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Tennessee Nov 2020 to June 2022

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  The move to Tennessee went smoothly. It was quite a shock walking into my house after 20 years. Throughout that time, I had done a home inspection every year and thought the house was well cared for. Although structurally it was, I was shocked at how dumpy it looked. The interior was dark and dated, but outside was even worse, with the siding a mismatch of fiber cement and hardie board, painted two different shades of yellow. The bushes were overgrown and the whole place just looked ill kept. I could tell I had my work cut out for me. The first thing I wanted to do was enclosed my screened in porch. When I bought the house 20 years ago, it was with the intent of turning it into a giant sunroom full of plants and aquariums. I have pictured it in my head for years. I will say the finished project far exceeded my vision and I couldn’t have been happier. I initially wanted to put in a new kitchen, redo both bathrooms (one with a walk-in shower) replace all the doors in the house as wel
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Life and Death June to Nov 2020

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  June 2020 - My first stop was Skidway Island State Park, near Savannah Georgia.  It’s a beautiful park, with plenty of trees and very large shady campsites.  I stayed a week, mostly hanging out in the park.  I hung a bird feeder and attracted a wide variety of birds to my site.  It was quite enjoyable just hanging out watching them.  There were plenty of trails and the park was only about half full.  I did venture to nearby Wormsloe Historic site.  It features the ruins of a colonial estate, and a few trails, but mainly its known for the beautiful tree lined drive.  The entrance road goes under a canopy of live oak trees with Spanish moss draped all over the overhead branches. It was almost like a living tunnel. I also ventured into Savannah, which is known for its beautiful parks all over the city.  I mostly just walked around, starting near the waterfront area, with its busy bars and restaurants.  When I noticed most people on the crowded streets and businesses weren't wearing
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Florida Nov 2019 to June 2020

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  Well, here it is, two years since my last post.    I'm thinking about how life has changed so dramatically and what I plan to do for the future.  First, I'll catch you up to date.   If you remember, I was in Spain when I accepted the time had come to have my knee replaced. My mother and brother live in Florida, so I decided to stay with my mom while I recuperated. She lives in Cocoa while my brother Larry lives on nearby Merritt Island. I actually grew up near West Palm Beach and I always said I would never want to live in the state permanently for multiple reasons. It's miserably hot in the summer, the overall landscaping is completely flat, with an over-abundance of scrubby pines and palm trees. I much prefer lush green terrain with mountains and lakes. Florida does have plenty of lakes, but you have to contend with the ever-present alligators and brain-eating amoebas. What I will say, however, it is a great place to be in the winter for two reasons: the weather and the
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Morocco part 3

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Day 8 was spent mostly just driving from Erfoud to Ait Benhaddou, described as “a prime example of classic Southern Moroccan architecture, this fortified city's high-angled towers stand out above the family dwellings, all set near the foothills of the Atlas Mountains”.   We passed several of these earthen clay fortresses and they looked pretty formidable.      One of the most interesting sights, if not the most bizarre, were goats that climbed trees. Yes, it seems there are some cloven hooved goats who climb one particular type of tree, the Argania spinosa, or argan tree.   The fruit must be super delicious, because the tree itself is very thorny.   No one else wants the fruit, not humans or other animals.   What humans do want however, is the nut in the center of the fruit.   The argon fruit is eaten by the goat, but the nut is not digested.   It passes entirely through the digestive tract and pops out the other end, where some unfortunate soul gathers them up for processi
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Morocco part 2

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Day 5 - It was time to leave Marrakesh and head south.  We toured the city of Ouarzazate , ‘a desert city at the gates of the Sahara’     Our first stop was the Kasbahs Taourirt.   It's basically a huge house/fortress where members of an extended family live. It's like a maze; small staircases, arched doorways, and narrow passageways leading in every direction.   On the upper levels, some rooms have tiny windows where you can peer outside and get glimpses of the surrounding desert.   There are said to be some 300 rooms, all of which were empty, so it was hard to visualize how they actually lived.   I understand there are still families residing in the back of the Kasbah, who will let you see their home for a nominal fee.   I totally would have done so had I been able, I think it would have been very interesting.   Our next stop was a rug factory. There was a local Barber man explaining the process of how the materials were dyed and handmade using a loom. I have seen so ma
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