Spring And The Waxwings

Cedar Waxwing In A Savannah Holly Tree
Photo By: Steven R. Hudson
The Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) came through our area this week. They are such lovely birds. I love it when they pass through as it means that Spring has definately arrived. Cedar Waxwings are en route to their summer nesting areas further north.

When they have landed in our yard, they proceeded to strip this tree bare. I don't think there is a single berry left, not even on the ground. The resident mockingbird, who had been guarding it all winter, finally gave up trying to keep the invading hoard off his territory. Poor little guy. At least there are ample bugs out now to keep his belly full.

Spring has sprung, the grass has ris’,
I wonder where the birdie is?
There he is up in the sky,
He dropped some whitewash in my eye!

I‘m alright, I won't cry,
I'm just glad that cows can't fly!
by Anonymous



Happy Spring Y'all!
♥ ∞

Funny Friday And Postcard Friendship Friday (03/20)

For all you who ride "those Triumph death traps" this is for you ... [tee hee] Check out how they embed the motorcycle with humor through osmosis! I always say, British humor is one of the best in the world.




And now for PFF, this is a postcard depicting the first Soviet motorcycle with the engine with the vertical dual cylinders. This machine is (or was) in the Polytechnical museum in Moscow, Russia.


Source

Postcard Friendship Friday is hosted by my wonderful friend Marie. Her link is on the right hand side of this page. ---------------------------------->

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Tough Toenails Bubba

Sam Jr.
Poor Sam. He's had a really rough week. He's getting elderly for a miniature schnauzer at over 10 years old, so, things are starting to fall apart. He's lost most of his teeth and his eye sight is failing. He had been groomed a few days ago and since then had been chewing his right toenail like there's no tomorrow. Every 5 mintues I've had to yell at him.

"Quit it!"

"Stop licking!"

"I'm going to slap a knot on your head!" (I didn't.)

Finally, I figured out that something is wrong. (I'm slow ... so sue me.) Hubby took him to the Veterarian in Waycross. Vet said the nail was 'ringed': broken clear back to the quick and all the way around. It must have gotten caught on the groomers cage by accident. In other words, the nail was hanging on by a thread and everytime he'd walk it would shove up into his foot! Owie! The base was cracked. Thus the intense pain. Well, Vet sedated the little guy and removed the entire nail. $146.80 later Sam is back home and sleeping off the drug on our living room floor. He can't jump up yet.

Oh and he's also on amoxicillin antibiotic ... again. I call it "the pink stuff" because I can never remember the drug name. He was on these same antibiotics not more than a few weeks ago from a head cold contracted from a kennel stay.

And the unexpected expenditures never end ... [sigh] Since the stock market seems to be improving, maybe I should invest in this company? My three dogs health 'issues' alone could keep this drug company afloat for years.

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Whatcya Doin'?

Boy, I wish I had this problem. I have been busier than a one-armed paper hanger this week.

But, I'm happy to be busy because my neck and right shoulder are greatly improved that I'm able to actually perform physical labor again! Yay! For quite some time now all I've been able to do without doubling over in pain is my usual duties of paying the household bills. Hubby always opts out of that one, he hates finances, except when it comes to spending money. [grumble] This week I've done my own vacuuming, un-dusting (private joke in our home), cleaning windows, light gardening, bathing dogs, laundry and so forth. Whew. So you see I've been a Busy Bee!

My step mom, Myra, would have been proud. One thing she always had, even up to about six weeks before her passing, was a clean house. This woman had so much stamina that even with suffering from the devastating disease of Alzheimer's, her home would be spotless and smell fresh.

This lady ran a tight ship, let me tell you! I learned how to vacuum properly (there's the wrong way and there's Myra's way), get dust & pet hair out of corners with an old tooth brush, sanitize a bathroom / kitchen like we're getting ready for surgery, etc. And there were no excuses in her mind. Even though I am not that anal about cleanliness (anymore) I do like a clean, or at least tidy, home.

This is no small task with three dogs that do not cooperate! They have their own pet door. I wish I could teach them to wipe their little paws before entering. [lol] They create the bulk of our work around here. [sigh] But, I love them and put up with it.

