While the plants in these Urns do not bloom, they do add an aura of beauty to the front entrance of the Flower Child's Home in West Bibb County, Georgia. Above you can see the view as you exit.
Of course there is also a refreshing view as you approach the entrance to the Flower Child's Home that he shares with his Bride. 
A close up photo of one of the two urns which flank the front entrance. If you desire to view the Flower Child tending these lovely plants all you have to do is turn to Page 6A of "The Telegraph" published in Macon, Georgia on Friday, 2 May 2008. Have a Great Day and take time to enjoy the beauty that abounds in our Country.
The previous Blog regarding Communication Towers was also an excellent opportunity to capture this image. I shot the Communication Tower image and then looked to the field on the side of the road. Certainly a passive scene which reminds us that we all need to take the time to observe the beauty which surrounds us in abundance each and every day of our lives. All we have to do is stop by the roadside, so to speak, and enjoy the scene. 
The question today is what happens to the many, many Communications Towers that adorn our landscape at this time when the technology for communications becomes even more advanced that what we enjoy today. What will happen to these Towers when they are no longer needed. I am sure that the land owners where these towers are constructed are receiving a rental fee, which they should. That stated, are there rules and regulations on the books on a national basis that requires that unused towers be dismantled and recycled? The Flower Child would like to know. If any reader of this blog has an answer, please leave a comment here.
The Public Broadcasting Network will commence the broadcast of a ten part Mini-Series entitled "CARRIER" on Sunday evening at 9:00 P.M. Eastern Daylight Savings Time. This Mini-Series was filmed in 2005 and features the deloyment of the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) to the Iraq Area of Operations. A total of seventeen photojournalist including the Director were embedded with the crew for this six month deployment. I, the Flower Child, watched the 30 minute pre-view of this Mini-Series and based on what I saw, it is a must see. Please take the time on Sunday, April 27 to see for your self. Each of the ten parts is a stand alone epic, but you can be certain that the Flower Child will watch each program. The Carrier shown above is the USS Nimitz. This Carrier is currently returning to the United States of America from yet another deployment to the Far East to support the mission of the United States in the War on Terrorism.
Yes, the word respect is certainly germane in every aspect of each of our lives. There is not a citizen alive today that can meet all their needs all by themselves. We must appreciate others for what they accomplish so that our needs are met. As we prepare for the future we all may have to reduce our list of "wants" to a more manageable level. After all if we want to remain employed and travel to the work place we just may need more money set aside for energy. Additionally, we may have to re-evaluate our food budget. We can continue eating as we have or we can simply reduce our food intake to live with fewer dollars available to expend on food. I know that in the case of the "Flower Child, that a reduction of food intake may allow him to get down to a more healthy weight.
This sign is located at 1924 Hardeman Avenue in Macon, Georgia. Please note that there are no prices indicated for the grades of fuel. The Flower Child's question today is: "Has the Motoring Public become so angry with fuel prices that they have stopped acquiring Gasoline or Diesel Fuel from this particular Outlet?"
This new and modern Fuel Outlet has only been in operation for a short time, yet it appears that it has been abandoned. True, there is a sign nearby that indicates that this Fuel Outlet is for Rent. The Flower Child would like to think that this outlet is no longer operational because the buying public in our Great State and Nation is simply fed up with the National Oil Company of the Venezuela. Within the past year our local media has identified the Government of Venezuela as being friendly to Terrorist Nations. So maybe this is why our local CITGO Fuel Outlet is now out of business, even though it is a fairly new and clean facility. Please note the barred Doors and Windows. Hardly a friendly looking place to conduct Fueling Operations.
Because the Braves Home Game against the Washington Nationals had the potential to see Pitcher John Smoltz achieve 3000 Career Strikeouts the Flower Child took his Bride and His Granddaughter to the Braves Game at Turner Field. The image above tells it all.
Of course they also showed an image of the Pitcher on the Big Television at the Stadium.
Because the achievement of this record was quite possible many fans had signs and banners to aid in the celebration. Here you see the view of four loyal fans who had the largest Sign to signal the establishment of John's 3000 Career Strikeouts. It is unfortunate that the Braves lost to the Nationals 6-0, but it was an exciting game. Besides that, years from now Flower Child's Grand-daughter can say she was there. A Wonderful Evening at the Ball Park.
