Sunday, June 26, 2016

The Birthday Girl


June 26, 2016
Bostwick, GA

Happy 8th Birthday, Tessa! I cannot believe how 8 years, such a big chunk of time, could pass so quickly. May we be blessed with another 8. Thank you for being such a good companion and model, always ready to play and always willing to play along.



Summer Solstice


June 20, 2016
Clarke County (GA)

Turtle Soup



June 16, 2016
Athens, GA

Turtle pond, UGA, our morning ritual. We stop, and within a few minutes 9-10 turtles float up to greet us. 


The Catcher In The Wheat


May 30, 2016
Bostwick, GA

I'm A Wheat!


May 30, 2016
Bostwick, GA



Welcome, Home!


April 18, 2016
[at home]

And just like that, it is done - we are in our new home. Dismantling and re-assembly of furniture went reasonably well. Everything fit, nothing got damages, nobody got hurt. Tessa feels right at home, and now has a fenced yard to enjoy.

Home Inspection


April 14, 2016
[at - the new - home]

Tessa-inspected, Tessa-approved.

The Pack Rat


April 11, 2016
[at home]

And ... we are moving.

Post-Op


March 14, 2016
[at home]

Tessa hit a speed bump.

On March 6, I felt a lump near her left armpit. The vet aspirated it the next day, and it came back as a mast cell tumor. Surgery was today.

Mast cell tumors are nasty, and tricky. They tend to be unpredictable but there are several factors that give an idea as to how things might play out. Hers was grade 2 (grade 1 being the lowest, grade 3 being very aggressive), and the mitotic index (a measurement for cell proliferation) was 4, with 5 being the cut-off as to when a grade 2 might behave like a grade 3.  So overall, it could have been worse, and could have been better. We got clean margins, which is a good start, though not a guarantee. Ironically, my dog Yogi was diagnosed with the same kind of tumor in May 1996 - 20 years ago. We were unable to get a clean margin at the time, and the prognosis was 6-8 months - but the tumor never returned and she died in 2004 at age 14, from other causes. 

The course of action for Tessa will be vigilance. I will check her for any new lumps quite frequently. 



Unwrapping a get-well package from our friends!

Pre-Op


March 13, 2016
[at home]

The Cattle Auctioneer


March 12, 2016
Athens, GA 

Tropical Winter


February 14, 2016
Athens, GA

Where Trains Once Traveled


 February 14, 2016
Athens, GA

Dead End


February 13, 2016
Hampton, GA

For all The Walking Dead fans out there.

This is the dead-end alley where in season 6, episode 3, the dumpster attack took place. Someone actually marked the spot where "Glenn" "died". 

I wish I could watch this show,  I love that it is filmed in Georgia and I am familiar with some of the filming locations. I tried many times, but I can't take it. I just can't. It's too much. 

The Dumpster SceneThe Walking Dead, Season 6, Episode 3. Viewers discretion very much advised. 

The Security Guard


January 23, 2016
Jackson County (GA)

Lost


January 23, 2016
Chestnut Mountain, GA

Center Stage


January 17, 2016
Juliette, GA

Merry Christmas

December 24, 2015
[at home]

Rain, Rain, Rain




November 7, 2015
Sandy Creek Park, GA 


Go U Hairy Dawgs!


December 20, 2015
Athens, GA

Got Gas?


December 20, 2015
Arcade, GA (Jackson County)

The Marshall Of Toomsboro


December 6, 2015
Toomsboro, GA


Early Release


December 6, 2015
Scott State Prison
Hardwick, GA

Ship Ahoy!


December 6, 2015
Milledgeville, GA

Dock Dog


December 6, 2015
Milledgeville, GA

The Madness!


December 6, 2015
Milledgeville, GA

Tessa has been kind of crazy lately, but at the Central State Hospital this morning, she promised to stop all shenanigans ("really!") for fear of being committed. This is one hell of a creepy place, and I wasn't even inside.

Star Fort


November 27, 2015
Ninety Six, SC

Buoys


November 22, 2015
Toccoa, GA 

Vet Me Up


November 22, 2015
Seneca, SC (Oconee County) 

You Can Get There From Here


November 14, 2015
Sharon, GA (Taliaferro County)

When the world is a monster bad to swallow you whole
Kick the clay that holds the teeth in, throw your trolls out the door
If you're needing inspiration, Philomath is where I go by dawn
Lawyer Jeff, he knows the lowdown, he's mighty bad to visit home

(I've been there I know the way) Can't get there from here

[R.E.M.]


Fall


October 30, 2015
Morgan County (GA)

Toccoa GA


October 24, 2015
Toccoa, GA (Stephens County)

Post Season At The Speedway


October 24, 2015
Hart County (GA)

Easy Company



October 24, 2015
Currahee Mountain, GA

Currahee Mountain near Toccoa, GA is where Camp Toccoa was located, and it was here that the first paratroopers trained to prepare for combat in WWII. One of the training routines was to run up and down this mountain - "three miles up - three miles down", as seen in "Band of Brothers" (which was not filmed here). A forest dirt/gravel road leads to the top, and you can hike, run, or drive it. 





We drove up. A hike would have taken about 4 hours round trip which was not in my time budget that day. Accomplished with my 2011 Honda CRV 2WD which is not an off-road vehicle by any stretch of the imagination.


For those interested: Online it says that AWD is recommended, but the road is doable in dry conditions with a little bit of clearance and maybe FWD. I've been on worse, for sure! There were no deep ruts but quite a bit of unpleasant washboard effect and a couple of steeper stretches where the gravel got very slippery, causing a tire to spin and the VSA light to flicker. There are not many good places to turn around so I just kept going, keeping the momentum. Up on top, it's tight quarters; there are only 4-5 parking spaces and all but one were taken when I arrived - lucky. 


Do not try this without AWD after a good rain. Also, the road can be closed off to AWD as well when conditions get too bad. 


Iron Horse



October 18, 2015
Greene County (GA)



 More!

At Elijah Clarke


October 18, 2015
Elijah Clark State Park, GA

The Iron Horse


October 12, 2015
Greene County (GA)


Clean Up In Hole 9!


October 11, 2015
Oconee County, GA