Well, I'm a little bit sore on my right side but it's OK. I am ecstatic that I can work around the house and pull my own weight. Hubby does a good job on his own and I appreciate his willingness to clean more than words can say. This whole experience would have been absolute misery without his kindness and thoughtfulness. But it's nice to be back in the saddle.

Speaking of that, I plan to ride the motorcycle in a day or two. I know, I know, it's a week before the doctor has released me but I'm gonna try it anyway. Cross your fingers and toes for me? 'ppreciate it.

All in all I am pleased and oh so grateful that things are getting back to normal for this semi-normal person.

So what's going on in your neck of the woods this week friends?

Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, for the Lord is good; his love endures forever (Jeremiah 33:11)

♥ ∞

Eleven Most Expensive Catastrophes In History

# 11. Titanic - $150 Million

The sinking of the Titanic is possibly the most famous accident in the world. But it barely makes our list of top 10 most expensive. On April 15, 1912, the Titanic sank on its maiden voyage and was considered to be the most luxurious ocean liner ever built. Over 1,500 people lost their lives when the ship ran into an iceberg and sunk in frigid waters. The ship cost $7 million to build ($150 million in today's dollars).

# 10. Tanker Truck vs Bridge - $358 Million

On August 26, 2004, a car collided with a tanker truck containing 32,000 liters of fuel on the Wiehltal Bridge in Germany .. The tanker crashed through the guardrail and fell 90 feet off the A4 Autobahn resulting in a huge explosion and fire which destroyed the load-bearing ability of the bridge. Temporary repairs cost $40 million and the cost to replace the bridge is estimated at $318 Million.

# 9. MetroLink Crash - $500 Million

On September 12, 2008, in what was one of the worst train crashes in California history, 25 people were killed when a Metrolink commuter train crashed head-on into a Union Pacific freight train in Los Angeles . It is thought that the Metrolink train may have run through a red signal while the conductor was busy text messaging. Wrongful death lawsuits are expected to cause $500 million in losses for Metrolink.

# 8. B-2 Bomber Crash - $1.4 Billion

Here we have our first billion dollar accident (and we're only at #7 on the list). This B-2 stealth bomber crashed shortly after taking off from an air base in Guam on February 23, 2008. Investigators blamed distorted data in the flight control computers caused by moisture in the system. This resulted in the aircraft making a sudden nose-up move which made the B-2 stall and crash. This was 1 of only 21 ever built and was the most expensive aviation accident in history. Both pilots were able to eject to safety.

# 7. Exxon Valdez - $2.5 Billion

The Exxon Valdez oil spill was not a large one in relation to the world's biggest oil spills, but it was a costly one due to the remote location of Prince William Sound (accessible only by helicopter and boat). On March 24, 1989, 10.8 million gallons of oil was spilled when the ship's master, Joseph Hazelwood, left the controls and the ship crashed into a Reef. The cleanup cost Exxon $2.5 billion.

# 6. Piper Alpha Oil Rig - $3.4 Billion

The world's worst off-shore oil disaster. At one time, it was the world's single largest oil producer, spewing out 317,000 barrels of oil per day. On July 6, 1988, as part of routine maintenance, technicians removed and checked safety valves which were essential in preventing dangerous build-up of liquid gas. There were 100 identical safety valves which were checked. Unfortunately, the technicians made a mistake and forgot to replace one of them. At 10 PM that same night, a technician pressed a start button for the liquid gas pumps and the world's most expensive oil rig accident was set in motion.
Within 2 hours, the 300 foot platform was engulfed in flames. It eventually collapsed, killing 167 workers and resulting in $3.4 Billion in damages.

# 5. Challenger Explosion - $5.5 Billion

The Space Shuttle Challenger was destroyed 73 seconds after takeoff due on January 28, 1986 due to a faulty O-ring. It failed to seal one of the joints, allowing pressurized gas to reach the outside. This in turn caused the external tank to dump its payload of liquid hydrogen causing a massive explosion. The cost of replacing the Space Shuttle was $2 billion in 1986 ($4.5 billion in today's dollars). The cost of investigation, problem correction, and replacement of lost equipment cost $450 million from 1986-1987 ($1 Billion in today's dollars).

