The Gay Life of a Country Boy

Climb that mountain, you slob! Work it!

11 April 2010, 6:46 pm

Yesterday, Saturday, April 10, our wonderful friend SW visited us along with his cousin and her girlfriend. If I were a lesbian, I would have been in a perfect situation! I’ll just say that! One was a pure country girl and the other was a “Puertoricanian bonita!” Our friend had recently returned from time served in Afghanistan. After spending time talking to him and asking questions, I kinda understand more about this confrontation than I did before his visit. Some of the stories he told us completely blew my mind. If you ever want to feel good about living here in the US, speak frankly to a soldier and a person in the medical staff serving over there. Ask questions and get the answers you need. I feel honored to say I know him and I loved every minute I spent talking to him.

After I went to the REI presentation of the Benton MacKaye Trail (yes, this one actually happened), I came back home and we left for Stone Mountain. If you haven’t a clue as to what I am talking about, hop on the Google and type in Stone Mountain, GA. Stone Mountain is the largest exposed granite dome in the world. It stretches underground into Tennessee and the Carolinas and also into Alabama. The park is kind of a memorial to the old South in the way of its hospitality and its beauty. There are many things at the park that I love, including the Antebellum mansion, the railroad, the grist mill, and most importantly, the carving. The main road around the mountain is rightly known as Robert E. Lee Blvd. Everything about this place is family friendly and definitely something people here in the area look at as a wonderful asset. The laser show is spectacular and takes place on the carving side of the mountain. On the opposite side, there is a trail that leads from the bottom to the top of this gigantic mound. The views of Atlanta from the top of Stone Mountain are amazing. You honestly have to be there to get the true feeling of a breathtaking site.

Glad to be at the top!

We reached Stone Mountain around 4:30 pm and decided to climb to the top instead of taking the Skylift. It gives you an incredible workout. Since I am going to be doing a strenuous hike in the near future, I decided to go up with my loaded backpack. Now that it’s all over, I am very happy I did. I hurt today, but I can now say that with a full pack, I should be able to handle the mountains of North Georgia fairly well.

When we got to the top, we took a few pictures of Atlanta and other crazy things. You can go into the building on the top and there are posters and stuff that describe life that exists on the top, including tiny shrimp that survive in the water puddles after rain storms. The puddles are found in craters left from lightening strikes over the centuries. There are a few small pines that have survived up there over the years. I couldn’t find it yesterday, but there is a USGS marker located on the top for an elevation comparison. The mountain is 825 feet tall and covers 583 acres. The top of the mountain is 1,683 feet above sea level. It’s an amazing sight to behold and bring your hiking boots!

We reached the bottom and went to the car to get the cooler. We were not aware they were doing work on the green, so when we reached the base of the mountain, the crowd was amazingly large. We are used to sitting closer to the main building. This time, however, were were right beside the pond at the base. Thank God they did not do the “Great Balls of Fire” show. I believe our hair would have been burned right off our heads. There are effects that take place throughout the laser show like fireworks, various colored lasers, and blasts of fire. The fireworks were definitely louder this time around. We ate a few sandwiches and some fruit and had a fantastic time watching the show. There were some new additions and some old time classics. There is a classic segment containing various geometric shapes in sync with the Ray Lynch song “Deep Breakfast.” The other, of course, would be the segments devoted to Georgia and the songs it is mentioned in and sang by artists from our state, such as Sugarland, Ray Charles, REM, The B52s, and Alan Jackson.

The gang left us around 10:30 pm heading back to that wonderful state of Alabama. We were worn out from the day and I fell asleep on the couch. We slept this morning till around 11 am and when my eyes opened, they immediately wanted to close again. I felt every muscle in my body! It’s a great feeling, but one that you have to experience between long breaks! If you want to experience a feeling of the South and see some lovely surroundings, make a plan to come visit Stone Mountain Park located in Stone Mountain, GA.

I can’t wait till we see SW again. He is truly an amazing guy that the other half has known for years. I was able to SW after we met. He isn’t bad on the eyes either, my friends! He’s a looker! LMAO! But, looks don’t mean much when there isn’t a great mind to go along with it. He’s got it all.

Filed under Hiking, friends, trips.

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AeroGarden…you grower you!

