color fix

 the orchid house was a little disheveled today as they were getting ready for orchid daze, which begins next weekend --- but a great fix of color anyway

a fine evening for the balcony

january sunshine

a glorious day, like we haven't had since october --- i found that we now have two bocce ball courts in the park --- where's the shuffleboard?

the cave district

i stayed at horse cave, kentucky --- the cave is one of many in western kentucky's cave district, which has attracted tourists since before the civil war --- in the middle of the eponymous town, the south side of main street falls away a hundred feet to the cave entrance ---between horse cave and cave city are some excellent motels from the 1950s and 1960s

the best of the motels were the "wigwams," which were more like concrete teepees --- fiften of them plus a big one housing the office ---

snow

i didn't see much falling snow on wednesday going up, but i just missed it --- first visible on the cumberland plateau, leading to 4-5" fluffy inches in kentucky

another benefit of tax cuts for the rich

built as a summer home for the owner of iron works in chattanooga, the cravens house was a landmark during the battle of lookout mountain, or the battle above the clouds, as it was dubbed later --- the confederate army tore the house apart for its materials, but its owner rebuilt immediately after the war --- an absolutely magnificent view of moccasin bend on the tennessee river and chattanooga --- veterans returning for reunions in the 1890s pointed out the rebuilt house as a landmark during the battle --- in the 1960s, the park service recreated the historic interiors, but can't afford to have it open but a couple of times a month these days ----

kentucky wonders

 the car almost left the road when these came into view on the highway between cave city and horse cave, kentucky --- actually there were six or eight very cool motels from the 1940s and 1950s on what was once part of the old dixie hwy --- didn't see any snow falling yesterday but there was snow as soon as i got up on the cumberland plateau --- mammoth cave park was gorgeous this morning 

winter flowers

here's one camellia, on eighth, that is braving the cold

a mighty fine sunset

cloud 91b

i forgot to post this image this morning --- purty cool clouds

put it away

what's up with all the christmas decoration still up? these right around the corner from each other, plus two or three christmas trees out on the curb

cover tunes

every now and then, there is a song upon which i obsess for a period of time --- this is one of those --- and, yes, k.d. laing's rendition is purty good, but buckley's here can't be surpassed ---



read his wikipedia bio and be sad

the boys

a reproachful look from the dog when i left for work this morning --- semi-crazed look from the dex

another round of winter weather?

this is not supposed to happen in atlanner

no comment on this one

a cult has formed

thnx for the nightmare, andrew

"i've been to the mountaintop . . ."

remembering a great american --- where would this country be today if he had not been murdered?

my garden

expanding horizons

a great piece by brian greene ---

Because of this, when future astronomers look to the sky, they will no longer witness the past. The past will have drifted beyond the cliffs of space. Observations will reveal nothing but an endless stretch of inky black stillness.

snow fest '11?

don suggested that --- probably more accurate than snowpocalypse or snowmeggedon --- snow and ice doesn't usually stay around this long down here --- but tomorrow it's supposed to get up to 50 so a lot will melt---

winter in the park

 most of the southern part of the lake is still iced over, and there are piles of sledding debris all around oak hill --- surprisingly few people out late this afternoon --- only chilly, not cold

servicio de girasol

sunflower cafe, that is --- a too-attractive waiter, fine vegitableirian cuisine, and good company --- for what more could one ask on a friday evening

snowpocalypse

midtown traffic has certainly recovered, although the national weather service issued a special weather statement late this afternoon  warning of "adverse driving conditions" --- that's still true on probably the majority of streets in the neighborhood

snowpocalypse

a snow being

getting over snowpocalyse, cont'd.

i had forgotten what it's like to depend totally on furnace-generated heat --- sure glad the sun is back out ---

getting over snowpocalyse

hooray for the sunshine --- they scraped the p'trees, juniper and tenth last night about 11 or 12 --- dry pavement is still a rarity

unfortunately the federal center was closed for a third straight day today, this time because of electrical problems in the complex --- grrrrrr

improving conditions

a continuous lane in both directions free of ice

ice skating on peachtree

ennui

slipping and sliding

you can be glad you are not stranded (a) in your truck on i-285, or (b) in the greyhound bus station downtown

they've just closed i-285 b/t -20 and riverdale road

crappy roads

why do people think they can drive vans in these conditions?

slick as whatever . . .

the roads, having turned to glass, are officially fkd ---the sysco trucker is still stuck down at the corner

update: a giant wrecker is now on the scene with a cable strung out for two blocks, but they're moving it