# 4. Prestige Oil Spill - $12 Billion

On November 13, 2002, the Prestige oil tanker was carrying 77,000 tons of heavy fuel oil when one of its twelve tanks burst during a storm off Galicia, Spain. Fearing that the ship would sink, the captain called for help from Spanish rescue workers, expecting them to take the ship into harbour. However, pressure from local authorities forced the captain to steer the ship away from the coast. The captain tried to get help from the French and Portuguese authorities, but they too ordered the ship away from their shores. The storm eventually took its toll on the ship resulting in the tanker splitting in half and releasing 20 million gallons oil into the sea.
According to a report by the Pontevedra Economist Board, the total cleanup cost $12 billion.

# 3. Space Shuttle Columbia - $13 Billion

The Space Shuttle Columbia was the first space worthy shuttle in NASA's orbital fleet. It was destroyed during re-entry over Texas on February 1, 2003 after a hole was punctured in one of the wings during launch 16 days earlier. The original cost of the shuttle was $2 Billion in 1978. That comes out to $6.3 Billion in today's dollars. $500 million was spent on the investigation, making it the costliest aircraft accident investigation in history. The search and recovery of debris cost $300 million.
In the end, the total cost of the accident (not including replacement of the shuttle) came out to $13 Billion according to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

# 2. Chernobyl - $200 Billion

On April 26, 1986, the world witnessed the costliest accident in history. The Chernobyl disaster has been called the biggest socio-economic catastrophe in peacetime history. 50% of the area of Ukraine is in some way contaminated. Over 200,000 people had to be evacuated and resettled while 1.7 million people were directly affected by the disaster. The death toll attributed to Chernobyl, including people who died from cancer years later, is estimated at 125,000. The total costs including cleanup, resettlement, and compensation to victims has been estimated to be roughly $200 Billion. The cost of a new steel shelter for the Chernobyl nuclear plant will cost $2 billion alone. The accident was officially attributed to power plant operators who violated plant procedures and were ignorant of the safety requirements needed.

# 1. 2008 Stimulus Plan

$800 Billion in the first month??? And 53% of our population thought this would be OK.

"Oh, waiter ... check please?!"

Oh, that's right, we've already paid for all this. Including our children, grand-children, great-grandchildren, etc. etc.

It's not just the Dem's, this includes the Republican politians that signed on-board for the phoney stimulus too!
♥ ∞

Happy St. Patrick's Day And An Anniversary

Today is a very special day for hubby and I. 30 years ago we had our first official "date".

Let's see if can briefly explain all the ins and outs of 30 years ago without boring my bloggy friends to tears.

We had known one another for about a year by that March in 1979. We had first met on a SCUBA diving trip to the Florida Keys with a bunch of other divers in April of 1978. I was married to someone else then but we weren't happy. I had made a dreadful mistake and knew it. Hubby-to-be and I accidentally got paired up (one always has a diving buddy) for reasons I can't remember now. We hit it off bit time. That night the whole dive party was seated at the local Keys restaurant and we ended up sitting together. I fell head-over-heels in love with him. He was so personable, humble, intelligent and downright charming. But, being a married lady, I didn't do or say anything about it. Not because I was shy (perish the thought!) but because I was already married and believed in keeping ones obligations until the bitter end. It's just one of my core beliefs. And I may be a lot of things but I'm not one of 'those' things. [lol]

My marriage to first husband finally crumbled. He wasn't a bad guy or physically abusive but we were definitely mismatched. The marriage was over, kaput, finished. First husband had asked for the divorce and I agreed. It was mutual. No contest. I moved out immediately. So sad to watch a marriage die. But one must learn when to move on.

Hubby-to-be and I were still casual friends. He learned in a roundabout way from a mutual friend about the impending divorce. I was staying with said mutual friend that I worked with (she had graciously allowed me to room with her until my new apartment was ready) and hubby-to-be called this friends home. I answered and immediately said "Oh, (friend) isn't here ..." But, Glory Be he had called to talk to ME! I was so thrilled. We set the date, March 17th which happened to be a Saturday that year. We enjoyed our supper at the local Shrimpy's. And we've been together as a couple ever since.