Today the Flower Child traveled with a photography judging team to Butler, Georgia to judge the annual Strawberry Festival Photo Contest. They had three age divisions which were:
Of course the Good Folks in Butler, Georgia provided an excellent reward for members of the Judging Team. This Basket was full, but once the Flower Child arrived home he just had to consume a few of these lovely, and yes tasteful Strawberries. Then it was time to take a photograph. You can be confident that the Flower Child will enjoy his Breakfast of Cheerios for a few days with these awesome berries as the garnish.You can view this Strawberry Festival Photo Contest this Saturday, April 26th at Reynolds, Georgia. The Photo Display will be in the Depot.
This Festival has a website at: http://www.ga-strawberry.org/main.htm
Enjoy the Strawberries. I can testify that they are good, in fact great!!!
A Lovely Iris
Clematis Flower
A Fringe Tree Bloom
also known as "Grancy Grey Beard"
One Miniture Rose Bloom
A delightful HibiscusThe Azaleas are done and the Dogwood Blossoms are past their prime, so today the Flower Child took some pictures of the beauty that abounds in his Gardens. The Lenten Roses are well past their peak, but they still provide interesting beauty. The Oakleaf Hydrangea and the Mop Head Hydranges are setting bloom buds. Should burst forth soon!!!!!
Yesterday, April 17, 2008 the Flower Child was involved in a Garden Club Service Project. The Flower Child is a member of the Pine Ridge Garden Club in Macon, Georgia. The Club decided to perform a Service Project for the 100 residents of a local Nursing Home. We procured 100 pair of heavy duty socks. They were gift wrapped and placed in the bags shown above along with a neat bow and a Tag which read "For a Very Special Person." The Ladies at this Nursing Home will receive their Socks on Mother's Day and the Gentlemen will receive their Socks on Father's Day. The picture above shows but a small portion of the Gift Bags. A Fun Project and also a neat way of thinking about our Fellow Peoplekind.
The lower right front panel was not aligned to the Micro-Wave.
The top of the Micro-Wave Door did not align to the heating space.
This is a view of the defective Micro-Wave.
A quick check of the packing material revealed that the shipping box must have been dropped during shipment to Macon, Georgia. At this point a quick phone call to the local vendor to ascertain if a full refund could be obtained. Yes, Yes!!!! The defective applicance was returned to the local Vendor and a full refund was obtained. 
A quick stop at an other appliance dealer revealed that other Companies produce Micro-Waves. We knew we did not want another Amana or even a Whirlpool in as much as Amana is now owned by Whirlpool. No need to subject us to future poor customer service from Whirlpool. We had already endured enough of that to last a normal person's lifetime. We were able to obtain a larger Micro-Wave with more power for less money than the first Amana we acquired on January 28, 2008. It is a shame that the formerly good folks of Amana and the follow-up owner, Whirlpool do not employ decent standards of "Customer Service/Satisfaction."
The Department of Fine Arts of the Bibb County School District presented "United We Sing" on Monday, April 7, 2008 at the Macon City Auditorium. Over 450 Bibb County Students presented a great Concert.
The Flower Child and his Bride visited the First Friday events in Macon, Georgia. We attended the "Pouring Vessels: Ceramics display which was a true delight. This display is but a minute preview of the "Fired Works" Pottery display which will be held later in April of 2008 at Central City Park also in Macon.
The two pouring vessels above are works of Joy Raynor of Houston County, Georgia. 
These three unique vessels were made by Heather Davis. The entire galley was filled with Pouring Vessels which were all very interesting. Admittedly it is quite difficult to obtain quality photographs during a opening reception, however the Staff was most cooperative and I was able to capture these images. 
The Official Party at the Ed DeFore Sports Complex, Macon, Georgia listens as the Consul General, The Republic of Korea speaks to the attendees from across the entire State of Georgia. Kwang-jae Lee spoke of the U.S.A.s involvement in the Korean War. He also reminded us that the Republic of Korea has stood by our Country in every War and Conflict since the Korean War. Mr. Lee expressed his gratitude on behalf of his Country at this Dedication Ceremony. 
