are not to happy.
The airport is slated to open on May 23rd this year. This is not a FAA facility even though the FAA has equipment there. So there in lies the problem.

Formation Flying

This was taken with Kris's Droid out in the bay here in Panama City.
You can't enjoy this kind of view with just any boat. The boat picture was taken in
Key West.

A Little Guest

You know those constant little noises you hear all night long in the summer time. Well all that racket comes out of this little rascal; a Tree Frog. In case you have never seen one this is what they look like. Our little guest was hanging out on our glider.

A tree frog is any frog that spends a major portion of its lifespan in trees, known as an arboreal state.

The back color of tree frogs is typically a vivid green, uniformly so in many species, subtly patterned in others, altogether giving an excellent camouflage depending on the particular kind of vegetation they inhabit and the predators they hide from. Many tree frogs can change their color to a remarkable extent; when resting on bark they are usually bright brownish gray.

Covered Bridge

We took a picture of this while in West Va. Thought it would be of interest.

In 1852 Lemuel Chenoweth, a well-known Appalachian architect and carpenter, built a covered bridge in Philippi to provide a link on the turnpike running between Beverly and Fairmont. The Philippi Covered Bridge continues to be the town's prominent landmark.
Philippi was the scene of the first land battle of the American Civil War, on June 3, 1861. The battle was later lampooned as the "Philippi Races" because of the hurried retreat by the Confederate troops encamped in the town. The battle is reenacted every June during the town's 'Blue and Gray Reunion.'

Pic of the town as well.

Reindeer Moss

This is the first time I have seen Reindeer Moss. It is used as food for reindeer. It may take decades to returned once trampled, overgrazed,or destroyed.

The lichen is used as a traditional remedy for removal of kidney stones by the Monpa in the alpine regions of the West Kameng district of Eastern Himalaya.[9] The Inland Dena'ina used reindeer lichen for food by crushing the dry plant and then boiling it or soaking it in hot water until it becomes soft.

Osprey nest 4-2010

Kris,Lucy & I were out on the water and spotted an Osprey nest high on a electric pole.
As you compare the other pole without the nest you can see how deep the nest actually is.
Even though we were way down in the water the mother was flying overhead and not happy with us being there.

Horseshoe Crab

Kris,Lucy and I were taking our usual walk this morning down by the water. Right there in front of us was a horseshoe crab. We could not get a good picture of it since we are in overcast skies and the water was to dark. Instead we are putting this link in so the grand kids can see what a real horseshoe crab looks like.

Grandkids

You talk about blessed! It ought to be against the law to be so blessed with 2 wonderful grandchildren.

Riley so full of energy has recently turned 2 years old and Caleb is a cooking super hero 4 years old.

We are not wishing to fast forward time, however we are so excited about taking our boys rv'ing with us and teach them to navigate a sail boat by the stars and to fly an airplane when they get a little older! Oh my what fun we all will have. Of course we may let their parents come a long sometimes.

Introducing Lucy

Lucy is a precious 9.8 lb poodle mix. She is so much like our Precious we had for 15 years. Lucy arrived in our life on April 3rd 2010 while we were at Warner Robins AFB in Macon, GA. We were staying at the Fam Camp there and a couple came in to meet up with some friends for the weekend.

We had several opportunities to speak to the couple over the weekend. They informed us
they have had Lucy for a year, but needed to find a good home for her. The wives parents live in the Philippines and were going over for a visit. There were several people that wanted Lucy, but the owners new the others would not take good care of her.
Their children already has pets and could not take on another one.

They were real impressed how quickly Lucy took to us. She never barked at us and she allowed us to take her on several walks. The owners even allow Lucy to stay with us overnight.

Lucy did so well. She whined only a little which we did expect.

So in a nut shell Lucy became ours. She has taken to us like bees to honey, like salt and pepper. She only whined one other night.

Yes she has stolen our hearts already. Believe it or not she sleeps with us! I know what those are saying that knows me. A dog in the bed! Well she is so small and so sweet. She starts out under the covers at our foot each night. Then sometime in the night she snuggles right in the curve of my belly.

We cannot get over how easy she is to take on a walk and she lets us know she needs to go potty.

She loves our little boat and loves the water.

She enjoys lying on her bear.

Precious would approve.

On a walk 4-29-2010

Lucy and I were talking a morning stroll on the a path behind the Fam Camp here on the Tyndall Air force Base. We came along a huge hole dug under the fence that separates the rv park from the actual base property. I knew it had to be a big beast from the hole it dug since there were roots dug up as well. When I reported the hole to the park office we both figured it had to be constructed by a black bear! There have been sitings of black bear in the area. They are common to the area. Lucy didn't seem to be alarmed so I felt certain we were safe. The hole was dug from our side going towards the other side. I knew this because the loose dirt and roots were on our side. I looked for foot prints, but there were so many leaves around the area and the dirt that was distributed from the dig was spread wide. This would have covered most of the foot prints. I figured the bear came right out of the under the brush and straight toward the fence. I did not see any signs of foliage beaten down. This meant to me it was not a larger bear. I took pictures of the hole but it does not show debt in the picture. I should have put Lucy in the whole to get the true feeling of the hole. Oh well. I am not a good a detective as I thought I was.

On the water in Panama City, Fl 4-28-2010

Kris,Lucy & I went out on the boat a few times now. It must be matting season for the horseshoe crap. We saw many along the water line on a beach we were walking on. We thought this would be a scene for National Geographic.