Take One for the Gipper!

I expect that Auburn University and University of Alabama students were disappointed in the weather last week during spring break in Gulf Shores. Perhaps they enjoyed a touch of spring on Saturday with sunny skies and highs in the 70s. During my youth we would make up for it with the nightlife! Those were the days! (Uh...that is, many days ago...) Winter has lingered in the Deep South. Each year on "departure Sunday" tired and sunburned traveling students crowd local fast food restaurants in my home town about 100 miles north of the beach. Those with "bronze tans" this year probably purchased it from a tanning salon prior to the spring break roadtrip! This photo was taken last October in Gulf State Park with my cellphone. The Park is located between Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. In the distance beachhomes have either been restored or rebuilt following devastating Hurricane Ivan. Sea Oats waving in the prevailing southwesterly wind are protected in all Gulf South States to preserve the natural community. On family vacations to Santa Rosa Island, Florida during the '60s my family would gather sea oats for home decor. We did not know better. The Gulf State Park is popular during the summer for family portraits of all members wearing the typical khaki shorts and white shirts. For years I stated I would never dress in the "family beach uniform" for a picture. Last year when my wife said it was time for the family beach portrait, I bit the bullet and ironed a pair of khaki shorts pronto! Sometimes you just have to take one for the Gipper!

Where Is This Place?

Back to the blog after a month away as a result of a change on the work front. Last entry mentioned the unusual snow event I encountered during a travel day in the Deep South during February from the Nashville office to home in south Alabama. In the consulting business one must remain flexible and mobile to respond to the needs of the clients. Having just made a commitment for an apartment within close proximity to the office the boss walked by and asked if I could report to a critical project within (20) hours. The answer is always yes...its the nature of the business. The photo reflects fall foliage on the slope of a mountain which is renowned for civil war history and continues to be a primary tourist destination. I met my family here during November on a weekend while I was working in the Shenandoah National Park. This location is midway between northern Virginia and south Alabama. Actually, I met my wife and son on (2) occasions. Sticky Fingers Barbeque became our favorite pastime following visits to the Aquarium and Imax Theater. Figured it out yet? How about a few more hints. See Rock City. See Ruby Falls. The billboards and barn tops advertise this hotspots several hundred miles north or south of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Who would have thought that I would be working 25 miles north three months after the tram ride to the top of Lookout Mountain and the half slab of ribs, slaw, and baked beans downtown. Following a week at the airport extended stay hotel I moved close to the project to escape the Chat traffic. Then were long days of work followed by night internet courses to meet the objectives of the client. Tonight I celebrate the relocation and duration of the new project (in consideration of the status of the national economy-I am blessed), completion of the nightly cram sessions for certifications (passing the final exams), and flexibility to drive home on weekends to be with my family (SNP was a long, long way from home). I look forward to returning to this blog with new photos, new stories, and encounters with the Lord Jesus. "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." ISAIAH 64:4