11 April 2010, 5:57 pm

We decided a while back to see just what we could do with an AeroGarden. I’m sure you have heard of these gadgets before. I know they are sold at Macy’s but do not know where all you can buy them. We got ours from a friend that was trying to grow something and couldn’t get it to work. Maybe that has a different time pattern it needs light. Who knows?! Maybe he needs to buy a grow house in the Gwinnett County area like I have heard others have. But, I digress. We bought the Italian Herb kit to go along with it. It’s fairly easy to get set up. You buy the kit, place the little seeded containers into the machine floor and then fill the bottom with water. You have to place some nutrient pills into the bottom in the water and then plug it in. If you buy a new machine, there may be some special instructions as to what light cycles you have to set up or something. Just read the owner’s manual before jumping into the project.

I have taken pictures of the growth of our herb garden. The expanse of time is not known, but I can tell you that it hasn’t been long at all…maybe a matter of a few weeks. After a few days (less than a week), we saw growth from each of the seed pods.

Beginning of the project.

Within about 2-3 weeks

After 1.5 months

If you are at all interested in growing your own herbs and stop spending the money in grocery stores, this is a perfect little non-time consuming project. We cook with various herbs and love being able to touch the basil plant and smell it on our fingers. The basil is a monster plant and will not take long at all to start growing. When you buy the kit, the pods will be placed in the EXACT order that they need to be inserted into the AeroGarden. This is because the large plants go in the back and the smaller ones can grow at the pace they need to in the front.

Have fun with this great little machine!

Filed under Gardening.

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Good morning, Farmer Travis!

8 April 2010, 1:48 am

What we are doing now should prove to anyone that living inside city limits does not mean you cannot have a vegetable garden. The other half found a site a while back that told of a way to grow vegetables in a planter box. I do love a little gardening every now and then. It’s another thing that takes me back home.

During the summer of 1992, my dad decided it would be a great idea to plant 36 fairly long rows of peas. There were crowder peas, purple hull peas, and some other kind. There were also two rows of butter beans. I thought the man had lost his last little bit of mind. I understood the need…I didn’t understand the motivation. It was as if he went pea crazy that year. Of course, we filled up two deep freezers and had some to give away to others, because you know, you are supposed to share the first crop with someone else in the hopes that your future reaping will be bountiful. Just a little bit of neighborly advise there! Anyway, the rows were planted and the work began. There was hoeing to be done (and hoeing there was! LMAO!) and fertilizing to make the most beautiful peas.

I can’t count how many mornings I woke up with my Mom at 6am to go to the field. This was supposed to be my summer break! I was supposed to have fun with friends! Tough shit, country boy. You will pick peas and YOU WILL LOVE IT! OK then, let’s go get this over with. One evening, my Dad drove the truck down to the field and parked it. The next morning, my Mom and I filled the back of the truck, a few buckets, and a few trash bags. I think we got out of the field after 12pm. That was a lot of peas to pick. The only part that was at least somewhat enjoyable was the butter beans. To pick the butter beans, it’s easier to use a 5 gallon bucket. Place the bucket next to the plant you will be harvesting. While sitting on the bucket, you can pick the beans and deposit them into the bucket through the gap in your legs. At that point in my life, a was a bit chunky and sitting down was mainly what I wanted to do.

Shelling the harvest was an all day event. After shelling the purple hulls, your thumbs are left purple and wrinkled. Dad felt there would be a large harvest that year and so bought us an electric pea sheller. Ohhhhh, we were the SHIT! No more hand shelling for us, let me tell ya. One would think this would make things much easier and in some ways, it did get easier. It didn’t take as long to shell a bushel of peas as before. As Mom and Dad were using the sheller, my sister and I and whoever was at the house that day would get a dishpan and shell by hand.

Poor Mom. When the shelling was done, the work of getting them in the freezer began. The peas and beans had to be blanched and then poured onto a table with a fan blowing on them to cool. After cooling, they were placed into freezer bags and arranged into neat stacks in the freezer.

I miss those days of farming now that I am an adult. I am hoping that we can get a good harvest from the vegetables we plant. I, for one, love the taste of fresh veggies from the garden. I would rather have them over anything else. Pictures will be coming later and I will document the progress of our little city garden.

Filed under Gardening, Growing up.

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Bear is such a cute puppy!

30 March 2010, 9:17 pm

Here’s a new picture of Bear! He’s a great puppy.

Filed under Just Anything!.

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Sunday hiking class….a bust!

