Some Fountains of Savannah

The Historic District of Savannah is home to many fountains -- some small, some very small, some large, some very large. Water features always seem to be peaceful, restful, good for your attitude and your soul. Here are a few we liked.

Doors of Savannah

Doors have always intrigued us. Their style, color, material, condition -- all hints of what might lie beyond when opened. Here are a few that we liked.

  

This door has great historic significance as it was the entrance to Gen. Sherman's Headquarters in 1864.

Gardens of Savannah

We toured the Historic District in Savannah for a week in April and we loved it! Here are some of the gardens (loosely defined) that we particularly liked.

Biking the C&O Canal Towpath II Aug. 2011

Jim Roberts, Jane Butler, Nikki, and Dave enjoy a nice dinner at City Lights restaurant in Cumberland, MD, the evening before our big 62 mile ride to Hancock, MD.

Here we are, ready to go on our big adventure.

Jane preps her camera for the group photo below.

Here we come.

There we go.

East portal of the famous Paw Paw Tunnel. Bikes need to be walked through this 3200' very dark tunnel.

Rest stop at the site of the remains of the Round Top Cement Mill along the canal. It had already rained very hard and we are wet and the trail is very muddy.

But WE DID IT!

A well earned fist pump!

Flight 93 Memorial

A couple of days ago Nikki and I went back to the site of the crash of United Flight 93 to check on the progress of the memorial, Phase 1 of which will be dedicated on Sept. 10 and 11. We feel particularly connected to this place because the plane flew over our house only minutes before the crash. The heroism of the passengers and crew in bringing the plane down continues to move and inspire us.

Below is the new visitor's shelter.

Lots of windmills have been built on the nearby ridges over the past 10 years.

The white walls mark the path of the plane.

The actual crash site, now designated a cemetery, is marked by the 17 ton boulder in the background.

We learned that only 6 minutes elapsed between the time the passengers started their attempt to re-take the plane and the time of the crash. We were also told that the plane was upside down when it crashed at 570 miles/hour. The courage, the dedication, the commitment of these passengers to save the lives of others they did not know is a story that needs to be told again and again. The U.S. Capitol building, the likely target, was spared, as were the lives of thousands of people. The terrorists were denied this part of their awful plot. We are eternally grateful.

Eagles Mere

After a great week with Chris and Gary we went to Eagles Mere, PA, to visit with our friends John and Alix. One of many highlights of the visit was golf with John.
This is the #5 tee. Very beautiful as long as you don't hit the ball into the water. It is less beautiful if that happens.

Here's John about to crush his drive well over the pond. You go, guy!

This is hole #9, a 214 yard par three. The drop appears to be about 200 ft. It is a fun hole. I bogeyed.

Chimney Bluffs

One of the relatively unknown sights in the Rochester area is Chimney Bluffs, located on Lake Ontario just east of Sodus Bay. The bluffs are the eroded remains of drumlins.
A stark beauty, indeed.



Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, ....

It's a bird after all. Bank swallows nesting all over the place. Very cool. Thanks to our friend Mike Lanzone for the positive ID.

Edna's Japanese Garden

Knowing of our interest in developing a small Japanese garden at our home in FL, Chris and Gary introduced us to their friend Edna. Edna has spent the past 20 years or so developing her Japanese garden and it is a show piece. She was kind enough to give us a tour on very short notice.

The almost hidden entrance, almost magical. The sign informs you that you are entering the Garden of the Humble Administrator.

The pebble stream along the path.
The lantern accents the bamboo and the pine tree.
A small lantern, water feature, and pebble pond/stream.

Edna explains.
A quiet corner.
We got some good ideas. We loved Edna's garden and we loved Edna!