Clay Center Shadows

Thanksgiving Fun!

My daughter had built a ginger bread house several years ago for my mom. It had recently begun to fall apart and collect quite a bit of dust. I had the idea that we should take it out in the street and run over it. Everybody thought that would be really fun. I had my wife do the driving since she likes to drive "aggressively" anyway. Check it out.

Flying Puzzle

Merrill Photo Supply

Test

I've been trying to figure out how to post larger photos on my blog for a while and I think I got it. Since I'm a fireman and I don't have a part time job (my wife has a good job too) I have loads of free time to do whatever I want to do - e.g., work on my blog, take naps, spend time with my family and friends, enjoy my hobbies and generally just fart around. This doesn't mean I don't do anything. I keep the house nice and neat, do minor household repairs, cut the grass, shovel the snow, take care of the vehicles, pay the bills, usually fix supper or go get it. You know, things like that. One thing I don't do is laundry. It's not that I don't want to, but man did I ever get in trouble one time for not doin' my wife's uniforms just right. Mercy!

Anyway, back to the big picture. Here's one.

I probably won't do every picture as big as this one. Just ones I really like.

Pictures of Pictures

We went to our families house in Clay county for Thanksgiving. While we were there my cousin got out some photos that she knew I'd be interested in (I love looking at pictures). The photo is of three of her dad's (Addison Crouse) friends, who served with him in the Army during the Korean War.

If you can't make it out the back of the photo reads, "This is my 3 buddies from W.Va. They all got killed on hill 317. And we ain't took this hill yet and we have been fighting for 3 months for it."

Red Roof Inn

Linx

TLR

This is a photo of one of my old cameras. It's a Yashica Mat 124 G. I took the photo with my newest camera, a Fuji F100fd. I bought the Yashica in 1979 at Merrill Photo when I was a junior in high school. It's had a lot of film go through it. I had it with me when my wife and I went on our first date on October 20th, 1980.

A couple more from Beaufort, SC

Olivia

I ran across this photo of an Osprey that I had taken some time ago. The owners of a tour boat company had named her Olivia. I took this photo standing in a moving boat. I got lucky!

Amos

Polly Hollow

Henry Chambers Waterfront Park, Beaufort, SC

Saint Helena Episcopal

I love exploring old cemeteries. I go to the one at St. Helena Episcopal Church just about every time we go to Beaufort (my father-in-law lives on Lady's Island, so we go there a lot). There were a lot of Confederate flags on the graves this time. The walls around the Church and the cemetery are made of "ballast brick" that was used in ships that carried goods and people to the low country.

113 Days...

...make a big difference. This was at exit 73 on I-77 in Rock Hill, SC. The expensive gas was on July 27th. You can go inside and get some fireworks to celebrate the gas prices!

The sea was angry...

...that day, my friends, like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli.

George Costanza

Coosaw Island Fog

This tombstone...

...sits next to one that's so weathered, that if I didn't know what it said it would be very hard to make out. This is a story of two friends that are buried side-by-side in an old, forgotten family cemetery overlooking the confluence of the Coal and Kanawha rivers.

The stone pictured above reads; Henry W. Gregory, Born April 29th, 1839. Killed in the Confederate Army, August 23rd, 1863. His friend that he is buried beside is James W. Rust. Son of Samuel Rust.

These two young friends (Rust 16 and Gregory 21) joined the Confederate Army when Capt George S. Patton came to Coalsmouth (present day Saint Albans) recruiting volunteers.

They both lived on Ferry Lane, which is now Walker St. in Nitro. In addition to being best friends, they were also brothers-in-law. Henry Gregory had married James' sister Sarah.

They both enlisted the same day and were assigned to Company A of the 22nd Virginia Infantry.

Before he left for the Army, James Rust told some family members that if he were killed in the war he would like to be buried on the mountain top that overlooks the mouth of the Coal river.

A year later James Rust was killed during the Battle of Fayetteville. After that battle the Federal troops started a massive retreat that went all the way back to the Ohio river.

Henry Gregory was given permission to bring James' body back home as the troops made their way back toward the Kanawha Valley.

Less than a year later Henry Gregory was killed in the Battle of White Sulphur Springs and his body was brought home to be buried beside his friend.

Copperhead Ridge

Great morning for a trail run. Nothin' smells better than fallen leaves and smoke from a brush fire somewhere in the distance.

What kid...

...doesn't love to play in a gianormous pile of leaves?

Election Day

Everybody was off today, so after we voted we went for a walk in the woods. We found a cool snake skin that we had to pose with. We did our best candy apple smiles. Go McCain!!!!

Copperhead Ridge

Somewhere in western Kanawha county.

Grafitti

Downtown Saturday Afternoon