29 March 2010, 1:38 pm

So I may have mentioned going to a hiking presentation for the Benton MacKaye Trail yesterday (Sunday) at the REI location in Atlanta. I was so pumped for this class since I have not been able to attend any of the other sessions because of my work schedule. All the classes at the Buford location end up on Saturdays and I work those evenings. For once, I found a class at the REI location off Interstate 85 and I jumped at the chance to go. We get up early on Sunday, get the dogs ready to spend the day at home, and get on our way to the Atlantas.

It is always a wonderful feeling when I step into an REI store. I love seeing all the camping, hiking, and biking gear on display. It would be more enjoyable if I could afford most of the stuff. The other half as advised me that I have taken on the most pricey hobby there is. Well, I guess that’s true. Hiking, however, is a very calming hobby. I’ve been told by many that I should be more calm and not let as much get to me. That’s my goal… (sorry pantry door. I’ll replace you!) We walk around the store for a little and look at the different tents and hiking shoes. Then there’s the call for the 2pm class on the BMT. I scurry….yes, like a little raccoon….over to the door and join the waiting crowd. This guy comes over and the first words I hear are, “Yall come on in here and we’ll get everyone seated. I’ve got some bad news.” Damn it! Just what I didn’t want to hear. He said the guy who was supposed to be doing the presentation had scheduled his days wrong. O..M..G, people! Do you not call to confirm and make definite plans before the actual day? You should have been on the phone with this guy two days ago to remind him of his appointment.

Luckily, the day was not a total loss. There was a guy who was a member of the Atlanta Outdoor group and he talked about the history of the AT and BMT and the things you could expect to see on the trail. He spoke of the suspension bridge on Section 2 of the BMT and how cool it was to do some day hiking in that area. After he spoke, the group broke up and began to talk amongst themselves. I met a nice lesbian couple from Decatur…yes, Decatur…and we spoke for a while. Like my other half, hers went out into the store to wander around. I guess it’s true that the ones who run their mouths gather together while their partners go off and do their own thing. We chatted and chatted and chatted until we realized we needed to join the others in the store.

Hopefully, there will be another scheduled presentation that I can attend and learn what to expect on the Benton MacKaye Trail.

Filed under Hiking, Just Anything!.

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Loving some Dame Edna

29 March 2010, 11:22 am

I just want you to know something…..if you haven’t ever seen or heard Dame Edna, you really should take the time to listen. I have loved this wo-MAN for many years. She used to have a special show that came on NBC (when they had good television) and I would adore her. About two or three years ago, the other half and I went to see her at the Fabulous Fox Theater in Atlanta. Such a wonderful dream come true!

Filed under Just Anything!.

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Lunch at the Sugar Hill Diner

26 March 2010, 12:06 pm

At one time, Sugar Hill, GA had a Folks restaurant. I’m sure they did a fair amount of business until the economy went to crap. Shortly after, the doors were closed and the signs removed. To us, nothing was lost.

Within a few months, live started to arise in the parking lot. The lights were cut back on and we saw the creation of The Diner at Sugar Hill. We drive by this place anytime we go toward the mall or head to the interstate heading north. We never stopped to check out the new place because we always had something else to do. Today, Friday, we decided to stop by for lunch.

The atmosphere sure as hell beats Folks. The lighting creates a cozy feel to the place. If it had been nighttime, it would be dim and perfect for dining. The seating is arranged comfortably with adequate spacing. Mirrors on the wall help to make the restaurant not seem so small.

My choice for lunch was fish and chips. The other half chose chicken parmigiana. The food came out in great timing. The waitress was very southern and nice. I loved it. Of course, many of you who may read this live nowhere near this place. But, the occasional person in the area will take a look. If you do, definitely try this place. I would recommend it over many other local restaurants.

Filed under Food. Tagged sugar hill, sugar hill diner

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The hiking of the Laurel Ridge Trail

25 March 2010, 12:00 pm

I was very excited to have a chance to go hiking this past week. As you might have heard in my podcast, I was planning to go to Amacolola Falls in near Dahlonega, GA and hike the approach trail to the Appalachian Trail on Springer Mountain. After considerable thought, the plans were changed and I decided to go to Lake Sidney Lanier just a few miles from the house. I had hiked some of that trail but had no idea how much more there was. All together from what I read on a posting board, the trail is a little over 4 miles in length, forming a loop. I started at the Lower Overlook on Buford Dam Road. I parked the truck at the overlook and paid close attention to the closing times on the posted sign. Gwinnett County is on time (for at least one thing they do) and close that park at precisely 5:00 pm. I started around 12 noon or a little later. I knew I would have plenty of time to get the entire trail completed, even before I knew how long it was. The area isn’t that huge to have a trail too large. I crossed over Buford Dam Road and started down the incline to the river.