Cool, huh?

Thus begins our 6 month long celebration this year of all our first times together as a couple. He asked me to marry him April 1st. Yeah, April Fools Day! And he did it on bended knee and gave me a gold bracelet. He was so concerned I would think he was joking that he bought the bracelet with his meager salary in hopes I would say "Yes". Bless his heart. Liked I'd say No to him. [pfftt]


I caught him!
Our 30th wedding anniversary is August 11th. We're planning a big get together in Waycross with friends at one of our local favorite restaurants. Then, with doggies safely tucked away in a kennel and the house all locked down, we take off for a foreign land called New England. Never been there, so, I thought this would be a good time to go. It's bloody hot here in the southeast. Hopefully, New England will be cooler with friendly natives. Pray for us, 'k? [roflol] JK - I'm not worried about the locals. I think I can take 'em ... [snort]

Now, if you're still awake (just drink more coffee, it's almost over). Let's get back to the holiday. I had the idea of posting this from my good bloggy friend Lanny.

How about ...


Saint Patrick Icon
A Little History About Today

St. Patrick's Breastplate is contained in the ancient Book of Armagh, from the early ninth century. along with Patrick's authentic "Confession." St. Patrick is said to have written this prayer to strengthen himself with God's protection as he prepared to confront and convert Loegaire, high king of Ireland. I see in it some similarities to Paul's exhortation to "put on the whole armor of God" (Ephesians 6:10-18), except that it is much more detailed. I recommend St. Patrick's prayer to you as a wonderful prayer of spiritual preparedness.

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity:
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism,
The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial,
The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
The virtue of His coming on the Judgement Day.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the love of seraphim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the hope of resurrection unto reward,
In prayers of Patriarchs,
In predictions of Prophets,
In preaching of Apostles,
In faith of Confessors,
In purity of holy Virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I bind to myself today
The power of Heaven,
The light of the sun,
The brightness of the moon,
The splendour of fire,
The flashing of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of sea,
The stability of earth,
The compactness of rocks.


I bind to myself today
God's Power to guide me,
God's Might to uphold me,
God's Wisdom to teach me,
God's Eye to watch over me,
God's Ear to hear me,
God's Word to give me speech,
God's Hand to guide me,
God's Way to lie before me,
God's Shield to shelter me,
God's Host to secure me,
Against the snares of demons,
Against the seductions of vices,
Against the lusts of nature,
Against everyone who meditates injury to me,
Whether far or near,
Whether few or with many.

I invoke today all these virtues
Against every hostile merciless power
Which may assail my body and my soul,
Against the incantations of false prophets,
Against the black laws of heathenism,
Against the false laws of heresy,
Against the deceits of idolatry,
Against the spells of women, and smiths, and druids,
Against every knowledge that binds the soul of man.

Christ, protect me today
Against every poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against death-wound,
That I may receive abundant reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in the fort, [i.e., at home]
Christ in the chariot seat, [i.e., travelling by land]
Christ in the poop. [i.e., travelling by water]

Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of an invocation of the Trinity,
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

Other translations are also available. In 1889, Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1895), penned the following version at the request of H. H. Dickinson, Dean of the Chapel Royal at Dublin Castle. He recalls, "I wrote to her suggesting that she should fill a gap in our Irish Church Hymnal by giving us a metrical version of St. Patrick’s "Lorica" and I sent her a carefully collated copy of the best prose translations of it. Within a week she sent me that exquisitely beautiful as well as faithful version which appears in the appendix to our Church Hymnal." The traditional (but not very memorable) tune, was written by Charles V. Stanford (1902). (Information obtained from CyberHymnal.org where a MIDI of the music is available.)

Source


Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig
(Gaelic for Happy St. Patrick's Day)!
♥ ∞

Bruce Maloy, Hometown Hero

Somehow, I missed this event in the news recently. I remember my bloggy friend Janeen mentioning this in passing but it didn't stick in my memory because we have a needy neighbor who is eating up a lot of my time. I'm really concerned about my neighbor (how do people let their lives get into such a pickle!?), but that's not what this is about today.