The Electronic and Print Media covered the unveiling of the "Korean War Veterans Highway Marker." Additionally the Republic of Korea assisted with funding of three Memorial Markers which will be erected on U. S. Highway 80 which runs through Georgia. The Markers will be installed near the beginning of this Highway at Tybee Island, East of Savannah, one in Macon, Georgia, near U. S. Highway 80 and the third marker near Fort Benning, Columbus, Georgia as U. S. Highway 80 crosses into Alabama. 
The Official Program for this event also contained "A Resolution" issued by the State of Georgia in connection with this Dedication and the establishment of U. S. Highway 80 as the "Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway." The Resolution stated that hundreds of thousands of men and women served in the Korean War and over 34,000 died and over 100,000 were wounded in combat.
This Dedication and establishment of U. S. Highway 80 as the Memorial Highway is viewed as a very appropriate and fitting Momument to these brave Men and Women who served their Country with Valor and Honor.
Each of the above mentioned concerns has a direct impact on the lives and the welfare of each and every U. S. Citizen, yet we are now having individual states taking up the mantra of leadership simply because the good folks in "Washington, D.C." do not want to make an issue of these vital concerns because it is an election year. I say, come out of the closet, each of you, running for the Office of President of the United States. Come January 2009, one of you will most likely be sworn in to protect and defend the "Constitution of the United States of America." I would submit that today is an excellent time for you to voice your concerns about problem resolution. In fact yesterday, was too late for any of you to introduce any meaningful legistation to at least attempt to resolve the issues I identified above. As a U. S. Senator, each of these presidential hopefulls has a task to accomplish. First and foremost, they should be displaying their leadership skills so we "The People" can make an informed choice. Campaign soundbites are not enough. "We, The People," do indeed deserve better. I know that Senators Clinton, McCain and Obama are too busy trying to become President to answer this Blog or even post a comment here; but you can be sure that I will send the contents of this Blog to their respective Campaigns. Additionally, they will also receive it at their U. S. Senate Website.
Now, before you even think that I forgot to discuss the "Home Mortgage Crisis," please be aware that I consider this problem one that was enabled by the Home Loan Industry to write loans that were not adequately vetted by the respective brokers. Of course there is also plenty of blame for those who may not have accurately stated their incomes, etc, when they applied for their respective loans. Plenty of Blame to Go Around to everyone involved. A sad situation to be sure. And, Yes, I am aware that our current President has also stated that at no time in our Nation's History, have so many citizens owned their own home. Yes, I have a home loan, but I do not feel that my peers, my fellow Americans should be forced to make my payments. Enough stated about that problem. The Home Mortgage Industry can best resolve this short term crisis. I am confident that it will be short term, unless the Federal Government takes it on and it becomes a lingering crisis.
A view of the Blossoms on Oxford Circle, Macon, Georgia. We took the Cherry Blossom Festival Motor Coach Tour and learned a few things about Macon, Georgia that we had not heard before.
The Flower Child and His Bride attended the "Bed Races" on Cherry Street. Shown here is the entry by the Magnolia Street Mafia. They had the most spirit, but they were not the fastest.
The Pig in A Pit Bar-B-Que Cafe had the most colorful Bed. They performed quite well, but were beat out. 
A scene from the Third Street Park, First Ever Lawn Mower Races. An interesting event to be sure. They did not perform the National Anthem or have a Military Jet Aircraft Fly-over, but it was the closest thing to a NASCAR Cup Race that has been run in Middle Georgia. A Fun Event.
Of course No Cherry Blossom Event is complete without someone modeling a fine selection of headgear. This model was very willing to have her picture taken. I suspect that she must have been the "Grand Marshall" of the First Ever Lawn Mower Races held in Macon. 
Every few months the Flower Child conducts a Challenge Contest on this Blog. This one is entitled the "Bibb County Challenge" because the doors shown above are on a Building which is located in Bibb County, Georgia. You Do Not have to reside in Bibb County to enter this Challenge. If you can give the name of the Building or the Street Address in the Comments Section Below prior to April 8, 2008 you will be entertained to a free casual lunch hosted by the Flower Child. Therefore you must enter your answer no later than 2400 hours on April 7th, 2008. As with my other most recent challenges there will be no clues given. This one is very easy. As with the last Challenge which was the door to the Horne Law Group on Vineville Avenue in Macon, this one requires that you slow down and look about as you conduct your errands or social activities in Bibb County, Georgia.
