Shovels and Rope- Tiny Desk Concert

A Love That Forgives

In a city once known as "Bombingham", Birmingham is still subtly divided.
It has been 50 years since members of the KKK bombed the 16th street Baptist Church, killing Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley, and Addie Mae Collins.
The day after the bombing, a young white lawyer named Chuck Morgan was scheduled to address his peers.  In that speech, were these scathing words,
"Who threw that bomb?  The answer should be, we all did it...it's every little individual who talks about 'the niggers' and spreads the seeds of his hate to his neighbor and son. "
Threats ensued, and 2 weeks later, he fled with his family in the cover of night.  He did what too many whites did not do.  He did what too many people still do not do.
The pastor didn't have a chance to preach it, but the title of the sermon that morning was, "A Love That Forgives".  I think of the parents and siblings of these little girls and wonder if they forgave such evil hatred.
Impossible on your own.
Sarah Collins Rudolph, Addie Mae's younger sister, was injured in the blast.  She spent months in the hospital and lost her right eye.  She says she feels no bitterness, "Being bitter won't bring the girls back, won't bring my sight back. So i had to forgive because it was what God wanted me to do."

http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2013/09/15/221790880/50-years-later-birmingham-is-still-subtly-divided

Our Cultural Addiction To Phones

I know i am old fashioned, but this obsession looks ridiculous.  Maybe i feel left out and jealous?

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2013/09/05/219266779/our-cultural-addiction-to-phones-in-one-disconcerting-video?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=share&utm_campaign=

Happy 6th Birthday Avery!!

Taum Sauk Mountain

Taum Sauk Mountain rises to the highest point in Missouri at 1,772 feet.  These are short yet, ancient mountains.

Mina Sauk Falls, which can be reached  halfway through a 3 mile loop trail, drops 132 feet down rocky ledges. The waterfall wasn't falling, due to dry conditions.  I look forward to going back when it is wet.

A portion of Mina Sauk Trail is also the Ozark Trail, which is more than 350 miles long.  Eventually it will run from St Louis area to Arkansas, connecting to the Ozark Highland Trail.
This trail was perfect for our family.  Even though it is rugged, i was surprised by how well the kids did.  On this particular day, we made an impromptu trip south because the weather said so.  This summer has been a beauty!

Bigger Chickens

Happy 9th Birthday To Jasper!!

I am behind...    Happy birthday to Jasper!  You are so old, you no longer draw on yourself.

Objects That Fly Through Space

I cannot seem to remember the difference between asteroids, comets, meteors, meteorites, and meteoroids.

No matter how much we read and study, i always have to look it up again.

I did end up setting the alarm for 2 A.M. for the meteor shower.  Despite our careful efforts not to make the motion light go off, someone wasn't in a straight line.  We had to wait 15 minutes for the light to go back off and then another 20 to let our eyes adjust.  (Why doesn't it have a switch anywhere?)

So we cuddled up on the wet trampoline and some people fussed.  But we all saw several shooting stars and i am thankful that i got up when the jarring noise woke me.  

It is amazing how much you can see in the middle of the city.  I think it is because there are so many vacant houses nearby.  Looking on the bright side.

So here is a chart from NASA.

Summary Table

Asteroid	A relatively small, inactive, rocky body orbiting the Sun.
Comet	A relatively small, at times active, object whose ices can vaporize in sunlight forming an atmosphere (coma) of dust and gas and, sometimes, a tail of dust and/or gas.
Meteoroid	A small particle from a comet or asteroid orbiting the Sun.
Meteor	The light phenomena which results when a meteoroid enters the Earth's atmosphere and vaporizes; a shooting star.
Meteorite	A meteoroid that survives its passage through the Earth's atmosphere and lands upon the Earth's surface.

Perseid Meteor Shower

The Perseid Meteor Shower peaks tonight and tomorrow night.  I saw one shooting star last night, so i hope to wake the kids up and go out on the trampoline to see up to 100 per hour.  We wouldn't see that many here in the city, but seeing 1 in the city is pretty special to me.

For people who don't want to go outside, you can watch it live.
http://www.space.com/19195-night-sky-planets-asteroids-webcasts.html

Summertime Hike/LaBarque

This perfectly white rock was in a mass of perfectly black rocks.  I am not sure if someone pulled an Andy Goldsworthy or if it was my lucky day, but it was stunning.  

Jasper found this salamander under a rock and it was sporting a very long tail.

This summer has been very cool.  I can gauge it by my hands and feet.  I have hyperhidrosis that leads to awful excema.  Normal summers leave my hands and feet raw with pain.
Going for a 3 mile hike in the afternoon through hot and sunny glades isn't a typical summertime activity.  But on this particular day, it was the only thing we wanted to do.  It was wonderful.

Pokey La Farge And The South City 3

There was a time, when we went to see them for free without a mob.  No more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SUAunAV2HQ

Great Smoky Mountain National Park

Just Arrived!

Parking Area

On Our Way Up To The Top

After Hiking The Appalachian Trail (Sort Of)

 

Clingman's Dome

The View

On Our Way Back Down

We went to Great Smoky Mountain National Park on "our way home".  Of course, it also rained nearly the whole time.  By this point in the trip, we are used to the constant drizzle, and keep umbrellas with us for the inevitable downpour every hour.  All of the rivers were swollen and scary looking.

As soon as we entered the park, we saw several elk and a group of turkeys. What is the name for a group of turkeys?

I just looked it up, a group of turkeys is called a rafter. 

We hiked to the lookout point for Clingman's Dome, 6,643 feet high and the tallest mountain in Smoky Mountain National Park.  The distance from the parking areas is only 1/2 mile, but because it is steep, it required us and our lowland lungs to stop frequently.  

We couldn't see anything because the clouds were super thick.  It made everything seem eerie and i look forward to going back sometime when the sun is shining.  

WhiteStone Farm

Original Cabin

Path To The Spring

Cool, Refreshing, Spring

Red Dirt Turns Into Red Mud

Giant Fishing Spider

Valley

After camp, we were fortunate to spend time with friends in North Georgia.  They have a large amount of land to tromp on, and even though it rained nearly the whole time, we had fun anyway.
Jasper and i even managed to start and cook our meal over a blazing fire in a torrential downpour.
At the highest elevation, they have a shop and sell various items to passersby.  The view up there is beautiful. Just a taste of what was to come...

Camp Fasola

View From Our Cabin

Hayride With A Friend

Friends

Zip Line

Hollie Powell

A Different Kind Of Friend

This is the reason we came South in the first place...Camp Fasola.  We had a WONDERFUL time and learned a lot about Shape Note Singing.

http://campfasola.org/

Happy 11th Birthday To Tullaia!!