It's about a Hometown Hero in southern Alabama.

I am a Maloy family researcher. They are my blood-kin via my birthfather of the KEITH family clan. My particular branch of Maloy live/lived mostly in southern Alabama in Geneva and Coffee counties. Unfortunately, I don't know any of these good folks as I was adopted out of the family.



Alabama Welder Hailed as Hero For Trying to Stop Mass Murderer
Friday, March 13, 2009
Associated Press

SAMSON, Alabama — Many around Samson knew Bruce Maloy as their town's comedian, a goodhearted, wiry little jokester who was always boasting about hitting it big someday.

In life, he never really got the spotlight he was seeking. But in the days following the massacre that shattered their small Alabama community, some have dropped the comedian label and replaced it with another: Hero.

On Friday, witnesses and authorities said Maloy, the 10th and final victim of Tuesday's shooting rampage by Michael McLendon, single-handedly tried to end the violence with his beat-up old pickup truck.

With gunshots still echoing through downtown Samson and the killer headed toward a bigger city 12 miles away, Maloy chased McLendon's dark red Mitsubishi out of town, ramming the vehicle at least once.

Maloy slowed down the killer briefly, and he may have given police and state troopers time to catch up to McLendon, said Geneva County Chief Deputy Tony Helms. But it cost him his life.

"There's a hero in all of this that nobody is talking about, and that's Bruce Maloy," said Jim Stromenger, a dispatcher with the Samson Police Department.

McLendon shot the 51-year-old welder to death at a lonesome spot on Alabama 52 before eluding police in Geneva and killing himself with a single gunshot to the head at a former workplace, Reliable Products.

"Whether Bruce was following him in an attempt to find out where he went, stop him, I don't know. But I think he deserves recognition for what he did," said Helms.
Helms was one of two officers involved in a dizzying, final shootout with McLendon at Reliable Products, where the killer ran inside and killed himself.

A divorced father with three grown children, Maloy lived in an old trailer off a dirt road on the outskirts of town. Christmas lights still hang from the side.

Maloy's youngest child, 19-year-old Eva Maloy, helped his ex-wife and friends gather a few items from his home Friday as others made funeral arrangements. She's not exactly sure what her father did that day, but the idea of him giving his life to help others wasn't surprising.

"It sounds like him," said Maloy.

Initial reports depicted Maloy as the final victim of random gunshots sprayed by McLendon after he killed his mother, four more relatives and four others in the Alabama's worst mass killing. A truer picture emerged when investigators spoke with witnesses, piecing together details of McLendon's 24-mile path of death, Helms said.
Maloy was stopped at a traffic light on Main Street in Samson, headed west toward his home. Shots rang out to his left at the Big Little Store, and McLendon pulled out of the parking lot going east toward Geneva.

Two workers at Samson Feed and Seed saw Maloy whip his ragged old Isuzu pickup to the left, doing a U-turn and gunning it as he took off after McLendon.

With Maloy behind him, McLendon shot at a hardware store and a car stopped at a red light and kept going. Within seconds, Craig Harrison saw both vehicles speed past his business.

"The car came by and Bruce was right behind him. He wasn't two car lengths away from him," said Harrison, who formerly employed Maloy at Craig's Cycle and Marine. Harrison heard two more shots and believes McLendon was trying to get Maloy off his tail.

Maloy's chase ended 2.4 miles from where it began. Damage to the front of Maloy's truck indicates he rammed McLendon at least once, and the Mitsubishi had damage to its rear, although a police car could have done that.

Near a pipe plant just inside the city limits, McLendon fired at least three shots at Maloy after a collision. Two bullets hit metal, a third went through the windshield and struck Maloy.

Some people didn't like being around Maloy because he was such a big talker, Harrison said. He could be a little obnoxious with his joking and boasting.
But Samson now knows him as someone much different.

"He needs some recognition for what he did," said Harrison. "It was something he always wanted, and now the old boy won't see it."

This article is at FoxNews.

Rest in peace, cousin. May God bless you and your family.

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