Today, March 23, 2008 in Middle Georgia. There was a gathering of the Family to celebrate Easter 2008. Prior to the Gala Dinner the First Annual Easter Rabbit Horse Shoe Game was played. The stakes were plastic orange carrots with a green top. The Horse Shoes were patterned after iron Horse Shoes, but featured plastic Rabbit Ears. It was a challenging series of Games. The Winner of the First Annual Easter Horse Shoe (Rabbit Ear) Game was my Son, shown here in the front of this picture. You may be wondering the Score which was 5-2 after a pre-determined period of time. We played this challenging game prior to Dinner so we could not play too long. After all everyone was ready to eat. This Game was such fun that I suspect that it will become an annual tradition. With these concerns and comments in mind, I feel that it is very appropriate to address what we as a Society should be doing.
In summary, we have everything to gain if we all enjoin each other to be more responsible in our own actions as we focus on what we each can do to help our Young Citizens grow and mature into productive citizens of our Great Country. We cannot simply overlook what is going on around us and hope for the better. We must actually become engaged in the development of our future citizens.
As I compose this message today I am often reminded of my own youth, well before the age of Television when I observed life from a Young Farm Boy perspective. My parents told us why the animals were conducting sexual activity. It was quite obvious when you saw a male boar jump a female sow and become locked together for a long period of time that something special was happening.
Additionally, we must all learn and also always be aware that we must appreciate each and every member of the human race. Females are not here for the pleasure of horny males and conversely, males are not here for the pleasure of young horny females. Yet we must also teach our Young Citizens that Sexual Activity is a Special Gift. With the pleasures of life, including sexual activity, there are consequences. We must realize that a casual moment of passion can result in terrible diseases. We must realize that a moment of passion can, and often does result in a teen-pregancy. Males and Females are required to produce a baby. Unfortunately, many males drop out of the picture once they have achieved their "fun." I have also read that many males in the twenties look to much younger females for their personal pleasure because these younger females may not yet be carrying diseases. So the spread of disease/s continues.
Rather a long post, but certainly something that we, each of us must consider and also become involved in.
The Scientific Name for this lovely looking tree is: Cornus florida. The Flower Child has lived in Wonderful Weatherby some sixteen years and enjoys the Flowering Dogwood Trees every Spring. They produce an abundance of beauty. As the Spring flush of Tea Olive Flowers and Daphne Odera fade away the Dogwood marches smartly into providing real Spring Beauty. Although the Azaleas are just beginning to open their lovely Spring Display, the Shrub or Tree this Week is the Dogwood, or should I say "Cornus florida?"
Quilt Raffle. The Vietnam Veterans of America - Middle Georgia Chapter # 443 is conducting a Fund Raiser to erect a Memorial Bench at Macon's Historic Fort Hawkins.
This picture was taken on Saturday, March 8, 2008 on Kale Avenue in Clayton County Iowa. To the right of this plowed out roadway is the Thiese Family Farm where the Flower Child grew up. Way back then it was a gravel road, but has been paved in recent years. So my dear readers, if you think you have difficult Winter Weather where ever you may be, think of this image and enjoy your situation. 
A View of the Interior of Fort Sumter in the Charleston, South Carolina harbor. The Flower Child and some of his relatives from the Great Upper Mid-West have been touring Georgia and South Carolina for the past few day. This view clearly shows a unexploded projectile fired into Fort Sumter during the Civil War. 
A view of the USS Yorktown (CV-10) at Patriots Point, South Carolina. This Museum Ship allowed everyone the opportunity to view first hand how U. S. Navy Sailors lived on board a Aircraft Carrier. The most interesting and also inspiring aspect of the visit to the USS Yorktown was the Congressional Medal of Honor Hall of Fame Display. This interactive display featured the Heroes of our United States of America. 3445 of our Nations Heroes have received this Medal, the highest medal our country bestows on our Heroes. 