This part of the trail gives you one of the best views of Buford Dam. I believe it was last year when the dam celebrated it’s 50th anniversary. Ground breaking on the monumental Lake Lanier started in 1950 and has created one of the best known recreation areas in the southeastern US. Even though it has been dealt some heavy blows from the adjoining states of Alabama and Florida, it lives on and provides millions of people with fun and enjoyment and various species of fish and wildlife a peaceful home. I continued on and crossed over the parking lot on the backside of the dam. This lead me to what I like to call the beginning of the Chattahooche River. Lake Lanier supplies water to this river each day with a loud horn that you had better pay attention to. If not, you could join the tales of a few other people who have been taken for a ride by the speed and depth of the water escaping Buford Dam. The river rises considerably during this time. If just hearing stories isn’t enough, you can read the warning signs posted at the base of the dam along the trail. The Corps of Engineers would not lie about this!

The majority of the trail is hard packed dirt. Every now and then, you will walk across pavement or concrete. These are only places where the parking lots, pavilions, or roads intersect with the trail. It allows you a little break, in some sense that you can rest from climbing or sliding on rocks. Other places in the trail have boardwalks and bridges taking you over marshy areas and creeks feeding into the lake. Whichever way the trail is prepared, you will be taken away by the surrounding, breath-taking views. If you happen to step into some mud or creek water, you won’t mind since your brain is attracted to the birds , wildlife, and views of the lake you will encounter along the way. A piece of advice to anyone wanting to begin hiking is to find a good set of hiking poles. These help you steady the load of the backpack when going up and down inclines. You will thank me later. There were many changes in inclines and I used my poles quite a bit before getting back home.

No matter the size, bridges have always fascinated me. From my earliest memories of crossing the Alabama River in Yellow Bluff, I can remember what excitement runs through my body as the car makes its way over the constructed road. As I have mentioned before in the latest podcast, when traveling to and from Biloxi, MS on I-10, you cross over a massive bridge which allows travelers to traverse the marshy lands of southeastern MS. The same goes for those travelers who are heading north or south on I-65 when they cross over the two humped, Dolly Parton bridge that goes over Dog River and Mobile River. On a much smaller scale, wooden bridges crossing small streams intrigue me just the same. There are a few small ones that cross over streams along the trail. Many of them forced me to stop midway and take pictures of surrounding areas. It’s really hard to explain exactly what thoughts go through my mind while I am standing on one of these bridges. Maybe it’s the sheer fact that something is holding me above water. Maybe it’s the fact that it is allowing me to stand over what calms me the most of anything in the world. It’s strange that something so calming can be so terrifying when I get into it since I never learned to swim. Wow…if that isn’t a Catch 22, I don’t know what would be.

Along the path, I happened upon a place simply known as The Fishing Hole. Fishing by permit only, of course, is the way that has to work. Not just anyone can come along and throw in their line. I had my license with me if I had brought along my pole. Maybe I will do that the next time I decide to hike the trail. Beside this pond was a little hut I thought was rather peaceful looking. I could see myself living in something like that. I have always wanted a log cabin/house to call my own. A man that lives back home in Grove Hill, AL owns a beautiful log home. When my father was running for Road Commissioner in around 1994, we went to his home to speak to him. He is a guy my dad knew his whole life. This house made my mouth water. It’s size and placement by the woods made me want to jump out of the car and go running inside to my own special bedroom. It would have been amazing. I know you can buy plans and materials to build these homes, but I can’t imagine how expensive they must be. Then again, the furniture and stuff we own would certainly not work to make it feel like a country home.

Before leaving the park, I took another stroll to the base of the dam and the river. The Atlanta area, for some reason, has become the new home of some Canadian geese. These things are everywhere there is some standing water. It’s almost as if they gave up half way and decided to stay here. Believe me, Canadians. If you want your geese back, you surly can have them. We have seen and smelled enough goose poop to last us many years. The grass along the river and the bank across the river is completely poop covered. You have to watch where you step. It’s that bad! Not allowing the poop to make this trip sound like it ended bad, I took some pictures of the geese and how calm they are. These are not like the ones my aunt used to own. Those things were complete evil bitches. You couldn’t get close to their cages without them hissing at you. They would have mauled you in the head if they could have gotten closer to people. Anyway, they are pretty and what’s so bad about having some pretty birds surrounding you at the lake. Poop! That’s what’s bad!

I had a really great time while hiking the Laurel Ridge Trail. It was my first attempt at hiking with my backpack and all its contents. The bag easily weighed around 30-40 lbs (13.6 – 18.1 kg). From things I have read online during my research to get ready for a long hike, that’s not a bad weight for your pack. From what I gather from people I have talked to in person and who have been to the terminus of the AT, you can usually find things left by trees that other hikers have taken out of their bags and left behind, in the attempt to lighten their heavy loads. I don’t know how true that is, but I have been told that a boy scout troop has gone there and racked up on some awesome things to use. That is the reason I am trying to keep my equipment at a low until I know from skilled hikers what I will need on my journey. Things I do have to make sure I buy are comfortable socks, things to put on my feet is a blister were to form, and overall first aid particulars. Other than that, I think I am set.

I would love to hear from anyone reading this about your first memorable hike and what it meant to you. Where did you go and was it a long distance trip?

Filed under Hiking. Tagged Lake Sidney Lanier, Laurel Ridge Trail

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Music is a journey through life

25 March 2010, 12:54 am

My taste in music couldn’t be any more vast than it has been most of my life. I will always love rock & pop since it is what I first began listening to. I can remember listening to the stations out of Mobile and Pensacola with my sister and my cousins. Remember the song “Take On Me” by A-Ha? I remember when it began being played on 97.5 WABB. I can also remember when WBLX in Pensacola played rock music rather than its R&B format of today. At that time, there was also a station I did not listen to until 6:00 pm. That station was 95.5 WJDB. When I heard that station (you couldn’t help bu hear it when you lived only 7 miles from it), my skin cringed as it played the dreadful country music of the 1980s with its sad and wrist-cutting twangs. After 6 pm, the format changed and it played pop music. That’s where I first heard the earliest songs from DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. Ahhh, the memories!

As I grew older and went through various stages of life, I realized that there were other things to listen to. Gospel music became an important part of my life later in high school. Things from Carmen and Michael W. Smith along with Amy Grant took control of my ear drums. Those along with Alice Cooper and Metallica raged wars in my head that sometimes I could not stop. It was an intense time…believe me! Before leaving for college, my cousin introduced me to Enya. From that moment on, my love for her voice grew and grew to monumental levels. Some nights, I could not sleep unless she was singing. At times, even now, that still holds true. From that, my interest in music spread like wildfire. Time periods created no boundaries for my ears. Led Zeppelin, Van Morrison, and Queen filled my music collection and the gospel tapes went to my mother and little brother.

Now that I am in my 30s (not making that sound old), I have an even broader love of music. As the video above shows, opera has filled a quiet need of mine. Andrea Bocelli puts chill bumps on every inch of my body. Pavarotti is another that makes me become a calm, together human being. By no means the least important, Il Divo is one group that everyone should listen to at least once. They are such a lovely piece of work. And they aren’t bad on the eyes either! Quite a few tasty morsels!

What are your favorite types of music? If you grew up in the country, were you allowed to listen to what you wanted or were you pretty much limited to what Mom and Dad listened to? Have you found places in your mind to let knew sounds sink in and soothe the rampant feelings and stresses of everyday life?

Filed under Favorite Music, Growing up.

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GCB0020 – Catching up, Colt 45, and whatever else!

25 March 2010, 12:24 am

Hello to all!

I have made it to Episode 20! WooHoo! At the beginning of the episode, I made the comment that it was the 19th episode. Obviously I had a Terminally Single Tim moment and couldn’t remember the number of my show! I made the correction at the end.

I am doing the show again with my friend Ronnie from the “Pulling the string on the iPad” episode. A lot of people wrote in about our little duo and so I invited him back for another go around. We talk about a few different things…from product placement of Colt 45 to people making stupid decisions when hiking at later hours in the day to the turning wet of my home county in Alabama. Of course, I am happy about that!

Have a listen and I hope to hear from you all. Definitely call and leave a voice mail when you can. I would love to hear from you. I am also trying to get the sound quality good on the show. I hope it isn’t too loud.

Until later!